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January 18-24, 2017 Vol. 18 Iss. 34

Cherokee hospital funds cut due to infection rates Page 10 Rescuers save lost hikers in snow, frigid temps Page 34

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Mike Fitzgerald and his sidekick Mark Parks are the last of their kind in Western North Carolina. They repair shoes — and just about anything else for that matter — at their small shop on the back street of downtown Sylva. With cobblers closing up shop in surrounding towns, Fitzgerald’s Shoe Repair’s demand has continued to climb. (Page 6)

News Central Elementary generating interest from buyers ................................................ 3 Haywood struggling to retain teachers ........................................................................ 3 Healthcare rally draws crowd to downtown Sylva ....................................................4 SMN reporter to cover Presidential Inauguration ......................................................5 Board member removed from TWSA mid-term ........................................................ 9 Cherokee hospital funds cut due to infection rates .............................................. 10 Former gaming enterprise chairwoman rejoins board .......................................... 11 Illegal dumping plagues Swain .................................................................................... 12 Painting helps Swain artist heal .................................................................................. 13 Waynesville wants county land for MLK park .......................................................... 15 Sylva, Bryson to replace downtown trees ................................................................ 16 Increased density coming to Howell Mill Road? .................................................... 17 Education News ................................................................................................................ 19

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CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786

Opinion Parenting nostalgia during a big birthday week...................................................... 20

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The Lettermen roll into Franklin .................................................................................... 24

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Backcountry rescuers save lost hikers in snow, frigid temps ............................ 34

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Central Elementary generating interest from buyers

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Kirkpatrick assuming Swanger’s chairmanship shortly thereafter.

County manager Ira Dove said that the county hadn’t yet responded or otherwise taken any action toward making a decision, and Kirkpatrick said the county wasn’t necessarily in any hurry.

“Not right now,” Kirkpatrick said. “The school board has multiple things going on.

We’re not in any rush.”

In August 2016, the board declared the building — which costs $67,000 per year to maintain — surplus property for disposal.

The published agenda for the regular commissioners’ meeting Jan. 17 didn’t list any potential action to be taken on the property, either.

Dove also said it was his understanding that the county was under no deadline to take action, which leaves the issue up in the air for now.

But as the board of education awaits a decision from the county, interested buyers have already begun contacting the school board, inquiring as to the availability of the site.

If the county passes on the purchase, the building would be offered up for sale to the

Foliage grows over the sign at now-shuttered Central Elementary School in Waynesville.

Cory Vaillancourt photo

general public. Upon receipt of an offer, other interested entities would have a short period of time to best the previous offer.

Such competitive bidding would continue until competitors stop topping previous bids and the board accepts a final offer.

Superintendent of Haywood County Schools Dr. Anne Garrett said two educational entities and two social services agencies may be considering just such a purchase.

One — a mental health agency — would

Haywood struggling to retain teachers

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attributed to natural attrition like retirement, Buncombe County’s average supplement pay is $3,721, compared to Haywood’s $1,967 average.

“You can’t blame the teachers, because it will make a difference not only in their current pay, but also in their retirement income,” Francis said. “If I was them, I’d be thinking ‘What is my long-term gain versus my short-term inconvenience of driving to a neighboring county?’”

Garrett lamented the loss.

“These teachers were some of our very best teachers, our high performers,” she said.

So what can be done to retain talented teachers, and keep Haywood County competitive in a labor market where more dollars make more sense to most applicants?

A recent request to county commissioners for increased funding fell on deaf ears, Francis said.

“The county feels that funding is at an adequate level, and they don’t have the money to increase funding at a recurring level,” he said.

Haywood County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kirk Kirkpatrick said that if the school board wants to increase supplement pay, it could do so from the fund-

ing already provided by the county.

“They have complete discretion over their funds,” Kirkpatrick said. “We don’t tell them what to do with the money.”

Francis was also pessimistic about North Carolina’s state legislature coming to the rescue.

“Historically, the legislature has not been supportive of teacher pay increases,” he said.

“They’ve focused on charter schools, vouchers and virtual schools. We’ve been reaching out to them as a board to let them feel our pain.”

115 school districts in the state, only 10 fared better than Haywood County in the district performance composite, a yardstick that theoretically measures how well schools perform in a given year.

Haywood’s 11th-place ranking is up from 15th place the previous two years, but demonstrates even greater growth over the past decade, when the county consistently scored near in the upper third of statewide school districts.

Francis remains optimistic that the district can meet or beat last year’s results this year, despite 36.5 percent of departing teachers

Although the county’s supplement pay ranks in the top 25 percent of all North Carolina districts, it’s been eclipsed by surrounding counties, leading 28 Haywood educators to seek positions in Buncombe County alone.

What this means for Haywood County is that the board of education must look within its own budget if it wants to increase supplement pay.

Despite the comparatively lower supplement pay — which isn’t exactly a recent development — Haywood County’s schools have been performing at very high levels.

Last September it was announced that of

Smoky Mountain News

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER or months now, a committee created by the Haywood County Board of Education has been looking for ways to entice teachers to remain in the system, with little success.

Teachers in the Haywood County school system receive supplement pay, which is allocated from the county budget and can account for 2 to 5 percent of their total base salary.

Although the county’s supplement pay ranks in the top 25 percent of all North Carolina districts, it’s been eclipsed by surrounding counties, leading 28 Haywood educators to seek positions in Buncombe County alone.

“It’s well documented that we’re losing teachers to surrounding counties with better supplement pay,” said School Board Chairman Chuck Francis.

During a work session on Jan. 5, Haywood County Superintendent Dr. Anne Garrett presented an 80-page report detailing the results of the Recruitment and Retention Committee’s three meetings. She said that the county’s teacher turnover rate was 11.82 percent, which is “pretty standard” for a district with almost 700 teachers.

Although some of that turnover can be

likely utilize the building for administrative and meeting space. Another, Garrett said, was a nonprofit group with the goal of providing affordable housing for veterans.

Garrett also said that Thom Morgan, on behalf of Haywood Christian Academy, had approached the school board, as had a nonprofit educational organization similar to children’s science and health center The Health Adventure in Asheville, which closed after 44 years in 2013.

January 18-24, 2017

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER he building that once housed Central Elementary School may soon find new life in the private sector, if and when Haywood County Commissioners take a pass on it.

In October 2015, a surprise $2.4 million budget shortfall prompted Haywood County Board of Education officials to ponder cost-cutting measures. The announcement of plans to close the school shocked parents and students in January 2016 and prompted an ongoing lawsuit alleging that open meeting laws and school board policy were violated.

In August 2016, the board declared the building — which costs $67,000 per year to maintain — surplus property for disposal.

The facility is valued at $3.6 million.

“Haywood County has first option to purchase it,” said Bill Nolte, assistant superintendent of Haywood County Schools.

Per North Carolina law, School Board Chairman Chuck Francis offered the building to the county by letter on Aug. 9, stating that the property was “available for your purchase at the fair market price” and asked for a response at the board’s “earliest convenience.”

Since then, the composition of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners has changed, with longtime Democratic Chairman Mark Swanger declining to stand for re-election, Republican Brandon Rogers winning Swanger’s vacant seat on Nov. 8, and incumbent Democrat Kirk

coming from the ranks of the kindergarten through fifth grade levels, where important basic skills are instilled in students.

“Look at how we got to where we are,” he said. “We’re using the assets we have wisely, and giving our teachers the tools they need to work smarter. It’s going to be tough, especially losing veteran teachers who got us to that point. But we’re going to keep improving.”

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news

Ready to fight Rally to ‘save health care’ draws crowd to downtown Sylva

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER crowd of more than 150 people took to the streets of downtown Sylva Sunday joining protestors in cities across America for a national day of action to save the Affordable Care Act. “Repeal is callous and irresponsible,” said Nilofer Couture, wife of a Western Carolina University professor. “It has truly changed the lives of families in this country. Those driving its repeal refuse to acknowledge the devastating effect it would have on millions of Americans.”

The crowd gathered at the foot of the historic courthouse pumped their signs higher with each honk of support from passing traffic.

“Isn’t it amazing how uplifting and empowering it feels for the community to come together to stand united in defense of our rights?” said Chelsea White of Sylva, a waitress and organizer with Progressive Nation WNC. The rally drew supporters from several counties — including Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain — who called on the public to fight back against the assault on Obamacare and remember how much it’s done.

Speakers touted the good that’s come from the Affordable Care Act, like allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26, no cost for birth control

January 18-24, 2017

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pills and preventive care, or protection for people with pre-existing health conditions.

“It works. The act works. Let’s do everything we can to keep it in place,” said Judy Leroy Robinson, vice chair of the Good Samaritan Clinic in Sylva.

The crowd Sunday represented a broad slice of America: college students and babyboomers, black and white, unemployed and well-to-do, the working class and executives, and even parents with kids in tow.

Despite their diversity, there is one thing the crowd had in common — they all had health insurance.

That wasn’t the case at a health care rally held in Sylva eight years ago. The crowd who gathered in this same spot in 2009 was fighting for reform of the broken health insurance system. Several took the microphone to share the plight of the uninsured, due to pre-existing conditions or exorbitant costs they couldn’t afford.

Marsha Crites had been among them, and she took the mic again this week.

“I am furious that that right the basic right to health care is threatened at this point,” said Crites.

“It works. The act works.

Let’s do everything we can to keep it in place.”

— Judy Leroy Robinson, Good Samaritan Clinic vice chair

Speakers also challenged common criticisms of the Affordable Care Act, like the idea that it’s to blame for rising insurance costs.

“Health coverage premiums are actually growing at a slower rate since the ACA was introduced,” White said.

Avram Friedman, a Sylva activist and director of the Canary Coalition, said Obamacare rules ended the dishonest

Protestors from a four-county area rallied in Sylva Sunday to oppose a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. After rousing speakers moved the crowd to civic action, they posed for a photo on the courthouse steps before taking to the sidewalks with a march through downtown. Becky Johnson photo shenanigans of insurance companies that used fine print in policies to deny people coverage they thought they had.

“Thanks to the ACA regulations, I knew what I was buying,” said Friedman.

Friedman was among the millions of uninsured who now have coverage thanks to Obamacare.

“The hard-fought law, which brought healthcare to over 20 million people, is now being thrown out by individual who haven’t a clue what it means to be sick and under- or uninsured,” said Joanna Woodson, a student at WCU. It was a recurring theme at the rally: the irony of Washington leaders with free health care for life stripping health insurance from the working class.

“I personally think they should lose their health care, too. They ought to come off it

Still time to sign up for ACA insurance policy

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he planned repeal of the Affordable Healthcare Act doesn’t seem to be impacting the numbers of people in Western North Carolina signing up for coverage.

Mountain Projects’ health care navigators, who have been federally funded to help sign people up for insurance through the ACA Marketplace website, have remained in business this season despite all the uncertainties that lie ahead. Navigator Jane Plummer said Mountain Projects has helped sign up 1,800 people in the seven Western North Carolina counties so far and there are still about two weeks until the deadline.

“We’ve been very busy — I think we have more people enrolling this year than in the past whether they are new, renewing or changing their plan,” Plummer said. “I think people have more urgency about getting signed up than worrying about it going away.”

While people had questions and uncer4

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tainty prior to the Nov. 8 election, Plummer said the day after the election was the busiest day for enrollment that the navigators have had so far.

People have a lot of questions about what will happen to their ACA marketplace plan if and when Congress repeals ACA, but health care providers, navigators and insurance agents don’t have many answers for them right now. The only certain things right now are that the deadline to renew or sign up for an insurance policy for 2017 is Jan. 31 and the penalties for not having insurance are still in place.

Jan. 15 was the last day to sign up for a Marketplace policy that would go into effect Feb. 1, but people still have time to sign up by Jan. 31 for a policy that takes effect March 1.

Once open enrollment closes, only people who qualify for a “life change” will be allowed to enroll. Native Americans and their spouses may be eligible to enroll year round with proof of tribal membership.

Plummer said people who had a

Marketplace plan with United Healthcare or Aetna in 2016 actually have an additional month to enroll since those two providers are no longer offering plans on the ACA website.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is now the only North Carolina insurance provider offering plans on the Marketplace.

In addition to the Mountain Projects navigators, local hospitals also trained and designated employees to walk people through the new process. They can help people shop for a new plan in the online federal insurance marketplace and determine whether they qualify for subsidies based on their household income and family size.

Many Americans have not been happy with their inflated insurance premiums and deductibles under Obamacare, but Plummer said many of the people she and other navigators help sign up qualify for a federal subsidy for their insurance plan.

“Most of our consumers we helped have plans for less than $100 a month with the

and be on the same thing we’re on,” said Frank Burrell, chair of the Jackson Democratic Party. “I hope every one of you here today are mad.”

Following the rally, the crowd marched through downtown Sylva chanting “This is what democracy looks like!” and “Hey, hey!

Ho, ho! Leave our ACA alone!”

Speakers warned that repeal would hurt everyone, not just the 30 million people who buy insurance through the Obamacare marketplace. The cost of treating uninsured Americans would once again be thrust on the backs of local hospitals, sap public assistance programs and drive up premiums for all as healthy people exit the risk pool, Couture said.

“I’m mad our health care is hanging in the balance and being kicked around like a political football,” Couture said.

Get covered • For assistance in signing up for a health insurance policy on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace website, contact Mountain Projects’ healthcare navigators at 828.452.1447 or toll free at 800.627.1548.

• Certified Application Counselors at Haywood Regional Medical Center are also on hand to help you understand your options by calling 828.452.8192.

help of the subsidies and many are paying less this year than in the past years so there are still affordable plans available,” she said.

“We encourage people not to wait until the last day to sign up.”

The penalty in 2016 and 2017 for not having health coverage is $695 for each person on your tax return who isn’t covered or 2.5 percent of your household income, whichever is more. Fees are paid when you go to file a federal income tax return.

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A Clyde man who has been missing since Jan. 3 has been found deceased.

Adam Marc Leopard, 27, of Clyde, was reported missing by family Jan. 12 to the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office.

On Sunday, Jan. 15, a call was made to 911 from a person saying they spotted a vehicle similar to one they had seen on the news that was associated with a missing person — a 2003 grey Dodge Durango.

Waynesville Police officers responded to the 2200 block of Allens Creek Road just outside Waynesville City limits. Shortly thereafter, Haywood County Deputies arrived on the scene.

Leopard was found inside the vehicle. No further details will be released at this time as an autopsy is scheduled for later this week.

REACH of Haywood offers volunteer training

REACH of Haywood, the county's domestic violence/sexual assault/elder and dating n abuse prevention and intervention agency, is 5 seeking volunteers to assist with the REACH r Helpline phone services and in other ways a through Friends of REACH committees.

MassageWaynesville.com

828.456.3585 Haywood Square | 288 N. Haywood St. | Waynesville

Scientists are now finding that massage can reduce blood pressure, boost the immune system, dampen harmful stress hormones and raise mood-elevating b rain chemicals such as serotonin. Also nothing is better than regular massage to reduce stress and signs of aging.

Follow along • • • • •

www.smokymountainnews.com www.facebook.com/smnews www.twitter.com/SmokyMtnNews Listen on WCQS or www.wcqs.org Full coverage in the Wednesday, Jan. 25 print edition of SMN

If readers know of Swain, Macon, Haywood or Jackson residents who are attending the inauguration, contact SMN at 828.452.4251.

Support Local Food Entrepreneurs! at Ingles Markets on Weaver Blvd., Weaverville

Thorough, interactive training for potential volunteers, open to adults over 18, will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, at REACH's office, 627 N. Main Street, Waynesville. Lunch, snacks and training notebooks will be provided. Helpline volunteers donate anywhere from one 12hour shift a month to three or four shifts.

Each volunteer has a backup staff member in case personal sheltering or emergency service is needed.

Call REACH's office at 828.456.7898 to register.

Grants available to area governments, nonprofits The Southwestern Commission is seeking proposals for funding from local governments and nonprofits in its seven-county service area — Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

The Appalachian Regional Commission “Opt-In Implementation Fund” is providing $10,000 mini-grants to implement strategies from the Opt-In Regional Vision Final Report. For detailed grant guidelines and match requirements, visit www.regiona.org.

Applications for this round of grants will be due by 5 p.m. Friday, March 3. The project period will run from April 1 through Dec. 31.

January 26th - 3-6 pm Meet and Sample products from: Ally's Bars (Mills River) - Sweet potato based snack bars Bobbo's Bloody Mary Mix (Highlands) Boone Barr (Boone) - Simple ingredient meal/snack bars Mimi's Mountain Mixes (Hendersonville) Make delicious breads/treats with beer or sparkling beverages Munki Foods ( Asheville) - Globally inspired trail-mix Old Mule Sauces (Lake Lure) Roots Hummus (Asheville) Smiling Hara Tempeh (Barndardsville) Sunburst Trout Farms (Waynesville)

...AND MORE!

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Missing Clyde man found deceased

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Walk-Ins Welcome

January 18-24, 2017

tarting this week, The Smoky Mountain News will begin issuing a steady stream of coverage from the nation’s capital as the world awaits the swearing in of the United States’ 45th President, Republican Donald J. Trump.

SMN political reporter Cory Vaillancourt will be reporting live from Washington, D.C., where he’ll delve into the hopes and fears of Western North Carolinians, from ordinary folks on the street on up to congressional leaders.

Vaillancourt’s coverage of the events surerounding the inauguration — including oparades, balls, protests and more — will sbegin on Thursday, Jan. 19, with nightly oupdates and photographs posted on www.smokymountainnews.com. Or, follow dalong on SMN’s social media platforms, nincluding on Facebook at uwww.facebook.com/smnews and www.twitter.com/SmokyMtnNews. d On the morning of Friday, Jan. 20, tune sin to Western North Carolina Public Radio !station WCQS (or listen online at www.wcqs.org) for continuing coverage tfrom SMN; tune in again Monday for wrapoup coverage on WCQS, and then don’t miss -the Wednesday, Jan. 25 issue of SMN, which dwill feature expanded coverage of the inaunguration as well as the usual mix of news, -opinion, A&E, outdoors and more. r ,

UTIONS L O S E R 2017 Regulahrerapy eT Massag

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SMN reporter to cover Presidential Inauguration S

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Sylva shoe duo upholds the last of a dying trade

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ike Fitzgerald rarely skipped a beat as he darted spryly between his cobbler’s bench and the vintage, grimecoated machines anchoring his narrow shoe repair shop.

It’s hard to fathom, but Fitzgerald knows every nook and cranny of the controlled chaos. Floor-to-ceiling shelves brim with a disheveled array of tack boxes, heaps of leather scraps, and a small army of polish and dye cans.

No inch of space is sacred here. Throngs of brushes swing from nails. Metal files magnet to the side of a tattered box fan. A battalion of clamps hang on where they can. The low ceiling even doubles as a bulletin board, littered with the business cards of suppliers above the wall-mounted phone.

But Fitzgerald isn’t daunted, not anymore at least.

“About 30 years ago when I took over this place, I thought ‘Wow, I’ll never learn my way around all this stuff,’” recalled Fitzgerald, owner of Fitzgerald’s Shoe Repair in downtown Sylva.

But without fail, he deftly scoops up just the right rasp or awl from the jumbled tool pile strewn on his worktable. There’s no point in a tidy pegboard. He’ll need that leather grommet puncher or those stiletto pliers again sooner or later, so home is wherever they land.

“A guy came in here one day and started laughing and I said ‘What’s so funny?’ and he said ‘I finally found a place that was messier than my garage,’” Fitzgerald said.

“But if we need to find a part in here, we know where it is.”

He swept his eyes over a hodgepodge of heel types stacked in sundry piles on his supply shelf, sizing up the inventory with a quick glance.

“Those cowboy heels?” Fitzgerald said, riffling through one of the mounds. “I’ve only got one pair left in this size before more come in.”

This hole-in-the-wall shoe repair shop tucked away on downtown Sylva’s Back Street is the last of its kind. Quick on the draw with shoe puns, Fitzgerald admits he’s a “dying” breed.

As the only shoe repair shop left in N.C.’s seven western counties, Fitzgerald’s draws a steady stream of customers from Murphy to Maggie Valley with every kind of fix-it job you can imagine. From Gucci handbags to farm boots, Fitzgerald can — and has — done it all.

He bought the business on a whim nearly 30 years ago after upheaving his family from Tampa, Florida.

“We had a corporate takeover and we all got our walking papers,” Fitzgerald recounted. “I didn’t like urban life anyway so we sold our stock and sold our house and we 6 moved here.”

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January 18-24, 2017

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The former owner, Vernon Browning, had worked in the shop since he was 17. After nearly 40 years, he was ready to hang up the last, and in moseyed Fitzgerald.

Browning had one condition before striking a deal, however.

“He said ‘I got to make sure you can do the work,’” Fitzgerald recalled. “I worked with Vernon for three days, and he said, ‘Yeah, you’re a natural.’ You had to have a knack for knowing how to put things together.”

Fitzgerald knew almost nothing about fixing shoes then — save his three-day apprenticeship. But with a wife and four young kids, he needed a job.

“And I liked the idea of working with my hands,” Fitzgerald said.

He wrote Browning a check for $15,000 — all the cash he had left to his name — and pocketed the keys. He decided he could learn

“People come from a hell of a long way off and not just because he’s the only game in town.

The quality of the work is exceptional.”

— John Glenn, customer

the trade, but was concerned he wouldn’t fit in as an outsider. The shoe shop dates back to the 1910s — before there was a store front it was based out of a covered wagon — and had been in the same family ever since.

“I said ‘I’m not from here. Will the locals be angry with you?’” Fitzgerald had asked Browning. “It took me about a year-and-ahalf to get everybody on my side.”

He paused in the story, reached his hand up into the ceiling, and retrieved a stack of papers — an odd storage space but perfectly convenient and one of the few places that stays clean, he pointed out.

As Fitzgerald flipped through his stash of historic photos, he relished the fact there’s been a shoe shop on Back Street for over a century.

Fitzgerald quickly became a local fixture, and his Florida roots long since forgiven.

“Adopted son? I don’t know if they would call me that...more like a degenerate,” Fitzgerald joked.

LAST MAN STANDING Fitzgerald and his trusty sidekick Mark Parks spend the day digging their way through an unrelenting mound of work boots, dress boots, combat boots, cowboy boots, hiking boots, loafers, sporty sandals, dressy sandals, pumps, flats, Oxfords, bucks, sneakers, stacked heels, stiletto heels, and dozens more.

Fitzgerald Shoe Shop in downtown Sylva attracts thousands of customers from a 10-county area who have no hometown shoe repair shop to call their own anymore. Becky Johnson photo A revolving door of customers from a 60mile radius trickle in and out of Fitzgerald’s over the course of day, with some making the pilgrimage from much farther afield.

“We have a regular customer up in Burnsville who thinks we’re the cat’s meow,” Fitzgerald said.

Any given day, Fitzgerald has shoes in his queue from Hayesville to Hendersonville.

“I’ve had people tell me you can’t retire, we won’t let you,” Fitzgerald said.

At 65, Fitzgerald plans to put in a few more years. But sooner or later, he’ll bow out.

He didn’t want his shop to meet the same demise as the ones in Waynesville, Franklin and Murphy — closed and gone, not for want of customers, but there was no one to take them over.

He ticked off the names of his former compatriots. There was Larry in Waynesville, Joe in Franklin, Frank in Murphy, Tommy in Hazelwood. When they aged out, there was no one to take over their shops.

“So they all just closed,” Fitzgerald said.

For 25 years, Fitzgerald was the whippersnapper of the mountain shoe repairmen. But now he was the last man standing.

With each hometown shoe repair shop that closed, Fitzgerald’s business grew.

Customers from a seven-county area began journeying to his shop with their busted heels, detached soles and unraveled stitching.

“I was working seven days a week after Waynesville closed down,” he said.

And it wasn’t just shoes being carried in.

A man from Haywood County came in last month with a ripped lawnmower bag.

“Instead of going out and buying a new $150 grass catcher, we can repair it for them and keep them going,” Fitzgerald said.

Just then, in walked Gail Thomas. The Franklin resident learned about Fitzgerald’s after complaining to a friend that her pocket book strap was too long.

“She said ‘Well you might could take it up to Fitzgerald’s and get the handle shortened,’” Thomas recalled. “I had no idea you were here but I’m telling everybody when I

o

“One of the worst things and most time-consuming to repair is when a dog chews something up.

Especially Birkenstocks.

They love ‘em.”

After getting his claim tag, Glenn followed Parks into the workshop and settled into a chair behind the walking foot sewer — which doubles as the visitor’s chair — to chat awhile.

“People come from a hell of a long way off and not just because he’s the only game in town,” Glenn said. “The quality of the work is exceptional.”

But that’s not the full story either.

Popping into Fitzgerald’s is one of those happy errands, where the nostalgic smell of varnish and leather means a brief escape from the modern world.

— Mike Fitzgerald

A couple paces left puts them at the 5-in-1 trimmer and beveller. A couple paces right, they’re at the leather splitter. A quick pivot to the rear, and they’re at the wire nailer.

Some days, they not only have to dodge each other, but their loyal base of loafers. A sign recently debuted in the shop that reads, “We reserve the right to boot you out.”

“But it doesn’t help, does it Mark?”

Fitzgerald quipped.

JACK-OF-ALL TRADES

NOTHING BUT TIME

Mike Fitzgerald is not only a master in the art of shoe repair, but has a knack for squeezing lots of stuff into a small space. Unfazed by the jumble of tools and machinery and undaunted by the mountain of in-coming shoes, Fitzgerald pores personal love and devotion into every fix-it job. Becky Johnson photo leaving on a trip to Florida.

Parks paused, then promised to try.

