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HOLIDAY GUIDE INSIDE

On the Cover:

After being managed by the same operators for 20 years, Macon County Airport has a new contract with Macon Air, a subsidiary of Drake Enterprises. Phil Drake and the new airport manager David Phillips talk about their goals for facility improvements. (Page 6) Drake Enterprises CEO Phil Drake has taken on a new business challenge in Macon County. Jessi Stone photo

News

Sylva residents speak out against N.C. 107 plans ..................................................3 TWSA to develop ideas to help displaced businesses ..........................................4

President Carter preaches about power of the towel ..............................................8

Contractor selected for SCC health building ..........................................................10

Cherokee loses treasured tribal elders ......................................................................11 Macon wants out of flat fee defense program ........................................................12

Lawyers needed for pretrial pilot program ................................................................13 Health departments investigate Legionnaires cases ............................................15

Community Almanac ........................................................................................................17

Opinion

Meadows reacts too lightly to ethics rebuke ..........................................................18

A&E Christmas in Appalachia ................................................................................................22

Outdoors

WNC botanist reflects on a lifetime of discovery ..................................................34

Back Then

Different boats for different folks..................................................................................47

DITOR /PUBLISHER: Scott McLeod. . .

ADVERTISING D IRECTOR: Greg Boothroyd. . .

ART D IRECTOR: Micah McClure. . . . . . . . .

D ESIGN & WEBSITE: Travis Bumgardner. . . . . .

D ESIGN & PRODUCTION: Jessica Murray. .

ADVERTISING SALES: Susanna Barbee. . . . . . . .

Amanda Bradley.

Hylah Birenbaum. .

C LASSIFIEDS: Scott Collier. . . . .

N EWS E DITOR: Jessi Stone. . . . .

WRITING: Holly Kays. . . .

Cory Vaillancourt. . . .

Garret K. Woodward. .

ACCOUNTING & O FFICE MANAGER:Amanda Singletary. .

D ISTRIBUTION: Scott Collier. . . . . . .

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

CONTACT

S UBSCRIPTIONS

Sylva residents speak out against road plans

Town commissioners discuss protest regs in closed session

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

ASylva town meeting this month drew a crowd of people to speak against the N.C. 107 road plan, but before the public comment period began Nov. 8 Mayor Lynda Sossamon reminded attendees of a few ground rules.

Speakers would need to remain quiet except during their turn in the public comment period and must make sure that any signs they bring don’t block others’ views. As always, public comment would be limited to five minutes for each person.

That list of stipulations came out of a closed-session discussion the town board held on Thursday, Oct. 25, the minutes of which were released following a unanimous vote from the board at its Nov. 8 meeting. According to a story in The Sylva Herald, the minutes were released as the result of a request from that newspaper.

CLOSEDSESSIONDISCUSSION

The closed session was held in order for the town board to consult with its attorney, Eric Ridenour.

Ridenour was asked several questions during the session. Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh asked how N.C. Department of Transportation compensation for property owners differs from that for property tenants affected by the road project, to which Ridenour explained that tenants receive money to relocate but not for loss of revenue, while property owners “are supposed to be made whole.”

Gelbaugh also asked how board members should respond to people who ask her legal questions about the project that she doesn’t know how to answer. Ridenour told her to direct them to the town website, which will be populated with information on the road project as it comes in.

Meeting procedures were discussed as the result of a letter sent to Assistant Police Chief Rick Bryson, who was asked to stay for the meeting. The letter asked whether people could protest the N.C. 107 project at town meetings.

Ridenour responded that protestors

could not disrupt town meetings — people attending them must stay quiet except during the public comment period.

“If signs are brought to (a) town meeting to disrupt or obstruct other people’s views, then the Town might need to consider designating a place for signs at the back of the room like the County does or otherwise banning signs from town meetings like the City of Asheville,” Ridenour said, according to the minutes.

Commissioner David Nestler then commented that he would be opposed to making existing regulations regarding demonstrations more restrictive then they currently are.

State law allows public bodies like town boards to go into closed session for any of 10 spelled-out reasons. The Oct. 25 closed session was called under the third reason listed, to consult with the board’s attorney privately so as to preserve attorney-client privilege.

According to the statute, “general policy matters” can’t be discussed in such sessions, and “nothing herein shall be construed to permit a public body to close a meeting that otherwise would be open merely because an attorney employed or retained by the public body is a participant.” During such closed sessions, public bodies may “consider and give instructions to an attorney concerning the handling or settlement of a claim, judicial action, mediation, arbitration or administrative procedure.”

Town Manager Paige Dowling and Ridenour both said that the meeting complied with closed session laws because the board needed to consult with its attorney.

“Anytime you’re getting directions on the law from an attorney, I think that’s permissible,” said Ridenour.

“I don’t think we’ve broken any laws,” he added.

According to Amanda Martin, attorney for the N.C. Press Association, the line might be a bit more gray, however.

“There is an argument that the attorney wasn’t really giving legal advice but just providing information,” she said. “Technically that should be done in an open session. I think much of what happened should have been in an open session.”

“I don’t want to see Sylva destroyed. I love Sylva.”

— Denny Wood

Public meetings planned

The Asheville Design Center is moving forward in its efforts to create alternative — and hopefully less disruptive — plans to remake N.C. 107. A community meeting to gather public input on the project will be held 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library. A second community meeting to report on the proposed plan and gather public feedback on it will be held 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, also at the library. Finally, a workshop for Sylva and DOT officials will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17, at the library as well. The meeting will be open to the public but will not include a public comment opportunity.

PUBLICOPPOSITION

The public comment period Nov. 8, however, was very much in open session, and the six people who spoke were unequivocal in their opinion on the road project.

“I think it will ruin the town,” said Jeannie Kelley of Kel-Save Drugs. Kelley, along with most of the others in the audience, sported a blue shirt with the words “Say No To The Road” emblazoned across the front. Since September, Kelley has been working to rally locals around the cause.

The N.C. 107 corridor through Sylva has been a problem for years, but solving the issue is a difficult task. A previous proposal to reduce traffic by building a bypass to U.S. 74 was abandoned due to opposition from those who felt it would be too expensive, too environmentally damaging and too destructive to Sylva businesses that would lose customers if traffic were diverted. The current proposal, with plans just 25 percent complete, aims to remake the existing road to move cars more swiftly and safely.

However, preliminary plans show that the project could be a costly one for Sylva’s business community, with the 25 percent plans indicating that 54 businesses, one nonprofit and five residences would need to relocate as a result — that’s about one-sixth of Sylva’s entire business community. DOT documents also state that it’s likely displaced businesses would have a hard time finding new digs in Sylva, since suitable property is scarce — many of those businesses would likely leave town or fold altogether.

Significant change is possible before the final plans are created, as DOT is still waiting on plans from utility companies to incorporate into the road plan, and the town is working with the nonprofit Asheville Design Center, which will attempt to develop alter-

native, less disruptive road plans.

But the speakers Nov. 8 were clear in their view that the plans as they stand now would destroy the town.

“Wiping out my store puts people out of work and it reduces the tax money coming to Sylva and this county area as well,” said Joe Lenders, owner of University Vape Shop, who said he employs four college students and pays the town $3,500 to $4,000 in taxes each month.

“Can you really do without 50-some businesses? Because when they’re gone they’ll be gone and they won’t come back,” said retired state trooper Denny Wood. “I don’t want to see Sylva destroyed. I love Sylva.” Charlie Schmidt, of Speedy’s Pizza, reiterated his opposition to the project and particularly to the West Main Street section where his restaurant is located. Preliminary plans show Speedy’s on the list for relocation. Schmidt believes that the road by Speedy’s doesn’t have a traffic problem and that the DOT would do better to look at building a bypass to Sylva than to displace so many businesses along N.C. 107. A petition he’s been keeping to that effect currently has 1,600 signatures.

Schmidt reminded commissioners that in the November 2015 election — in which he tied with Commissioner Greg McPherson, bringing the ultimate outcome down to the flip of a coin — only about 200 people voted for him and McPherson combined.

“I have eight times the amount of people signing this that do not want Speedy’s destroyed than cared which of us sat in which seat up there,” he said.

The DOT expects to have its next set of plans, 65 percent complete, in early March 2019, with final plans in late 2019, right-ofway acquisition beginning in January 2020 and construction starting in December 2021.

TWSA to develop ideas to help displaced businesses

Potential policy would be tailored impacts of N.C. 107 project

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

With the N.C. 107 project continuing to move forward, the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority is beginning to talk about the part it could play in keeping affected businesses in Sylva.

TWSA’s policy committee initially discussed the topic during a Thursday, Oct. 18, meeting, agreeing that the authority should do something to make relocation cheaper for businesses but not on what exactly that something should be. TWSA’s water and sewer customers must pay an upfront fee called a system development fee before starting service, intended to offset the cost of future construction to replace the capacity that customer is now using.

The problem is that the allocation those fees cover is tied to the property location. So, if a business moves to a new building because it needs more space or a better location — or is required to leave due to a road project — it could find itself having to pay that fee all over again. In that case, relocating somewhere other than Sylva, where hookup fees are cheaper, could seem an attractive option.

The question before TWSA is whether the authority should consider waiving system development fees for businesses forced to relocate due to N.C. 107 construction, and whether those waivers should apply to renters along the 107 corridor as well as to property owners.

THETOWN’SPERSPECTIVE

Two members of the Sylva town board, as well as the town’s manager and public works director, attended a Nov. 13 TWSA work session to urge the board to do everything in its power to help those businesses.

“Help us do all we can to help and protect these business owners, whether they be property owners or renters,” said Mayor

An August hearing on the N.C. 107 project drew more than 130 people to Sylva Town Hall, overwhelmingly opposed to the plans as presented.

Lynda Sossamon. “Please don’t just think bottom line. Think about these people who are part of this community. They didn’t ask to be displaced. It doesn’t hurt to bend your rules for a legitimate reason.”

Helping the community navigate the N.C. 107 project, Sossamon added, is “the best reason I can think of.”

“I have concerns about properties and allocations being connected to the property and not to renters,” said Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh. “A lot of renters are going to be affected in the upcoming 107 process. I’m concerned about those renters. I’m concerned they’re going to leave the Town of Sylva limits and I think y’all can have an impact on that.”

Town Manager Paige Dowling told the TWSA board that 71 percent of the business-

es in the affected district are owned by people who rent their building rather than own it, so TWSA’s ultimate decision about how to deal with renters will have a tremendous impact.

“It’s in the best interest of TWSA to help these businesses,” she said. “If TWSA doesn’t transfer the allocation to displaced businesses, it’s going to be devastating to them.”

However, she said, TWSA should avoid jumping the gun on creating a policy, saying that she fears that creating one now would “cause people to panic more than they are.”

A QUESTIONOFTIMING

“I’m not sure why some folks feel like we’re ready to jump into a policy,” said TWSA Executive Director Dan Harbaugh as the board began its discussion on possible

N.C. 107 policies Nov. 15. “The recommendation from the (policy) committee is to take our time.”

The exact impacts of the project are still unknown, he said. The 25 percent plans show that TWSA connections to 148 properties could be affected, but that number is likely to increase because the current plans don’t show where underground improvements will be added. TWSA also needs to have a better understanding of how the N.C. Department of Transportation will compensate displaced businesses before committing to waive fees on its end.

“We need to recognize this is a large impact project from DOT, but we may be facing something similar in the future, so it needs to be set up to have the best impact for this project but

Speedy’s Pizza and the Valero Gas Station & Convenience Store are both on the N.C. Department of Transportation’s preliminary list of businesses that could be displaced. Holly Kays photo

also recognize we’re setting precedent for projects in the future,” he said.

“I think once we get the 65 percent numbers from the DOT plan, then we can begin to move forward more,” said TWSA Chair Tracy Rodes, who also serves as Webster’s mayor, referring to updated plans expected in March.

In her view, everything is too preliminary to start talking about specific policy options yet.

Board Member David Nestler, who sits on the Sylva town board, disagreed.

“I think we do need to approach this with some urgency because I think business owners and renters, they’re going to be trying to move before all this starts, and if we wait and keep waiting until we get the full picture of everything that’s happening, it’s going to be too late,” he said. “I think if we can develop a policy and be working on this policy while this new information comes in, I think it’s the smartest thing to do.”

Rodes, meanwhile, said she thinks TWSA has plenty of time to put a policy in place, as right-of-way acquisition isn’t expected to start until January 2020 and construction until December 2021. However, she said, a joint meeting of the governmental entities that will be affected by the project would be a good idea, ensuring everybody is on the same page about what’s happening and what sorts of policies and programs each entity could offer to make the project less painful for everybody.

Board Member Ron Mau, a county commissioner, said that in his view the next step is to find out exactly how DOT compensation works to ensure any fee waivers or other policies TWSA might want to consider don’t overlap with DOT offerings.

“I’m afraid if we jump up and write a policy, that would end up messing up what DOT offers people,” Rodes agreed.

Board Member Buddy Parton, a town of Dillsboro appointee, said that he’s all for helping out renters in some way but thinks

the board should consider other policies than just a blanket fee waiver.

“We need to look at something other than just blanket coverage, we’re going to waive all fees,” he said.

THEROADAHEAD

That was the conversation in the work session, but the following week, Nov. 20, TWSA discussed the issue again during its regular meeting. When the policy committee met in October, its goal had been to bring the topic to the full board for some more specific direction on what a draft policy should include.

The board did not vote on the issue Nov. 20, but it did come to a consensus that the policy committee and TWSA staff should keep working on the issue. The board directed the policy committee to further discuss available options to help business owners — renters and property owners alike — who will be affected by the project.

Further, it asked TWSA staff to work with the DOT to better understand how the project will impact the corridor and what the DOT will do to compensate for those impacts. TWSA and the DOT will then coordinate on how to address impacts to TWSA assets. TWSA will also work with Jackson County and the town of Sylva to make sure that everybody is doing all they can to help displaced businesses.

The TWSA board will discuss the issue again once the next set of project plans is released — that’s expected to happen sometime in March — and TWSA and DOT staff have had more detailed conversations about how the project will move forward. The first of those conversations occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 27, in a meeting between Harbaugh and DOT Project Engineer Jonathan Woodard.

TWSA is scheduled to hold a combined business meeting and work session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at TWSA headquarters on 1246 West Main Street in Sylva.

Inside Ingles... Supermarket Vocabulary

UNIT PRICE - Do you shop based on the UNIT PRICE? That's the price per unit (often per ounce) that is listed on the tag on the shelf. When shopping for items where there are a number of brands or sizes it is always a good idea to check the unit price to find which item will be the best buy.

PLANOGRAM -

Shelves in retail stores like supermarkets have a PLANOGRAM (planogram or plano-gram) that is a visual representation of how products are supposed to be displayed on the shelves.

Drake takes Macon airport under its wing

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

Drake Enterprises is spreading its wings further into the community as it takes over management of the Macon County Airport.

Under the new subsidiary Macon Air LLC, Drake assumed responsibility for airport operations as of Oct. 1 after its former management entity — Franklin Aviation, led by Neil Hoppe and Peggy Milton — decided to retire. Hoppe and Milton had managed the airport for 20 years under a contract with the county.

Macon County Airport Authority approved a new contract during an Aug. 28 meeting to lease the airport to Macon Air from Oct. 1, 2018 through Dec. 31, 2023, with the option to extend the terms of the lease for three additional five-year periods. Drake could potentially operate the airport through December 2038.

Drake Enterprises is one of the largest employers in Macon County with more than 1,000 employees working for 18 different businesses under the Drake umbrella, including an accounting and income tax software company, high-speed internet business, printing press, performing arts center, golf course and a Christian book store.

CEO Phil Drake has been a big supporter of the airport, flying his company planes and jets from Macon County to cities all over the country for business meetings. But why would he want to add a small county airport to his portfolio?

“One reason is we own our own hangar here and we have for a couple of years. We fly in and out of here a lot,” Drake said. “We

felt like we could afford to make the investments needed to improve operations — the county has invested a lot into the airport but they’re not willing to invest additional dollars for operations out of the taxpayers’ budget.”

The county was responsible for maintenance and mowing costs at the airport under the old contract with Franklin Aviation, but this time around the county negotiated a contract that put those responsibilities on the new FBO (fixed-base operator). The move will save the county taxpayers between $60,000 to $100,000 a year.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the citizens of Macon County to have more services provided at the airport with a substantial savings in the process,” said Commissioner Karl Gillespie, who also serves as the liaison to the Macon County Airport Authority.

Sometimes maintenance and mowing needs would get put on the backburner at the airport because of county funding constraints, but Drake thinks it’s important to keep the airport well maintained just like it’s a main entrance to the county.

“As a corporate citizen, I felt like we could step up to make that upfront investment needed,” Drake said. “You get to see a nice welcome sign coming into Macon from Georgia — we want the same kind of entrance when people land here.”

IMPROVEMENTS

Just two months into the contract, Macon Air has already made several much-needed improvements, including mowing the fields around the airport, installing new LED light-

nearly impossible for larger jets to refuel at the airport. Refueling was also time-consuming — the single refueling station can pump 18 gallons a minute while the trucks can pump over 200 gallons per minute.

Phillips said they also have plans to remodel and repaint the hangar right next door to the main building so it can be better utilized. They are also working on installing a new security system, a new entrance sign and improving the airport’s internet service. The airport has been operating on an old DSL connection, but now is getting high-speed internet through another Drake company — BalsamWest. A new website for the airport is also in the works to keep people better informed about services, flight schedules and current weather patterns.

Phillips and Drake’s other pilot, Gwen Lassez, have flown all over the country and have seen just about every size and quality of airport to compare to Macon’s facilities.

“This is definitely one of the nicest we go to, so we’re in great shape,” Phillips said.

“Twice in the past month I’ve heard people say this is one of the most beautiful airports in the country,” Lassez said. “They love the friendly people here and the location.”

PROVIDINGSERVICES

ing and bringing in fuel trucks to make refueling quicker and easier for pilots.

“There was a lot of deferred maintenance when we took over,” said Airport Manager David Phillips, who has been Drake’s pilot since 2001. “We’re changing out the high

“As a corporate citizen, I felt like we could step up to make that upfront investment needed. You get to see a nice welcome sign coming into Macon from Georgia — we want the same kind of entrance when people land here.”

— Phil Drake

power light fixtures to LED lighting to cut down on electricity costs and we’ve taken over mowing the entire property.”

With a new control cabinet installed, pilots can now control the runway lighting at night from the air, which increases safety protocols. As someone who has had to land a plane at Macon airport four times without lights, Phillips said that is a major benefit for pilots.

Before bringing in fuel trucks the airport only had a single-point refueling station, making it cumbersome for smaller jets and

Under the contract, Macon Air is responsible for airport upkeep and providing services. Those services include selling fuel, providing maintenance services for planes and renting hangar space. Macon airport only charges a ramp fee for large jets to land if they don’t purchase fuel there, but most other airports charge a fee for all planes to land regardless or whether they buy fuel. Phillips said Asheville charges him about $200 to land and places like Baltimore are even more expensive.

“This has always been a very friendly place to land and we want to continue to make it a friendly place to land,” Drake said. “We want them to come back and buy gas from us so we don’t charge them to land.”

Phillips and Drake are also looking to do flight training at the airport. They have pilots available to do the training but they’re working on renting a C-172 airplane for training purposes and also want to get a C-182 to rent out at the airport. The former FBO had those training planes but sold them when their contract was up.

“We should have everything in place by January for people who want the training,” Phillips said. “Flight instruction is big right now.”

The volume of planes currently landing in Macon varies, but Phillips said Thursday and Sunday are the busiest days with people flying in and out for the weekend. On those days usually at least three of the airport’s seven employees are needed to manage the traffic. The existing hangars can hold 25 to 28 airplanes and there is a waiting list for hangar space. Some pilots choose to secure their plane outside if they can’t get hangar space, but Drake said his long-term goal is to add more hangars.

A pilot refuels his plane from the new gas trucks now available at the Macon County Airport since Macon Air LLC took over management. Jessi Stone photo

Drake said he realizes taking over the airport isn’t going to be a cash-cow operation, especially at first, but he’s willing to put in the work to make it a viable enterprise and an asset to Macon County.

“It was an asset to us before we started operating it. We are having to invest dollars out here to get it up to where I think it should be, but that’s OK — we will benefit from those dollars and so will others,” he said.

Under the new contract, Macon Air will pay 2 percent of its gross revenue (excluding sales and use taxes collected, federal excise taxes collected and other taxes collected for and as required by government authorities) or 50 percent of its net revenue — whichever one is higher. It’s a deal Drake feels is fair for both the county and his business.

“While negotiating we knew there would be no more funding for maintenance from the county — this is a much better lease for the county and we don’t blame them for that,” he said. “I think in a year or two it will be a good thing for us. It won’t be cash flow positive for the first year or two, but we hope it will be in the long-term. We think we can turn a profit out here, and if we can it’s good for everybody.”

Gillespie said the intent of the airport authority was to make the contract all-inclusive and have all the costs to run the airport included in the FBO’s side of contract. Hopefully, with some cash flow coming back to the authority from the airport revenue, the authority can save up some funds.

“That way when a match comes up for grants the authority can respond to those without a cost to the taxpayers,” Gillespie said. “It’s a very clean lease that clearly outlines who’s responsible for what.”

CHALLENGES

Macon Air is taking over operations during a transitional time for the airport. The airport authority is working toward another expansion project to extend the runway from 5,000 feet to 6,000 feet to increase safety measures for larger aircraft flying into Macon.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation approved $4.5 million for the expansion project, but the project is probably

still another four to five years away. However, the authority and the county recently had to fork out more funding in order to complete unfinished archeology work that should have been done during the last runway expansion project in 2011.

Earlier this year airport authority members were surprised to learn that the archeological piece of the project started in 2009 — meant to document and catalogue any Cherokee artifacts found on the land that was disturbed — was never completed. The authority had to go back before county commissioners to ask for $33,334 in matching funds to be able to complete the $193,000 worth of work.

While the expansion project is within the authority’s purview and not Macon Air’s, Drake and Phillips are very much in favor of the runway extension.

“We hope they can add an additional 1,000 feet to make it easier for jets getting in and out from here — 5,000 feet is fine for our planes but some of the bigger planes use every bit of that runway,” Drake said.

Phillips said extending the runway to 5,000 several years ago was essential to allow jets to land, but 5,000 is the minimum length they need. Another 1,000 feet would give them ample room to safely and confidently land.

