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On the Cover:
Cell phone service in Western North Carolina has vastly improved during the last decade, but the mountains are still populated by dead spots. (Page 8)
News
Bill aims to get welfare recipients off drugs. .
Software company opens high-tech training facility in Franklin.
Waynesville, Lake Junaluska prepare for merger.
Tribal Council allows Cherokee bear zoos to stay open.
Flying club hits turbulence in mission to own airplane.
Sweepstakes employees across the state head to court
No movement on Haywood County lodging bill.
HCC trustees give emergency training center the green light.
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15 State bill threatens some newspapers’ bottom lines.
Jackson planning board weighs safety versus property rights. .
State clean water goes down the drain.
Opinion
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Abill that recently passed the state Senate would take social assistance away from anyone using drugs by requiring state aid recipients to take a mandatory drug test.
Drug testing is a surefire way of ensuring no one using drugs is receiving government subsidies, said N.C. Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, a primary sponsor of the legislation.
“I think every kid in North Carolina deserves a home free of drugs,” Davis said. “We also don’t want taxpayer money to be incentivizing anyone to do bad behavior.”
The bill applies to people in the Work First Family Assistance program — an umbrella for several financial aid programs for the needy — but the senator said that he would like to expand the requirement to all public assistance programs in the future.
Some department of social services directors in the state have spoken out against the bill, as has the N.C. Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“I have serious concerns about the constitutionality and the civil rights of our clients,” said Bob Cochran, director of the Jackson County Department of Social Services.
Florida passed similar legislation a couple of years ago; however, it was never put into effect. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit, claiming the legislation is unconstitutional and violates the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unlawful search and seizure without cause.
The N.C. Chapter of ACLU has not said whether it will take legal action if the bill passes, but Davis said he fully expects a court case to arise from the bill.
“There will be some group that will challenge it, but we have to get serious in this country about attacking the illegal drug abuse,” Davis said.
Currently, only people with known drug problems are tested, and in cases where a child’s welfare is in question.
“We don’t make people submit to tests randomly,” said Ira Dove, director of the Haywood County Department of Social
Services. “There is usually evidence of drug use.”
The N.C. Senate bill does not say what type of drug testing applicants for aid must undergo or what drugs the test will look for.
N.C. Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, called the bill “unnecessarily mean-spirited.”
“It is just the Republicans trying to be tough on the poor people,” Queen said. “We need to create some jobs and help the poor people.”
N.C. Rep. Michelle Presnell, R-Burnsville, on the other hand, supports the bill.
Presnell’s office replied to a call for comment with an emailed statement, saying a former DSS director told her “many of the people busted for drugs were Work First and other public welfare program recipients.”
But according to Dove and Cochran, that is not the case — at least as far as Work First recipients are concerned. Both said that based on their interactions with program participants, the vast majority of the drug tests will come back negative.
“These folks are motivated to obtain gainful employment. In my experience, their incidence of drug abuse is at or below that of the rest of the community,” said Cochran. “They are not by and large drug users.”
PICKINGUPTHEBILL
The bill could also leave counties paying the tab on an unfunded mandate.
If passed into law, those applying for the program would pay the cost of the drug test up front, which could run anywhere from $50 to $150 per person. If the test comes back negative, applicants will be reimbursed the full amount, but the bill doesn’t indicate where the money will come from, which is troubling to Dove.
As far as Dove knows federal money cannot be used, and the state has not committed to covering the costs, leaving only one other source.
“From the best I can calculate, that would be with county dollars,” Dove said.
If the tests end up costing $100 each, Haywood County could spend more than $30,000 on drug tests for its more than 300 Work First participants. For larger counties
“They don’t have jobs for the most part. They don’t have household income for the most part when they first come here.”
— Ira Dove, director of the Haywood County Department of Social Services
with more Work First recipients, the cost would be exponentially more.
“It was not an insignificant amount of money,” Queen said.
State leaders, particularly Davis, have spoken out against unfunded mandates coming down from the state to counties. Davis said he will work to fit money into the state budget bill to cover drug test reimbursement, but it’s not a done deal.
“We are still working on that. I am not one for big unfunded mandates,” Davis said. Without a state allocation, “That would fall upon the local government, and that is not my intention.”
By making Work First applicants cover the cost of the drug test initially, the bill could weed out people who know they will fail the test, but it could also make others
think twice about applying if they don’t have the extra money.
“If they really need the benefit, they can get the money because it will be reimbursed,” Davis said.
However, that still could be difficult for some to come up with an extra $50 to $100 up front if don’t have a steady source of income.
“They don’t have jobs for the most part. They don’t have household income for the most part when they first come here,” Dove said.
If someone fails the test, he or she is ineligible for Work First benefit for a year unless he or she independently enrolls in and completes a substance abuse program. Those who fail subsequent drug tests are ineligible for three years.
New high-tech training center to be a feather in Franklin’s
BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER
Astate-of-the-art training facility built by Drake Software is the latest addition to Macon County’s economic landscape.
Drake will use it to host training sessions for its tax preparation software, which is used by 40,000 clients nationally, mostly accountants and professional tax preparers.
The 100-person training facility is equipped with live-streaming video feed, WiFi, a projection screen and stadium seating. The building is also available for
would come to Franklin,” Reynolds said. “This is the only facility of its kind in the area.”
Before, the company held two training sessions a month in Franklin from spring through fall but could only support 20 to 30 attendees. With a 100-person training room, the company can shorten its waiting list, Reynolds said.
For Macon County, the facility adds one more reason to visit Franklin and increases the potential for business retreats, training conferences and other programs to chose the location as a destination, said the county’s Economic Development Director
outside organizations and the general public to rent out at what Drake is calling reasonable rates.
“It’s not just for us,” said Christine Reynolds, education director for Drake Software. “It’s for the community too.”
The 9,000-squre-foot facility in the heart of Franklin will allow it to hold larger trainings sessions close to home, Reynolds said. That may give a boost to hospitality and other types of businesses in town.
Drake staff currently travel the country to conduct trainings and seminars for its 40,000 or so clients. In May alone, the company has sessions scheduled in California, Wisconsin, Maine and Florida. Although trips won’t stop, hosting larger sessions in Franklin is now possible with a dedicated training building.
“People from all over the United States
Tommy Jenkins. He said it will compliment existing attractions such as the area’s outdoor offerings and Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center.
The training center will appeal to companies holding a business retreat, since it offers better technology that a typical hotel conference room.
“It’s just not near the capability that this facility has in terms of technology,” Jenkins said. “This has the potential to make Franklin a destination for companies looking to conduct business training and seminars.”
Furthermore, Jenkins said, it is always good news when the area’s largest private employer is expanding. Drake Software has some 350 employees, not including its sister companies in the telecommunications, printing, technology and entertainment sectors.
Franklin a host site for Chick-fil-A Leadercast
The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin is hosting a one-day leadership event from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 10 for those who want to move forward as a leader. The simulcast event will be broadcast live from Atlanta and include the following speakers: former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of Duke University’s men’s basketball team; Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric; Henry Cloud, organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies, clinical psychologist and leadership consultant; and Sanya Richards-Ross, 2012 track and field Olympic Gold medalist, among others. Tickets are $60 per person or $50 for two and includes a Chick-fil-A lunch. GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.
ShowMomthelove thisMother’sDay!
SMN fans weigh in
SMN called on its Facebook fans to sound off on the issue of spotty cell service in the mountains. Here’s a sample of the feedback we got.
Smoky Mountain News: How would you describe cell phone service in the mountains? How do dead spots affect your daily life?
Dry Master Carpet Care: For me the best description would be frustrating. At home, we had to go out on our “phone deck” to make a call. Walk in a store and try to look up something and walk everywhere around the store for a connection.
Susan Lynn Fillmore: It’s getting better all the time!!!
Brittney Burns: In Otto in Macon County, I do not get any service. I don’t get any at my mom’s house in Whittier in Jackson County either. It is aggravating!
Beet L Bailey: It is getting better, mine works great. But it’s over-expensive because there are not many towers and providers here. I pay too much.
Andre Paddle Faster Rodriguez: It used to be if you didn’t have Verizon, you couldn’t get much of a signal. I think there are a lot more towers around now. Probably much better.
Yvette McClure: I do not have a problem with mine. The only place I find I cannot get reception would be going into the (national) park. If there is a dead spot, it’s not big enough to do anything except end my call, lol. And then I call whoever back.
Samantha Faust: Where I live, I get great reception. However, there is very, very little service once you pass WCU and start heading towards East La Porte, Caney Fork, Tuckasegee, and Little Canada. It’s very frustrating.
Darlene McKinley Mauffray: When I am in the mountains don’t need cell phone service. Suits me just fine. I am there to enjoy myself and leave all that at home. So it don’t bother me at all with no service.
Sandee Wright: Am sitting here in the mountains, with AT&T, on 4G (not “limited”) pretty as you please. Precious little in the way of dead spots. Color me happy.
Kim Clayton: Where I live there is poor service so I have to use Frontier for my landline. This is frustrating to pay for both lines especially since the rates keep going up. I wish there was better cell phone reception.
Amy Damian Bermudez: We was stuck in the July storm last year with no service... Not good when you have family that is worried about you.
More hellos than goodbyes
Topography
forces cell
phone companies
to weigh cost-benefit of erecting new towers
BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER
As long as Realtor Sammie Powell leans back in his chair in his home office, he can talk on his cell phone all day long. But as soon as he stands up to reach for something across his desk, his service goes from good to nonexistent.
“I could be sitting at my desk, and if I lean over, I might not pick up,” said Powell, who lives and works from his home in Villages of Plott Creek neighborhood in Waynesville.
Powell’s situation is not unusual. Villages of Plott Creek sits just five miles from downtown Waynesville, but residents still struggle to get proper cell phone access in their homes.
Because of topography and cell tower locations, pockets of Western North Carolina have spotty cell phone service or none at all. Particularly troublesome areas are those nestled in narrow hollers, up against mountain faces, in remote areas or near national forest land — but depending on one’s cell phone provider, service can be touch and go anywhere. It’s a daily frustration for many mountain residents trying to make a call or waiting on an important email to come through on their smart phone.
in the mountains has improved significantly thanks to the addition of towers — a response by cell companies as more people use the portable devices in their everyday life, not just to make phone calls but to check their email, send family members pictures or post to Facebook.
“Everyone has a cell phone, and it is becoming more and more a fact that people have a smart phone,” said Josh Gelina, a spokesman for AT&T. “They are living more and more of their life on a cell phone.”
going to be dropped or I am not going to have service,” said Macon County Planner Matt Mason.
As a Realtor, Powell shows homes across Western North Carolina. Although he has never heard anyone say they didn’t buy a home somewhere because of a lack of cell phone service, he said it likely factors into the decision.
Cell phone service is spotty in the mountains. In the valleys, bars can be hard to find, but on mountaintops, people can sometimes pick up a signal from a nearby tower.
Economic analyst Tom Tveidt in Haywood County compared cell phone service to the expansion of the railroad. The railroad afforded people and products greater mobility and access to places and things. The railroad, like cell phone and Internet service today, was essential to the economic expansion of a region.
“It is important,” Tveidt said. “That is always important for the kind of industries trying to move to places.”
But just as the rugged topography made the advent of rail, roads and power lines slow to arrive in the mountains decades ago, it is likewise stymieing the reach of cell phone service today.
Different types of businesses, such as finance companies or call centers, might be reticent to move to Western North Carolina if technology is not available. Businesses tend to open in or near towns where it is easier to attain strong cell service and Internet capabilities.
Cell towers by county
Cell companies decide where and how many cell towers to put up based on how many potential customers they would reach and topography. Each cell tower can, and typically does, host equipment of multiple cell service companies. County cell tower ordinances require cell companies to share towers to avoid duplication of towers on the landscape.
While many Americans have divested themselves of landlines and transitioned solely to cell phones over the past decade, many here, like Powell, remain married to landline phones for home or business purposes to make sure they are never unreachable no matter where they are.
Jackson County..........................................................................................20
Those with spotty service learn to deal with it, Powell said. They know where in their house their cell phone works and where it doesn’t and adjust accordingly.
“At our house, there are certain places where you get it and certain places where you don’t get it,” he said.
For Powell though, a finicky cell signal in his home is better compared to some who have no service or others who have to stand on their deck to take a call.
During the last decade, cell phone service
Companies are willing to expand service, including voice and phone Internet capabilities, to areas that demonstrate a demand, which is why people in towns such as Waynesville, Sylva and Franklin have a strong connection.
“As population grows, there is better and better service,” said Kris Boyd, Haywood County planner.
However, head into less populated territory like Glenville in Jackson County, Fines Creek in Haywood County or Big Cove in Cherokee, and people completely lose service.
People have learned the exact spot where their conversation will be ended.
“You know going down the road that I am
But even on a personal level, “We are reliant on it,” Tveidt said. “As we are sitting here, I looked at several proposals on my phone. I took it for granted that I would be able to do that.”
When something is readily available, people do not give much thought to it. It is normal. However, it is difficult not to notice when something as everyday as cell phone service isn’t accessible.
“You sort of wonder how we did it in the old days,” said Gerald Green, Jackson County planner.
NOLONGERANOVELTY
Not that long ago, it was odd to see someone walking down the street talking on a cell phone.
When cell phone companies first started erecting towers in Haywood County in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many viewed them as an unsightly blemish on the landscape. Public hearings for proposed cell towers would regularly attract 100 people or more, Boyd said.
“Now, you are lucky if two people show up to speak,” Boyd said. “Everybody uses it. Everybody understands it.”
More often these days, the public greets proposed cell towers with a hurrah.
In Macon County, a cell tower proposal just four years ago brought out more than 50 people to voice their opposition. Many of them lived within a certain distance from where the new tower went.
“Nobody wants a valley they’ve looked at for 20 years to have a pole sticking out of it,” said Mason, the county planner.
But once the tower was there, Mason has not heard any complaints, which he attributed to a culture shift.
“Their mind has changed; their thinking has changed a little bit,” Mason said. “People are dependant on cell phones.”
Counties have also adopted policies to keep the cell towers from sticking out too badly. There’s a limit on how high they can rise above the tree line, and antennas can only stick out a couple feet from the main tower structure, keeping it contained.
Because Western North Carolina is so densely populated by trees and tall, thick mountains, the digital signal used by cell phones does not travel far, sometimes only a few miles.
“I barely have cell phone service, and I am four miles from town,” said Kevin Seagle, Swain County’s building inspector.
Swain County only has seven cell towers — not nearly enough to reach every nook and cranny of the county. Like other counties in Western North Carolina, the county popula-
tion is fairly scattered around, so cell companies must figure out if the coverage a new tower would add is worth the investment.
“Are they going to spend $1 million or $500,000 when there is not a need,” Boyd asked rhetorically. “These folks are very smart.”
THESCIENCEOFCELLTOWERS
Cell phone providers such as AT&T or Verizon, both of which have towers in Western North Carolina, must take into account population, demand, topography and land availability when figuring out where to place a new tower or whether to put their antennas on an existing tower. The goal is to cover as much area as possible.
“You are trying to reach large swaths of territory,” Gelina said.
Companies must also figure out how a new tower will fit into its existing network. Signals must be able to relay from tower to tower — so the goal isn’t simply to reach dead zones but be close enough to also reach an existing tower.
“We can’t just randomly put a tower out in the middle of nowhere,” said Karen Shultz, a spokeswoman for Verizon. “It would just be a tower out there, not connecting to anything.”
Cell service providers must build out from their already existent networks.
Companies will not expand to areas where there isn’t a large enough customer base to justify the cost.
“Jackson County, you have much less coverage because there are fewer people who want our coverage,” Gelina said.
A
Signals must be able to relay from tower to tower — so the goal isn’t simply to reach dead zones but be close enough to also reach an existing tower.
However, in Waynesville for example, AT&T expanded its coverage because of the high rate of traffic it tracked in that area. It could not sustain the flow to phone calls, emails, Facebook posts and text messages so the company increased its capacity.
“It was dropping calls,” Gelina said. “There is a need for it.”
In addition to monitoring traffic on current cell phone towers, AT&T also has an application for smart phones, called Mark This Spot, which allows people to denote places where there is no service or simply poor service. Enough feedback can push the company to look at, Gelina said.
Verizon was one of the first, if not the first, cell service provider to move into Western North Carolina more than a decade ago.
“We have been really aggressive about our expansion,” Shultz said. “Year after year, you will see (our coverage map) become more dense.”
Shultz said Verizon spent $111 million expanding and maintaining coverage in North Carolina last year, though neither spokesperson would comment on how much it costs to build new cell towers. Nor could either speak specifically to the number of cell towers needed to cover the mountains versus flat regions.
“You just need more of them in the mountains,” Gelina said.
The reach of a cell tower signal depends on the surrounding peaks and valleys, how dense the tree coverage is, the height of the tower and the frequency of the signal used.
“There are just hundreds of variables,” Shultz said.
cell tower seen from Assembly Street in Waynesville. Andrew Kasper photo
SCC hosts spring commencement
More than 360 Southwestern Community College graduates will walk across the Balsam Auditorium stage to accept their associate’s degrees, certificates or diplomas on Tuesday, May 7.
Commencement for Career Technologies, Arts & Sciences and Early College graduates will be held at 5 p.m. Health Science graduates will participate in a 7:30 p.m. ceremony. www.southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4000.
WCU expecting record graduation
Western Carolina University will hold three graduation ceremonies May 10-11 to recognize the academic achievements of the university’s record-breaking spring graduating class of about 1,365 students.
Graduation for the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Allied Professions, and Fine and Performing Arts will begin at 10 a.m. May 11, followed the same day by a 3:30 p.m. ceremony for the College of Business, College of Health and Human Sciences, and Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology. Commencement for WCU’s Graduate School will be held at 7 p.m. May 10. All the ceremonies will take place at Ramsey Regional Activity Center.
Commencements are open to everyone, with no limit on the number of family members and friends who can attend.
828.227.7216.
Conference to focus on common ground
Western Carolina University’s Department of Social Work will sponsor its second annual Social Work Conference, “Citizenship and Civility: Working Together for Practical Advocacy in a Polarized Era,” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 17, in the new Health and Human Sciences Building.
It will focus on legislative advocacy at the state, national and global levels, engaging in constructive dialogue and training in mediation skills.
Speakers include: Chris Cooper, head of the WCU Department of Political Science and Public Affairs; Kay Paksoy, director of advocacy, policy and legislation for the N.C. Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers; Rev. Michael Hudson, rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cullowhee; Jan Woloson, program manager for mediation services at the Mediation Center in Asheville; and Ken Patterson, the global grassroots manager for RESULTS and RESULTS Education Fund, a nationwide organization committed to building political will to end poverty.
Cost is $95. Go to learn.wcu.edu and click on “Professional Development” to register. 828.227.7397.
New Sylva women’s center a dream come true for WNC doctor
A groundbreaking for the new Smoky Mountain Obstetrics & Gynecology Complex was held recently. It will sit across the highway from MedWest-Harris in Sylva Donated photo
BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFFWRITER
Dr. Janine Keever still remembers that door-die moment in her undergrad chemistry class like it was yesterday. The grades just came back on her first exam of the year, and it wasn’t pretty. Her dream of medical school seemed to vanish on the spot.
“I thought ‘How am I going to be a doctor if I can’t pass undergrad chemistry?’” Keever recalled.
To call Keever a success story today would be an understatement. As the sole owner of Smoky Mountain Obstetrics & Gynecology, she has a staff of 30 on her payroll, including four midwives and two other doctors.
Sylva Walmart sign decision pending
BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER
Sylva town leaders once again have a public hearing on the docket to decide the fate of oversized Walmart signs, but are once again wondering whether representatives of Walmart will stand them up.
Walmart wants to replace its existing signs — which are larger than the town allows — with news ones that are just as big.
A hearing is scheduled for the town board meeting Thursday. However, just because Walmart is on the agenda, it’s no indication anyone will show up to defend the multinational corporation against the sign ordinances of Sylva.
If the past is any indication, the legal team from Walmart will probably not be there.
Last week, Keever broke ground on a new $2 million, 10,000-square-foot office in Sylva — the central location for a practice that serves a four-county area.
Holding the shovels alongside her were a couple of retired professors from her formative undergrad years at Western Carolina University, including her chemistry professor who coached and mentored her into graduating from the class with honors by the semester’s end.
“They are the ones who believed in me in the beginning who said ‘If this is your dream, we can help you achieve it.’ Who better to have than the people who encouraged you all the way along?” the 46-year-old said.
That spirit of determination has served Keever well.
Her practice delivers 650 babies a year, all at MedWest-Harris. But is hardly the sum total of their service line.
“We’ve delayed it three times now so they can be there,” said Sylva Mayor Maurice Moody. “If it’s important they should have somebody there.”
The first hearing on Walmart’s signs occurred in early March. Walmart representatives weren’t there, however, so March’s hearing was rescheduled until April, and April’s hearing rescheduled to May. Town Clerk Brandi Henson said the company’s lawyer contacted her recently to ask for another postponement, but Henson told her not this time.
“I told her we weren’t going to delay for them again,” Henson said. “And I never heard back from them.”
On Thursday, board members will have the opportunity to hear a report from John Jeleniewski, the town’s code enforcer. Jeleniewski said he will recommend the company bring its roadside sign into compliance but be given a break on their storefront signs. The public will also have a
The new 10,000-square-foot office will not only include more and bigger exam rooms, but also procedure rooms for the growing number of outpatient services that can be performed in an office setting instead of at the hospital.
“It will be totally customized to be exactly what we need to take care of women,” Keever said.
The new office will sit smack dab across the road from MedWest-Harris hospital, on the hill beside Nick and Nate’s pizza restaurant. The proximity was important.
“When babies come out, that baby has to come out now,” Keever said. “Sometimes you don’t get much notice. The mom rolls in fully dilated and ready to push.”
It would have been hard to beat the location of her current office, though, where a strategically placed zip line could theoretically deliver her from the parking lot through a window of the hospital’s delivery wing.
But the new digs are a very close second — there’s still a direct line of sight and the office driveway shares an intersection with the hospital’s entrance drive.
“I could get in the operating room before they could get a woman down there for an emergency C-section, whether I run because it is nice weather and I have good shoes on or if I have heels on and jump in my car,” Keever said.
The movement to streamline medicine in America means OB/GYN physicians are also increasingly treating any health care issues that crop up during a woman’s pregnancy, not just delivering their babies. An ear infection no longer means a separate trip to the family doc.