“Even if Mark has to work all night we’ll get it,” Fitzgerald joked. “I don’t mind volunteering Mark. I won’t lose any sleep over it.”

The men jest and banter like this all day. It keeps their work fun and passes the time quicker. They’re two peas in a pod.

“We think alike, we act alike, we cut up alike, we like kids alike,” Fitzgerald said.

Ditto that. Both men have six kids.

Mark’s range from age 4 to 13. Fitzgerald’s are grown now, although a special needs son who needs round-the-clock care still lives at home. Despite having their hands full with a

severely handicapped son of their own, Fitzgerald and his wife adopted three of their six children over the years, all of them with special needs as well.

“That’s what life’s about,” Fitzgerald said.

Soon, the door swung open again.

Fitzgerald heard a familiar voice boom out. It was one of their regulars, John Glenn. There’s no telling what kind of work Glenn might drag in. His last job was setting grommets into a cargo strap.

But today, he swung a pair of boots onto the counter.

“John, it’ll be next week,” Parks leveled.

“Do I look barefoot?” Glenn shot back.

By late afternoon, Fitzgerald’s knuckles and hand creases were caked in black grime.

At day’s end, he’ll scrub up with kerosene and lava soap, but until then, there’s no sense in it.

Meanwhile, the shop floor bore the telltale scraps of the day’s work — bits of brown leather, heel shavings, rubber sole cutouts, strands of thread.

“Sweeping is a waste of time if you are just going to mess it up again,” Fitzgerald said.

Despite the layer of grit and gunk that sifts into every crevice, the shop sees a steady line of high-dollar, high-fashion items — from Channel and Gucci handbags to Louis Vuitton men’s dress shoes.

“We handle $400 footwear,” Parks said.

Fitzgerald does a booming business with second-homers who gather up their shoe repairs back home and bring them in when they’re visiting the mountains.

The shoe shop has been commissioned by the Western Carolina University theater department, altering and repairing shoes for the stage wardrobes. The Appalachian State

Smoky Mountain News

Just then, the door chimed. Cheryl -Carlton made a trip down the mountain from tHighlands with tattered men’s dress shoes.

“They’re so far gone he was ready to write pthem off but I said ‘Let me take them in to the .shoe shop, he is like magic,’” Carlton said. n As she displayed the nearly worn-through dsoles, Carlton popped the most frequently .heard question in Fitzgerald’s. r “How soon can I get them?” Carlton asked, oblivious to the perpetual tide of shoes .out of sight behind the counter. t Parks peeked around the corner at the bulging shelves buried by incoming shoes wfrom floor to ceiling. There’s a shelf for every mday of the week, which is how they gauge their workflow. e “When we fill a shelf up, that’s all the work swe can do that day,” Fitzgerald said. t A quick gander revealed more than 100 pairs already ahead of her, with the shelves pplumb full until next week. Parks broke the -news. u “So there’s no chance you can do it Itoday?” Carlton asked, explaining they were

January 18-24, 2017

y

get back to Franklin.”

For 25 years, Fitzgerald was a one-manband. But he realized he needed an apprentice, someone who could learn the trade and take over the shop when the time came.

“You wouldn’t want to leave this whole area without any resource for a repair,” Fitzgerald said.

Enter Parks. A long-time family friend, Parks was working as a handyman when Fitzgerald approached him. The two soon became an unstoppable shoe duo.

After three years of working by Fitzgerald’s side, Parks has learned from the best.

“Well, he’s still trying to teach me,” Parks joked.

Like they’re executing a finely honed waltz, Fitzgerald and Parks slip about the tight quarters without bumping elbows, passing off tools to each other without having to ask.

The tightly-packed shop puts a sardine can to shame, but it has its advantages.

Nothing is too far from reach at least.

S EE S HOES, PAGE 8 7

The newest gadget on the premises is the sandwich press, a contraption that appeared after Parks joined the team. Thrifty by nature, the men bring their lunch from home every day.

“There’s no out to lunch sign here,” Fitzgerald noted.

But with real estate at a premium, they were pressed for where to put it. They decided to go vertical, balancing it atop a minifridge in a side nook. Once it toppled and broke, but Fitzgerald had grown so fond of the newfangled addition that he replaced it in short order.

“You get tired of peanut butter and jelly and cold ham and cheese sandwiches, especially in the wintertime,” Fitzgerald said.

“Plus if your socks get wet you can take them off and dry them really quick,” Parks quipped.

When the men tire of cutting up with each other, they set their sights on the purveyor of Eric’s Fish Market two doors down, who’s always game for a good prank. Last fall, Fitzgerald put his artistic talents to work on a discarded pile of shoe heels, lapping and fusing them into the shape of a fish. They hung it on the fish market’s door as a surprise, and shopkeeper Jim Collins fired back with the cardboard sign — “We reserve the right to boot you out” — a handy thing to hang above the visitor’s chair.

Fitzgerald soon began crafting a retaliation, an oyster shell made from melted crepe rubber with faux barnacles glopped on for texture.

“It’s a secret formula of super glue and baking soda,” Fitzgerald revealed.

It seemed like the perfect day to present it, so Parks took a break to pop next door.

“Is this made of shoe parts?” Collins asked, before doing an impromptu ventriliquy skit with his new-found friend.

news

S HOES, CONTINUED FROM 7 theater has gotten in on the act, shipping shoes to Fitzgerald’s all the way from Boone to re-dye in the right colors for a show.

Fitzgerald is highly sought for his specialized craft of adding height to shoes for people with one leg slightly longer than the other. He blends the built-up sole so keenly that the finished job is nearly imperceptible.

One of Parks’ specialties is leatherwork.

He’s repaired steer horn mounts, darned snowshoes, mended harnesses, and even restored an antique saddle.

“We’ve been known to horse around,” Fitzgerald said, trotting out one of his famous puns.

Among Parks’ more unusual pieces: a pair of traditional Alaskan snow blind goggles.

January 18-24, 2017

“I’ve had people tell me ‘You can’t retire, we won’t let you.’”

— Mike Fitzgerald

Smoky Mountain News

“There’s no business like snow business,” Fitzgerald chimed.

In between shoe repairs, Parks carves out time to make custom knife sheaths.

“Oh bowie,” said Fitzgerald.

From leather ax handles — “another hatchet job” — to attaché’s, there’s “no case they can’t handle.”

Unfortunately, some jobs are just so timeconsuming they have to be turned down.

Even if the owner’s willing to pay, the shoe duo would get too backed up to take them on.

“One of the worst things and most timeconsuming to repair is when a dog chews something up. Especially Birkenstocks. They love ‘em,” Fitzgerald said.

“We don’t even have a pair of Birkenstocks in the house right now do we?”

Parks said. “We must be living right.”

Some shoes are so far gone, Fitzgerald doesn’t think they’re worth saving.

“Sometimes we are honest with people, you are wasting your time trying to fix this,” Fitzgerald said.

But shoes often have a special attachment for people, and they’ll go to the end of the earth to get a few more wears out of them.

Some people try home remedies like hot glue and staple guns, which usually just makes matters worse.

“One of the biggest problems we have is cleaning up repairs people try to do them8 selves,” Fitzgerald said.

HOMETOWN LOVE Mark Parks, Fitzgerald’s apprentice and right-hand-man, has learned the art and science of shoe repair from the best of the best, giving hope that the region’s last remaining shoe shop will be in good hands for many years to come. Becky Johnson photo There are a few jobs that are downright impossible for the shoe duo. So few, Fitzgerald can remember them.

“It was impossible to do the shafts of her boots with mink, it was just impossible,” he said, shaking his head with lingering regret.

The men occasionally work weekends to clear out a backlog, or to focus on a special job.

“If there’s an antique gun holster we’re going to work on, you need to concentrate on what you are doing and not get interrupted,” Fitzgerald said.

As if Fitzgerald’s not busy enough, he spends his free time fulfilling his civic duty as the mayor of Dillsboro, where he’s served on the town board for a dozen years, and has also been roped in to serving as the chair of the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority.

BACK TO BASICS A shoe repairman has to know his way around more than leather and rubber. He’s got to be a mechanic to boot.

Fitzgerald pointed to the biggest machine in the shop: a long axle mounted with sundry brushes, sanders and grinders. Called a line finisher, the axle fires up like a whirling dervish when Fitzgerald flips the switch, creating a blur of turning wheels.

The workhorse of a shoe repair shop, a new one runs for $10,000. That’s why Fitzgerald better keep this 1940s-era one going.

The shop is packed with vintage machines that require constant tinkering to keep them humming.

“Sometimes one of these machines will get a little out of kilter. That leaves one of us to handle the shoe volume while the other works on a machine half the day,” Fitzgerald said, wondering how he got by without Parks.

One of the few things you won’t find in Fitzgerald’s is a computer. Fitzgerald simply phones in his supply orders, tacks their invoice to a clipboard when they come in and mails off a check on bookkeeping day.

“They are old school like we are,” Fitzgerald said of his suppliers.

As quitting time drew near, Fitzgerald turned to Parks.

“Should we pull the shoes?” he asked.

Parks sidled up to the burgeoning shelf of incoming shoes and began the nightly ritual of laying out the next day’s work.

“We like to scope it out and see what we are up against. In case I want to call in sick and make Mark do it,” Fitzgerald quipped.

Parks began shuttling the shoes from the shelf and amassing them on the workroom floor.

“Looks like tomorrow is going to be halfsole and heel day,” Parks said.

Fitzgerald was quick on the draw when asked his favorite part of his job.

“I used to like the coffee breaks until I quit drinking coffee,” Fitzgerald said.

The second ask didn’t go much better.

“Collecting money,” he said.

But the third try, Fitzgerald got serious — a rare moment for him — and decided his favorite part had nothing to do with shoes, but the people he got to interact with every day.

“We live with the people we work for. You always get a ‘howdy’ at the grocery store or at Walmart. It is enjoyable knowing everybody in town,” Fitzgerald said. “My wife always asks, ‘Is there anywhere we can go people don’t know you?’”

To some, party-line vote was ‘politically motivated;’ others call it ‘strictly business’

J

“I have no complaints about [Ward’s] service. I think he’s done a great job and deserved the right to finish his term out.”

“I just think that the whole focus of TWSA, period, needs to be reevaluated and what it was initially established for and that whole charter.”

— Mickey Luker, Jackson commissioner

served as the commission’s representative on the board, but his term ended in December.

Ron Mau, a Republican who defeated incumbent Vicki Greene this fall, will take his place.

Though Luker had previously served 7.5 years on TWSA, he said Mau was the better choice for the appointment due to his background in finance and engineering. Mau holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil

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Smoky Mountain News

— Brian McMahan, Jackson commission chairman

Tom Sawyer, owner of Tom Sawyer’s Christmas Tree Farm in Glenville, will replace Ward on the TWSA board. After Ward’s removal, commissioners voted unanimously to appoint Sawyer.

“He’s got experience, he’s served on TWSA before. He has a good understanding,” McMahan said. “I have nothing negative to say about Tom Sawyer.”

However, he added, it did seem odd that the new appointment would be a former TWSA board member, if indeed Luker’s aim in removing Ward was to get some new blood on the board to change its direction.

January 18-24, 2017

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER oe Ward’s term on the Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority board came to an abrupt end last week when newly elected commissioner Mickey Luker made a motion to remove him during the Jackson County Commissioners’ Jan. 9 meeting. The move prevailed in a party-line vote, three Republicans against two Democrats.

“There’s definitely citizens and businesses that are demanding change and demanding it’s time for a new focus Joe Ward there,” said Luker, a Republican who was seated following the November elections.

“Anything is just as strong as your leadership, and that leadership has got to start with the board and it goes to the director on down.”

Ward, a Democrat, Mickey Luker was appointed to the board in December 2015 as the term of his predecessor Doug Cody, a Republican, wound to an end. The board had flipped to a Democratic majority in the three years since Cody was appointed, with four Democrats and one Republican sitting in 2015. A motion to reappoint Cody from Commissioner Charles Elders, the sole Republican at the time, died on the floor, and the board voted unanimously to appoint Ward to a term ending December 2018.

Since then, another election cycle has gone by and the board’s composition has changed yet again, with Republicans holding a 3-2 majority. TWSA, which manages water and sewer for the entire county, is run by an eight-member board that contains two members appointed by the county commission.

According to Luker, the decision to remove Ward mid-term was “strictly business” with “never any focus, any thought, anything about the political end of it.”

Ward doesn’t see it that way.

“I don’t agree with it and I feel like it was politically motivated,” Ward said.

According to Commission Chairman Brian McMahan, a Democrat, removing a board member mid-term is extremely unusual. It’s typical for board members to not be reappointed if the political climate has changed since they were placed on the board,

McMahan said, but usually existing members are allowed to finish their terms before they are replaced.

“As far as I know he’s made every meeting, he’s done a good job, he’s been a good member, he’s researched the issues, he’s done everything you would want your representative on the board to do,” McMahan said of Ward. “I have no complaints about his service. I think he’s done a great job and deserved the right to finish his term out.”

According to TWSA minutes, Ward has attended every meeting since his appointment.

Meanwhile, Luker said that the decision to remove Ward was two-fold. The first reason was the need for a change in direction on the board, he said. TWSA has come under scrutiny lately for its high impact fees, with critics alleging that the organization is unfriendly to economic development.

“I just think that the whole focus of TWSA, period, needs to be reevaluated and what it was initially established for and that whole charter,” Luker said.

Getting new leadership on the board, Luker believes, is key to making that happen.

Ward, however, says that it’s misguided for Luker to remove him based on the direction his membership is nudging the board, because Luker has not attended any TWSA meetings since Ward’s appointment a year ago.

“They said that I was replaced so they could go another direction, and they don’t know what direction I was going in because nobody ever asked me,” Ward said. “They have no idea how I feel about what.”

According to Ward, the first he knew of his removal from the board was a phone call he received from a local reporter the next day.

engineering, as well as an MBA and a Ph.D. in finance. However, in replacing Jones, a Cashiers resident, with Mau, a Forest Hills resident, Luker saw a need to keep a representative on the board from the southern end of the county. This, he said, was another reason to remove Ward and appoint Sawyer.

“I think we picked and brought to the table the two best people that could be on that board for this situation we have, this crossroads,” Luker said.

In Ward’s mind, however, there’s still a question hanging in the air.

“Well, who’s going to represent this end of the county?” he asked.

Ward lives in Whittier, which runs off the TWSA-operated Whittier Sanitary District.

The current board has no members from that area. Bottom line, he said, the board should have let him finish out his term before replacing him with somebody else.

“The previous commissioners let Doug Cody fill out the remainder of his term, and that’s whenever I got appointed,” Ward said.

“Evidently this new board is not as accommodating.”

Luker, meanwhile, stands by the board’s decision and is enthusiastic about the perspective that the new board members will bring to the table.

“I wouldn’t take it as anything personal,” he said. “Just think of it like any other organization. When you’ve got issues and you’ve got problems and you’ve got people coming every day that it’s time for a new focus there — I’ll just stick to my whole statement there that it needed to be two new board members.”

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Board member removed from TWSA mid-term

Luker believes that Sawyer’s record speaks for itself.

“Tom Sawyer brought a massive amount of knowledge and experience to that board and made a lot of progress in TWSA being able to acquire Horsepasture (tract in Cashiers for a future sewer treatment plant) and expand that system,” Luker said. “He was so instrumental in being able to make those contacts and make those things happen.”

Sawyer will not be the only new member on the board. Former commissioner Mark Jones, who lost his seat to Luker this fall, had

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Cherokee hospital will see funding cut due to infection rates Numbers misleading for small facilities, hospital says

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ccording to a recent ranking from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority is one of the nation’s worst-performing hospitals when it comes to rates of patients who acquire infections while staying in the hospital, The scoring system, which is part of the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program established by the Affordable Care Act, has been in place for three years.

Hospitals are scored on a variety of parameters, using a 1 to 10 ranking for each one.

Those numbers are then combined to produce a final HAC score, which also uses a 1 to 10 scale. The worst-performing quartile of hospitals — the 25 percent with the highest scores — are penalized by having their payments from Medicare and Medicaid cut by 1 percent.

January 18-24, 2017

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“Because of our small number of patients and low projection rate, when we do have an infection it appears that our infection rate is actually much larger than it is.”

— Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority statement

Smoky Mountain News

For 2017, the penalties applied to all hospitals scoring 6.57 or higher. The Cherokee Indian Hospital scored 9.4 — the highest score in the state and the fifth-highest score in the nation.

However, the situation may not be as dire as the score indicates. The Cherokee hospital is a small facility that deals with small numbers of patients, so a handful of infections can easily result in a high score.

“A low-acuity facility like CIHA is not scored on services that it doesn’t provide,” the hospital said in a statement. “Thus the HAC score is essentially limited to a small number of infrequently occurring infectious disorders … Because of our small number of patients and low projection rate, when we do 10 have an infection it appears that our infection

in the hospital, the higher the risk of acquiring an infection there.

“We weigh this against the risks of being vulnerable and disenfranchised,” the hospital’s statement said.

Julie Henry, vice president of communications for the N.C. Hospital Association, echoed the reality of the difficulties small hospitals like the one in Cherokee face when it comes to HAC scores.

Still, she said, Cherokee’s is “a high number” that deserves answers for why it’s as high as it is and what’s being done to improve in the future.

The scoring system has its issues, she said, but overall it’s positive as a tool for keeping hospitals accountable and forcing them to collect the data they need to get to the root of any issues that exist.

“The upshot of it is increased attention to hospital-acquired infections is a good thing

“Casey Cooper is the data guy,” Henry said. “He is looking at data all the time. So I would be really surprised if something hasn’t changed. If their numbers are this high, I would be sure that he’s on top of it.”

The 2016 numbers do not show substantial change over 2014 and 2015. In both those years, the hospital reported two cases of C. diff but zero of MRSA or urinary infections due to catheters. In 2016, the hospital still saw zero cases of those last two but three cases of C. diff. However, two of the three counts were due to the same person having the infection two consecutive months.

Going forward, the hospital’s first step will be to take another look at its reporting system. A process failure in data reporting was detected and fixed in 2015, the statement said, so figures for 2013 and 2014 might not be completely accurate. The hospital plans to recalculate its scores using internal data to

rate is actually much larger than it is.”

In fact, Cherokee did not appear at all on the list of worst-performing hospitals in 2015 or 2016, the first two years that scores were published.

The Cherokee Hospital is a small facility, housing only 18 beds. Compare that to the 763 beds at Mission Hospital in Asheville, the 169 at Haywood Regional Medical Center, or the 86 at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva.

The HAC score is composed of two domains. This year the Cherokee Hospital didn’t report anything for the first domain, called the patient safety indicator, because there were not enough patients who met the criteria, the hospital’s statement said.

The second domain is a composite score based on five common types of hospital-acquired infections. The 2017 data set shows a score for only one of those five parameters — infections caused The Cherokee Indian Hospital will see a 1 percent cut in Medicaid/Medicare funding due to a high score on a fedby the bacterium eral ranking of infection rates in hospitals. However, the hospital said that its low patient population makes it Clostridium difficile, easy for small numbers of cases to boost the score quickly. Holly Kays photo called C. diff. The hospital wound up with a score of 10 for that parameter, which heavily influenced its final score of 9.4. This is the first year that C. diff infections have been included in the scoring system — it, along with methiHospital name Number of beds HAC score cillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority.......................... 18................................................ 9.4 as MRSA, is a new parameter for 2017.

Harris Regional Hospital...........................................86............................................... 5.58 According to the hospital, small census Mission Hospital...................................................... 763.............................................. 5.36 size isn’t the hospital’s only challenge in Haywood Regional Medical Center...........................169.............................................. 3.75 maintaining low HAC scores.

“CIHA frequently admits patients who Scores in North Carolina ranged from 1.15 to 9.4. Nationwide, scores ranged from 1 to 9.85. For would otherwise be discharged from other the 2017 fiscal year, hospitals with scores in the worst-performing quartile — 6.57 and above facilities to home. We do this to provide — were penalized with a 1 percent reduction in funding from Medicare and Medicaid. more care, safety and support to patients and families after third-party payers cease to authorize payment for their stay at for patients,” Henry said. “It’s good for get a better idea of where it stands.

“Over the next year our focus will be to another facility,” the hospital’s statement providers too because it forces providers to reads. “As a result patients who would oth- collect the data so they can stay on top of continue to manage the existing patient safety and infection controls systems and to erwise develop an infection at home after what’s happening with their patients.” discharge, one that was actually acquired The Cherokee Indian Hospital opened its improve the data reporting process,” the during their admission at other facilities, brand new, $82 million facility in October 2015. statement reads.

Due to its high score for 2017, the hospital could manifest symptoms during their However, the data reflected in the 2017 rankings extended stay with us.” were mostly gathered before the hospital will lose some funding for the current fiscal In addition, the statement reads, the hos- moved to the new campus. The numbers in the year. The exact amount is still being calculatpital sometimes chooses to keep patients most recent report are based on data from Jan. ed, but it will be 1 percent of funding typically longer than the stay covered by insurance if 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2015 — Henry expressed received from Medicare and Medicaid. These they lack the support at home they might confidence in hospital CEO Casey Cooper’s abil- programs account for just under 35 percent of the hospital’s budget. need to recover safely. The longer a person is ity to turn it around going forward.

How they scored

T

Clampitt to hold local constituent events

Chief Hollingsed to speak to Haywood NAACP Waynesville Police Chief Bill Hollingsed will speak to the Haywood County Chapter of the NAACP at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Harris Chapel A.M.E. Zion, 26 Prospect St., Canton.

Hollingsed will talk about his efforts to provide implicit bias training and other issues facing his department. Hollingsed has been an active participant in Changemakers for Racial Understanding. NAACP committees will report on their progress.

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Smoky Mountain News

Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, has announced a couple of events that will be taking place before the end of the month.

The first event is the very first face-to-face constituent meeting from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan 20, at the Swain County Administration Building, 101 Mitchell St., in Bryson City.

“The constituent meeting is a chance for district residents to meet me, ask questions about the session, and share any concerns they have about the workings of state government,” said Clampitt.

The second event is a “meet and greet” reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at 45 West Ridge Road in Bryson City, in lieu of the swearing-in ceremony that was supposed to take place on Jan. 7.

Both events are open to the public.

Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek

January 18-24, 2017

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise’s newest member will be anything but new to the business of casino management when she takes her seat on the board.

Norma Moss, who Principal Chief Patrick Lambert appointed and Tribal Council unanimously appointed, had previously spent 10 years on the TCGE, serving as board chair from 2004 until 2010, when she was hired by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort as assistant general manager.

“It’s a responsibility that I take very seriously,” Moss told council after the Jan. 12 vote to confirm her appointment. “I have 10 years of experience on the board, and during that time we did some important work and some good work.”

The five-member board carries a significant load of responsibilities, charged with regulatory oversight of all gaming operations on tribal land to ensure that laws and regulations are complied with. Its members serve five-year terms and earn an annual salary of $80,000.

Lambert had initially brought Moss’s name before Council during its Dec. 1 meeting.

“This is perhaps the most important board that the tribe has at least from a financial sense and this person will add a level of experience and stability to that,” Lambert told council at the time.

However, some councilmembers felt that they needed more time to consider the

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Former gaming enterprise chairwoman to rejoin board

nomination and to gather input from their constituents.

Councilmember Alan “B” Ensley, of Yellowhill, spoke up first to say that his constituents had been asking him to table the resolution to allow for public comment on whoever Lambert’s nominee ended up being.

“Like I said Norma, I didn’t know it was you, but they asked me to table the resolution and see what the comments was on whoever the person was,” Ensley told Moss during the December meeting.

Ensley made the move to table and quickly gathered a second from Councilmember Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird. The move passed with no opposition.

After the vote, however, Lambert expressed surprise at Council’s decision to delay confirmation.

“This has been recognized by everyone here that it was important to get this to be a full board, and that’s one of the reasons why it would be surprising that it would be tabled with that in mind, but we’ll work with that and any comment you get I’d be glad to field them,” Lambert said.

According to tribal code, Council must act on any nominations put forth by the principal chief within 30 days, so the vote to table did present a problem for compliance with that requirement. Tribal Council meets monthly, and the next meeting was scheduled for Jan. 12, well beyond the 30-day mark.

“Could we ask for any comments before the end of the day and take it up as the last item for today?” Lambert asked. “I’ve got a resume present.”

“You can call a special session anytime,” Ensley replied.

“How about if we get the chief to say in the week of the 12th (of December), sometime in that period, give two weeks for comment and then you can call one one day that week,” suggested Chairman Bill Taylor.

“That’s fair,” Ensley said.

“I can agree with that. That would be fine,” Lambert replied.

However, no special session was called and the appointment was not confirmed until the regularly scheduled Jan. 12 meeting.

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Illegal dumping plagues Swain

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR wain County recently spent more than $350,000 in order to better secure its trash site and cut down on sanitation department costs, but recent illegal dumping continues to be a costly and time-consuming problem.

The trash and recycling drop-off site on Old U.S. 19 in Bryson City was once open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Since September, however, the new trash compactors have been behind a gate.

The county now has set hours for people to drop off trash — 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and closed on holidays.

tions are hard to prosecute in court. He suggested moving one of the roll off trucks outside the gate on holidays to prevent littering outside the gate.

“But if we put one outside you’d have everyone throwing out TVs, couches and other stuff they’re not supposed to throw in there,” Turpin said.

Commissioner David Monteith asked why the county couldn’t hire another person and allow the staff to rotate shifts so that the trash site can be open every day.

King reminded commissioners that the entire reason the county made this change was to save money. The county received a warning from the state to either increase its sanitation fees or cut costs because the county’s sanitation fund isn’t self-sustaining.

Before increasing fees, the county received grants and took out a loan to make these costsaving upgrades.

