Smn 01 07 15

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Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information

January 7-13, 2015 Vol. 16 Iss. 32

Fred Baker’s vision helped shape Waynesville Page 8 Rock legend Gregg Allman discusses career Page 20

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: By the end of 2014, a higher percentage of Swain County residents had benefitted from the Affordable Care Act — better known as Obamacare — than residents of any other county in North Carolina. As predicted when this law was being debate, the low-income and uninsured would be the primary beneficiaries. Also, private health insurance agents are finding their footing in the new landscape by helping those who quality for the new low-cost health coverage. (Page 6-7)

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News Public gets chance to comment on Cullowhee planning proposals . . . . . . . . . 4 Jackson, Macon to share transportation planner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Jackson County attorney position draws interest from local lawyers. . . . . . . . . 5 Fred Baker was a visionary for the Town of Waynesville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 WNC counties move up and down economic tiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Homeless shelter soup kitchen serves first meals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 New Haywood hospital CEO hopes to put down roots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Possum drop goes off, but without possum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

ACCOUNTING & OFFICE MANAGER: DISTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTING:

Opinion

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A&E Rock icon Gregg Allman discusses long career . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585

INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 Copyright 2015 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ Advertising copyright 2015 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Smoky Mountain News is available for free in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and parts of Buncombe counties. Limit one copy per person.

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Outdoors Growing lifelong skiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

January 7-13, 2015

CONTACT SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789

First day back at it after holidays is rough sledding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Smoky Mountain News

Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Emily Moss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . emily@smokymountainnews.com Whitney Burton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . whitney@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Hylah Birenbaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@smliv.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Becky Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . becky@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Gary Carden (writing), Don Hendershot (writing).

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January 7-13, 2015 Smoky Mountain News

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Cullowhee planning proposals set for Jan. 13 hearing

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER final public hearing to solicit public input on a draft set of standards to guide development in Cullowhee will take place on Jan. 13 After that, the draft standards will go to the planning board and then to the Jackson County Commissioners.

“Our plan is to take whatever feedback we get from this next meeting and move forward with taking the proposal to the planning board and see if there’s any feedback from the planning board on making any revisions,” said Scott Baker, chairman of the Cullowhee Community Planning Advisory Committee.

This will likely be the last public hearing that the advisory committee will hold, though the Jackson County planning board and commissioners may hold their own if the suggested standards continue to move toward adoption.

“People just need to get involved,” Baker said. “The planning group itself is made up of all different opinions. We want there to be varying opinions — we just want people to be respectful of each other.”

Proponents of the standards have cited the need for some planning to guide Cullowhee’s evolution, as it’s now the fastestgrowing area of Jackson County. On the flip side, opponents have decried the standards as an infringement on private property rights, unfair rules imposed on longtime Jackson County families by those who have only just arrived.

People of all persuasions will have the chance to voice their perspective at the upcoming public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the Hospitality Room of Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center.

Comments, to be held to three minutes apiece, will be taken on all aspects of the standards, but the committee is particularly interested on hearing reaction to the changes it’s made since the last hearing in October. Those revisions include: • Removing properties from the planning

Smoky Mountain News

January 7-13, 2015

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The revised zoning map excludes some properties from the planning area that had been previously included. Jackson County graphic.

Be heard A public hearing on the revised Cullowhee development standards will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the Hospitality Room of Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center. The Cullowhee Community Planning Advisory Committee will hear comments on all aspects of the draft planning rules but is especially interested in hearing public reaction to revisions from the draft presented in October. There is no need to sign up to speak beforehand.

Draft rules and a map are online at www.jacksonnc.org/planning.html under the “Current Projects” heading.

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“The planning group itself is made up of all different opinions. We want there to be varying opinions — we just want people to be respectful of each other.”

— Scott Baker, chairman of the Cullowhee Community Planning Advisory Committee

Jackson, Macon work together on transportation

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ublic transit in Macon County is slated to get a boost as Jackson and Macon counties work out an agreement to share a position between the two of them.

Jackson’s mobility coordinator position — a job that basically entails marketing the transportation system, helping new customers and meeting with collaborating agencies — is funded through a federal grant, but it’s turning out to be hard to fill as a 40-hour-per-week job for Jackson County alone.

“He [Jackson County Transportation Director Chuck Norris] has found that sometimes it’s difficult to keep her

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area — The revised standards exclude the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching and surrounding areas, most property west of N.C. 107, the Western Carolina University landfill off of Monteith Gap Road and the Rogers family property from the area to be affected by the rules.

Of those areas, Green said, “some of them had no access and some only have access through a residential area and are actually in a neighborhood that is protected by restrictive covenants. The thought was that any development that could occur on those would have limited impact on the Cullowhee community.”

• Allowing single-wide mobile homes on residential property — The previous draft had allowed double-wide mobile homes but prohibited single-wides in areas other than mobile home parks. However, that change may not stand.

40 hours a week busy, and I have found that it would be nice to have an extra person on occasion, so we have discussed potentially sharing this position,” Kim Angel, Macon County’s transportation coordinator, told Macon commissioners at their November meeting.

The grant supports 90 percent of the $48,000 salary and benefits, with Jackson County kicking in 10 percent.

With the two counties splitting the position, each one would pay 5 percent, about $2,400. Jackson County will continue as the position’s employer and manage the grant.

Norris believes that the shared position will also improve the possibility of renewing funding in the future.

“We’ve heard some comments from established residential areas that are concerned about mobile homes, so that may be tweaked some,” Green said.

• Increased waterway setbacks for multifamily developments — The revised standards mandate a setback from the Tuckasegee River of at least 50 feet for housing developments with 12 or more units. All homes must be built at least 25 feet away from streams and rivers as a trout boundary and must also be built outside of the 100-year floodplain.

• Mandatory sidewalks for housing developments — Developers must build sidewalks if their housing development includes 12 or more units.

“These funds are now competitive and involve a process to rank and choose which projects will be funded using a scoring method,” he explained. “Coordination and partner- j ships are high on the list.”

The counties will work out an interlocal agreement to nail down specifics of how the position-sharing should work, but Macon and Jackson commissioners have unanimously agreed to move forward. Angel said she would be able to absorb the cost into her budget and thus would not be asking for increased funding in the next budget year to compensate.

“They [Jackson Commissioners] were very supportive of it,” Angel told the Macon board. “Obviously it’s a benefit to them because they are paying the whole cost right now and it’s a benefit to us because we don’t have to add an additional employee, we don’t have to mange the grant.”

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Who applied?

The following attorneys hope to get the nod to be the next county attorney for Jackson County: • Kimberly Carpenter of Earwood, Moore, Carpenter & Guy, PLLC • Jay Coward Jr. (current county attorney) of Coward, Hicks & Siler, P.A • Michael Eagan, J.D., M.A. • Agatha Guy of Earwood, Moore, Carpenter & Guy, PLLC • Paul Holt Jr., P.A. • Gary Miller, Attorney at Law • David Moore of Earwood, Moore, Carpenter & Guy, PLLC • James Moore Jr., Attorney at Law said. “Always in the past incoming boards have had in mind who they would prefer as attorneys, so this is a different approach than we’ve had before.”

Commissioners are scheduled to talk about the applications at their Jan. 8 meeting and will then likely choose a subset of the applicants to interview more closely.

Wooten expects them to make a decision by their Jan. 29 meeting.

The attorney will be selected based on qualifications, with fees negotiated after the selection is made. However, most of the attorneys said on their applications that they’d expect something similar to Coward’s current fee of $200 an hour. For a successful attorney, that’s likely a discounted rate from the typical charge.

“We’ve got a good pool,” Wooten said.

Enter Sarge’s annual Pet Photo Contest

“Lucy” by Cameron Kemp, the 2014 1st Place winner in the dog category. Donated photo Balsam Animal Hospital, Maple Tree Animal Hospital, Junaluska Animal Hospital and The Animal Hospital of Waynesville.

Photos, entry forms and a $10 fee per photo should be mailed to Sarge’s Adoption headquarters at P.O Box 854; Waynesville, N.C., 28786 or delivered to the Adoption Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. MondayThursday and Saturday. For directions call 828.246.9050. More than one photo can be submitted but a completed entry form and $10 fee must accompany each photo.

Solid Surface Specialists

62 Communications Dr, Waynesville • NC • 28786 • (828) 452-4747

WWW.SSS-TOPS.COM

QUESTION: One of my New Year’s resolutions was to eat healthier and so I have been trying a gluten-free diet. Do you think a gluten-free diet is healthy and will it help me lose weight?

Answer: Gluten is a combination of the proteins (glutenin and gliadin) found in wheat, barley and rye. For individuals with celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is a medical necessity and is currently the only treatment for that disease. For those without celiac disease who voluntarily go gluten-free, any time you eliminate or restrict foods you cut calories and can achieve weight loss. The bigger questions might be what will you end up adding into your diet and how long you can maintain a gluten-free diet?

Many gluten-free packaged items are higher in fat and sugar and are not made with whole grains so they may have fewer nutrients and also have more calories. In this case you may end up consuming more calories and not achieve weight loss or that “healthier” diet. Additionally many packaged glutenfree items are more expensive than their gluten containing counterparts.

Bottom Line: Can you improve your diet and improve your health by simply exercising more and increasing your fruit and vegetable intake and not “going gluten-free”?

Smoky Mountain News

Sarge’s is now accepting photos for its 9th Annual Pet Photo Contest.

Deadline for all entries is Friday, Feb. 27.

Categories are Dog, Cat, Puppy, Kitten, Photographers under the age of 12, Sarge Rescue, Other Pet (pet other than a dog or cat) and Super Shooters (photographers who have previously won first place in any category). There will be a special prize for photo judged Best In Show.

“The photo contest is such fun to work on,” said Brenn Rohman, co-chairperson.

“We love seeing the new entries arrive and the creative captions the photographers choose.”

Entry forms are available at sargeandfriends.org; Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery, 102 North Main Street in Waynesville; Sarge’s Adoption Center, 256 Industrial Park Drive in Waynesville; Mountain Dreams Realty in Market Square, 3457 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. They can also be found at Country Lane Animal Hospital in Clyde, Canton Animal Hospital, and in Waynesville, at

WNC's Largest Selection of Granite & Quartz.

January 7-13, 2015

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ackson County got plenty of response back when its new board of commissioners put out the word that they were taking applications for the county attorney position.

Eight attorneys sent their resumes in for the gig, which is currently held by former commissioner Jay Coward of Coward, Hicks & Siler. Three of the applicants are from the same firm, Earwood, Moore, Carpenter & Guy, PLLC. “Number wise, I thought there might be a few more attorneys, but the people who have responded I think are highly qualified,” said County Manager Chuck Wooten. “All have some direct — or, certainly, indirect — experience in local government and I think could serve in the capacity of county attorney.”

Commissioners decided to put out a request for applicants last month after the newly elected board members took their seats.

The election ended with two upsets, flipping the board to a 4-to-1 Democratic majority.

The new board decided to conduct its own search for a county attorney. Though the board is now composed mostly of Democrats and Coward is a Republican, Coward said he doesn’t think politics has anything to do with the call for applications.

“They felt like if there was more than one person interested they should put it out there,” Coward told The Smoky Mountain News last month when commissioners initiated the search.

That said, the county attorney search is new ground for the county, Wooten pointed out.

“I think it’s a learning opportunity for everybody as we move through this,” he

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Jackson commissioners consider county attorney applicants

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Estimated rates of plan selection in the Federally facilitated marketplace WNC uninsured comparison SWAIN COUNTY 2013 .........................................25 percent 2014 .........................................14 percent 11-point difference MACON COUNTY 2013 .........................................21 percent 2014 .........................................16 percent 6-point difference

Highest uptake rates Lowest uptake rates

Sources: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, US HHA; American Community Survey. More information at http://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/programs-projects/rural-health/. Produced by North Carolina Rural Health Research Program (September 2014).

Study shows Swain benefited most from ACA

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ore than 10 million people now have health care coverage because of the Affordable Care Act, and Swain County residents benefited from the new law more than any other county in North Carolina.

According to data released by Enroll America, a nonprofit with the goal of maximizing the number of Americans enrolled in health coverage, the percentage of uninsured residents in Swain County decreased from 25 percent in 2013 to 14 percent in 2014.

Jodee Boismier of Bryson City was one resident who signed up for an individual health plan through the online marketplace with the help of a navigator at Swain County Hospital.

As a former hospital employee, she was a part of the group plan; but has been uninsured since she left the hospital more than a year ago to open a convenience store in her community.

With the help of navigator Karen Williams, Boismier was able to receive a subsidy and enrolled in an affordable “gold level” policy that she could afford. She said she was glad she went to a navigator to walk her through the time-consuming process.

“Definitely seek a navigator because there is a lot that you need to have explained and the hospital is providing this assistance so you should really take advantage of it,” she said. “There’s a lot involved — copays,

Smoky Mountain News

January 7-13, 2015

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deductibles, the gap to consider — so much that has to be taken into consideration.”

While Swain’s uninsured rate decreased by 11 points, surrounding counties saw only a 4- to 7-point difference in a year. The data also showed that overall, the law helped people 18 to 34, women, minorities and people who live in rural areas.

Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris Regional and Swain County Hospitals, said he could only speculate on the factors that made more Swain residents sign up for health care through the marketplace based on his observations in the community.

“I don’t know all the factors, but on a per capita basis, there were lots of opportunities,” he said. “And the income per capita in Swain is relatively low, so I’m thinking there are proportionately more folks that can benefit from the subsidized rates on the marketplace.”

Jan S. Plummer, marketplace navigator coordinator for Mountain Projects, said it was hard to say specifically why more Swain residents signed up for health care other than that the percentage of people eligible was higher than in other counties.

The unemployment rate is still higher there compared to other surrounding counties. The latest state data from October shows Swain’s unemployment rate at 6.4 percent compared to 4.4 percent in Haywood and Jackson, 5.2 percent in Macon and 4 percent

“We view it as an important part of being a community health provider. There’s lots of data demonstrating folks with insurance lead healthier lifestyles because they get preventative care that they should get. That leads to better health outcomes.”

— Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris Regional and Swain County Hospitals

Navigating the insurance maze Certified Application Counselors from the hospital as well as local insurance brokers will be available to discuss coverage options and help attendees select a plan that is right for them.

• 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at Smoky Mountain High School cafeteria, 100 Smoky Mountain Drive, Sylva.

• 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at Swain County Chamber of Commerce, 210 Main Street, Bryson City.

For more information on either event call 828.631.8924.

• Mountain Projects navigators will be available to answer questions from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Jan. 21 at Joey’s Pancake House in Maggie Valley. They will have computers and navigators onsite to help people sign up for insurance through the exchange.

in Buncombe County.

Plummer said Swain is a tier 1 county, meaning it has some of the poorest neighborhoods in the state. The tax subsidies really helped people who live below the poverty line or who were employed in jobs not offering insurance.

“I also think it has to do with having someone there in Swain focused on providing in-person assistance and holding outreach events before open enrollment last year,” Plummer said. “And maybe more people needed coverage because they didn’t have a coverage option through an employer.”

STILL TIME TO SIGN UP Western North Carolina residents have plenty of resources to help them sign up for coverage through healthcare.gov, including health care navigators with Mountain Projects and through certified application counselors at Harris, Swain and Haywood hospitals.

The hospital application counselors and

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JACKSON COUNTY 2013 .........................................22 percent 2014 .........................................15 percent 7-point difference HAYWOOD COUNTY 2013 .........................................20 percent 2014 .........................................16 percent 4-point difference

Source: Enroll America

the health care navigators helped people reenroll through Dec. 15 and are still helping people enroll for the first time. People wanting coverage to start Jan. 15, 2015, had to enroll by Dec. 15, but open enrollment will continue through Feb. 15. y Area hospitals have a vested interest in getting residents to sign up for health care coverage. Heatherly said the hospital is actively helping people sign up for health care because it keeps the community healthier.

“We view it as an important part of being a community health provider,” he said.

“There’s lots of data demonstrating folks with insurance lead healthier lifestyles because they get preventative care that they should get. That leads to better health outcomes.”

Having more patients insured also puts the hospital in a better financial position because it can receive more reimbursement from insurance companies and because preventative health measures use fewer resources than emergency care.

“Certainly from a hospital financial perspective, reimbursement is better when patients have a form of insurance — that’s a fact,” Heatherly said. “So this is a financial initiative but also a community service initiative. It’s the right thing to do and the right thing for the hospital financially.”

State policy also has made a difference in how many people are signing up for health care nationwide. North Carolina did not expand Medicaid, which would have made 500,000 more people in the state eligible for coverage.

Heatherly said expanding Medicaid would benefit the hospital and the community it serves. Again, if patients had Medicaid, they would be more likely to see a doctor more regularly and have better w health outcomes.

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Insurance agents adjust to industry under ACA

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DEMAND OF SERVICES

“There are still folks that seep through the cracks and can’t afford the subsidized rates from exchange products, and for the hospital it’s generally better for someone to have Medicaid as opposed to no form of payment source,” he said. “We’re paid a little better from that program then nothing at all.”

Harris and Swain County hospitals have three certified application counselors who can assist people in signing up for insurance either over the phone or in per-

North Carolina now has three insurance carrier options — BCBS, CoventryOne and United Healthcare — but agents warn that not all carriers can offer the same services in this region.

Rogers said residents might be eligible for cheaper plans through the other companies, but they should also take into consideration that many of the health care providers in Western North Carolina are in the BCBS network. It’s important to know which physicians are in the network.

Rogers said there are many aspects of ACA that can be better explained by insurance agents. He said it’s more than just signing up for insurance now — the plan chosen and the subsidy given will affect everyone’s tax returns.

“The biggest challenge with this issue is now the IRS is in charge of your health insurance because it’s based on subsidies, which is based on payrolls and income,” he said.

“When they file their taxes, people are going to be surprised with the penalties.”

Rogers said many people might have underreported their income or might have received a subsidy when they actually weren’t supposed to qualiFloyd Rogers, an agent with Haywood Insurance in Waynesville, assists his client Jane Hipps fy for one. Those people will end up owing the govwith an insurance policy. Rogers and other health insurance providers are available to assist ernment money come tax clients with signing up for a policy through healthcare.gov. time.

Hartis said people are penalty for not having insurance in 2014 was $90, and that eligible for a subsidy only if they meet the financial hardship penalty increases to $325 in 2015. requirements and are not eligible through an employer’s “I didn’t have the number of calls I thought I would and I group policy. She also said people who didn’t sign up by the don’t understand that,” he said. “The penalties are going to Dec. 15 deadline for their policy to go into effect Jan. 1 will get steeper every year.” receive a pro-rated penalty.

Rogers said having navigators taking over the role of the Keeping up with the new rules and regulations under agent has hurt his industry over the last couple of years.

ACA means additional training for insurance agents, but it’s However, the navigators, who are funded through a federal something they’ve become accustomed to in a changing grant program, will be gone after this year’s enrollment industry. period.

Hartis, who has been an agent for 20 years, said she goes “So what will people do when they have a billing question through 12 hours of training a year for ACA on top of or a claim problem?” he said. “Buying a policy is one thing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Blue but the service goes along with it — that’s the total package.” Cross Blue Shield training each year.

On the other hand, Rogers said his business has done “You just got to roll with the punches,” she said.

son through February. For more information, call the hotline at 888.982.9144 or 828.686.7355.

Swain County also has two designated navigators through Mountain Projects who still are available by appointment to help people re-enroll or enroll for the first time through heathcare.gov.

Plummer said she and the other navigators were pleasantly surprised to see so many people coming back this year for their help in re-enrolling as well as so many people signing

up for the first time. She said many people who enrolled last year were worried because they received a notice that their premium was increasing next year.

However, Plummer said there are more plan options this year compared to last year and the subsidies have increased.

“So people who think their premium is going up this year still may get additional financial assistance,” she said. “Premiums typically go up year to year, but the federal poverty levels have also changed, which means

Smoky Mountain News

Despite the push toward seeing a navigator, insurance agents are still signing plenty of people up for health insurance. During the first year of open enrollment, Blue Cross Blue Shield was the only marketplace provider in North Carolina.