“It is really total care of the pregnant or reproductive age woman,” Keever said.
The growing role of her practice and growing volume of patients is prompting Keever to add a fourth doctor, but she said she is going to take her time to find the right person. In fact, she’ll be recruiting two doctors, since a longtime doctor in the practice, Dr. Anton Van Duuren, is soon retiring.
“We want people who will be part of the community and will stick around,” Keever said. “I really want to build this into something great.”
chance to weigh in on the issue.
Walmart’s roadside sign is 15 feet taller than allowed under the town sign rules. When old signs are replaced, they are supposed to come into compliance with current sign rules, but Walmart is hoping to keep its grandfathered status. It also wants bigger signs on its store façade than are currently allowed. The Sylva planning board recommended the town deny Walmart’s request.
At March’s meeting, the town’s board members were split over whether or not to grant Walmart a pardon on their signs. But it remains to be seen whether they’ll call for a vote even if a representative for Walmart is absent.
Moody said that decision will be up to the board members, as he only votes in the case of a tie. But he is growing impatient.
“You can’t keep dragging things on forever,” Moody said. “We try to accommodate people but at some point it needs to be cutoff.”
Dr. Janine Keever
Waynesville, Lake Junaluska hammer out details of merger
BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFFWRITER
The town of Waynesville has a large checklist to tackle in the coming months before Lake Junaluska is officially added to the town limits.
The number of homes served by the town will jump by 15 percent in one fell swoop. Along with the additional 765 homes, there’s the sprawling Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center that draws upwards of 100,000 guests a year — so it’s not as easy as drawing a new line on a map.
The town must hire new police officers and map new patrol routes. It must craft an itinerary for picking up trash, recycling and yard trimmings. It has to wrangle all the addresses into its billing system for property taxes and utilities.
As town department heads hammer out their respective pieces of the municipal puzzle, Town Planner Paul Benson has been laying the groundwork for a zoning plan for the community that will stipulate things like residential housing density and architectural standards for commercial development.
“We would like to move Lake Junaluska as smoothly as we can into the Waynesville zoning scheme,” Benson said. “I like to think everyone would be in accord on this.”
Benson doesn’t foresee any hiccups, or even much debate. Lake Junaluska has fairly strict community covenants and deed restrictions already, so a zoning plan doesn’t need to be created from whole cloth.
“Codify what’s there,” Benson said of the strategy.
Benson said the town doesn’t have an agenda or motive in getting the community to
annexation, and we are trying to be respectful in not getting out in front of the legislature,” said Young.
A bill officially bringing Lake Junaluska into Waynesville’s town limits has passed the N.C. Senate and will likely move through the N.C. House of Representatives in May. The launch date for the merger to become official is Aug. 31.
A zoning plan for Lake Junaluska likely won’t be ready by then. A public forum would be held so Lake Junaluska residents can weigh in on a community zoning plan, Benson said. It would then need to be approved by the town planning board and board of aldermen, including holding an official public hearing.
So there could be a couple of months lag time between the merger taking effect and a zoning plan being ready to implement. But Benson said that’s not a big deal.
“It hasn’t been zoned for 100 years,” Benson said. “The only issue would be the bizarre scenario that somebody did something really objectionable and people looked at the town as said ‘Why didn’t you zone it faster?’”
Lake Junaluska’s covenants and deed restrictions already do the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping out unsavory and incompatible development, however. Those would continue to apply even after the town’s official zoning plan takes effect.
“Property covenants supersede the town’s ordinances,” said Koontz.
covenants are tougher than the town’s standards would be, such as rules stipulating how close to the property line someone can build a storage shed.
“The stricter requirement would prevail,” Benson said.
One question that’s emerged from residents: will they still be able to offer their homes as vacation rentals? About a quarter of the homes at the lake are rented out at some point in the year, although most of those are rented for just a week here and there when the owner isn’t using the house themselves.
The town zoning wouldn’t change that. There are rental homes all over Waynesville, Benson said.
Some residents hope being in the town’s zoning jurisdiction will fix the issue of absentee homeowners who are remiss in keeping up with yard work. The town regulations require regular mowing. If grass becomes too long, the town mows it and bills the homeowner for it under its zoning rules, which would be a welcome recourse for some neighbors of unkempt properties.
ascribe to a particular vision, other than what the community itself wants.
“I think it will be a very smooth process,” agreed Pat Koontz, an elected member of the Junaluska Community Council.
For example, Lake Junaluska’s covenants already prevent condos or apartments from being plunked down in neighborhoods.
The town does, however, have architectural rules for commercial development. The town doesn’t allow windowless cinderblock or sheet metal buildings, for example. Businesses must have sidewalks, attractive landscaping and awnings over the front door. Signs must be tidy and not obnoxiously large. And no blinking neon lights.
“All of our design standards would apply,” Benson said.
But those rules aren’t expected to be an issue either, since the only commercial property in the Lake Junaluska community is owned by the conference and retreat center itself.
The retreat center has a 10-year master plan that calls for major renovations and additions to campus, but building designs would be stylish enough to sail through the town’s commercial guidelines, according to Buddy Young, the Lake Junaluska Public Works director. The whole point of the plan, after all, is to give the campus an aesthetic makeover.
Still, “That will be something new,” Benson said. “There will be somebody regulating the conference center now. I am sure the town’s stance would be whatever the conference center wants to do.”
For now, any further work on the zoning plan for Lake Junaluska is on hold until the merger is finalized by the state.
“We have a small but vocal opposition to
In many cases, Lake Junaluska’s
Since many of Lake Junaluska’s homeowners are seasonal residents — more than half in fact — the increase to Waynesville’s actual population isn’t as substantial as the number of homes being added. But the addition of Lake Junaluska will push Waynesville over the population milestone of more than 10,000 residents, bringing the town from around 9,900 fulltime, year-round residents to about 10,500.
Bryson Farm Supply & Natural Food Store
Joining the town of Waynesville will bring a zoning plan to Lake Junaluska. Town planning staff have created a preliminary map of what that may look like. Donated
Continuing Education
Cherokee bear zoos get reprieve from tribe for now
BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER
After months of debate and protest, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Tribal Council voted to let the bear zoos on the Qualla Boundary remain open, although it was not unanimous.
For more information, rharrison@haywood.edu or call 565-4241
Auto Certifications
Online classes begin each month: May 15, June 19, and July 17. A 5-day enrollment notification is requested for online courses. For details, visit www.ed2go.com/haywood
The three bear zoos in Cherokee have come under fire on and off during the past few years, especially two that keep bears in concrete pits for tourists to view. A video that showed bears in Chief Saunooke Bear Park pacing in concrete pits and chewing on metal bars until their teeth snapped prompted new outcries earlier this year.
The video incited new calls for tribal council to pull the bear zoos’ business permits. The council held repeated discussion on the matter, but last month, tribal council voted to allow the bear zoos to keep operating. Three council members — Perry Shell, Terri Henry and Bo Taylor — dissented.
The tribe has minimum standards the bear zoos must meet, like hosing down the animals’ cages once a day, providing adequate food, not restraining them with collars, chains or stakes, and holding them in an ironor steel-barred cage that is at least eight feet by 12 feet by six feet.
Tribal Council Member Diamond Brown said council needs to strengthen its standards. However, no specific date or time has been set to review them.
“The reason why is we have been focused on getting that casino,” said Brown. Tribal Council recently approved plans for a second casino establishment in Murphy, which has been a time consuming issue to hammer out during the past two months.
Brown said he would like to see a sanctuary built for the bears, one where they have plenty of room to roam and a creek to hunt fish in, since they cannot be released into the wild.
Cherokee Bear Zoo and Santa’s Land owners have complained they were unfairly being lumped in with Chief Saunooke Bear Park, which was shut down by federal inspectors earlier this year pending corrections.
‘One-Day Website’ class offered at WCU
Learn the basics of developing a website in “The One-Day Website” class from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in Room 134 of Western Carolina University’s Cordelia Camp Building. Learn to design, create, publish and maintain the files for a website. Bring a jump drive or disc containing any pictures, logos or other files they wish to use on their websites. No knowledge of HTML or other technical experience is required. Cost is $59.
Register. www.learn.wcu.edu or 828.227.7397.
Flying club encounters turbulence in shared plane venture
BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER
Shortly after takeoff, the Smoky Mountain Flying Club is having to reroute its course.
The flying club nearly lost an $11,000 non-refundable down payment on an airplane after a deal with investors went bad.
The club members put up the down payment in hopes of buying a plane they could share amongst themselves, as many do not have their own aircraft. Investors were going to put up the rest of the money to buy the plane, then recoup it from club members who would pay to rent the plane.
After forking over the $11,000, however, the investors fell through, and the club faced losing its nonrefundable down payment.
South Carolina last month.
The club’s president, Tom Stovall, set up a company called Jackson County Aviation, for the purpose of buying the plane and then renting to out to club members and flying students. Stovall had outside investors of his own, who he said backed out and left him unable to pull off the transaction.
“I had a couple of investors go sideways, so that threw a little thing into the deal,” Stovall said.
Fearful of losing the club’s down payment, Sottile said he had to step in and take out a nearly $40,000 personal loan to help purchase the $67,000 lightly used plane in full.
“It’s a beautiful aircraft. We’re dying that we can’t fly this thing.”
— Jim Sottile, Smoky Mountain Flying Club vice president
Jim Sottile, the club’s vice president, borrowed money from a friend to pull off the purchase, but now has to raise money to pay back his friend — or the club will have to sell the plane and use the proceeds to pay back the friend. That would leave the club back at ground zero with no plane for members to fly.
“If someone doesn’t show up, we’ll probably have to sell it and start from scratch,” Sottile said. The club is based in Macon and Jackson counties.
The club had been scouting an airplane for months before purchasing the Evektor, a light sport aircraft, from a private owner in
However, that was only a temporary measure, and he is hoping someone will step in to either buy the plane outright or lease it from the club in a matter of weeks.
Stovall said the issue will be taken up at the club’s meeting this weekend, and he was hesitant to talk in further detail until after the members met. He said his company was still looking for an investor but that things remained “up in the air.”
Meanwhile, the plane remains grounded at the Jackson County Airport.
However, Sottile remains optimistic that someone with a passion for aviation and a mind for business will invest in the venture and turn it into a profitable one. The club already has a solid member base of 20, and more who will sign on if the club has its plane
Sweepstakes industry chalks up tiny victory with uncertain bearing
BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER
Aconvenience store owner in Macon County was let off the hook by a judge for four misdemeanor charges of operating illegal sweepstakes machines — but it will have little or no bearing on the state’s ban on the machines.
The outcome of the single case also will not affect other similar cases cropping up across the state nor how police enforce the law against rouge sweepstakes operators flaunting the ban.
In December, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the video sweepstakes are a form of gambling and thus illegal under state law, despite protests from the gambling machine industry that the law didn’t apply to sweepstakes.
In January, law enforcement slowly began shutting down sweepstakes parlors and issuing cease and desist notices to gas stations sporting the machines.
Those who kept running the games were charged.
situation on sure footing. Only a few of the current members own planes, Sottile said, and most are looking for one on hand for leisure trips.
Sottile also thinks, with the plane hangared near Western Carolina University, that a large contingent of student pilots would pay for flight lessons and for a ride in the airplane.
“We need somebody who wants to run the operation and make a few bucks,” Sottile said.
Furthermore, Sottile said the greatest appeal of the club’s new airplane is that it’s a light sport aircraft, meaning to fly it a pilot only needs the light sport license, not a more rigorous standard aviator’s license. Sottile said the light sport license requires a driver’s
license and airtime.
The limitations are that the plane can only go up with one passenger and must be flown on clear days under 140 miles per hour. But the good news is it’s much more friendly for a beginner or hobby pilot.
The light sport aircraft has been the bucking the trend in recent years. As the overall number of new pilots has been on the decline since 2002, the field of light sport has been growing in popularity.
The only thing that’s bugging Sottile now is that no one in the club can take the shiny plane into the air while the financial details are been worked out.
“It’s a beautiful aircraft,” Sottile said. “We’re dying that we can’t fly this thing.”
Police in Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Sylva, Canton and deputies in Macon County made arrests.
Among those charged was Mark Berry, a convenience store owner in Macon County. Attorneys George Hyler and Steve Agan of Asheville represented Berry, who has four machines from the Georgia-based company Gift Surplus in his store.
The machines are different from previous incarnations of sweepstakes gambling. Instead of winning cash payouts, players only win prizes.
Once someone is done playing, a receipt prints out with his or her winnings, which may be redeemed for a prize. The idea is similar to playing games at an arcade, where kids received tickets that they can trade in for prizes.
During Berry’s court hearing, an expert witness was called in to testify and claimed the specific brand and type of machines in Berry’s business were legal.
District Court Judge Donna Forga, who
heard Berry’s case, declined to comment on her decision.
“I don’t think I could do that,” Forga said. “Especially because there are other cases that are so similar that are still pending.”
Although she found Berry not guilty, certain facts surrounding the other pending cases may be different and sway another district judge to rule differently.
“This is one judge’s interpretation of the law,” said Brian Welch, attorney for the Macon County Sheriff’s Department. “Other district court judges could see different.”
As a district court judge, Forga’s ruling has no bearing on the law, and it does not mean that sweepstakes machines offering prize winnings are now legal. For example, just because a judge finds someone not guilty of robbery does not mean robbery is deemed legal.
“She did not make any findings of fact of the legality of the machines,” said District Attorney Mike Bonfoey. “(The verdict) could mean that the state did not prove its case or she had a reasonable doubt.”
However, it is clear that sweepstakes manufactures and parlor owners are gearing up for a legal challenge over the ban in a higher court, which could have future implications. A judge from a superior court would need to rule in favor of sweepstakes owners and conclude that
the new machines are legal before it impacts the state law.
After the verdict, Berry is once again operating the sweepstakes machines. Welch admitted that some might take the not guilty verdict as license to turn their video gaming machines back on if they believe they will face little or no repercussions. But he said the sheriff’s department will not change how it enforces the current ban on the contraptions.
“We are still going to investigate any complaints and reports we get,” Welch said.
Although the legality of the new machines is still up in the air, it is clear that law enforcement agencies are once again being forced to wade into murky waters when it comes to whether certain video gambling machines are permissible.
“We are still in a grey area. The same grey area we have been in for years now,” Welch said. Judges will hear similar sweepstakes cases — a routine proceeding where a judge hears the facts of a misdemeanor charge before rendering a verdict and sentence — in Jackson, Haywood and Macon counties in May. The expert who testified in the Macon hearing, Nick Farley, owner of a regulatory compliance test laboratory that inspects sweepstakes machines in Ohio, will also star in an upcoming Haywood County case.
The Evektor aircraft the Smoky Mountain Flying Club recently purchased is grounded at the Jackson County Airport. Andrew Kasper photo
Window is closing for stalled room tax increase in Haywood
BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER
Astate bill that would raise Haywood County’s lodging tax is still sitting idly in committee in Raleigh with no signs of going up for a vote soon in the General Assembly.
The bill has until May 16 to pass the Senate; otherwise, it will die in committee, and the county will have to wait two years before putting up a similar piece of legislation.
“If it is going to make it, it needs to make it now,” said Ken Stahl, the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority board’s finance chair.
Specifically, the bill asks for permission to increase the county’s lodging tax from 4 percent to 6 percent. The tax is tacked onto the cost of an overnight stay in a Haywood County accommodation, and the proceeds are used to promote the county as a vacation destination and fund tourism initiatives.
The additional 2 percent, however, would be set aside expressly for tourism-related capital projects. The extra 2 percent would focus on broadening attractions in Haywood County in an attempt to attract more people to the area.
Although supporters of the increase have tossed around the idea of a sports complex in Jonathan Creek, which the county purchased land for in 2007 but has yet to build, TDA board members mentioned at a recent meeting that projects such as an ice-skating rink in Maggie Valley would also be good candidates for funding if the 2 percent increase was enacted.
Maggie Valley leaders have looked into an ice-skating rink, which could draw tourists to the valley and give them another winter activity in addition to skiing at Cataloochee.
“It sounds like a 2 percent project for me,” Matthews said.
TDA board member and Maggie Valley Restaurant owner James Carver didn’t see why the bill shouldn’t move on when all the elected county and town leaders in the county are for it — with the lone exception of two Maggie Valley aldermen.
Maggie Valley — to be on board before he would usher it to passage.
Opponents of the tax increase have argued that the added cost would deter potential lodging customers and penalize lodging owners. They have also questioned whether a sports complex would actually draw people.
Teams from surrounding areas such as Knoxville play in tournaments monthly at the baseball fields in Canton. Although Samuel Carver, owner of Waynesville Inn Golf Resort and Spa and TDA board member, had families stay in his establishment during a tournament this month, others said they did not receive any calls from teams.
Specifically, the bill asks for permission to increase the county’s lodging tax from 4 percent to 6 percent.
“I didn’t get a phone call,” said Lyndon Lowe, owner of Cabins and RV’s at Twinbrook Resort in Maggie Valley. Other board members said part of the problem could be that people don’t realize how close Maggie Valley is. They also suggested that chambers of commerce or lodging associations attend the tournaments and hand out lists of accommodations and things to do in Haywood County to maximize the number of people staying in the county.
Currently, some team members and their families stay just over the county line in Buncombe.
“We have two individuals who oppose it, and they oppose it because they don’t understand it,” Carver said. “The 2 percent is a gold mine.”
People don’t see the benefit of a baseball complex right now. But if they did, their tune would change, said TDA board member Beth Brown.
By allowing the bill to die, business owners “shoot themselves in the foot because that is the smartest thing they can do to hurt their own business,” said Canton Town Manager Al Matthews, who serves on the TDA board.
The bill cannot move forward, however, without the support of Sen. Jim Davis, RFranklin, who has maintained that he wants everyone in agreement — including outliers in
“It’s not going to be a shove down the throat for these ball fields; it will be ‘Yeah, bring it on,’” Brown said.
The fine print of ‘paid for by’ line debated by tourism funding arm
BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER
f the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority is footing the bill for a magazine ad, brochure, sign — you name it — the tourism agency deserves recognition, tourism board members reaffirmed last week.
Namely, the ad should say “paid for by” or “paid in part by” the Haywood County TDA, he argued.
“If the TDA is sponsoring somewhere, it needs to be acknowledged,” Matthews said.
“I think adding another logo would be really confusing for the consumer,” said Audrey Hagar, director of the Maggie Valley fairgrounds.
The tourism agency dishes out close to $200,000 a year to festivals, chambers of commerce and niche marketing campaigns in the county. It’s a standing, written policy that those ads give credit give for the funding where credit is due.
But organizations in Maggie Valley have instead been putting the contact information for the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce on ads rather than the countywide tourism agency. While it didn’t follow the letter of the guidelines, it was tacitly allowed.
“That has been the verbal agreement. It is not written into the guidelines,” said Lynn Collins, executive director of the TDA.
The board voted to reaffirm current rules that are technically already on the books that would make it mandatory for advertising to state that it was funded fully or partially by the TDA. The line would give the tourism agency the recognition it desires without cluttering advertisements with too much information.
Historically, the TDA required people to include the agency’s logo, phone number and website in any marketing that it contributed to, but the information sometimes got lost amid details about the business or event and logos for other organizations such as a chamber of commerce.
“If you are going with a sixth of a page ad, that logo gets so illegible that it is a waste of space,” Collins said.
Hagar said advertising for events already includes the fairgrounds’ logo and information about the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“To ask to add anymore would be a hardship,” she said.
Teresa Smith, executive director of Maggie Valley’s Chamber of Commerce, agreed that too many details would overwhelm people, but simply adding “paid for by” would not.
“You’ve got one logo, you’ve got one website and you’ve got who it’s paid by,” Smith said. “You’ve got all of it without gumming it up.”
The topic came up again at a recent TDA board meeting after Canton Town Manager and TDA board member Al Matthews noticed that in some advertising, the tourism agency’s contribution was not even noted.
“If the TDA is paying half or more, it should be on there,” Matthews said.
But, some TDA board members contended that the tourism agency cannot dole out funding with nothing in return. The board batted around requiring the TDA’s logo, but once again, some thought that the addition would overload ads with too much information, making it less effective.
In the past, the TDA punished business owners who neglected to list it as a sponsor in its marketing and promotion efforts. In 2009, the tourism agency promised Skipper Russell, owner of Corn Maize in Canton, $3,000 to advertising the corn maze.
Russell spent $8,000 on advertisements but forgot to mention the TDA’s contribution in any of them. Because of that, the authority refused to give him the $3,000 it had agreed to.
HCC moves forward with law enforcement, emergency responder training site
BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFFWRITER
The Haywood Community College Board of Trustees has given preliminary approval for the construction of a training facility for law enforcement and emergency service workers.
“We are excited about it,” said Bill Dechant, director of campus development.
The center will focus on providing continued education for emergency service workers, such as firefighters, emergency medical responders and police. The center will include a classroom building as well as a live burn tower and an emergency training tower, which can be used to practice repelling and other skills.
“There is no place in the county for these guys to get this kind of training,” Dechant said. “If they are going to train in it, they have to go out of county.”
The community college will build the facility on property on Armory Drive in Clyde between the Haywood County Public Transit Hub and the National Guard Armory. The first phase, which Dechant said he hopes to start before the end of the year, will include grading, parking and construction of the two towers.
A complete picture of what the training facility will look like has not been decided
yet, however.
“They have talked about what they want in that, but as far as having the final plan, they don’t really have that,” said Debbie Davis, spokeswoman for HCC. “Nothing has been out for bid.”
To help pay for the new facility, the community college will use leftover flood settlement money — about $600,000 — from satellite HCC classrooms in downtown Clyde that were destroyed when the Pigeon River flooded in 2004.
Dechant did not want to speculate on the total construction cost but said the $600,000 should cover most of the first phase of the project.
“Right now, the college is definitely committed to that $600,000,” Dechant said. “We really don’t know where the rest of this money will come from if we need more funds.”
HCC does have money coming in from a quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters for capital projects on campus, if college leaders decide to tap into that revenue source.
A steering committee will meet this week to begin nailing down more specific details about the facility’s appearance and amenities.
“It is something that we are going to get the ball rolling on,” Dechant said.
Gone, but not forgotten: Confederate Flag issue in Haywood could re-emerge soon
Haywood County commissioners may soon revisit the unsettled issue of whether Confederate Flags can be flown on the lawn of the historic Waynesville courthouse.
