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

May 4-10, 2016 Vol. 17 Iss. 49

Parent sues school system over Central closure Page 5 Large tax rate increase likely for Sylva Page 12

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Those in the hospitality sector are facing a number of challenges when it comes to preparing for the busy tourism season. Some businesses are struggling to fill seasonal positions while others have a hard time recruiting a retaining employees who are qualified enough to work on the frontlines of the tourism industry. (Page 6)

News TVA to make a decision May 5 regarding houseboats ............................................4 Parent sues school system over school closure ........................................................5 Large tax rate increase likely for Sylva ........................................................................12 Jackson commissioners reconsider capital priorities ............................................14 Search for new manager progresses in Jackson ....................................................15 EMS costs throw a wrench in Jackson budget talks ............................................16 Businesses rally to change Maggie town center plan ..........................................18 YMCA camp gets ready to open in Swain ..............................................................19

Opinion A lesson on civil discourse..............................................................................................23

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

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Bosu’s Wine Shop opens new space ......................................................................28

Outdoors Waynesville vet works to give baby turtles a leg up ..............................................40

CORRECTION In the April 27 issue, The Smoky Mountain News incorrectly listed a May 7 fishing day organized by Trout Unlimited Cataloochee as an event that is open to the general public.

The event is in fact limited to chapter members and their guests. SMN regrets the error. For information about joining TU Cataloochee, visit www.cataloochee.tu.org.

May 4-10, 2016

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TVA to make a decision on houseboats May 5

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ennessee Valley Authority officials have confirmed that its board of directors will make a decision on May 5 regarding the future of houseboats on all of its 49 lakes and reservoirs.

TVA has proposed having all floating houses removed from its lakes within the next 20 years, and if the proposed policy passes, houseboat owners will have to remove houses at their own expense.

Removal of a houseboat could cost $10,000 or more depending on its size.

The decision will impact some 1,800 houseboats, including 350 houseboats on Fontana Lake in Swain and Graham counties.

Opponents of the proposed sunset clause plan to pack the TVA board meeting for their last chance at public comment. Swain County Commissioner David Monteith said he plans to be there to present the resolution commissioners passed a couple of weeks ago opposing the measure as it will hurt the county’s tax revenue and the region’s tourism and recreation industry.

Other counties have also passed resolutions opposing the proposed policy, including Graham and Haywood counties.

Cherokee Tribal Council also passed a resolution opposing the policy change.

As more public opposition forms over the TVA’s proposal, Rebecca Tolene, TVA vice president of natural resources, sent out a prepared opinion letter to media outlets last week entitled “TVA’s Reservoirs Available for Everyone – Not Just a Few.” Tolene said the TVA built dams on the Tennessee River to tame its floods, produce electricity and use its waters for navigation.

She said houseboats went against the TVA’s mission to support recreation that is enjoyed by millions of people every year.

“It is important to remember that floating houses moored on TVA’s reservoirs take for private use this public resource,” she wrote.

“They pose navigation and safety risks, and they degrade water quality.”

Despite being prohibited on TVA’s reservoirs since 1978, Tolene said, the number of floating houses has increased and will continue to proliferate unless the TVA takes action

Learn more The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors will vote on the Non-Navigable, Floating Homes Policy during a 9 a.m. meeting Thursday, May 5, at Paris Landing State Park Inn & Conference Center in Buchanan, Tennessee.

The new policy, if approved, will require these private homes, which have been constructed on public waters, to be removed within 20 years. Until then, these homes will have to comply with the latest electrical and sanitary wastewater regulations.

For more information about the TVA’s proposed policy and the environmental report, visit www.tva.com. tal report did not present any data showing issues with water quality.

Tolene wrote in her letter that the TVA heard from people on all sides of the issue and considered all public input. She said many people wanted the houses removed immediately while others, primarily the houseboat owners, wanted the TVA to allow existing houses to stay as long as they complied with safety and water quality standards.

She said the TVA recommendation is a compromise that recognizes the investment floating house owners have made.

“The policy regarding floating houses requires a difficult decision and one that is consistent with our mission of stewardship as

outlined in the TVA Act,” she wrote. “We believe we are proposing the best path forward to being good stewards of public lands while providing a reasonable solution to the existing circumstances.”

Fontana houseboat owners Erik and Laura Sneed have organized a group on Facebook — Fontana Families for Floating Houses — and created a petition against the TVA proposal. The petition has more than 3,000 signatures and was submitted to the TVA. Erik Sneed attended a recent Regional Resource Stewardship Council meeting in which the houseboat issue was discussed. He said Tolene’s comments during that meeting made it clear she was emotionally invested in the decision to get rid of the floating houses.

“Her words at one point in the discussion yesterday was that she was hell bent to force a decision on this issue — a tone that carries into the message presented in her press release,” he said. “It seems inappropriate for a member and legal counsel of a federal corporation to issue a statement like this one that seems to be based more on an opinion that a few are taking advantage of a public resource in an improper or illegal manner. It casts an entire group of individuals into a negative light that is arguably undeserved.”

The Smoky Mountain News attempted to get a phone interview with Tolene prior to the May 5 meeting to get more specifics on the TVA’s lack of enforcement and alleged water quality issues, but was informed by TVA communications staff that she didn’t have time in her schedule.

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If the Tennessee Valley Authority board approves a new policy recommendation from staff, all houseboats will have to be removed from TVA lakes in the next 20 years, including some 350 houseboats on Fontana Lake. Jessi Stone photo

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Smoky Mountain News

May 4-10, 2016

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against them.

Houseboat owner Karen Jenkins said that statement from Tolene was infuriating and untrue. In 1978, the TVA changed its houseboat policy by grandfathering in the existing houseboats with valid TVA permits and prohibiting any new ones from being built on the lakes. Jenkins argues the TVA hasn’t been enforcing its own regulations, which is why new floating houses have emerged over the years.

Michael Wilks, president of the Tennessee Valley Floating Home Alliance, said the TVA’s failure to enforce its own regulations is what has led to the over-abundance of floating houses that don’t meet the current standards.

“So, for over three decades, TVA’s longterm and near complete ambivalence toward the enforcement of its own regulations since 1978 created, even if unintentionally, a different unwritten understanding or standard,” Wilks said. “It is this standard of nonenforcement and tolerance for new construction, which was the reality for a long time, on which floating home owners reasonably relied for many years as they plowed tens of millions of dollars in new investments into their new or existing floating homes.”

Not only would houseboat owners lose their property investments, local marinas would lose a majority of their income if houseboat management is no longer part of their business. Fontana has five marinas that have leases with the TVA or National Forest Service to manage the shores.

Houseboat owners also disagree with Tolene’s assertion that houseboats are polluting the water. Houseboat owners on Fontana Lake are required to have a contract with an outside company for waste removal to ensure sewage isn’t being dumped in the lake.

Independent water quality studies done on Fontana show the water is clean enough to drink for the most part and the pollution that does enter the lake is from the many tributaries feeding into it.

“The number one pollutant in Boone Lake in Johnson City is from farm animals, not floating homes,” Jenkins said. “I know that from reading TVA’s 300-plus page environmental report. Did Ms. Tolene read it?”

Wilks agrees that the TVA’s environmen-

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Here is information from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on what dates on packaging mean: ■ SELL BY DATE - This is a date for the SUPERMARKET's benefit to tell us when items need to be removed from stock.

Once you get the product home these are the dates that will concern you, the consumer: ■ CODES on Canned items - These are NOT necessarily calendar codes and are meant for the use of the MANUFACTURER to track batches of products. Each manufacturer is entitled to use their own code system so there is not website or book to decipher codes on canned items and consumers would have to contact the manufacturer.

■ BEST BY/BEST BEFORE DATE - This is the date (for the CONSUMER's benefit )that is

May 4-10, 2016

recommended for best flavor or quality. Determined by the MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER … It is not a purchase or safety date.

■ USE-BY DATE - The last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the MANUFACTUER of the product and is based on testing.

(Note: There is NO regulation that requires a manufacturer to put Best Buy or Use-By dating on items except for baby formula via Food and Drug Administration (FDA) What's the bottom line? None of these dates automatically means the product will be "bad" or dangerous to your health if purchased or consumed after the dates that appear on the product. For more information on how long items keep once you bring them home from Ingles see USDA - FSIS website for Food Product Dating: www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/foodsafety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating

Smoky Mountain News

BY B ECKY JOHNSON was student welfare, which the school board is STAFF WRITER supposed to take into account as part of the lawsuit was filed this week against the statutory decision making process.

Haywood County School Board alleges Five seats on the school board are up for ulterior motives were at play for closing election this year. The candidate sign-up Central Elementary School and that school period is in July. Melrose said he isn’t runofficials engaged in a concerted, secretive ning, but hopes that some “engaged, indeeffort to keep the impending closure of the pendent thinkers” who won’t simply rubberschool off the public’s radar, ultimately violat- stamp what school administrators hand ing state statutes. them will run.

“The primary goal is exposure,” said Mark Melrose, a Waynesville attorney whose daughter goes to Central and who filed the lawsuit.

“This decision came out of left field for the parents and students of Central Elementary School. We had no inkling this was coming. It just smelled funny to me, and the primary purpose of this —lawsuit is to open the doors and windows and bring the sunlight in.”

The lawsuit alleges that the school board was plotting to close Central for some time, but intentionally kept the public in the dark, resulting in violations of the Open Meetings Law and the statutory process for closing a school.

Melrose obtained video recordings of a school board committee meeting the week before they publicly announced that Central was slated for closure. Melrose said the recording reveals a “shell game” to keep the issue under wraps until the 11th hour.

“It seems to me the school board was afraid to let the public in as a stakeholder in the decision-making Mark Melrose, an attorney whose daughter attends process,” Melrose said. “Their message Central Elementary, filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging to the public is ‘You have no good improprieties in the decision-making process leading ideas.’ If they wanted our input, they up to Central Elementary’s closure. Becky Johnson photo would have involved us in the process.”

Melrose said as an attorney, he felt obligated to do his part to give a voice to the “They need people on there whose pristudents and parents at Central who were shut mary focus is on the children and who have out. some courage,” Melrose said.

“The number one lesson is transparency is The lawsuit was filed Tuesday afternoon, not a bad thing. The public is not the enemy,” just before The Smoky Mountain News’ press Melrose said. deadline. More thorough coverage of the lawCentral was targeted for consolidation, suit and the findings of Melrose’s probe into with its 230 students sent to other elemen- what went on behind the behind-the-scenes tary schools, as a cost-cutting measure, during the school board’s decision making according to school officials. However, process will appear in next week’s edition as Melrose said behind-the-scenes conversa- The Smoky Mountain News continues to foltions from the recorded school board com- low the story. mittee meeting show that there was an ulteHaywood County School Board Attorney rior motive at play.

Pat Smathers was unable to offer a comment The school system administration will on the lawsuit before press time, having just likely be kicked out of their central office obtained a copy of it himself. location in the coming year to make way for Smathers said he was confident, however, an affordable housing complex. The school that the school system had followed the statusystem intended all along to convert Central tory requirements for closing a school and Elementary into its new central office loca- that there were no grounds for a judge to tion, Melrose said, based on revelations in grant an injunction halting Central’s closure. the recording.

“We will respond as appropriate, but my Melrose said the one thing that was striking- advice to the school board will be to continue ly absent from the discussions on the recording on with the plans,” Smathers said.

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How sincere is your smile?

