This year marks the 33rd year of Folkmoot — an international folk dance festival based in Waynesville. This year’s lineup features eight groups from around the world coming to Western North Carolina to share their culture, music and dance. Check out the complete schedule of events, which features new performances in Franklin, Bryson City and Asheville. (Special Section) Patrick Parton photo
News
Cherokee council votes to extend dog-running season ..........................................3
Waynesville to formalize policy for pro-bono utility work ........................................4
Secluded country store can’t hide from time..............................................................6
Plaintiff suffers setback in school board lawsuit........................................................8
Swain County to vote on quarter-cent sales tax increase ......................................9
Charters of freedom coming to Sylva ........................................................................11
Waynesville business wants out of tax district ........................................................12
Franklin bike walk projects revealed, ranked
Western works to address low salaries ....................................................................14
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Cherokee council votes to extend dog running season
Opponents argue that decision is premature
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
Bear hunters on the Qualla Boundary may be able to run their dogs through tribal reserve land for a full half year following contentious discussion and a divided vote in Cherokee Tribal Council this month.
Hunters are already allowed to train their dogs off-leash from July 23 to Aug. 23, right before the Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 hunting season, but the hunting community could use a longer window to get their hounds in tip-top shape before the season opens, said tribal member Slick Saunooke, who first presented the legislation in April. Tribal Council passed legislation in July to lengthen the training season to last June 1 to Aug. 23.
“With the drug epidemic that we’ve got, if we can provide something else for our young men and our young girls, I think that’s something we should do, give them an extra month to run their dogs,” said Councilmember Alan “B” Ensley, of Yellowhill, in this month’s council session.
However, the proposal found vocal opposition from some members of council and the audience, especially from Councilmember Teresa McCoy, of Big Cove.
“This is not prudent and respectful to the reserve land,” McCoy said. “There’s not enough land, there’s not enough animals.”
work. Decisions like this could sabotage those intentions.”
However, in the interval between April and July the committee didn’t deliver the cohesive feedback on the legislation that council had requested, Chairman Bill Taylor said.
According to Jeremy Hyatt, natural resources and construction manager for the tribe, there was good reason for that. The timber committee had discussed the dog training legislation but stumbled upon such a large number of inconsistencies in the part of tribal code dealing with environmental and resource issues that discussing dog training seasons specifically seemed like a waste of time until the larger structural issues could be addressed.
“Instead of making these decisions piecemeal, there are inconsistencies throughout the code regarding environmental issues, hunting issues, so I asked my team to put together a comprehensive rewrite,” Hyatt told council.
Councilmember Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird, said it would make sense to keep the legislation tabled, especially considering the fact that the dates for the proposed extended dog running season are mostly over for the year. Passing the legislation at the July 7 council meeting would give hunters only 16 extra days of hunting, and that’s assuming that Principal Chief Patrick Lambert signs the legislation immediately after its passage. Depending when and if he chooses to sign it, the dog-running season currently in effect could already be underway.
shorter than the five months outside bear season that North Carolina hunters have to run their dogs.
However, the extended season dates in Cherokee would allow dog training to take place in the spring and summer before the hunting season opens, when bears and their young are active. North Carolina rules allow training to begin in mid-August before bear season but demand that the rest of the training take place during the winter months, when bears are less active.
But even if the ordinance proves to be imperfect or conflicts with some aspect of a larger overhaul of the hunting code, it would be easy enough for council to make changes, said Councilmember Bo Crowe, of Wolfetown. And because this year’s dates are past, they’ve got a whole year to do it.
“We can add to it,” he said. “Even if we add to it next month.”
“Why go through the process of putting something in here that may be coming out?” McCoy countered.
McCoy was also skeptical that the running season would, in fact, be free of kills.
“As far as no kill, don’t even say that to me,” she said. “I’ve seen the dead cubs and I’ve seen the dead moms.”
It’s too early to make any decision on the legislation, McCoy said, because there are still too many unknowns. How many bears currently live on the reserve land? How many are already harvested each year? How, she asked, might the extra months of dog training impact other parts of the ecosystem? And what about disturbances to tribal members who don’t like to hear dogs barking and bounding through the woods?
“We have a fish and game program, we have natural resources, we have all these people who can bring you information to better make a decision as to whether to have a bunch of dogs run through the reserve land,” McCoy said. “I think we need to table this and set up a time to discuss it.”
EARLIERDISCUSSION
It wasn’t the first time McCoy had made that suggestion. When the legislation was originally discussed in April, the conversation ended with a vote to table it for a few months, giving the tribe’s Timber and Natural Resources Committee a chance to discuss the issue and its biologists a chance to offer feedback.
“Chief (Patrick Lambert) has made a tremendous effort to work with (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) Superintendent Cash to allow some conversations and dialogue,” Tommy Cabe, the tribe’s forest resource specialist, told council in April. “We look forward to continuing this
“We’ve already passed the date,” Wachacha said. “In reality if we have that many problems with the hunting ordinance, I think we should put it on hold until we can revamp everything.”
Lambert did not weigh in on the issue in council, but Vice Chief Richie Sneed spoke in firm opposition to any kind of up-or-down vote that day, arguing that the legislation should be tabled to allow time for more information gathering.
“We have a duty and a responsibility to see that the resources are preserved for everyone’s use, and I think it’s irresponsible if this is going to be a yes or no vote on this particular piece of legislation,” Sneed said. “I don’t vote, but I say it should be no until we have this discussion.”
PROSANDCONS
Other councilmembers averred that the extended dog-running period is not a hunting season, so changing the dates shouldn’t be that big a deal.
“This is not a killing season. It’s just to run your dogs,” said Councilmember Albert Rose, of Birdtown. “That’s all it is.”
On state and federal game lands in North Carolina, dog running is allowed Aug. 16 to March 14, though hunting is allowed only Oct. 17-Nov. 19 and Dec. 12-Jan. 2 — on private land, dog training is allowed yearround. The actual hunting season in Cherokee is much longer than the seven weeks allowed in the state, running Sept. 1 to Dec. 31. But by contrast, the month-long dog running season that has been in place on the Qualla Boundary is substantially
Vice Chief Richie Sneed spoke in firm opposition to any kind of up-or-down vote that day, arguing that the legislation should be tabled to allow time for more information gathering.
The 5,200-acre reserve land is open to tribal members for a variety of uses, including hunting, fishing and gathering. Tribal enrollment cards double as hunting licenses, and no tags are required to shoot bear. While tribal code limits each individual to two bears per season, there’s no requirement that hunters register their kills.
Mike LaVoie, program manager for fisheries and wildlife management, told council that only three bear kills were registered during the 2014 season, the last year for which data has been compiled.
“Three bears?” McCoy responded. “I know three people who killed 30 bears.”
McCoy wasn’t alone in her opposition to the legislation’s passage.
“We need to be careful and make sure we’re conserving and sustaining our wildlife for future generations,” said Councilmember Anita Lossiah, of Yellowhill, seconding McCoy’s move to table.
The vote wound up being a close one, with seven members voting to table and five voting to pass the ordinance. However, due to the weighted voting system council uses — each member’s vote is worth a different amount based on the population of the area they represent — those in favor of passage won out. The move to table drew 45 weighted votes and the move to pass drew 55.
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Paved with good intentions
Waynesville to formalize policy for pro-bono utility work
BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFFWRITER
Waynesville utility crews will no longer donate labor to run power, water and sewer connections for community projects on a handshake agreement.
The town is eyeing a new policy that will formalize who’s eligible for pro-bono utility work and start documenting how the free work is carried out.
Historically, town utility crews have run power, water and sewer connections at no cost for construction projects deemed a good cause — primarily for nonprofits that serve the greater good of the community, from Habitat for Humanity homes to the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre. But the absence of a formal policy was a tad unsettling to David Foster, the town’s new public works director.
“Since I have taken over the utility side, a lot of people have come out of the woodwork asking to waive fees for connections,” Foster said. “I fully understand the gist of why they are asking, but we need a policy.”
Foster recently shared his concerns with the town board, namely that he didn’t want to be the one making the call over who should get a free pass on utility hook-up fees.
So far this year, Foster has been
approached by Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, which has built a second theater building, and Brookmont Lofts, a county-driven project to repurpose the old, shuttered hospital into low-income senior apartments. Both wanted the town to waive the cost of new power, water and sewer connections for their construction projects — amounting to nearly $180,000 in town labor, materials and permit fees.
“I don’t want to be in the position of saying ‘I believe in this charity and I will give them a break, but this other charity, I won’t give them a break,’” Foster said. “My take has always been the town board should determine who and what fees get waived.”
If nothing else, a formal policy would remove the appearance of quid pro quo deals or accusations of favoritism. While both requests ultimately went to the town board and were approved, the HART project brought to light the problems that can arise in the absence of a formal policy.
HART’s new theatre construction began more then two years ago, predating Foster’s time at the town. Early in the design stage, HART asked the public works director at the time to waive the utility connection fees as the town had done with HART’s first theater construction.
“He said ‘Oh yeah, we’ll do that, like we did for the first one,’” recounted Pat Burgin, a Waynesville contractor overseeing the HART job. “But it was never documented. Nobody wrote anything down.”
By the time HART was ready to pull the trigger on the utility connections, a new public works director had come along.
“There was a big staff turn over at the town. Had it been documented in someone’s email or notes or minutes, we would have been OK. But nothing was documented so we had to start over,” Burgin said.
Burgin said the new town administration didn’t doubt what had been promised, but in the absence of formal documentation, HART had to make its case all over again.
The utility hook-ups for HART would have been $80,000. It was among what
The Haywood Regional Arts Theatre in Waynesville. File photo
What’s in a tap fee?
A new construction project coming on line in the town of Waynesville is typically on the hook for their own utility hook-up costs.
“The tap fee is supposed to recoup the cost of the work so current customers don’t foot the bill for someone who shows up and wants a new connection,” Waynesville Public Services Director David Foster explained.
The fees aren’t small potatoes. A new building connecting to the town’s water and sewer system and electrical power grid can easily run tens of thousands of dollars. On the water and sewer side, the price tag includes the labor of town utility crews to dig the trenches, lay the pipes, tap into the main line, bury it all again and fix the road back over the top — not to mention the cost of materials, from pipe fittings to asphalt patch. A typical residential job would run $2,000 for a new water and sewer connection.
New customers tying in to the town’s system also have to pay what’s known as an impact fee, which is as low as $1,000 for an average home, or as much as $40,000 for a large-scale apartment project, based on the number of bathrooms.
The impact fee is essentially the cost of “buying in” to the town’s water and sewer infrastructure and goes into a kitty for future repairs and maintenance to the water and sewer treatment plants.
“People who have been on the service all these years have paid for the water and sewer plants. Those who are new to the system, that’s suppose to be their contribution to maintaining the plants,” explained Waynesville Finance Director Eddie Caldwell.
For example, the town is currently spending $368,000 to repair the eroded spillway around the dam at its Allens Creek water reservoir.
“I am sure they didn’t plan on spending that kind of money 40 yeas ago, but we put those capacity fees aside to address those sort of things,” Caldwell said.
The impact fees also build up a fund for upgrading the plants’ capacity in the future, which would eventually become necessary as volume increases.
“That’s a very expensive proposition. The capacity fee helps them pay their fair cost toward that,” Caldwell said.
Last year, water and sewer tap fees and impact fees brought in $42,000.
New electrical connections aren’t quite as labor intensive or costly, but nonetheless run about $200 for every 100 feet of wire to get from the nearest power pole to the building. There is no impact fee for new electrical customers.
“We want all the electric customers we can get,” Caldwell said.
Foster called “one of the most expensive scenarios” because the work called for an allnew, high capacity six-inch water line to support a sprinkler system, on top of the regular water, sewer and electrical connections and impact fees.
“They said, ‘We can’t afford that. Can we get some relief?’” Foster recalled.
Foster sent HART up the chain of command to the town manager. However, the town manager didn’t have a playbook to go by either.
At one point, representatives of HART called on newly elected town board member Jon Feichter, a personal fan and supporter of HART, for advice. Unsure of what the protocol was, Feichter sent them back to Foster.
Feichter said he supports the concept of waiving utility fees for nonprofit endeavors.
“Nonprofits are doing things for the betterment of all of us. I am very much open to the possibility of helping that mission whenever and wherever the town is able to do so,”
Feichter said. “But on the other hand I do believe there needs to be some kind of formal policy for nonprofits to go through to make those kinds of requests.”
When carrying out the work for the HART project, Foster encountered another reason why a formal policy — including a written agreement spelling out the pro-bono work by the town — is prudent.
The work ended up exceeding original estimates, but the town had already agreed to
perform the work, whatever it cost. Foster said any waiver should stipulate the “not to exceed” cost up front.
“I want the board to know the ‘all in’ price of what they are passing,” Foster said. “We have been a very generous community and supported these for years and years and years. I am not begrudging anything we have done. I think they have all been a good investment on our part.”
That said, a formal policy would make the process smoother next time, he said.
“I agree completely,” Freeman replied. “When you deal with licensed contractors that are bidding out these jobs, this needs to be forefront when these contracts are written.”
When Foster eventually brought HART’s request to the town board over the winter asking for guidance, the board wasn’t quite sure what to do either.
was approached again to provide pro-bono utility hook-ups for Brookmont Lofts, a project to convert the old hospital building into low-income housing.
The renovation of the outdated building is so costly and the financial return on lowincome housing so marginal, that the project is barely viable as it is. The $100,000 in permit fees and utility connection work — a large amount due to the project’s scope — was a tipping point.
“You are talking real money that could
“Nonprofits are doing things for the betterment of all of us. I am very much
open to the possibility of helping that mission whenever and wherever the town is able to do so. But on the other hand I do believe there needs to be some kind of formal policy for nonprofits to go through to make those kinds of requests.”
While Alderwoman Julia Freeman agreed with the merits of supporting HART, she questioned what the contractor’s role should be. Was the cost of utility connections built into the construction job already, and thus waiving the fees would simply be helping the contractor hold his own costs down? Freeman wanted to make sure HART would be the one benefiting if the fees were waived, and not the contractor.
Aldermen LeRoy Roberson and Feichter both supported the request, citing HART’s contributions to the community. However, Mayor Gavin Brown said Freeman posed a valid question and suggested the town table the request until they could query the contractor.
Burgin agreed utility connection costs would usually be built into a contractor’s price for a job, but they weren’t in HART’s case, he said.
“I didn’t include any administrative costs as far as the town of Waynesville goes because they all assured me it would be taken care of,” Burgin said.
The town board ultimately approved the request unanimously.
Then, a couple of months later, the town
— Jon Feichter, Waynesville alderman
make or break a project,” Foster said.
Before Foster came on board, the public works department was led by Fred Baker for more than 25 years. Given his long tenure, and the low turnover among public works employees, the town was content to rely on their institutional knowledge to get things done.
But Waynesville isn’t the small town it used to be.
“Nobody in town wants us to make those kinds of monetary decisions. Let us put the meters in and the pipes the ground. We’re good at that,” Foster said.
Burgin agrees.
“They have gotten a little more professional in town administration and realized they probably ought to be documenting this stuff,” Burgin said.
For now, the adoption of a formal policy is in a holding pattern until a new town manager is hired. The former manager was fired in February. One of her criticisms was trying to make too many changes to town processes and how the town had historically done business.
Secluded country store can’t hide from time
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
The pungent aroma of morning dew was still in the air and Kelly Sutton had just opened the Big Creek Country Store for the day when the cowbell mounted on the outside of the screen door issued an assertive and punctual clank.
The heavy wooden front door swung open, its bottommost edge scraping against the dark wood floor. Three young men in Tshirts and ball caps poked their heads into the darkened shack and awkwardly approached Sutton, who was standing behind the counter as the creaky floorboards and echoing reverberations from the cowbell finally drew silent.
“Can I help you?” Sutton asked.
“We’re trying to figure out where we are,” said their leader.
LOSTHORIZON
Such scenes are common in Mount Sterling, where residents and visitors alike are misplaced in space, and in time. The isolated community on the periphery of the Appalachian Trail has a history stretching back centuries but has also begun to embrace modernity in the unlikeliest of places — a rejuvenated family-run country store dating back almost 90 years.
The three young men were travelers from Athens, Tennessee, some 120 miles
off. Bound for Max Patch Mountain, they’d gotten lost while trying to find the Appalachian Trail.
“We saw a sign that said, ‘Country store, one mile,’ and wound up here,” said one of them.
The Big Creek Country Store sits just threequarters of a mile south of the Tennessee border, and less than a quarter mile from both the Big Creek Ranger Station and the trailhead for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Chestnut Branch Trail.
But the store has a mailing address 18 miles away in Newport, Tennessee, despite being physically located in Haywood County, North Carolina. FedEx and UPS drivers, however, use physical addresses for delivery, and Sutton’s is technically Waynesville, despite being located almost 40 miles from town in a valley with no cell service and a shoddy GPS signal.
Complicating matters, the store’s Waynesville address — 67 Mt. Sterling Rd. — is often confused with a similar address north of Clyde, 30 miles to the southeast.
“They think it’s funny, but I’ve got a sign out front that says free directions with any purchase,” Sutton said. “It’s sort of a joke, but it’s serious too, because if I just gave directions all day, I’d never make any money.”
They didn’t buy anything, but Kelly sent the three young men on their way with a smile as tinny bluegrass blared from a single raggedy cloth-lined speaker hanging on a
wall in the back of the store.
Sutton is far from the first person in her family to render cartographic assistance to poor wayfaring strangers.
Her great-great-grandparents were born in Mt. Sterling, as were her great-grandparents, Mack and Etta Caldwell, who built the store in 1927.
That same year, the Walters Hydroelectric Plant was built by Carolina Power and Light on the nearby Pigeon River, where it still operates today.
The Big Creek Country Store served the needs of the secluded settlement, offering groceries, clothing and household items
“There’s a lot of work, a lot of physical work, keeping up with this place, but I love living here. People are like, ‘What do you do all the time?’ Whatever I want to do, you know?”
— Kelly Sutton
until the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934 and the completion of the Appalachian Trail in 1937 began to draw the occasional outsider — a mindful adventurer, or a mislaid hiker.
As the population of Mt. Sterling began to dwindle — it’s 30-something today — her great-grandparents’ store closed in the late 1980s or early 1990s, and the building began to decay.
Sutton, 30, is originally from Boone, but her mother Darlene lived at Mt. Sterling until she was 12, when the one-room schoolhouse serving 10 students from kindergarten through eighth grade no longer met her mother’s expectations.
That schoolhouse has since become a private home, and the few children who still live in Mt. Sterling now attend elementary school at Jonathan Valley Elementary School 29 miles away, and high school at Tuscola, 32 miles away.
“The bus usually comes to get them, but not always,” Sutton said. “Sometimes their parents will take them. They have a relationship with the bus drivers, so they can work it out.”
Sutton is more familiar with the N.C. educational system than most; a former teacher, she gives partial credit for her presence in Mt. Sterling to that very system.
“I taught in Hickory and Charlotte for a while, elementary school, bunch of different grades,” she said. “I got very burned out.”
Sutton loved teaching, but grew tired of a profession heavy on testing and light on cash.
“They actually cut pay, and then froze it, so my second year I was making less than my first year, so 2012 was my last year. I came here. I needed a life change, I needed to start over.”
Adding to her woes, during those two years of teaching she had six members of her family pass away — including all four grandparents, her father, and even her dog.
SOWELLREMEMBERED
The heavy wooden front door suddenly swung open again, bringing with it a shaft of sunlight and another percussive jangle from the cowbell.
Above: The Big Creek Country Store in Mt. Sterling. Right: Darlene (left) and Kelly Sutton, owner of the store. Cory Vaillancourt photos
“Hey there!” Sutton beams. “Mail delivery!”
“Y’all got them ‘maters for lunch?” asks Mo, who strides in and hands Sutton a single letter.
“Nope,” she replies.
“Well you’re about to,” he says. “A purty ‘un.”
He walks out the door with a clang and moments later walks back in with a clang, presenting Sutton with a plump red tomato.
“That’s not a ‘tomato,’ that’s a ‘mater!” he laughs.
Mo comes from Newport nearly every day to deliver mail to the Big Creek Country Store, but he’s far from the only regular.
Much of Sutton’s extended family lives in the area and owns almost all of the land, as they have for generations. Many residents are retirement-age but still plant gardens and hunt, making them nearly self-sufficient.
When they do need something from the outside world, Hartford, Tennessee, is a convenient but expensive option seven miles distant — prices in Tennessee are “a lot higher” than N.C., Sutton said, because of taxes and the bustling tourist economy.
“If they need something I don’t have, I’ll try to get it for them,” she said, admitting that she stocks up on periodic runs to the Walmart in Waynesville or the Sam’s Club in Asheville because most distributors won’t deliver to her far-flung location.
“They were happy to see North Carolina prices for cigarettes, so I try to give them a good deal,” she laughed.
Despite growing up elsewhere, Sutton’s been part of the community since she was born and remembers spending almost every other weekend of her life there.
“We used it for a home for a long time,” she said. “I used to dance on these counters and sing Dolly Parton songs and roller skate around in here when I was little. We had two bedrooms in the store part and two bedrooms on the side, which were also the living room and kitchen. My bedroom was the kitchen. My main memory is waking up to the sound and smell of coffee.”
But when she returned to Mt. Sterling seeking a new start in 2012, that cozy home place was in terrible shape.
“We had a bat infestation in the attic, and you could not breathe in here. The ammonia was awful, and it was completely packed — you couldn’t even walk in here, but for one little path.”
The building was then being used as a storage area for the possessions of her deceased relatives.
“It took me about three years to get it cleaned out and renovated enough to open back up,” she said.
The building itself hasn’t changed much since it was originally constructed — especially the interior. It’s about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide, with a counter running almost the entire length of the structure.
The walls aren’t exactly walls — the thick, full-sized two-by-twelve boards that make up the shelving that rings the store are what actually hold up the roof. Locally-cut hemlock siding running on the exterior is nailed to wormy chestnut on the inside, which is in turn nailed to the shelves.
Those shelves are stocked, floor to ceiling, with a curious mix of survival gear, food, apparel, personal care items, local artwork and antiques. Sunscreen, Slim-Jims, socks, sanitizer, sketches and stemware abound, offering options for hardcore hikers, weekend warriors, or ambling antique hunters just looking for a bargain.
The diverse customer base, however, wasn’t something that residents of the area found appealing.
“I think it was a little difficult for them at first, because it draws in more people,” Sutton said. “They want it to stay how it is. I think now that they see it, it’s not that bad. People are in and out, and they’ve been really respectful,” she said. “I think once they got over the shock of it being back open and all these tourists coming through here, they’re really excited to see the old store again.”
PROGRESS
Once more the cowbell sprang to life with the tinkling metallic announcement of visitors — three men clad in coveralls and bright yellow reflective vests festooned with shiny orange chevrons.
unusual customers.
“One of my first days open, we had some people from France. They bought Tshirts. That just blew my mind — that my T-shirt is going to be in France somewhere. We’ve had people from Germany, Cuba, South America, all over. It’s like, ‘Of all the places in the United States to come, how did you get here?’”
About that time, the change of scenery also began to have an effect on Sutton, who has no regrets about her decision to embrace a simpler life in a place that is hidden from much of the world, but not from the relentless pace of progress.
“There’s a lot of work, a lot of physical work, keeping up with this place, but I love living here,” she said. “People are like, ‘What do you do all the time?’ Whatever I want to do, you know? I definitely wanted to get away from the big city,” she said. “I was last living in Charlotte and it’s just so hectic and stressful all the time. Things are ridiculously expensive, and I just wanted to come back home. Life is too short.”
SHANGRI-LA
Another hour passes slowly in Big Creek, until the cowbell, with another swift, sharp blow, punctuates the silence with its familiar timbre.
It’s a sound people in Mt. Sterling have come to recognize and accept, and with it, the fact that some things change, but some things stay the same — just like the Walters Hydroelectric Power Plant, now owned by Duke Energy. It’s about to become fully automated, making the few who still work there obsolete.
“They’re putting power poles all the way up the mountain,” Sutton says as they forage for supplies. They’ll be out all day working in a remote part of the area and have to bring with them all sustenance.
Sutton rings up their prepackaged pastries, canned energy drinks, chips, jerkies, smokes and Cokes. They each pay for their purchases with debit cards on her tablet computer.
“We have internet and phone now,” she says. “That’s a first for this building.”
If the idea of paying for antiques (or junk food) with debit cards on a tablet in a 90year-old country store isn’t odd enough, Sutton produces one of her grandfather’s ledgers from 1949, on which he used to keep track of what was owed and by whom.
Among entries for primitive household staples like beer, bleach, flour and lard the ledger says that on Nov. 30, 1949, someone named Ray bought tobacco and pencil lead.
That set Ray back 30 cents.
Prices and products change as the years go by, as does the clientele. After opening in September 2015 for a short but successful trial run until Christmas — when it became too hard to heat the drafty shop — Sutton found herself entertaining some
Ambling up to the counter behind which Sutton stands is a section hiker on the A.T. who’s been out on the trail for three weeks. Sutton hopes to expand her operations in the near future to serve hikers like the one presently approaching her in a wrinkled sundress and muddy sandals topped with a grimy tee; Sutton foresees a bathroom, laundry facilities, a food truck, and possibly even selling beer again, if county laws ever catch up to where they were in 1949.
The hiker unzips her fanny pack and withdraws a sealed Ziplock bag. From that, she removes a small, tan, clasped coin purse, and slowly begins to pull out crumpled, damp, raggedy greenbacks and assorted coins, placing them on the counter.
“When I was little I used to play store in here all the time,” Sutton says. “I had a little cash register, and my mom would have empty egg cartons, and I would ring people up. I was an only child, so I had to entertain myself. I would have never thought that I’d end up doing this for real.”
But Kelly Sutton is doing it for real — and discovering in the process that despite the measured progress in Mt. Sterling, it will remain an out-of-the-way destination almost storybook in its ethos and charm where some needs can never be satisfied by technology.
“Can I help you?” Sutton asks.
“Last night in the storm a lot of my stuff got wet,” says the hiker. “I really need some toilet paper.”