County commissioners were caught in a maelstrom last year when a philosophical debate broke out between supporters and opponents of the Confederate Flag. Proponents wanted to place Confederate flags at the base of a Confederate memorial on the courthouse lawn to honor veterans who fought in the Civil War. But the county received complaints from those offended by the flags and enacted a temporary ban.
The county commissioners contemplated an official flag policy but never formally adopted it, citing the need to work with the language some more.
In the meantime, the debate simmered down. The flag policy may come back up for discussion this month, however.
“I do think it is going to be on the agenda sometime in May,” said David Teague, the county’s public information officer.
— By Reporter Caitlin Bowling
Stamp out hunger with mail carrier food drive
Mail carriers in Haywood County will collected non-perishable food items for the National Letter Carriers’ “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive on Saturday, May 11.
All food gathered will go to Haywood Christian Ministry, the Open Door, Canton Community Kitchen, and the Salvation Army. Those agencies will welcome volunteers to unload food donations at each location beginning at 1 p.m. on May 11.
Last year, nearly 41,000 pounds of food was gathered in Haywood County. The mail carrier food drive is held nationwide that day.
Place canned goods or other non-perishable items in your mailbox before the mail carrier stops by to pick your mail on that Saturday. People may also leave donations at the post office. Do not include any items in glass.
Bill could move legal notices from newspapers to the Internet
BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER
In several counties in Western North Carolina, a showdown between the printed word and the digital age could soon take place. A bill has passed the N.C. Senate that allows some town and county governments in the region to opt out of placing legal and public notices in the community newspapers of record and instead put them on a government website.
The debate has fiscal conservatives and proponents of local government autonomy pitted against skeptics who believe the losers will be residents who will no longer be able to keep a watchful on their elected officials.
Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, is a staunch supporter of the bill and included in it five of the seven counties in his district — Graham, Macon, Swain, Haywood and Jackson. Davis said towns and county governments statewide spend $11 million combined on printing such public notices, which they are required to do by law to advertise public meetings, tax matters, election notices, bids for government contracts and more.
Taking away the requirement of printing the notices in the local newspaper of record and giving towns and counties the cheaper alternative of posting the notices on the Internet was a no-brainer for Davis.
“Anytime I can give local government options to save money, I’ll do it,” Davis said.
The bill is of the local variety, which means it will only affect the counties that are named in it. Originally, all seven of the counties in Davis’ district were named in the bill, but Cherokee and Clay counties were left off the final draft because government officials there did not contact Davis in time to be included.
Local bills are limited to 14 counties. The N.C. House of Representatives must still pass the measure.
Davis gave up the two counties in order for another lawmaker jump on board. But he said he plans to add Cherokee and Clay counties in a future bill.
Although Davis acknowledges that perhaps some of the counties and towns named on the bill are not willing participants, he said the bill only gives them the option of switching to a web-based announcement system. If county commissioners or town alderman decide to keep paying for a newspaper to print their notices, then that is OK as well.
The key is that they’ll have a choice, Davis said. To go digital, governing boards will have to adopt a resolution, according to the bill.
“Right now, they don’t have the option, but if it passes, they will have the option,” Davis said. “If they chose not to do it, that’s their business.”
Opinions are split on the matter among municipal and county governments in the region. In Franklin, Alderman Bob Scott asked whether the mountainous reaches of the state,
where Internet is sometimes scarce, would be a good location to do away with print notifications and rely on an all-digital format. He disagreed with Davis’ move to include the mountain region on a bill with the likes of Mecklenburg, Wake, Durham and Forsyth counties, where Internet access is easier to come by.
“I don’t understand why he’s doing this,” Scott said. “We’ve got so many people in the western part of the state that don’t have Internet service.”
In prior years, Scott has pushed the town to expand its printed notifications and said he plans on introducing a preemptive resolution
for the year for printing such notices.
“The whole things just makes no sense at me to all,” Scott said. “It’s not a major savings, and it denies the public’s right to know through newspapers what their government is doing.”
It’s without question that community newspapers would see a considerable drop in revenue without the reliable money they collect from public notices. But civic engagement, not revenue, was the focus of an editorial printed recently in the Franklin Press, a newspaper which has been in publication since 1886. The opinion piece protested the Senate bill because of its possible consequences.
hearings, meetings, delinquent tax lists, grant programs and more.
Nevertheless, Wooten said the costs are not the driving factor behind the county wanting a digital alternative. If the bill passes, Wooten said the county will most likely continue to pay to print certain public notices but avoid them when the cycle of the weekly newspaper in Jackson County becomes cumbersome to public business.
“With one local paper, then you’re kind of at the mercy of your paper,” Wooten said. “Like it or not, we’re heading toward the electronic age.”
For example, when the county seizes property for unpaid taxes and then auctions it off, it must follow a certain schedule for accepting bids. If the paper’s print deadline doesn’t line up correctly with the auction cycle, a process that should only take 10 days can take two weeks or more. If the county goes online, the process could be streamlined.
Furthermore, Wooten said the county could set up a public notification page, email alerts and post fliers for citizens interested in receiving the notices. However, he did acknowledge that there are readers who scan the pages of public notices in small print, tucked away in the back of the paper, and many may not have Internet access.
We don’t want anyone to ever feel that we’re trying not to be transparent. There are people who actually do read those legal ads.”
— Chuck Wooten, Jackson County manager
at the Franklin Town Board’s meeting in May. The resolution would ensure the town keeps publishing print notices regardless of the state bill. In 2011, the town voted to oppose a similar bill that was making its way through the legislature.
Although savings to the larger municipalities covered in the bill could be significant, Scott pointed out that the savings the town of Franklin would realize by going digital would be inconsequential, even more so when compared to the potential consequences of leaving residents in the dark on public matters.
Since July, the town has spent just under $1,500 in legal advertising with the Franklin Press, the Macon County’s newspaper of record. However, $7,500 had been budgeted
Rachel Hoskins, the newspaper’s publisher, said the Macon County publication still reaches readers who aren’t connected to the Internet. Hoskins said if notices go digital, the public would be getting the raw deal.
“I think that anytime government makes it more difficult for the general public to engage in their activities, the public loses,” Hoskins said.
But there are also supporters of the bill, many of whom have lobbied for its passage into law. One of the bill’s proponents is Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten. Jackson County spends an average of more than $13,000 on legal notices each year with the Sylva Herald, the county’s newspaper of record. It regularly prints notices on public
“I guess we’d have to deal with that in some way. We don’t want anyone to ever feel that we’re trying not to be transparent.” Wooten said.
“There are people who actually do read those legal ads.”
Mark Swanger, chairman of the Haywood County Commission, is one of those people.
“If you’re sitting reading a newspaper ands see the legal notices, you might be prompted to catch something you wouldn’t normally catch,” Swanger said. “That happens to me sometimes — I see something in the newspaper and take an interest in it.” Conversely, there may not be much draw for normal folks to go out of their way to review the latest legal postings on the county’s website, Swanger said. As one of the largest counties in Western North Carolina, Haywood County may stand to save the most from switching to digital notification. During the past two years, the county spent just under $50,000 in legal advertising.
Nonetheless, Swanger contended the county’s demographics might not be the best suited for digital notifications.
“I would discourage the broad use of it for the most part,” Swanger said. “Not everyone can just go online to a website to access information.”
The argument of limited Internet access is one of the primary reasons the N.C. Press Association has staunchly opposed the bill at the state level. According to Beth Grace, executive director of the press association, presenting the changes to the laws about public notices as just another option for local governments is disingenuous.
“This bill takes public notices and hides them in plain sight on government websites,” Grace said. “It’s making
Firefighter safety versus right to build steep driveways
BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER
The Jackson County Planning Board debated where to draw the line between safety and individual rights last month in its ongoing rewrite of steep slope rules. Specifically, should driveways to homes on steep slopes have to meet safety standards?
The current ordinance limits how steep or narrow roads leading to multiple houses can be but does not address individual driveways.
Richard Frady, the former Cullowhee fire chief and a planning board member, feels strongly the county should ensure the safety of its residents.
“We have an obligation to look at the potential of health and safety issues for the residents of the county as we develop this ordinance,” Frady said.
driveway and what do you get?” he said.
Furthermore, fire departments must use a larger truck as the one of the first responders out of the station to maintain better fire insurance ratings to benefit all county residents. And sometimes parking at the base of the driveway and running a hose up the hill is not an option, due to the drop in water pressure as the hoses are stretched.
However, at a recent board meeting, Frady’s safety-first philosophy met with pushback from several other board members.
Mark Koenig, a homebuilder and the board’s chairman, said he would not be in favor of dictating minimum driveway widths in the Mountain Hillside Development Ordinance.
“Do we want to tell people what to do with their own driveway or not?” asked Koenig.
Koenig’s sentiments were backed by several other board members who said they felt that
“We have an obligation to look at the potential of health and safety issues for the residents of the county as we develop this ordinance.”
Many mountain homes are reached by windy, steep, narrow unpaved drives. Firefighters, medical responders and law enforcement responding to a 911 call can have trouble reaching the home.
“We don’t need to be overbearing with superhighways, but we need safe means to be able to get the fire truck and ambulance to those residences,” Frady said. “I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
Frady said he’d like to see that change in the new set of rules, including wider turning radius and minimum road widths. Frady acknowledged that mountainside homes will always pose a problem for emergency personnel but certain standards could do a lot to help the larger fire trucks, typically 8.5 feet in diameter.
“Try to put an 8.5-foot truck on a 7-foot
people search for something they don’t even know exists.”
And the bill has caused quite a stir. After it was voted on in committee, a dispute allegedly transpired between newspaper publishers, the press association members and the senate committee chairman Tommy Tucker, RWaxhaw. The newsman questioned how Tucker declared a clear winner in a 6-5 voice vote.
Tucker allegedly told some in the group something to the extent of, “I am the senator. You are the citizen. You need to be quiet.”
Although Tucker has publicly disputed the quote, the debate highlights the heated opinions on both sides. Grace said there is no recording of the exchange.
The association will now take the fight to the N.C. House of Representatives to try and stop its passage there. But it is just one of many the association has taken up this year. There are currently a handful of bills in different stages of the General Assembly that chip away at the notification requirements for everything
— Richard Frady, planning board member
it should be left up to the landowner to decide whether to provide emergency responders with a clear and safe route to their houses.
Board Member Mark Jamison countered that the issue comes down to basic consumer rights for homebuyers looking to purchase a residence in Jackson County. He said the rules should provided basic protections, since average buyers might not be experts in road standards and would benefit from a county ordinance that has their safety in mind.
Furthermore, he said the rewrite of the ordinance should consider the safety of the emergency responders themselves, regardless of the property owners’ decisions.
“I don’t care if they can get to my house or not when it burning,” Jamison said. “But regardless, they’re going to try.”
from storage unit liens to the environment.
Grace speculated that part of the push is motivated by legislators unhappy with the news coverage and looking to affect the checkbooks of their local newspapers. Small, familyowned publications will most likely be hit the hardest by a drop in printed public notices, Grace said.
“We think this is mostly about lawmakers that don’t like their local papers and want to hurt them,” Grace said.
However, the association has at least one ally in the House. Rep. Joe Sam Queen, DWaynesville, said he is not on board with the changes proposed for his district. Queen said the newspapers have been publishing notices for so long they know how to do it right, and predicted that the added costs of maintaining a current website with all the notices might negate the savings from not advertising for smaller governments.
“I’m all for adding Internet notices but not for eliminating or substituting Internet notices for the newspapers ones,” Queen said.
Conservation funding on the rocks in state budget forecast
BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER
The state fund that helped conserve miles of riverfront, protect thousands of acres of undeveloped mountainsides and build countless sewer and water projects in Western North Carolina is hanging on by a thread.
Once funded at $100 million per year, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund has a bleak outlook. Governor Pat McCroy wants to cut the fund to $6.8 million next year and has made no promise of funds for the year after.
It would amount to a roughly 95 percent cut during the span of five years.
“It just doesn’t come close to meeting all the water quality issues out there,” said Richard Rogers, executive director of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. But he then added a touch of optimism. “We will say we’re glad he put us in the budget.”
The fund has been a go-to pool of money for conservation groups and local governments for water quality projects since 1996. The fund has saved thousands of acres from development in Western North Carolina, in turn protecting water quality of the streams and rivers. Money has been used to buy ecologically important tracts outright — which are then added to the state’s network of game lands, state parks or state forests. Other times, the money is an incentive for the owner of a tract to put the land in a conservation easement.
This year, the fund had only about $14 million to work with. Next year, if the governor’s proposed cuts go into effect, Rogers is wondering how he will divide such a small amount among $50 million in projects that have applied for funding.
He’s hoping the fund will be resuscitated in the final version of the budget. The N.C. Senate is expected to release its budget soon, and Rogers has been lobbying hard. Environmental groups are in his corner as
What the fund does
Since 2006, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund has contributed to a number of water quality projects in Western North Carolina. Millions of dollars have gone to help county and local governments with water and sewer projects and to purchase sensitive tracts of land to protect water quality.
• Preserved the Needmore and Cold Mountain Gamelands and the municipal watersheds of Canton, Waynesville, Sylva,
well, calling on lawmakers to provide the fund at least $20 million.
“We understand the economy is tight, budgets are tight,” Rogers said. “But the economy is turning around, and it’s time we invest in the protection of our drinking water supplies.”
Changes in the fund have also resulted in changes in the way environmental groups are able to conduct business. At the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, Deputy Director Sharon Taylor said the organization once had a certain amount of certitude that it would receive assistance from the fund for projects it spearheaded. That is no longer the case. As the fund has been cut year after year since 2008, it has become harder to contribute to projects like it once could. In 2011, the legislature changed the way money was allocated to the fund. Instead of an automatic annual appropriation, it had to be funded as a line item each year, making the
The Needmore Tract is an expansive property along the Little Tennessee River that was protected from development with the help of $7 million or so from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Donated photo
And nobody believes that more than Bill Gibson. As former regional director with the Southwestern Commission, which provides assistance to local governments, Gibson worked on a series of watershed protection endeavors that permanently conserved thousands of acres with help from the fund.
As towns in WNC outgrew drinking water reservoirs fed by high mountain streams, and instead began drawing their water supply from larger rivers, decision makers were faced with the conundrum of what to do with the mountainsides where their old reservoirs were. The development boom of the mid-2000s meant lucrative offers were rolling in to buy the old watersheds from towns. Bryson City had an offer on the table for its watershed; Canton had been contacted by potential developers interested in purchasing lands on its 870-acre watershed.
“They were all under some threat of development,” Gibson said.
and Bryson City.
• Assisted in stream restoration work in Haywood and Macon counties.
• Funded sewer improvements for Bryson City, Highlands and the Tuckaseigee Sewer and Water Association and eliminated failing septic tanks on Fontana Lake and in Jackson, Swain and Graham counties.
• Contributed to greenway projects in Franklin and Jackson County and storm water runoff projects in Waynesville, Sylva and Highlands.
funding less secure and less predictable.
“Before there was more of an assurance that we were going to be able to get the funding,” Taylor said. “Now, there’s just not enough funding to go around.”
At the heart of the LTLT’s mission is protecting area waterways, which means the group and the fund have crossed paths on many projects during the years. The organization has worked on more than 30 projects that received grants from the fund.
One of the most recent is a 39-acre tract conserved along the Little Tennessee with the help of $160,000 from the trust fund. It will be turned over to the N.C. Wildlife Commission for inclusion in the Needmore Gamelands.
“It’s been superb in allowing us to protect the water quality along the Little Tennessee River,” Taylor said. “It really has done so much good in this area.”
But instead, Gibson and other environmental advocates were able to use millions in dollars from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund to help place a number of the watersheds in conservation easements — including Canton, Sylva, Bryson City, Andrews and Murphy. Some of the towns still use the lands to provide supplemental water.
But Gibson worries about all the potential land conservation WNC is missing out on because the fund is depleted. Now, in the wake of the housing market bust, it would be a prime time to purchase failed subdivisions along streams or with prime water resources.
“But there’s just no money to do it now,” Gibson said.
He also wondered where an infrastructure project like the sewer line built in Sylva to stop residents from straight-piping sewage into Scott’s Creek would be without the assistance it received from the fund. Or, in what condition Fontana Lake would be without the project to install holding tanks at the marinas to keep houseboats from flushing their toilets into the lake.
“The little bit of money left in the Clean Water Management Trust Fund wouldn’t touch a project like that,” Gibson said “There’s just not enough left.”
The trust fund used to receive $175 million or so in applications for funding but are down to $50 million in applications this year. Many would-be applicants realize it is not worth the time to go through with
Tuscola students aim to bring clean water to Uganda
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER
When Sydney Bridges sets out to do something, she doesn’t give up.
A 10th grader at Tuscola High School in Haywood County, Bridges is currently spearheading a fund-raising campaign to build a clear water well in Kampala, Uganda.
“In the beginning, I thought it would be an easy project,” the 15-year-old said. “But, it has been hard, and there have been a lot of obstacles, but I’ve learned you just have to do things yourself, so we’ve just kept going.”
Bridges and several of her classmates have partnered with the Shine Uganda Ministries, a nonprofit orphanage and school for 100 less fortunate children in the African nation. The culmination of their $8,500 fundraising goal will be a “Wishing Well” carnival on May 4 at the Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Waynesville.
few days, $500 was raised — money that was eventually sent to Africa.
“The students really have enjoyed raising the funds,” Pollifrome said. “I think that’s because the project is being led by a student, one of their peers.”
But that wasn’t enough for Bridges. After sending a few emails, she found out they were in desperate need for a well. From there, she started putting together her plan for action.
“You can take a lot of things for granted liv-
Students from Tuscola High School are currently raising money to build a well in Uganda. (From left) English teacher Helen Pollifrome, Lauren Sellers, Kelly Parkins and Sydney Bridges. Garret K. Woodward photo
“I think it’s crazy that a bunch of high school kids can actually come together and work together for one goal, to put yourself aside and help others,” said classmate Kelly Parkins.
The campaign began last summer when the high school was approached by the nonprofit organization Jesus For Change that connects students in the United States with pen pals in Africa. English teacher Helen Pollifrome saw an opportunity to teach her students about global awareness.
“I think this project gives them a better sense of global awareness, that they see that we do live a very privileged life in America,” Pollifrome said. “It can be hard for the students to comprehend there are kids their age that don’t have clean water, and when they make that personal connection, their hearts just go out to them.”
Once they started writing their letters and seeing the photos of the African students online, Bridges noticed the kids carrying water buckets. She investigated further and found out some of them had to walk up to three miles just to retrieve one bucket of water. She soon started a coin drive within the school. In just a
the timely application process if the outlook is not good for funding, according to Tom Massie, Clean Water’s western field representative based in Sylva.
“Many just decide not to submit because they don’t think their chances of being funded are good enough,” Massie said.
Before, about one-third of projects that applied received assistance from the fund. Now about 5 percent do, Massie said. The new com-
WNC native pursues Kenyan well project
Traveling through Kenya as part of his studies in social development at Western Carolina University, Andy Miller found his purpose.
During the trip, he bonded with and befriended Chris Pedo, a WCU international student advisor and native Kenyan, who accompanied the students to his home village.
“When Chris highlighted his personal story about living without basic needs, it just hit me deeply,” Miller said. “We go day-to-day and don’t understand what it’s like not to have water or access to clean water.”
The duo identified the nonprofit Water 4 Foundation, which helps communities build wells and educates community members on maintenance and upkeep.
Want to go?
There will be a “Wishing Well” fund-raising carnival for the Shine Uganda Ministries from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Waynesville. Attendees can expect a slew of games and activities, petting zoo, cakewalk, moon bounce, corn hole and refreshments. Admission is $2 per person. www.shineugandaministries.com.
ing here,” she said. “I’m glad it’s finally all coming together, and it feels good to see these changes.”
Watching her students put together posters for the carnival, talking more ideas and just getting excited for the event, a jovial smile rolls across Pollifrome’s face.
“This is why I do what I do,” she said. “I can teach them to be better readers, better writers, but to see them take those skills and apply it to something they’re passionate about, well, that’s the best reward I can get.”
petitive landscape puts smaller communities at a disadvantage, which can’t devote resources to top-notch applications and grant research.
Yet, those communities are in dire need of the fund to fix their wastewater treatment plants, address broken sewer lines, work on greenway projects and acquire land for hunting and fishing.
“It makes a significant difference to our communities in WNC,” Massie said.
Sam Queen, D-Waynesville. Miller is raising funds in an effort to provide clean water to more than 300 people in Kenya.
Oskar Blues Brewery will be hosting a bluegrass benefit at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at The Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville in hopes of raising the remaining $2,000 needed.
“For the amount we need, it’s amazing how far it can go to help hundreds of people
Andy Miller will be holding a fund-raiser for a well in Kenya on May 4 in Waynesville. Donated photo
“By helping this basic need, you also can eliminate certain disease by having that clean water to drink, to bathe in or for medical purposes,” said Miller, 22, who grew up in Waynesville.
Now graduated, Miller works in Raleigh as the legislative assistant to N.C. Rep. Joe
get clean water that they need,” said Miller, who won the Newman’s Civic Fellows Award at WCU. “It’s a very small cost for a very big positive impact.”
www.classicwineseller.com or 828.452.6000.
Despite failure, time will come for gun legislation
The defeat of gun control legislation in the Senate wasn’t as much surprising as it was disappointing. This is one of those issues — like gay rights or even limits on tobacco advertising and use — that will eventually gain overwhelming support. Public opinion and a changing electorate will eventually win out. I’d bet the farm on it. Unfortunately, many more tragedies — some preventable — and a few more years will have to pass.
Sandy Hook is still fresh in our minds. In truth, the Senate legislation would likely not have stopped a mentally unstable son from murdering his mother and taking her guns into an elementary school. But even the utter senselessness of that massacre was not enough to convince politicians who feared voter amnesia and an election backlash.
The public overwhelmingly favors — by 90 percent in some polls, including NRA members — the types of restrictions contained in the failed Senate legislation: background checks for gun purchases and restrictions on the sale of high-capacity magazines. A similar measure has passed in Connecticut.
The centerpiece of the failed Senate votes was the ManchinToomey bill. Specifically, it would have required private sellers at gun shows and over the Internet to administer background checks through a licensed firearms dealer. That’s it. Seems
Tell your reps to vote against fracking
To the Editor:
Most of us have heard the term fracking by now. In states where this underground energy extraction method is being used, the track record is not good for the folks who live there. Contamination of drinking water, associated health problems and even earthquakes have been tied to fracking.
