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Mountain Radiance Medical Spa

On the Cover

Merchants in downtown

Waynesville get creative with varied advertising techniques used to draw potential customers into their business. (Page 6)

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Haywood works to bring recyclable sorting in-house

Pisgah to receive much needed improvements....................................................4

Black Friday boasts big crowds at box stores

Small businesses draw passionate buy-local shoppers

Hazelwood business district experiences rebirth

Waynesville resident advocates for transit shelters

Jackson County asks for park and recreation master plan

WCU students want N.C. 107 designated a scenic byway

Report shows changes in crime rates at WCU..................................................17

Opinion

Quality guy time had by all while women away

Franklin arts and crafts store prepares for holiday season

Outdoors

Cullowhee to benefit from single-track bike trail

Back Then

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Emily Moss

ADVERTISING: Whitney Burton

Drew Cook

Hylah Smalley

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Haywood to sort its own recycling again — this time with machines

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER

Haywood County is making plans to bring recycling operations back inhouse — a move that would eventually mean dollar signs for the county.

Two years ago, the county did away with its labor intensive recycling pick-line — manned by workers who hand sorted huge heaps of aluminum cans, plastic bottles and the like. Although pre-sorted recyclables fetched a higher price than unsorted batch-

es, the cost of the labor wasn’t worth it.

A study of Haywood County Solid Waste Management’s recycling operations showed that sorting materials by hand was not the most economical option, and closing the recycling pick line would bring savings of $286,000.

So, the county laid off the five employees and started selling the recyclables in bulk and unsorted to a company in Asheville.

Since then, the county has worked to automate its now-shutdown recycling operations in the hopes that one day it can once again sort its own recycling.

“If we can automate the line, we can capture the revenues of the recyclables,” said Stephen King, the solid waste director.

The county and towns within its limits have made a push in recent years for increased recycling, a process that makes money for the county and extends the life of the landfill by reducing waste.

Sorted recyclables can then be sold off at a higher price than the county currently receives for the sale of its unsorted materials.

Haywood County’s Solid Waste Management recently ordered a contraption that will separate all aluminum cans from other recycled materials, saving both time

and money.

The county has already installed a cross belt magnet that attracts only steel cans. Next on the list was an eddy current separator, which repels aluminum cans dividing them from the hodgepodge of recyclables.

The eddy current separator costs $70,078 — $55,078 of which the county will pay and $15,000 of which will come from a grant from the N.C. Department of Natural Resources. The Haywood County Board of Commissioners OK’d the purchase at its meeting last week.

It will take six to eight weeks for delivery of the mechanism and another two weeks for installation. Davco Steel of Loris, S.C. will handle the project.

This aluminum can sorter is not the last piece of the puzzle to create a fully automated recycling sorting line, to be run by existing solid waste employees.

“There is still other equipment we would need, but it is a phased in process,” King said.

The upfront cost of the equipment will be recouped by the higher prices the county can fetch selling already-sorted recyclables rather than unsorted.

“Return on investment should be two to three years max,” King said.

There are other advantages to doing the sorting of recyclables in house, other than purely financial motives.

“When we have more control over it, we can look at recycling even more items. Anything we can find a market for we could collect,” King said.

BeckyJohnsoncontributedtothisarticle.

“If we can automate the line, we can capture the revenues of the recyclables.”

— Stephen King, Haywood County solid waste director

Student shuffle creates space crunch at Pisgah High

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER

A $2.5 million expansion at Pisgah High School in Canton will relieve chronic overcrowding and a classroom shortage that forces some teachers to spend their days as “floaters.”

With no room of their own to call home, they work from a mobile cart, pushing their books and teaching supplies from class to class, depending on what room is empty that period. The choir director has spent the last 15 years without a room and teaches in what is essentially a doublewide trailer.

But finally, the wait is over. After being delayed by more pressing school projects, construction at Pisgah High School in Canton will get underway next calendar year.

“It’s been kind of a long, drawn-out process,” said Walt Leatherwood, who has served on the school board for 12 years.

The Pisgah expansion will add classrooms and offices for teachers who are currently sharing space, change the dropoff and parking areas and build a proper choir room.

The expansion is expected to cost about $2.5 million, but final estimates will not be available until after the project is bid out to construction companies. There is no deadline for the project completion yet because the school is still waiting for a design, which must then be approved by the school board, said Bill Nolte, assistant superintendent for Haywood

County Schools

The county will take out a loan on behalf of the school system and use lottery money to slowly pay off the debt.

Tuscola High School in Waynesville already got a facelift of its own, with new classrooms and a brand new arts center. Now, it’s Pisgah’s turn, Nolte said.

“It would put those schools on a level playing field,” Nolte said. “Tuscola has measurably more space.”

Enrollment at both Pisgah and Tuscola hover around 1,000 students each, Nolte said. Pisgah currently has about 50 more students than Tuscola.

Pisgah used to be the smaller of the two schools, but in an attempt to even out student populations at both high schools, the county decided to divert students from the Clyde area to Pisgah instead of Tuscola.

The shift meant that Pisgah gained about 200 more students during the last four or five years — and led the way for the space crunch that Pisgah is currently feeling.

When the addition is completed, the buildings at Pisgah and Tuscola will once again be about the same size. In fact, when they were first built, the high schools were identical in design, Nolte said. The project will ensure that there is a “fair and equal distribution” of resources between the two schools, he added.

Plans for the Pisgah project also include a new pulp and paper laboratory, which exposes students to the papermaking industry and prepares them for jobs at Evergreen Packaging paper mill in Canton. Students eyeing a career at the paper mill currently take classes on pulp and paper technology at Haywood Community College.

Once the new lab is built at Pisgah, an instructor from HCC will teach paper and pulp courses at the high school, and the college has talked about donating its instructional equipment to the new Pisgah classroom, Leatherwood said.

Designs for the additions are almost complete, and the project will “get off the ground” after the New Year, Leatherwood said.

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners last week approved the allocation of $170,000 of state lottery money to hire the Waynesville-based Mountain Design, to be the architects of the new addition.

Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick questioned whether that architect fee was too steep.

“That just seems like a lot of money for that building,” Kirkpatrick said.

However, Commissioner Kevin Ensley, a surveyor by trade, replied that the architect’s fee seemed about right given the size of the project.

Vying for foot traffic:

The Holy Grail of downtown commerce

A propped open door works so well that shops, up and down Main Street, throw them open even in the thick of July heat or on brisk December days.

“We leave the door open as much as we can. We find it is just intriguing. There’s more of a chance people will walk in,” said Lorrie Worrell, owner of High Country Design, a women’s clothing and accessory boutique.

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFFWRITER

Try scaring up a parking space, hunting down an empty bench or pushing a double-stroller along the crowded sidewalks on peak days, and the popularity of downtown Waynesville’s quaint, tree-lined shopping district is obvious.

But for merchants, getting those browsers off the sidewalks and into their shops is another job altogether.

Jockeying for a piece of the Main Street action doesn’t begin and end with a great window display anymore. From water bowls on the sidewalk for shoppers with canine companions to TVs screening infomercials on a continual loop, merchants have been forced to get creative to capture their share of foot traffic.

“We do have the foot traffic, and everybody wants to be downtown where there is activity and events and festivals and parades and it is just alive with energy,” said Buffy Phillips, the director of the Downtown Waynesville Association.

There’s no pedestrian counter on the street or foot traffic meter to know exactly how many sets of eyeballs shop owners are vying for. So, it takes some educated guesswork.

“On a typical weekend, several thousand,” Phillips wagered.

But the stakes are high for downtown merchants to get even a fraction of those people to open their wallets, especially during the holidays. If all goes well, money made before the New Year will sustain businesses during

the lean winter months thereafter.

If not, the dismal number of failed small businesses speaks for itself.

The secret to success on Main Street, for Margarett Hamilton, the manager of High Country West, is that old adage in real estate.

“Location,” Hamilton said, as she stood in her store, pointing through the front window at the nearby corner.

Posted at a major pedestrian intersection and flanked by crosswalks, no matter which way you walk Main Street her store is one you’re bound to stagger past.

And the first thing people see when peering inside her corner window is a rustic bedroom display — which has an uncanny ability to move whatever quilt or linen set is on it.

“I changed it three times just on Saturday because it kept selling,” Hamilton said.

If High Country Design has one of the best locations on Main Street, Good Ol’ Days Cigar shop has one of the worst.

Sure, it’s on Main, but it’s down an inconspicuous flight of stairs, a full floor below street level.

The shop has one thing going for it, however: the smell of cigar smoke wafting up the stairwell.

“Sometimes people say, ‘I smelled it and came by,’” said Chris Hegman, owner of the shop.

For Missy Williams, the trick to luring sidewalk strollers through the door of Main Street Perks coffee shop is having no door at all.

“An open door is a welcome sign. It is an invitation,” Williams said.

At Main Street Perks, the open door does double duty. It lets the smell of coffee and baked goods to escape onto the sidewalk.

“I have people say all the time ‘the smell brought us in,’” Williams said.

OFF MAIN

Inevitably, many downtown Waynesville walkers find themselves in front of “Big” John Porter, trip planner extraordinaire, who mans the counter at the Main Street visitor center every weekend during tourist season.

“I tell people the easiest way to work Main Street is to start at the red light up here and go down one side and back up the other,” said Porter, who works for the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

Looking for antiques? Porter’s got a brochure for that.

What about galleries? There’s a brochure for that, too.

Of course, he does his best to plug shops along the side streets, who desperately vie for a slice of the Main Street pie, as well as shopping districts further afield.

But to the recreational shopper — the kind on no particular mission other than to partake in the sheer act of shopping — Main Street is all the browsing paradise they need. Luring them off the beaten path isn’t easy.

But at The Gateway Club, a restaurant and event venue on a side street, Melissa Peterson has a proven formula to capture foot traffic streaming past en route to Main.

“The best way to break down the barrier is to have someone outside who smiles and says ‘hello,’” said Peterson, the marketing director at The Gateway Club.

The Gateway Club faces a double challenge of not only being off Main, but also having an imposing façade.

The castle-like architecture of the former Masonic Lodge — which lacks street-level windows — makes it hard to tell just what’s inside. But station a friendly face with a stack of menus at a podium on the front steps, and the problem is solved.

Interestingly, Peterson has identified late afternoon as “prime time” to score points with prospective evening diners.

“Usually they stake things out while they are out shopping and browsing during the day. People are reading menus and looking at the options for dinner later that night,” Peterson said.

“The best way to break down the barrier is to have someone outside who smiles and says ‘hello.’”

— Melissa Peterson, Gateway Club marketing director

Consequently, The Gateway Club’s front door greeter serves as a de facto concierge for the town, offering up directions, things to do, the day’s weather forecast — and restrooms, as the case may be.

“I love telling people about Waynesville,” Peterson said. But for stores more than a block off the main drag, tapping the golden goose of Main Street-bound spenders becomes increasingly difficult. There’s little hope of foot traffic stumbling upon Bocelli’s Italian Eatery, two-and-half blocks from Main Street. So the restaurant cuts right to the chase by putting menus straight into the hands of the Main Street throngs, walking the sidewalk and passing them out in person.

“Often, as a visitor you are discombobulated. You see what is right in front of you but you don’t realize what is just down the street,” said Ellen Schattie, the owner of Bocelli’s.

SOUNDSOFTHESEASON

At Good Ol’ Days, Hegman used to battle his B-grade basement location by piping music over outdoor speakers — think Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. — to attract the attention of passersby on the sidewalk above.

“They might look over the edge of the railing and say, ‘What’s down there,’” Hegman said.

At Frog’s Leap, a restaurant one block off Main, sidewalk speakers are often cranking

9 a.m., long before any semblance of a lunch crowd is forming on the streets. But it’s not meant to attract business. The outdoor speakers are simply on the same circuit as the indoor ones, so the public is inadvertently treated to the chef’s personal selections while doing his prep work in the kitchen.

“That’s the first thing he does when he comes in in the morning — turns the music on and gets the fires going and all that good stuff,” said Toni Raymond, a co-owner of Frog’s Leap, and the chef’s wife. “It is on any time we are here.”

Downtown Asheville, on the other hand, has an ordinance against outdoor music, namely for restaurants. But it’s something the city is considering changing.

“Whatever the fear was when it was put in place — if people were cautious about how rambunctious downtown would get — now I wonder if it is really that important,” said Alan Glines, downtown district planner for the city of Asheville. “Maybe we have just grown up and it is a regulation we no longer need.”

Given the street scene that is downtown Asheville these days, with nearly every block sporting a collection of street performers, who would even notice the noise?

“I am not sure anybody would even think twice about it,” said Joanna Figart with the Downtown Asheville Association.

Fifi’s, a women’s boutique consignment store on Main Street in Waynesville, is among a handful in town with sidewalk speakers, but like the rest, they keep it low enough that it doesn’t bleed past the edge of their own storefront — avoiding what could otherwise be a cacophony of faintly piped music from store after store.

Beverly Hanks, a signature real estate office with Main Street frontage, has a huge TV in its window, trained on the sidewalk, broadcasting a looped lifestyle documentary on Western North Carolina. But the audio is kept so low and unobtrusive that passersby don’t even notice unless they pony right up to the glass.

Brian Cagle, the broker in charge for Beverly Hanks’ Waynesville office, doesn’t want the movie to bombard passersby with their message.

“The idea in my book is to invite people into your space. We try to attract people with some class,” Cagle said.

KEEPINGITTASTEFUL

While foot traffic is clearly king for retail shops, at first blush, there’s no reason a real estate office would stomach the high rents of Main Street just for the visibility it affords. But in the real estate driven economy of Western North Carolina, a downtown presence has in fact proved vital.

Instead of the traditional front windows of retailers displaying merchandise, real estate offices press their storefronts into service as bulletin boards for property fliers. Indeed, many of today’s second-home owners started out as tourists, and many a real estate deal has been sealed as a result of vacationers strolling the streets of downtown after dinner — perhaps a bottle of wine, too — and being star-struck by a property flier in

the window of a real estate office after hours.

“It is really a form of entertainment to stop and look and see what properties are available,” said Bob Kieltyka, director of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce.

It’s so commonplace that in downtown Highlands, real estate offices are exempt from the standard town limits on window signage.

“A normal business is allowed to cover 20 percent of the inside of their windows with signage. But the real estate businesses can actually cover 100 percent,” said Jose Ward, who works in the town planning office there.

And cover them they do.

In downtown Waynesville, however, real estate offices can’t paper more than 20 percent of their windows. Keeping that percentage reined in was a constant battle in years past.

“Probably 90 percent of some windows were covered. They would have to get a ladder out to mount this stuff in the window space,”

offices printed out reams of property listings on white computer paper and stuck up them up with Scotch tape.

In part, Cagle’s desire to be on Main Street isn’t about capturing casual foot traffic anyway. It’s all about branding — being identified with the best of what Waynesville has to offer.

“At the heart of the matter, we love Waynesville and we want to be in the heart of what makes Waynesville great,” Cagle said. “We sell the area. The house comes later.”

Ultimately, downtown Waynesville merchants realize individual success hinges on Main Street’s charm. Undermining the greater good in an arm’s race to stand out from the crowd could hurt downtown in the long run. Luckily, business owners don’t try to get a leg up at the expense of the whole.

“There’s probably an unwritten rule,” said Cagle.

Even real estate offices angle for a piece of coveted downtown foottraffic, like Living Dream Properties on Main Street in Waynesville, hoping to catch the eyes of passersby with a windowful of property flyers. Becky Johnson photo

said Byron Hickox, Waynesville’s code enforcement officer.

Hickox would then ask them nicely to take some down, and they do.

But, “Weeks or months would go by and they would gradually sneak a few more up there and before you knew it, they were filled up again,” said Hickox.

These days, Beverly Hanks’s Waynesville office has raised the bar for real estate fliers making a window debut. Despite gargantuan glass windows — stretching from floor to ceiling, wall to wall — only a small collection of real estate fliers are on display, relegated to one side.

“It is a very intentional decision,” said Cagle, admitting some in the office have pushed for more fliers.

Not only does Cagle put the brakes on the number, but the fliers are displayed in classy glass frames suspended by thin silver wires.

It’s a break from the past, when real estate

Parade for Food seeks donations

Haywood Christian Ministries, in conjunction with Haywood County Rescue Squad, is inviting residents to participate in the “Parade for Food”.

Last year, Haywood Christian Ministries helped 3,565 families within the community with food assistance. This year, Haywood County Rescue Squad has started the “Parade for Food.” The squad is asking all spectators of the local Christmas parades within the county to bring a non-perishable food item with them to the parade. Members of the Haywood County Rescue Squad will be walking along with the parade processional, picking up the food donations as the parade rolls through the towns. All collected donations will be given to the Haywood Christian Ministries to support the annual food drive.

www.haywoodrescue.org.

Humane society offers free sterilizations

Thanks to a $20,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the Humane Society of Jackson County is offering 340 free dog sterilizations over the next two years for any dog living in the Cullowhee area.

While Main Street merchandise is conspicuously devoid of air-brushed T-shirts, likewise visitors won’t find florescent banners proclaiming “Everything must go!”

Downtown, even the signs boasting sales and specials are done tastefully, like the small black slate on a rustic wooden frame just inside the door of High Country Design boutique.

“It looks like the store. It doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb,” said Lorrie Worrell, the owner of the upscale and unique women’s clothing and accessory shop.

The refined sense of aesthetics doesn’t go unnoticed by tourists.

“You could kill the flavor by trying to do different marketing things,” said Augie Barker, a frequent downtown visitor from Knoxville, with a vacation home outside Waynesville.

“It’s got to be cohesive,” his wife Susan agreed.

The sterilizations will be performed by Asheville Humane Alliance, which sends a van on scheduled Mondays to pick up pets. After signing up, owners can bring pets to the 50 Railroad Avenue site in Sylva between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on the scheduled Monday. Owners can pick up pets around 12:15 p.m. the following day. They can also sign up in person on Saturdays between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to make an appointment for one of the free sterilizations. Dogs and puppies between two months and eight years are eligible for the free surgeries. If needed, free rabies vaccines will be provided for any dog that receives the surgery.

877.273.5262 (877.ARF.JCNC).

Health/fitness center to host craft fair

A “Show & Sale” craft fair will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the MedWest-Haywood Health and Fitness Center in Clyde.

Participants will have the chance to browse collections from some of the community’s talented artists and crafters and possibly pick up a Christmas gift for friend or family members.

828.452.8080.

BLACK IS BACK

As Black Friday morphs into Grey Thursday, shoppers trade in the turkey in hopes of huge savings

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER

Before the gravy had turned cold and the Thanksgiving Day turkey had been packed away in Tupperware, shoppers were already lining up at the Walmart in Waynesville for one of the earliest Black Friday door busters ever — Thursday night.

As shoppers jockeyed their carts for position and prepared for the retail scramble, Walmart fired the proverbial gun on its first big deals of the holiday shopping season at 8 p.m. Nov. 22.

Lydia Moody, a graduate student at Western Carolina University escaped from the chaos that night clutching a Crock-Pot, bath mat and DVD. She missed out on the $10 Crock-Pot and had to settle for a $15 one, which retails for $30.

“It was insane in there,” she said, now safely outside the retail giant’s store. “People with carts, getting crazy.”

But, the reprieve was short-lived. Moody took her Crock-Pot — a gift for her boyfriend who likes to make stew — and shuffled next door to join her family, camped out in lawn chairs in a snaking line at Best Buy. There she traded the hostile crowds for bitter weather in hopes of scoring one of the large flat-screen televisions promised by the electronics chain come midnight.

Moody and her family were not alone on Thanksgiving Day. In fact, they were part of a national trend that has seen shopping time slowly gobbling up Thanksgiving time.

Across the country, more than 35 million Americans visited retail stores or surfed online retailers on Thanksgiving Day this year. That number is up from 29 million last year, according to surveys conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF).

During the years, retailers have been pushing the envelope on when Black Friday really begins — first it was 6 a.m., then 4 a.m., then 12 a.m. and now 8 p.m. the day before.

The challenge for 24-hour retailers like Walmart — which is actually open all day on Thanksgiving — is creating the illusion of

door buster deals. The solution: pseudo “openings” inside the perpetually open store. Pallets piled high with special deals are encased in Saran Wrap, which is ceremonially sliced open by employees at the appointed discount hour as a line forms around the stack of merchandise.

The move by retailers to continually inch the clock back into Thanksgiving Day itself has caught some flack from labor groups. The corporate quest for consumer sales has chipped away at the holiday’s traditional family time for the employees who are pressed back into service so quickly after their Thanksgiving meal.

But apparently shoppers didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they seem to enjoy the parking lot camaraderie just as much as a day on the sofa watching football at home.

Blair Plisko camped out outside Best Buy in Waynesville for the better half of the day, waiting for the doors to open at midnight and grant him a 40-inch LCD television for $179.

“Twelve hours for a good deal — that’s worth it,” he said. “It’s fun, too.”

Another young couple had been staked out in front of the store since 10 a.m. on Wednesday — spending the day, the night and next day as well — waiting for the same steal.

An estimated 28 percent of postThanksgiving shoppers were at the stores by midnight, up four percent compared to the previous year, according to the NRF.

The early surge pushed sales that weekend to an estimated $59 billion nationally, another increase compared to last year.

But it was mostly the large chains in the area — Belk’s, Michaels, Best Buy, Walmart and Kmart — that could take advantage of a late Thanksgiving Day and early Black Friday rush, wielding their extensive inventories and expansive retail space.

“Big box chains are the ones really positioned to benefit from this effect,” said WCU professor of economics Robert Mulligan. “You can’t emulate it in a small store.”

However, the small business owners who had to sit on the sideline Thursday night while the chain stores welcomed crowds of customers, should nonetheless be encouraged by a good turnout at their competitors’ venues. That it comes in a year when the economy is still bouncing back from a recession is even more promising.

The small downtown merchants don’t need spiking sales on Black Friday, or Grey Thursday, to be successful, Mulligan said.

“The fact that business is good elsewhere — is good for any retailer,” Mulligan said. “It’s really taken to be indicative of how the selling season is going to go over Christmas and the month of December.”

