4.21.10 Cherokee Sentinel

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WHO WILL BE THE NEXT SUPREME COURT JUSTICE?

The Brasstown Ringers will perform a spring concert

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CHEROKEE

VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 16

WWW.WNCSENTINEL.NET | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 | 50 CENTS TRAVEL

EDITORIAL

The state of real estate

Market conditions in Western NC are slowly getting better ,c$ ,\cKX 2_QRO]

4SXc^a "I'm doing double the work for half the pay." That's how Frank Schuler of Exit Realty in Murphy put it regarding the current real estate market conditions. "But, there are still houses being sold," he added. In an economy driven primarily by Real Estate and Tourism, it's no wonder as to why Cherokee county commerce has been down. However, many of our local real estate agents, like Frank Schuler, are remaining optimistic and putting in the necessary work to make sure that houses are being sold. So what is the current condition of our market? Right now it is definitely a buyers market - real estate values are down as much as 40% from what they were in 2005. The average home sale price from 2007 to 2010 hovers around $150,000, which is a far cry from the 249,000 dollar average from 2003 to 2006. Right now there are more reasons than ever to buy a home. Tax credits and mortgage breaks abound for first time home buyers, and there is even 6,500 dollars up for grabs if you already own a home. So, in seemingly perfect buying conditions, what is stopping our market from taking off like a rocket? It's more or less just an issue of momentum. The trends leading up to our market boom around the turn of the millennium are starting to repeat themselves. Each year in the 90's the market saw an increase in some form, and by the time we reached the year 2000, the market was running in full force. Real estate agents were coming in droves, and work was good for everyone. New construction wasn't just a need, it was heavily demanded because people from all around were flocking to the mountains.

Sub developments were taking off, pre-constructed houses were being sold at record levels because everyone wanted their little piece of the mountains. As people started "discovering" their place in the mountains they told their friends about it, who in turn, told their friends about it and so the cycle began for people to start flocking to Western North Carolina. That same type of momentum is what is needed to get our real estate market back what it once was. So far the trends are pointing in the right direction, agents are seeing an increase in interest and sales from month to month. Obviously, there will be some decline in the winter months, however the averages are starting to climb. The wheels of our real estate train are starting to turn again and people are starting to jump on board again. The outlook was gloomy for some time and that hint of optimism is starting to shine through in our local real estate agents and construction companies. According to the NC state demographic department, Cherokee County is projected to have a population close to 35,000 by the year 2030. That's a 37% increase over the year 2000 Census population of 24,298. With all of those people coming to Cherokee County, it's not a matter of IF the market will take off again but When. Exit Realty of Murphy was recently awarded the Pinnacle award for real estate in North Carolina. Meaning, out of countless agencies in the state, Exit Realty of Murphy sold the highest dollar amount per agent - a highly esteemed honor. With news like this, there is no doubt that our markets are picking up, thus taking our economy from recession to expansion. It's only a matter of time before this gives birth to another boom.

Hwy. 64 reopens after rockslide ,c$ ,\cKX 2_QRO]

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After 155 days of diligent hard work, dynamite blasting, and excavating, Hwy. 64 is open once again. Eager drivers waited as the stretch of road was opened at 11 am on Wednesday, April 14th. Most excited were the local business owners of Polk County, TN and Cherokee County, NC.  In the five months that the road was out of commission, it was estimated that local businesses were losing a combined

BY THE NUMBERS • 26,000 Tons of debris removed from Nov. 10 rock slide • $2.1 million - Cost of cleaning up Nov. 10 slide • 14,000 Tons of debris removed from Jan. 19 rock slide • $759,000 - Cost of cleaning up Jan. 19 slide • Total of $2.8 million spent. • Total of 40,000 tons of rock removed.Â

total of nearly 100,000 dollars per day. That's a total estimate of 15,500,000 economy boosting dollars lost. A staggering figure that was felt mostly by gas stations and convenience stores serving the commuters traveling to and from Chattanooga, TN.  The re-opening couldn't have come at a better time for whitewater rafting companies servicing the Ocoee River. The prime season for rafting is almost in full swing and with the road finally open the adventure companies will be able to conduct business as usual. The November 10 and January 19 rock slides together cost a total of nearly 2.8 million dollars to remove. Couple that with the countless man hours put in day and night by the Tennessee DOT cleanup crews, and you've got a road that can handle traffic once again. It was estimated that crews removed a total of 40,000 tons of debris between the two rock slide sites.  In an effort to thwart another rock slide, the TDOT has made several modifications to the rock beds bordering the Ocoee Gorge.  450 rock bolts have been drilled into the rock - each

Tom Tohill, Contributed Photo

Tennessee DOT workers making progress on the Ocoee Gorge. Since the reopening the rock slide site has had a thorough cleaning, new black top, and a fresh coat of paint.Â

one reaching in 15 to 40 feet in order to keep the rock held tightly together. Holes have also been drilled in the rock to allow water to drain through instead of building up and putting pressure on the rock masses. A rock

fall fence was also placed at the mouth of the January 19 rock slide site near Greasy Creek. The fence will prevent any further rock debris from spilling into the road, should this happen again.

MENTAL HEALTH

You’ve got our money, SMC says Cherokee Co. joins with other NC counties to regain control of $25 million in mental health funds ,c$ 0\KXU ,\KNVOc BT]cX]T[ FaXcTa Smoky Mountain Center (SMC), a seven county consortium, which oversees the administration of mental health services along with those of persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders, is seeking to regain control of foundation funds amounting to $25 million. Currently those funds are being administered by the Evergreen Foundation, which is neither accountable to SMC nor responsive to the increased mental health needs of the people in western North Carolina, according to county commissioner Dana Jones, who is also a member of Smoky Mountain Center's board of directors. On Monday, the Cherokee County board of commissioners passed a resolution supporting SMC's efforts to restore public oversight of these funds that were originated for the sole pur-

pose of supporting people with mental illness, disabilities and substance abuse disorders in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. Jones said the current structure of the Foundation board was not allowing oversight by SMC with the result being that in some years more money was being spent in salaries and expenses by the Foundation staff than was actually being allocated to the counties for mental health services. He said with the recent cutbacks in the state's support of mental health services that it is essential that more of the Foundation's money get allocated to the counties for mental health services. "There is a great need here for these services," he said. "Cherokee and other counties are being short-changed by not getting more of the Foundation's funds." Jones told the board that the Smoky Mountain Center board had passed a similar resolution as had  other western

county board of commissioners. County manager David Badger, also a member of SMC, said the Foundation had been set up in 2001 due to the uncertainty of statewide mental health reform and the fear that SMC might be abolished with the Foundation's assets potentially being lost for their intended purposes; however, that fear ultimately proved to be unfounded, and SMC continues to be the public agency managing services to people with mental illness, developmental and intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders in the seven western counties. He explained that it is essential stewardship of the Foundation's public assets be under the oversight of a public entity to ensure that these assets are expressly used for their intended purpose to benefit SMC and the service needs of the counties that the Foundation was founded to serve. It was further explained that SMC was making every effort, diplomatic

and if necessary legal, to return governance of the Foundation Board and its assets to SMC to fulfill the original intent of the Foundation. This would be done by reinstitution a Foundation Board of Directors that is appointed by SMC, with the majority of the Foundation Board members also being members of the SMC Board of Directors from the seven western counties, whose mandate is to provide public oversight of the Foundation. In other matters, the county board of commissioners passed a resolution supporting the current arrangement of North Carolina's regulation of alcoholic beverage as opposed to privatizing it. It was felt that changing the system might take away local control as well as the loss of funds to both the county and the towns of Murphy and Andrews. The board also reappointed Don Ambler, a dentist, Â to serve as another three-year term on the county's board of health.

1RUWK &DUROLQD ZRQ¡W MRLQ KHDOWKFDUH DFW ODZVXLW &RRSHU VD\V Attorney General Roy Cooper writes to Governor Perdue

Dear Governor Perdue: After the recent passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590, I received requests from several elected officials to have North Carolina join a lawsuit filed against the United States of America by a number of state Attorneys General challenging this legislation. Our attorneys, Including the Solicitor General and my General Counsel, have studied 'the law and the provisions of the legislation that have given rise to the legal action. After careful consideration, I have concluded that North

Carolina will not join 'this lawsuit. I have attached a memorandum from Solicitor General Christopher Browning which outlines 'the legal considerations upon which I base this decision. The United States Supreme Court has held that duly ratified acts of Congress are presumed to be constitutional and It Is clear 'that Congress has extremely broad authority under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. Health insurance reform and access to health care are policy decisions that should be decided by elected representatives I not by appointed federal judges. There Is ample time for elected representatives to change this legislation since most of the provisions in question will not take effect

1900 US Hwy. 64W Murphy NC, 28906

accident. These are important protections for people who have suffered from unfair health insurance provisions and It is feared that these protections may be repealed In the unlikely event "the lawsuit succeeds. Problems with health insurance and health care have led the list of consumer complaints in our office for the past five years. Instead of court fights and exaggerated rhetoric from both sides, it Is my hope that state and federal leaders will focus on the real health care challenges people face every day. My office will continue to carefully monitor this case and review the Issues that arise, and please feel free to contact me if you should have any questions.

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until the year 2013. In the unlikely event that this legal challenge does succeed I any decision will likely affect all of the states I Including North Carolina, regardless of whether our state joins. I would also draw your attention to several provisions of the law that would directly address some of the frequent health insurance complaints my Consumer Protection Division gets from everyday North Carolinians. The new law will prohibit health insurance companies from refusing to insure people based on preexisting health conditions, as they often do now. It would also prevent insurance companies from removing people from health care insurance policies after they suffer a serious illness or

Wednesday

Thursday

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Monday

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April 21, 2010

BRIEFS

BLOODY

1XV 5aP]Z VTcb P [^c S^]T “Big Frank� Schuler with Exit Realty Mountain View Properties in Murphy NC was the TOP SELLING AGENT for March 2010. Exit of the Carolinas has just announced regional ranking top ten agents in transaction sides closed from January 1 though March 30,  2010 and Big frank Schuler at Exit Realty Mountain View Properties is the number 1 in North Carolina. Big Frank also is celebrating his 5th year anniversary with Exit Realty Mountain View Properties located on Hwy 64 West in Murphy NC.

Presenting Donors May Enter A Drawing To Win A Cruise For Two

<da_Wh <XSS[T bcdST]c aTRTXeTb U^da ]PcX^]P[ UXabc _[PRT fX]b X] aPRT Josh Standish, 14, of Murphy Middle School, raced this past weekend at the Dixieland National race in Powder Spring, GA. Josh raced and received 4 NATIONAL FIRST PLACE WINS. Josh started racing last year at the Ocoee BMX track in Ducktown, TN and rapidly progressed to racing both local and National level races. He is currently displaying a #2 plate for his placement in the Redline Cup East Coast Championship race back in the fall. This means he placed 2nd for the East Coast Redline Championship for his age and skill level. Through the American Bicycle Association (www.ABABMX.com) Josh placed third in 2009 for his District. He will race again this Friday, April 23, 2010 at the Bradley County BMX track in Cleveland, TN.(BradleyBMX.com) His next National race will be May 14-16, in Dothan, Alabama.

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<da_Wh 0SeT]cXbc 2WaXbcXP] BRW^^[ "aS @dPacTa 7^]^a A^[[ 1st grade Jason Brunner – A Honor Roll 2nd grade Isley Johnson – A Honor Roll Ashley Stiles – A Honor Roll 3rd grade Anna Weaver – B Honor Roll 4th grade Sara Brunner – A Honor Roll 5th grade George Brunner – A,B Honor Roll 6th grade Canyon Lee – A,B Honor Roll Joseph Stephens – A,B Honor Roll

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Kayla Stiles – A,B Honor Roll 7th grade Elizabeth Schutte – A,B Honor Roll 8th grade Scot Brunner – A Honor Roll Brittany Goolsby – A, B Honor Roll 10th grade Jonathan Stephens – A,B Honor Roll 12th grade Astrid Weaver – A,B Honor Roll Rachel Aldrich – B Honor Roll

Cherokee and Clay Counties The summer season is always the most relaxing and fun – sun, sand and plenty of smiles. What many don’t realize is that during the busy summer season, blood donations often decline due to vacation and summer activities, while the need for blood remains constant. The American Red Cross is asking donors to “Cruise Into Summer� by donating blood or platelets. The campaign, which runs from April 1 to June 30, 2010, gives each person who presents to donate blood or platelets with the Red Cross an opportunity to enter a drawing for the chance to win a cruise for two. By donating early

in the season, blood donors can donate two or more times during the summer months, helping ensure blood is available for patients throughout this critical time. • Monday, May 10 Murphy Community Blood Drive at First United Methodist Church (71 Valley River Avenue, Murphy) 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm Please call 837-3889 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-Ins Welcome! Appointments preferred. • Tuesday, May 11 Murphy High School Blood Drive (234 High School Cir-

cle, Murphy) 8:30 am to 1:00 pm Please call 837-4795 for more information or to schedule an appointment. • Friday, May 21 Andrews High School Blood Drive (50 High School Drive, Andrews) 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Please call Mrs. Haydon at 3215415 ext. 2117 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-Ins Welcome! Appointments preferred. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The Carolinas Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross provides lifesaving blood to 103 hos-

pitals and must have 1,600 people give blood and platelets each weekday to meet patient needs. Blood can be safely donated every 56 days. Most healthy people age 17 and older, or 16 with parental consent, who weigh at least 110 pounds, are eligible to donate blood and platelets. Donors who are 18 and younger must also meet height and weight requirements. For more information or to schedule an appointment to donate at a nearby donor center, call 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.

ROCKSLIDE

Project turns mountainside into Grand Central Station

With the rockslide project entering the homestretch, the rural mountain is beginning to look like Grand Central Station as crews engage in a flurry of activities: Two teams of workers were on the ground: • One crew finished chewing up the old asphalt (a process called milling) on the road in front of the rockslide and the nearby site of the Jan. 23 rockslide. Paving should begin later this week. • Another group assembled rock bolts they plan to install with a helicopter tomorrow, weather permitting. They have installed 389 rock bolts, so far.  Four different crews worked on the mountain: • One group drilled on the vertical edge of the lower slope. They have drilled 540 of the 590 holes needed to stabilize the mountain. • Another team prepared holes to receive those bolts. They measured each hole to make sure it was the correct depth and cleaned it out with compressed air. • Yet another group tested the “tensionedâ€? rock bolts. They have tested about 121 of the 140 “tensionedâ€? bolts placed in the mountain. The other rock bolts use a “passiveâ€? system in which the mountain itself creates the downward pull that stabilizes it. • Finally, one crew continued to remove loose

boulders, rocks and debris from Site #4, which is next to the rockslide. “It’s plenty busy and we’re feeling good,� said North Carolina Department of Transportation project inspector Mike Patton. “As long as the weather holds, we’ll be in good shape.� The National Weather Service forecast for the area calls for a mix of sun and clouds through April 20. A video detailing the challenges of drilling on the vertical edge has been posted on NCDOT’s YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/ NCDOTcommunications. Click on, “Drilling the Mountain Face.� This section of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee border has been closed in both directions since the rockslide occurred Oct. 25. NCDOT estimates that it will reopen I-40 by late April when work at the October rockslide site should be completed. About one mile of the westbound lane closest to the mountain will be closed until this summer to allow crews to complete the work – including the installation of rock bolts and anchor mesh – at five additional sites. Travelers still can reach Western North Carolina via I-40 from the east and I-26 to the north and south. Exits 20 and 27 on I-40 provide access to popular destinations west of Asheville. In Tennessee, exits 432 through 451 provide access

Sentinel Newsgroup (828) 389-8338

to popular destinations in southeastern Tennessee. The detour route is 53 miles longer and is an additional 45 minutes to an hour driving time. Motorists traveling on I-40 West should take Exit 53B (I-240 West) in Asheville and follow I-240 West to Exit 4A (I-26 West). Follow I-26 West (a North Carolina Scenic Highway) to I-81 South in Tennessee. Take I-81 South and follow it back to I-40 at mile marker 421. Eastbound motorists should use the reverse directions. NCDOT reminds motorists to stay alert, follow instructions on the message boards on the highways, obey the posted speed limit, leave early and travel at non-peak times when possible. Plan ahead before driving by visiting the NCDOT Traveler Information Management System Web site at www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/ or calling 511, the state’s free travel information line, for current travel conditions. NCDOT also provides alerts about traffic congestion and construction work on Twitter. To access them, go to www.ncdot.gov/travel/ twitter/. For daily rockslide updates, please visit the NCDOT Web site at www.ncdot.gov and click on the I-40 rockslide daily news and information section or follow work on the rockslide project on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ i40_rockslide.

AD VERTISE

5Pa\Tab <PaZTcX]V <TTcX]V The Southern Appalachian Family Farmers (SAFF) would like to invite all farmers, landowners, and anyone interested in wanting to farm to attend their next meeting. SAFF is now getting organized and is seeking funding to hire a marketing coordinator to help them find high-end markets. Back in October last year, Tim Will from Foothills Connect came and spoke to the group about selling produce on the Internet like the farmers are doing in Rutherford County. Tim is coming back to talk to SAFF about getting area farmers set up for marketing via the internet, to restaurants in neighboring cities. The meeting will be on April 22nd, 7:00pm at the Tri-County Community College Center for Applied Technology in Marble. Many people in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties are unemployed, but may have some land that could be used to grow specialty crops to help supplement income. Tim has farmers that grow in their backyard and market through Foothills Connect. Some of these specialty crops are grown in special beds that don’t require any soil. If you are interested in attending this important meeting or joining SAFF, please call the Extension office at 828-837-2210 to register.

