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

March 11-17, 2015 Vol. 16 Iss. 41

Waynesville looks to ban smoking downtown Page 9

Tailgating zone expands at WCU Page 15

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Female bluegrass musicians talk about the trials and tribulations of working in a male-dominated industry. (Page 24) Garret K. Woodward photo

News Cherokee decides how to determine blood quantum ...................................... 4 Bill introduced to de-annex Maggie subdivision ................................................ 5 Forest Service backs off planning timeline ..........................................................6 Waynesville looks to ban smoking downtown ....................................................9 Apartment complex proposed in Franklin ..........................................................11 Fire tax likely for Cashiers area ............................................................................12 False alarms could cost Swain residents ..........................................................13 Tailgating zone expands at WCU ........................................................................15 Residents weigh in on Maggie town center ....................................................16

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

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The state of women in bluegrass ........................................................................24

INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786

Outdoors

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Back Then Celebrating the odiferous ramp ............................................................................47

March 11-17, 2015

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Waynesville welcomes Mountains to Coast ride ..............................................34

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news

Council debates enrollment list Cherokee adopts Baker Roll list as basis for tribal membership

BY HOLLY KAYS Baker Roll, it’s possible to determine the STAFF WRITER blood quantum of a child born today. lood quantum. Even on their own, the words have a ceremonial, reverent ring FLAWED TOOL to them.

For Cherokee tribal members, reality The Baker Roll is a frequently used tool bears out the ring. Blood quantum — the in Cherokee, but it’s not infallible. In 2010, fraction of one’s ancestry that is purely the tribe paid out nearly a million dollars for Cherokee — decides everything from a peran audit of its membership, with the goal of son’s ability to own land in the Qualla identifying people who did not actually qualBoundary to availability of scholarships for ify as tribal members because of either inaccollege to eligibility to receive a share in casi- curacies in the Baker Roll or other mistakes no profits each year. along the way.

So it’s probably understandable that There were issues with the audit — “We Cherokee Tribal Council’s vote last month on how blood quantum should be determined was fraught with emotion and heated debate. In fact, Councilmember David Wolfe of Yellowhill kicked off the debate with a move that the discussion happen off-air from live cable broadcast to keep “outsiders” from seeing it.

Tribal members in the audience made it clear they did not concur, and the meeting stayed on-air after Wolfe withdrew his motion.

“My opinion is everybody needs to see this. Everybody needs to hear this,” said enrolled member Janet Arch. “Everybody needs to see where people stand on this opinion.”

After nearly two hours of discussion, members finally made a decision: To adopt the 1924 Baker Roll as “the foundation on which all enrollment decisions Proponents of the Baker Roll say it’s the best tool out are made.” The Baker Roll “shall there for determining blood quantum, but others point to not be subject to challenge or mathematical errors and long lists of contested names amendment as to the informa(pictured) as proof that it has no place as Cherokee’s tion contained therein,” the legisbase roll. Holly Kays photo lation continued.

The Baker Roll is nothing new to Cherokee. Compiled in 1924, it’s already didn’t receive proper audit results,” said the Enrollment Committee’s main tool to Principal Chief Michell Hicks — and nobody decide whether a person meets the one-sixwas disenrolled as a result. Tribal staff is teenth threshold required to be considered now working on completing an audit interCherokee. Fred A. Baker, a non-Cherokee, nally, and councilmembers are looking into had spearheaded the roll-making effort after the possibility of legal action against the Congress established the Eastern Cherokee audit company.

Enrolling Commission.

The legislation’s assertion that the Baker The Commission used old rolls and tribal Roll should be presumed accurate and above censuses as well as a variety of other records challenge raised ire from some audience and to arrive at its final roll, which includes council members. information such as names, ages, degree of “There are numerical errors in there that Indian blood and family relationships of make most of us less, a lot of us more,” said people living on the reservation in the Councilmember Teresa McCoy, of Big Cove.

1920s. Modern-day Cherokee can trace their “It’s improper, it’s immoral that I would heritage back to someone named on the roll, have anyone in authority stand in front of us and by looking at who a person’s parents are and tell my people that they’ve got to take a 4 and their relationship to people listed on the broken document.”

Smoky Mountain News

March 11-17, 2015

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Determining a person’s blood quantum involves adding that of their parents and dividing by two. For instance, if two people who were half Cherokee got married, their children would also be half, because one-half plus one-half is one, and one divided by two is one-half.

But the Baker Roll contains some mistakes in the math. For instance, one page lists a family with a husband and wife who are both full Cherokee. Their children would also be full Cherokee, but the roll lists them as eleven-sixteenths. On the same page, the children of a man who is one-fourth Cherokee and a woman who is three-eighths are listed as five-eighths, when the correct amount would be five-sixteenths.

Those aren’t new discoveries. In 1933, Tribal Council passed a resolution asking Congress to “purge the rolls” of the approximately 1,100 people whose inclusion was protested at the time.

“These people have never been recognized by the tribe and have never associated with or affiliated themselves with this Band of Indians, only setting up their contentions when they saw an opportunity to gain something thereby,” the resolution reads.

Even a flip through the roll itself, now sold as a spiralbound book retailing for $40, reveals entire columns of names marked “contested.”

“We were forced to put them on that roll anyway, because you know why? It wasn’t our roll,” McCoy said. “We couldn’t say no.

We got what was given to us, and it was wrong.”

WHERE TO START? Baker got it wrong, McCoy said, and Cherokee would do itself a favor to trash the whole thing and develop a Cherokee roll created by Cherokee people.

That sentiment is all well and good, other councilmembers said, but many, many years have passed since Cherokee people first began intermarrying with non-Indians.

“You can’t go back and question somebody that lived in 1850 or 1875,” said Councilmember Perry Shell, of Big Cove, and that leaves Cherokee in a quandary. You have to start somewhere in determining a person’s tribal membership, and imperfect as it is, the Baker Roll is the best place to begin.

“Do we start a new roll saying everybody here is full-blood going forward?” said Councilmember Gene “Tunni” Crowe, of Birdtown, who also chairs the enrollment committee. “We’re not going to do that. But answer me that question: Where do we start at?”

“Yeah, there are mistakes,” said Councilmember Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird, but the reality is “that’s all we got.”

Sure, said tribal member Louise Reed, of Snowbird, but that’s no reason to pass a law saying that no part of the Baker Roll can be

contested, that every letter must be taken as gospel.

“This book needs to be used as a working tool, not a base roll,” Reed said.

Overall, audience members expressed a desire to simply see the truth reflected in the list of modern tribal members.

“Get it over with and let’s all line up,” said tribal member David Jumper. “Let’s all line up and get our fingers poked, and we’ll see who is and who’s not.”

Jumper was not the only person in the council chambers to suggest that everyone undergo a DNA test to settle the enrollment debate. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

DNA tests can determine whether a person has Native American ancestry but can’t prove which tribe or how much, according to the Association on American Indian Affairs website.

While blood quantum provides access to the perks and rights of being a tribal member, other audience members pointed out, being Cherokee is about more than that.

Blood is an important part of what makes someone Cherokee, but it’s important that the other components of being Cherokee — culture, values — aren’t sacrificed while trying to prove its quantity.

“When did our people become so concerned about being Cherokee because of the benefits, not being proud of our culture, our heritage, our people?” said Samantha Reed, a college student. “That’s where it should be from. I’d be perfectly fine if I got kicked off the roll or if I didn’t get a per cap or if I didn’t get help paying for college. I would find a way to do it.”

When the roll is untrustworthy, added tribal member Shirley Hubbard, it leads to fault lines in the community.

“When you look at me, you see a white woman,” Hubbard said, and because of the issues with the Baker Roll, “I have to live with people doubting who I am.”

A SPLIT VOTE Council members were divided on the issue. Some, like Chairwoman Terri Henry, of Painttown, said council shouldn’t be voting on it at all.

“I believe that this issue is bigger than this body, and I believe that our people should have the right to say what they want to be the base roll,” Henry said in support of a referendum vote.

But no referendum question had been drafted, so council had to vote either for or against the resolution before them.

Crowe, Wolfe, Alan “B” Ensley of Yellowhill, Albert Rose of Birdtown, Tommeye Saunooke of Painttown and Bill Taylor of Wolfetown formed the majority vote in favor of adopting the Baker Roll, while Henry, McCoy, Brandon Jones of Snowbird and Bo Crowe of Wolfetown voted against it. Wachacha and Shell abstained.

Reaction to the vote was decidedly negative.

“You cannot call this a base roll and be legitimate, so I don’t know what y’uns gonna do with this information,” tribal member Amy Walker told council, “but to me it’s a horrible decision.”

Evergreen clinic prepares to close

For the second year in a row, Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, has introduced a bill to de-annex property from Maggie Valley without consulting town officials.

The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen passed a resolution at its Monday meeting opposing the bill that would de-annex an entire subdivision from the town. Mayor Ron DeSimone said the bill was introduced based on false information. He plans on providing accurate information to members of the General Assembly next week when he attends Town Hall Day in Raleigh.

“We’re going to try to set the record straight, but it’s nearly impossible with Michele (Presnell),” he said.

Evergreen Heights, which is located off Jonathan Creek Road, was annexed in 2009.

Joe Maniscalco, whose home is at the top of the subdivision, has been fighting the town ever since to have his property de-annexed.

He argues that the town can’t provide the same level of services to his home because of the narrow road and because there is nowhere for service trucks, emergency vehicles and snow plows to turn around.

DeSimone said the town has no problem servicing Evergreen Heights, adding that service trucks and emergency vehicles have

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beginning of January that the clinic and pharmacy would be closed at the end on March because of declining use. Many employees have spent the last couple of months organizing protests to keep the clinic open.

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CAROLINA MCMULLEN will read from Vicenta de Paul Saturday, March 14th at 3:00 p.m.

COFFEE WITH THE POET continues with Cherokee Co. resident, Mary

Ricketson

Thursday, March 19th at 10:30 a.m.

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QUESTION: A friend told me about your “Taste of Local” events but I have never gone to one. What are they and when is the next one?

ANSWER: Our “Taste of Local” events are a way for our customers to meet some of our local farmers and vendors. At least once a month we bring a dozen or more local farmers and vendors into one of our stores and have them set up inside the store so you can talk to them and ask them questions about their farm, how and where their products are made and the ingredients… and of course you get to sample!

It’s a little like going to a tailgate market inside a supermarket!

Some of the farmers and vendors you might meet include: Sunburst Trout (Canton), Carolina Pig Polish (Whittier), Brasstown Beef (Brasstown), Annie’s Breads (Asheville).

Our upcoming “Taste of Locals”: ■ Thursday, March 19th at Ingles in Arden on Long Shoals Road – 3:30-6pm ■ Thursday, April 2nd at Ingles in Asheville (Skyland) on Hendersonville Road – 3:30-6pm

Smoky Mountain News

Bill introduced to de-annex subdivision in Maggie Valley

to back up many narrow roads in mountain communities.

“To say that is inherently unsafe — that’s just unrealistic in Haywood County,” he said. “We’ve not had any complaints [from other neighborhood residents] about service other than Mr. Maniscalco, and now suddenly they want to be de-annexed.”

Presnell introduced a similar bill during the 2014 short session but ended up pulling it at the last minute because she claimed there were more pressing priorities before the General Assembly. That bill proposed to only de-annex Maniscalco’s property. The current bill calls for de-annexation of the entire subdivision, which includes 11 homes and 15 pieces of property.

DeSimone went down to Raleigh last year and spoke to the co-sponsors of the bill, bringing them information showing that Evergreen Heights was being serviced.

He also showed committee members Maniscalco’s record with the town, including charges filed against him in 2013 for presenting false documents to the county claiming he had been de-annexed. He ended up taking a plea deal for one consolidated misdemeanor of the four common law uttering charges, but the felony charges were dropped since the 75-year-old didn’t have a prior record.

DeSimone said passing such a bill would be bad policy and set a bad precedent.

“I don’t think it will go anywhere but we’ll see,” he said. “It would be opening Pandora’s Box.” — By Jessi Stone

E

Reflexology

March 11-17, 2015

new CEO Phillip Wright mentioned the hospital’s interest in the clinic recently when he spoke at a Haywood County Chamber of Commerce breakfast.

“We have nothing definitive to report as we are still in discussions,” said Christina Deidesheimer, a spokesperson for HRMC. Evergreen informed employees at the

news

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS EDITOR vergreen Family Medical Center in Canton is no longer making new appointments for patients as it prepares to shutter its doors March 31.

However, patients have been told the clinic, which is operated by Evergreen Packaging, will be closed for only a month before reopening under new ownership. Both Mission Health and Haywood Regional Medical Center expressed interest in keeping the clinic open when Evergreen announced its closure in January.

Evergreen mill employees also hoped one of the hospitals would step in to purchase the clinic so they could keep their physician — Dr. Tony Jones. But the major health care players in the area are remaining tightlipped for now.

With the impending closure less than a month away, neither company has made any official announcement, though HRMC’s

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Health & Healing are just 2 feet away

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Wilderness proponents flummoxed by not-in-my-back-yard mindset

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER movement to create new wilderness areas in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests has met resistance in the seven western-most counties.

County commissioners have gone on record in recent months opposing new wilderness areas, claiming it would limit recreation and logging.

But proponents of more wilderness areas claim it would add value to the recreation landscape and still leave plenty of national forest land for logging.

“Fundamentally it is a false dichotomy.

They don’t have to be mutually exclusive,” said Ben Prater, conservation director for Wild South.

Haywood and Swain commissioners passed their own versions of the anti-wilderness area resolutions in February, joining Macon, Graham, Clay and Cherokee counties already on record. Jackson commissioners are the only ones in the seven western counties who haven’t weighed in yet.

Haywood’s resolution resisting new wilderness areas differs in key ways from those passed by the counties further west, however. The resolutions passed by other counties centered around wilderness areas being off-limits to logging as the chief reason for their opposition.

“Ours is different and that was intentional.

We didn’t want to make a political statement about timbering,” Haywood Commissioner Mark Swanger said. “People are so polarized on that issue you can’t change any minds.

You’re either for it or against it.”

Instead, Haywood commissioners feared wilderness designation would limit recreation, which is important to the tourism economy.

“If you close off areas and don’t maintain trails then people can’t enjoy and use it,” Commissioner Mike Sorrells said.

Haywood commissioners feared the forest service would essentially abandon areas that were designated as wilderness. Trails would fall into disrepair, trails would be closed, access would be curtailed, trail signs would be absent and roads wouldn’t be kept up, they said during discussion of the resolution last month.

“If you manage for wilderness you kind of just let it go.” County Manager Ira Dove said.

But that’s not necessarily the case, said Heather Luczak, the forest planning coordinator for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests.

The only forms of recreation that are banned outright in wilderness areas are mountain biking and four-wheelers. Hiking, camping, fishing, hunting and horseback riding are all allowed in wilderness.

“Wilderness doesn’t mean you can’t have trails,” said Jill Gottesman, conservation specialist with The Wilderness Society’s 6 Southern Appalachian field office based in

Smoky Mountain News

March 11-17, 2015

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Sylva. “It would not lead to the lack of maintenance of roads and trails or reduced recreational use as the resolution claims.”

To the contrary, wilderness areas are a sought-after recreation experience, Gottesman said, pointing to the 50,000 annual visitors to Shining Rock Wilderness Area in Haywood County.

“People value places where you can’t go in on a four-wheeler,” Gottesman said. “One of the things they look for is the opportunity for solitude and that is getting more and more endangered as our population grows and our public lands get more fragmented.”

ernment to spend as little as humanly possible on national parks and forests.”

Wilderness designation means the forest service is off the hook, said commissioners.

“They just don’t want to mange it and take care of it,” Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick said.

WHY THE WILDERNESS TALK?

Ironically, the forest service isn’t actually proposing new wilderness areas. The county resolutions are more of a pre-emptive move in a hypothetical debate over whether to create more wilderness areas, and if so, where.

A sweeping revision of the Pisgah and Nantahala forest management plan is There’s 600,000 acres of national forest land in the seven underway — it’s mandated western counties, and 53,500 acres are within wilderness every 20 to 30 years — to areas — a little under 9 percent. They are: reassess the playbook for • Joyce-Kilmer Slickrock: 13,500 acres (Graham) recreation, ecological habi• Southern Nantahala: 10,900 acres (Macon and Clay) tat, logging and more.

• Ellicott Rock: 3,000 acres (Macon) It’s still early in the multi• Shining Rock: 18,500 acres (Haywood) year process. The first step is • Middle Prong: 7,500 acres (Haywood) taking inventory of the “state of the forest.” That inventory There’s also two wilderness study areas, a federal recomincludes a list of areas that mendation that carries wilderness protections but lacks could theoretically qualify as full-blown designation. wilderness, given their char• Snowbird: 9,000 acres (Graham) acteristics.

• Overflow: 4,000 acres (Macon) More than four dozen areas in the Pisgah and A new forest management plan is underway that could set Nantahala were flagged as the ball in motion for additional wilderness areas. The “eligible” for wilderness on national forest service can recommend new wilderness the initial laundry list. areas, but it takes an act of Congress to make them official.

“It is supposed to be For more information about controversial points of the forest broad and inclusive. The plan, see page 7. next step is you evaluate the areas,” Luczak said.

While trails may not be closed outright, How many will make the cut is a long Swanger countered that trails wouldn’t be way off. kept up and would in turn compromise the But commissioners are hoping to head off hiking experience. In wilderness areas, trail the idea of additional wilderness area before work can only be done on foot and only with they can gain any traction. After all, there is hand tools. Trail crews have to hike in for a list. miles carrying crosscut saws, loppers and “We are responding to the reality of what adzes to repair and maintain trails, and that was put out,” Dove said. could lead to a slow erosion of the trail quality The only real prospect for additional and availability, Swanger postulated. wilderness area is expanding the existing Luczak said that’s not necessarily the case. Shining Rock and Middle Prong from 26,000 “I don’t know if that is a conclusion you can acres to 32,000 acres. And those areas are draw because we have a lot of dedicated trail already under a light-touch management progroups that are trained in trail maintenance in tocol as designated roadless areas, so wilderwilderness areas,” Luczak said. ness designation would merely consecrate how Haywood’s resolution also cited concerns they are being managed already, Prater said. over search and rescue operations being A section of Harmon Den along the impaired by wilderness area restrictions on Tennessee line in northern Haywood is also four-wheelers. on the initial laundry list, but it didn’t make Haywood commissioners postulated that the short list of priority areas being lobbied the forest service is advocating for more for by conservation groups and thus is unlikewilderness areas as a cost-cutting measure. ly to move forward.

“I think they are trying to make their A loose-knit conglomerate with a stake in resources go further,” Swanger said. “There the national forests has been hashing out seems to be a movement by the federal gov- mutually agreeable elements of a forest plan

Too much, too little, just right?

under a banner called Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Partnership.

Prater said county commissioners seem to be precluding themselves from that larger regional conversation by putting their foot down without first hearing out alternative views.

“Resolutions like this make it harder to collaborate,” Gottesman agreed.

Haywood commissioners passed their resolution without an opportunity for public comment, giving the impression it speaks for the constituency despite the public being unaware such a resolution was in play, Prater said.

The same was true in Macon and Swain, where the resolutions were passed at the same meeting where they were first introduced, giving members of the public no opportunity to share alternative views on the issue.

Swanger said he didn’t think the issue was controversial in Haywood County and thus it was unnecessary to hold off on a vote to allow for the public to weigh in. Haywood commissioners defended their prompt passage of the resolution the same day it was introduced, citing a discussion of the forest planning process that came up at a meeting nine months earlier. However, there had been no public mention of the issue by commissioners since then, let alone a warning that a resolution was coming down the pike in February.

With so many county boards proffering similar versions of an anti-wilderness resolution, environmental groups have questioned who might be behind them.

“I believe these resolutions are being used as a political vehicle by an outspoken minority with a very specific interest,” Gottesman said.

Special interest groups that support logging lobbied for the resolutions behind the scenes in some of the more western counties.

But that wasn’t the case in Haywood, Dove said. Dove said Haywood drafted its own resolution language after following the forest plan process.

“We are looking at it from more of a public purpose perspective. Are they making it better by proposing this? We think not,” Swanger said.

A NEW CONVERSATION

Haywood commissioners’ concern over wilderness designation reflects a larger shift in national forest management over the past two decades. Historically, national forest debates have pitted loggers against environmentalists and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. These days, logging is a minor player in the national forest framework. The new discourse finds recreation groups and environmentalists juggling the growing demand for outdoor recreation within a finite pool of public land.

Wilderness areas are off-limits to logging.

But logging aside, manipulation of the ecosystem in other ways is vastly curtailed in wilderness as well. And that was cited as a concern in Haywood’s resolution.

In wilderness areas, the forest service can’t easily intervene against unpleasant natural forces — whether it’s storm cleanup, invasive pests that leave dead stands or the fallout from global warming on forest ecosystems.

“If the area becomes wilderness we have very limited tools we can use for management,” Luczak said.

Holly Kays photo

Forest Service backs off planning timeline

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t wasn’t long before the management planning process for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests got heated and emotional, eventually causing the U.S. Forest Service to ease up on its original goal of releasing a draft plan this June.

“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from our partners and a lot of the collaborative groups that have formed around the forest plan revision,” said James Melonas, deputy forest supervisor for North Carolina’s national forests. “That work to bring a bunch of folks together takes time, so we decided to take our foot off the accelerator a little bit.”

Once completed, the forest management plan will govern the direction of the million-acre Pisgah-Nantahala forest for the next two decades. That’s a tall order, taller still because the planning process is one of the first to fall under the new 2012 planning rule.

The mantra of the new process was transparency, a promise to put the plans out for all to see even while the drafts were in draft form. The Forest Service held umpteen public meetings to gather input on hot-button issues and to share its first stab at what the forest’s management areas might be and where they might be located.

That may not have been a good thing.

“I hate to say it, but they sort of shot themselves in the foot in the way that came across, I think,” said Bill Van Horn, a hiking

A lot of the controversy had to do with the management areas the Forest Service unveiled this fall. The preliminary plans called for whittling down the 22 management areas used in the current plan to 16 and included a map showing some tentative boundary lines for those 16 management areas.

The map showed 700,000 of the forest’s 1 million acres as eligible for logging, sparking ire from environmental groups. A widely publicized press release from the Southern Environmental Law Center, for example, said the plan called for “industrial-scale logging in the vast majority” of the forest.

That’s not the case at all, the Forest Service contended.

“The intent was to be transparent — that this was a very first step in the process,” said Heather Luczak, assistant forest planner for North Carolina national forests.

