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April 29-May 5, 2015 Vol. 16 Iss. 48

Tribal Council threatened with lawsuit Page 4

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CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Haywood County school administrators are having a difficult time trying to predict how many students the new charter school will take away from the traditional public school this fall and how that will affect the school system budget. (Page 6)

News Tribal Council threatened with lawsuit ..................................................................4 Haywood Schools grapple with enrollment wildcard ......................................6 Hospital buys Evergreen clinic in Canton ........................................................11 WCU fraternity gets five-year suspension ........................................................12 Republicans back partisan election bills ..........................................................14 Senate candidates ready for another round ....................................................14 Pedestrian plaza proposed in Bryson City ........................................................16 Bryson City merchants to form association ......................................................17 Final round for Cullowhee standards ................................................................19

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Opinion Lucy’s gender crisis ................................................................................................20

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The act of words to paper......................................................................................24

Outdoors Women give mountain biking a try ......................................................................34

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news

Not letting it go Cherokee members threaten to sue over raises, back pay for elected officals

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen the Cherokee Tribal Council voted to give itself a hefty pay raise last fall — $10,000 extra a year plus tens of thousands in backpay for the years when it supposedly should have already been receiving those extra dollars — the decision aroused the ire of a staunch contingent of tribal members who deemed it illegal.

Now it’s possible the issue could go to court.

The argument has been ongoing ever since the budget resolution creating the raises passed on Oct. 4, 2014, with no discussion and only one nay vote, from Wolfetown Councilmember Bo Crowe.

But the aftermath involved discussion aplenty, with subsequent council meetings running long as tribal members voiced their anger and councilmembers Teresa McCoy, of Big Cove, and Albert Rose, of Birdtown, introduced resolutions to get rid of the raises and back pay. McCoy, along with Snowbird representative Brandon Jones, had been absent at the initial vote, and Rose said he didn’t realize that the proposed budget contained allegedly illegal raises until after it passed.

Council wound up voting 7-5 to not even hear the protests from Rose and McCoy, and at the end of that long, circular discussion Nov. 6, tribal member Peggy Hill asked council, frustrated, “Where do we go now? What do we do now?”

“If you choose to bring a lawsuit against the tribal council, you have the right to do that,” responded Chairwoman Terri Henry of Painttown.

Since then, that’s just what Hill and the other members of the newly formed grassroots group calling itself the The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for Justice and Accountability have been working on.

“Some of us are very spiritually oriented and we prayed until we got the answer and we kept waiting and waiting,” said Amy Walker, one of the group’s leaders, on the process of finding the right person to take the case.

“Late February the answer came who we needed to go see. We went to visit her and we knew we’d chosen right.”

On April 20, each of the 12 tribal council members and interim attorney general Hannah Smith received a letter in the mail from Meghann Burke, an attorney at the Asheville firm Brazil & Burke.

“My clients are deeply troubled by this Tribal Council’s flagrant disrespect for the law … The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for Justice and Accountability are prepared to challenge Tribal Council’s actions in court,” 4 the letter reads.

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2015

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All told, the raises, back pay and associated benefits total about $1 million, Burke wrote. If Tribal Council does not rescind the budget resolution that included the raises at its upcoming May 7 meeting, Burke says she will file the lawsuit against the Tribal Council as a whole, as well as against each individual member who voted for the resolution. That’s everybody except for McCoy, Jones and Bo Crowe.

In an email, Burke said that more claims or defendants could be added if the complaint is filed.

MUM’S THE WORD The unexpected letter threw Tribal Council for a loop, spurring an emergency closed-door meeting April 21 to discuss the issue.

The Tribal Council has not been willing to discuss the issue in the open, though. The Smoky Mountain News attempted to contact each of the 12 councilmembers. Nine of them did not answer or respond to a voicemail requesting comment. Jones’ cell phone number had been changed at some point in the last few months. Big Cove representative Perry Shell called back to say he could not comment on this issue, as it is an “open case.” To clarify, according to the attorney no suit has yet been filed and will not be

To be sued as a body, council would have to vote to waive its right to legal immunity. If the council does not vote to waive its immunity, each member can still be sued as an individual and would have to pay for legal representation out of their own pockets. unless council fails to comply with the requirements of the demand letter. A request for comment to Chief Michell Hicks’ office yielded only a three-sentence statement averring that the raises are part of a budget already in effect but that tribal council “recognizes the concerns raised by some tribal members regarding compensation changes.” Smith did not return a call to her office requesting comment.

Of the 14 tribal leaders The Smoky Mountain News attempted to contact, McCoy was the only one to give an interview.

Since the issue came up, McCoy has been on the side of people like Hill. Though not present at the initial budget vote — at the time, she said she had not been aware there would be a vote that day, as the meeting was scheduled only as a work session — McCoy later introduced a protest against the raises

A group of Cherokee people who keep an eye on what goes on at the council house (above) are putting legal pressure on Tribal Council to rescind recently enacted raises and back pay that many believe were illegal. Holly Kays photo and continually voiced her opinion that they were illegal.

“In the real world, people appreciate a raise. That’s a good thing,” she said. “Here, you have five out of 12 councilmembers, almost half the Eastern Band, saying ‘No, stay away from us. It’s a sick feeling. It’s a bad feeling.”

McCoy said that she, along with Jones, Bo Crowe, Henry and Rose, refused to sign a conversion sheet acknowledging the raise but were told they would receive the money anyway.

“We didn’t do this. You did this to us and we don’t appreciate it,” she said of herself and the other council members who did not vote for the budget. “Three of us are not named because three of us did not vote to pass [budget resolution] 261.”

THE BACKSTORY The tumult over council’s fattened paychecks stems from language in the tribe’s Charter and Governing Document — the highest law of the land, legally speaking — that plainly states that “no pay raise [for Tribal Council is] to take effect until the next council is seated.” The conventional understanding of that had been that council can approve a pay raise for itself but cannot begin receiving the higher salary until after the next election has been held and the winners seated.

“Any argument to the contrary,” Burke wrote in her demand letter, “strains credibility.”

According to Hicks’ statements to council Nov. 6, the $10,000 was not a raise. It was a pay adjustment.

In 2004, he explained, council passed a resolution saying that its members should receive incremental raises in keeping with the cost-of-living raises that tribal employees receive. But during the recession, council had not been receiving its incremental salary bumps, so the lump sum raise and back pay were necessary to bring council salaries back up to where they should have been all along.

But even rookie councilmembers received hefty retro pay checks — representatives who had only sat on council for one year received $10,800 in retro, according to documents from a public records

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What they got paid PAY HIKES FOR COUNCIL (enacted Oct. 2014) • Chairwoman Terri Henry, from $75,000 to $86,400 • Vice chair Bill Taylor, $72,500 to $83,500 • Other councilmembers, $70,000 to $80,600 PAY HIKES FOR CHIEFS (enacted Oct. 2013) • Principal Chief Michell Hicks, $142,500 to $185,000 • Vice Chief Larry Blythe, $129,500 to $135,000 RETRO PAY • Chairwoman Terri Henry, $33,391 • Vice Chair Bill Taylor, $33,496 • Perry Shell, Gene “Tunney” Crowe, Tommye Saunooke, Adam Wachacaha, David Wolfe, Alan “B” Ensley, $32,931 • Teresa McCoy, $19,037 • Albert Rose, Bo Crowe, Brandon Jones, $10,637 • Four councilmembers no longer serving received checks ranging from $13,594 to $23,565.

SALARIES FOR COMPARISON • President of the United States, $400,000 • U.S. Senator, $174,000 • North Carolina Governor, $141,265 • Average county manager salary for seven western counties, $97,875* • Median household income in Swain County, $36,094

*Compiled from University of North Carolina’s School of Government report with Graham County not included due to missing information in the report.

All salary and retro pay amounts for councilmembers are taken from documents that were part of a public records request made by tribal members. Comparison salaries are compiled from various sources.

WHAT’S NEXT? At that point, tribal council members were up for re-election but Hicks was not.

When the raises for councilmembers and retro pay for council and the chiefs were passed in 2014, it was an off-year for elections in Cherokee.

But all 12 council seats, as well as the chief and vice chief positions, are up for election this year, with the primary election scheduled for June 4. Hicks is not running for re-election, though two current councilmembers — David Wolfe and Gene “Tunney” Crowe — are vying to take his place.

Potentially, anger over the raises could

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Smoky Mountain News

turn into a lawsuit running concurrently with the political races. But not necessarily.

“The thing that council has received right now is a demand letter, but it lays out what they did was wrong and we’re asking them to repay that money back, every bit of it,” said Amy Walker, one of the leaders of EBCI for Justice and Accountability.

It’s impossible to say what councilmembers will do at the May 7 meeting, as none but McCoy was willing to comment. However, Burke said, if they do not rescind the part of the resolution enacting the raises and retro, and also repay any money they received, her clients plan to sue the council and its members to force them to do so.

To be sued as a body, council would have to vote to waive its right to legal immunity. If the council does not vote to waive its immunity, each member can still be sued as an individual and would have to pay for legal representation out of their own pockets.

The legal effort has wide support on the Qualla Boundary, Walker said. A meeting EBCI for Justice and Accountability set up for Burke to speak with tribal members attracted about 60 people, she said, and many “people have spoken to us and let us know that they’re glad we’re doing this for them.”

It’s simple, she said. Council told them that court was their only recourse, “so by golly, that’s what we done.”

What Level is YOUR Provider?

April 29-May 5, 2015

To see the demand letter and draft complaint sent to Tribal Council members and Interim Attorney General Hannah Smith, as well as the full public records request procured by members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for Justice and Accountability, visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on this story.

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“a master scheme” to bring Hicks and Blythe a bigger paycheck. The study recommended that Hicks’ pay increase from $142,500 to $185,000 and Blythe’s from $129,500 to $135,000, hikes of 30 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.

A resolution adopting those recommendations was introduced on Sept. 3, 2013, and approved unanimously Sept. 30. Hicks signed it into law Oct. 4, according to documents in the public records request.

news

request completed by Burke’s clients. In Cherokee, only tribal members can make public records requests.

Freshman councilmembers received such large checks, Smith explained in a council meeting, because raises are given to individual seats rather than to the people in them.

The discrepancy between the value of the seat and what the person occupying it was being paid was highest during the most recent year, thus justifying the retro checks the freshman members received.

That said, some former seatholders were included in the retro payouts, with four checks for amounts between $13,600 and $23,600 cut to people who no longer serve on Tribal Council, according to documents from the public records request.

It should also be noted that council voted itself a $10,000 raise in 2007. In that instance, they waited for the next council to be seated before enacting the raise, but Burke believes that its size still outstrips the limit of the law.

“There is no credible evidence to support a pay increase in the amount of $10,000, given that we know salaries preceding the pay increase were roughly $70,000,” Burke said of the most recent raise. “There is frankly no foundation in law whatsoever for giving former Tribal Council members a lump sum increase.”

Apparently, Smith at one time had something of a similar opinion, judging by a September 2014 memo she sent to Hicks and Deputy Finance Director Kim Peone.

“Tribal Code states that pay increases for Tribal Council … shall not take effect until the next elected legislative body is seated,” the memo reads. “The law does not specify how the salary increases are to be budgeted, but the law implies that salary increases for the Tribal Council accrues each year if accrued for tribal employees and at the same rate as tribal employees.”

“The application of this law,” Smith wrote, “will eventually work the opposite effect on tribal council salary increases than what the spirit of the Resolution intended.”

That was before council heard the budget resolution that created the pay increases and before the fallout of that decision dominated months of Tribal Council sessions. During those discussions, Smith had a different take.

“In my opinion it is not in violation of the charter,” she said in the Nov. 6 Tribal Council session.

Currently, Tribal Council members are receiving paychecks based on a salary of $80,600 per year, with the council chair receiving $86,400 and the vice chair $83,500.

Councilmembers also received retro checks in amounts ranging from $10,600 for first-year members to $33,500.

Hicks and Vice Chief Larry Blythe benefited from the budget bill as well, with Hicks receiving $42,500 in retro pay and Blythe a much smaller $5,100.

It wasn’t the first extra bit of cash Hicks and Blythe had come by in recent years.

In 2013, the tribe commissioned a study from Compdata, a national firm that specializes in compensation surveys and consulting.

Basically, Compdata helps clients figure out how much people in their organization should be getting paid.

By Burke’s estimation, the study was but

5

news

The case of Haywood’s missing students: a cause-and-effect story

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

aywood County Schools have been losing students slowly but steadily over the past decade.

Despite high academic performance, the school system has 500 fewer students.

Where did they go? Why? Will the decline continue?

Reasons vary, but one result is clear. The dip in Haywood’s student body poses a budget dilemma.

State and county dollars are based on head count.

Fewer students means less money, even though running the schools hasn’t gotten any cheaper.

And now a new wildcard on the horizon: a charter school slated to open this fall will siphon more money away from the public schools for each student it enrolls.

Ultimately, Haywood school leaders simply don’t know how many students will show up on the first day of school this August, let alone which school they’ll show up at.

But they can’t simply wait and see. They must forge ahead with crafting a budget, hiring teachers, ordering supplies, mapping the bus routes — hoping for the best but bracing for the worst, with fingers crossed.

This week, The Smoky Mountain News explores the changing school landscape in Haywood County, what to make of it and the financial fallout it creates.

April 29-May 5, 2015

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This graph compares kindergarten enrollment in Haywood County Schools with the number of babies born in Haywood County five years prior.* Up until 2009, kindergartners outpaced the birth rate from five years prior. After that, there were fewer kindergartners than

CASE #1 The homeschool factor

ne down, three to go. Somewhere, behind the tears and hugs, that’s what Kelly Hartzog will be thinking when she sends her oldest son off to college this fall.

She’s homeschooled all four of her children, guiding every step of their education since preschool, and by the time she graduates her youngest 10 years from now, she’ll have dedicated nearly 30 years of her life to being a homeschool mom.

“I love the fact I was able to teach all four of my children to read. You see that light bulb and think ‘I did that,’” said Hartzog, who lives in Haywood County.

Hartzog was a trendsetter in the homeschool arena, forging new ground in an often stigmatized landscape some 13 years ago. She still gets the stereotypes — “Just in the past few months,” she said — but the homeschool world her 9-year-old lives in is far different than the one her oldest went through.

The number of homeschoolers in 6 Haywood County has grown by more than

O

Smoky Mountain News

Tracking Haywood students: from birth to Kindergarten

the birth rate five years prior would suggest, with the exception of 2013. * The birth rate includes all babies born to parents living in Haywood, even if they were technically born at a hospital in another county.

CASE #2 350 students over the past decade. There’s an estimated 900 homeschool students in Haywood County this year.

That mirrors the increase statewide and nationally.

• Homeschool students in North Carolina have grown from an estimated 55,000 to 100,000 over the past decade, according to the N.C. Department of NonPublic Education.

• Nationally, homeschoolers have grown from an estimated 1.1 million to 1.8 million over the past decade, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Hartzog has seen the stigma toward homeschooling subside during that time.

But it’s hard to say whether the rise in homeschoolers has helped fight the stereotypes, or whether the dissipating stereotypes led to the rise in homeschoolers.

“I think people are seeing it is a real option,” she said.

Ever-expanding resources for homeschoolers have made the venture less daunting to parents. The obvious new resource now compared to a decade ago: an expanding online world.

S EE HOMESCHOOL, PAGE 8

Recession drives working families to leave Haywood hen Eric and Marian Larson finished a two-year stint in the Peace Corp and cast about for a place to land, they had a whole planet to choose from. They were young, didn’t have any kids yet, and while they didn’t have jobs either, the economy was good back in 2003 and work would surely come in time.

“We thought, where do we want to live?

Where do we want to start a family? We zeroed in on Western North Carolina,” Marian recounted.

The Larsons soon discovered they would have to invent their own jobs if they wanted to stay in Haywood County. They launched a video production company, which initially did a robust business filming weddings, promotional videos, online marketing spots, travel pieces and video tours of real estate property.

But by 2010, they could no longer make ends meet. So with two young kids in tow and a third on the way, the Larsons moved to Raleigh, where Eric now works for a national IT firm.

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“If we had had a livelihood in Haywood County where we were really financially stable, we may still be living there today. But there wasn’t a lot to choose from to make a good living there,” Marian reflected.

The Larsons are one of many recession casualties for Haywood County Schools.

“That’s what happens during a recession, people move to the cities to find jobs,” said Haywood’s Assistant Superintendent Bill Nolte. “They go to those economic centers when times are tough.”

At least that’s what school officials suspected. But lately, they’ve wanted to know for sure.

Enrollment year to year has become increasingly unpredictable, declining by about 500 students over the past decade.

That in turn made it hard to know how many teachers to hire at each of the 15 schools for the coming year.

“The biggest influence on our total budget is the number of students we have.

We had to try to get a handle on what enrollment might look like, something that would give us a little bit of a predictor,” said Tracy Hargrove, the maintenance director

S EE R ECESSION, PAGE 9

Haywood Schools grapple with enrollment wildcard

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ZEROING IN Shining Rock Classical Academy, the new charter school projected to open in August, is banking on about 325 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

And so far, that’s how many have expressed interest. How many follow through won’t be known until the first day of school, however.

In the meantime, Haywood County Schools is dying to know what schools those 325 kids go to now, and what grades they’re in.

Ben Butler, the director of Shining Rock charter school, can sympathize.

“Certainly it is a challenging problem for the county school system,” Butler said. “It is certainly pressing for them to have that information. And we will try to provide that information as quickly as we can to the county.”

The problem is, he doesn’t know either.

“One thing that handcuffs us from being able to provide that sooner is we aren’t allowed to ask for that information,” Butler said.

To avoid any perception of favoritism, the preliminary sign-up form for prospective charter school students doesn’t ask for any information that might reveal race, socioeconomic status or academic performance of

Bill Nolte and Anne Garrett, respectively associate superintendent and superintendent of Haywood County Schools, crunch the numbers to come up with guesstimated enrollment and budget numbers for the upcoming school year. Becky Johnson photo the students.

So for now, Butler knows only the age and grade of prospective students — he doesn’t know what school they’re at now, or whether they’re currently in a public school at all versus homeschool. That information won’t start to trickle in until mid-May, after Shining Rock holds a random drawing to decide who gets in.

At this point, the lottery is mostly a perfunctory exercise. Everyone who’s expressed interest so far will get a slot in the school if they indeed decide they want it, except for kindergarten. More than 65 kindergartners have signed up, but there’s room for only 47.

The rest of the grades have around 40 prospective students each on the sign-up list, so there’s enough slots to go around, given

CASE #3 Private schools only a minor league player

two classes per grade, Butler said.

Sign-ups will continue in the countdown to August on a first-come, first-serve basis, filling whatever spots weren’t claimed in the initial lottery.

Once the lottery happens, the school will send out formal enrollment paperwork to students who got slots. And only then can the school finally ask what school the students attend now, if anywhere.

Butler said he will share that data with Haywood School officials on a rolling basis — every day if they like. But there’s no telling when parents will actually turn their formal enrollment paper back in.

“Having the lottery and getting the infor-

S EE WRENCH, PAGE 9

CASE #4 Haywood Christian, some opted out of private school completely.

In 2005, there were 225 students attending Bethel Christian. But by 2008, there were just 180 attending Bethel and Haywood Christian combined. The number hit a low of 130 in 2011, and has now crept back up some to 150.

Of the two private schools in Haywood, Haywood Christian has emerged as the powerhouse, with 130 K-12 students this year, compared to just 22 at Bethel Christian.

Now that Haywood Christian is established, it has been growing steadily — 15 percent over the last two years, according to Headmaster Blake Stanberry.

Stanberry points to recent academic accreditations the school has pursued to prove it can offer two things at once: Christian values and a high-quality education.

“We want to be an extra quality choice for families that are choosing a Christian education first,” Stanberry said.

Stanberry was quick to commend the quality of Haywood schools, however.

“We have a very strong public school system in Haywood County. Comparatively, Haywood is very strong compared to the

S EE PRIVATE, PAGE 10

New charter school makes a trial run in Haywood nne Gentry isn’t a picky person. She’s one of the most positive, upbeat, easygoing moms you’ll meet — so easygoing, in fact, she spent a year traveling the country in a camper while homeschooling her kids on the road, the stuff of nightmares for most parents.

It’s that same adventurous spirit that has led Gentry to test the waters of a new charter school, Shining Rock Classical Academy, slated to open in Haywood County this August. To be clear, she isn’t dissatisfied, disgruntled or unhappy with Clyde Elementary, where her youngest son goes now.

“I love Clyde a lot, but we are just going to give it a try,” Gentry said of the new charter school. She likes the idea of a school with more flexibility, less rigidity and outside-the-box approaches.

“The charter school says they are going to try to do more hands-on outside the classroom. I believe boys especially need more experiential learning,” Gentry said.

She’s also eager to be part of a school family of like-minded, vested parents.

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“Since you have to make an effort to sign up, maybe the parents are just a little more involved in the education of their kids,” Gentry said.

Meanwhile, Haywood school officials haven’t quite figured out how to respond to parents who claim they are perfectly happy with their current school yet are curious enough to try the new charter school anyway.

They’ve obstinately refused to say anything negative about the charter school and stuck to their party line: simply playing up what’s good about Haywood schools rather than putting the charter school down.

They certainly have plenty there to brag about. Haywood is 15th in test scores out of 115 school districts statewide.

“We are very, very proud of this,” Superintendent Anne Garrett said. “We outperformed 87 percent of the other school districts in the state.”

Even as preliminary enrollment numbers for the charter school have inched past the 300 mark — threatening to siphon as much as $2 million away from Haywood schools in the coming year — they’ve stayed on message.

Smoky Mountain News

here’s plenty of theories over where the AWOL Haywood students have gone, but private schools aren’t one of them.

There are fewer students in private school in Haywood County now than a decade ago, dropping from more than 220 to just 150, according to numbers kept by the N.C. Department of Non-Public Education.

The private school landscape in Haywood was hit by a perfect storm over a five-year span that decimated enrollment.

One factor was obviously the recession. With wages stagnating and jobs hard to come by, fewer families could afford private school tuition. Tuition for Haywood Christian Academy ranges from $5,000 to $6,000 per year.

But private school enrollment in Haywood County had already taken a hit by the time the economy tanked. In 2007, Haywood County’s only private school at the time — Bethel Christian Academy — saw a mass exodus of families split off and form a new private school, Haywood Christian Academy.

While some families stayed the course with Bethel Christian and others went with

T

If 200 students leave Haywood schools for the charter, it’s a $1.4 million blow.

“While I am not excited about a Haywood student leaving and going to a charter that has yet to be seen how they will perform compared to Haywood County Schools, I understand, although I may be unhappy about it, that the money would follow that child,” Assistant Superintendent Bill Nolte said.

April 29-May 5, 2015

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER aywood School Superintendent Anne Garrett came up with a novel approach for predicting how many students a new charter school will siphon out of the public school system.

She’s going with zero.

In reality, that simply won’t be the case.

But Garrett needed a placeholder as she went through the annual acrobatics of parceling out teachers to each of Haywood’s 15 schools for the coming year.

After weeks of moving the chips around the board, highly anticipated memos were sent to principals this week telling them how many teachers they would likely have for each grade when doors open in August.

Guesswork goes with the territory, but this year, it’s more like flying blind.

Garrett has no way to wager how many students will give the new charter school a whirl, what grades they’d come out of or from what schools.

So zero seemed as good a bet as any.

“We just don’t know,” Garrett said. “We don’t know what impact the charter school will have on us, so there is a variable that we can’t predict.”

With the students, of course, go the dollars. Haywood schools will lose $7,000 in state and county funding for every student that defects to the charter school. That money will be sent to the charter school instead.

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Wrench in the works

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CASE #1 The homeschool factor HOMESCHOOL, CONTINUED FROM 6

April 29-May 5, 2015

“The Internet has boomed for homeschooling. You can find complete curriculums and materials for free,” Hartzog said.

Haywood County libraries have a dedicated homeschool section, complete with parent manuals, teaching aids and textbooks.

Waynesville Parks and Rec puts on outdoor education programs specifically designed for homeschool kids — during weekdays when other kids are in school.

Last weekend, there was even a homeschool prom, attended by high school homeschoolers from Haywood and Jackson.

Homeschool parents are increasingly forming cooperatives — pitching in to hire teachers in more complex subjects or simply to share resources and do group activities. In Haywood County, Hartzog is part of a homeschool group called Deep Young Academy.

“I think Deep Young can come alongside the families and encourage them to continue,” Hartzog said. “You are coming together and doing things as a group that are more difficult for parents to do at home.”

Once a week, kids take classes that run the gamut from science to foreign language to art.

“It has been helpful for my family for someone else to teach the classes I am not as

good at,” Hartzog said.

Deep Young has tripled in number since it started in 2008.

Homeschooling is more common among elementary grades. As kids age, parents are more likely to move them into a traditional school — especially come middle school.

