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On the Cover:

It’s never too early for parents to begin planning for the summer and deciding which summer camp they want their children to attend. Western North Carolina offers a vast variety of summer camps with a focus on outdoor activities, personal growth, fine arts, sports and more. (Page 3) YMCA Camp Watia photo

Summer Camp Guide

Skyland Camp for Girls steeped in tradition ..............................................................5 Pigeon Center camp adds a touch of civics ..............................................................6

Bascom Center offers summer art camps ..................................................................7 Camp focuses on life with legacy in mind ..................................................................8 Camp WILD educates through adventure ..................................................................9

News

Jackson health plan faces deficit ..................................................................................10 Election filing concludes in Cherokee ........................................................................11

Nikwasi ownership sparks more debate ....................................................................12 Parkway ranger barred from enforcement duties ....................................................14

#MeToo founder speaks about sexual violence ......................................................16

Letts planned to run for chief, public records show ..............................................17 Waynesville will seek loans for sewer financing ......................................................19

ART D IRECTOR: Micah McClure. .

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S UBSCRIPTIONS

ranger

WNC camp spots in high demand

Most families in Western North Carolina haven’t even taken their spring break yet but already parents are clamoring to secure a spot for their kids at an area summer camp.

With so many different camp opportunities in the region, parents have many choices when it comes to keeping their children busy in the summer months. Whether it’s sending them to a traditional week-long outdoors camp or a day camp for arts or technology, there are endless benefits for their mental and physical health.

“Camp is one of the few institutions where young people can experience and satisfy their need for physical activity, creative expression and true participation in a community environment. Most schools don’t satisfy all these needs,” said noted educator, author and psychologist Peter Scales.

Organizations like Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville and the school systems have a variety of educational camps offered throughout the summer to keep students’ minds sharp in the summer so they don’t lose all the valuable information they learned during the school year.

Other camps like Skyland Camp for Girls in Clyde and Live Your Legacy Leadership Summit for Girls at Western

Summer camps

Haywood

• Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center. Summer enrichment camp. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 18 through Aug. 17. Offered for nine weeks. $450 per camper, multiple camper discounts and financial scholarships available. 828.452.7232.

• Skyland Camp for Girls offers summer camp stays of varying duration: 3, 9, 18 or 39 days. Sessions begin in late June and mid-July. Prices vary. For more information, call 828.627.2470 or email mailbox@skylandcamp.com.

• Challenger International Soccer Camp, July 22–26, boys and girls ages 3-14. Prices vary. To register, visit www.challengersports.com.

contact Kevin Cantwell at academy7@live.com.

• Waynesville Recreation Center Base Camp on the Go. A travelling camp featuring a variety of activities in a variety of locations including the Waynesville Recreation Center, Canton Town Park and Fines Creek. Free. Begins June 10. For more information contact cmiller@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Youth for Christ Outdoor Mission Camp in Maggie Valley. Sessions start June 25 through July 16. Cost ranges $150 to $700. www.outdoormissioncamp.org or 828.926.3252.

• Youth for Christ - Creativity In Creation, June 1621. Campers experience outdoor adventures in and around the Smokies, while also spending time expressing their creative side. $50 per camper. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/MmuW6ILkYhooto503.

• Youth for Christ - Wilderness 101, July 14-19. Spiritually and physically challenging wilderness discipleship camp for high school students. $350 per camper, scholarships available. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/0YS7E4cTt2CHaCL03.

• Youth for Christ - La Aventura, June 23-28. Ven a vivir una aventura al aire libre con otros hablantes de español. Encontrar a Dios en su creación y hacer grandes amigos! $50. To register, visit goo.gl/forms/w4dkpK6deFAiSBQ83.

Macon

• Smoky Mountain Aquatic Club. Summer Camp. Ages 6-17. Practices are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays beginning at 6:15 p.m. and on Saturdays beginning at 8:30 a.m., all at the Waynesville Recreation Center. www.smacwswimming.com.

• Smoky Mountain Sk8way. Eight-week day camp from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 18 through Aug. 10. Ages 6-14. $140 a week. 828.246.9124. Enrollment form at www.smokymountainsk8way.com.

• New Vision Training Center. Summer day camp opportunities for gymnastics, ninja training, bouldering, outside play, arts and crafts, games, and much more. Full days and half days. Snacks will be provided. Bring your own lunch. Ages 3-12. www.newvisiontrainingcenter.com or 828.524.1904.

• Macon County Schools Summer Edventure Camp 8-week day camp. Call Lenora Clifton at 828.524.4414, Ext. 324 or www.macon.k12.nc.us/sec.

• Bascom Art Center in Highlands. Summer art camp for ages 7-14. Sessions begin June 19 through Aug. 14. $175 a week. www.thebascom.org or 828.526.4949.

Carolina University are specifically designed to improve self-esteem and bring out leadership qualities in young girls.

From Highlands to Asheville, other organizations offer speciality camps for kids with interests in sports, martial arts, ceramics, art, film, writing, science and technology. Whatever your child is interested in, you’re likely to find the perfect camp for them if you begin looking early enough.

“The biggest plus of camp is that camps help young people discover and explore their talents, interests, and values,” Scales said. “Most schools don’t satisfy all these needs. Kids who have had these kinds of (camp) experiences end up being healthier and have less problems which concern us all.”

While the cost to attend summer camps continues to rise, there are camp options to fit just about anyone’s budget. Also, many of the organizations offer financial aid or scholarships for students who can’t afford the full tuition. Don’t be afraid to reach out to camp organizers and other nonprofits for assistance.

Having a summer camp experience is about more than keeping the kids occupied during the summer — it’s about providing a valuable experience for them that they will never forget.

• Laurel Ridge Country Club. June 24-28 and July 22-26. Kids ages 6-13 sports camp with professional golf and tennis instruction. www.laurelridgeexperience.com.

• Variety of sports camps at Waynesville Recreation Center. Call 828.456.2030 or email tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Camp Henry at Lake Logan. Sessions June 20 through July 22. Cost ranges from $315 to $1,250 for different camps. www.camphenry.net or 828.475.9264.

• Fearless Athletics Day Camp. Sessions from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. June 18 through Aug. 17 at 123 Park St., Canton. $150 a week. Before and aftercare available. 828.492.1494.

• Created for a Purpose. Aug. 5-9, for children of rising-third grade to rising-eighth grade age at Providence Church, 1400 Old Clyde Rd, Clyde) in partnership with members of Vine of the Mountains Church. 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Registration opens May 1. $130 per camper. Scholarships will be available. Email julie@thevine.cc.

• Waynesville Recreation Center Volleyball Camp, June 17-20, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, rising third grader through 12th grade. $85 by June 1, $100 after June 1. For more information or to register please contact Amy Mull at amymull@bellsouth.net

• Waynesville Recreation Center Shooting and Dribbling Basketball Camps, June 24-27 or July 1518, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. $150 per camp. Applications available at the Waynesville Recreation Center, or

• Danny Antoine’s Martial Arts & Fitness Academy in Franklin. Monday through Friday starting May 28 through Aug. 23. $135 per week. Each child must be sent with a packed lunch, two snacks, and a bottle of water. To register, call 828.332.0418.

• Nantahala Learning Center Summer Program $25 per day Monday through Friday. Registration fee is $50. All field trip admission, transportation expenses, and materials is budgeted into the registration fee. Call 219.689.3443 for more info.

• Boys and Girls Club in Cashiers Summer Camp 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily June 3 through July 26. $415 per student/$350 for additional family members. info@bgcplateau.org or 828.743.2775.

Swain

• YMCA Camp Watia. Weeklong sessions from June 16 through Aug. 4 for ages 7 to 15. Limited space still available. $450-$750. Financial assistance available. www.ymcacampwatia.org.

• Nantahala Outdoor Center. Whitewater kayaking camp. Five-day sessions in June and July. For ages 9 to 17. $850 to $1,500. 828.785.4977 or www.noc.com/lessons-training/paddlingschool/kids-kayaking-camp.

• Camp Living Water Christian camp. June 30 through July 12. For ages 13-17. $490 per camper. www.camplivingwater.com or 828.488.6012.

Cherokee

• Cherokee Youth Center (Boys and Girls Club). Email Patrick West at pwest9557@yahoo.com or call 828.497-3119.

Jackson County

• Western Carolina University Elite Football Camp June 22, June 23 or July 21. WCU campus. $50; rising ninth through 12th-graders. www.loffootballcamp.com.

• WCU Hawg Camp. June 21-22. WCU campus. $200 day camp; $250 overnight camp; rising ninth through 12th-graders. www.loffootballcamp.com.

• Western Carolina Football Skills Academy, June 1820. WCU campus. $150 for three days or $75 for one day; rising first through eighth graders. www.loffootballcamp.com.

• “Special Forces” Special Teams Camp, June 21. WCU campus. $50; kickers, punters and long snappers of all ages. www.loffootballcamp.com.

• Top Gun QB Camp, June 21-22. WCU campus. $200 day camp, $250 overnight camp; rising ninth through 12th-graders. www.loffootballcamp.com.

• Skills Academy Youth Camp, June 18-20. WCU campus. $150 or $75 for one day; rising first through eighth graders. www.loffootballcamp.com.

• Karen Glover Volleyball Camp Skills Camp. July 2324. WCU campus. $175 day camp or $200 overnight; rising sixth through eighth-graders. www.karenglovervbcamps.com.

• Karen Glover Volleyball Camp Elite Camp. July 2426. WCU campus. $275 day camp or $325 overnight; rising ninth through 12th-graders. www.karenglovervbcamps.com.

• WCU Summer Swim Programs. Various dates. WCU campus. $45-75; all ages. bit.ly/2HCnHdg.

• Live Your Legacy Girls Leadership Camp. June 1622. WCU campus. $1,500 with scholarships available; rising 10th through 12th-graders. ibmee.org/live-yourlegacy-camp.

• Triple Arts Intensive Musical Theater Summer Camp. July 14 to Aug. 3. WCU campus. $4,300; ages 15 to 22. www.triplearts.com.

• Carolina Saxophone Camp. Dates TBA. WCU campus. $499; high school and undergraduate saxophonists. Ian Jeffress, jeffress@wcu.edu.

• Art Tastic arts camp offering ceramics, sculptures, crafts and drawing. July 15-19. WCU campus. $275; grades 6 to 19. bit.ly/2HqOBHH.

• Rocket to Creativity Camp. June 24-28. WCU campus. $140; ages 4-14. bit.ly/2qzUQ1E.

• Robotics with Legos Summer Day Camp. June 4-6 grades 4-6; June 17-21 grades 3-5; June 24-28 grades 6-8. WCU campus. $119 through June 1. bit.ly/2TSD89I.

• Summer Symposium for Marching Arts. July 7-11. WCU campus. $485 for students; free for directors. www.prideofthemountains.com.

• Summer Reading Adventures. July 8-12. WCU campus. $139; rising first and second-graders. bit.ly/2qD7ixR.

• Step Back in Time Summer Day Camp. July 30 to Aug. 2. WCU campus. $99. Ages 9-11. bit.ly/2H0ZYCf.

• Tales From the Dead: An Introduction to Forensic Anthropology for High School Students. June 17-21. WCU campus. $299. Ages 15-18. bit.ly/2Tex32P.

• SOAR Llama Trek Camp. June 9-19, June 23 to July 2, July 7-16, July 21-30, Aug. 4-13. Balsam. $3,250$3,450; ages 8-10. www.soarnc.org.

• SOAR Backpacking Camp. June 9-20, June 23 to July 4, July 7-18, July 21 to Aug. 1, Aug. 4-15. Balsam. $3,250-$3,450; ages 11-18. www.soarnc.org.

• SOAR Canoeing Camp. June 8-19, June 22 to July 3, July 6-17, July 20-31, Aug. 3-14. Balsam. $3,250$3,450; ages 11-18. www.soarnc.org.

• SOAR Horseback Riding Camp. June 8-19, June 22 to July 3, July 6-17, July 20-31, Aug. 3-14. Balsam. $3,550-$3750; ages 11-18. www.soarnc.org.

• SOAR Expedition Camp. June 12-29, July 3-20, July 24 to Aug. 10. Balsam. $4,450.; ages 13-18. www.soarnc.org.

• SOAR Academic Discovery Camp. June 10 to July 5, July 10 to Aug. 4. Balsam. $5,500. Ages 11-18. www.soarnc.org.

• Jackson County Fun for Kids Day Camp. June 3 to Aug. 2. Cashiers. $700; ages 6-12. Register March 23 at Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center. www.rec.jacksonnc.org. 828.631.2020.

• Jackson County Fun for Kids Day Camp. Dates TBA. Cullowhee. $625; ages 6-12. Register March 30 online at www.rec.jacksonnc.org. 828.293.3053.

• British Soccer Camp. July 22-26. Cullowhee. $97$143. Ages 3-16. www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• Camp WILD exploring nature and environmental science. July 15-18. Cullowhee. $35. Rising seventh and eighth graders. Jane Fitzgerald, 828.586.5465 or janefitzgerald@jacksonnc.org.

Asheville

• Camp Hobbit Hill. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sleepover and day camp sessions available in June, July and August. Agues 7-17. www.camphobbithill.com or 828.808.7929.

• Camp Highlander. Boys and girls (ages 5-16). Multi-week sessions May 24 through Sept. 6. Visit www.camphighlander.com.

• Asheville School App Development Camp. $1,850 a week for overnight, $550 a week for day camp. July 816 and July 15-20. www.ashevilleschool.org/appdevcamp. 828.254.6345, Ext. 4042.

• UNCA Summer Writing Program. For grades 6-12. $265. Week-long sessions in June and July. 828.251.6099 or jdolfi@unca.edu.

• The Asheville School of Film will host three different rotations of it’s two-week summer film camp for teenagers (June, July and August). Class is held 1:305:30 p.m. and costs $495, which includes access to all equipment, copy of the group film, and screening at a local theater. Co-Ed for ages 13-18. Call 844.AVL.FILM or visit www.ashevilleschooloffilm.com.

• ECO Trek. Become a field ecologist for a week. June 17-21. N.C. Arboretum. $310. Grades six to eight. www.ncarboretum.org.

• Discovery Guide Session 2: Outdoor Skills. Care for younger campers and embark on outdoor skill field trips. July 15-19. N.C. Arboretum. $235. Grades six to eight. www.ncarboretum.org.

• Discovery Guide Session 3: Wildlife Management Care for younger campers and embark on nature field trips. July 29 to Aug. 2. N.C. Arboretum. $235. Grades six to eight. mpearce@ncarboretum.org. www.ncarboretum.org.

• Asheville Artist Adventure. July 22-26. N.C. Arboretum. $285. Grades six to eight. www.ncarboretum.org.

• Advanced Mountain Sports. Aug. 5-9. N.C. Arboretum. $360. Grades six to eight. www.ncarboretum.org.

• Camp Bell at Carolina Day School in Asheville. Ages 4-11. $285 for one-week sessions June 17 through Aug. 2. Visit www.carolinaday.org/summer.

• Forest Floor Wilderness Programs. Flexible in-town drop-off/pick-up & after camp available. Monday through Friday. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Grades K-10. Call 828.338.9787 or email forestfloorwp@gmail.com. Visit www.ontheforestfloor.org.

Skyland Camp for Girls steeped in tradition

When Susan Courtney Harris first came to the Smokies, she was just looking for a place to escape the stifling Florida summers. What she actually found in Haywood County was the beginning of a cherished century-old legacy for thousands of girls and women.

“One of the great traditions at Skyland is that it’s always been a woman-owned, woman-run business, started by my greatgrandmother and then run by my grandmother and great-aunt, and then my mother and then me, so there’s a wonderful tradition of empowered women,” said Sherry Brown, the camp’s current co-owner. “That alone really drives the culture at Skyland, which teaches that girls can do anything. We really strive to instill that confidence in girls, that they can do whatever, and be whoever, they want to be.”

That tradition serves as an important link back to Harris herself.

“There are many, many stories about her, and she was always described as a very confident woman who knew what she wanted and was able to get it at a time when women just didn’t do the things she did,” said Brown.

Harris went from staying at the Skyland Home Hotel in Clyde to leasing it, and then to purchasing it for $3,000 at an auction — before women could even vote. Family lore has it that the auctioneer had to contact Harris’ husband to make sure he approved of her purchase in Clyde.

It was there that Harris, who would soon become known to generations as “Granny Harris” started the Skyland Camp for Girls in 1917. Granny’s daughters, Frances Harris Brown and Helen “Hempy” Harris, took over for Granny sometime in the late 1940s-early 1950s, but by the 1970s, the camp was run by Bunny Canaday Brown, who’d first camped at Skyland in the early 1940s and then formally became part of the Skyland family when she married Tim Brown, son of Frances and grandson of Granny.

When Bunny retired in the early 2000s, her twin children — Granny’s great-grandchildren — Sherry and Mike took over, so throughout the camp’s existence it has retained an intimate, family-style atmosphere.

“One thing that’s great about Skyland is that it’s always been a smaller size,” said Brown. “Many camps over the years have turned into very large companies where there may be 500 campers and it’s a different experience altogether. At Skyland, we don’t have more than 60, so it really feels much more like a community.”

for

Brown recalled a story about a friend who’d sent her daughter to a camp in Texas and called to check in on her; after waiting on hold she was told, “Well, she hasn’t checked into the infirmary, so we assume she’s fine.”

The close-knit environment at Skyland breeds camaraderie over generations, according to Kay Anderson, parent and family liaison at Skyland for the past eight years.

“At our centennial celebration in 2017, we had 90-year-old campers, one-year-olds, and the oldest woman was 93 or 94,” said Anderson. “She talked about how these were the happiest days of her life, even though she said she’d had a happy and blessed life.”

Anderson also remembers a call from a septuagenarian who had just received an iPad as a gift.

“I looked you up,” the woman told her. “I was afraid you wouldn’t still be there.”

The woman went on to recount her experience as a 6-year-old, taking the train alone from Miami to Jacksonville, Florida, and then from there to Clyde; she recently sent her granddaughter to follow in her footsteps at Skyland.

Many activities remain little changed from the early 1900s, including the camp’s total lack of smartphones and reliance on the postal service for camper correspondence.

Every camper, said Anderson, remembers the famous chocolate sauce on ice cream night, as well as the raucous melodies of song night.

“All of the girls sit down in rows, crisscross applesauce, across from each other and

“There’s a wonderful tradition of empowered women ... We really strive to instill that confidence in girls, that they can do whatever, and be whoever, they want to be.”

— Sherry Brown, co-owner

we’re doing hand motions, and the pianist plays these camp songs, and we sing at the top of our lungs,” Anderson chuckled.

During the 2017 centennial, the 90-something camp alum sat down, on the floor, criss-cross applesauce, singing the exact same songs with a 9-year-old.

“I get tears in my eyes just thinking about that bond, that connection,” said Anderson.

Like Granny Harris, many young girls found something in tiny ol’ Clyde that would end up defining their lives; alums, Anderson said, can be found in “all walks of life,” from politics to the New York fashion industry.

“Some said they found their voice, some said their confidence — some special part of their development as a young girl,” she said. “In some cases, it was a truly life-changing experience. One woman who was a thirdgeneration camper now sends her daughters here. She said, ‘My life changed here, because it was here that I realized I loved animals and wanted to become a veterinari-

The Skyland Camp for Girls offers summer camp stays of varying duration for girls aged six through 16 – three, nine, 18 or 39 days. Sessions include no more than 60 girls, and begin in late June and mid-July. For more information, call 828.627.2470 or email mailbox@skylandcamp.com.

an.’ That was in the days when women didn’t really do that.”

The reputation of Skyland for empowering young women in the fashion of Granny Harris is such that then-Congressman Heath Shuler read a commemoration of Skyland into the Congressional Record in recognition of the camp’s 90th anniversary in 2007, specifically citing the “generations of vibrant young female leaders it has helped raise in North Carolina.”

For the 101st time, Skyland will this year welcome returning campers, as well as new ones, simultaneously perpetuating and establishing Granny Harris’ legacy for generations to come.

“It feels like a huge family reunion with a bunch of your extended cousins and family members,” Granny’s great-granddaughter Sherry Brown said. “We like that it’s a more homey feel. It allows us to know every girl individually, every camper there, if we don’t already know them from years past.”

WHAT? An overnight, co-ed camp offering traditional camp sessions, as well as specialty camps, like Family Camp, Leadership Programs, and Camp Henry Outdoor School.

WHO? EVERYONE! All ages, from 0-100! WHEN? 1/2 week, 1 week and 2 week sessions available during June and July.

WHY? Because we believe that everyone deserves the chance to feel completely safe to discover and develop personal strengths while making new friends and playing in the beautiful outdoors!

WHERE? 40 min west of Asheville at the amazing Lake Logan Conference Center. HOW MUCH? Rates vary but are competitive; scholarships available!

Use Promo Code: MAGAD2018 to receive $20 off! Check us out at: www.camphenry.net or call 828-475-9264

Pigeon Center camp adds a touch of civics

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

Sure, summer camps are all about creating precious childhood memories filled with friends and fun, but at Waynesville’s Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, it’s also about sharpening academic skills and teaching the next generation of young Americans the value of social responsibility.

invested in their opportunities, and invested in them.”

Two scheduled family potluck dinners underscore PCMDC’s community-oriented approach, just like the annual soccer and flag-football matches against the Waynesville Police Department and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office and the anti-bullying and character education portions of the curriculum do.

“We want campers to make new friends, as always, but especially this year we would like them to take away a little bit more knowledge about civics, how our government runs, and what kind of part they play in it,” said Pigeon Center’s Tausha Forney.

Camp activities include all of the usual happenings, like crafts, games, music, outdoor play, even gardening at the Pigeon Center’s plot or at Grace Episcopal and Francis Cove churches, however, academics are never far from the forefront.

This year, the camp will focus on one trait a week — topics like community, courage, honesty and truth, success and responsibility. Even the camp’s field trips — to places like the Schiele Museum of Natural History in Greensboro, or the nearby Qualla Boundary — represent an effort by PCMDC to broaden the horizons of their young charges.

“Summer is a good time for kids to forget what they learned. It’s a great time for them to sit in front of the TV and forget everything they learned the year before,” Forney laughed. “But it’s also a great time for them to strengthen or build on what they’ve learned. We just want them to continue that forward progress and not lose momentum just because it’s summer.”

Campers enjoy breakfast, lunch and a snack, often prepared by volunteers — parents or caregivers of campers are required to donate 10 hours or service per child, and also help with cleaning, organizing and setting up classroom lessons.

“We think it’s important to get the families involved, because we also want them to cross the same lines that we’re asking the kids to cross. We want them to build relationships with other people in the community who are different from them,” she said.

Half to two-thirds of the kids in camp are people of color.

“We want them to feel comfortable going out into the community and sharing their experience,” said Forney. “We also want the kids to see that their parents are

“Every year we go to a different civil rights museum,” said Forney, mentioning facilities in Atlanta and Greensboro. As the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and 1960s fades from living memory, Forney said most kids know about Martin Luther King Jr., and some know about Rosa Parks, but only as isolated figures associated with a much larger movement.

“We know that it is super important for the kids to know about the civil rights movement as this thing that was organized from people just like them — students, regular people — who saw something that needed to be changed and changed it because it was the right thing to do,” she said.

The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center’s summer enrichment program is open to all students who have finished kindergarten through ninth grade. Sessions run from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. for nine weeks and usually begin on the Monday after the first full week Haywood County Schools have let out for summer. Applications must be picked up at PCMDC, 450 Pigeon Street, and are accepted through the second week of camp, if it’s not yet full. Forney recommends parents don’t wait. Scholarships are available. For more information, call 828.452.2732.

Art camps at The Bascom

In addition to the year-round fun art spaces and activities for youth, The Bascom, A Center for the Visual Arts in Highlands offers a number of summer camp opportunities.