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SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE

Do you remember the movie called The Producers? The down-andout director was fleecing little old women by selling them shares in his next play. Of course, he grossly oversold the number of shares and had to look for a play that was sure to fail. That way, he got to pocket the money and “comfort� the little women over their poor luck. They never knew the game was rigged – until the play turned out to be wildly successful. I was reminded of this play upon finding that Goldman Sachs, the most trusted and admired Wall Street investment firm, was charged with rigging the investment game against its own clients. The firm has been charged with bundling very poor investment grade debt and selling it to their clients, all the while collaborating with a hedge fund manager, with whom they jointly selected the poor investments to bundle, and knowing this manager was betting the debt would go into default. The hedge fund manager made over one billion dollars in 2008 while Goldman Sachs clients took a severe beating in the financial markets. According to the Wall Street Journal, these charges may prove to be the tip of the iceberg for many of the top investment firms on Wall Street. Most people are probably not surprised by this reckless and unethical behavior as we have come to expect our financial system to be overloaded with greed. Since the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999, institutions that previously were prohibited from engaging in both commercial and investment banking were allowed to merge and expand into any type of financial transaction. The floodgates of hell were opened and it only took ten years before they brought this country to its knees. The Democrats are trying to address the financial abuses of Wall Street and to prevent another financial collapse. After the banking collapse of 1929, Congress passed the Glass-Steagall Act in 1932 and 1933 (two different acts addressing the banking system and named after the sponsors, Carter Glass, D-VA, and Henry Steagall, D-AL) and the effect was to regulate banking. The provisions of both acts were successful until its shortsighted repeal in 1999. For what appear to be specious reasons, Republicans are opposed to the Democratic plans to re-regulate the financial industry. The main reason Republicans say they oppose the proposed regulations is that they will lead to more taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street. They are referring to a provision that requires financial firms to pay into a $50 billion fund that would be used to wind down any too-big-to-fail firm that was collapsing, thus preventing a taxpayer bailout. The industry is being charged to bail itself out so that taxpayers no longer are forced to repeat the bailouts of 2008, a most distasteful matter. This “bailout fund� is little different from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) that was created in 1932. Banks pay into the FDIC and that money is used to handle failing banks, of which Georgia has had an abundance since 2008. The FDIC is no more a taxpayer bailout for the banks than is the proposed bailout fund for large financial institutions. In my opinion, too many Democrats and Republicans in Congress are beholding to Wall Street. It will be a miracle is substantial re-regulation is passed but at least the Democratic plan, though weak, is stronger than the Republican plan. Republicans have decided, even on important matters like this, to continue to be the Party of No, or as Sarah Palin says, hell no. They are making a big mistake taking the side of Wall Street – and make no mistake about it, that is exactly what they are doing. Main Street plays second fiddle in the Republican Party. For the life of me, I cannot understand the Republican worship of free markets. They speak of the wisdom of the markets and how free markets will regulate themselves, as if free markets have a mind of their own. However, men run the markets, rig the markets, defraud the markets, and pursue greed without regard to ethics or morality. We must have the markets, but we need transparency, honesty, and ethical behavior. It is a sad commentary on man that regulations are necessary to curb unbridled greed. I would hope Congress would re-pass the GlassSteagall Acts of 1932 and 1933 and be done with it. These acts worked well for over 60 years; bring them back. Let us separate commercial from investment banking for the last time.

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In last week’s column, I urged both Democrats and Republicans to tone down the rhetoric, stick to the facts, and have civil debates about the serious challenges we face as a nation. I also mentioned that people should stop the spread of false and malicious emails. Well, it so happened I was on the receiving end of two such emails this week. I seem to get a lot of those in my inbox, and since most, though by no means all of my friends and family are quite conservative, the vast majority of what I receive is aimed at Obama and the Democrats in Congress. The first email suggested that Barack Obama never actually attended Columbia University where he claims to have graduated in 1983 before attending Harvard Law School. It said that NO ONE has ever come forward who actually remembers being there with him. Mysteriously, Obama has refused to release his transcript from the school or any of the papers he wrote while in attendance. This dearth of information has led to wild speculation on the part of ultraconservatives. Did he lie about his education? It took me less than three minutes to type “Obama Columbia University� into Google, and right away, I was directed to a web site that debunks urban legends and other falsehoods. It turns out it is true that Obama has never released any papers from his time at Columbia, making it appear that he has something to hide. However, it is NOT true that no one remembers him from his time at the school. Columbia claims him as one of their graduates. A former professor remembers that he easily aced the class he taught in foreign affairs. A school publication contained an article written by Obama. A former roommate has also come forward with information about their time there. And finally, there is no way Obama would have been admitted to Harvard Law School without having graduated from somewhere! The second email claimed that Obama had cancelled the 2009 National Day of Prayer, held each year by Christians throughout the country, and then sanctioned a National Day of Prayer for Muslims on Capitol Hill. This time I went to www.snopes.com and checked it out. The National Day of Prayer was not cancelled. Obama did decide not to have the public White House ceremony which was held annually during the eight years of the Bush administration. Instead, he signed a proclamation announcing the day of prayer and urged Americans everywhere to pray for their country and leaders. There was never a publicly-sanctioned National Day of Prayer for Muslims. There was a privately organized event for Muslims to pray for America that took place in the nation’s capital in September of 2009. A little something called freedom of speech allows them to do that, just as it allows Christians to gather around the flagpoles in communities all over America on the National Day of Prayer. We Christians had better not try to take that right away from others, because if we do, it will soon be taken away from us. Frankly, what we know about Obama is enough to worry me – I don’t need people going around making stuff up! I don’t buy all these conspiracy theories and outlandish accusations. There are well-respected conservative journalists like George Will and William Kristol who would be all over these stories if there were anything to them. Occasionally, bloggers do uncover stories that turn out to be true and eventually get picked up by the mainstream media (like the ACORN scandal). Until that happens, it seems to me we should ignore rumors and speculation. Such falsehoods are spread by members of both political parties. Another email that made the rounds a few years ago claimed that President George W. Bush had the lowest IQ of any president from the past fifty years. This information supposedly came from a study by an organization that does not even exist. It listed the twelve presidents that have served in the past 50 years in their order of IQ. Interestingly, all those with top IQ’s were Democrats, with Bill Clinton having the highest one of all! I used to just delete these emails, but I am now engaged in a campaign to stamp out ignorance. As soon as I get one, I check it out on sites such as Snopes or www.factcheck.org. Then I send the link to the person who forwarded me the email and suggest that they check out future emails for themselves. The Internet provides a wealth of valuable information. Unfortunately, it is also the source of rumors and outright lies. We all need to make it our personal responsibility to verify information before we pass it on to others.

Leah Ward Sears is believed to be on President Obama’s short list for the US Supreme Court due to the recently announced retirement plans of Justice Stevens. I was invited by my daughter to a reception for Sears, then Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Ward Sears is the first female chief justice in the United States and the first African American in Georgia to be elected to state wide office. My daughter works for Cornell University and was arranging a meeting of Alumni in the Atlanta area with the Chief Justice, a Cornell graduate. My daughter’s invitation was contingent on my promising to NOT ask any questions until the cameras were off. Ward Sears gave a passionate discussion including the breakdown of the black family and the need for more government funding to teach black fathers to be more responsible. During her presentation, she blamed Ronald Reagan for the breakdown of the black family. I asked her why she blamed Ronald Reagan. She said that he was governor of California when no-fault divorce was passed by the CA state legislature. I replied, “The breakdown of the family is not just a black problem. You mentioned in your speech that by 1972, 70 percent of all black children were being born out of wedlock. Well today more than 25% of all white children are also born out of wedlock.� “In 1965, the year that the Great Society legislation was passed, less than 10% of black children were born out of wedlock and 80% of all black children lived in a home with two parents. But that legislation destroyed that because the government gave a 14-year-old girl who got pregnant and had a child out of wedlock, a free separate dwelling away from her parents, free food, medical and dental services plus money for expenditures. It gave an incentive to be irresponsible.� “Until people recognize what caused the problem, it will never be fixed.�She actually fell back and put her hands up as if to protect herself and kept repeating, “I could not disagree with you more!� But it appeared to me that she had never heard that argument and was processing it. One of the biggest problems I find with Liberals is that they have been so indoctrinated and self-isolated that they are not even aware that philosophical opponents might have a fact based logical point of view. They really have no idea what conservatives actually think. Typical of many Liberals, the topic was immediately changed and I was interrogated. Being the only white person left in the group, I was asked “What do you think the about the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton?� I replied without hesitation, “They are pimp extortionists and if I were black I would be ashamed to think that anyone would consider that they represent me!� There was a long uncomfortable silence until a black woman blurted out, “Thank you, thank you, finally a white man who is not afraid to speak the truth.� You would be surprised what will happen when you refuse to keep quiet about politically incorrect off limit topics. Someone might learn something.

*UHHQ EXLOGLQJ FRGH SXEOLVKHG What is the International Code Council? The organization that publishes the codes that our states have adopted. Your building inspector enforces these codes when inspecting your construction. Does this mean we will all have to build by this new code? Not unless the state government or local county adopts this code as law. The International Code Council writes many different codes, and our governments choose which ones they want to make law. They also might revise them to suit their own jurisdiction. Perhaps the government could make this an option instead of a requirement. Why is this news important to us? First because it can substantially change green building here in the mountains and throughout the rest of our country. At this time, if you want to build and you want your building certified green, you must choose between several green building programs like Tennessee Valley Authority's Energyright Program, Western North Carolina's HealthyBuilt Home Program, Southface Institute's Earthcraft House Program, or LEED. Each program has its advantages and disadvantages. Usually you must find a builder that is approved to build under this program. You also need someone to inspect and certify that your building meets the program's requirements during various stages of construction. If the new green building code is adopted where you

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live, it would be enforced by your building inspectors. This would make green building certification much more accessible to all. But this would come at a cost. The inspectors would need extensive training.The local building departments would need access to expensive testing equipment to test the home and the ductwork for air leaks. There is another reason this is important to us. Right now the International Code Council has published a draft of this code on their web site for public review and comment. If you are concerned with this issue, you can download your own copy, study it, and email back the changes you would like to see. People in the construction industry like to complain about building codes. But if they have a valid complaint they can do something about it. They can submit their idea to the International Code Council. If the council's engineers see that the complaint has merit, if a change would not raise building costs too much, if it would improve construction, they just might change the code. For your copy of this new code: www.iccsafe.org Click on “Codes, Standards, and Guidelines� then “International Green Construction Code.� Download your own copy. This column also invites your input. Email me your questions and ideas. Richard C. MacCrea is the director of The Greening of Andrews Valley, a program of Andrews Valley Initiative. He works in the field of energy efficient, green building design. rmaccrea1@gmail.com

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April 21, 2010

Christopher Browning reviews the health act Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590 You have asked me to review the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590, and advise you as to whether North Carolina should join as a plaintiff in the action recently filed by Florida and 12 other States in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Florida v. United States Dep’t of Health & Human Servs., Case No. 3:10-cv-91 (N.D. Fla., filed Mar. 23, 2010). In that action, the plaintiff States challenge the constitutionality of selected provisions of that Act. It is my strong recommendation that North Carolina not join as a plaintiff in that action. Two-hundred twenty members of the House of Representative and 56 Senators voted in favor of health care reform. Additionally, the Act was signed into law by the President. Each of these elected representatives has taken an oath of office to abide by the Constitution of the United States. See U.S. Const. art. II, § 1, cl. 8; art. VI, cl. 3. The determination by the United States Senate, the House of Representatives and the President that this Act is constitutional must not be ignored. In fact, the United States Supreme Court has made clear that a duly ratified Act of Congress is presumed to be constitutional. See United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598, 607 (2000) (“Due respect for the decisions of a coordinate branch of Government demands that we invalidate a congressional enactment only upon a plain showing that Congress has exceeded its constitutional bounds.â€?); Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733, 757 (1974) (noting “strong presumptive validityâ€? that attaches to acts of Congress). One of the principal claims set out in Florida’s complaint is an allegation that the Act commandeers the plaintiff States and their employees “as agents of the federal government’s regulatory scheme at the states’ own cost.â€? Fla. Complaint Âś 58. The plaintiff States proceed to argue that this “commandeeringâ€? of State resources violates the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution. Id.; see U.S. Const. amend. X (“The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, respectively, or to the people.â€?). Medicaid, however, is a voluntary program. States are free to choose not to participate in this program. Florida and the other plaintiff States may drop out of the Medicaid program and not incur the additional costs of which they complain. If Florida, however, chooses to participate in,

and accept the benefits of, the Medicaid program, it cannot complain that its resources have been commandeered in violation of the Tenth Amendment. Congress “may attach conditions on the receipt of federal funds, and has repeatedly employed the power to further broad policy objectives by conditioning receipt of federal moneys upon compliance by the recipient with federal statutory and administrative directives.� South Dakota v. Dole, 483 U.S. 203, 206 (1987) (internal quotations omitted). Consequently, the United States Supreme Court has previously upheld Congress’ authority to limit receipt of federal highway funds to States enacting a drinking age of 21 and to require compliance with the Social Security Act in order for States to receive grants for unemployment compensation. Id.; Steward Mach. Co. v. Davis, 301 U.S. 548 (1937). Accordingly, Florida’s argument that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will require Florida to spend more money if it continues to participate in the Medicaid program appears to be without merit. In addition to a claim based on the Tenth Amendment, the complaint asserts that Congress lacks authority to enact one specific aspect of the legislation – the personal responsibility provision. Under this provision, individuals are required to either maintain health insurance or pay a tax as a result of the failure to do so. The Act sets out detailed factual findings as to the effect that health care expenditures have upon our Nation’s economy. Congress enacted this legislation based upon its authority under the Commerce Clause and the Taxing and Spending Clause of the United States Constitution. Congress has extremely broad authority under the Commerce Clause. See McLain v. Real Estate Bd., 444 U.S. 232, 241 (1980) (“The broad authority of Congress under the Commerce Clause has, of course, long been interpreted to extend beyond activities actually in interstate commerce to reach other activities that, while wholly local in nature, nevertheless substantially affect interstate commerce.�); Fry v. United States, 421 U.S. 542, 547 (1975) (“Congress’ power under the Commerce Clause is very broad�); United States v. Zeigler, 19 F.3d 486, 489 n.1 (10th Cir. 1994) (“It is generally recognized that Congress has extremely broad jurisdiction under the Commerce Clause.�). The same is true of the Taxing Clause. Williams v. Rhodes, 393 U.S. 23, 29 (1968) (“Congress is granted broad power to ‘lay and collect Taxes’�); see also Erwin

Legal Notices CREDITOR’S NOTICE 10 E 69 Having qualified as the executor of the estate of Earl T. Sears deceased, late of Cherokee County, North Carolina. This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at 594 Brasstown View Road on or before the 14th day July of , 2010 this notice will be pleaded in bar of there recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 8th day of April 2010. Sean P Sears, Sr Executor of the Estate of Earl T Sears, Deceased.

CREDITOR’S NOTICE 10 E 68 Having qualified as the executor of the estate of Jerry L Sears deceased, late of Cherokee County, North Carolina. This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at 594 Brasstown View Road on or before the 14th day July of , 2010 this notice will be pleaded in bar of there recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 8th day of April 2010. Sean P Sears, Sr Executor of the Estate of Jerry L Sears, Deceased.

CREDITOR’S NOTICE 10 E 69 Having qualified as the executrix of the estate of Robert Berman Sr. deceased, late of Cherokee County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at 901 Midway Creek Road, Murphy, NC 28906 on or before the 7th day July of , 2010 this notice will be pleaded in bar of there recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 5th day of April 2010. Glenda C. Berman Jennifer Lynn Coburn Co -Executrix of the Estate of Robert Berman, Deceased.

NOTICE TO THE CREDITORS OF ARTHUR L. KUMMERLEN Having qualified as the Ancillary Administrator CTA of the Estate of ARTHUR L. KUMMERLEN deceased, late of Palm Beach County, State of Florida, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at the following address: P.O. Box 596, Murphy, NC 28906, on or before the 14th day of July, 2010, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said decedent will please make immediate payment. This 14th day of April, 2010. W. Arthur Hays, Jr., Ancillary Administrator CTA of the Estate of Arthur L. Kummerlen

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Chemerinsky, Protecting the Spending Power, 4 Chap. L. Rev. 89, 91 (2001) (“Congress has broad power to tax and spend for the general welfare so long as it does not violate other constitutional provisions�). Moreover, the Court has expressly recognized that Congress has the authority to regulate insurance under the Commerce Clause. United States v. South-Eastern Underwriters Ass’n, 322 U.S. 533 (1944). Although Congress’ authority under the Commerce Clause is extremely broad, the Court has made clear that this authority is not without bounds. In recent years, for example, the Court has struck down legislation that attempted to criminalize violence against women, as well as legislation that made it unlawful to possess a handgun on school property. United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000); United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549 (1995). Both Lopez and Morrison involved federal regulation of noneconomic criminal conduct. As the Court noted in Morrison, “we can think of no better example of the police power, which the Founders denied the National Government and reposed in the States.� 529 U.S. at 618. The regulation of the economic effect of health care is markedly different from the two criminal statutes before the Court in Lopez and Morrison. Moreover, subsequent to Morrison and Lopez, the Court held that the cultivation of marijuana for one’s personal use could be restricted by Congress pursuant to the Commerce Clause. Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005). The collective impact upon our national economy resulting from persons who do not maintain health insurance (but who nevertheless turn to public hospitals when faced with health care emergencies) far exceeds the impacts upon commerce at issue in Morrison and Lopez. Nevertheless, I recognize that the specific factual scenario raised by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has not previously been addressed by the Court. Accordingly, the arguments made by opponents of this legislation should not be characterized as frivolous. See, e.g., Randy Barnett, Nathaniel Stewart & Todd Gaziano, Why the Personal Mandate to Buy Health Insurance is Unprecedented and Unconstitutional (Dec. 2009) (available at www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2009/12/ Why-the-Personal-Mandate-toBuy- Health-Insurance-Is-Unprecedented-and-Unconstitutional); see also Jennifer Staman & Cynthia Brougher, Requiring Individuals to Obtain Health Insurance: A Constitutional Analysis, Congressional Research Service 18

(2009) (“While it seems possible that Congress could enact an individual coverage requirement that would pass constitutional muster, there are various constitutional considerations relevant to the enactment of such a proposal.�). Thus, although I would not characterize the present action as frivolous, it appears to have little chance of success. In addition to the significant legal hurdles that Florida faces in this action, several practical and prudential considerations weigh heavily against North Carolina joining the present action. Being one among 13 other States and the last State to join that lawsuit, North Carolina would have little to no voice as to strategy decisions that are made in the course of that action. Nevertheless, North Carolina would be expected to pay its proportionate share of the lawsuit – an amount that will likely be substantial. Additionally, if we were to participate in this lawsuit, it would be necessary to devote one or more attorneys in our office to monitor the motions, briefing and discovery in that action. Our office’s consistent practice is to closely monitor and to coordinate with outside counsel whenever a private law firm is representing the State of North Carolina. Thus, joining this lawsuit would require us to devote substantial resources to this action. North Carolina, however, could avoid these substantial expenditures by simply awaiting the verdict of the district court. Any decision in this case will ultimately be appealed to the United States Supreme Court and thereby become binding on all 50 States. Thus, it would seem to be in the interest of taxpayers for the State of North Carolina not to incur these litigation expenses unnecessarily. Additionally, it should be noted that the provisions of the Act being attacked do not become effective until the year 2013. Given the fact that this provision could be repealed or amended within the next three years, it would appear to be a waste of taxpayer funds to mount litigation challenging this provision at the present time. Finally, it should be noted that the private law firm that is representing the plaintiff States in this action is adverse to North Carolina in another pending matter. For the reasons set forth above, I do not believe that it would be a wise use of state resources to join the litigation pending in Florida. Whether health care reform should be implemented is a policy determination that best lies in the hands of Congress. That decision, whether wise or unwise, should not be derailed by litigation initiated by the States.

