SMN 01 03 18

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excursions for every month of the year Page 34

On the Cover:

As Zeb Smathers begins his first year as mayor of Canton — a position previously held by his father Pat Smathers — he takes a look back at his family’s hometown and how it’s changed through the generations. (Page 3)

News

Waynesville native shares her story of addiction ......................................................6

Restricting opioid access won’t solve the epidemic ................................................7 Buncombe County joins opioid manufacturer lawsuit ............................................8 Jackson seeks no wake zone on Lake Glenville ........................................................9 Businesses come and go in downtown Sylva ........................................................12 Cherokee moves forward on alcohol referendum ..................................................14 Mission, Macon partner to get new ambulance ......................................................16 Tuscola grad gets research published ........................................................................17 Education News ................................................................................................................19

Opinion

My resolve is strengthened by Trump ........................................................................20

A&E A conversation with Henry Rollins ..............................................................................24

Outdoors

WNC offers excursions for every month of the year ............................................34

The

Naturalist’s

Corner

Swimming with mermaids ..............................................................................................47

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S UBSCRIPTIONS

Following in the footfalls

Canton’s new mayor takes the reins

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

One of Zeb Smathers’ earliest memories is sitting in the cereal aisle of his grandfather’s downtown Canton grocery store, which wasn’t open on Sundays and didn’t sell booze.

“When the movie Ghostbusters came out there was a Ghostbusters cereal and I remember pleading with granddad,” Smathers said. “Mom would never allow us sugary cereal.”

First known as the Schmitters, five Smathers brothers migrated from ScotchIrish and Germanic realms to the Rowan County, North Carolina area before settling in Dutch Cove and becoming one of Haywood County’s oldest clans; there’s hundreds of them in county phonebooks and graveyards, there’s a Smathers Street in three of the county’s four municipalities and there’s been a Smathers somehow involved in the commercial, political, social or spiritual life of this place for the past two centuries.

Now, there’s one more. Following his father’s example, Zeb Smathers became Canton’s mayor in 2017; serving in a town where smooth-worn river rock and pitted red brick hold back the hills, this new young mayor joined by a new young board and assisted by a new young staff has already begun to confront ancient issues of aesthetic and ethic, in a place where immediacy and timelessness still coexist.

SPINNINGWHEELS

More than 30 years later, Zeb Smathers is still sitting in that cereal aisle, except today it’s the law office he shares with his father and not the market where WWII veteran Loranzo Smathers gave free suckers to children and sold groceries on credit to African Americans in a segregated South, as if a tomato cares about the color of the person slicing it.

“Granddad never ran for political office. He was always the man behind the man,” Smathers said.

He’s almost an archetype, Loranzo is — the hard-working, kindly veteran who ran the local market and campaigned from behind the deli counter, but would never know that at his feet and in his cereal aisle would sit not one but two future mayors of the town he called home, the town he’d fought for.

“He always said happiness was shopping at Smathers Market, attending First Baptist

Church, and voting Democratic,” Zeb said.

Happiness was also being married to Frances, Zeb’s tough-as-nails grandmother who grew up on a farm in Clyde during the depression, worked at Dayco during World War II and eventually became a probation officer.

“I’d be playing sandlot baseball and she’d drive by and see me walking home, covered in sweat,” he said, remembering the day he asked her for a ride home.

“You can’t ride in this car,” she said. “You’re not a state employee.”

Zeb also remembers walking around downtown Canton — where the wheels of industry turn, according to a popular local slogan — with his grandfather, who would take him into the barbershop, or to a diner for biscuits and sausage gravy.

“I think the one man who had the most influence on me and my life is my granddad. Even though he died when I was 11, the effect that he had — how you treat people, no matter what you’re given or how successful you are,” Smathers said, “what matters is how you treat people.”

But Loranzo and Zeb walked through a different downtown than exists today; by the mid-1980s, formerly prosperous small towns across the United States were starting to see the unmistakable impact of indoor

“I think the one man who had the most influence on me and my life is my granddad. Even though he died when I was 11, the effect that he had — how you treat people, no matter what you’re given or how successful you are, what matters is how you treat people.”

— Zeb Smathers, Canton mayor

shopping centers and strip malls; the most successful downtowns transitioned to becoming regional hubs for entertainment, government and social services, but rural states especially are littered with the husks of once-vibrant Main Streets where faded vestiges of former glory can still be seen, but just barely.

“I remember growing up in that time period, seeing Canton slowly transition to boarded up windows and businesses closing,” he said.

Born in 1982, Zeb Smathers is just old enough to remember Loranzo Smathers’ Canton, but came of age during his father Pat Smathers’ Canton.

Pat Smathers became Canton’s mayor in 1999, while Zeb was just a few semesters away from graduation at Pisgah High School. Zeb then entered Duke University in late August 2001, as a political science major minoring in history.

“It was just that quintessential college experience,” Zeb said. “It was a lot of people from up North, a lot of people from New York City, international students, Muslims, Jews, just that great college experience.”

Two weeks later, the worst attacks on American soil since Pearl Harbor claimed almost 3,000 lives, gutted the Dow, deepened an existing recession and sparked several wars.

Pat, too, had known Loranzo’s Canton and hoped to again see it one day, but his 12-year tenure was marked by a series of natural and human-made catastrophes right from the getgo, the Sept. 11 attacks being only the first.

In 2004, a duo of Atlantic hurricanes that had made their way inland just a few days apart dumped more water than the mighty Pigeon River could bear, submerging parts of downtown and decimating much of Canton.

“Getting that phone call, and hearing the tremble in dad’s voice,” Zeb said. “The pictures and the stories and the chaos, it was unbelievable. And then a week later, the second storm hit.”

As mayor, Pat spearheaded recovery efforts, even going to the floor of the N.C. General Assembly to support a disaster relief bill.

“I think you serve that role that sometimes the mayor does serve, where you’re there to listen and console and lead and say

‘Look, we’re going to make it through this,’” he said of his father’s efforts. “If you look up ‘Leadership’ in the dictionary, that’s what that was.”

When Canton dried out and 2008 finally rolled around, Pat threw his hat in the ring for lieutenant governor, just as the Great Recession began ruthlessly erasing a decade’s worth of economic growth — a blow from which places like rural Appalachia are still struggling to recover.

He finished a distant third in that race, losing out to Walter H. Dalton, who that November bested Republican Robert Pittenger, N.C.’s current Ninth District Congressman.

That year also saw the election of Barack Obama — who won North Carolina by less than a third of a percent — as president, and the election of Democrat Bev Perdue as N.C. governor by four points over future Republican Gov. Pat McCrory.

By then, Zeb was finishing up law school at Chapel Hill, but had also been involved in his father’s statewide campaign as a surrogate.

In 2011, Pat declined to run for re-election as Canton’s mayor, citing his law practice and an impending renovation of the languishing S EE S MATHERS, PAGE 4

Imperial Hotel as his new focus.

This wasn’t Loranzo’s Canton anymore. He’d passed in 1994, 10 years before his wife and six years after Smathers Market closed its doors forever, along with a host of other Canton commercial constants.

And it wasn’t Pat’s Canton anymore, either. His return to private life marked the end of a frustrating chapter in Canton’s history, when a big man with big beliefs found little progress amidst the hurricanes, the floods, the wars, the recessions, the housing market crash and the deepening divide between urban and rural.

WHAT’SINANAME?

Zeb Smathers had left Canton for Duke, and then for Chapel Hill, but bisecting the two was a short study-abroad session in Australia inspired by a photo of his grandfather during his army service; when Zeb finally made it back to Canton, he continued to haunt Loranzo — moving into his house and returning to his cereal aisle, but making a living as an attorney.

“At that point I was 30, I was in a serious relationship, serving on the Folkmoot board, the rec board,” he said. “I had some people approach me and ask me to consider running.”

In 2012 Smathers joined a crowded field seeking one of four available seats on the town board under Mayor Mike Ray, who’d succeeded Pat Smathers in an uncontested election in 2011.

“I just saw the possibility of the role, as someone who is from here, lives here, works here, worships here, why not get in and see where this goes?” he said.

Voters responded enthusiastically; the first-time candidate came just four votes shy of finishing first. Perhaps it was because of his well-known name, or his father’s, or his grandfather’s.

But given his education and experience and his passion for the principles of government, it’s apparent that Smathers has long sought to make a name of his own.

“It started before Duke,” he said. “There was a teacher, she was hard but prepared me for college better than any other professor — Barbara Passmore taught history and AP history at Pisgah.”

During that time, Smathers says he became “obsessed” with a towering figure in the pantheon of the American political canon.

“I became really in tune with TR,” Smathers said. “He had big beliefs about what this country is and can be. We have gotten away from being inspired by big ideas and how great we are because of our beliefs and because of what we stand for. I think Teddy Roosevelt came along at the turn of the century and really grabbed hold of that and inspired people.”

Another more broad influence on the young Smathers — “Same teacher, same class” — was Ellie Wiesel’s stark, sparse, disturbing 1960 work, Night, which chronicles Wiesel’s experiences in Nazi concentration camps.

“I remember reading that book and seeing the horrors of evil,” he said. “The calculated death of not just people and religion, but ideas and beliefs. And then it really framed me a few years later for the first time on September 11 when I saw, on a modern level, evil defined. Looking back, that really set things in motion to where we are now.”

TAKINGTHE ‘CAN’T’ OUTOF CANTON

That year, 2012, would be the year the staunch Democrat won both an election, and a bride.

“As I like to say it was nice to find a girl I wasn’t related to, to marry in this county,” he laughed.

Smathers married the former Ashley Henson a few months before the election; more than the joining of two people, a marriage is the joining of two families, and Zeb’s new family included Ashley’s father Ken, who just so happens to be the chairman of the Haywood County Republican Party.

“Much to the disdain of both my wife and mother-in-law, Ken and I talk politics regularly,” Smathers said. “Even though we disagree about many issues, we usually find common ground and solutions. In local government, people don’t care what your party is if their trash isn't picked up on time.”

Smathers took his seat on a town board under Mayor Ray that included all new faces — Carole Edwards, Dr. Ralph Hamlett and Gail Mull.

That board shepherded the town through

be on the same page.

“As much as everyone loves a horse race, the going back and forth, we have people who stood up and said ‘Look, we want to add to this,’” he said. “We want to take our skillsets and go with this to make this better. I think right now the furnace is really burning with inspiration.”

While optimism hasn’t exactly been in short supply in Canton, there’s always existed an identity crisis in those Cantonians who find it hard to be inspired by a paper mill; as Canton lacks the tourist trappings of Waynesville, or the close-in mountains of Maggie Valley, or the eccentric cosmopolitan vibe of Asheville, is a working class hero still something to be?

a few minor projects, but began to pick up steam after the hiring of a progressive young town manager, Seth Hendler-Voss.

During Hendler-Voss’ tenure, which ended this past March, the town continued to hold the line on property taxes, retooled the century-old Labor Day parade, became the first living wage certified municipal government in Western North Carolina, navigated a stormy municipal pool refit and saw a series of economic development victories make Canton the hottest ticket in Haywood County.

Hamlett and Mull remain on the board after the 2017 election, and are now joined by James Markey and Kristina Smith under Mayor Smathers, who noted that all four candidates that sought the two seats seemed to

“We have an identity,” Smathers said. “We’re a mill town. I struggled with that for a long time. I think for many years people always said, ‘Well how can we be more like Waynesville? How can we be more like Brevard?’ You can almost chalk this up to [renown WNC bluegrass band] Balsam Range, who said ‘No, we’re Papertown. We’re a blue-collar town.’ That [2012 Balsam Range album] really started formulating, in my mind, what we are.”

Smathers may be part of the first generation of Canton residents in recent memory to have embraced the town’s gritty identity of yellow plastic hard hats, green metal lunchboxes, piercing steam whistles and a nearly neverending stream of truckers and trainmen. But along with Smathers, Markey and Smith are both in their early to mid-30s; Smathers called Hamlett and Mull “young souls” despite them being significantly older than the rest of the board. All together, the youthful enthusiasm on Canton’s new board is hard to ignore.

“In 2013 there wasn’t much hope in the region,” Smathers said. “There wasn’t the belief that we could do things. We had become so entrenched in finding the word ‘can’t,’ or in looking for excuses — we can’t do this, we can’t do that. The hallmark of this board will be that we are not afraid to try.”

One of the first things the board will try is to figure out the 2018-19 fiscal year budget, a process Smathers credits Town Manager Jason Burrell with starting earlier than usual.

“This will be our first budget go-round for the two new board members, as well as for the town’s new CFO, Natalie Walker, who is also a 2001 graduate of Pisgah,” Smathers said.

He’s promised a lean budget, indicating that this may be a rebuilding year for Canton’s coffers, which continue to absorb blow after blow; the town has been making up for budget deficits by appropriating fund balance to cover the spending shortfalls, but like other governments faces must-have needs that simply cannot wait, including a $1.7 million infrastructure project.

A recent economic development agreement between the Haywood and Asheville chambers of commerce leaves Canton well positioned to take advantage of booming Buncombe’s overflow.

“I think it will help us tremendously, because we’re the next town over,” he said. “I think that unlocks tremendous potential.”

Unlocking the potential of the town’s hallowed Labor Day celebration is also a priority for Smathers, who with Burrell, Hamlett, Hendler-Voss and Mull advocated for a significant modernization of the festival, which has drawn bigger names and bigger crowds over

“In 2013 there wasn’t much hope in the region. There wasn’t the belief that we could do things. We had become so entrenched in finding the word ‘can’t,’ or in looking for excuses — we can’t do this, we can’t do that. The

hallmark of this board will be

that we are not afraid to try.”

— Zeb Smathers

Quality Trailers, Quality Prices

“Spruce Street has to be done,” he said. “Because as much as we’ve talked about water expansion, Canton is water-rich, and we need to take care of our own people first. Once we can get Spruce Street where it needs to be, then down the line we can look at other places and other opportunities.”

With spending needs that can’t be curtailed, the current focus is, naturally, on the income side of the equation.

“Every town of every size wants to beat the drum on economic development, and for us it’s a necessity, because we need more businesses to give us that option of not being forced into raising taxes,” he said. “The more you spread out, the more you diversify and increase revenue with new businesses, that becomes less and less of an issue.”

the last two years but continues to report middling financial returns.

Still, the town’s Interstate 40 corridor and bustling commercial core have come a long way in the last four years, and the last 40; from where he sits in that cereal aisle, Zebulon Loranzo Smathers seems to know what his Canton looks like by the time his first four years are up — it looks an awful lot like the place his grandfather walked with his son, and with his grandson.

“I was raised by this town,” Zeb said, echoing the footfalls of his forebears. “I have flashes of the people, and the characters and I think you’ll again see people that want to move to this community, where you see people go off to do what needs to be done, but then come back to raise a family.”

|

Myth:

We should only eat food with a short (4 or 5) list of ingredients.

Fact: The desire to have a simple/minimal list of ingredients is understandable but the number of ingredients does not necessarily mean that a product is healthier, more nutritious or better for you. Think about how many ingredients are in your favorite recipes that you cook at home! A couple of examples of items you might find while grocery shopping: 3 ingredients: Potato chips: potatoes, vegetable oil, salt

3 ingredients: Milk: milk, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3 4 ingredients: Cotton Candy - sugar, corn syrup, food coloring, oil

15 ingredients: Almond Milk: (Filtered Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum. Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Acetate, Zinc, Gluconate, Vitamin A, Palmitate, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D2.

Bottom Line: Soundbite nurtition messages like, "only eat foods with a short list of ingredients" don't always hold true.

Losing everything to find yourself

Waynesville native shares her story of addiction

BY J ESSI STONE

N EWS E DITOR

Every recovering addict can recall a moment in their life when they hit their lowest point. For Jenny Green of Waynesville, that low point was December 2014. She was incarcerated in the Swannanoa Women’s Correctional Facility, suffering from excruciating physical opioid withdrawal symptoms and missing her infant daughter’s first Christmas.

“It was Dec. 19 — they took me right before my daughter’s first Christmas. I was having withdrawals from suboxone in prison on top of the anxiety and stun of being in prison,” Green remembers. “If I ever for a moment think about going back to pain pills, the memory of that Christmas alone is enough to keep me clean.”

By that point, Green had been taking opioid painkillers since 2008 when they were prescribed to her following a back surgery. She took the pills prescribed to her and her physician kept refilling it.

“Every time I went back to the doctor they’d ask me if I wanted more,” she said. “It got to the point where I did tell him, ‘No, I’m good,’ but I was already addicted by then.”

Green said she tried to stop on her own several times, but the physical withdrawal symptoms always led her right back to the same habit.

“It just spiraled from there. Whenever you’re in it you know it’s not a productive thing in your life and that you’re never going to be a better person if you don’t get off, but it’s such a cycle and it’s really scary to get off because of the physical addiction,” she said. “You wake up in the morning praying you didn’t take them all the night before and still have one left so you can just get out of bed.” Green suffered in secret for several years.

She even hid the addiction from her husband when they got married in 2012. When she did finally break down and reached out for help, she said he was supportive and did everything he could to help her get through it.

TURNINGTOCRIME

But for two more years Green continued to relapse, and eventually did much more damage to her life than just taking drugs. Being addicted to opioids is an expensive habit. Running $45 per pill, she could easily spend over $400 a day to get the 10 to 12 pills she needed to feed the addiction.

When her income wasn’t enough to support the addiction, Green turned to pawning the title to her car and selling all of her nice jewelry. When that money ran out, she started stealing from friends and family. During the same two years, she was working for the N.C. Employment Security Commission in Waynesville and devised a scheme to fraudulently collect unemployment benefits. When people’s unemployment benefits would stop because they went back to work, Green falsified documents to have their benefits started again — but she changed the recipient address so the checks would be sent to her. Between 2013-14, Green embezzled close to $30,000.

“Stealing and lying and all that was never a part of my makeup to begin with. I’d always held jobs for long periods of time, had great friends that I’ve had since elementary school that have stuck by my side,” Green said. “My best friend was one of my victims — she could have turned on me, but she’s been there through everything. I pawned her engagement ring and she never got it back — I did horrific things because of my addiction.”

Her crimes caught up with her in July 2014 when law enforcement executed a search warrant at her home in reference to the break-ins and theft. That’s when they also

found documents with other people’s Social Security numbers that eventually led to officers discovering the unemployment fraud.

In the midst of the theft charges and fraud investigation, Green finally reached out for help. She checked in to Grace Hospital in Morganton — the closest place with a behavioral health bed — until she could find a drug rehabilitation bed available. She ended up going to a rehab facility in Virginia where she detoxed and began suboxone treatment.

“That initial getting clean — that was the needed stability in my life and knowing I didn’t have to go through the withdrawals,” she said. “It’s really what I needed and what a lot of people need but the resources just are not here locally.”

Green went to court and was convicted on nine theft charges in December 2014. She went to prison for 10 months for her crimes. It’s a place she never thought she’d be.

“It was Dec. 19 — they took me right before my daughter’s first Christmas. I was having withdrawals from suboxone in prison on top of the anxiety and stun of being in prison.”

— Jenny Green

A Haywood County native, Green came from a good family, graduated from Tuscola High School and found a successful career in real estate. With nothing more than a speeding ticket on her record, she said she was convinced she wouldn’t go to jail.

HEALINGTHROUGHYOGA

While serving her time, Green rediscovered yoga when an Asheville-based nonprofit — Light a Path — offered classes once a week at the women’s correctional facility. Green said she attended every class led by Light a Path founder Sierra Hollister. She credits the physical and mental benefits of

yoga for getting her through her sentence. She decided to seek out Hollister when she was released and began taking classes at the Asheville Yoga Center. Hollister even offered Green a free three-month membership so she could attend classes every day and continue her recovery process.

Green took it a step further by completing a teacher-training program at Asheville Yoga Center and now volunteers through Light a Path to help others and also teaches her own classes in Waynesville.

“A lot of people think yoga is just a lot of stretching, but it can be a very physically and mentally demanding exercise,” she said. “It’s more than just postures — it’s really just a way to live your life.”

FINDINGFORGIVENESS

Though her life is on a much better path these days, Green is still paying for her crimes. She will be paying restitution to the theft and break-in victims for many years to come and was just recently sentenced to a year of house arrest after pleading guilty to the federal fraud and embezzlement charges earlier this year.

“It’s been hard. I have to have permission to go to the grocery store or to go to work, but I’m not saying it’s not warranted — what I did was wrong,” Green said. “I could have gone to prison again, so I’m very grateful I can still be with my daughter and I can still teach yoga. Even though this was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, I’m very grateful for this experience. If I hadn’t gone through it I wouldn’t be who I am today, which is a better version of myself.”

Green also feels fortunate that so many people — including some of the friends and family members she stole from — have stood by her side and forgiven her for what she did while addicted to opioids. She’s thankful to her ex-husband for his support and understanding and allowing her to have joint custody of their daughter.