With a vision of being a place where children and adults can explore and learn about art, Bascom’s exhibition galleries are always free.

“The Bascom’s SmArt Space is an interactive learning environment located in the Greehey Atrium Landing where children can explore self-guided art activities, read books from The Bascom Library, participate in a Lego building challenge, and more,” said Kat Ford, Bascom’s director of community engagement. “Next, The Bascom’s Trail Level offers selections of work from The Bascom’s Community Outreach and Summer Programs, and exhibition related gallery activities in the Ruth Eckerd Children’s Gallery. Finally, visitors can enjoy a walk around The Bascom’s Storybook Trail. Whether you are taking a youth camp class and workshop, or just enjoying one of our free visual art experiences, there is always something for kids at The Bascom.”

During the summer, children can choose from a number of mini camps for ceramic projects including throwing mugs, flower bowls, animal masks and bowls. If your summer schedule doesn’t allow enough time to do a mini camp, The Bascom also offers several art classes by appointment.

“Pick a time slot, wear some old clothes and we will provide a knowledgeable instructor who will guide you through the process of either hand building or the potter’s wheel,” Ford said.

Understanding art classes can be costly for many people, The Bascom does not want

financial constraints to prevent anyone from participating in their educational offerings, which is why they offer need-based scholarships. If you need financial aid, download the scholarship application or contact the

Community Outreach Department. Scholarships are generously sponsored by the Cullasaja Women’s Outreach.

For more information, visit www.thebascom.org.

Ceramics art camps

Thrown Mugs Session I

June 3 and June 5

Ages: 8 and Up

Wheel Thrown Functional Wares Session II

June 17 and June 19

Ages: 8 and Up

Slab Butterfly or Flower Bowl Session I

July 8 and July 10

Ages: 5 and Up

Slab Animal Masks Session II

July 22 and July 24

Ages: 5 and Up

Bowls, Bowls, Bowls

Aug. 7, Aug. 14 and Aug. 21

Ages: 5 and Up

Art by Appointment

Monday – Saturday

10-11:30 a.m.; 1-2:30 p.m.; 3-4:30 p.m.

All levels

Ages 4 and under/$40 per student

Ages 5-7/$50 per student

Ages 8 and above/$60 per student

Groups of 9 or more/$50 per person

To Schedule an Ceramics Art by Appointment, contact Frank Vickery at fvickery@thebascom.org or 828.787.2892

Youth Summer Art Programs:

June – August

Free the Art Workshop for Macon and Jackson County residents

June 5 – 7; 10 a.m. – noon

Ages 7-12

Tuition: Free Weekly Summer Youth Studio Days

Tuesday – Friday; 10 a.m. – noon

Each day there will be a new, inspiring project. Come each day or drop in for one session during the week.

Ages: 7-12

Tuition: $50 per session

The official dates for Summer Youth Studio Days will be released in early April. Please call or visit www.thebascom.org for current dates, times, and topics.

Youth and Family Art by Appointment (limit 6) Wednesday and Friday afternoons; 1 – 2:30 p.m., and 3 – 4:30 p.m.

Call to schedule a personalized art experience in drawing, painting, or mixed-media for your young artist, yourself, or a small group. All ages.

Tuition: $50 per person

Camp focuses on life with legacy in mind

their full potential.”

Through her research, Hanshaw came to the conclusion that the school system wasn’t put together in a way that supported young people to reach their full potential, and she saw the “epidemic of violence and bullying and chronic disease and depression and ADD” as confirmation. She decided to do something about it, starting the nonprofit i.b.mee to “bring research out into the masses,” shortly thereafter launching the camp.

Be a camper

Live Your Legacy Leadership Summit for Girls will be offered June 16-22 at Western Carolina University, with places for 16 girls entering grades 10 through 12. The week will be packed full of activities aimed at helping campers to realize their potential and make a plan to achieve it as they go forth into adulthood. It’s run by Meg Hanshaw, Ph.D., and founder of the nonprofit i.b.mee, based in Asheville. The application deadline is April 26, with scholarships up to $1,200 available to defray the overnight camp’s $1,500 cost. Find out more at www.ibmee.org. Girls gather around a bonfire for some end-of-day activities.

“I wanted to start programs that really supported the kids who had missed out, which are high school kids,” she said. “They’ve gone through the whole system and it’s nobody’s fault. It’s just we don’t know what we don’t know yet.”

Live Your Legacy is a jam-packed camp that seeks to make a lasting impact, equip-

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Three years ago, Meg Hanshaw was in full-on planning mode for a camp that she hoped to see grow into something big, but that would — for that summer at least — roll forward hosted in her home with just two campers attending.

Fast forward to 2019, and Hanshaw is gearing up for year three of Live Your Legacy Leadership Summit for Girls, an overnight camp at Western Carolina University that will this year welcome 16 girls and employ four coaches.

“This is about transformation,” said Hanshaw. “If girls were coming to just hike and do ropes courses, they would not like it. It’s social and emotional intelligence. It’s the real deal.”

Hanshaw has a long history with summer camps, starting out as a basketball coach in the 1990s who ran her camps with an emphasis on leadership and empowerment. But as she progressed through her own educational path, Hanshaw, now a Ph.D., found herself driven to find out “what do we need to do to make sure that people thrive and that they have the best chance of reaching

ping girls to chart their own path forward in life and to make meaningful change in the world around them. A key component of the camp is vision mapping, a skill that helps campers understand what they are truly passionate about pursuing in life.

“We’ve found that a lot of kids are not even asked that question,” said Hanshaw. “They’re sort of in this way of doing that’s like, this is what you do next, this is what you do next, and people are telling them. They don’t have enough time to slow down and get mindful and get in and say, ‘What about me? What do I really like?”

That’s a problem for boys and girls alike, and eventually Hanshaw hopes to expand the camp to welcome boys too.

“I’d give myself probably three more years, and then we’ll add the boys because it will be a proven system,” she said.

The camp uses a wellness model that considers academics, relationships, health and spirituality. Campers create a pathway for college, career and life, working to break through the challenges and fears keeping them from success, and they also develop a plan for a service project to impact the world around them.

And while transformation is the emphasis, there’s opportunity for fun and adventure too — bonfires, hiking, whitewater rafting, time on a lake — though all of that is done while taking full advantage of teachable moments to help the girls understand how to set goals, resolve conflicts and work as a team.

Registration open for Lake Junaluska summer youth events

From early June through early August, the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center offers residents and visitors of all ages an opportunity to find community and make memories with free or nominally priced activities such as outdoor movie nights, crafts, workshops, game days, yoga, bonfires, moonlight boat rides and more.

In addition to community youth activities, Christian youth groups from many denominations travel to Lake Junaluska from across the Southeast each summer for world-class speakers, entertainment, spiritual growth and fun. Youth groups in sixth through 12th grade from Haywood and Haywood-adjacent counties are invited to experience a Lake Junaluska Youth Event at a special price.

Middle school and high school youth groups may sign up for one of six events to be held in June and July. Each event features morning and evening worship sessions as well as small groups, a spiritual practice workshop and evening prayer.

The Rev. Mitzi Johnson, director of programming at Lake Junaluska, said she is particularly excited about the theme for the 2019 Summer Youth Events – “Kairos: Your

Moment of Opportunity.”

“Kairos refers to an opportune moment in your life where you recognize the ways God is calling you to live, be or become,” said Johnson. “We’re excited to invite youth this summer to be shaped by God so that God, through them, can shape the world. We want youth who come to step into ‘God’s time’ and to develop the courage to seize those extraordinary moments of opportunity.”

Speakers and bands from across the Southeast will explore the theme in their messages. In small groups, youth will discuss topics from who they are in God’s eyes to how they are called to serve.

The first youth event of the summer will feature the Rev. Andy Lambert, senior pastor at Oak Ridge United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem. Lambert has proclaimed the Gospel across the United States and abroad at such venues as comedy clubs, churches and colleges.

The second event will bring to Lake Junaluska the Rev. Juan Huertas, pastor of Grace Community United Methodist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, and a contributor to Ministry Matters and Day1.org.

“They’re different people by the time they walk out,” said Hanshaw. More information about speakers, bands and entertainers is available online at www.lakejunaluska.com/ summeryouth. To register, call 800.222.4930 or visit www.lake junaluska.com/summeryouth.

“Huertas meets groups where they are while also respecting their intelligence,” said Johnson. “He dives headfirst into deep theological questions in a way that engages and enthralls.”

During the third event, the guest speaker will be Stephanie Caro, senior consultant for Ministry Architects and author of “Thriving Youth Ministry in Smaller Churches” and “99 Thoughts for the Smaller Church Youth Worker.”

Speaking at the fourth event will be the Rev. Janjay Innis, nurture pastor at The Nett Church, a multi-campus United Methodist Church in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and a former US-2 missionary who served as a social

justice advocate in Tacoma, Washington.

The Rev. Jeremy Steele, who is the next generation minister at Christ United Methodist Church in Mobile, Alabama, senior editor of the Seedbed Youth Ministry Collective and author of Reclaiming the Lost Soul of Youth Ministry, will present during the fifth event.

The closing summer youth event will host the Rev. Kevin Wright, former executive minister of programs at The Riverside Church in New York City. Wright now serves as the chief program officer at the Urban Arts Partnership in New York City where he helps public schools close the achievement gap for underserved students.

“These speakers are all extremely gifted and passionate about sharing the Gospel with and inspiring youth,” said Johnson.

The special program-only rate for Haywood and Haywood-adjacent county youth groups to attend any of the six events is $100 per participant. This rate includes morning and evening game and worship sessions, four small groups, a workshop, evening prayer, a volleyball tournament and a one-day pool pass. This rate does not include lodging or meals.

Camp WILD educates through adventure

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Every summer for the past seven years, the warmer months have brought opportunity for adventure and learning to the small group of students participating in Camp WILD.

Offered by the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District, this day camp packs four days full of exploration as students hike, swim and snorkel through the mountains and rivers of Jackson County. Amid all the adventuring is plenty of opportunity to learn, with daily themes focusing on soil, alternative energy, forestry, wildlife and aquatics.

“Not all the kids we’ve had come to the camp are outdoorsy,” said Jane Fitzgerald, camp coordinator. “It’s not their element, but when they actually do the things we do like going hiking and snorkeling, they have a blast.”

The camp — whose name stands for Wilderness Investigating Learning Discovery — accepts 12 rising seventh and eighth graders in Jackson County, an age that Fitzgerald said the camp focuses on because it’s a time when kids are “starting to be aware of the fact that they’ll eventually have to choose a career, and the more environmentally conscious they are of things, hopefully we can nudge them more that way.”

Camp WILD has a lot of components kids find attractive — new experiences, time outside, the chance to get messy and explore places they’ve never been before — as well as parts likely to appeal to parents — a focus on education and environmental responsibility, for example — but the price is also a selling point. The whole week of camp costs only $35. Originally, Duke Energy funded the camp as part of its relicensing agreement in 2011. That money has since run out, leaving the county to fund Camp WILD. However, said Fitzgerald, that annual cost is rather low

Do Camp WILD

This week of outdoor exploration and hands-on environmental learning will be held 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 15-18, meeting at the Cullowhee Recreation Parking lot each morning before heading to the day’s adventure in Jackson County. It is open to Jackson County residents who will enter seventh or eighth grade in fall 2019. Cost is $35 with limited scholarships available, and space is limited to 12 students. Registration deadline is June 1. Register with Jane Fitzgerald, 828.586.5465 or janefitzgerald@jacksonnc.org.

thanks to the initial influx of cash from Duke — in 2017-18, the first fiscal year in which the county budgeted for the camp, it actually came out ahead. It did not spend any of the $1,400 budgeted and ended up taking in $35. For 2018-19 the county has once again budgeted $1,400.

“All the expense pretty much was endured with the grant at the beginning,” said Fitzgerald. “All the equipment was bought at the beginning.”

In designing the camp, Fitzgerald looked to the Haywood County Soil and Water Conservation District, whose successful YES Camp is getting ready to enter its 20th year — though this year is likely to be a season of change due to the retirement of longtime education coordinator Gail Heathman. Swain County used to have a similar camp but doesn’t do it anymore, said Fitzgerald, but Buncombe and Madison counties both have one.

“It’s a great little camp. I’m proud of it,” said Fitzgerald. “All the parents rave about how their kids had such a great time and they’re looking forward to coming back. We’re obviously doing something right.”

www.challengersports.com

Jackson health plan faces deficit

Insurance reserves have historically floated up and down in Jackson County but in recent years have taken a nosedive. Donated graphic

Benefit changes, increased county funding could be needed

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Jackson County will likely be making some big changes to its health plan following the realization that it’s headed toward a $1.2 million deficit by June 30 if something doesn’t change.

“The plan is underfunded for both the past plan year and the current plan year we’re in,” Mark Browder, vice president of the independent insurance broker firm Mark III, told commissioners during a March 12 work session. “It’s not that claims are spiking this year. It’s about getting to the right funding level.”

Jackson, like many counties, is selfinsured — meaning that when someone has a claim, the county foots the bill. Therefore, it’s important for the county to have reserves built up, because some years claims are smaller, and some years they’re larger. Jackson’s reserves have fluctuated over the years, reaching $2 million in 2009 and then moving up

and down until a few years of high claims resulted in a steady decline that began in the 2014-15 fiscal year. In addition to high claims in past years, rising medical costs have also contributed to the decline in reserves.

The 2017-18 fiscal year ended with only $14,615 in reserves. This year, it’s dipping below the zero mark.

“There’s no increase in claims. It’s actually down 2 percent compared to the prior year, but the negative position is still intact,” said Browder.

Bottom line? The county needs to increase its funding by 149 percent over the current $5.3 million in order to keep the plan afloat, Browder said.

“It’s a bad place to be,” he said.

Mark III sent Jackson County’s plan out for “anybody and everybody” to bid on, said Browder, and received responses from the League of Municipalities, Blue Cross Blue Shield and the current administrator, Crescent. Commissioners were most interested in proposals from Blue Cross and Crescent but did not see an immediate winner between the two. They did agree that it made sense to continue with the self-funded plan rather than moving to a fully insured plan.

Browder agreed with that assessment,

Learn more

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will hold a work session at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 28, in Room A227 of the Jackson County Justice and Administration Center in Sylva, to discuss options for renewing its health plan.

The meeting is open to the public, but there will not be an opportunity for public comment. 828.586.4055.

telling commissioners that 80 to 90 percent of his firm’s clientele is self-funded, as it’s a better long-term strategy. Some years you lose, but some years you win, he said, while wins are few and far between when it comes to fully insured plans.

Currently, the county bears 86 percent of the plan’s cost with employees picking up the remaining 14 percent. The county pays the entire premium cost for its employees, with employees making some contribution for dependent coverage — rates are $420 for a family, $310 for a spouse and $210 for a child. Meanwhile, the county contributes $887 per employee, $1,231 for each spouse-employee or

child-employee pair and $1,363 for each family. It’s a very “nice plan,” said Tracy McCarthy, senior consultant for Mark III. While the plan the county may end up on in order to keep the program afloat isn’t a bad plan, she said, it’s certainly not as good as what’s currently offered. The changes, whatever they may be, are “going to be a shock” to employees, she said.

“If you don’t go to the doctor these changes don’t impact you other than there’s a probability that you’ll be seeing an increase in dependent premiums,” said Browder.

That’s not to say the county has been doing nothing as it’s watched claims go up and reserves go down. Employees have seen a 7.5 percent increase in rates for the past two years, with fiscal year 2017-18 being the first year the county attempted to raise rates.

“Year before last we tried several things,” said Finance Director Darlene Fox on March 12. “We adjusted the benefits and we also changed drug companies to save $500,000. And that didn’t happen. It didn’t happen.”

To keep the program afloat, commissioners may get rid of the enhanced plan the county currently offers and use the existing standard plan as its top-tier plan. Commissioners favored an idea Commissioner Mickey Luker floated of adding a lower-tier plan as well to give employees a second choice.

But eliminating the enhanced plan won’t completely solve the problem, said County Manager Don Adams. Doing so will get the county to a 134 percent funding increase but fall short of the 149 percent that’s needed.

“The $2.2 million required from the county to keep the current plan without any changes, I’m just not sure it wouldn’t be almost impossible,” Adams said. “It’s going to be a struggle even when you got to Option 1, basically turning everyone back to the standard plan. We’re talking about $1.5 million from the county.”

Coming up with an extra $1.5 million “is going to be a struggle,” Adams said.

Commissioners will meet for a work session at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 28, to talk about their options and hopefully come up with a solution, because the clock is ticking. The new plan will have an effective date of May 1.

“There needs to be a decision by April 2,” said Browder.

Election filing concludes in Cherokee

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Election season is officially underway in Cherokee, with 37 people running for 12 Tribal Council seats and 14 people running for two chief seats by the time election filing ended at 4 p.m. Friday, March 15. An additional six people are running for three school board seats.

This is the first chief election since 2015, when voters selected Patrick Lambert for principal chief and Richard Sneed for vice chief. Tribal Council subsequently impeached Lambert.

Following the impeachment, Sneed was sworn in as the new chief and thenCouncilmember Alan “B” Ensley chosen as the new vice chief. Sneed and Ensley will seek their first elected terms to those seats this year but will face stiff competition. Sneed will run against five other tribal members, and seven people have signed up to challenge Ensley for his seat. Of those seven, five filed for election during the last four days of the 16-day period. Chiefs serve four-year terms and council members serve two-year terms.

Cherokee law prevents any elected official who has been removed by impeachment from running for public office again, meaning that Lambert — who was elected with 71 percent of the vote and remained popular with many throughout the impeachment, which his supporters said was unjust — could not run again. However, there had been ample speculation that his wife Cyndi Lambert might seek the seat. Cyndi Lambert hinted at such a possibility in a Jan. 4 commentary published in The Cherokee One Feather but ultimately decided not to run.

“As I considered these matters, it became clear to me that there are far more reasons why I believe it isn’t the right time for me,” she wrote in a follow-up piece, which The One Feather published March 13. “I don’t want to say never, just not right now.”

However, the ballot will not be without a Lambert in 2019. Cyndi and Patrick’s son Nelson Lambert is running to represent Birdtown on Tribal Council.

Of the 12 people currently sitting on Tribal Council, all are seeking re-election, and two representatives who lost their seats following the impeachment in 2017 are hoping to return to public office. Anita Lossiah, who formerly represented Yellowhill on Tribal Council, is running for vice chief — as is Terri Henry, who served as Tribal Council chair from 2013 to 2015 — and former chairman Bill Taylor will seek re-election to his seat representing Wolfetown.

The Birdtown race will also contain a rematch for incumbent Albert Rose and Ashley Sessions, who was declared winner of the seat following a recount in 2017 but then lost the seat when the Board of Elections

Candidate info wanted

If you’re a candidate for tribal office, contact reporter Holly Kays to get information about your campaign on The Smoky Mountain News’ website. SMN will compile a list of candidates, including each person’s professional background, qualifications and priorities if elected, among other items. Email holly@smokymountainnews.com.

ordered a runoff between Rose and Sessions. Sessions lost the runoff.

The total of 37 Tribal Council candidates is substantially smaller than the number entering the primary in 2017 — 46 people ran that year. In 2015, 41 people ran for Tribal Council, five people ran for principal chief and four people ran for vice chief, as compared to six and eight chief and vice chief candidates this year, respectively.

The candidate list is still unofficial at this point, with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Board of Elections working to complete background checks and certify that candidates meet legal requirements to run. The Primary Election will be held Thursday, June 6, and the General Election will be Thursday, Sept. 5.

Following the Primary Election, the top two vote-getters for each seat — meaning four Tribal Council candidates from each township, since each gets two seats — will advance to the General Election.

The candidates

• Principal Chief — Teresa McCoy, Richard Sneed, Carroll “Peanut” Crowe, Gary R. Ledford, Phillip Ellington, Mary “Missy” Crowe

• Vice Chief — Alan “B” Ensley, Frank Pete Taylor, Ben Parker, Jim Owle, Albert Martin, Anita Welch Lossiah, James Bud Smith, Terri Henry

• Snowbird/Cherokee County Tribal Council — Adam Wachacha, Janell Rattler, Bucky Brown, Sherry Smoker

• Birdtown Tribal Council — Albert Rose, Boyd Owle, Ashley Sessions, Nelson Lambert, Curtis Wildcatt, Alyne Stamper

• Painttown Tribal Council— Tommye Saunooke, Dike Sneed, Lisa Taylor, Cherie Bird Rose, Pamela Sneed

• Big Y/Wolfetown Tribal Council — Bo Crowe, Bill Taylor, Tony Cabe, Jess “Fonzie” Sneed, Jeremy Wilson, Paula “Cricket” Brown Wojtkowski, Sam “Frell” Reed, Chelsea Saunooke, Nathanial “Bunsey” Crowe, James David Jumper

• Yellowhill Tribal Council — Tom Wahnetah, David T. Wolfe, Rose Shell-Maney, Tawania Ensley, Stephanie Saunooke French

• Big Cove Tribal Council — Fred Penick, Richard French, Renee Long Cole, Perry Shell, Walter French

• Painttown School Board — Regina Ledford Rosario, Charlotte Ann Saunooke

• Big Y School Board — Sharon E. Bradley, Tara Reed-Cooper

• Yellowhill School Board — Jennifer Thompson, Teresa Jumper Santa Maria

QUESTION: Why does it suddenly seem like everyone is allergic to bread?!

ANSWER: I think you may be referring to gluten-free products and people avoiding bread either because of gluten or because they are on some sort of weight loss diet. There definitely are more people who avoid gluten (the protein found in wheat, barley and rye) for health reasons, the main one being celiac disease. Celiac disease is not a food allergy, it is an auto-immune disease, and since individuals with celiac disease cannot digest gluten it can cause a variety of health problems. Celiac disease is not a new disorder and in fact skeletal remains found in Rome that were over 2000 years old showed signs of celiac disease. Fortunately the medical community is becoming more aware of celiac disease and so this is helping with diagnosis –perhaps this is why you are hearing or seeing about more people avoiding bread?

There are others who are following a popular diet to lose weight that may refuse bread due to the carbohydrates. This is unfortunate because:

1. Bread is tasty and a sandwich made of a lettuce leaf is just sad!

2. Breads, especially whole wheat and whole grain breads are a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

3. We have been eating bread for centuries!

For more information on celiac disease see: https://www.cureceliacdisease.org/symptoms/

Nikwasi ownership sparks more debate

BY J ESSI STONE

EWS E DITOR

The Franklin Town Council was in agreement to move forward with plans to deed over the Nikwasi Mound to new nonprofit Nikwasi Initiative during its March 4 meeting, but controversy over who should own the historic site has once again heated up in the community.

The debate over the mound’s ownership last came to a head about five years ago when the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians — under the leadership of then Principal Chief Michell Hicks — formally asked for the deed from the town of Franklin. The request was ultimately denied by the town board.

However, that request helped launch the Nikwasi Initiative, which sought to bring together all stakeholders involved in the process of preserving the Indian mound that is located right in the heart of downtown Franklin. The Nikwasi Initiative is a community redevelopment nonprofit with a board of directors made up of representatives from Cherokee, Franklin, Macon County and Mainspring Conservation Trust.

Barbara McRae, who serves as co-chairwoman of the Nikwasi Initiative and vice mayor for the town, asked the town council to consider deeding the mound property over to the nonprofit. Nikwasi Initiative cochair Juanita Wilson of Cherokee also spoke to council about the importance of having a joint venture with the Cherokee people to preserve the mound.

Though a couple councilmembers had concerns on what the specifics would be, the decision was unanimous to direct Town Attorney John Henning Jr. to draw up a deed for consideration.

However, in the last couple of weeks the issue has been vigorously debated on social media and in the Franklin community. National media outlets like The New York Times and Washington Post have also picked up the story. Headlines claim the transferring of the deed will finally give control over the property back to the Cherokee after 200 years, but organizers say that’s not the case.