“You have to think about the terrain here,” Lassez said. “Many people aren’t comfortable landing in the mountains anyway.”

The Macon County Airport can be a tricky place to land for pilots not accustomed to the mountainous terrain surrounding the runway. The fog that tends to settle in the Cowee Valley can also make an approach more difficult.

The extension will likely be built out on the west end of the runway since the authority already owns the property and extending the east end would mean building out over a creek.

COMMUNITYASSET

Offering scenic flights and special community events at the airport is another goal. Drake knows the airport is in desperate need of some good PR and community involvement.

The Drake empire

• Drake Income Tax and Accounting: founded by Phil Drake’s father in 1954, Drake sold it to employees in 2004 for $1 on the 50th anniversary of the business’ founding.

• Drake Software: Software for accountants and tax preparers. Headquartered in Franklin, with additional call centers in Sylva and Hayesville.

• WPFJ Radio: Commercial AM station, Christian programming, in Franklin. Donated this year to Toccoa Falls College in Georgia, a Christian college.

• WNCSportsZone: Sports equipment and athletic shoes and apparel in Franklin.

• Dalton’s Christian Bookstore: Stores in Franklin.

• Macon Printing: A commercial printer in Franklin.

• PRemiere Marketing: Advertising and marketing agency based in Franklin.

• Franklin Golf Course: Nine-hole public golf course, driving range, pool.

• DNET Internet Services: Dial-up, DSL, wireless, webhosting. Based in Franklin.

• BalsamWest FiberNet: A partner with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in building underground fiber.

• TechPlace: Computer and cell-phone

Many people in the community have been critical of the county funding the airport because they see it as only being a benefit to wealthy people, but Drake and Phillips want to highlight the many benefits the airport brings to Macon County.

First and foremost, the airport is a major benefit for economic development. Without it, Drake probably wouldn’t have been able to

“There’s nowhere I personally like better than when we line up for final approach here — this is home and there’s nothing like living in these mountains.”

— Airport Manager David Phillips

grow his empire in Macon County and many of his employees wouldn’t be able to stay in Macon County.

“We frequently have to go to Washington, D.C., or New York and many other places — if I can put two to three people on our plane they can leave in the morning and come home that evening,” Drake said. “But if they had to fly commercial it would take three days of travel just for three hours worth of meeting time.”

Drake isn’t the only business that benefits — companies like Duotech Services, Duke Power, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and more also utilize the airport. It’s a major selling point for the Macon County Economic

sales and repair, stores in Franklin and Hayesville.

• The Fun Factory: Family entertainment center in Franklin. Includes the Pizza Factory and The Boiler Room Steakhouse in the same building.

• The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts: 1,500-seat theater in Franklin, with orchestra pit and full staging.

• EPS Financial: Process banking transactions and debit-card transactions. Based in Easton, Pa.

• GruntWorx: Converts scanned documents into readable and searchable PDFs and can import data into tax software. Originally based in Massachusetts, Drake moved the company to Derry, N.H.

• Stellar Financial: Drake is an investor in this Stroudsburg, Pa., company providing software and integrated management services for nonprofit donors.

• Sylvan Sport: Drake is an investor in a Brevard-based company that builds the “GO,” a camper.

• Galaxy Digital: Drake is an investor in this Asheville company that creates digital campaigns and works on web communications.

• Drake Capital: Drake is a partner in this Matthews-based real-estate acquisition and development company.

Development Commission when trying to attract new industry to the rural county. Then there is the impact on tourism and the second-home market in Macon County. Private pilots fly in to the airport to stay at their second homes in the region or for a family vacation — and while they’re here they rent cars, buy fuel, groceries, rent hotel rooms and spend money at local restaurants and shops. Phillips said it’s a trickle down effect that eventually helps the local economy.

“Enterprise rentals brings cars out here so that creates jobs, they stop and buy fuel so they supports our gas stations,” Phillips said. We’re always recommending restaurants and shops to visit — that’s sales tax revenue for the county.”

Phillips said he hopes to get more community members out to the airport for special fly-ins and groups that bring in planes like the B-17 that came in a few weeks ago. Lassez said she would like to see more student field trips to the airport to get children excited about the science behind airplanes and aviation.

“Gwen and I fly all over the county but there’s nowhere I personally like better than when we line up for final approach here — this is home and there’s nothing like living in these mountains,” Phillips said.

Drake shares that enthusiasm for Macon County, which is why he has chosen to grow his businesses in his hometown.

“I like creating jobs in Macon County and Western North Carolina. It’s not just Macon County anymore — we’ve expanded our footprint with offices in Dillsboro and Hayesville as well,” he said. “I like the people here — I have family here and I have many of them that work for me. I could save money in Tennessee, but it’s not worth it for me.”

The essence of power is a towel

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

There, in Sumter County, Georgia, not far from the Alabama line lies the tiny town of Plains (pop. 784), a most unremarkable place home to a most remarkable man.

Home for President Jimmy Carter has always been the clay roads and cotton fields of Plains, except when he was at Annapolis, in the Navy, or serving as state senator or governor or president.

Once that was all over with, Carter returned to a rather Rockwellian existence in peanut-crazy Plains, but for decades of nonprofit work and occasional outings in North Korea, Sudan and Syria — efforts in furtherance of world peace that would earn him a Nobel Peace prize in 2002.

At 94, he’s been called the only man to use the presidency as a steppingstone to greatness, but Carter’s near-half century influence on global affairs might not be the most substantial way he’s achieved that reputation.

For more than 35 years, he’s taught Sunday school at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where he and his wife of 72 years Rosalynn still live. Free and open to the public, first-come first-served, non-denominational and non-political, Carter’s classes are a unique, intimate and interactive 45minute peek beneath the surface of the spiritual soil from which sprouted one of recent history’s most powerful proponents of unity.

Southwest of Macon the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as sun dogs spotted warm hazy skies, I drove right by Andersonville, where more than 13,000 Union troops still lie skeletonized in a camp constructed by Confederates who couldn’t even feed themselves, much less their prisoners of war. It is perhaps the most profound American symbol of the politics of division and just 25 miles north of Plains.

Maranatha’s website says people begin lining up for the 10 a.m. class before 5:30, and with a capacity of only 475, people have been turned away, so a stay in nearby Americus made the 3:45 wake up call slightly more tolerable.

After my 15-minute drive through fog thick as a fever dream, a man with a flashlight guided me into a spot in the lot at Maranatha. I was car number 21 and person number 36 at 4:26 a.m.

By 5:15, 40 cars and 80 people were there. The first had arrived a bit after midnight. The furthest had come from the Netherlands. Number 23, two after me, had come walking up out of the mist in a black suit and tie with only his Bible in his hand. He sat in George’s truck — the man with the flashlight — while parked next to him I curled up on the front seat of mine with a seatbelt buckle in my side and rest elusive.

At 7:45 a.m. Miss Jan, the man with the flashlight’s wife, did us the do’s and don’ts before Secret Service screening. We were

then seated by George in the sanctuary in order, but for the guy with the Bible, who was escorted to the front row by Miss Jan, a former teacher with a no-nonsense proficiency in shepherding hundreds of people a month into and out of what she called “the most secure church in the country.”

Maranatha, started in 1981 because Carter’s previous church had voted not to allow black worshippers, has about 42 members, 16 of whom had shown up last week when Carter wasn’t teaching. There was also one guest.

This week, the 350-seat sanctuary was nearly full.

Further instructions were given, during which Miss Jan asked if anyone was driving through Atlanta after the service. I got up from my pew and walked to the front row where she asked me to take the guy with the Bible, Caleb McSwain, back to Atlanta. I said I would, gave him my card, and sat back down just before Carter came in and began to speak on the Book of Ruth.

In it is described Boaz, a prosperous Bethlehem landowner who took notice of the dire plight of his steadfast familial relation Naomi’s widowed daughter-in-law, after whom the book is named.

From his own largesse, Boaz sustains and protects Ruth and even ends up marrying her. The story is looked upon as one of compassion, kindness and service as much as one about loyalty, obligation and responsibility.

“It shows that when you have a duty to perform like Boaz had, and if you have an

opportunity to form a better relationship or take care of someone, you should do it,” said Carter.

Boaz is an exemplar of humankind’s since-distorted paradigm of what power is and what power does, and as such can be viewed as a minor analogue to Christ.

“Suppose I tell you we can make our country be a better country by helping one person. Would you argue with that?”

— Jimmy Carter

“How did Jesus demonstrate power?” Carter asked. “What are two of the symbols that you think about when you think about Jesus?”

The consensus of the crowd was the cross — just like the one cast against the deep red curtains on the wall behind Carter that the avid woodworker made with his own hands.

“Is the cross a symbol of power? It’s a symbol of commitment and sacrifice for others,” he said. “What’s another even more simple symbol that Jesus used to demonstrate what the essence of power should be?”

Again the crowd responded but this time with less agreement; of all the symbolism associated with Christ, our modern notions of power in the form of gregarious greed and derisive discrimination are nonexistent.

“I’d say a towel,” Carter explained. “Sometimes the very simple things like washing somebody else’s feet can be a good demonstration of what is power or influence, which comes under the heading of service.”

More than perhaps any president since George Washington, Jimmy Carter embodies the public service ethos of American self-rule — do your job as best you can in the public sphere, and then go home and do as best you can as a private citizen.

But the two had starkly different approaches.

Washington had, after two terms as the United States’ first president, declined to run for a third. Long leery of establishing an American aristocracy like the British one he’d first rejected and then helped overthrow, he retired to his sprawling Mount Vernon plantation in 1797 with the thought that his private successes would be to the public benefit.

Calls to return to power, like that from Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., who was the second Speaker of the House of Representatives and briefly a senator from Connecticut, were rebuffed by Washington. At the time of Trumbull’s June 22, 1799, letter to Washington, Trumbull was just beginning his two-decade stint as the state’s governor.

“You may perhaps recollect, my dear sir, that in some conversation of mine with you on the event of your resignation of the presidency, or in some letter written to you on that subject, I expressed to you my wish that no untoward events might take place which should once more draw you

from your beloved solitude and retirement, and force you again to assume the cares of government,” Trumbull wrote, in asking Washington to run for president again in 1801. “… [but] unless some eminently prominent character shall be brought up to view on the occasion, the next election of president I fear will have a very ill-fated issue.”

Washington told Trumbull via letter a month later that he was presently less inclined to do so than he was in 1797.

“At that time, the line between parties was not so clearly drawn and the views of the opposition [weren’t] so clearly developed as they are at present; of course, allowing your observation (as it respects myself) to be founded, personal influence would be of no avail,” he said of political divisions so deeply and quickly rooted in a young nation that the party was now more important than the candidate. “Let that party set up a broomstick, and call it a true son of liberty, a Democrat, or give it any other epithet that will suit their purpose and it will command their votes in toto!”

Although Carter didn’t willingly cede power as Washington did — Carter lost the 1980 presidential election to Ronald Reagan by an electoral tally of 489 to 49 — he’s yet to throw in the towel.

Since 1982, the Atlanta-based Carter Center has been a powerful advocate for democracy and human rights both at home and abroad with well-funded programming aimed at eradicating disease, mediating conflict, promoting agriculture and developing public health initiatives. It employs almost 200 in more than a dozen countries, but has worked in at least 75.

Around that same time, Carter began a highly visible association with Habitat for Humanity, and was known to swing a hammer on the job site from time to time. His hands-on approach to service means it’s no surprise that this was Carter’s 807th Sunday school lesson at Maranatha since he began teaching there in 1981.

“Suppose I tell you we can make our country be a better country by helping one person,” he told the crowd, still rapt with attention. “Would you argue with that?”

No, we told him.

“So every one of you who thought a few minutes ago about Naomi’s relationship, just suppose that you really concentrate on having one person who is in the forefront of your thought when you leave here today. When you go back home, pick out one person — who may be with you today — and just try to concentrate the best you can to be a good friend with that person,” he replied.

“Is that difficult?”

No, we told him.

“If everybody in America did that, would we not have a better country?”

We would, we told him.

“Do you have any objection to you starting it off?”

Leaving Plains with McSwain, I learned he was an auto parts inspector from Lincolnton, North Carolina, and Saturday night had taken an Uber 40 miles to Charlotte for $42 from whence he took a bus to Atlanta for $32 before another Uber took him at 1:30 a.m. Sunday through150 miles of very low visibility to Plains for $142.

“About 30 minutes outside Atlanta, we passed more deer than cars, and I knew I was going to be in trouble,” he said of his tenuous plan to Uber back to the bus station there from Plains after Carter’s lesson.

As we put the miles behind us, McSwain revealed himself to be an avid history buff, which he admitted was part of the reason he’d traveled so far and at such expense to visit Maranatha. The other reason was his Bible, clad in a grey shopping bag during his trip so it wouldn’t get wet.

“I think it was really cool to see [Carter] in a church atmosphere, a Sunday school atmosphere,” said McSwain, a member of the Church of God. “There’s not really any other former presidents doing anything like

“Another thing that God gave every one of us is a chance to answer the question, maybe 100 times a day when we make decisions, is ‘What kind of person do I want to be?’”

that — teaching Sunday school — so that was another big draw for me, to see what he has to say from a religious standpoint, to see if I would learn anything.”

During our three-hour drive three days after Thanksgiving we dissected Carter’s lesson on power six ways to Sunday, but one point still seemed to linger like the bumperto-bumper traffic up Interstate 75 just south of Macon.

“Another thing that God gave every one of us is a chance to answer the question, maybe 100 times a day when we make decisions, is ‘What kind of person do I want to be?’” Carter told us hours earlier. “Do I want to be generous or stingy? Do I want to tell lies or do I always want to tell the truth? Do I want to hold grudges against other people or do I want to be forgiving? Do I want to be filled with love, or hatred? Nobody — your

husband or wife, nor your children nor your parents — can answer that question for you. Just you can answer it.”

As McSwain and I parted ways at the MARTA station outside Decatur, he’d offered me $50. I told him to give five bucks to the first 10 people who asked him and that being as we were at a MARTA station outside Decatur, it wouldn’t take him long.

“I think it’s important to be unified and treat everybody with respect whether or not you agree with their political opinion,” said the 21 year-old registered Republican who voted for Donald Trump. “Treat them as your brother, or yourself — better than yourself, really.”

President Carter next appears at Maranatha this Saturday, Dec. 2. For more information on Carter’s Sunday school, visit www.mbcplains.org.

Contractor selected for SCC health building Bids fall within budget

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

The Michigan-based Christman Company will carry out a $17.66 million contract to construct a new health sciences building at Southwestern Community College in Sylva following a bid opening for the project Nov. 13.

The project drew bids from four companies — H&M, Harper and MB Kahn — with estimates ranging from Christman’s low bid of $17.66 million to $18.43 million from Harper. Those estimates include all the alternates listed in the bid request.

Construction base bids, which do not include any alternates, ranged from $16.9 million to $17.6 million.

“Right now it is good news,” said County Manager Don Adams as he presented the bidding results to commissioners Nov. 19. “The facility can be built out within the funds available.”

Christman has an office in Knoxville and will use Asheville-based subcontractors Bolton Construction and Service, M.B. Haynes Corporation and Emory Electric for

Be heard

A public hearing at 5:40 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, will take comment on a proposal to borrow $10 million to help fund a new health sciences building at Southwestern Community College. The county plans to pay back the loan using proceeds from a quarter-penny sales tax that voters approved in June 2016 to generate revenue for projects at Jackson County’s K-12 and community college facilities.

Anyone is welcome to speak on the issue, with all comments limited to three minutes apiece. The hearing will be held in room A241 of the Jackson County Justice & Administration Building in Sylva.

occupational therapy, a physical therapy gym and a simulated bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. The project is expected to create 236 new jobs in SCC’s service area as new health workers are trained.

plumbing, mechanical and electrical services, respectively.

The health sciences building was first discussed following a master planning process at SCC in February 2016, when it was identified as the top capital project on the school’s wish list. Then estimated to cost $16.3 million, it was envisioned as a state-of-the-art building of 40,000 to 60,000 square feet that would resemble an actual hospital setting and support SCC’s increasing health-related programs.

Construction and labor costs grew following the recession, and the estimate increased to $19.3 million as commissioners continued to discuss the project in April 2017. The $17.66 million estimate from Christman falls well below that second estimate, though Adams said the $19.3 million budget could leave the project low on contingency funds, suggesting that commissioners consider expanding that allocation a bit.

Jackson County will fund the project through a variety of sources. It will use $5.4 million from the N.C. Connect Bond that voters passed in 2016, as well as $2 million from a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant that the county landed in September. The remaining costs will be paid through a $10 million loan that the county plans to pay back using proceeds from the quarter-penny sales tax that voters approved in 2016 to pay for capital projects in Jackson’s K-12 and community college facilities. The $17.66 million price tag does not include additional costs that come with a new building such as furniture and classroom equipment. It also doesn’t account for LS3P’s $1.5 million in designer fees.

The building, designed by the company LS3P, will include 55,411 square feet and four floors, with a working clinic, eight-bed nursing lab and a lab area for a brand-new surgical technology program. Other features would include labs for physical and

When LS3P was initially hired as the designer, it told SCC trustees that it could finish the project by June 2019. The timeline later shifted to a fall 2018 groundbreaking with completion in fall 2020 following two years of construction. With ground yet to break on the project, the building will likely be ready in 2021. In an August work session, Adams told commissioners that much of the delay was due to the EDA grant application — the county had to wait on the outcome before it could move forward with the bidding process, he said.

During their Nov. 19 meeting, commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to seek approval from the N.C. Local Government Commission to take out the planned $10 million loan. However, a public hearing must be held before commissioners move forward with financing. That hearing is planned for 5:40 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, with the current board of commissioners presiding over the hearing. After the hearing, new commissioners selected in the 2018 election will be sworn in.

Cherokee loses treasured tribal elder

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

Cherokee has lost its second honored member in the space of a month with the Nov. 24 death of Amanda Swimmer, 97.

Swimmer, who was named a Beloved Woman of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in February, was a lifelong potter, storyteller and keeper of Cherokee traditions, a much-loved person in her community of Big Cove and in the tribe as a whole.

“Amanda will be truly missed for her humor, her kindness and her wisdom,” said Principal Chief Richard Sneed in a Facebook post. “We have lost a great treasure in the community.”

“She was so special,” agreed former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert, who also recognized Swimmer’s passing in a Facebook post. “I loved her so much. I know there will be so many people who feel the loss and will grieve her leaving us, but I also smile knowing heaven is further enriched with such a soul.”

Born Oct. 7, 1921, on the Qualla Boundary, Swimmer was mother to 10 children, grandmother to 22, great-grandmother to 41 and great-great-grandmother to nine at the time Tribal Council bestowed on her the title of Beloved Woman, the highest honor the tribe has to offer. She earned nationwide recognition for her pottery, which was displayed in North Carolina, Washington, D.C.,

and New Mexico. She demonstrated potterymaking at the Oconaluftee Indian Village for more than 50 years and taught it in schools. She won the N.C. Heritage Award in 1994, the Mountain Heritage Award in 2009 and received an honorary doctorate from the University of North Carolina Asheville in 2005.

Swimmer was widely recognized as a fountain of cultural knowledge and was one of the tribe’s few remaining fluent Cherokee speakers. She was also witty and quick to make a joke, as evidenced by her words in

Amanda Swimmer stands surrounded by family after she is named a Beloved Woman in February.

Swimmer’s death follows that of former Principal Chief and Beloved Man Robert Youngdeer, who died Oct. 20 at the age of 96. Youngdeer served as principal chief from 1983 to 1987 after an already-accomplished life that included 20 years in the military. He enlisted at the age of 18 to fight in World War II, where as a 1st Marine Raider he deployed to the Pacific Theater. He fought in Tulagi and was shot in the face by a sniper during the Battle of Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal. After months of recovery, he returned to duty on Okinawa and remained there through the end of the war.

Standingdeer was married to his wife Geneva for 73 years before her death, and they had two children together.

“Chief Youngdeer embodied what it means to be a Cherokee leader,” Sneed said in an Oct. 21 post. “He selflessly served our country and the EBCI. Our tribe has lost a pillar of our community, and it grieves me that we won’t have his wisdom to rely on anymore.”

February upon accepting the Beloved Woman title. On that occasion, she thanked Tribal Council for “bringing me up here just to look at my ugly face” and told the crowd that she had a whole bunch of grandchildren, some present and “about 2,000 more somewhere.”

“Do the right thing that you should do for the people,” she told councilmembers, concluding on a more serious note. “Put the Lord first in everything you do. Don’t leave him out. He’s going to show you what you have to do. He showed me many times, and he’s in my heart.”

The titles of Beloved Man and Beloved Woman have been worn by only a select few throughout Cherokee history. With Standingdeer’s death, there are no living people bearing the title of Beloved Man, and only two Beloved Women remain — Myrtle Driver Johnson and Ella Bird.

A public visitation in Swimmer’s honor will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, at Yellowhill Baptist Church, with funeral services planned for 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at the same location. Tribal offices will be closed Nov. 29 in her honor.

Macon wants out of flat fee indigent program

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

While the North Carolina Legislature included Macon County in a pilot program to change the way courtappointed lawyers are paid, Chief District Court Judge Richard Walker requested to opt out of the program.

Macon was one of six counties mandated to participate in the pilot program launched June 1, 2017, to pay court-appointed lawyers a flat fee for cases instead of an hourly rate. The program was put in place in an attempt to curb the state’s cost for indigent defense services. According to data from the Indigent Defense Services Office of North Carolina, indigent defense costs increased 168 percent between 1989 and 1999 while caseloads increased by 90 percent. Capital defense costs rose 338 percent during the same time period.

Lawyers were skeptical about the pilot program from the beginning and warned that there would be a shortage of court-appointed attorneys to cover Macin County if it proceeded. While IDS couldn’t stop the program from being implemented, Executive Director Tom Maher said IDS was able to recommend a piece of accompanying legislation that would provide a way for participating counties to opt out of the program. The legislature did pass the legislation and so far Maher said Macon and Watauga counties have requested to opt

out. Judge Marion Warren, director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, is expected to make a final decision on those requests in the next couple of weeks.

“Both Watauga and Macon are smaller counties so it’s hard for the flat fee system to work when there’s not much in the way of volume,” Maher said. “The idea is if lawyers do enough cases it will average out but that’s not happening in the smaller counties.”