Stakes are high in the never-ending quest for seasonal tourism workers

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER t happens like clockwork every year. As the calendar creeps toward May, the roads get crowded, lines at the grocery store get longer, and the wait for a table on Friday night mounts. Right on cue, tourist season arrives, seemingly overnight.

The phenomenon often catches locals off guard.

But those in the tourism industry have been running at full tilt for weeks to prepare for the influx. Their chief task: hiring and training hundreds of frontline workers to staff front desks, clean rooms, wash dishes, cart golf clubs, carry suitcases, answer phones and wait tables.

The last-minute scramble to fill seasonal jobs is something of an annual tradition at the High Hampton Inn & Country Club in Cashiers. The resort closes down completely each November — only the managers remain on board during winter months — and reopens come April.

That means hiring about 150 employees from scratch.

“We are essentially opening a new resort every year,” said Brian Humphreys, the food and beverage manager at High Hampton.

“And it is not like a Savannah or a Charlotte where you can put a ‘help wanted’ sign up and have a line of people out the door that same day.”

Humphreys looks high and low for help.

He tours jobs fairs across the Southeast. He recruits international students, particularly from Asia.

He also bills High Hampton as a destination job — a cool place to work on par with national parks, dude ranches or ski resort.

Luckily, college kids from nearby Western Carolina University make great fodder. That’s how Humphreys got his own start — as a bellhop after his freshman year.

But High Hampton isn’t just looking for warm bodies. They are looking for the right warm bodies.

“Enthusiasm and ‘want-to’ is our biggest thing,” Humphreys said. “We can teach you how to set up an event room or carry in suitcases or make a bed. But you cannot train people to like people. And we are in the people business.”

Ramping up for the season is a lot easier than it used to be thanks to technology. No one from out of the area gets hired without doing an interview over Skype first.

“I’ll sometimes ask them just a crazy question, like ‘Say you are building a house, who is more important to you? The architect or builder? And why.’ There is no right or wrong answer. It is to see how they respond on the fly,” Humphreys said. “Because that’s going 6 to happen to you with guests.”

Smoky Mountain News

May 4-10, 2016

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Lake Junaluska Assembly is one Haywood County tourism-related employer that places a huge emphasis on properly training its employees. Lake Junaluska photo It never ceases to amaze Humphreys when someone shows up for a job interview at a high-end resort in flip-flops and torn jeans.

“You have to think ‘Is this the front of the company I want my guests to see?’”

Humphreys said.

High Hampton gets a huge number of repeat guests, with an 87 percent return ratio.

“Our longest running guest has been coming 79 years,” Humphreys said.

Providing the consistent service that repeat guests expect is difficult when so much of the workforce turns over each year. That’s why Humphreys looks for that intangible quality in his hires: someone who will simply care.

Humphreys often thinks back to an exchange he had with another bellhop during his early years at High Hampton.

“I was trying to explain to one of the international kids the meaning of the phrase ‘You can take your horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,’” Humphreys said. “He responded ‘Yes Brian, but you have to know whether your horse is thirsty or not.’”

“Guests might remember the quality of the food or how comfortable the bed was they slept in. But the thing the people remember the most is how they were treated and how they felt when staff talked to them,” Ewing said.

When Ewing came on board in 2011, the conference center was losing money every year. He knew it would take every employee — all 250 of them — to turn things around.

“We can teach you how to set up an event room or carry in suitcases or make a bed. But you cannot train people to like people. And we are in the people business.”

— Brian Humphreys, food and beverage manager at High Hampton Inn and Country Club

EVEN THE LINE TRIMMER The tourism hiring blitz playing out in the mountains can be competitive. Everyone is on the same quest for friendly, outgoing, motivated staff willing to work a low-wage seasonal job.

“As the economy has gotten a bit stronger, that means that the better employees we may have been able to attract at relatively low pay are able to get other jobs. So the pool has gotten thinner,” said Jack Ewing, the director of Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center.

Yet the rank-and-file employees are the single most important ingredient for success.

“Hospitality, as we define it, is provided by everybody at Lake Junaluska. It doesn’t matter whether you are a front desk clerk or a line trimmer,” Ewing said. “If you happen to be cutting grass in close proximity to where somebody is walking, you don’t just stop — you make eye contact with that person and, ideally, you would greet them.”

So Ewing passed out index-size cards to every employee to carry in their pockets with five tenants of hospitality, a cheat sheet of sorts that helped employees visualize what it means to be “a place of Christian hospitality,” as Lake Junaluska’s mission statement claims.

“Hospitality behavior comes naturally for some, and some require some encouragement,” Ewing said. “I was trying to cull it down to where they could remember these things and utilize them.”

Most of the tips seem obvious once you hear them — like “Greet guests with your eyes and your smile before your words,” or “Communicate how pleased you are to have our guests here, do it often, and invite them back.”

The trick, however, is to get employees to own it and make it part of the company culture.

Sincerity is also key, Ewing said.

Ewing gave two renditions of the line “thanks for coming and we hope you come back.” One sounded as obligatory as a thankyou card to Aunt Thelma for the wool sweater. The other was so genuine you wanted to book your return trip on the spot.

Role playing scenarios are a highlight of Lake Junaluska’s staff orientation at the start of the tourist season. In the vein of a Saturday Night Live skit, managers act out various hospitality atrocities — like a gum-smacking hotel desk clerk talking on her cell phone while ignoring a guest desperate to check in.

“We make them pretty outrageous, and our staff really enjoys that part of training,” said Ewing, who’s been known to make a cameo appearance in the skits.

At Lake Junaluska, the hospitality culture is reinforced with a monetary incentive.

When his pocket cards with hospitality tips first made their debut, employees caught practicing them were rewarded with $25. The bonus check came with a note that said “Thank you for helping us live more fully into our mission statement.”

But Ewing ultimately wanted every employee to be rewarded, so he promised them a share of the profits if they ended the year in the black.

For three straight years now, profit sharing checks have been passed out — the amount is the same for everyone no matter their salary — totaling $350,000 since 2013.

“They view themselves as the owners of the organization because they are the ones who benefit when the organization makes a profit,” Ewing said.

Despite success, hospitality training is an unending undertaking.

“Particularly because we have a lot of turnover among the lower-paid staff, we will never stop trying to motivate, inspire and educate people about what our expectations are for hospitality,” Ewing said.

DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

For Kivanc Senocak, the manager of the small Four Seasons Inn in Maggie Valley, the return of the tourist season plays out much differently. With just 20 rooms, Senocak doesn’t have the luxury of hiring help.

He and his wife, Jenna, live upstairs from the motel office and run the property with the help of a single housekeeper and one front desk clerk to relieve them during evening hours.

But he shares many of the same chal-

S EE S INCERE, PAGE 9

Tourism businesses looking for seasonal help

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May 4-10, 2016 Chrystal Amstutz serves Thai fusion dishes at Blossom on Main in downtown Waynesville. The restaurant has seasonal openings for a server and line cook. Jessi Stone photo

Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR elanee Lester has been sorting through a 4-inch-high stack of applications on her desk for the last couple of weeks, trying to get Mast General Store fully staffed for the long tourism season ahead.

“I’ve gone through all of them and was only able to hire one person,” she said. “I still need three or four more people.”

It’s something many people in the hospitality industry are experiencing this time of year. While many restaurants, retailers and hotels have help wanted signs displayed in their windows or in the classified sections, finding the right fit has become a difficult task. Hiring seasonal employees is a little tricky — you want someone to work parttime hours, but they need to be flexible and able to work nights and weekends. Only a small percentage of the workforce seems to have that kind of flexibility — and that is the problem Mast General Store in Waynesville has been facing for years.

“We get in a fair amount of applications, but most of them are kids going to school and can only work a couple of hours after school and in the summers,” Lester said.

“But what we really need is year-round parttime help — that’s one of our biggest problems.”

Availability is important for a retail business that ramps up in the spring and summer, but Mast also has consistent business through the fall and holiday season as well.

Mast has a total of 32 employees and about half of them are part-time. While finding the right people to fill the positions may be chal-

employees,” Katt said. “The restaurant business seems to be more transient so it seems I’m always looking for new people.”

She’s been surprised at the number of people who come in to fill out an application that don’t seem to be very motivated, whether it’s the way they are dressed or how they communicate with people. Katt said she is willing to hire and train the right person even if they don’t have any experience, but they at least need to have communication and customer service skills if they are going to be interacting with customers.

“I’m looking for someone well-spoken and someone who is well educated enough to converse with customers and remember orders,” she said. “But sometimes I’ll hire someone and they don’t show up or they’ll come in and I put the time and money into training them and then they don’t show up for their regular shifts.”

Though it’s been a struggle to find reliable and qualified employees, Katt feels like she has a good team lined up to take on the tourism season. With 10 employees, she feels like it’s a good number to be able to give her full-time servers enough stability throughout the year while also allowing a couple of her part-time student employees to fill in during the busier summer months.

“Employees are the face of your business, and if they have a bad day and treat customers rudely it gives us a bad reputation,” Katt said about the importance of hiring good people. “I tell my staff all the time we’re only as good as our weakest employee.”

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Hospitality help is hard to find

lenging, Lester said turnover hasn’t been a major obstacle, especially for the full-time employees.

“We have employees who have been here 10 to 25 years,” she said. “We also have a lot of young people right out of school trying to get a teaching job or something, but they wind up being here several years. It’s still hard for young people to find jobs in their fields.”

Offering a starting pay that’s above the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and having a specific training program for new employees also helps Mast hire and retain better employees, but Lester understands that many smaller mom-and-pop businesses don’t have the resources to do those things.

Many of the hotel owners in Maggie Valley and the downtown merchants in Waynesville are locally owned and operated with maybe one or two employees even during the height of the tourism season. For them, seasonal hiring isn’t a big issue.

Charlee Ruiz and her sister, Paula, purchased The Cardinal Inn in Maggie Valley a year ago and they run the entire 10-room hotel with the help of one part-time handyman.

“We have one person part-time that helps with cleaning and ground maintenance, and he’s been with us ever since we opened,” Ruiz said.

Jordan Shuford, manager of Five Star Inn in Maggie Valley, said the hotel is in need of an assistant manager since the last one gave his notice a couple of weeks ago. While many people have come by to apply for the position, Shuford said no one has met the qualifications.

“It’s a full-time position but you have to live here — we need at least two people here at all times to keep the place running,” he said.

The job would entail cleaning, customer service and anything else that needs to get done at the 23-room independent hotel that stays open year-round. But not many people are able to live at the hotel and basically be in a roommate situation along with Shuford.

“It’s hard to keep anybody because you have to be here all the time, but it’s a fun place to work — always something to keep you busy,” he said.

Some of the larger hotels in the area are experiencing a labor shortage as they try to

hire housekeepers and customer service employees for the summer.

Working in the restaurant business presents its own unique challenges. According to the National Restaurant Association, the 2015 turnover rate in the restaurant and accommodations sector was at 72 percent — up from 67 percent in 2014. That might sound high but it’s actually down from prerecession figures — turnover was around 80 percent from 2002 to 2006. In comparison, the average turnover rate for all private sector workers was 46 percent in 2015.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the high turnover rate for restaurants, but the Bureau of Labor reports that high turnover in the hospitality field may be a good sign for the overall economy.

“Most sectors of the economy saw their overall turnover rates decline during the challenging economic environment of 20082010, as people were less likely to quit their jobs with fewer other employment opportunities available,” according to a recent report from the NRA’s Chief Economist Bruce Grindy. “However, the quit rate rose in recent years, which indicates that workers are increasingly confident in the labor market and are willing to move to another job.”