There is the possibility that consumers blew all their cash too early and lagging December sales will follow Black Friday, he

said, but generally, the pace set by Thanksgiving weekend holds true.

However, as the retail picture looks a bit rosier for the those behind the cash register following the shopping weekend, for consumers, a Black Friday deal isn’t always such a deal.

Many store-goers, lured in with the promise of a can’t-miss discount, leave with something entirely different in their shopping bags.

Of the crowd of shoppers waiting patiently Thursday night outside of Best Buy in Waynesville, in a line that snaked around two sides of the store, only a limited number were going to walk away with the great television deal.

The retailers’ goal is to get them in the door — and then bank on the fact that shoppers will buy something else as long as they’re there.

That scenario played out tragically for one family visiting from Florida — a teaching moment for all that the first shopping night of the season can turn out a total bust.

Paul Orth, with his wife and son-in-law, was having drinks in a bar Thursday as he unexcitedly displayed what he had bought at Walmart earlier that night.

Orth had gone in the store, “just looking for a deal,” and emerged with three mechanical, barking, stuffed dogs. He paid $15 for each — although they retail for $55.

“That’s the whole gimmick of it,” he said, as he admitted defeat. “We walk in and get three dogs.”

In a Main Street mood

Shoppers trade Black Friday chaos for downtown charm

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFFWRITER

She is every Main Street merchants’ dream.

With a penchant for the eclectic and a passion for supporting independent businesses, Carolyn Phinizy worked downtown Waynesville’s shopping district during the postThanksgiving spending days like it was her civic duty, not calling it quits until the trunk of her SUV wouldn’t fit another parcel.

“I think we’re full,” said Phinizy, ladling the final bags of her afternoon shopping session from the crook of her elbows and into the car.

Visiting from Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday, Phinizy opted out of the Black Friday madness propagated by the nation’s giant retailers and instead spent a leisurely two days prowling the downtown shops.

“We like for the small businesses to stay in business,” Phinizy said.

Her own family once ran a mom-and-pop hardware store

and mercantile in Florida, and every purchase she makes from a small business today is a noble gesture toward keeping the backbone of America’s economy alive.

“They need more support,” Phinizy said. “I know what the big stores have done to them.”

Besides, her version of holiday consumerism is a lot more fun. Fighting through the malls or big box stores for heavyduty Christmas shopping “makes me crazy,” Phinizy said.

Not to be outdone, small businesses have officially claimed their own date on the Thanksgiving shopping calendar — “Small Business Saturday” now joins the ranks of “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” in the nation’s lexicon of holiday commerce terms.

For Jill and Jerry VanWeelden, the culinary pull of downtown Waynesville rivals the shopping.

“We are foodaholics,” Jill admitted.

However, it wasn’t yet dinnertime, so the Florida couple had holed up at Home Tech (a.k.a. the kitchen shop), where they diligently tested tong sets off the wall of gadgets, no doubt looking to outfit the kitchen drawers of their newly purchased mountain home in Balsam.

“This is the William Sonoma of Waynesville,” said Jerry, examining the spring action of one particular pair.

Aside from its impressive suite of restaurants, the absence of mega-chain retailers is the chief draw that brings the VanWeeldens downtown.

“It’s quaint, and there are no big box stores,” said Jill. “We find things you won’t find in any other store, or any other town for that matter.”

That sentiment is echoed by many Main Street strollers when asked why they prefer doing their holiday shopping downtown.

“The shops are different and unique. It’s not the big box store products you find everywhere,” said Gary Tollefson, a local man who lives not far from downtown.

Tollefson and his wife had moseyed down to Main Street to check out the Christmas decorations. The downtown trees are prettied up with nests of white lights, the lampposts wrapped in evergreen boughs and red bows and window displays sporting each businesses’ twist on the holiday spirit.

Jack Gibson, a retiree from Atlanta, took a day trip to Waynesville just so his wife could partake in America’s favorite pastime — which, by the way, isn’t really baseball.

“Shop — what she does best,” Gibson said.

Gibson’s role for the day was clear: holding bags and holding down benches.

“And pay for what she buys,” Gibson added.

Carolyn Phinizy was on a shopping mission in downtown Waynesville over the holiday weekend (above). Visiting from Florida with her daughter and son-in-law, the trio pounded the pavement in support of small businesses. Specialty shops, like High Country Design boutique owned by Lorrie Worrell, are the seminal draw for downtown Waynesville (left). Becky Johnson photos

Hazelwood Renaissance

From down-and-out to up-and-coming, former factory town undergoes transformation

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER

Patty Atkinson took a short break from helping the constant flow of customers at a local family pharmacy in the heart of Hazelwood to talk about the evolution of the community around her — from a bustling blue collar factory town to a mostly deserted streetscape to a quickly changing, thriving pocket of Waynesville.

Atkinson listed factories and shops that once defined the Hazelwood community but have since shut down — pausing often to ask her father, one of a collection of old men who regularly sit and sip coffee at the Waynesville Pharmacy, if he had any additions.

To each enumeration — the tannery, Dayco, Lee’s furniture factory, Benfield Industries, that family diner that caught fire — Atkinson affixed a footnote about the business, taking particular note of a 1982 factory fire that forced the evacuation of all of Hazelwood.

“That sort of put a hold on things for a long time,” Atkinson said.

One after the other, the factories that defined the community of Hazelwood closed. The flow of commerce at the hat shops, grocers and lunch counters on Main Street gradually shrunk in response.

“It was dead through here,” Atkinson said.

Others who know, who have lived in Waynesville for a couple decades or more, echoed Atkinson’s assessment.

“It was a dying town, dear,” said Perry Buchanan, who helps run Waynesville Pharmacy with his daughter, Kelly.

During the 1980s, after the factories that had once been landmarks of community shutdown, Hazelwood was “forgotten,” said Kevin Duckett, owner of Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters.

When Duckett opened his business in the early 2000s, the streetscape was still somewhat barren.

“Needless to say, there was not quite as much going on,” Duckett said. “We had a nice street without a lot of shops.”

But, during the last decade, that has changed. A steady in-flow of new businesses has led to the revitalization of Hazelwood’s old downtown district.

The path was blazed by a couple of quality, stable businesses about eight years ago,

“It’s nice to be part of a community on the way up. We are happy to be part of the revitalization.”

— Brian Hockman, owner of Claymates

and a slow, but steady outcropping of shops of a similar caliber have since put roots down in Hazelwood.

Even in the last 18 months, the façades in Hazelwood have changed, rapidly becoming a destination shoppers seek out rather than a place they pass on their way elsewhere.

The boutique Robin Blu moved in, as did Claymates, a paint-your-own-pottery store, and Within REACH Home Store, just down from REACH of Haywood County’s resale store.

“We all sort of opened this summer,” said Susan Greb, who volunteers at the thrift store run by an against domestic violence nonprofit. “It has been a really exciting opportunity because it has brought a lot of

Hazelwood Soap Company and Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters — have not even broached the 10-year mark. They are considered Hazelwood veterans, despite having opened seven and eight years ago, respectively. Other business owners view the opening of Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters, specifically, as the beginning of Hazelwood’s revitalization, referring to the café as the lynchpin of the community.

A COMMUNITYEFFORT

Hazelwood does not have a formal merchants association currently — although several said they would like to start one — but business owners regularly pull together to

Hazelwood has transformed into a destination spot for shoppers rather simply a place people stumble upon while traveling elsewhere.

to move to Hazelwood.

“It wasn’t that way before,” Laursen said. Business owners all along the street touted its assets: an abundance of close parking, lower rent prices compared to downtown Waynesville and high volume of traffic that traverses Hazelwood Avenue on the way to Hazelwood Elementary, the highway onramp or Walmart.

When Cackleberry Mountain Gift Shop closed earlier this year, some were concerned its departure would create a large hole in the collection of storefronts — and had it been a decade earlier, their fears would have been justified. But, high-quality shops beget highquality shops.

“When Cackleberry Mountain left here, it was kind of tricky,” Cormann said. “We are happy that it didn’t take very long to get people in there.”

Claymates has now taken up residence in the old Cackleberry building.

For Claymates’ owner Brian Hockman, Hazelwood has great growth potential.

“It’s nice to be part of a community on the way up,” Hockman said. “We are happy to be part of the revitalization.”

people to Hazelwood who haven’t been here before.”

Part of the attraction for those businesses was the already established Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters and Hazelwood Soap Company, with the icing on the top being the fine dining restaurant Bourbon Barrel Beef and Ale, which opened in Hazelwood the summer before.

Gary Cormann, co-owner of Bourbon Barrel, said the promise of the area was already apparent when his restaurant moved in.

“We really thought that there was potential with the other businesses here,” Cormann said. “We just liked the overall shops that were here and the people who were running them.”

And the early comers that set the stage for Hazelwood’s up-and-coming status —

promote each other.

Bourbon Barrel Beef and Ale uses Hazelwood Soap Company’s products in its bathroom and offers coffee roasted just down the street at Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters. Meanwhile, the coffee shop offers a Bourbon Barrel coffee, and people who come to see musicians perform at Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters will often find their way to the nearby restaurant for a bite.

“We are always trying to think of ways to promote each other,” Cormann said.

Diana Laursen, owner of Hazelwood Soap Company, used to close up her soap shop at 3 p.m. most days, but after Bourbon Barrel Beef and Ale opened, she extended her hours because there was a business drawing customers to Hazelwood during the early evening for dinner.

Now, it seems that more businesses want

And, from where the business owners are sitting, it looks like things will only get better.

Yet, the transformed shopping district must give at least some credit to the backbone it inherited from the Hazelwood of yesteryear.

Even during its down years, Hazelwood still had its own post office and a bank, which continued to give the area a sense of community.

“I think it helped legitimatize Hazelwood,” Duckett said.

The bank has since shut down, and the post office was in danger of closure in 2009, but more than 1,000 residents fought to keep it open.

“I hope they never take that post office away,” said Laursen, adding that it is a key part of the small community feeling Hazelwood has cultivated in recent years.

Governor-elect to headline holiday dinner

North Carolina Governor-elect Pat McCrory (R) will be the keynote speaker at the 20th annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner at 7 p.m. Dec. 8, at Grove Park Inn in Asheville. The event will be McCroy’s first public appearance in Western North Carolina since sweeping the North Carolina Governor’s race earlier this month. Tickets for the dinner are $50 per person. Reservations must be made in advance.

828.243.2187 or tasmothers@yahoo.com.

Meadows to join breakfast event in Jackson

Congressman-elect Mark Meadows (R-Cashiers) will join Jackson County Republicans at the group’s annual prayer breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at The Jarrett House Inn & Restaurant in Dillsboro.

Meadows recently won election to the U.S. House in North Carolina’s 11th District. He will replace outgoing Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville), who retired. Reservations for the breakfast needed.

828.743.6491 or jimmei77@frontier.com or jacksonctygop@yahoo.com.

HELPWANTED

To truly come into its own as a transformed shopping district, Hazelwood needs more than simply a collection of good businesses. It needs a street and sidewalk facelift, something the town of Waynesville has gradually been implementing. While a far cry from the street scene of downtown Waynesville — a shopping haven lined with benches, public art, brick sidewalks, lampposts and the marked absence of overhead utility poles — progress is being made.

The town has mostly focused on maintaining Hazelwood, fixing cracked sidewalks, planting greenery along the streetscape and adding more street lighting.

But, Waynesville Public Works Director Fred Baker said he would like to have a meeting at some point in the future to gather input on Hazelwood’s look and changes residents and business owners would like to see.

“We haven’t gotten that far yet,” Baker said.

Once it received feedback from constituents, the town would need to hire an architect or landscape engineer to draw up a new face for Hazelwood, a process that takes time. Waynesville worked on outlining a plan for South Main Street for more than a year.

Although changes could be awhile away, Duckett already has thoughts on how he would redraw Hazelwood Avenue, adding more crosswalks, brick sidewalks and maybe an art piece like the music men statue on

Main Street in Waynesville.

Some Hazelwood residents and business owners believe the community is treated like the redheaded stepchild of Waynesville.

Duckett said he feels that the town has not paid as much attention to updating Hazelwood Avenue as it has Waynesville’s Main Street shopping area. Duckett cited the hand-me-down Christmas decorations that Hazelwood inherited from downtown Wayensville.

“I would like to see the town pay more attention to us,” Duckett said. “Maybe it’s time that Hazelwood has a project.”

However, the businesses of downtown Waynesville pony up and pay for a lot of the amenities that make it the envy of town. A surcharge on the property taxes for downtown businesses funds its merchants’ association, Christmas decorations, festivals and some street improvements. As for public art pieces sprinkling downtown Waynesville — those have all been paid for with private funds.

Duckett also mentioned that he would like to have underground utilities. Right now, the utility poles obstruct the view of the building façades in Hazelwood and detract from the old-timey light poles that dot the street.

Baker said that the town looked into moving the utilities underground, but Progress Energy owns the power lines in Hazelwood, making it a harder task to accomplish.

“I don’t see much opportunity to underground anything in Hazelwood,” Baker said.

CLEAN YOUR FURNACE AND CHANGE YOUR HEATER FILTERS

Before you crank up the furnace, it’s a good idea to clean the area and replace your filters. Start by making a note of how many filters you have and what size(s) you need then pick them up at your local hardware store. Vacuum out dust and debris from the previous year behind and around each filter. Next, replace the filter(s) with the new ones. Finally, vacuum up any debris inside the furnace and around the base. Now, your furnace is ready for another winter.

This GREEN LIVING TIP brought to you by Haywood Builders Supply …WE BUILD GREEN!!

Lack of shelters leaves transit riders out in the cold

Patmore drives Haywood residents in need of a lift to the doctor, the store, or other places they need to go.

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER

For the elderly, disabled and carless residents of Haywood County, the public transit bus is an indispensable resource that keeps them mobile.

But, it doesn’t run on a set schedule. Much like a taxi service, the bus works on an ondemand basis. People looking to hitch a ride must call in advance and then they are given a two-hour window during which the bus will pick them up — from their home, the doctor or the store.

In the meantime, they may be left holding their shopping bags outside while they wait, usually without anywhere to rest. Many popular pick-up points don’t provide benches or shelters.

“It takes us a little time to get to them. That leaves them there stranding with bags or standing with a cart,” said Susan Anderson, director

A town ordinance is technically in place regarding transit shelters, but as it reads now, it doesn’t actually apply to anyone.

Businesses only have to put up a shelter if they’re on a scheduled, fixed route. But Haywood transit doesn’t have any regularly scheduled routes and stops — and instead picks up riders on-demand and takes them where they need to go.

As a result, the ordinance is useless in requiring transit stops, even at the most common locations the shuttles frequent. It is not unusual for small communities to have transit shelter requirements. Changes would a step in the right direction, said Philan Medford, a Waynesville resident who has advocated for pedestrian and public transit issues for years.

“Waynesville would be breaking new ground for an on-demand system,” said Medford, who first brought the dilemma to the attention of the town board.

Benson said the planning board is sympathetic to people’s struggles but also understands how issuing a blanket requirement affects businesses.

The existing transit shelter requirements apply only to businesses that are at least 100,000 square feet or housing complexes with more than 100 units. But, even buildings that fall under that category are few and far between in Waynesville and would only amount to a few transit shelters.

“Right now, we probably don’t go far enough,” Benson said.

The board is contemplating a new ordinance that would require waiting areas at large businesses regularly frequented by transit buses, even though those buses don’t run on scheduled routes. It would also reduce the size requisite for businesses to 50,000 square feet and to 50 units for residential buildings.

Proponents of the transit shelters wanted the size requirement to be even lower, but Bensen said he wasn’t sure if that was doable.

“It isn’t as much as they wanted, and I am not sure we can do as much as they wanted,” Benson said.

The ins and outs of Haywood transit

Haywood Public Transit operates from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. It makes 50,000 to 60,000 trips a year.

The shuttle busses and vans operates on an on-demand basis. People call in advance to schedule a ride where they need to go. Bus drivers try to pick up as many people from various parts of the county at one time as possible.

Mountain Projects, which runs the transit system, tried a fixed route that ran on before but the county is too widespread, with too many rural nooks and crannies to reach everyone.

“We have tried that. It has not worked well in the past,” said Susan Anderson, director of Mountain Projects, a nonprofit that serves the elderly, disadvantaged and general public in Western North Carolina.

store and CVS Pharmacy, as well as building a gas station.

With the expansion, Ingles plans to install a transit shelter, which the town imposed as a condition of the store’s development permit.

Although the addition of the shelter is a positive thing, Medford said, she personally is not satisfied with the location where the shelter will be.

It will go near the old Belk’s department store along the entrance drive to Ingles — but that’s too far away from Ingles’ front door, especially for people with mobility issues trying to lug their groceries, Medford said. Medford said she would like the town to require shelters to sit within 100 feet of the entrance.

“If you have mobility challenges, you have a long way to walk,” Medford said. “It’s not convenient.”

“Waynesville would be breaking new ground for an on-demand system.”

of Mountain Projects, a nonprofit that serves the elderly, disadvantaged and general public in Western North Carolina. Mountain Projects runs the transit system.

“It is really difficult for (the elderly and disabled) to stand outside a store for 15 minutes or more,” she said.

Anderson will address Waynesville’s Planning Board in December about Mountain Project’s transportation system. Specifically, she will ask for the town’s cooperation in creating a system of benches and shelters where riders can sit and wait for the bus. Doing so, however, would take a town ordinance requiring major retail stores to install the waiting areas.

“I appreciate the need for what they are asking for,” said Waynesville Planning Director Paul Benson. “There is no requirement for shelters or loading zones, and that is really what the request is all about.”

The shelters cost between $5,000 and $10,000 — a burden for small businesses — so making the standard 50,000 square feet could be the happy medium.

— Philan Medford, who first brought the dilemma to the attention of the town board

“There has to be a rational nexus,” Benson said.

Anderson enumerated a few locations where a shelter would be ideal: the Super Walmart shopping complex, Ingles grocery store on Russ Avenue and the Waynesville Plaza.

“We feel the shelters would be most effective in these higher traffic areas,” Anderson said.

Shelters would offer a “one-point pick-up” for drivers, she said. “It would save us time and effort,” she said.

Waynesville currently has no transit shelters but will have at least one after Ingles renovates its store off Russ Avenue. The grocery store will soon undergo a major expansion, moving into neighboring storefronts in the strip mall once occupied by a Goody’s clothing

Keeping the shelters close to storefronts also ensures that people in the store can visually monitor the stop.

“Location matters for public safety and passenger satisfaction,” Medford said.

Medford first brought up the idea of transit shelters in 2011 when the town did a thorough review of its land use standards. She has been a champion for various transportation improvements — sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes included — that help those without cars get from place to place since the 1990s. And, her advocacy became more personal in the early 2000s when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that ultimately limits an individual’s mobility.

Medford said that as she gets older, she would like to still be able to visit Waynesville businesses and remain somewhat independent — which would not possible without adequate public transit.

“I realize, with time, I won’t be allowed to drive, but also I look at the future, the longterm future,” Medford said.

Jackson County seeks input in crafting a recreation wish list

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER

Jackson County is crafting a new longrange recreation master plan to set priorities and guide spending for its parks, open spaces and recreation centers during the next five years.

But, the process can be a tug-of-war between residents with varied interests, each advocating for their favorite pastimes — soccer versus softball fields, an indoor swim-

What to do?

Jackson County has a wide variety of recreational opportunities, from softball fields to walking trails to recreation centers to swimming pools. Go to www.smokymountainnews.com and click on this story for a list of existing county recreation facilities in Jackson County.

ming pool versus greenways, a skatepark versus tennis courts. It can also be a balancing act for county recreation staff trying to delegate limited resources among competing goals.

Public demand will dictate where to place new parks, or expand or improve existing facilities. Yet, even with support of residents, tough decisions must be made and not every recreation plan will come to fruition, said county Parks and Recreation Department Director Jeff Carpenter.

“It has to be what we can afford to do,” Carpenter said. “You’ve got to come up with a way to fund it.”

Currently, the county is holding a series of public input sessions on recreation and soliciting input via online surveys. About 600 residents had responded to the online survey as of Thanksgiving since it launched Nov. 8. The county will continue polling residents until Dec. 12 with the survey, in addition to a series of community meetings.

The last time the county sought input for its parks and recreation master plan was years ago, and its a bit overdue. Carpenter said state recreation experts advise updating the parks and recreation plan every five years — Jackson County is in its seventh.

The input helps ensure the county is responsive to its residents’ wants and desires as they evolve over time.

“We need to gather input from the public to keep us going in a direction the public wants,” Carpenter said. “Some things change.”

The changing taste of the public becomes apparent when looking at recent trends in the field of parks and recreation. For example, until recently, Frisbee golf and skate parks weren’t even on the radar in Jackson County.

So far, Carpenter said much of the feedback has been centered around creating more open spaces, sports fields, a county greenway and a public indoor pool. Specific

Want to weigh in?

Jackson County is soliciting community input for a new master parks and recreation plan. Offer up your recreation wish list at one of the upcoming public meetings or by taking an online survey.

■ 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Smoky Mountain Elementary School

■ 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, at the Jackson County Recreation Center

■ 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, at the Cashiers Library Meeting Room

The survey can be accessed through www.surveymonkey.com.

results from the survey will not be released until later next month, when the county has stopped collecting data.

Meanwhile, the county is taking inventory of existing recreation facilities and parks for a type of status report. The information will be used to update a master plan the county already has.

In unison with launching a new master plan, county commissioners have reconstituted the parks and recreation advisory board, which had gone dormant. Nine county residents selected from varying geographic locations and areas of interest sit on the committee.

Billboard ban could stymie scenic byway in Jackson

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER

A group of Western Carolina University students are leading a charge to get N.C. 107 from Cullowhee to Cashiers designated as a scenic byway, but they first must appeal to skeptical county commissioners for their backing.

Students at WCU took on a class project to push for the scenic road recognition from the N.C. Department of Transportation. There are more than 50 officially designated scenic byways in the state. Others in the area include the Nantahala Byway through the Nantahala Gorge, the Forest Heritage Byway looping the Shining Rock Wilderness in Haywood County and the Waterfall Byway that travels from Franklin to Highlands. The students made their pitch to county commissioners at a meeting last week, citing the road’s historic, cultural and natural beauty. They were seeking an endorsement by commissioners

to validate the application.

