Page 4 Health foundation to form following Mission sale Page 8
On the Cover:
Full Spectrum Farms in Cullowhee is a nonprofit organization that gives children with autism a safe environment to be themselves while also encouraging them to expand their abilities and have fun with their peers. (Page 32) Holly Kays photo
Ballot referenda bring lawmakers back to Raleigh ..................................................4 The damage done: finding needles in a haystack ....................................................6 Sylva will host N.C. 107 information session ..............................................................7 New health foundation to form following Mission sale ............................................8 LifePoint Health to merge with RCCH Healthcare ..................................................9 Commission to improve post-high school education ............................................10 Cherokee seeks $280 million credit for construction ..........................................12 Vehicle emissions testing goes up in smoke ............................................................13 Community Almanac ........................................................................................................15
Opinion
There’s magic in these evening Edisto walks ..........................................................16
A&E
A conversation with Doug Clifford of CCR ..............................................................20
Back Then
Virgin’s bower is a favorite mountain wildflower......................................................55
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S UBSCRIPTIONS
Not so fast: ballot referenda bring lawmakers back to Raleigh
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
The polls are usually thought of as a place to vote for or against people, but this year in North Carolina, they will also be a place to vote for or against ideas — six of them, in fact; a spate of proposed additions and amendments to the state’s constitution will go before voters Nov. 6, after making it out of the General Assembly’s spring session with the required 60 percent level of support.
None of the proposals enjoys anything resembling bi-partisan support; all but one of the six ballot questions were sponsored solely by Republicans, and all sailed through the Republican-dominated General Assembly with manageable Democratic opposition.
Although some of the proposals did garner moderate Democratic encouragement and stand a very good chance of passage — the right to harvest wildlife, and expanded rights for crime victims, for example — other controversial issues like judicial appointment authority, board of elections representation and voter ID requirements will likely see vigorous partisan debate.
Soon it will be up to voters, who will with a simple yes or no decision determine which proposals are to be enshrined in the state’s chief governing document alongside the inalienable rights already delineated therein.
“I think it’s a good thing for the people of our state, rather than coming heavy handed from the legislature,” said Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City. “This is an opportunity for their voices to be heard.”
The six proposed constitutional amendments appear relatively straightforward — one protects the right to hunt and fish, one provides better protection for victims of crime, one clarifies appointments to the state’s elections board just as another does the same with judicial vacancies, one caps the state’s income tax rate, and one requires a photo ID be presented in order to vote.
But as always the devil’s in the details, of which there are currently few.
The amendments currently lack what’s called enabling legislation that would more clearly spell out how the amendments would be implemented. For example, what type of identification, exactly, is sufficient to comply with the voter ID law? A passport? A military ID? A membership card from Sam’s Club? Additionally, a fight is brewing over how the proposed amendments will be described on the ballot itself.
That’s why legislators were being called back to Raleigh as The Smoky Mountain News went to print July 24, according to a statement issued by the office of Cleveland Republican and Speaker of the House Rep. Tim Moore July 23.
“The state General Assembly will convene this week to adopt a fair and nonpartisan approach to captioning the six proposed constitutional amendments for North Carolina voters this November, after state House and Senate leaders obtained signatures from the necessary three-fifths majority of each chamber to convene a special session,” it reads. “State lawmakers already provided short titles and ballot questions for the six constitutional amendments that clearly and concisely describe
the proposals. Opposition to the proposals, however, is fueling political influence on the Constitutional Amendments Publication Commission charged with accurately describing the questions with apolitical captions for voters.”
That commission consists of two Democrats, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Attorney General Josh Stein,
“I think it’s a good thing for the people of our state, rather than coming heavy handed from the legislature. This is an opportunity for their voices to be heard.”
— Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City
as well as one Republican, Legislative Services Officer Paul Coble.
While Moore appears wary of political manipulation from the commission, Senate candidate Bob Kuppers, D-Franklin, says that manipulation has already taken place.
“These amendments were put on the ballot primarily to manipulate the voters,” he said. “Voters have seen these games before. There was no serious discussion, and they are poorly written with no details. Our state constitution is too sacred a document to allow cynical politicians in Raleigh to use it as part of an electoral strategy.”
Clampitt said he’d supported the
amendments in the legislature, and would support them at the ballot box as well. His fellow Haywood representative, Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, concurred with him, saying they were all good amendments; she was a sponsor of and driving force behind the voter ID proposal.
Presnell’s opponent in November, Canton Democrat Rhonda Cole Schandevel, calls the proposals a power grab.
“Remember back when we were in High School studying civics and economics? OK, maybe that is too far back for some of us to recall, but I venture to say that we all have come to know and understand the phrase ‘checks and balances,’” Schandevel said. “What these amendments are designed to do is shift the powers away from two of the three branches of our government and centralize the power within the legislative branch.”
It’s unlikely the special session will result in the alteration of any of the amendments, but unless and until the legislature clarifies some of them, they’ll be asking voters for a blank check in how they’re actually enforced, something the special session may clarify.
Regardless, Clampitt’s November opponent, Waynesville Democrat and former Rep. Joe Sam Queen, didn’t want to talk about the substance of them until more information was available, but he was happy to give his opinion on where he thinks the process is headed.
“Since they passed these wild-eyed cavalier amendments, they’ve called [legislators] back to special session to monkey with them,” said Queen. “These amendments have not passed the smell test for the public, or for the media. My general sense is that if you don’t think they’re smelling good now, just wait until they get done.”
Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and Rep. Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, did not return repeated emails seeking comment on this story. Davis will face Kuppers this fall, and Corbin is running for reelection unopposed.
November ballot referenda
Although legislators have been called back to Raleigh for a special session that may include modification of the descriptions of the six ballot referenda up for consideration by voters, the substance of the proposed constitutional amendments will not likely change.
PROTECT THE RIGHT TO HUNT, FISH AND HARVEST WILDLIFE
Session law 2018-96
• Primary sponsors: Sens. Danny Britt, RRobeson, Norm Sanderson, R-Arapahoe, Tom McInnis, R-Rockingham
• Final votes: House 92-23, Senate 41-6
• Democrats voting in favor: House 19, Senate 8
• Republicans voting against: House 0, Senate 0
• Effective date: Upon passage
• What it says: “The right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife is a valued part of the State’s heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good.”
PROVIDE BETTER PROTECTIONS AND SAFEGUARDS TO VICTIMS OF CRIME
• What it says: “Victims of crime or acts of delinquency shall be treated with dignity and respect by the criminal justice system.”
ESTABLISH A BIPARTISAN BOARD OF ETHICS AND ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT AND CLARIFY BOARD APPOINTMENTS
Session law 2018-117
• Primary sponsor: Rep. David Lewis, R-Dunn
• Final votes: House 74-44, Senate 32-14
• Democrats voting in favor: House 0, Senate 0
• Republicans voting against: House 1, Senate 1
• Effective date: Parts upon passage, parts on March 1, 2019
• What it says: “The Bipartisan State Board of Ethics and Elections Enforcement shall consist of eight members, each serving a term of four years, who shall be qualified voters of this State.”
• What it says: “The General Assembly shall, by general law, provide for the establishment of local merit commissions for the nomination of judges of the Superior and District Court.”
PROVIDE THAT THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE ON INCOMES CANNOT EXCEED SEVEN PERCENT
Session law 2018—119
• Primary sponsors: Sens. Tommy Tucker, RUnion, Andrew Brock, R-Davie, Jerry Tillman, R-Archdale
• Final votes: House 73-45, Senate 34-13
• Democrats voting in favor: House 0, Senate 3
• Republicans voting against: House 1, Senate 2
• Effective date: Jan. 1, 2019
• What it says: “The rate of tax on incomes shall not in any case exceed seven percent, and there shall be allowed personal exemptions and deductions so that only net incomes are taxed.”
REQUIRE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION TO VOTE IN PERSON
Session law 2018-128
• Primary sponsors: Reps. Tim Moore, R-Kings Mountain, David Lewis, R-Dunn, Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, John Sauls, R-Sanford
• Final votes: House 74-43, Senate 33-12
• Democrats voting in favor: House 0, Senate 0
• Republicans voting against: House 0, Senate 0
• Effective date: Upon passage
• What it says: “Voters offering to vote in person shall present photographic identification before voting. The General Assembly shall enact general laws governing the requirements of such photographic identification, which may include exceptions.”
What Does “Local” Mean to You?
Over the years I have asked the question, “What does local mean to you when we talk about food?” Whether I’ve been in front of a group of students at a university, speaking to fellow dietitians or business people or presenting to the public at a community center or hospital it’s always interesting to hear the responses:
“My neighborhood” “This county” “In the state” “The Southeast” “The United States” “Within 100 miles”
As you can see, the typical responses vary—a lot. Sometimes when people cite a particular state as their definition of local I like to point out that in Western North Carolina we are 5-6 hours from the Eastern part of North Carolina, but only 1 hour from Upstate South Carolina or East Tennessee!
At Ingles our definition of
“local” starts with food products that can be sourced from within 250 miles of our warehouse in Black Mountain, NC—but closer is often preferable. If you were to draw a 250 mile circle around Black Mountain that would take you well into Virginia, NC, SC, TN and Georgia.
The point of asking that question, “What does local mean to you when we talk about food?” isn’t to establish that someone is wrong or right with their definition, but just to understand what they consider “local”!
The damage done: finding needles in a haystack
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Lindsay Regner and Megan Hauser tromp down an old railroad line, their steady pace creating a predictable beat of feet dragging across road-grade gravel.
Hunched over, peering intently at the ground and holding a long metal grabbing wand in her blue-gloved hands, Regner spots something in the weeds.
It’s a small, cylindrical day-glo orange cap typically found at the end of a hypodermic syringe — and it’s not there by accident.
Rural counties like Haywood have been hit especially hard by the nation’s collective drug problem, which often leads to homelessness for those locked in a cycle of poverty and incarceration.
Whether in informal encampments strewn about the region or in isolated locales at the intersection of habit and happenstance, intravenous drug use often occurs out of sight, out of mind and without the slightest thought of the dangerous accouterments left behind.
STUCKINTHEMIDDLE
Finding the cap from a syringe is like finding part of a worm in your apple — it’s not about the part you found, it’s about the part you didn’t.
“We’re out here cleaning up needles so we can prevent accidental needle sticks and disease transmission,” said Hauser, Healthy Haywood coordinator for five years.
Hauser was part of a group — including Regner, the Haywood County Sheriff’s public information officer — that met at the Haywood County Department of Health and Human Services building in Clyde July 19 to learn how to handle the bio-hazardous tools of an ugly trade.
“We had a little training first on how to safely do a needle pickup so that none of us would get stuck and get injured,” said Patti Tiberi, a substance abuse prevention coordinator at local social service agency Mountain Projects who is also the chair of Healthy Haywood’s substance abuse task force. “We divided up into three groups, and we went out and started searching for needles or paraphernalia related to IV drug use.”
Jeremy Sharp, an outreach worker with the N.C. Harm Reduction Coalition, helped conduct that training in recognition of hepatitis C awareness day, July 28.
“We’ve been around for close to 20 years and we work mostly with injecting drug users,” Sharp said. “Harm reduction means we seek to mitigate the harms associated with drug use. One of the reasons we’re operating in this area is that Western North Carolina has been designated as a high-risk potential for the acquisition of hepatitis C among injecting drug users.”
Mitigation, in this case, involves a num-
Naloxone training
In Conjunction with the Haywood County Health & Human Services Agency, the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition will conduct and overdose recognition and opioid reversal training. Attendees will receive free harm reduction resources and information on substance abuse services, as well as naloxone kits.
• Date: Tuesday, Aug. 7
• Time: noon to 2 p.m.
• Location: HHS, 157 Paragon Parkway #301, Clyde
ber of separate programs including post-overdose monitoring.
“In Haywood County, we’ve had 12 reported opioid reversals since April,” Sharp said. “When the cops give someone naloxone and revive them from an opioid overdose we show up within 48 hours and we offer our services as a linkage to care.”
Sharp’s group also conducts naloxone outreach trainings, and has distributed over 2,500 naloxone kits to private individuals, churches and law enforcement in the last few months.
“What’s really innovative about what’s going on here in Haywood County is that the Waynesville Police Department has taken the initiative to put sharps boxes around parks, restrooms,” said Sharp, who added that NCHRC will take over disposal of the roughly 30 containers. “But if you come across them in in a park, or a public setting, what you do with them?”
During Sharp’s session about a dozen peo-
Volunteers out searching for used hypodermic syringes discovered this injection ‘kit’ awaiting the return of its owner.
ple were taught never to touch any part of a needle or paraphernalia with bare hands, and always deposit found items directly into a sharps container, or a safe alternative like a thick plastic laundry detergent bottle.
Fentanyl, he said, has been showing up more and more in the local heroin supply and can be deadly to the touch in microscopic amounts.
After Sharp finished, needle collectors headed out to three or four different sites across the county identified by the sheriff’s department as places they’re frequently alerted to the presence of IV drug users or IV drug paraphernalia. In little more than an hour, the volunteers returned.
“My understanding is we found three syringes, and some folks found a ‘kit’ of someone getting ready to use who wasn’t there, apparently waiting, and some of the paraphernalia that goes with IV drug use,” Tiberi said.
Intravenous drug use isn’t all needles and baggies — like the cap Regner found, the accessories to injection can be common or innocuous items so ubiquitous that most of us see them on a daily basis without realizing what they’ve been used for. Tiberi said that bottle caps, cotton and spoons are common as are shoelaces or string.
“I hope that we can raise the awareness in Haywood County that this is an issue that we all have to participate in if it’s going to change,” said Tiberi.
The signs of intravenous drug use are
often hidden, due to a stigma that doesn’t exist for alcohol or marijuana.
“Parents are going to need to talk to their kids, other adults might need to talk to other adults because a lot of times people know that you’re using alcohol or using marijuana, but nobody gets to heroin and opiates without some type of gateway stuff. So ask,” Tiberi said. “Ask. And if people are using, we want to know that there’s treatment available in this community and how to get them help.”
A stigma also still exists surrounding socalled needle exchange programs; communities ravaged by the IV drug epidemic often find themselves stuck between the desire for eradication and the desire for mitigation.
“We’re allowed to provide sterile drug injecting equipment for injecting drug users,” Sharp said. “The main reason is to mitigate hepatitis C and HIV.”
Hauser admits it’s not the most popular option, but must be better than nothing.
“It’s a controversial thing, but something we can all get behind, having a cleaner and safer community,” she said. “That’s part of what picking up these needles is all about.”
Continuing on down the tracks with Regner, Hauser opined on whether she’d be happy to find lots of needles, or none at all.
“I suppose that depends on how you look at it,” she said. “We may not find a lot here tonight but that doesn’t mean there’s not some still out there at different places we’re just not looking.”
Thick plastic sharps containers sit on a desk during a presentation on needle collection procedures. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Cory Vaillancourt photo
N.C. 107 meeting scheduled
Sylva will host public comment opportunity
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
The upcoming remodel of N.C. 107 through Sylva will be the focus of a special meeting and public hearing planned for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, at Sylva Town Hall.
Town commissioners scheduled the meeting following the resurrection of the Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance, a group that initially formed in 2002 to oppose construction of the Southern Loop road, which would have connected Cullowhee directly to U.S. 74 and reduced traffic on N.C. 107 through Sylva. The group was instrumental in causing the N.C. Department of Transportation to abandon the project and focus instead on improving the existing road, but when preliminary plans were released showing that road work would force up to 54 businesses and one nonprofit to relocate, the group reformed to oppose the plan.
A June 26 meeting led by Sylva attorney Jay Coward drew about 50 people, with MountainTrue co-director Julie Mayfield attending to offer the support of that organization and of its Asheville Design Center, directed by Chris Joyell. If the group could develop an alternative plan that meets DOT’s goals but reduces damage to area businesses, Mayfield said, many of the relocations described in the initial documents could be avoided.
Town Manager Paige Dowling met with representatives of the Asheville Design Center and the Southwestern Commission to discuss the issue, and during the town board’s July 12 meeting she suggested the town hold a public meeting on the project. The meeting will include project updates from DOT representatives and a rundown of the history behind the project. A public hearing will follow.
“There will definitely be a public hearing in the meeting, but it should be more than just a public hearing,” Dowling told the board.
Commissioner Harold Hensley expressed his support for the DOT proposal, which would add bike lanes and wider sidewalks to the existing road and turn the middle “suicide lane” into a median, with turns allowed only at certain points. The project would also eliminate many of the driveways currently perforating the 107 roadside, decreasing the number of places where people could enter or exit the road. Media coverage stat-
N.C. 107 is Sylva’s main commercial corridor, but it’s also an increasingly crowded road that’s long been in need of updating. Holly Kays photo
Be heard
A public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, at Sylva Town Hall, will take input on and provide information about the upcoming remake of N.C. 107 through Sylva. The meeting will include an overview of the history behind the project, and updates on its progress from the N.C. Department of Transportation. A public hearing will follow, with anyone in attendance welcome to give an opinion on the proposed project.
For more information about the project and the history behind it, visit www.smokymountainnews.com/news/itemlist/tag/nc%20107. To send commissioners written comments, find contact information at www.sylvanc.govoffice3.com. Town hall is located at 83 Allen Street, Sylva.
ing that more than 50 businesses — about one-sixth of Sylva’s total — would be decimated by the project was overblown, Hensley said.
“When they say you’re affected, that don’t mean your business is going to be gone,” Hensley said.
Being on the list for relocation doesn’t necessarily mean that the structures on the property will be bulldozed, but it does mean that the property would be “impacted to the point they’re no longer able to conduct the business that’s being conducted there today,” DOT Division Engineer Brian Burch said in a June interview. According to preliminary plans, the 54 businesses, five residences and one nonprofit named on the report would be eligible for funding to relocate. Finding new digs in Sylva could prove difficult, however, because as noted in the DOT’s April relocation report, “suitable business sites in and around Sylva are very limited.” All those relocations would make the project much more expensive than the originally estimated $35.5 million, of which $14.6 million was to go for right-of-way and utilities. The revised estimate says that rightof-way alone will cost $47.6 million.
However, the plans on which the report is based are far from finished. Construction planning is about 25 percent complete, Burch said, and project specifics could change significantly once utility plans for the corridor are released. Those are expected by December.
The road project has been nearly a decade in the making, with DOT including the town in conversations leading up to release of the preliminary design. Hensley
was skeptical that the public hearing would add much new information and wanted to make sure experts would be on hand to answer questions.
“Are we gonna have somebody that can answer all them questions, or are we going to have a bunch of people from Timbuktu bitching about something because there’s something to bitch about?” he said.
Town commissioners debated briefly as to whether the Aug. 6 meeting should be held at town hall or elsewhere.
“Do you think this place is going to be big enough?” asked Commissioner David Nestler.
“That’s what I was wondering,” agreed Commissioner Barbara Hamilton.
However, Dowling pointed out, there’s more parking at town hall than at the library, and other larger locations would fall outside of town limits. Nestler suggested asking county commissioners for the use of their boardroom, but Mayor Lynda Sossamon said that could make the county appear to be involved in something it might not want to be involved in. The 107 project falls mostly within town limits, though a portion of the project will take place on county land.
Commissioner Greg McPherson wondered whether the meeting would draw as large a crowd as some commissioners expected.
“I haven’t heard a single word from anybody about this project,” he said. “I’ve heard all kinds of stuff in the paper, all kinds of rumor mill stuff, but I haven’t heard from one constituent.”
A motion to set the meeting passed unanimously.
New health foundation to form following Mission sale
Applicants sought to serve on board of directors
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
Though the sale of nonprofit Mission Health to for-profit HCA isn’t official yet, the Mission Health Board of Directors hasn’t wasted any time setting up a health care foundation that will receive proceeds from the sale.
The Dogwood Health Trust will be a North Carolina nonprofit, private non-operating foundation with the sole purpose of “dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of all people and communities of Western North Carolina.”
Since Mission Health is a nonprofit entity being purchased by a for-profit corporation, the proceeds from the sale must be placed into a foundation to continue the health care system’s nonprofit mission of improving health care access for rural Western North Carolina. A similar process occurred when Duke LifePoint purchased nonprofit hospitals in Haywood, Jackson and Swain in 2014.
While the total purchase has yet to be released, Dr. Ron Paulus, CEO of Mission Health, has said the proceeds from the sale could be an estimated $400 million and could forever change the state of rural health care in the region.
For comparison, the sale of Haywood Regional Medical Center to Duke LifePoint resulted in $18 million in proceeds to be placed into a health-related foundation fund. Haywood County commissioners voted in 2016 to allow The Haywood Healthcare Foundation to manage the funds.
If the transaction with HCA Healthcare occurs, Mission intends to convey the net proceeds of the sale to the foundation following receipt of all necessary approvals and the development of required organizational infrastructure.
“This new region-wide resource would enable significant investments, encourage partnerships and facilitate coordination with others to analyze, understand and address core social determinants of health and wellbeing for the people and communities of Western North Carolina,” according to a press release from Mission. “The DHT’s goal is to partner with local communities to produce a powerful, positive, long-term impact on the people of Western North Carolina.”
BOARDOFDIRECTORSFORMING
Mission recently announced the appointment of WNC native Janice Brumit to serve as the founding chairwoman of the Dogwood Health Trust Board of Directors. She was born in Boone and graduated from Appalachian State University and has strong ties to the people and communities of the region.
Brumit has spent the last 30 years serving on local and statewide nonprofit boards,
Mission Health is in the process of being acquired by for-profit health care company HCA. Once the transaction is complete, the sale proceeds have to be put into a nonprofit foundation. File photo
table, since the foundation will be deciding how the funds are spent annually.
According to the Dogwood Health Trust website, there are certain characteristics and experience sought on the board but it doesn’t appear specific geographical appointments will be made.
Some WNC communities where Mission has a presence have shown support for the sale to HCA. In Haywood County where Mission opened a three-story, outpatient facility a few years ago, Commissioner Mike Sorrells and the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce issued letters of support.
“Mission Health has been in Asheville for over a century, serving local populations and serving them well. But the Mission board agrees that the finances of the hospital system are unsustainable and would eventually decline,” Sorrells wrote. “Creating a partnership with HCA Healthcare is the right step to ensure that Western N.C. residents have access to a robust healthcare system for years to come.”
Sorrells compared Mission’s situation to the situation Haywood’s hospital was in prior to being purchased by Duke LifePoint. He said the sale allowed the hospital to continue serving the community while having better resources at its disposal through the new reputable health care company. It also created a new pot of funding to improve health care in the county.
including North Carolina Rural Water, Mission Health Foundation, Community Foundation of WNC, Buncombe County Economic Development Coalition and Asheville Buncombe Partnership for Children.