By the numbers

Flat-fee pay schedule for court-appointed lawyers in Macon County, which was chosen to participate in a state pilot program overseen by the Indigent Defense Office.

State averageFlat fee

Class A-D felonies.....................................$543........................$400

All other felonies.......................................$265........................$230

Class A1 misdemeanors............................$204........................$200

Class 1-3 misdemeanors..........................$176........................$185

Probation violations..................................$171........................$185

DWI............................................................$297........................$300

Civil and criminal contempt......................$165........................$185

The other issue is that in the 30th Judicial District, which Macon County is a part of, indigent defense relies on private practice lawyers willingly volunteering to provide those services. When the pilot program went into effect, many lawyers throughout the district took their name off the court-appointed lawyer lists in Macon County.

Juvenile felonies........................................N/A..........................$500

Juvenile misdemeanors.............................$226........................$200

Child welfare.............................................N/A..........................$500

Termination of parental rights..................$475........................$500

“Attorneys didn’t think it was a viable system to provide effective assistance and so they dropped of the list,” Maher said. “Lawyers willing to take on DSS cases in particular came off the list and it was severe enough for the Chief District Court judge to want to opt out.”

DSS cases dealing with child abuse and neglect tend to be more involved and take way more time — making the $500 flat fee unrealistic for most cases. Under the hourly rate, lawyers would make $55 an hour for a child welfare case.

The flat-fee schedule is only placing more pressure on a judicial system that is already struggling to keep enough lawyers on the lists for criminal defense and child custody cases. Many lawyers already took their

names off the court-appointed list back in 2011 when the state cut the hourly rates for indigent defense from $75 an hour to $55 an hour.

Maher said $55 an hour on paper seems like a decent rate, but it’s really not when you consider the cost of overhead most private lawyers have operating their practices. IDS has been pushing the North Carolina General Assembly to increase the rates to at least keep up with the cost of living.

“It’s not saving money and we pay the private counsel too little to begin with,” he said. “Mainly cases in District Court are paid $55 an hour and that barely covers overhead.”

At the end of the day, Maher said the pilot program doesn’t appear to be saving any money. It’s also not helping to ensure indigent defendants are receiving their constitutional right to adequate and effective defense in court.

The other four counties included in the flat-fee program were Burke, Davidson, Iredell and Lincoln counties, which are all larger counties that haven’t requested to be removed from the program.

Lawyers needed for pretrial pilot program

BY J ESSI STONE

N EWS E DITOR

The success of a pretrial release program being piloted in Jackson and Haywood county’s judicial district hinges on a handful of lawyers being willing to dedicate at least one day a week to handling first appearances for indigent clients.

The program, which is supposed to launch Jan. 1, 2019, aims to reduce local jail populations, recidivism rates and increase the efficiency of the court system. The program will include a new policy encouraging judges to set more unsecured bonds for people charged with nonviolent, low-level offenses so they can be released from jail while they await their court date. It also aims to move people more quickly through the system, which is why lawyers are needed to be part of the program.

Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts, who is spearheading the implementation of the program in the 30B Judicial District, has witnessed the unintended consequences of people being detained pretrial. According to an article in the Stanford Law Review, defendants detained before they go to trial are 25 percent more likely than their counterparts to plead guilty, 43 percent more likely to be sentenced to jail time and are more likely to commit future crimes.

The Indigent Defense Services Office of North Carolina is working to educate lawyers about the program and sign them up to be represent indigent clients just for their first appearance. IDS Executive Director Tom Maher recently visited the district to talk to local lawyers about how the program will work.

Only four lawyers showed up to the informational session in Haywood, which Maher said could be enough to make the program work. Ideally, there would be one lawyer dedicated to each day of court, but lawyers could also choose multiple days if they wanted. In the morning, the lawyer will receive a list of first appearances and by 2 p.m. is expected to gather as much information about the case from the defendant and the District Attorney’s Office to represent the defendant for his or her first appearance.

It’s a tall order for lawyers depending on how many defendants are on the docket for court that day. Waynesville lawyer Jim Moore said he’s interested in the participating in the pretrial release program as he’s had three stints on the court-appointed defense list throughout his law career and spends a lot of time at the jail visiting clients.

“I certainly hope the program will be a success. We had a pretrial release program prior to this and it worked well — it’s not in existence now because the legislature decided to defund it,” Moore said. “Now it’s just left up to the DAs to check to see if there are people in jail on small bonds for small

offenses and then they can approach the judge to ask for them to be released — but that’s not really the DA’s job to do that.”

Lawyers have reservations about whether one day is enough time to be able to gather enough information to make a meaningful difference during a first appearance.

Maher said it may not be enough time for all cases — and that’s OK. The goal is to hopefully get through the easy cases quickly and get people out of jail that don’t need to be there simply because they can’t make their bail. Right now defendants can sit in jail for weeks or months waiting to meet their lawyer in court.

“The trick here is getting enough info to provide a meaningful case for a pretrial release but doing it quick enough to make a real difference in the system,” Maher said. “If you can do that in one day you can, but some will take more time. We hope this will show that with someone focused on it, in a short time it can make a difference. It’s not perfect and you’re under the gun, but it can make a difference.”

Lawyers interested in the program also had questions about how much they would be paid to dedicate an entire day away from their private practices. Maher said the hourly rate for first appearance lawyers will be $60, which is the same as the standard rate paid to court-appointed lawyers working low level felony cases.

“You’ll receive a minimum of two hours of pay even if there’s no work that day because you’ve kept that day open,” he said.

If it’s determined a case needs more time, Maher said the defendant would be given a court-appointed lawyer who may or not be the lawyer who represented them for the first appearance through the pilot program.

“You’re just committing to one day. If it’s not resolved that day they will be given a court-appointed lawyer. It might be you but you’re not committing to taking them on,” Maher clarified.

Part of the pilot program will include funding to analyze how the pilot program is working. That analysis will be supported by Professor Jessica Smith at UNC School of Government and Jamie Vaske, assistant professor at Western Carolina University’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Vaske said she’d be evaluating whether these changes will impact failures to appear or new criminal justice involvement for defendants who are released during the pretrial phase of processing, and whether these changes impact the number of people in local facilities and total jail costs for pretrial defendants.

“My goal — although ambitious — is to provide feedback to the stakeholders on a quarterly basis so we can respond to any implementation issues early before they snowball,” she said. “In terms of judging

things as a success or failure, I will be analyzing court and jail data from Jan. 1, 2016, forward as well so I will be comparing how are we currently doing relative to how we were doing in the past. The labels of success or failure, I will leave up to Judge Letts and the stakeholders to define as they are the ones implementing the policy.”

For lawyers interested in learning more about the program, contact Maher at Thomas.K.Maher@nccourts.org or 919.354.7200.

COMING SOON To Mountain Laurel Dermatology

Specializing in General Dermatology

Including but not limited to:

Amy Payne is a native of Virginia and grew up on a farm in the Cumberland Gap area. She graduated from Radford College in Radford, VA with a BS in Biology. She then attended medical school at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA and completed her dermatology residency – including a year as chief resident – at the University of Virginia Health System. She is a diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. She has practiced dermatology in private practice, academia and hospital-based care since 2004. Amy lives in Asheville with her husband, two daughters and two golden retrievers.

Clyde Office - Tuesday and Wednesday Appointments 107 Haywood Park Drive, Clyde Phone: 828-565-0560 Fax: 828-565-0562

Office of Dr. Gina Singleton MD Justin Hogan, PA-C

Celebrate new Haywood commissioners

Join newly elected Republican Haywood County Commissioners during a Christmas Bash at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at Haywood County Republican Party Headquarters, 297 N. Haywood Street, Waynesville.

Introducing the newly elected Commissioners Tommy Long and Mark Pless along side Kevin Ensley and Brandon Rogers. The receiving line begins at 6 p.m. with fellowship and food to follow. Bring your family and friends to mix and mingle an enjoy a small plate dinner.

Festive Attire is encouraged. There is no charge but donations will be gladly accepted or bring a homemade dessert of your choice to share.

RSVP to 828.246.2468.

Franklin forum to discuss borders

“Build walls, open borders, or something in-between?” will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3 at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub, located downtown at 58 Stewart Street in Franklin.

Franklin Open Forum is a moderated discussion group. Those interested in an open exchange of ideas (dialog, not debate) are invited to attend. For more information, call 828.371.1020.

Lake Junaluska decorated for Christmas

Over 50 volunteers from the Lake Junaluska community came together to decorate for Christmas.

Each year, the community works alongside staff to decorate more than 15 areas around the lake, including the Rose Walk, Harrell Center, Shackford Hall, Bethea Welcome Center, The Terrace, Lambuth Inn and Inspiration Point.

Lake Junaluska residents Don and Pat Rankin led the troops of volunteers.

“These are folk who love Lake Junaluska and who are dedicated to making this place — their home — beautiful and welcoming during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons,” Pat Rankin said.

The volunteers worked with the Lake Junaluska maintenance crew to hang lights, wreaths, garlands and bows on light poles and buildings. The entire landscaping department helped staff member Suzanne Milner, who has decorated Lake Junaluska’s interior spaces for the past seven years. Milner said Lambuth Inn holds a special place in her heart when it comes to decorations.

“It’s the historic nature of the building,” Milner said. “The columns and décor seem perfectly suited to Christmas decorations, and this year with the new renovation Lambuth looks even more elegant than usual.”

More than a thousand visitors come to

Lake Junaluska for the annual Appalachian Christmas event, which includes three performances — Handel’s Messiah, Storyteller Sheila Kay Adams and the Lake Junaluska Singers. Thousands more come for the Balsam Range Art of Music Festival.

Everyone is invited to come to Lake Junaluska for Appalachian Christmas Dec. 7-8. Tickets are on sale for $23 reserved, $18 general admission. Taxes apply. Learn more at www.lakejunaluska.com/christmas.

Health departments investigate cases of Legionnaires

The Jackson County Department of Public Health and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Public Health and Human Services are investigating three cases of Legionnaires disease in people who visited Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort during May through November 2018.

The property’s management is assisting in the investigation, treating its water system and taking steps to provide information to past and current guests. The North Carolina Division of Public Health is also assisting in the investigation as needed.

Legionnaires disease is a type of pneumonia caused by inhaling aerosol droplets of water contaminated with Legionella bacteria. Sources of the contaminated water droplets can include showers, hot tubs, faucets, cooling towels, misters, and decorative fountains. Most people exposed to Legionella bacteria will not get sick.

Legionnaires is treatable with antibiotics, but it can cause severe illness and sometimes results in death. The disease is not spread from person to person. Symptoms are very similar to other types of pneumonia and can include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches and headaches.

Symptoms usually begin within two to 14 days after exposure to the bacteria. People who develop symptoms and have visited the property or surrounding area should seek medication attention from their primary care provider.

People who are at an increased risk of getting sick include people 50 and older, current or former smokers, people with chronic lung disease, people with a weakened immune system, people taking drugs that can weaken their immune system and people with diabetes, kidney failure or liver failure.

According to a press release, it can not be confirmed whether any of the cases were exposed to Legionella while visiting Harrah’s. Legionella is naturally occurring in the environment and has up to a 14-day incubation period, making it difficult to pinpoint exact location of exposure.

Clyde - 3BR, 2BA, 1HB

$229,000 #3447996

Clyde - 4BR, 3BA

$249,000 #3441834

Waynesville - 3BR, 2BA

$279,000 #3439332

Water Rock Estates - 3BR, 3BA

$425,000 #3439737

Clyde - 3BR, 2BA

$229,000 #3437572

Canton - 3BR, 2BA

$249,000 #3450909

Pinnacle Ridge - 3BR, 3BA

$299,000 #3442057

Waynesville Country Club 5BR, 3BA, $429,000 #3447256

Pisgah View - 3BR, 1BA

$242,000 #3442481

White Oak Community 3BR, 3BA, $250,000 #3453738

Pinnacle Ridge - 3BR, 2BA

$325,000 #3444265

Sylva - 4BR, 3BA, 1HB $610,000 #3441703

Waynesville 3BR, 3BA, 1HB

$899,995 #3392555

Community Almanac

Christmas worship in Canton

The 14th annual “Christmas Worship in a Stable” will be held from 5:30 to 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.1 at the 3rd Generation Barn Loft Farm outside of Canton, upper level of the big white barn.

Free admission inside an historic barn. Bring one canned food item to place at the manger for The Community Kitchen in Canton. Casual service includes singing of Christmas carols interspersed during Scripture readings; sitting on hay bales or chairs; a storyteller, live animals, special music and lighting. Dress warm. Handicapped accessible. The 3rd Generation Barn Loft is located at 84 Frank Mann Road, Exit 33/I-40, turn toward Leicester (sign) on Newfound Road continuing for about three-fourths of a mile. Fork left onto N. Hominy Road, then take very first right onto Frank Mann Road.

Vecinos receives $2,500 grant

Farmworkers and their families in Western North Carolina received some relief from high prescription drug prices with a recent grant of $2,500 from the Jackson County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation.

Vecinos Farmworker Health Program Executive Director Marianne Martinez accepted the grant, along with Board members Alan Farmer and Jenny Lopez at a reception hosted at the Balsam Mountain Preserve. Vecinos has been dealing with the shortfall in funding by pulling from donations and other line items in the budget to assist patients with acute medical needs. The grant will allow the organization to continue to cover medications for the next year, but will not satisfy the long-term needs of the farmworkers upon whom the region depends for food and Christmas trees.

Highlands Community Fund gives $58,000

The Highlands Community Fund recently awarded $58,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations supporting programs benefiting the Highlands community and residents. The Mildred Miller Fort Charitable Fund also supports grantmaking in Highlands.

Recipients included The Bascom; Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project, Inc.; Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, Inc.; Counseling and Psychotherapy Center of Highlands; Gordon Center for Children, Inc.; Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust;Highlands Community Child Development Center; The Hudson Library of Highlands; Literacy Council of Highlands; After-School Enrichment and Homework Helpers; ML Performing Arts

Elks Lodge helps Meals on Wheels

Waynesville Elks Lodge and members of the community recently helped out Meals on Wheels by preparing, packaging and delivering about 78 meals to folks within Haywood County on Thanksgiving Day. The meal included roast turkey, ham, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans and pumpkin pie. Members also took the time to chat with recipients when delivering the meals.

Center and REACH of Macon County.

The Highlands Community Fund, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, is a permanently endowed fund designed to meet local needs. Taxdeductible gifts are added to the principal, which is preserved and invested. The returns are used to make grants to support nonprofits in Highlands. www.cfwnc.org.

REACH presents Holiday Gala

REACH of Haywood County is once again celebrating the season with its popular Holiday Gala with good music, good company and plenty of good cheer.

This year’s Gala will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Laurel Ridge Country Club. The evening will feature fine dining, a champagne toast, live music, dancing, and a cash bar. Festive dress is encouraged. Tickets are $100 each, and are on sale now. Purchase tickets at reachofhaywood.org or by calling 828.456.7898.

All proceeds from this event go to support REACH and their vital client services, providing aid to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse.

Tobacco prevention event

Smoky Mountain High School is partnering with Tobin Lee, the Regional Tobacco Prevention Manager, to host an educational parents’ night that will focus on the basic facts of ecigarettes. The free event is planned for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva. Open to the public. The session will also inform participants of

He received the Marion and Frances Fairey Longevity Award. After completion of the program, Hensley was employed by Aramark where he has remained a faithful employee for 10 years.

Webster provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities or disadvantages to work and achieve their full potential serving Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

Jackson Foundation has record year

The local affiliate of the NC Community Foundation had it’s best year ever approving 17 grants totaling $36,910 to Jackson County nonprofits.

This year the Jackson County organization had 11 recipients and the Balsam Mountain group had 10 with four nonprofits receiving grants from both groups.

the harm caused by e-cigarettes and make them aware of deceptive marketing strategies manufactures and sellers employ to increase use among youth.

Cookie sale to benefit Pathways

The Episcopal Church Women of Grace Church in the Mountains will be selling a scrumptious variety of homemade Christmas cookies from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 15, to benefit Haywood Pathways Center.

Enjoy holiday music, coffee and cookie samples as you make your selection from a variety of cookies which will placed in a festive holiday tin. Grace Church in the Mountains is located at 394 Haywood Street. For more information, call the church office at 828.456.6029.

Webster Enterprises awards employees

Webster Enterprises of Jackson County, Inc., recently announced three award recipients at the 2018 Annual Awards Luncheon & Art Exhibition Program.

Michael Brock McMahan received the 2018 Personal Achievement Award, an award presented to an individual who has demonstrated personal achievement in the workplace during the past year. Brock is employed at Webster Enterprises of Jackson County in the sewing division where he works as a facility services technician.

Katie McLaughlin, of Sylva, is a 2018 Celebrate Create Abilities award winner from the Art Division. She currently works in Webster’s medical facilities division.

Curtis Hensley is a former program participant in Webster’s job skills training program.

Receiving grants this year were Blue Ridge Health, Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic, Prevent Blindness, Circles of Hope, Jackson Neighbors in Need, the Community Table, the Center for Domestic Peace, Fontana Regional Library, United Christian Ministries, HIGHTS, Mountain Mediation-30th Judicial District, Full Spectrum Farms, Western NC Aids Project, Vecinos Farm workers Health and Equinox Ranch. For more complete information, visit www.northcarolinacommunityfountain.com or call 828.293.5678.

• REACH of Macon County is seeking winter coat donations to provide warmth for domestic violence survivors. Call 828.369.5544 or visit www.reachofmaconcounty.org.

ALSO:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina was recently presented with a $2,000 donation to Young Harris College’s tennis program to express appreciation for YHC’s support of the Georgia Mountain Tennis Championships. Since 2010, YHC has donated the use of its tennis facility for the annual tournament. The tournament raised $9,000 this year.

• Harrah’s Cherokee employees recently donated over $3,000 for the Red Cross in support of Hurricane Florence relief. The Casino matched those funds for a total of $6,940. Hurricane Florence made landfall in September and caused widespread hurricane damage as well as freshwater flooding caused by record-breaking rainfall.

• Lake Junaluska Warrior Termite Football team won against Bethel recently to clinch the West Division Championship. The team will play in the Super Bowl against TC Roberson at CE Weatherby stadium. This is the first time in more than 30 years that a team from the Lake Junaluska Athletic Association has made it to the Super Bowl.

Meadows reacts too lightly to ethics rebuke

It sure would be nice for his constituents to hear Rep. Mark Meadows come out with a mea culpa regarding his actions in the sexual harassment controversy that has dogged his office for the last couple of years. Apparently, that’s not going to happen, even after the official rebuke he received last Friday from the bipartisan House Ethics Committee.

Let’s be clear. Meadows himself was not accused of any misconduct toward female employees in his office. His former Chief of Staff Kenny West, however, did behave inappropriately. Meadows, the committee said, did not take appropriate action to make sure his office was free of such of behavior. He also violated rules by keeping West on the payroll after the behavior was discovered and he was demoted.

In the end, the whole affair will cost Meadows $40,000 of his own money and perhaps leave a bit of bad taste in the mouth of those he represents.

Here’s what happened, according to information reported in several news sources who have covered the controversy closely for the last couple of years, including Politico (the newspaper that covers Congress), The Raleigh News and Observer, the Hendersonville Lightning and The Asheville Citizen-Times. Meadows has declined to comment other than issuing a statement.

After winning election in 2012, Meadows in January 2013 hired one of his GOP opponents in that primary — West, who is from Hayesville — to be his chief of staff. In October of 2014, several female staffers in Meadows’ office reported to his deputy chief of staff that they were uncomfortable with West’s actions.

Get rid of Trump?

To the Editor:

A recent letter writer said that the Democrats will do almost anything to get rid of Trump. He is probably right, but for the wrong reasons.

The President recently said he would give Saudi Arabia and its leader the benefit of the doubt about the brutal murder and dismemberment of a journalist and resident of the United States.  Our CIA has said with high certainty that they did it, but that was not good enough for President Trump. He said it would cost too much.

He is worried that they might cut off our oil. The U.S. is now self-sufficient in oil. He is concerned that we will lose huge arms sales to the Saudis, but the actual sales are a small fraction of what he claims. He said we need good allies like the Saudis, but their war in Yemen has caused the death of over 80,000 children from starvation. Even his Republican allies in Congress are crying foul on the Saudi mess as a betrayal of American values and moral leadership.

On the home front, President Trump said, Californians should just rake the leaves off the forest floor, like they do in Finland, then there would be no more wild fires. Ninety percent of the forest land in California is under federal governmental control, so he needs Congress to appropriate money for an army of rakers. That should work.

Don McGahn, the recently fired White House attorney, has admitted that President

According to the Ethics Committee report released Nov. 16, the female staff members were said to have complained to Meadows that West routinely put his hands on their backs and shoulders, pulled their hair, and stared down their blouses and up their skirts.

He also made inappropriate comments about their physical appearances.

“West’s behavior toward female staff was inappropriate in every sense of the world,” according to the report. “There is no place in any congressional office for looking up skirts, or down shirts; staring at a woman’s chest; unwanted touching; or making sexual comments, even if subtle or in jest.”

West was told not to return to the D.C. office by Meadows, but he subsequently showed up at the district office Hendersonville. He was told at that time by staffers not to come back to that office.

Part of the rebuke of Meadows criticized him for keeping West on as chief of staff but allowing a situation where female workers could not interact with their boss. In February of 2015 — after he knew of the credible allegations — West was still on the payroll and was even allowed to offer professional evaluations to Meadows of some of his accusers.

“In addition, the Committee is concerned that Representative Meadows’ ‘solution’ to the sexual harassment allegations, to cut off all contact between Mr. West and most

LETTERS

Trump wanted him to instruct the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute James Comey and Hillary Clinton. Since the days of J. Edgar Hoover and Watergate there has been an impenetrable wall between any administration and law enforcement. But Trump, who is no student of history, believes that the Justice Department is just a tool to go after anyone who disagrees with him.

There are many countries where this is true — China, Russia, North Korea, Turkey, to name just a few. But as Don McGahn told the president, in this democracy, that is an impeachable offence.

This and much more has happened just in the last two weeks. So it is true that Democrats, as part of a solid majority of voters in this country, will work very hard to end this stain on our presidency.