“We think it would be a good idea to make it a scenic byway,” said WCU student Trevor McKernie, who researched the application with about a handful of colleagues.

Some of the notable destinations the road passes by are: the Judaculla Rock, a county historic site with ancient native drawings; Cashiers, with its wide array of recreational opportunities; and a corridor of Appalachian scenery, boasting an assortment of tree species, lakes, streams and idyllic hillsides.

Furthermore, the designation could boost tourism in the area and bring in money. Tourists seek out scenic byways as alternative routes and leisure driving destinations. Also, the routes are bolded on many maps to catch the eyes of navigators on road trips.

“One of the real advantages is it does provide a special highlight and color on road

maps,” County Manager Chuck Wooten said. “Their point was this was an opportunity to draw more people to the area and highlight that destination.”

Wooten and commissioners stopped short of endorsing to the scenic byway designation. Some were tentative about the restrictions an official scenic byway carries — namely on certain types of signage.

No billboards can be placed along a scenic byway, except on-site advertising. Signs that already exist at the time of the designation can remain up, however.

County Attorney Jay Coward said the prospect of new sign restrictions could prompt a frenzied move to quickly put up billboards before it is too late.

“Think about the gold rush that is going to stampede up (N.C. 107) by the billboard owners attempting to buy every spot they can before the

legislation gets passed,” Coward said.

If the commissioners decide to back the scenic byway application, Coward suggested that they impose a moratorium on new signs along the corridor to stop a potential flood of billboards. Ultimately, commissioners said they would like the measure vetted by the planning board first, and would perhaps invite representatives of the N.C. Department of Transportation to provide more information about achieving the designation.

“There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before commissioners make a decision,” said Wooten. “They need to understand and know what they’re getting themselves into.”

If commissioners pass a resolution supporting the scenic byway designation, final approval would still have to come from the state level, and a submitted application can take an entire year before given the green light by DOT officials.

One of those advisory board members, Kyle Clayton, 29, who lives in Sylva, said he likes the idea of a greenway traversing the county along the Tuckasegee River. He said he and his wife walk their dog in downtown Sylva but would love to have another option to easily get out of town.

The greenway project is one that has been in the making for nearly a decade and has the goal of connecting Sylva to Cullowhee, via a path along the Tuckasegee River.

He’d also like county residents to have access to an indoor pool.

“I’d love to see an Olympicsized, indoor swimming pool,” he said. “I don’t know if I’d personally go swim laps every morning, but it would be great to have.”

An indoor pool was one of top requests from the public in a 2011 survey of about 1,000 respondents conducted by the health department, recalled Anna Lippard, another appointee to the recreation advisory board.

As an educator for the county health Department, Lippard said she personally would like to see the expansion of community gardening in the county. From a health standpoint, more community gardens in the community is a win-win because of the exercise involved in maintaining a garden as well as the nutrition benefits of the harvest.

She hopes county recreational space will include space for gardens in the future and believes there shouldn’t be any difficulty making use of that space.

“What I’ve learned from other communities is that people are lined up, and there’s usually a waiting list to get a plot at a community garden,” Lippard said.

She added that one thing the county could do to expand recreation opportunities without a huge monetary investment is to reach out to form partnerships with the schools, university or churches to gain access to their facilities.

But, it all starts with a planning process. Public input could influence big ticket projects for years to come.

Since its last input session, the county has started and completed several notable projects, including the expansion of the recreation center in Cullowhee and construction of a new one in Cashiers, as well as the repair of tennis courts in Mark Watson park and a property purchase to grow the East LaPorte River Access Park.

Also during that time, the county created Canada Park to serve the isolated Little Canada community. Carpenter said that project came about after residents from the area pointed out that they had to travel 21 miles to the nearest playground.

But, if they hadn’t spoke up, Carpenters said the project may not have ever been considered.

“We’ve got to have a road map,” Carpenter said.

Get two Smartphones for the price of one.

Consider this a friendly holiday reminder that the Cherokee Christmas Bazaar is happening soon. There will be booths filled with authentic crafts and homemade holiday treats to help you finish your shopping list; a visit from Santa and the Grinch for family photos; music, caroling, and more.

s s p p p

Nov. 30th: 9:00am Dec. 1st: 8:00am

For more information, call the Cherokee Welcome Center at 828.554.6490 and 828.554.6491, or email Travel@NC-Cherokee.com. And Happy Holidays from Cherokee, NC. at the Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall

WCU has its fair share of misdemeanors, but thankfully devoid of violent crime

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER

Although college for many is an oasis of learning, fun and social interaction, it is also a sprawling crime scene for everything from drug busts to rape. Despite its idyllic mountain setting, Western Carolina University is no exception.

Last month, WCU officials released their annual crime statistics report for 2011. The campus showed noticeable declines compared to 2010 crimes rates, including a drop in the number of reported sex offenses, aggravated assaults and burglaries.

But despite the promising news, criminal incidences like rape, theft and drug and alcohol use remain a nagging problem at the university and others like it across the country.

SEXOFFENSESONCAMPUS

In 2010, WCU hit a four-year high with five reported sex offenses on campus. In this past year, that number was three.

In all three reported incidents, the female student knew the alleged perpetrator.

In one case, allegations involved an offense by a student’s ex-boyfriend, but no charges were pressed.

The other two incidents from 2011 involved the same man, who was an acquaintance of the victims in the dormitories. One female student reported he forced her to perform oral sex. After the first incident became public and the suspect was arrested, another student came forward and said he had raped her.

The perpetrator, James Derrickson, 18, took a plea deal for crimes against nature, which included a suspended sentence. He was also kicked off campus.

WCU Police Chief Ernie Hudson said while campus police take every report seriously, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Under the campus crime reporting rules, statistics must include any report made regardless of a conviction. And, offenses such as groping can be lumped in the same category as rape.

“Somebody who is uneducated would say ‘gosh, they had three rapes that year,’” Hudson said. “But that’s not the case.”

Colleges have universal guidelines for how to document and classify crimes reported on campuses. They must compile the data each year in a publicly-available report, called a Clery report. It is named for freshman Jeanne Clery, who was raped and then killed on a private college campus in Pennsylvania in 1986. Because the incident went unreported laws were passed requiring transparency.

When comparing reported sex offenses in 2011 at universities across North Carolina, WCU is on par statistically with other institutions. That same year, Appalachian State University reported four; Brevard College, with a student population of about 700, reported two; and University of North CarolinaAsheville reported three.

WCU’s rural location — essentially as an island of students in the Appalachian Mountains — can be deceiving, said student body president Alecia Paige.

Western Carolina University Police Chief Ernie Hudson organizes law enforcement during a home football game. Andrew Kasper photo

“A common perception is its safer because it is in the middle of nowhere,” she said. “But there’s also an element of danger — a unsafe situations can happen anywhere at any time, all it takes is a student who makes a poor decision.”

Paige offered another perspective on the crime statistics, that they may in fact be underreported because of a victim’s tendency to be ashamed and shoulder the blame herself. She said, through friends and personally, she knows of several rape victims who are students but is not sure if they necessarily reported the crime.

“Rape is disproportionally unreported,” Paige said. “Many students internalize and accept the responsibility — the day after a big party, they might not want to go to police because they feel like they put themselves in a bad situation.”

But, Hudson sees the low number of convictions for sexual offenses as a good sign, indicating perhaps that actual offenses are less prevalent than the numbers in the Clery report suggest.

“Those numbers are just what people are reporting to us. That doesn’t mean they were provable in a court of law or the victim followed through with prosecution,” Hudson said.

CARELESSNESSOR

CRIMEWAVE?

Drugs and underage alcohol use top the campus crime stats. After that, burglaries are the highest reported crime on campus. Each year since 2008, the WCU consistently reports between 20 and 40 burglaries.

The prized possession: laptops, iPads, cell phones and other valuable items left unattended, likely in an unlocked dorm room or car. The campus police chief said even though it’s a drag

Congressman Shuler trades U.S. House for Duke Energy job

Congressman Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, who is stepping down this year after spending six years in D.C.,

door when she leaves her room?

“You don’t want to blame the victim,” Hudson said. “But we have a lot of students who leave their cars unlocked or their doors open.” Paige, the student president, explained her philosophy on studying at the generally safe, but potentially dangerous, WCU campus.

“Even if I lived in Mayberry, I couldn’t be too careful,” Paige said. “Nobody is going to walk up to me and mug me for my wallet, but if I left an iPod in the middle of the cafeteria, someone might pick it up.”

BOOZE, POTAND ADDERALL

One crime trend that may not bode well for the college party scene is the rise in underage alcohol and drug arrests since 2009. In 2011, there were 55 alcohol arrests, more than four times the number there were in 2009. Drug arrests also rose but by a lesser amount.

Although the rise in arrests coincides with when Chief Hudson took control of the department, he claims he is not necessarily responsible, but rather, alcohol has become a hot topic on campus, which has heightened awareness and subsequently enforcement.

By the numbers

2011 Western Carolina University campus crime statistics:

Forcible sex offenses......................................3 Aggravated assault........................................1 Burglary........................................................23 Liquor arrests...............................................55 Drug arrests.................................................31 Illegal weapons arrests..................................3

to lose an expensive electronic device or other prized possession, students generally are safe from the type of robberies that go down with armed gunmen in ski masks.

“I can’t remember last time one of our students’ doors were broken in,” Hudson said.

Instead, the theft tends to be subtler.

For example in 2011, one suspect was caught wandering around the dormitory rooms and taking money from student’s wallets left on their desks until one female student, who had left for a moment to get something from the vending machines caught him in the act.

Another student had his iPod Touch stolen from his unattended golf bag, but the police were able to locate the thief selling it on Craigslist.

Yet, a little bit of prevention goes a long way. Hudson said several weeks after being named chief of police in 2010, the father of a female student, who was the victim of theft three separate times, drove from Charlotte to ask Hudson why his daughter kept getting robbed.

When the father arrived at the police station looking to quarrel about why the police couldn’t keep the campus safe for his daughter, Hudson asked him a simple question: could the father persuade his daughter to close and lock her

announced his next career move this week: directing the lobbying arm of Duke Energy in Washington.

As senior vice president of federal affairs with Duke Energy, Shuler won’t engage in lobbying himself. Under federal rules, retired Congressman must take a yearlong cooling-off period before actively working as a lobbyist.

“The abuse of alcohol certainly has much more public notice and attention than it did five years ago,” Hudson said. “More people notifying the police, and also the officers are more vigilant and sensitive to the issue.”

But, the good news for underage college boozers is that almost all alcohol-related infractions are handled through the university’s internal judicial system. The process is designed to keep students out of the real court system, yet still providing for learning experience through fines and community service.

The university carries strict rules regarding where and when 21-and-older students, as well as non-students, can drink on campus. It’s usually relegated to special events like football games. But if you decide to have a beer on campus outside of those designated activities, you could be asking for trouble.

“If you come on my campus and you’re drinking, that’s a liquor law violation,” said Hudson.

Paige, who is a senior at WCU, said she has noticed the university taking alcohol offenses more seriously since she first started as a freshman.

“The campus police has definitely cracked down,” she said. “It’s definitely not taken lightly. It’s getting more serious by the semester, and students are starting to see the picture.”

And while alcohol is the drink of choice for many college kids, Adderall as a study drug is finding its way into the halls of WCU.

Several students interviewed commented on how it helps them, or their friends, focus in class and during high stress times such as finals. Yet, apart from the sporadic LSD and speed encounter, the drug of choice for WCU students is still marijuana, Hudson said.

Shuler’s retirement came as a surprise last winter, a last minute announcement on the eve of the deadline for candidates to declare their intentions. At the time, he said he wanted to spend more time with family rather than splitting his time between D.C. and his Waynesville home.

When the cat’s away, the boys will play

We had been dreading it all week, and now, as we stood there on a brisk Friday morning waiting on the school bus in front of our mailbox, my seven-year-old son and I had time to confront the reality of it: a weekend without the women.

Mother and daughter were leaving for the weekend to go on a Girl Scout camping trip, leaving the boys to fend for ourselves for approximately 48 hours. What would we do without them? Would we remember to eat? Keep the house in reasonable order? Attend to basic hygiene?

“Dad, what are we going to do this weekend? Seriously, what are we going to DO?”

He didn’t sound anxious so much as mystified by the prospect of a weekend without his mother’s or older sister’s loving, if more or less perpetual, direction.

“Don’t worry about it, bud,” I said. “We’ll muddle through.”

Mother and daughter hadn’t been on the road more than an hour or so before the inevitable string of text messages began to arrive. I responded to each one of these with a variety of reassuring phrases, all of which could be translated as, “Don’t worry; it’ll be OK.”

After school, once the weekend proper had finally begun and the women were long gone,

Tourism overhaul was the right thing to do

To the Editor:

Democracy is working in Jackson County!

This week’s passage of the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) Resolution is a much-welcomed newly sprouting seed in the political landscape in the national drought of our country’s overall political climate. Our compliments to the Jackson County Commissioners and the members of the Occupancy Tax Steering Committee.

The passage of the TDA Resolution was a year-long process, beginning with all the interest groups far apart with very strongly held views. Although it has at times been a heated exchange of ideas, it was always without rancor and always moving forward with some give and take. Because the end goal — increased tourism and an economic boost in Jackson County — was a goal common to all. Even in the end, rather than having a merely pro forma public comments session, the commissioners seriously considered the public input and made changes that integrated others’ ideas making the final resolution an acceptable compromise.

Recognition should also be given to the County Manager, Chuck Wooten, and the County Attorney, Jay Coward, who both worked quietly and effectively behind the

the first thing we decided to do to kick it off was to play a few games on the Wii. I got waxed in a three-point shooting contest, got hammered in baseball, but took some measure of revenge by winning at the “old man sports:” bowling and golf.

By now, we were beginning to get a little hungry, but instead of settling for some combination of cereal, fruit cocktail, and Reese’s Cups (the bachelor’s definition of a balanced meal, especially if you throw in bourbon as the fourth food group) for “dinner,” I decided that we would go to the grocery store and shop for a proper hot meal, one I would prepare.

On the drive to Ingles, I was feeling pretty satisfied with myself as I pictured my wife in the drive-thru at Taco Bell ordering $28 of food, when I was taking the initiative to make an actual meal.

We had a pretty good time at Ingles, where we ended up creating a spontaneous and creative grocery list. Chicken nuggets, tater tots, cashews, Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey and

LETTERS

scenes, to ensure a solid piece of legislation.

My only regret — and we have talked privately — is that Mark Jones, the only county commissioner directly involved in the hospitality industry, the Chairman of the Occupancy Tax Steering Committee and a county commissioner, did not take the opportunity to move consensus further forward, to wit, by publicly stating his opposition to the tax raise but voting for the TDA Resolution — recognizing it was the best possible compromise that every one involved had worked so hard on.

It should also be noted that the County Manager has taken action so that any member of the Hospitality Industry in Jackson County who desires to serve on the TDA Board can “throw their name in the hat” — an expansion of the program that Mr. Wooten implemented to increase public participation on all county boards.

Now it is the task of the TDA board that will take over operations from the two Travel & Tourism Associations at the beginning of the year, to develop an integrated and unified program representing all of Jackson County and effectively using the additional tax revenue to increase tourism in Jackson County, thereby enhancing the county’s economic well-being.

George & Hanneke Ware, Chalet Inn Whittier

Cherry Garcia, black corn chips and guacamole dip, Twizzlers, Asian pears, bananas, and chocolate-covered cherries.

“Your mom never shopped like THAT,” I boasted to my son as we assembled these items in a crooked train on the conveyer belt.

We got home, and I made a hot, nutritious meal of chicken nuggets (protein), tater tots (vegetable) and fruit cocktail (fruit, duh), which we consumed on my bed while watching reruns of my son’s new favorite show, “Pawn Stars.” We watched three or four episodes, including the one where Corey and Chumlee buy a hot-air balloon off a guy for $38,000, setting off a rift between father and son when Rick scolds Corey for spending that much money without his prior approval. Rick tries to get his money back, forcing Corey to apologize to the seller, who, in the end, does not give the money back but does offer to provide “free” lessons in how to fly the balloon.

“Do you see that, Jack?” I said. “There’s an important lesson there.”

“Yep,” said Jack. “I would not ride in that balloon. Can we have ice cream now?”

Even though I stayed up late watching the Lakers game on the west coast after Jack drifted off to sleep, we were “up and at ‘em” by 10 a.m. or so the next morning. “Are you ready for some exercise?” I said.

Early education no substitute for old-fashioned parenting

To the Editor:

Doctor Raymond Turpin’s opinion of Michele Presnell, Mike Clampitt and Jim Davis seems based on the premise they “don’t get it” regarding the value of childhood programs (Oct. 24 edition of The Smoky Mountain News, www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/9154)

To be scrupulously honest, these three former Republican candidates for state House and Senate (Davis and Presnell won, Clampitt lost to Rep. Joe Sam Queen) probably “get it” all too well. They recognize, for example, that at some point over the years, parenting (considered native intelligence in my parent’s generation) is somehow akin to rocket science in my children’s.

The transfer of parenting has made possible the creation and nurture of a myriad of early childhood programs and the proliferation of the mental health industry, both at great cost. Dr. Turpin accuses Clampitt and Presnell of viewing pre-schools as “free babysitting,” and all three of “backwards thinking.” It’s conceivable the good doctor is right, because the greater truth is far worse.

Childhood programs, created in collusion

“Putt putt?” said Jack.

“You got it,” I said. “And then off to the driving range.”

After our morning exercise, we went to see an animated movie, and then came home to watch a fascinating medley of college football games while dining on pizza, pizza and more pizza. In between our third and fourth slice, the women called, and we exchanged stories of our respective days like little gifts, unwrapping them slowly with love and care to expose every part of the contents.

“Tell the truth,” said mom. “You guys don’t even miss us, do you?”

“Are you kidding?” I said, nudging the enormous pizza box across the bed toward Jack, indicating he should try another slice. “We’re lost without you.”

“Dad?” said Jack, after he finished his fourth slice. “Can we have an ice cream sundae and watch an episode of ‘Pawn Stars’?”

Educational television and dairy. Good for the mind, good for the bones.

The women won’t be home until tomorrow afternoon, and though we miss them, miss them, miss them, we’re holding our own here on the home front, wondering, maybe, if there is another mother/daughter Girl Scout outing scheduled for the spring. Two guys left home alone during baseball season? The very idea.

between education and the psychological service industry, have conspired to replace parents as primary caregivers, the custodians of our nation’s youth.

What Presnell, Clampitt and Davis were unwittingly pointing out is the difference between “experts” and parents. Experts talk about things parents can’t see while parents see things experts never talk about. Yesterday’s “undisciplined brat” is today’s “hyperactive” or “strong-willed” child. Children haven’t changed at all, but the rhetoric has.

Children have absolutely no idea what is in their own best interest. If they did, they wouldn’t need parents for 18 or more years now would they?

Over the last 40 years or so, the “experts” have done a good job of replacing child-rearing realities with “parenting” theoretical rhetoric. Parenting comes only from mothers and fathers, it is not something you can outsource to early childhood programs and self-styled experts who profit abundantly from tinkering with our culture’s child-rearing traditions. This has destabilized both the family and the culture. For proof of this, look around you.

Good parenting emanates from the heart and from the gut. From the heart springs love; from the gut springs common sense. Many of today’s parents could sure use a healthy dose of the latter.

David L. Snell

tasteTHE mountains

Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251

ANTHONY WAYNE’S

37 Church St, Waynesville. 828.456.6789

Open for lunch Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; open for dinner Thursday-Saturday 5 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Exceptional, new-American cuisine, offering several gluten free items.

BLUE RIDGE BBQ COMPANY

HERREN HOUSE

94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837

Lunch: Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Brunch 11 a. m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy fresh local products, created daily. Join us in our beautiful patio garden. We are your local neighborhood host for special events: business party’s, luncheons, weddings, showers and more. Private parties & catering are available 7 days a week by reservation only.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH

latte, grab a grilled chicken pesto crepe for lunch, or wind down with a nice glass of red wine. Visit us on Facebook!

CORK & CLEAVER

176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.7179. Reservations recommended. 4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, Cork & Cleaver has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Executive Chef Corey Green prepares innovative and unique Southern fare from local, organic vegetables grown in Western North Carolina. Full bar and wine cellar. www.waynesvilleinn.com.

CORNERSTONE CAFÉ

180 N. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.7524. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. TuesdayThursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Blue Ridge BBQ is a family owned and operated restaurant. The BBQ is slow hardwood smoked, marinated in its own juices, and seasoned with mountain recipes. All menu items made from scratch daily. Featuring homemade cornbread salad, fresh collard greens, or cornbread and milk at your request. Old-fashioned homemade banana pudding and fruit cobbler of the season. Catering, take-out, eat-in. blueridgebbq@gmail.com.

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL

207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997

Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slowsimmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.

BOGART’S

35 East Main St., Sylva. 828.586.6532

Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Serving classic American food and drink in a casual environment. Daily lunch and dinner specials. Children’s menu available. Call for catering quotes. Private room available for large parties. Accepts MC/Visa, Discover and American Express.

119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1401. Mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Join us for cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays (weather permitting) and familystyle dinners on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Social hour starts at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. Our bountiful family-style meals include prime rib, baked ham, and herb-baked chicken; cookouts feature steaks, ribs, chicken and pork chops, to name a few. Every dinner is complemented with an assortment of seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts, and we offer a fine selection of wine and beer. Breakfast is also served daily from 8 to 9:30 a.m., and lunch from 12 to 2 p.m. Please call for reservations.

CHEF’S TABLE

30 Church St., Waynesville. 828.452.6210

From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday dinner starting at 5 p.m. “Best of” Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine. Set in a distinguished atmosphere with an exceptional menu. Extensive selection of wine and beer. Reservations honored.

CITY LIGHTS CAFE

Spring Street in downtown Sylva. 828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine. Come taste the savory and sweet crepes, grilled paninis, fresh, organic salads, soups and more. Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com.

