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March 9-15, 2016 Vol. 17 Iss. 41

Sales tax vote will appear on Jackson’s June ballot Page 5 Joe Lasher Jr. sets sights on Nashville Page 30

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: The North Carolina Education Lottery was created in 2006 with the promise of supplementing state education funding for local school districts, but elected officials on both sides of the aisle have been disappointed in how the funding has actually been distributed. (Page 6)

News Jackson begins county manager search ......................................................................4 Sales tax will appear on Jackson’s June ballot ..........................................................5 In state House race, Dems think viability ......................................................................8 Community collaborates to help Jackson’s uninsured ..........................................10 Sylva writer’s historic cabin purchased by county ..................................................12 Capital priorities get sorted out in Jackson ..............................................................13 Haywood candidates talk animal shelter ..................................................................14 Maggie Valley unveils town center plan ....................................................................16 Tempers flare over Franklin banner request ..............................................................18 REACH opens new shelter in Macon County ........................................................19

Opinion Trump is leading somewhere I just won’t go ............................................................25

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

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Joe Lasher Jr. sets sights on Nashville ......................................................................30

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Eggs are one of the least expensive and most versatile sources of protein that you can find in the supermarket. Think about it, you can cook or bake with eggs. You can eat eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner or use them in a dessert. You can scramble, fry, poach, soft or hard boil eggs!

EGG-citing facts: One large egg = 75 calories (5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein) Eggs contain all 9 of the essential amino acids.

Eggs are an excellent source of choline and selenium and are rich in leucine.

Eggs can be safely stored in your refrigerator for weeks.

Smoky Mountain News

Eggs cook quickly.

4

Did you know: There is NO nutritional difference between an egg with a brown or a white shell? The shell color is due to the type or breed of chicken!

There are even eggs with blue or greenish shells!

Ingles sells hard-boiled chopped eggs on our salad bars and we have packages of whole hard-boiled eggs in the DAIRY section.

county manager search

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t’s been two months since Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten announced his impending retirement, and county commissioners are beginning the search for their perfect match to take over the reins.

“This is a decision that will have lasting impact for months and years to come,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan.

“You want to make sure you have the right fit.”

The first step in the search is to figure out what they’re looking for, and commissioners spent an hour during their last work session discussing and ranking the qualities they’d like their new county manager to have — guided by David

a solid 5. Team building and staff development also received a 5 average, while intergovernmental relationships came in slightly lower, at 4.3.

“You clearly want someone who can work with your department heads and work with your community,” Nicholson told commissioners after looking at their ratings.

As far as the harder, more technical skills, commissioners made it clear that they need someone who’s good at budgets and finance — that category received a 4.5 average — but are more flexible when it comes to areas such as land use planning, economic development and infrastructure.

Those categories received a 3.8, 3.6 and 3.5, respectively.

“You’re looking for someone who’s a good, rounded individual,” Nicholson said.

Commissioners expect to start looking at the first round of applications in early April, likely creating a committee to winnow down the field to the top five or so candidates, who commissioners would then interview in person.

No salary range for the position has been set, with the number to be negotiated on an individual basis. It’s also unclear whether the top slate of candidates would be made public at any point, or if the selection process would proceed in closed session until a decision is “This is a decision that will have lasting made.

“You’re impact for months and years to come. You going to get a lot of applicawant to make sure you have the right fit.” tions of people — Brian McMahan, Jackson County Commissioner who are currently employed,” Nicholson said. “There are Nicholson, a former Henderson County some counties or cities who will say, ‘At manager and outreach associate for the some point in time we’re going to go public N.C. Association of County Commissioners. with who’s there.’ That tough on a lot of The job profile, just finalized March 8, is folks.” the result of that discussion.

Jackson County is not the only North Commissioners decided that they’d be Carolina government searching for a manwilling to hire someone without a master’s ager. There are 43 counties and municipalidegree — though an advanced degree is ties in the state currently seeking a manager preferred — but will require a bachelor’s or assistant manager, so Jackson leaders are degree in some field related to the job expecting to see some competition for taldescription. They’re requiring at least five ent. years of management experience in local Not all of those 43 positions are analogovernment, with a North Carolina-based gous to Jackson, however. Most of them are resume preferred. municipalities — only four are counties. Of In their rankings, commissioners exhibthose four, Catawba and Vance are most ited a strong preference for a manager who’s similar to Jackson in terms of size and popstrong in the soft skills — developing relaulation. tionships with staff, commissioners and Even in the face of competition, other governments; being present in the Nicholson encouraged commissioners community; comfort with public speaking about their prospects. With the job not yet and oral presentations. advertised, he said, he’s already been getFor instance, in the five-point scale they ting calls from potential managers interestused to rate how important different attribed in learning more about Jackson County. utes might be in a new manager, they gave “You have a wonderful community here “community presence” a 4.8. They gave havwith a lot of resources, and you need to let ing a good relationship with commissioners people know that,” he said.

I

Sales tax on Jackson’s June ballot

S

“What bothers me is our lottery system that we have for our schools.

If that had been handled like it should have, we wouldn’t even have been sitting here talking about this.”

— Boyce Dietz, Jackson commissioner

Commissioners have been juggling the numbers every which way in their meetings and work sessions over the last few months.

The possibility of adding the quarter-cent sales tax was first floated publicly in a Feb. 24 work session.

“What bothers me is our lottery system that we have for our schools,” Dietz said at the March 3 meeting. “If that had been handled like it should have, we wouldn’t even have been sitting here talking about this.”

When implemented, 40 percent of N.C. Education Lottery proceeds were to go to school construction, but in recent years that number has been much lower.

If adopted, the tax would bring an estimated $1.1 million in each year on top of the $9.27 million the county receives from the existing sales tax — $2.6 million of that already goes to education. The extra money would be enough to pay — with some left over — the debt service on a loan funding either the school system’s $10 million list of critical needs or for a new health sciences building at SCC — if the N.C. Connect bond passes, that is. The bond would provide

• $9.27 million from the existing sales tax is returned to Jackson County.

• 4.75 percent of current 6.75 percent sales tax goes to the state, with the county receiving 2 percent.

• $2.65 million of sales tax dollars is currently earmarked for education.

• $799,000 of education dollars from current sales tax is not committed to another project.

• $1.1 million in revenue estimated from additional quarter-cent sales tax.

• $833,000 would cover debt service on a $10 million loan for critical capital needs in the county school system.

• $757,000 would cover debt service on a $16.3 million health sciences building at Southwestern Community College if $7.1 million of state bond money was available. $1.4 million would be needed without the bond money.

• 29 of 100 counties have authorized the additional quarter-cent sales tax, including Haywood and Buncombe, which both designate the money for community colleges. $7.1 million to SCC that could be used toward the project. Debt service on the project without the bond money would be $1.4 million.

“The funding SCC would receive through this referendum would be of tremendous assistance as we work toward providing the type of facilities we need to continue helping our students be successful,” said Don Tomas, SCC’s president.

While educational needs have undeniably been the impetus behind the proposed tax increase, the June ballot question won’t make any mention of schools or educational facilities. The question will simply ask for a yes or no on increasing the current sales tax by a quarter of a percent.

That’s why the education leaders whose organizations stand to benefit from the tax will have the job of making sure voters know what the question really means and the impact its outcome will have.

“This is all of our jobs to fully inform the public about the benefits of this additional quarter-cent sales tax,” said Commissioner Vicki Greene.

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Franklin Ford agrees to sell every new Ford at actual dealer factory invoice cost!

March 9-15, 2016

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ales tax in Jackson County could rise to 7 percent if voters approve a referendum vote that would add a quarter cent to the existing sales tax to help get the county’s K-12 and community college facilities back in shape.

Commissioners’ unanimous decision last week put the question on the June 7 ballot, a second primary recently called statewide when a court order required that boundary lines on some U.S. House districts be redrawn before the vote.

“This is not a partisan issue,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan, citing strong past support for education from both Republicanand Brian McMahan Democrat-run boards, “and I would encourage both political parties and everybody involved to go out and advocate on behalf of our students.”

“I’m all for this,” agreed Commissioner Boyce Dietz. “I think our Boyce Dietz school system is more important than anything we fund. We’re raising taxes when we do this. We raise them for anything, that’s what it should be for.”

Commissioner meetings always feature a public comment session before any votes take place, and though the audience was full of representatives from Jackson County Public Schools and Southwestern Community College, only one person addressed the board.

That person was Ron Mau, a councilmember for the Village of Forest Hills who will be running for county commissioner on the

area’s need. Meanwhile, Jackson Schools has amassed a long list of critical needs, such as replacing leaky roofs and failing HVAC systems, totaling about $10 million.

“With the collective amount of actual critical needs facing us daily, this will be the best way to take care of our current facility problems,” said Mike Murray, Jackson Schools superintendent.

news

Revenue would fund schools, SCC construction

Republican ticket in November. He didn’t take a position on the tax increase itself, instead arguing against the timing of the referendum.

“If the goal of a vote is to hear the opinion of the people of Jackson County, recent data from the last two presidential elections in 2012 and 2008 suggests the tax increase should be a ballot issue for the November general election, not the June secondary primary,” Mau said.

He cited voter turnout data from those years to illustrate the point. In 2012, 61 percent of Jackson County’s registered voters — 17,000 people — came out to vote in November, while only 4 percent came out for the second primary.

“In my opinion, five months is a small price to pay in order to provide a better and more transparent opportunity for the voters to make their statement,” Mau said.

McMahan said Mau has a “very valid point” but argued that raw voter turnout is not necessarily the best way to gauge a vote’s effectiveness.

“By putting it on the ballot in November, while you may attract more voters to the polls, I don’t know you can attract more attention to the issue,” McMahan said.

The November ballot will be a busy one, including races for president, governor, county commissioner and legislative representatives in both D.C. and Raleigh.

“I think the issue of a little quarter-cent sales tax gets forgotten in all that,” McMahan said.

By putting it on the June ballot, he theorizes, the message surrounding that election can be stronger and more focused. And, commissioners will know the outcome before they finalize the budget for 2016-17.

Capital needs from Jackson Schools and SCC prompted commissioners’ interest in upping the sales tax. SCC recently completed a master plan that calls for $32 million of renovations and new construction on its Jackson County campus over the next couple decades.

A $16.3 million health sciences building is included in that figure. The school says the project would be key to keeping its health care programs competitive and supplying the medical professionals needed to meet the

By the numbers

5

news

Little help from lottery N.C.’s education games falling short of promises

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR s people across North Carolina daydream about what they would do if they won millions from playing the lottery, they probably don’t give much thought to how the money is spent every time they buy a losing ticket.

The North Carolina Education Lottery Commission would argue that no one is a loser when lottery revenue goes to fund education, but local school boards throughout the state might beg to differ. State lottery revenues have increased every year since it was launched in 2006, yet local school districts don’t feel like they are reaping the benefits.

School officials say they were promised that lottery money would enhance education funding and provide additional funding for school construction projects. In reality, school districts are receiving less money every year for capital projects.

“When the state sold the public on the lottery, which I believe was 2006, it was sold as an education lottery and 40 percent of the proceeds were supposed to go to schools to help fund construction,” said Macon County Commissioner Kevin Corbin, a Republican who is running for the District 120 House seat and was a long-time member of the school board. “The fact is the current year that we’re in right now, it’s not 40 percent of the proceeds but 17 percent of the proceeds are going into education, so that needs to be corrected.”

The North Carolina Education Lottery brought in more than $1.9 billion in 2015 and is projected to surpass $2 billion in 2016.

However, Chris Bushnell, a spokesperson with the N.C. Education Lottery Commission, said about 62 percent of that revenue is returned to lottery players through prizes while another 11.4 percent goes to administrative costs and retailer commissioners. That leaves about 26 percent — or $516 million — of the revenue for education each year.

“Our role in the process is to have popular games and send the earnings to the state.

We’ve been able to return more money for education every year and we expect to give $529 million this year to education,” Bushnell said. “But the legislature passes a budget every two years and they decide which programs receive funding and the formula changes over time.”

Smoky Mountain News

March 9-15, 2016

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DECEPTIVE NUMBERS

Over the last nine years, the lottery has contributed $4 billion to K-12 education — funding school construction, pre-K programs, college scholarships and keeping teachers in the classrooms.

The state may tout that $4 billion has gone to education, but school officials say 6 that number can be a bit disingenuous.

Where does the money go?

Over the last nine years, the North Carolina Lottery has contributed $4 billion to K-12 education — encompassing capital projects, pre-K programs, college scholarships and teacher salaries.

Lottery funds have always supported specific education initiatives in all North Carolina counties. Each year in the state budget, the legislature can adjust how lottery dollars are allocated.

Breakdown of lottery revenue in 2015 ($1.97 billion — total lottery revenue) • • • •

62.4 percent — Player prizes 26.2 percent — Education 7 percent — Retailer commissions 4.4 percent — Administrative expenses

Breakdown of 26.2 percent (or $516 million) for education funding in 2015 • 58 percent — Non-instructional support personnel • 19 percent — school construction • 15 percent — Pre-K programs • 6 percent — Need-based college scholarships • 2 percent — UNC need-based financial aid Bill Nolte, associate superintendent for Haywood County Schools, said lottery funding was supposed to provide additional funding for education, but it seems like every year legislators are budgeting less for education from the general fund and relying on lottery funds to make up the difference. Before the lottery was created, the counties received state funding for capital projects through the ADM (average daily membership) allotment, but now that money has disappeared.

“ADM is what the state used to give us, but that went away and they supplanted that with lottery funds,” Nolte said. “In an ideal world they would have not supplanted the ADM and they would have given us the lottery funds. And as sales increased across the

Tracy Lynn, a clerk at Exxon on Main Street in Waynesville, says the most popular N.C. Education Lottery game right now is the $300,000 Jackpot, which costs $30 a ticket. Jessi Stone photo state, funding would increase, but instead it’s been cut in half.”

Looking at the amount of lottery funding Haywood County has received for capital projects over the last nine years, the numbers have been all over the board. The county started out getting $373,459 in 2007 and received just over $1 million in 2011 when the state was receiving federal stimulus dollars, but that allocation was cut in half the next year. Haywood County is expecting to receive only $179,000 in 2016. The uncertainty in funding makes it difficult for the school system to rely on lottery funds for maintenance or construction projects.

“We don’t spend money unless it’s sitting there — we can’t rely on it because it’s so inconsistent,” Nolte said.

Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, said it’s a fairly easy problem to fix since legislators have the authority to change the lottery funding formula.

“Lottery monies have been moved around, but we need to put a lockbox on it,” he said. “I’d be OK with the lottery if it still went to education like it’s supposed to.”

BIPARTISAN CONCERNS Politicians on both sides of the spectrum have expressed disappointment in how the lottery system has played out. They know the lottery was supposed to be an education supplement but it has become an easier way for the General Assembly to balance the budget.

“I haven’t talked to a single elected state official — Republican or Democrat — that has denied that’s what happened,” Nolte said.

So where is the general fund money going if it isn’t going toward education?

Queen said he knows exactly where it’s going.

“The lottery was sold to the public as extra money for education, but Republican legislators have cut the base funding and supplanted the revenue from the lottery, so the net hasn’t been positive for education,” he said.

“And that base funding has been given away

in tax cuts to the wealthiest individuals and corporations in North Carolina.”

Queen said Republican legislators have been deceptive in saying that education spending has increased over the last few years while the party has been in the majority in Raleigh.

“They’ve been cutting education for the last two years and backfilled it with lottery money,” he said. “And they haven’t even restored the funding cuts that were necessary during the recession.”

During the recession, North Carolina benefitted from more than $15 million in federal stimulus money. Nearly $3 million of that went to the Department of Public Instruction, but after that money dried up and the state budget began to recover, the education budget never did.

“They like to say state funding has continued to grow for education, but that’s only true if you ignore the revenue sharing during the recession,” Queen said.

Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, was out of the country and couldn’t be reached for comment on the issue, but he has defended the Republican-led legislature’s education spending numerous times in the last several years.

While education funding reached a low of $7 billion in 2010 under Democrat leadership, Davis boasts that the Republican leadership has increased the education budget every year since 2011. Last year’s education budget reached up to $8.1 billion.

“The state spending has increased significantly since the Republicans assumed leadership of the General Assembly,” Davis states on his website for re-election. “Federal stimulus money that the Democrats used to pad the education budget ran out, but Republicans added over $1 billion in state spending afterwards.”

ANALYZING THE SYSTEM Conservative and liberal groups have also weighed in on how the state’s lottery system is working. The John Locke Foundation, a conservative think

F

Construction money

Haywood 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . .$178,149 (estimated) 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$538,509 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$524,946 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$515,028 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$481,759 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,047,044 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$951,013 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$560,088 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$466,389

Jackson 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

. . . . . . . . . . . .$255,181 (estimated) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$251,574 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$246,533 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$247,887 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$247,662 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$274,917 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$457,693 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$424,824 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$232,407

Macon . . . . . . . . . . . .$299,713 (estimated) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$294,528 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$297,732 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301,298 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$299,514 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$330,230 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$530,586 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$498,983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$274,821

Swain 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

. . . . . . . . . . . .$140,545 (estimated) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$139,824 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$134,054 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$135,199 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$135,045 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$145,370 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$243,282 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$212,805 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$116,392

Macon County $12,283,750 since 2007

Teacher salaries (142 positions K-3) . . . . . . . . .$7.6 million School construction . . . . . . . . .$5.5 million Pre-K programs . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2.6 million College scholarships . . . . . . . . .$1.9 million Financial aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$486,753 * For fiscal year 2015, $546,425 in lottery funds was allocated to Haywood County to pay for the salaries of teachers’ assistants.

Teacher salaries . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4.5 million School construction . . . . . . . . . .$3.1 million Pre-K programs . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2.4 million College scholarships . . . . . . . . .$1.5 million Financial aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$327,271 * For fiscal year 2015, $336,369 in lottery funds were allocated to Macon County to pay for the salaries of teachers’ assistants.

Swain County $5,905,010 since 2007

Jackson County $9,506,243 since 2007 Teacher salaries (70 positions K-3) . . . . . . . . . .$3.7 million School construction . . . . . . . . . .$2.6 million Pre-K programs . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1.4 million College scholarships . . . . . . . . . . .$1 million Financial aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$432,420 * For fiscal year 2015, $263,791 in lottery funds were allocated to Jackson County to pay for the salaries of teachers’ assistants.

said, lottery critics on both sides of the aisle feel the lottery is nothing more than a regressive tax that mainly falls on the poor.

“The original justification that the lottery would provide a beneficial supplement to education funding that outweighs these evils is no longer valid since the state now spends less on education funding than it did before

“North Carolina spent less on K-12 education in the 2010-11 school year than it did in the last school year before the lottery came into existence.”

— Matthew Ellinwood, North Carolina Justice Center

the lottery was enacted,” he said. “The lottery is now a tax on the poor that brings gambling into the state’s communities without adding anything. Local school boards only receive direct lottery funding for capital projects.”

WHAT OTHER STATES ARE DOING Every state operates its lottery system a bit differently. Florida and Georgia both use a majority of their lottery funds to send highschool graduates to college.

Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship, which is funded through lottery proceeds, provides students with a free undergraduate college education as long as they graduate high school with a B average and maintain a B average throughout college.

More than $980 million in lottery funds is put toward education in Georgia each year

Teacher salaries . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1.9 million School construction . . . . . . . . . .$1.4 million Pre-K programs . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1.9 million College scholarships . . . . . . . . . . .$397,588 Financial aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$114,565 * For fiscal year 2015, $150,971 in lottery funds were allocated to Swain County to pay for the salaries of teachers’ assistants.

through HOPE and pre-K programs. Since the Georgia lottery began in 1992, more than 1.7 million students have been able to attend colleges through Georgia’s HOPE scholarship program; more than 1.4 million 4-year-olds have attended pre-K programs and all of Georgia’s public schools have benefited from more than $1.8 billion in capital outlay, computer and technology upgrades.

Georgia’s lottery ranks No. 2 of all traditional state lotteries in terms of highest per capita returns to beneficiaries. Last year’s total returns for HOPE and pre-K were the ninth highest in the nation (surpassed by states with much larger populations like California, Texas and New York).

“They have HOPE in Georgia, and that’s where they put a majority of their lottery money — they have funded higher education and got the results,” Queen said. “I wish we could do that in North Carolina and then we would have to fund schools out of normal revenue.”

The Florida Lottery is similar to Georgia’s in that it provides graduating seniors with college tuition through the Bright Futures Scholarship program. Since the Florida Lottery was established in 1997, lottery funds contributed to more than $4.8 billion to send more than 725,000 students to college.

The $1.5 billion collected from the lottery each year in Florida goes toward scholarships, K-12 school construction and pre-K programs.

While Georgia and Florida lotteries may be more simplistic and easier for people to understand, Bushnell with the N.C. Lottery Commission said it didn’t mean that North Carolina’s system was broken.

“Georgia’s results are very visible — you can draw a straight line to it — but we’re still very proud of the money we’re able to return to education,” he said. “That’s why we try to spread the word and tell people they may or may not get lucky, but they will definitely help education when they buy a ticket.”

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Smoky Mountain News

tank based in Raleigh, opposed the creation of the lottery in 2005. Foundation spokesperson Terry Stoops said the foundation doesn’t have an official stance on the lottery but overall agrees with liberal counterparts that lotteries are simply bad policy.

Jon Sanders, director of regulatory studies with John Locke Foundation, wrote an analysis of the lottery in 2014. He found what most people already know to be true — the money is being used to replace state funding for education. He pointed out that the supplanting problem didn’t begin with the Republicans — former Democrat Gov. Mike Easley announced in 2006 that half of the lottery revenue would replace existing education spending before the first lottery ticket was ever sold.

Sanders also reported that former

Haywood County $18,766,526 total since 2007

March 9-15, 2016

2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

How have WNC counties benefitted? news

Local school districts have received the following amounts each year for school construction from lottery funds.

Democrat Gov. Bev Perdue transferred $50 million from the lottery reserves into the general fund in 2009, as well as $37.6 million intended for school construction, which was later returned.

“The North Carolina Education Lottery was born of corruption, from its inception as a bill, to its lobbying, to its rushed enactment in the N.C. House and Senate in the face of the state’s constitutional requirement that revenue bills face multiple votes on successive days, to its false promise to and exploitation of the state’s poorest and most desperate citizens,” Sanders wrote.

Sanders’ final recommendations were to either end the state lottery, allow private gambling to eliminate the state’s monopoly on the system or reform the lottery to use education proceeds more effectively.

Progress N.C., a left-leaning think tank, agrees the system has not been managed properly since its inception, but it put more of the blame on Republicans for changing the lottery funding formula when they took over leadership in 2011.

Before 2011, the general breakdown of lottery proceeds was 50 percent for class-size reduction in early grades and pre-kindergarten programs for at-risk students, 40 percent for school construction and 10 percent for scholarships for needy students. The 20112012 budget allocates 66.8 percent for classsize reduction, 23.5 percent for school construction, and 9.7 percent for scholarships to university students.

Logan Smith, communications director with Progress N.C., said the General Assembly made the decision in 2011 to use $26 million in lottery revenue to cover a Medicaid shortfall, which is why Haywood County lost half a million dollars in lottery funding between the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.

In 2012, she said, lawmakers reduced the percentage of overall lottery revenue that goes to education from 35 percent to 29 percent.

Now the percentage is down to 26 percent.

“The bottom line is that because of this broken promise on lottery funding, as well as the explosion of charter schools after the cap was lifted in 2011, public school districts across the state are losing more and more permanent funding as lawmakers refuse to even keep pace with enrollment and inflation,” Smith said. “School districts are being forced into the lose-lose situation of either having to raise local taxes to make up the difference, or cutting services and closing schools like Central Elementary.”

In an analysis by the North Carolina Justice Center, Matthew Ellinwood called the lottery a “failed experiment” that turned out even worse than most people predicted.

“North Carolina spent less on K-12 education in the 2010-11 school year than it did in the last school year before the lottery came into existence, even without accounting for inflation or increases in the student population,” Ellinwood reported.

According to state budget reports, the 2010-11 education budget was $7.15 billion compared to the 2006-07 education budget of $7.37 billion. Even though the state saw a net gain of 41,043 students during that time, funding and the number of teachers decreased.

Aside from the funding issue, Ellinwood

news March 9-15, 2016

Haywood Democrat Rhonda Schandevel hopes to dislodge Rep. Michele Presnell from the state House, but she has a primary to clear first against Reese Steen from Madison County. The two candidates are shown here at a candidates forum last month. Becky Johnson photo

In state House race, Dems think viability

Smoky Mountain News

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER wo Democrats squaring off in the primary for the state House seat spanning Haywood, Madison and Yancey counties claim they’re the one who can oust N.C. Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, and restore progress in North Carolina.

“I know I can beat Michele,” said Rhonda Schandevel, who hails from Haywood.

“There’s a lot of things that make me that candidate.”

But her opponent, Reese Steen, said he’s the one who can do the job of unseating Presnell.

“I can get the votes,” said Steen, who’s from Madison County.

Schandevel was recruited last summer by Democratic Party leaders, who thought she fit the profile for a successful candidate to run against Presnell.

For starters, she’s a woman like Presnell.

Presnell won’t automatically capture the votes of those who gravitate toward female candidates if Schandevel is in the race.

But Schandevel said she could also be tougher calling out Presnell than a man could.

“There are things a gentleman would not say to a woman,” Schandevel said.

Perhaps more critically, Schandevel believes she can deliver votes in her home 8 county of Haywood — considered the

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lynchpin in defeating Presnell in the threecounty district.

Haywood has been the weak link for Democrats in the past two elections against Presnell. Presnell lost in Madison and even her own home county of Yancey, but led by enough in Haywood to pull out a win.

Schandevel said it will take someone from Haywood — someone like her with longstanding community ties and deep family roots here — to reverse that.

“In the past two election cycles, we have won Madison County, we have won Yancey County, but both elections have been lost by over 1,000 votes to Michele,” Schandevel said.

With education poised to be a top campaign issue this year, Schandevel’s tenure on the local school board could give her the edge as the pro-education candidate in a race against Presnell.

“Education crosses all political barriers, as well it should,” Schandevel said of education issues.

COUNTERING THE PARTY LINE Steen, however, tried to counter the notion that Schandevel is the party’s “chosen one,” something he hears when asking people for their support and endorsement.

“The thing I have been fighting in all three

N.C. Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville hasn’t been popular among the powers that be in Haywood County.

She has single-handedly blocked the merger of Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville.

She also overturned a widely-supported tourist tax increase on hotel rooms in Haywood that would have funded things like ball fields, skating rinks, greenways or convention centers. counties is ‘Well I promised,’ or ‘I already committed.’ It is not about my qualifications — it’s about committing to what they perceive as the Democratic Party’s chosen candidate,” Steen said.

While party leaders technically can’t endorse one Democrat over the other in a primary, behind the scenes and off the record Schandevel indeed has more support from within the Democratic party network than Steen.

Schandevel said she had never thought about running for state office when party leaders first approached her last spring. She told them thanks, but no.

Party leaders went back to the drawing board several times in their quest for a candidate to take on Presnell, but kept coming back to Schandevel.

“They wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Schandevel said.

Schandevel said her husband convinced her to think about it, and the more she did, the more she realized it was for her.

When Steen announced his candidacy in November, it was news to the teams of party leaders locally, regionally and at the state level who had spent months recruiting Schandevel. Several party leaders who were part of the brainstorming said Steen’s name never came up during the monthslong process.

“Dr. Steen’s candidacy, announced in midNovember, was unanticipated,” according to an email between unnamed Democratic party leaders in Yancey County, discussing whether to support Schandevel or Steen.

The email cited the party’s intentional strategy to recruit a woman from Haywood to take on Presnell, and questioned why Steen was jumping in.

“I see this as a critical time when our leadership has done well, and we need to stick together. It seems an especially poor time for someone who has been out of political office for 20 years to be introducing division,” the email between Yancey party leaders said.