Top: Shelves stocked with survival gear, sundries and Slim-Jims. Above: A 1949 ledger from the store listing accounts. Cory Vaillancourt photos
Plaintiff suffers setback in school board lawsuit
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Arguments were heard in Haywood County Superior Court July 19 in the matter of Melrose v. The Haywood County Board of Education, at the center of which is the closing of Central Elementary School.
“These school issues are emotional,” Iredell County Senior Resident Judge Joe Crosswhite said from the bench. “One thing we try not to do is put emotion in this — we try on fact.”
Unfortunately for attorney Mark Melrose, the plaintiff who brought the suit both individually and as Guardian ad Litem for his daughter, Crosswhite then allowed School Board Attorney Pat Smathers’ motion to dismiss Melrose’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt the closure of the school.
“The judge made the ruling he felt was correct based on the law,” Melrose said. “He’s denied our ability to bring for a hearing the matter of trying to obtain an order to keep the school open. My understanding is that he based that in large or entirely on the fact that the school has been closed.”
Indeed, the crux of Smathers’ argument to the judge centered on cases that involved the “mootness doctrine,” which in essence means that a party cannot be enjoined or prohibited from taking an action that has already been taken.
In this instance, that action is the closure of Central, which closed on June 14.
Melrose countered by citing an exception to the doctrine, stating that if an action — like closing a school — was repeatable and evasive of judicial oversight, that action could indeed be enjoined.
An Army Colonel and Bronze Star recipient who helped establish the postwar Afghani judicial system, Crosswhite didn’t elaborate on his decision, but he clearly didn’t agree with Melrose’s reasoning.
“It was the appropriate ruling,” Smathers said. “As the judge said, these are emotional
November election lineup complete
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Ballots have been finalized in Haywood County for November’s General Election, and while a number of national and state campaigns have thus far overshadowed local races, that won’t last much longer.
North Carolina State Sen. Jim Davis, R-
issues, but you have to follow the law. The school board is given the obligation and responsibility to make wise decisions based on resources, and to allocate where schools are, and which students go to specific schools, and that changes with time. The school is closed, both physically and legally, and the judge’s ruling says the same thing. It’s a moot question. The school board followed the law. As resources and funds demographics change, the school system has to change with it. I’ve said before, none of the current school board members wants to close a school, but there are times, and for the reasons it was done in this case, you just have to do that. Your hand is really tied.”
“The school is closed, both physically and legally, and the judge’s ruling says the same thing. It’s a moot question.”
— Pat Smathers, Haywood School Board attorney
Central was closed this June as a cost-saving measure because of a projected $2.4 million budget shortfall that wasn’t known until the state budget passed in October 2015.
Melrose’s lawsuit alleges that open meeting laws and school board policy were violated, and that the mandated study of the effects of the closure may not have been thorough enough.
Despite the adverse ruling, this isn’t the end of the case, said Melrose.
“The rest of the lawsuit is continuing, and we’ll be able to engage in discovery to find out other details in the case, and eventually we’ll be able to present to the court the issues concerning the open meeting law, the violation of board policy, and whether they did the study correctly or not,” he said.
Franklin, represents most of Western North Carolina in the General Assembly and will serve for a fourth term if he can get past Jane Hipps, a Haywood County Democrat and nurse practitioner he defeated in 2014.
State Rep. Joe Sam Queen, DWaynesville, will face frequent opponent and retired fire chief Mike Clampitt, a Swain County Republican who also ran against Queen in 2012 and 2014. Queen’s district includes all of Jackson and Swain and counties, but only a sliver of Haywood County that centers on Waynesville.
The balance of Haywood County is represented by Burnsville Republican Rep. Michele Presnell, who’ll face a strong test from Democrat Rhonda Schandevel, a current Haywood County School Board member who decided earlier this year to give up
her seat to challenge Presnell.
A number of Haywood County School Board seats are also up for re-election, including Schandevel’s.
In Haywood County, non-partisan school board members must reside in a particular district, but are voted in by voters countywide.
Schandevel resides in the Beaverdam district, as does board member Walter Leatherwood, who is also not seeking reelection. Vying for those two seats are Richard Lance, Ronnie Clark and Scott Smith, all of Canton.
Lynn Milner’s Waynesville district seat is also up for re-election, as is the seat of Jim Francis. Milner’s not seeking re-election, but Francis is; competing with him for one of those two seats are Ann Barrett, Rebecca Benhart, Pam Martin and Kay
Miller, all of Waynesville.
Chuck Francis has been chair of the Haywood County School Board for 12 years; he hopes to extend that streak by besting Craig Messer of Canton. Haywood County Board Chairman Mark Swanger’s 14-year tenure will come to an end this fall, meaning his seat is open, as is that of 12-year board veteran Kevin Ensley.
Two Republicans, Ensley and Canton businessman Brandon Rogers, as well as two Democrats, Steve Brown and Robin Greene Black, will compete for those two seats; the new chair of the county board will be chosen after the election by the board itself from among its members.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8; for more information on voting, visit www.haywoodnc.net.
Plaintiff Mark Melrose, who brought the suit against the school board. Becky Johnson photo
Swain County to vote on quarter-cent sales tax
Revenue to go toward K-12 education projects
BY J ESSI STONE
N EWS E DITOR
Swain County residents will get to decide whether the county can levy an additional quarter-cent sales tax when they vote during the Nov. 8 general election.
If the sales tax referendum passes, the county’s sales tax will increase from 6.75 percent to an even 7 percent and the revenue raised will be specifically designated for projects for Swain County Schools.
County Manager Kevin King said the additional quarter-cent revenue would generate an estimated $290,000 a year for the school system to use for capital improvements to Swain’s five school buildings.
In speaking with members of the public, Commissioner Danny Burns said some were concerned that commissioners would decrease the county contribution to the schools and supplant it with revenue from the quarter-cent sales tax. He asked that referendum language be amended to say the county’s appropriation to the schools would not be impacted if the referendum passes.
“As far as getting people on board with this, I think it needs to say that,” Burns said.
King said that was a valid concern since that is basically what has happened with the North Carolina Education Lottery revenues even though it was touted as additional education funding to that already being provided by the state.
“I’ve been told by everybody I’ve talked to that as long as the county is not supplanting funds, they’d vote for it,” said School Superintendent Sam Pattillo.
The Swain County Board of Education requested the additional quarter-cent sales tax referendum because capital needs continue to grow and state and federal funding continue to remain static or shrink. This year the county contributed $220,000 to the schools, which was a $60,000 increase over last year. It still wasn’t enough — during discussions with the county, school officials told commissioners they needed $500,000 a year to maintain the school facilities. Only $80,000 of the county’s allocation to the schools was for capital needs.
If capital projects could be fully funded through county appropriations and the sales tax revenue, the school system could then free up the impact money it receives from the federal government to fund other projects.
“The main reasons we are participating in this referendum is because in Swain County we are in an area highly impacted by federal lands, and we put a lot of stress on the local government to come up with local appropriations,” Pattillo said.
As the student population continues to grow in Swain, Pattillo said the school sys-
tem needs to be prepared for that growth.
An eight-classroom expansion at West Swain Elementary School was completed several years ago, and Pattillo said it wouldn’t have been possible without the federal impact funding and help from the county. Now East Elementary is in need of an eight-classroom expansion and the middle and high schools are in need of updates to accommodate more modern programs.
Pattillo said he and the school board have full intentions of making themselves available to members of the public to explain why the additional sales tax is needed. Beginning sometime in August, he said he would begin to hold community meetings about it.
“This referendum allows our citizens to have a voice on whether they agree with the vision and what our future schools should look like,” he said. “We want our community
The Swain County Board of Education requested the additional quartercent sales tax referendum because capital needs continue to grow and state and federal funding continue to remain static or shrink. This year the county contributed $220,000 to the schools, which was a $60,000 increase over last year. It still wasn’t enough.
involved in the decision — we need to have an open conversation about it and also look 10 to 30 years down the road to talk about new opportunities we can take advantage of.”
The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the referendum with amended language to say revenue would not be supplanted for county contributions.
Jackson County voters approved the same quarter-cent sales tax during the June 7 primary election — the only difference is the revenue will go to Jackson County Schools as well as Southwestern Community College infrastructure projects. The quarter-cent also rounded out Jackson’s sale tax to an even 7 percent and is expected to raise an additional $1.1 million. While only 22 percent of Jackson residents voted in the June 7 primary, the sales tax referendum was approved by two-thirds of voters.
If approved, the sales tax does not apply to food or grocery purchases.
Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney
Your life-long love of animals can become part of your legacy. Yes, you can make a lasting difference in the lives of Haywood County’s pets by considering the Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation Bequest Program.
Leaving a bequest to Sarge’s, when planning a will, supports Sarge’s mission of saving dogs and cats — far into the future.
Bequests to Sarge’s will give comfort and safety to homeless animals right here in Haywood County. Let your love of animals live on through Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation.
For the Bequest Program information: Call 828-246-9050 or email Laura Ivey, Sarge’s Executive Director, at sargeexecdir@gmail.com
Charters of freedom coming to Sylva
Monument to honor the U.S.’s founding documents
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
After months of fundraising, cash is now in hand to get a monument to the country’s founding documents in place at Mark Watson Park in Sylva.
“I think it’s important to be able to reflect on our history,” said Jackson County Commission Chairman Brian McMahan.
“These are very powerful words found in these documents. These are the words that started our nation and sustain our nation today.”
Private donations have inched the meter ever closer to the $20,000 needed to create the Your Charters of Freedom Monument since the fundraising kicked off with a Patriot Breakfast in November. The final push came from a radiothon that Roy Burnette of WRGC 540 AM in Sylva hosted, bringing in nearly $8,000 — overall, more than 50 individual donors contributed to the cause.
The plan is to install bronze versions of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights on Sept. 17, Constitution Day. They’ll go in the grassy corner of Mark Watson Park that’s between the greenway sidewalk and U.S. 23 next to the park exit. The bronze documents will be set in displays of brick treated to match the white brick of the Jackson County Public Library atop the hill.
While the dollars for the monument originated locally, the effort was led by Morganton-based Foundation Forward Inc., whose founder Vance Patterson first approached Jackson County Commissioners in March of 2015.
“About three years ago my wife and I were up in Washington and we had some free time, so we decided to go to the National Archives
New DSS director hired in Jackson
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
After 20 years with the department, Jackson County’s director of social services will be retiring from county employment at the end of the month, but the department won’t want for experienced leadership going forward.
Jennifer Abshire, currently the social work program manager in Jackson County, has worked with Jackson’s Department of Social Services for 24 years and is expected to slide smoothly into the director’s role.
“I feel really good about it,” said the outgoing director Bob Cochran. “I don’t think the board could have made a better selection.”
because we’d never seen the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution before,” Patterson told commissioners.
The sight gave him goosebumps, and after realizing that very few people from his home in Burke County would ever make it to D.C. to see the sight firsthand, he began building a nonprofit committed to getting replicas installed in places where people far from D.C. could experience them. So far, monuments have been installed in Buncombe, Burke and Cherokee counties, with three more in place in Illinois, Indiana and South Carolina. Projects have also been approved in Henderson and Pitt counties.
“Once we raise the right amount of money then we go ahead and do everything,” Patterson told commissioners. “All we ask the county to do is do site preparation.”
Commissioners liked the idea, and Foundation Forward got moving with fundraising efforts. At first, the cost had been projected at $70,000 to $80,000, but using brick rather than granite for the settings tamped the cost down and also resulted in a design that everyone seems to agree will fit in better on the site, as it will match the nearby library.
“I think it’s important for our kids to be able to have that reinforced and to be able to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, especially now when more than ever we’re trying to do everything we can to make sure the kids know freedom isn’t free,” said Mike Murray, superintendent of Jackson County Public Schools.
Foundation Forward has been working with the school system since the beginning of the effort, and Jackson County’s schoolchildren will be well represented in the proceedings.
The September ceremony will involve burying a time capsule, to be opened on Sept. 17, 2087, the U.S. Constitution’s 300th birthday. In addition to letters from a variety of community leaders and officials, the cap-
The Jackson County Board of Social Services made the selection, receiving nine applications and interviewing the five candidates who were qualified for the position.
Abshire, 59, joined the department in 1992 as a social work trainee, moving through various positions to serve as a child support agent, social work supervisor, human services coordinator and social work supervisor before taking her current position as social work program manager in 2008. Altogether, she has 17 years of leadership experience.
“These are very powerful words found in these documents. These are the words that started our nation and sustain our nation today.”
— Brian McMahan, Jackson County commission chairman
sule will include work from the winners of essay and bookmark contests held for children in kindergarten through eighth grade and the names of students who participated in a challenge to read books about American history, whether that be state, local or national history.
“I think it’s exciting, especially for these kindergarten kids that we’re hopeful will be able to see their work on that opening day,”
there continuously since completing her bachelor’s of criminal justice at Western Carolina University.
“I’m one of those who came to Western, graduated, and didn’t leave,” she said.
Though not originally from Jackson County, except for a season spent working as a National Park Service ranger she’s lived
Abshire said she’s looking forward to expanding her focus to include all divisions of the 70-employee department, not just the social work arena where she’s spent most of her career. The main challenge she sees going forward is continued adjustment to the N.C. FAST system. N.C. FAST is a computerized system for processing applications for social services, and it’s that’s caused departments statewide quite a bit of heartburn in the past few years.
“A lot of agencies throughout the state lost workers because of the time constraints, frustration of systems breaking down,” Abshire said. “We’re just now after a year and a half getting comfortable with
Murray said. “I think it’s a really neat concept.”
McMahan hopes to see the county continue to improve the site once the monuments are installed, contracting with a landscape architect to develop a plan for flagpoles, shrubbery and other landscaping. The board will likely try to get some plans completed prior to the monument installation so that the placement will be conducive to any future development of the area.
Further down the road, the commission would like to see the old rescue squad building across the drive from the soon-to-be Freedom Park turned into a community gathering space that could be used in conjunction with any ceremonies held by the monuments.
“I think they deserve a nice environment where people can come and reflect on the words of Jefferson and our founding fathers,” McMahan said, “a place for us to come as a community and gather in occasions where it’s fitting to pay tribute to those parts of our history and honor those who are serving today.”
entering data into the system.”
Use of the system will soon expand to include programs such as child welfare and adult services. Abshire is hopeful the department will handle the challenge well.
“I feel very blessed to have worked with Bob (Cochran) for so long. He’s taught me a lot,” Abshire said.
For his part, Cochran, 58, says that though he’s retiring, he intends to keep working — just not in county government.
“I still feel like I have a lot to offer, and I want to be part of the solution,” he said.
Cochran intends to keep his eyes and ears open for the best way to do that. In the meantime, he’s got no worries about the direction the department is headed under Abshire.
“I think the agency will thrive under her leadership,” he said.
Abshire will earn a salary of $87,000 per year.
Jennifer Abshire
The monument in Sylva will be similar to this display installed in Murphy, except it will be made with white brick rather than granite. Donated photo
Business owner wants out of downtown tax district
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
At least one local property owner plans to take advantage of a new law allowing for withdrawal from Waynesville’s Municipal Service District.
Managed by the Downtown Waynesville Association, Waynesville’s MSD runs along Main Street south from Wall Street down to Veterans Circle. Within the MSD, property owners pay an extra 20 cents per $100 in assessed property value on top of the city’s 48.57-cent rate.
The new law states that property owners may submit a written request to the town board of aldermen stating the reasons they think it is “not in need of the services, facilities, or functions” of the MSD.
The function of Waynesville’s MSD is to promote downtown tourism.
Sharon Earley, who with her husband owns the parcel at 180 Legion Drive, made known her intentions to leave the MSD at the July 12 Waynesville board meeting. The Earley’s property — currently home to Ferguson Plumbing Supply — has no frontage on Main Street, and isn’t exactly a tourist draw.
“I’m paying big bucks for the MSD, and what do I get out of that? I don’t get anything out of the MSD,” she said. “I have no parades, no craft fairs — I’m way out there. I have no need for the MSD. No one even knows where Legion Drive is, except for the
plumbers.”
Earley said that when they purchased the property in the mid-1990s, they had no idea what he MSD was, much less that they were in it.
“From the way I understand it, when the resolution was signed back in the late 80s [1986] I was told that the property owners signed up to be in the MSD. But when we bought the property, the MSD wasn’t even
brought to our attention,” she said.
Nevertheless, the Earleys have been paying almost 50 percent more in property taxes than those outside the MSD, all while receiving no direct benefit from it.
A letter sent from James B. Earley to the town states that he is “not in need of the services facilities, or functions” of the MSD.
After the Earleys complete the required paperwork, the town board must hold a
DWA only applicant to manage Waynesville MSD
An Oct. 1, 2015, state requirement requiring greater competition and transparency in the management of Municipal Service Districts sent shivers down the spines of some members of the Waynesville Board of Aldermen, but in the end it was much ado about nothing.
The Downtown Waynesville Association was the only entity to submit a proposal for managing the MSD by the July 14 deadline, averting a potential power struggle between the DWA and any other organization wishing to compete for the right to manage the MSD’s nearly- $200,000 yearly budget.
The DWA manages Waynesville’s MSD — where property owners pay an additional 20 cents per $100 in assessed value above and beyond city’s current 48.57-cents — and has done so since its inception in 1986.
Fierce competition wasn’t expected; this highly specialized service relies on cooperation from property owners and doesn’t offer much opportunity for profit.
In June the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners approved Mount Airy Downtown Inc.’s application to continue to manage its MSD. Like in Waynesville, there were no other applicants.
Another stipulation of the new regulation was that governments seek “meaningful input” from property owners as well as residents, which the town did with a July 12 public hearing during which only DWA President John Keith spoke.
The town will also hold a public hearing before the contract — which can be up to five years in duration — is awarded.
— By Cory Vaillancourt, staff writer
public hearing. If it finds that the land in question is indeed not in need of the MSD’s services, facilities or functions, it can draft an ordinance redefining the service district of the MSD, excluding their property. The ordinance must be passed at two board meetings, and would take effect at the beginning of the next fiscal year, which is July 1, 2017.
Sharon Earley thinks that would save her about $750 a year.
But at what cost to Waynesville?
The new law gives rise to a number of unpleasant scenarios, including the possibility that others will follow the Earleys, crippling the DWA’s ability to pay an executive director to coordinate the various tasks associated with marketing, improving and backing festivals downtown.
It also disregards the notion that Waynesville is an economic engine for much of the county; while not every property owner directly benefits from inclusion in the MSD, the multiplier effect of a thriving, award-winning downtown means that tourists, vacationers and new residents will also spend money on things not available on Main Street — like homebuilders, landscapers and plumbers.
But if the board of aldermen denies the Earleys’ request, it will effectively force them to pay for services they don’t receive, and may make it harder for them to eventually sell the property.
Jackson health department gets new leadership
HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
Jackson County’s health department is gearing up to start millions of dollars of construction for its animal shelter and health buildings, but before those projects get off the ground leadership will change with the coming of a new health director.
Paula Carden, who has served as Jackson County Health Director for 12 years and with the county for 30, will retire from the position effective July 31. The county will welcome Shelley Carraway — currently the chief of healthcare planning for the N.C. Division of Health Services Regulation — as her replacement.
“It’s wonderful working for the state, but you’re very detached from who you’re affecting,” Carraway said. “I’m a real community person and I really wanted to get back to the job where I can really be a part of the community and see what happens — good and bad — with what I am there for.”
Carraway, 58, knows what she’s getting into in that respect. She was director of the health department in Alexander County, a rural county in the central part of the state with a population comparable to Jackson’s, from 1997 to 2001.
However, she’ll be coming to Jackson by way of Durham. Since 2002, Carraway has served in various health-related state positions in the Raleigh-Durham area. The Minnesota native has lived in North Carolina since 1968, graduating from Appalachian State University and living in Watauga County for many years. Carraway said she’s always loved the western part of the state and had been looking for a way to get back to the mountain region.
With her son now living in Asheville, she said, “I didn’t
know what was stopping me from going west. I happened to notice that Paula was retiring and thought, ‘I don’t know if they’re ready for me, but I’m ready for them.’”
The Jackson County Board of Health received 12 applications for the director’s position, inviting four of those candidates for an on-site interview and requiring a PowerPoint presentation as part of the process.
Shelley Carraway. Donated photo
Carraway was impressive for several reasons, said Commissioner Mark Jones, who also serves on the health board. Her presentation skills were excellent, she comes with a “wealth of knowledge,” and seemed to have done a good bit of research about Jackson’s health department beforehand, he said.
“She complimented me on the health department’s website, so she had done her homework and knew a good bit of the details,” he said. “That kind of stuck out in my mind.”
Jones also expressed confidence that Carraway would be able to handle the challenges of capital construction projects currently facing the department. Addressing needs at the health department building and animal shelter occupy the top two spots in the county’s list of capital priorities.
As director of health services operations for the state prison system from 2002 to 2004, Carraway oversaw the planning and construction of medical facilities in a 1,000-cell prison built in Scotland County. The design was then repli-
cated in two other counties after she left the position. She also grew up around the construction and real estate world.
“My mom was in real estate and development for 33 years, so I’m very well versed in that and love that,” Carraway said. “I’m excited about that project. I know it will be huge and daunting, but I love that stuff.”
Commissioners are currently considering whether to build a new health department building, renovate the existing building or construct an addition. The animal shelter building, everyone seems to agree, needs to be replaced, and likely on a new site. However, a preliminary study that delivered an estimated project cost of $5.5 to $6.6 million gave commissioners pause, leading them to reconsider what features are actually needed in the new building and how much taxpayer money should go to the project.
Carraway anticipates that the construction projects will take a significant portion of her time upon starting her new job and is grateful for what she terms the “amazing staff” she’ll be working with.
“If I’m very distracted by this major, complex construction project, I have full confidence in the staff that’s in place that the day-to-day mission of the health department can go on,” she said.
While she’s lived and worked in rural, mountainous areas, Carraway acknowledges that the most difficult part of her new job will be learning her new community — its issues, its people and its culture. She’s excited for the challenge.
“The Blue Ridge Mountains are very different from the Smokies, so I really need to understand the issues of that community, that county,” she said. “It’s got lots of hollers and lots of pockets, and I’ve got to understand who’s there.”
Franklin bike walk projects revealed, ranked
BY J ESSI STONE
N EWS E DITOR
Franklin is one step closer to outlining a plan to provide better connectivity throughout the town for pedestrians and bicyclists.
About 50 people attended the final open house input session last week for the town’s proposed Franklin Bike Walk Plan, which is being funded by a $36,000 North Carolina Department of Transportation grant.
The town’s engineering team — JM Teague Engineering of Waynesville — presented a list of projects based on the last few months’ worth of public input that aim to improve sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks and greenway trails throughout Franklin.
Transportation Engineer Reuben Moore said the long list of potential projects was ranked using a point system. While there are more than 40 projects in the database, the project team is going to focus on the top 10 and look at the second tier of projects for more longterm planning purposes.
“Project ranking ranged from 23 points up to 80 points — so it was a good spread that helped us discriminate between good projects and great projects,” Moore said.
“We’re also reviewing all existing bike routes in Franklin — some have been in place for 15 years and signs are missing,” Moore said. “We need to reinstall warning signs and ‘share the road’ signs for bicyclists on five or six routes in Franklin.”
Most of the proposed projects would make it easier for people to walk or bike through town without having to navigate crumbling sidewalks that cross the street over to where no sidewalk exists at all. The disjointed infrastructure can be confusing for tourists not familiar with town and creates safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists.
Final recommended projects still have to be vetted through the community steering committee, and JM Teague engineers have to polish up the final report before submit-
The No. 1 ranked project would be a DOT improvement program to construct a several-mile looped sidewalk from West Palmer Street out to Murphy Road near Kmart, connecting to Georgia Road before looping back to West Palmer Street.
Moore said the project would likely be the most expensive but no cost estimates have been provided at this time.
Another high-ranking project would create some more connectivity with the Little Tennessee Greenway by building a boardwalk-like path over a marshy area west of Big Bear Park and more sidewalks to run through town — hopefully following Crawford Branch back toward Memorial Park.
Other projects included connecting pieces of sidewalks near the intersection of Palmer and Porter streets and on Highlands Road. Georgia Road also has several opportunities for more sidewalk projects and narrowing the traffic lanes to make room for bike lanes, Moore said.
ting it for NCDOT review. Moore said he hopes to present the final report and presentation to the town board during its October meeting.
After that, the town can begin to seek funding for certain projects, but having the plan in place is the first step. The Franklin Bike Walk Plan is just one thing the town board and staff is working on to make Franklin an outdoor destination. With its Appalachian Trail town designation and being voted “Top Small Town” by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine, the town wants to be accommodating for its outdoorsy guests and also improve quality of life for its residents.
Though this was the last open house planned, it isn’t too late to offer feedback on the proposed projects. Residents are encouraged to complete an online survey that will allow the transportation planners to prioritize the needs in Franklin. More than 300 people have already completed the survey and it is still available at www.bikewalkfranklin.wordpress.com.
Residents participate in a community bike ride through Franklin held last month to help identify areas of improvement for cyclists and pedestrians. Donated photo
Western works to address low salaries
New federal overtime rules, tuition reduction plan could present challenges
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
When Bill Yang decided to leave the world of private industry to join Western Carolina University’s School of Engineering and Technology eight years ago, he fully expected that the transition to academia would bring with it a slash in salary.
“What I had not anticipated was because of the economic downturns and budget cuts we don’t have much of an increase in compensation. So that’s a little bit disheartening,” said Yang, associate professor of engineering and chair of WCU’s Faculty Senate.
Staff turnover and growing enrollment mean the engineering school is constantly in hiring mode, Yang said, but it’s not unusual for people to turn down job offers.
“Judging from what I see around this department, I think the sluggish salaries really is not helping,” Yang said.
INTENTIONALLYPLANNING
FORPAYINCREASE
It’s a problem of which university administration is well aware, and over the last few years there’s been a concerted effort to boost salaries to a more competitive level. In 2013, WCU decided to set the floor for salaries at 72.5 percent of the market rate, an improvement over the existing situation in which some people were earning 100 percent of the rate while others were as low as 62 percent. The move also included a decision to set a minimum salary of $24,000 — at the time, 23 employees worked for less than that.
