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February 14-20, 2018 Vol. 19 Iss. 38

Haywood GOP officer sues over mocking memes Page 4 Adaptive ski program opens doors at Cataloochee Page 34

CONTENTS On the Cover: The Western Carolina University community is celebrating this week as its head basketball coach Larry Hunter led his team to a victory against Samford on Feb. 3. The win was a significant Southern Conference victory, as Hunter became one of only 40 other NCAA men's basketball coaches with 700 career wins. (Page 6) WCU photo

News Planning process kicks off for Cashiers ......................................................................3 Haywood GOP officer sues over mocking memes ..................................................4 Candidates sign up to run for office ..............................................................................5 Calendar flexibility eludes WNC schools ....................................................................8 WCU voices priorities for chancellor search ............................................................10 Mission looking for new location for MAMA ............................................................11 Nonprofits to utilize Charity Tracker ............................................................................12 Medicaid reform is coming to N.C. ............................................................................13 School board corrects Open Meetings violation ....................................................14 Ballot tampering alleged in Cherokee ........................................................................16 Education News ................................................................................................................19

Opinion Breathing in the good ......................................................................................................20

A&E A conversation with Marcus King ................................................................................24

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

February 14-20, 2018

Adaptive ski program opens doors at Cataloochee ..............................................34

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Visioning Cashiers’ future Planning process kicks off for mountain community

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER n effort to envision the future of Cashiers is now underway as work begins to create a small area plan for the unincorporated Jackson County community.

Jackson County has engaged the Raleighbased firm Stewart — which will partner with Asheville-based Friction Shift Projects — as consultants on the project, which is managed by the Jackson County Planning Department.

The team will be working through April or so to gain a baseline understanding of how different segments of the community would like to see Cashiers grow, delivering a draft plan to the Cashiers Community Planning Council in May or June.

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COMMUNITY PRIORITIES

The process • January: kick-off meeting, site visits, data gathering • February: Begin inventory and existing conditions • March: Start plan development and design concepts • April: Hold three-day workshop to gather input from community stakeholders* • May/June: Deliver draft plan to the Cashiers Community Planning Council • June/July: Secure required approvals of the plan from Cashiers Council, Jackson County Planning Board and Jackson County Commissioners Information and resources related to the planning effort are posted at www.planning.jacksonnc.org/cashierssmall-area-plan. *The Jackson County Planning Department is discussing delaying the three-day workshop until later in the year, when summer residents would be in town.

This possibility means that the later part of the schedule is subject to change.

THE PLANNING PROCESS To dig deeper into these needs and more, the group from Stewart and Friction Shift will do a three-day series of interviews, community meetings and on-the-ground observations.

The firm will also meet with stakeholder groups — groups of people chosen to represent the various perspectives present in the community. Some of those meetings have already taken place.

“It gives us a little bit of a view into the community, and it also gives us a list of people that maybe we haven’t reached out to that we need to reach out to,” Jackie Turner of Stewart told the audience Jan. 22.

The schedule presented during the January meeting called for the three-day

“Workforce development is my huge interest. It’s something I work with the (Cashiers Area) Chamber of Commerce on. We all have to worry about how to bring in employees here.”

Smoky Mountain News

undergo lengthy commutes when they find themselves unable to afford housing closer to work. That can be a hard sell, making good employees difficult to retain.

“Workforce development is my huge interest,” said Brandy Letson, who owns Cashiers Valley Pharmacy with her husband Mark. “It’s something I work with the (Cashiers Area) Chamber of Commerce on.

We all have to worry about how to bring in employees here.”

Looking for new opportunities to attract folks to Cashiers is also a must, said Roy Jamison, of Friends of Lake Glenville.

“You look at what Cherokee just did.

Building that mountain biking trail in Cherokee has attracted people to that area, and then they rent bikes from there and

everything,” Jamison said. “Every time we go, we go have lunch there. There are a whole lot of different ways we can attract people here.”

The difficulty of accessing reliable broadband internet and cell service is another priority that residents would like to see addressed in the new plan. Outside of the main crossroads of Cashiers, such connections are hard to come by.

“Any kind of internet access is datacapped, slow, expensive,” said Maria Chasins.

“Sometimes we sort of feel like we’re living in a third-world country.”

“The broadband situation here is dreadful,” agreed Dan Chasins. “We’re not unique in that by any means, but I think it’s something that all of Western North Carolina should be addressing.”

February 14-20, 2018

Workforce housing, improved pedestrian walkways and broadband internet were foremost in the minds of more than 50 people to attend the kickoff meeting for the planning effort, held Jan. 22.

“I think the pedestrian issue is a big issue,” said Maria Chasins, who lives about 4 miles south of the crossroads with her husband Dan. “The community is lovely in its size now. It’s small — it’s one of the things that’s charming about the community. But it is difficult to navigate the so-called downtown area because there is a lack of sidewalks.”

It was a sentiment echoed by many that night, with more people than not having an anecdote involving heavy traffic or poor weather coupled with the sight of a person walking on the pavement of N.C. 107 as a means to get from A to B. Workforce housing was just as prominent of an issue.

“We definitely need to do something with housing,” said Justin Allman, who owns Firemoss Pottery. “We need affordable homes for people who are trying to make a living here. We can’t just have $500,000 homes, and then that’s it.”

Cashiers is known for its high-value homes, coveted by single homeowners looking for a mountain getaway or wealthy retirees moving into a new phase of life. But the mountain community is primarily tourismdriven, and the people hired to welcome guests in industries ranging from restaurants to hospitality to recreation are often forced to

Area residents attend a planning workshop to begin envisioning what the future looks like for the small mountain community of Cashiers.

workshop to take place in April, with Turner explaining it had been scheduled so as to allow seasonal residents not present in the wintertime to participate. However, multiple members of the audience asked whether it could be done later, perhaps May or June, since seasonal residents aren’t typically around in April.

In an email, Planning Director Michael Poston said that the timing of the three-day workshop is under review as a result of those comments. Dates will likely be available in the next few weeks, he said.

The small area plan will be the first planning effort targeted to the Cashiers area since the Mountain Landscapes Initiative, which the Southwestern Commission prepared in 2007 and 2008. The Jackson County Comprehensive Plan, which commissioners adopted last year, directed that the planning department start working on small area plans targeted to the various unincorporated communities within the county, Cashiers foremost among them.

Turner told the group Jan. 22 that her team would revisit the recommendations contained in the Mountain Landscapes Initiative to determine if those findings are still relevant to the community. Any findings that still have merit would then be rolled into the new plan. The plan will also incorporate goals from other planning documents, such as the Jackson County Comprehensive Transportation Plan.

“We’re not throwing out the baby with the bathwater,” Poston said of the Mountain Landscapes lan. “If there’s good ideas in there, we’re going to revet those ideas.”

Besides, he said, at this point 10 years have passed since the Mountain Landscapes Initiative — which county commissioners never adopted — was completed. It’s typical to update such plans every five to seven years, so Cashiers is overdue for a fresh planning process.

Not everyone agreed.

“In a nutshell, I would say to say, ‘it’s 10 years old and a lot has changed’ is just wrong,” said Steve Zoukis, who was involved with the creation of the Mountain Landscapes Initiative. “In 10 years nothing’s changed.”

As part of the plan, Turner said, Stewart’s engineers will come up with baseline estimated costs for the various goals proposed. In addition to identifying those goals, the process will include prioritizing them. The community may identify 20 different things that it wants to see happen, but the question is, which of those could likely be accomplished in one year? Five years? Ten? The more focused the community is with its priorities, she said, the more success it stands to achieve in making the changes it desires.

— Brandy Letson, Cashiers Valley Pharmacy

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Haywood GOP officer sues over mocking memes

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ticks and stones may break some bones, but according to a lawsuit filed by one local politico, the memes can sometimes hurt, too.

The lawsuit, filed in Haywood County Feb. 6, states that Plaintiff Debbie King has suffered “emotional psychological distress, embarrassment, humiliation, physical disability, loss of appetite [and] stress” over a series of doctored images — commonly called “memes” — circulating around the internet.

Named as a defendant in the suit is the Haywood Republican Alliance, a splinter faction of right-leaning political activists that have been unendingly troublesome to the mainstream Haywood County Republican Party, of which King serves as vice chair of the HCGOP. This isn’t the first time social media posts have generated controversy among the two adversarial groups, which have been pitted against each other since members of what would become the HRA were ousted from power in the HCGOP during a counterinsurgency staged at party elections last spring.

Individually named in the suit are defendants Eddie Cabe, Jeremy Davis, and HRA Treasurer Richard West, who along with fellow HRA member Monroe Miller were given the boot from the formal party apparatus last fall on charges of party disloyalty that arose largely from social media. Miller is not named in the suit.

King’s allegations stem from photographs and videos she says were disseminated by HRA members in mid-2017.

Exhibits presented by King in the suit show an April 27 Facebook post allegedly made

by Cabe that features the faces of King and HCGOP Chairman Ken Henson superimposed on the bodies of 1960s pop superstars Sonny and Cher.

That image was made into a button dubbed the “Kebbie” button, which further exhibits a “Kebbie” button being worn and allegedly sold by Davis at the Hillbilly Jam Festival in July.

“Eddie Cabe we’ve almost sold out of

Exhibit D-4 as presented by HCGOP Vice Chair Debbie King, who is suing members of the Haywood Republican Alliance over unauthorized use of her likeness. Below: HCGOP Vice Chair Debbie King (left) and Chairman Ken Henson depicted as 1970s pop duo Sonny & Cher on a button at the center of a lawsuit by King.

Smoky Mountain News

February 14-20, 2018

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Donated photo

Kebbie buttons at hillbilly jam can you bring some more by here please,” reads a Facebook post by Davis that’s also presented as an exhibit in the suit.

The image itself was generated from videos anonymously created on Jibjab.com, a popular website that allows users to customize photos and videos with whimsical templates and soundtracks for use as internet greeting cards.

One video showed King and Henson appearing in a video parody of Danish electro-pop group Aqua’s 1997 hit, “Barbie Girl,” while another depicts them as Sonny and Cher, locked in an embrace, singing their 1965 chart-topper “I Got You Babe.”

According to an exhibit presented by King, the Sonny and Cher video was posted to a closed Facebook group by Paul Yeager, an HRA member who was acquitted of the same party disloyalty charges that befell Cabe, Davis and Miller last year and was recently acquitted of an alleged assault on HCGOP precinct chair Ted Carr. Yeager is not named in the suit.

Perhaps the most salacious exhibit offered by King is an otherwise innocentlooking photo of King with NCGOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse at a

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recent GOP function that prompted a brief Facebook discussion of the 1970s porn classic “Debbie Does Dallas.”

A subsequent exhibit opines that the totality of the situation infers a romantic relationship between King and Henson, who are both married.

King’s suit thus alleges invasion of privacy by appropriation of name or likeness and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and goes on to say that she’s been “damaged in her reputation, her prestige, her social standing, and has suffered embarrassment and humiliation amongst the community and her peers, friends and acquaintances.”

As a result, King wants more than $75,000 in damages plus attorney’s fees from the defendants, and also asks the court to order a cessation of the publication, sale, distribution or use of her likeness.

Davis said Feb. 11 that neither he nor anyone else named in the suit was responsible for generating the video, but he did make “a dozen or two” buttons at most, and that they weren’t for sale but were instead given away to those who’d expressed prior interest in having one made.

“I’m yet to talk to legal representation, but I feel as though it’s comical,” Davis said.

Davis thinks King could be considered a public figure by virtue of her standing for election to the office of vice chair of a semipublic political organization that has the sole intention of publicizing its political agenda, candidates and platform.

“She opened the door to this through her position and all she has to do if she can’t stand public scrutiny for all the nefarious things she’s done is step down,” he said, J referring to pre-existing disputes between King and members of the HRA. “If she can’t deal with a little criticism for her actions, she doesn’t need to be in that position. She needs to have thicker skin.“ Davis thinks that even though King probably won’t prevail in her suit, she can force the HRA or its members to engage in a costly legal battle.

“This is definitely a case of paper terrorism.

This is just to get us in court, to spend money and have something else to pay. And that’s OK,” he said.

“I’ll gladly do that.”

As to how the suit advances the ideological goals that King and Davis and the HCGOP and the HRA still share, Davis was succinct.

“This lawsuit just goes to show how foolish and inadequate the HCGOP leadership is. It does zero for the conservative cause, the Republican Party or anybody involved.”

King and her attorney Russell McLean III did not return requests for comment.

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STAFF R EPORTS ith the sign-up period now underway, candidate are throwing their names in the hat to run for various local and state offices.

The candidate sign-up period started Monday, Feb. 12, and ends Wednesday, Feb. 28. Until it’s over, there will be plenty of uncertainty and speculation regarding who might run in the May 8 Primary Election.

JACKSON COUNTY

HAYWOOD COUNTY

51 51 UNION UNION OTTO OTTO DAYCARE DAYCARE ROAD ROAD FRANKLIN, FRANKLIN, NC NC 28734 28734 828-421-7782 828-421-7782 OR OR 828-371-2341 828-371-2341

MACON COUNTY All three county commissioner incumbents in Macon — Robbie Beale, D-Franklin, Gary Shields, R-Franklin, and Jim Tate, RHighlands — have all signed up to run for another four-year term on the board. As of Tuesday at press time, no challengers had signed up to run against them.

Sheriff Robert Holland, R-Franklin, has signed up to run and will be challenged by Bryan Carpenter. Carpenter petitioned to run as an unaffiliated candidate, which means he must obtain signatures from 4 percent — or 1,018 registered voters in Macon — to be able to run against the sitting sheriff.

Incumbents for Register of Deeds Todd Raby and Clerk of Court Vic Perry don’t yet have any challengers.

SWAIN COUNTY Democratic incumbent commissioners Danny Burns and Ben Bushyhead are up for re-election but neither had filed to run again as of Feb. 13.

Democrat Commissioner Roger Parsons, who was appointed last year to fill the vacancy left after the passing of Commissioner David Monteith, will officially run to fill the remainder of Monteith’s four-year term.

Kevin Seagle, who works in the Swain County building inspections department, has also signed up to run for commissioner.

Commission Chairman Phil Carson has signed up to run for another term as chairman and didn’t have any challengers as of Feb. 13.

Swain’s incumbent Republican Sheriff Curtis Cochran will have competition this year. Democrat Rocky Sampson has signed up to run against him.

Democrat Misti Watson Jones is running for clerk of court and Democrat Diana Williamson Kirkland is running for register of deeds.

STATE RACES n U.S. House of Representatives District 11 Phillip Price, D-Nebo

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Smoky Mountain News

In Haywood County, five candidates have signed up to run for three open seats on the board of commissioners. Incumbents Mike Sorrells and Kirk Kirkpatrick, both Waynesville Democrats, are running to reclaim their seats and will be challenged by Waynesville Democrats Danny Davis and Steven Pless, and Canton Republican Thomas Long. Incumbent Bill Upton has not indicated his intent to run for another term.

Hunter Plemmons, who was recently appointed to the position of Clerk of Superior Court to replace June Ray, is the only one signed up so far to run for the seat.

Haywood County Register of Deeds Sherri Rogers, D-Waynesville, will be running for another term, but doesn’t have a challenger yet.

Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher, D-Clyde, has signed up to run for a second term.

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February 14-20, 2018

Election filing is off to a slow start in Jackson County, with only six people signing up to run for one of nine open offices in the first day of the sign-up period.

The 2018 elections will determine three of five seats on both the Jackson County Board of Commissioners and the Jackson County Board of Education, as well as the sheriff, register of deeds, clerk of superior court and a handful of regional offices.

None of the three incumbent commissioners up for election had filed as of press time Tuesday, but one challenger did — Democrat Gayle Woody, who will run for the seat currently held by Republican Charles Elders.

Sheriff Chip Hall, a Democrat, will seek re-election, as will Ken Henke, chairman of the non-partisan school board. Joe Hamilton, a Democrat, will seek re-election to his seat as the Jackson County Register of Deeds.

While Elizabeth Melton has filed for reelection as the Jackson County Clerk of Superior Court, she will see a Primary Election challenge from her fellow Democrat Kim Coggins Poteet.

Of the five people who had filed for partisan office in Jackson County as of press time, all were Democrats.

Haywood County Tax Collector Mike Matthews hasn’t officially filed the paperwork, but indicated he did plan to run for another term. If he does sign up to run, he will face challengers Greg West, DWaynesville, and Andrew “Tubby” Ferguson, R-Waynesville.

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Candidates sign up to run for office W

n NC House of Representatives District 118 (i) Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville Rhonda Schandevel, D-Canton n NC House of Representatives District 119 Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville

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February 14-20, 2018

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Coach Larry Hunter leads the men’s basketball team at Western Carolina University for a win against Samford Feb. 3, which marked 700 career victories for Hunter in the NCAA.

A LIFE IN COACHING WCU’s Hunter earns career 700th win

Smoky Mountain News

BY TODD VINYARD S PECIAL TO THE S MOKY MOUNTAIN N EWS estern Carolina University head basketball coach Larry Hunter’s team had beaten Samford 88-71 on Feb. 3 for a significant Southern Conference victory, and he had become one of only 40 other NCAA men’s basketball coaches with 700 career wins. Despite the milestone, Hunter followed his postgame routine of 46 years in coaching — finish the work of game day and prepare for the next game.

“I was very appreciative of all the nice things people said and did after the game. I just kept my normal routine,” said Hunter, who is one of the top 10 winningest active coaches in NCAA Division I. “I did the radio interview and press conference. I checked the locker room one last time. Then I came up to my office, and the staff had the game ready for me to review.

After everybody left, I took two hours to do edits of the game film to be ready to work on Sunday,” he said. “I did go on my phone, and there were some very nice texts and messages. I went home and went to bed and came back here to get back at it. In this business, you’ve got take care of each day, or you will not be around long.”

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Players say, true to form, Hunter never brought up the 700th win leading up to the Samford game. His focus was on the game and the opponent.

“He never talked about the 700th win. It was all about that game and being ready to play. He certainly didn’t ask, but we wanted to get that win for him,” WCU senior guard Deriece Parks said. “I think it was one of the best games we have played all year. When you play for a coach like Coach Hunter, you wanted to give your best for him. It was special to be on the team that earned that win.”

HARD WORK,

“You have to adjust, and that is the fun part of this job, along with seeing these young people grow into adults.

To be successful, you have to keep growing.”

— Larry Hunter, WCU head basketball coach

“Larry Hunter knows what he is doing,” Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said after his squad faced the Catamounts earlier this year in Chapel Hill. “He is a big-time coach, and I’ve known him for a long time.”

COMPETITIVE NATURE

ALWAYS WANTED

Hunter’s path to 700 wins and joining company with names like UNC’s Roy Williams and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski has been driven by a work ethic, love of helping young people grow and a competitive nature to always keep striving to be better. It has seen him go from his first job that involved living in the gym and coaching women’s soccer, all the way to being part of more than 850 wins as a head and assistant coach, including the last 13 years in Cullowhee.

TO BE A COACH From the beginning of that long time in coaching, Hunter knew it was what he was meant to do. His Ohio high school coach Gerald Inbody, who he still calls often and goes to the state basketball championships with each year, inspired him. Inbody showed Hunter that coaching could be a way to work with young people, compete and have a career.

He was one of several coaching influences

Hunter cites as helping him in the profession.

During his first year as head coach at Wittenberg University, Hunter led the Division III school to a national championship and won 305 games in 13 years. He then returned to his alma mater Ohio University and won 204 games in 12 years.

Then came a stint as an assistant and associate head coach at N.C. State, where the Wolfpack reached the NCAA tournament in all four of his years in Raleigh.

Hunter arrived in Cullowhee having made 18 total trips as a coach with teams to the NCAA Tournament to lead a school in WCU that has made one trip to the March Big Dance in 1996. He went right to work.

“This area reminds me of where I grew up outside of Athens, Ohio, away from larger cities, and I’m very comfortable here,”

A TEACHER AT HEART Teaching has been an essential part of Hunter’s life. He was a tenured professor while at Wittenburg and taught classes in coaching at Ohio University and Western Carolina. All but one player he has recruited who completed their eligibility at WCU has graduated.

Hunter quickly can recall players who had successful basketball careers like Brian Agler, who was part of the Whittenburg national

inward and make sure you are doing all you can. The basketball season can be a grind, and he keeps holding people accountable to do their best each day including himself.

Players here sometimes hate it, and then they graduate, and they will say ‘you know he was right, it takes an effort every day.’”

SUPPORT AT HOME

championship team and has won four professional titles as a coach in the WNBA, but he lights up talking about a long list of players who are executives in business, doctors, lawyers and successes in other fields, and just as importantly he adds “good fathers and contributors in their communities.”

Hunter has spent more than five decades in coaching. He has seen it all and seen it again sometimes, but for him, it has always been about the players, the team, the season and the next game.

“I was coaching when whatever you said was the rule, and then I was coaching when they questioned everything,” Hunter said before adding with a smile. “Now I’m coaching when they have all the answers. I’ve seen it all from hairdos to styles of play. I once saw a game with no shot clock that was 4-2 at halftime. You have to adjust, and that is the fun

• • • •

Feb. 15 vs. Wofford, Cullowhee, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 17 vs. ETSU, Cullowhee, 2 p.m.

Feb. 23 vs. Furman, Cullowhee, 7 p.m.

Feb. 25 vs. The Citadel, Cullowhee, 2 p.m.

part of this job, along with seeing these young people grow into adults. To be successful, you have to keep growing.”

Growing means dealing with adversity like WCU’s Deriece Parks had to last year when injury ended his season 11 games in after a promising start.

“Coach Hunter had the same injury, and he talked to me about it and what I would need to do and he was with me the whole time to get through it to this year,” Parks said. “The first couple of years were tough with Coach Hunter, and I needed it. He teaches that no matter what you need to be on time and give your best effort. That is something I can take into life every day. Those kinds of lessons about how to be successful is what I think about when I think about Coach Hunter.”

Being successful includes winning on the court for this competitive coach. His teams have finished well at the end of past seasons with two Southern Conference Tournament Championship game appearances in three years from 2011-12 to 2013-14. This year’s squad remains in the hunt for one of the top six spots in the SoCon to avoid playing on the first day of the conference tournament in March in Asheville. Last year the team won nine games while dealing with injuries and lack of depth. This year’s squad has won three of their last four games with a record of 12-14 overall and 7-6 in the Southern Conference and four of the final five games at home in the Ramsey Center this season.

Hunter has often said he likes this year’s Catamount team with the blend of new players like junior college transfer Mike Amius, a physical forward who has made an immediate impact for the Cats, and veterans like Parks. The coach is ready for another stretch run at the end of the season involving late nights studying video and looking for edges to finish the season strong.

“Players have been accepting their roles this year,” Hunter said. “We have stayed connected and had each other’s backs. We are continually improving, and that is a good sign. We are consistently moving forward.

Overall, I would like to win championships here, but we’ve been consistent about what we are doing. We haven’t gotten over the hump to make the NCAA Tournament. I’m a competitor, and that disappoints me. But all things have a way of working out. Maybe it is in our future. We’ll keep working for it.”

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Smoky Mountain News

Players are quick to give Hunter credit for being a role model with this work ethic and attitude to improve every day, and Hunter is just as quick to credit his wife, the former Mary Kay Friedrich, for being a great partner in his coaching journey.

“She has been so supportive and a great person to talk to about things that are going on with our team,” Hunter said, adding with a smile. “She isn’t a sports fan but she does get on the refs at our games, and she knows our basketball system because she hears so much about it from me. We’ve given each other balance and we’ve been a great team.”

Mary, also an Ohio native who was a dental hygienist before retiring a couple of years ago, got some advice about what the ride of being married to a coach would be like that she has found to be very accurate.

— WCU senior guard Deriece Parks

The WCU men’s basketball team has four of its final five regular season games in Cullowhee. After the regular season the Southern Conference Tournament takes place March 2-5 in Asheville with seedings to be announced after the regular season is complete. For more information visit www.catamountsports.com.

February 14-20, 2018

Hunter said. “I wanted this challenge to bring some stability and a system here. Hopefully, we’ve done that. I worked for two very good athletic directors Chip Smith and Randy (Eaton). I took the job because of the vision John Bardo had of athletics being the front door of the university and then Chancellor (David) Belcher’s leadership enhanced our university even more. There has been so much positive change here. It has been fun to be a small part of that.”

The stability Hunter brought to the WCU program includes Catamount ties on his staff, including assistant coach Brigham Waginger, who has been an assistant at WCU since 2010 and played for Hunter before that. Waginger set the school record for steals with 285 in a career where he was known for hard-nosed play on both ends of the court. Hunter regularly asks Waginger and his staff if at 68 years old he is still connecting with players or needs to make changes. Waginger says Hunter’s communication and example continue to reach players of today.

“First and foremost, Coach Hunter lives what he preaches,” Waginger said. “He shows up early and stays late. He is constantly evaluating everything. He always says when things are not going right you need to look

The first couple of years were tough with Coach Hunter, and I needed it.

He teaches that no matter what you need to be on time and give your best effort. That is something I can take into life every day.

Catamounts closing 2018 in Cullowhee

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Despite all the well wishes and media interviews, WCU Coach Larry Hunter treated his 700th win like any other day on the court.

“Forty years ago I got some sage advice from another coach’s wife who had been coaching for a while — ‘the highs will be high, and the lows will be low, and there will not be much in between, and you have to be ready for it all.’ Those words have been true,” Mary said. “Beyond the wins and losses we’ve watched young men grow up and be successful. Larry really believes in sports building character and preparing young people for life. We often get the nicest notes from former players he coached and what he meant to them. He is true believer in the life lessons sports provides.”

While Mary partners with her husband Larry in his passion for basketball, he has been a partner in her love for rescue dogs.

They have five now, and Mary says with a laugh, “they are happy to see you at home, win or lose.” Her husband admits that working with dogs can be like working with basketball players, “they are easy to love, but they will test you sometimes, too.”

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Calendar flexibility eludes WNC schools

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER orth Carolina is a huge state with tremendous climactic, economic and geographic diversity, but after a wicked bout of weird weather, including hurricanes in the mountains and blizzards on the beaches, the state’s one-size-fits all school calendar law still leaves many western counties singing the summertime blues.