Louise Vitale Franklin

Animal control went beyond call

of duty

To the Editor:

This is a shoutout for the folks at Haywood County Animal Services. Last Sunday (Nov. 19) late afternoon, I heard a dog barking up the drainage pipe in the front of my house. I saw him crawl into the pipe, and never saw him come out. I went down and looked up the pipe and could not see

of his female employees, caused another potential problem. An environment where only male staff have access to the Chief of Staff risks unequal treatment of employees based solely on sex,” the report states.

Meadows’ statement released after the report says he asked for the independent investigation in November 2015. Politico says he made the request for an investigation only after the Office of Congressional Ethics had already begun its own probe into the allegations. That newspaper questioned Meadows’ lump sum payment to West in September 2015, two month before Meadows asked for the probe. That prompted the probe, not Meadows’ request for it.

So what is Meadows guilty of? He didn’t act quickly enough to address the credible accusations of sexual harassment. Did he take these accusations too lightly? Voters can decide that for themselves, but some could argue he did.

Then, for some reason, he refused to fire West and kept him on the government payroll all the way until August 2015. That’s why he has to pay out of his own pocket nearly three months of West’s salary.

How about an apology to taxpayers — a simple “I am sorry, I made a mistake, and it reflects badly on my office” — instead of trying to act like he called for the investigation. No, he only called for the investigation after his actions were called into question by the media.

All constituents want is the truth. Is that so difficult these days?

(Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)

him. I talked with Jeff of the Haywood County Animal Services. He suggested I wait a while and call him if the dog was still in the pipe.

I checked about 8 p.m. and the dog was still barking in the pipe. I called Jeff, and he came to my house. The dog was still somewhere in the pipe. The pipe runs along the road for about 50 yards, so locating the dog was a problem.

Jeff called for reinforcements, and ultimately two more men (including Doyle

Teague, the director) and one woman, Samantha, were on the scene. For four hours, we dug holes in the ground up to three feet deep trying to locate the pipe, and cut into it to locate the dog. Shortly after midnight, we finally were able to see the dog, enlarge the hole in the pipe and free a very happy and hungry red tick coonhound.

I was impressed with the people of Animal Services. They showed a strong desire to rescue an animal in distress

Out of touch with the Black Friday banshees

I’ve set my phone on vibrate so that I can watch the game while enjoying my holiday concoction of Chex Mix and mixed nuts without being disturbed, but when the phone buzzes on the night-table, I pause just a moment, then reach for it. I have developed an instinct for bad news, and it is best to hear bad news right away. I learned that watching The Godfather when I was in my teens.

It is a text message from my spouse, who left two hours ago for the annual Black Friday feeding frenzy at Walmart. Black Friday is now on Thursday, but is still called Black Friday for some reason, possibly because Black Thursday doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

Every Black Friday for the past couple of decades, ordinary Americans are suddenly transformed into vicious sharks, gliding up and down the aisles of big box stores gobbling up merchandise, their soulless black eyes rolling back in their heads every time they see a “50 percent off” sign posted on a pyramid of laptops, toaster ovens or this year’s popular dolls. They circle quickly, then tear the pyramid to pieces, leaving nothing but scraps of paper and a tattered sign.

This ritual is not for the squeamish, and certainly not for me. The whole thing reminds me of our children’s favorite road game, “Would You Rather?” Would you rather be dipped in a bucket of spit, or be transported to Walmart on Black Friday? I’ll take the bucket of spit any old day.

That my wife — who exceeds me in level-headedness on just about every front imaginable — willingly, even gleefully, participates in this grotesque display is one of

and they should be proud of the work they did that night, and every day.

Dave Harrington Clyde

Anti-gunners endanger their fellow citizens

To the Editor:

As I have said on many occasions, antigunners like to ignore the very important comma sign in the second Amendment, indicating a completely new part of the text: “… the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” has nothing to do with the right of a state to have a well regulated militia. Those are two very different statements.

Furthermore, there is no such thing as

life’s great mysteries. I don’t get it, will never get it.

Her text message says: “The good news is I got tons of stuff. The bad news is that I spent lots of money.”

Of course, this is a rhetorical trick that desperate people use in an effort to minimize the impact of what is, in fact, terrible news, and lots of it. A careful reader will note that everything in this message qualifies as bad news. There is no good news to be found in it anywhere. What we actually have here is bad news, followed by worse news.

Admittedly, part of the issue is that my wife and I have different approaches to Christmas shopping — different “paradigms,” if you will. My approach — which has served me well for many years — is to wait until the last minute, and then get everyone gift cards. I think this is pretty sound and certainly efficient, but Tammy thinks that this is lazy and unimaginative, which I have neither the logic nor the energy to dispute.

Worst of all, if you buy people gift cards, you are not getting “a deal.” A $50 gift card is worth exactly $50, no more and no less. There is no “deal” in that, and for my spouse, that’s a deal-breaker.

If my approach is “card-centered,” hers is “deal-centered.”

We also have different strategies for

an “assault rifle.” Assault is a state of mind, not a type of rifle — another very important thing that anti-gunners deliberately ignore. The “AR” in AR-15 stands for Armalite Rifles, the model being Number 15.

By not owning a gun, anti-gunners open themselves and their family members to violence inflicted upon them, without those family members being allowed to defend themselves. The fact that anti-gun gun grabbers refuse to defend themselves is akin to suicidal tendencies. That’s OK, it’s their own life they want to throw away.

Still people are interned for less serious health issues of self harm. But denying their family members the constitutional right to defend themselves is nothing less than abuse. Child abuse if they are minors. Not only are they denying them their constitutional rights, you are jeopardizing their

choosing gifts for people. I tend to make a list of people I want to buy for, and then shop for gift cards to match their particular needs and personalities (“Owen: Lowes,” “Sarah: Pet Smart,” “Tammy: Victoria’s Secret,” and so on). List first, then gifts.

Tammy makes no such list. She prefers a more intuitive, “organic” approach to Christmas shopping. She finds the best deals on all kinds of things, assembles these things in a makeshift warehouse in her closet or the guest-room downstairs, and then spends weeks, months or years figuring out who should get what, and why. We still have merchandise in her closet from three years ago waiting patiently to find its perfect mate. She is running an eHarmony of Christmas gifts out of her closet. Gifts first, then list. Surely there is a Latin phrase that covers this?

When she gets home with a car stuffed with stuff and a receipt as long as our driveway, all I can do is help her pile it all on and around our kitchen table: scooters, food savers, pressure washers, packs of this and that, all of it marked down, down, down.

“What is a food saver?”

“We may keep that one,” she says. “You know all the food we end up throwing away because it goes bad before we cook it? Now we can SAVE it by wrapping it with the food saver and freezing it!”

“Save it where?” I say. “We don’t have room in our freezer for a popsicle, much less a roast or whatever.”

“I guess we would need to throw out some of what’s in there now.”

I’m sure this all makes sense to some of you. You know who you are. The deal seekers. The Black Friday banshees. The Walmart land sharks. For you, this is pure sport, the thrill of the chase. So happy hunting, I guess. And I hope you enjoy your gift cards. Try to act surprised.

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

lives! I believe that is a crime in itself, endangering the lives of others. At the very least it should be.

Owning a gun is not seeing more people murdered but preventing people from being murdered, even gun-grabbing antigunners. Call it our civic duty to prevent self-harm to anti-gunners!

To end this letter, the guns ending up in wrong hands are almost never the legally owned guns. Criminals will always find a way to get a gun.

One more thing, two things actually. Someone who refuses to own a gun but calls himself a gun owner is a liar. Someone who opposes the right of others to own a gun under the Constitution is not a second Amendment supporter but a liar.

Gino De Neef Franklin

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS:

tasteTHE mountains

BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY

like to be

in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251

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.

BOGART’S

303 S. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.1313 Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Carry out available. Located in downtown Waynesville, Bogart’s has been long-time noted for great steaks, soups, and salads. Casual family atmosphere in a rustic old-time setting with a menu noted for its practical value. Live Bluegrass/String Band music every Thursday. Walking distance of Waynesville’s unique shops and seasonal festival activitiesb.

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, shareables and daily specials that pair perfectly with our beer. Cozy up inside or take in the mountain air on our back deck.”

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.

CHEF’S TABLE

30 Church St., Waynesville. 828.452.6210

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

CHURCH STREET DEPOT

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE

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

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER

20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday serving freshly prepared small plates, tapas, charcuterie, desserts. Enjoy live music every Friday and 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.

FIREFLY TAPS & GRILL

128 N. Main St., Waynesville

828.454.5400. Simple, delicious food. A must experience in WNC. Located in downtown Waynesville with an atmosphere that will warm your heart and your belly! Local and regional beers on tap. Full bar, vegetarian options, kids menu, and more. Reservations accepted. Daily specials. Live music every Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Open Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE

44 Church St., Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restau-

rant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. Reservations accepted. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

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.

JOEY’S PANCAKE HOUSE

4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley. 828.926.0212. Open seven days a week! 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Joey’s is a family-friendly restaurant that has been serving breakfast to locals and visitors of Western North Carolina for decades. Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey’s is sure to please all appetites. Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

JUKEBOX JUNCTION

U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

KANINI’S

1196 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.452.5187. Lunch Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., eat in or carry out. Closed Sunday. A made-from-scratch

tasteTHE mountains

kitchen using fresh ingredients and supporting the local food and local farm-to-table program. Offering a variety of meals to go from frozen meals to be stored and cooked later to “Dinners to Go” that are made fresh and ready to enjoyed that day. We also specialize in catering any event from from corporate lunches to weddings. Menus created to fit your special event. kaninis.com

MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM

617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva. 828.586.3555. Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with Sunday Brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Handtossed pizza, house-ground burgers, steak sandwiches & fresh salmon all from scratch. Casual family friendly atmosphere. Craft beer and interesting wine. Free movies Thursday through Saturday. Visit madbatterfoodfilm.com for this week’s shows & events.

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

SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE

1941 Champion Drive, Canton 828.646.3750 895 Russ Ave., Waynesville 828.452.5822. Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carry out available. Sagebrush features hand carved steaks, chicken and award winning BBQ ribs. We have fresh salads, seasonal vegetables and scrumptious deserts. Extensive selection of local craft beers and a full bar.

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.

WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY

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

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30

‘Round the Fire guitar, bass, percussion, vocals. Folk-Rock, Americana.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1

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

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7

Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams guitar, piano, vocals. Americana, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8

ANNUAL JINGLE BELL BASH w/Joseph Hasty rhythm guitar, vocals, Dick Hull jazz guitar, Danny Iannucci bass. Join the Singalong of all your favorite Christmas carols.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14

James Hammel guitar, vocals. Jazz, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15

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

828-452-6000 · classicwineseller.com 20 Church

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT

Christmas in Appalachia

Lake Junaluska’s

‘Appalachian Christmas’

All are invited to Lake Junaluska for the “Appalachian Christmas,” a holiday concert weekend including a local craft show.

The Lake Junaluska Singers will return to perform Handel’s Messiah at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in the Stuart Auditorium.

Handel’s Messiah is a baroque-era music composition by George Frideric Handel, composed in 1741-1742 and the Lake Junaluska Singers will perform alongside a regional chorus and area musicians.

The “Appalachian Christmas Craft Show” will include dozens of artisans exhibiting all hand-crafted items. The show is run by the Junaluska Woman’s Club and the profits go toward scholarships the Woman’s Club puts

together for Lake Junaluska staff members every summer. All are welcome to attend the craft show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, in the Harrell Center.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter and storyteller Sheila Kay Adams will perform at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, in the Stuart Auditorium.

“Appalachian Christmas” festivities wrap up with a Christmas concert by the Lake Junaluska Singers at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, in the Stuart Auditorium. Members of the ensemble will return from across the country to perform at “Appalachian Christmas.” Carols with audience participation, “Appalachian Christmas” songs, and poignant readings will round out the evening.

To buy tickets, call 800.222.4930 or visit www.lakejunaluska.com/christmas. Lodging packages are also available.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD • STAFF WRITER

As the temperatures drop in Western North Carolina, the fun only heats up. The holiday season here is filled with events and activities aimed to celebrate the best way we know how — with friends, family and visitors alike.

Families can partake in wagon rides, iceless skating, craft sales and art demonstrations, all the while enjoying authentic mountain music, clogging and parades through several downtowns. These are just some of the innumerable activities to be had. Within every date, time and place found amid this section, the communities around the region once again opens their arms to share in the winter festivities.

It’s a winter wonderland out there. It’s yours for the taking, so reach out and enjoy all Southern Appalachia has to offer.

BRYSON CITY

• “Breakfast with Santa” will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Rescue Squad Building. Pancake breakfast ($5). Bring your own camera. 828.488.3681.

• “Christmas Bazaar & Cookie Walk will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at 76 Main Street. Homemade cookies and treats, pecans, handcrafted art and other items for Christmas gifts. Old fashioned cookie walk. Stop by and meet Gin-Gin the Gingerbread Man and pick up that special something for you or someone on your Christmas list. Presented by the United Methodist Women’s Group. For more information, call 828.488.8970.

• The 44th annual Christmas Parade will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, in downtown. www.greatsmokies.com.

• “Santa at the Museum” will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Swain County Heritage Museum. Bring your camera or cell phone to commemorate this fun event. Cookies and cocoa served in the lobby.

• The “Share the Joy” concert will Alma Russ (Americana/old-time) will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Swain Arts Center. Russ was a recent contestant on “American

Idol” and received yeses for the “golden ticket” from Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. Tickets are $10 or $5 with the donation of a new child’s toy. Toys will be donated to the Swain Family Resource Center.

• The “Polar Express” will depart on select times through Dec. 31 from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot. For more information on departures or to purchase tickets, visit www.gsmr.com.

• There will be a “Holiday Storytime” with Dusk Weaver at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Free.

CASHIERS

• The “Cashiers Christmas Parade” will be held at noon Saturday, Dec. 8, in downtown. This year’s theme is “Over the River and Through the Woodes” in celebration of Camp Merrie-Woode’s 100th anniversary, who will serve as this year’s Grand Marshal.

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

WCU ‘Sounds of the Season’

The annual “Sounds of the Season” concert will be presented by Western Carolina University’s School of Music at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee.

The holiday musical tradition will include a jazz ensemble, percussion ensemble, the WCU Wind Ensemble and University Chorus, and the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra. Children from the Jackson County Youth Honors Chorus will perform. The family-friendly concert concludes with a holiday sing-along and an appearance by Santa Claus.

“This surround-sound experience features many different ensembles performing from various locations around the auditorium,” said Lyn Ellen Burkett, WCU assistant professor of music. “The concert is fun for all ages and one of the most popular events on the calendar.”

Proceeds benefit the School of Music Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for WCU faculty/staff and those 60 and older, and $5 for students and children. Group rates are available in advance. For tickets, visit arts.wcu.edu/sos or call 828.227.2479.

COWEE

• “Christmas at Cowee School” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the school. There will be an arts and crafts show, live holiday music, face painting, children’s activities, and much more. The studios at Cowee School, Arts and Heritage Center will be open with special activities throughout the day. Admission and parking are both free. Visit “Grandpa’s Woodshop,” located this year right in front of the school, in a tent provided by Carey Patton of Tent Masters NC, and make a wooden hand crafted item, suitable for gift giving. Then visit “Grandma’s Kitchen,” sponsored by Cowee Community Development Organization and decorate a home baked cookie to eat or take home. The Women’s History Trail will have freshly gathered decorative sprigs of Mistletoe, delicious sweets, hot coffee and tea for sale. The 4-H Sewing club will be selling items they have sewn, in “Grandma’s Kitchen,” too. www.coweeschool.org.

CULLOWHEE

• “Hard Candy Christmas” arts and crafts show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1-2 inside the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University. This mountain tradition started in 1987 in Franklin with eight local artists. It has grown to more than 100 original artisans who sell their work at great prices. Expect a dazzling display of fine hand crafted creations such as Father Christmas dolls, fresh mountain greenery, and folk dolls. The ornament collectors always find new additions for the tree. Admission is $5 for a two-day pass. Children

WCU presents ‘The Nutcracker,’ ‘Holidays at the UC’

Western Carolina University’s Department of Campus Activities is looking to help get residents of the local area into the holiday spirit.

The department will present “The Nutcracker” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. The stage production will be followed by “Holidays at the A.K. Hinds University Center” Dec. 5-6.

“The Nutcracker” will be performed by the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville. Tickets are $5 for WCU students, $10 for non-WCU students and WCU faculty and staff, and $15 for the public. For tickets and group sales, contact the Bardo Arts Center box office at 828.227.2479 or visitbardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

“Holidays at the University Center” will feature an ice rink, “Build a Buddy,” a sledding hill, train ride, photos with Santa and more. The Ultimate Holiday Pass, which includes all of the activities, can be purchased for $15 at the University Center guest services desk. Individual activity pricing can be found atdca.wcu.edu.

under 12 are free. Parking is also free. For more information, visitwww.mountainartisans.net.

DILLSBORO

• The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return to the streets of downtown from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 7-8 and 14-15. Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios. Horse and buggy rides available each night. Shopkeepers provide live music and serve holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa. Carolers sing and children visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Live Nativity at Jarrett Memorial Baptist Church. Free shuttle service from Monteith Park. www.visitdillsboro.org.

FRANKLIN

• The Arts Council of Macon County’s free crafts and caroling workshop, Holiday ARTSaturday, will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, in the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center gym in Franklin. This annual event for elementary school-age children and young families offers makeand-take evergreen swags, cards and decorations, free face painting by Macon Faces, caroling with keyboardist Lionel Caynon, and fun for all. The Joe and Claire Suminski Family sponsors ARTSaturday to honor the grandparents of Macon County. ARTSaturday is part of Cowee Christmas, the Heritage

‘A Rocky Mountain Christmas’

A special performance of a “A Rocky Mountain Christmas” featuring the world’s top John Denver tribute performer, Jim Curry will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

This show will include memorable music from many of Denver’s Christmas television specials and music collections, as well as some of his best-known original hits.

Denver was one of the world’s bestknown and most-loved performers. He earned international acclaim as a singer, songwriter, performer, environmentalist, and humanitarian.

As a teenager, Curry realized he had a

natural voice that resembled that of singer John Denver. He embraced the similarities and began sharing Denver’s positive messages of love, humanity, and environmental awareness.

Curry captures the true essence of Denver’s music and performances. His heartfelt delivery of multi-platinum hits like “Rocky Mountain High,” “Annie’s Song,” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” are true crowd pleasers. A Rocky Mountain Christmas will feature these hits, as well as traditional Christmas songs such as, “Silent Night,” “Silver Bells,” and “O, Holy Night,” and some of Denver’s own seasonal tunes including, “Christmas for Cowboys,” “Noel, Christmas Eve,” and “The Peace Carol.” Tickets start at $19. To purchase tickets, visitwww.greatmountainmusic.comor call 866.273.4615.

Items needed for holiday auction

The Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society (SCGHS) is asking area businesses and individuals for your help.

The annual “Holiday Shopping Auction” is scheduled for Dec. 6. This is an evening of live music by Jesse & Friends, fun and frivolity and an opportunity to do your holiday shopping by purchasing unique gifts via a silent auction. The “auction-party” is open to everyone and there is no charge to attend.

Items are needed for the auction, which include handmade crafts, artwork, subscriptions, sports equipment, tickets to area attractions, gift cards, gift baskets, and much more. Note that all items donated should be new or of a quality that you would be willing to give to someone as a gift. The SCGHS is a nonprofit, so donated auction items are tax deductible. The SCGHS will provide the donor a receipt upon request.

The proceeds from the auction will be used to upgrade equipment and resources in the genealogy library. Items may be dropped off at the Society Library (200 Main Street, Bryson City) between the hours of 8 a.m.

and noon Monday through Friday. Items will be accepted through noon Dec. 5. For more information, call 828.488.2932.

‘A Tuna Christmas’

A special stage production of “A Tuna Christmas” presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 78, 14-15 and 17, and at 4 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.

The plot centers on the Tuna, Texas, annual Christmas Yard Display Contest, won 14 times in a row by Vera Carp. A mysterious “Christmas Phantom,” known for vandalizing the yard displays, threatens to throw the contest into turmoil.

Among the subplots are Stanley Bumiller’s attempts to end his probation and leave Tuna, Bertha Bumiller’s trying to hold her family together at Christmas time, and Joe Bob Lipsey’s struggle to mount successfully his production of A Christmas Carol despite numerous vexations and obstacles.

Tickets are $14 for adults, $8 for children 6-17. Cash only at the door. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/smctheatre.

Christmas in Appalachia

STECOAH

Center’s all-day celebration featuring open studios, arts and crafts demonstrations, shows and sales, live music, food, and more. Parking is free and there’s no admission charge. See schedule and details at www.coweeschool.org. ARTSaturday is produced by the Arts Council of Macon County. For more information, call 828.524.ARTS or email arts4all@dnet.net.

• With the theme “Winter Wonderland Nights,” there will be a special holiday celebration at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, in downtown. The showcase will feature living window displays, free wagon rides, tree lighting ceremony, live music, and much more.

• The Brasstown Ringers community handbell ensemble will present its Christmas concerts at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at The First United Methodist Church. The program features a selection of songs and carols from Christmas classics to joyous international numbers. Other highlights include smaller ensembles featuring talented ringers ringing multiple bells. For details about handbell workshops, beginning bell classes or to schedule a performance, contact Pat Meinecke after the concerts or call at 828.837.8822.

ROBBINSVILLE

• The Brasstown Ringers community handbell ensemble will present its Christmas concerts at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in the sanctuary of The First Baptist Church. The program features a selection of songs and carols from Christmas classics to joyous international numbers. Other highlights include smaller ensembles featuring talented ringers ringing multiple bells. For details about handbell workshops, beginning bell classes or to schedule a performance, contact Pat Meinecke after the concerts or call at 828.837.8822.

• The “Christmas in the Mountains” indoor arts and crafts show will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Stecoah Valley Center.www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

SYLVA

• Tree lighting, with a concert by the Western Carolina University Choral Group & Geoff McBride at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30. The Luminaries will also be present.

• Photos with Santa from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Sassy Frass. Winter Market from noon to 5 p.m. in the Main Street lot. Photos with Santa for adults from 9 p.m. onward at cocktail clubs/lounges and breweries in downtown Sylva. The Luminaries will also be present.

• The Christmas Parade will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2. Parade will start at the Historic Courthouse and go down Main Street.