Haywood County Schools has recently crunched data that quantifies that.

“We believe we have students coming back from homeschools, who want to be in public school come middle school,” Nolte said.

Every year, Haywood schools see a jump in the number of sixth-graders countywide compared to the number of fifth-graders the year before.

The jump is measurable — 75 to 100 kids suddenly show up in sixth grade who weren’t part of the fifth-grade crop of students. The sixth-grade bump has been less the past few years than it used to be, however.

“We were gaining an average of 100 students per year coming into middle school.

Now it is about 70 students per year,” said Tracy Hargrove, Haywood Schools maintenance director.

It could be more parents are going the distance and deciding to homeschool even into middle and high school.

The rise in homeschoolers hasn’t gone unnoticed by Haywood school leaders. They mailed a survey to homeschool parents a couple of years ago to better understand what was driving the trend.

“We found that most of the things they were frustrated about were things we were

Smoky Mountain News

MAY 2, 2015 7:30 am START 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.

smokieshalfmarathon.com 8

Presented by Haywood Regional Medical Center

Summer and Randy Lynn hold a map that they have used for their World Geography lessons this year during their homeschool classes. Each country they studied is marked on the map.

Donated photo

frustrated about too, like too many regulations, too much testing,” Nolte said.

THE HOMESCHOOL-TO-CHARTER WILDCARD A new charter school opening this fall in Haywood County will likely draw from the homeschool pool. But just how many homeschoolers will come out of the woodwork to give the charter school a trial run is one of the many wildcards heading toward August. It could be 10, or it could be 110.

Whatever the number, it will have ramifications on the county’s budget — to the tune of $2,000 for each homeschool student who joins the charter school.

“If there are suddenly large numbers of new students to be educated in Haywood County on the public tab, the public revenues will have to increase to pay for that,” Nolte said.

Charter schools get a cut of county education dollars based on their head count. If a student leaves a traditional public school to attend a charter school, he or she takes a share of the school funding to the charter.

But it’s more complicated when accounting for homeschoolers who enter the mix. If they suddenly appear on the charter school rolls, there was no money previously budgeted for that student, and the school system would have to come up with that student’s allocation out of its own pocket.

County commissioners saw that as punitive, however, and have agreed to pick up the tab for any homeschoolers who come online with the charter school, rather than the school system taking the hit.

“We wanted to make sure the school system was insulated against that,” County Manager Ira Dove said.

The county has no idea what kind of tab to expect, however, until August gets here.

Only then will the charter school know for sure how many former homeschoolers it’s getting, and in turn, how much the county will have to pony up to cover them.

“I think it is safe to say from the county perspective this is an evolving situation in terms of student funding. We don’t yet know

all the ramifications,” County Commissioner Chairman Mark Swanger said.

Homeschoolers are seen as fertile ground for the new charter school to draw from. For their own reasons, homeschool parents have rejected the traditional public schools and are obviously open to alternative education styles.

“We discovered there was a particular increase in the number of children going to homeschooling,” said Ben Butler, the director of the new charter school in Haywood County.

Homeschoolers in Haywood County* 2014 ......................................................913 2013 ......................................................850 2012 ......................................................743 2011 ......................................................697 2010 ......................................................653 2009 ......................................................675 2008 ......................................................657 2007 ......................................................598 2004 ......................................................550 *estimated

Whether the charter school will satisfy the homeschool parents it attracts remains to be seen, and will largely depend on what led them to homeschool in the first place.

The motivation behind homeschooling has shifted as the number of homeschoolers has risen. Religion was once one of the main factors among parents who chose to homeschool.

Hartzog said religion seems to be less of a driver among the new generation of homeschoolers, however.

Data bears that out, according to a 2013 survey of homeschool families by the National Center for Education Statistics. Less than 25 percent of homeschool parents cited religious and moral instruction as their primary reason for homeschooling. Instead, more cited academic reasons, dissatisfaction with the public school environment and simply wanting more time to be with their children.

WRENCH, CONTINUED FROM 7

ROUNDING OUT A SCHOOL Butler, like Haywood school leaders, has to go with his own assumptions when planning for next school year. Butler is planning for two classes per grade. The school has little support staff beyond core classroom teachers, however. There will be a PE teacher, art teacher, music teacher, two special needs teachers and shared teacher assistants for kindergarten and first grade. Aside from himself and a school secretary, that’s it.

It makes Butler’s hiring far simpler than Garrett’s.

Haywood County employs a range of support staff beyond the standard PE, art and music. Haywood Schools employ librarians, academically-gifted teachers, counselors, school cops, computer lab teachers, janitors, English-as-a-second-language teachers, reading coaches and one teacher assistant for

Recession drives working families to leave Haywood R ECESSION, CONTINUED FROM 6

affair. If a whole classroom of fourth-graders at the same school disappeared at once, the school system could jettison a teacher. But realistically, it’s a few students here and a few students there.

Charter school proponents are quick to point out that charters don’t technically take money from public schools. Charter schools capture the share of funding for educating a particular child. If they get the child, they get the money.

The traditional public school system doesn’t need the money attached to that student

“That was the impact of the economy on our enrollment. We had fewer students arrive in kindergarten than were born five years previously to residents.”

— Bill Nolte, Haywood County Schools assistant superintendent

is the same to keep up the buildings, regardless of how many students are in them.

“A big part of our budget is keeping the lights on and the buildings warm and cool,” Hargrove said.

“I want to know where we think we are going to be in the future with the number of students, which equates to dollars.”

As the trend settles out, school leaders could be forced to make some unpopular and tough decisions. They could consolidate smaller schools with larger ones to cut down on overhead. They may have to redraw school districts, shuffling around which neighborhoods go to which schools to more evenly distribute students.

But those are questions for another day.

The more immediate question is what August’s enrollment will bring. The coming school year could witness the most significant recession-driven enrollment decline yet.

While the recession is over, the birth rate in

Haywood County hit a low five years ago.

That’s because in 2009, many couples apparently put off getting pregnant. Whether breadwinners were laid off or simply gun-shy about the economy, the result was the same: they held off on starting or expanding their family.

The low pregnancy rate in 2009 meant a low birth rate in 2010, which will now come into play with kindergarten enrollment this coming year.

And it could be a double-whammy. A new charter school is also slated to open this year in Haywood County with up to 48 kindergartners, which may further cut in to public school enrollment.

The babies born to Haywood parents five years ago are only part of the enrollment picture, however.

“It does give us a little bit of an idea what is going on, but what we don’t know is what the red bar is going to do,” Nolte said, pointing to the line on Hargrove’s graph that represents actual kindergartners year-to-year.

Haywood’s quality of life is undeniably appealing to families raising kids — if the parents can land a job here.

Likewise, Haywood County is generally becoming a cooler place for 20- and 30-somethings — judging by the unscientific yet tangible signs like the ever-growing number of breweries, bike paths, live music on the nightlife calendar, restaurants with hummus on the menu and “coexist” bumper stickers.

If they like it here, and decide to start families here, it could reverse declines seen in the past decade.

“I hope you’re right,” said Hargrove.

Smoky Mountain News

for Haywood Schools.

So last month, Hargrove tried to crack the elusive enrollment nut. He set out to compare the babies born in a given year to the number of kindergartners five years later.

He started with the Haywood County birth rate — which includes all babies born to parents living in Haywood, regardless of what hospital they were actually born at.

Then he fast-forwarded to the number of kindergartners that showed up on the schools’ doorstep five years later.

The results were both fascinating and telling.

During the mid-2000s, more kindergartners showed up each year compared to the babies born here five years prior.

“What you had for a number of years was people moving into the community with young children, so the number that hit kindergarten was larger than the birth rate had been,” Nolte said.

That’s when Haywood County’s real estate, construction and tourism economy was booming and jobs were plentiful.

But the trend reversed starting in 2008.

“After that they didn’t move in. The enrolment was less than the live births. That

• 15: school campuses to take care of • 7,450: student body for 2014-2015 • 6 percent: drop in enrollment over 10 years • 8: teachers lost between last year and this year due to lower enrollment • $7,000: what Haywood Schools will lose for each student that moves to the new charter school • 15th: out of 115 school districts statewide in test score performance • $1 million: in projected cuts in the next school year • $2 million: in savings the school system will use in the coming school year to avoid deeper cuts

April 29-May 5, 2015

CASE #2

means residents who had children when they were residing here, five years later were gone,” Nolte said. “That was the impact of the economy on our enrollment. We had fewer students arrive in kindergarten than were born five years previously to residents.”

Over time, that trend took its toll.

“If you have 50 less this year in kindergarten, you have 50 less next year in first grade, and it becomes cumulative,” Hargrove said. Fifty fewer kindergartners every year adds up to 500 missing students over 10 years.

“It’s the cumulative impact,” he said.

The numbers are clear, but what’s less clear is why.

“There may be a thousand reasons as to why these numbers are showing up the way they are,” Hargrove said. “What may actually be going on, we don’t know.”

The biggest forces are likely out-migration caused by the economy and the growth in homeschoolers, but a small blip in out-ofcounty charter school attendance and private schools could also be playing a part.

Figuring out where the students are going is more than an interesting exercise. Only by understanding the root cause can the school system predict whether the trend will continue — or reverse itself.

At first blush, the enrollment enigma may seem an unusual job for the maintenance director to chase down. But with 15 school campuses to look after — leaky faucets to fix, grass to mow, aging roofs to replace, cracked parking lots to patch — Hargrove is highly vested in the monetary impact of declining enrollment.

Many of his costs are fixed. The overhead

Haywood Schools: by the numbers

since he or she is no longer on their rolls.

But that’s assuming fewer students actually translate to lower costs.

“The school system doesn’t have time to react to the change in the enrollment pattern,” said Matt Ellinwood, an education policy analyst with the N.C. Justice Center in Raleigh “To be fair, the funding pressures that come with opening a charter school in a rural area are much greater,” Ellinwood said.

“Yes you have one less child to educate so that should cut down on your costs, but you have all these fixed costs.”

In school systems like Haywood with only 7,400 students, it’s difficult to handle the loss of more than 300 students.

The numbers game is nothing new for the school system, however.

“Every year principals gain or lose teacher positions because enrollment shifts occur,” Nolte said.

It’s always a moving target in the countdown to the first day. And in rare cases, schools are making final teacher adjustments once the school year starts.

“We have had 100-student swings many times. We’ve gained 100 students in a year or lost 100 students in a year,” Nolte said.

“This year there is just a different reason for the potential enrollment changes with the charter,” Nolte said.

It could be the biggest bombshell yet for Haywood’s declining public school population.

Or, it could be a mere hand grenade.

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mation back from them are two different things,” Butler said.

Butler said he is confident that the school will reach its 300 target.

“We are really excited about our numbers.

It is exceeding our expectations,” Butler said.

One thing Butler does know is that almost all those on the sign-up sheet live in Haywood — about 95 percent. Butler had guessed the school would pull about 30 percent of its student body from Jackson and Buncombe, but so far, early sign-ups don’t show that panning out.

each kindergarten and first-grade classroom.

The school system is already bracing to lose eight classroom teachers next year compared to this year. Charter school aside, enrollment has been declining in Haywood schools as a result of more homeschoolers and outmigration of families during the recession.

Haywood County commissioners are doing what they can to buffer the school system from the blowback of declining enrollment. The county recently pledged to grant the school system a one-year grace period before docking its per student funding should enrollment dip.

In the past, the county has adjusted the school budget in real time. If enrollment is down come August, the county downwardly revises the school’s appropriation. But it’s difficult for the school system to turn on a dime and abruptly cut its own budget once the school year starts.

This school year was a classic example.

Enrollment was down 170 students over the year before. As a result, the school system unexpectedly lost $215,000 in county funding and $850,000 in state funding that’s tied to student population.

“In theory they won’t have those expenses if they don’t have those students,” Commissioner Mark Swanger said.

But that’s only in theory.

“That is not a completely accurate assessment. There are some costs a school system has regardless of the number of students,” Swanger said.

The decline in students is rarely a tidy

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Haywood private school enrollment* 2014 ................................................152 2013 ................................................138 2012 ................................................133 2011 ................................................130 2010 ................................................181 2009 ................................................189 2008 ................................................181 2007 ................................................193 2006 ................................................227 2005 ................................................233 2004 ................................................227 *Does not include students from Haywood who attend private schools out-of-county. Between 20 and 60 students from Haywood commute to private schools in Asheville any given year.

CASE #3 Private schools only a minor league player PRIVATE, CONTINUED FROM 7

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2015

rest of the state,” he said.

Stanberry doesn’t anticipate losing any of his students to the new charter school slated to open in Haywood County this fall.

“Charter schools usually have a niche with families looking for a certain type of education,” Stanberry said. “Families who are here with us are looking for that Christian education.”

But the education choices in Haywood are certainly wider than they’ve been before.

“There are all kinds of choices and they bring different cultures,” Stanberry said.

While Bethel Christian is a shadow of its former self, School Administrator Kristen Ledford is upbeat about the future and doesn’t dwell on how much they’ve declined.

“I have inherited what I have inherited, and this is my baby now,” she said.

Ledford focused on the positives: small classes, a moral environment, caring and supportive teachers, a one-on-one personal approach and flexibility.

While enrollment in Haywood’s two private schools is readily known, it’s unclear how many students from Haywood commute to private schools in Buncombe.

There are more than two dozen private schools in Buncombe County. The biggies — Carolina Day School and Asheville Christian Academy — routinely get Haywood students, but even some of the smaller ones like French Broad River Academy, Hanger Hall or The New Classical Academy have had a smattering of Haywood students between them in recent years.

Based on queries made to a handful of private schools in Buncombe County, the number of students traveling to private schools out-of-county appears to be negligible and relatively constant, and thus not a huge impact on the decline in enrollment Haywood schools have witnessed.

That could change, though, if Haywood 10 Christian continues its growth trajectory.

CASE #4 New charter school makes a trial run in Haywood CHARTER, CONTINUED FROM 7 “We are going to do what we have always done, which is rigorous standards, high performance and opportunities for students,” Garrett said. “We have a great school system where our students can be successful in academics, sports, cultural arts and vocations.”

When asked point-blank if he thought Haywood County Schools are the best choice, Assistant Superintendent Bill Nolte eventually acquiesced, however.

“I believe we are the best overall choice.

We have the performance and the extra-curricular activities that we believe make us the best choice,” Nolte said.

Mike Murray, superintendent of Jackson County Schools, could offer Haywood some pointers as they sort out what their rhetoric will be.

Jackson County has been operating in a charter school landscape for more than a decade. About 250 students from Jackson County go to charter schools — about 150 to Summit Charter in Cashiers and 100 to Mountain Discovery in Bryson City.

Murray, like his Haywood counterparts, won’t be caught saying anything outright negative about the charter schools in his backyard.

“I am not saying I totally embrace them, but we do not have an antagonistic relationship with our competition,” Murray said.

However, he’s far more forthright and unabashed in articulating why he thinks Jackson County public schools rise to the top.

“Without being ugly about it, I encourage everyone in our organization to make sure we are the choice for residents of Jackson County,” Murray said.

And Haywood shouldn’t be afraid to do the same.

“They will have to be more proactive or they will be damaged,” Murray said.

Flanked by two charter schools, Murray’s lens has evolved over time.

“When I get up in front of parents now, I thank them. I never used to do that. They do have choices and I say, ‘Thank you for allowing me to teach your child,’” said Murray, who has seven children of his own.

He also implores teachers to see themselves as advocates for the school system, and to work through issues with disgruntled parents who threaten to pull out of the public school system.

“Some just want something different, but some get mad at us. The day someone says, ‘I am going to pull my kid out and go somewhere else,’ we need to explain why our school system is better. I am going to say, ‘Tell me why we have offended you and let’s talk about how we can best teach your child,’” Murray said. “We don’t want to say, ‘OK, if that’s how you feel just take your kid on.’”

So far, interest in Shining Rock charter school is highest among kindergarten parents. More than 65 prospective kindergarten-

ers have expressed interest, compared to about 40 per grade in first through sixth grades.

Ben Butler, director of Shining Rock Classical Academy, postulated that parents are less likely to try something new once they their kids are already established at a school.

“I don’t think it is a matter of being satisfied or dissatisfied,” Butler said. “My opinion is they get into a place and they are comfortable with that. I have spoken to parents that say, ‘I am very happy with my school in Haywood County,’ and I say, ‘Good, it sounds like that is a good choice for you.’”

Charter schools are a new paradigm in the Haywood school landscape. Shining Rock will be the first charter school located in Haywood. While a few students from Haywood have gone to charter schools in nearby Buncombe or Swain counties, you could always count them on one hand.

This past year, however, kids commuting

parents who start the year there may decide they don’t like it after all and pull out, while other parents decide to give it a try as the year progresses.

Butler said he thinks those who have put their name on the list so far will follow through. Based on the experience of other charter schools, about 85 percent who put their name on the list during enrollment will actually attend, Butler said.

Meanwhile, he expects to pick up additional students as opening day approaches, likely replacing any who fall off the list.

Haywood school leaders have a go-to PowerPoint that highlighs their high performance compared to other school systems in the state and region. But a new slide has made its way in the mix lately: one that shows how Haywood schools stack up against charter schools in the state, not just other traditional public schools.

It’s subtle but not unnoticed, based on

The board of soon-to-open Shining Rock Classical Academy works through the details of launching a new school at a board meeting. Holly Kays photo out of Haywood to charter schools jumped up to 20 kids. The increase is due in part to more charter schools now coming on the scene in Asheville, but there are also a couple students from Haywood attending far-away charter schools designed for troubled, abused or atrisk students.

A SHOW OF HANDS Butler can’t say for sure how many students will show up to Shining Rock on the first day of school. He only knows how many have indicated they’ll come. But it’s free to put your name on the list as a placeholder.

There’s no enrollment fee and there’s no penalty if you decide not to go after all.

The new charter school is hoping to get 325 students spanning kindergarten to sixth grade by opening day in August. So far, 314 have expressed interest.

If the numbers hold, it could be the biggest blow yet to Haywood’s declining public school population.

It’s simply hard to know until it actually opens — and perhaps not even then. Some

comments from County Commissioner Kevin Ensley at a school workshop this month after seeing the slide flash by.

“I noticed that Haywood County schools performed higher on average than the charter schools in North Carolina,” Ensley said.

But that’s not necessarily a fair assessment, according to Butler.

“Charter schools tend to operate on the periphery, so we tend to operate in challenging inner city areas and rural areas,” Butler said.

Butler said it would be fairer to compare Haywood’s performance against the select group of charter schools that are in the same chain as Shining Rock, which is part of the Challenge Foundation charter school franchise.

“I think we will show very well against Haywood County Schools in terms of test scores,” Butler said.

But Butler condemned test scores at the same time.

“I think everyone will agree that test scores are a blunt instrument. They are the ocean we swim in, but I don’t think anyone is satisfied with those as a measure,” he said.

H

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

April 29-May 5, 2015 Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR aywood Regional Medical Center’s recent decision to purchase the Evergreen Family Medical Center in Canton will keep Evergreen employees from losing their primary care physician and will expand health care services to the entire community.

Since Evergreen announced in January that it would close the clinic and pharmacy at the end of March, Evergreen employees and their families have been protesting in hopes of finding a way to keep them open.

The closing of the clinic would mean that 1,000 employees and their dependents would be looking for a new doctor in a county that already has a shortage of primary care physicians. Haywood Regional’s announcement was much awaited by those who were determined to keep Dr. Tony Jones and his staff from leaving Canton.

“We (the people) were not going to take no for an answer in the closing of Dr. Jones office. The hard work and dedication to keep this issue in the public eye was very valuable in moving forward,” said Traci Hoglen, one of Dr. Jones’ patients who helped organize the demonstrations to keep the clinic open. “For all those who participated and worked hard, your voices were heard. This is a proud day for all.”

While the practice previously was limited to employees of Evergreen packaging, Haywood Regional plans to Haywood Regional Medical Center has announced plans to expand access to the entire acquire the Evergreen clinic in Canton. Jessi Stone photo community. The practice was previously managed by Take Care Health Systems (now Premise Health Christina Deidesheimer, a spokesperson Care), a subsidiary of Walgreens. Haywood for HRMC, said the clinic would have a mixRegional will assume the lease effective May 1 ture of the many specialists currently part of and offer employment to all staff and healththe HRMC medical staff as well as those the care providers. The practice will become part hospital is in the process of recruiting. of the physician network affiliated with “We are continuously evaluating the Haywood Regional and will reopen under a needs of our community, and have plans to new name on May 5. add primary care providers to our medical “We are proud to build upon the stellar staff,” she said. “The number of providers we reputation that Dr. Jones and the staff at the place in a particular physician practice is former Evergreen Family Medical Center determined by need.” have developed. Adding this practice to our Deidesheimer said adding the practice to network is one more way we are fulfilling our the hospital’s network is one more way mission of making our community healthier HRMC is fulfilling its mission of making the by ensuring continued access to primary and community healthier by ensuring continued specialty care in the Canton community,” access to primary and specialty care in the said Haywood Regional’s CEO Phillip L. Canton community.

Wright in a press release. “As a Duke “We want to ensure that the Canton comLifePoint hospital, we are a strong and stable munity has access to highly qualified and healthcare system poised to grow in many experienced specialists when the need arisways. We plan on remaining the healthcare es,” said Wright. provider of choice for Haywood County so The new name of the clinic will be that our residents can continue to receive announced May 5, and a ribbon-cutting and quality care close to home.” open house celebration will be scheduled for Haywood Medical and Mission Health in mid-to-late May.

RESIDENTIAL HOUSECLEANING 290-15

Asheville both expressed interest in acquiring the clinic when Evergreen announced the closure. Hoglen said she was pleased with the decision Dr. Jones made in joining Duke LifePoint Haywood.

“This new venture will open its doors to others who need good-quality heath care in our community,” she said. “Duke LifePoint has made great improvements to our hospital, and I see many more great things to come in the future.”

Dr. Jones, medical director of the practice, is excited about the transition.

“Phillip (Wright) reached out to me on behalf of Haywood Regional after he heard that we faced closure. I was very pleased to hear that they were interested in continuing the operations of our practice and am eager to work with the hospital moving forward,” Jones said in a press release. “I am ready to get back to taking great care of our patients, and we are grateful to Haywood Regional Medical Center for helping to make that happen.”

Haywood Regional plans to lease 10,931 square feet of the building, which will expand the size of the medical practice space by more than 2,000 square feet and allow for a wide variety of specialists to rotate through the new Canton location. Negotiations are already underway with a local pharmacy to sublease space in the building.

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Haywood Regional to purchase, expand Canton clinic

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Fraternity gets five-year suspension Let Us Manage Your Rental Property • Maximize Your Investment • Worry-Free Management • Monthly Statements

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity will be absent from Western Carolina University’s roster of Greek life opportunities until 2020, following a February incident in which a PKA pledge claimed to be waterboarded by his fraternity brothers.

According to a report from university police, the victim — privacy laws prevent WCU from naming him or any of the other students involved — was at the apartment of one of the fraternity brothers at 2 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, when one of the students, who had been drinking, broke a chair and then instructed the victim to put it back together. The student “got in [the victim’s] face,” according to the report, cussing, yelling and then instructing him to do push-ups after slapping him across the face.

That next Thursday at 11 p.m., the victim was at another apartment complex to participate in fraternity events with his brothers, according to the police report. There, one of the brothers took the water hose from the sink, put it in the victim’s mouth, and told him to recite the fraternity’s preamble while the water was running. Another pledge who was present was made to do the same thing. A fraternity brother was holding one of the pledge’s faces so that he couldn’t turn away, the police report said, keeping it up until the pledge was struggling to recite the words — which, incidentally, are heavy on talk of “the promotion of brotherly love and kind feeling” and “the establishment of friendship.”

It wasn’t until the next day that the victim contacted police. That’s when the victim had gone to the fraternity house on Edgewater Road to speak with the fraternity brother who had been involved in the previous night’s events.

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The student apologized, the report said. “[The victim] was attempting to leave when an unknown alumni sat down in the passenger seat of his vehicle,” the report said. “The alumni asked him, ‘Who the hell do you think you are?’ As he was attempting to drive away, the unknown alumni kept grabbing the gear shift of the car and knocking it out of gear.”

The victim said he had no physical signs of injury and declined to press charges. But the university took action of its own.

“The behaviors exhibited by members of the Zeta Xi chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha are not in any way indicative of the values of Western Carolina University,” said Chancellor David O. Belcher in a written statement. “While we

ter’s governing council, intramural programs, university-coordinated recruitment activities [called ‘rush’] or the services provided by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.”

Unrecognized chapters also are ineligible for funding from the Student Government Association.

This is not the first time that PKA has gotten in trouble at WCU. In April 2010, the chapter was found guilty of violating the university’s code of conduct on multiple counts, including violation of a probation sanction, social event policies, recruitment policies and GPA requirements, Studenc said.

