SMN 01 25 17

On the Cover:

President Donald Trump’s inauguration last Friday was surrounded by mixed emotions — some Americans were excited to usher in a new era in Washington, some were cautiously optimistic and others were downright angry. That anger led to about half a million people marching on the National Mall on Jan. 21 during the Women’s March for equality. (Page 3) Holly Kays photo

News

North

for women’s rights

Casino announces $250 million expansion

Warm weather forces Cataloochee Ski closure

Verizon proposes new tower at Lake Junaluska

Sylva considers allowing

Opinion

Our

D

ADVERTISING SALES: Amanda Bradley.

Hylah Birenbaum. .

C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier.

N EWS E DITOR: Jessi Stone. .

WRITING: Becky Johnson.

Cory Vaillancourt. .

Holly Kays. .

Garret K. Woodward.

ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER:Amanda Singletary.

D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier. .

travis@smokymountainnews.com

emily@smokymountainnews.com

jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com

hylah@smliv.com

classads@smokymountainnews.com

jessi@smokymountainnews.com

becky@smokymountainnews.com

cory@smokymountainnews.com

holly@smokymountainnews.com

garret@smokymountainnews.com

smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com

classads@smokymountainnews.com

C ONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Gary Carden (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Barbee (writing).

CONTACT

S UBSCRIPTIONS

SUBSCRIPTION: 1 YEAR $65 | 6 MONTHS $40 | 3 MONTHS $25

North Carolina GOP celebrates inauguration

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT

STAFF WRITER

Inaugurations make for early mornings. Getting into or out of the tangle of security and Humvees blocking the streets of Washington, D.C., requires an early-to-bed, early-to-rise mentality that quickly acquaints one with the deep blue hues of dawn punctuated only by the phosphorescent orange glow of municipal street lighting.

A bus readied in Raleigh idled beneath that inky sky on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 19, ultimately bound for Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, with a detachment of North Carolina Republicans eager to celebrate their victory.

After arriving at the hotel, the delegation hosted a welcome event at the Lincoln Memorial in conjunction with the inaugural concert that featured performers 3 Doors Down and Toby Keith. The next morning — Friday, Jan. 20 — ticketholders who were to attend the swearing-in ceremony filed past the military personnel stationed about the city until arriving at one of six gated checkpoints.

It was here that officers from the Transportation Security Administration in conjunction with the U.S. Secret Service provided a thorough screening, even helping the wheelchair-bound pass through metal detectors before they were subsequently patted, prodded and otherwise searched for possession of any objects on a long list of prohibited items.

Among those items were umbrellas — an unfortunate fact for those who suffered through the chilly, damp air, for just as

President-elect Donald Trump became President Trump and took the podium to swear on two Bibles, it began to rain, gently at first but increasing in intensity as the capacity crowd began to pull from their pockets ponchos.

“We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people,” he said during what may have been the most highly anticipated inaugural speech ever.

INAUGURATION 2017

“… for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge…”

The next day, the NCGOP group embarked on a guided tour of the capitol with seven-term Congresswoman and Chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Virginia Foxx, R-Banner Elk.

As of press time, the confirmation hearing for President Trump’s Education Secretary nominee — Michigan billionaire Betsy DeVos, who has no professional experience in public schools — had been rescheduled to Jan. 31 after her ethics report was submitted to the Senate Committee on

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

“…we must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable…”

From there, the group moved on to the Newseum, a 250,000 square-foot temple to the First Amendment on Pennsylvania Avenue that includes theaters, galleries and a history of communications from the dawn of time on through the internet age. Later in the day, Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway continued her outright war with the media by introducing a memeworthy new term to the cultural lexicon: “alternative facts.”

At the same time, the Women’s March on Washington was taking place across town; nearly half a million marchers showed up to protest the new Trump administration, citing concerns about reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights and wage inequality.

“Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger,” Trump said as his speech drew to a close. “In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining, but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.”

Congressman Meadows optimistic about Trump

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

Although Rep. Mark Meadows, RAsheville, has been Western North Carolina’s Congressman for only two terms, constituents in his heavily Republican district have watched his stock skyrocket nationally. He’s become a conservative media darling while at the same time rising to become chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, a powerful and influential Tea Partyleaning group of Republican lawmakers advocating for smaller, more responsive, more fiscally responsible government.

When Meadows took office in January 2013 the Democrats still controlled the Senate and the presidency. In 2015, Republicans reclaimed the Senate for the first time since 2007, but still labored under a Democratic president.

Now, as Meadows begins his third term and has recently moved from Cashiers to Asheville, he’ll operate under a unified government in which Republicans control the House, the Senate and the presidency. Congressman Meadows took the time to interview with The Smoky Mountain News in his busy Longworth House Office Building digs the day before Donald Trump’s swearing-in to talk about what that all means for Western North Carolinians still beset by a host of economic, social and cultural issues.

Smoky Mountain News: Earlier this week, Bush White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter penned with Obama White House ethics lawyer Norman Eisen an opinion piece in The Washington Post bemoaning Republican efforts to hobble the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Mark Meadows: Yeah, I think that’s pretty much dead at this point. From what I understand, it’s dead. The timing of that — even if it was valid — was not good timing. But I think at this point, certainly my support is to really try to make sure that we go on the side of transparency and accountability. It’s something that is important to me.

SMN: They additionally talked about the rush to confirm cabinet picks before financial disclosures had been completed, and to minimize President Trump’s own perceived conflicts of interests. My question to you is: do we now live in a post-ethics society?

MM: I don’t think so. I mean, I can tell you in talking to President Trump personally, as well as talking to some of his close advisors, they’re committed not only to divesting but trying to make sure that it is ethical and transparent. So a lot of the headlines are perhaps newsworthy in that at least it gives some of the thought pattern that is there, but I can tell you, behind the scenes there’s no one more committed to really looking at a transparent and ethical administration than Donald Trump and his team.

And to that end, I serve on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, so we’re committed to making sure that we’re a voice of the people, and I’ve got a

long track record of being willing to go against even those in my own party when I see that it’s not right.

But I don’t see that as something that is going to be a lingering issue. Between election time and the inauguration, you get all kinds of things with Senate confirmations, and it’s just — it can be a very difficult time. I can remember when president Obama was first sworn in — I went to his inauguration last time — and there’s always that little bit of, “Well, we lost, they won.”

SMN: You had said it would be “inappropriate” to comment on how you voted in that closed meeting because you’re under investigation by the OCE. If it’s inappropriate to comment because of the investigation, isn’t it inappropriate to vote?

INAUGURATION

2017

MM: Honestly and in truth, the only vote that I took on that matter was a vote to not gut it, on the House floor. When we look at that, a whole lot gets said about the negotiations behind the scenes. I was actually working around the clock on trying to work on making sure that there was due process for any fines that got levied, working with Democrats. That particular issue was not even an issue that was on my radar, to be frank. But at the same time, commenting on any votes in a conference — I never do that. I never say how I vote, and so to break that especially in light of that, is just not appropriate.

SMN: Millions of North Carolinians and thousands of your constituents in the 11th Congressional District could lose their healthcare as a result of the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. What can you say to them that will quell their fears?

MM: There’s 646,000 people that actually get a subsidy in North Carolina — probably more of a health care need than most of my other colleagues. I can tell you that we’ve been working around the clock on a replacement plan, so I believe in and will firmly fight for a replacement to come alongside a repeal. In fact, if you read some of the headlines that you’ve been reading, we’ve led that argument, really, among conservatives. It was not just about repeal, but it was about replace.

So for those that would have concern, not only do I — based on what I see — believe that we will have more people that are actually covered, but more people that will be able to afford that coverage.

And taking the rug out from underneath people who have coverage is certainly not the thing to do. It’s not the compassionate thing to do, and not something I would support. Even politically, it’s not the thing to do. So I don’t see that happening; in fact, I’m committed to making sure that doesn’t happen.

SMN: So you’ve been privy to some of the details of the replacement plans. Do you feel

like they’re robust and something you’d be comfortable supporting?

MM: Well I’ve seen four different plans, so at this point, I’ve been pushing for one that actually makes sure that we do it quickly, but we do it more robustly for those that are most at risk from that standpoint — those who can’t afford health insurance. And it’s important that we point out that people even before

“I think it’s important to look at saving Medicare and Social Security. We don’t have a lot of time to do that, and so I want to be able to persuade [Trump] that it’s an important enough topic to invest in politically, to save those programs but do it in the right way.”

— Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville

the Affordable Care Act were getting health care. It’s health care coverage — sometimes we conflate the two, but indeed this is more about the coverage, and working with them. I’m optimistic that one of the two plans that seem to have the most support will not pull the rug out from under anyone who has subsidies and is getting care and can’t afford it.

SMN: Let’s talk about the House Freedom Caucus, of which you are chairman. What do you consider the lasting accomplishments of that group thus far?

MM: Probably holding the reins on fiscal

responsibility, trying to make sure that we don’t just spend our children’s and grandchildren’s inheritance.

But I think the other part is restoring faith in their government, in that a lot of people believe that this is such a partisan town, and the members of the Freedom Caucus are willing to be a voice for millions of people who don’t feel like they have a voice. It’s people who have been coming in, all day, who perhaps for the first time ever feel like they’ve got a Member of Congress that’s willing to talk to them, willing to take their calls. And that’s in spite of the fact that they may have a difference of opinion. When we do that, it is critically important for us to have that accountable government, but also one that’s responsive to the people back home. So I think it’s partly fiscal responsibility, partly having a voice for millions of Americans, and the last thing is taking priorities that are important to all of America, but certainly Western North Carolina, and highlighting them.

One of the issues we’ve been pushing is a pause for Syrian refugee resettlement, which is something that not only affects Western North Carolina but is really in the news there. So we have been pushing for a pause to that until we can get the vetting proper, coming from Syria and other hotspots. So it’s not to do away with the program all together, but it’s certainly to address it for national security concerns.

SMN: Moving forward, what specific policy goals will the caucus advocate under the new administration?

MM: Well we’ve put forth a long list of regulatory schemes that we believe need to be rolled back or repealed, so we’ve got a very robust — more than 250 rules and regulations — we’re supporting. We’re coming out for term limits …

SMN: For Congress?

MM: Yeah, for Senate and

House, and I think that’s something that when people see we’re willing to support term-limiting ourselves, it’s not about the old “good ol’ boy” network. It’s about really keeping it accountable. [Florida Republican Congressman and fellow HFC member] Ron DeSantis — we debated a bill last week that limits a member of Congress to three terms and Senators to two. There’s another bill out there that limits congressmen to six terms and senators to two, which would be a 12 and 12 [years of service]. Whether it’s that one, or Ron’s — and I’m a co-sponsor of Ron’s — I’m for shorter terms and greater accountability, so I think you’ll see some of that.

And then certainly from there, working on a few other legislative issues, one being how to save Medicare, how to save Social Security while keeping the benefits to those who’ve retired or are about to retire, untouched. I agree with President Trump that those benefits are earned, but at the same time, we’ve got to find a way to do that. So I’m hopeful that we can come up with some ways to save Medicare and Social Security moving forward.

SMN: How receptive do you think President Trump will be to those goals?

MM: You know, probably on most of those things, if I can get it to his desk, he’ll sign it. I know that. On the Syrian refugees, if we can get it to his desk he’ll sign it.

On the Medicare and Social Security reform, to be frank, that’s a tougher sell in that you have to make sure that whatever we do doesn’t affect people back home. I know when I was in my 30s I didn’t expect Social Security to be there. Now that I’m 57, I hope it is. So it’s one thing to adjust it for those that have plenty of time to plan; it’s another for those that are getting ready to retire or are planning on those benefits. So that one’s a tougher sell, both politically and financially.

SMN: So in my observations, if I may be frank, Republicans tend to eat their young much more readily than Democrats. So if people like you who are elected to advance these very specific conservative principles can’t pull this stuff off, how long until they come for you? How long until someone back in the district says, “He’s not representing us.” And not you specifically, but across the nation — your team has the ball, and if you’re not scoring touchdowns for your constituents, when do they come with the pitchforks?

MM: In my opinion, I think we have two years.

SMN: This administration has two years?

MM: We’ve got the first 200 days to prove that we’re serious, and then we have the rest of that to hopefully accomplish a few other things. And even if we only fulfill half of the promises in the first two years, then that will be a down payment to give additional time. But yeah, I would agree with you — it’s important that we perform. For me, if you’re not making a difference, if you’re not getting the ball in the end zone, you need a new quarterback.

SMN: President Trump is obviously all over the headlines with people making assumptions about what kind of person he is. Tell me about your interactions with him —

what kind of man is he, really?

MM: He’s a lot more interactive and humble and soft-spoken than you could ever imagine in person. And that’s something that many people don’t get to see. I was surprised and, in fact, would say shocked, originally, on just how down-to-earth he was when we were talking about things. And it wasn’t just me as a member of Congress; I watched him behind the scenes when there wasn’t any camera, weren’t any reporters there. He was going over talking to a janitor and engaging a janitor that a lot of people would just pass by. And he was doing that. He was talking to the law enforcement guys, and truly having real meaningful conversations with the law enforcement guys who were there to serve him. And I’ve seen a lot of members of Congress, a lot of governors, they blend in to the woodwork when they look at their protection detail. I’m with him. He was just engaging. I think if people could see more of that, they would probably have a greater appreciation for why he wants to make American great again. It really is who he is.

SMN: If there’s one area where you disagree with him or one thing that you’re nervous about with President Trump, what is it?

MM: I think it’s important — we talked about it a little bit — to look at saving Medicare and Social Security. We don’t have a lot of time to do that, and so I want to be able to persuade him that it’s an important enough topic to invest in politically, to save those programs but do it in the right way. So if there’s one concern, I see the potential liability out there as a big, big issue.

SMN: How do you think history will view the legacy of President Barack Obama?

MM: History has a way of being kinder to most presidents, and so I think if anything, it will highlight the things that he’s done, and diminish the things that perhaps I would not necessarily applaud him for. Certainly as a president, the 44th president of the United States — and a two-term president at that — he has reshaped a lot of the way that America thinks. He is certainly probably the best campaigner; he’s changed the way that campaigns are run. If anything, he will have a legacy beyond leaving office tomorrow at 11:59 because of all the judicial appointments that he’s made. For North Carolina, the Fourth Circuit [Court of Appeals] is a much more liberal circuit…

SMN: Seems like the Fourth Circuit has more say over what happens in North Carolina than the legislature sometimes.

MM: It shouldn’t be that way. You hit my philosophy there, but yes, you’re right. The Fourth Circuit has weighed in a number of times on a number of different issues.

SMN: Sometimes they’ve been right, but sometimes the Supreme Court has not agreed with them.

MM: You’ve covered this stuff for a long time, you’re a real pro at it and you get to see that ultimately it’s important for this peaceful transfer of power that we try to look at the best of what we’ve had, and hope for the best of what is to come, and if we can do that, we’ll be well served.

Irritable Bowel?

Could the problem be FODMAPs?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition experienced by some 1 in 5 Americans. IBS affects the large intestine (colon) and is characterized by abdominal pain, cramping, gas, bloating and diarrhea. Often diagnosis of IBS is made after eliminating other possible diseases and causes of these symptoms. (Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowelsyndrome/basics/definition/con-20024578 ).

More recently studies have been done, particularly at Monash University in Australia, to identify foods that may cause symptoms of IBS. These foods contain varying amounts of carbohydrates known as FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides, Polyols) that are not fully digested and can result in the uncomfortable symptoms in the bowel that characterize IBS. A dietitian can help educate a patient about the different levels and types of FODMAPs in various foods, guide them in eliminating particular foods, and then gradually reintroducing certain foods that contain FODMAPs, that may be tolerated or ones that have lower amounts of FODMAPs so IBS symptoms are not experienced. After this process many have had success in managing symptoms of IBS. (Source:http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/).

Examples of high FODMAP containing foods:

Oligo-saccharides - wheat, rye, onions, garlic, legumes and pulses

Di-saccharides - milk, yogurt, soft cheeses

Mono-saccharides - honey, apples, high fructose corn syrup

Polyols - sugar alcohols like mannitol and sorbitol found in sugar-free or "low carb" items and naturally occurring in some fruits and vegetables ( e.g. apples, avocados, cherries, plums, peaches, cauliflower, mushrooms.)

It is important to stress that this diet is not the same as a "gluten-free" diet and that it is an elimination AND reintroduction diet. The goal of the FODMAP diet is not to eliminate foods permanently from the diet , but to find which foods can be tolerated and in what amount. This diet should be done with the help and supervision of a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist , preferably with training in this type of diet.

The pink hats are coming

the

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

By rain-slicked granite sidewalks they came, early that morning.

In rubber boots, sneakers and sandals they came, not knowing exactly where bound but following — only following — in the footsteps of those who’d come earlier.

Snaking through the District of Columbia on the type of morning that must have given the city’s “Foggy Bottom” neighborhood its name, they finally penetrated the National Mall, where rubbers, sneakers and sandals squeaked under the grim and mist-topped visage of a 555-foot tall phallus.

With the Washington Monument at their backs and a fine mist upon their faces, they came upon work crews busy dismantling stagecraft from President Donald Trump’s inaugural festivities the night before, intent themselves on dismantling what they say is a patriarchal hegemony that will only be exacerbated by the incoming administration.

CAPSAND CLAPS

The Women’s March on Washington drew an estimated 470,000 people to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, less than 24 hours after Trump became the 45th President of the United States.

Organized by a national committee of businesswomen and social justice advocates, the march began with a three-hour program of speakers that included women and men from all walks of life. Entertainers Madonna, Ashley Judd and Michael Moore took the podium at various points, as did union leaders, NAACP officials and dozens of other crusaders who had walked this walk before, like feminist icon Gloria Steinem and civil rights activist Angela Davis.

They were there, according to the march’s website, to call attention to “our rights, our

with tiny ears poking up from each corner made marchers readily identifiable even as they disembarked from aircraft and subway cars before the event, and will likely continue to serve as a symbol for everything the red hats do not, long into the future.

Capped or not, young women stood alongside the grizzled remnants of the tumultuous civil rights era in a scene that could have been filmed in 1963 or 1972, were it not for the ubiquitous presence of smartphones and Fitbits.

Amie Tyner was among them. A veterinary technician at an Asheville animal hospital, Tyner had returned to her hometown of Washington, D.C., with a group of friends to participate in the march.

“It’s way too important an issue not to stand up for what’s going on in the country right now with Trump becoming president and women feeling like they’re losing their rights,” she said.

Tyner is concerned about a number of issues, including reproductive rights and gender inequality in the workplace.

“I think the wage gap is ridiculous,” she said noting that she herself hadn’t been a victim but knew others who had been.

During the campaign, Trump said he supported equal pay for equal work — not equal pay for women, but equal pay for equal work.

INAUGURATION

2017

“I wanted to send a strong message to the new government on their first day in office that women's rights are human rights, and that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.”

— Jane Pickett

safety, our health and our families.” And they received riotous applause.

The speakers gathered on a small stage near Fourth Street SW and Independence Avenue SW, just off the mall as thousands wedged themselves into every available crevice hoping to catch a glimpse, or at least an earful.

The crowd — jostling politely for position — lined Independence Avenue and stood shoulder to shoulder in such density as to overwhelm cellular telephone networks, making communication difficult but tantalizingly possible at times, with a stray text or message sometimes reaching its destination.