While she decided to stay in Waynesville to be close to her mom, grandmother and daughter, it hasn’t been easy to have to come face to face with her mistakes on a daily basis. She still runs into people she hurt when she’s at the post office or the grocery store and quickly puts her head down so she doesn’t have to talk to them.

“The people I’ve hurt are not nameless faceless people — they are people I cared about the most in my life, and I will always have guilt and remorse over that,” she said. “It’s hard to see them. Some won’t forgive me and I understand that — I don’t fault them for that. For a long time I just kept my head down in the grocery store to avoid them. I still do that because I don’t want to cause them any more pain.”

Green said she’s carried around a lot of shame over the things she did while addicted, but at the end of the day, she knows she’s not that person anymore.

“That’s not who I am. I’ve gotten to a place of forgiveness for myself and that was hard. I was very shameful for a long time, but once you get to that point, you have to hold your head up and keep going through life or you can’t help others,” she said.

Breaking the cycle

Restricting opioid access won’t solve the epidemic

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

Limiting the number of prescriptions written for addictive painkillers like Percocet and Oxycontin is definitely a good start, but addiction specialists say it is just the beginning of solving the opioid epidemic in this country.

“Simply curbing prescriptions will not, in my opinion, solve the issue,” said Cecil Yount, an addiction counselor in Waynesville. “It has to be part of a much larger plan. This is going to be hard in a financial atmosphere where the available funds are being cut.”

North Carolina passed the STOP Act to limit the amount of opioids prescribed to people without chronic pain.

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, recently introduced legislation to put similar restrictions in place at the federal level. As Meadows has said, it’s not the end-all-be-all of solutions, but it’s the first step toward addressing a problem that’s been the cause of 12,000 deaths in North Carolina alone since 1999.

There’s plenty of blame to go around for how the opioid epidemic reached this point — big pharmaceuticals pushing physicians to prescribe them, legislators exacerbating the problem by cutting mental health funding, and a lack of resources in rural areas like Western North Carolina. Several systemic issues need to be studied and addressed if the U.S. wants to get a handle on the root cause of addiction.

WHO’SATRISK?

Opiates can be extremely addictive, but not everyone who is prescribed opiates will

develop an addiction. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Heath, only one in 130 prescriptions for an opiate results in an addiction. So what makes one person more susceptible to forming an addiction than another?

Yount said there’s no simple answer to the complicated, multi-faceted issue.

“People become addicted for a myriad of reasons. A family history of addiction certainly increases the likelihood or potential of addiction, but people who do not have such a history do become addicted and people with family histories may never become addicted,” he said. “My experience with the consumers that I see, which by the way are young adult or older, has been that the addiction came about as a result of injury treatment.”

Yount added that many of the people he sees also have other substance use issues — such as an alcohol use disorder — in addition to the opiate addiction.

“This is one of the aspects of treatment of any substance use disorder and one reason why I don't believe we can talk about ‘just the opioid epidemic’ because of the incidence of multi-substance use disorders,” he said.

There’s also a belief that addiction — in many forms — is simply a symptom of a larger problem someone is not coping with and instead is turning to whatever vice is soothing their pain, however temporary. While there are certainly cases of people with mental health issues “self-medicating” with prescription painkillers, Yount said it’s not the majority.

“There are people who develop addiction without any underlying behavioral issues and there are people who have underlying or co-

Vaya Health honored for efforts to reduce overdoses

Vaya Health has received statewide honors for its work to prevent fatal opioid drug overdoses throughout western North Carolina.

The N.C. Council of Community Programs awarded Vaya, an Asheville-based public managed care organization, with a 2017 Programs of Excellence Award for public awareness and advocacy activities. Vaya CEO Brian Ingraham and Jesse Smathers, Vaya’s specialty populations clinical director, accepted the award on Dec. 7 at the council’s Emerging Horizon Conference in Pinehurst.

From 1999 to 2016, more than 12,000 North Carolinians died from opioid-related overdoses, according to state health officials. The state’s mountains and foothills regions have been hit especially hard by the epidemic, devastating families and communities in the 23 counties that Vaya serves.

“Vaya has joined forces with healthcare providers and local partners to treat addiction and prevent overdose deaths through a variety of services and initiatives,” Ingraham said. “That includes increasing access to naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid drug overdose. Already, these efforts are giving local residents a second chance at life and a chance to begin the recovery process. These individuals are our friends, family, coworkers and neighbors.”

“Our annual Programs of Excellence Awards recognize

Survey says:

• While opioid addiction tends to impact every demographic and socioeconomic group, it is more prevalent in some parts of the county than others. Using health data from nearly a million people who use employer-based health insurance, a 2017 report from Castlight Health mapped out the top 25 worst cities for opioid abuse.

• The data placed four North Carolina cities in the top 20 for opioid abuse among the local workforce — Hickory landed at No. 5, Jacksonville No. 12, Fayetteville No. 18 and Wilmington at No. 1.

• Other surprising finds were that baby boomers are four times more likely to abuse opioids than millennials, those with behavioral health issues are three times more likely to abuse opioids, and abusers are more likely to live in the South.

• The top states for opioid abuse are Oklahoma, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana and Tennessee.

occurring mental health disorders and they become addicted,” he said. “Certainly the mental health issues of depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder have significant rates of co-occurring substance use disorder because they find, through their own efforts of medicating, that the substances reduce the unpleasant symptoms — for a while — of the behavioral issues.”

It’s those efforts to self-medicate, he said, that can lead to issues like DWI, physical withdrawal and more. Subsequently, these people often end up needing treatment for both substance abuse and mental health disorders.

Just like prohibition didn’t keep people from consuming alcohol, placing a cap on opioid prescriptions won’t stop addicts from getting their hands on them. It could also have unintended consequences since addicts will go to great lengths to maintain the sense of euphoria they feel while taking opiates. If the cost of pills increases to a certain point, addicts could then turn to using heroin, a cheaper and more dangerous opiate option.

“Will curbing prescriptions without providing options for treatment lead to more heroin use? Probably,” Yount said. “I think we are already seeing it, and along with that comes the dangers of fentanyl laced heroin and uncontrolled qualities of street heroin. This is something that we, as a nation, are already seeing.”

In his 40-plus years working in the substance abuse/addiction field, Yount has seen waves of substance misuse disorders as the drug of choice changes and another comes to the forefront. In 1976, when he started with one of the first DWI prevention programs in North Carolina, he said the substance of misuse was alcohol and the clientele were largely white males nearing the end of their diseases. In the ‘80s, cocaine and crack were in the spotlight of misuse followed by methamphetamine in the early ‘90s edging into the earliest stages of the current opioid circumstances with Oxycontin — also referred to as “hillbilly heroin.”

“Each cycle brought new issues in treatment and new costs to society. Along with all of that came new research and new ways of treating consumers,” Yount said. “Does big pharma play a role in this current issue? Absolutely. Any time you have profits by corporations involved, somebody is going to find a way to maximize their bottom line.”

S EE OPIOIDS, PAGE 8

stance use disorders and connecting people with local treatment resources. We are so pleased to recognize this important work and the people who are working to make their communities safer and healthier for everyone in western North Carolina.”

In 2016, Vaya’s community reinvestment initiative funded more than 1,300 cartons of naloxone nasal spray, also known as NARCAN, for distribution by the N.C. Harm Reduction Coalition. In 2017, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services called upon Vaya to coordinate the purchase of nearly 50,000 naloxone cartons for use statewide. Vaya received 5,400 cartons for distribution in Western North Carolina.

County government leaders, law enforcement officers and other community stakeholders joined Vaya in assembling naloxone kits for distribution. Each kit included information about opioid use, treatment options and a phone number to call to report overdose reversals. In August, Gov. Roy Cooper visited Vaya’s Asheville headquarters to personally assemble a kit and sign a proclamation recognizing September as Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

innovative, effective community partnerships and programs taking place throughout North Carolina,” said N.C. Council Executive Director Mary Hooper. “Vaya’s naloxone distribution efforts are saving lives, raising awareness about sub-

The 2016 naloxone distribution saved more than 120 lives in 11 counties, with more reversals likely unreported. The recent NARCAN distribution efforts are expected to save more than 5,000 lives statewide. As next steps, Vaya plans to work with county managers, law enforcement, recovery houses, the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians and other partners to ensure naloxone is available to anyone at risk of an opioid overdose.

He said the same is true for the alcohol and tobacco industries as well. Even the Mexican cartels work to maximize profits lost with the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. by flooding the streets with cheap heroin.

INTERNATIONALCASESTUDIES

The U.S. isn’t the first to deal with an opioid epidemic. Johann Hari, author of Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, recently pointed out in an L.A. Times op-ed that Switzerland experienced a serious opiate epidemic in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Similar to the U.S.’s Reagan-era War on Drugs, the Swiss attempted to squash the problem by instituting harsher penalties and punishment for drug dealers, but the rate of overdoses and HIV transmission continued to rise. Switzerland was even home to the infamous “needle park” in Zurich where people could openly buy and inject heroin, but that created more chaos.

Then the Swiss tried a new method in the early 2000s that has proved successful, and according to Hari, should serve as a model for the rest of the world. Addicted people were assigned to clinics where they continued to take opiates while being medically supervised. At the same time, addicts also underwent therapy and received help turning their lives around, whether it was finding a job or a place to live.

Medicine (ASAM) Patient Placement criteria guidelines, which is a service he provides through his private practice.

“This makes it highly individualized, as it should be,” he said.

That assessment will determine what level of treatment someone needs. Yount provides Level 1 outpatient services — services that typically do not exceed more than two times per week with one time per week or less being most common. For comparison, Meridian Behavioral Health Services’ Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient program would be considered Level 2 services; Appalachian Community Services’ Balsam Center inpatient services would likely be a Level 3; and Haywood Regional Medical Center’s ICU would be a Level 4.

“Some consumers may fall out at an ASAM Level I placement while others need a much higher level. I don't know of any single approach for everyone,” Yount said. “The

“A family history of addiction certainly increases the likelihood or potential of addiction, but people who do not have such a history do become addicted and people with family histories may never become addicted.”

— Cecil Yount, addiction counselor

greater the withdrawal need and the less secure the living environment, the higher the level of care will be needed.”

Buncombe County joins lawsuit against drug manufacturers

Buncombe County is taking a crucial step toward holding accountable the companies responsible for dumping millions of dollars’ worth of prescription opioids into the community by filing a public nuisance lawsuit against the drug manufacturers and wholesale drug distributors that made the opioid epidemic possible.

Buncombe County is filing its suit against five of the largest manufacturers of prescription opioids and their related companies and against the country’s three largest wholesale drug distributors. According to a press release from Buncombe County, these manufacturing companies pushed highly addictive, dangerous opioids, falsely representing to doctors that patients would only rarely succumb to drug addiction, while the distributors breached their legal duties to monitor, detect, investigate, refuse and report suspicious orders of prescription opioids.

Because prescription opioids are a highly addictive substance, in 1970 Congress designed a system to control the volume of opioid pills being distributed in this country. It let only a select few wholesalers gain the right to deliver opioids. In exchange, those companies agreed to do a very important job — halt suspicious orders and control against the diversion of these dangerous drugs to illegitimate uses. But in recent years they failed to do that. According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, from 1999 to 2016 more than 12,000 North Carolinians died from opioid-related overdoses. In Buncombe County, the number of opioid-related deaths increased by nearly 45 percent in 2016.

“They gave you the drug, and at the same time, they dealt with the underlying pain that made you feel you needed the drug in the first place,” Hari wrote in her article. “Patients can stay on that program for as long as they like, there's no pressure to cut back, but almost everyone chooses to stop after a few years. Since the program began, there have been zero overdose deaths on legal opiates in Switzerland. None.”

The U.S.’s drug policies are obviously much different than Switzerland’s — the U.S.’s policies are more focused on criminalization while the Swiss focus on keeping people with addiction safe. However, the supervised opioid substitution program coupled with therapy and assistance was successful in reducing overdoses and getting many people off drugs.

Portugal used a similar approach with the goal of reducing harm while keeping drug-use illegal. Drug use and possessing small quantities is considered a public health issue instead of a criminal offense, which encourages more people to seek help without fear of going to jail. The result has been a 50-percent reduction in drug-related deaths and HIV transmission.

PROPERTREATMENT

While public policies can take a while to catch up, one thing is clear — the best chance someone has at kicking an addiction is by undergoing a multi-pronged treatment approach. Yount said the best treatment for opioid addiction starts with a full assessment following American Society of Addiction

He said a lack of available treatment at all levels for the multiple demands of addiction, whether opioid, other, or combination, is one of the driving factors in how well a person does in seeking and maintaining recovery. Based on his experience and observations, the most successful treatment for opioids is suboxone in conjunction with counseling after the successful management of detoxification and withdrawals.

“The difficulty with suboxone is finding sufficient numbers of physicians that prescribe it. The demand far outweighs the current resources,” he said.

Community support through churches, family, friends, and self-support groups also play a key role in a comprehensive recovery program. Yount said Haywood County was fortunate to have many active self-support groups.

As legislators, pharmaceutical companies, physicians and law enforcement sort out the many pieces of the opioid epidemic and hold responsible parties accountable, Yount said it’s important for consumers to educate themselves about the potential risks.

“The bottom line is that we, as consumers, are responsible for what we put into our bodies. With all of the education now going on about the long-term effects of opioids, the consumer base should become more knowledgeable about their own treatment,” he said. “It is all of these aspects that will have a positive impact on the current cycle of substance misuse and will hopefully lead to generalized learning that will help when the next cycle, whatever it may be, comes around.”

“We are taking this action today because the costs of this opioid crisis have overwhelmed our ability to provide for the health and safety of our residents. This epidemic has devastated our community and continues to claim an increasing number of victims from all walks of life,” said Commission Chair Brownie Newman. “These drug makers and distributors have brought this disease into our community,” said ViceChair Ellen Frost. “It is one of the biggest public health crises we have ever seen and it did not happen by accident. Rather, it is the result of the failure by drug makers to safely and responsibly market their branded opioids to doctors and patients in Buncombe County, and the negligence by wholesale distributors of their legal duty to monitor, identify and report suspicious activity as more and more opioids flowed into our community.”

The manufacturers listed as defendants in the lawsuit include:

• Perdue Pharma, which sold OxyContin, MS Contin, Dilaudid, Butrans, Hysingla and Targiniq

• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and its subsidiary Cephalon, which sold Actiq and Fentora

• Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which sold Duragesic and Nucynta

• Endo Health Solutions, which sold Opana, Percodan, Percocet and Zydone

• Allergan, Activis and Watson Pharmaceuticals, which sold Kadian, Norco, and generic versions of several opioids

The wholesale drug distributors listed as defendants in the lawsuit include:

• McKesson

• Cardinal Health

• AmerisourceBergen Drug

Buncombe County is working with a consortium of law firms to hold pharmaceutical wholesale distributors accountable for failing to do what they were charged with doing under the federal Controlled Substances Act — monitor, identify and report suspicious activity in the size and frequency of opioid shipments to pharmacies and hospitals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over eight opioid prescriptions were dispensed for every 10 residents of Buncombe County in 2016.

The opioid epidemic has grown worse as people who were addicted to prescription pills have, thanks to heightened enforcement efforts, found them harder to come by. But the residents of Buncombe County continue to bear the burden of the cost of the epidemic, as the costs of treatment for addiction, education and law enforcement have continued to rise.

The county has hired expert law firms, experienced in holding the powerful pharmaceutical industry accountable. Those firms include: Baron & Budd; Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor; Greene Ketchum Bailey Farrell & Tweel; Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler; McHugh Fuller Law Group; Oths, Heiser, Miller, Waigand & Clagg; and Seif & McNamee.

Buncombe is seeking damages to cover the costs of services including, but not limited to: prevention, medical care and treatment for patients suffering from opioid-related addiction or disease; treatment of infants born with opioid-related medical conditions; costs associated with caring for children whose parents suffer from opioid addiction; and law enforcement and public safety services related to the opioid epidemic.

In addition to taking legal action Buncombe County continues its ongoing efforts to fight this epidemic, learn more at buncombecounty.org/closer.

Jackson seeks no wake zone on Lake Glenville

Commissioners move forward with effort despite preliminary denial of request

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

Increased recreation on Lake Glenville has caused concerns about safety for swimmers sharing the lake with boaters, and despite an N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission officer’s recommendation that the Commission deny a request to establish a no wake zone on the lake, the Jackson County Commissioners are still hoping to secure approval.

“I wouldn’t say that his remarks are flawed, but I would say I respectfully disagree with Officer (Chris) Wilkins,” Commissioner Mickey Luker, whose district includes Glenville, said during a December work session.

Overriding Wilkins’ recommendation will require that commissioners hold a public hearing on the matter, adopt a resolution endorsing establishment of a no wake zone and then secure a place on the agenda for the Wildlife Resources Commission’s Feb. 22 meeting in Raleigh. A public hearing is planned for 5:55 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at the Jackson County Administration Building in Sylva.

The residents first discussed the matter with commissioners during an Aug. 15 work session, observing that Duke Energy’s “extremely nice enhancement of public access” on the north end of Lake Glenville in 2014 and 2015 has fueled an increase in recreation, resulting in an unintentional safety hazard. That area of the lake contains two small islands that are relatively close to shore; people enjoy swimming and tubing from the shore to those islands, but motorized boats also travel through that channel.

“What we realized over the three summers since these have opened is that this has created a safety issue for all the recreationists, both on the mainland and on the islands in this narrow passageway where people are swimming and boating, all at the same time,” Glenville resident Joyce Waterbury said in August.

Waterbury and fellow Glenville resident Margaret McRae told commissioners that they believe establishing a no wake zone — which would require boaters to pass through the area much slower than is now the case — is the best way to prevent an accident in the future. However, as the Wildlife Commission will consider only no wake zone requests put forth by local governments, the residents asked that commissioners request such a designation.

“The thought would be that just minimizing the speed, people would have time

to see the swimmers or the kayakers or the tubers or the paddleboaters,” Waterbury said in August.

Commissioners were sympathetic to their concerns and took a vote in their Aug. 28 meeting to request that the Wildlife Commission conduct a no wake zone investigation. However, on Nov. 9 the county received word that Wilkins, the officer performing the investigation, had recommended that the Wildlife Commission deny the no wake zone request.

In the report he filed, Wilkins characterized the boat traffic as “very light” and maintained that currently “there is no safety concern.”

“With the proposed area being larger than similar areas on the lake with relatively the same traffic, I do not feel it is necessary to limit motorboat operations to no wake speed,” he wrote. “Manual powered vessels and swimmers should proceed in this area with due regard to safety of themselves and others just as a motorvessel should during peak traffic times.”

According to Wilkins’ report, the distance between the shore and the islands is about 220 feet at the narrowest point during low water and 400 feet at the widest point — it would take boaters about three minutes to travel through the channel at no wake speed.

Wilkins expressed concern that creating a no wake zone would create a “perception of safety” for swimmers when in fact “it would never be recommended” to swim the open water between the islands and mainland. Besides, he said, the islands are the private property of Duke Energy, so there is no reason to encourage the public view them as fair game for recreation.

“The creation of a no wake zone may also create more traffic for this area and a perception that the beaches on the islands are public areas,” he wrote.

In a Dec. 6 letter sent on behalf of eight Glenville households, the residents pushed back forcefully against this assessment.

For one thing, while it is true that the islands belong to Duke Energy, the power company has made it clear that it welcomes public use. Indeed, a page on Duke’s website titled “Island Use Guidelines” states that “Duke Energy welcomes and encourages the public to use the lakes for recreational purposes” and follows the statement up with a list of guidelines for “recreating on Duke Energy-owned islands.”

In response to Wilkins’ assertion that there are similar, smaller areas on the lake with relatively the same traffic, the residents pointed out that there are no other islands on the lake offering swimming and public access. And to counter the statement that establishing a no wake zone would create a false “perception of safety,” the residents said that, “it is not logical to contend that the county or state should not make an

area safer because then people might believe it to be so.”

Finally, they took issue with the idea that “due regard to safety” should be enough for swimmers and boaters to coexist safely.

“It is precisely because motorboats are not currently proceeding ‘with due regard to safety for themselves and others’ that this petition is being made,” the letter reads. “It has been continually observed that swimmers/manual boaters are at risk from

motorized boat traffic.”

During the Dec. 12 work session, commissioners seemed to side with the residents.

“There’s no doubt that it’s a hazard,” said Luker, whose district includes the Glenville area.

Commissioners then voted during their Dec. 18 meeting to set a public hearing and move forward in the effort to convince the Wildlife Commission to override Wilkins’ recommendation.

New E-Program Guide from the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department

The WaynesvilleParksandRecreationDepartment will offer an electronic version of their monthly program guide. It’s an excellent way of staying on top of classes, trips and programs on a monthly basis.

If you would like to sign up for this free service please email rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov . All that is needed is your email address.