CORK AND BEAN

16 Everett St., Bryson City. 828.488.1934

Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy organic, fair-trade, gourmet espresso and coffees, a select, eclectic list of wines, and locally prepared treats to go with every thing. Come by early and enjoy a breakfast crepe with a

1092 N. Main Street, Waynesville. 828.452.4252. Open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fresh meats purchased daily, great homemade breakfast, burgers made to order. Comfortable and friendly atmosphere, with curb service available. Make lunch easy and call ahead for to go orders.

COUNTRY VITTLES: FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT 3589 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley. 828.926.1820 Open Daily 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

FRANKIE’S ITALIAN TRATTORIA

1037 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley. 828.926.6216 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Father and son team Frank and Louis Perrone cook up dinners steeped in Italian tradition. With recipies passed down from generations gone by, the Perrones have brought a bit of Italy to Maggie Valley. frankiestrattoria.com

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE

44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Sunday lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Mondays. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. Come for the restaurant’s 4 @ 4 when you can choose a

tasteTHE mountains

center and three sides at special prices. Offered Wed- Fri. from 4 to 6. frogsleappublichouse.org.

GUADALUPE CAFÉ

606 W. Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.9877

Open 7 days a week at 5 p.m. Located in the historic Hooper’s Drugstore, Guadalupe Café is a chef-owned and operated restaurant serving Caribbean inspired fare complimented by a quirky selection of wines and microbrews. Supporting local farmers of organic produce, livestock, hand-crafted cheese, and using sustainably harvested seafood.

J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY

U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817

Lunch Sunday noon to 2:30 p.m., dinner nightly starting at 4:30 p.m. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.

JUKEBOX JUNCTION

U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

LOS AMIGOS

366 Russ Ave. in the Bi-Lo Plaza. 828.456.7870. Open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Monday through Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the lunch prices Monday through Sunday, also enjoy our outdoor patio.

MAD BATTER BAKERY & CAFÉ

Located on the WCU Campus in Cullowhee. 828.293.3096. Open Monday-Thursday

7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Earth-friendly foods at people-friendly prices. Daily specials, wraps, salads, pastries, breads, soups and more. Unique fare, friendly service, casual atmosphere and wireless Internet. Organic ingredients, local produce, gourmet fair trade and organic coffees.

MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB

1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.

MILL & MAIN

462 W. Main St., Sylva. 828.586.6799

Serving lunch and dinner. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Pizza, pasta, outstanding homemade desserts, plus full lunch and dinner menus. All ABC permits. Take-out menus available.

MOONSHINE GRILL

2550 Soco Road, Maggie Valley loacted in the Smoky Falls Lodge. 828.926.7440

Open Wednesday through Sunday, 4:30 to 9 p.m. and Sunday buffet 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Cooking up mouth-watering, wood-fired Angus steaks, prime rib and scrumptious fresh seafood dishes. The wood-fired grill gives amazing flavor to every meal that comes off of it. Enjoy creative dishes made using moonshine. Stop by and

simmer for a while and soak up the atmosphere. The best kept secret in Maggie Valley. themoonshinegrill.com

MOUNTAIN PERKS ESPRESSO BAR & CAFÉ

9 Depot St., Bryson City. 828.488.9561

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections. Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

OLD STONE INN

109 Dolan Road, off Love Lane. 828.456.3333. Classic fireside dining in an historic mountain lodge with cozy, intimate bar. Dinner served nightly except Sunday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Signature dinner choices include our 8oz. filet of beef in a brandied peppercorn sauce and a garlic and herb crusted lamb rack. Carefully selected fine wines and beers plus full bar available. Open year round. Call for reservations.

PASQUALE’S

1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Opend for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoor, outside on the patio or at the bar.

SOUL INFUSION TEA HOUSE & BISTRO

628 E. Main St. (between Sylva Tire & UPS). 828.586.1717. Tuesday-Friday 11

a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon -until. Scrumptious, natural, fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. 60+ teas served hot or cold, black, chai, herbal. Seasonal and rotating draft beers, good selection of wine. Home-Grown Music Network Venue with live music most weekends. Pet friendly and kid ready.

THE SWAG COUNTRY INN

Hemphill Road off of Hwy 276.

828.926.0430. Serving a 4-course gourmet dinner seven nights a week at 7:00, with a social hour and hors d'oeuvres on the dog trot beginning at 6. Also offering the chef's gourmet picnic at noon every Wednesdays on Gooseberry Knob, BBQ Cookout every Thursday night and Sunday brunch each week. Daily backpack lunches are also available for hiking. Bring your own wine and spirits. Reservations required.

THE TIKI HOUSE SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR

2723 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.944.0445. Fresh seafood made to order. Oysters raw, steamed, or fried. Handcut steaks. Live music, cocktails, petfriendly patio dining with a nice fountain. Friday patio music starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday night after dinner. Live bands and a dance floor.

THE WINE BAR

20 Church Street, downtown Waynesville. 828.452.6000. Underground cellar for wine and beer, served by the glass all day. Cheese and tapas served Wednesday through Saturday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. or later. info@classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter.

Quality OVER quantity IN Appalachia

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

Downtown Franklin is all sunshine, but it’s the calm before the storm.

Drifting through an array of stores and restaurants lining Main Street, the scene is quiet, but soon, with Thanksgiving falling into the rearview mirror, shoppers determined and curious will overtake the small town, in search of handmade items from regional artists. Strolling the sidewalk, one soon comes upon North Carolina Mountain Made.

“From now until Christmas, it’s going to be real busy,” said storeowner Linda McKay.

Featuring over 200 artisans and craftspeople from around Western North Carolina, the beloved business is coming into its ninth year, with preparations again being made for the holiday rush.

“There’s something about [handmade crafts] that’s a warm feeling,” McKay said. “I just like knowing it’s made in the area, it’s made with character you cannot find if it’s mass-produced.”

A lifelong resident of the area, McKay has been creating all of her life. Ever since she was a little girl, she has done decorative art, making signs, painting saws or just taking whatever she could find and make something out of it.

Crisscrossing the south, McKay participated in shows from North Carolina to Florida, selling her work and making friendships along the way with other artists. She was able to find stability in her creations, on top of a feeling of self-satisfaction.

“I get to be my own boss,” she said. “The hours are long, but I love doing it.”

With the idea to open North Carolina Mountain Made with friend Ben Utley (who has since left the company), McKay pulled out her Rolodex of friends and crafters she’d met along her journeys. She wanted something that wasn’t as stiff as a gallery, but more like you were invited into someone’s home. The plan was set in motion and eventually the store opened its doors.

“[Handmade crafts] are more personal and done with more care,” she said. “When I buy or make something, I want it made right.”

A crafter for over 20 years, McNair and her husband work together, continually collaborating on ideas that come to fruition with their hands. Moving to Franklin 12 years ago from Tampa, she likes living and working in such a unique and special community.

“ ... we did what we could to make a living, which meant working with your hands and making things. A lot of us were born with it. It was handed down, but most of us learned it because we had to and I’m proud of that.”

“It just blossomed,” she said. “We had gone around to the shows and I already knew the people and they knew that I knew crafts, that I had integrity to properly display their works.”

— Linda McKay, owner, North Carolina Mountain Made

Deciding who and what would be sold in her store, McKay philosophy was “If I would display it in my home, then I will take it.” She stressed that the piece had to be decorative, with an emphasis on quality.

“A little bit of everything,” she chuckled. “I love to work with my hands.”

But, with the unexpected death of her husband over 30 years ago, McKay had to find a way to support herself and her children. She was a teacher’s aide at the time and was going back to school to get her teaching certification. But, something just didn’t feel right. “I didn’t want to teach and didn’t want to do something where I’d be inside all the time,” she said. “So, I just started doing craft shows and I loved it.”

“It’s kind of like going back in time a little bit,” she said. “We wanted to get away from the city. I love the fact we can drive from one end of Franklin to the other in less than five minutes.”

Selling her works in NC Mountain Made for the last few years, McNair, and other crafters, will help out with the business, whether it be working the register or simply aiding customers in their pursuits of local products.

“It’s a very good working relationship with [Linda],” she said. “She’s easy to work with. It’s sort of a business relationship, but it’s also a friendship, too. I enjoy getting to know the other crafters and pitching in together.”

“A lot of the things here are ‘Grandma comes to town’ sort of stuff,” she said. “And it’s good stuff to give to your family. We want it to be top quality.”

Downstairs in the store, artist Myrolin McNair is putting the finishing touches on her holiday display. She specializes in matching craft schemes, which can range from kitchen shelves to dishtowels, aprons to napkins, tissue box covers to coasters, amongst other items. The themes reflect the area, with bears, deer and birds covering the pieces.

A second-home owner in Franklin, Dee Hall is in town for the holidays and once again is perusing North Carolina Mountain Made for certain gifts she has in mind for loved ones. She comes into the store often, and that’s not by accident.

“I like the variety in this store,” she said. “It’s just nice to see local crafts, everything not only made in the United States, but in North Carolina, and the money stays in the community.”

Proud of her Appalachian roots and the tradition of quality that is sewn deeply into the fabric of Western North Carolina, McKay is grateful to not only work with her hands and talents, but also enjoys keeping alive the passions and creativity that has been at the backbone of this region.

“Mountain people are survivors. There wasn’t a lot of employment here and we did what we could to make a living, which meant working with your hands and making things,” she said. “A lot of us were born with it. It was handed down, but most of us learned it because we had to and I’m proud of that.”

Lights & Luminaries to bring holiday glow to Dillsboro

Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries will be held on Dec. 7 and 8 and Dec. 14 and 15. The celebration begins each evening at dusk and runs until 9 p.m.

With more than 2,500 candles in white bags lining the streets, the lights set the town aglow.

Cullowhee-based weather guru Preston Jacobsen plans to blow snow for the festival via his new company, Whee Make Snow. Weather permitting, Jacobsen will create a winter wonderland at the corner of Front and Webster streets where children can make snowmen.

Bethlehem comes to life in Canton

A “Living Nativity” scene will be recreated from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, and the eighth annual “Christmas Service in a Stable” will be from 5:30 p.m. to 6:10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in Canton.

The “Living Nativity” will feature cast members from Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Clyde and East Fork Baptist Church in Canton, friendly animals, background Christmas music and special low lighting to illuminate a sense of awe and peace remembering the true meaning of Christmas. In addition, patrons will have the opportunity to donate non-perishable food items at the manger for The Community Kitchen soup kitchen.

The “Christmas Service in a Stable” event will highlight Scripture readings about the birth of Jesus and a Christmas-related story with special music by a live harpist and string bassist. There will be hay bales for seating and a chance for those attending to sing

In addition, the town’s merchant “elves” trim their buildings — many of which date to the late 1800s — in traditional white lights. Shopkeepers also stay open late and serve coffee, warm cider, hot chocolate and homemade goodies to visitors. There will be sing-alongs throughout town, horse-and-carriage rides, Western Carolina University students strolling the streets in renaissance costumes, children’s art in the courtyard, plus Santa and Mrs. Claus setting up shop in Town Hall. The event is free and open to the public. www.visitdillsboro.org or 800.962.1911.

Christmas carols and enjoy the live animals. Dress warmly.

Both events will use live animals from around the area, with the events taking place in the 90-year-old barn on 84 Frank Mann Road in Canton. The events and parking are free of charge.

Waynesville brings Christmas downtown

Downtown Waynesville will be hosting “A Night before Christmas” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8.

Main Street will be closed to vehicle traffic and transformed into a festive holiday venue. There will be Christmas choral groups and musicians, candlelight shopping, thousands of holiday lights, with plenty of shops, galleries and restaurants open late for the evening. There are also hayrides, and Santa will be visiting with children. www.downtownwaynesville.com or 828.456.3517.

An Appalachian Christmas comes to Lake Junaluska

An annual Appalachian Christmas Celebration will run from Dec. 6-9 at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

With Christmas concerts and a crafts show, the Appalachian Christmas Celebration is a weekend to shop for unique handcrafted gifts or to just relax and absorb the beauty of the season.

The craft show, featuring some of the best crafters and artisans in the area, will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Harrell Center.

The weekend’s events also include the Lake Junaluska Singers’ Christmas concerts set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, in Stuart Auditorium. A preshow will be held from 2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, by Voices in the Laurel, the region’s award-winning youth choir.

A Saturday evening concert performance of Handel’s Messiah at 8 p.m. will feature the

Songs from ‘Polar Express’ to be performed Dec. 8

Voices in the Laurel will perform a special Christmas concert featuring the poetry of Robert Frost, traditional and international Christmas carols and a medley from “The Polar Express” at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at historic Stewart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

The performance is a preshow to the Lake Junaluska Singers 3 p.m. matinee performance. Both concerts are part of Lake Junaluska’s Appalachian Christmas Celebration Dec. 6-9.

Now in its 17th season, Voices in the Laurel is comprised of 60 children, in grades first through 12th from five counties in Western North Carolina. Included in the Voices in the Laurel’s repertoire will be "El cant des Ocells" (Song of the Birds), a Catalan Christmas carol.

Tickets for the matinee performance of the Lake Junaluska Singers and the Voices in the

Lake Junaluska Singers, accompanied by regional choirs and orchestra. 800.422.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/christmas.

Laurel preshow are $16.50 for reserved tickets, $15 for general admission, and $8 for children, age 8 and under.

800.222.4930.

Voices in the Laurel to host silent auction

Voices in the Laurel’s “Winter Silent Auction” will be held from noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Harrell Center in Lake Junaluska.

Come bid on a variety of local and national items, art, pottery, gift baskets, jewelry, salon and massage services, restaurant gift certificates, golf outings, resort vacations and tickets to various regional theme parks. The auction is on the same day as the Junaluska Christmas Craft Show, which will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harrell Center. This event is held in conjunction with the Appalachian Christmas pre-concert with the Lake Junaluska Singers that afternoon at 2:15 p.m. in the Stuart Auditorium. 828.564.3638.

Waynesville ensemble spreads Christmas cheer

A Christmas concert will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

The 80-singer Junaluska-Haywood Community Chorus will be performing Christmas carols. The event is free and open to the public. Donations are accepted. The chorus is sponsored in part by The Junaluskans and the Haywood Arts Council through a Grassroots Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the state of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts.

828.452.0156.

Children of Zion to showcase Christmas gospel and ballads

A free concert featuring the gospel group Children of Zion will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Children of Zion is a local group of musicians and singers. Their style varies from southern gospel to contemporary gospel to Appalachian ballads. The group delights in switching the members on lead vocals in order to emphasize the different styles of music that each member specializes in singing. They will perform for about an hour, with half of the performance featuring Christmas music. 828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

Balsam Range, friends kick off concert series

Nationally acclaimed Western North Carolina bluegrass group Balsam Range will be kicking off their winter concert series at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at The Colonial Theatre in Canton.

They will be joined by veteran Nashville musicians Shawn Camp, Guthrie Trapp, Larry Atamanuik and Mike Bub. A bold and distinctive singer, Camp has provided material for Ralph Stanley, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks and Brooks & Dunn. He is also a

Mountain Faith to host bluegrass Christmas concert

A free Christmas Concert with award-winning bluegrass and gospel band Mountain Faith will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Mountain Faith will offer up their usual mix of firecracker bluegrass picking and sweet, harmonic gospel tunes. Some Christmas favorites will also be mixed into their repertoire. Mountain Faith is a local band, based in Sylva, largely made up of family members. Refreshments will be provided. 828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

Holiday concert at WCU

The annual “Sounds of the Season” concert will feature the Western Carolina University’s School of Music at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Benefitting the School of Music Scholarship Fund, the concert will feature performances by the University Chorus, Concert Choir, Jackson County Children’s Choir. The WCU Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet, Faculty Woodwind Quintet, Clarinet Choir, Saxophonic Quartet and Early Music Ensemble also will perform. The program will close with a holiday sing-along led by Santa Claus.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for faculty/staff/seniors (60 and older) and $5 for students and children.

www.fapac.wcu.edu or 828.227.2479 or 828.227.7242.

&

for NC Craft Beers & Brewers hosted by City Lights Bookstore, City Lights Cafe and Heinzelmannchen Brewery Thursday, Nov. 29th at 6:30 p.m. AMY WILLOUGHBYBURLE will read from a collection of short stories, Out Across the Nowhere Friday, Nov. 30th at 6:30 p.m.

multi-instrumentalist that has played with Yonder Mountain String Band, Alan Jackson, The Osborne Brothers and John Prine. Camp’s music sprawls across the lines that divide country, Americana, bluegrass and roots rock.

Tickets are $15 per person. The winter concert series at The Colonial Theatre continues on Jan. 5 with Balsam Range welcoming bassist/vocalist John Driskell Hopkins from the Zac Brown Band. 828.235.2760.

Beat cabin fever with Where’s Mike Jones?

Seeds of the Pine Productions will be hosting a “Saturday Night Out in Sylva” at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at The Basement in Mainstreet Bakery & Café.

There will be a performance by the band Where’s Mike Jones?, which features accomplished musicians from the greater Jackson County area. The event will be catered with hors d’oeures by Mainstreet Bakery, beer provided by The French Broad Brewery as well as wine and other refreshments. There will also be a range of local handpicked artists presenting their works.

This is a unique event with a limited amount of tickets. Tickets are $15, which includes food, beverage and music. They can be purchased at the Mainstreet Bakery & Cafe.

Wind ensemble and orchestra to perform

Western Carolina University Wind Ensemble will perform its final concert of the year at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. The Wind Ensemble is the premiere instrumental performing ensemble in the WCU School of Music and comprises 54 of the top music students at WCU.

Western Carolina Civic Orchestra will present its fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in the recital hall of the Coulter Building. The orchestra consists of WCU music students and faculty and community musicians from Jackson, Macon, Haywood, Swain, Cherokee and Buncombe counties.

Both events are free and open to the public. 828.227.7242 or www.music.wcu.edu.

ANEVENING

OFPOETRY featuring poets Kathryn Stripling Byer, Joseph Mills, Kathryn Kirkpatrick, and Julie Suk Saturday, Dec. 1st at 5 p.m.

3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA 828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

A hot cast phase of separated glass, this piece by Mark Peiser, titled “Mount,” is one of the items being displayed at the NC Glass exhibit.

NC glass exhibit showcased at WCU

The North Carolina glass community will hold an exhibit from Oct. 28 to Feb. 1, at the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum.

This exhibition will highlight the work of 23 artists, occupy three of the museum’s four galleries, and bring a series of glass demonstrations, workshops and lectures to Jackson County.

WCU has documented the development of the state’s glass community in the series of invitational “North Carolina Glass” exhibitions, initiated in 1974. The most recent North Carolina Glass exhibit, titled “The Next Generation,” took place in 1995 in the Belk Gallery at WCU. The year marks both the 50th anniversary of the development of studio glass in America and the 90th Birthday of North Carolina artist, Harvey K. Littleton, who is the movement’s founder. To celebrate these milestones, the Fine Art Museum is launching the largest and most comprehensive of the North Carolina Glass series’ exhibits to date.

Scotch-Irish exhibit seeks donations

North Carolina Arts Council has provided initial funding for the research and development of the Scotch-Irish exhibit at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center outside Robbinsville.

The Arts Council is now matching funds for the printing, mounting and placement of the exhibit. This exhibit will be a companion piece to the Cherokee exhibit at Stecoah and will feature the history of the Stecoah Valley after the removal of the Cherokee Indians in 1838. Most of the photographs for the Scotch-Irish Exhibit have never been seen outside of the families that have granted the exhibit the permission to publish them. Funding for this exhibit is being generated by power2give. The Arts Council will match contributions dollar for dollar.

To make a donation visit www.power2give.org or 828.479.3364.

Robbinsville native creates art scholarship

Students from the far western counties of North Carolina majoring in music, fine arts or industrial arts at Western Carolina University can tap into a $10,000 scholarship fund set up by Robbinsville native Elaine Howell, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel. Howell, who earned her bachelor’s degree in music education at WCU in 1968, taught band in the N.C. public school system for more than six years before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. A 1964 graduate of Robbinsville High School, she currently lives in San Antonio, where she was stationed for a portion of her military career. Although WCU students majoring in music will be given top priority, students majoring in fine or industrial arts also will be eligible. Howell said she included those areas of study in honor of her parents.  828.227.7124 or 800.492.8496 or give.wcu.edu.

Make your own holiday wreath

The Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association is hosting a wreath-making workshop from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, in Waynesville.

Bring a pair of gloves and garden clippers. Net proceeds from the wreath workshop contribute to the Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Association grant program, which makes funds available for county horticultural projects and the Hazelwood, Riverbend and Junaluska elementary school gardens supervised by the Master Gardeners. Registration fee is $20. The class will be held at 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville.

828.456.3575.

Jam series to feature Rye Holler Boys

An old-time and bluegrass jam series will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center. Bluegrass band the Rye Holler Boys will perform at 7 p.m., followed by an 8 p.m. jam session, in which local musicians are invited to participate. The group will be joined on some selections by 8-year-old fiddle player Alana King. Future concerts and jam sessions in the series will be held the first Thursday in February, March and April. Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions.

828.227.7129.

Make holiday crafts at free workshop in Macon

Elementary school-aged children and their families can make and take home holiday crafts during a free workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 1, in Franklin at the old Cowee Elementary School gym. All materials for make-and-take projects will be provided by Macon County Arts Council along with refreshments and caroling to live music by keyboardist Lionel Caynon. Children should wear play clothes and come for any part of the session. Adults must stay with their children.

828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

Canton homes put their finest Christmas décor on public display

The Canton Annual Christmas Tour of Homes will take place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2.

Eight homes in the Canton area are on this year’s Christmas Tour of Homes. Tourgoers can visit the homes at their own pace and in any order.

One of the homes on the tour is being decorated jointly by several committee members and local businesses. All holiday furnishings and decorations seen in this home will be sold starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, to tour ticket holders. The

sale will be opened to the public the following day.