WAYNESVILLE

• The Christmas Parade will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, on Main Street. Parade starts at First Presbyterian Church and proceeds down Main Street to Bogart’s Restaurant.

• The “Old Fashioned Appalachian Christmas & Grand Illumination” will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at The Shelton House. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, sing along with the carolers, warm up inside the barn with hot chocolate, cider, and treats. Don’t forget to bring your wish list. Santa Claus will be in the barn from 4 to 6:15 p.m. The Illumination of The Shelton House will happen at 6:30 p.m. on the front lawn after a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” The Shelton House gift shop will be open with local crafts for sale. This is a free event.

‘Season of Light’ holiday celebration

A “Season of Light Multicultural Holiday Celebration” featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres, music and sharing of customs from holidays around the world will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville.

“We love to host this event because we get to highlight and celebrate the diversity in our community and our world in a way that is festive, fun and brings us together,” said Lin Forney, executive director of the Pigeon Center.

At the drop-in, family-friendly event, guests visit areas of the center dedicated to Advent, Diwali, Fiesta de la Griteria, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas and Winter Solstice.

Event hosts offer traditional holiday foods from the different holidays as hors d’oeuvres along with information, stories or games associated with the holidays and customs. The evening also features a dessert bar and

concludes with a candlelight singing of “This Little Light of Mine.”

Admission to the event is $10 for ages 13 and older, $5 for ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and younger with two nonperishable food items to support the center’s emergency food box program.

Advance tickets can be purchased online with an additional processing fee at www.ticketstripe.com/season-of-lightcelebrationor by cash or check at the center, which is open Monday through Thursday from 2:30 to 6 p.m., and by appointment.

Tickets also will be available at Blue Ridge Books and church offices of Grace Church in the Mountains and First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. In addition, tickets will be available at the door.

Proceeds support the Pigeon Center, which offers affordable afterschool and summer enrichment programs for students, programs for seniors and veterans, emergency food boxes, historical preservation initiatives, community dinners and other programs and services.

The event will be held at center located at 450 Pigeon Street in Waynesville in the former Pigeon Street School, which served African-American elementary school students before desegregation.

For more information, visit pcmdc.org, email pigeoncommunityd@bellsouth.net or call 828.452.7232.

HCC Professional Crafts holiday sale

Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts students will host a holiday craft sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in the Mary Cornwell Gallery of the Creative Arts Building. There will be a special preview from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6.

The sale will feature work by students in fiber, jewelry, pottery and woodworking. Pieces available at the holiday sale showcase students’ technical skills learned in the program as well as their individual style and creativity.

HCC’s Professional Crafts programs offer an innovative, affordable, groundbreaking craft education. Through a unique blend of studio experience, classroom education and hands-on business experience, students can achieve the skills necessary to become viable independent studio artists or to become valuable, skilled employees in the expanding craft industry.

Both the preview party and the sale are free and open to the public. For more information, call 828.627.4671 or email eareason@haywood.edu.

Shop Small

Give hometown stores first chance for gifts

Pair holiday movies with food, drink Area Parades

How NORAD came to track Santa

Give hometown stores first chance for gifts

encourages entrepreneurship. When a young person fresh out of college sees a bustling community with lots of small shops, she will be encouraged to open that bakery she’s always dreamed of. Far more jobs are created by local businesses than by Amazon.

Largest Gift Shop in the Valley

BY J EFF M INICK COLUMNIST

When I was a boy in Boonville, North Carolina, population 600 in the early 1960s, my mom used to take us shopping once or twice a year in nearby Winston-Salem. Once I asked her why we didn’t shop there more frequently. The stores offered far more variety, and the drive was less than 45 minutes.

“We only shop there when we can’t find what we want in our town,” Mom said. “These are our friends and neighbors. They’re your dad’s patients. They need us, and we need them. So we always shop here first.”

So a housewife and mother of six gave me one of the most important economic lessons of my life. Here are 10 reasons for shopping locally, not only during this holiday season but also throughout the year.

1. More of the money you spend stays in your community. For every $100 you spend in your community, $68 stays there. The merchants pay out the rest for goods and services. This is twice the amount for chain stores. There is, of course, even a greater disparity compared to online ordering from outfits like Amazon.

2. The velocity of money — how quickly and how often money

changes hands — is much faster on a local level. According to joshuakennon.com, “All else equal, the faster money travels (the higher the velocity of money) and the more transactions in which it is used, the healthier the economy, the richer the citizens, and the more vibrant the financial system.” An example: Rick owns an auto repair shop. He heads to lunch at the local café. The waitress Rick and others tip goes to the manicurist in the late afternoon. The manicurist stops at the market to buy steak and salad fixings for the weekend. The grocer uses that money and more to buy a new tire on his van from Rick. This fast exchange of money is a sign and a cause of a vibrant economy.

5. Buying local allows you to build a rapport with small-business owners. The owner of the coffee shop asks about your son serving in the Marines; the waitress at the café remembers where you like to sit and what you like to drink. In short, you are part of a human community.

6. Shopping local increases realestate values. Small towns with shuttered stores and deserted streets are unlikely to attract homebuyers. Towns and communities with active small shops, businesses and restaurants do attract those homebuyers.

7. Local business folks are more civic-minded than the owners of large chain stores or the online companies. They are connected to the community, and are much more likely to donate to charities, coach Little League teams, and work to improve their neighborhoods. Non-profits also receive more support from local businesses.

8. Local businesses invest their money locally. In other words, they buy or rent property, they shop locally, they use local services from barbershops to boutiques. That money they spend stays in the community rather than going to some outfit a thousand miles away.

9. Local businesses pay taxes on property and income. A flourishing commercial district means each of these businesses is helping pay for local schools and other vital projects.

10. Finally, these folks are your neighbors. Like you, perhaps, they are struggling to make a living, get the kids through school, and keep the house standing and the 10-year-old car alive and running. Buy from them, and you’re creating a stronger community, not just for the merchants but for yourself.

Of course, shopping locally doesn’t always work, as my mother realized. If you want certain books and your town has no bookstore, then you head to Amazon or the nearest Barnes & Noble. (If possible, choose the latter, where at least the staff is local.) If you need some rare wine and your local market doesn’t carry that brand, then the same advice applies.

But this option should be a last resort.

3. Buying local creates jobs. As it grows, that kitchen supply shop on Main Street will need to hire some help. The café and wine shop next door will soon be hiring more wait staff. The taxes of these workers and others will help pay for the wages of another fireman for the town.

4. Shopping in your hometown

Remember: if you want to keep Main Street alive with shops and people, if you like having a busy commercial district near your home, the best way to keep those things is to spend your money there instead of with some retail giant or online behemoth. Give it a shot.

Shop where you live.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher who, for more than a decade, owned a bookstore and a bed and breakfast in downtown Waynesville.)

How NORAD came to track Santa

IIt was the Cold War, and according to legend, a man sat at a desk in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with two telephones on it — one a direct line to the Pentagon. It wasn’t a number in wide circulation, so when the phone rang on Christmas Eve of 1955, the Air Force colonel on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command center could be forgiven for his surprise at hearing a young child on the other end of the line ask: “Is this Santa Claus?”

Fortunately, Col. Harry Shoup, described by his children as “straightlaced and disciplined” in an NPR StoryCorp interview, was a good sport.

After an initial bit of irritation, the colonel assumed the persona of Santa and chatted with the child, then spoke to the child’s mother. It turns out the very private number to the very important phone on his desk had been misprinted in a Sears ad alongside a photo of Santa Claus, enticing the kiddies to “Call me on my private phone.” Col. Shoup’s night was just beginning.

The man who would come to be known as “Colonel Santa” instructed some airmen to answer any additional calls, and instead of turning away from this typo, leaned directly into the storm. He contacted the local radio station and reported the current radar location of one very merry sleigh and the operator’s eight tiny reindeer.

So began the tradition still carried by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Today the operations center uses complicated satellite systems and powerful radar to track Santa’s progress around the world each Christmas Eve. A staff of 1,500 answer more than 140,000 calls and emails, and send updates by the minute to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. NORAD’s dedicated website, www.noradsanta.org, live-tracks Santa’s location and offers updates in seven languages so that eager children and weary parents alike can know with certainty when it’s time to go to bed!

To track Santa this year, visit www.noradsanta.org, or follow updates by searching for @noradsanta on social media. To speak to a volunteer, call the toll-free number 877-Hi NORAD 877.446.6723).

For more information about NORAD’s day-to-day job, visit www.norad.mil.

SomethingFun and Funky For Everyone On Your List

Pair holiday movies with food, drink

Ah, the holiday season. Like ornaments and fir trees, yule logs and fireplaces, here’s another classic holiday pairing: Christmas movies and food. Everyone has his or her favorite film — some an essential part of the family tradition. So check out this list of classic Christmas movies celebrating the food and drinks they inspire:

FROSTY BEVERAGES

“National Lampoon’’: Christmas Vacation” — Clark Griswold’s classic eggnog (“it’s good, it’s good”) is the cure for what ails you — especially if you’re having a “full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency.” So when you’re overloaded by family or get shorted on your Christmas bonus and you can’t take it anymore, pop on this film classic and have a heavily spiked glass of ‘nog. It’ll have you asking: “Can I refill your eggnog for you?” But with a smile on your face.

“Love Actually” — The way to properly enjoy this English masterpiece is with tea, of course. Get your prime minister on, and serve it with biscuits (that’s cookies, for non-Anglos), but “not the boring ones, with no chocolate.” To me, that’s perfect!

“Elf” — It’s true that “elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.” Well, if a plate of maple syrup spaghetti doesn’t get you, here’s a fun Candy Cocktail that might: Mix 1 ounce each of peppermint schnapps and marshmallow vodka with simple syrup and crushed ice in a shaker. Serve in a glass rimmed with corn

Clothing & accessories to make the everyday unforgettable.

1360 ASHEVILLE ROAD WAYNESVILLE, NC

Christmas morning Italian strata

repare this strata the night before and then bake it while everyone opens presents on Christmas morning. By the time the last gift is unwrapped, breakfast is ready and waiting! Serves 12.

• 1 1/2 pounds pork-sausage meat

• 1 12-ounce loaf French bread

• 2 4-ounce cans mushrooms

• 6 large eggs

• 1 quart milk

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 8-ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups)

• 1 4-ounce package shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup)

• Chopped parsley for garnish

Night before serving:

cubes. Drain and chop mushrooms. In baking dish, combine sausage, bread cubes and mushrooms. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Pour egg mixture over sausage mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

About 1 and 3/4 hour before serving:

3. Heat oven to 350 F. Bake strata, uncovered, 1 hour. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Bake 15 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes for easier serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Each serving: About 390 calories, 24 grams fat, 170 milligrams cholesterol, 855 milligrams sodium.

Find more holiday recipes at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipes

Tuesday - Friday 10am - 6pm • Saturday 10am - 4pm 828-246-9877 turquoiseelephant.com

1. Grease 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. In 10-inch skillet over medium heat, cook pork-sausage meat, stirring frequently to break up sausage, until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. Using slotted spoon, remove sausage to paper towels to drain.

2. Cut French bread into 1/2-inch

Holiday Parades

HAYWOOD COUNTY

• Waynesville Christmas Parade is at 6 p.m. on Monday, December 3.

• Canton Christmas Parade is at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 6.

JACKSON COUNTY

• Sylva Christmas Parade is at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 2, on Main Street. Theme is “Christmas Around the World.”

• Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries is held for two weekends, December 7-8 and December 14-15.

Waynesville Christmas Parade

• The 44th Annual Cashiers Christmas Parade is December 8 at noon with rain date Sunday, December 9, at 1 p.m.

MACON COUNTY

• The Highlands Christmas Parade is at noon on December 1.

SWAIN COUNTY

• The 44th annual Bryson City Christmas Parade will be held at 2 p.m. on December 1 in downtown.

Purchase Waynesville Rec Center memberships for your friends and family or burn off those calories by purchasing a membership for yourself. Give us a call or stop by for more

828.456.2030 or email rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

‘We’ll climb that hill, no matter how steep’

There was something so cozy about that navy blue 1992 Toyota Camry.

With my mother behind the wheel of her new car, I was a 7year-old kid cruising along to the sounds of 105.1 FM. The radio station call letters were WKOL (aka: KOOL 105) and the tunes were golden oldies from the late 1950s to early 1970s. All the good stuff, you know?

HOT PICKS

1

Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host the “Bluegrass Boogie” w/Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) and Darren Nicholson & Friends at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28.

2

The inaugural “Feed the Need: Manna FoodBank Benefit” musician showcase will be held at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, at Isis Music Hall in Asheville.

3

Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Redleg Husky (Americana/western) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1.

4

Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host the “Toy Run Fundraiser” w/Whiskey Soul 3 p.m. and Tina Collins Duo 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1.

For my mother, who grew up in a 1950s “Leave It to Beaver” household and came of age as a flowerchild in the mid1960s, the station remained a time machine for her youth, an unbreakable melodic rope between the “then and gone” and the “here and now.”

5

Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host a “Beard Competition” with The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1.

made each immortal in the annals of rock-nroll history.

And this was no more apparent than with the 1968 release “Sweetheart of the Rodeo,” where The Byrds brought on a somewhat unknown musician, the late Gram Parsons, now a name and record permanently etched in the lore of rock and country music.

With the 50th anniversary of the landmark album, there’s currently a celebration tour of it. Fronted by Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman of The Byrds, the duo is backed by Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives.

I recently caught up with Hillman, who was also a founding members of The Flying Burrito Brothers (which also included Parsons). At 73, Hillman spoke of this wild and wondrous musical journey he’s been on for most of his life.

“It’s a true gift. If it stops in five minutes, I had a great career,” Hillman said. “I wasn’t Bruce Springsteen or Mick Jagger, and that’s OK. I like to play music. I was just at the right place at the right time, and I got to do something I really love.”

But, it all really hit home for Hillman this past Thanksgiving.

“As I’ve gotten older, I think the greatest blessing I’ve ever had is to have children that were successful,” Hillman said. “And that I have a granddaughter, and a grandson on his way. When we sat down at Thanksgiving we were all together — those things are what really matter.”

Though Hillman was pretty much retired in recent years, he found himself picking back up his instruments when Tom Petty called and wanted to make an album with him. The two became very close, only to have Petty pass away unexpectedly less than two weeks after their album, “Bidin’ My Time,” was released in 2017.

Not long after that, Hillman’s house burned to the ground in a fire, and then McGuinn serendipitously rang him up with an idea for the “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” anniversary tour.

“I hadn’t talked to Roger for quite a while. He was really responsible for putting this all together,” Hillman said. “He thought this would be a good thing to do. He talked to Marty and said, ‘Let’s do something to get Chris going, he’s had a tough year.’”

And as the anniversary rolls along to much acclaim and reverie, Hillman views the whole thing as another step in his personal and professional journey, one of sincere love and kindness put forth — in the music, and in daily interactions.

We're co-hosting Tom Baker's book launch for his debut novel, The Hawk and the Dove, at the Jackson County Public Library's Community Room

NOV. 29 AT 6:30 P.M.

And whenever we had a free afternoon, my mother, little sister and I would hop into the Camry and head down Route 9 in rural Upstate New York towards Claire & Carl’s Texas Red Hots stand in nearby Plattsburgh. Home of the “Michigan Hot Dog” (a national institution), we’d chomp down on those delicacies from our car hop service, sitting in the car and listening to KOOL 105.

Throughout all these memories, one band truly stuck out for me — The Byrds. There was, and remains, something so mesmerizing about hearing “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” or “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Though the former was a Pete Seeger cover and the latter a Bob Dylan cover, The Byrds took those selections and

Though initially The Byrds had this jingle-jangle folk-rock sound, the band was clearly on a mission as time went along. The melodies were sophisticated, but incredibly catchy and warm to wrap your arms around. The lyrics were powerful — love lost and found, political strife, Vietnam, an urgency for tangible change in our society.

Tunes like “Eight Miles High,” “My Back Pages,” “Wasn’t Born to Follow” or “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘N’ Roll Star” all pushed the envelope in the creative pursuits of a band that wouldn’t be wrangled in by labels or mainstream radio. These are timeless melodies of artistic expression, where experimentation and a “go where you feel” attitude permeated through the group.

“To be a human being is to learn compassion and respect, and humility,” Hillman said. “The hardest virtue for any of us to grab hold of is humility — to be humble enough to say you’re sorry or you’re there for somebody. It’s truly a blessing. There are days when it isn’t great, and there’s days when it’s wonderful. Every day is blessing — take it for what you’ve got.”

Editor’s Note: To listen to the full audio of this conversation, go to YouTube and search: “Chris Hillman Garret K. Woodward.” The “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” tour will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol, Tennessee. For ticket information, click on www.paramountbristol.org.

Manna FoodBank Benefit concert

The inaugural “Feed the Need: Manna FoodBank Benefit” musician showcase will be held at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, at Isis Music Hall in Asheville.

Musicians will include Leeda “Lyric” Jones, Jack Victor (of Midnight Snack),

TNB Consulting Group Inc On

CaroMia, Juan Holladay (of the Secret BSides), Stephanie Morgan, David Earl Tomlinson, Ashley Heath, Stevie Lee Combs, and more.

There will also be spoken word poets. The emcee will be Barbie Angell. Prizes will also be raffled off, including an “Ultimate Music Lovers” package.

Manna FoodBank is a private, not-forprofit service organization, providing food with hope and dignity to Western North Carolina since 1983. Manna links the food industry with over 200 partner agencies in 16 counties of WNC. The organization is a member of Feeding America, a national umbrella organization that links together other food banks throughout the United

Tickets are $15. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.isisas-

Balsam Range

‘Art of Music

Festival’

The third annual “Art of Music Festival” hosted by Balsam Range will return through Dec. 1.

The events for this year’s festival will include the following:

Business of The Month:

• Wednesday, Nov. 28: “Hillbilly Jam” at Elevated Mountain Distillery in Maggie Valley. Open jam begins at 6 p.m. All are welcome to bring their instrument or simply sit and listen. Admission is $5 per person. Children are free. www.elevatedmountain.com.

• Wednesday, Nov. 28: The inaugural “Bluegrass Boogie” will take place at 7:30 p.m. in The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville. Performances by Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) and Darren Nicholson & Friends. An open jam will follow the show. Free and open to the public. www.boojumbrewing.com.

Beards and Americana

There will be a “Beard Competition” with a performance by The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro in Sylva. Categories include: longest beard, most red beard, most blonde beard, scraggliest beard, and most creative beard. Great prizes for the winners. Food specials, beer specials and lots of dancing.

Cover is $5. 828.586.1717 or www.soulinfusion.com. Colby Deitz.

• Thursday, Nov. 29: To officially kick off the festival, there will a special “Songwriting Show” starting at 6 p.m. at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Join Milan Miller, John Wiggins, Mark Bumgarner and Aaron Bibelhauser with Balsam Range’s Buddy Melton and Darren Nicholson for an evening of original music made by masters of the craft of songwriting. The event will also feature a traditional Southern Appalachian barbeque included in the ticket price. Fresh beer will also be available, courtesy of BearWaters Brewery. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased in advance at www.folkmoot.org or by calling 828.452.2997.

• Thursday, Nov. 29: Terry Baucom & The Dukes of Drive (bluegrass) will perform at 7 p.m. at the Colonial Theater in Canton. Tickets are $20. For tickets, call 828.235.2760 or visit www.balsamrangeartofmusicfestival.com.

• Friday, Nov. 30: Night one at the Stuart Auditorium in Lake Junaluska will include performances Balsam Range, Terry Baucom’s All-Star Band and Shenandoah (traditional country). Doors open at 6 p.m. Showtime is 7 p.m. Tickets start at $25 per person with VIP and weekend ticket passes available. For tickets, visit www.balsamrangeartofmusicfestival.com.

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” at its Calaboose location with Heidi Holton (blues/folk) Nov. 30, Liz Nance (Americana/folk) Dec. 1, Troy Underwood (singer-songwriter) Dec. 7 and Dana Rogers (Americana) Dec. 8. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 29 and Dec. 6. Free and open to the public.www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host a bluegrass open mic every Wednesday, an all-genres open mic every Thursday and the “Bluegrass Boogie” w/Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) and Darren Nicholson & Friends 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.boojumbrewing.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host ‘Round the Fire (Americana/folk) Nov. 30 and Joe Cruz (piano/vocals) Dec. 1. All shows are free and begin at 7:15 p.m. 828.452.6000 orwww.classicwineseller.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Redleg Husky (Americana/western) 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 and Twelfth Fret (Americana/folk) Dec. 8. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.curraheebrew.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Elysium Park Nov. 30, Into the Fog Dec. 1 and Mindframe Dec. 8. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 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.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Nov. 29 and Dec. 6. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m.www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host the “Toy Run Fundraiser” w/Whiskey Soul 3 p.m. and Tina Collins Duo 5 p.m. Dec. 1, and Scott Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) Dec. 8. All events are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host Tough Old Bird (Americana) 7 p.m. Nov. 28, Taylor Martin (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. Nov. 28, The Rightly So (Americana) 7 p.m.

Nov. 29, Barefoot Movement (Americana/folk) 8:30 p.m. Nov. 29, Oxford American’s North Carolina Music Issue Celebration (Americana/bluegrass) 8:30 p.m. Nov. 30, Gabriel Kahane (singer-songwriter) 8:30 p.m. Dec. 1, Sarah Burton (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Dec. 2, Peggy Ratusz & Friends (country/western) 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2, Holly Hill Ramblers (bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, Caroline Cotter (Americana/folk) 7 p.m. Dec. 5 and “Feed the Need: Manna FoodBank Benefit” (Americana/soul) 8:30 p.m. Dec. 5. www.isisasheville.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday and Dirty Dave Patterson Nov. 30. All shows begin at 8 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visitwww.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant (Waynesville) will host Trippin’ Hardie Nov. 30, Swamp Rabbit Railroad Dec. 1 and Wyatt Edmonson Dec. 7. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an open mic night every Thursday and Aces Down Nov. 30. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m.www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. every Wednesday. Free and open to the public. www.pub319socialhouse.com.

• 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.

• 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.

• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host a “Beard Competition” with The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) 7 p.m. Dec. 1. 828.586.1717 or www.soulinfusion.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 Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host karaoke every Thursday and Whiskey River Band Nov. 30. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. 828.456.4750.

Have you visited WCU’s art exhibits?