“Under Brumit’s leadership, the foundation board will be fully formed over time and embark upon a deliberate, multi-year process to become fully educated about the history and lessons learned from prior healthcare conversion foundations, obtain all necessary approvals for operation, develop appropriate staff and infrastructure for DHT and carefully assess the strengths and the needs of all populations and communities within our region,” the press release stated.
“The board will then prioritize these needs, identify collaborative strategies to address them using our communities’ existing strengths and seek partnerships with others to implement its long-range strategic plan. Grant funding for approved initiatives will most likely not begin earlier than calendar 2020.”
A broader public announcement discussing more about the foundation is currently planned for Sept. 30. In the meantime, nominations for board members are currently being sought. Criteria established for DHT board members and a formal application process is now available at www.dogwoodhealthtrust.org.
COMMUNITYINPUT
WNC communities outside of Asheville with a Mission affiliated hospital will want to be proactive to ensure they get a seat at the
“In partnering with HCA, Mission would have a much larger foundation to use in meeting the needs of the community, not only for healthcare but also for necessary services like early childhood education and housing,” he said. “A hospital partnership worked for Haywood County Regional Medical Center and it can work for Mission Health. Mission Health has an opportunity to partner with an organization that will continue to support the community — the value of that opportunity should not be overlooked.”
While Haywood leaders appear optimistic about the purchase, leaders in the more outlying Mission communities are a little more skeptical about the transition. Angel Medical Center in Franklin and Highlands-Cashiers Hospital were simply told they’d be part of the acquisition without being given time to research other potential partnerships.
“I’m thinking HCA will be a great fit for the larger units in Asheville, but my concern is will HCA be a good fit for the smaller community hospitals in Franklin and Highlands,” said Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor.
Focusing on things within the community’s control, Taylor said the HighlandsCashiers Hospital Foundation board is in the process of trying to figure out its future once the HCA purchase is complete. Once the Mission affiliates become for-profit, the hospital foundation will no longer be able to financially support Highlands-Cashiers — the foundation will either have to change its mission or dissolve.
“We have a strong and active foundation board at Highlands-Cashiers. At this point I’m hearing a lot of positive things about the new foundation covering all of WNC, but our big question is what will be the future of our foundation as this
LifePoint Health to merge with RCCH Healthcare Partners
BY J ESSI STONE
N EWS E DITOR
LifePoint Health, the parent company of three regional hospitals in Western North Carolina, recently announced its plans to merge with RCCH Healthcare Partners.
Duke LifePoint — a partnership between Duke University and LifePoint Health — purchased Haywood Regional Medical Center, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital back in 2014, turning all three from nonprofit to for-profit systems.
According to a press release from LifePoint Health, RCCH is owned by “certain funds managed by affiliates of” Apollo Global Management, LLC, a private equity firm.
“We are excited that LifePoint and RCCH are combining to create a national leader in community-based healthcare, and are looking forward to the next chapter of the combined company’s growth,” Matthew Nord, a senior partner at Apollo, said in the press release.
Apollo’s purchase of LifePoint Health is a $5.6 billion deal and is the latest in a series of bets by private-equity firms on health care. Just as the nonprofit health care system Mission Health is in the due diligence stage to be bought out by for-profit system HCA, LifePoint was looking for a way to combat rising medical costs, fewer patient admissions and changing reimbursement policies for Medicaid and Medicare, according to business reports from CNBC.
Rod Harkleroad, CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center, said the transaction shouldn’t have an impact on the way
merger moves forward?” Taylor said. “Our foundation has supported our hospital and even covered financial shortfalls. So we’re just now asking what’s the future of our foundation and how will it relate to the new Dogwood Foundation.”
Whatever the future may hold for the local foundation, Taylor said he was already in the process of trying to identify qualified residents on the plateau to apply for the Dogwood Health Trust Board of Directors to ensure his community has a voice.
“The larger populated areas such as Buncombe and Asheville will have larger representation on the board and that’s understandable, but I think the outlying communities will be concerned about having representation at the decision-making table,” he said. “I think it will be very important because we’re talking about a lot of resources being available.”
The Franklin community is having more difficulty believing in the benefits of an HCA buyout after a tumultuous year dealing with the impact Mission’s decisions had on their community hospital.
“As for the (Dogwood) foundation — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” said Franklin Mayor Bob Scott. “After dealing
patients access the hospital, physicians or other locations. He said the hospital’s priority and focus would continue to be providing high quality patient care.
“Haywood Regional Medical Center views the announcement of one of our owners, LifePoint Health, merging with fellow healthcare leader RCCH HealthCare Partners as extremely positive. The two organizations are aligned and share Haywood’s commitment to ensuring that our community has access to high quality care, close to home,” he said.
“We are proud of our contributions to the community and our affiliation with LifePoint. After the merger closes, we believe we will be well positioned to meaningfully extend our mission of ‘Making Communities Healthier.’”
When HRMC sold to Duke LifePoint in 2014 and became for-profit, the proceeds from the sale — some $18 million — were required to go to the county for the purpose of improving health care. The county selected Haywood Healthcare Foundation to manage the funds, but the county hasn’t yet received all the money.
Haywood County’s attorney, Chip Killian, said he’d recently spoken with healthcare transactions attorney Tom Stukes, who’s been working with the county since the Duke LifePoint purchase in 2014. Stukes told him he didn’t expect this latest merger to affect any of the $18 million the county will ultimately receive from Duke LifePoint. Haywood County has already received almost $7 million of that $18 million; the rest will be released in increments through 2020 to ensure that no future liabilities arise.
with Mission for over a year — starting with the closure of labor and delivery at Angel Medical — I am suspect.”
Mission announced in March 2017 that it would be closing the labor and delivery unit at Angel Medical Center in Franklin as of July 2017. The community was outraged about the closure and the short notice given since pregnant women would now have to travel 25 minutes over Cowee Mountain to get the Harris Regional or drive over an hour to get to Mission Hospital in Asheville to deliver.
Dr. Paulus stated at the time that the closure was a hard but necessary financial decision because the unit was losing up to $2 million a year.
Mission attempted to lessen the blow by also announcing its plans to construct a new $43 million Angel Medical Center in the coming years. AMC is currently located near downtown Franklin, but Mission is proposing to build the new hospital along U.S. 441 at the intersection 1 Center Court, Franklin, at the intersection of Hunnicut Lane.
Mission received its certificate of need through the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to build a new facility, but it will also need a special permit approved through the town of Franklin.
County Commission Chairman Kirk Kirkpatrick said he expects no changes in the way proceeds from the 2014 sale of HRMC will be distributed.
“It appears to me it’s just this infusion of additional monies that Duke LifePoint will continue to be managed as it is now, except it will be part of a more solvent company. I don’t see any particular changes to leadership locally or overall, so I think it’s proba-
Apollo’s purchase of LifePoint Health is a $5.6 billion deal and is the latest in a series of bets by private-equity firms on health care.
bly a good thing for Haywood County,” he said. “If you hadn’t seen the reports of the sale, my guess is you wouldn’t even know it happened.”
LifePoint and RCCH are both leading health care providers based out of Brentwood, Tennessee. According to a LifePoint press release, combining these two companies will mean 2017 revenues of more than $8 billion as well as 7,000 affiliated physicians, about 60,000 employees and more than 12,000 licensed beds.
The merger will give LifePoint a more diversified portfolio of health care assets, including 84 non-urban hospitals in 30 states, regional health systems, physician practices, outpatient centers and post-acute service providers, with leading market positions as the sole community health care provider in the majority of the regions it serves.
The combined company intends to maintain strategic partnerships with well-known
When AMC President Karen Gorby recently came before the town council to give an update on the HCA purchase, Mayor Scott asked if the town leaders would have a chance to meet with HCA officials. He said the one time he was made aware of HCA officials being at the hospital in Franklin he was only given 30 minutes notice and couldn’t make it.
Councilmember David Culpepper asked Gorby if she had the ability to be unbiased in sharing any possible disadvantages the HCA purchase could bring to the community.
Gorby said there was no downside to the community and told Scott she would ask Mission’s public relations director if it was a possibility.
However, the town’s attorney, John Henning Jr. was quick to caution the mayor and the board about overstepping their bounds with Mission or HCA because he didn’t want the board members’ opinions to give the impression of any bias.
“We need to be careful how the board positions itself,” he said, adding that Mission would be applying for a special-use permit for the hospital construction. During a quasijudicial hearing, the town council will make the determination based on whether the proj-
leaders in patient safety and clinical quality to bring leading practices in quality and patient safety to each of its communities, according to the press release. The company will continue to be privately held and operate under the LifePoint Health name. William F. Carpenter III, chairman and chief executive officer of LifePoint, will lead the newly merged company.
“LifePoint and RCCH are aligned in our missions and commitment to ensuring that non-urban communities across the country have access to quality care, close to home. Together, we can extend this shared focus while generating new opportunities for growth and partnerships that will help us navigate the changing healthcare industry dynamics,” Carpenter said.
Once the transaction is complete, LifePoint shareholders will receive $65 per share in cash for each share of LifePoint common stock they own, resulting in a LifePoint enterprise value of approximately $5.6 billion, which includes $2.9 billion of net debt and minority interest. The purchase price represents a premium of about 36 percent to LifePoint’s closing share price on July 20, 2018, the last trading day prior to the announcement.
“The opportunity to join with LifePoint marks a significant milestone in RCCH’s history. The size, scale and focus on growth for the new organization will be impactful for our patients, employees and partners. I am thrilled that these two great companies are coming together,” said Martin Rash, chairman and chief executive officer of RCCH. The transaction should be completed in the next several months subject to customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, LifePoint may actively solicit alternative acquisition proposals until Aug. 22. Staff Writer Cory Vaillancourt contributed to this story.
ect aligns with the town’s Unified Development Ordinance. “If you make it clear you’re against it — you can’t sit and vote on that issue.”
Scott said he disagreed with Henning’s statement that he isn’t allowed to express his opinion regarding Mission or the impending sale of its hospitals to a for-profit entity.
“My job is to protect the people who don’t have a voice and unless you’re some kind of well off establishment-type person I don’t know that you have a voice with Mission,” Scott said. “I’m very concerned about it — it stands to have huge economic impact on Franklin and efforts to recruit doctors here.”
Scott said he doesn’t feel like Mission understands the kinship the people of Macon County have for Angel Medical Center since the community helped raise money to get the hospital open back in the 1970s — long before it came part of Mission in 2013.
“I have tried to go through Mission to get to HCA. Why have they not been here to talk about it and get to know the community and see what the feeling is and tell us what they have to offer?” Scott asked. “I’m frustrated. What’s frustrating is the attitude of Mission and I know people in other small towns Mission serves feel the same way I do.”
Education for the future
that’s plenty long enough to have seen dozens and dozens of commissions in this state produce reports, produce recommendations, get all excited and move forward on stuff and then disappear,” Stallings told the group of about 30 people gathered in the auditorium. “I will contend that part of the reason for that is that sometimes in this state we tend to have policies and ideas emanate from Raleigh and Charlotte out to the regions, and then the regions have to figure out how to translate that to do some-
thing with them. For me, the most important part of this listening tour is to have you contribute to that conversation.”
Stallings explained that post-secondary education doesn’t necessarily mean graduation from a four-year university. It could mean community college, trade school or innumerable certification programs that leave the graduate with skills that equip them to earn a living wage and support a family as they go out into the world.
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
Educational leaders from across the mountain region convened at Cherokee Central Schools this month for an afternoon of conversation and collaboration around one central question — what can North Carolina communities do to better prepare their children for success against the unknown challenges of the future?
The listening session, held Thursday, July 12, was the eighth stop on a nine-stop tour the My Future N.C. Commission made with the goal of learning what stands in the way of more North Carolina students seeking post-secondary education. After hearing from the communities, said Trip Stallings, Ph.D., and director of policy research for the William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at N.C. State University, the commission will get to work on a plan to boost post-secondary attainment in the state.
“I’ve been here (in N.C.) since 1988, and
North Carolina will need to up its game to adequately prepare its young people for success in the future, Stallings said, citing a 2010 study from Georgetown University that estimated 65 percent of jobs will require some sort of post-secondary education by the year 2020. By contrast, North Carolina currently has a rate of about 47 percent postsecondary attainment — a “20 percent gap we need to close as quickly as possible but without any Band-Aids,” he said.
“We’re also looking at the whole continuum from preschool all the way through postsecondary,” he added. “We’re doing that because you cannot increase post-secondary attainment if you don’t look at the whole pipeline.”
That’s an effort that has already been going on in Western North Carolina for several years, spurred on by former Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher, who passed away in June. Streamlining the journey from preschool to post-high school education — sometimes referred to as the P-16 pipeline — was a priority of Belcher’s, and he
F
Andrew Johnson, N.C. Works career coach with Haywood Community College, shares his thoughts with the focus group
July 12. Holly Kays photo
worked with WNC leaders to make it
When UNC President Margaret Spellings created the My Future N.C. Commission in 2017, she invited Belcher to be one of its 49 members. In addition to the 49 commissioners, the body contains 18 subject matter experts, with representatives from preschool through twelfth grade education, post-secondary education and the workforce.
MAKINGTHEOPTIONSKNOWN
To get their ideas on the table, listening session participants split into three different groups, spending 45 minutes discussing a list of questions organizers had prepared for them. Questions focused on which transitions are pivotal for student success, challenges to navigating those transitions and types of supports and community collaboration that could improve the end result.
Many participants seemed to agree that earlier education about options for the future is needed, with more emphasis on showing students how to make those dreams happen.
“Knowing what you’re good at and what your skills are and what that would translate to as far as a job, that conversation does not happen in high school and much less farther down,” said Randi Neff, Smoky Mountain STEM Collaborative project coordinator for Southwestern Community College. “Counselors are just treading water. There’s no way they can do what they should do.”
While most kids have an idea of whether or not they want to go to a fouryear university, fewer understand what a community college is, the options available there and the quality of education delivered, said Andrew Johnson, an N.C. Works career coach with Haywood Community College.
“I’ve been in education in general for a long time, but I couldn’t tell you what a computer integrated machine was and how much that paid per hour,” he said. “How is this kid in high school going to know other than the one that comes into my office and asks, ‘What is my future going to be?’”
Empowering kids to be the first in their families to pursue more than a high school diploma — and helping their parents understand why it’s important — is vital as well, said Melanie Price, college and career readiness coordinator at SCC.
“I want to see them value themselves and value this education, and instead of the parents to say, ‘Well, I didn’t need it. You don’t need it,’ to say, ‘I didn’t have it, but you can do it,’” Price said.
However, educators face a number of logistical obstacles in meeting those higherlevel goals. Participants spoke at length about the lack of internet access in the mountains, and how many opportunities that cuts off for people whose circumstances don’t line up to pursue the “traditional” route of going away to study at a four-year college.
“We tend to underestimate people that maybe never even thought about going to college somewhere, but if they can get
online they can do a lot of things,” said Jeff McDaris, superintendent of Transylvania County Public Schools. “Right now in rural areas, particularly in the mountains because of our topography, that’s a monstrous challenge.”
The impacts of poverty and childhood trauma can also keep otherwise able students from reaching their potential, said Beverly Payne, assistant superintendent of Cherokee Central Schools.
“There’s so much adverse childhood trauma that students face,” she said. “I think if we could start even before pre-K teaching some of these appropriate coping
Collaboration in Cherokee
Leaders on the Qualla Boundary are working locally to pursue some of the same goals that the My Future N.C. Commission is chasing on the statewide level.
Formed in 2015, the Qualla Education Collaborative contains about 30 Cherokee Central Schools educators, tribal employees and Cherokee Preservation Foundation members, who meet monthly to develop strategies to support the success of Cherokee kids from “cradle to career.”
“I think it’s allowed us to create our own vision for ourselves,” said Debora Foerst, principal at Cherokee Central High School, during a panel discussion about the QEC within the July 12 My Future N.C. listening session. “We don’t have a big voice at the state level to decide what we do educationally. We don’t have a big voice at the Bureau of Indian Affairs to decide what we do educationally.”
The effort has been spurred through a pair
skills so that some of the inappropriate coping skills don’t get set in place, I think that would help.”
SEEKINGSUPPORT
Asked what some of the most helpful supports would be to address these challenges, participants floated a number of ideas — bringing people into classes to talk about their careers, hiring more school social workers and psychologists, addressing barriers such as transportation and lack of affordable child care, and teaching professional workplace skills early on. But most of the conversation focused on a different topic.
“I don’t know who was going to say it, but I’ll say it. Funding,” said Bo Gray, vice president for college and community initiatives at Tri-County Community College in Murphy.
Gray said that community colleges are “penalized coming and going” when it comes to finances and that regulations leave them unable to be aggressive in taking advantage of opportunities. It’s harder for small schools, too, because they don’t have the economies of scale available at larger community colleges. Unlike in the K-12 system, there is no small school funding avail-
able for community colleges.
“It is the big community colleges that are profiting because of the way the systems are set up,” he said. “We’re just scraps at the table in a sense.”
Size of funding aside, making funding more stable could go a long way toward allowing community colleges to more strategically plan their approach to the problems at hand, said Wendy Hines, vice president of instruction at HCC. Funding fluctuates based on the number of students enrolled.
“As community colleges we campaigned four years ago, five years ago, to have aver-
of Cherokee Preservation Foundation grants, one in 2016 for planning and another in 2017 to build capacity. In the next couple of years, the public should start to see some action come out of the collaborative, said CCS Superintendent Michael Murray.
“One of the things we had to do was involve stakeholders, and that takes time, that doesn’t just happen,” said Murray, who took the superintendent’s job in July 2017 after six years as superintendent of Jackson County Schools. “First year you build your trust. Next year you start pulling people that are the stakeholders and figuring out which ones are influential and then — rock and roll by year five or six.”
Long-term, the QEC leaders would like to see the organization extend beyond Cherokee to become a regional collaborative.
“If we’re able to run the QEC in the manner we’re doing it now and then scale that up slowly and introduce people I think it can be successful (as a regional entity),” said Yona Wade, director of community affairs for Cherokee Central Schools.
age funding so we would get to average the past two years together to keep it from dropping dramatically, but it makes it hard because the budget is a moving target,” she said.
As to the question of collaboration, there isn’t currently a region-wide group focused on bringing together school and business leaders to improve post-secondary attainment and employability, focus group members said.
Some participants, however, seemed wary of hinging too much on such collaboration, especially when it comes to reaching out across the state.
“Do we want the same goals?” McDaris asked. “I think there’s a big difference as we’re seeing with the economy and the job market between rural North Carolina and inside the interstate triangle. It’s becoming exacerbated every day, I think.”
When the three focus groups came back together at the end of the day, Stallings said many of their concerns had been echoed at the eight other listening sessions held already, but some new themes had emerged that day as well, with all three focus groups having remarkably similar conversations.
“It was as if you all had an intercom into the other rooms, because the themes were so strongly aligned,” he said.
JULY CLASS SCHEDULE
Cherokee to seek $280 million in credit for construction
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will seek $280 million in credit to fund a list of five priority projects following a 9-2 vote during Tribal Council’s July 10 Budget Council meeting.
“What this allows us to do is have a financing mechanism where we don’t have to individually as we approve these projects upcoming go out to a bank or banks and seek financing individually for those projects,” explained Cory Blankenship, secretary of finance for the tribe.
The vote did not actually approve any of the five projects on the list. Rather, it gave Blankenship’s office permission to reach out to various banks and find the best deal for a line of credit of this size. The tribe would not borrow any money until Tribal Council approves an individual project, and it would not be locked into borrowing the entire $280 million.
“We don’t necessarily go out and borrow $280 million because we have $280 million available to us,” Blankenship said.
According to the approved resolution, projects to benefit from the credit facility would include an adventure park, hotel and clubhouse at the Sequoyah National Golf
Club, a trout hatchery with a research and education facility, an archives facility and a multi-sports complex. It’s likely the $280 million could cover more than just those five, Blankenship said.
Perhaps the highest-profile project on that list is the first one — the adventure park. Tribal Council has been discussing the idea for years and in 2012 approved $92 million to build a complex that would include water slides, rock climbing, ziplining, splash pads and indoor amenities such as a 302-room hotel, restaurants, retail shops and an arcade. However, the project was sidelined as other, higher-priority projects took precedence.
rather than 302 and an outdoor adventure component with snow tubing, mountain biking and perhaps even a rapid river course.
The Tribal Council seated at the time seemed favorable to the idea, but no concrete steps were ever taken to move forward with it.
While councilmembers were overall supportive of the credit facility idea, several of them expressed dissatisfaction with the way construction projects they’ve voted on in the past have been executed — or, rather, not executed.
“I guess, Cory (Blankenship), my con-
Rose agreed that economic development had “dropped the ball” on the data center project, which was to be a revenue-generating endeavor for the tribe. Principal Chief Richard Sneed said the data center project went under because the previous administration had “shelved” it, and when he took office the tribe had found itself in a bidding war with another contender for the project.
Blankenship said the only thing that would be carried out as a result of this resolution would be to secure financing for this slate of future projects. Approving spending for any individual project would require future action from Council.
“This isn’t blanket approval of the adventure park,” he said. “This is approval to secure the credit facility and the financing.”
The idea resurfaced during a March 2016 work session, with Tom Pientka of the Wisconsin-based design, engineering and construction company Iconica sharing plans for a park that would include all the amenities pitched in 2012, but with 400 rooms
cern is all this legislation we pass is never carried out or enforced,” said Councilmember Tommye Saunooke, of Painttown. “Albert (Rose, Birdtown representative), really worked hard on the data center, and all of a sudden it’s just gone away.”
Collecting data on animals at festivals
The Town of Waynesville Police Department Civilian Police Volunteers will be assisting the town board with data collection for the number of animals at various festivals throughout the summer and fall.
As part of the data collection at each festival, owner attendees will be asked by volunteers to place a colored sticker on their animal’s leash to indicate that their animal has already been counted. For those animals in carriers or being carried in bags, the owner will be asked to place the sticker so that it can be easily seen.
Mayor Gavin Brown explained at a board meeting in early spring that the board would consider whether to continue allowing animals at festivals, discontinue the practice, or modify the ordinance in some other manner depending on the data collected.