Hartis said Stanberry was busy with new clients thanks to referrals, advertising and health insurance seminars.

WORDS OF WISDOM

January 7-13, 2015

Certified navigators offer free services to Western North Carolina residents to help them sign up for a health plan through the ACA online marketplace website. They are available through Mountain Projects or through hospitals.

Insurance agents can also help sign people up through the online exchange while explaining the details of specific health insurance policies.

Agents do rely on earning a commission for signing people up for insurance. They can still earn a commission when signing someone up through the marketplace, but clients don’t pay that fee — the insurance companies do.

Dawn Hartis, an agent with Stanberry Insurance in Waynesville and Sylva, said an agent could better explain how subsidies work and the differences in copays, deductibles, HMO plans and PPO plans.

“Navigators are there to walk you through the process of signing up, but they are not there to recommend a specific health plan,” she said. “We’ve found there is a lot of confusion regarding subsidies and how to determine whether you’re eligible for a subsidy.”

Without someone knowledgeable enough to make sure clients get the correct subsidy, Hartis said people could end up owing a lot of money back to the government when taxes are due. People who have signed up on the marketplace should receive a form to fill out and submit when they file their taxes.

Rogers has been in the business for 44 years and said the process isn’t as simple as some people think.

“You can’t just sit down and do it on the phone with navigators who have a couple of months of training,” he said. “I think they are helpful, but I don’t know that they have the proper training to select a company and a plan.”

The 2015 open enrollment deadline is Feb. 15 to have coverage begin March 1, but Hartis recommends getting signed up as soon as possible.

“Don’t wait till Feb. 15,” she said. “We had people coming in Dec. 14 for last deadline (Dec. 15) and the volume just can’t be handled, so the earlier the better.”

Carroll Smith with Smith Insurance Services in Sylva said he hadn’t received the calls he thought he would during the current open enrollment period despite placing advertising in local newspapers.

Current clients have called to update their policies for 2015, but Smith said he had very few new policies through the marketplace. With the Feb. 15 deadline looming, Smith said he hopes to sign more people up for health care. The

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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ince the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, people have been urged to get signed up for health insurance online with the help of certified navigators.

Local insurance agents, however, say they are still more qualified to make sure residents get the best policy to fit their specific needs.

“It’s so complex and complicated that you’ve got to deal with an agent or a person who really understands all the little dos and don’ts in the program,” said Floyd Rogers with Haywood Insurance in Waynesville.

well with sign-ups through word of mouth advertising and developing relationships over 40 years. He added that he has helped many people who signed up using a navigator and then felt like they got the wrong plan.

there are higher tax subsidies available.”

Those who signed up last year do not have to see a navigator to re-enroll this year, but Plummer encourages people to call them if they have more questions about how the plans have changed. While the health care website had glitches last year, she said the application was simpler this year and the website was easier to navigate.

To make an appointment with a navigator, call Mountain Projects at 828.452.1447.

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Brick by brick

Onieal called Baker’s institutional knowledge “unrivaled.”

“Fred has truly been a jack of all trades for this town,” Onieal said. “Virtually everything in this town, large and small, Fred has had his finger on in some form.”

That includes venues the public works guy doesn’t normally dabble in, like economic development initiatives and recreation projects.

“He is like three people put together,” said Melnikova.

The town put the wheels of a succession plan in motion earlier last year. A new public services director, David Foster, began assuming Baker’s public works oversight, while Baker phased into the more limited role of utilities director.

But many see Baker as simply irreplaceable.

“I know how much knowledge is going out the door when he goes out the door,” former Town Manager Lee Galloway said.

GETTING THE JOB DONE

January 7-13, 2015

Fred Baker brought new urbanism to Waynesville during his tenure as public works director, livening up the streetscape with pocket-parks like this one at the corner of Main and Depot streets downtown. Similar projects carried out by his crew of street workers can be seen all over town. Becky Johnson photo

Fred Baker’s long view crafts Waynesville into model town

Smoky Mountain News

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER red Baker’s title isn’t particularly glamorous. For nearly three decades, he kept the potholes patched, the trash picked up, the sewer lines repaired, the clean water flowing, the lights on and the gutters swept all over Waynesville.

“It is a slow news day when public works is in the paper,” Baker said.

But Baker had an alias, something that could never be captured in his job description of public works director or town engineer – that of chief visionary.

Baker molded and manipulated the cityscape of Waynesville during his tenure, laying down the backbone for a vibrant village-esque setting. The hallmark features — pocket parks, pedestrian harbors, tree-lined sidewalks, brick-stamped crosswalks, landscaped islands — were all part of a grand plan.

Baker was a master at creating pleasant public spaces with the tiniest nodes of green space, serving up visual respites as well as physical ones. It’s surprising how much a bench under a shade tree can change the tone of the streetscape, even if it’s never sat on.

Despite his lofty ideas, Baker was a pragmatist. A new urbanist town setting can’t be 8 crafted overnight.

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“He takes an incredibly long view for the community,” said Alison Melnikova, a former assistant town manager who worked with Baker for several years.

Over the years, Baker’s streetscape artistry expanded throughout downtown, gradually bringing side streets into the envelope, pushing the pedestrian, walkable feel outward one block at a time.

“You keep pecking away at it,” Baker said.

Bit by bit, Baker’s subtle strokes crafted the Waynesville people know today, a small town that kept its character amid the suburban sprawl sweeping the rest of America.

“He is the most artistic engineer you’ll find anywhere,” said former Mayor Henry Foy. “You can see Fred’s artistic touch throughout this town.”

But Baker won’t take any credit. He says town leaders were the ones with the vision.

He was just implementing it on the ground.

“It all goes back to a town board that will support it,” Baker said.

Although his work will never be done, Baker retired last month, a move that came somewhat sooner than expected although not entirely as a surprise.

When Town Manager Marcy Onieal came on board two years ago, the outgoing town manager warned her that turnover among key department heads was imminent, with several retirements coming down the pike over the next few years.

“I asked him ‘where’s the biggest hole I will have to fill?’ and he said, ‘Without a doubt it’s Fred Baker,’” Onieal recounted. “I have learned without a doubt, that is true.”

Despite the lasting visible testament of Baker’s legacy, there were always the nuts and bolts of public works to attend to: picking up garbage, replacing broken water lines, changing bulbs in street lights, running the street sweepers.

The daily grind of simply picking up trash, yard waste and recycling is never ending.

“Part of it is really like running a big, old trucking company,” Baker said.

It’s rarely appreciated and only noticed if something goes wrong.

The lion’s share of public works is neverseen, and that suited Baker’s modesty.

“Fred always liked to be in the background doing the work,” said Galloway, who worked with Baker more than two decades. “I knew I could depend on Fred.”

Baker spent much of his career whipping the town’s underground water and sewer system into shape. While out-of-sight, out-of-

“You don’t survive in a job like [this] for 28 years if you don’t want to help people.”

— Fred Baker

mind to most, the lines that run beneath the street were always on Baker’s radar.

“The day you put a pipe in the ground, it’s as good as it is going to be. It is all downhill from there,” Baker said.

That’s a daunting thought, given the 140 miles of pipes in the town’s system, each with an average life expectancy of 70 years.

“You better be putting in 2 miles of new lines a year, or you are getting behind,” Baker said.

It’s tempting to put off water and sewer line maintenance. When Baker came on board, the town was paying the price of procrastination.

“For quite a few years, we were putting out fires and fixing leaks and repairing lines. Now

we are pretty well caught up. We aren’t overwhelmed with leaks,” Baker said.

But yet again, Baker credited town leaders for their forethought.

“Waynesville has been blessed with good governance. They have been planners — they plan ahead,” Baker said.

Others give the credit to Baker, however.

“Fred thinks ahead. He has a five-year plan, a 10-year plan,” said Philan Medford, an active resident in town affairs.

Baker credits smart, dedicated department heads over each branch of public works — the electric system, the water plant, the sewer plant, streets and trash and water and sewer lines.

“They worked hard to make me look good all the time,” Baker said.

With capable point men at the helm, Baker could focus on the big picture, even when it came to little things, like ordering new streetlights. Baker valued the night sky and several years ago switched to a new style of streetlight that directed light downward, baffling light pollution from obscuring a view of the stars.

BY THE BOOTSTRAPS

The vision Waynesville has realized over the past two decades carried a price tag.

“That’s kind of what I do, spend other people’s money,” Baker said.

But Baker was cognizant of picking projects that would deliver bang for the buck.

“It is always about wanting to go first class all the way and not really having the money to do that,” Baker said. At the same time, Baker didn’t like to do things second rate.

“It takes a long-term view, but sometimes short-term, you can’t get the money you need,” Baker said.

So Baker had other ways around the reality of tight pursestrings: a well-versed, multitalented public works crew. The way to get things done without money is to do them yourself.

Baker’s public works crews were routinely pressed into service installing landscaping in public parking lots, replacing concrete sidewalks with brick pavers, chunking out planting holes for street trees, putting up fancy lamp posts – all of it fit in around the routine chores of running street sweepers and snow plows and mowers.

Aside from manpower, Baker could transform a city block with nothing more than a pile of bricks and a few saplings.

“He could work on a shoestring,” said Medford, a town resident who’s been a proponent of aesthetically pleasing public spaces over the years.

Baker said his men never balked at the extra jobs he threw their way.

“It is nice to do something that is new and creative,” Baker said. “They’re like anyone else. They like to have a little satisfaction when they drive by something they’ve done.”

Eddie Caldwell, the town’s finance director, worked alongside Baker for more than 20 years and appreciated his frugality.

“He is not going to spend it unless it is reasonable,” Caldwell said.

But he also appreciated Baker for understanding the everyman.

A HELPING, GUIDING HAND

A DIFFERENT LENS Being receptive to new ideas is one of Baker’s strengths. If an idea had merit, he was willing to try it.

When he heard about a public art program in Grand Junction, Colorado, where artists donated sculptures for public display on downtown sidewalks, Baker was all about it. He called the person in charge of it, and soon Waynesville was on its way to launching

was receptive to the movement now widely known as new urbanism.

“You talk to people who make a case for a better pattern of development, and it makes sense,” Baker said.

Huelster said the ideas never would have taken root without Baker, however.

“He was always very creative and positive,” Huelster said. “Fred always worked behind the scenes, but if you don’t have the support of the person in charge of public works, there’s not much you can do.”

Buffy Messer, current director of the Downtown Waynesville Association, said Baker has been a “go-to” source for the downtown community.

growth. He remembers her emailing photos while traveling in Scandinavia asking “why don’t we have this in Waynesville?”

Indeed, why not?

Baker began subscribing to catch-phrases like the “asphalt diet,” which aims to soften the visual appeal of streets and parking lots with trees and landscaping.

“It’s about having a community based for people, and not letting the automobile dominate,” Baker said.

When Waynesville rolled out a progressive smart growth land-use plan in the early 2000s, the town engineer in the pubic works department was its unlikely chief ally.

In one of his many lasting legacies, Baker emerged as an important voice in the debate over widening the Old Asheville Highway.

Baker lobbied against the idea of widening it to five lanes, instead advocating for fewer lanes with sidewalks, bike lanes and stretches of landscaped medians — including a roundabout, considered experimental at the time. It was all very forward-thinking then, but the principles have since been adopted as mainstream by highway planners.

“His expertise and knowledge is incredible,” said Medford, who worked alongside Baker to lobby for a better design of the Old Asheville Highway.

A THOUGHTFUL STEWARD

Fred Baker was more than a public works director for Waynesville. He was a conductor who set the pace, knew the score, gave the cues and kept everyone in tune. He’s shown here at his retirement reception with (from left) former Town Clerk Phyllis McClure, former Town Manager Lee Galloway and Town Finance Director Eddie Caldwell. Becky Johnson photo

“I know how much knowledge is going out the door when he goes out the door.”

— former Town Manager Lee Galloway

“We valued his energy, knowledge and guidance to improve the downtown area for businesses, residents and guests,” Messer said.

Baker claims elected town board members were a more critical ingredient to the town’s progress than himself.

“I am appreciative of the people in Waynesville for putting people who have values in office,” Baker said.

Baker was also willing to hear ideas brought forward from town residents, like Mib Medford, a local proponent of smart

Smoky Mountain News

its own signature public street art initiative.

While Baker was known as a champion for walkable communities and creating a town with a sense of place, he’s again reluctant to take credit. He may have carried the torch, but he says he didn’t light it.

Instead, he points to other community figures, like Ron Huelster, the long-time director of the Downtown Waynesville Association who led the Main Street revitalization of the 1990s.

“He was quite a visionary person for Waynesville,” Baker said. Huelster routinely invited experts in land-use planning and smart growth to share what were then cutting-edge concepts.

“I can’t even remember all the nationally known development guys he would bring in here to put on a little seminar,” Baker said.

Baker listened, learned and embraced the philosophies.

“Basically, I was a water and sewer engineer,” Baker said. He knew little about creating pedestrian-friendly environments. But he

For years, Baker could ponder ideas for a better downtown with a bird’s eye view from his second-floor corner office overlooking Main Street. He gave that up when the new town hall was built, and his office moved. He also had to give up his filing system.

“There were stacks of paper all over his office and he knew exactly where to find everything,” said Phyllis McClure, the town clerk for much of Baker’s time with the town.

McClure said Baker saw himself as a steward of something bigger than any one person.

When developers would ask for a break on water and sewer hook-up fees, Baker would reply “It’s not mine to give away,” McClure recalled.

“He always looked out for the best interest of the town,” she said.

Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown, who’s been on the town board for 16 years, said there’s a few things you learn quick about Baker.

“There is no such thing as favoritism or cronyism in Fred’s vocabulary,” Brown said.

“And if you walked in his office without your numbers, you may as well walk right back out again.”

Baker kept a blazer on a hook behind his door, in case he needed to spiffy up before heading to a meeting. But town employees had a running joke about the blazer: he kept it on hand in case he had to step into the role of interim town manager.

Baker actually served as interim town manager five times during the earlier years of his tenure, all within a short but rocky climate in town politics.

Earl Clark, a former town board member, remembered hiring Baker in 1986. Several were interviewed, but Baker stood out.

“His ability and desire to do the job and do it right” set him apart, Clark recalled.

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January 7-13, 2015

Waynesville would be a different place if Baker was the kind of guy who said “no.” But Baker’s not one to take the easy way out, and he almost always looked for a way to say “yes.”

When the Frog Level Merchant’s Association wanted fancy lampposts like Main Street a couple years back, the public works crew rolled up their sleeves to help.

Merchants raised the money for 20 lampposts, and the town workers installed them.

And when the bicycle community recently asked for help marking popular road bike routes, Baker put street crews to work blazing asphalt with “share the road” bicycle icons.

But given Baker’s classic modesty, he deflected his supporting role as merely doing his job.

“You don’t survive in a job like that for 28 years if you don’t want to help people,” Baker said.

It was the cycling community that stepped up first, he said, spearheading the creation of a countywide bicycle plan, which in turn was endorsed by town leaders.

Baker took that as marching orders to bring the power of the public works department to bear.

“The town supported it and they are going to want to see some tangible results from it,” Baker said. “It is just flying the flag with a visible project for a good bunch of communityminded bicyclers.”

Baker is a personal advocate of biking, occasionally biking to work, especially on National Bike To Work Day. But more often, Baker could be seen tooling into town hall on his moped.

“I am reducing my carbon footprint,” Baker said of his avant garde transportation means.

Baker got the scooter after a trip to Europe to visit one of his kids who was studying abroad for a semester.

“You see businessmen in suits riding the scooters,” Baker said.

The revolution is slower-coming statewide, however, and for now, Baker is the only 6-foot-8-inch man on a moped you’re likely to see in Waynesville.

In keeping with the Renaissance spirit, Baker has a diverse set of hobbies, far different from your typical straight-laced engineer.

He likes the full gamut of outdoors, not just biking but paddling and skiing and the like.

He is a regular at the Friday night squaredances on Main Street during summer months, and he also starred in the inaugural ballroom dancing charity competition, coined Dancing with the Mountain Stars.

He raised three equally well-rounded children, now grown. One is a doctor who graduated from the University of Virginia, one is a preschool teacher and dance instructor who went

to the University of North Carolina, and one is teacher with a divinity degree from Princeton.

Grandchildren have been blamed in part for his accelerated retirement.

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“If you have an engineering type question, Fred will break it down for me in laymen’s’ terms,” Caldwell said.

Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown has been on the receiving end of Baker’s laymen’s explanations as well.

“There may have been technical jargon behind it, but he could make it very simple,” Brown said.

news

N.C. counties that changed economic development tier status in 2015 Moved to a less distressed tier Burke: 1—>2 Caldwell: 1—>2 Haywood: 2—>3 Hoke: 1—>2 Mitchell: 1—>2 Moved to a more distressed tier Ashe: 2—>1 Guilford: 3—>2 Macon: 2—>1 Nash: 2—>1

Least prosperous Most prosperous

Musical tiers Counties receive 2015 economic designations

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ach year an economic report card issued by the North Carolina Department of Commerce determines which counties will be given first dibs on state grant money — and each year no one seems satisfied with their grades.

Haywood’s status improved, for instance, but Economic Development Director Mark Clasby wasn’t rejoicing.

“It makes my job Mark Clasby more difficult when trying to get grants for various projects,” said Clasby. “There’s a number of us around the state in similar situations, but in our case the second home market drives up the (property) values.”

Each county receives a tier raking of 1, 2 or 3, with tier 1 being the least prosperous and tier 3 being the most prosperous. Haywood County was upgraded from a tier 2 in 2014 to a tier 3 in 2015 while Macon County dropped from a tier 2 to a tier 1. Jackson and Swain counties kept their tier 1 designation.

The Department of Commerce looks at several factors when making these determinations — average unemployment rate, median household income, percentage growth in population and adjusted property tax base per capita. But economic development leaders agree that the formula has its flaws.

Smoky Mountain News

January 7-13, 2015

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HAYWOOD COUNTY Haywood is once again included in the top 20 most economically prosperous coun10 ties in the state. In 2014, Haywood ranked

No. 72 out of 100 counties, but this year it has moved to No. 80. According to a letter sent to the county from Secretary of Commerce Sharon Decker, the jump is based largely on a much-improved population growth ranking (No. 47 in 2014 to No. 61 in the 2015).

In the past, Haywood has had some success getting large grants from the North Carolina Rural Center and Golden LEAF Foundation for things like water and sewer infrastructure and other economic development projects. It will be less likely for Haywood to receive that kind of funding as a tier 3 county.

Clasby said he would like to get a modification made to the formula during the next General Assembly. He said counties that have a lower unemployment rate than the state average should be a tier 2 and counties with a higher unemployment rate than the state average should be considered a tier 1.

MACON COUNTY Tommy Jenkins, economic development director for Macon County, said there were a couple of big factors that resulted in Macon being bumped from tier 2 to tier 1 — a population of 35,000 and a higher poverty level per capita.

“Our county automatically qualifies as tier 1 under two benchmarks — our population is less than 50,000, which always been the case, but what kicked us into tier 1 this year was our poverty rate went from 18.3 to 19.6,” he said. “But if you look at other benchmarks, we’ve actually improved quiet a bit. We’re in the top third of least economically stressed counties so we had some good news and bad news.”

The other good news is Macon County will have an opportunity to go after infra-

Factors used to determine tier status Adjusted property tax base per capita Haywood .....................................$121,541 Jackson.......................................$240,463 Macon.........................................$236,448 Swain..........................................$105,213 Population growth 2010-13 Haywood.................................1.41 percent Jackson ..................................1.15 percent Macon ....................................0.66 percent Swain.....................................4.24 percent Median household income Haywood .......................................$40,022 Jackson.........................................$37,049 Macon...........................................$36,438 Swain............................................$36,280 Unemployment (12 month average) Haywood.................................5.57 percent Jackson ..................................5.88 percent Macon .........................................7 percent Swain.....................................8.76 percent

Source: North Carolina Department of Commerce. For more information, visit www.nccommerce.com. structure, sewer and water and Main Street program money, but Jenkins said there aren’t any concrete plans.

In the meantime, he said the county would continue to concentrate on its strengths in technology, a small but solid manufacturing base and tourism.