There has been such a rush to make a profit from these energy sources that the welfare of people living over or near these extraction areas has been largely ignored. North Carolina is poised to give the green light to fracking –in its most populated areas — with virtually no safeguards in place.
It should be obvious to our legislators that a short-term profit from a relative small amount of energy resources should not leave land and drinking water contaminated for centuries. Apparently this is not the case. There is action that you can — and should — take immediately.
On a state level, urge your representative (Rep. Roger West, R-Marble, 919.733.5859 for Macon, Graham, Cherokee and Clay counties; Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, 919.715.3005, for Jackson, Swain and part of Haywood; and Rep. Michelle Presnell, RBurnsville, 919.733.5732 for Madison, Yancey and part of Haywood) to vote against SB 76, which has unfortunately already passed the N.C. Senate under the co-sponsorship of Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and been referred to the House for action. West and Presnell are members of the House Commerce Committee, which will be the first to consider SB 76. This
almost laughable that we don’t have such a law on the books. And, as pointed out earlier, almost all Americans support the measure.
From my perspective, this is the most important gun control legislation needed. If we mandate background checks, and then enact laws that will imprison those who sell firearms illegally, we will get guns out of the hands of some criminals. Sure, the black market will still exist, but most criminals aren’t brain surgeons. If we make it more difficult, some will strike out in their attempt to get a gun.
The debate over how we might wisely regulate our Second Amendment rights has gotten derailed by the gun lobby. I’ve lived just about my entire life in the South and was raised in military communities. I hunted as a kid and was around guns on a regular basis until I left home for college. Both my brothers own guns, as did my father before he passed away. No one is trying to take away the rights of sportsmen to continue hunting and shooting or of homeowners from owning guns for pro-
LETTERS
bill is essentially an end run around previous legislation which would have given timely consideration to the negative impacts of fracking and the measures necessary to assure a continuing healthy living environment for those living in impacted areas.
On a national level, tell your representative (Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, for most of us in Western North Carolina, 202.225.6401) to vote for — and to cosponsor — H.R. 1154, the Bringing Reductions to Energy’s Airborne Toxic Health Effects (BREATHE) Act, and H.R. 1175, the Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydrofracking Environmental Regulation (FRESHER) Act. This legislation has been introduced to protect air and water quality in communities across the country affected by oil and gas drilling. These bills seek to close loopholes that the oil and gas industry has secured that allow them to play by different rules than other industries.
Please take time to call your representatives now, before the opportunities to protect our healthy environment have passed.
Doug Woodward Franklin
Don’t allow filling in of floodplain
To the Editor:
I am a local biologist and an avid outdoorsman and spend a great deal of my time for both business and pleasure in the stream. Historically, we have abused our floodplains all over the world. In many cities,
tection against intruders. As long as you abide by our laws, you can own guns. You screw up, you should lose that right. Seems simple.
The right of Americans to own firearms, however, was not put in the Constitution so citizens could rise up against their own leaders, at least not as long as those leaders are obeying the laws of the land. Yes, the Second Amendment was a check against a tyrannical federal government. The reality, though, is two-fold: one, our government is not going to go totalitarian; and two, millions of automatic weapons are no defense against the military we have in place these days. It’s almost laughable to think otherwise.
That said, the principle enshrined in the Second Amendment is a vital part of our collective national psyche. I get that. Law-abiding citizens deserve to have their gun rights protected. However, in this age of domestic terrorism and crazed shooters popping innocent children in public places, keeping weapons away from criminals is more necessary now than ever. And that’s why this failed attempt at modest regulations is disappointing at a very emotional level. But it’s time will come. A few more gut-wrenching shootings, a few more massacres of innocent children. I wish it weren’t so.
including Franklin, downtowns are built on the floodplain or filled floodplain. Over time, as human population has grown, we have learned what’s wrong with this way of development. We’re probably not going to move Pittsburgh, but we can profit from earlier mistakes. This is a large part of what motivated Macon County, and many other local governments, to adopt a floodplain ordinance.
Our floodplain ordinance leaves plenty of room for debate as to how it should be applied. This is good — there is every reason to be able to discuss how individual floodplain parcels can be used, what can or should be planted or built, and how the risks associated with floodplain development should be assessed and distributed.
Floodplain filling is a distinct case. When you propose to fill a floodplain area, this is no longer a discussion about use, it is a question of circumventing the ordinance by eliminating an inconveniently located portion of floodplain. It is a direct attack on the logic that led to creating a floodplain ordinance. It is, in essence, “fixing the map.”
When working in the stream, I cannot tell you how many landowners approach me just to tell me about what their upstream neighbor has done to the creek and how it impacts their land. The principle, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,” also applies to water. When you fill a portion of the floodplain, you are removing that area from the floodplain — at least until a large flood comes along and decides to reclaim it.
Call me cynical, but if we allow filling of the floodplain, I foresee in the near future the turning of neighbor against neighbor. The first person downstream that chooses not to, or cannot afford to fill their portion, will be
negatively impacted. If you are going to remove the prohibition on floodplain filling, better strike the whole ordinance and abandon the pretense of trying to protect the floodplain, the downstream residents and infrastructure, the river and the common good.
Jason Meador Otto
MedWest Haywood appreciates volunteers
To the Editor:
A smile, a touch, a simple “how are you today?” are some of what I hear and see every day as I walk the halls of Medwest Haywood. Rain, sunshine or snow, those smiles are the ever-present greeting our patients and families receive. Our volunteers go beyond what we could imagine to support our team.
National Volunteer Week was April 21-27. On behalf of our entire team of staff and physicians, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our very special group of volunteers. We don’t say thank you often enough, and we want our volunteers to know how very much we appreciate them, as we could not achieve what we do without them. They devote their time, energy and compassion to give back to the community, and I am glad that they chose our hospital to support.
Join me in congratulating all the men, women and young people who freely dedicate their time to giving back, making a difference in the lives of others each and every day.
Thank you to our amazing volunteers.
Janie Sinacore-Jaberg President and Chief Executive Officer
Medwest Haywood
Editor Scott McLeod
I
n 1953, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, at the urging of the British M16, overthrew democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. In a declassified report completed in 1954 on the 1953 operation, “blowback” for the first time entered the CIA’s lexicon.
At the time, analysts were concerned that the U.S. government’s actions in Iran would yield unintended consequences. It took a long time, but those concerns were finally realized in 1979 when, after 25 years of brutality and corruption from the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution engulfed Iran and Iranian students stormed our embassy and took our people hostage for 444 days.
Then in 2004, a Pentagon Report commissioned by the Bush/Cheney Administration labeled the president’s approach to the so-called “War on Terror” counter-productive. It indicated that contrary to the president’s rhetoric, Muslim terrorists don’t attack us because they hate our freedom; they attack us because they loathe our foreign policy. The report went on to suggest that continuing the policy of occupying Muslim countries will have the effect of radicalizing Muslims and instead of preventing future terrorist attacks will engender them.
Through the patriotic and nationalistic bluster of our politicians and the media, the Pentagon report was mostly forgotten. It took the presidential campaign of Ron Paul in 2008 to bring the issue of blowback back to the forefront. In a Republican presidential candidates’ debate, Congressman Paul was asked about 9-11. He talked about how U.S. foreign policy was a “major contributing factor.” In particular, he cited our bombing of Iraq for 10 years through the 1990s. Then he stated:
“I believe very sincerely that the CIA is correct when they teach and talk about blowback. When we went into Iran in 1953 and installed the shah, yes, there was blowback. A reaction to that was the
When will Americans learn that ‘blowback’ is real? SPACE AVAILABLE
taking of our hostages and that persists. And if we ignore that, we ignore that at our own risk. If we think that we can do what we want around the world and not incite hatred, then we have a problem. They don’t come here to attack us because we’re rich and we’re free. They come and they attack us because we’re over there. I mean, what would we think if we were — if other foreign countries were doing that to us?”
And that is the deep question that all Americans must ask themselves: what would we think and do if other countries were doing the same things to us? What would we do if another country occupied our territory, supported through financial and military aid a tyrannical government in the United States, or used drones to kill their enemies on U.S. soil consequently killing innocent American citizens in the process? We wouldn’t tolerate it in the least bit, so why do we think it is justified to do it to others and label those that take umbrage with our actions terrorists?
And so once again, Americans have experienced a “terrorist” attack on our soil. This time, it was perpetrated in Boston by two ethnic Chechen Muslims. Once again, we are supposed to believe it was done because they hate our freedoms and prosperity. We are supposed to believe this even though one of the suspects was a naturalized American citizen who enjoyed the freedoms and prosperity he allegedly was accused of hating. We are supposed to believe this even though the seriously injured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev lying in his hospital bed before he was Mirandized admitted that he and his brother were motivated to carry out the marathon bombings by American aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan and the thousands of Muslims who had been killed by American forces. We can continue to delude ourselves that we can do whatever we want to whomever we want and there won’t be consequences. Or we can learn that the CIA was on to something in 1954 — that blowback is real.
(Jacobine teaches internationally and maintains a summer residence in Haywood County. He can be reached at lovesliberty@gmail.com.)
Guest Columnist
Kenn Jacobine
tasteTHE mountains
Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251
BLUE RIDGE BBQ COMPANY
selection of craft beers from local artisan brewers, and of course an extensive selection of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank.
HERREN HOUSE
94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837
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.
Available through May 26, 2013
Our famous 6 oz prime rib with soup/salad and side $14.99
Available Wednesday - Sunday 4:30-5 pm; 8-8:30 pm Wed and Thurs; 8-9:00 pm Fri and Sat
Not valid with any other coupons or promotions
180 N. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.7524. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. TuesdayThursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Blue Ridge BBQ is a family owned and operated restaurant. The BBQ is slow hardwood smoked, marinated in its own juices, and seasoned with mountain recipes. All menu items made from scratch daily. Featuring homemade cornbread salad, fresh collard greens, or cornbread and milk at your request. Old-fashioned homemade banana pudding and fruit cobbler of the season. Catering, take-out, eat-in. blueridgebbq@gmail.com.
BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL
207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997
Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slowsimmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.
BOGART’S
35 East Main St., Sylva. 828.586.6532
Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Serving classic American food and drink in a casual environment. Daily lunch and dinner specials. Children’s menu available. Call for catering quotes. Private room available for large parties. Accepts MC/Visa, Discover and American Express.
BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE
454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m.
Closed on Sunday. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks, fresh fish, and other classic American comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available. We also feature a great
Lunch: Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Brunch 11 a. m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy fresh local products, created daily. Join us in our beautiful patio garden. We are your local neighborhood host for special events: business party’s, luncheons, weddings, showers and more. Private parties & catering are available 7 days a week by reservation only.
CATALOOCHEE RANCH
119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1401. Mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Join us for cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays (weather permitting) and family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Social hour starts at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. Our bountiful family-style meals include prime rib, baked ham, and herb-baked chicken; cookouts feature steaks, ribs, chicken and pork chops, to name a few. Every dinner is complemented with an assortment of seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts, and we offer a fine selection of wine and beer. Breakfast is also served daily from 8 to 9:30 a.m., and lunch from 12 to 2 p.m. Please call for reservations.
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.
CITY BAKERY
18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881. Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join us in our historic location for scratch made soups and daily specials. Breakfast is made to order daily: Gourmet cheddar & scallion biscuits served with bacon, sausage and eggs; smoked salmon bagel plate; quiche and fresh fruit parfait. We bake a wide variety of breads daily, specializing in traditional french breads. All of our breads are hand shaped. Lunch: Fresh salads, panni sandwiches. Enjoy outdoor dinning on the deck. Private room available for meetings.
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.
CORK AND BEAN
16 Everett St., Bryson City. 828.488.1934
Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy organic, fair-trade, gourmet espresso and coffees, a select, eclectic list of wines, and locally prepared treats to go with every thing. Come by early and enjoy a breakfast crepe with a latte, grab a grilled chicken pesto crepe for lunch, or wind down with a nice glass of red wine. Visit us on Facebook!
COUNTRY VITTLES: FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT 3589 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley. 828.926.1820 Open Daily 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed Tuesday. 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.
FRANKIE’S ITALIAN TRATTORIA
1037 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley. 828.926.6216 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Father and son team Frank and Louis Perrone cook up dinners steeped in Italian tradition. With recipies passed down from generations gone by, the Perrones have brought a bit of Italy to Maggie Valley. frankiestrattoria.com
FRYDAY’S & SUNDAES 24 & 26 Fry St., Bryson City (Next To The Train Depot). 828.488.5379. Spring hours: 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wed., Thur. & Sun. 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fri & Sat. Fryday’s is known for its Traditional English Beer Battered Fish & Chips, but also has burgers, deep fried dogs, gyro, shrimp, bangers, Chip Butty, chicken, sandwiches & a great kids menu. Price friendly, $3-$10, Everything available to go or call ahead takeout. Sundaes has 24 rotating flavors of Hershey's Ice Cream making them into floats, splits, sundaes, shakes. Private seating inside & out for both locations right across from the train station & pet friendly.
THURSDAY MAY 2ND • 8PM Adam Bigelow & Friends
SATURDAY MAY 4TH • 8PM
Wine, Cheese & Chocolate tasting 4:30 -6:30 For Woofstock. Music: 7-11 pm - LOCAL, PMA and Porch 40
FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE
tasteTHE mountains
44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Sunday lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Mondays. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. Come for the restaurant’s 4 @ 4 when you can choose a center and three sides at special prices. Offered WedFri. from 4 to 6. frogsleappublichouse.org.
J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY
U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817 Lunch Sunday noon to 2:30 p.m., dinner nightly starting at 4:30 p.m. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.
JUKEBOX JUNCTION
U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.
LOS AMIGOS
366 Russ Ave. in the Bi-Lo Plaza. 828.456.7870. Open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Monday through Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the lunch prices Monday through Sunday, also enjoy our outdoor patio.
MAD BATTER BAKERY & CAFÉ
Located on the WCU Campus in Cullowhee. 828.293.3096. Open Monday-Thursday
7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Earth-friendly foods at people-friendly prices. Daily specials, wraps, salads, pastries, breads, soups and more. Unique fare, friendly service, casual atmosphere and wireless Internet. Organic ingredients, local produce, gourmet fair trade and organic coffees.
MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB
1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.
MOONSHINE GRILL
2550 Soco Road, Maggie Valley loacted in the Smoky Falls Lodge. 828.926.7440. Open Wednesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Cooking up mouth-watering, wood-fired Angus steaks, prime rib and scrumptious fresh seafood dishes. The wood-fired grill gives amazing flavor to every meal that comes off of it. Enjoy creative dishes made using moonshine. Stop by and simmer for a while and soak up the atmosphere. The best kept secret in Maggie Valley. themoonshinegrill.com
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 won-
derful breakfast and lunch selections. Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.
NEWFOUND LODGE RESTAURANT
1303 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee (Located on 441 North at entrance to GSMNP).
828.497.4590. Open 7 a.m. daily. Established in 1946 and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Family style dining for adults and children.
PASQUALE’S
1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoor, outside on the patio or at the bar.
PATIO BISTRO
30 Church Street, Waynesville.
828.454.0070. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast bagels and sandwiches, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches for lunch with homemade soups, quiches, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer. Outdoor and indoor dining.
RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR
Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center
828.926.0201 Bar open Monday thru Saturday; dining room open Tuesday thru Saturday at 5 p.m. Full service restaurant serving steaks, prime rib, seafood and dinner specials. Live music Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
SOUL INFUSION TEA HOUSE & BISTRO
628 E. Main St. (between Sylva Tire & UPS). 828.586.1717. Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon -until. Scrumptious, natural, fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. 60+ teas served hot or cold, black, chai, herbal. Seasonal and rotating draft beers, good selection of wine. Home-Grown Music Network Venue with live music most weekends. Pet friendly and kid ready.
TAP ROOM SPORTS BAR & GRILL
176 Country Club Dr. Waynesville
828.456.5988. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Enjoy soups, sandwiches, salads and hearty appetizers along with a full bar menu in our casual, smoke-free neighborhood grill.
THE WINE BAR
20 Church Street, downtown Waynesville. 828.452.6000. Underground cellar for wine and beer, served by the glass all day. Cheese and tapas served Wednesday through Saturday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. or later. info@classicwineseller.com.
VILLAGE GREEN CAFE
389 Walnut Street, Walnut Village Plaza, Waynesville. 828.550.9489 . Open Monday thru Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A fun, casual lunch spot offering fresh made salads, sandwiches, panini, and soups. All meats are all-natural and we support local growers when produce is available. Free delivery in the Waynesville area and call-in orders welcome. villagegreencafe.com. Like on Facebook to view daily specials and promos.
Strolling in the name of art
Waynesville
galleries get ready to paint the town for the season’s first art walk
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER
If the litmus test of a community’s health is how strong its art scene is, then, by the looks of it, Waynesville is in tiptop shape.
Hundreds will take to the streets of downtown this Friday evening for the first Art After Dark of the year. For some serious art purveyors, it’s a time to study and muse over the latest works to emerge on gallery walls. For artists, its time to compare notes about the creative process.
But for the vast majority, the leisurely Main Street meander is a social occasion with art as a backdrop, a curious stroll baring witness to the beauty created in their own backyard.
“The best part about the first Art After Dark of the year is that people have been hibernating all winter and this is when everyone comes out, sees each other and supports the local artists,” said Carrie Keith, owner of the Twigs and Leaves Gallery.
Presented by the Waynesville Gallery Association, the downtown art strolls are filled with food, live music, wine and plenty of local works of art available for viewing and purchase. Galleries, restaurants and shops will leave their doors open late, all in an effort to support and nurture local artists.
Showcased artists are stationed in many of the galleries to talk with the public about their pieces and give live demonstrations.
“We have some strong and beautiful galleries in Waynesville right now,” said acclaimed metal sculpture artist Grace Cathey. “But, they won’t survive if the community doesn’t go out and support them.”
What started as a small idea several years ago between Waynesville artisans looking to rally community support, Art After Dark has transformed downtown Waynesville into a vibrant monthly gathering — not only for arts aficionados, but
WNC breweries medal big in beer competition
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER
All five North Carolina breweries west of Asheville medaled in the recent Carolinas Championship of Beer during the Hickory Hops Festival.
“It’s a testament that we are all in it for the long haul, that we will strive to get better,” said Clark Williams, owner/brewer at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. “We felt the pride that all of Western North Carolina should have for this craft. It’s easy to say we all work hard to make great beer.”
The competition featured 42 craft breweries that entered 396 beers in 134 style categories.
Nantahala Brewing of Bryson City led the local winners with 13 medals and a third place “Best of Show” finish for their 4-Foot Drop, an
Metal sculptor Grace Cathey will be one of the numerous artists showcased during Art After Dark.
also for the casual art lover to plug into the community and hone their appreciation.
“It’s glorious to see how big it has become. We never dreamed it would turn into this kind of mini festival,” Cathey said. “It has a great ambiance, and it’s small enough for everybody to enjoy.”
American-style pale ale. All of the brews tasted were judged in accordance with the Great American Beer Festival guidelines.
“We’ve competed well in the past, but this year was by far our best showing,” said Joe Rowland, co-owner of Nantahala. “To know that the 4-Foot Drop was judged higher than 393 other beers in the competition is something to be proud of.”
In its inaugural festival entry, BearWaters Brewing of Waynesville pulled in 10 medals, which placed the young brewery among the top competing establishments.
“Since our blind-judged competition inception eight years ago, I cannot recall a new brewery having such great success in the Carolinas Championship of Beer,” said CCB organizer Bobby Bush. “One medal is great. Ten is phenomenal and a sure sign that something wonderful is happening at BearWaters.”
Tipping Point Brewing and Frog Level both hailing from Waynesville also both won a bronze.
“We can now rightfully claim our spot on the stage with Asheville and the rest of North Carolina,” said Jon Bowman, co-owner of the Tipping Point.
Rave reviews are something Bowman and
Putting people in touch with art — looking at it, thinking about it, and talking about it —
“We love to see the array of people that come by. We see local friends, seasonal friends and visitors who want to see what’s happening,” added Elisa Holder, gallery manager at Earthworks. “These events celebrate traditional crafts, and that’s exactly what we need in order to maintain such and inspiring and lovely place in the world.”
Working and living in the area for the better part of 30 years, Cathey notes that a lot of the success of Art After Dark also comes from town leaders who have seen from the beginning the importance of embracing the creative arts.
“The inspiration derived from the natural beauty around us draws talented people here from all over the globe.”
— Teresa Pennington, Waynesville artist
“I chose this community because I knew it would be a great place to live,” she said. “Waynesville has grown so much, and I’ve seen a lot of that growth, and we really have to thank our leaders for directing the evolution of downtown.”
An artist and gallery owner in her own right, painter Teresa Pennington emphasizes the importance of preserving the craft traditions, which have been passed down through the generations. Ranging from blacksmithing and weaving to painting and glassblowing, these intricate and finely tuned trades are part of the identity and heritage of the Southern Appalachian landscape.
“By celebrating the foundations of our past, we secure our future,” she said. “The inspiration derived from the natural beauty around us draws talented people here from all over the globe.”
Gearing up for the first Art After Dark in what promises to
S EE AFTER DARK, PAGE 25
All five WNC breweries won awards at the Carolinas Championship of Beer during the Hickory Hops Festival. Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City (foreground) was the big winner with 13 medals and a third place “Best of Show” finish for their 4-Foot Drop American-style pale ale. Donated photo
Beer awards
For a list of the beers that won awards from the five breweries located in Waynesville, Sylva and Bryson City, go to www.smokymountainnews.com and go to the Arts and Entertainment page.
the other brewers are used to among their local fan base. But winning the endorsement from objective tasters — not just the buddy on the other side of the bar from them — was of a different order.
“It was incredible to be outside of Haywood County and experience the positive reaction as people sampled our beers and returned to the booths multiple times,” Bowman said. All of the breweries, including Heinzelmannchen Brewery of Sylva won a bronze for their regional collaboration beer, the “Ryeway 74.”
“It’s exciting to know that our brews are being recognized as some of the best in North Carolina, but it’s equally exciting to continue to help put us on the map,” said Jenn Huston of Nantahala.
“The more people who travel to our breweries help both us and our communities grow.”
HCC Crafts students debut work
The HCC graduate craft show will be showcased at the Southern Highland Craft Guild until June 23 and will feature work from students such as Brad Skupski.