“The university removed recognition of the chapter for two years, recommended a brotherhood review and directed a plan for success be updated,” In April 2010, the chapter was Studenc said.

The chapter reapplied for recogfound guilty of violating the nition in the fall of 2012 but was university’s code of conduct on denied because it did not fully comply with the sanctions. But in 2014, multiple counts, including the chapter applied once again.

Because much of its membership violation of a probation sanction, had turned over since 2010, it could social event policies, recruitment no longer comply with the outstanding sanctions and the suspenpolicies and GPA requirements. sion was lifted.

According to Brent Phillips, the appreciate the many positive contributions national organization’s marketing officer, the that Greek-letter organizations add to cam- fraternity had not received any complaints pus life, we absolutely will not tolerate behav- about the Zeta Xi chapter until now. The iors that put the health and safety of students organization is also not yet prepared to make at risk.” a statement about the recent suspension.

As long it retains support from the nation“Details of the alleged incident have not al organization, the chapter can still continue been disclosed to the international fraternity, to operate at its off-campus house. But for the so we do not have a basis for support or next five years, it will have to do so without defense of the university’s decision,” he said. university support.

Once all the information comes in, he “When a fraternity or sorority chapter is said, the board of directors will make a “longnot recognized, the organization is prohibited term” decision about the chapter’s status in from participating in university activities and the organization, though he did not have an using resources,” explained university estimate of when such a decision might take spokesman Bill Studenc. “For example, an place. unrecognized chapter cannot reserve meeting “It really depends on the circumstances,” rooms, does not get to participate on the chap- he said of the timeline.

Smoky Mountain News

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Company moves forward with permitting as lender forecloses on land

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER arlier this year, it looked like Monarch Ventures, a Charlotte-based company that’s been trying for years to build a high-density 500-bed student housing complex in Cullowhee, could be history.

The company’s two co-owners were entwined in a lawsuit in North Carolina Business Court, and the dispute was poised to result in the company’s dissolution.

Meanwhile, the deadline to post a bond for the erosion permit they’d applied for in April

E

2014 drew closer and closer. There seemed to be a real possibility the development would not be built.

Now the future is a little murkier.

Monarch completed the requirements for its erosion control permit — including posting a $21,000 cash bond — on April 10, just five days before the permit would have expired. They’re now authorized to break ground, and the county has received building plans for the development, said Tony Elders, code enforcement director for Jackson County. Monarch has another year to finish the land development compliance permit they’ll need to start construction.

“The representative also told me they were interested in trying to get the project up and going and ready for fall of 2016,” added Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten.

But the company has been having trouble paying the note on the 11-acre property. On March 3, the lender — Agarwal Family III, LLC — began foreclosure proceedings against Monarch. The parcel went on sale April 2, and when the bidding period closed April 13, the Agarwal Family was the only party to bid on it, purchasing the property for $2.17 million, according to court documents. The sale is in the final stages of becoming official.

But it’s been representatives of Monarch, not the Agarwal Family, that county staff has been dealing with. And those conversations have borne no hint of plans to transfer ownership of the property or cease development.

Shannon King and Martha Thomly, the Monarch co-owners involved in the dispute — which is still working toward total dissolution of the

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company — did not respond to requests for comment. Nor did the attorney handling the finances of the company’s dissolution, Andy Barbee. James Oliver, attorney for the Agarwal Family, declined to comment on his client’s plans for the land.

However, Elders said, the permits are transferrable. If ownership were to pass from Monarch to some other entity, the new owner could pick up with the development process where Monarch left off.

That’s a key point, because a newly filed permit would have to contend with more restrictions than those imposed on the planned Monarch development. When the county passed its revised subdivision ordinance, Monarch got its permit in just days before the final vote. Thus, they’re grandfathered in and not obligated to comply with the new requirements for stormwater management, open space, parking, landscaping and sidewalks.

They also won’t have to contend with any portion of the proposed Cullowhee Community Planning Standards that county commissioners adopt. After a two-year process of meetings and revisions culminating with a final public hearing last week, commissioners will likely vote on the standards May 21.

“I think it will have significant impact on the community,” Jackson County Planner Gerald Green said of Monarch’s planned development. “How we are able to address that given they don’t have to comply with many standards will be challenging. I think the long-term cost to the community will be substantial.”

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Republicans ask for more partisanship on ballots

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR oters could see more Ds and Rs on their election ballot in 2016 if Republicans push through legislation to make local school board and statewide judicial races partisan.

House Bill 8, which would restore partisan elections for statewide judicial elections, has passed the House and passed first reading in the Senate. While the bill got zero support from Democrats in the House, Rep. Michele Presnell, RBurnsville, supported the measure.

“Many people come and ask me why we don't have an R or D beside names on the ballot.

Many people do not find Rep. Michele the time to look up every Presnell candidate and their opinions on various subjects,” she said. “Generally Republicans are conservative in their thoughts, Democrats are more liberal in their thoughts. It helps them make an informed choice.”

But nonpartisan local officials don’t see Sen. Jim Davis any need for more partisanship on the ballot and worry that more partisanship could hurt communities.

Franklin Mayor Bob Scott said the town would be drafting a resolution at its next meeting to oppose these pieces of legislation.

“To me it’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen,” Scott said, adding that municipal elections could be next to become partisan. “Nonparty municipal elections have worked for years and years — this is just a power grab to take control of everything from town hall to the White House.”

Even though local school board officials are against the measure, Sen. Jim Davis, RFranklin, said he wasn’t concerned about how it might affect the school boards.

“I’m not concerned with how (being nonpartisan) might affect the boards — I’m concerned with how it benefits the electorate,” he said.

Davis said if voters weren’t familiar with the school board or judicial candidates, then having a party affiliation next to their name would at least give them a sense of their political philosophy. Also, prior to the law being changed in 2002, Davis said judicial elections were partisan for 130 years. He would also be in favor of making municipal elections partisan.

“I don’t see what the problem is — we want people to be educated and know (candidates’) basic philosophy,” Davis said. “Ever since I ran for county commissioner I’ve been a Republican and I’ve gotten things done in 14 Macon County and worked alongside others.”

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2015

V

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS House Bill 324 and Senate Bill 650, called the Elections Transparency Act, would make school board elections partisan. Neither of these bills have made it out of the House yet.

Dr. Chris Baldwin, Macon County Schools superintendent, said his school board sent a letter to legislators stating its desire to remain nonpartisan.

“I can see no benefit to our school system in changing our current non-partisan election system, nor am I aware of any problem within our school system that the new legislation is supposed to address,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin said he was concerned about the ramifications of a board member vacating his or her seat prior to re-election under the proposed legislation. Under the current process, the remaining board members would select a new member, but according to the proposed legislation, the party of the exiting board member would have input.

“By and large, a board member’s political party is known, so I don’t expect this new legislation to have a significant impact on an election,” he said.

Graham County and Swain County already have partisan school board elections.

Gerry McKinney, chairman of the Swain County Board of Education, said the board has had partisan elections for as long as he can remember.

“I’ve talked about changing it in the past but can’t get any support for it,” he said.

“In the old days I think it created a problem, but I’ve been on here for seven years and with the last board and this board, it’s never been an issue.”

“Many people do not find the time to look up every candidate and their opinions on various subjects.”

— Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville

With all the issues facing public education, McKinney said there wasn’t any room on the board for partisan politics. If he thought for a minute that his board members were voting party lines, he said he would be the first one to pitch a fit about it.

“Being a long-time educator, I couldn’t be more pleased with the people on the board now,” he said. “I love it, and if it were partisan, I wouldn’t stay. It’s all about the students.”

Even though Swain County Board of Education holds partisan elections, McKinney doesn’t think it should be a mandate from Raleigh. While Republican legislators tout support for local control, he said this proposed legislation didn’t reflect that belief.

Chuck Francis, chairman of Haywood County Board of Education and a North Carolina School Boards Association board member, said forcing local boards to hold partisan elections is a bad idea and would set a precedent for Raleigh to take away more home rule.

“The problem I have with it is that education shouldn’t become a political battle between two parties,” he said. “And it could possibly open the door for more control from Raleigh and we’re already limited in what we can do locally — it’s just another way of trying to control the school boards.”

pressure on local candidates to spend more money on a campaign, which could result in less people running for office because they can’t afford to compete.

“In this job I’ve been really surprised at the level of qualifications of locally elected officials — surprised in good way,” he said.

“It shows that when locally elected officials have the ability to still have jobs and not have to raise tons of money, the position is much more attractive for people from all different walks of life.”

“I can see no benefit to our school system in changing our current non-partisan election system, nor am I aware of any problem within our school system that the new legislation is supposed to address.”

While voters are bombarded with commercials, interviews and platform speeches from candidates during election season, judges running for office don’t often get the same attention. That’s because judges are not allowed to speak out on issues in an effort to remain impartial.

Rep. Bert Jones, RReidsville and sponsor of HB8, has said that having a party label next to the judicial candidates will help voters decide at the polls.

Scott, the Franklin mayor, said that arguMayor Bob Scott ment didn’t hold water.

He said labels aren’t necessary and that it was perfectly acceptable for voters to leave a box blank if they weren’t familiar with the candidates.

“If a person doesn’t have strong feelings about a candidate, they shouldn’t just flip a coin and vote because it cancels out other votes from people with strong feelings,” he said. “Not voting in that circumstance is not unpatriotic.”

Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, an organization that advocates for more open govern-

— Dr. Chris Baldwin, Macon County Schools superintendent

In Haywood County, school board seats are divided by geographic districts so the entire county is represented on the board.

Francis is concerned this legislation would change that, which he says has worked well for the board.

Ken Henke, chairman of the Jackson County Board of Education, said he wants school board elections to the stay the way they are now. With all the challenges of working through a budget with the county and trying to deal with state funding cuts, he said the last thing the school board needs to deal with is political battles.

“They’re trying to pull politics back into the school system and the school system needs to stay away from politics,” he said.

“We’re working well together no matter what party you belong to and it’s always in the best interest of the students.”

Scott Mooneyham, a spokesperson for the North Carolina League of Municipalities, said the organization was opposed to the legislation. While there are a handful of counties that do have partisan elections, he said the decision should be made by local people.

“They are working on trying to deal with practical everyday problems — these aren’t partisan issues,” he said. “That’s why most choose to hold nonpartisan elections — they don’t want issues to be wrapped up in partisan elections.”

Mooneyham said the League would be watching these bills and would make its concerns known to the General Assembly.

As people across the state and the nation are fed up with the partisan gridlock, he said there should be more measured approaches to addressing the issue of uninformed voters.

Making races partisan also puts more

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS

“Judges are different — they’re not politicians, they don’t run on issues.

They are to be impartial and rule on law so I’ve always felt it was better for these offices to be nonpartisan.”

— Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina

ment, said he supported the state’s move in 2002 to make statewide judicial elections nonpartisan and thinks the proposed legislation is a step backward.

“Judges are different — they’re not politicians, they don’t run on issues,” he said.

“They are to be impartial and rule on law so I’ve always felt it was better for these offices to be nonpartisan.”

Common Cause North Carolina was part of the effort to not only make these elections nonpartisan but to

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NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING APRIL 30 FOR BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT ON U.S. 23 BUSINESS OVERSCOTT CREEK & GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD TIP Project B-5905 The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting April 30 to update citizens of a proposed project to replace Bridge #27 along U.S. 23 Business. Bridge #27 is located just east of downtown and crosses Scott Creek and the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad in Dillsboro.

The purpose of this project is to replace a structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridge.

The public meeting will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2015, from 4 P.M. to 7 P.M. at the Jarrett Memorial Baptist Church located at 18 Church Street in Dillsboro. Interested citizens may attend at any time and NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and receive comments regarding the proposed project. No formal presentation will be made. Attendees will also have the opportunity to submit written comments and questions, which will be taken into consideration as the project is planned.

The public can view maps displaying the location and design concept for the project, online at http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/publicmeetings.

For additional information, contact Marshall Edwards, NCDOT- Project Development and Environmental Analysis Section at 1548 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1548, by phone at (919) 707-6019, or by email at medwards@ncdot.gov. All comments must be received no later than Thursday, May 14, 2015.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this hearing. Anyone requiring special services should contact Ms. Diane Wilson by phone at (919) 707-6073 or by email at pdwilson1@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.

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offer an alternative to judicial candidates having to raise large sums of money for their campaigns. The Judicial Public Financing Program was created in 2004 to assist judicial candidates with campaign financing but the program was repealed in 2013.

“Candidates could tap into the fund and not have to go around asking for money from people who could potentially appear before them in court,” Phillips said. “It creates a conflict and creates a perception of bias and we’re trying to remove that.”

Phillips understands the argument that voters don’t have a lot of information on judicial candidates and is trying to offer a better solution to the problem.

Under the Judicial Public Financing program, a judicial voters guide was published by the North Carolina Board of Elections that gave voters personal information and background on each judicial candidate. However, the funding for the voter guide is about to dry up since the program was repealed two years ago.

“We’d like voters to delve into more who candidates are instead of just seeing the D or R next to their name,” he said.

Phillips said there has been talk of taking statewide judges off the ballot completely and moving to a merit selection process.

“But if we are going to continue to elect judges, we just need to focus on providing education to voters in other ways — a D and R doesn’t tell the whole story,” he said.

TAXIDERMY news

The Western Carolina University College of Business is establishing a new, for-profit limited liability company designed to provide entrepreneurial business, scientific and technical services to help spur economic development activity in Western North Carolina.

The new LLC will replace WCU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which was created in 2007 to serve as a catalyst for the creation of successful entrepreneurial ventures in WNC while providing hands-on learning experiences for WCU students.

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Once the for-profit entity is fully established, university officials will identify a manager to run its day-to-day operations. Ed Wright, director of the CEI, will be entity’s faculty contact. ewwright@wcu.edu or 828.227.3603.

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If we build it, will they stay?

Bryson City pedestrian plaza waiting for town approval

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he Great Smoky Mountain Railroad introduces new people to all that Bryson City has to offer throughout the year, yet many locals are still not on board with the changes the train has brought with it.

That discontent could be the reason a proposed pedestrian plaza at the train depot in downtown has become a touchy subject. The idea was proposed by the Swain County Tourism Development Authority and supported by the railroad — which owns the property. But the town board hasn’t done its part to move the project forward.

“Since I’ve been alderman, this has been the most contentious issue we’ve faced,” said Alderman Rick Bryson. “There’s some resistance by locals to the train — they think the train has been treated better than other enterprises in town and they don’t want to see the train be handed any gifts, but this is not a gift. The train already owns the street.”

The town has been asked to relinquish its right of way for Fry Street, which would allow the street to be closed to vehicular traffic. While it seems like an easy task that wouldn’t cost the town or taxpayers any money, the board has been dragging its feet since being presented with the project last September.

Brad Walker, chairman of the Swain County Tourism Development Authority, said the proposal was presented to the town last fall and has since been addressing any questions from aldermen.

The plan would include closing Fry Street to have a walker-friendly plaza with trees, landscaping, an open lawn and a stage for live performances. The plan would also include paving the current gravel parking lot between the businesses on Fry Street for 35 parking spots.

“We’re trying everything we can to develop this town, and this is just one more piece of the puzzle,” Walker said. “We’re on a roll right now — business has been good here and I feel it will just keep increasing.”

Walker said the project would cost between $250,000 to $400,000 depending on the final plans and it would be paid for

by TDA funds and grant money.

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2015

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MERCHANTS HAVE MIXED FEELINGS

Bryson City merchants all have a common interest in keeping visitors downtown as long as possible to shop, eat and explore the area before they get in their cars and drive home. However, not every merchant is convinced that a pedestrian plaza will accomplish that goal.

Harold Frasher, owner of American 16

Indian Trading Company on Fry Street, said parking is his main concern about the pedestrian plaza project. He said 35 parking spots would not solve the parking issues downtown caused mostly by train patrons.

“Where are the merchants going to park?” he asked. “How will delivery trucks get in to drop off orders?”

Right now Fry Street allows for several parking spots in front of each business and about eight ADA-accessible parking spots right in front of the train depot.

Frasher said the train charges passengers

she said.

Ben King, co-owner of Bryson City Outdoors located on the corner of Main and Everett streets, said he was in favor of the pedestrian plaza and any other ideas that would make the town more pedestrian and family-friendly. While public parking is a commodity in Bryson City, King removed the few parking spaces in front of his business to put in a patio area.

“I intentionally blocked off our parking to have outdoor seating, and I hope it sets a precedent,” King said. “I think it’s a good

“I’ve seen our community evolve while being able to maintain a good small-town feel,” she said about her 12 years of experience in Bryson City. “Any time there are planned activities for guests, it’s an opportunity for merchants, locals and visitors to benefit.”

RAILROAD ALL ON BOARD Kim Albritton, vice president and general manager for the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, said the plaza was a part of the GSMR’s master plan in 2002 when it moved its main depot to Bryson City. With the heavy foot traffic and visitors currently walking along the Fry Street area, she said creating a pedestrian plaza would make it safer for families and children visiting the railroad and neighboring shops and restaurants.

“The park would be a showcase for the

An artist rendering shows what Fry Street in Bryson City would look like if it is shut off from vehicle traffic and turned into a pedestrian plaza.

$5 to park in the railroad’s gravel lot, but many people will park along Everett or Fry Street to avoid the fee. He said the fee should be built into the train ticket price to keep more downtown parking available for locals.

Paige Christie, owner of The Cottage Craftsman on Fry Street, said the concept is a good one, but she also worries about how the parking issues will be addressed in the process. Also, if the project is approved, she hopes the construction would be completed in a timely manner so that businesses don’t lose what traffic they have.

“I think it’s a good idea as long as they take merchants’ needs into account and if they do what they say they’re going to do,”

idea to have areas that will allow people to congregate.”

King, a Bryson City native, is aware of the prickly relationship between the locals and the railroad, but he hopes those feelings can be put aside for the betterment of the town.

“People feel like the train riders don’t come into the stores and that nothing’s going to change,” he said. “But I don’t think (a pedestrian plaza) is going to hurt — I think it will help — but it’s venturing into something different and that can always be touchy.”

Jennifer Simon with Charles Heath Studio and Gallery thinks the pedestrian plaza is a fabulous idea that will benefit everyone.

town of Bryson City,” Albritton said.

“Special events for the railroad and community events would be held in the area throughout the year, and it would be pedestrian-friendly.”

As for the parking issues, she said the railroad has heard those complaints and has responded accordingly. The railroad has presented a proposal that provides an improved public parking lot behind Cottage Craftsman and as of this season, the railroad for parking when tickets are reserved in advance of the trip instead of when they arrive at the train station.

Albritton said the railroad would work with the town and the TDA to write grants for the park and the paved parking lot improvements.

“If the pedestrian park development moves forward, the town really has nothing to lose,” she said.

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Some of the concerns the town aldermen expressed to the railroad in November included the proposed name — Bryson City Railroad Square Park. Comments submitted

by Alderman Jim Gribble suggested naming the plaza Fry Street Park or Fry Street Station Park.

“The proposal is for multiple uses with the railroad’s permission,” he wrote. “Are we doing this for our community or for the railroad?”

Alderman Janine Crisp agreed in her comments that the railroad shouldn’t be specifically singled out in the name.

“I believe this would go a long way in making our local people more comfortable with the closure of Fry Street,” she wrote.

While the proposal included leasing the upgraded parking lot to the TDA for 30 years with an option to renew for another 30, Crisp said the parking lot should then be subleased to the town indefinitely since

the town would be agreeing to shut Fry Street indefinitely.

“Funding for the immediate improvements to the parking lot should be identified and funding source stated before the agreement is finalized,” she wrote. “These improvements should not be contingent upon grant funding as there will be, I’m sure, a considerable delay in receiving grant funds.”

Messages left with Crisp and Gribble were not returned.

Bryson said he was in favor of the plaza because of the improved aesthetics it would bring to the downtown area. He said the area would hopefully be a magnet for those who want to stroll around town for longer after their train rides.

“It would set Bryson City apart from any other small town in this state — there would be nothing else quite like it,” he said.

The next step will be for the town to state its intent to relinquish the right of way for Fry Street and schedule a public hearing to receive public input on the issue.

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April 29-May 5, 2015

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR There is power in numbers, and businesses in Bryson City are ready to join forces to have their voices heard.

With guidance from the Swain County Chamber of Commerce, merchants are working to form a Bryson City Downtown Merchants Association.

Ben King, owner of Bryson City Outdoors, has only had his retail business open on Main Street for three weeks, but he’s ready to jump in and be a part of the community. He plans on serving on the board and hopes others will step up as well.

“I want to help transform our downtown and start to work together,” he said.

Chamber Director Karen Wilmot said two merchants meetings have been held so far to try to garner support — only six merchants attended the first meeting, but the number grew to more than 20 at the second.

“I think it will lead to better communication,” Wilmot said.

Brad Walker, chamber board member and chairman of the Swain County Tourism Development Authority, hopes bringing all the merchants together to work toward common goals will further help move the town in a positive direction.

The association’s mission will be to plan downtown events, collectively advertise the businesses, beautify the town and address downtown parking concerns. The merchants association can also have a unified voice when discussing downtown issues before the town government.

“We need another voice in the town for them,” Walker said. “The merchants are one of the most important things in this town.”

Wilmot said the association wouldn’t be restricted to businesses right downtown — she said any business in the area could become a member and participate. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats.

King said there are several improvements that could be made in Bryson City if the merchants all worked together to make it happen.

“One of my biggest goals is I would like to see some of the buildings downtown refurbished to make shops more welcoming to guests,” he said.

King would also like for the merchants to think about what other types of businesses would draw people into town and how to get them here. As a business owner offering kayak rentals and outdoor equipment, King thinks the Tuckasegee River should be better utilized in the downtown area. Having a point of entry into the river downtown would be a tourist draw.

“The river is a great asset we don’t utilize enough,” King said.

The merchants are currently meeting at 8 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month at the chamber office. Walker said the group would cast ballots at the next meeting May 7 to appoint a chairman and officers so the group can officially get started. As for funding, he said the TDA and chamber could hopefully help them get grants for beautification and special events.

Jennifer Simon with Charles Heath Art Studio and Gallery on Everett Street said she also planned to be an active member with the association. She would like to see the merchants plan special events to get more people downtown and to coordinate more consistent operating hours.

“I think everyone can be on the same page and work together,” she said. “There’s strength in numbers — as a group we really could help Bryson City evolve even further.”

news

Chamber to set up merchants association

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Final round for Cullowhee standards

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ullowhee residents crowded the basketball court at the Cullowhee Recreation Center last week for a chance to sound off during the last public hearing before Jackson County Commissioners take a final vote on whether to adopt the Cullowhee Community Planning Standards.

The planning process has been going on for three years, encompassing seven public meetings, each drawing between 50 and 100 people. As apartment building after apartment building sprung up on former farmland in response to growth at Western Carolina University, a commissionerappointed group of Cullowhee residents, business owners and property owners worked to develop a set of standards strict enough to protect Cullowhee from the

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“I’ve talked to my family and many others in the group, and 93 pages [of standards] is way too restrictive. The apartments are here to stay and Jackson County already has zoning restrictions for new apartments, so I fail to see why we need to address this again. WCU is in the process of pulling back their students in the dorms and building new student buildings, so what we’re basically doing is freezing the status quo here in Cullowhee.”

— Mary Jo Jones, Cullowhee native “I think the plan, though not perfect, is a good start. If we wait for a perfect plan we will never get one. In the meantime, WCU will continue to pursue its vision of growth and the surrounding community will see change.”

— Joel Setzer, Cullowhee resident and division operations engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation

“I am for zoning. I don’t know about all of it that’s in there. I do not feel like we can totally shove this under the rug. Something has to be done. We’re behind Carolina Apartments.

[There’s] a lot of pasture, a lot of land that can be abused by people coming in and purchasing it.”

— Frances Mincey, Cullowhee native “I know you worked really, really hard on this ordinance, and at first I kind of thought that was a good idea, and you did a good job with the apartment thing after the fact. The barn door is open, the horses have left. There’s not a lot we can do with that. But as I went through the 93 pages and realized that the multiple properties I already own in Cullowhee would not fit in those requirements, it became very concerning to me.”

— Gail Debnam, Cullowhee property owner

“I think the committee did a phenomenal job of putting together restrictions which are needed in this area.

[But the map] left a Cullowhee: Richard Wright, a Jackson County building contractor, huge area out on the gives commissioners his opinion of the proposed zoning standards east side of the river.” for Cullowhee at a public meeting last week. Holly Kays photo — Tucker Kirk, Cullowhee resident

Public hearing planned on fire tax for Cashiers-Highlands A public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at the Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center will take the public’s temperature on a proposed fire tax for Jackson County residents in the Cashiers-Highlands area.

The county’s board of commissioners has been discussing the possibility of a fire tax for a few years, with the 2013 board even considering a referendum vote. The idea was dis-

“There may be some changes that need to be made, but overall the idea of zoning helps protect the community and protect property, because what people do on their land does affect my land.”