Despite unusual unity within both the Republican-controlled N.C. House and Western North Carolina’s legislative delegation, repeated attempts to give schools local control over their own school calendars have been stymied by a small group of legislators who have over the years taken thousands from a tourism PAC that opposes calendar changes it says would endanger jobs in the tourism industry.

One WNC legislator says he plans a renewed push in the coming legislative session, but with kids caught between lobbyists and legislators and lots of cash on the line, will school calendar flexibility bills ever make it to the mountains?

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READING, WRITING

Smoky Mountain News

February 14-20, 2018

AND POLITICS

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Under current legislation in place since July 1, 2013, most North Carolina schools must start no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26; additionally, students can be dismissed no later than the Friday closest to June 11.

What happens in between those dates can be unpredictable, weather-wise, but Haywood schools miss an average of eight days a year mainly due to snow and ice.

“We don’t have the flexibility of starting earlier, which means we go later, which means you’re cutting into summer vacation,” said Dr. Anne Garrett, superintendent of Haywood County Schools. “If they would give us beginning dates that we can begin earlier then we would not have to worry about all of this, because that way you could really build your calendar with those extra days in it.”

Last March, Rep. Kevin Corbin, RFranklin, sponsored a bill that would have let some schools start as early as the Monday closest to Aug. 10. The School Calendar Flexibility Pilot Program passed the House 104-6 on April 6 — including ayes from Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville and Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City — and was sent to the Senate’s Committee on Rules and Operations on April 10.

Also on April 10, the House passed by a vote of 100-8 another Corbin-sponsored bill supported by Presnell and Clampitt designed to give local school boards the flexibility to align school opening dates with those of the local community college, or no earlier than Aug. 15. The next day the bill was sent to the Senate’s Committee on Rules and Operations.

Both H389 and H375 remain in the Senate’s Committee on Rules and Operations

— that’s where House bills go to be assigned to a relevant Senate standing committee for further study.

If those bills make it out of the rules committee, and then out of the standing committee — like the Senate Committee on Education/Higher Education — they’re returned to the House for reconciliation and then can become law.

But at any point in that process from the Senate rules committee back to the House, a bill can simply be ignored, which is why many call the Senate’s Committee on Rules and Operations “the place where bills go to die.” Currently, there are almost 600 such bills sitting in the rules committee, most of which will never see the light of day.

Although Corbin isn’t the only WNC legislator supportive of school calendar flexibility, he has been at the forefront of the issue, which he says isn’t one of economics but is instead one of education.

Corbin represents four far-western counties, including Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Kevin Corbin Macon, where superintendent of Schools Dr. Chris Baldwin says he’d like to see more flexibility.

“Inevitably, you have inclement weather in the spring semester,” he said. “I remember a couple of years ago when I was principal at Franklin Michele Presnell High School we hadn’t finished first semester testing until the first week of February.”

This year, Macon schools have missed on average five days each, but in the recent past, that number has been as high as eight to 10.

Corbin’s fellow Mike Clampitt WNC Rep. Presnell supported both bills, and still supports the idea in principle.

“We in Western North Carolina get more snow than the rest of the state,” she said.

“Albeit I was excited to see some snow in the East this past January. It allowed them to really see what we have to deal with every winter.”

Presnell represents Madison and Yancey counties as well as a portion of Haywood County.

“Right now we only have two more days that we can actually take off without extending into Saturdays or taking from spring break. We’ve missed 10 days this year, but we average eight,” Garrett said. “It’s very unpredictable. A couple of years ago I think we went to 14, and it’s only the middle of February now. We get snow until March and April.”

PAC contributions by the numbers Contributions by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging PAC made to members of the Rules and Operations Committee of the N.C. Senate Contributions Total Since Terms Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Southport (committee chair) ......5 ...............$5,500 ............2012.................4 Sen. Chad Barefoot, R-Wake Forest..................1.................$500..............2013.................3 Sen. Dan Blue, D-Raleigh .................................4 ...............$3,000 ............2012.................4 Sen. Harry Brown, R-Jacksonville......................9 ..............$13,500 ...........2008.................7 Sen. Ben Clark, D-Raeford ................................0...................$0 .................n/a ..................3 Sen. Warren Daniel, R-Morganton.....................1.................$500..............2012.................4 Sen. Joel D. M. Ford, D-Charlotte ......................5 ...............$3,000 ............2012.................3 Sen. Kathy Harrington, R-Gastonia...................5 ...............$4,000 ............2010.................4 Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Spruce Pine........................2 ...............$2,000 ............2014.................4 Sen. Brent Jackson, R-Autryville .......................6 ...............$5,000 ............2012.................4 Sen. Michael V. Lee, R-New Hanover.................1.................$500..............2016.................2 Sen. Paul A. Lowe, Jr., D-Winston-Salem ..........0...................$0 .................n/a ..................1 Sen. Floyd B. McKissick, Jr., D-Durham.............0...................$0 .................n/a ..................5 Sen. Wesley Meredith, R-Fayetteville ................3 ...............$2,500 ............2010.................4 Sen. Louis Pate, R-Mount Olive.........................1.................$500..............2013.................4 Sen. Shirley B. Randleman, R-Wilkesboro.........2.................$500..............2010.................3 Sen. Jerry W. Tillman, R-Archdale .....................4 ...............$2,500 ............2012.................8 Sen. Tommy Tucker, R-Union.............................4 ...............$3,000 ............2010.................4 Sen. Terry Van Duyn, D-Buncombe....................2 ...............$1,000 ............2014.................2 Sen. Trudy Wade, R-Guilford .............................3 ...............$2,500 ............2010.................3 TOTALS: ............................................................58 .............$50,000

Data from Jan. 1, 2005 through Dec. 31, 2017 Source: NC State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement

“We are unique in our situation based on location and weather, and we need to be able to have the opportunity and flexibility to work with our schedule based on that.”

— Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City

The bulk of Haywood County falls under the jurisdiction of Rep. Clampitt, who like Presnell and Corbin supported both bills, but Clampitt also represents Jackson and Swain counties.

“We are unique in our situation based on location and weather, and we need to be able to have the opportunity and flexibility to work with our schedule based on that,” Clampitt said.

Newly-hired Jackson County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kimberly Elliott, who has served in a variety of assistant and interim superintendent roles there over the past five years, says she believes there is lots of local support for more flexibility, particularly in regards to aligning with Southwestern Community College’s schedule as H375 would allow.

Elliott said that although Jackson schools typically lose between eight and 10 days a year due to inclement weather, this year’s

totals have been much higher due to a particularly rare occurrence.

“Hurricane Irma [in early September, 2017] caused five days closure as it drove its way through the mountains,” she said.

“Blue Ridge has lost 16 total days and Smoky’s lost 12.”

In Clampitt’s home county of Swain, the school district’s Public Information Officer Toby Burrell said that this year they’ve lost seven days to weather.

“Obviously, we’d love to be able to control our calendar,” Burrell said.

Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, represents the seven westernmost counties in North Carolina, including all of Corbin’s and Clampitt’s. He too supports school calendar flexibility, but is frank in his assessment of the situation.

“I addressed this in my first term back in 2011,” Davis said. “People who know me know that I come from a background of local government — I’m for giving local school boards the authority and responsibility as long as I can hold them accountable. But it’s not going to get through the Senate, and I’m not spending any more time on that.”

CLASS AND CASH Davis isn’t on the Senate’s rules committee, where H389 and H375 still languish, but Southport Republican Sen. Bill Rabon is.

Rabon didn’t return a call seeking comment on the bills, but he chairs the powerful committee and since 2012 has accepted at least $5,500 from the

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“NCRLA supports our school calendar law and opposed efforts to change it. This protects the summer tourism season and the thousands of jobs that it provides.”

— Statement on North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association website

dents would in all likelihood be able to complete testing at the end of the first semester before they leave for Christmas vacation; often, because of weather-related cancellations in the fall, the testing doesn’t occur until after the lengthy holiday break.

“That’s very important. That’s one of the reasons we went to the hourly calendar for next year, so the students in high school could be tested before they got out for Christmas,” Garrett said. “We’ve always had good test results, but would they be better?

To me, even as a student in college I wanted to take my tests before I got out for Christmas and we always did, which was great. Coming back from Christmas you can start fresh with your new semester, which would be a real plus.”

Yet the hourly calendar in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties remains a less effective substitute for true local control of school calendars, according to both administrators and legislators.

Corbin said Feb. 9 he plans to reintroduce a school calendar flexibility bill in the General Assembly soon, but Garrett shares the same outlook as Davis.

“Every year we do this and nothing happens,” she said. “Every year that I’ve been here, we’ve always talked it, but we’ve never walked it.”

Corbin, though, still wants to entrust the flexibility — and responsibility — to local school boards.

“Keep in mind, these are publicly elected boards,” he said. “If people don’t like how they set the calendar, vote them out.”

February 14-20, 2018

tribution from the group, despite his long history of service in both the Senate and House before Clampitt beat him in 2016.

In addition to the NCRLA, others also advocate for the tourism industry and oppose school calendar flexibility.

Presnell mentioned a group that doesn’t appear to be a PAC registered with the state, but does appear to have a long history of opposing reform.

“There is a lobbying group called SOS, Save Our Summers,” said Presnell. “There seems to be several summer camps in the Hendersonville area and the hotels at the beach. They would like to all have the same date for end of school.”

Rather than focus on the purported economic damage to the tourism industry, SOS makes emotional appeals drawing on the sanctity of summer for schoolchildren and promises a vigorous defense of the status quo.

“Now is certainly not the time to be lulled into inaction because the law is in place,” reads the website of the group, which didn’t return requests for comment. “If NC citizens take that for granted, they could soon find themselves without the option of a more traditional school calendar.”

spring break, said Elliott, since it disrupts preplanned family excursions; even using one day of spring break means higher absenteeism, she said, because families often can’t cancel a weeklong trip just because school is open on one of those days.

Haywood County explored the issue of the hourly calendar around this time last year, but it went nowhere because of concerns over hourly employees like bus drivers and cafeteria workers who would likely see their hours cut.

Next fall, though, Haywood will begin operating under the hourly calendar, a decision made in a board meeting Jan. 9. HCS Board Chairman Chuck Francis said on Feb. 12 the hourly workers would be given small raises to compensate for the reduced hours.

According to Garrett, that will give Haywood schools a modicum of flexibility.

“We already meet that [state mandated] 1,025 hours, and we go over it. We’re at 1,065 or whatever,” she said. “We could miss up to 10 days and still have the hours. But do you want to miss 10 days? No. I think they would forgive a certain amount, but then we don’t want to go beyond that because it’s going to interfere, I believe, with the learning process.”

Achieving high performance as compared to the rest of North Carolina’s schools has been Garrett’s priority during her 13-year tenure as superintendent, as well as her 40 years teaching and working in the district.

Another benefit to an earlier start cited by Garrett could help HCS improve on its top 10 percent rank over the past two years — stu-

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COUNTING DOWN THE MINUTES Unless or until there’s a change in law or a change of heart among members of the Senate’s rules committee, Davis’ wellinformed prediction about school calendar flexibility appears to be valid.

Some counties, however, have been able to take advantage of a 2011 law that allows districts to measure school years not only in terms of days but also in hours.

“What I have noticed is there is some flexibility with the calendar, as some school systems do change the time children arrive or leave the school,” Presnell said. “Some, only by 15 minutes a day added up over time can come close to what they need.”

Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties all currently use the hourly method, which provides a small bit of flexibility.

“We have added 10 minutes to each school day, beginning Feb. 12,” said Jackson County’s Elliott. “But we still have the option to go on Saturdays, and as a last resort, into spring break, which is five days, if needed.”

It’s a dubious proposition cutting into

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North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association.

The NCRLA is an industry advocacy group that advances its priorities through a PAC established in 2005, just after a spate of school calendar modifications birthed the crux of the current school calendar law.

According to its website, NCRLA’s recent legislative successes include the passage of the Brunch Bill allowing for earlier alcohol sales on Sundays, and the continuing opposition of bills like H389 and H375.

“NCRLA supports our school calendar law and opposed efforts to change it,” reads the group’s website. “This protects the summer tourism season and the thousands of jobs that it provides.”

The NCRLA “protects” that season by making thousands of dollars in contributions to North Carolina legislators, including almost everyone on the Senate’s rules committee.

But does it really need protection?

According to an economic impact report issued by the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Travel Association in October 2017, almost $24 billion was spent in North Carolina by domestic and international travelers in 2016, a 4.2 percent increase over 2015.

That spending comes on retail goods, recreation, entertainment, transportation, lodging and food, which alone accounts for more than 30 percent of all tourism spending. Lodging ranks second.

“The sooner you start, the sooner you finish, but you’re still going to have the same amount of days out [of school] each year,” Garrett said. “All you’re doing is moving it.”

Of the 19 other members of the committee besides Chairman Rabon, only three — Sen. Ben Clark, DRaeford, Sen. Paul Jim Davis Lowe, Jr., D-WinstonSalem and Sen. Floyd McKissick, Jr., DDurham — haven’t accepted any contributions from the NCRLA, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.

The other 16 committee members have accepted contributions from the group for as little as $200 and as much as $3,500 dating back to 2008, which may explain in part why attempts even predating Sen. Davis’ tenure, including most recently H389 and H375, have failed.

“I’m not sure anything has changed as far as how we feel about them,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, R-Jacksonville, told the Charlotte News & Observer right around the time those two bills were being passed in the House.

Brown has taken more money from the NCRLA, $13,500 since 2008, than anyone else on the Senate’s rules committee.

Davis, on the other hand, has never taken a nickel from the group, nor has Presnell, Corbin or Clampitt.

Even Clampitt’s predecessor, Waynesville Democrat Joe Sam Queen — who will oppose Clampitt again for the fourth time in elections this fall — likewise never received a con-

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Choosing the next chancellor WCU community voices priorities for chancellor search

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER n enthusiastic friend of students. A diehard fan of all things Catamount. An efficient administrator, effective political advocate, willing traveler and collaborative partner in meeting the needs of students, faculty, staff and the region as a whole.

All these — and more — are characteristics that the new chancellor of Western Carolina University should embody, according to the many people who participated in a total of eight forums over the past week.

“One of the things I think we’ll need to ensure that the upcoming chancellor is prepared for is the fact that there are some mighty large shoes to fill — quite frankly, some almost impossible shoes to fill,” said Jeff Tazwell, a member of the WCU Alumni Association Board of Directors, during a Feb. 5 forum.

February 14-20, 2018

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THE SEARCH PROCESS

Smoky Mountain News

WCU said goodbye to Chancellor David O. Belcher at the end of 2017, when Belcher announced he was going on medical leave due to a brain tumor he’d been fighting since April 2016. Belcher, a seemingly universally beloved figure on campus and off it, does not expect to return to the position when his leave is over, and Interim Chancellor Alison Morrison-Shetlar has announced that she doesn’t plan to apply for it.

Now, the university is faced with the task of finding a new chancellor to lead a community whose members are largely lamenting the fact that the existing chancellor is no longer able to do the job. A 21-member search committee is tasked with selecting three qualified finalists, whose names will head to the WCU Board of Trustees for approval and then to University of North Carolina System President Margaret Spellings for final selection, with approval of that selection from the UNC Board of Governors.

The first step in finding a candidate is determining which attributes are most important for that candidate to have, which is why the search committee held a series of public forums this month. While all people were welcome at all sessions, each one was targeted to a different group of people — students, community members, faculty and staff — with members of the search committee 10 asking a series of questions for participants to

Pat Kaemmerling, chair of the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees and co-chair of the search committee, walks into the Feb. 5 community forum with some of her fellow search committee members. Holly Kays photo respond to. The sessions were recorded, with videos posted online at www.wcu.edu/discover/chancellor-search/open-forums.

While students seemed to care about different issues than faculty, and staff had different priorities than community members, one theme rang clearly across all stakeholder groups — Western needs a chancellor who will not only work for the university, but who will love the campus, the region and its people with a genuine, bleeding-purple kind of love.

“Not everybody wants to come to the hills of Western North Carolina. Not everybody wants to wear purple and gold. Not everybody wants to be part of all the excitement that’s going on. Not everybody wants to be part of the students’ lives,” Shelly White said at the community forum Feb. 5.

“We want people around us — not just the chancellor but everybody he brings in — to want to be us, to want to be part of us, and to want to be purple.”

The goal is to have a new chancellor in place by Aug. 1, and the search committee will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 1, to finalize and approve the leadership statement that will describe the type of person the university is seeking for the position. The firm Buffkin Baker has been engaged to conduct the search.

THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE Even if it’s not possible to get a chancellor who is a WCU alum, said a senior at the Feb. 6 student forum who introduced himself as Avery, the next leader must at least behave like one.

“We should look for someone who acts like an alumni,” he said.

Comments from students were also heavy on finding somebody who is accessible to students, who will promote school pride, be inclusive of all viewpoints, support green initiatives and navigate the waters of N.C. Promise to maintain the small school feel that

is so important to Western’s identity.

“We’re kind of a Goldilocks school in the sense that we’re not big enough to where you’re not going to know your neighbor, but we’re big enough to where you can hide from somebody if you need to,” Avery said. “We’re almost at the perfect size.”

As tuition goes to $500 per semester and application numbers soar, he said, it’s important that the new chancellor manage that growth well to keep the “Goldilocks school” feel alive, with the student-to-faculty ratio staying below 20.

“One of the things I think we’ll need to ensure that the upcoming chancellor is prepared for is the fact that there are some mighty large shoes to fill.”

— Jeff Tazwell, WCU Alumni Association Board of Directors

“This is definitely a more inclusive community than some colleges and campuses, but I also feel like that is where we have opportunities for improvement,” said a student who introduced himself as Max, president of the school’s Sexuality and Gender Lines organization. “Making it — I don’t want to say a priority — but starting to push and making sure everybody on this campus feels safe, no matter what.”

Sophomore David Rhode added that he wants the next chancellor to prioritize protecting free speech.

“If you look at universities across the nation, conservative speech or any kind of dissenting speech that might not be in the popularity isn’t treated with the same rights and protections at other colleges as it should

be,” he said. “When you guys are selecting the next chancellor, I would really like for a chancellor to be in favor of free speech.”

COMMITMENT TO THE MISSION Inclusion and diversity was a touchstone for several speakers at the faculty and staff sessions as well.

“There’s a lot of energy around diversity, inclusion and civil dialogue, and that’s what I’d like to be sure our next chancellor is engaged in,” said philosophy instructor Amy McKenzie during a Feb. 5 faculty forum.

Faculty members also stressed finding a leader who will advocate in Raleigh for funding, including faculty raises; who is a good listener; and who understands the world of academics, including exactly what Western’s mission is as a state comprehensive university.

“It’s the resource of education and culture and connectiveness to the people we serve.

The idea of being a servant university is unity to this kind of institution, and not all get it,” said psychology professor David McCord during the Feb. 5 faculty session. “It’s critical that the chancellor does.”

McCord’s colleague in the psychology department Bruce Henderson also spoke, giving his opinion that while Spellings’ charge that the search committee consider candidates coming from outside the realm of academia was a valid one, the search committee should still be cautious in assuming that certain skill sets will transfer.

“The oft-used analogy with business breaks down quickly, because in academics we work with the only customers in the world I can think of who want to be cheated,” Henderson said. “Too many want less reading, less writing, less thinking. And when educators make them happy by giving them what they want, they commit educational malpractice.”

Faculty members also spoke up to advocate for the liberal edu-

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Mission looking for new location for MAMA

standing of how our 300-plus student athletes play such an important role in the lifeblood of our university,” Greg Parsons said during a Feb. 5 community forum.

Steve White told the search committee how he came to Cullowhee 57 years ago as a student athlete and spent his career in WCU’s athletic department.

“Back in 1983, when we went to the NCAA playoffs, the national exposure that we got, what happened on this campus, was unbelievable,” he said.

Lenny Gonzalez, meanwhile, asked that the search committee find somebody who is not only a good person himself (or herself ) but who will bring good people along too.

“What I would like to ask for is somebody that has a good track record of picking good people around him,” Gonzalez said. “To borrow a sports analogy, it’s the coaching tree.”

WCU’s next leader will be somebody new, somebody with his or her own strengths, and own vision, separate from those Belcher had to his credit. And that’s a fact that person after person has asked the search committee and university community alike to bear in mind.

“We’re not going to get another Dr. Belcher,” WCU alum Ted Yoder said during the Feb. 5 community forum. “We’ve got to watch the danger of expecting too much. We can’t find somebody just like him — there’s nobody like him. But there are plenty of people out there who would love this place and love to serve and help us grow and be a better place to be.”

A PLACE FOR ARTS AND ATHLETICS Staff spoke to many of the same issues that faculty did, but with a greater emphasis on the need for somebody who is savvy when it comes to fundraising and politics, and for somebody who recognizes the importance of athletics in university life.

“I think athletics can be the front porch of a university,” said Joey Cutting, assistant director for development at The Catamount Club. “A lot of places, it’s the first thing you hear about. Alabama, ‘Roll Tide’. This is not that, but people get really attached to the branding of an athletic department.”

Community members were also outspoken in their support for a chancellor who will value not just athletics, but the arts as well.

“He or she must have a passion for the arts, and a love of athletics with an under-

based out of Blairsville, Georgia, University of Tennessee’s LIFESTAR based in Knoxville, and LIFE FORCE out of Chattanooga when MAMA is tied up on other calls.

While Mission is in the midst of securing a new location to build a new $45 million Angel Medical Center, Mission had no further comment on whether a new helipad at a new location may solve the fog issue.

Mission is exploring available property situated on the corner intersection of U.S. 441 and Hunnicut Lane just below Entegra Bank, which would move AMC outside of downtown Franklin where it’s been for 60 years.

The hospital replacement project would be a downsized version of the current hospi-

tal since Mission announced last April the closure of the labor and delivery unit at AMC. There are no plans to construct a new labor and delivery unit, which Mission stated will save $5 million to $7 million during construction.

The hospital project is still in the Certificate of Need process through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Mission expects to hear a decision from DHHS sometime in March.

Mission proposes to construct a twostory, 82,600-square-foot hospital with 30 acute care beds and three operating rooms. If all goes according to schedule, the new hospital is set for completion by October 2021.

Smoky Mountain News

cation and a chancellor who will value education for reasons that go beyond mere career preparation.

“The observation I’d like to make is interdisciplinary studies,” said art professor Jon Jicha during a Feb. 5 staff session. “The opportunity to shift the paradigm from discipline-specific to multi-discipline education. I think it’s really, really important. My field of course is design, but design is a verb, and how that works with other disciplines I think is real important.”

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February 14-20, 2018

munity with the safest and most reliable emergency medical transport options, with improved transport times and increased ability to provide critical care transport via MAMA II when air transport is needed,” Timms said. “If and when a more effective location is identified and confirmed, we will share that information.”

MAMA has provided critical care transport in the region since 1986 with one helicopter based in Asheville at Mission and one in Franklin. MAMA also utilizes a new helipad constructed in 2015 to improve rural emergency access. The helipad is located on U.S. 28 North next to the Tsali Overlook between Bryson City and Robbinsville.

Warren Cabe, Macon County director of Emergency Services, said he doesn’t anticipate it being a major issue for his department if Mission decides to move the helipad out of Franklin.

“We’ve grown accustomed to normally seeing the pad at Angel but realistically we evaluate every patient’s transfer based on a patient’s needs and the ETA on an aircraft if it’s not on the pad or if it’s on another flight,” he said.

MAMA provides air medical services to 17 Western North Carolina counties, Eastern Tennessee, Northeast Georgia and Northern South Carolina, but it’s not the only airlift service in the area. Macon County Emergency Services also has access to Air Life Georgia 14

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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR fter rumblings and rumors around town, Mission Health confirmed it is actively looking for a new location for MAMA II, the medical emergency helicopter currently stationed at Angel Medical Center in Franklin.

“Mission Health has been exploring land options in Macon County and surrounding areas for a very long time with a goal of identifying a location for the Mountain Area Medical Airlift (MAMA II) helicopter that can improve its ability to support patients more effectively,” Rowena Buffett Timms, senior vice president of government and community relations for Mission Health, said in a prepared statement.

Currently, Timms said the location for MAMA II at AMC sits below the fog line and as a result, the helicopter is unable to fly as much as 40 percent of the time because of unsafe weather, including fog, clouds and storms.

“Morning fog and summer afternoon storms are common around Angel Medical Center,” she said.

While Mission stated it continues to explore possible sites, it is not able to confirm a new location or even say whether MAMA II will stay in Macon County.

“Our focus has been and will always remain to ensure that we provide the com-

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Nonprofits to utilize Charity Tracker Aim is to streamline services, limit abuse

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR haritable giving for nonprofits and churches in Haywood County is about to become much more efficient thanks to the implementation of the Charity Tracker internet service.

More than 1,200 communities throughout the country already use the cloud-based database that allows charity organizations within a community to share information about their clients, services rendered and donations given.

On average, the organizations using Charity Tracker see an 18 percent savings each year.

Haywood County organizations now have access to the service for free for at least the next three years because of the efforts of Anthony Price, executive director of Haywood Christian Ministries, and a grant from United Way of Haywood County.

Simons Solutions in Alabama originally created the Charity Tracker software in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help United Way and Red Cross keep up with the people displaced into other communities; it’s now evolved into an even more valuable resource for nonprofits of all sizes to track the needs of its community.

“Next time Clyde and Canton flood and emergency services and FEMA rolls in and people are displaced and we’re wondering

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how to keep up with them, we’ll already be ahead of the curve,” Price said.

EASY TO USE Using the Charity Tracker system is as easy as designating an administrator from an agency, logging on to the site and creating a page. Once your page is established, administrators can begin inputting data about the people the organization helps.

Before entering a new client into the system, users may want to search to see if another organization has already uploaded their information. Price said clients must sign a Release of Information in order for organizations to share their information on Charity Tracker and remain HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant.

“I have yet to find one person who won’t sign the release,” Price said.

Most nonprofits already require their clients to fill out basic information like date of birth, Social Security number, income, expenses, any government assistance and residency.

Only nonprofits in the system for Haywood County can view the information.