Throughout the academic year, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee hosts an array of ongoing exhibits at the Fine Art Museum in the Bardo Arts Center and also the Mountain Heritage Center.

• “Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture” will run through Dec. 7. Celebrating the efforts of the late Harvey Littleton, one of the greatest proponents of using glass as an expressive medium, the exhibition explores the work of contemporary artists concentrating in glass and how they are building off the foundations laid by Littleton during the early years of the Studio Glass Movement. A key work in the exhibition is the recent acquisition to the museum’s collection: a glass sculpture by Harvey Littleton entitled “Terracotta Arc.”

artists with different perspectives on the concept of “America” and asks visitors to reflect on the values, definitions, and assumptions attached to this concept. The exhibition will be on view through May 3.

Ellison to hold photography show

• The WCU Campus Theme, the “Defining America” exhibit brings together

Regular museum hours at the BAC are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

Longtime journalist and photographer Quintin Ellison will hold an artist’s reception from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in downtown Sylva at Cullowhee Mountain Arts at 598 West Main Street.

The next day, at 10 a.m. (Saturday, Dec. 8), also at Cullowhee Mountain Arts, Ellison will talk about the highs and lows of shooting street photography in small, rural towns such as Sylva, Bryson City, Franklin and Waynesville.

She’ll also discuss her efforts to record as much of the mountain culture as possible, in fear that one day, the traditional ways of life in Western North Carolina will be lost. To that end, she haunts local livestock auctions and farms, clogging dance events and more.

Ellison mainly works in black and white, a holdover from her early days as a reporter/photographer shooting film for

American Bladesmith Society workshops at HCC

Haywood Community College’s continuing education creative arts department will host American Bladesmith Society (ABS) fall workshops on its campus.

Those interested can choose between “Leather Sheath” Dec. 7-8 and “Friction Folder” Dec. 7-9.

• ABS Journeyman Ken Hall will lead the “Leather Sheath” class. The class will cover leather selection, making a pattern, cutting leather, basic tooling, dyeing and hand stitch-

darkroom development. She believes black and white photography, with its emphasis on shape, texture and line, is timeless, classic and never out of style.

Ellison grew up in Bryson City and lives in Sylva, serving as general manager of The Sylva Herald. She has spent her three-decade journalism career in Western North Carolina, with stints at three additional newspapers: The Franklin Press, the Asheville Citizen-Times and The Smoky Mountain News.

Her photographs will hang in Cullowhee Mountain Arts’ gallery space for about two weeks. They will be shown by appointment only after the Dec. 7 reception and Dec. 8 artist’s talk.

For more information, call Ellison at 828.507.8697 or email her at qlellison@icloud.com.

ing. Students will complete sheath for a medium sized knife that they bring to class. Cost is $190.

• ABS Master Smith Andrew Meer will lead the “Friction Folder” class. The class will cover material selection, blade and handle design, construction, techniques of proper fit and finishing. Each student will complete a friction folder. Space is limited for this workshop. Cost is $252.

Coming this spring, HCC Continuing Education Creative Arts will host “Introduction to Bladesmithing” March 1819, as well as the “Smoky Mountain HammerIn” March 21-24.

Visitcreativearts.haywood.eduor call 828.565.4240.

On the wall

Eclectic art exhibit at Gallery 1

The eclectic art work of Isabella R. Jacovino will be featured in a show in the Backstreet Gallery Room of Gallery 1 at 604 West Main Street in Sylva. The exhibit will remain available for viewing and sale though Dec. 7.

As a visual artist working with recycled materials, Isabella explores combining the aesthetics of steampunk, dieselpunk, street art, and interpretations on retro-futurism.

Her works focus on the “punk” suffix attached to both the steam and diesel aesthetics and highlight the counterculture nature of the genre with regards to its opposition to contemporary artistic canons.

Admission is free. For more information, email art@galley1sylva.com.

• A “Beginner Step-By-Step” painting class will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and 20) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Cost is $25 with all supplies provided. RSVP by contacting Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560 or paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• Our Summerhouse Pottery in downtown Waynesville will host after-school art classes for elementary/middle-schoolers. Classes begin Jan. 8-9. Pottery/art classes will be held weekly for six weeks. Elementary (8-10 years olds) will be Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.. Middleschoolers (11-14 years olds) will be Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuition is $95, which includes all supplies. Class size is limited to eight. For more information and/or to register, contact Amy at amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or call 828.734.5737.

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

• Our Summerhouse Pottery in downtown Waynesville will host adult pottery classes on Tuesdays evenings (starting Jan. 8) from 6 to 8:30 p.m. or Thursday afternoons (starting Jan. 10) from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tuition is $225, which includes all supplies. Class size is limited to six. For more information and/or to

register, contact Amy at amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or call 828.734.5737.

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

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

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

‘A Weekend of Dance’ at WCU

from the

Experience dance from the WCU School of Stage and Screen and Bardo Arts Center, both units of the David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts at Western Carolina University.

An original piece from the WCU School of Stage and Screen, “Light Chasers,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6-8 in the Hoey Auditorium.

This piece is based on a 2010 concept album from the band Cloud Cult called “Light Chasers.” It has been transformed, with the band’s permission, into a unique dance production never before seen at WCU.

The story is an original creation by the minds of Jayme McGhan, director of the School of Stage and Screen, Ashlee Wasmund, dance program director, and Liz Borom, faculty in the WCU Dance Program. Using influences from the music and their own personal experiences. Jayme McGhan directs the piece with Ashlee Wasmund and Liz Borom providing original choreography. Students ranging from freshmen to sen-

On the table

Bosu’s tastings, small plates

Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host an array of wine tastings and small plates from Chef Stacy’s gourmet cuisine, available at The Secret Wine Bar within the shop. Dog friendly patio and front garden open, weather permitting.

• Nov. 29/Dec. 6: Five for $5 Wine Tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. Come taste five magnificent wines and dine on Chef Stacy’s gourmet cuisine.

• Nov. 30/Dec. 7: Secret Wine Bar Night from 5 to 9 p.m.. Gourmet food, and a great wine & beer menu.

• Dec. 1/8: There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m.

iors in the Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts tell this original story of love, loss and everything else in between.

To learn more about “Light Chasers,” visit arts.wcu.edu/lightchasers. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for seniors 65+, and $20 for adults.

Continuing the weekend of dance, Bardo Arts Center will present a screening of “Don Quixote” from the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9.

Part of the Bardo Arts Center Sunday Cinema Series, this screening is only $5 for students, $10 for faculty/staff/seniors 65+, and $15 for adults. This presentation is a pre-recorded performance shown in highdefinition on the big screen in the Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall.

The WCU Fine Art Museum will be open from 2 to 3 p.m., one hour before the screening at 3 p.m. Concessions, including wine and beer, are available for purchase and can be enjoyed inside the hall during the screening. arts.wcu.edu/don-quixote.

For more information, call 828.452.0120 or visit www.waynesvillewine.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 1 and 8 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.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2018 | SCREENING AT 3PM

What a woman! Why I love Camille Paglia

Fierce. Honest. Libertarian.

Those are just three of the reasons why author and professor Camille Paglia has fascinated me for years. She speaks her own mind, uses logic rather than histrionics to make her arguments, and is unafraid of blowback from her critics. Though a lifelong Democrat and a supporter of Bernie Sanders, she refused to vote for Hilary Clinton, regarding her as a “liar.” She has called into question climate change, despises political correctness, rejects the postmodernism that has wormed its way into our universities, and has taken to task our current obsession with transgender issues.

room, but in the classroom, he or she should never take ideological positions without at the time frankly acknowledging them as opinion to the students and emphasizing that all students

Most recently, Paglia has once again aroused the ire of radical feminists, whom she once called “a catchall vegetable drawer where bunches of clingy sob sisters can store their moldy neuroses.” She believes that through their unwillingness to listen to all women and their refusal to allow for dissent in their ranks, they themselves are killing feminism.

In her latest collection of essays, Provocations (Pantheon Books, 2018, 684 pages), Paglia addresses not only these topics, but also the arts, “both erudite and popular,” free speech, sex and gender, education, literature, culture and politics. To each of these topics, she brings wit — sometimes acerbic — knowledge, style and best of all, fearless passion.

Look, for example, at her take on transgender issues. In her “Introduction,” Paglia declares: “…despite my lifelong transgender identity, I do not accept most of the current transgender agenda, which denies biological sex differences, dictates pronouns and recklessly promotes medical and surgical interventions.” In her interview “Feminism And Transgenderism,” she elaborates: “It is certainly ironic how liberals who posture as defenders of science when it comes to global warning … flee all reference to biology when it comes to gender …. The cold biological truth is that sex changes are impossible. Every single cell of the human body (except for blood) remains coded with one’s birth gender for life.”

Here she is on writing: “The only way to go forward as a writer is to go backwards — to absorb everything that you most admire from twenty, fifty or a hundred years ago.”

For most of her life, Paglia has taught the humanities and media studies in universities. In “Free Speech And The Modern Campus,” she takes on political correctness and the consequent speech codes. In one long sentence, she gives us a vision of what a true liberal classroom would be: “The teacher as an individual citizen may and should have strong political convictions and activities outside the class-

are completely free to hold and express their own opinions on any issue, no matter how contested, from abortion, homosexuality and global warming to the existence of God or the veracity of Darwin’s theory of evolution.”

Paglia’s power to seduce her readers — and this reviewer — can be seen in my use of quotations in this article. Every one of these 74 essays and the Media Chronicle at the end of Provocations, in which Paglia summarizes her appearances in the media since 1976, contains phrases and sentences vividly making her points. My own copy of Provocations is studded with paper slips and tattooed with pen and pencil marks and comments.

Besides being struck by her marvelous faculty for language, most readers of these essays will find themselves, as I mentioned earlier, entranced by Paglia’s erudition and the sweeping range of subjects examined. Here is just a sampling of those subjects via her chapter titles: “Movie Music,” “Women And Law,” “Teaching Shakespeare To Actors,” “Western Love Poetry,” “No To The Invasion Of Iraq,” “Cults And Cosmic Consciousness,” “Religion And The Arts In America,” “St. Teresa of Avila.” To each topic, Paglia brings her special blend of scholarship and enthusiasm.

She also brings her own bundle of contradictions. Here is an atheist arguing for a reintegration of art and religion. In “Resolved: Religion Belongs In The Curriculum” she lists the benefits of making the “… study of comparative religion the core curriculum of university humanities programs everywhere.” Here is an academic who in “Vocational Education And Revalorization Of The Trades” advocates for shop classes and technical institutions, “optional vocational and technical schools geared to concrete training in a craft or trade.” Here is a feminist and self-described transvestite who is unafraid to defend Helen Gurley Brown, the feminist who “most offended feminists for her tenderness toward men.”

Included in Provocations is a photograph of Paglia at age 8, dressed like Napoleon for Halloween. (Even then, as she points out here and elsewhere, she wanted to dress as a boy, and Napoleon was her greatest hero at that stage of her life.) Until reading Provocations, and based on seeing several of her interviews on YouTube, I had assumed by her build and forceful speech that Paglia was a tall woman. I was stunned to discover from Provocations that she is quite petite. Like her childhood hero, she is short, but fierce and decisive in her thought and opinions.

Let us end by looking once more at her “Introduction.” Here Paglia tells us that her book is “not for those who believe … they have found the absolute truth about mankind, present or future … not for those who see women as victims and men as the enemy … not for those who see human behavior as wholly formed by oppressive social forces ….”

No, Provocations “is instead for those who elevate free thought and free speech over all other values … for those who see women as men’s equals who …do not plead for special protection for women as a weaker sex … for those who see life in spiritual terms as a quest for enlightenment ….”

Discerning readers of this piece will detect that I have written less a review than a thank you note.

And so I have.

Thank you, Ms. Paglia, for your words, your grit, and most especially, your sane approach to culture and society.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com.)

Children’s book teaches God’s love, inclusivity

With her first children’s book, God’s Diner, writer Rebecca Lile will host a reading and signing at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

“[God’s Diner by Rebecca Lile] is a delightful parable about God’s Grace. It is meant for little people and big people, the two-legged and the four-legged creatures. With beautiful and captivating illustrations, the message comes clear: God’s Diner is open to all, with no restrictions and no artificial boundaries of status, first language, color, size or temperament,” said Charlene P. Kammerer, Bishop, The United Methodist Church (retired).

Education has always been central to Lile’s life, having served as a counselor, teacher, diaconal minister, and Christian educator.

Lile’s new children’s book, God’s Diner, combines several of her favorite things: books, writing, animals, children, missions, education and God.

Lile is thrilled to be partnering with Rise Against Hunger, an organization committed to their pursuit to end world hunger by 2030. When you buy God’s Diner from her website, 10 percent of all profits will be donated to Rise Against Hunger.

For more information, call Blue Ridge Books at 828.456.6000. For more information about Rebecca Lile and her book, visit rebeccalile.com.

Author reading at Marianna

Mason Lakey, author of Come Walk with Me and Horris the Horrible Germy Worm, will host a book reading and discussion at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Come Walk With Me opens a window into the author’s thoughts and feelings. Her poems give inspiration to help us be cheerful and uplifted. Horris the Horrible Germy Worm is a playful story with an important message to children about health issues.

Lakey grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Retirement has brought more time for numerous hobbies. She loves to crochet, read, paint, cook, garden and, of course, write.

“God has graciously given me the talent to write,” she said.

Light snacks and beverages will also be provided. For more information, call 828.488.3030.

Planted in the mountains

WNC botanist reflects on a lifetime of discovery

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER

Dan Pittillo has made his name as a botanist, but he could easily have ended up a dairy farmer instead.

Born in Henderson County the oldest of five, Pittillo entered the world in 1938, when the Great Depression was in full swing and people were used to not having much. For the first two years of his life his parents didn’t even have a house — the family lived with his grandparents while his father worked to build one.

“Dad had built the dairy farm from the getgo,” said Pittillo. “He started with six or seven cows and they had signboard that they strung between a tree or two that they used as a shelter to milk the cows in until they were able to build a barn.”

It was a do-it-yourself lifestyle those days. They built the house — two stories and 25 by 25 feet — and dug the well by hand, 60 feet deep and extending through a layer of Henderson granite. The barn was next, about 30 feet tall with a big opening at the top for hay.

“We didn’t even have a toilet when I moved to that house,” Pittillo recalled. “We would go out in the woods.”

But the family built itself out of poverty, increasing the herd to 10 cows, and then 30 and then more, buying up land along the way until by the time Pittillo was earning his Ph.D. their holdings had increased to 300 acres. When Pittillo’s brother Fred eventually took over the business, the farm continued to grow, and to

change, today existing as a 1,200-acre sod and soybean operation that Fred’s children now manage.

THEFUTUREBOTANIST

Pittillo, though, never felt much inclination to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“It was too much and my heart was not set in it,” he said.

Instead Pittillo, encouraged by teachers who sensed his potential, went the academic route.

“I was being encouraged every step of the way by my teachers,” he said. “The place I landed here had a lot to do with what it was recommended that I do.”

Pittillo was interested in insects initially, keeping a collection through sixth and seventh grade that he hung on the wall of his school’s science lab. He eventually put together a plant collection, too, though that endeavor didn’t end well — the room got hot in the summertime, the tape came off and the whole thing came crashing down. But science continued to fascinate Pittillo.

“My (ninth grade) civics teacher was not interested in teaching civics,” Pittillo recalled.

“I think he said two or three days a little bit about what civics was and that was it, but he would just sit there and talk with the girls in the front row. So I would ask, ‘Can I go to the lab?’ So I would go down to the lab and do my lab things.”

By the later years of high school those “lab things” included preparing plant samples to submit to a botany project led by UNC Chapel Hill. In his free time, Pittillo would collect plant samples in Henderson County to send

the “future botanist.”

It was a prophecy Pittillo would eventually fulfill, although he didn’t know it yet. He went on to attend Berea College, a small school in Kentucky that’s unique in that it admits all students tuition-free — with the caveat that everybody works 10 hours per week at an assigned job on campus.

Pittillo’s background in the dairy industry formed the basis for his initial assignments.

His first semester was spent picking up cow manure, the second one stripping cows of their cream after the milking machines were done.

But in his sophomore year he was assigned to organize the biology department stockroom, and the spring semester of that year brought with it a pivotal opportunity.

Berea had landed a grant from the U.S. Forest Service to document plants in the college’s 5,000-acre forest, and Pittillo was asked to do the collecting. His botany professor would drop him off somewhere in the forest, where he’d spend the day gathering samples before arriving the designated rendezvous point for pickup. Pittillo would prepare labels for the specimens before sending them to the Forest Service herbarium in Cincinnati to be identified — he wasn’t yet expert enough in botany to do it all himself. Altogether, he put together about 450 specimens before graduation.

Pittillo had found his calling.

along for inclusion in what would become The Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.

One of the professors involved with the project, H.R. Totten, would later send Pittillo a thank you in the form of a different book, Gray’s Manual of Botany, inscribed to Pittillo,

“You turn me loose in the woods and say, ‘Go get ‘em,’ and that’s what I do,” he said. It’s what he kept on doing. Pittillo continued his education with a master’s degree at the University of Kentucky and then a Ph.D. at the University of Georgia. Geogia wasn’t his first choice — Pittillo had wanted to go F

to Duke, but his undergraduate grades weren’t high enough for their liking.

“Berea knocked my socks off as it were with the kind of grades that I was able to achieve,” said Pittillo. “I had a D in algebra and French. And I had some Cs in some other classes and I think I just had a B in biology.”

But when it came to plants, he was intuitive, and hardworking. And as it turns out, Duke’s rejection was something of a blessing in disguise, because it was in Georgia that Pittillo met the woman who would become his wife, Jean Farr. He kept his distance at first, mistakenly believing her to be in a relationship with someone else — but once he found out she was single, “we started dating, and it was I guess you might say a love affair right off the bat,” he said.

The two married, raising a family and sticking together through the decades until 2011, when Jean died following a battle with cancer.

“I miss her,” said Pittillo, pausing before continuing to speak. “She was a botanist too, but when we came here she was more inclined to stay a housekeeper and really do a lot with supporting me in my efforts. I have at least occasionally said behind every good man there is as good woman. Jean was essentially my backup. She spent a lot of time with me in the field.”

HOMEIN CULLOWHEE

Pittillo has traveled the country and the world in the course of his research, but he’s spent most of his days in Western North Carolina — Cullowhee, to be exact. Western Carolina University offered Pittillo a faculty position in the February of 1966, before he was slated to finish his Ph.D. in August. Pittillo accepted, and he remained at WCU until his retirement in 2005.

“I’m sort of a not shirking duty person,” he said. “If I sign up for something I intend to do it.”

In the decades since, Pittillo has carved out a name for himself at WCU and beyond, widely recognized for his expertise in and love of the region’s diverse flora. He’s conducted myriad plant surveys — in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Biltmore Estate, Balsam

Mountain Preserve and the N.C. Arboretum

— and played a pivotal role in countless conservation projects, including protecting the Joyce Kilmer Wilderness Area, Panthertown Valley Backcountry Recreation Area, the Bartram Trail and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

But he’s an expert who has always maintained a profound reverence for the unknown, and for the idea that there is always more to learn.

“When Granny Pittillo brought me one of those little round Nantahala slate rocks as a kid, I was really curious. This doesn’t look like my rocks around Hendersonville. What is that? That’s a mystery,” said Pittillo. “When I finally got to the Smokies, it was mysterious. In my mind a mystery is that which you see visually that you don’t yet understand how it can be. So there’s a mystique about it.”

Pittillo has chased that mystique across the mountains and through history, doing all he can to learn about what is here, how it came to be, and the ways in which the woods we see today have changed over the course of thousands of years.

“I can tell you if you’d been sitting here 18,000 years ago there would have been spruce trees out there. We’d be in a spruce-fir forest,” said Pittillo, gesturing out the door of his home off of Old Cullowhee Road.

He likes to think about the trees of yesterday as well as the trees of today, and how back then, in cooler times, the type of forest that now grows in Cullowhee would instead cluster at lower elevations along the rivers flowing toward the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The mountains would be capped with glaciers, and when the Ice Age ended and the glaciers broke, those mountains would be scraped clean as slow-moving ice carried away plants and seeds and soil.

If you know where to look — and Pittillo does — you can still see the traces of history amid the jumble of floral diversity that is the Smokies’ hallmark. At 80, Pittillo still finds himself outdoors more than most people half his age, searching for the mountains’ hidden secrets.

Sometimes, those explorations end up giving him more than he bargained for, as with a recent excursion to Pinnacle Park in

Sylva with his hound Bart, who is named after Pittillo’s beloved Bartram Trail.

It started with a trip to help his church split wood, but when he realized he’d gotten the date wrong Pittillo decided to take Bart on a little walk up the East Fork Trail instead. Recent rain on fallen leaves made the already steep trail muddy and slippery to boot, and Pittillo found himself grabbing onto shrubs while clasping the dog’s leash to pull himself up before finally reaching the intersection with the more navigable West Fork Trail, arriving at the parking lot 7 miles later and much more tired than he’d intended to become that day.

“I wasn’t disappointed that I did go,” he said. “It’s just one of those things that you sometimes do on the spur of the moment — a quick decision, and once the quick decision is made you’re up some distance and it’s not a good idea to go back.”

Pittillo still works on the Smokies’ All Taxa Biodiversity Index, a 20-year-old project aiming to inventory every species growing in the park’s 816-square-mile boundary. He’s spent about 60 days since 2013 working on the ATBI, pushing through the woods and processing data at home. Other times, Pittillo can be found gardening — or, as he calls it, “editing” out invasive plants while encouraging desirable ones — and typing out stories of his outdoor experiences in the 1800s home where he lives, adjacent to family land that has now been turned into a nature preserve for future generations to enjoy.

He knows a lot more now than he did as a 20-something at Berea, but mysteries will always remain — especially in the Smokies.

“It’s still a mystique I get in looking at some of those tallest trees,” he said, “and thinking, ‘Wow. How did some of these get this big?’”

Take in the view from Whiterock

A moderate 5-mile hike will reveal the stunning view from Whiterock Mountain in Macon County on Saturday, Dec. 1.

This moderate walk will traverse the

Bartram Trail from Jones Gap to Whiterock, which offers a spectacular view of the Tessentee Valley and the Nantahala Mountains.

The group will meet in Franklin at 10 a.m. and carpool for the 40-mile roundtrip drive. Organized by the Nantahala Hiking Club. Visitors welcome, but no dogs. RSVP to Gail Lehman, 828.524.5298.