“We’re not giving the mound away as some have suggested — we’re just sharing it,” McRae said.

NIKWASI HISTORY

Nikwasi — or Nequassi — Mound has been around for 1,000 years or more. Situated near the Little Tennessee River in Franklin, many passersby probably miss the small formation completely unless they’re looking for it.

Businesses and roadways now surround it on all sides and there’s no fencing to protect it from potential damage. There’s only a historical marker giving a brief history of the mound, but the Nikwasi Initiative would like to change that by making it more of a cultural attraction.

McRae said the residents of Franklin raised $1,500 in 1946 to purchase the mound and save it from being developed.

The mound ownership was then turned over to the town for safekeeping.

“But the town has never been in a financial position to do more than keep it mowed and cleaned,” McRae said. “It’s surrounded by development and not much has been made of it.”

Those who oppose relinquishing ownership to the nonprofit claim the town has no right to deed over the mound.

“The 1946 Nequassi deed is written to hold the mound in trust for the Citizens of Macon County in perpetuity. It could not be spelled out any more clearly than this, and the Franklin Town Council has no right to deed away our most historic property in violation of this Deed of Trust. It is ours, forevermore. Simple as that,” said Betty Cloer Wallace.

According to the 1946 deed, the mound “shall be preserved for the citizens of Macon County and for posterity.”

“People don’t understand the wording of the deed — they think it says ownership will always remain with the town but that’s not what it says. It says it must be preserved for the citizens of Macon County and that’s

“The town has a lot to do — a water and sewer system to maintain, streets to clean, neighborhoods to monitor and keep happy, laws to enforce — we can’t devote our entire lives to urban renewal. But through Mainspring and EBCI, we’re moving toward a new chapter for Nikwasi and that whole area.”

— Barbara McRae

what we’re trying to do,” McRae said. “And all those same restrictions outlined will go in the new title deed as well.”

Wallace and other Macon County history buffs are arguing that the Cherokee don’t have rights to the mound because it wasn’t Cherokee people that built the mound. Wallace said it was the Creek Indians that populated the Little Tennessee River Valley prior to Cherokee and European immigrants.

“Creek descendants might want to have a say in any proposed disposition of the Mound. In fact, the Creek Nation named numerous locations throughout the watershed with Creek names still used here today,” Wallace said.

While it’s true the EBCI didn’t exist a thousand years ago, McRae said the native people that inhabited the land back then

didn’t consider themselves to be separate tribes like the U.S. classifies them today.

“The best current research says it was ancestors of Cherokee that built the mound,” she said. “There’s a lot we don’t know about that time in history but we do know that it wasn’t us that built it and the Cherokee lived here several hundred years before we grabbed up the land from them.”

BOARD SUPPORT

Aside from the vocal opposition on social media, McRae said the response she’s received from the public has been overwhelmingly in favor of a joint ownership through Nikwasi Initiative.

“Most people I talk to say, ‘how can anyone be against it?’” she said.

Councilmember Brandon McMahan also said he supports the decision to transfer the deed, adding that he’s only heard from four residents who are opposed to it compared to the majority of people who think it’s the right thing to do.

“I do support transferring the deed, because firstly, I feel it’s morally the right thing to do — to return the land, at least in part, to the people who hold it in the highest regard, spiritually and culturally,” he said. “Secondly, because I genuinely believe that the Nikwasi Initiative will be good stewards of the mound, and see that it is well cared for, maintained, beautified, and given the place of honor that it deserves.”

McRae said she knows she has the support of the other five members of the board.

However, Franklin Mayor Bob Scott has expressed his opposition to transferring the deed over the Nikwasi Initiative — the same stance he took when the issue came up several years ago. He would rather see a joint maintenance agreement for the mound instead of a joint ownership agreement.

“I cannot understand why — if the Nikwasi Initiative is so set on owning the Nikwasi Mound in a loose-knit partnership

— they will not honor the town’s deed to the Mound and allow the Town to be a partner without deeding the mound to them,” he wrote in a letter to the editor. “The town has maintained the mound for 73 years. It was placed on the Register of Historic Places in 1981 further protecting it. The relationship of the town with the mound is extensive. This move by the Initiative seems to be based more on emotion than practicality.”

McRae said it’s not hard to understand why the Cherokee people would want to be more involved in preserving such an important part of their history and heritage. She added that it would be insulting to not allow EBCI to have part ownership of the mound but want them to help maintain it.

“We have something that is very dear to them that they want — there’s no price we can put on this,” she said. “It’s technically just an acre of dirt with grass on it, but to them it’s priceless and they are our neighbors — why can’t we let them have part of this?”

McRae also pointed out that EBCI also has more resources than the town to invest in revitalizing that area of town. With ownership under the joint nonprofit, there would also be more grants available for future projects.

PARTNERING PROJECTS

Nikwasi Initiative, a collaboration with the town, county, EBCI and Mainspring Conservation Trust, has already resulted in a number of projects to improve the appearance of East Franklin and historical recognition of some of the counties most important cultural assets — something McRae said the town hasn’t had the financial resources to accomplish on its own.

“The town has a lot to do — a water and sewer system to maintain, streets to clean, neighborhoods to monitor and keep happy, laws to enforce — we can’t devote our entire lives to urban renewal,” she said. “But through Mainspring and

Former WCU chancellor dies

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

John W. Bardo, who served as chancellor of Western Carolina University from 1995 to 2011, passed away Tuesday, March 12, at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas.

Bardo guided WCU through a period of steady enrollment growth, an unprecedented building boom, the birth of the Honors College and the launch of the Millennial Initiative. His tenure included the first comprehensive fundraising campaign in WCU’s history, the establishment of a distinguished professorship program and national recognition as among the first institutions in the nation to require students to bring computers to campus.

“I was fortunate to know Dr. Bardo, and I am well aware of his impact on this universi-

EBCI, we’re moving toward a new chapter for Nikwasi and that whole area.”

Mainspring purchased the former Duncan Oil site next door to its office on East Main Street in 2015 and completed a brownfield cleanup effort on the site to remove the contamination caused by the old underground oil tanks. The $300,000 cleanup was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mainspring also purchased the Simpson Gas and Oil Company located at 544 East Main Street to clean up and redevelop into green space.

Then EBCI purchased the former Dan’s Auto property on the other side of the mound with plans to invest over half a million dollars to construct a visitors center and an annex for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. The tribe is also working with a designer to plan for what exhibitions will be located in the museum.

McRae also works with a Folk Heritage Association of Macon County committee that developed a Women’s History Trail through Franklin with plans to raise enough money to install a sculpture somewhere close to the Little Tennessee River and the mound on East Main Street. The artwork will be a 7foot bronze sculpture depicting Cherokee woman Timoxena Siler Sloan, an African American woman Sally (last name unknown) and a white settler Rebecca Morris to represent the three different cultures of women that make up the history of the region.

Lastly, Franklin and Macon County are working on a joint project to construct a trail under the new town bridge to connect to the greenway.

“I see these developments and the transferring of the mound as potentially life changing for East Franklin and the whole town and the county,” McRae said. “We really want to revitalize and beautify the area.”

Though the mayor doesn’t get a vote unless the board is ever tied on an issue, Scott warned in his letter that the town stands to lose control of the mound and doesn’t feel the

ty and his role in setting us on a path of incredible forward momentum — a path and direction upon which we remain today,” said WCU Interim Chancellor Alison Morrison-Shetlar. “His work positioned this great university well and served as a strong foundation for the later work of his successor, the late Chancellor David Belcher.”

Bardo left WCU to become president of Wichita State University, which he still led at the time of his passing. He entered the hospital in November 2018 due to complications from a chronic lung condition, according to WSU. After several weeks in rehabilitation and at home, he returned to the hospital the weekend preceding his death.

Belcher passed away on June 17, 2018, following a battle with brain cancer, and the UNC Board of Governors has yet to appoint his replacement. Morrison-Shetlar has been serving in the role since January 2018. With the death of Bardo, no living WCU chancellors remain.

Bardo leaves behind a wife, Deborah, and son, Christopher. He was 70 years old.

town will have say in its future.

“As the mayor, I believe that this controversy can be settled if the Nikwasi Initiative would allow the town to be a partner without having to give up the deed. For years I have advocated the revitalization of East Franklin. I have not changed my mind,” he said.

NEXT STEPS

The Nikwasi Mound issue will most certainly be discussed at the town’s next board meeting at 6 p.m. April 1 during public comment.

Though he currently supports the transfer of ownership, McMahan said he’s going to keep an open mind when hearing from constituents on the issue. The town attorney has not yet drawn up a proposed deed, but McMahan said he trusts that Henning will produce a document that covers all the bases and ensures the mound will be protected.

“The only stipulation that I have as far as the deed transfer goes, would be something to make sure that someone will take responsibility for the care and preservation of the mound in perpetuity, and that the mound will be cared for and preserved, should anything ever happen to the Nikwasi Initiative,” he said.

People opposing the deed transfer are focused on why the town should have to give up ownership, but McRae is focused on the why not. The decision to put it into a joint stakeholder ownership will not only be a momentous gesture to heal old wounds with the Cherokee people, it will mean more recognition and preservation for a mound that is treasured by everyone tied to Macon County’s past.

“The mound is on the National Register for Historic Places — hardly any towns have a mound of that stature right in the middle of town,” McRae said. “It’s been there 1,000 years. I’m thankful Franklin people saved it in 1946, but I hope to put up a welcome sign there for our Native American neighbors.”

What Are Cannabinoids?

receptors

cannabidiol. Cannabinoids is traditionally used for pain, sleep, and fibermyalgia.

CBD has traditionally been used for: Anxiety/Depression Seizures Pain/Fibromyalgia Nausea/Vomiting

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

Parkway district ranger barred from law enforcement duties

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

Nine months after a traffic accident that resulted in a pair of drug possession charges for a lead law enforcement supervisor with the Blue Ridge Parkway, the officer is still barred from performing law enforcement duties — despite the charges being dismissed and expunged from the record.

The charges against Pisgah District Ranger Greg Wozniak, 45, spurred an internal National Park Service investigation, which is not yet complete.

“Parkway Management is taking all appropriate steps to address the situation in accordance with Federal regulations, policies and procedures,” said Leesa Brandon, public information officer for the Blue Ridge Parkway. “By policy, the National Park Service does not comment on ongoing investigations.”

Wozniak was reassigned from his law enforcement duties June 13, 2018, the day after the June 12 accident. Ranger Chuck Hester is currently serving as acting district ranger, said Brandon. Wozniak is now performing “a range of work including field maintenance projects and administrative duties including policy revisions for wildland fire programs,” she said.

He is still drawing the same salary he would if he were performing law enforcement duties. Wozniak, like other district rangers, is

paid at the GS-12 level, with a salary range of $64,000 to $84,000. According to the online database of federal salaries Data Universe, complied by Asbury Park Press, Wozniak’s current salary is $73,177.

Wozniak has served as Pisgah District Ranger since fall 2014, when he first began working for the Parkway, and the National Park Service has been his employer for the past 22 years. As district ranger, he supervises all law enforcement operations for the portion of the parkway between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee and the Linville Falls Visitor Center near Marion.

THE ARREST

According to a report on the accident, the crash occurred at 8:18 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, 2018, when Wozniak, traveling south on Hall of Fame Drive in Knoxville, attempted to turn left onto the I-40 East ramp. However, in making the turn his Toyota Tacoma hit a vehicle traveling straight through the light, a Dodge 350 pulling an equipment trailer.

Both vehicles suffered “disabling damage,” valued at greater than $400, according to the report. Neither driver required medical transport; the driver of the Dodge had no injury but Wozniak had a “possible injury.”

“Driver of Vehicle #1 (Wozniak) stated he had a green turn arrow, and Driver of Vehicle #2 stated he had green traffic signal,” the report said. “There were no witnesses on

scene to determine which vehicle had the right of way.”

While the report states “no” under categories titled “presence of alcohol” and “presence of drugs” for the driver of the Dodge, the same is not true for Wozniak. The report states that Wozniak “had been drinking” and that there was presence of alcohol, but that no alcohol test was given. It also lists “cellular telephone present in vehicle” in the box labeled “distraction.” In the “presence of drugs” category, the report says “unknown.” It goes on to state that the determination method for presence of drugs is “unknown” and that no test was given.

In response to an email asking why no alcohol test was performed in light of the report fields stating that Wozniak had been drinking and that alcohol was present, Lt. Bradley Anders of the Knoxville Police Department said that he could not speak to that specific case but could say that, in general, “everything comes down to the level of impairment observed by an officer and whether of (sic) not they feel they have probable cause to make an arrest.”

The fact that someone has been drinking, Anders added, doesn’t mean “their impairment would rise to the level of being arrested. This testing occurs after an arrest is made.”

lowing a hearing July 20, 2018. They were later expunged — in a phone call to the Knox County Courthouse last week, clerks could not locate any record of the arrest. In response to an email submitted to the Knox County Office of the District Attorney asking how Wozniak pled prior to the dismissal, why the case was dismissed and how expungement decisions are made, Assistant DA Sean McDermott said only that the office has no public records responsive to the request.

THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS

Greg Wozniak appears in a 2009 photograph published in The Saratogan following his selection as chief ranger of Saratoga National Historical Park in New York.

Wozniak is reassigned from his law enforcement duties pending the conclusion of an investigation, Brandon said, and that investigation is still ongoing. According to the National Park Service’s 484-page Law Enforcement Reference Manual 9, the investigation would be classified as a Tier I investigation because it concerns a complaint of “criminal activity and serious misconduct.” Such complaints can be investigated regardless of whether or not an officer was on duty when the alleged conduct occurred, the manual says.

Photo courtesy The Saratogan

Wozniak was not arrested for drinking, but he was arrested for drug possession.

According to the affidavit from Officer Trisha S. Ward attached to the arrest warrant, the Dodge driver told officers that after the accident, Wozniak exited his vehicle, took a box out and threw that box into the bushes. Wozniak then went into the bushes and retrieved the box, throwing it off the interstate bridge onto the roadway below, the driver said.

When officers walked to the edge of the bridge, they saw a burgundy tackle box lying on the roadway, the affidavit said.

“Officer (Stephen) Mercado arrived on scene and retrieved a burgundy tackle box for fishing. Officer Mercado found the box opened on the roadway, and observed that the box contained what appeared to be a baggie of marijuana,” the document said. “The box also contained a baggie of what appeared to be mushrooms and an unopened package of gummie worms believed to be THC edibles.”

The contents amounted to 10.1 grams of marijuana, 6.1 grams of mushrooms and six THC edibles, the affidavit said.

Wozniak was taken into custody and charged with two counts of simple possession/casual exchange — one for marijuana, one for other drugs — class A misdemeanors with a combined bail of $1,500.

However, the charges were dismissed fol-

Tier I investigations are carried out by the Washington Support Office, Office of Professional Responsibility with a special agent acting as case agent, the manual says. The investigation should be done or nearly done by now, according to the timeframe laid out in the manual. Case agents are required to submit their investigative report to the responsible manager within 80 days of being assigned a case, and the manager has 10 days to transmit the completed case file to the deputy chief of the Office of Professional Responsibility. However, the deputy chief can extend investigations up to 180 days, for a total of 270 days — that is, nine 30-day months.

It has been more than nine months since June 13, when Wozniak was removed from law enforcement duty. However, it’s difficult to pin down exactly what the maximum timeframe would be to complete the investigation, since it’s unknown exactly when Parkway officials requested an investigation or exactly when the case was assigned to an agent. It is also possible that the report could be done at this point but the investigation still considered ongoing. Investigations are not considered complete until all phases, including any resulting criminal or administrative determinations, are finished, the manual says.

When asked whether a written investigative report was complete, Brandon reiterated that the Park Service does not comment on ongoing investigations.

Wozniak did not return a call requesting comment.

Haywood County native behind ‘#trashtag’ sensation

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER

Atrending hashtag … err … #trashtag has been gaining worldwide attention for encouraging people to photograph pictures of the trash they pick up, so it should be no surprise that the person who came up with the idea is from rural Haywood County in rugged, scenic Western North Carolina.

“The idea for the #trashtag started on a road trip,” said Sylva resident Steven Reinhold, who grew up in Waynesville. “We were in the Sierra Nevadas where I’d done some mountaineering. I bought some trucker hats but a receipt blew out the window, and I thought, ‘Oh God, I’m part of the problem.’”

Reinhold vowed to pick up 100 pieces of trash to, in his words, “atone” for that wayward receipt. By the time he’d got to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, he’d photographed and geotagged enough of it that it gave him an idea.

“I wanted to see if I could make picking up trash seem cool,” he laughed.

take a photo after you have done something about it, and post it,” reads Roman’s message.

The viral #trashtag and #trashtagchallenge hashtags created by a Sylva resident are inspiring people all over the world to pick up litter where they find it. Donated photo

After ending up at the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow, Reinhold approached a company he’d worked with called UCO Gear and pitched his hashtag idea, figuring the outdoor equipment retailer had the social media might to launch a movement. But that was back in 2015.

“For a couple of years, it did pretty well,” said Reinhold. “Then, it just kind of plateaued.”

March 5, 2019, was one of those serendipitous, kismet moments for Reinhold and #trashtag when an Arizona veteran and marketing educator named Byron Roman made the right Facebook post, at the right time.

“Here is a new #challenge for all you bored teens. Take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance, then

Since then, #trashtag and #trashtagchallenge have blown up on social media and earned notice from major outlets including Forbes, The Washington Post, British Broadcasting Company and even The India Express, half a world away.

“I got a call from CNN and kinda thought it was a prank call,” said Reinhold.

The Tuscola High School grad said that growing up in Waynesville — the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains — and tromping about Haywood County during his adolescence played a substantial role in his eco-consciousness.

“Obviously, I grew up in a beautiful place and I’ve been into the outdoors for a long time now. One of my favorite things to do is get up on a mountaintop and point out other mountains. They seem like old friends to me. Growing up here, I learned nice values like picking up after myself,” he said. “I saw trash and wondered why people would do that.”

Express, half a world away.

Me Too Movement founder speaks about sexual violence

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR

In 24 short hours, more than 12 million people posted a personal message on social media using the #MeToo hashtag. It was one of the most powerful moments in history in the fight to end sexual violence, but the movement’s founder Tarana Burke said the moment will pass by without any real change unless supporters stay focused on the real message.

“We have work to do. We’re in a unique historic moment but we can’t stop. We’ll squander it if we focus on the wrong things,” she told a room of about 800 people in Asheville last week.

In order to achieve the cultural change needed to end sexual violence, Burke said there needs to a sense of urgency that’s just not there yet with the Me Too Movement.

“With Black Lives Matter, we were seeing bodies dead in the street — there was a sense of urgency, but with Me Too, they can’t see our wounds,” she said. “We need to recognize the urgency of this movement — I don’t know how much time we have.”

As the national media outlets continue to focus on the high-profile perpetrators, Burke encouraged those in attendance to stay focused on the survivors and giving those survivors an understanding and safe place to turn for support in their respective communities.

That’s what Our Voice — Buncombe County’s rape crisis and prevention center — did last week when it welcomed Burke to be the speaker at the nonprofit’s inaugural Break the Silence Speaker Series. As Our Voice Executive Director Angelica Wind told the audience, the need for services has only increased since the Me Too Movement went viral in 2017.

“We’ve seen a 26 percent increase in calls since the Me Too Movement exploded,” Wind said. “I don’t think there’s been an increase in violence, I think there’s just more people coming forward because we’ve created a space where survivors feel they can come forward.”

Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too Movement, speaks to a room of about 800 people last week during a fundraiser for Our Voice in Buncombe County. Ariel Shumaker Photography

second and then I saw her switch gears and put that tough girl back on and walk away.”

Now looking back on the moment, Burke wishes she would have just said, “Me too” because it’s what she was feeling — it was all she had to offer at the time and it was more than anyone had ever said to her about what she had gone through. So when people tell her how courageous she is now, Burke thinks about the courage it took for that 12-year-old girl to come to her that day and put into words what had happened to her.

In 2007, Burke created Justbe Inc., an organization committed to the empowerment and wellness of black girls. The nonprofit was focused on giving young girls the language they needed to be able to come forward and say something when they were being abused, but what she found was that adult survivors of abuse were looking for the same support and acceptance as well. All of a sudden people were talking about it and finding their own ways of healing and moving forward.

“Me Too is not about bringing down powerful men. It’s about unchecked power and misused privilege — these are the ingredients of oppression.”

— Tarana Burke

Fast forward to present day, organizations like Our Voice and other sexual assault and domestic violence organizations in communities are working hard every day to bring attention to the issue and help survivors. Burke said Me Too has helped push the conversation to the forefront but that she’s still waiting for more change to come, including the reauthorization of The Violence Against Women Act.

According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted every 92 seconds and every five minutes that sexual assault victim is a child. One out of every six American women has experienced an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.

Burke is one of those women — she survived sexual abuse as a child and as a teenager growing up in the Bronx. Raised in a strong Afro-American family, Burke had a mother that exposed her to Black feminist literature at an early age and a grandfather that made sure she read the Bible as well as a black history book.

While Burke grew up in a very socially conscience household and was involved in social justice causes at an early age, she said the unspoken rule in her house was “our business is our business,” which is why she kept

her abuse a secret for so long.

As a young woman, Burke worked for 21st Century at a Youth Leadership Camp in Selma, Alabama. A young girl came to her one day desperate to share with her what had happened at home. Burke said everything about the girl felt so familiar to her, she knew what she was going to tell her.

“She talked to me about the things her mother’s boyfriend had done to her and my body felt sick and I started feeling lightheaded and in my mind in that moment I didn’t know what to say. I was so scared. In my heart and what was on my spirit was to say ‘this happened to me too,’” Burke recalled. “But, I had never said it out loud — not to anybody and I definitely wasn’t going to say it to this child. It felt selfish and it felt like it was not enough. I finally said ‘I can’t help you’ and I saw the disappointment in her face just for

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) expired in December amid the government shutdown and never got reauthorized because the legislation became tied to a larger budget debate over funding for a border wall. VAWA helps fund a number of local programs for survivors of sexual assault and abuse, which is why Burke encouraged everyone to call their congressmen and demand it be reauthorized. At the heart of the Me Too Movement is getting society to reach a deeper understanding of sexual violence and what it means to be a survivor. Burke said we have to take a closer look at the systems of oppression that have been allowed to perpetuate in our culture and why.

“We have to pull back the narrative and stop the misperceptions. Me Too is not about bringing down powerful men. It’s about unchecked power and misused privilege — these are the ingredients of oppression,” she said. “We have to start asking ourselves how did we get here, how do we stop in and how do we make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Letts planned to run for chief, public records show

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

AFeb. 26 announcement from Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts that he would retire from his seat but would not run for tribal office perplexed many in Western North Carolina. Speculation that Letts, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, would run for chief of that tribe had been widespread, both on and off the Qualla Boundary.

A pair of letters that The Smoky Mountain News recently obtained through a public records request shows that speculation was based on more than mere rumor. In the Feb. 20 letter Letts sent to Gov. Roy Cooper declaring his intention to retire, Letts was clear about his reason for doing so — he was stepping down to run for principal chief.

“Though it is a difficult decision to leave the bench, events in Cherokee have recently brought into focus a personal belief that my services on behalf of the tribe are needed in my hometown,” Letts wrote. “The outpouring of encouragement from friends and community leaders in Cherokee asking me to submit my name as a candidate for the Office of Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians merely confirms the correctness of my decision. I look forward to the awesome task before me and hopefully, I will have the opportunity to devote my energies to work in service of the tribe.”

Letts did not make his upcoming retirement public until Feb. 26, and the press release distributed at that time said merely that he planned to “enjoy family and friends, and continue my involvement in civic and community boards.” He told both The Smoky Mountain News and The Cherokee One Feather that he was not planning to seek tribal office.