Price said there are some cases that nonprofits want to keep confidential, especially cases involving domestic violence matters, and Charity Tracker allows you to keep a case private as well.

Some agencies like Haywood Christian Ministries require its clients to submit a lot of information and paperwork to verify their

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Charity Tracker www.charitytracker.net • An internet-based service that allows nonprofits within a certain community to share information with one another.

• Helps agencies keep track of the people they serve and monitor needs within the community.

• 1,258 cities in the U.S. and Canada already use Charity Tracker • 15.7 million assistance records added since 2007 • $453.7 million assistance dollars recorded since 2007 • 4.6 million people served since 2007 • 18 percent annual savings estimated average for agencies using Charity Tracker. income. However, Price said agencies don’t need to start asking for more information than they do now. They simply input whatever info they collect. If that person eventually seeks help at Haywood Christian Ministries, Price and his staff can fill in whatever additional information is required.

“It’s only as good as what we put into it — the more information the better,” he said.

Price encourages all agencies to watch the 50-minute video provided on the Charity Tracker website before they begin inputting data. It will tell administrators everything they need to know about the program.

There’s also a user manual that can be downloaded.

HOW HAYWOOD BENEFITS The obvious benefit is that nonprofit agencies will be able to prevent people from “charity shopping” and abusing the system.

While Price estimates only 10 percent of the people coming into Haywood Christian

Ministries for help are dishonest, it would still result in savings.

“Don’t look at it as a way to stop helping people — look at it as how much better we’ll be if we all work together,” Price said.

More importantly, nonprofits now have a quick and effective way to communicate, share resources and help more people in need. For example, agencies can post an alert on the Charity Tracker community page alerting other agencies of a family in crisis and work together to address the need.

“We can share the load now instead of one agency trying to meet that one need,” Price said.

The Charity Tracker also provides Haywood agencies with an overall number of people helped in the community and the total amount of money given by agencies.

Price said those are some pretty impressive statistics that will help nonprofits go after grant funding and hopefully keep the cost of the Charity Tracker software free well into the future.

Haywood Christian Ministries has been busy since October inputting its client information into the system and right now the calculator says they’ve entered more than 2,200 people in the system and given out over $998,000 in assistance. Price said he could only imagine what that number will be when all the churches and nonprofits get signed up.

Charity Tracker also contains an “Outcomes” page that allows agencies to set goals for their clients — limiting expenses, applying for jobs, completing job training and more. The goal is to eventually get the client to the point where they no longer require assistance.

About 50 people representing different Haywood agencies attended an informational meeting last week to learn more about Charity Tracker. For more information about signing up, email Price at aprice@haywoodministry.org.

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February 14-20, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ajor changes are coming to North Carolina’s Medicaid program, and the regional organizations that manage those dollars for behavioral health needs are wasting no time in getting prepared to respond.

Leaders of three North Carolina managed care organizations (MCOs) — Alliance Behavioral Healthcare, Trillium Health Resources and Vaya Health — formed a new partnership to leverage strengths and expertise in response to Medicaid reform.

Alliance, Trillium and Vaya are three of the seven MCOs in the state managing state funds for behavioral health. Vaya Health manages funds for 23 counties in Western North Carolina. Together, the three entities are responsible for managing more than $1.375 billion in public funds.

“The public MCO system has unique experience and expertise in addressing the behavioral health needs of North Carolinians,” said Brian Ingraham, Vaya Health CEO. “This coalition provides an opportunity to build on our track record of success and expand our contribution to the health of the people we serve.”

MCO leaders said the collaboration is the most effective way to demonstrate to the state and potential commercial healthcare partners that MCOs can successfully implement Medicaid transformation in a way that advances high-quality care, improves population health, engages and supports providers and establishes a sustainable program with predictable costs — a four-prong approach they’re calling the Quadruple Aim. The MCO leaders hope the coalition can have a stronger voice in preserving the role of the public behavioral healthcare system during this Medicaid “transformation,” helping ensure continued stability and continuity of care for the people they serve.

The potential to establish a combined statewide provider network will enhance access to a diverse range of services and supports for people in both urban and rural areas of the state.

Shelly Foreman with Vaya Health has been making the rounds in Western North Carolina, giving county commissioners an update on the state of behavioral health funding and how the changes to Medicaid may impact patients and providers.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty around Medicaid reform and what it means for the total health system,” she told Haywood commissioners last week. “We’re having to change how we do business to continue to be successful.”

Foreman said the state is expected to put out a request for proposals for private and

public health systems to apply to manage Medicaid dollars for a variety of health services to begin the transition from a fee-for-service model to a “managed care” model where insurance companies get paid a monthly fee per patient.

The proposed changes are aimed at improving high-quality care and health, better support for health providers and to create a sustainable state program with more predictable costs.

Under the new proposed plan, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will delegate the direct management of certain health services and financial risks to Prepaid Health Plans. PHPs will receive a monthly payment and will contract with providers to deliver health services to its members. These PHPs are meant to provide “whole-person care” including physical health, behavioral health, and substance use services for Medicaid beneficiaries.

During the second year of managed care reform, DHHS’s plan is to have beneficiaries with serious mental illness, substance use disorder or disability to be covered by separate Tailored Plans that integrates physical health and rehabilitative support services.

Foreman said Vaya Health does plan to compete for the opportunity to manage funds for Tailored Plans, which still may be several years down the road. Phase 1 of implementing the PHPs is tentatively scheduled for July 1, 2019.

Haywood Commissioner Mike Sorrells mentioned the “significant cuts” made to mental health services over the last few years — Vaya Health has seen $14 million in cuts in the last two fiscal years — and asked Foreman if legislators were beginning to change their minds about funding with the pressure the opioid epidemic has put on the system.

Unfortunately no, Foreman said, and encouraged commissioners to voice their concerns to their local delegation.

“I’ve worked with Vaya for 19 years and the last four to six years have probably been more disheartening,” she said regarding the funding cuts. “We work with legislators to help them understand continued cuts to state funds for people without insurance is really creating a huge gap in our service system.”

Even though changes are being made to make the Medicaid system more efficient and sustainable, Foreman said North Carolina’s decision to not expand Medicaid has left many people without the services they need because they don’t make enough to pay for insurance but they don’t qualify for Medicaid either.

“In rural communities we have a high number of people who don’t qualify for Medicaid that are indigent,” she said. “We’ve been using our fund balance to make up for the cuts but we can’t do that anymore — we’ve moved through it. People without insurance are being turned away.”

More information about the coalition can be found at www.advancingncwholehealth.com.

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Haywood School Board corrects Open Meetings Law violation

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER week’s worth of wintry weather in midJanuary resulted in the cancellation of meetings by both the Haywood County School Board as well as public charter school Shining Rock Classical Academy, but while both entities violated open meetings laws in rescheduling those meetings without proper notice, only one of those public bodies has now admitted it and made amends for it.

“I need to officially notify you of an issue that we may have inadvertently violated the Open Meetings law at the Jan. 9 meeting,” HCS Attorney Pat Smathers told the board Feb. 12.

Smathers’ comment came a month after a Smoky Mountain News story alleged numerous Open Meetings law violations by Shining Rock, and Shining Rock Board Chair Anna Eason pointing out that Haywood County Schools had done the same thing a week prior.

Eason was indeed correct that a Jan. 8 HCS meeting that was cancelled and rescheduled for Jan. 9 was improperly noticed, just like a Jan. 17 Shining Rock meeting that was cancelled and rescheduled for Jan. 18 was improperly noticed.

Such meetings require either a 48-hour or

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Haywood County Schools administrators (left to right) Superintendent Dr. Anne Garrett, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte, Human Resource Director Jason Heinz and Board Attorney Pat Smathers prepare for a board meeting Feb. 12. Cory Vaillancourt photo seven-day notice, depending on the type of the meeting, but in no instance can a cancelled meeting simply be “rescheduled” as a new meeting without proper notice.

Open Meetings laws in the State of North Carolina exist to ensure that all business conducted by public bodies like HCS and Shining Rock takes place in full view of the public.

After studying the problem, Smathers

said that although the meeting rescheduled to Jan. 9 by HCS was held in good faith and was announced to the public, it still didn’t satisfy public notice requirements.

“Notification went out to the press and all of the interested parties, but still, there may be technical violation of the Open Meetings law, and we certainly don’t want to get a reputation of violating Open Meetings law,” he

said to the board.

Far more than just a triviality, violations of Open Meetings laws as outlined by North Carolina’s General Statutes expose public bodies like HCS and Shining Rock — as well as county, municipal and state governing bodies — to legal liability that would have to be defended on the taxpayers’ dime and to the detriment of instructional budgets.

Anyone in North Carolina can seek remedies in the courts for such violations, and if failures are proven, the court may issue an order invalidating actions taken during illegal meetings.

“I think it’s the better practice to reaffirm and accept all the actions taken at the [Jan. 9] meeting,” said Smathers. “We enjoy a very good reputation following that [Open Meetings law] to the best we can understand it, and so I have prepared a motion that essentially reaffirms and ratifies all action taken by the board at the meeting of Jan. 9, and I think that’s the proper solution to make.”

Smathers then presented a motion that, as he’d said, reaffirmed and ratified all actions taken by the HCS board during the improperly noticed meeting of Jan. 9, which included the appointment of Assistant Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte as interim superintendent upon Superintendent Dr. Anne Garrett’s impending retirement later this month, as well as the adoption of an hourly school calendar for the 2018-19 school year.

The motion met with unanimous board approval, although board members Jim Harley Francis and Larry Henson were absent from the meeting for

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Haywood County Schools Attorney Pat Smathers said that although the meeting rescheduled to Jan. 9 by HCS was held in good faith and was announced to the public, it still didn’t satisfy public notice requirements. call the Jan. 18 meeting without proper notice because of inclement weather.

Veteran UNC School of Government Professor and Open Meetings law expert Frayda Bluestein said N.C.’s Open Meeting laws don’t have an exception for inclement weather, but Shining Rock’s board still hasn’t acknowledged its violations.

Francis, however, took full responsibility for the gaffe at HCS, and noted that as a public body in the business of bringing up the next generation of community leaders, doing the right thing before thousands of students and parents is sometimes hard and humbling, but leading by example isn’t.

“It’s a life lesson,” he said after the Feb. 12 meeting. “When you have a wrong, you need to fix it if you can, apologize for what you did, correct the situation, move forward, and learn from your mistakes. Hopefully that’s what we’ve done here tonight.”

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unavoidable work and church obligations, respectively.

Garrett said previously that she couldn’t remember anything of the sort happening in her 13-year tenure as superintendent, and Board Chairman Chuck Francis said before the meeting that he couldn’t recall such an occurrence during his 17 years with HCS. “When we discovered that we might’ve been in violation of the law, we wanted to get it straightened out and make sure that the actions we took at that meeting would be covered by action that would not put any taint on decisions made on Jan. 9,” said Francis.

Not so at Shining Rock, where the appointed school board members have struggled to adhere to Open Meeting laws since before the charter school opened.

In July 2015, a closed session meeting to discuss property acquisition was held by Shining Rock’s board, which refused to identify the parcel in question per state law.

Last October, Eason apologized for “being a little late” on the required 48-hour notice for a highly unusual Sunday night meeting that resulted in the resignation of thenSchool Director Ben Butler.

And earlier this year, Shining Rock refused to provide resumes to The Smoky Mountain News in advance of a public meet-and-greet with new school director candidates and wouldn’t disclose the names of the candidates at the event despite their names appearing on Shining Rock materials at the event.

Eason has since repeatedly refused to answer questions regarding where in N.C.’s General Statutes she found the authority to

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Ballot tampering alleged in Cherokee Audit shows weak security, evidence of changed ballots

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER n audit investigating Birdtown’s disputed 2017 Tribal Council race has concluded that ballot tampering is the likely culprit, with alleged fraud concentrated in the early voting ballots.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Office of Internal Audit commissioned Arizona-based Veriti Consulting LLC to complete the report following a General Election in which recounts yielded substantially different ballot counts than the machine results published Election Day. The most dramatic swing in election results came from the Birdtown community, with the recount results putting third-place Ashley Sessions in second place over incumbent Albert Rose, who had held the second position. The Board of Elections ordered a runoff election between the two candidates, and Rose won that race by a wide margin — he now holds the second Birdtown seat.

“The results of Veriti’s investigation strongly suggest ballot tampering occurred,” Sharon Blankenship, the tribe’s chief audit and ethics executive, wrote in a Jan. 30 cover letter to the Jan. 29 report.

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VANISHING UNDERVOTES According to the audit results, both used and unused ballots were loosely — at best — secured between the General Election Sept. 7 and the recount Sept. 13, and the fact that the number of ballots with only one Tribal Council candidate marked diminished between the two counts suggests that somebody added votes to these undervoted ballots.

In Tribal Council elections, each community selects two representatives to sit around the horseshoe, so each voter is allowed to vote for two of four General Election candidates. If a voter feels strongly about getting one particular candidate in office, he or she may check only one box instead of the permitted two.

Cherokee uses paper ballots, which are then read and tallied using a machine.

According to the voting machine report generated on Election Day, 103 of 193 early voting ballots for Birdtown were undervoted ballots. However, when Veriti performed a count of the ballots as stored after the recount, only 27 undervote ballots were found. An undervote tally was not recorded on the day of the recount itself.

Veriti found a discrepancy of 76 undervote ballots. The Birdtown recount results showed 86 more ballots than originally tallied Election Day. When the issue was first raised in September, Automated Elections Services, the company with which the tribe contracts

A photo from the Veriti report shows an investigator demonstrating how easily some of the “secure” ballot boxes can be accessed. Donated photo

Birdtown election results Election Day Recount Count change (9/7/17) (9/13/17) (Election Day to recount) Boyd Owle......................................506.............................536.............................+30 Albert Rose ....................................431.............................443.............................+12 Ashley Sessions.............................419.............................448.............................+29 Travis Smith ..................................323.............................330..............................+7 Total .............................................1,679..........................1,757 ...........................+78 Undervote .....................................254.............................178 .............................-76 for election services, told Tribal Council that the problem was likely that the pens used to mark the ballots were low in carbon and therefore not read properly by the machines.

Meanwhile, the EBCI Board of Elections had blamed it on the fact that, when poll workers ran out of early voting ballots, they’d instead used absentee ballots marked as early voting ballots at the top. This extra marking had likely caused the voting machines to fail to read the votes correctly, Board of Elections Chair Denise Ballard told The Smoky Mountain News in September.

In Birdtown, 55 of the 153 early voting ballots were cast on blue absentee ballots rather than on green early voting ballots. It was the tribe’s first year to provide early voting.

The Veriti report did not address whether the substituted ballots could have caused an issue for the machine but debunked AES’ claim that low-carbon pens were the problem.

“There was no difference in the pens provided by AES at Birdtown and the other communities,” the report reads. “In addition, per Veriti’s research of the type of tabulator used

by AES, the tabulator is not necessarily carbon-sensitive, other than a weakness reading red ink. It will read blue and black pens and

No. 2 pencils. There was no red ink on any of the ballots.”

While the alleged ballot tampering changed the election outcome in Birdtown only, the report also analyzed voting in the Wolfetown and Big Y communities, concluding undervote and early ballot tampering could have occurred there too, though in smaller numbers that did not affect the election’s outcome.

LAX SECURITY If somebody wanted to tamper with ballots, the report continued, there were many ways to make it happen. Security surrounding the elections process had all manner of weaknesses, and these should be addressed immediately.

After polls closed Sept. 7, ballots were transported by police escort from the polling places to the Tribal Council House, where they were read by voting machine tabulators. They were then placed in plastic bins, sealed, and stored in the vault at the Bureau of Indian Affairs office.

However, unvoted ballots were stored, unsecured, on open shelving in the Board of Elections office, to which an “unknown number of people” have the key.

The bins of ballots in the BIA vault weren’t much more secure than that, it seems. While BIA personnel told Veriti investigators that the vault is always locked, Board of Elections members told Veriti that it rarely is.

“Veriti inspected the BIA Vault on four separate occasions, noting it was unlocked each time,” the report reads. “On one occasion, all BIA staff were in a meeting room at the opposite side of the BIA building while Veriti accessed the vault unnoticed. Veriti observed only one time where the vault appeared to be locked. Veriti also noted the room in which the BIA Vault is located was unstaffed and unlocked, which would have allowed anyone inside the BIA building to gain access to the ballots and election materials.”

Cherokee BIA Superintendent William McKee told Veriti that cameras in the BIA hallways record all activity, with data stored for 30 days. However, at the time of Veriti’s visit it had been more than 30 days since any election activity.

Once inside the vault, it would have been easy for somebody to tamper with the ballots, Veriti concluded. While each bin was sealed with a numbered zip tie, most of the bins were pretty easy to break into.

“With minimal effort,” the report reads, “we opened the sealed bins and slid our arm in and removed the ballots.”

The document goes on to present photos of Veriti investigators slipping their hands into the sealed bins and pulling ballots out, all without breaking the seal.

The absentee ballot bin was one of the few bin types that could not be broken into this way, and evidence indicates that the absentee bin was accessed using a different method.

“Upon opening the Absentee Ballot bin, 14 broken seals were located inside the bin, which indicates the bin had been opened on at least seven occasions,” the report says.

“However, no log was included inside the bin to indicate the reason it was opened. This is a material weakness in the storage of election materials. According to AES staff, the fact the Absentee Ballot bin had been opened seven times was unusual.”

AES provides seals with pre-stamped numbers, the report said, but the numbers are not sequential and “Election Board personnel also do not maintain a proper log of the use of seals, nor are they located in a physically secured location.” Veriti investigators found two types of generic seals used on ballot storage bins in addition to the AES-provided seals.

Board of Elections staff told Veriti that there have been no purchases of non-AES seals.

“Since these types of seals were used to secure the bins, it is possible an unauthorized person opened the bins between Election Day and the Recount and altered ballots, then resealed the bins using the generic seals,” the report reads.

NEED FOR ACTION The Veriti report was delivered early in the same week that Tribal

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tricts like the Russ Avenue corridor and the Walmart area of Hazelwood as appropriate locations for such endeavors.

The debate over Nicholson’s Dellwood City Road business — which is, essentially, gambling — never really centered on the moral or legal prudence of that particular type of gaming, but a recent indictment of Nicholson stemming from a raid at another of her business locations last April certainly did.

That indictment, issued Jan. 8, accuses Nicholson of operating video gaming machines not legal under the state’s current definition of acceptable gaming. Assistant District Attorney Jeff Jones moved to revoke her $50,000 bond Jan. 26 stating that the machines at Nudge City were also outside the law.

After several delays in the hearing, Nicholson remains free; Judge Bradley Letts lowered Nicholson’s bond to $15,000, provided she does not operate gaming machines deemed illegal by the State of North Carolina.

Nicholson’s attorney Jonathan Song wasn’t immediately available for comment.

February 14-20, 2018

Council held its Feb. 1 legislative session, and several councilmembers expressed grave concerns with its results.

“All the years past, every time we had a recount here there would be one or two changes,” said Councilmember Perry Shell, of Big Cove. “This time there were huge numbers that were changed. I think this needs to be presented to the public, and the people whose right to vote was violated needs to know.”

“We need to get our integrity back to our voting system here,” said Councilmember Boyd Owle, of Birdtown. Owle was the top Birdtown vote-getter in both the Election Day and recount results. “If we have to have a police officer standing by the ballot boxes, that’s maybe what we need to do.”

The audit holds perhaps the most importance for Councilmember Albert Rose, of Birdtown, as the recount results would have had Sessions holding the seat he now sits in.

He called for further investigation into the issue to determine exactly who was responsible for the alleged ballot tampering.

“They (Veriti) can’t determine person-toperson that committed this, but I’m sure we can find out. We need to find out,” Rose said, adding, “They need to bring the charges, and that’s what I want to see proceed.”

Principal Chief Richard Sneed agreed that some type of action needs to follow the report’s release, and that the possibility of criminal charges should certainly be on the table.

“When we’re dealing with audits, it’s not enough to read it and say, ‘That needs to be corrected,’” Sneed said. “The Board of Elections needs to be given direction, and they need to come back with a plan on how to correct it.”

Ballard did not return requests for comment. Sessions declined to comment, citing the possibility of future litigation surrounding the outcome of an election she has consistently said was stolen from her by the illegal use of a runoff election.

The Tribal Council is planning a work session on the issue for 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16.

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER controversial video gaming parlor that opened on Dellwood City Road last summer will cease operations and remove all signage by March 9, according to a consent agreement between the town of Waynesville and Nudge City owner Tami Nicholson.

As a condition of the agreement, which was reached Feb. 6, Nicholson will withdraw her appeal to Waynesville’s Zoning Board of Adjustment of a revocation of occupancy notice made by the town in November.

Waynesville Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague said the business shouldn’t have been allowed to open in the first place because it lacked proper permits, and because video gaming wasn’t a permitted use in the mixed-use overlay of the historic Love Lane Residential District.

But until late November, video gaming wasn’t a permitted use anywhere in the town; on Nov. 28, a text amendment to the town’s land development standards passed the Waynesville Board of Aldermen unanimously and designated Regional Center dis-

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Smoky Mountain News February 14-20, 2018

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Education Hands-on experience at SCC Jackson County Early College students recently got hands-on experience in Southwestern Community College’s Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program.

As part of an honors project for their EC Biology course, students got to participate in a blood grouping lab activity.

“These skills help expose high school students to the sciences and give them the opportunity to learn about another program like MLT that they may not have realized existed,” said Andrea Kennedy, SCC’s MLT and phlebotomy program coordinator.

The lab activity gave students an opportunity to learn about antigens, antibodies, blood grouping and how these tests are performed to provide a safe blood transfusion for a patient.

SCC also offers a phlebotomy certification program, which teaches students how to properly collect blood samples in a one-semester program offered every fall semester. Application deadline is March 15. www.southwesterncc.edu or email Kennedy at andrea@southwesterncc.edu.

SuperSoaker inventor to speak at WCU Lonnie Johnson, engineer and inventor of the SuperSoaker water gun, will be a guest speaker in Cullowhee on Monday, Feb. 19, as Western Carolina University celebrates Engineers Week. His presentation will begin at 6 p.m. in the A.K. Hinds University Center’s Grandroom.

From the time he was a youngster in Mobile, Alabama, Johnson would take toys apart just to see what was inside. He also had a fascination with building things, which has culminated in him being the founder and owner of Atlanta-based Johnson Research and Development Co., a technology development company, along with spinoff companies Excellatron Solid State LLC and Johnson Electro-Mechanical Systems.

He also is the owner of more than 100 patents, with more than 20 others pending.

Johnson also is on the board of directors for Georgia FIRST robotics. Students from across Atlanta come to his facilities and form teams that build robots for robotic competitions.

Swain students wins national contest Abbegail King, a Swain County student, recently got the chance to hone her agri-science skills at the National Youth Summit on AgriScience in Washington, D.C., thanks to the Bayer Cooperation.

Youth from across the nation were invited to submit a picture and essay caption explaining the importance of science and why science matters to them personally. King’s picture and essay on the dairy industry was selected from several hundred entries by a panel of judges comprised of both Bayer and National 4-H Council employees as a finalist.

The public then had the opportunity to help choose the winners by voting on the 4-H website for their favorite. As a winner, King was awarded a stipend, round-trip airfare, lodging, and meals for herself as well as a chaperone and a guest. King is a member of the Western North Carolina All-Star Dairy Club, Bulls Eye-Shooting Club and Teen Youth Leadership Council with local 4-H agent, Coley Bartholomew.

Smoky Mountain News

financial support to attend WCU through the Brinson Annual Scholarship Fund. Among them is Joy Johnston, a senior from Mills River majoring in English.

For more information on how to help deserving students at WCU, visit give.wcu.edu.

Scholarships available for GED exam The Haywood Community College Foundation now has scholarships available for female students interested in completing the High School Equivalency (formerly known as GED) exam.

Thanks to generous funding from Womansong’s New Start Program, funds are set aside expressly for use of aiding with the cost of the test. These grants are intended to ‘fill in the gap’ when other short-term funding options are not available.

The High School Equivalency credential helps graduates find employment, increase their wages and attend college. Classes and materials are provided free of charge at HCC. 828.627.4648 or visit www.haywood.edu.

HCC offers classes to community Haywood Community College’s workforce continuing education department is offering a wide variety of courses for the month of February.

Learn how to weave from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tuesdays, Feb. 20 through April 10. Cost is $280.

Participants in this class will make a simple garment using basic shapes and draping.

A textiles class will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays Feb. 20 through March 20. Cost is $135.

Bring in a swatch of fabric that you have made and leave the class with at least five new samples loosely based on the original swatch.

Other classes include indigo dyeing, forklift operation certification, DSLR camera basics, quilting and first aid and CPR. For more information, call 828.627.4669 or email Regina Massie at rgmassie@haywood.edu.

SCC instructors earn Couple makes $1 million CORE certificate Southwestern Community College’s educational promise to WCU opportunities department recently had nine basic A husband and wife who divide their time between Highlands and Hilton Head recently announced a $1 million commitment to fund scholarships for students in the Honors College at Western Carolina University.

Jack and Judy Brinson, who already were longtime contributors to WCU, say they were inspired to increase their philanthropic support for the university to seven figures by an October announcement by Chancellor David O. Belcher and wife Susan. That’s when the Belchers pledged $1.23 million for WCU’s ongoing efforts to increase scholarship support for students.

Twenty-eight students to date have received

skills instructors earn their CORE Instructional Certificate by completing the Hybrid Core Credential for Adult Education from Appalachian State University.

The 36-hour hybrid credential class consists of seven courses that prepare instructors to provide quality education in basic skills programs.

Participants are trained in research and evidencebased methodologies, learning philosophies and the framework to support them.

For more information about educational opportunities, contact Debbie Smith, SCC’s educational opportunities director, at d_smith@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4361.

19

WCU approved for new doctorate degree The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has approved the establishment of a doctoral program in psychology at Western Carolina University that will focus on enhancing the level of psychological services available to residents of Western North Carolina.

The psychology doctorate will be WCU’s fourth doctoral-level academic program. The university already offers doctorates in educational leadership, physical therapy and nursing practice.

