Letters to the editor: 09/21/00

What's wrong with SMHS football fans?

To the Editor:

Friday night (Sept. 8), when the Smoky Mountain Mustangs hosted Madison, I was totally disgusted with home team participation, or should I say the lack of it.

From Madison there were perhaps not more than 50 fans who generated more noise and team spirit than the approximately 700 fans for Smoky Mountain High. To beat all, Madison, which does not have a winning record, was losing 50-6.

Whatever happened to school spirit? Who took it? What did they do with it?

Maybe it is because I am a football mom that I am so sensitive to this lack of support. When the football team comes out on the field, I stand up and cheer. And when I looked around the stadium on the Smoky Mountain side and saw only parents and girlfriends standing and cheering, I was angry at the lack of support and enthusiasm for these young men who are representing their school on the football field.

What is wrong with Sylva and the Smoky Mountain football fans who come out to see their team play? Why can't they cheer and show support for our kids?

If I go to a Cherokee or Swain County football game, I am overwhelmed by the amount of local support and encouragement from their fans. They really have school spirit and they really show it.

Some of the football players said, "If we could hear the fans behind us cheering, the football team would get excited and play even harder than we do now."

A successful coach once said that half of the games are won by the enthusiasm of the fans. Our fans are truly lacking in this area, and I can only imagine how much better our team would play if they could hear the fan support behind them throughout the game.

I have identified a problem. Will someone please help me with the solution to it?

As a fan and as a mother, and as a community and school group, we should be behind our team 100 percent, win or lose. This is one occasion when we have the opportunity to cheer and encourage our teenagers (one of the few times). It seem to me we should certainly make the most of the occasion and scream our heads off in support of them.

Thanks for your time,

Judy Maney

Cherokee

What are SMHS's team colors?

To the Editor:

SMHS's football team has definitely gotten better thanks to Coach Deitz's leadership. The community followed his lead and stepped up to provide the funds necessary to improve the athletic facilities (thanks Coach Deitz).

Carr Hooper Stadium and Babe Howell Field have never looked better, and Cameron Brooks is sure to be a fine coach (he's got good genes). I have no doubt that we will field a good football team for years to come.

When Coach Deitz changed the football uniforms, we started to win, so I had no complaints. I guess I'm just wondering, now that Coach Deitz is gone, are SMHS's school colors blue and silver or blue and orange?

Halfway through my junior year in high school I learned that Cullowhee and Sylva-Webster were going to consolidate. I looked forward to this change and even helped on the student committees to help pick the colors, mascot and school name. We spent lots of time on this, knowing that this was a permanent change and that we had to do things right.

It was decided by the school board that no colors would be duplicated, even black, which both schools used in some capacity. For the last few years the football uniforms have been blue, orange and white. Will the uniforms ever be blue and silver again?

I will support our sports programs even if they where pink, but it does make me wonder if next year we will begin to phase out the blue.

Thank you,

Mac McDowell

Greensboro

Taylor has let WNC down

To the Editor:

Congressman "Chainsaw" Charlie Taylor has been a disaster for Western North Carolina's environment. He's consistently voted against clean water, public lands protection, and clean air.

Our kids' health and future are going to suffer because of Congressman Taylor's irresponsible environmental voting record.

Call congressman Taylor's office and let him know that the people of WNC deserve better. Peter Baker

Asheville

Closing was honorable

To the Editor:

I just wanted to make a comment regarding Danny Allison closing part of his dealership Sept. 13 for the death of his employee Guy Jones. I thought this action was very honorable.

Thanks, Danny.

Gwin B. Allen

Sylva

Canada VFD BBQ fund-raiser was a success

To the Editor:

On behalf of all the members of our fire department, I would like to thank everyone who attended and made our 10th annual barbecue/cakewalk fund-raiser a great success. We collected $10,037.33 before expenses, which was an increase above last year's event, where we collected some $ 8,300. The money will be spent for equipment used in fire fighting and for operating our very successful first responder program.

Our thanks to the following who contributed to our success: Neil and Peggy Dawson of Dawson's Green, who worked the night through cooking the delicious meat and hush puppies; the Fiddling Dills Sisters and Charlie Shuler, Trever Burns, and that great bas player; H&S Drilling, L.V. Mathis Construction, Luker Brothers Drilling and Jimmy's Mini Market, who donated the raffle prize; and Lynn Hotaling, who wrote that informative article in last week's Sylva Herald.

The winner of this year's raffle was Jimmy Luker, who tells me that he has a lot of friends wanting to try out his prize.

We look forward to providing an even better event next September and look forward to seeing everyone then.

Sincerely,

Steve Luker

Fire Chief

Letters to the editor: 09/21/00

What's wrong with SMHS football fans?

To the Editor:

What are SMHS's team colors?

To the Editor:

Taylor has let WNC down

To the Editor:

Closing was honorable

To the Editor:

Canada VFD BBQ fund-raiser was a success

To the Editor:

Back to Archive: 09/21/00.