“This was really an intentional plan to address those particular positions and have a plan going forward,” said Cory Causby, associate vice chancellor for human resources.
In 2014, WCU bumped the $24,000 floor to $25,000 and set the base market rate at 75 percent. And last year, the rate went to 77.5 percent. No decision has been made yet about this year’s salary changes, because the university is waiting for the state budget to be ratified and allocations to become final.
Yang said he appreciates the efforts administrators have made in the past years to address salary issues, though he believes there’s still a long way to go. But he’s not blaming WCU leadership.
“The chancellor really wants to address this issue, but the resources are not there,” he said.
Causby would agree with that assessment.
“A lot of it can be traced back to many years without legislative increases and limited resources at the institution to address salaries,” Causby said. “As a result, salaries began to fall behind.”
The current push to boost salaries uses a combination of legislative increases and
budgetary creativity to achieve the goal. In 2015, for example, the legislature didn’t approve any permanent increase in base salary but did provide one-time bonuses of $750. In 2014, support staff were given a $1,000 raise. For 2016, it’s looking like a 1.5 percent salary increase will be budgeted for faculty and staff. However, the state salary scale itself hasn’t been adjusted only once since 2008.
Meanwhile, about two-thirds of WCU employees — 954 people — have received some sort of increase through recent university efforts to bring salaries up. Last year, the university spent $986,000 toward the goal, an average of $841 per employee.
But boosting the bottom earners and people on the low side of market rate has created other issues. In addition to increasing compensation for people at the bottom of the pay scale, WCU has had to address issues such as salary inversion and salary compression. Making sure new hires come on at a competitive rate is all well and good, but veteran employees are likely to feel slighted — or even leave for greener pastures — if people who have been there for a shorter amount of time or who rank below them make the same or more than they do.
ple below the $47,476 threshold, and bringing all salaries up to that standard would cost about $1 million.
“Part of what we’re doing is trying to address those situations and making sure we have an appropriate spread on salaries,” Causby said.
It can be an uphill battle. Market rates fluctuate, so sometimes it’s a struggle just to maintain a place on the scale, let alone rise higher.
NAVIGATINGNEW OVERTIMERULES
New federal overtime rules will also present a challenge where salaries are concerned. Beginning Dec. 1, anyone making less than $47,476 will be entitled to overtime pay or compensatory leave for working more than 40 hours a week — currently, the threshold is set at $23,660. In 2020, the threshold will rise yet again.
“It will be a challenge just because it will be another area where funding will potentially have to be diverted to make sure we’re in compliance with the new regulations,” Causby said.
For any individual position, the university has several choices as to how to react to the new rules. It could bump the salary to $47,476 to ensure the employee is exempt from the overtime rules. It could pay out overtime for hours exceeding 40 per week. Or, it could simply limit the employee to 40 hours per week, even if that means a reduction in the services that employee can provide.
The university currently employs 130 peo-
“It will definitely have a financial implication in some form or fashion,” Causby said. “If you’re having to take money to address that, that takes money you may have allocated to address salaries in general.”
Western won’t actually spend $1 million to address the issue, though, because not all salaries will be bumped to the new exempt threshold.
“A lot of it can be traced back to many years without legislative increases and limited resources at the institution to address salaries.”
— Cory Causby, associate vice chancellor for human resources
“The reality is this may result in some services being cut, especially in some of your student-focused areas, which is disturbing,” Causby told the WCU Board of Trustees during its June meeting. Most of the people affected by the new overtime rules are employed in areas such as academic advising and athletics.
IMPACTSFROM N.C. PROMISE
N.C. Promise, an initiative the legislature passed to cap WCU’s tuition at $500 in an effort to make college more affordable, could
also have an impact on student services. The legislation includes a provision that student fees go down by 5 percent in 2018 as compared to 2016 levels, with a maximum increase of 3 percent in subsequent years.
While the university has voiced strong support for the program as a way to extend a college education to those without the deepest of pockets, Causby allowed that the fee reduction component would likely impact student services positions, many of which are fee-supported.
“Anything that’s fee-supported, if you have to take any substantial cuts in those areas you have to either find a supplemental source of funding to offset that or you have to make cuts,” he said.
Yang commented that N.C. Promise could also necessitate hiring more faculty, at least in the long run. WCU has always prided itself on being a home for students who are the first in their families to go to college, who have potential but need help developing it. Small class sizes and access to faculty is key to that identity. If tuition is cheaper, the thinking goes, more applications are likely to pour in, so the university will have to be more selective if it holds enrollment steady.
“I guess it really boils down to if we want this program to be successful and we want students to achieve what N.C. Promise sets out to do, we’ll need more personnel, more faculty members to support that,” Yang said.
The challenges are many, but Causby said he’s positive about the future.
“I’ve been real pleased with the commitment that Western’s made even in difficult financial times to address salaries and to do what we can to move salaries forward,”
said.
he
Western Carolina University has been working over recent years to bring its salaries up to market rate, but new federal overtime rules and a state-mandated slash in student fees could complicate the goal.
Donated photo
Evergreen Foundation gives away half million
The Evergreen Foundation has provided $507,995 in funding to 13 agencies providing programs and services for individuals with behavioral health, substance use and intellectual/developmental disabilities.
■ The Arc of Haywood County received $5,000 to expand supported employment services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and $3,600 to support development of a year-round art therapy program.
■ Appalachian Access serving Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Haywood, Macon, Swain received $20,000 to provide transportation for voluntarily committed patients who need to have a plan in place for transportation home after discharge from an inpatient psychiatric hospital; $39,366 to provide community support services for people with behavioral health and substance abuse issues and $21,000 to provide funding for the jail assessment and treatment programs; $25,722 was also awarded for safety changes to the Balsam Center, which will enable them to support individuals with a higher level of crisis needs and $10,807 for solid core, fire rated doors in the facility.
■ AWAKE (Jackson) received $13,185 to fund a part-time victim services assistant to support children who are victims of abuse.
■ Family Resource Center of Cherokee County received $10,000 to provide early intervention activities and parent education programs for families with young children.
■ Haywood Pathways Center received $14,631 toward the purchase of additional bunk beds, upgrade lighting and replace windows in the homeless shelter.
■ HIGHTS (Jackson, Haywood) received $7,935 toward the purchase of a sawmill to be used in their apprenticeship program for at-risk youth.
■ Macon Citizens Habilities received $16,875 toward the purchase of large fans to cool their day habilitation program and $25,000 toward the purchase of an accessible van.
■ Macon County EMS received $34,499 to expand its community paramedic program to provide in-home medication monitoring for individuals with mental health needs to increase their stability in the community.
■ Meridian Behavioral Health received $37,000 to provide funding for the Patient Assistance Program; $23,250 toward the training cost for 25 clinicians in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocess Therapy; $82,500 to develop an early recovery team to work with individuals with addiction issues post discharge from the hospital; $64,500 for the jail treatment programs in Haywood and Jackson counties.
■ Mountain Projects Senior Resource Center received $5,000 to provide access to Project LifeSaver for individuals unable to afford the radio-tracking bracelets.
■ Soar, Inc. (WNC) received $20,000 toward the purchase of a 15-passenger van to support its outdoor adventure program for at risk youth.
■ Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging received $26,500 to provide elder abuse awareness and resources throughout the region.
■ Youth for Christ Outdoor Mission Camp (Haywood) received $1,625 to provide camp facilities, boat rides and horseback riding for the Camp Ability program serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
FABULOUS Oversized Tops
New pet adoption center opens in Sapphire
The new Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society Adoption Center will celebrate its grand opening with a canine-led “ribbon chewing” at 11 a.m. Friday, July 22.
The facility features 40 individual state-ofthe-art dog kennels, a puppy room/nursery, a soundproofed meet-and-greet room for potential adopters to spend time with their new best friend, and a multi-purpose room that will be used as an indoor dog training studio as well as a classroom for humane education school field trips. The $1.1 million facility was funded entirely by individual donations and local community grants and the building opens completely debt-free.
828.743.5752 or info@chhumanesociety.org.
Hunter Murphy running for N.C. Court of Appeals
Hunter Murphy has signed up to run for the seat on the North Carolina of Appeals that was recently vacated by the Honorable Martha Geer.
Due to Geer’s early retirement, the election for this seat will be held during the general election on Nov. 8.
Murphy is a practicing trial attorney from Haywood County. He is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill with his B.A. in Economics and Religious Studies and his J.D. from University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law.
Grants available through Haywood Community Foundation
The board of advisors of the Haywood County Community Foundation is currently accepting grant requests for projects funded from its community grant-making fund.
Funds are available for nonprofit organizations that serve general charitable needs in Haywood County. Applications are available beginning July 8. The deadline for submitting applications is noon Aug. 9.
828.538.4299, kcrumpler@nccommunityfoundation.org or nccommunityfoundation.org.
Library to host info session on living wills
A free do-it-yourself legal clinic on living wills will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, at the Jackson County Public Library in downtown Sylva.
The clinic will be devoted to living wills and healthcare power of attorney documents. Attendees come to the library to participate in the interactive video clinic. Each session shows participants how to fill out the necessary forms, which are provided, and what to expect from the process. Attendees also have a chance to ask general questions of the attorney conducting the clinic from the Legal Aid
office in Raleigh. Registration is required at www.legalaidnc.org or at 828.586.2016.
Fund for Haywood awards $3,783 grant
The Fund for Haywood County, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, recently presented a check for $3,783 to Southwestern North Carolina Resource Conservation & Development Council.
The funds will support the Forest Restoration Alliance project that is working to research trees naturally resistant to invasive insects in order to restore hemlocks to their native environments and the nursery industry in Western North Carolina. The project will also improve Fraser firs for the Christmas tree industry.
The Fund for Haywood County is a permanently endowed fund to meet local needs. 828.734.0570 or www.fundofhaywoodcounty.org.
Chief Justice appears on ‘Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’
As part of the Cherokee Courts continuing effort to bring attention to the inequities of tribal court jurisdiction and to highlight the U.S. Supreme Court Case of Dollar General v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Chief Justice Bill Boyum appeared on “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”
Samantha Bee, known for her wit and satirical comments honed during 13 years as a correspondent with The Daily Show, has long been a supporter of tribal sovereignty. In the episode, Boyum points out that, other than the narrow VAWA exception, nonIndians cannot be prosecuted in tribal court for criminal offenses against an Indian victim. The segment brings to light the unfairness of tribal jurisdiction by satirizing the ironic circumstances in which a non-Indian cannot be prosecuted in tribal court, even if the victim is the tribe’s Chief Justice.
A link to the segment can be found on YouTube or the TNT/TBS website.
Haywood Sheriff unveils senior citizen program
The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office has unveiling a new initiative, Seniors And Law enforcement Together to better meet the needs of our senior population.
Beginning July 14, a series of free safetybased programs designed with senior residents and visitors in mind, will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. every second Thursday through November at the Waynesville Public Library. S.A.L.T. programs will run the gamut from learning about personal and home safety, to protecting oneself from internet scams and swindles, to recognizing and dealing with medical emergencies.
Call Deputy Kevin Brooks at 828.356.2882.
Ladies Night Out donated to community
During these past few months, ladies in attendance at the Ladies Night Out program at Angel Medical Center chose to give back by bringing donation items for REACH of Macon County, Kids Place and CareNet.
Ladies Night Out is a partnership between Macon County Public Health and Angel Medical Center to provide free monthly programs on a variety of health topics for women with an emphasis on the importance of regular health screenings. This program is held in the cafeteria at AMC on the fourth Tuesday of each month at two times, 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. 828.349.2437 or 828.349.2086.
Donations presented to REACH Executive Director Andrea Anderson (from left) and Assistant Director Jennifer Turner by Bonnie Peggs with Angel Medical Center, Lynn Baker and Polly Crunkleton with Macon County Public Health on behalf of the Ladies Night Out Program. Donated photo
Detox your life naturally
A free lecture on how to detoxify your life using natural products at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 21, at Waynesville Library, 678 S. Haywood St., Wayneville. Dr. Linda Sparks is a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on treating the cause of disease and ill health. We live in a very toxic world and dependable information on how to help ourselves can be hard to find. Sparks will explain what to watch out for and simple ways to lead a cleaner lifestyle. She will also give tips on how to detoxify naturally every day. 828.356.2507.
Community paramedicine program at Harris
Harris Regional Hospital recently announced a new program known as ‘community paramedicine’ to serve local patients returning home from the hospital. In the program Harris Regional Hospital EMS paramedics conduct home visits with patients 24 to 48 hours after discharge from the hospital. The goal of each visit is to ensure the patient has made a successful transition from hospital to home and to check on any needs he or she may have. North Carolina is one of five states implementing community paramedicine programs, which are aimed at increasing access to care in rural communities.
Summer Safety Bash coming to Sylva
The New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris Regional Hospital, in partnership with Safe Kids Jackson County, will present the Summer Safety Bash 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 30, in the parking lot of Harris Women’s Care, across the street from the hospital.
The free event will include a bouncy house, hot car safety display, certified car seat installations, car seat checks and car seat giveaways, sunscreen safety tips, Zika virus information, and ambulance and fire truck tours. Law enforcement, physicians and paramedics will be on hand to visit with children and families. Free lemonade, popsicles and other give-
aways will be available throughout the event. www.myharrisregional.com.
Connie Borgerding joins Harris Medical Associates
Dr. Connie Borgerding, a board certified family physician, has joined Harris Medical Associates located at Harris Medical Park, 98 Doctors Drive in Sylva. Borgerding completed a residency in family practice with the Spartanburg Regional Family Medicine Residency Program and received her medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine –Georgia Campus after completing post-graduate courses in pre-med at Kennesaw State University.
Harris Medical Associates is located on the second floor of Harris Medical Park. She is taking appointments now. 828.586.8971.
Thompson to provide pain management services
Dr. Chip Thompson has joined the medical staff at Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital.
Thompson, board certified by the American Board of Pain Medicine and the American Board of Anesthesiology, will provide pain management services at the Swain Pain Center at Swain Community Hospital and the newly opened Harris Pain Center at Harris Regional Hospital beginning Aug. 22.
Thompson has practiced in Western North Carolina for more than 18 years. 828.488.4247.
Harris hospital to expand cardiology services
Harris Regional Hospital has plans to significantly expand cardiology services in Sylva and the surrounding region with the addition of needed diagnostic, treatment, and monitoring services, as well as stress testing and echocardiography, seven days a week.
The expansion comes on the heels of long-time Sylva cardiologist Dr. Earl Haddock’s retirement
announcement, and Asheville Cardiology Associates’ decision to close its Sylva office known as Sylva Cardiology, effective Dec. 31, 2016. In early 2017, Harris will open a hospital-owned practice in the current Sylva Cardiology location inside Harris Regional Hospital on the second floor.
Veteran journalist joins Mission Health
Veteran journalist Jon Ostendorff has been hired as the regional communications and advocacy manager for Mission Health.
His duties at Mission Health include working with the news media and local governments across the region. Ostendorff’s journalism career started at the Asheville Citizen-Times in 1999 where he covered politics, criminal justice, environmental issues and government.
He spent months as an embedded reporter inside Mission Health for a special report that published last year that explored the impact of the Affordable Care Act. His work was cited in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2016.
Ostendorff, who lives in Waynesville, is a graduate of Brevard College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Paul Levy joins Haywood Regional staff
Paul Levy is the newest gastroenterologist to join Haywood Regional Medical Center’s Mountain Medical Associates.
“With Dr. Levy on board, we will be able to expand the availability of services at Mountain Medical Associates to meet the needs of Western North Carolina so more patients can get care closer to home,” said Rod Harkelroad, CEO of HRMC.
Levy received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his internship and residency at New York University Medical Center. He completed a Fellowship in gastroenterology at Boston University Medical Center.
Levy is accepting new patients. 828.452.0331.
• Harris Women’s Care in Sylva now offers extended hours to provide additional convenience for women seeking obstetrical and gynecological services. The new hours feature first appointments at 8 a.m. and last appointments at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 828.631.8913.
• Ladies Night Out, a partnership between Macon County Public Health and Angel Medical Center, recently received a monetary donation from the Mill Creek Women’s Golf Association to support breast and cervical cancer prevention.
• Healing Invisible Wounds will be holding a free acupuncture clinic for Haywood County veterans, to help with PTSD, insomnia etc., on a first come first served basis at 7:15 p.m. July 27. Visit www.Project5PP.strikingly.com/hi w for location and instructions.
• A free tired leg/varicose vein educational program will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Vein Center at Haywood Regional Medical Center on the second floor. Those with leg pain and other vein problems are encouraged to attend. Register at 828.452.8346.
• Harris Regional Hospital Palliative Care & Hospice is seeking volunteers to assist in supporting patients under palliative care or hospice treatment. The next volunteer training sessions will be held 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Hospice and Palliative Care office, located at 81 Medical Park Loop, Suite 204 in Sylva. 828.631.1702.
• Physicians and staff from Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital performed 1,200 free sports physicals to student athletes from around the region.
• A free weekly Grief Support Group is open to the public fro 12:30 to 2 p.m. Thursdays at SECU Hospice House, 272 Maple St., in Franklin. Hosted by the Four Seasons Compassion for Life Bereavement Team. 828.692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.
So this is who we are,
Amidst a raucous crowd of nearly 600 runners — and probably just as many spectators — a couple of Saturday nights ago at the start of a race at Highlands Brewing in Asheville, I noticed quite a few people with phones taking videos.
And before I could tell myself not to go there, before I could steel myself so as not to give in to the state of paranoia that I suspect many are feeling, my mind ran away to the cell phone video of the St. Paul shooting victim by his girlfriend, to the cell phone videos of the protestors fleeing for their lives in Dallas after a gunman opened up on police, to the flood of mass shootings and police assassinations, and then I was scanning the ground around me for unattended bags, found myself eyeing spectators for anyone who seemed out of place and not into the party-like atmosphere of the moment.
I forced myself to look at the sky, the sun close to setting, to vanquish such thoughts, to enjoy the energy of the people around me. And then I thought of my wife and daughter, who would be flying from a European capital city in a mere two days — leaving a place that has suffered at the hands of terrorists — back to the U.S., a place that is suffering from terrorismlinked violence and reeling from racial and police violence that is threatening to rip apart the social fabric of our own country. This is what it’s come to, then, even for someone who has refused to get caught up in the guns-racial violence-terrorism fears that are engulfing our nation. It’s too easy to be fearful or to draw a line and take sides, to react in ways that do
and I didn’t see it
nothing to solve anything. But so much death in so little time is hard to swallow.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m in no way comparing the recent violence against police and toward young African Americans men with the terrorism emanating from ISIS-inspired Muslims. Still, I sometimes feel like much of civil society in America feels like it is the crosshairs, that decent people who truly care about their communities, the people who live in them and the police, are feeling utterly powerless as we wait for another tragedy to play out on television or on the internet or, worse yet, right in front of us.
I’m one of those who has always relied upon reason and deep thought to come to grips with whatever may seem insurmountable. Think things through, figure out what can put an end to the problem, take action. These days that too often fails.
So where does that leave me? With the realization that my country is very likely the most heavily armed and violent society in the history of mankind. Several studies suggest that there are around 90 weapons in this country for every 100 citizens. This has been true for some years. That is staggering, and perhaps even more alarming when I look around and realize how many people I personally know who don’t own guns. That translates to a lot of families out there who are in possession of small arsenals.
This reality intersects with a growing fixation and reliance on social media and the internet in general. Very quickly can a deranged individual find a like-minded video or hate group to encourage what may have at first seemed a far-fetched idea. I can’t help but think the easy availability of guns and the growth of social media and internet use are somehow related to the violence on strangers that seems to have escalated in this country over the last three years.
Lawsuit could bring about a more righteous process
Possibly the best perspective I’ve ever read about the importance of open government, and the public records and open meetings laws related to it, came from a speech made by a North Carolina public official. Here’s an excerpt from the speech:
In my view, the truth of that statement alone is sufficient reason for the lawsuit filed against the Haywood County Board of Education over the closing of Central Elementary School to proceed, but most every
other reason a judge might need can be found in public statements made by School Board Attorney Pat Smathers in this newspaper in May. His comments raise important concerns not only about how current elected officials discuss public issues with administrative staff, but with other elected officials, and the lawsuit could clarify that.
Guest Columnist David Teague
On May 25, The Smoky Mountain News reported that the school board’s Building and Grounds committee took Central Elementary off a list of potential sites for relocating school administration central offices because the Haywood County Board of Commissioners said they could not afford the estimated $750,000 needed to retrofit the campus for that purpose. Mr. Smathers is quoted as saying “The commissioners said we
But this didn’t happen overnight. The truth is this country was born out of violence, and then almost 100 years later it took a war that killed more than 750,000 men to free us from slavery. Today, 59 percent of our federal budget’s discretionary spending goes toward the military budget.
I’ve known that since World War II we’ve become this superpower, that the U.S.’s military strength — perhaps more so than our economic might, though the two are intricately tied together — is what now defines us around the world. But I hadn’t really thought too deeply about the ramifications, that we have now become a violent, militaristic society where open carry laws are often the norm and where 48 children and teens die each week in gun violence.
Gun control? We could pass the strictest laws in the world, but short of some kind of national confiscation movement it wouldn’t change much. It’s too late. Besides, the loose gun laws and the obscene reluctance by politicians to deal with the violence are symptoms of a much larger revelation about the society we’ve become.
Hell, I’m not pessimistic about all this. Reality is what it is. We’re in an era where those at the highest level of leadership have forsaken the civic values on which they were raised. They can’t see through the corrupting influences of lobbyists and corporate money. Change will have to come from the ground up, not from the top down. I’m fairly certain that, eventually, the good people of the kind I come into contact with every day will overwhelm those who take advantage of violence and death to create division.
I just wish it would happen sooner than later, that America would regain its footing on the moral high ground I grew up believing we occupied.
(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com.)
don’t have the money to move you to Central Elementary even if it were available. It has been a dead issue since then and it hasn’t even been considered.”
The Haywood County Board of Commissioners could not have communicated that position to the school system in any verbal or written form unless they had reached that conclusion in a public meeting. Nor could they have instructed the county manager, or other county staff, to deliver that message to the building and grounds committee if they hadn’t taken that position publicly. If the Board of Commissioners discussed costs related to Central Elementary in another context, and members of the building and grounds committee took that to mean they wouldn’t spend that amount of money for a retrofit, presumably there is a chain of discussion or correspondence that led the committee to that assumption. The lawsuit would provide muchneeded insight into the specifics of that process.
In the same article, Mr. Smathers stated that Central Elementary was one of 28 sites considered for relocation of administrative offices, should the need arise. If school system administrators gathered information on 28 sites, and made recommendations to the Board of Education based on their research, all related emails, letters, memos, minutes,
etc., are legitimate public records, no matter how voluminous they are. If no such records exist, how did the Board of Education make an informed decision? The lawsuit will help the public understand more about that. In a May 11 SMN article, Mr. Smathers indicated that informal discussions about closing a school had been going on for a while, but “you don’t put something out formally that you are going to close a school unless it is something you have really got to do.” The problem with Mr. Smather’s statement is that how elected officials arrive at their conclusions is just as important a part of public responsibility as when they reach their conclusions.
Several different schools were considered for closing and, presumably, administrative staff developed criteria and materials to support their recommendations that would almost certainly have been presented to the Board of Education for review and consideration. Again, how else could they raise questions and make an informed decision? Any information gathered and prepared for the school board to aid them in their decision making already belongs to the public and this lawsuit will help clarify that.
The process by which school board committees, and the school board itself, evaluated
Editor Scott McLeod
God really does work in mysterious ways
Until 18 days ago, the Bible had always been an afterthought in my spiritual journey. It was a book I viewed from a distance, unsure how to use it in a way that resonated with me. Even in adulthood when I first attempted a daily devotional, I would Google the suggested Bible verse instead of actually looking it up in the Bible.
I’ve since realized that flipping through the thin pages of ancient words not only contributes to the meditative experience of scripture reading but also binds me to the generations of people who read them before me.
I didn’t formally grow up in church or with conversations about spirituality happening around the dinner table. My parents believed in God, but we never went to church or really talked about religion, good or bad. They loved us fiercely and have always been wonderful, giving people. They’re more godly than most “godly” people. Nevertheless, faith just wasn’t a part of my childhood.
Further, most of my friends were going on youth retreats and to Vacation Bible School, but the news was reporting multi-
ple scandals in the Catholic Church and stories about fame-obsessed preachers scamming congregations for money. All of this combined left me very confused about the concept of spirituality.
My faith has always been unsteady, something I wanted and needed so badly but unsure of how to fully grasp it. There were a couple of fleeting years in high school where I dove into Young Life and absolutely loved it, but I let it slip away. In college I was back to depending on my own devices and seeking pleasure in earthly temptations. On the outside, I graduated with highest honors (summa cum laude) at N.C. State University, but on the inside, I felt empty.
Six years ago, we decided to visit Long’s Chapel in Clyde. Prior to this, I hadn’t been to a church in decades, except for once when I attended Jubilee in downtown Asheville.
Rev. Chuck Wilson was the pastor at Long’s Chapel and was the person standing at the pulpit when we stepped into the sanctuary. Before meeting Pastor Chuck, I had the opinion that preachers were of average intelligence (if that) and lived to make people feel guilty.
But at the end of that first sermon at Long’s Chapel, I looked at my husband with a grin and said, “He is really smart.”
It seems like a weird initial statement to
make after a sermon, but it was honestly my leading thought. I was so impressed with his knowledge, articulate delivery, classy demeanor, and academic approach. I think I needed convincing that he was intelligent before I could even begin to listen to the parts about God and scripture.
74 North Main Street, Waynesville
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Since that day six years ago, my faith has enjoyed highs and battled lows. There have been moments, even relatively recently, where I pushed God as far away as possible, but I’ve learned that when I do that, I fall into such a dark place, only tears, melancholy and despair come to the surface.
The only constants during a troubling, unwinding, magical season of growth and reflection have been Pastor Chuck and Long’s Chapel. And those two constants kept me from falling into the darkness forever.
Despite finding a church and pastor that I adored, I was still leery of the Bible. For most people, the Bible is at the heart of their spiritual journey. But my spiritual journey had more to do with seeing God’s grace in the eyes of people and in the life of a church and less to do with pages of scripture.