Sponsored by the Canton Educational Foundation, all proceeds from the Christmas Tour of Homes will benefit the Canton Miss Labor Day Scholarship Fund. Tickets will be on sale soon at Polly’s Florist and Gifts in Canton and Mountain Home Collection in Waynesville, or can be purchased at any of the homes on the day of the tour. They are $10, with children under 12 free.

828.400.0699.

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Books for holiday gifts can be a risky business

Think of the times someone has said to you: “You’ll love this book!” This wellintentioned person then shoves a book into your hands and dances off, leaving you gripping a volume, white-knuckled, you are now required to love. Though occasionally you’ll open the book and find yourself surprised by its pleasures, more likely you will read a few lines and sink slowly into the nearest chair as full of lead as Bonnie and Clyde.

This agony, combined with the trials of those buying the book who really do seek to please a beloved bibliophile, explains why so many readers prefer receiving gift cards for presents. Not only do they get the pleasure of buying a book they really want, but they also enjoy the pleasure of the hunt.

Still, there is something second-class or slightly impersonal about a gift card. How many people do you know, for example, who open a greeting card and shriek with excitement and joy at the enclosed two-by-threeinch piece of plastic? It’s just a little too easy, a little too removed. (Anyone reading this column who has given me a gift card for a present, please be assured that I do in fact shriek with joy. But I think that’s probably rare and passing strange).

Recently I decided to visit a bookshop and select four books that would make fine gifts for a variety of people. I eschewed all general categories such as sports, crafts, and nature, and made my selections from two tables of newly-released titles. Keep in mind that I did not read the books, but instead found in their subject matter, writing and information a favorable first impression.

First up on the list is Jennifer Scott’s Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish

Secrets Learned While Living in Paris (ISBN 978-1-4516-9937-1, $23). While an exchange student in Paris, Scott comes under the tutelage of a mentor, a woman whom she calls “Madame Chic.”

seems to reflect Madame Chic’s personal philosophy that life is to be lived fully and elegantly.

Lessons from Madame Chic would make a perfect holiday gift for many women, as long as the recipient didn’t regard it as a personal comment on her present situation. (An aside: the book also interested me as a male. Having lived the single life for eight years, I find myself more and more confused by women. I seem to possess a positive knack for clumsiness and the wrong word. Who knows? Perhaps Madame Chic might offer valuable and corrective insights).

Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (ISBN 978-0-307-35214-9, $26) combines research, statistics and personal stories to examine the status of introverts in our society. According to Cain, one third to half of people are introverted, though some of these may go through life disguised as extroverts.

Particularly striking to me as a teacher, was the chapter when Cain remarks that teachers need to be aware of the introverts in their class and how they should exercise caution in trying to transform them into gregarious extroverts, a bit of advice with which I am in hearty agreement.

the inner world of the human being.

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, returns to this subject in Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life (ISBN 978-0-307-88678-1, $26).

Like Madame Chic, this sort of self-help book often elicits mockery from some critics, yet on examining it I found my own objections melting away. Over a nine month period, the length of a school year, Rubin tackles a variety of different projects, all centered on her home, on herself, on those she loves. “Of all the elements of a happy life,” she writes, “the home is the most important.” In Happier at Home, she combines wit, philosophy, and practicality to show the reader how to forge a life of “greater simplicity, comfort, and love.”

Ken Follett’s Winter of the World (ISBN 978-0-525-95292-3, $36) follows his Fall of Giants, the first novel of his Century Trilogy. In Winter of the World, Follett takes the reader through the 1930s to World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. With its many stories and characters, the novel should appeal to men and women alike.

The book is expensive, yes, but readers who enjoyed Follett’s other historical novels — and readers who enjoy history in general — should find satisfaction here. Winter of the World does indeed make a fine gift for the winter, as it runs over nine hundred pages in length, one of those doorstop novels that seem perfectly suited to long hibernal evenings.

Her book is an account of the lessons learned from this mystery woman — lessons ranging from diet and exercise to make-up and dress, from cultivating an air of mystery to living a passionate life. The writing here, a combination of elegance and breeziness,

A Rompin’ Stompin’ good time at Canton library

Cain goes on to remind us of the value of silence, what she calls the “power of quiet.” We live in a world of noise, a world where, we are told, to be assertive and loud is a virtue. She warns also against the dangers of Groupthink, which all too often can silence the introvert, and reminds us of the power of

(Final note: a daughter-in-law responded with high excitement when I told her I had mentioned the Rubin book in this review. Inspired by her enthusiasm, I returned to the store, purchased Happier at Home for my daughter, and threw in Madame Chic for the aforementioned daughter-in-law. I will peruse Madame’s advice before wrapping, but expect to remain as confused as Freud in my efforts to understand the female of the species).

An additional storytime will be added at 10 a.m. every Thursday at the Canton Library. The event will be hosted by Lisa Hartzell, head of the children’s department at the library.

The new storytime is called Rompin’ Stompin’ and is trying something different than the traditional storytime, which generally involves reading several books, doing finger-plays and making an age-appropriate crafting. Now, there will be a musical, sensory storytime. Book will still be read, but the main focus would be on music and movement. Children will be improving their motor skills, coordination and are learning basic musical terms like rhythm and tempo. The best part is that the kids are allowed to move and make a little noise. After about an hour of nonstop activities, the children cool down with juice, generously provided by MJ’s of Canton. 828.648.2924.

City Lights to throw poetry celebration

Celebrating the North Carolina Poetry Society’s 80th anniversary, poets and

www.citylightsnc.com or 828.586.9499.

at 5

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER

Outdoors enthusiasts and diehard mountain bikers are waiting in anticipation the winter opening of a seven-mile mountain biking and hiking trail in the Sylva and Cullowhee area.

The trail will be the first of its kind accessible by foot, or bike, from the Western Carolina University campus and is expected to be a vital link in a recreation system that may one day expand to connect county, regional and even state trails.

But immediate goals are to provide a close-to-home source of leisure for residents in the area, as well as university students looking to leave from their dorms or apartments and be on a secluded, wooded trail within minutes.

Josh Whitmore, associate director of outdoor programs at WCU, as well as the project’s point man, said its a shame many students come to Cullowhee because they’re attracted by the mountains and other outdoor features, but then realize it’s not so easy to pick up and enjoy them.

Whitmore hopes the trail, which leaves from campus via a tunnel under N.C. 107, will fulfill more immediate needs for hikers, bikers and trail runners.

“One of great ironies of having a university in the mountains is that, yeah, there are great mountains around,” Whitmore said. “But, you have to get in a car to get to them. It’ll be nice to have something right on campus.”

The trail will occupy university-owned land that is part of its Millennial campus, a 344-acre tract across the highway from the main campus, and pass near the Jackson County airport.

It will be a single-track trail, about two to three feet wide. Through its design of limiting blind turns and bikers’ speeds will accommodate the sometimes diametrically opposed walkers and cyclists on the same path.

“It’s designed to avoid user conflict,” Whitmore said.

“We had to drive to ride.”

— Kent Cranford, owner of Motion Makers Bicycles

“You have to design it so there’s enough sight line so bikes can slow down before running into people and walkers can see bikers coming.”

Whitmore described the trail as intermediate in difficulty with steep mountainside terrain. Although the elevation change from the trail’s highest to lowest point is only a few hundred feet, there are lots of ups and downs.

Construction on the trail began last spring, after the trail won nearly $100,000 in government and private grants for its planning and construction.

Funding the trail

In addition to the many volunteer hours that went into building the new seven-mile, hiking and biking trail in Cullowhee, the project was made possible by several private and public grants.

■ Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation

— $14,000 used in the planning process

■ Specialized Bicycles Advocacy Grant — $5000

■ N.C. Recreational Trails Program Grant — $75,000

Outdoors

WCU Trail System

■ Paved Roads ■ Trail

Sweet single-track coming to WCU

The trail was supposed to be finished by the fall, but permitting complications with the state halted work for three months.

Because the trail disturbed more than an acre of land, state environmental inspectors ruled that the trail needed an erosion control permit.

However, the trail builders argued that a trail built in linear sections, no more than three-feet wide at any given point, is far different than an excavated

“It’s designed to avoid user conflict. You have to design it so there’s enough sight line, so bikes can slow down before running into people and walkers can see bikers coming.”

— Josh Whitmore

tract of bare soil found at a typical construction site and shouldn’t be held to the same permitting standards. Finally they got the green light, but had already lost August, September and October — prime months for outdoor trail work. Now, with construction back on schedule, volunteers and the trail construction contractor, Trail Dynamics, have five miles completed.

Whitmore hopes to have the trail completed in January and ready for a

February opening ceremony.

But, some mountain bikers are a little anxious to test the trail and have already been sneaking in rides on the new circuit, according to Kent Cranford, owner of Sylva bike shop Motion Makers Bicycles. Having a mountain bike trail so close to home will be a new development for the local cycling scene.

For Jackson County cyclists, the closest mountain bike trails are either in the Pisgah National Forest, Panthertown Valley in the Nantahala National Forest or the Tsali Recreation Area near Bryson City.

“We had to drive to ride,” Cranford said.

He said some riders in Cullowhee are already planning trips for which they can leave from their houses and jump right on the trail.

Cranford also looks forward to the potential for linking the new WCU trail with the Tuckasegee Greenway — a multi-use path in the conception stage that has grand plans to connect Whittier to WCU along the river. That development could mean bikers could leave from Sylva and enjoy miles and miles of uninterrupted trail from a flat, paved greenway and leading to hilly single track.

Cranford, speaking from the perspective of a business owner, believes outdoor tourism is a key component of Jackson County’s economic future. He said the area’s unique landscape attracts visitors, and any developments highlighting that landscape are worthwhile.

More bikes trails may even give his business an immediate boost.

“I’m not sure we’ll see a big jump in business from it,” Cranford said of having the new WCU trail. “But some people will have the opportunity to ride bikes now that never had the opportunity — and that’s good for us.”

The Naturalist’s Corner

BY D ON H ENDERSHOT

Power birding at Tessentee (again)

Don’t know why, but the last two birding trips to Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Macon County — one last Sunday and one in November a year ago — have been rushed affairs, allowing about two-and-ahalf hours of birding from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Now, of course, two-and-a-half hours of birding at Tessentee is much better than no birding at Tessentee, but I would love to have more time to chase more LBJs (little brown jobs) from thicket to thicket and more time to hit more of the trails.

Two-and-a-half hours of birding last year produced 32 species and this year’s effort produced 33 species. I wonder if five hours would mean 66 species? Probably not but I bet it could add another 10 or so.

The thing about these short exposures of time is (as any birder can tell you) that they can produce totally different snap shots. A quick glance at a column I wrote about last year’s trip shows six species — American woodcock, red-shouldered hawk, whitecrowned sparrow, dark-eyed junco, killdeer and common grackle — that were absent from last Sunday’s list. So, I guess that means we must’ve had seven species this year we didn’t have last year but I can only think of three offhand — eastern meadowlark, fox sparrow and rusty blackbird.

There are at least four subspecies and about 19 races (depending on who’s lumping and/or splitting) of fox sparrows. The eastern or red fox sparrow is by far the most colorful of the group and the one specimen we saw last Sunday was a poster child.

The first time we flushed it, it looked like one of those fluorescent orange tennis balls flying across the path. And it fairly blazed orange from the tangles where it perched. The eastern, or red fox sparrow is a large handsome sparrow with a gray crown and nape, rufous cheek patch, rufous rump and tail, and large rufous spots on its breast and flanks.

But birding buddy, Bob Olthoff, and I both agreed that the most memorable aspect of last Sunday’s trip to Tessentee was the large number of rusty blackbirds. After our first encounter with blackbirds Sunday morning, we weren’t 100 percent sure they were rusties.

We were on the road at the entrance to Tessentee, which has trees on both sides and is adjacent to a large cornfield. We heard blackbirds coming from the cornfield and looking up, through the tree limbs, we watched as two large, loose flocks passed overhead.

Now, it’s hard to get many birds in focus in those conditions, but I was struck by the fact that we didn’t see any red or orange (that would have noted the colorful epaulet of the red-winged) on any of the birds and the flight call or chip didn’t quite seem to fit for red-winged. But it still wasn’t a positive ID for rusty blackbird.

We spent a large part of the rest of the morning lamenting that we didn’t get more definitive looks at the blackbirds.

As the morning was winding up we entered a small wetlands to try to roust some swamp sparrows, which had eluded us so far. The wetlands were bordered on one side by woods.

When we entered the wetlands, once again we were treated to the garrulous chips of blackbirds as the trees and sky became alive with birds leaving their roost. Still no great looks, but once again no sign of red that should be evident if they were, indeed red-winged blackbirds. We did roust swamp sparrows.

We continued around the wetlands on a trail through the woods behind them. We found a couple of hermit thrushes and stopped to get good looks. We were also trying to get a handle on the blackbirds when, suddenly, it started raining blackbirds. They were returning to the roost and falling in all around us. This time we got dozens of clear looks and every bird we glassed was a rusty — in that exquisite rusty-tinged winter plumage they are named for.

No way to tell if these flocks were different or the same as the earlier flyover but 100 rusties for the morning is a conservative estimate. Rusty blackbird numbers have dropped precipitously since the 1960s and biologists are trying to discover the causes. This was, without a doubt, the largest concentration of rusty blackbirds that Bob and/or I had ever seen in North Carolina.

Tessentee is site number 53 in the North Carolina Birding Trail’s Mountain Guide. (Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

Dash your way into the holiday spirit

The Reindeer Dash 5K will be held in Bryson City 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. The route will loop through downtown Bryson City to Deep Creek and then back. Prior to the race participants will gather at the

This is the second year the Reindeer Dash has been held. It is a community fundraising even put on by the Bryson City Rotary Club. Awards will be given to the top male and female finishers. After the race, runners are welcomed to stick around for hot chocolate, followed by the Bryson City Christmas Parade. Registration is $20 per runner. To register visit www.runbrysoncity.com or 828.788.5090.

If not then you should consider taking one of the Balsam Mountain Trust’s Nature as a Second Language classes. The Trust is the only certified NASL organization in the universe. We can have you speaking fluent tree, flower, bird, reptile, mammal, etc. in just minutes. The cost — the cost is nominal, and, now, think about this, especially for what you’re getting, the value far exceeds the cost of any one program.

Just think of the fun you’ll have speaking a new language and, consider you’ll be the hit at parties, the envy of your friends and — you’ll be able to speak with other NASL graduates in public and no one else will be able to eavesdrop on your conversation. And because they’ll be jealous, you can encourage them to join the movement — NASL movement that is. Call the Trust to begin your language training today.

Don’t get Left Behind! 828.631.1060 or visit www.bmtrust.org

The Balsam Mountain Trust is a 501 c (3) nonprofit environmental education and scientific research organization. All Trust programs require reservations before a visit. We look forward to seeing you.

Saturday, December 8th at 2 pm

Downtown Bryson City

Have you ever been to a small town Christmas Parade? Join us as we celebrate our 38th Annual Bryson City Christmas Parade Complete with floats, marching bands, homecoming queens, and more!

Park bracing for devastation of ash trees

The first backcountry emerald ash borer infestation has been confirmed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

An off-duty park employee discovered the backcountry infestation on Injun Creek Trail in the Greenbrier area on the Tennessee-side of the park earlier this month. The employee noticed a pile of bark chips at the base of several ash trees, which is a strong indicator of borer presence.

Paul Merten, a forest insect specialist from the USDA Forest Service in Asheville confirmed the discovery at the site by looking under ash tree bark for feeding tunnels left by the immature beetle.

“The infestation is well established,” Merten said, “probably two years old or older.”

Since 2009, officials have been monitoring for the presence of the borer. Infestations in more widely used areas on the Tennessee side of the Park were confirmed this summer. The emerald ash borer is a half-inch, metallic green beetle that lays eggs on the bark of ash trees. After hatching, the larvae burrow under the bark and create feeding tunnels that cut off nutrients and water to the tree. The tree can die in three to five years.

feasible, but Park staff is developing a management plan to protect ash trees where possible.

Accidentally introduced to North America from Asia, the borer was first discovered in southeast Michigan in 2002, and has spread to 16 states and two Canadian provinces, killing tens of millions of ash trees.

The pest is transported in firewood. Although Park regulations prohibit bringing firewood to the Smokies from areas that have been quarantined for the beetle or

The larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer create tunnels in the tree bark, cutting off nutrients and spelling certain death for ash trees in the Smokies. NPS photo

Complete eradication of the beetle is not

other destructive pests, the beetle has still managed to spread.

Campaign aimed at hunter safety

As the holiday season approaches so too does hunting season, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is urging hunters to be safe through its “Home From The Hunt” campaign. “Time off from work and time with family and friends make the holidays a wonderful time for hunting,” said Travis Casper, the state hunter safety coordinator with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “But in the excitement of a holiday hunt, don’t overlook the safety aspects.” Casper advises that hunters review hunter education training; know all applicable regulations before hunting; be sure of a target before firing a gun; and repair or replace compromised equipment before use.

In North Carolina, anyone getting a hunting license for the first time must complete a hunter education course.

The campaign also encourages use of a full-body safety harness and a haul line while using a tree stand. Hunters also are required to wear blaze orange that is visible from all sides when hunting bear, feral hogs, deer, rabbit, squirrel, grouse, pheasant or quail with a firearm. www.ncwildlife.org or 919.707.0031

Bear Lake access temporarily closed

The Bear Lake boating access area along the upper Tuckasegee in Jackson County will be closed Dec. 1 into February while improvements are made.

The work will be performed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and will include construction of two new boat ramps and relocating the dock between the two new ramps. The lake will be lowered seven feet to

Endangered red wolves on the line in lawsuit over night hunting

After four endangered red wolves were killed by hunters who possibly mistook them for coyotes while night hunting, a North Carolina judge has temporarily halted spotlight hunting of coyotes in five eastern counties where the world’s only wild population of red wolves is found.

The N.C. Wildlife Commission permitted this year nighttime spotlight hunting of coyotes, hoping to put a dent in the nuisance species. But coyotes look a lot like endangered red wolves, whose wild population numbers only about 100.

Red wolves had once been declared extinct in the wild until reintroduced through captive breeding programs.

Environmental groups vigorously protested nighttime spotlight hunting of coyotes, when the Wildlife Commission first proposed it earlier this year, for its potential harm to red wolves. Red wolves and coyotes are similar in size, fur, and coloring, so red wolves are frequently mistaken for coyotes, even in daylight.

But the state Wildlife Commission moved to allow the practice starting in August anyway.

The Southern Environmental Law Center has now filed a lawsuit to stop the spotlighting hunting on behalf of several

conservation groups. It sought a temporary injunction against the rule while the full case is waiting to be heard.

A Wake County Superior Court judge granted the injunction, halting night hunting of coyotes in those five counties for now.

“The court acted to prevent the killing of more endangered red wolves,” said Derb Carter, a senior attorney at the law center.

But the injunction is only a small victory for environmental advocates who hope the spotlighting of coyotes will be prohibited permanently.

But Commission officials claim the spotlight hunting is an effective way of control coyotes, which are non-native to the state, destructive to the landscape and potential disease carriers.

“While we accept the judge’s decision, it is important to note that this is a decision on a preliminary injunction only. It is not a decision on the lawsuit,” said Wildlife Commission Executive Director Gordon Myers. “We remain confident of our position and its merits.”

Coyotes also kill pets and livestock, but the order does not prevent killing wildlife, including coyotes and red wolves, while in the act of depredation.

Once common throughout the Southeast, intensive predator control programs and loss of habitat eliminated wild red wolf populations. Red wolves bred in captivity were reintroduced on a North Carolina peninsula in the late 1980s.

allow for the construction effort.

“We regret the inconvenience, especially considering this is the only public boating access area on Bear Creek Lake. But closing the area will assist in protecting the safety of the public and construction crews,” said John Crutchfield, Duke Energy director, public safety and recreation strategy planning services.

Bear Lake access area is located on Bear Creek Lake in Jackson County, at the end of Bear Lake Road. Construction is scheduled to be complete in February.

Highlands Research station seeks science gear in its stocking

This holiday season, the Highlands Biological Station is asking for donations to help purchase equipment for its research and education initiatives in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Each year, the station hosts researchers and biology classes from around the country and world, and they depend upon scientific equipment owned by the station to accurately and efficiently conduct their fieldwork.

Lately, the station has been unable to keep up with the demand for new equipment or replace old or damaged equipment. In response, the Highlands Biological Foundation has launched the campaign “Give for Gear” to raise money.

More than 100 Masters theses and Doctoral dissertations have been based on work conducted at the site. The station also offers public lectures, natural history exhibits at the Nature Center, demonstrations in the Highlands Botanical Garden and children’s programs all focused on the region’s unique ecosystems. Thousands of students have taken advantage of these different learning opportunities.

www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221

Hometown biologist honored for saving quail

A biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, who hails from Haywood County and has played a leading role in establishing bobwhite quail habitat in the state, has been honored for his work.

Benjy Strope of White Oak was recognized for his successes working with farmers and agricultural corporations to preserve water and land quality in the state with the Wildlife Management Excellence Award from the Southeastern Section of The Wildlife Society.

He was also named the Division of Wildlife Management Biologist of the Year in 2011.

Strope has worked since 2006 establishing and managing wildlife habitat in the expansive corporate farm setting of southeastern North Carolina. The 15,980-acre project is part of North Carolina’s efforts aimed at restoring wild bobwhites, and part of a larger effort across 25 states.

Over the years, Strope secured and managed $566,000 in funding for the program and engaged agriculture corporations, primarily hog farms, to cooperate with habitat improvements such as field borders, native grasses and timber stand enhancements. Strope conducts “Wildlife & Water Quality” workshops for corporate farmers, family farmers and professionals at least yearly.

Not only does the area now have one of the highest density quail populations in the

state, it also supports a variety of threatened songbirds — including loggerhead shrikes, American kestrels, northern harriers, dick-

Red wolf exhibit gets upgrades at WNC Nature Center

A $50,000 grant will fund improvements to the red wolf exhibit and build a covered pavilion at the Western North Carolina

cissels, yellow-breasted chats, eastern meadowlarks, eastern kingbirds, blue grosbeaks and indigo buntings.

protection. A wolf den for children to crawl through, a red wolf sculpture and a video exhibit documenting the recent birth of red wolves at the Center will be some of the additions.