But Steen said the Democratic Party leaders in Madison and Yancey knew he was running all along. Steen questions whether he was intentionally passed over, or whether his interest in running was simply never conveyed up the party ladder.

Either way, Steen doesn’t think Schandevel set out to intentionally make an end-run around him.

“She had no part of this and she may not have had any concept of what was going on,” Steen said.

Steen claims that he was planning to run all along, but he didn’t publicly announce his candidacy until six weeks after Schandevel.

Schandevel said it was a surprise to have competition in the primary from a candidate in her own party, and she often runs into people who don’t realize she has a primary hurdle to clear.

STEEN CLAIMS CROSS-PARTY APPEAL

Steen said he can appeal to moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats better than Schandevel.

“The unaffiliated or any Republican who can be swayed by a Democrat, I will be the one who can sway them,” Steen said.

For example, Steen said he goes to gun shows.

“I have been to more gun shows than Michele this year,” Steen said, referring to Presnell’s gun show attendance compared to his own.

Steen, who raises cattle, said his Republican farmer friends in

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RHONDA SCHANDEVEL, 51 Schandevel grew up in Canton — Buzzard Roost to be specific — as the daughter of a mill worker. She’s spent her career as dental hygienist and has served on the Haywood County School Board for the past eight years.

Schandevel’s current term on the school board is up this fall. She had to choose between running for state office or re-election to the school board.

On the school board, Schandevel said she has witnessed the negative impact of Republican policies on public education.

“We need to fix the educational policies that have attacked the traditional public school system in North Carolina. Rhonda Schandevel We need to level the playing field between charters, private and public schools. I have nothing against the teachers, students and parents in charter schools, but they are not playing by the same rules,” Schandevel said.

Schandevel’s other top issue is jobs. While quality education is a form of economic development in its own right, she also wants to tackle the high-speed Internet conundrum in the mountains.

Schandevel said she has a personal rapport with voters and feels like they connect with her.

“I don’t see that in my primary opponent or my general

Depending how the chips fall on Election Day, Haywood County could be sending a trio of Democrats to Raleigh.

Three Democratic contenders — running in three separate state races — all hail from Haywood, although the House and Senate seats they are running for straddle a nine-county region.

As a visual aid, imagine the election districts as a Venn diagram, with Haywood at the center where the circles overlap. Here are the three Haywood Democrats running for state seats:

Yancey County — Presnell’s home turf — have even put signs out for him.

“Right now my signs are on more Republican land than Democrats,” Steen said.

Schandevel’s campaign manager asked if he really is a Democrat if that’s the case.

“If he has more Republicans with his yard signs and hangs out with Republicans more than Democrats and some of his ideals are more in line with the Republican Party than the Democratic Party, then is he really a Democrat? That is for the voters to decide,” said Gregory Lademann, Schandevel’s campaign manager.

Steen responded that just because he can appeal to conservatives doesn’t mean he’s not a Democrat.

“I am really a Democrat,” Steen said.

Steen was a county commissioner for 10 years in Madison County, though not all consecutively. He’s won and lost, won and lost — taking a hiatus along the way before reclaiming his seat, only to lose it once more.

Both times he lost re-election for county commissioner, it was in the Democratic primary.

Steen chalks up one of his losses to a controversial vote on the location for a new middle school.

“I voted for the middle school although the people in my district said it was a death warrant,” Steen said. “I didn’t choose the politically expedient decision.”

Steen hasn’t always enjoyed the support of influential party leaders in his home coun-

ty of Madison, where he’s known as a bit of a maverick. Steen said that’s because he did what he thought was best, even if it meant bucking the party powers that be.

For example, school board races used to be partisan in Madison, but Steen advocated to change that.

Do I vote in this race?

N.C. House seat 118 includes all of Madison and Yancey counties and part of Haywood — a horseshoe shape that takes in Maggie Valley, Jonathan Creek, Crabtree, Beaverdam, Canton, Clyde, Bethel and Cruso. Waynesville and Lake Junaluska fall in the House district represented by N.C. Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D- Waynesville.

“I ramrodded an effort to make the school board elections nonpartisan in a county where neither party wanted it. So anytime you are on the leading edge of that, you will get some pushback,” Steen said. “I have a track record of putting people before politics.”

Steen points out that he’s never lost a general election, proving if he can make it past the primary he can get voters from across the aisle.

Steen’s time as a commissioner was during the 1980s and 1990s. That’s quite a while ago, Schandevel’s campaign pointed out.

Schandevel juxtaposed her own time in

public office — serving on the Haywood County School Board from 2008 until the present — with Steen’s public service 20 to 30 years ago.

“I am the candidate who knows the issues from this century because my service comes from this century,” Schandevel said.

AT STAKE

Democrats must choose their candidate wisely in the primary if they hope to halt the Republican handiwork they say has put the state on a regressive track — from underfunding education to dismantling environmental laws to generous tax cuts for the wealthy and special interests at the expense of the working, middle class.

Presnell rode the Tea Party wave into office four years ago and has been a loyal soldier for the conservative agenda that’s systematically reshaped the state.

Presnell hasn’t been popular among the powers that be in Haywood County. She has single-handedly blocked the merger of Lake Junaluska with the town of Waynesville. She also overturned a widelysupported tourist tax increase on hotel rooms in Haywood that would have funded things like ball fields, skating rinks, greenways or convention centers.

Steen said it is wrong for a legislator to intervene and blockade local wishes.

“It would have to be against mom and apple pie for me to overrule them,” Steen said.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Jane Hipps of Waynesville, who is once again challenging N.C. Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, for the 50th District Senate seat encompassing the seven westernmost counties.

• N.C. Rep. Joe Sam Queen of Waynesville, running for re-election to the 119th District House seat that encompasses Jackson, Swain and part of Haywood (namely Waynesville and Lake Junaluska.)

• Rhonda Schandevel of Canton, making a run for a 118th District House seat now held by N.C. Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, that encompasses Madison, Yancey and part of Haywood (namely everything other than Waynesville and Lake Junaluska.)

Steen often talks about his humble roots growing up in a three-room house without indoor plumbing down east — and how he overcame poverty, going on to dental school and eventually sending his own children to law school and dental school.

“I am a poster child for public education. I have lived a dream life because of the opportunities created by public education. I want to make sure those are available to our children and grandchildren. I am where I am today because I had help,” said Steen, who also relied on Democrat-supported programs like student loans and work study to get through college.

Steen said education is one of his top issues, but he was not particularly critical of the education policies witnessed under Republican control, however.

Steen even called out Schandevel for blaming the state for a school budget shortfall in Haywood County — a shortfall

March 9-15, 2016

Impress your friends with this bit of election trivia

REESE STEEN, 68

that forced the closure of an elementary school.

“I am not playing the blame game,” Steen said. “I don’t think the blame game should be played in politics. Instead of saying what I am going to do, we are blaming somebody else for our problems.”

Steen was asked if Democrats should sit on their hands and say nothing even if the funding shortfall was indeed caused by state cuts in classroom funding and policies that favor charter schools.

Steen didn’t answer the question specifically, but replied that funding for education should be increased.

“I am aware that public schools have got to receive more funding because that is the lifeblood of our nation,” Steen said, adding “I am not against charter schools and I am not against home schools, but they should be held accountable.”

Like Schandevel, economic development also ranks as a top issue for Steen.

“In order for families to thrive we have to have job growth and economic development,” Steen said. “The most crucial issue for our district is we need to get high-speed Internet to the end of Reese Steen the road.”

Steen moved to Hot Springs in 1974 for what was supposed to be a one-year dental clinic rotation, but he loved it so much he stayed and opened his own practice.

Steen’s daughter is now in practice with him, and he has cut back to three days a week.

One of Steen’s accomplishments he talks about often was building Madison County’s first soccer field in 1986 in a field on his own farm. It was an expensive undertaking, but something he viewed as a gift to the community. The regulation soccer field is still in use today by youth soccer groups in Madison and Buncombe.

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Meet the candidates

opponent,” Schandevel said.

A huge part of who Schandevel is and what she stands for has been influenced by her 28-year-old son, who is intellectually disabled. A flyer mailed to voters pictures Schandevel and her son, because he’s such a big part of her life. The flyer conveyed Schandevel’s compassion — for children, the elderly, the disabled, the sick — and that apparently meant a lot to one voter who approached her at an event.

“He put out his hand to shake my hand and started crying. I didn’t know what he was going to say but I started crying too because he was crying,” Schandevel said. He eventually told her that his wife, now in her 60s, has had Parkinson’s since her 40s, and appreciated a candidate who understood the real struggles in people’s lives.

Schandevel’s platform also includes expanding Medicaid and protecting the environment.

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Serving the underserved Community collaborates to help Jackson’s uninsured, groom future medical professionals

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen someone shows up to a medical clinic, sick and suffering, the hardest words to say can be, “Sorry, but you’ll have to wait three months for an appointment.”

And that’s how the folks at Good Samaritan Clinic in Sylva had been forced to respond to the uninsured, underinsured, down-on-their luck patients who came through the free clinic’s doors in search of care. Though the clinic had a registered nurse there four days a week, most medical needs had to wait until Tuesday night, when a volunteer force of students and medical professionals from across the region would descend to provide a range of services.

But helping the backlog of patients in need would require more than a few hours

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Smoky Mountain News

March 9-15, 2016

Why nurse practitioners?

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“Nurse practitioner” might not roll off the tongue as easily as “doctor,” but the profession will likely gain increasing importance amid the changing landscape of health care, especially in rural areas.

“With the Affordable Care Act, there’s going to be a greater need for lives covered by health care,” said Judy Neubrander, director of Western Carolina University’s School of Nursing. “Especially in rural areas such as Western North Carolina, there are not enough physicians practicing. Nurse practitioners are going to help with that.”

Like doctors, nurse practitioners can see patients, diagnose and write prescriptions. If something turns up beyond the scope of their training, they can always make a referral.

Nurse practitioners tend to be more numerous than doctors, however. Nurse practitioners hold master’s degrees, so there’s less schooling involved than for doctors, and an individual can work their way up the ladder from certified nursing assistant to registered nurse to nurse practitioner, juggling school and work all the way.

And, because of the nursing-based philosophy they come from, nurse practitioners can sometimes be better suited to the challenges of rural health care, where socioeconomic factors are often strongly in play.

“It’s not just about the problem they (patients) have,” said Janet James, nurse practitioner for the Good Samaritan Clinic in Sylva. “It’s about who is their family and what is their culture and what is their support system and what is their socioeconomic background, because all of these things are going to factor into how we take care of them and how they take care of themselves.”

of help to get through a crisis.

“I consider it a privilege to work with these people and know what their sufferings are,” James said. “To know what their story is.”

Knowing the story is about as important as knowing the medical history. Discovering the human dimensions of a person’s life that reveal why they’re having trouble sleeping or why they’re smoking too much are pivotal to finding a solution. Especially when you’re dealing with a population that’s not going to be able to afford expensive medical solu-

back on.”

Francis has worked in an emergency room before, and she’s worked as a flight nurse. She’s seen, over and over, what the point of no return looks like. Thrust into a clinic that deals with people on the brink, people for whom the system of insurance and copayments and coinsurance is not working, she felt like she was making a difference, catching people before they began to fall. She felt herself move into a productive overdrive of critical thinking, of figuring out how to get this medicine or that proce-

tions.

“They’re (WCU students are) learning that we need to consider what the patient can afford or can’t afford, the economics of healthcare,” said Neubrander.

Mathis is excited to have James — because of the service her position provides, but also because of her ability to fit so tightly with the clinic’s needs and mission.

“It’s been delightful, and the students, they’ve sought Janet out,” she said.

dure to her patient for a price they could afford.

That’s the kind of thing Good Samaritan deals with every day. For instance, Mathis said, a while ago a patient showed up who had contracted Hepatitis C. There’s a drug for that — but it retails for $80,000.

“We were able to get his medicine for free,” Mathis said. “He has been able to go on a treatment plan and now his lab work has shown he is completely clear of Hepatitis C.” Sometimes, the treatment comes with a softer touch.

One of Francis’ patients was a young girl who was extremely obese. She wanted to lose weight.

So Francis talked with her — about her goals, about where she was in life — and even shared her own experience with weight loss. The next time she came in, the patient had lost 8 pounds. The next time, 10.

“Being able to follow up with her and really make that connection with her and see how a simple suggestion — nothing medical, no pills, no medicine; just connecting with a patient, listening to them, giving them support and meeting them where they are — was fantastic,” Francis said.

Without the INPUT program, that patient may have never gotten follow-up.

per week.

“What we knew was happening was people were coming to us in need in the moment, and we couldn’t help them for three to four months,” said Rebecca Mathis, executive director.

And if they needed a follow-up visit? That might not happen for another two to three months. With that kind of timeline, little problems could easily morph into big ones before the scheduled appointment came around.

That’s no longer the case, due to a $225,000 grant that Judy Neubrander, director of Western Carolina University’s School of Nursing, secured from the Golden LEAF Foundation last year. The program, Increasing Nurse Practitioners in Underserved Territories (INPUT) funds two years of salary to put a full-time nurse practitioner at Good Sam — who also acts as a preceptor for the university, each year giving nine WCU nurse practitioner students on-the-ground training in rural health care.

The goal? To get students interested in a career helping underserved areas in Western North A grant that allowed Good Samaritan Clinic to hire Janet James has dramatically increased the numCarolina. ber of patients the free clinic serves. Holly Kays photo

BRIDGING THE GAP The clinic’s new nurse practitioner is Janet James, a Sylva resident whose passion for underserved populations has led her on medical trips to Honduras and Peru — she speaks fluent Spanish — and now to her new job at Good Samaritan.

James’ job is a balancing act, a combination of delivering diagnoses and medical opinion alongside the softer skills of leveling with patients, getting an idea of where they’re coming from and what might be preventing them from getting better. Then there’s the interaction with students, in itself a dichotomy between the medical and the cultural.

“What’s making this particular job really interesting to me is we get students in who have never seen this side of life,” James said.

“They’ve never seen poverty or people that are in so much need — not just of medical care, but they need psychological support, and we give a lot of that here.”

The population that frequents the Good Samaritan Clinic is a different set than what you’d see in a typical doctor’s office. Some of them are homeless; others struggle with substance abuse or mental illness. Some work multiple low-paying jobs but just can’t get insurance. Some have just gotten out of jail or have found themselves suddenly in need

THE POWER OF CONNECTION Susannah Francis is one of those students.

A nurse for 15 years, Francis is set to graduate from WCU’s nurse practitioner program in May. She was fully expecting that she’d have to search out a clinical site on her own, but then she got an email about the INPUT program.

“I read that email and immediately called Dr. Janet (James), because that’s where my heart lies is with that demographic, that group of folks that are served by the clinic, so I just immediately jumped on it and loved, loved it,” said Francis, who worked at Good Sam from August to November 2015.

“It was one of those experiences that you have in your life that you always kind of look

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By the numbers ■ 29 percent of Jackson County adults uninsured in 2013, compared to 25 percent in Western North Carolina and 22.5 percent statewide.

■ 85.3 percent increase in visits to Good Samaritan Clinic in Sylva from 2014 to 2015, rising from 877 to 1,625.

■ 22.7 percent increase in individuals seen at Good Samaritan from 2014 to 2015, rising from 427 to 524.

■ $3.1 million in donated care, services and support to Good Samaritan in 2015.

■ $11.66 in services provided to patients in 2015 for every $1 spent.

■ 155 volunteers logged 4,104 hours at Good Samaritan in 2015.

Source: Good Samaritan Clinic

visits is especially notable, Mathis said.

That means that not only are people able to see someone who can mitigate a crisis, they’re able to get the follow-up care they need to keep the recovery long-term.

“I’m very excited to see what next year will bring,” she said.

EMBRACED BY THE COMMUNITY

Charles Boyd

for County Commissioner • Haywood County Native • Graduate of Wingate University with an A.S. Degree • Graduate of North Carolina State University with a B.S. and Masters Degree in Education and Horticulture • Educator for over 30 years Taught Horticulture in the public school system for 20 yrs.

Community College Horticulture Technology Instructor for 11 yrs.

• Appointed to State Advisory Council for NC Cooperative Service 8 yrs • Appointed 3 terms HCC Board of Trustees 11 yrs • Elected 2 terms Haywood Soil and Water Board • Owner of WNC Landscaping, LLC since 1976 • Member of the Haywood County Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow recipient • Served on the Haywood Community College Foundation Board • Served on the Parks Scholarship Committee at NCSU for incoming freshman • Lobbied the NC State legislature and congress in Washington DC to increase funds for NC extension programs • Currently representing 17 counties in WNC as chairman of the Education Committee for Soil mid Water, and the state representative for education on the Regional and National Level "I feel my experience and dedication qualifies me to be a successful Commissioner for Haywood County. As your county commissioner, I will exercise ethical conduct and will represent all citizens of the county. I will strive to be the best steward during my time on the county commission. I will be a continuous learner and will focus on current challenges while preparing a vision for the future." Charles L. Boyd

March 9-15, 2016

Addendum • Help save our public school system by lobbying in Raleigh for additional funding and restructuring legislation • Maintain a strong infrastructure for our county • Make tax collector an appointed position • Keep taxes as low as possible

uwulacebook.com/boydforeommissioner PAID FOR BY THE CANDIDATE

Protect your world Auto ~ Home Life ~ Retirement

Smoky Mountain News

The nurse practitioner program isn’t the only thing that Good Sam has going for it at the moment. The organization’s been experiencing a piling-on of support, from community donations and grants. Last week Mathis thanked Jackson County Commissioners for the $61,400 they appropriated to Good Samaritan last year. That investment helped the organization make its case not only for the Golden LEAF grant but also for the $80,000 grant it received from Sisters of Mercy in Asheville to fund a nurse case manager position.

Currently, Good Samaritan is a finalist for a competitive Melvin R. Lane Fund grant, hoping to secure funding for a fulltime development person.

That position, Mathis said, would “lead us toward a sustainable model which is something all non-profits struggle with.”

Four of Good Samaritan’s five full-time staff and two of its three part-time staff are grant-funded.

The web of dollars and regulations and human need isn’t an easy one to navigate.

But it’s not hard to see that good things are happening at Good Sam. And, to the INPUT program’s doublesided goal of providing care and training students in a passion for rural health care, it appears that’s working too. At least in Francis’ case, anyway.

With graduation on the horizon, her house in Asheville is for sale and she’s thinking about what might come next. She’s hoping that, whatever it is, it’s in Western North Carolina.

“I love this community and feel like that’s kind of my responsibility,” she said.

“I’ve been blessed to be able to go to nursing school and nurse practitioner school and have all these experiences through work, and I can use all that and put it in the community where I got it from.”

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Good Samaritan’s leadership is hoping that the increased level of care will have a positive impact on purse strings as well as on heartstrings. WCU and Good Sam have been talking to Harris Regional Hospital throughout the process, hoping they might be able to get the hospital to fund James’ position when the two-year grant ends in June 2017.

“We’re increasing our visits in the free clinic, decreasing our visits in the ER (emergency room) that are unpaid,” Neubrander said. “After two years, hopefully Duke LifePoint and Harris Regional will realize a savings equivalent to what would be a family nurse practitioner salary, and they would take over the salary for the family nurse practitioner. That’s kind of the ultimate goal.”

Often, people without health insurance will show up at the ER to get care that, while necessary, doesn’t qualify as “emergency.” The hospital has to see the patient anyway, and when the patient doesn’t pay the resulting bill, the hospital loses out. If transferring those non-emergency — and non-paying — cases can save the hospital money, funding James’ position might make financial sense for Harris.

The hospital hasn’t committed to anything of the sort, yet. But they’re thinking about it, keeping careful records of how the number of non-emergency visits to the emergency department shifts over the life of the grant.

“It’s conversational right now,” said Anetra Jones, chief nursing officer for Harris. “But obviously if it continues to go in this positive direction, then it would certainly be worth our looking at it from a hard investment standpoint.”

At this point, Jones has only “soft” numbers on the project’s impact. The grant just started in July, so it’s less than halfway through. However, some decrease in the number of visits from Good Samaritan patients is apparent already. Jones puts the figure somewhere around 5 percent, which is noteworthy but still a good ways from the 20 percent target.

Jones is hopeful about the end result. It takes time to educate people about the services now available at Good Samaritan. She expects the decrease in emergency room visits to pick up.

“As more of those patients from the Good Sam Clinic learn about the more open hours, I think we’ll see an even bigger decrease,” Jones said.

On Good Sam’s end, the numbers are already pretty compelling. In 2014, the clinic saw 427 different patients over 877 visits.

By the end of 2015, those numbers had exploded, with the number of patients increasing 22.7 percent to 524 and the number of visits ballooning by 85.3 percent to 1,625.

Mathis attributes those figures directly to James’ presence.

“Janet (James) was only here half of 2015,” Mathis said. “That was a rapid increase.”

The skyrocketing number of provider

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Sylva writer’s historic cabin purchased by county

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MyHaywoodRegional.com 12

BY HOLLY KAYS preservation and as a prudent purchase to STAFF WRITER buffer property the county already holds n a tiny cabin on a sliver of property surrounding the Jackson County Library, adjacent to the Jackson County Historic housed in the county’s historic courthouse.

Courthouse, Sylva author John Parris The property is just downhill from the spent years putting pen to paper, writing library’s parking lot and looks out over the newspaper columns and books celebratdowntown. ing life in the mountains that would ensure Commissioners voted to buy the properhis long-lasting legacy in the hearts of ty for $75,000 with plans to tear down the Jackson County’s people. house and cut down some be-vined trees on Now, the county is poised to close on its The cabin where Sylva writer John purchase of the cabin Parris penned his works is now and the 0.14 acres on county property. Holly Kays photo which it and Parris’ old house sit.

“I think a lot of people in the community do have a sense of pride, and since John was kind of a well-known writer and that’s where he did most of his work, I think a lot of people want to preserve it,” said County Manager Chuck Wooten.

“I’d like for them to keep it just like it is but make it into sort the property but keep the cabin around. of a museum about Johnny Parris,” said Bill The house was poorly constructed and Crawford, a member and past president of ill maintained, Wooten said, not worth the the Jackson County Genealogical Society. cost to get back in shape. And the trees Crawford grew up knowing Parris, who aren’t showcase specimens either. died in 1999 at the age of 84, as well as his “I think we believe that taking those parents and his whole family history. The (trees) down is going to open up that view cabin was actually where Parris’ grandfather significantly,” Wooten said. lived when he resided in the Burningtown The county struck a deal with the sellarea of Macon County, and Parris had the ers, who had purchased the land from the building moved to its current location when Parris estate years ago, that the sellers his grandfather moved over to Jackson would do some of the initial demolition on County, Crawford said. Parris lived in a the house. house on the property but went to the cabin The county will still pay $13,000 to to write. remove the house and an additional “He wrote about the home folks,” $18,000 to remove the trees, bringing the Crawford said, “and people that are old like total cost for the land purchase and cleanup me, he wrote about stuff we could rememto $106,000. ber.”

No decisions have yet been made on A newspaper writer who got his start in what, exactly, will happen to the cabin, Sylva and went on to write for the United though some options include an office for a Press International and Associated Press nonprofit, a location for library programs from cities including Asheville, Raleigh, or a small museum commemorating Parris’ New York City and London, Parris returned work. Commissioners will likely discuss to Western North Carolina in 1947 and those possibilities down the road once began writing a popular column on mouncleanup is complete, though Wooten said tain life for the Asheville Citizen-Times. His that accessibility would be an obstacle to published book titles include Roaming the overcome in any potential use of the buildMountains, These Storied Mountains and ing. The property is on a hillside, and makMy Mountains, My People. ing it ADA-accessible could be difficult.

When the property came up for sale, it “I’m glad they’re saving it,” Crawford piqued the Jackson County Commissioners’ said, “because it’s definitely a piece of histointerest both as an opportunity for historic ry.”

I

“He wrote about the home folks, and people that are old like me, he wrote about stuff we could remember.”

— Bill Crawford, Jackson County Genealogical Society

Capital priorities get sorted in Jackson

T

A full-service restaurant, an outdoor equipment outfitter, a combination bookstore and coffee cafe, a popular convenience store and a nationally known sandwich shop are among the expected occupants of Noble Hall, the mixed-use facility being constructed on the site of a structure damaged by fire in 2013 at Western Carolina University.

Signed lease contracts are in hand for three out of five business tenants of the facility, said Mary Ann Lochner, WCU’s legal counsel. They are a new convenience store to replace the iconic Bob’s Mini-Mart, an upgraded Subway sandwich restaurant and a Cullowhee outpost for the Sylva-based Blackrock Outdoor Co. Negotiations are still in progress for the building’s anchor establishment, a restaurant that would be operated by Aramark (WCU’s food service provider), and for the combined bookstore and coffee shop, Lochner said.

Construction is underway on the 120,000-square-foot building that will feature a mix of residential units and commercial and dining establishments on the ground floor with student residential spaces on the upper floors. The facility will include a total of about 420 student beds. Work began last spring, and the building is expected to be completed in time for the opening of the 2016 fall semester in August.

March 9-15, 2016

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he animal shelter and health department are in, and the swimming pool and Green Energy Park expansion are out, Jackson County commissioners decided in a wide-ranging discussion of capital improvement priorities recently. “This is one of the most challenging parts of being an elected official — capital projects and budgets,� said Commissioner Mark Jones, who’s been on the board since 2006. “And they come back to you every year.�

Commissioners spent an hour hashing out a 12-item-long list of potential projects, deciding which they’ll look to fund first and discussing how they might pay for it all. They considered factors such as the cost of the project, how many people it would benefit and the immediacy of the need.

The upshot? Building a new health department building — or possibly renovating the existing one — came in at number one, followed by a new animal shelter. Increasing the number of community parks and greenways came in next, with renovations to the Jackson County Justice Center sliding into fourth.

None of these projects will come cheap.

County Manager Chuck Wooten has assigned a rough, ballpark cost to each item on the list, pegging the health department at $9.5 million and the animal shelter at $2.5 million. “The dollars we put here are just kind of placeholders,� Wooten said. “I have no idea whether these are good numbers or bad num-

Court Judge Bradley Letts’ order that commissioners get a move on with improving an existing building that he says is too small to accommodate current or future court needs.

Coming in at the tail end of the list — meaning that, while commissioners still hope to see them completed, they don’t plan to fund them anytime soon — were building an indoor swimming pool, adding a ceramics studio to the Green Energy Park, paving the parking lot at the Department on Aging and turning the old rescue squad building on Main Street in Sylva into a community center.

As the spring budget process gets underway, commissioners will start making decisions about paying for the cost, design and engineering studies they’ll need to have in hand before putting any project out to bid.

Information they gather along the way could well impact the order in which the projects are completed. “This is probably In a recent hashing-out of capital priorities, Jackson going to change again commissioners gave the health department and animal as we start to see the shelter (pictured) buildings top billing. Donated photo numbers on what we can and can’t afford,�

The animal shelter and health department McMahan said of the order.

County-specific projects aren’t the only buildings are projects commissioners have been talking about for a long time, with those capital requests in the mix. Commissioners functions currently housed in aging buildings are also responsible for funding capital projthat have outlived their usefulness. The green- ects in Jackson County Schools and Southwestern Community College. Large asks ways component would be more of a longterm goal, with commissioners committing to from those entities prompted commissioners extend the greenway and increase community to place a referendum vote on the June ballot asking voters to add a quarter-cent sales tax parks as opportunities arise. The justice center project, meanwhile, is spurred by Superior to fund them. bers.�

Still, the multi-million-dollar figures took some commissioners aback. “We’re talking about putting more in an animal shelter than you and I have been able to acquire all our lives,� said Commissioner Boyce Dietz.

On the other hand, you have to consider that these projects result in buildings that last for about 40 years, Jones said. “Look at it as however much a year for the next 40 years,� he told Dietz. “I think that makes it very palatable.�

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Shelter and health department get top billing, pool and Green Energy Park tabled

Tenants announced for Western’s mixed-used facility

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A rendering of the new $3.4 million Haywood County Animal Shelter was unveiled this week.