“Unfortunately, some saw that more as a proposal for moving forward. Anytime we open ourselves up to that level of transparency, there’s some vulnerability.”

Those meetings were meant to be a discussion about the different management areas and what parts of the forest could fall into each category, Luczak said, not a debate about where the lines fell. The lines would get redrawn plenty of times before any draft plan was released, and anyway, the Forest Service couldn’t cut 700,000 acres even if it wanted to.

“The laws are already in place that don’t let you cut on rivers or steep areas, and that

I

LURCH ABOUT LOGGING

THE ROAD AHEAD Going forward, the Forest Service plans to take a few months to make sure everyone’s on the same page as far as background information goes and identify common themes in desires for the forest.

And, also, to give the three collaborative groups working to hash out differences — the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Council and Restoration Collaborative — a chance to do that.

“Within the partnership, there’s a wide range of perspectives, and it takes time to come to a substantial agreement,” said Josh Kelly, public lands biologist for MountainTrue and a member of the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership’s leadership team.

The partnership — the group includes representatives from more than 40 organizations ranging from The Wilderness Society to the National Wild Turkey Federation to the Backcountry Horsemen of North Carolina — is not in agreement yet, and the group is mirroring the Forest Service by taking a step back itself, Kelly said.

“We’re all trying to get a sense of each other’s values and what we want to get out of the plan and make it a full group and participatory process,” he said.

The Forest Service plans to have another

For its part, the Forest Service is asking for the public’s trust that it is doing its best to be transparent and hear all perspectives.

That might be a tough sell for some, Kelly said.

“I think there’s some skeletons in the closet from the past 20 or 30 years,” said Kelly, though clarifying that he himself trusts the Forest Service. “Just beyond the fact that some people don’t trust government agencies, there’s a certain enmity toward the Forest Service, and for a variety of reasons.”

Issues such as ill-conceived logging projects in the past or property disagreements, to name a few.

Van Horn believes the problem can be ameliorated through education.

“There’s a couple of folks in all the different camps that maybe need a little more education so that they can speak with facts as opposed to emotions, and if the Forest Service can afford to do it, I think they need to focus a little more on the education piece,” he said.

NOT A DO-OVER While the Forest Service is taking a step back from its original timeline, it’s not trashing all the work that’s been done over the past year, Luczak said.

“The work that we’ve done up to this point is still going to be very useful as we move forward, but we will be taking a closer look at both the management areas as well as the wilderness inventory evaluation,” she said.

In other words, the documents out now will inform the direction of the plan, but any part of that is subject to change.

It’s been a long road and will continue to be a trek. But the diverse groups of people who love the forest are hopeful that the work will pay off.

“I think it’s very possible for there to be a forest plan that makes things a lot better than they currently are,” Kelly said. “Not just some better, but a lot better.”

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enthusiast who, among other things, heads up Franklin’s Appalachian Trail Community Committee.

TRUST A MUST

March 11-17, 2015

Following controversy, Forest Service hits pause to find consensus

narrows down on well over half of those 700,000 acres,” said David Whitmire, program chairman for the N.C. Bowhunters Association and co-chair of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Council, a collaborative group of sportsmen developing recommendations for the forest plan. “They’re not going to go out and cut 300,000 acres at one time. They barely cut 1,000 acres last year.”

On the heels of the announcement about management areas that upset environmental groups came a list of potential wilderness areas that threw sportsmen and loggers for a loop.

“I guess it could have been done somewhat different, because it definitely got folks riled up,” Van Horn said.

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round of public meetings in April and May, and expects the timeline for the plan’s development to get pushed back by several months. The exact format of the upcoming meetings remains to be seen.

Van Horn is hoping for something with a more local feel than the big meetings led by representatives from the state Forest Service office.

“If they [the district rangers] would have called in the stakeholders that they personally know and had a discussion around the table where the hiking folks are meeting the two or three folks that run sawmills in Franklin and the various hunting groups that are based out of Franklin, it would have been more relaxed, informal,” Van Horn said.

More might get done, he said, if folks sat down over a cup of coffee with people they knew rather than declaring their position before a room of 100 strangers.

“We can agree to disagree, and that’s OK in some points,” Van Horn said.

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people step outside to smoke.

“Everybody comes outside and smokes, and the businesses next door can’t keep their door open because the smoke goes in there,” she said.

It’s also an issue for merchants with sidewalk benches just outside their storefront.

Phillips said a propped open door is a proven marketing technique among main Street merchants to encourage foot traffic. But with smokers camped out on a bench out front, merchants have to choose between smoke filtering into their store or keeping their front door shut.

Sidewalk benches are popular resting spots for husbands passing the time while their wives shop. Some wives could find their shopping excursions curtailed if their husbands can’t smoke while they wait.

“I don’t know if it would bring more people who can’t be around smoke, or if it would deter people who do smoke and send them away,” Phillips said.

MERCHANTS WEIGH IN Carrie Keith, owner of Twigs and Leaves in downtown Waynesville, said she hadn’t had any complaints about smoking, but she understands how it could be a problem for businesses located next to restaurants and bars.

Curtis Henry, owner of Café Le Waynesville’s proposed Tobacco Use Policy prohibits Rouge on Main Street, said his use of any tobacco products: other restaurant, Taste of New • On town property.

Orleans, would be moving to Main • On sidewalks in front of any buildings Street in April. He said a smoking owned/leased by the town. ban downtown would no doubt • Within a 50-foot radius of a public entrance of a hurt tourism if smokers have building owned/leased by the town. nowhere to go.

• Within a 30-foot radius of a non-public entrance “If my customers get harassed of a building owned/leased by the town. for going outside to have a cigarette, • Within any park or greenway owned/leased by the I’m not going to be happy,” he said. town.

“I don’t smoke, but we can’t be run• Within a 50-foot radius of a public entrance to any ning people off with that kind of building or structure within the Municipal Service crap. We don’t have the right to tell District, including the Central Business District, people how to live their lives.”

Hazelwood Business District, South Main Street Jim Davis, owner of The Jeweler’s Business District, Dellwood/Junaluska Regional Workbench, said he was in favor of Center, Hyatt Creek Regional Center and Russ banning tobacco use in town, espeAvenue Regional Center. cially on Main Street. While he hasn’t received any complaints from customers, he said he could see how to include a designated smoking area,” he said. it would be annoying for non-smokers to be Swanger said there might be a need to cre- subjected to smoke on Main Street. ate two smoking areas so opposing parties in “I don’t think it will stop people from a court case don’t end up in close quarters. coming downtown as long as there’s proper “You don’t want parties that are adverse signage,” he said. to each other, whether it is a criminal or civil Richard Miller, owner of the Classic matter, crowding around the same smoking Wineseller and the president of the area,” he said.

Downtown Waynesville Association board, Phillips said some merchants have already said he is concerned about whether the ordicomplained about cigarette smoke wafting nance will be tourism-friendly. inside their businesses when the door opens, especially merchants located near bars where S EE S MOKING, PAGE 11

Emma Best uses an electronic cigarette outside The Strand at 38 Main in downtown Waynesville. If the town approves a proposed smoking ordinance, all tobacco products, including vaporizers, would be banned from downtown sidewalks. Jessi Stone photo

Cigarette users about to find it harder to light up in Waynesville

SMOKE FILTERING DOWNTOWN

The county’s proposal would ban all tobacco use on all county property, while Waynesville’s proposed ordinance would go one step farther and ban tobacco products from being used within a 50-foot radius of public entrances in all business districts.

Smoky Mountain News

On days when District Court is in session, dozens of people can be seen outside the Haywood County Justice Center on Main Street taking a smoke break. Without a designated smoking area near the justice center and historic courthouse, the town and downtown merchants were concerned smokers would migrate to downtown sidewalks and the mini park on the corner of Main and Depot streets.

“Those smokers are going to filter out onto our streets and sidewalks in the town and into our public areas. If that happens, something has to be done,” Phillips said.

However, the county may decide to designate a smoking area. County Manager Ira Dove said he would not recommend a designated spot be near the historic courthouse or the justice center, but said the top of the parking deck may be the most practical place to designate a smoking area.

“The commissioners will decide what is the best course of action as to the policy and if it should be enacted at all, either as is, or altered

Got a light?

March 11-17, 2015

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR “Where will the smokers go?” has been the question on many people’s mind since the town of Waynesville and Haywood County commissioners both announced proposed smoking bans.

The county’s proposal would ban all tobacco use on all county property, while Waynesville’s proposed ordinance would go one step further and ban tobacco products from being used within a 50-foot radius of public entrances in all business districts. That means smoking would not be allowed on downtown sidewalks.

“As Haywood County has moved forward with its tobacco ordinance prohibiting smoking and tobacco use on county properties, the number of individuals who would be moving to public sidewalks and areas in front of or near businesses will increase,” said Waynesville Town Manager Marcy Onieal in a memo to the board. “In an effort to be cognizant of health considerations and in order to provide citizens and visitors with a smoke-free environment, the Town of Waynesville has drafted its own Tobacco Ordinance for consideration.”

Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown thinks banning smoking is a good idea in theory, but he said the merchants would have to embrace the idea for it to be successful. He said the town first started talking about updating its tobacco use policy last year after Canton updated its ordinance, which is almost identical to the one Waynesville is proposing.

Back in 1995 when he was on the school board, Brown said he proposed a smoking ban on all school campuses but couldn’t get the support of any other board members.

Now it seems natural that smoking be banned at all school campuses, and a majority of people support it.

“Having been a smoker myself at one point … I understand the problem, but it’s a public policy issue and now it’s become acceptable to discuss it,” he said.

Haywood County Commission Chairman Mark Swanger said he also remembers the groaning several years ago when smoking was banned inside bars and restaurants.

“People adapted,” he said.

Buffy Phillips, executive director of the Downtown Waynesville Association, compared it to the ban on dogs during downtown festivals. The ban on dogs at festivals is now eight or nine years old. Fear that the dog ban would dampen attendance at festivals hasn’t proven true, Phillips said.

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60-unit apartment complex proposed in Franklin “The need is there — especially for highquality, energy-efficient affordable housing,” he said. “Trailers and mobile homes serve as affordable housing by default, but it’s not.

You have to spend so much for utilities that it’s not affordable.”

Yamin said rent on the apartments would range from $440 to $680 a month depending on the number of bedrooms and the size. The plans call for three-story buildings and one community building. The exterior walls are designed with a blend of brick and siding.

The community building would include a computer center, fitness center, laundry facilities and a multipurpose room. The outdoor amenities would include a playground, picnic area with a grill and a gazebo.

The development is still in the early planning stages. Vanderwoude has requested that his 61 acres be rezoned from Residential to Commercial 2, and Workforce Homestead has applied for a special permit from the town of Franklin to build the apartment complex on 5 of those acres. Yamin also is working on getting financing and won’t get final approval until mid-August. If all goes as planned, Indigo construction could begin early next year and finish within 12 months.

Vanderwoude said he feels like the apartments would be a great use of his property.

“The market has changed a little bit since

March 11-17, 2015

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the recession,” he said. “Ten years ago people were looking for big homes — now they’re looking for something smaller and more affordable, but they still want quality.”

PERMIT PROCESS Justin Setser, town planner for Franklin, presented the rezoning and special permit requests to the board of aldermen last week.

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He said Vanderwoude was asking that his three parcels totaling 61 acres be rezoned from Residential 1 to Commercial 2 However, the town planning board recommended the property be rezoned to “Secondary Commercial Special Use.” The same commercial developments are allowed in both zonings, but the special use designation requires the developer to apply for a permit before any

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Conceptual drawing of Indigo, a proposed apartment complex development in Franklin. Donated graphic

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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he proposed development of a 60-unit apartment complex in Franklin may be another sign that the economy is recovering, slowly but surely.

The new apartment complex could also be good news for those looking for affordable and high-quality housing.

Jim Yamin, president of Workforce Homestead Inc., said he has developed similar affordable apartments across the state, most recently in Lenoir, Morganton, Concord and Durham.

“I’ve been active for a number of years in developing affordable rental developments statewide, and I’ve been particularly interested in researching opportunities in the western counties,” he said. “My research led me to the Franklin market.”

Workforce Homestead wants to purchase about 5 acres from James Vanderwoude on Siler Road. Yamin said the location seemed ideal given its proximity to a public park, shopping and a county library branch.

“I’m seeing it as being a very desirable part of town,” Yamin said.

The proposed apartment complex, Indigo, would offer one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that are affordable and energyefficient. Yamin said the garden-style flats would have a 2.0 Energy Star standard, which means residents would save on utilities.

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“I’m not in favor of people smoking, period, but now we’re getting into people’s rights,” he said. “How much more can government try to protect us from ourselves?”

Miller also worries that the town is making a knee-jerk reaction to the county’s proposed ordinance and not thinking through how it will affect downtown tourism. He said he planned to attend the town’s public hearing and ask how tourism-friendly the ordinance is going to be and what economic impact yelling at tourists for smoking will have.

There are also plenty of service workers downtown who will need to find a new spot to take their smoke breaks.

Matt Kuver and Chris Mattox both work in the kitchen at Frog’s Leap Public House on Church Street and take their smoke breaks

Tobacco ordinance public hearings

• Haywood County commissioners will hold s a public hearing for the proposed ordid nance at the Historic Courthouse 5:30 . p.m. Monday, March 16.

- • The town of Waynesville will hold a pubo lic hearing for the proposed smoking ordinance at Town Hall during its March e 24 meeting. e behind the restaurant. They understand the dilemma of people smoking in downtown but feel like the 50-foot rule would be too much because there’s nowhere to go downtown where they wouldn’t be within 50 feet of a business door.

“I think the 50-foot limit is too broad,” Kuver said. “But if there is a spot (designated) I can walk to, it’s not going to bother me.”

Mattox also said such an ordinance would be difficult to enforce. He said it would be a better idea just to ban smoking during downtown events, which is when many families with children are downtown.

“Ten years ago people were looking for big homes — now they’re looking for something smaller and more affordable, but they still want quality.”

— James Vanderwoude

project. The board went through the same process two years ago before approving Westgate Terrace Apartments behind Ingles, Setser said. He said the preliminary plans for Indigo were similar to Westgate Terrace.

The planning board will discuss the project in more detail at its regular meeting at 4 p.m. Monday, March 16, at town hall.

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future development can be approved.

“It allows the town to have more say in future development on the property,” Setser said.

If the town board was concerned about a particular development, it could choose to only grant the special permit with stipulations, including buffers, sidewalks or greenways.

Setser said he couldn’t give out many details about the project other than what’s on the application because the special-use permit is a quasi-judicial process that requires the town to hear the proposal at a public hearing without prejudice.

“It’s like court. The board will have a hearing after it gets the recommendations from the planning board. That’s when board members are supposed to see everything for first time,” he said.

Board members and the town attorney are told not to go look at the property or ask people what they think about the proposed

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March 11-17, 2015

THE ENFORCEMENT ISSUE Onieal said the town’s ordinance was drafted after researching multiple tobacco use policies in other municipalities and a discussion with police, recreation staff and the Downtown Waynesville Association board.

She said a lot of research was done on how the proposed ordinance would be enforced.

The penalty for violating the policy would be a $50 citation. Town employees who violate the ordinance can be subject to disciplinary action, according to human resources policies. Any town employee acting in an enforcement capacity may issue a citation.

Brown said he was also curious about the practicality of how the ordinance will be enforced. It is something the board will have to discuss.

“The devil’s in the details,” he said. “We’ll probably just have to feel our way through the process. My only caution is let’s make sure we have a way of enforcing it to carry out the intended effect.”

Ultimately, Onieal said, the smoking ban is about trying to co-exist in shared public spaces. Downtown in particular has a high volume of foot traffic in relatively close quarters, particularly during festivals, parades and busy shopping days during tourist season.

Brown said he didn’t think the smoking ban would hurt tourism as long as it is handled carefully. While people do have personal freedoms, he said one person’s rights ends where another’s begins. Non-smokers don’t like to have to smell someone else’s smoke as they walk down Main Street.

“I think most people will appreciate that we are not allowing smoking,” he said.

Just like getting a parking ticket downtown may upset a few tourists, Brown said, the new rule, if it passes, may upset some visitors who get a citation or who learn they can’t smoke downtown.

“I don’t mind losing those kinds of tourists. Just like with parking tickets, we lose a tourist or two, but we can’t let the tail wag the dog,” he said. “Overall, I think people will be supportive of the idea.”

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S MOKING, CONTINUED FROM 9

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Fire tax likely for Cashiers, Highlands No-go for Sylva and Cullowhee this year, say commissioners

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER fire tax for Sylva and Cullowhee is off the table, at least for now, but Jackson County Commissioners told county staff to keep going on the Cashiers and Highlands fire districts.

“This will be a good example,” said Chairman Brian McMahan. “We’ll establish two, and I think it will be a good example to look to as we think about what we might want to do later on.”

Public hearings — dates to be determined — will gather input from Jackson County residents served by the Cashiers and Highlands stations. Though Highlands is in Macon County, some parts of Jackson County are more easily accessible by that station than by the closest Jackson County station. Every property owner living in the Jackson County side of the Cashiers-Highlands area will receive a mailed notice four weeks in advance of the hearing.

“Cashiers, they have put a lot of thought into this,” said Commissioner Boyce Dietz. “I was a fireman for 20 years. There’s a lot of variables in all this.”

Commissioners have been discussing the possibility of a fire tax for a few years, with the 2013 board even considering a referendum vote. Ultimately, they dropped the issue because only three of the county’s seven fire chiefs supported the idea. Commissioners didn’t feel that a new tax would stand a chance on the ballot if the chiefs weren’t all behind it.

In January, chiefs from the Cashiers and Cullowhee districts came to commissioners again, telling them about their aging equip-

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March 11-17, 2015

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ment, growing response time and increased difficulty attracting volunteers. This time, commissioners said, why not consider instituting the tax in districts that asked for it while maintaining the status quo in the rest of the county?

The county already kicks in part of each district’s budget, somewhere between $130,000 and $200,000, depending on the district. Part of that pays for one full-time position for each district. However, the total budget for a fire district is much higher — the Sylva department, for instance, operates on $680,000 per year — and departments make up the difference through a combination of fundraising, grants, contributions from municipalities and fire protection payments from state and federal entities in the district.

Right now, the plan is for the districts desiring to opt out to continue receiving their portion from the county while any district winding up with an approved fire tax would raise its total budget from a tax tacked onto the property tax its residents pay.

Though Cullowhee and Sylva — a district that also includes Dillsboro and Webster — have told the county they want in on the fire tax, commissioners decided they’re not quite ready to move forward with the process.

“I think there’s some additional homework for them to do in terms of getting a realistic budget together for operating expenses, and that will give them time to do that,” said Commissioner Vicki Greene.

For Cullowhee’s part, County Manager Chuck Wooten said, the variables are many and will take time to work out. There’s talk of opening a new substation at Bear Lake; right now, it’s not clear whether that substation will be built and what its operating cost might be. In addition, Wooten said, more time would allow greater opportunity to lobby the state for additional funds to pay for Cullowhee’s protection of Western Carolina University.

Embroiled Haywood GOP factions to settle the score at Saturday’s convention

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER long-awaited showdown in the internal power struggle for control of the Haywood County Republican Party will play out this Saturday during the party’s annual convention.

A tug of war over the direction of the party has been brewing for more than two years. A faction of conservative activists has gradually gained a foothold in the Haywood GOP, prompting mainstream Republicans to abandon ship in the face of constant strife and bickering that derails monthly meetings.

The separate factions have an equal number of supporters on the party’s governing committee, but the upcoming convention will be a turning point in the deadlock.

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County staff are still finalizing some of districts but imagine they’ll be delineated pretty close to this representation.

Donated graphic

By the numbers CASHIERS DISTRICT Total tax value .............................$6.2 billion Rate requested ..............1.95 cents per $100 of home value Potential revenue........................$1.1 million HIGHLANDS DISTRICT (IN JACKSON COUNTY) Total tax value ........................$329.5 million Macon County tax rate ....0.9 cents per $100 of home value Potential revenue..............................$31,700

There’s three critical votes going down at the convention that will determine which camp will lead the party for the next two years: • The election of executive officers: Both sides are mum on who they will nominate from their camp for the four primary leadership roles on the party’s governing committee.

• The election of precinct leaders: These folks typically play the part of grassroots organizers in each of county’s 29 voting precincts. But in the Haywood GOP, precinct chairs are voting members of the governing committee, giving them sway in party affairs. Any Republican who shows up to the convention can vote in the precinct election of their respective precinct. With 29 precincts in play, a chess-like numbers game is in the works as both camps try to stack the votes.

• A bylaws vote on whether precinct chairs should remain voting members of the party’s governing committee: Under state GOP bylaws, precinct chairs don’t have voting power on the governing committee. But they do in Haywood, thanks to a bylaw change at the convention two years ago that empowered precinct chairs. In hindsight, that change was a concerted strategy by the activist faction to take over the party’s leadership.

“We believe Cullowhee is unique in the fact that they are the only volunteer fire department in the state that is charged with providing fire protection for a $560 million dollar university,” Wooten wrote. “WCU really doesn’t have a say in how the funds are distributed since all state agencies pay into an insurance pool and then the N.C. Department of Insurance allocates the funds proportionately based on the percent of property value that you protect.”

But the biggest challenge for Cullowhee, Wooten said, is probably “coming to grips with the idea of increasing taxes by 5 or 6 cents when you have a general fund tax rate of 28 cents.”

Because the fire tax would be based on property value, communities with lowervalue homes would wind up paying a higher tax rate than those with high-value homes.

To fund a budget just 60 percent the size of Cashiers’, Cullowhee residents would have to pay a tax rate three times higher. That’s because the average home in Cashiers is worth $472,900, while in Cullowhee the average is $208,500. The total value of property in the Cashiers district is $6.2 billion, compared to $1.2 billion in the Cullowhee district.

And as far as Sylva goes, Wooten said, the timeline is just too short to get it done this time around. The county didn’t start talking with the Sylva chief about this latest iteration of the tax concept until recently, so while he’s on board, the details still need work. The Sylva district is further complicated by the fact that the fire district is a department of the town of Sylva and also funded by Webster and Dillsboro, necessitating coordination between the towns, the fire department and the county.

County staff will spend the coming weeks getting down the specifics of the tax plan, finalizing any changes to the district lines and mailing notices to property owners sometime in late March.

Whether precinct chairs keep voting status on the governing committee could be one of the most critical votes of the day. It will determine whether members of the activist faction keep their seats at the table.

“We must all be ready to come to the Haywood County Republican Convention to fight for the right of our precinct chairs to continue to be voting members of the Haywood County Republican Party Executive Committee!” according to an email and online remark by Eddie Cabe, member of the activist faction.