If the fund doesn’t improve, the state could take over management of the fund and increase rates for customers.

“Hiring another person Swain County’s new compactors have not prevented people from dumping would defeat the purpose of doing garbage bags on the ground when the site is closed at night and on this, which was holidays. Donated photo to cut our costs,” he said. “The Waste Management Supervisor Scott state could come in a manage it and set the Turpin has come to work early in the mornrate for us if we don’t do what they say. ing a few times to find a few bags of trash They say the rate should be $120 a housedumped at the gate entrance since the hold and we’re at $75.” change was made in September, but the Based on the trash dropped off on Jan. problem has been manageable. However, 2, staff could guess that most of the dumpon Monday, Jan. 2, which was a county holiing was from vacationers heading out of day, county commissioners started receivtown that Monday. ing calls about the trash piled up outside King suggested contacting all the cabin the gate. rental companies in the area and offering “People are throwing trash out at the them a free dumpster to keep on site for gate — we need to address the issue,” their guests to prevent illegal dumping at Turpin told commissioners. “Jan. 2 was a the county site. The county would provide holiday but we were open Jan. 1. It’s becomthe trash bin for free, but the business ing a serious problem.” would be responsible for paying someone to County Manager Kevin King said camhaul it off to the county site. eras had been installed at the trash site “Most communities require big busisince Jan. 2 in hopes of preventing that nesses to have their own dumpster,” King problem in the future. said.

“This happens everywhere — when a Commissioner Danny Burns said he change in the system takes place it takes hoped it wouldn’t continue to be a huge time for education,” King said. “The pubic problem considering the county trash site needs to be aware of the schedule. It is conwould only be closed eight days a year. sidered illegal dumping and that is a state “But I don’t think it’s ever going to elimright of way, which is a $1,000 fine, so it’s a inate the problem completely,” he said. violation of our ordinance and a state law Commissioners agreed to continue to violation.” monitor the situation and try to educate the Even with the cameras in place, Sheriff public about the site’s new operating hours, Curtis Cochran said those types of violawhich are posted on the gate.

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newsdesk crafts

Smoky Mountain News

January 18-24, 2017

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# 314 - free hat

Robinson’s watercolors exhibiting in Mars Hill Welcome Center

her. With watercolor, she starts with light colors and keeps adding in the darker layer of complexity.

“With watercolor you don’t know how it will end up,” Robinson said. “And if I don’t like it I can wash off the canvas in the bathtub.”

Robinson is a fairly prolific artist. Most of the time it comes easy to her, but sometimes the cre-

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January 18-24, 2017

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR Barbara Robinson can find artistic inspiration wherever she may be.

Sometimes it’s looking out over Frye Mountain from her art studio window at home, while at other times perhaps a particular barn she spots while driving through Swain County will pique her interest. Other times it’s a vision in her head that works its way out over time.

“Sometimes I draw while I’m getting my chemo treatments for a couple of hours and then I come home and paint it,” she said. “I really enjoy painting — it helps relieve my stress and tension.”

The last three years have been tough for Robinson as she undergoes treatment for ovarian cancer. Living with cancer is a daily struggle to find strength — every day is two steps forward and one step back — but Robinson tries to keep a brush in her hand and a smile on her face.

That’s why she was so ecstatic to hear that one of her watercolor paintings was chosen to be displayed in the Mars Hill Welcome Center for the next six months as part of the Western North Carolina “Artists Count” series.

“I was so happy. It was the best news I’ve heard in three years,” she said. “It’s really an honor.”

The “Artists Count” project is hosting a series of exhibitions to highlight the rich visual contributions made by area artists.

The first of these exhibits will be on display during winter and spring 2017 and highlights the work of artists in Jackson and Swain counties. Robinson’s “Autumn Lights” will be on display until July.

In the time it took for “Autumn Lights” to be chosen for the exhibit, the piece had already been sold and delivered to someone in Greensboro. Robinson said the buyer was nice enough to send it back so it can be dis-

The Bryson City native started painting when she was 17. She remembers taking a lesson or two with well-known local artist Elizabeth Ellison when she and her husband George Ellison had a bookstore in downtown.

“I remember sitting in the back of the store with us both huddled around the kerosene heater and drinking hot tea probably for the first time ever,” Robinson said.

Painting was put on the backburner when she got married and moved to Virginia to start a family. She picked it up again and had a few more lessons with Ellison when she moved back to Bryson City in the 1980s, but stopped again when her husband was diagnosed with cancer.

“But when I was 53 — so about eight years ago now — I started painting again and I haven’t stopped this time,” Robinson said. “It was my therapy then just like it’s my therapy now.”

Bryson City artist Barbara A friend finally conRobinson’s work can be vinced Robinson to put her purchased at Wild Fern work in a local show at the Swain County Fine Arts Gallery on Everett Street.

Center. While she was conativeness is hard vinced no one would be interested, she sold nine paintings at that first art show. to come by.

“The first painting I sold was of Lambert Some days it Wilson’s old family barn — and he bought might take her two hours to fin- it,” Robinson said with a chuckle.

But that’s why her work is so popular. ish a piece, while For locals, they recognize the Swain County others take a landscapes of Alarka, Noland Creek and week.

Deep Creek. For tourists, they want some“When the thing to remind them of their trip to muse is there I Barbara Robinson’s watercolor ‘Autumn Lights’ was selected to be exhib- can paint three Western North Carolina. ited for six months in the Mars Hill Welcome Center as part of the in a week and “I think they can see the passion in it and Western North Carolina Artists Count series. Jessi Stone photos then she’s gone,” it’s something they relate to because I paint it to make them feel like they are there,” Robinson said.

Robinson said. “Whether they are local or More of her work can be seen and pur“Having cancer has somehow made me visiting, people want to take a piece of the chased at Wild Fern Gallery in downtown more aware of colors of the night sky, and mountains home with them. And I never get Bryson City, but it’s taken her many years of I’m taking more risks with the paint now,” tired of them either — I could paint these painting before she was convinced others she said. mountains all day.” would be interested in purchasing her work.

She likes the freedom watercolor gives played for six months.

Robinson describes her watercolor paintings as “landscapes that come from the soul.” Whether she’s painting the different blues in the night sky or the purple flowers growing up the rock wall at her home, Robinson has an eye for the color palettes in the natural beauty surrounding her.

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Painting helps Swain County artist heal

Call today to learn more about your specific coverage DR. COY BROWN

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Smoky Mountain News

January 18-24, 2017

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Russ fuss prompts resolution

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER fter holding two public hearings that drew large crowds of opposition, Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown and the board of aldermen took an official stance on the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s unpopular proposal for Russ Avenue improvements.

By unanimous vote, the board passed a resolution titled “Outlining Observations and Changes to NCDOT Project U5839 Russ Avenue/Walnut Street” during its Jan. 10 meeting asking NCDOT to limit the project’s impact on Walnut Street.

Brown and the board took the action after residents realized that the NCDOT plans to expand and improve Russ Avenue — Waynesville’s most heavily-travelled artery — would inexplicably include a portion of Walnut Street.

Those plans would widen a portion of Walnut from Russ Avenue to North Main Street, while obliterating more than a dozen century-old trees, brick retaining walls, driveways, stairways and the unique historical character of the area.

The town’s resolution admits that the Russ Avenue corridor has been a “high priority” for the town for more than a decade and has also been the subject of several feasibility studies by the town, but indicates the town’s desire for that corridor to be “sensitive to both the safety of the motoring public and

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the preservation of the town’s Spread Out Historic District.”

It goes on to ask that NCDOT “take as little private property as possible” across the scope of the project, and specifically asks that it perform “road, storm drainage, gutter and sidewalk improvements to N.C. 276 east of the railroad bridge on Walnut Street within the existing rights of way and that no taking of property be undertaken on improved parcels.”

Charles McDarris, owner of two of those improved parcels and perhaps the most vocal opposition to the Walnut Street portion of the $18 million Russ Avenue plan, said that overall, he’s left with positive feelings.

“I’ve said all along that this really needs to be a two-pronged approach — one being getting the board of aldermen to support the preservation of the historic district by not widening the street, and the other being to get a large number of public comments to NCDOT to let them know the residents are very concerned about the proposed project,” McDarris said. “I feel we have met both of those goals.”

While detractors of the project like McDarris don’t yet know the quantity or quality of comments provided to NCDOT, he did say he was pleased with the board’s receptiveness to the complaints it received.

Throughout the public hearing process before the board, not one citizen expressed support for the widening of Walnut Street.

“Having a 5 to 0 vote was very important,”

A section of Waynesville’s Walnut Street will experience dramatic changes unless NCDOT alters its plans. Cory Vaillancourt photo he said. “I think that they’ve recognized that there was a large public groundswell to protect the historic district, because they recognize the value of the area. That’s something everyone from resident to tourist recognizes.”

OTHER PROJECT CONCERNS The oft-professorial Brown stressed throughout the series of public comment sessions that this wasn’t just a lone instance of a town documenting its dissent with the NCDOT, but rather an exercise in civic

activism meant to familiarize citizens with how, exactly, it should be done in the future.

Brown’s lesson may come in handy for Waynesville’s residents sooner, rather than later.

Overlooked amidst all the fuss over the Walnut Street portion of the project is a rightturn lane proposed for northbound Russ Avenue leading in to the Ingle’s on Barber Boulevard.

This turning lane would greatly impact the drive-thru at Arby’s fast food restaurant at 909 Russ Avenue, and parking at the Waffle House restaurant next door, argued the property owner.

Brown also asked for vigilance regarding a long-awaited South Main Street project that may contain more unpleasant surprises from NCDOT. McDarris complimented Brown on thereby fulfilling the town’s motto, “progress with vision.”

“I think that he has foreseen that this issue is going to rise again, on the other end of Main Street,” he said.

“I’m a child of the ‘60s,” Brown said. “I’ve been an activist from a very young age.

Grassroots involvement is very important, and I’d always rather see something happen from the bottom up, not the top down.”

The resolution ends by stating that it is in the “best interests” of both the town and NCDOT that revisions should be made and presented to citizens as soon as possible; another NCDOT public comment session is scheduled for mid-2017, with construction slated for 2022.

Future park site could be named after MLK

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The Haywood Community College Small Business Center’s free seminar, “So You Have an Idea!

Now What?” will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in room 5108 at the Small Business Center.

Attendees will receive an introduction to the Business Model Canvas, a unique method of describing and thinking through the business model of your organization, your competitors, or any other enterprise.

Visit SBC.Haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512 for additional information or to register.

I would like to share my excitement with you about my new professional home. I've moved to Beverly-Hanks & Associates, but you, and the people you refer to me, will still be provided the same warm and professional service as always. Please update your address book with my new contact information. And if someone you know is thinking of buying or selling, please let me know. I will provide them with the best service imaginable.

e n i r e h t Ca Proben

Smoky Mountain News

HCC to host free idea workshop

74 North Main Street, Waynesville

January 18-24, 2017

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER he town of Waynesville will move forward with plans to purchase three vacant, blighted lots straddling Calvary Street, despite interest from another private party.

The town and private citizen Michael Tate have both approached Haywood County Commissioners about purchasing the county-owned property, which occupies three-fourths of an acre and has a taxable value of $27,300. Tate has proposed purchasing the property and constructing some type of event center, but the town hopes to acquire the lots and construct a public park. Now the county — which acquired the property through a tax foreThe blighted property at 10 Calvary Street. closure proceeding — Cory Vaillancourt photo will have to decide whether to sell to the town and keep the parcels in their current it’s unknown what Tate might offer, it’s liketax-exempt status or sell to Tate and put the ly that the town can bring to bear far more parcels back on the tax roll. resources than most private individuals When Tate addressed the board, comcould. missioners seemed interested in keeping the “I’m a capitalist at heart,” said Brown, property on the tax rolls and declined to an attorney who’s practiced law in Haywood move forward with the town’s request.

County for more than 40 years. “But the On Jan. 10, Waynesville aldermen voted shortcomings of the capitalist system can unanimously to ask county commissioners hurt our community.” to enter into negotiation with the town to Local social service agency Mountain purchase the property, setting up a potenProjects operates a Head Start facility adjatial bidding war between Tate and the town. cent to the Calvary Street properties, and Neither has yet tendered an offer. would also benefit from the improved “This has been on our radar for more appearance and functionality of a park; sevthan three years,” said Waynesville Mayor eral neighborhood residents also attended Gavin Brown. “We can’t wait for him to do the Jan. 10 meeting to oppose Tate’s propossomething. He had an opportunity to bid al on the grounds that they didn’t want a on the property at the tax sale, but he didn’t nightclub-style venue in their backyards. do it. At some point in time, we have to do Now that the town has formally entered that. We can’t wait for the private sector to the picture, the next step is for someone — take care of every problem.”

Tate or the town — to make a formal offer And it has been a problem — at least to the county or the property. according to neighbors and Waynesville Tate has refused repeated requests for Chief of Police Bill Hollingsed, who said comment on this story.

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Town to pursue Calvary Street purchase

that his department has fielded “a few dozen” calls over the past few years, including reports of suspicious activity, suspicious persons and drug activity associated with the Calvary Street property.

“Taking this property off the tax rolls isn’t the worst thing in the world,” Brown said.

“It’s a rat hole,” said Phillip Gibbs, neighborhood resident and member of the Waynesville Planning Board. He hopes the town will redevelop the property — at a cost Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites estimates will be at least $60,000 — and build a park named after Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Last February, the African-American community in Waynesville approached the town board about renaming Pigeon Street after MLK, but the town never took action on the request following a heated debate at a town meeting.

To get the MLK park, the town will have to outbid any offer Tate may make. While

Cell: 828-734-9157 Office: 828-452-5809

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news

Street trees replaced in Sylva

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he streets of downtown Sylva are newly treeless after town crews excavated the red maples earlier this month, but the condition won’t last for long. A new set of trees — 15 Japanese zelkovas — has been ordered and will likely go in this week.

“We did do a lot of research on this, and I think it’s a great tree that the people will be happy with,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling.

The Japanese zelkova, with its attractive vase shape, showy fall display and droughttolerant toughness, is a popular street tree in towns throughout the U.S. In fact, it shades the sidewalks of Main Street Waynesville.

But they are not native, and Jackson County horticulturist Adam Bigelow came by the Jan. 12 town board meeting to discuss that fact.

“Planting native plants that support native wildlife, food for birds, is one of the most important things we can do to help provide habitat for birds and small animals, especially as we increasingly turn what was once their habitat into parking lots and other non-beneficial habitats for them,” Bigelow said.

Non-native trees don’t attract the types of insect populations that native animals depend on for food, Bigelow said, meaning that birds nesting in them have to travel farther to find food.

“For the birds and for the many, many benefits of using native plants in a landscape, I advocate that we rethink the Japanese zelkova in favor of some native plants, including Dutch-elm resistant American elm varieties,” Bigelow said.

His comments found some support from Commissioner Greg McPherson, who sug-

January 18-24, 2017

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Bryson City removes trees on Everett Street

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR any Bryson City business owners were caught off guard last week when they noticed massive holes all along Everett Street where large shade trees used to be planted.

There are now 22 holes on Everett Street to be exact, leaving unattractive and muddy voids all along downtown’s main thoroughfare.

Tee Angel, co-owner of Anthony’s Italian Restaurant, Derailed Bar and Angel Cabins in Bryson City, was appalled to see all the empty tree beds and caution tape along Everett Street last Thursday morning.

“They were all removed so fast — I just wish there was better communication about what was going on,” she said.

Bryson City Manager Chad Simons said 16 the tree removal project has been in the works

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Crews excavate Sylva’s red maple street trees to pave the way for planting of Japanese zelkova trees.

Holly Kays photo

belowground rather than spreading out laterally to damage infrastructure.

The town used several guides to help in the decision-making process — “Recommended Trees for Urban Landscapes: Proven Performers for Difficult Sites” and “Recommended Trees for Urban Landscapes” from N.C. Cooperative Extension; “Trees and Shrubs for Overhead Utility Easements” from Virginia Tech; and The Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael Burstein.

“We asked several people if they could suggest a native species once the board last spring expressed they were interested in native species,” Dowling said. “A local arborist told us there wasn’t a native species with a taproot that would be the size that we wanted and low maintenance.”

They kept putting the question out, Dowling said, and kept getting Japanese zelkova as the answer. A query to neighboring Waynesville about the species’ performance yielded the reply that “it’s a great tree with minimal pruning. They have minimal sidewalk trouble after 30 years.”

So, Japanese zelkova it was.

The trees will go in this week and are expected to last for 20 to 30 years — street trees typically have shorter lifespans than other trees due to the high-stress environments where they must carve out a living.

The entire project will cost about $10,000 — $5,625 for the trees themselves plus the cost of equipment rental and hiring extra help — but the town won’t be stuck with the bill.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the big-budget film that was made in Sylva last spring, is funding the project. Some of the town’s trees had to be cut down for the making of the movie, so money to replace the trees was part of the deal for filming.

“I hope that when they go in people will be very happy with them,” Dowling said. “It’s not native but it’s noninvasive and it’s attractive.”

gested that the board consider adopting an ordinance saying that only native plants could be used in town landscaping.

However, McPherson added, “in a very ironic twist I kind of like the way the town looks without trees. It makes the signs more visible, it makes our businesses more visible, it makes the architecture of our town more visible.”

Sheryl Rudd, owner of Heinzelmännchen Brewery, made a similar comment, asking that the town consider business visibility when replanting the trees.

“It is hard enough in Mill Street for people to see our businesses, and then with the trees it makes it even more difficult,” she said.

Dowling said that she understands the arguments in favor of native trees and that the town has been working to come up with a good, native replacement for the red maples since 2012, when it won a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to com-

plete a streetscape plan.

“Several people contacted the town that said the maples were not a good choice because of what they did to infrastructure,” Dowling said.

The maples’ spreading roots were cracking sidewalks and seeking out water lines, Dowling said. The town knew that they’d need to be replaced.

So, as part of the streetscape planning process, a landscape architect visited the town and provided a list of approved landscape species — mostly native but also including some acceptable non-native species. The ultimate recommendation was to replace the red maples with a Japanese zelkova.

Sylva Public Works Director Dan Shaeffer followed that recommendation with more research, Dowling said. They needed a noninvasive tree with a large taproot that would grow to gather water deeper and deeper

for many months, but the board of aldermen made the decision to take out the trees in January when tourist numbers are low.

“I don’t know exactly when the trees were planted on Everett but they were destroying our sidewalks,” Simons said. “The town had a lot of liability claims from people falling because the tree roots were pushing up the sidewalks.”

Instead of continuing to pour money into patching the sidewalks, the town planning board made a proposal to remove the large trees from the downtown sidewalks and plant new trees in April that will be more conducive to downtown.

Planning Board member Catherine Gantt said the trees that were removed were larger trees like maples and magnolias. And after a lot of research and recommendations from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the planning board is looking to replace those 22 trees with up to 15 Japanese zelkovas, which are smaller trees with a less invasive root structure.

“The variety of magnolias and maples were pretty but the key is to find a tree with a root system that has a habit of growing down instead of out,” Gantt said.

According to the National Arbor Day

you can see the view,” she said.

Angel said she hopes the trees are replanted soon because they add aesthetic value to downtown.

“I think they need to be replanted — the connection and draw here is our connection with nature and that’s why I was so disturbed to see them gone,” she said. “Many people donated those trees and they had plaques so there is a personal connection to those trees.”

Many of the trees removed Trees along Everett Street were removed last week to from Everett were planted in improve safety for pedestrians. Jessi Stone photo memorial or to honor someone in the community. Gantt said Foundation, zelkovas are ideal for street those people have been contacted and plans landscaping with an appealing vase-shape have been worked out to replant those trees form and a rounded crown. The tree is also somewhere else of their choosing. For the more tolerant of drought and air pollution. trees that aren’t salvageable, they could be Gantt said Highlands and Waynesville cut up and given away for firewood. also have zelkova trees planted along their The planning board will be walking downtown streets. While everyone seems downtown Bryson City this week with happy with the plan to replant with zelkovas, Simons to mark where the new trees will be Gantt said another option is to not replace all planted. The holes in the sidewalks will be the trees to create better visibility downtown. repaired and rubber gates and new plaques “We may not need that many — it’s kind will go up around the new trees when they of nice right now without the trees because are planted.

Macon urges proper disposal of used needles

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, e - The three parcels seeking rezoning (denoted by numbers 12, 48 and 59) along Howell Mill Road.

Haywood County GIS. e l

Increased density coming to Howell Mill Road?

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warehouse, total 1.65 acres and lie within the town’s extra-territorial jurisdiction.

Moody told the Waynesville Planning Board on Dec. 19 that the new designation could make it easier for him to sell the properties should he so choose, and that his request differed little in substance or intent to that of Tim Shook, who owns the three properties across Howell Mill Road already in the Howell Mill Urban Residential district.

Howell Mill Road rezoning hearing • When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24 • Where: 16 S. Main St., Waynesville

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Smoky Mountain News

But just because the zoning district includes the word “residential” doesn’t necessarily mean Haywood’s affordable housing crisis is over.

The district also allows for professional trades and personal services like accountants, architects, engineers, graphic or interior designers, insurance agents, real estate agents, stylists, tailors and physicians, which Waynesville Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague said in June was a “compromise” that would allow some commercial use while attempting to maintain the residential character of the area.

A recently completed $11.6 million North Carolina Department of Transportation widening project on Howell Mill Road has changed the character of the area. With houses now closer to the road and more traffic coming through, the planning board has been working since last summer to find the right zoning designation to appease the homeowners and businesses in that corridor.

being collected by staff,” he said. “While rare, those incidents cause a lot of stress for the employee and they cost the county a lot of money in treating that individual.”

A nationwide surge of Hepatitis C cases has increased awareness about the problem, but Stahl said there are no federal statutes regulating household needle waste like there are for medical waste. He said that was surprising considering one study found that some 150,000 to 200,000 non-health care professionals were accidently stuck with needles.

A new law in North Carolina does, however, allow the sale of needles without a prescription and a “no questions asked” needle exchange program designed to reduce the spread of Hepatitis C among intravenous drug users.

Stahl hopes to increase public awareness of this issue to create a safer work environment for his solid waste employees. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends installing in-home medical waste kiosks at different locations in the county that would allow residents to properly dispose of non-medical use needles. He said the kiosks were inexpensive and he could purchase some out of his current budget.

In the meantime, he asks residents to continue to seal used needles in a secure container. Instead of putting them in the trash, however, he asks that they bring them directly to a convenience center and hand it to an attendant.

January 18-24, 2017

0BY CORY VAILLANCOURT eSTAFF WRITER p n oft-repeated concern expressed dur. ing meetings of the Haywood County , Affordable Housing Task Force is the ascarcity of buildable land available in mounetainous Haywood County, but a proposed - rezoning for three parcels on Howell Mill sRoad may demonstrate a viable path forward in the push to make the area a more eaffordable place to live. t The Town of Waynesville will conduct a public hearing on Jan. 24 to consider rezoning 59 Abel Lane, 48 Misty Lane and 12 Misty Lane from Howell Mill Road Medium Density to Howell Mill Urban Residential. s With approval, the request of Thomas Mack Moody would increase acceptable density from eight units per acre on those three parcels to 16, or, with a special use permit, 24. d The Abel and Misty Lane parcels would also join 333 Howell Mill Road, 11 Palmer Hill Road and an unaddressed lot on Calhoun Road in the newly-created Howell Mill Urban Residential district, which is simsilar to existing urban residential zones in East Waynesville and Hazelwood and in accord with the “Waynesville Our Heritage, Our Future” plan released in April 2002.

The availability of water and sewer infrastructure coupled with the cost of grading squeezes developers’ profit margins, driving up costs and therefore rents.

The possibility of dividing that up-front cost — as well as permitting and surveying costs — by 24 instead of eight makes it easier for developers to recoup those costs and offer more affordable housing units.

Howell Mill Road runs northeast from the Rite Aid pharmacy on Russ Avenue for about 1.5 miles to the Evergreen Packaging facility near Asheville Road. The parcels, located near the west end of Howell Mill Road, are adjacent to the DC Plus Packaging

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR anitation workers in Macon County are worried about dangerous items that could be lurking in the household trash bags being hauled to the landfill.

Solid Waste Director Chris Stahl recently told the board of commissioners that the improper disposal of needles is putting his employees at risk. There are special red containers to safely dispose of sharps, but he said households typically use empty detergent bottles or other heavy plastics to store their needles in before throwing it in the trash.

“Regardless of the container or how well you seal this stuff up, once you throw it in the trash can, we lose any ability to control that whether it’s a rear loader that’s compacting it on the truck or whether it’s a compactor unit at one of our centers … compactor cleats are going to tear these containers all into pieces.”

Once the needles are loose in the compactor of even the landfill, they create an exposure risk. The bottom line is that used needles do not need to be thrown in with regular household garbage under any circumstances to avoid exposure. Stahl said if an employee gets stuck with a used needle it requires at least three visits to the doctor’s office for testing and follow-up testing.

“During my tenure as solid waste director, we’ve had three needle sticks,” he said.

“All three of those were from improperly disposed of frankly littered material that was

news

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Smoky Mountain News January 18-24, 2017

news

Education

Smoky Mountain News

• Western Carolina University is listed among the nation’s top providers of online degree programs in a collection of rankings released recently by U.S. News & World Report. In its examination of undergraduate and graduate online programs offered by higher education institutions across the country, the magazine ranked WCU in 76th place among 226 schools in a category for “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs.”

Business law class holds mock trials

ALSO:

Southwestern Community College’s business law students recently held a mock trial and did their best to advance the interests of their “clients.”

The trial was an opportunity for students to put into practice the legal principles they’d spent a semester learning about. Both lawsuits brought before the students’ court were breach-of-contract cases. One was a construction case; the other was regarding a computer system purchase.