“Tourism continues to be strong for us

and I feel like our central location continues to help us,” he said.

JACKSON COUNTY

Rich Price, Jackson County’s economic development director, said they were doing well in many of the categories despite being classified as a tier 1 county for the third year in a row.

“When you look at the comparative statistics the state uses, we rank fairly well and high in the categories but because we fall below the 50,000 population threshold, they begin to look at our poverty rate, which averages 19.5 percent,” he said. “We don’t believe that reflects an accurate picture because they include students at Western (Carolina University).”

The state uses census data and the census counts students who live off campus as residents. Price said large portions of those offcampus students are not employed or only employed part-time, which drives up the unemployment and poverty rates for Jackson.

He said the state average population of 20to 24-year-olds is 5.3 percent but Jackson’s is much higher because of the university.

“We’re at 12.4 percent, and I feel confident that those numbers do skew the poverty rate,” he said. “It’s hard to characterize it as good or bad, but it positions us to be eligible for state and private funding agencies looking to work with lower tier counties.”

Price has worked as Jackson County’s economic development director for a little over a year. He said that year has been spent trying to re-establish the building blocks of economic development, but he hopes in the next year he can concen-

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“Because we fall below the 50,000 population threshold, they begin to look at our poverty rate, which averages 19.5 percent. We don’t believe that reflects an accurate picture because they include students at Western.”

— Rich Price, Jackson County EDC director

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will limit the type of firewood brought into the park in order to protect forests.

Beginning in March 2015, only heat-treated firewood that is bundled and displays a certification stamp by the USDA or a state department of agriculture will be allowed for use in park campgrounds.

Heat-treated firewood will be available to purchase from concessioners in many of the campgrounds as well as from private businesses in the communities around the park.

“The threat of new pests coming into our forests, both in the park and regionally, compels us to do all we can to reduce the risk to our forests,” said Acting Superintendent Clayton Jordan. “While a ban on the importation of non-treated firewood will not entirely halt the spread of destructive forest pests and diseases, it will greatly slow it down.”

For more information about firewood and forest and insect pests in the park, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/ firewood-alert.htm.

Now get what you really want. iPhone 6. And the best plan ever.

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Park changes firewood rules to protect forests

Get 4 lines and 10GB of data for just $130 a month. We’ll even pay off your old contract.

trate on taking advantage of the funding available to tier 1 counties to help existing businesses and attract new ones.

SWAIN COUNTY January 7-13, 2015

Swain County has become accustomed to being a tier 1 county because of the county’s geographic landscape. With so much of the county included in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a population of about 14,000, the county is limited

Four-year tier comparison .....................2015 ......2014 ......2013.......2012 Jackson ...........1 ............1 ............1.............2 Macon .............1 ............2 ............2.............2 Swain...............1 ............1 ............1.............1 Haywood..........3 ............2 ............3.............2

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Smoky Mountain News

when it comes to industry and trying to grow a property tax base.

Ken Mills, Swain County’s economic development director, said he wanted to get away from the “poor us” attitude when he took the job and to make the county self-sustaining without more state assistance.

“But I wasn’t right because we have such a small land property tax base, we can’t be self-sustaining,” Mills said. “I came to the conclusion that it is a compromise.”

While continuing to make strides to become more self-sustaining, Mills said the county also should utilize any monetary incentives available that will hopefully take the county to the next level of sustainability.

It may not be a prestigious designation, but Mills said being tier 1 has helped the county receive muchneeded assistance from funding for juvenile crime prevention programs to funding for a law enforcement center.

11

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The program plan aywood Pathways Center is a location, but the heart behind it comes from the three organizations that inhabit its walls: Haywood Christian Emergency Shelter, The Open Door and Next Step Ministries. The homeless shelter, soup kitchen and halfway house may operate on the same campus, but each has its own specific purpose and its own specific plan. Now that the bulk of the construction is done and the facilities are set up, the three ministries can focus on implementing the programs they’ve spent the past year planning.

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From prison to platter

Smoky Mountain News

January 7-13, 2015

THE HOMELESS SHELTER The homeless shelter’s working with a tiered set of programs. Anyone who needs a place to spend the night is welcome to come sleep there for up to three nights as long as they’re mentally stable and not using drugs or alcohol. They’ll also have to show photo ID to prove that they’re Haywood County residents and not wanted by police.

But after that they’ll have to commit to a 21-day program if they want to stay at Haywood Pathways. That entails sitting down with a counselor to come up with a personal growth plan. They’ll have to spend at least 20 hours per week working or volunteering with a nonprofit, continue to stay clean and sober and abide by house rules.

“If they show progress, if they show some initiative they’re willing to help themselves, we’ll allow them to sign up for our six-month program,” said Nick Honerkamp, president of the homeless shelter’s board of directors.

The six-month program is done through LifeWorks, a Christian organization that helps equip struggling people with the skills to take care of themselves. The end goal of the program is for its participants to leave the homeless shelter as people who have a home and niche in the community to call their own.

The program includes components such as classes on how to write a resumé, dress appropriately and make a budget as well as partnerships with other area business and organizations to help clients learn job skills and find work. Residents are also paired with a volunteer from the community who mentors them, helping them pursue their goals.

The daily routine, shared by Next Step residents, will help keep residents focused on their goals. Lights go on at 6 a.m. each day, and the campus closes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. while residents are out working, volunteering or otherwise working toward their goals.

Every morning they’re expected to shower, make their beds and prepare their own meal.

Every evening they’ll have to clean the dormitory. A security guard will keep watch each evening, take their cell phones at 9:45 p.m. and lights will go out at 10 p.m.

THE SOUP KITCHEN The Open Door already has a kitchen at Frog Level in Waynesville, but the new kitchen in Hazelwood will give the Pathways 12

S EE PROGRAM, PAGE 13

A volunteer from North Canton Baptist Church passes a filled-up plate to a shelter resident. Holly Kays photo

Haywood Pathways Center kitchen serves up first meals in Hazelwood

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER innertime came a little late at Haywood Pathways Center Sunday night (Jan. 4), but for all the right reasons. It was the inaugural night for The Open Door’s Hazelwood kitchen, the final piece in turning the dream behind the Pathways Center into reality.

“It might be a few minutes before we get to the pork chops,” said Jeremy Parton, Haywood Pathways’ newly hired kitchen and shelter director. “They might be a little cold, but that’s going to be OK, because there’s not going to be another night like this.”

So, instead of making a bee-line toward the plates of mashed potatoes, biscuits, pork chops, green beans and gravy, the roomful of shelter residents and volunteers circled the room to join hands in prayer. People from all walks of life spoke up to share their thanks for the food, the building and the people inside it.

“You come to be a blessing, but I want to tell you guys that you’ve already been a blessing to us,” said Mark Caldwell, pastor of North Canton Baptist Church, which had provided the volunteers for the evening and also helped out in December at the Frog Level location.

It’s ironic, Caldwell said, that North Canton wound up staffing the inaugural meal at the Pathways Center, because just eight years ago he’d gotten a phone call to provide volunteers for another first — shuttling homeless folks to a wintertime shelter at Camp New Life, a shelter that now exists year-round at the Pathways Center.

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“You’re not here by coincidence today,” Caldwell told the room. “You’re here because God knew where you was going to be today.”

LOOKING UP That’s a statement that rang true for Calvin Mann, of Canton, who’s been staying at the Pathways Center for about two weeks.

As Caldwell concluded his before-dinner devotional with an invitation to follow Jesus, Mann raised his hand, and a group clustered around to pray with him.

He’d been saved at age 12, but “I’ve been through a lot since then, and it’s always good to rededicate your life,” said Mann, 46.

Things are looking up for Mann, who had struggled with alcohol abuse and eventually found himself homeless. He’s proud of

Give a hand Haywood Pathways Center has finished fundraising for the first phase of building — all $342,000 of it — but is still looking for contributions toward its operational costs and construction of a parking lot and renovated office space.

The tricky part? It’s hard to tell what the price tag will be until they’ve been operating a while.

“Until we wear it for three months, we can’t really project the yearly budget,” said Nick Honerkamp, one of the leaders of the effort.

In addition, the three ministries operating out of the Pathways Center are looking for dollars and volunteers toward their respective missions.

• Haywood Pathways Center: To donate online or view a wish list of items needed, visit www.haywoodpathwayscenter.org or mail checks to Mountain Projects, 2251 Old Balsam Rd., Waynesville, N.C., 28786, with “Haywood Helps” on the memo line.

• Haywood Christian Emergency Shelter, P.O. Box 1272, Waynesville N.C. 28786 or www.haywoodchristianshelter.org. Volunteers are needed to mentor residents.

• Open Door Ministries, 32 Commerce St., Waynesville, N.C., 28786.

Churches are needed to prepare and serve meals.

• Next Step Ministries, Inc., P.O Box 94 Waynesville, N.C., 28786. Volunteers are needed to mentor residents.

of people he’s been bunking with lately.

“They’re my new brothers, my new family,” he said.

Jordan Becker, 24, hadn’t been there long enough to say the same thing by Sunday night — it was only his second day at the Pathways Center. But he likes what he sees.

“I fit in. I love the place. I love the people here,” he said. “Everyone seems to treat us with respect.”

The meal was “delicious,” “Each one of us is in a different Becker said, and he’s hopeful that this stay at the Pathways Center walk of life and each one of us will be just what he needs to get has our own problems, but I back on his feet. Smoking weed has been his big problem, and it don’t think God positioned any had been too hard to stop while living surrounded by it. Here, he’s of us here by mistake.” surrounded by encouragement to — Jeremy Parton, Haywood Pathways’ make the right choices and pursue kitchen and shelter director the future he hopes for.

“I want to be a Marine,” he how well he’s been able to stay sober since said, “so I gotta get it out of my system.” coming to the Pathways Center, and he’s Becker and Mann are two of about 20 grateful for the safety and warmth that people staying at Haywood Pathways this Pathways provides. He’s also looking for- weekend, a number that Nick Honerkamp, ward to the future. president of the homeless shelter’s board of “I start a new job next week over here at directors, said is close to the all-time high HVO [Haywood Vocational Opportunities], since the shelter opened on a winter-only so things are looking up for me,” he said. basis at Camp New Life in 2008. He speculat“I’m wanting to be out of here in a couple ed the high numbers could be due to all the months and come volunteer for them.” media exposure the center has And he doesn’t plan to forget the group gotten, the quality of the facilities

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PROGRAM, CONTINUED FROM 13

Three shelter residents stand shoulder to shoulder as they bow their heads in prayer.

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here,” Parton said. “Without them we wouldn’t have got it open.”

Not to mention, of course, the months of work that went into Haywood Pathways before that — negotiations between nonprofits and municipal governments, donations from businesses and individuals across the region, countless hours of volunteer labor and other contributions too numerous to list.

But Sunday night’s plate of pork chops and potatoes wasn’t the end of a year-long story. Rather, it was the bridge between preface and narrative, the start of a saga that will be written in chapters titled by lives changed and hurdles overcome.

“The construction’s done. Now we’re going to start building the rest of it a brick at a time,” Parton said. “What’s going to be awesome one day is when you come out of here and you get that job and you get reunited with your family and you look back and say, ‘You know what? I was there when that thing first started.’”

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and the new focus on rehabilitation rather than just on providing a warm place to sleep.

“There’s several guys that are very employable that just needed a safety net,” Honerkamp said. “There are other folks that just need more ongoing care.”

For each person, the path to independence will be different.

“Each one of us is in a different walk of life and each one of us has our own problems, but I don’t think God positioned any of us here by mistake,” Parton said Sunday night. “We’re here for such a time as this and we’re going to build this thing a brick at a time.”

Case in point: The path to the kitchen’s opening. The whole week of Dec. 29, a team of residents at Haywood Pathways worked nine-hour days to clean the building, stock the shelves and make sure everything was in working order for opening day Jan. 4.

“It’s been amazing to watch it come together with the help of the people who are

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People who have just gotten out of prison or jail will have the chance to enroll in Next Step Ministries, a program designed to help people transition from life behind bars to success on the outside.

Like the homeless shelter, Next Step uses a program from Lifeworks. The 28-week program involves making and pursuing an indi-

mentees have a face-to-face meeting once per week, and the pair catch up by phone every day.

Next Step also seeks out community partners who can offer a job or provide training to residents.

“It’s hard for felons to get a job, but we’ve had some folks say they’ve got a shift now that maybe someone would want to try their hand at becoming a chef or a cook,” said Jim Haynes, president of Next Step.

When the 28 weeks are up, the goal is for residents to be able to move out on their own. But Next Step doesn’t plan to cut the cord entirely.

“We plan to track these folks, and hopefully the mentors will keep in touch with them,” Haynes said. “They’re still wobbly.

They’re on their feet, but they’re wobbly.”

It’s not easy to transform from convicted criminal to productive citizen. But Haynes believes that with a supportive community, spiritual power and the desire for success, it’s completely possible.

“Those folks that have a real desire to change,” he said, “there is hope for them and I really believe that.”

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Center a more homelike feel by having food on-site. It will eventually extend the dinner invitation to Hazelwood residents who could use a free meal but might have trouble making it to Frog Level.

“There’s a great need for food, for assistance in all the tangible ways in Haywood County, so the extra meal can obviously help a lot of people who are struggling, having to buy fuel oil instead of food,” said Perry Hines, Open Door director.

By mid-February, the dinner invitation will be open to anyone who wants to come in.

But for now, the kitchen’s for Pathways residents only as staff get the routine established.

And what is that routine? Area churches — or any other organization that wants to help out — will take turns preparing dinner for a week at a time, with about 10 people needed each night. Groups arrive at the center between 4:30 and 5 p.m. to start cooking and serve the meal and a devotional at 6 p.m.

Shelter residents take ownership of their own breakfast and lunch.

“He [Parton] will be responsible to make sure that they’ll have everything they need to do breakfast, and we’ll have a bag lunch offered to everyone so they can take their bag lunch,” Hines explained.

vidualized plan with a Lifeworks counselor, whether that entails job training, education or rehabilitation. The participants sign a contract that outlines what’s expected of them to graduate from the program.

The program also relies on volunteers to mentor those in the program. Mentors and

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Haywood Regional’s new CEO now on the job ing fast everywhere without the economies of scale and expertise brought to bear by larger hospital systems.

Haywood Regional witnessed tumultuous times in the years leading up to the sale. New CEO Philip Wright will be the third one since 2008, not counting two interim CEOs during that period.

Although turnover is not uncommon in the volatile health care environment, the community has lacked a lasting figurehead to be the public face of the hospital and civic

fixture. However, Wright said he plans to be that guy. “I believe very strongly that health care is local. We have a responsibility to the community to provide good, quality health care, and the key to that is having a relationship with the community,� Wright said. “One of the roles we have is being a good corporate community citizen.�

Unlike the revolving CEO door at Haywood of late, Wright said he doesn’t plan on going anywhere until he retires.

LifePoint making good on pledge to upgrade Haywood Regional

has served as interim CEO since the hospital sale in August until now. “They aren’t as glamorous.�

But they’re important, like a new roof on the hospital, major HVAC work, and electrical and plumbing maintenance. A new roof and pool resurfacing have taken place at the nearby fitness center.

There’s also been equipment replacements, including lung screening equipment and a new lathroscopic tower that houses the surgery implements and imaging screens for minimally invasive procedures.

Another $30 million in capital investment by Duke LifePoint is still to come, according to terms of the purchase agreement.

The next year will probably see more of the maintenance upgrades, equipment replacements and modernizations witnessed so far.

“We looked at things that we felt like were so fundamental we had to do it immediately. We still have more we want to do in that category,�

Grogan said. “The high ticket items will come along, so what you will see instead of a steady amount each year, it will fluctuate,� Grogan said.

The capital investment pledge was a pot sweetener in the hospital sale. LifePoint got a bargain deal on the sale price, paying only $29 million. But it came with the promise to pump $36 million into the hospital over coming years.

Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick applauded Duke LifePoint for getting right to it. “A lot of times you get promises that ‘we are going to do this or do that,’ but it was nice to see things being done immediately upon the purchase,� Kirkpatrick said. — By Becky Johnson

T

More than $6 million has been spent on upgrades and improvements at Haywood Regional Medical Center since it was bought by Duke LifePoint hospital network last year.

Pumping cash into the facility and equipment was a condition of the deal, a pledge that is par for the course in the dozens of acquisitions LifePoint has carried out.

But the projects carried out so far at Haywood Regional aren’t of the ribbon-cutting variety. “A lot of it is what I consider basic infrastructure things,� said Richard Grogan, who

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BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER he new CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center assumed his role this week, pledging to lead the hospital into a new era under the ownership of Duke LifePoint.

The sale to Duke LifePoint last year ended Haywood Regional’s proud history as a community-owned, locally controlled hospital. But it was seen as a necessity to survive, with small independent hospitals fad-

Wright has been a hospital CEO in Tennessee, South Carolina and most recently Florida over the past 15 years, but sees Haywood as his final landing spot. “I am hoping this one in North Carolina will be my last one,� Wright said.

Wanting to settle in Waynesville longterm was one reason he was attracted to the hospital in the first place. Aside from the obvious things to like about the mountains, Wright and his wife will be close to their two grown sons.

Wright said he is also excited to work for LifePoint hospital, which has more than 60 medical centers in more than 20 states. “They are a good company and they have a lot of resources,� he said.

Monday was Wright’s first day on the job, and it was too soon to talk about his priorities and goals. But one of his first undertakings will be assessing department heads and top people to make sure the “right leadership team is in place.�

Wright’s to-do list his first week also includes buying a pair of winter gloves, but in the meantime, he’s grateful for the remote start feature on his car key fob so he can crank the engine up a few minutes before heading out the door — a function that got little use in back Florida.

When Wright came to the Haywood County commissioners meeting to introduce himself this week, he was reminded how important the hospital is to the people. “The hospital is part of the fabric of our county,� Commissioner Mark Swanger told Wright. “It is very special to a lot of us.�

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ust like they have for the last two decades, residents of Clay County and beyond gathered in Brasstown to ring in the New Year with the annual Possum Drop. But unlike the last two decades, they had to do so without the aid of a live possum.

“We ended up using a pot of possum stew,” said Clay Logan, event organizer and owner of Clay’s Corner store. “We made it here at the store. We got a little private room in the back [where] we cook some.”

The crowd, which typically includes a couple thousand people, was a little smaller than normal, but Logan attributes that more to chilly weather than to lack of interest in celebrating the possum. There was still the reading of “Eulogy to a Possum,” still the 10 p.m. arrival of the guest of honor enclosed in a plexiglass container, still the Miss Possum cross-dressing contest and still the midnight lowering of the plexiglass box.

Just no possum.

That fact, either sad or joyous depending on your persuasion, stems from a lawsuit that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed in 2012 decrying the Possum Drop as animal abuse and taking issue with a state law allowing it.

“It seems to me absolutely incredible that somebody who’s familiar with the event could think that the opossum isn’t being harmed just because you’re releasing the opossum afterward,” said Martina Bernstein, director of litigation for PETA. “I very much doubt that people who have cats and dogs would volunteer those animals to dangle from a box for hours in the frigid air.”

It’s actually against North Carolina law to grab a possum from the wild and keep it captive, but in 2013 the Legislature passed a law, sponsored by Rep. Roger West, RMarble, exempting Clay County from laws “related to the capture, captivity, treatment, or release” of possums between Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 of each year. PETA opposes this specialized exemption and the opportunity it affords any potential Clay County possum abuser to strike without punishment between the specified dates.

“You can’t just give your favorite people an exemption from having to comply with the law where everyone else has to comply,” Bernstein said.

So, PETA sued the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, starting a legal battle that’s now been dragging for three years.

Logan promised the judge in writing that he would not apply for a possum permit this year, thus resulting in a possumless Possum Drop. But the legal issue is expected to be settled sometime in 2015, and Logan’s planning on being “back on schedule with a smiling possum” for the next New Year’s Eve. “A lot of the folks is upset that we didn’t have a live ‘un, but we’ll have one this year or this coming year,” he said.

Bernstein, however, is rooting for the opposite and is a bit suspicious as to what was actually in the box this year.