Many used the National Mall as a rallying point, hoping to meet up with members of their group or long-lost friends drawn together by what many are calling the largest coordinated protests in the history of the world.

What they found there were portable toilets — supplied, appropriately, by a company called “Don’s Johns” — padlocked, perhaps

in an ironic nod to tactics espoused by Saul Aulinsky in his seminal 1971 grassroots tome, “Rules for Radicals.”

Undeterred, people waited in long lines to satisfy that primal necessity in one of the few available bathrooms; this was to be, however, a modern march replete with all the accouterments of a digital-age uprising.

Food trucks lined portions of the route, offering exotic Caribbean and Asian fare, or simply hot dogs and coffee; a free bicycle valet service was on hand for those who rode their bicycles, or those who availed themselves of D.C.’s popular Capital Bikeshare rentals.

Organizers even provided an app, complete with a forum for comments, a schedule and a map denoting not only the march route but the location of first aid, warming stations and lactation centers.

And then there were the signs — this generation’s handmade compliment to the global digital reach of the internet.

Some signs were serious (“Real men support women’s rights”), some were sarcastic (“I can’t believe we still have to protest this shit!”) and some were outright bizarre (“My arm is tired”), but all conveyed in Twitterlength missives the message and morals of the thing, suitable for instant Facebook and Instagram posts sure to garner millions of impressions, thousands of likes and hundreds of shares.

Attached to them were people of all shapes, sizes, sexes, colors, ages and nationalities. To call this strictly a “women’s march” would be a misnomer of the gravest order; plenty of men were in attendance, as well as those of more fluid gender identities.

Their answer to the now-iconic red hats donned by Trump supporters were the pink hats worn by many in attendance. Affectionately called “Pussyhats” in reference to vulgarities spoken by Trump and caught on tape in 2005, these pink knit chapeaus

“I do not believe that,” she said while standing beneath the concrete behemoth Department of Energy building, laughing.

But Tyner is also concerned about the fate of LGBTQ groups that she says stand to lose just as much as women do during what will come to be known in America as “The Trump years.”

“It has definitely taken on more than just a women’s theme,” she said. “I think that the LGBTQ community feels like they’re going to lose their rights too — something Obama worked really hard for. Being a part of that community, I fear for that as well.”

She feels that the new administration will try to undo the progress made over the last eight years, but foresees naught but trouble for those engaging in such regression.

“I’m hoping that it destroys their chances for re-election,” she said.

A SEATATTHETABLE

Shortly after 1 p.m., the program of speakers ended; after talking the talk, it was now time to walk the walk.

Those nearest the stage found themselves at the tail end of the 2-mile march, which would begin with the Independence Avenue crowd simply turning around, away from the stage, and walking towards the White House.

It was hard to call it a “march” at first; so many people had already populated the route that it was really more of a “stand” until the long line finally surged forward.

Chants of “Hey hey! Ho ho! Donald Trump has got to go!” and “This is what democracy looks like!” sprang from their mouths as they packed the streets, pumping their signs in the air.

Life coach and writer from Savannah, Georgia, Omkari Williams had come to the march to protest what she said was “the coming apocalypse.”

Williams held above her head a colorful painting bearing the bust of and a quote from Sojourner Truth; the painting was just one of about a hundred similar sent to the march by Savannah artist/activist Panhandle Slim [see page 8].

Her biggest concern was the fate of Planned Parenthood.

“For women, I think it’s going to be that Planned Parenthood is going to be defunded, so it’s a health issue,” she said.

Planned Parenthood is a reproductive heath nonprofit that provides services across the county, and across the globe; just two days after the march, in one of his first actions as president, Trump signed an executive order defunding the international division of the organization.

“I think in general, health care is going to be upended, and that’s an issue for everyone,” she said. “I also feel his general disregard for women means that women’s issues — which are family issues, predominately — are not going to be paid attention to, and that’s a problem.”

Williams also expressed concern over the wage gap.

“The gender wage gap is really, really real,” she said. “I actually have a friend who is paid less now than the man who was doing her job 10 years ago was paid at the time, only because she’s a woman. When my mother was an executive at AT&T she was paid less than men doing her job.”

People, Williams said, tend to get away with that sort of behavior unless and until they’re challenged.

at Lake Junaluska around 1917.

“Basically, I come from a long line of Methodist preachers,” she said.

Pickett said she’d spent “large chunks” of her adolescence in Western North Carolina and at the cabin, which remains in the family and will someday be hers.

After doing a lot of writing and a little acting, Pickett transitioned into filmmaking, and in 2011 was accepted into The American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women, where she made an award-winning film called The Men’s Room, which screened at festivals across the country, including the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

More recently, Pickett was accepted into

“You’ve gotten this far, but this is as far as you’re going to get,” she said, issuing a stern warning to the president and a Republican Party that controls the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the presidency. “Women haven’t been brought to the table, so now we’re taking our seat at the table.”

‘WEWILLNEVERGOAWAY’

Another woman eager to take her seat at the table is filmmaker Jane Pickett.

Pickett, who was in the middle of several film projects in Los Angeles, dropped everything to make her way to D.C. for the march.

“I’m from Georgia originally,” she said. “My mother was a Christian Democrat and my father an atheist Republican. Sitting at that dinner table forced me to hold a more complex picture of the world.”

Pickett studied anthropology at Skidmore College in upstate New York and went on to earn an MFA from California Institute of the Arts in writing for performance.

Despite the wayfaring nature of her journey, Pickett has roots in Haywood County that go back more than a century; her greatgrandfather Chesley Herbert bought a cabin

Trump’s strange relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, environmental concerns and the “rising rhetoric of far right populism” around the world as examples, in addition to common refrains about reproductive rights and the wage gap.

But most recently, she’s troubled by what she calls an attack on the truth.

“In talking about the inauguration, Trump’s press secretary said, ‘This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period,’ and then went on to attack the mainstream media about how they misrepresented the numbers,” she said. “But the facts are that it wasn’t the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration and the mainstream

“But we smiled at one another and I remember closing my eyes and taking a moment to take it all in; all these people having traveled far and wide, standing here, together, to show how much they care.”

After the march, Pickett came upon a group of women singing the Rolling Stones song, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Other women joined in, she said, and then others.

“I hate the thought of giving any kind of silver lining to the devastating results of this election, but when I heard this, I’ll admit I thought, ‘Maybe we needed to get this upset in order to come together on a whole new level,” she said. “As we marched across the

the 20th Century Fox Filmmakers Lab — a partnership between Fox and AFI that aims to increase the number of female directors working on major studio films by giving alumni the chance to direct short films based on the studio's existing film franchises.

She is one of just 25 women selected for the prestigious Fox lab, which is emblematic of the struggle women often face in the workplace. Somewhere between 4 and 10 percent of film directors are women, Pickett said, and Fox at some point realized that wasn’t because they weren’t good enough, but rather because very few women had existing work that could be shown to studio executives.

Hence her participation in the march.

“I feel like the rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized and threatened so many people woven deep within the fabric of my community,” she said. “I came to march as a concerned citizen, wanting to stand up for human rights. And I wanted to send a strong message to the new government on their first day in office that women's rights are human rights, and that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.”

Pickett worries about many things, not all of which are women’s issues. She cited

media did not misrepresent the numbers. So basically, Trump’s press secretary used his very first press conference to openly lie about simple facts. What kind of country do we live in when our leaders and their team see facts as optional and act as if they live outside of accountability? Whether you’re left or right leaning, I believe this total disregard for the truth should be alarming. By falsely putting the mainstream media in question to his loyal supporters, Trump and his team are undermining our public discourse and encouraging an acceptance of an alternate reality as dictated by them — key word being ‘dictate.’ This is not what democracy looks like. These are the seeds of fascism.”

Pickett said she appreciated the sense of community at the march; unlike protests near Franklin Square the day before, no bricks were thrown, no one was maced and, according to NBC News, not a single arrest was made.

“We had to carefully negotiate with one another to help usher older folks out of the crowd — people feeling faint or in need of medical assistance. Many were feeling claustrophobic. The pressure grew uncomfortable,” she said. “A woman next me joked, ‘Is this what it takes to get us all to really talk?’"

mall towards the White House, I watched hundreds of people toss signs over the gate and onto the lawn. And I thought, ‘How lucky are we that we live in country where it is our right to be heard!’”

As the march concluded, Pickett, Williams and Tyner left the same way they had come, on rain-slicked granite sidewalks in rubber boots, sneakers and sandals, following the footsteps of activists like Margaret Sanger and Susan B. Anthony through the fog and mist that enshrouded the whole city, the whole day, in their Pussyhats.

Did they dismantle the patriarchy? No. Did they eliminate the wage gap? No. Did they once and for all safeguard reproductive rights, or effect Trump’s resignation?

Hardly.

They did, however, create a new generation of activists — community-minded folks from all walks of life who will return to their homes across the world with new friends, new connections, and a new motivation to organize, oppose and obstruct what they feel are concerted efforts by those in power to restrict their rights.

“My favorite chant of the march,” said Pickett, “was ‘Welcome to your first day! We will never go away!’”

WNC marches for women’s rights

BY J ESSI STONE

N EWS E DITOR

“Care more, judge less,” “Love trumps hate” and “Rise up” were just a few of the battle cries heard in downtown Asheville last Saturday as an estimated 10,000 people marched to protect women’s rights.

It was a cold and gloomy morning but the enthusiasm was high as Pack Square began to fill up with men, women and children of all ages and backgrounds donning pink hats and protests signs.

As she took a look around at the crowd, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said she was overwhelmed by the turnout.

“This is the medicine we need,” she said as the crowded roared around her.

Despite the peaceful nature of the march, the movement has received some backlash from men and women who questioned what exactly these marchers were protesting.

“People have asked me ‘why are the women marching?’ and I tell them this past year is the first year in my lifetime and probably in all of your lifetimes that women didn’t take a step forward in their march toward equality,” Manheimer said. “We need to remind the people of this already great nation why we’re marching.”

After speaking to a number of attendees, most seemed to have their own personal rea-

INAUGURATION 2017

sons for being there — though the one connecting factor seemed to be President Donald Trump’s attitude toward women and other minority groups that has convinced them this new administration does not support equality for all.

Canton native Jordan Israel, a young single mother and attorney in Sylva, said Trump has total disregard for women’s issues, including equal pay, sexual violence and access to health care.

The art and activism of Panhandle Slim

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

Savannah, Georgia-based artist Scott

“Panhandle Slim” Stanton was born in Maryland and raised in Pensacola, Florida, but he has been known to pop up in all quarters of these United States, including Asheville — owing to his family’s vacation cabin in Swannanoa.

Stanton spent time as a pro skater in the early 1990s and went on to study sociology and psychology in college before becoming a popular portrait artist who makes simple, colorful paintings featuring pop culture figures and their most memorable quotes. Despite the relatively simple formula, Stanton’s work has evolved over the past few years. He began mostly with cultural archetypes like Frank Sinatra, Carl Perkins, and Keith Richards extolling their good timin’ lifestyles and substances of choice.

Of late, however, his subject matter has become much more political, as have his unorthodox distribution channels — including working “non-stop” to furnish more than 100 paintings for participants of the Women’s March on Washington. I ran into Slim on Merrimon Avenue in June, and asked him

about his art, his activism, and his attitude.

Smoky Mountain News: You’re here in Asheville, and you just thought you’d do a quick pop-up show at this abandoned gas station?

Panhandle Slim: Yup. I did one down the street last year, and the other day I was driving, saw this spot, and thought, “That’s a good spot.”

SMN: Your stuff has grown into heavily political themes, after starting off very entertainment-based. How did that come about?

PS: Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin pretty much got me started on activism. But I’ve always been — even the songs, the entertainment stuff I picked was political in some ways, like punk rock. But yeah, I could say that Trayvon Martin — that got me worked up, what happened to him.

SMN: Your distribution methods are much different than a lot of artists. Tell me about “droplifting.”

PS: Everything I see, I see as a canvas pretty much. If I could, I’d paint on everything. So I’ll see something in a store that’s

should be marginalized, ridiculed, hated and abandoned,” she said. “I marched because I love the principles upon which our country was founded and not what a few want for themselves. I want liberty, justice and inclusiveness for everyone and that's why I marched with like-minded friends,” Roberts said.

Teri Domagalski, a professor at Western Carolina University, said she chose to march so that she can look herself in the mirror each morning knowing that she acted on her principles and values.

“The march in Asheville showed me the power of collaborative leadership, the resonance of a message framed by hope, and the wonder of respectful acceptance of disparate issues among the marchers,” she said.

Lindsey Solomon, executive director of the Haywood County Arts Council, said she chose to march for her LGBTQ friends and family who are afraid of having their rights further eroded. She also doesn’t want to lose her health insurance if the administration repeals the Affordable Care Act.

“Issues that more heavily impact women are too often used by politicians to generate anger and fear. That was never more prominent than in this election,” she said. “Coupled with Trump's remarks and actions during the debates, it was as if these very important issues were either a joke or of no consequence to him.”

Waynesville artist Margaret Roberts said she marched for her two gay children, her deaf daughter, her three nieces and herself.

“It terrifies me that our president says one thing one day and denies it the next. I'm terrified of conspiracy theories. I'm sad that if someone is different from the norm that they

not mine, I’ll purchase it, I’ll paint it, and I’ll take it back to the store and leave it there.

SMN: Do you get a refund for it?

PS: No, I’ll put it right back where it was, and then it ends up selling again, so the store makes money off of me.

SMN: And this show is another model of that — you’re not invited to this closeddown gas station on the north end of Asheville. Why do you do things this way?

PS: Yeah, I’m not invited. It’s just easy. I can pull in, throw the paintings out, invite

“There's more to my list, but that's what was so beautiful about the Women's March — we all had personal causes on our minds, but the ultimate message was love and acceptance. It was a morning of peace and community that gave me hope.”

Tuscola High School student Sophia Masciarelli, 16, said she marched for freedom, peace and change. She marched to stand up for those who have been affected by hate. She said it’s to the point where she can barely watch the news anymore without getting a feeling of dread in her gut.

“And as a young person, as a young woman, this is one of the most discouraging and off-putting feelings I can think of. It hurts me, down to my core,

Fpeople, load ‘em back up, and if somebody tells me to leave — which has never happened yet — I can…

SMN: That’s never happened?

PS: Police have shown up and they’ve asked questions, but they didn’t really think there was anything wrong with it, so it’s turned out good. It’s positive.

SMN: That’s amazing. I would have thought that at least in Savannah [Slim’s current home] you’d have gotten the boot once or twice.

PS: So today might be the day they kick me out because I said that.

SMN: What do you hope to accomplish with all this?

SMN: It makes me smile. Hopefully it makes other people smile. Its amazing that people actually come and buy paintings in general. But just with my paintings in particular, I accomplish happiness. It’s a lot like skateboarding to me — it’s creating things. Tying skateboarding in with an art show at a gas station, or a place that I’m not invited, is a lot like skateboarding. We used to skateboard in places — same mentality. When they tell us to leave, we leave. And then we come back.

Public survey could make or break Haywood library expansion

Sharon Woodrow, Haywood County library director, is hoping for a high response rate in an upcoming mail survey of random households that will guide the creation of a strategic master plan for the library system. Pictured here, Woodrow she leads a tour for grad students with the WCU Public Policy Institute, which is conducting the survey. Becky Johnson photo

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFFWRITER

Hopes for a major renovation and expansion of the Waynesville library were temporarily shelved by county commissioners last year and remain in limbo, now hinging on a to-be-determined strategic plan for the entire library system.

Whether the Waynesville library expansion re-emerges as part of the final plan — or whether it’s scaled back to make way for a suite of smaller improvements at all the library branches — depends on public input during the ongoing visioning process.

A survey will be mailed to 4,500 random households in Haywood County the first week of February, asking the public to weigh in on the future of their libraries.

“The more surveys that get returned, the bigger the message will be to the commissioners that the public supports renovation, rejuvenation and renewal of their library system,” said David McCracken, chair of the Haywood Library Foundation.

“It will cost them nothing but a little bit of time to fill it out.”

The survey will hopefully gauge what library users — and non-library users — want to see.

“What do the citizens want to see in their library? How they are using it? What would make it more enticing? What kinds of improvements would they like to see if any?”

said Dr. Todd Collins, the director of the WCU Public Policy Institute, which was commissioned to conduct the survey.

A coalition of library supporters previously spent a year — plus $25,000 on a consultant and architect — developing a plan to expand and upgrade the 35-year-old flagship library in Waynesville.

The library coalition hoped to garner $4 million in support from the county and combine it with the proceeds of a $2 million capital campaign.

However, when the library coalition presented the idea to county commissioners last April, they got a lukewarm response.

County leaders ultimately sent the coalition back to the drawing board to formulate a comprehensive strategic plan for library services throughout the entire county.

Although the initial campaign failed to launch, McCracken said the task force is optimistic about where the strategic planning process will lead.

“I think it was reasonable feedback from the commissioners to say ‘What about the rest of the system?’” McCracken said. “I wish we didn’t have this year-long slow down, but I think it is good for the county to take that step.”

The mail-in survey is just one piece of the public input guiding the strategic plan. The library task force also held a series of public visioning meetings in the fall from Beaverdam and Bethel to Maggie Valley and Fines Creek.

“It was a very rich data collection process. It was great to go out to all the communities of the county,” said Dona Stuart, a county official serving as a liaison to the new task force.

During the initial planning process over a year ago, an extensive survey of library users was conducted, and those will be incorporated into the new strategic plan, as well, Stuart said.

But the random mail-in survey will hopefully capture a larger cross-section of the public, including those who aren’t currently

“I think it was reasonable feedback from the commissioners to say ‘What about the rest of the system? I wish we didn’t have this year-long slow down, but I think it is good for the county to take that step.”

— David McCracken, chair of the Haywood Library Foundation

library users.

The mail-in survey will cost roughly $9,000, with the county, Friends of the Library and the Haywood Library Foundation dividing the cost evenly three ways.

Collins brought a team of graduate students who will be analyzing and compiling the survey results to a library task force meeting this week, which they capped off by a tour of the library.

“I know getting citizens involved is tough,” said Collins. “I think doing this type of survey will help with that.”

listening to the kinds of ideas and policies these ‘politicians’ are proposing,” she said.

But last weekend she experienced something different — she saw women and men, of every age and ethnicity, coming out in solidarity to support each other.

“Before the march I felt alone, forced into silence by the naysayers around me, but now I know that there is hope. Hope for a brighter future where we all work together to fight the unfair and unjust policy that is handed down unto us.”

Speakers addressing the Asheville crowd encouraged them to continue to be vigilant about protecting their rights by getting involved in local organizations, running for

office or supporting someone else running for office.

“I am a product of the blood, sweat, and tears of our foremothers and fore-grandmothers who made every aspect of my life a possibility,” Mayor Manheimer said.

“Because of them, I can own property, I can vote, I went to law school and practice law and I can stand here as your mayor.”

Attendance was much larger than expected, but the march remained peaceful with law enforcement officers on standby throughout the route. The Asheville march, which was one of more than 600 marches held around the world on Jan. 21, raised more than $17,000 for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.

Casino announces expansion First-year visitation low at

$250 million project will add fourth hotel tower, event space

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort is stepping into its 20th year of operation with plans for a massive expansion that will add 600-800 hotel rooms, a parking deck and a 100,000-square-foot event center to the existing 1,900,000-square-foot complex.