— Joseph Pechmann, WCU professor and Cullowhee resident “Some of us have pensions, some of us have 401ks, but a lot of people around here have land. We have properties and we have saved this through generations. This is our investment.

That is what we plan on handing over to our children. When you tell us this land can only be for single families, we think, ‘Well, down the line maybe we would like to put up a little country store, maybe we would like to do something different. Maybe we would like to put up a development.’”

— Brenda Gray, Cullowhee native

“Under these ordinances, I couldn’t put [my property] back as it is. That upset me because I spent a half million dollars on it and I know I did a good job with what I put there, and it will not meet the standards that are in this ordinance right now. That’s pretty distressing.”

— Jack Debnam, Cullowhee resident and former county commission chairman

“Zoning done right has great benefits, but zoning done wrong can have a very negative impact. Please listen to both sides. Make any changes you feel are necessary.”

— Mike Dappke

“This so-called single-family designation looks to me to be 75, 80 percent of the map.

Some research has been done in the last five years. There’s only been one [single-family] dwelling built in this planning area that was used for that purpose. I don’t think there’s any demand for that at all.”

— Doug Parker, Cullowhee native

“The Cullowhee community was killed off whenever the bypass was put in, and that was the wonderful good idea of a group like this who thought they were doing what was best for the community when obviously it was not. I think there were some poor decisions made in the past, and I think this will just further those.”

— Caroline Lewis, Cullowhee native

carded when it became clear that support for a fire tax was not unanimous among the county’s fire chiefs, but in January chiefs from the Cashiers and Cullowhee districts came to commissioners to say that something had to be done about their aging equipment, growing response time and difficulty attracting volunteers. Meanwhile, Macon County was pressing Jackson for help paying for fire services rendered to Jackson residents in the Highlands area who are more accessible to Macon County’s fire response than to Jackson’s.

A tax for Cullowhee is not currently being considered, but a proposed fire tax would charge 2 cents per $100 of

property value to Cashiers properties and 0.9 cents per $100 for properties in the Highlands area. Currently, Jackson County’s tax rate is 28 cents per $100 of home value.

Residents can deliver comments, limited to three minutes apiece, at the meeting, or send written comments to Board Clerk Angie Winchester, angiewinchester@jacksonnc.org or 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva, North Carolina, 28779. Detailed information about the proposed tax is available through a link on the right-hand side of the page at www.jacksonnc.org.

— By Holly Kays, staff writer

Smoky Mountain News

“The board of commissioners, the planning board and Cullowhee Community Planning Council, which is appointed by the commissioners, will probably approve this.

We don’t even have the right to vote on these very restrictive regulations. Do we live in a democracy or a dictatorship in Jackson County?”

— Arbra Gibson, Little Savannah Road resident

“I build all over the United States, and this zoning that we have here is totally ludicrous. It is too rigid for this area. I’ve dealt with Raleigh, I’ve dealt with Charlotte, and the standards you have here are more stringent then any they’ve ever required.”

— Richard Wright, Jackson County building contractor

April 29-May 5, 2015

impacts of ill-planned development but flexible enough to please the area’s population of fiercely independent residents, many of whom live on land that has been in the family for a century.

That proved to be a difficult task. Of the 14 people who spoke at the public hearing — about 80 people filled the room — eight spoke against the standards. Four people spoke in favor of them and two gave middleof-the-road comments.

What they said

Commissioners will continue to accept written comments on the proposed zoning standards for Cullowhee until they vote on the issue, likely at their May 21 meeting.

They will also take verbal comments at the beginning of their May 7 and May 21 meetings. Written comments can be sent to Angie Winchester, board clerk, at angiewinchester@jacksonnc.org or 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva, NC 28779.

The proposed standards are online at www.jacksonnc.org/planning.

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Residents bend commissioners’ ears as they consider zoning vote

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

The kids cope with Lucy the tomcat’s gender crisis S grade drew to a merciful close, we struck a deal regarding seventh grade. If she made straight A’s, she would get her cat.

“And it has to be a girl cat!” she said. “Because I am sick of all the boys around here! A girl cat would make it a fair fight!”

I am proud to report that she approached seventh grade with an entirely transformed attitude, and even on the tougher days, she kept her eyes on the prize, or should I say, her mitten on the kitten. She attended to her homework with impressive diligence, Columnist and her grades improved dramatically.

When the time came to cash in, I was as good as my word. Within days of getting that last grade report, she and her mother were off to fetch a cute little white piece of fluff and fangs that they decided to name Lucinda Maria Consuelo, or “Lucy” for short (and Lucinda when she is in trouble for knocking stuff off tables and windowsills, an activity that cats particularly enjoy).

Of course, my daughter was delighted to have another girl in the house, just as she expected to be. The two of them have been inseparable for months now, running amok all over the house, taking hundreds of selfies and knocking stuff off of tables and windowsills everywhere they roam. “Besties,” I believe they call it.

“She’s awesome!” my daughter exclaims from time to time, just in case we were wondering. “My Lucinda!”

As might be expected, the time came when Lucinda begin yowling to go outside more and more often, possessed of that certain familiar “restlessness” that can mean only one thing.

Time for a trip to the vet.

“Nooooooo!!!!” my daughter yelped. “She is going to hate

Chris Cox

ixth grade was not so kind to my daughter. She did better than she expected on the social part — and that was the part that really worried her, since she had heard so many frightening rumors about the chamber of horrors otherwise known as middle school. But the academic part proved to be much tougher than she had anticipated, and she struggled.

She would come limping in from school every afternoon around 4 p.m. with her enormous backpack full of heavy textbooks slung over one shoulder, causing her to list on one side.

It was as if every burden of the earth was stuffed into that backpack, and she did not bear it lightly, oh no, dumping it with a thunderous thud on the kitchen floor and then stomping like Godzilla to the refrigerator, where she seized a pint of cherry vanilla yogurt as if it were a small car, ripped the top off, and then stabbed at the occupants with her shiny monster spoon until every last one of them was gobbled up completely.

Tourists, probably.

Her grades were not terrible, but also not up to her usual high standards, and she scowled every time we asked if there was anything we could do to help.

“You wouldn’t understand!” she said. “Middle school is horrible!”

Among the various and sundry gifts that puberty brings, surely one of the most charming is the sheer number of exclamation marks that begin to populate the victim’s dialogue.

Everything is suddenly emphatic! Everything!! Throw in a splash of sarcasm and you have a deliciously bitter teen angst cocktail! Yum!!

We had to do something, so we turned to that tried and true method that nurturing, thoughtful parents have been using for ages: we bribed her. She had been pestering us about getting a cat — no, wait, maybe “pestering” isn’t the right word. “Harass” is better, or maybe “hector.” Anyway, as sixth

Creating a healthier future

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services we provide. The clinical and quality experts at Duke LifePoint are providing best practices and new ideas to continue improving our quality of care. In partnership with Duke LifePoint, we are in the process of recruiting new physicians and medical Guest Columnist professionals to our hospitals and clinics in important areas including primary care, pediatrics, general surgery, neurology, urology and other subspecialties. And we continue to grow and establish the medical services that will allow people in our communities to receive the care they need close to home.

In addition, we’ve weighed feedback from our patients about issues such as our billing procedures and patient registration process and are making changes to improve how we operate.

As part of ongoing initiatives to make our communities healthier, we continue to

Bunny Johns

arris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital have embarked on exciting futures for our hospitals and communities.

Early this month, we unveiled new names and logos for our hospitals that highlight our connection to Duke LifePoint Healthcare. While this was the first visual representation of our relationship with Duke LifePoint, the benefits of our becoming part of its system began several months ago.

When our agreement with Duke LifePoint was finalized last fall, we embarked on an extensive process to strengthen and enhance our hospital and its services. This began with the development of a strategic plan that has manifested itself in several ways already.

We brought additional resources to important initiatives, including our efforts to educate the community and assist families in exploring their health coverage options through the Health Insurance Marketplace. We helped dozens of families gain vital healthcare coverage.

We are expanding and enhancing the

me! She is going to sit around staring at me all the time!”

Then again, the constant yowling was driving her crazy, too, so she finally relented and the appointment was made.

When the day arrived, my wife transported Lucinda to the facility, and a few hours later she sent me an ominous text. I called her as soon as I got it.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked. “Lucy is a boy! A boy!

What are we going to tell our daughter? ARE we going to tell our daughter? She is going to be crushed! Is there any reason that she needs to know?”

I pictured our daughter finding some out years down the road that her childhood bestie was actually a boy — always had been — and $100,000 in therapy bills flashed before my eyes.

“We must tell her,” I said. “We must tell her that Lucy is not actually a good girl after all, but is rather a fine young man.”

“You think this is funny, don’t you?” said my wife.

“I think it is funny that every time ESPN is on, Lucy jumps up on the dresser and watches with rapt attention, and nobody saw this coming,” I said, suddenly realizing that I was stereotyping my daughter’s cat.

That night, we told her, and she took it far better than we expected. We are still trying to sort out what to call him/her, and obviously working on pronouns as well. My son wants to call him “Chuck,” but that is mostly to antagonize his sister, an activity that he enjoys as much as “Chuck” enjoys knocking stuff off of tables and windowsills.

“Her name is not ‘Chuck’!” yells my daughter. “I mean his name is not Chuck! It’s Lucy! I mean …”

It is going to be an interesting summer.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. He can be reached at jchriscox@live.com.)

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome.

Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786. expand our local partnerships. These include our relationships with organizations like Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College to train the next generation of healthcare workers.

We’re also partnering with local employers to seek proactive ways to improve their employees’ health, and working with area school districts to focus on student and employee wellness.

There are many, many exciting new developments on the horizon. Duke LifePoint has committed to investing $43 million in capital improvements at Harris

Regional and Swain Community hospitals over the next eight years. We have already been able to make early strategic investments in new ultrasound machines, new computers, new flooring in our operating rooms, and new arthroscopic equipment for our sports medicine and orthopedic practices.

In the months to come, we have plans in place to expand our women’s services, completing the New Generations Family Birthing Center at Harris Regional. We also will build a new emergency room at Harris Regional and add new surgical services at Swain Community Hospital.

We are thrilled to share these developments with our community and are excited about the opportunities we have as part of Duke LifePoint to transform healthcare in our communities and provide the services that families need right here at home.

We thank each of you for your continued support of our hospitals including your feedback on how we are doing. We look forward to celebrating a bright future for our facilities, our employees, our physicians, and our relationships with you in the years to come.

Bunny Johns is board chair of Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital.

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

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.

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

828.926.0734. Open 7 days a week 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Celebrating over 25 years. Enjoy world famous hot dogs as well as burgers, seafood, hushpuppies, hot wings and chicken.

Be sure to save room for dessert. The cobbler, pie and cake selections are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

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.

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

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. Saturaday & 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 quali-

FRIDAY, MAY 1 Karaoke w/Chris Monteith

SUNDAY, MAY 3

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Dessert Over 250 different wines, olive oils and balsamics.

Cody Siniard

Open Late!

83 Asheville Hwy. Sylva Music Starts @ 9 • 631.0554

DOWNTOWN SYLVA • NC

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

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 9 a.m. to 3p.m., Full Menu 3 to 9 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials starting at 5pm every day. Followed by a tempting selection of desserts prepared daily by our chefs and other local bakers. Enjoy craft beers on tap, as well as our full bar and eclectic wine list.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

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

Thursday, with entrees that include prime rib, baked ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer. The evening social hour starts at 6pm, and dinner is served starting at 7pm. So join us for milehigh mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations.

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

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

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

April 29-May 5, 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS

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ty 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.

opinion

www.EvolutionWineKitchen.com

Smoky Mountain News

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tasteTHEmountains

Now Open for Lunch Same great taste with a few new additions including burgers and fries!

Try our variety of homemade soups and desserts.

32 FelmeT STreeT off N. main St. in Waynesville moNday-Friday 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

828-456-9888 290-70

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tasteTHEmountains a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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

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

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

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000.

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

Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. 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 high-quality hot pressed sandwiches and the huge portions of hand-cut fries to the specialty frozen sandwiches and homemade Southern desserts, you will not leave this top-rated deli hungry.

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

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

Monday-Saturday. Father and son team Frank and Louis Perrone cook up dinners steeped in Italian tradition. With recipies passed down from generations gone by, the Perrones have brought a bit of Italy to Maggie Valley. frankiestrattoria.com FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern

regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

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

Open 7 days a week at 5 p.m. Located in the historic Hooper’s Drugstore, Guadalupe Café is a chef-owned and operated restaurant serving Caribbean inspired fare complimented by a quirky selection of wines and microbrews.

Supporting local farmers of organic produce, livestock, hand-crafted cheese, and using sustainably harvested seafood.

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

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

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

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

Open seasonally for lunch and dinner. Fine

and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.

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

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot.

Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections. Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies.

Various desserts.

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.668.2326. Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Happily committed to brewing and serving innovative, uniquely delicious coffees — and making the world a better place.

100% of our coffee is Fair Trade, Shade Grown, and Organic, all slow-roasted to bring out every note of indigenous flavor. Bakery offerings include cakes, muffins, cookies and more. Each one is made from scratch in Asheville using only the freshest, all natural ingredients available. We are proud to offer gluten-free and vegan options.

PAPERTOWN GRILL 153 Main St., Canton. 828.648.1455 Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Serving the local community with great, scratch-made country cooking. Breakfast is served all day.

Daily specials including Monday meatloaf, chicken and dumplings on Thursdays and Friday fish.

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April 29-May 5, 2015

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Smoky Mountain News

Enjoy our famous fried chicken, ham, fried fish, vegetables and salad bar

Full Bar • Creekside Dining Specialty Sandwiches Crafted Beer & Moonshine

Art Opening

TUESDAY: 75¢ Oysters after 4pm WEDNESDAY: AYCE Fish & Shrimp THURSDAY: AYCE Crab Leg FRIDAY: Surf-N-Turf Special SATURDAY: Seafood Trio Special SUNDAY: Low Country Boil

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PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoors, outside on the patio or at the bar.

Reservations appreciated.

PATIO BISTRO 30 Church Street, Waynesville.

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

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.

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

Papertown Grill

are baked fresh every morning in Waynesville. Using only the freshest ingredients in home-made soups, salads and sandwiches. Come in and see for yourself why Smoky Mountain Sub Shop was voted # 1 in Haywood County. Locally owned and operated.

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

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

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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.

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Smoky Mountain News

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24

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

The act of words to paper

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER or Wiley Cash, being a writer is not about milestones in his career that define his passion. Rather, it’s the simple idea of a person sitting down with a blank page, one ready to be filled with the unlimited possibility of creative prose.

“For a longtime, I thought if I’m a writer it will mean ‘this’ or if I write a New York Times bestseller it will mean ‘this,’” he said. “But, I realized that it’s all the same work. It’s still the act of putting words on a page, and trying to do it in a manner that’s more believable and true than what you did the day before.”

And it’s that attitude and discipline that has brought Cash to prominence, as a writer and professor. In 2012, he penned the New York Times bestseller A Land More Kind Than Home, only to follow it up with the acclaimed This Dark Road to Mercy (2014). A graduate of UNC-Asheville, with a Ph.D. from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Cash currently teaches creative writing at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Though Cash has always known he was a writer, or meant to be one, it is the daily action of literary creation that throws fuel on his internal fire, a spark that was lit years before, when he was a teenager typing away in his dorm room.

The Smoky Mountain News recently caught up with Cash at his home in Wilmington. He spoke of his writing process, why pop culture is fascinated with the South, and how his next book — about a labor strike in 1929 — perfectly showcases the idea of “nothing’s the same, everything’s the same,” especially when it comes to literary themes amid an ever-changing society.

SMN: Do you think there’s a formula to writing? Or to each their own?

WC: I’m not so interested in formula stuff, which is the more commercial side of fiction, where you have a protagonist and you have a ticking time bomb to diffuse by the end of the book. I always encourage students to create interesting characters who have to be specific people in order for something interesting to happen to them, where the arc of story is going to be more in line with the arc of these people’s lives. As far as teaching goes, you can teach someone how to be a carpenter, a potter, to practice these different types of crafts, but I think the hardest thing is to teach that original spark of creativity. It’s something you can’t necessarily teach, but you can show models of creativity, you can teach the craft, teach story structure, scene structure and how things unfold.

F

Smoky Mountain News: What can readers expect from your latest book, which you’re still working on?

Wiley Cash: It’s historical fiction, about the 1929 Loray Mill Strike in Gastonia. It’s about the forces that led up to the strike and the repercussions around the state after. I grew up in Gastonia, my family came from the mills, and it has always been something I’ve been interested in — how it came to be, how it came to be covered up.

SMN: A lot of times the themes within historical fiction are meant to mirror similar themes in modern times. Do you see that?

WC: You know, my wife is downstairs right now watching the documentary “Inequality for All,” which shows this graph where two times in American history that the gap between the have and the have nots has been the greatest. And they were 1928 and 2007. The mill strike was in 1929 when things came to head, and, of course, we know what happened in 2008 — history has a strange way of repeating itself.

SMN: What’s your writing process like? Sit down and write or wait for inspiration?

WC: I try to be as disciplined as possible. I try to write a good three hours a day — butt in the chair and at my desk. I always work in the morning.

SMN: What do you like about teaching creative writing?

WC: I like teaching creative writing because it makes me think about my conception on what stories are and how they work, how they don’t work, how to improve what I’m working on.

Want to go?

An evening with Appalachian writer Wiley Cash will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

Cash is known for his first novel, New York Times Bestseller A Land More Kind Than Home. His book received positive comments in such publications as The New York Times Sunday Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Vanity Fair. A Land More Kind Than Home won the Southern Independent Bookseller Ailliances' Book Award for Fiction of the Year and the John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award from the UK's Crime Writers' Association.

The gathering will feature a Q&A session with Cash, a reading from the book he’s currently writing, and a dessert buffet catered by Kanini’s. Tickets are $10, which are available at any Haywood County library branch and Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com or www.wileycash.com.

SMN: Why is there such a fascination, in modern literature and pop culture, with the South?

WC: Well, I think the South is still the “great undiscovered country” for most Americans, and I think Southern “I always encourage Appalachia is the students to create most mysterious of this area. You have interesting characters a film like who have to be “Interview with a Vampire” or TV specific people in shows like “True Blood” and “The order for something Walking Dead” — interesting to happen there’s mystery there, the to them, where the arc unknowns, the danger. And that goes of story is going to be back to the books in line with the arc of of Flannery O’Connor and these people’s lives.”

William Faulkner.

That fascination will always be there because the South is the most thriving cultural mixture of people and traditions, values and practices.

Novels like Winter’s Bone (Daniel Woodrell), Serena (Ron Rash) and Cold Mountain (Charles Frazier), those things were highly successful and brought a lot of attention to Appalachia.

You go to a city like Asheville and can get a taste of that part of Appalachian culture, and yet, you can go five minutes outside the city, in rural Buncombe County, and see another completely different part of the culture — you just never know what you’re going to get here.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

“Grace,” the 2001 GMC Sonoma.

Garret K. Woodward photo

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Smoky Mountain News

She knows me better than anybody.

She’s a little rough around the edges. Her beauty has seen better days. She’s a dirty girl, one In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the who’ll take to cosmopolitan city end of the Civil War and the “Last Shot Fired” streets as easily as rugged backat the Battle of Waynesville, there will be a woods trails. Her needs always weekend of events May 8-10 around the seem to take all the cash in my community. wallet. She’s provided me a place to sleep on my loneliest nights.

The Lost Hiker (Highlands) will have Her patience with my demands The Corbitt Brothers (southern rock) at 9 p.m. knows no bounds. Our time May 1. together has been a love/hate relationship.

Derailed Bar & Lounge (Bryson City) will Her name is “Grace” and have Heidi Holton (blues/folk) at 7 p.m. she’s my 2001 GMC Sonoma May 2. pickup truck.

Art After Dark will open its 2015 series I first laid eyes on Grace from 6 to 9 p.m. May 1 in downtown about a decade ago. I was home Waynesville. for summer break during my sophomore year in college. My The Whole Bloomin’ Thing spring festival will grandfather rolled into our be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9 in the driveway in his new(ish) shiny Frog Level district of Waynesville. white Sonoma. It was a few years old by that point, but she ing ownership of Grace meant a lot to me, was in pristine condition, with very low seeing as my grandfather and I were very miles. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. close and this would be all I had to remember Immediately, my loyalty to my old 1998 him by. Not even a few weeks after I got the Isuzu Hombre pickup across the yard diminished. My field of vision was now con- title to Grace, we headed west, for my first reporting job in the Grand Teton Mountains sumed with Grace. of Eastern Idaho/Western Wyoming.

Sadly, my dear grandfather passed away Though I was truly excited to have a almost exactly two years later. It was a heartnew(er) truck, let me be the first to say that breaking time for my family. And as we Grace was quite possibly the worst type of packed up his house and figured out what to do with all of his possessions, the fate remained unknown for one thing outside, in “I thought about all of our adventures together, parked at his driveway — Grace.

My Isuzu was on its way out at that time the top of a mountain beside a bonfire, cruising the high and the thought of another truck had already desert prairie under a canopy of stars, windows rolled been mulled over in my mind. After some discussion, it was decided that I’d purchase down along an oceanside route as the mesmerizing salty the truck from the estate. Although I’ve never air wafted in.” been one to care about or take value in possessions (things are just things after all), tak-

Tell your MOM

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

pickup to own in the Rocky Mountains.

Living right outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a place that gets hundreds and hundreds of inches of snow a year (not to mention an area filled with treacherous mountain roads), driving a heavy, low-tothe-ground, four-cylinder, rear-wheel drive truck was not ideal by any means. But, like always, Grace and I made it through that first winter (with daily help from my trusty tow-rope and kind folks with 4x4 diesel rigs).

And for the rest of that year out west, she and I bounced around, heading to concerts in Montana, seeing friends in Colorado, exploring the Midwest and beyond, only to head back to Upstate New York following the economic collapse of 2008. Throughout the next few years, as I tried to find footing as a freelance journalist, I drove Grace all around the continental United States, covering music festivals and tracking down leads for feature stories. One week I was on the coast of Maine, the next down in Chattanooga, up to the Great Lakes of Michigan, over to Manhattan, and everywhere in-between.

When I interviewed for my current position at The Smoky Mountain News in 2012, Grace and I blasted down I-81 nonstop (1,100+ miles) overnight to be in Waynesville in time for my sit-down with publisher Scott McLeod. A week later, we made the same trip, this time with the back of Grace filled to the brim with all my things in hopes of a fresh start in Western North Carolina.

In my almost three years here, Grace and I have wandered seemingly every back road, highway and byway of Southern Appalachia.

With her 15th birthday around the corner, she’s starting to show her age. This past week, after endless hard miles as a workhorse for a journalist, her transmission blew. As expensive a repair as it is, I found myself at a crossroads with my beloved truck. Now what?

I thought about all of our adventures together, parked at the top of a mountain beside a bonfire, cruising the high desert prairie under a canopy of stars, windows rolled down along an oceanside route as the mesmerizing salty air wafted in. I thought of all those nights sleeping in the back of that truck, nights where I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but I was ready, and no matter what the distance was between my starting point and my destiny, that I had the wheels to get there.

And with that, I’m not ready to say goodbye to Grace. Not yet, at least. Though she’ll probably break the bank when I bring her in for a transmission rebuild, she’s worth it to me. She’s been alongside since day one of my career as a journalist, and hopefully she’ll be there for a few more years of curious travels — I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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

BlueRidgeHeritage.com

25

arts & entertainment

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Smoky Mountain News

Celebration honors Graham’s history

The Proctor Revival Organization will once again honor the history of Graham County May 1-31 with “A Time To Remember” celebration.

The celebration will focus on the construction of the Fontana Dam as well as the deep, pioneering roots of Graham County.

The event will strongly focus on the people of Graham County, Western North Carolina, and elsewhere who contributed to the success of World War II by their contribution to the construction of the dam and on how this historical event changed the world as well as the culture of our citizens.

The power generated at Fontana Dam enabled the accelerated production of the nuclear material needed to complete the Atomic Bombs. The communities of Proctor, Judson, Bushnell and Japan were destroyed and 6,000 residents were forced to relocate and re-establish their livelihoods during this difficult time in American history.

For a full schedule of events, click on www.proctorrevival.com or www.fontanavillage.com.

• The American Girl Tea Party will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at the Cowee Baptist Church in Franklin. Benefit for REACH of Macon County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Adult and Children Services. Silent auction, children’s activities, hot tea and light finger foods. $10 for children, $25 for adults, $150 for a table. www.reachofmaconcounty.org or 828.369.5544 (Macon) or 828.586.8969 (Jackson).

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On the street

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• The Thunder In The Smokies Spring Rally will be held May 1-3 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Gates open at 11 a.m.

Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday/Sunday. Live music, bike games, tour rides, bike show, food and bike vendors, and more. Three-day passes are $17 for ages 13 and over, and $8 for ages 5-12. www.thunderinthesmokies.com.

• The 82nd annual Ramp Festival will be held at noon to 6 p.m. May 2-3 at the American Legion in Waynesville. Live music, arts/crafts booths, food vendors and adult beverages will be onsite, all in celebration of the naturally mountain grown wild onion. There will also be a ramp-eating contest. www.visitncsmokies.com or 828.456.8691.

• The Folk Festival Front Porch interviews will be at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. The library is collaborating with the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County to show their DVDs of past interviews with local residents. The May 6 showing will feature interviews with Bruce Bryant, Dorothy Seagle and Arnold “Smoky” Burnett.

On the street Army, Haywood County Courthouse.

• 12:30 p.m. — Wreath placement by the Sons of the Confederate Veterans William Holland Thomas Camp 2231.

• 2 p.m. — Memorial Speeches, Civil War Marker at Green Hill Cemetery, where officers and soldiers of the “Last Shot Battle” are buried.

• 2 p.m. — The legendary Civil War film “Gone With The Wind” will be shown at The Strand at 38 Main in downtown Waynesville.

• 3 p.m. — “Last Shot Fired: The Battle of Waynesville” reenactment, Sulphur Springs Park.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War and the “Last Shot Fired” at the Battle of Waynesville, there will be a weekend of events May 8-10 at The Shelton House in Waynesville and around the community. The full schedule is as follows:

SATURDAY, MAY 9 • 9:30 a.m. — Battle of Waynesville Reenactment, Sulphur Springs Park.

• 11 a.m. — Wreath Laying Ceremony and United Daughters of the Confederacy Ceremony & Speeches, Sulphur Springs Park.

• 12:30 p.m. — Surrender of the Western NC

SUNDAY, MAY 10 • 2 p.m. — Worship and Memorial Service, Green Hill Cemetery. Event honors various Civil War Veterans, with a wreath placement at the grave of William Holland Thomas.

• 2 p.m. — The legendary Civil War film “Gone With The Wind” will be shown at The Strand at 38 Main in downtown Waynesville.

MONDAY, MAY 11 • 6:30 p.m. — Speaker John Heiser will present “The 26th NC Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg,” The Strand at 38 Main. www.lastshotfired.com or 828.452.1551 or info@sheltonhouse.org.

A night of games, fun at Casino Royale Casino Royale Night, a benefit for the Haywood Healthcare Foundation’s Drug Abuse Coalition, will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Maggie Valley Club and Resort.

The event will include a night of gaming, prizes, silent and live auctions. Portrait photographs of each guest or couple will be taken as mementos of the evening. A glass of sparkling wine will help welcome guests to the party. A cash bar will be offered, along with gaming and dancing.

A silent auction will include home decor items, artwork, jewelry, gift packages and gift certificates for spa services and restaurants.

The live auction will include a chance to win a Christmas or New Year’s three-night getaway for four adults in the Big Apple at a luxurious Manhattan apartment or a one-week stay in a private home in “old Florida” for four adults on the Nature Coast.

Proceeds will be used, through Haywood Healthcare Foundation's Drug Abuse Coalition with Haywood County Law Enforcement, to purchase the following: • Narcan, an inhalant that instantly reverses overdoses from opioid prescription drugs.

• Blister packs of Acetaminophen, Tylenol and Ibuprofen, which, when taken together, provide powerful pain relief. These

blister packs will be distributed to local physicians through a partnership with Haywood County Law Enforcement and Drs. Teater and Pass.

• AEDs (defibrillators) to be carried in Haywood County patrol cars, which currently have none. These defibrillators allow officers, often first on the scene of a cardiac emergency, to quickly administer aid and save lives.

Tickets are $100 each and include gaming chips, a door prize ticket, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary drink ticket.

Reservations can be made online at www.haywoodhealthcarefoundation.org or by calling 828.734.6783.

arts & entertainment

Civil War remembrance, reenactment

Whole Bloomin’ Thing welcomes spring The 9th annual Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 9, in the Frog Level district of Waynesville.

The festival serves as Haywood County annual spring kickoff. The event features numerous local growers, area artisans and a variety of nature-related professionals. Patrons can find fresh garden starts, ornamental plants and Mother’s Day gifts. There will also be local musicians, dancers, foods and kids activities.

Free. www.visitncsmokies.com.

April 29-May 5, 2015 Mirror by Wesly Angel, Necklace by FourElemants BeadWorks, Scarf by Suzanne Gernandt

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On the wall arts & entertainment

Hill to present Cherokee art, literature Renowned painter Jenny Bucker will one of the 60 artists creating works live at the WNC QuickDraw event on May 16 in Waynesville.

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2015

QuickDraw at Laurel Ridge

28

The WNC QuickDraw will be from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

The cocktail social will include an hourlong QuickDraw Challenge, silent auction and refreshments. Live artists will be working in the public eye, creating timed pieces, which will then be auctioned off.

• 4:30 p.m. — Cocktail Social. Register your bidder number and watch artists prep before the shotgun start.

• 5 to 6 p.m. — Artist Stopwatch Challenge. Hour of live creation. Stroll and marvel at the motivated live-action artists painting to beat the clock. Stroll and chat with demonstrator artists using fiber, clay, metals, glass, wood and more, all processintensive mediums that enable them to work and talk. Each demo artist offers a finished original work at silent auction while they showcase techniques on a piece in process.

• 6 p.m. — Breather. Snacks and conversation and live music while artists frame the pieces and set up the auction preview.

Artist Ed Kelley and Steve Goldman contribute live entertainment. Art teachers show off student works.

• 6:30 p.m. — Live Art Auction. Bid on fresh, original art, ready to hang. Become a collector who saw the artist make it. Team with artists to inspire students and creative classrooms, put supplies on teacher shelves, and send kids to college.

• 7:30 p.m. — Heavy Hors d’oeuvres meet & greet. Meet your artist over delicious food and monitor your silent auction bids. $60 per person. Proceeds go to art teaching in local schools. www.wncquickdraw.com.

Open call for artists for ColorFest ColorFest — Art & Taste of Appalachia is looking for artists of all mediums to participate in the 7th annual festival to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 3 in Dillsboro.

Regional fine artists are invited to apply.

Cash prizes, sponsored by Champion Credit Union, will be awarded to the artisans.

Categories: First place for fine art $100; Second place for fine art $50; $25 Third place for fine art. First place for fine craft $100; second place for fine craft, $50; $25 Third place for fine craft. Best of Show — Booth $150.

ColorFest — Art & Taste of Appalachia is produced by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc. in partnership with the Dillsboro Merchants Association and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. This project received support from the Jackson County Arts Council, North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

For an application, click on www.visitdillsboro.org or chogan4196@gmail.com or 828.631.0900.

Renowned Cherokee artist Luzene Hill will host an arts and literature lecture at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Hill will describe the process of making the images, and adapting the text, for the Cherokee language book Spearfinger. She will also discuss the process of having Spearfinger produced as a handmade letterpress book. Hill is a multi-media installation

artist and enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She was a studio artist at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Co- Director of the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts and holds an MFA from Western Carolina University. Her sculpture was part of “Changing Hands 3,” which opened at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York in 2012 and her drawings were included in the Novosibirsk Museum of Art Biennial, in Russia that same year.

Hill is a recipient of the Eiteljorg Museum Contemporary Art Fellowship and a First Peoples Fund Artist in Business Fellowship for 2015. Her work is held in museum, corporate and private collections across the United States and is featured in Susan Power’s book Cherokee Art: Prehistory to Present and Josh McPhee’s book, Celebrate People’s History!: The Poster Book of Resistance and Revolution.

This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

Cherokee artist Luzene Hill will lead a lecture on May www.fontanalib.org or 2 in Sylva. Donated photo 828.586.2016.

NEW ART INSTALLATION IN WAYNESVILLE A solid marble statue is the newest art installation by the Waynesville Public Art Commission. “LaFemme,” an eight-foot-tall pink marble 800pound statue, was originally placed in the Biltmore Square Mall, and is now located at Carolyn’s Point at the intersection of Main Street and Wall Street in downtown Waynesville. A formal dedication will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 22, at Carolyn’s Point. Donated photo

N o t h g i Br acH Bemoirs

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On the wall

The time-honored needlework technique known as Huck Embroidery will be the focus of the next workshop sponsored by Dogwood Crafters from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 11, at the Masonic Lodge in Dillsboro.

Huck embroidery is done on monk’s cloth featuring contrasting yarn designs that can be used to accent towels, curtains, tablecloths and runners, afghans, pillows and more items for the home. Harriet McKenna learned the technique as a child and will be leading the workshop. She is a member of Dogwood Crafters.

Cost for the workshop is $10, which includes fabric, pearl cotton thread, pattern, and other supplies. 828.586.2435 or junettapell@hotmail.com.

Art After Dark returns to Waynesville

• Chuck Dayton’s “Things That Fly” art opening will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 1, at City Lights Café in Sylva. Free appetizers. www.citylightscafe.com.

Bookstore

SEAMUS MCGRAW will present his book on climate change,

• The native film “Legends From The Sky” is currently screening at 4 p.m., 7:05 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. at Cherokee Phoenix Theatre.

Betting the Farm on a Drought

• There will be an After-School Art Adventure for children and students from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. April 29 and May 6 at The Bascom in Highlands. Participants will work on individual and collaborative art projects. Free. www.thebascom.org.

3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA

Sat. May 2nd at 3 p.m.

828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

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• The Franklin Kid’s Creation Station will be from 10 a.m. to noon May 1 and 9 at the Uptown Gallery. There will also be a station from 10 a.m. to noon May 1 and 9 at The Bascom in Highlands. www.thebascom.org or 828.349.4607 (Franklin) or 828.526.4949 (Highlands).

• “Inherent Vice” (April 30/May 1), “Paddington” (May 1-2), “Selma” (May 7-8) and “Spare Parts” (May 9) 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.

ALSO:

• “Wild” (April 29-May 1), “Selma” (May 8-9) and “Gone With The Wind” (May 9-10) will be screened at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. Every Friday and Saturday in May, “Dazed and Confused” will be shown for free at 9:30 p.m., with “Paddington” also for free every Saturday in April at noon and 2 p.m. For screening times, click on www.38main.com or call 828.283.0079.

• The Mother’s Day Gemboree will be held May 8-10 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Sponsored by the Macon County Gem and Mineral Society. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• The Franklin After-School Art Adventure for children and students will be held from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. April 29 and May 6 at the Uptown Gallery. Free. www.thebascom.org.

MANY CULTURES

Saturday, May 2 Folkmoot Spring Cleaning Sale, 8a.m.- 4p.m.

Purchase trinkets, old desks, unique chairs, foam mattresses, bed frames and used kitchen equipment

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. April 30 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included. 828.538.2054.

• Potter Connie Hogan and local artist Toni Kender will be the featured artists for the month of May at Tunnel Mountain Crafts in Dillsboro. Both artists will be onsite from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 23, with Kender painting small magnets and Hogan demonstrating how to trim functional pottery pieces.

Enjoy a day of music, dancing, kids activities, special foods,

• An Animal Sculptures class with Barry Gregg will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1 and 3 at The Bascom in Highlands. The workshop explores form, surface and essence in creating a life totem. Cost is $225 for

• The Highlands Road Gem Show will be held May 7-10 at the corner of U.S. 441 and Highlands Road in Franklin. Rock, minerals, rough and cut gems, supplies, and more.

Admission is free. www.franklin-chamber.com.

FolkmootUSA.org 112 Virginia Avenue Waynesville, NC 28786 828.452.2997

Celebrate May Day, 11a.m. - 4p.m. local spirits, silent auction and spring plants

Smoky Mountain News

• A Clay Castles workshop with Allison Anne Brown will be from 10 a.m. to noon May 5, 12 and 19 at The Bascom in Highlands. The class will focus on the use of slab construction to build small ceramic structures. Cost is $25. 828.787.2865 or www.thebascom.org.

• There will be a BFA portfolio reception from 5 to 7 p.m. April 30 at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu.

April 29-May 5, 2015

Art After Dark will open its 2015 series from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 1, in downtown Waynesville.

Enjoy a stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street and Depot Street. Festive Art After Dark flags denote participating galleries.

Jewelry metalsmith Becky Burnette and clay artist Crystal Allen will be Twigs and Leaves Gallery, with live music from pianist Diane Wolfe. FourElements BeadWorks owner Suzy Johnson will be at Earthworks, with potter Cory Houston Plott and jazz guitarist James Hammel at the Village Framer.

Wood block and linoleum artist Myriah Strivelli and multi-media artist Dawn Behling will be at The Mahogany House Art Gallery & Studio, with singer-songwriter Matt Welborn performing from 6 to 9 p.m. Mix media artist Sheri Howe will be at ReMax, with collage artist Wendelyn Cordwell at Beverly-Hanks & Associates Real Estate. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

Bascom members, $275 for non-members.

828.787.2865 or www.thebascom.org.

arts & entertainment

Huck Embroidery Workshop at Dogwood

290-59

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arts & entertainment

On the beat

Lasher brings country-rock to Sylva Country/southern rocker Joe Lasher Jr. will perform at 6 p.m. May 9 at Bridge Park Pavilion in Sylva.

Born and bred in the Western North Carolina mountains, 18-year-old Lasher is quickly gaining the attention of music lovers across the Southeast. Although he's young in age, his voice and musicianship is that of a seasoned veteran. The “Down Home Tour” is visiting towns across the region.

Tickets for each concert are $7 at the gate or five non-perishable canned food items. All proceeds will benefit local MANNA Food Bank partner agencies. Sylva’s concert will benefit the Community Table. The money and food raised at each venue will remain in the county where the performance takes place. The radio station 99.9 KISS Country will also be involved with the tour and its promotion.

The event is sponsored by Ingles Markets. www.mountainlovers.com or 828.586.2155.

Joe Lasher Jr. will play May 9 in Sylva. Donated photo

• Andrews Brewing Company will have CaroMia (Americana/folk) at 5 p.m. May 1, Goldie & The Screamers (soul/R&B, $5) 7 p.m. May 2, Andrew Chastain (singer-songwriter) 6 p.m. May 8 and Copious Jones (jam/rock, $5) 7 p.m. May 9.

All shows are free, unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will have The Sauce Boss (blues/rock) at 8 p.m.

• Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have Dallas Wesley (singer-songwriter) May 1, Joe Cruz (pop/piano) May 2, Jay Brown (blues/roots) May 8 and Dana & Susan Robinson (folk/Americana) May 9. All shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

Brasstown Ringers spring concert The Brasstown Ringers will “ring in” spring with their concert musical “Springtime Potpourri” at 7 p.m. Friday, May 8, at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin.

The performance will include classical number “Rondo Passacaglia,” traditional spiritual “By and By,” musical show tunes such as “Do-Re-Mi” from the “Sound of Music” and an African jazz piece called “Sherekea Usafari!” (“Celebrate the Journey!”). The group is also especially excited to play Fred Gramann's “Prelude on Herzliebster Jesu.”

The concert is free, with good will offerings gratefully accepted.

Dove, Grammy winner to play Franklin Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Laura Story will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Laura Story till hit the stage May 8 in Franklin. Donated photo 290-49

Smoky Mountain News

April 29-May 5, 2015

ALSO:

May 1, Dave Desmelik (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. May 2, The Robinson’s 7 p.m. May 8 and The Ryan Cavanaugh Duo (blues/bluegrass) at 8 p.m. May 9. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

The Brasstown Ringers will perform on May 8 in Franklin. Donated photo

Friday, May 8, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Story has won several Dove Awards and a Grammy Award. Her music career began in 1996 when she met Shane Williams from the band Silers Bald. She left the band in 2002 and began working on her first album, “Indescribable.” Her song “Blessings” earned Story a Grammy for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Song” in 2012, as well as “Song of the Year” at the GMA Dove Awards.

Story’s latest album, “God Of Every Story,” is full of inspiring tunes that encourages listeners and tells stories through her music. Aside from making music and writing books, Story also works at Perimeter Church in Atlanta, leading music and women’s ministries.

Tickets are $18 per person. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

First Friday of each Month 6-9 p.m.

find us at: facebook.com/smnews 30

May through December

WAYNESVILLEGALLERYASSOCIATION.COM Funded in part by Haywood County Tourism Development Authority • 1.800.334.9036 • visitNCsmokies.com

On the beat

• First United Methodist Church (Waynesville) will host the Haywood Community Chorus Spring Concert at 4 p.m. May 3. Free.

828.557.9187.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Pismo Spanky (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. May 1, Chris Minick (singersongwriter) 6 p.m. May 7 and live music during The Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival starting at 11 a.m. May 9. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m.

828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night April 29 and May 6, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo April 30 and May 7. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• The Lost Hiker (Highlands) will have The Corbitt Brothers (southern rock) May 1 and The Tyler Denning Band (blues/pop) May 9.

Both shows are free and begin at 9 p.m.

828.526.8232 or www.thelosthikerbar.com.

• Oconaluftee Visitors Center (Cherokee) will have an old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m.

May 2. All skill levels welcomed. www.greatsmokies.com.

• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will have Gary Carter May 1, Tom Johnson May 2, David Spangler May 8 and Southridge May 9. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• The Stompin’ Ground (Maggie Valley) is now open for live mountain music and dancing at 8 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.926.1288.

• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will have Mangas Colorado (Americana/bluegrass) April 30 and The Delta Billies (Americana/rock) May 7. Both shows begin at 7:45 p.m., with tickets $8 in advance, $10 at the door. www.38main.com or 828.283.0079.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have James Stinnett (singer-songwriter) 9 p.m. May 1, Cinco De Beardo (facial hair competition) with My Mother the Mountain (bluegrass/Americana) 7 p.m. May 5 and Dave Desmelik (singer-songwriter) 9 p.m.

May 8. All shows are free. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• Tuck’s Tap & Grille (Cullowhee) will have DJ AMinor April 30, DJ X May 7, PMA (jam/rock) May 8 and The Corbitt Brothers (southern rock) May 9. Bands go on at 9 p.m., DJs at 10 p.m.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will have Jonny Monster Klenck (blues/rock) May 1-2, Humps & The Blackouts (rockabilly/hard rock) May 8 and Nathan Kalish & The Last Callers (roots/Americana) May 9. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. 828.586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will have the Brass Ensemble April 29 and Choral Ensembles April 30 in the Coulter Building. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. A Mountain Winds Concert will be at 7:30 p.m. May 5 in the Bardo Arts Center. www.wcu.edu.

On the stage

• Ravi Zacharias International Ministries will host guest speaker Cameron McCallister at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 3, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. The primary mission of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries is to reach and challenge those who shape the ideas of a culture with the credibility of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This particular RZIM event will be focused towards youth and college age, though all are welcome to attend. Free. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

Auditions for the classic production of “Oklahoma!” will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 3-4 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Principal roles in this show have been cast, but all other roles are still open. The production opens on HART’s mainstage on July 10 and runs through Aug. 2.

“Oklahoma!” is one of Rogers and Hammerstein’s most popular musicals. All actors should come with sheet music.

There will be an accompanist provided.

Actors do not need to come with monologues prepared, but may be asked to read from the script by the director.

The show will begin rehearsals on May 18 and rehearsals are generally from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday,

with actors called only when needed.

Anyone unable to attend the scheduled auditions should contact HART at harttheater@gmail.com to arrange another time. www.harttheater.org.

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• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will have Ben Sutton & The Ends (rock) May 1 and Positive Mental Attitude (jam/rock) May 9. All shows are free and begin at 8:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

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arts & entertainment

• Derailed Bar & Lounge (Bryson City) will have Heidi Holton (blues/folk) at 7 p.m. May 2. 828.488.8898.

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

A withering cultural critic takes aim n Withering Slights: The Bent Pin Collection (National Review Books, 2015, ISBN 978-0-9847650-3-4, 186 pages, $24.95), Florence King demonstrates once again why she remains, even in poor health, one of America’s most biting and genuinely funny social and political critics.

Like Deja Reviews: Florence King All Over Again and Stet, Damnit!: The Misanthrope’s Corner, Withering Slights offers us a collection of writings by King that first appeared in the conservative magazine, National Review. And like these two books and several other volumes, including Writer Reflections in a Jaundiced Eye and Lump It or Leave It, King brings that famous jaundiced eye to the contemporary scene.

Though she has written for more than 25 years for what most politicos would regard as America’s quintessential magazine of the Right, King should appeal to readers across the political spectrum, provided they own a sense of humor. (And let’s face it: many of those immersed in politics these days, whether on the left or the right, are as humorless as dirt). Her sense of the ridiculous and the absurd have brought her readers from across the political spectrum. She was, for example, a frequent correspondent with Christopher Hitchens, the late speaker and columnist and a self-proclaimed Marxist.

Their friendship through correspondence began after King reviewed one of his books with the tag “If Christopher Hitchens is a Marxist, I want to be one too.” Derision of idiocies large and small made these two writers literary comrades.

Jeff Minick

I

Though she sometimes writes of politics, King is at her best as a cultural critic. Like H.L. Mencken, she fires off volleys at the American herd mentality, but she has plenty of ammunition left over to blast our elites as

WWII, self-growth and more at Blue Ridge There will be an array of literary events in early May at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

• Merrill Hardy will present his work Rommel is Dead: A World War II Alternative History at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2. In this alternative history of World War II, General Erwin Rommel is dead before D-Day, before he believes Hitler should step down from power, and before he is forced to commit suicide.

• Local children’s author and illustrator Tony Antonino Jr. will celebrate National Children’s Book Week at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9. Antonino has written a children’s book entitled Fritz Fombie Have No Fear, which he will read from.

He will also be teaching the kids how to draw

Withering Slights: The Bent Pin Collection

by Florence King. National Review Books, 2015.

186 pages. well. She rails against our infatuation with children, our ignorance of the past, our obsession with youth, our worship of celebrities.

She lampoons men and women who weep in public, cars that have become “computers on wheels”, the current state of Hollywood moviemaking, medical practices, big government, and lying politicians (but there — I repeat myself ).

manga —a Japanese comic art.

• Author Tina Firewolf will present her latest work Beneath the Chatter: The Wise Self Awaits at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 9. The book is an engaging contemplative verbal and visual experience both wise and whimsical, with gentle and yet raw honesty. It is like having a conversation with your most wise self within.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

Here is King’s take on one of her rare visits to a physician: They asked me how much I drank and I said, “I don’t know. After I finish writing, I unwind with two or three or four, depending, then when I’m hungry I eat.” The ER doctor quoted only the numbers and added, in that tight-sphinctered medical prose: “Patient admits to doing this heavy drinking for many years.” If doctors worked on newspapers they would know what heavy drinking really is, but they don’t, so officially and for posterity, I am a designated drunk.

My doctor latched on to this, probably weighing addiction specialties. “What do you drink?”

“Vodka.” “’Straight?”

“No, I have Russian wet-nurses.” She asked for a definition. “It’s a vodka and milk highball,” I explained.

“You drink that?”

“Don’t worry, it’s skim milk.”

Throughout her essay collections, King often holds up movies and television as mirrors for our buffoonery. Here in Withering Slights, she uses our entertainment industry both to compare and contrast current events.

In the essay “Breakdown,” for example, where she sneers at Ellen DeGeneres for her public and hysterical weeping on a comedy show, King brings up the 1940s Abbott & Costello radio performance when, a few hours before the show was scheduled to start live, Lou Costello learned that his son had drowned.

The show wasn’t canceled; the news of his son’s death was withheld until the performance ended; and Costello went on the air with “the same ding-dong hot timing, the same consistent, exquisitely calibrated balance between the two very different personalities, straight man and fall guy, that had inspired a critic to call their ‘Who’s On First?’ routine ‘a

— according to author Seamus McGraw — will be presented 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Betting the Farm on a Drought is a collection of stories gathered from farmers, fishermen, ranchers and sportsmen across the country.

McGraw seeks to find a middle-of-the-road approach that he believes could be the only path to a sustainable energy future.

828.586.9499.

Book tackles front lines Liar’s Night with of climate change Richardson, Mason A book exploring the issue of climate change through the eyes of “people who are not ideologically, politically or in some cases even religiously predisposed to believe in man-made climate change, but who are dealing with it nonetheless”

A “night of lying” will occur with a joint reading by writers Kim Michele Richardson and Jamie Mason at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

work of art.’” The next day, editorialists and commentators heaped praise on Costello for this act, labeling him a “trouper” and a “thoroughbred.” In such a situation today, critics would undoubtedly label him a man with ice in his heart.

In “Her Other Two Opponents,” King examines Hilary Clinton and the election of 2008 by contrasting her candidacy with Bear Grylls in the survivalist show “Man vs. Wild,” where the intrepid Bear enters the wilds of deserts, mountains, and jungles armed with nothing but his two hands “and … well, those other two things.”