“As far as we’re able to determine, the box that was raised and lowered was opaque, so no one was able to see in,” she said. “Logan apparently referred to possum stew being inside. It could have been a heap of dirt for all we know. Or it could be something else altogether.”

It was definitely just possum stew, Logan said, but there’s no denying that he’s trying to minimize the information he provides PETA. “We used to make a movie, and we don’t even do that no more,” Logan said. “They got us wupped down like a dog.”

As to whether PETA had anyone at this year’s event to keep an eye on things, Bernstein wouldn’t say.

Possum Drop founder Clay Logan, left, gets the possumless possum-centered New Year’s Eve festivities under way in Brasstown. Midge Roach/Clay County Progress photo “I’m not sure if I can respond to that.

That might be confidential litigation information,” she said when asked.

But why the need to use a live possum anyway? According to an affidavit submitted by veterinarian Debbie Anderson, an event like the Possum Drop could seriously harm and torture the possum through exposure to cold and fright from loud noises. In Tallapoosa, Georgia, a New Year’s Eve Possum Drop goes off every year using Spencer the taxidermied possum, causing harm to no marsupial.

“Why is it important to have a big ball in New York?” Logan responded. “It’s an event for our community and for local people to bring their kids. It’s a family affair and everyone can come and have a good time, and there’s not that many of them around.”

“Two things we don’t allow, alcohol and lawn chairs,” Logan said, “because we don’t have no room for either one of them.”

All well and good, Bernstein said, but the live possum’s got to go.

“Really, there’s a reason why you have animal cruelty laws to begin with, so people aren’t allowed to torment defenseless animals,” she said.

Time will tell whose view prevails.

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

17

Time to break the holiday laws of inertia T

Some successional habitat a good thing To the Editor: The recent announcement by the U.S. Forest Service of more potential logging in the new forest management proposals led some environmental groups to hype it as if every tree in the forest were going to be cut down.

This is hardly the case.

This plan would help biodiversity in our national forests. When areas are opened up to sunlight by logging or burning, the rapid regrowth creates early successional habitat that is vital for many types of wildlife to survive and thrive. With declining populations of deer, grouse, and woodcock, to name a few, this type of habitat is desperately needed.

Songbirds, rabbits, mice, etc., also thrive in this habitat that, in turn, benefits predator animals, such as owls, bobcats, and foxes.

This type of habitat is also critical to the continued growth of the very popular elk herd that was introduced in Western North Carolina. Our forests need to be managed for the wildlife as well as for recreational uses.

Locking up millions of acres in wilderness with no management at all is not the answer.

Mark B. Rogers Canton

New animal shelter is long overdue To the Editor: I was happy to read the article about the

And yet, here he was up against it. You brush your teeth, you say your prayers, you fight with your sister over who left the bathroom light on, you put out your clothes for tomorrow, and there it is suddenly right in front of you, your view of it utterly unobstructed. Christmas vacation is over. You’re going back to school. Summer is so very far away, the dimmest star in the galaxy. Who can sleep? Not you. So you go downstairs, manufacturing excuses as you go for why you are not in bed.

You open the door to your parents’ room and they immediately give you Columnist “the look.” You’d better come up with something fast.

“Um, Dad, I was having a nightmare,” you say, a bit uncertainly, trying to find your bearings, writing your story on the fly. “It was about a vampire. Well, he was half vampire and half werewolf, and he was chasing me! He was chasing me all over the place.”

“Jack, you’ve been upstairs exactly eight minutes,” Dad says. “You haven’t had time to go to sleep. You’ve barely had time to brush your teeth.”

“Well then, I am worried that I am going to have a nightmare about a vampire that is half a werewolf,” Jack says, hesitating for a moment before finally opting for the truth, even if

Chris Cox

wo miserable characters — the larger one in a terry cloth bathrobe and fleece pajama bottoms, the smaller one in his new school clothes and orange parka — stand at the bus stop, huddled together in a sad and pathetically ineffective attempt to generate some small bit of warmth between them on a brutally cold and windy January morning, the first day of school and work after Christmas vacation.

Teachers worry that their students will lose momentum or enthusiasm for learning during their time away from school right in the middle of the school year, but the boy in his new school clothes has indeed learned something over these past few weeks. He has learned about inertia, not just the dictionary definition of it, but the implacable reality of it.

In short, bodies at rest prefer to remain at rest, and resting bodies that have spent the past 17 days playing video games, eating Christmas cookies, and sleeping in every day prefer to remain doing those same things at precisely the same pace.

The reality of his situation falls on the smaller of the two characters — my son, Jack — at approximately 8 p.m. on Sunday evening when his mother informs him that it would probably be best to go ahead and lay out his clothes for school before bed, as well as locating his long neglected and probably misplaced school backpack. Until this very moment, going back to school had remained for him a mildly unpleasant abstraction. He knew it was coming, but not yet. Not yet.

need for a new animal shelter in Haywood County. There is no doubt that the current one has long served its purpose. I really believe that many people here would gladly donate to a construction fund and a land donation would really speed things up.

A more central location, like near the old drive in movie theater, or similar would be ideal. And on another note, how about another dog park area behind the dam at Lake Junaluska? It is flat and grassy and owned by the county, I believe. The one in town was ruined and every time I pass by there I never see many dogs there anymore. There’s plenty of space behind the dam to the left side and it would be no interference to the picnic area and fishing.

Mylan Sessions Clyde

We have to close the widening gap To the Editor: About 10 years ago I said to a client of mine perhaps the most outrageous thing I’ve ever said: “The worst thing that ever happened to America was the loss of the Soviet Union.”

For a moment, my client thought that I’d lost my mind.

It was an exaggeration, yes, but then I explained that as a nation, we seemed programmed to search out an enemy, and struggle with them, for dominance, for survival. In the last century we had the Kaiser, Hitler, Tojo, Stalin, Ho Chi Minh, Manuel Noriega,

it will not set him free. “And I don’t want to go back to school yet.”

“I get it, buddy,” Dad says, and he does. “I don’t want to go back to work yet either.”

And he doesn’t. Christmas vacation inertia is as real for grown-ups as it is for children. The dad in this little domestic drama has spent the past 17 days eating Christmas cookies, watching reruns of “The Wire,” listening to old jazz records, and sleeping in every day until about 9 a.m. or later. In other words, he has been pursuing his own bliss at a speed of approximately 6 miles per hour.

In just a couple of more days, he’ll be back in class, pitching Twain and Dickinson to skeptical college sophomores, selling them on the enduring relevance of literature, and chasing freshman commas like a feral cat chasing field mice. But not yet. Not yet. Can’t he get just one more Christmas cookie?

Watch one more episode the “The Wire”?

No, no he cannot. T.S Eliot said that, “April is the cruelest month,” but he was mistaken. January is the cruelest month, when bodies at rest must once again be nudged, provoked, and finally propelled violently back into motion.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. His most recent book of essays, The Way We Say Goodbye, is available at local bookstores and online. He can be reached at jchriscox@live.com.)

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786.

Ayatollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein, and a few that I can’t even remember. Each has come and gone: the Soviet Union was there the longest, but we spent them into bankruptcy; then they, too, disappeared.

Without a clear cut enemy, we have turned on ourselves, and today our elected leaders have molded government into a theater of the absurd in which they create week-to-week panics, the crisis du jour … health care, immigration, or some obscure conflict halfway around the globe that in no reasonable way involves us. These are solvable problems, but too many of us fall into the emotion of these panics without questioning why.

In advertising, sex sells; in politics, fear sells. Without the Soviet Union and the other list of enemies, we have turned on ourselves.

It’s always been tough to be an American because Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and John Adams and a few other smart people wrote a paper that require us to be thinking

citizens, to take charge of our government by voting, and by not falling prey to the panic spread by those who feed us fear to keep themselves in the headlines. We are Americans, and we are given a special charge by the founding fathers to keep the faith in the original brilliant idea of America. But this isn’t easy. It’s easier to react to concocted crises than to find the reasonable political path that moves America forward.

America is not without its problems.

Corporations bleed our industry by sending plants overseas. Jobs disappear. As a nation, we don’t invest nearly enough in our future through education, and we don’t spend nearly enough on figuring out how to employ and feed the next generation. Other nations are rising to turn the globe into their own empire, and this is the real threat.

They are serious. Will we continue as America in that kind of environment?

The answer lies in our ability to measure up to the tough things, to pay attention to the global realities and not the soap opera infighting of a congress and talk show hosts who think that making noise is progress. It isn’t. If we can agree to reason together again as Americans — Republicans, Democrats, and Independents — we can make government work again, with a chance to turn over a country to our children that would draw a nod from the founding fathers.

Are you and I up to the task of believing in their vision of America? To do so, we are going to have to relearn how to talk to each other again.

Rick Bryson Bryson City

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Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ 6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sat. & Sun. Chef owned and operated. Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables. Fresh roasted ham, turkey and roast beef used in our hoagies. We hand make our own eggplant and chicken parmesan, pork meatballs and hamburgers. We use 1st quality fresh not pre-prepared products to make sure you get the best food for a reasonable price. We make vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free items. Call or go to Facebook (Breaking Bread Café NC) to find out what our specials are.

BRYSON CITY CORK & BEAN A MOUNTAIN SOCIAL HOUSE 16 Everett St.,Bryson City. 828.488.1934.

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 9 a.m. to 3p.m., Full Menu 3 to 9 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials starting at 5pm every day.

Followed by a tempting selection of desserts prepared daily by our chefs and other local bakers. Enjoy craft beers on tap, as well as our full bar and eclectic wine list.

Burns Night Enjoy readings of Scotland’s most famous poet,

per person

Robert Burns

+tax & gratuity

4-Course Dinner with Beer pairings from Tipping Point Brewery Bed & Breakfast and Restaurant

Lunch Wed-Fri 11:30-2 Sunday Brunch 11-2

94 East St., Waynesville N.C. 28786 828-452-7837 herrenhouse.com

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MEDITERRANEAN

Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. We serve three meals a day on Friday and Saturday, and some Sundays.

Join us for family-style breakfast from 8 to 9:30 am – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-caneat. Lunch from 12:00 till 2. In the evening, social hour begins at 6:00pm. Dinner is served at 7:00 pm, with entrees that include prime rib, baked ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer.

So come enjoy mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations and more dining information.

CHEF’S TABLE 30 Church St., Waynesville. 828.452.6210.

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

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join us in our historic location for scratch made soups and daily specials.

Breakfast is made to order daily: Gourmet cheddar & scallion biscuits served with bacon, sausage and eggs; smoked trout bagel plate; quiche and fresh fruit parfait. We bake a wide variety of breads daily, specializing in traditional french breads. All of our breads are hand shaped. Lunch: Fresh salads, panini sandwiches. Enjoy outdoor dinning on the deck. Private room available for meetings.

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine. Come taste the savory and sweet crepes, grilled paninis, fresh, organic salads, soups and more.

Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live

Burgers to Salads Southern Favorites & Classics

music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday serving freshly prepared small plate and tapas-style fare. Enjoy local, regional, or national talent live each Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. www.classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter.

CORK & CLEAVER 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.7179. Reservations recommended.

4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, Cork & Cleaver has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Executive Chef Corey Green prepares innovative and unique Southern fare from local, organic vegetables grown in Western North Carolina. Full bar and wine cellar. www.waynesvilleinn.com.

COUNTRY VITTLES: FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT 3589 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley.

828.926.1820 Open Daily 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

FILLING STATION DELI 145 Everett St., Bryson City, 828.488.1919.

Open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sundays (in October) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Locals always know best, and this is one place they know well. From the highquality hot pressed sandwiches and the huge portions of hand-cut fries to the specialty frozen sandwiches and homemade Southern desserts, you will not leave this top-rated deli hungry.

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

HERREN HOUSE 94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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-Local beers now on draft-

Live Music

SID’S

FRIDAY, JAN. 9TH

Karaoke w/Chris Monteith

——————————————————

SAT. & SUN. JAN. 10TH & 11TH

ON MAIN

117 Main Street, Canton NC 828.492.0618 • SidsOnMain.com Serving Lunch & Dinner

236-50

NFL Playoffs 83 Asheville Hwy. Sylva Music Starts @ 9 • 631.0554

tasteTHEmountains

JUKEBOX JUNCTION U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Saturday. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM 617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva.

828.586.3555. Open Tuesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Hand-tossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch. Beer and wine. Free movies with showtimes at 6:30 and 9 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Visit madbatterfoodandfilm.com for this week’s shows.

MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB 1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.

MOUNTAIN PERKS ESPRESSO BAR & CAFÉ 9 Depot St., Bryson City. 828.488.9561.

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections.

Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoor, outside on the patio or at the bar.

Reservations appreciated.

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 828.926.0201 Bar open Monday thru Saturday; dining room open Tuesday thru Saturday at 5 p.m. Full service restaurant serving steaks, prime rib, seafood and dinner specials.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400.

Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A Waynesville tradition, the Smoky Mountain Sub Shop has been serving great food for over 20 years. Come in and enjoy the relaxed, casual atmosphere. Sub breads are baked fresh every morning in Waynesville.

Using only the freshest ingredients in homemade soups, salads and sandwiches. Come in and see for yourself why Smoky Mountain Sub Shop was voted # 1 in Haywood County.

Locally owned and operated.

SPEEDY’S PIZZA 285 Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.3800.

Open seven days a week. Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Family-owned for 30 years. Serving hand-tossed pizza made to order, pasta, subs, gourmet salads, calzones and seafood. Also serving excellent prime rib on Thursdays. Dine in or take out available.

Located across from the Fire Station.

TAP ROOM SPORTS BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Dr. Waynesville 828.456.5988. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Enjoy soups, sandwiches, salads and hearty appetizers along with a full bar menu in our casual, smoke-free neighborhood grill.

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.668.2326. Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Happily committed to brewing and serving innovative, uniquely delicious coffees — and making the world a better place. 100% of our coffee is Fair Trade, Shade Grown, and Organic, all slow-roasted to bring out every note of indigenous flavor.

Bakery offerings include cakes, muffins, cookies and more. Each one is made from scratch in Asheville using only the freshest,

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito. The recipes have been in the family for 50 years (don't ask for the recipes cuz’ you won't get it!) Each Pizza is hand tossed and made with TLC. You're welcome to watch your pizza being created.

119 Ranch Drive, Maggie Valley, NC 28751 | CataloocheeRanch.com | (828)926-1401

Jacob Johnson Performs Sat., Jan. 17 at the Wineseller Jacob Johnson is a young, energetic performer from Upstate SC who’s shared the stage with songwriting masters from Edwin McCain to David Wilcox, and who hangs out with guitar heroes like Tommy Emmanuel and Tim Reynolds (right-hand man to Dave Matthews).

While his flashy guitar pyrotechnics will certainly grab your attention, his songwriting, personality, and performance style are what set him apart from the rest of the young guitar-slinging pack. To quote Tommy Emmanuel, "Jacob rocks!"

Singer and guitar sensation, Jacob Johnson performs Jan. 17 at the Classic Wineseller.

Catch Johnson’s show at 7pm on Saturday, January 17 at the Classic Wineseller, 20 Church Street, Waynesville, NC. He’ll play a mix of songs in a neo-acoustic folk-funk style.

Tickets are $6 per person. Advance purchase is recommended by calling 828-452-6000. The Wineseller’s food and drink menu will be available during the show.

Seating is limited. More at www.classicwineseller.com.

MountainEats.com Let your smartphone be your guide!

• Find restaurants nearby • Read descriptions and explore menus • View photos and interactive maps

Smoky Mountain News

NEWFOUND LODGE RESTAURANT 1303 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee (Located on 441 North at entrance to GSMNP).

828.497.4590. Open 7 a.m. daily.

Established in 1946 and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Family style dining for adults and children.

THAI SPICE 128 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.454.5400. Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday noon to 3 p.m. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday 4:30 to 9 p.m. Closed Monday. Thai Spice, an authentic Thai restaurant, warmly welcomes you to experience a superb dinning experience. Don’t be timid, the food comes mild, medium, hot and Thai Hot. You choose. www.thaispicewnc.com

Cataloochee Ranch

January 7-13, 2015

MOONSHINE GRILL 2550 Soco Road, Maggie Valley located in the Smoky Falls Lodge. 828.926.7440.

Open Wednesday through Saturday 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Cooking up mouth-watering, wood-fired Angus steaks, prime rib and scrumptious fresh seafood dishes. The wood-fired grill gives amazing flavor to every meal that comes off of it. Enjoy creative dishes made using moonshine. Stop by and simmer for a while and soak up the atmosphere. The best kept secret in Maggie Valley. themoonshinegrill.com

all natural ingredients available. We are proud to offer gluten-free and vegan options.

Paid advertisement

Lunch: Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Brunch 11 a. m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoy fresh local products, created daily.

Join us in our beautiful patio garden. We are your local neighborhood host for special events: business party’s, luncheons, weddings, showers and more. Private parties & catering are available 7 days a week by reservation only.

We’ll feed your spirit, too.

It’s that simple!

An online dining directory for Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: 866.452.2251

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20

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

ONE WAY OUT — Gregg Allman

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

Gregg Allman will play Harrah’s Cherokee on Jan. 16.

It’s the soundtrack of America.

Forty-five years ago, The Allman Brothers Band burst onto the scene. With an intoxicating blend of squealing LA rock-n-roll, poignant Greenwich Village folk and bayou voodoo blues, the Macon, Georgia band plugged in and kicked off a whole new genre of sound — Southern rock.

Their words are voices in the night, calling out to us either out of love or out of pain. Their melodies are the unrelenting spirit of what this Rock and Roll Hall of country was founded on. It’s the idea Famer Gregg Allman will of the rebel, the outsider. It’s seeing perform at 9 p.m. Friday, the world at a unique angle, one that Jan. 16, at Harrah’s encompasses the notion of always runCherokee. Tickets are ning towards the horizon, never givavailable at ing up, and knowing that, in life, www.harrahscherokee.com nobody makes it out alive. or www.ticketmaster.com.

When you first listen to The Allman Brothers Band, something immediately clicks in your head, almost as if a light switch on the world around you was turned on. You start to see and hear things in a different, more keenly aware state of being.

Listen to “Ramblin’ Man” or “Midnight Rider” and you find yourself yearning for the unknown that resides right outside your front door. Throw on “Melissa” or “Jessica” and ghosts of femme fatales and loves lost flood your field of vision. Amid the immortal “Whipping Post” one can channel the anger and rage of a lost and troubled soul, where you are utterly captivated by the piercing guitar licks of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, pounding organ strokes of Gregg Allman, shattered heartbeat bass rhythm of Berry Oakley and thundering percussion of Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks.

As the decades have worn on, faces have come and gone within the band — some six feet under, as seen with the untimely and tragic deaths of Duane and Oakley, and others simply disappearing into the abyss of the music industry. There has also been rebirths, as seen with the additions of six-string aces Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks over the past 25 years. And yet, through it all, one thing has survived — the music.

The Smoky Mountain News recently caught up with Gregg Allman in the midst of his current solo tour, which will slide into Harrah’s Cherokee on Jan. 16. He spoke of the The Allman Brothers Band packing it in in 2014, how his health is these days, and how turning 67 is but a number.

Danny Clinch photo

Want to go?

Smoky Mountain News: What’s the biggest misconception about Gregg Allman?

Gregg Allman: I’m a pretty private person. I like to be home. I enjoy time with my friends and family, riding

y my Harley and painting a bit. I’m a dog lover, I’ve always had a dog, ever since I was a kid. Maybe it’s hard for people to understand that, but I’m a bit of a homebody.

SMN: You just turned 67 years old. What does that number mean to you?

GA: I don’t think about numbers — age is just a state of mind to me. I feel good and I’m looking forward to the things I still want to do, not backwards. I don’t live in the past at all.

SMN: You hear so many rumors about your health.

How are you feeling these days?

GA: Feeling fine, man, thank you very much. I’m taking good care of myself these days. I eat healthier, and I try to get enough sleep, even though that can be tough when I’m on the road.

S EE ALLMAN, PAGE 22

“Playing solo has been important to me for the last 40 years ... It’s a great outlet for me, and it allowed me to go back to the Allman Brothers for all those years feeling refreshed and ready to go.”