WNC is an underserved region in the area of mental health services, and the shortage is particularly evident when it comes to the needs of children and adolescents. Plus, the demand for psychological services is expected to increase for the foreseeable future, said Alvin Malesky, professor and head of WCU’s Psychology Department.

The first cohort of students is expected to start the program in fall 2019.

Email malesky@wcu.edu or call 828.227.3357.

SCC massage program offers clinic Southwestern Community College’s therapeutic massage program will be offering a massage learning clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of the spring semester in Room 135B of Founders Hall on SCC’s Jackson Campus.

“The community is very important to our students’ learning,” said Jennifer Burgess, SCC’s therapeutic massage instructor. “We get different people with different problem areas, which expands their knowledge base.”

The clinic will feature chair massages and 50minute Swedish massages. The cost for a chair massage is $1 per minute and the 50-minute Swedish massage is $20 for the community and $15 for faculty, staff and students.

To make an appointment, call 828.339.4313.

SCC presented with military seals The Veterans Council of WNC recently presented Southwestern Community College with military seals for supporting local veterans.

“We appreciate SCC’s continued support of our veterans and active soldiers,” said Lyn Lazar, chair of the Veteran’s Council of WNC. “The faculty, staff and students always offer lots of help during the events we have at the college.”

SCC has hosted several events for veterans and active soldiers including a Veterans Picnic, annual Veterans Day celebration, and most recently, a pre-deployment meal for the 210th Military Police Company.

For more information about SCC and the programs it offers, visit www.southwesterncc.edu or call 828.339.4000.

20

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Breathing in the good M

Meadows talks out of both sides of his mouth To the Editor: Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, seems to be having a bout of selective amnesia instead of working for the people he represents in the 11th District.

In his newsletter dated Jan. 29, 2018 Meadows complains about the Democrats being willing to shut down the government and stop paychecks from going to the military An excerpt from the newsletter “… Senate Democrats chose to block a continuing resolution bill to keep the government open because they wanted an immigration deal (or DACA deal) attached to it. You can agree or disagree with their tactics, but that’s exactly what they chose to do. I made my position clear before, during, and after the shutdown: I think blocking our military and federal workforce from getting paid and doing their jobs, in order to get an unrelated DACA deal, is wrong.

Period.”

Mr. Meadows seems to forget — and hopes most of the people in his district also forget — that he was the leader of a government shutdown a few years ago while the Republicans tried to get a vote to rid many Americans of their health insurance coverage.

Rep. Meadows sure wasn’t concerned about military paychecks during that shutdown.

He also wasn’t concerned about the paychecks of the people in his district — Republicans and Democrats — who have government jobs and those who depend on

time verbalizing daily affirmations and praying.

Some of my daily affirmations are: This is going to be a good day. Life is a gift. When feeling down, think of the boys.

Always talk to God. Let it come, let it go.

Then I offer my gratitude list. I’m thankful for two wonderful children, new relationships, a healthy body that loves to exercise, family and friendships, a fulfilling career and a warm, cozy home.

These affirmations and thoughts of gratitude are my lifelines.

Valentine’s Day is this week. In my mind, this is a holiday for the young.

Whether you’re 6 years old writing Star Wars Valentines or 16 years old jittery Columnist about a date, this holiday is for those with innocent hearts.

I’m celebrating the day of love in my own way, not in a spirit of romance but in a spirit of peace. It feels amazing to not be so damn sad all the time.

I also have some other big news to celebrate this week.

After talking about it for a while, I officially signed up for my first triathlon. The event is May 12 in Tennessee. Initially, I was going to wait until July or August, but I feel really energized right now, so I decided to go ahead and sign up.

Another triathlete forwarded me the registration information

Susanna Barbee

y life is starting to even out. And while I’m happy about this, a peaceful, comfortable life doesn’t offer as much column fodder as a melancholy, tragic one.

Five years ago, my mom found out she had breast cancer.

Then a year after that, when she was in remission, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer. It was complications from multiple myeloma that ultimately took her life.

I remember a clear thought right before her breast cancer diagnosis.

It was the Fourth of July. I was relaxing on the back porch with a vibrant mom and dad and two energetic little boys and thinking to myself, “I am so lucky. Breathe in this moment, Susanna. You have two healthy parents and two healthy children. Not everyone is so fortunate.”

Soon after, my world spiraled and we were sending my mom’s ashes out to sea. It was a quick jaunt from happiness to utter heartbreak. This world is full of dark surprises.

These days, tendrils of hope and optimism swirl around me. Sometimes I get nervous when I feel excited about life, worried something will take it away or that I’m being unappreciative. To counteract these anxious emotions, I routinely send prayers of gratitude in the direction of heaven.

Every morning I wake up earlier than my boys to embrace some quiet time. I diffuse and inhale essential oils and spend time mediating, visualizing, writing and reading. I also spend

and I went for it.

A close friend of mine says signing up is the first step. Once a person is signed up, it’s really happening. And he’s right. I already feel a little nervous, even though the event is still months away.

Next Monday, Feb. 19, starts my 12 weeks of training.

Triathlon training involves swimming, running, biking and weight training. It also involves a lot of education about the sport and mental preparation, as well as good nutrition and hydration. With two little boys and a full-time job, finding time to train isn’t going to be easy. It’s going to require strategic planning and will power, but I’m ready for it.

Throughout my life, I’ve found that focusing on an external or physical goal does a lot to combat emotional or internal strife. I’ve been missing my mom like crazy lately. It’s true that grief comes and goes in cycles and stages. Recently, I’ve felt some anger about not having her here on earth, but I’m also moving toward a season of acceptance, which simultaneously makes me sad and happy.

I’ve experienced an array of Valentine’s Days in my life.

Each year has its own personality and results in a unique memory. Who knows what I’ll think of next year when I look back on this week of 2018?

On the surface it’s a holiday of romantic cards, flowers and candy, but on another level, it’s a day to be thankful and celebrate love of every kind. Whatever you’re up to this week, I hope your heart is full and your gratitude list is long. Breathe in the good moments, my friends. They come and go so quickly.

(Susanna Barbee is a writer, editor and digital media specialist for Mountain South Media, Smoky Mountain News, and Smoky Mountain Living.)

LETTERS national parks being open, those who own restaurants, those who depend on tourism to make living, etc.

In the same newsletter, Meadows also complains about the Senate rule that it takes 60 votes to pass legislation: There’s a Senate rule that prevents us from doing that. Unless you have 60 votes for a bill in the Senate, Senate rules allow a minority of Senators to use what’s called a “filibuster” to block a bill from passing. Republicans only have 51 votes, so Sen. Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., and Senate Democrats can basically block any bill they want to.”

Rep. Meadows was perfectly happy with this rule when the Republicans used it consistently to thwart legislation that President Obama wanted to get passed. Now the shoe is on the other foot and Meadows isn’t so happy about that turn of events.

It appears to me that the only constituent that Meadows is interested in representing is Meadows himself.

Dennis Corvin Blackburn Whittier

Rep. Clampitt needs to listen to constituents To the Editor: First, I want to thank Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, for holding this latest town hall meeting. Unfortunately, I left the meeting wondering why even have one if the focus is

Will Studenc entirely on the past.

I felt Rep. Clampitt was not interested in finding out how his constituents felt about specific policies being considered in the state legislature. About only half of the meeting time was allowed for audience participation.

Mr. Clampitt’s general attitude appeared to me to be “this is what I think, if you don’t like it, vote me out.”

Also, instead of discussing issues and policies, the rest of the meeting was wasted in arguing about which party, Democratic or Republican, did what and when and how long ago. Several stories were misleading and some accounts were basically not the whole story.

They were shared simply to malign the opposing party.

One story in particular was about a teacher’s pay being “garnished” for two months in 2009. The speaker alluded that it was done to benefit the lobbying group of the National Education Association. After the meeting I fact-checked this account and found that it was untrue.

Indeed, ALL state employees — including teachers — did have a slight pay cut in 2009 to derive the needed funds necessary to pay the bills of the state. The cut was not “garnishment;” it was done because of shrinking tax collections, to bal-

Time to rid Duke of its monopoly

Military parade is just a bad idea To the Editor: Have we lost our sanity? A military parade is an unconscionable waste of national resources, particularly galling as Congress is voting to pass a budget that will greatly increase our national debt. Trying to pass it off as an effort to “honor veterans” reveals a real disconnect about what veterans really need and want: improved benefits and improved health care at VA hospitals.

It also misses the mark on representing who we are as a nation. What happened to Roosevelt’s words of wisdom: Speak softly …” In my words: “‘Em as what got it, don’t have to flaunt it.”

Such posturing as this reveals insecurity.

Joanne Strop Waynesville

Vote Phillip Price in Democratic primary

The Jackson County, North Carolina Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) wishes to communicate its position regarding the existence of monuments that glorify the cause of the Confederacy, white supremacy, and the soldiers who fought in the Civil War. While we accept these monuments as a partial representation of the history of that era, they embody only one point of view.

To tell the whole story, monuments to other historical experiences of that period and today must be created.

All those who fought deserve our respect for the sacrifices they made, whether they volunteered or were drafted, regardless of which side they joined during the Civil War. Historical monuments in public places, other than in museums, should not include symbols of racial hatred such as Confederate flags, as they represent white supremacy, slavery, racial oppression, and secession from the United States.

A courthouse should be an inherent symbol of justice, applicable to all citizens; therefore, it is appropriate to construct additional monuments, statues, and/or plaques at or near the same location as the current Confederate monuments, to provide recognition of all the people of this region and their descendants.

This includes, but is not limited to, those:

• who were enslaved, lynched, or otherwise terrorized.

• who were African Americans and fought in every American war.

• who were impoverished because of depressed wages in a slave economy.

• who were women and children that experienced hunger, poverty, and depredation without the labor and protection of the men who fought.

• who were white Southerners from Western North Carolina who fought in the Union Army during the Civil War. • who were abolitionists aiding the Underground Railroad.

• who were activists against Jim Crow laws and fought for civil rights.

• who were displaced by European settlers, • and who were champions for liberty, justice, equality, and dignity in Western North Carolina.

We seek to correct the inaccurate depictions of regional history that honor only those who promoted white supremacy.

Our community and elected leaders have an obligation to correct these omissions with public monuments honoring the efforts and sacrifices of the previously mentioned groups, thus providing a more complete and accurate portrait of the history and heritage of the people of Western North Carolina.

Submitted by the Jackson County NAACP

HOT TUB RAFFLE!

Help Travis Bramlett be named King at the Haywood County Schools Foundation annual Mardi Gras Ball

Proceeds to benefit the Haywood County Schools Foundation

TICKETS: $100/EACH Only 50 tickets will be sold

Smoky Mountain News

To the Editor: I appreciated Cory Vaillancort’s story “Unseating Mark Meadows” describing the candidates running against the now-millionnaire incumbent representing the 11th Congressional District. We need a candidate who knows first hand what the middle class needs to thrive and grow in WNC. Phillip Price is that candidate.

Phillip Price and his wife have operated a wood recycling business in WNC for 20 years. He has three children, all raised in WNC, who are going through the public school system. He values public education.

Two of his children attended or are attending the North Carolina School of Science and Math (NCSSM). One son is an honor student at the Chemical Engineering Department at NCSU after graduating from the NCSSM. The last election taught us that the everyday men and women need a voice in Washington. We need to listen, but give WNC proven policies that will improve our lives. All of our futures depend on it. Vote for Phillip Price in the May 8 primary.

Kathy Kyle Hendersonville

Let’s fix Confederate Monument issue

February 14-20, 2018

To the Editor: When I think about the purpose of industry, it is that our children would have good lives. That it would be of benefit to all our lives. Toxicity from industry is a problem that is increasing, on a huge scale.

Weighed in the balance, much industrial production is endangering the lives of children through cancer and nervous system disorders, in exchange for products that may make life more convenient but have little real value. We are trading true benefit for ourselves for material goods. It is naive to believe that industry can continue this way.

Duke Energy’s legal monopoly on power production in North Carolina needs to end.

This is an antiquated approach to energy that is attempting to kill new technologies, and is already lethal to our rivers and communities. Duke Energy Corporation has proved itself an irresponsible company, and there is no reason to shield Duke from competition by better technologies. This state needs to be able to support new technologies that protect people’s health and move our grid in the direction that we have to go.

Entrepreneurs from China, South Korea, Russia and Japan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote construction of a shared wind and solar grid in the Gobi Desert that would operate at a massive scale, and allow deconstruction of nuclear plants. It’s encouraging to see foreign leaders forging paths to independence from fossil fuel reliance.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is still bent on a path that walls us off from pursuit of new technologies. Obsolescence is the way we’re headed, if as a country we aren’t able to adapt legal constraints to build the types of grids we need to address climate change and stay competitive with clean and effective energy production that is the future.

Duke Energy’s plans to build a new natural gas powered plant in Asheville is a move towards continued toxicity, groundwater poisoning in the areas of the country where the gas is sourced through hydraulic fractur-

ing, and a backwards play in a game of change in electric generation in which time is of the essence. Duke has actively and viciously fought solar development in N.C., at the same time that the company created massive public harm in the Dan River.

My father is a retired electrical engineer who developed patents and created innovative material applications. It’s time we stop halting the innovations and improved technologies we desperately need, remove Duke’s stranglehold on progress, and move forward in North Carolina.

Autumn Woodward Fairview

opinion

ance the state budget. In return for the halfpercent of their annual salary being cut, the workers got an extra 10 hours of flexible time off. See the article in the Hendersonville Times News April 28, 2009.

According to this article, Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, RRockingham, “agreed that salaries were probably among the few places to cut spending so late in the fiscal year, but he noted that the furloughs were only a tiny part of (Gov. Beverly) Perdue’s solution to closing the budget chasm.”

While I believe opinions of policies should be shared, the facts must also be presented accurately.

Nancy Copeland Waynesville

The Hot Tub Store 1478 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville NC 28786

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

828.926.8484

TheTubStore.com

21

tasteTHEmountains

Real New Yorkers.

Real Italians. Real Pizza.

Dine-In ~ Take Out ~ Delivery

An Authentic Italian Pizzeria & Restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge.

Just to serve you!

243 Paragon Parkway | Clyde Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Open Sundays Noon to 8p.m.

828-476-5058 NEW LOCATION OPEN! Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m • Closed Sundays

499 Champion Drive | Canton Present this coupon and recieve:

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Wine Down Wednesday’s: ½ off wine by the bottle. We specialize in handcut, 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.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. It’s winter, but we still serve three meals a day on Friday, Saturday and long holiday weekends. Join us for Breakfast from 8:00 to 9:30am; Lunch from 12 to 2:00pm; and Dinner featuring entrees such as prime rib, Virginia ham and lime-marinated chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. And a roaring fire in the fireplace.

We also offer a fine selection of wine and craft beer. Come enjoy mile-high mountain-

Dellwood FARmhOuSE REStAuRANt Fresh, high-quality, homemade food. Bring your entire family!

Specials served daily.

ly $ for on

Smoky Mountain News

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.

DELLWOOD FARMHOUSE RESTAURANT 651 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville.

828.944.0010. Warm, inviting restaurant serving delicious, freshly-made Southern comfort foods. Cozy atmosphere; spacious to accommodate large parties. Big Farmhouse Breakfast and other morning menu items served 8 a.m. to noon. Lunch/dinner menu offered 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Come see us.

You’ll be glad you did! Closed Wednesdays.

FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA 243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde.

828.476.5058. Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 12 to 8 p.m. Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza. A full service authentic Italian pizzeria and restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge. Dine in, take out, and delivery. Check out our daily lunch specials plus customer appreciation nights on Monday and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95.

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

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

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT Daily Specials: Soups, Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

Featured Dishes: Fresh Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Country Ham, Pork-chops & more

Breakfast : Omelets, Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy!

Valentine’s Weekend

Fixed-Price Specials Feb. 14-16

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

se rmhou a F ig B fast Break 5.99

2 eggs, hash browns or grits, bacon or sausage, and pancake or waffle.

CLOSED WEDNESDAY Breakfast Served Daily • Lunch & Dinner Served Daily 11am-8pm 8am-12pm (Sat. 7am-12pm)

2651 Dellwood Road • Waynesville 22

top dining with a spectacular view.

Reservations are required. For more details, please call 828.926.1401.

828.944.0010

New Hours: Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Breakfast served all day!

2804 SOCO RD. • MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.0425 • Facebook.com/carversmvr Instagram- @carvers_mvr

Order off the menu or choose 1 of 4 affordable packages that includes a bottle of wine, champagne or pitcher of local beer. Buy 1-Get 1 Free Dessert Crepes and $5 Flights of Beer. We will have 6 Specials those nights, plus our regular menu items.

Reservations Encouraged 828.587.2233 3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

www.CityLightsCafe.com

1196 N Main St Waynesville NC 828.452.5187 Kaninis.com Serving lunch Monday-Saturday 10:30-2:30

383-33

February 14-20, 2018

10%

OFF ENTIRE MEAL

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

tasteTHEmountains 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.

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.

GUADALUPE CAFÉ 606 W. Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.9877.

Open 7 days a week at 5 p.m. Located in the historic Hooper’s Drugstore, Guadalupe Café is a chef-owned and operated restaurant serving Caribbean inspired fare complimented by a quirky selection of wines and microbrews. Supporting local farmers of organic produce, livestock, hand-crafted cheese, and using sustainably harvested seafood.

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

Open for dinner at 4:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. 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.

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT 2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

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

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.

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

828.497.4590. Open 7 a.m. daily.

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

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.

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 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.

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. 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.

Closed Tues.

Sun. 12-9 p.m.

32 Felmet Street (828) 246-0927

Events begin at 7:15pm unless otherwise noted. Dinner and Music reservations at 828-452-6000.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Flea Bitten Dawgs ukulele, percussion, vocals. Ukulele Jazz Americana. Tickets are $10 per person and may be applied to each person's dinner purchase.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor, Sting.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Tina and Her Pony ukulele, cello, banjo, vocals. Folk-Americana, Originals.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor, Sting.

FRIDAY, MARCH 2 Daniel Shearin guitar, vocals.

Americana, Originals.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

Simple, delicious food with vegetarian options, craft beer on draft, great wines, kids menu and daily specials.

Bringing brunch downtown! Sunday: 10 to 2 Open daily except Wednesdays: 11:30 to 9

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MON-THUR 3-8 • FRI, SAT, SUN 12-8

Smoky Mountain News

Saturday 12 p.m.-10 p.m.

AT BEARWATERS BREWING

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WAYNESVILLE’S BEST BURGERS

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Monday: Closed Tue-Thurs 3pm-8pm Fri-Sat: 12pm-9pm Sunday: 12pm-6pm

February 14-20, 2018

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

Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Handtossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch.

Beer and wine. Free movies Thursday trought Saturday. Visit madbatterfoodfilm.com for this week’s shows.

828.454.5400 128 N. Main · Downtown Waynesville fireflytapsandgrill.com

MON.-SAT. 11 A.M.-8 P.M.

34 CHURCH ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6505 twitter.com/ChurchStDepot

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

“It’s good to be happy with your accomplishments, but not complacent, and feeling like you should be moving forward. We should always be evolving — as human beings, as musicians, and as a band.”

— Marcus King

SOUL INSIGHT A conversation with Marcus King

the feeling that his ever-evolving craft and creativity is in a race against time, where the losttoo-soon faces of Kath, Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman appear — and reappear — like haunting visions, not only as guiding forces, but also as warning signs of what to do and not do when chasing your dreams.

Luckily, King is in good hands, as seen by his friendships, collaborations and ongoing mentorships with guitar icons Warren Haynes [Gov’t Mule/Allman Brothers] and Derek Trucks [Tedeschi Trucks Band/Allman Brothers], musicians who give flight to the hopes and aspirations of those who follow in their footsteps.

Smoky Mountain News: What were the hopes coming into the past year?

Marcus King: We did 150 dates [in 2017].

Our intention was just to be on the road as much as possible, and to see how far we could push each other, physically. See what happens at the end of it. If we hate each other, do we move forward? If we don’t, we’re good.

Rising guitar prodigy Marcus King was recently photographed by Sandlin Gaither.

The Marcus King Band will be playing Asheville Feb. 16-17.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER You find yourself frozen.

Watching and listening to The Marcus King Band onstage, your feet are stuck to the floor, your eyes entranced and fixated on the whirlwind jam conspiring before you. Razor-sharp guitar licks, thundering drum-n-bass hooks, twinkle-toed keyboards and a ferocious horn section — a seamless blend of as many musical genres as there are possibilities.

And standing in the middle of this melodic storm is 21-year-old guitar prodigy Marcus King. The Greenville, South Carolina, native is

no stranger to the musical traditions of Southern Appalachia and the Southeast. He cut his teeth playing any jam circle that would have him, many of which being in venues in Asheville and around Western North Carolina.

The band’s recent EP, “Due North,” bolts from the speakers like a bat out of hell, where the mind drifts and makes immediate comparisons to the likes of Chicago during the late Terry Kath years, one of the most underrated guitarists of the 20th century who fronted the group like an electric maestro gone mad.

Though only in the early stages of his promising, bountiful career, King can’t ever shake

SMN: Where does that work ethic come from?

MK: A lot of my heroes, just looking at what they accomplished. Duane Allman, for the main example, he was 24 when he passed away. He built a legacy and I don’t think he was able to see the fruits of his labors. I use that as an example because, you know, we’re not promised tomorrow. I think it’s a touchy thing.

I use it more so for motivation, and not getting down on myself. It’s good to be happy with your accomplishments, but not complacent, and feeling like you should be moving forward.

We should always be evolving — as human beings, as musicians, and as a band.

SMN: Is there ever a double-edged sword with that?

MK: Oh, yeah. I get into my head a lot. I get really bad anxiety attacks, just overanalyze everything a good bit. And music is the only release of that, really. That’s the only opportunity I have to get it all off my chest. Onstage is when I’m most comfortable. Some things I can scream and sing that I can’t really convey [in person].

SMN: What have you learned from Warren [Haynes] and Derek [Trucks] that you’ve applied to your own career?

MK: Well, they’re always professional and they’re always kind. To anybody that wants to talk to them, they’re there to speak to them.

And I always make it a point to go speak to the people that have allowed me to be where I am.

Just staying humble and remembering your roots, it’s certainly something I’ve always found important. From my grandfather and my dad teaching it to me, and then seeing peo-

Want to go?

The Marcus King Band (rock/soul) will open for Umphrey’s McGee (jam/rock) during the Blue Ridge Rockway at 8 p.m. Feb. 1617 at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.marcuskingband.com or www.umphreys.com.

ple like Derek and Warren — and Jimmy Herring [of Widespread Panic] — that really hold those values true. I love coming back home and just getting put right back in my place by all the musicians that used to let me come sit in when I was a kid. I go back and jam with them, they’re still my heroes and I’m still Marcus. And they don’t treat me any different — I love it.

SMN: What are the hopes for this coming year?

MK: Trying to grow and to continue to push each other musically. And as human beings, trying to expand my mind spiritually.

I’m trying to find other outlets to free my mind. This past year kind of showed me that I’m making my music into something that is a compulsive thing, [where] “I have to do it in order to have any kind of happiness” is not okay, because it takes away from the true reason I play music in the first place — to be happy. And I’m just trying to embrace the moment I’m in.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

David Joy. Ashley T. Evans photo

‘I ain’t getting rich now but I’m gettin’ more than by’

Rock/funk act Porch 40 will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

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Smoky Mountain News

The solidarity was evident.

Sitting onstage this past Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Taylor Monday at Nantahala Brewing in Martin (singer-songwriter) at 8 p.m. Friday, Bryson City, I conducted another Feb. 16. episode of “Smoky Mountain A stage performance by “TAO: Drum Heart” Voices,” where local characters will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, and officials are interviewed durin the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina ing an extended face-to-face conUniversity. versation. It’s in an effort to learn more about the people and Western Carolina University and Folkmoot will places that make Western North host a Lunar New Year event from 6 to 8 p.m.

Carolina such a unique and cherFriday, Feb. 16, at the Folkmoot Friendship ished region.

Center in Waynesville.

My guest this week was author David Joy. The acclaimed The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host The Jackson County writer has Paper Crowns (Americana/blues) at 9 p.m. become nationally and internaFriday, Feb. 16. tionally known for his first two books, Where All Light Tends To Go and The Weight Of This World. His third time pharmaceutical company left the community and resettled overseas. book, The Line That Held Us, will be out in So, when Joy spoke at-length about being August (Putnam). a literary voice for those “forgotten and left And throughout our 1.5-hour back and behind” of Southern Appalachia, I felt a forth Q&A, I found continued solidarity common ground in what I saw up north, and with Joy’s background and thought process, now in my day-to-day purpose of seeking out his outlook that mirrored mine in many hard-earned truths and consequences here ways, even though we grew up in two differin Western North Carolina. ent states (of mind).

One of the reasons I chose (and continue) Joy hails from the West Charlotte area, where urbanization and gentrification flood- to live and work in these parts is my sincere interest in capturing the voices of these ed in during his youth, though never flooding his ancestral vision of a life well lived in a mountains, of a people, as Joy said, “that are hard to separate from the landscape,” in rural setting, far away from dirty air/water terms of their deep roots of family, profesand the fast-paced urges and distractions of sional trade, and genuine appreciation for modernity.

Being from rural Upstate New York, I was the beauty that surrounds them, and all of raised in a town of 1,500 people or so. Frigid us currently reading this.