During one of these performances, Bear decides to spend a cold evening in the desert in the company of a dead camel. He skins the camel to make a blanket, then cuts open the belly to find extra water. King writes: “Camels are huge and have lots of entrails — brown, green, purple, yellow, pink, in all shapes and sizes. Bear’s search might strike male viewers as the essence of strength and resourcefulness, but all I could think of were those times when women root through our chaotic handbags babbling, ‘I just know it’s in here someplace.’”

At the end of Withering Slights, Florence King inadvertently reveals that, like Lou Costello, she is a class act, a thoroughbred.

After stoically and briefly describing her current physical difficulties, she writes, “my most fervent prayer is ‘Please let me die in the saddle.’ A writer must write. Writing is oxygen; a real writer is driven to write as long as it is mentally and physically possible.”

So here’s to you, Florence King. In that politically incorrect parlance you so often celebrate, you are one tough old broad.

And damned funny, too.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. He can be reached at minick0301@gmail.com.)

Richardson’s novel Liar’s Bench is set in Kentucky. It is the summer of 1972 and Mudas Summers is on a quest to find the truth in a town that keeps its secrets all too well. Running through the tale of two Kentucky hangings more than a hundred years apart is the story of Muddy and Bobby finding each other and themselves while forced to grow up fast in a time and place where the KKK is still a power, the South is struggling to find itself, and teens are caught between old and new ways of growing up.

Mason’s book Mondays’ Lie is a new thriller about a woman who digs into her unconventional past to confirm what she suspects: her husband isn't what she thought he was. Using spy techniques gleaned from her deceased mother, a former covert operative, Dee Aldrich discovers the truth about the man who she thought was the safe choice. www.citylightsnc.com.

Indie Bookstore Day at City Lights books

Independent Bookstore Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Following the runaway success of last year’s California Bookstore Day, bookstores across the nation are now preparing for Independent Bookstore Day, a country-wide celebration of books and independent bookstores.

From Bend to Brooklyn, book lovers should mark their calendars for this special day of literary parties. The 16 exclusive books and art pieces for IBD 2015 will be available only at participating Independent Bookstore Day bookstores. Items include a signed, original Chris Ware print; a signed chapbook of original essays by the bestselling author of Bad Feminist, Roxane Gay; a Margaret Atwood stencil, a literary map of the seas; a color broadside from Stephen King’s forthcoming novel Finders Keepers; an original signed, Captain Underpants print, and much more. www.citylightsnc.com

Marshall releases rockstar novel

Tribute to McDonald at City Lights

O u r d e e p r o o t s i n t h e c o m m u n i t y l e a d u s to b e l i eve th a t h e a l th c a r e i s a b o u t c o n n e c ti n g w i th p e o pl e. It ’s a bou t k now ing w h e re you c a m e fro m, a nd k now ing w h e re you’re g oing.

H a r r i s R e g i o n a l H o s p i t a l a n d Sw a i n C o m m u n i t y H o s p i t a l a r e n o w D u ke L i f e Po i n t h o s p i t a l s .

A n d t h a t m e a n s g r e a t s t h i n g s fo r t h e c o m m u n i t i e s w e s e r v e – l i ke n e w t e c h n o l o g i e s , m o r e d o c to r s a n d e n h a n c e d s e r v i c e s .

Smoky Mountain News

Faustine Wilson, daughter of the late Victoria Casey McDonald, will present McDonald’s last novel Living in the Shadow of Slavery at 6:30 p.m. May 8 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The book continues the story of her great grandmother, Amanda, whose story began in the novel, Under the Lights of Darkness. As a slave of William Holland Thomas, Amanda faces uncertain times now that the Civil War has ended and all slaves have been declared free. Having never known freedom, she and her family must make difficult decisions on how best to survive in this new existence.

Wilson will also discuss a bit of the history of slavery in western North Carolina and the legacy of Victoria. Wilson is the owner of Survival Pride Clothing in downtown Sylva. McDonald was a preacher, teacher, storyteller, historian and author of four books. www.citylightsnc.com.

Caring Together Sets Us Apart

April 29-May 5, 2015

Mountain Xpress arts section editor Alli Marshall will present her new book How to Talk to Rockstars at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The novel is based in part with Marshall’s 14-or-so years spent interviewing artists of all genres, but especially touring musicians. The story follows wallflower-turned-journalist Bryn Thompson. She has a dream job: she interviews rockstars. Bryn’s professionalism keeps her on track, but also emotionally removed from the gritty world of back stage, bars and drugs that she writes about. That is, until she meets musician Jude Archer, whose songs haunt her. As an unlikely friendship grows out of Bryn’s obsession with Jude’s album, Bryn begins to rethink all of the carefully contrived rules that until now have helped her maintain a professional distance. www.fontanalib.org.

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34

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Pedal like a girl Women give mountain biking a try

Jennie Wydarko, a club officer for Nantahala Area SORBA, navigates a mountain trail.

J.P. Gannon photo

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER our years ago, Jennie Wydarko — then finishing up her undergrad at Virginia Tech — had barely even touched a mountain bike.

Fast forward to 2015, and she’s one of two female officers for the Nantahala Area Southern Off Road Bicycle Association, coorganizer of a women-only skills clinic and weekly ride through the club and a year out from finishing a 2,000-mile mountain bike route along the Great Divide in the Rocky Mountains.

“It always seemed like something I wanted to do,” Wydarko said of mountain biking.

“Riding a bike is kind of a large upfront cost, so I had never done that, and once I started grad school there were a lot of people there that biked, so I was able to borrow bikes.”

It was fun — a lot less terrifying than road biking, in fact, because mountain bikers don’t have to contend with cars — and a welcome release from the stresses of grad school. When her fiancé J.P. Gannon finished his Ph.D. last

F

spring, they decided to take advantage of the time between school and work to do something “awesome” with their shared hobby.

They signed up for a group ride from Banff, Alberta south to New Mexico.

“It was awesome, but it was really, really hard,” remembered Wydarko, who now lives in Cullowhee. “We had maps that were really good, but there was still an element of routefinding because a lot of the roads weren’t super well-labeled.”

The route encompassed a collection of secluded dirt-track trails, gravel roads and old railroad beds with a ride through some small Western town every few days. Because the ride began during the rainy season in the northern part of the route, it rained a lot, and the ride’s total 200,000 feet of elevation gain certainly qualified as strenuous.

“Physically it was challenging, but our bodies adjusted relatively quickly. The mental aspect was the real challenge,” Wydarko said.

“Now that I’m at work again in an office I look longingly out the window like ‘I wish I could ride my bike all day.’”

Beginning bikers work on some drills during a women-only mountain bike clinic April 25. Jennie Wydarko photo

Still, she rides as much as she can, adding her wheels to what Diane Cutler, membership coordinator for Nantahala SORBA and coowner of Bryson City Bicycles, sees as a growing interest in the mountain biking sport among women in Western North Carolina.

“There isn’t anything that should preclude women from doing mountain biking,” Cutler said. “It’s not like doing power lifting and men are bigger and bulkier in general. It’s more of a finesse-type sport, and it doesn’t take the strongest. It’s a finesse thing, and I think that’s what people are figuring out now.”

STEADY NUMBERS, GROWING INTEREST A look at the numbers would show that women are still a minority in the world of mountain biking. Overall, about 25 percent of SORBA’s membership is female, a number that Tom Sauret, SORBA’s regional director, said has held steady over the past decade.

That proportion holds in the Nantahala chapter, though Cutler said a good chunk of its non-female memberships are actually family memberships, which include female riders.

But those numbers don’t tell the whole story, Cutler said. During her days at the bike shop, she’s seen an increasing number of women come in, wanting to learn more about mountain biking. A mountain biking clinic for women that Nantahala SORBA sponsored last week garnered so much attention that the club wound up increasing its initially planned two sessions to three. Those first two sessions with Sue Haywood, a Virginia-based biker who holds four national championships and one world mountain biking championship, had filled up before the club even had a chance to advertise.

And the women-only weekly ride Nantahala SORBA launched in the fall has

Women-only riding opportunities Women looking to get comfortable on a mountain bike have some opportunities to do so in Western North Carolina. Check out one of these ride options from Nantahala Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association and Motion Makers Bicycles Shop.

■ Tuesdays at 6 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time, Nantahala Area SORBA holds a women-only ride. The group alternates between trails at Tsali Recreation Area and Western Carolina University. nantahala.area.sorba@gmail.com or 828.488.1988.

■ Wednesdays at 6 p.m., Motion Makers Bicycle hosts a women-only ride at Bent Creek near Asheville. The group meets at Ledford Parking Lot on Bent Creek Road and splits into groups for beginning and intermediate riders.

828.633.2227 or info@motionmakers.com.

seen steady buy-in as well, attracting a dedicated cohort of women to ride the trails at Tsali Recreation Area and Western Carolina University together.

“The women’s rides are just much more social,” said Wydarko, who worked with Cutler on the ride and clinic. “There’s a lot of camaraderie. We don’t drop anyone. It’s just a fun pace.”

A lot of the women she sees come through the shop, Cutler said, like the idea of mountain biking but just don’t like riding with their husbands or boyfriends. The men tend to push them too far too fast, and it winds up being stressful rather than fun.

“What I always tell them is ‘You can ride the same trail as your husband or your boyfriend,’” Cutler said. “Just ride it at your pace.”

DELAYED ENTRY While a lot of male mountain bikers started riding the trails as adrenaline-junkie teenagers, most females in the sport picked it up at a later age — it takes a while to build up the skills to cruise the trails as fast as a more experienced rider, Wydarko said.

Cutler is one of those late-start mountain bikers. She’d ridden a road bike for years, even pedaling from New York to California in 1984. But Cutler never used a mountain bike until six years ago, when she moved to Bryson City and opened the shop with her partner Andy Zivinsky. She knew how to handle herself on a road bike, so when Zivinsky suggested they go check out the trails at Tsali, she figured she’d be fine.

“I borrowed a bike from a friend,” Cutler recalled. “It was a little too big and the tires were filled a little too high with air. I wiped out like six times to try to keep up with him. I was muddy and bloody and it was a very intimidating experience.”

Then, Cutler began riding

12-hour mountain bike relay returns to Tsali outdoors

Hundreds of mountain bikers will loop the trails at Tsali Recreation Area for 12 hours straight during 12 Hours of Tsali on Saturday, May 2.

Teams of up to four bikers will hand off a team baton and water bottle as they follow a loop through the trail system from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The teams that complete the most laps during the event win. New this year is a three-hour class in addition to the traditional 12-hour one. www.goneriding.com. Cash prizes are awarded to top finishers in gender and team size categories.

Trail schedule changes at Tsali The longstanding schedule of alternating trail use for mountain bikers and equestrians at Tsali Recreation Area near Bryson City will see a shakeup this spring with a new schedule, designed to give both user groups access during the most popular days of the week.

In May, July, August and October, mountain bikers will ride the Right and Left Loop on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and the Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Horseback riders will take the Right and Left Loop on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and the Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

During the remaining months, the schedule will flip-flop so that horseback riders use the Right and Left Loop Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and the Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop during the rest of the week. Mountain bikers will ride the Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and take the Right and Left Loop during the remainder of the week.

Hikers can use any trail at any time. The new schedule will kick in on May 1.

with other women.

“We did the same types of trails, but at a more comfortable pace,” she said.

That’s pretty much what happens at the club’s weekly women’s ride. The goal is to make the ride a safe place for beginners but also encourage budding riders to take the downhill a little faster than the last time or attempt to go over a root they might have avoided before.

“It’s good to have the core group about your level, and we push and strive for something a little bit tougher,” Cutler said.

While there might be nothing inherently male about mountain biking, there’s no denying that it has been seen as a traditionally male sport. Some of that might have to do with the mental image of “huge drops and giant things you have to jump over or go super fast over,” Wydarko said — adren-

aline-inducing experiences that often attract men.

Whatever the reason, she said, “for a long time, the industry was really targeted to men.” At first, companies didn’t make mountain bikes built for women’s bodies, or mountain bike gear to accommodate them.

That’s starting to change.

“Now there are women-specific bikes and women-specific handlebars and the clothing and everything,” Cutler said.

Smoky Mountain News

A biker tries out an obstacle during the intermediate session at last weekend’s mountain biking clinic. Jennie Wydarko photo

April 29-May 5, 2015

INCREASING OPPORTUNITY

There is also increasing opportunity to use them.

“There are so many trails out there being built,” Cutler said. “Here in our area [Bryson City] it’s pretty static at this point, but we have a lot of trails at Deep Creek, Tsali, Forest Service roads, WCU trails.”

And in the wider region — Atlanta, Charlotte, Hayesville — new trails are being built all the time.

“I think just with the proliferation of trails, it’s convenient for a lot more people,” Cutler said. “It’s fun, it’s convenient and there are more opportunities popping up all the time.”

Which is great, because in the end being a female mountain biker is not a statement about gender. It’s just a statement about wanting to have an active hobby — though, Wydarko said, apparently the Internet doesn’t always think so. Just last week she was searching for photos of female mountain bikers to use in a Facebook post for the club. Google provided four categories of images to choose from: professional, and then “hot, sexy and the name of some woman who was on a bikini while on a bike,” she said.

Which, needless to say, would not be the most comfortable way to ride a mountain bike. Wydarko wasn’t ready to say that a Google image search is necessarily representative of some pervading cultural perception about women on mountain bikes. But she was ready to say that it’s quite helpful for women with an interest in the sport to have serious role models to look up to.

“That’s why I think it’s valuable to have group rides where you can interact with other women who are riding, and a skills clinic,” Wydarko said. “It’s helpful to see strong, accomplished women rather than ones wearing bikinis.

“Not that you can’t be strong and accomplished with a bikini on,” she laughed, “but there’s a time and a place.”

35

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National forest sites open for spring With warmer weather comes the opening of a lengthy list of campgrounds and recreation sites in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests that had been closed for the winter.

Newly reopen recreation areas include: ■ Nantahala District: Nantahala River facilities and Wayah Bald.

■ Pisgah District: Cradle of Forestry and Lake Powhatan.

Newly reopen campgrounds include: ■ Nantahala District: Appletree Group Camp, Balsam Lake Lodge, Standing Indian Campground and Van Hook Glade.

■ Pisgah District: Lake Powhatan Campground and Sunburst Campground, which has vault toilets only and no drinking water until midMay. A complete list of spring openings is available at www.1.usa.gov/1HxwN5s.

Weekend fly clinic offered to women A three-day weekend May 15-17 will cover all basics to help women get started in the sport of fly fishing.

Held at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education near Brevard, the course will feature one-on-one instruction in casting techniques, stream ecology, basic knots and fly-tying. On the final day, participants will practice their new skills in a guided fly fishing experience on prime trout waters. All equipment is provided.

The program is part of N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program. $125, with scholarships available.

919.218.3638 or bb.gillen@ncwildlife.org.

Smoky Mountain News

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From Hwy. 19/23 take Exit 104 towards Lake Junaluska; continue 1/2 mile to Haywood Medical Park on the left.

A free fly fishing clinic on the West Fork of the Pigeon River in the Shining Rock Wilderness in Haywood County will give beginners a chance to learn under experienced instructors 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 7.

Topics will include fishing regulations, wading, reading the water, fly selection, presentation, casting, knots and stream entomology — all during a relaxed morning of fishing. Equipment provided.

Put on by the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and based from the Sunburst Recreational Area along N.C. 215 past Lake Logan. www.ncwildlife.org/learning/educationcenters/pisgah.aspx or 828.877.4423.

Hike takes in new Mountains-to-Sea trail segment

A 5K walk at 6 p.m. Friday, May 1, along the Little Tennessee Greenway in Franklin will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and involve activities, food and festivities for families to make a night of it.

There is no fee to participate in the Great Strides 5K, but fundraising is encouraged. Check-in starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Big Bear Shelter.

Register at www.fightcf.cff.org.

View from Waterrock knob. SMN photo

Mothers Day 5K to combat diabetes

Excursion series offers a full gamut of activities

Whitewater falls. Donated photo

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust will kick off its annual lineup of eco tours to ecologically important areas throughout the region with a wildflower hike to Whitewater Falls Thursday, April 30, led by botanist Gary Wein.

The all-day hike will navigate steep terrain, beginning at the top of the trail and working down, with a picnic lunch included along the way.

Next up is a May 16 float trip down the Little Tennessee River, planned in conjunction with Land Trust for the Little Tennessee. Future excursions in the monthly series will include Horse Cove, Serpentine Barrens, Bald Rock and a trip to see the Cataloochee elk. $10 for members; $35 for nonmembers with $10 for each additional family member. www.hicashlt.org/eco-tours.html. julie.hitrust@earthlink.net or 828.526.1111.

Haywood summer soccer starts up It’s time to put together teams for the Haywood County adult soccer league with a registration deadline of Wednesday, May 20.

Games are played Monday and Wednesday evenings in June and July at Allens Creek Park in Waynesville. The $365 per-team registration fee includes a soccer jersey for each player and tournament prizes. Teams number seven to 13 players, with a limit of 10 teams in the league.

Organized by Haywood County Recreation and Parks. drtaylor@haywoodnc.net or 828.452.6789.

A 5K Run/Walk celebrating Mother’s Day will step off from Kituwah Mound, a cultural and spiritual site between Cherokee and Bryson City known as the Mother Town of the Cherokee people, at noon on Saturday, May 9.

The route will offer a complete review of the historic site, once the center of an important Cherokee village, following road, farm roads and trails. Proceeds will go toward the Cherokee Dialysis Support Group and Dialysis Center. The event is sponsored by Cherokee Choices, a diabetes prevention group.

Registration is $20 for adults and $5 for children under 13 and seniors over 59. T-shirt is included in registration. www.runsignup.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

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outdoors

A hike along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Haywood-Jackson county line on Sunday, May 10, will show off a newly completed extension that Carolina Mountain Club has spent the last 10 years building.

Kate Dixon, executive director of the Friends of the MST, will come along on this 10-mile hike led by Asheville writer and hiking guide Danny Bernstein. The trek will begin with an in-and-out hike to Waterrock Knob along the Blue Ridge Parkway between Waynesville and Maggie Valley followed by a downhill hike to Balsam Gap using a car shuttle.

RSVP to Bernstein at 828.450.0747 or danny@hikertohiker.com.

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Falconer to share the wonders of birds of prey A discussion on falconry and the importance of birds of prey to a healthy ecosystem — as well as a chance to meet those birds — will be the centerpiece of Trout Unlimited Cataloochee’s next meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Rendezvous Restaurant in Maggie Valley.

Jeff Curtis, a licensed falconer and guide

Getting you there is what we do.

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April 29-May 5, 2015

290-27

AMUSE Introducing

Smoky Mountain News

Make grazing amazing A program to help farmers improve the profitability, health and environmental sustainability of their grazing operations will be held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the pasture of Gary Taylor on Sugar Fork Road in Franklin.

The free Amazing Grazing program, presented by Macon County Cooperative Extension, seeks to show farmer how to achieve these three themes to create a production system that is good for farmers and their neighbors. Lunch is provided.

RSVP to Pam Bell, 828.421.2909.

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with Curits Wright Outfitters, will share his birds and perspective on an ancient sport that’s evolved from a simple nomadic tradition to the sport of royalty to the now highly regulated pastime enjoyed by more than 4,000 falconers here in U.S. and tens of thousands around the world. tuataloochee427@gmail.com.

AshevilleWineandFood.com

Coveted viewing slots for Smokies firefly show to go live The time is drawing near for synchronous fireflies to once more light up the night in the Smokies, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced this year’s dates for up-close firefly viewing at the park’s Elkmont Campground.

The park has a limited number of passes to see the fireflies from Tuesday, June 2, through Tuesday, June 9. The passes, which cost $1.50 each, can be reserved starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 30, at www.recreation.gov. Typically, they sell out within

minutes of going on sale, though the park holds back 85 passes for each day to go on sale at 10 a.m. the day before the event.

During each evening, shuttles ferry viewers to and from the campground for an additional $1 per person. The prices are designed to regulate the number of people flooding the site at any one time rather than as a way for the park to make money.

Synchronous fireflies are a particular species of firefly that lives only in certain habitats at certain elevations. For a short window each year, they give a showy mating ritual in which all the males in the forest blink simultaneously, making the forest appear to be lit by blinking Christmas lights. The annual event at Elkmont attracts viewers from across the region.

Where to hike in Macon County?

A talk on where to hike in Macon County will give listeners some ideas for their next excursion during Franklin’s Friends of the Greenway gathering at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 7, at their headquarters on Main Street.

Olga Pader, President of the Nantahala Hiking Club, will give the lowdown on trails as well as discuss club activities, Franklin’s status as an Appalachian Trail Community and a national study documenting the changes in plant and animal lives affected by climate change. frog28734@gmail.com

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Members of the Haywood County Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Task force are urging all community members to wear jeans on “Denim Day,” April 29 as a visible means to promote sexual violence prevention and education. www.denimdayusa.org or 456.7898.

• Maggie Valley VFW grand opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at 2748 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. Ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m., live entertainment, burgers and hotdogs, beer and liquor and karaoke. Open to the public until 8 p.m.

• The Jackson County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on April 30 at the CashiersGlenville Recreation Center to consider the creation of a Fire Service District and the levying of a Fire Service Tax. Public invited to attend and offer comments.

Written comments may be submitted to Angie Winchester, clerk to the board, 401 Grindstaff Cove Road, Sylva, N.C. 28779.

• A joint High School Equivalency Diploma and Adult High School graduation ceremony is set for 7 p.m. on May 1 in Beall Auditorium at Haywood Community College in Clyde. 627.4648.

• A Macon County Public Library’s Read2Me Yard Sale is scheduled for 8 a.m. on May 2 at Premier Marketing across from the Farmer’s Market in Macon County.

524.3600.

• Folkmoot USA is selling 32 years of collected trinkets, desks, antique chairs, foam mattresses, folding and non-folding bed frames and used kitchen equipment at 8 a.m. on May 2, at Hazelwood School in Waynesville.

• “Free will or fate - what determines the future?” will be the topic for the Franklin Open Forum at 7 p.m. on May 4, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin. 371.1020.

• A public meeting to discuss the possibility of a new county animal shelter with Jackson County commissioners has been scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 4.

• The Swain County Genealogical & Historical Society meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on May 7 at the SCGHS Library in Bryson City. Networking and refreshments afterward.

Presenter covers the 17 rolls, which recorded the Eastern Cherokee from 1817 to present.

• A job fair for Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel is set for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 7 at the Snowbird Youth Center outside Robbinsville. www.caesarsjobs.com or 497.8778.

• In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War and the “Last Shot Fired” at the Battle of Waynesville, there will be a weekend of events May 8-10 at The Shelton House in Waynesville and around the community. Full schedule at www.lastshotfired.com.

452.1551 or info@sheltonhouse.org.

• The Mother’s Day Gemboree will be held May 8-10 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. www.franklin-chamber.com.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a crash course on Mobile Payment Systems in a free workshop from 5-6:30 p.m. on April 30. sbc.haywood.edu or 627.4512 to register.

• The Macon County Economic Development Commission will hold its BizWeek 2015 Banquet at 6 p.m. on April 30 at Holly Springs Baptist Church.

Keynote speaker I Scott T. Hamilton, executive director for the Appalachian Regional Commission. Bizweek Honorees will be named. Free. Registration required at

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 www.maconedc.com or by calling 369.2306.

• The Spanish Club and ESL class at Southwestern Community College and the Intensive English program at Western Carolina University will be hosting a Festival of Colors open to the public from noon-5 p.m. May 2.

339.4262 or pa_graham@southwesterncc.edu.

• An advance beginner Cherokee language class is held from 6:30-9 p.m. on May 4 and May 11 at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tenn. $40 for all four evenings. Taught by Shirley Oswalt and Mary Brown, members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian.

423.884.6246.

• “Understanding Your Resources,” a program designed to assist small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs, will be held from 10 a.m.-noon on May 5 at Haywood Community College. sbc.haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• An introduction to MS Word class is offered at 5:45 p.m. on May 6, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.

• The Jackson County Business and Industry Advisory Committee will hold a regular meeting at 3 p.m. on May 6 in Conference Room A-227 of the Jackson County Justice and Administration Building in Sylva.

• Haywood County Chamber’s Issues and Eggs will feature guest speaker Dr. Michael Dempsey, Dean and Director of Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville, at 8 a.m. on May 6 at Laurel Ridge Country Club. $12 members; $15 non-members.

456.3021 or info@haywoodchamber.com.

• A ribbon cutting and open house is scheduled for 4 p.m. on May 7 at Maggie Valley Wellness, which is expanding and celebrating its new shop next door – across the entrance to Maggie Valley Club.

