Nearly every day during the summer, one can hear sirens somewhere in Transylvania County as members of our communities’ fire/rescue squads head out to extinguish a fire, extricate people from a vehicle involved in an accident or rescue a person in...

As we look back upon the recent July 4 celebrations, we should reflect upon our Declaration of Independence. In calling for separation from Great Britain, our founding fathers did not argue that we should defer to other countries on all matters, but...

A recent writer’s attempt to make the Confederate flag a benign symbol of “Southern Heritage,” of which he offered no definition, yet, nonetheless, declared his pride therein, seemed to be an attempt at obfuscating the most important part of...

Every summer, people slide over one of our many waterfalls to their death. Tragically, this summer has proven to be no different. The two fatalities thus far this summer have been at Rainbow Falls in the upper end of the county. On July 4,...

I notice the small white wisp labeled Glen Cannon Falls on the mural at Asheville Airport. Seeing it makes me smile but also conjures sad frustration. Glen Cannon Falls is at the center of contention between the Glen Cannon Property Owners Associatio...

Isn’t it a coincidence that NATO is having a summit on July 11 and 12 and President Trump is having a summit in Helsinki with Putin four days later. Do you think Putin will want to know what was discussed at that summit and do you think Trump will...

As one southerner to another I respond to Stanley Jefferson’s June 25 letter. I grew up in Vicksburg, Miss., where public offices closed on Confederate Memorial Day but remained open on July 4 because Vicksburg surrendered to Grant on July 4 and...

Being 85 years old and living alone, I have lots of time to think back over the years. Born at the top of Glazener Road, raised along Rosman Highway, I remember going with grandmother to the top of mountain behind Sav-Mor’s parking lot. We visited...

The following words rang out 242 years ago when America declared independence. “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the...

Last month two immigration bills were brought before the U.S. House but neither one passed. Both of them would have significantly reduced legal immigration. Depending upon the bill and its analysis, the number of legal immigrants would have been...

For weeks, I’ve been contemplating how to make a constructive comment to the increasingly anti-establishment letters given space for “Opinion of the Readers” in this newspaper. The tone firmly establishes many are to be categorized as liberal,...

The article about Devon Holmes in the June 28th Transylvania Times was a light in a dark world. When Devon’s mother and his 3-year-old brother were killed by a drunk driver, Devon was comforted by the Boys & Girls Club. As he states, “Without...

The existing building is a landmark. The building is old and is past its useful life as a safe, efficient space for holding court or doing business. Expanding the courthouse and trying to continue to use the existing building in the expansion plan...

The writer of the June 28, 2018 letter entitled “Despicable” wondered why anyone would want to be associated with the radical left-wing after learning that Trump’s press secretary was asked privately to leave a restaurant, an apparently cringe...

It would surprise most Americans to know that slavery still exists. It surprised me when I first started following the issue in 2005. According to IJM, the largest anti-slavery organization in the world, right now, more than 40 million people are som...

You know the Pledge of Allegiance, probably by heart. You may recite it only occasionally, or get the chance several times a week. Sometimes, I’m guessing, you say it mechanically, and other times filled with deep meaning. I hope it’s more often...

(This editorial is being reprinted from the July 2, 2015, issue of The Transylvania Times.) “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that...

The commissioners’ decision last Monday to step back from the precipice of relocating our courthouse is welcome. However, less palatable was the spectacle of four of the five commissioners subjecting the public gallery to almost an hour of...

A big thank you to Barbara Green, who returned from retirement to serve as the interim director of the Silvermont Opportunity Center. Interesting programs for senior citizens were scheduled, visitors were welcomed and potential issues were resolved...

Last Monday’s paper, June 25, carried a story about Marc Hayes Thompson being sentenced to serve a minimum of 10 years in prison for stealing drugs from Transylvania Regional Hospital. According to District Attorney Greg Newman, “This was a...

From June 18-22 there were at least three accidents on Rosman Highway from the Marathon station to SavMor grocery store. Why is this section of highway not patrolled more? I live in this area and know full well the 45 mph speed limit is totally...

This is in response to the letter referring to “Trump haters.” I was raised to understand that I am expected to treat others the way I want to be treated. I was also raised to understand that when I came down to breakfast in a rotten mood and...

In all of my years, I never thought I would see so much disarray and discourse among so many people on so many issues in this county, state and country. It would be humorous if not so unbelievable. Things I thought I would never see: a time when law...

Monday night the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners reversed course and decided to cease work on a new courthouse on Morris Road. It was certainly not an easy decision for the commissioners, who had spent time reviewing options and investing...

I’m not sure why anybody these days wants to be associated with the radical left-wing. In case you missed it, there have been two recent occasions where people associated with President Trump have been ask to leave restaurants just because of...