SCC to offer grant research workshop Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center will be offering a grant research workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Jan. 19, in Holt Library, room 119, on SCC’s Jackson Campus.

The workshop, which is free of cost and titled, “Proactive Grant Research-Capitalize on Your Time & Energy,” will provide the details needed to begin and conduct successful grant research.

Some of the topics covered in the workshop include: research management to make efficient use of time, how to locate grants on the local, state and government levels and how to navigate websites to locate funding opportunities.

The guest speaker for the workshop will be Amanda Pearce, CFRE. To register, call 828.339.4211 or email t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

ing back,” said Allison Moore, first-year nursing student at SCC. “Whether it be through providing care for someone or being part of a community service project, the feeling you get inside knowing you made a difference is indescribable.”

HCC students donate to healthcare foundation Haywood Community College’s Student Association of Medical Assistants recently donated $200 to the Haywood Healthcare Foundation Nurse Navigator program. The students held various fundraisers for breast cancer awareness month to raise money.

The mission of the foundation is to improve the health status of Haywood County, its individuals, and families through educational programs, grants, scholarships and leadership opportunities.

Earn a business Jonathan Creek receives administration $15,000 for playground certificate at SCC Jonathan Valley Elementary received a $15,000 Let’s Play Community Construction grant from Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and national nonprofit KaBOOM! to build a modern state of the art playground in the middle of the school’s courtyard.

“The 385 students we serve everyday are who will benefit from this new playground. They come to school every day, work hard, take tests, stay up late to complete homework, navigate the social strains of peers and growing up — the one thing we as teachers know that can help ease all of these circumstances is exercise through play,” said Elizabeth Reis, grant project manager and pre-K teacher at JVE.

SCC students donate to MANNA food bank Students in Southwestern Community College’s health sciences division and student support services collected 964 pounds of food to donate to MANNA food bank during their annual food drive at SCC. “Nursing is all about helping others and giv-

Students can now earn a business administration certificate online in one semester through Southwestern Community College.

This spring, SCC will offer all five classes needed for the certificate. All 16 hours can be completed online, and the credit can be applied toward an associate degree.

While the online classes are just as challenging as they’d be in a traditional classroom environment, SCC’s instructors are extremely responsive to requests for assistance.

828.339.4232 or cporter@southwesterncc.edu.

Bel Air donated to HCC Haywood Community College’s Foundation recently received a unique donation from county residents Wilfred and Cynthia Gaier. The couple donated a 1957 Chevy Bel Air to be used in the college’s Automotive and Collision Programs. The car originally belonged to Cynthia’s father and holds a special place in the family’s history.

Darrell Honeycutt, HCC automotive program manager, says the car will enable students to see

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the differences and advancements to vehicles made over the past few decades.

Making life easier for SCC faculty member Southwestern Community College’s occupational therapy assistant program students recently developed specialized equipment to make life a little easier for Casey Deakins, SCC’s institutional development assistant.

Deakins was born with Apert Syndrome, a condition that involves abnormal growth of the skull and face, webbed fingers and toes, wideset, bulging eyes that are tilted down at the side.

Underdevelopment of the jaw usually causes problems with teeth alignment, and some are born with a cleft palate.

The OTA students worked together to adapt a staple remover to maximize Deakins’ strength, putting her in the best ergonomic position. The class then addressed other activities of daily living that Deakins identified as difficult, including answering the phone, cutting with scissors, drinking from a cup with one hand, and using a knife to cut vegetables. Once appropriate equipment was determined, Walls not only told her where to find the items, but that the OTA student club had paid for the order.

HCC recognizes years of service Haywood Community College recently presented service awards to several employees at the annual holiday luncheon. Employees were recognized for five, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service.

HCC employees that were recognized for five years of service included Christopher Bond, Rachel Clark, Kim Carver, Justin Stocker, Sandra Laney, Renee Finsterwalder, Michael Youngwood, Laura Simmons and Tina Broom.

HCC employees recognized for 10 years of service included Christie Medford, Diana Conard, Susan Roberts, Milton “Buddy” Tignor, Phillip Turner, Melanie Hannah, Deana Jordan, Daniel Shannon Rabby, John Mark Roberts and Jeffrey House.

Those with 15 years of service pictured left to right were Vickie Ansley, Karen Denney, Rose

• Fifty-eight Southwestern Community College students were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society on Thursday, Dec. 8, on SCC’s Jackson Campus. They all hold at least a 3.5 Grade Point Average, were nominated by a teaching faculty member and rank among the top 20 percent of active students in their respective programs.

• Western Carolina University has been named a “2017 Best College Value” in an annual review of colleges and universities released by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. WCU is ranked 98th among public higher education institutions across the nation in terms of value for in-state students and 83rd for out-of-state students.

• Jack and Carol Hennessee recently endowed a $15,000 scholarship at Southwestern Community College on behalf of the W.C. and Stella Hennessee Foundation. The principal of the donation will remain untouched in perpetuity while a portion of the earnings from the investment will be made available to support health sciences students at SCC. Suttles, and Jeff Carpenter.

George Rolland and Hillary Cobb were recognized for 20 years of service and Cheryl Farrell was recently recognized for 25 years of service at HCC.

WCU names new science building The Western Carolina University Board of Trustees has approved new names for two existing campus buildings and one for a new science facility that is currently on the drawing board.

The board voted to name the replacement for WCU’s existing Natural Sciences Building in honor of former N.C. Sen. Thomas M. Apodaca in recognition of his many years of service to and support of the region and the university.

The trustees also voted to change the name of Central Hall to Judaculla Hall, pending endorsement by the Cherokee Tribal Council, to recognize the university’s historic connection to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and to acknowledge the unique heritage and history of the Cherokee people in the Cullowhee Valley that is home to WCU’s campus.

The board also approved a subtle change in the name of Brown Cafeteria to Brown Hall.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Parenting nostalgia during a big birthday week t’s birthday week for the Barbee boys. Our two boys are exactly three years and one day apart, one born Jan. 19, 2009 and the other Jan. 20, 2012.

If you count back nine months, you hit April. During both pregnancies I was teaching full-time and my husband was a school administrator. We always joke that spring break finally allowed us to chill out and enjoy one another which resulted in January babies.

Several moments this past weekend brought about heavy waves of happy nostalgia. Our 25-year-old niece and her husband had their first baby last Friday. A little girl named McKenna.

Visiting them reminded me so much of our time in the hospital. As I held the swaddled baby girl, I felt comfortable, experienced. And as I watched our young niece and her husband begin to navigate the world of parenting, I felt old and wise, yet a little sad that mine are already turning five and eight this week.

This time of year in general always brings memories of labor, childbirth, and my first days as a mom. Chilly weather outside, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, football playoffs on TV, inauguration chatter, and more. In fact, the Steelers were playing on a Sunday night when I went into labor with our oldest, and the Steelers were playing this past Sunday night as well.

Further, President Obama’s inauguration happened while we were in the hospital on Jan. 20, 2009. I remember holding my baby boy swaddled in the pink and blue striped blanket while my husband, mom, and I watched the historic inauguration in the hospital room.

Both of my labor stories are quite interesting. I remember sitting on the bar stool in our tiny house in Candler eating whole wheat pasta with butter. My midwife told me not to eat anything with color because if I vomited during labor, it could be confused as blood.

That comment was a bit overwhelming for a first-time mom, but I did what she said.

I

circumcision wounds healed, my body pain eased, and nursing became less cumbersome.

I remember thinking, “I can do this.”

My second labor story is rather comical.

As a public educator, I had a finite number of days I could stay out with the baby, and I was determined not to waste any of those before I actually went into labor. So even though I was huge and waddling and could only get Crocs on my feet, I was still teaching.

And not only did I want to save my days, but I didn’t want to have baby number two on the same day as my first child. I would have been fine with it, right before Jan. 20, my 3-yearold looked at me like he’d had an epiphany and said, “Mommy, you won’t be in the hospital on my birthday, will you?”

Susanna Barbee with sons Case and Brooks I said, “Umm, I will try my best not to be.”

I somehow kept the baby in for an addifive centimeters. They thought labor would be tional 12 hours so he wouldn’t come on big quick, but there were some complications so brother’s birthday. things weren’t progressing as quickly as we’d I was sitting at my desk checking attenhoped. Only my midwife, mom and husband dance when another teacher called to ask how were there, which was exactly what I wanted.

I was feeling. I told her I was having some Finally, around 3:30 a.m., I could breathe pressure but no pain. She encouraged me to easy as my warm newborn baby was put on my chest. I looked at that little face and imme- go on home, but I didn’t.

Then at lunch, I had a pretty significant diately fell in love. Big eyes looked at me and contraction and my teammates looked at me full little lips puckered. At almost eight years and said, “LEAVE, you do not want to have old, he still has those huge brown eyes and the baby in Waynesville Middle’s cafeteria in beautifully-shaped lips. front of 300 seventh-graders.”

We went home a couple days later. It was That was true. really hard in those first weeks. I didn’t know I hopped in the car, phoned my mom and what I was doing and I was in a lot of pain husband and told them to meet me at our from the difficult labor. Everyone else was house. My school was only a quarter-mile smiling and giddy, but I just felt emotional. I from our three-year old’s preschool so I kept hiding out in the nursery with my baby picked him up. I had to stop in the front hallto get away from the stimulation. way for a contraction. I probably should not Luckily, a lot of that calmed at the twohave been driving. week mark once his umbilical cord fell off, his The Steelers had the lead when the contractions began to get stronger. I was always told to labor as long as possible at home where one is comfortable and relaxed. The body tends to prepare better that way. So we stayed at home until the contractions became intense.

When we got to the hospital, I was already

We all need to get informed To the Editor: Scott McLeod’s recent editorial “Looking more for ideology, less politics” (www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/ item/19140) truly resonated for me and I hope for this paper’s readers. I grew up in the shadow of this country’s birth near Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, and my formative years were spent on Cape Cod. I campaigned for President Kennedy in high school and had the honor of meeting him during my stint in the Navy (1961-65).

After earning by bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in public administration, I’ve come to personally and professionally know hundreds of city, county, state, and federal officials, both elected and appointed.

Before “retiring” in 2006, my career included time as a political reporter for a South Florida newspaper, Director of Communications and Governmental Affairs for two Chambers of Commerce, and as the first Executive Director of

LETTERS the Broward County (Florida) League of Cities. I actively participated in Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission during the 1970s and ran for Broward County Commission in 1992. I have no affiliation with any political party and consider myself an independent.

As an observer of and participant in governmental affairs for a good portion of my professional career, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Unlike North Carolina, Florida has a constitutional requirement coined “the Sunshine Law.” That law requires all elected branches of government from the local to the state level to advertise and conduct all business in public. I believe there are a few minor exceptions such as executive sessions of the legislature, but the press must be present or have a pool reporter in attendance. No secret meetings, no midnight surprises, no deception. It’s a shame the federal government doesn’t have such a requirement.

The only way this country has been able to thrive as a

By the time I got to our house in Candler, my mom and husband were standing in the driveway panic-stricken. We passed off our older child and headed to the hospital. I barely made it to the room before my water broke all over the floor like in a movie.

I was already seven centimeters and there was no time for medication. Man, natural labor is something else. I felt like a super hero after that and developed a newfound respect for all the women who’ve labored and birthed naturally throughout the centuries.

I had the baby around 1:30 p.m. I thought I could never love anything like I love my first child but as I looked into the cute, round face of my youngest, I felt that same wave of love and adoration.

My husband called the principal at Waynesville Middle to let him know baby and mom were healthy. My principal’s response was, “What? I just saw her in the cafeteria.”

“Yep, and now we have a baby.”

Granted, I almost gave a bunch of middleschoolers the best biology lesson ever, but as I’d hoped, I didn’t waste any of my days without the baby in the world.

Like everything this year, it’s going to be hard celebrating their birthdays for the first time without my mom, especially because she was such an integral part of their births and their lives. She’d attended every single birthday party and every other event or function they participated in. She was the absolute best grandma.

Now as I prepare for this weekend’s birthday parties, it’s truly hard to believe they will be turning five and eight. But I’m also excited.

As they get older, we’re able to go and do bigger and grander things and that brings an entirely new level of joy and adventure.

So, this very proud mommy wants to say happy birthday to her sweet boys and to parents everywhere, don’t we have the best job in the world? I certainly think so.

(Susanna Barbee can be reached at s usanna.barbee@gmail.com.)

democracy past these 311 years is through healthy, open discourse, unrestricted (in most cases) pubic access to our government and electors, and the active involvement of its citizenry. Too many people rely on tweets, rumor, innuendo, and “reality TV” for information about their government and our elected leaders. Political parties have so polarized this nation that I will be astounded if the incoming administration will be able to function objectively.

In the words of the late Sir Winston Churchill, “Democracy is the worst form of government ... except for all the rest.” So a word to those of you out there who have an opinion about a particular candidate, issue, or position on the state of our government. Stop whining. Educate yourselves on the people and the issues. And above all get involved. The framers of our constitution created the greatest republic on the face of the earth. You owe it to them and yourselves to continue that tradition.

Kurt J. Volker Otto

Celebrating the wit of Robert Burns

Why are white males left out?

and others with him rudely ignored me. I am disabled so I have to be very careful when out with my pets.

My little male will be very protective when a strange dog appears to close by. Just because you think your dog will be friends with mine or obey your commands does not mean that me, my dogs or your dog cannot get hurt. I would much prefer to be able to walk my dogs near my home but we have a large free roaming Shepherd whom is allowed do as he pleases. Neither his owners or Animal Control will assist with this problem either. So after years of trying to make them enforce the law I have no choice but to go to the lake or college or recreation area.

So please, if you want to let your dog free range, we have hundreds of miles of national parks and trails for you to do so.

Let us seniors be safe.

Mylan Sessions Clyde

To the Editor: When you write “Looking for more ideology, less politics,” what exactly does that imply? And when you talk about “the fight for equal rights for blacks, women, gays, and the LGBTQ community” is something you “support wholeheartedly,” will you please explain to me why whites and males are always left off that list?

David L. Snell Franklin

Please keep your dogs leashed To the Editor: I am writing this letter in hopes that people walking their pets will be more considerate to people like me.

I am talking about the owners who do not leash their dogs at Lake Junaluska and other public area parks here in town, even though many posted signs say that a leash is required at all times.

Again yesterday I was walking my dogs back to our parked car when another vehicle pulls up right next to mine sees me across the way with my hands full, opens his door and let's his dog jump out with no leash. I loudly ask him to leash his dog, he

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 AMMONS DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT & DAIRY BAR 1451 Dellwwod Rd., Waynesville.

828.926.0734. Open 7 days a week 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Celebrating over 25 years.

Enjoy world famous hot dogs as well as burgers, seafood, hushpuppies, hot wings and chicken. Be sure to save room for dessert. The cobbler, pie and cake selections are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

APPLE ANDY'S RESTAURANT 3483 Soco Road, Maggie Valley located in Market Square. 828.944.0626. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Wednesday and Thursday. Serving the freshest homemade sandwiches, wraps, and entrees such as country fried steak and grilled flounder. Full salad bar and made from scratch sides like potato salad, pinto beans and macaroni and cheese. www.appleandys.com BLOSSOM ON MAIN 128 N. Main Street, Waynesville.

828.454.5400. Open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through

Sunday. Mild, medium, to hot and spicy, our food is cooked to your like-able temperature. Forget the myth that all Thai food is spicy. Traditional Thai food is known to be quite healthy, making use of natural and fresh ingredients, paired with lots of spices, herbs, and vegetables. Vegetarians and health conscious individuals will not be disappointed as fresh vegetables and tofu are available in most of our menu as well as wines and saki chosen to compliment the unique flavors of Thai cuisine.

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997.

Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slowsimmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts.

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

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

BOGART’S 303 S. Main St., Waynesville.

828.452.1313. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde

828-456-1997 blueroostersoutherngrill.com Monday-Friday Open at 11am

Real Local Families, Real Local Farms, Real Local Food

We’ll feed your spirit, too.

Appreciate the opinion To the Editor: Mr. McLeod, am writing to commend your timely Opinion piece. You made a number of excellent points. It's so hard though, with the constant drumbeat of news, headlines, tweets, blogs, posts, etc., in your face. I am trying to chill out and talk about something else. Probably good for us all.

David Goodrow, Scaly Mountain

Smoky Mountain News

ularity. He died at the age of 37.

The Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum will host its annual Burns Night Dinner on Jan. 21 at Tartan Hall, First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. You do not have to have a Scottish heritage or a certain dress to attend this event. Anyone is welcome. The evening starts with a roll call of clans and districts, moves on to a five course Scottish dinner menu, interspersed with Burns’ poems and songs and concludes with singing “Auld Lang Syne,” perhaps his most famous work. Martha’s Kitchen is the caterer for our night. During the dinner, the Jacobites by Name will provide musical entertainment.

Common practices in all Burns Night celebrations are a calling of the clans, presentation of the Haggis, ode to the haggis, Selkirk grace, a witty toast to the Lads and Lassies, the immortal memory of Robert Burns, a toast to the bard, and “Auld Lang Syne,” which Scots sing to welcome a new year.

There will be a silent auction, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle. It adds spice to the night to watch competition between friends who try to outbid the other. The silent auction helps us to raise money to fund our projects through the year. There will be a donation jar. Putting on a five course dinner is rather expensive, but the Friends do this night to support our friends and the Scottish community.

Merrilee Bordeaux Franklin

January 18-24, 2017

Although many poets and musicians have won awards, there is only one person who has a world-wide celebration every year from Canada, United States, Europe, South Africa, to Australia. That is Robert Burns, national poet of modern Scotland.

Robert Burns is credited with saving the folk music of Scotland. He was born just a few years after England conquered Scotland in 1746. The English were intent on destroying the clan system. Edicts of Proscription were issued forbidding the remaining Scottish people from wearing tartans and speaking Gaelic upon removal or threat of death. Scottish leaders and their families were hunted down. The lucky ones escaped and came to America and Canada. Not many decades passed before the old language, except in the darkest dells of Scotland, was lost.

Robert Burns was a poor farmer in Ayeshire, Scotland, but became an accomplished poet. He began to compose a collection of poems about familiar country characters and legends. To make the subjects more human, he wrote in the Broad Scots dialect that was used for storytelling. He set many of these to old pub ballads.

He performed this repertoire in meeting halls and salons around Scotland, attracted mentors, and became famous. Two hundred and fifty-eight years later, Robert Burns Nights highlighting his poems and songs are bringing people together around the world.

He did not live long enough to gain his pop-

tasteTHEmountains

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

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January 18-24, 2017

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128 N. Main St., Waynesville

Smoky Mountain News

Hot Appetizers Cold Beer | Warm Sake

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WINE • BEER • SAKE Open Daily 11:30-9:00 (828) 454-5400

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BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Monday through Saturday. Dinner 5 to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Closed on Sunday. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ 6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 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.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Family-style breakfast seven days a week, from 8 am to 9:30 am – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch every day from 12:00 till 2 pm. Evening cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays, featuring steaks, ribs, chicken, and pork chops, to name a few. Bountiful family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 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.

The evening social hour starts at 6 pm, and dinner is served starting at 7 pm. So join us for mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations.

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

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

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly.

Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

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

Wednesday through Saturday serving freshly prepared small plates, tapas, charcuterie, desserts. Enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday night at 7pm. www.classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter.

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

828.926.1820 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet.

Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA 243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde.

828.476.5058. Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza. A full service authentic Italian pizzeria and restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge. Dine in, take out, and delivery. Check out our daily lunch specials plus customer appreciation nights on Monday and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95.

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 high-quality 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.

FRANKIE’S ITALIAN TRATTORIA 1037 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley.

828.926.6216 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday-Saturday. Father and son team Frank and Louis Perrone cook up dinners steeped in Italian tradition. With recipies passed down from generations gone by, the Perrones have brought a bit of Italy to Maggie Valley. frankiestrattoria.com 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.

J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817.

Open nightly for dinner at 4 p.m.; Friday through Sunday 12 to 4 p.m. for lunch. Daily luncheon special at $6.99. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome.

Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Winter hours: 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966. Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites.

Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

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

828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner.

The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

LOS AMIGOS 366 Russ Ave. in the Bi-Lo Plaza.

828.456.7870. Open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Monday through Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the lunch prices Monday through Sunday, also enjoy our outdoor patio.

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

828.586.3555. Open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Handtossed 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 seasonally 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.

tasteTHEmountains PAPERTOWN GRILL 153 Main St., Canton. 828.648.1455 Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Serving the local community with great, scratch-made country cooking. Breakfast is served all day. Daily specials including Monday meatloaf, chicken and dumplings on Thursdays and Friday fish.

PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday.

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 indoors, outside on the patio or at the bar. Reservations appreciated.

PATIO BISTRO 30 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.454.0070. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast bagels and sandwiches, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches for lunch with homemade soups, quiches, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer. Outdoor and indoor dining.

SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE 1941 Champion Drive, Canton 828.646.3750 895 Russ Ave., Waynesville 828.452.5822. Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carry out available.

Sagebrush features hand carved steaks, chicken and award winning BBQ ribs. We have fresh salads, seasonal vegetables and scrumptious deserts. Extensive selection of local craft beers and a full bar. Catering special events is one of our specialties.

SMOKEY SHADOWS LODGE 323 Smoky Shadows Lane, Maggie Valley 828.926.0001. Check Facebook page for hours, which vary. Call early when serving because restaurant fills up fast. Remember when families joined each other at the table for a delicious homemade meal and shared

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 BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com.

TRAILHEAD CAFE & BAKERY 18 N Main Street, Waynesville.

828.452.3881 Open 7 days a week Monday-Saturday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You will find a delicious selection of pastries & donuts, breakfast & lunch along with a fresh coffee & barista selection. Happy Trails!

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.

WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY 32 Felmet Street, Waynesville.

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

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Smoky Mountain News

SALTY DOG'S SEAFOOD & GRILL 3567 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.926.9105. Open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Full service bar and restaurant located in the center of Maggie Valley.

Featuring daily $6 lunch specials and daily dinner specials such as $1 Taco Tuesdays and 45¢ Wednesday Wings. Backyard Bar is open every weekend thru October. Join us for every NFL game.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m 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 home-made 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.

Southern Funeral Foods

January 18-24, 2017

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

stories about their day? That time is now at Smokey Shadows. The menus are customizable for your special event. Group of eight or more can schedule their own dinner.

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

A song for young love The Lettermen roll into Franklin

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER It was a 1963 station wagon with six musicians and their equipment.

When Tony Butala reminisces about the beginning of The Lettermen, a legendary vocal trio, he remembers crisscrossing America, playing upwards of 200 shows a year in the early 1960s. Starting the ensemble in 1957, Butala created one of the most successful acts of an era where vocal style and intricate songwriting reigned supreme.

Throughout their years of acclaim, The Lettermen garnered numerous hit singles (“The Way You Look Tonight,” “When I Fall In Love, “I Only Have Eyes For You,” Come Back Silly Girl,” etc.), with 11 gold records and 32 consecutive albums that landed on the Billboard charts. It was a time of sock hops,

“It’s been a great career.

What thrills me is to hear the beautiful stories from our fans about how our music touched their lives.”

— Tony Butala

soda fountains and hand holding, all before the Kennedy assassination and the arrival of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show — both lines in sands between vocal groups and the impending rock dominance that would define the rest of the decade.

But, for Butala, now 76, hitting the stage every night these days isn’t about nostalgia or trying to erase well-earned wrinkles on the faces of his fans. It’s about celebrating a unique time in our nation’s history, and also showcasing the beauty of melodies that have found a special place in the hearts of those who cherish songs immortal.

Smoky Mountain News: This year will be the 60th anniversary of The Lettermen…

Tony Butala: I started the group in September 1957. Our first job was in February 1958. Well, it’s kind of become my life. When we first started this group, we were a pickup act for a Vegas Revue. It was called “Newcomers of 1928,” and The Lettermen auditioned and got the part to play The Rhythm Boys, which was a group with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra that was

big in the 1920s, which included a brand new singer by the name of Bing Crosby. So, I impersonated Bing Crosby in the showcase.

And at that time, in October 1957, the Sputnik satellite was sent into space. The writer for this review got the idea that we have this story onstage where these kids get sent into outer space and somehow get caught in the Earth’s gravitational pull, and when they come back, they crash on Earth back in time in 1928. The revue took us from Vegas to Florida and back to LA.

play their school. They’d fly around and play.

They’d have this big, beautiful RCA microphone, but we noticed why would they go to the trouble to fly in, set the mic up, and use these small speakers in the arena ceiling, where it would just buzz and not sound clear?

We bought a 1963 station wagon in 1962. We had our own small sound system, three Lettermen in the front seat, three musicians in the backseat, and our equipment in the way back, with a rack on the top with suitcases covered by a tarp.

Want to go?

The Letterman will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Tickets start at $25 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

SMN: Did you ever think in 1957 that The Lettermen would be still relevant and performing in 2017?

TB: [Laughs] Not at all. Absolutely not. Hey, it was a job, and the name The Lettermen was a good idea. School names were the “in” thing back then. I said later on it was a horrible name to choose, because as good as it was a name for the late 1950s and early 1960s, by 1963 onward names started changing, where you had names like Iron Butterfly and Led Zeppelin. Our name had a stigma of the past. So, we got rid of the letter sweaters.

SMN: What’s interesting was that era, the late 1950s, is where people started looking at rock-n-roll as something that was here to stay, and not a passing fad…

TB: At that time, the kids became the program directors. There was a very big transitional phase. Live shows back then were really hard to do, but record companies started to realize that colleges was where the kids were, so big recording acts had to play places like Iowa between shows on the coasts. That’s where these college circuits started to really build up, and The Lettermen were right in the middle of it.