Julie Katt, owner of Blossom on Main in downtown Waynesville, said she seems to always be in need of reliable employees, especially during the summer months. At the moment, she is looking to hire a server and a line cook for the kitchen.

“With it being a restaurant and such a seasonal community, it’s hard to keep good

“The restaurant business seems to be more transient, so it seems I’m always looking for new people.”

— Julie Katt, owner of Blossom on Main

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Tourism’s future in the hands of frontline workers

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER t’s a conundrum the best minds in tourism have been trying to crack for decades.

Despite all the slick marketing and creative branding campaigns, the tourism reputation of the region ultimately lies in the hands of a frontline workforce who may have no idea where to find pick-your-own strawberries, what this quilt trail thing is all about or even directions to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

“If someone arrives here and that’s the first face they see, obviously a friendly greeting goes a long way to make a good visit. But it’s also being able to tell that visitor about the area and what is available — where to eat, where to shop, where to go for entertainment, and just being knowledgeable about the county overall,” said Lynn Collins, the director of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

But it’s tough to get that knowledge in the hands of rank-and-file tourism workers — especially those making $8 an hour in a seasonal job that will run its course come October, and especially when they’re spread out among hundreds of motels, restaurants and gas station counters.

It’s also a challenge to get the disparate tourism businesses to see the big picture.

The guest experience they each deliver helps the whole, and eventually trickles back down to them.

“That guest could extend their stay or come back at another date, or make them want to tell their friends and relatives,” Collins said.

Lyndon Lowe, the owner of Twinbrook Resort in Maggie Valley, said being able to sell the area is often the lynchpin in turning a guest inquiry into a reservation.

“I can almost always turn every one of those calls or emails into a booking for my property because I have the knowledge they are looking for,” said Lowe, the chair of the Haywood tourism agency board.

But the job doesn’t stop there. Once guests arrive, Lowe expects his staff to be versed on things to do here, and guide them toward things they’re interested in.

“From the museums to whitewater rafting or hiking or just scenic drives, our staff is trained to make sure they are out and about and enjoying themselves,” Lowe said. “It is 8 crucial for them to see how much there is to

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May 4-10, 2016

I

Elyse Yow has worked at Mast General Store for three years. Mast still has openings for part-time employees. Jessi Stone photo do so they realize they need to come back and spend more time because they only saw a fraction of what there is to do here.”

INFORMATION FIRST The Haywood County tourism authority has tried different strategies to reach frontline workers in tourism fields and turn them into a legion of travel concierges.

The tourism agency produces a plethora of brochures on everything from hikes to scenic motorcycle rides to agritourism sites. Tourism staff has also developed sample itineraries that frontline workers can keep on hand.

“From outdoor adventure to families, if you are foodie, if you are interested in the breweries — there is something for everybody there,” Collins said of the itinerary themes.

The tourism agency also launched an online calendar of events to showcase things to do, from clogging shows and theater to weekend festivals and bands at microbreweries. The calendar is emailed to hotel owners each week as part of a tourism happenings newsletter.

But it still takes initiative on the part of tourism business owner to get it into their staffs’ hands.

“The ownership and the management of these properties need to make their personnel aware of the resources,” Collins said.

Ultimately, the tourism industry needs to pull together and realize they are all in it together, Lowe said.

“We are not competing with each other for this guest, we are competing with much larger tourism organizations with greater marketing power than Haywood County,” Lowe said. “We do a better job collectively than we used to, there is no doubt about that.

But as a whole we have to do a better job. It will benefit everybody in the county.”

‘GIVE THEM A PICKLE’ Lately, Haywood County’s tourism agency has been brainstorming ways to facilitate

boots-on-the-ground education for the frontline hospitality workers.

“We would like to help the hospitality owners with that type of training. We hope to step up in the future and make that easier for them,” Lowe said.

The tourism authority has occasionally offered free training sessions for hospitality workers — like a recent how-to on catering to group travel — but there are a lot of barriers to overcome.

Even if you manage to get philosophical buy-in from tourism operators for training sessions, there’s a very real logistical challenge: tourism operators have to figure out how to man the fort while their staff is all gone for a training. It’s even tougher for mom-and-pops.

“So many of our businesses owners are self-employed, so maybe they can’t take the time to do this because they run their own businesses,” Collins said.

There’s also the upfront cost. While the tourism agency wants to offer frontline staff training for free, business owners still have to pay their employees’ hourly wages to send them to the training sessions.

And that can be a hard sell given the revolving door of seasonal tourism employees, which can also make it feel like a futile undertaking for the business owner.

“There’s turnover, so you invest in these people and who knows if they will stay for six months,” said Beth Brown, a photographer in Maggie Valley who serves on the tourism agency board.

In an ideal world, Brown envisions a training session that packs frontline tourism workers on a van and takes them around the county to play tourist for a day.

“They could go to the places they see in the brochure, but they don’t know how to get there or what it looks like — so they can actually talk the talk,” Brown said. “That would be my dream, to provide more of that hands-on experience so they can talk confidently and with experience.”

In these maddening days of lightning fast Tweets and the Holy Grail of a five-star Google review, tourism workers have to have their game on every second.

“The most important customer is the one standing before you at any given moment,” said Nick Breedlove, the director of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority. “If you do something bad, they will tell everybody they know. But they will post a picture of the burger and beer they just had if you give them an experience that resonates with them.”

The training concept Haywood County tourism leaders are pondering — one that elevates rank-and-file workers to the role of travel agent — is a novel and even lofty concept.

But it’s not the only workforce challenge tourism leaders in the region are tackling.

After years of lamenting the region’s inconsistent marks in hospitality, courses aimed at imparting basic hospitality skills are cropping up. Southwestern Community College has developed a short course in hospitality training that’s only several weeks long.

“SCC has made great strides to develop a curriculum for the hospitality sector to provide hoteliers with a quality, skilled workforce, and to teach them those skills in a short time frame,” Nick Breedlove said.

Community colleges often pride themselves on meeting the workforce and labor needs of the local economy, whether it’s training police officers or plastic injection molding workers. The hospitality training module shows that the historical stigma of tourism as a fallback job or economic last resort could be fading at last, and tourism claiming a rightful and legitimate seat at the table.

“Tourism is vital to our economy,” Breedlove said.

Goodwill Industries has also added hospitality industry training to its lineup of workforce development courses.

“Want to work in an industry where a smile, bubbly personality and patience can be worth more than a college degree? Consider career options in the hospitality industry,” reads a flyer advertising Goodwill’s hospitality career path training.

Rob Hawk leads the region’s longest-running hospitality training program known as Qualla-T, developed over a decade ago to improve the frontline hospitality industry in Cherokee and surrounding communities.

Hawk, the cooperative extension director in Swain and Jackson counties, is the last one carrying the torch for the Qualla-T training module.

The cultural norms in Southern Appalachia aren’t always conducive to hospitality. In Cherokee culture, for example, making eye contact with strangers is uncomfortable at best and downright rude at worst. And mountain people of Scots-Irish descent still harbor an inborn skepticism of outsiders that has been passed down in their clannish DNA. Today’s society doesn’t really impart the virtues of goodwill and human connections with others either.

“It’s things we learned about hopefully as a child or from our grandparents but we get

S EE HOSPITALITY, PAGE 10

S INCERE, CONTINUED FROM 6

enough anymore. Even tourists who show up in town without reservations still do sleuthing online before committing.

“They sit in the parking lot for half an hour and read the reviews on Trip Advisor and then they walk in. That is the ‘walk-in’ this century,” Senocak said.

When Senocak and his wife, Jenna, moved to Maggie Valley two years ago, it was a major transition to say the least — he went from a D.C. high-rise architect to the front desk of a roadside budget motel.

But he had big-city burnout and wanted a chance to enjoy life more. They saw hospitality as their calling.

Senocak has realized the industry can be unforgiving, and despite the huge boost an online presence has given the inn, it can be a double-edged sword.

The slightest transgression can land a business in hot water with a snarky online review — whether someone’s in-room dorm fridge isn’t cold enough or a waitress sighs when asked to repeat salad dressing choices for the sixth time.

But everyone’s human, Senocak said.

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lenges as the High Hamptons and Lake Junaluskas of the world: upholding a reputation among guests.

Senocak has been here only two years — short enough that he can still see the area like an outsider might and yet free from the old-timers’ view that things here are the way they are because they’ve have always been that way.

“They are poorly managed, housekeeping doesn’t function very well, they are closed in winter — we are not realizing what we are missing,” Senocak said.

In just one year, he and his wife increased the gross revenue for the hotel from around $200,000 a year to $350,000. Like so many mom-and-pop hotels in Maggie Valley, Four Seasons had relied solely on repeat customers and walk-in guests.

“Four Seasons wasn’t on Trip Advisor. It wasn’t on Expedia. It had no existence on the internet,” Senocak said.

But simply flipping on the vacancy sign and waiting for people to drive past wasn’t

“Hospitality training was identified as a critical need in Western North Carolina.”

— Angie Chandler, executive director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

with five hours of instruction. Here’s a breakdown Chandler provided for where the $50,000 went.

• $10,000 went to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area to cover its administrative role as the project manager.

• $16,000 went to the Biltmore Estate to conduct the training sessions.

• $6,000 went to a contractor who developed and coordinated a survey to assess hospitality industry needs before the session, and a follow-up survey to gauge what attendees gathered from the session.

• $6,800 was for marketing and promo-

Angie Chandler addresses the training program. Seated, from left, are Ann Ashley, Chris Maslin and Anna Sullins. Nick Breedlove photo tions, from the design and development of training booklets to printing invitations (900 invitations were sent by mail to tourism operators.)

• $3,000 was for follow-up webinars to provide continued outreach to attendees of the session over the coming year.

• $4,000 was to print the supplies and material.

• $4,000 was for drinks, snacks and lunch for the attendees.

Grant funding included $33,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission, $15,000 from the Duke Energy Foundation and $2,000 from the Blue Ridge Electrical Cooperative.

In addition to grant funding the heritage area got to put on the trainings, participants paid a $35 fee as well to help cover costs,

“[Customers] sit in the parking lot for half an hour and read the reviews on Trip Advisor and then they walk in.

That is the ‘walk-in’ this century.”

— Kivanc Senocak, manager of Four Seasons Inn in Maggie Valley

and community colleges offered free use of their campuses to host the workshops.

Remaining funds, primarily from the attendance fees, will be used for mystery shoppers to followup with attendees to the workshop and see what kind of service they get, and whether the training was effective.

Chandler said the team spent countless hours to put together a quality training module. It was expensive to create and implement, but she hopes it is something the region can continue to replicate now that the groundwork has been done.

“We feel like with this program we have created a model. We have several other counties who have come to us expressing interest.

We won’t have the grant, but if a community thinks it is important there are ways to help fund something like this,” Chandler said.

Sometimes, he’s just having a bad day, and he simply doesn’t have the wherewithal to please a high-maintenance traveler upset over the bedspread in their $54 room.

“I say ‘Oh boy, here comes a bad review,’” Senocak said.

Sometimes, Senocak escapes for an hour and drives up to the Blue Ridge Parkway to simply sit at an overlook, which never fails to lift his spirits and help him face the neverending, all-consuming demands of running a small motel.

“As soon as you sit down to dinner, the phone rings, someone’s toilet is clogged up, someone can’t get their TV to work,” Senocak said.

Senocak is currently reaching out to other small, independent motels in Maggie Valley to think bigger.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” he said, quoting Aristotle. “It is a big issue for Haywood County. I am trying to show the other mom-and-pop hotels, they can do this. If they don’t change, things will change away from them, and they will be left behind.”