During our conversation, Joy mentioned winters on the Canadian border, where downtown is now abandoned, a victim of big aspects of his adolescence, where drugs came into play early, and so did weird, surreal and, box stores and a brain drain when the long-

MONDAY: 9-10 AM: Slow Flow Yoga w/ Sara • 10:30-11:30: Gentle Yin Yoga w/ Sara • 4:30-5:30: Barre + Flow w/ Jay• 5:45-6:45: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Candra • 6-7: Yoga Basics w/ Sara TUESDAY: 9-10 AM: Restorative Yoga w/ Jay•10:30-11:30: Flow + Myofascial Release w/ Jay • 5:30-6:15: Barre Above* w/ Jay 6:30-7:30: Fluid Unwind w/ Jay WEDNESDAY: 9-10 AM: Flow + Deep Stretch w/ Sara • 10:3011:30: Gentle Yin Yoga w/ Sara • 5:45-6:45: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Maura • 6-7: Hot Stone Restorative w/ Amber • 7-8: Intro to Flow + Restorative w/ Maura THURSDAY: 9-10: Restorative (Chair) Yoga w/ Jay •10:3011:30: Flow Yoga on the Wheel w/ Jay • 1:30-2:30: Qi gong w/ Bill • 5:30-6:15: Barre Above* w/ Jay • 6:30-7:30 PM: Yoga Basics w/ Maura • 6:30-7:30 PM: Candlelight Flow w/ Kendall FRIDAY: 9-10: Hot Stone Restorative w/ Amber • 10:3011:30: Barre + Flow w/ Jay SATURDAY: 9-10: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Michael or Amber • 10:30-11:30: Beginner Flow Yoga w/ Maura SUNDAY: 11:30-12:30: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Kendall • 4-5: Beginner Flow w/ Maura • 4-5: Hot Stone Restorative w/ Amber

February 14-20, 2018

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FEBRUARY SCHEDULE arts & entertainment

This must be the place

perhaps, poignant situations that resulted from it all. One of those things where you chase whatever substance it is you’re after, only to end up in the depths of whatever scene you find yourself in, standing there in sheer awe of the dark love and potentially dangerous shenanigans you’re now involved in.

And I remember scenarios like that, where I would be in some rusted, weatherbeaten trailer on a backroad in the North Country, sitting on a musty couch, waiting to buy some weed or being smoked up while waiting for whatever drugs my friends wanted to buy, and witnessing first-hand the choices — either hard or under the influence — folks would make who were two or three times my age.

You’d see folks living paycheck-to-paycheck (or no paycheck at all) and seemingly crippled by their physical or emotional self, where, at times, you’d see real love between their tightly-knit, often-misunderstood social circles, and why people make the choices they do in the time they have.

It’s like the Drive-By Truckers song “Puttin’ People On The Moon” tragically states: “So I took to runnin’ numbers for this man I used to know / And I sell a few narcotics and I sell a little blow / I ain’t getting rich now but I’m gettin’ more than by / It’s really tough to make a living but a man just got to try…”

But, beyond that, there was also the culture of that region — and of Southern Appalachia, too — where dialects, skillsets and back histories are rapidly disappearing.

A clean slate to serve the needs of those looking to wash over the once-bright canvas of heritage — a true sense of place vanishing.

Not to mention, as Joy discussed, how the Appalachian Mountains (which includes my native Adirondacks) are time-and-time again used as a scapegoat for what’s “wrong with American society today.” Fingers keep getting pointed towards these mountains and its people. But, nothing ever seems to change, or gets changed overnight without rhyme or reason, as if whatever was there the day before was a mirage seen in haste.

These thoughts and sentiments might seem like ramblings from Joy and myself.

But, it’s the mind cranking away, thinking of what needs to be done, right here and now, how to give the microphone back to the silent majority of folks we see every day — with or without internal hope — and not let the loudest voices (usually from the fringe) in the room dictate the dialogue and overtake the conversation.

So, ladies and gentlemen out there in Western North Carolina, I ask this of you: Are we doing enough to address the ongoing societal issues affecting people and organizations in our backyard? Have we recognized those in trouble as human beings in need, or do we continue to cast them aside as “less than”? Are we each putting in the time and effort to ensure the survival of not only our neighbors, but also the mountain communities we call home?

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

(Editor’s Note: You can stream the entire interview with David Joy by going to the Nantahala Brewing page on Facebook and clicking the “Video” tab. You can reach Garret by emailing garret@smokymountainnews.com.)

743 HAYWOOD RD • WEST ASHEVILLE

ISISASHEVILLE.COM 828.575.2737

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arts & entertainment

On the beat • Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” with Scott Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) Feb. 17, George Ausman (singer-songwriter) Feb. 24 and Wyatt Espalin (singer-songwriter) March 3. All shows are free and begin at 5 p.m. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Taylor Martin (singer-songwriter) Feb. 16, 1898 (Americana) Feb. 23, and Amy Andrews (singer-songwriter) March 2. All shows begin at 8 p.m.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 15 and 21.

Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Feb. 17 and 24, and Tiny & Her Pony (Americana) Feb. 23.

All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. The Flea Bitten Dawgs (Americana/folk) will also perform at 7:15 p.m. Feb. 16, with a $10 cover, which can be applied to food and drink. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

also be an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 17. All are welcome to come and play or simply sit and listen to sounds of southern Appalachia.

• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday with Mike Farrington of Post Hole Diggers.

Free.

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mile High (classic rock) 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and an Open Jam with Rick 8 p.m. Thursdays.

Asheville-based Americana/rock act Gold Rose will perform at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill in Waynesville.

This alt-country trio consists of singer-songwriter/guitarist Kevin Fuller, bassist Ryan Kijanka and drummer C. Scott Shaw. The band meshes crunchy guitar noise with folk, country and Americana stories.

Admission is $5. Ages 21 and over.

Smoky Mountain News

February 14-20, 2018

ALSO:

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Rachel Stewart (singer-songwriter) Feb. 17 and Twelfth Fret (Americana/folk) Feb. 24.

All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. www.curraheebrew.com.

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host Bird In Hand (Americana/folk) 8 p.m. Feb. 23 and DJ Gemini Moon Feb. 24. All shows are free and open to the public.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Scoundrel’s Lounge (Americana) Feb. 17, Loren Walker Madison & The Hustlers (Americana) Feb. 23 and So What? Feb. 24.

All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Feb. 14 and 21, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Feb. 15 and 22. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Isis Music Hall (Asheville) will host Barnes, Sipe, Seal & Thorin (rock/jazz) 9 p.m. Feb. 17, Al Petteway (singer-songwriter) 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 and Aubrey Logan (jazz/soul) 9 p.m. Feb. 24. For more information about the performances and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.isisasheville.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Troy Underwood (singer-songwriter) Feb. 16, The UpBeats Feb. 17, Social Insecurity (Americana) Feb. 23 and The Chris Cooper Project (funk/fusion) Feb. 24. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. Porch 40 (rock/funk) will also perform at 9 p.m. Feb. 26 24, with a $5 cover at the door. There will

Americana at The Water’n Hole

STONE CRAZY IN WAYNESVILLE The Elks Lodge (Waynesville) will host Stone Crazy Band (classic rock/country) at 8 p.m. Feb. 16. Open to the community.

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

• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host Andy Ferrell (singer-songwriter) Feb. 16. Both shows begin at 7 p.m.

828.586.1717 or www.soulinfusion.com.

‘Songs & Stories of the American West’ The Macon County Public Library will present an evening of "Songs and Stories of the American West" with the western troubadours Kerry Grombacher & Aspen Black at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at the library in Franklin.

The duo will also perform at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 22, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Two nationally-touring professional singer-songwriters team up for a concert that is top-notch, culturally educational, and fun for all ages.

Black (a horse trainer and former rodeo cowgirl) and Grombacher (M.A. in

American Cultural Studies and Ethnomusicology) weave tales that range from Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill, and truths of the "Cormac McCarthy Universe,” to behind the scenes of the rodeo, a rancher forced off his generational land, the mythical city of El Dorado, and more.

The duo has performed concerts at places like the Historic Homestake Opera House in Lead, South Dakota, ArtCore WY, The Sagebrush Opry, the main stages of The Traditional Country Music Association Festival in Le Mars, Iowa, and the Western Music Association Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in addition to numerous libraries, festivals, and other musical venues.

Both programs are free and open to the public.

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

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host The Paper Crowns (Americana/blues) Feb. 16 and The Kind Thieves (Americana/jam) March 2. All shows begin at 9 p.m.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host High-5 (rock/Americana) Feb. 24 and The Kind Thieves (Americana/jam) March 3. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Gold Rose (Americana/rock) Feb. 17, The Talent March 2, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine (Americana) March 9 and John The Revelator (rock/blues) March 10. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.

PORCH 40 AT MAD BATTER Popular rock/funk act Porch 40 will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. There will also be a Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) tap takeover during the event. Admission is $5. All ages.

On the beat

New Yancys album strikes a chord A

February 14-20, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

BY CHRIS COX CONTRIBUTING WRITER southern gothic love triangle set in the age of Trump? Or maybe J.D. Vance’s bestseller Hillbilly Elegy as a postpunk concept album? How about a singer/songwriter coming off a ten-year hiatus, provoked from a peaceful period of dadhood into sounding his barbaric yawp over the roofs of rural Appalachia and the rest of “the solid south”?

There are many ways to frame and interpret The Yancys new album “The End,” which somehow manages to function as protest music (#resistance), a concept album, and a good, old fashioned rock and roll all at once. But it is clear after one listen that the untoward rise of Donald Trump that resulted in his becoming the 45th President of the United States had a profound effect on Yancys founder and songwriter, John Hawkins. The seeds for this record were planted just prior to the election of 2016, as the Asheville resident was coming to grips with the implications of the Trump movement.

“In October of 2016, these songs just started coming to me,” Hawkins said. “I would sit around and strum my acoustic guitar at night, and they just started coming out. A reaction to the election, and campaign, I guess. They really just started spilling out. It was almost surreal.”

Titles like “Tiny Hands,” “Donnie, You Don’t Love Me Anymore,” and “Deplorable” are immediate and accurate indicators of the tone and direction of the album. If you think a chorus of “Tiny hands, puny heart,” might seem a little too pat on the page, wait until you get to the refrain: “Little Stephen will lead you into the darkness, oh yeah/Little Steven will drag us into the sea.” I wasn’t sure whether “Little Stephen” was Bannon or Miller, or whether Hawkins intended “you” to indicate Trump or the entire country. In the end, these questions are largely beside the point.

They’re pulling all of us in the same direction, “into the darkness.”

“We need to recognize as a nation that this is not who we are, not what we were built on,” said Hawkins. “I realize there were a lot of disenfranchised folks out there, uneducated whites among them.

Trump has brought out and emboldened the worst that we have to offer as a nation.

Folks like Stephen Miller will lead us into the darkness. How does deporting folks

arts & entertainment

End,” and Taylor contributed a backing vocal on “Brown Shirt.” Hawkins’ wife, Jill, contributed vocals to “Silver Ships,” the elegiac closer that brings the proceedings to a satisfying conclusion.

In addition to these bandmates past and present, Hawkins assembled an amazing group of guitarists to play on the record. Chad Nance, Chris Church, Rod who served in the military, paid taxes, Kight, Joel Schantz, John Kirby, and raised families here, how does that make us Mitchell Nance all contribute their own great again?” distinct sounds to this guitar gumbo, creatThe album’s central concept loosely foling textures and sonic landlows the misfortunes of a trio scapes that Hawkins could of Trump supporters who live have scarcely imagined when in rural Appalachia and find he initially wrote the songs. themselves in a love triangle.

The collaboration was “pure Betty, an unemployed single magic,” he said, an assessmom since 16, John Kenny, a ment shared by Chad Nance. southern rock/metalhead who “You know I think what’s sold his guns for guitars, and beautiful about this record is does not understand why peothat it’s a true labor of love,” ple are so upset by the election, said Nance. “There was no and Tommy, your basic white obligation to a record compasupremacist. All three are all ny to write it. No dependency addicted to opioids. Tommy on sales from the record to ends up killing John over Betty. support an individual or famiIt is clear that Hawkins has ly. No one involved is a profesempathy for these characters. sional musician, although I They supported Trump for the can promise you that it’s about reasons so many white, workall everyone probably thinks ing class voters did: they “like about. We are talking about his style and believe Hillary is guys with regular jobs, some of a crook.” For Hawkins, these us kids, all doing it out of pure people are not “trailer park love for rock and roll and the trash” or tired stereotypes. power it possesses. John They are people he knows very played some of these songs for well, relatives and neighbors, me about a year ago. They the people in line in front of were raw and not flushed out you at Walmart. and to watch them evolve into “I'm struck by the support “I love the south, I love Appalachia. I'm not this and watch John put his Trump has received from the heart and soul into it and it all people who truly need some of gonna sit on my ass and not say anything. I come to fruition is really a the most help, but won't get it, particularly around healthwant to look my kids in the eye and say, ‘I did beautiful thing.”

Songcraft aside, the album care, jobs, and the opioid crispeak up.’ It's ok to protest, it’s ok to resist.” would work purely as a tour de sis,” he says. “My first cousin force of guitar playing and died from an overdose. One of — John Hawkins, Yancys founder and songwriter great hooks, even if the lyrics my best musician friends died concerned pet dandruff or from opioids. It hits close to types of soup. Instead, the music is a comwith melody and ready-made hooks that if home. I love the south, love Appalachia, pelling context for Hawkins’ stories, his you play this record through about five love the people. I hate the stereotypes assoanger, frustration, and, yes, his protest of times, you won’t know where to start humciated with it/them, but sometimes it’s of Trump’s vision of America, as well as his lyriming when you’re in the shower or driving their own making.” cism and eye for the specific detail. to work.

While life in the age of Trump is obvi“I love the south, I love Appalachia,” He developed all of these songs “as simously front and center as a theme, the Hawkins said. “I'm not gonna sit on my ass ple structures” on his acoustic guitar, and album’s biggest strength is Hawkins’ and not say anything. I want to look my then went about recruiting a stable of old uncanny ability to surf through a stunning kids in the eye and say, ‘I did speak up.’ It's friends he has played and recorded with variety of sounds and genres with equal going all the way back to his days as a college ok to protest, it’s ok to resist. That's what aplomb, never faltering or losing his balstudent at Appalachian State University back we are all about. It's what made us great in ance. Not one of the album’s twelve songs the first place.” in the early 1990s, when he played in a very sounds like any other, and any fan of rock (Editor’s Note: The Yanceys “The End” is popular local band named Sticky, along with and roll music — especially indie rock or now available at www.bandcamp.com. All proLeeds, the late Dave Alston, and fellow guiwhat some call “post punk” — will recogceeds from the sale of this album will be donated tarist and songwriter, Chip Taylor. Leeds nize traces of at least a dozen influences or to the American Civil Liberties Union.) both produced and played drums on “The more: Drive-By Truckers, Guided By Voices, the Archers of Loaf, Ryan Adams, the Wrens, and many others.

The album is a Whitman’s Sampler of post punk, power pop, grunge, Americana, classic rock, and yet co-producer and drummer, Jon Leeds, a longtime friend of Hawkins and another founding member of The Yancys, was able to work with Hawkins to weave all of this into a seamless whole. It wouldn’t seem that this mixture of styles should flow or cohere, but it does, and every song signifies. Such is Hawkins’ way

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arts & entertainment

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On the beat

Laura Story returns to Franklin

Acclaimed contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Laura Story will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

This special evening is designed to be a perfect “date night” event and is presented by Heart for Families, a faith-based community coalition that works to make a generational impact by enriching marriage and family relationships.

Story is a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her music career began in 1996 when she met Shane Williams from the band Silers Bald. Williams asked Story to join the band and she became their bass player. After releasing four independent albums with Silers Bald, Story’s manager suggested she record a solo album. She left the band in 2002 and began working on her first album “Indescribable.”

Story’s song “Blessings” earned Story a Grammy for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Song” in 2012, as well as “Song of the Year” at the GMA Dove Awards.

In addition to touching millions of lives with her music, Story has written a 30-day devotional book based on the song “Blessings.” Each chapter of What If Your Blessings Come Through Raindrops? contains thoughts, prayers, quotes, and a journaling page for readers to recall blessings they have seen in their own lives.

She has also written When God Doesn’t Fix It, a story that was written after her husband suffered many complications after his brain cancer diagnosis. It helps readers understand that when life takes unexpected turns, faith in God will lead their way.

Aside from making music and writing books, Laura works at Perimeter Church in Atlanta, Georgia as a senior worship leader.

Tickets start at $15. To purchase tickets, or to find out more information about this or any other upcoming show at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

On the street

Dave Hutchison and Shari Galiardi.

The popular “Haywood Ramblings” series presented by the Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission will return.

The speaker series will focus on the historic resources and rich heritage of Waynesville and Haywood County. Each event runs from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Town Hall Board Room on Main Street and is

free to the public.

• “History of Cataloochee Valley,” presented by Patrick Womack. Thursday, March 1.

• “Prominent Waynesville Families,” presented by Sarah Sloan Kreutziger.

Thursday, April 5.

• “History of Main Street, Waynesville,” presented by Alex McKay. Thursday, May 3.

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

Open call for Greening Up There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in downtown Sylva.

Celebrating the new spring in the mountains, the festival has become a beloved regional event. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through April 1.

For more information, call 828.554.1035 or email greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

Lopi Cape Cod Lower Heating Costs With A Wood Burning Stove There’s nothing like the feel of the heat you get from a wood stove.

A wood fire is just cozy – the radiant and convective heat from your wood stove warms body & soul!

You will also reduce your dependence on high-priced, non-renewable heating fuels. Whether you buy your wood or collect it yourself, you will notice the savings within the first year.

Smoky Mountain News

Haywood history speaker series

Galiardi said. “It’s a means for us to be outside and close to the natural wonders and wilderness we want to experience, while still having many of the comforts of home.”

In the past year, Galiardi and Hutchison have spent 18 days crossing the North Cascades ecosystem in Washington State under human power, volunteered for three months in a village in Kenya, and worked at a small vineyard and winery in northern Michigan. “Our ideal lifestyle is a balance of paid work, volunteering and travel — committing around a third of the year to each,” Galiardi said.

As part of the couple’s Feb. 22 visit at WCU, an open house will be held from noon until 1:30 p.m. to allow members of the university community to tour the “can,” which will be parked in the Central Plaza area.

The visit by Galiardi and Hutchison is sponsored by the WCU student programming organization Last Minute Productions and is part of the university’s Outdoor Adventure Speaker Series. More information about the couple and their new lifestyle can be found at freedominacan.com.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information about the program, contact WCU’s Department of Campus Activities at 828.227.3751.

Highlands’ popular celebration of Appalachian food, music and culture, “Root Bound,” will return Feb 23-25 at participating locations.

• A James Beard “Best Chef Southeast” semifinalist, Chef John Fleer will host Friday’s opening night dinner with live music at The Farm at Old Edwards.

• Saturday is filled with interactive workshops and a keynote “Appalachian Chat” with James Beard awarded author Ronni Lundy and New York Times bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb.

• The popular artisans and farmers market will once again be set up during Saturday’s lunch at The Bascom.

• Saturday night’s multi-chef dinner at The Farm breaks out even more culinary talent with live food stations by Ian Boden of The Shack, Ashley Capps of Buxton Hall Barbecue, Annie Pettry of Decca, John Fleer of Rhubarb and Adam Hayes of Canyon Kitchen.

• Also Saturday evening, Highlands Performing Arts Center sponsors and hosts Grammy Award-winning bluegrass

February 14-20, 2018

North Carolina couple Shari Galiardi and Dave “Hutch” Hutchison left their full-time jobs in higher education more than five years ago to hit the road in their vintage travel trailer in pursuit of a more sustainable and adventurous lifestyle.

The couple’s travels will bring them to Western Carolina University to present “Freedom in a Can: Finding Sustainability in 72 Square Feet” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, in the theater of A.K. Hinds University Center.

Galiardi was formerly director of service learning at Appalachian State University, and Hutchison was that university’s coordinator of outdoor programs. The husband and wife said goodbye to their careers and their threebedroom, 2.5-bath house in 2012 in favor of a life on the road residing in their 1957 “canned ham” trailer with its solar-powered electrical system.

As outdoor enthusiasts and advocates for sustainability, the couple has traveled more than 75,000 miles across the U.S., passing through 49 states and more than 60 national parks and monuments, and also venturing into four other countries. “When we hit the road, we thought we might travel for a year, maybe a year-and-a-half, but we’re still loving it five years in, and haven’t looked back,”

band The SteelDrivers.

• The event will culminate in a “Sunday Bluegrass Gospel Brunch” featuring popular Early Girl Eatery Chef John Stehling with crowd-favorite Denny Trantham.

All-access passes are now available for purchase. Space at this sellout event is limited. Be sure to book early. For more information, visit www.rootboundhighlands.com or call 828.787.2635 to purchase passes.

arts & entertainment

Finding ‘Freedom in a Can’

Sip, savor at Highlands’ ‘Root Bound’

Grills, Fire Pits, & Outdoor Living Design & Installation

828-202-8143 CleanSweepFireplace.com 29

arts & entertainment

On the street A Shot Above photo

‘Black History Month’ at WCU Western Carolina University will observe “Black History Month” with a series of films, performances and presentations, including a talk by the successful inventor who created the Super Soaker water gun.

February is designated as “Black History Month” in recognition of African-American

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host the Edward Gorey Birthday Celebration Feb. 22.

admission. For more information, call 828.335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

• Line Dance Lessons will be held on Tuesdays in Waynesville. Times are 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday. Cost is $10 per class and will feature modern/traditional line dancing. 828.734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com for more information.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 17 and 24 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free

• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

ALSO:

February 14-20, 2018

accomplishments and contributions throughout American history and culture.

All WCU events are open to the public, but some may require preregistration or charge an admission fee.

Wednesday, Feb. 14 • “Tunnel of Oppression,” 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the UC Grandroom.

Monday, Feb. 19 • “The Impact of Innovation” by Lonnie Johnson, former NASA engineer and inventor of the SuperSoaker and more, 6 p.m. in the UC Grandroom.

Students also can participate in WCU’s Diversity Dialogues by visiting go.wcu.edu/diversity.

For more information on “Black History Month” at WCU, contact Ricardo NazarioColon, WCU chief diversity officer, at 828.227.3251 or diversity@wcu.edu. For information on “Black History Month” and other events, go to the campus calendar at www.wcu.edu/event-calendar.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Feb. 17 and 24 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075.

Celebrate Lunar New Year

In partnership with Western Carolina University, Folkmoot is proud to host a Lunar New Year event from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

This lively event will feature Asian food, crafts and traditional Lunar New Year.

The meal will be Chinese egg rolls, Japanese beef udon, Thai cucumber salad, and Thai sticky rice pudding. WCU students and faculty will assist with hands-on new year cultural sharing and activities such as Chinese character writing.

Music for the evening will be presented by a local musical group with the gamelon. The Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali in Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments.

Lunar New Year is celebrated at the turn of the lunisolar calendar. It is commemorated in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia and Tibet, and is known as "Spring Festival" in modern China. Guests at

Folkmoot’s celebration will learn about the various cultures of Asia while celebrating Lunar New Year.

Tickets for this event are $15 for adult $10 for students and can be purchased at www.folkmoot.org or by calling 828.452.2997. Limited seating is available so advance purchase is advised. Parking is available in the back of the Folkmoot building. for year-round events.

Folkmoot’s year-round programming initiatives have been made possible by Haywood Regional Medical Center, the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.

Folkmoot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating many cultures in one community. The Folkmoot Friendship Center is located in the Historic Hazelwood School at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville.

Staff can be reached by phone at 828.452.2997 or by email at info@folkmoot.org.

On the stage Smoky Mountain News

Center at Western Carolina University.

“TAO: Drum Heart” is the latest production from TAO, internationally-acclaimed percussion artists. TAO’s modern, high-energy performances showcasing the ancient art of Japanese drumming have transfixed audiences worldwide. Combining highly physical, large-scale drumming with contemporary costumes, precise choreography, and innovative visuals, the performers of “TAO: Drum Heart” create an energetic and unforgettable production.

Tickets are $15 per person for groups over 20, $20 seniors/WCU faculty and staff, and $25 for adults.

For more information, visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

WCU welcomes ‘TAO: Drum Heart’ 30

A stage performance by “TAO: Drum Heart” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, in the Bardo Arts

HART winter season continues One of the bright spots of the winter is the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre Studio Season.

Each year, HART in Waynesville presents a festival of plays in its intimate 60-seat Feichter Studio. The space is

located backstage in the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House and for many this is where the region’s most exciting theatre happens.

Shows include: “Twelfth Night” (through Feb. 16), “Women and War” (Feb. 23-March 4), “Mass Appeal” (March 23-April 1) and “In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play” (April 6-15).

Tickets are only $10 with general admission seating, but reservations are recommended as many shows regularly sell out. Another cautionary note, don’t arrive late. Once the show begins, no one can be admitted.

A complete schedule is available on the HART website at www.harttheatre.org. Season tickets are also available for the winter season. Most shows traditionally run two weekends, but reservations are only taken one week at a time due to possible weather cancellations. Those attending can also dine at Harmons’ Den Bistro at HART prior to the show.

To make reservations or for more information, call the HART box office at 828.456.6322. HART is located at 250 Pigeon Street in downtown Waynesville.

On the wall

Vasilik gallery demo at HCAC As part of “Winter Arts Smokies Style” in downtown Waynesville, the Haywood County Arts Council welcomes renowned watercolor artist Ann Vasilik to hold a demonstration from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts on Main Street.

All galleries will be open till 7 p.m., with music, snacks, art, and other special offerings.

Vasilik, a native of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has lived in Asheville since 1988. She received a bachelor of Fine Arts

degree from Philadelphia College of Art. Ann has worked as a painter and teacher in Virginia, California, Hawaii, North Carolina and the Republic of the Philippines. She has had numerous one-woman shows and has received many awards and commissions.

Her work is contained in private and corporate collections. Her art is featured in the gallery this month as part of our Juried Artists 2018 show.

Visit www.haywoodarts.org for more information on shows and events.

The monthly Creating Community Workshop will focus on leatherwork at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Derek Morrow of Morrow Leatherworks will be leading the workshop.

Participants will learn how to make a small, leather clutch. Morrow is a self-taught leatherworker that has been working at his craft for many years.

All supplies will be provided, but some hand strength is necessary for leather working. The workshop is limited to 10 participants. Call the library to register.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).

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

• The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners interested in learning are invited. You can keep up with them through their Facebook group or by calling 828.276.6226 for more information.

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (Feb. 15) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up for either event on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

ALSO:

• There will be a “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.

• A “Youth Art Class” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

February 14-20, 2018

Stewart is a Western North Carolina based visual/mixed media artist. Her work has been included in exhibitions at several gallery spaces in Asheville, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, at the Brooklyn Art Library; and in Swannanoa at ArtSpace Charter School. Stewart earned a BFA in painting from Western Carolina University in 1995. Since then she has primarily worked as a social worker, but has continued to make art.