According to his Feb. 20 letter and Feb. 26 announcement, Letts’ retirement would have been effective at the end of the day Feb. 28. However, at 4:58 p.m. Feb. 28 Letts distributed a second press release, this one announcing that he had reversed his decision to retire.

“After reflection and much thought I wish to continue in my seat and serve the citizens of Western North Carolina as their judge,” Letts wrote in a letter to Cooper rescinding his earlier decision to retire. “With this decision to remain on the bench I will not be seeking the position of Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.”

However, the timing of the announcements would indicate that Letts decided not to run for chief prior to announcing his retirement. In response to an emailed question from SMN asking what changed between the Feb. 20 letter and the Feb. 26 announcement, Letts wrote, “Because I care deeply for my Tribe I entertained running for Principal Chief. However, upon receiving an outpouring of calls urging me to reconsider my retirement, ultimately I decided my best contribution to public service was to remain in the court system serving as a Superior Court Judge.”

Letts has led the District 30B Superior Court since thenGovernor Bev Perdue appointed him to a vacancy in 2009. He won re-election in 2010 and again in 2018 after winning 54.6 percent of the vote against challenger Mark Melrose.

The last day to file for the Cherokee election has passed. Letts’ name does not appear on the list of chief candidates.

Waynesville will seek loans for sewer financing

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

Waynesville aldermen have taken a historic step toward replacing the town’s ailing sewer plant — a step that will bind the town with up to $16 million in debt for the next 20 to 40 years.

Although aldermen don’t have much choice in replacing the plant, Dennie Martin of Asheville-based business consultancy WR Martin gave them a number of financing options, with only two really making financial sense.

“For various reasons I think it would be wise to pursue both SRF and USDA funding simultaneously,” Martin told aldermen March 12.

Martin was referring to low-interest loans from the State Revolving Fund and the United States Department of Agriculture. The SRF carries an interest rate of just below 2 percent for 20 years, and if the town qualifies, the funding will be placed “on hold” while the town completes the more onerous USDA loan application.

The USDA loan is offered at a still-competitive 3.8 percent, but with a term of 40 years, meaning smaller payments compared to the SRF loan.

The SRF submission is due in April and is automatically resubmitted in September if unsuccessful, and the USDA submission

would be due in the fall.

Martin opined that it was almost a “sure bet” that the town would qualify for one or both loans.

Grants, meanwhile, are few and far between nowadays according to Martin, and it doesn’t help that Haywood County is designated by the state as a Tier 3 county for purposes of economic development; that designation places the county among the state’s most prosperous, despite lingering poverty. Grant funds usually go to Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, which are considered more economically distressed.

Alderman Jon Feichter asked Martin if the town would be eligible for funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission, but Martin said that not only are those applications submitted by Councils of Government instead of a municipality, but the grants are really only a few hundred thousand dollars.

At a Leadership Haywood panel held in Waynesville last month, Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites told students that the town wouldn’t try for bond financing, either, because if the requisite ballot referendum failed, it would be nearly impossible to get a solid rate on any other loan — in essence, because voters said they don’t want the town to borrow.

There does remain one more option that Hites said the town will pursue, but it’s a

long shot; last year, the North Carolina General Assembly made more than 30 direct appropriations to public bodies for large projects that aren’t, in many cases, affordable to smaller municipalities like Waynesville.

Although this might appear to be one of those — Waynesville’s general fund hovers around $15.1 million a year, and the sewer fund checks in at about $3.2 million a year, against the $16 million sewer plant price tag — a change in political philosophy has cur-

legislatures made a promise to their constituents that they wouldn’t engage in any earmarking. In the jurisdictions I’ve worked, we ceased to get earmarks after legislators made that pledge.”

An even bigger hurdle to obtaining what would be the equivalent of a free sewer plant may be a natural disaster that happened almost a year ago, hundreds of miles away.

“I would be eager to support a direct appropriation of all or part of the $16 million but am doubtful of my success,” said Sen. Jim Davis, RFranklin. “There are many systems that suffered damage from Hurricane Florence that would take priority I am sure.”

tailed the practice somewhat.

“I’ve gotten lots of direct appropriations from both federal and state legislatures over my 35 years [as a manager in various N.C. towns]. There was a movement with the Tea Party movement about 10 or so years ago to end what we called ‘earmarks,’ and I haven’t received an earmark for any reason from the state or the federal government since a lot of

Hites said that from this point, the project should take about five years to complete, perhaps slightly less. That five-year period is broken up into different project phases, including time spent assembling loan applications and waiting on loan approval, the actual design of the plant — which could take a full year — three months for design approval, another three months to negotiate the bid process, and nearly two full years of construction.

Not a single member of the public showed up for the March 12 meeting during which aldermen passed a pair of resolutions authorizing the town to move forward; alderman Julia Boyd Freeman was absent, due to illness.

Maggie Valley development ordinance nearing completion

BY C ORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF W RITER

After years of fits and starts, Maggie Valley’s unified development ordinance is finally about to see the light of day, and town officials are hoping for as much public input as possible to ensure a smooth transition.

“The UDO, or unified planning and development ordinance, consolidates those related ordinances into one,” said Ron Hancock, Maggie Valley’s town planner. “It just makes it easier and provides more continuity for developers to know what’s expected of them.”

Hancock said that prior to working for the town, he’d worked for the N.C. Department of Commerce performing similar tasks, like writing zoning, subdivision and sign ordinances.

In Maggie’s case, the zoning ordinance hadn’t been updated comprehensively since 1998, but a number of amendments and revisions have occurred, making the ordinance a bit convoluted.

On March 14, Hancock and the planning board held a joint meeting with the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen to discuss what’s being called “a rough draft of the first draft” of the UDO.

A number of troublesome town issues

will be addressed, including new signage requirements, a subdivision ordinance, and additional use standards for intense-use parcels, like cell towers, gas stations and auto service shops, but perhaps the most significant change in the ordinance is a proposal that would almost triple the number of different zoning districts in town.

Right now, Maggie Valley only has five zoning districts — low, medium and high density residential, community attraction and neighborhood business.

If adopted as proposed, nine more zones would join those five, including rural residential, seasonal residential and mobile home park.

Rural residential would be an even lower density than the current R-1 district, which has a minimum lot size of 0.32 acres and a maximum of three units per acre. The proposed R-0 district would increase the minimum lot size to half an acre with a maximum of two units per acre.

Seasonal residential, designated as R-4, would allow for 14 units per acre with a minimum lot size of 0.07 acres, and is intended for vacation cabins and the like. The existing R-3 high-density zoning allows up to 13 units per acre and a minimum lot size of 0.16 acres.

The mobile home park district, called

MHP, isn’t really a district of its own, but with town approval would instead “float” upon an R-3 district — currently the town’s highest density district.

Minimum lot size in the MHP district would be 2 acres, upon which up to eight dwellings per acre could be situated. Not all R-3 districts would host an MHP, but all MHPs would be hosted by an R-3.

According to Hancock’s PowerPoint presentation, other new non-residential districts include a town center district intended to serve as “a localized community gathering place in town” that would include “a mix of shops, restaurants, public and open space and activities for families and tourists,” as well as three new mixed use districts.

The Soco Road mixed-use district would hug either side of Soco near the central and eastern half of Maggie Valley and is intended for dense commercial and residential development.

The Moody Farm mixed-use district would likewise encourage more dense development but has slightly larger minimum lot sizes than the Soco Road district, as it’s intended to also preserve the somewhat rural characteristics of the district.

The Attraction mixed-use district will be established to promote economic development on larger parcels; this district happens

to encompass shuttered Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park and areas around it.

Although some of the proposed changes and additions in the draft UDO would allow a “grandfathering” period for nonconformity, some would require immediate conformity upon adoption of the ordinance; Hancock said the town would consult with its attorney to determine applicability.

There’s still a lot up in the air at this point, but as the document progresses through the necessary steps prior to adoption, it’s important to note that the public will have ample opportunity to learn about and comment on the plan’s various aspects.

“We’re going to finish up the draft this month and have it ready for planning board review in April,” Hancock said.

The planning board will eventually present its recommendation on the plan to the board of aldermen, which will have final say as to whether it’s adopted or not.

Between now and then, said Hancock, there will be an “open house, drop-in” kind of event, as well as at least one — and probably two — formal public hearings taking place before aldermen cast their votes.”

“The doc is still a fairly rough draft, during and after the planning board recommendation there will probably a little back, forth depending on public input,” he said.

Economics and the tilt to socialism

My son was home from college for spring break. As we ate dinner one night, he described to my wife and me how a professor warned the students that many of the jobs they are studying for will be gone within a few years. Artificial intelligence and automation could put millions out of work in the very near future, the professor had told the class, and my son seemed genuinely worried.

In the next breath, he recounted a speech he heard from one of the lesser-known Democratic presidential candidates who discussed a future where U.S. citizens may receive a “universal basic income,” particularly if AI and automation take us to the point where there just aren’t enough jobs for a growing population.

Of my three children, Liam has always had the most entrepreneurial, capitalist spirit. He’ll turn 21 this summer and has had at least six different real jobs where he was on someone’s payroll, not including some contract video work he’s done for friends. He idolizes Elon Musk and keeps abreast of happenings in business and technology more than most people I know.

So when I thought how the future he described — especially the universal basic income idea — could be called a form of socialism, I knew I had to do some research. As most who keep up with the news know, people his age are more and more warm to some of the concepts of democratic socialism — which is defined as keeping the means of production in private hands but having government intervention to provide social programs.

A poll from August 2018 said 49 percent of those in the 18-34 age group hold a positive opinion of capitalism while 45

Let’s fire Sen. Tillis next election

To the Editor:

Last week both our Senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, had two opportunities to demonstrate that they understood their jobs as described in the Constitution and the oath of office they took to defend that Constitution and not any individual person.

The first chance was a vote to end unauthorized U.S. aid to Saudi Arabia in support of their war in Yemen. The second chance was to support the resolution to cancel Trump’s National Emergency Declaration to take funds authorized for something else to build his wasteful and ineffective wall to fix a situation that doesn’t exist.

Burr at least had the good sense not to say anything about his vote until after he ignored his duty to defend the congressional power of the purse as assigned by Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution and voted to support Trump in his illegal power grab.

Sen. Tillis, on the other hand, had written an op-ed in the Washington Post on Feb. 25 saying, “As a U. S. Senator, I cannot justify providing the executive with more ways to bypass Congress.” Yet when it was time to vote, he voted no and gave Trump “more ways to bypass Congress” in violation of his oath to defend the Constitution.

Tillis, in a response to me, goes on to say he

percent have a positive view of socialism. The same survey found 61 percent of Democrats and 25 percent of Republicans in this age group take a positive view of socialism.

It’s easy to understand where they are coming from. In their lives, unbridled capitalism has led to turmoil and the Great Recession. The economy has recovered, but many who hold fulltime jobs still can’t afford basic needs. They watch as this economy rewards those at the very top while for workers wages are stagnant, debt — student loans and credit card, mainly — seem insurmountable, housing is unaffordable, and any kind of serious injury or illness could have lifetime financial consequences. This generation lives an insecure life when it comes to basic needs — housing, health care, employment and financial stability.

When these young people hear Donald Trump or some wealthy Wall Street executive droning on about the beauty of free markets and capitalism, they also know that these same people for the most part hold different views on climate change, gay rights, racial inequality, immigration, gun control and abortion rights. In other words, the old guys lack credibility on so many important issues why should they believe what they are saying about capitalism?

A Pew Research poll released in January found that 70 percent of Gen Z (ages 13-21 in this poll) and 64 percent of Millennials (ages 22-37) believe that government should do

LETTERS

is working with the VP and senior White House staff to amend the National Emergencies Act so Democrats can’t do what Trump does. If your oath of office is to defend the Constitution, it shouldn’t matter whether the President is a Democrat or a Republican. The Constitution applies to any President. Just another example of Tillis supporting one set of rules for Republicans but wanting different rules for Democrats, especially if power is involved.

Jane Harrison Waynesville

A hit piece without facts

To the Editor:

The hate trump crowd that includes the media ringleaders keeps trying to denigrate President Donald Trump any way they can. In the March 13 edition of The Smoky Mountain News, the article “Constituents of Color” uses Rep. Mark Meadow’s exchange during the Michael Cohen, convicted felon, congressional hearing to do harm to the President. Rep. Meadows — in a sincere attempt to refute Cohen’s claim that Donald Trump is racist — used logic for his argument. The SMN article turns Meadows remarks into racism mainly to support the claim that Trump is a racist. This was just another attempt among many to use

more to solve society’s problems. Some want to classify this embrace of socialism as the consequence of a spoiled, privileged generation that expects the government to take care of them. I disagree. Most of the young people I know aren’t afraid of work. Quite the opposite.

And America’s younger generation isn’t calling for any kind of government takeover of private businesses and a change to a state-run economy. It’s dishonest to label this current trend as anything resembling that.

What they aren’t going to tolerate, however, is being a part of a system they see as increasingly gamed to reward those at the top. They want their leaders to embrace social change and do a better job of making sure that workers get a larger share of the wealth they help create.

From an economic standpoint, it’s almost as if they are embracing a return to the 1950s or 1960s — a time of more collective bargaining, fairer wages, affordable health care, affordable housing, and before the runaway greed of corporate chieftans and boards was accepted as normal.

In 2016, the average corporate head earned a salary 271 times that of the average worker. In 1965 that same CEO earned a salary that was only 20 times larger than his average worker. If politicians don’t see that realities like this are partly responsible for this generation’s discomfort with unbridled capitalism, then they’re just not listening.

From my vantage point, it seems the U.S. might be a better place if our current leaders embraced more of the positions the younger generation is espousing — no matter what name you want to give it.

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

any means to denounce Donald Trump.

The chosen interviewees, biased against Trump since the 2016 election, speak of hate in their comments while proceeding to vilify Meadows in this astonishing hit job published by the SMN. In their racist comments the writer and interviewees mock a black Trump employee who willingly attended and subsequently defended her appearance at the hearing. They ridicule Meadows who rightly took offense to racist accusations by a member of the committee. They scoff at Meadows reference to his biracial family while one interviewee lauds her own bi-racial family.

President.” Once again we see the purpose here is to harm President Trump. Will the hateTrumpers ever get over the fact that their preferred candidate lost the election in 2016?

Meadows declaration about his 300 private meetings with the President where there was never any racist comments or indications by the president is brushed aside as some kind of joke by another interviewee.

The article then goes on to claim concerns that Rep. Meadows cannot represent constituents of color in a gerrymandered district that favors him. There are no facts to support the claim because it is false. In the end an interviewee sums up the whole purpose of the article by stating, “ I think he could have done it better by not trying to come to the defense of the

Let’s keep people out of watershed

To the Editor:

The town of Waynesville has passed an ordinance making defecation and urination on the ground a public health issue. Does anyone on the town board realize what is going on in our drinking water supply watershed? Birdwatchers, hik-

F

This cruel, lingering illness just won’t let go

When you’ve been sick long enough, your perception of reality begins to change. A couple of days may be no worse than a slightly uncomfortable vacation at home watching the game show channel or reading old magazines or telling people how miserable you are on Facebook. You force fluids, you sleep as much as you can, you get over it. It is sort of like enduring an unpleasant visit from people you don’t much like.

But what happens when your guests don’t know when to leave? What happens when you are sick for a full week? Two weeks? More? What happens when your days lose specificity, when they all melt like candles into vague pools of dark and light, one no different from the next? What happens when you measure out your days and nights in tablespoons of cough syrup and extra-strength cold medicine, handfuls of ibuprofen and Mucinex, and gallons of water. I’ve consumed so much water these past few days, I feel like a waterbed with arms and legs. And a throbbing headache.

The coughing is the worst. My body already feels broken and bruised, as if it has been dropped out of a plane at 10,000 feet without a parachute. Now, every cough feels like a vicious kick to my ribcage. A sudden fit of coughing — which happens reliably about every 45 seconds — feels like two or three mobsters ganging up on me for missing a payment, kicking me again and again until I am doubled over and promising them anything, the title to my car, the deed to the family farm, whatever it takes.

My cough sounds like someone trying to saw through a rusty pipe with a Swiss Army knife. My body has become the Baskin Robbins of phlegm. We’ve got all your favorites: deep forest green, mustard yellow, mint-colored, taupe, a never-ending supply of it. Every time I serve some up, it feels like someone is scraping my throat with a putty knife.

The fever is the worst. When it reaches 102, I find that all I can do is gobble more ibuprofen and distract myself until it breaks. Twenty minutes of “The Maltese

ers, ramp diggers, maintenance personnel, school children and uncounted others have entered the Waynesville Watershed since a timber cutting easement was passed Oct. 12, 2004. Do any of the people on these outings have portable toilets?

Haywood County contains thousands of acres of federally owned land. Most of these people could use these areas instead of tromping around in our drinking water

Falcon” on Turner Classic Movies. Ten minutes of SportsCenter. Five minutes of “Divorce Court.” Turn off the television. Pick up a book. Read the first paragraph six times without comprehending a word of it. Close the book. Consider a bath. Reconsider. Look at old texts on my phone. Happier times, when I was healthy and capable of some things, when I was connected to the outside world, a player in it. A text about a planned outing that will have to be scrapped, because right now a trip to the mailbox is more than I can manage. Put the phone down. Just wait.

When the fever finally breaks, the sheets are soaked and I try to steal a precious hour of sleep. My spouse, who has been sick even longer than I have, is wrapped up in blankets and contorted into an impossible shape on the bed. She had been listening to an audiobook on her phone. I can hear someone narrating the story from deep within the covers, as if a tiny man is trapped beneath an avalanche of blankets and is crying out for rescue. This is what my reality has become.

I have about an hour, maybe two, before the fever comes back, enough time to eat a Pop Tart or a bowl of chicken soup if my cough won’t let me sleep, which of course it won’t. I can check in with my boss, who probably thinks I have entered the Witness Protection Program by now, to let her know that I am taking 14 kinds of medication, including elderberry syrup, ginger root, Oregano tea, and whatever else our friends are recommending on Facebook. We’re trying everything, but so far we are exactly as sick as we were seven days ago.

A close friend drops off a big pot of chili and another big pot of home-made chicken soup with a giant loaf of sesame bread on Monday afternoon, perhaps sensing that we have been for the last several days living on cereal, oatmeal, and popsicles. We’ve each lost about 10 pounds, according to the scale.

“Silver lining,” said Tammy.

“If you say so,” I say, followed by about three minutes of non-stop coughing, after which everything inside me feels like charcoal briquettes soaked in kerosene and then lit with a match.

Time for some more Ibuprofen. And maybe a hot bath. Or not. Cough.

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

supply and leaving human waste. Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hite informed me anyone visiting the watershed could use the restroom at the Water Treatment Plant. Maybe Mr. Hite should time himself walking from the upper end of the Quinland Town bottoms and see how long it takes to get to this toilet. Charles Miller Waynesville

Magggie Valley Club & Resort

April 21st | 11am - 2pm

BREAKFAST ITEMS

Breakfast Meats, Eggs Benedict, Caramelized Sweet Potato-Sausage Hash, Stewed Apples, Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Maple Syrup, Cheesy Stone Ground Grits, Biscuits, House Baked Breads, Jellies SALADS

Spring Green Salad, Caesar Salad, Dressings and Condiments, Ambrosia Salad, New Potato Salad, Shrimp Salad, Baby Green Bean Salad, Deviled Eggs, Fruits and Cheeses VEGETABLES

Broccoli Casserole, MV Herb Roasted Baby Spring Vegetables, Buttermilk New Potato Mash ENTREES

MVC Fried Chicken

Grilled Whole Salmon Sides, Charred Scallions and Mustard

CARVING STATION

Maple and Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Ham, Prime Rib Au Jus, Beefeaters Sauce, Rosemary Leg of Lamb, Mint Jelly DESSERT

Blackberry Crumble, Oreo Cheesecake, Banana Pudding, Eclairs, Cakes, Cookies and More!

$32.95 adults | $12.95 kids, 12 & under. Reservations are required, please call to RSVP 828.926.4900

tasteTHE mountains

sandwiches, shareables and daily specials that pair perfectly with our beer. .

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL

207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997. Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slow-simmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.

BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY

50 N Main Street, Waynesville. 828.246.0350. Taproom Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gem Bar Open Tuesday through Sunday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks at Boojum’s Downtown Waynesville restaurant & bar. Choose from 16 taps of our fresh, delicious & ever rotating Boojum Beer plus cider, wine & craft cocktails. The taproom features seasonal pub faire including tasty burgers,

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT

454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Wine Down Wednesday’s: ½ off wine by the bottle. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.

CHEF’S TABLE

30 Church St., Waynesville. 828.452.6210

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

CHURCH STREET DEPOT

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE

Spring Street in downtown Sylva. 828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4

p.m. Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine. Come taste the savory and sweet crepes, grilled paninis, fresh, organic salads, soups and more. Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER

20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday serving freshly prepared small plates, tapas, charcuterie, desserts. Enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday night at 7pm. www.classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter.

COUNTRY VITTLES: FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT

3589 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley. 828.926.1820 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA

243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde. 828.476.5058. Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 12 to 8 p.m. Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza. A full service authentic Italian pizzeria and restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge. Dine

in, take out, and delivery. Check out our daily lunch specials plus customer appreciation nights on Monday and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95.

FIREFLY TAPS & GRILL

128 N. Main St., Waynesville

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

HARMON’S DEN BISTRO

250 Pigeon St., Waynesville

828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART. Open 5:309 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (Bistro closes at 7:30 p.m. on nights when there is a show in the Fangmeyer Theater) with Sunday brunch at 11 a.m. that includes breakfast and lunch items. Harmon’s Den offers a complete menu with cocktails, wine list, and area beers on tap. Enjoy casual dining with the guarantee of making it to the performance in time, then rub shoulders with the cast afterward with post-show food and beverage service. Reservations recommended. www.harmonsden.harttheatre.org

HAZELWOOD FARMACY & SODA FOUNTAIN 429 Hazelwood Avenue, Waynesville.

828.246.6996. Open six days a week, closed Wednesday. 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast until noon, old-fashioned luncheonette and diner comfort food. Historic full service soda fountain.

JOEY’S PANCAKE HOUSE

4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

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

JUKEBOX JUNCTION

U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel.

tasteTHE mountains

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

KANINI’S

1196 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.452.5187. Lunch Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., eat in or carry out. Closed Sunday. A made-from-scratch kitchen using fresh ingredients and supporting the local food and local farm-to-table program. Offering a variety of meals to go from frozen meals to be stored and cooked later to “Dinners to Go” that are made fresh and ready to enjoyed that day. We also specialize in catering any event from from corporate lunches to weddings. Menus created to fit your special event. kaninis.com

MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM

617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva.

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

MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB

1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine. Open seasonally for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT

2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.926.0425. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Daily specials including soups, sandwiches and southern dishes along with featured dishes such as fresh fried chicken, rainbow trout, country ham, pork chops and more. Breakfast all day including omelets, pancakes, biscuits & gravy. facebook.com/carversmvr; instagram @carvers_mvr.

PIGEON RIVER GRILLE

101 Park St., Canton.

828.492.1422. Open Tuesday through Thursday 3 to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Southerninspired restaurant serving simply prepared, fresh food sourced from top purveyors. Located riverside at Bearwaters Brewing, enjoy daily specials, sandwiches, wings, fish

and chips, flatbreads, soups, salads, and more. Be sure to save room for a slice of the delicious house made cake. Relaxing inside/outside dining and spacious gathering areas for large groups.

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR

Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center

70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley 828.926.0201 Home of the Maggie Valley Pizzeria. We deliver after 4 p.m. daily to all of Maggie Valley, J-Creek area, and Lake Junaluska. Monday through Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. country buffet and salad bar from 5 to 9 p.m. $11.95 with Steve Whiddon on piano. Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 to 8 p.m. 11:30 to 3 p.m. family style, fried chicken, ham, fried fish, salad bar, along with all the fixings, $11.95. Check out our events and menu at rendezvousmaggievalley.com

SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE

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

TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL

176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients.

WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY

32 Felmet Street, Waynesville.

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

FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME

Jeff Pilson of Foreigner

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF W RITER

When you run through the gamut of truly great rock bands, the name Foreigner tends to usually be somewhere near the top. With over 80 million records sold, the group soaked the radio dial through the 1970s and 1980s with a string of iconic hits, many of which becoming lifelong anthems for countless fans.

From heavier rock selections (“Feels Like The First Time,” “Jukebox Hero,” Hot Blooded,” “Urgent”) to love songs (“I Want To Know What Love Is,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “I Don’t Want To Live Without You”), Foreigner was — and remains — a doublethreat in the annals of rock-n-roll history.

Initially formed as a British/American hybrid, Foreigner was fronted by English guitar wizard Mick Jones and his across-the-pond vocal counterpart Lou Gramm. And though the band has gone through multiple lineup changes in its 43 years together, Jones is still front-andcenter — night after night, tour after tour. And alongside Jones for the last 15 years has been bassist Jeff Pilson. Originally a founding member of legendary 1980s metal act Dokken, Pilson — a talented singer-songwriter in his own right — co-wrote many of Dokken’s hits (“Alone Again,” “In My Dreams,” “Burning Like A Flame”).

Now 61, Pilson has spent the majority of his life in rock-n-roll. He’s acquired massive success, and he’s also seen the downfall of riches and excess in the music industry. But, through it all, he’s still standing, still creating and performing music onstage — something he’s never taken for granted.

Smoky Mountain News: As someone who experienced success in the wild 1980s, what was your biggest take away from it?

Jeff Pilson: It was a lot like what people say. There were parties every night. Hanging out in The Rainbow. The bands were all friends. There was a lot of drinking and drugs, too. It was a wild scene. It’s not that far away from what you’d imagine.

SMN: With the end of that era, in terms of the end of that scene, was it inevitable or was it somewhat a self-sabotaged by the scene itself?

JP: I think really what it was, is the music got very stale. All the records started to sound the same. There was such a formula about it: you had your rock song and then you had your big power ballad. It just got too formulaic and I think people started seeing through it. People know authenticity when they see it. So, I think it brought about its own doom for that reason.

SMN: Growing up, you loved prog rock. What are your thoughts on bassists Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Chris Squire (Yes)?

JP: They were both huge influences on me. Squire, when I first heard “Roundabout,” I changed the way I played. The minute I heard it — that’s what I want to do. I totally got into that sound. It just consumed me. I still think Chris is one of the greatest of all-time — so creative, so unique, so powerful, but so melodic. He really had it all. Greg Lake? I think he’s underrated as a bass player, and there’s a lot of great bass playing on those records. But, his voice and his songwriting were all really important things, huge influences on me.

SMN: What are you discovering about the bass these days?

JP: Well, I think you get better with age because of the feel. Bass is a very feel-oriented instrument. It’s all about how it feels on your body, how you make other people feel, and how the rest of the band jells together. So, I think you get better with that over time. I’m not really concerned about chops anymore or fancy playing. It’s more about making just making the music feel good. And that’s one of the great things about Foreigner music, it’s really fun to make the music feel good.

SMN: What’s your mindset these days, maybe reflecting on “the road to here”?

JP: I’m just really grateful to play music and do what I love. That never gets lost on me. It’s an honor to be able to do what I do. There’s a lot of talented people out there that don’t get to make their living playing music. Because records have stop selling to the degree that they do, you really depend on live music for your living now. That’s not a bad thing, because you get to play live, but it reminds you that there are only so many gigs out there. I just want to learn the lessons of humility, about being human, not taking yourself so seriously anymore. There was a period where a lot of musicians took themselves way too seriously, and they did a lot of damage to their careers and to a lot of the people around them. And I don’t want to do that. I’m in a position where I’m starting to understand those lessons and value those lessons.

Editor’s Note: Foreigner will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at Harrah’s Cherokee. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to www.harrahscherokee.com and click on the “Events” tab. To listen to the audio stream of this conversation, go to YouTube and search: “Jeff Pilson Garret K. Woodward.”

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Don’t shoot the messenger

Right around this time of year, journalists from across the state gather at the North Carolina Press Association awards ceremony in Raleigh. It’s a chance for all of us “in the trenches” to catch up, compare notes, and simply take a moment to reflect on another year in the books.

As you read this column Wednesday morning, my colleagues and I from The Smoky Mountain News have already hit the road for the NCPA conference — coffee in hand, sunglasses pulled down, radio cranked — barreling down Interstate 40 for the 4.5-hour or so trek to the state capital.

HOT PICKS

1

The David Ives play “Venus in Fur” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 22-23 and at 2 p.m. March 24, at HART in Waynesville.

2

Sponsored by the American Bladesmith Society, the “Great Smoky Mountain HammerIn” will be held March 21-24 at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

3

Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host Dottie (Americana/indie) at 9 p.m.

Saturday, March 23.

4

Western Carolina University’s 17th annual Spring Literary Festival will be held March 2128 in Cullowhee.

5 Joe Landwehr will present his two volumes of Astrology and the Archetypal Power of Numbers at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The irony of being a journalist — someone who works with, and within, all levels of our society — is that it can feel like a very isolated profession. You spend countless hours each week alone, doing research and transcribing interviews, writing up cover stories and, sometimes, having to stand tall and defend your work in the face of public scrutiny — all in the name of the greater good.

So, when our newsroom heads to Raleigh, we once again get reminded that we’re not a news and information oasis unto ourselves, that there are dozens of other newsrooms dotting North Carolina, all trying to do what we aim for — creating societal dialogue, all while bringing truth to the people.

American History. Very exciting but also, very sad! Fake News is the absolute Enemy of the People and our Country itself!”

Absolute enemy of the people, eh? Well, that’s some pretty dangerous rhetoric there, in my honest opinion. There is a big difference between Fox/MSNBC/mainstream media and the vast majority of other media/news outlets. Your local, regional and state media outlets are as unbiased as it gets, doing real reporting and publishing facts for the public to decide. Clumping all of these hardworking basic wage real deal journalists in with the million-dollar contract mainstream news anchors is like comparing apples and oranges.

People, people — your local newspaper is not out to get you. Sheesh. So many folks paint such a broad stroke in terms of what media “is” and “is not” these days. Do your research and stop believing everything you see and read about “the other side.”

Grouping your local, independent, hard news publications with the likes of far-left and far-right mainstream media is, well, just asinine and counterproductive to the tireless efforts we put forth on the ground each and every single day.

Just the other day, I saw a post on the “We Love Waynesville, NC” Facebook group. The person was asking the group if our town was, well, “open-minded,” to which many folks posted very stereotypical responses about the locale having a “conservative vibe” or it being “very racist here.”

So, I felt the need to respond to those comments, which I did: “Y’all need to expand your social circles more. There’s conservatives and there’s progressives. We have a pretty widerange of folks in these parts, either multi-generational or from all over the country, seeing as we’re a tourism-based economy. As a journalist covering this entire region, I find the people quite pleasant and welcoming, very much so. Racism and BS politics? That’s everywhere in our country, sadly. So, you can’t really use that as a unique ‘thing’ to our backyard. But, I love Haywood County. As a ‘damn yankee’ from Upstate New York, I’ve always felt welcome and safe here. People are incredible. Whatever differences there may be, I’ve used that as a learning experience to apply to my own background and raising. You’d be hard-pressed to find nicer folks than that of Haywood County.”

Are you new to yoga- or coming back to yoga after an injury, break or baby? Would you like to refresh the basics to deepen your yoga practice?

This 5- week series is designed for beginners or those looking to re-learn the the fundamentals of a yoga practice, and is a solid way to deepen your understanding of your body + your wellness journey. This small class will also give you plenty of space for dialogue with a teacher who can offer modifications and advice on what will help you in your unique practice. Join Jesse Lee Dunlap on Wednesdays in April (starting April 3rd) from 7:15-8:15pm (+ the first Wednesday of May) $65 for 5-week series. Space is VERY limited: to save yours, register on our class calendar at WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com

It also gives the folks in these newsrooms from Western North Carolina a chance to interact outside of our respective publications. Contrary to popular belief, most of the journalists in your town are actually close friends in real life. We spend time together, usually discussing the topics at hand, openly and honestly, that are affecting our communities, or we’ll just grab a beer and hassle each other over who will win the NCAA basketball championship.

I felt compelled to write about the “don’t kill the messenger” sentiment this week when I came across another Twitter post by our president on Tuesday morning: “The Fake News Media has NEVER been more Dishonest or Corrupt than it is right now. There has never been a time like this in

We will remain divided as a country as long as both sides continue to shut down in the presence of the other. It used to be “I disagree with you, but I respect you.” Now, it’s “I disagree with you, so I hate you.” The only folks that win in this situation are politicians (agendas) and mainstream media (ratings).

Today, take a moment and remember what it was like (or could be like) to find common ground with someone who might not see eye-to-eye with you. Bridge the divide. Push forward in hopes of change, together.

These are all thoughts running through my head, and through the minds of other North Carolina journalists, as we make our way to Raleigh — only to return home refueled for another year in the journalistic trenches in a battle for truth.

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

On the beat

NYC orchestra with WCU Concert Choir

Western Carolina University’s Concert Choir and student musicians will join with the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra for two concerts on campus that are free and open to the public.

A Wednesday, March 20, performance will feature Poulenc’s “Gloria” and a Thursday, March 21, presentation will be Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” and Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture.” Part of the ongoing Artist-in-Residence Program, a partnership that promotes collaboration between WCU music students and professional players, both shows are at 7:30 p.m. in the recital hall of the Coulter Building.

This year’s residence orchestra is a nonprofit organization based out of the Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City under musical director Chris Whittaker. WCU’s Concert Choir is an auditioned group of singers from a variety of majors across campus. The group’s repertoire includes a diversity of compositions spanning historical works to present, as well as multiple languages.

For more information about the Artistin-Residence Program or the concerts, contact the School of Music at 828.227.7242.

IBMA winners to play at Folkmoot

A perennial favorite of Western North Carolina music lovers, Darren Nicholson will be joined by his Grammy-winning Balsam Range bandmate Marc Pruett on

Thursday, March 21, in the Queen Auditorium at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Enjoy catered tacos, BearWaters Brewing craft beer and wine. Performance at 7 p.m. Nicholson will be performing with several special guests. One set of bluegrass and one set of classic country with Pruett on lap steel.

Dr. Marc Pruett, a founding member of Balsam Range, is a Grammy-winning banjo picker who has played on four albums with Ricky Skaggs including his first record in 1974 and the 1997 Grammy award winner “Bluegrass Rules!”

He also led the Marc Pruett Band for 10 years. His music was used for over a dozen years in the highly acclaimed outdoor drama “Unto These Hills” in Cherokee. Dr. Pruett earned his honorary doctorate from Western Carolina University in 2010 for his contributions to bluegrass music.

Mandolinist for Balsam Range, Darren Nicholson is a Grammy nominee and a recipient of numerous International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards, including “Entertainer of the Year” (2014, 2018), “Song of the Year” (2011), and “Album of the Year” (2006, 2017).

He has appeared countless times on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry, at the Ryman Auditorium, CMT, GAC and many of the world’s most famous venues and networks.

Tickets for this event are $20 for adults, $10 for students. Food trucks and beer will be available onsite. Limited seating is available so advance purchase is advised. Parking is available in the back of the Folkmoot building.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.folkmoot.org or 828.452.2997.

Foot stompin’ tunes at Boojum

Christopher Wayne (aka: OMB) and Dottie will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.

Both hailing from Murphy, OMB is a high energy one-man band that combines blues, bluegrass, rock, country and folk, while Dottie is a rock/reggae act.

Admission is $5 at the door.

Celtic concert in Bryson City

Celtic/folk act Bean Sidhe will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, March 22, at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.

A four-member group, the act plays traditional Celtic tunes and ballads using acoustic instruments covering a broad range of folk music from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. It’s an attempt to keep alive the musical heritage that influenced much of our contemporary music, especially bluegrass and country.

Tickets are $10 and are available at the door.

On the beat

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” at its Calaboose location with Alma Russ (Americana/folk) March 22, Andrew Chastain (singer-songwriter) March 23, Chris West (singer-songwriter) March 28 and Dana Rogers (singersongwriter) March 30. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Jim Elenteny (singer-songwriter) March 22 and DJ Steve’s Dance Party March 23. All shows are free and open to the public. www.balsamfallsbrewing.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. March 21 and 28. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host a bluegrass open mic every Wednesday, an all-genres open mic every Thursday, Dottie (Americana/indie) w/OMB (blues/folk) 9 p.m. March 23 and Somebody’s Child (Americana) March 30. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.boojumbrewing.com.

• City Lights Cafe (Sylva) will host The Freestylers March 23. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.citylightscafe.com or 828.587.2233.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Ed Kelly & Steve Goldman w/Melissa March 22, AcousticEnvy March 23 and Ban Hatton March 30. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night March 20 and 27, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo March 21 and 28. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Trippin Hardie March 23. All events are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host Pumpkin Bread (folk/acoustic) 7 p.m. March 20, Anthony Wayne Vibe (jam/world) 8:30 p.m. March 20, Maybe April (Americana/country) 7 p.m. March 21, Leah grams Johnson (Americana) 7 p.m. March 22, Alash Ensemble (folk/world) 8:30 p.m. March 22, “An Evening of Lynyrd Skynyrd” with The Artimus Pyle Band (southern rock) 9 p.m. March 23, Shannon Hoover Trio w/Duane Simpson & Jeff Sipe (jazz/blues) 6

p.m. March 24, Russ Wilson & His Orchestra (jazz/swing) 7:30 p.m. March 24, Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions w/The Thomas Cassell Band 7:30 p.m. March 26, Escaping Pavement (Americana/bluegrass) 7 p.m. March 27 and Art Wavey w/Kndrgrdn (jazz/funk) 8:30 p.m. March 27. www.isisasheville.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, Heidi Holton (blues/folk) March 22, The Ramcats March 23, Troy Underwood (singersongwriter) March 29 and Natti Love Joys (rock) March 30. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host the “Sounds Like Fun: Cabin Fever Community Choir Series” from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. March 23. Learn by ear. No music to read. RSVP at sandidonns@gmail.com.

• Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant (Waynesville) will host JC Tokes March 23 and Into the Fog March 29. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host the “Stone Soup” open mic night every Tuesday, Kate Thomas (singer-songwriter) March 22, Somebody’s Child (Americana) March 23 and Bird in Hand (Americana/folk) March 30. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

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

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mile High (classic rock) 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, and a Trivia w/Kelsey Jo 8 p.m. Thursdays.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and live music on Friday evenings. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

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

• The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic Night” on Mondays, karaoke on Thursdays, DJ Kountry March 23, Rory Kelly Band March 29 and 80s Karaoke March 30. All events at 10 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.456.4750.

On the street

Bingo for a good cause

The Voices in the Laurel will be hosting its fourth annual “Bingo Night” fundraiser on Friday, March 22, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Waynesville. The doors open at 6 p.m. with bingo starting at 7 p.m.

The event will include a Voices in the Laurel performance by the Treble Maker, Chamber, and Encore choirs. There will be great prizes for each bingo winner. You may reserve a table of eight with advance ticket sales. Tickets will also be available at the door pending availability. Gift baskets for game prizes include: Chocolate Lovers, Local Theater Night Out, Gardener’s

Delight, Mud Dabbers Pottery, and more.

The Premier Sponsor for the event is Steven Gore, M.D., F.A.C.C. of Western Carolina Cardiology. There are also have multiple business partners in the community including Emily E. Hall, D.D.S., M.P.H., P.A., SFBernardi Construction, Suzy Bernardi, Sheppard Insurance Group, Duke’s Pampered Pets, and more.

Tickets are $20 each and include admission, 20 games of bingo, coffee, a dessert, and a chance to win door prizes. Additional cards for the 20 games can be purchased for $10. There will also be three “Special Games of Bingo,” $2 each card or all three for $5.

Tickets are available by calling 828.564.3310.

Waynesville historic speaker series

Presented by The Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission, the fourth annual “Haywood Ramblings” will once again take place this spring.

A speaker series on the historic resources and rich cultural heritage of Waynesville and Haywood County, the events will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month in the courtroom of The Historic Courthouse in downtown Waynesville.

The speakers are as follows:

• April 4: “Haywood County’s Mason-

• The CommUnity Square Dance will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the old Webster School, located at 1528 Webster Road in Webster. Caller Rodney Sutton will teach and call all dances to live old-time music. No partner or experience is necessary. For more information, email pammanottus@gmail.com.

• To honor and celebrate the region’s multicultural heritage, Southwestern Community College’s diversity committee will sponsor its inaugural Cultural Fusion Festival on Wednesday, March 27, on the college’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. The event’s

Discussion on ‘Unseen Women of Appalachia’

Dixon Line,” presented by Patrick Womack. Hear stories of the early settlers of the Hyatt and Plott Creek valleys. Womack will share accounts from his ancestors, including the Oxners, McClures and Winchesters. Find out why many claimed that the creeks were separated by a “Mason-Dixon” line.

• May 2: “The History of Lake Junaluska,” presented by Nancy Watkins. Learn about the fascinating history of Lake Junaluska, including the early decision to locate the Assembly in Haywood County, and its considerable influence on the local economy, tourism and culture.

In case of snow, the event will be automatically rescheduled for the second Thursday of the month. 828.456.8647.

theme is “How We all Got Here,” and it will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center is currently hosting an exhibit to commemorate World War I and the centennial of the end of hostilities in the “war to end all wars.” “I Want You! How World War I Transformed Western North Carolina” is on display in the museum’s first floor gallery, located in Hunter Library. It features wartime images and artifacts, as well as examples of propaganda used to build support for the war effort. For more information, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 828.227.7129.

Western Carolina University’s LIVLAB Artist Collective is partnering with the Appalachian Women’s Museum, Jackson County Public Library and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in hosting a panel discussion about the women who have impacted Western North Carolina and the importance of community storytelling.

The discussion focusing on “Celebrating the Unseen Women of Appalachia” will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 28, in the education and research wing of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee.

Panelists will include Kimberly Smith, a partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau and chief-appointed member of the Eastern Band’s Beloved Women Committee;

WCU celebrates Women’s History Month

The Women’s History Month celebration continues at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating March

Marjorie Eyre, board member for the Appalachian Women’s Museum; Barbara McRae, vice mayor of Franklin; and T.J. Smith, executive director of the Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center.

Following the panel discussion, audience members will be invited to share their own stories. Those stories will be incorporated into the making of a new public artwork at the museum in Dillsboro. Located at the Monteith Farmstead, the museum is dedicated to preserving the stories of ordinary women leading extraordinary lives.

Childcare will be provided and food will be served.

For more information, contact WCU assistant professor of sculpture Morgan Kennedy at jmkennedy@wcu.edu.

as Women’s History Month in recognition of women’s contributions to the nation.

• March 26: The conclusion of “Makers: Women Who Make America” will be shown at 4 p.m. in the recital hall of the Coulter Building, followed by a 5:30 p.m. panel discussion of women faculty on “Sharing Our Stories.”

A collaboration between WCU’s School of Music and English Department, all campus events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Allison Thorp, WCU’s director of choral activities, at athorp@wcu.edu or 828.227.3259.

On the table

Library recipe swap, potluck

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will host a recipe swap that will be a quarterly event consisting of a recipe gathering, the making of a cookbook, and finally a potluck dinner using the recipes gathered. If anyone has a recipe they would like to participate with, please email the recipe to Danielle Duffy at dduffy@fontanalib.org or bring your recipe to the reference desk on the second floor of the Library. The deadline for recipe submission is March 30.

Once the library has all of the recipes, the spring version of the cookbook will be put together. Each participant will receive a copy of the cookbook. Each participant will bring their dish and everyone will share food, fellowship, stories, and community at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the library. For more information, call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. www.fontanalib.org.

Bosu’s tastings, small plates

Now under new management with Stephanie Strickland and Genevieve Bagley, Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will continue to host an array of wine tastings and small plates.

• Mondays: Free tastings and discounts on select styles of wine that changes weekly.

• Thursdays: Five for $5 wine tasting, with small plates available.

• Saturdays: There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m. Dog friendly patio and front garden open, weather permitting. For more information, call 828.452.0120 or visit www.waynesvillewine.com.

ALSO:

• The “Pint & Pollinator Tour” is a partnership between Waynesville businesses Leap Frog Tours and Spriggly’s Beescaping. This new and educational experience will run every from 1 to 4 p.m. every Friday in February and March. The journey includes stops at the Asheville Museum of Science, Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center and Whistle Hop Brewing Company. $85 per adult and $75 per child. www.leapfrogtours.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. March 23 and 30 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075.

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

On the wall

Do you have a photogenic feline?

Enter your favorite cat photos now “FUR” Feline Urgent Rescue’s third annual Cat Photo Contest.

“Everyone’s cat has its own personality so we’ve created six categories for submission,” said Bonnie Smith, co-event coordinator. “You can even submit a photo in each because sometimes our cats have multiple personalities.”

The CATcategories for 2019 are: CatAerobics, Best Cat-Accessories, Sleeping Beauty, Best Whiskers, Friends FURever and I Fits; I Sits. There will also be a Best in Show. There is a $15 per photo registration fee. Instructions can be found at www.furofwnc.org under “Coming Events” and at FUR’s resale store inside The Big Red Barn Trading Post at 79 Branner Avenue in Waynesville.

Mail your 5x7 photos along with applicable fees and entry forms to Tony Dapore Photography, 527 Coyote Hollow Road, Waynesville, NC 28785 or tonydaporephotography@gmail.com.

Payment for these entries can be made through PayPal on FUR’s website. Deadline for submission(s) is March 25.

First and second place photos in each divi-

• The “Travel Sketching Class” will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Hosted by Haidee Wilson, the workshop will consist of pen, ink and watercolor. Cost is $30 for HCAC members, $35 for non-members per class. 828.452.0593 or www.haywoodarts.org.

• The “Comic Book Illustration & Story Development” class with James Lyle will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. March 30 and April 6, at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Cost is $20 for HCAC members, $25 for non-members per class. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The exhibit “Outspoken: Paintings by America Meredith” will be on display through May 3 at the Fine Art Museum Gallery B in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. This showcase draws particular attention to the importance of language in Meredith’s work, bringing together paintings that incorporate Cherokee syllabary, reference Cherokee oral histories, and pair found-object text with visual imagery. www.facebook.com/americameredithart.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present the School of Art and Design Faculty Biennial Exhibition 2019, which will be on display through May 3. All WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public. arts.wcu.edu/biennial or 828.227.3591.

sion will receive a ribbon. Prizes will be awarded to each First place winner and Best in Show. Any photos entered into the contest may be used in FUR promotions, publicity or the upcoming calendar.

“Since we could be using the winning photos in other media, please be sure they are of the highest quality,” said Tony Dapore. “They must be JPG and 800 pixels minimum on the long side.”

Voting will take place on Saturday, April 13, at FUR’s “Wet Your Whiskers” wine tasting event in the Daniel & Belle Fangmeyer Theatre at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) in Waynesville. Winners need not be present. Look for more information regarding this event on FUR’s website and in our area news publications.

Money raised for FUR this evening will help to fund the cat sanctuary where homeless, abandoned cats and kittens have a safe place to thrive and receive medical attention and love until they can be adopted. Any cat not adopted has a home forever at FUR’s sanctuary in Waynesville. FUR can operates only by donations, fundraisers and volunteers.

For questions regarding the photo contest, “Wet Your Whiskers,” or FUR of WNC in general, visit the website at www.furofwnc.org, call 844.888.CATS (2287) or email furofwnc1@gmail.com. FUR is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/furofwnc.