9

Smoky Mountain News

senter at each of them was from the Biltmore Estate, which is nationally renowned for its guest service culture coined “Gracious Hospitality.”

Those attending the training module raved about it, but it’s unclear whether it can be replicated on a larger scale or recurring basis.

That’s because the BRNHA spent $50,000 in grant funding to put on the four trainings, each of them five hours in length.

That’s a lot of money to reach 160 people

May 4-10, 2016

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER he tourism industry doesn’t always agree on much. They argue over the best logos and ad campaigns, whether to fund this festival or that one, and who has the best continental breakfast.

But Angie Chandler found resounding agreement among tourism operators when it comes to their top challenge.

“Hospitality training was identified as a critical need in Western North Carolina,” Chandler said, citing responses in a recent survey conducted across the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. “Hiring qualified employees was their number one challenge.

Providing training was the number two challenge. Retaining qualified people was their number three challenge.”

Chandler, executive director of the BRNHA, set out to do something about it.

Over the past month, the BRNHA has gone on the road with a hospitality training program aimed at giving tourism managers the tools they need to channel better customer service among their own staffs.

“Sometimes the frontliners are very transient. Hopefully the managers would come away with the tools to help train new frontliners. The idea is that management needs to have this cultural shift,” said Jill Jones, director of marketing and communications.

Sessions were held in four counties — including Haywood and Jackson counties — and attracted more than 160 people from the tourism sector in all, from major resort managers to indie coffee shops. The keynote pre-

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Blue Ridge National Heritage Area tackles the $50,000 question of hospitality training

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Casino strategizes to keep good hires on board

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER usy season is coming at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, and management there is working to get all hired up for summer.

With 2,600 jobs to fill, making — and retaining — good hires can be difficult.

“It’s a challenge,” said Paula Wojtkowski, regional vice president of talent acquisition and development at the casino. “We get a lot of people who leave us for whatever reason.

Maybe they had a family issue, maybe they had a difficult time adjusting to the 24/7 work schedule.”

From year to year, Harrah’s turnover rate comes in around 30 percent, double that of the typical casino in Atlantic City or Las Vegas. It’s a problem the casino is trying to correct, and Wojtkowski is leading the charge. Her job is a new one — in fall 2015, Harrah’s split the talent acquisition function off from human resources to be its own department. The goal is to develop the programs and processes that will attract good employees and get them to stay.

For starters, they’ve got a new website — www.harrahscherokeejobs.com — to post openings and information about the positions, also getting the message out through a variety of traditional advertising and social media venues. New “realistic job preview” videos give potential hires an idea about what it might be like to actually hold particular positions. Often, jobs at the casino are a lot different than jobs elsewhere with similar titles.

For example, Wojkowski said, “You have experience perhaps being a cashier at a local supermarket — you might apply for a cashier. But if you’re working at Harrah’s Cherokee, you might have a million dollars in your drawer.”

With large amounts of cash come large amounts of rules to prevent theft and corruption. When you walk into Walmart, Wojkowski said, you can always tell who

works for the casino — out of habit they’ll show their hands to the security camera after handing over cash. The movement, called “clearing your hands,” is required after every transaction in order to prove that no money is being stolen, and it becomes habit.

Wojkowski is also working through how to better integrate new employees into the team when they are hired, a process called “onboarding.”

“It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle or sometimes feel like you’re just a number,” Wojkowski said. “We put together a strategy to give folks the best onboarding experience they can get.”

There’s also the process of finding the right people to begin with. The casino hires based on attitude, Wojkowski said, looking

HOSPITALITY, CONTINUED FROM 8

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May 4-10, 2016

B

caught up in the present-day culture that is not always hospitable,” Hawk said.

In the Qualla-T course, Hawk uses the slogan “Give them a pickle” to sum up the hospitality mentality. For example, a waitress who offers a customer a tea refill to take with them.

“That is an added value, an amenity. Give them the pickle. Give them something extra.

It doesn’t have to be something tangible. It can be intangible,” Hawk said. “The pickle can even be insider tips on fun things to do in the area, like a local swimming hole or pickyour-own farm.”

Sometimes, it can feel like the person on 10 the other side of the register or front desk is

With 2,600 employees, making and retaining hires is a constantly unfolding process for Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. Margaret Hester photo

for people who are eager to learn and able to talk easily to any of the 10,000 customers they’ll encounter on a daily basis. The interview process, with is basically a panel conversation with applicants and managers in the room together, reflects that.

The question might be as simple as “What’s your favorite candy bar?” Wojkowski said. “What we’re looking for is people who can interact with strangers on a moment’s notice and have it be a positive interaction.”

They’ve also started asking more questions about what kind of commitment potential hires are looking for.

“We’ve gotten more selective about our hires in terms of making sure people are looking for a longer-term position,” Wojkowski said.

That said, she’s well aware that the casino industry isn’t for everyone. It is the definition of a 24/7 business, and that can be hard on some people, especially those with young kids. The busiest part of the week is 6 p.m.

Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday, so dealing with the schedule can be challenging.

“We jokingly always tell people we work when other people play,” Wojkowski said.

There’s also the fact that the casino industry is highly regulated. There are lots of rules to follow, and mistakes carry consequences. Then there’s the size of the organization — some people are just more suited to smaller companies — and the necessity of being on time to scheduled shifts.

But there are also plenty of perks — good pay, comprehensive benefits, full-time employment, opportunity for advancement.

Harrah’s challenge going forward is to do a better job of finding and training the people for whom the pros will outweigh the cons.

The environment in Cherokee is a good bit different than in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, towns that are basically built around the casino industry. Restaurants in Western North Carolina don’t stay open extra late to cater to casino workers, for instance — life and society proceed based on the 9-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, workweek while casino employees operate on anything but.

However, Wojkowski believes there’s opportunity to get the turnover rate down below the typical 30 percent and definitely below the 38 percent high mark tallied in 2015. The opening of the Valley River Casino in Murphy had a lot to do with that, Wojkowski said, because in 2015 Harrah’s was trying to hire up a whole new casino in addition to replacing employees who left the Cherokee casino, and a large number of employees at the Cherokee casino left for jobs in Murphy. The turnover rate has been as low as 22 percent, though, achieved in the early 2000s before the recession. When the economy collapsed, Harrah’s, like many other businesses, took resources away from “extras” like employee engagement and training, which Wojkowski believes hurt the turnover rate.

The goal is to get it back down toward 20 percent.

“This is something that as a management team we talk about no less than every two weeks when we meet,” Wojkowski said. “We constantly have turnover strategies by department. Each department has its own particular challenges.”

Getting it right, Wojkowski said, is “absolutely critical.”

“Our employees make our business,” she said. “They can make us or break us.”

setting out to make your life miserable.

“You can make their day or break their day,” Hawk said.

Hawk uses a personal example of a weeklong camping trip he took in Vermont. Every morning, he rode his bike to the same diner for breakfast. His last day, the staff packed him a bag lunch and gave it to him for free.

“That was just who they are,” Hawk said.

Qualla-T is not just for tourism businesses. Everyone from florists and pharmacists to the Great Smoky Mountain Railroads tickettakers have appeared in Hawk’s program.

For the tourism proprietors though, carving out the time even to better their own business is tough.

“People just can’t do it,” said Hawk. “I try to do the training before the season kicks off,

because in the summers there’s no way.

Businesses are busy. They don’t have the workforce to cover for each other.”

When the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area recently offered a five-hour hospitality training workshop in Haywood County, Kivonc Senocak, the manager of Four Seasons Inn in Maggie Valley, bit the bullet and made it happen. His wife made beds and answered phones for the day so he could bring their housekeeper and front desk clerk along to the workshop. It cost him $200 to cover their hourly wages and registration fee, but it was more of an investment.

“That will show back up on my revenue and show up on my occupancy,” Senocak said.

The training was technically geared at managers because business owners like

Senocak are rarely able to part with their staff for an entire day.

“Every accommodation doesn’t have the ability to send staff to training, which can be costly and out of their reach,” Breedlove said.

“Their goal in creating this workshop was for mid- and high-level managers to attend and take these training ideals back to their staff.”

While tourism wages are on par with a Walmart worker, Breedlove said, front-line staff in the hospitality industry can be motivated if they feel like valued team players who are part of something larger than themselves.

“For a housekeeper, they wake up every morning and make beds, but they play an integral role in tourism and delivering the customer experience for a tourist visiting Jackson County,” Breedlove said.

“We jokingly always tell people we work when other people play.”

— Paula Wojtkowski, regional vice president of talent acquisition and development

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Smoky Mountain News

The Haywood Healthcare Foundation managed to generate enough funding to have a major impact on the health needs of Haywood County during 2015 and their goal is to surpass last year’s donations.

The foundation donated 14 defibrillators, totaling $31,000, to be carried in law enforcement vehicles and $75,000 to support access to healthcare and medical equipment at the Good Samaritan Clinic in Waynesville.

The foundation also donated one blood pressure monitoring system to Haywood Vocational Opportunities, two defibrillators to Haywood Christian Academy and diabetes and heart medications to Haywood Christian Ministries.

To improve lives, 100 patients received copay for healthcare at Good Samaritan Clinic, three Circle of Hope leaders received extensive dental care at the Health Department Dental Clinic, 40 young adults from Haywood Community College received eye exams and/or glasses, Haywood County Health Department received new dental equipment, No Boundaries was able to lease medical equipment, funded the Abused Children Program at KARE, purchased four Wii games for ARC, supported sports enrichment programs for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, provided physical therapy, occupational therapy and supplies to Maple Leaf Adult Daycare and supported the multicultural health project at the 30th Judicial Alliance.

To improve education, books were purchased for Hazelwood Elementary School’s Library, two $1,000 scholarships were awarded for clinical or technical training through the Haywood county Schools Foundation and two $2,500 scholarships were given to nursing program students at Haywood Community College.

For prevention measures, classes were funded to promote prevention of prescription drug abuse among teens through Mountain Projects, Inc., a public service announcement video of current strategies and action plans shared across N.C. through WNC Teen Institute, and medication cards were provided by Meridian.

Through nutrition, 600 liquid meal supplements were provided through Meals on Wheels, a pilot program for fresh fruits and vegetables via WiseBucks, funding to support the 5-2-1 Obesity Program under the Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency, cooking and nutrition classes with ASPIRE and teens cooking classes and healthy snacks were sponsored by the Haywood County Library.

For mental health, the foundation offered counseling for abused women through REACH. Continue to support the foundation’s mission by attending Casino Night on May 21, the Golf and Gala on Aug. 30-31 and Power of Pink on Sept. 24. www.haywoodhealthcarefoundation.org or 828.452.8343.

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Haywood Health Foundation sets high goals for 2016

@SmokyMtnNews 11

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Large tax rate increase likely for Sylva Commissioners debate draft budget that would increase rate 42 percent

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ylva’s leaders have known for a year that taxes would have to go up in 2016, but it’s unlikely any of them expected to be discussing a budget featuring a 41.7 percent tax rate increase.

Though nothing is final, the draft budget is built on a property tax rate of 42.5 cents per $100 of property value — a hefty hike from the current rate of 30 cents. People aren’t going to like it, commissioners said, but most of them asserted that the hike was unavoidable and that despite its magnitude on paper, the higher rate wouldn’t bring in enough money to fund much beyond what the town currently budgets for.

“The budget expenditures are responsible and the revenues are conservative,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling, “so we’ve really tried to build a budget that accounts for the town’s needs but isn’t excessive for citizens, even though a tax rate that high seems excessive, but my hope is when all these unknowns … get resolved that there would be savings within departments.”