The first time that this system will be used will be at the International Day celebration on Saturday, July 28, and again at two additional large festivals, the Church Street and Apple
Vice Chair David Wolfe, of Yellowhill, moved to pass the resolution, with a second from Councilmember Jeremy Wilson, of Wolfetown. Voting in favor of the resolution were Councilmembers Lisa Taylor, of Painttown; Tom Wachacha, of Yellowhill; Bucky Brown, of Snowbird; Richard French, of Big Cove; Wilson, Saunooke, Wolfe and Chairman Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird. Voting against the project were Councilmembers Bo Crowe, of Wolfetown, and Rose. Councilmember Boyd Owle, of Birdtown, was absent.
Editor’s note: This story was reported using online meeting videos, as Tribal Council’s May decision to ban non-Cherokee media from its chambers prevents The Smoky Mountain News from attending in person.
Harvest festivals in October. 828.452.2491.
Library friends to host annual book sale
Friends of the Library will host its annual book sale from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 26 and 27 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 28 at the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville.
Friends has received several private collections on various subjects and in beautiful condition. Books are well organized — fiction is organized by the author’s last name and nonfiction books are sorted by subject. All items are individually priced and great bargains.
If there is a book you want volunteers to look for before the sale, see the front desk at the Waynesville Library. A one-time fee of $5 lets you list the books you want and author. If or when they come through, volunteers will let you know and how much you owe. Gift certificates are also available for any dollar amount. Volunteers are available daily to assist with getting purchases to your car. Call 828.452.5169 for more information.
Cherokee started pursuing an adventure park concept in 2012 but wound up setting it aside.
Iconica rendering
Vehicle emissions testing goes up in smoke
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Amulti-year effort by Burnsville
Republican Rep. Michele Presnell to scrap vehicle emissions testing requirements in more than two dozen North Carolina counties finally got the green light from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“I am very pleased to see this finally occur. It was a long wait,” said Presnell July 23. “After initially receiving the announcement from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality that several counties — including Haywood — could be removed from the burdensome regulations of emissions testing, I started work on this project.”
Back in the summer of 2016, Presnell with then-House Majority Leader Mike Hager, R-Rutherford, introduced the “Regulatory Reduction Act of 2016,” which included a provision that would remove vehicle emissions testing requirements in 26 of the 48 N.C. counties that had them.
Presnell argued the requirement was burdensome, telling The Smoky Mountain News in June 2016, that “people in my district cannot afford to replace parts on their cars that cost hundreds of dollars that do little to nothing to improve emissions. My constituents are tired of paying good money for useless government-mandated testing.”
Presnell was accurate on both counts — median incomes in Haywood County, of which she represents but a portion, are well below state and national averages, and the effect of automobiles on air quality in the
Candidates file for Haywood Board of
Education seats
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Five seats on the Haywood County Schools Board of Education are up for election this year, but only one challenger has stepped forward to contest any of the incumbents, all of whom are seeking to return.
Jonathan Rowland filed paperwork with the Haywood Board of Elections to run against longtime school board member Jimmy Rogers for the Clyde board seat. Rogers is the only one of five incumbents to draw opposition this coming November; Bethel’s Larry Henson, Iron Duff’s Bobby Rogers, Fines Creek’s Steven Kirkpatrick and Beaverdam’s David Burnette all filed to run for the seats they now hold; Burnette was appointed by the board Dec. 20, 2017, to replace elected Beaverdam representative Scott Smith, who resigned after moving out of the district he was elected to represent.
And Rowland just might have a shot — results from Rogers’ last two campaigns
Great Smoky Mountains is low, according to the executive director of local air quality watchdog The Canary Coalition.
“Obviously we have a problem with air pollution,” Avram Friedman told SMN in 2016. “Automobiles are a relatively small contributor to that problem. It’s something we don’t agree with and we may make a statement about it, but it is probably not worth the expenditure of our limited resources to fight.”
Friedman did say that a larger concern in terms of air quality were the coal-fueled industrial enterprises located upwind, to the west of the region in Tennessee.
Last May, Presnell offered “credit where credit was due” when Gov. Roy Cooper signed the 44-page bill, which contained a number of other unrelated proposals.
But that wasn’t the end of vehicle emissions testing — the EPA had to sign off on the deal first.
“The EPA in Washington had two years to approve it,” said Presnell. “This September will be one year, and now in about 45 days it will become law.”
Presnell said in a press release issued July 19 by Congressman Mark Meadows, RAsheville, that Meadows was due no small credit for liaising between the N.C. General Assembly and the EPA.
“This was a badly needed reform,” said Meadows in the release. “I’m thrilled to see five of my district’s counties on the list of those who will see the benefits of the exemption.”
Now exempt from emissions testing are
show far more than just token opposition. In 2014, Rogers prevailed over Candie Sellers and Wende Goode, earning 6,499 votes. Sellers, however, pulled in a strong 4,701 with Goode not far behind at 3,402. That means more people voted against Rogers (about 55.4 percent) than voted for him.
Rogers, however prevailed for good reason — although Sellers came close in the Beaverdam 4 precinct, tied Rogers in Beaverdam 7 and won Beaverdam 5/6, Rogers won every other precinct in the county, scoring his largest win in Cecil and his highest vote total in Ivy Hill. He performed poorest in Center Waynesville. Similarly, in 2010 Rogers defeated James C. Robertson handily, with 63.5 percent of the vote. However, Robertson did count more than 5,600 votes to Rogers’ 9,800. Not up for election this year are Board Chairman Chuck Francis, Vice Chairman Jim Harley Francis, Ann Barrett or Ronnie Clark.
Board of Elections races are non-partisan, and current board members have fought to keep it that way, steadfastly opposing a bill presented last year that would have made the races partisan. While this year’s contest remains so, both Rogers and Rowland are registered Democrats.
Counties where emissions testing requirements remain include Alamance, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Johnston, Lee, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Onslow, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Union and Wake.
“Don’t be fooled,” said Schandevel. “This legislation has little to do with the environment or putting money back into the pockets of our people here in District
All other counties remain free from vehicle emissions testing.
“This will help a lot of people in Haywood County,” said Presnell.
Presnell’s opponent in the November election, Haywood Democrat Rhonda Cole Schandevel, sees it differently; before losing to Presnell in 2016, Schandevel told SMN she disagreed with Presnell. She still does today.
118. This law redaction is nothing more than big business, politics as usual.” Schandevel said that Presnell is “budding up to the National GOP agenda” and leaving Haywood County behind.
“If this is about helping our family’s wallets, then I ask you Michele, why did you vote to repeal the Earned Income Tax Credit for low to moderate income earners? This credit put far more money back into the families of the district’s hands than your choice to harm our environment ever will.”
Left to right: Steve McNeil
Munoz, Jose Gonzalez
CeCe Hipps.
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Bituminous Surface Treatment (Known as Chip N Seal Paving) 30%-50% cheaper than asphalt! Also offering Riverstone Chip N Seal, which is a great alternative to resurfacing!
Community Almanac
Church to hold annual Parish Fair
Grace Episcopal Church in the Mountains will hold its annual Parish Fair from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28, on the church property located at 394 N. Haywood St. in Waynesville, on the corner of Miller and Haywood Streets.
This is Grace Church’s largest outreach fundraising event and has been ongoing for over 30 years. Donations have been accumulated throughout the year by church members and supporting members of the community to enable this fun and beneficial day to take place for treasureseekers.
The proceeds benefit Haywood County nonprofit organizations. Last year, 19 groups received grant support as a result of the four-hour event.
A new leash on life
“A New Leash on Life,” Haywood County Animal Shelter’s adoption center, is officially opened to the public.
The cats and dogs have been arriving in such increasing numbers that the new shelter is now at capacity. A New Leash on Life Adoption Center should be the first place to check if you are thinking about adding a new cat or dog to your family. The new meet and greet rooms allow you to meet the animals you like one on one in an almost home-like setting.
The center is located at 453 Jones Cove Road, Clyde. Call 828.456.5338.
The Friends of Haywood County Animal Shelter are still raising funds to meet their pledge to the county and to continue to support the needs of the shelter that the budget does not cover.
For more information, visit www.hcasfriends.org.
Chapel United Methodist Church, 175 Old Clyde Rd, Waynesville.
Maggie UMC welcomes new pastor
The Rev. Ann Duncan assumed pastoral leadership responsibilities at Maggie Valley United Methodist Church on July 9.
Duncan most recently was pastor of St. Timothy UMC in Brevard. She also served as pastor at Hoyle Memorial UMC in Shelby and as youth pastor at First UMC in Rutherfordton. She is a graduate of Duke University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Boston University School of Theology. Duncan’s husband, Nathan, is the school director at Shining Rock Classical Academy in Waynesville. She and her husband served with the Peace Corps in West Africa. They have two children, Roan, age 7 and Emmy, age 4.
Research local history at library
Harrah’s donates $35K to Folds of Honor
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel recently presented a $35,000 donation to Folds of Honor.
Folds of Honor provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service-members.
Air Force veteran and Valley River Food & Beverage Manager Alan Seay organized the fund raising efforts for the second year in a row.
“Helping the families of those who gave everything during their service is incredibly important to me. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to pay it forward and thankful for the support of my coworkers to make this a success,” he said.
Long’s Chapel works toward expansion
Long’s Chapel members stepped forward at the conclusion of the May 20 services and presented their capital campaign commitments at the altar.
Members signed a three-year commitment over and above regular giving in order to support the expansion and commitments of $4.2 million were received. The planned expansion hopes to include a covered, accessible building entrance, an elevator, a café connected to the gathering space, new ministry offices, and new classroom areas for Bible study, small groups, and education. In addition, the expansion offers a multi-purpose space that will seat 250 at tables and 500 in chairs, thereby offering space for church and community events.
To learn more, visit LongsChapel.com/Imagine or attend a Sunday worship service at Long’s
• Women are invited to join in Haywood Habitat for Humanity’s construction efforts by participating in Women Build, which is held the third Saturday of each month. Volunteer as an individual or bring your work or community group. Call 828.452.7960 to reserve a spot. No special skills are needed.
ALSO:
• Haywood County Farm Bureau is offering Avoid/Deny/Defend, a civilian response to an active shooter event led by Sheriff’s deputy Kevin Brooks at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Farm Bureau office, 1530 Asheville Rd, Waynesville. Sandwiches will be served. RSVP to 828.452.1425.
• REACH of Macon County, which also serves Jackson County, will hold a two-day volunteer training session from 9:30 to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 13-14. The free volunteer training is open to the public for anyone interested in providing direct-client services with REACH. Email reach@reachofmaconcounty.org, or call 828.586.8969 to register.
The Jackson County Public Library is offering a special computer class at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, to teach participants how to use their library card to find historically accurate information about local Western North Carolina communities.
Learn how to use electronic resources as well as hard copy materials to show tips and tricks in tracking and researching events and families.
The free class is limited to the first 16 people who register. To do so, or for more information, call 828.586.2016.
Arts Council to hold annual meeting
The Haywood County Arts Council will hold its annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3 beginning at the Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery on Main Street, Waynesville.
The event will begin with a wine and cheese reception at 5 p.m. The HCAC has changed from a calendar year to a fiscal year and this annual meeting will celebrate our 2017-18 successes and kick off the new year’s initiatives.
Both reception and meeting are open to the public. Though not required, an RSVP is encouraged. Email info@haywoodarts.org or call 828.452.0593.
www.HaywoodArts.org.
Yappy Hour fundraiser successful
The Yappy Hour benefit fundraiser recently held to raise money in support Haywood Spay/Neuter’s mission to provide low-cost spay/neuter surgeries and wellness programs in Haywood County was successful.
At the event, it was announced that Roxy’s Fund has been established. Roxy is one of the Operation Pit graduates and has since become the
• Southwestern Community College Foundation will hold its annual Bluegrass Blue Jeans and Bling gala at 6 p.m. Aug. 25 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort to raise scholarship funds. Tickets cost $150 per person, and sponsorships start at $1,500. Call 828.339.4241 or visit www.southwesterncc.edu/foundation/2018-gala-eventdetails.
PTSD service dog for Justin, a disabled veteran who needs the safety her work provides. Roxy’s Fund will provide free surgery, rabies vaccine and microchip for pets of income qualified U.S. veterans who bring their cats and/or dogs to Haywood Spay/ Neuter.
To donate to Roxy’s Fund to help your fellow veterans, visit www.haywoodspayneuter.org, or send a check to Roxy’s Fund, P.O. Box 992, Waynesville, N.C. 28786. For more information, call 828.452.1329.
Giving program for Hospice House
Hospice House Foundation of WNC has established a monthly giving program, the Constant Compassion Club, to accommodate and recognize ongoing monthly supporters of the foundation. President Michele Alderson said recurring giving really adds up over time and provides stable support for an organization. Participation in the Constant Compassion Club, at whatever level an individual’s budget permits, is a way for everyone to show their support of the Hospice House’s important initiative to bring a hospice inpatient facility (Hospice House) to our rural mountain region. Visit www.hhfwnc.orgto sign up to become a member of the Constant Compassion Club. All donations are entirely tax deductible.
Shelby Douglas, (from left) Emmie Albers, Ashlyn Albers, Gabrianne Ivey and Emma Baker are this year’s Macon County 4-H District Activity Day presentation winners.
There’s magic in these evening Edisto walks
EDISTO ISLAND, SC – For us, the magic of Steamboat Landing Road begins where the pavement ends, where the asphalt turns to dirt. From there, it is less than a mile to the landing, but at dusk it seems longer than that when we are on one of our nightly walks, watching the crabs crisscross in front of us as we search for frogs no bigger around than a penny. After it rains, as it often does on sweltering Edisto afternoons, the frogs are plentiful.
Even though our children are teenagers now, they still delight in capturing these frogs — just for a few minutes, anyways, giving them cute little names like Eddie or Gloria and rubbing their tiny pale bellies. Their legs, suspended in the air, are not much bigger than eyelashes.
Sometimes we see deer in a clearing, sometimes an owl holding court on a branch. The great, old oaks, Spanish moss hanging from them like tinsel from a Christmas tree, seem to reach out to one another like lovers from either side of the road, forming a canopy overhead. The night soundscape — the frogs groaning, the tree crickets and katydids thrumming — increases in intensity as the darkness thickens and the fireflies appear, knitting patterns in the trees.
When we emerge on the other side, there is a marsh stretching for miles, the last remnants of sunset painting the horizon dark shades of pink and purple. As we are soaking in the view before full dark drops the curtain on the day, a big blue pick-up truck suddenly rumbles up next to us, the woman driving reaching across to roll down the window. It is not unusual for us to encounter three or four trucks, usually hauling boats. People often wave, but do not usually stop to chat.
“Howdy,” she says. “You folks might want to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes. I just killed a big timber rattler about five or six feet long back up the road a ways.”
Mission should not control money
To the Editor:
The Mission Health board and CEO Ron Paulus clearly don’t get it: the system’s billions in assets do not belong to them to do with as they please.
A few days ago, Mission announced the incorporation of a nonprofit foundation to receive the proceeds from the proposed sale of Mission’s six hospitals to HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest for-profit chain. By law, proceeds from the sale must go to another nonprofit dedicated to improving regional health – but that doesn’t mean Mission gets to shape that nonprofit or decide who runs it.
Nevertheless, Mission’s board not only named the foundation, it picked one of its own former members, the woman Paulus credits with bringing him to North Carolina eight years ago, to head the new board. The message couldn’t be clearer: Mission and Paulus believe it’s their right to control the money generated by the sale to HCA. That assumption is as arrogant as it is wrong. Why? Because a foundation created to serve the community should be formed by people drawn from throughout the community — not a self-selecting few who give lip service to inclusiveness while rushing to perpetu-
My first thought is for the frogs, but for a snake that size, consuming poor little Eddie or Gloria would be like eating a couple of Tic Tacs.
“Thanks for the heads up,” I say. “We will sure be watching our step.”
We always do. We are anything but careless on these walks, not from fear of tremendous poisonous snakes, but from fear of missing something that we might end up talking about for years. I am old enough to know how unpredictable those things can be — the memories we keep and share, the ones that fade to black. I have almost no memory at all of my high school graduation ceremony, but I can remember vividly the taste and texture of the chuckwagon sandwiches and the cafeteria ladies that used to give them to us on green plastic trays. You never know what will stay with you, or why.
I wonder if we will remember this as being the year that our daughter chose to stay back on our evening strolls on Steamboat Landing. It wasn’t anything dramatic and did not take on the character of a “statement,” yet it feels meaningful. This will be her last year with us before she heads off to college. In just a few weeks, she will be submitting applications to four or five universities. When we return from next year’s visit, she will be packing to leave for one of them.
We can see the change in her. Sometimes we can feel it. She’s not as mean to her brother. She broke up with her longtime boyfriend and didn’t obsess or mope about it for weeks. She does things — some things at least — without having to
LETTERS
ate their own power.
That’s why at least nine states spell out community-focused mechanisms for creating such foundations. That’s why many of those laws prohibit or severely limit any involvement by the nonprofit hospital’s leaders in the foundation that’s formed.
Fortunately, Paulus and Mission don’t get the last word. That belongs to state Attorney General Josh Stein. His role is to protect the taxpayers of North Carolina, who have, by allowing Mission to avoid paying taxes all these years, invested many millions in the system.
SEARCH (Sustaining Essential and Rural Community Healthcare) calls on Stein to put the brakes on Mission’s assumption of a right that does not and should not belong to it. Anything less would shortchange the public whose trust he holds.
Victoria Loe Hicks Bakersville
Even conservatives can’t take Trump
To the Editor:
A number of letters in The Smoky Mountain News have rightly pointed out that
be prodded. While we are out looking for tiny frogs, she is back on the sofa reading Edith Hamilton’s book on mythology, a required text for her English class this year, marking the pages with elaborate annotations.
It’s that, but it is also something else, perhaps a preview of what and where we’ll be a year from now — three of us left to redefine the days and ways of our family life, missing her in moments big and small. This is kind of a rehearsal of that.
Jack insists on bringing the frogs — four of them, one for each of us — back to show her. She has always been crazy over anything cute, and what is cuter than a frog the size of your fingernail? Sure enough, she squeals with joy when she is given her frog, who she promptly names Edith. She cups her hands as if she is holding a bowl of soup, creating a little valley for Edith to explore.
I see in her face the same unalloyed joy I saw when she was 4 years old, marveling over the fiddler crabs skittering all over the sand at Bay Point, or watching the dolphins at play less than a hundred yards off shore. It is an expression uncomplicated by the burdens of choosing a major, breaking someone’s heart, figuring out a budget, or solving problems on her own.
She tells us that she is really bonding with Edith, but she has no sooner said it than Edith jumps, landing safely on her feet, pausing for one beat, then jumping again into the wet grass, out of sight, free and clear.
“Well, there she goes,” she says with a shrug and a smile. “Bye, Edith. Have a great life!”
“She’ll be fine,” I say, swallowing my heart. “She’s only doing what she’s supposed to do.”
Time for key lime pie and game night. Edith Hamilton will have to wait.
(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher. jchriscox@live.com.)
liberals are not presenting President Trump in a very positive light.
In this letter only the opinions of conservatives will be cited because it’s about time that conservative views finally get the publicity they deserve from the mainstream media.
For a reliably conservative viewpoint, we should turn to Fox News. Regarding President Trump’s recent Helsinki press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Fox’s Neil Cavuto described Trump’s behavior as “disgusting” (a view also expressed by former Nixon counsel John Dean). Cavuto has also said, “Mr. President, it is not the fake news media that’s your problem; it’s you.”
Fox anchor Shep Smith has said that the President “keeps repeating ridiculous throwaway lines that are not true at all” and has concluded that “the so-called ‘rigged’ Russian witch hunt is not a witch hunt.”
In case Cavuto and Smith don’t seem quite conservative enough, we should look at what Brian Kilmeade of “Fox and Friends” says. Responding to the President’s tweet blaming bad U.S-Russian relations on “many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity,” Kilmeade said, “That’s by far the most ridiculous tweet of late.”
Both U.S. senators from Texas, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, have expressed their concern about President Trump’s stated trust of former KGB officer Vladimir Putin at the
Helsinki Summit. GOP Representative Will Hurd, also of Texas, said, “Over the course of my career as an undercover officer in the C.I.A., I saw Russian Intelligence manipulate many people. I never thought I would see the day when an American president would be one of them.” Sen. John McCain called the President’s conduct in Helsinki “a tragic mistake,” while GOP Sen. Jeff Flake called it “shameful,” and GOP Sen. Ben Sasse termed it “bizarre.”
As for the President’s zero-tolerance policy of separating families at the border, Republican leaders who criticized the practice include Lindsey Graham, Laura Bush, Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, John Kasich, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Susan Collins and Evangelist Franklin Graham, who called the policy “disgraceful.”
Perhaps it would be more fair to cite only conservatives that the President himself vetted and hand-picked to serve him as staff members and who know the President intimately because of their working with him. These would include former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said the President is “a moron;” current Chief of Staff John Kelly, who has called the President “an idiot;” and H.R. McMaster, who has referred to the President as “a dope.”
As far as what to do about the current political situation, we may
Columnist
Chris Cox
look to Steve Schmidt and James Comey, who have been registered Republicans most of their lives. Comey says, “All who believe in this country’s values must vote for Democrats this fall.” Schmidt similarly says, “The first step to a season of renewal in our land is the absolute and utter repudiation of Trump and his vile enablers in the 2018 election by electing Democratic majorities.”
Thank you to The Smoky Mountain News for allowing conservative viewpoints to be shared for a change.
Bill Spencer Cullowhee
President’s ties to Putin are dangerous
To the Editor:
It is time for the U.S. Congress to act as a co-equal branch of government and rein in the reckless behavior of the president.
To its credit, the Senate has pursued responsible and objective investigations into the Russian attacks on our election system. In contrast, the House of Representatives has done nothing but misdirect and delay and attack the credibility of our investigatory and intelligence agencies. Therefore, it is up to the Senate to carry out the responsibilities of a separate, but equal, branch of government.
The president has repeatedly denied the role of Russia in interfering with the 2016 election, in spite of solid conclusions by our intelligence agencies and the Senate. He has known about these attacks since January 2016 — before his inauguration. At this point, we all know that the President is lying and apparently making agreements with Mr. Putin that no one else knows about, including his own national security staff.
The Senate needs to probe and act in some obvious areas. It seems clear that Mr. Putin has some leverage on Mr. Trump and is influencing his decisions. I suspect that the issue is financial. After being cut off from financing from U.S. firms, his son has indicated that they have ample funding for their adventures from Russian sources. The president is about nothing more than money and his real estate deals require lots of money.
Given the high probability that Russia has some sort of leverage on Mr. Trump, what needs to be done?