The Cherokee Tribal Council approved the project last week, authorizing the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise to borrow up to $250 million to complete it, with the casino’s director of planning and analysis Jeremiah Wiggins telling council the project is expected to run in the $150 to $200 million range, with the $250 million figure possible as a contingency.

“I’m extremely pleased that we were able to pass this through council and continue to grow our enterprise,” said Principal Chief Patrick Lambert in a press release from the casino. “The convention center and hotel is just a first step in completing our vision of making Cherokee a great place to visit, benefiting not only our casino but our tribal businesses as well.”

The existing facility, which includes 1,100 hotel rooms and a 16,000-square-foot event center — in addition to the extensive gaming-related offerings, restaurants and retail — isn’t big enough to meet the constantly growing demand, according to Leeann Bridges, Harrah’s regional vice president for marketing. Lack of capacity forces Harrah’s to turn away business on a regular

basis, she said, even with the contracts the casino keeps with surrounding hotels to accept overflow business. Each year, these contracts result in casino guests spending 80,000 hotel nights at accommodations outside of Harrah’s.

However, Harrah’s still denies about 120,000 hotel reservations per year for lack of space, Bridges said. And convention bookings, which have risen by double-digit percentages since 2013, are turned away as often as they are made.

“This new facility that we are talking about — convention space, hotel rooms — is really going to allow us to blow up that convention business even more,” Bridges said.

According to Wiggins, the new hotel tower, which will be Harrah’s fourth, is expected to boost revenue by $4 to $6 million annually.

The planning is still preliminary. No architect has yet been engaged, and the location of the new addition has not been determined. The project is expected to be complete near the beginning of 2020 — actual construction will take about two years, and before that starts Harrah’s will have to go through the design phase and bid the project to a contractor.

“If we could have a shovel in the ground by year’s end, I think we would be very pleased with that,” Bridges said.

Plans will focus on creating a space that’s multifunctional enough to accommodate the needs of various groups and equipped with state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment. The event center will likely be a two-story affair, TCGE Chairman Jim Owle told Tribal Council last week, capable of holding multiple conventions simultaneously. It’s even

possible that one of the floors could be capable of hosting sporting events, like basketball, Owle said.

The expansion will create 200 to 250 new positions, Bridges said.

“Those will be positions at all different levels,” she said. “We’re talking housekeepers, quality assurance folks who go in and inspect the rooms, management, front desk supervisors.”

DISCUSSIONINCOUNCIL

Tribal Council approved the project overwhelmingly but not unanimously. Of the 11 councilmembers present, eight voted in favor of allowing the TCGE to borrow the money, while three voted against it.

Councilmember Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird, supplied the strongest opposition to the plan, taking issue with the large amount of debt the tribe would incur and questioning whether, if the tribe were to spend $250 million, gaming was the right place to put it.

“After 30 years of paying this back at only $20 million a year, we’re going to be paying over a billion dollars for these two projects alone,” he said. “We seem to be digging ourselves more in debt.”

The tribe currently holds $518.7 million in debt on the casino in Cherokee, with an additional $90 million on the recently completed Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino in Murphy. The original structure was built in 1999, with new hotel towers added in 2002 and 2005, a $254 million expansion in 2006 and a $633 million expansion completed in 2012. In 2015, the tribe completed its next big project, Valley River Casino, a $110 million endeavor.

Murphy casino

When the Valley River Casino opened in September 2015, Harrah’s had expected it to serve about 1.5 million people each year. The property in Murphy, the thought went, would be a gaming-centric facility that would allow clients living in Atlanta and northern Georgia a shorter drive to gamble in between longer trips to the flagship facility in Cherokee. From Atlanta, Murphy is about an hour closer than Cherokee.

However, visitation in the first year was a bit lower than anticipated, around 1.1 million. When asked if the demographics of visitors over that first year fit what Harrah’s had expected, Bridges said that “it really, really didn’t.”

“Our VIPs, they tried Murphy, they told us, ‘The gaming products, the food court, that’s great but we really prefer the amenities that are in Cherokee,’” Bridges said. “We continued to see that higher-end play continue to come to Cherokee with some visits to Valley River, so that was a surprise for us.”

People who frequented Valley River tended to be more local, people who are strong players but not high-end VIPs. According to Bridges, that’s a good thing for Harrah’s.

“For so many years we’ve been VIP-driven here in Cherokee, but now we’re able to look at these other segments of guests that have been underserved,” she said.

With a better handle on the demographics of Valley River guests and what’s motivating them to come, Bridges said she expects visitation to rise to the originally projected 1.5 million mark pretty quickly as the casino adjusts its marketing strategy. Plans to add a full-service restaurant with a bar and entertainment stage to the facility, which currently has no sit-down restaurant, are also likely to boost the numbers.

Wachacha asked whether it was a good idea to approve yet another expensive project with so much debt in hand already. Besides, he said, the tribe has long discussed the need to diversify and become less dependent on gaming. If another casino should open in the region and intercept Harrah’s customers coming from Atlanta and Chattanooga, the thought goes, the tribe’s brisk casino business could crash as quickly as it soared. Wachacha advocated that dollars instead be spent on projects to diversify the economy or to provide services such as housing for tribal members.

“At this time I honestly cannot agree moving forward unless we have a better plan,” Wachacha said.

However, Harrah’s regional vice president of finance, Adele Jacobs-Madden, contended that the numbers make a strong case for continued expansion.

“Since the casino’s been open, and if you want to add Murphy, it’s about $1.1 billion in assets we have on the books,” she said. “At the end of this year, $4 billion in tribal distributions will have gone back to the tribe as a result of the casino. And that’s a pretty good return.”

Warm weather forces Cataloochee Ski closure

Closure could impact winter tourism numbers

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

Unseasonably warm weather and the drought have combined to temporarily close Cataloochee Ski Area.

For Maggie Valley, that’s a problem. The small tourist town has always had challenges in winter as restaurants, stores and hotels close up shop until spring returns.

The success of Cataloochee Ski Area has helped mitigate the drop-off of visitors and has helped introduce an entire new demographic to Maggie Valley. Skiers typically occupy the slopes at Cataloochee and the hotel rooms in the valley from November into March, which is why Cataloochee’s recent 12-day closure will likely have a negative impact on local revenues.

“As the main attraction for winter activities, Cataloochee temporarily stopping their skiing and snowboarding activities has impacted tourist traffic to the Valley,” said Teresa Smith, executive director of the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Tammy Brown, marketing manager at Cataloochee Ski, sent a press release out Jan. 18 announcing that the resort would be closed for the next week because of the unusually warm January weather.

Of the casino’s profits, half goes to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and half is paid out in bi-yearly per capita payments to tribal members. The December per capita payment was the largest ever, with every enrolled member receiving $6,189 — the amount went down to $5,261 after taxes.

According to Bridges, the new casino at Murphy played a significant role in the record-breaking per capita payment. It stands to reason that the casino expansion would further boost per capita payments, though it’s hard to say by how much

Ultimately, only Councilmember Bo Crowe, of Wolfetown, and Vice Chairman Brandon Jones, of Snowbird, joined Wachacha in voting against the expansion. The remaining eight councilmembers voted in favor, with Councilmember Teresa McCoy, of Big Cove, absent from the meeting.

MOREPROJECTS

INTHEWORKS

While not a shovelful of earth is likely to be turned in the casino expansion until 2017 is over with, work is already underway on another project — a 24-lane bowling alley slated to open this fall.

The $13 million, two-story facility will be accessible from the first-floor gaming area near the Essence Lounge and from the second-floor event center.

“It’s really going to be fun and lively and

“The ski area has temporarily suspended operations for the upcoming week until snowmaking temperatures move back into the area,” Brown said. “The ski area plans to reopen on Thursday, Jan. 26. As always, we suggest you check back with us or visit our website at www.cataloochee.com as we move forward into next week.”

While the ski season always varies each year, having to cease operations in the middle of the season is a rare event — but so is this warm weather.

According to the National Weather Service, the temperature in January has been about 6 degrees higher than average. This time last year, Maggie Valley had several inches of snow on the ground compared to this year’s 65degree sunny weather.

warmer weather in the winter. She’s also hopeful that the cold weather will return in time to make the remaining season profitable for the ski resort and the rest of the valley businesses.

“Temperatures have been mild and visi-

Cataloochee Ski Area has been closed for the last week due to unusually warm weather and persisting drought conditions.

making snow because the drought had impacted the ski resort’s water supply. In a Jan. 14 press release, Cataloochee Ski Area President Chris Bates said the 20-inch rain deficit throughout the year had reduced the inflow to the snowmaking reservoirs by twothirds.

Even though the Asheville region did receive more January snow last year, overall the region had its warmest winter on record in 2016, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

Smith hopes the impact of Cataloochee being closed for more than a week will be balanced out by the advantages of having

just a lot of different things going on with it,” Bridges said. “We know that our tribal members are very excited over that.”

Costs for that project are split down the middle between the TCGE and the tribal government, the idea being that the facility will serve as a recreational amenity for locals as well as a draw for casino visitors. In addition to bowling lanes, the addition will include a bar, an arcade and an entertainment stage.

And even as it plugs along with bowling alley construction and sets its eyes on completing the massive hotel and event addition, Harrah’s is evaluating future needs for the new Valley River Casino in Murphy, now just over one year old.

“We knew from day one that we needed a sit-down restaurant, and our guests quickly told us that they wanted a sit-down restaurant, and we’re looking at starting on that project at some point during this year,” Bridges said.

The specifics have not yet been determined, but the goal is to get a moderately priced restaurant that serves three meals a day and includes a bar with a small entertainment stage. The project will be a significant addition to Valley River amenities — currently, a food court provides the only food service at the facility, and there is no stage area.

“We do not believe in being idle around here, that’s for sure,” Bridges said. “If we do not have a shovel in the ground somewhere, we don’t know what to do with ourselves.”

tors could go hiking, fishing, play golf, and enjoy many of the outdoor activities that are available year-round,” she said. “But the weather will turn cold again and we look forward to a busy President’s Day weekend in February.”

Even before the warm weather set in, Cataloochee was having a problem with

“The reduced water for snowmaking has limited our ability to maximize the cold weather when we have had it, and limited the ability to make snow on more terrain,” he said. “We have continually invested in expanding our water reservoirs and drainage around the resort to have more water for snowmaking and will continue to so for the future.”

Maggie Valley won’t be the only town to suffer — Sapphire Valley Ski Area in Jackson County has had to shorten its hours of operations because of the weather conditions as well.

The ski industry has a major impact on the entire state of North Carolina, which is home to six ski resorts. According to the North Carolina Ski Areas Association’s 201415 economic value analysis, the ski industry had a $197 million economic impact during the 2014-15 season.

Verizon proposes new tower at Lake Junaluska

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

Verizon Wireless has approached Haywood County commissioners once again about installing a new cell tower near Lake Junaluska to improve service for customers, but this time they feel certain it will be built.

Commissioners approved Verizon’s permit request for the same tower two years ago, but Verizon didn’t follow through with the project and the permit expired. Another public hearing was held during the commissioners’ Jan. 17 meeting, but no one from the public spoke for or against the project.

“We filed for the same variance and special permit we did in 2014 and 2015,” said Verizon spokesperson Laura Goode. “The permit requires us to construct the facility within a year or the permit expires — we were unable to do that.”

Goode said many factors were at play when deciding where and when to construct new infrastructure. The company has to take into account the network as a whole when setting priorities and ranking projects. Goode said the demand for data is changing quickly within the network and making it difficult for Verizon to manage.

“The demand for data leads to unexpected changes and needs in the network so priorities can shift quickly,” she said. “It’s a rare circumstance though — we’ve never seen a

permit expire. We’ll do everything we can to make sure it gets built in this year’s timeframe.”

Goode said the new proposed tower — which would be located at 660 Sleepy Hollow Drive — would improve a large gap in coverage in the area north of U.S. 19 and south of I-40 and east of U.S. 276. While there is a tower in the Ivy Hill area, she said the mountain terrain creates dead zones.

“The West Canton site is reaching capacity to service the demand of customers in that area — what that results in is dropped calls, an inability to send and receive text messages, emails and the inability to access the internet,” Goode said.

The proposed tower would be a 132-foot monopine, which would be constructed to look like a tall pine tree to blend in with its surroundings. As was requested two years ago, Verizon is asking for a variance on the required “fall zone” setback. The county ordinance requires the fall zone to be at least half the height of the tower plus a 25-foot setback, which means Verizon would need 91 feet of space surrounding the tower.

Goode said the tower would meet that requirement on all sides of the property line except the northern side of the property where the setback is about 16 feet short. However, Verison secured signed consent letters from the adjacent property owners.

The county’s cell tower ordinance also

The proposed tower would be a 132-foot monopine, which would be constructed to look like a tall pine tree to blend in with its surroundings.

requires the tower to be built to accommodate at least one other provider to co-locate on the facility. When asked if this particular tower would be able to accommodate more than one colocation, Goode said a 132-foot tower is considered short and wouldn’t have the structural capacity for more providers.

Goode said one nearby property owner

Sanitary district policy remains suspended

New digital meters could help with water losses

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

After listening to the concerns of property managers in its service area, the Junaluska Sanitary District board has decided to look for other ways to cut down on revenue losses.

Property managers and landlords approached the board last month with concerns about a new JSD policy passed in October without notification. The new policy requires property managers and their tenants to sign a Utility Service Agreement that will allow JSD to go after the landlord if a tenant doesn’t pay their water bill.

Michele Rogers, co-owner of Select Homes that has about 70 rental units in the JSD district, and several other private landlords told the board that the policy was unfair and unwarranted.

The concern was that the policy would prohibit otherwise qualified new customers from receiving water service. Rogers also

did have a concern about runoff onto his property once construction of the tower in under way. Fortunately, the site at Lake Junaluska is also home to a water tower, which means there won’t be that much prep work needed for the cell tower.

“It’s hard to find a spot in the mountains where you don’t have to create a driveway or do a lot of grading to build the tower — so we’ll have minimal disturbance,” Goode said.

County Planning Director Kris Boyd said there had been some storm water issues in the past on that site. He suggested the commissioners make some storm water system improvements a condition of the permit if they approve it because some minimum grading work would need to be done.

Commissioners did not make a decision on the permit following the hearing but they did seem to be in consensus that the tower is needed.

Commissioner Kevin Ensley said coverage at the county fairgrounds was spotty and he hoped the new tower would improve service out there.

Commissioner Mike Sorrells said he had heard complaints from constituents about the lack of service in the area for several years.

“I’d hope that now this thing is going to be built,” he said. “It would have helped this area two years ago. I would hope you’re not back here asking again because I might not want to do it next time.”

feared it would only encourage tenants to not pay their last water bill before moving out of the rental.

Josh Nickol, general manager and finance officer for JSD, said the policy was put in place because the district had to write off more than $16,000 in losses because of tenants not paying their bills.

But after hearing from landlords, the board decided last month to temporarily suspend that portion of the policy until a better solution could be found. At the Jan. 19 meeting, Nickol said the board decided to continue the policy suspension.

“The reason behind this is because the district is in the process of installing new automated meters. This is a capital project that has been in the works for over a year,” he said.

The new digital meter project has been put out to bid and a contractor will start the project soon. The tentative schedule is for the new meters to be installed this fiscal year, according to Nickol. The board is upholding the policy suspension until the meters are in place and active, hopefully by June.

“We can read meters in almost real time and it allows us to monitor usage each day as opposed to reading meters manually once a month,” he said. “This will allow us to manage/monitor when usage is high, which leads to higher utility bills.”

Improved monitoring could help alleviate water and revenue losses the district is experiencing.

Relay for Life holds kick-off event

Relay For Life of Canton and Relay For Life of West Haywood events are merging this year to have a greater impact as Relay For Life of Haywood County.

A kick-off event to get started will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Colonial Theater in Canton. All past teams are encouraged to attend as well as anyone who is interested in fighting to find a cure for cancer.

H&R Block offers tax help at Canton Armory

Get fit and get help with taxes through Canton Recreation Department’s unique “Get Fit” opportunity.

Dorothea Hassell and Kim Hatherlee of H&R Block will join residents at the morning walk in the Armory Tuesday, Jan. 31. Get fit walking indoors with them from 9:30 to 9:55 a.m., then these tax professionals will share their expertise and support while answering specific questions after the program.

Starting at 10 a.m., the 20-minute program will include; tips for personal preparation before meeting with a tax professional, rediscovering the positives of personal finances, and understanding healthcare reform.

Email parks@cantonnc.com to confirm.

Art commission seeks Plott hound artists

The Waynesville Public Art Commission is sending out a call for artists for a new piece dedicated to the Plott hound.

The Plott hound originated in Hazelwood (an area of incorporated Waynesville) and is the state dog of North Carolina. All information related to the specifics of the project, the location for the finished product and an overview of the Plott hound characteristics are included in an information packet that can be provided by contacting Amie Owens, assistant town manager at aowens@waynesvillenc.gov.

TDA to hold funding workshops

Now is the time to submit applications to receive partnership funding for 2017-2018 through the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

If you are planning to request funding, someone from your organization must attend a partnership funding workshop to submit an application. During the month of February, there will be two workshops: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, and 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at Lake Junaluska’s Bethea Welcome Center.

Important information will be provided that will benefit you during the application process and the HCTDA can answer any questions or concerns you may have.

For more information on the partnership funding process, visit www.haywoodcountytourismdevelopment.com/grants-info/.

Waynesville - 2BR, 2BA

$169,900 #3242994

Rolling Hills - 3BR, 2BA

$260,000 #3167208

Clyde - 3BR, 4BA

$442,900 #3240477

Fisher Ridge - 3BR, 2BA, 2HB

$469,900 #3174228

Clyde - 3BR, 2BA

$190,000 #3242023

Utah Mountain Estates 3BR, 3BA, $272,900 #3171992

Cataloochee Ranch 3BR, 3BA, 2HB, $449,000 #3240666

Bethel - 3BR, 3BA

$539,900 #3180849

Dogwood Acres - 3BR, 2BA, 1HB

$249,500 #3181309

Waynesville - 4BR, 3BA

$279,500 #3186255

Springdale Estates - 4BR, 4BA

$452,500 #3176930

Barbers Orchard - 4BR, 4BA

$565,000 #3240805

Whittier 6BR, 3BA

$775,000 #3211729

Sylva considers reduced-size residential lots

Loosening lot size restrictions would allow for tax base growth, supporters say

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

The town of Sylva took a tentative first step this month toward easing residential zoning restrictions that some credit with hindering growth in the geographically constrained town.

At its Jan. 12 meeting, the town board voted unanimously to reduce the minimum acreage for multifamily developments from 5 acres to 3. Because there are not currently any undeveloped 3-acre parcels in town, the change is unlikely to have much impact, though landowners could choose to combine separate parcels to meet the 3-acre minimum.

The real significance of the vote, however, lay in the direction it indicates the board may take going forward.

“This is the first part of a long discussion about density and lot size in our residential

districts,” Town Manager Paige Dowling told the board.

Sylva has relatively high minimum lot size requirements, with residential parcels required to be 0.18 to 0.4 acres per building, depending on the residential district in question. Constrained to a valley where steep slopes restrict development and with state law making annexation a difficult process, Sylva has seen little growth in its property tax base over recent years — with the cost of running a town continually rising, the town struggles each year to craft a budget sufficient to cover its basic needs.