Haywood Regional welcomes first baby of 2018

Haywood Regional is ringing in 2018 with the year’s first bundle of joy. Weighing 7 pounds and 12 ounces and measuring 20 inches, Baby Donna was born Monday, Jan. 1, at 6:22 a.m.

“Phenomenal. Fantastic. Everyone we have encountered has been amazing,” said mom. “The on-call OB and Pediatricians were fantastic. Dr. Guerriere, pediatrician, answered all our questions. We couldn’t have had a better experience.”

“It was awful timing to be in labor, I drove through the terrible ice storm and the New Year’s holiday traffic trying to get to Asheville from Sylva, and we had to stop here because her labor was advancing. Now we are so glad we did, we absolutely would recommend anyone to Haywood Regional for labor and delivery services, and we plan to come back,” said dad.

Haywood Regional Women’s Care Center is committed to providing high quality, compassionate care close to home for new and expecting parents. The Center offers private jet tubs, one-on-one lactation education, birthing classes, sleeper chairs for a loved one or birth coach, and a personalized gourmet meal after your delivery. Haywood Regional also has a Level I Nursery to stabilize premature or compromised newborns and prepare them for transfer to a higherlevel Nursery if needed.

“We have an exceptional team of clinical and support staff who are dedicated to bringing new life into our community, not just on New Year’s Day but yearround,” said Jenny Van Winkle, OBGYN at Haywood Regional Medical Center. “Our expectation is that every patient and his or her family will have a positive experience and genuinely feel our commitment to providing the highest quality care possible, in a comfortable and welcoming environment.”

Haywood Regional Women’s Center is located at 262 Leroy George Drive, Clyde. To request more information or to take a tour of the Women’s Care Center at Haywood Regional, call 828.452.8458, or visit myhaywoodregional.com/womenscare.

Haywood TDA to host funding workshops

With the arrival of 2018, the time to submit applications for 1% partnership funding for July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, through the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is right around the corner.

The mission of the Haywood County zip code funding is to encourage development of programs and special events that will showcase the county’s unique offerings that will attract visitors, enhance the visitor experience and support the brand “Visit NC Smokies.”

As in the past, attendance of a funding workshop will be required by at least one person for each organization that plans to submit a grant application.

During the month of February, there will be two opportunities to attend funding workshops:

• 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6

• 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8

Both workshops will be held in the Susan Todd Lounge of the Harrell Center located at Lake Junaluska. The address of the Harrell Center is 710 N. Lakeshore Drive, Lake Junaluska.

Even if you attended in the past, you are still required to be at one of the two workshops. Important information will be pro-

State confirms first child flu death

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is reporting the state’s first child death from flu for the 2017-18 flu season.

A child in the central part of the state died last week from complications associated with influenza infection. To protect the family’s privacy, the child’s hometown, county and gender are not being released.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the child’s family,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore. “If anything positive comes from this tragic loss, we hope it will be that people understand that flu is a serious illness. Flu vaccination is the most effective protection against flu, and it’s still not too late to get a flu shot.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nine pediatric flu deaths had been reported this season from other states as of Dec. 16. Up to half of children who die from flu have no known medical condition that would have put them at higher risk.

This flu season, 11 adult flu-associated deaths have been reported in North Carolina, with six of those being people 65 and older.

More information on flu and where people can get vaccinated is available at www.flu.nc.gov.

vided that will benefit you during the application process and the HCTDA staff will be there to answer any questions you may have.

Maggie ‘Rise and Shine’ scheduled

The Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce’s January Rise and Shine meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. next Tuesday, Jan. 9 in the Maggie Valley Pavilion.

Members will be discussing the successful 2017 year and how they want to proceed in 2018. The Chamber is also looking for volunteers to provide the refreshments for the January meeting. Contact Teresa Smith at teresa@maggievalley.org.

Harris to host free Lunch & Learn

Harris Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine will offer a free educational event at noon Friday, Jan. 12, in the Harris Regional Hospital boardroom on the first floor of the hospital.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Anthony McPherron will present the session on joint preservation. Lunch will be served. Call 844.414.DOCS (3627) to register.

McPherron practices alongside Douglas Gates, MD, Ryan Slechta, MD, Jud Handley, MD, Lawrence Supik, MD, Robin Pope, PA-C, and

For more information, visit the HCTDA’s website at http://haywoodtda.com/partnership-funding/.

Alexis Willey, PA-C at Harris Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. The group is located on the second floor of Harris Regional Hospital also seeing patients at the Medical Park of Franklin in Franklin and provides the full range of orthopaedic and sports medicine services.

Free diabetes classes offered in Haywood

A free diabetes program for seniors on Medicaid is being offered at the Canton Library. In the Diabetes Empowerment Education Program, seniors meet on Wednesdays for six weeks to complete a free, interactive, hands-on program. Learn to work with health care providers and take control of diabetes through nutrition, exercise, stress management, and goal setting.

Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of complications such as blindness, kidney disease, and amputations. Classes will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays at the Canton Library, 11 Pennsylvania Avenue in Canton beginning Jan. 17 through Feb. 28. Family members, caregivers and friends are welcome to attend. To gain the most from the program, attendance at every session is highly encouraged.

To register, stop by the Senior Resource Center or call 828.356.2800.

Scene shift in Sylva

Businesses come and go downtown

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

Downtown Sylva looks quite a bit different these days than this time last year.

New businesses have arrived, some older ones have closed, and several existing establishments are moving or expanding.

“I think we’ve had some quality sustainable small businesses open up, and I’m glad to see some of the vacancies filled,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling, who also directs the Main Street Sylva Association.

Town leaders were concerned last winter as an unusual number of vacancies popped up downtown, spurring worries that a diminished number of businesses could lead to a diminished collective draw for tourists and other visitors.

Last January, the vacancy count in the town’s B1 district — which includes Main and Mill streets — was 10. This January, it’s still 10.

But that number is a bit misleading, Dowling said, because change is brewing. Heinzelmannchen Brewing closed, and after 14 years in business, It’s By Nature closed its doors this fall, but Lulu’s on Main has already announced plans to move into that space from its current Main Street location, last month securing a conditional use permit from the town board to build a deck with outdoor seating at the new location. And after Hooker’s Fly Shop moved to an online presence, Cullowhee River Club and Baxley’s Chocolates are preparing to move into the building.

Changes are coming from an aesthetic

perspective as well. The town has received grant money to paint a mural on the side of the Ward Plumbing and Heating Building and is preparing to replace the white poles guiding traffic on Mill Street with landscaped bump-out curbs.

“I think there is an upswing for downtown,” Dowling said.

BRIGHT SPORTS

An avid runner and triathlete, Paul Sedlak noticed a need upon moving to Sylva five years ago.

“Everybody goes to running stores in Asheville,” he said. “I said, ‘Why not just have a running store here? I was kind of surprised that nobody else came up with the idea.”

Sedlak opened up Bright Sports in the old Jewelry Outlet building on Main Street shortly before Christmas, excited about the chance to offer runners in Jackson County quality equipment, professional advice and camaraderie close to home.

The store sells all manner of running supplies with a focus on the brand Altra, which Sedlak says features a “unique” design that prevents feet from getting cramped and tired.

“You can run 50 miles, still walk the rest of the day, and you won’t get tired because your soles are evenly spread out like you would walk barefoot,” he said. “It really doesn’t squeeze anything, so you naturally feel comfortable.”

True to the name of the store, Sedlak’s inventory is heavy on bright colors to improve the safety of runners jogging alongside roads and exercising at night. He also sells CrossFit gear and Ruffwear gear for dogs. In addition to traditional currencies, he is getting set up to accept BitCoin. Going forward, Sedlak hopes to offer more than just merchandise. He wants to form a running group, offer coaching services and provide nutrition advice for runners.

BALSAM FALLS

Originally from Sylva, Corey Bryson had been looking for years for a way to return

home after living in Florida. When he and his wife Laurie decided to open a brewery, the path began to clear.

Balsam Falls Brewing Company opened on Oct. 11, 2017, taking over the space formerly occupied by Evolution Wine Kitchen, formerly Perk & Pastry Bistro.

“We had lots of good response to our products and to the environment,” Bryson said. “People really like the atmosphere.”

Western North Carolina has more than its fair share of breweries, but Bryson sees Balsam Falls’ atmosphere as setting it apart.

“We have kind of a warm and inviting space here,” he said. “Some breweries go with an industrial feel. We’re more old-fashioned, lots of wood and stone. We’ve got all the antique floors that were here, and the tin ceilings that we restored. We just really want to make it a nice hometown brewery.”

The décor strongly roots itself in Sylva, with the bar tops featur-

ing various pictures of people, buildings and events from throughout Sylva’s past and present.

Opening his business, Bryson found himself navigating firsthand an issue that has caused sharp debate among local leaders over recent years — impact fees from the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Association. Breweries are water-intensive businesses, but luckily the restaurants that occupied the space in the past had already purchased the bulk of the allocation needed. Bryson was grateful to find that there was an option to rent the remainder for $15 a month rather than buying it upfront for about $7,000.

“I love Sylva. I’ve always loved Sylva, and I always wanted to live here, but it was a matter of how we could afford to live here,” Bryson said.

TREASURES UNKNOWN

After owning the Bear’s Den store in Cashiers for several years, owner Pam Allison decided she’d like to move her business responsibilities down the mountain to Sylva, and in September Treasures Unknown opened on Mill Street.

“We regard ourselves as part of the ground crew of beautifying Mill Street. It’s actually been going really well,” said store manager Terry Teppert.

Before Treasures Unknown moved in, the building was vacant, with Ward’s Plumbing and Heating using part of it for storage. An eclectic arrangement of goods outside the front door is designed to draw the eyes of passerby used to mentally skipping that section of street, Teppert said. He’s looking forward to the new town mural set to go in on the Ward’s Plumbing building next door.

Inside, the store offers a little bit of everything. There are primitives, antiques, consignment items, jewelry, handcrafted items and booth space for rent.

“It’s just been her passion — antiques and primitives — for as long as she can remember,” Teppert said of Allison. “That’s the dif-

ference that really sets us apart. I’ve seen that really be a defining thing for us.”

PAPER MILL LOUNGE AND THEATER

Where the Winged Lion cocktail lounge used to be, there’s a new speakeasy in town — the Paper Mill Lounge and Theater.

“I wanted to marry my love of people with my love of entertainment and my love of finely crafted cocktails,” said owner Craig Day. “The opportunity started up for me to be able to purchase the Winged Lion, and once I purchased it there was a huge learning curve, but then everything fell into place.”

Day defines his business, which opened in July, as a “fringe theater” that emphasizes performance art and high-end cocktails, also serving various brews and charcuterie boards. In addition to a bar, it features a 20by-20-foot “plug and play” stage with an adjoining green room and kitchenette.

“We do old radio shows. We do poetry slams. We do plays. We do drag shows. We do music, art of different sorts. We do improv. We do storyteller series,” he said.

While the bar is membership-based — yearly and daily rates are available — Day said he’s worked to make it more accessible by lowering cocktail prices and improving the bar’s social media presence.

“It’s been fantastic. I’m very humbled at the support that I’ve gotten from the town and the support that I’ve gotten from the members of the community,” he said. “I think that performance art is important, but I also think that people coming together and discussing different social issues assists in people being civilized.”

INNOVATION BREWING AND PAPOU’S WINE SHOP

Shop, sold the brewery his space and moved into the spot next door.

Now, five years later, history is repeating itself. Innovation is expanding to add a pizza shop adjacent to its taproom, and Demos sold his space and moved down the street to the next block of Main Street, where Sylva Insurance Agency used to be. Papou’s offerings are unchanged, Demos said — he’s got wine from every major wine-producing region, two tastings a week and wine by the glass — he’s just in a different spot.

On Innovation’s end, the offerings will change substantially as Woodfire Pizza moves in next door to offer patrons a food option to go along with their beer.

“It’s really what made the most sense for the space, and we are huge pizza lovers so we took on this adventure,” said Innovation coowner Nicole Dexter.

Woodfire will serve salads and authentic Naples-style wood-fired pizzas. In fact, the wood-fired oven and dough mixer are being shipped directly from Italy.

Technically, Woodfire and Innovation will be two separate businesses, with each keeping separate tabs for customers. However, Woodfire will have six to eight beers on tap, and the businesses will definitely operate hand-in-hand.

“We can’t connect the buildings, but they’re pretty well integrated now that we have created this outdoor patio space in front of the pizza shop that flows right into the back door of the brewery,” Dexter said.

She expects the pizza place to be open around March. And that’s not the only expansion Innovation has in the works. Innovation is also planning to open a second location in Dillsboro, which will likely open sometime this summer.

PINK ME UP

Opening in September 2017, Pink Me Up is located on Mill Street. It’s a training studio for Mary Kay consultants from across Western North Carolina.

“We love it on backstreet because it’s such a good location for everybody,” said consultant Adalina Miller, of Cullowhee. “Everyone knows where we are. I love being in Sylva because it’s 30 minutes from everywhere.”

The studio is open by appointment only. It’s a place for consultants to meet their guests and a spot for them to receive professional development training.

1873 ART & TATTOO COLLECTIVE

Downtown Sylva now has a tattoo studio with the arrival of 1873 Art & Tattoo Collective in March.

However, it’s not just about tattoos. Owner Robbie Crisp aims to make 1873 an arts collective that displays works from a variety of artists — but vibrant, detailed, quality tattoos aim to be a mainstay.

Cherokee moves on alcohol referendum

Leaders disagree about impact of vote outcome

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

Cherokee inched closer to holding a referendum vote asking how widely available alcohol should be on tribal land with a vote during December’s Tribal Council meeting, but exactly what the implications of such a referendum might be is still unclear.

Councilmembers voted unanimously Dec. 7 to hold a referendum vote on “the question of expanding alcohol sales to other business establishments outside of casino property on the Qualla Boundary,” with the specific wording of the question yet to be determined. The plan is for council to hold a work session to determine the wording and then schedule a referendum from there. No such work session has yet been scheduled. While everyone seems to be in favor of holding a referendum, opinions diverge on exactly what the consequences of a “no” vote might be. Councilmember Lisa Taylor, of Painttown, originally introduced the resolution with the idea of preventing new permits being issued under what is known as the Blue Ridge Law. Three restaurants on the Qualla Boundary currently sell alcohol under that law.

However, others assert that, because the Blue Ridge Law is state statute, those permits would be available regardless of the outcome of the referendum. From that standpoint, they say, a referendum would essentially be an opportunity for tribal members to say whether they’d like to see alcohol sales expand rather than a chance to rein them in.

RUN-UPTOREFERENDUM

Tribal members have long been leery of allowing any kind of alcohol to be sold on their land, but a 2009 referendum vote granted a limited exception — alcohol could be sold at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, but nowhere else. That decision resulted in a marked increase in revenue at the casino, with alcohol sales alone bringing in about $20 million annually to the tribe, according to Principal Chief Richard Sneed. That figure doesn’t count the gaming and hotel revenue from customers who likely would have skipped Cherokee if the casino were still dry. More recently, exemptions under the Blue Ridge Law have caused consternation for many tribal members. The Tribal Council sitting in 2011 passed a law that would allow off-casino permits to be granted in a handful of specific situations, and when the state legislature completed its end of the

law in 2015, Cherokee was able to grant permits to tourism establishments within 1.5 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway on-ramps — this exception is known as the Blue Ridge Law — and for one-time events such as festivals, among other situations.

Then-Principal Chief Patrick Lambert declined to allow such permits to be granted, telling the tribe’s Alcohol Beverage Control Commission that it would be illegal to do so without a referendum vote granting permission. When Principal Chief Richard Sneed took office in May 2017, however, the first Blue Ridge Law permits were issued. Sneed has asserted that the state law takes precedence in this situation because federal law grants states sole control over distribution of alcohol.

In October 2017, less than a month after being sworn in, Taylor introduced the referendum legislation with the goal of curtailing

In December, he also spoke against a piece of Taylor’s legislation that asserts that in granting Blue Ridge Law permits, the Tribal ABC Commission “assume(s) mistakenly that we are not a sovereign nation and have somehow ceded our sovereignty to the State of North Carolina.” The sentence is not in the section of the ordinance that outlines what action should take place upon passage, but even included as part of the background section, Sneed said, it’s dangerous.

“I don’t know how we can support to pass that with that language in there, because that is not accurate and that’s not what is happening,” he said. “They (the TABCC) were authorized by tribal ordinance that was passed by this Tribal Council (in 2011) to issue those permits. When that state law was adopted in 2015, that makes it law, and they are tasked with carrying out what is in that ordinance.

but that language that’s in there is completely inaccurate,” Sneed said.

Lambert happened to be in the audience that day and didn’t hesitate to offer an opposing viewpoint.

“To say that it has to be done is just flat wrong,” he said of issuing Blue Ridge Law permits. “That’s just misleading to the public. The commission chose to not issue permits for several years, and did anything bad happen in those years? No.”

Lambert pointed out that the law says the commission “may” issue permits — not that it “shall” or “must” issue permits.

“We can make the decision ourselves to issue those permits or to not issue those permits,” he said. “When I was in office, I made sure the commission understood I would not tolerate the issuing of a permit like that because the people had spoken.”

If the concern is that the state could

a

“(The Blue Ridge Law) was passed by the state at the behest of the tribe. What needs to be asked here in this chamber is if we still agree with that law and what was pushed forward and lobbied by certain members of this tribe.”

Blue Ridge Law permits. A public forum on the issue held Nov. 6, 2017, drew about 100 people, with those offering comment overwhelmingly opposed to any off-casino sales.

POINTSANDCOUNTERPOINTS

Sneed has argued vehemently against any attempt to override or ignore the Blue Ridge Law, warning that the state could then find the tribe to be out of compliance with state alcohol laws and refuse to supply alcohol at all — including on casino property. If that were to happen, the tribe would take an enormous financial hit.

“The language in here, it’s slanderous language that says they ‘assume mistakenly that we have somehow ceded our sovereignty.’ That’s not accurate.”

He continued to point out that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is the only government in North Carolina to have its own ABC Commission — the rest of the state falls under the authority of the state commission. That in and of itself is evidence of the tribe’s sovereignty in this situation, he said; the tribe just has to comply with state law because the state controls alcohol distribution.

“I don’t disagree with you. We need to have a referendum and let the people vote,

retaliate against the tribe for ignoring the Blue Ridge Law, Lambert said, there is another option.

“(The Blue Ridge Law) was passed by the state at the behest of the tribe. What needs to be asked here in this chamber is if we still agree with that law and what was pushed forward and lobbied by certain members of this tribe,” he said. “It’s a very simple thing to me. Why don’t we go lobby again and remove that provision? Then it’s up to this body and it’s up to this tribe and this sword isn’t held over everybody’s head.”

Not everyone was convinced.

“The Blue Ridge Bill will not be

taken away,” said Chairman Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird. “Jump up and correct me if I’m wrong, but with this resolution being passed, the requirements of the Blue Ridge Bill would still be in place because it’s an ordinance.”

Vice Chief Alan “B” Ensley seemed to side with Sneed’s belief that it would be best to avoid passing a resolution with Taylor’s proposed language regarding the Blue Ridge Bill.

“I think the best action would be not to even take action on this. Let it die on the vine, bring a clean resolution in, and go from there,” he said. “Even the ones that’s against it, they want to have a referendum just to voice their opinions. Bring a clean resolution in, vote it up or down, move on with a referendum or not have one at all.”

Other councilmembers indicated that, regardless of their feelings about the Blue Ridge Law, they would be hesitant to make any decision that could pose a risk to casino sales.

“I don’t want to jeopardize anything,” said Councilmember Boyd Owle of Birdtown.

SELECTIVEMEETING INVITATIONS

Several councilmembers said they’d like to have a sit-down with the state ABC Commission to answer some of those questions, to which TABCC Attorney Michael Gross said that there had been such a meeting, earlier that same week, to discuss exactly that. The State ABC Commission chairman, “a number of councilmembers,” members of the TABCC and of the executive office were there, Gross said.

However, he said, “I understand that the email or something didn’t get out to everybody.”

During the discussion that followed in council chambers, it wasn’t clear exactly how or why some councilmembers received an email inviting them to the meeting and others didn’t. However, it was clear that certain councilmembers never received an invitation to this joint meeting.

Councilmember Richard French, of Big Cove, said that he originally got an email saying that a meeting would be held at 1 p.m. that day, but when he checked later the time had been changed to noon. At that point, he wasn’t able to make it in time.

“When I got it, it didn’t have all the councilmembers on it,” he said. “It had certain names.”

Such gatherings of a select portion of the Tribal Council had been an issue during the 2015-2017 term, with French one of the councilmembers who was often excluded during that time. He offered a strong word of warning against that practice going forward.

“We have 12 members on this Tribal Council,” he said. “There ain’t three, there ain’t four. There’s 12, and when you want to address Tribal Council, you address all 12 of us.”

Council ultimately passed Taylor’s resolution by a unanimous vote of those present. Councilmember Tommye Saunooke, of Painttown, was absent.