Ski for free at Cataloochee

Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley will be giving free lift tickets on Sunday, Dec. 2, to anybody who brings 24 cans of food or two warm winter jackets for donation to Haywood Christian Ministries.

Donors will receive a lift ticket good from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. that day, a $70 value. A used gear sale will be going on concurrently, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, as well as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Haywood Christian Ministries is a local nonprofit that works to empower people to become self-sustaining. It operates a thrift store, pregnancy center and crisis center. Donate at www.haywoodministry.org.

Clingmans Dome to hold open house

An open house at Clingmans Dome Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will mark the end of the season, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1-2.

Clingmans Dome Road and the visitor center typically close from Dec. 1 to April 1 each year, but weather permitting, both will remain open through the evening of Dec. 2 this year.

Visitors that weekend will be greeted with light refreshments as they take one last stroll around the center before the season ends, and all Clingmans Dome-branded merchandise will be 20 percent off.

Hosted by the Great Smoky Mountains Association. Clingmans Dome Visitor Center is located 7 miles from Newfound Gap at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line at an elevation of 6,300 feet.

Grant provides hiking first aid kits

A $650 grant from the Hendersonville Road Walmart in Asheville will allow the Carolina Mountain Club to buy first aid kits for hiking trip leaders.

Trip leaders will have to meet minimum training requirements, as determined by the CMC board, to receive the kits. This will provide additional safety for people joining CMC trips.

Power line to be removed at Mt. Sterling

Duke Energy is working on its final phase of a solar project at Mount Sterling, removing utility poles and overhead power lines along a 3.5-mile corridor from the park boundary at Mt. Sterling Road to the Mt. Sterling Fire Lookout Tower. Work is expected to be complete Nov. 30.

Lookout Tower. The radio equipment is a vital component of the park’s emergency communications system. The overhead line has been decommissioned and the corridor below it will return to its natural state. Work crews will use chainsaws, off-road

The power line is no longer needed due to the installation of a microgrid solar and battery facility that Duke Energy installed in 2017 to provide electrical power for park radio equipment at the Mt. Sterling Fire

utility vehicles and horses to remove the equipment.

The areas will remain open but temporary restrictions are possible to ensure hiker safety.

parkplanning.nps.gov/grsm.

Key land conserved in Roan Highlands

A 324-acre property in the Highlands of Roan is now in public ownership thanks to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

Located on Hump Mountain, the property’s upper edge extends just 500 feet from the Appalachian Trail, which passes through the grassy balds of Hump Mountain to offer breathtaking 360-degree views. SAHC bought the tract last year and has now transferred it to Cherokee National Forest ownership.

“This is an outstanding example of how federal, state and private partners can work together to achieve common goals,” said JaSal Morris, forest supervisor for the Cherokee National Forest. “The purchase is a great addition, not only to the Cherokee National Forest land base, but to the entire National Forest System. It will be managed for protection of its exceptional natural resources and the public’s enjoyment of its scenic beauty.”

SAHC used a significant loan from partners at The Conservation Fund to buy the land in hopes it would qualify for funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The money came through,

Summit into agribusiness

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1ST 2 - 3:30PM

$30 in advance, $35 at the door

Join therapeutic yoga instructor and Ortho-Bionomy practitioner Alex Moody for this 90-minute yoga workshop for the nervous system. Learn techniques to not only calm and relax the nervous system but also how to engage with this complex, amazing system that interplays with our everyday life.

This workshop is great for working with anxiety and depression as well as stress management. You will leave feeling deeply connected to your inner world as well as ready to show up presently to your outer world. All levels workshop for people with no yoga experience as well as seasoned practitioners.

Alex will be staying after the workshop to give to free demonstrations of OrthoBionomy, a gentle yet powerful bodywork that can significantly reduce pain + tension.

See our website for more details! WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com

A Regional Agribusiness Summit on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at Haywood Community College will offer a leg up to current and prospective agribusinesses. Lasting from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the summit will offer multiple tracks designed for the specific needs of various types of businesses. Sessions will include rules and regulations for simple food manufacturing, direct marketing for small-to-medium agriculture markets, introduction to high tunnels, bookkeeping and tax basics, agritourism, beginner graphic and marketing design for agripreneurs and more. Speakers will include representatives from the N.C. Department of Agriculture, N.C. Department of Revenue, RC&D Council, the N.C. Center for Environmental Farming Systems, The Sequoyah Fund and more. Sponsored by Carolina Farm Credit. Register at sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512.

WCU recognized as a green college

For the eighth year running, Western Carolina University has been named one of North America’s most environmentally responsible colleges by The Princeton Review.

WCU’s repeated recognition is partially due to its multi-tiered, comprehensive approach to recycling and wise energy use. Over the past year, WCU has joined Carolina Airkeepers, a citizen science network from the advocacy group Clean Air Carolina, installing air quality monitors on campus and at the Highlands Biological Station in Highlands to detect weather fluctuations and particle pollution.

WCU also makes it a point to recycle or reuse materials when buildings are demolished or renovated, and works to make its buildings as energy-efficient as possible.

WCU has been listed in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 399 Green Colleges since

In the national higher education waste reduction and recycling competition RecycleMania, WCU ranked eighth in recycling per person and fifth in total recycling among North Carolina colleges, and in 2018 it ranked first in food waste and second in cardboard and paper recycling. The university’s recycling volume has increased by 85 percent in the past five years, while energy usage has been reduced by 42 percent in the past 15 years.

2010. Its recycling and energy-wise initiatives are led by the Office of Sustainability and Energy Management and the university’s Sustainable Energy Initiative, a committee composed of students, faculty and staff advisors.

What Are Cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are a group of closely related compunds that act on cannbinoid receptors in the body, unique to cannabis (or hemp). The body creates compounds called endocannabinoids, while hemp produces phytocannabinoids, notably cannabidiol. Cannabinoids is traditionally used for pain, sleep, and fibermyalgia.

CBD has traditionally been used for:

The Endocannabinoid System is perhaps the most important physiologic systerm involved in establishing and maintaining human health. Although the endocannabinoid system affects a wide variety of biological processes, experts believe that its overall function is to regulate homeostasis.

Santa to visit Chimney Rock

Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park Saturdays, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, practicing his chimney-climbing game on the iconic rock as Christmas festivities abound.

Santa will rappel down the Chimney at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., taking a break at the top of every hour to meet visiting children with Mrs. Claus.

{Celebrating the Southern Appalachians}

the elves from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., Mrs. Claus reading her favorite Christmas story at 10 a.m., complimentary Santa photos from Timeless Journey Photography and help from local poet Eddie Cabbage for kids looking to put together a Christmas wish list. Cabbage will type up one-of-a-kind wish lists using his vintage typewriter and pieces of parchment paper.

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

Subscribe or learn more at smliv.com

“I love rappelling down the Chimney with my buddies from Fox Mountain Guides,” said Santa. “Practicing with them is one of my favorite ways to get ready for my big delivery night. After all, where else can you take in beautiful views of Lake Lure and the Gorge and visit with so many children at one time?”

The day will also include breakfast with

Christmas music will be performed 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and an assortment of craft stations with complimentary cookies and cocoa will be available. The event will end with an elf-guided hike along the Great Wonderland Adventure Trail at 2 p.m. that includes a scavenger hunt with Santa’s helpers.

The event is free with park admission.

Celebrate Christmas with Trout Unlimited

6:30 p.m. A 50-50 drawing and a raffle for a bamboo fly rod will offer a chance for some Christmas magic, as will a collection of door prizes. Attendees will be responsible for paying for their own meals.

Race to BlackRock

The ninth annual Assault on BlackRock trail race has been set for Saturday, March 23, 2019. The grueling 7-mile race from Pinnacle Park in Sylva to BlackRock — and back down again — includes 2,770 feet of elevation gain. Anyone completing the route in 101 minutes or less will receive the Black Rock 101 Challenge belt buckle.

Registration is $25 in advance or $30 on race day, with all proceeds benefitting the Sylva Police Department’s K-9 fund. Register at www.ultrasignup.com.

WNC Calendar

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Cashiers Area Chamber is seeking feedback to improve visitors’ experiences to the area. Take the survey at: tinyurl.com/y6w4uqyo.

• Registration is underway for Marriage Enrichment Retreats that will be offered three more times over the next year at Lake Junaluska. Led by Ned Martin, an expert in marriage counseling. Price is $699 per couple. Dates are March 10-12, Aug. 18-20 of 2019 and Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in 2019. Registration and info: www.lakejunaluska.com/marriage or 800.222.4930.

• Southwestern Community College is accepting submissions from artists, writers, poets and local creatives for its biennial art and literature review entitled “Milestone.” Open to all residents of Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary – as well as SCC students and alumni. Only unpublished work is eligible. Must be postmarked by Dec. 3 and sent to SCC Milestone; Attn. Toni Knott; 447 College Drive; Sylva, NC 28779, or milestone@southwesterncc.edu.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• Haywood Community College’s Workforce Continuing Education Department is offering a wide variety of courses. For a complete listing: www.haywood.edu. Info: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.

• Balsam Mountain Business Matters meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Great opportunity to network with other business owners. Meeting is held in the clubhouse of Balsam Mountain apartments located at 17 Wilkinson Pass Ln in Waynesville. lgaddy@balsammountainapartments.com.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will offer a workshop on securing event sponsorships from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30, at WCU Biltmore Park in Asheville. Registration fee: $119 (includes lunch). For info or to register: 227.7397 or pdp.wcu.edu.

• Registration is underway for a luncheon entitled “How to Grow Your Business with Email Marketing,” which will be offered through Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. Speaker is Aaron Means. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc or 339.4211.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will offer a Grant-Writing Certificate program from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Dec. 4-7 at WCU Biltmore Park in Asheville. Workshop instructors are Dr. Susan Fouts, WCU Director of Educational Outreach and Jack Smith, nationally recognized grantwriting trainer. Registration: $425 (includes lunch each day). Register: pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center and regional agribusiness partners will hold a Regional Agribusiness Summit from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the HCC Auditorium in Clyde. Info and to register: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Haywood Community College will host American Bladesmith Society workshops on Dec. 7-8 (leather sheath) and Dec. 7-9 (friction folder). The tomahawk and friction folder classes cost $252; the sheath class is $190. Info: creativearts.haywood.edu or 565.4240.

• Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a five-part QuickBooks Series on consecutive Fridays, Dec. 7 and 14, in building 200, room 203, on Haywood Community College’s campus in Clyde. Speaker is Alicia Sisk Morris. In-depth seminars on the accounting software system. Registration and more info: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

• The African-American Business Association Workshop & Meetup is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month at the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center in Asheville.

• Evening classes for anyone wanting to obtain a high school equivalency diploma are offered from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays at Haywood Community College in Clyde. 627.4648.

• The Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the HF Robinson Auditorium at the Western Carolina University Campus in Cullowhee.

• Concealed carry handgun is offered every other Saturday 8:30am-5pm starting at Mountain Range indoor shooting range. Lunch provided. Class $60. 452.7870 or mountainrangenc@yahoo.com.

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

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

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

FUNDRAISERSAND B ENEFITS

• Donations of winter clothing and fleeces are being accepted through Nov. 30 at Mast Store in Waynesville. Donations will go to students in the Haywood County School System; teachers will distribute to students in need.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Literary Council of Buncombe County’s 11th annual Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction, which features a keynote from New York Times bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver on Nov. 29 at the Crowne Plaza Resort Expo Center in Asheville. $95 for general admission. Limited number of VIP passes available, including a meet-and-greet with the author. 254.3442, ext. 206 or www.litcouncil.com.

• The inaugural “Feed the Need: Manna FoodBank Benefit” musician showcase will be held at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, at Isis Music Hall in Asheville. Musicians will include Leeda “Lyric” Jones, Jack Victor (of Midnight Snack), CaroMia, Juan Holladay (of the Secret B-Sides), Stephanie Morgan, David Earl Tomlinson, Ashley Heath, Stevie Lee Combs, and more. Tickets are $15. www.isisasheville.com.

• Annual “Holiday Shopping Auction” benefiting Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society is scheduled for Dec. 6. This is an evening of live music by Jesse & Friends, fun and frivolity and an opportunity to do your holiday shopping by purchasing unique gifts via a silent auction. The “auction-party” is open to everyone and there is no charge to attend. Items are needed for the auction, which include handmade crafts, artwork, subscriptions, sports equipment, tickets to area attractions, gift cards, gift baskets, and much more. Auction items may be dropped off at the Society Library (200

Main Street, Bryson City) between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday. Items will be accepted through noon Dec. 5. 488.2932.

• REACH of Haywood will host its Holiday Gala at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Fine dining, champagne toast, live music, dancing and cash bar. Proceeds benefit REACH’s vital services, providing aid to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse. Tickets: $100 each and available at reachofhaywood.org or 456.7898.

• The Episcopal Church Women of Grace Church in the Mountains will sell a variety of homemade Christmas cookies from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 394 Haywood Street in Waynesville. Proceeds benefit Pathways Center, the local homeless shelter. 456.6029.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS

• Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.

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

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

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

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

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

• Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2800.

H EALTH MATTERS

• Jackson County Department of Public Health is offering diabetes self-management education as well as medical nutrition therapy. Info: 587.8240 or http://health.jacksonnc.org/wic.

• The Haywood County Senior Resource Center holds a dementia caregivers support group from 4:30-6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday each month in Waynesville. 356.2800 or www.haywoodseniors.org.

• A four-part series on creating a Wellness Lifestyle Enhanced with Essential Oils will begin on Thursday, Nov. 29 10:30 a.m. and continue for the next three consecutive Thursdays. This class will dive deeper into the use of essential oils for your wellness. Topics of discussion will be eating right, exercising, rest & managing stress, reducing toxin load, informed self-care, and proactive medical care. Participates are encouraged to attend all sessions but are not required. Free

• “Riding the Waves of Cancer” meets from 2:30-4 p.m.

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

on Thursdays at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. Physician referral from an oncologist or cancer doctor is required: Myhaywoodregional.com/yogaforcancer. 452.8691.

• Smoky Mountain High School and Tobin Lee (regional tobacco prevention manager) will host an educational parents’ night focusing on the basic facts of e-cigarettes from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6, at the high school in Sylva.

• Codependents Anonymous (CoDA) meets at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays at the Friendship House on Academy Street, behind and adjoining the First United Methodist Church of Waynesville. Group of persons desiring healthy and fulfilling relationships. 775.2782 or www.coda.org.

• 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.

• The Haywood County Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group has change the location of its meetings. The group will meet at the Haywood Senior Resource Center (81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville). The meetings are scheduled from 4:30 PM until 6:00 PM on the fourth Tuesday. 926.0018.

• Community First Aid and CPR classes are offered from 6-10 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Info: 564.5133 or HCC-CPRraining@haywood.edu.

• A support group for persons with Multiple Sclerosis as well as family, friends and caregivers meets at 6:45 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in the conference room of the Jackson county Public Library in Sylva. 293.2503.

• Nutrition counseling and diabetes education are offered through Macon County Public Health in Franklin. 349.2455.

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

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) holds a support group for family, friends, and those dealing with mental illness on the 1st Thursday of each month in the 2nd floor classroom at Haywood Regional Medical Center at 6:30 p.m.

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

• “Walk This Way” – a

cising during the fall and winter – will be offered from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Mondays, Dec. 3, Dec. 17 and Jan. 7, at the Waynesville Library.

• “Lets Get Movin’ at the Library” – yoga with local instructor Karen McGovern – is scheduled for 2-3 p.m. on four consecutive Mondays, Nov. 26-Dec. 17, at the Waynesville Library. Register: 356.2507 or Kathleen.olsen@haywoodcountync.gov

• The High Mountain Squares will host their “Honor Square Dancing Night”, Friday night, November 30th, at the Robert C Carpenter Community Building, GA Road (441 South), Franklin NC from 6:15 to 8:45 PM. We dance Western Style Square Dancing, main/stream and plus levels. www.highmountainsquares.com

• The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department is now offering pickleball on four indoor courts from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Equipment provided; free for members or daily admission for nonmembers. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• ZUMBA! Class with Monica Green, are offered from 67 p.m. on Monday & Wednesday, at the Canton Armory. $5 per class. 648.2363 or parks@cantonnc.com.

• ZUMBA is offered at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville on Thursdays at 6 p.m. with Patti Burke. Check Facebook page Patti Burke Zumba Students for additional information such as holiday or weather related cancelations. $5 per class.

• 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

• A meeting to explore the ways faith communities can unleash the power of the sun is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29, at First Baptist Church in Asheville. Featuring experts as well as congregational and community leaders. Sign up: https://bit.ly/2zduMC.

AUTHORSAND B OOKS

• The Jackson County Public Library and City Lights Bookstore will host Cullowhee author Tom Baker at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, in the Community Room of the library in Sylva. To reserve copies of The Hawk and the Dove, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.

• Author Rebecca Lile will debut her first children’s book God’s Diner while hosting a reading and songs at

3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. For more information, call Blue Ridge Books at 456.6000. For more information about Rebecca Lile and her book, please visit rebeccalile.com.

• Mason Lakey, author of Come Walk with Me and Horris the Horrible Germy Worm, will host a book reading and discussion at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Light snacks and beverages will also be provided. For more information, call the library at 488.3030.

S ENIORACTIVITIES

• “Medicare 101” – an informative session with John Chicoine from the Senior Resource Center - will be offered at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Registration is required: 356.2507 or Kathleen.olsen@haywoodcountync.gov.

• The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department has set a time for senior citizens (55-older) to play tennis from 9 a.m.-noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays through Oct. 28 at the Donnie Pankiw Tennis Center in Waynesville. For players intermediate or higher skill level. $1 per day. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• The Waynesville Recreation Center will offer additional courts for pickleball for seniors from 7 a.m.-noon on Mondays through Fridays. For ages 60-up. Free for members; $3 for nonmembers. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• The Mexican Train Dominoes Group seeks new players to join games at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

K IDS & FAMILIES

• Auditions for Kids at HART’s production of Godspell Jr. will be held at 5 p.m. on Dec. 9-10. Performances are March 9-10 and 16-17 at HART in Waynesville. www.harttheater.org.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will have “Jingle Mingle” activities for children and adults starting at noon on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts, 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. Crafts, caroling and painting technique demonstration. www.HaywoodArts.org.

• Registration is underway for after-school art classes for elementary and middle-school students starting Jan. 8-9 at Our Summerhouse Pottery, 225 Wall St., in Waynesville. Ages 8-10 meet from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays; and ages 11-14 meet from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Tuition: $95 (includes supplies). amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or 734.5737.

• The “Polar Express” will depart on select times through Dec. 31 from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot. www.gsmr.com.

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

• Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s Winter Youth Retreats, which are held from December through February in Haywood County for middle school and high school youth groups. Two-night events start at $186 per person; three-night events start at $249 per person. To register or view schedule, including speakers, band and entertainers: www.lakejunaluska.com/winteryouth. Register: 800.222.4930.

K IDSFILMS

• “Incredibles 2”, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is showing at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28 at The Strand On Main. See www.38main.com for tickets.

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

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

• The Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its inaugural “Pictures with Santa” event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30, at 98 Hyatt Road in Franklin. Take your own, or utilize on-site photographer, who will email photos to you. 524.3161.

• The Town of Sylva’s official tree lighting is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30, on the steps of the Jackson County Public Library. Concert of holiday music will be performed by Western Carolina University’s choral group and Geoff McBride.

The Arts Council of Macon County’s free crafts and caroling elementary school-age children and young family’s workshop, Holiday ARTSaturday, will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, in the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center gym in Franklin. www.coweeschool.org. 524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.

• Tree Lighting ceremony at Oak Park Inn in Waynesville on Nov. 30. Tree lighting and activities for the children including hot chocolate and cookies.

• All I Want for Christmas Multi-Vendor Shopping event is being held on Friday, Nov. 30 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cherokee Fairgrounds. Come finish your Christmas list up.

https://www.facebook.com/events/380257749131923/

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.

• Tickets are on sale now for an “Art of Music” festival, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Featuring Americana songwriters Milan Miller, John Wiggins, Mark Bumgarner, Aaron Bibelhauser and Balsam Range’s Buddy Melton and Darren Nicholson. Tickets: $30, available at Folkmoot.org or 452.2997.

H OLIDAYS

• Winter Lights at the N.C. Arboretum has begun. Nightly from 6-10 p.m. through Dec. 31. Tickets: $18 for 12-up, $12 for ages 5-11 and free for ages 4under. $15 for groups of 20 or more. Purchase tickets at www.ncwinterlights.com.

• Cowee Pottery School Christmas Pottery Sale will be December 1, 2018 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Cowee School, Arts and Heritage Center. Parking and admission are FREE! Includes a silent auction for cookie jars & platters with cookies, wheel throwing demonstrations, Christmas ornament decorating for the kids, and Barbara Duncan will sharing her talents as a author, storyteller and singer from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• The Sylva Garden Club will host a fundraiser Christmas Tea & Crafts from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the First United Methodist Church in Sylva. Suggested donation is $15 per ticket; proceeds fund SGC beautification projects. www.facebook.com/SylvaGardenClub.

• Bryson City celebrates Christmas with a wide range of holiday events on Saturday, Dec. 1, in Bryson City. Breakfast with Santa from 8 to 10 a.m., Christmas Bazaar & Cookie Walk starts at 9 a.m. and Christmas Parade at 2 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.

• The Town of Sylva’s winter market and photos with Santa will be held from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1. Market is in the parking lot at Main/Landis Streets. Santa will be at downtown breweries and clubs starting at 9 p.m.

• Breakfast with Santa is set for 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, 121 Schoolhouse Road, in Stecoah. $5 per person. Reservations preferred. 479.3364 or StecoahValleyCenter.com.

• 6th Annual Christmas Cheer Breakfast with Santa is being hosted by First Presbyterian Church in Waynesville on Dec. 1 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hearty holiday breakfast with warm cinnamon apples, pic-

tures with Santat, songs with the Presbyterian singers, music by Tuscola Band Ensemble and a Christmas boutique. Fpcwaynesville.org. Donations appreciated for the cost of breakfast. martipeithman@aol.com.

• “Christmas in the Mountains” – an indoor art and craft show and sale with visiting artisans – is scheduled for 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, 121 Schoolhouse Road, in Stecoah. 479.3364 or StecoahValleyCenter.com.