At the end of June, my husband came home with two copies of the book A Daily Walk Through the Bible. He bought one for me and one for him. It was high time he and I became acquainted with the Bible.
We’ve vowed to hold one another accountable to complete the 365-day journey of reading the entire Bible. I began this task viewing it as an intellectual challenge, but as always seems to be the way with God, my Bible-reading journey has become much more.
I became so engaged with the book of Genesis, I finished it four days early. Why didn’t someone tell me how captivating the Old Testament is?
To highlight my ignorance even further,
I thought Genesis was only about creation. I never knew it included the stories of Noah’s ark, the saga of Cain and Abel, and the inspiring, beautifully-written narrative of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. I was flipping through the story of Joseph at rapid pace like it was a Harry Potter novel. We’re on day 18 of our challenge, and I’ve discovered that the Bible isn’t as daunting or old school as I thought it would be. It took me 36 years to open its pages, but I finally did it. Everything always takes me longer than necessary. I’m not easily convinced of things, even a well-known fact that the Bible can be life changing.
Pastor Chuck was appointed to a new church in Matthews and preached his final sermon at Long’s Chapel at the end of June. As was expected, a lot of tears were shed. We learned that Rev. Chris Westmoreland would join us as senior pastor.
Considering my attachment to Pastor Chuck, I was skeptical about anyone stepping up to the pulpit in his place. But God impressed me yet again, which I had a feeling he would. Pastor Chris has wowed me during his first two sermons. His youthful energy, humor, musical ability, and intellect have made me very happy and hopeful. I’m excited for this new season at Long’s Chapel. I’m starting to gather my own evidence that pastors are way smarter than I am. I’m sure those brow-beating, hee-haw preachers are still out there somewhere, but luckily, God has placed some amazing ones in my life. He also led us to Long’s Chapel and guided my husband to a bookstore that now has us reading the Bible in 365 days. God has a quirky, whimsy way of doing things. Perhaps that’s why I’ve grown to like him so much. He’s not as different from me as I thought he would be.
(Susanna Barbee is a writer who lives in Haywood County. She can be reached at susanna.barbee@gmail.com)
Columnist
Susanna Barbee
their options is important for the public to understand, and not only for the obvious reasons of relocating students and staff or controlling expenses. Decisions of this magnitude don’t just affect students and staff. They affect the regular activities of hundreds of other people and that could mean everything from where they stop for coffee or drop off their vehicles for repairs, to scheduling appointments or community activities around school events. Every part of the decision-making process suggests the public needs to be informed and engaged about the options under consideration before a vote is taken.
Putting difficult topics on meeting agendas only when you’re ready to vote is a suspect decision for any public body. In this case, the school board has been monitoring a decline in enrollment, disappearing or shifting revenues, and the possibility of relocating administrative offices on and off for years. Maybe the timing of the two issues now is unrelated as county and school officials claim, but that would almost certainly become more clear based on the public records this lawsuit seeks.
And since both subjects have been discussed on and off for years, it’s not fair to expect the public to go fishing through online videos and minutes to find relevant information. Not all of the relevant information is available online. That’s why the law requires public bodies to keep public records
and be responsive to public records requests. They are an essential part of the ongoing function of public bodies.
The lawsuit will take the subject out of the political realm and put the focus where it belongs — how public bodies are conducting public business. Mr. Smathers’ recent comments demonstrate that there are legitimate questions about that. The lawsuit should go forward.
Are you wondering who made the statement at the beginning of this article? There’s a free cup of coffee awaiting the first person who guesses which N.C. official said it, plus I’ll send you a link to the rest of the speech. It’s particularly worthwhile reading in light of this lawsuit, not to mention the current state of politics. The speech should serve as a model for how all public bodies function.
Here’s a hint — don’t look too far from home. And when you see him, ask him how he’d apply his point of view on open government to any discussions so far by the Haywood County Boards of Education and Commissioners, and their various staff members, on closing a school and the potential relocation of school system administrative offices.
Like the quote says, it is up to public bodies to institutionalize open and honest government because it truly is a more righteous process.
(David Teague is a former journalist and was also the public information officer for Haywood County. He can be reached at davidvteague@gmail.com.)
tasteTHE mountains
APPLE CREEK CAFE
111 N. Main St., Waynesville. 828.456.9888. Open 7 days a week. We are excited to be on Main St. serving lunch and dinner with a full bar. Our menu includes items such as blackberry salmon, fettuccine alfredo, hand-cut steaks, great burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. Join us for live music every Friday and Saturday nights. Friday 6 to 9 p.m. live piano music. Saturday 6 to 9 p.m. live jazz music. No cover charge.
meal, 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.
CHURCH STREET DEPOT
BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL
207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997
Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slowsimmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating 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 pre-prepared 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.
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 oat-
34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville. 828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burgers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh hand-cut fries. Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining. facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot.
CITY LIGHTS CAFE
Spring Street in downtown Sylva. 828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine. Come taste the savory and sweet crepes, grilled paninis, fresh, organic salads, soups and more. Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the 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 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 Open Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Family Style at
tasteTHE mountains
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.
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. Worldfamous 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. Open daily 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., closed Thursdays. 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 9 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.
MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB
1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine. Open seasonally for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.
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.
RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR
Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center
828.926.0201 Open Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m and Sunday 7:30 a.m to 9 p.m. Full service restaurant serving steaks, prime rib, seafood and dinner specials.
SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE
1941 Champion Drive. Canton 828-6463750 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.
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.
TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL
176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com.
VITO’S PIZZA
607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.
828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito.
6147 Highway 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) breakingbreadcafenc.com • 828.648.3838
Hitting the ground running
Franklin welcomes second brewery
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER
Taking a right off East Main Street, just before crossing the bridge into downtown Franklin, you pull onto Lakeside Drive and keep your eyes peeled. You know Currahee Brewing is somewhere around here, but where? It must be behind that large warehouse sitting alongside the Little Tennessee River.
And it’s just in that moment you realize Currahee is the large warehouse looming over you.
“We want to be professional, all while putting out a quality product in a comfortable environment,” said J.T. Schroeder. “If you’re doing anything, you do it right the first time — you can’t have a first impression twice.”
Co-owner of Currahee, Schroeder and his business partner Brandon Hintz are sitting at one of the taproom’s long tables. A slight breeze floats up from the Little Tennessee, a welcomed feeling on another sizzling day outside in Western North Carolina. The newly constructed 10,000-square-foot building has been a year and a half in the making, with all of the construction and brewery plans for the 2.5acre property coming to fruition with their soft opening this past weekend.
“It all hit me last night,” Hintz said. “J.T. and I were sitting on the back patio, sipping a pint from our first batch of craft beer. I turned to him and said, ‘this is it, this is it.’”
Touring the massive structure, one is impressed by the brand new 15-barrel system (with four 30-barrel fermenters and three 30barrel brite tanks). The space is a laboratory of creativity and flavor for Hintz and Schroeder, with their “mad scientist” brewmaster Taylor Yates (formerly of Moon River Brewing in Savannah) holding steady at the helm. While most of the Southern Appalachian breweries tend to be “hop heavy” and “West Coast” oriented in taste, Currahee wants to focus more on old European styles, as lagers, pilsners and barrel-aged selections will find their way into the hands of the consumer.
“You can make real hoppy IPA (India Pale Ale) and be able to hide a lot of flaws, but you can’t hide behind the flaws in a pilsner,” Hintz said. “My passion is in barrel-aged beers, where you can really play with the woods from these bourbon barrels (obtained by Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky). Craft brewing is an art form, and these European styles are some of the oldest techniques used to brew.”
Hintz comes from a longtime passion for craft beer. Originally from Marietta, Georgia,
his father-in-law has run
The Wing Café & Tap House for over two decades. Initially, Hintz worked in construction, and following the market downturn in 2008, he joined the Army Corps of Engineers in Iowa. There was a brewery near the base, with Hintz befriending the company where his love for craft beer and knowledge of engineering helped the business expand. After relocating to Georgia, Hintz found work as a brewer at the highly successful SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta, only to then go out on his own and open the Hop Alley Brew Pub in Alpharetta, an endeavor he still runs from his new digs in Macon County.
“We felt this town was the right place for Currahee because of its proximity to a lot of major markets like Atlanta, Athens, Charlotte, Greenville, Chattanooga and Knoxville,” Hintz said. “I also have a house here, and it all just felt comfortable right from the start of making the decision to launch this idea in Franklin.”
Hailing from Atlanta (via central Florida), Schroeder got bitten by the craft beer bug through his longtime friendship with Hintz. Working in the investment banking industry, Schroeder is the “numbers guy,” where he
focuses more on the backend of the company, figuring out what works and what doesn’t — a talent as vital and similar to those concocting the barrels of craft beer.
“I’m on the administration side of things, while Brandon is all about the product,” Schroeder said. “We’re the perfect ying and yang of getting this business off the ground.”
When asked about the company’s namesake, Schroeder noted that “Currahee” — Cherokee for “stand alone” — came from Currahee Mountain in northern Georgia. The peak was depicted in the premier episode of the storied World War II television series “Band of Brothers,” where Easy Company (506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division) trained at Camp Tocca,
“We want to be professional, all while putting out a quality product in a comfortable environment. If you’re doing anything, you do it right the first time — you can’t have a first impression twice.”
— J.T. Schroeder, Currahee Brewing co-owner
going up and down Currahee amid the rest of their U.S. Army training. If that wasn’t enough, Hintz’s brother is also an Army Ranger, one who also served in the 101st Airborne Division.
“Naming the brewery ‘Currahee’ is to not only honor all those who fought, but also all who serve in the military — they are the real heroes,” Schroeder said.
With a “Grand Opening” aimed for Aug. 20, plans are in the works to add live music and a food component, which will be the folks at Mountain Fresh in Highlands. The doors are now open at Currahee, and the craft beer is flowing. The brewery is another big piece to an ever-growing puzzle that Franklin and greater Macon County have been putting together in this new and exciting era for the community and its residents.
“If nothing more, it’s fun — it’s a lifestyle business,” Hintz said. “If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, then why are you doing it?”
“There is no end, no climax. This is just the beginning,” Schroeder added. “We drank from the fire hose, and we’re still drinking from the fire hose — time to go to work, time to make the beer.”
A 10,000-square-foot brewery on 2.5 acres, Currahee Brewing features a 15-barrel system, with expected barrel numbers to hover around 2,000 in their first full year of production.
Above: J.T. Schroeder and Brandon Hintz, co-owners of Currahee Brewing. Garret K. Woodward photo
Below the waterline
Folkmoot 2016 looks at more
than just the tip of the iceberg
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Everyone in Western North Carolina knows that once the Smokies shed their winterwear and the trees begin to bud, summer’s coming. They also know that when the dog days hit, the most refreshing thing going is Folkmoot USA’s International Folk Festival.
This year makes the 33rd incarnation of the festival, which germinated from a neighborhood meeting at the home of Dr. Clifton Border in 1983. Now recognized internation-
minor changes each year to fine-tune operations, and Folkmoot is no different — especially this year, when a smoldering geopolitical climate and simmering domestic unrest conspire to prove that cultural exchanges like Folkmoot are not only relevant but crucial.
Accordingly, this year’s events focus on involving young people and engaging the community.
“We moved the Waynesville parade over to Saturday, so working families could attend,” said Angeline Schwab, who is now in her second season as executive director of
been in the 93-year-old former Hazelwood Elementary School building since 2002, they’ve only owned it since 2014.
When purchased, the building was in need of substantial repair, but it has come a long way in recent years with improvements being made to the roof, the auditorium and the multipurpose room.
“Having the building in a continual upgrade state allows us to bring community members into the building in a bigger way, and have events throughout the year. We also have a commercial kitchen and a really nice cafeteria,” said Schwab. “Upgrading the building makes us look better in the eyes of the international community that lives here during Folkmoot, but it also helps us to have community events and community participation that seems to be growing by the month.”
Growing the festival in the coming years is certainly a concern of Schwab’s; other changes in this year’s festival are meant to attract younger audiences and participants.
ally as a top-tier event featuring performances, parades and a whole lotta peace, love and understanding, Folkmoot draws thousands to the region from across the county and across the globe to see and hear the traditions of cultures from around the world displayed through dance and song.
As in years past, this decentralized festival will hold multiple events in multiple locations, from Maggie Valley to Asheville, Canton to Cherokee, Franklin to Hendersonville, Hickory to Lake Junaluska, Bryson City to Waynesville and everywhere in between — meaning Clyde.
Also as in years past, the 26 events featuring hundreds of singers, dancers and musicians will have an economic impact of almost $10 million on the area.
But any successful organization makes
Folkmoot USA. “That leads in to a brand new event called the Many Cultures Carnival. It’s an outdoor event that’s going to be here on the campus and will have more than 20 non-profits and lots of artist vendors, and a stage featuring young musicians and dances.”
Some of the performing groups will also teach dance lessons, providing more interaction between the dancers and the community.
“That particular event is designed for youth and families, and incorporates engagement but also has performance aspects for the groups,” she said.
Having a place of their own to conduct year-round programming — and house performers — has long been a blessing for Folkmoot; although the organization has
Ingle seems to fit right in with Schwab’s desire for more interesting numbers that retain Gammon’s concepts but integrate some “contemporary flair” by involving local musicians he works with from the schools.
When using the words “local musicians” and “contemporary flair” in Western North Carolina, several other words immediately come to mind: Asheville, and the Orange Peel.
“We have had ‘Late Nighters,’ and let me say that last year was my first event, and it was like a crazy train,” Schwab said of the somewhat-infamous after-hours “cultural exchanges” held until recently in the Folkmoot Friendship Center. “I shouldn’t say that. It was like a peace circus.”
Once the 2015 peace circus was over, Schwab spent hundreds of hours talking to hundreds of people — including the groups — asking them what they really wanted out of the festival.
“What they’re saying is, ‘We love the historical dance, we want to uphold these dance traditions, however, we’d like an opportunity to do contemporary stuff. We’d like the opportunity to have some fun.’ And some of the groups — for instance Chile from last year — said that they were interested in looking at Asheville because it seemed so cosmopolitan, and that’s what they were able to connect to about North Carolina.”
Sprinkled throughout the history of modern American music are a number of notable venues — rock clubs, storied in both their roster of legendary performers, and performances. Those that easily spring to mind are The Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, the Fillmore West in San Francisco, The Fillmore East and CBGB’s in New York City, Lounge Ax in Chicago and the 40-Watt in Athens, Ga. Among them is Asheville’s Orange Peel.
“We called the Orange Peel, and we have a good friend that works there and owns it,” Schwab said.
As a result, this year a Late-Nighter will be held there and feature a DJ who’s putting together a very special setlist comprised of American and international hits.
“His name is Oso Rey,” she said. “He’s a DJ and an artist who actually composed the painting behind this year’s poster.”
Kings Mountain native and percussionist Dillon Ingle earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Western Carolina University in 2008. He currently serves as the assistant director of Tuscola High School Band, and this year, he’ll serve as Folkmoot’s musical director, replacing Ann Lough.
“I know he’s been inspiring to my own children because they’re in the band,” Schwab said. “Flora Gammon founded the band and wrote music, and she’s a wonderful Folkmoot supporter and one of the original coordinators of Folkmoot. She was replaced by one of her good friends, Ann Lough, and Ann has other activities she wants to do this summer. Folkmoot is a pretty big commitment, to give up most of June and July. The payback is good, but sometimes, you want to do other things.”
The poster for the July 30 event at the Orange Peel features a brightly-colored, perfectly circular sun peeking out from behind the top of a geometric, angular representation of the top of an iceberg basking in the refracted yellow-orange glow. Warm in tone and overlaid by a chessboard-like grid, the top half stands in stark contrast to the bluehued largesse of the iceberg that lies below the waterline.
“What you learn at Folkmoot is that we truly are all the same,” Schwab said. “It’s no matter we don’t speak the same languages or share the same religions. We eat different foods and dance different dances but if you’re dancing beside someone, or holding hands with someone in one big circle, you’re not going to hate them. Culture is a huge iceberg. We want to move beyond mere acceptance and help people know about the depth of it.”
Patrick Parton photo
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, July 20
■ 6 p.m. BearWaters Brewing Company Meet and Greet, Waynesville. One group. Free.
Thursday, July 21
■ 6 p.m. Folkmoot Wanderlust, Friends of Folkmoot Gala, Eaglenest, Maggie Valley. All groups. Tickets $150-$1,000.
Friday, July 22
■ 2 p.m. Folkmoot Matinee Grand Opening, Eaglenest, Maggie Valley. All groups. Adult seating: $31-$21; students and children are 50 percent off adult tickets.
■ 6:30 p.m. Folkmoot Group Guest Appearance at Mountain Street Dance, Main Street, Waynesville. One group. Free.
■ 7 p.m. Folkmoot Grand Opening, Stuart Auditorium, Lake Junaluska. All groups. Adult seating: $31-$21. Students and children 50 percent off adult tickets.
Saturday, July 23
■ 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. Farmer’s Market Stroll, Waynesville. One Group. Free.
■ 10 a.m. Folkmoot Parade of Nations, Waynesville. Beginning on North Main St. and finishing at Historic Waynesville Court House. All groups. Free.
■ Noon to 5 p.m. Many Cultures Kids Carnival, Folkmoot Friendship Center, Waynesville. All groups. Free event with ticketed performances: $10 adults; $5 kids: $30 cap for families.
■ 7 p.m. Haywood Community College, Clyde. All Groups. Adult seating: $31-$21; students and children $5.
Sunday, July 24
■ Noon First United Methodist Church, Waynesville. All groups. Share lunch with Folkmoot International groups. Adults: $10; children $5.
■ 1 p.m. First United Methodist Church, Waynesville. Six groups. Cultural Forum. Free.
■ 2 p.m. First United Methodist Church, Waynesville. Six groups. General admission: $15; children $5.
■ 3 p.m. Drendel Auditorium, Hickory. Four Groups. Tickets $10 for adults, $5 under 12.
■ 6 p.m. Drendel Auditorium, Hickory. Four Groups. Tickets $10 for adults, $5 under 12.
Tuesday, July 26
■ 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cherokee. All groups. Free.
■ 7 p.m. Swain County Performing Arts Center, Bryson City. Five groups. Adult seating: $16; children 12 and under $8.
■ 7 p.m. Colonial Theatre, Canton. Five groups. Adult seating $16; children $5.
Wednesday, July 27
■ 2 p.m. Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock/Hendersonville. All groups. Tickets $15.75 to $31.
■ 7 p.m. Hazel Robinson Amphitheater, Asheville, Montford Neighborhood. Five groups. Tickets $5 to $16.
Thursday, July 28
■ 5 p.m. Parade, Franklin. Free.
■ 7 p.m. Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. All groups. Adult seating $31-$21.
Friday, July 29
■ 4 p.m. Folkmoot Promenade, Pack Park Place, Asheville. All groups. Free.
■ 7 p.m. Diana Wortham Theater, Asheville. All groups. Tickets $16.05 to $33.17.
Saturday, July 30
■ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. International Festival Day, Main Street, Waynesville. All groups. Free event.
■ 9 p.m. International Dance Party, The Orange Peel, Asheville. All groups. Ages 16 and over $15.
Sunday, July 31
■ 7 p.m. Candlelight Closing, Stuart Auditorium, Lake Junaluska. All groups. Adult seating: $30-$20; students and children are 50 percent off adult tickets.
Meet this year’s performing groups
(From top left, clockwise) Ballet Folklorico, Song and Dance Ensemble, The Imani Milele Childrens Choir, Peru Multicolor Espectáculos, Ensemble Lo Gerbo Baudo, The J Creek Cloggers, Hibiki Rengo-kai, Tsa-la-Gi.
Ballet Folklorico South Texas College
Texas
• Capital: Austin
• Population: 27.5 million
• Size: Slightly larger than France
• Location: Southern United States, bordering Mexico
• Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Mormon, Jewish
• Languages: English, Spanish
Assistant Professor of History at South Texas College Victor Gomez leads this 30member group dedicated to promoting Mexican culture and the pivotal role of dance in religious worship, birthday celebrations and agrarian rites.
Ensemble Lo Gerbo Baudo
France
• Capital: Paris
• Population: 66.5 million
• Size: Slightly smaller than Texas
• Location: Western Europe, west of Germany
• Religions: Roman Catholic, Islam
• Languages: French
The first folk festival in France was held in 1958; two years later, Ensemble Lo Gerbo Baudo was formed in commemoration. One of the world’s best-known folk dance troupes, they are also noted for their costumes, representative of authentic French dress from the 1700s through the 1900s.
Hibiki Rengo-kai Japan
• Capital: Tokyo
• Population: 127 million
• Size: slightly smaller than California
• Location: Eastern Asia
• Religions: Shintoism, Buddhism
• Languages: Japanese
This 12-member group directed by Hideki Kaneshima consists of seven musicians, three dancers and two singers and incorporates the bamboo flute, drums, gong and tabor as well as costumes from the Japanese medieval Edco period of 1603 to 1868. Translated to English, Hibiki Rengo-kai means “resound union.”
The Imani Milele Childrens Choir
Uganda
• Capital: Kampala
• Population: 37.1 million
• Size: Slightly smaller than Oregon
• Location: East-Central Africa, west of Kenya
• Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant
• Languages: English, Ganda, Luganda
Founded by Imani Milele through a nonprofit created by Rev. Moses Ssemanda Mbuga, The Imani Milele Childrens Choir seeks to “rescue, develop, and educate many of the orphaned and vulnerable children” from war-torn Uganda though dance and drum routines in conjunction with customary African songs.
The J Creek Cloggers
North Carolina
• Capital: Raleigh
• Population: 10.1 million
• Size: About the size of Nepal
• Location: Southeastern United States, south of Virginia
• Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Mormon, Jewish
• Languages: English, Spanish
Led by Folkmoot Board of Directors
Member Kim Ross and based in Haywood County, the J. Creek Cloggers will serve as local representatives of the unique American styles of mountain dance known as buck dance, clogging, and flat-foot.
Below, left to right: Lanzhou Stars Dancing Group, M&K Dance Studio Group, KimuranttiKirjavat.
M&K Dance Studio Group
Dominican
Republic
• Capital: Santo Domingo
• Population: 10.4 million
• Size: Almost as large as West Virginia
• Location: Caribbean, east of Haiti
• Religions: Roman Catholic
• Languages: Spanish
Modern movement and traditional Merengue collide with the colorfully costumed, energetic dancers of the M&K Dance Studio. Citing influences from Africa, Cuba and Spain, these Dominican dancers will be accompanied by an eclectic mix of accordion and African drumming.
KimuranttiKirjavat
Finland
• Capital: Helsinki
• Population: 5.4 million
• Size: Slightly smaller than Montana
• Location: Northern Europe between Sweden and Russia
• Religions: Lutheran
• Languages: Finnish, Swedish
From Lappeenranta, a southeastern city just 18 miles from the Russian border, KimuranttiKirjavat is led by director Merja Skytta, who directs dancers in the dynamic, rhythmic Karelian folk dance reflective the region’s Russo-Finnish culture.
Peru Multicolor Espectáculos
Peru
• Capital: Lima
• Population: 30.4 million
• Size: Almost twice the size of Texas
• Location: Western South America, on the South Pacific Ocean
• Religions: Roman Catholic
• Languages: Spanish, Quechua
Peru Multicolor Espectáculos was founded in 1999 with the goal of energizing and promoting ancient Peruvian culture. This year, 20 musicians and dancers will represent precolonial Peru with both wind and percussion instruments.
Lanzhou Stars Dancing Group China
• Capital: Beijing
• Population: 1.37 billion
• Size: Slightly smaller than the United States
• Location: Eastern Asia
• Religions: Folk religions, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam
• Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin
Formed in 2010 and led by Tao Minggui, this group of 27 dancers and two musicians has performed over a hundred times across the world. With dances named The ThousandHand Dance Bodhisattva, The Tambourine Dance, Flower and Youth, Fan Rhythm Dance and Jasmine Flower, the Lanzhou Stars preserve the historic Han culture while also reflecting the influence of other Chinese cultures to the north and west.
Song and Dance Ensemble,
Warsaw University of Technology Poland
• Capital: Warsaw
• Population: 38.5 million
• Size: Slightly smaller than New Mexico
• Location: Central Europe, east of Germany
• Religions: Roman Catholic
• Languages: Polish
Operating continually since 1951, this group of 16 singers, 13 dancers and six musicians will perform dances from several different regions of Poland, including Warsaw and pre-war Lviv.
Tsa-la-Gi Touring Program Dancers
The Qualla Boundary
• Capital: Cherokee
• Population: around 16,000
• Size: about 25 percent larger than Washington, D.C.
• Location: Western North Carolina
• Religions: Protestant, traditional tribal religion
• Languages: English, Cherokee
The Cherokee also used movement as ritual, revealing their deep connections with nature through dances named after animals like the bear, beaver, buffalo, horse and quail.
New music director takes over at Folkmoot
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
Dillon Ingle will only be the third music director in Folkmoot’s 33-year history.
The 32-year-old assistant band director at Tuscola High School is taking over the role from Anne Lough, who took over for longtime music director Flora Gammon. Gammon was at the helm for 30 of Folkmoot’s 33 festivals.
Music is the cornerstone of Folkmoot. Ingle knows he has an important role to play in this year’s Folkmoot Festival, which is to connect all the visiting international groups together through music.
their own instruments and musicians to perform their numbers, but the Folkmoot music director is responsible for orchestrating the opening numbers and other performances throughout the week where all the groups dance together. With 8 countries represented at this year’s festival, it’s definitely going to be a challenge, but its one Ingle gladly accepts.
“Folkmoot is super interesting — that’s why I’m doing it,” he said. “I’ve had plenty of challenges before me in the past so I’m ready for it.”
“The hardest thing is we don’t all speak the same language — music is the only language we’re all connected with, so I’m going to try my best to combine those groups together.”
“The hardest thing is we don’t all speak the same language — music is the only language we’re all connected with, so I’m going to try my best to combine those groups together,” Ingle said.
The international dancing groups bring
Ingle is bringing a fresh perspective to Folkmoot music this year. He’s been living in Waynesville for less than a year and hasn’t experienced a live Folkmoot performance — only videos from past events.
