Good News. In my part of the world, I am proud of the accomplishments and progress for change. The link is about a documentary recently produced, concerning communities where our daughter lives up in the North Carolina Mountains and we visit often.
"“The best songs and films are not manufactured in a studio, but come from the heart. They take real stories, real people, and carry them far beyond where they began. And in doing so, they send a simple but powerful message: these lives, these struggles, these triumphs matter.
The documentary Papertown does exactly that. It tells the story of Canton and Haywood County…the grit, the setbacks, the resilience, and the pride of a community that refuses to be defined by anything but its heart. These aren’t just local stories. They’re American stories and they deserve to be heard."
Mayor Zeb Smathers
https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/05/16/documentary-showcases-how-nc-town-navigates-paper-mill-closure/
Candler and Canton, NC, are neighboring communities in Western North Carolina just west of Asheville, connected primarily by US-19/US-23. The two towns are just 8.5 miles apart, typically a quick 13-minute drive, making them heavily intertwined for commuting and local travel.
Geographic Context & Proximity
Canton: Located in Haywood County, this historic mill town sits along the Pigeon River. It acts as a western gateway towards Waynesville and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Candler: Located in Buncombe County, this larger residential and rural community serves as a transitional area between Canton and the western outskirts of Asheville.
Distance & Travel: Because the route runs parallel to the Blue Ridge Mountains along the highway corridor, you can easily travel back and forth between the two locations.
www.cantonnc.com
Navigating Between Them
To get a highly specific layout of the streets, terrain, and distances between the two locations, you can view the live route and nearby amenities using Google Maps.
Those planning to travel between these towns or the surrounding Asheville area, can now just ask AI for information, especially pertaining to:
•Local dining or lodging recommendations
•Detail scenic drives or stops (such as the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway)
•Suggest outdoor activities like local hiking trails
Executive producer Dave Matthews created an original song specifically for the documentary.
This is real. This is a "truth" ....just maybe not yours. We love our country and we love our home state of North Carolina. There are do-ers and complainers-- we are part of that first category. This is how we roll, Wade and I. This is not an attack of anyone in particular, it simply is how I view it, my opinion only. My way is in the real life trenches of involvement, not a protest gathering. It often is in the form of financial support or volunteered time to assist others in need. People in the streets really do nothing for whatever causes they protest about. Recently, while in Marathon and Key Largo, we witnessed small groups of about 20 old folks waving signs at us from the side of the road that said "Honk if you are Anti-ICE. There was nobody honking. Not one.This is not the way to resolve and solve those problems. Their protest is ineffective as well as hazardous to the drivers in transit. I feel the same about social justice warriors on the internet that promote " I Stand With Ukraine" or whatever to show which side they think is the right side, right or not, most of those peeps do little or nothing to actually help in any meaningful way that delivers positive results and solutions.....but it seems they sure like to indulge in the spread of propaganda, unaware that it is propaganda....and there's plenty of hopelessness and frustrations happening, especially thanks to fakery and AI, that peeps don't have much of a chance to know what the truth is. And its always seems like crickets, when the truth actually finds them. It's like they don't want to see it. It is sad for all of us because this world has become so distorted. So many become lost in it.
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/papertown-documentary-mountainfilm-festival-1236732427/
Short story by Clara Mae Gregory
Read 13 times
Written on 2026-05-18 at 15:27
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Meanwhile
We are advocates for a healthy, clean world. Our daughter lives in the mountains of NC. We have always advocated for the environment. This particular stink mill has finally met its fate and none of us are crying about it. Hurricane Helene didn't help, but it did ultimately open doors for funding and freeing this community of Canton of the former economic need that created such a monster providing the people jobs."“The best songs and films are not manufactured in a studio, but come from the heart. They take real stories, real people, and carry them far beyond where they began. And in doing so, they send a simple but powerful message: these lives, these struggles, these triumphs matter.
The documentary Papertown does exactly that. It tells the story of Canton and Haywood County…the grit, the setbacks, the resilience, and the pride of a community that refuses to be defined by anything but its heart. These aren’t just local stories. They’re American stories and they deserve to be heard."
Mayor Zeb Smathers
https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/05/16/documentary-showcases-how-nc-town-navigates-paper-mill-closure/
Candler and Canton, NC, are neighboring communities in Western North Carolina just west of Asheville, connected primarily by US-19/US-23. The two towns are just 8.5 miles apart, typically a quick 13-minute drive, making them heavily intertwined for commuting and local travel.
Geographic Context & Proximity
Canton: Located in Haywood County, this historic mill town sits along the Pigeon River. It acts as a western gateway towards Waynesville and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Candler: Located in Buncombe County, this larger residential and rural community serves as a transitional area between Canton and the western outskirts of Asheville.
Distance & Travel: Because the route runs parallel to the Blue Ridge Mountains along the highway corridor, you can easily travel back and forth between the two locations.
www.cantonnc.com
Navigating Between Them
To get a highly specific layout of the streets, terrain, and distances between the two locations, you can view the live route and nearby amenities using Google Maps.
Those planning to travel between these towns or the surrounding Asheville area, can now just ask AI for information, especially pertaining to:
•Local dining or lodging recommendations
•Detail scenic drives or stops (such as the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway)
•Suggest outdoor activities like local hiking trails
Executive producer Dave Matthews created an original song specifically for the documentary.
This is real. This is a "truth" ....just maybe not yours. We love our country and we love our home state of North Carolina. There are do-ers and complainers-- we are part of that first category. This is how we roll, Wade and I. This is not an attack of anyone in particular, it simply is how I view it, my opinion only. My way is in the real life trenches of involvement, not a protest gathering. It often is in the form of financial support or volunteered time to assist others in need. People in the streets really do nothing for whatever causes they protest about. Recently, while in Marathon and Key Largo, we witnessed small groups of about 20 old folks waving signs at us from the side of the road that said "Honk if you are Anti-ICE. There was nobody honking. Not one.This is not the way to resolve and solve those problems. Their protest is ineffective as well as hazardous to the drivers in transit. I feel the same about social justice warriors on the internet that promote " I Stand With Ukraine" or whatever to show which side they think is the right side, right or not, most of those peeps do little or nothing to actually help in any meaningful way that delivers positive results and solutions.....but it seems they sure like to indulge in the spread of propaganda, unaware that it is propaganda....and there's plenty of hopelessness and frustrations happening, especially thanks to fakery and AI, that peeps don't have much of a chance to know what the truth is. And its always seems like crickets, when the truth actually finds them. It's like they don't want to see it. It is sad for all of us because this world has become so distorted. So many become lost in it.
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/papertown-documentary-mountainfilm-festival-1236732427/
Short story by Clara Mae Gregory
Read 13 times
Written on 2026-05-18 at 15:27
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