Design by Randy Cunningham of Mountain Design.

Numbers down at animal shelter, but space still doesn’t add up

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER n paper, the case for a new, bigger Haywood County Animal Shelter is hard to justify.

The number of dogs and cats coming through the animal shelter has plummeted over the past decade, from a high of 4,200 in 2003 to only 2,000 in 2015.

That’s in large part due to the effort of animal rescue groups like Sarge’s, Haywood Spay and Neuter and FUR, which aggressively market pets for adoption and have supported neutering to reduce unwanted litters and strays.

But the numbers don’t tell the whole

March 9-15, 2016

O

story, according to Doyle Teague, animal services director for Haywood County.

“People look at the numbers and say you used to take in a lot more. But we used to euthanize a lot more then, too,” Teague said.

In 2004, the county euthanized 2,500 animals — 70 percent of the dogs and cats that came into the shelter didn’t leave alive. Last year, that number was down to 264, a euthanasia rate of only 12 percent.

“We have come a long way,” Teague said.

“Now we are able to keep them longer and try to find a different outcome.”

Still, the numbers could be even better with a new animal shelter. Even today, dogs

and cats are euthanized that could potentially be adopted but have to be put down because there’s not enough space to keep them.

Another major problem is the lack of quarantine areas.

Last fall, when a contagious respiratory disease broke out among cats at the shelter, Teague enlisted a friend who let him set up a makeshift shelter in his garage.

“I didn’t have anywhere to put them while I gave them antibiotics for seven days without putting everybody else in the shelter at risk,” Teague said.

But other times, sick animals have to be put down rather than allowed to recover,

because there’s nowhere to keep them isolated from the general population.

“We had some we had to put down because everything in the shelter would have been exposed,” Teague said. “I am just looking for smarter space where I can isolate and quarantine.”

Dr. Kristen Hammett, a veterinarian with Waynesville Animal Hospital and advocate for a new animal shelter, said that’s too often the only option shelter operators have.

“Our current way of dealing with respiratory diseases is euthanasia, and Haywood

In 2004, the county euthanized 2,500 animals — 70 percent of the dogs and cats that came into the shelter didn’t leave alive. Last year, that number was down to 264, a euthanasia rate of only 12 percent.

County can do better than that and should do,” Hammett said.

The animal shelter currently has 14 kennels for dogs, which is nowhere near enough to handle the shelter’s average daily population of 20 dogs, let alone fluctuating peaks. So the kennels are divided down the middle to create 28 cages, but that means dogs are using the bathroom in the same confined space where they eat and sleep.

“The runs are designed so you eat and sleep in one area and do the other stuff in another area, but now they are doing it in the same space,” said Randy Cunningham, architect with Mountain Designs that is designing the new shelter.

The new shelter will have 40 divided dog kennels.

Sound off: Haywood candidates talk animal shelter aywood County commissioner candidates were asked whether they think the county should spend $3.5 million on a new animal shelter.

Two of the five seats on the county board are up for election. A field of four Democrats and three Republicans will be narrowed down in the primary to two candidates from each party.

In recent weeks, candidates have shared their views on education, economic development, land-use planning and budget spending, as well as their own personal stories and ideological leanings. Catch up before you hit the polling booth at www.smokymountainnews.com, under Special Coverage.

Here’s what they said on the animal shelter:

Smoky Mountain News

H

ROBIN BLACK, 53 ACCOUNTANT, DEMOCRAT Black said she has nothing against animals.

“My pets are my favorite people,” she quipped.

But Black questioned the price tag of the new animal shel14 ter in light of other needs she believes are more pressing in

Haywood County.

“Why are we spending $3.5 million on an animal shelter when 60 percent of the kids in this county don’t have Internet?” Black asked.

Black also questioned the wisdom of buying land for the animal shelter when the county already owned property it isn’t doing anything with, from the acreage on Jonathan Creek purchased years ago for a ball complex Robin Black that’s gone nowhere to the former health department that was vacated and now sits idle for want of a buyer.

CHARLES BOYD, 67, OWNER OF WNC LANDSCAPING, DEMOCRAT Boyd said a new animal shelter is a priority and is the next project in a systematic effort over the last 15 years to modernize and upgrade the county’s outdated facilities.

“This is the last infrastructure building they’ve got.

Instead of kicking this down the road they are trying to get caught up,” Boyd said. “This animal shelter is a must.”

Boyd said the current shelter is “overcrowded and outdated” and doesn’t meet modern standards. He cited several examples, from insufficient space to quarantine sick animals to lack of a dedicated pet adoption area.

“It has just got some problems. We can’t let this go any longer,” Boyd said.

Charles Boyd That said, Boyd believes the price tag has climbed too high.

“I have mixed feelings with this on expense,” Boyd said.

Boyd said he doesn’t believe the county should build a Taj Mahal. Boyd believes bells and whistles have been incorporated into the design by animal shelter advocates who were given a seat at the table during the design process.

“After these animal advocacy groups got together it jumped from $2 to $3.5 million, at least according to what’s been published,” Boyd said.

STEVE BROWN, 62, NON-PROFIT DIRECTOR, DEMOCRAT Brown said he supports building a new animal shelter, with a caveat.

“I am in support of building a new facility but as far as the costs, I am not familiar enough with what’s going into it to say whether $3.5 million is reasonable,” Brown said. “I approve the concept, but I am not willing to commit to spending $3.5 million without reviewing the documents and estimations and plans.”

Brown said he has met with the animal advocacy groups pushSteve Brown ing for the new shelter and hopes they could help offset the cost through fundraising.

“I think we need to explore opportunities to supplement the funding,” Brown said.

TERRY RAMEY, 61, RETIRED TOWING AND AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS, DEMOCRAT

WCU to host regional history competition

Rogers said he loves animals and wants to take care of them, but questioned the price tag of the new animal shelter.

“I am not in favor of spending $3.5 million on a new animal shelter. Especially if we got a shortfall in our educational system,” Brandon Rogers Rogers said.

Rogers said he has heard of other counties building animal shelters for less.

Rogers also questioned whether other options have been fully vetted to handle the population of unwanted dogs and cats that could in turn reduce the size and cost of a

Freedom From Smoking group clinic begins March 29 A community-based Freedom From Smoking group clinic to be held at Haywood Regional Medical Center will help you learn how to overcome tobacco addiction and enjoy the benefits of better health, extra money and healthier relationships.

Freedom From Smoking clinics provide a group setting for adults to work through the quitting process. There are eight group sessions led by an expert who understands how hard it is for smokers to quit. The program runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays from March 29 to May 10. The cost is $25 and registration is open.

Call 1.800.424.DOCS (3627) to enroll and visit myhaywoodregional.com/iquit to learn more. Payment is due on the first session of the program in cash or check only.

KEVIN ENSLEY, 54, LAND SURVEYOR, REPUBLICAN Ensley, the only sitting commissioner running for re-election, supports the animal shelter and has voted in favor of the project. He said the current shelter has numerous deficiencies, from inadequate sound-proofing and ventilation to lack of office space and outdoor exercise areas.

Ensley said now is Kevin Ensley the time to strike given low-interest rates.

Ensley said once the county has some concrete architectural plans in hand, commissioners will assess them to see what could be cut out to reduce costs. But Ensley said it would be unwise to pare it down so much that there’s no room for growth.

“We are trying to build for the future,” Ensley said.

Ensley said Friends of the Animal Shelter will raise money to help with the cost, while animal rescue groups will provide a stable of volunteers to help care for the animals and run pet adoption programs.

“The good thing is we want to partner with the animal rescue groups,” Ensley said.

Ensley said the county has shown success partnering with nonprofit groups to meet community needs, from the Pathways homeless shelter and rehab center to the adult day care center for seniors.

GREG BURRELL, 44, CONTRACTOR, REPUBLICAN Burrell is against spending $3.5 million on a new animal shelter.

“You are going to spend $3 million on a dog shelter?” Burrell asked. “We already have a dog shelter over here. People are treating dogs like they are people.”

Burrell said he loves his dog. His dog rides on the front seat beside him and knows what Greg Burrell kind of mood he is in just from the look on his face. But dogs don’t have souls, he said.

“He is the best dog I ever had. Granted I would cry if he died. But he’s still a dog. I can get another one just like him tomorrow,” Burrell said.

Vote for Democrat Rhonda Cole Schandevel From and For Working Class Families Haywood County School Board Member Lifelong resident of Haywood County

Smoky Mountain News

Students from middle and high schools throughout Western North Carolina will gather at Western Carolina University on Saturday, March 19, as the WCU History Department hosts a National History Day regional academic competition.

This year’s theme of “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History” is meant to help students push past a view of history as mere dates and facts, and develop a perspective of history and its relevance to today’s society. Regional winners will go on to compete in Raleigh for statewide honors and possibly advance to a national competition.

Several hundred students are expected from Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, Swain and other western counties, as well as the Qualla Boundary, to take part in the noon to 5 p.m. event. jswigger@email.wcu.edu or hrsachs@email.wcu.edu.

BRANDON ROGERS, 44, OWNER OF ROGERS EXPRESS LUBE AND TIRE IN CANTON, REPUBLICAN

new animal shelter. Rogers said states up north have a very low number of strays and unwanted animals, so much so dogs from here are shipped north for adoption.

“Evidently they are doing a better job than we are. Let’s find out how they are doing it,” Rogers said. “It is no different than a problem I would have at my shop or plant. I am going to see if we can fix it. Just building a bigger, better one isn’t going to fix the problem.”

March 9-15, 2016

Ramey isn’t against building a new animal shelter, but believes the price tag is too high.

“I love animals. I want a state-of-the-art nice animal shelter, but I think we could get it a lot cheaper than what we are looking at,” Ramey said.

Ramey said he’s heard of other animal

shelters that were built for half the cost of what Haywood’s will be.

The animal shelter is another example of what Ramey sees as over-indulgence in county building projects.

“We have got to stay up to date with stuff. We have got to have stuff that works.

We have got to keep up with the times. And Terry Ramey give people that do these jobs the tools to work with,” Ramey said. “But I think we got to shop around and get the best deal on these things we can get. It’s not necessarily they have built too much stuff but I think they could have streamlined it.”

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He would like to see the price tag capped at $2.5 million, with the animal advocacy groups responsible for privately raising the funds for anything over and above that.

15

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$7 million price tag on Maggie’s downtown dream WNC's Largest Selection of Granite & Quartz.

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An artist rendering shows the potential for Maggie Valley’s vision of creating a town center along Soco Road. Donated graphic

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR aggie Valley’s dream of having a viable downtown inched closer last week when a $7 million town center plan was unveiled.

Mayor Saralyn Price asked a packed room of people at town hall last week not to focus on the price tag, but rather the possibilities. “I ask that you keep an open mind and don’t worry about how much it’s going to cost,� she said before the plan was presented. “We are here tonight to see if we like the plan.�

The $7 million plan includes road improvements, reverse-angle street parking, sidewalks, crosswalks, a median refuge island, bike lanes, a splashpad for children, undergrounding a quarter-mile of utilities and an open-air pavilion to house an ice-skating rink in the winter and a farmers market in the summer. “This is the Cadillac of all options,� project planner Sealy Chipley said. “Y’all get to choose what you have in the end.�

Of course the entire project doesn’t have to be tackled all at one time. Town Manager Nathan Clark said the town could prioritize smaller project pieces as funding becomes available. “To take my favorite saying from former Town Manager Al Matthews, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,� Clark said.

The project team first held a public input meeting in March 2015 to get feedback from residents about what they wanted to see in Maggie Valley. Chipley said initially the committee had to outline where the town center should be along the five-lane U.S. 19 corridor.

Based on public feedback, a majority of people saw the town center being from the Comfort Inn down to Evans Cove Road. That quarter-mile strip also includes the festival grounds, Market Square Shopping Center, Cabbage Rose Gift Shop, Guayabitos Mexican Restaurant and the Cataloochee Ski Shop.

Chipley said residents really wanted to slow down traffic on Soco Road and encour-

March 9-15, 2016

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age more walking and biking around town — the quarter-mile town center proposal would do just that. A splitter island located near the Comfort Inn would create a half roundabout to slow down cars as they enter the town center.

Proposed reverse-angle parking within the town center would also slow down traffic as drivers would have to be more aware of cars entering and exiting parking spots. If businesses within the town center would give the town easements into their parking lots, Moore said, the road could be widened on both sides so that Soco would still have two lanes eastbound and westbound plus 260 parking spots, the median and bike lanes on both sides. “The idea is to push the curb up as close as possible to front doors of businesses — the (reverse angle) parking spots would basically replace business parking,� said project engineer Reuben Moore.

Instead of pedestrians having to cross five lanes of Soco Road traffic, Chipley said a median refuge island would make crossing safer and more aesthetically pleasing. The grassy median would have trees, a sidewalk running down the middle of it and three crosswalks over the highway. “The splitter island will slow people down, and we recommend marking the speed limit down to 20 miles per hour,� Chipley said.

Some people weren’t crazy about the idea of reverse-angle parking, but Chipley assured everyone that it is safer than regular diagonal parking and much easier than parallel parking. “Reverse parking is safer — your trunk is unloaded on the backside of the road and you can see better when you leave,� she said. “It’s also fewer steps than parallel parking takes.�

An ice-skating rink is something Maggie Valley leaders have envisioned in town for many years, but the cost and location have always been obstacles. The town center proposal includes plans for an open-air pavilion that could act as an ice-skating rink in the cold months and a farmers market in the

warm months. Moore compared the plan to similar projects in other states to peg the estimated cost at $2.4 million.

“You can get a really nice regional attraction for that price,” he said.

He said the property across from the festival grounds could be a potential location for the pavilion. The property is vacant now after the Sweetbriar Motel burned down a couple of years ago.

Another attraction high on the priority list was a Veterans Memorial Park that would finclude a splashpad fountain for children.

Moore said it would beautify the town while also providing something for youth to do in the summer. The estimated cost is $350,000.

During the previous public input sessions, fresidents mentioned how unsightly the overf

head utility lines were along Soco Road. Even though the cost may not be worth the effort, Moore included an estimate for undergrounding the lines only in the town center area — $2.25 million.

The town center plan has been in the works for more than a year. The board of aldermen allocated $25,000 in the 2014-15 budget to hire J.M. Teague Engineering to lead the process along with input from McGill Associates, Martin McGill Management Consulting, Kostelec Planning and Chipley Consulting.

At the suggestion of Alderman Phillip Wight, the town manager asked the 80-plus

people in the room to raise their hands if they supported the town center plan. While members of the audience had questions and concerns about certain aspects, a supported the overall concept.

Clark encouraged everyone to spread the word in the community to enable the initiative to carry forward. The next step will be for the board of aldermen to discuss future priorities and begin budgeting money for particu-

news

A rendering shows what Soco Road in Maggie Valley could look like if a town center plan is implemented. Left: A majority of people who attended the town center meeting in Maggie Valley raised their hands to indicate their support for the proposed plan. Jessi Stone photo

lar phases of the project.

“For the first time we could have a true downtown and a true sense of place,” Clark said. “This is the most expensive proposal the town of Maggie Valley has ever considered, but were not going to change without it.

What you see is something I feel proud to be associated with.”

To see the entire town center plan, visit www.townofmaggievalley.com.

March 9-15, 2016

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Franklin banner issue causes tempers to flare

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ranklin officials thought the controversy over banners would end when the board of aldermen passed an ordinance last year allowing them to be hung over Main Street to promote upcoming events.

Banners had been prohibited for many years in Franklin, but the new ordinance caused a stir at Monday night’s town meeting when a group of residents asked the town to promote the award Franklin received last fall from Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine as the “Top Small Town” in the Southeast.

Matt Bateman, co-chairman of the Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Committee, asked the town if some kind of compromise could be made in order to leave the Top Small Town banner hanging over Main Street throughout the year when other events are not being promoted.

“I would like to have a more in-depth discussion on the banner ordinance,” Bateman said. “I know it was a big step to get it into place, but you all probably weren’t thinking about getting this award that would need to be promoted long-term.”

The ordinance allows any group to promote an upcoming event in Franklin by hanging a banner no more than two weeks before the event. The ordinance also requires groups to have insurance on the event, which in turn would protect the town from any liability if the banner fell and damaged something.

Bateman and others said they would like to see the banner hang for longer than two weeks and questioned whether an insurance policy should be required if there is no event included in the promotion of the banner.

March 9-15, 2016

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Since the award is given each year, Bateman said time was of the essence to promote it.

“January and February banner space was void — I would have loved to have the banner up during that time,” Bateman said. “I would love for town leadership to embrace this award.”

Mayor Bob Scott argued that it was an issue of fairness to all groups wanting to promote events with banners. He suggested the group purchase billboard space to promote the award. But then Scott started questioning how Franklin received the award.

“What were the criteria to get this award?” he asked.

Rob Gasbarro, co-owner of Outdoors 76 and co-chairman of the ATCC, said it was a voting process through Asheville-based Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine, and Franklin received more than 100,000 votes to beat out 47 other small towns.

“But how much money did you give the magazine?” Scott questioned.

Scott was referring to Franklin businesses that were asked to buy discounted advertisements in the November 2015 issue of the magazine to run along with the story about Franklin winning the award.

Once the town won the award, Gasbarro said the magazine did allow businesses to run discounted co-op ads in that issue, but it wasn’t a requirement to receive the award.

“So it was to sell ads,” Scott said.

“No one put a gun to our heads,” Gasbarro said.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant,” Bateman said.

Bringing the conversation back to the banners, Town Attorney John Henning Jr.

Community members have been toting around this banner promoting Franklin as the ‘Top Small Town,’ but the Franklin Board of Aldermen won’t allow the banner to be hung over Main Street for more than two weeks. Donated photo said it wouldn’t be within the spirit of the ordinance to allow the banner to hang for more than two weeks or exempt the group from having an insurance policy.

Alderman Joe Collins asked whether the town itself would be required to have insurance if it wanted to hang a banner.

Henning confirmed that yes, the town had to follow its own ordinances.

Alderman Brandon McMahan said maybe a billboard on the highway would be more appropriate to promote the award since people coming through downtown were already there and knew about the award.

“It’s about education of the community — if we’re going to be an outdoor town, it takes community buy-in,” Bateman said.

Scott raised his voice again and asked Bateman to enlighten him on what the town is not doing to promote Franklin as an outdoor destination.

“We’ve done everything we can to promote Franklin as an outdoor town,” Scott said.

Town Manager Summer Woodard said the ordinance did not prohibit the banner from going up — it only put a timeframe restriction on it. She said the town did have an ordinance review committee that could look into whether the rules should be changed or expanded to account for this type of promotion.

Alderman Adam Kimsey suggested for Bateman to work with the town manager and the review committee to try to reach some kind of compromise. In the meantime, one of the banners to promote the award has made its way to dozens of businesses and will soon be displayed on the town hall front lawn.

Bateman said his next plan of action to promote the award is to ask the Franklin Tourism Development Authority to allocate funding specifically to advertise Franklin as the Top Small Town.

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Smoky Mountain News

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An Open Letter to Residents of Haywood County

news

REACH celebrates opening of new shelter in Macon

I

’m writing this letter today because I would like to introduce myself to your readers and ask for their support in the election on March 15.

The new REACH of Macon County domestic violence shelter will be able to accommodate more families as they recover from abuse. The shelter includes a playroom for children (below).

T

and only three bathrooms, Anderson and her staff are excited to move their clients into the new shelter by the end of the month.

“We had to turn away 89 people at the old shelter last year and find other resources for them because we were at capacity,” Anderson said. “But here we can almost double our occupancy.”

S EE REACH, PAGE 20

REESE STEEN

Smoky Mountain News

Each room has two double beds and has been adopted and decorated by a different church or civic organization in the community. Each room has its own style and personality — something Anderson hopes makes everyone staying there feel welcomed and relaxed.

The best thing about the shelter is that REACH will have zero debt to pay on it moving forward. Thanks to a $750,000 grant from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and donations from local governments and individuals, REACH was able to pay for the entire $1.3 million project.

“The new shelter was truly a community effort. Financial commitments of all amounts, volunteer time and donations of household essentials — all of these things at

March 9-15, 2016

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he staff of REACH of Macon County understands how difficult it is to leave your home, even under the most traumatic situations.

So when they set out to construct a new shelter for domestic violence survivors and their families, they focused on how the shelter could bring those comforts of home while also providing a place to heal.

“The VanDrake Shelter will impact the lives of numerous families for years to come. It was designed to be a place of healing and where clients can readily access support services to achieve their goals,” said REACH Director Andrea Anderson. “It reflects the commitment of REACH and our community to ensure a welcoming, accessible environment that provides dignity and empowerment for survivors and their children.”

Doors to the new 10-bedroom shelter were opened to the public last week so they could see what their donations and contributions created. The house has a computer lab, two kitchens and dining areas, an indoor and outside play area for small children, laundry facilities and bathrooms in every room.

Anderson said the computer lab is her favorite part of the house because it will allow staff members to help clients with building a resume, finding a job and teaching them about other resources available to help them get back on their feet.

Considering REACH has been cramped up in an old farmhouse with six bedrooms

Jessi Stone photos

My name is Reese Steen and I am running for state representative in the 118th District.

Madison County has been my home for more than forty years, but I was born and raised in a three-room house with no indoor plumbing on a chicken farm in Rockingham, NC. My dad was a textile worker – a maintenance worker, not one of the shiny shoe guys – and my mom was a stay-at-home mom. From the time we were big enough to pull a weed, my brother, sister, and I worked tobacco and helped with the chickens. We all took paying jobs as soon as we could. I was worked a five-mile paper route at seven, and by the time I was 12 I was working at a dry cleaning service pressing clothes and helping with deliveries.

We worked hard in our house and there wasn’t much time for anything else. Food on the table came first and education was not a priority. Fortunately for me, my coaches and teachers encouraged me at school. One of my early teachers recognized something in me and encouraged me to study. In junior high, a football coach noticed that, even though I was the scrawniest kid he had ever seen, I was also one of the fastest and taught me that natural talent is worthless without hard work and discipline. My teachers and coaches became my mentors, my friends, and my guidance counselors. They gave me a love of learning and a desire to succeed and to be the best that I could. With their encouragement and help, I was able to get the scholarships and student loans that allowed me to graduate from UNC, the first of my grandmother’s 56 grandchildren to earn a college degree.

“I am concerned that With more hard work – and more scholarships, loans, and work-study programs – I was able to attend children growing up dental school at UNC. Upon graduation in order to gain experience in practicing dentistry, I took, what I in North Carolina thought would be a year placement in Hot Springs.

My wife took a job teaching in Spring Creek and I today will not have helped set up the first dental clinic. When the time access to the came to return to Chapel Hill we decided we loved the opportunities I did.” mountains and the people too much to leave. I opened my dental practice in Mars Hill and my wife continued to teach school and we’ve been here for 43 years now.

One of the main reasons I am running for election is that I am concerned that children growing up in North Carolina today will not have access to the opportunities I did. At the present time education in this state is at the point where teachers have to purchase classroom supplies on salaries that are now among the lowest in the nation. We are at risk of losing our most capable teachers to other states and other professions. The costs of college are skyrocketing, and our state representatives need to address this problem so that all students will have the opportunity for a higher education.

I believe we have to do better for our children and our grandchildren. Access to good, safe schools with skilled teachers must be a priority, whether they grow up in urban Charlotte or rural Western North Carolina. Teachers should be able to support their families on their salaries, and should not have to cover the effects of budget cuts out of their own pockets. I would consider it an honor to advocate for our children in the NC House of Representatives.

I would like to be your voice in Raleigh and I would appreciate your support and your vote on March 15, to get me there.

Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself.

Democratic Candidate

NC HOUSE DISTRICT 118 Paid for by the Committee to Elect Reese Steen

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news

Leap Day baby born at Haywood Regional Only 200,000 people in the United States have their birthdays fall on Feb. 29, and one of those lucky babies was born at Haywood Regional Medical Center this year.

Proud parents Johnny and Autumn Reece welcomed Leap Day baby Rowan Elizabeth Reece at 8:13 a.m. on Monday. Feb. 29. She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and is almost 20 inches long. She will be welcomed at home by big sisters Kaleigh and Carissa.

Dr. Alyson Miletich of Haywood Women’s Medical Center delivered baby Rowan and shared, “It is a privilege to be involved in the pregnancies and deliveries of the women in Western North Carolina.”

The new shelter is close to town but still secluded from plain sight. Jessi Stone photo REACH, CONTINUED FROM 19

Free business seminar offered at HCC The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled, “How to Write a Business Plan,” from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, at the HCC Regional High Technology Center.

This seminar teaches the important components of a business plan and helps lay the foundation for a winning plan. Find out how marketing, operations and finance are interrelated. This seminar is designed for new and established business owners.

Russ Seagle of Seagle Management Consulting is the presenter.

Visit sbc.haywood.edu or call 828.627.4512.

Build The Home You’ve Always Imagined Custom Homes Built On Your Land

Smoky Mountain News

March 9-15, 2016

every giving level made an impact,” Anderson said. “I feel when you walk into the shelter you can feel that support from the community and we hope that helps survivors and their children know they are not alone.”

There are still sponsorship opportunities at the shelter that will help REACH pay for a state-of-the-art security system that is being installed before the facility officially opens. Anderson said security is at the top of the priority list. She said the new shelter location is close enough to town so that families have the resources they need and law enforcement response times would be quick, but also far enough away where they

feel safe and secluded from abusers.

Cameras line the outside walls of the facility, the outside play area is fenced in and all doors are secured. REACH offices are located in a separate building down in front of the shelter, which serves as a natural barrier from intruders, and a staff person will be onsite at all times.

With the additional space, The REACH shelter can accept more referrals from all over the region and even Northeast Georgia. REACH of Macon also serves domestic violence survivors in Jackson County since REACH of Jackson County shut down in 2012.

For more information about REACH or to make a donation to the new shelter, visit www.reachofmaconcounty.org.

Franklin Building Center 335 NP & L Loop, Franklin, NC 28734 Across from Franklin Ford on Hwy 441 20

(828) 349-0990

Library to host memoryimproving workshop news

A memory improvement workshop at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The free workshop will be facilitated by Valerie Harrison and is intended for people 45 and older. Participants will learn new techniques to improve their ability to retrieve stored experience, and learn techniques to increase memory. The increased access to our memory leads to better quality of life, better performance at work and just overall happiness. This workshop is limited in size.

Call 828.586.2016 to register.

Self-defense class for women offered at WCU Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education will offer a self-defense class for women from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at the university’s Cordelia Camp Building.

Topics to be covered during the class include violence awareness and survival, unarmed self-defense tactics and strategies, and common weapons for self-defense.

Participants should wear casual clothing and avoid dresses, skirts, high heels, flip-flops and loose articles of clothing or jewelry. Jeans, sweatpants or workout clothes are recommended and participants are encouraged to wear socks.

The cost is $20 per person. If a participant brings a friend, she can attend the class for $15.

Macon 4-H to hold fruit, plant sale Macon County 4-H is offering a selection of fruit and berry trees for sale during ita annual plant sale, which helps raise money for Macon County youth activities and travel opportunities through 4-H. A wide selection of plants includes apples, strawberries, peaches, blackberries, raspberries and grapes. Orders will be taken through March 14. For more information or an order form, visit the Macon County Cooperative Extension website at macon.ces.ncsu.edu or call 828.349.2046.

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866.452.2251

Education

Smoky Mountain News

Clyde Elementary students make a difference Stop Hunger Now, Clyde Elementary School and local churches joined forces last week in the fight against hunger.

More than 150 third- to fifth-grade students, teachers and local community volunteers packaged meals for the world’s hungry on Friday, March 4, during a Stop Hunger Now meal-packaging event.

At the end of the day, more than $8,000 was raised and more than 20,000 meals were packaged that will likely be sent to Haiti.

“Our goal is to help students believe that they can make a difference with the hopes of empowering them to break the cycle of poverty. The idea is that when a young child has an experience where they feel the power and ability to affect change in someone else’s life, they will be less likely to allow themselves to fall into the poverty mindset,” said School Counselor Joy Sollie.