Y ACHIEVE OUR

A IMPOR T T

Mission, Macon partner to get new ambulance

Collaboration between Mission Health and Macon County leadership, with support from the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital Foundation, Mission Health Department of Philanthropy and community donors, has resulted in the fully funded purchase of a much-needed, brand new ambulance for emergency patient transport in Macon County.

“When I learned about the need to improve medical transport for Highlands and all of Macon County, I was pleased to make a significant contribution to this important cause,” said community donor Mark T. Mahaffey. “My intent was to expedite the project by making a challenge gift to complete the funding by year-end 2016. It was exciting to see so many good folks in Highlands come forward to meet the goal.”

A key factor in acquiring the new ambulance has been the proactive partnership between Mission Health System Regional Transport Services and Macon County EMS. Their collaborative work and detailed analysis of peak utilization and emergency transport response times for transfers in Macon County drove the decision.

That analysis demonstrated a 29 percent increase in out-of-county patient transfers from Highlands-Cashiers and a 46 percent increase from Macon County. When an ambulance must transport a patient out of the county, local coverage suffers. The new

ambulance will strengthen 911 coverage in the area by offering increased availability for residents.

As part of this ongoing partnership, both Mission Health Regional Transport Services and Macon County EMS have added new resources to address and improve coverage in the county. Mission Health and Macon County have worked closely to ensure that Mission Health System Regional Transport Services are available to serve the community five days per week, 24 hours a day — double the previous coverage of five days a week for 12 hours per day.

Macon County EMS has provided modified staffing that includes the addition of three new positions, an important increase in resources to provide necessary back-up staffing. This expanded coverage is significant for those who deliver or receive emergency care.

Response time, state-of-the-art technology and expert EMS caregivers are the most valuable elements when it comes to providing critical, rapid-response treatment to patients experiencing a health emergency or involved in a serious accident. Macon County Director of Emergency Services Warren Cabe emphasized that this new vehicle and its state-ofthe-art features will even more effectively serve community members.

“The time-saving element alone that we’ll see from the addition of this new emergency

Karen Gorby, Angel Medical Center president/CNO, and Warren Cabe (far right) with Macon County EMS stand next to the new Macon County ambulance. Donated photo

vehicle combined with related staffing changes will translate into significantly more accessible and enhanced care for patients in the Macon County area,” he said. “To be direct, the service we are able to provide to our customers will be greatly improved.”

The new ambulance is outfitted with advanced features that make it an “Intensive Care Unit on wheels,” including a Zoll X series monitor defibrillator, a Newport HT 70 Ventilator, a Stryker Powered stretcher and Stair Chair, and specialized Pediatric Resuscitation System, as well as a highly sophisticated Kenwood two-way radio system. Importantly, this new vehicle is ideally equipped to meet the MAMA landing site for patient air transport to the hospital.

Kathy Guyette, Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services and president of Regional Member Hospitals for Mission Health, sees the addition of the new ambulance as not only a benefit to Macon County residents, but a valuable resource for the entire region.

“This new emergency vehicle will immediately and measurably improve the level of care we can offer patients, and those who must be transferred to Mission Hospital will continue to receive the best pre-hospital arrival treatment available,” she said. “This will help hospital staff in Asheville as well, and serve to further unify our services region-wide.”

Waynesville native’s research published

The summer before Christopher Lile graduated from Gardner-Webb University, he spent five weeks studying small mammals on the Broad River Greenway and the surrounding area.

The research experience helped him secure internships in Indiana and Madagascar. Recently, the Waynesville native received another honor for his work. The paper from his project has been published in “Alethia,” the Alpha Chi Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship.

“This journal operates on the same principles as peerreviewed journals in academic disciplines,” noted Dr. June Hobbs, GWU Professor of English, Alpha Chi sponsor and director of Undergraduate Research. “The articles must be vetted and recommended by (outside) readers, and then they go through a rigorous editing process. The finished product is very impressive.”

Lile received funding for his study through the GWU Summer Undergraduate Research Scholars program. He worked on the project with his faculty mentor, Dr. Joseph Oyugi, associate professor of biology. His work represented the first small mammal survey in Boiling Springs, establishing a baseline for future studies.

the Omaha Zoo’s Department of Conservation Genetics.

“The fieldwork I am currently involved with in Madagascar is unlike anything I have experienced before,” Lile shared. “We follow and observe lemurs throughout the day, while recording social interactions, feeding habits, and individual behaviors. We work directly with local Malagasy guides who can

easily navigate the forests to find the lemurs.”

He and Oyugi presented the results at North Carolina Central University’s Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium in November 2016. In addition, Lile shared research findings at GWU’s Life of the Scholar Multidisciplinary Conference in March 2017 and received a presentation award.

After graduating in 2017, Lile completed an internship at Wolf Park in Battle Ground, Ind., where he trained grey wolves and worked in husbandry and public education. His love for animals, research, and conservation have now led him to the island of Madagascar, where he is spending three months studying lemurs as a volunteer for

The GWU faculty, particularly Oyugi and Dr. Tom Jones, professor of biology, helped Lile prepare for the future. “These professors were both especially helpful in advising me during the application process of many internships I had during my undergraduate career as well as for opportunities I’ve had since graduation,” Lile stated.

After finishing his work in Madagascar, he plans to complete a more advanced internship with Wolf Park to research the cognition of the red and grey fox. He will also seek out other opportunities with organizations such as The Defenders of Wildlife. Eventually, Lile would like to pursue a doctorate in primatology, behavioral ecology, or a similar field.

My Customers are REAL SATISFIED

“I chose to work with Catherine Proben because I trusted that she had my best interests at heart. She was professional, knowledgeable, and added a personal touch to the entire process. She always was available by phone or text to inform me of the progress of the sale of my home.

I am so impressed with the professionalism, dedication, and innovative ways that she used to sell my home. I highly recommend her & the Waynesville office to all the sellers and buyers in the area.”

- Dr. Sherry Manburg, Waynesville, NC (Seller)

Catherine Proben

WCU gets federal grants to help students

Western Carolina University faculty members Kelly Kelley and David Westling have learned a lot about assisting individuals with intellectual disabilities as they transition into the world of work and independent living over the past decade through the University Participant Program that they co-direct on campus. Now it’s time to spread that information to underserved rural school districts across the state through a new academic program designed to support professional educators in those districts as they work to ease the transition for that same category of students.

Former University Participant Program student Paige Soderman is spotted playing her guitar in her room at Blue Ridge Hall earlier this year. Soderman completed the program last May and is now working in the bakery at the Publix grocery store in Asheville. Improving outcomes for individuals with intellectual disabilities in regards to employment and independent living is the focus of a new grant-funded academic program at WCU.

WCU’s Adelaide Worth Daniels Distinguished Professor of Special Education, and Kelly Kelley, associate professor of inclusive and special education, will be using a new five-year $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund an online master’s degree program called “Roads to Learning and Earning.”

All graduates will be expected to fulfill service obligation agreements to work as special education teachers, transition specialists or related service providers in rural school districts.

For more information about the Roads to Learning and Earning Program, contact Westling at westling@wcu.edu or 828.227.3287, or Kelley at kkelley@wcu.edu or 828.227.3298

Haires endow SCC

scholarship

During her 25 years of overseeing the Southwestern Community College Foundation, Dr. Connie M. Haire had the privilege of seeing just how significantly scholarship funding could impact a student’s life.

Now retired, she and her husband — former N.C. Rep. Phil Haire — have ensured many more lives will be changed for the better. The Haires, who reside in Sylva, recently set up the Connie M. Haire Endowed Scholarship fund. The first award of $1,500 will be given to a deserving student in the fall of 2018.

“Phil and I wanted to provide for student support for many years to come, and we wanted to set up an endowment that would provide scholarships in perpetuity,” Dr. Haire said. “Since retiring six years ago, I have seen the growth in programs and student success, and I want to be part of that going forward. This scholarship endowment allows me to continue to be a part of the SCC family.”

For more information about endowed scholarships or other giving opportunities at SCC, visit www.southwesterncc.edu/foundation, call 828.339.4227 or k_posey@southwesterncc.edu.

Community College by Bill’s sister Cassie Harrell. Bill retired from HCC after over 25 years of service as a math and natural resources instructor. He died in September 2016.

The endowment is for students in the associate in arts program with preference given to parttime students who are not eligible for federal or state aid.

According to Cassie, Bill recognized that math was important to the success of students and through his instruction, he wanted to ensure they had basic math skills.

For more information about the William “Bill” C. Harrell Memorial Endowment or any of HCC’s other scholarships, call 828.627.4544 or email pahardin@haywood.edu.

WOW establishes memorial scholarship

Women of Waynesville, a nonprofit organization that supports the needs of women and children in Haywood County, has established a memorial scholarship in honor of one of its founding members who passed away this year.

Lynda Chovan helped start WOW in 2012 and was a dedicated member until her unexpected death earlier this year. WOW wants to honor her memory by helping young women in Haywood County attend college. The scholarship will be open to all female Haywood County students who show financial need and want to pursue an associate degree at a community college or trade school.

Donations can be made by calling 828.550.9978 or by writing a check to WOW, P.O. Box 621, Waynesville, NC, with the memo line “memorial scholarship fund.” www.womenofwaynesville.org.

New scholarship at HCC

Haywood Community College’s Foundation has a new scholarship called the Second Chance Scholarship.

Established by two local residents who wish to remain anonymous, the scholarship is open to students in any course of study taking a full or parttime load beginning spring semester. The donors decided to start the scholarship in hopes of helping a student who may not have done well in high school.

“If someone has decided to turn their life around, we hope this scholarship can affect them in a positive way,” explains one of the donors.

“Haywood Community College will give these students the skills they need to be competitive in today’s market. We believe community colleges are the jewel in the crown of education.”

828.627.4544 or pahardin@haywood.edu.

Memorial scholarship created for HCC

The William “Bill” C. Harrell Memorial Endowment was established at Haywood

SRCA competes at robotics tournament

Shining Rock Classical Academy middle school students recently competed in the First Lego League Qualifying Tournament at Cherokee High School in Cherokee.

The eighth grade team, The Tridents, represented the school well in their judging sessions and especially well in the Robot Game portion of the competition. This rookie team earned the rank of seventh place out of 45 teams.

Nonprofit adds gift to endowed fund at SCC

In 2016, Catch the Spirit of Appalachia established an endowed scholarship through the Southwestern Community College Foundation.

The local nonprofit heritage group recently added a gift of $2,000, which brings the total amount of the endowed scholarship fund to $20,000.

The scholarship fund was created by the CSA board of directors and founders to help SCC students preserve the Appalachian traditions of the area. CSA was founded by Garza and her sister Doreyl Ammons Cain in 1989 to teach local children about mountain music, art and storytelling. For information on how to donate to the fund or create a fund, contact Woods at b_woods@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4241.

SCC students receive $5,000 scholarships

The N.C. State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation has awarded scholarships to two Southwestern Community College students.

Justin Clifton of Cullowhee and Brett Kerby of Lake Junaluska were each awarded a $5,000 SECU Foundation Community College Scholarship. Clifton is pursuing an associate in science degree while Kerby is enrolled in SCC’s respiratory therapy program.

The SECU Foundation established its community college scholarship program in 2006. Each community college receives two $5,000 scholarships annually, respresenting a total financial commitment of up to $580,000 to the entire community college system.

The two rookie robotics teams competed against 43 other teams from in and around western North Carolina. The Shining Rock teams were the only teams from Haywood County competing in the tournament. The sixth/seventh grade team, The Programming Professionals, won the First Place Inspiration Award. They were also one of the 13 overall top scoring teams at the competition who will advance to the First Lego League State Championship Jan. 20 at NC A&T State University in Greensboro.

Library improves access for students

In a new program called “StudentAccess” all students in the county school systems (Jackson, Macon, and Swain) now have access to Fontana Regional Library materials through their student ID numbers, even without a library card.

StudentAccess accounts allow students to borrow e-resources and access online library databases. Students can also borrow up to 10 print or audio books from their local public library collection. The student account is free. There are no overdue fines for student accounts, but students are responsible for any fees on lost or damaged books.

StudentAccess is a joint project with the school systems that provides library access via student ID numbers, which students already memorize for the lunchroom and other school-based online activities. There is no card with these accounts – students just provide their name and number when checking out books.

For more information about how to use StudentAccess, call 828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

‘Everything ahead of me’ for 2018

Ihave a tattoo on the inside of my right wrist that says, “Everything ahead of me.” I got it at a time when I felt so bogged down in an ever-present mire, life felt like quick sand. From my mom’s death to a marital separation, it was one traumatic thing after another.

The only way I could get through a day was to think of a happier, more optimistic future. Seeing the words printed on my body was a constant reminder.

Now the words on my wrist have a different meaning for me. After 16 months of heavy grieving, my feelings about my mom’s death have shifted from a dark melancholy to a somber remembrance. It’s still hard and oh, how I wish she was here on this earth, but I no longer feel paralyzed with sadness.

And now that my boys are adjusting to the separation and having two homes, I feel better on that front. There’s something safe and beautiful about a family unit, and it’s never easy to let it go, but sometimes it’s necessary for all parties to be happy and be the best parents and people they can.

With that on my mind, here we are at the dawn of a new year, a fresh slate of 365 days.

When I was a little girl, my family of four would watch Dick Clark on the TV, eat from snack trays, toast with sparkling cider or champagne and go around in a circle to announce our New Year’s resolutions. I can’t remember what my childhood resolutions were, but I’m sure they were things like.

Do good in school.

Be nice to my sister.

Clean my room more often.

I no longer believe in resolutions. They feel elusive and too

Our representatives doing WNC harm

To the Editor:

The League of Conservation Voters keeps a “scoreboard” that rates our congressional representatives and senators on their support for conservation and the environment. I was curious, so I looked up the people representing Western North Carolina: Sens. Richard Burr, R., and Thom Tillis, R., and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville. I was deeply disturbed by what I found out.

Sen. Tillis earned a score of 10 percent. Sen. Burr got 8 percent. Representative Meadows got a score of 0 percent. Zero. Now even a lazy student that sleeps through class and never opens the textbook can get 25 percent on a multiple choice test just by marking random choices. You really have to work to get zero.

Of course, there is an explanation. These Republicans are just obeying orders from the Koch Brothers and other industries who get their bucks by extracting resources regardless of the damage to the air, water, or soil. The justification always offered for anti-environmental voting is that it is needed to protect the “job-makers,” the people who build up our economy and put people to work.

But here in WNC, the quality of the environment is our economy and the source of

hard to conquer. Several years ago, I transitioned from resolutions to goals. Goals feel sturdier and more achievable.

When I look out at 2018, I feel excited, focused, ready for a solid year full of adventure, new challenges and memory making.

One main goal of mine is to complete a triathlon. I’ve been a runner for several years, but I’m ready to stretch my athletic prowess and take on biking and swimming. On the surface, this sounds like a health and fitness goal, but it’s more than that.

Taking on this challenge will ground many other aspects of my world. A goal that involves mental and physical energy and fortitude helps life in general feel balanced and fluid. When workouts become a “must” instead of a “maybe,” the rest of my day, week, month becomes more structured and productive.

I’ve already been dabbling in swimming and biking, and both are going well so far. My swim stroke is finally starting to feel comfortable and not so awkward. True training will start in the spring with the triathlon(s) being in summer and early fall. Until formal training begins, I plan to continue running, biking, swimming, interval training and doing yoga.

Admittedly, I’m a bit nervous about swimming in open water with hundreds of people splashing around me, but I guess it wouldn’t be a true challenge without a little fear involved. I’m sure I’ll be documenting my training journey

LETTERS

many of our jobs. Anti-environmental votes are votes against the tourism industry, the owners and employees of hundreds of motels, restaurants, shops, and other businesses that rely on people coming to enjoy our beautiful mountains, clean air, and trout-filled streams.

In fact, it’s fair to say every job-maker and worker in WNC is touched either directly or indirectly by the tourist economy.

And it’s not just the tourist dollars at risk. We who live here do so in part because of our love of our natural heritage. We, too, love to hike, swim, boat, fish, hunt, and partake in all the other outdoor activities that depend on having a clean environment.

Every “anti-environment” vote is really a vote against us, the people of WNC. It’s high time we send people to Washington (and Raleigh) who get it.

Boyd Holliday Lake Junaluska

SMN should rethink use of cuss words

To the Editor:

I always enjoy reading your fine publication with its in-depth articles about local news. Today, Dec. 30, I finally had time to

through this column, so stay tuned.

Some of my other 2018 goals include travel, photography, reading more books, doing small renovations around my house, unplugging more often and being mindful of time spent with those I love.

For so many years, I’ve worried about my mom’s cancer, my marriage, the happiness of my children and other heavy things that are virtually impossible to control. I’ve always taken on the burdens of others. It’s just the way I am. While being this way has allowed me to develop many strong relationships, it can also be overwhelming and emotionally taxing.

It’s well known that the best treatment for any type of illness is prevention. You want to prevent lung cancer? Don’t smoke. Cirrhosis of the liver? Quit drinking heavily. A heart attack? Exercise and eat healthier. While sometimes these strategies don’t work to prevent sickness, they’re worth a shot.

Similarly, the best way to prevent emotional injury or debilitation is to build internal immunity. The goals I’ve set for this new year are strategic. They’re not only fun, but they will repair and bolster those parts inside me that are damaged, and they will hopefully help prevent future damage from happening.

The older I get, the more I realize how truly beautiful life is. It’s a journey and an evolution of oneself, but only if we allow it to be. I’m so eager to see what 2018 has in store. I look to this new year with a transformed sense of hope and purpose. Happy New Year, everyone! And remember, everything is ahead of us.

(Susanna Barbee is a writer for Smoky Mountain News and Smoky Mountain Living. Susanna@smliv.com)

read the year-end edition and was deeply disappointed. In the same paper in which Editor Scott McLeod's column bemoaned the fact that the President and the country were sinking into a low standard of vulgarity, staff writer Cory Vaillancourt sank us a little further down. I have never seen a reputable newspaper use “shit” or “BS” in print. Mr. Vaillancourt was not quoting a vulgar

low-life. He decided that only those words could convey his meaning. My mother taught me that only people with small vocabularies had to resort to cuss words. I am sure The Smoky Mountain News can do better. Beth G. Johnson Maggie Valley

My resolve is strengthened by Trump

This is a letter my wife and I sent to President Donald Trump: I write with no expectation of influencing your administration — except, perhaps, to prompt scornful laughter from any minion who happens to read it — as you have proved yourself immune to public opinion. We intend, rather, to inspire others to speak out and to add to the documentation by which history will judge how Americans coped with our greatest national crisis since the Civil War.

We don’t know what offends us more: the damage inflicted by the monstrous tax law you have signed or your boasting, larded with falsehood upon falsehood, about this irresponsible “accomplishment.”

Considering the millions of dollars that you and your family will profit from this bill, your signature is proof of guilt of corruption far beyond any historical example. You have turned the presidency into a profiteering racket. Your persistent violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause is an example and will be a ground for impeachment once we elect a Congress that respects the Constitution more than the current one does.

The nation needed nothing less than a massive tax cut. The economy was already flourishing, thanks to the stewardship of President Obama, whom you refuse to credit. And that prosperity, as even he would say, has left behind the middle-class Americans whose earning powers are diminishing, whose pensions are vanishing, and whose children cannot look forward to a better life than their parents have had. Their benefits under your shameful law are negligible and, by design, fleeting. Moreover, the tax law you so jubilantly signed will make health insurance more expensive by repealing the Affordable Care Act coverage mandate. An estimated 13 million more people will eventually become uninsured by your signature.

The legislation plunders the treasury for the primary benefit of you and your family, the Republican Party’s wealthy donor class and foreign investors, and it gives that misruling party its long-sought pretext to sabotage Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and every strand in the social safety net that can’t be milked for campaign contributions. The American people perceive this by huge majorities that will heap righteous ruin on you and on the Republican Party in the 2018 and 2020 elections and beyond.

Your boasting and misrepresentations are existential problems in themselves because they lay bare your crass confidence that the American people are fool enough to be worn down by your Big Lie methodol-

ogy, your exploitation of chaos and your appeals to racism. Here’s news, sir: we’re smarter than that. And that’s not fake news. We deplore you for many other reasons: The obstruction of justice you committed in firing James Comey; your contempt for judicial independence, women, minorities, foreigners, freedom of the press, the Constitution, the FBI and our other intelligence agencies; your disregard for the dignity of the office that you disgrace on a daily basis with your petulant, immature Twitter rants; your persistent efforts to deny the cyberwarfare by which Russia helped to elect you and your constant disparagement of the special prosecutor and other patriots who seek to uncover the truth and prevent future such assaults on our nation; your nonstop destruction of regulations that protect American consumers and workers and the environment from rapacious corporate predators; your profusion of broken promises, including the non-disclosure of your income tax returns; your vendetta against the Affordable Care Act; your deliberate sabotage of all of our essential international agreements; the disrespect and dishonor you have brought upon our nation at home and abroad, and the debasement of your cabinet and vice president when you compel them to worship you whenever the cameras are rolling. It is hard to imagine how Kim Jong Un’s toadies could be any more obsequious.