Ooh-la-la, check out that Alpaca
Two Haywood Community College students have a talent for alpaca wear.
Jody Sorofman and Dana Claire brought home second and fourth place respectively in the textile category in the North American Student Design Competition of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association.
There were around 140 entries from either textile or fashion design schools. HCC has entered the competition for the last four years resulting in wins each year.
The student design competition is created to expose students and professors to the wonders of designing with alpaca fiber. In return, the next generation of designers will be entering the workforce with a positive awareness of this amazing luxury fiber that can be utilized throughout their professional lives.
www.alpacafashion.com or aputansu@haywood.edu.
SCC offers summer clay classes in Swain
Southwestern Community College will be offering numerous classes this summer at the Swain Center campus in Bryson City.
• “Heritage Arts Independent Study: Ceramics” from 6 to 8 p.m. every Monday from May 6-29.
• “Beginning & Intermediate Wheel” from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday from May 16 to Aug. 8.
The graduating class of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program will exhibit some their best work at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville through June 23.
This year’s show has work in clay, jewelry, fiber, metal and wood. This exhibit marks the professional debut for many exhibiting craftspeople. The college makes involvement in the installation, organization, and publicity of this exhibit part of the coursework for HCC professional crafts students.
The Folk Art Center is open daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Admission and parking are both free. 828.565.4159.
be a bountiful year, Pennington is ready to open her doors and let her work shine for all to see.
“It’s an atmosphere of community and camaraderie that is infectious,” she said. “If we’re going to survive we must stay true to our roots, which is the heritage of the mountain artisans.”
The concept of a monthly evening art stroll wasn’t new to Waynesville. Cathey and her creative peers had seen the positive effects of similar events that had sprung up in small towns and big cities around the country over the past decade. It seemed like a worthwhile endeavor for Waynesville to emmulate.
“Would you rather shop in chain stores like the rest of the country or would you rather go to mom and pop galleries where people not only make art, but also live in Waynesville?” Cathey said. “You have a choice as a community, do you support the arts community or the big box stores?”
Want to go?
• Art After Dark in Waynesville will run from 6 to 9 p.m. the first Friday of the month from May until December. www.haywoodarts.org.
• The Sylva Art Stroll is held the second Friday of the month from 5 to 9 p.m. starting in May.
An array of musicians will be performing around downtown Waynesville during Art After Dark on May 3 in downtown Waynesville. Garret K. Woodward photo
appreciation and backing from friends, family and neighbors.
• “Clay: Experimental Topics” from 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday from May 16 to Aug. 8.
• “Clay: Throwing Problems” from 1 to 4 p.m. every Monday from May 20 to Aug. 12. As well, there will be other classes starting throughout different periods of the summer. 828.366.2000 or email j_marley@southwesterncc.edu.
‘Dusty Roads’ photo exhibit opens in Canton
Photographer Barbara Sammons will be showcasing an exhibit of her work from May 7 to July 31 at the Canton Branch Library.
Titled “Dusty Roads and More,” the exhibit will offer a collection of photographs of old cars, tractors, wildlife and scanography she has taken from the back roads of North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. Sammons is an award-winning photographer and published writer with over 40 years behind the lens who now resides in Candler. 828.707.4420 or www.barbarasammons.com.
HCC student crafters host art sale
Haywood Community College will hold a spring craft sale from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, May 3, in the Mary Cornwell Gallery of the Professional Arts and Crafts Facility. All pieces for sale were made by students. Pieces will be available from each program of clay, fiber, jewelry and wood. 919.802.7956.
For all of the galleries, it’s about displaying the works of local artists who live, work and flourish from the continued
“By shopping here you’re not only supporting local artists, but also spreading that art across the country for people to enjoy,” Keith said.
Helping Light the Way
2013 Relay For Life of West Haywood County
The American Cancer Society holds Relay For Life for just that very reason:
To celebrate cancer survivors, remember those lost to cancer, and fight back against the disease. The Luminaria Ceremony helps us to do all of those things.
As darkness falls on Friday, May 10th, spectators will stand in silence and in peace. The glow of hundreds of luminaria candles will circle the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Each luminaria will reflect light for the names of those we have lost and shine for cancer survivors.
The American Cancer Society’s national signature event, Relay For Life, will take place May 10th at Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. This team event to fight cancer kicks off at 6 p.m. with cancer survivors making the first lap.
Each year, during the Relay, cancer survivors are honored for their courage and strength. The first lap of the evening, known as the “Survivors’ Lap,” officially opens the Relay and demonstrates the survivors’ determination and will to fight, and encourages Relay participants to help them in their battle against cancer.
If you or someone you know would like to celebrate being a cancer survivor, please join us for opening ceremonies on Friday, May 10th, 6:15PM at Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, for the beginning of our Relay For Life event.
To participate in the West Haywood County Relay For Life Survivor’s Lap, please contact Randi Smith, 828.254.6931 or email at randi.smith@cancer.org
This year, light a Candle of Hope or Remembrance, and join us May 10th at 9:00PM. For more information and to purchase a luminary please contact Randi Smith at 828.254.6931 or email at Randi.smith@cancer.org
Friday, May 10, 2013 from 6pm - 6am
The WNC Advocacy Group will be holding their inaugural “Blessing of the Bikes” from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley. Hot dogs and beverages will be available for purchase with proceeds benefiting underserved women of the community to provide them with free breast exams, treatments and education through the Haywood County Health Department. Anyone who tours the museum during the event will have half of their entry fee donated to the benefit.
www.rideforpink.com or 828.316.9697.
HART to hold auditions for July production of ‘Brigadoon’
Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its July production of the classic Broadway musical “Brigadoon” at 6:30 p.m. May 5-6 in Waynesville.
The show opens July 12 for a four-weekend run and has lead roles for all ages and a large singing chorus and a dance corps. This is a great opportunity for families and anyone who wants to be a part of a big production. The show will have a full orchestra, major sets and costumes, and is the theatre’s biggest production of the year.
“Brigadoon” by Lerner and Lowe is one of the most celebrated Broadways shows, telling the story of an enchanted village in Scotland, which only appears once every 100 years. It is discovered by two travelers who find romance and must choose between the modern world and Brigadoon.
828.456.6322.
Celebrate World Laughter Day in Franklin May 5
Designed to promote world peace through laughter, there will be a World Laughter Day session at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at the Big Bear Shelter of the Little Tennessee River Greenway in Franklin.
Laughter Yoga is a complete well-being workout. The session will be facilitated by Cindy Miles, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher, Carrie Swanson and Scott Mathews, both Certified Laughter Yoga Leaders.
The Laughter Yoga Clubs movement started in 1995 has now spread to more than 72 countries helping people maintain good health, peace and harmony. The practice of “Laughter Yoga” causes the body to release endorphins (the ‘Feel Good’ hormones) into the bloodstream and decrease the production of Cortisol (the stress hormone). The class is free and open to the public.
828.226.5893 or cindy@regiona.org or peekaboomom@gmail.com.
Herman’s Hermits bring 60s pop to Franklin
Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
A 1960s British invasion pop band best known for hits such as “I’m Henry the VIII, I Am” and “I’m Into Something Good,” is lead by Peter Noone. Together, they have sold over 60 million recordings, many of which were certified gold. Dozens of their singles reached The Billboard Hot 100 chart and they excite audiences today just as they did 40 years ago. Tickets start at $20.
www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.
Community Band to play Maggie Valley
Haywood Community Band announces its first concert of the season at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the pavilion adjacent to the Maggie Valley Town Hall. The free concerts are held May through October the third Sunday of the month.
The theme for the first concert will be “From the Library” and will feature memorable music from the past, including “Over the Rainbow,” “Strike Up the Band” and “All Shook Up.”
The Haywood Community Band is sup-
ported in part by a grassroots grant from the Haywood County Arts Council. The concert is sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association.
828.456.4880.
Chorus to present spring concert in Waynesville
The 70-member Haywood Community Chorus will hold its free spring concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
The chorus will perform a rendition of Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna accompanied by strings and organ. There will selections from The Secret Garden, Oliver!, and What A Wonderful World.
This 70-voice choir, organized in 1997, has a goal to help preserve an appreciation for the great choral music of the past and present.
The chorus is sponsored in part by a grass roots grant from the Haywood Arts Council and The Junaluskans.
828.456.1020 or 828.452.0156.
Oldies, beach music and all that good stuff
The Elderly Brothers will give a free concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
Their musical styles include surf rock, Memphis and Motown, doo-wop, as well as instrumental and smooth pop. The group has been providing dance music for clubs, festivals, concerts and private parties in the southeast since 1965. Band members are Ken Beck, Mike Holt, Skip Almond, Charles Queen, and Chuck Russell. 828.586.2016.
Reba McEntire to play Harrah’s
Legendary country singer Reba McEntire will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.
Her career has produced over 56 million in worldwide album sales, 63 Top 10 hits, a #1 TV sitcom and a stint on Broadway that garnered a Drama Critics Award. McEntire is also the recipient of 15 American Music Awards, nine People’s Choice Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, two Grammys and is one of only four entertainers in history to be honored with a National Artistic Achievement Award by the U.S. Congress. Her hits include “Fancy,” “You Lied,” “For My Broken Heart,” “Keep on Loving You” and “Consider Me Gone.” www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.
Nominations open for Mountain Heritage Award
Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Award, an honor bestowed annually on one individual and one organization that has played a prominent role in the preservation or interpretation of Southern Appalachian history and culture.
Letters of nomination should not exceed five pages, and include a list of the nominee’s accomplishments, their influence in the relevant field of expertise (such as crafts, music or organizational cause), and their role as a teacher, advocate, leader or preserver of mountain culture.
Send nominations by June 24 to philyaw@wcu.edu.
The awards are presented at Mountain Heritage Day, the university’s celebration of traditional Appalachian culture that takes place on the last Saturday each September.
Herman’s Hermits featuring Peter Noone will perform in Franklin on May 4.
Mark Haskett photo
Dog lovers unite for trifecta of good times in Sylva
Woofstock, a benefit festival for ARF (the Humane Society of Jackson County), will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Bridge Park in Sylva.
This all-day celebration includes live music, food, entertainment and education for the whole family.
The day begins at Bridge Park with a love-in for ARF featuring blues by the Rick Balliot Blues Experience and Blues Mountain, and a barbeque competition. There will be ice cream, booths for pet pictures, paw print art, dog training and other entertainment and
Advance tickets are $10 donation for adults and $5 for children; $12 for adults and $6 for children at the door.
Later in the day, the “ARFter” Party will happen at Soul Infusion Tea House and Bistro. Guests can enjoy a wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Live music from the Sylva Jazz Band accompanies the tasting until 6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $12 and $15 at the door.
The final celebration will continue at Soul Infusion with music beginning at 7 p.m., featuring PMA, Local, and Porch 40. Soul Infusion will donate 10 percent of their day’s proceeds to ARF. A $5 cover charge that begins at 8 p.m. also goes to support the benefit.
The day is sponsored by Pinnacle Events on WNC.
Julie@pinnacleeventswnc.com.
watching space shuttles. They’re the last of the pioneer generation. Their music and stories still hold a great deal of meaning and pleasure for us today.”
The legendary David Holt and local gospel group Mountain Faith will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, in the Coulter Hall at Western Carolina University as a benefit for the Jackson County chapter of Junior Appalachian Musicians.
This fast moving musical program is jampacked with some of the best mountain entertainers found today, with musicians who value mountain musical heritage. Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt is a musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer, dedicated to performing and preserving traditional American music and stories.
“Many of the people I learned from saw wagon trains,” says Holt. “Now they are
J. Creek Cloggers kick into the summer
The J. Creek Cloggers are gearing up for a lively summer festival season. A high-energy dance team based out of Haywood County, the group keeps the mountain tradition alive of clogging, audience participation square dances and broom dances. Members demonstrate different styles of dance including buck dancing, flat-footing and clogging.
You can see the J. Creek Cloggers perform around the area at The Stompin Grounds (Maggie Valley), Pickin In The Park (Canton), Lifestyle
Holt brings the fun and spirit of old-time music and storytelling to the stage with tales, ballads and tunes told, sung and played on the banjo, slide guitar, guitar, harmonica, bones, spoons and jaw harp. His audiences are constantly involved, learning to play the paper bag, applauding the vitality of his clog dancing, listening to the haunting sound of a 122-year-old mountain banjo, or being spellbound by a ghost story.
Mountain Faith is a young Bluegrass Gospel family from Sylva, who started performing together in 2001.
Opening act is the local band Lonesome Sound. The cost of the performance is $10, with tickets sold at the door. All proceeds from the concert will be used to help sustain the JAM program in Jackson County. 828.586.4009 or heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.
Celebration (Waynesville), Folkmoot International Music and Dance Festival, Labor Day Celebration (Canton) and Haywood County Fair. 828.734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com.
Margaret Hester photo
David Holt and Mountain Faith will be at WCU May 10.
The J. Creek Cloggers will spend the 2013 summer performing around Haywood County.
WCU marching band selected for Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains is one of only 10 marching bands selected from across the nation to perform in the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City.
Macy’s Parade officials were on campus last Thursday to surprise the 400 members of the WCU marching band with news of the invitation to participate in the 2014 edition of the world-famous parade, which attracts more than 3.5 million spectators lining the streets of New York and 50 million at-home viewers.
Jazz, tango hits
The Classic Wine Seller
Classical guitarist Amy Brucksch and clarinetist Fred Lemmons will be performing at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at The Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville.
Tickets are $25 per person, which includes a wine and cheese pairing. For the concert only, tickets are $12.
828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.
Civic Orchestra to perform in Cullowhee
Western Carolina University will present its free Civic Orchestra spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, in the recital hall of the Coulter Building.
The Civic Orchestra is made up of student and faculty musicians from WCU and students and adults from Jackson, Macon, Haywood, Swain, Cherokee and Buncombe counties.
This program received a Grassroots Grant from the Jackson County Arts Council, which is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. The concert is sponsored by the WCU School of Music and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
828.227.7242.
Music Heavy Hors d’oeuvres
Live & Silent Auctions
Cash Bar
WCU’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band.
When you want to find out what they’re talking about in Washington, D.C., or find the best deal on that pair of shoes you’ve been longing for, your newspaper has you covered. Because the newspaper, print or digital, is where businesses go to connect with savvy shoppers. And hey, a little insight goes well with those shoes.
THE
For your culinary and reading pleasure
Most booklovers have suffered that “Oh, no” moment when a friend, with nothing but the best of intentions, presses an unfamiliar book into their hands with the words, “Read this — you’ll love it.” We receive the book with a smile on our lips but black foreboding in our hearts. We may love this gift, we may hate it — the odds, from my own experience, favor the latter five to one — but either way we are compelled to read it. And not only must we read it — we must get back to our kindhearted friend to report what we thought about the book, like a fifth-grader delivering a report. The process can be painful for many readers, which is why they prefer gift certificates as gifts for buying their own books.
Recently two friends, a mother and her daughter, jointly gave me a copy of Robert Farrar Capon’s The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection (Modern Library, ISBN 978-0-375-76056-3, $16). “Read this and let me know what you think,” the mother said, which is a gentler approach than commanding me to love it but which still implies obligation. Gingerly, I took the book in hand, carried it home, and began what I believed to be another ordeal in required reading.
That ordeal soon became a journey of great pleasure. Author Robert Capon, an Episcopalian priest and the author of books on theology and family life, gives us treats in The Supper of the Lamb that have much more to do with living than they do with food.
He begins his “cookbook” with four different ways to prepare lamb, with the lamb, of course, representing in some ways Christ. Of the first few chapters, Capon’s most interesting moment as a writer comes when he bids
Blue Ridge Music Trails guidebook released
onion — in one sense, all onions — on the table before us and convinces us to study its wonders for a while before chopping it into pieces. He makes us aware of what good, natural food means to us.
In the first three chapters, Capon also calls us to regard the differences between festal and ferial cooking. Festal cooking is that preparation of food intended for feasts and special occasions. Ferial cooking — the term ferial comes from Roman Catholicism, referring to those days that the Church marks as ordinary time, or nonfeast days — are those meals which we prepare daily for nourishment and for pleasure. Capon reminds us that we should slow down to enjoy those meals, both the preparation and the eating, as we do for our more festive dinners.
writes of festal meals prepared for guests:
“The greatest meals, like the greatest musical performances, must always seem simple, no matter how complex the execution of them really is. Strive for the good rather than the fancy; mere clutter, however expensive or recherché, is no virtue at all.”
Capon, who frequently inserts God into his mediations on stews and roasts, rejoices in simple, everyday objects. He writes that
“Creation is God’s living room, the place where He sits down and relishes the exquisite taste of decoration. Things, therefore, as things, are inseparable from God, as God. Separate the secular from the sacred, and the world becomes an idol shrouded in interpretations; creation becomes too meaningful to make love to.”
The Supper of the Lamb is also marked with a real sense of celebration of food, of cooking, of eating, of life itself. (A word to those who take no joy in food, who fuss against butter and eggs, or who prepare their meals of greens and fruits not for pleasure but to hold back the death inevitably awaiting them: this is not the cook book for you). The great lessons taught by Capon here really have more to do with elation than with cooking and eating. His exuberance, his zest for life, and his love of God spill out into every recipe. The Supper of the Lamb really is all about “the joy of cooking.”
us look at an onion and how to prepare it for inclusion in a lamb stew. Capon — a humorous name for a cook, as a capon is a chicken castrated to improve its flavor — makes us see an onion. Through his fine writing he puts an
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and North Carolina Arts Council have partnered to launch a new initiative, the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina, to promote the traditional music heritage in 29 counties in Western North Carolina. The springboard for the initiative is the new guidebook, Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina , published by UNC Press, which is now available. In the guidebook, noted folklorist Fred C. Fussell puts readers on the trail to discover the many sites in Western North Carolina where this unique musical legacy thrives. Organized by region and county, the guidebook welcomes readers into the rich worlds of bluegrass, old-time, gospel and string band music, as well as clogging, flatfooting and other forms of traditional dance.
The book features a CD with more than 20 songs by musicians
One of the great delights of this eccentric culinary manual comes from the writing itself. Capon’s enthusiasm, his ear for language, and his intelligence make the book a treasure-house of humor, wit, and eminently quotable sentences. Here, for example, he
profiled in the book, historic recordings of the region’s most influential musicians spanning nine decades and songs based on true stories of love, crime and tragedy set in the North Carolina mountains. www.blueridgemusic.org.
Ron Rash to speak in Waynesville
Critically acclaimed author Ron Rash will be the speaker at the Haywood Friends of the Library Annual Meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the Christian Growth Center of First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
Rash’s most recent work is a collection of short stories titled Nothing Gold Can Stay . He is the author of the New York Times best selling novels The Cove and Serena
The annual meeting is a gathering of people who support the activities of the library and provides an opportunity to celebrate great authors. A dessert buffet will be provided by Kanini’s.
A final note: The Modern Library Press has reissued The Supper of the Lamb, which was written over 40 years ago. On the back of my book is a blurb from the original New York Times Book Review: “The Supper of the Lamb is as awesomely funny, wise, beautiful, moving, preposterous a book as this reviewer has come across in years … It is a love letter to a world that ‘will always be more delicious than it is useful.’”
True then. True now. And wonderfully so. (Jeff Minick is a teacher and a writer. He can be reached at minick0301@gmail.com.)
Tickets for the event are $8. They are available at all library branches, Blue Ridge Books and Gallery 86 in Waynesville. stanandlinda@charter.net or 828.456.5311.
Author to discuss African-American roots
African-American historian and author Victoria Casey McDonald will discuss her family’s history during the presentation, “Our Survival and Our Pride” at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva.
As part of the Jackson County Genealogical Society’s May program, the speaker will open with a reading and then focus comments on her own family history, after which the audience will be invited to ask questions and share their memories. Free. 828.631.2646.
Writer Jeff Minick
The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection by Robert Farrar Capon. Modern Library (reprint edition) 2002. 320 pages.
EcoFest to put ‘green’ living at your finger tips
BY ANDREW KASPER STAFFWRITER
Haywood County is about to experience its newest festival: EcoFest, an ode to sustainability, agriculture and the environment. This year will be the first that EcoFest is taking place and will feature musical performances, kids’ games, demonstrations and vendors showcasing all things “green.”
Although products and services in the vein of sustainability will be sold at the festival, the festival’s true focus is about teaching eco-skills to the public. Experts from all over have been invited to show-off their areas of expertise to interested attendees, highlighting organic gardening, hops growing, backyard chicken raising, pickle making, canning and cooking, bees, worm composting and more.
“We wanted it to be festival where someone could come and not just purchase things but also a place of ideas where you could learn a new skill and try something else,” said CeCe Hipps, president of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce, which is putting on the inaugural festival.
Hipps hopes the new festival — one of four the chamber organizes each year — will attract a special type of crowd to the county in the spring.
The whole family can glean tips about recycling, using rain barrels, using wood to power a vehicle and multiple aspects of green building. The kids will have a special section to play corn hole, hula hoop, jump rope, draw with sidewalk chalk and spin a trivia wheel. Also, Vi Keenan of Macaroni Kid, an online resource for parents, will be demonstrating how to make macaroni bracelets and bird feeders using Cheerios.
“We were hoping this would bring in families and people with lots of interest in learning new skills in the areas of renewable energy, the backyard and the kitchen,” Hipps said, speaking about the three themes of sustainability at the festival.
Live entertainment will also be provided throughout the day by Simple Folk, Frog Level Philharmonic, Lorraine Conard Band, Blue Ridge Tradition and the Faerie Kim Stiltwalkers, a group that plays instruments on stilts. N8 the Great will also be on hand with his juggling skills and storytelling for “kids of all ages.”
Want to go?
The inaugural Haywood County EcoFest will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4 at the Haywood Community College campus. The day will be filled with demonstrations on everything from homemade soap making to square-foot gardening to canning and preservation. There will also be live music and games for the kids. Attendees are also encouraged to bring their old PCs to donate for use by GED graduates. The cost of the festival is $5 for parking. The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce is the principal organizer of the festival. It is also sponsored by Champion Credit Union, Haywood EMC, Mission Health systems, Haywood Community College, the Mountaineer, H&K Farms Hop Yard, Smoky Mountain News and WNC Woman Magazine. 828.456.3021 or visit www.wncecofest.com.
Get your green on
EcoFest will showcase more than four dozen demonstrators, vendors, information booths and organizations sharing tips and practical advice on how to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Below is just a small sample.