Some town leaders have eyed easing the restrictions on minimum lot sizes as a solution that would boost the potential for tax base growth while giving landowners more freedom to use their property as they so choose.

“People that want to keep large lots can do that, but if they wanted to sell land that would allow us to grow the tax base,” Dowling said. “Not everybody needs fourtenths of an acre. We have a lot of homes in the R1 district that are quarter-acre lots.”

Participate in the process

The Sylva Planning Board regularly meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Sylva Town Hall, but an irregular January schedule means its next meeting is 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26.

Members of the public are welcome to come and listen to planning board members discuss the issues.

The R1 district, however, requires that all lots be at least four-tenths of an acre.

While this month’s vote was a quick one with zero input at the public hearing held beforehand, the rest of the revision process isn’t likely to be as simple. The town has a variety of different zoning districts, each with different restrictions and with different reasons for those restrictions. The planning board, which meets monthly, is just beginning to talk through all those decisions and their implications — Dowling expects it will

be at least a year before they’ve finished a revision of the zoning ordinance’s lot size requirements for the town board to consider.

“It’s a decision that really needs to be thought through and studied,” Dowling said.

While the benefits of a larger tax base and more options for homeowners are obvious, easing restrictions could create concerns as well. Minimum lot sizes are put in place partly as a way to maintain the character of a neighborhood and prevent haphazard development.

“We want to look at what is feasible for a town the size of Sylva,” said the Sylva Planning Board’s vice chair Ellen Hunter. “There are only a few lots that are available that meet the present requirements. Questions raised are: Are these present requirements too strict? Will lowering the size requirements affect the uniqueness of Sylva? What is the balance between growth and the environment?”

Those are the questions that the planning board will tackle in the months ahead.

Jackson Health Department project to cost less than expected

Building renovations estimated at $4.7 to $5.7 million

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

Upgrading the Jackson County Health Department could prove a much less expensive undertaking than originally anticipated, if estimates contained in a recently completed study prove correct.

Commissioners ranked constructing a new health department building as the most important capital priority to pursue when they discussed capital priorities last winter, but the project was expected to be a rather expensive one. ThenCounty Manager Chuck Wooten used $9.5 million as the placeholder figure for the project’s likely cost.

Since then, commissioners have learned that the department might not need as much additional space as was first supposed and that a renovation of the existing building might be sufficient to meet its future needs. A study to examine the feasibility of a renovation over new construction, completed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, put the cost of renovation between $4.7 million and $5.7 million, with a new building costing about $5.6 million. The study itself cost $18,800.

Commissioners were pleasantly surprised to see estimates come in at about half the number they’d originally worked with, but architect Ronnie Smith was quick to point out that the true cost of the project would be higher than the numbers quoted in the study.

“These were just construction costs,” he said. “So furniture, architecture fees, testing — there will be some additional costs.”

The estimate for a new building, for example, does not include the cost of purchasing land, which would vary widely depending on the tract in question. Architecture and engineering fees typically run between 7 and 10 percent of the project cost, said County Manager Don Adams, with contingency costs typically at 5 to 10 percent. Other costs such as furniture are difficult to predict so early in the process.

The proposed renovation would include a complete gutting of the existing building on Scotts Creek Road, but the

envelope of the building would remain virtually the same. Extra space would come from reorganization of the existing square footage and from newly freed-up area previously used by Jackson County Cooperative Extension and the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District. Those agencies relocated to the Skyland Services Center on Skyland Drive after a renovation of that building was completed last year.

While creating additional working space is certainly a

employees were given toward the study’s outcome. However, she did express concern that the proposed renovations would leave little room for growth in the department. The original concept of a $9.5 million building had hinged on an old study that anticipated the 55-employee department would grow to 115 employees, and while times have changed and that forecast is no longer accurate, Carraway said she felt some growth should still be expected.

Commissioners were pleasantly surprised to see estimates come in at about half the number they’d originally worked with, but architect Ronnie Smith was quick to point out that the true cost of the project would be higher than the numbers quoted in the study.

goal of the project, increasing functionality of existing space will be just as important.

“Part of the problem with the existing building is privacy and HIPAA regulations and things like that, so we have to make sure we can incorporate that into each space,” Smith said.

The plan includes reworking the waiting room so that patients can discuss their needs more privately with receptionists, for example, as well as installing elevators that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and reconfiguring exam rooms so they’re large enough to accommodate basic functions, such as administering eyesight tests at the proper distance from the chart.

The study commissioners received this month is not an architectural design — it’s a more preliminary document intended to gauge whether the existing building even has the capacity to meet the health department’s needs. The upshot, Smith said, is that it does. The study estimates the department needs about 29,100 square feet, though a new building could be constructed a bit more efficiently and get the job done with 28,500 square feet.

Health Director Shelley Carraway complimented Smith’s firm for their work and for the extensive input she and her

“We anticipate some growth in environmental health,” she said. “The clinic, it depends on the grants that we get. But I would not anticipate a large growth.”

Perhaps, she guesstimated, the department would add about 10 employees over the next 10 years.

Meghan Teague, an architect for the firm, offered that the space could be made to accommodate more growth if necessary.

“We’ve programmed private offices for every staff member,” she said. “A lot of times we’ll see more of an open office work environment and that could save us significant square footage. It’s not the way they work right now, but it might be something to consider.”

Another consideration will be how to phase the project. Smith offered three options ranging in cost from $4.7 million to $5.7 million. The recommended alternative, which is also the least expensive, would be to renovate the east side of the building in year one and then the west side of the building in year two. Because Cooperative Extension and the Soil and Water District have already moved out of the building, this plan would entail minimal disruption to the department’s day-to-day operations.

Commissioners thanked Smith and Teague for the information and are now considering which route would be best to take in this multi-million dollar project.

“I don’t think we would be in a position to make a decision today,” Chairman Brian McMahan said as the presentation concluded. “I’d like to sleep on it.”

Our allegiance is to the ideals, not to a president

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

—1 Corinthians 13:12

King James Version (KJV)

As I was looking through the photographs from around the country from the Women’s March last Saturday — including more than a few of my wife and daughter, who marched with a group of friends in Asheville — I was struck by the many expressions and images of sheer joy, when I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of anger and defiance. By all accounts, the turnout for the marches across the country far exceeded anyone’s most optimistic expectations, and the overall theme seemed to be the restoration of some lost hope for a lot of people who have not had much to celebrate in the past few months.

I was immeasurably moved by many of those images, especially those of younger women and girls who came with their mothers to bear witness to the making of an important statement that rang out from coast to coast, in cities and towns all over America: we matter, we care, and we are worthy of respect.

Of course, there were a few negative posts as well, some snarky and some purely meanspirited and demeaning, which only served to amplify the importance of the marches. But then I came across a post that stunned me in its genuine expression of grief over the magnitude and substance of the movement.

In essence, the writer of the post was distraught because she perceives the Women’s March as more evidence of how deeply divided we are as a nation at a time when we should, in her view, be coming together —

you know, the United States of America. She believes that President Trump is not being given the chance that he deserves to bring the changes she and so many others are seeking and were promised, foremost among them new, higher paying jobs, lower taxes, and reasonable healthcare.

She might not agree with everything President Trump has said or the way he comports himself some of the time, but she did what almost all Americans do when they go to the polls — weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, and then vote for the one whose views most aligned with her own. Whatever his weaknesses might have been, his views matched hers most closely, and that was that. To her, the rest is noise, as they say. Who cares what idiotic thing some billionaire said on a bus years ago if he is going to bring new jobs and fix all the things that are broken in this country?

She was so despondent over the Women’s March and what it represented to her that she said she was considering deleting her Facebook account due to the animosity directed toward the new President, who had been inaugurated just one day earlier. She had been so hopeful that the country would unite behind him and put the ugliness and divisiveness of the campaign behind us, and now that illusion had been shattered by hundreds of posts and images from around the country, the majority in defiance of President Trump. Her post was not one of defiance, but despair,

How much did legislators get from Duke?

To the Editor:

Those job killing North Carolina Republicans are at it again. The Republican General Assembly has cost North Carolina hundreds of jobs with the ill-conceived HB2 bathroom bill. Now 10 Republican legislators are asking the Trump administration to kill a big wind farm project that has been completed in the Atlantic.

A company has built a $400 million wind farm that can produce the equivalent energy for 60,000 homes in accordance with Navy specifications so as to be compatible with flight training and radar instillations. Amazon is planning to use the energy generated from the wind farm for a distribution center they are developing. Is stopping this project how Republicans promote business in North Carolina?

The legislators want the wind farm shut down and presumably dismantled. Their argument is that the turbines pose a threat to Navy pilot training. Apparently they feel that Navy aviators are unable to fly over or around the turbines. They also claim the wind farm was installed due to “ political correctness” imposed by the Obama administration. Both arguments are bogus. We need to develop more alternative energy sources, which currently support more jobs than coal mining.

Maybe the better question concerning the wind farm is how much the Republican legislators got in political contributions from Duke Energy?

Norman Hoffman Waynesville

of dashed hopes. In just one day, the pendulum had swung completely to the other side, from the celebration of the inauguration to the celebration of resistance.

I was touched not only by her post, but several other posts I saw from several proTrump friends of mine. Some were angry, sure, but most of them struck a much different note, one of sadness and surprise. I do not think that many supporters of President Trump understood just how deep, intense, and widespread the resistance to his presidency really is, or the true nature of the resistance. This is about far more than party politics.

I think they now know that this movement is about much more than a group of “sore losers” whining because their candidate did not win. This is not just a petulant Mitch McConnell promising to undermine everything the President does just because he is the leader of the other party. This is perhaps the beginning of a much larger movement, millions of people who watched as this President demeaned and degraded women over and over in the most repulsive way leading up to the election, and then watched in horror as their country elected him anyway.

There is no point in citing any of the dozens of specific examples of this lack of respect. The election of President Trump demonstrates that such examples have been weighed and found to be either inconclusive, somehow not representative of who he really is, or distorted by a media so malevolent and omnipotent that it can manipulate live feeds of Mr. Trump speaking to a crowd of supporters. In other words, many of his supporters feel that they can no longer believe what they are seeing with their own eyes.

I confess that I have been operating on the assumption for over a year now that supporters of the new President have a massive “blind spot” and that the rest of us are experiencing the Cassandra Complex — we see a disaster unfolding, but cannot convince anyone else that it is real, that a national crisis is imminent. I also realize that I have focused most of my energy on trying to make myself understood, rather than on understanding, which I did not fully realize until I read that plaintive post on Facebook on Saturday evening.

It is undoubtedly true that many millions of Trump voters felt that Clinton supporters also suffered from a massive blind spot, an unwillingness or inability to see her flaws or to hear their complaints about how the Affordable Healthcare Act was harming them with its (sometimes) massive premiums or its detrimental impact on many small businesses.

If we are to have any chance of healing this rift, we must realize that we who occupy the opposite ends of this spectrum do not see each other clearly. Those who oppose Trump must wish for his success and reach out to those who believed in him, working together whenever we can find common ground.

And those who support him must understand that our allegiance as Americans should not be to people — even Presidents — but to the ideals and the values that make this country what it is, even when those ideals and values remain just outside our grasp. We must always aspire to be better, and to do better. Always. And on those occasions when we can see clearly, we must believe our own eyes.

Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com.

It was just a press release, one among the dozens a week that media outlets receive and that may or may not make it into the paper, on TV, on the radio or on a website. When it came across my computer screen, though, it seemed suddenly clear to me that it was symbolic of how our economic development priorities have to change.

“Gov. Cooper recommends eight Western North Carolina projects for ARC funding,” read the headline.

Looking at the eight projects revealed that of the $3 million the Appalachian Regional Commission will most likely award, $1,374,714 was for an access road to a new development in Morganton and another $873,509 was to repave a road to an existing industrial site in Rutherford County.

No doubt those are worthy projects, but what stuck out was that the ARC was dedicating up $2.25 million of this grant money — 75 percent — to pavement, while a grand total of $47,500 will go to the Next Generation Network broadband project that is aimed at stimulating private highspeed broadband development in Waynesville and six other communities (Asheville, Hendersonville, Biltmore Forest, Fletcher and Laurel Park).

Let’s be clear. The $47,500 was exactly the amount the Land of the Sky Regional Council asked for. The committee leading this project is hoping to begin seeking bids this spring and will hopefully choose a contractor to begin installing broadband by the summer of 2017.

But the fact that the preponderance of this federal grant program is still going for roads and so little for broadband is, I think, a reflection that there is still a long way to go

before state and federal policymakers begin giving more than lip service to the need for rural broadband. You hear lawmakers and economic development folks say all the time that we need to bring affordable broadband to the coves and valleys if we are ever going to be able to compete for the jobs created in the new economy that are now going to urban areas and the suburbs.

Affordable broadband will lead to business investment that will reduce poverty and stimulate job growth. No doubt in rural Western North Carolina that broadband will have to be a mixture of line-of-sight and fiber technology to meet the expensive lastmile issues.

The large telecom companies can’t realize a profit by expanding into rural areas, so there’s little hope that they will put their resources into this effort. It reminds one of when Franklin Roosevelt and Congress had to pass the Rural Electrification Act in 1936 and make loans available — essentially federal subsidies — in order to bring electricity to rural areas.

Look, the truth is the federal government subsidizes all kinds of industries large and small. So providing money — perhaps loans, perhaps outright grants — for rural broadband projects seems the only way the playing field will ever be leveled.

Right now, families living in some coves can’t get phone service and certainly can’t get any kind of internet connections. And even if they did have access to it, then the question of affordability creeps into the equation. Infrastructure is not cheap.

In the 1800s it was the coming of the railroads that brought prosperity and economic development to isolated communities; then it was electricity that changed the way of life in rural America.

Now we need internet. Yes, we also need good roads, but what if for a couple of years we detoured 10 or 15 percent of all the road-building money in the U.S. into expanding broadband capacity? What if this new administration in D.C. would include these kinds of projects as it promises to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure?

The truth of the matter is that a fast, dependable digital connection is the starting point for moving goods and services all over the world. And priorities must change so rural America can get in the game. Reach Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com

wondering whether you have the right investments in your portfolio, we’d be happy to give you a professional evaluation. It could be the only thing you need is more cream in your coffee, but your investments are worth an important second look.

Call today for a complimentary consultation over coffee.

First Vice President – Investments

52 Walnut St., Suite 6

Waynesville, NC 28786

Office: (828) 456-7407

larry.east@wellsfargoadvisors.com

https://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/larry.east

Granville Younce , CFP®

52 Walnut Street, Suite 6

Waynesville, NC 28786

Office: (828) 456-7407

granville.younce@wfadvisors.com

tasteTHE mountains

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

BLOSSOM ON MAIN

128 N. Main Street, Waynesville.

828.454.5400. Open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Mild, medium, to hot and spicy, our food is cooked to your like-able temperature. Forget the myth that all Thai food is spicy. Traditional Thai food is known to be quite healthy, making use of natural and fresh ingredients, paired with lots of spices, herbs, and vegetables. Vegetarians and health conscious individuals will not be disappointed as fresh vegetables and tofu are available in most of our menu as well as wines and saki chosen to compliment the unique flavors of Thai cuisine.

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; slow-simmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.

BRYSON CITY CORK & BEAN

A MOUNTAIN SOCIAL HOUSE

16 Everett St.,Bryson City. 828.488.1934

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 9 a.m. to 3p.m., Full Menu 3 to 9 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials starting at 5pm every day. Followed by a tempting selection of desserts prepared daily by our chefs and other local bakers. Enjoy craft beers on tap, as well as our full bar and eclectic wine list.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH

119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1401. Family-style breakfast seven days a week, from 8 am to 9:30 am – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch every day from 12:00 till 2 pm. Evening cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays, featuring steaks, ribs, chicken, and pork chops, to name a few. Bountiful family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with entrees that include prime rib, baked ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer. The evening social hour starts at 6 pm, and dinner is served starting at 7 pm. So join us for mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations.

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. 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.

FRANKIE’S ITALIAN TRATTORIA

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

BOGART’S

303 S. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.1313

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Carry out available. Located in downtown Waynesville, Bogart’s has been long-time noted for great steaks, soups, and salads. Casual family atmosphere in a rustic old-time setting with a menu noted for its practical value. Live Bluegrass/String Band music every Thursday. Walking distance of Waynesville’s unique shops and seasonal festival activities and within one mile of Waynesville Country Club.

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE

454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Monday through Saturday. Dinner 5 to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Closed on Sunday. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ

6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef owned and operated. Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables. Fresh roasted ham, turkey and roast beef used in our hoagies. We hand make our own eggplant and chicken parmesan, pork meatballs and hamburgers. We use 1st quality fresh not preprepared products to make sure you get the best food for a reasonable price. We make vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free items. Call or go to Facebook (Breaking Bread Café NC) to find out what our specials are.

CHEF’S TABLE

30 Church St., Waynesville. 828.452.6210

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

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 handcut 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 web 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

J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817 Open nightly for dinner at 4 p.m.; Friday through Sunday 12 to 4 p.m. for lunch. Daily luncheon special at $6.99. 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.

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE

4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley. 828.926.0212. Winter hours: 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966. Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites. Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

JUKEBOX JUNCTION

U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday 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 Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Handtossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch. Beer and wine. Free movies with showtimes at 6:30 and 9 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Visit madbatterfoodandfilm.com for this week’s shows.

tasteTHE mountains

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.

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.

PAPERTOWN GRILL

153 Main St., Canton. 828.648.1455

Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Serving the local community with great, scratch-made country cooking. Breakfast is served all day. Daily specials including Monday meatloaf, chicken and dumplings on Thursdays and Friday fish.

PASQUALE’S

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

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. Check out our events and menu at rendezvousmaggievalley.com

SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE

1941 Champion Drive, Canton

828.646.3750 895 Russ Ave., Waynesville 828.452.5822. Sunday through Thursday

11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carry out available. Sagebrush features hand carved steaks, chicken and award winning BBQ ribs. We have fresh salads, seasonal vegetables and scrumptious deserts. Extensive selection of local craft beers and a full bar. Catering special events is one of our specialties.

SALTY DOG'S SEAFOOD & GRILL

3567 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. 828.926.9105. Open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through

Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Full service bar and restaurant located in the center of Maggie Valley. Featuring daily $6 lunch specials and daily dinner specials such as $1 Taco Tuesdays and 45¢ Wednesday Wings. Backyard Bar is open every weekend thru October. Join us for every NFL game.

SMOKEY SHADOWS LODGE

323 Smoky Shadows Lane, Maggie Valley

828.926.0001. Check Facebook page for hours, which vary. Call early when serving because restaurant fills up fast. Remember when families joined each other at the table for a delicious homemade meal and shared stories about their day? That time is now at Smokey Shadows. The menus are customizable for your special event. Group of eight or more can schedule their own dinner.

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. Dine in or take out available. Located across from the Fire Station.

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.

TRAILHEAD CAFE & BAKERY

18 N Main Street, Waynesville.

828.452.3881 Open 7 days a week Monday-Saturday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You will find a delicious selection of pastries & donuts, breakfast & lunch along with a fresh coffee & barista selection. Happy Trails!

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.

Creating a community

Haywood Arts celebrates 40 years

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

Ihave been, things will continue to be the same,” Solomon said. “So, we’re trying to step things up. If we want to grow, we need to grow our membership and donor base, and our community involvement.”