Clyde Elementary students also made a difference by giving cookies to law enforcement officers, military personnel and first responders, and by donating gloves to REACH of Haywood County, Haywood Pathways Center, Open Door Ministries and Community Kitchen.

WCU forms partnership for hands-on teaching A partnership between the Highlands Biological Station, Highlands Biological Foundation, Cullowhee Valley School and Western Carolina University’s biology department and School of Teaching and Learning will turn a section of Jackson County’s Cullowhee Creek into a laboratory, elementary students into researchers, and create a greater community appreciation of the importance of mountain streams.

The “Watershed Moments: Exploring Science and Math in Cullowhee Creek” project will begin in March, funded by a three-year $159,123 grant from the Student Science Enrichment Program of the BurroughsWellcome Fund to enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education that takes place outside of traditional classroom time.

828.526.2602 or kkandl@email.wcu.edu.

HCC seeks alumni award nominations Haywood Community College Is seeking nominations for the Outstanding Alumni Award that is given out annually to HCC alumni who has attained distinction and success in his or her career field or through community service.

To be considered for the honor, a 2016 nomination form must be filled out. Previous nominees are eligible with a new completed form. The final selection will be made by the Alumni Association steering committee and will be approved by the HCC president.

The recipient will be recognized at one of the May graduation ceremonies to be held on

Enrollment is open at Shining Rock Shining Rock Classical Academy, a free public charter school in Haywood County, is in its open enrollment period and accepting applications for kindergarten through seventh grade students for the 2016-17 school year.

There are limited spots available in all grades and open enrollment closes at 6 p.m. on March 18. Shining Rock will grow one grade each school year to eventually become a K-12 school. Applications for enrollment may be found at srca.teamcfa.school. School tours are available on March 14, 15, and 17. The lottery will be held at 5 p.m. March 21 at the Haywood Community College Auditorium, 1500 Freelander Dr. Clyde.

• Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College were once again named a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media, a Pennsylvaniabased company that surveys 7,000 schools nationwide to rate the services they provide to military students. The company recognizes higher education institutions with leading programs for veterans, members of the armed forces who are leaving military service, and military spouses and dependents.

• Six graduating students in Southwestern Community College’s human services technology program were recently honored with a pinning ceremony at the Jackson Campus.

The honorees were Lynn Wade Bargeron of Cherokee, Laurel Brown of Scaly Mountain, Jessica Hall of Sylva, Katie McGugan of Bryson City, Ginger Smith of Balsam and Theresa Strickland of Warne.

ALSO:

Clyde Elementary School students Lana Blalock, (from left) Erica Denton and Kyler Holt participate in Stop Hunger Now by packaging meals to send to Haiti. Donated photo

May 13, 2016. Nominations are due by Thursday, March 31.

To receive a nomination form or for more information about the Outstanding Alumni Award, call 828.627.4679 or email dconard@haywood.edu.

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chance to engage in academic sessions led by WCU faculty members from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.

Afternoon activities will include a student services and student organization information fair in A.K. Hinds University Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Tours of campus and a variety of information sessions will be available from noon until 4 p.m.

828.227.7317.

SCC launches hospitality institute To help fill positions in the region’s expanding hospitality industry, Southwestern Community College offered its inaugural SCC Hospitality Institute in February.

The program, which is designed to prepare potential employees, consists of 75 hours of training over an eight-week period.

Employment opportunities for graduates include food service, wait staff, guest services, maintenance, housekeeping and security.

The cost for the class is $125 plus books and certification costs of approximately $175.

339.4426 or ldowns@southwesterncc.edu.

• Todd Creasy, an associate professor in Western Carolina University’s College of Business who previously held leadership roles in two publicly traded “Fortune 500” companies and a half-billion-dollar private company, has been appointed director of WCU’s master’s degree program in business administration.

828.227.3600 or rtcreasy@wcu.edu.

• Jonah Caplinger’s exhibit on water desalination won grand prize at Southwestern Community College’s science fair. Caplinger’s entry also won first prize in the application category. Other category winners were Cindy Navarro for her exhibit on “Invisalign” and Emily French for her display on the mechanics of teeterboard propulsion in gymnastic activities. All first place winners received $100 and Caplinger got another $100 as the grand-prize winner.

WCU to hold open house Integrated classroom to on March 12 help Cherokee students

• Gov. Pat McCrory has appointed Douglas Scott Penland of Hayesville, and reappointed Elaine Boone of Burnsville, and Greg West of Fayetteville to the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), a recognized national leader in professional development programming for state teachers.

Western Carolina University will welcome prospective students and their families and friends to campus as the university holds Open House on Saturday, March 12.

The day’s activities will begin with an academic information fair from 8:15 to 10 a.m. on the concourse of WCU’s Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Following a welcome session in the main arena of the Ramsey Center from 10 to 10:30 a.m., prospective students will have a

• Southwestern Community College’s career center will host a job fair from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, March 31, at the Jackson Campus. The job fair will have a diverse group of industries looking for potential employees. The employers are looking to fill full-time, part-time, seasonal, and internship positions.

828.339.4212 or m_despeaux@southwesterncc.edu.

Cherokee Central Schools and the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority have collaborated to provide a new service to meet the needs of Cherokee children and families.

This Integrated Classroom will help middle school students that struggle to find success in the regular classroom setting. Families with middle school children will no longer need to travel to other school districts to obtain these specialized services.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

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Trump is leading somewhere I just won’t go

W

Elect a real rebel for president To the Editor: I consider myself to be a natural-born, modern rebel!

I grew up in a family very proud and humble,to be Southerners. According to my mother I was born rebellious, questioning why I was to do something when told. I still am this way and thankfully so because it causes me to pause, to listen, and to critically analyze new information, experiences, and people.

We, as American citizens, are in dire need of a rebellious leader. There is no other way to change the varied courses of destruction we have been following for longer than I have been alive. We need a leader who has the strength of character to choose to be civil, to be respectful of us as their constituents, and of the peoples of all nations.

There is only one candidate for president of the United States who lives up to this, and his name is Bernie Sanders. His ideas are bold, well thought out, and well explained. His vision is one that I believe in for us, and matches what I was taught, and understand, our great nation to be about. As Thomas Jefferson stated, “What country ever existed a century and a half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?”

I encourage you to support Bernie Sanders this March 15 in our state’s primary.

Christian Curtis Collins Jr. Sylva

chooses to offend. That trait is appealing when compared to the normal state of affairs in Washington.

I was shocked — and pleased — to hear him criticize George W. Bush for trying to topple Saddam Hussein. Mocking Bush’s Iraq strategy is akin to breaking one of the GOP’s holy commandments, but he did so with vigor. In doing so, he also displayed another trait of leadership — taking criticism for one’s decisions. He has also run away from things he’s said or simply lied and said that he didn’t say it, but this time he did stand by his Editor words and weathered a storm nearly as intense as when he criticized Sen. John McCain for being a loser because he got captured in Vietnam (which should have torpedoed his candidacy).

The fact that the Republican Party establishment is completely at a loss in dealing with Trump is not surprising. The fracturing GOP is a reality those of us in the mountains, and in particular in Haywood County, have been witnessing for quite some time. In Haywood County, the likes of Monroe Miller, Eddie Cabe and Johnnie Cure — renegades whose ideology is more anti-government than solution-based — have usurped the GOP from the more traditional conservatives like Kevin

Scott McLeod

ith the North Carolina primary election just days away on March 15, Donald Trump continues his march toward the Republican nomination and, dare we imagine, perhaps the presidency. What was a bad joke six months ago now seems a very real possibility.

This much we know: Trump is most probably not a total racist and bigot, but he is at the very least a xenophobic jerk, he’s pompous, crass, egotistical, a comfortable liar, and morethan-a-little lewd. He seems to take real joy in constantly being disrespectful to those he is competing against and makes bizarre statements (“I love the poorly educated”) that reveal a deep obliviousness to this country’s problems.

Any time someone discusses leadership, a few common traits almost always rise to the top of the list: vision, courage, integrity and humility. Trump falls woefully short on all these measures.

He does, however, have a singular trait that is also a key to being an effective leader: he’s authoritative. In a country where politicians — particularly in Washington — are a constant joke line because of their ineffectiveness and their petty political bickering (think of the back and forth between Sens. Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, or Sen. Ted Cruz reading Green Eggs and Ham on the Senate floor, for example), Trump comes off as authentic, a larger-than-life aristocratic ass who gets things done and is unapologetic when offending whomever he

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

It’s completely logical that Trump is winning To the Editor: Presidential candidates for both parties have been on the political or public dole for years even decades. All except Donald Trump.

Our country has some serious problems that need fixing. We are debt-ridden, spending is out of control, our borders are not secure, the numbers of illegal immigrants increases every day, unvetted refugees are about to enter the country, our military personnel is at the lowest in years while terrorist enemies kill innocent people here and throughout the world and our reputation in the world is greatly diminished.

It seems logical that now the President of the United States should be unlike any of the candidates who have been or are now a part of government. Trump is a successful businessman who solves problems. He is a negotiator and strong decision maker. He owes no lobbyist or big money donors as his campaign is

Ensley and the husband-and-wife duo of Ted and Pat Carr.

Anti-establishment bomb throwers have taken over from the old guard GOP. I love rebels, people who fight with fire because they feel the need to right a wrong. But anarchy is not a solution, and it certainly is not a recipe for running a county or a country. Our experiment in building the greatest country on earth succeeded in part because our forefathers not only had the courage to fight against an unjust monarchy, but because they also had the wisdom and education to then form a fractious but stable democracy.

And that’s what’ missing from Trump — a measure of wisdom, or at least a small dose, to balance the anger. Disagree with the policies of all of our past presidents — Obama and Bush included — if you will, but they all have relied on a knowledge of history and government to lead. They knew the value of introspection, valued what the citizenry contributes to the greatness of this nation. They valued humanity.

I don’t see that in Trump. Egomaniacs may make great speeches and can even inspire people to follow them; but they don’t make great leaders — especially not for the country I would still put my life on the line to defend.

Put me in the “I just don’t get it” category.

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

self-funded. It seems logical that he has what we need as President in this country now.

Bill Adams Glenville

Sanders shows a true measure of leadership To the Editor; Many people do not have enough information about Bernie Sanders to decide, on a rational basis, whether or not to support him. Much of what you read and hear on the news is misleading. Luckily, Sanders supplies incredible detail about all his programs on his website. But I do business research for a living, so I look up everything. Here are some of the facts that swayed me: • The Economy. Zero wage growth in 20 years, while the cost of everything — especially health care and education — has skyrocketed. In our consumer economy, if consumers are too broke to spend, everything grinds to a halt. A lot of folks have been fooled by center-right politicians into believing that the ultra-wealthy need more tax cuts, and that the poor, the elderly and veterans should take benefits cuts. Yet International Business Times, Forbes and The Economist have featured studies (for example, U. of Chicago/National Bureau of Econ. Research) showing that tax cuts for the lower middle class and working poor create more jobs and more economic growth.

Sanders’ plan to raise the minimum wage and create millions of jobs by investing in our failing infrastructure would mean a surge in basic spending. Unless you make over $500,000 a year — and only a tiny fraction of Americans do —

Bernie’s plan would put more in your pocket.

• Health Care. We have ruinously expensive health care, the most expensive in the world.

Medical bills are the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S. High deductibles are the norm. Americans live in constant terror of an accident or illness that can take away everything.

It doesn’t have to be this way. And in Canada, Australia, Japan, Europe … it isn’t. They have systems similar to Medicare (“single-payer”) that everyone, not just the elderly, can enroll in. “Isn’t that expensive?” Yes, but less expensive than what you are probably spending now; and it would also save money for employers who provide insurance! “Isn’t that socialist?” Well, Reagan said Medicare was a socialist program that was going to destroy America. Ask your mother if she hates that nasty socialist Medicare.

• War, Terror, and the Military. Sanders voted against Iraq in 2002, which he rightly said was going to drag us into a quagmire and breed terrorists. Then, he aggressively fought for increased veterans benefits. His largest group of donors? Combat veterans and active-duty military.

• Electability. Clinton’s unfavorability rating hit an all-time high last Tuesday and she is under imminent threat of indictment. In national polls, Sanders (unlike Clinton) beats all possible Republican challengers by a hefty margin. Why? Because for most of his career he was an Independent, and Independents now comprise nearly 40 percent of our electorate. Plus, he has a long career of working with Congress to get things done (just Google “Amendment King”).

Vote Bernie Sanders on March 15.

Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin Tuckasegee

hen I was growing up, it seemed that I spent most of my time at Mark Dozier’s place. Mark was my best friend. His parents were divorced, and his father, Gary, had an apartment in town just below the high school. I thought Gary was about the coolest father ever.

Don’t get me wrong. I completely adored my own father to the point of mythologizing him, but he was a long haul truck driver and was almost never home during the week, and not home long even on the weekends. We just didn’t get to see him much.

Columnist Gary, on the other hand, owned and operated a builder’s supply store in Sparta, which, when I first got to know Mark in elementary school, was located just across the street from the school. We would sometimes go there after school and hang out, which was fine with Gary. We especially liked being there during the ACC Tournament, which at that time — much more so than now — was like an official holiday in the state of North Carolina. The only way to get in the NCAA Tournament in those days was to win the conference or win the ACC Tournament, so the stakes were high and everybody in the town — including the kids — had a favorite team.

Gary’s favorite team — and our favorite team, by extension — was the N.C. State Wolfpack. When he was a kid himself, he had sold concessions at Reynolds Coliseum when the Wolfpack played. He had been a huge fan ever since, so naturally, during the tournament, when State played, the store became Basketball Central. We would slip away from school and watch the Wolfpack, hunched around the set, sweating every possession, high fiving after every basket.

I am not sure if there have ever been two boys who genuinely loved basketball as much as Mark and I did.

We played together on both the elementary and high school teams, and we played pick-up basketball every chance we got during our school years. Luckily, it snowed frequently in the winter months, and every time school

Smoky Mountain News

March 9-15, 2016

Chris Cox

opinion

Blueberry pancakes, eggs, bacon, biscuits ... right We would slip away from school and watch W the Wolfpack, hunched around the set,

26

was canceled, we would get Gary to take us to the gym, where we would play basketball literally all day long with anyone else who showed up. Usually, we had more sweating every possession, high fiving after than enough for five-on-five. Mark every basket. was the point guard, and I was the shooting forward. Neither of us was particularly athletic, but we and played along with every time. both had good instincts and were good shooters, and our On Thursday of last week, I was just coming out of a team won most of the time. He loved talking smack to the formal dinner party when I got a text message from my guy guarding him, and then breezing past him for a layup aunt that Gary had passed away. I sat in my car for a few or a pass to me for an open jumper. It was a glorious minutes in the dark and rain and just let the memories time. soak me.

Afterwards, Gary would pick us up and we would go Not too many years after we graduated from high back to the apartment for spaghetti or, if the roads weren’t school, Gary sold his business, married his woman friend, too bad, a trip to Galax to see Gary’s “woman friend,” who and moved out of town. I never saw him again, but I have had a son and two daughters, one the same age as us. He thought about him, his humor, and his remarkable kindnever minded me tagging along, which I did many, many ness often over the course of my life. If my son had a friend times during those years. who started showing up in my home as often as I showed Mark and I were also rock and roll fanatics. We learned up at Gary’s home, would I be so generous, so willing to to play the guitar a little, and we spent countless hours listake him in and make him feel welcome, not just as a visitening to the great classic rock bands of the day. Better tor but as an important part of our lives? Could I be that still, when one of our favorite bands came to the Charlotte giving, that kind?

Coliseum, Gary would take us, drop us off, and then go to After the funeral on Saturday, where Mark spoke and dinner and a movie with his woman friend until the show then sang a song that he wrote for Gary, all of those in was over, and then pick us up and drive back home. We attendance were invited to share a meal at a local restausaw Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, KISS, Boston, Foreigner, rant. We shared stories, laughed, and took our time enjoyand Heart, among others. There is no telling how many of ing a wonderful meal. those tickets that Gary bought for me, or how many meals Of course, Gary picked up the tab, just like always. he paid for.

Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and promised to keep in I stayed over so often, I had my own tooth brush. He touch. It was getting dark out. On the way home, I found a always treated me like another son, asking me questions classic rock station. Boston was singing “More Than a about my day and about school, joking with me about Feeling,” one of the first songs that Mark and I learned to girls, laughing with me, genuinely interested in my life. play on guitar all those years ago.

Every night before bed, he would go over our breakfast “I lost myself in a familiar song, options: country ham or crispy bacon, scrambled eggs or “I closed my eyes, and I slipped away.” an omelet, French toast or blueberry pancakes, whatever I thought about my breakfast options for tomorrow we wanted, since breakfast was the most important meal morning, laughing and crying, and cranked it all the way up. of the day. And every morning, we would wake up to find a (Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in bowl of dry cereal on the kitchen table and Gary already Haywood County. He can be reached at gone to work. This became a running gag that I relished jchriscox@live.com.)

It is past time for a new animal shelter

BY KRISTEN HAMMETT G UEST COLUMNIST Our current Haywood County Animal Shelter is overcrowded, outdated, and unsafe for staff and the animals. Its present location in a residential district is no longer in accordance with Waynesville’s zoning, is far from the county center, and has traffic and parking limitations. Changes to the current structure would require zoning variances from the town — an unlikely event.

The shelter was built in 1988 with uninsulated masonry walls, poor ventilation, no areas for handling and/or isolating sick or injured animals, and insufficient space to quarantine for rabies observations. Lighting is poor and heating/ventilation inadequate.

Flooring is impossible to sanitize and difficult to clean. The noise level is often deafening to people and stressful to animals housed there as well. Ventilation and design in the cat ward allows respiratory infections easily pass from one cat to others. We had

such a terrible outbreak of feline respiratory disease last fall that the shelter director had to take 13 sick cats to a volunteer’s garage to prevent it from infecting incoming healthy cats. In December, an outbreak of kennel cough among dogs forced the euthanasia of several ill dogs so as to contain the disease since there was no place to house ill animals.

We currently have 14 dog runs, each with one side for urination/defecation and another for the animals to rest, sleep and eat.

However, due to the number of dogs housed, usually there are animals in both sides, so a dog must eat, drink, sleep, urinate and defecate in the same 3 by 8 foot area. Even with this “doubling up” of space, several times last year, the shelter had to stop intake of dogs from the public, because there was no place to house them.

The current shelter has no private space for the director, staff or volunteers and files are stored in every available inch of space.

Adopters have no quiet place meet animals.

People looking for lost pets, turning in strays or unwanted pets, and officers bringing in injured, dangerous or lost creatures all come in and out of the same doors in the same 10square-foot room — a dangerous situation for animals, public, and staff alike.

With partnerships between our shelter and animal advocacy groups, the shelter’s live release rate increased from 30 percent for cats and 40 percent for dogs in 2000 to nearly 90 percent in 2015. Had our shelter not suffered the incidences of contagious disease last fall, it would have attained this 90 percent goal which is the level at which it would have been considered a “No Kill” shelter.

While this decrease in euthanasia is and should be applauded, it also means that although we have had fewer animals taken into the shelter than in the past decades, the animals that do come into the shelter are now being housed longer instead of being euthanized to create space for other incoming animals. Other factors in the lower num-

ber of sheltered animal are the spay/neuter and community cat trap-neuter-return programs which decreased the unwanted and often sick/unadoptable puppies and kittens, many of which had to be euthanized in prior years.

Last autumn, representatives of several county animal advocacy groups gathered to give input into what a new shelter should encompass. Our architect, consulting with a firm which specializes in animal shelter design, is working to design a facility that will create more comfortable housing of animals, places for potential owners to interact with adoptable animals, animal isolation and treatment areas, and more space for the staff.

Our county, both its animals and its citizens, deserves a new, safe, welcoming, animal-friendly and people-friendly animal shelter.

If you would like to assist the Friends of the Haywood County Animal Shelter, a 501c3 nonprofit, with donations or by volunteering please visit www.hcasfriends.org, our Facebook page, or mail at P O Box 42, Waynesville, N.C., 28786.

10 p.m. Home to an extensive build your own sandwich menu as well as specialty salads, soups burgers and more. With local ingredients and made-from-scratch recipes using a variety of good-for-you ingredients Apple Creek Cafe is sure to become your favorite spot.

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

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

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

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

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

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

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

BOGART’S 303 S. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.1313.

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Carry out available. Located in downtown Waynesville, Bogart’s has been long-time noted for great steaks, soups, and salads. Casual family atmosphere in a rustic old-time setting with a menu noted for its practical value. Live Bluegrass/String Band music every Thursday. Walking distance of Waynesville’s unique shops and seasonal festival activities and within one mile of Waynesville Country Club.

APPLE ANDY'S RESTAURANT 3483 Soco Road, Maggie Valley located in Market Square. 828.944.0626. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Serving the freshest homemade sandwiches, wraps, and entrees such as country fried steak and grilled flounder. Full salad bar and made from scratch sides like potato salad, pinto beans and macaroni and cheese.

APPLE CREEK CAFE 111 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.456.9888. Tuesday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to midnight. Sunday 11 a.m. to

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. to

Country Vittles RESTAURANT

& GIFT SHOP

Featuring a Full Menu with Daily Specials PRIVATE DINING ROOM AVAILABLE FOR EVENTS

Monday-Saturday: 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sunday: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Tuesday

3589 SOCO RD. MAGGIE VALLEY

828.926.1820 335-26

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

828-456-1997 blueroostersoutherngrill.com

— Real Local People, Real Local Food — 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, North Carolina Monday-Friday Open at 11am

Smoky Mountain News

The Koch distributions to institutions of higher learning and non-profit think tanks really aren’t charitable contributions in any meaningful sense of the word. These “gifts” are meant to buy leverage. The Kochs have funded entities like ALEC and other non-profit lobbying organizations with a clear business purpose in mind. Think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute provide research designed to support Koch political and business positions. It has been well documented that grants to universities are intended to provide indoctrination in specific aspects of the economics and political science disciplines — the Mercatus Institute at George Mason University has been characterized as, “a policy shop posing as a university.”

But while preparing this commentary I came across a wonderful essay in the current Harper’s by the novelist and essayist Marilynn Robinson. Robinson is not your standard liberal, as an essayist she is forthright and strong, bent on re-examining the Calvinist ethic — strong medicine for an agnostic like me but worth reading and considering. She is also a passionate educator who teaches at the University of Iowa.

“Save Our Public Universities: In defense of America’s best idea” is a piece that anyone who cares about public education should read.

The political philosopher Michael Sandel observes that we have become a market society, not merely a market economy. Robinson picks up on this theme observing that we are no longer citizens but simply taxpayers or perhaps simply consumers of government. She says, “While the Citizen can entertain aspirations for the society as a whole and take pride in its achievements, the Taxpayer, as presently imagined, simply does not want to pay taxes.”

Perhaps this describes why our public universities have more and more become businesses seeking out deals like the one the Kochs are offering. Let us not delude ourselves into thinking this is anything other than a business deal, in exchange for $2 million the Kochs buy the economics department at WCU and promote a brand of economics that devalues public institutions. As Robinson observes: Obviously I am critical of the universities too. They give prestige to exactly the kind of thinking that undermines their own existence as humanist institutions, especially in economics but also in many fields that are influenced by economics, for example psychologies that subject all actions and interactions to cost-benefit analysis, to — the phrase should make us laugh — rational choice.

Robinson’s essay is well worth the time.

Soon we will go to the polls to vote on a $2 billion bond issue to support our public universities in North Carolina. That’s a wise investment, but we lessen and demean it when we pursue money from the Kochs to promote selfserving fringe ideologies that undermine the fundamental purpose and ethic of a public university.

(Mark Jamison lives in Cullowhee and can be reached at markijamison01@gmail.com)

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

March 9-15, 2016

BY MARK JAMISON GUEST COLUMNIST I had planned to call this commentary “Dirty Money.” I would begin by quoting Teddy Roosevelt, “No amount of charity in spending such fortunes can compensate in any way for misconduct in acquiring them,” setting the stage for the argument that the grant from the Koch Foundation to fund a Center for Free Enterprise at Western Carolina University, a proposal which is problematic on its merits, also suffers from the fact that its source is tainted.

I thought to offer this story from David Koch about how he made his billions, “You might ask: How does David Koch happen to have the wealth to be so generous? Well, let me tell you a story. It all started when I was a little boy. One day, my father gave me an apple. I soon sold it for five dollars and bought two apples and sold them for ten. Then I bought four apples and sold them for twenty.

Well, this went on day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, until my father died and left me three hundred million dollars!” moving on to point out that the family patriarch Fred Koch, a founding member of the John Birch Society, had acquired his fortune by winning patent infringement suits and using that technology to build refinery infrastructure for Stalin’s Soviet Union and Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

This, I thought, would serve as a nice segue into the list of the many environmental violations Koch Industries has been fined for like “$8 million for illegally dumping a million gallons of wastewater and spilling some 600,000 gallons of fuel into a wetland and the nearby Mississippi River” (Schulman’s Sons of Wichita). The list is a long one since the Kochowned Georgia Pacific is one of the largest polluters in the United States and the Pine Bend refinery has had chronic infractions.

Then too, there are the reports in Schulman’s book and Jane Mayer’s Dark Money of the many lawsuits against the Kochs for things like stealing oil from Indian reservations or the case where the Kochs were found guilty “of nearly 25,000 false claims against the government” with possible penalties of more than $200 million. Google “Kochs and environmental violations” on sites like the Center for Public Integrity — the results are depressing.

There is no question that the Kochs have been generous benefactors. They contribute large amounts to the arts and to medical research, although their charity puts one in mind of the practice of buying indulgences from the medieval church.

Mayer and others document that much of the money in the various Koch charitable enterprises resides there not so much as the result of a generous spirit but as a sophisticated way of avoiding tax liabilities while still controlling the use, distribution, and effects of the money; the use of foundations as tax avoidance schemes by the wealthiest families in America is a scandal unto itself.

tasteTHEmountains

335-17

Market economics not relevant to all our human endeavors

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tasteTHEmountains 2:30 p.m. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m. Closed on Sunday. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks, fresh fish, and other classic American comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available. We also feature a great selection of craft beers from local artisan brewers, and of course an extensive selection of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank.

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ 6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef owned and operated. Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables. Fresh roasted ham, turkey and roast beef used in our hoagies. We hand make our own eggplant and chicken parmesan, pork meatballs and hamburgers. We use 1st quality fresh not preprepared products to make sure you get the best food for a reasonable price. We make vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free items.

Call or go to Facebook (Breaking Bread Café NC) to find out what our specials are.

March 9-15, 2016

Café Deli & So Much More

Sunday!

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

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

Now taking reservations for our

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burg-

Traditional Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner

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

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

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

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live 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 Open Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

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

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

March 17 6 p.m. $16.50

ART OPENING: Pat Thomas, Pet Photographer

per person

Only 26 seats available 335-06

Call 648-3838 ASAP Monday - Friday 8-3 Sunday 9-3

6147 Highway 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) breakingbreadcafenc.com • 828.648.3838

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

Winter hours: Thursday through Dunday 12 to 4 p.m. for lunch and 4 p.m. to closing for dinner. Daily luncheon special at $6.99.

World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Winter hours: Friday-Monday 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966. Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites. Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

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

828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

THE LUNCHBOX CAFE 100 Spicewood Dr., Clyde, 828.246.6296 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Serving up scrumptious breakfast, lunch and dinner all made with care in a welcoming environment. Subs, salads, sandwiches and more.

Visit Us and Discover

Thursday,

RESERVE YOUR TABLE

BY MARCH 14

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.

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MEDITERRANEAN & ITALIAN CUISINE

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 • 6 P.M. MON.-SAT. 11 A.M.-8 P.M.

34 CHURCH ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6505 twitter.com/ChurchStDepot M C facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot

Free Appetizers, and a Chance to Win a FREE Photo Shoot 3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

www.CityLightsCafe.com

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Smoky Mountain News

Every Sunday 9am-3pm

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

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

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

ers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh hand-cut fries.

Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining. facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot.

1863 S. Main Street • Waynesville 828.454.5002 Hwy. 19/23 Exit 98 LUNCH & DINNER TUES. - SUN.

www.pasqualesnc.com

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Waynesville BREAKFAST HOUSE

tasteTHEmountains

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.

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

Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoors, outside on the patio or at the bar. Reservations appreciated.

PATIO BISTRO 30 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.454.0070. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast bagels and

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A Waynesville tradition, the Smoky Mountain Sub Shop has been serving great food for over 20 years. Come in and enjoy the relaxed, casual atmosphere. Sub breads are baked fresh every morning in Waynesville. Using only the freshest ingredients in home-made soups, salads and sandwiches. Come in and see for yourself why Smoky Mountain Sub Shop was voted # 1 in Haywood County. Locally owned and operated.

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 .

TWIN MAPLES FARMHOUSE 63 North Hill Street, Waynesville.

828.452.7837. Open for Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Located just two blocks from downtown Waynesville, Twin Maples is available for weddings, receptions, family reunions, birthday parties, showers, luncheons, corporate meetings and retreats.

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!)

Not Just For Breakfast!

456.9498 • www.balsaminn.net

Monday - Saturday

11am - 2pm Lunch Buffet $8.95

4pm - 6pm Dinner Buffet $9.95

Friday & Saturday

Breakfast Buffet - $7.95 Sunday 10am -4pm Brunch $10.25 includes drinks

42 Montgomery St. Waynesville

67 BRANNER AVE. WAYNESVILLE

11-3 Monday-Saturday

CALL IN YOUR ORDER:

828-246-9881

nchbox Café The Lu

Breakfast Sandwiches Served All Day Daily Specials!

100 SPICEWOOD DR. CLYDE

Behind Mountain Medical 828.246.6296 Winter Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

LIVE MUSIC TUESDAY NIGHTS! 7-9 P.M. Upcoming Bands: MARCH 15: Wyze Gyze MARCH 22: Kevin Fuller

Smoky Mountain News

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

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

ROB’S HOT DOG SHACK 42 Montgomery St., Waynesville 828.707.7033. Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rob’s serves gourmet hot dogs and has homemade side items. Outdoor and indoor dining, café style restaurant. Locally owned and operated.

Family oriented business.

by reservation

March 9-15, 2016

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

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

Bakery offerings include cakes, muffins, cookies and more. Each one is made from scratch in Asheville using only the freshest, all natural ingredients available. We are proud to offer gluten-free and vegan options.

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 828.926.0201 Open Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m and Sunday 7:30 a.m to 9 p.m. Full service restaurant serving steaks, prime rib, seafood and dinner specials.

BREAKFAST & DINNER DAILY SUNDAY LUNCH

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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.

sandwiches, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches for lunch with homemade soups, quiches, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer. Outdoor and indoor dining.

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

828.586.3555. Open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Handtossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch.

Beer and wine. Free movies with showtimes at 6:30 and 9 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Visit madbatterfoodandfilm.com for this week’s shows.

SAGEBRUSH OF CANTON 1941 Champion Dr. Canton

828-646-3750 Sun-Thur 11 AM - 10 PM Fri-Sat 11 AM - 11 PM

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Jack to Jesus The latest record from Western North Carolina singer-songwriter Joe Lasher Jr., “Jack to Jesus,” is the melodic crossroads of classic country and freewheelin’ rock-n-roll. Donated photo

really long at all. The achievements and the goals we’ve accomplished, I’d say it has happened fast. Right now, it’s starting to grow to where we’re getting some attention. Our hard work is paying off, but we’ve got a long ways to go. A slow burn at a fast pace. Nonstop for three and a half years now.

GKW: And you’re only 19 years old, right?

JLJ: Nineteen, yes sir. [Laughs].

GKW: With all this effort and hard work, do you sometimes forget you’re still a teenager?

JLJ: That is a hard question. I have cut off a lot of my social life, but by doing that I’ve gained an incredible social life with my music.

I’m not at the football games with my buddies on Friday nights, I’m in some town I’ve never been to before, playing and making new friends. So, it works both ways.

WNC country singer releases new album, sets sights on Nashville

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER It’s all about the song.

That’s what the goal is for Joe Lasher Jr. At 19, the country singer has spent the better part of the last four years zigzagging around Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia, stepping in front of the microphone in countless dive bars, restaurants, festivals and your backyard if the mood is right.

Hailing from Weaverville, Lasher proudly embraces his Southern roots, with a keen awareness of family and friends, that feeling of your place in the world amid those who know you best — around the bonfire, on the lake, in the backwoods and everywhere in-between.

And in an era when the Nashville music scene is going through one of its biggest transitions, Lasher stands atop of the Great Smoky Mountains with his eyes aimed westward, to that horizon where his destiny resides. With acts like Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley and Florida Georgia Line dominating country radio in recent years, names like Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves and Jason Isbell are finding footing in this new chapter, one that harkens back to the golden age of country music, back to the basics, and also the most important ingredient to a successful career — the song.

Lasher is a voice, tone and attitude that make you set down your drink, only to swing

around from the bar and say, “Damn, who in the hell is that up there?” Knocking on the door of his 20s, Lasher is well aware of the hard work and sacrifice needed to one day see his face staring back at him from the bright lights of the marquee, somewhere, anywhere in this crazy, beautiful world.

In one regard, he’s already put in endless miles, the blood, sweat and tears of playing in front of a raucous crowd one night, only to step onstage in front of crickets the next. In another regard, the game has only begun, with the ball squarely in Lasher’s court.

Garret K. Woodward: What’s the landscape of Joe Lasher Jr. look like in 2016?

Joe Lasher Jr.: It’s going crazy. It’s an uphill climb. We can’t tell the future, but we can’t see the ground. We’ve got our nose to the grindstone. And we’re trying to get to where we want to be, which is on radio stations across the country.

GKW: And with the rise in your popularity, the expectations change. How are you dealing with all of that?

JLJ: I’m doing great. The live shows are always getting better. With the new record, we’re hoping to get some radio play with our Southeast tour and festivals we’ve got planned to play.

GKW: Is your career a slow burn or one that’s going faster than expected?

JLJ: I think it has gone fast. You know, I’ve been doing this for about three and a half years. And as long as that may seem, it’s not

GKW: Where do these dreams of yours come from?

JLJ: It developed with my music. I was always a big football fan. I wanted to go to college and play football. I broke my leg my freshman year. Out for the season. And I’ve played guitar since I was eight years old. I’d been around music my whole life. My dad was in a big local band here in the 1990s. When I was out with my knee injury, I started playing open mic nights around the area, places like Blue Mountain Pizza [in Weaverville]. I just kept setting these goals and having fun with it. I wanted to get my own night at Blue Mountain Pizza, and I achieved that goal. Then I wanted

Want to go?

Country singer Joe Lasher Jr. will host an album release party for “Jack to Jesus” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, at The Orange Peel in Asheville. Outshyne and Devils in Dust will open the performance. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 day of show. www.joelasherjr.com or www.theorangepeel.net. to get on the Wild Wings Café circuit, and achieved that. I just kept setting personal goals and reaching them. Then it got to the point where my goals were much bigger than our town. I want to move to Nashville. I fell in love with this while I was doing it.

GKW: And you recently opened for Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts. Both huge names in country music. Did you take anything away from that experience that you apply to your own career?

JLJ: I did. You know, when you go from playing in front of five people and knowing in a few months you’re going to be playing in front of around 18,000 people with Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts, it’s incredible. It makes you nervous, and it’s surreal — it’s all happening. After that show was over, I had a new goal, which is the goal I’m working on now. I want to do this

full-time at that Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts level. That size crowd, all the time.

GKW: You have to have that mental conversation with yourself, where you say come hell or high water this is what you want to do.

JLJ: You do. You have to dip your toes in the water. If it’s too cold for you, you’re not going to want to jump in. But, when it feels just right, you’re all in.

GKW: And you’ve always remained really grounded, where you’ll play a huge stage like The Orange Peel, and yet still be out at The Rendezvous in Maggie Valley playing for all the local fans, the people who have been with you from the start.

JLJ: I’m all about my hometown. All the local folks, in Maggie Valley, in Weaverville and Asheville. They all matter to me. I don’t really like to call them fans. I like to call them friends.

I want to know everyone’s name. They mean the world to me and I get so much from them.

GKW: Where does your work ethic come from?

JLJ: I think from my dad. He had kids when he was young. He didn’t go to college, but he has worked very hard. And I watched all of that. He’s my manager, too. So, I get it in the blood and it carries on, from what he says to me for advice that I apply to my life and career.

GKW: Why country music? What about it appeals to you?

JLJ: I’m from Western North Carolina. I hang out with my buddies. We flip on the radio and I relate to everything they talk about. It’s real music. And nobody writes the same way.

With every person I write with in Nashville, I learn something new.

GKW: What do you think about Nashville these days? There’s a lot of transition now.

JLJ: I believe there’s a place for it all. Brocountry, as they call it, got really big, really fast.

And it’s a cycle. Everything that comes into Nashville moves out of Nashville. I think pop country is on its way down. And you have folks like Chris Stapleton, who I’ve looked up to for a long time, and he’s winning all these awards.

He’s an incredible songwriter. It’s always about the song. You can have the looks, the marketability, you could have everything, but if you don’t have a good song, it’s not going to work.

GKW: Where does that voice of yours come from? And what are you feeling when you’re onstage?

JLJ: My mother sings like a songbird, and I get my voice from her. When I’m onstage, I get an energy that I can’t get off the stage. It’s a natural thing, and I can feel it. When you’re playing for an audience and you’re both sharing the same energy and power, and you’re all going out on the same journey, it’s a feeling like no other. To know I’m influencing all these people in front of me, but at the same time, they don’t know how much they’re influencing me to keep doing what I’m doing.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Tybee Island, Georgia.

Garret K. Woodward photo

PLEASE CONTACT AT 828.342.0971 OR JHDUNCAN20@GMAIL.COM

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have been an exceptional healing & stress-relieving experience.” – Gary Neal 461 MOODY FARM ROAD • MAGGIE VALLEY

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Smoky Mountain News

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5

Asheville recording fiddle player John Duncan is currently accepting students in the Waynesville, Sylva, and Franklin areas for violin, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass, and lap steel.

March 9-15, 2016

$25.06.

The total at the gas pump. Full tank. Waynesville to Tybee Island, Georgia. Around 350 miles. As an The “Songwriters in the Round” series will impending snowstorm crept over continue with a Wynn Varble, Kerry Kurt Phillips the Great Smoky Mountains of and Troy Jones at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 12, Western North Carolina last at the Balsam Mountain Inn. Thursday, I jumped into my musty, rusty pickup truck and bolted down The Folkmoot Music Showcase and Spring the highway, en route to sunny skies BBQ will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, and crashing waves along the March 19, in the Folkmoot Friendship Center at mighty Atlantic Ocean. the Historic Hazelwood School in Waynesville.

First stop? Tybee. Onward to see Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will my folks in St. Augustine, Florida. host a Guitar Ensemble Tribute to David Bowie In my early 20s, Tybee was a vacaat 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, in the tionland of cold drinks and hypnotCoulter Building. ic bikinis, a place where a young lad full of curiosity and adventure could The “Trail Magic Ale #13” release party will be exploit the endless possibilities of March 18-20 at Nantahala Brewing Company irresponsible enlightenment. in Bryson City.

It had been six years almost to the day since I last found myself in The live radio broadcast of “Blackbeard’s Tybee. A lot has changed in that Ghost” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. time. The face in the ocean side Thursday, March 17, in the John W. Bardo Arts motel mirror looks and feels a lot Center at Western Carolina University. different than the spry and stubwildabouts struck out with the femme fatales born reciprocated face of a post-graduate in as much as we successfully snuck beer onto the depths of his summer years. the public beach (which was plenty, on both 2007. My parents, both recently retired, accounts). We were 22 years old, just two decided to become a pair of snowbirds and months shy of graduation, ready and roaring meander down to Tybee for the month of to be let loose onto the “real world.”

March. Well aware of how chaotic the St. 2009. Following my first reporting gig in Patrick’s Day celebration in nearby Savannah Idaho in 2008, and also after the subsequent was, and also that the spring break of my economic collapse, I jumped into the musty, senior year of college fell on the same week, rusty pickup truck and headed below the my two best college buddies and I jumped Mason-Dixon Line from Upstate New York. into the car and blasted down Interstate 95 from Connecticut. This trio of booze-seeking A solo trek. At this point, my college buddies

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Learn to Improvise?

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This must be the place

were both living and working in New York City. Me? I took off from Idaho in search of the next level of my “career” as a journalist. I remember staring way past my steering wheel, beyond my field of vision, as to what laid ahead, now that I was an unemployed writer in desperate need of somewhere to take a chance on my aspirations. Now 24, college seemed like some blurry dream that never really happened, as the future was just as foggy and full of unknowns. Crack open the beer can and stroll amongst the evening waves, all with queries of the cosmos being swept away with the tide.

2010. The year I thought I had it all figured out. I picked up my girlfriend in the Adirondack Mountains and shot down Interstate 87. We’d been dating about seven months, and I’d already been kicking around ideas in my head as to when to propose to her. I’d never considered the idea of marriage before (or since), but, with her, the notion magically appeared in my mind — a whirlwind of beauty that held a tight grip on the beating muscle in my chest. We walked the silent white sand beaches at dusk, holding hands and talking about the future. And when I dropped her off at the Savannah airport to head back to New York early, I felt justified in my new mission to get a ring on her finger. That was also one of the last times I saw her before our eventual demise.

2016. I’ve been a journalist for The Smoky Mountain News for ‘round four years. My folks still retired, still snowbirds, yet these days drop anchor in St. Augustine (“Tybee is too cold for us nowadays,” they say). So, as I made my way to Florida, I figured, what the hell, why not swing through Tybee for a night? Another solo rendezvous to where the clock is always on “Tybee Time.”

The air was crisp, hovering around downright cold, as the clouds readied themselves to dump a few hours of rain onto the beach bum island. Checking into the Atlantis Inn (got a discount due to current renovations on the building — oh, the little things in life, eh?), I walked across the street to Sting Ray’s, a well-known seafood shack. No familiar faces from years past behind the counter, nor was there at Quarter’s Sports Bar down the road, a spot where my signature still sits on the wall behind the pool table. In permanent marker, “Garret” next to the signatures of my two college buddies — one is married and in Seattle, the other engaged and ready to start a new chapter overseas.

And, there I sat, by myself, sipping on a Corona, thinking about them, about Idaho, about “her” and if I ever cross her mind these days, and about the here and now. A slight grin rolled across my face. Through hell or high water, I remain. The rollercoaster of life and love — of beloved friends and devastating breakups, of rolling pavement and endless sunsets — always brings me back to square one, that space where you are in front of a clean slate, eager and willing to give it another go, the ole “college try,” as they say.

A slight chuckle slides out from under my breath.

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

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March 9-15, 2016

arts & entertainment

On the beat Musical tribute to Civilian Conservation Corps Author Bill Jamerson will present a music and storytelling program about how the Civilian Conservation Corps camps improved the surrounding area as well as the lives of the young men and their families at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 12, at the Waynesville Public Library.

Jamerson tells stories about the Civilian Conservation Corps, reads excerpts from his book, shows a short video clip from his PBS film and sings original songs accompanied by his guitar.

It’s a nostalgic program with lots of laughter. He has performed at CCC reunions around the country and at dozens of CCCbuilt national and state parks. His presentation is as entertaining as it is important; as honest as it is fun. It’s about people both ordinary and extraordinary, with stories of strength, wit and charm.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a federal works program created by President Franklin Roosevelt in the heart of The Great Depression.

For more information, call Kathy Olsen 828.356.2507 or visit Jamerson’s website at www.billjamerson.com.

• Andrews Brewing Company will host Troy Underwood (singer-songwriter) March 12 and Scott Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) March 19. Both shows are free and begin at 5 p.m. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

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

Smoky Mountain News

• Canton Public Library will host One Leg Up (jazz/Latin) at 3 p.m. March 20. Free. www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have The Robinson Waters Duo March 11, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) March 12 and 19, and Dulci Ellenberger (Americana/folk) March 18.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Scooter Haywood (singer-songwriter) March 11, Mark Keller (singer-songwriter) March 12, St. Patrick’s Day celebration March 17, Bradley Cooper Duo March 18 and Jacked Up Joe 8 p.m. March 19. All shows are free and at 7 p.m. unless otherwise listed.

828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night March 9 and 16, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo March 10 and 17. There will also be performances by 32 The Shotgun Gypsies March 12 and Alexa

‘Songwriters’ welcomes Nashville

Wynn Varble will be one of the performers at the ‘Songwriters in the Round’ March 12 at Balsam Mountain Inn. Donated photo

Rose March 19. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

The “Songwriters in the Round” series will continue with a Wynn Varble, Kerry Kurt Phillips and Troy Jones at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 12, at the Balsam Mountain Inn. Varble had his first number one song “Have You Forgotten” with Darryl Worley in 2003. The song was nominated for Song of the Year by the Country Music Association. In 2008, “Waitin’ on a Woman,” which Wynn co-wrote with Don Sampson, was nominated by the CMA for Song of the Year as well. His most recent No. 1 hit, “I’m a Little More Country,” recorded by Easton Corbin, was also nominated by the ACM for Song of the Year.

Phillips’ very first cut came in 1990, when George Jones recorded the classic, “Where the Tall Grass Grows.” Since then, Phillips’ catalogue of over 1,000 songs has garnered five No. 1 singles. He has been awarded 75 gold records and 36 platinum albums accounting for sales of over 45 million records, and he has been called “one of America’s favorite songwriters.” ASCAP has recognized 15 of his works as being the most performed songs in the nation in each of their respective years.

In addition to writing two No. 1 songs for Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy” and “Pretty Good At Drinking Beer,” Jones’ writing credits include Kenny Chesney’s “Shiftwork” and “Like Me” and Joe Nichols’ “Shade.” Before becoming a full-time songwriter, Jones worked in a paper mill for 20 years, where it wasn’t long before his co-workers started calling him the “Fork Lift Philosopher.”

828.456.9498 or www.balsammountaininn.net.

All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Jackson County Public Library (Sylva) will host a community dance at 2:30 p.m. March 13. Circle and contra dances. AnneMarie Walter will be the caller, with live music by Out of the Woodwork. All styles will be taught and walked through beforehand. No previous experience needed. A community dinner will follow at 5 p.m. ronandcathy71@frontier.com.

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. March 19. All are welcome to come play or simply listen.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host The French Broads (rock/jam) March 12 and Goldie & The Screamers March 19. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Sagebrush Steakhouse (Canton) will host Wyze Gyze March 15 and Kevin Fuller (singersongwriter) March 22. All shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.646.3750.

ALSO:

• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will host the Trippin’ Hardie Band at 5 p.m. March 12. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) will host Somebody’s Child (Americana) at 8 p.m. March 19. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Joseph Huber Trio (Americana/folk) March 9, Porch 40 (funk/jam) and Urban Soil March 11, Heidi Holton (blues/folk) March 12, Urban Pioneers (old-time/folk) March 15, Outlaw Ritual (Americana) with Chris Blaylock OMB (blues/folk) and Matt Heckler March 18, and Wade Baker & Jamie Taylor (jazz) March 19.

• The Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host Gary Allan March 11, Gary Carter March 12 and Tom Johnson March 19. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Mile High (rock) at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Andrew Rickman (rock/acoustic) will also perform on Saturdays. All events begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic with Jimandi at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, “Funky Friday” with Bud Davis at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Isaish Breedlove (Americana) at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host acclaimed Nashville songwriter/story-

teller Antsy McClain and South Carolina guitarist Jacob Johnson at 7 p.m. March 11.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 day of show. www.38main.com.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have an 80s Hair Night with DJ Hurley March 11, St. Patrick’s Day celebration with Ian Moore (Celtic/Americana) March 17 and Chris Minick (singer-songwriter) March 19. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• Tuck’s Tap & Grille (Cullowhee) will host College Night with DJ Alex Prince at 10 p.m.

March 10, Tweed and Bombassic 9 p.m.

March 12 and College Night St. Patrick’s Day Bash 10 p.m. March 17.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/folk) March 12 and Hurricane Creek (classic rock) March 19. All shows are at 9:30 p.m. There is also a weekly Appalachian music night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays with Nitrograss.

• Waynesville Public Library will host Rob McHale (singer-songwriter) at 3 p.m. March 12. Free. www.haywoodarts.org.

• Western Carolina University will host a Faculty Flute Recital March 15, a Guitar Ensemble Tribute to David Bowie March 16 and Jim Decker (trombone) 5:30 p.m. March 17 in the Coulter Building. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.wcu.edu.

On the beat

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Bookstore Whitewater Bluegrass Company will be one of the performers at the Folkmoot Music Showcase and Spring BBQ on March 19 in Waynesville.

Friday, March 11 • 7 p.m.

Open Mic Night

Flexible Hours 16 years experience Owner: Medea Sharp

3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA

828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

arts & entertainment

Gel Nails & Spa Pedicures

Making Hands Beautiful for 16 years

Hand file only, no dremels or damaging tools

3330 Broad St Clyde | 828.734.5334

Garret K. Woodward photo

Folkmoot Music Showcase and Spring BBQ The inaugural Folkmoot Music Showcase and Spring BBQ will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 19, in the Folkmoot Friendship Center at the Historic Hazelwood School in Waynesville.

Musical performances begin at 7 p.m. and will include the Darren Nicholson Band (of Balsam Range), Whitewater Bluegrass Band, Lillian Chase & The Marshall

Brothers, and The Garnet Ridge Ramblers. A barbecue dinner will be served by the Haywood Smokehouse with pulled pork, baked beans, coleslaw and rolls. Fresh beer will be provided by BearWaters Brewing.

Tickets for this event cost $20 advance and are available at www.folkmootusa.org or by calling 828.452.2997. Tickets are $30 at the door. Tickets include the barbeque dinner and music. Attendees will be encouraged to share in a half-and-half drawing and a silent auction of springtime items to support year-round programming administered by Folkmoot.

Folkmoot thanks the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina for supporting Folkmoot’s year-round programming initiatives.

828.452.2997 or info@folkmoot.org.

Become a ppassholder Become assholder to to enjoy ennjoy a year year of of unlimited daytime admission, exclusive benefits p g and special events including:

Legendary rock act The Moody Blues will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Harrah’s Cherokee.

Since the 1960s, The Moody Blues have lit up the hearts and minds of millions of rock fans with inspiring anthems like “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon” and “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band),” which express universal themes of love, compassion and peace. The band’s unique style of music consistently finds airplay and continues to illuminate concert arenas around the world. www.harrahscherokee.com.

March 9-15, 2016

Moody Blues at Harrah’s

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Save $

• FASHIONABLE FASHIO ROMANCE: Wedding Gowns in Film exhibition, hibition,

through July 4 • BILTMORE BLOOMS, March 19–May 26

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Voices in the Laurel will be hosting a Bingo Night fundraiser at 7 p.m. Friday, March 18, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Waynesville.

In honor of their 20th anniversary season, the event will include a Voices in the Laurel performance by the Treble, Concert, Chamber and A capella choirs. Tickets are available by calling 828.734.9163. $20 each includes admission, 20 games of bingo, coffee, dessert and a chance to win door prizes. Additional cards for the 20 games

can be purchased for $10 with 3 “Special Games of Bingo” — $2 each card or all 3 for $5. You may reserve a table of eight with advance ticket sales — tickets will also be available at the door. Gift baskets for game prizes include: Chocolate Lovers, Light up your Life, Pampered Chef, Ikea Day at the Beach, Teresa Pennington Print, Fixer Upper, Vera Bradley Bags, and more. Food concessions will be available.

Voices in the Laurel is a Haywood Countybased nonprofit performance choir for young people ranging from first grade through 12th grade from Haywood, Buncombe, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. www.voicesinthelaurel.org.

BILTMORE.COM/PASSOFFER

or by calling 800-742-6150.

Purchase your new Biltmore Annual Pass for $99, plus tax. Savings based on regular $149 Biltmore Annual Pass. Some restrictions may apply.

Smoky Mountain News

Voices in the Laurel Bingo Night

33

arts & entertainment

On the wall Want to learn bladesmithing?

A Bladesmithing Symposium sponsored by the American Bladesmith Society and Haywood Community College will be held March 18-20 at the HCC campus in Clyde.

The three-day event will include knife making demonstrations, hands-on blade forging, knife show and auction, and more.

Saturday afternoon’s event is free to the public, with a knife show from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Battle of the Bladesmith from 2:30 to 5 p.m. and a BBQ dinner at 6 p.m. (fee for the dinner with advance ticket purchase required).

The registration fee for the whole weekend is $75. For more information contact Ken at 828.400.7815.

Bascom presents Harris exhibit

March 9-15, 2016

A showcase of work from painter Lucien Harris III will run through May 22 at The Bascom in Highlands.

Harris was an American painter of natural subjects. He was a self-taught artist best known for his observations of the interactions of plants and animals. Harris was immensely influenced by his father, Lucien

MAN IN THE MIRROR

APRIL 30

HALESTORM

Smoky Mountain News

Travel photography round table The Sylva Photo Club will have a roundtable discussion about travel photography at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 12, at the Cullowhee Methodist Church on the campus of Western Carolina University.

Gary Jones will provide a range of tips and examples of travel photography including subjects such as landscape, architecture, people and animals. Tony Wu will also show his photographs from a recent trip to Taiwan.

Other club members will follow with “Show and Tell” emphasizing the subject of travel photography.

Cost is $5 donation for visitor (applied to membership); free for members.

Membership to the Sylva Photo Club is $20 per year, $10 for students. sylvaphotoclub.wordpress.com or sylvaphotoclub@gmail.com or 828.226.3840.

A GUAR ANTEED G R E AT N I G H T O U T A TRIBUTE TO THE KING OF POP

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Harris Jr., a highly regarded lepidopterist.

Harris became a founding member of The Art League of Highlands in 1980, and was instrumental in the early development of The Bascom Louise Gallery at The Hudson Library.

The works will be exhibited for free. The public is invited to attend a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at The Bascom. www.thebascom.org.

WITH L ACUNA COIL A N D C I LV E R

MAY 14

CHRIS YOUNG MAY 7

CH I PPEN DAL ES JUNE 11 TWO SHOWS

Visit ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-745-3000 to purchase tickets.

Fine Art Museum hosts exhibits, clothing drive

“The sculptor has said this installation discusses our relationship toward consumerism and perceived obsolescence as a design strategy that inspires consumers to replace their perfectly good belongings with new items. It examines the speed at which we mass-produce, mass-consume and then reproduce goods and materials, which is questionable to our survival.”

The photography exhibit is a series of images by Brazilian-born photographer Pedro Lobo that documents the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro. Lobo’s photographic landscapes attempt to show the human dignity of the occupants in spite of all the difficulties they face. “His photography does not shy away from depicting the sprawl or the hardships of the favelas, yet they are filled with optimism necessary for life in these marginalized urban

The Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University is presenting an exhibition of photography and a sculpture installation, while simultaneously hosting a clothing drive, through March 18.

The exhibits and coinciding clothes donations are part of a collaboration between the museum and WCU’s Office of Service Learning with local community groups Mountain Projects and Sylva Linings Thrift Store.

“We want to open a discussion on social justice issues in the Americas and provide a pathway going beyond dialogue that leads to action,” said Denise Drury Homewood, museum director. “Gently used clothing can be dropped off at a donation bin here at the Fine Art Museum for the duration of the exhibition.”

The soft sculpture exhibit will be a site-specific installation by Jarod The photography exhibit on display at WCU’s Fine Art Museum Charzewski, associate includes this image by Brazilian-born photographer Pedro Lobo professor of sculpture at that documents the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro. the College of Charleston and recipient of the South Carolina Arts Commission’s 2016 Visual Arts neighborhoods,” Drury Homewood said.