The importance of showing up is one point the mainstream camp and activist faction agree on.

“It is important for all concerned Republicans to set aside time Saturday morning to attend,” according to Haywood GOP Chair Pat Carr, who is in the mainstream camp. Those who attend will “help shape the Republican Party in Haywood County,” Carr wrote in a press release.

The convention will be held Saturday, March 14, at the Canton Armory, starting at 8:30 a.m. The election of precinct officers will be at 9:15 a.m. The other votes will happen at 10:45 a.m. There will also be speeches from elected Republican leaders in the region in between.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Macon County has an ordinance that levies a fee for repeat offenders.

• In Jackson County, an ordinance was drafted and proposed a few years ago, but never passed. It went a step further than simply imposing a fee for repeat false alarm offenders. It would have required second-home and vacation-home owners with security alarm systems to designate a local contact person with a spare key to the house — so if an alarm went off when the house was empty, the sheriff's office could ask the local person to go check on it and shut off the alarm instead of using officers’ time.

• Haywood County does not have a false alarm ordinance and has no interest in adopting one. While false alarm calls can be problematic and do take time, the department answers every alarm call as if it were a true alarm.

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March 11-17, 2015

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR proposed ordinance could cost Swain County residents money if they don’t make sure their alarm systems are working properly.

Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran has asked the county commissioners to pass an ordinance to help recoup costs associated with responding to false alarms at homes.

Cochran said excessive false alarms are a burden on the sheriff ’s department’s limited resources. The department responded to more than 1,000 security alarm calls in 2014. While the department responds to all the alarm calls, rarely is the alarm a legitimate break in or disturbance. Most of the time, the call is the result of a faulty alarm system.

The purpose of the proposed ordinance is to establish reasonable expectations of alarm users and to ensure that alarm users are held responsible for their systems.

Whenever a deputy responds to an alarm signal the officer inspects the premises and determines whether the signal was a false alarm.

If a deputy determines it was, the proposed ordinance says, a written notification will be left at the home and the department will try to find an additional mailing address for the owner to let them know that they have 10 days to repair the faulty alarm.

For false alarm responses during a one-year period from the date of the first false alarm, the penalty would be $50 for a second false alarm, $100 for the third, and $150 each for four or more.

Each penalty would be due within 30 days of notification.

If the penalty goes unpaid, it could be recovered in civil court plus the cost of attorney fees and court costs.

Swain County Manager Kevin King said commissioners would discuss the proposed ordinance at their March 12 meeting before setting a date for a public hearing. He said commissioners had some concerns regarding the ordinance language, specifically the appeal process language.

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False alarms could cost Swain residents

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Veterans and public invited to job fair Smoky Mountains Spring for Success job fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 13, at the Robert C. Carpenter Building, 1288 Georgia Road, Franklin. The job fair is open from 10 to 11 a.m. for veterans only and is open for the public from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunshine Week celebrates open government Carolina Public Press, an Asheville-based nonprofit online news service, will hold two events during Sunshine Week, an annual nationwide celebration of what accessing public information and open government means to you and our community.

A free forum titled “The Best and Worst of WNC’s Open Government,” will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at the Jackson County Public Library, 310 Keener Street, in Sylva.

Full disclosure workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20, at the Carolina Public Press training room at 50 S. French Broad Ave. in Asheville. w w w. c a ro l i n a p u b l i c p re s s . o r g .

828.279.0949.

Smoky Mountain News

March 11-17, 2015

SCC to hold job fair March 26

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A job fair will beheld from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, March 26 at Southwestern Community College for students, alumni and members of the community to connect with employers in the area.

This recruiting event is designed to provide employers with an opportunity to inform job fair participants about their organizations, personnel needs and career paths. All students, alumni and community members interested in internships, co-ops, part-time and full-time positions are invited to attend.

The Job Fair is free for both employers and the community. The event will be held in the Burrell building on the Jackson Campus from 9 a.m.-noon.

828.339.4212 or p_kirkley@southwesterncc.edu.

Macon County holds health series A series of public listening sessions are being health by the Macon County Public Health Department.

The purpose of the series is to gain public input on a variety of vulnerable health populations who live in Macon County.

The first session about the issues affecting Latino residents of Macon County will be held at 6 p.m. March 12 at the Sunset Restaurant, 498 Harrison Ave. in Franklin.

Dinner will be provided.

The second session about issues affecting senior citizens will be held at noon March 13 at the Macon County Senior Center, 108 Wayah Street in Franklin. Lunch will be provided.

The third session will be about the issues affecting those living with a mental illness in Macon County will be held at 6 p.m. March 30 at the Sunset Restaurant, 498 Harrison Ave. in Franklin. Dinner will be provided.

Haywood Regional to host job fair

A job fair will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, 75 Leroy George Dr. in Clyde.

The health system has clinical and nonclinical positions available for both leadership as well as entry-level candidates. www.haymed.org/careers.aspx

Free Enterprise talk features Michael Munger

“The Coming Middleman Revolution” will be the topic at the next Free Enterprise Speaker Series event to be held at 4 p.m.

Wednesday, March 18, in the Multipurpose Room of A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University.

Michael Munger, a renowned economist and political theorist at Duke University and a former candidate for the office of governor of North Carolina, will be the speaker.

828.227.3383.

WCU to hold Annual Gender Conference

“North Carolina Women and Their Contributions” is the theme of Western Carolina University’s annual Gender Conference scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 18, in Blue Ridge Hall Conference Room A. Conference presentation topics will include the role of women in Appalachian music, the lives of women of color during slavery times, the Appalachian Women’s Museum Project in Dillsboro, and the current impact of women on North Carolina politics.

828.227.3359.

WCU to hold open house March 21

An open house for prospective students and their families and friends will be held from 8:15 .m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Western Carolina University.

Visitors can tour the campus, learn about the university’s wide array of award-winning academic programs and learn about financial aid. Students attending Open House will receive a voucher for a free lunch, which can be redeemed at Courtyard Dining Hall or the food court at A.K. Hinds University Center.

Register at openhouse.wcu.edu or call 828.227.7317.

F•A•R•M•H•O•U•S•E

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER The decision to expand the tailgating area at Western Carolina University boiled down to one simple thing, the university’s attorney Mary Ann Lochner told the Board of Trustees’ Administration, Governance and Trusteeship Committee last week.

“We want to drink in more places than we currently do,” Lochner said. “What else?

Are there more questions?”

The committee — and, the next day, the whole board — voted unanimously to approve the Belk Building parking lot as a new alcohol-permissible tailgating zone. It was a decision borne of a concurrent spike in alumni numbers, football wins and, as a result, team spirit.

“Homecoming this year was one of the most well-attended games I’ve been to in years,” said Alumni Association PresidentElect Robin Pate. “It wasn’t just spectators in the stands. It was fans coming to cheer for their team.”

WCU has been doing a lot of growing recently, with total enrollment — which includes students who take classes online or at the Asheville campus — reaching 10,000 for the first time in 2013 and continuing to rise.

The football team is also doing a lot bet-

Western Carolina University. Donated photo

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ter. Between 2010 and 2013, they won just six games in all. Compare that to this season, when the team won seven of its 12 games.

The university’s marching band is also a draw, accumulating even more of a following in the last few years following a 2011 appearance at the Rose Bowl and leading the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 2014, Pate said.

The Belk lot, while one of the smaller lots on campus, is adjacent to other areas

where alcohol is allowed, including the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, Jordan-Phillips Field House and E.J. Whitmire Stadium lots.

So, things have gotten more crowded during game days, but that’s a good problem to have.

“There’s a lot to be excited about,” Pate said. “There’s a lot to see and do. It’s more than a football game. It’s more than tailgating. It’s an entire experience of the day.”

week.

“It is gorgeous and I’ll tell you, I was thrilled to find out there’s more dining seating here than in the dining hall we currently have, so it really is expanding our capacity,” said Chancellor David Belcher. “That’s what we need given the fact we’re growing at such a rapid clip.”

Originally, WCU had aimed to start construction in July to have the project done in time for the fall 2016 semester. Issues with

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER Campus dining is headed for an upgrade at Western Carolina University, with renovation toward a new and improved Brown Building due to start this fall.

The $22.5 million project will add about 25,000 square feet to the 30,000-square-foot building, with amenities to include a new dining hall; franchises such as Starbucks and Steak and Shake; an outdoor fire pit and indoor fireplace; and offices for residential living, campus student groups and Base Camp Cullowhee, the university’s outdoors program. Total seating capacity in Brown will increase to 940.

“I know students are extremely excited about this,” said Carolina Pierce, president of the Student Government Association.

Artist rendering of Brown Building renovation plans.

The university has hired a designer Donated graphic — Charlotte-based Watson Tate Savory — and has in hand a set of artist ren- the site and state construction submittals derings showing what the finished product pushed the timeline back a bit, with conmight look like. The design will retain the struction now expected to begin this fall. The brick façade of the existing building but add building should be ready for students by variety by incorporating glass and stone elespring 2017. The Courtyard Dining Hall will ments. The concept met a favorable recepremain open, with Brown serving to complition at the Board of Trustees’ meeting last ment its offerings and alleviate overcrowding.

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March 11-17, 2015

$22.5 million construction project coming to WCU

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Tailgating zone expands at WCU Twin Maples

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Maggie residents weigh in on town center plan

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR aggie Valley is attempting — for the third time — to put together a plan to improve the town’s image, aesthetics and economy.

About 60 people attended a public hearing last week to share their ideas of what Maggie’s town center should be, but many were skeptical about whether this plan would be any different than the others.

Tom Mallette, owner of Realty World in Maggie Valley, said he had gone through the Driving Miss Maggie plan and the Moving Maggie Forward plan. While the plans contained good ideas, he said, nothing was ever implemented.

“What will be different about this process?” he asked.

Town Manager Nathan Clark said several factors made this process different than the other plans sitting on a shelf in his office, including more public input, a cohesive board of aldermen and a town center plan that will offer solutions in addition to ideas.

“This turnout indicates there is a tremendous amount of energy that’s there that may have been lacking in the past,” he said. “Right now we have a board of aldermen committed to the town’s future that we

Smoky Mountain News

March 11-17, 2015

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haven’t had in the past.”

Clark said this process, which includes public input at each stage, would result in a list of large and small projects that the town could begin to develop while trying to secure the necessary money.

“If we’re going to put $25,000 in this, we want to see something tangible at the end,” he said.

The town allocated $25,000 in last year’s budget to create a downtown master plan and hired J.M. Teague Engineering to lead the process. Representatives from JM Teague, McGill Associates and Chipley Consulting were present at the public input meeting to lead the discussion about the future of Maggie Valley. Participants shared tables that each had a Maggie Valley map.

SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS When people started outlining the focal points in town and highlighting improvements that could be made, the project team found that a majority of residents shared the same ideas for a town center.

The most pressing challenge is trying to create a downtown feel in a municipality that has a major highway as its primary commercial strip. Many residents said they saw

Maggie Valley residents create their ideal town center plan during a recent public hearing using a blank map of Soco Road. Jessi Stone photo the town center laid out from the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds to the town hall on Soco Road. Others thought the town center should begin at Parham Park at the intersection of Moody Farm Road.

Maggie resident June Johnson, who is also part of the project oversight group, said she would like to see bike lanes on both sides of Soco Road, a trolley system between

Waynesville, Lake Junaluska and Maggie Valley and improved sidewalks.

“People aren’t going to walk or sit unless there are some shade trees along the sidewalks,” she said.

Johnson also suggested trying to slow traffic down through the town limits by dividing the highway in several areas with green space on the medians.

the same direction. We’ve got to move forward or we’ll die.”

After hearing everyone’s input, Reuben Moore with J.M. Teague Engineering said the project team would compile all the information and report back to the project oversight group. A first draft of the town center plan will be presented at a second public hearing that will be scheduled in May or June.

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“We need something to stop this drag strip,” she said.

Tammy Wight, a motel owner and a member of the Maggie Valley Area Lodging Association, shared the ideas from her table, which included her husband and Maggie Valley Alderman Phillip Wight. Their ideas included trolley and carriage rides through town, a botanical garden, a town history museum and a veterans memorial.

Tammy said the old Plott House on Moody Farm Road would be an ideal location for a town historical museum and a veterans memorial could be placed on town hall property along with a water park feature similar to Splasheville in downtown Asheville.

Other ideas included putting utility lines underground and getting rid of unsightly power poles, streetlamps, more green space and picnic areas, stops signs or traffic lights to slow drivers down, hiking trails, street signs, water fountains, public artwork and more.

Part-time resident Kathy Brown wanted to know what the town was going to do to help sustain businesses.

CLEANUP EFFORTS

March 11-17, 2015 Smoky Mountain News

While residents shared many different ideas, all of them agreed that the town must first address dilapidated structures and unsightly property along the corridor.

“Let’s get rid of the junk,” Mallette said as applause broke out in the room.

“Everyone fix up their buildings.”

Cleaning up the town is a priority for the board of aldermen and the town center project oversight group.

During a recent workshop, the board of aldermen said this would be the year that the eyesores in Maggie Valley would be addressed, including junk vehicles, dilapidated buildings, trash, vegetation and ille“A lot of it is just getting out in gal signage. It is a matter of enforcing the town’s ordinances. the community and trying to Town staff will need the full work with people, especially with support of the board as this type of enforcement is difficult and creates the tourist season coming up.” complaints. The board is in consensus that there would be no need — Andrew Bowen, Maggie Valley town planner to develop a downtown master plan if the commercial district is “Where is the economic development?” not cleared of eyesores. she asked. “Why not use that $25,000 to Scott Neilsen, co-owner of Cabbage Rose help businesses? How many businesses in Maggie Valley, said he didn’t want the town have opened and closed in the last 10 to only be a waypoint en route to Cherokee. years? Businesses can’t be open for six “All we’re known for is the casino and months and closed for six months — peogarbage,” he said. ple can’t live like that.”

Town Planner Andrew Bowen said the Clark said the root purpose of governtown has several ordinances on the books ment was to provide infrastructure and serv- that will help him with a big “spring sweep” ices — something he feels the town does a this year, including ordinances that address great job with and something the town cenzoning and signs, junk cars, solid waste, ter plan will help improve. weeds and unwanted vegetation.

He said the town doesn’t do well when it “A lot of it is just getting out in the comtries to dip into the business side of things, munity and trying to work with people, including tourism and other industries. The especially with the tourist season coming town does have a chamber of commerce, a up,” he said. hotel-motel association, an area lodging Bowen said the ordinances haven’t been association and a tourism board to work on strictly enforced because the town has had the business and marketing. other priorities. But it is a high priority this Pat and Linda Amato have lived in the year, and he’s found it’s more productive to valley for 10 years and have seen several do one big sweep and work together to get improvement plans come before the town everything cleaned up. board with no results. But they said they “Over time things accumulate — it might attended the public hearing in hopes that not be anybody’s fault,” he said. “I’ll probathis time will be different. bly send out a letter to business owners let“I hope this organization and these ting them know it’s a town priority and we’ll aldermen can find a doable plan and possitry to work with them to get it done. If bly get something in motion in the next four there’s still an infraction of an ordinance, years,” Pat said. “For the first time I think we’ll take another route, but we have to give the aldermen are in unison and are going in people enough time to fix the problem.”

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

All information is not created equally

oogle is a wonderful thing, but it sometimes makes things harder for journalists. That’s why a new emphasis on transparency among newspapers and news sites may be one of the measures that helps save real journalism and differentiates it from all that other stuff out there on the web.

“In the digital world, where information is infinite and infinitely replicable, being transparent … helps distinguish journalism from other content on the web,” writes Martin Moore, the executive director of the Media Standards Trust, in a blog post that listed the arguments in favor of transparency.

What exactly does that mean? It means newspapers tell you who wrote a story, who they talked to in order to get the information in the story, what documents we got our eyes on in order to report a story. We credit photos and other information. We encourage readers to respond to or criticize our stories. We print corrections if something inaccurate does get printed and encourage people to tell us when we’re wrong. We encourage opinionated, spirited debate on our editorial pages.

For traditional journalists, transparency has always been commonplace. It’s what we do. But today the Editor notion of journalistic objectivity is being challenged on many levels.

Sometimes readers don’t notice the difference between a blog site that simply disguises biased information as real, objective news. And as the digital information universe continues to grow exponentially, those of us who want to make a living reporting the news must try ever harder to let information consumers — readers — know the difference between what we do and what else is out there.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the fact that I can go online and find out what hundreds of people think about Gov. Pat McCrory’s budget or President Obama’s nuclear negotiations with Iran. It’s an embarrasment of information riches. But those of us who make a living producing information want readers to know that all information is not created equally.

Look, this business is changing rapidly, so in a sense we are fighting for our lives. From 2003 to 2012, the Pew Research Center reported that 16,200 jobs were lost in newspaper newsrooms in the U.S. In the last decade, 5,000 new full-time digital editorial jobs have been created. Even counting some of those job losses as recession-related, it’s a challenging landscape for

Scott McLeod

G

Raleigh does a job on senior citizens To the Editor: You're 83 years old, on a fixed income of out-of-state retirement and Social Security, living in Franklin. Your 2013 North Carolina state tax was $37. You get your 2014 state tax done by AARP as usual, and you are informed that you owe $227 N.C. state tax.

Your income has not increased, you own no property, nothing has changed, just the tax laws.

“How is that possible?” you scream. You are retired in another state, under the new tax law passed by the legislators in their Raleigh power center, this leaves you

SMOKY M OUNTAIN N EWS 2014 AWARDS EDITORIAL Special Awards • Community Service — First Place, Staff • General Excellence – Second Place, Staff • Duke University Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education, Staff • N.C. Bar Association Media and the Law Award, Holly Kays First Place • Passing on the Songs of Appalachia, JAM feature, Jeremy Morrison • Community Coverage, SMN staff • Best Niche Publication, Beverly Hanks • Investigative Reporting, Becky Johnson Second Place • General News, Becky Johnson • Profile Feature, Garret K. Woodward Third Place • Investigative Reporting, Becky Johnson • News Feature, Holly Kays • News Enterprise, Becky Johnson • General Excellence for Websites, Travis Bumgarner ADVERTISING Special Awards • Metro (Newspaper with most awards in each newspaper category) journalists, newspapers, and digital news sites.

Only a handful of the 300 or so all-digital news sites are profitable. I’m talking a dozen, perhaps, according to the reports I’ve read. The takeaway is that consumers want news digitally, but almost all purely digital news sites aren’t profitable and can’t sustain themselves Meanwhile, people here in the mountains and throughout the country want and need the local news and information that papers like ours — and the other quality newspapers in this region — provide. I know we at The Smoky Mountain News take our job very seriously and push our editors, reporters, sales staff and designers to do quality work.

Last week, the N.C. Press Association announced its award

deprived of the tax deduction you were always entitled to. That's the explanation given.

You have to pay the $227 by April 15 or you pay that plus interest. This you are also advised. It isn't going to be easy. You have rent and everything that goes with that, plus other bills. The extra $227 was not budgeted.

You have two check periods, March and April to deduct $100 from each only from your food budget. This leaves very little for food, for prescriptions and leaves out medically prescribed supplements. You’re on a special diet due to health problems. For two months you are in serious health and financial trouble.

I had heard that families with children

First place • Best Food Ad — K&M Express • Best Color Restaurant/Entertainment Ad — Joey’s Pancake House • Best Color Apparel, Jewelry & Accessory Ad — Pioneer Supply • Best Use of Color — Bourbon Barrel Beef & Ale • Best Newspaper Promotion — SMN Q&A • Best Online Advertising — Smoky Mountain Steel Horses • Best Single Sheet Insert — Ethos Wealth Group • Best Retail Ad in Niche Publication — The 1945 Old House Second Place • Best Innovated Concept/Wild Card — Mud Run Poster • Best Advertising Campaign — Complete Laser • Best Niche Publication — Beverly Hanks Welcome Magazine • Best Shared Page in a Niche Publication — SM Living Gallery Guide • Best Restaurant/Entertainment Ad in a Niche Publication — Smoky Mountain Folk Festival Third Place • Best Real Estate Ad — Pinnacle • Best Black & White Restaurant Ad — Village Bistro • Best Black & White Apparel, Jewelry or Accessory Ad — Lake Junaluska • Best Use of Color — Classic WineSeller • Best Restaurant/Entertainment Ad in a Niche Publication — DWA Quilt Trail

winners in both news and advertising, and our staff ’s work was recognized as among the best in state. The awards we won (see infobox above) show that others in the industry (the judges) think we’re doing good work.

Those awards feel good, and as a publisher and editor they make me extremely proud of the work produced by our staff.

But the real judges are you, the readers. Our job is to prove to you every week that we can provide quality work that is credible and that makes it worth your time to pick up a paper or read us online. In the end, that — and our survival — will be the only measure of success that counts.

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

would no longer receive the earned income credit for each child. These are working families who can ill afford to lose these deductions.

The new tax bill adversely affects mainly working families and middle-class seniors who didn’t come to North Carolina loaded with excess cash.

I am the senior and the new tax certainly hurts me. Of course, the legislators representing this area, like Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and Rep. Roger West, R-Marble, and N.C. Gov. McCrory could care less. They just make certain their extremely wealthy constituents stay ahead of the game maintaining the tax loopholes which those less moneyed never had.

Sleep well harmful legislators. Pray con-

stantly for God's forgiveness for the harm you do.

Selma V. Sparks Franklin

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.

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March 11-17, 2015 Smoky Mountain News 21

tasteTHEmountains 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

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March 11-17, 2015

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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; slow-simmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts.

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

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

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

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

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

Smoky Mountain News

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

owned and operated. Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables. Fresh roasted ham, turkey and roast beef used in our hoagies. We hand make our own eggplant and chicken parmesan, pork meatballs and hamburgers. We use 1st quality fresh not pre-prepared products to make sure you get the best food for a reasonable price. We make vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free items. Call or go to Facebook (Breaking Bread Café NC) to find out what our specials are.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. It’s winter, but we still serve three meals a day on Friday, Saturday and long holiday weekends. Join us for Breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; Lunch from 12 to 2 p.m.; and Dinner buffet from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with entrees that include pot roast, Virginia ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer. And a roaring fire in the fireplace. So come enjoy mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view.

Reservations are required.

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

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

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine. Come taste

Country Vittles RESTAURANT

Winter Hours:

& GIFT SHOP

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

CORK & CLEAVER 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.7179. Reservations recommended.