First, the Senate needs to subpoena the Trump family personal and corporate tax returns. This should be investigated immediately and thoroughly. The source of Mr. Putin’s leverage is likely to be found there if it exists.
Second, the Senate should do whatever is necessary to protect Mr. Rosenstein (DOJ) and Mr. Mueller until the current Special Counsel investigations are completed. This process must be completed to determine the extent of Russian interference and its consequences.
Third, the Senate should rescind the President’s unilateral authority to impose tariffs. National Emergencies do not emerge overnight at the whim of the current occupant of the Oval Office. This President’s tariff initiatives are causing damage and discord that is totally unnecessary and counterproductive to the U.S. and our allies.
Finally, the Senate should deny confirmation of any further Presidential appointments. In particular, the Senate should fail to approve any court appointments where the candidate believes that a sitting president should not be prosecuted for criminal behavior.
The President’s actions to date clearly support Mr. Putin’s agenda. Whether it is reducing confidence in our own electoral process, or seeding discord and mistrust among NATO and other historic allies, we are clearly supporting the Russian objectives. This must stop, and the Senate must stop it.
John Gladden Franklin
They don’t care; we have to
To the Editor:
Recently I spoke with N.C. Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, and Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, about the Photo ID state constitutional amendment that will be on the state ballot this fall. I expressed my concerns; that requiring a photo ID can and will disenfranchise voters across our state, especially in rural areas such as where their constituents are residing. That voter fraud in North Carolina is virtually nonexistent, and requiring an ID is a solution in search of a problem. They nodded their heads as I spoke, one more polite than the other, but ended with the same basic sentiment; they don’t care. They were completely unfazed and apathetic towards the idea that this amendment can and will hurt more people than it will help. That this will hurt our people.
It was during these conversations that I realized the scope of the problem. Our representatives did not vote for this amendment out of ignorance or a lack of understanding. They voted for it knowing exactly what it can and will do to hurt voting in North Carolina. They voted for it in an attempt to stop people like ourselves, our neighbors, and our loved ones from participating in the political process.
That is why now, more than ever, it is time for North Carolina to unite at the polls, and vote against this Amendment. We know our legislatures don’t care about us, so now it is time to prove that we care about ourselves and our people, and that we will do what is right.
Sara Mears WCU student Cullowhee
JOIN THE TEAM!
Project MARS/AmeriCorps is recruiting for full-time positions in Haywood, Swain , Transylvania, Cherokee, Graham and Buncombe counties.
MEMBERS WILL:
• Serve children directly within the schools
• Provide mentoring, academic assistance andresources for success
• Collaborate with teachers, staff and administration to identify students with needs
Living allowance, health insurance stipend, education awardand loan forbearance available. Candidates
local American comfort foods, craft
along with small batch bourbons & whiskey. Vegetarian options available
tasteTHE mountains
shareables and daily specials that pair perfectly with our beer. Cozy up inside or take in the mountain air on our back deck.”
BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL
207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997. Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slow-simmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.
BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY
50 N Main Street, Waynesville. 828.246.0350. Taproom Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gem Bar Open Tuesday through Sunday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks at Boojum’s Downtown Waynesville restaurant & bar. Choose from 16 taps of our fresh, delicious & ever rotating Boojum Beer plus cider, wine & craft cocktails. The taproom features seasonal pub faire including tasty burgers, sandwiches,
BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Wine Down Wednesday’s: ½ off wine by the bottle. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.
CATALOOCHEE RANCH
119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1401. Breakfast seven days a week, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. – with eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch menu every day from 12 noon to 2 p.m. includes homemade soup du jour and fresh-made salads. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night will feature an evening cookout on the terrace. On all other nights of the week, dinner is served family style and includes locally sourced vegetables, homemade breads, jellies, desserts, and a wide selection of wine and craft beer. The evening social hour starts at 6 p.m., dinner is served starting at 7 p.m., and cozy rooms and cabins are available if you love us so much that you want to stay for breakfast, too. Please call for reservations. And see our dinner menu online at www.cataloocheeranch.com/dining.
CHEF’S TABLE
30 Church St., Waynesville. 828.452.6210
From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday dinner starting at 5 p.m. “Best of” Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine. Set in a distinguished atmosphere with an exceptional menu. Extensive selection of wine and beer. Reservations honored.
CHURCH STREET DEPOT
34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville. 828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burgers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh handcut fries. Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining.
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 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.
FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA
243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde.
828.476.5058. Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 12 to 8 p.m. Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza. A full service authentic Italian pizzeria and restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge. Dine in, take out, and delivery. Check out our daily lunch specials plus customer appreciation nights on Monday and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95.
HARMON’S DEN BISTRO
250 Pigeon St., Waynesville
828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART. Open 5:309 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (Bistro closes at 7:30 p.m. on nights when there is a show in the Fangmeyer Theater) with Sunday brunch at 11 a.m. that includes breakfast and lunch items. Harmon’s Den offers a complete menu with cocktails, wine list, and area beers on tap. Enjoy casual dining with the guarantee of making it to the performance in time, then rub shoulders with the cast afterward with post-show food and beverage service. Reservations recommended. www.harmonsden.harttheatre.org
J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY
U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817
Open for dinner at 4:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.
JUKEBOX JUNCTION
U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner.
tasteTHE mountains
The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.
MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM
617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva. 828.586.3555. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Hand-tossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch. Beer and wine. Free movies Thursday through Saturday. Visit madbatterfoodfilm.com for this week’s shows.
MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB
1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine. Open seasonally for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.
MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT
2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. 828.926.0425. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Daily specials including soups, sandwiches and southern dishes along with featured dishes such as fresh fried chicken, rainbow trout, country ham, pork chops and more. Breakfast all day including omelets, pancakes, biscuits & gravy. facebook.com/carversmvr; instagram @carvers_mvr.
MOUNTAIN PERKS ESPRESSO BAR & CAFÉ
9 Depot St., Bryson City. 828.488.9561
Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections. Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.
PIGEON RIVER GRILLE
101 Park St., Canton. 828.492.1422. Open Tuesday through Thursday 3 to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Southerninspired restaurant serving simply prepared, fresh food sourced from top purveyors. Located riverside at Bearwaters Brewing, enjoy daily specials, sandwiches, wings, fish and chips, flatbreads, soups, salads, and more. Be sure to save room for a slice of the delicious house made cake. Relaxing inside/outside dining and spacious gathering areas for large groups.
RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR
Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center
70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley 828.926.0201
Home of the Maggie Valley Pizzeria. We deliver after 4 p.m. daily to all of Maggie Valley, J-Creek area, and Lake Junaluska. Monday through Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. country buffet and salad bar from 5 to 9 p.m. $11.95 with Steve Whiddon on piano. Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 to 8 p.m. 11:30 to 3 p.m. family style, fried chicken, ham, fried fish, salad bar, along with all the fixings, $11.95. Check out our events and menu at rendezvousmaggievalley.com
SPEEDY’S PIZZA
285 Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.3800
Open seven days a week. Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Family-owned for 30 years. Serving hand-tossed pizza made to order, pasta, subs, gourmet salads, calzones and seafood.
TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL
176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com.
VITO’S PIZZA
607 Highlands Rd., Franklin. 828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito.
WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY
32 Felmet Street, Waynesville.
828.246.0927. Open Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday noon to 9 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Opened in May 2016, The Waynesville Pizza Company has earned a reputation for having the best hand-tossed pizza in the area. Featuring a custom bar with more than 20 beers and a rustic, family friendly dining room. Menu includes salads, burgers, wraps, hot and cold sandwiches, gourmet pizza, homemade desserts, and a loaded salad bar. The Cuban sandwich is considered by most to be the best in town.
Events begin at 7:15pm unless otherwise noted. Dinner and Music reservations at 828-452-6000.
Friday, July 27
Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams guitar, piano, vocals. Pop, Americana, Originals.
Saturday, July 28
Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.
Friday, August 3
Kevin Lorenz guitar. Jazz, Pop, Classical guitar. Dinner & music
Saturday, August 4
Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More. Dinner & music
Friday, August 10
LIVE RECORDING of album Real Life featuring Sheila Gordon (piano, vocals), Plus Quartet. Original songs written by Ms. Gordon about NC. Two seatings: 6:00pm and 8:15pm. $29.99 per person for music and dinner. Reservations required.
Saturday, August 11
Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.
828-452-6000•
Long as I can see the light
A conversation with Doug ‘Cosmo’ Clifford
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER
They just don’t make’em like they used to. That adage is the pure, honest truth when applied to the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival. In a staggering career of massive mainstream success that only lasted five years (1968-1972), the rock juggernaut produced endless pop culture radio staples aimed squarely at doing two specific things — making you get up and dance, all while opening your eyes and ears to social progress and injustice in our world.
And though the music of CCR recently crossed over the half-century mark, the message remains the same within the melodies. Each CCR song is not just a time capsule. The tunes look to serve as a warning to the 21st century, perhaps even a ray of hope, to those who’ll continually discover the power, bravado and rebellious nature of the group until the end of time.
The Smoky Mountain News recently caught up with CCR drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer currently tours as part of Creedence Clearwater Revisited, a beloved longtime offshoot of the original band, which also features original CCR bassist Stu Cook.
Both turning 73 recently, Clifford and Cook are still out there, still fighting the good fight by taking their art to the street, to the stage, to the masses. The songs are timeless, but the message posed to where we are today is one of urgency — things are bad, and it’ll most likely get worse before it gets better, so what are you going to do about it? Roll over, or stand up and fight for what’s right?
Smoky Mountain News: This year is the 50th anniversary of CCR. What do you think about that number in how it applies to not only the band, but also time in general and your life in music?
Doug Clifford: Well, it’s an amazing thing, actually. In order to do that, we have to be multi-generational, which we are. We have three generations of fans now, more younger fans than older fans. In a pop medium that’s pretty amazing, so I thank my lucky stars.
Want to go?
Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Night Ranger will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, on the South Terrace at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Tickets start at $65. For more information and/or to purchase tickets to this show or an upcoming show at the Biltmore, visit www.biltmore.com. For more information on Creedence Clearwater Revisited, visit www.creedence-revisited.com.
SMN: What is the legacy of CCR? What’s your take on it?
DC: I think it’s kind of a multiple thing. Back in the day, we were writing a lot of powerful songs about what was going on, in the [Vietnam] War, social change, segregation, things of that nature that were crumbling, the draft, and the inequities thereof — who’s fighting, who didn’t. In terms of that, we had strong messages. But, in order to be able to get to the masses, where it really counts, where people vote and can make change, the music had to be upbeat, kind of the opposite of what the message was. Juggling that, keeping it lively, music that when you hear it you can’t not move. It was an interesting combination. The style of rock-n-roll we played, which was generally about cars and girlfriends, not so deep subjects, [but] we were able to blend messages with good time rock-n-roll.
SMN: Sadly, a lot of the social issues that
“We had strong messages. But, in order to be able to get to the masses, where it really counts, where people vote and can make change, the music had to be upbeat, kind of the opposite of what the message was. Juggling that, keeping it lively, music that when you hear it you can’t not move. It was an interesting combination.”
— Doug “Cosmo” Clifford on the legacy of Creedence Clearwater Revival
you wrote and sang about are still around today...
DC: It’s exactly true. When [Creedence Clearwater] Revisited is playing, Stu [Cook] gets on the mic for the introduction of “Who’ll Stop The Rain” and he says, “Fifty years ago this song was about what was going on in the world, and unfortunately it’s still the same today.” It’s true. It makes you really wonder. Especially nowadays, wow, taking several steps back in many, many areas where things should not be where they are.
SMN: Are you optimistic about the future?
DC: Well, I am an optimistic person. So, I have to be, otherwise you’re giving up, I think. But, it’s going to be an uphill battle — there are so many things going on. There’s climate change. You really ought to go to the library or on your computer and dig deep, because that’s one that affects not just people in America, but
people around the world. Places at sea level are changing. Look at the weather, look at the fires and the drought conditions. I’m in the mountains right now and there’s a fire right down the road. So, we’re looking over our shoulder at that. There are so many things — it’s hard to explain how we got here.
SMN: Where is the music today, in the mainstream and on the charts, that’s creating a socially conscious message?
DC: It’s funny you said that. Because Stu and I were talking about the same thing on the last road trip. God, it’s the perfect venue right now for material. Where are the messengers? What’s happened to our brethren? Why aren’t they getting out there and seizing the opportunity to make change and awareness a factor?
Editor’s Note: To listen to a full audio stream of this conversation, go to YouTube and search “Doug Clifford Garret K. Woodward.”
A founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer Doug ‘Cosmo’ Clifford.
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Happy 50th birthday, Dirty Santa
And there I was, at a dive bar in the 800-person high desert town of Victor, Idaho, with the backdrop of the Grand Teton mountain range, playing horseshoes and sipping on a lukewarm can of Rainier beer. It was the early summer 2008. My friend, Billie, was watching a few of us play, when she asked me what I had planned now that the weather had gotten warmer.
“Well, I want to cover some music festivals,” I said. “But, I don’t have a photographer, someone who’ll just jump into my truck and head out on the road at a moment’s notice.”
HOT PICKS
1
Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 28.
2
The Concerts on the Creek summer series will welcome Summer Brooke & The Mountain Faith Band (bluegrass/gospel) at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
3
Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host The Snozzberries (rock) at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 28.
4
Grammy-winning guitarist Bill Mize will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
5
Celebrating its first year in operation, Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant will host a party from 11 a.m. until close Saturday, July 28, in Waynesville.
“You know, Garret, my friend, Andrew, is a photographer looking for a writer to cover festivals with,” she suggested. “You two should meet and figure something out.”
I immediately turned to her, “Where is he?” “Inside,” she replied, leading me into the depths of the dive bar where this shaggy guy was sitting at the bar, also sipping on a lukewarm Rainier. His name was Andrew Wyatt. I was 23 at the time. He was 39, from just over the Teton Pass in Jackson, Wyoming.
We sat there and exchanged stories. I told him I was from Upstate New York, had just graduated from college in Connecticut a year prior, and was working as a journalist for the local paper, eager to pursue this crazy dream of becoming a writer. He was from south-central Virginia, his father a Southern Baptist preacher, a profession Andrew him-
art, culture and freedom of expression.
Following Burning Man, I moved back to New York right when the economy tanked. But, before I left Idaho, Andrew and I made plans to get back on the road next summer and do it all over again. And right around May 2009, we picked up where we left off, covering a now-defunct festival in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. I drove from New York, with Andrew heading down from Wyoming. This time, however, Andrew had packed his Jeep with everything he owned, in hopes of “living on love” with this woman in central Pennsylvania following the trip to Arkansas.
About a week or so into the Pennsylvania rendezvous, Andrew called me up. I was already back in New York. He goes, “Garret, it didn’t work out between her and I, and I got to get out of here, man. You’re the only person I know on the East Coast.” He had just enough money left for a tank of gas, which is about what it took to go from central Pennsylvania to Upstate New York.
For the better part of the next year, Andrew and I lived together. Eventually, Andrew got his own place in my hometown, soon becoming a fixture in the local music scene, beloved by all who found themselves in his presence. My old friends from high school and college quickly became his friends.
From 2009 to 2011, we scraped together what little money we were making covering these festivals and doing other odd jobs, throwing it all towards gas and supplies to get to the next event. Keep the dream alive. Keep pushing on down the road. Our travels led us to festivals all over New England and the Eastern Seaboard. Dozens of festivals, hundreds of concerts, thousands of new acquaintances.
self went into, only to become a preacher who found himself in the Tetons holding mass, ultimately realizing one day that his true passion in life was to become a photographer. So, he left the church and bought a camera, and was pretty much disowned by his family for that decision.
From that point on, we were tied at the hip. In an effort to get attention and market ourselves in the haphazard music industry, he wore a Santa suit while taking photos in the heat and dust of the festivals (hence his still prominent nickname “Dirty Santa”) while I wore a top hat and orange jumpsuit. That summer of 2008 we covered several festivals up and down the Rocky Mountains, culminating with a trip to Burning Man in the middle-of-nowhere in the Black Rock Desert of northwest Nevada — the center of the universe, in many respects, in terms of
By the summer of 2011, Andrew felt it was time to move on. He was eager to get back out West, back to the Rocky Mountains, where perhaps opportunities would present themselves. We held a goodbye party for him, a packed house of friends from seemingly every corner of the North Country. We shook hands goodbye. Well, more like “see you later.” About a year later, I also chased after opportunity when I accepted this position as the arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky Mountain News. That goodbye party was the last time I saw Andrew. We’ve made vague plans over the last seven years to meet up, to “get back on the road and cover festivals like the good ole days.” Nothing has really materialized, though. Like all of you out there, we each kept living our lives on separate trajectories in the cosmos. In recent years, Andrew even got married. I called him to congratulate him on the good news. We caught up on life and swapped some tall tales about our adventures here, there, and seemingly everywhere.
I’ll be heading back to the Tetons next month. I haven’t been back there since 2009. I miss all those friends I made out there when my career was in its infancy. I miss Andrew. And we’re hoping to cross paths at some point on this western excursion. But, for now, let’s all wish Andrew “Dirty Santa” Wyatt a very happy and healthy 50th birthday. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
On the beat
‘An Appalachian Evening’
The summer concert series “An Appalachian Evening” will continue with bluegrass act Salt & Light at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
The annual bluegrass/mountain music series will also feature The Jeff Little Trio (Aug. 4), Volume Five (Aug. 11), Unspoken Tradition (Aug. 18) and The Kruger Brothers (Aug. 25).
Salt & Light.
Tickets for the Fireside Collective performance are $15, grades K-12 $10. Tickets are a pre-show dinner are also available for purchase. The Lynn L. Shields Auditorium is air-conditioned. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.
Pickin’ on the Square
The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature The Clydes (bluegrass) at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin.
The concert series is free and open to the public. Bring your lawn chair. Food vendors will also be available. Other performers will be Paradise 56 (blues/reggae) Aug. 4, Golden Harvest (bluegrass) Aug. 11 and The Ram Cats (blues) Aug. 18. For more information, visit www.townoffranklinnc.com.
Cold Mountain Music Series
The inaugural “Summer Music Series” will take place at the Lake Logan Conference Center, just south of Canton.
• Saturday, July 28: Music by Jubal, food from Mountain View BBQ and craft beer from Boojum Brewing.
• Saturday, Sept. 8: Music by Devils in Dust, food to be determined and craft beer from Ecusta Brewing.
• Saturday, Sept. 22: Music by The Kenny George Band, food from Hit the Pit and craft beer from Frog Level Brewing.
Enjoy a magical evening full of sights and sounds at:
July 27-28 & Aug. 3-4 | 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.
music by: Blue Ridge Orchestra’s
Winds, conducted by Milton Crotts
• Saturday, Aug. 11: Music by Josh Carter & Creekside Crawfish, food from Vieux Carre and beverages from Noble Cider.
• Saturday, Aug. 25: Music by Erik & Norma Hendrix, food from Out of the Blue with the beverage provider to be determined.
Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival
The annual Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival festival will host its final program of the summer series in Western North Carolina.
Performances are Saturdays at Warren Wilson College’s Kitredge Community Arts Center in Asheville and Sundays at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. There are also performances on Mondays at the Carolina Music Museum in Greenville, South Carolina.
All concerts at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville are Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.
Barston.
The gate opens at 3 p.m. with music starting at 5 p.m. The event is family-friendly. Waterfront will be open. Admission is $15 per carload, $50 for a 15-passenger van, $5 for bikes. Camping and cabins available. To make reservations, call 828.646.0095. www.lakelogan.com/events.
• Program 5 — July 28, 29, 30: Ern Dohnányi Serenade for string trio in C major, Op.10; Amadeus Mozart Concerto for piano in C major, No.21; Antonín Dvoák String Quintet in G major, No. 2, Op. 77 - All Star
Ensemble with Alexander Velinzon, violin; Elisa Barston, violin; Tatjana Mead-Chamis, viola; Mihail Istomin, cello; Joe McFadden, bass; Inessa Zaretsky, piano. www.scm-festival.com.
Elisa
Jubal.
On the beat Concerts on the Creek
The Concerts on the Creek summer series will welcome Summer Brooke & The Mountain Faith Band (bluegrass/gospel) at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
The lineup for this year’s series will also include: Lance & Lea (Americana/pop) Aug. 3, The Get Right Band (soul/rock) Aug. 10, The Colby Deitz Band (rock/Americana) Aug. 17, Geoff McBride (rock/Americana) Aug. 24 and Dashboard Blue (classic hits) Aug. 31.
The concerts are free and open to the public. There will also be food trucks onsite. For more information, call 828.586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.
Summer Brooke & The Mountain Faith Band.
Sock Hops return to Franklin
An oldies group known for singing beautiful four-part harmonies of memorable songs from the ‘50s,’60s and ‘70s, The Sock Hops will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 27, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
Having had the privilege of opening concert appearances for The Temptations, Frankie Avalon, The Rascals, and many other great artists, The Sock Hops are no strangers to the stage. Nor are they strangers to the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, with this being the group’s sixth show at the center. Previous showgoers enjoyed performances that included many hits including, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” “At The Hop,” “Sherry” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Tickets are $18 each. To purchases tickets or to find out more information, visit www.greatmountainmusic.comor call 866.273.4615.
Groovin’ on the Green
The Groovin’ On the Green concert series will host Andalyn at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, at The Village Green Commons stage and lawn.
Other performers this summer include: Sundown (Aug. 10), The Krickets (Aug. 17), The Buchanan Boys (Aug. 24) and The Boomers (Sept. 1).
The Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association, commonly known as GCAMA, created Groovin’ On the Green nine years ago to bring high quality entertainment to the area while at the same time highlighting local and regional musicians.
Groovin’ On the Green is rain or shine. Bring a chair and your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors to The Village Green Commons on Frank Allen Road. Picnics and coolers are allowed, however concert goers can enjoy delicious food and beverage for sale from the vendors onsite.
Concerts are free, but donations are always appreciated. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash and under the control of their owners at all times.
To learn more about the concert schedule, or about community events at The Village Green visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com. You can follow The Village Green on social media @cashiersgreen.
Andalyn.
On the beat
• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” with Alma Russ (Americana/folk) July 27. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host John the Revelator (blues/folk) July 27 and Trippin’ Hardie Band Aug. 3. All shows begin at 9 p.m.www.facebook.com/balsamfallsbrewing.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. July 26 and Aug. 2. Free and open to the public.www.blueridgebeerhub.com.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams (piano/guitar) July 27, Joe Cruz (piano/vocals) July 28 and Aug. 4, and Kevin Lorenz (guitar) Aug. 3. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 orwww.classicwineseller.com.