“Most of our artists are visual members, and we include them in all kinds of things, but I’d also like to find more ways to serve our musician artists and other mixed media members,” Solomon said. “We’re looking at fundraising parties once a quarter, our big gallery show in May — the upcoming Ruby anniversary show. We’d like to do different young adult events and artist spotlights, which will tell the story of the arts council — we’re all very invested.”

And atop the expanding horizons — that also means blurring county lines with other neighboring art councils in terms of resources and ideas — Solomon noted the HCAC has increased membership from around 40 artists to more than 85 nowadays. But, that number is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of creative minds and souls roaming the mountains and valleys of Western North Carolina.

“We’re trying to increase our capacity. It’s not just wishful thinking anymore — there’s a lot of enthusiasm,” Solomon said. “There are so many more artists here than there are members. We’re here for them. We have events to attend, artist member receptions and exhibits. By becoming a member, you’re also supporting all of the other artists in the community, and vice versa.”

HCAC:

In their own words

“For its entire history, the [Haywood County] Arts Council has acted unsatisfied. When some folks wanted to start a theater group, the Arts Council helped start HART (Haywood Arts Regional Theatre). When some folks wanted to have a gallery where local artists could participate, the Arts Council started a gallery on Main Street. When mountain music players wanted to teach young people about their instruments, the Arts Council started the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program to teach them. What I hope is that we keep that spirit of being irritated alive.”

— Frank Queen, board president of the HCAC

n her short tenure, Executive Director Lindsey Solomon has righted the unknown direction of the ship that is the Haywood County Arts Council. But, Solomon — who came into the fold a year and half ago — will be the first to point to the countless volunteers and artisan members who have made the HCAC a viable and valuable entity within the Waynesville and greater Haywood County communities.

“It really is a huge group effort, with all of our amazing volunteers who kept the door open when we didn’t have an executive director — we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for those people,” Solomon said. “And I want the HCAC to be seen as being a continuous place of activity, of things to look forward to, where we have events and activities that live way beyond our time within it.”

At 30, Solomon is one of the youngest in her field. But, she looks at her age as an asset to an organization celebrating 40 years in 2017, with the bar being raised high for the next four decades.

“If you keep doing things the exact way you

Beyond its numerous artisan member showcases and exhibits, Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) programs, live art demonstrations and library concerts, the HCAC will continue to find new and bountiful partnerships amid its own backyard, which, in recent years, has included the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, The Strand at 38 Main, and other businesses dotting downtown Waynesville.

Want to go?

Thinking about the 40th anniversary knocking on the door of the HCAC, Solomon, the HCAC board and artisan members all view the milestone as not only a moment for celebration, but also an opportunity for grassroots action that will ensure the future and survival of the arts in the county.

“Renewing our energy and focus at 40 years is important,” Solomon said. “The arts have been, and will always be, important to a community, especially in this time of political turmoil and picking sides, where the arts become that space to express yourself and come together.”

The Haywood County Arts Council will hold its Annual Meeting and 40th anniversary kickoff celebration at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in downtown Waynesville.

The event will start with a drop-in wine and cheese reception at the HCAC’s Gallery & Gifts showroom, before moving a few doors down to The Strand at 38 Main for a presentation and music.

The reception will feature music from former JAM band Possum on a Whale and Voices in the Laurel, who both will perform at The Strand. Attendees will be asked to provide input on HCAC questions like: What are they doing well? What should they be doing differently? How do the HCAC’s current priorities fit into your sense of what the Arts Council should focus on for the next phase of its history? The HCAC asks the community to think about constructive feedback to help it grow in its next 40 years.

Both reception and meeting are open to the public. Though not required, an RSVP is encouraged. Let the HCAC know if you’ll be attending via email at info@haywoodarts.org or by calling 828.452.0593.

The HCAC is a nonprofit agency that serves all artists and arts organizations in Haywood County. As an affiliate of the North Carolina Arts Council, the Haywood County Arts Council seeks to fulfill its mission to build partnerships that promote art and artists, explore new cultural opportunities, and preserve mountain artistic heritage. www.haywoodarts.org.

“The HCAC mission and vision statement tells what we do, but we are more dimensional by being an important part of the Waynesville community and for those of us who need the arts to complete us as human beings. Without the art community, Waynesville would be just another small mountain town. Because HCAC supports this special community, HCAC has contributed to the economy and the tourist destination place of Waynesville. HCAC has remained steadfast for 40 years because it continues to be relevant in our community. HCAC has continued to change and develop as the need to the community changes.”

— Libby Irwin, longtime former board member of HCAC

“It’s wonderful to be able to help celebrate HCAC's 40th anniversary. It’s still doing a great job of providing support to local artists from all types of arts. I enjoy volunteering because I’m always learning something new from artists and how they create in their own special way.”

— Carol Mankowski, longtime HCAC volunteer.

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

You want the house, I want the road

I had just enough water left.

Squeezing the last of my water bottle onto my dry toothbrush, I managed to get a halfway decent cleaning session. And there I was, sitting in the passenger’s seat of my old pickup truck, at 9 a.m. this past Monday morning, in the parking lot of a Waffle House in rural Arkansas.

“I don’t understand why you do this to yourself,” my mother would say later that day, over the phone, back in my hometown way up on the frigid Canadian border of Upstate New York.

HOT PICKS

1

Legendary progressive rock act YES will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

2

Country music singer-songwriter John Berry will perform an acoustic show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.

3

The First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Concert and Jam Series at Western Carolina University will continue with Ol’ Dirty Bathtub at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in the auditorium of H.F. Robinson Administration Building.

4

Folkmoot USA will welcome the Year of the Rooster with a Chinese New Year celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

5

Many might not know or understand, or care for that matter, but I do. Earlier that morning, I awoke under the bed cover of my truck in Walmart parking lot within eyesight of the Waffle House. Leaving Waynesville the previous Thursday afternoon, I had spent the last few days bouncing through Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis, en route to Austin, Texas. Why Austin? Why not, eh? It’s a music Mecca of a city that provokes the deepest of my melodic urges. That, and who couldn’t use some of that Texas sunshine to thaw even the coldest of mindsets and bodies in this chilliest of winters (metaphorically speaking).

The NetWest program of the North Carolina Writers Network will host an open mic night at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

memory. Each name conjured a face, each face illuminating another image in my mind of days long gone, but ones that still put the biggest grin on your face when wide-eyed shenanigans are rehashed, leading to gut-busting laughter.

There are a lot of miles to think and stare out into nothing between Memphis and Austin. Not so many folks around these parts that I know personally, seeing as most reside on the coasts, more so above the Mason-Dixon Line. So, push harder down on the pedal, periodically looking over at open fields and endless tree lines in the heartland of America.

You wonder what people do way out here. Are they happy? Do they wonder about us anonymous folks blowing by in our vehicles to destinations unknown? Do they want to step out onto the shoulder of the road, thumb pointed up, ready for whatever pulls over and gives them a ride to their destiny?

You see the thing is I’ve always had my thumb pointed up. Whatever peers, friends and family members may do to find stability, I aim to shake it up a little bit. Keep things fresh, always in perspective, aware of the big picture with each decision and statement that strikes fire in my soul and echoes out of my mouth.

Spitting out my toothpaste onto the dirty pavement of the Waffle House parking lot, I locked up my truck and headed into the establishment for some bacon and eggs. Sitting into the booth, I sipped my coffee and stared out the window onto Forrest City, Arkansas. Several abandoned commercial buildings within vicinity, numerous chain restaurants scattered around the landscape, countless big rig pickup trucks zooming by said buildings.

It’s a scene that may seem bleak to some. But, I see it as another collected vision to add to my ongoing narrative, one that I string together with other visions — of my past, the present moment, and the impending future.

I keep moving along. That’s been the internal quest since I was handed that high school diploma and the keys to an existence that’s up to me, ultimately. Who I have become isn’t surprising, say, to my teenage self. Though he may raise an eyebrow about how much of a loner I’ve become, at least in terms of finding solace and a deep sense of self, all while immersed in the lifestyle of a man in his early 30s who wants adventure and not domestication.

There’s nothing wrong with domestication. But, there’s also nothing wrong with wanting something else. And it’s that “something else” that truly speaks to the core of my being.

The road is where I feel most at home. Give me some sketchy rocket fuel truck stop coffee, a full tank of gas, some classic rock on the radio, windows rolled down, miles of endless pavement revealing itself to me, and you

have a pig in shit, as they say.

While in Knoxville and Nashville, I visited two of my closest friends. One from my high school days back in the North Country, the other my best buddy I met when I relocated to Waynesville several years ago. Both are getting married to their significant others this year. Both looking to either build or buy a house and start their lives together with their new bride and groom. And I can’t wait for these celebrations. As we caught up over cold suds, we talked about the guest list, the “What are they up to these days?” conversation over names freshly written on the paper, but dusty on the walls of my

I write this week’s column from inside a cheap motel room outside of Dallas. It’s Tuesday morning and the coffee within reach is still warm. It’s about three and a half hours until I hit the city limits of Austin. It’s a city I’ve wanted to venture into since I first left the North Country some 14 years ago.

According to Google maps, it’s 1,683 miles from this motel room back up to my hometown on that cold Canadian border. But, when I’m out there on the road, in this all too big and beautiful world, visions of that town and those people dance across the dashboard like fireflies, making the distance that much closer.

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

Berry brings hits to The Strand

Country music singer-songwriter John Berry will perform an acoustic show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.

Active as a recording artist since 1979, he has recorded more than 20 studio albums, including one platinum album and two gold albums. In his career, Berry has also charted 19 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the No. 1

single “Your Love Amazes Me” from 1994 and six additional Top Ten hits: “What’s In It for Me,” “You and Only You,” “Standing on the Edge of Goodbye,” “I Think About It All the Time,” “Change My Mind” and “She's Taken a Shine.”

A Country Weekly article said of Berry, “John’s greatest strength is his pure, soulful tenor.” And a 2006 interview with The Entertainment Nexus described him as “one of the most remarkable voices in music.”

Tickets are $35 per person. For tickets, visit www.38main.com.

Brother Bluebird plays at library

The Jackson County Public Library will be hosting a concert featuring brother duo Brother Bluebird at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in the Community Room.

Twin brothers Adam and Timothy Reaves have played music together since they were children and in a number of different musical acts. Both brothers recently moved back to the mountains of North

YES to rock Harrah’s

Legendary progressive rock act YES will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

Recently elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the iconic British group is well known for its hits “Owner Of A Lonely Heart,” “Roundabout” and “I’ve Seen All Good People.” For tickets, visit www.harrahscherokee or www.ticketmaster.com or call 800.745.3000.

Carolina where they are striving to make heartfelt, lyrically engaging songs that generally fit into the indie-folk genre. Their influences include acts like The Avett Brothers, Fleet Foxes and innovative singer/songwriters like Sufjan Stevens. This program is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, call the library at 828.586.2016. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library. www.fontanalib.org.

Bryson City jam is Feb. 2

A community music jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facili-

tated 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.

On the beat

WCU Artist-in-residence holds concert

Western Carolina University student musicians will join members of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra for a performance of orchestral masterworks at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in Cullowhee.

Presented at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, the event is part of the ongoing Artist-in-Residence Program, a partnership between the WCU School of Music and the Asheville Symphony Orchestra that brings professional string musicians from the orchestra to perform with woodwind, brass and percussion students.

The concert will be conducted by Christopher Confessore, music director and principal conductor of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra in Florida, and resident and pops conductor of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

• The Canton Armory will host “Winter Pickin’ in the Armory” at 7 p.m. every first and third Friday of the month. The event includes mountain music, vintage country, clogging and dancing. Doors open at 6 p.m. Free. www.cantonnc.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Jay Brown (guitar/pop) Jan. 27, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Jan. 28 and Feb. 4, and Bob Zullo (guitar/pop) Feb. 3. Events begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

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

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Bohemian Jean (rock/pop) Jan. 28 and Heidi Holton (blues/acoustic) Feb. 4. Shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Heinzelmännchen Brewery (Sylva) will host a “Cure for Cabin Fever” with Kenry Wong (singer-songwriter) and a potluck from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 26. Bring a dish to share while enjoying Henry playing the guitar and mandolin. The brewery will also provide a dish as well as plates, utensils and napkins. 828.631.4466

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Jan. 26 and Feb. 2. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Jahlistic (reggae) Jan. 28 and Somebody’s Child (Americana) Feb. 4. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. 828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

The program includes “Finlandia” by Sibelius and “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture” by Tchaikovsky. The concluding piece will be “Enigma Variations” by Elgar, with a special presentation by Confessore describing the interesting origins of the composition, described as a musical sketch of the composer’s friends and close acquaintances. Through portraits projected on a screen, as well as musical examples, the audience will be introduced to the characters before the piece is performed in its entirety.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students and children, and can be purchased at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or by calling the box office at 828.227.2479. Proceeds from the performance will benefit student scholarships. 828.227.7242.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Porch 40 (funk/rock) Jan. 27 and Patrick Dodd (from “The Voice”) Jan. 28. All shows are free and begin at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic with Jimandi at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, “Funky Friday” with Bud Davis at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Isaish Breedlove (Americana) at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Selah (Christian/pop) with special guest Missy Robertson of TV’s “Duck Dynasty” at 7 p.m. Feb. 4. Tickets start at $18, with VIP packages available. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

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

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host a weekly Appalachian music night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays with Nitrograss. 828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

• The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will Bob Shirley Jan. 27 and Scoundrels Lounge Jan. 28. All shows begin at 9 p.m.

• The Waynesville Public Library will host Jess Cook and Chris Nesmith (guitar/fiddle) at 3 p.m. Jan. 28. Free.

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will host a Faculty Recital with Shannon Thompson Jan. 31. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Coulter Building. www.wcu.edu.

WCU gets in the tub

The 2016-17 First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Concert and Jam Series at Western Carolina University will continue Thursday, Feb. 2, with Ol’ Dirty Bathtub.

The group’s 7 p.m. performance of string band music will be held in the ground-floor auditorium of H.F. Robinson Administration Building. It will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate.

Sponsored by WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center, the First Thursday concerts and jam sessions will continue through this spring, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.

The events are free and open to the public. Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions, which also are open to those who just want to listen.

For more information, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 828.227.7129.

A GUARANTEED GREAT NIGHT OUT

On the street

Program traces Scots-Irish history

“Family, Faith and Freedom” will be the program for the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Swain County Regional Business Education Center in Bryson City.

Mark Davidson of Blount County, Tennessee, will present the heritage, faith, and history of the Scots-Irish people who once lived in the hollows and on the mountaintops in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.

Davidson’s ancestors were living in Blount County as early as 1793 and in Tuckaleechee Cove during the first decade of the 1800s. Other ancestors were pioneers in several counties along the Blue Ridge Mountains of WNC.

In 2000, while teaching at William Blount High School, Davidson developed a curriculum known as Appalachian Studies. The curriculum expanded, and now in his retirement, he teaches non-credit classes designed for those who love the mountains and want to learn more thru the “Our Appalachia” series at Pellissippi State Community College’s Blount County Campus.

Conversation and refreshments will follow the presentation. This is open to the public and there is no admission charge.

Waynesville library hosts TED talks

The Waynesville Public Library will be hosting a series of TED talk discussions.

TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages.

TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world.

Every other month, the library will watch a 15-20 minute TED talk and then discuss the topic. The schedule is as follows:

• Feb 1 — “How to speak so that people will want to listen.”

• April 5 — “Your elusive creative genius.”

• June 7 — “How to make stress your friend.”

• Aug. 2 — “The Power of Vulnerability.”

• Oct. 4 — “Your body language shapes who you are.”

• Dec. 6 — “How to spot a liar.”

Refreshments will be provided. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Registration required. 828.356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

en and vegetable stir fry and a dessert for attendees. WCU students and faculty will assist with hands-on New Year activities and cultural sharing.

Advance tickets are $8 for kids, $10 for adults and $35 for families of four or more. Visit www.folkmoot.org to purchase tickets online or call the office, 828.452.2997 to purchase tickets over the phone. Tickets prices at the door are $10 for kids, $12 for adults and $40 for families.

Folkmoot USA is partnering with Western Carolina University's Office of International Programs & Services to welcome the year of the rooster with a Chinese New Year celebration.

This lively event will feature Chinese food, crafts and traditional Chinese New Year activities from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

Da Asian Kitchen will prepare egg rolls, fried rice, white rice, vegetable stir-fry, chick-

• The Balsam Mountain Inn will host a “Valentine’s Package” Feb. 1-28. Add a candlelit dinner for two, fresh flowers, champagne, souvenir flutes and freshly baked cookies for an additional $125 to the room rate. To reserve, 800.224.9498.

ALSO: Folkmoot hosts Chinese New Year celebration

• “Beach Week” will be held Jan. 31 through Feb. 4 at the Hudson Library in Highlands. Activities will include a “Game Day,” storytelling, viewing the night sky, movie screenings, a picnic at Hudson Beach, and more. For more information, call 828.526.3031 or click on www.fontanalib.org.

• There will be a “Winter Blends” red wine tasting at 7 p.m. Feb. 2, at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. $20 for five wines with a bread and cheese pairing. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

Folkmoot’s year-round programming initiatives have been made possible by Haywood Regional Medical Center, the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.

Folkmoot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating many cultures in one community. The Folkmoot Friendship Center is located in the Historic Hazelwood School at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville. Staff can be reached by phone at 828.452.2997 or by email at info@folkmoot.org.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.586.6300.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 28 and Feb. 4 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host a wine tasting on Wednesdays and a craft beer tasting on Thursdays. Both events run from 4 to 8 p.m. There will also be tapas from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. www.classicwineseller.com.

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

Underwater photos displayed

Haywood County dentist John Highsmith will present marine and nature photography in his show “17 BELOW.” The exhibit will be showcased through April 15 in the Green Sage Café at the Westgate Shopping Center in Asheville.

Highsmith is a dentist, cloisonné enamellist, jewelry maker and photographer. He began taking photos at age 16, using an old Yashica rangefinder camera and a home basement darkroom. Pulling all-nighters in the college lab printing for the paper and yearbook, he continued photography throughout his professional career.

Highsmith quipped, “Then digital turns everything upside down. Underwater photography is one field where digital is a huge advantage, as it is very difficult to change rolls of film underwater.”

Particularly drawn to patterns and light,

Highsmith took the plunge and combined two passions, adding an underwater camera to his scuba diving gear.

“Adding a technical process to a potentially life-threatening sport just adds to the fun. And fish do not pose, so a large dose of patience is helpful,” he said.

Highsmith images his photos on highgloss aluminum sheets, a light-reflecting substrate particularly suited to marine and nature photography. He uses North Carolina based ImageWizards, who use 94-percent recycled aluminum and environmentally green photo printing substrates. Photo dye pigments are suspended at different levels of the photo coating, presenting a sense of depth to viewers. Archival and protected, metal prints are designed to outlast paper photos by 100 years. For more information, visit www.drhighsmith.com or call 828.627.9005.

WCU to screen ‘Mango Dreams’

The next film in the Southern Circuit series at Western Carolina University will be “Mango Dreams.” It will be shown at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the University Center theater in Cullowhee.

The film tells the story of a Hindu doctor with dementia and a Muslim rickshaw driver forming an unlikely friendship as they journey 1,000 miles across India in a rickshaw. All showings in the Southern Circuit Film Series are free for everyone. The event is part of the Arts and Cultural Events series at WCU. For more information about the ACE series, contact Brandon Lokey, assistant director for campus programs, at 828.227.7206 or by email at bklokey@wcu.edu.