A lifelong love of art

Macon youth art exhibit

ALSO:

• There will several local artisans on display at the Waynesville and Canton libraries through March. Artists at the Waynesville Library will include Patty Johnson Coulter (painter), Linda Blount (painter), Jason Woodard (painter) and Mollie Harrington-Weaver (painter). Artists at the Canton Library will include Russell Wyatt (photographer) and Ashley Calhoun (painter). www.haywoodarts.org.

• A “Beginner Step-By-Step” painting class will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Cost is $25 with all supplies provided. For more information on paint dates and/or to RSVP, contact Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560 or paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• The Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) Campus Theme, the “Defining America” exhibit brings together artists with different perspectives on the concept of “America” and asks visitors to reflect on the values, definitions, and assumptions attached to this concept. The exhibition will be on view through May 3 at the Bardo Arts Center. Regular museum hours at the BAC are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. 828.227.ARTS or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

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

There will be a showcase of Natalie Bucki’s work, “Paintings of People, Pets and Places,” on display in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin during the month of March.

“My desire when painting is to create a space with light and color and to invite the viewer to enter. I no longer paint on location, preferring to take my own photos and/or sketches to work with,” the 92-year-old said. “I have had 50 years or more of creating portraits from live sittings and from photos. I like these mediums because they retain the color so well over a very long period of time. They will be here long after we are gone.” Bucki had also produced four soft cover books on amazon. Two are art lessons on how to paint a waterfall, and how to make art with crayons, lessons for beginners. 828.524.3600 for available viewing times.

The Macon County Art Association will be hosting a student art exhibition in celebration of March as “Youth Art Month” at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin. This month is designated for promoting art and art education in the U.S. and what better way than to showcase the artwork created by K-12 grade students from the Macon County Schools?

The artwork may also be viewed from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday until March 30.

An “Art Reception” will be held for the budding young artists from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, at the Uptown Gallery. The public is welcome and refreshments will be served.

Sculpted animals and censors

There will be a pottery class with Katherine Maloney from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the Cowee Pottery School in Franklin.

Bring up to three leather hard pots with lids and join Maloney to make incense jars, perfume jars, or just beautiful lidded pots with little animals. Wheel thrown or hand built, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure your vessels are on the softer side of leather hard. Fee is $50 per person. Class size is limited to 20. Pre-registration required. www.katherinemaloney.org.

‘Great Smoky Mountain Hammer-In’

Sponsored by the American Bladesmith Society, the “Great Smoky Mountain Hammer-In” will be held March 21-24 at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

The Hammer-In brings Master Bladesmiths, forging enthusiasts and knife collectors from across the U.S. to demonstrate their skills and to learn the art and science of hand forged knife making. Demonstrators for the Hammer-In will converge from multiple states including Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Master Bladesmiths will give demonstrations and hold classes on a number of topics ranging from coal and gas forging to fabrication of handles and guards and engraving.

The public is invited to experience knife making in the time-honored tradition of the American Bladesmith Society. Knife show, “Battle of the Bladesmith” and auction are open free to the public Saturday, March 23.

The “Battle of the Bladesmith” is a competition used as a conceptual base of the popular reality show “Forged in Fire.” Competitors will include local residents Charlie Ellis and Matthew Shirey as well as Stephen Fowler of Georgia and Curtis Haaland of Tennessee.

828.400.7815 or email khall@hallenergyconsulting.com.

On the stage

Tuscola Country Western Show

Summit, the premiere choral ensemble from Tuscola High School, will perform its 37th annual Country Western Show, “On the Road Again,” at 7 p.m. March 29 and 30 and at 2:30 p.m. March 31, at the Tuscola High School Auditorium.

Summit will perform several songs as an entire ensemble, while some numbers will be performed by the “Good Ol’ Boys” (Summit men) and GRITS (Girls Raised in the South). The theme is built around travelling through the South.

Some of the group songs include a medley with the theme song, “On the Road Again,” “Rocky Top,” “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” Dolly Parton and the Pentatonix arrangement of the classic, “Jolene.”

“We were excited to bring the live band back last year. It was such a hit with the audience and a great experience for the performers, so we will once again have a live band,” said Martha Weathers

Brown, choral director at Tuscola. Band members include Jerri Meigs, Gary Wiley, Grady Wiley, Brent Lindsey, and a surprise fiddler.

Tradition holds that Summit’s graduating seniors perform a farewell song. This year’s song is “Humble and Kind,” which will be sung by Sophia Bonomo, Tanner Hendricks, Landon Henley, Kaitlin Jenkins, Tyler Messer, and Alaysia Smith. The bulk of the show will be solos performed by Summit members with songs ranging from songs by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, to Brett Young, Johnny Cash, and Carrie Underwood, and many more. Jamie Gardner, Summit/Tuscola alumnus, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for this year’s show.

Tickets are on sale now, and may be purchased from any Summit member or at the office at Tuscola High School. Tickets are $10 for the public, and half price for Tuscola staff and students. Call 828.456.2408 for more information.

GILES CHEMICAL

HIRING Entry Full-Time Positions

Shifts Vary

HART honors

Thomson

At the opening of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre’s current studio production “Venus in Fur,” the Waynesville theatre took the opportunity to honor long-time HART supporter, Mieko Thomson, as its “Volunteer of the Year.”

HART presents ‘Venus in Fur’

The final production of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre winter studio season, the David Ives play “Venus in Fur” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 22-23 and at 2 p.m. March 24, at HART in Waynesville.

The show scheduled to follow it, “Constellations,” has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, until September.

“Venus in Fur” is an adaptation of the 1870 novel “Venus in Furs” by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch and happens to be the novel that inspired the term “masochism.” The play, with is a play within a play, begins with Novachek, the director of a new play, on the telephone lamenting the inadequacies of the actresses who have showed up that day to audition for the lead character, Wanda von Dunayev.

Suddenly, at the last minute, a new actress

Thomson has served on and off the HART board for much of the past 25 years and has been a tireless supporter of the organization. Last season, she organized all of the opening night parties for the eight HART main stage productions, despite having left the board.

Board members are not eligible for the award and with Thomson no longer serving the timing was right. The plan was to honor Thomson at the annual board meeting in January, but she was busy out of the country helping her her new grandchild.

In addition to her charity work in the community, Thomson is a Realtor with RE/MAX in Waynesville.

• There is free comedy improv class from 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday in Maggie Valley. No experience necessary, just come to watch or join in the fun. Improv teacher Wayne Porter studied at Sak Comedy Lab in Orlando, Florida, and performed improvisation with several groups. Join Improv WNC on Facebook or just call 828.316.8761 to RSVP for directions.

called Vanda Jordan bursts in. At first it’s hard to imagine that she will please this very particular and exasperated writer/director: she’s brash, vulgar and unschooled. But, she convinces him to let her audition for the part of Wanda, with the director/writer reading the part of Severin von Kushemski.

Much happens during this dynamic reading, as lightning flashes and thunder crashes outside. Vanda shows astonishing insights into the novel and her character, and she performs what is in effect a terrific audition.

They both become caught up in the characters they are reading. The balance of power is reversed, and the actress establishes dominance over the director, which is similar to what occurs in the novel.

The play contains loads of cheek and a hint of the erotic which will keep audiences on the edge of their seat as the question arises, “who is in charge here?” The play contains adult material.

828.456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.

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A quick run through some fine books

Spring-cleaning.

Those two words conjure up images of washing windows, storing away the winter clothes, and carting off odds-and-ends to the Salvation Army.

For me, spring-cleaning means attacking stacks of books, piles of papers, and a platoon of bookshelves in whose dust I could write sonnets with my fingertips.

It was a Monday, mid-March, and I had resolved to launch an assault on books, papers, and casements. Near the back door teetered that overloaded shelf with its disorderly ranks of my grandchildren’s school texts, nursery rhymes, coloring books, elementary school readers, and fairy tales. Here on the small glass table beside my desk a hillock of books awaited review. From the floor in the living room there rose a two-foot mound of reference books, patiently awaiting return to their proper homes. Beside the steps two shelves, disheveled as Uncle Billy Bob before his morning coffee, had suffered such neglect that they were dribbling books to the floor. Meanwhile, the other 12 bookcases in my apartment glared at me, wanting a dust cloth and more appropriate regimentation. (Why, for example, was The Portable Curmudgeon hugging Miss Manners? Her wit is sharp, sometimes acerbic, but certainly Judith Martin is no curmudgeon.)

My resolve to kick off this biblio-blitz disappeared as soon as I opened my laptop. The screen rendered invisible all those poor volumes looking to me for care. Instead, I decided to shed myself of a few books wanting and deserving review. When I bought these volumes or borrowed them from the public library, I had intended giving them more than the passing nod they will receive here. Still, a nod beats cold indifference.

First up is Debbie Tung’s delightful Book

Love (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2019, 138 pages). Tung brings us cartoons, some humorous, some sweet, some cute, which I don’t

intend as an insult, about a young woman who loves books. A wistful charm pervades this affectionate look at book nerds. My favorite panel ends this collection, a drawing in which the young woman is reading, her legs draped over the arm of her chair, hot tea beside her, stars shining in the sky outside the window. The panel is titled “There is nothing else quite like it.” If you have a reader in your life, particularly a female, and you’re looking for a gift for that person, consider Book Love There is nothing else quite like it.

In Home Body: A Guide To Creating Spaces You’ll Never Want To Leave (Harper

‘Astrology and the Archetypal Power of Numbers’

Joe Landwehr will present his two volumes of Astrology and the Archetypal Power of Numbers at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Part One (A Contemporary Reformulation of Pythagorean Number Theory) is a meandering exploration of the extant teachings of Pythagoras about number. Part Two (The Construction of the Birthchart by Number) is an explanation of how this Pythagorean sense of number is reflected astrologically, both in moments of historical significance and in the birthcharts and lives of individuals who have changed the course of history. Landwehr is an astrologer with over 45 years of experience,

Collins, 2018, 354 pages), interior designer and home remodeler Joanna Gaines lays out a feast of photographs, drawings, and text, all centered on creative ways to bring beauty and joy into our homes. She discusses design styles and then leads readers through different rooms featuring such styles. (My basement apartment, which a casual observer might charitably describe as functional in design, features fine, lovely draperies of spider webs in the corners and ceilings, but I found none of these in Home Body.) If you’re renovating right now, or if you’re redecorating, or if you just enjoy drinking in images of beautiful rooms and clever decoration, take a look at Home Body.

I am not a big fan of radio talk shows: too many commercials, too little charity. Nor do I know much about Glenn Beck. I have read two books by him — a Christmas novel and an interesting history recounting some little-known incidents in American history. But the title of his newest book, Addicted To Outrage: How Thinking Like A Recovering Addict Can Heal The Country (Simon & Schuster, Inc. 2018, 381 pages), snagged my attention. I pulled Addicted To Outrage from the “Hot Reads” shelf of my public library, toted it home, and dipped into it. Given the curses, the hatred, the verbal cudgels and daggers that now fill the public square, Beck, who takes responsibility for causing some of this outrage, sounds in this book like a voice of sanity in the bowels of a

seeking an eclectic integration of astrology, spiritual psychology, and ancient wisdom teachings.

Author of several books and the director of The Astropoetic School of Soul-Discovery, Landwehr brings a wide-ranging spiritual background to his work. He lives in Whittier.

To reserve copies of his books, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

WCU Spring Literary Festival

Western Carolina University’s annual Spring Literary Festival has a long and storied history of hosting local and national writers and showcasing established and emerging literary talent, all part of an open-to-the-public community celebration.

The 17th annual festival, to be held Thursday, March 21 to

loony bin. When I jumped to the end — as I said, I dipped rather than dove into this book — I found these words: “Fight for your beliefs in a civil way. Respect each other. Respect yourself. And then join in spreading the word.”

Will Beck’s call for treating opponents with respect have much effect? Probably not. Egged on by politicians and the media, too many of us now enjoy throwing brickbats and rotten tomatoes at one another. (I do sometimes wish we could put the elected members of our federal government in their jammies, give them some chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk, and whisk them into their cribs for a nap.)

Finally, for the last four days I have read here and there from the appropriately titled Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (Penguin Press, 2017, 455 pages). Oliver, who died in January 2019, was often — and from the little I have read of her work, rightly — regarded as one of America’s most beloved poets. Reasons for this love affair with Oliver’s work are abundant: her keen take on the natural world, her formidable skill with words, her exuberance, and most of all, her ability to inspire readers to embrace wonder, mystery, and life.

Let’s end my short foray into spring-cleaning with one of Oliver’s shorter poems, “The World I Live In:”

I have refused to live locked in the orderly house of reasons and proofs. The world I live in and believe in is wider than that. And anyway, what’s wrong with Maybe?

You wouldn’t believe what once or twice I have seen. I’ll just tell you this: only if there are angels in your head will you ever, possibly, see one.

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

Thursday, March 28, will provide opportunities for audience members to interact with a variety of local, regional and nationally acclaimed authors.

For the past several years, sponsors of the Spring Literary Festival have been WCU’s Visiting Writers Series; the English Department; the Office of the Chancellor; the Office of the Provost; the Division of Student A airs; Campus Theme, and the College of Arts and Sciences. This year, the project received support from the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

The festival reflects Western Carolina’s commitment to providing the best humanities education possible to its students and to bringing the best of the arts to the mountains. All events are free and open to the public. Authors will sign works after each reading. For more information, call 828.227.7264, email info@litfestival.org or visit www.litfestival.org.

Smokies ranger earns national award

ANational Park Service ranger who has focused on the scientific and educational significance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 20 years earned national praise in this year’s Public Lands Alliance awards ceremony, held Feb. 27 in Denver, Colorado.

Susan Sachs, education branch chief for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, received the 2019 PLA Agency Leadership Award for cultivating and leading partnerships, the result of a nomination from the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

Sachs wasn’t the only Smokies institution to win big at the awards ceremony. The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, which is now in its 69th year of introducing park visitors to the region’s incredible diversity of spring wildflowers, won the Outstanding Public Engagement Award in the “program or service” category.

“Susan has a remarkable passion for teaching others about the special resources that make the Smokies unique,” said Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash. “Through her creativity and leadership, she’s developed meaningful partnerships that expand our reach into communities well beyond our borders and expose more people to learning opportunities in the Smokies year after year.”

For more than two decades, Sachs has served as a citizen science leader in the Smokies. During her tenure as education coordinator at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob, she built a multi-faceted, sustainable, longterm program that involves students, teach-

ers, interns, casual park visitors and trained volunteers in scientific research related to phenology, species distribution and abundance, impacts of ozone on native plants and numerous other topics.

“Our partnership with the National Park Service in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is at its essence a partnership with passionate people first and foremost,” said Laurel Rematore, CEO for Great Smoky Mountains Association. “Susan’s long list of accomplishments and dedication to citizen science more than qualified her in our minds for PLA’s Agency Leadership Award. We’re extremely pleased the judges agreed.”

A leader in land management agency-nonprofit partnerships, Sachs works with a variety of local groups such as Pi Beta Phi Elementary, Haywood Waterways Association and Cherokee Preservation Foundation. She develops grants to offer teacher workshops, science camps and other programs through the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, Montreat College in Asheville, GSMA, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Discover Life In America and the Smoky Mountain Field School.

Not limited by park boundaries, Sachs brings her experience and accomplishments at a local level to regional and national-scale initiatives to benefit the Park Service as a whole, as well as its national-level partners. She was a key advocate for integrating partnership-based phenology citizen science up and down the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. Tim Watkins, science access and engagement

Join the Pilgrimage

Registration is now open for the 69th annual Wildflower Pilgrimage in Gatlinburg, to be held April 24-27.

The event will feature professionally guided walks, exhibits and other learning opportunities to explore the region’s rich natural and cultural resources, with programs including fungi, ferns, wildflowers, trees, shrubs, insects, salamanders, birds, mammals, journaling, photography, history and more.

More than 850 people from 32 states and several countries attended in 2018. Learn more and register at www.wildflowerpilgrimage.org.

coordinator for the Park Service, led the effort from Washington, D.C., but credits Sachs with its success.

“Susan (Sachs) helped shape and communicate goals and objectives,” Watkins said. “She also provided examples of success on the ground, and communication products to back up all of our organizing efforts. Major partners — Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Appalachian Mountain Club, National Phenology Network — and funding organizations — Nature Fund for National Parks, National Park Foundation — know the value of the A.T. project and its particular strengths in the Southern Appalachians because of Susan’s great work.”

In 2012, Sachs was a climate education mentor for the Earth-to-Sky training course

offered by NASA, the Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2016, NASA awarded a five-year educational grant that triggered establishment of the Smoky Mountain STEM Collaborative, led by Southwestern Community College — Sachs negotiated the park’s involvement, serving as park liaison and partner in the collaborative. The grant required an educational opportunity to experience the 2017 total solar eclipse from within park boundaries, an undertaking that spawned a 13-month planning process.

Sachs played a leading role in that endeavor, working with park staff and external partners to create a diverse portfolio of educational opportunities for STEM Collaborative students and the general public. The eclipse was the largest single-day event in park history, with more than 16,000 attending, peak audience views over 26,000 and NASA streaming reaching more than 6 million viewers.

In 2018, Sachs was promoted to Education Branch Chief, a role in which she continues to build on her prolific partnership expertise.

“I was deeply moved to receive this award and thank the Great Smoky Mountains Association for nominating me for doing what I love — making science exciting for young people,” said Sachs. “This award has my name on it, but it is really for all of the resource management and education staff in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

The award isn’t the only thing to bear Sachs’ name recently. Last year, she was one of five park employees to have a newly discovered species named after her.

Cheer on real-life lumberjacks

Chain saws will buzz and sawdust fly as college teams compete for the number one spot in a lumberjack contest coming up Saturday, March 30, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.

Haywood Community College will host the STIHL Timbersports Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Qualifier Competition as part of the Mid-Atlantic Woodsmen’s Meet. The competition will start at 8 a.m. with events continuing through 5 p.m. In addition to contests, the day will feature activities for children and a local food truck.

The qualifier’s winner will go on to compete in the national STIHL competitions.

Tickets are $5 for adults and free for children 12 and younger.

The lichen species Lecanora sachsiana — and its common name Susan’s Sacs — honors the help and support Sachs gave lichenologists James Lendemer and Erin Tripp over their decade of research in the park.

Sachs was one of three people to receive the leadership award, and the only one from the Park Service. The other winners were Jennifer Heroux of the USFWS Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Nevada and Arnold Randall of the Forest Preserves of Cook County in Illinois.

The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage also drew attention for nearly 70 years of bringing expert field biologists and interested public together to enjoy nature. The event offers guided tours, evening speakers and citizen science programs, giving participants the chance to vastly expand their knowledge of the park’s incredible wealth of flora and fauna.

“There is no better place to experience spring wildflowers than the Smokies,” said Cash. “We are honored to continue to support this unique, long-standing partnership effort, spanning over 65 years, which con-

a Citizen Scientist” project, the Pilgrimage trained 40 volunteers and imaged nearly 1,500 specimens in a three-day period. Similarly, iNaturalist resulted in 1,856 observations of 537 different species at the 2018 Pilgrimage event.

At the award ceremony’s conclusion, GSMA was awarded a final prize, this one for its entry of Into the Mist in the Partner’s Choice category, which is voted on by the public at large. Into the Mist: Tales of Death and Disaster, Mishaps and Misdeeds, Misfortune and Mayhem in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is so named for its 13 chapters on tragedy and heroic rescue made all the more chilling because these stories are real. These beautiful, mistshrouded mountains can, and often do, turn deadly, as in author David Brill’s retelling.

The Public Lands Alliance is a national consortium of more than 165 nonprofit partners of public lands. As a PLA member, GSMA is invited each year to submit nominations for several award categories that recognize excellence in publications, pro-

tinues to introduce people to the wonders of wildflowers in new and innovative ways.”

In 2018, the Pilgrimage introduced two new citizen science initiatives, the “Become a Citizen Scientist” program and the iNaturalist project, which allow participants to generate research-grade data to benefit the park and a larger network of researchers. In the first year of the “Become

Become a fruit farmer

A fruit tree workshop will be offered on two upcoming dates in Jackson and Swain counties — 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at the Swain County Extension Center in Bryson City and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 28, at the Jackson County Extension Center in Sylva.

The workshop will explain the basic cultural needs of apple, pear, peach and other fruit trees, covering site selection; differences between dwarf, semi-dwarf and seedling trees; proper soil conditions; pollination requirements; differences between cultivars; chilling requirements; fertility needs; tree spacing and general pruning principles. Common disease and insect problems, and control options for them, will be discussed as well.

Free, with registration required. Contact Christy Bredenkamp at 828.586.4009 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

Garden space available in Franklin

Applications for garden space in the Macon County Community Garden in Franklin are now being accepted.

The garden, now in its eighth season, includes 24 garden spaces that are 500 square feet apiece and tilled. Gardeners must supply their own fertilizer, seeds and plants, and agree to abide by garden regulations.

Fee is $25, with gardeners requested to donate a portion of their produce to Macon

County Care Net for distribution to those in need. To apply for a space, call the Macon County Extension Center at 828.349.2046. The garden will be available for use by May 1.

Start seeds early

Greenhouse space is available in Waynesville for those looking to get a head start on this year’s garden.

The Old Armory Recreation Center Greenhouse will open for the season at 8 a.m. Friday, April 5, with seed trays available for rent at $5 apiece and a maximum of five trays per person. The Old Armory provides dirt and water.

In addition, Master Gardener Volunteer Marty Yates will give a free seed starting class, 1 to 3 p.m. April 5 at the Armory. Only 200 trays will be sold, with reservations required in person at the facility. Registration is open through 5 p.m. April 19. Keith Shetley, 828.456.9207 or oldarmory@waynesvillenc.gov.

grams and partnerships.

Since its inception in 1953, Great Smoky Mountains Association has supported the preservation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by promoting greater public understanding and appreciation through education, interpretation and research. A nonprofit with its headquarters inside the national park, GSMA has contributed more than $44 million during its 65-year history.

Some roads close, others open in Pisgah

Bent Creek Road in the Pisgah National Forest will be closed temporarily even as other roads in the Pisgah District open for the season.

Bent Creek Road will be closed for maintenance from Ledford Branch Trailhead to the Blue Ridge Parkway starting Monday, March 18. Contractors will use large trucks and heavy equipment to gravel and grade the road. Visitors can expect increased traffic and should use caution in the area. Work is expected to be complete by the end of March.

Now reopened are: Avery Creek Road (FSR 477), Wash Creek Road (FSR 500) from North Mills River Campground to Trace Ridge Trailhead, Courthouse Creek (FSR 140), Yellow Gap Road (FSR 1206), Wash Creek Road (FSR 5000) from North Mills River Campground to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Headwaters Road (FSR 475B) from the north end of the road to Sunwall Trailhead — the south end will remain closed for maintenance.

Emergency closures can occur at any time due to weather or resource conditions. For current road status, call 828.877.3265 during business hours.

Stream training offered in Flat Rock

Help track nature’s patterns

Adopt a plot in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to be part of a team attempting to track nature’s calendar, and get started by attending a training session 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee.

Training will cover topics such as tree identification techniques, stages of tree change throughout the year, fruit and flower identification and phenology data collection protocols. Volunteers will monitor their adopted plot at least twice per month, from the first leaf bud in spring to the final leaf drop in fall. The project helps scientists better understand how changing weather patterns affect our diverse ecosystem and the timing of wildflower blooms and fall color.

Experience is not necessary, and plots are available near parking areas at several park locations. Register for the training with Paul Super, paul_super@nps.gov or 828.497.1945. Phenology research efforts across the country are detailed at www.usanpn.org.

Volunteers collect tree phenology data. NPS photo

Get trained to protect Western North Carolina’s rivers Saturday, March 30, with the Stream Monitoring Information Exchange workshop in Flat Rock. Volunteers work to assess the health of local rivers by collecting and identifying aquatic insects that serve as indicators of water quality. The one-day training will include classroom instruction as well as opportunity to get wet in the stream. Sign up for the training at bit.ly/2HmDb7S.