Grammy winner in Bryson City
Renowned acoustic guitarist Bill Mize will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Bradley Carter 7:30 p.m. July 28, An Evening with Rod (Rod Stewart tribute) 8 p.m. Aug. 3 and Andrew Chastain (singer-songwriter) 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4. All shows are free. www.curraheebrew.com.
ALSO:
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Marc Keller (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. July 28, Keil Nathan Smith Band 7 p.m. July 28, Bryan Scar (acoustic/country) 7 p.m. Aug. 3 and Whiskey River Band 8 p.m. Aug. 4. All shows are free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Harmon’s Den Bistro at HART (Waynesville) will host karaoke and an open mic at 8 p.m. on Saturdays. www.harttheatre.org.
• Highlands Town Square“Friday Night Live” series will host Sycamore Flats July 27 and Johnny Webb Band (country) Aug. 3. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night July 25 and Aug. 1, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo July 26 and Aug. 2, Pickxen (Americana/folk) July 28 and Rossdafareye (reggae/electronica) Aug. 4, All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.
• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host Sweet Sweet 8:30 p.m. July 25 Lawn Concert w/Upland Drive 6:30 p.m. July 26, Bob Bovee 7 p.m. July 26, Matt Fassas 8 p.m. July 26, Lawn Concert w/Moonlight Street Folk 6:30 p.m. July 27, Greg Ruby & Friends 8:30 p.m. July 27, David Jacobs 7 p.m. July 28, Tom Paxton & The Don Juans 8:30 p.m. July 28, Blake Ellege & The Country Resonators 5:30 p.m. July 29, Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions w/The Robert Made Band 7:30 p.m. July 31 and Evan Price w/Don Stiernberg, Greg Ruby & Zack Page 6 p.m. Aug. 1. www.isisasheville.com.
A Grammy-winning guitarist, Mize is a son of Tennessee, and a fitting representative of his state’s rich musical heritage. His critically lauded fingerstyle compositions are fluid and intricate, and their delivery masterful. Mize is also a past winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition.
Free program with light snacks and refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. The library is located one block up the hill from the Main/Everett intersection.
For more information, call 828.488.3030.
• Kelsey Hutchinson Park (Highlands) “Saturdays on Pine” series will host Shane Meade & The Sound July 28. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday and The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) July 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visitwww.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an open mic night every Thursday. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host Open Road July 27, The Snozzberries (rock) July 28, Bird In Hand (Americana/folk) Aug. 3 and King Corduroy (world/folk) Aug. 4. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m.unless otherwise noted. www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 4. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia.
• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday with Mike Farrington of Post Hole Diggers. Free and open to the public. www.pub319socialhouse.com.
• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and live music on Friday evenings. 828.482.9794 orwww.satulahmountainbrewing.com.
• The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts (Franklin) will host Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi tribute) at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3. Tickets start at $18. www.greatmountainmusic.com.
• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host Paradox Engine 3 p.m. July 28 and Wineaux Jones & The Corkscrews 7 p.m. Aug. 4. 828.586.1717 orwww.soulinfusion.com.
• Southern Porch (Canton) will host Joshua Simmons & Friends July 28 and Christina Chandler (singer-songwriter) Aug. 2. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.southern-porch.com.
• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.283.0079 or www.38main.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host Grandpa’s Cough Medicine (bluegrass) July 28 and Arnold Hill (rock/Americana) Aug. 4. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.
• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mile High (classic rock) 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, and a Trivia w/Kelsey Jo 8 p.m. Thursdays.
• The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Whiskey River Band Aug. 3 and DJ Kountry Aug. 10. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750.
Cooperation in a cultural crossroads
Christians, Muslims tear down walls in Cyprus
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Among the groups visiting this year’s Folkmoot Festival from other countries is one from a place that isn’t quite a country, but is perhaps a historical microcosm of current geopolitical and spiritual conflict between East and West.
“It’s mostly sunny weather, two or three months we live in winter, the rest of the year, around 30 or 40 Celsius degrees,” said Burcin Ozqus, a performer with Kyrenia Youth Centre Association. “It’s green most all the time of the year.”
Less than 50 miles south of Turkey and 70 miles west of Syria sits Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Now home to more than 1.1 million people, Cyprus has since antiquity been within easy reach of the seafaring peoples of the region, including the Assyrians, Mycenaeans and Persians — all of whom at one point ruled the Connecticut-sized domain.
The Ottoman Empire provided perhaps the most enduring presence on the island, ruling it for more than 300 years until it was placed under British control in 1878.
Greek influence grew during this time, until the majority-Greek population began to agitate for a closer association with Greece in the 1950s, something about 20 percent of the population — Turkic peoples, in the north — resisted.
“The culture is the same, but the religion is different. Everything else is the same. We are all Muslims and they are all Christians,
“I don’t think people know how many people are here and how good they are at what they’re doing. That’s what I’m trying to highlight a little bit.”
— Maarten Krijger
Catholics or Orthodox,” said Asena Cin, also a performer with the group. “We live in the north part, which is the Turkish part.”
During the post-colonialist independence movements that began across the world shortly after World War II, Cyprus was among the first to gain independence, in 1960, and like many similar countries saw a period of instability.
“Up to the last 40 years, they were living together, side by side,” said Ozqus. “But something happened.”
A 1974 coup and a pair of subsequent invasions by both the Greeks and the Turks, who captured and occupied about 35 percent of the island’s northern and eastern territory, led to the creation of a UN-mandated buffer zone — a wall, right
From performer to PR
Dutch dancer does digital
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Now in its 35th year, the Folkmoot Festival has been around 11 years longer than Maarten Krijger has been alive, but it doesn’t take 35 years of experience with the annual event to understand what has to happen in the next 35.
“People need to get interested who are not 50 or older,” said Krijger, a Dutchman who hails from Tilburg, in the southern part of the Netherlands near the Belgian border.
Krijger studies musical theater, and appeared at Folkmoot as a performer last year with the Dutch group Paloina Amsterdam, but it’s not dance that’s brought him back this year — he also works in public relations.
“Working in PR in America and the Netherlands is very, very different, because in the Netherlands you don’t need to do much,” he laughed. “You just need to inform them and they will get enthusiastic automatically. In America there’s way more information
being flung at you every day. I mean, we have kind of a quiet life next to you all.”
In saturated North American media markets — including on social media channels — content must be engaging, interesting and, according to Krijger, enthusiastic.
With that in mind, he’s returned this year to help with the festival by documenting it from the unique dual perspectives of a performer who knows what it’s really like, and a PR professional who knows what the public really wants to see.
“I’m interviewing people for a series that I’m going to start soon on social media which will probably be called ‘Humans of Folkmoot,’” he said. “It will be quite personal interviews, and will also obviously be about culture, because behind every dancer is a person and I think it’s important to highlight that.”
Krijger said he’s been to many festivals, but “fell in love” with Folkmoot last year, which led to his return; there are a number of things he says make this particular festival special.
“They really take care of the dancers as well as the audience. Dancers need to be happy — at least as happy as the audience, which I think is a good
Maarten Krijger returns to Folkmoot this year, performing an altogether different type of work. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Members of the Kyrenia Youth Centre Association enjoy breakfast at Folkmoot July 23. Cory Vaillancourt photo
“Day by day, the two sides are relaxed to moving or talking, sitting and talking about the future and the past. And it’s nice. ”
— Burcin Ozqus, Kyrenia Youth Centre Association
through the heart of the capital, Nicosia.
Most of the international community still considers Northern Cyprus, which unilaterally declared statehood in 1983, as Turkish-occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus, but in 2003 Northern Cyprus also unilaterally eased travel restrictions between the two regions, for the first time in three decades.
“When the gates opened in 2003, they wondered, ‘What has happened? What can we do? How can we act?’” he said. “There’s nothing changing badly. There’s not any criminal things from opening the gates. It’s two good things for two sides.”
That wall, which ran right down the middle of a street, was torn down in 2008.
“There’s a border with gates, but nowadays it’s just a sign,” Ozqus said. “We can pass through by walking or bike or car. And the communication is cool between the two sides.”
Formal reunification talks began in 2015 and have a long way to go, but are still a sea change from the state of relations just 10 years ago.
“Day by day, the two sides are relaxed to moving or talking, sitting and talking about the future and the past. And it’s nice,” he said. “We don’t feel bad things about that.”
thing, because most festivals tend to forget the dancers,” he said. “They’re like, ‘OK, you can be in a bus for 27 hours and then you’ll perform for an hour and then we’ll ride 27 hours back,’ which is not actually a good thing.”
Most of that, he said, comes down to scheduling and staffing.
“I don’t think people know how many people are here and how good they are at what they’re doing. That’s what I’m trying to highlight a little bit,” he said. “It’s because it’s entirely run by volunteers, because everybody here is absolutely happy and delighted to be here and when you work with professionals they’re like, “Ehhhh, it’s just my job. Just go.”
On that note, Krijger himself is a volunteer; he’s staying at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Hazelwood along with the rest of the performers, but all on his own dime — including the $700 flight. If he has his way, this won’t be the last time.
“It takes a lot of time,” he said of the twoweek festival. “A 20 hour flight here, and 20 hours back, it’s kind of exhausting. This is a six-hour time difference. But if it were up to me and if I have the money and the opportunity to go again I would. Definitely.”
Bac
Parade of Nations
Each year, one of the highlights of the 10-day Folkmoot Festival is the Parade of Nations. This year, 10 groups from across the globe walked down Waynesville’s Main Street, stopping at the Historic Haywood County Courthouse to perform for local dignitaries.
Groups from Northern Cyprus (clockwise, from top), Tuscola High School, Ghana and Thailand marched in Folkmoot’s parade. Cory Vaillancourt photos
Parade entrants representing Thailand (clockwise, from top), Cherokee, Folkmoot’s Rolf Kaufman, Cherokee and Mexico were also represented July 21. Cory Vaillancourt photos
Schedule of events
WEDNESDAY, JULY 25
• 2 p.m. — Hendersonville, festival performance, Blue Ridge Community College (all groups)
The next Mountain Street Dance will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 27, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.
There will be live mountain music, square dancing, clogging, demonstrations, audience participation, and more. Concessions will be available. Other street dances will be held Aug. 10 and Sept. 28. For more information, click on www.downtownwaynesville.com.
Indian village now open
The popular Oconaluftee Indian Village will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Nov. 10.
As you step into the Oconaluftee Indian Village, you’re transported back to witness the challenges of Cherokee life at a time of rapid cultural change. Tour guides help you explore the historic events and figures of the 1760’s. Visitors can interact with villagers as they participate in their daily activities. The Village also hosts live reenactments, interactive demonstrations, and Hands-On Cherokee Pottery for Kids classes
For more information, click on www.cherokeehistorical.org.
Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling
The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 27 at the Oconaluftee Islands Park.
Mad Anthony’s celebrates first year
Celebrating its first year in operation, Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant will host a party from 11 a.m. until close Saturday, July 28, in Waynesville. There will be live music by Joey Fortner (4 to 6 p.m.), Trippin’ Hardie Band (6 to 9 p.m.) and Henry Soffet & Company (9 p.m. to midnight). There will also be outdoor games and a tap takeover by Currahee Brewing Company (based out of Franklin).
For more information, call 828.246.9249.
HART to host craft beer dinner
Ready for the Gemboree?
The 52nd annual Macon County Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 26-28 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 29 at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Rough and cut gems, minerals, fine jewelry, supplies, beads, door prizes, dealers, exhibits, demonstrations, and more. For more information, call 828.349.2090. Sponsored by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and the Macon County Gem & Mineral Society. www.franklin-chamber.com.
Sit by a bonfire, alongside a river, and listen to some of Cherokee’s best storytellers. The bonfire is free and open to the public. There will be no bonfire events in September. www.visitcherokeenc.com.
• There will be several ballroomand Latin dance classes offered on Sundays and Mondays at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Classes for beginners, intermediate and all levels. $10 per class. For more
information, visit www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Everyone is welcome to attend the CommUnity Square Dance from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Balsam Community Center. Caller will teach all dances, to live old-time music. Come early if you want an easy, informal (optional) lesson. Family friendly and free (donations accepted). For more information: pammanottus@gmail.com.
• Line Dance Lessons will be held on Tuesdays in Waynesville. Times are 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday. Cost is $10 per class and will feature modern/traditional line dancing. 828.734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.comfor more information.
• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission. For more information, call 828.335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.
Harmons’ Den, the Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, will be presenting a special five-course dinner with beer pairings from Lagunitas Brewing Company at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, in Waynesville. The event will feature the dishes created for the evening by HART Chef Christy Bishop. The cost of the evening is $35 per person plus tax and gratuity.
The menu for the event includes deviled quail eggs, mixed greens with grilled peaches, grilled salmon, lavender grilled chicken, braised short ribs and a chocolate espresso cobbler.
To make reservations, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322. Seating is limited. HART is located at 250 Pigeon Street in Waynesville.
• There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m. July 28 and Aug. 4 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.comor 828.452.0120.
• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. July 28 and Aug. 4 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.comor 828.631.3075.
• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.
On the wall
Interested in leatherwork?
The monthly Creating Community Workshop will feature Derek Morrow of Morrow Leatherworks at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 28, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library.
Participants will learn how to make a small, leather clutch. All supplies will be provided, but some hand strength is necessary for leather working. This program is free of charge.
For more information, call 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.
‘Paint & Sip Workshop’
The “Paint & Sip Workshop” will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Gallery Zella in Bryson City.
Enjoy learning to paint with a buddy, daughter, son or even your sweetheart. Enjoy a glass of wine (or soft beverage) and a light snack.
Your painting instructor, Melissa Owen, is one of the area’s best painting teachers. Students will be presented with a Smoky Mountain landscape, then Owen will guide
you in creating your own master work of art. Cost is $50, which includes all materials. For more information, call 828.488.3638 or visitwww.galleryzella.com.
Dogwood Crafters workshops
Dogwood Crafters will offer two craft workshops during the month of August. Both will be held at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Register for one or both classes by calling Dogwood at 828.586.2248 by the date indicated below.
• Fall Fabric Pumpkin will be taught by Bernice Spitzer from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Aug. 9. The pumpkin, when finished, measures 8” high and is made from a fall print fabric. Participants should bring sewing supplies, a hot glue gun, and a sewing machine if you have one. There will be a sewing machine available on site. Cost for the class is $5. Register by Aug. 2 to attend.
• The heritage craft of Rug Braiding will be taught in a two-day workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 22 and 29. Regionally acclaimed artist Dianne Ellis will be the instructor. Participants will learn the technique of using wool in a braided project. Cost for the class is $7. Register to attend by Aug. 15.
Exhibit to showcase Cherokee artist
The new exhibit “Joshua Adams: Facing Culture” will run through Aug. 24 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. A reception for the artist and exhibit will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at the museum.
The exhibition brings together a selection of masks and carvings of the human face by Eastern Band Cherokee artist Joshua Adams, who expresses a deep reverence for his culture through his artwork.
A teacher of woodcarving at Cherokee High School, Adams’ work reflects on the importance of preserving his culture and how outside influences have, and still do,
William Barnhill exhibit at WCU
Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center is hosting an exhibit on William A. Barnhill, a photographer who documented early 20th-century regional craftsmanship, in the museum’s second-floor gallery at Hunter Library.
“Appalachia a Century Ago; Craft Through the Lens of William A. Barnhill” features a photo collection that highlights mountain handiwork with pottery, weaving, carving and basketry. The traveling exhibit was created by the Southern Appalachian Archives and the Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies at Mars Hill University, with support from Bill Alexander of Knoxville, Tennessee.
impact Cherokee life and belief. Intended for display rather than ceremony, these representations of the human face range from traditional Cherokee forms to contemporary twists on tradition.
Made from a variety of woods with details fashioned from rabbit fur, feathers, porcupine quills, and traditional arrows, Adams’ works demonstrate the technical complexity of mask making and the array of materials that enliven this artform. Sculptors, wood carvers, historians, craft enthusiasts, and those interested in Cherokee art and culture will not want to miss this exhibition.
Adams studied wood carving under renowned artist Dr. James Bud Smith. He is influenced by the legendary sculptor and teacher Amanda Crowe, who taught wood carving for nearly 40 years at Cherokee High School. He also learned aspects of his craft from his family, which includes woodcarvers James and Irma Bradley.
In 2010, Adams took over teaching the woodcarving program at Cherokee High School and now instructs a younger generation of students in this revered Cherokee art form. Inspired by traditional masks, which are one of the earliest forms of carving practiced by the Cherokee people, Adams aims to celebrate and preserve his heritage. He combines this pride in his culture with an aesthetic inspired by graphic novels and graffiti art that brings his work a 21st-century edge.
The WCU Fine Art Museum is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Free parking is available on site.
Barnhill, a Philadelphia native who lived from November 1889 to December 1987, was inspired to visit Western North Carolina in 1914 after reading Our Southern Highlanders, a book about residents of the Great Smoky Mountains, first published in 1913 by outdoors writer Horace Kephart. Today, numerous Kephart materials and artifacts are held by WCU’s Hunter Library Special and Digital Collections.
The exhibit also includes a video of local naturalist, storyteller and artist Doug Elliott demonstrating bark basket-making techniques, a bark basket given to Barnhill by Civil War veteran “Uncle Dave” Penland following a photo expedition near Asheville in 1915, and antique tools.
The exhibit will be on display through Friday, Sept. 14. For more information, call the museum at 828.227.7129.
A wood carving by Joshua Adams.
August Concert Weekend at Lake Junaluska
Abstract art showcase at WCU
The exhibit “Mary Althea Parker: Abstract Impulse” will run through Aug. 24 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University.
This exhibition is a small selection of Parker’s works held by the WCU Fine Art Museum, focusing primarily on Parker’s paintings made after 1950. Parker was a passionate painter and educator who dedicated her career to exploring abstraction. In 1948, Parker saw an exhibition of Hans Hofmann’s work at the Addison Gallery of American Art that had a significant impact on her paintings. Hofmann’s “brand” of abstraction, with its vibrant color and dynamic energy, resonated with Parker, and motivated her to take classes with Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts. While many of her titles continued to reference the real world, her approach to painting shifted to being non-representational and followed Hofmann’s credo that “There are bigger things to be seen in nature than the object.”
• The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) is excited to invite local artistans to its “Artist Coffee & Chat,” which will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, at the HCAC gallery in Waynesville. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your fellow artisans for a morning of camaraderie. RSVP by Monday, Aug. 2, by calling 828.452.0593.
• There will be an artist reception for Carol Conti from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Enjoy refreshments, visit with the artist, and take a closer look at her art which will be on display throughout the month of August.
• The “Meet the Artist” reception with Brian Hannum (pianist), Drew Campbell (photographer) and Jon Houglum (painter) will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Gallery Zella in Bryson City. Enjoy North Carolina wine, food and music. Free to attend.
Haywood Arts demo, workshops
There will be an upcoming artist demonstration and workshop to be held by the Haywood County Arts Council at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville.
• Painter Tina Honerkamp will host an artist demonstration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28. Free to attend.
• “Adventures in Acrylic” with acclaimed painter Dominick DePaolo will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 31. Cost is $20 for HCAC members, $25 for non-members. All supplies will be provided or you can bring your own.
• Betina Morgan will host a drawing class from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 14 and Aug. 28. Cost is $20 per class session. Call HCAC for a supply list.
For more information or to reserve a spot in any of these workshops, call HCAC at 828.452.0593.
Open call for artisans
The Haywood County Arts Council invites interested artists to submit applications for inclusion in monthly gallery exhibits or retail spaces. The workshop will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 26, at the HCAC in Waynesville.
To aid in this process, the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will host the workshop followed by a Q&A about applying to an arts jury. Information on digital photos, how to write an artist’s statement, submitting work to a jury, and learning from the jurors comments about your work, are a few of the topics that will be covered.
If you plan to apply for the HCAC jury, or are interested in knowing how to apply for galleries and shows in general, we encourage you to sign up for the class. The class is free,
but space is limited. Please register to info@haywoodarts.org.
The HCAC is accepting applications for monthly shows in the gallery. A separate application can be made to have your work shown in the gift shop for a six-month span. Organizations may submit applications for monthly gallery exhibits as well. All materials are available at www.haywoodarts.org under “Call for Work” or paper copies may be picked up in the gallery at 86 North Main Street in Waynesville during business hours. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7.
HCAC artist member show
The Haywood County Arts Council annual “Artist Member Show” exhibit will run from through July 28. It’s a show filled with variety, including local painters, potters, jewelers, and much more.
For more information, visit www.haywoodarts.org.
Haywood Arts annual meeting
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will hold its annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, at the HCAC gallery in Waynesville.
The event will begin with a wine and cheese reception at 5 p.m. The HCAC has changed from a calendar year to a fiscal year and this annual meeting will celebrate our 2017-2018 successes and kick off the new year’s initiatives.
Both reception and meeting are open to the public. Though not required, an RSVP is encouraged. To register, email info@haywoodarts.org or call 828.452.0593. www.haywoodarts.org.
828.488.3638 or visitwww.galleryzella.com.
ALSO:
• The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will host local artist Gayle Haynie, who will be demonstrating stained glass techniques from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville. Haynie has been a glass artist for 28 years. She enjoys challenging her imagination and creating fun and whimsical art along with traditional stained glass. www.haywoodarts.org.
• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (July 26) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up for either event on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.
• The “Movies on Everett” outdoor series will run through Aug. 17 at the corner of Mitchell and Everett streets in downtown Bryson City. Screenings begin at 9 p.m. Family-friendly. Free to attend. For a full schedule of the films to be screened, visit www.greatsmokies.com.
• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will host a free movie night at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For the full schedule of screenings, visit www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.
• The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners interested in learning are invited. 828.276.6226.
• A “Youth Art Class” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. appalachianartfarm@gmail.comor find them on Facebook.
• Free classes and open studio times are being offered at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Join others at a painting open studio session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays. For information on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 828.349.4607.
• There will be a “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.
A work by Mary Althea Parker.
Herman classic at HART
The Jerry Herman blockbuster “Mame,” starring Lyn Donley in the title role, will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 26-28 and at 2 p.m. July 29 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
“Mame” is based on the play Auntie Mame, which is in turn based on the Patrick Dennis novel of the same name. Set in New York and spanning the Great Depression and World War II, it focuses on eccentric bohemian Mame Dennis, whose famous motto is “Life is a banquet and most poor sons of bitches are starving to death.” Her fabulous life with her wealthy friends is interrupted when the young son of her late brother arrives to live with her. They cope with the Depression in a series of adventures.