You inflict evil with a smile and a laugh, and have allowed Congress to go into recess without addressing the imminent loss of health care to some 9 million children or the fear and anguish of the Dreamers who need legislation to normalize their status. You preside over the only regime in the world that is hell-bent to deprive its citizens of life-saving health care.

The next president truly will be challenged to make America great again because you have subverted our country, weakening and disabling it and trashing its reputation, to the benefit and delight of your patron — America’s enemy — Vladimir Putin.

Not the least part of your successor’s task will be to reverse the ingravescent climate of racism and anti-Semitism that has been nourished by a president who sees no difference between good Americans and Nazis.

That said, you have accomplished something other than we think you intended. As Ruth Marcus has expressed it in the Washington Post, “… our fundamental fight is not against Trump. It is for America.” You have awakened the American people to a clear and present danger and to the vital importance of our votes. You have filled us with a terrible resolve.

(Martin A. Dyckman is a retired associate editor of the Tampa Bay Times who now lives in Western North Carolina.

SMN’s Scott Mcleod and his hypocrisy

To the Editor:

“You can’t debate with someone who repeatedly traffics in blatant lies and counterfeit bluster,” wrote Smoky Mountain News Editor Scott McLeod about Donald Trump in his December 27, 2017, column.

There are just so many ways that demonstrats the hypocrisy of Scott McLeod. I only have time for a few.

Surely, we never heard Scott say such things about President Barack Obama, whose “blatant lies and counterfeit bluster” were legion, such as:

• Better health care for more people for less money.

• If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor.

• If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.

• The most transparent administration in history.

• The Cambridge police acted stupidly.

• “My position hasn’t changed” on using executive authority to address immigration issues.

• “Most young Americans right now, they’re not covered” by health insurance.

• “We’ve got close to 7 million Americans who have access to health care for the first time because of Medicaid expansion.”

And Scott continues to believe that the Haywood County Republican Party did not bring charges against the Haywood Five for “party disloyalty,” despite being shown both evidence that they did and evidence that it could not have happened any other way.

tasteTHE mountains

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL

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

Open Monday through Friday. 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.

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE

454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Wine Down Wednesday’s: ½ off wine by the bottle. We specialize in handcut, steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH

119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1401. Family-style breakfast from

8 to 9:30 a.m. – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch menu from 12 to 2 p.m. with fresh salads, homemade soups and sandwiches. In the evening, social hour begins at 6 p.m.; dinner is served at 7 p.m., with entrees such as seared salmon, oven-roasted chicken and cast-iron skillet pork chops, complemented by locally-sourced vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer fine wines and local craft beer. Please call for reservations and join us for mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view.

CHURCH STREET DEPOT

34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville. 828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burgers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh hand-cut fries. Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining. facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot.

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 calendar at citylightscafe.com.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER

20 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday serving freshly prepared small plates, tapas, charcuterie, desserts. Enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday night at 7pm. www.classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter.

COUNTRY VITTLES: FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT

3589 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley.

828.926.1820 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. 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.

FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA

243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde.

828.476.5058. Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 12 to 8 p.m. Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza. A full service authentic Italian pizzeria and restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge. Dine in, take out, and delivery. Check out our daily lunch specials plus customer appreciation nights on Monday and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95.

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE

44 Church St., Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. 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. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY

U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817 Open for dinner at 4:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. 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 8 p.m. Monday

tasteTHE mountains

through Saturday; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM

617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva. 828.586.3555. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Handtossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch. Beer and wine. Free movies Thursday trought Saturday. Visit madbatterfoodfilm.com for this week’s shows.

MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB

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

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT

2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. 828.926.0425. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Daily specials including soups, sandwiches and southern dishes along with featured dishes such as fresh fried chicken, rainbow trout, country ham, pork chops and more. Breakfast all day including omelets, pancakes, biscuits & gravy. facebook.com/carversmvr; instagram @carvers_mvr.

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.

PATIO BISTRO

30 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.454.0070. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast bagels and sandwiches, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches for lunch with homemade soups, quiches, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer. Outdoor and indoor dining.

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR

Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley 828.926.0201

Home of the Maggie Valley Pizzeria. We deliver after 4 p.m. daily to all of Maggie Valley, J-Creek area, and Lake Junaluska. Monday through Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. country buffet and salad bar from 5 to 9 p.m. $11.95 with Steve Whiddon on piano. Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 to 8 p.m. 11:30 to 3 p.m. family style, fried chicken, ham, fried fish, salad bar, along with all the fixings, $11.95.

SPEEDY’S PIZZA

285 Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.3800

Open seven days a week. Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Family-owned for 30 years. Serving hand-tossed pizza made to order, pasta, subs, gourmet salads, calzones and seafood. Also serving excellent prime rib on Thursdays.

TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL

176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com.

VITO’S PIZZA

607 Highlands Rd., Franklin. 828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito. The recipes have been in the family for 50 years (don't ask for the recipes cuz’ you won't get it!) Each Pizza is hand tossed and made with TLC. You're welcome to watch your pizza being created.

WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY

32 Felmet Street, Waynesville. 828.246.0927. Open Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday noon to 9 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Opened in May 2016, The Waynesville Pizza Company has earned a reputation for having the best hand-tossed pizza in the area. Featuring a custom bar with more than 20 beers and a rustic, family friendly dining room. Menu includes salads, burgers, wraps, hot and cold sandwiches, gourmet pizza, homemade desserts, and a loaded salad bar. The Cuban sandwich is considered by most to be the best in town.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5

Joe Cruz (piano, vocals) Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More

SATURDAY, JANUARY 6

James Hammel (guitar, vocals) Jazz, Pop, Originals

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12

Joe Cruz (piano, vocals) Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13

Dulci Ellenberger (guitar, vocals) and Kevin Williams (piano, vocals) featuring music from the film, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Dinner and Music Reservations at 828-452-6000

THE END OF SILENCE

A conversation with Henry Rollins

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

He is a welcomed voice of reason in a planet seemingly gone mad.

For the last four decades, Henry Rollins has remained a thorn in the side of pop culture and world politics. Though he remains elusive in definition, he’s accessible to those in need of some truth in an era where the battle of appearance versus reality is hitting a crucial tipping point.

In the early 1980s, Rollins burst onto the scene like a shotgun blast as lead singer of legendary punk act Black Flag. Then there was his 16-year run with the highly-acclaimed Rollins Band. But, for most of his never-ending and always-evolving journey, Rollins has become a modern-day renaissance man, lauded for his poetry, acting, photography, books and essays, atop his extensive social activism and political commentary.

It’s not that Rollins is all over the place in his thoughts. It’s that his thoughts have taken him all over the place, gracing stages around the globe — over a hundred countries and all

seven continents at last count.

When you find yourself in conversation with Rollins, you start to see your life and the lives of those around you from 20,000 feet above. He points out the anger and confusion, the lies and mistrust, but also the immense good and unrelenting hope that resides at the core of humanity.

His outlook might seem grim, or even bleak, but that’s only part of the equation for Rollins. Sure, he shows you just how bad everything has gotten. But, his intent ultimately is to shake you awake, as if to say, “OK, this is where we are. Now, are you going to sit on the sidelines or are you going to stand up and fight?”

Smoky Mountain News: When you look out on the world today, what do you see?

Henry Rollins: I think we’re living in an age of eventuality. I have enough laps around the track now, to where I have a better understanding of the Reagan era, in America and the world. I see now that the war on drugs is a war on the poor and the non-white or the poor white. That Reagan had a war on gay people

soundbites and people talking over each other. With that, you have a country that’s tremendously good and privileged, that has a wacky worldview that’s not informed by reality. And so, why wouldn’t a guy with a corny populist message get over?

SMN: People keep saying things are so bad, but actually these conflicts and issues have been around for the better part of a halfcentury ….

Want to go?

The Henry Rollins Travel Slideshow will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at The Orange Peel in Asheville.

During the presentation, Rollins will showcase a collection of his photography taken during his trips around the world. The images will provide the basis for his discussion on where we are as a country and world society these days.

Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 day of show. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.theorangepeel.net or www.henryrollins.com.

and a war on the economy. And there’s this systematic dumbing down of the America electorate. Why? Because you need to fill battlefields and prison cells, because that’s where you’re making big money. And so, two generations later, you have a population that for the most part doesn’t travel, doesn’t read. Not because they’re bad or stupid, there’s no time. They’re busy hustling back in their crap car to their cubicle, to grind out the work week to get 0.75 percent of what they need to get through the year. And they don’t know, and they don’t have time to want to know, so it’s reduced to

HR: Yeah, and humans will always kind of mortar and pestle these issues into a powder as the centuries go by. There will always be homophobia, racism and war. Because that’s just how homo sapiens seem to make it through the centuries. However, I think we’re all doing it now with dirtier water, cloudier skies, an everincreasingly hot planet, dwindling and diminishing resources, and more hostile borders. The fat has melted off the land and here we are. There’s not as much cushion and financial instability keeps a lot of people in an economic stress positon, where they’re not crouching or standing, in that middle where they’re in pain and you can push them with one hand. They’re being tortured. And don’t expect to get a humane response from people. Hence, the anger you see at Trump rallies. And it reminds me of the Soviet Union I used to read about or Putin’s Russia in 2017. That’s my worldview, that we’ve been to this place before, certainly, but there’s less fat on the land, and the desperation is a bit more real. What has changed, since I was young and Nixon was around, is that the political divide has become so polarized, where if the Democrats do “this,” then the Republicans have to do “that.” The only way Congress works is if everybody gets together and everyone gets part of what they wanted. So, now we just have scorched earth. Whoever has the majority, it’s their way or the highway. That’s where we’re at. What’s encouraging is young people, who won’t be sold on their parents’ homophobia and racism, and lack of being science-inclined.

SMN: It’s definitely one of those things where the by-product of this chaos is that the “silent majority” of progressive folks are waking up.

HR: [Progressives] got baby slapped and kiddie punched until last year. Now, you’re getting a real shot into the boards. It’s a Philadelphia Flyers game. And now you’re seeing what you can lose, you see how bad it can get, how quickly and how easily. The gloves are off now, and that next shot to your ribs is going to set you back. And a lot of people are waking up and going, “Whoa, no way did he just say that and no one is calling him on it.” And as much as I fight this stuff becoming normal in my life, I can’t help it — I just adjust. I’m that kind of creature, I don’t cave in. Here’s your “change,” and now you get to understand that elections really have consequences.

Editor’s Note: To listen to the audio stream of the entire interview, go to YouTube and search “Henry Rollins Garret K. Woodward.”

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘Should auld acquaintance be forgot…’

Nobody ever seems to know.

New Year’s Eve is the same day every go around, and yet, why is it nobody pulls the trigger on party plans until the last minute? Year after year, I find myself in this predicament, where I ask all month what everybody is up to for the ball drop. One-by-one they shrug their shoulders without a clue.

HOT PICKS

1

Australian bluegrass sensation Kristy Cox will host the “Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Isis Music Hall in West Asheville.

2

Atlanta’s Most Wanted will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

3

The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host an “O, Brother, Where Art Thou?” four-course dinner with Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams (Americana/folk) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13.

4

So, as this Dec. 31 rolls around, here I sit, in a coffee shop in the frozen depths of Albany, New York. The temperature is a balmy 1 degree outside (wind chill of -15). This time last year I was hanging out with my old college buddies in Brooklyn, running around the Big Apple without a care in the world, the singular mischief and sense of adventure found only at the center of the universe — New York City. As a kid, I remember running around the living room of my parents’ or grandparents’ home in the North Country, watching the ball drop in Times Square on the TV. But, it wasn’t until I was 16 years old in 2001 that New Year’s Eve really stood out for me, at

A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4 and 18, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

5

Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11.

least in terms of being somewhere specific to celebrate. My riffraff friends and I piled into my father’s minivan, heading across Lake Champlain for “First Night” in Burlington, Vermont. It was teenage shenanigans, where a stubby joint would be passed around the minivan in some icy parking lot, onward to the countdown to midnight in a huge sea of people on Church Street.

Other New Year’s Eve celebrations came and went. One with my high school sweetheart in Saranac Lake, New York, only to spend the following one by myself in my hometown as a freshman in college and trying to get over my recent breakup with that high school sweetheart.

Then there was New Year’s Eve 2005 in Montreal, Quebec, where a whole crew of my old high school buddies and I tore into our friend’s tiny downtown apartment, about 30 or so in a studio space the size of a shoebox. A grocery cart filled to the brim with cheap domestic Canadian beer, flip cup and spilling drinks on the floor, dimly-lit late night strip clubs and real deal poutine (gravy fries). I woke up the next morning in the hallway of the apartment building, the same corridor about a dozen of us had sought out for our slumber (one in the elevator, too).

In 2007, en route to Eastern Idaho/Western Wyoming for my first journalism gig out of college, I ended up spending New Year’s Eve in Boulder, Colorado, running up and down Pearl Street, hooting and hollering in pure delight, wondering just what this upcoming adventure into the West would hold as time went along. Back home in 2009, New Year’s Eve was a blurry haze of snow and craft beer at the Lake Placid Pub & Brew, my girlfriend at the time being the head bartender.

From 2010 to 2016, I spent six out the seven New Year’s Eve in New York City. My two best friends from college both lived in the city throughout most of those years. One in Queens, one in Brooklyn. Those times in the city meant the most to me, seeing as I was always on the road and gone most of the year, and to see those familiar and beloved faces, who truly support and encourage you, brought footing to the haphazard nature of those early years as an underemployed writer.

It was tough knowing that last year’s gathering would be our final New Year’s Eve together, at least for a while. Both friends got married in recent years, with one couple moving to Seattle, the other couple relocating to Sydney, Australia (and now expecting their first child).

Sure, New Year’s Eve is just another day on the calendar. But, it’s also that one day where seemingly the entire world puts everything aside to take a moment and reflect on another trip around the sun.

Within the whirlwind day-in-day-out industry that is journalism, you sometimes forget how time flies, especially when you compartmentalize each week when deadlines come and go to get the newspaper out. So, when Dec. 31 appears, you shake your head in disbelief as to how does another year come to an end when it felt like it was just getting started?

And when that brightly-lit ball drops in the mayhem of Times Square, I find myself watching it unfold on live TV and being mesmerized, thinking about all those friends and family members, all scattered around the world, who are looking at the same image as I am, and if they’re happy, if they’re safe and sound, and if maybe they might be thinking of the same about me. The sheer wonder of it all, eh?

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

SCHEDULE

Bryson City community jam

A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4 and 18, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, is invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just

stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City.

The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — year-round. This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts. 828.488.3030.

Aussie bluegrass queen in Asheville

Australian bluegrass sensation Kristy Cox will host the “Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Isis Music Hall in West Asheville.

Adored for her youthful energy infused acoustic country/bluegrass, Cox has been awarded with radio success and accolades for her talent. Having moved to the USA in 2013 after signing her first record deal with bluegrass label Pisgah Ridge (an imprint of Mountain Home), she has just released her album “Part Of Me,” which saw her receive three nominations and bring home the “Bluegrass Recording of the Year” at the 2017 Australian Country Music Awards.

Her 2014 release “Living For The Moment” also saw her nominated for three 2015 Australian Country Music Awards for “Female Artist of the Year,” “Bluegrass Recording of the Year” and “Alternate Country Album of the Year,” where she received the first ever “Bluegrass Recording of the Year” with her single “One Heartbreak Away.” With a string of No. 1 hits on Radio and Country Music Television in Australia, Cox was recently named “Female Vocalist of the Year” and “Entertainer of the Year” at the Australian Independent Country Music Awards with her release “Miles and Timezones.”

Credited for her performance and song writing capabilities, Golden Guitar winner Cox has been shortlisted in the International Bluegrass Music Awards the past two years for “New Artist of the Year.” Her new release “Part of Me” has already seen charting success with three songs debuting in the Top 10 on the Bluegrass Today chart and the single “Another Weary Mile” charting on both Country Music Television and the radio charts in her homeland Australia.

The event is free and open to the public. There are limited tables available with a dinner reservation. Other seating is first come, first serve. www.isisasheville.com or www.kristycox.com.

Bannking... king... Si Simplified

Franklin plays the hits

Specializing in AM radio gold smashes, Atlanta’s Most Wanted will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Having played with such classic entertainers as The Drifters and The Coasters and featuring hits of the 1960s and 1970s, Atlanta’s Most Wanted is sure to set your New Year in the right direction with a night filled with many familiar favorites. Tickets are $18. For more information, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com.

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” with The Sea Notes (Americana/folk) Jan. 6 and Twelfth Fret (Americana) Jan. 13. All shows are free and begin at 5 p.m. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 11. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Jan. 5 and 12, and James Hammel (guitar/folk) Jan. 6. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. There will also be a special “O, Brother, Where Art Thou?” four-course dinner with Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams (Americana/folk) at 7 p.m. Jan. 13, call for dinner prices and reservations. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) Jan. 6 and James Poe (singer-songwriter) Jan. 13. All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. www.curraheebrew.com.

• Derailed Bar & Lounge (Bryson City) will have music at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.488.8898.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Jan. 3 and 10, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Jan. 4 and 11. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Isis Music Hall (Asheville) will host AmiciMusic “From The Underground” 7 p.m. Jan. 6, Caroline Cotter & Michael Howard 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7, Grut 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7, Kristy Cox (bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9, Dennis Warner 7 p.m. Jan. 10, Ryanhood 7 p.m. Jan. 11, “Italian Night” with Mike Guggino & Barrett Smith 8:30 p.m. Jan. 11, Mountain Soul Party 7 and 9 p.m. Jan. 12, Cliff Eberhardt & Louise Mosrie 7 p.m. Jan. 13, and Jesse Barry & Daniel Iannucci 5:30 p.m. Jan. 14. For more information about the performances and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.isisasheville.com.

• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday with Mike Farrington of Post Hole Diggers. Free.

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mile High (classic rock) 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and an Open Jam with Rick 8 p.m. Thursdays.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic with Susan at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and live music on Friday evenings. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• Sneak E Squirrel Brewing (Sylva) will host line dancing every Friday at 7 p.m. and contra dancing every other Friday at 8 p.m. 828.586.6440.

• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.283.0079 or www.38main.com.

There’s nothing like the feel of the heat you get from a wood stove. A wood fire is just cozy –the radiant and convective heat from your wood stove warms body & soul! You will also reduce your dependence on high-priced, non-renewable heating fuels. Whether you buy your wood or collect it yourself, you will notice the savings within the first year.

On the street

Fine Art Museum new acquisitions on display through Jan. 26

The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present the exhibition “WCU Collects: Recent Acquisitions” through Jan. 26 in Cullowhee.

This WCU Collects exhibition showcases a selection of artworks recently given to the museum and includes a number of artists not previously represented in the collection. The WCU Fine Art Museum stewards a collection of more than 1,500 art objects in all media — from painting and printmaking to book arts, sculpture, ceramics, and contemporary craft. As the museum continues to research and interpret the collection, purchases and gifts expand and strengthen its holdings. New acquisitions find their way into the collection through a variety of routes and particularly through the generosity of donors.

All WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions are free and open to the public. For further information, please visit go.wcu.edu/wcucollects or call 828.227.3591.

The WCU Fine Art Museum boasts four art galleries with exhibitions yearround. The Museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. www.wcu.edu.

HGTV features Cataloochee Ranch

Cataloochee Ranch, the well-known Haywood County vacation destination on top of Fie Mountain, will make its national debut on HGTV in January.

Tune in for “Log Cabin Living” at 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, and you'll see horseback riding, hiking, and the big “decision” scene, all taking place at Cataloochee Ranch. An HGTV team traveled to the ranch in June to shoot scenes for the show.

Each episode of “Log Cabin Living” follows a family as they go on a journey to find the quintessential escape. This episode focuses on a couple who wants a slower pace of life after spending three years on assignment in Shanghai. They’re hoping to find a rustic log cabin in the Smoky Mountains with easy winter access, but can their Realtor uncover an ideal option that meets all of their needs?

“The producers wanted to convey the natural beauty of the Smoky Mountains and fun activities available in the area. We were thrilled to host them at the ranch,” said Special Projects Director Penny Redfern.

“The couple’s two young boys enjoyed their very first horseback ride, and head wrangler,

The HGTV crew captured incredible footage with long-range mountain views of the family hiking on a remote section of the ranch property. They also caught a scene of an adult male bear blissfully digging away in the dirt on a ranch resident’s land.