— Gregg Allman

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Garret K. Woodward photo

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5

@SmokyMtnNews

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Two locations to serve you ASHEVILLE 252.3005

WAYNESVILLE 251.9721

www.hunterbanks.com

Smoky Mountain News

For me, New Year’s Eve is the one true moment where you stop in your tracks, even but for a moment, and take a look around, at the people, sounds and things that make up your life.

Fly Fishing the South

January 7-13, 2015

364 days down, one to go.

Hurtling down Interstate 95 from Boston to New York City, I’m sitting on a charter bus with my eyes aimed once again at New Dirty Soul Revival (rock/blues) will perform at Year’s Eve in The Big Apple. It’s 9 p.m. Jan. 16 at No Name Sports Pub in become a tradition of mine with my Sylva. two best friends from college, both The comedy “Elemeno Pea” will be held at of who live and work in the city.

7:30 p.m. Jan. 16-17 and at 3 p.m. Jan. 18 I awoke last New Year’s Day on a at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in random couch in Brooklyn. There Waynesville. was a girl next to me I’d only first met the night before. I was in her Brushfire Stankgrass (newgrass/Americana) friend’s apartment. My eyes creaked will perform at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 at BearWaters open and I had no idea where I was.

Brewing in Waynesville.

All I knew is that there happened to be a beautiful girl in my arms. Not a The “Come As You Art” Gathering will be from bad way to start 2014, eh?

2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Hospice House of I remember strolling the streets WNC in Franklin. that morning with her, Kate, as we Dan Shearin (folk/rock) will perform at 7 p.m. tracked down one of those 24-hour Jan. 9 at The Classic Wine Seller in Greek diners where the menus Waynesville. read like novels and dishes are piled high with everything from chaotic and distracting, the future always seafood to bacon and eggs to three-tiered weighing down upon our shoulders. As I type sandwiches. We laughed over coffee at how this column to you, the bus is cruising by New crazy last night was and what the impending Haven, Connecticut, right by the off-ramp exit year would hold, what unknown possibilities to where I went to college — Quinnipiac and opportunities lay just around the corner, University. I graduated from there in 2007. It ready to surprise us at a moment’s notice. feels like a lifetime ago, a place lost in some That diner conversation feels like years seemingly foolish dream, a face in the mirror I ago, as does most things we remember from might not recognize if the green eyes staring our past, for the present is so captivatingly

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

back at me weren’t so recognizable.

For me, New Year’s Eve is the one true moment where you stop in your tracks, even but for a moment, and take a look around, at the people, sounds and things that make up your life. It’s your physical, emotional and spiritual inventory for the year. This year especially has been filled with the usual rollercoaster of events — career, health, family, friends and women.

All in all, I see 2014 as a landmark year in my personal existence. Career-wise? I’ve never been happier — I do what I love, everyday. Health-wise? After a year or so nursing a leg injury, my active lifestyle is back on track with lots of running, hiking, mountain biking and Frisbee golf. Familywise? My folks are getting older, which always gets me as I only cross paths with them every so often, but my sister did give birth to an adorable baby girl, and I’m excited to be the Godfather. Friend-wise? It never ceases to amaze me how many new and incredible people come into my view each passing year, where you find yourself saying, “Where have you been all my life?”

And lastly, women. I had told myself a few years ago that I was done pursing women. Yes, OK, if they crossed paths with me, then so be it, but I wouldn’t fall in love.

No more putting myself out there only to fall in love and get my heart chucked into the abyss. That oath held steady until this spring. I fell in love again. We had a great summer. But, sure enough, my heart was chucked into the abyss.

If any good came from that relationship (and there was a good amount of it), it was that I finally had answers to several soulsearching questions I’d spent years trying to solve. I came to the conclusion that I did want more than a freewheelin’ playboy lifestyle, that being alone and doing my own thing is great and all, but com’on, it is so much more fun to share this journey we call life with a loved one, wherever she may be amid the cosmos.

The charter bus continues to rumble down the road towards Manhattan. My intent continues to push ahead for that horizon I’m always chasing with a reckless abandon. I can’t sit still, and I never will, because there’s so much beauty and insanity out there that I want to partake in like jumping into a cold lake on a hot summer day. My phone vibrates next to me. It’s her, Kate, and she wanted to know if I’ll be in the city again for New Year’s Eve. A stranger a year ago, now a beloved friend heading into 2015.

As I write this final paragraph, I myself am wondering what’s the exact point of this week’s column. Maybe there is none. Maybe it’s just the passerby words of a guy who is drunkenly in love with the world. It is the air I breathe, the water I swim in, the ground I lay upon, the voices and faces I converse with, the places and things that mesmerize my eternal childlike wonder.

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

21

arts & entertainment

On the beat

Haywood libraries welcome piano, jazz Pianist Richard Shulman and jazz band One Leg Up will perform in the Haywood public libraries.

A classical pianist, Shulman will play Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Waynesville Public Library. A gypsy jazz group, One Leg Up will also hit the stage on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Canton Public Library. Both shows are free and begin at 3 p.m. www.haywoodarts.org.

Gypsy jazz group One Leg Up will perform at the Canton Public Library Jan. 18. Donated photo

Smoky Mountain News

January 7-13, 2015

Community dance in Sylva A community dance will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, in the Community Room at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Dancing will include circle and square dances as well as contra dances. All dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. No previous experience is necessary and no partner is required.

Ron Arps will call the dance to the live music of Out of the Woodwork, a band made up on local musicians. The group invites anyone who plays an instrument to sit in with the band, to jam and learn how to play music for dancing. There will also be a potluck dinner following the dance at 5 p.m. Please bring a covered dish, plate, cup, cutlery and a water bottle.

Admission is a suggested donation of $5. ronandcathy71@frontier.com or www.da ncewnc.com.

ALLMAN, CONTINUED FROM 20

SMN: And with your health, you also hear numerous things about the state of The Allman Brothers Band. As far as I knew, the band’s last show was at the Beacon Theater (New York City) this past fall, and yet, I hear, “Yes, it was their last show, as the Allman Brothers with Derek and Warren.” What can you say about the future of the Allman Brothers, if there is one?

GA: Forty-five years is a long, long time for a rock band — it’s a long time for anyone to do anything. We went out on own our terms, and I know my brother would have 22 been proud. One thing I learned a long time

Sock Hops to bring oldies to Franklin Oldies group The Sock Hops will perform at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

The Sock Hops have opened for The Temptations, Frankie Avalon, The Rascals, and many other great artists and showcase many hits from the The Sock Hops return to Franklin on Jan. 17. Donated photo 1950s to the 1980s including, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” “At The Hop,” “Sherry,” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The Sock Hops have emerged as a premiere entertainment group specializing in four-part harmonies.

Tickets are $15. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

ago about this band is to never say never, but at this point, we have nothing planned.

Everyone is happy to be busy with their own projects, including me.

SMN: Why has having that solo outlet been important to have?

GA: What I like best about playing with my solo band is there’s only one cook in the kitchen, if you know what I mean. With the Allman Brothers, things could get pretty complicated, there were a lot of moving pieces involved. Playing solo has been important to me for the last 40 years, ever since I was told “Queen of Hearts” wasn’t good enough to be an Allman Brothers album. That comment

led me to record “Laid Back,” my first solo record, and I’ve been doing that ever since. It’s a great outlet for me, and it allowed me to go back to the Allman Brothers for all those years feeling refreshed and ready to go.

SMN: How would define the current state of rock-n-roll music? People always say every generation how it’s dead. There are lots of great rock-n-roll acts still out there, but not as much in the mainstream.

GA: Well, that depends on what you call the mainstream, man. Most of today’s bands don’t worry about radio play, they make it the old-school way by playing live, just like we did back in the early years. Look at a

• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will have Brushfire Stankgrass (bluegrass/Americana) at Jan. 9 and Tonology Jan. 16. All shows begin at 8 p.m. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

• City Lights Café (Sylva) will have Andy Sneed at 6 p.m. Jan. 10. www.citylightscafe.com.

• Classic Wine Seller (Waynesville) will have Dan Shearin (folk/rock) on Jan. 9, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Jan. 10, Jay Brown (singer-songwriter) Jan. 16 and Jacob Johnson (folk/funk) Jan. 17. All shows begin at 7 p.m. $10 minimum purchase.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

ALSO:

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Craig Summers & Lee Kram at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 and 15, and Helena Hunt at 7 p.m. Jan. 9. Free. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night at Jan. 7 and 14, and a jazz night Jan. 8 and 15. Both evenings begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Andrew Chastain Jan. 8, Nathan Kalish & The Last Callers Jan. 9-10, Ethan Morse Jan. 15, Dirty Soul Revival Jan. 16 and Fat Cheek Kat Jan. 17. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 828.586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub (Franklin) will have Pam McCall at 8 p.m. Jan. 9. Free. www.rathskellerfranklin.com or 828.369.6796.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have James Stinnett (siner-songwriter) at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 and Chris Williams (singersongwriter) Jan. 16. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

young band like Blackberry Smoke, they have a great following, and they ain’t on the radio, man. They’re out on the road, doing it one show at a time.

SMN: What has a life playing music taught you about what it means to be a human being?

GA: Music is an escape for people. They can go to a show, dance and sing along, and then leave with a smile on their face, because they were able to forget about their problems for a few hours. I’ve come to really understand that, man, and that’s my goal at every show — I want people to leave feeling good, brother.

w

On the wall arts & entertainment

MacLean to speak on architectural photography

Courtesy of John MacLean

wheel throwing skills. Class includes one 25pound bag of clay. This is a special class outside of our normal programming and is open to everyone. Â Cost of the class is $100 for Bascom members, $150 non-members. www.thebascom.org.

There will be a basic hand-building and wheel throwing class from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 13, 15, 20 and 22 at The Bascom in Highlands.

This class will focus on hand-building and

ALSO:

• The “Come As You Artâ€? Gathering will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Hospice House of WNC in Franklin. Social event for performing, literary and visual artists.

828.524.7683 or arts4all@dnet.net.

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Pottery class in Highlands

• A figure drawing class with Knight Martorell will be offered on Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at The Bascom in Highlands. aalig@thebascom.org or 828.787.2865.

We want you t

January 7-13, 2015

John MacLean will be the guest speaker during the Sylva Photo Club’s meeting at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Cullowee Methodist Church on the Western Carolina University campus.

MacLean will be discussing techniques of architectural photography along with showing his images. He is a commercial and fine art photographer who specializes in architecture, landscapes and people. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Swatch, Outside Magazine and many others.

After the speaker, members will submit pictures in the theme of Winter Season. After the formal meeting, there will be a Camera Talk Hour occurs where members and visitors can socialize and talk shop about photography. www.johnmaclean.com or www.sylvaphotoclub.wordpress.com or 828.293.9820.

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23

On the stage arts & entertainment

Societal comedy to hit HART stage

“Elemeno Pea,” a comedy set in Martha’s Vineyard, will stage Jan. 16-18 at HART in Waynesville. Donated photo

January 7-13, 2015

The societal comedy “Elemeno Pea” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16-17 and at 3 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

It’s just after Labor Day and Martha’s Vineyard has started emptying out, but you can still smell the suntan lotion (the expensive kind). And the expensive life is just what Simone is living these days, as personal assistant to Michaela Kell, trophy wife of

an absurdly rich (and often absent) New York ad man. When Simone’s older sister, a social worker from blue-collar Buffalo comes to visit, lifestyles — and worlds — collide. This keenly observed comedy about class, family and the choices that shape who we are unfolds in real time, fast, furious and funny.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for students. www.harttheater.org.

On the street

Smoky Mountain News

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WCU to host Low Brass Assembly The inaugural Catamount Low Brass Assembly will be Jan. 16-17 at Western Carolina University.

The two-day event will be hosted by the Tuba Studio and the Trombone and Euphonium Studio. The weekend will include recitals, master classes and workshops, as well as guest artists from the University of Georgia —Joshua Bynum, associate professor of trombone, and David Zerkel, professor of tuba and euphonium.

Following a day of classes and workshops focused toward collegiate musicians on Jan.16, Bynum and Zerkel will give a guest artist recital at 7:30 p.m. at the Coulter Building on the WCU campus. Classes and workshops will continue throughout the day Jan. 17, with an emphasis on younger students and preparing for all-district competi-

tions and college auditions. The assembly will conclude with a concert at 5 p.m. Jan. 17 in the Coulter Building, which will feature the combined talents of WCU’s Trombone Choir and Euphonium and Tuba Choir, along with student chamber groups, high school and middle school ensembles, and faculty members.

The events are free and open to the public.

828.227.7242.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 10 and 17 at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in Sylva.

828.586.6300.

ALSO:

• Western Style Square Dancing Lessons will be offered from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays from Jan. 12-April 20 at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. $65 per person. Register at the center.

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26

Books

Smoky Mountain News

Regrets: books I now know I shall never read or many of us, the bells ringing in the New Year carry a bittersweet tune. We look forward to better times, which means we’ve gone through some hard times. We make resolutions, which means we have found faults in ourselves. Here in the South, we eat blackeyed peas on New Year’s Day in the hope that these will bring good luck, implying that the past year brought some bad luck. (Note: Writer one research study found that black-eyed peas cause the least amount of flatulence.

Seconds, anyone?)

This New Year’s Day I took a hard look at books that for years have waited patiently for me to read them. Most of us who love literature carry a mental list of titles and authors we plan to read some day, and for the first time in my life, I looked at my own list and realized that some books on my own list will never be read. It’s not just a question of time: I could by force of will find the hours to do the reading, and though I’m in my mid-60s, I may still have time to undertake even a massive reading project like the Durant set mentioned below.

No — it’s not time that hinders me, but my own flaws. In Why Read?, Mark Edmundson tells of a Columbia University English professor who at the end of each semester gave an examination asking his students two questions: What book in the course did you most dislike? What flaws of intellect or character does that dislike point up in you?

For the last three years, I have given this same test to my Advanced Placement Literature students. The question usually comes as a shock to them. Those who contended that Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury “sucked,” a judgment they offer to their friends and not to me, must now examine what personal flaws kept them from appreciating a book that most critics have called a classic.

Now it’s time for me to take the same test here. Below are some works of literature that I

Jeff Minick

F

now know I will never read, unless I land as a castaway on some desert island with only these books in hand. My failure here does indeed reveal some of my own weaknesses both as a reader and as a human being.

The Harry Potter Series. I thought I might as well horrify some of you right off the bat.

My children loved and still love these books, nearly all of my students have avidly read them, and the books have become such a part of the culture that words like Muggles, Hogwarts, Voldemort and Dumbledore have entered our everyday language. Twice I have picked up the first volume, begun my reading, put it aside and then forgot to come back to

watched the movie starring Liam Neeson. (I tried watching the musical, but couldn’t stand it. Quelle horreur! Some of you are doubtless gasping. What a clod!) To read 900 pages of fine print when I already know the story demands too much of me. Flaw: I now need some element of suspense to read fiction.

Once long ago I read fiction not only for plot, but for style as well, to learn how to write with some sense of rhythm and grace. Somehow that desire has slipped away.

The Story of Civilization. Will Durant, aided in the later volumes by his wife Ariel, wrote this series in the middle of the twentieth century. It is magisterial in style, majestic

yet my own laziness keeps me from beginning. One look at that long rank of volumes, and I shrink away.

A la recherché du temps perdu. This is the deepest regret of all, both in terms of my literary prowess and in what my failure to read Proust reveals about me. In an interview on the Dick Cavett show, Shelby Foote, author of The Civil War: A Narrative, which I have read and which I have revisited many times, always with delight, told Cavett that he reread Proust every two or three years and that he considered it the greatest work of fiction of the last hundred years. Three times I have attempted to read the Frenchman’s fictionalized account

it. Flaw: my failure here stems from my dislike of fantasy as a genre. With the exception of Tolkien’s work, I have no interest in reading about alternate worlds. This is unfortunate, as I have missed some great opportunities to learn more about the human condition than those presented in reality-based fiction.

Les Miserables. Victor Hugo’s masterpiece has wonderful passages and a dramatic storyline. I just now picked it up, flipped it open and read a fine paragraph on the love shared

by Marius and Cosette. Unfortunately, I

in its outlook, just and fair in its political and religious evaluations. For 20 years, The Story of Civilization has sat on my shelf, all those thick volumes, waiting for me. Though I use it for my teaching at times, and though the writing engages me every time I dip into one of the books, I know in my heart of hearts that Will, Ariel and I will not be spending long, pleasant evenings together. Flaw: sloth. Here are books I would enjoy reading, here are books that would teach me many things and give me a measured view of human history,

of his life and society, and three times I have failed to advance more than 40 or 50 pages into the first volume. Flaw: my failure here reveals me as a middlebrow reader, a ham-andegger when it comes to this part of the literary world. I’ve read Joyce, I’ve read Dante, but Proust proved to be my Everest. I simply didn’t have the oxygen for that rarified mountain.

So there they are, some books often desired but never to be read, like flowers or young women in a public park, to be admired but never plucked.

Conservation writer to share landscape-laden poetry Brent Martin will give a poetry reading at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Martin is a writer, artist, historian and southeast regional director for The Wilderness Society. His books of poetry often describe the people and landscape of his native South. They include Staring the Red Earth Down, Poems from Snow Hill Road and A Shout in the Woods. He lives with his wife, singer-songwriter Angela-Faye Martin, in the historic Cowee community.

Book signing in Maggie Valley Writer S.S. McCurdy will be holding a book signing from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 10 at The Better Bean Coffee House in Maggie Valley.

McCurdy will be signing copies of her book The Temple of Sapience. Treasure with a secret, a cave that moves constantly to protect it and a child with unprecedented power is hunted by a changeling who doesn’t realize the extent of the child’s ability, let alone his own.

books

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January 7-13, 2015

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Smoky Mountain News

Author Denton Loving on one of life’s greatest questions The Chattanooga Zoo works to preserve hellbenders Historical and harrowing tales of snowstorm survival Carroll Best’s banjo legacy

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866.452.2251

27

28

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

School on the slopes Cataloochee’s expanded kids program spreads the joy of sliding

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ain was beginning to set in on a fog-ridden day on the slopes when Annie Dephouse gave her 5-year-old charge, Phillip Meacham, the heads up that it would soon be time to head indoors.

“We can do two or three more,” Dephouse said as the ski lift swung on its way up to Cataloochee Ski Area’s easiest slope.

“Three!” Phillip responded, face barely visible beneath a heavy blue parka, ski helmet and scarf. As far as he was concerned, quitting time couldn’t wait long enough.

No surprises there, said ski school supervisor Kelly Eyster. Kids love the snow, and even with a Nintendo Wii and snack time waiting inside the headquarters of the new HEAD Kids Adventure Center, they usually want to stay on the slopes for as long as possible.

“Kids are so resilient that it doesn’t matter if it’s raining or whatever,” she said. “Nine times out of 10, they’re OK.”

Phillip Meacham, 5, comes into the home stretch with his instructor, Annie Dephouse, watching. Lance Shallenberger helps one of his students put on a helmet (opposite page).

R

Holly Kays photos

NOT LIKE A GROUP LESSON Rain was the order of the day at Cataloochee Saturday (Jan. 2), so the Adventure Center saw only a fraction of its season high of 70 kids that day. The good thing about that, though, is that the kids who were around got extra attention, pairing up with instructors in small groups of one to three.

“It’s not like a group lesson,” said Eyster, who spends her weekdays teaching special education in Transylvania County Schools.

“When you’re in a group lesson, if all six aren’t ready for the lift, you don’t go on the lift.”

At the Adventure Center, however, kids are divvied among an ample staff of instructors according to age and ability. That makes it a lot easier to target the instruction to each student’s needs.

That’s just what Lance Shallenberger, a freshman at Pisgah High School by week and instructor at Cataloochee by weekend, was doing on the beginner area at the base of the mountain as he taught a group of three brothers ranging in age from 7 to 12. One by one, he talked each boy down the hill for his introduction to the sport of skiing.

“Wiggle your feet,” he coached the youngest one, James. “There you go. Now start to slide. Point your toes. Keep going, keep going.”