The Fine Art Museum is open 10 a.m. to Fellowship. Titled “Scarp,” the folds of fabric 4 p.m. weekdays, with extended hours on will represent exposed sedimentary layers of Thursdays to 7 p.m. Admission and parking rock and earth, known as escarpment. This are free. The museum is located in the John project is about fabricating history with synW. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. thetic and fleeting artifacts as the medium fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or and references the earth and the human 828.227.3591. presence on it, Drury Homewood said.

Conference on regional arts at WCU Artists, patrons of the arts and community leaders from across Western North Carolina will gather to discuss the importance of the region’s artistic community, the common challenges they face and more at a conference Thursday, March 17, at Western Carolina University.

Titled “LEAD:Arts,” the event will be held in Room 204 of WCU’s Health and Human Sciences Building, beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding by 3 p.m. Among issues to be discussed are what it means to be an artist or an arts organization in the mountains, and methods for towns to leverage the arts to advance the cultural, educational and economic vitality of the region. Attendees will have an oppor-

tunity for networking, building creative partnerships and sharing examples of success.

WCU Chancellor David O. Belcher will welcome attendees and make opening remarks.

LEAD conferences are regional forums hosted

by WCU on a variety of topics that explore solutions to common problems and find ways to strengthen Western North Carolina.

A conference highlight will be a “Beginning the Conversation” roundtable discussion to identify shared issues and concerns and to start a dialogue on the potential of the local artistic community, as well as its influence. George Brown, dean of WCU’s College of Fine and Performing Arts, will moderate.

The conference and a provided lunch are free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To register, go to www.wcu.edu/engage/community-resources/ profdev/lead-arts.asp or call 828.227.7560.

On the street

Shelton House seeks volunteers, board members

Historian to discuss ‘Where Movements Meet’

The Shelton House, which houses the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts in Waynesville, is in need of people interested in a number of rewarding volunteer opportunities including docents, gardening assistants, helpers for special events, and individuals interested in perpetuating the craft collection.

The organization is also reaching out for potential new board members who believe that their expertise in history, fundraising, crafts, and community relations would be of benefit to the group.

The farmhouse includes Charlestonianstyle features such as jib windows and railing and is adorned with Victorian ceilings, walnut bannister, doors, woodwork, and impressive Shelton family antiques. The 140-yearold structure was at one time situated on vast acreage but is now down to 8 acres that encompass the land on which the 100-yearold barn, apartment, HART Theater, and the Farmer’s Market are also situated.

Haywood Arts, LIFESPAN showcase

• The film “Embers” will be screened at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 16, in the University Center theater at Western Carolina University.

Part of the Southern Circuit film series, the science fiction premise posits how survivors of a global neurological epidemic search for meaning and connection in a world without

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. March 10, 17 and 24 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included. 828.538.2054.

ALSO:

• A community art group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at the Hudson Library in Highlands. 828.526.3031.

• The film “Spotlight” will be screened at 7 p.m. March 9-10, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. March 12 and 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. March 13 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. There will also be a free screening of the “The Good Dinosaur” at noon and 2 p.m. March 12 and 19. www.38main.com.

• The films “The Peanuts Movie” (March 1012), “Sisters” (March 17), “Brooklyn” (March 18) and “Labyrinth” (March 19) will be screened at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

Screenings are at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. with a special 2 p.m. matinee on Saturdays.

“The Peanuts Movie” will also have a 7 p.m. screening on March 12. Free. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• An Easter Egg Hunt will be at noon Saturday, March 19, at the Macon County Rec Park. Admission is one canned food item donation, benefitting CareNet. There will also be children’s activities held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day at The Factory.

828.349.8888 or www.thefactory.bz.

• The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department will hold their annual Easter Egg Hunt at noon Saturday, March 19. Held at the recreation park for ages 10 and under. Prizes awarded to all children who find “Golden Eggs.” There will be a decorated Easter Egg Contest prior to the hunt. 828.293.3053 or go to rec.jacksonnc.org.

memory — how to learn, love and communicate in a future that has no past. Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for the general public.

Part of the Arts & Cultural Events Series at WCU. www.wcu.edu.

• The film “Alvin & The Chipmunks” will be screened at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. March 12 at The Colonial Theatre in Canton. Admission is $3. www.cantonnc.com.

ALSO:

Jessica Wilkerson. Donated photo University of Mississippi. Her presentation will be based on her dissertation that traced the alliances forged and grassroots movements led by women in the Appalachian South in the 1960s and 1970s. Wilkerson was awarded the prestigious Lerner-Scott Prize by the Organization of American Historians for her research in 2015.

“The women she writes about were key leaders and foot soldiers in what contemporaries called the ‘Appalachian Movement,’ which intersected with civil rights organizations and had its roots in the War on Poverty,” said Pam Meister, curator and interim director of WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center. Women took the skills they learned in anti-poverty programs to engage in social justice activism such as labor rights and women’s rights, Meister said.

Part of WCU’s Visiting Scholars Program, Wilkerson’s presentation is cosponsored by the Mountain Heritage Center, WCU’s Department of History, and the Appalachian Women’s Museum of Dillsboro.

Admission is free to the public program. For more information, contact the Mountain Heritage Center at 828.227.7129.

• The Haywood Home Builders will host a chili cook-off at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• The Waynesville Public Library is partnering with Haywood County 4-H and will be having yoga classes for kids. The class will meet from 3 to 5 p.m. March 10 in the auditorium. This class is based on curriculum created by the Arkansas 4-H and designed for ages 5 and up, although younger children are welcome. Children are invited to bring a favorite beach towel and water bottle. Free.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. March 12 and 19 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.586.6300.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. March 12 and 19 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. March 9 and 16 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 828.452.6000.

• There will be a “Tasty Tuesday: Winter Seasonals” at 7 p.m. March 15 and 22 at Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden.

Smoky Mountain News

• An English Smocking Class will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at the Jackson County Extension Center in Sylva.

The class is presented by the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Craft Club. Class subject will be the art of English Smocking on an Easter egg. Cost of kit is $10.

828.586.4009.

A Mississippi historian will visit the Western Carolina University campus to give a presentation as part of the university’s observance of Women’s History Month.

Jessica Wilkerson will speak about “Where Movements Meet: From the War on Poverty to Grassroots Feminism in the Appalachian South” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the first-floor auditorium of H.F. Robinson Administration Building.

Wilkerson is an assistant professor of history and Southern studies at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the

March 9-15, 2016

The Haywood County Arts Council and LIFESPAN have partnered for the March gallery exhibit, “Abilities Illuminated,” which will run through April 6 at Gallery & Gifts in downtown Waynesville.

LIFESPAN empowers children and adults with disabilities by providing education, employment, and enrichment opportunities to live, work, and play in their communities.

The art for the March show will be provided

by LIFESPAN Arts, an inclusive art studio where artists can experience working with different artistic mediums including painting, pottery, mosaic art and jewelry.

An artist reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, March 11, at Gallery & Gifts.

Light refreshments will be served. www.haywoodarts.org.

Shelton House is the first house in Haywood County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the first to be ornamented with a quilt block on the Haywood County Quilt Trails. Because of its antique farm collection and its legacy as a historic dairy, the museum is included as a tour site on Buy Haywood’s Agritourism map.

Recently, Blue Ridge National Heritage Area selected Shelton House to display signage that demonstrates the museum’s tie to agricultural, Cherokee, and craft heritage in the region.

In addition, because of Will Taylor Shelton’s association with the Navajo reservation in New Mexico, the Shelton House Navajo collection is considered of extreme importance to the understanding of Navajo history by Navajo antiquity experts.

Interested individuals for either volunteer or potential board positions should contact Sarah Jane League at 828.456.5356 or info@sheltonhouse.org. www.sheltonhouse.org

• The “Trail Magic Ale #13” release party will be March 18-20 at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City. On Friday at 6 p.m. they will be tapping the first keg of the 13th Trail Magic Ale Release at the Tap Room. At 8 p.m. there will be a bottle swap/beer geek party in the brewery. On Saturday, beginning at noon there will be a limited bottle release Trail Magic Ale bottles. A portion of the proceeds of the bottle sales will be donated to the Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program via the Friends of the Smokies organization. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

arts & entertainment

On the wall

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arts & entertainment

On the stage

‘Twelve Angry Men’ at HART

Live broadcast of ‘Blackbeard’s Ghost’ The live radio broadcast of “Blackbeard’s Ghost” will be presented at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 17, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

“Blackbeard’s Ghost” will be the eighth in a series of academic-based entertainment productions mounted in collaboration with three departments and two colleges at WCU. The 2016 production is being led by director Peter Savage, music director Bruce Frazier, and writer and producer Don Connelly.

Tickets are $10. Proceeds are used to fund scholarships in participating academic departments. psavage@wcu.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

March 9-15, 2016

Stage readings of ‘Rogue Burgundy Crush’

The final production of the winter Studio Season, the courtroom nail-biter “Twelve Angry Men,” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 11-12 and at 3 p.m. March 13 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The drama by Reginald Rose, which centers on an all-male jury’s deliberations in a murder trial, began life as a TV teleplay for “Studio One” on CBS in 1954. It was rewritten again in 1957 as a feature film directed by Sidney Lumet. Henry Fonda both coproduced and starred in the film.

It was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Director, Best Picture and Best Writing of an Adapted Screenplay. It is now considered a classic.

This is also the last chance for patrons to enjoy the Center Stage Café, which begins serving 90 minutes before show time. The café, which is on HART’s main stage, will have to close following this performance to make way for the 2016 Main Stage Season. Reservations for the HART Studio and Café are recommended as productions tend to sell out.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for students.

828.456.6322 or www.harttheater.org.

Sheila Gahagan, CPA Specializing in Audits, Reviews & Tax Preparation.

229 PENLAND STREET, CLYDE Phone (828) 627-1040 Fax (828) 627-2329 36

Western Carolina University’s School of Stage and Screen will present the second installment in its Josefina Niggli New Works Reading Series with staged readings of “Rogue Bergundy Crush” at 7:30 p.m. March 11-12 at the Niggli Theatre in Cullowhee.

As staged readings, the events will include actors reading with scripts in hand, but without costumes or sets and with much of the dramatization left to the audience’s imaginations. Each reading will be followed with a 15- to 20-minute “talkback” with the playwright that is intended to provide vital feedback about the script.

The readings of the new play by Charlotte-based playwright Tommy Trull will be directed by Michael Lilly and feature student actors. They will contain adult lan-

guage and themes and are intended for a mature audience.

Admission to the readings is free, but $5 donations are suggested that will go toward student scholarships.

828.227.7491.

Pirates to overtake Franklin stage

A live stage production of “Treasure Island, The Classic Adventure” will be presented by the Overlook Theatre Company at 7:30 p.m. March 18-19 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

This production of Treasure Island is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of the same name, and tells the story of buccaneers and buried gold. The story is noted for its atmosphere, characters and action adventure. Its popularity has made it one of the most frequently dramatized novels.

Tickets are $12 each. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

• An “Appalachian Dance” class will be held at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville. Classes feature flat-foot dancing, buck dancing, clogging and square dance styles unique to the Haywood County mountains. Classes for ages 16 and up will be March 22 and 29 and April 5 and 12 (first session); and also May 17, 24 and 31 and June 7 (second session). Classes for ages 6 and up will be April 19 and 26 and May 3 and 10. $40 per person for the four-class session. 828.452.2997 and info@folkmoot.org.

ALSO:

arts & entertainment March 9-15, 2016

Smoky Mountain News

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

Marquez autobiography rich in detail, just like his prose “It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”

— Gabriel Garcia Marquez arly in this astonishing autobiography, Gabriel Garcia Marquez makes a comment about the problems the he has experienced when writing about the past. He notes: nostalgia colors the way we recall the past because frequently, it has “erased the bad memories and magniWriter fied the good ones.”

Ironically, this judgment is an accurate description of Living to Tell the Tale. For example, Marquez repeatedly veers away from describing the execution of 3,000 striking banana workers in his hometown (Barranqualla) while devoting long, descriptive passages to his childhood passions: reading comics (Flash Gordon, Tarzan and Mutt & Jeff ) while attempting to draw his own versions, which he sold to the neighbors.

From the beginning, Marquez was a storyteller, entertaining his family with his personal accounts of local events, gossip and scandal. By the age of 4, he had learned to embellish his stories with bizarre details. In addition, he loved music and delighted everyone by singing the romantic ballads he heard on the radio. However, to the distress of his parents, he always wanted to be a writer (journalist) and began his career writing for the local newspapers. By the time he was a teenager, he was writing a daily column while singing with local quartets at night, an activity that paid little if anything. (Gabriel’s father was a failed businessman — pharmacy — who was rarely able to provide for his family.)

I first read a reference in the New York

Gary Carden

E

Times to Marquez as “our greatest living writer” some 20 years ago, and after reading his first novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, I concluded that the Times was right. Marquez is a master of descriptive detail, and when I read his account of a jour-

Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. 483 pages. ney he made with his mother to the nearly abandoned town of his childhood “to sell their house,” I remembered all of the journeys in Love in the Time of Cholera and The General in His Labyrinth as Marquez describes the Magdalena River, the stench of drowned chickens and cows, the stultifying heat and the constant vibration of the engine on the boat as young prostitutes ply their trade in the dark. (He says the river mud was so deep and smelled so bad, passengers had to

Writer open mic in Sylva The NetWest program of the North Carolina Writers Network will host an open mic night at 7 p.m. Friday, March 11, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Folks are encouraged to bring their poetry or short pieces to share. The North Carolina Writers’ Network connects, promotes and serves the writers of this state. They provide education in the craft and business of writing, opportunities for recognition and critique of literary work, resources for writers at all stages of development, support for and advocacy of the literary heritage of North Carolina, and a community for those who write. www.citylightsnc.com or 828.586.9499.

Peeps diorama contest in Bryson There will a contest to create a diorama using peeps that represent a book of your choice at the Marianna Black Library in

be carried to the bank by servants who beat off the clouds of turkey buzzards that fed off the dead creatures in the muck.)

Marquez developed an appreciation for American writers as a teenager and read (and identified with) Faulkner. He also read Dos Passos and Hemingway and often praised his favorites in his newspaper columns. However, his favorite literature was A Thousand and One Nights.

Marquez brings the same graphic realism to the streets of his childhood home where the nights are filled with laughter and weeping. In addition, the young Marquez listened to his relatives tell stories of ghosts and suicides.

The household, including an awesome number of uncles and aunts who recount tales of the suicides of impoverished lawyers by “gold cyanide” and aunts who have been dead for years who are sometimes encountered in the hallways. There is also a constant supply of illegitimate sons who come seeking refuge with the Marquez family. Some are brothers to the young Gabriel and others are the sons of his grandfather, who is notorious for his love affairs. (He was sometimes found guilty due to his cologne, which was detected on a pillow by a jealous husband.) There is an insane grandmother who has conversations with the dead and numerous tales of duels fought either by gun-toting lawyers or shorttempered relatives with a grudge.

All of this sounds like a bad environment for a young boy, but such is not the case. The suicides, the murderers, the lovers and the lost ghosts — all are the characters of the novels that Gabriel Garcia Marquez will write, and they will be given a kind of immortality denied to most mortals. At some point, I realized that my appreciation for this creator of “magical realism” was partly due to his resemblance to another writer — a North Carolina writer who also had a talent for writing narrative filled with sensory details, passages that linger in the mind long after the work is finished.

I am talking about Thomas Wolfe, of course. That is not a new comparison, since other readers have also noted that both Wolfe and Marquez share a talent for rich descriptive details, especially descriptions of journeys, of night time and of food. Both share a gift for celebrating lost love.

In reading Living to Tell the Tale, I had considerable difficulty in remembering that Marquez died two years ago, having only finished the first of his three-volume autobiography. He chose to stop with his marriage in 1954, leaving some 60 years to celebrate in the last two books. When I went back to read a few of the tributes to Marquez, I found several heart-felt accounts of his final days. His friends remember that he never stopped believing that he would finish the remaining two books of his autobiography. He was living in Mexico at the time of his death since his “political views” had made him an unwanted resident in Colombia. (Due to his celebrated friendship with Fidel Castro, his presence in the United States was “politically awkward.”)

According to his brother, Marquez developed pancreatic cancer while working on Living to Tell the Tale. Eventually, the author received chemotherapy treatments which inevitably caused senile dementia. Friends noted that the chemotherapy halted the cancer but destroyed Marquez’ mind. As a consequence, this gifted man gradually developed Alzheimer’s. In the end, he stopped writing and acknowledged that he would not write again. He died in 2014 at the age of 87.

For those of you who are devoted fans, rumors are circulating about an unpublished work that will possibly be published soon. The work is entitled We Will See Each Other in August. At his death, Gabriel Garcia Marquez had written 14 major works, the most noted being One Hundred Years of Solitude, which won the Nobel Prize in 1982.

(Gary Carden is a writer and storyteller who lives in Sylva. He can be reached at gcarden498@aol.com.)

Bryson City.

The contest is open to ages 4-16. Judges will choose a winner from two age categories: 4-10 and 11-16. Entries can be submitted starting Wednesday, March 16. All entries must be submitted by 4 p.m. Friday, March 18. Judging will be Wednesday, March 24.

828.488.3030.

titled Mountain Echoes, for long-time and new readers to enjoy.

For more information or to schedule a book signing, call JanCarol Publishing, Inc., at 423.926.9983 or visit www.jancarolpublishing.com.

WNC author’s columns compiled

The Coffee with the Poet series continues with an ode to Irish poets at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 17, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the series is asking folks to come and share the work of their favorite Irish poets. Whether the poet is classic, contemporary, or little-known, have an Irish coffee if you like, and help celebrate the day.

The Coffee with the Poet series is cosponsored by the Netwest program of the North Carolina Writers Network and gathers the third Thursday of each month.

828.586.9499.

Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc., of Johnson City, Tennessee, is proud to announce the release of the book Mountain Echoes from author Edie Hutchins Burnette.

Over the last decade and more, Burnette has prowled the hills and coves of Western North Carolina in search of Haywood County’s history. As readers of her columns, “Mountain Echoes,” in the Asheville Citizen-Times have discovered, very little has escaped Burnette’s dogged sleuthing and masterful pen. And now, this prolific writer’s work is compiled in the beautifully illustrated book, also

‘Coffee with the Poet’ in Sylva

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Smoky Mountain News

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39

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

40

Feeling alive Waynesville chiropractor reflects on decade as professional mountain climber

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he little storefront that serves as home base for Todd McDougall’s chiropractic office looks just about how you’d expect such an office to look — reception desk at the front, neutral walls and an exam room with padded table inside. But the smattering of framed mountain snowscapes on the wall of that exam room give a clue as to what “normal” looked like for McDougall before setting up shop in Waynesville.

“I would look back after those years, and I had climbed over 60 mountains over 20,000 feet,” McDougall said. “That was six times a year I was at 20,000 feet, and that’s kind of a lot.”

McDougall got bit early by the mountain climbing bug, as a high-schooler in Massachusetts when he became the victim of a weekend rock climbing trip that set him moving along the road less traveled.

“I was hooked instantly,” he recalled. “I was just like a monkey, naturally.”

He liked the full-body movement, the sensory stimulation from the textures of different rocks and geologies. So, after college and a two-year Peace Corps tour in West Africa, McDougall, now 53, found himself working as a professional mountain climbing guide with American Alpine Institute. It was something he’d do for about 10 years.

It was a year-round gig, mostly, with winters spent ice-climbing in Colorado, springs in California or Nevada and summers in Bolivia,

T

During has years as a mountain climbing guide, McDougall scaled 60 mountains over 20,000 feet.

Donated photo

From his camp below, Todd McDougall contemplates the peak of 22,350-foot Ama Dablam, in Nepal, which he would later summit solo. Bill Crouse photo

trips to Nepal or Ecuador or Mexico sometimes thrown into the mix. He’d usually wind up with a few months off in the fall — and that leisure time would also go to mountain climbing. That’s when he’d embark on personal expeditions to the peaks of Nepal, Pakistan or India.

It was full-force living, all the time.

“At the beginning it was more just adventure and fun, so when dangerous things happened, it was just fun,” McDougall said. “But as I did it longer and longer, it became more serious. I think I became more conservative as I went.”

When you’re exploring miles above sea level on an isolated landscape, things can happen. And they did.

“Luckily nobody died on any of our trips,” McDougall said. “But we did have lots of adventures.”

ADVENTURES APLENTY Like, the time the group he was guiding crossed a high plateau in Bolivia. Roped together, the five of them were walking across an angled snowfield next to a 900-foot dropoff when an avalanche began, right where they were standing.

“We all got dragged to the cliff, and the last guy ended up being over the cliff when we finally got the rope to come to a stop,” McDougall said.

When the avalanche started, McDougall flew into action, digging his axe into the ice and straining to create friction with his feet and belly, but the slide continued. The rope became taut, dragging him 10 feet closer to the edge. For a moment, he considered cutting it, so at least one person would survive.

He squashed the impulse.

“As a guide, you can’t be the only one who survives,” he said.

Luckily, the avalanche ran out of steam, the snow chunks falling over the cliff and the five climbers grinding to a halt.

“You could hear it hit the ground 900 feet below,” McDougall recalled. After that incident, the group voted unanimously to descend, rather than keep striving for the summit.

When things fall from one surface, they have to land on another. One of McDougall’s close calls came when grapefruit-sized rocks

began raining from somewhere 1,200 feet above his head.

“I think it was goats that were doing it, because there was nobody up there,” McDougall said. “If it hits you, you’re dead.”

Then there was the “normal” kind of hard.

People would fall into crevasses all the time.

Just walking can be a monumental task when you’re negotiating a field full of obstacles. And melting water when you’re so high up and at such low temperatures is difficult, requiring the stoves to stay running eight hours per day to melt enough snow for everybody.

“Most accidents are on the way down from the summit, when people are tired and they think they’ve arrived,” McDougall said.

Mountains can be wild. But they’re also rewarding. One of McDougall’s favorite mem-

“Luckily nobody died on any of our trips. But we did have lots of adventures.”

— Todd McDougall

ories is of summiting Nepal’s 22,350-foot Ama Dablam, alone.

Being on top of that isolated mountain, just him and the snow and the rock and the sky, is a memory he goes back to.

“Usually you just felt alive, like oh my God this is awesome,” he said. “Risking it makes you feel more alive in a way.”

Not in a reckless kind of way, he emphasized. More in a way that has you testing your limits but still living within what you know you can do. Every day pushing the envelope a little more, building your skills a little taller, and making it to take in the view from the top.

LETTING IT GO It’s been more than a decade since McDougall’s climbed anything over 20,000 feet. He hit a point, out there in the wild, when the desire to climb left him. He began to think it might be kind of nice to have a home rather than traveling all year, to have neighbors and a hometown community.

Panthertown survey looking for input Schoolhouse Falls, Panthertown Valley. Jackson County TDA photo

KICKOFF EVENT Culinary Gala

Learn to be a raft guide Wannabe raft guides can learn from the experts with this year’s sessions of Nantahala Outdoor Center Raft Guide School.

The course teaches students to read whitewater, use river signals, maneuver and rig rafts, tie knots and work with guests. NOC guides have led more whitewater rafting trips than any outfitter in the world.

The five-day course is offered March 13-18, March 20-25, March 27-April 1 and April 3-8. $450 includes lodging, meals and equipment. Students must be 18. www.noc.com.

Bass Tourney coming to Fontana A bass fishing tournament will pepper Fontana Lake with boats March 12 to 13 as the second annual Daniel Boone Council Fontana Classic Bass Tournament kicks off.

Winners through eighth place will receive cash prizes with a $2,000 first prize offered. Anyone who catches a state record small-mouth bass will receive a Ford F-150. Organized by Fontana Village Resort in partnership with the Boy Scouts of America. www.2016FontanaClassic.Kintera.org.

FROM CLIMBING TO CHIROPRACTIC

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Smoky Mountain News

From the outside, it looks like a long leap. But for McDougall, it made sense.

Just as mountain climbing is based on routes and maps and recall of the boulders and streams and trees that mark the way, chiropractic is a discipline of landscapes, at least in McDougall’s mind. When he sees a patient’s body, he sees a landscape of bones and muscles and traces of the places he’s worked before.

“To me, that’s mountain climbing,” McDougall said. “It’s the same set of skills in a sense, which is maybe a little abstract for some people, but it seems right on for me.”

So too, did the Appalachians, where McDougall and his wife Hayley — who he met in chiropractic school — opted to move after finishing their education. They’re tame mountains compared to the rugged Andes and Himalayas. But they felt right.

“They just have a story to tell that reminds me of the other mountains,” McDougall said. “They’re the oldest mountains in the world, so at one point they were really jagged.”

Anyway, he’s done with the crazyintense, death-defying expeditions.

But he has a 15-month-old daughter, and he can see helmets, harnesses and rope in her future.

“I’ll probably teach her to climb,” he said.

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March 9-15, 2016

He can remember the trip when it happened.

He and a buddy had taken a trip to India, setting out to scale a previously unclimbed 8,000 face in the Himalayan Mountains. Everything went wrong.

“We ran out of food for two days and we were freezing and it snowed 4 inches every single night and we were getting hit with spindrift avalanches all day, every day,” he said. “It was serious.”

They made it to the top. But on the way down, they came to an edge amid the glaciers with nowhere to go. They were too tired to conceive of walking all the way back. So, they took out a rope, laid it out with the center on the ground in front of them and the ends dangling on either side of the edge, and they rappelled down on opposite sides, hoping that the rope was long enough to reach the bottom.

“We didn’t care at that point,” McDougall said. “We were so tired.”

Luckily, the rope took his buddy all the way to the ground and him just 4 feet away from it. They hit the ground on their respective sides of the glacier and began hiking out, rejoining paths five or ten minutes later. It was a desperate situation, and it could easily have turned out differently.

When the dust settled, McDougall was left with the realization that he was ready to leave the serious mountain climbing behind.

So, chiropractic.

outdoors

Friends of Panthertown is looking for input from people who use the popular backcountry recreation area near Cashiers, hoping to better target its activities and structure in the future.

The anonymous 10-question survey will be open through March 18 at www.surveymonkey.com/r/panthertown316.

Friends of Panthertown is a nonprofit whose volunteers maintain 30 miles of trail in Panthertown Valley.

FROM HWY. 19/23 TAKE EXIT 104 TOWARDS LAKE JUNALUSKA; CONTINUE 1/2 MILE TO HAYWOOD MEDICAL PARK ON THE LEFT.

www.smokymtneye.com 828.456.3211

41

outdoors

As the road toward a new forest management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests continues, the U.S. Forest Service will begin releasing portions of the draft plan online throughout the spring and summer.

The public will be able to follow along in real time as edits and changes are made to the draft plan.

“As we receive feedback, the versions on the web will be updated to reflect our evolving thinking,” said James Melonas, deputy forest supervisor for national forests in North Carolina. “We want to show how public input is being used in the development of the plan.”

The first batch of documents released deal with pieces of the plan that will apply to the whole forest, identifying broad goals and concepts for managing forest resources. Over the spring and summer months, other pieces — including the management area plan direction, plan monitoring program and analyses such as which lands might be suitable for the National Wilderness Preservation system — will be released.

The planning process started in 2012 and is slated for completion in late 2017. The outcome will guide management of the forest system for at least two decades. www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/home/?cid =stelprdb5397660.

Wildlife group resigns from red wolf recovery team Defenders of Wildlife has walked off the Red Wolf Recovery Team, claiming it’s headed for a “dead end,” meeting only once in the past five months.

The only wild population of red wolves on earth is in a five-county area of eastern North Carolina where they were reintroduced. The population includes only 45 red wolves.

Environmental groups had contested the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission’s management of the nearly extinct population, even filing a lawsuit to restrict coyote hunting in red wolf territory to avoid red wolves being mistaken for coyotes and shot.

The Wildlife Commission in turn questioned whether the red wolf reintroduction is a valid and worthwhile undertaking. So the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service suspended the reintroduction program while conducting a feasibility study to that effect.