In May, four red wolf pups were born at the Center, which make it home to 2 percent of the world’s red wolf population. The exhibit improvements are meant to enhance the live-wolf addition to the Nature Center.

Changes to the red wolf exhibit will attempt to convey the importance of animal

A new outdoor pavilion will also serve as a resting point for guests at the far end of the Nature Center trail and provide a covered area for education programs. The latest grant was awarded by The Community Foundation, a nonprofit serving 18 counties in WNC. But it is just one in a series of funding streams to be used for the projects. The Nature Center previously received a $179,000 federal grant, a $60,000 private grant and a $67,491 contribution from the Friends of the WNC Nature Center.

Mingus Creek and more on guided hike

A guided hike of the Mingus Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be held Saturday, Dec. 15, followed by a trip to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center for history lessons and holiday shopping at the gift shop.

Friends of the Smokies member and author of two regional hiking guides, Danny Bernstein, will lead this six-mile hike. There will be a 700-foot elevation change. Hikers will see the historic Mingus Mill, the Mingus family cemetery and a slave cemetery. The hike is moderate in difficulty and may be muddy.

At the visitor center afterward will be the Holiday Homecoming event, featuring traditional mountain holiday music and Christmas celebrations. Participants will gather to depart from Asheville at 8:30 a.m., in Maggie Valley at 9 a.m. or in the Park at 9:30 a.m. A donation of $35 to go to the Friends Smokies Trails Forever program is requested, and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. Current Friends of the Smokies members hike for $10. Hikers who

bring a friend hike for free. To register for the hike, outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org or 828.452.0720.

Church to give overview of community garden

The Sylva Garden Club will learn about the community vegetable garden maintained by St. Johns Episcopal Church in Sylva at their next meeting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4. The program will include a short tour of the garden. The meeting will be followed by the club’s annual Christmas luncheon and will be held at the church. Attendees are asked to bring canned food, personal and household items to be given to United Christian Ministries. The club meets the first Tuesday of each month from September until May. cindyrparker@gmail.com or 828.586.6853

Christmas bird count is counting on you

Tune up your listening ears and wipe down the binoculars: the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is calling all birders to participate in the Christmas Bird Count on Friday, Dec. 14.

The annual count is held nationwide and produces critical baseline data on bird populations by amassing a huge wealth of

held across the country. It is the longest running citizen science survey in the world and tens of thousands of volunteers participate annually. After all the data is collected it will be available online for public viewing.

“ANbeforeight Christmas”

MAIN STREET WAYNESVILLE

Local participants can aid in recording species and numbers, driving, looking and listening, to cover the territory in and around the Highlands Plateau that day. Beginners to experienced birders are welcome to participate.

recorded bird sightings submitted by participating bird clubs The information aids in following species trends, indicating the status of the country’s birds and their population increases and declines.

This is the 113th year the event has been

The event starts at 7 a.m., followed by a noon break for a chili lunch and discussion of successes, failures, and notable bird sightings of the day. Loaner binoculars are available if needed.

828.787.1387 or 404.295.0663 or brockhutchins@bellsouth.net. Other bird clubs with Christmas Bird Count programs include: ■ Carolina Field Birders of Jackson and Haywood counties will hold its Balsam bird survey on Dec. 28. 828.506.9308.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• Free 90-minute computer class on building a website using WordPress.com, 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. Need basic computer skills and an email account. Limited to 15 people. Pre-register at 586.2016.

• Smoky Mountain Host 2012 annual meeting 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, Fryemont Inn, Bryson City. Theme is Outdoor Recreation Means Business. $50 per person and includes all materials, continental breakfast and plated lunch. Members and non-members of the Smoky Mountain Host are invited to attend. Registration deadline Nov. 23. RSVP to Matt Pegg, director for membership development & program services, at matt@visitsmokies.org or 736.8701.

• Jackson County Airport Authority meeting noon, Monday Dec. 3, Room A227 Jackson County Administration and Justice Center, 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva.

• Issues & Eggs, “NCDOT Highway 209 and Interstate 23/74 Intersection,” 8 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, Gateway Club, Church St., downtown Waynesville. 456.3021.

• The Spanish Club at Southwestern Community College will watch “A Better Life” from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, in room 110-111 at the Macon Campus.

• Free 90-minute computer class on basic email, 5:45 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 5, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. Space limited. Bring cell phone to verify email account. Call to register. 586.2016.

• Information sessions for parents and students interested in Jackson County Early College High School, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5; and Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, lobby of the JCEC Building, next to the Holt Library at Southwestern Community College Sylva’s campus. 339.4468.

• The Board of Trustees of Western Carolina University committee meetings, 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, fifth floor of the H.F. Robinson Administration Building, WCU.

• The Board of Trustees of Western Carolina University quarterly meeting, 9:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7, board room of H.F. Robinson Administration Building, WCU.

COMMUNITY & EVENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Students from Western Carolina University’s School of Teaching and Learning bake sale, 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, A.K. Hinds University Center, Western Carolina University. Sale to help raise funds for a trip this spring to Finland, to study schools that are ranked No. 1 in literacy test scores. Upcoming fundraising activities include a cultural awareness event from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in the Killian Building and a yard sale from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 8, in the parking lot of Stanberry Insurance in Sylva. 227.2061 or rqscales@wcu.edu.

• N.C. Department of Transportation public workshop, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, Graham County Community Center, 196 Knight St, Robbinsville. Topic is proposed improvements to N.C. 143 in Graham County. http://ncdot.gov/ or http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/nc143/.

• Alternative Market, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, fellowship hall of Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church, 175 Old Clyde Road, Waynesville. Jewelry, key chains, purses, scarves, musical instruments, candle holders, chocolates, coffee, and more. Or, make a donation to purchase livestock, help dig a well, or provide education and clean water for families in desperate need of the basic necessities. Cash or checks only. Represented organizations include Start with One

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

Kenya, Bead for Life, Heifer International, Habitat for Humanity, UMCOR, SERRV. amygarascia@aol.com or 329.1159.

• Haywood Waterways Association annual Membership Dinner 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, Lambuth Inn, Lake Junaluska. $15, RSVP to 226.8565 by Monday, Nov. 26 or to christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com.

H EALTH MATTERS

• Flu shots, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Home Care service building on the Haywood MedWest campus. No appointment necessary. The Home Care building is located directly behind MedWest-Haywood. $20. Home Care will accept traditional Medicare and will file the insurance for the beneficiary. Vaccines available for everyone over 18 years of age. 452.8292.

• Free dental clinic for low-income patients, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment at Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Dental Clinic on the upper level of Laurel Terrace in Cashiers. 743.3393.

• The Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, provides free care to uninsured patients who meet financial need requirements and live or work in Highlands and Cashiers. $10 donation suggested. The clinic is in the Macon County Recreation and Health Building off Buck Creek Road. 526.1991.

• HealthTracks, the wellness and healthy lifestyle program at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, offers a toning class from 3 to 4 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on the lower level of the Jane Woodruff Medical Building at the rear of the hospital campus. $8 per session. 526.1FIT (526.1348) www.hchospital.org.

• Heart Healthy Exercise Group meets at 8:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Highlands Civic Center. $15 per month. 526.3556.

• Outpatient Diabetes Classes are offered from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. bimonthly at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, and from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. monthly at Swain County Hospital in Bryson City. 586.7734.

• Teen Prepared Childbirth Classes are offered at Angel Medical Center. 369.4421.

R ECREATION & FITNESS

• Jackson County Recreation/Parks Master Plan public input meetings, 6 p.m. Tuesday Dec. 4, Smokey Mountain Elementary School; 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, Jackson County Recreation Center; 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, Cashiers Library Meeting Room. 293.3053

THE S PIRITUAL S IDE

• 2012 Multicultural Conference “Creating a Church for All People,” Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, 800.222.4930 or visit www.lakejunaluska.com/multicultural.

S ENIOR ACTIVITIES

• Laughter Yoga Club, 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. Suzanne Hendrix, certified Laughter yoga leader. Wear comfortable clothing and bring your own giddy vocalizations. 452.2370.

• Clip and Save Coupon Club, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tuesdays, Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville.

• “Senior and Fit,” a 12-week program, 11 a.m. to noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. 456.2030.

• Happy Wanderers senior group holds several events coordinated through Haywood County Parks and Recreation. 452.6789.

• For information on resources for older adults in Haywood County, call 2-1-1, or by cell phone 1.888.892.1162; www.nc211.org or www.haywoodconnections.org. 452.2370.

FAMILY

Literary (children)

• Children’s Story time: Theme: What’s for Dinner? 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Family Night. Theme: Deck the Stacks (Decorating the Library for the Holidays), 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• WORD Teen Writing Group (ages 13-16), 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Spanish story time for children and families, 4 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Public Library. We will read books and sing songs in Spanish, with explanations in English provided. For more information in English, call Carole Dennis, 356.2511 or cdennis@haywoodnc.net. For more information in Spanish, call Marisa Dana, 561.275.8097 or marisamdana@gmail.com.

• Desde el viernes 30 de noviembre próximo, en el horario de 4 a 4:30 p.m., se ofrecerán sesiones de lectura de cuentos en español en la sucursal de la biblioteca pública de Haywood County, sita en Waynesville. Las sesiones estarán dirigidas por la señora Marisa Dana, proveniente de Argentina. Se leerán cuentos y se cantarán canciones en español, están todos invitados. Para acceder a mayor información en inglés por favor contactarse con Carole Dennis, por teléfono al 356.2511 o por e-mail, cdennis@haywoodnc.net. Para acceder a mayor información en español, contactarse con Marisa Dana, por teléfono al 561.275.8097, o por e-mail, marisamdana@gmail.com.

• Children’s Story time, Arthur and D.W., 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time with Miss Sally, 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time with Rotary Readers, 11 a.m. Monday Dec. 3, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016.

• Adult Creative Writing Workshop, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016.

• Children of Zion, gospel concert, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva, 586.2016.

• Family Night, Cookies: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice. 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Write On! Tween creative writing class, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. 586.2016

• Rompin’ Stompin’ music and movement story time, 10 a.m. Thursdays, Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. 648.2924.

Food & Drink

• Western Carolina University’s Madrigal Dinners, 6:30

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for:

■ Complete listings of local music scene

■ Regional festivals

■ Art gallery events and openings

■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fintness centers

■ Civic and social club gatherings

p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1, Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University Center. Tickets, $37 ($22 for WCU students) and may be purchased in the University Center administrative offices (second floor) between the hours of 9 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. 227.7206 or www.wcu.edu.

• Breakfast Buffet, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Saturday, American Legion Auxiliary of Waynesville, Legion Drive. $6 donation. Proceeds to veterans and community.

• Stone Soup Gathering, 5 p.m. every Sunday, Fellowship Hall, Bryson City United Methodist Church. Free.

Arts

• Kids can make their own piece of art from 10 a.m. to noon every Saturday during the Family Art at the Jackson County Farmers Market at the Community Table, downtown Sylva. 631.3033 or jacksoncountyfarmermarket.com.

• Suzuki Flute at The Music Village is accepting new students ages 4 to adult. Beginning through advanced students are welcome. 293.5600 or www.themusicvillage-nc.com.

• The Uptown Gallery in Franklin offers monthly art workshops for children. Children must be at least eight years old. Pre-registration is required. 349.4607 or caauptowngallery@frontier.com.

• Saturday Art School – Kindergartners through eighth graders are welcome Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon for fun, hands-on, age-appropriate “art school” at The Bascom in Highland. $64 for an eight-week session. www.thebascom.org or 526.4949 ext. 100.

• Preschool Creativity Classes for Parent and Child, ages 2 ½ to 5. Wednesdays from 11 to 11:45 a.m. at The Bascom in Highlands. Parent participation required. $40 for eight-week session. www.thebascom.org or 526.4949 ext. 100.

P OLITICAL G ROUP EVENTS & LOCAL G OVERNMENT

• “2012 Election Wrap-up: Looking Back, Looking Forward” 6 to 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, conference room of Blue Ridge Hall, Western Carolina University. Panel includes local and regional political scientists and journalists. 227.7475.

Dems

• Haywood County Democrats holiday open house, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, party headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville. Bring a covered dish and wrapped presents for families whom the DSS is assisting this season. A special Christmas drawing will be held at noon. 452.9607 or visit haywooddemocrats.org.

GOP

• John Locke Foundation presentation “The Development of U.S. Constitutional Principles and How They can Help Us Today, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, Catamount Room, University Center, Western Carolina University. Reagan Hartley, rlhartley2@catamount.wcu.edu or 919.369.7998

• 20th annual Charles Taylor Holiday Dinner, 7 p.m. Saturday Dec. 8, Grove Park Inn, Asheville. $50 per person. Headliner will be North Carolina Governor-elect Pat McCroy. For required reservations, contact Trish Smothers, 243.2187 or tasmothers@yahoo.com.

• Congressman-elect Mark Meadows will headline the Republican annual Prayer Breakfast, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, Jarrett House, Dillsboro. Prayer message will be delivered by The Reverend Wesley Price of the Watauga Baptist Church in Macon County. For reservations, call Ralph Slaughter, 743.6491, by email to Jim Mueller jimmei77@frontier.com or email jacksonctygop@yahoo.com.

S UPPORT G ROUPS

Haywood

• Men’s Only Grief Support Group, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, First Presbyterian Church, 305 Main St., Waynesville John Woods, 551.2095 or jhwoods55@yahoo.com or call MedWest-Haywood Hospice and Palliative Care, 452.5039.

Jackson

• Look Good, Feel Better Support Group, 10 a.m. to noon, Monday, Dec. 3, Harris Medical Park conference room at 98 Doctors Dr., Sylva. Mary E. Mahon, RN, 631.8100.

• General Cancer Support Group for men and women, 5 to 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 6, Harris Medical Park conference room at 98 Doctors Dr., Sylva. Mary E. Mahon, RN, 631.8100.

• Man to Man Support Group for prostate cancer patients and survivors, 7 to 8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 10, Harris Medical Park conference room at 98 Doctors Dr., Sylva. Mary E. Mahon, RN, 631.8100.

• Harris Monthly Grief Support Group, 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18, Chaplain’s Conference Room MedWest-Harris, Sylva. 586.7979.

Macon

• Ladies Night Out, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, Angel Medical Center Cafeteria, Franklin. Program, weight management.

Swain

• MedWest-Swain WNC Breast Cancer Support Group, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 11, private dining room next to the cafeteria at MedWest-Swain, Bryson City. This group meets the second Tuesday of every month. Mary E. Mahon, RN, 631.8100.

• Women’s 12-Step Medicine Wheel Recovery Group meets Tuesdays at 5 p.m. at A-Na-Le-Ni-S-Gi in Cherokee.

• Circle of Parents, support group for any parent, meets at noon on Thursdays at the Swain Family Resource Center.

• Grief Support Group meets from 7 to 8 p.m. each Monday night at the Cherokee United Methodist Church on Soco Road. 497.4182.

• Saturday Night Out in Sylva, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, The Basement @ Mainstreet Bakery, featuring local artists and the Where’s Mike Jones? Band. Hors d’oeures by Mainstreet Bakery, beer by The French Broad Brewery as well as wine and other refreshments. Tickets are pre-sale only ($15 includes food, beverage and music) and can be purchased at Mainstreet Bakery & Café. Kid Friendly.

• Learn to play the mountain dulcimer, 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, Western Carolina University’s new instructional site at Biltmore Park Town Square, 28 Schenck Parkway, just off Interstate 26 at exit 37.

Taught by Anne Lough. $39. Loaner instruments available. Office of Continuing and Professional Education, 227.7397 or visit http://learn.wcu.edu.

• Art After Aftermath, Elin O’Hara Slavick, distinguished professor of art at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, room 130 of the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, Western Carolina University. Slavick, primarily a photographer, will discuss her art and her curatorial activities. Free.

• Applications for new grants from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership are due by Dec. 14; funding will be announced in April, 2013. Grants are available for the preservation, interpretation, development, and promotion of heritage resources in agricultural heritage, Cherokee heritage, craft heritage, music heritage and natural heritage Applicants must provide at least a one-to-one match. Further details http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/tools/ or www.blueridgeheritage.com.

LITERARY (ADULTS)

• Beer Tasting and Book Signing, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, City Lights Café, Sylva. Erik Lars will sign and discuss his book, “North Carolina Craft Beer and Breweries.” Multiple breweries will be represented. 587.9499.

• Amy Willoughby-Burle, Out Across the Nowhere, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva. 586.9499.

• An Anniversary of Verse: 80 Years of the North Carolina Poetry Society, 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva. Featured poets are former North Carolina Poet Laureate Kathryn Byer, Joseph Mills, Kathryn Kirkpatrick, and Julie Suk. 586.9499.

H OLIDAY G IVING

• Non-perishable food will be collected at the Maggie Valley Police Department and Town Hall beginning Nov. 1 –30. Ondrea Murphy, 926.4950 or www.maggievalleypd.com.

• Festival of Wreaths fundraiser. Bid on donated wreaths through Thursday morning, Nov. 29, Outpatient Medicine Lobby, Angel Medical Center. Proceeds to help meet hospice patients’ needs not covered by insurance. 349.6639.

• Food drive during Maggie Valley Christmas Parade, 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. Haywood Christian Ministries and the Haywood Rescue Squad will collect food donations during the parade. Ondrea Murphy, 926.4950 or www.maggievalleypd.com.

• Maggie Valley Police Department is accepting Toys for Tots. To donate, call 926.0867.

Pigeon St., Waynesville. Hosted by The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts in historic Shelton House. Featured are regional Land of the Sky vocalists who specialize in traditional Barbershop-style solos, quartets, and group medleys. Tickets available at Blue Ridge Books, Christmas is Everyday, and Lode Brick House in downtown Waynesville. Tickets may also be purchased at HART ticket office the evening of the program. $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.

• Free Christmas Concert with award-winning Sylva bluegrass and gospel band Mountain Faith, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, Jackson County Public Library Community Room. Light refreshments will be provided. 586.2016.

• “Show & Sale” Craft Fair, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, MedWest Health and Fitness Center gymnasium, 75 Leroy George Dr., Clyde. 452.8080.

• Papertown Christmas Craft Fair 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, Canton Armory, 71 Penland St. Crafts, local authors, lunch, and door prizes. Santa Claus will be available for pictures from 10 a.m. to noon.

• Christmas in the Mountains Art and Craft Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center. Stecoah Artisans Gallery open House, 2 to 5 p.m. Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, 121 Schoolhouse Road, Stecoah community off Hwy 28 between Bryson City and Fontana Dam. 479.3364.

• “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, and 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, First Baptist Church, 100 South Main St., Waynesville. 456.9465.

• 3rd annual Balsam Christmas Arts & Crafts Show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, Balsam/Willets-Ochre Hill Volunteer Fire Department, 36 Mount Pleasant Church Road, North Carolina 74, mile marker 90.7. Portion of all entry fees to benefit Balsam/WilletsOchre Hill Volunteer Fire Department. 226.9352.

• Living Nativity, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, and Christmas Service 5:30 to 6:10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, 3rd Generation Barn Loft, 84 Frank Mann Road, Canton. Exit 33 off I-40, turn toward Leicester for about ¾ of a mile, fork left onto N. Hominy Road, first right onto Frank Mann Rd. Features members from Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church, Clyde and East Fork Baptist Church in Canton, and friendly animals.

• Canton annual Christmas Tour of Homes, 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2. $10, children under 12 free. All proceeds to benefit the Canton Miss Labor Day Scholarship Fund. Tour eight homes. Tickets on sale at Polly’s Florist and Gifts, Canton, and Mountain Home Collection, Waynesville, or at any of the homes day of tour. Laura Simmons, 400.0699.

• Junaluska-Haywood Community Chorus, 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, First United Methodist Church, 566 South Haywood St., Waynesville. Chorus director David Traynham, Cynthia Henderson accompanist, with the Signature Winds. Free, donations accepted.

• Waynesville Christmas Parade, 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, in downtown Waynesville. The theme is “Dreaming of a White Christmas” and all entries must use lights to participate in this evening event. 456.3517.

• Canton Christmas Parade, 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6. 235.2760.

• 12th annual Appalachian Christmas Celebration Dec. 6-9, Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, Waynesville. Lake Junaluska Singers Concert, Voices in the Laurel concert and craft show. www.lakejunaluska.com/christmas or 800.422.4930. Tickets for the matinee performance of the Lake Junaluska Singers and the Voices in the Laurel preshow are $16.50 for adult reserved ($15 general admission) and $8 for children, age 8 and under. 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/christmas.

FESTIVALS, S PECIAL & S EASONAL EVENTS

• Holiday Open House, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, Mud Dabber’s Pottery and Crafts, 20767 Great Smoky Mountain Expressway, (highway 23/74, Waynesville. Between the rest area and the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance at Balsam Gap. Refreshments and a free pottery cup while supplies last. 456.1916, www.muddabbers.com.

H OLIDAY EVENTS

• Great Smoky Mountains Railroad presents the Polar Express, through Dec. 29, Bryson City. Tickets start at $39 for adults, $26 children ages 2-12. Children under two ride free. 872.4681. www.gsmr.com.

• Christmas Parade, 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, Maggie Valley.

• Appalachian Christmas, “A Season of Harmony,” 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, HART Theatre, 250

• Voices in the Laurel Christmas concert featuring the poetry of Robert Frost, traditional and international Christmas carols and a medley from “The Polar Express,” 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at historic Stewart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Tickets for the matinee performance of the Lake Junaluska Singers and the Voices in the Laurel preshow are $16.50 for adult reserved ($15 general admission) and $8 for children, age 8 and under. 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/christmas.

• “A Night Before Christmas” 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, downtown Waynesville. Shopping, candlelight carolers, Santa, horse drawn wagon rides, and more. No pets. www.downtownwaynesville.com or 456.3517

• Music, Mirth & Good Cheer, A Family Holiday Concert by the Blue Ridge Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, Colonial Theatre, 53 Park St., Canton. $15 general admission; $10 for Friends of the Blue Ridge Orchestra; $5 for students. Tickets available online www.blueridgeorchestra.org

• Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries, dusk to 9 p.m., Dec. 7-8 and Dec. 14-17, downtown Dillsboro. Sing-alongs, horse-and-carriage rides, WCU students in renaissance costumes, children’s art in the courtyard, and Santa and Mrs. Claus at Town Hall. www.visitdillsboro.org or 800. 962.1911.