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-0$"Marie Ware, age 81,of Marietta, GA and formerly of Murphy, NC passed away Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at Kennestone Hosptial in Marietta, GA. She was a native of Buncombe County, NC but had lived most of her life in Cherokee County before moving to Cobb County four years ago. Marie was the daughter of the late Harrison Luther Truett and Nellie Marie Lunsford Truett Ingram. She was a retired hair dresser, loved crocheting and took special care of her mother, Nellie Marie for many years. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Ware; son, Rex Lane Ware and daughter, Leona Sapp and two brothers, Rev. Jim Truett and Thomas (Bud) Truett. She is survived by three daughters, Mary McGlow of Cartersville, GA, Carolyn Rhodes of Marietta,

April 21, 2010

7ULEXWHV Marie Ware

GA and Helen Greenwood of Marietta, GA; one brother, Roy Dale Ingram of Chattanooga, TN; 16 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.

Funeral Services were held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the Townson-Rose Funeral Home Chapel in Murphy, NC. The Rev. Billy Rhodes officiated. Burial was in the Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery in Murphy, NC. Pallbearers were David Sapp, Jr., Mark Rhodes, Frank Rhodes, Adam Rhodes, Richard Langley, Brian Langley, Stephen Ramsey and Daniel Ramsey. Honorary Pallbearers were Hunter Brooks, Andrew Langley and Charlie Langley. The family received friends from 6:00 PMÂ to 8:00 PM, Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Townson-Rose Funeral Home in Murphy, NC. You may send tributes to the Ware family at www.mem.com or view other obits at www.townsonrose.com Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Bessie Mae Williams

Bessie Mae Williams, 72, of Robbinsville died Monday, April 12, 2010 in a Murphy medical center. She was a native of Graham County. She had worked on assembly lines in her early life and later worked as a groundskeeper for the U.S. Forest Service. Bessie also volunteered her time as a witness for the Lord to patients in Britthaven of Graham. She was a member of the Lone Oak Baptist Church in Robbinsville, where she loved to sing.  She was the daughter of the late Noah and Nora Bailey Crisp and was also preceded in death by a daughter, Lynda Palmer.  Surviving are five daughters, Sheila Graham and husband, Ken, Kathleen Williams, Irene Farley and husband, Mickey, Claudine Gibson and husband, Ricky, and Sherry Jean Bowers, age 59, of Murphy, NC passed away Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC. She was a native of Pulaski, GA and the daughter of the late Jack Melvin and Thelma Baker Parton Francis. Sherry had worked for Levi Strauss & Company for 14 years and New Mart Rug in Dalton, GA for four years. She was of the Baptist faith. She loved her grandchildren, cooking, gardening and crossword puzzles. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by one brother, Herbert Holloway. She is survived by her husband,

Loretta Marino and husband, Jason, all of Robbinsville; a son, Jimmy Williams of Robbinsville; a sister, Myrtle Stahl of Esto, FL; six brothers, Henry Crisp of Robbinsville, Eddie Crisp of Bryson City, Beacher Crisp of Belvidere, NJ, Herbert Crisp of Esto, FL, Den-

Sherry Jean Bowers Larry Bowers; two sons, Robert Francis and Frankie Jones both of Murphy, NC; one daughter, Tammy Blunt of Waycross, GA; two brothers, Johnny Francis and Joe Francis both of Murphy, NC; six grandchildren, Sherry Diaz, Cody Clark, Jeremy Burris, Thelma Cheyanne Jones, Brandon Anderson and Eowyn Alexis Francis and five great grandchildren, Mariana Diaz, Thalia Diaz, Melina Diaz, Adrianna Diaz, and Natalie Clark. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the Townson-Rose Funeral Home Chapel in Murphy, NC. The Rev. Shannon Helton will officiate.

nis Crisp of Harrodsburg, KY, and Ralph Crisp of Morristown, TN; and 13 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.  Funeral services were held at 11:00 AM Thursday, April 15, 2010 in the Lone Oak Baptist Church with Revs. Max Turpin and Scott Roper officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Shaun and Kenny Graham, Jeremiah Satterfield, Jimmy Millsaps, Rance Schuler, and Joe Palmer. The family received friends from 6-8 Wednesday evening, April 14 at the Lone Oak Baptist Church.  Ivie Funeral Home, Andrews in charge of all arrangements.  An online guest register is available at “Obituariesâ€? at www.ivifuneralhome.com

Burial will be in the Ranger United Methodist Church Cemetery in Murphy, NC. Pallbearers will be Chad Bryant, Dylan Bryant, Eric Frances, Jody Burrell, and Bobby Thrasher. The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday, April 19, 2010 at the Townson-Rose Funeral Home in Murphy, NC. You may send tributes to the Bowers family at www.mem.com or view other obits at www.townson-rose.com Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Â

Ramona “Pony� Hawkins Shields

Ramona “Ponyâ€? Hawkins Shields, 73, of Murphy died Thursday, April 15, 2010 in Murphy Medical Center. She was a native and lifetime resident of Cherokee County. She had worked for 17 years as a program assistant with the Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service. Ramona was a member of the Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church. She was a seamstress, loved working with crafts, was an avid flower gardener and known throughout the community for her beautiful hybrid daylilies. She was a devoted caregiver and was a loving wife, mother, friend, and Christian witness.  She was the daughter of the late Clyde E. and Ella Vee Hamilton Jory and was the wife of the late Paul Ray Hawkins, who died February 25, 1999. She was also preceded in death by a son, Eddie Neil Hawkins, who died October 21, 1995. Surviving are her husband, Pastor Hadley Shields; a son, Paul Keith Hawkins and wife, Debbie of Murphy; three step-daughters, Millie Gazaway and husband, Mike of Rex, GA, Diane Blair and

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husband, Jim of Ft. Myers, FL, and Rita Mathis and husband, Gerald of Blairsville, GA; a step-son, Ronnie Shields and wife, Robbie of Blairsville, GA; a sister, Billie June Jory Howell and husband, George of Brandon, FL; a brother, Clyde Sidney Jory and wife, Sharon of Turtletown, TN; nine step-grandchildren and six great step- grandchildren; and four nieces and six nephews. A memorial service was held at 3:00 PM Sunday, April 18, 2010

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in the Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church with Rev. Jerry Helton, Dr. Chester Jones, and Rev. Johnny Foster officiating. Inurnment was in the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery with the Revs. Greg Carroll and Jerry Helton officiating. Honorary pallbearers were Grace Carringer, Grace Debty, Kathy Forrister, Carolyn Franklin, Ollie Holder, Margaret Pressley, Dorothy Simonds, Carolyn Stockton, Gwen Weaver, and Annette Williams, members of the Marie Hendrix Sunday school class, and the Murphy High School Class of 1954. The family received friends from 1:30-2:45 Sunday afternoon at the Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church prior to the services. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in memory of Ramona “Ponyâ€? Hawkins Shields to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312. Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy in charge of all arrangements. An online guest register is available at “Obituariesâ€? at www.iviefuneralhome.com.

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Richard Earl Curtiss , 79, of Murphy, NC died Monday March 29, 2010 at Murphy Medical Center.     He was born July 12, 1930, in New Marlboro Massachusetts, to Earl George and Ada Curtiss.     He moved to Murphy in 1999 to be closer to family because of his and his wife’s illnesses. He had lived with his daughter and son in law for the last seven years in Murphy before his death.      Richard was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in December 1960, at the age of 30. He was a mechanic by trade. Richard loved being a mechanic of which he held many certificates of training and accomplishments. But, his main vocation was a Minister of God’s word the Holy Bible. He was known for sharing words of LIBRARY

Kids film Thursday at Murphy library ,c$ 4_VSO -RK_^SX 2^]caXQdcX]V FaXcTa A little boy acts up and is sent to his room. What should he do in this situation? Have an adventure, of course. The Murphy Library is showing “Where the Wild Things Areâ€? on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. Maurice Sendak wrote the children’s book and director Spike Jonze made the movie. It is rated PG and runs 101 minutes. There is no 6 p.m. screening. Sendak gave Jonze the highest commendation after seeing the movie when he said that Jonze “turned it into his without giving up mine.â€? The large “wild thingsâ€? resemble Sendak’s drawings, but even more so, the feelings of a little boy are caught in the camera’s eye. Want to extend the fun? The library has Sendak’s book to borrow and read. Call the library at 837-2417, or go to www.friendsofmurphylibrary.wordpress.com to see the film's trailer.

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encouragement from God’s word with everyone he met. Richard found much comfort in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and his heavenly father Jehovah. His true happiness in life came from sharing this comfort with others.    Richard was preceded in death by wife, Evelyn who died May 21,

2008. Surviving him in death is a brother, Harold George Curtiss (Hap) of Yulee FL; four children, Diana Lynn Campochiaro and husband, William of Bristol, CT, David Paul Curtiss of Beverly Hills, FL, Lisa Marie Whitener and husband, Archie of Murphy, NC, Jeffery Scott Curtiss and wife, Jane of Steubenville, OH; 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.     A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, April 3, 2010 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witness. Peter Longdyke will officiate.     You may send tributes to the Curtiss family at www.mem.com or view other obits at www.townson-rose.com     Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.

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Sentinel Subscriptions $25 per year Call (828) 389-8338

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April 21, 2010

/ I Story Hour

Story hour at The Curiosity Shop Bookstore, 46 Valley River Avenue, Murphy, on Saturday mornings from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Bring your children or grandchildren and let them enjoy being read to. Call 835-7433 or 321-2242

Mountain High Hikers

Mountain High Hikers schedule two hikes each Tuesday, occasionally specialty hike, and regular trail maintaining trips- all in the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. Check the web site: MountainHighHikers.org for schedule and meeting locations or call 828-389-8240 for information.

Experimental Aircraft

The Experimental Aircraft Association - local tri-state EAA Chapter #1211 meets the third Thursday, 7 p.m. of each month at Blairsville airport. If interested, contact Jim Olson @ 828-557-2446.

GWRRA Meetings

Chapter J of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) meets the fourth Saturday of each month at Daniel’s Steakhouse, Hiawassee, Ga. We eat at 11 a.m. followed by the meeting at 12 p.m. during which rides and other activities are announced and discussed. We encourage current members of the GWRRA and anyone interested in becoming a member to join us. All motorcyclists are welcome and we look forward to seeing participants from other chapters. There are great rides coming up and we hope many of you will join us. For further information, contact Chapter Director, June Gottlieb, 706-896-7403 .

Family Resources

Family Resources in collaboration with Tri-County Community College will offer ESL (English as a second language) classes every Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Classes will be held in the basement of Family Resources and are free to anyone wishing to participate. For more information call 837-3460.

Abandoned Animals

Just 4 Hours. Just 4 hours a week can make a big difference in caring for abandoned and abused animals. Just 4 hours to walk dogs. Just 4 hours to groom dogs or cats. Just 4 house to clean the cattery. Just 4 hours to

transport dogs and/or cats to the vet. If you have just 4 hours a week to volunteer your time and energy, please contact Castaway Critters at 706-781-3992 or call Martha at 706-379-2729.

Amateur Radio

Attention HAMs and anyone interested in Amateur Radio The North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C. (Amateur Radio Club) meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairsville. All of our meetings are open to the public. For more information about joining the Club or becoming a HAM, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665.

Ramp Dinner & Concert

Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center’s Ramp Dinner & Concert Saturday, April 24 Dinner seatings at 5pm and 6:15 Barn Carts perform at 7:30 Reservations required call 828-479-3364

Mountain Coin Club

The Mountain Coin Club for beginner and advanced numismatists, young and old, meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Blairsville Civic Center. Set-up begins at 5:30 p.m. A brief business meeting precedes the educational program at 6:30 p.m. A coin auction follows. Visitors from surrounding areas are welcome. For more information, call Ye Old Coin Shop, 706-379-1488.

Free Tax Prep

Free Federal and State (GA and NC) personal income tax preparation is available in Murphy, until 4/14/10. This will be at the First United Methodist Church, on Valley River Ave, in downtown Murphy. The service will be available from 1-7 pm on Tuesdays, and 10 am - 4 pm on Wednesdays. For appointments, people should call 835-0220. It is confidential, and open to anyone with non-complex returns. A special emphasis is placed on those age 60 and older, with low and moderate incomes. The returns are prepared by advanced IRS-certified volunteers with years of experience. Even if people have low incomes and are not required to file an income tax, it is often in their best interest to do so. There may be credits they are entitled to that will give them a refund. If they are homeowners, they can often get relief on their property taxes by showing the tax assessor a copy of their income tax return.

The Cherokee County Community Foundation

Dr. Jan Davidson, board president has announced that the Cherokee County Community Foundation is currently accepting grant requests from non-profit organizations for projects that benefit our community. According to Davidson, a few modest grants are available this year. Applications are available at nccommunityfoundation.org (under “Affiliates”); John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown; or by calling the Cherokee County Community Foundation at 800-201-9532. Grant applications must be received by May 21, 2010. The Cherokee County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF). The community fund was established to help support local charitable needs through annual grants. In addition to Davidson, board members are Pat Ivie, Eva Wood, and Dr. Jeffrey Larson. For further information, contact any board member; the NCCF Western Regional Associate, Sue LeLievre at 800-201-9532 or visit the NCCF website at nccommunityfoundation.org.

Farmers Market

The Cedar Valley Farmers Market is back in full swing. Help support your local economy by shopping local. Join us every Saturday from 10am to 2pm downtown Murphy. We invite everyone to come and browse. Bring your instruments to pick a few tunes or get creative and set up a booth. We remind you to BUY LOCAL!! For vending information contact Jeremiah Smith at MurphyFarmersMarket@ gmail.com See you Saturday!

Castaway Critters

“COMMUNITY NIGHT” TO BENEFIT CASTAWAY CRITTERS PET RESCUE TUESDAY, APRIL 27TH 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM BROTHERS RESTAURANT AT WILLOW RANCH ON HIGHWAY 76, YOUNG HARRIS

Spring Concert

Mt. Comm. Chorus presents its annual spring concert Friday Apr. 30th, 8 PM and Sunday May 2nd 3 PM Hilda Glenn Auditorium, Young Harris College. For more information, visit www.mapaa.org.

Singing at Pine Grove

Pine Grove Baptist on 17-69 going towards Hayesville will be having a singing

I DAR Meetings

DAR meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of Jan.-May and Sept.Nov. at 2 p.m. at the Harshaw Chapel in Downtown Murphy. For more information contact Joan Wallace at 837-0876 or Margaret Warner at 837-8777 or 837-2644.

Blue Ridge MOAA

The Blue Ridge Mountains Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) meets the third Monday of each month at various area restaurants. All active duty, National Guard, reserve, retired, and former Military, Public Health Service, and NOAA officers and warrant officers and surviving spouses are invited to attend. For information please contact Jim Ferrell at 828-835-9203 or visit www.moaa. org/chapter/blueridgemountains .

Amateur Radio

Attention HAMs and wannabe HAMs North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C. (Amateur Radio Club) meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairsville. All of our meetings are open to the public. For more information, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665.

Brasstown Potluck

Brasstown Potluck The Brasstown Community holds a potluck supper and meeting on the third Thursday of each month, 6:30 p.m., Brasstown Community Center, 255 Settawig Road, Brasstown.

Flying Club

Flying Club. The Over mountain Flyers meets the second Saturday each month at the Andrews-Murphy Airport from 9 a.m. to noon. For information, call 837-3468.

Hiwasse Kennel Club

Hiwassee River Valley Kennel Club: Meetings are held at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Brother’s Restaurant on Hwy 64 in Murphy, NC. We invite all those interested in pure bred dogs and canine activities to attend. Call President Kit Miracle @ 706 492 5253 or Peggy Moorman @ 828 835 1082 for details.

Experimental Aircraft

The Experimental Aircraft Association - local tri-state EAA Chapter #1211 meets the third Thursday, 7 p.m. of each month at Blairsville airport. If interested, contact Jim Olson @ 828-557-2446.

Small Scale Agriculture

The Far West Small Scale Agricultural Action Team meets the second Monday of each month in the St. Andrews Lutheran Church community room, Andrews. For information, call Mary Janis, 828-389-1913 mjanis@meyecomputer.com

Cherokee Mountain Lions

Cherokee County Mountain Lions meet the first and third Tuesday of each month at Downtown Pizza, 6 p.m. New members are welcome.

GWRRA Meetings

Chapter J of the Gold Wing Road Rid-

ers Association (GWRRA) meets the fourth Saturday of each month at Daniel’s Steakhouse, Hiawassee, Ga. We eat at 11 a.m. followed by the meeting at 12 p.m. during which rides and other activities are announced and discussed. We encourage current members of the GWRRA and anyone interested in becoming a member to join us. All motorcyclists are welcome and we look forward to seeing participants from other chapters. There are great rides coming up and we hope many of you will join us. For further information, contact Chapter Director, June Gottlieb, 706-8967403.

Mountain Economic Partners

Far West Mountain Economic Partners’ Small Scale Agriculture Action Team meets at 6 p.m. the first Monday of every month at the Far West offices located at 452 Main Street in Andrews. All farmers in from Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary are invited to attend. For details, contact Pat Love at 828-321-2929 or via email at fwpartners@ verizon.net.

Anti Death Penalty

People of Faith Against the Death Penalty meets the 1st Monday each month at 7 p.m. at the Glen Mary House, next to St. William Catholic Church. For information, call 837-0867.

Commissioners Meeting

The Cherokee County Commisioners meeting will be held on the first Monday of each month at 8:30 a.m. and on the third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners boardroom of the Cherokee County Courthouse, unless Monday falls on a holiday, or unless otherwise posted.

Valley River Civitan Club

Valley River Civitan Club of Andrews meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 6 p.m., PJ’s restaurant in Andrews. Visitors are welcome. For more information call Anita Davis at 361-1247.

Basket Weavers

The Shooting Creek Basket Weavers Guild meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 9:45 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Shooting Creek Community Center (fire station). Refreshments are served and a business meeting is held before a weaving project is presented. For more information contact Joan (Guild president) at 706-896-1534.

MRACG Meeting

Mountain Regional Arts and Crafts Guild, Inc (MRACG) meets the second Tuesday of each month at ArtWorks Artisan Centre. ArtWorks is located at 308 Big Sky Drive (behind the Holiday Inn), Hiawassee. Refreshments are served at 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. If you would like to learn more about the Guild, we invite you to the next meeting as our guest.Contact us at 706-896-0932 or mtnregartscraftsguild@hotmail.com or

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visit mtnregartscraftsguild.org.

NCWN Poetry

There will be no NCWN West Poetry Critique Group in July, as the college campus will be closed. The next meeting will be in August at the regular time.

Alzheimer’s Support

Alzheimer’s Support Group of Murphy meets the 1st Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Murphy Senior Center. Contact Laura Harris at 828-644-0680 for more information. Also meetings every second Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Senior Center in Hayesville.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous has scheduled meetings as follows: Tues. 7 p.m., in the back of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah located across the street from the Cherokee Scout and the Verizon building on the corner of Central & Church Street; Sat. noon at the 409 building; Thur. 8 p.m. St. William’s Catholic Ch., Murphy; Wed. 8 p.m., United Methodist Church, Andrews, in the fellowship hall; Tues. noon, Thur. noon, Fri. 8 p.m.; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Hayesville; Sat. 8 p.m. First Methodist Church, Downtown Hayesville. For a complete area meeting schedule and information, call 837-4440.