And James kept going, sliding downhill until he reached Shallenberger’s steadying hands. Before long, his brothers had joined him.

JUST LIKE OLYMPIANS Cataloochee has long had teaching programs targeted to children, but this ski season marks a milestone in bringing them to a whole new level. Before now, the Adventure Center had operated out of a small building that left no space for an indoor getaway when students tired of the slopes. But in 2014, Cataloochee received a sponsorship from sports equipment manufacturer HEAD. That opened the doors to new opportunity for the kids program.

“Basically, it’s more funding so we can expand it and get cool stuff,” explained Sue Reitze, ski school director.

“Cool stuff ” includes things like the orange archway kids get to pass through at the base of the practice hill and the racing bibs they wear to identify who’s with the Adventure Center — just like what the Olympic racers wear, Eyster pointed out.

When one of the older kids protests having to wear them, she said, “It’s like, Shawn White doesn’t think it’s dumb.” That usually takes care of that.

The sponsorship paid for a Wii, felt board nutrition pyramid, ski and snowboard equip-

ment and extra staff. Coming up, Cataloochee is hoping to build an addition to house a separate kitchen.

The kids program used to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but now it goes from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a half-day option available.

Kids get snacks and lunch in addition to plenty of time on the slopes. Indoors, they learn about different parts of a slider’s — the generic name for a skier or snowboarder — equipment and practicing putting it on.

ENSURING THE FUTURE OF SKI SLOPES Laura and Kevin Phelan, who drove up from Atlanta with their 4- and 6-year-old daughters, were happy with what they found at the Adventure Center.

“We did it because we thought they would have a more overall experience,” said Laura as she picked her daughters up from their half day at the Adventure Center. “Sometimes if you just do an hour or so lesson, it’s fun, but this is more immersive.”

And, she added, “They’re not thinking so much about ‘when is Mommy going to get back.’”

Try it out The HEAD Kids Adventure Center is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., available to children ages 4-12. Sliders of all skill levels spend the day with professionally trained instructors, improving their skills and getting acquainted with the mountain — with funfilled breaks at the Adventure Center. $125 for a full day and $95 for a half day, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Prices include lift, rental, lunch for allday participants and snack break for half-day participants. Parents should register their children by 8:30 a.m. for morning and full day sessions or 1 p.m. for afternoon sessions.

828.926.0285.

Annie Phelan, 6, said she had fun going on the lift and skiing down the hill. That’s pretty great, Laura said, because the night before Annie didn’t want to go on the lift at all.

Seeing kids get past those barriers is a big part of why she loves the job, Eyster said.

Making a lifelong skier or snowboarder is pretty much her favorite thing.

It’s amazing, she said, “to create a passion for something that is fun and healthy” — and also “makes sure there will still be ski resorts open when I’m 70.”

There are definitely plenty of kids who have had a good enough time on the slopes that they and their parents decide to come back. That’s important for the kids’ budding sliding skills, helping them build the muscle memory that allows them to become progressively more confident on the slopes. It also makes for some entertaining reunions between students and instructors.

“It was so funny,” Eyster said of a boy she’d seen again this year after teaching him the previous one. “He was talking to some other kids in the group and said [of Eyster], ‘Yeah, we go way back.’ And he’s 6.”

ONGOING EDUCATION To teach in the kids program, instructors have to go through a two-day training in which they prove and improve both their sliding and teaching abilities. For Dephouse, a high school junior in Buncombe County, it’s the second year she’s taken that training.

“This is my first job,” she said while riding up the lift with Phillip. “It’s a great first job.”

Many of Cataloochee’s ski school instructors have some additional credentials as well.

The resort encourages its instructors to get professional certification through either the Professional Ski Instructors Association or American Association of Snowboard Instructors. Those who hold those certifications work to share their knowledge with other staff members.

“We do teaching clinics throughout the whole year so our Level 1 and 2 PSIA and AASI instructors do ongoing clinics,” said Eyster, a Level 1 PSIA instructor herself.

F

authorized by permit.

■ Creating a Youth Deer Hunting Day to coincide with National Hunting and Fishing Day, held annually on the fourth Saturday of September.

Several proposed changes to hatchery supported waters would remove sections of waterway from the stocking program. The following stretches would no longer be stocked and would revert to wild trout waters: ■ 1.8 miles on Stecoah Creek in Graham County, from the upper Nantahala Game Land boundary to Lake Fontana.

■ 5.5 miles in Jackson County, including 3.5 miles of Scott Creek from Dark Ridge Creek to the Tuckasegee River, 1 mile of the Tuckasegee River from John Brown Branch to the downstream N.C. 107 bridge and 1 mile of Savannah Creek from downstream of the S.R. 1300 bridge to Cagle Branch.

■ 2.4 miles on the Nantahala River in Macon County from Dicks Creek to Whiteoak Creek.

■ 1 mile on the Middle Fork French Broad River in Transylvania County from the upstream U.S. 178 bridge to the French Broad River.

The full list of proposed regulations is online at www.ncwildlife.org/Proposed Regulations.aspx. The comment period for captive cervid rules ends Jan. 23, while comments for all other regulations can be submitted through Feb. 8. The board of 19 Wildlife Commissioners will meet in March to decide whether to approve the proposed rules, which will take effect Aug. 1 if adopted.

Comments can be submitted at the meeting or online at www.ncwildlife.org through the “Submit Comments” box at the bottom.

The ski school in general and the Kids Adventure Center in particular are into the teaching of technique, the professionalization of snow sports and developing solid skills out on the slopes. But there’s one thing above all others that drives the program.

“Making a lifelong skier or snowboarder,” Eyster said. “And you can see it when it happens. The light bulb goes on and they get it and they like it and they’ll keep on doing it,” she said.

“I love to ski,” agreed Dephouse. “It’s like my favorite thing ever, but I also like to share it with people.”

Sometimes, that sharing culminates into something special — the birth of a skier.

Like Eyster, Dephouse’s favorite moments — aside, perhaps, from silly exchanges like the ones she and Phillip share on the ride up to

Get ready for spring with group seed order

A panel discussion on the Jackson County Farmer’s market will be held at noon on Saturday, Jan. 10, offering prospective vendors a chance to hear from market stalwarts.

It will be held in conjunction with an open house during the market this Saturday, geared toward reaching out to new vendors, particularly in the produce field.

“A few of our longtime vendors have retired, slowed down operations, or moved, and we are interested in exploring what area residents have to offer,” said Jenny McPherson, market manager. “While craft items are an important and interesting part of the market, we are primarily looking for vendors who can offer a wider variety of local food options.”

Current vendors will be available to answer questions during the open house and share the ins-and-outs of selling at the market.

The winter hours and location for the Jackson farmers market are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Community Table in downtown Sylva.

The panel will include Steven Beltram of Balsam Garden, a longtime produce and meat vendor who also operates a community-supported agriculture program; Kathy Cirka, a baker; and Kerri Rayburn, a soap maker.

Vendors at the Jackson County Farmers Market must live and produce their product in Jackson or a surrounding county. www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

Growers are pooling their seed orders to get better deals, and the public is invited to join in at a bulk seed ordering event in Sylva on Saturday, Jan. 10.

The Jackson County Farmers Market is facilitating the group seed order. Stop by during the market, held from 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday at the Community Table, to place an order. To get your order together ahead of time, check seed types and prices at www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org under the “Annual Events” tab.

Blue Ridge Biofuels expands Blue Ridge Biofuels, an Asheville-based biodiesel company, is planning to expand to a new facility in Catawba County.

The new biodiesel factory will be located in the Catawba County EcoComplex in a LEED Silver-certified facility running on methane gas from an adjacent landfill. Blue Ridge will increase production capacity from its current level of 500,000 gallons a year to 3 million by 2017. The company converts waste oil into biodiesel fuel, which is then sold at gas stations and by delivery throughout the region. It’s compatible with any diesel engine.

The company will maintain its distribution and collection hub in Asheville.

s U n i o J

January 24th & 25th

for a trip to the

25 Annual th

January 7-13, 2015

A public hearing on proposed changes to hunting, fishing and wildlife management regulations will be held at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the Enloe MultiPurpose Room at Tri-County Community College in Murphy.

Every year, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission makes changes to hunting and fishing rules throughout the state, after gathering public input.

Changes of interest to Western North Carolina sportsmen this year include: ■ Classifying 2.2 miles of the Tuckasegee River in and around Bryson City as Delayed Harvest Trout Waters, from the U.S. 19 bridge to the Slope Street bridge. This section would be “catch-and-release” only for a part of the year. The catch-and-release designation for part of the year allows trout to grow bigger before being caught, and removes the risk of over-fishing. It would also be stocked under a Public Mountain Trout Waters designation.

■ Allowing hunters to use electronic calls to take feral swine. This continues the trend in recent years to encourage the taking of feral swine in greater numbers.

■ Allowing night fishing in Wild Trout Waters and Public Mountain Trout Waters on game lands.

■ Allowing trout harvest in undesignated waters from March 1 until 7 a.m. on the first Saturday in April.

■ Allowing captive cervid license holders to sell antlers, antler velvet and hides from animals at their facilities.

■ Extending gun deer season through Jan. 1 in Cleveland, Polk and Rutherford counties.

■ Prohibiting use of dogs to take deer in portions of game lands posted as Restricted Deer Hunting Zones unless otherwise

Jackson market looking for growers

outdoors

Wildlife commission roles out proposed hunting and fishing regs

Wilderness Wildlife Week to Pigeon Forge

We will enjoy exhibits, performances, workshops, classes, walks and talks celebrating the features, creatures and cultures of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding region.

$65 Single room $35 Double room, per person

Price includes Room, breakfast on Sunday & travel.

All other meals are the participant’s responsibility.

Open to all ages, children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent.

For more info or to register, please call:

Smoky Mountain News

Leaving the Waynesville Recreation Center at 8:30 am, Jan. 24th & Returning by 8 pm, Jan. 25th

WAYNESVILLE the top — are those when a student finally, really gets it.

“I just love that feeling,” she said.

PARKS AND RECREATION 828.456.2030 or email tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

274-24

29

outdoors

Land trust gets new executive director

background with LTLT,” said LTLT Board of Directors Chairman Chris Brouwer. “I am confident she will lead this organization forward as we expand our impact on conservation, heritage and education across Western Land Trust for the Little Tennessee has a North Carolina.” new executive director in Taylor holds a bachelor’s Sharon Fouts Taylor, who degree in natural resources will move into the leadermanagement with a concenship role following the tration in water resources retirement of LTLT’s longfrom Western Carolina time director, Paul University and worked as a Carlson. research technician at Carlson has been at the Coweeta Hydrologic helm of LTLT since it was Laboratory before joining founded 18 years ago.

LTLT. She’s excited about this A Macon County new opportunity. native, Taylor has been “I grew up on a family with LTLT since 2001, farm and playing in the building its land protecwoods and creeks in the tion program into one of Burningtown Community,” the strongest in the she said. “I’m passionate Southern Blue Ridge, and Sharon Fouts Taylor. about others having a chance she’s also served as deputy to connect to the outdoors director. too and look forward to creating more of “We are so fortunate to have Sharon those opportunities.”

Taylor, who has the depth of experience and

Ascent to the Pinnacle A Sunday morning hike to Pinnacle Peak with Carolina Mountain Club will take in the view of Sylva and the surrounding mountains on Jan. 11. It will be led by Brent Martin, who heads The Wilderness Society field office in Sylva and is a leading voice in the regional conservation community.

The 8-mile roundtrip hike will include a 1,900-foot ascent but end with an impressive 360degree view. The group will ascend via the East Fork and Pinnacle Trails and return via the West Fork Trail. The hike leaves from the Fisher Creek Recreation Area near Sylva.

RSVP to Brent Martin, 828.371.0347 or brent_martin@tws.org.

January 7-13, 2015

Learn to fish with N.C. Catch in Waynesville A hands-on education program about aquatic ecology and conservation is being facilitated by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department this year.

From January 16 to May 15, the North Carolina Catch Program will come to Waynesville for a series of Friday classes, geared for adults and homeschooled students ages 8-15. Classes will be taught both at Waynesville Recreation Center and in Richland Creek. An organizational meeting Jan. 9 will reel in volunteers to help lead the programs and prepare them to do so.

The program includes three phases, with the first devoted to learning about aquatic resources, the second teaching fishing skills and the third involving fishing clinics and aquatic field trips. All workshops will take place Fridays 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Free for Rec Center members and included with daily admission cost for non-members.

828.456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

Smoky Mountain News

Sparrowing at Kituwah

30

A quest for sparrow sightings will commence during the morning of Jan. 14 at Kituwah, an area of about 300 acres along the Tuckesegee River in Swain County, between Bryson City and Cherokee.

Birder Extraordinaire Don Hendershot, also a naturalist and famed columnist for The Smoky Mountain News, will lead a walk through Kituwah, which is listed in the North Carolina Birding Trail Guide for the mountain region. Possible sightings include song, swamp, fox, Savannah and Lincoln’s sparrows, among others, and the occasional killdeer, wood duck or yellow-rumped warbler may show its beak.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians acquired the property in 1996 — it is believed to be one of the seven “mother towns” of the Southeast. Nine thousand

Don Hendershot. years of continuous habitation have been documented at the mound at Kituwah.

The outing is organized by the Franklin Bird Club. Carpools will leave from Franklin at 8 a.m. and Dillsboro at 8:30 a.m. RSVP to 828.524.5234.

Haywood Waterways invites you to take the plunge There’s something alluring about plungof plunge can range from an ankle-deep ing into icy midwinter water — enough so wade from the sandy beach to a full-immerthat it spawns polar plunge fundraisers for sion jump off the dock, depending on persundry causes all over the country. sonal choice. Costumes are encouraged.

But the Third Annual A clown takes the plunge last year in support of Polar Plunge at Haywood Waterways Association. Donated photo Lake Junaluska on Jan. 31 has a special mission: to help educate youth about the very water where the plunge takes place.

Haywood Waterways Association is recruiting plungers to partake in the once-in-a-lifetime experience. The depth

Weigh and size your game trophies during sportsman event in Rosman Wildlife Commission is doing to combat declines of several wildlife species.

At noon, Brandon Brown of Wildlife Creations Taxidermy will demonstrate proper capping deer techniques. To combat the spread of chronic wasting disease, a disease that’s fatal to hoofed animals like deer, hunters who want to mount a deer head harvested in another state must cap it before coming into North Carolina.

During the event, the N.C. Bowhunters

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Association will host its annual measuring day, during which all North American big game can be scored. Big and small game can be measured for state archery records, and photos will be on display from the past five years of the Bowhunters Association’s annual trail camera photo contest.

Free. Headwaters Outfitters is located at the junction of N.C. 215 and U.S. 64 in Rosman. 828.877.3106 or www.headwatersoutfitters.com. www.ncbowhunter.com.

Learn the business side of farming with the Appalachian Farm School, a pilot agricultural business training program for farmers in the seven western counties of North Carolina.

The course runs Jan. 29 through April 9, with classes every other Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Topics will include agribusiness planning, marketing, production and pricing for market demand, legal and insurance issues, agribusiness financing, Good Agriculture Practices certification and food safety regulations.

Professionals from the region and state agency representatives will teach the classes.

The school is a program of the Western North Carolina Food Policy Council and supported by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to create a one-stop program for farmers to access low-cost agribusiness resources. $75 for the three-month program, including materials and dinner during each class. Register online at www.wncfpc.org/appalachian-farm-school or by calling 828.399.0297 or your local Small Business Center or County Extension office.

Emily Edmonds, wncfpc@gmail.com. www.wncfpc.org.

January 7-13, 2015

The first in a 2015 series of seminars for sportsmen and paddlers will take place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman.

The day’s scheduled events will begin at 11 a.m. with a look at focal areas for wildlife in the Pisgah-Nantahala forest management plan, as recommended by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Maps and descriptions will be on hand, and the presentation will include information about what the

Dig in to the white-collar side of farming

outdoors

Do you dare?

Prizes are awarded for best costumes and the top fundraisers in the individual, school team and community team categories.

Hosted by Haywood Waterways Association and Lake Junaluska Assembly, money raised during the Polar Plunge will support Kids in the Creek, a hands-on learning experience that gets students educated about aquatic ecology and water quality. The program has reach more than 11,000 students since its inception.

“Kids in the Creek does more to increase students’ understanding of water and water quality than anything I could do in the classroom,” said Susie Schulhofer, who recently retired from teaching at Bethel Elementary School. “It has been a valuable learning tool and something the students and I look forward to every year.”

Registration begins at 11 a.m. at the Lake Junaluska beach and festivities start at 11:30 a.m. $25 or free by raising sponsorships, with 100 percent of proceeds going toward Haywood Waterways’ youth education programs. All plungers receive a free tshirt and lunch.

Register online at www.crowdrise.com/3rdpolarplunge or by mailing in the registration form at www.haywoodwaterways.org/pp.html.

Walk-ins welcome as well. Event sponsors still needed.

Smoky Mountain News

Serving Haywood County Call today for a free estimate—828-734-0671 BONDED & INSURED

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Smoky Mountain News

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • “What trends and predictions do you see for 2015?” will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin. Anyone interested in an open exchange of ideas (dialogue not debate) is welcome 371.1020.

• A going-away reception for Richard Grogan, Haywood Regional Medical Center’s interim CEO, will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9, in Café Side B. Cake and punch will be served.

• “The Tannery, Armor, Mead, and Jackson Paper: A History of Industry in Jackson County” is the topic for Jackson County Genealogical Society’s January program, which is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8 in the community room of the historic Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva. Free. Community is invited to attend and bring photos and/or stories to share. 631.2646.

• Public Hearing will be conducted by the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen at 6 p.m. on Jan. 12 in the Town Hall Boardroom to accept public comment on the town’s parks and recreational needs. Oral or written comments accepted.

• Beaverdam Community Center will hold its first monthly meeting of 2015 on Jan. 12 in Canton.

648.0552 or a-jsellars@att.net.

• A community meeting to discuss development standards for Cullowhee will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the Ramsey Center Hospitality Room at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 631.2255, planning@jacksonnc.org or www.jacksonnc.org/planning.html.

• Tourism grant-funding workshops that are mandatory for entity seeking a tourism grant from the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, and at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, in Room 202 of the Harrell Center at Lake Junaluska. haywoodcountytourismdevelopment.com/grants-info/.

• Gem Capital Gun Show will be Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 24-25, at Haywood Fairgrounds in Waynesville.

Show is from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. $8 admission. gemcapitolshows.com or 400.1704.

MLK EVENTS • An MLK Pride March starts at 11 a.m. on Jan. 17 beginning at Harris Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church and ending at the Canton Town Annex.

• An MLK commemorative service will be held at 3 p.m. on Jan. 18 at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Canton.

Speaker: Rev. Charles Mosley Pastor, Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Waynesville.

• An MLK Prayer Breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. on Jan. 19 at Lambuth Inn Dining Room at Lake Junaluska.

Speaker: Janie Sinacore-Jaberg, vice president, regional operations, Carolinas Healthcare System. Breakfast tickets: $15 adults, $8 students, children 8 and under free. Tickets may also be purchased at the Administration Building at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. 215.0296.

• As part of its Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, themed “We As One,” Western Carolina University will present a series of events including a unity march hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (4:30 p.m., Jan. 19, start behind University Center); students reciting speeches (noon, Jan. 20, University Center balcony); students performing music and showcase art (6 p.m., Jan. 22, in club Illusions in University Center). ftbrown@wcu.edu or 227.2276.

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals ■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings • Western Carolina alumnus and attorney Brandon A. Robinson will be keynote speaker for WCU’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University Center in Cullowhee. Sign up: jacooper@wcu.edu. ftbrown@wcu.edu or 227.2276.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • A creative living class on “Reverse Mortgages” will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. Registration required.

356.2800.

• Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina will hold a free job search workshop from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Haywood County Public Library.

Free. Registration required: 648.2924 or at library’s front desk.

• Guidance on looking for a job or gaining basic job skills will be available from 1-4 p.m. each Wednesday starting Jan. 14 at the Macon County Public Library.

