Mayor on Duty

This is the Advent Season in the Christian calendar, a time of hope, joy and anticipation. I share that hope, joy and anticipation for our town as we move into the new year. I anticipate […]

Here is yet another photo that illustrates trash disposal problems that a small number of residents continue to generate. Yes, I and the board might be viewed as garbage nazis by some with the passage […]

Our country and its communities have faced hard times before. Think about our parents and grandparents who grew up in the Depression only to have to fight and win the Second World War. These folks, […]

A picture is worth a thousand words, or at least 500. The photo of an overstuffed bear resistant garbage toter that was placed on the road Sunday afternoon illustrates a growing problem in Highlands. I […]

Bids have been opened for the lease and operation of the Highlands fiber optic network, which is in the final stages of construction. The town received complete bids from NC Broadband Group, BalsamWest, and Hotwire. […]

We have had a good early voting turnout. I hope everyone will cast a ballot either during early voting, which ends at 3 p.m. on Saturday, or on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Election Day. As I […]

The Highlands-Cashiers Hospital workforce housing water and sewer request was turned down in a 4 to 1 vote at last Thursday’s town board meeting. I know some folks are disappointed and think it is a […]

Tonight, is the October meeting of the Highlands Town Board. It will begin at 7 p.m. by way of ZOOM. I had hoped the meeting could be in person, but technical problems and the ongoing […]

In recent months there have been confrontations across the nation between police and citizens that bring into question how law enforcement officers should react in certain critical situations. It’s a complicated issue. I support our […]

Next week is the town’s annual white goods pickup. From Monday, Oct. 5 to Friday, Oct. 9 town crews will pick up appliances such as old washers, refrigerators and dishwashers and haul them to the […]

I had hoped we could do a hybrid Town Board meeting last Thursday night. The plan was to ZOOM the meeting and conduct an in-person meeting following standard COVID-19 protocols. There were technical glitches that […]

A major COVID challenge facing our community is how to protect and manage first responders and personnel that continuously interact with the public. County and municipal officials are doing everything possible to keep employees healthy […]

The August meeting of the Highlands Town Board will be held at 7 p.m. tomorrow evening. The town website has the ZOOM meeting access information. I am adding an option to ZOOMING tomorrow, provided the […]

I’ve had a bird problem. It started last summer when I went to fire my large gas kiln. After loading the kiln, I turned to access a small shed where I keep some 75 firebricks […]