In 1958, a film based on the play was released, starring Rosalind Russell, who originated the role on Broadway. Russell was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for her portrayal. The decision to turn the show into a musical was almost immediate and Jerry Herman wrote the show with Judy Garland in mind for the title character. He was later persuaded that she was not up to the rigorous eight show a week per-
formance schedule, so it was offered to Mary Martin, who turned it down.
The musical opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater in May of 1966, starring Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur. The production became a hit, running four years, racking up over 1,500 performances and garnered Tony Awards for all of its leads. The success of the musical spawned a 1974 film with Lucille Ball in the title role and Bea Arthur reprising her supporting role, as well as a London production, a Broadway revival, and a 40th anniversary revival at the Kennedy Center in 2006.
Jerry Herman was coming off the success of “Hello Dolly,” which was still running on Broadway when “Mame” opened. He would later create “La Cage aux Folles,” cementing his reputation for creating shows with elaborate sets, costumes, and showstopper numbers.
HART’s production will also feature Stephen A. Gonya, Allison Stinson, Karen Covington Yow, Janice Schreiber and Andrew Delbene in principal roles and an ensemble of nearly 35.
828.456.6322 or visit www.harttheatre.org.
Triple Arts musical theatre show
A musical theatre performance by the Triple Arts Company will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. The group will be presenting over 20 full-realized production numbers mounted and directed by Terrence Mann, Charlotte d’Amboise, Christopher d’Amboise, Kelly Crandall d’Amboise, Mary Ann Lamb, Chryssie Whitehead, Jeffrey Schecter and Whitney G-Bowley.
The numbers will be highlighting the impressive hard work and abounding talent of the 2018 Triple Arts Company of 46 young performers. Three original numbers created by Christopher d’Amboise’s Moving Story Choreography apprentices will be included in the special presentation.
Tourism Development Authority............................828-848-8711
Lyn Donley.
STAR Ranch will once again host Jamie Simpson as Jeff Foxworthy at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Elevated Mountain Distillery in Maggie Valley.
Simpson is the world’s leading Jeff Foxworthy impersonator. Even Foxworthy himself is quoted as saying, “It’s like looking in a dang mirror.”
Guests will be blown away by Simpson’s appearance, his voice and his tribute to one of the world’s best comedians. Simpson is donating a portion of his usual fee to help the horses of STAR Ranch.
A $35 admission ticket includes a meal catered by the Rendezvous Restaurant and a great show. Samples of the distillery’s finest brews will also be available for $5. There will be silent and live auctions as well.
Tickets are available at the door or by calling 828.400.4940. All proceeds go to sustain STAR Ranch’s efforts in caring for needy horses in Western North Carolina, to date 130.
For more information, visit www.star-ranch-rescue.
‘Unto These Hills’ outdoor drama
based on traditional Cherokee values and modern sensibilities. www.cherokeehistorical.org.
The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday through Aug. 18 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee.
This decades-old acclaimed outdoor drama traces the Cherokee people through the eons, through the zenith of their power, through the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears, finally ending, appropriately, in the present day, where the Cherokee people, much like their newly re-scripted drama, continue to rewrite their place in the world — a place
• There is free comedy improv class from 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday at Moo Mountain Bakery in Maggie Valley. No experience necessary, just come to watch or join in the fun. Improv teacher Wayne Porter studied at Sak Comedy Lab in Orlando, Florida, and performed improvisation with several groups. Join Improv WNC on Facebook or just come on down to the bakery 2511 Soco Road.
History of American furniture a fascinating story
Oscar P. Fitzgerald’s American Furniture: 1650 to the Present (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018, 621 pages) is a door-stopper book, a behemoth with well over a thousand photographs, some in color, most black-andwhite, and as promised by the title, a history of American furniture and craftsmanship since the time of the thirteen colonies.
Both serious readers and casual visitors to the book — I count myself in the latter crew — will unearth a cache of diamonds in Fitzgerald’s history. In this review we must content ourselves with examining just a few of these treasures. We learn that the Pennsylvania Germans, for example, hailed from the south of Germany and so brought with them the tradition of painted furniture, including the use of hex signs on various chests. Of the Moravians, such as those who settled around present-day WinstonSalem, Fitzgerald informs us that “Music was an important part of a Moravian schools curriculum, necessitating specialized Windsor chairs with extra-long legs for use by trombone players.”
Following World War II, Fitzgerald tells us, the public was ready for a new simplicity in furniture design and a greater informality in their way of living, a demand that brought forth such innovations as modular sofas. Fiberglass chairs such as the ones used in so many schoolrooms came into widespread beginning in the 1950s, glass-top tables become popular, and designers like those of the Memphis school set out to create furniture offering social commentary.
According to Fitzgerald, this movement, founded originally by some Italian architects, takes its name Memphis from both the cradle of civilization in Egypt and from the home of Elvis Presley in Tennessee, and was inspired by Bob Dylan’s song “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again,” an amusing stew, especially given current anxieties regarding “cultural appropriation.”
When we think of American furniture, even those of us who know little of its history call to mind the influence of the Shakers, that religious sect whose members were known for their dancing and shaking during worship services. Here, as
he does throughout American Furniture, Fitzgerald shows us the influence of philosophy and culture on design. In their crafting of furniture, the Shakers followed
the ideals as expressed in their most famous of hymns, “Tis a gift to be simple.” They further believed that “Beauty rests on utility” and that “useless ornament might encourage pride.”
Finally, as Mother Ann Lee, the founder of the American Shakers, told her followers, “Do all your work as though you had a thousand years to live on earth, and as you would as if you knew you must die tomorrow.” That maxim led Shakers to regard all labor, including the building of chairs and tables, as holy, with the result being the excellent workmanship associated with their furniture. After the Civil War, the Shakers with their belief in celibacy and the separation of the sexes, and plagued by a diminishing religious zeal among their members, began dying out. Yet in their furniture building, as Fitzgerald demonstrates, “the Shakers were one hundred years ahead of their time in their concept of design,” and “Shaker furniture surged in popularity in the 20th century as simplicity became the order of the day.”
As in other arts and crafts, American furniture and its manufacture brought together styles from around the globe. In writing of the aesthetic movement of the 1880s to the close of the century, for
example, which can best be summed up by Oscar Wilde’s “art for art’s sake,” we find some makers of furniture blending a medieval style with Oriental and naturalistic impulses. In a picture of a sideboard made by the Herter brothers, German immigrants to New York, Fitzgerald shows us this style of Modern Gothic; this cabinet with its ornate carvings, including the sunflowers that were a symbol of the aesthetic movement, looks as if some mysterious force had whisked it from a late medieval manor house to a Boston drawing room.
In addition to his lavish use of photographs and their accompanying commentary, Fitzgerald, a renowned expert on furniture, a teacher, and a curator, deserves our applause for the wealth of information he has packed into these pages and the straight-up style with which he delivers this gift. As I mentioned earlier, American Furniture offers its riches not only to academics, architects, and artists, but to all of us who know little about the history of furniture and its place in our homes and offices. And like the admirable Shakers, Fitzgerald practices simplicity and lack of ornamentation in his writing. He keeps himself in the background, a docent who, as he takes us on tour, remains a teacher with much knowledge and few opinions, a man possessed of an enviable neutrality, who is equally enthusiastic about colonial beds and postmodernist lecterns.
Near the end of American Furniture, in a chapter on the care and preservation of furniture, Fitzgerald offers this quote by one Charles Montgomery: “Anyone who aspires to become a connoisseur must first learn to see, and then must look and look and look and remember what he sees.”
Oliver Fitzgerald long ago learned to see. He has looked and looked and looked, and remembered what he has seen. Fortunately, he has chose to share that vision with the rest of us in American Furniture.
(Jeff Minick can be reached at minick0301@gmail.com.)
New installment in Aluria Adventures
Franklin native and author Tyler Cook will release his fifth book Disciple at a special release party at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
Over 500 years ago, in a distant kingdom, Queen Sibilla feared her kingdom would become the next casualty of the One Hundred Years War. In a desperate act to protect those she led, she makes a deal with the Devil, becoming his disciple in exchange for unlimited power. But, everything has a price, and Sibilla must pay for her newfound powers, putting everything she cares about on the brink of destruction.
In the present day, it has been six months with no sign of Aluria. Peace has been preserved throughout the city of Canton, thanks to his friends, but with a new threat emerging, Jason Conner wonders how long he can keep going without putting the mask back on, and if he’s worthy enough to be the hero the city needs again. Can he make amends with the spirit that has inhabited his body for so long, and if so, will they be strong enough to keep the Devil’s disciple from completing her mission?
Aluria was released in 2016, followed by Vigilante in 2018. Both have been named the number one bestselling superhero novel onAmazon.com multiple times, as well as reaching their overall bestseller list.
For more information, contact Cook at moonshinepressnc@gmail.com or visitwww.tylermcook.com.
Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke
Andrew Lawler will present his book The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
Author of Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick said “A fascinating account of one of our country’s great historical mysteries. Fast-paced and wonderfully written, with plenty of surprising turns along the way, The Secret Token is a delight.” Lawler is the author of the highly acclaimed Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? He is a contributing writer for Science, a contributing editor for Archaeology Magazine, and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Slate.
To reserve copies of The Secret Token, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.
Celebrating Jonathan Williams
Jeffery Beam will present his new book Jonathan Williams: Lord of Orchards at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
The Jargon Society publisher, Williams was a whirlwind of creativity — a poet of considerable stature, book designer, editor, photographer, letter writer, critic, proselytizer of visionary folk art, curmudgeon, gardener, resolute walker, and always an adroit raconteur and gourmand. This book of essays, images, and shouts aims to bring new eyes and contexts to Williams’ influence and talent as poet and publisher. Beam is author of over 20 works of poetry and prose. He is poetry editor emeritus of Oyster Boy Review, a retired UNCChapel Hill botanical librarian. He is author of What I Found There: An Informal History of the Jargon Society, and the Rain Taxi interview Tales of a Jargonaut
To reserve copies of any of his books, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.
Writer Jeff Minick
A LOVING PUSH
Cullowhee farm provides growth, safety for people with autism
Spend starlight at Full Spectrum
Gstepping stones on the obstacle course. He’s the kid biting his tongue in concentration as he prepares to descend the slide; the kid blowing air through a straw with all he’s got to power his paper boat through the water; the kid leaning over to hug one of the adults volunteering that day at Full Spectrum Farms.
“He’s really shining here,” said Grayson’s dad Ron Wolfe, watching his son play.
The words carry the weight of all the times Wolfe has had to watch his 7-year-old son navigate situations where he definitely does not shine. Grayson was diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder at age 2, but this year he received a new diagnosis: autism spectrum disorder.
“It took us a little while to process it, but we did a lot of reading about it,” Wolfe said. “What does that truly mean? How is that going to affect him?”
Autism is a neurological disorder that includes difficulty with social skills and communication, repetitive behaviors and overall a different way of seeing and experiencing the world than those without autism. Autism is a spectrum, not a pinpoint, so the disorder can affect different people in markedly different ways, and with varying degrees of intensity.
For Grayson, autism comes with difficulty in muscle control. Reading and writing are hard for him — though he’s going into second grade, he can’t write or read his own name.
to anything,” Wolfe said. “If you were to ask him, ‘Who are your friends?’ it would be, ‘Oh, I don’t have any.’ He at school is excluded from almost everything.”
It’s not like that at Full Spectrum Farms. Founded in 2002 and located in Cullowhee, Full Spectrum is a nonprofit organization that aims to give people with autism a safe and encouraging place to explore and expand their capabilities. A summer day camp is one of its many offerings, and on this warm Tuesday in July, Wolfe had brought Grayson over to check out Full Spectrum for the very first time.
Grayson hadn’t wanted to go, Wolfe said, and that morning it was all he could do to get his son to leave the house. They were just going to go check it out, he told Grayson. Just drop off the paperwork and then go home. Wolfe didn’t even pack Grayson a lunch, he was so sure they wouldn’t be staying long.
But from the first moment, Grayson saw Full Spectrum as a safe place. He was included in the activities, Wolfe said, but not forced to participate beyond his comfort level. They stayed, and before Grayson knew it the day was over and he was excited to come back again.
“It’s been pretty incredible,” Wolfe said. “Typically at school he doesn’t shine because they tend to stick to the kids who are better at education. Seeing him shine here is the world.”
Full Spectrum Farms will hold its Starlight Night fall festival starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Full Spectrum Farm in Cullowhee.
The family-friendly evening will include hayrides, a petting zoo, farm tours, barbeque, music, a silent auction and beer and wine — all underneath a newly constructed pavilion at the farm, lighted by tiny lights and candlelight.
Together with an April golf tournament, the fall festival raises most of the farm’s annual operating budget. Tickets are $25 per person or $50 for a family and available at the door or in advance by contacting the farm at 828.293.2521 or info@fullspectrumfarms.org. Table sponsors, silent auction donations and volunteers are wanted. The event is sponsored by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and the farm is located at 1185 Wayehutta Road, Cullowhee.
Donations accepted throughout the year to P.O. Box 3103, Cullowhee, NC 28723. www.fullspectrumfarms.org.
A PLACETOBETHEMSELVES
Jane Coburn has been working with people with cognitive disabilities since childhood, when she befriended a neighborhood family whose son had some severe disabilities. While other kids were scared of the big guy who wore a helmet and had frequent seizures, Coburn was drawn to him. She helped his parents take care of him, and when she went off to college it was to earn a degree in rehabilitation counseling, so she could continue helping people who faced those kinds of challenges.
But nothing prepared her for the pair of diagnoses that changed her life forever — the news that her sons Austin and Jake both had autism.
“It was devastating,” she said. “You’d think since I worked in the field I’d think, ‘I can handle this,’ but when it’s your own child it’s a
whole other ballgame.”
In the professional setting, it’s easier to keep an emotional distance, to remain clearheaded and focused on the task at hand.
“When it’s your own kids, there’s so much emotion wrapped up in it, and so much pressure as their parent,” Coburn said. “You love them so much and you worry about what other people think about them. There’s so much wrapped up into it. It was hard.”
At the time, Coburn and her husband Andy were living in Durham, an urban area where virtually every autism therapy imaginable was available. Then, Andy got an offer to come teach at Western Carolina University.
“When we were considering moving out here, I was a wreck about it. I was really nervous about it because I thought, ‘What is going to be out there in such a rural area?’” Coburn said. “There wasn’t anything. There wasn’t
Grayson Wolfe (right) competes in a paper boat race with a fellow camper. Holly Kays photo
much. But the cool thing that we found is that the small community has kind of been a natural support.”
let your guard down and not have to think so hard about everything can be a relief.
That’s where Full Spectrum comes in.
People know who her sons are. They talk to them when they see them out and about, and they watch out for their wellbeing. It’s great, but that kind of community took time to build.
Newly transplanted to WNC, Coburn was desperately Googling search terms along the lines of “Jackson County autism” when Full Spectrum Farms popped up.
“We didn’t have that land where the farm is now,” she said. “It was just this little run-
“Inclusion is important to me, but when they’re being included people don’t get it, so they have to kind of feel different and worry about how they’re acting and try and fit in,” Coburn said. “At the farm it’s like anything goes. They can just be and be themselves, and nobody cares if they have weird tics or if they’re saying something slightly inappropriate.”
At the farm, she said, they can feel proud of who they are and what they’ve accom-
clients themselves also supporting the operation. When they make crafts or raise vegetables, they sell them at the Jackson County Farmers Market. A portion of the proceeds goes back to the individual clients who made the product, and the rest supports the farm.
The organization has come a long way from its humble origins, which have their root in a group of parents of kids with autism who banded together to give pottery classes using part of a woodworking shop donated by a friend. That group was led by Full Spectrum founders Margaret Oren and Jean Alvarez, who had worked for the
a desensitized environment.”
For people with autism, various stimuli that people without the disorder would brush off as no big deal can quickly prove overwhelming. A shirt that fits too tightly, lights that flicker or shine too brightly and strange noises can all prove difficult hurdles to overcome. Being in the garden forces clients to deal with some degree of sensory input and unpredictability — you never know exactly when a beetle may buzz by or a breeze may cause leaves to brush your leg — but it’s a more gentle degree of sensory input than that found in many other situations.
“Temple Grandin calls it a loving push,” said McManus, referencing the acclaimed autism spokesperson, author and professor of animal science. “It’s kind of our overarching philosophy here.”
By encouraging clients to push their boundaries, bit by bit, the hope is that they’ll eventually find themselves succeeding in ways they wouldn’t have previously thought possible. Everyone has a job in the garden, something the farm relies on them to do and that they can take ownership of, whether that be collecting eggs, picking veggies or pulling weeds.
Animals are another agent of that loving push. Every week, a group of clients takes the farm dogs for a walk along the Jackson County Greenway.
“A lot of times our dogs will help the transition,” McManus said. “When we walk on the greenway, everyone wants to stop and talk to the dogs, which forces the client to stop and make a decision of how they’re going to interact with that person.”
down building on Old Cullowhee Road. It was all volunteer-run. It was parents of people with autism just trying to get something going.”
It’s grown since then, and so have her kids, who are now ages 19 and 21. Coburn has fought hard for them to live the most fulfilling, independent lives possible, integrated with the community at large rather than hiding from it. Austin, 21, is Full Spectrum Farms’ first-ever tenant, living in a house the organization owns with two roommates who help teach him the life skills he’ll need to be truly independent one day. He holds a job, volunteers at City Lights Bookstore and Hunter Library, and loves baking, music and the weather. Jake, 19, is a college student, having just completed his first year at the University of Alabama. He’s majoring in American studies with hopes of one day earning a master’s of library science — he’s not so involved with the farm anymore.
The boys are doing well, but just as a person who speaks English as a second language would rather converse in their native tongue, people with autism often find comfort in settings where they don’t have to hide their difference. It takes constant energy and focus to navigate life in a language that’s not your own — being somewhere that you can
“People with autism are people, and they want the same things out of life. They want to fall in love, have jobs, they want to have friends.”
plished. Being able to produce artwork, see it sell and receive the profits has given Austin in particular an infusion of confidence and pride.
“A lot of times people focus on the negatives with them and the challenges, but at Full Spectrum Farms it’s always the positive, and what you can do,” Coburn said.
EXPANDINGBOUNDARIES
Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, Full Spectrum Farms includes a 34-acre property featuring a garden, chicken coop, playground, walking path, pavilion and main house, as well as the 2,600-square-foot house where Austin and his roommates live.
Full Spectrum makes it a point not to charge for services, meaning that it leans heavily on grant funding, donations, fundraisers and volunteer hours, with the
— Jane Coburn
Autism Society of North Carolina. The parent of a child with autism, Alvarez had visited a therapeutic farm in Raleigh and was inspired to create something similar in the western region.
These days, the farm serves an average of 25 adult and child clients per week, offering craft classes, a pet therapy walking group, Friday social functions, pottery classes, summer day camps and various special events. At the heart of Full Spectrum Farms is the farm itself.
“The sensory component of it is huge,” said Erin McManus, director of Full Spectrum Farms. “To be out here, you can feel it. It’s much more relaxing. So it’s exposing them to the outside. I have some clients who have not been outside in years, so it’s getting them comfortable in the outside environment. It’s giving them job skills, of course, and it’s having them do an activity in
It’s important that the push be gentle, though. Dropping someone in the proverbial deep end won’t help anyone learn to swim — it will only induce panic. Back at Grayson’s first day of camp, the group of six kids was working through activities designed to stretch their comfort level, but the therapies were cleverly disguised as pure fun. Kids blew bubbles in water, “milked” a paper cow by squeezing water from a pink rubber glove and gave plastic, dirt-covered trucks a wash in tubs of clear water.
“Some of these kids have a tactile defensiveness, and they don’t like things on their hands, so when they get into a school setting and they’re doing finger painting or anything they don’t want on their hands, they may refuse that activity or not participate with their class,” explained Anna Walls, occupational assistant therapy program coordinator at Southwestern Community College. “In occupational therapy, we try to introduce things slowly and at a rate that they make an appropriate response to. You don’t push them to the point that they just refuse to do activities.”
GROWINGPARTNERSHIPS
This is Walls’ third year working with Full Spectrum, and she didn’t come alone — she brought along seven occupational therapy students to the summer day camp, planning activities and working one-on-one with kids to develop the skills that will help them to
S EE FARM, PAGE 34
Full Spectrum Farms clients walk farm dog Gus across the Jackson County Greenway bridge. Mandi Joy Dowling photo
more fully participate in their main occupation as kids: play. The next day, the students will switch gears to work with Full Spectrum’s adult clients, with the goal of teaching everyone how to use the transit system. Then, the group will call a ride, go to the library, find a recipe, go to Ingles, buy ingredients and return to the farm to cook a meal.
“When you think of physical therapy, you’re thinking of exercise. When you think of occupational therapy, think of all the things you do in a day, and that’s what our biggest goal is — to get people to participate in the things that are important to them,” said Walls.
In addition to SCC, Full Spectrum partners with the psychology and business departments at WCU, and those relationships have significantly expanded the services the farm can offer on its shoestring budget.
Mickey Randolph, a Full Spectrum board member and WCU psychology professor, has been requiring her undergraduates to do one hour of service learning per week for about 20 years. Some of them choose to do those hours at Full Spectrum. Some even opt for a full-blown internship, which is a 10hour-per-week commitment.
About three years ago, Randolph began involving her graduate students as well. In addition to volunteering 20 hours per week, second-year students has to give one talk throughout the semester on topics that are relevant to the families of people affected by autism. First-year students volunteer about
10 hours per week.
The partnership has been a good thing, for the clients and for the students. Several students have even changed the whole course of their future career after experiencing Full Spectrum, Randolph said. At the end of each semester, the undergrads have to turn in a paper reflecting on their service experience, and “those are the best papers to read,” Randolph said. “Typically they start with, ‘I didn’t want to do this activity,’ but then they say, ‘It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.’”
As opposed to the more obvious tie-in for the psychology department, the College of Business’ interest in Full Spectrum might be a bit less apparent.
“At a glance when you think about it, the College of Business doesn’t sound like a fit,”
acknowledged Yue Hillon, associate professor of management at WCU and treasurer for the Full Spectrum board. “But no matter business or nonprofit, when you look at the operation side and planning, that’s going to teach strategies.”
So, her students help the farm with the business side of things — developing a business plan, financial forecasting, creating a website.
This constant supply of college students has proven vital to Full Spectrum’s operations.