— Dillon Ingle
Without any preconceived notions, he won’t be afraid to step out of the box to offer festivalgoers something new and different.
“I want to take the more traditional style they’ve used and tweak some things — make it a new performance they haven’t
seen before,” he said.
Folkmoot Executive Director Angie Schwab said she discovered Ingle at Tuscola because her son plays in the high school band. After discussing Folkmoot with him, she knew he had the perfect background to
majored in percussion at Western Carolina University. He also received his master’s degree at WCU in music education. After graduating, he began his teaching career in Brownsville, Texas, at a high school where the majority of his students were learning
Before relocating to Waynesville, Dillon Ingle started his teaching career in Brownsville, Texas, where he co-founded the Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps, a competitive junior marching band for youth under 21. Donated photo
step into the role developed by Gammon for the last 30 years.
“He’s the right person to inspire our international musicians and local musicians to work together,” she said. “He respects the past and the traditions, and at the same time he has proposed a way to spice up the program through the music. The audiences should expect a call and response performance and dramatic drum entrances.”
Ingle has a love for the drums. Originally from Kings Mountain, he
English as a second language. Again, Ingle is accustomed to having music to break that language barrier and is a huge advocate of music education.
“It’s a scientific fact that playing an instrument makes you smarter,” he said. “It makes you think because you’re reading and interpreting music. With marching band, you’re dealing with leadership and team cooperation.”
During his time in Brownsville, Ingle co-founded the Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps, a competitive junior marching band for youth under 21, and served as percussion captain leader. He remains Genesis’ front ensemble supervisor and travels with the group during his free time throughout the summer.
Tuscola’s band program has more than 140 students, and Ingle hopes to incorporate some of his students into the Folkmoot performances this year.
That connection to the younger generations in Haywood County was another selling point that made Schwab excited about bringing Ingle on board as music director. One of her main goals since taking over as executive director has been to have more appeal to younger audiences to ensure Folkmoot’s future.
“He is youthful himself and will be bringing along some of the students he works with at Tuscola,” Schwab said. “It will help us increase community engagement with the international guests we’ll have here.”
Dillon Ingle, new music director for Folkmoot, is also the assistant band director at Tuscola High School. Donated photo
Meet ‘Mr. Folkmoot’
Rolf Kaufman has played a large part in festival’s success
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Rolf Kaufman has been a fixture on the Folkmoot scene since before it even began, bringing people from foreign lands together and welcoming them to Western North Carolina much as he himself was welcomed here from a foreign land 70 years ago.
An only child, Kaufman says that he remembers fairly little about his youth in Germany.
“I’ve been back on business a few times, once visited my old home site, but I no longer hold any resentment against today’s generation in Germany, he said. “They can’t be responsible for what their grandparents adhered to.”
Kaufman was born in Cologne in 1930. His first few years on this earth coincided with the dramatic rise of Adolph Hitler, who became Reich Chancellor in January 1933.
In early 1935, Hitler announced Germany’s open defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, and began rearmament; in October, the Nuremberg Laws were enacted, in effect stripping Jews of their citizenship.
At some point during 1935, Kauffman’s family saw the writing on the wall and fled.
“We’re Jewish. So it wasn’t very healthy there,” he said.
They settled in Brussels, Belgium, where Kaufman attended a French language school.
Kaufman’s father was a partner in a family-owned firm called Romika, which had developed new processes for sole attachment to footwear; although they reestablished Romika in Belgium after fleeing Germany, in 1938 they decided that relocation to the United States was inevitable, and in 1939 sent Heinz Rollman — a cousin who was also a partner — to begin scouting out locations.
The Nazis invaded Belgium in May 1940 when Kaufman was 10, ending his schooling and forcing the family to flee yet again.
Meanwhile, Rollman had made contact with the Dayton Rubber Company in Dayton, Ohio, and learned that they had plans to establish another facility to service the then-booming N.C. textile industry. Rollman and executives from Dayton met in Charlotte, seeking a place with a great source of cool water, and someone referred them to Waynesville.
In 1941, Rollman became a tenant of Dayton’s new Waynesville rubber plant, and also a customer, establishing Wellco Shoe Corporation.
Rollman’s brother Ernst escaped to the U.S. in 1943, but the Kaufmans spent the rest of the war hiding out in France under false identities, and Rolf didn’t again attend school until he was 16 and enrolled in the eleventh grade at Waynesville High School in 1946.
He did, however, educate himself in the intervening years through correspondence school and also learned much from his father, who was multilingual and spoke English with a British accent.
“When I came here, it was relatively easy,” said Kaufman. “I wouldn’t call it a shock. I guess I was very flexible and had been kicked around quite a bit, so I settled in quickly at Waynesville.”
Waynesville accepted the Kaufmans quickly as well. When asked if he felt bullied or discriminated against because of his nationality or religion, he was emphatic.
“Absolutely not,” he said.
become what is now known as Folkmoot.
“Dr. Border was a heck of a good salesman, and a heck of a good fundraiser,” Kaufman said.
Kaufman was sold, and became part of the original board, where he’s served ever since, despite having no background in folk dance whatsoever.
“What appealed to me, looking back, was the opportunity to bring people from all over the world to Western North Carolina. It’s very important for our young people to get to know their counterparts from other parts of the world,” he said.
As a component of his job, Kaufman traveled internationally frequently, which helped him become involved with an organization called CIOFF – the Conseil International des Organisations de Festivals de Folklore et d’Arts Traditionnels.
CIOFF began in 1970 with the goal of protecting and growing folk arts and traditional cultures around the world.
“We would meet twice a year, and on those occasions, literally all of the participants are folk festival organizers or folk dance groups,” he said. “This has been my primary route to contact participating groups.”
The first Folkmoot was held in 1984; since then, well over 8,000 performers from more than 200 countries have been part of it, and Kaufman’s seen nearly all of them. He is the festival’s primary recruiter of international dance groups, an arduous task that requires understanding of languages and cultures, willingness to help navigate bureaucracies to obtain visas and travel documents, and the ability to cope with the unexpected.
“What appealed to me, looking back, was the opportunity to bring people from all over the world to Western North Carolina.
— Rolf Kaufman
He declined to name any particularly extraordinary performances, instead relishing memories of the international relationships that result from the event.
After two years at Waynesville High, Kaufman attended N.C. State where he studied chemical engineering, earning a master’s degree. He then spent a few years in the Army, and intended to earn a Ph.D. and become a teacher after completing his service.
“I had no intent to join the family business,” he said. “But when I was in the Army, I met my wife-to-be, who is now deceased, and we got married. The family business was prospering, they felt they wanted another generation involved, so they offered me a job that was too good to turn down.”
Kaufman worked for the firm starting in 1956 and spent his entire professional career there.
In 1983, Kaufman’s neighbor, Dr. Clinton Border, called Kaufman to a meeting at his house.
“I don’t believe he even told me what for,” Kaufman said. “That was the first time that he got together the original group of people and presented his idea to us.”
Kaufman didn’t know that Border had been traveling to international folk festivals, and had taken a group from the area to one; he also didn’t know that Border had an idea to start a festival in Waynesville that was to
“I think in a broader way, these relationships help bring the most peaceful interchange among peoples. Conflicts continue to exist and they always will,” he said. “Unfortunately, we’re not a strong enough movement, I suppose, to overwhelm them. But I think you can appreciate the fact that if the members of a group from, say, Russia, come to Folkmoot, they will never be enemies of the United States. I think that’s a fairly safe assumption.”
Folkmoot did indeed succeed at drawing groups from behind the Iron Curtain at a time when there was virtually no cultural exchange between East and West.
Today, another region lacks what Kaufman calls “productive cultural exchange.”
CIOFF has tried to become established in the Middle East, and has met with some success, Kaufman says, even in conservative Saudi Arabia.
“We had a group from Jordan here, and — this is interesting — they were here the same year as a group from Israel. And they got along amongst each other very well,” he said. “So it brings together people from cultures that I would say have some conflict abroad, but they’re brought together here.”
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
You can’t ignore it.
That little voice in the back of your head, always interrupting your daily train of thought, pushing up into the foreground of your mindset, pecking at you like a duck with a reckless abandon to get its point across.
This week marks my fourth year being in Waynesville. It was right around this time I first ventured into Haywood County in hopes of landing a gig at The Smoky Mountain News. My initial assignments were to track down a handful of features at Folkmoot. So, the international dance and music festival holds a deep and meaningful place within my ramblings.
HOT PICKS
1
Country/rock star Aaron Lewis will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, July 29, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.
2
The “Smokin’ in the Valley” Western North Carolina BBQ Festival will be July 22-23 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
3
Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, on the lawn of the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University.
4
The Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 24, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
5
Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) will host The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/bluegrass) on Friday, July 29.
And now, here we are, four years later. Endless miles on Southern Appalachian back roads. Innumerable experiences with unique and captivating folks that I might have otherwise never had the privilege of crossing paths with, let alone sit down, interview, photograph and write about.
In essence, I get paid to wander and talk to strangers, a point spiritually and financially I’ve been aiming to reach since I entered this haphazard industry of characters and chaos known as journalism. But, echoing out from the back of your head like some familiar voice in the Iowa cornfields of good ole Ray Kinsella, it returns — your conscience.
You’ve reached the “top of the mountain” of your aspirations, and yet those who encourage you up that steep slope of your dreams and what it will take to get there, well, they forget to add in one thing — once you stand tall atop that mountain, you can
happy,” because we’re always moving, always exploring, endlessly curious about what lies around the next corner, madly in love with all the world and its unknown surprises of people, places and things.
Luckily, I have a publisher who truly understands my wants and desires. He’s as much built on wanderlust, curiosity and passion as I am. Thus, that’s why I not only stay loyal to the newspaper and its vision, but also feel comfortable in voicing my thoughts that float out of my mouth in his presence — “I’m wondering what the hell is next, where to now?”
The “where to now?” can be anything, an emotional or physical state of being. Emotionally? I’ve tied up most of the loose ends in my heart and soul, where nowadays I get what “the deal is” in who I am, what I want to do, and where I want to go in life. Physically? I’ll never quench my internal thirst for discovering a new town or talking up another person I’ve yet to meet (because all friends were strangers at one time).
In my four years roaming Southern Appalachia, I’ve dug pretty deep into the beauty of the culture and its people here. But, personally, I feel I’ve only just uncovered the tip of the iceberg. So much more to track down, so many more faces and stories hiding way out in depths of the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains.
And I do listen to that voice. Just because you’ve put down roots, which would seem like treason to your wanderlust ethics, doesn’t mean you’ve turned your back on what you set out to do and conquer when you were finally handed that college diploma those many years ago. It means you’ve found solid ground, something many of us journalists didn’t even know would exist in 2016, let alone in 2008 when a lot of us were at the bottom of the totem pole when the economy tanked.
now see clearly, and also see other mountains in the distance.
Now what? It’s a question I’ve been mulling over since the last snowpack at the Cataloochee Ski Area melted and the first flower emerged in the noonday sun of another spring in Western North Carolina. And as I mention these thoughts swirling around my head to others, an odd look appears on their face, “Are you serious? You have the greatest job in the world, how in the hell aren’t you just happy with that?”
See, right there, that’s the key to their statement above — “just happy.” Well, obviously I do feel sincerely grateful for what I get to do and who I get to interact with on a daily basis. But, for me, for those wild and restless souls out there, we’re never “just
There’s a certain beauty to that solid ground. If you keep looking ahead whenever you stop for a moment, you might just miss out and not notice the most important thing — now. It’s those moments amid friends, family, and perhaps even in your own glorious solitude, that prove to be the most valuable. It’s those experiences you sometimes forget you’ve already had that your younger self would salivate in knowing someday you’d be in those incredible, serendipitous situations. Money might buy you a new house or car, but experiences within the confines of pure love and honest friendship buy you something money can’t purchase — a life well lived.
What does the voice say? Spend some time in France and finally write that novel about that year you spent living in the Wild West of Eastern Idaho. Head up to Alaska so you can finally say you’ve been to all 50 states. Bolt over to Los Angeles and wander all the dive bars and music venues on the Sunset Strip you’ve read about since you were a kid. Take that six-month sabbatical and hike the Appalachian Trail. We all have our victories in our own time, and for that, stay hungry, stay relentless in your pursuits, and never lose sight of just how lucky you are to be alive in the world.
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
Garret K. Woodward photo
‘An Appalachian Evening’ welcomes Snyder Family
Celebrating its 17th season, “An Appalachian Evening,” a weekly bluegrass/Americana summer concert series, will return with The Snyder Family at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville.
The 2016 series will also include: Balsam Range (July 30), Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (Aug. 6), The Walking Roots Band (Aug. 13), The Jeff Little Trio (Aug. 20) and Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen (Aug. 27).
For tickets, visit www.stecoahvalleycenter.com or call 828.479.3364.
Organ master to present classics
Internationally known organist Jack W. Jones will perform a program of organ music at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 24, at First Baptist Church of Franklin.
The program features favorite organ classics including a pair of chorale preludes by J.S. Bach, Mozart’s Fantasia in f minor, and Andantino in D Flat Major by Edwin Henry Lemare, as well as arrangements of familiar hymn tunes and spirituals. Woven works by Nonah Weavers will be on exhibit in the church narthex.
Jones holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School, and is widely known as an organist, composer, recording artist and music educator. He began his career as a church organist at age 17, and has served as organist and choirmaster at churches in California, Florida, and Georgia, and the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. He has performed in many prestigious venues, including Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England.
After serving 25 years as organist-director of music for The Royal Poinciana Chapel of Palm Beach, Florida, Jones retired to Macon County in 2013 and now serves as
organist for the Church of the Good Shepherd, Cashiers.
This event is sponsored by Mary and Hans vanMeer, and produced by the Arts Council of Macon County, supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Admission is by donation; $7 is suggested. 828.524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.
‘Groovin’
on the Green’ finds its roots
The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series will host The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/bluegrass) at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, at The Village Green in Cashiers.
Other performs include: Miss Kitty & The Big City (pop/rock) July 29, Erica Nicole (pop/country) Aug. 5, The Buchanan Boys (country/rock) Aug. 12, Julie Gribble (Americana) Aug. 19, Rockell Scott (pop/piano) Aug. 26 and Hurricane Creek (rock/blues) Sept. 2.
All shows are free and open to the public. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.
Chamber music fest coming to HART
The Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival will be held at 7:30 p.m. July 24 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
Founded in 1970, festival is the premier chamber music festival of the Carolinas. The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) is proud to sponsor another season of worldclass chamber music in Haywood County.
The festival is unique among classical music festivals for its approach to performance, favoring close, intimate interaction between listener and performer. Every summer, groups of world-class musicians travel from all corners of the globe to Western North Carolina in order to perform, collaborate, and practice their craft at the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival.
Tickets are available now through the Haywood County Arts Council office by calling 828.452.0593 or visiting 86 North Main Street in Waynesville. Ticket are $25, with student tickets free to individuals under age 25. www.haywoodarts.org.
Balsam Range at WCU
Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range, winner of the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association award for “Entertainer of the Year,” will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, on the lawn of the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University.
In addition to the 2015 IBMA “Vocal Group of the Year” award, Balsam Range was also honored with the “Song of the Year” for “Moon Over Memphis.” The milestone year for the band also included honors by the House and Senate of the state of North Carolina, as well as the band being inducted into the “Order of the Long Leaf Pine,” the highest civilian honor presented by the Governor of the State of North Carolina.
The event is free and open to the public. www.balsamrange.com.
‘Concerts on the Creek’ gets funky
The seventh annual “Concerts on the Creek” series will host PMA (reggae/rock) at 7 p.m. Friday, July 22, at the Bridge Park Pavilion in Sylva.
Other shows are as follows: Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) July 29, Buchanan Boys (rock) Aug. 5, Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana) Aug. 12, Porch 40 (rock/funk) Aug. 19, surprise band on Aug. 26, and Erica Nicole (country) Sept. 2.
Concerts are free, with donations accepted. Chairs and blankets are allowed.
www.mountainlovers.com or 828.586.2155.
Laura Boosinger & The Midnight Plowboys will play the Songcatchers Music Series at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 24, at the Cradle of Forestry in America. Admission for all shows is $6 for ages 16 and older, $3 for youth 15 and under and America the Beautiful and Golden Age pass holders.
828.877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.org.
PMA will play July 22 in Sylva.
Balsam Range will play July 27 at WCU in Cullowhee. Garret K. Woodward photo
The Jasper String Quartet.
Country star Pickler in Franklin
Kellie Pickler, a small-town North Carolina native who competed on NBC’s “American Idol” and then again when she won ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Her debut album, “Small Town Girl,” was certified gold with three singles from the album earning spots on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Some of her hits include, “Red High Heels,” “I Wonder,” and “Best Days of Your Life.” She has won three CMT (Country Music Television) awards, as well as several songwriting awards. She has toured with Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and Sugarland.
Picker actively supports St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has helped raise funds and visited with patients. She has also helped raise funds for the N.C. Children’s PROMISE, an organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of critically ill children and their families by raising financial and community support to enhance care at North Carolina Children’s Hospital.
Tickets start at $45 each.
www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.
AARON LEWISTOPLAY HARRAH’S
Country/rock star Aaron Lewis will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, July 29, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. The show is ages 21 and over. For ticket information, visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 800.745.3000.
Guitar champion to showcase talents
National finger-style guitar champion Richard Smith will perform with his wife, cellist Julie Adams, at 6 p.m. Friday, July 22, at the Balsam Mountain Inn.
Smith, a native of Beckenham, England, now resides in the U.S. He specializes in the fingerstyle guitar tradition of Merle Travis, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed, and was the 2001 National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion.
Adams, of Dayton, Ohio, was classically trained at the Interlochen Center for the
• Andrews Brewing Company will host Heidi Holton (blues/folk) 6 p.m. July 22, Bull Moose Party (Americana) 7 p.m. July 23, Troy Underwood (Americana) 6 p.m. July 29 and Porch 40 (funk/rock) 7 p.m. July 30. All shows are free. www.andrewsbrewing.com.
ALSO:
• Apple Creek Café (Waynesville) will host an evening of piano music on Fridays and jazz on Saturdays. Both events are free and run from 6 to 9 p.m. 828.456.9888 or www.applecreekcafe.com.
• BearWaters Brewing Company (Waynesville) will have live music and Doc Brown BBQ at 6 p.m. July 21 and 28. 828.246.0602 or www.bwbrewing.com.
• The Bryson City Train Depot concert series will host Ian Moore’s Mountain Music (Americana/folk) July 23 and Liz & AJ Nance (Americana/folk) July 30. All shows are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host ‘Round the Fire (rock/folk) July 22, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) July 23, Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams (Americana/pop) July 29 and Jazz Night with Richard Shulman & Jesse Earl Junior
Arts and the Cincinnati Conservatory, has won many competitions and played in a wide variety of musical settings. In 1996, she was selected to perform the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Cincinnati Conservatory Orchestra. Since then, she has performed with orchestras in Chicago, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati and Vero Beach, and has branched extensively into folk music.
A buffet dinner is included in the $49 ticket price, and seating begins at 6 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, click on www.balsammountaininn.net or call 828.456.9498.
July 30 All shows are free and 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.
• The “Friday Night Live” concert series at the Town Square in Highlands will host Ray Adams & Sycamore Flats (Americana) July 22 and The Johnny Webb Band (country) July 29. Both shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Phantom Clutch 8 p.m. July 22, Chant the Trees 7 p.m. July 23 and Reverend Finster 3 p.m. July 30. All shows are free. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night July 20 and 27, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo July 21 and 28. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.
• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will host a community music jam from 6 to 7:30 p.m. July 28. 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. Free. 828.488.3030.
For more information on enrollment, programs of study, or financial aid, call 828.627.4500.
33 PROGRAMS
$50,000 CHAMPIONSHIPS OF BAGS
On the beat
Concerts to feature mountain, hammer dulcimers
Western Carolina University will host a pair of concerts featuring different types of dulcimers and musical styles in late July.
• Music will be presented on mountain dulcimers during a concert set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 28, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. WCU’s annual Dulcimer U Summer Week is being held on campus July 24-July 29, and 11 members of the conference instructional staff, including four former national champion mountain
• The Nantahala Outdoor Center (Bryson City) will host The Whiskey Sticks (Americana) July 22, The Pioneer Chicken Stand Band (folk/rock) July 23, Corn Bread Ted & The Butterbeans (ragtime/blues) July 29 and Rollin’ in the Hay (bluegrass/Americana) July 30. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.noc.com.
dulcimer players, will perform a variety of playing styles such as blues, bluegrass, classical and contemporary.
• The hammer dulcimer will be featured during a concert set for 7 p.m. Saturday, July 30, in the theater of A.K. Hinds University Center. This concert is part of WCU’s first-ever Hammer Dulcimer Weekend, and performers will include Anne Lough, a multi-instrumentalist from Clyde and alumna of the university’s music program; recording artists Ruth and Steve Smith of Boone; and Joshua Messick of Asheville, the 2003 national hammer dulcimer champion.
The shows are free and open to the public. 828.227.7397.
• Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company (Sapphire) will host a jazz brunch with Tyler Kittle & Friends from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sundays. 828.743.0220.
JULY 21 – 24
Calling all cornhole players! Anyone can play, anyone can win in the $50,000 Championships of Bags Cornhole Tournament.
Watch the bags fly as huge CASH prizes are awarded! For more information, visit iplaycornhole.com
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• Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) will host The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/bluegrass) July 29. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host The Freeway Revival (rock/jam) July 22, Crystal Bright & The Silver Hands (rock/cabaret) July 23, Red Honey (surf/punk) July 29 and Hearts Gone South (honky-tonk) July 30. All shows are free and begin at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.nonamesportspub.com.
ALSO:
• The “Pickin’ On The Square” concert series will continue with The Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) July 23 and Paradise 56 (blues/reggae) July 30. All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. A community jam begins at 6:30 p.m. www.franklinnc.com or 828.524.2516.
• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an Open Mic with Sandra Hess at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. 828.456.3040.
• The Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Dave Spangler (singersongwriter) July 22, Gary Carter (singersongwriter) July 23, Wyatt Espalin (singersongwriter) July 29 and Twelft Fret (Americana) July 30. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.
• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Mile High (rock) at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Andrew Rickman (rock/acoustic) will also perform on Saturdays. All events begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
• 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 “Saturday’s on the Pine” concert series at Kelsey Hutchinson Park in Highlands will Andrew Scotchie & The River Rats (rock/blues) July 23. Shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Sneak E Squirrel Brewing (Sylva) will host The Dirty Soul Revival (blues/rock) 8 p.m. July 23 and The Caribbean Cowboys (rock/pop) 8 p.m. July 30. There will also be a “Funk to What?” open jam at 8 p.m. every Thursday. 828.586.6440.
• The Stompin’ Ground (Maggie Valley) is now open for live mountain music and clogging at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 828.926.1288.
• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will host Dave Drivven (Americana) 8 p.m. July 22 and The Breedlove Brothers (Americana) 9 p.m. July 29. Both shows are free. 828.246.9230.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host a “Bluegrass Mix-Up” night at 7 p.m. on Thursdays. 828.743.3000.
• 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 host Crystal Bright & The Silver Hands (Americana/cabaret) July 22, Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) July 23 and Porch 40 (funk/rock) July 29. All shows begin at 9 p.m.
Canton Labor Day schedule announced
Acclaimed bluegrass act Yonder Mountain String Band will headline the Canton Labor Day festivities. Jay Blakesberg photo
BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
The 110th Canton Labor Day Festival schedule released on July 11 shows that organizers have been working just as hard as the Western North Carolina workers the festival seeks to honor. The South’s longest-running Labor Day festival takes place Sept. 4-5 in downtown Canton.
“Since 1906 the Canton community has led the nation in honoring the workers who power our economy with their bare hands,” said Canton Town Manager Seth HendlerVoss. “As a piece of living history, Canton symbolizes the perseverance and grit that built our great nation, one innovative business at a time.”
Canton’s unique heritage as a unionized mill town in Southern Appalachia has contributed much to the character of the festival over the last century, and this year’s lineup reflects that.
Visitors to Sorrells Street Park will be treated to a handmade craft expo, vintage car show, farmer’s market, gated “kids village” with inflatable attractions, and a downtown parade. The nearby Canton Historical Museum will be open, and event T-shirts will be for sale as well.
Food is certainly central to any Labor Day celebration, and Canton has taken great
pains to include a variety of options designed to satisfy the most discriminating consumers.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Acropolis Pizza, Blue Ridge BBQ, Fat Bellies, Izzy's Coffee, Latino Heat and Super Snack Shop will open for business. Ice cream by The Hop will also be available. On Monday, several Canton churches will open booths offering homemade cakes, pies, and other food items.
Although Canton’s heavy on food and fun this year, the weekend’s musical lineup is the highlight of the weekend for many.
On Sunday from noon to 11 p.m., live music acts including Grey Wolfe, Cold Mountain Bluegrass, Renegades, Running Wolfe, Lyric, and Joe Lasher Jr. will perform at Sorrells Street Park, followed by Coloradobased festival headliner Yonder Mountain String Band at 9 p.m.
Also on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., the Historic Colonial Theater will present a “Mountain Gospel Experience,” featuring Ila Knight, The Reggie Sadler Family, and Purpose.
On Monday, Sorrells Street Park performers Mountain Faith and Haywood County’s own Balsam Range will take the stage between noon and 10 p.m.
The festival’s musical performances are free of charge. www.cantonlaborday.com.
Cataloochee ‘Way Back When’ dinner
The “Way Back When” trout dinner will continue at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 29, at the Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley.
The dinner showcases a recreation meal, music, storytelling and atmosphere of a 1930s Appalachian trout camp. Enjoy a wagon ride across the ranch property amid the authentic re-creation of Mr. Tom and Miss Judy Alexander’s first fishing camp.
Cost is $39.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The dinner will also be held Aug. 12 and 26, Sept. 2 and 16.
To RSVP, call 828.926.1401 or 800.868.1401 or www.cataloocheeranch.com.
Canton Cupcake Challenge returns
The fourth annual Cupcake Challenge will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Canton Branch Library.