Backyard chickens with Jonathan Landry of JL Builders
Landry will discuss the basics of raising backyard chickens for egg production, without the strong smell. The demonstration will touch on everything from chick rearing to chicken retirement. Jonathan and his wife, Abby, decided to start raising chickens to become more aware of where their food was coming from and for the waste that can be converted into a highly useful garden fertilizer and compost. The couple built a custom coup from recycled lumber and use a hydration system to provide clean water for healthy chickens. Backyard chicken keeping has never been as rewarding or fun.
Biomass energy with renewable energy expert James Nowack
Nowack is a specialist in converting biomass, such as dry wood, into a high quality fuel to power vehicles and generate electricity. The sustainable method is more than 150 years old, but little known.
Nowack will have on display his custom downdraft gasifier — a solid fuel to gaseous fuel refinery that thermo-chemically converts solid biomass into a simple, smoke-free, fuel gas that burns cleanly in engines, ovens or other burners. Wood gas burns about one-third more efficiently than gasoline derived from fossil fuels. Learn more about how woody biomass gasification can supplement your energy and offgrid needs.
Worm composting and honey bees with Sheryl Cuppy
Cuppy been raising red wigglers worms for composting since 1993, and at one time, raised worms commercially. Worms are an efficient way to compost organic matter into fertilizer for garden and household plants. There are more than 3,000 types of worms identified in the world, and the red wiggler is one of the best for home vermicomposting systems.
Cuppy began working with honey bees about 6 years ago to help with pollination on her farm, Rainbow Ridge Farm. She noticed quite an increase in production and currently has 19 hives, which she uses for honey and making beeswax candles. At the Waynesville Historic Farmers Market Cuppy, sells both her honey as well as worm tea and worm bins.
Water conservation with Haywood Waterways Association
The mission of the local nonprofit is to protect and conserve Haywood County water resources. The organization will be giving demonstrations on how to build and install a rain barrel, conserve water at home through the use of low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, toilet tank displacement bags, and toilet tank leak detection.
The organization will also give a presentation on stream bank plantings, their benefits, and recommended plant species to place along county streams and creeks to stop soil erosion and improve stream quality. The organization describes itself as a group of “local folks solving local problems that affect the economy, agriculture, drinking water, recreation and wildlife.”
Up-cycling with Amiiba Designs
The Winston Salem company is creating a name for itself through its wallets made out of 100 percent recycled cardboard. The wallets are made out of anything from 6-pack cartons to cereal boxes to candy boxes with the goal of reducing the amount of harmful cardboard waste in the environment.
Amiiba Designs also assembles laptop bags, backpacks, and recycles whatever cardboard it doesn’t use in production. Through this process, cardboard is saved from the landfills and being blown into rivers and streams, which can harm wildlife and plant species. Even the organization’s EcoFest booth is made out of “up-cycled” material that was either found or donated to the cause.
The Naturalist’s Corner
BY D ON H ENDERSHOT
When it rains –the tough go hiking
We’ve had a good run in the watershed. The Town of Waynesville has sponsored spring and fall guided hikes in its 8,000-plus acre watershed since 2007. The hikes provide a great way for residents and other interested parties to see this wonderful resource that has been placed in a conservation easement to insure the town has an ample supply of high-quality drinking water for generations to come. During the past 12 hikes we have seen a little rain, a little drizzle, a little fog, a little sleet, a little snow and lots of sunshine. This year we saw rain.
We saw lots of rain. And it wasn’t like we didn’t know it was coming. The forecast for the day was 100 percent chance of rain. The skies were close and thick and grey when we met at 9 a.m. at the treatment plant. The impending rain presented an initial dilemma.
For the first time since the hikes started we had an entirely new route planned. We were going to start at the top, where the watershed abuts the Blue Ridge Parkway, and hike down and out to the treatment plant, an estimated five miles or so. In the past we have done several routes, either walking in and returning, from the treatment plant or being shuttled in and walking out — all routes offering the option of turning around and heading out at any time.
I know I was stoked for the new route and I think the other guides, perennial hike leader Dr. Pete Bates of Western Carolina University, Ron Lance, botanist and naturalist at North American Land Trust’s Big Ridge Preserve in Jackson County and Alison Melnikova, assistant town manager and hike coordinator since its inception in 2007, were all on the same page.
After a quick huddle, conscience dictated that we offer the alternative of an in-andout hike for anyone concerned about the weather. I guess everybody who had those concerns were still home in their pjs, sipping coffee. The hardy crew that showed up (20 or so) was waterproof.
We carpooled up to the Parkway, loaded up in the fog and set out. It was foggy and overcast, but so far dry. There was a little semi-bushwhacking, basically avoiding
blackberries and greenbrier, before we accessed the watershed. We saw a lot of trailing arbutus and bluets along the Parkway, plus one bunny that sat motionless, convinced it was invisible as the horde of humans sauntered past.
The sprinters (hikers) hit the descent and quickly found their stride, leaving the amblers with Ron and I to observe our sur-
roundings. We had a good first third of the hike — just overcast and maybe a little foggy drizzle. And there was plenty to see — cut-leaved toothwort, spring beauty, trillium erectum, wood anemone, prostrate bluets, squirrel corn, Dutchmen’s britches, early meadow rue, and bloodroot were some of the wildflowers we saw. We also found a really cool earth star fungi of the genus Geastrum.
My daughter Izzy turned logs for us and came up with at least three species of salamanders. I know we had ocoee and blueridge two-lined plus one other dusky, I wasn’t sure of the species. And birds were out singing, at one stop we saw/heard blackthroated green warbler, blue-headed vireo, ovenbird, and brown creeper.
And then the rain came. It wasn’t too heavy but it was steady. A good all day spring soaker that, after an hour or so kind of made all of us hikers. We plodded out and while it certainly wasn’t the best of circumstances, I never heard any grumbling about “wish we hadn’t come, etc.,” in fact there was still the occasion to stop when someone happened on a bloom they didn’t recognize or found an owl pellet, or something caught their eye.
Even a drenched day in the watershed is a good day if you’re the kind that revels in what Ma Nature has to offer.
Movie on Aldo Leopold at Lake Junaluska
A screening of a documentary on the life and work of conservationist Aldo Leopold will be held at 6:15 p.m. May 14 at the Kern Youth Center at Lake Junaluska. The movie, “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and Land Ethic for our Time.” is 75 minutes long and will be followed by a group discussion about Leopold and his philosophy on land ethics. This was the first documentary made about the famous Leopold, who helped shape and influence the modern environmental movement. The showing is sponsored by the Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Society and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. www.gsmas.com.
Macon County going to the birds
Beginning in May, the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will offer regular Saturday field trips throughout the summer season.
well, including a walk along the Little Tennessee Greenway in Franklin on Wednesday, May 8. Call 828.524.5234 for the meeting spot.
Keep abreast of birding club fieldtrips — and other outdoor outings in the region trips — by following the outdoors section of the calendar in The Smoky Mountain News weekly.
The schedule includes several new venues as well as repeat visits to favorite birding spots in the Franklin and Highlands areas. A special beginners’ session will be offered once per month as well and a limited supply of binoculars and field guides will be available.
The first event will be a beginner’s walk scheduled for May 4 at Gibson Bottoms, a 65-acre preserved tract along the Little Tennessee River outside Franklin with several nest-boxes along the river. Participants will meet at 7 a.m. at Highlands Town Hall to carpool.
The next outing will be on May 11 near Walnut Gap in Highlands. Birders will be keeping a keen eye out for golden-winged warblers. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org
Meanwhile, the Franklin Bird Club has an action-packed line-up of bird outings as
Celebrate spring birds in the Pisgah
The Cradle of Forestry has a full slate of events planned in celebration of International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 11.
There will be guided bird walks, a live raptor program and tips on birding. The day’s events begin at 8:30 a.m. with the bird walk, mist netting demonstration at 11 a.m., live raptor program at 2 p.m. and crafts and games from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
The Cradle of Forestry will be a hotspot of avian activity. A variety of migratory birds rest and feed there on journey north, while others stay to nest and raise their young.
Admission to the Cradle of Forestry is $5 for adults and free for youth under 16 years of age and those with America the Beautiful passes and federal Golden Passports. The Cradle of Forestry is located on Hwy. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest. 828.877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.org.
Trailing arbutus. Charles Wike photo
Backpackers cautioned to keep food away from bears
As spring and backpacking season returns to the mountains, so does bear danger in the woods. A recent bear encounter, in which a bear got a hold of food that was hung from a tree, has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to encourage visitors to the Shining Rock Wilderness Area, and other parts of the Pisgah Ranger District in the Pisgah National Forest, to store their food securely and be on the lookout for black bears.
No injuries or property damage were reported in the incident, but it has the agency on alert. Officials had to close that area of the forest to overnight camping last fall when similar bear encounters were on the rise. To prevent bear run-ins, forest rangers are urging visitors to store food by properly hanging it between two trees or stashing it in a bear proof canister container at least 150 feet away. Forest-users should also clean up food and garbage around fire rings, grills and in the campsite.
Smokies offers Mountains-to-Sea Trail hike and presentation
Folks interested in hiking a section of the Mountains to Sea Trail and learning a bit more about the storied path have a chance to chat with a MST guru in the Smokies Saturday, May 4.
Danny Bernstein, a hiking book author and master hiker, will lead a two-hour hike on a section of the trail through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and afterward give a talk about her adventures hiking the entire length the trail — from Clingmans Dome to the Outer Banks. Bernstein is one of the few to have hiked the fledging trail in its entirety.
The guided two-hour hike will begin at 10 a.m. at the Mingus Mill parking area and take the Mingus Creek Trail for nearly five miles. The route has an elevation gain of 800 feet and is mostly gentle. The Mingus Mill parking area is located on U.S. 441 about two miles north of Cherokee.
At 1 p.m., Bernstein will give a talk on the porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, sharing her adventures from hiking the entire 1,000 miles to the coast. She will discuss the highlights and challenges of hiking the entire trail as well as share pictures, maps and stories.
828.497.1904 or www.nps.gov/grsm.
Danny Bernstein, pictured on the Outer Banks, will lead a hike and then give a presentation about her journey along the Mountains to Sea Trail.
Saving lakes and streams, one barrel at a time
A rain barrel campaign in Haywood County is encouraging homeowners to catch the water coming down their gutters and put it to good use.
They are a cheap source for water and a great investment for maintaining healthy gardens and landscaping. When it storms, the barrels reduces run-off that would otherwise make their way into streams.
The 55-gallon barrels are made from recycled pickle containers and are fitted with connections for a garden hose, overflow pipes, or to connect to other barrels. They also have a drain and bug screen. The cost for one barrel is $80.
The rain barrel initiative is sponsored by Haywood Waterways Association, the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and Haywood Cooperative Extension Service.
828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.
Macon enviro group applauds local recyclers
Macon Pride, a county-based environmental organization, has recognized Caterpillar Precision Seals in Franklin for what it deems an exemplary recycling program. On a regular basis, Macon Pride highlights a local recycling program. The extensiveness and organization of the one at Caterpillar landed the company the honor this time around.
Caterpillar recycles large volumes of paper, metals and lubricants; its plant also has nearly a dozen stations for employees to recycle beverage containers and paper used daily.
“We strive for 100 percent recycling at our facility,” said Curtis Green, the facility’s senior associate for environmental health and safety.
Macon Pride also wants to hear from other county businesses, clubs, classrooms and churches that have recycling programs to recognize the effort. And, if an organization is lacking a program, Macon Pride will facilitate implementing a no-cost recycling station on site. 828.349.5201 or 828.524.9991.
Employees at Caterpillar’s plant in Franklin show-off their recycling receptacles.
Land trust earns top honors
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust has received national accreditation for its work in protecting treasured lands. The recognition came in April from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a program of the Washington D.C.-based Land Trust Alliance. The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust is one of only 200 or so land trusts across the country to be given the honor in recent years, which is a mark of distinction in land conservation.
To earn the seal that comes along with the designation, the organization had to submit extensive documentation and
undergo a rigorous review.
“The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust accredited status demonstrates our commitment to permanent land conservation that benefits the entire community,” said Executive Director Gary Wein.
Since the late 1800s, the Land Trust has protected more than 2,400 acres in some 75 places in southern Macon and Jackson counties. These lands include Ravenel Park, remnants of the historic Kelsey Trail, Rock and Chimneytop mountains. It first formed in 1883 when a group of residents banded together to form the Highlands Improvement Society. In 1909, the group passed one of its first landmarks when it bought 56 acres on Satulah Mountain, saving the summit from development.
Build a better road, i.e. one that stays put
A one-day workshop will teach landowners how to build and maintain private roads and driveways without causing erosion June 6 at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in Macon County. Topics for the event include planning, layout, construction of new roads, maintenance and reconstruction of existing roads. Erosion of poorly constructed and maintained private roads are a significant source of sediment to streams. Proper road construction reduces long-term maintenance costs and keeps mud out of waterways.
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee is sponsoring the event in partnership with the laboratory and the Macon County Soil and Water Conservation District. Registration is limited to 30 landowners. Cost is $25. www.ltlt.org or 828.524.2711.
Canton student creates a winner of a T-shirt
A Canton Middle School student designed the winning entry for this year’s Kids in the Creek T-shirt design competition. Kids in the Creek is a Haywood County program that puts kids in the streams to learn about conservation and biology, hands on. Erika Jimison’s waterinspired art edged out 24 other entries from all three county middle schools. Along with a $25 gift card, she will have her art featured on more than 700 T-shirts printed for this year’s Kids in the Creek program, to be held September 16-18. Waynesville Middle School’s Rachel Lindsey was named runnerup in the contest.
828.476.4667 or 877.700.7373 or www.haywoodwaterways.org.
Erika Jimison and her family members display her winning design for the Kids in the Creek T-shirt contest.
The summit of Satulah Mountain was the first property the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust protected in 1909.
Guided hike seeks out falls and flowers
A waterfall and wildflower-filled hike will be held May 21 along Big Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Big Creek is in the Haywood County portion of the park near the Tennessee line. The trek will be 10 miles and has a total elevation change of 1,100 feet. Lenny Bernstein, who has hiked all the trails in the Smokies, will be the guide. The hike will also celebrate Friends of the Smokies’ support for black bear research and management and is sponsored by Mast General Store.
tion of $10 for current members of the friends group and $35 for non-members is
Big Creek, near the Tennessee border, will be the site of an upcoming guided hike.
Participants will gather for the all day excursion in Waynesville at 9 a.m. A dona-
requested. Registration is required through outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org or 828.452.0720. friendsofthesmokies.org
WCU one of the greenest colleges in country
For the third consecutive year, Western Carolina University has been listed by The Princeton Review as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in North America. The university was included in the fourth edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges,” which is printed yearly in conjunction with Earth Day. The review mentions the university’s focus on energy conservation and a campus program that has reduced energy usage by 10 to 15 percent.
The university was also commended for events organized by the student group EcoCATS, its six electric vehicles and efforts to meet the United States Green Building Council standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for buildings, also known as LEED certification.
“Western has a proud history of integrating sustainability into all aspects of our university,” said Lauren Bishop, campus energy manager. “However, there is still more that we can do and we look forward to continuing to expand our efforts.”
lbishop@wcu.edu or 828.227.3562.
Calling recruits to the bugle corps
Can you make it in the corps? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park needs volunteers to join the Elk Bugle Corps and assist rangers with managing traffic and providing information to visitors in
Cataloochee Valley.
Cataloochee is a remote mountain valley in Haywood County where elk were reintroduced in 2001 as part of an experimental release. Approximately 140 elk now live in the herd, and their presence attracts throngs of visitors and lines of vehicles. Rangers have difficulty keeping up with the numbers and demands of visitors.
Volunteers teach visitors about elk behavior and biology and impart ethical wildlife viewing. Volunteers work at least two, four-hour shifts per month, starting the second week in May and continuing through November. This target period is during the high tourist season from elk calving season through their mating season. Volunteers will spend time roving the valley in a zero-emission electric vehicle or by bike. Volunteers who prefer to rove by bike are required to bring their own bicycle and helmet. 828.506.1739.
WNC Calendar
B USINESS & E DUCATION
• Issues & Eggs, 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, Gateway Club, Church St., Waynesville. Speaker, Janie SinacoreJaberg, president and CEO of MedWest - Haywood.
• WNC Ecofest, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Haywood Community College. $5 per car.
• Ending Stress for Productivity and Profit seminar, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Maggie Valley Club, Maggie Valley. Offered by Destination Stress Free. Owner Vicki O’Connor, Certified Master EFT Trainer, will teach new tools to end stress and improve organizational and prioritization skills. www.destinationstressfree.com and click events button. Vicki, 768.4252.
• Haywood Community College joint GED and Adult High School Graduation Ceremony, 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, HCC Charles Beall Auditorium. 627-4648.
• Southwestern Community College Spring Commencement, 5 p.m. for Career Technologies, Arts & Sciences and Early College graduates, and 7:30 p.m. for Health Science graduates, Tuesday, May 7, Balsam Auditorium stage. www.southwesterncc..edu or call 339.4000.
• Western Carolina University commencement ceremonies, 7 p.m. May 10, 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. May 11, Ramsey Regional Activity Center, Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu/24593.asp or 227.7216.
COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Drop-in public input session, North Main Street Complete Streets Study, 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday, May 2, 2nd floor Board Room, Town Hall Building, 9 S. Main St., Waynesville.
• World Laughter Day session, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5, Big Bear Shelter of the Little Tennessee River Greenway, Franklin. 828.226.5893 or cindy@regiona.org.
• PetSmart National Adopt-a-Thon weekend featuring Sarge foster dogs and cats available for adoption, 10 a.m. May 3-5, PetSmart, 321 Town Center Loop, Waynesville. Photos of pets available can be found on the website www.sargeandfriends.org. 246.9050.
• Oskar Blues Brewery “Kenya fundraise,” 6 p.m. Saturday, May 4, The Classic Wine Seller, Waynesville. $20 per person donation is requested. www.classicwineseller.com or 452.6000.
• Foster Pet Adoption, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s Adoption Center, 256 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville. Photos of pets available for adoption can be seen at www.sargeandfriends.org or www.petfinder.com. 246.9050.
• Woofstock, a benefit for the Humane Society of Jackson County, will feature activities, dog contests, food, and live music from 12 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4. Tickets $12 for adults, and $6 for children, Bridge Park, Sylva. Julie@pinnacleeventswnc.com.
• Woofstock ARFter Party, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, May 4, Tickets $12 and $15, Soul Infusion Tea House and Bistro, Sylva. Julie@pinnacleeventswnc.com.
• Ducks on the Tuck race, 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Sylva Pool, to help raise money for Jackson, Macon and Swain county New Century Scholars. SCC President Don Tomas will dive for ducks. Pamela Judson, 339.4477 or email pjudson@southwesterncc.edu.
• The WNC Advocacy Group will hold its annual Blessing of the Bikes, 12 to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5, Wheels through Time Museum. 316.9697.
• Meeting and luncheon of The Sylva Garden Club, 9:30
• Hula Hoop class for children and adults, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Jackson County Family Resource Center, $3 kids, $5 adults. 586.2845 to register.
All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for:
a.m. Tuesday, May 7, Community Room of the Jackson County Library Complex. Tickets are $10. cindyrparker@gmail.com.
• Haywood and Jackson County Guardian Ad Litem New Volunteer Training Classes, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays beginning May 8 through June 19. 454.6394 or 454.6513.
• Chick-fil-A Leadercast, 8 a.m. Friday, May 10, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. Oneday leadership event will broadcast live from Atlanta to Franklin. Tickets are $60 each or $50 for two attendees. Includes a Chick-fil-A lunch. GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.
• Foster Pet Adoption, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s Adoption Center, 256 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville. Photos of pets available for adoption can be seen at www.sargeandfriends.org or www.petfinder.com. 246.9050.
• Cherokee Spring Fling, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, Cherokee Welcome Center, 498 Tsali Blvd. 828.554.6490.
• National Letter Carriers “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive for Haywood County, 1 p.m. Saturday, May 11, loads of food are to be taken to your nearest post office. 456.4838.
• Tickets on sale for The Mountain Challenge, a charity exhibition match between retired professional tennis players Andy Roddick and Jim Courier, Saturday, July 27, Cedar Creek Racquet Club, Cashiers. Includes a Mountain Dinner Gala and a Saturday morning VIP breakfast with Roddick and Courier. Reserved seat tickets $100. Details at Cashiers.com.
• Angel Medical Center Blood Drive, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 3, 120 Riverview St., Franklin. Barbara Hall, 369. 4166.
• Keller Williams Realty Blood Drive, 1 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, 1573 Highlands Road, Franklin. Connie Coker, 524.0100 or log onto www.redcrossblood.org.
H EALTH MATTERS
• Freedom from Tobacco course, 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 2, Haywood County Health Department, 157 Paragon Parkway, Suite 800, Clyde. Includes eight classes over seven weeks. Taught by Rural Health Nurses from the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville. Enrollment is limited. Call Robin, 298.7911, ext. 4244, to enroll.
• Indians in Sobriety Campout May 2-5, KOA Campground, Cherokee. Registration begins at noon, May 2. $45 per person includes campsite and meals. Activities include talking circles, campfire meeting, sobriety walk, sobriety powwow and AA/Al-anon speakers. Mail your check to Indians in Sobriety, ATTN: Treasurer, P.O. Box 548, Cherokee, N. C. 28719. 736.7510.
R ECREATION & FITNESS
• American Red Cross certified swim lessons for children age 6 months to teens, starting May 13, Western Carolina University. Details at http://swim.wcu.edu or call 227.7397.
• Hoop Fitness, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Family Resource Center, Webster. Hoops provided; all ages welcome. 586.2845 to register. $3 children, $5 adults. www.hooping.org.
• Tennis lessons, Bunnie Allare, Recreation Park in Waynesville. For rates, program information or to sign up for lessons go to bunnieallare@gmail.com, text 513.608.9621, recathletics@townofwaynesville.org or 456.2030.
• The Walk with Ease beginning exercise program, 2 to 3 p.m. every Tuesday for six weeks at the MedWest Health & Fitness Center on the MedWest-Haywood campus in Clyde. Walk with Ease is for people with and without arthritis who would like to begin a regular walking routine. For people who can be on their feet for 10 minutes without pain. Reservations required; $20 per person. 452.8089.
• The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department offers walking program for those with arthritis from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free to members. 456.2030 or recprograms@townofwaynesville.org.