Stewart’s art practice is developed within an interdisciplinary framework that explores the cultural and personal resources of information through familiar artifacts, language and imagery.

Franklin mixed media showcase Crissy Stewart's mixed media art will be on display during the month of February in the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The Franklin Uptown Gallery has opened for the 2018 Season.

An exciting new artist exchange exhibit will feature artwork created by members of the Valley River Arts Guide from Murphy.

Within the exhibit, the artist members of the Macon County Art Association have created exceptional paintings, jewelry, fine crafts and other unique items.

For information on days open, hours and art classes, contact the gallery at 828.349.4607.

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Smoky Mountain News

Galley opening in Franklin

arts & entertainment

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arts & entertainment

On the wall

The 6th Annual Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek & Environmental Education

Haywood Christian Ministries fundraiser

Sat., Feb. 17 Registration opens at 10 a.m., The Plunge starts at 11:30 a.m.

Canton Pool (77 Penland St.) Cost: $25, $10 under 18, or FREE by raising sponsorships.

Join the team, donate, or sponsor a Plunger at: www.crowdrise.com/6thannualhwaplunge

February 14-20, 2018

*All plungers receive a free t-shirt Music, food, bonfires, heated bathrooms Prize packages for top fundraisers and best costumes

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289-80

In conjunction with Haywood Christian Ministries, Waynesville art galleries will be holding a fundraiser to assist those in need with winter heating costs from 4 to 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 17, in downtown.

Purchase 50 hearts for $10. There will also be special events and refreshments.

Highlighting these events:

• Twigs & Leaves will host acrylic/watercolor artist Megan Richard.

• Haywood County Arts Council welcomes watercolor artist Anne Vasilik, who will be demonstrating in the gallery from 2 to 6 p.m. Wine and chocolate from 5 to 7 p.m. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

Do you like Legos?

member of the Fontana Regional Library, is located in downtown Bryson City at the corner of Academy and Rector.

The next Lego Club meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

The library provides Legos and Duplos for ages 3 and up. The only thing area children need to bring is their imagination. This program provides an excellent opportunity for children to learn how to develop fine motor skills. It also develops problem-solving skills, organization, planning through construction, and improves creativity.

All area children are invited join in and let your creativity shine. The Marianna Black Library is also requesting that you consider donating your gently used Legos and Duplos to the library, to help expand the Lego Club.

For more information, call the library at 828.488.3030. The Marianna Black Library, a

New Sylva art showcase

Gallery 1 Sylva will celebrate the work and collection of co-founder Dr. Perry Kelly with a show of his personal work at the Jackson County Public Library Rotunda and his art collection at the gallery.

All work is for sale. Admission is free.

Children are welcome.

Gallery 1 has regular winter hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. art@gallery1sylva.com.

Books

Smoky Mountain News

33

A tribute to the Lord of Scaly Mountain hile it is difficult to write objectively yet critically about someone whom you know personally or about a book whose subject matter and/or authors are familiar, sometimes necessity is more than the mother of invention and you have to do things you normally or ethically wouldn’t do. Such is the case for me in writing a review about the recent publication Jonathan Williams: The Lord of Orchards about the life and legacy of the poetWriter publisher Jonathan William, whom I knew and was a relative neighbor of mine who lived just up the mountain from my home in Tuckasegee, on Scaly Mountain near the town of Highlands.

Due primarily to our age difference, Jonathan Williams was something of a mentor to me in that his Jargon Society Press was a precursor and model for my own literary press, New Native Press. But then there were his connections (to the Beats and the Black Mountain poets whom I also knew from an earlier incarnation of mine while living in San Francisco in the 1970s) and the fact that he loved the old Southern mountain culture in which i was raised. Locally, due to proximity and the fact that we had some of the same friends and interests, we would run into each other here in the hinterlands or in Asheville for book events or festivals. And on occasion I would make the trip up winding roads to Scaly Mountain when invited or to open-invitation literary events held at his genteel mountain orchard farm.

Jonathan died in 2008. In subsequent years poets Jeffery Beam and Richard Owens, who were close friends of Jonathans, have been gathering memorial remembrances of Jonathan from his many and varied friends and literary cohorts. In the end what Jeffery and Richard have come up with is nothing less than a tome of close to 500 pages of

Thomas Crowe

W

essays and photographs that document his life, his work and his influences of more than half a century. With over 50 different people represented in this anthology, we get a per-

spective of the person of Jonathan Williams from quite literally every angle.

Remembrances. Responses. Reviews.

Recollections.

And then there are the photographs — again from every angle — from the young

Journalist releases debut novel Set amid the windswept prairies of Wyoming and rounded mountains of southwest Virginia, Shadows of Flowers is a debut novel about love, loss and the power of place from award-winning Smoky Mountain News journalist Holly Kays.

Kays will host a reading at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Waynesville Public Library. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the reading.

It follows the story of Virginia native Dana Stullman, whose world

Jonathan Williams in 1941 to photos taken at Black Mountain College in 1955, to photos taken of him at Skywinding Farm on Scaly Mountain in 2005. A plethora if not a performance of Williams’ life, interests and work. There are great photos of Williams with none other than Basil Bunting taken in England in the 1980s that accompany Bunting’s description of his early friendship with Williams. Then there are the essays by literary notaries such as Charles Olson, Robert Duncan, Guy Davenport, Michael McFee, Michael Rumaker, Tom Patterson and most essentially his longtime partner and associate, Tom Meyer.

All in all, this impressive anthology of eulogies feels more like a large sculpted tombstone one might find on the grounds of the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France. Such is its weight. Such is its elegance. Such is its history. And Jonathan Williams and his legacy evokes history if nothing else. No less than Buckminster Fuller said of Williams, “He is our Johnny Appleseed. He is indespensable. We need him more than we know.” Robert Duncan described Williams as “amazing,” “unique.” The translator and publisher Jonathan Greene is quoted as saying: “We all do what we can. Jonathan did way

turns upside down when her boyfriend dies in a car accident. At 22, she finds herself moving across the country to escape reminders of the tragedy and the life that preceded it. Becoming lonelier than she could have imagined, Dana finds solace in an unexpected friendship, but her life remains paralyzed until a crisis in the wind-swept Wyoming wilderness forces her to confront the past and choose her path into the future.

Kays is a writer and journalist who makes her home in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Having earned more than 20 state and national awards during her news reporting career thus far, she

beyond most.” And Michael McFee writes: “Williams is a modern day Gutenberg, goliard, scribe, kindling the fires of literary desire.”

But Williams may be best known and most highly regarded as a publisher. His Jargon Society Press has published artists and authors such as Charles Olson, Kenneth Patchen, Allen Ginsberg, Denise Levertov, Robert Rauschenberg, Paul Metcalf, Robert Creeley, Lorine Niedecker, Luis Zukofsky, Mina Loy, James Broughton, Sappho, and many more. Concerning Jargon Society books, The New York Times said: “Jargon has come to occupy a special place in our cultural life as patron of the American imagination.

One of the chief pleasures they afford is the intellectual shock of recognizing an original voice ignored by sanctioned critical opinion.”

In the liner notes for The Lord of Orchards, the editors state: “Williams and his seminal press nurtured the work of hundreds of emerging or neglected poets, writers, artists, and photographers. A recordist of the peculiarities of American and British vernacular speech, Williams tirelessly advocated the beauty of the mundane and the strange.” And the accolades go on and on in this collection as with each page, each essay and photo Williams’ imaginary Pere Lachaise tombstone grows ever larger in stature as his literary legacy approaches literary sainthood.

In short, as a tribute to this literary legend there is something in Jonathan Williams: The Lord of Orchards for everyone. So wide the range and so diverse the voices that inhabit the valleys, rivers and hills of Western North Carolina and beyond in his behalf that it is, indeed, comprehensive. This sentiment is only further emphasized in the words etched on the back cover of this unique and informative book: “One might call his life a poetics of gathering, and this book a first harvest.”

Hopefully, there will be more literary fruit gathered and an even bigger harvest to come.

(Thomas Crowe is a regular contributor to Smoky Mountain News and is the founder and publisher of New Native Press. He can be reached at newnativepress@hotmail.com)

covers a range of topics for the regional newsmagazine The Smoky Mountain News and explores the area’s many hiking trails with her four-legged best friend whenever possible.

Originally from Williamsport, Maryland, she is a graduate of Virginia Tech’s creative writing program and began her reporting career at small newspapers in Idaho and Wyoming. This is her first book.

Shadows of Flowers retails for $12 and is available online at www.paypal.me/hollykays for a $16 payment that includes shipping. www.facebook.com/shadowsofflowers.

• Dr. Bart Ehrman will be speaking about his new book, The Triumph of Christianity, at noon Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Harmon’s Den Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Tickets for the event are $30 each and are available at Blue Ridge Books. The ticket includes a soup, salad, and sandwich buffet with tea or coffee and a coupon for $10 toward the purchase of The Triumph of Christianity.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Many ways down the mountain Adaptive ski program opens doors at Cataloochee

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he sky is a flawless, cloudless blue over Cataloochee Ski Area as Mark Brogan, 37, suits up for a morning on the slopes. A U.S. Army veteran who was previously stationed in Alaska, Brogan has a longstanding love for the outdoors and for the unique thrill that comes with a snowy slide down the side of a mountain.

All set up with rented gear and an instructor, Brogan delays his journey to the lift long enough to hold his 19-month-old son Connor in front of the ski school lodge as his wife Sunny snaps a picture.

“We have to have photographic evidence to prove that things happened,” she says, smiling.

hit Brogan he was thrown to the ground and badly injured, left with a cracked skull and a shrapnel-laced spine.

Brogan was evacuated for medical treatment. Doctors removed half his skull, and half his temporal lobe, in an effort to prevent the inevitable swelling of the injured portion of the brain from crushing the rest of that vital organ. He walked around for seven months missing much of his skull, wearing a helmet to protect the vulnerable brain tissue from further damage. Finally, he was able to undergo surgery to reconstruct the missing skull.

The road toward healing hasn’t been easy.

Brogan was in a wheelchair for years, facing the formidable task of relearning so many motor skills he’d already mastered as a child.

Today, he stands unsupported. He can drive.

He can hold his son. He can ski. But still, it’s not like it was. He struggles with memory, processing and balance. He uses hearing aids, and the right side of his body sometimes has difficulty understanding what it’s supposed to a do, a result of the shrapnel still lodged in his spine.

THE BLAST

DISCOVERING ADAPTIVE SKIING

For Mark and Sunny, the pre-ski smartphone pic carries more significance than the countless selfie-era photos taken daily on the slopes of Cataloochee. Because, in many ways, it’s a miracle that Brogan can even walk — let alone ski.

It happened in April 2006. Brogan was a captain in the Army, commanding a quick reaction force in Raweh, Iraq. They were in a market, an ordinarily busy place, when things suddenly turned quiet.

“We were like, OK, we’re leaving, something’s up,” Brogan said. “We turned the corner. A guy ran around the corner behind me, killed the sergeant behind me. He got most of the blast. I got the rest of it, and another sergeant saw it happen.”

Brogan can’t remember any of it — the story he tells today is the order of events as relayed to him by that sergeant who witnessed the incident. The guy who ran around the corner was a suicide bomber, and when the blast

When Brogan discovered adaptive skiing in 2011, it was like a light turning on inside of him.

“It was awesome, after not being able to get out of the wheelchair in 2006, 2007 and all kinds of physical therapy and kind of rebuilding myself, so to speak,” Brogan said.

The clinic was hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Colorado, a multi-day event that offered a chance to hit the slopes, aided by all manner of adaptive equipment, in the company of other military veterans. Brogan found himself returning winter after winter, a total of five times.

This year, he couldn’t make it out to Colorado. And that’s when he and Sunny discovered that Cataloochee has its own adaptive program — and that 90-minute drive from their home in Knoxville is a much shorter journey than the trip to Colorado.

Cataloochee’s adaptive ski program is run out of a single room housed within the ski

T

Try the adaptive program The adaptive program at Cataloochee Ski Area is available for adults and children with disabilities, teaching them the fundamentals of skiing or riding using equipment designed to meet the limitations of their disability.

Disabilities served by the program include visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injuries.

Cost is $95 for a half day and $140 for a full day. Lessons by appointment only and given by PSIA-certified staff. Price includes lesson, lift ticket and equipment.

Sam Lloyd, 828.859.9736.

Mark Brogan (above) skis down a slope at Cataloochee Ski Area. A bi-ski (right) sits on the shelf awaiting future use. Holly Kays photos school building, wooden shelves holding equipment capable of giving even the most physically incapacitated people the chance to experience a day on the slopes.

There’s the bi-ski, a device featuring two parallel skis with a seat on top, which the participant is strapped into. An instructor can hold onto straps preventing the bi-skier from taking off uncontrollably, and the participant can use hand equipment to direct the device’s direction and speed. There’s the mono-ski, similar to the bi-ski except for the fact that it has only one ski below it rather than two, and a snow bike. Various sorts of straps and poles allow instructors to maintain backup control for students, and outriggers — a sort of alternative ski pole featuring a small ski-like base that allows users to turn using pressure on poles rather than skis — are also stored in the room.

There are many different ways to get down a mountain.

“And I’ve got them all in that room there,” chuckles Sam Lloyd, the man in charge of

Cataloochee’s adaptive program.

A tall, thin African-American man with a prominent smile and thick New York accent, Lloyd is the kind of person people tend to notice. He’s also the kind of person who tends to notice others. He’s

MAKE A SPLASH! POOL HOURS: Large Pool: Monday-Friday: 5:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday: 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Water Park: Monday-Friday: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Saturday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

From aqua zumba, deep water aerobics, kayak roll and paddle, SMAC swim team, stroke clinics and more, we offer many aquatics options for swimmers of all levels.

Swimming and water exercise are wonderful ways to stay in shape while protecting bones and joints. For schedules or to learn more, give us a call at 828.456.2030 or visit our website at www.waynesvillenc.gov/waynesville-recreation-center.

Smoky Mountain News

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to hit the slopes again as soon as Lloyd suggests it. The lesson is set to end at noon, and Brogan acknowledges he’ll need some rest afterward, and probably a hot tub as well. But he makes two more runs, both starting three-quarters of the way up the mountain and taking a variety of twists and turns down various trails in order to make each one last as long as possible.

“Your technique is good. What you need is just a lot of practice,” Lloyd says during the huddle at the end of the final run.

“You probably need three hours of having fun and just practicing what you’ve learned,” he adds. “In your case it’s a good thing, you don’t have to pay for nothing. So you can come do your skiing whenever.”

Brogan thanks Lloyd for his help, later saying that he enjoyed the native New Yorker’s professionalism, as well as his company. For Brogan, getting to ski is a reminder that, while a lot of things are hard for him now, he’s still capable of a lot.

“I guess it’s feeling like I have something that I can do, that I can do almost as well as I did before,” he says. “Because there are other parts of my life that are challenging, that I’ll never be fully able to do.”

There are accommodations available for some of his struggles, such as a planner to assist with memory limitations.

“But that’s not exciting,” Brogan says.

“This is exciting. If you have a disability, some people can get stuck in a funk. This is a good thing to get out and be able to say, ‘I can do something,’ — even though I have a disability.”

February 14-20, 2018

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a tone that leaves no room for argument.

“There’s one thing, is stay hydrated.”

The men hang out in the cafeteria-style tables set up in the ski school, sipping water and shooting the breeze. Brogan shows Lloyd a picture of the mold used to make his reconstructed skull, mentioning his rank of captain while in the Army.

“Well, I knew I liked him,” Lloyd says. “I was a captain too, but I was out long before he went.”

But Lloyd also takes the opportunity to confront Brogan with a question.

“How do you think you’re doing?” Lloyd asks.

“I’m doing OK,” Brogan replies. “I feel pretty comfortable.”

The statement rings true. Brogan had been cruising down the mountain as smoothly as most skiers out that day, disability or no. But Lloyd isn’t going to leave it at that.

“If there was something you would change, what would it be?” Lloyd asks.

“Um … I don’t know,” says Brogan.

“How about slowing down some, and taking your time?”

“Slowing down and taking my time?”

“You’re in a rush. You’re just like a little rabbit that has just had a shot of energy and wants to go, go, go,” says Lloyd. “Take your time. In between runs, stop, look around, pick your nose or something, and then go again. But you don’t want to just go, go, go, because at a certain point you’re going to hit a wall, and that’s going to be it.”

Brogan is receptive. But he’s also ready

outdoors

new skiers that’s accessed by a conveyer belt sort of system, rather than a full-on lift. It’s a low-risk place for Brogan to get a feel for the equipment and Lloyd to assess Brogan’s ability.

“The first thing I want you to do is just make one straight run,” Lloyd says.

“Halfway down, make me a right turn, and then a left turn. When you make your turns, use only the outrigger.”

Brogan nods, waits for the path below him to clear out, and pushes off. He’s cautious at first, but after his second run on the practice slope he’s asking if they can try something Lloyd is the kind of person people tend bigger. So, the next run to notice. He’s also the kind of person takes them to the top of the Easy Way lift, next who tends to notice others. He’s been door to Beginner’s Luck. When he and teaching adaptive ski lessons for 12 Lloyd meet back at the years, helping people with disabilities bottom, Lloyd notes ranging from cerebral palsy to muscular that Brogan’s been using his skis some for dystrophy find a way to safely steering, in addition to the outriggers. experience the joy of skiing.

“When you can go down there with those been teaching adaptive ski lessons for 12 things (outriggers) in your back pocket, years, helping people with disabilities rangthen you’re ready probably to use regular ing from cerebral palsy to muscular dystropoles,” Lloyd says. “But in the meantime, go phy find a way to safely experience the joy the safe route.” of skiing.

“We tried that one time. He said, ‘Here’s “Any time that you start to for any reapoles,’” Brogan says of a former instructor. son feel uncomfortable — Let. Me. Know,” “And it didn’t work.”

Lloyd tells Brogan as they prepare for their The problem, he said, is that if the first run of the morning. mountain requires putting too much pressure on his right leg to stay in control, the leg will start trembling without his permisIRST RUNS sion.

Most of the equipment housed in the “You have no control when you’re doing adaptive headquarters stays there during that,” he said.

Brogan’s lesson. He’s much more mobile “That is why you want to depend more these days than he was in the earlier years on the poles for steering than the feet at this following his accident — and even comparticular time,” Lloyd replies. “You might pared to last year, when he used a bi-ski on get to the point where you use those (feet) the VA trip due to a recent knee surgery. all the time. Nobody knows, and I certainly But he still needs some accommodadon’t, but you take what’s best for your tions. He’s using the outriggers to steer, right side.” rather than the skis themselves, because his spinal injury means that his right leg can’t XPLORING THE MOUNTAIN always be counted on to perform when it matters. There’s a belt wrapped around his Wise advice, but Brogan is eager for a waist, which Lloyd holds onto during lift new challenge. Easy Way went well, and rides in case of seizure — it’s been years after one run he’s asking to go higher. The since Brogan has had one, but there’s nothnext ride is to the lift exit at intermediateing wrong with being on the safe side. level Lower Omigosh, and Brogan looks Brogan’s also brought his own set of headcomfortable as he soars down the slope, phone devices for he and Lloyd to wear, making turns as necessary to keep his speed making communication on the slopes much in check. He’s feeling good when the group easier than it would be otherwise, given his reunites at the bottom of the mountain, just hearing loss. a few minutes after 11 a.m., but that’s when Out of the gate, the pair heads to Lloyd informs him that it’s time for a break.

Beginner’s Luck, a little hill used for brand “You need a water break,” Lloyd says in

WAYNESVILLE

PARKS AND RECREATION

828.456.2030

or email lkinsland@waynesvillenc.gov

35

outdoors February 14-20, 2018 Smoky Mountain News 36

Forest service proposes post-fire treatments A proposal to use herbicide to improve forest health in the Nantahala National Forest following the 2016 wildfires will be out for comment through Feb. 28.

The fires burned about 27,752 acres in the forest’s Nantahala Ranger District, and this project would affect 18 stands totaling 267 acres of previously regenerated stands whose trees are less than 30 years old. The fires top-killed many desirable trees, causing a multitude of stems to sprout from the trees’ roots and trunks in response. Without intervention, this would mean fewer large, desirable tree species of good form and quality going forward.

The goal of the project is to clear out these undesirable sprouts so that mast-producing tree species like oaks and hickories will succeed more quickly. In addition, the project would reduce the number of undesirable woody shrubs — such as unnaturally thick rhododendron thickets — and target non-native invasive species making an appearance in the fires’ wake.

The work is covered under a 2009 NEPA decision, and only approved methods will be used on approved species.

Comments should be delivered by Feb. 28 to comments-southern-north-carolinanantahala-nantahala@fs.fed.us; faxed to 828.369.6592; or mailed to USDA Forest Service, 90 Sloan Road, Franklin, N.C. 28734 For questions or a complete project description, contact Steverson Moffat, 828.837.5152, ext. 108.

Get a primer on wildflowers Horticulturalist Adam Bigelow will discuss native wildflowers during a talk at 10 a.m.

Tuesday, Adam Feb. 20, at Bigelow. the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.

With a talk titled “Getting to Know Wildflowers,” Bigelow is a native plant enthusiast and the owner/operator of Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions, an ecotourism business based in Cullowhee. He is a steering committee member for the renowned Cullowhee Native Plants Conference and has led wildflower walks at a number of respected gardens.

The talk is offered in conjunction with the Tuscola Garden Club’s regular monthly meeting. The group will gather for social time at 9:30 a.m. and the club’s business meeting will start at the program’s conclusion.

Teresa Brothers, 828.246.0437.

Become a timekeeper for nature Volunteers are wanted to help track nature’s calendar in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with training sessions planned for 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24, at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg and Saturday, March 3, at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee.

Recruits will adopt a monitoring plot within the park, with most plots located near parking areas, and will visit at least two times per month from the first leaf

bud in the spring to the final leaf drop in the fall. On each visit, they’ll collect information such as flowering dates and the presence of migratory birds to help scientists better understand how changing weather patterns affect our diverse ecosystem.

No experience necessary. Register with Jessica Stump, jessica_stump@partner.nps.gov or 828.497.1945 to register for the training. www.usanpn.org.

A seminar on growing strawberries, blackberries and raspberries will be offered 6 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 22, at the Jackson County Extension Center in Sylva.

The session will cover all the basic cultural needs of these three berry types. Topics will include site selection and preparation, soil conditions, fertility needs, spacing, trellising, weed control, cultivar selection, pruning, training, harvesting and pest control options.

Free, with registration required by contacting Christine Bredenkamp, 828.488.3848 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

Taste of the wild

Birding talk offered Birder Tim Carstens will present the program “Birds in the Backyard and Beyond” at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Carstens will discuss the many birds he’s seen and photographed in his backyard, as well as Western North Carolina birding hotspots — and the best ways to find birds in those locations. The program is especially aimed to newer birdwatchers, discussing how to better find, observe and identify birds, but will also interest anyone who would like to see the many photographs Carstens has captured of area birds.

Free. Offered in conjunction with the Franklin Bird Club’s regular meeting.

828.524.5234.

New trail complete near Asheville A new trail in the budding Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Trail loop has been completed, getting the system one step closer to its planned 20-mile expanse.

The Wildcat Rock Trail is located in Gerton, about 30 minutes southeast of Asheville. Its completion adds 3 miles to the loop, extending its existing segments to 11.5 miles. The trail was built over a four-year period, with multiple trail-building organizations contributing to the project.

Construction of a 2.5-mile connector between Bearwallow Mountain Trail and Wildcat Rock Trail will begin this year, as well as a 3-mile segment linking the upper terminus of Trombatore Trail to Hickory Nut Gap at U.S. 74A. Groups contributing to the Wildcat Rock Trail include Benchmark Trails, Trail Dynamics, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, North Carolina Conservation Corps, American Conservation Experience, the Conserving Carolina Rock Crushers Trail Crew and Carolina Mountain Club’s Friday Crew.

cation. Scholarships, attendance at professional meetings and travel to the Annual Southeastern Wildlife Conclave are all possible uses for the money.

Guests fill up their plates during a previous wild game dinner. Donated photo

$10, or $5 for those who bring a dish.

Children under 12 eat free.

828.627.4560 or srabby@haywood.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

The 12th annual Wild Game Dinner at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds, will offer the chance to taste a variety of meats while supporting education for wildlife students.

The event will feature live music, game and non-game calling competitions, food, door prize drawings, a silent auction, a live auction and a grand prize drawing. Guests are invited to bring a wild game dish, veggies or a dessert — bread and drinks are provided.

Proceeds will help students in the Haywood Community College Wildlife Club pursue additional opportunities in their edu-

The Great Backyard Bird Count will return Feb. 16 to 19, an annual chance for birdlovers to help researchers learn more about birds without leaving home.

Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes — or for as long as they wish — on one or more days of the fourday event, and to report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. Last year, more than 160,000 people submitted observations, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded.

The N.C. Arboretum in Asheville will celebrate the Great Backyard Bird Count with an event 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17. The day will kick off with an adult-friendly birdwatching hike at 8:15 a.m., a family-friendly bird walk at 9:30 a.m., birds of prey demonstrations at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and a

February 14-20, 2018

Get a jump on berry season

variety of indoor activities and exhibits open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event is free with a $14 parking fee.

outdoors

A volunteer collects data from a tree. NPS photo

Join the Backyard Bird Count

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outdoors

Plunge prizes announced Incentives aplenty await those who sign on to join The Plunge in support of environmental education 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 17, at the brand-new Canton Pool. n Those raising $25 will receive a T-shirt and swag bag. n Those raising $100 will receive a T-shirt, free lunch, Kids in the Creek T-shirt and two raffle tickets. n Those raising $200 will receive a longsleeve T-shirt, free lunch, Kids in the Creek T-shirt, Plunge knit hat and four raffle tickets. n Those raising $300 will receive a longsleeve T-shirt, free lunch, Kids in the Creek T-shirt, plunge knit hat, a rain barrel and

six raffle tickets.

The event invites participants to jump — or even dip a toe — into the unheated pool, with costumes encouraged. Prizes will be given for best get-up and most funds raised. All funds will support Kids in the Creek and other environmental education initiatives from the Haywood Waterways Association.