According to Dowling, it was a conver-

S

gence of unfortunate circumstances that combined to force a tax hike. First, there was the county revaluation, with new values going into effect for the budget year starting in July.

Usually revaluations cause an increase in property value, but because this was the first one following the sky-high values before the recession, it represents a countywide decrease — though Sylva’s decrease, estimated at about 6.5 percent, is substantially less than in other parts of the county.

Then there were ballooning costs for existing line items. Insurance premiums, though not yet finalized for the new budget year, are expected to rise by about 30 percent. The county must also budget for employee retirement benefits and state-mandated separation allowances for police officers — 85 percent of their salary every year between retirement and age 62. In addition, the town hasn’t had a tax rate increase in 12 years, with the board last year drawing from its saving account to meet basic budget needs.

THE HOSPITAL WILDCARD In April, a huge wildcard landed in the midst of it all — how much tax revenue could be collected from Harris Regional Hospital. The hospital, which had previously operated as a nonprofit, was purchased in 2014 by the for-profit company Duke LifePoint, which paid $25 million for

Sylva commissioners are finalizing the budget for the next year, looking for cuts as they face a proposed 42 percent increase in the property tax rate. Margaret Hester photo Harris and Swain Medical Center, also pledging $43 million in capital investment at the hospitals.

When county tax assessors this year declared Harris to be worth $42 million, the hospital appealed the decision and said the facility is worth only $13 million. At a 42.5cent tax rate, the $13 million value would mean $127,000 less in revenue for the town compared to the $42 million value, about 6 percent of the town’s budget. It’s unlikely the question will be settled by June, when com-

missioners will vote on the budget, and commissioners didn’t hide their ire at the predicament.

“And they’re saying its worth $13 million?” said Commissioner Greg McPherson, after learning about the $25 million deal at a budget work session commissioners held last week. “Who are these people?”

“They’re being very poor partners in the community because somebody else has to foot that bill now,” said Commissioner David Nestler.

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May 4-10, 2016

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For further information, contact Marge Stiles at 452.8343 or info@HaywoodHealthcareFoundation.org 12

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Tax rates vary around the region based on a town’s size and tax base. Currently, Sylva’s is on the low side, but this year’s proposed budget would put it neck-and-neck with Waynesville, near the top of the list.

• Canton — 0.58 cents per $100 of property value • Waynesville — 0.4382 • Bryson City — 0.35 • Sylva — 0.30 (proposed change to 0.452) • Franklin — 0.28 • Dillsboro — 0.21 • Highlands — 0.1640

Rates are based on 2015-16 budgets as reported at www.dor.state.nc.us.

DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT FUNDING

“I have a copy of the budget as does everybody else, just scouring every line just to see what we could possibly do without, and our budget is very lean,” said Mayor Lynda Sossasmon.

Nestler agreed that “there’s not a whole lot of room” to cut, but he is coming up with a list of questions to ask at the board’s next work session — 2 p.m. Thursday, May 5 — to fine-tune the new budget.

Specifically, whether the police department could be run more efficiently. The draft budget allocates the department $1.1 million out of $3.7 million. By comparison, the town is expected to collect $1.7 million in taxes at the proposed 42.5-cent rate. To Nestler, that proportion makes the police department the obvious place to look for cuts.

“There’s also the huge risks with cuts in that department,” he acknowledged. “This is public safety. It’s not something you just throw numbers at and try to cut. You have to make sure if you try to cut in that realm that you can do it safely.”

It’s safe to say that Police Chief David Woodard is not a fan of potential cuts in his department.

“You’re operating down two people right now,” Nestler said to Woodard at the work session. “How realistic is it to say one of those positions isn’t filled?”

“I don’t want to go there,” Woodard replied.

As to where the final tax rate will settle, that’s yet to be determined. It won’t likely go up from 42.5 cents, Sossamon said, and everyone would like to see it go down if cuts can be found.

“All I can say is we have two months until the budget gets approved still, and we are just going to keep looking for cuts,” Nestler said.

“But long-term when you look at your budget — and I said this when I ran — cuts are not healthy for your community. You can’t in the long-term have a healthy community when you cut everything.”

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Despite the increase in tax rate, the budget is a lean one, said Dowling, an opinion shared by much of the board.

But not by everyone.

“It don’t look like you’re going to cut anything, but I’ll just tell you what I believe, which is that we cannot raise taxes that much this year,” said Commissioner Harold Hensley.

Hensley, in his 11th year on the board, has been staunchly conservative in fiscal matters and voted, along with Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh and former Commissioner Danny Allen, against a 2-cent increase in last year’s budget talks.

Specifically, Hensley said at the work session, the board should stop paying for the public parking lot it rents downtown cattycorner from Innovation Brewing and get a better price on its lawn-mowing contract for the cemetery.

Both line items are small pieces of the $3.7 million budget. In a year, the town pays $6,000 to rent the parking lot and $10,000 for the lawn-mowing contract. But, Hensley said, “it’s the principal of it,” — small pieces add up over time.

He didn’t find too much support from the other commissioners, especially when it came

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May 4-10, 2016

“It’s very disappointing to me.”

Harris CEO Steve Heatherly had no comment on the situation other than to affirm the hospital’s written statement that “it is important to us that the property valuation is fair and consistent with true market value, which is why we are appealing the current property tax valuation.”

Dowling had built the budget to include a half-cent worth of revenue to fund capital projects and 2 cents to go toward projects the board envisioned to improve Sylva, such as public restrooms downtown and a skate park.

After the hospital filed its appeal, that plan was history.

“The hospital appeal throws all the capital out the window,” Dowling said.

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Town taxes around the region

to the parking lot.

“It’s going to hurt business,” Gelbaugh said of taking away the parking lot.

“It’s going to take away all of the goodwill that we fostered,” said McPherson. “Let’s approach the merchants about renting it. It’s not that much money.”

“If you wanted to make the merchants pay for that you could, but that’s another tax increase right there,” countered Nestler. “I don’t think anybody is going to like that.”

“I didn’t say make the merchants pay for it,” Hensley replied. “I said if they want to.

We’re making people who never set foot downtown pay for it. Is that fair?”

Hensley found a bit more support when it came to the lawn care contract, with McPherson agreeing that $10,000 for 24 hours of labor per month, nine months of the year, sounded high. Commissioners discussed asking around to see if a better price was out there.

But even if both the parking lot and lawn care costs were completely eliminated, that would still represent less than a half-cent worth of the tax rate.

Less than 2 miles from Smoky Mountain Center for Performing Arts, Ruby Cinema, Franklin Rec Park & Library

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Animal shelter estimate tops $5 million Jackson commissioners reconsider capital priorities

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen a report estimating cost and space needs for a new animal shelter came back with a staggering price tag — the report estimated a cost of $5.4 to $6.6 million — Jackson County commissioners had to catch a breath and start rethinking their planned timeline of capital construction.

When planning for the animal shelter, commissioners had been using a guesstimated figure of $2.5 million. Even that figure — less than half the cost now suggested — had elicited strong reaction from some members of the board. The $5-million-plus estimate likely means that the animal shelter project — which had been ranked two out of eight when commissioners began sorting construction priorities in March — will take a backseat for a while.

“It’s got a lot of stuff in it you have to decide — it is a want, but is it a need?” said County Manager Chuck Wooten.

The report recommends a 15,000- to 18,000-square-foot building on 2.5 to 5 acres of land, with capacity for 50 dogs and 55 cats or kittens. In addition to animal housing, the report said, the building should have a spayneuter clinic, a receiving area, a multi-purpose community education room, a lobby and staff offices. Because the new shelter would be substantially bigger than the existing one, the county would also need to hire more staff to run it. The report does not say how many positions would be necessary.

“I’m committed to doing something, because we need to do something and we need to have a lot better than what we have, but I don’t think the majority of people in this county will tolerate us spending that kind of money on that kind of facility,” said Commissioner Boyce Deitz.

Most everyone agrees the existing shelter needs replacing. It’s 35 years old and endowed with a failing septic system, a well and heating system without backup power, spotty Internet service and limited space to house animals. The only entrance is through the front door, setting up potential for conflict between animals coming into contact with each other at what is already a stressful time for them. Office space is small and cramped. The building is hard to secure and has been subject to multiple break-ins.

But $5 million? To Deitz, the county has too many human needs to pour those kinds of resources into an animal shelter.

Commissioners have recently committed about $9 million to fix up the schools, but the system still has needs, and services to the homeless and the elderly could use expansion, Deitz said.

“We have dogs and we have cats and we have cattle and I spend money on them, taking care of them. But I wouldn’t spend for them like I would for my granddaughter if she was sick,” Deitz said by way of comparison. “I 14 separate one from the other.”

Smoky Mountain News

May 4-10, 2016

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The Jackson County Animal Shelter is in need of replacement, most agree, but the more than $5 million estimate to do the job came as a shock to commissioners. Donated photo Chairman Brian McMahan also pointed out that building a facility meant to house 100 animals might be overkill. The current shelter houses 15 dogs and 15 cats — while most agree more space is needed, the fact remains that the shelter didn’t have to euthanize a single dog for lack of space during all of 2015, though some cat euthanizations were necessary.

But the other thing to keep in mind, McMahan said, is that the county has been making a concerted effort to fund spay and neuter services, reducing the number of unwanted animals. Those numbers have gone down over the years and hopefully will continue to do so.

McMahan also acknowledged the volunteers who have been working tirelessly to get animals out of the shelter before euthaization happens, either through adoption, foster care or transport up north where they’re more in demand. Part of the discussion surrounding constructing a new shelter has centered on alleviating the burden that falls to the volunteers.

“The animal advocates in this county are doing a very good job and it’s reduced the number of needed runs, but even if all those animals were out there, I’m not sure it would be 105,” McMahan said.

Cost is not the only factor that’s sidelining the animal shelter project. Health Department Director Paula Carden is retiring this year, and commissioners feel that because the animal shelter is under the Health Department, whoever winds up replacing Carden should have a say in the planning process.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND JUSTICE CENTER PLANS The same goes for the Health Department building itself, which commissioners ranked as the top capital priority when they first ranked the projects in March.

That project will also take a backseat until a new health director comes on board, likely sometime this summer.

Order of operations for Jackson County capital projects • Fiscal year 2016-17: Build a new maintenance building at Southwestern Community College and renovate the Summit building. Develop a park on property purchased in the Savannah community. Fund a study looking at costs and designs for renovations to the Jackson County Courthouse that would provide a short-term fix for space issues.

• Late summer/early fall 2016: Make decisions about animal shelter and health department projects. Leaders will have to decide whether to build a new health department building or renovate the existing, and also figure out how much of the $5.5 million animal shelter plan to fund.

• Winter/spring 2016/17: Request designs for animal shelter and health department.

• Fiscal year 2017-18: Begin bidding out contracts for animal shelter and health department projects.

There are a couple different ways that project could go. Commissioners could decide to buy a piece of property and build an entirely new Health Department building, or they could remodel the existing building to meet current needs. There’s not yet a clear consensus on which way to go.

McMahan, for instance, had fully supported constructing a new building, connecting that project to another one — renovation of the justice center. Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts has been telling commissioners for years that the courts are short on space.

McMahan had thought that they could simply move all non-court functions from the existing Justice/Administration Center into

the old Health Department Building once a new one was built, remodeling the existing Justice Center for expanded space.