The challenge is open to all ages, from children to adults. Sign-up is required for interested bakers, who may register either at the front desk of the library. Bakers are asked to make one dozen cupcakes (from scratch or a mix), and decorate them with a “superhero” theme. Decorations must be edible, and each cupcake should be the same flavor. Entries will be judged on: taste, presentation, and originality. Prizes will be awarded in an adult, teen, and children’s category. There will be also an audience favorite prize.
Bakers will need to check-in starting at 1 p.m. on the day of the event. General admission and judging will take place starting at 2 p.m. Everyone is invited to come sample the cupcakes, and there will be a cupcake decorating station for children.
828.648.2924.
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On the street
• The ceremonial Cherokee bonfires will run from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Oct. 1 Spend an evening with the Cherokee people by a roaring fire. Listen as Cherokee storytellers in period dress from the 17th century spin tales of days gone by, myths and mysteries passed down through the ages and talk of the history. Learn Cherokee survival skills and experience the dance. Your hosts will provide light refreshments, which include marshmallows for roasting and drinks. Guests sit by the fire near the Oconaluftee riverside enjoying a unique and entertaining experience. The events are free and open to the public. www.visitcherokeenc.com.
• There will be a fundraiser for Tammy Carmona, a Haywood County resident currently undergoing treatment for Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer, from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 24, at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville. Proceeds will go toward living expenses during treatment while she can’t work. Come prepared for fun with music and entertainment by DJ Captain Moose, karaoke, dancing, food, a silent auction, fabulous door prizes and more to celebrate life with Tammy Carmona. A donation of $10 at the door includes admission and food. Donations to the Tammy Carmona Fund are gratefully accepted at any branch of TD Bank, to the following account: Router: 052401026, Account: 4329609593, and online at www.youcaring.com/givetotammycarmona. Any amount is greatly appreciated. For more information, please call 828.550.7050.
• The 28th annual Missions Bazaar will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 29-30 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center on the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin. 828.524.3267 or www.franklinchamber.com.
• There will be special dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at Breaking Bread Café in Bethel. Hand cut New York strip streak ($19.95) or teriyaki chicken kabob ($15.95), with each full course meal featuring a handful of sides, soups, and more. By reservation only. www.breakingbreadcafenc.com or 828.648.3838.
• The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad presents The Wizard of Oz train ride at the GSMR depot in Bryson City. The 2.5-hour round-trip journey will retell the story of the beloved movie, The Wizard of Oz, on board a real train. The adventure operates July 21-24, 28-31 and Aug 4-7. Exact excursion times and ticket prices are available by calling 800.872.4681 or by visiting www.gsmr.com. Tickets begin at $48 for adults (13+) and $38 for children (2-12).
• The 51st annual Macon County Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28-July 31 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Sponsored by the Macon County Gem and Mineral Society. www.franklinchamber.com.
• The Highlands Road Gem Show will be held July 28-July 31 at the corner of U.S. 441 and Highlands Road in Franklin. Rock, minerals, rough and cut gems, supplies, and more. Admission is free. 828.369.6341 or vwproperties@gmail.com.
• There will be a yoga class at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Hudson Library in Highlands. Free. 828.526.3031.
• A bingo night will run at 5:45 p.m. on Thursdays through Sept. 1 at the Maggie Valley Pavilion. Cash prizes and concessions by Moonshine Grill. Sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association. 828.926.7630.
LEGO Club in Bryson City
There will be a LEGO Club meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
The library will provide Legos and Duplos for ages 3 and up, the only thing area children need to bring is their imagination. All area children are invited join in and let your creativity shine. 828.488.3030.
• A wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. July 23 and 30 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. July 23 and 30 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.
• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. July 23 and 30 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free with dinner ($15 minimum). There will also be a craft beer tasting and taco night on June 30 and July 7. 828.452.6000.
• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.
Ready for some BBQ?
The “Smokin’ in the Valley” Western North Carolina BBQ Festival will be July 2223 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
Featuring dozens of barbecue tents, the event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society — the world’s largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts. The focus for the competition will be cooking abilities for chicken, pork, pork ribs, and beef brisket.
In addition, there is a “Tastin’ Tent” where the public can purchase $10 tickets to taste barbecue samples from the competing teams and vote for their favorite flavor. The
On the stage
J. Creek Cloggers win top honors
The J. Creek Cloggers picked up wins at the Appalachian Clogging Classic at Haywood Community College and ShinDig In The Valley in Maggie Valley, placing first in both for four-or-more ‘Couple Open Hoe Down.’ Director Kim Ross also won ‘Grand Champion Flat-Footer’ at ShinDig In the Valley and won ‘Female Flat-Footer’ in Denton. The group qualified to go on to
winning team will be given a “Maggie’s Best” trophy and prize money. The festival will also include live bluegrass and clogging; arts and crafts vendors, chainsaw art demonstrations, and a free Kid’s Zone.
“Wine and Swine,” a local restaurant competition, will be held Friday with WNC restaurants preparing chopped pork paired with wine samples. There is a $10 admission and participants get to sample barbecue with five sauces. Awards ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday featuring the winners from the competition categories and the N.C. Governor’s Trophy, Maggie’s Best People’s Choice Award, and Anything Dessert and Anything Meat awards. Sponsored by the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Admission is $6 for adults, $3 children ages 6-12. Admission is free for children under age 5. A two-day pass is $10. Parking is free. 828.926.1686 or www.wncbbqfestival.com.
World Championships in South Carolina held in October. Follow the team on their Facebook page ‘J. Creek Cloggers or call 828.734.0873.
• The production of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will hit the stage at 8 p.m. July 22-24 and July 29Aug. 1 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students. www.smctheatre.com.
• The Unto These Hills outdoor drama will run at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Aug. 13 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee. General admission tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 5. Reserved tickets also available. 866.554.4557 or www.visitcherokenc.com.
The true story of Sparklehorse
The documentary “The Sad & Beautiful World of Sparklehorse” will be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
Written by Angela Faye Martin and directed by Alex Crowton and Bobby Dass, the film is about former Hayesville resident Mark Linkous, singer-songwriter and founder of the alternative rock band Sparklehorse.
A cult and hugely influential figure in the alternative music scene, the critically-acclaimed Linkous had a dramatic life that saw him battle with drug and alcohol addiction, paralysis, and debilitating depression that resulted in his eventual suicide.
Linkous’ music was heralded by his peers and critics — a mix of delicate pop, discordant punk and melodic odyssey — it has been described as defiantly surrealist with all manner of references to smiling babies, organ music, birds, and celestial bodies. The film mines Linkous’ life and music and navigates the sacrifices and highs and lows of his art. There will be a “Q & A” session with writer/narrator Martin following the screening. The event is free and open to the public.
• Paint Nite Waynesville will be held at 7 p.m. on Fridays at the Panacea Coffeehouse. Grab a cup of coffee, glass of wine or pint of craft beer and get creative. $20 per person. Group rates available. Sign up at Panacea or call host Robin Smathers at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.
• There will be a “Raku Beadmaking” workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. July 28-29 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 30 at Riverwood Pottery in Dillsboro. Cost is $120 per person. 828.586.3601 or www.riverwoodpottery.com.
• Local fiber artist Chris Eichner will be instructing a “Thread Painting” class from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 21 at the Jackson County Extension Center in Sylva. The cost of the class is $35 plus the cost of supplies. Registration will be accepted with payment at the Jackson County Extension Center at 538 Scotts Creek Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779. 828.586.4009.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will host live music, hors d'ouevres, wine and newly unveiled art collections. Artists featured for July 29 are Jo Ridge Kelley, impressionist painter; and Diannah Beauregard, jewelry designer. $25 per couple, which can be applied toward purchase of $100 or more. www.greatsmokies.com.
• The Dusty Pallet is the newest art gallery in Franklin. The studio is located in downtown at 52 East Main Street. Are you ready for a paint party? For only $35, the gallery provides everything you need to create your own masterpiece. Watch for our days and times
It’s raining cats and dogs (quilt blocks)
Inspired by the popular Haywood County Quilt Trail and the “Adopt Me” quilt block located at the Waynesville Animal Hospital, the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is now offering smaller, single replicas of the blocks for purchase.
due to their generous time contribution, the pre-sale orders will be fulfilled on a first come basis. It is recommended that the blocks be utilized indoors or in an area protected from outdoor elements.
For more information and to purchase a block, call the Haywood County Visitor Center at 828.944.0761 or stop by 1110 Soco Road in Maggie Valley.
at their website, www.thedustypallet.com. Call and schedule your group at 828.524.5676. The shop is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• “Art Beats for Kids” will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. July 21 and 28 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. A new project every week. $20 per child, with includes lesson, materials and snack. To register, call 828.538.2054.
• 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 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.
• The “Movies on Everett” summer film series will screen “The Good Dinosaur” July 22 and “The Blind Side” July 29. All films are free and start at 8:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.
• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will screen “Batman vs. Superman” (July 21-23, 29), “Demolition” (July 28) and “Dirty Dancing” (July 30). Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Fridays; and 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturdays. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.
A portion of the cost of each block will go to the Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter to construct a new, much needed animal shelter. The 16x16 inch blocks will feature either a cat or dog will be available in four background colors — blue, purple, brown, and green. The blocks are priced at $65 each with 85 percent of the proceeds being donated to raise funds to build the new Haywood County Animal Shelter.
Want to make a Viking shield?
The blocks are currently available for pre-order with a goal of selling 100 total blocks by the end of the summer. Each block will be hand-framed by volunteers, so
Maximize
Curb Appeal
A Viking round shield class will be taught by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 30-31 at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.
In this course, students will focus on forging a shield boss (raised center) and assembly/construction methods of creating a Viking round shield. Riveting and some leatherwork will be discussed as well. Students may choose between sizes ranging from 26” to 34” in diameter.
No prior experience required. Students must wear closed toe shoes (preferably leather), long pants, and cotton clothing, and they should also bring a lunch.
Cost is $265, materials included. For more information and to register, call 828.631.0271 or visit www.jcgep.org.
A Sparklehorse documentary will be screened July 28 in Sylva. Danny Clinch Photography
Cowan’s writing could make you cry
When Leo Cowan, Jackson County’s noted historian and author, died last February just after his second book was published, I found myself reluctant to write a review of Leo’s last book in conjunction with his obituary.
I am an admirer of Leo’s writing and have always felt that his “authorial voice” put him in a special category. Jackson County has a large number of writers who either write about the past and/or record their personal history through storytelling or autobiography (I guess I qualify as part of of that flock!). However, Leo Cowan is head and shoulders above all of us.
In his last book, Leo demonstrates a depth that is far greater than the average local historian/storyteller. I came to feel that Cowan resembled one of those old Roman poets who, having become disillusioned in the world and the antics of his fellow man, withdraws to a rural setting (Tuckasegee) from which he continues to observe his world. Beneath the whimsical stories about his early life, there is a growing disillusionment.
Like thousands of young men before him, Leo had “left the plow in the field” and had rushed off to stop “Hitler and Tojo.” Now, half a century later, he considers how the world has fared from Stalin to Mao to Hussein and concludes, “I am ashamed as I watch the news .... I watch and wish that I had just kept on plowing.”
When Cowan remembers his early years as a student at Western Carolina Teachers College, he recalls his first encounter with theater. It was a production of the Thornton Wilder play, “Our Town,” directed by Dr. Mabel Tyree (who would also direct my first play, “The Crucible,” over a decade later.) It is evident that Wilder’s depiction of life and death in a small town had a profound effect on Leo. He recalls a scene in which a young
Debut novel by Thorton
Free-falling Past the Roarin’ Hole by Leo Cowan. Lock Seven Press, 2016. 235 pages.
couple’s life together is cut short by a young mother’s death. From her grave on the hill above Grover’s Corners, where the dead sit silently watching the daily life of the living, Emily yearns to return and she finally succeeds. Her wish is granted and she is allowed to return and relive an ordinary day in her past: her twelfth birthday.
Poor Emily is shocked to discover how everyone in Grover’s Corners seems to live in a state of “unawareness,” merely living each day blindly, indifferent to the miracle of their own existence and what a wondrous thing being alive is. “Does no one realize who and what we are?” she asks. She is told that only a few, saints and poets perhaps, are aware.
For Leo Cowan, Sylva is his Grover’s Corners. All of his anecdotes, his marvelous stories about generations of Cowans and Halls are his way of acknowledging that we are all
J.R. Thorton will present his first book Beautiful Country at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Beautiful Country follows the story of 14-year-old Chase Robertson who is forced to move to Beijing after the death of his older brother. In China, he trains every day with the Beijing junior national tennis team and quickly learns of the cutthroat world of Chinese sport. Chase is caught up in secrets and must fight to protect his bond with his new friend while negotiating the complex rules of a new country.
Thornton graduated from Harvard in 2014 where he studied history, English and Chinese. As a 14-year-old, he spent a year living in Beijing studying the Chinese language and training with the Beijing junior tennis team. An internationally ranked tennis player
marvelous creatures and that all of us deserve to be immortalized. Not only do we all deserve to have our story told, we deserve to have “our way of living” recorded. Repeatedly, Leo records the names of his friends — people like Dr. Kirchburg, Rat Warren, Little Doc Nichols, Nora Lee Cogdill, Charlie Campbell, etc., are recorded, jerked from oblivion and made immortal for they are recorded in Leo’s book.
In like manner, here are the lost customs (Why the saucer of salt on the stomach of the dead?) and the marvelous tall-tales (the Great Rat Massacre). There are times when Leo’s language is inspired and becomes lyrical. The rest of Jackson County’s scribblers cannot write like that. No, Leo got an extra gene, me thinks.
It is certainly evident that Leo reads. This is a man that subscribes to the National Geographic and The New Yorker. As he lies sleepless, Cowan discusses literary works that have defined Appalachia. He has read Fox’s The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, and Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come (my grandmother’s favorites), Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and Frazier’s Cold Mountain. He has read (and re-read) Deliverance, Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel and as he listens to Napoleon trot through the night, he contemplates ox-tail soup and chicken pot pie, meditates on the significance of Inman’s desertion, and catalogues bits of arcane knowledge (I did not know that alpha squirrels castrate other squirrels in an attempt to eliminate competition.) This marvelous mix of folklore and literary criticism convinces me that Leo’s marvelous writing style is the result of his reading extensively. We are what we read.
Near the end of Free-Falling Past the Roarin’ Hole, Leo undertakes the writing of a “true” account of the adventures of his notorious Grandpa (whom he calls “my father thrice removed”), Joshua Kimsey Hall. According to Cowan, this awesome tale was told at “The Roarin’ Hole,” a place where the Cowans and Halls gathered to cook, tell stories and sleep
as a junior, he later competed for the Harvard men’s team and on the professional circuit.
To reserve copies, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.
City Lights open mic
The NetWest program of the North Carolina Writers Network will host an open mic night at 7 p.m. Friday, July 29, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Folks are encouraged to bring their poetry or short pieces to share. 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,
fitfully on sacks of leaves (a kind of family tradition which takes place near the “roarin’ hole,” a dark section of river filled with ominous sounds and fact and fiction mingle.
For Cowan, it is an ideal setting to consume under-cooked meat, drink liquids of doubtful origin and sleep fitfully on sacks filled with leaves. Here, they listened attentively to an epic tale of the Civil War in which Grandpa Joshua (or his elected spokesman) recounted how Joshua came to be at Appomattox on the day the treaty was signed that ended the war. As it turned out, Joshua played a vital role in this historic event. He even provided Gen. Grant with a jar of home brew, negotiated for better terms for the South , got amnesty for Gen. Lee and even signed the treaty for Grant when the general’s hands became palsied.
This concluding story is Leo Cowan at his best. In a mock-tragic vein, he describes the poignant scene complete with the drunken Gen. Grant, the defeated Lee and all of the somber trappings of the scene. Outside are the defeated soldiers of the South waiting for their leader to lead them away. When Lee emerges, they part to allow him passage and then follow him into the setting sun. It is a touching scene, but one that is totally the creation of Grandpa Joshua. It is a magnificent lie, for Joshua actually deserted two years before the end of the war and fled to East Fork.
The skill with which the scene is written reminded me of an event in my own life at the Storytelling Conference. An ancient storyteller was there and I remember that when a young fellow told a story that caused the audience to cheer and clap, I said to the old storyteller, “Wow! That guy is good! Listen to them cheer.” The old fellow smiled and replied, “Any fool can make you laugh. The real test is, can you make that audience cry? Oh, they may resist you, but in the end they will respect you. Can you describe a scene that contains the sad music of humanity? Can you make them hear it?”
Well, Leo Cowan can.
and a community for those who write. www.citylightsnc.com or 828.586.9499.
Cook releases new fantasy
Tyler Cook will present the first book of his new fantasy series Aluria at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
Aluria tells a story about heroism, love and hope, when teenager Jason Conner allows an extra-terrestrial spirit to inhabit his body. Follow Jason on his journey to protect the innocent and hunt down the guilty, and avenging those that were taken from him. Cook continues to write in his hometown of Franklin, working on the next installment in The Aluria Adventures. To reserve copies, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.
Writer Gary Carden
Friends of the Library book sale
The Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale will be held at 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 28, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 29 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 30 at the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville.
The sale includes children’s books, adult selections, literary classics, vinyl records, cassettes, CDs, books on tape, and more. The Friends of the Library invite nonprofit groups to contact them about books they might like for their causes. All stock will be out the first day of the sale. Volunteers will be needed again for the sale to help cashier, floor walk, help customers, and clean up at end of sale. 828.452.5169.
• Local author R.P. Foster will be signing issues of his recently published comic Collapse at 3 p.m. July 23 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Foster is an up-andcoming writer and a resident of Haywood County of more than 20 years. Collapse is a post-apocalyptic survival story, one that follows a group of survivors who live in a bunker, while those outside have become mutants. Collapse is an independent comic published by Rising Sun Comics.
• Bob Mustin will present his new book Collateral Damage and Stories at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The stories in this collection examine the ways we use imagination to set aside human anguish and move on with our lives. Quirky, richly imagined characters populate these stories, inviting readers to measure them against their own lives and to want to read these stories again and again. Mustin has been an instructor in writing and has served as a mentor. He continues to write and publish novels, short fiction, and nonfiction.
Book group to discuss ‘novel gone film’
The Jackson County Public Library Book Group will be present The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman at 6 p.m. July 26 at the library in Sylva.
This book will be a blockbuster movie coming out this September. There is no registration for this group. The library has extra copies of each book and participants are welcome to bring their own paper copies as well as e-books. Library staffer Tiz Duve will lead the discussion of the first book. The library will provide light snacks, but the public is welcome to bring any snacks they like. This group will be informal, fun, and hopefully, people will learn something also.
This program is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. 828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.
real estate auction
WAYNESVILLE, NC • 355 Spring Cove Road
5BR 5.5BA home with multiple living areas and island kitchen. Patios and decks, creek, pond and long range mountain views. Nominal Opening Bid: $100,000 Auctions: 4pm Fri July 29 on site or bid live from anywhere at auctionnetwork.com
SATURDAY, JULY 23RD AT 3 P.M. Franklin author TYLER
Planning begins for logging project in Haywood
Forest Service wants to improve elk habitat and recreation opportunities
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
Round tables and large, neon sticky notes characterized last week’s kickoff of a planning process to cut timber and create elk habitat in a remote corner of northeastern Haywood County.
About 50 people representing groups including the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, MountainTrue, The Nature Conservancy, the Ruffed Grouse Society and Haywood County government — among a host of others — found their way to the room at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, taking a seat on the large circle of chairs waiting for them.
“This is the very start of this project,” explained Jason Herron, project lead for the U.S. Forest Service. “We haven’t even analyzed any project area for any opportunities yet because we wanted to get a very early idea of what people want from this project.”
The project area includes 10,695 acres of the Pisgah National Forest, located in the northeastern piece of Haywood that’s part of the Appalachian Ranger District. The area, referred to as 12 Mile, encompasses Long Arm Mountain and Hurricane Mountain, bordering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the west and touching the Tennessee border to the north.
Managing timber sales is part of the Forest Service’s work toward its mission to manage public land for a variety of uses — timber harvest benefits the company selling the timber but can also be managed to provide an array of ecological benefits to the forest as a whole. The Appalachian Ranger District is the next part of the Pisgah Forest in rotation for a timber harvest project, explained the District Ranger Matt McCombs, and 12 Mile is the target.
A “growing, moving” population of elk originating from the Smokies constitutes much of the reasoning behind that choice, McCombs said.
The Forest Service hopes a timber sale in 12 Mile could create more of the meadow and edge habitat elk — reintroduced to the Cataloochee area of the park in 2001 — need to thrive, resulting in a haven of sorts for the increasing population, a place for elk to congregate and live healthy lives. If successful, McCombs said, the project could help reduce conflicts with landowners whose crops elk sometimes damage — or at least buffer the population base against the human conflicts waiting in the ‘real world.’
“I think that challenge will remain,” McCombs said of human conflict with elk, “but it certainly gives elk a better opportunity
“In multiple-use management, there’s this built-in tension. By getting that all out in the open, now we have an opportunity to identify a lot of those obstacles and resolve them.”
— Matt McCombs, District Ranger
to not have those human interactions that can put their lives in danger.”
EXPANDINGTHEFOCUS
The project won’t be solely focused on elk and timber, however. The Forest Service outlined two other potential goals in the letter it issued to 54 stakeholder groups invited to the July 14 meeting: ecological restoration and increased recreational opportunities.
Currently, 12 Mile doesn’t have any hiking trails or other recreation amenities — just some roads for vehicle travel and a few usercreated trails. Timber harvest could be paired with efforts to increase recreation opportunities, and to improve ecology for plants and wildlife other than elk.
Those goals aren’t set in stone, however, which is why the Forest Service called the meeting before even completing an actual proposal.
“We feel like it’s more efficient to engage people early in the process instead of making assumptions about what people want,” McCombs said.
To that end, the format of the three-hour workshop-style meeting aimed to spark conversation between people with diverse perspectives on forest management, getting them to talk about what kinds of needs and issues the timber sale might address, as well as outline concerns and potential challenges.
“In multiple-use management, there’s this built-in tension,” McCombs said. “You have 1 acre, and you have five, 10, or 20 different interests to see how that 1 acre is used. By getting that all out in the open, now we have an opportunity to identify a lot of those obstacles and resolve them.”
For instance, there’s often disagreement between sportsmen with a strong interest in the young forest habitat that supports game animals like deer and grouse and their counterparts who prioritize protecting old-growth forests and the ecosystems built around them. Which areas do you cut — and how large do you allow each clearing to get — and which areas do you leave intact?
Tension can also exist between the forest’s various types of recreation users. Bikes and horses don’t mix well. And hikers would usually rather avoid sharing the trail with bikers and equestrians. Implementing any trail or amenity can also have an impact on the natural surroundings, increasing erosion or disturbing wildlife.
As far as Greg Shuping, emergency management services coordinator for Haywood County, is concerned, safety should be a top consideration in any change made to recreation amenities on 12 Mile.
“When we’re looking at how we’re going to modify and or revise any type of activity that ends up being accomplished, there’s certain hazards that we need to make sure we identify,” Shuping said. “We need to make sure we
Fast facts
■ The 12 Mile area is a 10,695-acre swath of the Pisgah National Forest, part of the Appalachian Ranger District and located in the northeast portion of Haywood County adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
■ The U.S. Forest Service is planning a timber harvest within the area, one of the goals of which will be to improve elk habitat.
■ A new planning rule stressing collaboration is driving the planning process, so a conversation-based meeting of stakeholders was held before any proposal was developed. More public meetings will follow at a later date.
■ At the earliest, timber harvest would begin in fall 2017.
■ Documents related to the project are online at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=48776.
can mitigate those hazards by continuing to provide access to the area, as well as repair any infrastructure that may have been damaged for the egress to the places.”
MANAGINGELK
Much of the discussion, however, focused on elk. Specifically, on how to bolster their populations while keeping them away from places where they’d become nuisances or road kill.
Maintaining a buffer between elk-friendly habitat and Interstate 40 got plenty of mentions from those in attendance.
“Something needs to be very attractive for the elk so they don’t want to leave that area,” said Leonard Harwood, a member of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Council. “I tell you, they start getting out on I-40, if we get a population of elk we’re going to see fatalities. We’re going to see the public start to go the other way.”
The Mount Sterling area would be another direction to avoid funneling the elk, added Mark Williams of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission — they may not be welcome among landowners up that way.
Bottom line, though, the project area should strive to provide some good, solid meadow habitat for elk, many people said. David Stewart, of the Wildlife Resources Commission, suggested that the Forest Service even expand the project area a bit to abut wildlife habitat work his agency is doing on private land in the area. Those projects are focusing on habitat for golden-winged warblers, and those management actions tend to be good for elk too.
“We’ve found them with a gut full of acorns but they need the variety,” Stewart said of the elk. “They need diversity. They need open canopy. They need grass fields and the edge habitats.”
A circle of people hoping to see recreation opportunities increase as a result of the timber sale select needs and opportunities in that area. Holly Kays photos
Become a nature photographer
From the antics of squirrels to the delicate patterns of butterfly wings, a backyard nature photography class at the Balsam Community Center will cover the techniques and skills needed to capture the full spectrum of natural beauty, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30.
Larry Thompson, a former regional president for the National Audubon Society with 30 years of experience teaching nature courses, will lead the class. Suitable for beginning to intermediate photographers, the course will cover macro photography, ISO settings, creating a photo blind, using props and flash settings.
$40, with pre-registration required. Space limited. Mail checks to Larry Thompson, P.O. Box 390, Balsam, N.C. 28707.
828.452.5414 or lvthomnpson@earthlink.net.
Go on a virtual safari in Highlands
Take a virtual tour of equatorial animals with a photography presentation at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, at the Hudson Library in Highlands.
Husband-and-wife team Ed Boos, a noted still photographer, and Cindy Boos, who specializes in video photography, will share their experiences documenting wildlife in Ecuador and Kenya. Photos include the Andean cock-of-the-rock, blue-footed boobies, wildebeest migration, lions, hyenas and much more.
Free. A program of the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.
Identifying such partnership opportunities is a key benefit of engaging interested groups early, McCombs said. Different organizations and people have different slices of knowledge and different resources to offer for the holistic effort of timber management.