SMN: What do you think about the music industry today, as in breaking through as a performer?

TB: I think it’s much easier today. We didn’t have all the television programs like now. We had The Dick Clark Show, which if you were on, you’d also surely have a hit. Now, there are so many new avenues for exposure. This isn’t sour grapes on my part, but it just is easier to get known.

SMN: What sticks out most for you about that time?

TB: One thing was that Peter, Paul & Mary were very big at that time. They were the endall-be-all and every college wanted them to

SMN: When you’re performing, what’s it like to see those folks in the audience so excited to hear those songs?

TB: Oh, wow. It’s a thrill. Some of the older, grey-haired people, they start to hold hands

The Lettermen will perform Jan. 21 in Franklin. Bobby Poynton, (from left) Donovan Tea and Tony Butala.

and hug a little bit closer. I tell people all the time, if The Beach Boys are known for their surfing and hot rod music, and The Beatles were known for their British Invasion music, then The Lettermen were known for our backseat music. We have a niche. More babies were born because of The Lettermen music than by any other group. I tell you, if I wasn’t a singer, I’d be digging ditches back in Sharon, Pennsylvania. It’s been a great career. What thrills me is to hear the beautiful stories from our fans about how our music touched their lives. When you can mean that much to people’s lives, I feel it’s a blessing and a privilege to get to do this.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD Garret K. Woodward photo

The Haywood County Arts Council will hold its Has it really been that long?

Annual Meeting and 40th anniversary kick-off When I looked at the calendar celebration at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in this week, I realized it said 2017, downtown Waynesville. which means I’m entering my fifth year as your features editor for The “Robert Burns Dinner� will be held from 5 The Smoky Mountain News. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, in the Tartan Truth-be-told, when I arrived in Hall at the Franklin Presbyterian Church.

Western North Carolina in August A production of “Romeo and Juliet� set in 2012, I didn’t think I’d be here post-Civil War America will run at 7:30 p.m. much longer than a year. Bank Jan. 20-21 and at 2 p.m. Jan. 22 at the some cash, get some articles for Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. my resume, and move on. That was the plan, or at least that’s No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host popular what I thought the plan was.

Western North Carolina act Porch 40 Thing is, these last (almost) (rock/funk) at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. five years here have truly felt more like five days, and I mean Chef Ricardo Fernandez will be hosting a that with the utmost sincerity Mountain Cooking Club class from 10:30 a.m. and respect. I remember signing to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Folkmoot my six-month lease for my apartFriendship Center in Waynesville. ment and thinking, “Well, six over into the New Year. Partly, because I months is enough. I doubt I’ll be in this wanted to spend a long amount of time just place beyond that.� Funny thing is, I’m still staring out the windshield of my old pickup in that exact tiny apartment, with the large truck, thinking about nothing and everyporch and view of the mountains right outthing, as per usual. side my front door. The place has grown on I found what I was seeking, which was me, with its coziness, minimalist atmosmyself, in the grand scheme of things. I see phere and prime location to all things misphotographs of myself pre-2012. I recognize chief and curious in downtown Waynesville. the face, and the intent, but I don’t rememFor the better part of the last month, I ber being there, at least emotionally. Who went on a sort of “vision quest� up and was that guy in his mid/late 20s, still chasdown the East Coast. Partly, because I had ing some sort of footing in the often-hapsome unused vacation time that didn’t roll

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CLC’S HORMONE PELLET THERAPY FOR WOMEN

January 18-24, 2017

Five years ain’t nothing, darling

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

hazard world of writing and journalism?

Who I am nowadays, that person you say hello to on Main Street or cheers a drink with at a concert, that’s me, folks. The goal has always been to keep peeling back the layers of myself, and also those around me, all to expose the beauty and sometimes flawed (yet poignant) truths that only reveal themselves within the presence of true friends and family.

And just as I write this to you (and you, too), some dear friends walked through the door at 5 Walnut Wine Bar in downtown Asheville. With the weather so nice on this oddly mild Thursday afternoon, I felt frisky, throwing open my laptop and grabbing a seat in front of the large open window of my beloved 5 Walnut.

I say hello to these familiar faces, with excitement to see each reciprocated on both sides of the conversation. If I had left Western North Carolina after that first year, would we have ever crossed paths? Probably not. But, I stayed, and I’m lucky enough to have made their acquaintance. And that’s the thing I keep thinking about as the ole “five year� mark is seen on the horizon these days.

When I was fresh out of college, ready and roaring to become the greatest writer of my generation (the road is long, but bountiful, y’all), I told myself to never set down roots wherever I went. Soak in the essence of a place and it’s people, but never (never!) get attached, for attachment (I thought) equaled complacency and a lack of vision to achieve my dreams.

I wandered out to the Rocky Mountains following college graduation in 2007. And I left less than nine months into the endeavor.

I wanted to keep moving, and I did, exploring 49 out 50 states by the time I was 25 years old. But, I realized as I was nearing my late 20s that I was becoming a ghost, to people I befriended, to my hometown family and friends, to women I loved (who loved me back), and to the face I saw in the mirror.

My 21-year-old self would have said “no way in hell� to spending five years in one spot. My 25-year-old self had seen most of the “spots,� with my current 31-year-old self understanding and appreciating the priceless and timeless beauty found in the company of a place and a people by which all parties involved have invested time (and friendship and love) into the process that we call life.

Today, my mindset sees Western North Carolina as my home base, the proverbial vehicle by which I have the ways and means at my disposal to reach longtime dreams, and at the same time create new ones not thought possible those many years ago.

That said, just because the house you live in and the town you live in might be too familiar and “day-in-day-out,� it doesn’t mean you’re missing out on something over the rainbow. Because no matter where you go, you’ll always keep running into yourself, especially if you aren’t realizing your true potential, as a creative and loving being. It’s those deep and tough-as-nails roots in your own backyard that define and defend you.

It’s those deep and tough-as-nails dreams in your own mind that will propel you into your true center of self.

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

Log on. Plan a trip.

And start kicking back.

25

On the beat arts & entertainment

Hayes brings country hits to The Strand

SYLVA GETS THE FUNK No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host popular Western North Carolina act Porch 40 (rock/funk) at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. In recent years, the band has opened up for the likes of Blues Traveler, Marshall Tucker Band and REO Speedwagon. $3 at the door.

Country star Wade Hayes will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.

Beginning with his signature No. 1 hit “Old Enough to Know Better,” he has cut a path through the country music landscape with top tunes “I'm Still Dancin' With You,” “What I Meant to Say,” “Don't Stop” and “The Day That She Left Tulsa.” He was named Billboard Magazine's Top New Country Artist in 1995, and in 1997 was chosen the Male Star of Tomorrow by TNN Music City News.

Tickets are $38 advance, $42 day of show. www.38main.com.

Wade Hayes will play Jan. 21 in Waynesville.

January 18-24, 2017

www.facebook.com/officialwadehayes

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Outlaw country star Jamey Johnson will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort.

“My dream already came true,” Johnson

said. “All I ever wanted was to get to just ride around and sing country music. It’s cool when things happen along the way, because those are things I never thought I could achieve. But whatever happens, I’ll just keep on doing what I do. I wake up every day and go play some more country music.” www.harrahscherokee.com.

join the conversation at facebook.com/smnews

On the beat

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Bohemian Jean (acoustic rock/pop) Jan. 20, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Jan. 21 and 28, and Jay Brown (guitar/pop) Jan. 27. All events begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

ALSO:

• Derailed Bar & Lounge (Bryson City) will have music at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.488.8898.

• Heinzelmännchen Brewery (Sylva) will host a “Cure for Cabin Feverâ€? with Kenry Wong (singer-songwriter) and a potluck from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 26. Bring a dish to share while enjoying Henry playing the guitar and mandolin. The brewery will also provide a dish as well as plates, utensils and napkins.

828.631.4466

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Jan. 18 and 25, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Jan. 19 and 26. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Magnolia Justice (Americana/country) Jan. 21. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m.

828.349.2337 or www.lazyhikerbrewing.com. • No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Humps & The Blackouts (psychobilly) Jan. 20, Pleasures of the Ultra Violent (punk) Jan. 21, Porch 40 (funk/rock, $3) Jan. 27 and Patrick Dodd (from “The Voiceâ€?) Jan. 28. All shows are free and begin at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.nonamesportspub.com. • Oconaluftee Visitors Center (Cherokee) will have an old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m.

Jan. 21. All skill levels welcomed. • Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hourâ€? and an open mic with Jimandi at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, “Funky Fridayâ€? with Bud Davis at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Isaish Breedlove (Americana) at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com. • The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host an “Open Micâ€? night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. All are welcome. 828.283.0079 or www.38main.com. • The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host a weekly Appalachian music night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays with Nitrograss.

Brother Bluebird library concert The Jackson County Public Library (Sylva) will be hosting a concert featuring brother duo Brother Bluebird at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 26, in the Community Room.

828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com. • The UU Drumming & Potluck (Franklin) will be at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 20, on N.C. 28 North past the Cowee School at 2907 Leatherman Gap Road (on the second corner with Old Mill Road). Bring a dish to share, a beverage of your choice, and a drum if you have one.

Indoor. Open to all. 828.332.7118. • The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville)

Twin brothers Adam and Timothy Reaves have played music together since they were children and in a number of different musical acts. Both brothers recently moved back to the mountains of North Carolina where they are striving to make heartfelt, lyrically engaging songs that generally fit into the indie-folk genre.

Their influences include acts like The Avett Brothers, Fleet Foxes and innovative singer/songwriters like Sufjan Stevens.

This program is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, call the library at 828.586.2016. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library. www.fontanalib.org.

will host Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) Jan. 20, Humps & The Blackouts (psychobilly) Jan. 21, Bob Shirley Jan. 27 and Scoundrels Lounge Jan. 28. All shows begin at 9 p.m. • Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will host a Faculty Showcase Jan. 24, violinist Dan Auerbach Jan. 25 and a Faculty Recital with Shannon Thompson Jan. 31. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Coulter Building. www.wcu.edu.

AM

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arts & entertainment

• The Canton Armory will host “Winter Pickin’ in the Armoryâ€? at 7 p.m. every first and third Friday of the month. The event includes mountain music, vintage country, clogging and dancing. Doors open at 6 p.m. Free. www.cantonnc.com.

828-349-0322

WWW.PISTOLINSTRUCTORNC.COM

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your friendly, local blue box — smoky mountain news

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On the street arts & entertainment

Celebrate Robert Burns, Scottish heritage

Courtesy of Western Carolina University

WCU Kephart exhibit

January 18-24, 2017

A showcase on the life and times of Horace Kephart will be on display through March 31 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.

In 1904, Kephart was 42-year-old librarian when he came to Western North Carolina looking for a fresh start in the

Southern Appalachian wilderness. Over the next 27 years, his numerous articles and books captured a disappearing culture, provided practical advice for generations of outdoor enthusiasts, and spearheaded the movement to establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

828.227.7129 or www.wcu.edu.

The Robert Burns Dinner will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, in the Tartan Hall at the Franklin Presbyterian Church.

Burns, the national poet of Scotland, is the only poet or musician that has a worldwide celebration. It is on or near his birthday, Jan. 25. He is also known as the Ploughman’s Poet.

Burns was a farmer, but not a very productive one. His poems and songs were noted for preserving the Gaelic language and the passion he had for the everyday beauty and life of the common folk. He overturned a field mouse’s home one day. He was so affected by this, that he wrote “To a Mouse.” Burns tolerated all creatures and was touched by ordinary events.

From intimate groups gathered in a pub to larger more formal celebrations, toasts are raised to Burns. The dinner has become a tradition in Franklin. The event will include the calling of the clans, presentation of the haggis, recitation of “Ode to the Haggis,” poetry and songs of Burns, singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” a five-course dinner and live music.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $20 for children under age 12. Advance tickets are now on sale at the Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center in Franklin.

828.421.7771.

Smoky Mountain News

Mountain Cooking Club in Waynesville

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Chef Ricardo Fernandez will be hosting a Mountain Cooking Club class from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

Fernandez was the former co-owner/head chef of Lomo Grill. The classes celebrate local ingredients and seasonal fare. His classes combine his native Argentine cuisine with influences from Spain and Italy, the home of his parents.

The menu for this class will include a parsnips, ginger, coconut and chili pepper soup; chicken rollatini with prosciutto, spinach, asiago cheese, and more; and a double chocolate Belgium bourbon espresso crème brulee.

Class fee is $65 plus a $1 Mountain

Cooking Club 2016 membership fee. To reserve your space, mail a check (payable to Ricardo Fernandez) to Suzanne Fernandez at 3553 Panther Creek Road, Clyde, North Carolina 28721. Reservations confirmed upon receipt of payment.

828.246.7465 or chefricardos@gmail.com.

• The High Mountain Squares will host their "Cowboy/Cowgirl Western Dance" from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at the Memorial United Methodist Church in Franklin. Ken Perkins will be the caller. Western Style Square Dancing, main/stream and plus levels. New dancer lessons will begin March 6.

Everyone is welcome. For information, call 828.342.1560 or 828.332.0001 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

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On the wall

help them grow in their next 40 years.

Both reception and meeting are open to the public. Though not required, an RSVP is encouraged. Please let the HCAC know if you’ll be attending by Jan. 23 via email at info@haywoodarts.org or by calling 828.452.0593.

The HCAC is a nonprofit agency that

The ‘On Hallowed Ground’ mural in Dillsboro.

What’s the value of a mural?

serves all artists and arts organizations in Haywood County. As an affiliate of the North Carolina Arts Council, the Haywood County Arts Council seeks to fulfill its mission to build partnerships that promote art and artists, explore new cultural opportunities, and preserve mountain artistic heritage. www.haywoodarts.org.

Alcohol ink art talk, demonstration The next “Artist Talk” will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council, will feature Jackson County resident and retired art teacher Jan Boyer. She will be discussing and displaying her new interest in alcohol inks. Hands on demonstration will be provided for attendees.

Boyer received her B.S. in Art Education from Western Carolina University and led an

amazing career as an art instructor in Haywood County Public Schools and Cherokee Elementary School before recently retiring. She has newly discovered the art of alcohol inks and finds it a fascinating media and self-expression outlet.

Everyone is encouraged to attend this demonstration. There is no charge for this event.

Artist Talks are sponsored monthly by the Jackson County Arts Council as an effort to celebrate the many artists and art forms in Jackson County. The next Artist Talk is set for Feb. 13 and will feature a glass artist. More information will come at a later date.

828.507.9820 or www.jacksoncountyarts.org.

• An “Abstract Expressions” exhibit will run through Feb. 25 in the Gallery & Gifts showroom at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. The exhibit will feature several local artists. Free and open to the public. www.haywoodarts.org.

• A “Miniature Birdhouse” workshop will be held by the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Craft Group from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Sylva Extension Office. The class is free. Bring a lunch. To register and for the supply list, call 828.586.4009.

• The “Women Painters of the Southeast” exhibition will run through May 5 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. A reception will be held at the museum from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 19. www.wcu.edu.

• The Adult Coloring Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Fridays in the Living Room of the

Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

An afternoon of creativity and camaraderie. Supplies are provided, or bring your own. Beginners are welcome as well as those who already enjoy this new trend. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 828.524.3600.

• “The Magic Starts Here” exhibit will run through Feb. 25 at The Bascom in Highlands.

Featuring numerous students from the Master of Fine Arts program at Western Carolina University, there will be a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at The Bascom. www.thebascom.org.

ALSO:

Smoky Mountain News

Recent alcohol ink works by Jan Boyer.

The Appalachian Mural Trail has developed a long-range plan to include these priceless murals and all future murals into a trail of murals encircling the Blue Ridge Parkway. Each mountain community and downtown area now has opportunities to join the mural trail to create their own outdoor historical mural or showcase what they have already developed.

The Triangle Park Mural in Asheville will be one of the first murals in 2017 to be dedicated to the outdoor historical Appalachian Mural Trail, along with the Shindig on the Green "Golden Threads" musical mural by Doreyl Ammons Cain and the "Chicken Alley" mural by Molly Must.

There’s an added value in bringing a diverse community together to create an outdoor historical mural project. Small

towns can begin to “wither on the vine” when community spirit becomes low. A community betterment project breathes life back into a downtown area.

Small towns like West Jefferson in Ashe County have seen the results of outside public murals. This town has 14 murals in the downtown area. Another small North Carolina town engaging the local schools in creating murals is Old Fort in McDowell County. This tiny historical town has eight murals downtown, painted by local artists with the history content inspired by local primary school children. A grouping of seven murals called the “Seven Wonders Trail,” is a collaborative project, connecting members of the nonprofit Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League, the Old Fort Chamber of Commerce, and the Old Fort Elementary School.

Visit www.muraltrail.com, fill out the appropriate form and hit submit. Call 828.293.2239 to find out more about being a part of the mural movement.

January 18-24, 2017

The Haywood County Arts Council will hold its Annual Meeting and 40th anniversary kick-off celebration at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in downtown Waynesville.

The event will start with a drop-in wine and cheese reception at the HCAC’s Gallery & Gifts showroom, before moving a few doors down to The Strand at 38 Main for a presentation and music.

“This is a big year for the Haywood County Arts Council,” said HCAC Executive Director Lindsey Solomon. “We’re excited to share our plans for the year, receive feedback, and begin a community celebration.”

The reception will feature music from former JAM band Possum on a Whale and Voices in the Laurel, who both will perform at The Strand. Attendees will be asked to provide input on questions like: What are they doing well? What should they be doing differently? How do the HCAC’s current priorities fit into one’s sense of what the Arts Council should focus on for the next phase of its history? The HCAC asks the community to think about constructive feedback to

arts & entertainment

Haywood arts meeting, 40th anniversary celebration

• “Stitch,” the community gathering of those interested in crochet, knit and needlepoint, meet at 2:30 p.m. every first Sunday of the month at the Canton Public Library. All ages and skill levels welcome.

29 www.haywoodlibrary.org.

arts & entertainment

On the stage WCU ‘Step Afrika!’ show, spoken word

‘Romeo and Juliet’ at HART

The Arts and Cultural Events series at Western Carolina University continues into the New Year. WCU’s Martin Luther King Week will host a presentation by “Step Afrika!” with spoken-word artist Kyla Lacey at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, in the Bardo Arts Center.

Honoree of the American College Personnel Association’s “Poet of the Year” award, Lacey tells her story of love, loss and redemption with a comical twist through the art of spoken word.

“Step Afrika!” is the first professional dance company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping.

The company began in 1994 as an exchange program with the Soweto Dance Theatre of Johannesburg, South Africa, and has expanded to become an international touring company presenting performance, residencies and workshops worldwide.

Tickets for presentations taking place at the Bardo Arts Center will be available at the box office and online at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu, or by calling 828.227.2479.

Tickets purchased in advance are signifi-

Spoken word artist Kyla Lacey. cantly discounted: $5 for students; $13 for WCU faculty and staff; $18 for general admission; and $15 per ticket for groups of 20 or more. On the day of the event, regular ticket prices apply: $10 for students; $18 for WCU faculty and staff; and $23 for general admission. www.wcu.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

January 18-24, 2017

The cast of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in rehearsal at HART. Donated photo A production of “Romeo and Juliet” set in post-Civil War America will run at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20-21 and at 2 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The production will be staged in the new Fangmeyer Theater, but is the first in the Feichter Studio Winter Theater Festival. The Feichter Studio is the third performance space at HART and named in honor of HART founders, Rex and Elizabeth Feichter.

The intimate 65-seat theater space is a favorite among theatergoers for its intimacy.

In addition to the show, Harmons’ Den Bistro will also be open for dining all performances. The bistro is the first thing patrons encounter when they enter the new theater and it has already developed a reputation for its excellent menu. Patrons don’t have to be seeing the show to dine in

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• The Highlands Performing Arts Center will continue the “Live via Satellite” series with The MET Opera’s “Romeo & Juliette” by Gounod at 12:55 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, and The Bolshoi Ballet’s “The Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky at 12:55 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22. Tickets are available at www.highlandspac.org, at the door or by calling 828.526.9047.

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the Bistro, but reservations are recommended. They can be made by leaving a message on the box office line or going online to Open Table, which is accessible from HART’s website. Patrons can also see the menu on the website. Prior to all Sunday performances the bistro will be offering a brunch buffet.

Reservations can be made by calling the HART box office, or going online to www.harttheatre.org. The studio performances are general admission seating, but often sell out, with reservations recommended. When calling for the studio season, patrons are asked to simply leave their name, the number of tickets they wish to reserve and for which performance, and a phone number. Calls will not be returned unless the performance is sold out, or bad weather forces a cancelation.

828-202-8143 CleanSweepFireplace.com

@SmokyMtnNews

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January 18-24, 2017

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Haywood County’s

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32

Books

Smoky Mountain News

A vow to open a few more books Every year she yanked the ball away and poor Charlie crashed to the ground after missing the kick. Ah … hope springs eternal).

My resolution has to do with the time I

Jeff Minick

New Year’s resolutions and I make for poor company.

Like many reading this column, I have in the past made resolutions designed to correct some flaw in my character or my habits, which often are the same creature. I have rung in the new year vowing to lose weight, to give up drinking, to write more letters and emails to those I love, to keep my big Writer mouth shut when the desire to offer advice wells up in my throat, to exercise more, to eat healthier foods, to pray more, in short, to write out and act upon some proposed change aimed at self-improvement.

And every year I have failed. Sometimes I stayed the course for a month or so, but more often than not I fell on my face before the first week was up. Resolutions, like liver and onions, just don’t sit well with me. One Lenten season, for example, one of my sons asked me if I had made any Lenten vows. “I have,” I said with a firm purpose of amendment. “I have resolved to complain less this year. I think I complain too much. I’m turning into a whiner. I have to say it’s been really difficult. I mean, I’m trying, but it’s tough not complaining.”

My son burst out laughing and pointed out that I was complaining about not complaining. Shot down once again. And this was on Ash Wednesday, the first day of the penitential season.

This year, however, I have adopted a new year’s resolution I hope I can keep. (I’m like Charlie Brown in the Peanuts cartoons when Lucy would encourage him every year to boot the football she was holding as a placekicker.

spend online compared to the time I spend with a book in my hand.

Thirty years ago, no matter how busy I was, I always found time to read books.

Sometimes a vacation allowed me to read for hours. Most often, however, I read in snatches, picking up the same book eight and 10 times a day, reading on a break from work, reading before bed, even reading at meals if I was alone.

But in the last 10 years I have opened books less and less, and opened my laptop more and more. Like many others, I go to my favorite news sites, I look at Facebook, I read emails. I frequently watch movies and television shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

I read and review books for The Smoky Mountain News, of course, and nearly all of them bring me pleasure. But come evening, which is when time allows me some freedom, I gravitate to the machine on my desk instead of to one of my bookshelves.

In the past decade, I have particularly neglected older books, some of them classics, which I have wanted to read both for edification and entertainment. C.S. Lewis once wrote “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow oneself another new book until you have read an old book in between.” That advice, though wise, won’t work on my schedule, but my problem is that I hardly read any old books at all anymore. From my shelves or the library bookcases they sit there begging to be opened — Dostoevsky’s The

Devils, for example, or Will and Ariel Durant’s History of Civilization, which I have lugged around for 20 plus years — yet there I am on the laptop, doodling around with blogs and essays covering Donald Trump’s latest faux pas or the meaning of Prince Rupert’s drops.

Other than attempting to recapture my former zest for the printed word, I have another reason for wanting to cut back my time online. Many writers and researchers have analyzed the effects of the internet, television, and media in general on our thinking processes. Their conclusions, though mixed, reveal that jumping from site to site online, taking in a paragraph or two and then moving on, is diminishing our ability to concentrate.

We have fallen victim to ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder.

Unlike children, however, we are the manufacturers of our own disease. In my own case, I have noted that I will often begin an interesting online article only to discover that it runs too long. I abandon it and move on.

We see this same phenomenon in our political races, where candidates live and die by sound bites, tweets, and generalities. They realize that most of us no longer care for analysis or in-depth discussions.

So for this New Year I vow to read for instruction and pleasure some of the books I have neglected. I will continue to look for new work as well, but hope especially to take up some of the older books too, those volumes that have sat unopened for years on my shelves, books like The World’s Best Fairy Tales, Mary Johnson’s novels about the Civil War, and Philip Lopate’s The Art of the Personal Essay.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll even make a dent in the Durants’ 11-volume Story of Civilization.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher.

Minick0301@gmail.com)

Collection of Ron Rash interviews A collection of media interviews with Ron Rash, Western Carolina University’s Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Cultural Studies and an acclaimed author, has been published by the University Press of Mississippi as part of its Literary Conversation Series.

Conversations with Ron Rash was edited by Mae Miller Claxton, WCU associate professor of English, and Rain Newcomb, a former lecturer with the WCU English Department.

The book provides insight into Rash’s writing career from his first collection of short stories published in 1994 through his 2015 novel Above the Waterfall. The 21 interviews cover topics such as his writing process, the settings and character development he employs, and his reflections on his poetry, short stories and novels.

In addition to interviews, the book includes an introduction by Claxton, a chronology and a bibliography. Rash’s poetry and fiction have appeared in more than 100 journals, magazines and anthologies.

Rash uses his family history, with many relatives having worked with their hands as farmers or millworkers, to create the settings for most of his work.

“I actually start sometimes with a voice, usually an image, an image that won't leave me alone and I have to find out where that image will lead me,” Rash said.

Rash has been awarded an NEA Poetry Fellowship, the Sherwood Anderson Prize and the Novella Festival Novel Award and is twice winner of O. Henry awards, as well as the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Above the Waterfall was the Prince of Tides Literary Prize Winner in the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance’s 2016 Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize competition.