But, according to an assessment done by the company Heery International, McMahan said, “because of the way the Justice Center was constructed, we can’t just completely vacate all county offices from the Justice Center and say ‘here it is’ to the courts.” There still wouldn’t be enough space.

Deitz sees it differently.

“I spent my whole life coaching and teaching, and people tell me you can’t do something, and someway when someone tells you it absolutely can’t be done there’s probably a way to do it,” he said of remodeling the Justice Center. “We could probably fit it and make it work.”

By the same token, he says he fully supports remodeling the Health Department, not rebuilding it.

Those final decisions will likely be made with the help of the new Health Department director, the Health Board and the Animal Shelter Task Force, Wooten said. They’ll need to have some “real tough discussions,” likely deciding on a course of action sometime in the late summer or early fall.

PROJECTS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

In the meantime, commissioners will likely choose a couple other projects to move forward on in the new budget year starting July 1.

Namely, developing the 2.3-acre property the county purchased recently into a park for the Savannah community and constructing a new maintenance building at Southwestern Community College.

The preliminary plan for the park calls for a short nature trail, a playground, swings, a picnic shelter, restrooms, a walking loop and access points to Savannah Creek, which flows along the property’s edge.

Developing the park is expected to cost somewhere around $250,000,

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“I’m committed to doing something ... but I don’t think the majority of people in this county will tolerate us spending that kind of money on that kind of facility.”

— Boyce Deitz, Jackson commissioner

for Savannah this year, and maybe get the ball rolling on a plan to renovate some additional courtroom space in the Jackson County Justice Center, buying some time for more long-range planning.

Then, once the new health director comes on board, commissioners will be able to better pin down a game plan for the animal shelter and Health Department buildings.

One thing is for sure — when it comes to balls in the air, Jackson County has plenty.

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Smoky Mountain News

with half the cost paid for with grant funds.

Commissioners also want to keep their eyes open for an opportunity to develop a similar resource in the Qualla community.

The maintenance building and renovations to the space where maintenance operations are currently carried out would carry a larger price tag, about $1.2 million.

The existing maintenance building, said Cliff Statler, SCC’s vice president for finance and administrative services, is “badly obsolete,” and because replacing it isn’t a project that would directly impact students, the school can’t fund it with money from the N.C. Connect Bond, which included $7.1 million for capital projects at SCC. “I asked if I could put that as part of the bonds, and they said, ‘Don’t. It will be denied,’” Statler said of a recent trip to Raleigh.

After building a new space for maintenance, the area they’re currently using in the college’s Summit Building would be remodeled for welding and HVAC classes.

So, the bottom line seems to be that the smaller projects are the ones closest on the horizon. SCC’s maintenance shed and a park

county and its people has proven valuable to the various boards of commissioners he’s served since coming on board. Deitz said he wouldn’t necessarily exclude anyone from consideration because they haven’t lived in Jackson County before, but said the winning candidate must be “a good fit.”

“We need to find someone we feel could be a fit for Jackson County, our people, our culture,” Deitz said.

When Wooten first announced his retirement in January, there was some uncertainty as to whether a quality replacement could be found in time for Wooten’s July 1 retirement date, or whether an interim manager would be needed. The question still isn’t setChuck Wooten tled, but McMahan said he’s hopeful that the county’s next manager is somewhere in the stack of applications received. Assuming that’s true, commissioners could make a job offer by the end of May, leaving one month for the new person to tie things up in their existing position and get to Jackson. That may or may not be enough time.

“It depends on who the candidate ends up being, what their work commitment is currently,” McMahan said. “We want people to do the right thing.”

Wooten’s isn’t the only high-level position the county is looking to fill. Health Department Director Paula Carden and Department of Human Resources Director Bob Cochran will also retire this year.

May 4-10, 2016

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he interview process will soon begin in the search to replace Chuck Wooten, who will retire from his position as Jackson County manager on July 1. County commissioners are feeling good about the pool of applicants vying for the post.

“It was a really good mix, a very diverse group of people and lots of different backgrounds,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan. “I was very pleased. We had a very strong pool to pull from.”

In all, 27 people applied for the job.

Some were from Western North Carolina, some were from elsewhere in the state, others were from out of state; some held jobs in county government, others worked in municipal government, McMahan said.

In a closed session last week, commissioners ranked the applicants and selected the top four to invite for interviews this month.

According to Commissioner Boyce Deitz, it seemed that most of those top-tier applicants had some tie to Jackson County, whether by graduating from Western Carolina University or having otherwise lived in Jackson at some point in their lives.

“Most of the ones we looked close at understand this area, and I think that’s going to be important,” Deitz said.

That’s a quality that’s certainly true of Wooten, who has served as county manager since 2010, when he took the job on an interim basis before making it a permanent gig.

He came to county government after a career at Western Carolina University and grew up in Jackson County. His understanding of the

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Search for new manager progresses in Jackson

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EMS costs throw a wrench in Jackson budget talks

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER mbulance service in Jackson County could more than double in cost to taxpayers if commissioners decide to fund the full $1.4 million budget requested by Harris Regional Hospital.

Currently, Jackson provides $587,000 for Harris to run emergency 911 calls alongside the routine medical transport that Harris provides.

“As time has gone on some changes in cost structure have occurred, and we believe there are further changes in cost that will occur,” said Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris.

The changes can be lumped into three cateSteve Heatherly gories, Heatherly said.

Staff salary changes are the first, with pay raises having already gone into effect. Paramedics in Jackson were making far less than their peers in neighboring counties, Heatherly said, so in 2015 Harris bumped their pay to something more competitive. The 2015 budget numbers reflect that increased cost, but only partially because the raises didn’t take effect until the budget year was already underway.

The hospital has also been working to increase Emergency Medical Service staffing.

They’ve already added two full-time positions

new ones acquired and then replaced on a more frequent basis.

Putting the entire fleet on a lease agreement to ensure that happens would cost $450,000 annually, Heatherly said.

THE FUNDING CONUNDRUM Around the commissioners’ board table, nobody disputes that having quality EMS service is important. But it’s also true that nobody is gung-ho to spend the full $1.4 million, especially when you factor in that the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad also approached commissioners to request an

increase — $1 million in funding compared to the current $631,000 budget. The extra money would allow for a second ambulance to provide 24/7 service.

“The only way we can fund the request that we got from Harris EMS and the Glenville-Cashiers EMS is to be willing to look at a tax rate increase,” said County Manager Chuck Wooten.

Funding the requests would require about 1 more cent per $100 on property values in a year when commissioners already expect to raise the tax rate by 7 or 8 cents to keep budget revenues neutral.

But making a final decision

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— previously, EMS supervisors responded to calls like everyone else rather than giving their full attention to administrative duties. Hiring new people to take the two supervisors’ place on calls brings practices in Jackson more in line with surrounding counties, Heatherly said.

“These folks (paramedics) tend to work in multiple counties, so they were seeing that be the pattern in other area services, and we were probably a little bit behind the times,” he said.

Harris also wants to add a new crew and truck in the Qualla area of Jackson County. A fully equipped ambulance costs between $165,000 and $170,000, and four new fulltime positions would be required to provide service during the peak hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.

Qualla used to have its own ambulance, but it was reassigned to Sylva, which has a higher call volume, some years ago. Sylva, which handled 3,338 calls in 2015, has a 24hour truck and a 12-hour truck. Cullowhee, which had 822 calls, has a 24-hour truck.

Qualla has the third-highest call volume in the unit’s coverage area. No truck is stationed there, but EMS ran 460 calls there last year.

“We’re seeing a steady incline in the number of calls in that area over the last few years,” said Matthew Burrell, EMS director for the county.

Finally, the ask entails equipment replacement. Many of the department’s ambulances are old or aging, and Heatherly wants to see

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RELATIONSHIP When it comes to funding, not funding or partially funding the request, there is a fourth

Congressional Town Hall Motorcycle safety month held May 12 in Webster kicks off in Maggie A kick-off for the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program, BikeSafe North Carolina, and state and local law enforcement kick off for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month was held May 1 at the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley.

Last year in North Carolina, 169 people were killed in motorcycle crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 3,359 were injured. This is a 14.2 percent increase over the previous year in the number of reported fatal crashes.

The goal of the Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month is to remind motorists to share the road with motorcycles and to increase awareness of best practices to remain safe for riders.

Summer is almost over, which means it’s “back-toschool” time. If you have young children, you may be purchasing backpacks, pencils, notebooks and similar items.

But one day, you could be shopping for colleges — and when you do, you’ll find the bill is a little bit higher than the one you get from your local school-supply store. That’s why it’s never too soon to start saving.

Just how costly is college? For the 2014–2015 school year, the average expense — tuition, fees, room and board — was $18,943 at a public four-year school and $42,419 at a four-year private school, according to the College Board. And if recent history is any guide, these numbers will likely keep climbing.

But there’s no need to panic. For one thing, your child may be eligible for loans, grants or scholarships. Still, you will likely end up shouldering some of the financial load, and you may ask yourself if it’s worth it. How much difference can a college degree make in the lives of your children?

Actually, college still seems to be a pretty good investment: The average college graduate will receive about $1 million more in lifetime earnings than the average high school graduate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So when you assist your children in getting to college, you can be reasonably sure that you’re at least helping them start on the path toward a rewarding career.

How should you put away money for college? Unfortunately, more parents use a general savings account than any other method, according to Sallie Mae’s How America Saves for College 2015 study. These accounts pay little or no interest and offer no tax benefits.

As an alternative, consider investing in a 529 plan.

Contribution limits are quite high, and federal taxes won’t be assessed on earnings used for qualified higher education expenses. (The earnings portion of withdrawals will be taxed, though, and can incur a 10% penalty if the withdrawals aren’t used for qualified expenses.) Furthermore, your 529 plan contributions may be deductible from your state taxes. But 529 plans vary, so be sure to check with your tax advisor regarding deductibility.

Another college funding option is a Coverdell Education Savings Account, which, like a 529 plan, can generate tax-free earnings if the money is used for higher education expenses. You can typically only put in a maximum of $2,000 per year to a Coverdell account, but it offers more flexibility in investment choices than a 529 plan.

You could also consider a custodial account, known as either UGMA or UTMA. You can put up to $14,000 per year into a custodial account without incurring gift taxes, and earnings would only be subject to the “kiddie tax” — that is, the first $1,050 is tax-exempt, the next $1,050 will be taxed at the child’s tax rate, and just the amount over $2,100 will be taxed at your tax rate. However, once your children reach the age of majority (either 18 or 21), they take control of the money and can do whatever they want with it — and their plans may not include college.

Don’t wait too long to begin funding whichever savings vehicle, or vehicles, you choose. Your children may be young today, but before you know it, they’ll be college bound.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

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828-452-4048 www.edwardjones.com

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The Democratic Women of Jackson County and Jackson County’s Issues Roundtable are cosponsoring a Town Hall, featuring Rick Bryson and Tom Hill, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12, at the Family Resource Center in Webster.

Bryson and Hall are both running to represent the Democratic Party in the 11th Congressional District race. A Feb. 5 court ruling required redistricting of two North Carolina congressional seats, thereby voiding any federal House of Representatives results in the March primary and necessitating a second primary, now set for June 7.

Brian McMahan, chair of the Jackson County Commission, will also review the quarter-cent sales tax proposal, which appears on the June 7 ballot.

The event is free and open to the public.

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May 4-10, 2016

THE COUNTY-HOSPITAL

option — divorcing from Harris altogether.