• Aikido Class will be offered from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the White Dragon Academy, Sylva. 269.8144 or 507.1800.
• WNC Fit Club is offering free workouts every Monday. Level 1 workouts begin at 5:15 p.m., Level 2 workouts begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Services Building in Sylva. xfit.org or 506.4726.
• The Waynesville Kodokan Judo Club practices from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Children participate from 4 to 5:30 p.m., adults 5:30 to 7 p.m. Open to boys and girls of all ages. Sensei Jimmy Riggs, 506.0327 or the Waynesville Recreation Center at 456.2030.
• E-Z Stretching and Chair Exercise classes, 2 to 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays at the Waynesville Towers, 65 Church St., Waynesville. 456.3952.
• The Waynesville Kodokan Judo Club will host Judo classes from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Judo Club members must purchase an annual membership at the Waynesville Recreation Center plus, $20 per month for club dues. Ages 4 and up. Jimmy Riggs, 506.0327.
• Exercise and Movement for Middle Eastern Dance is held Thursdays at 9 a.m. at the Creative Thought Center, Waynesville. $40/monthly or $12/class. 926.3544.
• AccessDance WNC, a mobile dance instruction company committed to making dance and exercise accessible to underserved communities, offers instruction in numerous settings. 276.6458.
• Qi Gong/Yoga/Pilates classes are from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at The Creative Thought Center of Waynesville. Love offering. 456.9697 or email waynesvillectc@aol.com.
• Waynesville disc golf club. GLOW Singles play at 6 p.m. Mondays at the Waynesville Recreation Park. Random draw doubles at 10 a.m. Saturdays. $5, $4 for club members. Meet at the picnic shelter beside the softball field below the Waynesville Recreation Center. www.waynesvillediscgolf.org.
S ENIOR ACTIVITIES
• Haywood County Senior Games, May 6-21, throughout Haywood County. Opening Ceremony, May 6, Ice Cream Social, May 15, and dinner at the Closing Ceremony, May 21. Haywood County Recreation & Parks office, 452.6789 or visit www.haywoodnc.net.
• Senior Phone Assurance program at the Senior Resource Center is for seniors and people 18 years old and older with disabilities who would like to receive a
■ 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
daily phone call. Free. Callers are volunteers who are part of the Senior Resource Center. Phone Assurance works well for people who live alone. 452.2370.
• Senior Resource Center Brain Gym, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. Open to the public for games, computer/iPad, Wii, X-Box and Brain Bikes. People 50 years of age and older and teens 18 and older with disabilities can participate in cardio workouts, rug hooking and much more. 452.2370.
• Clip and Save Coupon Club, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville.
• Senior and Fit, a 12-week program, 11 a.m. to noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. 456.2030.
• Happy Wanderers senior group holds several events coordinated through Haywood County Parks and Recreation. 452.6789.
• For information on resources for older adults in Haywood County, call 2-1-1, or by cell phone 1.888.892.1162; www.nc211.org or www.haywoodconnections.org. 452.2370.
K IDS & FAMILIES
• Summer Nature Day Camps at the Highlands Nature Center, Tuesday through Friday, June through August. 526.2623 or www.highlandsbiological.org.
• Free homework help 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, children’s area, Waynesville library. Tutors available. No appointment necessary.
• HomeSchool/Afterschool Creativity Classes (for children ages six to 12): 1 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 5 p.m., Wednesdays, Claymates, 460 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 256.9595; Thursdays, Claymates, 31 Front St., Dillsboro, 631.3133. $10 per child if pre-paid. www.claymatespottery.com/.
• New Kindermusik Baby Classes called Cock-a-Doodle Moo for children newborn to 18 months, weekly in Cullowhee, Waynesville and Cashiers. Day and evening times available. 293.5600 or www.themusicvillagenc.com.
• Claymates Pottery will host kids night from 6 to 8 p.m. the first Friday of every month. Create art, eat pizza and play games. 631.3133.
• The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department offers after school opportunities for kids from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Free to members or $12 per student per week for nonmembers. Registration required. 456.2030 or youthprogramsupervisor@townofwaynesville.org.
• The Macon County Public Library will host family story times at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. Kids are invited to wear PJs and
bring stuffed animals during the Wednesday evening programs. Home School Book Talk is held from 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays. 524.3600.
• Love and Logic is a seven-week class for parents with children of any age. The class topics include discipline, bickering and fighting, power struggles, how to have fun and feel relaxed as a parent, plus any topics that parents bring. Amber Clayton, program coordinator, 586.2845 ext. 25.
• Young Warrior Jiu Jitsu Classes, 5 to 5:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays at Basulto Academy of Defense in Waynesville. Classes are open to boys and girls ages 6 and older. 230.5056 or BasultoBJJ@yahoo.com.
• Avril Bowens presents perfect pushing class for moms-to-be. 342.8128 or www.healyourdiastasis.com
Day Camps
• Elementary School Summer Day Camp, ages 6 to 12, Cullowhee United Methodist, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 3 to August 2, with no camp July 4-5. One-time registration fee $75 (or $10 per week if less than 8 weeks) per family to reserve your spot and will help cover the cost of supplies and some activities. Cost is $650 for the whole summer, $90 per week, or $25 per day. Space is limited and filling up fast. Call 293.9215 or visit http://www.cullowheeumc.org/summer-camp-2013/.
• A Book Trade/Exchange, 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays at Brain Gym at 81 Elmwood Way in Waynesville. An ongoing event. 452.2370.
• WCU is collecting old books for local children. Please drop donations at Reynolds Residence Hall or Scott Hall on the campus of WCU. 227.4642 or jgbowen1@catamount.wcu.edu.
• A Haywood county non-fiction book club meets the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at various locations. 456.8428
• Book Babies story time at Blue Ridge Books meets Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for children 3 years old and younger. 456.6000.
Food & Drink
• Collective Spirits Fundraiser, May 16-18 at The Bascom, featuring renowned chefs and notable wines. Stock Your Cellar Wine Market and Tasting, $100 per person; Gala Dinner and Auction, $275 per person; benefactor packages start at $2,500. collectivespirits.com, 787.2896, Claire Cameron, 787.2882 or ccameron@thebascom.org, www.TheBascom.org.
• Gathering Table, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, at The Community Center, route 64, Cashiers. Provides fresh, nutritious dinners to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay. Volunteers always needed and donations gratefully accepted. 743.9880.
P OLITICAL G ROUP EVENTS & LOCAL G OVERNMENT
• Preschool Summer Day Camp Cullowhee United Methodist Church, ages 3 - not yet attended kindergarten, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 3 through August 2, with no camp July 4-5. Full-day program $650 for the whole summer, $90 per week, or $25 per day. Half day program $450 for entire summer, $60 per week, or $15 per day. Space limited, call 293.9215 or visit http://www.cullowheeumc.org/summer-camp-2013/.
Arts
• Kids can make their own piece of art from 10 a.m. to noon every Saturday during the Family Art at the Jackson County Farmers Market at the Community Table, downtown Sylva. 631.3033 or jacksoncountyfarmermarket.com.
Dems
• Haywood County Democratic Rally, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Tuscola High School cafeteria, 564 Tuscola School Road, Waynesville. Dinner, 6 p.m. $12.50 person. Purchase tickets at Democratic Headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville, or from precinct chairs. Office hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Open to all registered Democrats. 452.9607 or visit www.haywooddemocrats.org.
• Haywood County Democratic Party headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville, is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 452.9607 or visit haywooddemocrats.org.
• Suzuki Flute at The Music Village is accepting new students ages 4 to adult. Beginning through advanced students are welcome. 293.5600 or www.themusicvillage-nc.com.
• The Uptown Gallery in Franklin offers monthly art workshops for children. Children must be at least eight years old. Pre-registration is required. 349.4607 or caauptowngallery@frontier.com.
• Kids Creation Stations, 10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, The Bascom in Highland. Ages 5 to 9, $5 per class. 787.2897.
• After School Art Adventure, 4:15 to 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays, The Bascom in Highland. Ages 5 to 9, $5 per class. Follows Macon public school schedule. 787.2897.
• After School Advanced Art Adventure, 4:15 to 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays, The Bascom in Highland. Middle and high school age students. $5 per class. Follows Macon public school schedule. 787.2897.
• Kid’s sewing/needlecraft class 10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, Studio 598, 598 W. Main St., Sylva. 587.7899.
Science & Nature
• Nature Center Summer Day Camps at the Highlands Nature Center. Filling up fast. Find complete schedules, costs, and other information, at www.highlandsbiological.org or call 526.2623.
Literary (children)
• Rompin’ Stompin’ music and movement story time, 10 a.m. Thursdays, Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library. 648.2924.
• Book Babies, story time for children four years old and younger, 10:30 a.m., Mondays, Blue Ridge Books, Waynesville.
• The Haywood County Democratic Executive Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month at Democratic Headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville. 452.9607 or www.haywooddemocrats.org
• The Jackson County Democratic Party meets the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at Democratic Headquarters, 500 Mill St., Sylva. Brian McMahan, 508.1466.
• Jackson County Democratic Party executive committee members meet at 6:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at Democratic Headquarters, 500 Mill St., Sylva. 631.1475 or jacksondems.com.
• Jackson County Democratic Women meet at 6 p.m. the third Thursday of every month at Democratic Headquarters 500 Mill St., Sylva. 631.1475 or jacksondems.com.
GOP
• The North Jackson County GOP monthly meetings are held at 6:30 p.m., the fourth Monday of each month, at the Sylva headquarters, 58 D Sunrise Park, Sylva. Ralph Slaughter, Jackson County GOP Chair at 743.6491 or www.jacksoncountygop.com.
• The South Jackson County GOP monthly meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at the GOP headquarters office at Laurel Terrace on N.C. 64 east in Cashiers. Ralph Slaughter, Jackson County GOP Chair at 743.6491 or www.jacksoncountygop.com.
• The Haywood Republicans meet at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at the GOP headquarters, 303 N. Haywood St., Waynesville. 246.7921. www.haywoodncgop.org.
• The Haywood Republicans meet at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at GOP headquarters, 303 N. Haywood St., Waynesville. 246.7921. www.haywoodncgop.org.
Others
• Occupy/WNC General Assembly meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday in room 220 of the Jackson County Administration and Justice Center in Sylva. 538.1644.
• A TEA Party group meets at 2 p.m. the third Saturday of each month at the 441 Diner in Otto. Mountainpatriotsteaparty.info.
• The League of Women Voters meets at noon the second Thursday of each month at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Lunch available by reservation. Open to all. $6 for food. 524.5192.
A&E
FESTIVALS, S PECIAL & S EASONAL EVENTS
• Folkmoot USA celebrates its 30th anniversary, 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 3, Sid’s on Main in Canton, Heavy hors d’oeuvres, music, cash bar and live and silent auctions. Tickets, $50. 452.2997 or email dlavela@folkmoot.com for tickets.
• Ramp Festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 5, American Legion Field, Waynesville. 456.8691
• The Haywood Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for artists and crafters – as well as craft demonstrators – for the 25th annual Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct.19 on Historic Main Street down-
town Waynesville. Deadline for applications is August 30. Booth space assignments for the festival will be announced after October 4. Applications available at HaywoodAppleFest.com or by calling 456.3021.
• Great Decisions 2013 Edition Discussion Group, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays through May 23, auditorium Haywood County Public Library, Waynesville. $20, cost of Great Decisions, 2013 Edition. Leader, David E. McCracken, National Associate with the FPA. 550.5980 or dem32415@aol.com or www.fpa.org.
• May Day Tarot Reading, 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, City Lights Bookstore. 586.9499.
• Writer and musician Ted Olson to perform and read from his new poetry collection, Revelations, 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, City Lights Bookstore. 586.9499.
• Author Deborah Schlag discusses healing and overcoming traumatic brain injury, 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva. 586.9499.
• Author Victoria Casey McDonald discusses AfricanAmerican roots, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9, Jackson County Courthouse. 631.2646.
• Asheville writer Jamie Mason will read from her thriller novel, Three Graves Full, 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva. 586.9499. Sallie Bissell to Read from Her New Mystery
• Sallie Bissell reads from her new novel, Music of Ghosts, 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva. 586.9499.
ON STAGE & I N CONCERT
• “Welcome to Mitford,” 3 p.m. May 2-4, HART, 250 Pigeon St. Waynesville. Based on popular novels by Jan Karon. Tickets, $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $10 for students/teachers. Special $6 discount tickets for students and teachers for Thursday and Sundays. Tickets at 456.6322 or online to www.harttheatre.com.
• Classical guitarist Amy Brucksch and clarinetist Fred Lemmons will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 2. Tickets for only the concert $12, and $25 for wine and cheese pairing included. The Classic Wine Seller, Waynesville. 452.6000.
• ‘Round The Fire, musical tribute to Grateful Dead, 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, The Classic Wine Seller, Waynesville. www.classicwineseller.com or 452.6000.
• Rachele Lynae, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Maggie Valley Festival Grounds during Thunder in the Smokies. Discount tickets can be purchased online at www.handlebarcorral.com/Event_tickets.htm. Weekend passes to the rain or shine event are priced at $17 when purchased online or $20 on day of show. $8 passes for children ages 5-12. www.handlebarcorral.com.
• Herman’s Hermits, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. Tickets start at $20.GreatMountainMusic.com, 866.273.4615.
• Free concert featuring the Civic Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, recital hall of the Coulter Building, Western Carolina University. WNC School of Music. 227.7242.
• Auditions for “Brigadoon,” 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5, HART, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville. Production runs July 12 through Aug. 4.
• Haywood Community Chorus Spring Concert, 4 p.m. Sunday, May 5, First United Methodist Church, Waynesville. 456.1020 or 452.0156.
• Free concert featuring The Elderly Brothers 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, Community Room, Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.
• Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt and Mountain Faith, 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, Coulter Hall, Western Carolina University. $10. Tickets sold at the door. Sponsored by the Jackson County arm of the
Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program. All proceeds to help sustain the JAM program in Jackson County. Heather Gordon, Jackson County 4-H, 586.4009 (office), 400.2114 (cell), or heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.
• Grammy nominated Josh Turner, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11, Harrahs Cherokee Casino. 497.7777.
• Mike Snider String Band, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
ART/GALLERY EVENTS & OPENINGS
• Testify exhibition through Friday, May 10, Fine Art Museum, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee. WCU Fine Art Museum, 227.3591 or go online to fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.
• Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Department Graduate Show, through June 23, Folk Art Center Main Gallery, milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville. 298.7928, www.craftguild.org.
• Artist reception for John Highsmith, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 3, Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. Under the Sea, an exhibit of photographs taken underwater, runs May 1 through 27, Gallery 86. www.haywoodarts.org.
• HCC students from the Professional Crafts programs host an arts and crafts sale, 12 to 6 p.m. Friday, May 3, Mary Cornwell Gallery of the Professional Arts and Crafts Facility. 919.802.7956.
• Art After Dark, Friday, May 3, downtown Waynesville. Stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street and Depot Street. Galleries open late with food, wine and live music.
• Photographer Barbara Sammons’ Dusty Roads and More, a collection of 18 photographs of old cars and
tractors, wildlife and scenography, May 7 through July 31, Canton Branch Library, 11 Pennsylvania Avenue, Canton. Barbara Sammons, 707.4420. www.barbarasammons.com.
• Family craft workshops, 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4 and Saturday, May 18, Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. $5. Space limited. Correlates with Under the Sea exhibition, a series of underwater photographs by Dr. John Highsmith. Haywood County Arts Council, 452.0593. www.haywoodarts.org.
short works by Western Carolina University film students, 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, WCU. $10, cash only, at the door. Proceeds and donations benefit the Motion Picture Student Project Fund, which helps students with the cost of creating their senior project films. Alexa Rufty, 781.0577 or atrufty1@catamount.wcu.edu or the School of Stage and Screen, 227.7491.
• Movies at Jackson County Library, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays. Free. 586.2016.
• Hike the Mingus Creek Trail, part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Day at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with author Danny Bernstein, 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 4. Meet 10 minutes before hike starts at the Mingus Mill parking lot, off U.S. 441 a few miles after entering the park from the Cherokee entrance. Four-mile, moderately strenuous hike.
• Audubon Society Beginners’ Walk, with guest leader Jack Johnston, 7 a.m. Saturday, May 4, to Gibson Bottoms in Franklin. Meet at Highlands Town Hall at 7 a.m. to carpool.
• Norma Bradley (fiber) and Rebecca Kempson (mixed media), May 11 through June 30, Folk Art Center Focus Gallery, milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville. 298.7928, www.craftguild.org.
CLASSES, PROGRAMS & D EMONSTRATIONS
• Southwestern Community College is offering several pottery classes this summer at the Swain Center, 60 Almond School Road, Bryson City. For a complete schedule, visit www.southwesterncc.edu/finearts or call 366.2000.
• Movies at the Cashiers Library. The library shows movies on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 3 p.m. The movies and popcorn are free, but donations are appreciated. For titles and times, visit www.fontanalib.org/cashiers.
• Family movie days at Marianna Black Library, Bryson City, are at 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Classic movies are shown at 1 p.m. the second and fourth Friday. Other films also shown. Free movies and popcorn. 488.3030 or www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
• Paddlesports Demo Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5, Shelter 1, Lake Julian, Arden.
• Audubon Society special joint walk with the Franklin Bird Club, led by Jim & Ellen Shelton, 7:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11, Walnut Gap. Highlands participants should carpool from the Highlands Town Hall Parking lot, meeting at 7:30, while Cashiers residents will meet at the Community Center parking lot, at 7:45 a.m. Michelle, 743.9670.
• Bird walk along the Greenway, 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 8, meet at Salali Lane, Franklin. 524.5234.
• Rug Hooking Group, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Jackson County Public Library. Beginners welcome. 631.2561.
• Taking Control of your Digital Photography –From Camera to Computer, by Ed Kelley, for Intermediate & Advanced Students, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays. www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197 orcharspaintings@msn.com.
• Children’s Art Classes, by Scottie Harris, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays. www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197 orcharspaintings@msn.com.
• Drawing Lessons for Adults, by Char Avrunin, 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays. www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197 orcharspaintings@msn.com.
• Movies at the Macon County Library. New movies, documentaries and foreign films every Monday at 3:30, Wednesday at 4:30 and again at 7 p.m., and Classic Matinees at Fridays at 2 p.m. The movies and popcorn are free, but donations are welcome. 524.3600.
DANCE
• Pisgah Promenaders Dahlia/Mother’s Day square dance, 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. Saturday, May 11, Old Armory Rec. Center, 44 Boundary Street, Waynesville. Plus and Mainstream dancing with caller Ken Perkins. 586.8416 Jackson County, or 452.1971.
ARTS G ROUP M EETINGS
• The Tuesday Quilters meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church on N.C. 107. Bring your machine and whatever quilt you are working on.
• Bird walk near Walnut Creek, 8 a.m. Saturday, May 11, meet at Bi-Lo parking area, Franklin. 524.5234.
PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS
• Return of the Elk Ranger Program, 5 p.m. Tuesdays May 7 and 21, Rough Fork Trailhead in Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Free boating safety course, 6 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, and Thursday, May 9, room 309, Haywood Community College. Participants must attend two consecutive evenings to receive their certification. No age limits. Preregistration is required at www.ncwildlife.org. Sponsored by HCC’s Natural Resources Division and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
• The WNC Fiber Folk Group meets weekly from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursdays in the Star Atrium of the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at WCU. 227.2553 or ddrury@wcu.edu.
• Beginning crochet class 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 16 and Thursday, May 23, Professional Arts and Crafts/Instructional Facility, Haywood Community College. $38 each class. Register one week before class by visiting Student Services or visiting http://www.haywood.edu/continuing_education. 565.4240.
• Comic Stripped: A Revealing Look at Southern Stereotypes in Cartoons, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, through Tuesday, May 14, Mountain Heritage Center, Western Carolina University. 227.7129.
• The Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild offers free Learn to Knit classes for adults and children at the Waynesville Library on Tuesdays. The adult class meets from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Children (boys and girls ages 8-12) meet from 5 to 6 p.m. Pre-registration required. 246.0789.
FILM & S CREEN
• Free movie, 4:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, Meeting Room, Macon County Public Library, Franklin. Stars Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, PG-13, sexual themes. 524.3600.
• Free classic movie, 2 p.m. Friday, May 3, Meeting Room, Macon County Public Library, Franklin. Author Eugene O’Neill gives an autobiographical account of his explosive home life. 524.3600.
• Controlled Chaos Film festival featuring
• Thursday Painters meet at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your project and a bag lunch and join us for a day of creativity and fun. All artists are welcome. 349.4607.
Outdoors
OUTINGS, H IKES & FIELDTRIPS
• Eco-Tour of Cataloochee Valley, 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 3, with master naturalist Esther Blakely of Cataloochee Valley Tours. Four-hour round trip. Current members of Friends of the Smokies may join Eco-Tour for $30. Non-members, $65, which includes a complimentary oneyear membership to Friends of the Smokies. Space limited. Pre-registration required. Friends of the Smokies at outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org or 452.0720 to register.
• Tsali Demo Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 4, Tsali Recreation Area. Hosted by Bryson City Bicycles, 157 Everett St., Bryson City. 488.1988.
• Mingus Mill Demonstration, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, one-half mile north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on US 441 (Newfound Gap Road), Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Mountain Farm Museum, dawn to dusk, daily, adjacent to Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
• Oconaluftee River Trail Treasures, 2 p.m. Fridays through May 15. Meet at the trailhead adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Easy, one mile trail. Discover its treasures.
• Coffee with a Ranger, 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, through May 15, porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Join a Ranger for a cup of coffee and find out what’s happening in the park. Coffee provided. Bring a cup if you have one. 45 minutes.
• Return of the Elk, 5 p.m. Tuesdays, May 7 and May 21, Cataloochee Valley, Rough Fork Trailhead. Guided hike to the elk acclimation pen. Moderate, less than one mile walk.
• Back Porch Old-Time Music, 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18, porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Bring an acoustic instrument and join in or just sit back and enjoy traditional Appalachian music.
• The Mountains-to-Sea Trail Across North Carolina, 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4, porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Author Danny Bernstein has hiked the entire 1,000 miles and will share her stories.
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 — Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads.
■ Free — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.
■ $12 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.
■ $12 — 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.
■ $35 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.
■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.
■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.
Classified Advertising:
Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com
Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC
AUCTION
ANTIQUE ESTATE AUCTION
SATURDAY AT 5:00 P.M.