According to Defenders of Wildlife, the Red Wolf Recovery Team created to guide the study was a team in name only. The team has members who “seek to undermine red wolf recovery efforts at every turn” and

is doing nothing to create “a scientificallybased plan for getting the red wolf back on

track,” according to Defenders of Wildlife.

Fish and Wildlife, however, says the team is moving forward to come up with a scientifically based plan for the red wolf ’s future.

“We will continue our committed work with this team and its members to chart a path forward related to the future of the experimental population of red wolves and the overall recovery program based on the best science,” said Tom MacKenzie, spokesman for Red wolf. USFWS photo Fish and Wildlife.

A smorgasbord of Smokies science From hellbenders to graveyards, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Science Colloquium Thursday, March 17, in Gatlinburg will be chockfull of scientists and opportunities to learn about the research they’re involved in.

The colloquium, organized by the park and Discover Life in America, highlights the diversity of research happening in the park. www.dlia.org.

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Banking...

Smoky Mountain News

March 9-15, 2016

New forest plan documents released

mobile technology to help you get a lot less mobile.

Find us on Facebook. Federally Insured by NCUA Log on. Plan a trip.

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42

Mountain bike summit rolling in to Bryson City

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Featuring the Biking in the Tsali Recreation Area.

Max Cooper photo

Authority is hosting an evening social for the mountain bikers.

“The Summit is a wonderful way to get our land managers and local leaders together to discuss the importance of mountain biking and the benefits it brings to our region,” said Karen Wilmot, executive director of the Swain Chamber. $85 for full registration, with Haywood’s clinics costing $70 additional. Organized by the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association. www.southernmountainbikesummit.com.

40+ ALL-NEW WORKSHOPS!

1. TEST DRIVE electric vehicles, courtesy of Blue Ridge Electric Vehicle Club.

An eight-week course to improve mobility and muscle strength — while reducing pain and stiffness — is underway at Sylva’s First Baptist Church.

Take Control with Exercise is held 10 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through April 27, a program developed through the Arthritis Foundation. Sessions including a range of stretching, strengthening, cardiovascular, balance and relaxation exercises, as well as brain games.

Free. Sponsored by Sylva First Baptist and the Area Agency on Aging.

Cheryl Beck, 828.369.6909 or cheryl_beck@ncsu.edu.

2. With 200+ exhibitors, there are THREE LEVELS to explore! Meet with local businesses and experts in everything home, garden and green living!

Balance, coordination focus of hiking program

5. Leave with a new friend! Brother Wolf will have with ADOPTABLE PETS.

Thru-hiker season is on the horizon and Franklin is welcoming hikers with a shuttle service to and from Winding Stair Gap along the Appalachian Trail into downtown.

Franklin is a designated A.T. trail town, and a popular stop-over for hikers to stock up on supplies, do laundry and bed down for the night.

The Macon County Transit’s hiker shuttle began Feb. 15 and will run through May

30, making runs weekdays at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. for a $3 charge. Non-hikers can ride and meet the thru-hikers for $6. The Franklin Tourism Development Authority helps subsidize the shuttle.

On the weekends, Nantahala Hiking Club members are filling in the gap, with volunteers giving free, on-demand rides (though donations to the club are appreciated). Volunteers are still needed to help with the weekend lifts.

To volunteer or request a shuttle, giving at least six hours’ notice, contact Kay Coriell, 828.369.6820.

4. Enjoy free antique & jewelry APPRAISALS with Bonnie Rose Appraisals. It’s included in general admission! Coins and stamps not included.

BONUS REASON: Have you seen our SEMINAR SCHEDULE? It’s amazing! Take a look online- you’re sure to find something great!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND JOIN US AT THE US CELLULAR CENTER MARCH 18TH—20TH!

TO JOIN THIS EVENT OR FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

WWW.GREENASHEVILLE.COM l 828.255.2526

Smoky Mountain News

Learn about exercises to improve your balance, flexibility and wellness, and in turn make you a better hiker, at 7 p.m. Friday, March 11, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The presenter is MaryAnn Ingram, creator of the Movement Exploration classes designed for seniors, helping students increase their coordination, balance, flexibility and musculoskeletal strength and endurance. Part of the Nantahala Hiking Club’s regular meeting.

3. There are 40+ ALL NEW hands-on home, garden and green living WORKSHOPS, all free with daily admission or weekend pass!

March 9-15, 2016

TOP 5 REASONS YOU SHOULD JOIN US FOR THE HOME GARDEN & GREEN LIVING SHOW:

Improve mobility with free class

Hiker shuttle service underway in Franklin

outdoors

Nearly 150 mountain bikers are expected to converge on Bryson City March 18-19 for the Southern Mountain Bike Summit, an event that will get bike advocates and other stakeholders together to discuss trail building, maintenance, policy, industry trends, economic impact and overall bicycling sustainability — and also get some riding in.

The local Nantahala chapter of the Southern OffRoad Bicycle Association is hosting the event.

“The Summit reenergizes everyone to continue working toward a common goal – more and better sustainable off-road cycling in the Southeast,” said Andy Zivinsky, Nantahala SORBA president.

Group rides will showcase trail systems like those at Tsali Recreation Area and Western Carolina University. Former world champion racer Sue Haywood will teach skills clinics, including a Saturday clinic for women only.

In addition, workshops and seminars by the International Mountain Bicycling Association and the U.S. Forest Service will

cover a variety of topics, including a special presentation by WCU professor J.P. Gannon on the scientific consensus concerning erosion and mountain biking, namely that mountain biking doesn’t cause any more erosion than hiking.

The Swain County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Development

FIND US AT

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43

outdoors

Get schooled on wildflowers The forest floor surrounding Jackson County comes alive as wildflower season dawns — and a sixweek course on spring wildflowers will give participants the knowledge to put names to flowery faces.

Spring Wildflowers of Southern Appalachia, taught by horticulturist Adam Bigelow, will teach identification techniques and on-the-ground practice outdoors. Bigelow will also cover the plants’ “stories,” including their names, benefits, uses and relationship to each other and the world at large.

4-H Livestock club members wanted Kids and teens looking to learn more about livestock are wanted for a 4-H Livestock Club interest meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11, at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension

Trout lilly. Donated photo

The class runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays from March 22 to April 29. $120, with single-day rates also available. bigelownc@gmail.com.

Center.

The club gives youth a chance to gain handson experience caring for and showing cattle, hogs and goats, including at the Haywood County Fair, the Mountain State Fair and the Skill-aThon. Monthly meetings and educational workshops help members increase their skills and knowledge. 828.456.3575.

March 9-15, 2016

Grow blueberries and grapevines with aplomb A seminar on growing blueberries and grapes will be offered in Sylva and Bryson City next week.

■ 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at the Swain Extension Center in Bryson City.

■ 10-11:30 a.m. Friday, March 18, at the Jackson Extension Center in Sylva.

The course will cover site selection, soil conditions, spacing, weed control, cultivar selection, pruning, harvesting, pests and more.

Free. 828.586.4009 in Sylva or 828.488.3848 in Bryson City. clbreden@ncsu.edu.

Plant sale underway in Haywood A botanical bonanza is now on sale through the Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association’s annual plant sale.

Orders for everything from asparagus to berries to flowers are due by March 15, with pickups scheduled for April and May. Proceeds from the sale fund education-related horticulture projects in Haywood County.

Order forms available from mgarticles@charter.net, 828.456.3575 or in person at the Cooperative Extension Office on Raccoon Road in Waynesville.

Smoky Mountain News

Mark your calendar

44

Spring is just around the corner, and it’s not too early to get these warmer-weather events penciled into your calendar.

■ The Discover Life in America Park Science Colloquium will be held Thursday, March 17, in Gatlinburg. During the all-day event, researchers from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will present findings from their work. Free. www.discoverlifeinamerica.org.

■ The 38th annual Southeastern Recreation Research Conference will be held March 20-22 in Asheville. Researchers and managers spanning the spectrum of parks and recreation management will present projects and findings, promoting informal discussion alongside the formal presentations. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service. Deadline for early bird prices is March 1. www.serrconference.org.

■ The 66th annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage will be held April 19-23 in Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The week includes 146 programs, talks, workshops and guided field activities exploring the rich flora, wildlife, ecology, and cultural and natural history of the Smokies. www.springwildflowerpilgrimage.org.

■ Heritage Life Skills V, a conference focused on survival and homesteading skills, will be held April 29-May 1 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds. Classes span the gamut from beekeeping to canning to surveillance detection. Registration starts March 1. www.carolinareadiness.com.

■ The Haywood County Garden Tour will be held Saturday, June 18, taking participants through a rich array of Haywood’s best botanical feats. Tickets go on sale May 7. 828.456.3575.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Western Carolina University will hold an Open House starting at 8:15 a.m. on March 12, in Cullowhee. openhouse.wcu.edu, 227.7317 or 877.928.4968.

• Help with income tax preparation for seniors over age 60 will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center through March by Bruce Johnson, registered tax return preparer, in exchange for donation to the Senior Resource Center. By appointment only 828.356.2800.

• Free tax preparation will be available through April 15 at the Jackson County Public Library and Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. Library hours are 3-6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays or by appointment (586.2016). Senior Center hours are from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays on a first-come, first-serve basis. No charge.

• Heating assistance is available for those who qualify through the Jackson County Department of Social Services, which has almost $90,000 in LIEAP funding.

Applications will be taken daily between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. through March 31 at Jackson County Department of Social Services in Sylva. 586.5546.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • A free advanced WordPress class will be offered at 5:45 p.m. on March 9, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 90 minutes. 586.2016.

• Registration deadline for an Event Security Planning course is 5 p.m. on March 9. The course is presented by the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on March 23-24, at Harrah’s Casino Conference Center in Cherokee. Register at http://terms.ncem.org/TRS. Info: 919.825.2261 or bill.chamberlain@ncdps.gov.

• “Our State, Our Stories” is the name of the Jackson County Genealogical Society’s program that will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the Community Room of the Historic Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva. 631.2646.

• A pharmacy technician certification program will be offered from 6-9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting March 10, at Western Carolina University’s Cordelia Camp Building in Cullowhee. Class is offered through WCU’s office of continuing and professional education. 50 total hours. Cost is $999 with all materials included. Register or get more info at pdp.wcu.edu or by calling 227.7397.

• The Small Business Center at Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled “How to Write a Business Plan” from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on March 10, in Room 3021 at the HCC High Technology Center. Register at SBC.Haywood.edu or by calling 627.4512.

• David Ray, vice president for policy and advocacy for CARE USA, will speak on the campus of Western Carolina University at 4 p.m. on March 14, in Room 130 of the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. 227.7262 or jwhitmire@wcu.edu.

• “Giving Good Customer Service” – a free seminar presented by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center – will be offered from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on March 14, at SCC’s Jackson Campus. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc. Info: 339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• A Women’s Business Networking Luncheon will be presented by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on March 15, at Evolutions’ new event space in downtown Sylva. Free; lunch provided. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc. Info: 339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

• “Marketing Your Business” – a free seminar presented by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center – will be offered from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on March 16, at the SCC Macon Campus. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc. Info: 339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• Two lectures about a successful business and its socially conscious reinvestment in the international business community will be offered on March 16, at Western Carolina University’s A.K. Hinds University Center Theater. Classes start at 3 and 4 p.m. Free; open to the public. 227.7184.

• Registration is underway for an American Red Cross Lifeguard Training certification course that runs from March 17-20 at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. Course fee is $235 for members and $255 for nonmembers. Instruction in lifeguard training, CPR, AED and First Aid. Earn a two-year lifeguard certification and two-year CPR/AED/First Aid certification.

Must be 15 years old. www.myhaywoodregional.com/fitness or by calling 452.8056.

• Registration is underway for a workshop entitled “Building a Memorable Brand,” which will be offered by Western Carolina University from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, March 18, at WCU’s location at Biltmore Park in Asheville. $89 per person. learn@wcu.edu.

• A free Quickbooks Series will be offered by the Haywood Community College Small Business Center from 6-9 p.m. on consecutive Tuesdays from March 22April 6. Series covers introduction, intermediate, advanced and payroll sessions. SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • A Food Drive is being held throughout the month of March, which is National Nutrition Month, by the Nutrition Education Center at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. The center is open from 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday; from 5:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday; from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and from 1-6 p.m. on Sunday. 452.8092 or http://myhaywoodregional.com/services/nutritioneducation.

• Western Carolina University’s School of Stage and Screen will present the second installment in its Josefina Niggli New Works Reading Series with staged readings of “Rogue Bergundy Crush” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 11-12. Free, but $5 donations are suggested; funds raised go toward student scholarships. 227.7491.

• A seed money fundraiser is underway to benefit the new Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. The library furnishings fund receives 50 percent of sales receipts for each packet sold directly or 25 percent sold at SowTrueSeed.com; use the code MBL2016. 488.3030, ext. 128, jdelfield@fontanalib.org.

• An “Empty Bowl” fundraiser will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. March 12 in the dining hall at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. Raffle tickets are $1 each to win one-of-a kind artworks and you can buy as many as you wish. Tickets for the “Empty Bowl” are $30 and are currently available at the Craft Shop, Cherokee County Chamber and the United Community Bank of Hayesville. All proceeds from this event will go directly to the Clay and Cherokee County Food Banks. www.folkschool.org.

• The annual Ben Eidam Memorial Pancake Day is set for 7 a.m.-1 p.m. on March 12 at Clyde Central United

Smoky Mountain News

Methodist Church. $8 for adults, $4 for children 6-12 and free for kids under 6. All-you-can-eat pancakes with bacon, sausage and a beverage. 627.2287.

• The New Library Campaign Committee for Marianna Black Library is hosting a fundraiser at 6 p.m. on March 16, at Pasqualino’s Italian Restaurant in Bryson City.

Tickets are $20 per person and include a meal of chicken parmesan, pasta, dessert and coffee/tea (tips not included, no carry out). Tickets on sale at Marianna Black Library and at Friends of the Library Used Bookstore. Info: 488.3030 or jdelfield@fontanalib.org.

• The seventh-annual pancake breakfast is scheduled for 8 a.m.-noon on March 19, in the Maggie Valley United Methodist Church fellowship hall. $8 for adults; $4 for children under 12. Proceeds support the church’s mission programs and ministries. All-you-can-eat pancakes with bacon, sausage, coffee, milk and orange juice. Tickets available at the door or in advance: 926.9794.

• Voices in the Laurel will host a Bingo Night fundraiser as part of their 20th anniversary season at 7 p.m. on March 19, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds. $20 includes admission, 20 games of bingo, coffee, dessert and a chance at winning door prizes. Tickets can be purchased by calling 734.9163. www.voicesinthelaurel.org.

VOLUNTEERS • Volunteer Opportunities are available throughout the region, call John at the Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center today and get started sharing your talents. Some specific opportunities are Taste of Chocolate event volunteers, Meals on Wheels, singers and dancers for performing at nursing home tutors at Southwestern Community college and much more. 356-2833 • Phone Assurance Volunteers are needed to make daily or weekly wellness check-in calls for the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 356.2816.

VENDORS • Greening Up the Mountains Festival is seeking artists, mountain crafters, environmental and food vendors to apply for booths in the upcoming 19th annual event, which is April 23 in Sylva. www.greeningupthemountains.com, 586.2719 or at Sylva’s Town Hall. Info: 631.4587.

• The Downtown Waynesville Association is seeking heritage themed vendors for the 6th annual Appalachian Lifestyle Celebration that will take place Saturday, June 11, on Main Street. 456.3517 or www.downtownwaynesville.com. Applications accepted until April 18.

• The town of Dillsboro will be hosting three arts and craft shows open to vendors from the surrounding region. The 2nd annual “Front Street Arts & Crafts Show.” Saturday, June 18. Application due April 1. www.visitdillsboro.org or directly from www.visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.html. 586.3511.

HEALTH MATTERS • The Macon County Cancer Support Group meets at 7 p.m. on March 10, in the cafeteria of the Angel Medical Center in Franklin. Sherrie Peeler, family and consumer science agent with the Jackson County Extension Center, will speak on radon and its connection with lung cancer.

• Relay for Life will have a meeting at 6 p.m. on March 10, at Sagebrush Steakhouse in Waynesville.

• Relay for Life of West Haywood will receive 10 percent of sales on March 10 at Jack the Dipper in Waynesville.

• A Caregiver Education Class entitled “Listen Up –

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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 Effective Communication” is scheduled for 10 a.m. on March 11, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

Free. Participants learn tips for communicating effectively with residents and staff members. All topics in the series are related to caring for and communicating with individuals with dementia. 356.2800.

• A Survivor Dinner, organized by Relay for Life, will be held at 6 p.m. on March 15, at Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Waynesville. Carrie.chuler@cancer.org.

• “Colon Cancer: Prevention and Screening” will be the topic of “Dinner with a Doc” seminar presented by Filiberto Colon, MD, gastroenterologist, at 6 p.m. on March 17, at the Haywood Regional Medical Center Café. Free. To attend, call 800.424.3627. No children in attendance please.

• An Advance Directives Workshop is scheduled for 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 452.5039 or 452.2370.

• Registration is underway through March 31 for team members for Relay For Life in Haywood County.

Carrie.shuler@cancer.org.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • A self-defense class for women will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on March 15, at Western Carolina University’s Cordelia Camp Building in Cullowhee. $20 per person.

Each participant can bring a friend, who can attend for $15. 227.7397 or click the “Conferences and Community Classes” link at conferences.wcu.edu.

• Registration is underway for Appalachian Dance Class 101, which will be offered at Folkmoot in Waynesville. Instruction on square dance formation and basic flat-foot and clogging styles unique to Haywood County will be provided by Kim Rose, director of the J. Creek Cloggers. Four-week classes cost $40 and are offered from 6-7 p.m. at the Folkmoot Community Center. Classes start March 22 for ages 16-up; April 19 for ages 6-up; and May 17 for Ages 16-up. Register: 452.2997 or elizabeth@folkmoot.org.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Compassion International, which aims to release children from poverty globally, will bring its tour: “The Compassion Experience” to the region from March 1114 at Biltmore Baptist Church’s Franklin location. Selfguided journey into the lives and stories of children living in the Philippines or Dominican Republic. www.CompassionExperience.com. www.compassion.com.

• Bluegrass Gospel Singing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 12 at Hemphill Baptist Church. Hot dog supper to follow. 926.7419 or 400.1221.

• Holy Week activities at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Canton will start with a Liturgy of the Palms and Holy Eucharist 10:30 a.m. on March 20 followed by Maundy Thursday Service at 7 p.m. on March 24 and a 7 p.m.

Good Friday Service on March 25. Holy Saturday service is at 10 a.m. on March 26, followed by Proper Liturgy for

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Holy Saturday and Great Vigil of Easter at 9 p.m.

Easter Day Service is at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 27. An Easter egg hunt for children will follow.

POLITICAL • NAACP Membership Meeting and Program are scheduled for 10 a.m. on March 12, at Liberty Baptist Church in Sylva.

• A forum featuring Haywood County commissioner candidates and candidates for the N.C. General Assembly will be shown at 7 a.m., noon and 9 p.m.

Monday through Saturday through March 15 on Charter Channel 193 and Carolina Mountain Cable Channel 2.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • The 2016 journal poetry and art contests open through May 15. A separate contest is held for best cover art. Additional information at Main Street Rag Publishing Company’s website: www.mainstreetrag.com.

• Author Bill Jamerson will present a music and storytelling program about the Civilian Conservation Corps from 11 a.m.-noon on March 12, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Info: 356.2507 or http://billjamerson.com.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • The Jackson County Senior Center is organizing an outing for 11:30 a.m. on March 16, to Fatz Café and the Franklin Shopping Center. $5 for participants; $10 for non-participants. 586.5494.

Smoky Mountain News

March 9-15, 2016

• A wellness seminar is scheduled for 1 p.m. on March 16, in the board room of the Jackson County Department on Aging Senior Center in Sylva. Seminar is entitled: Nutrition Information. 586.5494.

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• A free Android 101 class will be held from 1:15-3 p.m. on March 17, at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. 586.5494.

• The Jackson County Senior Center is organizing a trip for 8:30 a.m. on March 22, to The Trolley Company Tour in Hendersonville. $25 for participants; $35 for non-participants. 586.5494.

KIDS & FAMILIES • Wonder program presented by the Children’s Craniofacial Association and based on the book “Wonder” by R. J. Palacio will be hosted at the Macon County Public Library on March 9 at 2 p.m.

524.3600 • Yoga classes for kids will be offered through a partnership between Haywood County 4-H and the library on March 10 in the Waynesville Library Auditorium.

356.2512 or lhartzell@haywoodnc.net.

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. March 10 and 17 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. 538.2054.

• The Haywood County 4-H Livestock Club will have a kickoff meeting at 6:30 p.m. on March 11, at the Extension Center. Open to youth between ages off 5 and 18. 456.3575.

• A “Nature Nuts: Wood Ducks” program will be offered for ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on March 11 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Free. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• An “Eco Explorers-Fish Tales” program will be offered for ages 8-13 from 1-3 p.m. on March 11 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Learn about fish anatomy, how and what they eat, how and why they grow scales and how they eat. Free. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• The Haywood County Arts Council present the annual Student Honors Recital at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Open to students in Haywood County and counties west of Haywood, this non-competitive music and poetry recital is open to students selected by their music teachers. Teachers are asked to choose excellent students to encourage young artists in our region. Participating students must be at least nine years old, and the max grade level is a high school senior. Interested students should speak with their music teacher and music teacher should submit an application online at http://haywoodarts.org/special-events. Applications, including a $10 fee per student, are due to the Haywood County Arts Council (P.O. Box 306, Waynesville, NC 28786) by March 16. The mandatory Rehearsal this year will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

• A youth swim refresher course will be offered from 6:25-7:15 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, March 14-16, at Western Carolina University’s Reid Gymnasium in Cullowhee. Cost is $59. Classes will be taught by Michael Creason, a retired WCU faculty member who’s been a swimming instructor for 34 years. 227.7397 or http://swim.wcu.edu.

• Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department’s Base Camp will have its last open house meetings for upcoming day camp programs on March 15 at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Pre-screening process for each potential camp participant. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Western Carolina University will host its 45th annual High School Mathematics Contest on Thursday, March 17, with 415 of the region’s top high school and junior high school mathematics students competing. 227.3829 or afaughn@wcu.edu.

• Entries for a “Peeps Contest” are due by 4 p.m. on March 18, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson

City. Open to ages 4-16. Create a diorama using peeps that represent a book of your choice. Judging is March 24. 488.3030.

• Students from middle and high schools throughout Western North Carolina will gather at Western Carolina University on March 19, as the WCU History Department hosts a National History Day regional academic competition. Info: jswigger@email.wcu.edu or hrsachs@email.wcu.edu.

• An Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for 11 a.m. on March 19, at the Stecoah Valley Center. Other activities include deviled egg contest, Easter bonnet contest, “Peeps on the Creek” and a chance to meet the Easter Bunny.

• Nature Play Day, a family day dedicated to playing and exploring outdoors, is scheduled for March 19, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. 665.2492 or www.ncarboretum.org/event/nature-play-day.

• An Easter Egg Hunt will be held at 10 a.m. on March 22 and March 24 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. For ages 0-10. 524.3600.

• A “Nature Nuts: Wood Ducks” program will be offered for ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on March 28 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Free. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• An “Eco Explorers-Fish Tales” program will be offered for ages 8-13 from 1-3 p.m. on March 28 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Learn about fish anatomy, how and what they eat, how and why they grow scales and how they eat. FreeRegistration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• Mountain Youth Talent Contest at the Sun Trust Lot on Main Street on April 23 starting at 9:30. Music will be held throughout the day at both the Main Street stage and at the Bridge Park gazebo on Railroad Avenue. heather_gordon@ncsu.edu

KIDS MOVIES • “The Peanuts Movie” will be shown for free on March 10 and March 11 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. 586.3555 • An animated movie about a group of rodent friends will be shown at 2 and 5 p.m. on March 12 at Colonial Theatre in Canton. Admission is $3. 648.2363 or lisa@cantonnc.com.

• A family movie will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on March 15, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. A live action drama about a military dog adopted by the family of his trainer who was killed in Afghanistan.

488.3030.

• Bilingual Story time – 6 to 6:30 p.m., second and fourth Wednesday. Program reads a children’s book in English and Spanish at the Macon County Public Library. 526.3600.

• Paws 4 Reading, a family story time, will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Hudson Library in Highlands. Children (grades K-6) practice early reading skills by reading to a canine companion. Info: www.fontanalib.org, www.readingpaws.org or 526.3031.

A&E

KIDS STORY TIMES HAYWOOD • Mother Goose Time, a story time for babies and toddlers (5 months to 2 years) and their parents/caregivers, is held at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Waynesville Library. 452.5169 • Family Story Time, 11 a.m. Wednesdays at the Waynesville Public Library. Stories, songs, crafts.

452.5169.

• Movers and Shakers story time is at 11 a.m. every Thursday at the Waynesville Library. For all ages.

Movement, books, songs and more. 452.5169.

• Family storytime with crafts, second Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. at the Waynesville library. 4525169.

• Family Story Time at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays for children ages 1-5, themed stories, music, and a craft.

Canton Library, 648.2924.

• Rompin’ Stompin’ Story Time, Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. for children ages 1-5 — children get to sing, dance, and get out all their energy during this movement-filled story time. Canton Library, 648.2924.

JACKSON • Baby Storytime is at 11 a.m. on Thursdays at the Jackson County Public Library. Songs, fingerplays and stories for infants through toddlers. 586.2016 • Kid’s story time Saturdays, 11 a.m., all ages at City Lights in Sylva 586.9449.

• Kids story time, Fridays 11 a.m., Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. at Jackson County Public Library. Story time includes books, puppets, finger plays, songs and crafts. 586.2016.

• Pre-school story time, second Wednesday, 11 a.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215.

SWAIN • Preschool Story time, Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m., Marianna Black Library. After a book or two is read, the children participate in games, songs, finger plays, puppet play and make a craft to take home.

488.3030.

MACON • Paws 4 Reading, a family story time, will be held from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. second Thursday of the month at Macon County Public Library. Children can read to a therapy dog. (grades K-6). 524.3600.

• Toddlers Rock, second and fourth Mondays, 10 a.m., Macon Public Library. Music, movement and instruments (Designed for children 0-24 months, but all ages are welcome).

Application packets can be downloaded or entered electronically at www.folkmootusa.org. Vendors who prefer to receive packets by mail can call the office at 452.2997. The deadline for applications and fees is 5 p.m. Thursday, March 31. Applications will be juried and selected vendors, notified by May 15.

FOOD & DRINK • The 12th annual Melange of the Mountains – a culinary gala – will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on March 10 at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

Info or purchase tickets at www.haywoodchamber.com or by calling 456.3021 or email: kwyatt@haywoodchamber.com. Tickets are $35 for chamber members or $40 for nonmembers.

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UPCOMING CAMPS

• Western Carolina University will host a Horn Studio Recital March 9 and a Faculty Flute Recital March 15 in the Coulter Building. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.wcu.edu.

• The Darrah Carr Dance troupe will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. The stage show is mixedstyle modern, basic ballet and a touch of tap — all with an Irish step dance brogue. The evening is part of the Arts and Cultural Events Series. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public. ace.wcu.edu or 227.2612.

• Comedian Eric Mina will perform at 7 p.m. March 10 in the UC Illusions at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu.

• “If Rails Could Talk: Logging in Western North Carolina,” part of the Haywood Ramblings speaker series, will be presented by Ronald Sullivan from 4-5 p.m. on March 10, at the Town of Waynesville Board Room. Sullivan is a hiker and historian; Snow date is the following Thursday. Light refreshments. Additional series dates are April 7, and May 5. 456.8647.

• The Darrah Carr dancers will perform mixed-style modern, basic ballet and a touch of trap with an Irish step dance brogue at 7:30 p.m. on March 10, at Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee. Tickets are $5 for students with ID and $10 for all others. ace.wcu.edu or 227.2612.