“We exist fully on volunteers,” said McManus, who became Full Spectrum’s first and only paid staff member in 2014. “Essential volunteers like Carol (West), who probably works 60 hours a week and
Norman (West), all the way to our board members — all are volunteer, but our students make stuff like this possible. The students are all completing a component of their education, and they’re getting critical experience.”
Critical experience professionally, but also personally. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 59 children in the United States has autism. That includes 1 in 37 boys and 1 in 151 girls. At some point or another, most everyone will cross paths with someone who has autism, and it’s important to understand what that diagnosis does — and does not — mean.
“When I was in college in the mid-’80s, they told us that people with autism don’t have empathy and aren’t really interested in other people, but my kids, that couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Coburn said.
It’s also not true that kids with autism can only be good at music, or computer programming, or math, or something else from the narrow list of stereotypically autistic interests.
The reality, Coburn said, is that people with autism are just as diverse as their neurologically typical peers, and that at their core they have the same needs and desires as any other human being.
“People with autism are people, and they want the same things out of life,” she said. “They want to fall in love, have jobs, they want to have friends. They’re just awkward and maybe not navigating the social world and relationships and friendships very well. But it doesn’t mean they don’t want to.”
It’s time to throw in a
towel…
Full Spectrum Director Erin McManus holds up one of the farm’s eight resident chickens.
Holly Kays photo
Happy birthday, Smokey Bear!
Kids of all ages are invited to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 74th birthday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Cradle of
Forestry in America near Brevard.
The fun includes music, making birthday cards, Smokey Bingo, Pin-the-Pail on the Campfire, prize drawings, birthday cake and of course, Smokey Bear. Party favor
Walk the greenway
bags for children include a little book “The True Story of Smokey Bear,” the Smokey Bear song and Smokey memorabilia. Families are welcome to pack a picnic. At 2 p.m., the Carolina Mountain Naturalists will present a live animal program featuring native wildlife.
Smokey Bear has been a symbol of fire safety and fire prevention since 1944. The Smokey program aims to create and maintain public awareness about the need to prevent unplanned, humancaused wildland fires.
Free with regular admission of $6 for adults and $3 for youth ages 4 to 12. America the Beautiful, Golden Age and Friends of the Cradle passes accepted. The Cradle of Forestry is located along U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest, about 35 miles south of Waynesville.
A walk along the greenway will offer insight into the creatures that call the area home, at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 28, on the Little Tennessee River Greenway in Franklin starting from Big Bear Shelter on Main Street.
George James, current chair of the Friends of the Greenway board, will lead the walk. Covering about half a mile, the walk will focus on the environmental positives of the Beaver Pond area, how it has changed over the years and the animals that live there.
A $5 donation to Friends of the Greenway is requested. RSVP to frog28734@gmail.com.
Hike the Shut-In Trail
Explore the Mountains-to-Sea Trail with a guided hike at 10 a.m. Friday, July 20, leaving from Stony Bald Overlook at milepost 402.6 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, north of Mount Pisgah.
Parkway rangers will lead this moderate 2.4-mile roundtrip hike, taking in rare tree species, walking over a Parkway tunnel and learning firsthand why this section is called the Shut-In Trail.
Rangers lead weekly hikes at 10 a.m. on Fridays at various locations along the Parkway. Participants should bring water, sturdy shoes and clothing for changeable weather. 828.298.5330, ext. 304.
Do your part in Panthertown
Help keep the trails clear in Panthertown Valley with a workday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. The group will meet at Salt Rock Gap, off of Breedlove Road near Cashiers, and hike, prune and maintain several popular trails. Volunteers should bring lunch and water. Panthertown Valley is a backcountry recreation area located in the Nantahala National Forest near Cashiers. Sign up to join this Friends of Panthertown event by contacting Jason Kimenker at friends@panthertown.org.
Photograph nature like a pro
Become a better nature photographer during a workshop 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, in Balsam.
The program will teach basic tips and techniques to help students become adept at meshing subject, composition, angles and lighting to create powerful images. Technical aspects of photography and composing to convey emotion will also be covered.
Larry Thompson, who served as the National Audubon Society’s Southeast Regional Vice President for 20 years, will teach the course. He has taught nature courses and led birdwatching, wildflower and photography trips for more than 30 years and resides in Balsam. $40; register at 828.452.5414 or lvthompson@earthlink.net.
Wednesday, July 25
6 pm - Waynesville, fundraiser, Tranquility Farms
7 pm - Maggie Valley, welcome wagon, Elevated Mountain Distilling Company
Thursday, July 26
Noon - Waynesville, neighborhood meet and greet, Folkmoot Friendship Center 7 pm - Franklin, festival performance, Smoky Mountain Center for Performing Arts
Saturday, July 28
10 am - 5 pm Waynesville, International Festival Day, Main St. 7 pm - Clyde, festival performance, Haywood Community College
Sunday, July 29
7 pm - Lake Junaluska, Candlelight Closing, Stuart Auditorium
N.C. hosts multi-state effort to boost outdoor industry
A three-day meeting to plan the future of the outdoor industry drew leaders from 11 states to Asheville this month, resulting in an accord to establish a set of principles in the areas of economic development, public health and wellness, conservation and stewardship, and education and workforce development.
States participating in the Outdoor Industry Confluence included North Carolina, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming. One of the conference’s highlights was an hour-long panel with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on July 10, moderated by Thomas Dempsey of Brevard-based outdoors gear manufacturer SylvanSport. Through the conversation, confluence delegates could hear the two governors’ views on the outdoor experiences that helped shape their current positive outlook on the outdoor recreation economy.
Outdoor recreation in North Carolina generates $28 billion in consumer spending according to the Outdoor Industry Association Outdoor Recreation Economy Report, issued last year and every five years. These numbers were up more than 45 percent from 2012, which assessed the industry at a $19.2 billion economic impact.
Grapple with your paddle
With a variety of vessels and two different race lengths on the table, the Paddle Grapple will offer an option for every boater at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, on Fontana Lake at Tsali Recreation Area.
The race will offer classes for stand up paddle board, surfski, marathon, kayak and canoe, with 3-mile and 6-mile distance options and awards given to top finishers in each class.
The day will begin with on-site registration from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and vendor booths starting at 9 a.m. The race will start at 10 a.m. with awards at 1 p.m.
$45.Organized by the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Sign up at www.paddleguru.com.
Bike the Balsams
The Great Balsam Bike Relay will offer a unique combination of road and mountain biking on Saturday, Aug. 11, in Jackson County
A team relay, the race will include dirt trails, gravel and asphalt, with each rider riding two segments with a total of eight segments in the overall race. Segments vary in length and difficulty, ranging from 10 to 30 miles.
The exact route will remain secret until check-in, which will occur from 4 to 8 p.m. at Motion Makers Bicycles in Sylva on Friday, Aug. 10. Teams should anticipate starting the next morning around 6 a.m. within 10 miles of downtown Sylva, with the relay finishing at Innovation Brewing’s new location in Dillsboro between 7 and 9 p.m. that evening.
Limited mechanical support is available for breakdowns, so riders should see the required and recommended gear list to be fully prepared. Registration ranges from $125 to $360, depending on team size and number of legs desired.
darkridgeracingllc@gmail.com.
Race like it’s the ‘80s
A 5-mile run along the Little Tennessee River in Franklin will raise money for the Shriners Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, during the ‘80s Flashback 8K Saturday, Aug. 4.
Costumes are encouraged in this fun-heavy event, which will kick off at 6 p.m. An after-party and awards ceremony will follow at the Lazy Hiker Brewing Company, featuring raffle prizes, Pac-Man, Rubik’s cube and the sounds of the ‘80s performed by cover band Off the Record.
Prizes will be awarded to the best-dressed ‘80s-themed male and female in addition to the fastest in each age category. $35. Register at www.active.com.
Experience a casual, relaxing atmosphere
perfect for all walks of life, from families to golf groups to ladies who lunch. We pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients from our gardens and supporting local farmers. The details are priority.
Open to the Public, 7 Days A Week! Call 828-926-4848 for reservations.
Mysteries of reptiles to be revealed
A lecture on the hidden world of reptiles and amphibians will offer insight into questions that have baffled scientists for years, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands.
Whit Gibbons, Ph.D., and professor emeritus of ecology at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, is the author of 20 books on herpetology and has published more than 250 articles in scientific journals.
Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. We also cater! Serving all of WNC. 149 Park St, Canton 828-507-6209 www.hitthepitbbq.com
Gibbons will discuss his long-term research on reptiles, unveiling mysteries that continue to baffle herpetologists, such as why nobody can find two-year-old diamondback terrapins and why blue-tail skinks sometimes kill house cats.
The talk is part of the Zahner Conservation Lecture Series, which offers weekly lectures on conservation topics through Sept. 13. A full schedule is available at www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.
Aid the azaleas
Volunteers are wanted to help repot native azaleas at the Southern Highlands Reserve at Lake Toxaway, with volunteer hours available 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The azaleas were grown from seed at the reserve and now need more room to grow. Volunteers will get to learn a bit about native plants while enjoying the camaraderie of fellow plant enthusiasts.
To schedule a shift, contact Anna Norton at anorton@southernhighlandsreserve.org.
Nominations due for FSA committees
Farmers and ranchers have until Aug. 1 to nominate candidates to serve on local Farm Service Agency county committees.
Producers elect other farmers and ranchers to these county committees to guide day-to-day FSA operations locally. Committees consist of three to 11 members and meet monthly or as needed to make important decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs, county office employment and other issues.
Those serving must participate or cooperate in an agency-administered program and reside in the county whose committee they will serve on. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters Nov. 5 and are due back to local U.S. Department of Agriculture service centers Dec. 3. Members will take office Jan. 1, 2019, and serve three-year terms.
Nomination forms and complete eligibility requirements are online at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.
Whit Gibbons. Judy Greene photo
DONATE SHOP VOLUNTEER
Soirée at the Rabbit Hole
An evening at the Rabbit Hole, a beloved historic home in downtown Highlands, will raise money for the Highlands Biological Foundation while celebrating the organization’s 91st birthday, 6 p.m. Sunday, July 29.
The home was built in 1879 by Highlands pioneer Eben Selleck and has been owned by the family of Lilia McCall since the early 1930s, with Lisa and Clay Allen its current owners. Surrounded by tall white pines, its lawn hosted the elephants of the circus that visited Highlands in 1938.
The soirée will include a light dinner and open bar, with funds supporting the Highlands Botanical Garden, Highlands Nature Center and Highlands Biological Laboratory. Tickets are $200 per person; call 828.526.2221 to register.
See the summer lights
The N.C. Arboretum in Asheville is preparing for its second annual “Summer Lights” concert series, with performances planned for 8 to 10 p.m. July 27-28 and Aug. 3-4.
Held in the Outdoor Events Amphitheater, “Summer Lights” will feature music by the acclaimed Blue Ridge Orchestra, with a specially designed projected-light show synchronized to music displayed against the amphitheater’s forested backdrop after sunset.
Purchase tickets at www.ncarboretum.org/event/summer-lights.
Input sought on sochan gathering rule
A proposal to forge an agreement that would allow members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to gather sochan — also known as green-headed coneflower — from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open for public comment through Aug. 17.
WALNUT VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER
schedule for periodic review of the agreement, and establish protocols to monitor gathering.
Before drafting an agreement, the park must complete an environmental assessment examining alternative actions and potential environmental impacts associated with plant gathering.
A preliminary list of alternatives to be examined would be not entering into an agreement at all, allowing sochan gathering throughout the park or allowing sochan gathering in specific locations inside the park. The agreement would describe the system used to administer traditional gathering, specify the size and quantity of plant parts that could be gathered, identify the times and locations at which plant parts could be gathered, identify allowable gathering methods, state that commercial use of gathered plants is prohibited, establish a
Sochan has historically been an important food source for the Cherokee people, but gathering wild plants is prohibited on National Park Service land. The inability to legally gather sochan and other culturally important plants there has long been a sticking point for many tribal members. In 2016, the federal government made a change to these rules, allowing members of federally recognized tribes to request to enter into agreements with the National Park Service that would allow them to gather and remove culturally important plants and plant parts.
Public input on matters related to the proposed action — including environmental issues, potential alternatives and sources of data to be considered — is desired. Comment by following the link “Sochan Gathering for Traditional Purposes” at www.parkplanning.nps.gov/grsm, which also houses documents related to the decision. Comments are also accepted by mail to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, ATTN: Environmental Planning and Compliance, 107 Park Headquarters Rd., Gatlinburg, TN, 37738.
Mountain Wildlife Days a success
More than 600 people attended the 15th annual Mountain Wildlife Days at Sapphire Valley Resort July 13-14, raising more than $2,600 to support wildlife education in Western North Carolina.
Mountain Wildlife Days included hikes, a birding tour, music, photography, a silent auction and various naturalist presentations featuring live animals.
Throughout the school year, Mountain Wildlife Outreach provides educational presentations at schools across the region. For more information, visit www.mountainwildlifedays.com.
Elephants tromp through the Rabbit Hole’s yard during their stay for the 1938 circus. Donated photo
COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Haywood County Farm Bureau will offer “Avoid/Deny/Defend” – a civilian response to an active shooter event – at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Farm Bureau Office in Waynesville. Sandwiches will be served. Led by Deputy Kevin Brooks of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office. RSVP: 452.1425.
• Sign-ups are underway for Jackson County’s “Citizens Academy” – an eight-week course focused on services provided by the county – starting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Info and applications: 631.2295 or jcfitzgerald@jacksonnc.org.
• Nominations are being sought for the Mountain Heritage Awards that will be presented on Saturday, Sept. 29, on Western Carolina University’s campus in Cullowhee. Awards go to individual and organization for contributions to or playing a prominent role in research, preservation and curation of Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore. Nominations can be sent to pameister@wcu.edu, Mountain Heritage Center, 1 University Drive, Cullowhee N.C. 28723, or drop off in person at Room 240 of WCU’s Hunter Library.
• Registration is underway for participants in the Southwestern Community College Automotive Club’s annual car show, which will take place Aug. 10-11 at the Wayne Proffitt Agriculture Center in Franklin. Entry fees range from $10-25. d_myers@southwesterncc.edu.
B USINESS & E DUCATION
• An iPhone Photography class will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays, July 31-Aug. 21, through Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department in Clyde. Learn how to use the iPhone as your only camera. For info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
• A six-hour workshop on “Project Food, Land & People” for teachers and other educations is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on July 31, at the USDA Service Center in Waynesville. Earn .6 CEU and/or six hours toward certification as a North Carolina environmental educator. Register: joann.mccall@transylvaniacounty.org or 884.3230.
• A Notary Public class will meet from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, at Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department in Clyde. $75. For info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
• A Defensive Driving class will be held from 6-10 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 6, through Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department in Clyde. For info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
• An “OBD II Safety Inspection” class will be offered on Tuesday and Thursday, Aug. 7 and 9, through Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department in Clyde. $75. For info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
• Registration is underway for a workshop on hiring effective nonprofit leaders, which will be offered by Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30, at WCU’s instructional site at Biltmore Park in Asheville. For info or to register: pdp.wcu.edu.
FUNDRAISERSAND B ENEFITS
• Shelton House will present a Barn Fund-Raising Event at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, at 20 Church Street in Waynesville. Ticket: $60; includes a four-course meal,
All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.
complimentary first choice of beverage. Proceeds go toward an upgrade for the historic barn. Purchase tickets at sheltonhouse.org or visit the Shelton House from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Grace Church Annual Parish Fair will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, funds made will be given to local county charities. 456.6029 or admin@gracewaynesville.com.
• Downtown Waynesville merchants are invited to participate in a fundraiser for Mountain Projects on Thursday, Aug. 9, and on Sunday, Aug. 12. Participating merchants will donate 10 percent of sales from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday and through closing on Sunday to Mountain Projects. For info or to participate: dana@tiadana.com or 101mercantile@gmail.com.
• Tickets and sponsorships are available for “Bluegrass, Blue Jeans & Bling,” the fifth annual fundraising gala for the Southwestern Community College Foundation. Event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 25 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Performances by Frogtown (Bluegrass) and Steve Johannessen (Classics). $150 per person; sponsorships start at $1,500. 339.4241 or www.southwesterncc.edu/foundation/2018-gala-eventdetails.
VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS
• A Guardian ad Litem training class will be held from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. every Friday through Aug. 10 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. The N.C. Guardian ad Litem program recruits, trains and supervises volunteer advocates to represent and promote the best interests of abused, neglected and dependent children in the state court system. Info: 454.6395 or www.volunteerforgal.org.
• REACH of Macon County will hold a two-day volunteer training from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Aug. 13-14. Location will be mailed to you upon registration. Register: reach@reachofmaconcounty.org, 369.5544 or 586.8969.
• The Town of Canton is accepting submissions for its 112th Labor Day Festival – “A Celebration of All Things Made in Western North Carolina.” Deadline for all arts and crafts is 4 p.m. on Aug. 21. Before applying: call 648.2363, email photos to lstinnett@cantonnc.com or mail to: Town of Canton, Attn: Canton Labor Day; 58 Park Street; Canton, NC 28716. Event runs Sept. 2-3 in downtown Canton. Cantonlaborday.com.
H EALTH MATTERS
• The Haywood Health Authority Board meeting will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, in the second floor classroom of the Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde.
• Sunset Yoga by the Pool will be offered from 5:306:30 p.m. on July 27 at the Maggie Valley Country Club. Offered by Maggie Valley Wellness Center. $15 or $12 for country club members. 944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.
• A lunch with Maggie Valley Wellness Center is scheduled for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on July 29. $30. Learn about your own unique constitution and how to best prepare foods to keep you cool and calm in the hot weather. 944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.
• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, at Lowe’s in Waynesville. 456.9999, Redcrossblood.org or 800.REDCROSS (800.733.2767).
• An Eco-Forum on “The Opioid Epidemic: Silently Affecting Our Community” is scheduled for 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, at the Macon County Library in Franklin.
• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Bi-Lo in Franklin. To schedule an appointment or donate, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.2767).
• Registration is underway for an eating disorder workshop with Linda Bacon, Ph.D. the workshop is scheduled for 12:30-5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Folk Art Center Auditorium in Asheville. Title is: “Nurturing Body Respect: The Facts, Fictions and Clinical Path” –an evidence based alternative to weight-focused care. Advance tickets only; no on-site tickets. 298.7928. info@crcfored.com or 337.4685.
• The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donors due to an emergency shortage. To schedule an appointment or donate, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.2767).
• The Jackson County Senior Center will offer a Caregiver Education Class at 10 a.m. on the third Monday of every month in the Board Room of the Department of Aging in Sylva. 586.5494.
R ECREATIONAND FITNESS
• The CommUnity Square Dance is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Balsam Community Center in Balsam. Caller will teach all dances to live, old-time music. Informal, optional, lesson for early arrivals. Pammanottus@gmail.com.
• The Waynesville Yoga Center will have a “Seasonal Flow Master Class” from 1-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 28. Culinary journey with leafy greens. Cost: $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.
• There will be several ballroom and Latin dance classes offered on Sundays and Mondays at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Classes for beginners, intermediate and all levels. $10 per class. For more information, click on www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Line Dance Lessons will be held on Tuesdays in Waynesville. Times are 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday. Cost is $10 per class and will feature modern/traditional line dancing. 734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com for more information.
S PIRITUAL
• Lake Junaluska Singers will perform at the Summer Worship Series at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays through Aug. 5 at Stuart Auditorium. www.lakejunaluska.com/singers.
• The Summer Worship Series at Lake Junaluska concludes on Sunday, Aug. 5, with Rev. Ginger GainesCirelli as guest speaker. Gaines-Cirelli became the first woman to serve as senior pastor of historic Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/summer_worship.
• Rev. Dr. Clayton Smith, Retired Executive Pastor of Stewardship and Generosity at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, will be featured as part of the Summer Speaker Series at 8:20, 9:40 and 11:05 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12, at Long’s Chapel in Waynesville. Info: longchapel.com.
• Registration is open for the Festival of Wisdom and Grace, a conference for adults seeking purpose and renewal in the second half of life scheduled for Aug. 13-16 at Lake Junaluska. Speakers include Rev. Heidi B. Neumark and Dr. Clayton Smith. Entertainment includes “Acts of Renewal” – a husband and wife theatrical duo.
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
800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/wisdom-andgrace.
P OLITICAL
• Indivisible Asheville/WNC will host an “Indivisible Flip NC for ‘WNC Votes!’ Hands-On Demonstration and Voter Engagement Training” from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, at Pack Library Auditorium in Asheville. Indivisibleavl.org or info@indivisibleavl.org.
• The Jackson County Republican Party will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, at Sylva Headquarters, 91 E. Main St. 508.0120.
AUTHORSAND B OOKS
• The North Carolina Writers’ Network-West will sponsor The Literary Hour on the third Thursday of the month unless otherwise indicated. This reading is free of charge and open to the public.
• Andrew Lawler will present his book The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of The Secret Token, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.
• Friends of the Library will hold its annual book sale from July 26-28 at the Waynesville Library. Event is from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday.
• Amy Willoughby-Burle will present her debut novel at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 27, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of Lemonade Year, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.
• Jeffery Beam will present his new book Jonathan Williams: Lord of Orchards at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of any of his books, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.
• Franklin native and author Tyler Cook will release his fifth book Disciple at a special release party at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. moonshinepressnc@gmail.com or www.tylermcook.com.
K IDS & FAMILIES
• A new traveling recreation program called “Base Camp on the Go” will be present at the following locations and dates this summer from 10 am to 12 pm: Jonathan Valley Elementary School: July 30; Canton Park: July 31; Fines Creek Community Center: July 25 & Aug. 1; Recreation Park in Waynesville: July 27 & Aug. 3. Log rolling in a large inflatable pool, badminton, ninja warrior obstacle course and other games. 456.2030 or cmiller@waynesvillenc.gov.
• Annual Summer Learning Program is being offered through the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Features prizes, story times, movies, STEAM programming, arts and crafts and more. 586.2016.
• The Cradle of Forestry in America will host a Junior Forester program for ages 8-12 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Aug. 1 in Pisgah Forest. $5 per youth and $3 per adult per program. Registration required: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.
• The Cradle of Forestry in America will host “Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club” from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 2 in Pisgah Forest. $5 per youth and $3 per adult per program. Registration required: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.
• The Cradle of Forestry invited kids of all ages to celebrate Smokey Bear’s Birthday with a party from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, in Pisgah Forest. 877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.com.