Thunderstruck book, author discussion The “Pushing the Limits of Connection” Thunderstruck book and author discussion will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Stop by the Reference Desk to borrow a copy of the book by Erik Larson. Within the discussion, topics will revolve around how it relates to human connections across space and time. After, the group will watch an interview with the author, participate in a discussion facilitated by science partner Doug Woodward, and enjoy some refreshments.

“Pushing the Limits” is a reading, viewing and discussion program for adults in communities served by rural libraries, made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

The program is the work of a team of library professionals, scientists, and filmmakers from organizations including Dartmouth College, the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, the Califa Library Group, Public Library Association, Dawson Media Group, Institute for Learning Innovations, Goodman Research Group and Oregon State University.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Braving the storm Backcountry rescuers save lost hikers in snow, frigid temps

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t was around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, when the two hikers stepped out of their red Ford Edge and into the parking lot at Big East Fork Trailhead. After the stunning vistas the Blue Ridge Parkway had offered on their drive from Asheville, David Crockett, a 23-year-old UNC Charlotte student, and his friend Sultan Alraddadi wanted to see those mountains up close.

They’d found the hike on AllTrails, an app that outlined an 8.1-mile loop that climbed Chestnut Ridge, continuing west to butt up against the Art Loeb Trail before returning east via the Shining Creek Trail.

The weather was about average for early January, with temperatures in the 40s and skies shifting between clouds and sun. They could do it in a day, they were sure. The pair set off into the woods with a day-hiking setup that didn’t include a map or a flashlight.

Their confidence was soon tested. The route they’d chosen, located in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area, contains some of the toughest terrain in the entire region. The trail up Old Butt Knob, for instance, climbs 2,200 feet in just 1.5 miles. By 5 p.m., the hikers had completed only the first half of the loop.

The loop’s halfway point can be a tricky one to navigate even in the best of conditions.

It’s a five-way intersection, and in this particular wilderness area signage is sparse — a deliberate management choice to preserve the place’s remote character. The hikers took the wrong fork, passing by a sign for Flower Gap — part of the Art Loeb Trail — before darkness fell.

I

8:27 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6. Haywood County 911.

40 degrees. Some flurries.

Mike Street, Haywood County Rescue Squad: So you don’t know where you walked in at?

David Crockett: No, I can’t remember.

The night was doubtless a chilly one for the two hikers as they set up a makeshift camp with their scanty provisions, but it was nothing like the coming freeze that weather forecasts had predicted for days.

By the numbers n 120 people representing 40 different agencies assisted in the rescue effort. n 100 of the 120 responders were volunteers. n 16 vehicles were used to transport people, provide logistical support or push show. n 3 full days of winter training last year assured that Search and Rescue volunteers would know what to do in a winter rescue situation. n $0 is the county’s portion of helicopter costs. The state will foot that bill. The county will incur very little direct expense from the rescue, though the ongoing cost of training volunteers and purchasing rescue equipment is significant.

The sun rose, and they called 911. The call bounced from Henderson County to Buncombe County and through a conference with the Blue Ridge Parkway before it was routed to Haywood County, which handles search and rescue efforts in the Shining Rock Wilderness.

Dispatchers soon realized that this rescue would be anything but routine. The hikers had no idea where they were, couldn’t even remember the name of the trailhead or the road they’d driven to find it. They phone they used wasn’t GPS-enabled and kept pinging to an unrelated address outside Hendersonville.

And it was cold, soon to be colder, with snow on the way.

“We have to think worst-case scenario,” said Greg Shuping, Haywood County’s Emergency Management Director. “The worst-case scenario is these people are very, very lost, it’s going to snow tonight, the temperatures are going to be low and the wind is going to be bad. With that in mind, we want to get these people as soon as possible.”

Street — the dispatcher — of course, didn’t tell Crockett any of that. He just let him know that it would take them some time to get to him, so he and Alraddadi should just hang tight, stay warm — they’d started a fire using the lighter Crockett had with him — and conserve their phone battery.

Support the Haywood County Rescue Squad New members and donations are always welcome at the rescue squad. The nonprofit organization is run by volunteer members who respond to a variety of calls throughout the year — including those from people lost in the wilderness.

Donate or find out how to join at www.haywoodrescue.org.

Snowfall and bitter cold temperatures the weekend Jan. 6 and 7 created challenges for search and rescue teams looking for a pair of lost hikers in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area.

Joseph Massie photo

“It’s going to take us a little while to get things rolling. I don’t want you walking around anywhere,” Street said. “Do not call a friend. Do not waste your battery, because this is going to be the only tether we have.”

10:15 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6. Haywood County 911.

42 degrees. Forecast calls for snow and low temps.

Dispatcher to David Crockett: They’ve got some people down at the bottom there. They’re getting people ready to get into the woods.

Joseph Massie was at work Friday morning when the page went out.

As a member of Haywood’s specialized Mountain Search and Rescue Team, he’s used to juggling obligations at his paying job with the call of duty, but in this instance the stress of having to wind things up at work was coupled with knowledge of what was in the forecast.

His instructions were “be prepared. Be prepared for the worst weather possible.”

Massie heeded the instruction. MSAR members tend to be rather prepared folks. To even be on the team, they must complete 48 hours of training above the 276 hours required to be on the Haywood Search and

Rescue Team. In addition, each member of the team must purchase their own cache of personal gear, typically costing about $1,000.

By the time Massie arrived at the trail around 1 p.m., the search was already underway. In addition to the SAR team, the Cruso Fire Department and the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office — lead agency for the incident — were part of the initial response.

Myriad trails spider through the Shining Rock Wilderness area between Big East Fork and Black Balsam, and nobody had any idea where in all that wilderness the hikers might be. But command staff had worked out a strategy, sending different teams out to different areas based on the likelihood of success and the difficulty of a given trail.

With nighttime and worsening weather on the way, however, Shuping knew that the effort would require help. Luckily, that help was on the way. There are four other MSAR teams in North Carolina — based in Henderson, Buncombe, Mitchell and Avery counties — and Shuping had contacted them immediately following the morning’s first 911 call.

As the local crews took step after step in increasingly cold and

Be safe

8:11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7. Haywood County 911.

12 degrees with 20 mph winds, 40 mph gusts. 6 inches of snow and counting.

David Crockett: This is David Crockett, lost hiker, I talked to someone yesterday. We’re still alive.

Barely. But we’re still alive. And nobody’s found us yet.

Joseph Massie photo

and we were like, send us in!”

That’s not to say that all was well on the hikers’ end. They hadn’t eaten since Friday morning, and melted snow was all they had to drink, Crockett told dispatch. They were cold, chilled through. Their legs hurt and they could barely move them.

“We will not last through tonight,” Crockett told dispatch. “There’s no way.”

As the morning progressed, the weather cleared. The sun came out. Air rescue was now an option.

“I cannot say enough about the state mobilizing to make this happen,” Shuping said, acknowledging that they easily could have deemed the mission too dangerous for their pilots.

The Mountain Area Medical Airlift helicopter was first on the scene — the helicopter was already in the neighborhood and spent about half an hour searching the area before being forced to leave and fuel up.

Then came a State Highway Patrol helicopter. Just before 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, the crew found the hikers using thermal imaging, relaying the coordinates to the N.C. Emergency Management Helo Aquatic Rescue Team, which carried rescue technicians from the Charlotte Fire Department.

The N.C. HART crew arrived just after nightfall and wasn’t able to see the hikers, requiring a third helicopter — a National Guard machine — to relocate them using thermal imaging.

All the while, ground crews were still searching. Sure, a helicopter was on its way, but what if the air rescue didn’t work out?

“We did have that other plan in place,”

Shuping said. “Our searchers were going to them assuming it wouldn’t work.”

The snow may have stopped, but the cold hadn’t. And the ground was still covered with a thick blanket of white that made for beautiful scenery but arduous hiking.

“One time the Highway Patrol called in coordinates and we stopped to plot those coordinates,” Massie recalled. “In the three to five minutes I had my gloves off to plot those coordinates, my fingers were purple.”

Which made it easy to wonder: what condition might the hikers be in when they were finally located?

“We check in with command every 30 minutes but during our search we are actively stopping, yelling, looking for smoke,” Massie said. “Visual clues. We had snow so we knew if they were foraging for wood or anything that we would see their tracks.”

Massie’s group never saw any tracks. But another search and rescue crew did, coming upon the hikers in the Greasy Cove area — about 8 miles from the trailhead and 4 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway — just minutes before the N.C. HART crew made the save.

By 8 p.m., the hikers had been flown to the Asheville Airport and whisked to the hospital by EMS crews. They were discharged the following morning, with no lasting injuries.

The day was not over for the ground rescue crews, however. It was after midnight by the time they’d all managed to hike out of the woods and get home.

“The body can withstand so much more than you think it can,” Shuping said. “You’re not going to be happy and you’re not going

“It’s so heroic that someone would leave their family on the weekend or during the week and spend 12 hours doing a 13-mile hike carrying a 30-pound pack with snowshoes on.”

— Greg Shuping, Haywood County’s Emergency Management Director

to be comfortable, but the body is more resilient than we give it credit for.”

3:08 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8. David Crockett’s public Facebook post.

“The best part is that I lived to tell the tale.”

After his rescue from an ordeal that easily could have ended in death, Crockett — or, at least, his Facebook page — is brimming over with gratitude.

Crockett wrote that he’s “eternally grateful” for the huge number of people involved in the search and that he appreciates “all the prays [sic] and good vibes from so many friends and family.”

“We made choices and accomplished unimaginable things together, proud of what we did and had to do to survive the wilderness and wicked cold temps,” he continued.

“For me, a few scrapes, bruises, 2nd degree frostbite on toes and fingers, and an unforgettable story to tell.”

He followed the post with links to Haywood County Search and Rescue’s donation page.

“There are two men alive today because of the efforts of people who have a heart of servitude,” said Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher. “I have never been more proud of a group of folks, many of whom are volunteers, who risked so much to find these men.

The crews certainly deserve every bit of thanks that come their way, Shuping agreed.

Amazingly, only one crew member was injured during the search. That person was treated and then released from the hospital for cold weather exposure. But the story could easily have ended differently.

“It’s so heroic that someone would leave their family on the weekend or during the week and spend 12 hours doing a 13-mile hike carrying a 30-pound pack with snowshoes on,” Shuping said. “Where do you find these people? I don’t know. That’s the story to me.”

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Smoky Mountain News

When hope withers, odds of a successful search do as well. And while nobody had given up hope, exactly, as Friday night gave way to Saturday morning everybody was painfully aware of the facts.

It was cold. It was windy. It was snowy.

And the hikers were woefully unprepared for a multi-day ordeal in the wilderness.

Then, the phone call came.

“We never lost hope, but when we heard that phone call from them, that really gave us the morale we needed to step forward and really make this thing happen,” Shuping said.

Massie, waking up from a well-deserved rest between shifts, remembers it the same way.

“Oh my gosh, that call totally bolstered — we were still going in but it helped,” Massie said. “We had daylight and fresh legs

Responders set up a command post at Big East Fork Trailhead while the search unfolded.

January 18-24, 2017

snowy weather, laden with by 30-pound packs of gear, it was heartening to know that help was on the way. The MSAR teams all did trainings together and had a solid sense of camaraderie.

“When we see them on a search, it’s attitude-bolstering,” Massie said. “It’s yes, alright, I know I’ve got some awesome guys and gals from Buncombe County.”

Or from Henderson. Or Avery. Or Mitchell.

It was midnight by the time Massie came off the trail Friday. But the search didn’t stop when the local folks turned in for the night — the three other crews kept looking.

“By the time we were done, it was late, dark, the snow had really started and we were told to rest and prepare for the next day,” Massie said.

outdoors

Wintertime in the wilderness can be wonderful, but it can also be dangerous. Before heading for the woods, always remember to: n Tell somebody where you’re going and when you’ll be back. n Avoid traveling alone — find somebody to hike with you. n Research the route before you leave, and always bring a map and compass. n Dress in layers, and always bring more food, water, and clothing than you think you will need for the planned route. In case of emergency, having extra could be life-saving. n Bring a GPS-enabled phone and turn it on airplane mode to preserve the battery. Store it close to your body so cold weather won’t sap the battery prematurely. n Carry a first aid kit, as well as a lighter in case you need to make a fire.

Haywood County Emergency Management offers safety presentations that are available to any group that would like to host one. Greg Shuping, 828.456.2391 or gshuping@haywoodnc.net.

outdoors

Frost climbs down the mountains at Balsam Mountain Preserve. Donated photo

Smoky Mountain News

January 18-24, 2017

Hike through winter

36

A wintertime hike exploring the vistas and plant life of the Balsam Mountain Preserve will be conducted 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22.

The first in a new series of public environmental education programs at the private preserve, the hike will be led by a Balsam Mountain Trust naturalist who will discuss winter survival techniques employed by plants and animals in the mountains.

$5 per person, with registration required by Jan. 18 with Rose Wall, 828.631.1060, or online at www.balsammountaintrust.org. Future programs are listed on the website at the “public programs� link under the education tab.

Balsam Mountain Trust is an environmental nonprofit formed by and located at the Balsam Mountain Preserve, between Sylva and Waynesville.

Challenge will raise money for kids with cancer Hikers are wanted to take on the 2017 Trailblaze Challenge, a 28.3-mile trek to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. An information session is planned for 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 28, at REI in Asheville.

The single-day hike follows the Foothills Trail from Upper Whitewater Falls in Jackson County to Lavonia, Georgia, offering a physical challenge while raising money to grant wishes for children battling cancer.

Hike weekends are May 19-21 and June 2-4. www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1167406.

Get certified in wilderness medicine A two-day course to help outdoor adventurers prepare for the unexpected will be offered Feb. 18-19 at the Cullowhee Recreation Center.

Completing the official Wilderness First Aid course will result in a certification from the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Classroom lectures and demonstrations combine with realistic scenarios challenging students to put their learning into action.

The course will focus on techniques to care for sick and injured people when medical help is far away.

Course will be held partly outdoors regardless of weather. Taught by Lance Elzie

of the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, a NOLS-certified wilderness medicine instructor. $195. Register at rec.jacksonnc.org.

828.200.3345.

Smokies sets new visitation record outdoors

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park reeled in 11.3 million visitors in 2016, a 5.6 percent increase over the previous record of 10.7 million set in 2015.

Turnout received a boost from the National Park Service Centennial, a yearlong celebration of the Park Service’s 100th year that encouraged people to get out and experience the national parks.

Weatherwise, the notoriously dry year included fewer rainy days than the norm, which could have also propped up the numbers. However, wildfire season resulted in regionwide smoke that could also have discouraged visitation, and the park’s main throughfare was closed completely from Nov. 28 to Dec. 8 following the Chimney Tops 2 Fire, which escaped the park to roar through Gatlinburg propelled by hurricaneforce winds. The fire resulted in 14 deaths and $500 million worth of property damage.

Whatever the factors, visitation was undeniably high, with the 2015 record already broken by the time November ended.

More than 2,200 people joined Superintendent Cassius Cash by completing the Smokies Centennial Hike 100 Challenge by exploring 100 miles of park trails.

“I continue to be inspired by the number of people enjoying the park, but more importantly, I am moved by their unwavering support and care for this special place,” Cash said. “This support is more critical than ever since we have entered into our second century of service and recovery follow-

Stargazers bundle up to observe the night skies at PARI. Donated photo

See the celestial Superintendent Cassius Cash pauses during one of the many hikes he led this year. NPS photo ing the Chimney Tops fire. The response of the Smoky Mountains community, both near and far, has been remarkable and we thank you.”

Over the course of the year, 2,230 park volunteers donated 117,000 hours of service.

Frontcountry camping grew to 327,000 campers, up 3.1 percent from 2015, and backcountry camping grew to 109,000 campers, up 12 percent from 2015.

Further statistics are available at irma.nps.gov/stats.

Two nights of stargazing are coming to Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute near Rosman, offered 6-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 20-21.

The events will take advantage of crisp, clear winter skies to observe the moon, Venus, Mars and Uranus. $15 per person and free for kids 10 and under, with reservations accepted through 3 p.m. the day of the event.

Register online or by phone, www.pari.edu or 828.862.5554.

Sarah Chappell, schappell@pari.edu.

A charitable pint night will benefit Friends of the Smokies 4-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville.

The night will include $1 pours from the tasting room, and during the entire month of January tips collected on brewery tours will benefit Friends of the Smokies.

Friends of the Smokies is the non-profit partner of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, raising money to meet needs in the nation’s most visited national park. www.friendsofthesmokies.org.

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

January 18-24, 2017

Beer to benefit the Smokies

Is a Will Enough?

Jan. 18 & Feb. 15 11:30 AM

Best Western River Escape Inn Dillsboro • Reservation Suggested

828.586.4051

Smoky Mountain News

FREE LUNCHEON SEMINAR

nctrustlawyer.com

28 Maple St. • Sylva

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outdoors

Haywood Gleaners logs 30,000 pounds of produce donations

made to 37 recipient locations.

Gleans are conducted on agricultural land after the farmer has completed the main harvest. Volunteers can then collect any produce remaining in the fields for distribution to those in need.

Fifteen tons of food that would otherParticipating growers in 2016 were wise have gone to waste found their way Christopher Farms, Don Moore, to hungry mouths in 2016, thanks to volMountain Research Station, Seasonal Produce Farm, Steve Students from SOAR Camp in Balsam volunteer and Barb on a glean at Christopher Farms in Waynesville.

Effandano, Holly Kays photo Chambers Farm, Skipper Russell, Francis Cove Methodist Church, Nancy Shillinglaw, Boy Scout Troup #326, Philip Rhinehart and unteers with the Haywood Gleaners.

Haywood Farmers Markets.

Despite extreme drought, 80 volunThe Haywood Gleaners is a volunteer teers collected 30,000 pounds of fruits organization that operates under the and vegetables over a series of 40 gleans.

Christian-based Society of St. Andrews.

Produce collected included apples, beans, Volunteers are always welcome to help eggplants, blackberries, tomatoes, pick, deliver or perform a variety of other jalapenos, pumpkins and much more. functions.

Following the gleans, 350 deliveries were www.haywoodgleaners.org.

The Polar Plunge is coming through signup at Whether it’s in the form of a full-body www.crowdrise.com/5thannualpoplunge or a tenuous toe-dip, participation is larplunge. $10 for people under 18. Walkwanted at the fifth annual Polar Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek and Environmental Education, slated for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, on Lake Junaluska beach.

The teeth-chattering plunge, organized by Haywood Waterways Association and Lake Junaluska Assembly, will attract teams and individuals alike. Once the watery part is done, trophies and prizes for best costumes and top fundraisers will be dispensed. Lunch, toasty bonfires and free t-shirts for all will make the morning fun.

Proceeds will benefit A decked-out clown takes the leap into a wintry Haywood Waterways’ Lake Junaluska. Donated photo environmental education efforts, including the ins welcome. hands-on Kids in the Creek program it runs Haywood Waterways, 828.476.4667 or every year. info@haywoodwaterways.org. $25 or free by raising sponsorships

Business training offered for farmers

Smoky Mountain News

January 18-24, 2017

A workshop exploring the business side of farming will be offered 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s office in Asheville.

Pricing for Profit, to be conducted by Mountain Bizworks, will focus on basic financial planning strategies for farmers.

The workshop aligns with ASAP’s annual Business of Farming Conference, which is scheduled for Feb. 25 at the Asheville-Buncombe Technical College Conference Center in Asheville. The conference provides a variety of training opportunities as well as networking opportunities for beginning and experienced farmers alike. Early bird conference registration ends Feb. 1.

Registration for the Jan. 31 workshop is $20, with a light meal included. asapconnections.org.

WE MEET OUR GOALS WHEN YOU MEET YOURS! 2016 proved to be a special year for the Waynesville Recreation Center. A new attendance record of 149,600 was established, beating the previous mark of 149,574 in 2009.

WAYNESVILLE 38

COME JOIN US! We are open Monday-Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 1-7 p.m. Members get free child care, free personal training and free exercise classes. Please call ahead for pool hours.

PARKS AND RECREATION 828.456.2030 or email rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov

Disc golf tournament coming to Waynesville Registration is now open for a disc golf tournament headed to Waynesville on Sunday, March 12.

The Blind Hog Day Light Savings Throw Down, hosted by Waynesville Parks and

Recreation, will be sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association and take place the town’s disc golf course at Vance Street Park.

Register at www.discgolfscene.com. Fees range from $35 to $65 depending on division entered.

Tim Petrea, 828.456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

Ski for cheap A series of reduced-rate ski nights at Cataloochee Ski Area will be offered through Jackson County Parks and Recreation this winter.

Sessions will be held 5 to 10 p.m. Jan. 20, Feb. 10 and March 3.

Per-night rates are $25 for a lift ticket; $35 for lift ticket and rental; and $45 for a lift ticket, rental and group lesson.

Register at rec.jacksonnc.org or call the Cullowhee Recreation Center, 828.293.3053. There is no residency or rec center membership requirement to get the reduced rate.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Homeowner applications are being accepted by Haywood Habitat for Humanity. Info sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Waynesville Library; and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Canton Library. More info: haywoodhabitat.org or 452.7960.

• In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., Western Carolina University will hold a week of events in Cullowhee. A dinner and movie event featuring “Remember the Titans” is from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Illusions in the University Center; legendary high school football coach Herman Boone of “Remember the Titans” fame will speak at an event from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, in the A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom; Step Africa! with Kyla Lacey is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center; and a Day of Service is on Jan. 21. jacooper@wcu.edu, 227.2595 or www.wcu.edu/experience/connect-and-join/intercultural-affairs/mlkjr.aspx.

• Advance tickets are available for a Chinese New Year Celebration featuring Chinese food, crafts and traditional activities. Presented by Folkmoot and Western Carolina University’s Office of International Programs & Services, the event is from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, in Waynesville. Advance tickets are $8 for kids; $10 for adults and $35 for families of four or more. At the door, tickets are $10 for kids, $12 for adults and $40 for families. 452.2997. info@folkmoot.org.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a grant research workshop from 9 a.m.-noon on Thursday, Jan. 19, in Holt Library, room 119, on SCC’s Jackson Campus. “Proactive Grant Research-Capitalize on Your Time & Energy” will provide the details needed to begin and conduct successful grant research. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc, 339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• “So You Have an Idea! Now What?” is the topic of a seminar offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the Small Business Center, Room 5108. Register or get more info: 627.4512 or SBC.Haywood.edu.

• “Sex, Lies & Snake Oil: The strange career of Jackson County’s Doctor John Brinkley” – a multimedia presentation by historian Jon Elliston – will be offered from noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Lord Auditorium at Pack Library in Asheville. jonelliston@gmail.com.

• “Financing Your Business” is the topic of a seminar offered by Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Small Business Center, Room 5108. Register or get more info: 627.4512 or SBC.Haywood.edu.

• A TED talk discussion on “How to Speak so People Will Want to Listen” will be offered on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Waynesville Library. 15-20 minute talk followed by discussion. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • A charitable pint night is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Blue Ghost Brewery in Fletcher to benefit emergency fire relief efforts in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A program on elk in Western North Carolina will be offered, and a specialty batch Centennial White IPA is on tap to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

• Highland Brewery is hosting a charitable pint night from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, in Asheville to support Great Smoky Mountains National Park. $1 per pour from the tasting room goes to Friends of the Smokies. http://friendsofthesmokies.org.

• Save the date: Mardi Gras Ball benefit for the Haywood County Schools Foundation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Laurel Ridge Country Blub. Sponsored by Entegra Bank.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • REACH of Haywood will hold interactive training for potential volunteers (over the age of 18) from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, at REACH’s office at 627 N. Main Street in Waynesville. 456.7898.

• Greening up the Mountains Festival is seeking artists, mountain crafters, environmental and food vendors to apply for a booth in its 20th festival, which is from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 22. Applications available at www.greeningupthemountains.com, or call 631.4587.

HEALTH MATTERS • An acupuncture clinic for Haywood County veterans to help with effects of PTSD will be offered at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays Jan 18, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Waynesville Wellness. 356.5577.

• Preparation for Childbirth classes will be taught by a certified childbirth educator from 7-9 p.m. on Thursdays March 30-April 20, June 1-June 22, Aug. 3, Aug. 24 and Oct. 12-Nov. 2 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• A “Live and Learn” program is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, in the Gaines Auditorium at Bethea Welcome Center in Lake Junaluska. Topic is: “A Matter of Balance: Fall Prevention.” Led by Natalie Malis. Sponsored by the Junaluskans. 564.3906.

• A “Last Chance Haywood!” enrollment event for Affordable Healthcare Insurance is scheduled for 1-6:45 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Waynesville Library.

Meet in-person with certified marketplace navigators from Mountain Projects. Walk-ins welcome, or call 452.1447 for an appointment. Enrollment ends Jan. 31.

• A tired leg/varicose vein educational program will be offered at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Vein Center at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde.

Led by Dr. Al Mina, MD, FACS, and Dr. Joshua Rudd, DO. Registration required: 452.VEIN. • Kitchen Sink Remedies for cold, flus and other acute illnesses will be presented at 2 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Waynesville Library. 356.2507.

• The film “Hungry for Change” will be shown as a kickoff for the “24 Hours to a New You” classes on Jan. 30 at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. The “24 Hours to a New You” program starts on Feb. 6. 24 onehour classes throughout the year will help participants maintain a healthy weight, prepare simple, healthy meals and find time to be physically active. To sign up or get more info: 488.3198, ext. 2027. Scholarships available.