• An “Abstract Expressions” exhibit will run through Feb. 25 in the Gallery & Gifts showroom at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. The exhibit will feature several local artists. Free and open to the public. www.haywoodarts.org.

ALSO:

• “The Magic Starts Here” exhibit will run through Feb. 25 at The Bascom in Highlands. Featuring numerous students from the Master of Fine Arts program at Western Carolina University, there will be a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at The Bascom. www.thebascom.org.

• A showcase on the life and times of Horace Kephart will be on display through March 31 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. In 1904, Kephart was 42-year-old librarian when he came to Western North Carolina looking for a fresh start in the Southern Appalachian wilderness. Over the next 27 years, his numerous articles and books captured a disappearing culture, provided practical advice for gener-

ations of outdoor enthusiasts, and spearheaded the movement to establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 828.227.7129 or www.wcu.edu.

• The “Women Painters of the Southeast” exhibition will run through May 5 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. A reception will be held at the museum from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 19. www.wcu.edu.

• 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 828.524.3600.

• “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. All ages and skill levels welcome. www.haywoodlibrary.org.

On the stage

Romantic drama hits stage

The popular romantic drama “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27-28 and 2 p.m. Jan. 29 in the Feichter Studio at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize when it premiered in 1988. “Love Letters” centers on two characters, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. Using the epistolary form sometimes found in novels, they sit side by side at tables and read the notes, letters and cards in which over nearly 50 years they discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats that have passed between them throughout their separated lives.

The play is a performance favorite for busy name actors, and in HART’s case, two audience favorites — Wanda Taylor and Stephen A. Gonya — will take on the characters.

It was first performed by the playwright himself with Holland Taylor at the New York Public Library, then opened in 1988 at the

Open call for ‘Charlotte’s Web’

The “Kids at HART” youth theater program will host auditions for “Charlotte’s Web” with parts for actors from adult to 8 years old at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Auditions will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Jan. 27 and 1 to 2 p.m. Jan. 28 in the Fangmeyer Theater on the HART campus.

The play tells the story of friendship, sacrifice, family, love and teamwork with underlying themes of fairness and acceptance of all people in society. The production is based on the book by E.B. White, which is part of the curriculum in local schools.

Those interested in auditioning will be asked to read lines from the play. Rehearsals will be Sunday evenings in February and at least two days a week in March. A detailed

Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut with Joanna Gleason and John Rubinstein. The first New York production opened with Kathleen Turner and John Rubinstein on March 27, 1989, at the offBroadway Promenade Theatre, where it ran for 64 performances.

Seating is general admission so the box office will not return your call unless no seats are available. Regular ticket prices are $10 for all adults and $6 for students.

The Harmon’s Den Bistro is open for dinner before the show on Fridays and Saturdays and for Brunch on Sundays. Reservations for the HART Studio are recommended as productions tend to sell out. To reserve a seat for the studio or for Bistro reservations simply call the HART Box Office at any time at 828.456.6322 and leave your name, phone number, the number of guests and the date of performance you would like to attend.

www.harttheatre.org.

schedule will be provided at auditions. Production dates are March 25 and April 1.

“We are excited to bring ‘Charlotte’s Web’ to the HART stage,” said Steven Lloyd, HART’s executive director. “This is a great growth opportunity for young actors in the ‘Kids at HART’ program and a great opportunity for adult actors to expand their abilities to fun and challenging roles.”

This is the second show of the 2017 season for “Kid’s at HART.” The youth program produced “Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr.,” directed by Shelia Sumpter, in February. Jon Ostendorff makes his directorial debut with “Charlotte’s Web.” He played “Father” in the inaugural “Kids at HART” production of “Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and also stage-managed that show. Sumpter will serve as assistant director.

Contact Ostendorff at 828.226.6216 or jon.ostendorff@gmail.com with any questions about auditions.

Books

Books about the American South will delight

Let’s go exploring.

More specifically, let’s explore the American South.

We’ll start with Margaret Eby’s South Toward Home: Travels in Great Southern Literature (W.W. Norton & Company, 2015, 240 pages, $25.95). Eby, a young writer whose work has appeared in such publications as the New York Times, The New Yorker, Salon, and Slate, has an ebullient personality that shines on every page of this literary tour of the South.

In her “Introduction,” Eby tells us that South Toward Home is neither an encyclopedia of Southern literature nor a travel guide. She includes only ten writers whose work “spoke to me most insistently” and goes on to explain that her tour is “an odyssey of sorts” through “the South that I grew up in and learned to understand through reading.”

Consequently, Eby has left out a vast number of Southern writers: James Agee, Katharine Anne Porter, Shelby Foote, Willie Morris, Zora Neale Hurston, and many, many others. Some omissions may disturb a few readers, but the good news is that the writers whom Eby discusses here are excellent guides to the region. As Eby says, “These writers, from Welty to Hannah, are all telling about their own corner of the South, and I set off to listen.”

What Eby does especially well, what makes South Toward Home a pleasure to read, is her ability to blend the writer’s works with her own visits to that writer’s home and locale. In “John Kennedy Toole’s Hot Dog Carts,” for example, Eby spends a good deal of time examining Thelma Toole’s influence on what we know about her son. Toole committed suicide long before his novel A Confederacy of Dunces saw print. Both during

City Lights writer open mic

and after the publication of the book, Thelma Toole went to great lengths to conceal certain parts of her son’s life while at the same time extolling his virtues. Because of her efforts, in what Eby calls “a biographical comb-over,” we know less than we might of the life of John Kennedy Toole. (Previously reviewed several

years ago here, Ignatius Rising: The Life of John Kennedy Toole by Rene Nevils and Deborah Hardy gives readers a fine look at this writer’s life, but there are indeed gaps in his story, particularly in the last few years of his life.)

After this examination, Eby takes us to New Orleans, the setting of A Confederacy of Dunces. She visits the statue of the novel’s protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly, tours various sites mentioned in the book, spends time in

the French Quarter, and even manages to find a Lucky Dogs cart, the model for Toole’s Paradise Vendors. (The owner of the business, Jerry Strahan, has written a memoir of his 20 years running the hot dog cart business. He titled the book Managing Ignatius, though he told Eby: “I had considered calling it ‘A Hundred and One People I Wish I Had Never Known,’ but I couldn’t narrow down the list.”)

Other favorite chapters of mine in this gem of a book include “Harry Crews’s Hurricane Creek,” “William Faulkner’s Liquor Cabinet,” and “Flannery O’Connor’s Peacocks.”

South Toward Home should delight any lover of Southern literature.

In Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey through the National Parks of the South (Kimberly Crest Books, 2016, 299 pages, $16), Danny Bernstein explains that her “mission is to get people out of their cars and walking.” To accomplish that mission, this indefatigable hiker visited all of the national parks of the Southeast United States. (Virginians may be surprised to find themselves left out of this tour. For whatever reason, the National Park Service map provided at the front of the book leaves Virginia out of the Southeast.)

of Georgia’s Ocmulgee National Monument, for example, or the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve, part of which includes the Chalmette Battlefield, where Andrew Jackson and his motley force defeated British regulars in 1815.

Though Forests, Alligators, Battlefields is aimed primarily at hikers and tourists, Bernstein has wisely arranged her park tours by historical eras: “Revolutionary War in the South,” “Young America,” “The Civil War,” and so on. By approaching the parks in this unique way, Bernstein allows us to travel not only through the parks, but also through the past. (For those who might wish the more conventional listing of parks by state, Bernstein provides such a guide at the end of her book.) In “Young America,” for example, we accompany Bernstein through five different parks, ranging from the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site in South Carolina to the Natchez National Historical Park in Mississippi.

In addition to these glimpses into the American past, Forests, Alligators, Battlefields offers a wealth of other information. Bernstein answers general questions about the parks system, the most frequent of which is “Why can’t I take my dog on trails in most national parks?” She directs readers to the parks’ website, discusses volunteer work and donations, and includes a three page bibliography of the books and films mentioned in the book.

Bernstein makes an affable and enthusiastic guide, blending her own observations and conversations with the history of these national monuments. She takes us from the best-known parks like the Smokies, Cape Lookout, and Mammoth Cave to sites less familiar to many readers: the Indian mounds

Published just in time for summer travelers, Forests, Alligators, Battlefields is an excellent, easy-to-use resource for our region’s national parks.

Highly recommended.

Jeff Minick can be reached at minick0301@gmail.com.

The NetWest program of the North Carolina Writers Network will host an open mic night at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Folks are encouraged to bring their poetry or short pieces to share in each 10-minute reading session. The North Carolina Writers' Network connects, promotes, and serves the writers of this state. They provide education in the craft and business of writing, opportunities for recognition and critique of literary work, resources for writers at all stages of development, support for and advocacy of the literary heritage of North Carolina, and a community for those who write. www.citylightsnc.com or 828.586.9499.

Harry Potter Book Night

The third annual Harry Potter Book Night will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. On Harry Potter Book Night, all in attendance will be sharing the wonder of J.K. Rowling’s unforgettable stories and introducing the next generation of readers to the unparalleled magic of Harry Potter. Young wizards, witches and Muggles will be treated to an evening of games, activities, magic tricks and light refreshments. Attendees are also encouraged to dress up as a Harry Potter book character for the costume contest. The venue will be decorated and serving up snacks inspired by some of the scrumptious wizard foods in the books. Find out more about Harry Potter Book Night and download images including the official logo at www.harrypotterbooknight.com. www.fontanalib.org or 828.524.3600.

The Reeves Homeplace Farm in Madison County was protected by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy through an agricultural easement in 2015. Donated photo

Federal dollars fuel

WNC farmland conservation

$8 million allocation is region’s largest ever

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

LGet involved

and conservation groups across the region found something to celebrate this month when the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an $8 million allocation for farmland conservation in Western North Carolina — a gargantuan number that the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy calls “unprecedented.”

This type of funding, allocated through the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Plan under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, has been available in the past. But never before has the amount been so large or so specifically targeted to Western North Carolina.

“The funding just wasn’t high enough to cover really large mountain farms, so now we are able to access these farms that are in the 100- to 500-acre range that have a really big impact on the water quality flowing through them,” said Jessica Laggis, executive director of Blue Ridge Forever, the organization leading the conservation project.

A collective campaign of 12 land trusts, Asheville-based Blue Ridge Forever’s mission is to safeguard the land and water of the Southern Blue Ridge for future generations. Conservation easements — agreements in which the landowner retains ownership of the land while selling rights to future development on it — are one of the primary tools to achieve that end.

The funding is not a grant award. Rather, it’s an allocation to be dispensed by the NRCS. However, Blue Ridge Forever will have a seat the table when allocation decisions are

Farmers interested in conserving their land can get their questions answered by contacting a local land trust to learn more about the process and potential reimbursement. Donations are also welcome to help leverage larger grant awards for land conservation.

Blue Ridge Forever’s member land trusts are listed at www.blueridgeforever.info/getinvolved, along with their contact information and area of coverage.

made, and allocations will be granted in support of the overall goal to conserve farmland in the 25 western counties.

The $8 million is expected to cover conservation for 2,000 acres of farmland in the state’s 25 western counties. The funding comes from the 2014 Farm Bill and is part of the RCPP program. Laggis called the program a “really interesting” one that “emphasizes partnership and puts the creative impetus on the partners that are coming with a proposal.”

Blue Ridge Forever’s project is called “Forever Farms: Easements at the Eminence.”

The idea is to defend the region’s cultural heritage and food security by protecting working farmland while also keeping the mountain waters flowing through those acres clean for users downstream.

“There are nine different river basins in Western North Carolina because Western North Carolina encompasses both sides of the Eastern Continental Divide,” Laggis said.

“These nine river basins flow throughout the Southeast. The headwaters here are influencing the drinking water for millions of people

throughout the Southeast.”

In the past, however, it had been difficult for WNC to compete with other regions of the state and nation for farmland conservation dollars. Land is more expensive in the mountains than it is in the West’s vast agricultural regions, and the percentage of prime soils in the mountains is much lower than in the productive farmlands of Eastern North Carolina.

The region typically receives about $3 million for farmland conservation from the Agricultural Easement Conservation Program, Laggis said.

“But that has been for the entire state, and ACEP process prioritizes prime soils, which we have very few of in the mountains,” she said. “So it’s very hard for a large farm in the mountains, which is almost necessarily going to have some mountainside, to compete with a farm on the coast that might be almost 100 percent prime soils.”

By contrast, prime soils — the most productive soils for agriculture — make up only 3.6 percent of the landmass in WNC, Laggis said.

But she believes that low number should make protection of these farms more important, not less.

“If these soils are built upon, then we are really damaging our long-term local food security, and the problem facing those limited prime soils is that they always happen in the bottomlands that tend to be flatter,” Laggis said. “They also tend to lie along river valleys that have been inhabited for a long time, so they tend to have roads near them so they’re just really developable.”

For a farmer struggling through the risky year-to-year business of agriculture, selling off

a parcel here and there for development can become an attractive option when financial hardship strikes. By purchasing conservation easements, land trusts can ensure that future development is not an option while giving farmers upfront financial compensation.

In the mountains, steep slopes mean that not every acre of farmland is used to grow crops. Tracts typically contain forested areas running up and down slopes where worthwhile agricultural production is impossible. In Blue Ridge Forever’s view, those unfarmed sections are as important to the value of the conservation easement as the fields themselves.

“It’s protecting not only cultural heritage and the water quality in the region, but also the biological diversity,” Laggis explained.

“When you protect the farm that’s maybe 100 acres and 60 acres of it are pasture and cropland, there’s going to be another 40 acres up the mountains that are forested.”

Those forested acres often house mountain streams that are kept clean and free-running when future development is taken off the table. They can also house threatened and endangered species.

“The vast majority of habitats for endangered species is in private lands, so the best way to go about protecting that land is through voluntary easements,” Laggis said.

While land conservation organizations across the region are anticipating the positive effects of the new funding, the turnaround will take some time. The funds are allocated for use over a five-year period ending in 2022, and Laggis said they don’t expect to have any conservation projects closed out until 2018.

As to whether a repeat of the $8 million allocation might be possi-

Dugout canoes coming to N.C. Arboretum

An exhibit chronicling the history of dugout canoes in the Americas will be on display Jan. 28 through May 2 at the Baker Exhibit Center of the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

The object-rich, interactive exhibit takes visitors through North, Central and South America to explore how dugout canoes were used and how scientists study and preserve these ancient watercrafts. The nationally known exhibit is based on the world’s largest archeological find of 101 ancient dugouts in Florida’s Newnans Lake. In 2000, drought caused lake levels to drop enough to expose the prehistoric canoes, which range in age from 500 to 5,000 years. The exhibit features artifacts, tools, videos, models and life-size vessels to tell the story of how life and travel in the Americas have been affect-

ed by the use of dugout canoes. Dugout Canoes: Paddling through the Americas is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offered in English and Spanish. Exhibit support was provided in part by the N.C. Arboretum Society, Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park and Smoky Mountain Living

Visitors explore the nationally known traveling exhibit on dugout canoes. Donated photo

Magazine. The exhibit was produced by the Florida Museum of Natural History with support from the AEC Trust, Lastinger Family Foundation, State of Florida and VisitGainesville.

Anne Grier runs a tractor on Watalula Farm in Leicester, which the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy protected with an agricultural conservation easement in 2013-14. Donated photo

FEATURES

Service interruptions resolved very quickly with updates direct to your phone.

Customized Internet, Wi-Fi, Data Center & Security solutions to meet each business’s needs.

The fastest Internet speeds in Western North Carolina with up to 750 Mbps.

Technical support: router configuration, VPN support, and networking.

ble, that’s an open-ended question. Officially, only one more round of the funding is available, Laggis said, though there is hope that the program will be included with the 2018 Farm Bill.

“We’re trying to gauge right now whether we could be competitive again given we won’t have had time by the time the deadline comes up to start our first project,” she said. “We’re hoping that we could still be viewed competitively because of the importance of the region, but as a coalition applying again, my concern is that the reviewers might prioritize new projects just because we haven’t proven the success

of our currently proposed projects.”

The only guarantee is the $8 million that’s already been allocated, and that’s a hefty guarantee. However, there will still be plenty of farmland worthy of protection after the $8 million is gone, Laggis said, and area land trusts will continue their work regardless of the future of this particular funding stream.

“Whether or not this funding source is available to us again in the future, the land trusts in Western North Carolina are very dedicated to farmland preservation and they’ll continue working with other funding sources,” she said.

Redundancy services: remote data backups and backup Internet connections.

Local networks: custom private connections within buildings and between buildings.

Static, public IP addresses allowing remote access from anywhere in the world.

S Banking...

Simplified

Help protect the ash tree

The native ash tree is under threat from the rapidly spreading emerald ash borer, and a training day 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, on the Bartram Trail will teach volunteers how to survey for ash trees along the Appalachian Trail.

Volunteers will collect data on the density and size of ash trees at plots along the trails, recording each location on a GPS. The training will cover winter tree identification and how to use forestry tools and a GPS unit. Data collected will be used to make an ash hotspot map that will help prioritize the preservation of significant sites for ash in the area.

Organized by MountainTrue. Sign up at action.mountaintrue.org/page/s/save-ourashes.

Become a tree expert

An all-day workshop on Saturday, Feb. 4, will teach participants how to identify leafless trees in winter.

Taught by Brent and Angela-Faye Martin at their home in the Cowee area of Macon County, the course will include fieldwork as well as indoor writing and identification exercises. An easy 2-mile hike around the cove where the course is held will provide firsthand experiences of various oaks and pines, buckeye, elm, ash, beech, walnut and more. Instruction will focus on branch structure, buds and bark, as well as phonological journaling and documentation. Class size is limited. $60, with registration available by personal check or Paypal at http://paypal.me/cedartree. blueyodel32@gmail.com.

Learn about invasive issues on the Tuck

Issues facing the Tuckasegee River, such as the invasive gill lice, will be discussed 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the United Community Bank in Sylva. Powell Wheeler, district biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Commission, will be the speaker.

The program is part of the Tuckasegee River Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s regular monthly meeting. The evening includes dinner for $5 and the chance to win a handcrafted fly rod in a raffle.

Smokies hike lineup announced for 2017

A new lineup of hikes exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been announced for 2017, with Friends of the Smokies taking its annual Classic Hike Series into the seventh year.

Starting in March, monthly hikes will be offered on the second Tuesday of each month, led by local Smokies enthusiasts incorporating unique perspectives on the trail into relaxed group hikes. The exception to the usual schedule will be Aug. 28-29, when the Classic Hikes event will be an inclusive overnight experience at Fontana Lake.

Hikes for this year are:

n Mingus Creek to Mingus Family Cemetary, March 14; 4 miles, 700-foot ascent.

n Ramsey Cascades, April 11; 8 miles, 2,200-foot ascent.

n Caldwell Fork, May 9; 9.4 miles, 1,650foot ascent.

n Charlies Bunion, June 13; 8 miles, 1,650foot ascent.

n Alum Cave to LeConte Lodge; 10 miles, 2,600-foot ascent.

n Overnight hikes at Fontana Village, Aug. 28-29, multiple hike options.

n Boogerman Trail, Sept. 12; 7.5 miles, 1,150-foot ascent.

n Purchase Knob, Oct. 10; 7.5 miles, 1,500foot ascent.

n North Shore Road Loop, Nov. 14; 9.4 miles, 1,350-foot ascent.

n Little River/Cucumber Gap Trails, Dec. 12. 7 miles, flat.