Jackson’s arrangement with Harris is a unique one. Most counties operate their own EMS service, but Jackson instead contracts with Harris to run the service alongside its revenue-generating medical transport. The arrangement is symbiotic — it might not be cost-effective for Harris to have a medical transport service in a community as rural as Sylva, and the revenues from medical transport go back to EMS. “There are some synergies that are gained within that,” Heatherly said. “I think we view that as a value to our overall operation, and I think that has always been the goal of the hospital to operate our service at break-even.”

Lately, though, the service has been below break-even for Harris, which is why Heatherly’s proposal includes a yearly “trueup” in which the county would get credit for any cost savings and Harris would be paid back for any overruns.

“It is a pretty good deal because we’re getting an ambulance service to respond to those 911 calls at a much cheaper cost than it would cost us to have an ambulance base and the trucks and the employees working for the county,” McMahan said. “But when the bill goes to $1.4 million, then it comes to the point where we need to evaluate and make sure is it still cheaper to do it this way.”

The answer to that question is likely to be “yes,” McMahan added, but it’s still worth evaluating. Haywood County included $4.6 million for EMS in its current year’s budget, while Macon County allocated $3 million.

Commissioners plan to discuss the issue further at their work session beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 5.

For his part, Heatherly emphasized, the request is not an all-or-nothing proposition.

Ultimately, it’s up to the county what they want to do with the hospital’s suggestions.

“We’re simply trying to be transparent with the county as it relates to the choices to be made around that,” he said. “I feel like this conversation is no different than if the county were operating the EMS and the EMS director who would be employed by the county in that scenario were coming in and making a proposal.”

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puts commissioners in a bind. It’s a lot of extra money, but is substandard emergency service the alternative?

As Commissioner Boyce Deitz put it, “Shoot darn heck. Well, it’s something we got to have.”

But there might be some way to mitigate the request, or at least soften the impact.

For instance, what if the county shied away from entering into a leasing agreement for all the ambulances right away and instead got them replaced more gradually? That’s certainly possible, Burrell said, but he was sure to let commissioners know that replacement would be necessary sooner rather than later.

“Is it possible for us to do two or three now and two or three later?” he said.

“Absolutely. We just have to do something.”

And what about the service to Qualla?

Right now, Harris’ EMS services have an agreement with Cherokee Emergency Management to respond to calls they can get to faster. The average response time in Qualla is just over 14 minutes.

“Adding an additional truck in the Qualla area would reduce our response time,” Burrell said.

But by how much it’s hard to say, Wooten pointed out.

“You can’t run 55, 60 miles per hour just because of the rural nature of our roads,” he said. “I don’t know how much more you could cut that without having substations in every community.”

While 14 minutes is definitely a long time, especially if someone is in a medical crisis such as cardiac arrest, Wooten doesn’t see it as being a terrible average considering the terrain. Going forward, he said, commissioners will have to decide whether to shoulder the extra cost of an additional truck and crew substation — it’s possible they could be housed at the existing Qualla fire station — to get response times down as low as they can be.

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Businesses rally to change Maggie town plan

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR n alliance of business owners opposing Maggie Valley’s proposed town center master plan is growing stronger and becoming more organized as it tries to derail the project.

The town has delayed adopting the town center plan as business backlash continues to grow. The town has encouraged public feedback on the proposed plan, but business owners have been meeting independently of the town board to discuss what’s wrong with the proposal. About 15 of them attended the first meeting, but the number grew to about 30 people last Thursday at Guayabito’s Mexican Restaurant.

When the town’s engineering consultants presented their ideas for how to improve the town’s appearance and economy about two months ago, it seemed like everyone was on board with the plan. A room full of people at the town hall presentation raised their hands showing support for it, but now many business owners say they are completely against it since reading the fine print.

The plan includes a long list of potential projects totaling $7 million, but the opposition is mostly concentrated on a road construction project that would drastically change a quarter-mile of Soco Road from the festival grounds to Evans Cove Road.

Instead of a four-lane highway, the quarter-mile “town center” would be widened and a large grassy median with trees and benches would be placed in the middle.

There would still be two lanes of traffic on either side of the median, but reverse-angle parking would be added on both the right and left-hand sides of the median.

Engineers estimated $2.25 million was needed for the actual town center construction, which includes allocated funds for purchasing right of way on both sides of Soco Road, but that point didn’t seem to resonate with business owners until weeks later.

May 4-10, 2016

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CONCERNS

Smoky Mountain News

Gabi and Rob Edwards, owners of Holiday Motel, would be one of several businesses affected if the roadway project ever transpired. They both raised their hands in support when the project was unveiled but are now helping to lead the effort to stop it from happening. The realization that they could lose 500 feet of their road-front property — including an outdoor pool — was a big factor in changing their minds.

“I think we need to start out smaller. It’s not OK for them to apply for grants for a $7 million plan that takes our property,” Rob Edwards said at the meeting Thursday.

“At first I was excited about it because they sold us on parks, an ice-skating rink and a splashpad,” Gabi Edwards said. “But what they want to tear up is perfectly fine property — we spend a lot of time and money on our garden and property.”

Market Square shopping center, 18 Guayabito’s and Cabbage Rose Gifts would

also have to give up their parking lots if the town center plan came to fruition.

Guayabito’s owner Felipe Martinez and Cabbage Rose owners Scott Nielson and Troy Graves also expressed their opposition to the town center construction.

“I’m against it because I respect other people’s property, and it needs to be a good

ing, agreed that the businesses needed to go to the meeting with a list of ideas. She had all those attending write down their ideas on a piece of paper and have a spokesperson go over those ideas at the meeting.

Since Leekes doesn’t own a business in Maggie Valley, those at the meeting agreed to have her be their spokesperson at the

Gabi Edwards, co-owner of Holiday Motel, explains why she is opposed to the proposed Maggie Valley Town Center plan. Jessi Stone photo plan for everyone,” Martinez said.

Nielson said he was concerned about people’s safety and traffic congestion if the road is reconfigured. If a wreck occurs and traffic comes to a standstill, he questioned how an ambulance or other emergency vehicles would be able to get through the gridlock.

While downtown Waynesville can be sidestepped by taking the back roads around it, Gabi Edwards said, there would be no way to avoid the traffic in the Maggie Valley town center. She said the construction alone on a project like this would hurt the businesses in the valley.

Even though his business wouldn’t be included in the town center, Eric Freyeisen, owner of Smoky Falls Lodge and Moonshine Grille, said it was unrealistic for a four-lane highway to look like a downtown Main Street.

“Highway 19 is the only way to Cherokee — why would we want to bottleneck traffic and completely destroy the businesses we do have?” he said. “If we don’t have a good season this year I’m closing it down. If the town closes down the road I won’t be here.”

HAVING A GAME PLAN With Monday’s town center redesign workshop quickly approaching, Nielson encouraged everyone to attend the meeting with a positive attitude and alternative ideas.

“We do need to have a plan — we can’t just argue and make demands,” he said.

Linda Leeke, a Maggie Valley resident who was acting as a moderator for the meet-

redesign workshop on Monday. Even though she said she “doesn’t have a dog in the fight,” she said she was against the town center plan because it would be devastating to businesses.

“You’re all here when no one else is and you’re who pay the taxes,” Leeke said to business owners. “You need to get them to listen to you all.”

Everyone at the table agreed that Maggie Valley needed to do something to bring more people to the valley, but not everyone agreed on how to make it happen.

Karen Hession, owner of Misty Mountain Ranch, said the town needed more attractions for families and children.

“When people ask me what there is to do here, I don’t know what to tell them,” she said. “I send people to Cherokee or Asheville because there’s not a lot to do here.”

Others disagreed with that assessment, saying that Maggie has an abundance of natural beauty and resources for families to enjoy whether it’s seeing the elk, driving the Blue Ridge Parkway or hiking in the national park.

“Our outdoors is the attraction,” Nielson said.

Tammy Wight, wife of Alderman Phillip Wight and co-owner of Clarketon Motel, said she wanted to continue to push the town to do something to promote the waterfall up above Maggie Valley Resort.

“Waterfalls are a huge industry. We could be included in all those waterfall guides for free,” she said.

Some years ago the town was donated about 9 acres off of Old Still Road, which

includes the waterfall. A trail used to lead up the steep bank to the top of the falls, but it fell into disrepair and the town has said the cost of liability would be too high to create a public access trail and viewing platform.

NOT A DONE DEAL Maggie Valley stakeholders had another opportunity Monday night to have their voices heard and ideas incorporated into the plan. The town voted to spend an additional $2,900 to have the engineering team come back in for one more public workshop. The town already spent $25,000 last year to hire the J.M. Teague firm to gather input and put the plan together.

Alderman Phillip Wight and Alderwoman Janet Banks also attended the meeting at Guayabito’s to hear the business owners’ concerns and answer questions about the plan.

Banks told business owners that the town center master plan was simply a suggested road map that could be adjusted in the future. It’s a wish list. There is no guarantee the town will be able to fund all of the projects and no promise that the North Carolina Department of Transportation would even approve the road project.

“But we have to have an approved plan in place before we can apply for grants,” Banks said. “The plan can change.”

Sonja Michels, owner of Creekwood Village Resorts, asked if DOT had even been contacted about this project. She said she doubted DOT would allow the town to tear up a state highway, change traffic flow and lower the speed limit in the town center area.

Banks said the town partly chose to hire J.M. Teague engineering firm because of its experience working with DOT. One of the project consultants, Reuben Moore, even worked for DOT for 30 years, so he is very familiar with the DOT processes.

“DOT has been contacted several times about slowing down the traffic,” she said.

“We want them to slow down to 35 miles per hour so people will stop and shop.”

While Phillip Wight said he wasn’t in favor of the plan as it was presented, he did say the engineering team had bent over backward to help the town through the process.

If attractions like an ice-skating rink would be successful, Wight said, someone in the private sector would have done it already.

“Things are improving though, but it’s slow growth,” he said. “Wheels Through Time is underappreciated, but they have created a market that has helped us keep going.”

Following the redesign workshop, Town Manager Nathan Clark said it could take a few weeks for the consultants to process all the feedback into the proposed plan. The topic could be on the agenda for the board’s regular May meeting or the board may have to call a special meeting later in the month to discuss the town center plan again.

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May 4-10, 2016 Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE “I love it all. I love the small stuff kids N EWS E DITOR learn to do while they’re here, whether it’s little more than a year ago it was nothswimming or going down the slide for the ing more than an open grassy field surfirst time,” he said. “It’s the stuff that seems rounded by forest, but by next month it unimportant but that’s what they’ll rememwill be an impressive, state-of-the-art YMCA ber forever.” summer camp.

The 130 acres of programming space is Camp Watia, 130 acres tucked away only a small piece of a larger 770-acre tract some 15 miles west of Bryson City, will begin that will be under a conservation easement serving children in Western North Carolina made possible by the Glass family land this summer. Camp Director Ryan Hove was donation. While many camps in the region on site last week checking in on construction cater to out-of-town children, Paul Vest, CEO progress, which is coming along quite nicely. of YMCA of Western North Carolina, wantEverything is on track for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 10 and opening day for the first group of kids on June 12.

“I’ve run YMCA camps all over for 10 years, but opening a brand new camp has been an all new adventure,” he said.

The Glass Lodge — named after the couple that donated the land, Ken and Nancy Glass — will serve as a dining hall Construction is underway at Camp Watia in Swain County with upstairs that will seat campers set to arrive June 12. The cabins at Camp Watia will each 300 people and a fit 14 campers and two counselors. The boys and girls will have multi-use indoor their own cabin village and bathhouse. Jessi Stone photos recreation room downstairs. The lodge is about 1,300 square feet with plenty of windows and 14-foot porches to give campers an indoor refuge when it rains.