Raffle tickets are for individual plungers only, not for teams. Raffle prizes include a gourmet picnic buffet for two at Gooseberry Knob, a full-day Polaris Slingshot rental and an inflatable paddleboard.

To sign up or donate to an existing plunger, visit www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/6tha nnualhwaplunge Haywood Waterways, 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

Run Valley of the Lilies

Join the Assault on Blackrock

Smoky Mountain News

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February 14-20, 2018

The Assault on BlackRock will return at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 17, in Sylva, sending runners on a strenuous journey to the top of BlackRock and back down again, a 7-mile distance featuring 2,770 feet of elevation gain.

The race, now in its eighth year, will start from Sylva’s Pinnacle Park at the end of Fisher Creek Road. The race’s turn-around point is 5,810-foot Blackrock, which features a 360-view of the mountains and valleys of Western North Carolina.

The first 100 registrants will receive a T-shirt, with prizes for the top finishes. Those completing the race in 101 minutes or less will receive a special belt buckle for meeting the BlackRock 101 Challenge. $25 advance registration; $30 on race day. All proceeds will go to Jackson County’s “Shop with a Cop” program, which provides Christmas for kids who might not otherwise have one.

Register at www.ultrasignup.com. Brian Barwatt, 828.506.2802.

Let Me Sell Your House

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My Customers are REAL SATISFIED

“I chose to work with Catherine Proben because I trusted that she had my best interests at heart. She was professional, knowledgeable, and added a personal touch to the entire process. She always was available by phone or text to inform me of the progress of the sale of my home.

I am so impressed with the professionalism, dedication, and innovative ways that she used to sell my home. I highly recommend her & the Waynesville office to all the sellers and buyers in the area.”

- Dr. Sherry Manburg, Waynesville, NC (Seller)

Catherine Proben 74 N. Main St.,Waynesville

828-734-9157 cproben@beverly-hanks.com

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Runners step off during a previous year’s race. WCU photo

Registration is now open for the eighth annual Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5K, slated for Saturday, April 7, in Cullowhee.

The half marathon will start at 8 a.m., taking runners on a scenic 13.1-mile journey through the Western Carolina University campus and along the

Tuckaseigee River. The 5K run/walk will begin at 8:15 a.m.

Fees are $40 for the half marathon and $20 for 5K through March 9, increasing to $60 and $25, respectively, through April 7 and to $80 and $30 for day-of registration.

Sign up at www.runsignup.com. halfmarathon.wcu.edu.

Glacier Breaker returns The Nantahala Racing Club will break the ice on spring paddling season with its annual Glacier Breaker event Feb. 24-25 at the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

This family-friendly slalom and downriver race is designed to suit all ability levels. Organizers review slalom rules, offer handy racing tips and walk the course with competitors to prepare for the event. Spectators are welcome as well.

The slalom race will begin at noon Feb. 24, and the downriver classic will start at 11:30 a.m.

Feb. 25.

Registration is $30, with a $10 discount for pre-registration. Online registration is available through Feb. 22 at paddleguru.com/races/GlacierBreaker2018.

Running for a reason An upcoming attempt at the 70-mile Georgia Death Race could mean a boost in assistance for Southwestern Community College students who find themselves in need of financial help.

Matt Kirby, college liaison for the Jackson County Early College, will be competing in the race March 31, covering nearly 28,000 feet of elevation change in the process. In the meantime, he’s working to raise sponsorships for the race, with all the proceeds going to the SCC Student Emergency Fund.

“The Georgia Death Race is absolutely crazy. It is probably one of the toughest trail races on the East Coast,” said Kirby.

“Hopefully the insanity of it will attract some attention and help raise some money for SCC’s Student Emergency Fund.”

An avid runner, Kirby founded the Plott Balsam Runners group and The Sole Destroyers, an after-school running group at SCC. The Student Emergency Fund exists to help students with crisis-type emergencies,

Matt Kirby. Donated photo last year awarding 18 students more than $4,000. Kirby hopes to raise $5,000 in race sponsorships.

Follow Kirby’s training progress at @KirbyRunsLong. Sponsor him while donating to the SCC Student Emergency Fund at www.southwesterncc.edu/Foundation.

Kathy Posey, k_posey@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4227.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS ⦁ A public meeting on broadband connectivity will be held from 3:30-5 p.m. on Feb. 20 in the historic courtroom at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

• Volunteers will be available to assist with federal and state income tax preparation and filing from through April 13 in Jackson County. The service is available from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays on a firstcome, first-serve basis at the Jackson county Senior Center in Sylva. It’s also available from 3-6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays by appointment (586.2016) at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Info: 293.0074, 586.4944 or 586.2016. For tax prep sites in other counties: www.aarp.org.

• The popular “Haywood Ramblings” series presented by the Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission will return in the Town Hall Board Room on Main Street. “History of Cataloochee Valley,” presented

by Patrick Womack. Thursday, March 1. “Prominent Waynesville Families,” presented by Sarah Sloan Kreutziger. Thursday, April 5. “History of Main Street, Waynesville,” presented by Alex McKay. Thursday, May 3.

All events are from 4 to 5 p.m. In case of snow, the event will be automatically rescheduled for the second Thursday of the month.

• The Town of Waynesville is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations for consideration of special appropriations in the upcoming fiscal year 2018-19 budget. Applications available at www.waynesvillenc.gov/government or at the municipal building. Applications due by March 31. Info: 452.2491 or aowens@waynesvillenc.gov.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION ⦁ The Haywood County Human Resource Association (HCHRA) will host an Employer’s Summit to address Haywood County’s opioid crisis in the workplace from 9 a.m.-1:15 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Haywood Community College’s Regional High Tech Center in Clyde. RSVP by Feb. 15: mstines@haywood.edu.

• Concealed Carry Handgun Class is being offered from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Bethel Grocery Hunting & Fishing at 5692 Pigeon Road in Waynesville.

648.5797 or bethelgrocery@gmail.com.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. ⦁ Western Carolina University will host an open house with activities through out the day for prospective students as the university on Saturday, Feb. 24 and March 24. www.openhouse.wcu.edu or 227.7317. ⦁ The Waynesville Civilian Police Academy will hold classes from 6:30-9 p.m. on eight consecutive Thursdays from March 1 through April 19 at the Waynesville Police offices on South Main Street.

Academy gives citizens the opportunity to become more familiar with a wide range of police department activities. Apply: wpdcpa@outlook.com or 456.5363.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS ⦁ Donations are being accepted for the Southwestern Community College Foundation’s Student Emergency Fund through a fundraiser by Matt Kirby, college liaison for the Jackson County Early College, who’s competing the Georgia Death Race (70 miles) on March 31.

Student Emergency Fund helps deserving SCC students who encounter financial emergencies that might otherwise keep them from attending and completing classes.

Info: @KirbyRunsLong. Make donations: www.southwesterncc.edu/Foundation and follow listed directions.

Assistance: k_posey@southwesterncc.edu or 339.4227.

• Registration is underway – and donations are being accepted – for the “6th Annual Plunge Benefit-t-ting Kids in the Creek & Environmental Education,” which is from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the new Canton Pool. Donate or register: www.crowdrise.com/6thannualhwaplunge.

• Waynesville art galleries will be holding a fundraiser to assist Haywood Christian Ministries help those in need with winter heating costs from 4 to 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 17, in downtown. Purchase 50 hearts for $10. There will be special events and refreshments. www.downtownwaynesville.com. ⦁ REACH’s Annual Mardi Gras Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the Root + Barrel Kitchen in Franklin. Tickets are $75; sponsorships range from $500-2,500. Mardi Gras attire, New Orleans menu, jazz band, king and queen crowning. 369.5544.

• The fourth annual Appalachian Farm School, organized

by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center and its partners, will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesdays through Feb. 27 in the Burrell Building on SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. Designed for anyone in the agriculture business. Topics include business planning, farm evaluation, goal setting and more.

Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc.

Info: t_henry@southwesterncc.edu or 339.4426.

⦁ The Wildlife Club at Haywood Community College will host its 12th annual Wild Game Dinner at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Waynesville. Fundraiser for students. Bring your favorite wild game dish, vegetables and/or dessert. Admission: $10 (or $5 if you bring a dish). Children under 12 eat free. Info: 627.4560 or srabby@haywood.edu.

⦁ Southwestern Community College’s annual job fair is scheduled for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, in the Burrell Building on the college’s Jackson Campus.

More than 100 employers expected. Recruiters interested in attending: 339.4424 or j_waldroup@southwesterncc.edu.

• Exhibitors are being accepted for the ninth annual Healthy Living Festival, which is from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 24 at the Jackson County Cullowhee Recreation Center. Applications due by Feb. 16.

Applications and info: 587.8238 or janellemesser@jacksonnc.org.

⦁ The Free Enterprise Speaker Series returns to Western Carolina University with a discussion on net neutrality and consequences of pending legislation from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the A.K. Hinds University Center theater. Free to public. apsmith@wcu.edu.

⦁ A training opportunity for volunteers interested in “adopting a monitoring plot” inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be offered from 9:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. For info or to register: Jessica_stump@partner.nps.gov or 497.1945.

⦁ Cashiers Area Chamber will hold a business showcase and networking reception from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Cashiers/Sapphire Valley. RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/ya5qzr5s.

⦁ Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS

Smoky Mountain News

⦁ The Shelton House is accepting applications for crafters until March 15, 2018, with selections made by March 23, 2018. Annual Crafter Showcase Program will run April through October and will feature local crafters who will display and sell their crafts to the community.

452.1551 or info@sheltonhouse.org. ⦁ Registration is underway for vendors who’d like to participate in the Blue Ridge Wedding Pop Up Show and Bridal Marketplace, which will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, at the Cross Street Center in Spruce Pine. Features wedding vendors who specialize in helping brides plan their perfect day. To reserve space, vendors can call 765.9033.

• There is an open call currently underway for artisans, vendors and environmentally-themed booths at the 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in downtown Sylva. Applications can be downloaded at www.greeningupthemountains.com and will be accepted through April 1. For more information, call 554.1035 or email greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

HEALTH MATTERS ⦁ The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Hazelwood Elementary School, 1111 Plott Creek Road in Hazelwood.

Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767. ⦁ A grief support group, GriefShare, will be held from 67:30 p.m. on Wednesdays from Feb. 21-May 23 at First Alliance Church in Franklin. Topics include grief’s challenges, guilt, anger, relationships with others, being stuck and what to live for now. $15 cost covers materials; scholarships available. Register: www.franklincma.com. Info: 369.7977, 200.5166, scott@franklincma.com or www.griefshare.org. ⦁ The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 1:30-6 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Evergreen Packaging, 34 Park Street in Canton. Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767. ⦁ REACH of Haywood County, the domestic violence/sexual assault/elder abuse intervention and prevention agency, will have a training session focusing on elder abuse and teen dating violence from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the Haywood County Health and Human Services facility, 157 Paragon Parkway in Clyde.

Elder abuse training is from 9:30-11:30 a.m., and teen dating violence will be discussed from 11:30-12:30 p.m. Reservations: 456.7898 or bqreach@aol.com. ⦁ The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from noon-4:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Masonic Lodge of Waynesville at 435 E. Marshall Street.

Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767. ⦁ National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, spearheaded by the National Eating Disorders Association, is Monday through Sunday, Feb. 26-March 4. Full schedule: www.thecenternc.org/events. Info on eating disorders: nationaleatingdisorders.org. ⦁ The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 at Haywood County Health and Human Services, 157 Paragon Parkway in Clyde.

Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767. ⦁ Southwestern Community College’s therapeutic massage program is offering a massage learning clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday through early May in room 135B of Founders Hall on the Jackson Campus in Sylva. 50-minute Swedish massages ($20) and chair massages ($1 per minute). Appointments: 339.4313. ⦁ The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 2-6:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Maggie Valley Nursing and Rehab, 75 Fisher Loop in Maggie Valley.

Redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767. ⦁ National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) holds a

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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 support group for family, friends, and those dealing with mental illness on the 1st Thursday of each month in the 2nd floor classroom at Haywood Regional Medical Center at 6:30 p.m.

• HIV and syphilis testing will is offered during normal business hours at Jackson County Health Department.

• Classes to help you take control of your diabetes will be offered from 10 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays through Feb. 28 at the Canton Library, 11 Pennsylvania Ave., in Canton. Family members, caregivers and friends also welcome to attend. Register at the Senior Resource Center or call 356.2800.

• A “Project 24” program for anyone diagnosed with pre-diabetes – or who knows they’re at risk – is offered at 5:30 p.m. at Haywood County Health and Human Services. 24 one-hour classes. First class was Jan. 22.

Info and to register: 356.2272. ⦁ The Center for Disordered Eating will host the 11th annual HEAL Conference from 8:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m. on Friday, March 2, at Ambrose West, 312 Haywood Road in Asheville. Conference topics, speakers, schedule and registration info available at www.thecenternc.org. ⦁ Preregistration is underway for the 10-week Peer-toPeer recovery education class that will be offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness starting March 7 in Franklin. Preregistration required: 369.7385.

• A support group for anyone with MS, family & friends meets monthly at 6:45 p.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the conference room of Jackson Co. Library in Sylva. No Fee, sponsored by National MS Society. Local contact: Gordon Gaebel 828-293-2503.

• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission.

335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

• A “Walk With A Doc” program is scheduled for 10 a.m. each Saturday at the Lake Junaluska Kern Center or Canton Rec Park.

MyHaywoodRegional.com/WalkwithaDoc. • Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA) meets at noon on Saturdays at the First United Methodist Church Outreach Center at 171 Main St. in Franklin. 407.758.6433 or adultchildren.org.

• Western Carolina University’s student-run, Mountain Area Pro Bono Physical Therapy Clinic will be open from 6-8:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. 227.3527.

• The Haywood County Health & Human Services Public Health Services Division is offering a Night Clinic from 4-6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month in Waynesville. Services include family planning, immunizations, pregnancy testing, STD testing and treatment. Appointments: 452.6675.

• The Jackson County Department of Public Health will offer a general clinic from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 587.8225.

wnc calendar

• A Food Addicts Anonymous Twelve-Step fellowship group meets at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville. www.foodaddictsanonymous.org.

West Pates (worship band) and Joshua Lozoff (illusionist). Retreat is from Feb. 16-19. Register or get more info: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/winteryouth.

• Big Brother/Big Sister, a one-evening preparation 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.

• Registration is underway for a “Healthy and Holy Retreat,” which is Feb. 23-24 at the Lake Logan Conference Center in Canton. Retreat will be led by author Mike Morrell, David Bolt and Dr. Gus Vickery.

Opportunity to enrich, rejuvenate and clarify your essential relationships. Register: lakelogan.org/events.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 ⦁ The Maggie Valley Wellness Center is offering two yoga classes from 9-9:55 a.m. on Wednesdays through March: Gentle Flow with Candra and Gentle Vin Yin with Jamie. 944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.

• Line dance lessons will be offered from 7-8 p.m. every other Tuesday in Waynesville. $10 per class.

Modern/traditional line dancing. 734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com.

February 14-20, 2018

• Registration is underway for a “Yoga Basics Deep Dive Workshop” with Shelby McDermott. The workshop is from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $30. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• Registration is underway for a “Meditation Workshop” with Amber Kleid. Workshop is from 5:307:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $30. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• Registration is underway for the Interfaith Peace Conference, which is Thursday through Sunday, March 1-4, in Lake Junaluska. Topic centers around communicating with civility and respect while upholding core values and religious traditions. Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders will offer lectures, worship, music, prayer and meditation. $150 per person. $60 for students. $10 for CEU credits. www.lakejunaluska.com/peace or 800.222.4930.

POLITICAL • The February Swain County Democratic Party Whittier-Cherokee precinct meeting will be Thursday, February 15th at 6:00 p.m. at the Chestnut Tree Inn (formally the Holiday Inn) Hwy 19 South, 37 Tsalagi Rd. Cherokee. Agenda items include preparing for speaker Joe Sam Queen and the 2018 election calendar. All are welcome. For info, contact Brenda Donargo at 488.1118.

• A book study group will be starting at 1 p.m. on Feb. 18 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Franklin.

Book: “Daring Democracy: Igniting Power, Meaning and Connection for the America We Want” by Francis Lappe and Adam Eichen. 524.3691. ⦁ The Haywood County Democratic Party will hold its precinct organizational meetings at various locations throughout the county through Feb. 19. Open to any registered Democrat in the precinct. Complete listing of meeting times and locations: www.haywooddemocrats.org. Find out which precinct you live in: https://tinyurl.com/h97ln9p. Additional assistance: 452.9607 or haywooddemocrats@gmail.com.

• Registration is underway for a “Deconstructing Cravings” Workshop with Sara Lewis at Waynesville Yoga Center. Understand the source of cravings and how to reduce them. Workshop is from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24. $35. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

⦁ The Jackson County Democratic Party will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at party headquarters, 500 Mill St., in Sylva. Jacksondems.com.

• Registration is underway for “Spa Weekend,” which is Feb. 16-18 at the Lake Logan Conference Center in Canton. Food, time with friends, massage, mani or pedi, facial, guided yoga and other classes. $320. Stay one night or two. Register: lakelogan.org/events.

⦁ The Jackson County Republican Party meets at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26, at Ryan’s Restaurant. Info: 743.6491.

⦁ Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Bryson City) will hold a town hall from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS SPIRITUAL

Smoky Mountain News

• Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s winter youth retreat featuring Eddie Willis (speaker), Abbye

• Holly Kays, outdoors editor for The Smoky Mountain News, will read from her new novel “Shadows of Flowers” at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, at Waynesville Public Library in Waynesville. Book is

Puzzles can be found on page 46.

available at The Smoky Mountain News, Blue Ridge Books and Earthworks Gallery in Waynesville; at City Lights and Sylva Market in Sylva and at Books Unlimited in Franklin. Order: $15 at www.paypal.me/hollykays. Price without shipping is $12. www.facebook.com/shadowsofflowers.

• Dr. Bart Ehrman will be speaking about his new book, The Triumph of Christianity, at noon Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Harmon’s Den Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Tickets for the event are $30 each and are available at Blue Ridge Books. The ticket includes a soup, salad, and sandwich buffet with tea or coffee and a coupon for $10 toward the purchase of The Triumph of Christianity.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • The Mexican Train Dominoes Group seeks new players to join games at 1:30 p.m. each Tuesday at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 926.6567.

• Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina – an effort to help area residents commit to a healthier lifestyle, will meet from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

• A Silver Sneakers Cardio Fit class will meet from 1011 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 60 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Book Club is held at 2 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800 • Senior croquet for ages 55 and older is offered from 9-11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Vance Street Park in front of Waynesville Recreation Center.

Free. For info, contact Donald Hummel at 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Camp Hobbit Hill is currently offering an essay contest to future campers. Winners of the essay contest have a chance to win a free session of camp.

Camp Hobbit Hill is a girls overnight camp, with a focus on horsemanship and arts, located in Alexander.

The essay must answer one of the following questions (200-250 words), be written by the potential camper, and be submitted to camp@CampHobbitHill.com no later than March 1. Please explain what leadership and community mean to you or How could attending and experiencing camp help you become more actively involved in your community or Tell us how you can be a good role model to other students in school (300 words or less). Further instructions will be available at www.camphobbithill.com. Contestants may enter all sections of the contest, but are only entitled to win one 1st prize. All entries must include name, age, parental contact and return email.

ONGOING KIDS ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS • 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.

•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.

• 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.

• 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 Hand & Foot card game is held at 1 p.m. on Mondays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• A Lego Club meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 4:30 p.m. at Jackson County Public Library. 5862016.

• Pinochle game is played at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2813.

• 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.

• Hearts is played at 12 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2813.

• Mah Jongg is played at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2813.

KIDS & FAMILIES ⦁ The 11th annual Father-Daughter Dance is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at First United Methodist Church in Sylva. Advanced registration: $30 per couple; $5 for each additional daughter. At the door: $40 per couple and $5 for each additional

• Children’s craft time, fourth Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215

KIDS FILMS • “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” will be shown on Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free, call 586.3555 for reservations. A WCU film project, 10% of purchases go to WCU. • “Wonder” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 16 and 7 p.m. on Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free, call 586.3555 for reservations.

Quality Trailers, Quality Prices

These are only the answers.

pricing starting at $499

40

daughter. Registration and payment: www.sylvafumc.org/news. Info: 586.1640.

Trailer Center

financing available, ask for details

HaywoodBuilders.com 828-456-6051 | 100 Charles St. | Waynesville

⦁ An animated children’s movie featuring talking vehicles will be shown at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Rated G. Runtime: 1:42. Info, including movie title: 524.3600.

• A family movie will be shown at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS ⦁ Lunar New Year will be celebrated from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, at Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Featuring Asian food and crafts. Tickets: $15 for adults; $10 for students. Tickets available at Folkmoot.org or 452.2997. ⦁ Highlands’ popular celebration of Appalachian food, music and culture, “Root Bound,” will return Feb 2325 at participating locations. All-access passes are now available for purchase. Space at this sellout event is limited. Be sure to book early. For more information visit www.rootboundhighlands.com or call 787.2635 to purchase passes.

• 21st annual Greening Up the Mountains is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. www.greeningupthemountains.com. 554.1035 or greeningupthemountains@gmail.com.

FOOD & DRINK

• Sneak E Squirrel Brewing (Sylva) will host the Jackson County Corn Hole Association on Monday evenings ($5 buy in, 100-percent payout), Karaoke with Captain Moose from 7 to 11 p.m. on Tuesdays, Trivia at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and a Guitar Hero Tournament at 7 p.m. on Thursdays. 586.6440.

• “Brown Bag at the Depot” – an opportunity to gather with neighbors – is at noon every Friday at Sylva’s newest park at the corner of Spring and Mill Street along Railroad Ave. For info, contact Paige Dowling at townmanager@townofsylva.org.

• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro.

Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

• A game day will occur from 2-9 p.m. every third Saturday of the month at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in Sylva. Bring dice, cards or board games. 586.6300.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 586.6300.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 452.0120.

• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on

⦁ The Jackson County Public Library will be hosting Western Troubadours Kerry Grombacher and Aspen Black on Thursday February 22nd at 6:30 PM in the Community Room. This concert is free of charge. Kerry Grombacher’s and Aspen Black’s songs draw vivid portraits and tell fascinating stories that are set in the Western landscape, where they’ve worked and traveled with cowboys. ⦁ HART in Waynesville presents a festival of plays in its intimate 60-seat Feichter Studio. Shows include: “Twelfth Night” (Feb. 9-16), “Women and War” (Feb. 23-March 4), “Mass Appeal” (March 23-April 1) and “In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play” (April 6-15).

Tickets are only $10 with general admission seating, but reservations are recommended as many shows regularly sell out. Season tickets are also available for the winter season. A complete schedule is available on the HART website at www.harttheatre.org. ⦁ A stage performance by “TAO: Drum Heart” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. Tickets are $15 per person for groups over 20, $20 seniors/WCU faculty and staff, and $25 for adults. bardoartscenter.wcu.edu. ⦁ Acclaimed contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Laura Story will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets start at $15. To purchase tickets, or to find out more information about this or any other upcoming show at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS ⦁ CynDe Copple, owner of Tsartistry Galley in Franklin, will hold a quilt-making workshop entitled “Heart and Soul” on Saturday, Feb. 17. www.smokymtnquilters.org. ⦁ A “Pottery Fair House Class” will be offered from 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Rabbit Creek Pottery in Dillsboro. Cost: $45. All materials provided.

Open to ages 16-over. Info: 371.3808. ⦁ A “Painting Techniques Class” with Sharon Bunting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Claymates at 31 Front Street in Dillsboro. Cost: $25; includes materials. Info: 631.3133. ⦁Monthly Creating Community Workshop will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 24th in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library. This program is free of charge. Derek Morrow of Morrow Leatherworks will be leading the workshop.

Participants will learn how to make a small, leather clutch. All supplies will be provided, but some hand strength is necessary for leather working. The workshop is limited to 10 participants. Please call 586.2016 to register.

Smoky Mountain News

• Graceann’s Amazing Breakfast is 8-10 a.m. every Tuesday in the Sapphire Room at the Sapphire Valley Community Center. $8.50 for adults; $5 for children.

Includes coffee and orange juice. 743.7663.

⦁ A “Songs and Stories of the American West” concert will be presented at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Featuring the Western Troubadours – Kerry Gromacher and Aspen Black. 524.3600.

February 14-20, 2018

• Firefly Taps & Grill, formally Blossoms on Main will be providing special during the month of February for locals as part of the “February is Love the Locals” month. They will offer southern food and comfort food, but also vegetarian and vegan items, as well as a few items from their Thai menu.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Series at Western Carolina University continues through spring, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 227.7129.

wnc calendar

• The Highlands Biological Foundation will offer a series of nature-themed films and documentaries shown at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of January, February and March in Highlands. For info on each show, call 526.2221.

Wednesdays The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 452.6000.

• An indoor flea market will take place every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in February and March at Friends Of The Greenway Quarters at 573 East Main St. in Franklin. Registration fee will go to FROG. • Registration is underway for a Beginning Bladesmithing class that will be offered from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, at Jackson

41

wnc calendar

County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $300; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271 or www.JCGEP.org.

⦁ “The Florida Project” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free, call 586.3555 for reservations.

⦁ Registration is underway for a Viking Axe Making Class, which is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 17-18 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $380 (materials included). With Brock Martin from WarFire Forge. Register: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Free movies are shown every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

Madbatterfoodfilm.com.

⦁ Registration is underway for a “Blacksmithing Fundamentals Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 31-April 1 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

Cost: $275; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org. ⦁ Registration is underway for an “Intermediate Bladesmithing Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 7-8 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $340; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES ⦁ Gallery 1 Sylva will celebrate the work and collection of co-founder Dr. Perry Kelly with a show of his personal work at the Jackson County Public Library Rotunda and his art collection at the gallery. All work is for sale. Admission is free. Children are welcome. Gallery 1 has regular winter hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. art@gallery1sylva.com. ⦁ Crissy Stewart’s mixed media art will be on display during the month of February in the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

February 14-20, 2018

⦁ The Franklin Uptown Gallery has opened for the 2018 Season. The artist exchange exhibit will feature artwork created by members of the Valley River Arts Guide from Murphy. 349.4607. ⦁ As part of “Winter Arts Smokies Style” in downtown Waynesville, the Haywood County Arts Council welcomes renowned watercolor artist Ann Vasilik to hold a demonstration from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts on Main Street. All galleries will be open till 7 p.m., with music, snacks, art, and other special offerings. www.haywoodarts.org.