Individual hikes are $20 for Friends of the Smokies members or $35 for nonmembers. Register for the entire series at the discounted rate of $160. Sign up at hike.friend-

Learn how to hike the Appalachian Trail with a crash course offered 6:30

softhesmokies.org or mail a check for the entire series to Friends of the Smokies, 160 S. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786. Proceeds support Trails Forever, a partnership between Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to restore high-priority trails within the park.

Controlled

burn

season for Wildlife Commission land

Prescribed burns are underway this month on N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission land. Burns are used to manage for improved wildlife habitat and are conducted on coolweather days when the air is moist and wind is minimal. The Commission’s burn season typically runs from January through March, though burns are sometimes conducted in spring and summer when the time is better to control young hardwoods in certain habitats.

For more information on prescribed burns, view No Cause for Alarm at www.youtube.com/watch?v=s29i6cpNczk and visit Prescribed Fire: What NC Citizens Need to Know at www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/conserving/documents/actionplan/revisions/prescribedfirebrochure.pdf.

Winter storm causes road closures

Two U.S. Forest Service roads in Madison County have been closed for safety reasons, Hurricane Gap Road and Mill Ridge Road, also known as Forest Service Roads 467 and 113, respectively, will be closed until trees damaged during recent winter weather can be surveyed and safely removed. The roads are expected to reopen no later than April 1. Emergency road closures can go into effect at any time on Forest Service land. For current road conditions, contact the district ranger office. Links to emergency closures, as well as seasonal road closures, are listed on the right sidebar at www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc.

Meet Charlotte Figi.

At just 3 months old, she experienced her first seizure, an experience that would send her family on a path that would change the world. Charlotte was suffering from 300 grand mal seizures per week when they met the Stanley Brothers, who had been developing proprietary hemp genetics. Together they created a hemp oil extract that was introduced into Charlotte’s diet in hopes of providing her relief.

Charlotte didn’t have a single seizure during the first seven days of treatment, which was a clear sign that the Figis had stumbled onto something extraordinary.

Today she is a nine year old who is thriving and enjoying life. The Stanley brothers assure consumers that the oil maintains a 30:1 ratio of CBD to THC. THC is the psychoactive compound that produces the “high” effect in marijuana. Thanks to Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte can now live life like a normal child. She is able to feed herself and sleep through the night. Her autistic symptoms have virtually disappeared. As such, her mind is clear, and her attention is focused. Her brain is recovering, and she is happy.

Visit cwhemp.com for more info.

Wildlife refuge lands grant

The increasing number of wildlife requiring aid in Western North Carolina will benefit from a $5,000 grant that the N.C. Veterinary Medical Association award-

rehabilitators, nonprofit professionals and concerned citizens to care for injured and orphaned wildlife while also educating WNC communities on the benefits and importance of conservation. Currently, Appalachian Wildlife Refuge is fundraising toward a triage center for injured wildlife.

ed to Asheville-based Appalachian Wildlife Refuge.

The nonprofit refuge was created by a group of environmental educators, licensed

“I hope our donation aids in the refuge’s efforts to renovate its triage facility and accept wildlife by the end of the year, but I know our grant will be put to good use in the fight to save the hundreds of injured and orphaned wildlife in the area,” said Claire Holley, executive director of the NCVMA.

The award is part of NCVMA’s High Five grant program, which recognizes North Carolina organizations showing great compassion for people and animals by promoting community service and health for North Carolinians and their pets. www.appalachianwild.org

Waynesville Rec Center breaks records

A record 149,600 visits were recorded at the Waynesville Recreation Center in 2016, busting the previous record of 149,574 set in 2009.

from

a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 1-7 p.m. Members get free child care, free personal training and free exercise classes. Please call ahead for pool hours.

Rec center numbers do not include visits to the adjacent recreation park, which attracts many more people each year to walk the greenway trail, play on the playground and use the many athletic fields.

828.456.2030.

Cherokee Garden fair seeking vendors

Vendors are wanted for the Spring Garden Fair in Cherokee, slated for April 78 at the Cherokee Fair Grounds.

Anyone who sells garden-related items — including seeds, plants, yard art, tools, bees or food products — or who can host an educational booth on topics such as composting, recycling or beekeeping, is welcome to apply.

The event is sponsored by Principal Chief Patrick Lambert. Applications are

available at the Spring Garden Fair page on Facebook or by emailing legendweaverstudios@gmail.com.

Livestock producers eligible for assistance

The Jan. 30 deadline is nearing for livestock producers to report forage losses and enroll in the Livestock Forage Disaster Program.

Drought and wildfire conditions in Western North Carolina made producers in counties throughout the region eligible for compensation through the program, which compensates eligible producers who suffered grazing losses for covered livestock.

Applications must be completed and submitted with supporting documentation by the deadline in order to be eligible. Visit www.usda.gov/disaster or contact the local Farm Service Agency office.

WNC Calendar

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Relay for Life of Canton and West Haywood will host a kick-off event at 6 p.m. on Jan. 26 at the Colonial Theater in Canton.

• Haywood Christian Academy will have its spring Homecoming basketball game at 5 p.m. on Jan. 27. Part of National School Choice Week. www.haywoodchristianacademy.org. http://schoolchoiceweek.com.

• Advance tickets are available for a Chinese New Year Celebration featuring Chinese food, crafts and traditional activities. Presented by Folkmoot and Western Carolina University’s Office of International Programs & Services, the event is from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, in Waynesville. Advance tickets are $8 for kids; $10 for adults and $35 for families of four or more. At the door, tickets are $10 for kids, $12 for adults and $40 for families. 452.2997. info@folkmoot.org.

• The third annual Harry Potter Book Night is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 2 at Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Games, activities, magic tricks and light refreshments. 524.3600.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• “Sex, Lies & Snake Oil: The strange career of Jackson County’s Doctor John Brinkley” – a multimedia presentation by historian Jon Elliston – will be offered from noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Lord Auditorium at Pack Library in Asheville. jonelliston@gmail.com.

• Crisis Prevention and De-escalation presentations will be offered from 10 a.m.-noon on Jan. 30 in the Jackson County Department on Aging Board Room in Sylva. Designed for caregivers. Register: Geriatric.Team@vayahealth.com. 800.849.6127.

• A program entitled “How to Start a Business” will be presented by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, at the Jackson Campus. Part of a business startup series, which will meet each Monday through March 27. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc. Info: 339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• “Financing Your Business” is the topic of a seminar offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Small Business Center, Room 5108. Register or get more info: 627.4512 or SBC.Haywood.edu.

• A TED talk discussion on “How to Speak so People Will Want to Listen” will be offered on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Waynesville Library. 15-20 minute talk followed by discussion. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• A program entitled “Choosing a Legal Structure” will be presented by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, at the Jackson Campus. Part of a business startup series, which will meet each Monday through March 27. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc. Info: 339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• “How to Start a Business” is the topic of a seminar offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Small Business Center, Room 5108. Register or get more info: 627.4512 or SBC.Haywood.edu.

• The Haywood County Tourism and Development Authority will hold partnership funding workshops at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, at Lake Junaluska’s Bethea Welcome Center. Attendance is mandatory by at least one representative of organizations that request funding for 2017-18. http://haywoodcountytourismdevelopment.com/grantsinfo/.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

FUNDRAISERSAND B ENEFITS

• Highland Brewery is hosting a charitable pint night from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, in Asheville to support Great Smoky Mountains National Park. $1 per pour from the tasting room goes to Friends of the Smokies. http://friendsofthesmokies.org.

• Sylva Linings Resale Store will have a $5 Bag Sale for clothing from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 27-29. Proceeds support Mountain Projects, Inc., which meets the community’s needs. 586.9737.

• A charitable pint night benefitting Great Smoky Mountains National Park is scheduled for 4-11 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, at Hi-Wire Brewing in Asheville. Fifteen percent of sales will support Friends of the Smokies. FriendsOfTheSmokies.org.

• The 5th Annual Polar Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek & Environmental Education, hosted by Haywood Waterways Association and Lake Junaluska Assembly, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Lake Junaluska Beach. $25 (or $10 under 18). www.crowdrise.com/5thannualpolarplunge, 476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County will receive 20 percent of sales made from 5-8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, at McDonalds on Russ Ave. in Waynesville. 273.3601.

• Save the date: Mardi Gras Ball benefit for the Haywood County Schools Foundation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Laurel Ridge Country Blub. Sponsored by Entegra Bank.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS

• REACH of Haywood will hold interactive training for potential volunteers (over the age of 18) from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, at REACH’s office at 627 N. Main Street in Waynesville. 456.7898.

• Greening up the Mountains Festival is seeking artists, mountain crafters, environmental and food vendors to apply for a booth in its 20th festival, which is from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 22. Applications available at www.greeningupthemountains.com, or call 631.4587.

H EALTH MATTERS

• An acupuncture clinic for Haywood County veterans to help with effects of PTSD will be offered at 6:30 p.m. at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Waynesville Wellness. 356.5577.

• Preparation for Childbirth classes will be taught by a certified childbirth educator from 7-9 p.m. on Thursdays March 30-April 20, June 1-June 22, Aug. 3, Aug. 24 and Oct. 12-Nov. 2 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• A “Last Chance Haywood!” enrollment event for Affordable Healthcare Insurance is scheduled for 1-6:45 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Waynesville Library. Meet in-person with certified marketplace navigators from Mountain Projects. Walk-ins welcome, or call 452.1447 for an appointment. Enrollment ends Jan. 31.

• A tired leg/varicose vein educational program will be offered at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Vein Center at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde. Led by Dr. Al Mina, MD, FACS, and Dr. Joshua Rudd, DO. Registration required: 452.VEIN.

• Kitchen Sink Remedies for cold, flus and other acute illnesses will be presented at 2 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Waynesville Library. 356.2507.

• The film “Hungry for Change” will be shown as a kickoff for the “24 Hours to a New You” classes on Jan. 30 at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. The “24 Hours to a New You” program starts on Feb. 6. 24 onehour classes throughout the year will help participants maintain a healthy weight, prepare simple, healthy meals and find time to be physically active. To sign up or get more info: 488.3198, ext. 2027. Scholarships available.

• The American Red Cross will host a blood drive from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, at Swain Community Hospital in Bryson City. For info or to make an appointment: www.redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

• A “Get Fit” opportunity with Dorothea Hassell and Kim Hatherlee of H&R Block is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Hassell and Hatherlee will walk with residents then present a 20-minute program on tax preparation. parks@cantonnc.com.

• “Detox your Life Naturally,” an eco forum, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall in Franklin. Avoiding side effects of chemicals used in everyday products. Presented by Dr. Linda Sparks, N.D.,

• Assistance with Marketplace Open Enrollment is available through Mountain Projects. Enrollment through the Affordable Care Act is currently open and lasts until Jan. 31. 452.1447 or 800.627.1548.

• 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 monthly grief support group sponsored by The Meditation Center meets at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at The Meditation Center at 894 East Main Street in Sylva. Info: www.meditatewnc.org or 356.1105.

• 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.

R ECREATIONAND FITNESS

• Registration for a women’s volleyball league through the Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department starts Jan. 30. www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• Beginning Yoga will be offered from 6-7 p.m. on Wednesdays through March 1 at the Historic Colonial Theatre in Canton. $10 per session. Led by Jason Moore.

• Registration is underway for a PDGA-sanctioned disc golf tournament, which will be held on Sunday, March 12, at the Waynesville Disc Golf Course at Vance Street Park in Waynesville. Register for the “Blind Hog Day Light Savings Throw Down” at https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Blind_Hog_Day_Light_Savings _Throw_Down_2017. Info: 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

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

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

• “Winter Warm-Ups” will be offered from 10-11:15 a.m. on Mondays through Feb. 29 at Sylva First Baptist Church. Movement exercises designed to increase flexibility, build strength and encourage more activity during winter months. 369.6909.

• Friday night skiing and snowboarding is being offered through the Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department at Cataloochee Ski Resort. Hours are 5-9 p.m. on Feb. 10 and March 3. $25 lift only; $35 for lift and rental; $45 for lift, rental and lesson. www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• 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

• An opportunity to worship, ski and participate in fellowship will be offered in a retreat Jan. 27-29 at Lake Junaluska, Cataloochee Ski Area and Wolf Ridge Ski Area. Music by Jimmy Atkins; speaker is Tim Reaves. http://tinyurl.com/z32bzap.

• “Family Faith and Freedom” is the topic for the Feb. 2 meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society. The meeting’s at 6:30 p.m. at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center in Bryson City. Presented by Mark Davidson.

P OLITICAL

• The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will hold a regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the Justice & Administration Building, 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Room A201, in Sylva.

AUTHORSAND B OOKS

• “Pushing the Limits of Connection” – a discussion with “Thunderstruck” author Erik Larson – is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. 524.3600.

• An open mic will be presented by the NetWest program of N.C. Writers Network and City Lights Bookstore at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, at City Lights in Sylva. 586.9499.

K IDS & FAMILIES

• “Mommy/Daddy and Me” open gym is available for parents and kids to play or do arts and crafts from 1011 a.m. on Fridays, through Feb. 24, at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. For ages 3-5 with parents present; no preregistration required. $1 per child per day.

• Construction Zone! will be held at 4 p.m. Jan. 25, at the Canton Library. The library will supply the LEGO® building blocks, you supply the imagination! For children ages 6-12. For more information, please call 648.2924. Continues on the 4th Wednesday of the following months.

• Registration for Youth Spring Soccer through the Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department starts Jan. 30. Open to players born between 2003-12. Birth certificates required for first-time players. $55. www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• “Plus Interest,” part of a teen workshop series called “Financially Navigating College: Scholarships, Grants & FAFSA,” will be offered from 3:30-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Canton Library. Learn how to finance your education. Registration required: 648.2924.

• Hudson Library is hosting a Hudson Beach Week from Jan. 31-Feb. 4 in Highlands. Games, movies and storytimes. Events include shark bean bag toss, Twister, scavenger hunt and beach crafts on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; beach volleyball at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, family movie at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday; storytimes throughout the day Thursday, Portable planetarium on Friday and Picnic (bring your own) at noon Saturday. 526.3031.

• A Winter Reading Challenge is underway at Haywood County libraries. Stop by any county library for a reading bingo card. Complete challenge by Feb. 1.

• Registration is underway for Homeschool P.E. through Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department. $20. Classes will meet at 10 a.m. every Tuesday starting Jan. 31 for 10 weeks. For ages 5-15. www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• 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.

A&E

F OOD & D RINK

• “Cure for Cabin Fever” – live original music by Henry Wong and a potluck – is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at Heinzelmännchen Brewery in Sylva. 631.4466.

ON STAGE & I N CONCERT

• Dan Auerbach, violinist and assistant professor of music at the College of Staten Island, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, in the Coulter Building on Western Carolina University’s campus in Cullowhee. 227.7242.

• A performance of the romantic drama “Love Letters”

by A.R. Gurney will open Jan. 27 at HART’s Feichter Studio in Waynesville. Performances at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 27-28 and at 2 p.m. on Jan. 29. Hold over performances on Feb. 3-5. $10 for adults; $6 for students. 456.6322; leave name, phone number, number of guests and date of performance you’d like to attend.

• Friends of the Library Concert Series resumes at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Waynesville Library. 356.2507.

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will host violinist Dan Auerbach Jan. 25 and a Faculty Recital with Shannon Thompson Jan. 31. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Coulter Building. www.wcu.edu.

• The duo Brother Bluebird will perform indie folk at 7 pm. On Thursday, Jan. 26, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.

• Jamey Johnson is returning to Harrah’s Cherokee on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/shows

• Western Carolina University student musicians will join members of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra for a performance of orchestral masterworks at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. $15 for adults; $5 for students and children. 227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (string band) will perform at 7 p.m. on Feb. 2 as part of the First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Series at Western Carolina University’s Robinson Administration Building in Cullowhee. An 8 p.m. jam session will follow. 227.7129.

• Timothy Noble (piano) will perform at 3 p.m. on Feb. 5 at First Baptist Church in Waynesville. Canned soup will be collected and donated to the Food Pantry at Haywood Christian Ministries.

• Michael Bolton will be preforming on Friday, Feb. 24 at Harrah’s Casino in Cherokee at 9 p.m. https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/shows

CLASSESAND PROGRAMS

• The Gem and Mineral Society of Franklin will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Masonic Lodge at 50 Church Street.

• A new Waynesville Toastmasters International Club is

forming and will have a kick-off meeting on Feb. 1. 400.1041 or 926.4424.

ARTSHOWINGSAND GALLERIES

• Abstract art will be exhibited through Feb. 25 at the Haywood County Arts Council Gallery & Gifts at 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. Featuring local artists. 452.0593, info@haywoodarts.org or HaywoodArts.org.

• “The Magic Starts Here” exhibit will run through Feb. 25 at The Bascom in Highlands. Featuring numerous students from the Master of Fine Arts program at Western Carolina University, there will be a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at The Bascom. www.thebascom.org.

• A three-month ceramics exhibit at the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum is currently in Cullowhee. Fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 227.3591.

• The exhibit “Emissaries of Peace: 1762 Cherokee & British Delegations” features Cherokee clothing, feather capes, beads, and other artifacts. It is currently on display at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and is also available for travel. www.cherokeemuseum.org or bduncan@cherokeemuseum.org.

• Artist Melba Cooper will be exhibiting her stunning series of paintings, “POLLINATION,” at Cullowhee Mountain Arts’ (CMA) Studio in downtown Sylva. www.cullowheemountainarts.org/up-in-the-studioevents or 342.6913.

• The “Women Painters of the Southeast” exhibition will run through May 5 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. www.wcu.edu.

• A showcase on the life and times of Horace Kephart will be on display through March 31 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. The Mountain Heritage Center’s Kephart Collection is composed of 127 objects, including Kephart’s tent, sleeping bag, backpack and the writing desk. The exhibit will display many of these objects in a campsite setting. 227.7129.

• An exhibition entitled “This is a Photograph: Exploring Contemporary Applications of Photographic Chemistry” is on display at Penland School of Crafts near Spruce Pine. 765.6211 or penland.org/gallery.

• As part of the Arts Council’s Integrated Arts initiative, a sampling of works by renowned Macon County sculptor Nelson Nichols (www.nicholssculpture.com) will be displayed at this event. Executed in stone, bronze, and wood, Nichols’ sculptural body of work reflects his unique style, Spiritual Expressionism, encompassing anatomical/figurative pieces in classical realism, a series of abstract interpretations, a series illustrating universal/spiritual concepts, and an environmentally inspired series including sculptures of endangered/threatened species. Admission is by donation; $7 is suggested. arts4all@dnet.net or 524.ARTS (2787).

Outdoors

• A training day to show volunteers how to survey for ash trees is scheduled for 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, on the Bartram Trail. Organized by MountainTrue. Sign up: action.mountaintrue.org/page/s/save-our-ashes.

• An exhibit chronicling the history of dugout canoes in the Americas will be on display from Jan. 28-May 2 at the Baker Exhibit Center of the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

• The Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council meets at 10 a.m. every second Tuesday at Rathskeller Coffee Haus in Franklin.

• The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting comments regarding the proposed changes to 39 agency regulations related to wildlife management, fisheries and game lands for the 2017-18 seasons. Comments accepted through Feb. 1 at regulations@ncwildlife.org.