• A Season of Light Multicultural Holiday Celebration featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres, music and sharing of customs from holidays around the world will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville. Admission: $10 for ages 13-up; $5 for ages 6-12 and free for children under five with two nonperishable food items for the center’s emergency food box program. Advance tickets: ticketstripe.com/season-of-light-celebration. Pcdmc.org, pigeoncommunityd@bellsouth.net or 452.7232.

• The “Hard Candy Christmas” Arts and Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1-2, at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center in Cullowhee. Featured artist is doll maker Sharon Blain Turner. Also featured: John Benton (master woodcraftsman), Mary Jo Gayer (weaving) and Ronnie Evans (musician). $5 for ages 13- up; free for 12-under. www.MountainArtisans.net or djhunter155@gmail.com.

• Sylva Christmas Parade is at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2, on Main Street. Theme is “Christmas Around the World.”

Holiday Essential Oil Make and Take at City Lights Bookstore community room at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3. Rollebottle blends will be aviaalbe to make each cost $5. RSVP at 507.0452 or goodeoils@gmail.com.

• Waynesville Christmas Parade is at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3, on Main Street. Theme is “Jingle All the Way.”

• A Very Merry Oily Christmas Make and Take will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at Mad Batter Food & Film in beautiful downtown Sylva. Come learn about essential oils and make some holiday rollerbottle blends. Each roller you make and take is $5. RSVP at 507.0452 or goodeoils@gmail.com.

• “Holidays at the University Center” will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 5-6, at Western Carolina University’s A.K. Hinds University Center. Ice rink, a sledding hill, train ride, photos with Santa and more. $15 for all activities. Dca.wcu.edu.

• Canton Christmas Parade is at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6, on Main Street. Theme is “A Wonderful Life in Canton.”

• Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts students will host a holiday craft sale from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, in the Mary Cornwell Gallery of the Creative Arts Building in Clyde. Featuring work by students in fiber, jewelry, pottery and woodworking. 627.4671 or eareason@haywood.edu.

• The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return to the streets of downtown from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 7-8 and 14-15. Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios. Horse and buggy rides available each night. Shopkeepers provide live music and serve holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa. Carolers sing and children visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Live Nativity at Jarrett Memorial Baptist Church. Free shuttle service from Monteith Park. www.visitdillsboro.org.

• Mistletoe Market, a vendor event will be held at the Swain West Elementary School in Bryson City on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Crafts, sales and food vendors will be on site to finish your

Christmas List. Vendor fees and food sales benefit the schools PTO so come out and support a good cause. https://www.facebook.com/events/453723441783262/

• The 44th annual Cashiers Christmas Parade is scheduled for noon on Saturday, Dec. 8. Theme is “Over the River and Through the Woodes” – in celebration of Camp Merrie-Woode’s centennial anniversary.

• “A NIGHT before CHRISTMAS” in downtown Waynesville is scheduled for Dec 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. Live music, caroling, Bethlehem Market Place, Live Nativity, old-fashioned wagon rides, Santa, luminaries line the street. Shops, galleries & restaurants remain open.

• The Shelton House Museum will hold an “Old Fashioned Christmas and Grand Illumination Event” from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 49 Shelton House in Waynesville. Carolers, hot chocolate, cider, baked goods and a visit from Santa.

• Cherokee Christmas Parade will be help Dec. 15 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. from the Cherokee Bear Zoo to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

F OOD & D RINK

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host five for $5 Wine Tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 29. Come taste five magnificent wines and dine on Chef Stacy’s gourmet cuisine. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host Secret Wine Bar Night from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 30. Gourmet food, and a great wine & beer menu. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 1 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 631.3075.

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

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

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

• A game day will occur from 2-9 p.m. every third Saturday of the month at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in Sylva. Bring dice, cards or board games. 586.6300.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 586.6300.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 452.0120.

ON STAGE & I N CONCERT

• Elysium Park Band will perform from 7-9 p.m. on Nov. 30 at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

• “Share the Joy” concert will Alma Russ (Americana/old-time) will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Swain Arts Center. Russ was a recent contestant on “American Idol” and received yeses for the “golden ticket” from Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. Tickets are $10 or $5 with the donation of a new child’s toy. Toys will be donated to the Swain Family Resource Center.

• Western Carolina University’s music department students will perform their winter Vocal Showcase at the HART theater in Waynesville on Saturday, December 1 at 7:30pm. The performance is free and open to the public.

Nov.29-Dec.1 2018 Nov.29-Dec.1, 2018

NEW THURSDAY EVENTS, NOV. 29

• Songwriters showcase featuring Milan Miller, John Wiggins, Aaron Biblehauser, Mark Bumgarner and Balsam Range members Buddy Melton and Darren Nicholson at the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville. 7 p.m., $30, includes dinner. Tickets at www.Folkmoot.org or 828.452.2997.

• Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive, with Balsam Range members, at the Colonial Theater in Canton. 7 p.m., $20. www.itickets.com/events/402347 or 828.235.2760.

Friday, Nov. 30

• Balsam Range, Terry Baucom’s All Star Band, and Shenandoah

Saturday, Dec. 1

• Whitewater Bluegrass Co., Harris Brothers, The Cleverlys, Atlanta Pops Orchestra with Chloe Agnew and Balsam Range

Friday and Saturday night performances held at Lake Junaluska’s Stuart Auditorium.

Master Level Workshops

Friday afternoon (separate ticket needed); Saturday afternoon workshops open to all skill levels and free for ticketholders (see website for details). All workshops held on the grounds of Lake Junaluska.

• The Brasstown Ringers community handbell ensemble will hold a Christmas concert at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2, at Robbinsville’s First Baptist Church. 837.8822.

• “Sounds of the Season” concert will be presented by Western Carolina University’s School of Music at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. The family-friendly concert concludes with a holiday sing-along and an appearance by Santa Claus. A ticketed event, proceeds benefit the School of Music Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for WCU faculty/staff and those 60 and older, and $5 for students and children. Group rates are available for advance purchase only. arts.wcu.edu/sos or 227.2479.

• Western Carolina University’s Department of Campus Activities will host “The Nutcracker” at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. Performed by the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville. Tickets: $5 for WCU students, $10 for non-WCU students and WCU faculty/staff; $15 for public. 227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• The Brasstown Ringers community handbell ensemble will hold a Christmas concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, at Franklin’s First United Methodist Church. 837.8822.

• The Western Carolina University School of Stage and Screen and Bardo Arts Center will present “Light Chasers” as part of a “Weekend of Dance” at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6-8 in Hoey Auditorium in Cullowhee. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for ages 65-up and $20 for adults.

• Tickets are on sale now for “Appalachian Christmas,” a weekend of music, meals and artistry from Dec. 6-9 at Lake Junaluska. Handel’s “Messiah” is Dec. 7. The Appalachian Craft Show, a performance by seventh-generation Appalachian storyteller and ballad singer and a performance by Lake Junaluska Singers will be held on Dec. 8. www.lakejunaluska.com/specials_packages/holiday_p ackages/christmas, 800.222.4930 or communications@lakejunaluska.com.

A special stage production of “A Tuna Christmas” presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7-8, 14-15 and 17, and at 4 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. Tickets are $14 for adults, $8 for children 6-17. Cash only at the door. www.facebook.com/smctheatre.

• Tickets are on sale now for Bolshoi Ballet’s performance of “Don Quixote,” which will be screened as part of the Bardo Arts Center’s Sunday Cinema Series at 3 p.m. on Dec. 9 in Cullowhee. $15 for adults; $10 for WCU faculty/staff and seniors and $5 for students. Arts.wcu.cinema or 828.227.ARTS.

• Blue Ridge Orchestra will perform at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, mile post 382. Cost: $25 general admission; $15 for students and Friends of the Blue Ridge Orchestra. Tickets & info: 782.3354 or www.blueridgeorchestra.org.

• The Brasstown Ringers community handbell ensemble will hold a Christmas concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Andrews. 837.8822.

• Tickets are on sale now for National Theater’s production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Room,” which will be screened as part of the Bardo Arts Center’s Sunday Cinema Series at 3 p.m. on Jan. 20 in Cullowhee. $15 for adults; $10 for WCU faculty/staff and seniors and $5 for students. Arts.wcu.cinema or 828.227.ARTS.

CLASSESAND PROGRAMS

• A “Beginner Step-By-Step” painting class will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (Nov. 29, Dec. 6, and 20) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Cost is $25 with all supplies provided. RSVP by contacting Robin Arramae at 400.9560 or paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• Dogwood Crafters will offer a workshop on making paper Christmas stars from 10 a.m.-noon on Thursday, Nov. 29, at the Masonic Lodge in Dillsboro. Led by Joyce Lantz. Registration deadline is Nov. 21. Cost: $5. Register by calling 586.2248.

• Make your own glass ornament for the holidays in a class offered on Nov. 30 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $30. Ages 13-18 may participate with a parent present. Choose a 30-minute time slot between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Register: 631.0271. or www.jcgep.org.

• Registration is underway for a Master Gardener Wreath-Making Event, which is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Cooperative Extension Office in Waynesville. Sessions are from 9:30 a.m.-noon and from 1-3:30 p.m. $20 for one 16-inch wreath. mgarticles@charter.net or 456.3575.

• Local artist Caryl Brt will demonstrate handcrafted home accessories from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, at the HCAC Gallery and Gifts, 86 N. Main Street, in Waynesville. HaywoodArts.org, info@haywoodarts.org or 452.0593.

• Local artist Toni Caroll will demonstrate the jewelrymaking process from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, at the HCAC Gallery and Gifts, 86 N. Main Street, in Waynesville. HaywoodArts.org, info@haywoodarts.org or 452.0593.

• Folkmoot will host a Second Saturday Market from 6-9 p.m. on Dec. 8 in the cafeteria of the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Folkmoot.org or 452.2997.

• Registration is underway for adult pottery classes that will start on Jan. 7 at Our Summerhouse Pottery, 225 Wall St., in Waynesville. Two options for timing: 68:30 p.m. on Tuesdays or 1-3:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Six-week classes will focus on hand-building techniques in creating functional pottery. Tuition: $225 (includes supplies). amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or 734.5737.

ARTSHOWINGSAND GALLERIES

• The eclectic art work of Isabella R. Jacovino will be featured in a show in the Backstreet Gallery Room of Gallery 1 at 604 West Main Street in Sylva. The exhibit will remain available for viewing and sale though Dec. 7. As a visual artist working with recycled materials, Isabella explores combining the aesthetics of steampunk, dieselpunk, street art, and interpretations on retro-futurism. Admission is free. art@galley1sylva.com.

• A new art display featuring the work of Justin Moe will be presented throughout the month of November in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin.

• Sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council, the November Rotunda Gallery exhibit will feature artist Barbara Ray Sitton at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. info@jacksoncountyarts.org or by calling 507.9820.

• 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. 227.ARTS or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• Longtime journalist and photographer Quintin Ellison will hold an artist’s reception from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in downtown Sylva at Cullowhee Mountain Arts at 598 West Main Street. Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. Ellison will talk about the highs and lows of shooting street photography in small, rural towns such as Sylva, Bryson City, Franklin and Waynesville. Photos

will be on display at the Cullowhee Mountain Arts’ gallery space for about two weeks. They will be shown by appointment only after the Dec. 7 reception and Dec. 8 artist’s talk. 507.8697 or qlellison@icloud.com.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host a demonstration of icon painting techniques featuring local artist Melissa Goss from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts, 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. www.HaywoodArts.org.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center will have a yearlong exhibition on “Defining America” through May 3 in Cullowhee. Info: 227.ARTS or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

FILM & S CREEN

• “Crazy Rich Asians”, will be shown at, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 30, 7 p.m. on Dec. 1and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “Mission: Impossible Fallout”, will be shown at 7 p.m. on Dec. 8 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “The Equalizer 2”, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “Smallfoot”, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• Free movies are shown every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. See website for listings and times at madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

Outdoors

• The Asheville Winter Bike League offers rides weekly at 10 a.m. on Saturdays through Jan. 26. Upcoming rides: Dec. 1 at Jackson Park in Hendersonville and Dec. 8 at Bold Rock Hard Cider in Pisgah Forest. Structures, long winter road training rides. Bit.ly/2qS3YP8.

• Haywood County Animal Shelter and Sarge’s will host a dog handling class at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29, at the shelter, 453 Jones Cove Road in Clyde. Taught by animal behavior coordinator Caitlin Morrow. www.sargeandfriends.org.

• A weekly fly-tying class is held from 6-8 p.m. every Wednesday at Outdoor 76 in Franklin. 349.7676.

• Cataloochee Ski Area will hold its sixth annual Cataloochee Ski & Snowboard Swap Shop on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1-2, in Cataloochee. The consignment sale will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday. To register and drop off items for sale, go by the ski area from 3-7 p.m. on Nov. 30 or from 7-9 a.m. on Dec. 1.

• The Haywood Waterways Association Board of Directors and staff will host a celebration of the Pigeon River Watershed from 6-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at Lambuth Inn in Lake Junaluska. Holiday buffet dinner: $15 per person (pay at the door, cash or check).

RSVP by Nov. 27: 476.4667 or Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com.

• Registration is underway for “Winter Tree ID” – a moderate hike scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 29, at Chimney Rock State Park. $23 adults; $8 for annual passholder; $13 youth (ages 5-15) and $6 per Rockin’ Discovery Passholder. Led by naturalist and author Ron Lance, who will show how to identify trees without their leaves. Advance registration required: chimneyrockpark.com.

FARMAND GARDEN

• The Jackson County Farmers Market operates from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays through Dec. 22 in the Bridge Park parking lot in Sylva. www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

• Haywood County Extension is accepting applications for the 2019 Master Gardener class with training sessions scheduled for Tuesdays mornings from January through April. 456.3575 or mgarticles@charter.net.

H IKING CLUBS

• Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate five-mile hike with an elevation change of 400 feet on Saturday, Dec. 1, from Jones Gap to White Rock Mountain off the Bartram Trail. Reservations and info: 524.5298.

• Carolina Mountain Club will hold a 10-mile hike with a 1,600-foot ascent at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2, at Buck Spring to Clawhammer. Info and reservations: 684.7083, 606.7956 or dblanning@bellsouth.net.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a 4.5-mile hike with a 400-foot ascent on Sunday, Dec. 2, from Pisgah Inn to Mills River Overlook. Info and reservations: 989.0480 or ddlzz@yahoo.com.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a 9.8-mile hike/Little Cataloochee History Tour on Wednesday, Dec. 5, in Haywood County. Ascent of 1,800 feet. Info and reservations: 423.9030, rfluharty54@gmail.com, 253.1626, 231.5785 or elfluharty@gmail.com.

• Carolina Mountain Club will hold a six-mile hike on Sunday, Dec. 9, at Turkey Pen Ramble. Info and reservations: 696.9117, 712.0736 or luchat@bellsouth.net.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-tostrenuous six-mile hike with an elevation change of 1,400 feet on Saturday, Dec. 8, to Big Sam Knob in Pisgah National Forest. Info and reservations: 456.8895.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-tostrenuous 6-8 mile hike with an elevation change of 700 feet on Sunday, Dec. 9, on Camp Branch Loop off Wayah Road. Info and reservations: 421.4178.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have its annual Cookie Hike Bent Creek Ramble - a seven-mile hike with a 300-foot ascent on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Info and reservations: 298.7634, 231.2126 or keikomerl@att.net.

• Carolina Mountain Club will host an alternate/shorter version of its annual Cookie Hike – a four-mile hike with a 300-foot ascent – on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Info and reservations: 254.9054 or magenta97@charter.net.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate fourmile hike on Saturday, Dec. 15, to the summit of Scaly Mountain on the Bartram Trail. Elevation change of 1,050 feet. Info and reservations: 524.5298.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have an eight-mile hike with a 1,100-foot ascent on Saturday, Dec. 15, at Wildcat Rock Trail. Info and reservations: 404.731.3119 or Djones715@aol.com.

OUTDOORCLUBS

• The Jackson County Poultry Club will hold its regular meeting on the third Thursday of each month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office. The club is for adults and children and includes a monthly meeting with a program and a support network for those raising birds. For info, call 586.4009 or write heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

• The North Carolina Catch program, a three-phase conservation education effort focusing on aquatic environments, will be offered through May 15. The program is offered by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. Free for members; daily admission for nonmembers. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• An RV camping club, the Vagabonds, camps one weekend per month from April through November. All ages welcome. No dues or structured activities. For details, write lilnau@aol.com or call 369.6669.

• The Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited meets the second Tuesday of the month starting with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Rendezvous restaurant located on the corner of Jonathan Creek Road and Soco Road in Maggie Valley. 631.5543.

MarketPlace information:

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

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads,

■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2. If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ 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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1/2

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

GATED, LEVEL, ALL WOODED, 5+acre building lots, utilities available in S.E. Tennessee,between Chattanooga and Nashville. www.timber-wood.comCall now to schedule a tour 423.802.0296.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

HOMES FOR SALE

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

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OSIRIS -

GORGEOUS ORANGE TABBY WITH BEAUTIFUL MARKINGS.

Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Great Smokys Realty - www.4Smokys.com

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage

• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com

• Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com

• Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com

• Michelle McElroy- michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com

• Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com

• Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

• Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com

• Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com

• Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com

• Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

• Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com

• Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com

• Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

• Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com

• Steve Mauldin- smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

• Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com

• Mike Stamey - mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group

• George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

• Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

• Pam James - pjames@sunburstrealty.com

Jerry Lee Mountain Realty

Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net

Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

• The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

• Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com

• Yvonne Kolomechuk - yvonneksells@kw.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Creek Realty

• Ron Rosendahl - ron@mountaincreekrealestate.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com

• Shirley Cole - shirleycole13@gmail.com

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com

• Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com

• Holly Fletcher - hollyfletcher1975@gmail.com

• The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com

• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com

• Landen Stevenson- Landen@landenstevenson.com

• Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

• Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net

• Judy Meyers - jameyers@charter.net

• David Rogers - davidr@remax-waynesvillenc.com

• Marsha Block- marshablockestates@gmail.com

Rob Roland Realty - robrolandrealty.com

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

The Smoky Mountain Retreat at Eagles Nest

• Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com

• Sherell Johnson - sherellwj@aol.com

SUPER CROSSWORD

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Different boats for different folks

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in a Dec. 2001 edition of The Smoky Mountain News.

When one thinks about navigation in regard to the rivers here in the Smokies region, it’s old-time ferries and modern-day canoes, kayaks, rafts, tubes, and motorboats that come to mind. But there have been other sorts of navigation involving flatboats, keelboats, mule boats, whaling boats, and even steamboats. Some incredible stories have been recorded in this regard.

The 19th century was the flatboat, keelboat, and mule boat era on the lower Little Tennessee River. It is best described by Alberta and Carson Brewer in Valley So Wild: A Folk History (Knoxville: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1975):

“The big wooden ‘arks’ plied the river carrying ladies, servants, cattle, horses, dogs, poultry and produce, while oarsmen used long ‘sweeps’ to steer clear of rocks, snags and submerged trees. Flatboats had sturdy wood bottoms designed for heavy loads, and whatever superstructure best suited the needs of passengers and cargo. Usually the

BACK THEN

owner broke them up at the end of the trip and sold the lumber. An average flatboat cost about $20 to build. It required several months to build the boat, float it to New Orleans, and sell the cargo and return.

“The Little Tennessee River was deep enough for flatboats as far as the mouth of Abrams Creek (located in the present-day Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee just southwest of Fontana Dam). Rafts could be used as far up as Tallassee, four miles farther.

Upriver traffic (beyond that point) required a different craft and technique. Brawny boatmen walked planks along gunwales and pushed with long poles to propel the big keelboats against the current. Sometimes men walked towpaths along the bank pulling the vessel by rope, or used a method called ‘warping’ (fastening the tow rope to a tree upstream and pulling the boat toward the tree). If they were able to move the boat against the current by holding on to trees or bushes on the bank, it was called ‘bushwacking.’

“Old-timers even recalled ‘mule boats’ powered by a mule walking on top of a broad slatted wheel turned by the mule’s weight as its legs made steps that went nowhere.”

The whaling boat story was related by

John Preston Arthur in a delightful account that appeared in his Western North Carolina: A History — 1730-1913 (Asheville, 1914) under the heading “A Thrilling Boat Ride.”

“A large whale boat had been built at Robbinsville and hauled to a place on Snowbird creek just below Ab. Moody’s, where it was put into the creek, and it was floated down that creek to Cheoah river and thence to Johnson’s post-office, where Pat Jenkins then lived. It was hauled from there by wagon to Rocky Point, where, in April, 1893, Calvin Lord, Mike Crise and Sam MeFalls, lumbermen working for the Belding Lumber Company, got into it and started down the Little Tennessee on a ‘tide’ or freshet.

“No one ever expected to see them alive again. But they survived. By catching the overhanging branches when swept toward the northern bank at the mouth of the Cheoah River, the crew managed to effect a landing, where they spent the night. They started the next morning at daylight and got to Rabbit Branch, where the men who had been sent to hunt them. They spent three days there till the tide subsided, then they went on to the Harden farm, which they reached just one week after leaving Rocky Point.”

The story about the fabulous steamboat named “Vivian” is related by the Brewers and by Lance Holland in Fontana: A Pocket History of Appalachia (Robbinsville:

Appalachian History Series, 2001).

John, James and Charles Kitchen arrived in WNC during the early part of the 20th century and established a lumber company on the North Carolina side of the Smokies. They had acquired 20,000 or so acres of land in the Twenty Mile Creek watershed and cleared Little Tennessee River area below what is now Fontana Dam so as to establish Cheoah Lake. After the lake was flooded in 1919, the only access to their timber holdings along Twenty Mile Creek was by foot or small boat.

But how in the world do you get the logs out to the sawmill? No problem. You simply build a steamboat; after all, the brothers did have prior maritime experience.

The “Vivian” (named after Charlie’s wife) was homemade ... a 50-foot long stern-paddlewheeler — crafted from white oak with four four-foot sidings and powered by an upright boiler steam engine — it was the pride of the Kitchen Lumber Company ... a sight to behold as it towed a string of large barges loaded to the gunwales with logs across the lake to the awaiting locomotive, Big Junaluska ... and furthermore “its whistle could not be ignored,” note the Brewers, “as it let out ear-splitting whistles to seal the transaction and set the mountains trembling for miles.”

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)