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

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

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

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

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

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday

Burgers to Salads Southern Favorites & Classics -Local beers now on draft-

Live Music

Mon. - Sat. 7 A.M. - 8 P.M. Sun. 8 A.M. - 3 P.M. Closed Tuesday

Featuring a Full Menu with Daily Specials

SID’S ——————————————————

ON MAIN

PRIVATE DINING ROOM AVAILABLE FOR EVENTS

3589 SOCO RD. MAGGIE VALLEY 22

828.926.1820

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

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JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Winter hours; Friday through Sunday and Mondays, 7 a.m. to noon. 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. Joey & Brenda O’Keefe invite you to join what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

JUKEBOX JUNCTION U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

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.

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400.

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

STEAKS • PIZZA SEAFOOD CHICKEN & SANDWICHES

Saturday, March 13:

BELLY DANCING w/Sera Sahara!

1863 S. Main Street • Waynesville 828.454.5002 Hwy. 19/23 Exit 98

DOWNTOWN SYLVA • NC Mon.-Fri. 7-4 Sat. 8-4

LUNCH & DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK

Café

MUSIC STARTS AT 9 P.M.

Deli & So Much More

SATURDAY, 3/14

Arnold Hill TUESDAY, MARCH 17

SAINT PATRICKS DAY!

BUCHANAN BOYS Irish Food Specials

FAMILY-STYLE

ITALIAN DINNER

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631.0554 83 Asheville Highway

Sylva

Saturday, March 21 • 7 PM By reservation only

• Spinach Alfredo • Italian Sausage with peppers, onions and potatoes • Broccoli Rabe Pizza • White Fish Provencal

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.

Try all 4 dishes! $18.95/person ————————————————————————— Now Serving Sunday Brunch Monday - Friday 8-3 Sunday 9-3 6147 Highway 276 S. Bethel, North Carolina (at the Mobil Gas Station)

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

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

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

ITALIAN CUISINE

bbcafenc.com • 828.648.3838

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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

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.

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.

MEDITERRANEAN

March 11-17, 2015

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

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

PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner, closed Wednesdays. 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.

www.CityLightsCafe.com

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HERREN HOUSE 94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837.

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

Enjoy fresh local products, created daily.

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

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.

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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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Smoky Mountain News

at breaking through, though at 20 she still has a long career ahead of her. Bishop’s story of rejection isn’t unique or dime-a-dozen, but another stitch in the rich and vibrant melodic fabric women in string music have put together from sheer will and determination.

“If you keep pushing, eventually people can’t ignore you anymore,” Bishop said. “They can’t keep looking over the fact that you’ve got talent, you’ve got guts and the same drive that any other guy playing music has.”

DIFFERENT SET OF CHALLENGES

BLESS YOUR HEART The state of women in bluegrass

Twenty-year-old Haywood County fiddle sensation Danielle Bishop is headlong into a promising career as a bluegrass musician. A member of the Whitewater Bluegrass Company, she’s also played with Balsam Range and the Darren Nicholson Band, all in the hopes of someday becoming a full-time professional touring musician. Garret K. Woodward photo

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

Danielle Bishop only cries when she’s mad.

“And was I mad,” she said.

Sitting in a booth at the Papertown Grill in downtown Canton, Bishop’s eyes light up when asked if her aspirations of becoming a touring musician were ever influenced by the fact that she was a woman. Already an acclaimed fiddler at only 20 years old, she has spent most of her life in pursuit of a dream of taking to the open road and sharing her talents with the world.

Recently, a popular regional bluegrass outfit was in need of a fiddle player who could also play mandolin and guitar. Bishop is well versed in all three instruments and decided to call for a tryout.

“They just said they wanted a guy,” she shrugged her shoulders. “They figured it’d be more appropriate. I guess it just wouldn’t be convenient for them. So, I hung up the phone and cried — it was frustrating that it wasn’t an equal opportunity.”

Like so many women in bluegrass — in any field of work for that matter — Bishop has had to prove herself in a male-dominated industry.

Some women have had better luck than Bishop

That sentiment of hard work and preparation leading to opportunity for female musicians is something that permeates all levels of the industry. Name almost any famous female bluegrass performer, and they can tell you about the particular challenges women face.

Not only one of the biggest female names in string music, Rhiannon Giddens is also one of the modern-day torchbearers of old-time roots and mountain music. Lead singer of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, a North Carolina African-American string group, Giddens also hit the national spotlight with her recent record “Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes,” which was a modern interpretation of never-before-released Bob Dylan songs that included collaborations with Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford, Jim James and TBone Burnett.

As a touring musician, she has seen her share of judgment taking the microphone as the only female onstage. “‘Come on up here, little lady,’ they’d say to me,” Giddens chuckled over the phone last week while on vacation in Ireland. “I know when I was with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, I’d try to resist the whole, ‘Oh, there’s a girl playing fiddle, let’s go see that’ type of thing. You have the tools like anybody else, and maybe being a female will get people initially there, but it’s your talent that has to keep them there. We were also a black string band, and people thought that was interesting, but if we weren’t any good, it wouldn’t have worked.”

While currently recording a new album in Virginia, Sylva-based Mountain Faith singer/fiddler Summer McMahan has also dealt with the challenge of being a female bluegrass musician. When on the road performing, she does notice a lack of women onstage.

“I think there’s more men than women in bluegrass because of families,” the 21-year-old said. “I couldn’t imagine being a wife and mom and having to leave my family at home every weekend. I’m single, so that isn’t something I’ve had to deal with yet. The road life is very hard. It wears and tears on you, for sure. I can’t imagine this lifestyle being very appealing after getting married and starting a family.”

‘AUNT’ SAMANTHA The earliest recording of the five-string banjo actually came from the skilled fingertips of a woman, and a Western North Carolina woman

at that. “Aunt” Samantha Bumgarner from Dillsboro was a renowned early country and folk performer. Born in 1878, she garnered a reputation around Southern Appalachia as a musical force to be reckoned with. In 1924, she and guitarist Eva Davis headed to a studio in New York City to put together songs for Columbia Records.

“I mean, for our region, you wouldn’t have a lot of the mountain music to begin with, without Samantha Bumgarner and Eva Davis,” said well-known Western North Carolina banjoist Laura Boosinger. “They recorded those songs in New York before anybody did.

Rhiannon Giddens. Donated photo

Nobody recorded the five-string banjo until Samantha Bumgarner did — period.”

Bumgarner’s notoriety only rose as the years went along. In 1939, she was one of the musicians invited by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to perform for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England at the White House. Pete Seeger, the late legendary folk icon and political activist, pointed to Bumgarner as the initial influence on him to pick up the fivestring banjo. She also became a mainstay at Bascom Lamar Lunsford’s Mountain Dance & Folk Festival from 1928 until her death in 1960.

Now entering its 88th year, the festival takes places over the first weekend in August in the Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place in downtown Asheville.

“Especially in our region, women have always had such a strong influence and been on the local scene here,” Boosinger said. “Yes, there’s very few girls in the scene when compared to the number of men playing, no doubt about it. But, there’s a lot of bands fronted by women that are major players these days, and also these young string bands with female leads that are coming up.”

Though a lifelong musician, it wasn’t until Boosinger came to Western North Carolina as a teenager that she truly connected the beauty of sound and those who played and danced to it.

Attending Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa in the late 1970s, she found herself right at the

“The old-timers were just glad that anybody wanted to play music. And they saw me, this girl coming along with a banjo — they were all about it.”

— Laura Boosinger

pened all the time,” she said. “It would just drive me crazy with all these people going, ‘Oh my goodness, she’s cute and plays a fiddle — here’s a ribbon.’”

Bishop said she’d like to interact with other professional female musicians. But she rarely comes across others with whom she can collaborate and connect to talk about what it means to be a woman in bluegrass.

“To be honest, I don’t really know any other females,” she said. “They’re out there, but I don’t cross paths with them often enough to have that type of conversation about it.”

Pushing through all of the background noise, Bishop looks at her journey as maybe taking a little longer than expected, where dialing into the ideal situation comes with perseverance and tough skin.

“I think what’s important right now is making the right connections and not relying

LET THE MUSIC SPEAK FOR ITSELF Giddens, a Greensboro native, studied opera at the Oberlin Conservatory but grew up around bluegrass and traditional music.

Both her uncle and grandfather played in string bands. After college, she discovered roots music and had an epiphany as to what she wanted to do with her life.

“I picked up the banjo and dove in with both feet,” she said. “That sound of the clawhammer banjo just drew me in. I fell in

Summer McMahan. Donated photo love with the music, with the history — that was it, I was a goner.”

Giddens started to wander around North Carolina, attending bluegrass/roots festivals and other avenues while meeting like-minded musicians. Once the Carolina Chocolate Drops formed in 2005, she began to hit the road, only to notice there weren’t as many females as one would expect in her same position.

“In terms of bluegrass, it always seems to be dominated by dudes, but there’s always going to be those notable women out there.

As far as how many, I don’t know?” she said.

“And the instrumental side has been a guy’s game for a long time. There have always been female instrumentalists, but in terms of sheer numbers, and at festivals, there’s not as many as I’d like to see.”

Giddens points to bluegrass icon Alison Krauss and old-time legend Abigail Washburn as leading the charge for females breaking into the genre. Add in the likes of young bluegrass phenoms Sierra Hull, Brittany Haas and Brooke Aldridge, and you have the outlines of a new dawn for women in string music.

“This cadre of women will only continue to inspire more girls,” Giddens said.

TELL IT FROM THE MOUNTAIN Forming nearly 15 years ago, the Mountain Faith quintet includes Summer’s

father, Sam, and brother, Brayden. Like Bishop, Summer’s love of bluegrass also emerged at a very early age.

“I started playing when I was 4 years old.

I went to Mountain Heritage Day in Cullowhee and saw the Fiddlin’ Dill Sisters perform. Two weeks later, I had a fiddle and was taking lessons from Amanda Dills,” she said. “I think what stuck out most to me in bluegrass was all of the raw talent. My bluegrass heroes have spent their lives perfecting their raw talent. That blew my mind and sparked my interest.”

Mountain Faith has spent countless nights on the road, all in an effort to spread their music and message. And it’s being on the road that Summer enjoys the most when not performing.

“It’s absolutely exhausting, but nothing is more fun,” she said. “It’s like a family camping trip that never ends. Yes, the [boys] are messy and smell, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

And as a female touring musician, McMahan is grateful for the support and respect she’s received thus far in the industry.

“Thankfully, I’ve never been in a situation where I was treated negatively because I’m a woman,” she said. “Most people have gone out of their way to make me comfortable.”

So, what does it mean to be an influence on other women trying to break into bluegrass?

“I’m the happiest when I’m onstage. It’s such an honor to be part of women in bluegrass. The most rewarding part is talking with the kids after shows and being a positive role model that they can look up to,” she said. “The few women I do see out on the road absolutely love what they do. Rhonda Vincent has the most passion for music and fans that I’ve ever seen — that’s what it takes. [You’ve got to] make sure this is what you really want. If you do want it, put your heart into it. It takes a lot of hard work and passion.”

CAN YOU HAVE IT ALL? As women try to mold and sustain longterm careers in bluegrass, the question arises — can you have it all, the career and the family? A wife and mother, Giddens takes to the road with her husband and children in tow.

With her undying passion for music and performance, she’s been able to find the ideal balance in having a career and a family.

“That’s a huge piece of it, in terms of turning professional,” she said. “I have a lot of people asking me how we did it, how we were able to take the family on the road. It takes a supportive partner and being able to put things together to make it work. I’ve been mentoring other women musicians, and it seems to be a growing idea — that it doesn’t have to be either or, that you can be a musician and a mother.”

“I definitely have thought about my future of hopefully being a wife and mom,” McMahan added. “My dream would be to have my family on the road with me. I know that would be nearly impossible living on a bus. I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Looking around the current bluegrass and string music genres in Western North Carolina and beyond, one can see numerous young girls participating in the popular Junior Appalachian

Smoky Mountain News

When she was 3 years old, Bishop was given her first fiddle. Since then, you wouldn’t cross paths with her without a fiddle in hand.

“I’ve never been able to put it down,” she laughed. Raised in Fairview, her father — an accomplished player in his own right — owned a music store filled with instruments and curious musicians. As a kid, Bishop remembers going to trade shows with her dad. It was that early influence which ultimately led her to take lessons from renowned Western North Carolina fiddler Arvil Freeman, who taught or influenced seemingly every young player in this region. “Bluegrass is what I was raised on,” she said. “I like that there’s not a lot of structure with what you can do, but at the same time there is. I like being able to make my own style within something that’s already established.”

For the last few years, Bishop has been front and center onstage with the Whitewater Bluegrass Company, a well-known bluegrass group that includes Steve Sutton, an International Bluegrass Music Association award winner and Grammy-nominated banjoist who has worked with the likes of Jimmy Martin, Rhonda Vincent and Alicia Nugent.

Laura Boosinger. Donated photo

on anybody’s reputation but my own,” she said. “And that might take longer, but this is my dream.”

March 11-17, 2015

FORGING HER OWN PATH

Recently, Bishop sat in with Balsam Range, the 2014 IBMA “Entertainer of the Year,” when lead singer/fiddler Buddy Melton was unable to play. Balsam Range mandolinist Darren Nicholson also invites her to play from time-to-time in his successful solo band.

“Steve and Darren, they don’t see me as a kid or a girl,” Bishop said. “They’ve always treated me as an equal, as a musician who can pull their part.”

But, the road to this point in her career hasn’t always been so smooth. As a kid, Bishop entered and won numerous contests.

Though obviously talented, she does, however, point to the fact she felt like more of a novelty, one who maybe wasn’t taken as seriously as she should have been.

“I got tired of the cute factor, and it hap-

arts & entertainment

source of real mountain culture and music. At that time, ironic bluegrass musician/storyteller David Holt began to develop and direct the Appalachian Music Program at the college. The program was ahead of its time in terms of preserving the old-time music and also bringing forth legendary musicians from their front porches to the stage.

“I didn’t really know anything about mountain music. The music was incredible, but it was the people that fascinated me,” she said. “Why did these people do this? Why were these traditions in their families? I mean, I didn’t have any traditions that were generations old.”

An acoustic guitarist since she was 12, Boosinger fell in love with the banjo when banjoist Marc Pruett (of Balsam Range) gave her one to take home, look at and learn to play. It was at that moment when she began her journey down the rich tradition of mountain music history and the faces behind the instruments.

“The folks that grew up with this music here, the places I went to hear and play it, the old-timers were just glad that anybody wanted to play music,” she said. “And they saw me, this girl coming along with a banjo — they were all about it.”

Alongside her decades of performing and perpetuating the craft of bluegrass and oldtime mountain music, Boosinger is also a consultant for the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina, an entity partnering the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and the North Carolina Arts Council. Encompassing 29 counties in Western North Carolina, the trails were created to preserve, interpret and promote these pockets of music and dance that have had a profound impact on American culture and beyond.

“My hope is that this music will still remain a cultural treasure,” she said. “These families continue for generations, and this music needs to stay in people’s focus because it’s still evolving.”

S EE B LUEGRASS, PAGE 26 25

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Smoky Mountain News

March 11-17, 2015

arts & entertainment

Musicians (JAM) camps and workshops. But then, somewhere around post-college, those numbers seem to drop off dramatically, whether it be at the hands of marriage, children or simply just focusing on navigating daily life rather than pursuing a career in music.

“I kind of like my life the way it is right now,” said Emma McDowell Best. “I’m married. I like to come home at night, make dinner and hangout. I like playing on the weekends, but besides the occasional trip somewhere, I wouldn’t want to tour and play full-time.”

A Haywood County native, Best, 26, came about as a bluegrass prodigy. She started taking fiddle lessons at age 8, eventually also getting instruction from Freeman a few years later. Alongside her kid brother Bryan, the fiddlin’ siblings played every weekend growing up in the McDowell Family Band. Best became a professional musician, ultimately giving fiddle, mandolin and guitar lessons of her own.

“I played everywhere, all over the South. I played the Shindig on the Green and Mountain Dance & Folk Festival in Asheville,” she said. “And I was encouraged so much to play music and have a career. I loved playing bluegrass, something about that style and lonesome sound that’s so honest, natural and comfortable.”

Best had high hopes of making a career as touring musician, but those thoughts slowly fell to the wayside when she got married, her military husband (grandson of legendary Haywood County banjoist Carroll Best) relocating the couple to Upstate New York amid his deployments. She also felt burned out from constant playing and performing over the years. She even stopped giving lessons, with her personal playing time dwindling, too.

“Then I heard an interview Carol Rifkin (WNCW) did with Arvil Freeman and it inspired me to go back to teaching and playing again — I almost felt guilty for stopping,” Best said.

These days, besides giving lessons around Western North Carolina, Best performs throughout the region when called upon by other musicians and bands. And with that, she does point out times where maybe she wasn’t taken as seriously being a female musician.

“I know occasionally when I want to get a date booked at a venue, I sometimes get the feeling that the venues don’t take me seriously, where they might look at me as not being able to play to the level of difficulty as men do,” she said.

Regardless, Best isn’t deterred from playing the music she loves. Next month, she will make her first appearance at Merlefest, a longtime beloved bluegrass/roots festival in Wilkesboro, alongside Boosinger. Through she’s slowly getting her feet wet again, Best finds it hard to track down other professional female bluegrass players, let alone balance performing and having a family.

“Locally, I actually have a hard time finding other women to play with,” she said. “And just finding time to rehearse can be difficult, especially when other female musicians have kids. Then, you have the regional and national levels, and those people have committed so much time and life to learning and playing, which I think they’re more willing to sacrifice 26 a little bit more than someone who may just

go out and only play a Friday night.”

On the flip side, Best’s brother, Bryan, is currently a national touring musician, playing fiddle and mandolin in the Claire Lynch Band, one of the top tier groups in all of bluegrass.

“He really enjoys performing, traveling and meeting new people,” she said. “When I was younger I wanted to be a touring musician, to do what Bryan is doing right now — that’s all I wanted to do. I would have liked to have know what it was like, to be a touring musician, even if it was just for a couple of years.”

In regards to the small numbers of touring females in bluegrass, Best points back to the societal expectations of women and the

Emma McDowell Best. Garret K. Woodward photo

She is a three-time IBMA “Female Vocalist of the Year” winner (1997, 2010 and 2013) and also took home “Song of the Year” in 2014 for “Dear Sister.”

“I’m beginning to see a pretty even playing field these days — I think it’s wide open for women in bluegrass,” she said over the phone while on tour in California last week.

“Today is nothing like it was back then. I think the women I came up with in the 1970s, and the ones before that, did a lot of plowing, pushing our way into leadership roles.”

Though female musical acts and influences were rare in her early days, Lynch also said that whatever negativity or prejudice

The Claire Lynch Band. Donated photo

“I think it just has become more acceptable for men to go off on the road than for a girl to leave the home, leave their families and hit the road. They say ‘Oh, well it’s my job.’ Yeah? Well, I’d like that job, too.”

— Emma McDowell Best

families they’re part of.

“You get sidetracked with family and obligations, with life, and maybe you pick it up again after the kids have grown up,” she said.

“I think it just has become more acceptable for men to go off on the road than for a girl to leave the home, leave their families and hit the road. They say ‘Oh, well it’s my job.’ Yeah?

Well, I’d like that job, too.”

EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD As a teenager in Alabama, Claire Lynch began searching for new music, people and places. She eventually found herself at a bluegrass festival in 1973. It was there she laid her eyes on the power of string music, and also her future husband, who opened the show.

The couple began collaborating together, with Lynch coming into her own. Her words found their way onto recordings by Kathy Mattea and Patty Loveless, while her voice backed greats like Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.

Now 60, Lynch has garnered quite a successful career as a leading lady in bluegrass.

ing, writing, managing a band, touring.”

In terms of modern bluegrass, Lynch says there’s still a long way to go for total equality even though the female presence is rapidly changing. She pointed to all the positions held by women in the genre, from former IBMA Executive Director Nancy Cardwell to the innumerable publicists, festival promoters and business personnel.

“In society, women are one of the last minorities to find freedom, and I think sometimes we’re not considered a minority because we’ve been visible all these years,” she said. “There are some men who may belittle my presence, but that’s not true of all men.

may have been directed at her for being a woman in bluegrass either didn’t faze her or she simply wasn’t going to pay attention to it.

“I was kind of young. I didn’t know any better,” she laughed. “Even before I was in a band, I was dating Larry [Lynch] and he covered me when we were out traveling on the road. When I was in the band, I was innocent. I was just doing my job. I was used to the male dominance in the scene and it was no skin off of my back. I knew a lot of women who entered the bluegrass world when I did that were offended, but I didn’t feel that way. I think the audience thought we were a breath of fresh air because I was a girl. There were definitely people behind our backs who said we weren’t part of bluegrass, but I didn’t get any of that from people in our scene and those at the festivals.”

Lynch noted how her ever-evolving skills in the music industry came in handy when stepping up to the plate when it came to business and professional decision-making.

“I had secretarial skills, so all the administration stuff gravitated towards me,” she said.

“I learned how to handle things, I studied up, learning about the music business, publish-

The men I’ve played with have given me nothing but respect and power — I’m not a man hater, I’m a man lover.”

What about the idea of a woman touring on the road with men?

“Not all women are willing to share a restroom facility with several other hairy-legged guys — it can be an uncomfortable thing,” Lynch said. “And I can see why a band might just grab another guy musician and hit the road, because men tend to know where they stand with each other.”

“I’ve found as being the only woman with a bunch of dudes for a while quite a funny life, in being a touring musician,” Giddens added.

“The key is to find people you’re willing to be with, on and off stage. If they don’t want to tour with a girl, then they’re probably not the people you want be around — go find your people, go find the people that inspire you, go find your pack, and practice your butt off.”

HOLDING YOUR OWN

Giddens sees the place of females in bluegrass, roots and string music as one where the music will always win out. No matter what gender you are, if you can play, and play well, the best talents will rise to the top.

“You learn as a woman, and as a Southern woman, that you’re in survival mode,” she said. “If you want to be taken seriously, you have to have respect for yourself. You have to figure out where are the mountains for you to die on? What are the things that you want to push forward? How

F

This must be the place

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD One of the beauties of music is that it is the gift that keeps on giving.

When a band releases an album, it’s a melodic present eager for the listener to unwrap. When someone hands you a record, it’s the excitement of the unknown, the notion that whatever sound radiates from your speakers you’re hearing for the first time. It’s that chance to discover a song, phrase or chord that sends shivers down your spine and throws a jovial kick in your step.

