Our Linda Carter IS a Superwoman!

 There are no words to describe these last 4 days. We have lived through the toughest time we will ever know or describe. We have lost so very much normalcy. No communication to the outside world. The Carter Lodge damaged probably beyond repair, the Deli has gone down the river. Our beautiful backyard that provided so very many memories, it would  be hard to count, over 30 years, GONE! My most happy home on Southside Dr., (the happiest place in America,) known for our tremendous Halloween parties, GONE! Our loving, sharing neighborhood, where most homes are gone and lives lost, GONE. Life has changed us dramatically locally. Just trying to stay alive became the most important thing and a few times, I honestly did not think I, or us would survive and the total lack of communication to know how we were. No contact to the outside world. But above all, we SURVIVED. The joy of talking that US Army helicopter into landing in the Chimney Rock parking lot with me on my knees and my arms outstretched to let him know we needed help desperately. But, by the grace of God, we survived! My helicopter ride to safety and watching my son, Bryan Cole and his beautiful wife, Leslie unknowing, but trusting and waiting that I would be on one of those helicopters landing at Bill’s Creek Fire Dept and I was, while he was dealing with a monster tree through his own home roof in the Bill’s Creek community. Then the joy today gathering in Bryan’s yard when the entire rest of my family from Greenville showed up in Bryan’s yard with 22 gallons of gas, which we had no access to in our community to run generators and gas a vehicle,not knowing for days if their Mom was dead or alive, due to lack of communication. To the entire Derek Hennessey family for coming to Bryan’s rescue with the equipment to help Bryan clear his road of fallen trees, live power lines and getting the tree out of Bryan’s home. I am now safe, loved, sheltered’and taken care of in Greenville, in our daughter’s home. I SURVIVED SOMETHING THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE DREAMED I COULD SURVIVE. GOD IS SO VERY GOOD, SO, LOVE YOU ALL AND OUR BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY OF CHIMNEY ROCK AND LAKE LURE.

 Folks, friends, people, we understand that it’s human nature to recoil from what’s hard to bear, to recoil from pain. This is a survival mechanism; but, please, understand that what has happened in Western NC is not insular, it’s a new reality and it’s not in the past, it’s now and in the future. Our communities, livelihoods, families, our potential has been decimated. Please stop offering platitudes and looking for happy endings. We have so far to go and will depend on those who have emerged unscathed to help us rise. Believe me, we are resilient; we will rise, smarter, kinder, stronger.  This is not a journey for the short attention span. This is true decimation. Towns have been wiped off the face of the earth, histories erased. Hang in there with us and let’s learn together to adapt to this changing world, this new reality. Let’s become awake and aware together and find a way forward through the new challenges we collectively face. Let’s love each other and leave our hearts, minds and prejudices open. Be kind; love each other. Let’s find the way forward together. 

My name is J. Meliski, fourth-generation owner of the Chimney Sweeps and Mountain Traders gift shops in Chimney Rock Village. These historic buildings, and pillars of the Village, have been decimated due to Hurricane Helene, much like all the small businesses in the area. My stores have been in operation for more than 50 years within my family, with the buildings dating back to the inception of the Village in the late 1920s. My grandfather, Joe Meliski, opened Mountain Traders in 1973, continuing a previous business from his family. My parents, Buck and Barbara Meliski, opened Chimney Sweeps in 1975, and operated both stores successfully until 2011, when I was fortunate enough to be able to continue the family legacy in Chimney Rock Village. More than just a business, these buildings and iconic stores were my childhood home and job. Devastating is the only word I can use to describe this situation, a feeling shared by every small-business owner, and those like myself who were raised in the Village.

Sifting through the mud-encrusted remains of these once-thriving small businesses, the realization that all cleaning and rebuilding costs necessary to bring my shops back to life will largely be borne completely by my family and me. Insurance is denying any claim, and State/Federal assistance for business owners is minimal to non-existent.

With the goal of rebuilding and moving forward, any contribution to my efforts is appreciated more than you will ever know. Every dollar raised will go directly toward the extensive restoration of my family's legacy and ensuring that Chimney Rock Village is once again the thriving mountain hideaway I grew up in. On behalf of my family, dedicated staff, and all citizens and affected bushiness owners in the Village, thank you.

With gratitude,

J. Meliski