“When we asked if they thought the bear scene would make the cut, the videographer didn’t hesitate before saying ‘Yes!’” Redfern recalled. “We expect this episode will provide

• The Academy at SOAR students (7-12 graders) are holding their annual “Student Cook-Off” on Jan. 12 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Each student prepares a dish from a different culture from around the world. Those students each get one adult to act as their "sous chef." They will present their dish to a panel of judges. There will be a few volunteer chefs from Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort coming to help the students and act as guest judges. www.folkmoot.org.

• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Included are sitting and walking med-

good national exposure for Haywood County.” Cataloochee Ranch has hosted generations of families as a holiday destination for more than 80 years. Folks come for skiing and snowboarding during winter months and mountain hiking, horseback riding, fishing, wagon rides, and live mountain music in the warmer months.

Learn more at www.cataloocheeranch.com. HGTV is channel #229 on the Direct TV system.

itation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission. For more information, call 828.335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 6 and 13 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 6 and 13 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075.

• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

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On the wall

• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will host a free movie night at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For the full schedule of screenings, visit www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

ALSO:

• The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners interested in learning are invited. You can keep up with them through their Facebook group or by calling 828.276.6226 for more information.

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (Jan. 4) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up for either event on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• There will be a “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.

• A “Youth Art Class” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

On the street

Open call for Greening Up

There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentallythemed booths at the 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in downtown Sylva.

Celebrating the new spring in the mountains, the festival has become a beloved regional event. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through April 1.

For more information, call 828.554.1035 or email greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

On the stage

Open call for HCP play

Four new directors will be auditioning those who want to act without being in a fulllength play from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, at the Hudson Library in Highlands.

The Highland Cashiers Players dinner theater will feature four short comedies. Callbacks will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8, at the library. The dinner theater shows will be March 15-17 and 22-24 at the Performing Arts Center.

HCP encourages actors and volunteers to grow in the theater and the dinner theater showcases four new directors. It also gives new and veteran actors a chance to audition for smaller roles, which don’t require the time commitment of our regular plays.

HART annual meeting

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold its annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in Waynesville.

The public is invited as well as HART’s many volunteers and actors. Wine and cheese will be served.

The meeting will highlight the many changes at HART this past year and feature highlights from the 2017 season. Volunteers and actors will be recognized for their many hours of help that made the past year so successful.

HART Executive Director Steve Lloyd will also be providing details of the exciting upcoming 2018 season.

On the street

The life and wild times of Sam Hunnicutt

Don Casada will be presenting “Sam Hunnicutt and His Hunting and Fishing Buddies” during the next meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center in Bryson City.

Hunnicutt's companions covered the social spectrum — teachers, pastors, county sheriffs, state legislators, fellow farmers, violin makers, medical doctors, veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American Wars, blue bloods of the first rank from Newport, Rhode Island, and New York City, murderers and outlaws.

The educational achievements of Hunnicutt's buddies ranged from fourth grade to Ph.D. from Princeton. Yet, neither the backwoods where he was most at home nor Hunnicutt himself were respecters of persons — all were treated equally.

Casada’s presentation will draw from the stories in Hunnicutt’s book Twenty Years of

Hunting and Fishing in Great Smoky Mountains. The stories related aspects of the lives of Hunnicutts’s companions in a very straightforward, just the facts, sort of fashion was well as the nature of the terrain they traversed showing unequaled insights into the nature of society and the culture of the time.

Casada, a native of Swain County has “mostly retired,” and lives in Bryson City with his Susan, in the 127-year old house on Stanley Black Hill where Casada was raised.

Casada is the president of the Friends of Bryson City Cemetery. He has done extensive research on the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, having located and marked the coordinates of some 600 former homesites in Swain County from Straight Fork to below Twenty-Mile Creek.

Written directions are on the Swain County Genealogy website www.swaingenealogy.com. Conversation and refreshments will follow the presentation. This is free and open to the public.

technology to help you get a lot less mobile.

Log on. Plan a trip. And start kicking back.

Books

Mountain in the clouds: a new year’s resolution

There it stood on a sale table, all 11 volumes lined up tight and orderly as cadets on parade, Will and Ariel Durant’s The Story of Civilization.

The Friends of the Library had slapped a price tag on Volume IV.

$4.

Surely, I thought, the Friends intended $4 per volume. When I checked with the cashier, however, she shook her head. Four bucks, and the Durants, all 11 of them, could be mine.

At my favorite coffee shop, a 16-ounce Ethiopian costs $4.10, including tax. At my local grocery store, a rotisserie-cooked whole chicken goes for $4.99. At the Dollar Store north of town, I can plunk down four George Washingtons for bubble gum and enslave an entire tribe of grandchildren for a week or more.

Will Durant, joined later by his wife Ariel, spent over 40 years creating this history. The Story of Civilization became a best seller. Book clubs once offered this set at a low price as an enticement for membership, and in 1968 Volume X, Rousseau and Revolution, won the Pulitzer for General Nonfiction.

Now there it sat, a life’s work in all its faded glory, pathetic and forlorn as an evicted widow, each hefty volume costing less than 37 cents.

It was deplorable. It was atrocious. It was irresistible.

When you are crazy about books, and a deal like this one crosses your path, you immediately acquire those symptoms associated with love at first sight or the onset of influenza. Your blood pressure blossoms, your face becomse flushed, your palms dampen, and your brain races like a NASCAR driver on the final lap.

Past experience teaches only two possible cures for such book lust: the slow cure, where you muster your resolve and walk away, shoulders slumped, hands jammed in your pockets, pursued for hours or even days by pangs of conscience, another brick added to your wheelbarrow of regrets, or the quick cure, where you put down your money, stuff those books into the trunk of your car, and drive like the wind.

In this case, I wanted the quick cure. There was only one major complication.

For more than a quarter of a century, a set of the Durant histories, also purchased at a Friends sale, has decorated my bookshelves. I say decorated because I so rarely open them. They are “dipper books,” that is, volumes to be opened on random occasions, perused for a few minutes, and returned to the shelf until the urge again strikes to learn something about the wisdom of Confucius, the conversion of Constantine, or the beheading of Marie Antoinette

Otherwise, nada.

Given that lethargic track record, I

couldn’t justify giving up another 23 inches of shelf space for Will and Ariel. The $4 price was a bucket of gasoline thrown onto the match head of my desire, but if I carried off The Story of Civilization for myself, I’d look like a maniac, even to the man in the glass.

For most of us, rationalization comes as easily as crossing a country road, and so it was with me. As I stood guard over the Durants, I recollected that my good friend John had recently told me how much he enjoyed reading non-fiction these days, his tastes having shifted from novels to biographies and histories.

It took me two trips to carry Will and Ariel to the cashier’s desk.

There you go, John, I thought as I handed over five singles, kicking in an extra buck for the Friends. That should give you enough reading for a few years.

It was a fine gift — I boxed the books and wrapped them in Christmas paper for the occasion, and John was delighted—but with unforeseen and challenging consequences.

Here is what happened: For the next few days, whenever I passed my own set of Durants, they caught my eye, slowing my pace and demanding my attention like that Sunday afternoon stranger whose striking demeanor intrudes, however briefly, on our sidewalk peregrinations.

A crazy idea stole over me. Suppose, I wondered, I read this collection in its entirety? Suppose instead of dipping, I opened Volume I to page one and read the entire set cover to cover?

I felt like a novice climber contemplating Everest. Could I tackle such a mountain of words?

The mountain is formidable. The Story of Civilization weighs in at a hefty 36.6 pounds, and excluding the bibliographical notes, the footnotes, and the indices at the end of each volume, runs to 8,945 pages.

The math was simple. At 100 pages a week, the climb would take me 89.45 weeks, or about 20 months.

Daunting, yes. But not impossible.

Recently I read of a 67-year-old woman who decided she wanted to run in a marathon. She had never run for exercise in her life, but her desire and passion led her to put on a pair of sneakers, leave the house, and walk a mile. Every day she walked through her neighborhood, extending the distance a little each time. Soon she was jogging and walking. In another six months, she was running. In the next seven years, she competed in a number of marathons and other distance races.

One step at a time, and sooner or later you can run a marathon. One page at a time, and sooner or later you can read the 8,945 pages of Will and Ariel Durant’s The Story of Civilization

Twenty months to stand atop The Story of Civilization is too slow. Completing the climb a year from now — December 31, 2018 — has more of a ring to it, more a sense of adventure.

Hand me my boots and crampons, my helmet, pulleys, and carabiners.

I am going to have a go at the mountain. We’ll see how far I get.

Adventure through 2018

WNC offers excursions for every month of the year

When people praise the Smokies, it’s often the area’s status as a four-season bonanza of beauty that spurs the discussion. From snow-blanketed winters to vibrant-leafed autumns, these mountains dress to impress year-round.

As 2018 grinds into gear, use this list as a guide to adventures, activities and events throughout the year designed to help you experience mountain life to its fullest.

JANUARY — EXPLORETHE

FROZEN PARKWAY

The Blue Ridge Parkway may be one of the busiest units in the National Park Service, but when the temperature drops the scenic road is frequently closed to motorized travel. Take a winter hike — or, when it snows, a snowshoeing or cross-country skiing adventure — to enjoy a more solitary Parkway experience. Pro tip: the roundtrip walk from the Soco Gap entrance to Waterrock Knob is about 10 miles.

FEBRUARY — TAKETHEPLUNGE

Some may call it crazy to intentionally jump into a pool of freezing water, but don’t let the naysayers dissuade you. The Haywood Waterways Association makes fun a priority at its annual Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek & Youth Education, with costumes encouraged and bonfires provided. This year’s plunge will begin at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Canton Pool, with all funds raised supporting Haywood Waterways’ environmental education efforts. The plunge is $25 or free for those who raise sponsorships; sign up at www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/6thann ualhwaplunge.

Costumes are encouraged during Haywood Waterways Association’s annual winter plunge event. File photo

M OINTHE ASSAULT

There’s no truer way to prove your grit than by running a 2,770-foot ascent — and then coming back down — over the course of a 7-mile trail. The eighth annual Assault on BlackRock race will give participants the chance to do just that, with this year’s race slated for Saturday, March 17. Better yet, it’s for a good cause — all proceeds will benefit Jackson County’s “Shop with a Cop” program, which allows kids from low-income families to go Christmas shopping in the company of a law enforcement officer. Pre-registration for the race is $25 at https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=5 1327.

APRIL — GOONA PILGRIMAGE

Offering everything from lectures to hikes to photography adventures, the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage will likely hold interest for anyone with even a tangential interest in wildflowers, which perhaps is why this year’s April 24-28 event will be the 68th annual. Based in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the pilgrimage offers excursions spreading throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and sessions with speakers from across the region. Look for the schedule and registration information at www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org.

MAY — PLANTA GARDEN

In the mountains May is planting time, with conventional wisdom holding that it’s generally safe to put sensitive plants out after Mothers Day. There’s an abundance of resources available for gardeners of all ability levels to make their thumbs ever greener, including the Haywood County Master Gardener Plant Clinic, which answers plantrelated questions of all types at 828.456.3575; various gardening programs offered by county Cooperative Extension offices; and gardening programs and a seed bank available at the

Haywood County Public Library. Many farmers markets (look for a round-up of local markets in The Smoky Mountain News as spring approaches) also feature vendors selling local varieties — with some free advice thrown in.

JUNE — MEETA BIRDUPCLOSE

It’s not too often you get the chance to see the details of a songbird’s colorful feathers and scaly feet up close, but an ongoing data collection effort is always looking for volunteers to give scientists a hand. No experience is necessary to help with the project, called Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship, but helpers are guaranteed a chance to see multiple birds at close range — possibly even getting to hold the feathery creatures in their hands. Check the calendar at www.bigbaldbanding.org for dates, or just keep reading SMN.

JULY — JOINATRAILCREW

It’s one thing to hike a trail. It’s another thing to hike a trail while hauling the metal tools needed to keep that trail passable. Helping out with one of the many trail maintenance crews in the

Bank supports education at Tremont

A $7,500 donation from SmartBank will help underserved kids experience the beauty of the Smokies through the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont’s educational programs.

The donation is part of SmartBank’s Park Partners Program, which supports the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and

mountains is a great way to see your favorite trails through a different perspective while doing your part to keep them there for others to experience. As a bonus, trail crew people are often woods-savvy hiking enthusiasts who are full of knowledge about little-known trails and views. Contact the Nantahala Hiking Club or the Carolina Mountain Club to learn more about trail crews.

AUGUST —

GATHERBLUEBERRIES

There’s nothing like the sweetly tart taste of a mountain blueberry, and they grow abundantly in this corner of the world. Seek out high-elevation spots where the trees are young and sunlight abundant. Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam are two popular areas to pick, but they’re also crowded. Scope out your own private blueberry patch, and the haul will be much more plentiful. And make sure to get out early — the longer you wait, the more likely your berries will already be in someone’s else’s bucket or some bear’s stomach.

SEPTEMBER — BEAPPRECIATED

From bouncy houses to bike trials to five-star gear deals, the Guest Appreciation Festival at the Nantahala Outdoor Center near Bryson City is definitely worth a spot on the calendar. The annual festival features gear vendors and a used gear sale, as well as a multitude of activities for families, a special whitewater release courtesy of Duke Energy and a variety of other attractions. It’s free, with this year’s event planned for Sept. 28-30. Over the summer, a full schedule will be posted at www.noc.com/events/guest-appreciationfestival-gaf.

OCTOBER — SPOTTHEBEAR

Starting in mid-October, pretty much any drive in Western North Carolina becomes a leaf-looking spectacle of epic proportions, but one spot near Cashiers ups the ante in a way few other locations can match. From mid-October through early November, a shadow growing as the sun sets behind Whiteside Mountain looks exactly like a giant bear spreading over the mountains. The phenomenon begins around 5:30 p.m. on sunny days and lasts for about 30 minutes, with the best viewing spot at Rhodes Big View Overlook off of U.S. 64 between Cashiers and Highlands.

its partners. Schools from across the country bring students to Tremont Institute to attend programs and stay overnight inside the park. Lessons include topics such as geology, cultural history, ecology and environmental concerns. The institute also offers year-round programs for adults and educators to live and learn inside the park.

NOVEMBER — TOTEATROUT

Fall is trout stocking time for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, but in Haywood County the organization gets some help from the Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited, which rounds up volunteers to help deposit buckets of live trout all along the Pigeon River. Holding a bucket of twisting, turning trout is a singular experience, and afterward the stocked river offers some amazing catch-and-release fishing. Volunteers and their rods are encouraged to hang around for some post-stocking casts. Watch SMN for dates, or contact Trout Unlimited at tucataloochee427@gmail.com.

Trees light up the night at Winter Lights.

SMN photo

DECEMBER — EXPERIENCETHEWONDEROF WINTER LIGHTS

Draped in nearly half a million lights and studded with gems such as live music and a synchronized light show, the N.C. Arboretum becomes a place of wonder during its annual Winter Lights exhibit. Offered nightly from mid-November through the end of the year, Winter Lights transforms the frosty grounds with multicolored lights twisted up every parking lot tree, a pavilion that becomes a gumdrop cottage, and a 50-foot Christmas tree whose patterns continually change in time to holiday favorites played through a speaker. There’s opportunity to warm up as well, with hot chocolate and s’mores for sale, as well as live music indoors and a kids craft room. All proceeds help fund programs at the arboretum. Find out more at www.ncarboretum.org/exhibits-events/winter-lights.

{Celebrating the Southern Appalachians}

Smoky Mountain Living celebrates the mountain region’s culture, music, art, and special places. We tell our stories for those who are lucky enough to live here and those who want to stay in touch with the place they love.

Subscribe or learn more at smliv.com

We Can Help!

women Oct. 15, 7 p.m. at Kim’s Pharmacy.

Get a jump start on A.T. hiking

Get a primer on hiking the Appalachian Trail with a program offered 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at REI in Asheville.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will present a workshop designed to prepare future A.T. hikers for the trail, while also teaching how to mitigate impact, respect and protect the trail that inspires so many. Questions welcome.

Free, with space limited. Sign up at www.rei.com/learn.

Foray into film

A series of nature-themed films and documentaries will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at the Highlands Biological Foundation.

The “Winter Film Forays Series” will be held on the second and fourth Thursdays of January, February and March, all at 6:30 p.m. Each week will feature a different family-friendly feature followed by a brief group discussion to inspire environmental stewardship and discovery. Popcorn and beverages will be available.

For titles of films to be shown at individual events, call 828.526.2221.

Seed Swap returns

A longstanding Jackson County winter tradition will return with the upcoming Seed Swap this month at the Jackson County Farmers Market.

Area farmers and gardeners will gather to assemble group seed orders 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at The Community Table in Sylva, with experienced growers on hand to talk newbies through seed selection and the peculiarities of mountain gardening.

Seeds will come from Fedco and Johnny’s Select Seeds. Grouping orders allows for a 25 percent discount on Fedco seeds and free shipping from Johnny’s. Onion plants will come from Dixondale Farms, organic seed potatoes from New Sprout Farms and sweet potato slips from George’s Plant Farm.

Payment should be made the day of the order with cash or check.

Seed pickup will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, during the farmers market at The Community Table, with seed potatoes, onions and sweet potato slips arriving later in the spring. During seed

pickup, a seed exchange will be held as well, with growers encouraged to bring seeds to trade with other growers.

jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

A program designed to help preschoolers have fun while developing sports skills is now open for registration at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Smart Start Sports Development is open to kids 4 and 5 years old as of Feb. 1, with a mandatory parent meeting at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1. The program includes six one-hour sessions from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. on Thursdays beginning Feb. 8.

Smart Start Sports Development aims to help kids develop basic motor skills while building their confidence and allowing them to participate without the threat of competition or fear of getting hurt. Children will enjoy working one-on-one with their parents and spending time together during the sessions.

The $50 participation fee includes a participant manual, T-shirt and sports equipment designed for preschoolers — baseball bat, ball and glove set, two koosh balls, teslon soccer ball and mesh equipment bag.

The 20 spots are available on a firstcome, first-serve basis, with a registration deadline of 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. Sign up with Donald Hummel, 828.456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov, or just stop by the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Stay in the loop with Waynesville Rec

An electronic version of the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department’s monthly program guide is now available, offering an easy way to stay on top of which classes, trips and programs are on the horizon. Sign up for this free service by emailing Rhett Langston at rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov.

TO ANYONE SUFFERING WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES OR PRE-DIABETES

IT'S TIME TO QUIT SUFFERING AND LIVE AGAIN.

If you're diagnosed with cancer you're refered to an oncologist; If you suffer a heart attack you're sent to a cardiologist. Even if you suffer from corns, calluses or ingrown toenails you're sent to a podiatrist, so ask yourself... is your type 2 diabetes any less important than someone with foot problems? Here's your answer- Type 2 Diabetes is the number one for-profit health care problem in America. Pharmaceutical companies make Billions on top of Billions each year pedaling drugs that have severe long term side effects and they depend on people not educating themselves and staying on their 'customer for life' program.

Answer each question: yes or no?

Are you suffering from lack of energy and feeling tired all the time?

Are you overweight or feel like there's way too much inflammation in your body?

Do you feel like you should seek a second opinon from a doctor that only works with Type 2 Diabetics?

Are you starting to have symptoms of Neuropathy; the feeling of fire ants in your shoes?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you qualify to attend our free Diabetes Reversal Dinner Seminar. Call 1-800-985-1783 to reserve seat. Seating is limited.

Location:

Wells Events & Reception Center: 248 N Main St Waynesville NC 28786

Date of event: January 13, 2018 Registration starts at noon Why Our Program works When Others Fail? Most

simple; other programs don't fix the underlying cause of your diabetes. Once the adrenal glands, liver, kidneys, thyroid and pancreas are all functioning correctly it really opens up the menu for you to have the freedom to eat just about anything you want.

Hunting and fishing changes proposed

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is now taking public comment on this year’s round of proposed changes to rules for wildlife management, inland fisheries and game lands for the 2018-2019 seasons, with a public hearing to be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, at the Haywood Community College auditorium in Clyde.

Proposed changes include:

n Changing season lengths and timeframes for deer seasons, establishing a statewide antlered deer bag limit of two antlered bucks, a statewide antlerless deer

day-a-week area with an introductory either-sex deer season. The change is proposed because the N.C. Forest Service wants to enroll the 7,300-acre Headwaters State Forest into the Game Lands Program as a six-day-per-week game land and will manage the property as a foot traffic only area.

n Designating all waters on the William H. Silvers Game Land in Haywood County and Headwaters Game Land in Transylvania County as Public Mountain Trout Waters and classifying them as Wild Trout Waters. The Wild Trout Waters classification is the default trout classification on game lands with trout resources.

limit of four and restricting the use of bonus antlerless deer tags to the urban archery season. The proposal would not change season opening dates for archery, but where other seasons begin later archery seasons would be longer than currently established seasons. The changes are designed to improve herd conditions based on a 2015 survey in which respondents overwhelmingly said that there were too few mature bucks in the herd.

n Adding two weeks to the beginning of the current bear season in the Mountain Bear Management Unit, which comprises the 25 western counties. The change is a response to the fact that proposed deer hunting season changes would cause an overlap in currently established bear seasons and proposed deer seasons.