• Emily Breedlove, president of Small Town Ventures, will present free workshops for regional businesses and nonprofit organizations from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on May 1112 at the 210 Main Street Chamber of Commerce office in Bryson City. The first session is entitled “Monetize Your Non-Profit: Entrepreneurial Opportunities to make your Organization more Self-Sustaining.” The May 12 session is focused on supporting existing businesses and is called “Expand Your Regional Market.” Reserve a seat by calling 488.3681.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • The Western North Carolina AIDS Project’s (WNCAP) 13th annual Dining Out for Life® benefit will take place on April 30 in Asheville and the surrounding communities. Over 100 restaurants donate 20 percent of gross sales that day. www.wncap.org/dofl or Christ Winebrenner at 252.7489.

• The Waynesville Kodokan Judo Club holds its eighthannual barbecue fundraiser from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 1 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. $10 per plate. Free delivery for orders of 10 or more. Proceeds help send members to Judo Camp and help with club tournament and fall clinic. Jimmy Riggs at 506.0327.

• The Great Strides 5K walk, a fundraiser for the Cystic

Smoky Mountain News

Fibrosis Foundation, begins with a 5:30 p.m. check-in on May 1 at the Little Tennessee Greenway in Franklin.

Walk starts at 6 p.m.

• The Kids Cookin’ for a Cure Relay for Life Team will host a bake sale from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 2, outside K-Mart in Westgate Plaza. All proceeds go to Relay for Life of Franklin.

• Third Annual Birdhouse Bash & Silent Auction through the Daydreamz project and Open Door Community Gardeners. Create a birdhouse to donate for silent auction fundaiser hosted by Daydreamz project.

Drop off birdhouses at Second Blessing Thrift Store (Waynesville) now till May 7. daydeamz_project@hotmail.com or 734.1570.

• REACH’s 7th annual American Girl Tea Party is set for 2 p.m. on May 9 at Cowee Baptist Church. Food, activity booths, door prizes and silent auction. Proceeds support local domestic/sexual violence victims and their children. www.reachofmaconcounty.org/events/americangirl-tea-party/# • A Mother’s Day 5K Run/Walk is set for noon on May 9 starting at Kituwah Mound between Cherokee and Bryson City. Proceeds support Cherokee Dialysis Support Group and Dialysis Center. Sponsored by Cherokee Choices, a diabetes prevention group. Registration: $20/adults; $5/children under 13 and seniors over 59.

T-shirt included. www.runsignup.com.

• Spring tea is set for 2-4 p.m. on May 9 at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville. Tickets are $8. 452.7232.

• The Joe Lasher Jr. Band performs at 7 p.m. on May 9 at the Bridge Park Pavilion in Sylva as part of the “Down Home Tour.” Tickets are $7; proceeds benefit The Community Table. 586.6782 or ctofjackson@gmail.com. www.joelasherjr.com.

• An Indian meal, Part 2 of the “Dinner Around the World Series,” is May 15 at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville.

Seatings at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. $12 per person.

452.7232.

• Limited reservations are available for Casino Royale Night, which is from 6-11 p.m. on May 16 at Maggie Valley Club and Resort. Tickets are $100 each and include gaming chips, a door prize ticket, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary drink ticket.

HaywoodHealthcareFoundation.org or 734.6783.

• Clyde Elementary PTO is selling Asheville Tourists baseball tickets for $6 each. This is a discount of $2/adult and $1/child. Clyde Elementary gets $3 for each ticket sold. ptoclydeelementary@gmail.com or 627-2206.

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All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

9:45 a.m. on Saturdays starting May 2 at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. Six weeks. $60. Open to anyone 16 and older.

• Registration is under way for Haywood County Recreation & Parks’ adult summer soccer league, which will have games on Monday and Wednesday evenings from June 8-July 26. Deadline is Wednesday, May 20.

Register at the Haywood County Recreation & Parks office in Waynesville. 452.6789 or drtaylor@haywoodnc.net.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • An Open Door Meal & Sing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on April 29 at First United Methodist Church of Sylva.

Devotional prior to the meal. Church members provide meal and beverages.

• Ravi Zacharias International Ministries will host guest speaker Cameron McCallister at 6 p.m. May 3 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. The primary mission of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries is to reach and challenge those who shape the ideas of a culture with the credibility of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This particular RZIM event will be focused towards youth and college age, though all are welcome to attend. Free. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

• Music Makers, the First Methodist Church of Waynesville’s free community music school, will offer a musical telling of the Biblical story of Noah at 8:40 and 11 a.m. May 3. 456.9475.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • The Smoky Mountain Senior Games will be held April 24-May 15. For everyone ages 50-up. Info: 293.3053, recjacksonnc.org.

• Senior Tennis is being offered through the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department starting May 4. For ages 55 and above. Matches are from 8:30-11:30 a.m. through Oct. 30. $1 per player per day. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A class on crepe/asparagus dish is set for 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, at the Haywood Senior Resource Center.

• A class on Excel will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. each Wednesday from May 6-27 at Haywood Senior Resource Center.

HEALTH MATTERS • Jackson County Domestic Violence Task Force and REACH of Macon will hold an open house from 3-6 p.m.

April 30 at the Jackson Office in Sylva. 586.8969.

• The Haywood Regional Hospice and Palliative Care program will host a Service of Celebration and Remembrance at 4 p.m. on May 3 at the Chapel at Lake Junaluska. Through story, music, candle lighting, and other activities participants will join together to honor loved ones.

• The Franklin Relay for Life free Cancer Survivor’s Dinner will be at 6 p.m. on May 14 at Iotla Baptist Church. Guest speaker and music after the meal. Torch bearer’s name will be drawn. RSVP for dinner by calling 866.227.7798, option 3, by May 10. One guest per survivor.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • Registration is open until May 1 for a Krav Maga SelfDefense Class in Jackson County. Classes meet from 8-

KIDS & FAMILIES • The Franklin After-School Art Adventure for children and students will be held from 3:30-4:45 p.m. April 29 and May 6 at the Uptown Gallery. Free. www.thebascom.org.

• Characters from the Aristocats play will appear at story time at 10 a.m. on April 30 at Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. April 30 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. 538.2054.

• Story time and kids can make their own piece of art from 10 a.m.-noon every Saturday during the Family Art event sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council at the Jackson County Farmers Market located at the Community Table, downtown Sylva. On the first Saturday of each month, there is a scavenger hunt with prizes.

399.0290 or www.jacksoncountyfarmermarket.org.

wnc calendar

• Stop by the Macon County Public Library to sign up for its summer reading program. Every child who registers receives a coupon to the Fun Factory. Children who read at least 15 minutes a day for seven days straight will get a prize from the library; children who accomplish this for seven consecutive weeks get a $15 certificate to the Fun Factory. Program runs from June 14-Aug. 22.

• Nature Nuts: Salamanders, a program about local species, is set for 9-11 a.m. on Monday, May 4, at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Pisgah Forest.

For ages 4-7. 877.4423.

• The 82nd annual Ramp Festival will be held at noon-6 p.m. May 2-3 at the American Legion in Waynesville. Live music, arts/crafts booths, food vendors and adult beverages will be onsite, all in celebration of the naturally mountain grown wild onion.

There will also be a ramp-eating contest. www.visitncsmokies.com or 828.456.8691.

• “Eco Explorers: Bird watching,” a program that shows you distinguishing characteristics of birds at backyard feeders and in the woods, is set for 1-3 p.m. on Monday, May 4, at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Pisgah Forest. For ages 8-13. 877.4423

• The 13th annual Mini’s on the Dragon tour is set for April 30-May 2, at Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Area businesses that wish to offer special deals for the Mini Cooper group can contact Timm Muth at 631.0271 or tmuth@jacksonnc.org.

• Local children’s author and illustrator Tony Antonino Jr. will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, at Blue Ridge Book Store in Waynesville to read from his book “Fritz Fombie Have No Fear.”

• A May Day celebration with music, dancing, kids activities and special foods will be set from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on May 2, at the old Hazelwood School.

• A free hands-on gardening class for kids is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, at the Canton Branch Library. Master Gardeners will teach the square-foot gardening technique, allowing for a great yield in a small amount of space. 648.2924.

• Registration for sandlot baseball in Jackson County will be held from till May 1. Must be between ages 5-7 on May 1. Baseball will be on Monday evenings at Mark Watson Park or Wednesday evenings in Cullowhee. Starts week of May 11. 293.3053.

• A new youth volleyball league for girls in grades 4th-through-eighth will be held on six consecutive Tuesday nights starting May 12. $40. Volunteer coaches needed. 293.3053.

April 29-May 5, 2015

• Waynesville’s 14th “Whole Bloomin’ Thing” festival is set for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on May 9, in Historic Frog Level.

• Tickets for Folkmoot USA Festival 2015 events, which is set for July 16-26, are currently available, at FolkmootUSA.org. 452.2997.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • HART Theatre will present Neil Simon’s comedy “Brighton Beach Memoirs” from May 1-10 in Waynesville. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on May 1, 2, 8, 9 and at 3 p.m. on May 3 & 10. Tickets at www.harttheatre.org or by calling the HART Box Office at 456.6322 from 1-5 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. Tues-Sat. from 1-5p.m.

• A brass ensemble plays April 29 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu.

KIDS CAMPS • Registration for summer camp at Waynesville Parks and Recreation has started with early bird registration ending April 30. Camp dates are June 8-Aug. 14 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A Summer Day Camp experience for ages 6-to-11 will be offered by Cullowhee United Methodist Church from June 19-Aug. 7. 293.9215 or visit http://www.cullowheeumc.org/summer-camp-2015/.

• A TetraBrazil Soccer Camp will be offered for Academy, Challenge or Classic Level players from ages 8-15 from June 22-26 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

KIDS MOVIES • “Paddington” will be screened each Saturday in April at noon and 2 p.m. for free at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. www.38main.com or 283.0079.

Smoky Mountain News

• Thunder in the Smokies, the largest motorcycle rally in the region, is May 1-3 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. $20 for a weekend pass. Music concerts, tour ride, vendors and more. 246.2101 or www.thunderinthesmokies.com.

• Saturday morning cartoons play for free at 11 a.m. at the Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. 283.0079 or www.38main.com.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

• Art After Dark, an opportunity to stroll through participating galleries, is set for 6-9 p.m. on May 1 in downtown Waynesville and Historic Frog Level.

Wendelyn Cordwell will demonstrate her technique using torn paper and paint to create collages at 40 Beverly Hanks on Main Street.

• Choral ensembles perform April 30 in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu.

• Mangas Colorado (Americana/bluegrass) will play at 7:45 p.m. on April 30 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. $8 in advance; $10 at the door. www.38main.com or 283.0079.

• Mountain Community Chorus will hold its 41st consecutive spring concert at 7 p.m. on May 1 and at 3 p.m. on May 3 in the Clegg Fine Arts Building on the Young Harris College Campus.

• Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) will have a Mountain Winds Concert at 7:30 p.m. on May 5 in the Bardo Arts Center. www.wcu.edu.

• The first “Art After Dark” of the season will feature singer/songwriter Matt Welborn from 6-9 p.m. on May 1 at Mohagany House Art Gallery and Studios in Waynesville. 246.0818 or www.themohaganyhouse.com.

• “West Side Story” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. on May 1 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Presented by the Asheville Lyric Opera. Tickets start at $20. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 524.1598.

• American Idol winner and Asheville-native Caleb Johnson will play Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center at 7:30 p.m. on May 2 in Cherokee. Tickets $28 and under. 800.745.3000 or ticketmaster.com.

and Jerry Garcia as well as originals at 7:30 p.m. on May 7 at the Strand. $8 in advance; $10 at the door.

7 p.m. on May 5 at the Tipping Point Brewing in Waynesville. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• Brasstown Ringers will present their “Springtime Potpourri” concert at 7 p.m. on May 8, at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Free. Good-will offering taken at end of program.

• Wine on Wednesday is set for 6-8 p.m. on May 6 and 13 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free wine tasting with dinner ($15 minimum) or $6 per person.

452.6000.

• Laura Story, a contemporary Christian singer-songwriter who has won several Dove Awards and a Grammy Award, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts on May 8. Tickets: $18.

Greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

• Chris Minick (singer-songwriter) plays at 6 p.m. on May 7 and at 11 a.m. on May 9 during the Whole Bloomin’ Thing at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville Free. 454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

•The Fontana Ramblers perform at 8 p.m. on May 9, at Fontana Village Resort.

• Legendary comedian Jay Leno will perform at 7:30 p.m. on May 30, at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Event Center. Tickets start at $43. Ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.

NIGHTLIFE

• DJ X performs at 9 p.m. on May 7 at Tuck’s Tap & Grille in Cullowhee.

• PMA (jam/rock) plays at 9 p.m. on May 8 at Tuck’s Tap & Grille in Cullowhee.

• Dave Desmelik (singer-songwriter) performs at 9 p.m. on May 8 at the Tipping Point Brewing in Waynesville. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• Andrew Chastain (singer-songwriter) plays at 6 p.m. on May 8 at Andrews Brewing Company. Free. www.andrewsbrewing.com

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night at 8 p.m. April 29 and May 6. www.innovationbrewing.com.

• The Robinson’s play at 7 p.m. on May 8 at BearWaters Brewing in Waynesville. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo at 8 p.m. on April 30 and May 7. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Humps & The Blackouts (rockabilly/hard rock) perform at 9 p.m. on May 8 at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. Free. 586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Dallas Wesley (guitar/vocals, Americana/originals) will perform at 7 p.m. on May 1 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000.

• Jay Brown (guitar, harmonica, vocals) performs blues, bluegrass, American roots music and originals at 7 p.m. on May 8 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000.

• DJ A-Minor plays at 9 p.m. on April 30 at Tuck’s Tap & Grille in Cullowhee.

• CaroMia (Americana/folk) plays May 1 at Andrews Brewing Company. Free. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• The Sauce Boss plays at 8 p.m. on May 1 at BearWaters Brewing in Waynesville. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Pismo Spanky (singer-songwriter) at 7 p.m. May 1. Free.

454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Ben Sutton & The Ends (rock) will play at 8:30 p.m. on May 1 at Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City.

Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will have James Stinnett (singer-songwriter) at 9 p.m. on May 1. Free.

• Gary Carter performs at 8 p.m. on May 1 at Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin.

Free. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• The Corbitt Brothers (southern rock) will play at 9 p.m. on May 1 at the Lost Hiker in Highlands.

526.8232 or www.thelosthikerbar.com.

• Johnny Monster Klenck (blues/rock) will perform at 9 p.m. on May 1-2 at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. Free.

586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Tom Johnson performs at 8 p.m. on May 2 at Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin.

Free. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• Goldie & The Screamers will play May 2 at Andrews Brewing Company. Free. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Dave Desmelik (singer-songwriter) plays at 7 p.m. on May 2 at BearWaters Brewing in Waynesville. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

• The Haywood Community Chorus will join with local bluegrass musicians to offer a program of old and new American music at 4 p.m. on May 3 at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Free; contributions accepted.

• Heidi Holton (singer-songwriter) plays at 7 p.m. on May 2 at DeRailed Bar & Lounge in Bryson City.

488.8898.

• Auditions for HART Theatre’s production of “Oklahoma!” are set for 6:30 p.m. on May 3 and 4 at HART in Waynesville. Principal roles have been cast, but other roles are open. harttheater@gmail.com.

• Joe Cruz (piano, vocals) performs songs from the likes of the Beatles, Elton John and James Taylor at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000.

• The Delta Billies (Rockabilly, western swing, blues) perform music from Bob Wills to Hank Williams to Elvis

• Cinco De Beardo, facial hair competition, with My Mother the Mountain (bluegrass/Americana) will be at

• Goldie & The Screamers will play May 2 at Andrews Brewing Company. Free. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Dana and Susan Robinson (guitar, banjo, fiddle, vocals) play new-time/old-time music at 7 p.m. on May 9, at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000.

• Nathan Kalish & The Last Callers (roots/Americana) play at 9 p.m. on May 9 at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. Free. 586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• The Corbitt Brothers (southern rock) plays at 9 p.m. on May 9 at Tuck’s Tap & Grille in Cullowhee.

• The Ryan Cavanaugh Duo (blues/bluegrass) plays at 8 p.m. on May 9 at BearWaters Brewing in Waynesville. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

• Copious Jones (jam/rock) plays at 7 p.m. on May 9 at Andrews Brewing Company. $5. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• The Tyler Denning Band (blues/pop) play at 9 p.m. on May 9 at the Lost Hiker in Highlands. 526.8232 or www.thelosthikerbar.com.

• Positive Mental Attitude (jam/rock) play at 8:30 p.m. on May 9 at Nantahala Brewing in Byrson City. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Stompin’ Ground (Maggie Valley) is now open for live mountain music and dancing at 8 p.m.

Saturday. 926.1288.

BOOKS & AUTHORS • Student poet Mary Christensen will be featured at 6:30 p.m. on April 30 at the Jackson County Library in Sylva as part of the Gilbert Chappell Distinguished Poetry Series. 586.2016.

• Cherokee artist Luzene Hill will describe the process of making images and adapting text for the Cherokeelanguage book “Spearfinger” at 7 p.m. on May 2 in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.

• History with Merrill Hardy, author of “Rommel is Dead: A World War II Alternative” is set for 3 p.m. on May 2 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. 456.6000. www.blueridgebooks.com.

• Wiley Cash, author of “A Land More Kind Than Home” and “This Dark Road to Mercy,” will be the featured speaker for the Friends of the Library Annual Meeting at 7 p.m. on May 7 at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

• Mountain Xpress arts section editor Allie Marshall will discuss her new novel “How to Talk to Rockstars” at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

wnc calendar

• “Beneath the Chatter: The Wise Self Awaits” with Tina Firewolf is at 3 p.m. on May 9 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • An Animal Sculptures class with Barry Gregg will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1 and 3 at The Bascom in Highlands. The workshop explores form, surface and essence in creating a life totem. Cost is $225 for Bascom members, $275 for non-members.

828.787.2865 orwww.thebascom.org.

• An indoor flea market will be held from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 2 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.

Booths for rent cost $20. Set-up is 5-7 p.m. on Friday, May 1. For booth info, call 400.1704.

• The Taste of Home Cooking School will be held at 6:30 p.m. on May 2, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Two-hour demonstration of existing recipes, cooking tips and innovative products. Tickets: $15. www.greatmountainmusic.om or 524. 1598.

• A Clay Castles workshop with Allison Anne Brown will be from 10 a.m. to noon May 5, 12 and 19 at The Bascom in Highlands. The class will focus on the use of slab construction to build small ceramic structures that resemble building or dwellings. Cost is $25.

828.787.2865 orwww.thebascom.org.

• Canvas Art, Kountry Crafters Extension and Community Association group, meets at 6 p.m. May 5, at Tuckasegee Wesleyan Church. 586.4009.

• Folk Festival Front Porch interviews will be held at 2 and 6 p.m. on May 6, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Both showings feature interviews with Bruce Bryant, Dorothy Seagle and Arnold “Smoky” Burnett. 524.3600.

April 29-May 5, 2015

• The Lens Luggers Photographic Association will start a Field Photography series at 6 p.m. on May 6 at the Waynesville Old Armory Recreation Center in Waynesville. Participants will meet Wednesday mornings and carpool to various locations to take photos of landmarks, wildlife and wildflowers. They’ll meet on Tuesdays to review the images. Sessions run through June 2. $48 per field shoot and $15 per Tuesday. 20 percent discount for attending all seven sessions. Bob Brytten at 627.0245 or bobfgry@aol.com.

• A needlework technique known as Huck Embroidery will be the focus of a workshop that’s set for 11 a.m.2:30 p.m. on May 11 at the Masonic Lodge in Dillsboro. Sponsored by Dogwood Crafters. Workshop costs $10, which includes fabric, pearl cotton thread, pattern and other supplies. Register at 586.2435 or junettapell@hotmail.com.

Smoky Mountain News

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • A BFA portfolio reception is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. on April 30 at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. www.wcu.edu.

• Chuck Dayton’s “Things That Fly” art opening will be from 6-9 p.m. May 1, at City Lights Café in Sylva. Free appetizers.www.citylightscafe.com.

• A drop-in reception in to view photography taken by Macon County resident Chuck Coburn in the Southwest is set for 5:30-7:30 p.m. on May 5 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• The “Countdown to Ecstasy: A Faculty Biennial” art exhibit runs till May 29 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. Featuring professional and studio artwork from WCU faculty members. www.wcu.edu.

• The 13th annual Shady Ladies’ Quilt Art Show is set for Friday through Sunday, May 29-31, at Lake Logan

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wnc calendar

Episcopal Center in Canton. The event, which will be held from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon-5 p.m. on Sunday, features more than 100 new quilts. $5 admission benefits Lake Logan Summer Camp program. Raffle quilt benefits Haywood County charities. www.logan.org for directions. Jane Cole at 456.8885.

CALL FOR VENDORS / SPONSORS • The Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking financial sponsorships for its 23rd annual Tour de Cashiers Mountain Cycling Experience, which is set for May 2. It’s the chamber’s priority event for raising funds to protect and improve the quality of life in the Cashiers area and surrounding mountain communities. Sponsorship form available at http://tinyurl.com/qjpm8d5.

• A “Front Street Arts & Crafts Show” will premiere on June 20 in Dillsboro. Silent auction will benefit Community Table of Sylva. Food and entertainment.

Vendors can apply at visit dillsboro.org or www.visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.html. 954.707.2004.

• Artists of all mediums are invited to participate in the seventh-annual fine art festival set for Oct. 3 in Dillsboro. Regional fine artists and crafters must apply by July 1. Cash prizes range from $25-100 for winners. To apply, go to www.visitdillsboro.org, write chogan4196@gmail.com, call 631.0900 or stop by the Jackson Chamber of Commerce. Food vendors may also download a food application.

• A limited number of arts and crafts vendor spots are available for the 2015 Sweet Corn Festival, set for July 11 at St. Cyprian’s Church in Franklin. 369.6997.

FILM & SCREEN

April 29-May 5, 2015

• “Inherent Vice” will be screened a 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on April 30 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• Films created by Western Carolina University students will be screened at the seventh annual Controlled Chaos Film Festival at 7 p.m. on May 1 in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $10 in advance or at the door. Proceeds and donations benefit the Motion Picture Student Project Fund. Jack Sholder at 227.2324 or jsholder@wcu.edu.

• “Gone with the Wind” will be shown at 2 p.m. on May 9-10 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. www.38main.com or 283.0079.

• “Selma” will be shown at 7 p.m. on May 8-9 and May 12-13 and May 15; as well as at 4 and 7 p.m. on May 16; as well as at 2 and 4 p.m. on May 17 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. www.38main.com or 283.0079.

Smoky Mountain News

• “Dazed and Confused” will be shown for free at 9:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in May at The

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals ■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. www.38main.com or 283.0079.

Outdoors • Rain barrels are for sale throughout spring for $80.25 each at the USDA Agriculture Service Center in Waynesville. 476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

• A bird walk along the greenway will be held starting at 8 a.m. on April 29. Meet at Macon County Public Library parking area. Sponsored by Franklin Bird Club. http://franklinbirdclub.com/ or 524.5234.

• A wildflower hike to Whitewater Falls, led by botanist Dr. Gary Wein, is scheduled for April 30.

Presented by the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. Allday, challenging hike. Picnic lunch provided. $35 donation for nonmembers; includes a one-year membership. Current members are encouraged to give a $10 donation to help cover costs. To reserve a spot, Julie.hitrust@earthlink.net or 526.1111.

• A spring wildflower walk through the Corneille Bryan Native Garden is set for May 1 in Lake Junaluska.

Observe the diversity of spring wildflowers in the mountains. $5. Van leaves at 10 a.m. from Cullowhee Recreation Center. Max Lanning at maxlanning@jacksonnc.org or 631.2020.

• A program on beginner outdoor photography is set for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 2 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Pisgah Forest. Ages 14 and up.

877.4423.

• Gateway to the Smokies Half-Marathon, sponsored by the Haywood Chamber, starts at 7:30 a.m. on May 2 on Main Street in the mini-park on N. Main. Ends at Frog Level Brewing.

• The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) will host its annual Space Day open house from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on May 2 in Rosman. Grand opening of a new section of the exhibit gallery housing an array of 290-34

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for Wildlife Education in Pisgah Forest. Equipment and materials provided. Bring lunch, slip shoes or waders. For ages 12 and up. 877.4423.

• Seamus McGraw will present his book on climate change: “Betting the Farm on a Drought” at 3 p.m. on May 2 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve books in advance, call 586.9499.

• “On the Water: Little River,“ an opportunity to practice fly-fishing skills with instructors from the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Pisgah Forest, is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 12. Equipment and materials provided. Meet at High Falls Parking Area. 877.4423.

• The 42nd annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage will be held May 2-4 at University of North Carolina Asheville. The event will feature seminars, garden tours and a variety of field trips.

• A Solarize WNC information forum will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5, in Bryson City. Attendees will learn about technologies, meet experienced installers and can take part in a question-and-answer session. www.cleanenergyfor.us/clean-energy-for-wnc/.

631.3447 or info@canaryccoalition.org.