And what puts a cherry on top is when a group has already established itself onstage, only to translate seamlessly in the studio. It may sound like a no-brainer, but being able to hold your own — in front of the crowd, in the recording booth — can be the trickiest skill of all to master as a musician. How do you harness the energy of a live show without over-polishing the final product? When is enough, enough? What is the current direction of the band as it tries to accurately represent itself on a record?

Based out of Cullowhee, Mangas Colorado blends together Southern Appalachian front porch string music with the sharp edge of cosmopolitan folk and Americana swagger. Their new self-titled sophomore album is the watermark of a trio at a crossroads, one which puts

their fate square in their hands as they push ahead, ultimately living up to the hype of their live performances that have made this word-ofmouth ensemble a beloved act in the eyes and ears of Western North Carolina music lovers.

Holding steady at the helm is Colby Deitz (vocals/guitar/mandolin/kick-drum).

Alongside Jarrod Couch (banjo/guitar) and Seamus Moose (bass/guitar), Deitz is ready to bring Mangas Colorado further into the regional spotlight with the record, which will have an official release party on March 27 at Tuck’s Tap & Grille in Cullowhee.

Smoky Mountain News: What’s the philosophy behind the band?

Colby Deitz: Our catchphrase is “Good.

Carolina. Music.” Our live sound goes between stompin’ party tunes and acoustic tunes with harmonies. For a three-piece band, we have a very full sound and take a lot of pride in our sound checks and overall tone. People have very busy and stressful lives and we want them to be able to come and experience a great show with reflective songs and just leave in a great mood. We want to provide people with the music that we want to make and hope that it has as big of an impact on their lives as it does on ours.

Want to go?

The Mangas Colorado album release party will be at 9 p.m. Friday, March 27, at Tuck’s Tap & Grille in Cullowhee. The show is free and open to the public. The band will also be performing on March 14 at The Ugly Dog Pub in Highlands, March 17 at Tipping Point Brewing in Waynesville and April 4 at The Lost Hiker in Highlands. www.mangascolorado.us.

JOIN US FOR ARTS EVENTS AT WCU MAR. 16 | MON. 7:30PM | BARDO ARTS CENTER | FREE

Music: Music: Symphony Band and Concert Band

— Danielle Bishop

“Thinking about myself in the respect of inspiring others makes me want to do my best, not only to be someone worth following, but to also make it easier for those who come after me.”

When asked if there was anything, perhaps advice, she would have told her younger self, Bishop takes a sip of coffee and pauses.

She places the cup down on the table, slowly gazing out the window and back to the question posed. It is an extended pause, one with enough space to recall her lifelong memories of performance and sound.

“I would have probably told myself to toughen up soon, because I didn’t think I had to,” she said. “I came up being the cute little fiddle girl, and I got used to people praising that instead of my ability. In having that, I put my guard down to what was actually going on. It all has changed as I’ve gotten older.”

She takes another big gulp of coffee and again makes direct eye contact.

“Then again, it’s character building — what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” she said with the trademark grin of someone destined to achieve their wildest dreams, come hell or high water. “So, I’m not too upset about it.”

MAR. 17 | TUE. 7:30PM | COULTER COULTER | FREE

Faculty Faculty Recital: Recital: Pavel Pavel Wlosok, Jazz

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Smoky Mountain News

do I shape my reality to my purpose?”

Besides, Giddens said, the music industry in general can be a rough place to carve out a career, no matter if you’re male or female.

“In this industry, you’re going to have to push through a whole bunch of things anyways, and if being a woman in all of this is your first lesson, that’s great, because it’ll help you deal with all the other crap, no matter what,” she said. “You create your own reality, bit by bit. I’ve sacrificed a lot to do what I love, and it means so much to me that other women find inspiration in that — if we don’t support each other, nobody will.”

Finishing up her cup of coffee at the Papertown Grill, Bishop is readying herself to enter into the impending day. There are upcoming performances and new band prospects on the horizon. It is another morning for her to prove herself and her talents to a bluegrass community full of fresh ears awaiting the next thing to turn their heads and get their bodies moving.

“It’s good sometimes to think the music industry is all rainbows and unicorns, but it’s not very productive for me to do so,” she said.

SMN: Why string music?

CD: We chose string music because we’ve all grown up with different string driven artists.

We draw inspiration from bands like The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, John Prine, NeedToBreathe and Waylon Jennings. We all love rock music, we just like taking acoustic instruments and filling out our sound and playing the instruments we know how to play. We love being different. We’ve jammed with some drummers and other guitar players, and yet we always end up landing back on hammering on acoustic instruments, stompin’ our feet, and making raw, natural “Good. Carolina. Music.” for people.

Mangas Colorado.

March 11-17, 2015

“Thinking about myself in the respect of inspiring others makes me want to do my best, not only to be someone worth following, but to also make it easier for those who come after me.”

arts & entertainment

SMN: What’s your song process like? Lyrics then melody? Vice versa?

CD: We feel that writing a song should be a very real and personal process. Songwriting is how we express ourselves as well as trying to understand the hardships and the blessings of life. As far as the process itself, we all have different styles whereas I like to do collaboration, Jarrod and Seamus like to write songs individually and bring them to the table.

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arts & entertainment

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11. Duke University Green Rossiter Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education 12. N.C. Bar Association Media & the Law Award 13. Community Service - First Place “Hospital sale and its impact on community” “The Smoky Mountain News demonstrates that one of the most important community services a newspaper can perform is keeping readers informed about major changes in the community that could affect their lives.”

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On the beat The bodhran, a traditional percussion instrument of Ireland, will be the focus of two presentations Thursday, March 19, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Andy Kruspe, an Alabama-based bodhran player who has performed and recorded throughout the Southeast, will give a presentation focusing on the bodhran and Celtic music traditions for WCU music students at 11 a.m. in the band room of the Coulter Building. The public is welcome to sit in on that presentation.

Kruspe will also present a workshop

Americana act to play Jackson library Americana/folk group Bird in Hand will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.The act is made up of the husband and wife duo of Bryan and Megan Thurman. Free. 828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

Langston Hughes Project stages at WCU The Langston Hughes Project, a multimedia concert highlighting a “jazz poem” written by the late poet, novelist, playwright and social activist, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

Admission is $5 for WCU students and $10 for non-students.

They can be purchased at www.ticketreturn.com. www.ace.wcu.edu or faortizpineda@wcu.edu or 828.227.2612.

Celtic band Bean Sidhe will perform at 7 p.m. March 14 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.

Join Bean Sidhe (pronounced: ban-shee) for a lively evening of traditional music from the British Isles. The group began as a means for

members to explore the connections linking traditional music from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with its contemporary American counterparts, especially in the bluegrass, country, and folk genres. $6 per person.

828.488.8103 or www.greatsmokies.com.

Symphonic bands winter concert Western Carolina University’s Concert and Symphonic bands will present their winter concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 16, at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center in Cullowhee.

Comprised of WCU music majors and other student musicians from various academic programs, the bands will be conducted by David Starnes, director of athletic bands, and graduate conductor Dillon Ingle. The concert will feature a variety of music including works of composers Paul Basler, Gustav Holst, John Mackey, Erik Morales, Todd Stalter and Frank Ticheli.

Free.

828.227.7242.

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• Canton Armory will have “Pickin’ in the Armory” at 7 p.m. March 20. Live music by Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition, with clogging by the J. Creek Cloggers and Green Valley Cloggers. www.cantonnc.com.

• City Lights Café (Sylva) will have Cygne (electric folk) March 20 and Joe Cat (singersongwriter) March 21. Both shows begin at 7 p.m. www.citylightscafe.com.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have the Kittle/Collings Duo (jazz) March 13, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) March 14 and 21, and Ben Wilson (guitar/standards) March 20.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. $10 minimum purchase. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Craig Summers & Lee Kram (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. March 12 and 19, Sandra Hess (acoustic/pop) 7 p.m. March 14 and a St. Patrick’s Day party with the Bobby Sullivan Band (acoustic roots) 2 p.m.

March 20. Free. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

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• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will have Through the Hills (Americana/folk) at 8 p.m.

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March 11-17, 2015

Bryson City welcomes Bean Sidhe

about the instrument at 7 p.m. at the Mountain Heritage Center. The event will provide opportunities for those attending to try their hand at playing the instrument.

In addition to performing on the bodhran in several genres of music, including traditional Irish, Celtic, oldtime and contra dance, Kruspe is a teacher and has presented workshops at numerous colleges, clinics and festivals.

The presentations are both free. They are sponsored by the Mountain Heritage Center and School of Music.

828.227.7129.

• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will have the Ryan Cavanaugh Duo (bluegrass/jazz) March 13, Somebody’s Child (Americana/folk) March 14, St. Patrick’s Day with Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) and Through the Hills (Americana/folk) March 17, and Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) March 21. Shows are at 7 p.m. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

arts & entertainment

Bodhran presentations at WCU

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• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will have the Ryan Cavanaugh Duo (bluegrass/jazz) March 13, Somebody’s Child (Americana/folk) March 14, St. Patrick’s Day with Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) and Through the Hills (Americana/folk) March 17, and Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) March 21. Shows are at 7 p.m. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

David Mesimer (828) 452-2815 283 North Haywood St. Waynesville david.mesimer@allstate.com

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arts & entertainment

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• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will have Through the Hills (Americana/folk) at 8 p.m.

March 13. Free. www.boojumbrewing.com.

• Canton Armory will have “Pickin’ in the Armory” at 7 p.m. March 20. Live music by Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition, with clogging by the J. Creek Cloggers and Green Valley Cloggers. www.cantonnc.com.

• City Lights Café (Sylva) will have Cygne (electric folk) March 20 and Joe Cat (singer-songwriter) March 21. Both shows begin at 7 p.m. www.citylightscafe.com.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have the Kittle/Collings Duo (jazz) March 13, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) March 14 and 21, and Ben Wilson (guitar/standards) March 20. All shows begin at 7 p.m. $10 minimum purchase. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Craig Summers & Lee Kram (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. March 12 and 19, Sandra Hess (acoustic/pop) 7 p.m. March 14 and a St. Patrick’s Day party with the Bobby Sullivan Band (acoustic roots) 2 p.m. March 20. Free. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night March 11 and 18, and a jazz night March 12 and 19. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Lost Hiker (Highlands) will have Porch 40 (funk/rock) at 10 p.m. March 17. Free.

Smoky Mountain News

• Mad Batter Food & Film will have Whimzik Glenn & Kjelsty (Celtic) at 6:30 p.m. March 17 and Darren & The Buttered Toast (funk/soul, $2) 9 p.m. March 20. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

30

• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will have The DuPont Brothers (acoustic folk) March 14, The Freeway Revival (rock/blues) March 20 and Fritz Beer & The Crooked Beat (rock) March 21. All shows are free and begin at 8:30 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Pressing Strings (roots/rock) March 13, Productive Paranoia (Americana/bluegrass) March 14, Screaming J’s (funk/rock) March 20 and The Harmed Brothers (indiegrass/Americana) March 21. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 828.586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

On the wall

On the stage

The Jackson County Art Council Board of Directors has decided to offer sponsorships to the nonprofit organizations that offer quality programs, which will deepen the council’s partnership with the local arts organizations and arts projects.

In order to receive a sponsorship, organizations must engage highly qualified artists.

Activities that will be funded include performances, exhibitions, and artist residencies in schools, classes, workshops, festivals, after school arts programs, and art camps.

The JCAC will hold an informational meeting about these changes at 11 a.m. March 17 and 7 p.m.

March 26 in the arts council office, located at the Jackson County Library Annex in Sylva. Interested organizations should have a representative attend one of these meetings.

Contact the Jackson County Arts Council for sponsorship applications at info@jacksoncountyarts.org or 828.507.9820.

The deadline for applying will be June 30 of each year. • “St. Vincentâ€? (March 12), “Night at the Museum 3â€?

(March 13-14), “Mad Max� (March 19), “Star Trek 3�

(March 20, 6:30 p.m. only) and “Penguins of

Natural bodybuilding competition to take place in Macon

• A Hunky Dory wine tasting will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. $5 per person or free with bottle purchases. To RSVP, call 828.452.6000. • The Trail Magic Ale #10 release party will be March 20-21 at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City. Craft beer release of the Russian Imperial Stout, live music, and more. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

Madagascar� (March 21) will be screened at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Screenings are free and begin at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

There is also a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturdays. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com. • The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Programâ€? will be at 4 p.m. March 12 and 19 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included. 828.538.2054.

ALSO:

• “Birdmanâ€? will be screened through March 18 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. For screening times, click on www.38main.com or call 828.283.0079.

The inaugural Western North Carolina Natural Bodybuilding & Physique Federation Competition will be at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

NBPF is an all-natural Christian organization that believes the human body is the holy temple. NBPF will be hosting a wide variety of competitive classes that will vary from weight, height and age. Each competitor will be administered a drug test approved by the NBPF. A professional and experienced judges panel will exercise their expertise in comparisons among competitors in the morning event. Evening finals will be a show with group comparison and single performances. Placement and overall winners will be awarded with prizes and limited sponsorship.

Tickets for the event start at $15.

866.273.4615 or www.greatmountainmusic.com. • The Franklin High School Drama 1 Show will be March 13-14, with the Advanced Drama Show March 20-21 in the Fine Arts Building. Both shows are $5 and begin at 7 p.m. www.franklin-chamber.com.

ALSO:

• A production of “The Seagullâ€? will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 1314 and 3 p.m. March 15 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. “The Seagullâ€? is generally considered to be the first of Anton Chekov’s four major plays. It dramatizes the romantic and artistic conflicts between four characters: the famous middlebrow story writer Boris Trigorin, the ingĂŠnue Nina, the fading actress Irina Arkadina, and her son the symbolist playwright Konstantin TrĂŠplev. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for students. www.harttheatre.org.

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Q&A with author Ron Rash Chattanooga Choo Choo • Mountain Trail Days Mountain festivals make a splash Trout derby anglers count their catch PLUS ADVENTURE, CUISINE, READING, MUSIC, ARTS & MORE

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Smoky Mountain News

Learn more about these great local restaurants

Blue Rooster Southern Grill • Breaking Bread Café • Chef’s Table Herren House B&B • Maggie Valley Club • The Rendezvous O’Malley’s • Pasquale’s Pizzeria & Tapas Bar • The Waynesville Inn

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32

Books

Smoky Mountain News

33

Book captures turn-of-the-century north Georgia n Annaliese From Off (Five Points Press, ISBN 978-0-692-24434-0, 362 pages, $15.99), Lindy Keane Carter gives us a rich, old-fashioned family saga set in the Georgia hills at the turn of the last century.

The year is 1900, and John Stregal, a prosperous attorney living a comfortable life in Louisville, Kentucky, believes that he can make a fortune harvesting timber in Georgia. He forces his wife, Annaliese, and their children to make the move into this primitive community, promising them that Writer they will all return home in two years.

Accompanying them on this journey are John’s brother and partner, Ben, and his wife Lucenia, whom Annaliese dislikes and who advocates for the social justice causes of the day, including women’s rights and birth control.

Once they settle into the homes their husbands have built for them near the logging mill, the common trials of the two women gradually bring them closer together.

Deprived of the comforts of Louisville, they face an attack by a mountain lion, angry moonshiners, neighbors suspicious of their intentions, and harsh living conditions. As they endure their time in the wilderness, it also becomes clear to Annaliese that her husband is slowly sinking, as had his father, into madness.

Annaliese From Off makes for a worthy read on several counts. With a fine eye for details, Carter captures the spirit of the people and land of the north Georgia hills during this time of transformation. Her portrait of Ruth, a young woman who is hired along with her newly-wedded husband to help Annaliese, gives us an intimate look at a spunky young woman undaunted by her lack of education or

ous efforts to establish national wilderness parks and programs stressing conservation of natural resources. Ben and John Stregal represent those fortunehunters who at the time were slashing down entire forests, seeking to provide for America’s rapacious demand for timber.

Through them Carter shows us how this approach to the business of logging so often led to hillsides and mountains left barren of trees.

What I found particularly charming about Annaliese From Off was its focus on family life, particularly on Annaliese as mother and wife. Near the end of the novel, she tells Henry Chastain, the attorney who has come to love her that she’s a “weakling.” He replies:

Jeff Minick

I

Annaliese From Off by Lindy Keane Carter. Five Points Press, 2014. 362 pages. cultural sophistication. Other characters we meet — the school ma’rm, the owner of the local boarding house, the two Cherokee whom Annaliese befriends, the attorney who falls in love with her — are likewise alive on the page.

Carter also brings us an age when progressive politics were rapidly changing the nation.

With McKinley’s assassination in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became president. He set up the U.S. Forest Service and began strenu-

“Anna, I won’t hear this.

You’re the strongest woman I know … Strong enough to lose your best friend and love her two boys like your own without a lick of support from Ben … And you’re strong enough to bear Ruth’s secret and not run her off out of spite. All this time you’ve tried to help John despite what he put you through.

No, you’re no weakling.”

Finally, Carter clearly put a great deal of time researching Analiese From Off. She gives us detailed accounts of daily life a century ago: the foods people ate, the way they cooked, the clothing they wore, the flowers and herbs they grew and gathered, the social amenities they observed. Her novel is a time machine of paper and print, designed to sweep the reader away into another era. (One quibble: on page 125, John tells his family and

guests that the Cherokee were forced off the land “30 years ago.” Later in the book, Carter gives the correct dates for the Cherokee removal).

Highly recommended.

••• In My Sisters The Saints: A Spiritual Memoir (ImageCatholicBooks, ISBN 978-07704-3651-3, 222 pages, $15), Colleen Carroll Campbell gives us an inspiring account of her spiritual struggles as a college student, a young professional, and a wife.

While in college, Campbell experienced her first spiritual revelation, which was a desire for change. She speaks of arriving back at her apartment complex after a long night of partying. Suffering from a “monster hangover,” she entered the apartment, which stinks of stale cigarettes and beer, looks at her roommates, who are sprawled on a sofa listless from a night of partying, and decides she no longer wants to live this way.

The remainder of this fine book recounts her journey to make her life more worthy.

Along the way, she works as a journalist and a Washington speechwriter, helps her aging father deal with his dementia, and fights the battle faced by so many women between professional success and marriage and motherhood.

While engaged in these struggles, Campbell slowly becomes enamored of certain female saints: Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Faustina of Poland, Edith Stein of Germany, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Mary of Nazareth. Inspired by the biographies and literary works of these women, Campbell finds the strength not only to surmount the various crises and anxieties of her life, but also to discover even in her darkest moments joy and gratitude.

My Sisters The Saints is a thoughtful, moving memoir about the conflicts of our time and one woman’s way of engaging those conflicts.

Memoir brings together woodworking, spirituality Author William Everett will present his new book Sawdust and Soul: A Conversation about Woodworking and Spirituality at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

The book was co-authored by John W. de Gruchy, who is one of South Africa’s most celebrated theologians. Everett has joined with a fellow woodworker in South Africa to put together a book of conversations about woodworking and spirituality. Now retired theologians, for the past 15 years, he and de Gruchy have carried on a constant conversation about the impact their shared love of woodworking has had on their lives. On visits to each other’s shops over the years they have built wood pieces together as well as talked about what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Their conversations range from the practical (safety, sawdust, and sharpening) to matters of the spirit and theology (meditation, creativity, balance, memory and loss). With its many photos, poems and linedrawings, this book invites everyone, whether all-thumbs readers or experienced woodworkers, into a conversation about trees and wood that has been taking place for centuries as people have crafted works of art as well as usefulness.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

St. Patrick’s Day party at Jackson library A St. Patrick’s Day party and story time for children will be at 11 a.m. March 17 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

There will be games, crafts, snacks and an elusive Leprechaun for kids to find. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

34

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Bring on the bikes Mountains to coast bike ride to kick off from Waynesville

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he plans are set: Waynesville’s getting invaded this fall, and the army will be 1,000 strong.

Semi trucks will haul luggage and portable showers, tents will dominate the lawn of the Waynesville Recreation Center and, most importantly, the soldiers, adventurous souls who have signed up to pedal nearly 500 miles across the state in Cycle North Carolina’s Mountains to Coast Tour, will show up with two-wheeled mounts in tow.

“You have a lot of people arriving by car, by bus, by plane,” said Bethel resident George Ivey, who completed the ride last year. “A lot of people will come in a day or so early, maybe two days early, just to get their bike put together, ride around and enjoy the host city.”

This year, that host city will be Waynesville.

“I think it will be a great, exciting weekend,” said Town Manager Marcy Onieal. “I can’t imagine having hundreds of tents on the front lawn of the Rec Center. It will be like a mini festival in and of itself.”

The weeklong ride will leave from Waynesville on Saturday, Sept. 26, but the bikers will start trickling in a day or three before, an expected 800 to 1,000 of them.

Onieal said the town’s getting started now with plans to welcome the bikers in a big way.

Some kind of music, hopefully, events at downtown businesses who want to participate — just an overall “we’re glad you’re here” to the pedalers pouring in to town.

“About 60 percent of the folks are from instate, and about 40 percent out of state,” Oneail said. “We anticipate a lot of folks will be coming to Waynesville for the first time, so

T

Bikers travel through Chimney Rock en route to the North Carolina coast.

Dennis Coello photo

we want them to like what they see and come back.”

They’ll get to see plenty in their seven days on the road. The ride will feature overnight stops in Hendersonville, Shelby, Concord, Southern Pines, Lumberton and Whiteville before finally finishing in Oak Island, way over on the beach south of Wilmington.

Those first few days will be the hardest, especially for bikers used to flatter ground.

“It’s very satisfying to do the whole week,” Ivey said. “You’ve cycled 500 miles across the state. It was a challenge for me even as a sea-

Join in the fun Registration is open for the Mountains to Coast ride, with the early bird rate available through Aug. 18. Cost for riders over 17 is $310, with cheaper rates available for younger riders.

If you’re not in the mood to pedal 500 miles, consider helping out on the home front. Waynesville is looking for people willing to help organize the events and volunteer force that the weekend will demand.

828.452.2491.

soned cyclist but felt great to accomplish it.”

Hosting the ride’s kickoff puts Waynesville in prime position to make that happen, Ivey said. Bikers will get a chance to really explore the town, something they don’t much do at the other towns along the way. They’re too tired.

“Being the start city, people will spend a lot more time there and have a chance to really get to know it,” Ivey said. “When you’re [in] one of the towns along the route, you’re

focused on cleaning up, getting food, getting sleep and starting out the next morning.”

Taking the host spot couldn’t come at a better time for Waynesville, Onieal said. The town and county as a whole have been pushing recently to look for ways to define them-

Waynesville pursues bike-friendly roads Big white stencils of helmeted bikers now adorn a growing number of streets throughout Waynesville.