• “Smoky Mountain Elk”– a Great Smoky Mountains National Park Summer Junior Ranger program – is at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays from through Aug. 5 and Saturdays, Aug. 11-18 and Sept. 8 & 22 at the Palmer House in Cataloochee Valley.
• “Return of the Elk” - a Great Smoky Mountains National Park Summer Ranger program – is at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Aug. 28 (not including Aug. 14) at the Rough Fork Trailhead at Cataloochee Valley.
• “Nature Nuts: Stream Investigation” will be offered to ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on July 30 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.
• “Eco Explorers: Raising Trout” will be offered to ages 8-13 from 9-11 a.m. on July 30 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.
• The 4-H Chop Camp will be offered for ages 9-18 from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on July 31 at the Cooperative Extension Kitchen in Franklin. Cost: $20. Preregister: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.
• Registration is underway for a Macon County 4-H
program entitled: “Learn How to Dehydrate Food,” which is scheduled for 1-4 p.m. on July 30 at the Cooperative Extension Kitchen. For ages 9-18. Cost: $4. Preregister: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.
• Preregistration is underway for an Intermediate Sewing Camp that will be offered as part of Macon County 4-H’s Summer Relief activities from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Aug. 6-8 in the Cooperative Extension Meeting Rooms in Franklin. For ages 9-up. Preregister: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.
K IDSFILMS
• “Hotel Transylvania 3” is showing at 1 p.m. on July 27 & July 30-Aug. 2, 4 p.m. on July 28-29, and 7 p.m. on July 27- Aug. 2 at The Strand On Main. See www.38main.com for tickets.
• “Ready Player One” will be shown at 7 p.m. on July 28 and 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555
• The “Movies on Everett” outdoor series will run through Aug. 17 at the corner of Mitchell and Everett streets in downtown Bryson City. Screenings begin at 9 p.m. Family-friendly. Free to attend. For a full schedule of the films to be screened, click on www.greatsmokies.com.
• Summer Film Fest 2018 will be presented by Suminski Family Books at 7 p.m. on Aug. 9 & 16 at Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Featured movies will be “Peter Rabbit” (Aug. 9) and “Wonder” (Aug. 16). Tickets $5 and available at Franklin Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Tartans Museums or members of benefitting non-profits: Grandpa’s Woodshop, Women’s History Trail (FHAMC), Read2Me and Friends of the Greenway. Info: 369.5417 or Claire@dometrics.com.
• “Isle of Dogs” will be shown at 6:30 July 27 & 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555
• Macon County Public Library will show a children’s movie (Rated PG) at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 23, in Franklin. Info, including movie title: 524.3600.
• Macon County Public Library will show a children’s movie (Rated PG) at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 30, in Franklin. Info, including movie title: 524.3600.
A&E
FESTIVALSAND S PECIAL EVENTS
• The “Art After Dark” in downtown Waynesville is hosted on the first Friday of the month (MayDecember), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors. www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.
• The 52nd annual Macon County Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 26-28 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 29 at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Rough and cut gems, minerals, fine jewelry, supplies, beads, door prizes, dealers, exhibits, demonstrations, and more. 349.2090. www.franklin-chamber.com.
• North Carolina’s International Folk Festival will continue until July 29. Schedule and tickets: www.folkmootusa.org or 452.2997.
• The annual Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival will highlight two world premieres of commissioned works — Clarinet Quintet by Alyssa Weinberg, commissioned by Chamber Music America for the Enso String Quartet, and Sextet for piano 4 hands and string quartet by Inessa Zaretsky, commissioned by Lenore Fishman
Davis for the St. Urban on Sunday 3 p.m. on July 29 at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. For tickets and additional information including other locations, visit Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival at www.scm-festival.com.
• Art in Monteith Park, a daylong arts and crafts festival, will celebrate the Appalachian Women’s Museum starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18, in Dillsboro. More than 40 booths of handmade local arts and crafts; performances by The Maggie Valley Band and J.Creek Cloggers. Parking: $3. Info: artinmonteithpark@gmail.com or 586.3511.
• The 10th annual Mountain High BBQ Festival & Car Show is scheduled for Aug. 10-11 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center in Franklin. Kansas City BBQ Society-sanctioned competition. $5 admission for Friday and Saturday; 12-under free. Summer Brooke & The Mountain Faith Band perform at 7 p.m. on Friday; Cruise-in from 6-8 p.m. on Friday; Kids Day on Saturday featuring Professor Whizzpop; True Outlaws Concert from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Saturday. www.MountainHighBBQFestival.com or 524.3161.
• Registration is underway for the 48th Smoky Mountain Folk Festival, featuring traditional music and dance of the Southern Appalachian Region. The festival is Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at Lake Junaluska. https://tinyurl.com/y9a6jpug, 800.222.4930 or communications@lakejunaluska.com.
F OOD & D RINK
• Harmons’ Den, the Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, will be presenting a special fivecourse dinner with beer pairings from Lagunitas Brewing Company at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, in Waynesville. The event will feature the dishes created for the evening by HART Chef Christy Bishop. The cost of the evening is $35 per person plus tax and gratuity. The menu for the event includes deviled quail eggs, mixed greens with grilled peaches, grilled salmon,
lavender grilled chicken, braised short ribs and a chocolate espresso cobbler. 456.6322. Seating is limited.
• Celebrating its first year in operation, Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant will host a party from 11 a.m. until close Saturday, July 28, in Waynesville. There will be live music by Joey Fortner (4 to 6 p.m.), Trippin’ Hardie Band (6 to 9 p.m.) and Henry Soffet & Company (9 p.m. to midnight). There will also be outdoor games and a tap takeover by Currahee Brewing Company. 246.9249.
ON STAGE & I N CONCERT
• The Jerry Herman blockbuster “Mame,” starring Lyn Donley in the title role, will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 26-28 and at 2 p.m. July 29 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.
• Renowned acoustic guitarist Bill Mize will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Free. 488.3030.
• The N.C. Arboretum will host its second annual “Summer Lights” concert from 8-10 p.m. on July 2728 and Aug. 3-4 in Asheville. Music by the Blue Ridge Orchestra; specially designed projected-light show synchronized to music displayed against the amphitheater’s forested backdrop after sunset. Tickets: www.ncarboretum.org/event/summer-lights.
• An oldies group known for singing beautiful fourpart harmonies of memorable songs from the ‘50s,’60s and ‘70s, The Sock Hops will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 27, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets are $18 each. www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.
• Lake Junaluska Singers will perform at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 1, at Memorial Chapel in Lake Junaluska. www.lakejunaluska.com/singers.
• The Lake Junaluska Singers will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 3 in Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/singers/concert_tickets. 800.222.4930 or communications@lakejunaluska.com.
• STAR Ranch will once again host Jamie Simpson as Jeff Foxworthy at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Elevated Mountain Distillery in Maggie Valley. Simpson is the world’s leading Jeff Foxworthy impersonator. Even Foxworthy himself is quoted as saying, “It’s like looking in a dang mirror.” A $35 admission ticket includes a meal catered by the Rendezvous Restaurant and a great show. Samples of the distillery’s finest brews will also be available for $5. There will be silent and live auctions as well400.4940. All proceeds go to sustain STAR Ranch’s efforts in caring for needy horses in Western North Carolina, to date 130. www.star-ranch-rescue.
• The Raleigh Ringers will perform handbells at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 in Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/singers/concert_tickets.
• A musical theatre performance by the Triple Arts Company will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University.
S UMMER M USIC
• Cold Mountain Music Series will kick off with Jubal at 5 p.m. on July 28. Gates open at 3 p.m. Admission is $15 for a car, $50 for 15-passenger van and $5 for bikes. Food will be offered by Mountain View BBQ and craft beer by Boojam Brewing. Reservations by calling 646.0095 and more information at www.lakelogan.com/events.
• Highlands Town Square “Friday Night Live” series will host Sycamore Flats July 27 at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
• The Concerts on the Creek will have The Mountain
Faith Band (bluegrass/gospel) at 7 p.m. July 27 at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. Free and open to the public. There will also be food trucks onsite. 586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.
• The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature The Clydes (bluegrass) at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin. Food vendors will also be available. www.townoffranklinnc.com.
• “An Appalachian Evening” will host Salt & Light at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Stecoah Valley Center. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series at The Village Green in Cashiers will be hosting High-5 Band at 6:30 p.m. on July 27. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.
• Highlands Town Square “Friday Night Live” series will host Johnny Webb Band (country) Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
• The Concerts on the Creek will have Lance & Lea (America/pop) at 7 p.m. Aug. 3 at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. Free and open to the public. There will also be food trucks onsite. 586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.
• The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series at The Village Green in Cashiers will be hosting Andalyn at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 3. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.
• The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature Paradise 56 (blues/reggae) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin. Food vendors will also be available. www.townoffranklinnc.com.
• “An Appalachian Evening” will host The Jeff Little Trio at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Stecoah Valley Center. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• Cold Mountain Music Series will host Josh Carter & Creekside Crawfish at 5 p.m. on Aug. 11. Gates open at 3 p.m. Admission is $15 for a car, $50 for 15-passenger van and $5 for bikes. Food will be offered by Vieux Carre and beverage by Noble Cider. Reservations by calling 646.0095 and more information at www.lakelogan.com/events.
CLASSESAND PROGRAMS
• A comedy improvisation class will be offered from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays at Moo Mountains Bakery in Maggie Valley. Led by improv teacher Wayne Porter, who studied at Sak Comedy Lab in Orlando and performed improv with several groups.
• The “Paint & Sip Workshop” will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Gallery Zella in Bryson City. Enjoy learning to paint with a buddy, daughter, son or even your sweetheart. Enjoy a glass of wine (or soft beverage) and a light snack. Your painting instructor, Melissa Owen, is one of the area’s best painting teachers. Cost is $50, which includes all materials. 488.3638 or click on www.galleryzella.com.
• The monthly Creating Community Workshop will feature Derek Morrow of Morrow Leatherworks at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 28, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library. Morrow will be leading the workshop. Participants will learn how to make a small, leather clutch. All supplies will be provided 586.2016.
• A Beginning Floor Loom Weaving class will be offered from 1-4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Aug. 1-29, through Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department in Clyde. Cost: $190. Create a sampler of structures and four napkins or two towels from color studies. For info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
• A “Beginning Weaving: Rigid Heddle” class will be offered from 9 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays, Aug. 1-29, through Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department in Clyde. Weave at least one scarf or two towels or placemats. For info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
• An “Introduction to Cold Process Soap Making” class will be offered on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4-5, through Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department in Clyde. Class meets from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.noon on Sunday. Cost: $50. Basic soap chemistry, safety precautions and more. For info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
• Registration is underway for a “Lichens of the Southern Appalachians” program scheduled for Aug. 4, through the Alarka Institute. Led by Jennifer Love. Register: www.paypal.me/cedartree. Info: alarkaexpeditions@gmail.com, 371.0347 or alarkaexpeditions.com.
• A program designed to help you become a better nature photographer is scheduled for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, in Balsam. Led by Larry Thompson, who served as the National Audubon Society’s Southeast Regional Vice President for 20 years. Cost: $40. Register: 452.5414 or lvthompson@earthlink.net.
• Registration is underway for an “Armor Construction: Gothic Serman Helm (Sallet): class that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug. 4-5, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $390 (materials included). Preregistration required: 631.0271 or www.JCGEP.org.
• The Haywood County Arts Council will hold its Nature/Art Day on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at Cataloochee Ranch. Bird watching, hiking, reading, painting and relaxing. Reservations and payment due by Aug. 1. $25 or $20 for HCAC Artist Members. 452.0593.
• Bingo will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 and Aug. 23 at the Pavilion next to Maggie Valley Town. Sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association. Cash prizes; snacks available.
• Dogwood Crafters will offer a “Fall Fabric Pumpkin” class from 10 a.m.-noon on Thursday, Aug. 9, at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. $7. Register by Aug. 2: 586.2248.
• Chef Jackie Blevins will offer new ideas for preparing eggplant from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, at Waynesville Library. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.
• Registration is underway for “Bladesmithing: Seax Knife Class” – a class with Brock Martin that is scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 18-19, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $380. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.
• Registration is underway for a “Rug Braiding” class that will be offered by Dogwood Crafters from 10 a.m.1 p.m. on Wednesdays, Aug. 22-29, at Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. $7. Register by Aug. 15: 586.2248.
• The Highlands Village Square Art & Craft Show is scheduled for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Aug. 25-26 at KelseyHutchinson “Founders” Park on Pine Street in downtown Highlands. Fine art, folk art and regionally made crafts. 787.2021.
• Quilters are invited to participate in “A Heavenly Quilt Walk,” which will be held Sept. 21-22 at downtown churches in Franklin. www.smokymtnquilters.org.
• The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will hold its annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, at the HCAC gallery in Waynesville. The event will begin with a wine and cheese reception at 5 p.m. info@haywoodarts.org or 452.0593 or www.haywoodarts.org.
ARTSHOWINGSAND GALLERIES
• The “Meet the Artist” reception with Brian Hannum (pianist), Drew Campbell (photographer) and Jon Houglum (painter) will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Gallery Zella in Bryson City. Enjoy North Carolina wine, food and music. Free to attend. 488.3638 or www.galleryzella.com.
• The Haywood County Arts Council will host its annual “Artist Member Show,” at HCAC’s Gallery & Gifts in
downtown Waynesville. The exhibit will run through July 28. The show is a celebration of our community of artists, allowing them to share their great work at the height of the summer season. It will be a show filled with variety, including local painters, potters, jewelers, and much more. www.haywoodarts.org.
• The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will host Tina Honerkamp, who will be demonstrating painting techniques from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville. www.haywoodarts.org.
• The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will host Dominick DePaolo, who will be leading people in the adventures of Acrylic from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 31, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville. $25 for nonmembers. All supplies will be providded www.haywoodarts.org.
• The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) is excited to invite local artistans to its “Artist Coffee & Chat,” which will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, August 9, at the HCAC gallery in Waynesville. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your fellow artisans for a morning of camaraderie. Please RSVP by Monday, Aug. 2, by calling 452.0593.
• There will be an artist reception for Carol Conti from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Enjoy refreshments, visit with the artist, and take a closer look at her art which will be on display throughout the month of August.
• The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will host local artist Gayle Haynie, who will be demonstrating stained glass techniques from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville. Haynie has been a glass artist for 28 years. She enjoys challenging her imagination and creating fun and whimsical art along with traditional stained glass. www.haywoodarts.org.
• The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will host Betina Morgan, who will be teach a drawing class from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 14 and Aug. 28, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville. Cost is $20 per class session. Call for supply list. www.haywoodarts.org.
• The new exhibit “Joshua Adams: Facing Culture” will run through Aug. 24 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. A reception for the artist and exhibit will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at the museum. The WCU Fine Art Museum is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Free parking is available on site.
• The exhibit “Mary Althea Parker: Abstract Impulse” will run through Aug. 24 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. This exhibition is a small selection of Parker’s works held by the WCU Fine Art Museum, focusing primarily on Parker’s paintings made after 1950.
• A new exhibit exploring the artistry, history and science behind the fragrance industry is open through Sept. 3 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville Lecture by Dr. Richard Stamelman on the mysterious allure behind fragrances and the plants.
• An exhibit on photographer William A. Barnhill is on display through Sept. 14 at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center in Cullowhee. Barnhill documented 20th century regional craftsmanship. 227.7129.
• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center is pleased to announce the opening of its newest exhibition “Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture,” which will run through Dec. 7. Littleton’s work and other glass artist will be on display. A key work in the exhibition will be a new acquisition to the Museum’s collection: a glass sculpture by Harvey Littleton entitled “Terracotta Arc.” Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.
• The Haywood County Arts Council ArtShare exhibit, runs from Aug. 3-25. Opportunity for collectors to be able to pass on art for someone else to enjoy. HaywoodArts.org.
FILM & S CREEN
• “Lean on Pete” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on July 26 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555
• “Tully” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 2 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555
• “Book Club” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 and 7 p.m. Aug. 11 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555
• “Deadpool 2” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 16 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555
Outdoors
• “Timber Rattlesnakes on the Highlands Plateau”part of the Zahner Lecture Series – will be presented at 6 p.m. on July 26 at the Nature Center at the Highlands Biological Station. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.
• A guided hike into Panthertown Valley is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 28. Donation for nonmembers of Friends of Panthertown. RSVP: friends@panthertown.org.
• A gentle, seven-mile canoe trip is scheduled for Saturday, July 28, through the landscape of the middle-town Cherokees. Offered by Alarka Expeditions. $50 plus $10 launch fee if you bring your own boat or $38.50 if you rent one. www.alarkaexpeditions.com/upcoming-events.
• Volunteers are being sought to help re-pot native azaleas from 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays through Thursdays at the Southern Highlands Reserve in Lake Toxaway. For info, and to schedule a shift: anorton@southernhighlandsreserve.org.
• Highlands Biological Foundation will host a “Soiree at the Rabbit Hole” fundraiser at 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 29, in Highlands. Light dinner and open bar. $200. Register: 526.2221.
• “Herpetological Mysteries” - part of the Zahner Lecture Series – will be presented at 6 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the Nature Center at the Highlands Biological Station. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.
• A work day is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, in Panthertown Valley. Sign up: friends@panthertown.org.
• “The Plight of the Hemlock” - part of the Zahner Lecture Series – will be presented at 6 p.m. on Aug. 9 at the Nature Center at the Highlands Biological Station. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.
• “Top of the Mountain Trek” – a moderate-to-strenuous Chimney Rock Naturalist Niche Hike – is scheduled for 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, at Chimney Rock State Park. $23 adults; $8 for annual passholder; $13 youth (ages 5-15) and $6 per Rockin’ Discovery Passholder. Visit an area typically not open to the public. Advance registration required: chimneyrockpark.com.
• Registration is underway for The Great Smoky Mountains Association’s 2018 Members Appreciation Weekend, which is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 13-16, at Fontana Village. Learn about Eagle and Hazel Creek communities, guided tours and more. $109. Register: https://conta.cc/2lHoLSI.
• Coffee with a ranger is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sundays through Aug. 5 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center porch at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee.
• Registration is underway for a Fly Rod Making class that will be offered from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 7 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Cost: $360. Info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
• “Foraging for Food and Farmacy” will be offered on Aug. 18, on part of the original route from Gatlinburg, Tenn., to Cherokee. Led by wildcrafter Ila Hatter. Cost: $69. Register: smfs.utk.edu
• Boating Safety courses will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 10-11 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Must attend both meetings. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org.
COMPETITIVE E DGE
• The “Paddle Grapple” – a race featuring stand-up paddle board, surfski, marathon and canoe – is scheduled for 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Tsali Recreation Area on Fontana Lake. Race lengths of three and six miles. Registration at 8 a.m., race at 10 a.m. $45. Organized by the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
• A five-mile run, “80s Flashback 8K,” will raise money for the Shriners Hospital in Greenville, S.C., on Saturday, Aug. 4. After-party at 6 p.m. at Lazy Hiker Brewing Company in Franklin. $35. Register: www.active.com.
• The Great Balsam Bike Relay, a combination of road and mountain biking, on Saturday, Aug. 11, in Jackson County. Segments vary from 10-30 miles. Check-in is from 4-8 p.m. on Aug. 10 at Motion Makers Bicycles. Registration ranges from $125-$360, depending on team size and number of legs desired. darkridgeracingllc@gmail.com.
• Registration is underway for the 12th annual Power of Pink 5K run/Walk/Dog Walk that will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29, in Waynesville. Proceeds support prevention of breast cancer. Advance registration: $25 (by Aug. 31). Regular registration: $30 (after Aug. 31). Dog registration is $10 per pet. Register at www.gloryhoundevents.com/event/power-of-pink. Info: 452.8343.
FARMAND GARDEN
• Power of the Produce Club for children will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturdays in July 28th at the Jackson County Farmers Market. Educational activities and prizes. For more info: 393.5236.
FARMERS MARKETS
• “Locally Grown on the Green,” the Cashiers farm stand market for local growers, will be held from 3-6 p.m. every Wednesday at the Village Green Commons in Cashiers. info@villagegreencashiersnc.com or 743.3434.
• The Swain County Farmer’s Market is held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Friday through October on Island Street in downtown Bryson City. 488.3681 or chamber@greatsmokies.com.
• Jackson County Farmers Market runs from 9 to noon on Saturdays at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
• Waynesville Historic Farmers Market runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon at the HART Theater parking lot. waynesvillefarmersmarket.com
• Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturdays through the end of October, on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software. 349.2049 or www.facebook.com/franklinncfarmersmarket.
• The ‘Whee Farmers Market, Cullowhee runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through the end of October, at the University Inn on 563 North Country Club Drive in Cullowhee. 476.0334 or www.facebook.com/CullowheeFarmersMarket.
• The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the end of October at 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville. 456.1830 or vrogers12@att.net.
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.
■ $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.
■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.
Classified Advertising:
Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com
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All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.
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Virgin’s bower is a favorite mountain wildflower
It’s late July and before long summer will be slip-sliding toward autumn. The gap between now and then is often overlooked in regard to wildflowers. The first flaming cardinal flowers appear along the creeks and purple Joe Pye weeds and ironweeds throw up their scraggly heads. The entire countryside will be blanketed in a seemingly endless array of thistle, flowering spurge, evening primrose, mullein, heal-all, mints, goldenrods, asters, and so on.
BACK THEN
One of my favorites is virgin’s bower or traveler’s joy (Clematis virginiana). One finds this vine trailing over fences or shrubs in moist areas. Lacking tendrils, it supports itself by means of twisted stems (petioles) that wrap around other plants.
Later virgin’s bower will be profusely covered with bunches of snowy-white, highly-fragrant flowers, each displaying four petals and a central cluster of yellow stamens. Individual plants produce either male (staminate) flowers or female (pistillate)
flowers that display sterile stamens. By late September, those female flowers that have been pollinated are transformed into very curious looking and attractive fruiting structures. These have been described in various ways. One somewhat poetic writer found them to be “fluffy, filmy things, ghosts of the dead flowers of summer.” Another somewhat more prosaic writer described them as “densely-clustered fruits that acquire long, gracefully-curving and feathery tails with a silvery sheen.”
Each of these “feathery tails” is attached to a tiny, reddish-brown seed. When ripe, they are borne aloft on autumn winds and thereby widely distributed, as are milkweed and dandelion seeds in a similar fashion.
Virgin’s bower has been frequently transplanted by mountain women to a place where it could trail over privet, boxwood, or other sorts of hedges. The vine is also attractive when trained onto fences or garden and porch trellises. It is easily grown in full sun to partial shade from seed, doing best in rich, moist soil.
(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)