• Voices in the Laurel Winter Silent Auction, noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at Harrell Center, Lake Junaluska.

• An Evening with Santa, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, Jackson County Family Resource Center (Old Webster School Building, Webster). For Jackson County families.

H OLIDAY G IFT MAKING

• Wreath Workshop, 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office, 589 Raccoon Road, Waynesville. Bring gloves and garden clippers. $20, register at 456.3575. Net proceeds to the Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Association grant program.

• Holiday ARTSaturday, 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 1, old Cowee Elementary School gym. Elementary-age children. Materials provided for make-and-take projects. Adults stay with their children. Arts Council, 524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

• Glass classes: Holiday ornament, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 45-minute time slots, Saturday, Dec. 1, Jackson County Green Park, $30; Glass Tumbler, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 45minute time slots, Saturday, Dec. 15, Jackson County Green Energy Park, $40. Payment due at registration. No experience necessary. Ages 13-18 may participate with parent. Wear cotton clothing (no polyester) and closed shoes and long pants. 631.0271 or www.jcgep.org/classes.php.

• Holiday Gift Creation at Stecoah Valley Center. Register at 479.3364 or stecoahvalleycenter.com. Holiday Cookie Exchange – 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3. $45; Filled and molded chocolates— 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. $60; Christmas Victorian Tea – 1 to 3 p.m. Wed. Dec. 5.$45; Underground Railroad Messenger Doll—10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, $20 (includes materials); Corn Shuck Angel or Doll – 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13. $25 (includes materials).

• Twined Basketry Workshop, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; 12:45 to 2:45 p.m.; or 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, Harrell Center, Lake Junaluska. All ages. $15. Hosted by Haywood Community College Continuing Education Department. 565.4240 or register at Student Services or mail in registration form, found at http://www.haywood.edu/UserFiles/continuing_education/CERegistrati on_Form_inservice.pdf.

• Holiday Felting Workshop, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, $58 includes all supplies for a completed project. Bring several hand towels, sponge, large plastic bag and an apron or overshirt. 565.4240 or register

at Student Services or mail in registration form, found at: www.haywood.edu/UserFiles/continuing_education/CERegistration_Form_inservice.pdf.

ON STAGE & I N CONCERT

• Western Carolina University music students jazz concerts, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, recital hall of the Coulter Building. Free. WCU School of Music, 227.7242 or go online to music.wcu.edu.

• WCU’s Low Tech Ensemble will perform a gamelan degung from Western Java jointly with Warren Wilson College’s Gamelan Ensemble, playing Central Javanese gamelan, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, recital hall of the Coulter Building on the WCU campus. Free. 227.3258 or wpeebles@wcu.edu.

• Chatterbox, DJ Dizzy, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, Essence Lounge, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

• Sounds of the Season fundraising concert 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, Western Carolina University. Features student and faculty musicians from WCU’s School of Music. Reserved-seat tickets available in advance from the Bardo Arts Center box office at fapac.wcu.edu or 227.2479; $15 adults, $10 faculty/staff/seniors (60 and older), $5 for students, children. School of Music, 227.7242.

• WCU Wind Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The Wind Ensemble is the premiere instrumental performing ensemble in the WCU School of Music and comprises 54 of the top music students at WCU. School of Music, 227.7242 or visit music.wcu.edu.

• Western Carolina Civic Orchestra fall concert, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, recital hall, Coulter Building, Western Carolina University. Free. 227.7242.

• Karaoke, 8 to midnight, Thursday, Dec. 6, Essence Lounge, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

• Saloon Five, DJ Gallo, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday, Dec. 7, Essence Lounge, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

• “A Christmas Carol,” 7:30 p.m. Dec 7, 8, 14, and 15; 3 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16; and 2 p.m. Dec. 15, at HART Theater, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville. Tickets for evening performances are $20, adults; $17, seniors; and $7, students. Discounted tickets to matinees are $16, adults; $14, seniors; and $6, students. For reservations, call 456.6322 between 1 and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or go to www.harttheatre.com.

• Contagious, DJ Moto, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, Essence Lounge, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

• Karaoke, 8 p.m. to midnight, Thursday, Dec. 13, Essence Lounge, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

• Music Benefit for Full Moon Farm Rescue and Sanctuary, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, Black Mountain. Featuring guitarist Trey Merrill, singer/songwriter Paco Shipp, singer/songwriter David Cody, and others. 664.9818 or email info@fullmoonfarm.org. www.fullmoonfarm.org.

• Hoss Howard, DJ Suave, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, Dec. 14, Essence Lounge, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

• Scotty McCreery in concert, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center. Open to all ages. www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.

• KC and The Sunshine Band, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29, Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center, Cherokee. Tickets at www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000. www.heykcsb.com

• Styx, 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center, 777 Casino Drive Cherokee. www.ticketmaster.com.

• Tickets are now on sale for a 60-minute radio show of Tarzan of the Apes, performed before a live audience at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. $10. Proceeds to fund scholarships in participating academic departments.

Advance tickets suggested and can be purchased at the box office, 227.2479 or online at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu. Don Connelly, 227.3851 or dconnelly@wcu.edu.

• Season tickets on sale for “An Appalachian Evening” Concert Series at historic Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center. Performances for the 2013 season will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, June 29 through Aug. 31. General seating $120 adults, $40 students (K-12); season reserved seats are $50 rows A through E and $25 all others. www.StecoahValleyCenter.com or call 479.3364.

• The hour-long radio show Stories of Mountain Folk airs at 9 a.m. every Saturday on its home station, WRGC Jackson County Radio, 540 AM on the dial, broadcasting out of Sylva. Stories of Mountain Folk is an ongoing allsound oral history program produced by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia (CSA), a western North Carolina not-forprofit, for local radio and online distribution.

ART/GALLERY EVENTS & OPENINGS

• Holiday Open House, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, Mud Dabber’s Pottery and Crafts, 20767 Great Smoky Mountain Expressway, (highway 23/74, Waynesville. Between the rest area and the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance at Balsam Gap. 456.1916, www.muddabbers.com. Refreshments and a free pottery cup while supplies last.

• Art sale, It’s a Small, Small Work 2012, through Saturday, Dec. 29, Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Art sale of artwork 12 inches or smaller by more than 80 artists from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in North Carolina. Most artwork priced between $20 and $80. None over $300. Encaustic works, painting, printmaking, drawing, ceramics, mixed media, collage, fiber, sculpture, woodworking, metal, jewelry, photography, and more. www.haywoodarts.org and on Facebook. 452.0593.

• Guild Artists’ Holiday Sale Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 1 and Sunday, Dec. 2, at the Folk Art Center, milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville. Southern Highland Craft Guild members will sell select work. More than 70 artists participating; different artists each weekend. 298.7928. www.craftguild.org.

• The Waynesville Public Art Commission seeks an artist for its fourth outdoor public art project to be located in the Mini Park at the corner of Main and Depot Streets. The theme of the piece is Wildflowers of the Smokies to honor the historic connection between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Town of Waynesville. The selected artist will receive $12,500 for proposal development, fabrication and installation. www.townofwaynesville.org or call Town of Waynesville at 452.2491.

CLASSES, PROGRAMS & D EMONSTRATIONS

• Glass classes: Holiday ornament, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 45-minute time slots, Saturday, Dec. 1, Jackson County Green Park, $30; Glass Tumbler, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 45minute time slots, Saturday, Dec. 15, Jackson County Green Energy Park, $40. Payment due at registration. No experience necessary. Ages 13-18 may participate with parent. Wear cotton clothing (no polyester) and closed shoes and long pants. 631.0271 or www.jcgep.org/classes.php.

• Ceramic Firing Techniques featuring Linda Christianson and the WCU Ceramics Department, through Dec. 5, Jackson County Green Energy Park, 100 Green Energy Park Road, Dillsboro. www.jcep.org.

• North Carolina Glass 2012: In Celebration of 50 Years of Studio Glass in America, exhibit through Friday, Feb. 1, Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University.

• The Cherokee County Arts Council and the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center are offering classes made possible with grants through Handmade In America and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. For details: 479.3364, kathleen@cherokeeartscouncil.org, or www.cherokeeartscouncil.org/craft-labs-for-artists/

• Art classes with Dominick DePaolo, 10 a.m. to noon on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Old Armory Building, 44 Boundary St. in Waynesville and from 1 to 3 p.m. every Friday at Mountain Home Collection at 110 Miller St., Waynesville. Watercolor classes will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon every Monday and oil painting classes from 1 to 3 p.m. every Monday at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Registration requested. For Armory classes call 456.9918; for Home Collection classes call 456.5441; for Franklin classes call 349.4607.

• Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will host Creative writing workshops. $35. For details: 631.4587 or www.spiritofappalachia.org.

• The Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild is offering free Learn to Knit classes for both adults and children at the Waynesville Library on Tuesdays. The adult class meets from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Children (boys and girls ages 8-12) meet from 5 to 6 p.m. Pre-registration required. 246.0789.

FILM & S CREEN

• Movie Night, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. Call library for movie title. 586.2016.

• Food for Thought Film Series, “Grow,” free documentary film, 6 p.m. Monday Dec. 10, Clayton Municipal Complex, highway 76 West. This award-winning documentary, filmed in Georgia, follows a new generation of sustainable farmers. 706.782.7978 or smlcinc@windstream.net.

M USIC JAMS

• Rye Holler Boys, First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Series, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center, ground floor of H.F. Robinson Administration Building. Jam session to follow at 8 p.m. Local musicians invited to participate. 227.7129.

Outdoors

OUTINGS, H IKES & FIELDTRIPS

• Old Growth Hike, 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 with Georgia ForestWatch Ecologist Darren Wolfgang to an old growth cove forest in the Upper Mill Creek watershed of the Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area of the Chattahoochee National Forest in north Georgia. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Georgia ForestWatch office, 15 Tower Road, Ellijay, GA to caravan to Upper Mill Creek. Five to six-mile hike, moderate to strenuous, off trail. Bring lunch, water, rain gear if showers are expected, appropriate clothing and footwear, walking stick if needed, epi-pen, if needed. Limited to 10; no pets. Smoke free. Register by calling 706.635.8733.

• 113th annual Christmas Bird Counting with Highlands Plateau Audubon, 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 14. Binoculars available. $5 chili will follow. Call Brock Hutchins at 787.1387 or 404.295.0663 or brockhutchins@bellsouth.net for location and other details.

• Sons of the American Legion Turkey Shoot, 9 a.m. every Saturday, Legion Drive, Waynesville. Benefits local charities.

• The local Audubon Society is offering weekly Saturday birding field trips. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the

Highlands Town Hall parking lot near the public restrooms, or at 8 a.m. behind Wendy’s if the walk is in Cashiers. Binoculars available. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org or 743.9670.

• The Gorges State Park is looking for volunteers to assist in maintaining existing trails and campgrounds in the park on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., weather permitting. Bring gloves, water and tools supplied. Participants need to be at least 16 years old and in good health. Registration not required. Meet at 17762 Rosman Highway (US-64) in Sapphire. 966.9099.

PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS

• WMI - Wilderness First Responder Recertification (WFR Recert), Dec. 7-9, Cullowhee. Three-day course recertifies WFR, includes adult and child CPR. Landmark Learning, 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.org.

• Ski and Snowboard Lessons, register at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. Lessons are 1:30 to 3 p.m. Jan. 13, 27 and Feb. 3, 10, and 24 at Cataloochee Ski Resort, Waynesville. Ages 8 and up. Lift ticket valid from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. $170, includes lift, ski or snowboard rental and lesson; $135, includes lift and lesson; $85, season pass holder with your own equipment. 293.3053.

• WMI - Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Dec. 13-21, Cullowhee, and Jan. 5-13, 2013 in Asheville.

This nine-day comprehensive wilderness medical course is the national standard for outdoor trip leaders. Landmark Learning 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.org.

• WMI Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) Jan. 7-Feb.1, 2013 in Asheville. This 30-day course provides certification in NC EMT-basic, National EMTBasic and Wilderness EMT. Landmark Learning, 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.org

• Franklin Green Drinks hosted by Macon County Chapter of WNC Alliance, third Tuesday of the month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Rathskeller in downtown Franklin. Green Drinks is a time for local folks to get together and socialize and talk about environmental or social justice issues.

COMPETITIVE E DGE

• 2nd annual Reindeer Dash 5K, 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, Bryson City. Last day to register is 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. Register at Active.com.

• Grayson Hall Memorial 5K and 1-mile fun run, 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, Little Tennessee Greenway, Franklin. Hosted by the Franklin Cross Country team. Benefits Franklin High School scholarships. $20, register online at active.com. $15, students, but can’t be done online. Register before Dec. 7 and get a free t-shirt. Denise Davis, 524.6467 or denise.davis@macon.k12.nc.us.

• 3rd annual Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5K, Saturday, April 6, Western Carolina University. Online registration now available at imathlete.com. Registration fees are $40 for the half marathon and $20 for the 5K through Thursday, Feb. 28. Fees increase to $60 Friday, March 1 for the half

marathon and $25 for the 5-K. Online registration will close Tuesday, April 2, but race day registration will be available at $80 for the half marathon and $30 for the 5-K. Facebook fans also can “like” the WCU Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5-K for race updates, course changes and information. http://halfmarathon.wcu.edu.

FARM & GARDEN

Sylva Garden Club meeting 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, St. Johns Episcopal Church, 18 Jackson St. Sylva.

ONGOINGCLUBS

• The Cherokee Riders, a new cycling club in Cherokee, seeks members for weekly group rides. Hugh Lambert 554.6810 or hughlamb@nc-cherokee.com.

• The Cherokee Runners meets each month on the 1st and 15th of the month (if the first falls on Sunday, the group meets on the 2nd), at the Age Link Conference Room. Anyone, no matter the fitness level, is welcome to join. Group runs are being held each Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. starting at the Flame. www.cherokeerunners.com.

• Small RV Camping club is seeking additional members. We camp one weekend per month March through November. All ages are welcome. No dues, no structured activities. Just an enjoyment of the outdoors, fellowship, good conversation, pot luck dinners and a roaring campfire. Contact Lillian for more details lilnau@aol.com or 369.6669.

• Mountain Wild, the local chapter of the N.C. Wildlife Federation works to preserve and increase wildlife and wildlife habitat of the region. Free programs and guest speakers held periodically at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville. Call 338.0035.

• Free Fly Fishing Classes are offered at River’s Edge Outfitters in Cherokee every week. Participants of all ages and skill levels are welcome and encouraged to attend. Classes will be approximately an hour and half long. For more information contact Rivers Edge Outfitters at 497.9300.

• The Jackson-Swain Master Gardeners’ Association meets at 9:30 a.m. every second Wednesday at the Jackson Community Services Building on Scotts Creek Road in Sylva. Mike Glover at 736.2768 or lmgofish@gmail.com.

• The WNC chapter of the Sierra Club meets the first Wednesday of the month at the Unitarian Church, 1 Edwin Place in Asheville. The meetings start with a half hour social gathering at 7 p.m. nc.sierraclub.org/wenoca.

• Pigeon Valley Bassmasters Club of Canton will meet at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at Shoney’s Restaurant off of Exit 44. 712.2846.

• WNC Sportman’s Club’s Archery and Youth Airgun Shoots are held the first and second Saturdays of each month. 316.1588.

• The Diamond Brand Running Group will meet Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Each running group member is given a Running Group Rewards Card for the chance to receive great discounts and free products at Diamond Brand and registration is free. For more information, contact Sarah at smerrell@diamondbrand.com.

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads.

■ Free — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $12 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

■ $12 — If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad.

■ $35 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

Classified Advertising:

Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com

ARTSAND CRAFTS

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AUCTION

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Good Home Time, Excellent Pay with Monthly Bonus and Good Benefits. www.catconcord.com. Call 1.800.869.2434 x16, Ron Hettrick.

HEAD START TEACHER -

Two Positions - One in Haywood Co. and One In Jackson Co.Candidates must have a B-K or BS in Early Childhood Education, computer skills, will be responsible for classroom paperwork, have the ability to work with diverse populations and community partners, have 2 years experience in Pre-K classroom and have good time management skills.This is a 10 month position with full time benefits of health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, retirement, and short term and long term disability. Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, Inc. 251 Old Balsam Rd, Waynesville 28786, or 25 Schulman St, Sylva, 28779.Pre-employment drug testing required.EOE/AA.

QUALITY DRIVE-AWAY, Inc.,

One of the nation's leading driveaway freight transporters, is hiring CDL A and B drivers to move freight out of our VA, NC, and 21 other locations. Non-forced dispatch, competitive rates, and minimal unloaded miles. Please call today at 1.866.764.1601 or log onto www.qualitydriveaway.com for more information.

REGIONAL, OTR, IC,

Teams & Company Drivers. Home Weekly! Great Pay, Excellent Benefits, 401k & Bonuses. Class A CDL & 1 year OTR Exp. Req. Epes Transport. 888.293.3232. www.epestransport.com

TANKER & FLATBED

Independent Contractors! Immediate placement available. Best Opportunities in the trucking business. CALL TODAY 800.277.0212 or www.primeinc.com

TRUCK DRIVERS WANTEDBest Pay and Home Time! Apply Online Today over 750 Companies! One Application, Hundreds of Offers! www.HammerLaneJobs.com.

SAPA

WANTED: LIFE AGENTS.

Potential to Earn $500 a Day. Great Agent Benefits. Commissions Paid Daily. Liberal Underwriting. Leads, Leads, Leads. Life Insurance, License Required. Call 1.888.713.6020.

MOVIE EXTRAS

Earn up to $300 per day. No experience required. All looks and ages. Call 1.877.744.4964

SAPA

-- JOB LISTINGS --

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS COORDINATOR JOB# 156280

WILL ASSIST W/ CREATION, IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF A QUALITY SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE W/ 21 CFR 210/211 & Q7-Q10. WORK W/ INTERNAL, SUPPLIER, THIRD PARTY AND FDA QUALITY AUDITS. ASSESS AND RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENTS TO MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT. UNDER THE SCOPE OF QA DIRECTOR, INCUMBENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING PLANT DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM, IN REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFINING AND MAINTAINING CGMP TRAINING PROGRAM. MAINTAIN REGISTRATIONS.

WEEKEND HOUSEKEEPER JOB# 156268

REFERENCES REQ. WILL BE TRAINED. MUST HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. THIS IS A WEEKEND POSITION MUST BE ABLE TO WORK SAT AND SUN.

BANK TELLER JOB# 156207

BUSINESS OFFICE EXP REQ. ABILITY TO OPERATE OFFICE MACHINES SUCH AS ADDING MACHINES, CALCULATORS, TYPEWRITERS, FAX MACHINES, COPIERS, COMPUTER, IS EXPECTED. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED REQ. WILL BALANCE DAILY TRANSACTIONS AND PROVIDE INFO AND GUIDANCE TO CUSTOMERS REGARDING THE INSTITUTIONS ARRAY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. SHOULD POSSESS GOOD COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS.

TRANSLATOR JOB# 155802

TRANSLATORS NEEDED (ON CALL-AS NEEDED BASIS). MUST BE ABLE TO READ, WRITE AND SPEAK ANY OF THESE LANGUAGES: KOREAN, PORTUGEESE, FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN OR MANDARIN CHINESE.

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR JOB# 155648

ASSOCIATE DEGREE REQUIRED - 4-YEAR COLLEGE DEGREE IS PREFERRED.

WAIT STAFF JOB # 155631

WAIT STAFF NEEDED FOR PIZZA/PASTA RESTAURANT. MUST BE AT LEAST 21. MUST BE FLEXIBLE AND AVAILABLE FOR ALL SHIFTS TO INC 7 DAYS/ EVENINGS PER WEEK AND HOLIDAYS. PART TIME COULD BECOME FULL TIME.

DIETARY AIDE JOB# 155322

PREFERS EXP BUT WILL TRAIN. PREPARE TRAYS, PICK-UP TRAYS, WORK IN DISHLINE AND TRAY LINE. MUST BE AVAILABLE TO WORK MORNINGS, EVENING, WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS. HOURS VARY.

$$$ ACCESS LAWSUIT CASH NOW!! Injury Lawsuit Dragging? Need $500-$500,000++ within 48/hours? Low rates. Apply Now By Phone! 1.800.568.8321. wwwlawcapital.com Not Valid in CO or NC. SAPA

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD.

Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA

BUY GOLD & SILVER COINS1 percent over dealer cost. For a limited time, Park Avenue Numismatics is selling Silver and Gold American Eagle Coins at 1 percent over dealer cost. 1.888.470.6389

GOLD AND SILVER

Can Protect Your Hard Earned Dollars. Learn how by calling Freedom Gold Group for your free educational guide. 888.478.6991

FURNITURE

OAK PANELED TOOL CHEST 27x32x17 - Has Inside Tray, would make a great coffee table. $150. Call for more info 828.627.2342

COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC.

The best bedding at the best price! 533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

LAWNAND GARDEN

HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC.

Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819

828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

Bunny - Is well, cute as a bunny! She was the leader of her litter, but they're all adopted now so Bunny needs her own home. She has a beautiful tabby coat and she purrs when you walk into the room.

Mark - A young, handsome, reddish brown mixed breed dog--he looks like a possible retriever/shepherd mix. He is tall and lanky with a wonderfully soft coat and a full tail that is always waggingand he loves his toys!

LOST & FOUND REWARD!!!

For information leading to recovery & return of stolen European - Middle Eastern 24 carat gold & jewelry taken in Waynesville in early Oct.

Please call Detective Ryan at Sheriffs department 828.452.6666.

LUMBER

$400 828.627.2342

PETS

HEAVY EQUIPMENT

SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $3997.00Make & Save Money with your own bandmill. Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com. 1.800.578.1363, Ext. 300N.