Domestic Violence Support

Domestic Violence Support Group REACH of Cherokee County offers a free confidential support group to women whose lives are, or have been affected by domestic violence. The group meets every Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the REACH office in Murphy. Please call (828) 837-2097 for more information.

Compassionate Friends

The Compassionate Friends is a selfhelp, non-profit organization that offers that offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings meets at 7 p.m. every third Thursday each month at the Senior Center in Murphy. Call Maxine Arne at 837-0425, Mabel Cooke at 837-6871 or Vicky Sullivan at 837-9168 for details.

Weight Loss

Tops Weight Loss “Take Off Pounds Sensibly” in Murphy meets on Mondays at 5 p.m. at the Glen Mary Hall, Andrews Road. For more information, call 8374587. Two Tops clubs meet in Andrews on Mondays. The morning club meets in Valleytown Baptist Church Fellowship Hall at 8:45 a.m. weigh in, meeting at 9 a.m. Call 321-5242 for more information. The evening club, which meets at Christ Community church, weights in at 5 p.m. and has a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Call 3213040 or 321-1422 for more information.

Sat April 17, 2010 Across Time Singing time 7:00 p.m. Pastor Dwayne Patterson invites everyone to attend.

Cherokee County 9-12 Project

The Cherokee County 9-12 Project will also be holding a General Meeting. Please join us on Saturday, May 1, at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Murphy, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.We will be honoring our military veterans who have selflessly served this great nation and kept it and us safe from harm. All are welcome to attend. For questions or additional information, please call the 9-12 Hotline at 828-837-0055.

Knitting

Knitting and Spinning Lessons: “From How to Knit to Knitting Design”, Monday mornings 10 a.m. to noon and Monday evenings 7-9 p.m. “Spinning Saturdays”, 9 a.m. to noon, once a month. Call Martha at Yarn Circle, 835-4592 for details.

Quilting Classes

Quilting Classes In Nonnie’s Attic is quilting 100 squares in 100 days to help Andrews celebrate its 100th birthday. Join us each day at 1:30 p.m. and learn new quilt square. Call 321-2800 for more information.

Veterans meeting

The monthly combined meeting of the VFW, VFW Auxiliary, The American Legion and the DAV will be held Monday, May 3rd a the Veteran Building located at Drew Taylor Road and NC Highway 141 in Peachtree. A potluck supper commences at 6 p.m. and is immediately followed by the general business meeting. The meeting is open to all veterans. Those interested in joining, directions or learning more about the interests and activities of those service organizations, please contact Commander Gene Guffy by calling 828-837-3016.

What’s going on?

If you have a local event to include in our calendar you can submit it to us directly from our website at wncSentinel.net Divorce Care Seminar

Divorce Care Seminar. Divorce Care, a special-help seminar and support group for people experiencing divorce or separation will be held on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Hiawassee United Methodist Church. Divorce Care features nationally recognized experts on divorce and recovery topics.

English Classes

Classes de ingles gratis. Tri County Community College. Ofrece classes de ingles como Segundo idioma (ESL Classes) Todos los Miercoles y Jueves De 9:00 a.m. a 12:00 p.m. En el local de Family Resources of Cherokee County. Ubicado en 70 Central Street Murphy, NC 28906. Para mayor informacion llame al tlefono No. (828) 8373460.

Family Resources

Family Resources in collaboration with Tri-County Community College will offer ESL (English as a second language) classes every Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Classes will be held in the basement of Family Resources and are free to anyone wishing to participate. For more information call 837-3460.

Knitting

Knitting and Spinning Lessons: “From How to Knit to Knitting Design”, Monday mornings 10 a.m. to noon and Monday evenings 7-9 p.m. “Spinning Saturdays”, 9 a.m. to noon, once a month. Call Martha at Yarn Circle, 835-4592 for details.

Quilting Classes

Quilting Classes In Nonnie’s Attic is quilting 100 squares in 100 days to help Andrews celebrate its 100th birthday. Join us each day at 1:30 p.m. and learn new quilt square. Call 321-2800 for more information.

Abandoned Animals

Just 4 Hours. Just 4 hours a week can make a big difference in caring for abandoned and abused animals. Just 4 hours to walk dogs. Just 4 hours to groom dogs or cats. Just 4 house to clean the cattery. Just 4 hours to transport dogs and/or cats to the vet. If you have just 4 hours a week to volunteer your time and energy, please contact Castaway Critters at 706-781-3992 or call Martha at 706-379-2729.

Moose Lodge We are now forming a Moose Lodge and invite you to join us. Our meetings are held at Homers Corner Cafe located at Hwy 19/129 in Murphy, NC inside Fosters Flea Market. Come early and join us for a Dutch Treat lunch. Our meetings are held on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1 p.m. For further information please call Art or Donna Harris at (828) 389-6342.

Body Sculpting Class

Body Sculpting/Cardiovascular Exercise classes are being offered at Towns County Recreational Center in Hiawassee, Ga. Class is from 6:30-7:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The cost is $4 per class or $48 per month.

SOCIAL SECURITY

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2^[d\]Xbc Mom has always been there to nurture and take care of you. Mother’s Day is the perfect time to give back and look out for her. If she’s having a hard time paying for her prescription drugs, tell her about the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and the extra help available through Social Security. If your mother, or any special woman in your life, is covered by Medicare and has limited income and resources, she may be eligible for extra help to pay her monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. The extra help is worth an average of $3,900 per year. Perhaps you’ve looked into the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for Mom before, and discovered that she did not qualify due to her income or resources. In 2010, the law has changed. As Chubby Checker will tell you, a new “twist” in the law makes it easier than ever to qualify for the extra help. It’s easy to figure out whether Mom is eligible for the extra help. To qualify, she must be receiving Medicare and: Have income limited to $16,245 for an individual or $21, 855 for a married couple living together. Even if her annual income is higher, she still may be able to get some help with monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. Some examples in which income may be higher include if she or her husband: —Support other family members who live with them; —Have earnings from work; or —Live in Alaska or Hawaii; and Have resources limited to $12,510 Contact the recreation center at (706) 8962600 or Susan Rogers at (706) 896-6842.

Square Dance Classes Enchanted Valley Squares is having Basic Mainstream Classess on Tuesday Nights at the Towns Co Middle School Cafeteria from 7:00-9:00 pm. For more information: GA-Al Supplee (706) 3792191 or NC-Bob or Loretta Hughes (828) 837-2561.

Moose Lodge We are now forming a Moose Lodge and invite you to join us. Our meetings are held at Homers Corner Cafe located at Hwy 19/129 in Murphy, NC inside Fosters Flea Market. Come early and join us for a Dutch Treat lunch. Our meetings are held on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1 p.m. For further information please call Art or Donna Harris at (828) 389-6342.

Brasstown Suppers Brasstown Community Club meets at 6:30 p.m., the third Thursday of each month with a pot luck supper. Grocery game night, 7 p.m. the first Saturday of every month. Please bring snack foods.

Senior Game Day Dominoes, Hearts, Scrabble, Checkers, etc. Every Tuesday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Clay County Senior Center Call 838389-9271 for more info.

HAMs meetings North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C. (Amateur Radio Club) meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairsville. All of our meetings are open to the public. For more information about joining the Club or becoming a HAM, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665.

Intermediate Bridge Intermediate Bridge is being played at the health department, downstairs in Hiawassee on Mondays and Fridays, starting at 12:45 p.m. All players welcome. For more information please call (828) 3898065.

Oil Painting Classes

Classes for beginners and intermediate students, Wednesdays, 9AM - 1PM at Clay County Senior Center. Cost is $65; must furnish own brushes and canvas. Call the senior center for more information at (828) 389-9271

Helping Hands meet The ladies group at Sweetwater United Methodist Church meets from 10 a.m. to noon every first and third Tuesday. They make quilts for Clay and Cherokee counties’ sick and needy. Helpers are welcome.

for an individual or $25,010 for a married couple living together. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks and bonds. We do not count her house or car as resources. Thanks to this a “twist” in the law, we no longer count any life insurance policy she has as a resource, and we no longer count as income any financial assistance she receives regularly from someone else to pay her household expenses like food, mortgage or rent, utilities or property taxes. Don’t take our word for it, see Chubby Checker’s rocking message at HYPERLINK "http://www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp" www.socialsecurity.gov/ prescriptionhelp. While you’re there, you can fill out an easy-to-use online application for your mom at HYPERLINK "http:// www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp" www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp. To apply by phone or have an application mailed to you, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). Or go to the nearest Social Security office. If you’d like to learn more about the Medicare prescription drug plans and special enrollment periods, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.medicare.gov" www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-6334227; TTY 1-877-486-2048). Maybe it’s been a few years since Mom has taken to the dance floor to do The Twist. But saving an extra $3,900 a year on prescription drugs may cause her to jump up and dance. What better gift could you give her this Mother’s Day?

Fellowship Weekly Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International meets at 6 p.m. every Monday at Daniels in Hiawassee, Ga. Call (828) 3890140.

Valley Kennel Club Meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Brother’s Restaurant on Hwy 64 in Murphy, NC. We invite all those interested in pure bred dogs and canine activities to attend. Call President Kit Miracle @ 706 492 5253 or Peggy Moorman @ 828 835 1082 for details.

Mountain Hikers Mountain High Hikers schedule two hikes each Tuesday, occasionally specialty hikes, and regular trail maintaining tripsall in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. Check the web site: MountainHighHikers.org for schedule and meeting locations or call 828-389-8240 for information.

Blue Ridge MOAA

The Blue Ridge Mountains Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) meets the third Monday of each month at various area restaurants. All active duty, reserve, retired and former military, and Public Health Service, and NOAA officers, and warrant officers are invited to attend. For information please contact one of the following individuals, in North Carolina: John Bayne at 828-389-9427 and in Georgia: Jim Reynolds at 706-379-6601.

Veteran Consultant

The veterans’ consultant, Mike Casey, will be at the Job Link Office on the second Tuesday and the fourth Wednesday of each month. Call (828) 837-7407 of the Social Service Office in Hayesville at 389-6301.

Granny’s Attic

Granny’s Attic, Auxiliary of Good Shepherd Home Health Care and Hospice, is open Wed. - Sat., 9 am - 4 pm. We are now stocked for Fall. To make donations or volunteer contact Linda at 828-389-4233.

REACH Thrift Store The REACH Thrift Store hours are from 10 a.m. - 4:30 a.m. Monday Saturday. We are located at 1252 Hwy 64 W. (Old KT Billiards bldg., Donations accepted during business hours. Volunteers welcome. Call 828.389.1415 or 828.557.7416 for more information.

Women in fellowship

Tri-County Women’s Connection meets the first Thursday of each month in the fellowship hall of Murphy First Baptist Church, welcoming retirees, homemakers, home-schoolers, young moms-------all women. Fascinating programs, delightful music, inspirational talks, good food, child care and wonderful fellowship make each gathering special. Call Linda at 837-2305

CLASSIFIEDS

Reminder:

Deadline for classifieds is Monday at 3 p.m. All classifieds received after this time will be printed the following Thursday. t "650 37 t

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Place your ad in our classifieds and reach thousands of Western Carolina readers. Cost is only $5 for the first 10 words for one week in Cherokee, Clay and Graham Counties. Call (828) 389-8338

Must sell! )JBXBTTFF (B BEKPJOJOH lots, long range, year round mountain WJFXT 8FMM FTUBCMJTIFE OFJHICPSIPPE FBDI 3 Cabins, NVTU TFF SFEVDFE *O HBUFE communities.Starting at $199,000, Call

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EBCI

Job Announcement ER Manager - Full Time The Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority has the following job available: FT ER Manager. Anyone interested should pick up an application and position description from Arlenea Chapa or Teresa Carvalho at the &KHURNHH ,QGLDQ +RVSLWDO +XPDQ 5HVRXUFHV 2IĂ€FH EHWZHHQ WKH KRXUV of 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday - Friday. This position will Close April 30, 2010. Indian preference does apply and a current job application must be submitted. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of CIHA application.

Tri- County Community College Vacancy: The Cherokee County Board of Education will appoint a seat on the Tri-County Community College Board of Trustees at the June Board of Education meeting. Deadline to apply for this position is May 1st. Interviews will be conducted at the May Board of Education meeting and position announced at the June meeting. Interested applicants please contact Margaret Phillips at Cherokee &RXQW\ 6FKRROV¡ &HQWUDO 2IĂ€FH ([W IRU DQ application.

EBCI Job Announcement Pharmacy Receptionist - Full Time The Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority has the following position available. Anyone interested should pick up an application and position description from Arlenea Chapa of Teresa Carvalho at the Cherokee ,QGLDQ +RVSLWDO +XPDQ 5HVRXUFHV 2IĂ€FH EHWZHHQ WKH KRXUV RI DP SP 0RQGD\ )ULGD\ 7KLV SRVLWLRQ ZLOO FORVH April 23, 2010. Indian preference does apply and a current job application must be submitted. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of CIHA application.

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Twitter.com/ SentinelScoop

The following positions are available

Martin’s Construction

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Residential & Commercial ÒGeneÓ Martin

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Governor’s budget focuses on jobs, education, ethics reform and safety while cutting $1 billion in spending ,c$ 0\KXU ,\KNVOc BT]cX]T[ FaXcTa

Like every other state in the Union, North Carolina is faced with some hard choices. On Tuesday, Governor Beverly Perdue released her proposed state budget for fiscal year 2010-2011 reflecting almost a $1 billion cut in the state's spending, which she says is focused on programs proven to be unproductive, wasteful or in need of greater efficiencies. "We're investing in technology to ferret our fraud, waste and abuse," she said during a telephonic press conference. Perdue's budget makes critical investments in four key areas: jobs and the economy, education, setting government straight and safer communities. "We want make sure we come out of this recession with North Carolina's government fixed and with the ability to pay for its future," she said. "Last year we

were identified mentioned as one of the states with the worst economic difficulty; however, with the hard work of the General Assembly, only eight months later we were identified as the best place to do business. We also retained our triple A rating, one of only seven states to do so." "With this budget, we want to shore up and stimulate an economy for small businesses to stay here and to flourish," she said. "This budget allocates $15 million as a  "Back to Work" incentive fund that provides a direct rebate to small businesses that hire long-term unemployed workers. It also allows for a $250 per person credit for small businesses that provide health insurance for their workers as well as money for employee training. "With regard to education, I am proud to say that everybody has accepted our Ready, Set, Go program designed to increase our high school graduation rate and provide students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in college, at the universities or in the work-

place. As for our teachers, this budget protects grades K through 3 from teacher loss; it provides for a salary increase to keep North Carolina schools competitive. North Carolina is now in 31st in teacher pay just one notch above South Carolina. Also, this budget fully funds growth for universities and community colleges. It provides a $131 million flexible line for use by local school boards at their discretion. With regard to setting government straight, Perdue said she will be implementing a sophisticated system to detect fraud in Medicaid, which will save the state millions of dollars. It will also fund a legal team to prosecute these cases with the expectation of a four to one return on the dollars spent. Another innovation regarding Medicaid requires that patients use only one doctor and one pharmacy so they cannot do doctor shopping which will keep narcotics from being sold illegally. "We have to do more with medical management in the Medicaid program ," she said. "Or else it will take

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every new dollar we get for the program as well as require us to take money from other programs." She said her proposed budget restores a $40 million cut in mental health, will build local hospital capacity across the state and hopefully put mental health back on the road to recovery within 18 months. With regard to health and safety issues, the budget re-appropriates money for AIDS, funding to bring 8,100 new children into the health care system and promotes healthier lifestyle practices. It also provides a better communication system with new technology within the criminal justice system, including increased DNA testing. Governor Perdue said she hopes that the General Assembly will adopt most of the proposals of this budget and that it will prove to be less combative as all state government works together to look out for the future of the state by doing more with less.

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Tri-County Community College President Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers is surrounded by members of the Ranger School Pre-K class on their recent visit to the main campus in Murphy. While the class toured the campus, the young students were welcomed by the media center staff, given a brief history of the campus and had their hair and nails attended to by cosmetology department students. The tour concluded with lunch at TC's Grill. Members of Kristin Gaither's Pre-K class at Peachtree Elementary School visited the main campus at Tri-County Community recently and Pictured - Floor sitting L to R: Â Olivia A., Tate R., Emily P., Charli M., stopped off at the college's award-winning cosmetology department. Displaying their new looks are .... Lori Beth Stalcup, Ruby Boehm, Kyle Karah C., Katie A., Nathan P. Patillo, Hope Noble, Noah Prohl, Baylee Prescott, Janene Gibby, Emma Adams, Chandler Smith, Alexis Stilwell, Luke Newton, Reagan Schultze, Standing L to R: Â Emily T., Dalton R., Caden T., Nataly T., Emily D., Danelle Dalton Campbell, Tyler Plemmons, Faith Ward, Mrs. Adam and Mrs. Gaither S., Marcos E., Aidan L., River P.

TCCC honors employee longevity

Contributed Photo

Pictured (L-R) are: Â Jason Outen, five years; Julie Hanwell, 10 years; Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers, TCCC President; Charlene Wood, 20 years; Kathy Temple, 10 years; Pauline Ledford, 10 years; Dotie Ortega, five years; Debbie Hogan, 25 years; Steve Wood, 20 years; Ginger Hubbard, 15 years; Chris Batchelder, five years; Cecilia Crawford, 15 years; Linda Lovingood, 25 years; Robin Stevenson, five years; Trevis Hicks, 10 years; Linda Kressal, 10 years; and Brian Lambert, five years.

Contributed Photo

Also honored with Service Awards but not present at the ceremony were Lee Erker, left, 30 years; and Dulcie Riffle, 10 years.

