Opinion

Mayor on Duty - 4.3.25

I chaired the Southwestern Regional Planning Organization’s Transportation Advisory Committee meeting last week.  This committee’s main task is to provide prioritization of road projects to North Carolina DOT planners.

Wait continues for Crossroads fix

Everyone has an opinion about what the future of the Cashiers crossroads should look like. Depending on how you envision the intersection of NC107 and US64, the following will either be great news, or terrible news.

Mayor on Duty - 3.27.25

Before the town retreat that was held last Thursday I did a personal town assessment by again reading the Highlands Community Plan.  The board of commissioners completed and adopted the plan in June of 2022.

A better way to present a budget

If you’ve ever been in position to sit through a budget meeting, for any government entity, you probably have fond memories of the exciting banter, the rip-roaring laughs, and how fast the time passed. Okay, maybe not.

Mayor on Duty - 3.20.25

Thursday is the annual Highlands Town Retreat, starting at 9 a.m. in the arts and crafts room of the Highlands Recreation Center.  The retreat has been rescheduled twice now, but it is a go for Thursday.  The retreat is open to the public.

Spring signals time to refresh

Today is the first official day of spring. It’s a time of renewal, a time for fresh ideas, and a time to get out and appreciate what makes the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau a great place to live and work.

Mayor on Duty - 3.6.25

Last week, Town Manager Josh Ward and I drove to Raleigh to attend the annual legislative dinner sponsored by the North Carolina League of Municipalities. It was a two-day trip with us checking into a hotel and then immediately attending the reception and dinner.

Don't forget to Spring Forward

If you’ve been enjoying a regular sleep cycle recently, there is bad news on the horizon. But by the same token, if you enjoy having time after work to do outdoor activities, your probably looking forward to what’s coming next.

Mayor on Duty - 2.27.25

Well, we finally did it, that is, the town and chamber have come to an agreement about the lease of the chamber building owned by the town. This back-and-forth issue had gone on for more than a year, but at the last board meeting an agreement came forth.

Five months later, Helene lingers

Five months ago today, Hurricane Helene reached Western North Carolina and unleashed a wrath that our region hadn’t seen in a generation. As we enter month six of storm recovery, Helene’s impact is still being felt on multiple fronts.