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

20 ACRES FREE!

Buy 40 - Get 60 Acres. $0Down$168/mo. Money Back Guarantee. NO CREDIT CHECKS Beautiful Views. Roads/Surveyed. Near El Paso. Texas. 1.800.843.7537 www.SunsetRanches.com SAPA

GEORGIA LAND SALE!

Great investment! Relax & enjoy country lifestyle! Beautifully developed 1 Acre - 20Acre homesites. Augusta Area. Beautiful weather. Low taxes/Low down. Financing from $195/month. Call Owner 1.706.364.4200. SAPA

ONLINE ONLY AUCTION.

9,480 sq. ft. Convenient Store, Wagram, NC. Ends 12/3. 10% BP. NC Broker #17805, NC Firm #8879. stephenjax.com, 888.237.4252. EVER CONSIDER

A Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888.418.0117. SAPA

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS

HOMES FOR SALE

BRUCE MCGOVERN

A Full Service Realtor shamrock13@charter.net

McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

VACATION RENTALS

CAVENDER CREEK CABINS

Dahlonega, GA. GAS TOO HIGH? Spend your vacation week in the North Georgia Mountains! Ask about our Weekly FREE NIGHT SPECIAL! Virtual Tour: www.CavenderCreek.com Cozy Hot Tub Cabins! 1.866.373.6307 SAPA

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160. Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

MEDICAL

ATTENTION DIABETICS

With Medicare. Get a FREE Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 877.517.4633. SAPA

ATTENTION SLEEP APNEA

Sufferers with Medicare. Get FREE CPAP Replacement Supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, prevent red skin sores and bacterial infection! Call 888.470.8261. SAPA

FEELING OLDER?

CANADA DRUG CENTER Is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call Today 877.644.3199 for $25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping. SAPA

DIABETES/CHOLESTEROL/WEIGHT LossBergamonte, a Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with amazing results. Call today and save $15 off your first bottle! 877.815.6293. SAPA

DO YOU SUFFER FROM ARTHRITIS? Local doctors need volunteers for research study comparing FDA-approved Arthritis medications. Compensation up to $50 per visit. Call: 866.925.6578

Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc 1.888.512.7122

VIAGRA 100MG AND CIALIS 20MG! 40 pills + 4 FREE for only $99. #1 Male

Men lose the abilityto produce testosterone as they age. Call 888.414.0692 for a FREE trial of Progene- All Natural Testosterone Supplement. SAPA

Pet Adoption

HONDA - A strong, young, happy, Great Dane mix. He is white with black freckles and black ears. He is 1 1/2 years old. He really needs a strong owner.

877.ARF.JCNC.

KIMBA - A 3-4 year old

Sloughi/Shepherd mix. She is tan with beautiful brown eyes. She is housebroken and friendly. Kimba needs lots of exercise.

828.226.6209.

ROXANE - A young, playful

Aussie mix. She weighs 20 lbs., is good with other pets, and is working on house training.

Roxane is white and gold with one blue eye.

877.ARF.JCNC.

RASCAL - A cute terrier/corgi mix who is 3 years old. He weighs just 16 pounds. He is neutered, housebroken, and current on all his shots. He plays well with other dogs, but he is frightened of people. His not a lapdog, nor does he like to be on a leash. He is a good porch dog; he'll sit there all day and bark to let you know if someone is coming. He doesn't run off once he is used to being at his new home. Call 226.4783.

MILA - A two year old Elkhound mix. She weighs 27 lbs., and is blackish colored. She needs work on puppy behavior. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC.

CLARA - A 2-3 yr old "Whatizit?"

She weighs 68 lbs., is friendly, and shaggy. Call 877.273.5262.

SUSAN - Two year old great cat. She is very affectionate, litter box trained, and is good with other cats and dogs. She is quite talkative. 828.586.5647

CUDDLES - Female, Terrier/ Hound mix. She got her name because she likes to cuddle. She is very friendly with people and gets along well with other dogs She is white with brown spots. Cuddles is 2-3 years old and weighs 26 pounds. She is making progress on being housebroken. Call 828.226.478.

ARF HAS KITTENS And adult cats. Adorable, fixed, ready to go. Call foster home for details. 828.508.7222

VISIT ARF ON SATURDAYS 1-3

To register for December 10th low-cost spay/neuter trip. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC for more information. Limited number, so register early and don't get left out

ARF (HUMANE SOCIETY OF JACKSON COUNTY) Holds rescued pet adoptions Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 (weather permitting) at 50 Railroad Avenue in Sylva. Animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots. Most cats $60, most dogs $70. Preview available pets at www.a-r-f.org, or call foster home.

COLTRANE - Domestic Shorthair

cat – black. I am a petite female who is about 8 years old. I am used to being touched and handled by people since I was a baby, and I’m very docile and even like belly rubs. I love to sit in your lap most of all. $100 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org.

TOMAKI - Domestic Shorthair

cat – brown tabby. I was born in spring 2011 and I’m a very sweet guy, but on my own terms – I’ll gladly sit next to you and cuddle, but when I’m done, I’m done. I’m looking for a forever home that embraces my personality! $100 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org.

FOR SALE

RED ENVELOPEGive great. Find the perfect holiday gift that tells a story. Shop early and save an additional 20 percent. Visit www.redenvelope.com/Celebrateor call 888.715.3042.

WRAP UP YOUR HOLIDAY

Shopping with 100 percent guaranteed, delivered–to- the-door Omaha Steaks! SAVE 68 percent PLUS 2 FREE GIFTS - 26 Gourmet Favorites ONLY $49.99. ORDER Today 1. 888.689.3245 use code 45102ALM or go to: www.OmahaSteaks.com/hgc85 SAPA

CHAMPION SUPPLY

Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581, 828.225.1075.

WANTED TO BUY

CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS

Check us out online! All Major Brands Bought Dtsbuyer.com 1.866.446.3009 SAPA

NOTICES

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD.

Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company. SAPA

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1.800.669.9777.

GUS - Domestic Longhair cat –orange tabby & white. I am about 8 years old and I’m looking for companionship, love, and caring. I have a very gentle demeanor. I require a special diet to keep me in good shape, but other than that all is well with me. I have a beautiful coat and would like to cozy up on your lap and keep you warm. $100 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org.

FREE NEUTERING! Animal Compassion Network proudly offers the donor-supported Betty Fund Spay/Neuter Project, which pays up to the full cost of surgery for anyone who cannot afford it. A co-pay is requested but not required. 828.258.4820.

ANIMAL COMPASSION NETWORK

Pet Adoption Events - Every Saturday from 11a.m. to 3p.m. at Pet Harmony, Animal Compassion Network's new pet store for rescued pets. Dozens of ACN dogs, puppies, kittens and cats will be ready to find their permanent homes. The store also offers quality pet supplies where all proceeds save more homeless animals. Come see us at 803 Fairview St. (behind Province 620 off Hendersonville Rd), visit www.animalcompassionnetwork.org, or call 828.274.DOGS.

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

Beverly Hanks & Associates — beverly-hanks.com

• A n n M c C l u r e — beverly-hanks.com

• M i c h e l l e M c E l r o y — beverly-hanks.com

• M a r i l y n n O b r i g — beverly-hanks.com

• M i k e S t a m e y — beverly-hanks.com

• E l l e n S i t h e r — esither@beverly-hanks.com

• J e r r y S m i t h — beverly-hanks.com

• B i l l i e G r e e n — bgreen@beverly-hanks.com

• Pa m B r a u n — pambraun@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com

EXIT Realty — exithometownrealty.com

•LLy n d i a M a s s e y — buymaggievalleyhomes.com

• Pa m M c C r a c k e n — pammccracken.com

•J J o P i n t e r — exithometownrealty.com

Haywood Properties — haywood-properties.com

• S t e v e C o x — haywoodproperties.com

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

•R R o b R o l a n d — robrolandrealty.com

•C C h r i s Fo r g a — forgarentalproperties.com

Mountain Home Properties — mountaindream.com

•S S a m m i e Po w e l l — smokiesproperty.com

Main Street Realty — mainstreetrealty.net

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• B r u c e M c G o v e r n — shamrock13.com

Prudential Lifestyle Realty — vistasofwestfield.com

Realty World Heritage Realty — realtyworldheritage.com

• Martha Sa wyer — www.marthasawyer.biz

• Linda Wester — realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/1707/

• Greg Stephenson — realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/1703/

• Naomi Parsons — realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/1704/

• Lynda Bennet — www.mountainheritage.com

• Thomas Mallette & Christine Mallette — realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/1697/

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com

•B B r i a n K . N o l a n d — brianknoland.com

• C o n n i e D e n n i s — remax-maggievalleync.com

•M M a r k S t e v e n s — remax-waynesvillenc.com

•M M i e k o T h o m s o n — ncsmokies.com

•T T h e M o r r i s Te a m — maggievalleyproperty.com

•T T h e R e a l Te a m — the-real-team.com

•R R o n B r e e s e — ronbreese.com

• D a n Wo m a c k — womackdan@aol.com

• B o n n i e P r o b s t — bonniep@remax-waynesvillenc.com

Agency — listwithphil.com

n — philferguson@bellsouth.net

This is to inform the public that a public hearing will be held on the proposed Mountain Projects, Inc. Community Transportation Program Application to be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation no later than December 28, 2012. The public hearing will be held on December 11, 2012 at 11am at Lambeth Inn before the (governing board) Mountain Projects, Inc.

Those interested in attending the public hearing and needing either auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or a language translator should contact Susan Anderson on or before December 5th, at telephone number 828.452.1447 or via email at sanderson@mountainprojects.org

The Community Transportation Program provides assistance to coordinate existing transportation programs operating in Haywood County as well as provides transportation options and services for the communities within this service area. These services are currently provided using lift vans Services are rendered by Demand Response

The total estimated amount requested for the period July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014

Administrative $ 249349 $ 37403 (15%)

Capital (Vehicles & Other) $ 225900 $ 22590 (10%)

Operating $ ???$ ??? *(50%) or more

(Small fixed-*Note: Small Fixed Route route, regional, and systems must contribute consolidated urban-more than 50% rural systems only)

TOTAL PROJECT $ 475249 $ 59993

Total Funding Request Total Local Share

This application may be inspected at Mountain Projects, Inc. from 8:00am-5:00pm Monday-Thursday, Dec.3rd through Dec.6th Written comments should be directed to Susan Anderson before December 6, 2012

PERSONAL

A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS,

Let Us Help! Personalized adoption plans. Financial assistance, housing, relocation and more. Giving the gift of life? You deserve the best. Call us first!

1.888.637.8200. 24 hour HOTLINE. SAPA

ADOPTION? PREGNANT?

We can help you! Housing, Relocation, Financial & Medical Assistance available. You Choose Adoptive family. Forever Blessed Adoptions. Call 24/7. 1.800.568.4594 (Void in IL, IN)

SAPA

PERSONAL

YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC!

Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

This is to inform the public that a public hearing will be held on the proposed SFY2014 Section 5310 – Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program grant application to be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation no later than December 28, 2012. The public hearing will be held on December 11, 2012 at 11:00am at Lambeth Inn before the (governing board) Mountain Projects Governing Board

Those interested in attending the public hearing and needing either auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or a language translator should contact Susan Anderson on or before December 5th, at telephone number 828.452.1447 or via email at sanderson@mountainprojects.org

The goal of these funds is to provide transportation services that meet the special needs of elderly persons and persons with disabilities for who mass transportation services are unavailable, insufficient or inappropriate.

The total estimated amount requested for the period July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015

This application may be inspected at Mountain Projects, Inc. 2251 Old Balsam Road, Waynesville, NC from 8:00am-5:30pm December 3rd6th. Written comments should be directed to Susan Anderson before December 6, 2012

PERSONAL

ARE YOU PREGNANT?

A married couple (in our 30’s) seeks to adopt. Stay-at-home mom. Financial security. Expenses paid. Call Ann & Michael 1.800.505.8452 SAPA

BIRTHMOTHER:

We’ll care abut you as you get to know us... open-minded, married couple hoping to become ADOPTIVE PARENTS. Expenses paid.

TEXT/CALL Lisa 1.917.478.3178. SAPA

MEET SINGLES RIGHT NOW!

No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings,exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now 1.888.909.9978. SAPA

PERSONAL

PREGNANT?

Considering Adoption? Call Us First! Living Expenses, Housing, Medical and continued support afterwards. Choose Adoptive Family of Your Choice. Call 24/7. ADOPT CONNECT 1.866.743.9212. SAPA

SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE

From home. Medical, Business, Criminal Justice, Hospitality. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial aid if qualified. SCHEV certified. Call 888.899.6918. www.CenturaOnline.com

AVIATION CAREERSTrain in advance structures and become certified to work on aircraft. Financial aid for those who qualify. Call aviation institute of maintenance 1.888.212.5856

EARN YOUR H.S. DIPLOMA

At home in a few short weeks. Work at your own pace. First Coast Academy. Nationally accredited. Call for free brochure.

1.800.658.1180, extension 82. www.fcahighschool.org SAPA

MEDICAL CAREERS BEGIN HERE -

Train ONLINE for Allied Health and Medical Management. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV authorized. Call

1.877.206.7665 www.CenturaOnline.com SAPA

ENTERTAINMENT

READERS & MUSIC LOVERS.

100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus sh.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS:

50 Classical Music Works & Money Back . Guarantee. Call Today!

1.888.659.4896

SCOTTISH TARTANS MUSEUM

86 East Main St., Franklin, 828.584.7472. www.scottishtartans.org. Matthew A.C. Newsome, GTS, FSA, SCOT., Curator & General Manager, Ronan B. MacGregor, Business Assistant.

STEEL BUILDINGS

STEEL BUILDINGS

For Garages, Shops, Barns, Homes. SAVE THOUSANDS on Clearance buildings. 20x24, 25x32, 30x40, 35x56. Make offer and low payments. Call Now! 800.991.9251 Nicole.

SERVICES

PROFLOWERS FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

33 percent off Santa`s Workshop Festive Mini-Christmas Tree! Plus take 20 percent off additional orders over $29! Go to www.Proflowers.com/tradition or Call 1.877.705.5291

* REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL! *

Get a 4-Room All Digital Satellite system installed for FREE and programming starting at $19.99/mo. FREE HD/DVR upgrade for new callers, SO CALL NOW.

1.800.725.1835. SAPA

COMPUTER PROBLEMS?

Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connectionsFIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help.

1.888.431.2934.

SAVE ON

Cable TV-Internet-Digital Phone. Packages start at $89.99/mo (for 12 months.) Options from ALL major service providers. Call Acceller today to learn more! CALL 1.877.715.4515.

WEEKLY SUDOKU SCHOOLS/

SERVICES

HIGHSPEED INTERNET

Everywhere By Satellite! Speeds up to 12mbps! (200x faster than dialup.) Starting at $49.95/mo. CALL NOW & GO FAST! 1.888.714.6155

HOLIDAY SPECIAL

House Cleaning, Meal Preparation & One Hour Massage Therapy for $150. Licensed and Insured. Gift Certificates Available! Call Now 828.734.2161

LOCAL PHONE SERVICE

With long distance starting @ $19.99/mo. Taxes not included. No contract or credit check. Service states may vary. Call today: 1.888.216.1037 SAPA

MOTO-FAB METAL WORKS

Let us fabricate a unique, high quality piece of metal art for your home, business, farm or ranch. Choose from thousands of stock images or work with us to create an original piece. All artwork and signage is cut on a new state-ofthe-art CNC plasma machine. Waynesville 828.627.2666.

MY COMPUTER WORKS:

Computer problems? Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connections - FIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help. 1.888.582.8147 SAPA

DISH NETWORK.

Starting at $19.99/month PLUS 30 Premium Movie Channels FREE for 3 Months! SAVE! & Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL 888.827.8038.

SUPER CROSSWORD

LONG IN THE PAST

ACROSS

1 Not quite direct, as a flight

8 Stallions, e.g.

14 Trees of Lebanon

20 Inhale and exhale

21 It’s aimed at 22 Mountain ridge east of Jerusalem

23 Retail VIP conked on the head?

25 Words after “Frankly”

26 Like lemons

27 Furry friend

28 Hurts badly

30 Nutrition std.

31 Good for something

34 Group of five people drunk on sherry?

38 Not connected to the Internet

41 Covered the feet of

42 Rebuff rudely

43 Steinway with a wood finish?

45 1965 hit for the Yardbirds

49 Former Disney chief Michael

50 Klee’s output

51 Wall St. debuts

54 Done in the manner of

55 “Cómo - usted?” (Sp. greeting)

56 Rte. with tolls

58 Shop that only sells filleted meat?

62 With 63-Across, what a sailor breathes in

63 See 62-Across

64 Vital blood lines

65 “Hasta -!” (Sp. sign-off)

66 Barnes & Noble that’s too small for its flow of customers?

71 Owl’s claw

73 Cleans with elbow grease

74 Stockholm’s land: Abbr.

75 Orange tuber

78 Cash shown in film shots?

80 “Dies -” (Lat. hymn) 82 Utah lily

83 “Chances - ...” 84 Old U.S. gas name

85 Major-league

86 Sups at home

88 Gives back

91 Sentry covered with smudges?

94 “Veni, vidi, -” 96 Uncovers 97 Somewhat

98 Critters using highway divisions?

102 English river 103 Siouan people

104 Pulitzer category 105 Years on end

106 “Baby Spice” Bunton

Opening ploy 112 Recalled events shared during a call?

118 Bully’s final words

Alleviating

Yields

Jazz chords 122 Tristan’s lady 123 Least happy

1 Spheres in space

2 Fictional sleuth Wolfe

3 Jacob’s brother

4 Blue-green algae variety

5 With 6-Down, source of element #50

6 See 5-Down 7 Hawked

8 All-male 9 Copper-hued 10 Special time 11 It has a yolk

12 Considered

Fine fiddle 14 Stalin’s doctrine

Turn away 18 Aptly named novelist

19 Fender guitar, familiarly

Curly slapper

Mensa figs. 32 Spork prong

Lethargy

“Say again?” 35 Na+, for one 36 Prefix with noir

37 Nuggets’ org. 38 S-curves

39 Bichon - (dog breed)

40 In dreamland

Royal title

44 Islamabad’s land: Abbr.

46 Ogle

47 “Shake -!”

48 Large mil. alliance 51 Taken with

Apex

53 West Texas city 57 Spectrum producers 58 Hockey’s Orr 59 Top Olympic medals, in

60 Hand lotion additive

61 Classic Karel Capek play

63 Secretary of education Duncan

64 Together, in music

67 Cargo unit

68 M.Sgt. and T.Sgt.

69 Cubic Rubik

70 Sing shrilly

71 Pre-World War I ruler

72 Back 40 unit

76 “It’s -!” (delivery room cry)

77 Haut - (high society)

79 “I think, therefore I am” thinker

80 The lens is behind it 81 Pitcher Darling 82

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 41

Abi-monthly magazine that covers the southern Appalachian mountains and celebrates the area’s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, art, crafts and special places. Each issue relies on regionalwriters and photographers to bring the Appalachians to life.

In this issue:

Revitalizing native language in Cherokee Knoxville, Tenn.’s, new heyday

Destination: Tuckasegee towns of Jackson County, N.C. Canning and recipes

Because they seem so delicate and vulnerable, we go out of our way to feed birds that overwinter here in the southern mountains. This no doubt helps maintain bird populations at a higher level than would otherwise be the case, but our feathered friends long ago devised basic strategies for withstanding wind and cold, which are both effective and ingenious.

For the most part, it’s the insecteating birds that migrate south. Those that stay behind are either seed eaters or insect eaters that have perfected techniques, which allow them to extract morsels hidden behind and between the bark of trees, as do woodpeckers and nuthatches.

It’s not difficult to observe birds preening themselves with their bills and feet to carefully clean, rearrange and oil their feathers. They do so, in part, to maintain flight capabilities, but in winter, the process is essential for heat regulation. Birds have a “preen gland” located on their rumps just below the upper tail feathers. Oil squeezed from this gland is rubbed over the body as a waterproofing agent.

Birds of a feather stay warm in bad weather

BACK THEN

Birds have over 25% more feathers in winter than during the summer months. Growing beneath the large, outer flight feathers are tiny, tuft-like, down feathers that provide one of the world’s most effective heat traps. It’s the same stuff humans have adapted for use in hats, coats and other cold-weather apparel.

When fluffed and preened into position, these feathers trap a layer of warm air next to the bird’s body that prohibits the loss of body heat. At night, or when it’s really cold during daylight hours, birds tuck their heads back under their body feathers into this warm-air source. This head tucking allows them to breathe pre-warmed air and further cut down on energy expenditure.

But what about their bare legs and feet? Well, you’ve no doubt observed a bird standing one-legged on a bare branch. The missing appendage was lifted up beneath the lower feathers into that warm-air zone. The exposed foot is protected by a physical adaptation ornithologists call the “counter-current heat exchange system.” In this system, leg arteries and veins are placed side by side so that heat in the arteries coming directly from the heart warms the chilled blood in the veins and keeps the lower extremities unfrozen. Beaver tails, whale fins and many other types of exposed animal limbs are pro-

tected in this fashion.

Making it through the night is the most challenging task facing birds during the winter months. Like humans, birds shiver involuntarily as a warming reflex. When all

else fails, they huddle and snuggle together. Finches, sparrows, crows, jays and doves roost in the dense conifers to reduce heat loss. Species such as brown creepers, whitebreasted nuthatches, winter wrens and bluebirds sometimes join one another in bird boxes or tree cavities.

There are birds in other parts of the world that actually hibernate, like woodchucks, snakes and other animals. Here in

our region, the chickadee is the bird that comes closest to utilizing this technique. This process — which has been called “controlled hypothermia” and “overnight hibernation” — reduces the rate of heat loss from the bird by reducing the temperature difference between a bird’s body and the surrounding air. Shivering is stopped, so that body temperature drops until a level of hypothermia is reached. On a cold night, a chickadee can allow its temperature to drop up to 12 degrees, resulting in a large overnight energy savings. The only problem is waking up quickly enough from this torpid state when a predator happens along.

George Ellison wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees Readers can contact him at P.O. Box 1262, Bryson City, N.C., 28713, or at info@georgeellison.com.