The markings, called sharrows, tell bikers that they’re welcome on the roads and remind drivers to look out for travelers on two wheels.

“That’s part of a larger plan that we’ve got throughout the town, and we’d like to be interconnected so we can become known as a bicycle destination,” said David Foster, the town’s public services director.

By the time the project is done, Foster said, 78 sharrows will be installed around town. Most of those are already in place. The town has also installed bike detectors at three intersections so that traffic signals can better detect a biker’s presence and change accordingly.

The sharrows and bike detectors — installed at the inter-

sections of Branner Avenue and Walnut Street, Branner Avenue and Depot Street and Haywood Street and Church Street — cost a total $12,690. State Street-Aid funds footed the bill.

This is just the first phase in Waynesville’s long-term goal of making biking an easy, safe way of getting around town.

“The sharrows are the low-hanging fruit,” Foster said. “We can identify streets that are wide enough now or that the traffic speed or volume are at a low enough level that we can introduce bicycles to them.”

Dedicated bike lanes, of course, are the holy grail of bicycle travel, but creating them usually requires widening the road, an expensive undertaking.

Foster is hopeful that Waynesville will get some of its first bike lanes with a state-funded transportation improvement

selves as a bicycle destination. Plans are afoot at the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority, Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and Haywood County Economic Development Commission. A long-range plan to

F

project along Russ Avenue slated for 2019.

“The plans are not finalized,” Foster said. “Conceptually they have included multi-modal [transportation], which would be bike and other pedestrian facilities.”

Bike-friendly roads are pretty much absent west of Asheville, but they have been popping up as a topic of conversation. In Franklin, for example, a study the town commissioned from Waynesville-based J.M Teague Engineering came out in the fall with a recommendation that sharrows be added to downtown. The town board is considering bike traffic along with other aspects of downtown traffic due for an overhaul.

For his part, Foster would like to see infrastructure for bikes spread beyond the Waynesville city limits.

“We’re trying to create these bike layers so we can eventually interconnect everything,” he said. “As part of a greater countywide effort we’d like to identify the most efficient and safe ways for bicycles to get through Waynesville.”

— By Holly Kays

Outdoor lovers will get a chance to see some of the best locally made gear during Outdoor Gear Builders of Western North Carolina’s inaugural Get in Gear Fest, slated for noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at RiverLink Park in Asheville.

The event will include gear demos, clinics, local beer, raffles and games including tug-of-war and a paddle down the French Broad River. But it will all center around Outdoor Gear Builders of WNC’s spirited network of manufacturers who make equipment for everything from climbing to caving to hiking.

The mountain region’s 26 outdoor gear manufacturers provide 470 jobs and pump more than $6 million into the 24-county area. The outdoor industry sector is growing, too, with new manufacturers continually joining the Outdoor Gear Builders network. www.outdoorgearbuilders.com

Donated photo

Brevard company recognized in international competition Brevard-based SylvanSport has been named a finalist in the internationally renowned Edison Awards for its product GO, a lightweight pullbehind trailer that functions as a camper and versatile outdoor gear hauler. The awards, inspired by revered inventor Thomas Edison’s persistence and inventiveness, recognize innovation, creativity and ingenuity.

Waynesville/Haywood County as the starting point for this year’s event shows that they consider us a cycling destination,” said Collins.

Ivey, who in addition to the Mountains to Coast ride has pedaled end-to-end both the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Natchez

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Trace Parkway, which stretches from Tennessee to Mississippi, hopes that message gets out loud and clear.

“It’s a great chance for us to show off Waynesville and Haywood County, see the beauty, see the rides,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll all have a great experience and want to come back.”

Collins said the ride was also a great example of entities working together to showcase Haywood as a cycling destination.

“This event will be a great opportunity for the TDA to strengthen relationships with the cycling community in Haywood County by involving them in this initiative.

We are very appreciative to the town of Waynesville for partnering with the TDA to bring this event to Haywood County,” she said.

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expand Waynesville’s short greenway into a countywide network is in the works.

Waynesville’s taking some first steps toward making its streets more bike-friendly and is collaborating with bikers to work toward some bigger projects.

“The Mountains to Coast Ride is a good thing for Haywood Tent city appears during County for a an overnight stop in number of reaManteo during last sons,” said year’s ride. Cycle NC photo Lynn Collins, executive director of the TDA. “First and foremost, the exposure it will bring Haywood County through the efforts of Cycle N.C. and Visit N.C. This event will build on the efforts of the Blue Ridge Breakaway (a September bike ride sponsored by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce) and we just received the completed master plan for cycling tourism in Haywood County. This opens up a new market segment for us to grow with in the county.”

Onieal said the timing of the CNC event couldn’t be better.

“I think we’re just seeing a lot of elements come together at an opportune time,” Onieal said. “We’re glad to put ourselves on the map as a bicycle-friendly community, and this is just one way to announce that to the world.”

Collins concurred with that sentiment.

“Having the cyclists here in September gives us the opportunity to showcase Haywood County as a cycling destination.

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outdoors

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Jump on the solar train with Solarize WNC A campaign to introduce homeowners and businesses to the option of solar energy is underway in Jackson, Haywood, Macon and Swain counties.

The first in a series of forums exploring the viability of small-scale solar will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cullowhee.

The Solarize WNC campaign, a partnership of The Canary Coalition and Clean Energy for WNC, aims to outline a clear, profitable path for people, businesses, nonprofits and government entities to adopt solar and energy efficiency technology. The sessions will include information about the technologies; details about tax credits, utility rebates and financing; a chance to meet experienced installers and a question-andanswer session.

Future forums will be held in Franklin, Waynesville, Bryson City, Canton, Highlands and Cherokee between now and summer.

Free. Register at www.cleanenergyfor.us/ clean-energy-for-wnc.

The Canary Coalition, 828.631.3447 or info@canarycoalition.org.

Citizens wanted to address Jackson litter problem

Smoky Mountain News

March 11-17, 2015

Litter has been the buzz in Jackson County for a while, and a meeting at 5 p.m.

Thursday, March 19, in Room A227 of the Jackson County Administration Building will give concerned citizens a chance to learn about various anti-litter programs across the state.

Mike Causey, state coordinator for the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Office of beautification will give the presentation.

“The level of roadside litter is disgraceful,” says Lisa Muscillo, an impassioned foe of litter who initiated Operation Fed Up to attack the problem. “Hopefully, at the upcoming meeting we will identify programs to change peoples’ values and reduce the littering so that cleanups are not needed all the time. “ Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, 828.488.8418. www.watrnc.org/Litter

Build a better apple tree

twitter.com/smokymtnnews 36

A hands-on workshop will teach methods for grafting, a technique often used to create successful fruit trees, at 9 a.m.

Tuesday, March 17, at the Macon County Environmental Resource Center in Franklin.

The N.C. Cooperative Extension class will cover principles and techniques and give students a chance to apply them. Each participant will leave with three grafted apple trees. $10 materials fee. 828.349.2046.

Logging, prescribed burning aims to bolster wildlife habitat “Tellico Bald Mountain Treasure Area should have been inventoried as a roadless area in the 1990s and should have been included as one of the areas protected by the Roadless Rule,” said Hugh Irwin, landscape conservation planner for The Wilderness Society. “The BBQ project could disqualify it from future consideration as a potential wilderness area.”

The Forest Service is currently working to identify areas in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests that could qualify as new Congressionally designated wilderness areas, part of its overall task of creating a new management plan for the forest.

Removing the 34 acres from the logging footprint is a reasonable request, according to Ben Prater, director of conservation for Wild South.

“If dropped it should not significantly affect the economics of the sale and likewise will minimize impacts to conservation values,” said Prater.

None of the work would be within sight of the A.T. However, the scoping notice did not state whether it would be visible from the Bartram Trail.

Submit comments by March 23 to comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahalanantahala@fs.fed.us or to the Nantahala National Forest office in Franklin, or fax to 828.837.8510.

— By Holly Kays

Learn your wildflowers A six-week class teaching the names and stories of Southern Appalachian wildflowers will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays at Southwestern Community College in Sylva.

Adam Bigelow, horticulturist and director of Cullowhee Community Garden, will teach the course. Students will learn techniques for identifying wildflowers and put that knowledge into practice during wildflower walks outdoors. Bigelow will cover each species’ benefits, uses and cultural ties. $90. Course runs from March 25 to April 29. Registration required. www.southwesterncc.edu/continuing-education-schedule/personal-enrichment-schedule.

outdoors

Take a walk on the wild(flower) side Guided spring wildflower walks will be held every Friday with the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department from March 20 through May 15.

The leisurely walks will leave from either the Cashiers or Cullowhee rec centers, depending on the destination that week. $5, with limited space available. For specific walk locations, contact Max Lanning, 828.631.2020 or maxlanning@jacksonnc.org.

March 11-17, 2015

The plan calls for 256 acres of selective A U.S. Forest Service project aiming to commercial logging. The forest would be improve wildlife habitat and forest health logged to leave two age classes for the will allow logging, fire, thinning and other future, meaning that some trees would be forest management techniques in a small left behind and some logged. Another 23 area of the Nantahala National Forest on acres along Forest Service roads would be the Swain and Macon county line. thinned to increased sunlight to the roads, Environmental groups so far are not allowing them to dry out sooner. Prescribed objecting to the project wholesale, but are burning would occur on 164 acres. asking that a small portion of the roughly The project also aims to improve and 250 acres slated for logging be taken off the maintain wildlife openings, using a combitable, specifically a roadless area and an nation of burning and herbicide treatments. space around Tellico Bald that is classified Herbicides would also be used to help conas a state Natural Heritage Area. trol invasive species. After timber harvest, Meanwhile, Jeff Johnson, president of the Ruffed Grouse Society Chapter based in Franklin, expressed complete support for the project, averring that it would “enhance opportunities for game and non-game species.”

Sportsmen in the region have been conThe BBQ Project calls for over 200 acres of logging with the goal of improvcerned ing wildlife habitat. USFS graphic recently about saplings growing up on logging access roads declines in game populations and believe would be sprayed to allow grasses to occupy shrinking acreage of young forest habitat the paths for longer. has a lot to do with it.

Environmental groups claim a portion Dubbed the BBQ Project, the area of the 256 acres slated for logging is in a includes land on the north slope of Trimont sensitive and special area and should be offRidge and the Swain/Macon line along limits to commercial timbering. The 34 Cowee Bald. A segment of the Bartram Trail acres of concern include an N.C. Significant and small portion of the Appalachian Trail Natural Heritage Area and Tellico Bald, between Wayah and Burningtown balds fall identified by The Wilderness Society as a within it, but hunters and anglers are the Mountain Treasure. primary recreation users in the area.

MAY 2, 2015 7:30 am START A seminar on growing blueberries and grapevines will help summer get a little sweeter for current and prospective growers, with two seminars from 2-4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, in Sylva or Wednesday, March 18, in Bryson City.

Topics will include site selection, site preparation, spacing, weed and pest control, trellising, cultivar selection, pruning and harvesting. Put on by the N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Free, but registration required at 828.586.4009 in Sylva or 828.488.3848 in Bryson City, or christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu.

Public greenhouse space up for grabs in Haywood Gardeners can get a head start on the growing season by renting greenhouse space for their seed trays at the Old Armory Recreation Center in Waynesville.

You pay only $5 for a tray and greenhouse space, but plant your own seeds. Trays are watered daily by staff onsite. Stop by from between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 16-20 to sign up.

828.456.9207 or oldarmory@waynesvillenc.gov.

The inaugural Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon starts in beautiful downtown Waynesville and finishes three blocks away in the historic Frog Level community in front of Frog Level Brewing Co. Sponsored by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, this race wanders through the neighborhoods of Waynesville and onto scenic rural roads before finishing in Frog Level.

Smoky Mountain News

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Les Saucier photo

Renowned nature photographer to talk in Sylva Les Saucier, a professional nature photographer, will speak at the Sylva Photo Club at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Cullowhee Methodist Church.

Saucier lives in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and teaches workshops locally and nationally. At this meet-

ing, he’ll be speaking on “The Art of Seeing.”

A discussion on member-submitted photos and Camera Talk, an unmoderated forum for photography shop talk, will follow his presentation. sylvaphotoclub@gmail.com or 828.293.9820.

Celebrate the diversity of the Smokies The public is invited to mingle with researchers from around the world March 19-21 during the annual conference of Discover Life In America, whose mission is to inventory every species that makes its home in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The conference, based in Gatlinburg, includes a full slate of lectures and field trips, including basic field botany with retired Western Carolina University professor Dan Pittillo and a hands-on salamander study in creeks around the Chimneys with Susan Sachs, education coordinator at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center in the park. www.dlia.org.

Naturalist-led hike to explore Midnight Hole A 4-mile hike to Mouse Creek Falls and Midnight Hole in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will take in both the sights and commentary from professional naturalist Liz Domingue on Saturday, March 21.

Domingue has made the study of natural history her lifelong pursuit, founding Just Get Outdoors — a company that plans tailor-made guided naturalist adventures — and leading hikes and adventure tours nationwide. Her other hats include photographer, writer and educator.

Space limited. www.smokiesinformation.org or 888.898.9102, ext. 325, 222 or 254.

Lightweight tents and high-country thrills at library program Asheville hiker and gear designer Judy Gross will share her adventures hiking the 485-mile Colorado Trail while also displaying her company’s ultralight tents during a

Judy Gross. Donated photo program at 7 p.m. Friday, March 13, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The Nantahala Hiking Club is hosting the talk. Gross started LightHeart Gear in 2009 after schlepping a 4.5-pound tent along the Appalachian Trail in 2006. She left her nursing job to pursue the tent business fulltime, using her background in sewing and design. olgapader@frontier.com or 828.369.0421.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • A listening session to learn more about the issues affecting Latino residents of Macon County will be held at 6 p.m. on March 12 at the Sunset Restaurant in Franklin. Dinner provided, kmcgaha@maconnc.org.

• The Smoky Mountains “Spring For Success” Job Fair will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 13 at the Robert C. Carpenter Building in Franklin. Veterans only from 10-11 a.m.; public welcome from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

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

• A listening session to learn more about the issues affecting senior citizens of Macon County will be held at noon on March 13 at the Macon County Senior City in Franklin. Lunch provided.

Thursday, March 12, at the Canton Branch Library. Free; registration required: 648.2924 or visit front desk of the library.

• “Envirothon” – an outdoor competition for teenagers – is set for March 13 at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville. Thirty-five teams from throughout Western North Carolina will compete for a shot at qualifying for the N.C. Envirothon in April. Public is invited to watch. Info: 506-8239 or gailheathman@gmail.com.

• Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center offers a free seminar entitled “Financials for Small Business” from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on March 16 at the SCC Jackson Campus. Reservations required: www.ncsbc.net. Tiffany Henry at 339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino Hotel is hosting a job fair from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on March 16 in the Enloe Building at Tri-County Community College in Murphy. www.casearsjobs.com or call 497.8859.

• A free community service workshop on bringing clean energy to homes and businesses in Western North Carolina will be held at 7 p.m. on March 17 at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cullowhee. Allen Lomax (allen@allenlomax.com or 226.0506).

• A listening session to learn more about the issues affecting uninsured and/or lower income citizens of Macon County will be held at 6 p.m. on March 16 at Macon County Public Health in Franklin.

• Haywood Regional Medical Center will host a job fair from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 18 at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. www.haymed.org/careers.aspx.

• The Town of Canton will host public meetings from 57:30 p.m. on March 16 and April 13 at Canton Armory/Senior Center to get input for its master plan for Canton Recreation Park improvements. Seth HendlerVoss at 648.2363 or shendler-voss@cantonnc.net.

• The Silas McDowell Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, which serves the western mountain region of North Carolina, will hold its first bimonthly meeting at 5 p.m. on March 16, at the Boiler Room Steakhouse in Franklin. Tom Long at 321.3522 or tomeaglenc@aol.com or visit www.ncssar.org/chapters/Silas.htm.

• The Jackson County Arts Council will hold informational meetings at 11 a.m. on March 17 and at 7 p.m. on March 26 in the arts council office at the Jackson County Library Annex in Sylva. Topic will be changes to the organization’s approach to sponsorships. Interested organizations should have a representative at one of the meetings. For sponsorship applications, info@jacksoncountyarts.org or 507-9820.

• “North Carolina Women and Their Contributions” is the theme of Western Carolina University’s annual Gender Conference scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18. Topics will include the role of women in Appalachian music, the lives of women of color during slavery times and more. Mickey Randolph (227.3359).

• The Holly Springs Community Development Club meets at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the community building at 2720 Cat Creek Road, Franklin. Commissioner Ronnie Beale will be the guest speaker. Refreshments will also be served. 369.2254.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • A computer class on file management for PC’s will be offered from 5:45-7:15 p.m. on March 11 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Free. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• A free resume writing class will be held at 3 p.m. on

• A series of free lunch-and-learn workshops about the Cherokee language and current efforts to increase its use in North Carolina will be held from noon-1 p.m. on Tuesdays from March 17 through April 21 at SpeakEasyPress in the Riverwood Studios/Oaks Gallery in Dillsboro. Learn about the Cherokee writing system.

Each workshop includes a hand letterpress printing demonstration. frank@speakeasypress.com.

• A small business owners roundtable, an opportunity to network and learn, will be held from 8:30-10 a.m. on March 18 at the Haywood Community College’s Library Conference Room. sbc.haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• “The Coming Middleman Revolution,” a presentation

by Duke University economist and political theorist Michael Munger, former N.C. gubernatorial candidate, is set for 4 p.m. on March 18 in the Multipurpose Room of the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

• “Coaching for Top Performance,” a free workshop for managers, will be offered from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 18 at Fairfield Inn & Suites in Cherokee. To register, valerie@nonprofitpathways.org.

• A resume-writing workshop has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. on March 19 at the Macon County Public Library.

Free, but reservations recommended: 524.3600.

• A Women in Business Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on March 19 at 49 Cupp Lane, Waynesville. Featured speaker is Phyllis Prevost, coowner of Pisgah Inn. $25. 456.3021 or haywoodchamber.com.

• A Business Essentials seminar, featuring representatives from the N.C. Department of Revenue, N.C. Industrial Commission and N.C. Department of Commerce Division of Employment Security, will be held from 10 a.m.-noon on March 19 in the 1500 Building Auditorium at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

Covers basic requirements to help the state’s business owners understand laws and obligations necessary to be compliant. sbc.haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• A training workshop for working journalists, students, community organizations, elected officials and residents will be held on March 20 a the Carolina Public Press training room in Asheville. Focus will be on understanding state and federal laws dictating what constitutes public records and data at local, state and federal levels. Two sessions are available: 9 a.m.-noon or 1:30-

Smoky Mountain News

4:30 p.m. $30 until March 9 or $35 afterward. $15 with student ID. Materials and refreshments included. For reservations www.carolinapublicpress.org. 279.0949.

• Western Carolina University will hold an open house to prospective students and their families and friends starting at 8:15 a.m. on March 21 on the concourse of the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee. Register at openhouse.wcu.edu or call the Office of Undergraduate Admission at 227.7317.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • A Franklin Relay For Life team captain’s meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on March 10 in the Depot Room of the Factory in Franklin.

• The Highlands Annual Chili Cook-off will be from 6:30-9:30 p.m. March 14 at the Highlands Community Building. Live music and dancing with chili, salsa and cornbread to sample. Prizes valued at $100 or more will go to Best All Round Table Decorations, Most Unique Chili, Most Traditional and Hottest. There will also be prizes for Best Salsa and Cornbread. Tickets cost $25 at the door. 526.2112 or visitor@highlandschamber.org.

• A rummage sale event with fly fishing/fly tying items will be held on March 14 at Waynesville Bait and Tackle Shop. Donations can be made by contacting tucataloochee427@gmail.com or Ron and Sharon Gaddy at 377.0019. All money raised is used to support the overall Trout Unlimited Mission: “To conserve, protect and restore North America’s cold water fisheries and their watersheds.”

• The Scottish Tartans Museum Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser is set for 7-10 p.m. on March 14 at Fatz Restaurant in Franklin. $7 ages 11-adult; $4 ages 610. Free for ages 3-under. Sponsored by the Scottish Tartans Museum.

• The Jackson County Farmers Market will have its monthly Farmers Market Fundraising Feast from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. March 14 at the Community Table in downtown Sylva. Potato leek soup will be served for donations. The Winter Market is in its last month before moving to its regular outdoor location in Bridge Park on April 4. www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

• Heinzelmannchen Brewery and Dillsboro Chocolate Factory are teaming up to offer six chocolate samples and six beer samples from 6-9 p.m. on March 17 at Heinzelmannchen Brewery in Sylva. Of the $10 suggested donation, $8 will be donated to Jackson Neighbors in Need & Habitat for Humanity to help build a shelter for the homeless.

• Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will hold its annual meeting from 6-8 p.m. on March 18 at the Shelton House Barn in Waynesville. Board president Steve Hewitt will give an update on Sarge’s progress in saving healthy, adoptable dogs and cats in Haywood County.

For information or to donate or volunteer, www.sargeandfriends.org or246.9050.

• The Sunday Drive for Life will be held from 1-4 p.m. on March 22 in Lower Lot 1 of Franklin High School.

Registration begins at noon. $15 entry free. Food and drinks will be sold. Raffles and 50/50 to benefit Relay for Life Awards for top twenty, best manufacturers and Best in Show. All makes and models welcome. Spectator entrance is free; donations accepted. Jacob Morgan 371.8198.

HEALTH MATTERS • The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on March 11 at Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

• The Macon County Cancer Support Group will meet at 7 p.m. on March 12 in the cafeteria of Angel Medical Center in Franklin. Jo Zachary, kidney cancer survivor

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All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. and former radio broadcaster, will talk about her cancer journey. Light refreshments will be served.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 12 at WestCare Health in Sylva.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 1:30-6 p.m. on March 13 at Little Brasstown Baptist Church.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • Registration period for the Smoky Mountain Senior Games will be from March 16-April 10. Fee: $10 through March 27 or $15 from March 30-April 10. Games are scheduled for April 24-May 15. For everyone ages 50up. Info: 293.3053, recjacksonnc.org.

• Registrations for a spring golf league are being accepted through April 14 at Smoky Mountain Country Club in Whittier. Fee: $10 to enter and $20 for each week (includes nine holes and a cart). League starts with a meeting at 5:15 p.m. on April 14. Info: 293.3053, recjacksonnc.org.

POLITICAL CORNER • The Annual Convention of the Macon County Republican Party will be held on March 14 at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Keynote speaker is Nick Vaughn. Registration begins at noon.