• The courtroom drama “Twelve Angry Men” opens

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For more information, call the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department at 456-2030 or email tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

Smoky Mountain News

• Rock and Read storytime, 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016

• Folkmoot is seeking professional artists and community craftspeople to host booths at the 33rd Annual International Festival Day that will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 30 on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

Apply Today!

March 9-15, 2016

• Mother Goose Story Time at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays for babies ages 5 months to 24 months with rhymes, songs, stories, and free play. Canton Library, 648.2924.

FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

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• “The Good Dinosaur” will be shown for free at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturdays through March 19 at The Strand in Waynesville. 38main.com or 283.0079.

• Family Story Time for ages 0 to 5 years is held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursdays at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

WAYNESVILLE

PARKS AND RECREATION 828.456.2030 or email tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

335-24

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NOW’S THE TIME TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS!

March 11, at HART in Waynesville. The play centers on an all-male jury’s deliberations in a murder trial.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on March 11-12 and at 3 p.m. on March 13. Tickets: $10 for adults; $6 for students. To buy tickets, call 456.6322 and leave your name, phone number, the number of guests and the date of the performance you want to attend.

• The Honey DewDrops will perform at 7 p.m. on March 11, at the Strand Theater in Downtown Waynesville. DewDrops are guitarist Jacob Johnson and songwriter/storyteller Antsy McClain. Tickets: $15 in advance or $18 on the show date.

• Tickets are available now for “India: World School Program and Community Dinner,” which will be presented by Folkmoot on Friday, March 11. The Schools programs are at 10 and 11 a.m.; the community dinner and Indian dance are from 6-8 p.m. $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 5-18 or $30 for a family of four or more. Reservations: 452.2997 or www.FolkmootUSA.org.

• The 2nd annual Western North Carolina Natural Bodybuilding & Physique Federation Competition will be at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 12, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Tickets for the event start at $20 866.273.4615 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.

• Overlook Theatre Company will present a live stage production of “Treasure Island, The Classic Adventure” at 7:30 p.m. on March 18-19, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets: $12 each. GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.

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• The Moody Blues will perform at 7:30 p.m. on March 19, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Tickets: Ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000. Open to guests 21 and older.

INFO: 456.3021 DEADLINE: MAY 12

SUPPORTED BY:

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Smoky Mountain News

Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, Haywood Economic Development Council, Haywood Community College Small Business Center, Haywood Advancement Foundation.

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• Western Carolina University’s Trombone and Euphonium Studio will be hosting trombonist Jim Decker at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, and at 12:20 p.m. on March 18 in the recital hall of Coulter Building on the WCU campus in Cullowhee. Free; open to the public. Decker is assistant professor of trombone at Texas Tech. 227.7242.

• Western Carolina University will host Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam concerts and jam sessions through the spring at the Mountain Heritage Center from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The performance of bluegrass and mountain music will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate. 227.7129.

• Tickets are on sale now for WCU radio re-creation group’s presentation of “Blackbeard’s Ghost and the Queen Ann’s Revenge.” Tickets: $10 each. Eighth in a series of academic-based entertainment productions mounted in collaboration with three departments and two colleges at WCU. Show will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. All proceeds from the event go to student scholarship funds in the participating departments. 227.3851.

• Tickets are on sale now for Folkmoot’s spring barbecue and music showcase featuring the Darren Nicholson Band plus Whitewater Bluegrass and Lillian Chase. The event is at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

Dinner catered by Haywood Smokehouse. Tickets are $20 in advance at http://tinyurl.com/zja85oy or $30 at the door. www.folkmootusa.org or 452.2997.

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CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • The Western North Carolina Woodturners Club will meet at 6 p.m. on March 10, at the Blue Ridge School in Glenville. Visitors welcome.

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# 314 - free hat

• Mississippi historian Jessica Wilkerson will speak about “Where Movements Meet: From the War on Poverty to Grassroots Feminism in the Appalachian South” at 7 p.m. on March 10, in the first floor auditorium of Western Carolina University’s H.F. Robinson

Administration Building in Cullowhee. 227.7129.

• The Jackson Rangers Camp 1917 will hold monthly meetings (except July) at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Barkers Creek Community Center. Members are being sought to participate in honor guard graveside events and honor Confederate soldiers. The Confederate Rose, a ladies auxiliary group that supports active members, meets at the same time and location. 736.6222 or jrcamp1917@hotmail.com.

• Penland School of Crafts has open spaces in a number workshops in its second summer session available at half tuition to residents of the following Western North Carolina counties. Regular room and board charges apply, but students are not required to stay on campus. The session runs from March 13 through May 6 with spaces in books and paper, clay, glass, iron, metals, textiles, and wood. Complete information is available in the classes section of the Penland website: www.penland.org. To enroll, call the Penland registrar at 765.2359, ext 1106.

• A foundations of medicinal herbs workshop will be held at 10 a.m. on March 12 at the Wild Fern Studio in Bryson City. $20 with all materials included. To register, call 736.1605.

• An upcoming eight-week session starting March 13 at Penland School of Crafts in Bakersville is available at half-tuition to area residents. Session includes books and paper, clay, glass, iron, metals, textiles and wood. www.penland.org or 765.2359, ext. 1106.

• The Western North Carolina Civil War Round Table will host a presentation by Derrick Brown at 6 p.m.

March 14 in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University. www.wcu.edu.

• A presentation entitled: “A Monumental Mystery: The Battle of Bentonville and its Lost Confederate Soldiers” will be offered by Derrick Brown of the N.C. Department of cultural Resources at 7 p.m. on March 14 at the H.F. Robinson Auditorium at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 648.2488 or 293.5924.

• Visiting the National Museum of the USAF Museum will be the topic of a presentation by Fred Alexander at the Aviation Historical Society’s meeting at 10:30 a.m. on March 15, at the Macon County Airport near Franklin. No charge; public is welcome. aeroscribbler@gmail.com or 506.5869.

• Registration is underway for a bladesmith symposium that’s scheduled for March 18-20 at the Haywood Community College campus in Clyde. Knifemaking demonstrations, hands-on blade forging, knife show, auction and more. Fee is $75 for the weekend.

400.7815.

• An English Smocking Class will be offered by the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Craft Club from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 17, at the Jackson County Extension Center. Instructor is Elaine Haskett, who’ll guide the class in the art of English Smocking of an Easter Egg. $10 for a kit. 586.4009.

• An indoor flea market is scheduled for 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 19, at the Old Armory in Waynesville. Booths are $10 each for selling items. 456.9207.

• A Creating Community Workshop is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on March 19, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• The Sew Easy Girls meet from noon-3 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office’s conference room. Learn how to sew. 586.4009.

• A community art group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at the Hudson Library in Highlands.

828.526.3031.

• A writer’s group meets at 1 p.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.

• Free one-on-one technology help is offered every Tuesday and Thursday morning at Hudson Library in Highlands. Call 526.3031 to make an appointment.

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ART SHOWINGS AND wnc calendar

GALLERIES • The Stecoah Artisans Gallery is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, throughout March.

• Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum will host an exhibition exploring the use and meaning of color in art till May 6 in Cullowhee. Museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission and parking are free. Reception is from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 7.

Fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 227.3591.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 926.7478.

• The Haywood County Arts Council has partnered with LIFESPAN for their March exhibit at the arts council’s Gallery & Gifts in downtown Waynesville. The art for the March show will be provided by LIFESPAN Arts, an inclusive art studio where artists can experience working with different artistic mediums including painting, pottery, mosaic art, and jewelry. An artist reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, March 11 at the gallery. www.haywoodarts.org.

• An exhibition of photography and a sculpture installation are on display simultaneously with a clothing drive through March 18 at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. All three are part of a collaboration between the museum and WCU’s Office of Service Learning with local community groups Mountain Projects and Sylva Linings Thrift Store.

Sculptures by Jarod Charzewski; photography by Pedro Lobo. Museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

Fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 227.3591.

March 9-15, 2016

• The artwork of Cherokee sculptor John Julius Wilnoty is on display through March 25 at Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum in Cullowhee. Display is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays, with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission and parking are free; museum is closed on university holidays and breaks. Digitalcollections.wcu.edu or 227.7211.

• Haywood County Arts Council will host artists from the Haywood Art Studio Tour at the Gallery & Gifts Space in Waynesville. www.HaywoodArts.org.

• The Mountain Heritage Center is hosting the exhibit “Collecting for the Community,” an exploration of the diversity and variety to be found in Western North Carolina. Visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

FILM & SCREEN • “Spotlight” movie will be showing through March 13 at the Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. See website for times at 38main.com or call 283.0079.

Smoky Mountain News

• A new movie starring Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. on March 10, in the

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

the Mountains lecture series – is March 17. 255.5522 or http://buncombemastergardener.org.

• A hunter education certification course will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on March 15-16 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County.

Free. Must be present both days. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• A seminar on how to establish and maintain blueberries and grapevines will be offered from 6-7:30 p.m. on March 17, at the Swain Extension Center in Bryson City.

488.3848 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

• A Hunter Education course will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on March 14-15 at Haywood Community College’s Building 3300, Room 3322 in Clyde. Must attend both evenings. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org.

Macon County Public Library meeting room in Franklin.

A manic-depressive mess of a father tries to win back his wife by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young, spirited daughters. 524.3600.

• The Southern Mountain Bike Summit is scheduled for March 18-19 in Bryson City. $85 for full registration, with clinics by world champion racer Sue Haywood for $70 additional. Organized by IMBA and the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association. www.southernmountainbikesummit.com.

• A classic movie starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne will be shown at 2 p.m. on March 11, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. A couple’s big dreams give way to a life full of unexpected sadness and unexpected joy. 1:59. 524.3600.

• An Introduction to Fly Fishing will be offered from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 21 for ages 12 and older at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Free. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• A new movie starring Judi Dench and Bill Nighy will be shown at 2 and 6 p.m. on March 16, in the Macon County Public Library’s Meeting Room in Franklin. As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals - Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel. 524.3600.

• Backyard Birding by Ear will be offered from 9 a.m.noon on March 21 for ages 10 and up at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County.

Free. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3.

• A classic movie starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara will be shown at 2 p.m. on March 18, in the Meeting Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. An American boxer returns to the village of his birth in Ireland, where he finds love. 524.3600.

• Adult movie time, 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

Outdoors • “On the Water: Little River” - a fly fishing course will be offered from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 9 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Free. Offered by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Registration required: http://tinyurl.com/jq4r6x3 • The second annual Daniel Boone Council Fontana Classic Bass Tournament is scheduled for March 1213. Winners through eight place receive cash prizes; first place gets $2,000. Catch the state-record smallmouth bass and receive a Ford F-150. $175 per boat.

254.6189 or www.2016FontanaClassic.Kintera.org.

• The Nantahala Outdoor Center Raft Guide School will teach participants how to be raft guides during fiveday courses that are offered March 13-18, March 20-

• Botanist Tim Spira will showcase his nature photography during “Favorite Spring Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” a presentation from 1-2 p.m. on March 22, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium.

356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• A series of spring wildflower walks will be offered from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesdays starting March 22 and running through April 29 in Jackson County. Led by Adam Bigelow. Cost is $120 for the series. Single-day walks are also available for groups and individuals. bigelownc@gmail.com.

• “Wild Survival” exhibit featuring the return of North America’s wolves and peregrine falcons will be on display through May 8 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

Open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. inside the Baker Exhibit Center. Free; non-member guests are required to pay $12 parking fee. www.ncarboretum.org.

FARM AND GARDEN • A selection of fruit and berry trees is for sale by the Macon County 4-H through March 14. Fundraiser for Macon County youth activities and travel opportunities through 4-H. Order at macon.ces.ncsu.edu or call 349.2046.

• The annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association plant sale is underway.

Edibles and native plants are available. Orders due by March 15; edibles available for pickup on April 9, and native plants on May 21. 456.3575 or mgarticles@charter.net.

• “Planting for Pollinators” – part of the Gardening in

• A seminar on how to establish and maintain blueberries and grapevines will be offered from 10-11:30 a.m. on March 18, at the Jackson Extension Center in Sylva.

586.4009 or clbreden@ncsu.edu.

• The Macon County Poultry Club of Franklin meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative Extension Office on Thomas Heights Rd. Open to the public. 369.3916.

• The Jackson County Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday in March at the Community Table in downtown Sylva. SNAP, debit and credit accepted. www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org, jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com or 393.5236.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Friends of the Lake 5K Road Race & Walk will be held Saturday, March 26. www.lakejunaluska.com.

• 5K Run and Walk will be held starting at 9 a.m. on April 23, at Mark Watson Park through the Jackson County Parks & Recreation as part of the Greening up the Mountains. $15 pre-registration fee through April 16. Register online at www.imathlete.com or stop by the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. Race day registration begins at 8 a.m., and the cost will be $20.

HIKING CLUBS .• Friends of the Smokies’ first Classic Hike of the year is scheduled for March 9, in the Little Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 6.6 miles; moderate in difficulty; elevation gain of 1,400 feet. Led by outdoor enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein. $20 for existing members; $35 for new members. All 10 hikes in the series are $160, which can be mailed to Friends of the Smokies, 160 S. Main Street in Waynesville, NC 28786. Hike.friendsofthesmokies.org.

• A 1.4-mile hike of Moore Cove Falls will be offered through the Waynesville Recreation Department on March 10. Departure is at 9 a.m.; return is at 4:30 p.m. $5 members; $7 for non-members. Elevation gain of 160 feet.

RSVP: 456.2030 or in person at the Waynesville Recreation Center. www.waynesvillenc.gov/hiking-opportunities.

• The Nantahala Hiking club will take a seven-mile moderate hike with an elevation change of 950 feet on the Ridge Trail to Dyke Gap in the Coweeta Hydrological Lab area on March 12. Gail Lehman at 524.5298.

Visitors welcome, no dogs.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a three-mile, moderate hike with an elevation change of 600 feet from Wallace Branch to the Bartram Trail on March 19.

Kathy Ratcliff at 349.3380. Visitors and friendly dogs welcome.

335-34

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’ $

92

20’x20’ $

160

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828

50

25, March 27-April 1 and April 3-8. $450 fee includes lodging, meals and equipment. Must be 18 years old.

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

Puzzles can be found on page 54.

These are only the answers.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MarketPlace information:

ON-SITE LIVING ESTATE SALE Thurs. 9am - 4pm, Fri. & Sat. 10am - 4pm, Located at 140 Dazzling Brook Ln., Waynesville.

Living Room, Bedroom, Kitchen, Garage Full of Tools and More!

Presented by Frog Pond Estate Sales and Downsizing

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.

AUCTION "ANNUAL PIEDMONT OPEN" Equipment Consignment Auction, April 2nd at 10am. I-77 Speedway, Chester, SC. Accepting consignments now! 803.366.3535, www.theligoncompany.com NCAL 8951 - SCAL1716.

ABSOLUTE PUBLIC AUCTION Saturday, March 19 at 10am. 199 S. Cherry Rd. Rock Hill, SC. Selling Vehicles, Trucks, Backhoes, Forklifts, Garbage Trucks, Equipment for City of Rock Hill, SC. 704.791.8825.

NCAF5479/SCAL2893r. www.ClassicAuctions.com

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

AUCTION Construction Equipment, Farm Equipment, Trucks, Trailers, and Support Equipment. Live and Online Bidding, March 19th, 9:30AM. 279 Crescent Rd., Blairsville, GA. JoeyMartinAuctioneers.com. Call 864.940.4800 or 706.781.4808 for more information or to consign equipment. GA#2627.

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

R

DI

SC OV E R E

ATR

PE

INC.

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

Service truck available for on-site repairs LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS

MON-FRI 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

828-456-5387

335-50

COLLECTOR CAR SWAP MEET Car Corral-Car Shows, March 1113, State Fairgrounds, Raleigh: Fri 10a-6p, Sat 8a-6p, Sun 9a-3p CarolinaCollectorAutoFest.com or Follow us on FACEBOOK! RUN YOUR CLASSIFIED In 101 North Carolina newspapers for only $375 for a 25-word ad.

Call this newspaper or 919.516.8009 for details.

ABSOLUTE AUCTION Thursday, March 10, 10am. 111 S. Sycamore St. Pageland, SC. Complete Liquidation of Farmer's World Temco Tractor/Parts Dealer, Tractors, Implements, New Parts.

704.791.8825.

NCAF5479/5508/SCAL2893r. www.ClassicAuctions.com

AUCTION ABSOLUTE AUCTION 6 Houses & 1 Mobile Home. Scotland County. Salesite: Jerry’s Deli & Grill, Laurinburg, NC. Saturday, March 12, 11AM. Damon Shortt Real Estate & Auction Group, 877.669.4005. NCAL7358. www.damonshorttproperties.com

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING ACORN STAIRLIFTS. The Affordable solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1.800.291.2712 for Free DVD and Brochure.

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, Finishing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control.

FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1.800.698.9217 DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, 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 FIND THE RIGHT CARPET, Flooring & Window Treatments. Ask about our 50% off specials & our Low Price Guarantee. Offer Expires Soon. Call now 888.546.0135 SAPA SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB. Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included. Call 800.807.7219 for $750 Off.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

CARS DOES YOUR AUTO CLUB Offer no hassle service and rewards? Call American Auto Club (ACA) & Get $200 in ACARewards! (new members only) Roadside Assistance & Monthly Rewards. Call 800.867.3193. SAPA DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck Or Boat To Heritage For The Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. Call 1.800.416.1496 SAPA TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA WE BUY DAMAGED VEHICLES! Top Dollar Offer. From Anywhere.

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1880 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville 828.926.1177

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R

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT CAN YOU DIG IT? Heavy Equipment Operator Career!

We Offer Training and Certifications Running Bulldozers, Backhoes and Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement. VA Benefits Eligible!

1.866.362.6497.

AVIATION GRADS Work With Jetblue, Boeing, Delta And Others - Start Here With Hands On Training For FAA Certification.

Financial Aid If Qualified. Call Aviation Institute Of Maintenance 1.866.724.5403 SAPA DRIVERS: DEDICATED. Home Daily, Guaranteed Pay, Health, Dental, Vision & 401K. Safety Bonus + No-Touch.

2016 Internationals CDL-A 855.673.2305

www.smokymountainnews.com

March 9-15, 2016

NEED MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES! Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experience Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc.

1.888.512.7122

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

IMMEDIATE OPENING FOR SHELTER MANAGER PAWS Animal Shelter is a no kill animal shelter located in Bryson City. Prior animal medical care experience required and animal behavioral training skills a plus.

Responsible for management of daily operations of the shelter, including supervision of shelter staff and volunteers, animal intake, medical treatment, adoptions, and foster program. The manager provides staff and volunteer training/recruitment, along with community education about the organization, spay/ neuter programs, and responsible pet ownership. Salary up to $32K, depending on experience.

Send resume to PAWS, PO Box 1814 Bryson City, NC 28713 or email to: pawsbrysoncity@yahoo.com No phone calls please.

ATTN: DRIVERS $2K Sign-On Bonus. Love your $60K+ Job! We Put Drivers First!

Pet & Rider. Avg $1200 Weekly.

CDL-A Req 877.258.8782 drive4melton.com

EMPLOYMENT

BUSY DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE Insurance Agency Seeks Full Time P&C Licensed Sales Producer; LAH a Plus, but not Necessary. Must be Motivated to Achieve Goals and be a Team Player. Competitive Pay, Commissions and Bonuses.

Serious Inquiries Only, Please.

828.776.2483 FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Paramedic Instructor-Continuing Education. Automotive Systems Technology Instructor (10-month contract). Systems Administrator.

Data Management Technician. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office. Phone: 910.678.8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu.

An Equal Opportunity Employer.

CIRCLES OF HOPE COORDINATOR Jackson County - BS Degree in Human Services or related field preferred. Experience working with Diverse Populations. Up to 24 hours per week, must be flexible. For Job Description see Mountain Projects web page.

Apply Online: www.mountainprojects.org or Mountain Projects, Inc. 2251 Old Balsam Rd., Waynesville or 25 Schulman St. Sylva.

EOE/AA

EMPLOYMENT

- HOUSEKEEPING Full Time or Part Time: Maggie Valley Cabin Resort Seeks an Energetic & Experienced Housekeeper. Valid Driver’s License Required. Call 828.926.1388 NOW HIRING Class A CDL Drivers! - Free Healthcare! Regional & OTR positions open. Pay starting at 40cpm. 1yr. experience required. Call 864.649.2063 or visit Drive4JGR.com. EOE. THE JACKSON COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES Is Recruiting for a Social Services Director. For more information regarding this position, recruitment standards, salary, and application process; Please see “Employment Opportunities” at: www.jcdss.org THE CHALET INN AND SUITES In Anticipation of Increased Visitation to the Smoky Mountains, We are Increasing Our Staffing for the 2016 Season, and Have the Following Positions Available: Assistant Innkeeper, Housekeeper and Assistant Housekeeper.

References Required; Weekends & Holidays Req. Call 828.586.0251 to Schedule an Interview.

NUCLEAR POWER Paid Training, great salary, benefits, $ for school. Gain valued skills. No exp. needed. HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419.

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS

HIGH-TECH CAREER With U.S. Navy. Elite tech training w/great pay, benefits, vacation, $ for school. HS grads ages 17-34.

Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419

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 SELL YOUR STRUCTURED Settlement or annuity payments for CASH NOW. You don't have to wait for your future payments any longer! Call 1.800.316.0271.

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Get Justice! We’ve Recovered Millions. No money out of pocket! Call Our Attorneys for a Free Consultation! 1.866.803.2781. SAPA

PETS

Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400 Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

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!

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

SPOOKIE STILL WAITING TO FIND HER PLACE IN THIS WORLD. YES, SHE ISN'T CRAZY ABOUT PETTING AND CERTAINLY DOES NOT WANT TO BE HELD, BUT SHE IS PLAYFUL AND FUNNY, AND WOULD BE VERY HAPPY WITH A JOB TO DO IN SOMEONE'S WARM COZY BARN.

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

Equal Housing Opportunity

335-31

Michelle McElroy RESIDENTIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE E-PRO, CNHS, RCC, SFR

828.400.9463 Cell 74 North Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.5809

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on an equal opportunity basis.

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

REAL ESTATE WANTED TO BUY

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

AMARINA A VERY UNUSUAL AND LOVELY AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG MIX, FEMALE ABOUT ONE YEAR OLD. SHE IS SUPER SWEET AND AFFECTIONATE, VERY SMART, AND WILL BE A JOY TO TRAIN.

WANTED: OLD BARN, HOUSE, OR Other Building to Salvage, or Tear Down, for Lumber/Building Materials; Terms Negotiable.

Licensed & Insured. Call or Text John 828.380.1232 or email: john@ashevillepropertyservices. com

HOMES FOR SALE BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

EMERSON ——————————————

GROUP

George Escaravage BROKER/REALTOR

michelle@beverly-hanks.com 52

COFFEEHOUSE MANAGER Hillside Grind, A Non-Profit, Faith Based Coffee House on the Campus of Western Carolina University is Seeking Qualified Applications for a Part-Time Manager Position. Competitive Wages and a Flexible Schedule Following the University Calendar Make this a Unique Opportunity.

Some Food Service Management Exp. Preferred. Please Submit Resume to: ukirkwcu@gmail.com

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

PO BOX 54

|

46 SOUTH MAIN STREET

WAYNESVILLE, NC 28786 | WWW.EMERSONGROUPUS.COM

828.400.0901 • 828.456.7705 335-42

george@emersongroupus.com

1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700 maggievalleyselfstorage.com 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.

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FOR SALE

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• Margie MacDonald - margie@4smokys.com

147 Walnut Street • WayneSville

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey 335-43

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Emerson Group ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey — sunburstrealty.com

MOUNTAIN REALTY

Mieko Thomson

Thomson

Haywood Properties — haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox — info@haywoodproperties.com

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Cell (828) 226-2298 Cell

Keller Williams Realty

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Sam Hopkins — samhopkins.kwrealty.com

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

BROOKE PARROTT BROKER ASSOCIATE

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A DOZEN TO CHOOSE FROM ACROSS 1 Stinging box jellyfish 8 Salvador of surrealism 12 NFL three-pointers: Abbr.

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statistic) 74 Not of the clergy 75 Bit of Aspen gear 76 Feedbag bit 79 Y2K 83 Nosy comic Jimmy?

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3 Proficient 4 Wheaton of the screen 60 Hour div.

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answers on page 50

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WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 50

Always questions about the fiddlehead fern

W

hen conducting a fern identification workshop, one of the first queries I can anticipate is “Where can I find a fiddlehead fern?”

I reply that fiddleheads aren’t a species of fern but a growth form. Most fern species — to a greater or lesser degree — display the characteristic fiddlehead shape when they arise from the plant’s underground rhizomes.

The “fern leaf ” differs from the “true leaf ” of the flowering plants in its venation, or manner of expanding from the bud. This unfurling strategy helps the immature frond make its way upward through the soil and leaf litter. It also protects the developing leaflets (pinna) that will comprise the leafy portion of the mature frond. The first fronds to appear in a new season’s growth are, for the most part, purely vegetative; fronds unfurling later tend to bear the spore capsules (sporangia).

BACK THEN The technical name for a fiddlehead is crozier (also spelled crosier). This is derived from the crooked end of a bishop’s staff, which is sometimes referred to as a pastoral staff. In addition to being highly functional, the emerging fiddleheads of some fern species are quite beautiful.

Those of cinnamon fern (Osmundia cinnamomea) are a pale lime green and can stand a two feet or more high before Columnist unfurling. Species in the wood fern group (Dryopteris species) often display wooly greenish-brown fiddleheads.

But now we get to the heart of the matter.

When most people bring up fiddleheads, they do so because they’ve heard they’re edible. They want to know which ones can be harvested for consumption. My answer is that few of the ferns in the southeastern United States where I live and work are edible. And the one that’s said be to particularly tasty is also thought to be dangerous.

Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is distributed world wide, being commonly found

George Ellison

In the early 1700s British astronomer and mathematician Edmund Hillary, of comet fame, called [the spiral formed by a fern’s fiddlehead] the proportional spiral because … [its] whorls are in continued proportion … The larger spirals are just expanded versions of the smaller spirals within [so that it is known as] the spira mirabilis or wonderful spiral.

— Robbin C. Moran, A Natural History of Ferns (2004).

along roadsides and in disturbed areas with poor soil. They display exquisite silverygray fiddleheads shaped like an eagle’s claw.

My wife and I have never eaten them, but they are reputed to be delicious. I doubt that light consumption of boiled bracken fiddleheads would be harmful to anyone; nevertheless, scientific research indicates the plant contains a number of toxic Fiddlehead fern. Donated photo substances that readily kill livestock and might cause stomach cancers in human populations (as in Japan and China) that eat substantial amounts of the rootstock or fiddleheads.

Unfortunately, for us, the North American fern species bearing fiddleheads that are reputed to be the most delicious and absolutely safe to eat doesn’t grow wild in our region. That’s the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). Its distribution range has been described as Alaska to Newfoundland, south to British Columbia,

staff!

March 9-15, 2016

to Congratulations our

Alberta, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia in North American; Scandinavia, Central Europe, Russia, and Asia; with significant naturalization in Ireland and Great Britain.

This species is described as displaying emerald-green fiddleheads and, when mature, having clumping leaflets (somewhat like Cinnamon fern) that taper all the way down to ground level.

In this latter regard it resembles the well-known New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis), which is common throughout eastern North America as far south as Georgia. Although edible, I can attest that New York fern is not tasty, unless you are fond of boiled cardboard.

Ostrich fern is readily available from nursery sources listed on the Internet. It’s advertised as establishing “vigorous” stands rather quickly in damp, partially shaded situations. One Internet source that I located offers a “Pkg. of 2 - $5.75.” Why not give it a try?

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer.

He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

31 AWARDS IN THE 2015 NC PRESS ASSOCIATION CONTESTS Best Advertising Awards FIRST PLACE Black & White Institutional Ad Use of Color Innovative Concept/Wild Card Retail Ad in a Niche Publication Shared Page in a Niche Publication - Community Only

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