Tri-County Community College (TCCC) has honored 18 of its employees with a presentation of service awards. Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers, President of the College, led the ceremony and congratulated each recipient on behalf of the College and its Board of Trustees. “I appreciate each of you for all that you do for TriCounty Community College,� said Dr. Tipton-Rogers. “Your dedication allows us to continue to grow as a team and helps make this a wonderful place to learn and to work.� Lee Erker, Ph.D. of Mineral Bluff, GA was recognized for 30 years service with the college. He is chair of the Mathematics department. Debbie Hogan and Linda Lovingood were honored for 25 years service. Hogan, of Marble, is an instructor in the TCCC nursing program and Lovingood, from Hayesville, is Vice President for Instructional Services. Charlene Wood of Robbinsville and Steve Wood, Ph.D. of Blue Ridge, GA each celebrated 20 years of service to the state of North Carolina. Ms. Wood is Assistant to the President for Graham County Operations and Dr. Wood is an English instructor and Dean of Faculty. Recognized for 15 years service were Cecilia Crawford and Ginger Hubbard, both of Murphy. Crawford is Director of the Small Business Center. Hubbard is Assistant to the Executive Vice President for Operations. Honored for 10 years of service were Julie Hanwell of Murphy, Lead Instructor for Guided Studies; Trevis Hicks of Murphy, Instructor for Information Systems Networking Technology; Linda Kressal from Murphy, Director of Learning Resources and Library Services; Pauline Ledford of Hiawassee, GA, Head of the Cosmetology program; Dulcie Riffle from Murphy, Instructor for Early Childhood Education; and Kathryn Temple of Murphy, Coordinator/Instructor of Guided Studies. The rest of the honorees had each completed five years of service to the state. They included: Chris Batchelder of Hayesville, EMS Program Coordinator; Brian Lambert of Andrews, Maintenance/Custodian; Jason Outen of Andrews, Director of Technology; Dotie Stafford-Ortega of Murphy, College and Community Relations Specialist; and Robin K. Stevenson, also of Murphy, ABE Coordinator.

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WHO WILL BE THE NEXT SUPREME COURT JUSTICE?

The Brasstown Ringers will perform a spring concert

This Thursday - page 5A

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CHEROKEE

VOLUME 13 • ISSUE 16

WWW.WNCSENTINEL.NET | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010 | 50 CENTS TRAVEL

EDITORIAL

The state of real estate

Market conditions in Western NC are slowly getting better ,c$ ,\cKX 2_QRO]

4SXc^a "I'm doing double the work for half the pay." That's how Frank Schuler of Exit Realty in Murphy put it regarding the current real estate market conditions. "But, there are still houses being sold," he added. In an economy driven primarily by Real Estate and Tourism, it's no wonder as to why Cherokee county commerce has been down. However, many of our local real estate agents, like Frank Schuler, are remaining optimistic and putting in the necessary work to make sure that houses are being sold. So what is the current condition of our market? Right now it is definitely a buyers market - real estate values are down as much as 40% from what they were in 2005. The average home sale price from 2007 to 2010 hovers around $150,000, which is a far cry from the 249,000 dollar average from 2003 to 2006. Right now there are more reasons than ever to buy a home. Tax credits and mortgage breaks abound for first time home buyers, and there is even 6,500 dollars up for grabs if you already own a home. So, in seemingly perfect buying conditions, what is stopping our market from taking off like a rocket? It's more or less just an issue of momentum. The trends leading up to our market boom around the turn of the millennium are starting to repeat themselves. Each year in the 90's the market saw an increase in some form, and by the time we reached the year 2000, the market was running in full force. Real estate agents were coming in droves, and work was good for everyone. New construction wasn't just a need, it was heavily demanded because people from all around were flocking to the mountains.

Sub developments were taking off, pre-constructed houses were being sold at record levels because everyone wanted their little piece of the mountains. As people started "discovering" their place in the mountains they told their friends about it, who in turn, told their friends about it and so the cycle began for people to start flocking to Western North Carolina. That same type of momentum is what is needed to get our real estate market back what it once was. So far the trends are pointing in the right direction, agents are seeing an increase in interest and sales from month to month. Obviously, there will be some decline in the winter months, however the averages are starting to climb. The wheels of our real estate train are starting to turn again and people are starting to jump on board again. The outlook was gloomy for some time and that hint of optimism is starting to shine through in our local real estate agents and construction companies. According to the NC state demographic department, Cherokee County is projected to have a population close to 35,000 by the year 2030. That's a 37% increase over the year 2000 Census population of 24,298. With all of those people coming to Cherokee County, it's not a matter of IF the market will take off again but When. Exit Realty of Murphy was recently awarded the Pinnacle award for real estate in North Carolina. Meaning, out of countless agencies in the state, Exit Realty of Murphy sold the highest dollar amount per agent - a highly esteemed honor. With news like this, there is no doubt that our markets are picking up, thus taking our economy from recession to expansion. It's only a matter of time before this gives birth to another boom.

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After 155 days of diligent hard work, dynamite blasting, and excavating, Hwy. 64 is open once again. Eager drivers waited as the stretch of road was opened at 11 am on Wednesday, April 14th. Most excited were the local business owners of Polk County, TN and Cherokee County, NC.  In the five months that the road was out of commission, it was estimated that local businesses were losing a combined

BY THE NUMBERS • 26,000 Tons of debris removed from Nov. 10 rock slide • $2.1 million - Cost of cleaning up Nov. 10 slide • 14,000 Tons of debris removed from Jan. 19 rock slide • $759,000 - Cost of cleaning up Jan. 19 slide • Total of $2.8 million spent. • Total of 40,000 tons of rock removed.Â

total of nearly 100,000 dollars per day. That's a total estimate of 15,500,000 economy boosting dollars lost. A staggering figure that was felt mostly by gas stations and convenience stores serving the commuters traveling to and from Chattanooga, TN.  The re-opening couldn't have come at a better time for whitewater rafting companies servicing the Ocoee River. The prime season for rafting is almost in full swing and with the road finally open the adventure companies will be able to conduct business as usual. The November 10 and January 19 rock slides together cost a total of nearly 2.8 million dollars to remove. Couple that with the countless man hours put in day and night by the Tennessee DOT cleanup crews, and you've got a road that can handle traffic once again. It was estimated that crews removed a total of 40,000 tons of debris between the two rock slide sites.  In an effort to thwart another rock slide, the TDOT has made several modifications to the rock beds bordering the Ocoee Gorge.  450 rock bolts have been drilled into the rock - each

Tom Tohill, Contributed Photo

Tennessee DOT workers making progress on the Ocoee Gorge. Since the reopening the rock slide site has had a thorough cleaning, new black top, and a fresh coat of paint.Â

one reaching in 15 to 40 feet in order to keep the rock held tightly together. Holes have also been drilled in the rock to allow water to drain through instead of building up and putting pressure on the rock masses. A rock

fall fence was also placed at the mouth of the January 19 rock slide site near Greasy Creek. The fence will prevent any further rock debris from spilling into the road, should this happen again.

MENTAL HEALTH

You’ve got our money, SMC says Cherokee Co. joins with other NC counties to regain control of $25 million in mental health funds ,c$ 0\KXU ,\KNVOc BT]cX]T[ FaXcTa Smoky Mountain Center (SMC), a seven county consortium, which oversees the administration of mental health services along with those of persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders, is seeking to regain control of foundation funds amounting to $25 million. Currently those funds are being administered by the Evergreen Foundation, which is neither accountable to SMC nor responsive to the increased mental health needs of the people in western North Carolina, according to county commissioner Dana Jones, who is also a member of Smoky Mountain Center's board of directors. On Monday, the Cherokee County board of commissioners passed a resolution supporting SMC's efforts to restore public oversight of these funds that were originated for the sole pur-

pose of supporting people with mental illness, disabilities and substance abuse disorders in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. Jones said the current structure of the Foundation board was not allowing oversight by SMC with the result being that in some years more money was being spent in salaries and expenses by the Foundation staff than was actually being allocated to the counties for mental health services. He said with the recent cutbacks in the state's support of mental health services that it is essential that more of the Foundation's money get allocated to the counties for mental health services. "There is a great need here for these services," he said. "Cherokee and other counties are being short-changed by not getting more of the Foundation's funds." Jones told the board that the Smoky Mountain Center board had passed a similar resolution as had  other western

county board of commissioners. County manager David Badger, also a member of SMC, said the Foundation had been set up in 2001 due to the uncertainty of statewide mental health reform and the fear that SMC might be abolished with the Foundation's assets potentially being lost for their intended purposes; however, that fear ultimately proved to be unfounded, and SMC continues to be the public agency managing services to people with mental illness, developmental and intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders in the seven western counties. He explained that it is essential stewardship of the Foundation's public assets be under the oversight of a public entity to ensure that these assets are expressly used for their intended purpose to benefit SMC and the service needs of the counties that the Foundation was founded to serve. It was further explained that SMC was making every effort, diplomatic

and if necessary legal, to return governance of the Foundation Board and its assets to SMC to fulfill the original intent of the Foundation. This would be done by reinstitution a Foundation Board of Directors that is appointed by SMC, with the majority of the Foundation Board members also being members of the SMC Board of Directors from the seven western counties, whose mandate is to provide public oversight of the Foundation. In other matters, the county board of commissioners passed a resolution supporting the current arrangement of North Carolina's regulation of alcoholic beverage as opposed to privatizing it. It was felt that changing the system might take away local control as well as the loss of funds to both the county and the towns of Murphy and Andrews. The board also reappointed Don Ambler, a dentist, Â to serve as another three-year term on the county's board of health.

1RUWK &DUROLQD ZRQ¡W MRLQ KHDOWKFDUH DFW ODZVXLW &RRSHU VD\V Attorney General Roy Cooper writes to Governor Perdue

Dear Governor Perdue: After the recent passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590, I received requests from several elected officials to have North Carolina join a lawsuit filed against the United States of America by a number of state Attorneys General challenging this legislation. Our attorneys, Including the Solicitor General and my General Counsel, have studied 'the law and the provisions of the legislation that have given rise to the legal action. After careful consideration, I have concluded that North

Carolina will not join 'this lawsuit. I have attached a memorandum from Solicitor General Christopher Browning which outlines 'the legal considerations upon which I base this decision. The United States Supreme Court has held that duly ratified acts of Congress are presumed to be constitutional and It Is clear 'that Congress has extremely broad authority under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. Health insurance reform and access to health care are policy decisions that should be decided by elected representatives I not by appointed federal judges. There Is ample time for elected representatives to change this legislation since most of the provisions in question will not take effect

1900 US Hwy. 64W Murphy NC, 28906

accident. These are important protections for people who have suffered from unfair health insurance provisions and It is feared that these protections may be repealed In the unlikely event "the lawsuit succeeds. Problems with health insurance and health care have led the list of consumer complaints in our office for the past five years. Instead of court fights and exaggerated rhetoric from both sides, it Is my hope that state and federal leaders will focus on the real health care challenges people face every day. My office will continue to carefully monitor this case and review the Issues that arise, and please feel free to contact me if you should have any questions.

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until the year 2013. In the unlikely event that this legal challenge does succeed I any decision will likely affect all of the states I Including North Carolina, regardless of whether our state joins. I would also draw your attention to several provisions of the law that would directly address some of the frequent health insurance complaints my Consumer Protection Division gets from everyday North Carolinians. The new law will prohibit health insurance companies from refusing to insure people based on preexisting health conditions, as they often do now. It would also prevent insurance companies from removing people from health care insurance policies after they suffer a serious illness or

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

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April 21, 2010

BRIEFS

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1XV 5aP]Z VTcb P [^c S^]T “Big Frank� Schuler with Exit Realty Mountain View Properties in Murphy NC was the TOP SELLING AGENT for March 2010. Exit of the Carolinas has just announced regional ranking top ten agents in transaction sides closed from January 1 though March 30,  2010 and Big frank Schuler at Exit Realty Mountain View Properties is the number 1 in North Carolina. Big Frank also is celebrating his 5th year anniversary with Exit Realty Mountain View Properties located on Hwy 64 West in Murphy NC.

Presenting Donors May Enter A Drawing To Win A Cruise For Two

<da_Wh <XSS[T bcdST]c aTRTXeTb U^da ]PcX^]P[ UXabc _[PRT fX]b X] aPRT Josh Standish, 14, of Murphy Middle School, raced this past weekend at the Dixieland National race in Powder Spring, GA. Josh raced and received 4 NATIONAL FIRST PLACE WINS. Josh started racing last year at the Ocoee BMX track in Ducktown, TN and rapidly progressed to racing both local and National level races. He is currently displaying a #2 plate for his placement in the Redline Cup East Coast Championship race back in the fall. This means he placed 2nd for the East Coast Redline Championship for his age and skill level. Through the American Bicycle Association (www.ABABMX.com) Josh placed third in 2009 for his District. He will race again this Friday, April 23, 2010 at the Bradley County BMX track in Cleveland, TN.(BradleyBMX.com) His next National race will be May 14-16, in Dothan, Alabama.

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<da_Wh 0SeT]cXbc 2WaXbcXP] BRW^^[ "aS @dPacTa 7^]^a A^[[ 1st grade Jason Brunner – A Honor Roll 2nd grade Isley Johnson – A Honor Roll Ashley Stiles – A Honor Roll 3rd grade Anna Weaver – B Honor Roll 4th grade Sara Brunner – A Honor Roll 5th grade George Brunner – A,B Honor Roll 6th grade Canyon Lee – A,B Honor Roll Joseph Stephens – A,B Honor Roll

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Kayla Stiles – A,B Honor Roll 7th grade Elizabeth Schutte – A,B Honor Roll 8th grade Scot Brunner – A Honor Roll Brittany Goolsby – A, B Honor Roll 10th grade Jonathan Stephens – A,B Honor Roll 12th grade Astrid Weaver – A,B Honor Roll Rachel Aldrich – B Honor Roll

Cherokee and Clay Counties The summer season is always the most relaxing and fun – sun, sand and plenty of smiles. What many don’t realize is that during the busy summer season, blood donations often decline due to vacation and summer activities, while the need for blood remains constant. The American Red Cross is asking donors to “Cruise Into Summer� by donating blood or platelets. The campaign, which runs from April 1 to June 30, 2010, gives each person who presents to donate blood or platelets with the Red Cross an opportunity to enter a drawing for the chance to win a cruise for two. By donating early

in the season, blood donors can donate two or more times during the summer months, helping ensure blood is available for patients throughout this critical time. • Monday, May 10 Murphy Community Blood Drive at First United Methodist Church (71 Valley River Avenue, Murphy) 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm Please call 837-3889 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-Ins Welcome! Appointments preferred. • Tuesday, May 11 Murphy High School Blood Drive (234 High School Cir-

cle, Murphy) 8:30 am to 1:00 pm Please call 837-4795 for more information or to schedule an appointment. • Friday, May 21 Andrews High School Blood Drive (50 High School Drive, Andrews) 9:30 am to 2:30 pm Please call Mrs. Haydon at 3215415 ext. 2117 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-Ins Welcome! Appointments preferred. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The Carolinas Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross provides lifesaving blood to 103 hos-

pitals and must have 1,600 people give blood and platelets each weekday to meet patient needs. Blood can be safely donated every 56 days. Most healthy people age 17 and older, or 16 with parental consent, who weigh at least 110 pounds, are eligible to donate blood and platelets. Donors who are 18 and younger must also meet height and weight requirements. For more information or to schedule an appointment to donate at a nearby donor center, call 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.

ROCKSLIDE

Project turns mountainside into Grand Central Station

With the rockslide project entering the homestretch, the rural mountain is beginning to look like Grand Central Station as crews engage in a flurry of activities: Two teams of workers were on the ground: • One crew finished chewing up the old asphalt (a process called milling) on the road in front of the rockslide and the nearby site of the Jan. 23 rockslide. Paving should begin later this week. • Another group assembled rock bolts they plan to install with a helicopter tomorrow, weather permitting. They have installed 389 rock bolts, so far.  Four different crews worked on the mountain: • One group drilled on the vertical edge of the lower slope. They have drilled 540 of the 590 holes needed to stabilize the mountain. • Another team prepared holes to receive those bolts. They measured each hole to make sure it was the correct depth and cleaned it out with compressed air. • Yet another group tested the “tensionedâ€? rock bolts. They have tested about 121 of the 140 “tensionedâ€? bolts placed in the mountain. The other rock bolts use a “passiveâ€? system in which the mountain itself creates the downward pull that stabilizes it. • Finally, one crew continued to remove loose

boulders, rocks and debris from Site #4, which is next to the rockslide. “It’s plenty busy and we’re feeling good,� said North Carolina Department of Transportation project inspector Mike Patton. “As long as the weather holds, we’ll be in good shape.� The National Weather Service forecast for the area calls for a mix of sun and clouds through April 20. A video detailing the challenges of drilling on the vertical edge has been posted on NCDOT’s YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/ NCDOTcommunications. Click on, “Drilling the Mountain Face.� This section of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee border has been closed in both directions since the rockslide occurred Oct. 25. NCDOT estimates that it will reopen I-40 by late April when work at the October rockslide site should be completed. About one mile of the westbound lane closest to the mountain will be closed until this summer to allow crews to complete the work – including the installation of rock bolts and anchor mesh – at five additional sites. Travelers still can reach Western North Carolina via I-40 from the east and I-26 to the north and south. Exits 20 and 27 on I-40 provide access to popular destinations west of Asheville. In Tennessee, exits 432 through 451 provide access

Sentinel Newsgroup (828) 389-8338

to popular destinations in southeastern Tennessee. The detour route is 53 miles longer and is an additional 45 minutes to an hour driving time. Motorists traveling on I-40 West should take Exit 53B (I-240 West) in Asheville and follow I-240 West to Exit 4A (I-26 West). Follow I-26 West (a North Carolina Scenic Highway) to I-81 South in Tennessee. Take I-81 South and follow it back to I-40 at mile marker 421. Eastbound motorists should use the reverse directions. NCDOT reminds motorists to stay alert, follow instructions on the message boards on the highways, obey the posted speed limit, leave early and travel at non-peak times when possible. Plan ahead before driving by visiting the NCDOT Traveler Information Management System Web site at www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/ or calling 511, the state’s free travel information line, for current travel conditions. NCDOT also provides alerts about traffic congestion and construction work on Twitter. To access them, go to www.ncdot.gov/travel/ twitter/. For daily rockslide updates, please visit the NCDOT Web site at www.ncdot.gov and click on the I-40 rockslide daily news and information section or follow work on the rockslide project on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ i40_rockslide.

AD VERTISE

5Pa\Tab <PaZTcX]V <TTcX]V The Southern Appalachian Family Farmers (SAFF) would like to invite all farmers, landowners, and anyone interested in wanting to farm to attend their next meeting. SAFF is now getting organized and is seeking funding to hire a marketing coordinator to help them find high-end markets. Back in October last year, Tim Will from Foothills Connect came and spoke to the group about selling produce on the Internet like the farmers are doing in Rutherford County. Tim is coming back to talk to SAFF about getting area farmers set up for marketing via the internet, to restaurants in neighboring cities. The meeting will be on April 22nd, 7:00pm at the Tri-County Community College Center for Applied Technology in Marble. Many people in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties are unemployed, but may have some land that could be used to grow specialty crops to help supplement income. Tim has farmers that grow in their backyard and market through Foothills Connect. Some of these specialty crops are grown in special beds that don’t require any soil. If you are interested in attending this important meeting or joining SAFF, please call the Extension office at 828-837-2210 to register.