• Registration is underway for a fly rod building class that will be taught by Tommy Thomas, former president of the National Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Classes are from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Feb. 7 at Haywood Community College. Cost: $350 – all materials included. 565.4240 or clschulte@haywood.edu.

FARMAND GARDEN

• ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) kicks of its year with its 14th annual Business of Farming Conference and two workshops in partnership with NC Cooperative Extension and Mountain Bizworks. The first workshop, Pricing for Profit, is scheduled for Jan. 31 at ASAP’s office in Asheville. The conference is Saturday, Feb. 25, at AB Tech in Asheville. Register: asapconnections.org or 236.1282.

• The Sylva Garden Club will hold its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, in the Fellowship Hall of Sylva Presbyterian Church. After the meeting, Annie Burrell of Rabbit Creek Pottery will demonstrate how to make a fairy garden. nballiot@gmail.com.

• The N.C. Cooperative Extension in Macon County is accepting applications for participation in its 2017 Master Gardener program. Tentative start date is Feb. 17. Application or info: 349.2046 or macon.ces.ncsu.edu.

COMPETITIVE E DGE

• Registration is underway for the Assault on Black Rock, a seven-mile trail race scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 18, in Jackson County. $25 pre-registration; $30 on race day. www.raceentry.com ($2.49 fee for registering online). Info: 506.2802 or barwatt@hotmail.com.

MarketPlace information:

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — 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

AUCTION

TAX SEIZURE RESTAURANT

Auction Wednesday, February 1 @10am 196 Crawford Rd. Statesville, NC Bakery, Ice Cream Shop, Pizza Equipment, Southern Pride BBQ Smoker, Bar Equipment, Seating, Walkins, Mixers, Ovens, more. 704.791.8825 ncaf5479 www.ClassicAuctions.com

BUILDING MATERIALS

HAYWOOD BUILDERS

Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051

100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

FOR SALE: HEATILATOR I-60

Wood Burning Fireplace, for Built In Applications, Large Firebox Opening, with 30ft. Chimney. New in Original Packaging, $600 For More Info Call 828.696.5039.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY!

Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, Finishing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control. FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1.800.698.9217

BATHTUB REFINISHINGRenew or change the color of your bathtub, tile or sink. Fiberglass repair specialists! 5 year warranty. Locally owned since 1989. CarolinasTubDoctor.com. 888.988.4430.

HAYWOOD BUILDERS

Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB:

DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions. Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson. Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316

Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door. Anti-Slip Floors. American Made. Installation Included. Call Now 800.701.9850 to receive $750 Off.

ACORN STAIRLIFTS.

The Affordable solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1.800.291.2712 for Free DVD and Brochure.

is required, but you'll need a Smartphone. It's fun and easy. For more information, call: 1.800.655.7452

LAWN & GARDEN

HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC.

Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

SAWMILLS FROM ONLY

$4397.00- Make & Save Money with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship! Free Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com

1.800.578.1363 Ext.300N

BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS

No Chemicals, Poisons or Anything to Harm the Environment.

Handmade in Haywood County. 1 for $20, 2 or More for $15 each. 828.593.8321

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

Prevent Unwanted Litters! The Heat Is On!

Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10. Operation Pit is in Effect! Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes! Hours:

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville, NC.

NEED YOUR HOUSE PAINTED?

My name is Liam McLeod, I’m from Waynesville and I’m the Asheville branch manager for College Works Painting. I’m seeking homeowners who need their houses painted this coming summer.

College Works Painting gives undergraduate college students the opportunity to build a competitive resume and gain marketable skills by teaching them how to manage their own painting business.

College Works provides training in business ethics, communication, organizational management and sales, in addition to training in painting and estimating jobs.

Currently I’m an Economics major at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I graduated from Tuscola High School, where I was an all-region soccer player and captain of the varsity swim team. In my free time I like to mountain bike, snowboard and play guitar. This summer, I will be managing crews of skilled painters who do high quality exterior paint jobs for an affordable price.

Please give me a call at 828-734-6241 or email me: liammcleod4582@gmail.com for a free estimate or if you would like to know more.

EMPLOYMENT

DRIVE WITH UBER. No experience is required, but you'll need a Smartphone. It's fun and easy. For more information, call: 1.800.655.7452

DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED! Learn to drive for Stevens Transport! No Experience Needed! New drivers can earn $900+ per week! PAID CDL TRAINING! Stevens covers all costs! 1.888.748.4137 drive4stevens.com

DRIVERS: REGIONAL & OTR.

Excellent Pay + Rider Program. Family Medical/Dental Benefits. Great Hometime + Weekends. CDL-A, 1yr. Exp. 877.758.3905

FTCC -

Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Associate Degree Nursing Instructor, Funeral Services Instructor, Gunsmithing Instructor, Mathematics Instructor For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu

An Equal Opportunity Employer

MEDICAL BILLING & CODING

Trainees! Process Insurance claims for Dr's & Hospitals!! No Experience Needed! Online Training can get you job ready! 1.888.512.7122 HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. careertechnical.edu/nc

EMPLOYMENT

SEEKING OFFICE ASSISTANT

For Busy Healthcare Office. Must be a Team Player Displaying Strong Work Ethic with the Ability to Effectively and Enthusiastically Multi-Task While Paying Close Attention to Detail. Positive Outgoing and Effective Communicator Who Enjoys People and Strives to Provide Excellent Customer Service. Proficient Computer Skills Required. Healthy Lifestyle is Important. Must be Available Mon.-Fri. 8a.m.-7p.m. Send Resume to: striving2simplicity@gmail.com

TEACHER

To fill 2017-18 Vacancies ~ did you know over 600 teaching positions were filled by 21 Virginia school divisions? Join us on Sat, Jan 28 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. @ Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA. See www.wvpec.org (Job Fair) for details. NO FEES. Sponsored by the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium

DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED!

Learn to drive for Stevens Transport! No Experience Needed! New drivers can earn $900+ per week! Paid CDL Training! Stevens covers all costs! 1.888.748.4137 drive4stevens.com

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING -

Get FAA certification to fix planes. Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.441.6890

EMPLOYMENT

U.S. NAVY IS HIRING

Elite tech training withgreat pay, benefits, vacation, $ for school. HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon.-Fri. 800.662.7419

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!

Publications sold at all major secular & specialty Christian bookstores. CALL Christian Faith Publishing Now for your FREE author submission kit. 1.800.914.0159

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.

OUR HUNTERS WILL PAY Top $$$ To hunt your land. Call for a Free Base Camp Leasing info packet & Quote. 1.866.309.1507 www.BaseCampLeasing.com

Monday & Wednesday 8:00am - 4:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779 Phone# 1.828.273.3639 TDD# 1.800.735.2962 This is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

HOMES FOR SALE

1 Month Free with

Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry 828.734.6500, 828.734.6700 maggievalleyselfstorage.com

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160. Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

MEDICAL

A PLACE FOR MOM.

The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. Call Now 1.800.319.8705 SAPA

ATTENTION SMOKERS:

Stop smoking with TBX-FREE! Clinically proven. More effective than patch or gum! Fast acting! No Side Effects. 88% success rate! Just $1.67 per day with 1 month supply. CALL 1.888.437.1556 GET HELP NOW!

One Button Senior Medical Alert. Falls, Fires & Emergencies Happen. 24/7 Protection. Only $19.99/mo. Call Now 888.876.6128

GOT KNEE PAIN?

Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a pain-relieving brace at little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 800.480.7503 SAPA

LIFE ALERT. 24/7.

One press of a button sends help FAST! Medical, Fire, Burglar. Even if you can’t reach a phone! Free Brochure. Call 800.734.2638 SAPA

LUNG CANCER?

And 60 Years Old?If So, You And Your Family May Be Entitled To A Significant Cash Award. Call 800.375.9380 To Learn More. No Risk. No Money Out Of Pocket. SAPA

MITZY - HAS QUICKLY BECOME A STAFF FAVORITE AT THE ADOPTION CENTER. SHE IS ONLY ABOUT 1-1/2 YEARS OLD, AND WAS SURRENDERED TO THE COUNTY SHELTER THROUGH NO FAULT OF HER OWN. SHE IS FUNNY, FRIENDLY TO ALL, AND HAS PERSONALITY PLUS. HER FAVORITE THING OF ALL IS TO ROLL OVER AND GET HER BELLY RUBBED.

OAKLEY - A REALLY CUTE TUXEDO BOY KITTY ABOUT FOUR MONTHS OLD. HE HAS A LOOK OF SURPRISE ON HIS LITTLE FACE, WHICH MAKES HIM EVEN CUTER. HE'S A FUNNY LITTLE GUY, PLAYFUL AND SILLY, AND WILL BRING A LOT OF JOY TO HIS NEW FAMILY. HE LOVES TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK WITH HIS BLANKIE.

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

Beverly Hanks & Associates beverly-hanks.com

• Ann Eavenson - AnnEavenson@beverly-hanks.com

• Randy Flanigan - RandyFlanigan@beverly-hanks.com

• Michelle McElroy - MichelleMcElroy@beverly-hanks.com

• Marilynn Obrig - MarilynnObrig@beverly-hanks.com

• Brooke Parrott - BrookeParrott@beverly-hanks.com

• Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com

• Ellen Sither - EllenSither@beverly-hanks.com

• Mike Stamey - MikeStamey@beverly-hanks.com

• Pamela Williams - PamelaWilliams@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group

• George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

• Rick Boarder - sunburstrealty.com

Haywood Properties - haywoodproperties.com

• Steve Cox - info@haywoodproperties.com

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

• Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff.yourkwagent.com

• Yvonne Kolomechuk - yvonneksells.yourkwagent.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com

• Sammie Powell - smokiesproperty.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

Realty World Heritage Realty realtyworldheritage.com

• Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766

• Martha Sawyer realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7769

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com

• Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com

• Mieko Thomson - ncsmokies.com

• The Morris Team - maggievalleyproperty.com

• The Real Team - the-real-team.com

• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com

• Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

Rob Roland Realty

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

SuperCROSSWORD

THE SCIENCE OF TRUMPETERS ACROSS

1 Like galaxies and nebulae

7 Cry after a long wait

13 Beef or pork alternative

20 Nabokov novel 21 Obi-wearing companion

Volcanic flow

23 Is a hammy actor 24 Start of a riddle 26 Extras for iDevices

27 See 8-Down

29 — out a win (just prevail)

30 Long Island town with a Triple Crown racetrack 31 Riddle, part 2 36 Corn bread

Barracks site

38 Shaker — (city in O.)

39 Sweet roll 41 Scuff up, e.g.

42 Opposing voters

45 March Madness, with “the”

48 More spiteful

51 Jack up, e.g.

52 Riddle, part 3

57 Brow shape

58 Boxer’s prize

59 Astral bear 60 “Robinson Crusoe” novelist

61 Riddle, part 4

65 Banquets

66 “Alfie” lyricist — David

67 Scrubs sites, for short 68 Ending for pay 69 Blockhead

73 Riddle, part 5

81 Front wheel convergence

82 Not of the cloth

83 Jedi’s furry friend

84 Butter lookalike

85 End of the riddle

89 Shrimplike crustacean

90 Exploding water balloon sounds 91 Triple-time dance, in Dijon

92 Ira Levin’s “— Before Dying”

Angry feeling

Used a sofa

Danson of “Cheers”

Trunk growth

100 Seat of Grand County, Utah

102 Start of the riddle’s answer

110 Apartment window sign

112 Hoover offering, for short

113 Blockhead

114 Go bankrupt

115 End of the riddle’s answer

119 Nobel winner Eugene

121 Northern French port

122 Prix fixe part

123 Moo makers

124 Arid quality

125 Eternal City citizens

126 Enters, as a PIN

1 Shoe gripper 2 Pizzazz 3 Skiing locale

4 Mirage carmaker 5 Ending for Manhattan 6 Black currant liqueur 7 Like tumblers

8 With 27-Across, Pavarotti number, e.g.

9 Ignited, as a fire 10 Fire leftover 11 Bedclothes

12 In bad taste

13 “Evita” role Guevara 14 Grand slams, e.g. 15 “— cost ya” 16 Put in a vise 17 Blast sound

18 Actress Lynch of four Harry Potter films

Talk on and on

Playboy founder, familiarly

Tool for moving justbaked bread or pizza

Conde —

Persian king

Tiny, for short

2012 rival of Romney

FDR’s plan

Hunter of Moby Dick

Screenwriter Ephron

Nervous twitches

Entr’—

Ford make until ‘11

Celtic language

Emu cousin

“Bring It On” star Kirsten

Suppositions

Light bed

“— So Fine” (Chiffons hit) 58 Trying tot

MEDICAL

LUNG CANCER?

And Age 60+?You And Your Family May Be Entitled To Significant Cash Award. Call1.866.590.3140 for Information. No Risk.No Money Out Of Pocket. SAPA

SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB:

Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door. Anti-Slip Floors. American Made. Installation Included.Call 800.701.9850 for $750 Off. SAPA

SOCIAL SECURITY

Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.670.4805 to start your application today!

STOP OVERPAYING

For your prescriptions! SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy,compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1.800.265.0768 Promo Code CDC2016251

SAPA

STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS Or Alcohol? Addicted to Pills? Talk to someone who cares. Call The Addiction Hope & Help Line for a free assessment. 1.800.511.6075.

SAPA

VIAGRA & CIALIS USERS!

Cut your drug costs! SAVE $$! 50 Pills for $99.00. FREE Shipping! 100% Guaranteed and Discreet. CALL 1.800.290.0314 SAPA

PERSONAL

MAKE A CONNECTION.

Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call now 1.888.909.9978 18+. SAPA

TIRED OF THE SAME OLD

Dating sites? Meet real people in your area & make a new connection on your terms! 18+ Only. Call 1.800.610.0814 SAPA

YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION

EARN YOUR HS DIPLOMA AT Home!!! Free Class Ring upon graduation with enrollment before December 31st, 2016. Nationally accredited. Call for Free Brochure, 1.904.381.1935. Or visit us at: www.fcahighschool.org SAPA

WEEKLY SUDOKU

FTCC

Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Gunsmithing Instructor For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer

ITEMS FOR SALE

BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS

No Chemicals, Poisons or Anything to Harm the Environment. Handmade in Haywood County. 1 for $20, 2 or More for $15 each.

828.593.8321

CHAMPION SUPPLY

Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581, 828.225.1075.

PURPLE MARTIN GOURDS

$3.95 each, reg $5.97 or mention this ad for 6 for $21.95. 9.5" diameter, lifetime warranty, Call 1.800.764.8688, www.skmfg.com

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 34

A search for Horace Kephart’s alcove

The setting for Horace Kephart’s posthumous novel Smoky Mountain Magic (2009) is the Cherokee Indian Reservation, Bryson City and Deep Creek — places familiar to most readers of this column. The main character, John Carrabus, spends much of his time camped in a hideaway named Nick’s Nest (a real place adjacent to the well-know Bryson Pace) where there’s a rock overhang he calls “The Alcove” and an immense cavern in which he becomes trapped.

BACK THEN

As described by Carrabus, Nick’s Nest “is a V-shaped trough 300-400 feet deep and about half a mile long, from a swamp at its mouth to the cliffs above the Pullback Trail. Locals know the area by the name “Dogeater holler.”

Since I am presently co-authoring a biography of Kephart, I felt like I needed to find out for sure whether or not there is in actuality a cavern or an alcove in Nick’s Nest. So I commissioned Mike Knies, a backcountry explorer who lives in Asheville, to check it out and send me a report.

“I proceeded downward and then up to the second knob. The slopes dropped sharply on both sides. I sat down on a log to eat lunch facing north and the high ridges of the Smokies and again reconnoiter. It was exactly noon I had a better view to the north being a little further out from the ridge behind and one peak on the skyline stood out like a pyramid but I was not sure which it was. I opened a can of smoked trout and promptly spilled the contents while trying to drain it. I still was able to rescue most pieces and made a meal of it, a small crushed pack of Doritos and half a Sun Drop. I almost dropped my GPS down the slope and it would have rolled long way!

“I marked a point further down the ridge that was about halfway between where I started and the Deep Creek Trail. That point was where I would switch back. I went steeply downward in that direction and then made the turn. At that point I was less than 500 feet from the Deep Creek Gap Trail which had turned back eastward and was closer than my ultimate destination. As I went back up the valley I made sure to gain a little elevation as I went so as not to get too close to the stream since I would be coming back that way. I had seen almost no jutting rocks at all but finally realized I was standing on a slight outcrop. It was solitary and there was no alcove below it. The way back was mostly rhododendron and hemlock and pine blowdowns clogged but there were brief open spaces. The slope was steep and I slipped, struggled and climbed rejoicing in the too short open places but always looking for “brown” rather than “green.”

“I saw a large rock proturbence just

below and slid slowly down to inspect, hoping it might be the alcove. The rock was 20 feet tall and a large portion had sheared off leaving a 5-foot-wide crevasse between. I slowly made my way through. The jumble of rock at the bottom for some reason reminded me of something that a den of snakes might be hiding in. I have never seen a jumble of writhing snakes. In fact I rarely see snakes at all despite old-timers referring to them. I have heard that the hogs will eat snakes and keep the population down. Of course I don’t hike much in the warmer months when they are out. Anyway I cautiously made my way across, disappointed that it was not something more substantial. I marked it as Nick CLF on the GPS. I continued and when I got to the point below the high knob I was only about 220 feet from the point I had entered the Nest. I felt that my view from that point had eliminated any possibility of extended cliffs or overhangs in between.

“I decided that staying close to the creek would cross too much dog hobble so I would walk the creek or try the south side, which on the way up had looked more open along the stream. I scrambled down to the stream and the water again filled my shoes and socks. I had exchanged Boltar for my collapsible hiking pole to add stability in the stream. I knew I would have some slippery rock drops to deal with. I sloshed forward and then realized that the stream would have to drop about 300 feet in less than four-tenths of a mile. There would have to be many steep and long cataracts that would be impossible to descend. I thought I heard one already. I tried the south bank, but it didn’t look promising so I went back to the north side. The hobble was thick. I kept looking up both slopes for cliffs and crevasses. I could see from the now steep slope in front of me that there must be a nice waterfall or series of falls but I could not safely get back over to take a good picture. So I skirted the hobble for a more advantageous spot. I finally got a shot of part of a 30-foot tumble.

“I advanced down and came to a ledge running from the water across and up the slope. I could have worked around it up the slope but decided to try to drop off it. The shortest spot was still about 8 feet. I worked my way down to the edge as I didn’t want to slide off unintentionally. I sat on the muddy edge in a crouch and then dropped my legs off and then the rest. The landing zone was unobstructed so I jumped successfully. Now I could see a much larger rock face but there was no alcove or even space to spread a sleeping bag under cover of an outcrop. I marked this spot as Nick CLF2. There was a huge poplar tree in front of the short cliff. I put my hiking stick which extends to about 4 feet across it and it was wider still. While it wasn’t an alcove this location was flat and clear. I realized that I had left a leather glove when I had rested a second after leaving the

stream back when but I could not likely find it easily. So I made another approach to the stream to photograph a cascade. From there I pretty much picked the easiest way down through brown areas, which required staying about 100 to 150 feet from the stream. There was still a lot of rhodo with the intermittent blowdowns but no problem.

“I was disappointed that I had not found

something more “earthshaking” in Nicks Nest but I was great fun and interesting, especially since I knew no one else maybe since Kephart himself who had been in there.”

Oh well, negative evidence is better than no evidence at all.

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)