Victorian Era estate of Irene Mueller. Desks, pie safe, marble tops, tilt top dining, various chairs & rockers, copper candy kettles, dressers, armoires, blanket chest, lap desk, pocket watches & clocks, sterling pieces, original oils, 1890’s Officer’s Sword, 1842 Samplers, 1812 Bible, English Barley Twist furniture, servers, cut glass, transferware, 10 gal syrup jug, China, crystal, 1800’s photo albums and more! Preview at: www.ReminisceAntiques.com Reminisce Auction, Franklin, NC 828.369.6999 Ron Raccioppi NCAL#7866
GOING, GOING, GONE!
Promote your auction with a classified ad published in 100 North Carolina newspapers with over 1.3 million circulation. A 25-word ad is only $330. For more information, call NCPS at 919.789.2083 or visit www.ncpsads.com.
3 Different Estates, Under One Roof! Antiques, jewelry, furniture, appliances, new and used commercial tools. 255 Depot St., Waynesville, NC. May 4th & 5th from 9am to 5pm.
BUILDING MATERIALS
HAYWOOD BUILDERS
Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051
100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.
WHITE PINE, HEMLOCK, POPLAR Lumber and Timbers, Any Size! Rough Sawn or S4S, Custom Sawing. Smoky Mountain Timber, 3517 Jonathan Creek Rd., Waynesville, NC. 828.926.4300.
CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING
DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.
Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson. Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316
65 Veterans Blvd. We are looking for smiling, energetic crew members. Day and Evening shifts, full and part time positions available Top pay and benefits. Apply online at: apply.bojangles.com Select Bryson City, NC location. EEO/DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE
CAREGIVER WANTED
Comfort Keepers is hiring a part time Caregiver or CNA for the Sylva, Cherokee and Waynesville area. Light housekeeping, meal prep, competitive pay, help with gas, Paid Vacation, Insurance. Call 877.477.2233 toll free, or apply online at: comfortkeepers.com
DRIVER -
$2,500 Sign-On Bonus! Hiring Solo and Team Drivers. Great Benefits Package. Excellent Home Time. CDL-A Required 888.441.9358 www.superservicellc.com
EMPLOYMENT
COMPANY DRIVER:
Solo and Team OTR Lanes. Sign-On Incentive: Solos - $2000 & Teams$5000. Competitive Pay. Great Hometime. CDL-A with 1 year OTR & Hazmat end. 888.705.3217 or apply online at: www.drivenctrans.com
DRIVER -
Flatbed & Heavy Haul Owner Operators/Fleet Owners. Consistent year round freight. Avg $1.70 - 2.00 all miles. No forced dispatch. Apply online www.tangomotortransit.com or call 877.533.8684.
DRIVER -
One cent raise after 6 and 12 months. $0.03 Enhanced Quarterly Bonus. Daily or Weekly Pay, Hometime Options. CDL-A, 3 months OTR exp. 800.414.9569. www.driveknight.com
TANKER & FLATBED COMPANY.
Drivers/Independent Contractors! Immediate Placement Available. Best opportunities in the Trucking Business. Call Today. 800.277.0212 or visit us at: www.primeinc.com
EMPLOYMENT
DRIVERS -
Hiring Experienced/Inexperienced Tanker Drivers! Earn up to $0.51/Mile! New Fleet Volvo Tractors! 1 Year OTR Exp. Req. - Tanker Training Available. Call Today: 877.882.6537 or go to: www.OakleyTransport.com
DRIVERS:
Top Pay & CSA Friendly Equip, Class A CDL Required. Recent CDL grads wanted. 877.258.8782. www.ad-drivers.com
DRIVERS: HOME WEEKENDS! Pay up to $.40 per Mile. Chromed out Trucks with APU’s. 70% Drop & Hook. CDL-A, 6 Months Exp. 888.406.9046 or Apply at: SmithDirvers.com
NOW HIRING!
National Companies need workers immediately to assemble products at home. Electronics, CD stands, hair barrettes & many more. Easy work, no selling, any hours. $500/week potential. Info 1.985.646.1700 DEPT NC - 4152 (Not valid in Louisiana) SAPA
EMPLOYMENT
FTCC -
Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following position: Benefits Specialist. Deadline: May 6. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/FTCC, PO Box 35236, Fayetteville, NC 28303. Phone: 910.678.8378. Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer
GYPSUM EXPRESS.
Regional Hauls for Flatbed Company Driver Terminal in Roxboro. Ask about Performance Bonus coming April 1st & more. Melissa, 866.317.6556 x6 or go to: www.gypsumexpress.com
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
Operator Career! 3 Week Hands On Training School. Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. National Certifications. Lifetime Job Placement Assistance. VA Benefits Eligible. 1.866.362.6497
EMPLOYMENT
WOODWORKING SHOP
Looking for part-time worker. Flexible hours or weekends, no experience necessary. 828.421.2693.
NEED MEDICAL OFFICE TRAINEES. Become a Medical Office Assistant at CTI! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. For program disclosures, go to Careertechnical.edu/northcarolina. Or call us now at 1.888.512.7122
TRUCK DRIVERS WANTED-
Best Pay and Home Time! Apply Online Today over 750 Companies! One Application, Hundreds of Offers! www.HammerLaneJobs.com.
SAPA
MEDICAL CAREERS BEGIN HERETrain ONLINE for Allied Health and Medical Management. Job placement assistance. Computer and Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV authorized. Call 1.877.206.7665 www.CenturaOnline.com SAPA
WE ARE GROWING IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA! We are looking for Managers who are smiling, results oriented and energetic with quick service experience in Bryson City, Sylva and Franklin. We offer competitive pay, Medical and Dental benefits, LTD, Life Insurance and 401K. Please apply online at: apply.bojangles.com Or fax resume to: 828.684.1861.
EEO/DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE
OWNER OPERATOR:
Experienced CDL-A Owner Operators Wanted. $2,000 Solo Sign-On Incentive & $5,000 Team Sign-On Incentive. Long Haul Freight. Competitive Pay Package. Paid loaded and empty miles. Also hiring Company Teams. Call 866.937.7803 or apply online at: www.drivenctrans.com
-- JOB LISTINGS
-MED TECH AND CNA'S JOB# 197519 NO EXP NECESSARY. OFFERS ON THE JOB TRAINING. WILL PAY FOR MED TECH TEST.
NURSE PRACTITIONER/ PHYSICIAN EXTENDER II JOB# 197795 ENGLISH/SPANISH BILINGUAL SPEAKING CANDIDATES ARE PREF. RESPONSIBILITIES INC PHYSICAL ASSESSMENTS, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT & COUNSELING IN THE CLINICAL AREAS. PRIMARY EMPHASIS IS ON HEALTH PROMOTION AND DISEASE PREVENTION; SECONDARY EMPHASIS IS ON PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE LIC AS A PA BY THE NC MEDICAL BOARD OR APPROVED TO PRACTICE AS A NURSE PRACTITIONER BY THE NC BOARD OF NURSING AND THE NC MEDICAL BOARD AND ONE YEAR OF EXP. PHY EXTENDER OR EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF ED AND EXP.
NURSE AIDE I JOB# 197669
CNA'S NEEDED FOR HOME HEALTH CARE. NEW CNA GRADUATES ENCOURAGED TO APPLY, BUT MUST BE LISTED ON THE NC NURSE AIDE 1 REGISTRY.
BARTENDER JOB# 197663
FAMILY ORIENTED BAR/GRILL IN MAGGIE NEEDS 1 FULL TIME & 1 PART TIME EXP BARTENDER. MUST BE AVAILABLE TO WORK 11AM-11PM ANY DAY.
CASHIER JOB# 197659
VARIOUS OTHER RETAIL STORE DUTIES AS ASSIGNED. EMPLOYER IS WILLING TO TRAIN THE RIGHT PERSON.
DELI
WORKER JOB# 197653
GROCERY EMPLOYER LOOKING FOR DELI WORKER. MUST BE AVAILABLE ANY OPEN HOURS AS SHIFTS WILL VARY AS NEEDED. THIS IS A PART TIME POSITION. 6 MONTHS EXPERIENCE IN DELI GROCERY IS A PLUS, BUT EMPLOYER WOULD TRAIN THE RIGHT INDIVIDUAL.
APPLIANCE SERVICE TECHNICIAN JOB# 197623
IMMEDIATE OPENING FOR EXP APPLIANCE SERVICE TECHNICIAN. REFRIGERATION EXP IS REQ. COMPANY TRUCK PROVIDED AND MONTHLY BONUS.
HISTORY INSTRUCTOR JOB# 197161
MINIMUM: MASTER'S DEGREE IN THE HISTORY W/ 18 GRADUATE HOURS IN HISTORY. CANDIDATE SHOULD HAVE EXP IN MICROSOFT OFFICE. ABOVE AVERAGE VERBAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS. PREF QUALIFICATIONS: MASTER'S DEGREE IN HISTORY WITH TEACHING EXP IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE SETTING.
PRODUCTION EMPLOYEE JOB# 197071
PRODUCTION EMPLOYEE NEEDED FOR BUSY LAUNDRY SERVICE. THE IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION WILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO BE CROSSTRAINED TO PERFORM A VARIETY OF TASKS THAT MAY INCLUDE: RECEIVE AND SORT LAUNDRY, OPERATE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS WASHERS, DRYERS, AND IRONERS, AND BUNDLING CLEAN GARMENTS TO BE REDISTRIBUTED TO CUSTOMERS.
LAWN & GARDEN
HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC.
Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $3997.00Make & Save Money with your own bandmill. Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com. 1.800.578.1363, Ext. 300N.
BEWARE
EVER CONSIDER A Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888.418.0117. SAPA
NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS
NOW ACCEPTING
APPLICATIONS
Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400
Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available
Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10. Operation Pit is in Effect! Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes! Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 12 Noon - 5pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville
20 ACRES FREE! Buy 40 - Get 60 Acres. $0-
Down$198/mo. Money Back Guarantee. NO CREDIT CHECKS Beautiful Views. Roads/Surveyed. Near El Paso, Texas. 1.800.843.7537 www.SunsetRanches.com SAPA
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
Haywood County Real Estate Agents
Beverly Hanks & Associates — beverly-hanks.com
• Michelle McElroy — beverly-hanks.com
• Marilynn Obrig — beverly-hanks.com
• Mike Stamey — beverly-hanks.com
• Ellen Sither — esither@beverly-hanks.com
• Jerry Smith — beverly-hanks.com
• Billie Green — bgreen@beverly-hanks.com
• Pam Braun — pambraun@beverly-hanks.com
ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com
Haywood Properties — haywoodproperties.com
• Steve Cox — info@haywoodproperties.com
Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com
Lake Property Liquidation! Smoky Mountain Tennessee 1 Acre to 8 Acres. Starting at $12,900 w/boat slip/marina/ramp access! ABSOLUTE SALE! FINAL WEEKEND! 5/255/26, SALE 6/1-6/2. Call for map/pricing! 1.800.574.2055 extension 101. SAPA
BRAND NEW!
Mountain Golf Cottage only $129,900. Sale Saturday, May 4th. Incredible 3 bed/2 bath home in foothills of Blue Ridge Mountains at spectacular 18 hold golf course resort. Must see! Call now 866.334.3253, x2770.
EVER CONSIDER
A Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888.418.0117. SAPA
VACATION RENTALS
CAVENDER CREEK CABINS
Dahlonega, GA GAS TOO HIGH?
Spend your vacation week in the North Georgia Mountains! Ask about our weekly FREE NIGHT SPECIAL! Virtual Tour: www.CavenderCreek.com Cozy Hot Tub Cabins! 1.866.373.6307 SAPA
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS
Head to the mountains! Book your vacation today; even the family pet is welcome! Nightly, Weekly & Monthly Rentals. Foscoe Rentals 1.800.723.7341 or go to: www.foscoerentals.com SAPA
STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT
GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE
Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160. Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.
HOMES FOR SALE
BRUCE MCGOVERN
A Full Service Realtor shamrock13@charter.net
McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.
ATTENTION SLEEP APNEA
Sufferers with Medicare. Get CPAP Replacement Supplies at little or NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, prevent red skin sores and bacterial infection! Call 1.888.470.8261. SAPA
ATTENTION SLEEP APNEA
Sufferers with Medicare. Get CPAP Replacement Supplies at little or NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, prevent red skin sores and bacterial infection! Call 1.877.763.9842.
CANADA DRUG CENTER
Is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call Today 877.644.3199 for $25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping. SAPA
FEELING OLDER?
Men lose the ability to produce testosterone as they age. Call 888.414.0692 for a FREE trial of Progene- All Natural Testosterone Supplement. SAPA
VIAGRA 100mg & CIALIS 20mg! 40 Pills + 4 FREE for only $99. #1Male Enhancement, Discreet Shipping. Save $500!
A MARRIED COUPLE
Seeks To Adopt. Full-time mom & Devoted dad. Financial security. Expenses paid. Let’s help each other. Melissa & Dennis.
1.888.293.2890 (Rep. by Adam Sklar, Esq. Bar #0150789).
SAPA
A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS, Let Us Help! Personalized adoption plans. Financial assistance, housing, relocation and more. Giving the gift of life? You deserve the best. Call us first!
1.888.637.8200. 24 hour HOTLINE. SAPA ARE YOU PREGNANT?
A childless married couple (in our 30’s) seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on mom/devoted dad. Financial security. Expenses paid. Nicole & Frank.
1.888.969.6134
YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC!
Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com
PERSONAL
MEET SINGLES RIGHT NOW!
No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now
1.888.909.9978. SAPA PREGNANT?
Considering Adoption? Call Us First! Living expenses, Housing, Medical and continued support afterwards. Choose Adoptive Family of Your Choice. Call 24/7. ADOPT CONNECT 1.866.743.9212. SAPA UNPLANNED PREGNANCY? Thinking Of Adoption? Open or closed adoption. YOU choose the family. LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. Call 24/7 1.866.413.6295 SAPA
SERVICES
* REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL! *
Get a 4-Room All Digital Satellite system installed for FREE and programming starting at $19.99/mo. FREE HD/DVR upgrade for new callers, SO CALL NOW.
1.800.935.9195. SAPA
HIGHSPEED INTERNET
Everywhere By Satellite! Speeds up to 12mbps! (200x faster than dialup.) Starting at $49.95/mo. CALL NOW & GO FAST! 1.888.714.6155
ATTEND
COLLEGE ONLINE
From home. Medical, Business, Criminal Justice, Hospitality. Job placement assistance. Computer and Financial aid if qualified. SCHEV authorized. Call Now 888.899.6918 or go to: www.CenturaOnline.com
WEEKLY SUDOKU
SERVICES
AIRLINES ARE HIRINGTrain for hands on Aviation Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance. 877.300.9494.
DISH NETWORK.
Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available.) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now!
1.888.709.1546.
SAPA
MY COMPUTER WORKS:
Computer problems? Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connections - FIX IT NOW!
Professional, U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help. 1.888.582.8147
SAPA
YARD SALES
YARD SALE SAT. MAY 4TH
520 Acorn Lane, Whittier (Barkers Creek). Large Selection of 4T Boys clothes, Womens Clothes, Pillow Pets, Stuffed Animals, Games, Toys, DVD’s and much more. 9am to 12pm. 828.273.2208.
- ESTATE SALENOT TO BE MISSED
3 Different Estates, Under One Roof! Antiques, jewelry, furniture, appliances, new and used commercial tools. 255 Depot St., Waynesville, NC. May 4th & 5th from 9am to 5pm.
FINAL DEFEAT
ACROSS
1 Count every penny
7 Thrashes
12 Errors
20 Less than threedimensional
21 Blue Grotto’s island
22 Earnings on the principal
23 Certain custard pie
25 Uncommon instance
26 Base in DNA and RNA
27 Adams of photography fame
29 Hardly ruddy
30 Gallery-funding org.
31 Rachel’s biblical sister
33 Stinky sprayer with a luxuriant coat
36 Bit of rock improvising
41 Gun rights gp.
42 Make blond, maybe 43 Windows or Unix, briefly
44 1949 Peace Nobelist John — Orr
46 Person in a fam. tree
48 French for “kings”
52 Arab VIP
53 — Bator (capital of Mongolia)
55 Citrus-flavored pop
59 Of neural firing points
61 Rival of Hertz
62 Miracle- —
63 — degree
64 O’er’s opposite
65 Fracas
67 Drug from poppies
69 Group with eight
“Fresh Aire” albums 74 Coral colony member 75 Skewered meat dish in peanut sauce
Macabre
Vocalist Yoko
Free — bird 81 Waikiki necklaces 82 Got back, as losses 86 Situation for a shorthanded ice hockey team
89 “If I Only — Brain”
90 Hitchhiker’s need
91 Aerobics aid
92 Santa —, California
93 Silverstein of kiddielit
95 Desert refuges
96 Inits. on a Card’s cap
98 Talking- — (lectures)
101 Form in a catalog
104 High-ranking senator
109 Actors Erwin and Gilliam
110 Keats piece
111 Game with 108 cards
112 Opa- —, Florida
114 Fugitive
119 Actress Bracco
122 Bleached varnish ingredient
124 Little Rock locale
125 Gnu growths
126 Snare
127 Establish roots elsewhere
128 Latin abbr. for “and the following”
129 Not at all conscious of
DOWN
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Answers on Page 42
1 Humane org.
2 Dirt clump
3 5K or 10K
4 Wise to
5 Strong, buff papers
6 Hedge clipper
7 TV overseer
8 Actress — Flynn Boyle
9 Cloudless expanse 10 Comprehend
11 Son of Jacob and 31Across
12 Former Earth orbiter 13 Astounded 14 One on the fence
15 Itsy-bitsy
16 Lob’s path 17 Reeves of “Matrix” films
18 Ruhr hub 19 Fajita meat 24 Bluish color 28 USPS piece 32 Small grills 34 Small mountain lake 35 Actress Deborah 36 Heads out 37 “You Light — Life”
38 “Beauty — the eye ...” 39 Despotism 40 Inmate
45 Fits together well 47 Yolk holder
49 Bellybutton variety
50 “A Mighty Fortress — God”
51 Fake
53 Brigham City’s state
54 Miller beer
56 “Welcome to the —” (2010 film)
57 Totally lost
58 Rapper Artis Ivey,
familiarly
60 Letter-writing buddy
61 Dutch brew
66 May gems
68 Of lung membranes
69 “Water
—” (classic song)
89 The woman 94 Johns — University 95 Indecent 97 Class-cutting 99 Bird with ear tufts 100 “Prove it!” 102 Summers, in Marseilles 103 Was hasty 104 Cheek tooth 105 Totally love
Knee reflexes
Having a key center
Apple’s instant-
— mater
Said “guilty,” say
Part of SE
Soul singer Corinne Bailey —
Siam annex?
Title for an atty.
Abi-monthly magazine that covers the southern Appalachian mountains and celebrates the area’s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, art, crafts and special places. Each issue relies on regionalwriters and photographers to bring the Appalachians to life.
In this issue:
On the trail of Cherokee’s marker trees The last scream of the Virginia Creeper Winding along the Blue Ridge Parkway Postcards’ role in attracting early tourists
A book every naturalist needs on his or her shelf
Naturalist Donald Culross Peattie (1898-1964) was born in Chicago. In his autobiography The Road of a Naturalist (1941), Peattie recalled his first extended visit to the North Carolina mountains in 1906 as a time when he “saw the world of people fall away, grow small, grow hazy blue, forgotten. In seven months upon that isolated summit of the Appalachians, I began to discover a world older and greater. It is the world now of my established habitation, my working days and holidays, and it lies open to all men, in valleys as on mountains, by any road you choose to enter.” Tryon didn’t become his permanent “habitation” — but he spent many years there while growing up and as a young man.
BACK THEN
great book. When it comes to providing accurate botanical information intermingled with lore and vivid description, it has never been equaled. Most of his observations were probably based on species initially encountered in WNC. Here is a sampling:
The Road of a Naturalist is a fine autobiography, well worth reading. And Peattie’s Green Laurels: The Lives and Achievements of the Great Naturalists, is an inspired series of profiles of men and women who have studied natural history, beginning with Aristotle and concluding with Jean-Henri Fabre. But A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central America (1950) is a
Red Cedar
No stone-walled hilltop too bleak, no abandoned field too thin of soil but the dark and resolute figure of the Red Cedar may take its stand there, enduring, with luck, perhaps three centuries.
Yellow Birch
If the lodgment of a seed is no more than the moss rime on an old rock, the sapling seeds its roots straddling down the boulder until the soil is reached. A favorite forest site is an old log, which is straddled in the same way as the rock and when the log decays, the birch is left on stilts of its own roots.
Tuliptree
This tree of stately beauty and immense practical use has a bewildering handful of folk names … The foresters prefer tuliptree, and with reason, since the name brings to mind the glory of this species in the spring, when its flowers, erect on every bough, hold the sunshine in their cups, setting the giant tree alight.
Fraser Magnolia
In the coves of the southern Appalachians, cooled by the breezes set astir by ever-falling water and fresh with fern and saxifrage, this lovely tree is most at home, its flowers shining forth serenely as water-lilies floating in the forest green.
Table Mountain Pine
Sooner or later he who rides or climbs in the southern Appalachians finds himself on some wind-swept, sun-bitten rocky ledge where a grove of the strange Bur Pine suddenly surrounds him. [This species is now usually referred to as Table Mountain Pine (Pinus pungens).]
Its big cones encircle the twigs in dense clusters, each
knob of the one armed with a horrendous hooked prickle, as if to guard the harsh fruit through to its slow maturity. For the cones cling
on the tree until ripe, yet ripeness may not come for twenty years. And the tree allows no one without an axe to bear off these mace-like trophies; elastic though the branches are, they are unbreakable by human muscle. This intransigent Pine has no business future, nor will it — slow-growing, stingy of shade, without one concession to grace — ever find a role in horticulture. Its place is high on mountain ridges, where it looks down on the soaring buzzards, where the wildcat lives and the rattler suns his coils.
If you are a lover of trees this, is the one book you will want on your bookshelf beside the tree-identification manual of your choice. The next time you’re trying to find a gift for someone of like mind, give them this book. As I said, there’s nothing else else like it.
George Ellison wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees In June 2005, a selection of his Back Then columns was published by The History Press in Charleston as Mountain Passages: Natural and Cultural History of Western North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains Readers can contact him at P.O. Box 1262, Bryson City, N.C., 28713, or at info@georgeellison.com.