Children enjoy a nature program. Donated photo

Highlands Nature Center opens

The Highlands Nature Center will open for the season with a special event at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 30.

Meet resident animals in creatures features programs at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., or take a stroll to see what’s blooming in the botanical garden. The nature center will be open every Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until late May, when summer hours begin.

www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2623.

State of the Air briefing coming up

The Land of Sky Regional Council will hold its annual State of the Air Briefing and Press Conference, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, March 29, at the Land of Sky office in Asheville.

Key speakers will include Mike Abraczinskas, director of the N.C. Division of Air Quality, who will present on air quality in the state, and Sushma Masemore, the state’s new Deputy Environment Secretary and State Energy Director, who will present on Gov. Cooper’s executive order addressing climate change and clean energy.

RSVP to Bill Eaker, 828.734.7434, for seating purposes.

Cullowhee gets new welcome sign

A new sign along Old Cullowhee Road now welcomes visitors and residents alike to Cullowhee’s historic center, thanks to efforts from the Cullowhee Revitalization

Endeavor, also known as CuRvE.

Made from a single slab of stone, the sign is located halfway between the entrance to the Jackson County Greenway and the new Tuckaseigee River bridge. The metal letters on its surface spell out “Welcome to Cullowhee” in both Cherokee and English. It was funded through a grant from Jackson County with significant contributions from the Cullowhee River Club.

The project has been delayed by the state’s decision to replace the 1940s bridge that takes traffic over the river. CuRvE consulted closely with DOT on the design and landscaping of the bridge, with the final product expected to make the river park

The sign says ‘Welcome to Cullowhee’ in both Cherokee and English. Donated photo

Formed in 2007, CuRvE’s primary goal is to create a river park on the banks of the Tuckaseigee below the Cullowhee Dam. If built, the park would contribute significantly to the area’s economic development and recreational amenities, according to a study the group funded.

option more attractive. In addition to its other activities, CuRvE spearheads “trash mobs” that assemble to pick up trash along Old Cullowhee Road, in January removing 418 pounds of litter from the road. www.cullowhee.org.

Library programs to explore the outdoors

The Macon County Public Library in Franklin will again offer its month-long series of hiking-themed movies and programs, “Walking with Spring,” in conjunction with the Appalachian Trial thru-hiker season. The series is a partnership with the Nantahala Hiking Club and Franklin Appalachian Trial Community highlighting the A.T., hikers, outdoor activities and environmental issues.

n 2 p.m. Thursday, March 21. The 23-minute documentary “Trail of Tears,” produced by the National Park Service in collaboration with the Cherokee Nation, will make stories of hardship, endurance, love and loss come alive as a Cherokee grandfather endures the removal with his granddaughter.

McIntee of Beyond Bending Yoga will combine light yoga and nature for a walking class on the greenway.

n 2 p.m. Thursday, April 4. A screening of five Appalachian Trail Conservancy documentaries will showcase inspiring tales about unique thru-hikers and how the experience changed their lives forever.

n 6 p.m. Thursday, April 4. Andy Denson of the N.C. Trail of Tears Association will discuss the Trial of Tears National Historic Trial, Bill Van Horn of the Nantahala Hiking Club will discuss the A.T. and Brent Martin of the N.C. Bartram Trail Society will discuss the Bartram Trail.

n 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 5. Carol and Jim Steiner will share hiking stories from their book, The Appalachian Trail Day Hikers’ Guide: Downhill to Fine Wine and Accommodations, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Paddling competition coming to NOC

n 2 p.m. Friday, March 22. A screening of the 1959 adventure “Third Man on the Mountain” will be offered, depicting a boy attempting to realize his father’s dream of climbing an alpine peak known as the Citidel.

n 6 p.m. Thursday, March 28. Marty Greeble will present on the Women’s History Trail.

n 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 29. Jennifer

n 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11. Lamar Marshall will talk about the Trail of Tears route in Macon County, which extended from present-day Almond along the Little Tennessee River to Franklin before turning west on the Great State Road.

n 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 12. A.T. section hikers Bill and Sharon Van Horn will share stories of their journey, both humorous and challenging.   Programs are free and take place in the library’s meeting room. 828.524.3600.

Elite slalom paddlers and whitewater racers will compete next week during the Nantahala River Club Whitewater U.S. Open, March 29-31 at Nantahala Outdoor Center near Bryson City.

Spectators are welcome to enjoy the show from the U.S. Forest Service walkway along the Nantahala Falls, which affords excellent view of both races. Paddlers will begin practicing at 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 29, with course construction that afternoon and demo runs starting at 5:30 p.m.

Slalom runs will be at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. March 30 and March 31, with the wildwater sprint at 11 a.m. March 30 and the classic at 11:45 a.m. March 31. Awards will be at 1 p.m. March 31 for wildwater and 3:30 p.m. March 31 for slalom. Online registration is available at www.paddleguru.com with onsite registration offered 3 to 5 p.m. March 29 at Big Wesser Riverside. www.nantahalaracingclub.com.

Women’s mountain bike rides starting up

This year’s series of weekly women’s mountain bike rides in Bent Creek will kick off at 6 p.m. Monday, March 25, at the Ledford Branch Parking Lot.

This fun, social ride will leave promptly at 6:15 p.m. and end at Motion Makers Asheville for pizza, beer and mingling. To join, visit the group’s Facebook page at https://bit.ly/2ua42LH.

Run Greening Up the Mountains

Registration is open for the annual Greening Up the Mountains Festival 5K Run, scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, April 27, at Mark Watson Park in Sylva.

The first 125 registrants will receive a race T-shirt for this run through the park and along a gravel road toward Dillsboro before looping back to Mark Watson. Registration is $15, with registration online and at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee available through April 24. Day-of registration will begin at 8 a.m.

Sign up at www.greeningupthemountains.com. Jenifer Pressley, 828.293.3053, ext. 7, or jeniferpressley@jacksonnc.org.

Chow down with thru hikers

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The Jackson County Department of Public Health is seeking input from the community: http://health.jacksonnc.org/surveys. Info: 587.8288.

• Safe Kids Jackson County and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office will hold an “Operation Medicine Drop” from 9 a.m.-noon on March 23, at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. Drop off unused, unwanted or expired prescriptions. www.poisonhelp.hrsa.gov, 800.222.1222 or 587.8225.

• The conclusion of “Makers: Women Who Make America” will be shown at 4 p.m. on March 26 in the recital hall of the Coulter Building, followed by a 5:30 p.m. panel discussion of women faculty on “Sharing Our Stories.” Free and open to the public. athorp@wcu.edu or 828.227.3259.

• The annual State of the Air Briefing and Press Conference is set for 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Friday, March 29, at the Land of Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition in Asheville. 734.7434.

• The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will host a recipe swap that will be a quarterly event consisting of a recipe gathering, the making of a cookbook, and finally a potluck dinner using the recipes gathered. If anyone has a recipe they would like to participate with, please email the recipe to Danielle Duffy at dduffy@fontanalib.org or bring your recipe to the reference desk on the second floor of the Library. The deadline for recipe submission is March 30. Once the library has all of the recipes, the spring version of the cookbook will be put together. Each participant will receive a copy of the cookbook. Each participant will bring their dish and everyone will share food, fellowship, stories, and community at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the library. 586.2016. or www.fontanalib.org.

• The Waynesville Kiwanis Club is accepting applications for unrestricted grants ranging from $500-$3,000 with a deadline of April 7. Proposed projects must serve youth and children in Haywood County and provide tangible, long-lasting items such as equipment and supplies. Include budget detailing. For application: w.strickhausen@gmail.com or 456.5183.

• An event calendar has been launched to announce various events and volunteer days inspired by and leading up to Earth Day 2019 (April 22): http://wncfortheplanet.org.

• Volunteers will be available to assist with federal and state income tax preparation and filing through April 12: From 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays at the Jackson County Department of Aging and from 2:306:45 p.m. by appointment on Tuesdays at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Outside of appointments, help is available on first-come, first-serve basis. Library appointments: 586.2016. Info: 293.0074 or 586.4944.

• Signups are underway for the state’s only preliminary round of “The Apollo Next Giant Leap Student Challenge” – a nationwide drone and robotic challenge - which will be held on May 4 at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. Signup deadline is March 31. Winner advances to the regional round in July in South Carolina. Info: www.southwesterncc.edu/stem.

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

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

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

B USINESS & E DUCATION

• A groundbreaking ceremony for a new wood-fire kiln is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, March 22, at Cowee Pottery School, 51 Cowee School Road in Franklin. RSVP: contact@coweepotteryschool.org.

• Balsam Mountain Business Matters meets on Tuesday, March 26 at 10 a.m. Great opportunity to network with other business owners. Meeting is held in the clubhouse of Vantage Pointe Homes at Balsam Mountain located at 17 Wilkinson Pass Ln in Waynesville. lgaddy@balsammountainapartments.com.

• Southwestern Community College’s Swain Center will hold an open house from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, at 60 Almond School Road, in Bryson City. SCC’s Outdoor Leadership program, Nantahala School for the Arts and College and Career Readiness are housed at the Swain Center. www.southwesterncc.edu or 366.2000.

• Registration is underway for a “Lean Thinking” workshop, which is offered by Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 29, at WCU Biltmore Park in Asheville. Early bird registration is $249 before Feb. 28. After, it’s $279. For info or to register: pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Registration is underway for the Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment’s “Creativity in the Digital Age” workshop, which is set for 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at WCU’s Biltmore Park instructional site in Asheville. Registration: $39. For info or to register: conferences.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Registration is underway for a seminar entitled “Marketing Your Business” that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, at HCC’s Regional High Technology Center in Waynesville. Part of the “Are You Ready to Start a Business series. Room 3021. Register or get more info: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Western Carolina University’s Center for the Study of Free Enterprise will host a “Teach Personal Finance Like a Pro” workshop for teachers from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Monday, April 1, at Hyatt Place in downtown Asheville. To get on standby list: TeachFinanceNC.org. Info: csfe@wcu.edu.

• Registration is underway for a Retirement Planning course that will be offered from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on April 2, 4 and 9 at Western Carolina University Biltmore Park in Asheville. Registration fee: $79. Pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Registration is underway for Boating Safety Courses that will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on April 3-4 at Haywood Community College, Building 3300, Room 3322, in Clyde. Preregistration is required: www.ncwildlife.org. Additional offerings: May 15-16 and June 26-27.

• A “Speak Up For Your Nonprofit” class is set for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, at the Chestnut Tree Inn in Cherokee. Gain skills for engaging with one person, mid-sized audiences or a large group. Registration underway: www.nonprofitpathways.com. Scholarships available. Info: contact@nonprofitpathways.org.

• Registration is underway for a seminar entitled “How To Find Your Customers” that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, at HCC’s

Regional High Technology Center in Waynesville. Part of the “Are You Ready to Start a Business series. Room 3021. Register or get more info: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Tickets are on sale for the Swain County Chamber of Commerce’s Membership Banquet, which is set for 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, at the Fryemont Inn in Bryson City. Tickets: $35 per person at the Chamber office or by calling 488.3681.

• Registration is underway for a seminar entitled “Financing Your Business” that will be offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, at HCC’s Regional High Technology Center in Waynesville. Part of the “Are You Ready to Start a Business series. Room 3021. Register or get more info: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Registration is underway for Six Sigma Yellow Belt training, which will be offered through Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment from April 23-26 at WCU Biltmore Park in Asheville. Workshops are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday. Led by Dr. Todd Creasy, DM, MBA, MSc and Juran Institute Certified Master Black Belt in Six Sigma. Registration fee: $899. Ideas and tools for immediate use at your workplace. Register and get info: pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Registration is underway for an “Intro to Content Marketing” course that will be offered by Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and on Friday, May 3, at WCU Biltmore Park in Asheville. Instructor is Scott Rader, Ph.D., associate professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Cost: $119. Register: pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

FUNDRAISERS AND B ENEFITS

• Voices in the Laurel will host its fourth annual Bingo Night fundraiser starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 22, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Waynesville. Performance by Voices in the Laurel. Tickets: $20 each; includes 20 games, coffee, dessert and shot at door prizes.

• Submissions are being accepted for the Feline Urgent Rescue’s third annual Cat Photo Contest, which is set for Saturday, April 13. Submission deadline is March 25. Registration fee: $15 per photo. Instructions: www.furofwnc.org.

• Tickets are on sale now for the “Wet Your Whiskers” fundraiser for Feline Urgent Rescue of WNC. Scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at the Fangmeyer Theatre at HART in Waynesville. Wine/craft beer tasting. Tickets: $35. Sponsorships: $125. Cat photo contest. Info: www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/furofwnc, 844.888.CATS (2287) or furofwnc1@gmail.com.

• REACH is seeking donations of gently used accessories for its silent auction at the “Sprint into Fashion” Social and Luncheon, which is on Thursday, May 9, at Laurel Ridge Country Club. Donations accepted through Friday, April 15, at 627 N. Main St. in Waynesville. 456.7898.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS

• Women of Waynesville, a nonprofit organization supporting needs of women and children in Haywood County, will hold an open house and membership drive from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, March 29, at Room 1902, 1902 S. Main Street in Waynesville. 550.9978 or womenofwaynesville@gmail.com.

• Table applications are being accepted for the Jackson County Senior Center’s annual yard sale, which is set

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for:

■ Complete listings of local music scene

■ Regional festivals

■ Art gallery events and openings

■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers

■ Civic and social club gatherings

for 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at the Department on Aging Building at 100 County Services Park in Sylva. Rent: $10 for one or two for $15. Reservations and info: 586.5494.

• Feline Urgent Rescue is seeking volunteers and sponsors. Info: 422.2704, www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/furofwnc or 844.888.CATS (2287).

• Haywood Hospice is seeking volunteers to help with reception duties, grief groups, working directly with patients, running errand and other support. A training session is set for at 9 a.m. on March 25. Info: 452.5039.

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers are recruiting volunteers to adopt a monitoring plot in areas throughout the park. A training opportunity is set for 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at Oconaluftee visitor Center near Cherokee.

• Vendor and artisan applications are being accepted for the 22nd Annual Greening Up the Mountains Festival, which is April 27 in Sylva. www.greeningupthemountains.com.

H EALTH MATTERS

• “Aroma(touch)” class will be held Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Mad Batter Food & Film in beautiful downtown Sylva. Come learn the importance of aroma and touch in your health. Each participate will receive a free hand massage, customized with their choice of an essential oil. RSVP if possible, by calling/texting 246.2256.

• Learn breathing techniques that will help your health and stress levels from 2-3 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, at the Waynesville Library. For adults only. 356.2507.

• The 10th annual Healthy Living Festival is set for 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 23, at the Cullowhee Rec Center. Approximately 35 vendors provide info, screenings, giveaways and door prizes. Info: 587.8238.

• WNC Blood Connection will hold a blood drive from 16 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, at Sagebrush in Canton.

• WNC Blood Connection will hold a blood drive from 16 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, at Walmart in Waynesville.

• “Your Amazing Newborn” class will be offered from 79 p.m. on April 4, July 11, Sept. 5 and Nov. 7 at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Waynesville. Focusing on abilities, behavior, appearance and reflexes of your new baby. Pre-registration required: MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses or 452.8440.

R ECREATION AND FITNESS

• Ballroom Dance Workshop being held at 1 p.m. for ages 6-12 and 2:15 p.m. for teens & adults on Saturday, March 23 at Encore Performing Arts Studio. Studio located at 31 Allen St. Sylva. $20 for registration. 399.9914. No experience needed.

• Yoga on the Greenway is set for 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 29, at the Macon County Public Library’s Meeting Room in Franklin and the adjacent Greenway in Franklin. Beyondbendingyoga.com.

• CommUnity Square Dance is set for 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at the Old Rock School in Webster. Caller Rodney Sutton teaches and calls dances to live, old-time music. No partner or experience necessary. Pammanottus@gmail.com.

S PIRITUAL

• St. Andrews Episcopal Church will host Evening Lenten programs at 6 p.m. on March 27, April 3 and 10, with supper at 5:30 p.m.

• St. Andrews Episcopal Church will host Palm Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on April 14 at 99 Academy Street in Canton.

• Maundy Thursday is scheduled for noon on April 18 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 99 Academy Street in Canton.

• St. Andrews Episcopal Church will host Easter ceremonies on the weekend of Friday through Sunday, April 19-21, at 99 Academy Street in Canton. Good Friday festivities are at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Holy Saturday events are at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Easter Day will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

• Registration is underway for Guided Personal Retreats, on July 22-24, Sept. 16-18 and Oct. 21-23 at Lake Junaluska. Lakejunaluska.com/retreats or 800.222.4930.

• Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s Summer Youth Events, which run from June 15-July 14. Morning and evening sessions with worship, guest preachers and workshops for sixth-through-12th graders. www.lakejunaluska.com/summeryouth or 800.222.4930.

• Registration is underway for Music & Worship Arts Week, which is from June 23-28 at Lake Junaluska. Multi-generational educational event including arts, praise and renewal. For ministry leaders or those who want to sing, dance or act all week. Musicartsweek2019.wordpress.com.

• Haywood County Democrats will host their annual county convention at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, at the USDA Agricultural Center in Waynesville. Open to registered Democrats.

• Indivisible Swain County meets at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 25, at United Community Bank, 145 Slope Street in Bryson City. Concerned citizens in Swain County committed to applying peaceful, persistent pressure on government officials for the common good. 488.1118.

• The Macon County Democratic Women will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Guest speaker is Patrick Betancourt, Director of Macon County Social Services.

• The Swain County Democratic Party will hold its Almond precinct meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, at SCC’s Swain Center, 60 Almond School Road, in Bryson City. 488.1118.

• Swain County Democratic Party will hold its Whittier/Cherokee Precinct meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, at the Chestnut Tree Inn on Highway 19 South, 37 Tsalagi Road in Cherokee. 488.1118.

• The Jackson County Republican Convention and Precinct Meetings will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 29, at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. Convention speaker will be Michael LaPaglia, candidate for N.C. Secretary of State in 2020. 743.6491.

AUTHORS AND B OOKS

• Carol and Jim Steiner will share stories about their hikes from their book “The Appalachian Trail Day Hikers’ Guide: Downhill to Fine Wine and Accommodations, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee” at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 5, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

K IDS & FAMILIES

• Unify March Madness basketball event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 28 at Franklin High School. Joins and benefits Franklin High School students with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Info: penny.moffitt@macon.k12.nc.us, 342.9449, sherri.houston@macon.k12.nc.us or 524.6467.

• Registration is now open for a new PGA Junior League golf team forming at Lake Junaluska Golf Course for ages 17-under. Season runs from through July 31. Registration fee: $190. Includes team practice sessions, matches, merchandise. Register: pgajrleague.com/sign-up. Info: www.lakejunaluska.com/golf, 456.5777 or ctcarswell@lakejunaluska.com.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will hold a JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) for fourth through sixth graders from 3:30-5 p.m. on Tuesdays through May at Shining Rock Classical Academy. Cost: $85. 452.0593 or bmk.morgan@yahoo.com.

• A Lego club will meet at 4 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Library provides Legos and Duplos for ages 3 and up. Free. 488.3030.

• Registration is underway for Discovery Camp with weekly camps available June 10-Aug. 16 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. Open to pre-K through rising eighth graders. Register: www.ncarboretum.org/education-programs/discovery-camp.

• Registration is underway for a summer volleyball camp that will be offered to rising third-through-12th graders from 9 a.m.-noon on June 17-20 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Cost: $85 before June 1 or $100 after. Register or get more info: amymull@bellsouth.net.

• Registration is underway for two basketball shooting and dribbling camps that will be offered from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on June 24-27 and July 15-18 at the

Waynesville Recreation Center. Led by former Appalachian State University coach Kevin Cantwell. Cost: $150 per person; deposit of $25 required. Register or get info: 456.2030 or academy7@live.com.

S PECIAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS

• The 17th annual Spring Literary Festival is set for March 21-28 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Featuring fiction writers, poets and nonfiction writers. For a complete schedule and list of featured writers and poets: www.litfestival.org, 227.7264 or info@litfestival.org.

• To honor and celebrate the region’s multicultural heritage, Southwestern Community College’s diversity committee will sponsor its inaugural Cultural Fusion Festival on Wednesday, March 27, on the college’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. The event’s theme is “How We all Got Here,” and it will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• The N.C. Arboretum will host the 21st annual Asheville Orchid Festival from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7, in Asheville. Hundreds of orchids on display from world-class growers. ncarboretum.org or wncos.org.

EASTER

• The Annual Town of Canton’s Easter Egg Hunt is set for 10 a.m. on April 20 at Canton Recreation Park. For ages 1-12. Info: 648.2376.

• The Lake Junaluska Easter Celebration, featuring

Easter egg hunts and a sunrise service at the amphitheater below the cross, is set for April 20-21. Full schedule of events: Lakejunaluska.com/easter. Info: 800.222.4930.

F OOD & D RINK

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host five for $5 Wine Tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. on March 21 and 28. Come taste five magnificent wines and dine on Chef Bryan’s gourmet cuisine. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1-5 p.m. on March 23 and March 30 at Bosu Wine Shop in Waynesville. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2-5 p.m. on March 23 and March 30 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 631.3075.

• Leap Frog Tours and Spriggly’s Beescaping will offer the “Pint & Pollinator Tour” from 1-4 p.m. every Friday in March. $75 Tour starts at Asheville Museum of Science and ends at Whistle Stop Brewing Company. Cost: $85 for adults; $75 for children. Tickets include educational talks, seed bombs, museum admission, one drink and transportation. Leapfrogtours.com or 246.6777.

• The Currahee Brewing Hiker Bash is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, in Franklin. 634.0078 or www.facebook.com/curraheebrew.

ON STAGE & I N CONCERT

• Mad Batter Food & Film host free live music on every 2nd and 4th Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Located in beautiful downtown Sylva. 586.3555.

• The final production of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre winter studio season, the David Ives play “Venus in Fur” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 22-23 and at 2 p.m. March 24, at HART in Waynesville. 456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.

• Western Carolina University’s Concert Choir and student musicians will join with the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra for two concerts on campus that are free and open to the public. Wednesday, March 20, performance will feature Poulenc’s “Gloria” and a Thursday, March 21, presentation will be Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” and Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture.” Both shows are at 7:30 p.m. in the recital hall of the Coulter Building. 227.7242.

• Highlands Performing Arts Center will have dinner theater performances scheduled on March 21-23 and 28-30; and the full-length play “Calendar Girls” by Tim Firth, set for May 23-26 and May 31-June 2. Highlandscashiersplayers.org.

• Darren Nicholson & Marc Pruett will perform on Thursday, March 21, at Folkmoot in Waynesville. 452.2997.

• The Smoky Mountain Community Theatre will present its 11th annual Celtic Concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 22, at 134 Main Street in Bryson City. Tickets: $10. Info: 736.3921, 488.8227 or @smctheatre on Facebook.

• The Highlands Cashiers Players dinner theater is set for Thursdays through Saturdays, March 21-30, at Highlands Performing Arts Center on Chestnut Street in Highlands. Four short humorous plays and meal catered by Kristy Lewis, former owner of the Sports Page Restaurant in Highlands. Price: $37.50. Tickets: 526.8084 or highlandscashiersplayers.org.

• The 37th annual “Country Western Show” will return to the stage at 7 p.m. March 28-30 and 2:30 p.m. March 31 in the Tuscola High School Auditorium in Waynesville. Performed by the Tuscola Choral Ensemble, the show is filled with musical performances in a variety show format. Tickets are $10 for the general public and half-price for Tuscola students and staff. 456.2408.