• The Tuckaseigee River Chapter No. 373 of Trout Unlimited meets at 6:30 p.m. on May 5, at East Laporte picnic area. The chapter serves Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties.

•”Getting to Know All About Local Hiking,” Greenway Gathering No. 3, will be held at 10 a.m. on May 7 at the Friends of the Greenway Quarters in Macon County.

Olga Pader, president of the Nantahala Hiking Club, will describe the club’s activities.

• “On the Water: West Fork Pigeon River,” an opportunity to practice fly-fishing skills, will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 7. Meet at the Sunburst Recreational Area on Highway 215. For ages 12 and up. 877.4423.

• The Highlands Road Gem Show will be held May 710 at the corner of U.S. 441 and Highlands Road in Franklin. Rock, minerals, rough and cut gems, supplies, and more. Admission is free. www.franklinchamber.com.

• A solar astronomy presentation is set for 7 p.m. on May 8 at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman. Evening includes a tour of PARI’s campus and celestial observations using optical or radio telescopes. $20 per adult; $15 per senior/military personnel and $10 for children under 14. Register online at www.pari.edu or call 862.5554. cwhitworth@pari.edu.

• A spring wildflower walk of High Falls Trail is set for May 8 in Glenville. Moderate, 2-mile trail. Observe the diversity of spring wildflowers in the mountains. $5.

Van leaves at 10 a.m. from Cashiers Recreation Center. Max Lanning at maxlanning@jacksonnc.org or 631.2020.

• Wildflower Whimsy is set for May 8-9 at the Highlands Biological Station. Heavy hor d’oeuvres, wine reception, native plant auctions and guided wildflower walk. Annual fundraiser for the umbrella organization for the Botanical Garden and Nature Center. $75 for members; $100 for nonmembers.

Highlandsbiological.org/wildflower-whimsy/.

• An introduction to fly fishing is scheduled for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 9. Offered through Pisgah Center

COMPETITIVE EDGE • 12 Hours of Tsali is scheduled for 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on May 2 at the Tsali Recreation Area. Teams of up to four bikers hand off a team baton and water bottle as they follow a loop through the trail system.

Registration availability is limited: www.goneriding.com. Cash prizes awarded to top finishers in gender and team size categories.

• The inaugural Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon is set for May 2 in downtown Waynesville.

All proceeds go toward an initiative to build a greenway along Richland Creek in Waynesville. Register by searching “Gateway to the Smokies” on www.active.com.

• Registration is open for the 23rd Tour de Cashiers Mountain Cycling Experience, which is set for May 2. www.tourdecashiers.com.

• Haywood Regional Medical Center, in collaboration with American Heart Association, will present HeartChase from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 16 at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde.

Registration starts at 9 a.m. HeartChase is an interactive event that moves teams of five through 12 heart-healthy activities. All funds raised go to the American Heart Association. www.heartchasehaywood.org or 800.424.DOCS. Local businesses who wish to sponsor checkpoints at this game may call 800-424-DOCS to receive information.

FARM & GARDEN • Farm Equipment Demo Day is set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 1 at the Swain County Recreation Park Morgan Pavilion. Refreshments will be provided.

• A “Pasture-Based Livestock Education Program” will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 2 at 1469 Sugar Fork Road in Franklin. Focus is on improved animal health and well-being, good pasture management and more.

Pam Bell at 421.2909 or Robert Hawk at 736.6919.

HIKING CLUBS .

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a seven-mile hike with a 1,000-foot ascent on April 29. Stuart English at 384.4870 or stuengo@comporium.net.

• The Carolina Mountain Club will have an all-day hike on May 3. 8 miles; 1,900-foot ascent. Ashok Kudva at 698.7119, 674.1374 or ashok.kudva@att.net.

Puzzles can be found on page 46.

These are only the answers.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ARTS AND CRAFTS

MarketPlace information:

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

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

AUCTION BENEFIT AUCTION Presented by VFW Post 8013. Friday May 1, 2015 at Yellowhill Activity Center (Old Hardware Store), 1416 Acquoni Rd., Cherokee, NC. Registration Starts 10 a.m. Auction Starts 6 p.m. All Proceeds go to Support Veterans and their families. For donations and information call Mac Kelly 828.788.0026 or Steve Brown 828.497.2515.

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

ABSOLUTE AUCTION Saturday, May 9 @ 9am. 1635 East Dixon Blvd. Shelby, NC. Complete Liquidation of 74 Home & Tool Outlet. Compressors, Generators, Tools, Doors, Windows, Home Improvement, Home Decor.

704.791.8825.

NCAF5479. www.ClassicAuctions.com

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

INC.

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ATR

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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 LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS

MON-FRI 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

828-456-5387

290-50

REAL ESTATE AUCTION The Highlands Estate, Stanleytown, Virginia. Thurs., May 7, 4 pm.

13+/- acre English-style estate with a 4075± sq. ft., five-bedroom Flemish bond brick home constructed in 1938. The luxuriously appointed and meticulously maintained home has the original leaded glass windows, flooring, moldings, mantels and paneling. The spectacular professionally-designed gardens and home have been featured in the Virginia Historic Garden Week. Property also has woodlands and a small branch. The minimum bid is only $525,000. Address: 510 Edgewood Dr., Stanleytown, VA 24168.

Contact Jonna McGraw (VA#2434), Woltz & Associates, Inc., Real Estate Brokers & Auctioneers (VA#321), For more information please call 800.551.3588 or visit woltz.com.

AUCTION 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.

METAL-MACHINE SHOP AUCTION, Sheet-Metal Fabrication, MachineShop & Power Equipment, Trucks, Prime Commercial Real Estate, Wilson, NC, easy I-95 access, OnLine Bidding April 29 - May 14, www.HouseAuctionCompany.com.

252.729.1162. NCAL#7889.

ABSOLUTE AUCTION: 2BR/2BA, Home w/Full Basement.

5860 Norman Dr., Rural Hall, NC 27045. Selling to the Highest Bidder. Saturday, May 2, 12 Noon. Details: www.hallauctionco.com.

NCAL-4703/NCREB-197034.

AUCTION Friday May 8 @ 12pm. Commercial Lot at 4111 Bernau Ave, Greensboro, NC. Oliver Vernon & Assoc.

Auctions. 336.374.8520. for more information. NCAL6850/NCFL9738.

Judith Vernon Broker.

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

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

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

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 DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB. Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included. Call 800.807.7219 for $750 Off.

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

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES GET PAID WEEKLY! FT and PT mail work from home.

For full details visit: www.750weekly.com or call 512.827.0060 (24/7) SAPA

R

PET ADOPTIONS WNC MarketPlace

BE YOUR OWN BOSS! PT/FT No Exp Needed. Training Provided Not MLM No Cold Calling Earn Up to $5000 per month! Set Your Own Hours Schedule your Interviews Now at: www.bizpro104.com

ADDISON A LOVELY FLUFFY GRAY AND WHITE KITTY ABOUT 8 YEARS OLD. SHE HAS A SWEET PERSONALITY AND WOULD LOVE NAPPING ON A BIG PILLOW AFTER GETTING BRUSHED! ADDISON NEEDS A WET FOOD DIET SINCE RECENT DENTAL WORK LEFT ONLY FOUR HEALTHY CANINE TEETH. HER MOUTH FEELS BETTER NOW AND SHE IS PLAYFUL AND FUN!

April 29-May 5, 2015

BLOSSOM A YOUNG FEMALE RETRIEVER MIX WITH A PRETTY SOFT AND WAVY COAT. BLOSSOM IS QUIET, GENTLE AND GETS ALONG WELL WITH OTHER DOGS. FUR.

www.smokymountainnews.com

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

HOME BASED BUSINESS Serious impact on retirement for self-motivated people. Create your own safety net. Flex hours. FREE online training! Escalating income potential! For more info visit: www.project4wellness.com SAPA ONLINE MILLIONAIRE’S Secrets Revealed! The internet has made thousands of millionaires!

Learn their secrets. FREE info at www.revealall.info or 1.305.515.6884.

SAPA

EMPLOYMENT $1,000 WEEKLY!!

Mailing Brochures From Home.

Helping home workers since 2001.

Genuine Opportunity. NO Experience Required. Start Immediately. www.MailingMembers.com SAPA

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

FULL-TIME MECHANIC Diesel Truck/School Bus Mechanic Needed Full-Time to Maintain 8-10 Unit Fleet of Tour Trolleys; Will Consider Part-Time. Must Have Own Tools, Min. 5ys Verifiable Experience. Certifications & CDL a Plus. Excellent Opportunity for the Right Person. Contact Howard at 912.663.8687 or: howard@graylineasheville.com

LOAN ASSISTANT/BRANCH OFFICE COORDINATOR Waynesville, NC - Full Time w/ Benefits - Clerical, Accounting, Loan Processing/Service, and Customer Service. Responsible for Office Operations and Reporting. Career Advancement Potential. Associates Degree in Business or Accounting Required or Equiv. Exp. Skills in MS Office Required. 2+ Years Office Training or Equiv. Exp. Preferred. Must Be Self Driven and Able to Work Independently. Send Confidential Resume & Starting Salary Req. to: carhr@AgFirst.com

By May 4th. EEO - M/W/D/V www.carolinafarmcredit.com

HOME TIME WEEKLY! Company & Owner Operators. Regional Lanes. Verifiable Experience, CDL-A. Apply: www.driveforbrown.com, Contact Doug: 704.927.6440 (Charlotte/Western NC) Bryan: 864.430.5235 (Eastern NC) DRIVERS: CDL-A 1yr. exp. Earn $1200+ per week. Guaranteed Home Time.

Excellent Benefits & Bonuses.

100% No-Touch, 70% D&H. 855.842.8498 ATTN: Drivers- Avg. $55k/yr. $2k Sign-On Bonus. Family Company w/Great Miles. Love Your Job and Your Truck. CDL-A Req. 888.303.9731 www.drive4melton.mobi 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 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.

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

MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM Located in Beautiful Downtown Sylva, is Hiring for Line Cook and Wait Staff. Please Call or Come by Between 2 - 4pm Mon. - Fri. 828.586.3555 JOIN OUR TEAM! Guaranteed pay for Class A CDL Flatbed Drivers! Regional and OTR. Great pay/benefits/401k match.

CALL TODAY 864.649.2063. www.jgr-inc.com EOE AVIATION GRADS Work With Jetblue, Boeing, Delta, And Others- Start Here With Hands On Training For FAA Certification.

Financial Aid If Qualified. Call Aviation Institute Of Maintenance 1.866.724.5403 SAPA ATTN: CDL DRIVERS Avg $55k/yr $2K Sign-On Bonus Family Company w/Great miles Love Your Job and Your Truck CDL-A Required 1.888.592.4752 www.drive4melton.mobi SAPA 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

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 44

Equal Housing Opportunity

EMPLOYMENT WANT AN IN-DEMAND CAREER As a HVAC Technician? Offering accelerated "hands on" training to get EPA/OSHA Certified! Lifetime job placement. VA Benefits eligible! 1.877.591.1544

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT 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

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on an equal opportunity basis.

HOMES FOR SALE FOR SALE BY OWNER Two Story House in Haywood Co. Master Bedroom, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Breakfast Nook, Family Room, 1 Full Bath, 2 Half Baths on First Floor. Second Floor Consists of 2 Bedrooms Bonus Room, TV/Computer Room 1 Full Bath and a Powder Room.

2-Car Enclosed Garage, Screened-In Back Porch and Large Front Porch. Approx. 3,196 sq. ft. on 4.5 acres. $527,500.

Call 828.456.4468 or 828.400.0076 (cell).

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor shamrock13@charter.net McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

NEAR ASHEVILLE, NC. New custom built 1,328 sf log cabin on 2.2 ac. $79,900. Features mtn views, pict windows, loft, decks EZ to finish.

828.286.1666.

HOMES FOR SALE

APT. FOR RENT UNFURNISHED CABIN IN GATED COMMUNITY For Long-Term Rent, Bryson City, Hwy 74 W. 2/BR, 1/BA. Suitable for Couple. Service Animals ONLY! $650/mo. For more info please call 828.450.5871 or 770.846.0893.

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT 1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700

FINANCIAL BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA FED UP WITH CREDIT CARD DEBT? Consolidated Credit Can Help Reduce Interest & Get You Out of Debt Faster. FREE Consultation.

Call Now: 888.262.5339.

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 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.

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!

maggievalleyselfstorage.com

VACATION RENTALS CAVENDER CREEK CABINS Dahlonega,GA. GAS TOO HIGH? Spend your vacation week in the North Georgia Mountains!

Ask About Our Weekly FREE NIGHT SPECIAL! Virtual Tour: www.CavendarCreek.com Cozy Hot Tub Cabins! 1.866.373.6307 SAPA

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

LAWN AND 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

CHAMPION SUPPLY Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581, 828.225.1075.

MEDICAL ATTENTION VIAGRA USERS: Viagra 100MG and Cialis 20 MG! 40 pills + 4 Free, Only $99. No prescription needed! Satisfaction Guaranteed! 1.800.491.8751 SAPA

828-734-8765 jsmith201@kw.com 290-40

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:

2562 Dellwood Rd. Waynesville

(U.S. Hwy. 19)

Between Russ Ave. & Maggie Valley kellerwilliamswaynesville.com 214-64

Commitment, consistency, results.

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

Pet Adoption

Carolyn Lauter Broker/ABR 1986 SOCO ROAD, HWY 19 • MAGGIE VALLEY, NC 28751

828.734.4822 Cell • www.carolynlauter.com carolyn.lauter@realtyworldheritage.com 290-01

SALLY Australian Cattledog/Border Collie Mix – black & white, I am about 4 years old and I am a smart girl who already knows some basic commands. I was surrendered to AHS when my previous owners could no longer keep me. I’ve lived with cats and other dogs and do fine with them.

I am sweet and loving, and just want to be near people. Adoption fees vary; if you’re interested in me, please contact Pam at adoptions@ashevillehumane.org.

JACK Treeing Walker Coonhound Mix – black, brown, & white, I am about 7 years old, and being a true hound, I like to sing the song of my people. Let me serenade my way into your heart! I have lived with other dogs and enjoy their

company. Adoption fees vary; if you’re interested in me, please contact Pam at adoptions@ashevillehumane.org.

FELLA Domestic Shorthair – gray/silver tabby, I am about 6 years old, and I’m a large, mellow boy who is quiet and clean. I love being petted, and am pretty quick to adjust to new things. I am interesting in what you’re doing, but not clingy, and will sometimes sit in your lap but sometimes just hang out in a windowsill or chair. I am smart and have learned how to open some closed doors! I have beautiful, bold markings and enjoy being brushed. Adoption fees vary; if you’re interested in me, please contact Pam at adoptions@ashevillehumane.org.

FOR SALE BORING/CARPENTER BEE TRAPS No Chemicals, Poisons or Anything to Harm the Environment.

Handmade in Haywood County. 1 for $20, 2 or More for $15 each.

828.593.8321

Jerry Smith

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

Committed to Exceeding Expectations

Marilynn Obrig

Residential Broker Associate

(828) 550-2810

mobrig@Beverly-Hanks.com

www.Beverly-Hanks.com 290-31

James R. ‘Randy’ Flanigan Broker, Licensed Auctioneer, RealtorŽ

MAINSTREET REALTY Experienced in auctions, conventional listings and vacation home sales.

101 S. Main St. Waynesville ASHEVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY 828.761.2001, 14 Forever Friend Lane, Asheville, NC 28806 We’re located behind Deal Motorcars, off Brevard & Pond Rd.

Randy@Mainstreetrealty.net Cell:706.207.9436 Office:828.456.2227

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NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS Spring Special. Stay 3 nights get the 4th night FREE! Call now. Rentals for all size families.

Pets are welcome! Foscoe Rentals 1.800.723.7341. SAPA

FURNITURE COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

PETS

April 29-May 5, 2015

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.

FOR SALE

WNC MarketPlace

ABSOLUTE AUCTION: 2BR/2BA, Home w/Full Basement.

5860 Norman Dr., Rural Hall, NC 27045. Selling to the Highest Bidder. Saturday, May 2, 12 Noon. Details: www.hallauctionco.com.

NCAL-4703/NCREB-197034.

P F J R Y H U Q S UR S H U W \ P J W # J P D L O F R P

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

45

www.smokymountainnews.com

April 29-May 5, 2015

WNC MarketPlace

Super

46

CROSSWORD

1 Pitch 64 Fall behind 2 “Deep Space Nine” 67 Encore exclamation role 68 Flock female TIME WARP 3 Fill in 69 Norm 4 Circus performer 71 Move, with “about” ACROSS 5 Reach 72 Spanish title 1 Puccini heroine 6 Fowl feature 74 “. . . some curds 6 Keen 7 Feel sore 10 Actress Lanchester and -” 8 Wrath 75 Tennis pro Nastase 14 Be in charge 9 Permit 77 Ralph of “The 18 Fully developed 10 Act like Etna Waltons” 19 Farm measure 11 Stud site 78 Stiller’s partner 20 Sag 12 Impresario Hurok 80 “Appalachian 21 Inspect too close13 Italy’s - Mountains Spring” composer ly?

14 Celeste or Ian 84 Part 3 of remark 22 Automaton 15 Tut’s turf 88 Siamese 23 Start of a remark 16 Maui greeting 89 Coup d’by Doug Larson 17 Obtuse 90 Good times 25 Sue of “Lolita” 20 “Light My Fire” 91 Chucky, for one 26 Squander rockers 28 Clinton’s hometown 93 Yellowish brown 24 Big bird 95 WWII site 29 Woodland deities 27 “I told you so!”

97 Room for research 31 Sporting dog 30 Tasty tuber 100 Ginnie 34 Manifest 31 Wine word 101 Friend 36 Heredity letters 32 Deere things 104 EMT’s skill 37 - kwon do 33 Fess up 38 Antiquity, archaical- 105 Commandment 34 Poet Khayyam word ly 35 Windmill part 106 Remarkable 39 Born 36 - butter 108 Talisman 40 “Serpico” author 41 Actress Dunaway 110 Galaxy glitterer 41 “The Donkey 42 Fondness 111 Buy off Serenade” composer 44 Printemps follower 43 “- September” (‘61 112 Writer Paretsky 45 Comic Elliott 113 End of remark film) 46 Machine parts 117 Too heavy 45 Fire 48 Neighbor of 116 121 Mix with water 46 James of “Misery” Down 122 Inexperienced 47 - facto 49 “Slammin’ Sam” 123 European capital 51 Part 2 of remark 50 Bouquet 124 Talk really big 58 Kind of clam 52 Crone 125 Away from the wind 59 Dhamar’s locale 53 Simple life form 126 Richard of 60 “Rebel Without a 54 Garr of “Mr. Mom” “Intersection” Cause” actor 55 Glasses 127 Rocker Van Halen 61 Rocker Halliwell 56 Loser to Truman 128 Birth-related 62 “Man bites dog,” 57 Big bird e.g.

62 Jawaharlal’s jacket DOWN 63 Myrdal or Nelson SUPER CROSSWORD

63 Bellyache 64 Terrier tether 65 A Pointer sister 66 Like Notre Dame 69 Early Brits 70 Baseball family name 72 “M*A*S*H” Emmy winner 73 Actor Stephen 74 Power unit 76 Urban transport 78 Carpenter’s corner 79 List ender 81 Postfix 82 Cover girl Campbell 83 Poet Thomas 85 Seductive 86 Without value 87 Detect 92 Triangle part 94 Tennis term 95 Ignominy 96 Starch source 97 It’s down in the mouth 98 “- Blue?” (‘29 song) 99 Zoo attraction 101 It’s tossed with sauce 102 Menotti title character 103 Novelist Alison 105 Place for pots 107 Striped sprinter 109 Path 110 Move a bit 111 Unadorned 114 Dundee denial 115 Hoopsters’ org.

116 Newark’s st.

118 Put away a pastry 119 Police hdqrs.

120 Sniggler’s quarry

answers on page 42

PERSONAL A LOVING, HANDS-ON, CHILDLESS Couple seeks to adopt. Warm, laughter filled home. Financial security. Expenses PAID. Judi & Jamie at 1.888.492.6077 SAPA HERO MILES To find out more about how you can help our service members, veterans and their families in their time of need, visit the Fisher House website at www.fisherhouse.org SAPA STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS Or Alcohol? Addicted to PILLS? Talk to someone who cares. Call The Addiction Hope & Help Line for a free assessment. 800.511.6075.

SAPA MAKE A CONNECTION. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call now 1.888.909.9978 18+. SAPA YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

PERSONAL A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS, Let Us Help! Personalized Adoption Plans. Financial Assistance, Housing, Relocation And More. Giving The Gift Of Life? You Deserve The Best. Call Us First! 888.637.8200.

24 hour HOTLINE. SAPA

SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION AIRLINE CAREERS BEGIN HEREGet started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance.

877.300.9494.

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 EARN YOUR High School Diploma at home in a few short weeks. Work at your own pace. First Coast Academy. Nationally accredited. Call for free brochure. 1.800.658.1180, extension 82. www.fcahighschool.org SAPA 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!

1.877.591.1544

SERVICES LITTLE BUCKS CLEANING SERVICE Serving Western North Carolina!

Commercial Cleaning, NC Licensed Bonded & Insured.

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Answers on Page 42

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Cumberland Island National Seashore umberland Island, which is composed of Great Cumberland Island (the national seashore) and Little Cumberland Island (private), is one of the largest barrier islands along Georgia’s coast.

Cumberland Island is about 18 miles long and about 3 miles wide — around 40 square miles. The eastern edge of the island is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, while the west, north and south are bounded by sounds, rivers and marsh.

The island is noted for its wilderness and biodiversity but has a long, varied and rich human history as well. This ancient barrier island has a human history that goes back at least 4,000 years. Archaeologists study the shell mounds left behind to get an idea of what daily life was like for these original inhabitants. They believe at least seven different Native American tribes inhabited the island when Europeans first arrived.

The Spanish were the first to arrive, around 1566. They named the island San Pedro and though they built forts and missions on the island, they departed in the

C

early 1700s and left behind no obvious traces of habitation. The English followed, and Gen. James Oglethorpe renamed the island Cumberland in honor of William Augustus, the young Duke of Cumberland.

The English also built a series of forts on the island and established Berrimacke (a small village) and the Dungeness hunting lodge.

The English abandoned the island by 1775.

Phineas Miller began construction on a four-story mansion — Dungeness Mansion — at the site of the old hunting lodge in 1796. The mansion became a renowned playground for the rich and famous.

From the early 1800s up until the Civil War, the natural resources on Cumberland were heavily exploited. The live oak and pine forests were cut and the timber used for shipbuilding. Plantations growing the famous Sea Island cotton plus corn, indigo and rice sprang up on the island, and livestock roamed freely.

The Civil War plunged Cumberland into ruin once again. Dungeness burned again in 1866 and the island was mostly abandoned, except for a group of freed slaves that settled on the northern end. Thomas Carnegie bought most of Cumberland Island in 1880 and rebuilt Dungeness in the manner of a

Scottish castle. The Carnegies built 40 outbuildings on the property along with a golf course, squash course and manicured landscaping. Cumberland Island was again a playground for the rich and famous until Dungeness burned again in 1959.

The fate of Cumberland Island lay in limbo with many diverse interests, from strip mining to development, vying for the upper hand. By the late 1960s it looked like Cumberland was poised to follow suit behind Hilton Head Island and other barrier island resorts. But in 1969, when developer Charles Fraser began construction of an airstrip, opposition galvanized. The Carnegies worked with environmentalists

Whitetailed deer on Cumberland Island. Don Hendershot photo

and the Mellon Foundation to purchase most of the private land on the island, which they donated (with many stipulations) to the National Park Service, and in 1972 Cumberland Island National Seashore was created. In 1982, nearly 10,000 acres was designated as wilderness.

The fate of Cumberland Island is clearly

still not sealed. There are more than 2,000 acres of private land on the island that could possibly be developed and the Department of Interior is under constant pressure to allow easier access – currently one ferry, which can carry only 45 people, runs between the mainland and the island. But, for the present, Cumberland Island is home to one of the largest maritime forests in the world.

Most of this diverse forest is second growth — remember much of the island was agricultural back in the early to mid 1800s — but it has regenerated nicely and there are some relic live oaks, more than 400 years old. The live oaks covered with resurrection fern and draped in Spanish moss, couple with the exotic-looking palmetto give the forest an almost tropical feel. Willow and laurel oak join the live oak along with magnolia, red bay and several pines – loblolly, slash, longleaf and pond to complete the maritime forest. Other habitats include large high dunes along the eastern beach and an expansive salt marsh.

Animals on the island include many rare and/or endangered species like loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles, piping plover, right whale, least tern, American oystercatchers and more.

This wonderful, wild place is not somewhere you visit on impulse, however.

Reservations have to be made even for day trips — you can check out the logistics at the National Park Service’s website — but it’s definitely worth planning for.

(Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

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Smoky Mountain News April 29-May 5, 2015