• Linda Dickinson’s display of black-and-white photography is being displayed at the Canton Public Library Meeting Room in Canton. Show is entitled “Waynesville and Environs, a Black & White Perspective.” 648.2924.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

FILM & SCREEN Smoky Mountain News

⦁ “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” will be showing at 7 p.m. on on Feb. 14-15 at The Strand on Main in Waynesville. Visit www.38main.com for tickets. ⦁ A new biographical romance will be shown during Black History Month at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. Story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that ended with the Supreme Court’s historic 1967 decision. Runtime: 2:03. Info, including movie title: 524.3600. ⦁ A 1967 drama/comedy will be shown in observance of Black History Month at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin.

Story about daughter of a crusading publisher and his patrician wife. Daughter brings home her fiancé, a distinguished black daughter. Runtime: 1:48. Info, including movie title: 524.3600.

⦁ “The Shape of Water” will be showing at 7 p.m. on Feb. 16, 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m. on Feb. 17-18, and 7 p.m.

42 on Feb. 19-22. Visit www.38main.com for tickets.

and pre-purchased meals may be ordered online by credit card at http://www.wataugavalleynrhs.org/

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Outdoors

• The largest recreational ski race program in the world, NASTAR Public Racing is happening through the end of February from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sundays at Cataloochee Ski Area. Competitive, easily accessible racing program that allows racers of all ages and abilities to compare themselves with each other, regardless of when and where they race, using a racer handicap system. $10 for two runs or $20 for unlimited runs.

Register: nastar.com or at the ski resort’s ticket center on the lodge’s lower level.

⦁ The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will conduct a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 at Haywood Community College in Clyde to take comments on proposed changes to 35 agency regulations related to wildlife management, fisheries and game lands for the 2018-19 seasons. Info on all proposed regulations: https://tinyurl.com/yckzxwf6. Submit comments online at https://tinyurl.com/y9uo7qov.

• The Cataloochee Thursday Night Race League is open to skiers and snowboarders 18 years or older from 78:30 p.m. through Feb. 22. Individuals race against the clock on a modified GS or slalom course for the better of two runs. The top three challengers in men’s and women’s age divisions will win prizes. Helmets and goggles required. $15 to race or $35 for race entry and night lift ticket. https://tinyurl.com/y9ys99hu.

⦁ The Highlands Plateau Greenway will conduct its monthly work day on the Greenway Trail from 9:0012:00, Saturday, February 17. If you are interested in participating, please email highlandsgreenway@nctv.com or leave a message at 342.8980.

⦁ The Nantahala Racing Club will start spring paddling season with its annual Glacier Breaker event, Feb. 2425, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Slalom race starts at noon on Feb. 24; downriver classic starts at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 25. Registration: $30; $10 discount for preregistration through Feb. 22 at paddleguru.com/races/GlacierBreaker2018.

⦁ The Great Backyard Bird Count Day is scheduled for 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Feb. 17, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. Birding hikes, hands-on activities and bird crafts. www.birdcount.org. www.ncarboretum.org.

• Concealed carry handgun is offered every other Saturday 8:30am-5pm starting February 24th at Mountain Range indoor shooting range. Lunch provided. Class $60. 452.7870 or mountainrangenc@yahoo.com.

• North Carolina couple Shari Galiardi and Dave “Hutch” Hutchison will present “Freedom in a Can: Finding Sustainability in 72 Square Feet.” They will share what they’ve discovered during their journeys in a free program beginning at 7 p.m. in the theater of A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University campus on Thursday, Feb. 22. An open house will be held from noon until 1:30 p.m. to allow members of the university community to tour the “can,” which will be parked in the Central Plaza area. www.freedominacan.com Or 227.3751. ⦁ The Jackson County Small Area Plan process is underway at the direction of the Cashiers Planning Council, which will offer an update in a meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26, at the Cashiers Glenville Recreation Center. www.cashiersareachamber.com.

• Comments on the future of the larger Waterrock Knob and Plott Balsam region are be accepted until Feb. 25 at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/waterrockknobvisionplan or through mail to: ATTN: Suzette Molling, 199 Hemphill Knob Road, Asheville, NC 28803.

• Registration is underway for a “Mountains-to-Sea Trail” conference, which will be March 23-25 in Elkin.

Trail and town excursions; dinner Friday is included. $75; members only. Memberships are $35. RSVP by March 16: http://conta.cc/2ne6UnK. • Registration is underway for the eighth annual Three River Fly Fishing Festival, which is April 26-28 in Highlands. Fishing competition open to men and women of all skill levels. $500 per team or $450 for those who register before March 15. Includes opening night reception at Wolfgang’s Restaurant, Friday happy hour after closing night dinner and a gift bag. All funds raised benefit the town’s scholarship fund.

Register: hilary@highlandhiker.com.

• The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum will sponsor its Spring Excursion Saturday, March 24th, – a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through the majestic mountains and beautiful countryside of western North Carolina from Dillsboro through Bryson City and the Nantahala Gorge. Tickets

⦁ Registration is underway for the Assault on BlackRock, a seven-mile trail race that will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, from the Pinnacle Park parking lot in Sylva. Preregistration: $25 at Ultrasignup.com. Fee is $30 on race day. More info, including registration form and course map, at Assault on BlackRock Facebook page. Info: 506.2802 or barwatt@hotmail.com. ⦁ Registration is underway for the eighth annual “Valley of the Lilies” Half Marathon and 5K, which is Saturday, April 7, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. $40 for the half marathon and $20 for the 5K through March 9; $80 for half marathon and $30 for the 5K on race day. http://halfmarathon.wcu.edu or valleyofthelilies@wcu.edu. ⦁Registration for the annual Greening Up the Mountains Festival 5K is now open. The race will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 at Mark Watson Park in Sylva, North Carolina. Registrants who enter before April 20th will receive a t-shirt. All proceeds from the race support the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. www.greeningupthemountains.com Registration ends on April 25. jeniferpressley@jackonnc.org.

FARM AND GARDEN ⦁ The Tuscola Garden Club will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, in Gaines Auditorium at the Bethea Welcome Center in Lake Junaluska. Featured speaker Adam Bigelow will present a program entitled “Getting to Know Wildflowers.” 246.0437.

• A seminar on how to establish and maintain strawberry, blackberry and raspberry patch will be offered by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, at the Jackson Extension Center in Sylva. Info and to register: 586.4009 (Sylva), 488.3848 (Bryson City) or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

• 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 (Monday through Wednesday).

HIKING CLUBS ⦁ The Nantahala Hiking Club will have a four-mile hike with a 200-foot elevation change on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Cliffside Lake Loop by way of Skitty Creek on Highway 64. Info and reservations: 369.7352.

⦁ Carolina Mountain Club will have an 11.7-mile hike with a 3,000-foot ascent on Feb. 21 at Round Top Ridge. Info and reservations: 273.2098 or PDBenson@charter.net. ⦁ The Nantahala Hiking Club will have a five-mile hike with a 300-foot elevation change on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Panthertown Valley. www.nantahalahikingclub.org. ⦁ Carolina Mountain Club will have a 7.5-mile hike with a 1,400-foot ascent on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Coffee Pot Mountain Loop. Info and reservations: 460.7066 or barbc129@gmail.com. ⦁ Carolina Mountain Club will have a seven-mile hike with a 1,050-foot ascent on Feb. 28 on Moore Cove Figure 8-Loop. Info and reservations: 692.0116, 696.6296 or bbente@bellsouth.net.

• Nantahala Hiking Club holds monthly trail maintenance days from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on every fourth Saturday at 173 Carl Slagle Road in Franklin. Info and to register: 369.1983.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 environments, 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.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

AUCTION

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

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

ABSOLUTE AUCTION - NEW TOOLS Saturday, February 17 @ 10am 300 Rampart Street, Charlotte, NC. Over 400 Pallets of New Tools/Industrial Supplies. Dewalt, Makita, Ridgid, SnapOn, Ingersoll, Machine Shop Tooling.

704.791.8825 ncaf5479 www.ClassicAuctions.com

ACORN STAIRLIFTS. The affordable solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1.855.808.9573 for FREE DVD and brochure.

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS & LOTS In Norwood, NC, Online Auction w/ Bid Center, Begins Closing 3/1 at 3pm, Bid Center at Norwood Town Hall, www.ironhorseauction.com, Phone# 704.997.2248, NCAL 3936

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 SAPA

RESIDENTIAL & ACREAGE TRACTS In Scotland County, NC sold at Auction, Online w/ Bid Center, Begins Closing 2/14 at 4pm, Bid Center at Hampton Inn Laurinburg, www.ironhorseauction.com, Phone# 800.997.2248, NCAL 3936 SOLD! ADVERTISE YOUR AUCTION In over 100 newspapers across the state for only $375. Call Wendi Ray at NC Press Services, 919.516.8009

CALL EMPIRE TODAY To schedule a Free in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring.

Call Today! 1.855.929.7756 DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316

DODIE’S AUCTION & REALTY PUBLIC ESTATE AUCTION Thomas Edwards Stehpenns - Deceased of Sylva, NC. 373 Hillcrest Street, in the Dillard Town Community. Follow the Auction Signs.

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. Auction Begins at 11a.m.- Preview Begins 9:30a.m. Call Dodie for Details 828.586.3634 - 10% Buyers Premium, $1 Minimum Sale. All Sales Final. Payment Method Cash or Check Day of Sale Col. Dodie Allen Blaschik, NCAL# 3410, Dwight Burrell, Floor Mgr., NCFL# 5584 Please View Pictures Online: dodieallen.com 828.586.DODI(3634) Col. Dodie A. Blaschik, NCAL3410; 828.586.3634 www.dodieallen.com - facebook.com/DodiesofSylva

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

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 for more information 800.807.7219 and for $750 Off. GOT MOLDOr think you might have it? Mold can be hazardous to you and your family’s health! Get rid of it now!

Call our experts and get a quote today! 844.766.3858 SAPA

PAINTING JAMISON CUSTOM PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING Interior, exterior, all your pressure washing needs and more.

Specialize in Removal of Carpenter Bees - Cedar or Log Homes or Painted or Siding!

Call or Text Now for a Free Estimate at 828.508.9727

CARS A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR For Breast Cancer! Help United Breast Foundation Education, Prevention, & Support Programs.

Fast Free Pickup -24 Hr ResponseTax Deduction 855.701.6346 AUTO INSURANCE Starting At $49/ Month! Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save! Call: 855.970.1224 CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!!

Top Dollar Offer! Free Towing From Home, Office or Body Shop. All Makes/Models 2000-2016. Same Day Pick-Up Available! Call Now: 1.800.761.9396

WNC MarketPlace

CARS -

EMPLOYMENT

DONATE YOUR CAR To Charity. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes.

Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup. Call for details. 855.972.0354 GOT AN OLDER CAR, VAN OR SUV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1.855.617.2024

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES NEW AUTHORS WANTED! Page Publishing will help you self-publish your own book.

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EMPLOYMENT

February 14-20, 2018

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA Technician certification.

Approved for military benefits.

Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.724.5403

FRONT DESK/OFFICE MANAGER Full Time or Part Time: Maggie Valley Cabin Resort Seeks a Versatile, Energetic & Experienced Front Desk Employee. Customer Service & Computer Exp. Req. Weekends, Nights & Holidays a Must! For more information Call 828.926.1388 FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Drama/Theatre Instructor (10month), Digital Media Instructor (10-month), & PC Support & Services/Database Management Instructor (10-month). For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer SAPA

EMPLOYMENT

FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Senior Network Communications Technician & Industry Training Instructor. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/ Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD IN BRYSON CITY Is Hiring for a Depot Supervisor & Property Maintenance Worker.

Eligible for Medical, Dental, Paid Time Off & 401K. Earn train passes, retail and food discounts, passes to area attractions and more!

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LOTS SALES AND NEW HOMES CONSTRUCTION & MANAGEMENT COMPANY Self-Starter or Existing Company. Sales Experience & Home-Construction Knowledge for Final Development Phase in Fully Amenitized 2nd Homes Gated-Communities in Nantahala. Sell Remaining Inventory and Launch HomesConstruction & Management Company to Assist Owners in Turnkey Homes Building: From Vision to Completion, Rental and Maintenance. Unique Long-Term Opportunity.

Social Media Marketing Knowledge Desirable. Resume, Salary History (Terms If Applies) & Cover Letter to:

info@mystic-lands.com BREE - A GORGEOUS SNOW WHITE KITTY W/ BRIGHT BLUE EYES. SHE IS A LITTLE SHY. SHE'LL DO BEST WITH ADOPTERS WHO HAVE THE PATIENCE TO GIVE HER SPACE AND LET HER MAKE ALL THE ADVANCES. WE'RE CONFIDENT SHE'LL BE A WONDERFUL, LOVING COMPANION GIVEN SOME TIME AND TLC. SARGE DOG JAKE - A MIX OF BREEDS WE CAN ONLY GUESS AT. HE HAS A HANDSOME HEAD STUCK ON A SHORT-LEGGED, STOCKY BODY AND HE'S SUPER CUTE. JAKE WEIGHS ABOUT 30 LBS. HE ALSO HAS A GREAT TEMPERAMENT AND HE'S GOING TO BE A TERRIFIC FAMILY COMPANION DOGGY.

www.smokymountainnews.com

EMPLOYMENT FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Financial Accountant. 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 An Equal Opportunity Employer

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT 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

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

GOT CANDIDATES? Find your next hire in over 100 newspapers across the state for only $375. Call Wendi Ray at NC Press Services for more info 919.516.8009.

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.

FINANCIAL BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA HAVE 10K IN DEBT? National Debt Relief is rated A+ Plus with the BBB. You could be debt free in 24-48 months.

Call 1.844.240.0122 now for a free debt evaluation.

SAPA SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY? Up to $2,671/mo. (Based on your paid-in amount.) FREE evaluation!

Call Bill Gordon & Associates.

1.800.371.1734. Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL., member TX/NM Bar.

CAVALIER ARMS APARTMENTS

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Offering 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $420.00

We Are Offering 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting From $465.00

Section 8 Accepted - Rental Assistance When Available Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS:

OFFICE HOURS:

Tuesday & Thursday 8:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.

50 Duckett Cove Road, Waynesville, NC 28786

Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm 168E Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.456.6776 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.735.2962

Equal Housing Opportunity

Equal Housing Opportunity

Michelle McElroy

Steve Mauldin

RESIDENTIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE

828.734.4864

828.400.9463 Cell

smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

E-PRO, CNHS, RCC, SFR

michelle@beverly-hanks.com 44

EMPLOYMENT BROWN TRUCKING Is looking for COMPANY DRIVERS and OWNER OPERATORS. Brown requires: CDL-A, 2 years of tractor trailer experience OTR or Regional (Multiple states) in the last 3 years, good MVR and PSP. Apply: www.driveforbrown.com.

Contact Brandon Collins.

919.291.7416.

SAPA

74 North Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.5809

74 N. Main St.,Waynesville

828.452.5809

beverly-hanks.com

HOMES FOR SALE

SINGLE FAMILY RANCH HOME F.S.B.O. - 57 Pasco Loop, Waynesville, NC. Less than 2yrs. old, 1400 sq. ft., 2/BR 2/BA, Vaulted Ceilings, Open Floor Plan, Lamenant/Carpet Floors, SS Appliances, 12’x12’ Outside Bldng., Mtn. Views. A Must See, Perfect Move-In Ready Home, Furniture Negotiable, 3 Miles from Maggie Valley, No City Taxes - $229,900.

For more information call 919.356.6560 SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your MORTGAGE? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner's Relief Line! Free Consulation!

855.995.4199

APT. FOR RENT FURNISHED

VACATION RENTALS BEACH GETAWAY SPECIAL. Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Mention this add to receive an extra $25.00 discount on all spring reservations.

Limited time offering. Call Now 1.800.NCBeach; or visit us at: cookerealty.com

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.

Kaye Matthews REALTOR, BROKER

828-564-1960 cell 828-421-1724 Kaye@4Smokys.com Any agent can show you a house.

I will find you a home.

Your Agent. Your Neighbor.

WAYNESVILLE OFFICE:

Great Smokys Realty

PET SUPPLIES & SERVICES

36 S. Main St. Waynesville

Beverly Hanks & Associates SFR, ECO, GREEN

147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

• • • •

beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com George Escaravage - gescar@beverly-hanks.com Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

828.734.2146

• • • • • • • • •

bparrott@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty

Visit beverly-hanks.com/agents/bparrott

sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey 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!

Berkshire Hathaway www.4Smokys.com

HAPPY JACK® XYLECIDE® Is a Fungicidal Shampoo to treat Ringworm & Allergies. For Dogs & Horses. At Tractor Supply, or: fleabeacon.com HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

828-564-1950 www.4smokys.com

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

BROOKE PARROTT BROKER ASSOCIATE to see what others are saying!

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

WANTED TO BUY

Lakeshore Realty

- WANTED TO BUY -

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

U.S./ Foreign Coins! Call Dan

Mountain Home Properties

828.421.1616

February 14-20, 2018

SEEKING MATURE PROFESSIONAL Or Grad Student to Rent a Cute, Spacious, Partially-Furnished Apartment in My Home with Kitchenette & Separate Entrance.

Beautiful, Quiet Mountain Setting Convenient to the Newly-Remolded W. Waynesville Ingles and the Walmart Town Center. Includes All Utilities, Cable & Internet. $775/mo. Please email: bmcdono@gmail.com with Inquiries.

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

WNC MarketPlace

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

mountaindream.com • Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans.

312.291.9169; or visit: www.refrigerantfinders.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty

HELPING IN HARD TIMES • • • • •

DOWNSIZING ESTATE SALES CLEAN OUT SERVICE • COMPANY TRANSFER • DIVORCE • LOST LOVED ONE

Rob Roland Realty

WE ARE KNOWN FOR HONESTY & INTEGRITY 828-734-3874 18 COMMERCE STREET WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28786 WWW.FROGLEVELDOWNSIZING.COM

remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com Holly Fletcher - hollyfletcher1975@gmail.com The Real Team - the-real-team.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Landen Stevenson - Landen@landenstevenson.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

smokymountainnews.com

FROG POND ESTATE SALES

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 45

CROSSWORD

www.smokymountainnews.com

February 14-20, 2018

WNC MarketPlace

Super

46

HEARTFELT WISH ACROSS 1 Birmingham locale 8 Holy See leaders 13 Largest living bird 20 One vilifying in print 21 Spitz relative 22 City WSW of Albany 23 Aroma source 24 Former NBAer Odom 25 Most humble 26 Own delicately pretty baby enclosures?

29 With 32-Across, tourist’s reference 30 Baseballer Hershiser 31 Rhine feeder 32 See 29-Across 35 People put aside their pride for a while?

43 Posed for a painting, e.g.

46 Mineo of film 47 Tidbits 48 Log splitter 49 Bring on 53 Turbine part 56 “Weird Al” Yankovic hit 57 Pinched a chubby shrink?

61 Pet’s jingler 62 Gluck’s “— ed Euridice” 63 My, in Milan 64 “Ammo” pair 67 “New Math” singer Tom 69 “The Donald” 72 Shiite, e.g.

75 Stubborn beast 76 Not at home

79 Wage hike 82 Open spot in a forest 83 “Airplane!” co-star created an online fundtransfer service?

88 Large parrot 91 Exotic juice berry 92 India or Iran 93 Park it 94 Astounds 96 “Yay, team!”

98 Geezers 100 Turn down a mawkish sea monster?

106 USN rank 107 Chip or nick 108 Large feline 109 See 85-Down 113 What this puzzle’s long answers are anagrams of 120 Enchant 123 PC character format 124 Some suede 125 In pieces 126 Diadem’s kin 127 Prayer rug user, say 128 Hot springs 129 Lucifer 130 50- — (some long field goals)

7 Intro class for painters 8 Trifling 9 Signed off on 10 Zits 11 List-curtailing abbr.

12 Poet Teasdale 13 Tuba sound 14 Disdain openly 15 Many a rave attendee 16 Soldiers on “M*A*S*H” 17 Salt additive?

18 Dol. parts 19 Fez or kepi 27 “Just joking!”

28 “Yahoo!”

32 Beef or ham 33 Opposing 34 “Hey, I’ve got a secret ...”

36 Maintain 37 Essential 38 Boise setting 39 Volcanic flow 40 Actor Ladd 41 JFK was one 42 Bog material 43 Philippines’ capital 44 Lime, silica and rust 45 — of despair 50 The, to Franz 51 Roosevelt’s successor DOWN 52 Higher than 1 Maui “hello” 54 “Rambo” site, for 2 Detection system that short uses a laser 55 Yale student 3 Higher than 58 Duffer’s goal 4 Deprive (of), as 59 “— joking!” through absence 60 Thanksgiving staple 5 “When I was — ...”

64 Slip by 6 Actress Suvari 65 In-flight

66 Puts in a blast furnace 68 Singer Clark 70 Singer Aimee 71 Bread for a gyro 73 Kampala site 74 Cunning 77 Signer of SALT I and II 78 Quirky habit 80 Unit for Graf 81 Mandate 83 Ill-defined 84 Astonishes 85 With 109-Across, zilch 86 Apothecary’s bottle 87 Roo’s friend 88 Produced 89 Revival reply 90 Gives the boot 95 Selection of chocolates 97 Spiteful, violent sort 99 Ground, as the teeth 101 Daily news sources 102 Inquire nosily 103 TV host Meredith 104 Old Greek 105 Cookout pest 110 “Swan Lake” villainess 111 Watchdog Ralph 112 People ogling 113 Attila’s bunch 114 Secretary, say 115 Giant tubs 116 Yemen locale 117 Really gross 118 Octa- + one 119 Fancy water jug 120 Luggage item 121 Dialect suffix 122 Man

answers on page 40

ITEMS FOR SALE 11-HP GENERATOR New, Never Been Used Homelite #LR5500, 5 Gallon Gas Tank, 5500 Watts, HD 220/115 Cord. $475/Firm. For more info call Richard at 828.316.9557 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

MEDICAL BATHE SAFELY And stay in the home you love with the #1 selling Walk-in Tub in North America. For an in-home appointment, call: 844.294.5707 MALE ENLARGEMENT PUMP Get Stronger & Harder Immediately. Gain 1-3 Inches Permanently & Safely. Guaranteed Results.

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Answers on Page 40

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

The eagles have landed he eagles’ neighbors have known for months, observant birders and other Lake Junaluska regulars have either known or suspected, and I have sat on the news for a while as I consulted with North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife, but those two beautiful, large brown raptors with the white heads and tails that have been patrolling the lake regularly for the past few months are, indeed, Lake Junaluska residents.

Bryan Tompkins, biologist with U.S. Fish & Wildlife, monitors bald eagles across the western part of the state. His area covers all of the mountains and some of the piedmont.

Tompkins said when the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list in 2007 there were three known nests across the western part of the state. Today there are around 30 documented eagle nests across this region.

There were no documented bald eagle nests in North Carolina in 1983 when NCWRC biologists began a reintroduction project, releasing immature eagles near Lake Mattamuskeet in Hyde County. The follow-

T

ing year, 1984, a pair nested near the lake, becoming the first documented nest in North Carolina in more than a decade.

Today there are around 200 nesting territories across the state, most along the coast and in the piedmont.

Tompkins said that he has had reports over the last few years of eagles in Haywood County carrying nesting materials, but the Lake Junaluska nest is the first documented nest. But it likely won’t be the last.

Tompkins believes Western North Carolina has plenty of good eagle habitat and that the population should continue to expand.

The pair at the lake appears to be doing their part to help with the expansion. The eagles’ human neighbors have been keeping an unobtrusive, watchful and hopeful eye on the pair since they began nest building and believe the female has been on eggs for a while. Tompkins concurs, saying, “We have visited the nest several times and believe the female to still be sitting on eggs. It is getting close to hatch though and could happen anytime in the next few weeks (if it hasn’t already). The nests are fairly deep, so it will be a while before chicks are visible.” And, along those lines, I received a message last Sunday (Feb. 12) that both eagles were seen

perched near the nest — so it could be that eggs have hatched.

Tompkins said Fish & Wildlife encourages people to get out and witness the awe and beauty of these impressive raptors in their natural habitat, but to do so in a responsible way. According to Tompkins, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Bald Eagle Management Guidelines calls for a 600-foot buffer around

Bald eagle on nest.

Kirk Gardner photo

active eagle nests. “It is especially important to keep from agitating eagles or flushing eagles from the nest when they are still sitting on eggs. During cold days, just a few minutes away from the nest is enough to impact incubation. Bald eagles are especially sensitive during this period. However, it is important to maintain buffer from nest for the safety of the eagles and people. They are protective of their nests.”

The Lake J eagles are fortunate to be in a neighborhood of eagle fanciers who are able

to keep an eye on the nest to help ensure the 600-foot buffer is observed. But there is a great way to observe the nest responsibly while maintaining the buffer and not adversely impacting the nest.

One can park at the Junaluska Dam Park on County Road then walk across the Richland Creek bridge, up County Road for a few hundred feet to where the field starts on the right hand side of the road. It’s best to park at the dam because County Road is narrow and busy with basically no shoulder. But you can stand out in the fallow field, well off the road and with binoculars and/or spotting scope get a great view of the nest. As you are standing in the field, look across the horse pasture on the left side of the road (to the northwest.) There is a house across the pasture and if you look up the hill just to the right of the house you will see a lone pine and the nest is near the top of that pine.

There may not be a lot of activity if the female is still incubating. The nest is deep and you can’t see the female if she is sitting in it and the male is often out foraging. Once the fledglings appear the pair will be busy feeding and after some time the fledglings will be out of the nest, branchhopping and getting their wings under them. Watching the eagles this way is a winwin. You can get great views without negatively impacting the busy pair.

(Don Hendershot is a naturalist and a writer who lives in Haywood County. He can be reached at ddihen1@bellsouth.net)

February 14-20, 2018 Smoky Mountain News 47

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