For instance, many of those in attendance pointed out a need for more data to make the best management decision possible. How many elk, bear and other species of wildlife live in that particular area? What are the numbers on road mortality nearby?
NEXTSTEPS
The Forest Service came away with a host of information, comments and priorities to consider when creating a formal proposal, and it will take a while to sift through it all. By October, Herron said, they’ll hopefully have finished all the assessments and data-gathering needed to complete a proposal, which will be followed by more meetings and field trips to the area before the proposal is written. At the earliest, timber harvest could begin in fall 2017.
Appalachian District Ranger Matt McCombs discusses the project with one of the meeting attendees.
What kind of demand is there for more recreational amenities in the 12 Mile Area — if a trail were built, would it be used?
Enhancing collaboration between government organizations, businesses and nonprofits could yield a greater capacity to pull together data that already exists or to fund generation of new data.
“A lot of times state and federal agencies are not in the business of trying to raise money. That’s what nonprofits do,” said Kim Delozier, a former Smokies biologist instrumental in the elk reintroduction who now works with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “Get that money from wherever the resources are, and get it in the hands of the people who can use it.”
Exceptional care close to home.
Sally Cook, a native of the Franklin area and a renowned hairdresser in the local community, awoke one morning experiencing sharp pain in her lungs. She thought the pain was most likely caused by stress, however, that wasn’t the case. Sally saw her primary care provider and had an MRI, and she learned that she had malignant tumors in her right lung, liver and lymph nodes.
After an incurable lung cancer diagnosis, Sally considered traveling to Atlanta for treatment, but chose to stay here in Franklin and receive care at the Angel Cancer & Infusion Center.
Sally’s spirit is not deterred, and she couldn’t be more pleased with her decision to receive exceptional care locally, in the comfort of her hometown. With the unending support of her spouse, children and caregivers, Sally continues to live life to the fullest.
Whether you’re trying to be well, get well or stay well, Mission Health and Angel Medical Center offer you and your family access to the best people, resources and advanced technology to help you achieve and exceed your goals.
To hear more personal stories like Sally’s, visit mission-health.org/Sally
Though a new forest management plan is currently being drafted — the final version is expected by late 2017 — the timber sale will proceed under the existing management plan, completed in 1987 and heavily amended in 1994. However, McCombs said, the process will keep an eye turned to the developing plan and remain “sensitive to the emerging language.”
“That project (the forest management plan) won’t be completed until sometime well into the future,” McCombs said. “In the meantime, we need to still keep doing our work, and part of our job is conducting forestry on the landscape for holistic benefits.”
He’s hopeful that last week’s meeting put things off to a good start.
“I heard a few laughs throughout the day,” McCombs said as he closed out the meeting. “I’m hoping we can continue that engagement. I firmly believe it’s going to build a broadly supported and implementable project.”
WNC angling to take over television
Jackson County will be displayed on national television this week with the airing of Anglers & Appetites, a show that aims to discover the best of fishing and eating in the
AB Fly Fishing guides Ragan Whitlock and Leland Shockley, Anglers and Appetites’ Phil Proctor and David Zelski, and Alex Bell, owner of AB Fly Fishing, pose while filming an episode. Jackson County Tourism photo
United States.
Filmed in early May, Jackson County is the subject of two episodes in the show’s
Camp out in Cataloochee
third season. The first features chefs from downtown Sylva and anglers Matt Canter of Brookings and Kyle Fronrath of Fontana Guides. The second takes on the Cashiers dining scene, as well as lake fishing with Austin Neary of Dreamcatcher Guides and fly fishing with Alex Bell of AB Fly Fishing.
The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority paid $15,000 for the program to film in the county — the third year it has done so — and the episodes are expected to reach more than 25 million viewers.
The Sylva-based episode will air for the first time at 4 p.m. Friday, July 22, on Fox Sports Sun and 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 23, on Fox Sports South, with additional airings following through Thursday, July 28. The Cashiers-based episode will premier at 4 p.m. Friday, July 29, on Fox Sports SUN and 10 a.m. Saturday, July 30, on Fox Sports South, with additional airings continuing through Friday, Aug. 5. www.anglersandappetites.com.
A backpacking trip through Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will offer an up-close experience of elk country during fall rut Sept. 9-10.
Offered through the Great Smoky Mountains Association, the excursion will traverse just under 10 miles, embarking to hike 4.5 miles on Rough Fork and Caldwell Fork trails on the first day and finishing with 4.8 miles via Caldwell Fork and Big Fork trails on the second day. Hikers will get to see and hear bugling elk, view the holding pen used during the 2001 elk reintroduction and visit old grave and school sites. Chris Hoge of Wildland Trekking will lead the trip.
Participants should have a high level of fitness and basic backpacking equipment. Cost is free for GSMA Hemlock Members and $99 for those who register by July 31. www.smokiesinformation.org/info/backpacking.
Meander Parkway trails with a ranger
A 2-mile hike through the hardwood forest bordering the East Fork of the Pigeon River will include a discussion of water resources and human influences on the environment at 10 a.m. Friday, July 22, at the Looking Glass Rock Overlook of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Led by a Parkway ranger, the hike will traverse Bridges Camp Gap Trail. The starting point is located at Milepost 417 of the Parkway on the Haywood-Transylvania county line. Free. Bring hiking shoes, water and clothing for changeable weather.
828.298.5330, ext. 304.
Catch a love for whitewater
Newbie and national-level youth paddlers alike will find challenge and fun at the 2016 Whitewater Junior Olympics on the Nantahala River July 29-31.
The event, hosted by the Nantahala Racing Club, features slalom, downriver and freestyle competitions as well as justfor-fun events such as duckie-cross, yard games and free paddling on stand up paddleboards. A packed schedule includes races, games, music and classes throughout the three days.
$45 and open to ages 18 and under. Register by July 27 at www.nantahalaracingclub.com/events/junior-olympics or from 10-11 a.m. on any of the event days, when a $20 late fee will apply.
www.nantahalaracingclub.com.
Whitewater to roar from Glenville
A whitewater release at Glenville Dam in Jackson County will make for roaring water at High Falls — located along N.C. 107 — on Saturday, July 30.
Experienced kayakers will launch at the base for a wild ride down the West Fork of the Tuckasegee River, making for a good show. But hikers and anglers should take the release into account when planning outings that day.
The upper reaches of the Tuck don’t usually have enough water for whitewater runs except following major rains, but Duke Energy’s agreement for the federal permits required to run its hydropower dams dictates that it periodically release water from dams on the upper Tuck and upper Nantahala for paddlers to enjoy.
Program turns high school students and teachers into park rangers
Students and teachers from communities around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are starting six weeks of hands-on learning and exploring alongside park rangers.
The Teachers in Parks and High School Intern programs are paid work experiences that allow participants to learn about park resources through on-site training exercises that enable them to perform ranger duties. They’ll finish the program just in time for the new school year, sending them back to the classroom with fresh new knowledge and experience.
“These programs are mutually beneficial,” said Susan Sachs, Education Coordinator for the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, located in the Haywood County portion of the park. “The students and teachers get an in-depth study of resource education techniques, scientific methods and field research to enhance their
Interns Nichole Welbourn and Carson Supola work with Smokies ranger Simon Schreier to collect data at an ozone biomonitoring garden. NPS photo
Become a nature detective
skills and talents, and, in turn, the park creates advocates through better understanding of and appreciation for the Smokies.”
The programs were expanded this summer due to a variety of public and private funding, including Friends of the Smokies license plate funds, the Great Smoky Mountains Association and the Community Foundation of Haywood County. The funds supported five teachers and 24 high school students from North Carolina and Tennessee.
North Carolina students include Kat Casey and Skyler Singleton of Smokey Mountain High School; Matthew Sullivan and Evan Young of Oconaluftee Job Corps; Laura Booth and Brett Treadway of Swain County High School; and Kyra Mehaffey and Hannah Ensley of Pisgah High School. The North Carolina teachers selected include Sharon Flowe of Tuscola High School.
Take note
■ Engraved bricks are available to honor much-loved pets at the Waynesville Dog Park. Bricks are $50 or $75 for two and may also be purchased for the Waynesville Skate Park or Donnie Pankiw Tennis Center. Order forms are available from Rhett Langston, 828.456.2030 or rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov.
■ A 2016 seedling catalogue offering more than 50 species of conifer and hardwood trees is now available from the N.C. Forest Service. Catalogues are available at all N.C. Forest Service offices and online at www.buynctrees.com.
■ An initiative from Duke Energy will provide $1 million to help cities and towns in North Carolina add public charging stations for electric vehicles. The project is expected to increase the state’s inventory of charging stations by 30 percent.
Meet live animals and learn how to uncover the clues wildlife leaves behind with a program from the N.C. Museum of Natural Science, “Animal Tracks and Signs,” offered at three different locations next week.
The program, geared to suit people of all ages, will be held:
■ 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
■ 11 a.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
■ 7 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
Museum educator Karen Polk will give the presentation, explaining how to use your senses like a true nature detective to interpret the clues various animal species leave behind.
Free. Attendance at the Jackson County event is limited to 150 people, with tickets available when the library opens on the morning of the event.
■ Volunteers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were awarded for their service, with the Cove Bike Patrol team earning the Southeast Regional Group Volunteer Service Award as well as the national George and Helen Hartzog Outstanding Group Volunteer Service Award. Volunteer Bob Lochbaum was given the Southeast Regional Enduring Service Award for his 23 years and 15,930 hours of volunteer service to the park to help with mapping efforts.
Conservation groups plead for red wolf program to stay
Petitions bearing nearly half a million signatures urging protection of the endangered red wolf made their way to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week, about one year after the USFWS announced it would suspend a program reintroducing red wolves to the wild.
“It’s shameful how the Service has bowed to political pressure and deliberately undermined the success of its program to recover red wolves,” said Jamie Pang, endangered species campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The agency’s inaction is condemning this species to extinction.”
The petition drive was organized by the Animal Welfare Institute, Care2, Center for Biological Diversity, Endangered Species Coalition, Wildlands Network and a pair of North Carolina high school students.
The only wild population of red wolves on earth, which once ranged throughout the Southeast, is in a five-county area of eastern North Carolina where they were reintroduced. The population includes only 45 red wolves.
ducting a feasibility study to that effect. Results of the study have yet to be delivered. Toward the end of the legislative session, the N.C. House Natural Resources Committee approved a bill requesting the
Environmental groups had contested the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission’s management of the nearly extinct population, even filing a lawsuit to restrict coyote hunting in red wolf territory to avoid red wolves being mistaken for coyotes and shot.
The Wildlife Commission in turn questioned whether the red wolf reintroduction was a valid and worthwhile undertaking. So the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suspended the reintroduction program while con-
Get friendly with bats
USFWS end the red wolf recovery program, but the bill never made it to the floor for a vote.
According to Ben Prater, Southeast program director for Defenders of Wildlife, the bill was tantamount to “calling for extinction of the red wolf.”
Tom MacKenzie, spokesman for the FWS, said that the agency will consider input from all sides as it reaches its final decision on the red wolf program by the end of the summer.
“Input from citizens and partners like the state are part of the process — important along with the biology, research and related conservation work that we take into account,” MacKenzie said.
— By Holly Kays, staff writer
Watch bats in the wild with “Going Batty,” a program offered at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, at the Highlands Nature Center.
While bats comprise one-quarter of the world’s mammal species — 40 percent of the 1,100 species are native to the United States — many U.S. species are in severe decline due to habitat loss and a disease called white-nose syndrome. Besides being pretty cool, bats are important to the environment due to their immense capacity for insect consumption. Some species can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes per hour.
The evening will begin with a short presentation before heading outside to observe bats in their natural environment.
$3, with advance registration required due to limited space. 828.526.2623.
FSA committees looking for candidates
Farmers and livestock producers who would like to serve on a Farm Service Agency county committee have through Aug. 1 to submit a nomination to their local FSA office.
Committee members serve three-year terms, helping to make decisions on federal farm program issues such as disaster, conservation, commodity and price support programs. County committees contain between three and 11 members. To be eligi-
ble, a person must participate or cooperate in an FSA-administered program, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the administrative areas where they are nominated.
Farmers, livestock producers and organizations representing minorities and women may submit nominations. FSA will mail election ballots to eligible voters beginning Nov. 7, and ballots must be returned to the FSA office by Dec. 5. New committee members will take office on Jan. 1, 2017.
For more inforamtion, contact the local FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Red wolf. USFWS photo
COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
• The annual Haywood County Friends of the Library Book Sale is scheduled for July 28-30 at the Waynesville Branch. Hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday.
• Cruise in Maggie Valley event is held from 1-5 p.m. every Sunday at 2771 Soco Road. Vendors: $10 per space. Cruising@MaggieValleyAntiques.com.
B USINESS & E DUCATION
• A “Digger” archeology talk with Jim Kautz, experienced archaeologist and professor of biblical studies, is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting room.
• A presentation on the FLSA and Wage & Hour Act will be presented at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 21, at Southwestern Community College’s Jerry Sutton Public Safety Training Center in Franklin. RSVP: 524.3161 or facc@franklin-chamber.com.
• The grand opening of the new Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society Adoption Center will feature a “ribbonchewing” event at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 22. www.chhumanesociety.org, 743.5752 or info@chhumanesociety.org.
• A computer class on Excel I will be offered at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, July 25, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.
• A “Chamber Mingle” is scheduled for 5-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the Whistle Stop Depot in Franklin. Business Champion Award will be presented. 524.3161.
• Annual meeting of the Historic Frog Level Merchants’ Association is from 6-7:30 p.m. on July 26 at the Old Armory in Frog Level of Waynesville.
• A money-management seminar is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on July 26 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.
• A computer class on Excel II will be offered at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.
FUNDRAISERSAND B ENEFITS
• A charity motorcycle Poker Run is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 23, at Sneak E. Squirrel Brewery & Taproom in Sylva. $25 per hand or $35 per couples. All proceeds benefit the Community Table’s mission to provide meals to neighbors in need in a welcoming environment. http://communitytable.org.
• There will be special dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at Breaking Bread Café in Bethel. Hand cut New York strip streak ($19.95) or teriyaki chicken kabob ($15.95), with each full course meal featuring a handful of sides, soups, and more. By reservation only. www.breakingbreadcafenc.com or 828.648.3838.
• A fundraiser for Tammy Carmona, featuring music by DJ Captain Moose, karaoke, dancing, food, silent auction and door prizes, is scheduled for 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, July 24, at Frog Level Brewery in Waynesville. Carmona is a Haywood County resident undergoing treatment for stage IV metastatic breast cancer. 550.7050. Donations accepted at http://youcaring.com/givetotammycarmona.
• The 28th annual Missions Bazaar will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 29-30 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center on the Macon County Fairgrounds in Franklin. 828.524.3267 or www.franklin-chamber.com.
• Tickets are available for the Southwestern Community College Foundation’s second annual “Bluegrass, Blue Jeans and Bling” gala, which is Aug. 13 at Harrah’s
All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.
Cherokee Casino Resort. Performances by Darren Nicholson and his band as well as classics singer Steve Johannessen. Money goes to Student Success Campaign. Sponsorships range from $1,500-$5,000, and individual tickets are $150. www.southwesterncc.edu/gala, 339.4227 or k_posey@southwesterncc.edu.
• Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is now offering smaller, single replicas quilt trail blocks for purchase. A portion of the cost of each animal themed block will go to the Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter to construct a new animal shelter. The blocks are priced at $65 each with 85 percent of the proceeds being donated to raise funds to build the new Haywood County Animal Shelter. 944.0761 or stop by 1110 Soco Road in Maggie Valley.
H EALTH MATTERS
• A lecture on how to detoxify your life using natural products will be offered at 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 21. 356.2507.
• “Spinal Fractures: Is Kyphoplasty Right for You?” will be the topic of “Dinner with a Doc” presented by spinal surgeon Glenn Trent, MD, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde. 452.8378.
• A do-it-yourself legal clinic on “Living Wills and Healthcare Power of Attorney” will be offered at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the Jackson County Public Library. Registration required: www.legalaidnc.org or 586.2016.
• An American Red Cross Blood Drive is set for 10 a.m.3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800 or haywoodseniors.org.
• An acupuncture clinic will be offered at 7:15 p.m. on July 27 at Waynesville Wellness. 356.5577.
• A tired leg/varicose vein educational program will be offered at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, at the Vein Center at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde. Led by Dr. Al Mina, MD, FACS; and Dr. Joshua Rudd, DO. RSVP required: 452.8346.
• Yoga at the Library is at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4, in the Community Room of the Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.
• Participants are being sought for a clinical trial for those overweight with knee pain. wecan@wfu.edu or 558.0208.
• A support group for anyone with Multiple Sclerosis, family and friends meets at 2 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in the Heritage Room at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. Info: 293.2503.
• A Tai Chi for Arthritis program meets from 10-11 a.m. on Mondays through July 11 (but not July 4) at the Mission and Fellowship Center at Sylva First Baptist.
at 10:30 a.m. on July 24 in historic Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. http://lakejunaluska.com/summer-worship.
• Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville is scheduled for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, on the church grounds. 456.6029.
• Dr. Tony Campolo, internationally known author, evangelist and activist, will be the featured speaker at 10:30 a.m. on July 31 in historic Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. http://lakejunaluska.com/summer-worship.
• Festival of Wisdom and Grace Conference is scheduled for Monday through Thursday, Aug. 1-4, at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. Worship, workshops, professional training and fellowship relating to the second half of life. www.lakejunaluska.com/wisdom-and-grace.
• Coweeta Baptist Church will have revival services at 7 p.m. each Sunday through the rest of July. 524.5268.
AUTHORSAND B OOKS
• The Theme Team Book Club will be presented by the Waynesville Library from 2-4 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. Pick any book from a chosen them; each participant gets a chance to discuss his/her book. Signup required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.
• A community book discussion of “Family Gathering” by Fred Chappell will be led by Keneitha Bryson at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, at the Senior Resource Center. 648.2924 or kpunch@haywoodnc.net.
• “Coffee with the Poet” will feature Western Carolina University English professor and poet Newton Smith at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 21, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 586.9499.
• J.R. Thorton will present his first book Beautiful Country at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies, call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.
• Local author R.P. Foster will sign his recently published comic “Collapse” at 3 p.m. on July 23 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.
• Tyler Cook will present the first book of his new fantasy series Aluria at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies, call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.
• A book group meets at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.
• The NetWest program of the North Carolina Writers Network will host an open mic night at 7 p.m. Friday, July 29, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. www.citylightsnc.com or 586.9499.
• Bob Mustin will present his new book Collateral Damage and Stories at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
S ENIORACTIVITIES
P OLITICAL
• Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor has coffee and an open public discussion with Highlands residents from 11 a.m.-noon on the last Friday of each month at Hudson Library in Highlands. www.fontanalib.org or 526.3031.
• Harry J. Lyness, distinguished evenagelist for the Foundation for Evangelism, will be the featured speaker
• A trip to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial on Thursday, July 21, is being organized by the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. To register and pay, stop by the center or call 356.2800.
• An estate planning program will be offered at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800 or haywoodseniors.org.
• An opportunity to learn about the Haywood Gleaners is set for 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800 or haywoodseniors.org.
• An iPhone/iPad user group meets from 2-4:30 p.m. on Aug. 2, Aug. 30, Sept. 6 and Sept. 20 at the Senior
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
Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800 or haywoodseniors.org.
K IDS & FAMILIES
• Registration is underway through Aug. 5 for fall youth soccer through the Jackson County Parks and Recreation. $55. Open to players with birth years from 2003-2012. Volunteer coaches needed. 293.3053.
• Kindergarten Readiness Storytime is from 10-10:30 a.m. on Fridays throughout July at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.
• A Family Storytime for ages 0-5 is at 11 a.m. on the first three Fridays in July at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.
• Teen Olympics will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.
• Baby Olympics will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20, at Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.
• “A Great Big Forest” will be the topic of a Junior Forester program for ages 8-12 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on July 20 at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest. $4 for youth; $2.50 for adults. Registration required: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.
• “Feathers, Scales and Fur” will be presented by Balsam Mountain Trust at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. For kindergarten through 12th grade. 488.3030.
• A “BB Gun Shooting Range” class will be open to ages 8-15 from 9-11 a.m. on July 20 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education near Brevard. Registration required: www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/E ventRegistration.aspx.
• A “Stream Investigation” class for ages 8-up will be offered from 9-11 a.m. on July 20 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education near Brevard. Registration required: www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/Eve ntRegistration.aspx.
• Library Olympics – field day fun is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on July 20 at the Waynesville Library. 356.2511 or lhartzell@haywoodnc.net.
• “Ready, Set … Slime!” for grades 3-6 is at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.
• Animal Olympics with the N.C. Zoo will be presented at 10:30 a.m. on July 21 at Waynesville Library. 356.2511 or lhartzell@haywoodnc.net.
• Animal Olympians will be in action at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 21, at the Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.
• The North Carolina Zoo will offer a presentation at 2 p.m. on July 21 at Canton Library. 648.2924 or kpunch@haywoodnc.net.
• The Macon County 4-H will present a program entitled “Draw a Giraffe” from 9 a.m. -noon on July 21 for ages 9-18. Cost is $2. Register or pick up forms at 193 Thomas Heights Rd. in Franklin. 349.2046.
• A program entitled “Animal Trails: Signs of Animals” will be offered July 21 at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest. Part of the “Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club,” which meets Thursdays through Aug. 11. $4 per child or $2.50 per adult. Register: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.org.
• “Art Beats for Kids” will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. July 21 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. A new project every week. $20 per child, with includes lesson, materials and snack. To register, call 828.538.2054.
• The Macon County 4-H will present a “Sewing Fun: Wool Applique” program from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on July 22 for ages 8-18. Cost is $2. Register or pick up forms at 193 Thomas Heights Rd. in Franklin. 349.2046.
• Doreyl Ammons Cain will offer Pastel Painting for Kids from 10 a.m.-noon on July 23 at the Stecoah Valley Center. 293.2239.
• Crafternoon – Canvas Creations will be offered for ages 5-12 at 4 p.m. on July 26 at Canton Library. 648.2924 or kpunch@haywoodnc.net.
• A presentation by the Balsam Nature Center for all ages is at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.
• Games and party for grades 3-6 is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.
• Animal Tracks with live animals will be presented by the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences for ages 4-up at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.
• “Wildlife Studies” will be the topic of a Junior Forester program for ages 8-12 from 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. on July 27 at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest. $4 for youth; $2.50 for adults. Registration required: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.
• “Animal Tracks and Signs” will be presented July 27-28 at three area libraries. The program from the N.C. Museum of Natural Science is at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City; at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva and at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
• A program entitled “To See or Not to See: Camouflage” will be offered from 10:30 a.m.-noon and from 1:30-3 p.m. on July 28 at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest. Part of the “Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club,” which meets Thursdays through Aug. 11. $4 per child or $2.50 per adult. Register: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.org.
• Games, storytime and a party are scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 28, at the Macon Library in Franklin. For ages 0-7.
• Fabulous Fit Friday for all ages is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, July 29, at Macon Library in Franklin.
• Pizza and a movie for everyone who completed the summer reading program is scheduled for 3 p.m. on July 29 at Hudson Library in Highlands. Registration required: 526.3031 or www.fontanalib.org.
• An Ice Cream party is scheduled for 1 p.m. on July 30 at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031 or www.fontanalib.org.
• Chef in Training program for grades K-6 is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, at Macon Library in Franklin.
• “Nature Connects®, Art with LEGO® Bricks” will be on display from July 30-Oct. 23 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. www.ncarboretum.org.
• Kids Fishing Day for ages 5-15 is scheduled for July 30 through the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. Register by July 29. $5. 293.3053, 631.2020 or www.facebook.com/jacksonrecreationandparks.
S UMMER CAMP
• Registration is underway for a British Soccer Camp, which is July 25-29 at Recreation Park in Cullowhee. www.challengersports.com.
• Registration is underway for a British Soccer Camp that will be offered for ages 3-14 from July 25-29 at the Waynesville Recreation Center.
• Macon County Overnight 4-H Camp is from July 2628 for ages 9-15. Cost is $30. Register or pick up forms at 193 Thomas Heights Rd. in Franklin. 349.2046.
• Weekly summer camps highlighting adventure and hands-on science education will be offered through July 29 at Lake Logan Episcopal Center. $255 per week. susan@lakelogan.org or 646.0095.
• Voices in the Laurel will host its seventh-annual SummerVoice Music Camp from Aug. 1-5 at First Baptist Church in Waynesville. Theme is “A GLEEful Summer.” Tuition: $85 for first and second graders; $145 for third-through-12th graders. www.voicesinthelaurel.org or 734.9163.
K IDSMOVIES
• A family movie will be shown at 10:30 a.m. every Friday (but not July 29) at Hudson Library in Highlands.
• A children’s movie is shown at 1 p.m. on Mondays throughout July at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.
• “Secret Life of Pets” will be shown at 7 p.m. on July 20-22 and July 25-28, July 23 at 10:30 a.m., 12:35 p.m., 2:40 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 6:50 p.m. and 8:55 p.m., also on July 24 at 12:30 p.m., 2:40 p.m. 4:50 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the Strand in Waynesville.
• The “Movies on Everett” summer film series will screen “The Good Dinosaur” July 22 and “The Blind Side” July 29. All films are free and start at 8:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.
• A family movie will be shown at 2 p.m. on Monday, July 25 and Aug. 1, at Canton Library. 648.2924.
• A family movie will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Movie is about a girl who plays football. For info, including title, call 524.3600.
• A children’s movie, rated PG, is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, at Macon Library in Franklin.
• A family movie will be shown 1 p.m. on Monday’s during the summer at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.
• A family movie will be shown at 2 p.m. on July 25 at Canton Library. 648.2924 or kpunch@haywoodnc.net.
held at 7:30 p.m. July 24 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. www.scmfestival.com. 452.0593 or www.haywoodarts.org.
• The 51st annual Macon County Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28-July 31 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. www.franklin-chamber.com.
• Reservations are being accepted for the Southwestern Community College Auto Club’s annual car show, which is Aug. 12-13 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center in Franklin in conjunction with the Mountain High BBQ Festival. 524.3161, 888.368.2328 or d_myers@southwesterncc.edu.