Precinct Meetings begin at 12:45 p.m., followed by convention business. All registered Republicans and Macon County teenagers may attend. maconcountyrepublicans@gmail.com • The Haywood County Annual Republican Convention will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14 at the Canton Armory at 71 Penland St. Meetings to elect county officers and delegates to county, district and state conventions. 506.0939.

• A Voting Rights March will be held at 2:30 p.m. on March 15 starting at the Macon County Courthouse in Franklin to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma, Alabama, march.

• Macon County Democratic Men’s Club Meeting is set for 6 p.m. on March 16 at the Macon County Public Library near Franklin. Democrats and progressive independents are welcome.

• Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen will hold a special called meeting at 4 p.m. on March 16 in the Town Hall Boardroom to interview applicants for the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Maggie Valley Planning Board.

• ”The Best and Worst of WNC’s Open Government” will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on March 17 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Event will feature a live interview and Q&A with Jon Elliston, investigations and open government editor with the Carolina Public Press; Sylva Herald reporter Quintin Ellison; and Jonathan Jones, director of the N.C. Open Government Coalition. Free; open to the public.

• Jackson County Democrats will hold a combined precinct meeting to elect precinct officers for 2015-17 at 6 p.m. on March 17 at the Webster Family Resource Center. Chili, cornbread and brownie dinner and social hour will be followed by meetings at 7 p.m. All Jackson County democrats invited.

• The Jackson County Annual Republican Convention will start at 5:30 p.m. on March 20 in the Heritage Room at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. The election of Jackson County GOP officers, precinct offi-

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March 11-17, 2015

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P Purchase u rc ha s e your yo u r new n ew Biltmore B i l t m o r e Annual A n nu a l Pass Pa s s for f o r $99, $9 9, plus p l u s tax. t a x . Savings S av i ng s based b a s e d on o n regular r eg u l a r $149 $149 Biltmore B i l t m o r e Annual A n n u a l Pass.

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cers and delegates to the district and state conventions are on the agenda. To register contact Ralph Slaughter at 743.6491.

• A Wedding Show will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 14 at the Maggie Valley Club & Resort. Elite wedding experts will be available for brides to discuss options. 926.4831.

KIDS & FAMILIES

• Youth golf lessons will be offered at 11:30 a.m. from March 11-13 at Smoky Mountain Country Club in Whittier. PGA pro Mark Todd is offering three 80minute lessons. Transportation and practice balls provided. Register at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee.

Info: 293.3053, recjacksonnc.org.

• Science club for grades 3 to 8 is on March 12 at 5:30 to 6:30 at Canton Library. This month will be “experimenting with volcanoes.” 648.2924.

• “Under the Stars,” presented by the Asheville Astronomy Club, has been rescheduled due to weather to 6:30 p.m. on March 12 at the Macon County Public Library. A telescope has been donated to the library to give children and others a hands-on opportunity to learn how to use the telescope and view the night sky. 524.3600.

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. March 12 and 19 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included. 828.538.2054.

• The Dupont Brothers will play at 8 p.m. on March 13 at the Strand in Waynesville. Tickets: $10 in advance or $12 on show date.

• Classic rock band Styx will play at 9 p.m. on March 13 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Known for hit songs like “Mr. Roboto” and “Come Sail Away.”

Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800.745.3000.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Craig Summers & Lee Kram March 12 and March 19 at 6 p.m. Free. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• “The Seagull” will be performed from Friday through Sunday, March 13-15, at HART Theatre in Waynesville.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for students. harttheatre.org or 456.6322.

• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will have an Open Mic Night at 6 p.m. on March 12. www.38main.com or call 828.283.0079.

• Indoor rock climbing will be held on March 29 at Climbmax Climbing in Asheville. Two hours. $22 includes transportation and equipment. Register by March 20. Info: 293.3053, recjacksonnc.org.

KIDS MOVIES • “Night at the Museum 3” (PG-13) will be screen at the Mad Batter Food & Film on March 13-14 at 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• Mad Batter Food & Film will screen “Penguins of Madagascar” at 2 p.m., 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. on March 21. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • Seated wine tasting, wines of New Zeland’s Hunky Dory Winery, led by industry professional Sara Helmcamp, will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. on March 12 at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. $5 per person or free with wine purchase. Reservations: 452.6000.

• Belly dancer Sera Sahara will perform at 7 p.m. on March 14 at City Lights Café in Sylva.

• Western Carolina University’s Concert and Symphonic bands will present their winter concert at 7:30 p.m. March 16 at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Free. Info: 227.7242.

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will present an Upperclassmen Trumpet Rehearsal at 7 p.m. on March 16 in the Coulter Building. www.wcu.edu.

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will have a Symphony Band concert at 7:30 p.m. on March 16 in the Bardo Arts Center. www.wcu.edu.

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will present a Faculty Recital with P. Wlosok & Friends at 7:30 p.m. on March 17 in the Coulter Building. www.wcu.edu.

• Grammy-winning songwriters The Don Juans (Jon Vezner and Don Henry) perform at 7:30 p.m. on March 19 at the Strand in Waynesville. Tickets: $18 in advance or $20 on show day. 283.0079 • The Langston Hughes Project, a multimedia concert highlighting a “jazz poem” written by the late poet, novelist, playwright and social activist, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. March 19 in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University. Part of the Arts and Cultural Events series at WCU. $5 for WCU students; $10 for non-students.

Buy tickets at www.ticketreturn.com. Info: www.ace.wcu.edu, 828.227.2612.

• Ryan Cavanaugh Duo (singer-songwriter) will perform at 7 p.m. on March 13 at BearWaters Brewing in Waynesville. www.bwbrewing.com or 246.0602.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have Chris Williams (singer-songwriter) at 8:30 p.m. on March 13. Free.

• Saxophonist Tyler Kittle and guitarist Michael Collings perform jazz at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000 • No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Pressing Strings (roots/rock) at 9 p.m. on March 13 Free.

586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub (Franklin) will have David Spangler at 8 p.m. on March 13. Free. www.rathskellerfranklin.com or 369.6796.

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will have Through the Hills (Americana/folk) at 8 p.m. March 13. Free. www.boojumbrewing.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Sandra Hess (acoustic/pop) 7 p.m. March 14

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grille (Waynesville) will have Swamp Candy (blues/rock) March 20 at 9:30 p.m.

• The Freeway Revival performs at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20, at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City.

• Singer-songwriter Ben Wilson (guitar, vocals) performs at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 20, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have a St. Patrick’s Day party with the Bobby Sullivan Band (acoustic roots) on March 20 at 2 p.m. Free. 454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Mad Batter Food & Film will have Darren & The Buttered Toast (funk/soul, $2) at 9 p.m. March 20. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Screaming J’s (funk/rock) March 20 at 9 p.m. Free. 828.586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub (Franklin) will have Justin Moe (DJ) March 20 at 8 p.m. www.rathskellerfranklin.com or 369.6796.

• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will have Ginny McAfee (singer-songwriter) March 21 at 7 p.m. www.bwbrewing.com or 246.0602.

• City Lights Café (Sylva) will have Joe Cat (singersongwriter) March 21 at 7 p.m. www.citylightscafe.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will have Fritz Beer & The Crooked Beat (rock) March 21 at 8:30 p.m. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have The Harmed Brothers (indiegrass/Americana) March 21 at 9 p.m.

Free. 828.586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• The DuPont Brothers play at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grille (Waynesville) will have Amythyst Kiah (roots/soul) with Through the Hills (Americana/folk) March 21 at 10 p.m.

• Enjoy hits of the Beatles, Elton John, and James Taylor at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14 when Joe Cruz (piano, vocals) returns to the Classic Wineseller’s Steinway piano in Waynesville.

• Joe Cruz (piano, vocals) plays the best of the Beatles, James Taylor, Elton John and Sting at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

• Local band Bird in Hand (blend of folk, rock, punk, rockabilly, country and blues) will perform at 7 p.m. on March 19 at the Jackson County Library in Sylva.

Free. 586.2016.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Productive Paranoia (Americana/bluegrass) at 9 p.m. on March 14. Free. 586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Country ballad singer-songwriter Angela Easterling will perform at 3 p.m. March 21 at the Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville. Free.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grille (Waynesville) will have Left Lane Cruiser (blues/rock) March 20 at 10 p.m.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub (Franklin) will have Ronnie Evans March 21 at 8 p.m. www.rathskellerfranklin.com or 369.6796.

• Somebody’s Child (Americana/folk) will perform at 7 p.m. on March 14 at BearWaters Brewing in Waynesville. www.bwbrewing.com or 246.0602.

• Canton Armory will have “Pickin’ in the Armory” at 7 p.m. March 20. Live music by Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition, with clogging by the J. Creek Cloggers and Green Valley Cloggers. www.cantonnc.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grille (Waynesville) will have DJ Hek Yeh March 19 at 10 p.m.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grille (Waynesville) will have Pressing Strings (roots/rock) March 14 at 9:30 p.m.

• The bodhran, a traditional percussion instrument of Ireland, will be the focus of two free presentations on March 19 at Western Carolina University. At 11 a.m., Kruspe will give a presentation in the band room of WCU’s Coulter Building. Kruspe will also present a workshop at 7 p.m. in WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center. 227.7129.

• Sean Gaskell will perform traditional African music at 7 p.m. Friday, March 20, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.ARTS or 524.3600.

• Redleg Husky (acoustic roots/folk/soul) will put on a show from 4-7 p.m. on March 17 at the Tipping Point Tavern in Waynesville. Free. For info, visit redleghusky.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will have The DuPont Brothers (acoustic folk) at 8:30 p.m. on March 14. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub (Franklin) will have The Stewarts at 8 p.m. on March 14. Free. www.rathskellerfranklin.com or 369.6796.

• Lost Hiker (Highlands) will have Porch 40 (funk/rock) at 10 p.m. March 17. Free.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) Mangas Colorado (Americana/bluegrass) at 8 p.m. on March 17. Free.

• Mad Batter Food & Film will have Whimzik Glenn & Kjelsty (Celtic) March 17 at 6:30 p.m. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

BOOKS & AUTHORS • Author William Everett will present his new book “Sawdust and Soul: A Conversation about Woodworking and Spirituality” at 3 p.m. March 21 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. 456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • “Making an Easter Basket – Bring Easter Cards for Shut-ins” will be the topic of a lunch and learn through the Jackson County Extension and Community Association group on March 12 in the Conference Room of the Community Service Center in Sylva. $5.

• A Creative Business Plan Competition for professional craft artists will be presented over a series of eight sessions by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center from 2-5 p.m. on Thursdays at the SCC Swain Center. Register at www.ncsbc.net.

Free.

Smoky Mountain News

• Oscar winner Animated Feature Film, Disney’s “Big Hero 6” will be screened at noon and 2 p.m. every Saturday in March at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. Free. Show times at www.38main.com or 283.0079.

• Sheila Kay Adams and The Scofflaws will play at 7:30 p.m. on March 14 at the Strand in Waynesville.

Tickets: $15.

• Tyler Kittle and Michael Collings are featured performers on “Jazz Night” from 8-11 p.m. on March 12 at Innovation Brewing in Sylva. Free.

• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will have Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) and Through the Hills (Americana/folk) at 7 p.m. March 17.

March 11-17, 2015

• A Youth Swim Refresher Course will be offered by Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education from 6:25-7:15 p.m. on Mondays through Wednesdays from March 16-25 at the Reid Gymnasium pool. For info, call 227.7397 or visit swim.wcu.edu.

NIGHTLIFE • Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub (Franklin) will have Lip Syncing Battle at 6:30 p.m. on March 11.

Free. www.rathskellerfranklin.com or 369.6796.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night on March 11 and March 18, begins at 8 p.m., come express your creativity through music, comedy, poetry or anything you desire. www.innovation-brewing.com.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT

• Venture to Panama during Culture Club at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, at the Macon County Public Library. Guest speakers, books, photos, crafts and food from that culture will be enjoyed by all.

524.3600.

• Country star/actor Rodney Carrington hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. March 21 at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center. Tickets: $43. Tickets start at $43 per person.

800.745.3000 or www.harrahscherokee.com.

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SENIOR ACTIVITIES • The Silver Sneakers New Member Orientation will be held at 10 a.m. on March 11 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A Bladesmithing Symposium will be held March 1315 on the Haywood Community College campus.

Includes knife-making demonstrations, hands-on blade forging, knife show, auction and more. $65 registration fee. Ken Hall at 400.7815.

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• Professional nature photographer and educator Les Saucier will be guest speaker for the Sylva Photo Club at 2 p.m. on March 14 at Cullowhee Methodist Church. sylvaphotoclub.wordpress.com or 293.9820.

Free.

• Sew Easy Girls, a Jackson County Extension and Community Association group, meets at 1 p.m. on March 16 in the Conference room of the Community Service Center in Sylva.

• Paper Beads, Cane Creek Extension and Community Association, meets at 6 p.m. on March 17 at a location to be determined. 586.4009.

• A small business seminar designed to help you do your own photography will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on March 18 at the Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus. Free. Register at http://www.ncsbc.net. Tiffany Henry at t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• Easter Egg Dying with Silk Ties, a Jackson County Extension and Community Association craft club workshop, will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on March 19 in the Conference Room of the Community Service Center in Sylva. $10. Call 586.4009 for a supply list.

• The Museum of the Cherokee Indian is offering a free program, “Cherokee Fabrics and Feather Capes” at 7 p.m. Friday, March 13, in the Ken Blankenship Education and Research Center on Highway 441 in Cherokee. 828.497.3481.

March 11-17, 2015

Outdoors

• A public information meeting in response to public concerns about proposed legislation related to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and its possible impacts on landowner rights will be held from 7-9 p.m. on March 12 at the Clay County Courthouse in Hayesville. Silas Brown at 389.6305.

• The Jackson County Genealogical Society will host a program “William Sylva (Selvey?), Where did we get our name?” from 7-9 p.m. on March 12 in the Community Room of the Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva. 631.2646.

• A meeting to discuss environmental threats and other topics related to the overall health of WNC’s national forests will be held at 10 a.m. on March 13 at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Asheville. www.FBRGCF.org.

• Oscar winner for best show, “Birdman”, rated R, will be shown at 7 p.m. on March 11; at 2 p.m. on March 15; and at 7 p.m. on March 17-18 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. www.38main.com or 283.0079.

• The public is invited to join PARI astronomers for an observing session of the spring night sky at 7 p.m.

March 13 at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) in Rosman. The evening’s activities will include a tour of the PARI campus and celestial observations using PARI’s optical or radio telescopes.

Reservations required by 3 p.m. on event date.

Register at www.pari.edu or 862.5554.

• The drama “Kingsman” will be screened through March 12 at the Highlands Playhouse. Showtimes are at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and also 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $9. 526.2695 or www.highlandsplayhouse.org.

• Hiker and outdoor gear designer Judy Gross will give a presentation from her hike of the Colorado Trail at 7 p.m. on March 13 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Contact Olga Pader at olgapader@frontier.com or Mary Bennett at 369.0421.

• Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva will screen “St. Vincent” (PG-13) on March 12 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• Training for basic stream ecology, macroinvertebrate identification and field sampling will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 14 at UNC Asheville. Volunteer opportunities are open to anyone from 11th grade and up. RSVP required: staff@eqilab.org or 333.0392.

FILM & SCREEN

• “Mad Max” (R) will be screened at the Mad Batter Food & Film on March 19 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• “Star Trek 3” (PG) will be screened at the Mad Batter Food & Film on March 20, 6:30 p.m. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” will be shown at 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and at midnight on March 20 and 21 at the WCU University Center.

• “Dark Summer,” rated R, will screen at 9:30 p.m. on March 20-21 and March 27-28 at The Strand in Waynesville. Runtime: 1:21. www.38main.com or call 283.0079.

• “The Imitation Game,” rated PG-13, will be shown

Smoky Mountain News

on March 21-22, March 24-25, and March 27-28 at The Strand in Waynesville. Screentimes are 7 p.m. each day with additional showings at 4 p.m. on March 21 and 2 p.m. on March 22. www.38main.com or 283.0079

• An opportunity to join volunteers in removing invasive species from the East Street Park will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 14 in Waynesville.

lunch provided. The school will be held at the Agriculture Extension Office on Thomas Heights Road. $10. Larry Hooper, 349.6403.

• A public information meeting in response to public concerns about proposed legislation related to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and its possible impacts on landowner rights will be held from 7-9 p.m. on March 16 at the Swain County Technology and Training Center in Bryson City. Dee Decker at 488.3848 or dee_decker@ncsu.edu.

• The Franklin Bird Club will meet at 7 p.m. on March 16 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. A program entitled “The Golden Eagle Has Landed: Winter Range and Abundance in the N.C. Mountains” will be presented by Chris Kelly.

• The Swain Clean & Green, a pizza social, will be held at 6 p.m. on March 17 at the Swain Senior Center.

• An organizational meeting for reducing litter along area highways will be held at 5 p.m. on March 19 at Room A227 of the County Justice and Administration Building. Info: 488.8418.

• The Discover Life in America Conference will be held March 19-21 in Gatlinburg at the Park Vista. www.dlia.org • Spring Wildflower walks are offered every Friday from March 20-May 15 (except April 3) through the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. $5 per person.

Registrations accepted until class is full. Info: 293.3053, recjacksonnc.org.

• Lake Junaluska will have its annual lake clean-up starting at 9 a.m. on March 21. Light snacks, coffee, water and juice will be available at the Kern Center. Call 456.1952 before the event or 400.5091 on the event date. Severe weather postponement date is March 28.

FARM & GARDEN • An integrated approach to gastrointestinal parasite control for small ruminants will be the topic of a workshop from 1:30-4:30 p.m. on March 11 at the Graham County Extension Center in Robbinsville.

Participants interested in FAMACHA certification and in purchasing the FAMACHA card will pay $12.

Register at 479.7979 or randy_collins@ncsu.edu.

• The inaugural Fontana Classic Bass Tournament will be held from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on March 14-15 on Fontana Lake at the Fontana Village Marina. All proceeds go to the Daniel Boone Council to support local programs for local Boy Scout troops. Registration: $175 per boat up to tournament start. Register at www.2015fontanaclassic.kintera.org or 254.6189.

• The Haywood Gleaners’ Seed Potato Project will kick off with an opportunity to pick up seed potatoes from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 13 at the Crabtree Community Center in Waynesville; and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 14 at Waynesville Ingles. In case of rain, the Ingles pickup will be from 5-7 p.m. on March 16. The project invites farmers and gardeners to grow potatoes for sharing with food pantries, soup kitchens and friends in need. Mary Alice Lodico at 452.0513 or haywoodgleaners@gmail.com.

• The Macon County Beekeepers’ Association will hold its annual Bee School from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on March 14, 17 and 19 and at 8:30 p.m. on March 21 with

• A seminar on how to establish and maintain your blueberries and grapevines will be offered by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service from 2-4 p.m. on March

17 at the Jackson Extension Center, room 234, in Sylva. 586.4009 or christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu.

• A grafting workshop will be held at 9 a.m. on March 17 at the Macon County Environmental Resource Center. Class will cover grafting principles and techniques. Each participant will leave with three grafted apples. Pre-registration required at Macon County Cooperative Extension Center. Materials fee of $10 due at registration. Info: 349.2046.

• A seminar on how to establish and maintain blueberries and grapevines will be offered by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service from 2-4 p.m. March 18 at the Swain Extension Center, room 114, in Bryson City. 488.3848 or christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu.

• A six-week spring wildflower class is being offered from 9 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays from March 18 through April 29 at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus. Teaches fundamental techniques for identifying wildflowers using ID guides and keys.

Instructor is Adam Bigelow, who started the Sylva and Cullowhee community. Jenny Williams at 339.4497 or j_williams@southwesterncc.edu.

HIKING CLUBS • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a strenuous 10.7-mile hike with an elevation change of 2,200 ft., on March 12 to Blood Mountain, highest point on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. Call leader Diana Otero at 765.318.9981, for reservations.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a strenuous 7mile hike, elevation change 1,500 ft., on March 14 from Deep Creek Campground to Noland Divide in the Smoky Mountains Park. Call leader Gail Lehman, 524.5298, for reservations.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take an easy 2-mile hike, with 200 ft. elevation change, on March 15 exploring historic Tessentee Farms. Call leader Kay Coriell, 369.6820.

• The Carolina Mountain Club will have a 13-mile hike with a 2,600-foot ascent on March 15. Contact Jay Bretz at 658.1220 or jbretz1220@gmail.com.

•Carolina Mountain Club will have a nine-mile hike with a 2,200-foot ascent on March 18. Contact Tish Desjardins at 380.1452 or desraylet@aol.com.

• Physical therapist and avid hiker and trail runner Doug Daniel will discuss practical strategies for preventing and healing from hiking-related injuries (lower back, knee and ankle) from 7-8 p.m. on March 19 at REI in Asheville. Free. A practical lab will follow.

Registration required: www.rei.com/event/65277/session/111219. For info, call 687.0918.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-tostrenuous 5.5-mile hike with elevation change of 3,400 ft. on March 21, to Mt. Sterling in the Smoky Mountains Park for outstanding views of the Pigeon River Gorge. Call leader Keith Patton, 456.8895, for reservations.

283-288

Puzzles can be found on page 46.

These are only the answers.

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

92

$

20’x20’

160

$

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828 42

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ARTS & CRAFTS

MarketPlace information: The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

AUCTION

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.

■ $12 — If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad 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.

HARPER’S AUCTION COMPANY Earn Some Extra Cash!!!

Always Accepting Consignments, Call for an Apt. 828.369.6999 Check out our Website for Auction Schedules and Online Bidding. harpersauctioncompany.com Debra Harper, NCAL #9659, NCFL #9671.

ABSOLUTE AUCTIONS Northwest, NC. Saturday March 21, 2015. Office Building & Lot. 81 West 3 Doughton Street Sparta 10am. House & Lot. 392 Hwy 88 East, Jefferson - 1pm. 2 Office Condominiums, 136 Boone Heights Dr., Boone - 3:30pm. Boyer Realty & Auction. 336.372.8888. boyerrealty@skybest.com. Col. James R. Boyer. NCAL1792. 336.572.2323.

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

R

DI

SC OV E R E

ATR

AUCTION DBI Services Fleet Realignment, March 19th, 9am, Hazelton, PA. Painting, Grinding, Trucks & Equipment. Motleys Asset Disposition Group, 804.232.3300x.4, www.motleys.com/industrial, PA#5634

INC.