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SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE

Do you remember the movie called The Producers? The down-andout director was fleecing little old women by selling them shares in his next play. Of course, he grossly oversold the number of shares and had to look for a play that was sure to fail. That way, he got to pocket the money and “comfort� the little women over their poor luck. They never knew the game was rigged – until the play turned out to be wildly successful. I was reminded of this play upon finding that Goldman Sachs, the most trusted and admired Wall Street investment firm, was charged with rigging the investment game against its own clients. The firm has been charged with bundling very poor investment grade debt and selling it to their clients, all the while collaborating with a hedge fund manager, with whom they jointly selected the poor investments to bundle, and knowing this manager was betting the debt would go into default. The hedge fund manager made over one billion dollars in 2008 while Goldman Sachs clients took a severe beating in the financial markets. According to the Wall Street Journal, these charges may prove to be the tip of the iceberg for many of the top investment firms on Wall Street. Most people are probably not surprised by this reckless and unethical behavior as we have come to expect our financial system to be overloaded with greed. Since the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999, institutions that previously were prohibited from engaging in both commercial and investment banking were allowed to merge and expand into any type of financial transaction. The floodgates of hell were opened and it only took ten years before they brought this country to its knees. The Democrats are trying to address the financial abuses of Wall Street and to prevent another financial collapse. After the banking collapse of 1929, Congress passed the Glass-Steagall Act in 1932 and 1933 (two different acts addressing the banking system and named after the sponsors, Carter Glass, D-VA, and Henry Steagall, D-AL) and the effect was to regulate banking. The provisions of both acts were successful until its shortsighted repeal in 1999. For what appear to be specious reasons, Republicans are opposed to the Democratic plans to re-regulate the financial industry. The main reason Republicans say they oppose the proposed regulations is that they will lead to more taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street. They are referring to a provision that requires financial firms to pay into a $50 billion fund that would be used to wind down any too-big-to-fail firm that was collapsing, thus preventing a taxpayer bailout. The industry is being charged to bail itself out so that taxpayers no longer are forced to repeat the bailouts of 2008, a most distasteful matter. This “bailout fund� is little different from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) that was created in 1932. Banks pay into the FDIC and that money is used to handle failing banks, of which Georgia has had an abundance since 2008. The FDIC is no more a taxpayer bailout for the banks than is the proposed bailout fund for large financial institutions. In my opinion, too many Democrats and Republicans in Congress are beholding to Wall Street. It will be a miracle is substantial re-regulation is passed but at least the Democratic plan, though weak, is stronger than the Republican plan. Republicans have decided, even on important matters like this, to continue to be the Party of No, or as Sarah Palin says, hell no. They are making a big mistake taking the side of Wall Street – and make no mistake about it, that is exactly what they are doing. Main Street plays second fiddle in the Republican Party. For the life of me, I cannot understand the Republican worship of free markets. They speak of the wisdom of the markets and how free markets will regulate themselves, as if free markets have a mind of their own. However, men run the markets, rig the markets, defraud the markets, and pursue greed without regard to ethics or morality. We must have the markets, but we need transparency, honesty, and ethical behavior. It is a sad commentary on man that regulations are necessary to curb unbridled greed. I would hope Congress would re-pass the GlassSteagall Acts of 1932 and 1933 and be done with it. These acts worked well for over 60 years; bring them back. Let us separate commercial from investment banking for the last time.

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In last week’s column, I urged both Democrats and Republicans to tone down the rhetoric, stick to the facts, and have civil debates about the serious challenges we face as a nation. I also mentioned that people should stop the spread of false and malicious emails. Well, it so happened I was on the receiving end of two such emails this week. I seem to get a lot of those in my inbox, and since most, though by no means all of my friends and family are quite conservative, the vast majority of what I receive is aimed at Obama and the Democrats in Congress. The first email suggested that Barack Obama never actually attended Columbia University where he claims to have graduated in 1983 before attending Harvard Law School. It said that NO ONE has ever come forward who actually remembers being there with him. Mysteriously, Obama has refused to release his transcript from the school or any of the papers he wrote while in attendance. This dearth of information has led to wild speculation on the part of ultraconservatives. Did he lie about his education? It took me less than three minutes to type “Obama Columbia University� into Google, and right away, I was directed to a web site that debunks urban legends and other falsehoods. It turns out it is true that Obama has never released any papers from his time at Columbia, making it appear that he has something to hide. However, it is NOT true that no one remembers him from his time at the school. Columbia claims him as one of their graduates. A former professor remembers that he easily aced the class he taught in foreign affairs. A school publication contained an article written by Obama. A former roommate has also come forward with information about their time there. And finally, there is no way Obama would have been admitted to Harvard Law School without having graduated from somewhere! The second email claimed that Obama had cancelled the 2009 National Day of Prayer, held each year by Christians throughout the country, and then sanctioned a National Day of Prayer for Muslims on Capitol Hill. This time I went to www.snopes.com and checked it out. The National Day of Prayer was not cancelled. Obama did decide not to have the public White House ceremony which was held annually during the eight years of the Bush administration. Instead, he signed a proclamation announcing the day of prayer and urged Americans everywhere to pray for their country and leaders. There was never a publicly-sanctioned National Day of Prayer for Muslims. There was a privately organized event for Muslims to pray for America that took place in the nation’s capital in September of 2009. A little something called freedom of speech allows them to do that, just as it allows Christians to gather around the flagpoles in communities all over America on the National Day of Prayer. We Christians had better not try to take that right away from others, because if we do, it will soon be taken away from us. Frankly, what we know about Obama is enough to worry me – I don’t need people going around making stuff up! I don’t buy all these conspiracy theories and outlandish accusations. There are well-respected conservative journalists like George Will and William Kristol who would be all over these stories if there were anything to them. Occasionally, bloggers do uncover stories that turn out to be true and eventually get picked up by the mainstream media (like the ACORN scandal). Until that happens, it seems to me we should ignore rumors and speculation. Such falsehoods are spread by members of both political parties. Another email that made the rounds a few years ago claimed that President George W. Bush had the lowest IQ of any president from the past fifty years. This information supposedly came from a study by an organization that does not even exist. It listed the twelve presidents that have served in the past 50 years in their order of IQ. Interestingly, all those with top IQ’s were Democrats, with Bill Clinton having the highest one of all! I used to just delete these emails, but I am now engaged in a campaign to stamp out ignorance. As soon as I get one, I check it out on sites such as Snopes or www.factcheck.org. Then I send the link to the person who forwarded me the email and suggest that they check out future emails for themselves. The Internet provides a wealth of valuable information. Unfortunately, it is also the source of rumors and outright lies. We all need to make it our personal responsibility to verify information before we pass it on to others.

Leah Ward Sears is believed to be on President Obama’s short list for the US Supreme Court due to the recently announced retirement plans of Justice Stevens. I was invited by my daughter to a reception for Sears, then Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Ward Sears is the first female chief justice in the United States and the first African American in Georgia to be elected to state wide office. My daughter works for Cornell University and was arranging a meeting of Alumni in the Atlanta area with the Chief Justice, a Cornell graduate. My daughter’s invitation was contingent on my promising to NOT ask any questions until the cameras were off. Ward Sears gave a passionate discussion including the breakdown of the black family and the need for more government funding to teach black fathers to be more responsible. During her presentation, she blamed Ronald Reagan for the breakdown of the black family. I asked her why she blamed Ronald Reagan. She said that he was governor of California when no-fault divorce was passed by the CA state legislature. I replied, “The breakdown of the family is not just a black problem. You mentioned in your speech that by 1972, 70 percent of all black children were being born out of wedlock. Well today more than 25% of all white children are also born out of wedlock.� “In 1965, the year that the Great Society legislation was passed, less than 10% of black children were born out of wedlock and 80% of all black children lived in a home with two parents. But that legislation destroyed that because the government gave a 14-year-old girl who got pregnant and had a child out of wedlock, a free separate dwelling away from her parents, free food, medical and dental services plus money for expenditures. It gave an incentive to be irresponsible.� “Until people recognize what caused the problem, it will never be fixed.�She actually fell back and put her hands up as if to protect herself and kept repeating, “I could not disagree with you more!� But it appeared to me that she had never heard that argument and was processing it. One of the biggest problems I find with Liberals is that they have been so indoctrinated and self-isolated that they are not even aware that philosophical opponents might have a fact based logical point of view. They really have no idea what conservatives actually think. Typical of many Liberals, the topic was immediately changed and I was interrogated. Being the only white person left in the group, I was asked “What do you think the about the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton?� I replied without hesitation, “They are pimp extortionists and if I were black I would be ashamed to think that anyone would consider that they represent me!� There was a long uncomfortable silence until a black woman blurted out, “Thank you, thank you, finally a white man who is not afraid to speak the truth.� You would be surprised what will happen when you refuse to keep quiet about politically incorrect off limit topics. Someone might learn something.

*UHHQ EXLOGLQJ FRGH SXEOLVKHG What is the International Code Council? The organization that publishes the codes that our states have adopted. Your building inspector enforces these codes when inspecting your construction. Does this mean we will all have to build by this new code? Not unless the state government or local county adopts this code as law. The International Code Council writes many different codes, and our governments choose which ones they want to make law. They also might revise them to suit their own jurisdiction. Perhaps the government could make this an option instead of a requirement. Why is this news important to us? First because it can substantially change green building here in the mountains and throughout the rest of our country. At this time, if you want to build and you want your building certified green, you must choose between several green building programs like Tennessee Valley Authority's Energyright Program, Western North Carolina's HealthyBuilt Home Program, Southface Institute's Earthcraft House Program, or LEED. Each program has its advantages and disadvantages. Usually you must find a builder that is approved to build under this program. You also need someone to inspect and certify that your building meets the program's requirements during various stages of construction. If the new green building code is adopted where you

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live, it would be enforced by your building inspectors. This would make green building certification much more accessible to all. But this would come at a cost. The inspectors would need extensive training.The local building departments would need access to expensive testing equipment to test the home and the ductwork for air leaks. There is another reason this is important to us. Right now the International Code Council has published a draft of this code on their web site for public review and comment. If you are concerned with this issue, you can download your own copy, study it, and email back the changes you would like to see. People in the construction industry like to complain about building codes. But if they have a valid complaint they can do something about it. They can submit their idea to the International Code Council. If the council's engineers see that the complaint has merit, if a change would not raise building costs too much, if it would improve construction, they just might change the code. For your copy of this new code: www.iccsafe.org Click on “Codes, Standards, and Guidelines� then “International Green Construction Code.� Download your own copy. This column also invites your input. Email me your questions and ideas. Richard C. MacCrea is the director of The Greening of Andrews Valley, a program of Andrews Valley Initiative. He works in the field of energy efficient, green building design. rmaccrea1@gmail.com

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April 21, 2010

Christopher Browning reviews the health act Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590 You have asked me to review the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590, and advise you as to whether North Carolina should join as a plaintiff in the action recently filed by Florida and 12 other States in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Florida v. United States Dep’t of Health & Human Servs., Case No. 3:10-cv-91 (N.D. Fla., filed Mar. 23, 2010). In that action, the plaintiff States challenge the constitutionality of selected provisions of that Act. It is my strong recommendation that North Carolina not join as a plaintiff in that action. Two-hundred twenty members of the House of Representative and 56 Senators voted in favor of health care reform. Additionally, the Act was signed into law by the President. Each of these elected representatives has taken an oath of office to abide by the Constitution of the United States. See U.S. Const. art. II, § 1, cl. 8; art. VI, cl. 3. The determination by the United States Senate, the House of Representatives and the President that this Act is constitutional must not be ignored. In fact, the United States Supreme Court has made clear that a duly ratified Act of Congress is presumed to be constitutional. See United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598, 607 (2000) (“Due respect for the decisions of a coordinate branch of Government demands that we invalidate a congressional enactment only upon a plain showing that Congress has exceeded its constitutional bounds.â€?); Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733, 757 (1974) (noting “strong presumptive validityâ€? that attaches to acts of Congress). One of the principal claims set out in Florida’s complaint is an allegation that the Act commandeers the plaintiff States and their employees “as agents of the federal government’s regulatory scheme at the states’ own cost.â€? Fla. Complaint Âś 58. The plaintiff States proceed to argue that this “commandeeringâ€? of State resources violates the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution. Id.; see U.S. Const. amend. X (“The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, respectively, or to the people.â€?). Medicaid, however, is a voluntary program. States are free to choose not to participate in this program. Florida and the other plaintiff States may drop out of the Medicaid program and not incur the additional costs of which they complain. If Florida, however, chooses to participate in,

and accept the benefits of, the Medicaid program, it cannot complain that its resources have been commandeered in violation of the Tenth Amendment. Congress “may attach conditions on the receipt of federal funds, and has repeatedly employed the power to further broad policy objectives by conditioning receipt of federal moneys upon compliance by the recipient with federal statutory and administrative directives.� South Dakota v. Dole, 483 U.S. 203, 206 (1987) (internal quotations omitted). Consequently, the United States Supreme Court has previously upheld Congress’ authority to limit receipt of federal highway funds to States enacting a drinking age of 21 and to require compliance with the Social Security Act in order for States to receive grants for unemployment compensation. Id.; Steward Mach. Co. v. Davis, 301 U.S. 548 (1937). Accordingly, Florida’s argument that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will require Florida to spend more money if it continues to participate in the Medicaid program appears to be without merit. In addition to a claim based on the Tenth Amendment, the complaint asserts that Congress lacks authority to enact one specific aspect of the legislation – the personal responsibility provision. Under this provision, individuals are required to either maintain health insurance or pay a tax as a result of the failure to do so. The Act sets out detailed factual findings as to the effect that health care expenditures have upon our Nation’s economy. Congress enacted this legislation based upon its authority under the Commerce Clause and the Taxing and Spending Clause of the United States Constitution. Congress has extremely broad authority under the Commerce Clause. See McLain v. Real Estate Bd., 444 U.S. 232, 241 (1980) (“The broad authority of Congress under the Commerce Clause has, of course, long been interpreted to extend beyond activities actually in interstate commerce to reach other activities that, while wholly local in nature, nevertheless substantially affect interstate commerce.�); Fry v. United States, 421 U.S. 542, 547 (1975) (“Congress’ power under the Commerce Clause is very broad�); United States v. Zeigler, 19 F.3d 486, 489 n.1 (10th Cir. 1994) (“It is generally recognized that Congress has extremely broad jurisdiction under the Commerce Clause.�). The same is true of the Taxing Clause. Williams v. Rhodes, 393 U.S. 23, 29 (1968) (“Congress is granted broad power to ‘lay and collect Taxes’�); see also Erwin

Legal Notices CREDITOR’S NOTICE 10 E 69 Having qualified as the executor of the estate of Earl T. Sears deceased, late of Cherokee County, North Carolina. This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at 594 Brasstown View Road on or before the 14th day July of , 2010 this notice will be pleaded in bar of there recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 8th day of April 2010. Sean P Sears, Sr Executor of the Estate of Earl T Sears, Deceased.

CREDITOR’S NOTICE 10 E 68 Having qualified as the executor of the estate of Jerry L Sears deceased, late of Cherokee County, North Carolina. This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at 594 Brasstown View Road on or before the 14th day July of , 2010 this notice will be pleaded in bar of there recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 8th day of April 2010. Sean P Sears, Sr Executor of the Estate of Jerry L Sears, Deceased.

CREDITOR’S NOTICE 10 E 69 Having qualified as the executrix of the estate of Robert Berman Sr. deceased, late of Cherokee County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at 901 Midway Creek Road, Murphy, NC 28906 on or before the 7th day July of , 2010 this notice will be pleaded in bar of there recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This the 5th day of April 2010. Glenda C. Berman Jennifer Lynn Coburn Co -Executrix of the Estate of Robert Berman, Deceased.

NOTICE TO THE CREDITORS OF ARTHUR L. KUMMERLEN Having qualified as the Ancillary Administrator CTA of the Estate of ARTHUR L. KUMMERLEN deceased, late of Palm Beach County, State of Florida, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned at the following address: P.O. Box 596, Murphy, NC 28906, on or before the 14th day of July, 2010, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said decedent will please make immediate payment. This 14th day of April, 2010. W. Arthur Hays, Jr., Ancillary Administrator CTA of the Estate of Arthur L. Kummerlen

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Chemerinsky, Protecting the Spending Power, 4 Chap. L. Rev. 89, 91 (2001) (“Congress has broad power to tax and spend for the general welfare so long as it does not violate other constitutional provisions�). Moreover, the Court has expressly recognized that Congress has the authority to regulate insurance under the Commerce Clause. United States v. South-Eastern Underwriters Ass’n, 322 U.S. 533 (1944). Although Congress’ authority under the Commerce Clause is extremely broad, the Court has made clear that this authority is not without bounds. In recent years, for example, the Court has struck down legislation that attempted to criminalize violence against women, as well as legislation that made it unlawful to possess a handgun on school property. United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000); United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549 (1995). Both Lopez and Morrison involved federal regulation of noneconomic criminal conduct. As the Court noted in Morrison, “we can think of no better example of the police power, which the Founders denied the National Government and reposed in the States.� 529 U.S. at 618. The regulation of the economic effect of health care is markedly different from the two criminal statutes before the Court in Lopez and Morrison. Moreover, subsequent to Morrison and Lopez, the Court held that the cultivation of marijuana for one’s personal use could be restricted by Congress pursuant to the Commerce Clause. Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005). The collective impact upon our national economy resulting from persons who do not maintain health insurance (but who nevertheless turn to public hospitals when faced with health care emergencies) far exceeds the impacts upon commerce at issue in Morrison and Lopez. Nevertheless, I recognize that the specific factual scenario raised by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has not previously been addressed by the Court. Accordingly, the arguments made by opponents of this legislation should not be characterized as frivolous. See, e.g., Randy Barnett, Nathaniel Stewart & Todd Gaziano, Why the Personal Mandate to Buy Health Insurance is Unprecedented and Unconstitutional (Dec. 2009) (available at www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2009/12/ Why-the-Personal-Mandate-toBuy- Health-Insurance-Is-Unprecedented-and-Unconstitutional); see also Jennifer Staman & Cynthia Brougher, Requiring Individuals to Obtain Health Insurance: A Constitutional Analysis, Congressional Research Service 18

(2009) (“While it seems possible that Congress could enact an individual coverage requirement that would pass constitutional muster, there are various constitutional considerations relevant to the enactment of such a proposal.�). Thus, although I would not characterize the present action as frivolous, it appears to have little chance of success. In addition to the significant legal hurdles that Florida faces in this action, several practical and prudential considerations weigh heavily against North Carolina joining the present action. Being one among 13 other States and the last State to join that lawsuit, North Carolina would have little to no voice as to strategy decisions that are made in the course of that action. Nevertheless, North Carolina would be expected to pay its proportionate share of the lawsuit – an amount that will likely be substantial. Additionally, if we were to participate in this lawsuit, it would be necessary to devote one or more attorneys in our office to monitor the motions, briefing and discovery in that action. Our office’s consistent practice is to closely monitor and to coordinate with outside counsel whenever a private law firm is representing the State of North Carolina. Thus, joining this lawsuit would require us to devote substantial resources to this action. North Carolina, however, could avoid these substantial expenditures by simply awaiting the verdict of the district court. Any decision in this case will ultimately be appealed to the United States Supreme Court and thereby become binding on all 50 States. Thus, it would seem to be in the interest of taxpayers for the State of North Carolina not to incur these litigation expenses unnecessarily. Additionally, it should be noted that the provisions of the Act being attacked do not become effective until the year 2013. Given the fact that this provision could be repealed or amended within the next three years, it would appear to be a waste of taxpayer funds to mount litigation challenging this provision at the present time. Finally, it should be noted that the private law firm that is representing the plaintiff States in this action is adverse to North Carolina in another pending matter. For the reasons set forth above, I do not believe that it would be a wise use of state resources to join the litigation pending in Florida. Whether health care reform should be implemented is a policy determination that best lies in the hands of Congress. That decision, whether wise or unwise, should not be derailed by litigation initiated by the States.