One-on-one help from a Southwestern Community College employability instructor. 524.3600.

• Free GED classes offered by Southwestern Community College, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, SCC Swain Center, Room 101. 366.2000.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • A sermon series on the life of Abraham is being held at 7 p.m. every Sunday at Coweeta Baptist Church in Otto.

• Start the year off right by adding time for Grace in your life, new sermon series – from 9-10:40 a.m.

Sunday at Vine of the Mountains. 452.2771 or www.thevine.cc

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston Station, Bryson City.

HEALTH MATTERS • Franklin Lions Club will celebrate its 75th year with a free vision screening for children on Jan. 10 at K-Mart in Franklin. 349.6639 ellen.mccall@msj.org.

• A Red Cross blood drive will be held from 10 a.m.2:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

• Affordable Care Act help is available from 3-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at the Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• One-on-one assistance will be available to help community members sign up for insurance through the National Health Insurance Marketplace during free events hosted by Harris Regional Hospital and Swain County Hospital Jan. 15 (at Smoky Mountain High Cafeteria) and Jan. 20 (at Swain County Chamber of

Commerce). 631.8924. Enroll at www.healthcare.gov.

Assistance available anytime at 586.7355 or 888.982.9144.

• A Red Cross blood drive will be held from 12:30-5 p.m. on Jan. 15 at First Baptist Church in Franklin.

• A Red Cross blood drive will be held from 10:30 a.m.3 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Summit Charter School in Cashiers. · Harris Regional Hospital and Swain County Hospital will host free information sessions on the National Health Insurance Marketplace, offering free assistance to those wishing to sign up for coverage. The Sylva event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Smoky Mountain High School. The Bryson City event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20 at the Swain County Chamber of Commerce. 828.631.8924. www.healthcare.gov.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • Yoga Classes for all levels are held at 5:30 p.m. every Monday, 9 a.m. every Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday and 9 a.m. every Friday at Nurture Wellness Studio in Bryson City. 400.9616 or www.nurturewellnessstudio.com.

POLITICAL CORNER • An information meeting on the formation of a libertarian party chapter in Jackson County will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the Jackson County Parks and Recreation building in Cullowhee. 246.3390 or haywood@lpnc.org.

• The Haywood County Republican Party Executive Committee will hold a business meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Organic Bean in Maggie Valley.

• Discussion of the Haywood Emergency Management Ordinance with special guest Sheriff Greg Christopher will be held at the next meeting of the Haywood County Libertarian Party at 7 p.m. on Jan. 10 at Organic Bean in Maggie Valley. 246.3390 or haywood@lpnc.org.

• The Jackson County NAACP Branch 54AB general membership meeting, including installation of officers and planning for MLK Day, will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, at Liberty Baptist Church in Sylva.

743.9747.

• Macon County Democratic Men’s Club Meeting is at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • A creative living class on “Calligraphy” will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. $10. Registration required. 356.2800.

• Seniors are invited to a “Lunch Bunch” at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 13 at the Country Vineyard Café in Maggie Valley. Call by Friday, Jan. 9, to make a reservation: 452.6789.

• A creative living class on “Beginning Crochet” will be held at 1 p.m. on three consecutive Tuesdays starting Jan. 13 at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. $5. Registration required. 356.2800.

• A fitness class designed specifically for seniors will meet from 11 a.m.-noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting Jan. 5 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

KIDS & FAMILIES • The Smart Start basketball program “Biddy Ball” will be held for ages 3-6 starting Jan. 17 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. $40 registration fee. Registration

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. deadline is 5 p.m. on Jan. 3. Seven one-hour sessions.

456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Art classes for children and adults will be offered by Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional starting Monday, Jan. 19, with an “Arts of Metallica Art Day” from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. $25 cost includes lunch. Conferences.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Kids trip for 5th-through-8th grades will take place on Jan. 19 through the Jackson County Recreation Center to Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park and ice skating in Greenville, S.C. $40 includes transportation, entry fees (including skate rental) and lunch. Register by Jan. 14. 293.3053 or jenniferbennett@jacksonnc.org.

• Six weeks of unusual art projects for adults and children (age 8 and up) start Jan. 26 at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee.

Conferences.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• A community breastfeeding information and support group is held from 10:30-noon on the first Saturday of each month in the main lobby of the Smoky Mountain OB/GYN office in Sylva. Free.

Kids movies • Free family movies are shown at 3:30 p.m. each Tuesday at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Disney, Hallmark and other family-oriented movies.

Popcorn is provided by Friends of the Library. Each attendee receives one free movie check-out. 488.3030.

• Family movie time, 4 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. Call for title of movie: 586.2016.

• Family movie time Thursdays, 3:45 p.m at Albert Carlton, Cashiers Community Library. Free with popcorn.

Call for title 743.0215 • Children’s craft time, 4th Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • The “Come As You Art” Gathering will be from 2-4 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Hospice House of WNC in Franklin.

Social event for performing, literary and visual artists.

524.7683 or arts4all@dnet.net.

• A second-Sunday community dance starts at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 and includes circle and contra dances on the second floor of the old courthouse in the Jackson County Library Complex in Sylva. Community dinner follows; bring a covered dish, plate, cup, cutlery and water bottle. ronandcathy71@frontier.com.

• A drum circle and “Raw-Mazing” potluck dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin. Bring dish, raw as you like, to share. Drummers of all levels welcome. sanmardan@yahoo.com or 332.7118.

• Haywood County Arts Council will hold its annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22 at Gallery 86 in downtown Waynesville. Open to the public. RSVP by Jan. 15 to manager@haywoodarts.org or 452.0593. Info at haywoodarts.org.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT

• Greg Allman, founding member of the Allman Brothers Band and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, will play Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center on Friday, Jan. 16. Ticketmaster.com or mifisher@cherokee.harrahs.com.

• The Tuba Studio and the Trombone and Euphonium Studio at Western Carolina University will host the inaugural Catamount Low Brass Assembly at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17, in the Coulter Building recital hall at WCU’s campus in Cullowhee. Free. 227.7242.

• Richard Shulman, classical pianist, performs at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, in the Waynesville Library’s Meeting Room.

• Gypsy jazz band One Leg Up will perform a free concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Canton Library Auditorium. Part of the Haywood Arts Council’s Sunday Concert Series sponsored by Friends of the Library. Donations accepted. 648.2924.

• Elvis impersonator Travis Ledoyt will perform the music and moves of Elvis Presley (circa 1954-1959) as part of the Galaxy of Stars Series at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31 at WCU’s Bardo Center in Cullowhee.

Single-show tickets are $21/adults; $16/WCU faculty and staff; $7 students and children. 227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

NIGHTLIFE • Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Craig Summers & Lee Kram at 6 p.m. on Jan. 8. Free. 454.

5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Andrew Chastain Jan. 8. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub (Franklin) will have Pam McCall at 8 p.m. Jan. 9. Free. www.rathskellerfranklin.com or 369.6796.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have James Stinnett (singer-songwriter) Jan. 9. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Helena Hunt at 7 p.m. on Jan. 9. Free. 454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Classic Wine Seller (Waynesville) will have Dan Shearin (folk/rock) on Jan. 9, show begins at 7 p.m. $10 minimum purchase. 452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will have Brushfire Stankgrass (bluegrass/Americana) on Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. www.bwbrewing.com or 246.0602.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Nathan Kalish & The Last Callers Jan. 9-10 All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Daniel Shearin will be at the Classic Wine Seller at 7 p.m. on Jan. 9 in Waynesville. Classicwineseller.com or 452.6000.

• Joe Cruz will perform at 7 p.m. on Jan. 10 at the Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville.

Classicwineseller.com or 452.6000.

• Andy Sneed will be at City Lights Café at 7 p.m. on Jan. 10 in Sylva. 587.2233.

• A game day will occur from 2 to 9 p.m. every third Saturday of the month at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in

Sylva. Bring dice, cards or board games. 586.6300.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Jan. 10 and 17 at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in Sylva.

828.586.6300.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night at 8 p.m. on Jan. 14. www.innovationbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have a jazz night at 8 p.m. on Jan. 15. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Craig Summers & Lee Kram at 6 p.m. on Jan. 15. Free.

454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Ethan Morse on Jan. 15. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m.

586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will have Tonology at 8 p.m. on Jan. 16. www.bwbrewing.com or 246.0602.

• Classic Wine Seller (Waynesville) will have Jay Brown (singer-songwriter) Jan. 16, show begins at 7 p.m. $10 minimum purchase. 452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Dirty Soul Revival on Jan. 16. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have Chris Williams (singer-songwriter) Jan. 16. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Fat Cheek Kat on Jan. 17. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m.

586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Classic Wine Seller (Waynesville) will have Jacob Johnson (folk/funk) Jan. 17, show begin at 7 p.m. $10 minimum purchase. 452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Kevin Lorenz will play at 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 at Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville.

Classicwineseller.com or 452.6000.

• Joe Cruz plays at 7 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville. Classicwineseller.com or 452.6000.

BOOKS & AUTHORS • Poetry Reading with Brent Martin will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room. www.ncwriters.org/2014-01-07-18-35-09/bookbuzz/6041-staring-the-red-earth-down-by-brent-martin.

wnc calendar

• Elemeno Pea will be performed from Friday through Sunday, Jan. 16-18, in the Feichter Studio at HART Theatre in Waynesville. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m.; the Sunday show will be at 3 p.m.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have a jazz night at 8 p.m. on Jan. 8. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Adult Writing Group will meet at 6 p.m. on Jan. 22 at the Jackson County Library. Class consists of exercises, group readings and writing mechanics.

586.2016.

• A Haywood county non-fiction book club meets the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at various locations. 456.8428.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • An introductory class to Movie Maker will be offered at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, in the Jackson County Public Library’s computer lab in Sylva. 90 minutes. Free to first 16 who register. 586.2016.

• A figure drawing class with Knight Martorell will be offered on Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at The Bascom in Highlands. aalig@thebascom.org or 787.2865. · Adult Writing Group will meet at 6 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Jackson County Library. Class consists of exercises, group readings and writing mechanics. 586.2016.

• “Oil Panting Techniques in a Portrait,” a demonstration by oil painter Jon Houglum of Franklin, will be

January 7-13, 2015

H E A L T H Y Haywood Regional Medical Center wishes you and your loved ones a healthy start to 2015! As we welcome a new year year,r, we want to o rremind emind e you that schedulin scheduling a yearly physical exam is an important part of maintaining good health.

If you do not alr already eady have a primary car care e doctor doctor,r, please visit our ou website at Haymed.org Ì w ` i Ì `>Þ° Haymed.org Ì w ` i Ì `>Þ°

Smoky Mountain News

TOP 5 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR THIS YEAR 1 2 3 4 5

Haymed.org 262 Leroy George Drive | Clyde, NC

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held at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8, at Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City. Sponsored by NC Arts Council, Swain County Center for the Arts and Swain County Schools. Free. Info on Houglum at www.houglumfineart.com. Info on Art League of the Smokies: 488.7843.

• Western Style Square Dance Lessons will be offered from 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 12-April 20 at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee. $65 per person. No experience or partner required. Registration underway at Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee. 293.3053

Friday, Jan. 16, in the meeting room of the Macon County Public Library. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 524.3600.

• The Mad Batter Food & Film shows feature films, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays, downtown Sylva location. Special kids’ matinee at 2 p.m. Saturdays. Free. Movie listings and information, www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com. 586.3555.

• Six weeks of unusual art projects for adults and children (age 8 and up) start Jan. 26 at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee.

Conferences.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • A photography exhibit entitled “Seeing with New Eyes” by Sharon Mammoser will be on display from Jan. 14-April 19 at The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. Parking fee. www.ncarboretum.org or sharenaturemore@gmail.com.

FILM & SCREEN • “The Petrified Forest,” a classic movie, will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9, in the meeting room of the Macon County Library. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 524.3600.

• A new movie starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler will be shown at 2 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the Macon County Public Library. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and language. Runtime: 1:57. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 524.3600.

• A classic 1948 movie starring Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell and Rudy Vallee will be shown at 2 p.m. on

• Ski races for middle school and high school will start Jan. 6 at Cataloochee Ski Area. Races start at 6 p.m. every Tuesday for middle school and every Wednesday for high school. Season ends Sunday, March 1 for both. $30/night or $175/season – nonpass holders; $75/season pass holder with own equipment. www.isalessite.com/cataloochee/catalog/ticket.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

Outdoors • John and Cathy Sill will lead a Franklin Bird Club trip on Jan. 7 to Lake Junaluska to look for wintering water birds and other species. Meet at 8 a.m. at the Bi-Lo parking lot in Waynesville. Sign-up at 524.5234.

• A Project Catch Leadership meeting to recruit volunteers for an aquatic education program series from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 at the Waynesville Rec Center. The program is a three-phase conservation education effort focusing on aquatic environments.

456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Sylva Photo Club will feature John MacLean as guest speaker at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Cullowhee Methodist Church. Winter season-themed photos will be shared after speaker.

Sylvaphotoclub.wordpress.com, search for Sylva Photo Club on Facebook or call 293.9820.

• A Wildlife & Fisheries Management Public Hearing will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at TriCounty Community College in Murphy.

• Don Hendershot, naturalist and columnist for Smoky Mountain News, will lead a Franklin Bird Club walk: “Sparrowing at Kituwah” on Jan. 14. Meet at 8 a.m. at

Waynesville Bi-Lo parking lot or at 8:30 a.m. at Dillsboro Waffle House to carpool. Sign up at 524.5234.

• The North Carolina Catch program, a three-phase conservation education effort focusing on aquatic environments, will be offered starting Jan. 16 and run through May 15. The program is offered by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. Free for members; daily admission for non-members.

456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Military Appreciation Days will be held on Jan. 2223 at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley. 926.0285 or cataloochee.com.

• A presentation on and discussion of black holes and wormholes will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9, at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman. Presentation will be made by Dr. Pam Khurana. Reservations required by 3 p.m. on Jan. 9. $20 adult; $15 seniors/military; $10 children under 14. Includes campus tour, trip to exhibit gallery and observing session. www.pari.edu, 862.5554 or cwhitworth@pari.edu.

• The N.C. Bowhunters Association will host its annual measuring day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Jan. 10 at Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman. 877.3106 or headwatersoutfitters.com.

• The Icycle Mountain Bike Event returns to Fontana Village Resort on Jan. 24. Registration starts at 8 a.m.; first race is at 11 a.m. Register at http://www.active.com/fontana-dam-nc/cycling/mountain-biking-races/icycle-2015 or 498.2211.

• Ice Bowl Disc Golf Tournament and Chili Cookout starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Fontana Village Resort. $20 entry fee plus five canned good items. Proceeds benefit Hope for Families and the Fontana Foundation.

January 7-13, 2015

• Yoga for Outdoor Fitness class will be held from 6-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at REI Asheville. Free.

293.5924.

• Fitness Monitor Basics is offered for free from 7-8 p.m. on Jan. 22 at REI Asheville. Learn about fitness technology components, their use and functionality.

Register at: www.rei.com/event/49083/session/107229. 293.7404.

FARM & GARDEN • A training class for Haywood County’s 2015 Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program will be held from 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays from January through April. 456.3575. $120. Must complete class and participate in 40 hours of volunteer efforts through extension center.

• The Jackson County Farmer’s Market has moved indoors for the winter. It is held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturdays at the Community Table, located in downtown Sylva off Central Street between the playground and pool. 399.0290 www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

• A documentary “GMO-OMG,” about genetically modified organisms, will be shown at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8, in the meeting room of the Macon County Public Library. The unrated documentary is cosponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin and Mountain Valley Health Foods. www.gmofilm.com or 524.3600.

• The Jackson County Farmers Market will host an open house for potential vendors on Jan. 10. It’s also seed-ordering day. www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org or jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

•The Appalachian Farm School, a pilot program to centralize agricultural business training in the state’s seven western counties, starts Jan. 29 and runs alternating Thursdays from 6-8:30 p.m. through April 9. $75 includes dinner during each class and all materials. Register at www.wncfpc.org/appalachian-farm-school or call 399.0297. Info at: wncfpc@gmail.com

HIKING CLUBS SNOW SPORTS • A learn-to-ski series organized by Waynesville Parks and Recreation will be held 4-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in January and February. Prices per trip for rec center members are $23 for lift ticket only; $35 for ticket and rentals; $7 for helmets and $10 for lessons. Prices for non-members are $25, $38, $7 and $10, respectively.

828.456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

Smoky Mountain News

• The Cataloochee Challenge Cup Race Series will start at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8, at Cataloochee Ski Area. Races are held at 7 p.m. ever Thursday through Feb. 26. Age categories are 18-20, 21-29, 30-39, 4049 and 50-over for both men and women. $15/race only; $35/race and lift ticket (6-10 p.m.). Helmet and goggles required; available for rental. Register between 6-7:30 p.m.

• A six-week training program for females entitled “Women on Wednesdays” will start at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Cataloochee Ski Area, and will run each Wednesday. Ski and snowboard lessons. www.cataloochee.com/downloads/wow-reg.pdf or 926.0285.

Buy a wood-burning appliance and get your first load of wood FREE!*

• A learn-to-ski series, organized by the Jackson County Recreation Center and held at Cataloochee Ski Area, will be held over five weeks starting Jan. 11.

Lessons are from 1:30-3 p.m. on Sundays. For ages 8 and up. $175 for lift, lesson and rental; $140 for lift and lesson; $90 for lesson alone (available only to season-pass holders with their own equipment).

293.3053.

*Limited delivery area, ask for details.

• A Carolina Mountain Club hike in Bent Creek in Enka with a 1,100-foot ascent will take place on Jan. 14. 502.494.9309 or jaykaymartin@msn.com.

• A Carolina Mountain Club hike in Pinnalce Park in Sylva with a 1,900 foot ascent will take place on Jan. 11. 587.9453, 371.0347 or brent_martin@tws.org.

• A Carolina Mountain Club hike in Bracken Mountain Preserve near Brevard with a 1,000-foot ascent will take place on Jan. 18. 384.4870 or stuengo@citcom.net.

• A Carolina Mountain Club hike in Pisgah Forest on S. Mills River trail with a 1,600-foot ascent will take place on Jan. 18. 502.494.9309 or jaykaymartin@msn.com.

• A Carolina Mountain Club hike on Seniard Ridge Loop near Shining Rock with a 1,800-foot ascent will take place on Jan. 21. 545.6487 or mbgcmc@gmail.com.

• A Carolina Mountain Club hike up Pine Mountain in Enka with a 2,400-foot ascent will take place on Jan. 25. 458.1281 or mcornn@aol.com.

S. MAIN ST., WAYNESVILLE 274-51

34

Chimney Inspections, Repairs & More

facebook.com/smnews FIND US AT

828-333-5456 • cleansweepfireplace.com

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

UPBEAT ADS

MarketPlace information:

REACH READERS ACROSS North Carolina for only $375. Run your 25-word classified line ad in 99 newspapers with one call to this newspaper, or call NCPS at 919.516.8009.

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

Rates:

ALLISON CREEK Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC

■ Free — Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads.

■ Free — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $12 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

■ $12 — If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

AUCTION HARPER’S AUCTION COMPANY Friday Jan. 9th @ 6:00 p.m.

Something for Everyone: Primitives, Jewelry, Furniture, Glass and Box Lots...

47 Macon Center Dr. Franklin,NC 828.369.6999. Debra Harper, NCAL #9659, NCFL #9671. harpersauctioncompany.com

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

INC.

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Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

AUCTION: Tractors, Tools, Forklift, Boats, Shop & Power Equipment, Specialty & Plumbing Tools, Fiberglass Equipment - Online Only Auction, Jones County, NC. www.HouseAuctionCompany.com 252.729.1162 NCAL#7889

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

Service truck available for on-site repairs LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS

MON-FRI 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

828-456-5387

274-20

AUCTION Construction Equipment & Trucks, Richmond, VA. Excavators, Dozers, Dumps & More. Accepting Items Daily thru 12/5. Motleys Asset Disposition Group, 804.232.3300 x.4, www.motleys.com/industrial, VAAL#16.