• The American Red Cross will host a blood drive from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, at Swain Community Hospital in Bryson City. For info or to make an appointment: www.redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

• Big Brother/Big Sister, a one-evening preparation

Smoky Mountain News

class for children who are about to greet a new baby into their family, is offered for children ages 3-10 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• Mothers Connection, an ongoing social gathering for mothers and their babies, meets from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Thursdays excluding holidays at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• Assistance with Marketplace Open Enrollment is available through Mountain Projects. Enrollment through the Affordable Care Act is currently open and lasts until Jan. 31. 452.1447 or 800.627.1548.

• A support group meeting for those with Parkinsons Disease and their caregivers will be held at 2 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month at the Waynesville Senior Resource Center.

• Dogwood Insight Center presents health talks at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

• Angel Medical Center’s diabetes support group meets at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the AMC dining room. 369.4166.

• A free weekly grief support group is open to the public from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at SECU Hospice House in Franklin. Hosted by Four Seasons Compassion for Life Bereavement Team. 692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

• A monthly grief processing support group will meet from 4-5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care in Clyde.

452.5039.

• A Tuesday Meditation Group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • Registration is underway for ski/snowboard lessons at the Cataloochee Ski Resort. For ages 8-up. Sundays Jan. 22, 29, Feb. 5 and 12. Lesson is from 1:30-3 p.m.; lift ticket valid from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Lift only: $109; lift and lesson: $135. 293.2053 or www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• ZUMBA! Classes, are offered from 6-7 p.m. on Tuesdays, at the Canton Armory. $5 per class. 648.2363 or parks@cantonnc.com.

• The Canton Armory is open to the public for walking from 7:45-9 a.m. on Monday through Friday unless the facility is booked till spring. 648.2363. parks@cantonnc.com.

• “Winter Warm-Ups” will be offered from 10-11:15 a.m. on Mondays starting Jan. 16 and running through Feb. 29 at Sylva First Baptist Church. Movement exercises designed to increase flexibility, build strength and encourage more activity during winter months. 369.6909.

• The High Mountain Squares will host their “CowboyCowgirl Western Dance” from 6:15-8:45 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, at Memorial United Methodist Church in Franklin. Ken Perkins from Pelzer, S.C., will be the caller. Western-style square dancing, mainstream and levels. New dancer lessons start March 6. 342.1560, 332.0001 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

• Friday night skiing and snowboarding is being offered through the Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department starting Jan. 20 at Cataloochee Ski Resort.

Hours are 5-9 p.m. on Jan. 20, Feb. 10 and March 3. $25 lift only; $35 for lift and rental; $45 for lift, rental and lesson. www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

POLITICAL • The Jackson County Republican Party will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, at Ryan’s in Sylva. Arrive

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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 early to eat. Plans for the Jackson County Republican Party Convention will be discussed. 743.6491 or jacksonctygop@yahoo.com.

• Swain County Democratic Party Whittier-Cherokee Precinct meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the Birdtown Gym. Agenda includes possible Whittier polling site, special election, attending district meetings and more. 497.9498.

• The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will hold a regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the Justice & Administration Building, 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Room A201, in Sylva.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • “Pushing the Limits of Connection” – a discussion with “Thunderstruck” author Erik Larson – is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. 524.3600.

• Canton Book Club meets at 3:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, at the Canton Library.

648.2924.

• Cookin’ the Books will be held at noon on the last Wednesday of the month at the Waynesville Public Library. A book club focused on cookbooks. All members choose a recipe from the book and bring it to share. The group will discuss the good and bad aspects of the chosen cookbook. 356.2507.

KIDS & FAMILIES • “Plug In and Read Digital Storytime” is at 11 a.m. on Jan. 18 at the Waynesville Library. 356.2507.

• Fines Creek Story time is at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 18 at the Fines Creek Library. 627.0146.

• “Mommy/Daddy and Me” open gym is available for parents and kids to play or do arts and crafts from 1011 a.m. on Fridays, Jan. 20-Feb. 24, at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. For ages 3-5 with parents present; no preregistration required. $1 per child per day.

• Sing & Sign Storytime will be offered for ages 0-5 at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• “Plus Interest,” part of a teen workshop series called “Adulting 101: My Financial Future,” will be offered from 3:30-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the Canton Library.

Learn the true cost of credit and how to make your money work for you. Registration required: 648.2924.

• Construction Zone! will be held at 4 p.m. Jan. 25, at the Canton Library. The library will supply the LEGO® building blocks, you supply the imagination! For children ages 6-12. For more information, please call 648.2924. Continues on the 4th Wednesday of the following months.

• “Plus Interest,” part of a teen workshop series called “Financially Navigating College: Scholarships, Grants & FAFSA,” will be offered from 3:30-5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Canton Library. Learn how to finance your education. Registration required: 648.2924.

wnc calendar

• Hudson Library is hosting a Hudson Beach Week from Jan. 31-Feb. 4 in Highlands. Games, movies and storytimes. Events include shark bean bag toss, Twister, scavenger hunt and beach crafts on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; beach volleyball at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, family movie at 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday; storytimes throughout the day Thursday, Portable planetarium on Friday and Picnic (bring your own) at noon Saturday. 526.3031.

• A Winter Reading Challenge is underway at Haywood County libraries. Stop by any county library for a reading bingo card. Complete challenge by Feb. 1.

• The Canton Library offers a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) program each month. At 4 p.m. on third Tuesday. Children ages 612 are welcome to attend. Please call 648-2924 for more information.

• Registration is underway for Homeschool P.E. through Jackson County Parks & Recreation Department. $20. Classes will meet at 10 a.m. every Tuesday starting Jan. 31 for 10 weeks. For ages 5-15. www.rec.jacksonnc.org.

• A Tuesday Library Club for ages 5-12 meets at 4 p.m. each Tuesday (except for the fifth Tuesday on months that occurs) at the Canton Library. Hands-on activities like exercise, cooking, LEGOs, science experiments and crafts. 648.2924 or kpunch@haywoodnc.net.

• “Art Beats for Kids” will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City.

A new project every week. $20 per child, with includes lesson, materials and snack. To register, call 828.538.2054.

• Stories, songs and a craft are offered for ages zerosix (and caregivers) at 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday at the Canton Library. 648.2924.

January 18-24, 2017

• A program called “Imagine”, an art program for children 8-12 meets at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Jackson County Public Library. Program contains art, writing, and drama. 586.2016.

• Rompin’ Stompin’, an hourlong storytime with music, movement and books, is held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursdays at the Canton Library and at 11 a.m. on Thursdays at the Waynesville Library. For ages zero to six. 648.2924.

• Rompin’ Stompin’, an hourlong storytime with music, movement and books, is held at 11 a.m. on Fridays at the Canton Library. For ages zero to six.

648.2924.

• Crafternoons are at 2:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Hudson Library in Highlands.

Smoky Mountain News

• Library Olympics will be held at 2 p.m. on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. Children age 5 and up get active through relay races, bingo, mini golf.

586.2016.

• Get Moving, a program for children ages 5-12 to encourage children to live a healthy life through exercise and healthy eating, will be held on the first Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. 648.2924 • Full STEAM Ahead, a program for children ages 5-12 to allow them to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics through fun hands-on activities. Program open to the first 15 participants, at 4 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at Canton Public Library. 648.2924.

• Family Story Time is held on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 0-6. Stories, songs, dance and crafting. 648.2924.

• Storytimes are held at 10 and 10:40 a.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

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• After-School Art Adventure will be on from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays at The Bascom in Highlands.

For ages 5 to 10, Art Adventure is a class that explores the creative process of drawing, painting,

printmaking, clay, sculpture, fiber art, and crafts by utilizing a variety of media. The students will investigate some of the most popular techniques and theories in art history and will be exposed to contemporary as well as folk art traditions. Tuition is $40 for a fourclass package. www.thebascom.org.

ONGOING KIDS ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS • Wednesdays in the Stacks, “WITS”, a new program for children in grades 3-6, on the third Wednesdays of the month from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Macon County Library. WITS will include lots of fun games, prizes, and hands-on activities. This club replaces book club previous held on the third Thursdays of the month. 526.3600.

• Fun Friday, everything science, is held at 4 p.m. on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Teen Coffeehouse is at 4:30 p.m. on the first, third, and fourth Tuesday at Jackson County Public Library.

Spend time with other teens talking and sharing. 12 and up. 586.2016.

• Youth Outright meets every Sunday from 4 p.m. -6 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville for ages 14-20. Youth Outright is a youth advocacy and leadership program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in 18 counties in Western North Carolina. www.youthoutright.org.

• Youth Outright meets the third Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville for ages 11-13. Youth Outright is a youth advocacy and leadership program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in 18 counties in Western North Carolina. www.youthoutright.org.

• Rock and Read is at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586-2016.

• WNC Martial Arts will hold karate classes from 67:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Old Armory in Waynesville. For more info, contact Margaret Williams at 301.0649 or mvwilliams39@gmail.com.

• Book Buddies for ages 0-3 is from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Tuesday at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

• Page Pals for ages 3-5 is from 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Tuesday at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

• Story time and kids can make their own piece of art from 10 a.m.-noon every Saturday during the Family Art event sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council at the Jackson County Farmers Market located at the Community Table, downtown Sylva. On the first Saturday of each month, there is a scavenger hunt with prizes. 399.0290 or www.jacksoncountyfarmermarket.org.

• A Teen Advisory Group meets at 4 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month to discuss YA books and teen program events at Canton Library. http://haywoodlibrary.libguides.com/teen or 648.2924.

• Michael’s Kids Club will be held for ages 3-and-up from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays at Michael’s in Waynesville. $2 per child for 30 minutes of creative crafts. 452.7680.

• A Lowe’s Build and Grow session for ages 3-and-up is scheduled from 10-11 a.m. on Saturdays at the Sylva (586.1170) and Waynesville (456.9999) Lowe’s stores. Free.

• Art classes are available for kids 10 and older from 4:15-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Bascom in Highlands. $15 per class. 787.2865 or www.thebascom.org.

• Art Adventure classes are taught for ages 5-10 from 3:30-4:45 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Bascom in Highlands. Theme: metal. Instructor: Bonnie Abbott. $20 per month. 787.2865.

• Free, weekly, after-school enrichment classes are offered by the Bascom and MCAA from 3-5 p.m. on Thursdays at Macon Middle School through a grant from the Jim McRae Endowment for the Visual Arts. To register, contact Bonnie Abbott at 743.0200.

•A Lego club will meet at 4 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Library provides Legos and Duplos for ages 3 and up. Free. 488.3030.

•A community breastfeeding information and support group meets from 10:30 am.-noon on the first Saturday of each month in the main lobby of the Smoky Mountain OB/GYN Office in Sylva. Free; refreshments provided. For information, contact Brandi Nations (770.519.2903), Stephanie Faulkner (506.1185 or www.birthnaturalwnc), or Teresa Bryant (587-8223).

• Science Club is held at 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month for grades K-6 at the Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Macon County 4-H Needlers club, a group of youth learning the art and expression of knitting and crochet crafts, meets on the second Tuesday of each month.

For information, call 349.2046.

• A Franklin Kids’ Creation Station is held from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays at uptown Gallery in Franklin.

Snacks provided. $20 tuition. 743.0200.

• SafeKids USA Blue Dragon Tae Kwon Do School offers defense training with after-school classes Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings.

627.3949 or www.bluedragontkd.net.

• The Wee Naturalist program, which is for children ages 2-5 (with a parent or guardian), is held from 1011:30 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays at the North Carolina Arboretum. Age-appropriate activities such as nature walks, garden exploration, stories, crafts and visits from classroom animals $7 cost per child; $3 more for each additional child in a family. Register at: www.ncarboretum.org/education-programs/youthfamily-programs/wee-naturalist

KIDS MOVIES • A current children’s movie about what pets are up to when humans aren’t around will be shown at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. PG; 90 minutes. Info, including movie title: 524.3600.

• A family movie will be shown at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• “Moana” will be playing at the Strand on Main on Jan. 20 at 7 pm, Jan 21 at 12:30 pm and 2:45 pm, Jan. 22 at 12:30 pm, 2:45 pm, 5:00 pm, and 7:05 pm, and Jan 23-25 at 7 pm, and Jan. 26 at 8 pm. Ticket prices are $5.75 child and $8.50 adult. www.38main.com.

• The Jungle Book will be showing at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm on Jan. 27 at Mad Batter Food & Film.

586.3555. Free. Zootopia will be showing at 2 pm, 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm on Jan. 28 at Mad Batter Food & Film. 586.3555. Free.

• A Lego Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 3:30-5 p.m. at Waynesville Library.

452.5169.

• A Lego Club meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 4 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. at the Macon County Public Library. 526.3600.

• A Lego Club meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 4:30 p.m. at Jackson County Public Library. 5862016.

• A Lego Club meet the second Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library.

743.0215.

• A Lego Club meets at 4 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Legos and Duplos provided for ages three and up.

488.3030.

• Teen time 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursdays at Waynesville Library. A program for teens and tweens held each week. Each week is different, snacks provided. 3562511 • Homework Help, 3 to 5 p.m. Mondays for students in grades 2 through 6, Canton Branch Library. Former schoolteacher turned Youth Services Librarian Katy Punch offers homework help on a first-come, firstserved basis. Katy, 648.2924.

•Teen Advisory Group, first Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. For ages 13-18. Teens can enjoy snacks while discussing popular young adult books, help plan events and displays for children and teens at the library, and participate in community service projects.

Canton Library, 648.2924.

• The American Girls Club meets at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The club meets one Saturday a month, call for details. Club is based on a book series about historical women. Club members read and do activities. Free. 586.9499.

• Crazy 8 Math Adventure Club on Tuesdays 3:30 p.m.

- 4:15 p.m. for grades K-2 at the Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Culture Club on the second Wednesday of the month, 1 to 2 p.m. for K-6 graders. Guest speakers, books, photos, crafts and food from different countries and cultures. Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Children’s craft time, fourth Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215

A&E FOOD & DRINK • Unitarian Universalist drumming and potluck is at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, out 28 N. past Cowee School at 2907 Leatherman Gap Road. Bring a dish to share, a beverage of your choice and a drum. Indoor.

332.7118.

• “Cure for Cabin Fever” – live original music by Henry Wong and a potluck – is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at Heinzelmännchen Brewery in Sylva. 631.4466.

• Chef Ricardo Fernandez will be hosting a Mountain Cooking Club class from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

Fernandez was the former co-owner/head chef of Lomo Grill. Class fee is $65 plus a $1 Mountain Cooking Club 2016 membership fee. To reserve your space, please mail a check (payable to Ricardo Fernandez) to Suzanne Fernandez at 3553 Panther Creek Road, Clyde, North Carolina 28721. Reservations confirmed upon receipt of payment. 246.7465 or chefricardos@gmail.com.

• Burns Night Dinner, a celebration of the birth and life of Robert Burns, is scheduled for 5-8:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 at Tartan Hall, First Presbyterian Church, in Franklin. Burns is the national poet of modern Scotland; credited with saving the folk music of Scotland. Five-course dinner; live music. Tickets: $35 adults, $20 children under 12. Tickets available at Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin. 421.7771.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • The Canton Armory will host “Winter Pickin’ in the Armory” at 7 p.m. every first and third Friday of the month. The event includes mountain music, vintage country, clogging and dancing. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Free. www.cantonnc.com.

• Friends of the Library Concert Series resumes at

3:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Waynesville Library.

356.2507.

• Tickets are on sale now for a presentation by Step Afrika! with spoken-word artist Kyla Lacey, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. Part of the Arts and Cultural Events series. $20 for non-students; free for students. Pre-registration required: tcbowers@catamount.wcu.edu (students) or hensley@wcu.edu (non-students).

• A Mountain Artisan Workshop is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Waynesville Library. 356.2507.

• An “Artist Talk” with retired art teacher Jan Boyer is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, at the Jackson County Library’s Community Room in Sylva.

507.9820.

• Clutter Bugs, a program to eliminate clutter in your home and life, is offered from 10 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the Jackson County Extension Center in Sylva. Register: 586.4009.

• The MET Opera’s performance of “Romeo et Juliette” will be presented live via satellite at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center at 507 Chestnut Street in Highlands. Tickets: highlandspac.org, at the door or 526.9047.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will hold its annual meeting and 40th anniversary kickoff celebration at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Presentation and music to follow at The Strand. RSVP by Jan. 23: info@haywoodarts.org or 452.0593.

• Country star Wade Hayes will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. Tickets are $38 advance, $42 day of show.www.38main.com.

• A new Waynesville Toastmasters International Club is forming and will have a kick-off meeting on Feb. 1.

400.1041 or 926.4424.

• The Bolshoi Ballet’s performance of “The Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky will be presented live via satellite at 12:55 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center at 507 Chestnut Street in Highlands. Tickets: highlandspac.org, at the door or 526.9047.

• The Dusty Pallet is the newest art gallery in Franklin. The studio is located in downtown at 52 East Main Street. Are you ready for a paint party? For only $35. www.thedustypallet.com.

• Cribbage is at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Maggie Valley Inn. 410.440.7652 or 926.3978.

• An Antique, Vintage & Handcrafted Flea Market starts at 8 a.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3029 Soco Road in Maggie Valley. Bring your own table/tent. Spaces rent for $10 a day or $25 for all three days.

• The duo Brother Bluebird will perform indie folk at 7 pm. On Thursday, Jan. 26, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.

• The Adult Coloring Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Fridays in the Living Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. An afternoon of creativity and camaraderie. Supplies are provided, or bring your own.

Beginners are welcome as well as those who already enjoy this new trend. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 524.3600.

• Jamey Johnson is returning to Harrah’s Cherokee on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/shows • Michael Bolton will be preforming on Friday, Feb. 24 at Harrah’s Casino in Cherokee at 9 p.m. https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/shows • Music and Clogging is held from 8-10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays at the Stomping Ground at 3116 Soco Road in Maggie Valley. 926.1288.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • An expressive arts journaling workshop will be offered from 5-6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Waynesville Library. Instructed by Betina Morgan, local artist and musician. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• Coloring Club will be hosted on the second Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. at Canton Library.

Color pencils and color pages supplied. For ages 8 to 108. 648.2924.

• A class on Google Photos will be offered at 5:55 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Led by Roger Bacon; assisted

by Laura Chapman. Sign up: 586.2016.

• An “Impasto Painting” workshop will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, in conjunction with the opening reception for “Women Painters of the Southeast” at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Participants will be engaged in painting a still life with a palette knife in the style of many impressionists. Color mixing theories will be presented. Free for students; $20 for community members.

• A “Miniature Birdhouse” workshop will be held by

• The Wild Fern is hosting several local potters at the studio throughout the year. Stop by to see works from the potter’s collection and chat with these talented artists as they create on the wheel and share their unique styles. 736.1605 or info@wildfernstudios.com.

• Artist Melba Cooper will be exhibiting her stunning series of paintings, “POLLINATION,” at Cullowhee Mountain Arts’ (CMA) Studio in downtown Sylva. www.cullowheemountainarts.org/up-in-the-studioevents or 342.6913.

FILM & SCREEN • A family movie about a city inhabited by anthropomorphic animals will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Info, including title: 488.3030.

• The “Women Painters of the Southeast” exhibition will run through May 5 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. A reception will be held at the museum from 5-7 p.m. on Jan. 19. www.wcu.edu.

• Adult movie time, 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. Call for title of movie.

586.2016.

• A showcase on the life and times of Horace Kephart will be on display through March 31 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. The Mountain Heritage Center’s Kephart Collection is composed of 127 objects, including Kephart’s tent, sleeping bag, backpack and the writing desk. The exhibit will display many of these objects in a campsite setting. 227.7129.

• Labyrinth will be showing at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm on Jan. 20 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

586.3555. Free.

• An exhibition entitled “This is a Photograph: Exploring Contemporary Applications of Photographic Chemistry” is on display at Penland School of Crafts near Spruce Pine. 765.6211 or penland.org/gallery.

• The Blues Brothers will be showing at 7:30 pm Jan. 19 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. 586.3555.

Free.

• Young Frankenstein will be showing at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm on Jan. 21 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. 586.3555. Free.

• The Girl on the Train will be showing at 7:30 on Jan. 26 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. 586.3555.

Free.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• As part of the Arts Council’s Integrated Arts initiative, a sampling of works by renowned Macon County sculptor Nelson Nichols (www.nicholssculpture.com) will be displayed at this event. Executed in stone, bronze, and wood, Nichols’ sculptural body of work reflects his unique style, Spiritual Expressionism, encompassing anatomical/figurative pieces in classi-

Outdoors • The Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council meets at 10 a.m. every second Tuesday at Rathskeller Coffee Haus in Franklin.

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• A community art group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at the Hudson Library in Highlands.

828.526.3031.

• A writer’s group meets at 1 p.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.

Conceal Carry Classes $80/8hrs

• Free one-on-one technology help is offered every Tuesday and Thursday morning at Hudson Library in Highlands. Call 526.3031 to make an appointment.

EVERY SATURDAY. EVENING CLASSES AVAILABLE

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Abstract art will be exhibited through Feb. 25 at the Haywood County Arts Council Gallery & Gifts at 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. Featuring local artists.

452.0593, info@haywoodarts.org or HaywoodArts.org.

• “The Magic Starts Here” exhibit will run through Feb. 25 at The Bascom in Highlands. Featuring numerous students from the Master of Fine Arts program at Western Carolina University, there will be a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at The Bascom. www.thebascom.org.

• A three-month ceramics exhibit at the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum is currently in

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• Beginners Chess Club is held on Fridays at 4 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 8-108 invited to participate. 648.2924.

• Paint Nite Waynesville will be held at 7 p.m. on Fridays at the Panacea Coffeehouse. Grab a cup of coffee, glass of wine or pint of craft beer and get creative. $20 per person. Group rates available. Sign up at Panacea or call host Robin Smathers at 400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• The exhibit “Emissaries of Peace: 1762 Cherokee & British Delegations” features Cherokee clothing, feather capes, beads, and other artifacts. It is currently on display at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and is also available for travel. www.cherokeemuseum.org or bduncan@cherokeemuseum.org.

cal realism, a series of abstract interpretations, a series illustrating universal/spiritual concepts, and an environmentally inspired series including sculptures of endangered/threatened species. Admission is by donation; $7 is suggested. arts4all@dnet.net or 524.ARTS (2787).

January 18-24, 2017

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will host a Faculty Showcase Jan. 24, violinist Dan Auerbach Jan. 25 and a Faculty Recital with Shannon Thompson Jan. 31. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Coulter Building. www.wcu.edu.

Cullowhee. Fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 227.3591.

wnc calendar

• A production of “Romeo and Juliet” set in Cold Mountain in post-Civil War America is running at HART Theatre in Waynesville. Performances are at 7;30 p.m. on Jan. 20-21 and at 2 p.m. on Jan. 22.

Reservations: www.harttheatre.org.

the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Craft Group from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Sylva Extension Office. The class is free. Bring a lunch. To register and for the supply list, call 828.586.4009.

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• The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting comments regarding the proposed changes to 39 agency regulations related to wildlife management, fisheries and game lands for the 2017-18 seasons.

Comments accepted through Feb. 1 at regulations@ncwildlife.org.

• The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is offering a “Leader Building” workshop for fly fishing anglers of all skill levels on Jan. 20 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Sign up: www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/ EventRegistration.aspx. Info: 877.4423.

• Two nights of stargazing will be offered at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, from 6-8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 20-21. Views of the moon, Venus, Mars and Uranus. $15 per person; free for kids 10 and under. Reservations accepted through 3 p.m. on event day. www.pari.edu or 862.5554. Info: schappell@pari.edu.

• Registration is underway for a fly rod building class that will be taught by Tommy Thomas, former president of the National Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Classes are from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Feb. 7 at Haywood Community College. Cost: $350 - all materials included. 565.4240 or clschulte@haywood.edu.

• The Jackson County Farmers Market will be held 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays at the Community Table building on Central Street in Sylva until outdoor hours resume at Bridge Park in March. The market will be held first weekend each in January and February. Info: 393.5236. jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Registration is underway for the Assault on Black Rock, a seven-mile trail race scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 18, in Jackson County. $25 pre-registration; $30 on race day. www.raceentry.com ($2.49 fee for registering online). Info: 506.2802 or barwatt@hotmail.com.

HIKING CLUBS

FARM AND GARDEN January 18-24, 2017

• The Macon County Poultry Club of Franklin meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative Extension Office on Thomas Heights Rd, Open to the public. 369.3916.

• A community tailgate market for local growers is open from 3-7 p.m. every Wednesday at The Village Green Commons in Cashiers. 734.3434, info@villagegreencashiersnc.com or www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

• The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians has moved to Bryson City and is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.

FlyFishingMuseum.org.

Smoky Mountain News

(Monday through Wednesday).

• The Highlands Plateau Greenway will conduct a work day from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Jan. 21. If interested, write highlandsgreenway@nctv.com or call 526.2385.

• The Tuckaseigee River Chapter No. 373 of Trout Unlimited meets at 6:30 p.m. on first Tuesday of each month from September through May at United Community Bank in Sylva. Dinner is $5.

• ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) kicks of its year with its 14th annual Business of Farming Conference and two workshops in partnership with NC Cooperative Extension and Mountain Bizworks.

The first workshop, Pricing for Profit, is scheduled for Jan. 31 at ASAP's office in Asheville. The conference is Saturday, Feb. 25, at AB Tech in Asheville. Register: asapconnections.org or 236.1282.

• Hike of the Week is at 10 a.m. every Friday at varying locations along the parkway. Led by National Park Service rangers. www.nps.gov/blri or 298.5330, ext. 304.

• The N.C. Cooperative Extension in Macon County is accepting applications for participation in its 2017 Master Gardener program. Tentative start date is Feb. 17. Application or info: 349.2046 or macon.ces.ncsu.edu.