Historically, bear and deer gun seasons have not overlapped, but in a July meeting with bear hunters, hunters preferred this option of keeping the bear season as structured and having an overlap with deer season but adding two weeks in October. According to the Wildlife Commission, biological data indicates this measure should not have a negative impact on the bear population.

n Establishing the Headwaters State Forest Game Land in Transylvania County as a six-

n Modifying the upper boundary of Delayed Harvest Trout Waters on the East Fork French Broad River in Transylvania County by removing 1 mile of Public Mountain Trout Waters between East Fork Baptist Church and the French Broad River. This upper reach has been posted against trespass, and the Wildlife Commission believes the change would more accurately reflect which portion of the stream is stocked and accessible to the public.

n Removing the requirement that minnow traps be attended by the person operating them when used to take nongame fish for bait or personal consumption. Under this provision, the use of minnow traps would require only a license authorizing basic fishing privileges, and any nongame fish collected could not be sold. The change is suggested because minnow traps are traditionally fished by leaving them unattended overnight.

n Allowing harvest of nongame fishes for bait or personal consumption from impounded waters of power supply reservoirs and municipally owned water supply reservoirs designated as Public Mountain Trout Waters. These include Cliffside Lake, Cheoah Reservoir and Wolf Lake. The change is designed to allow additional opportunity for constituents.

Comments can be submitted through Feb. 1 online at ncpaws.org/paws/wrc/publiccomments/publicentry/PublicComments .aspx, via email regulations@ncwildlife.org or by mail to: Rules Coordinator, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1701. A complete list of proposed regulation changes and justifications is online at www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/ProposedRe gulations/2018-Public-HearingsBooklet.pdf.

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Cataloochee Ranch will be featured on “Log Cabin Living” at 11 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6, on HGTV. www.cataloocheeranch.com.

• Academy at SOAR students (7th-12th grades) will hold their annual Student Cook-Off on Jan. 12 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Students prepare dishes from different cultures around the world and present them to judges.

• The Haywood Regional Arts Regional Theatre will hold its annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, in Waynesville. Wine and cheese will be served.

• Cruise in Maggie Valley event is held from 1-5 p.m. every Sunday at 2771 Soco Road. Vendors: $10 per space. Cruising@MaggieValleyAntiques.com.

• Qualla Boundary Historical Society meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Everyone is welcome.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• The fourth annual Appalachian Farm School, organized by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center and its partners, will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesdays from Jan. 9-Feb. 27 in the Burrell Building on SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. Designed for anyone in the agriculture business. Topics include business planning, farm evaluation, goal setting and more. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc. Info: t_henry@southwesterncc.edu or 339.4426.

• Registration is underway for the spring semester at Haywood Community College. Classes start Monday, Jan. 8. 627.4500 or haywood.edu.

• Haywood Community College will offer a hunter safety course from 6-9:30 p.m. on Jan. 8-9 on the HCC campus, building 3300, room 3322, in Clyde. Participants must attend both evenings to receive certification. Preregistration is required: www.ncwildlife.org.

• Concealed Carry Handgun Classes will be offered from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Jan. 20 and Feb. 17 at Bethel Grocery Hunting & Fishing at 5692 Pigeon Road in Waynesville. 648.5797 or bethelgrocery@gmail.com.

• Small business owners can find materials and services to support business growth at Fontana Regional Library’s locations in Macon, Jackson and Swain Counties. Computer classes and one-on-one assistance also available. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• A meeting of current and former employees of the Waynesville plant of Champion/Blue Ridge/Evergreen is held at 8 a.m. on the first Monday of each month at BoJangles near Lake Junaluska’s entrance.

• One-on-one computer lessons are offered weekly at the Waynesville and Canton branches of the Haywood County Public Library. Lesson slots are available from 10 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Canton and from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Library. Sign up at the front desk of either library or call 356.2507 for the Waynesville Library or 648.2924 for the Canton Library.

FUNDRAISERSAND B ENEFITS

• City Lights Bookstore (Sylva) 19th annual “Giving Tree” program is now underway. The program collects books and gives them to the agencies in time for the children to receive books for Christmas. All “Giving Tree” purchases will receive a 20 percent discount. 586.9499.

• The Waynesville Art Gallery Association has partnered

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

with Clothes to Kids in Haywood County with a mission of clothing local children during this time of year. The clothing drive will receive donations between December 13th and January 13th, 2018. Drop off their donated items at several storefronts in downtown Waynesville. They will collect items until January 13th, at which time, all donations will be delivered to Clothes for Kids in Lake Junaluska. Drop off locations on Main Street are: The Jewelers Workbench, Twigs and Leaves Gallery, Affairs of the Heart, Burlwood Gallery, Cedar Hill Art Studio and the Haywood County Arts Council. 456.2260 or Carrie Keith at 456.1940.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS

• The Good Samaritan clinic of Haywood County seeks volunteers to help uninsured patients receive medications, vision care and other health and spiritual-related services in Waynesville. Clinic is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday. 454.5287 or crocco@gcshaywood.org.

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking volunteers to assist rangers with managing traffic and establishing safe wildlife viewing areas within the Cataloochee Valley area. To register for training or get more info: karl_danforth@nps.gov.

• Haywood Regional Medical Center is seeking volunteers of all ages for ongoing support at the hospital, outpatient care center and the Homestead. For info and to apply: 452.8301, stop by the information desk in the lobby or volunteer@haymed.org. Anyone interested in becoming a hospice volunteer can call 452.5039.

• STAR Rescue Ranch is seeking volunteers to help with horse care, fundraising events, barn maintenance and more at the only equine rescue in Haywood County. 828.400.4940.

• Volunteer Opportunities are available throughout the region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center today and get started sharing your talents. 3562833

• Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2816.

H EALTH MATTERS

• HIV and syphilis testing will is offered during normal business hours at Jackson County Department of Public Health in Sylva. 586.8994.

• A support group for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), family, friends and caregivers will meet at 5:45 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Jackson County Public Library conference room in Sylva. 293.2503.

• A support group for anyone with MS, family & friends meets monthly at 6:45 p.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the conference room of Jackson Co. Library in Sylva. No Fee, sponsored by National MS Society. Local contact: Gordon Gaebel 828-293-2503.

• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission. 335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

• A “Walk With A Doc” program is scheduled for 10 a.m. each Saturday at the Lake Junaluska Kern Center or Canton Rec Park. MyHaywoodRegional.com/WalkwithaDoc.

• Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA) meets at noon on Saturdays at the First United Methodist Church Outreach Center at 171 Main St. in Franklin. 407.758.6433 or adultchildren.org.

• Western Carolina University’s student-run, Mountain Area Pro Bono Physical Therapy Clinic will be open from 6-8:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. 227.3527.

• The Haywood County Health & Human Services Public Health Services Division is offering a Night Clinic from 4-6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month in Waynesville. Services include family planning, immunizations, pregnancy testing, STD testing and treatment. Appointments: 452.6675.

• The Jackson County Department of Public Health will offer a general clinic from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 587.8225.

• A Food Addicts Anonymous Twelve-Step fellowship group meets at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville. www.foodaddictsanonymous.org.

• Big Brother/Big Sister, a one-evening preparation class for children who are about to greet a new baby into their family, is offered for children ages 3-10 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• Mothers Connection, an ongoing social gathering for mothers and their babies, meets from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Thursdays excluding holidays at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• A support group meeting for those with Parkinsons Disease and their caregivers will be held at 2 p.m. on the last day Wednesday of the month at the Waynesville Senior Resource Center.

• A support group for anyone with Multiple Sclerosis, family and friends meets twice each month: at 2 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in the Heritage Room at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva and at 5:30 p.m. on the second Thursday at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Info: 293.2503.

• Dogwood Insight Center presents health talks at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

• Free childbirth and breastfeeding classes are available at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. Classes are offered bimonthly on an ongoing basis. Register or get more info: 586.7907.

• Angel Medical Center’s diabetes support group meets at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the AMC dining room. 369.4166.

• A free weekly grief support group is open to the public from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at SECU Hospice House in Franklin. Hosted by Four Seasons Compassion for Life Bereavement Team. 692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

• A monthly grief processing support group will meet from 4-5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care in Clyde. 452.5039.

• A free, weekly grief support group will meet from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at the SECU Hospice House in Franklin. 692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

• “ECA on the Move!” – a walking program organized by Jackson County Extension and Community Association – meets from 9-10 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. It’s an effort to meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 10,000 steps per day. 586.4009.

• A Tuesday Meditation Group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin.

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 fitness centers

■ Civic and social club gatherings

R ECREATIONAND FITNESS

• Pickleball, a cross between tennis, badminton and ping-pong, will be offered from 9 a.m.-noon on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Old Hazelwood Gym in Waynesville. $3 per visit, or $20 for a 10-visit card. 452.6789 or iansmith@haywoodcountync.gov.

• Yoga is being offered at the Fitness Connection in Waynesville. First class is free. Info: 476.0179 or 550.1640.

• ZUMBA! Classes, are offered from 6-7 p.m. on Tuesdays, at the Canton Armory. $5 per class. 648.2363 or parks@cantonnc.com.

• Tai chi is offered from 10:45-11:45 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center. It’s also offered from 1-2 p.m. on Thursdays. Taught by Bill Muerdter. For info about the classes or HRHFC memberships and offerings, call 452.8080 or visit MyHaywoodRegional.com/Fitness.

• Ultimate Frisbee games are held from 5:30-8 p.m. on Mondays at the Cullowhee Recreation Park. Organized by Jackson County Parks & Recreation. Pick-up style. 293.2053 or www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• The Wednesday Croquet Group meets from 10 a.m.noon at the Vance Street Park across from the shelter. For senior players ages 55 or older. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Pickleball is from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday nights at First Methodist Church in Sylva. $1 each time you play; equipment provided. 293.3053.

• Cardio Lunch class will meet from noon-1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Flexible Fitness class will meet from 4:30-5:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Pump It Up class will meet from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• The Canton Armory is open to the public for walking from 7:45-9 a.m. on Monday through Friday unless the facility is booked till spring. 648.2363. parks@cantonnc.com.

• Pickle ball is offered from 8 a.m.-noon on Mondays through Fridays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. 456.2030 or www.waynesvillnc.gov.

S PIRITUAL

• Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s winter youth retreat with Celia Whitler (speaker and worship

band), which will be held Jan. 12-15. Featuring comedian John Felts. Register or get more info: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/winteryouth.

• Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s winter youth retreat featuring Cecilia Tucker (speaker) and The Advice (worship band). Retreat is from Jan. 26-28. Register or get more info: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/winteryouth.

• Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s winter youth retreat featuring Chris Sasser (speaker) and The Advice (worship band) Retreat is from Feb. 2-4. Register or get more info: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/winteryouth.

• Registration is underway for the Interfaith Peace Conference, which is Thursday through Sunday, March 1-4, in Lake Junaluska. Topic centers around communicating with civility and respect while upholding core values and religious traditions. Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders will offer lectures, worship, music, prayer and meditation. $150 per person. $60 for students. $10 for CEU credits. www.lakejunaluska.com/peace or 800.222.4930.

P OLITICAL

• The Swain County Democratic Party will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at the Swain County Senior Center, 125 Brendle Street, in Bryson City. 488.1118.

• The Haywood County Libertarian Party is now meeting at Blue Ridge Books on Main Street from 4:30-6 p.m. every second Monday of the month. These meetings will be for discussion on current events, and are open to the public.

• A lunch-and-discussion group will be held by the League of Women Voters at noon on the second Thursday of each month at Tartan Hall of the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. RSVP for lunch: lwvmacon@wild-dog-mountain.info or 524.8369.

AUTHORSAND B OOKS

• The “Coffee with the Poet” series gathers at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva the third Thursday of each month and is co-sponsored by the North Carolina Writers Network. 586.9499.

• Canton Book Club meets at 3:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, at the Canton Library. 648.2924.

• Cookin’ the Books will be held at noon on the last Wednesday of the month at the Waynesville Public Library. A book club focused on cookbooks. All members choose a recipe from the book and bring it to share. The group will discuss the good and bad aspects of the chosen cookbook. 356.2507.

• Banned Book Club meets from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. For those who enjoy literature and intellectual conversation. 456.6000, blueridgebooks@ymail.com or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

• Waynesville Book Club at 5:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at Waynesville Library Meet to discuss books, which are chosen by each member (taking turns) and provided by the library. New members are welcome. For more information, 356.2507.

S ENIORACTIVITIES

• Registration is underway for a senior mystery drive trip will be offered by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department on Jan. 22. $10 per person for members; $12 for nonmembers. For info and to register: 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• The Mexican Train Dominoes Group seeks new players to join games at 1:30 p.m. each Tuesday at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 926.6567.

• Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina – an effort to help area residents commit to a healthier lifestyle, will meet from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

• A Silver Sneakers Cardio Fit class will meet from 1011 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 60 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Book Club is held at 2 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800

• Senior croquet for ages 55 and older is offered from 9-11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Vance Street Park in front of Waynesville Recreation Center. Free. For info, contact Donald Hummel at 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A Hand & Foot card game is held at 1 p.m. on Mondays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• Senior Sale Day is on the third Friday of every month at the Friends of the Library Used Bookstore. Patrons 60 and older get 20 percent off all purchases. Proceeds benefit the Sylva Library.

• Pinochle game is played at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2813.

• Hearts is played at 12 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2813.

• Mah Jongg is played at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2813.

K IDS & FAMILIES

• A kids’ nature discovery program will be offered to ages 3-5 and kindergarten through third grade through the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. Younger ages will meet at 4 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 20) at Cullowhee Recreation Center. The older ages

Puzzles can be found on page 46.

These are only the answers.

meet at 9 a.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 20). $10 per child. Pre-register: www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• A “Youth Art Class” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

• Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s winter youth retreats, which start Dec. 29. Register or get more info: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/winteryouth.

ONGOINGKIDSACTIVITIES ANDCLUBS

• The Canton Library offers a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) program each month. At 4 p.m. on third Tuesday. Children ages 6-12 are welcome to attend. Please call 648-2924 for more information.

• A Tuesday Library Club for ages 5-12 meets at 4 p.m. each Tuesday (except for the fifth Tuesday on months that occurs) at the Canton Library. Hands-on activities like exercise, cooking, LEGOs, science experiments and crafts. 648.2924 or kpunch@haywoodnc.net.

• “Art Beats for Kids” will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. A new project every week. $20 per child, with includes lesson, materials and snack. To register, call 828.538.2054.

• Stories, songs and a craft are offered for ages zerosix (and caregivers) at 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday at the Canton Library. 648.2924.

• A program called “Imagine,” an art program for children 8-12 meets at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Jackson County Public Library. Program contains art, writing, and drama. 586.2016.

• Rompin’ Stompin’, an hour-long storytime with music, movement and books, is held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursdays at the Canton Library and at 11 a.m. on Thursdays at the Waynesville Library. For ages zero to six. 648.2924.

• Rompin’ Stompin’, an hourlong storytime with music, movement and books, is held at 11 a.m. on Fridays at the Canton Library. For ages zero to six. 648.2924.

• Crafternoons are at 2:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• Library Olympics will be held at 2 p.m. on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. Children age 5 and up get active through relay races, bingo, mini golf. 586.2016.

• Get Moving, a program for children ages 5-12 to encourage children to live a healthy life through exercise and healthy eating, will be held on the first Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. 648.2924

• Full STEAM Ahead, a program for children ages 5-12 to allow them to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics through fun hands-on activities. Program open to the first 15 participants, at 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at Canton Public Library. 648.2924.

• Family Story Time is held on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 0-6. Stories, songs, dance and crafting. 648.2924.

• Storytimes are held at 10 and 10:40 a.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• After-School Art Adventure will be on from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays at The Bascom in Highlands. For ages 5 to 10, Art Adventure is a class that explores the creative process of drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, sculpture, fiber art, and crafts by utilizing a variety of media. The students will investigate some of the most popular techniques and theories in art history and will be exposed to contemporary as well as folk art traditions. Tuition is $40 for a four-class package. www.thebascom.org.

• Wednesdays in the Stacks, “WITS”, a new program for children in grades 3-6, on the third Wednesdays of the month from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Macon County Library. WITS will include lots of fun games, prizes, and hands-on activities. This club replaces book club previous held on the third Thursdays of the month. 526.3600.

• Fun Friday, everything science, is held at 4 p.m. on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Teen Coffeehouse is at 4:30 p.m. on the first, third, and fourth Tuesday at Jackson County Public Library. Spend time with other teens talking and sharing. 12 and up. 586.2016.

• Rock and Read is at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586-2016.

• WNC Martial Arts will hold karate classes from 67:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Old Armory in Waynesville. For more info, contact Margaret Williams at 301.0649 or mvwilliams39@gmail.com.

• Story time and kids can make their own piece of art from 10 a.m.-noon every Saturday during the Family Art event sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council at the Jackson County Farmers Market located at the Community Table, downtown Sylva. On the first Saturday of each month, there is a scavenger hunt with prizes. 399.0290 or www.jacksoncountyfarmermarket.org.

• A Teen Advisory Group meets at 4 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month to discuss YA books and teen program events at Canton Library. http://haywoodlibrary.libguides.com/teen or 648.2924.

• Michael’s Kids Club will be held for ages 3-and-up from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays at Michael’s in Waynesville. $2 per child for 30 minutes of creative crafts. 452.7680.

• A Lowe’s Build and Grow session for ages 3-and-up is scheduled from 10-11 a.m. on Saturdays at the Sylva (586.1170) and Waynesville (456.9999) Lowe’s stores. Free.

• Art classes are available for kids 10 and older from 4:15-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Bascom in Highlands. $15 per class. 787.2865 or www.thebascom.org.

• Art Adventure classes are taught for ages 5-10 from 3:30-4:45 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Bascom in Highlands. Theme: metal. Instructor: Bonnie Abbott. $20 per month. 787.2865.

• Free, weekly, after-school enrichment classes are offered by the Bascom and MCAA from 3-5 p.m. on Thursdays at Macon Middle School through a grant from the Jim McRae Endowment for the Visual Arts. To register, contact Bonnie Abbott at 743.0200.

•A Lego club will meet at 4 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Library provides Legos and Duplos for ages 3 and up. Free. 488.3030.

•A community breastfeeding information and support group meets from 10:30 am.-noon on the first Saturday of each month in the main lobby of the Smoky Mountain OB/GYN Office in Sylva. Free; refreshments provided. For information, contact Brandi Nations (770.519.2903), Stephanie Faulkner (506.1185 or www.birthnaturalwnc), or Teresa Bryant (587-8223).

• Science Club is held at 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month for grades K-6 at the Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Macon County 4-H Needlers club, a group of youth learning the art and expression of knitting and crochet crafts, meets on the second Tuesday of each month. For information, call 349.2046.

• A Franklin Kids’ Creation Station is held from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays at uptown Gallery in Franklin. Snacks provided. $20 tuition. 743.0200.

• SafeKids USA Blue Dragon Tae Kwon Do School offers defense training with after-school classes Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings. 627.3949 or www.bluedragontkd.net.

• A Lego Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 3:30-5 p.m. at Waynesville Library. 452.5169.

• A Lego Club meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 4 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. at the Macon County Public Library. 526.3600.

• A Lego Club meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 4:30 p.m. at Jackson County Public Library. 5862016.

• A Lego Club meet the second Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215.

• A Lego Club meets at 4 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Legos and Duplos provided for ages three and up. 488.3030.

• Teen time 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursdays at Waynesville Library. A program for teens and tweens held each week. Each week is different, snacks provided. 356.2511.

•Teen Advisory Group, first Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. For ages 13-18. Teens can enjoy snacks while discussing popular young adult books, help plan events and displays for children and teens at the library, and participate in community service projects. Canton Library, 648.2924.

• The American Girls Club meets at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The club meets one Saturday a month, call for details. Club is based on a book series about historical women. Club members read and do activities. Free. 586.9499.

• Crazy 8 Math Adventure Club on Tuesdays 3:30 p.m.

- 4:15 p.m. for grades K-2 at the Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Culture Club on the second Wednesday of the month, 1 to 2 p.m. for K-6 graders. Guest speakers, books, photos, crafts and food from different countries and cultures. Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Children’s craft time, fourth Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215

• The Wee Naturalist program, which is for children ages 2-5 (with a parent or guardian), is held from 1011:30 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays at the North Carolina Arboretum. Age-appropriate activities such as nature walks, garden exploration, stories, crafts and visits from classroom animals $7 cost per child; $3 more for each additional child in a family. Register at: www.ncarboretum.org/education-programs/youthfamily-programs/wee-naturalist

K IDSFILMS

• A children’s movie about flightless birds on an African island will be shown at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 92 minutes; rated PG. Info, including title: 524.3600.