F OOD & D RINK
• The next “Way Back When” trout dinner will be at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 29, at the Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley. $39.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The dinner will also be held Aug. 12 and 26, and Sept. 2 and 16. To RSVP, call 926.1401 or 800.868.1401 or www.cataloocheeranch.com.
ON STAGE & I N CONCERT
• The Unto These Hills outdoor drama will run at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Aug. 13 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee. 866.554.4557 or www.visitcherokenc.com.
• “Jesus Christ Superstar” will be presented from July 8-31 at HART in Waynesville. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on July 21-23 and 28-30 and at 2 p.m. on July 24 and 31. Tickets: 456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.
• “THE WIZARD OF OZ™” train ride at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroads depot in Bryson City. Operates July 21-24, July 28-31 and Aug. 4-7. Tickets start at $48 for adults and $38 for children. 800.872.4681 or by visiting www.gsmr.com.
• Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” will be presented by Overlook Theatre Company at 7:30 p.m. on July 22-23 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. www.GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.
• The Ugandan Imani Milele Children’s Choir will present a concert at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, at the First United Methodist Church in Sylva. 586.2358.
• Tyler Kittle will perform a jazz concert at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.
• Dave Spangler (singer-songwriter) performs at 8 p.m. on July 22 at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.
• The production of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will hit the stage at 8 p.m. July 22-24 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students. www.smctheatre.com.
• Gary Carter (singer-songwriter) performs at 8 p.m. on July 23 at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.
• Free dulcimer concerts will be offered on July 28 and 30 at Western Carolina University. Mountain dulcimers will be featured at 7 p.m. on July 28 in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center; hammer dulcimer will be featured at 7 p.m. on July 30 in the theater of A.K. Hinds University Center. 227.7397.
• Country/rock star Aaron Lewis will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, July 29, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. The show is ages 21 and over. www.ticketmaster.com or call 800.745.3000.
• Kellie Pickler, a small-town North Carolina native who competed on NBC’s “American Idol” and then again when she won ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.
• Award-winning storyteller Gary Carden will present “Outlander” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 31, at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center. Mountain music by Joe Penland. Tickets: $6. http://olliasheville.com/specialprograms or 251.6140.
CLASSESAND PROGRAMS
• Submissions are now being accepted for the 2017 edition of Milestone, the biennial art and literary review published by Southwestern Community College. Open to residents of Jackson, Macon, Swain counties and the Qualla Boundary – as well as SCC students and alumni. Info and submissions (by Dec. 5): tknott@southwesterncc.edu or bkeeling@southwesterncc.edu. Info: 339.4314 or 339.4325.
• The Dusty Pallet is the newest art gallery in Franklin. The studio is located in downtown at 52 East Main Street. For only $35, the gallery provides everything you need to create your own masterpiece. Watch for our days and times at their website, www.thedustypallet.com. Call and schedule your group at 828.524.5676. The shop is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• A thread-painting class will be offered from 9 a.m.3 p.m. on July 21, at the Jackson County Extension Center in Sylva. $35 plus supplies. Register at the center or by calling 586.4009.
• The High Country Quilt Guild will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on July 21 at the First Methodist Church in Waynesville. Judy Simmons, well known fabric artist and quilter, will present. Newcomers welcome. highcountryquilters.wordpress.com.
• A “Bead Weaving” workshop will be offered by Dogwood Crafters from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 21. Register by July 14. $5. 586.2435 or junettapell@hotmail.com.
• The Gem & Mineral Society meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Featured speaker Larry Carby will discuss the process of mountain freeform and calibrated stones, fossils, shells and more.
FESTIVALSAND S PECIAL EVENTS
• The 2016 Folkmoot festival begins on July 21 and closes on July 31. Grand opening on July 22, 7 p.m. at Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska, Parade of Nations on Main St. in downtown Waynesville on July 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. For listing of other events or to purchase tickets, please go to www.folkmootusa.org or call 452.2997.
• The WNC Official Barbecue Festival “Smokin’ in the Valley” is scheduled for July 22-23 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. $6 for adults; $1 children 612; free for kids under six. Two-day pass is $10. www.wncbbqfestival.org.
• The Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival will be
• Internationally known Organist Jack W. Jones will perform a program of organ music at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 24, at First Baptist Church of Franklin. 524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.
• A performance from five international Folkmoot groups is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the Swain County Performing Arts Center in Bryson City. 452.2997 or www.folkmootusa.org.
• Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range, winner of the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association award for “Entertainer of the Year,” will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, on the lawn of the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University. Free. www.balsamrange.com.
• Larry Barnett and Blue Smith will perform traditional music at 7 p.m. on July 28 at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. 488.3030.
• A “Bladesmithing: Machete Class” will be offered by Brock Martin from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on July 23-24 at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. $275 cost includes materials. No prior experience required. Register: 631.0271 or www.jcgep.org.
• Doreyl Ammons Cain will offer a portrait pastel painting class from 1:30-4:30 p.m. on July 28 at the Cashiers Senior Center. 293.2239.
• The fourth-annual Cupcake Challenge is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, at the Canton Library. Theme is “Celebrating Appalachian Arts.” 648.2924.
• A basketmaking workshop will be led by Donna Pollock from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Cost is $20. Register by July 21. 586.2435 or junettapell@hotmail.com.
• A Viking round shield class will be taught by Brock
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Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 3031 at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.
Cost is $265, materials included. For more information and to register, call 631.0271 or www.jcgep.org.
• A Paint and Pour party is scheduled for 6-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. $25 includes materials, instruction and demo. Pre-registration required: appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or prepay using paypal.
ARTSHOWINGSAND GALLERIES
• “Uranian Willy Appalachian Super Art Extravaganza Event” featuring 21 multimedia pieces by William Earle Wheeler will be on display through July 30 at Panacea Coffeehouse in Waynesville. 316.1675.
• Gallery Zella (Bryson City) will host live music, hors d'ouevres, wine and newly unveiled art collections. Artists featured for July 29 are Jo Ridge Kelley, impressionist painter; and Diannah Beauregard, jewelry designer. $25 per couple, which can be applied toward purchase of $100 or more. www.greatsmokies.com.
• A touring exhibition of work by artist Wendy Maruyama is on display at the Penland Gallery in Penland. www.penland.org.
• The graduating class of Haywood Community College’s professional crafts program is exhibiting exhibit class members’ best work at the 2016 Graduate Show, which runs through Aug. 7 at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville. Work includes clay, jewelry, fiber, metal and wood. The center is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Acrylic paintings by 94-year-old Denise McCullough and photographs by Helen Geltman are on display through August at the Canton Library’s Visual Arts Exhibit. www.haywoodarts.org.
• 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.
FILM & S CREEN
• Adult movie time, 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.
• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will screen “Batman vs. Superman” (July 21-23, 29), “Demolition” (July 28) and “Dirty Dancing” (July 30). Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Fridays; and 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturdays. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.
• An Appalachian-based movie will be shown at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at the Canton Library. Starring Bill Murray and Robert Duvall. 648.2924.
• A screening of the documentary “The Sad & Beautiful World of Sparklehorse” will be presented at 6 p.m. on
Thursday, July 28, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Film is about an alt-rock band and its founder. 586.2016.
• A classic 1966 comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 29, at the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. A legendary art collector unknowingly sends a fake sculpture to a prestigious Paris museum. 524.3600.
Outdoors
• An Emergency Medical Technician and WMI Wilderness Upgrade for the Medical Prrofessional will be offered on Aug. 1-5 - in Cullowhee. Register: 293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.edu.
• A bird walk along the greenway is scheduled for 8 a.m. on July 20 in Franklin. Meet at Salali Lane. Franklinbirdclub.com or 524.5234.
• A presentation on watersheds and their importance to the area will be offered at 11 a.m. on July 21 at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Creeden Kowal, Swain Soil and Water education coordinator, will lead the conversation. 488.3030.
• A “Casting for Beginners: Level 1” class will be offered from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on July 21 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required:
• A Zahner Lecture on “Birds of a Feather Researched Together: Bird Monitoring in the S. Appalachians will be offered at 6:30 p.m. on July 21 at the Highlands Biological Station. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.
• A class entitled “On the Water: Looking Glass Creek” will be offered from 8 a.m.-noon on July 22 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required:
• Bellyak Adventure, an opportunity learn the art of prone (laying down) kayaking, will be offered on July 23 by the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. $20. Register by calling 293.3053 or 631.2020.
• A presentation on “Golden-winged Warblers of Costa Rica” will be offered by John Gerwin at 7:30 p.m. on July 25 at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.
• A traveling exhibit “So Great the Devastation: The 1916 Flood,” which recalls the catastrophe that struck WNC shortly after the opening of Chimney Rock State Park, will be on display through July 25 at Chimney Rock. 625.9611, ext. *810.
• A “Going Batty” presentation will be offered from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on July 26 at the Highlands Biological Station. $3. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.
• Bleu Moon Productions’ “Tom Dooley: A Wilkes County Legend” will have performances specifically for Jackson, Haywood, Macon and Swain Counties at 8 p.m. on July 27 and July 30 at Forest’s Edge Amphitheatre off Highway 421 North in Historic Hamby Park in Wilkesboro. Residents of the aforementioned counties get $5 off the original $15 ticket price. www.tomdooleync.com or 336.426.2538.
• A Zahner Lecture on “The Ocean’s Invisible Forest: Insights into the Ecology of Phytoplankton” will be presented at 6:30 p.m. on July 28 at the Highlands Botanical Garden at the Highlands Biological Station. 586.2221 or www.highlandsbiological.org.
• An “Animal Tracks” program will presented by the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031 or www.fontanalib.org.
• A bird walk along the greenway is scheduled for 8 a.m. on July 27 in Franklin. Meet at Big Bear Shelter parking area. Franklinbirdclub.com or 524.5234.
• Retired Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildlife ranger Kim Delozier will discuss his books “Bear in the Back Seat I & II” from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday, July 29, at Bryson City’s National Park Visitor Center and Heritage Museum. www.SmokiesInformation.org or 888.898.9102, Ext. 325, 222 or 254.
• The Whitewater Junior Olympics are July 29-31 on the Nantahala River. Hosted by the Nantahala Racing Club. Slalom, downriver and freestyle competitions as well as duckie-cross, yard games and free paddling on stand-up paddleboards. Register by July 27. $45 and open to ages 18-under. www.nantahalaracingclub.com/events/juniorolympics or on any event day for a $20 late fee. www.nantahalaracingclub.com.
• A “Backyard Wildlife Photography Workshop” will be led by Larry Thompson from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, at the Balsam Community Center. Pre-registration required. Cost is $40. Send check to: Larry Thompson, P.O. Box 390; Balsam, N.C. 28707. Info: 452.5414 or lvthompson@earthlink.net.
• Volunteers are needed to assist with the Alum Cave Trail Restoration Project every Wednesday through Sept.
• A whitewater release is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, at High Falls at Glenville Dam in Jackson County along N.C. 107. Hikers and anglers should take the release into account.
• Train History Day is July 30 at the Cradle of Forestry in Transylvania County. 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. – old photographs and a talk by WNC train historian Jerry Ledford on local logging train history. www.cradleofforestry.org or 877.3130.
• A program on “Animal Adventures along the Equator: From Africa to Ecuador” will be presented by Ed and Cindy Boos at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 1 at Hudson Library in Highlands. Mixer at 7 p.m.
FARMAND GARDEN
• A Garden Tour: Bog Carnivores is scheduled for 10:30-11:30 a.m. on July 25 at the Highlands Botanical Garden at the Highlands Biological Station. 586.2221 or www.highlandsbiological.org.
• Local farmers can stop by the Cooperative Extension Office on Acquoni Road from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every fourth Friday to learn about USDA Farm Service Agency programs in the 2014 Farm Bill. Info: 488.2684, ext. 2 (Wednesday through Friday) or 524.3175, ext. 2 (Monday through Wednesday).
• The Macon County Poultry Club of Franklin meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative Extension Office on Thomas Heights Rd, Open to the public. 369.3916.
COMPETITIVE E DGE
• Registration is underway for the Summer Blast Twilight Spring triathlon, which is Aug. 13 at Lake Chatuge. www.raceodysseyevents.com, tri20001@msn.com or 389.6982.
• The Path to the Breakaway, a group for women 18 and older, meets regularly in preparation for the Blue Ridge Breakaway on Saturday, Aug. 20. Offered by BicycleHaywoodNC. Registration for the race is $41 (by Aug. 1) for the shortest route. www.blueridgebreakaway.com or bobclarklaw@gmail.com.
H IKING CLUBS
• Carolina Mountain Club will have an 11-mile hike with a 1,500-foot ascent of Shining Rock from Black Balsam on July 20. For info and reservations, contact leader Randy Fluharty at 423.9030 or rfluharty54@gmail.com.
• Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead an easy-to-moderate, two-mile hike and discuss game animals at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 21. Meet at the dirt pull off at Milepost 389.5 south of Highway 25. 298.5330, ext. 304.
• Blue Rige Parkway rangers will lead a moderate, two-mile hike through a hardwood forest at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 22. Meet at Looking Glass Rock Overlook at Milepost 417. 298.5330, ext. 304.
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
ARTSAND CRAFTS
TAKE A STAINED GLASS, FUSED Glass or Mosaic Glass Class, In My Waynesville Studio. For more info contact Gayle Haynie, Email: gayle@glassbygayle.com or call 706.273.4629. Will do Group or One on One. I also do Custom Work. View my Work at: glassbygayle.com
AUCTION
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NCAL#7889
AUCTION, Online w/ Bid Center, Olde Beau Golf & Country Club, Golf Course, Lots, Land & Houses, Roaring Gap, NC, Begins Closing 8/4/16, Selling Regardless of Price at the End of the Auction, ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL3936
ADVERTISE YOUR AUCTION, Event, Items for Sale, Job Opp, etc. in this newspaper plus 100 other newspapers across the state for only $375. For more information, contact the classified department of this newspaper or call NCPS 919.516.8018, email: ads@ncpress.com
CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING
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Renew 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.
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
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Tractors, 1953 CHEVROLET Truck, Corvettes, Motorcycle, ONLINE ONLY AUCTION, Bidding Ends JULY 28TH @ 7:00PM-Morehead City, NC www.HouseAuctionCompany.com
252.729.1162
NCAL#7889
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EMPLOYMENT
AVIATION GRADS
Work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification. Financial aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.724.5403 SAPA
EMPLOYMENT
HEAD START DIRECTOR
Mountain Projects is seeking applicants for Head Start/Early Start Director for Haywood and Jackson Counties. Applicants must have a Bachelor Degree in related field but a Master’s Degree is preferred. A minimum of 3 years experience is required including supervision and budget management. Knowledge of Early Childhood Education is preferred. Applicant must be able to travel locally and out of the area, work a flexible work schedule, and work with diverse populations. Strong written and oral skill is necessary. Applications will be accepted through the summer. Resumes submitted without completed applications will not be considered. Mountain Projects, Inc 2251 Old Balsam Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786 www.mountainprojects.org EOE/AA
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B.H. GRANING LANDSCAPES, INC
Now hiring for the position of crew member - the grass is growing and so is our businesscome join our team. Full-time year round work, competitive wages, good work environment. Please call 828.586.8303 for more info or email resume to: roger.murajda@bhlandscapes. com
EMPLOYMENT
JACKSON CO. PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES IS NOW PARTNERED WITH MERIDIAN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES
We are currently recruiting for the following positions in Child Services:
• Clinicians for Outpatient Services
• Clinicians for Day Treatment Services
• Clinicians for Intensive In-Home Services
• Clinicians for DJJ Populations
• Qualified Professionals for Day Treatment Services
• Qualified Professionals for Intensive In-Home Services
Please visit the employment section of our website for further information about any positions listed and apply directly by submitting an application and resume. www.meridianbhs.org
MAD BATTER
Located in Downtown Sylva is Hiring for Dish Washer/Line Cook. Please apply in person between 2 - 4p.m. Tuesday - Friday.
NEED MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES!
Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Visit us at: Careertechnical.edu/nc. 1.888.512.7122.
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EMPLOYMENT
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Paid Training, great salary, benefits, $ for school. Gain valued skills. No exp needed. HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419.
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For a new career as an accounting assistant! Call for more info about our online training program! Learn to process Payroll, Invoices & more! Job placement assistance when completed. HS Diploma/GED required. 1.888.407.7063.
TEACHING VACANCIES:
Vocal/Choral, Early Childhood Special Education, Reading Specialist, Business & Information Technology, Middle School Mathematics, Special Education General Curriculum, History & Social Science, Mathematics, Journalism/Theatre Arts, High School Counselor, Electronics/Robotics, Earth Science, Spanish, Drafting, Reading Literacy, Alternative Education (Core subject endorsement required). To apply, visit www.pecps.k12.va.us and complete the online application. Prince Edward County Public Schools, Farmville, Virginia 23901 434.315.2100 - EOE
COLONIAL LIFE
Seeking Experienced Benefits Counselors. Immediate Income Potential! All training provided. LA&H license. Contact Jennifer: 843.323.6015. JAngelich@ColonialLife.com.
FTCC -
Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Director of Financial Aid. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office. Phone: 910.678.8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu. EOE
PINOY - A HANDSOME MIXED BREED ABOUT THREE YEARS OLD. HE IS CHOCOLATE BROWN COLOR WITH WHITE ACCENTS. HE IS A GREAT ALL-AROUND DOG, SWEET NATURED & FRIENDLY TO ALL. HE IS NOT THE GREATEST ON A LEASH, SO WE'RE THROWING IN A FREEDOM NO-PULL HARNESS & SOLVES THAT PROBLEM! BONUS: HIS ADOPTION FEE IS SPONSORED!
CHAZ & HIS LITTER MATES ASIA AND AZLANARE ADORABLE TUXEDO KITTIES ABOUT 8 WEEKS OLD. THEY ARE LITTLE FLUFF BALLS WITH THE CUTEST FACES! THEY ENJOY PLAYING IN OUR CAT ROOM WITH TOYS AND THE OTHER KITTENS, AND ESPECIALLY LIKE TO CLIMB ON THE CAT TOWERS.
For a new career as an accounting assistant! Call for more info about our online training program! Learn to process Payroll, Invoices & more! Job placement assistance when completed. HS Diploma/GED required. 1.888.407.7063.
DRIVERS: REGIONAL & OTR
Company: Complete Benefits Package. O/OP’s and Lease. Payment Options for 2012 Cascadia’s, Just Sign and Drive. CDL-A 2yrs Exp. Billy 855.204.6535
CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVOCATE
Resolve problems, concerns, insurance, coding and billing questions, manages all incoming internal and external customer phone calls, e-mails. Send your resume and salary to: skan76@outlook.com
FINANCIAL
ATTENTION!
Landscapers, Carpet Cleaners, Handymen and General Contractors! Get Up to $250,000 in Business Cash, Credit and or Financing! 800.417.6360 Ext 7118, www. ExpertFundingSpecialists.INFO
BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD.
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SELL YOUR STRUCTURED
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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!
The best bedding at the best price! 533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240
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
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
SAWMILLS
PETS
HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER
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
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 an equal opportunity basis.
NC MOUNTAIN RANCH Style 2/bed 2/bath log home on 2 pvt level acres, only $157,900. Fireplace, screened back porch, too many features to list 828.286.2981.
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RUN YOUR CLASSIFIED In 101 North Carolina newspapers for only $375 for a 25-word ad. Call this newspaper or 919.516.8009 for details.
MEDICAL
SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB:
CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE FOR YOU
1 Month Free with 12 Month 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 1.800.319.8705 SAPA
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
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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
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Have you had complications due to internal bleeding (after January 2012)? If so, you MAY be due financial compensation. If you don’t have an attorney, CALL Injuryfone today! 1.800.531.0529 SAPA
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
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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. STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT
CASH FOR UNEXPIRED
Diabetic Test Strips! Free shipping. Best Prices & 24 hr payment! Call 1.855.378.1147
www.TestStripSearch.com Habla Espanol SAPA
SELL YOUR STRUCTURED Settlement or annuity payments for CASH NOW. You don't have to wait for your future payments any longer! Call 1.800.316.0271.
WE BUY DAMAGED VEHICLES! Top Dollar Offer. Free Towing From Anywhere. All Makes/Models 20002015 Wanted. America’s Top Car Buyer! Call Now: 1.800.761.9396 SAPA
PERSONAL
A CHILDLESS, FINANCIALLY
Secure Married couple seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on parents. Your expenses PAID. Todd & Sharon. Call 1.844.377.4077 and see our pics at: adoptspace.com/SharonTodd SAPA
ADOPT:
A loving family is ready to grow! Preplacement assessment completed, approved by Surrogate's Court of Nassau County, NY12/15. Please call Alana & Michael: 1.855.840.3066 or text 917.790.0750. www.AlanaAndMichaelAdopt.net
72 Ireland’s longest river 75 Events for bulldoggers
76 Cut grass
79 Business that makes flag holders?
81 Join together
Lion growth
“— further review ...”
Grassy area
23 Actress Swank comes next?
25 “That’s been canceled” 26 Large truck
Singer — James 28 Sign of good or ill 29 Disobeys established rules on how to make and serve meat sauce?
37 Shaped like a bagel
38 “What —!” (“How dull!”)
39 Ship locale 40 Donkey serving morning meals?
45 Biblical land with a queen
50 “Say it — so, Joe!”
51 Cuts into small cubes 52 Chi preceder 55 Landfill woe
56 Classic autos 57 Made in the manner
58 Hairdo for folks going after prey?
62 Detroit-to-Nashville
63 “Mr. —” (1983 hit for Styx)
Met solo
Must-haves 92 Positively charged atom moving very quickly?
97 One may shout “Out!”
Brutish types 101 Is defined as
Groups with no university teachers as members?
110 Sector
Hipsters’ talk
Shrink 115 Thing influencing the decision to use whitewash?
123 Aardvark lookalike 124 Bring to mind
Bit of ado
Part of UCLA
127 Ship’s left
Keyed in
Biting writing
me go!”
It climbs walls
Do a floor job
“I Like —” (‘50s slogan)
Abridge
Angle lead-in
Bobby of the rink
Dark deli loafΩ
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SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION
AVIATION GRADS
Work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification. Financial aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.441.6890.
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SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION
FTCCFayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Director of Financial Aid. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office. Phone: 910.678.8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu. EOE
TEACHING VACANCIES:
Vocal/Choral, Early Childhood Special Education, Reading Specialist, Business & Information Technology, Middle School Mathematics, Special Education General Curriculum, History & Social Science, Mathematics, Journalism/Theatre Arts, High School Counselor, Electronics/Robotics, Earth Science, Spanish, Drafting, Reading Literacy, Alternative Education (Core subject endorsement required). To apply, visit www.pecps.k12.va.us and complete the online application. Prince Edward County Public Schools, Farmville, Virginia 23901 434.315.2100 - EOE
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Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine. Answers on Page 42
The naturalist’s corner
BY DON H ENDERSHOT
Wading through nostalgia
Give a Loosiana boy a reason to don his hip boots and strap on a headlight and you’ve got a happy camper. I recently got that opportunity through a contract with the Forest Service to do a salamander survey on three streams in the Cheoah District of the Nantahala National Forest. The three small headwater streams were Wolf Laurel, Sand Creek and Whiggs Branch.
Standing in the dark, in the water with my entire field of vision reduced to a yellow beam ending in a somewhat luminescent glow kinda opened the nostalgia ports. I could remember being a teenager standing in the water scanning the shallows of Felton Brake or Sucker Pond for the red/orange glow of bullfrog eyes; or later, in college, scanning the marshes around Rockefeller Refuge in Cameron Parish for larger red gator eyes.
But there were no glowing eyes to look for here and the scanning was primarily within a five- or six-foot circle in search of good rocks to turn at the water’s edge plus keeping an eye out for salamanders on the
prowl that had left their daytime burrows for the moist night air. And while there were no gators nor cottonmouths to worry about and no mosquitoes biting nor buzzing nor flying into my eyes, ears and mouth (as a teenager, hunting frogs in Louisiana, I used to puff away on a Roi-Tan falcon all night — I never inhaled but the blue plume of cigar smoke kept the mosquitoes from around my head) each stream had its own particular set of challenges.
Wolf Laurel may have been the easiest to navigate, at least as far downstream as I went. It got to the point where it was just falling over boulders, with not much footing and hardly anyplace to look for salamanders. But it was pretty easy to navigate going back upstream from my starting point. I recorded a good number of salamanders in Wolf Laurel — most were black-bellied, Desmognathus quadramaculatus, which was the most common salamander in all three streams. I saw more brook trout in Wolf Laurel than in the other two streams and the first night I was there I saw five or six crayfish, which conveniently disappeared after I told Steve Fraley, fisheries biologist with North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and promised to collect some
for him — can you say Murphy’s Law?
Sand Creek was the toughest go. Heading downstream from the starting point, it was only a matter of meters before one was in a narrow, ditchsized stream with rhododendron branches stretching from bank to bank. Upstream was a little better but it was clogged with several treefalls that one had to climb through or over or find a way to get around — not an easy task in the dark with no marked trails around. It may have been a function of the terrain but I found the fewest salamanders along Sand Creek. Water levels seemed low and that probably didn’t help as I was searching for more aquatic salamanders and didn’t venture out of the streambed.
Whigg Branch was my favorite stream. It was larger, deeper and a little easier to navigate. The first night I surveyed Whigg was just after a rain and I found several salamanders perched on boulders in the stream. I
stopped at one point and sat down on a large boulder to ID a couple I had just caught, and as I was looking at them and referring to a field guide something caught my attention. I turned my headlight to see sitting next to me on the boulder — a good two feet from the water — a Blue Ridge two-lined salamander, Eurycea wilderae, glowing golden in the spotlight.
Sure, it was about salamanders, but the last night I was out the waxing gibbous moon was illuminating the forest. I heard a great horned owl as I was suiting up for the first creek and then a barred owl a few minutes later. As I was rounding a curve in my auto headed to the next stream I encountered a road full of wild piglets bounding stiff-legged after mama, who had already disappeared into the woods.
So it wasn’t all about salamanders. It was about wild places and moonlight; about nostalgia and remembering other wild places and being grateful for our public lands and hoping wild places remain wild in perpetuity. (Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)