• Southern Storytellers Series will feature Bob Plott on

Thursday, March 28, at Folkmoot in Waynesville. 452.2997.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

• Indoor Flea Market is set for 7 a.m.-2 p.m. every third Saturday at the Old Armory in Waynesville. 456.9207.

• Harold Davis will be the guest speaker at the Bascom’s Photography Club, which meets from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, in Highlands. www.thebascom.org.

• Astronomer Joe Landwehr will present his two volumes of “Astrology and the Archetypal Power of Numbers” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22, at City Lights bookstore in Sylva. 586.9499.

• A Gourd Birdhouse Workshop is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. on March 23 at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Info: 349.4607.

• The “Travel Sketching Class” will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Hosted by Haidee Wilson, the workshop will consist of pen, ink and watercolor. Cost is $30 for HCAC members, $35 for non-members per class. 452.0593 or www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host the “Sounds Like Fun: Cabin Fever Community Choir Series” from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. March 23. Learn by ear. No music to read. RSVP at sandidonns@gmail.com.

• Master potter Katherine Maloney will hold a workshop on making clay animals to adorn pottery from 15 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, at the Cowee Pottery School in Franklin. Cost: $50 per person. Part of the Guest Potter Workshop Series. contact@coweepotteryschool.org.

• A Basic Cake Decorating class will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• March Madness Shopping event will be held at the Cherokee Fairgrounds from noon to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 28. Come do shopping all under one roof, including baked spaghetti dinners for $8 by Tammie, preorder now at 735.0553. More information about the event: 508.2211.

• The “Comic Book Illustration & Story Development” class with James Lyle will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. March 30 and April 6, at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Cost is $20 for HCAC members, $25 for non-members per class. For more information and/or to register, click on www.haywoodarts.org.

• Patrick Womack will present “Haywood County’s Mason-Dixon Line” from 4-5 p.m. on April 4 in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in downtown Waynesville. Part of the “Haywood Ramblings” series. Stories of the early settlers of the Hyatt and Plott Creek valleys. If weather forces rescheduling, event will move to the second Thursday of the month. 456.8647.

• The UNC Asheville Visiting Writers Series will English Department faculty writers Evan Gurney and David Hopes at 7 p.m. on April 9 at Karpen Hall. They’ll read from newly published works English.unca.edu.

• One Heart Singing’s winter term is through April 10 at 89 Sierra Lane in Franklin. No audition or need to read music. Try two sessions before committing. Meets from 6:30-8 p.m. on Wednesdays. Info: 524.3691 or 360.1920.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES

• Natalie Bucki’s work, “Paintings of People, Pets and Places,” on display in the Macon County Public Library

Meeting Room in Franklin during the month of March. Please call the library at 828.524.3600 for available viewing times.

• Haywood Community College is currently hosting a Professional Crafts Faculty Exhibition in the Mary Cornwell Gallery on campus in Clyde. Through April, the public is invited to view the exhibition 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. There will be a talk with the artists at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 27. 565.4240 or clschulte@haywood.edu.

• The exhibit “Outspoken: Paintings by America Meredith” will be on display through May 3 at the Fine Art Museum Gallery B in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. The WCU Fine Art Museum is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. Free parking is available on site. www.facebook.com/americameredithart.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present the School of Art and Design Faculty Biennial Exhibition 2019, on display through May 3. All WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public. For further information, visit arts.wcu.edu/biennial or 227.3591.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center will have a yearlong exhibition on “Defining America” through May 3 in Cullowhee. Info: 227.ARTS or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• The Haywood County Arts Council and Haywood County Public Library are presenting works from the following artists at the following locations through March: Russell Wyatt and Ashley Calhoun at the Canton Library and Patty Coulter, Linda Blount, Jason Woodard and Molly Harrington-Weaver at the Waynesville Library.

• Through April 26, Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center is hosting an exhibit to commemorate World War I and the centennial of the end of hostilities. “I Want You! How World War I Transformed Western North Carolina” is on display in the museum’s first floor gallery in Cullowhee. 227.7129.

• Entries are being accepted for The Bascom’s 2019 Member Show: “Rhythm Systems: Nature and Geometry.” Exhibition will be on display from June 15July 21. www.thebascom.org or 787.2878.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

FILM & S CREEN

• The Second Tuesday Movie Group meets at 2 p.m. in the Waynesville Library Auditorium. For info, including movie title: 452.5169.

• “Green Book”, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on March 21 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “If Beale Street Could Talk”, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on April 4 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• Five Appalachian Trail Conservancy documentaries entitled “MyATstory: Adventures from the People’s Trail” will be shown at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

• “On the Basis of Sex”, will be shown at 7:00 p.m. on April 13 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “Gone with the Wind” anniversary event will be held at 1 p.m. on March 24 at The Strand on Main. $5. 283.0079 or 38main.com.

• A documentary entitled “Trail of Tears National Historic Trail” will be presented at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Nps.gov/trte.

• The 1959 adventure “Third Man on the Mountain” will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 22, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• Tickets are on sale now for “Great Art on Screen” –a series of 90-minute documentaries featuring some of the worlds’ greatest artists presented by The Highlands Performing Arts Center and The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts. Upcoming topics: Caravaggio on Friday, April 5; Klimt & Schiele on Friday, May 10; and Monet on June 7. All shows at 5:30 p.m. at Highlands PAC, 507 Chestnut Street in Highlands. Tickets: $16; available at www.highlandspac.org or at the door.

Outdoors

• A recreational racing program for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities will run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on non-holiday Saturdays through the end of the season. Cost: $10 for two runs or $20 for unlimited pass. Lift ticket or season pass required. Register: www.nastar.com.

• Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s annual meeting is set for 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, at the Shelton House Barn. Guest speaker is Kristen Limbert, senior director of operations at the APSCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center (BRC). Refreshments at 5:30 p.m. 246.9050 or www.sargeanimals.org.

• The Blue Ridge Parkway will have a work day from 9 a.m.-noon on March 21 at the Linville Falls Campground near milepost 316.4. Info: BLRI_Volunteers@nps.gov.

• Registration is underway for the “Spring Wildflowers of Southern Appalachia” classes, which will be offered by Adam Bigelow from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fridays from March 22-April 26. Learn how to identify wildflowers while walking among them. Single day rates are $40, or $150 for the entire series. bigelownc@gmail.com.

• Haywood Waterways Association will lead a hike through the Rough Creek Watershed on Saturday, March 23, in Haywood County. Led by Eric Romaniszyn, executive director. He’ll discuss watershed ecology. $5 donation for nonmembers; free for members. RSVP by March 22: Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 476.4667, ext. 11.

• A “Casting for Beginners: Level I” program will be offered to ages 12-up from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 25 at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Online registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• A “Fire Making & Shelter Building” program will be offered to ages 12-up from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 25 at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Online registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• This year’s series of weekly women’s mountain bike rides kicks off at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 25, in Bent Creek. https://bit.ly/2ua42LH.

• A “Reading the Water” program will be offered for ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 27 at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Online registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• Flix, Food & Brews is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, March 29, at Outdoor 76 in Franklin. 349.7676 or www.facebook.com/Outdoor76NC.

• The Highlands Nature Center is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. from March 30 through late May. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2623.

• A Thru-Hiker Chow Down is set for noon-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at the Lazy Hiker Brewing

Company in Franklin. Chili-dog lunch with homebaked goods and fresh fruit for thru hikers. Lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Get trained to protect Western North Carolina’s rivers on Saturday, March 30, with the Stream Monitoring Information Exchange workshop in Flat Rock. Sign up: bit.ly/2HmDb7S.

• “Cleaning up the Mountains” – Jackson County’s litter cleanup week – is set for the week of March 31April 6. Info: 586.6818 or emilyburnett@jacksonnc.org.

• Fly Selection 101 will be offered to ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-noon on April 1 at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking public comment on upcoming migratory game bird hunting seasons through April 1 at http://tinyurl.com/y474jjp3.

• An Intro to Fly-Fishing class will be offered to ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on April 4 at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• A Backyard Birding by Ear for Beginners will be offered to ages 10-up from 9 a.m.-noon on April 6 at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• A program on “National Trails in Western N.C.” will be offered at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Featured will be the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, the Appalachian Trail and the William Bartram Trail.

• The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will close approximately 1,000 miles of hatchery supported trout waters to fishing 30 minutes after sunset through 7 a.m. on April 6. www.ncwildlife.org/enews.

• Registration is underway for a “Leave No Trace Master Educator course, which will be offered by Landmark Learning later this year in Cullowhee. Frontcountry/basecamp training is set for April 29May 3 while Backpacking will be from June 24-28, Aug. 12-16 and Oct. 21-25. www.landmarklearning.org.

COMPETITIVE E DGE

• The ninth annual Assault on BlackRock trail race is set for Saturday, March 23, at 2110 Fisher Creek Road in Sylva. Seven miles. Cost: $25 to preregister or $30 on race day. Info and register: Register: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=62168.

• The Nantahala River Club Whitewater U.S. Open is set for Friday through Sunday, March 29-31, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center near Bryson City. Practice runs start at 12:30 p.m. on Friday; Slalom runs are at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; wildwater sprints are at 11 a.m. on Saturday and 11:45 a.m. on Sunday. Register: www.paddleguru.com; onsite registration is from 3-5 p.m. on March 29 at Big Wesser Riverside. www.nantahalaracingclub.com.

• Haywood Community College will host STIHL Timbersports Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Qualifier Competition from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, in Clyde. Tickets: $5 for adults; free for children 12-under.

• Registration is underway for the ninth annual Valley of the Lilies Half-Marathon and 5K, which is set for Saturday, April 6, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Advance registration (by March 8): $40 for the half marathon, $20 for 5K. Starting March 9: $60 for half marathon and $25 for the 5K. Sign up: http://runsignup.com. Registration: http://halfmarathon.wcu.edu.

• Registration is underway for Friends of the Lake 5K Race, Walk & Kids Fun Run, which will be held at 9

a.m. on April 20 at Lake Junaluska. Lakejunaluska.com/run or 800.454.6680.

• Registration is underway for the annual Greening Up the Mountains 5K Run, which is set for 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, at Mark Watson Park in Sylva. www.greeningupthemountains.com. Registration ends April 24. Info: 293.3053, ext. 7 or jeniferpressley@jacksonnc.org.

FARM AND GARDEN

• The Haywood County Plant Clinic is open every business day at the Haywood County Extension Center on Raccoon Road in Waynesville. Master Gardeners are available to answer questions about lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees and more. Info: 456.3575.

• The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service will host a Fruit Tree Workshop from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, at the Swain Extension Center on 60 Almond School Road in Bryson City. Topics include site selection, differences between varieties, proper soil conditions, pollination requirements. Register or get more info: 488.3848 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

• The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service will host a Fruit Tree Workshop from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 28, at the Jackson Extension Center, 876 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Topics include site selection, differences between varieties, proper soil conditions, pollination requirements. Register or get more info: 586.4009 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

• The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service will hold a seminar on Gardening Basics 101 from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, at the Jackson Extension Center, 876 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Site selection, preparation, proper soil, plant fertility needs and more. Register or get more info: 586.4009 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

• A square-foot gardening presentation will be offered by Hughes Roberts from 2-3 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, at the Waynesville Library. Info: 356.2507 or kathleenolsen@haywoodcountync.gov.

• Greenhouse space will be available starting at 8 a.m. on April 5 at the Old Armory Recreation Center Greenhouse in Waynesville. Seed starting class is set for 1-3 p.m. on April 5. Reserve a tray for $5 each in person. Info: 456.9207 or oldarmory@waynesvillenc.gov.

• The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service will hold a seminar on Gardening Basics 101 from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, at the Swain Extension Center on 60 Almond School Road in Bryson City. Site selection, preparation, proper soil, plant fertility needs and more. Register or get more info: 488.3848 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

• Applications are being accepted for garden space in the Macon County Community Garden in Franklin. Fee: $25. To apply: 349.2046. Available for use by May 1.

H IKING CLUBS

• Nantahala Hiking club will take a moderate fourmile hike with an elevation change of 100 feet on Saturday, March 23, to Lower Whitewater Falls. Reservations and info: 743.1079.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-tostrenuous seven-mile hike with an elevation change of 1,300 feet on Saturday, March 23, on the Bradley Fork/Smokemont Loop. Info and reservations: 456.8895.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take an easy, 1.2mile hike on Sunday, March 24, on Lakeside Drive Trail. Info and reservations: 369.7352.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a 10-mile hike with a 1,400-foot ascent on Sunday, March 24, at Fawn Lake. Info and reservations: 450.0747 or danny@hikertohiker.com.

• Harold Davis will be the guest speaker at the Bascom’s Photography Club, which meets from 5:30-7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, in Highlands. www.thebascom.org.

MarketPlace information:

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

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads,

■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2. If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

Classified Advertising:

Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

AUCTION

ACREAGE TRACTS

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AUCTION -

20,000+/- Sq. Ft. Manufacturing Facility & 10.51+/- Commercial Acres in Catawba County, NC. Online Only. Property at: 5384 Bolick Rd., Claremont, NC. Begins Closing 3/28 at 2pm. Website: ironhorseauction.com, Phone: 800.997.2248, NCAL# 3936

BANKRUPTCY AUCTION

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Cattle and JD 6140D Tractor and Equipment near Ellerbe, NC, Online Only, Begins Closing 4/1 at 5pm, Visit our website for more information,ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL 3936

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ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed bids are invited on the Additions to Swain Co High School for Swain County, North Carolina. The construction shall include but not necessarily be limited to: Architectural, Civil, Food Services, Structural, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Electrical work shown and noted on the Bid Documents. Bids will be received at the Swain County offices, 50 Main Street, Bryson City, NC, on or before 11:00am, Local Time Tuesday April 16, 2019 , at which time said bids will be publicly opened and read aloud and the Contract awarded as soon thereafter as practicable. Qualified Bidders (General Contractors) shall obtain (available March 29, 2019) Plans, Specifications and Contract Documents at the office of Cope Associates, Inc., 2607 Kingston Pike, Suite 5, Knoxville, TN 37919, upon deposit of a check for $500.00 made payable to Cope Associates, Inc. for one (1) set of documents. Documents may be shipped, provided Bidder’s deposit check, and account number for desired shipper, has been received in the Office of Cope Associates, Inc. The full amount of the deposit will be refunded to Unsuccessful Bidders who submit a bona fide bid, provided that the Drawings and Project Manual are returned to the office of the Architect in good condition within 14 calendar days after opening of bids. Bid documents may be examined at Builders Exchange of Tennessee, Reed Construction Data Norcross GA, or Associated General Contractors Carolinas Branch.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2019, at the Project Site 10:00 am, Local Time. Bidders must be present at the mandatory pre-bid meeting for their bid to be considered.

Questions regarding this Invitation are to be directed to pschroeder@copearchitecture.com or jfielden@copearchitecture.com.

Qualified bidders are notified that Chapter 87, Article 1, General Statutes of North Carolina, will be observed in receiving and awarding general contracts. General Contractors submitting bids on this project must have licensed classification for Building Contractor (set forth the license classification required under G.S. 87-1). Under G.S. 87-1, a contractor that superintends or manages construction of any building, highway, public utility, grading, structure or improvement shall be deemed a “general contractor” and shall be so licensed. Therefore, a single prime project that involves other trades will require the single prime contractor to hold a proper General Contractors License. Therefore, the Bidder’s name, license number, expiration date, and the part of the classification which applies to the Bidder must be placed on the sealed envelope containing the executed Proposal Form, otherwise, the Bid will not be considered. The envelope cover shall be plainly marked “Sealed Bid for Additions to Swain County High School”. Each Bid must be accompanied by a certified check or by a Bidder’s Bond executed by the Bidder and a surety company licensed to do business in Tennessee, in the sum of five percent (5%) of the amount of the Bid.

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BROWN TRUCKING -

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FTCC

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Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Barber Instructor - Engineering Instructor (10-month contract) Industry Training Instructor (CATV) Industry Training Instructor (Electrical Systems) Network Management: Microsoft & Cisco Instructor For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal online at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342,Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu

An Equal Opportunity Employer

DRIVE WITH UBER.

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

LAND SURVEYING POSITION

Morehead City, NC - Crew Chief or S.I.T. Pay $15-$21 per hour depending upon experience.

Email: Chase Cullipher: chase@tcgpa.com or Call 252.773.0090

HELP WANTED STRONG-ARMED

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PETS

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LACYAN ADORABLE BASSET HOUND MIX GIRL ABOUT 1112 WEEKS OLD. SHE'S HAD A ROUGH START IN LIFE WITH INJURIES THAT HAD TO BE TREATED AT THE COUNTY SHELTER BEFORE COMING TO SARGE'S. SHE'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AFTER SHE IS SPAYED, IN ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS.

TOOTSIEA SWEET KITTY ABOUT NINE MONTHS OLD. SHE'S FRIENDLY TO EVERYONE, AND WELCOMES PETTING AND BRUSHING. SHE'LL BE A GREAT FAMILY COMPANION KITTY.

As $10. Operation Pit is in Effect! Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes! Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10:30 am - 4:30 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

GATED, LEVEL, ALL WOODED, 5+acre building lots, utilities available in S.E. Tennessee,between Chattanooga and Nashville. www.timber-wood.comCall now to schedule a tour 423.802.0296. SAPA

HOMES FOR SALE

BEHIND ON YOUR MORTGAGE? Denied a Loan Modification? Bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner Protection Services now! New laws are in effect that may help. Call Us Now 1.866.214.4534

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Are you behind paying your Mortgage?Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bankthreatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now! Free Consultation 844.359.4330 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 any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

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

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FINANCIAL

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD.

Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

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Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Great Smokys Realty - www.4Smokys.com

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage

• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com

• Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com

• Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com

• Michelle McElroy- michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com

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• Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

• Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com

• Billy Case- billycase@beverly-hanks.com

• Laura Thomas - lthomas@beverly-hanks.com

• Lourdes Lanio - llanio@beverly-hanks.com

Christie’s Ivester Jackson Blackstream

• George Escaravage - george@IJBProperties.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com

• Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com

• Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

• Pam James - pjames@sunburstrealty.com

Jerry Lee Mountain Realty

Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net

Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

• The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

• Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com

• Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com

• Holly Fletcher - hollyfletcher1975@gmail.com

• The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com

• Ron Breese - ronbreese.com

• Landen Stevenson- Landen@landenstevenson.com

• Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

• Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net

• Judy Meyers - jameyers@charter.net

• David Rogers - davidr@remax-waynesvillenc.com

• Marsha Block- marshablockestates@gmail.com

Rob Roland Realty - robrolandrealty.com

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

The Smoky Mountain Retreat at Eagles Nest

• Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com

• Sherell Johnson - sherellwj@aol.com

Weichart Realtors Unlimited

• Marsha Block - marsha@weichertunlimited.com

WNC Real Estate Store

• Jeff Baldwin - jeff@WNCforMe.com

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YARD SALES

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Saturday March, 23rd from 8am5pm. Located 10 Strollers Lane, Waynesville, NC (Summer Place Community off Jonathan Creek Rd). Something for Everyone!

HUMONGOUS INDOOR YARD SALE! Furniture, Florals, Clothing, Camping, Antiques & More! March 21st - 23rd, 8:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. Free Lunch and Kids Crafts on Saturday (11a.m.1p.m.). Providence Church, 1400 Old Clyde Rd., Clyde, N.C.

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Blackgum tree trunks have many uses

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in March 2002.

Some months ago I wrote about how the early white settlers here in the Blue Ridge utilized the natural bends in sourwood tree trunks as runners for sleds. Lately I’ve been thinking about the way they utilized the hollow trunks of blackgum trees. First, a little botanical background is in order. Most folks associate blackgum or tupelo (also called black tupelo, bowl gum, gum, pepperidge, sour gum, stinkwood, swamp gum, swamp tupelo, tupelo gum, yellow gum, yellow gumtree, wild pear tree, and other names) with swamps and moist lowlying areas, not mountainous terrain. Indeed, the first blackgum species taxonomically described was a swamp-growing type. Hence the generic name for the tree was given in honor of the mythological Greek water nymph, Nyssa. The specific epithet, sylvatica, means “of the woods.”

As to the common name “blackgum,” the first part refers to the dark leaves, but no one seems to know for sure what the “gum” designation refers to. “Tupelo” is derived from “ito opilwa” — the Creek Indian name for the tree.

There are, however, two varieties of “Nyssa sylvatica” that botanists recognize based on variances in leaf shapes, fruit sizes, seed (stone) characteristics and habitats. One we can call “swamp tupelo” (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora). It grows in wet woods and swamps. The only place it has been located in the Blue Ridge Province is in the northwestern corner of South Carolina. The trunk bases of this variety are usually swollen, like cypress, when occurring in frequently inundated sites.

The other we can call “blackgum” (Nyssa sylvatica var. sylvatica). It grows throughout the eastern United States, and is common in dry sites here in the Blue Ridge Province (often in oak and pine forests) up to 5,000 feet in elevation or more. In the fall of the year from mid-September into late October, blackgum leaves turn a noteworthy “blood” or “lipstick” red.

Blackgum wood possesses an interlocked grain; so that, much like sycamore, it just about can’t be split, not even with wedges. Accordingly, the early settlers used the wood for mauls, tool handles, skid poles, and rough floors for outbuildings.

Now we get to the interesting part. Almost every other mature blackgum that you will encounter here in the mountains is hollow. This is because the species is highly susceptible to heart rot fungi, an infection that occurs when aerially disseminated spores from various decaying fungi are deposited on or near wounds, fire scars, or dead branch stubs of susceptible hosts. After the spores germinate, the fungi’s vegetative strands (mycelium) grow slowly into the vulnerable wood tissues. The fungi species that invade blackgum trees attack only the tree’s central column of physiologically inactive

BACK THEN

(non-living) heartwood. An infected tree retains its outer vascular tissues for support and nutrient transport, but internally it becomes hollow.

For the wild critters. hollow blackgum trees become wonderful nest and refuge sites. For the early settlers they represented a utilitarian item that could be used in numerous ways. Sections could be fitted with bottoms and made into containers. They could serve as conduits for channeling or diverting water. Pits or wells could be cased at the surface with a hollow black gum log in order to prevent an inflow of surface water.

I recently read about a man who “obtained a bee-gum, put a round stone in it, and on this placed another stone, which was so contrived as to be turned with a crank. All his neighbors were welcome to come and grind their corn and buckwheat on it free of toll. The nearest mills where flour could be manufactured were miles distant.”

A small hollowed section of blackgum could also be closed at one end, fitted with a triggered sliding door at the other end, baited, and used as a rabbit trap. When I was a boy an uncle of mine showed me how to make these traps, which he called “rabbit gums.” I did catch the occasional rabbit ... but most of the time, when I turned the gum up on its back end and slid the door open to see what was inside, there was a ‘possum.

This was OK. My grandmother paid 25 cents per ‘possum, which she placed in a cage and “fatted up” for a couple of weeks on vegetables and then baked along with sweet potatoes.

But the most noteworthy use of hollow blackgum logs was (and still is, sometimes) as bee gums. Fitted with a bottom and removable cover, along with one or more holes in the lower sides, the sectioned log became a haven for honeybees and a source of “sweetenin’.”

As I have noted before in several columns, the Cherokees and later on the white settlers here in the Blue Ridge lived close to the natural world. In some ways, of course, it was a cold, dirty, difficult, and often cruel existence. But, in many ways, it must have also been very rewarding. You and I have to flip a switch in our minds in order to shift from our modern technological ambiance and make some sort of connection with the natural world. Every single day, for better or worse, those folks woke up as a part of the glorious world that surrounded them.

They were attentive to the land because the land provided the basics for survival and the necessary commodities for creature com-

forts. Medicines, foods, dyes, building materials — you name it — couldn’t be purchased at Ingles or Lowes or Walmart or the local pharmacy. They had to be extracted from the natural world. Accordingly, people paid closer attention to the everyday world

in which they existed. It’s my supposition that they felt closer to and more at home in their world back then than many of us do today.

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

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