PE

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

Service truck available for on-site repairs

283-302

LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS

MON-FRI 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

828-456-5387

ALLISON CREEK Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC

ONLINE BANKRUPTCY AUCTION Case 14-31939, Metal Fabrication Equip., Vehicles, Doors, Frames, Hardware & Accessories, Charlotte NC. Ends 3/24/15 at 2pm. Items at Mr. Doorman, 700 Montana Dr., Charlotte NC. 1.800.997.2248.

NCAL3936. www.ironhorseauction.com AUCTION Wood Flooring Manufacturer, Bid 3/5-3/12, Items Located: Crewe, VA. Dust Collectors, Wood Working Equipment, Staining Equipment, Misc. Wood Working Tools. Motleys Asset Disposition Group, 804.232.3300x.4, www.motleys.com/industrial, VAAL#16.

AUCTION PUBLIC TAX SEIZURE AUCTION Saturday, March 14 @ 10am. 201 S. Central Ave. Locust, NC (East of Charlotte). Selling Seized & Repo Vehicles & Tools, JD Tractor, Roll Back, Forklifts, Horse Trailers, Vans. 704.791.8825. ncaf5479. www.ClassicAuctions.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 1.800.211.9233 for FREE DVD and brochure. SAPA 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 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. SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

PROFESSIONAL INTERIOR PAINTING CALL DENNIS AT: LUCAS PAINTING Co.

828.421.4057 Kitchen Cabinet Painting & Restoration

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316

PAINTING JAMISON CUSTOM PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING Interior, exterior, all your pressure washing needs and more.

Specialize in Removal of Carpenter Bees - Cedar or Log Homes or Painted or Siding!

Call or Text Now for a Free Estimate at 828.508.9727

AUTO PARTS BLOWN HEAD GASKET Cracked Heads/Block. State of the art 2-part Carbon Composite Repair! All Vehicles Foreign or Domestic including Northstars!

100% guaranteed. Call Now: 1.866.780.9038 SAPA

TRUCKS FOR SALE 99-2000 GMC SIERRA SLT/Z71 For Sale by Owner - 3-Door, Great Work Truck, Runs Strong, Never Wrecked, Toolbox, Bedliner, Rail Guards. Highway Miles, NC-FL 20k/yr. 1-Owner, $3,800. For More Info Call 828.736.7000.

CARS DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck or Boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 800.337.9038.

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA

R

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT AIRLINE CAREERS BEGIN HERE Get started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance.

877.300.9494.

25 DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED! Become a driver for Stevens Transport! No Experience Needed! New drivers earn $800+ per week! PAID CDL TRAINING! Stevens covers all costs! 1.888.748.4137. drive4stevens.com

EMPLOYMENT CAN YOU DIG IT? Heavy Equipment Operator Career!

Receive Hands On Training And National Certifications Operating Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators.

Lifetime Job Placement.

Veteran Benefits Eligible!

1.866.288.6896.

CDL-A DRIVERS: Earn up to $0.44 per mile, $2,500 Sign On Bonus PLUS up to $0.02 per mile in bonus! Call 866.291.2631 or SuperServiceLLC.com

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

DRIVERS: CDL-A: WOW! Check-out our New Pay Package, It’s Awesome. More per mile!

Monthly Bonuses! Stop-Off, Layover, Detention, Short-Haul Pay! 877.704.3773 EMPLOYERS NEED WORK-AT-HOME Medical Transcriptionist! Get the online training you need to fill these positions with Career Step’s employer-trusted program. Train at home to work at home! Visit CareerStep.com/newcareer or call 1.866.553.8735 to start training for your work-at-home career today. SAPA DRIVERS: Dedicated OTR Lanes hauling PODS! CO and O/O drivers welcome! Target 2900 mpw, $4K Sign-On Bonus, 401K, Vision, Dental, Medical, Holiday Pay! Atlanta Location. Call Gil Today: 855.980.1339

March 11-17, 2015

CAROLINE A 6 MONTH OLD GREAT DANE/LAB MIX. SHE IS STRIKING LOOKING DOG AND IS EAGER TO PLEASE.

WHISKERS A HANDSOME SOLID BLACK KITTY, ABOUT A YEAR OLD, WITH BIG ROUND GOLDEN EYES. HE IS VERY FRIENDLY AND REWARDS ATTENTION WITH LOUD PURRS.

283-298

LOCAL CLOTHING GIFT & ACCESSORY BOUTIQUE Seeking an experienced retail sales associate with customer service background. Must work during Holidays, enjoy helping others while building relationships, have extensive retail exp., be self-motivated and have knowledge of apparel & trend landscape. Opportunities for growth based on performance.

Serious & Long Term Candidates Need Only Apply! Email Resume & Contact Info to: HBoutiqueHR@gmail.com

NEED MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES! Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc.

1.888.512.7122 HEAD START CENTER DIRECTORHaywood County- Must have an AA Early Childhood Education degree; prefer someone with a BS Early Childhood Education or related field. Must have Administration levels I & II, basic Word use/e-mail use, good judgment/problem solving skills, experience in classroom and the ability to work with diverse families. Prefer someone with two years supervisory experience; will be responsible for supervision of daily operations for two centers.

This is a full time position with benefits. Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, 2251 Old Balsam Rd, Waynesville, NC 28786 or 25 Schulman St, Sylva, NC 28779 or you may go to our website www.mountainprojects.org and fill out an application.

Pre-employment drug testing required. EOE/AA.

Mieko

Thomson ROKER/R /R BBROKER

EALTOR®® EALTOR

Cell (828) 226-2298 Cell

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

DRIVERS: Need CDL A or B to relocate vehicles from local body plants to various locations throughout U.S. - No forced dispatch. Call to speak with a recruiter at: 1.800.501.3783.

ATTN: Drivers- $2K Sign-On Bonus. Make Over $55k a Year. Great Benefits + 401K. Paid Training/Orientation.

CDL-A Req -888.303.9731. www.drive4melton.mobi

FINANCIAL

Real Experience.

Real Service. Real Results.

828.452.3727

www.The-Real-Team.com

MOUNTAIN REALTY 1904 S. Main St. • Waynesville

Michelle McElroy RESIDENTIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE E-PRO, CNHS, RCC, SFR

828.400.9463 Cell 74 North Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.5809

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 11 - 5 pm or by Apt. 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.371.1734 to start your application today!

20 ACRE $0 DOWN, $128/MO Owner Financing. Money Back Guarantee Ner El Paso TX Beautiful Mountain Views FREE Color Brochure 1.800.939.2654 SAPA

REDUCE YOUR PAST TAX BILL By as much as 75 Percent. Stop Levies, Liens and Wage Garnishments. Call The Tax DR Now to see if you Qualify 1.800.396.9719

The Real Team

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

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.

WELDING CAREERS Hands on training for career opportunities in aviation, automotive, manufacturing and more. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM 877.206.4006.

JOLENE HOCOTT • LYN DONLEY MARLYN DICKINSON

PETS

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.

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA DELETE BAD CREDIT In Just 30-Days! Legally & Permanently remove negatives to raise your credit score fast. Free to start!

A+ Rating W/BBB Call Now! 855.831.9712 SAPA

michelle@beverly-hanks.com 44

$1,000 WEEKLY!!

Mailing Brochures From Home.

Helping home workers since 2001.

Genuine Opportunity. NO Experience Required. Start Immediately. www.MailingMembers.com SAPA

THE NAVY IS HIRING Top-notch training, medical/dental, 30 days vacation/yr, $ for school. HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419

283-295

MOUNTAIN REALTY

www.smokymountainnews.com

GTI- NOW HIRING! Top Pay for CDL A Drivers! Dry Van. No touch freight. Frequent time at home. Well-appointed trucks. EOE. 866.646.1969. GordonCareers.com

EMPLOYMENT YOUR COMPUTER CERTIFICATION Online! Train at home to become a Help Desk Professional or MCSA certified! NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Call CTI for details!

1.888.734.6712. Visit us online at MyCTI.TV

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400 Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962 Equal Housing Opportunity 283-297

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578 DEEP WATER ICW HOME AUCTION: Cape Carteret NC Canal-Dock Bulkhead Pool. WILL SELL > $399K! MAR 14. Mike Harper 843.729.4996 (NCAL8286). www.HarperAuctionAndRealty.com

HOMES FOR SALE BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor shamrock13@charter.net McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT

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.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

LAWN & GARDEN HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

HEAVY EQUIPMENT SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $4397.00 Make & Save Money with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship.

FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com. 1.800.578.1363 Ext.300N

ENTERTAINMENT

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

Waynesville Office: 828-564-1950 Bryson City Office: 828-488-2200 Brevard Office: 828-883-8220

www.4smokys.com Š2015 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated framchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.Ž Equal Housing Opportunity

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• Eugene L. Strickland Gene@4Smokys.com BHHSGreatSmokysRealty.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates beverly-hanks.com • • • • •

Michelle McElroy — beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig — beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey — beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither — beverly-hanks.com Brook Parrott — beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com Haywood Properties — haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox — info@haywoodproperties.com

DISH TV Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) SAVE! Regular Price $34.99 Call Today and Ask About FREE SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 1.855.866.9941.

SAPA

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Ron Kwiatkowski — ronk.kwrealty.com

Mountain Home Properties — mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell — smokiesproperty.com

GET THE BIG DEAL From DirecTV! Act Now- $19.99/mo Free 3-Months of HBO, Starz, Showtime & Cinemaxfree Genie HD/DVR Upgrade! 2014 NFL Sunday Ticket Included with Select Packages. New Customers Only IV Support Holdings LLC- An authorized DirecTV Dealer. Some exclusions apply - Call for details 1.800.413.9179 SAPA

Main Street Realty — mainstreetrealty.net McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern — shamrock13.com

Emerson Group • George Escaravage — gke333@gmail.com 283-287

Prudential Lifestyle Realty — vistasofwestfield.com

SCOTTISH TARTANS MUSEUM 86 East Main St., Franklin, Open 10am- 5pm, Mon - Sat. Come & let us find your Scottish Connection!

828.584.7472 or visit us at: www.scottishtartans.org.

Realty World Heritage Realty

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland — brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson — ncsmokies.com The Morris Team — maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team — the-real-team.com Ron Breese — ronbreese.com Dan Womack — womackdan@aol.com Catherine Proben — cp@catherineproben.com

EMERSON

• • • • • • •

George Escaravage BROKER/REALTOR

The Seller’s Agency — listwithphil.com • Phil Ferguson — philferguson@bellsouth.net

——————————————

GROUP PO BOX 54 | 60 TIMUCUA TRAIL WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

828.400.0903 • 828.456.7705 gke333@gmail.com

smokymountainnews.com

realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766 • Martha Sawyer realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7769 • Linda Wester realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7771

RIVER PARK APARTMENTS 93 Wind Crest Ridge in Dillsboro. Social community designed for the Elderly (62 or older) or persons with disabilities, has regularly scheduled, varied activities.

Energy efficient, affordable 1 BR apts.

AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY! Rental Assistance Available.

Accessible units designed for persons with disabilities subject to availability. $25 application fee; credit/criminal required. Call site for information 828.631.0124.

Office hours are M-Th 1-3 pm or by appointment.

Equal Housing Opportunity.

This institution is professionally managed by Partnership Property Management, an equal opportunity provider, and employer.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

March 11-17, 2015

1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

WNC MarketPlace

67 ACRES CULLOWHEE Borders USFS, Includes 2/BR 2/BA 1,600 sq. ft. House & 480 sq. ft. Workshop. $399,000. www.918gapbranch.blogspot.com For More Details, or Call 828.586.0165

FURNITURE

282-213

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 45

www.smokymountainnews.com

March 11-17, 2015

WNC MarketPlace

Super

46

CROSSWORD

64 Engages completely 65 Pro at first aid 66 Sea, in Nice ACROSS 1 Will of “Men in Black” 67 Show delight in one’s achievement 6 Took back as one’s 69 Kind of snake own 70 See 103-Down 15 Online money 71 Fish that may be jel20 Hidden store 21 Very small blood ves- lied 72 Places for 11-Downs sel 73 Previously named 22 One of the Obama 74 Osaka sash girls 75 Pure chance 23 Al of “Today” 24 Jokester’s self-satis- 78 Thus far, on a quarterly stmt. fied expression 25 Base for a jazz chord 79 “I Got Rhythm” com26 Aids in local orienta- poser 81 Cake froster tion 28 Large black-and-tan 82 Quite a few 84 Lock lips terrier 85 - Decor (magazine) 30 Loses 86 Scornful, negative 31 Clean up, as a prosort gram 88 Sports cars 36 Scholarly sorts 92 - on a true story 37 True-crime writer 93 Line of Canon camRule eras 38 Fiery insects 95 Created, as havoc 40 Onyx, e.g.

96 Comic Abbott 41 - Beach (city near 97 Spice from a crocus San Luis Obispo) 101 Johnson’s successor 44 Forgiveness of sins 102 Receivers’ counter46 “The Greek” of film parts 50 Voice range 106 Like the U.S. flag, in 51 Just-released terms of hues 52 Lighter name 108 Bush pilot’s runway 53 Stooge with a bowl 109 U.N.’s Kofi cut 110 Pleased look (as 55 Biblical kingdom depicted by this puzzle’s 56 Eurasian deer grid) 57 2003 Julia Roberts 116 Pacific island kingfilm dom 61 Blvds.

117 Washer cycle 62 Blvd.

118 Too enthusiastic 63 Like galaxies PICTURE OF JOY

119 Pungent bulb 120 Adjust, as a watch 121 Gizmo that squeezes grapes 122 British nobles DOWN 1 “Skedaddle!”

2 New Zealand native 3 Clinton adviser Harold 4 Mission to remember 5 Spanish for “brother” 6 Coarse files 7 Deity of strife 8 Pt. of NATO 9 Tierra - Fuego 10 Suffix with transit 11 Hog 12 Craggy hill 13 Director Kazan 14 Leary of “Rescue Me” 15 Emilio of the Brat Pack 16 Spice of the ginger family 17 Filipino, e.g.

18 Will, biblically 19 Styx locale 27 Writer Rand 29 Inferior paper 31 JFK or FDR’s party 32 Food quality 33 Foundation 34 Without injury 35 VW model 38 Heat up again 39 Actress Elke 41 Lifesaver at an accident scene 42 Sitcom featuring the Ricardos 43 Helm holders 44 Avis offering

45 Clamorous quality 47 Games played on January 1 48 Robin’s ride 49 Refrained from voting 51 Tiny biting fly 54 Evasive types 57 Silents star Normand 58 Statutes 59 Small drinks 60 Some swords 68 - for tat 76 Attaché 77 Be aware of 79 Encircle with a belt 80 Slab marking a grave 83 Spun thread 84 Sharp-witted 87 Small crown 89 Agnus - (lamb figure) 90 Kenny G’s specialty 91 Ref’s ring decision 92 Public pickup point 94 Fa-la linkup 96 Liquor server 97 Ringo of rock 98 Palmer of the links 99 Swedes’ neighbors 100 Not at all, in the sticks 102 Jetties 103 With 70-Across, 2012 British Open winner 104 Strictness 105 Runs across 107 Sitar star Shankar 108 Experts 111 Place for an 11Down 112 Start to fix?

113 “Indeedy” 114 Not near 115 Become old

answers on page 42

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WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 42

Celebrating the odiferous ramp (1989), give each form distinct species status.

Wide-leaf ramps (A. tricoccum) have redtinged leaves over 2 inches wide that have stalked leaf bases, which are pinkish in color. Narrow-leaf ramps (A. burdickii) have leaves not tinged that are less than 2 inches wide with unstalked leaf bases that are whitish in color.

Columnist Wide-leaf ramps are by far the most common, but both species are found in Western North Carolina.

According to Tim Spira’s Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachians and Piedmont (2010), the plant forms dense colonies in moist, rich soils of undisturbed forest [mostly above 3,000 feet.] The leaves arise from underground bulbs as early as late February and persist for five to six weeks until the canopy trees leaf out. By the time the flowers are produced in summer, the leaves have long since withered and died.

Ramps are often described as “odiferous.” In my opinion this quality is highly exaggerated. Maybe it’s an individual thing.

George Ellison

P

urple rhododendron is the most admired flowering plant in the Southern Appalachians. Ginseng is the most celebrated medicinal plant. And ramps are the most sought-after culinary plant — a fact that has led to its overharvesting in the wild.

Ramp hunting, harvesting, and consumption will commence in March and continue into May. Before long there will be a ramp festival near you — the most famous and long-standing being the one that will be held in Waynesville the first weekend in May at the American Legion Field. This year’s event will mark the 82nd consecutive year that it has been held!

Wild leeks or ramps are classified as members of the onion family and are placed in the same genus (Allium) as wild onions and wild garlic. The name “ramps” is one of the many variants of the English word “ramson,” the common name of the European bear leek (A.ursinum), a broad-leaved species of garlic much cultivated and eaten in salads.

Most ramp fanciers aren’t aware that our native ramp has two taxonomically recognized forms. Some authorities consider these to be no more than varieties of the same species. Others, like B. Eugene Wofford at the University of Tennessee in his Guide to the Vascular Flora of the Blue Ridge

Guest speaker is Phylis Prevost This 91 year old woman has been active in the business world since World War II. She is an Attorney and Hotelier, and has many stories to tell about her life and career changes through the years, as well as, how maturity has altered her ideas and attitude.

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Smoky Mountain News

Women in Business invite you to our first luncheon of 2015. Join us in embracing the notion that we all need to stop and smell a ROSE. Our 2015 series will focus on the Resiliency, Opportunity, Sacrifice, and Endurance that all women share.

I am, after all, the sort of cook who immediately chops up two or three large onions prior to cooking any meal — if the onions happen to be ramps, why then so much the better.

Let’s close out here with some ramp festival observations by folk historian Martha Ann Williams, a WNC native, in her volume Great Smoky Mountain Folklore (1995). She devotes her closing chapter to “Displays of Culture,” in which she ruminates about such staples as the Cherokee Fall Festival and Dollywood and the annual ramp festivals held throughout the region.

“The Smoky Mountain region is festival crazy,” Williams begins. “Between April and November, there is a festival almost every weekend … Festivals that are built around a food … usually feature foods that are important to the local economy, such as apples, or to tourism, such as trout.

“Noticeable exceptions are the ramp festivals … These wild leeks play almost no role in the local economy; they are seldom sold (except at festivals) or served at commercial establishments. Most people outside the region don’t know what ramps are, and, at least according to local belief, would not like them if they did. In a way, though, this is exactly why they are impor-

March 11-17, 2015

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

tant. While some foods may be used to market an ethnic or regional group crossculturally, the foods that are most significant within a culture are those that require unique knowledge to procure, prepare, or consume or that insiders alone have the stomach to eat.

“Ramps are only found above a certain elevation, so that simply locating them takes a specialized knowledge. Most of the lore about ramps, however, deals not with their procurement but with their odor, or rather the odor they produce in human beings who consume them … So why hold a festival purporting to celebrate a wild plant that makes you stink? … Is the festival really about ramps? Well, yes and no [but] ramps offer a humorous theme for the festival; they are treated with mock seriousness in a characteristically deadpan manner …

Despite the fact that they make you stink, eating ramps is a manly thing to do. Maybe not caring that you stink is macho.

However, the official ramp promoters shy away from any explicit reference to the sexual innuendoes that are at the heart of ramp humor.”

George Ellison wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees.

BACK THEN

WAYNESVILLE

PARKS AND RECREATION 828.456.2030 or email tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

283-277

47

NEW LOCATION

Our mission is to provide high quality, personalized and compassionate obstetrical and gynecological care to women beginning in adolescence and continuing through menopause.

We strive to consistently exceed the expectations of all of our patients.

Dr. Janine Keever earned her Bachelor's degree at Western Carolina University in 1996. After earning her M.D. at East Carolina University and completing a residency at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, she returned to the mountains to open Smoky Mountain Obstetrics & Gynecology in 2006. Since then, her main focus has been to provide the best possible health care for the women of Western North Carolina.

Keever is a skilled surgeon specializing in minimally invasive gynecological procedures, including the 'no scar' vaginal hysterectomy. She is also active in community affairs. Keever lives in Sylva with her husband and adventurous 6 year old son.

Dr. Sabine Kelischek is a board certified OB/GYN physician who has practiced in WNC since 1994. She received her B.S. from Davidson College and M.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While there she also studied Health Policy and International Health at the School of Public Health. Her interest in health policy took her to Washington, D.C. where she served as Legislative Director for the American Medical Student Association.She completed her residency training at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and soon thereafter relocated to the mountains to enter private practice. Kelischek loves contra dancing and sings with the Asheville Choral Society. Other interests include gardening, quilting, and literature.

March 11-17, 2015

Leah Trombly, WHNP is a board certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner who joined the practice in August 2014. She received her B.S. from Mount Olive College in North Carolina, and MSN from Frontier in Hyden, Kentucky. Her clinical specialties include well woman/preventative care, childbirth education, breast health, and weight management. Leah was awarded Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships in 2005 and 2010 to study Spanish in Mexico and Nicaragua and offers bilingual services. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant as well as a certified Independent Beachbody Coach. She is an avid exerciser, and is happily married with five wonderful children.

Kathy Walsh, WHNP is our newest Board Certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. She recently relocated to the mountains from Illinois, where she worked for 31 years in the field of collaborative and holistic care for women. She earned a B.S. from Western Illinois University and MSN from the University of Wisconsin. Her clinical interests range from OB care and birth control to menopause and integrative medicine. She is also a Certified Lactation Educator. She enjoys hiking in our beautiful mountains. Among her many accomplishments, she is especially proud of raising four fabulous children and finishing the Chicago Marathon.

Smoky Mountain News

Deborah Gregory, MSN ARP FNP-BC AE-C is a family nurse practitioner and recently came to Smoky Mountain OB/GYN. She aims to provide women with information and guidance to enable meeting health goals, like living long enough to see your grandchildren’s children; being physically independent as long as possible and being able to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Her mother and father were born and raised in this area and there is no other place she would call home, even after traveling the world as a military wife. She loves the folks in the mountains, many of which are related to her, having close to 50 first cousins. Deborah’s goal is to assist people in making it one of the healthiest places on earth.

• • • • • • • • • •

48

Yearly Exams and Paps Contraception/ Birth Control Hormone Replacement Therapy Specialized Gynecologic Surgery Minimally Invasive Surgery Prenatal Care for both Low and High Risk Pregnancies In Office Ablations and Essure Procedures Vaginal hysterectomy specialist Childbirth Education Breastfeeding Support

Both physicians are Board certified by American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Both nurse practioners are Board Certified.

For informative articles, online appointments, online bill pay and more visit our website at

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Same day appointments available for urgent concerns. To make an appointment, call

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