• Balsam Mountain Trust will hold a Winter Wonderland Hike from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Balsam Mountain Preserve. $5 per person. RSVP required by Jan. 18: 631.1061 or at www.balsammountaintrust.org.

• Local farmers can stop by the Cooperative Extension Office on Acquoni Road from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every fourth Friday to learn about USDA Farm Service Agency programs in the 2014 Farm Bill. Info: 488.2684, ext. 2 (Wednesday through Friday) or 524.3175, ext. 2

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-tostrenuous hike with an elevation change of 1,000-feet on Saturday, Jan. 28, to Trimont Ridge on old Bartram Trail starting at Wallace Branch. Reservations: 524.5298. Visitors welcome.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate, five-mile hike with an elevation change of 700 feet on Saturday, Jan. 21, from Rock Gap to Glassmine Gap on the Appalachian Trail. Info and reservations: 772.263.3478. Visitors welcome.

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• An information session will be offered for the 2017 Trailblaze Challenge, a 28.3-mile trek to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Jan. 28, at REI in Asheville. Hike weekends are May 19-21 and June 2-4. www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=116740 6.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have an eight-mile hike with a 1,900-foot ascent on Jan. 29 at The Pinnacle.

Info and reservations: 587.9453, 371.0347 or brent_martin@tws.org.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a 5.7-mile hike with a 1,300-foot ascent on Jan. 29 at John Rock Loop.

Info and reservations: 505.0471 or mwbromberg@yahoo.com.

• Friends of the Smokies hikes are offered on the second Tuesday of each month. www.friendsofthesmokies.org/hikes.html.

• Nantahala Hiking Club based in Macon County holds weekly Saturday hikes in the Nantahala National Forest and beyond. www.nantahalahikingclub.org • High Country Hikers, based out of Hendersonville but hiking throughout Western North Carolina, plans hikes every Monday and Thursday. Schedules, meeting places and more information are available on their website, www.highcountryhikers.org.

• Carolina Mountain Club hosts more than 150 hikes a year, including options for full days on weekends, full days on Wednesdays and half days on Sundays. Nonmembers contact event leaders. www.carolinamountainclub.org • Mountain High Hikers, based in Young Harris, Ga., leads several hikes per week. Guests should contact hike leader. www.mountainhighhikers.org.

• Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, located in East Tennessee, makes weekly hikes in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park as well as surrounding areas. www.smhclub.org.

• Benton MacKaye Trail Association incorporates outings for hikes, trail maintenance and other work trips.

No experience is necessary to participate. www.bmta.org.

• Diamond Brand's Women's Hiking Group meets on the third Saturday of every month. For more information, e-mail awilliams@diamondbrand.com or call 684.6262.

OUTDOOR CLUBS • The Jackson County Poultry Club will hold its regular meeting on the third Thursday of each month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office. The club is for adults and children and includes a monthly meeting with a program and a support network for those raising birds. For info, call 586.4009 or write heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

• The North Carolina Catch program, a three-phase conservation education effort focusing on aquatic envi-

ronments, will be offered 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.

• An RV camping club, the Vagabonds, camps one weekend per month from April through November. All ages welcome. No dues or structured activities. For details, write lilnau@aol.com or call 369.6669.

• The Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited meets the second Tuesday of the month starting with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Rendezvous restaurant located on the corner of Jonathan Creek Road and Soco Road in Maggie Valley. 631.5543.

• Cold Mountain Photographic Society is a camera/photography club for amateurs and professionals who want to learn about and share their knowledge of photography with others. Must be 18 or older to join. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month in the conference room of MedWest Health and Fitness Center, 262 Leroy George Drive in Clyde. More information at www.cmpsnc.org or info@cmpsnc.org.

• The Cherokee Runners meets each month on the 1st and 15th of the month (if the first falls on Sunday, the group meets on the 2nd), at the Age Link Conference Room. Group runs are being held each Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. starting at the Flame. www.cherokeerunners.com.

• The Jackson-Swain Master Gardeners' Association meets at 9:30 a.m. every second Wednesday at the Jackson Community Services Building on Scotts Creek Road in Sylva. Mike Glover at 736.2768 or lmgofish@gmail.com.

• Pigeon Valley Bassmasters Club will meet at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at J&S Cafeteria, Enka, Exit 44 off I-40. 712.2846.

• Macon County Horse Association meets at 7:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Macon County Fairgrounds Alumni Building. Education program and business meeting. ddoster@fs.fed.us.

• The Macon County Beekeepers Association meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the extension office located on Thomas Heights Road next to Jim Brown Chrysler on Highlands Road. New members welcome.

• Haywood Bee Keepers Association meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the NC Ag center on Raccoon Road. hcbees.org.

• Smoky Mountain Beekeepers meet at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month at the SCC Swain Center in Bryson City on Almond School Road. Open to anyone interested in honeybees. 554.6935.

• The Franklin Walking Club meets at 10 a.m. every Saturday (weather permitting) at the Tassee picnic shelter on the Greenway at the corner of Wells Grove Road and Ulco Drive. All fitness levels are welcome, call Linda at 421.7613.

Puzzles can be found on page 46.

These are only the answers.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MarketPlace information: The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

92

$

20’x20’

160

$

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828 Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

LAUREL RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB 2-Day Estate Sale. Professional Interior Designed Home, High Quality - Reasonable Prices!

Living Room, Den, Study, Kitchen, Bedroom - Houseful of Vintage, Antiques and Decorator Items as well as Rod-Iron Patio Furniture. Friday 9am - 4pm, Saturday 9am - 3pm. Located: 82 Summer Way, Waynesville (Off of Little Mountain Rd.) Presented by Frog Pond Estate Sales and Downsizing

AUCTION AUCTION Construction Equipment & Trucks BID ON-SITE & ONLINE! 1/24 @ 10 AM, Richmond, VA Excavators, Dozers, Road Tractors, Loaders, Dump Trucks, Trailers, & More! Accepting consignments through 1/20 3600 Deepwater Terminal Road www.motleys.como 804.232.3300 x4 o VAAL#16 ONLINE ONLY Bankruptcy Auction, of McCorkle Concrete, Trucks, Trailers & Finishing Equip, Gastonia, NC - Gaston Co., Begins Closing 1/23/17 at 2pm, Iron Horse Auction Company, Inc., ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL3936

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING FOR SALE: HEATILATOR I-60 Wood Burning Fireplace, for Built In Applications, Large Firebox Opening, with 30ft. Chimney.

New in Original Packaging, $600 For More Information Call 828.696.5039.

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 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 Now 800.701.9850 to receive $750 Off.

FROG POND ESTATE SALES HELPING IN HARD TIMES

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING BATHTUB REFINISHING Renew or change the color of your bathtub, tile or sink. Fiberglass repair specialists! 5 year warranty.

Locally owned since 1989.

CarolinasTubDoctor.com.

888.988.4430.

HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

MOTORCYCLES CRAZY BOB’S BIKER STUFF Jackets, Chaps, Vests, Helmets, Rain Gear, Saddlebags, Sissy Bar Bags, Tool Bags, Stickers, Patches. We also got you covered with 50 Sizes of Tarps: Heavy Duty Silver, Brown & Green, Blue & Silver, Blue & Camo.

1880 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville 828.926.1177

CARS ALL-WHEEL DRIVE BLACK SUV Saturn View 2009, 6-Cyl., Exc. Cond. $8,000. For More Info Call 828.586.8319 A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR For Breast Cancer! Help United Breast Foundation Education, Prevention, & Support Programs. Fast Free Pickup - 24 Hr Response - Tax Deduction 855.306.7348 SAPA

DOWNSIZING ESTATE SALES CLEAN OUT SERVICE • COMPANY TRANSFER • DIVORCE • LOST LOVED ONE

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!!

Top Dollar! Free Towing From Home, Office or body Shop. All Makes/Models 2000-2016. Same Day Pick-Up Available! Call Now: 1.800.761.9396 SAPA

828-734-3874 18 COMMERCE STREET WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28786 WWW.FROGLEVELDOWNSIZING.COM

STOP PAYING FOR Expensive Auto Repairs! Get discounted warranty coverage from the wholesale source, and don’t pay for expensive covered repairs!

Start saving now! Call 844.274.6148 SAPA

WE ARE KNOWN FOR HONESTY & INTEGRITY

January 18-24, 2017

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL BILLING & CODING Trainees! Process Insurance claims for Dr's & Hospitals!! No Experience Needed! Online Training can get you job ready!

1.888.512.7122 HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. careertechnical.edu/nc POSITION AVAILABLE Independent Living Specialist for fast paced nonprofit organization. Must have ability to multitask, have good listening skills with outgoing personality to assist people with disabilities in setting and reaching independent living goals. Must have the ability to interact with local, state and federal agencies. Ability to work independently, one on one or in a group setting. Degree in Human Services or work experience will be considered. A disability is required. Submit application along with resume to: Barbara Davis, DisAbility Partners, at 525 Mineral Springs Drive, Sylva NC 28779 or call 828.631.1167 for more information.

EMPLOYMENT TEACHER RECRUITMENT FAIR To fill 2017-18 Vacancies ~ did you know over 600 teaching positions were filled by 21 Virginia school divisions? Join us on Sat, Jan 28 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. @ Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA. See www.wvpec.org (Job Fair) for details. NO FEES. Sponsored by the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS Is Seeking a Motivated Professional Who Enjoys Meeting People and Helping Businesses with Their Marketing Needs. We Have an Immediate Opening for a Full-Time Sales Representative in Haywood County.

Contact Greg Boothroyd at: greg@smokymountainnews.com DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED! Learn to drive for Stevens Transport! No Experience Needed! New drivers can earn $900+ per week!

Paid CDL Training!

Stevens covers all costs!

1.888.748.4137 drive4stevens.com

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

WEATHERIZATION SPECIALIST Mountain Projects Inc. is currently accepting applications for a full-time Weatherization Specialist in Haywood County.

Must have experience with Weatherization Rehab, General Carpentry, Plumbing and Electrical experience in Construction Industry is needed. Please apply at MPI 2251 Old Balsam Rd Waynesville, NC 28786 or www.mountainprojects.org EOE/AA

U.S. NAVY IS HIRING Elite tech training withgreat pay, benefits, vacation, $ for school. HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon.-Fri. 800.662.7419

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING Get FAA certification to fix planes.

Approved for military benefits. Financial Aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.441.6890

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

DRIVE WITH UBER. No experience is required, but you'll need a Smartphone. It's fun and easy. For more information, call: 1.800.655.7452 DRIVERS: REGIONAL & OTR. Excellent Pay + Rider Program.

Family Medical/Dental Benefits.

Great Hometime + Weekends.

CDL-A, 1yr. Exp. 877.758.3905 FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Gunsmithing Instructor For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu EOE

GABBY - A TYPICAL GOOFBALL LOVE-BUG PITTIE GIRL, ONLY ABOUT ONE YEAR OLD. SHE IS STILL VERY MUCH A PUPPY, EXTREMELY PLAYFUL AND FAIRLY HIGH ENERGY. SHE WILL DO WELL WITH AN ACTIVE FAMILY WITH TIME FOR GIVING HER PLAYTIME AND TRAINING.

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! Publications sold at all major secular & specialty Christian bookstores. CALL Christian Faith Publishing Now for your FREE author submission kit.

1.800.914.0159

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400

www.smokymountainnews.com

Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available COLIN - A VERY HANDSOME BLUE-GRAY KITTEN ABOUT FOUR MONTHS OLD. HE IS MORE INDEPENDENT THAN HIS LITTER MATES, ADRIENNE AND BETTI, MAYBE BECAUSE HE'S THE ONLY MALE. HE DOES LOVE TO PLAY WITH HIS TOYS AND WILL BRING LOTS OF JOY TO HIS NEW FOREVER FAMILY.

OFFICE HOURS: Monday & Wednesday 8:00am - 4:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.273.3639 TDD# 1.800.735.2962

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 OUR HUNTERS WILL PAY Top $$$ To hunt your land. Call for a Free Base Camp Leasing info packet & Quote. 1.866.309.1507 www.BaseCampLeasing.com

MOBILE HOMES FOR SALE REPOSSESSED MOBILE HOMES. Move in ready. No rent option, but buying could be cheaper than rent!

Owner financing on select homes with approved credit.

336.790.0162

HOMES FOR SALE

MOBILE HOMES USED MOBILE HOMES Without land. All Sizes. $20K Cash or Less. Call 336.790.0162

COMM. PROP. FOR RENT PROFESSIONAL MEETING SPACE Located in Waynesville, Holds up to 90 People. Suitable for Seminars, Family Gatherings, Worship, Ect. Kitchen Area, Wifi/ Screen. For More Information and Rates for ROOM 1902 Call 828.454.7445 or 828.551.8960

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE FOR YOU 1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700 maggievalleyselfstorage.com

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your Mortgage? Denied a Loan Modification?

Is the bank threatening foreclosure? Call Homeowner’s Relief Line now for Help 844.359.4330 SAPA

12X28 STORAGE UNIT FOR RENT In Tuckaseegee, Half Mile Down Hwy. 281. $130/mo. For More Info Call 828.450.0534.

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.

CAVALIER ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Offering 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400 Section 8 Accepted - Rental Assistance When Available Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday 12:30pm - 4:00pm & Friday. 8:00am- 4:00pm 50 Duckett Cove Road, Waynesville

Phone # 1-828-456-6776 TDD # 1-800-725-2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

This is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

MOUNTAIN REALTY

Mieko Thomson

Commitment, consistency, results.

ROB ROLAND 828-400-1923

RROLAND33@GMAIL.COM

ROKER/R /REALTOR EALTOR®® BBROKER

Cell (828) 226-2298 Cell

44

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

Carolyn Lauter Broker/ABR

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

1986 SOCO ROAD, HWY 19 • MAGGIE VALLEY, NC 28751

828.734.4822 Cell • www.carolynlauter.com carolyn.lauter@realtyworldheritage.com

Find the home you are looking for at www.robrolandrealty.com Residential · Land · Commercial

FINANCIAL

SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.670.4805 to start your application today!

FURNITURE 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

LAWN & GARDEN HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS No Chemicals, Poisons or Anything to Harm the Environment.

Handmade in Haywood County. 1 for $20, 2 or More for $15 each.

828.593.8321

FOR SALE

PURPLE MARTIN GOURDS $3.95 each, reg $5.97 or mention this ad for 6 for $21.95. 9.5" diameter, lifetime warranty, Call 1.800.764.8688, www.skmfg.com

MEDICAL ATTENTION SMOKERS: Stop smoking with TBX-FREE! Clinically proven. More effective than patch or gum! Fast acting!

No Side Effects. 88% success rate!

Just $1.67 per day with 1 month supply. CALL 1.888.437.1556 SAPA

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

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!

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

www.amyspivey.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates

Taake akke the th he Viirt V irtual rtu tuual Toour T our! ou ur

$3889, $3 9,9000

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

MEDICAL A PLACE FOR MOM. The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. Call 1.800.319.8705 SAPA CHRONIC PAIN? Back or joint pain, arthritis? Recent Medicare/health coverage changes may benefit you! Products are little to No Cost, if qualified.

Free Shipping. Accredited Pain Specialists. CALL 1.800.803.0612 SAPA GET HELP NOW! One Button Senior Medical Alert.

Falls, Fires & Emergencies Happen.

24/7 Protection. Only $19.99/mo.

Call Now 888.876.6128 GOT KNEE PAIN? Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a pain-relieving brace at little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 800.480.7503 SAPA GREAT SLEEP = GREAT HEALTH! Save now on a new mattress delivered fast! We guarantee you’ll love sleeping on a SnoozeCubeBed.com SAPA LIFE ALERT. 24/7. One press of a button sends help FAST! Medical, Fire, Burglar.

Even if you can’t reach a phone!

FREE Brochure. Call 800.734.2638 LUNG CANCER? And 60 Years Old? If So, You And Your Family May Be Entitled To A Significant Cash Award. Call 800.375.9380 To Learn More.

No Risk. No Money Out Of Pocket.

SAPA 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 800.701.9850 for $750 Off. SAPA

MLS LS# 320125 2012577

Above A b v Mag Magg M g g iee Valley V yC Country Cou n t ry nt r y Club C b

Bruce rLLocally uoca ce Own M McG cGOpe oper vatetedeedrn vern occaally Ow Owned wne ned ed & Op Operated pera rat

2 BD/ D / 2 BA A 1904 190 9 0 4 Sq S q Ft F t - 2.

2 . 4455 Acres A r

m cgovern c g o v err npp ropertymgt@gmail opp err ty t y m g tt@ @ g m a i l . coo m

8288-45 452-1519 1519

s h a r o c k 1 3.com shamr 3 co

Dan Womack BROKER

243.1126

828.

• • • • •

beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - AnnEavenson@beverly-hanks.com Randy Flanigan - RandyFlanigan@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy - MichelleMcElroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - MarilynnObrig@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - BrookeParrott@beverly-hanks.com

• • • •

Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - EllenSither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - MikeStamey@beverly-hanks.com Pamela Williams - PamelaWilliams@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group • George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com

ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Boarder - sunburstrealty.com Haywood Properties - haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox - info@haywoodproperties.com Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff.yourkwagent.com • Yvonne Kolomechuk - yvonneksells.yourkwagent.com

MOUNTAIN REALTY

26 N. Main St. • Waynesville, NC • 828-564-9393

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Home Properties

Committed to Exceeding Expectations

Marilynn Obrig

Residential Broker Associate

(828) 550-2810

mobrig@Beverly-Hanks.com

www.Beverly-Hanks.com

——————————————

GEORGE

ESCARAVAGE BROKER/REALTOR

—————————————— 7 BEAVERDAM ROAD - SUITE 207

ASHEVILLE, NC 28804

828.400.0901

GESCAR@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell - smokiesproperty.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

Realty World Heritage Realty realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766 • Martha Sawyer realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7769

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty • • • • • •

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson - ncsmokies.com The Morris Team - maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team - the-real-team.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

smokymountainnews.com

CHAMPION SUPPLY Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581, 828.225.1075.

SFR, ECO, GREEN

January 18-24, 2017

SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $4397.00- Make & Save Money with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship! Free Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1.800.578.1363 Ext.300N

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

WNC MarketPlace

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

Rob Roland Realty • Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 45

www.smokymountainnews.com

January 18-24, 2017

WNC MarketPlace

Super

46

CROSSWORD

FOR FANS OF GORE ACROSS 1 Ditzy types 9 Stains, as with blood 16 Yearn (for) 20 Hellish 21 Powder from chili peppers 22 Drive- — 23 Meat-curing company?

25 Look as though 26 “— Fideles” (Yule carol) 27 Inning divisions 29 Form of jazz 30 R&B singer with the 1965 hit “Hold What You’ve Got” 33 Last time you’ll ever pull into a garage?

39 Gerund ending 40 Angsty music genre 43 Placed (down) 44 Tasting rich and sweet 45 Messenger bringing news to cows?

50 See 13-Down 51 “It’s the end of —!”

52 Lance of the O.J. trial 53 Real bargain 55 Observe 58 “Let’s hear it” 60 Ger.’s home 62 Stephen of “Citizen X” 64 Croft of video games 65 “The Catcher in the Rye” author’s tune penner?

71 Old crone 74 Lav in a pub 75 Build — (make one’s home) 76 Geller of psychic acts 77 Lamb suckler

78 Obsolete provider of stability?

83 Slangy suffix with buck 84 Vehicle-towing org.

85 Cong. member 86 Looked hard 90 Turf again 92 Division of Islam 96 Trunk bone 98 Very brief time 99 Movable kayak fin 101 “You already know the answer is ‘team spirit,’ right?”

104 Large arboreal snake 107 Russian city 108 Co. suit 109 Paver’s goo 110 Shoes worn in the Sahara?

113 In recent days 116 “My life” book 117 Eight, in German 118 Practically 121 Edison’s middle name 123 Piece from “The Domestic Oratorio”?

131 NY Met, e.g.

132 Came 133 #1 Bruce Springsteen album of 1980 134 Emmy winner Sedgwick 135 Not unfeeling 136 Blood vessel to the heart DOWN 1 Belittle, informally 2 — fix (stuck) 3 Eagles’ org.

4 Insinuate

5 Groom’s counterpart 6 Added on 7 Dogs’ jinglers 8 ATM feature 9 Cold dessert 10 Scratch, e.g.

11 Off — mile 12 On Social Sec., say 13 With 50-Across, workers’ advocates, for short 14 Sufficient 15 Summoned 16 “— true!”

17 Nickname of Boston’s locale 18 Louisiana cuisine style 19 Like camels 24 Liveliness 28 Bone-to-muscle joiner 30 Holy war 31 Bridge bid, briefly 32 White heron 34 Styled after 35 Some vermin 36 Chanteuse Eartha 37 Sit in neutral 38 Language for a Sherpa 41 Me, to Gigi 42 Many a time 46 Warlike god 47 Refrain syllables 48 Puma 49 Be worthy of 54 Boost 56 Flight staff 57 Tortoise rival 59 Novelist Mario Vargas — 61 Casino city 63 “That’s —!” (film-set cry) 66 Greek I’s 67 Sleep cycle part 68 Old fast fliers, briefly

69 People who aren’t you 70 Meet, as the challenge 71 I-beam relative 72 River in Switzerland 73 Gives short shrift to 79 “Well, — here!”

80 Man-goat god 81 Computer of the 1940s 82 N. Mex., before 1912 87 Calf catcher 88 Showiness 89 Plow maker 91 “Smash” star Messing 93 A noble gas 94 Egghead 95 Brain gain 97 “Farewell!”

100 Entrapments in lies, e.g.

102 In bad health 103 Small aquatic rail 104 Financial co. for which the Boston Celtics’ arena is named 105 Comic Charles Nelson — 106 On dry land 111 Done to — (wellcooked) 112 NBC fixture since ’75 114 Plant life 115 Tune’s text 119 1999 Ron Howard film 120 Feel sore 122 Noted coach Parseghian 124 Family gal 125 A Gabor 126 Riled, with “up” 127 Keats poem 128 A Gardner 129 O.T. book 130 Pitching stat

answers on page 42

PERSONAL MAKE A CONNECTION. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call now 1.888.909.9978 18+. SAPA TIRED OF THE SAME OLD Dating sites? Meet real people in your area & make a new connection on your terms! 18+ Only.

Call 1.800.610.0814 SAPA YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

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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 42

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

The probably not so Big Year he 2011 movie “The Big Year” — a comedy starring Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson — didn’t ruffle a lot of feathers. According to Wikipedia, the movie with its $41 million budget only grossed $7.4 million.

But the Cornell Lab of Ornithology reviewed the movie shortly after it opened and found, “… this film is an enjoyable tramp through America’s wilds and through the familial tangles of its three main characters. Peppered with polite humor, a bit of slapstick, and many gorgeous — and remarkably accurate — birds, this PG movie, directed by David Frankel, will entertain most any family, birding or nonbirding.”

So it seems birders found the movie — based on Mark Obmascik’s nonfiction book about the American Birding Association’s (ABA) 1998 Big Year contest, The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession, to be pretty accurate with regards to their chosen hobby.

I didn’t see the movie and unlike many

T

birders, I am not a lister. I don’t know why — it’s just never been a focus. I have, off and on, and in one place or another, generally a field guide I was using at the time, kept a “sort of ” life list dating back to when I took ornithology in college in 19 — well, a long time ago. I have often thought (and still occasionally think) one day when I find my roundtoit — I will collect those old guides and come up with some semblance of a life list.

But for this year, I’ve decided to keep a year list. Call it reckless abandon; call it throwing caution to the wind; call it senility — but whatever it is I’m doing it.

And I’m off to a bang-up start. I already have 55 species for 2017. And I actually have one pretty neat bird that I often don’t see unless I get to do a little birding on a spurof-the-moment trip to Louisiana, and that’s a loggerhead shrike. I saw a shrike hovering/foraging in an abandoned field in Spartanburg County, S.C., near Campobello on a recent trip down to visit family.

One facet of bird listing is always the same. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Big Day, a Christmas Count, a Feeder Watch, a Big Sit or whatever — but they all start out gangbusters, everything you see goes on the list,

but then reality sets in and after the usual suspects what you see are the usual suspects again and again. And maybe that’s why listing was never high on my, uh, list. I actually don’t mind seeing chestnut-sided warblers, black-throated blue warblers, yellow-throated warblers, indigo buntings, scarlet tanagers and so on, again and again.

This will be my list. This is not some kind of ABA Big Year contest or any officially sanctioned birding endeavor — I was just

This purple finch has already been recorded for my year list. Don Hendershot photo curious about how many different species of birds I normally run into throughout the year. And that made me curious about why other birders kept lists, so I posted the question to Carolina Birders’ Facebook page.

Most of the responders recommend using eBird to keep your list. If you want to go that route you can check it out at

http://ebird.org/content/ebird. And for the serious lister — the ABA rules can be found here http://listing.aba.org/aba-recordingrules. Most of the responders appear to keep a list for the same reason I decided to — curious about the birds they normally encounter throughout the year, and it looks like for most of those birders the average is around 200 species for the year.

Then of course there are those birders like my friend Simon Thompson who messaged me to say that his 2016year list was 1,700 species.

Granted, Simon has the resources and connections to be able to do a little globehopping to see birds. But when he’s not on some leisurely birding expedition he’s hard at work as owneroperator at Ventures Birding Tours, leading globe-hopping birding expeditions around the world. Ventures actually also leads numerous trips right here in Western North Carolina throughout the year with Simon or other knowledgeable guides at the helm.

It’s a great way to learn about birds if you’re a novice or to find some of those target birds for your Big Year.

Me, I’ll just mark this shrike down on the back of this envelope and get ready to scout my feeders in the morning.

Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He can be reached at ddihen1@bellsouth.net.

January 18-24, 2017 Smoky Mountain News 47

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