• The Highlands Biological Foundation will offer a series of nature-themed films and documentaries shown at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of January, February and March in Highlands. For info on each show, call 526.2221.

• “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” will be playing at 7 p.m. on Dec. 20-21, 7 p.m. & 9:55 p.m. on Dec. 22, 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m., & 9:55 p.m. on Dec. 23, 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. on Dec. 24-25, 7 p.m. Dec. 26-29, 1 p.m., 4 p.m., & 7 p.m., Dec. 30-Jan. 1, and 7 p.m. on Jan. 2-4 at the Strand on Main in Waynesville. See website for tickets and pricing. www.38main.com.

• “Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with Jim Carey will be playing at 6:30 on Dec. 22 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “The Lego Ninjago Movie” will be playing at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 29 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• A family movie will be shown at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

K IDS STORY TIMES HAYWOOD

• Mother Goose Time, a story time for babies and toddlers (5 months to 2 years) and their parents/caregivers, is held at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Waynesville Library. 452.5169

• Family Story Time, 11 a.m. Wednesdays at the Waynesville Public Library. Stories, songs, crafts. 452.5169.

• Movers and Shakers story time is at 11 a.m. every Thursday at the Waynesville Library. For all ages. Movement, books, songs and more. 452.5169.

• Family storytime with crafts, second Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. at the Waynesville library. 4525169.

• Family story time for ages zero to six years old is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday at the Canton Library. 648.2924.

JACKSON

• Baby Storytime is at 11 a.m. on Thursdays at the Jackson County Public Library. Songs, fingerplays and stories for infants through toddlers. 586.2016

• Kid’s story time Saturdays, 11 a.m., all ages at City Lights in Sylva 586.9449.

• Kids story time, Fridays 11 a.m., Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. at Jackson County Public Library. Story time includes books, puppets, finger plays, songs and crafts. 586.2016.

• Pre-school story time, second Wednesday, 11 a.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215.

• Rock and Read storytime, 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016

SWAIN

• Preschool Story time, Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., Marianna Black Library. After a book or two is read, the children participate in games, songs, finger plays, puppet play and make a craft to take home. 488.3030.

MACON

• Paws 4 Reading, a family story time, will be held from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. second Thursday of the month at Macon County Public Library. Children can read to a therapy dog. (grades K-6). 524.3600.

• Toddlers Rock, Mondays, 10 a.m., Macon Public Library. Music, movement and instruments (Designed for children 0-24 months, but all ages are welcome).

• Family Story Time is held at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• Family Story Time for ages 0 to 7 years is held at 10 a.m. on Thursdays at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• Bilingual Story time – 6 to 6:30 p.m., on Thursday, Nov. 10. Program reads a children’s book in English and Spanish at the Macon County Public Library. 526.3600.

• Paws 4 Reading, a family story time, will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Hudson Library in Highlands. Children (grades K-6) practice early reading skills by reading to a canine companion. Info: www.fontanalib.org, www.readingpaws.org or 526.3031.

• The annual “Christmas On the Green” celebration will run through New Year’s Day at The Village Green. The 13-acre park in the heart of Cashiers will feature thousands of twinkling lights. For more information visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

• Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will have its annual gift-wrapping project for shoppers during regular stores through Dec. 24 at Mast General Store on Main Street in Waynesville. Organizers need wrapping materials and volunteers to work three-hour shifts. Sign up: http://tinyurl.com/yco6ssdo. www.sargeanimals.org.

• A community holiday jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. 488.3030.

• New Year’s Eve Fireworks will be launched on Dec. 31 at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds. 359.6492.

• A New Year’s Eve celebration will be held on Sunday, Dec. 31, at the Fontana Village Resort. Dinner buffet, live music and midnight champagne toast. For more information or to make a reservation, call 828.498.2115.

F OOD & D RINK

• A Schug Wine Dinner with winemaker Micheal Cox is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Farm at Old Edwards in Highlands. Live music by Wirewood. $155 per person. Reservations: 787.2635 or 787.2620. oldedwardsinn.com/schugwinedinner.

• Sneak E Squirrel Brewing (Sylva) will host the Jackson County Corn Hole Association on Monday evenings ($5 buy in, 100-percent payout), Karaoke with Captain Moose from 7 to 11 p.m. on Tuesdays, Trivia at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and a Guitar Hero Tournament at 7 p.m. on Thursdays. 586.6440.

• “Brown Bag at the Depot” – an opportunity to gather with neighbors – is at noon every Friday at Sylva’s newest park at the corner of Spring and Mill Street along Railroad Ave. For info, contact Paige Dowling at townmanager@townofsylva.org.

• Graceann’s Amazing Breakfast is 8-10 a.m. every Tuesday in the Sapphire Room at the Sapphire Valley Community Center. $8.50 for adults; $5 for children. Includes coffee and orange juice. 743.7663.

FESTIVALSAND S PECIAL EVENTS

• An open call is underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally themed booths for the 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains, which is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. Due by April 1. Applications: www.greeningupthemountains.com. Info: 554.1035 or greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

H OLIDAY

• “Letters to Santa” will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Dec. 23 at the Swain County Heritage Museum in Bryson City. Drop a line for Santa. Materials provided. Call the museum for Santa appearances: 800.867.9246.

• The “Polar Express” will depart on select dates throughout December from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in Bryson City. www.gsmr.com.

• A community holiday jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. 488.3030.

• The John C. Campbell Folk School Craft Shop showcases finely made gifts from over 300 talented craftspeople. The Craft Shop offers 15 percent off all items through Dec. 23.

• Tickets are on sale for the N.C. Arboretum’s Winter Lights event, which runs through Dec. 31. Tickets: $18 for adults; $12 for children and $15 per person in groups of 20 or more. Members get a $2 discount per ticket. www.ncwinterlights.com.

• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

• A game day will occur from 2-9 p.m. every third Saturday of the month at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in Sylva. Bring dice, cards or board games. 586.6300.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 586.6300.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 452.0120.

• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 452.6000.

ON STAGE & I N CONCERT

• Auditions for four short plays will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7, at the back of Hudson Library in Highlands. Dinner theater shows are March 15-17 and March 22-24.

• The Kittle/Collings Duo (jazz) performs from 6-9 p.m. every Friday at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com.

• Guadalupe Café (Sylva) will host Folks’ Songs (world/fusion) from 7 to 9 p.m. on Fridays.

• Open Mic Night is from 7-9 p.m. on Saturdays at The Strand on 38 Main in Waynesville. 283.0079 or www.38main.com.

CLASSESAND PROGRAMS

• A community music jam will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, at 6 p.m., in the auditorium of the Marianna Black Library in downtown Bryson City. Facilitated by Larry Barnett of Sawmill Creek Porch Band. 488.3030.

• Don Casada will present “Sam Hunnicutt and His Hunting and Fishing Buddies” at the next meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society. Meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center in Bryson City. www.swaingeneaology.com.

• The Waynesville Photography Club meets at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month on the second floor of the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center in Clyde. All skill levels welcome. Waynesvillephotoclub@charter.net.

• Waynesville Fiber Friends welcomes fiber artists of every kind: crochet, knitting, cross-stitching and more, from 10 a.m.-noon on the second Saturday of each month at Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. 276.6226.

• Appalachian Art Farm will host a free art session from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Community Table in Sylva. 273.9682 or MyriahStrivelli@gmail.com.

• The High Country Quilt Guild meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the First Methodist Church in Waynesville. www.highcountryquilters.wordpress.com.

• The Bryson City Lion meet at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month at the Iron Skillet in Bryson City.

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. every other Thursday at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page (www.facebook.com/paintwaynesville) or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• There will be a “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.

• Coloring Club will be hosted on the second Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. at Canton Library. Color pencils and color pages supplied. For ages 8 to 108. 648.2924.

• Beginners Chess Club is held on Fridays at 4 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 8-108 invited to participate. 648.2924.

• Cribbage is at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Maggie Valley Inn. 410.440.7652 or 926.3978.

• An Antique, Vintage & Handcrafted Flea Market starts at 8 a.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3029 Soco Road in Maggie Valley. Bring your own table/tent. Spaces rent for $10 a day or $25 for all three days.

• The Adult Coloring Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Fridays in the Living Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. An afternoon of creativity and camaraderie. Supplies are provided, or bring your own. Beginners are welcome as well as those who already enjoy this new trend. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 524.3600.

• Haywood County Arts Council is inviting artist members to participate in its annual Artist Member Show. Download a show contract/inventory sheet from www.haywoodarts.org. Send completed forms to gallery@haywoodarts.org or P.O. Box 306; Waynesville, N.C. 28786.

• The Jackson Rangers Camp 1917 will hold monthly

meetings at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Barkers Creek Community Center. Members are being sought to participate in honor guard graveside events and honor Confederate soldiers. The Confederate Rose, a ladies auxiliary group that supports active members, meets at the same time and location. 736.6222 or jrcamp1917@hotmail.com.

• “Stitch,” the community gathering of those interested in crochet, knit and needlepoint, meet at 2:30 p.m. every first Sunday of the month at the Canton Public Library. www.haywoodlibrary.org.

• The Sew Easy Girls meet from noon-3 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office’s conference room. Learn how to sew. 586.4009.

• A community art group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at the Hudson Library in Highlands. 828.526.3031.

• A writer’s group meets at 1 p.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.

• Free one-on-one technology help is offered every Tuesday and Thursday morning at Hudson Library in Highlands. Call 526.3031 to make an appointment.

ARTSHOWINGSAND GALLERIES

• “Season of Light,” an exhibition of photographs by Teri Leigh Teed, is on display through Dec. 31 in the Burrell Building lobby on Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. www.terileighteed.com.

• Linda Dickinson’s display of black-and-white photography is being displayed at the Canton Public Library Meeting Room in Canton. Show is entitled “Waynesville and Environs, a Black & White Perspective.” 648.2924.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center will host the exhibit “WCU Collects: Recent Acquisitions” through Jan. 26. 227.3591.

• The Haywood County Arts Council annual show, “It’s a Small, Small Work,” will be held through Dec. 23 in HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville.www.haywoodarts.org or 452.0593.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present the exhibition “WCU Collects: Recent Acquisitions” through Jan. 26 in Cullowhee. go.wcu.edu/wcucollects or call 828.227.3591.

FILM & S CREEN

• “Stronger” with Jack Gyllenhaal will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “Victoria & Abdul” will be showing at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• Free movies are shown every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Madbatterfoodfilm.com.

M USICJAMSANDGROUPS

• Golden Aires singing group practices at 9:15 a.m. every fourth Wednesday of the month at Jackson County Department on Aging/Senior Center in Sylva. Secular and religious music. Performances given at area nursing homes. Musical instruments also welcome. 586.5494.

• Old-time music jam from 1-3 p.m. the first and third Saturday of the month at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on U.S. 441 outside Cherokee. November through April is just the third Saturday. 497.1904.

• A community music jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month at the Marianna Black Library in Downtown Bryson City. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer – anything unplugged – is invited to join. Singers and listeners are also welcome.

• Cruso Circle Play & Jam, 7 p.m. every Tuesday, Cruso Community Center and Friendship Club in Cruso. www.facebook.com/crusocircleplayjam.

• Karaoke is held at 7 p.m. every other Friday at the American Legion Post 47 in Waynesville. Open to all members and their guests. 456.8691.

• Men Macon Music, canella singing, meets at 5:30 p.m. every Monday in the Chapel of First Presbyterian Church, 26 Church St., Franklin. Visitors welcome. 524.9692.

• Mountain Dulcimer Players Club meets from 2 to 4 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of each month at the Bryson City United Methodist Church. Knowledge of music not required, tablature method used. 488.6697.

• Pick and Play Dulcimer Group of Sylva meets at 1:30 p.m. on the first, third and fifth Saturday of every month in the fellowship hall of St. John’s Episcopal Church. 293.0074.

• The Franklin Early Music Group meets every Monday at 9 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. 369.5192.

• The Nikwasi Dulcimer Players meet every Thursday afternoon from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Franklin. All are welcome. 524.1040 or 524.2294.

ARTS G ROUP M EETINGS

• Blue Ridge Mountain Quilt Guild, 6 to 9 p.m. fourth Thursday, January through October, and third Thursday, November and December in Canton. 316.1517 or on Facebook at Blue Ridge Mtn. Quilt Guild.

• Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild meets every Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. Blue Ridge Books, Waynesville. 246.0789.

Outdoors

• REI will host a primer on hiking the Appalachian Trail from 6:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11, in Asheville. Workshop presented by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Sign up: www.rei.com/learn.

• A public hearing to discuss proposed changes to rules for wildlife management, inland fisheries and game lands for the 2018-19 seasons will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at Haywood Community College’s auditorium in Clyde. Public comment accepted through Feb. 1 at: https://tinyurl.com/y7y45kek or regulations@ncwildlife.org. Complete list of proposed regulation changes and justifications: https://tinyurl.com/yckzxwf6.

• The Asheville Winter Bike League offers structured group rides at 10 a.m. every Saturday through Jan. 28. https://tinyurl.com/ycgp8a4s.

COMPETITIVE E DGE

• Registration is underway for a Smart Start Sports Development Program for 4-5 year olds, which will be offered through the Waynesville Recreation Center. For children who will be 4-5 as of Feb. 1. Registration deadline is Jan. 18. $50 registration fee. 456.2030, dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov or stop by the rec center.

FARMAND GARDEN

• In preparation for the upcoming annual Seed Swap, Area farmers and gardeners will accept group seed

orders from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6, at The Community Table in Sylva. Seed pickup is from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27. jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

• Haywood County Extension is accepting applications for the 2018 Master Gardener class, which will be held Tuesday mornings from Jan. 9-April 24. 456.3575 or sarah_scott@ncsu.edu.

H IKING CLUBS

• Carolina Mountain Club will have an eight-mile hike on Sunday, Jan. 7, at Case Camp-Seniard Ridge Loop. 1,800-foot ascent. Reservations and info: 703.395.5879 or heyk127@hotmail.com.

• Nantahala Hiking Club holds monthly trail maintenance days from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on every fourth Saturday at 173 Carl Slagle Road in Franklin. Info and to register: 369.1983.

• Hike of the Week is at 10 a.m. every Friday at varying locations along the parkway. Led by National Park Service rangers. www.nps.gov/blri or 298.5330, ext. 304.

• Friends of the Smokies hikes are offered on the second Tuesday of each month. www.friendsofthesmokies.org/hikes.html.

• Nantahala Hiking Club based in Macon County holds weekly Saturday hikes in the Nantahala National Forest and beyond. www.nantahalahikingclub.org

• High Country Hikers, based out of Hendersonville but hiking throughout Western North Carolina, plans hikes every Monday and Thursday. Schedules, meeting places and more information are available on their website, www.highcountryhikers.org.

• Carolina Mountain Club hosts more than 150 hikes a year, including options for full days on weekends, full days on Wednesdays and half days on Sundays. Nonmembers contact event leaders. www.carolinamountainclub.org

• Mountain High Hikers, based in Young Harris, Ga., leads several hikes per week. Guests should contact hike leader. www.mountainhighhikers.org.

• Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, located in East Tennessee, makes weekly hikes in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park as well as surrounding areas. www.smhclub.org.

• Benton MacKaye Trail Association incorporates outings for hikes, trail maintenance and other work trips. No experience is necessary to participate. www.bmta.org.

• Diamond Brand’s Women’s Hiking Group meets on the third Saturday of every month. For more information, e-mail awilliams@diamondbrand.com or call 684.6262.

OUTDOORCLUBS

• The Jackson County Poultry Club will hold its regular meeting on the third Thursday of each month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office. The club is for adults and children and includes a monthly meeting with a program and a support network for those raising birds. For info, call 586.4009 or write heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

• The North Carolina Catch program, a three-phase conservation education effort focusing on aquatic environments, will be offered through May 15. The program is offered by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. Free for members; daily admission for nonmembers. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• An RV camping club, the Vagabonds, camps one weekend per month from April through November. All ages welcome. No dues or structured activities. For details, write lilnau@aol.com or call 369.6669.

• The Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited meets the second Tuesday of the month starting with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Rendezvous restaurant located on the corner of Jonathan Creek Road and Soco Road in Maggie Valley. 631.5543.

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 — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads,

■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2. 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 or colored background.

■ $50 — 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

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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. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

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Haywood County Real Estate Agents

Berkshire Hathaway berkshirehathawayhs.com

• Ira

•

• Robert Sales

• Jay Spiro

• Bill Thagard

Beverly Hanks & Associates beverly-hanks.com

• Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com

• George Escaravage - gescar@beverly-hanks.com

• Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com

• Michelle McElroy - michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com

• Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com

• Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

• Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com

• Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com

• Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com

• Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

• Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com

• Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com

• Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty sunburstrealty.com

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

• Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

• The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com

• Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com

• Holly Fletcher - hollyfletcher1975@gmail.com

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• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com

• Landen Stevenson - Landen@landenstevenson.com

• Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

Rob Roland Realty

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

SuperCROSSWORD

ITEMS FOR SALE

BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS

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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 40

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Swimming with mermaids

Christopher Columbus had a lot of misconceptions about where he wound up in 1492 and what he saw. Mermaids were listed in one of his journal accounts. But to Chris’ credit, mermaids had been around in literature basically since the beginning of literature.

The name Sirenia (the order manatees are found in) is in reference to the “sirens” of Greek mythology. I guess being on a boat in the ocean for a long time can play tricks with your mind but making an alluring beauty out of a lumbering sea cow could mean you’ve been at sea too long.

Now that’s not to say manatees aren’t cute, especially in their natural environment. These aquatic behemoths can grow to more than 10 feet in length and weigh more than 1,200 pounds. They have two short forelimbs or flippers with three or four large “fingernails” at the tips. The large head has a wrinkled face with prehensile lips used to grasp and rip aquatic vegetation. Their skin is gray but it is quite often covered with a combination of algae and barnacles. They have no incisors, just a row of six

molars/premolars in each cheek known as “marching molars” because they are continually replaced throughout the manatees lifetime. Fossil records exist of manatees from 50 million years ago. Their closest living relative is the elephant.

We got a personal up-close look at these gentle aquatic giants in Crystal River’s Kings Bay. Instead of throwing away copious amounts of multi colored paper hiding various fanciful objects that may or may not have been “just what I wanted for Christmas,” we opted for a Christmas trip.

We scheduled a semi-private tour with Plantation Dive Shop. I read that manatees were basically crepuscular creatures so I scheduled an early morning excursion. We arrived at Plantation Dive Shop at 6 a.m. and after squeezing into 5 mm wetsuits and watching an important video about manatees and manatee etiquette, we were on the boat with Capt. Brian and Capt. Thaisy (pronounced Ty-cee.) Capt. Brian skippered the boat and Thaisy was our guide and “GoPro” videographer. Both were extremely knowledgeable, gracious and helpful.

The Florida manatee is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee. It is endangered and its survival is still in question. Loss of habitat is the number one cause of popula-

tion decline. Other causes of mortality include algae blooms that contaminate the sea grass they consume, ingestion of fishhooks, monofilament fishing line and other human-caused debris plus boat collisions.

In an effort to save these unique creatures the U.S. Fish and Wildlife created the Kings Bay manatee refuge in 2010. Kings Bay joined a network of 11 sanctuaries and 13 refuges across the state of Florida where waterborne activities can be regulated to protect manatees.

The video I mentioned above was eye opening regarding the abuse these placid animals receive from humans. Video showed people prodding manatees with sticks and/or poles, kicking them and surrounding them to impede their progress.

I understand concerns environmentalist and/or conservationist will have about the practice of snorkeling with endangered manatees. I have a little experience with animals in the wild — catching and tagging alligators for a summer at Rockefeller Refuge and catching and tagging snow geese and whitefronted geese at Lacassine Refuge. I know how wild animals behave when they feel afraid and/or threatened.

The guides at Plantation Dive Shop review what the video teaches about “passive viewing” of manatees — they demonstrate it

— and they are in the water with guests to ensure everyone is following proper etiquette. And the manatees, which have no natural predators, are curious and will approach swimmers to try and figure them out. They will get in your face, bump or rub against you or simply ignore you depending on their mood at the time. You are taught how to recognize when they are resting or feeding and how to give them plenty of space and solitude when they are. And there are large areas near the springs in Kings Bay that are totally off limits to humans.

Manatees can not live in water below 68 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter Florida Manatees seek out fresh water springs where the water is a constant 72 degrees year round. Kings Bay has several springs and is an important Florida manatee wintering ground. I believe reputable, conscientious tour companies like Plantation Dive Shop can help protect the Florida manatee. They teach people appreciation of these gentle, inquisitive aquatic giants. The revenue they generate helps agencies better protect the animals plus shows the powers that be that the public (you and me) cares about theses creatures and wants our grandkids and their grandkids to be able to see them.

(Don Hendershot is a naturalist and a writer who lives in Haywood County. He can be reached at ddihen1@bellsouth.net)