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-0$"Marie Ware, age 81,of Marietta, GA and formerly of Murphy, NC passed away Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at Kennestone Hosptial in Marietta, GA. She was a native of Buncombe County, NC but had lived most of her life in Cherokee County before moving to Cobb County four years ago. Marie was the daughter of the late Harrison Luther Truett and Nellie Marie Lunsford Truett Ingram. She was a retired hair dresser, loved crocheting and took special care of her mother, Nellie Marie for many years. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Ware; son, Rex Lane Ware and daughter, Leona Sapp and two brothers, Rev. Jim Truett and Thomas (Bud) Truett. She is survived by three daughters, Mary McGlow of Cartersville, GA, Carolyn Rhodes of Marietta,

April 21, 2010

7ULEXWHV Marie Ware

GA and Helen Greenwood of Marietta, GA; one brother, Roy Dale Ingram of Chattanooga, TN; 16 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.

Funeral Services were held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the Townson-Rose Funeral Home Chapel in Murphy, NC. The Rev. Billy Rhodes officiated. Burial was in the Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery in Murphy, NC. Pallbearers were David Sapp, Jr., Mark Rhodes, Frank Rhodes, Adam Rhodes, Richard Langley, Brian Langley, Stephen Ramsey and Daniel Ramsey. Honorary Pallbearers were Hunter Brooks, Andrew Langley and Charlie Langley. The family received friends from 6:00 PMÂ to 8:00 PM, Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Townson-Rose Funeral Home in Murphy, NC. You may send tributes to the Ware family at www.mem.com or view other obits at www.townsonrose.com Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Bessie Mae Williams

Bessie Mae Williams, 72, of Robbinsville died Monday, April 12, 2010 in a Murphy medical center. She was a native of Graham County. She had worked on assembly lines in her early life and later worked as a groundskeeper for the U.S. Forest Service. Bessie also volunteered her time as a witness for the Lord to patients in Britthaven of Graham. She was a member of the Lone Oak Baptist Church in Robbinsville, where she loved to sing.  She was the daughter of the late Noah and Nora Bailey Crisp and was also preceded in death by a daughter, Lynda Palmer.  Surviving are five daughters, Sheila Graham and husband, Ken, Kathleen Williams, Irene Farley and husband, Mickey, Claudine Gibson and husband, Ricky, and Sherry Jean Bowers, age 59, of Murphy, NC passed away Friday, April 16, 2010 at the Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC. She was a native of Pulaski, GA and the daughter of the late Jack Melvin and Thelma Baker Parton Francis. Sherry had worked for Levi Strauss & Company for 14 years and New Mart Rug in Dalton, GA for four years. She was of the Baptist faith. She loved her grandchildren, cooking, gardening and crossword puzzles. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by one brother, Herbert Holloway. She is survived by her husband,

Loretta Marino and husband, Jason, all of Robbinsville; a son, Jimmy Williams of Robbinsville; a sister, Myrtle Stahl of Esto, FL; six brothers, Henry Crisp of Robbinsville, Eddie Crisp of Bryson City, Beacher Crisp of Belvidere, NJ, Herbert Crisp of Esto, FL, Den-

Sherry Jean Bowers Larry Bowers; two sons, Robert Francis and Frankie Jones both of Murphy, NC; one daughter, Tammy Blunt of Waycross, GA; two brothers, Johnny Francis and Joe Francis both of Murphy, NC; six grandchildren, Sherry Diaz, Cody Clark, Jeremy Burris, Thelma Cheyanne Jones, Brandon Anderson and Eowyn Alexis Francis and five great grandchildren, Mariana Diaz, Thalia Diaz, Melina Diaz, Adrianna Diaz, and Natalie Clark. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the Townson-Rose Funeral Home Chapel in Murphy, NC. The Rev. Shannon Helton will officiate.

nis Crisp of Harrodsburg, KY, and Ralph Crisp of Morristown, TN; and 13 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.  Funeral services were held at 11:00 AM Thursday, April 15, 2010 in the Lone Oak Baptist Church with Revs. Max Turpin and Scott Roper officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Shaun and Kenny Graham, Jeremiah Satterfield, Jimmy Millsaps, Rance Schuler, and Joe Palmer. The family received friends from 6-8 Wednesday evening, April 14 at the Lone Oak Baptist Church.  Ivie Funeral Home, Andrews in charge of all arrangements.  An online guest register is available at “Obituariesâ€? at www.ivifuneralhome.com

Burial will be in the Ranger United Methodist Church Cemetery in Murphy, NC. Pallbearers will be Chad Bryant, Dylan Bryant, Eric Frances, Jody Burrell, and Bobby Thrasher. The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday, April 19, 2010 at the Townson-Rose Funeral Home in Murphy, NC. You may send tributes to the Bowers family at www.mem.com or view other obits at www.townson-rose.com Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Â

Ramona “Pony� Hawkins Shields

Ramona “Ponyâ€? Hawkins Shields, 73, of Murphy died Thursday, April 15, 2010 in Murphy Medical Center. She was a native and lifetime resident of Cherokee County. She had worked for 17 years as a program assistant with the Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service. Ramona was a member of the Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church. She was a seamstress, loved working with crafts, was an avid flower gardener and known throughout the community for her beautiful hybrid daylilies. She was a devoted caregiver and was a loving wife, mother, friend, and Christian witness.  She was the daughter of the late Clyde E. and Ella Vee Hamilton Jory and was the wife of the late Paul Ray Hawkins, who died February 25, 1999. She was also preceded in death by a son, Eddie Neil Hawkins, who died October 21, 1995. Surviving are her husband, Pastor Hadley Shields; a son, Paul Keith Hawkins and wife, Debbie of Murphy; three step-daughters, Millie Gazaway and husband, Mike of Rex, GA, Diane Blair and

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husband, Jim of Ft. Myers, FL, and Rita Mathis and husband, Gerald of Blairsville, GA; a step-son, Ronnie Shields and wife, Robbie of Blairsville, GA; a sister, Billie June Jory Howell and husband, George of Brandon, FL; a brother, Clyde Sidney Jory and wife, Sharon of Turtletown, TN; nine step-grandchildren and six great step- grandchildren; and four nieces and six nephews. A memorial service was held at 3:00 PM Sunday, April 18, 2010

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in the Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church with Rev. Jerry Helton, Dr. Chester Jones, and Rev. Johnny Foster officiating. Inurnment was in the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery with the Revs. Greg Carroll and Jerry Helton officiating. Honorary pallbearers were Grace Carringer, Grace Debty, Kathy Forrister, Carolyn Franklin, Ollie Holder, Margaret Pressley, Dorothy Simonds, Carolyn Stockton, Gwen Weaver, and Annette Williams, members of the Marie Hendrix Sunday school class, and the Murphy High School Class of 1954. The family received friends from 1:30-2:45 Sunday afternoon at the Peachtree Memorial Baptist Church prior to the services. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in memory of Ramona “Ponyâ€? Hawkins Shields to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312. Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy in charge of all arrangements. An online guest register is available at “Obituariesâ€? at www.iviefuneralhome.com.

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Richard Earl Curtiss , 79, of Murphy, NC died Monday March 29, 2010 at Murphy Medical Center.     He was born July 12, 1930, in New Marlboro Massachusetts, to Earl George and Ada Curtiss.     He moved to Murphy in 1999 to be closer to family because of his and his wife’s illnesses. He had lived with his daughter and son in law for the last seven years in Murphy before his death.      Richard was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in December 1960, at the age of 30. He was a mechanic by trade. Richard loved being a mechanic of which he held many certificates of training and accomplishments. But, his main vocation was a Minister of God’s word the Holy Bible. He was known for sharing words of LIBRARY

Kids film Thursday at Murphy library ,c$ 4_VSO -RK_^SX 2^]caXQdcX]V FaXcTa A little boy acts up and is sent to his room. What should he do in this situation? Have an adventure, of course. The Murphy Library is showing “Where the Wild Things Areâ€? on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. Maurice Sendak wrote the children’s book and director Spike Jonze made the movie. It is rated PG and runs 101 minutes. There is no 6 p.m. screening. Sendak gave Jonze the highest commendation after seeing the movie when he said that Jonze “turned it into his without giving up mine.â€? The large “wild thingsâ€? resemble Sendak’s drawings, but even more so, the feelings of a little boy are caught in the camera’s eye. Want to extend the fun? The library has Sendak’s book to borrow and read. Call the library at 837-2417, or go to www.friendsofmurphylibrary.wordpress.com to see the film's trailer.

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encouragement from God’s word with everyone he met. Richard found much comfort in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and his heavenly father Jehovah. His true happiness in life came from sharing this comfort with others.    Richard was preceded in death by wife, Evelyn who died May 21,

2008. Surviving him in death is a brother, Harold George Curtiss (Hap) of Yulee FL; four children, Diana Lynn Campochiaro and husband, William of Bristol, CT, David Paul Curtiss of Beverly Hills, FL, Lisa Marie Whitener and husband, Archie of Murphy, NC, Jeffery Scott Curtiss and wife, Jane of Steubenville, OH; 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.     A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, April 3, 2010 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witness. Peter Longdyke will officiate.     You may send tributes to the Curtiss family at www.mem.com or view other obits at www.townson-rose.com     Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.

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Sentinel Subscriptions $25 per year Call (828) 389-8338

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April 21, 2010

/ I Story Hour

Story hour at The Curiosity Shop Bookstore, 46 Valley River Avenue, Murphy, on Saturday mornings from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Bring your children or grandchildren and let them enjoy being read to. Call 835-7433 or 321-2242

Mountain High Hikers

Mountain High Hikers schedule two hikes each Tuesday, occasionally specialty hike, and regular trail maintaining trips- all in the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. Check the web site: MountainHighHikers.org for schedule and meeting locations or call 828-389-8240 for information.

Experimental Aircraft

The Experimental Aircraft Association - local tri-state EAA Chapter #1211 meets the third Thursday, 7 p.m. of each month at Blairsville airport. If interested, contact Jim Olson @ 828-557-2446.

GWRRA Meetings

Chapter J of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) meets the fourth Saturday of each month at Daniel’s Steakhouse, Hiawassee, Ga. We eat at 11 a.m. followed by the meeting at 12 p.m. during which rides and other activities are announced and discussed. We encourage current members of the GWRRA and anyone interested in becoming a member to join us. All motorcyclists are welcome and we look forward to seeing participants from other chapters. There are great rides coming up and we hope many of you will join us. For further information, contact Chapter Director, June Gottlieb, 706-896-7403 .

Family Resources

Family Resources in collaboration with Tri-County Community College will offer ESL (English as a second language) classes every Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Classes will be held in the basement of Family Resources and are free to anyone wishing to participate. For more information call 837-3460.

Abandoned Animals

Just 4 Hours. Just 4 hours a week can make a big difference in caring for abandoned and abused animals. Just 4 hours to walk dogs. Just 4 hours to groom dogs or cats. Just 4 house to clean the cattery. Just 4 hours to

transport dogs and/or cats to the vet. If you have just 4 hours a week to volunteer your time and energy, please contact Castaway Critters at 706-781-3992 or call Martha at 706-379-2729.

Amateur Radio

Attention HAMs and anyone interested in Amateur Radio The North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C. (Amateur Radio Club) meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairsville. All of our meetings are open to the public. For more information about joining the Club or becoming a HAM, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665.

Ramp Dinner & Concert

Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center’s Ramp Dinner & Concert Saturday, April 24 Dinner seatings at 5pm and 6:15 Barn Carts perform at 7:30 Reservations required call 828-479-3364

Mountain Coin Club

The Mountain Coin Club for beginner and advanced numismatists, young and old, meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Blairsville Civic Center. Set-up begins at 5:30 p.m. A brief business meeting precedes the educational program at 6:30 p.m. A coin auction follows. Visitors from surrounding areas are welcome. For more information, call Ye Old Coin Shop, 706-379-1488.

Free Tax Prep

Free Federal and State (GA and NC) personal income tax preparation is available in Murphy, until 4/14/10. This will be at the First United Methodist Church, on Valley River Ave, in downtown Murphy. The service will be available from 1-7 pm on Tuesdays, and 10 am - 4 pm on Wednesdays. For appointments, people should call 835-0220. It is confidential, and open to anyone with non-complex returns. A special emphasis is placed on those age 60 and older, with low and moderate incomes. The returns are prepared by advanced IRS-certified volunteers with years of experience. Even if people have low incomes and are not required to file an income tax, it is often in their best interest to do so. There may be credits they are entitled to that will give them a refund. If they are homeowners, they can often get relief on their property taxes by showing the tax assessor a copy of their income tax return.

The Cherokee County Community Foundation

Dr. Jan Davidson, board president has announced that the Cherokee County Community Foundation is currently accepting grant requests from non-profit organizations for projects that benefit our community. According to Davidson, a few modest grants are available this year. Applications are available at nccommunityfoundation.org (under “Affiliates”); John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown; or by calling the Cherokee County Community Foundation at 800-201-9532. Grant applications must be received by May 21, 2010. The Cherokee County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation (NCCF). The community fund was established to help support local charitable needs through annual grants. In addition to Davidson, board members are Pat Ivie, Eva Wood, and Dr. Jeffrey Larson. For further information, contact any board member; the NCCF Western Regional Associate, Sue LeLievre at 800-201-9532 or visit the NCCF website at nccommunityfoundation.org.

Farmers Market

The Cedar Valley Farmers Market is back in full swing. Help support your local economy by shopping local. Join us every Saturday from 10am to 2pm downtown Murphy. We invite everyone to come and browse. Bring your instruments to pick a few tunes or get creative and set up a booth. We remind you to BUY LOCAL!! For vending information contact Jeremiah Smith at MurphyFarmersMarket@ gmail.com See you Saturday!

Castaway Critters

“COMMUNITY NIGHT” TO BENEFIT CASTAWAY CRITTERS PET RESCUE TUESDAY, APRIL 27TH 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM BROTHERS RESTAURANT AT WILLOW RANCH ON HIGHWAY 76, YOUNG HARRIS

Spring Concert

Mt. Comm. Chorus presents its annual spring concert Friday Apr. 30th, 8 PM and Sunday May 2nd 3 PM Hilda Glenn Auditorium, Young Harris College. For more information, visit www.mapaa.org.

Singing at Pine Grove

Pine Grove Baptist on 17-69 going towards Hayesville will be having a singing

I DAR Meetings

DAR meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of Jan.-May and Sept.Nov. at 2 p.m. at the Harshaw Chapel in Downtown Murphy. For more information contact Joan Wallace at 837-0876 or Margaret Warner at 837-8777 or 837-2644.

Blue Ridge MOAA

The Blue Ridge Mountains Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) meets the third Monday of each month at various area restaurants. All active duty, National Guard, reserve, retired, and former Military, Public Health Service, and NOAA officers and warrant officers and surviving spouses are invited to attend. For information please contact Jim Ferrell at 828-835-9203 or visit www.moaa. org/chapter/blueridgemountains .

Amateur Radio

Attention HAMs and wannabe HAMs North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C. (Amateur Radio Club) meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairsville. All of our meetings are open to the public. For more information, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665.

Brasstown Potluck

Brasstown Potluck The Brasstown Community holds a potluck supper and meeting on the third Thursday of each month, 6:30 p.m., Brasstown Community Center, 255 Settawig Road, Brasstown.

Flying Club

Flying Club. The Over mountain Flyers meets the second Saturday each month at the Andrews-Murphy Airport from 9 a.m. to noon. For information, call 837-3468.

Hiwasse Kennel Club

Hiwassee River Valley Kennel Club: Meetings are held at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Brother’s Restaurant on Hwy 64 in Murphy, NC. We invite all those interested in pure bred dogs and canine activities to attend. Call President Kit Miracle @ 706 492 5253 or Peggy Moorman @ 828 835 1082 for details.

Experimental Aircraft

The Experimental Aircraft Association - local tri-state EAA Chapter #1211 meets the third Thursday, 7 p.m. of each month at Blairsville airport. If interested, contact Jim Olson @ 828-557-2446.

Small Scale Agriculture

The Far West Small Scale Agricultural Action Team meets the second Monday of each month in the St. Andrews Lutheran Church community room, Andrews. For information, call Mary Janis, 828-389-1913 mjanis@meyecomputer.com

Cherokee Mountain Lions

Cherokee County Mountain Lions meet the first and third Tuesday of each month at Downtown Pizza, 6 p.m. New members are welcome.

GWRRA Meetings

Chapter J of the Gold Wing Road Rid-

ers Association (GWRRA) meets the fourth Saturday of each month at Daniel’s Steakhouse, Hiawassee, Ga. We eat at 11 a.m. followed by the meeting at 12 p.m. during which rides and other activities are announced and discussed. We encourage current members of the GWRRA and anyone interested in becoming a member to join us. All motorcyclists are welcome and we look forward to seeing participants from other chapters. There are great rides coming up and we hope many of you will join us. For further information, contact Chapter Director, June Gottlieb, 706-8967403.

Mountain Economic Partners

Far West Mountain Economic Partners’ Small Scale Agriculture Action Team meets at 6 p.m. the first Monday of every month at the Far West offices located at 452 Main Street in Andrews. All farmers in from Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary are invited to attend. For details, contact Pat Love at 828-321-2929 or via email at fwpartners@ verizon.net.

Anti Death Penalty

People of Faith Against the Death Penalty meets the 1st Monday each month at 7 p.m. at the Glen Mary House, next to St. William Catholic Church. For information, call 837-0867.

Commissioners Meeting

The Cherokee County Commisioners meeting will be held on the first Monday of each month at 8:30 a.m. and on the third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners boardroom of the Cherokee County Courthouse, unless Monday falls on a holiday, or unless otherwise posted.

Valley River Civitan Club

Valley River Civitan Club of Andrews meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 6 p.m., PJ’s restaurant in Andrews. Visitors are welcome. For more information call Anita Davis at 361-1247.

Basket Weavers

The Shooting Creek Basket Weavers Guild meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 9:45 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Shooting Creek Community Center (fire station). Refreshments are served and a business meeting is held before a weaving project is presented. For more information contact Joan (Guild president) at 706-896-1534.