PUBLIC AUCTION 201 S. Central Ave., Locust, NC. Selling Tax Seized, Repo & Estate Vehicles, Heavy Equipment, Trucks, ATVs, Tools, Equipment, '65 Mustang 2+2 Fast Back, Street Rods, Pickup, Cars, Track Loader, Box Trucks. 704.791.8825. ncaf5479. www.ClassicAuctions.com

AUCTION

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

GOING, GOING, GONE! Promote your auction with a classified ad in 96 N.C. newspapers. A 25-word ad is only $375. For more information, call this newspaper or 919.516.8009.

SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

WATERFRONT PROPERTY AUCTION, 11.2+/-Acres Prime Waterfront on Trent River & Mill Creek, Pollocksville, NC - just 15 minutes from New Bern - OnLine Bidding January 12-22. Over 2300ft. on deep water. www.HouseAuctionCompany.com 252.729.1162. NCAL#7889

BLOWN HEAD GASKET Cracked Heads/Block. State of the art 2-part Carbon Composite Repair! All Vehicles Foreign or Domestic including Northstars!

100% guaranteed. Call Now: 1.866.780.9038 SAPA

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING ACORN STAIRLIFTS. The Affordable Solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1.800.291.2712 for FREE DVD and brochure.

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, Finishing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control.

FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1.800.698.9217 DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB. Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included. Call 800.807.7219 for $750 Off.

AUTO PARTS

CARS *CASH TODAY* We’ll Buy Any Car (Any Condition) + Free Same Day Pick-Up. Best Cash Offer Guaranteed! Call for FREE Quote: 1.888.858.5835 SAPA DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck or Boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 800.337.9038.

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES HOME BASED BUSINESS Serious impact on retirement for self-motivated people. Create your own safety net. Flex hours. FREE online training! Escalating income potential! For more info visit: www.project4wellness.com SAPA BE YOUR OWN BOSS! PT/FT No Exp Needed. Training Provided Not MLM No Cold Calling Earn Up to $5000 per month! Set Your Own Hours Schedule your Interviews Now at: www.bizpro104.com GET PAID WEEKLY! FT and PT mail work from home.

For full details visit: www.750weekly.com or call 512.827.0060 (24/7) SAPA

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EMPLOYMENT

WNC MarketPlace

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ATTEMTION: Drivers-$2K Sign-on Bonus. Love your $55K job! $2K Sign-On Bonus + Benefits. Average $1,100 weekly.

CDL-A Required. 1.888.592.4752. www.ad-drivers.com SAPA CLEAN SLATE COALITION Seeks Part Time (20 Hrs./Week) Contractual Case Manager to Work With Women in Transitional Housing. Require Education/ Exp. in Psych, Social Work, Substance Abuse, Counseling, or Similar Training. Reliable Transportation Excellent Communication Skills, and 3 References. Call Marsha at 828.506.4221 or Email to: mscrites52@gmail.com DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED! Become a driver for Stevens Transport! No Experience Needed! New drivers earn $800+ per week! PAID CDL TRAINING! Stevens covers all costs! 1.888.748.4137 drive4stevens.com

EMPLOYMENT AVIATION GRADS Work With Jetblue, Boeing, NASA And Others. Start Here With Hands On Training For FAA Certification.

Financial Aid If Qualified. Call Aviation Institute Of Maintenance 1.866.724.5403 WWW.FIXJETS.COM. SAPA CAN YOU DIG IT? Heavy Equipment Operator Training! 3 Week Program. Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement Assistance with National Certifications. VA Benefits Eligible! 866.288.6896.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Reports millions of new jobs in fields that require less than two years of education. Train in just a few months for a rewarding new career in an in-demand field! Visit CareerStep.com/newcareer or call 1.866.553.8735 today.

SAPA

Committed to Exceeding Expectations

Marilynn Obrig Residential Broker Associate

(828) 550-2810

mobrig@Beverly-Hanks.com

Job Opportunity

January 7-13, 2015

www.Beverly-Hanks.com 274-16

Mountain Realty

Ron Breese Broker/Owner 2177 Russ Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

Do you love reading Smoky Mountain Living? Want to be a part of our family by selling advertising for the magazine? Smoky Mountain Living is seeking an independent, outgoing, self-motivated person to help grow our customer base. You may work from home.

www.ronbreese.com Each office independently owned & operated.

www.smokymountainnews.com

274-28

36

Full Service Property Management 828-456-6111 www.selecthomeswnc.com Residential and Commercial Long-Term Rentals

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

Sales territory would be the mountains of North Carolina/South Carolina and/or eastern Tennessee.

Please send all resumĂŠs to hylah@smliv.com

EMPLOYMENT HEAD START PRE-SCHOOL ASSISTANT TEACHER- Jackson County- Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education is required for this position, must also have the ability to assume the responsibilities of the classroom when the teacher is absent, work well with parents, community partners and co-workers, and have good judgment/problem solving skills. Basic computer skills required. Two years classroom experience preferred. This is a 10 month position with benefits.

HEAD START CENTER DIRECTORJackson County - Must have an AA Early Childhood Education degree; prefer someone with a BS Early Childhood Education/related field. Must have Administration levels I & II, basic Word use/e-mail use, good judgment/ problem solving skills, experience in classroom and the ability to work with diverse families.

Prefer someone with two years supervisory experience; will be responsible for supervision of daily operations with a staff of 5. This is a 9 month part-time position.

HEAD START PRESCHOOL TEACHER- Haywood CountyMust have BK or BS in related field. This position requires computer skills, the ability to work with diverse populations/community partners, 2 yrs. experience in classroom, responsible for classroom/paperwork and have good judgment/problem solving skills and time management skills. This is a 10 month position with benefits.

HEAD START NC PRE-K TEACHER- Haywood County-Must have a Birth-K with teaching license. This position requires computer skills, the ability to work with diverse populations/community partners, 2 yrs. experience in Pre-K classroom, good judgment problem solving skills, lead role in classroom and time management skills. Employee will be responsible for classroom/ paperwork. This is a 10 month position with benefits.

Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, 2251 Old Balsam Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786 or 25 Schulman St, Sylva, NC or you may go to our website www.mountainprojects.org and fill out an application.

Pre-Employment drug testing is required. AA/EOE. SUPER CAREER IN 2015!

Earn up to $0.43/mile, $2,500 Sign On Bonus PLUS up to $0.03 per mile in bonus! Call 866.291.2631 or SuperServiceLLC.com

EMPLOYMENT HIRING OTR PROFESSIONALS Who want Consistent Miles- average 2,800+; consistent pay- average $51,400 per year; 2012 or newer trucks; call Fischer Trucking today at 1.800.486.8660.

JOIN OUR TEAM! Guaranteed pay for Class A CDL Flatbed Drivers! Regional and OTR. Great pay/benefits/401k match.

CALL TODAY 864.299.9645. www.jgr-inc.com EOE MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES NEED! Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc.

1.888.512.7122 SWAIN 4-H COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT Swain County Extension is seeking an extraordinary leader for the county 4-H program. Duties include managing 4-H clubs; volunteers; project books; summer camps; school based and youth agricultural programs Minimum Experience/Education: Bachelor’s degree in Youth or Child Development, Family Consumer Science, or a related discipline is required. A Master’s degree is preferred. Modern computer literacy is required.

A vehicle and some overnight travel required.

For more information, please contact Robert J. Hawk at 828.488.3848 or email at: robert_hawk@ncsu.edu Please go to following link for the full Job Posting: http://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/46 389 TEACHER RECRUITMENT FAIR To fill 2015-16 vacancies in 18 Virginia school divisions. Fri, Jan 30, 2015 - 4pm to 7pm. Sat, Jan 31, 2015 - 9am. to 12 noon @ Salem Civic Center, 1001 Boulevard, Salem, VA 24153. www.wvpec.org -- Job Fair. Sponsored by the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium.

DRIVERS: *New Year - New Opportunities* Looking for: Better Pay? Better Home-time? Better Equipment?

Better Compensation???

CDL-A 1yr. Experience.

877.704.3773.

OWN YOUR OWN TRUCK! Best Lease Purchase Deal in the Country! *You can earn over $150,000 per year. *No Credit Check. *Late-model Freightliner Columbia. *Low Truck Payment.

Call 866.612.2218 to talk to a recruiter. Apply Now Online @ www.joincrst.com.

EMPLOYMENT

COMPUTER CERTIFICATION Online! Train at home to become a Help Desk Professional or MCSA certified! No Experience Needed!

Call CTI for details and more info!

Phone # 1.888.734.6712.

Visit us on our website at: MyCTI.TV 25 DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED! Become a driver for Stevens Transport! No Experience Needed! New drivers earn $800+ per week! PAID CDL TRAINING! Stevens covers all costs! 1.888.748.4137 drive4stevens.com

FINANCIAL

COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA

PETS

FINANCIAL INJURED? IN A LAWSUIT? Need Cash Now? We Can Help! No Monthly Payments to Make. No Credit Check. Fast Service and Low Rates. Call Now 1.866.386.3692. www.lawcapital.com (Not available in NC, CO, MD & TN) SAPA

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.371.1734 to start your application today!

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours:

FLEA, TICK & HEARTWORM Petmeds at Wholesale Cost. www.PetCareRx.com or call 1.888.478.5672. Ask about $20 off Pet Plus Today!

SAPA

TEXAS LAND SALE Near El Paso, $0 Down, 20 Acres $128/month-$16,900. 40 Acres $198/month-$25,900. Money back guarantee. No Qualifying-Owner Financing. Call 1.800.343.9444.

SAPA

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

HOMES FOR SALE

VACATION RENTALS CAVENDER CREEK CABINS Dahlonega, North Georgia Mountains. **WINTER SPECIAL: Buy 2 Nights, 3rd FREE** 1,2,& 3 Bedroom Cabins with HOT TUBS! Virtual Tour: www.CavendarCreek.com Call Now Toll Free 1.866.373.6307 SAPA

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT BULLFROG STORAGE Convenient Location 19/23 Between Clyde and Canton

5 x 10 = $25 10 x 10 = $40 10 x 20 = $75 • NO CONTRACTS •

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

MEDICAL

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor shamrock13@charter.net McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on an equal opportunity basis.

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

ATTENTION VIAGRA USERS: Viagra 100MG and Cialis 20 MG! 40 pills + 4 Free, Only $99. No prescription needed! Satisfaction Guaranteed! 1.800.491.8751 SAPA MEDICAL GUARDIAN Top-rated medical alarm and 24/7 medical alert monitoring. For a limited time, get free equipment, no activation fees, no commitment, a 2nd waterproof alert button for free and more - only $29.95 per month. 800.983.4906. SAPA

WANTED TO BUY $25,000 REWARD For older FENDER, GIBSON, GRETSCH, MARTIN, MOSRITE, NATIONAL guitars. Paying $500$25,000+. Please call Crawford White in Nashville, 1.800.477.1233 or email NashvilleGuitars@aol.com SAPA *CASH TODAY* We’ll Buy Any Car (Any Condition) + Free Same-Day Pick Up. Best Cash Offer Guaranteed! Call for FREE Quote 1.888.913.1680 SAPA

Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400

Nobody Beats Our Rates

ENTERTAINMENT

Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

828.342.8700

DISH TV RETAILER - SAVE! Starting $19.99/month (for 12 months.) FREE Premium Movie Channels. FREE Equipment, Installation & Activation. CALL, COMPARE LOCAL DEALS! 1.800.405.5081

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT 1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700

Equal Housing Opportunity

maggievalleyselfstorage.com

SCOTTISH TARTANS MUSEUM 86 East Main St., Franklin, Open 10am- 5pm, Mon - Sat. Come & let us find your Scottish Connection!

828.584.7472 or visit us at: www.scottishtartans.org.

These are only the answers.

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

92

$

20’x20’

160

$

ONE MONTH

FREE

smokymountainnews.com

273-252

Puzzles can be found on page 38.

January 7-13, 2015

BRISTOL APPEARS TO BE A SETTER MIX ABOUT 4-5 MONTHS OLD. HE IS A DELIGHTFUL BLEND OF PLAYFUL ANTICS AND LOVING SNUGGLES AND WILL BE A FUN FAMILY COMPANION.

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

SHEBA JUST GORGEOUS, MOSTLY WHITE WITH SOME BLACK AND ORANGE MARKINGS. SHE'S A REAL SWEETHEART TOO!

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

WNC MarketPlace

WELDING CAREERS Hands on training for career opportunities in aviation, automotive, manufacturing and more. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM 877.205.6458.

FURNITURE

WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828 Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

37

www.smokymountainnews.com

January 7-13, 2015

WNC MarketPlace

Super

38

CROSSWORD

California 69 Song that should have been sung by B.B. King?

ACROSS 72 Roasting rod 1 Japanese verse 73 Baseball game part 6 Milky white gem 75 Catches slyly 10 Memo opening 76 See 70-Down 14 “Eight Is Enough” 78 Pamphlet that should actor Willie 19 Game show announcer have been written by C.S. Lewis?

Johnny 81 Pull sharply 20 Novelist Victor 83 Kitten sound 21 Have a bawl 84 Lamb raisers 22 Freshly firm 85 Gorged on 23 Comedy that should 86 Golfing unit have starred W.C. Fields?

89 Depot abbr.

26 Big town, in Italian 91 José’s “day” 27 Sorority “T” 28 With 103-Down, parked 92 Nerd’s kin 94 Song that should have it, so to speak been sung by B.J. Thomas?

29 Televises 97 Most hip 30 Ejection 101 St. Francis’ birthplace 31 Modus 33 Novel that should have 104 Comp 105 Memoir that should been written by T.S. Eliot? have been written by A.A. 35 Hosp. parts Milne?

36 Some pizzas 107 Bible book after Ezra 38 Purge 39 Romantic comedy that 112 Soprano Nilsson 113 Michael of should have starred B.D. “Superbad” Wong?

114 Ex-veep Stevenson 43 Épée, say 115 Raptors’ org.

45 Ethyl ender 46 “Sprechen - Deutsch?” 116 Some Afrikaners 117 Piece that should 47 “Very funny!” have been composed by 50 Yes, in Ypres J.S. Bach?

51 Tree juices 120 Atlas closeup 55 Harpoon, e.g.

121 Tehran’s land 57 Off- - -wall 122 Meadows 59 Drama that should have starred E.G. Marshall? 123 In good pitch 124 Twisty turns 62 Muscular power 125 Motown’s Marvin 64 Calgary’s province 126 Dunaway of 67 Roof tiles “Chinatown” 68 City in Italy or INITIAL WORKS

127 Exacting DOWN 1 Instructional book 2 Take - of faith 3 Give credit where credit 4 Walloped in a boxing ring 5 One-piece bodysuits 6 George Burns film 7 Mischievous 8 Taj Mahal locale 9 Mauna 10 Spinning 11 Female futurist 12 Short-winded 13 Photo 14 Impeached 15 Defunct record label 16 Glove’s kin 17 Acid-alcohol compounds 18 Not dense 24 Stoppage of a plaintiff’s legal action 25 Satirist Mort 30 Well drillers 32 Bro., for one 33 Writer Janowitz 34 Scrub clean 37 - -jongg 39 Mrs. Truman 40 Thus far 41 Morgan Freeman film 42 Post-op program 44 Affliction 48 Chamomile drink, maybe 49 Temple table 51 Bite quickly 52 Way of thinking 53 A South African capital 54 Pt. of TBS

56 Makes hazy 58 Em lead-in 60 Poet Angelou 61 Too 63 Big tippler 65 “Muy -” (Spanish for “very good”) 66 Teeny-tiny 70 With 76-Across, choose not to take part in 71 Customary 73 Driving peril 74 Chews on 77 Tarkenton of football 79 Nixes a dele 80 Wide shoe width 82 “The Firm” novelist John 87 Hitters’ stats 88 Put down, to P. Diddy 90 Sales slips 92 Takes off a roster 93 Wages before overtime 95 Lohan of film 96 Funny Carrey 97 Hack driver 98 Edible bulbs 99 Cruel woman 100 Stowe’s slave owner Simon 102 Sacred place 103 See 28-Across 106 Infiniti rival 108 “Family Ties” mom 109 Hole- 110 “Li’l -” 111 “The Creation” composer 114 District 117 Lively dance 118 Pixieish sort 119 Crude house

answers on page 37

MUSIC LESSONS LEARN GUITAR & BANJO With Leigh Hilger. Many guitar styles. Clawhammer banjo. All skill levels welcome. Fun, relaxed teaching style for kids & adults.

Located near Waynesville Library.

828.456.4435

SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION EARN YOUR High School Diploma at home in a few short weeks. Work at your own pace. First Coast Academy. Nationally accredited. Call for free brochure. 1.800.658.1180, extension 82. www.fcahighschool.org SAPA TEACHER RECRUITMENT FAIR To fill 2015-16 vacancies in 18 Virginia school divisions. Fri, Jan 30, 2015 - 4pm to 7pm. Sat, Jan 31, 2015 - 9am. to 12 noon @ Salem Civic Center, 1001 Boulevard, Salem, VA 24153. www.wvpec.org -- Job Fair. Sponsored by the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium.

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WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 37

Red-headed woodpecker. creative commons photo

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Double the fun I had the pleasure of participating in two Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) this past weekend. The first was the Balsam CBC on Friday Jan. 2. This was our 13th count — 12th official — and we had 18 participants.

Our unofficial tally for this year’s count was a little on the low side: we recorded 68 species and I believe average is (or was, before this year) 73.

Birders, subjectively, don’t make the best scientists — they’re all about the rarest, prettiest, most species. The scientist is about documenting as accurately as possible what is being observed. The Audubon CBC; the granddaddy of citizen-science (this year marks the 115th annual Audubon CBC) tries to ameliorate, to some extent, these birder tendencies by having group leaders record mileage (driven and/or walked,) hours spent in the field, weather conditions, species seen and number of species seen.

Citizen science is sloppy science, for sure, but it is valuable science. According to a National Audubon Society press release: “Citizen science programs, most notably Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count and the Breeding Bird Survey, are foundational to

conservation policy in the United States.

Fights over conservation dollars in Congress and statehouses, land management decisions, and wildlife policy are all influenced by information collected through the CBC and other citizen science programs.

“We’ve led the way, from the Endangered Species Act listing and eventual recovery of the bald eagle to winning protections for vulnerable waterfowl, including the American black duck. CBC data form a cornerstone of the analyses contained in federal “State of the Birds” reports, a concept pioneered by Audubon.

“And today, as birds face unprecedented threats from climate change and energy development, the CBC is more relevant than ever, including the EPA’s use of our data as one of its key climate change indicators.”

But it’s the “citizen” — not the “science” — aspect of the CBC that got the ball rolling back 115 years ago and still sustains it. The camaraderie of being afield with like-minded souls probably rousts more CBC participants out of bed on those cold and/or wet winter mornings than any thoughts of scientific contribution. And when darkness begins to envelope count day and participants gather to share lists and swap stories of the ones

that did or didn’t get away, it’ll be that camaraderie that takes center stage. And it’s that camaraderie that’s integral to conservation.

But don’t forget sexy! And there’s always a shot for something out of the ordinary.

This year’s Balsam CBC turned up a female scarlet tanager. And if the record is accepted it will be the first official record of a winter scarlet tanager in the mountains of North Carolina. There are only four records and they are from the coast and/or piedmont.

Climate change?

I believe this was the fourth annual Franklin CBC. And it was a soggy one.

Something about having other idiots — I mean other dedicated birding friends with you that can make even a drenching a pleasurable experience. Thanks Brent, Angela-

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Faye, Jack, Hugh, Janice, David and Kim! The unofficial total for the Franklin count was 63 — a little above their average.

I have to say my favorite bird from the Franklin count was the red-headed woodpecker. We counted four together along the Franklin Greenway near the Macon County Library — probably part of a resident colony. Can’t wait to go back this spring and see if they are still there. Red-headed woodpeckers always transport me back to Mer Rouge, Louisiana, where I grew up. There was hardly a yard or vacant lot around town that didn’t have at least one huge water oak in it and it was common to see and hear redheaded woodpeckers everywhere.

(Don Hendershot is a naturalist and a writer.

He can be reached at ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

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