MRACG Meeting

Mountain Regional Arts and Crafts Guild, Inc (MRACG) meets the second Tuesday of each month at ArtWorks Artisan Centre. ArtWorks is located at 308 Big Sky Drive (behind the Holiday Inn), Hiawassee. Refreshments are served at 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. If you would like to learn more about the Guild, we invite you to the next meeting as our guest.Contact us at 706-896-0932 or mtnregartscraftsguild@hotmail.com or

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visit mtnregartscraftsguild.org.

NCWN Poetry

There will be no NCWN West Poetry Critique Group in July, as the college campus will be closed. The next meeting will be in August at the regular time.

Alzheimer’s Support

Alzheimer’s Support Group of Murphy meets the 1st Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Murphy Senior Center. Contact Laura Harris at 828-644-0680 for more information. Also meetings every second Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Senior Center in Hayesville.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous has scheduled meetings as follows: Tues. 7 p.m., in the back of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah located across the street from the Cherokee Scout and the Verizon building on the corner of Central & Church Street; Sat. noon at the 409 building; Thur. 8 p.m. St. William’s Catholic Ch., Murphy; Wed. 8 p.m., United Methodist Church, Andrews, in the fellowship hall; Tues. noon, Thur. noon, Fri. 8 p.m.; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Hayesville; Sat. 8 p.m. First Methodist Church, Downtown Hayesville. For a complete area meeting schedule and information, call 837-4440.

Domestic Violence Support

Domestic Violence Support Group REACH of Cherokee County offers a free confidential support group to women whose lives are, or have been affected by domestic violence. The group meets every Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the REACH office in Murphy. Please call (828) 837-2097 for more information.

Compassionate Friends

The Compassionate Friends is a selfhelp, non-profit organization that offers that offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings meets at 7 p.m. every third Thursday each month at the Senior Center in Murphy. Call Maxine Arne at 837-0425, Mabel Cooke at 837-6871 or Vicky Sullivan at 837-9168 for details.

Weight Loss

Tops Weight Loss “Take Off Pounds Sensibly” in Murphy meets on Mondays at 5 p.m. at the Glen Mary Hall, Andrews Road. For more information, call 8374587. Two Tops clubs meet in Andrews on Mondays. The morning club meets in Valleytown Baptist Church Fellowship Hall at 8:45 a.m. weigh in, meeting at 9 a.m. Call 321-5242 for more information. The evening club, which meets at Christ Community church, weights in at 5 p.m. and has a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Call 3213040 or 321-1422 for more information.

Sat April 17, 2010 Across Time Singing time 7:00 p.m. Pastor Dwayne Patterson invites everyone to attend.

Cherokee County 9-12 Project

The Cherokee County 9-12 Project will also be holding a General Meeting. Please join us on Saturday, May 1, at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Murphy, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.We will be honoring our military veterans who have selflessly served this great nation and kept it and us safe from harm. All are welcome to attend. For questions or additional information, please call the 9-12 Hotline at 828-837-0055.

Knitting

Knitting and Spinning Lessons: “From How to Knit to Knitting Design”, Monday mornings 10 a.m. to noon and Monday evenings 7-9 p.m. “Spinning Saturdays”, 9 a.m. to noon, once a month. Call Martha at Yarn Circle, 835-4592 for details.

Quilting Classes

Quilting Classes In Nonnie’s Attic is quilting 100 squares in 100 days to help Andrews celebrate its 100th birthday. Join us each day at 1:30 p.m. and learn new quilt square. Call 321-2800 for more information.

Veterans meeting

The monthly combined meeting of the VFW, VFW Auxiliary, The American Legion and the DAV will be held Monday, May 3rd a the Veteran Building located at Drew Taylor Road and NC Highway 141 in Peachtree. A potluck supper commences at 6 p.m. and is immediately followed by the general business meeting. The meeting is open to all veterans. Those interested in joining, directions or learning more about the interests and activities of those service organizations, please contact Commander Gene Guffy by calling 828-837-3016.

What’s going on?

If you have a local event to include in our calendar you can submit it to us directly from our website at wncSentinel.net Divorce Care Seminar

Divorce Care Seminar. Divorce Care, a special-help seminar and support group for people experiencing divorce or separation will be held on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at Hiawassee United Methodist Church. Divorce Care features nationally recognized experts on divorce and recovery topics.

English Classes

Classes de ingles gratis. Tri County Community College. Ofrece classes de ingles como Segundo idioma (ESL Classes) Todos los Miercoles y Jueves De 9:00 a.m. a 12:00 p.m. En el local de Family Resources of Cherokee County. Ubicado en 70 Central Street Murphy, NC 28906. Para mayor informacion llame al tlefono No. (828) 8373460.

Family Resources

Family Resources in collaboration with Tri-County Community College will offer ESL (English as a second language) classes every Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Classes will be held in the basement of Family Resources and are free to anyone wishing to participate. For more information call 837-3460.

Knitting

Knitting and Spinning Lessons: “From How to Knit to Knitting Design”, Monday mornings 10 a.m. to noon and Monday evenings 7-9 p.m. “Spinning Saturdays”, 9 a.m. to noon, once a month. Call Martha at Yarn Circle, 835-4592 for details.

Quilting Classes

Quilting Classes In Nonnie’s Attic is quilting 100 squares in 100 days to help Andrews celebrate its 100th birthday. Join us each day at 1:30 p.m. and learn new quilt square. Call 321-2800 for more information.

Abandoned Animals

Just 4 Hours. Just 4 hours a week can make a big difference in caring for abandoned and abused animals. Just 4 hours to walk dogs. Just 4 hours to groom dogs or cats. Just 4 house to clean the cattery. Just 4 hours to transport dogs and/or cats to the vet. If you have just 4 hours a week to volunteer your time and energy, please contact Castaway Critters at 706-781-3992 or call Martha at 706-379-2729.

Moose Lodge We are now forming a Moose Lodge and invite you to join us. Our meetings are held at Homers Corner Cafe located at Hwy 19/129 in Murphy, NC inside Fosters Flea Market. Come early and join us for a Dutch Treat lunch. Our meetings are held on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1 p.m. For further information please call Art or Donna Harris at (828) 389-6342.

Body Sculpting Class

Body Sculpting/Cardiovascular Exercise classes are being offered at Towns County Recreational Center in Hiawassee, Ga. Class is from 6:30-7:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The cost is $4 per class or $48 per month.

SOCIAL SECURITY

New 'twist' in the law may help your mom ,c$ :K_V . ,K\XO]

2^[d\]Xbc Mom has always been there to nurture and take care of you. Mother’s Day is the perfect time to give back and look out for her. If she’s having a hard time paying for her prescription drugs, tell her about the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and the extra help available through Social Security. If your mother, or any special woman in your life, is covered by Medicare and has limited income and resources, she may be eligible for extra help to pay her monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. The extra help is worth an average of $3,900 per year. Perhaps you’ve looked into the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for Mom before, and discovered that she did not qualify due to her income or resources. In 2010, the law has changed. As Chubby Checker will tell you, a new “twist” in the law makes it easier than ever to qualify for the extra help. It’s easy to figure out whether Mom is eligible for the extra help. To qualify, she must be receiving Medicare and: Have income limited to $16,245 for an individual or $21, 855 for a married couple living together. Even if her annual income is higher, she still may be able to get some help with monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. Some examples in which income may be higher include if she or her husband: —Support other family members who live with them; —Have earnings from work; or —Live in Alaska or Hawaii; and Have resources limited to $12,510 Contact the recreation center at (706) 8962600 or Susan Rogers at (706) 896-6842.

Square Dance Classes Enchanted Valley Squares is having Basic Mainstream Classess on Tuesday Nights at the Towns Co Middle School Cafeteria from 7:00-9:00 pm. For more information: GA-Al Supplee (706) 3792191 or NC-Bob or Loretta Hughes (828) 837-2561.

Moose Lodge We are now forming a Moose Lodge and invite you to join us. Our meetings are held at Homers Corner Cafe located at Hwy 19/129 in Murphy, NC inside Fosters Flea Market. Come early and join us for a Dutch Treat lunch. Our meetings are held on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1 p.m. For further information please call Art or Donna Harris at (828) 389-6342.

Brasstown Suppers Brasstown Community Club meets at 6:30 p.m., the third Thursday of each month with a pot luck supper. Grocery game night, 7 p.m. the first Saturday of every month. Please bring snack foods.

Senior Game Day Dominoes, Hearts, Scrabble, Checkers, etc. Every Tuesday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Clay County Senior Center Call 838389-9271 for more info.

HAMs meetings North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C. (Amateur Radio Club) meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairsville. All of our meetings are open to the public. For more information about joining the Club or becoming a HAM, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665.

Intermediate Bridge Intermediate Bridge is being played at the health department, downstairs in Hiawassee on Mondays and Fridays, starting at 12:45 p.m. All players welcome. For more information please call (828) 3898065.

Oil Painting Classes

Classes for beginners and intermediate students, Wednesdays, 9AM - 1PM at Clay County Senior Center. Cost is $65; must furnish own brushes and canvas. Call the senior center for more information at (828) 389-9271

Helping Hands meet The ladies group at Sweetwater United Methodist Church meets from 10 a.m. to noon every first and third Tuesday. They make quilts for Clay and Cherokee counties’ sick and needy. Helpers are welcome.

for an individual or $25,010 for a married couple living together. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks and bonds. We do not count her house or car as resources. Thanks to this a “twist” in the law, we no longer count any life insurance policy she has as a resource, and we no longer count as income any financial assistance she receives regularly from someone else to pay her household expenses like food, mortgage or rent, utilities or property taxes. Don’t take our word for it, see Chubby Checker’s rocking message at HYPERLINK "http://www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp" www.socialsecurity.gov/ prescriptionhelp. While you’re there, you can fill out an easy-to-use online application for your mom at HYPERLINK "http:// www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp" www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp. To apply by phone or have an application mailed to you, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). Or go to the nearest Social Security office. If you’d like to learn more about the Medicare prescription drug plans and special enrollment periods, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.medicare.gov" www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-6334227; TTY 1-877-486-2048). Maybe it’s been a few years since Mom has taken to the dance floor to do The Twist. But saving an extra $3,900 a year on prescription drugs may cause her to jump up and dance. What better gift could you give her this Mother’s Day?

Fellowship Weekly Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International meets at 6 p.m. every Monday at Daniels in Hiawassee, Ga. Call (828) 3890140.

Valley Kennel Club Meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Brother’s Restaurant on Hwy 64 in Murphy, NC. We invite all those interested in pure bred dogs and canine activities to attend. Call President Kit Miracle @ 706 492 5253 or Peggy Moorman @ 828 835 1082 for details.

Mountain Hikers Mountain High Hikers schedule two hikes each Tuesday, occasionally specialty hikes, and regular trail maintaining tripsall in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. Check the web site: MountainHighHikers.org for schedule and meeting locations or call 828-389-8240 for information.

Blue Ridge MOAA

The Blue Ridge Mountains Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) meets the third Monday of each month at various area restaurants. All active duty, reserve, retired and former military, and Public Health Service, and NOAA officers, and warrant officers are invited to attend. For information please contact one of the following individuals, in North Carolina: John Bayne at 828-389-9427 and in Georgia: Jim Reynolds at 706-379-6601.

Veteran Consultant

The veterans’ consultant, Mike Casey, will be at the Job Link Office on the second Tuesday and the fourth Wednesday of each month. Call (828) 837-7407 of the Social Service Office in Hayesville at 389-6301.

Granny’s Attic

Granny’s Attic, Auxiliary of Good Shepherd Home Health Care and Hospice, is open Wed. - Sat., 9 am - 4 pm. We are now stocked for Fall. To make donations or volunteer contact Linda at 828-389-4233.

REACH Thrift Store The REACH Thrift Store hours are from 10 a.m. - 4:30 a.m. Monday Saturday. We are located at 1252 Hwy 64 W. (Old KT Billiards bldg., Donations accepted during business hours. Volunteers welcome. Call 828.389.1415 or 828.557.7416 for more information.

Women in fellowship

Tri-County Women’s Connection meets the first Thursday of each month in the fellowship hall of Murphy First Baptist Church, welcoming retirees, homemakers, home-schoolers, young moms-------all women. Fascinating programs, delightful music, inspirational talks, good food, child care and wonderful fellowship make each gathering special. Call Linda at 837-2305

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Governor’s budget focuses on jobs, education, ethics reform and safety while cutting $1 billion in spending ,c$ 0\KXU ,\KNVOc BT]cX]T[ FaXcTa

Like every other state in the Union, North Carolina is faced with some hard choices. On Tuesday, Governor Beverly Perdue released her proposed state budget for fiscal year 2010-2011 reflecting almost a $1 billion cut in the state's spending, which she says is focused on programs proven to be unproductive, wasteful or in need of greater efficiencies. "We're investing in technology to ferret our fraud, waste and abuse," she said during a telephonic press conference. Perdue's budget makes critical investments in four key areas: jobs and the economy, education, setting government straight and safer communities. "We want make sure we come out of this recession with North Carolina's government fixed and with the ability to pay for its future," she said. "Last year we

were identified mentioned as one of the states with the worst economic difficulty; however, with the hard work of the General Assembly, only eight months later we were identified as the best place to do business. We also retained our triple A rating, one of only seven states to do so." "With this budget, we want to shore up and stimulate an economy for small businesses to stay here and to flourish," she said. "This budget allocates $15 million as a  "Back to Work" incentive fund that provides a direct rebate to small businesses that hire long-term unemployed workers. It also allows for a $250 per person credit for small businesses that provide health insurance for their workers as well as money for employee training. "With regard to education, I am proud to say that everybody has accepted our Ready, Set, Go program designed to increase our high school graduation rate and provide students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in college, at the universities or in the work-

place. As for our teachers, this budget protects grades K through 3 from teacher loss; it provides for a salary increase to keep North Carolina schools competitive. North Carolina is now in 31st in teacher pay just one notch above South Carolina. Also, this budget fully funds growth for universities and community colleges. It provides a $131 million flexible line for use by local school boards at their discretion. With regard to setting government straight, Perdue said she will be implementing a sophisticated system to detect fraud in Medicaid, which will save the state millions of dollars. It will also fund a legal team to prosecute these cases with the expectation of a four to one return on the dollars spent. Another innovation regarding Medicaid requires that patients use only one doctor and one pharmacy so they cannot do doctor shopping which will keep narcotics from being sold illegally. "We have to do more with medical management in the Medicaid program ," she said. "Or else it will take

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every new dollar we get for the program as well as require us to take money from other programs." She said her proposed budget restores a $40 million cut in mental health, will build local hospital capacity across the state and hopefully put mental health back on the road to recovery within 18 months. With regard to health and safety issues, the budget re-appropriates money for AIDS, funding to bring 8,100 new children into the health care system and promotes healthier lifestyle practices. It also provides a better communication system with new technology within the criminal justice system, including increased DNA testing. Governor Perdue said she hopes that the General Assembly will adopt most of the proposals of this budget and that it will prove to be less combative as all state government works together to look out for the future of the state by doing more with less.

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Tri-County Community College President Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers is surrounded by members of the Ranger School Pre-K class on their recent visit to the main campus in Murphy. While the class toured the campus, the young students were welcomed by the media center staff, given a brief history of the campus and had their hair and nails attended to by cosmetology department students. The tour concluded with lunch at TC's Grill. Members of Kristin Gaither's Pre-K class at Peachtree Elementary School visited the main campus at Tri-County Community recently and Pictured - Floor sitting L to R: Â Olivia A., Tate R., Emily P., Charli M., stopped off at the college's award-winning cosmetology department. Displaying their new looks are .... Lori Beth Stalcup, Ruby Boehm, Kyle Karah C., Katie A., Nathan P. Patillo, Hope Noble, Noah Prohl, Baylee Prescott, Janene Gibby, Emma Adams, Chandler Smith, Alexis Stilwell, Luke Newton, Reagan Schultze, Standing L to R: Â Emily T., Dalton R., Caden T., Nataly T., Emily D., Danelle Dalton Campbell, Tyler Plemmons, Faith Ward, Mrs. Adam and Mrs. Gaither S., Marcos E., Aidan L., River P.

TCCC honors employee longevity

Contributed Photo

Pictured (L-R) are: Â Jason Outen, five years; Julie Hanwell, 10 years; Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers, TCCC President; Charlene Wood, 20 years; Kathy Temple, 10 years; Pauline Ledford, 10 years; Dotie Ortega, five years; Debbie Hogan, 25 years; Steve Wood, 20 years; Ginger Hubbard, 15 years; Chris Batchelder, five years; Cecilia Crawford, 15 years; Linda Lovingood, 25 years; Robin Stevenson, five years; Trevis Hicks, 10 years; Linda Kressal, 10 years; and Brian Lambert, five years.

Contributed Photo

Also honored with Service Awards but not present at the ceremony were Lee Erker, left, 30 years; and Dulcie Riffle, 10 years.

Tri-County Community College (TCCC) has honored 18 of its employees with a presentation of service awards. Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers, President of the College, led the ceremony and congratulated each recipient on behalf of the College and its Board of Trustees. “I appreciate each of you for all that you do for TriCounty Community College,� said Dr. Tipton-Rogers. “Your dedication allows us to continue to grow as a team and helps make this a wonderful place to learn and to work.� Lee Erker, Ph.D. of Mineral Bluff, GA was recognized for 30 years service with the college. He is chair of the Mathematics department. Debbie Hogan and Linda Lovingood were honored for 25 years service. Hogan, of Marble, is an instructor in the TCCC nursing program and Lovingood, from Hayesville, is Vice President for Instructional Services. Charlene Wood of Robbinsville and Steve Wood, Ph.D. of Blue Ridge, GA each celebrated 20 years of service to the state of North Carolina. Ms. Wood is Assistant to the President for Graham County Operations and Dr. Wood is an English instructor and Dean of Faculty. Recognized for 15 years service were Cecilia Crawford and Ginger Hubbard, both of Murphy. Crawford is Director of the Small Business Center. Hubbard is Assistant to the Executive Vice President for Operations. Honored for 10 years of service were Julie Hanwell of Murphy, Lead Instructor for Guided Studies; Trevis Hicks of Murphy, Instructor for Information Systems Networking Technology; Linda Kressal from Murphy, Director of Learning Resources and Library Services; Pauline Ledford of Hiawassee, GA, Head of the Cosmetology program; Dulcie Riffle from Murphy, Instructor for Early Childhood Education; and Kathryn Temple of Murphy, Coordinator/Instructor of Guided Studies. The rest of the honorees had each completed five years of service to the state. They included: Chris Batchelder of Hayesville, EMS Program Coordinator; Brian Lambert of Andrews, Maintenance/Custodian; Jason Outen of Andrews, Director of Technology; Dotie Stafford-Ortega of Murphy, College and Community Relations Specialist; and Robin K. Stevenson, also of Murphy, ABE Coordinator.

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