Its position up on the hill will give campers and employees a beautiful view of the camp and the surrounding mountains.

Hove said he is most excited about the ed Camp Watia to be affordable and accessioutdoor amphitheater being built for ble for the children of Western North camper programming. It will be the gatherCarolina. ing place for campfires, roasting marshmal“It’s always been Paul’s dream to build a lows, telling stories and putting on skits. camp that’s affordable for local kids, and this Camper cabins were also near completion is the perfect place to do it,” Hove said. last week. Phase one of the Cabin Village will The camp will employ about 30 people as include a boy village and a girls village with camp counselors, kitchen staff and programfour cabins and a large bathhouse in each vil- ming staff. Inaugural week sessions will be lage. There are 128 beds to accommodate the held June 12-June 18, June 19-June 25, June first wave of campers in June.

26-July 2 and July 3-July 9 for $400 a week The camp will also include a large openfor campers age 8-15. Rates will increase to air pavilion, a half-size basketball court, a $600 a week for the sessions held July 10-16, soccer field, a swimming hole with a 100July 17-23 and July 24-30. foot long water slide, a welcome center and a Financial aid is available. Sixteen- and 17hammock village for campers to relax and year-olds may sign up as counselors in training enjoy nature. for $300 a week during the inaugural weeks Hove is looking forward to introducing and for $450 during the regular sessions. children to the camp and witnessing them For more information or to register for getting involved in new experiences. camp, visit www.ymcawnc.org/watia.

news

YMCA camp gets ready to open in Swain

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HIKE CHARLIES BUNION MAY 26

Depart: 7:30 AM Members: $10 Non-Members: $12 The rocky, treeless summit affords panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains, some of the best in the entire park. It's a 4-mile moderate hike (8 miles roundtrip). While you climb more than 1,600 feet in elevation, it's a gradual gain.

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May 4-10, 2016

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Smoky Mountain News

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Education

Smoky Mountain News

HCA seniors travel to Costa Rica

demic standards and faculty are committed to teaching not only their given subjects of expertise, but also the values and beliefs of a Christ-centered world view.

For more information or to take a tour of the school, call 828.627.0229 or visit www.haywoodchristianacademy.org.

First RIBN graduate to speak at SCC graduation

The senior class of 2016 from Haywood Christian Academy just returned from a life-changing trip to San Jose, Costa Rica. Students enjoyed six days in the Costa Rican city being challenged as individuals to consider God’s purpose in their lives. They developed a broader perspective of the world and an increased cross-cultural understanding as well. Donated photo

SCC program receives official accreditation A process that’s taken more than two years and required more than 175 standards to be met has drawn to a successful conclusion for one of Southwestern Community College’s newest health sciences programs.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program recently received its official accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

“Without this accreditation the students who are set to graduate in May would not have been able to graduate or sit for the national board certification exam for the occupational therapy assistant,” Walls said. “It was not only crucial for the program to be accredited but accredited in a timely manner.”

Fourteen OTA students are set to graduate on May 11.

Ceramics students create bowls for fundraiser Heather Mae Erickson and students in her advanced ceramics class, along with student members of the Mudcat Club — WCU’s ceramics club — created 100 handmade bowls for the Empty Bowl event benefiting The Community Table in Sylva.

Attendees paid $20 at the door to receive their choice of a handmade bowl made by local potters, as well as enjoy soups and desserts while listening to live music at the event. All proceeds benefited The Community Table’s mission to provide nutritious meals to neighbors in need in a welcoming environment. www.communitytable.org.

Harris Regional supports SCC scholarship Harris Regional Hospital is supporting the Susie Ransbottom-Witty memorial scholarship at

Southwestern Community College.

This scholarship has been created in support of students pursuing occupational therapy assistant training at the college. Susie served the community as an occupational therapist for 19 years at Harris Regional Hospital. She passed away Oct. 31, 2015.

Once the fund reaches endowed status at $15,000, the SCC Foundation will grant the scholarship annually to a student in the occupational therapy assistant program. To date the SCC Foundation has raised half of the amount.

Those who would like to honor Susie’s life and service are invited to contribute to the scholarship fund by calling 828.339.4241 or emailing b_woods@southwesterncc.edu.

Macon library receives STEM grant Macon County Public Library, a member of Fontana Regional Library, has received a $3,500 National Science Foundation grant from the Califa Library Group to provide science-based programs for adults in 2017 and 2018.

The programs funded by the grant are essentially “book club meets science café.” Attendees read a preannounced book selection, come to the library for an event in which they discuss the book, and then watch and discuss a human interest video where scientific ideas touched on in the book intersect everyday life.

Enrollment under way at Haywood Academy Open enrollment for Haywood Christian Academy is currently under way. Online applications can be accessed at www.haywoodchristianacademy.org.

HCA is an independent community-minded school, focused on developing students into Christian leaders.

Holding two accreditations, Association of Christian Schools International and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, HCA is committed to high aca-

Danielle Shomper, the first student in Southwestern Community College to complete the three-year Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurse program, will serve as student speaker for SCC’s health sciences graduation ceremony at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, May 11, at SCC’s Jackson Campus.

She is the first member of her family to attend college and she is on track to complete her bachelor’s of science in nursing from Western Carolina University within a year.

RIBN is coordinated statewide by the Foundation for Nursing Excellence with financial support from The Duke Endowment, the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the N.C. Area Health Education Centers Program. www.southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4000.

Cashiers business donates to Franklin High program Grover “Bugs” Fretwell and Cashiers Service Center donated a Hunter GSP9600 wheel and tire balancer to Southwestern Community College’s automotive systems technology program at Franklin High School.

“This is great because our students at the high school level now have access to the same technology as what’s currently being used in the field,” said David Myers, coordinator of SCC’s automotive systems technology program. “They’re able to train on this machine. When they get a job, they’ll already have experience using this equipment — and that’s a big help for the people hiring them.”

Cashiers Service Center is part of Wilson Gas Service. Myers worked closely with Brett Woods, director of the SCC Foundation, and Cashiers Service Center to secure the donation. The equipment is valued at about $3,500.

HCC to hold joint graduation May 6 Haywood Community College will hold a joint High School Equivalency Diploma (formerly known as GED), Adult High School, and Career College Graduation Ceremony at 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, in the HCC Charles Beall Auditorium in Clyde.

Around 70 students will be honored at the ceremony. Day, evening, and online classes are available through the College and Career Readiness Department. Anyone interested in obtaining a High School Equivalency Diploma may choose from two convenient options: the traditional classroom setting or online classes. Students may also choose to complete the diploma online.

828.627.4648.

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• A fun-filled Crazy 8s Math Club for grades 3 through 5 will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays May 9, May 16 and May 23 at Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Crazy 8s is a nationwide after-school math club designed to get kids fired up about math. 828.524.3600.

• The Jackson County Public Library will offer a free Podcast Basics class at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, in

ALSO: Sylva. Participants must have basic computer knowledge, such as keyboard and mouse skills. The free class is limited to the first 16 people who register.

828.586.2016.

• More than 2,300 rubber ducks were adopted during this year’s “Ducks on the Tuck” fundraiser for New Century Scholars at Southwestern Community College. The event was held in conjunction with Greening Up the Mountains in Sylva.

828.339.4477 or pjudson@southwesterncc. edu.

• Lori A. Lewis, an advancement executive with nearly 20 years of experience in development and alumni affairs in higher education, will join Western Carolina University later this spring to lead its fundraising efforts.

Lewis will assume the position of vice chancellor for development and alumni engagement at WCU effective June 6.

• Southwestern Community College will offer another accelerated phlebotomy certificate program starting May 12. Classes will meet from noon-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Jackson Campus in Room 244 of the Balsam Center.

The class costs $185 plus books, insurance, background checks, immunizations, drug screening and uniforms. 828.339.4426 or email ldowns@southwesterncc.edu.

Smoky Mountain News May 4-10, 2016

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news

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

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WCU students learning valuable lessons on civil discourse

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Wallet issues and the legislature

To the Editor: They’re baaaaaaaaack. Yes, your N.C. Legislature is back in session and talking tax cuts. Hold on to your wallets. These are the people who have systematically increased your taxes since 2010. While your paycheck may look a bit better since then, your wallet and bank account have taken some serious hits.

Beginning in 2010, Sen. Jim Davis, RFranklin, and his colleagues began eliminating many tax deductions that many of you depend upon. Things like child-care expenses, your educational expenses, the deduction for your college savings plan and a host of other items are no longer deductible when you file your taxes every year In 2012, they eliminated a major deduction for small businesses. Your income tax bill may actually have gone up after losing all of these deductions gone.

Then, in 2014, they went directly into your wallet. Sales taxes were imposed on things that you do and use routinely. While I don’t go to a lot of movies and concerts, those of you who do now pay sales tax on that entertainment. Service contracts on appliances are taxed, as are the electricity and gas that you use to run them. On the education side, meal plans at your college or university are taxed and the sales tax holiday used to purchase supplies for the new school year is gone.

There’s more, and it’s a long list.

Hopefully, you did not buy or plan to buy a mobile home. The tax on those is now the

tury America. It started with posters put up by the Intercultural Affairs Department about police brutality as it relates to race. From there the debate went to Facebook, which led to a response in the form of chalking from students associated with Intercultural Affairs. That led to the use of the Yik Yak anonymous phone app, where responses to the chalking crossed a racist line that really set off the firestorm. The chancellor and other campus leaders criticized what was Editor being said on Yik Yak. “When we disagree, we must do so with respect for one another,” wrote Chancellor David Belcher in a campus-wide email. “While we value our right to freedom of speech at WCU, we also value its responsible use.”

That wasn’t the end. Discussions were organized around campus to help students bring their feelings into the open and come up with ways to discuss and disagree. A month later, conservative students organized their own chalking, and those political statements once again set off a discourse on being civil and responsible.

The conservative chalkers — like the students from Intercultural Affairs — stood by their slogans, figuratively and literally. They hung around and openly discussed their views with some students who thought the messages in some of the

Scott McLeod

t’s not the 1960s in terms of political activism, but recent episodes at Western Carolina University and across the country do signal that young people today are willing to engage in important discussions about race and culture.

These are difficult topics that have bedeviled supposedly enlightened societies for centuries. Nearly every student of history has encountered one of those instances where juxtaposing the accepted social mores of an earlier time against today’s standards would have ruined the legacy of an otherwise prominent and honorable figure. Conventional attitudes and behavior change — sometimes at a glacial pace, other times too fast for comfort. This country, I think, is at one of those tipping points.

Of course, the big difference in today’s debate versus those taking place even as recently as the 1960s is the omnipresent Internet and social media. It’s changed the rules and the very foundations of discourse, and everyone is still coming to terms with this seismic tilt in the landscape of debate. When you can go anonymous and viral, it takes little courage to have an opinion.

But again, these are admittedly difficult issues. I mean, the difference between heartfelt honesty and underlying racism is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. Does fear of being tagged a bigot prevent open — and perhaps helpful — discourse?

What is the do labels such as “politically correct” and “culturally sensitive” really mean?

The last two issues of The Smoky Mountain News have contained stories about students at Western Carolina University dealing with some harsh realities of life in 21st cen-

standard sales tax of 4.75 percent (up from 2 percent) and the $300 maximum on tax is now gone. The same thing happened with the increasingly popular modular homes.

Since April 1 of this year, you now pay sales tax on the labor for repairs to your car — or anything else you need to have repaired or serviced.

There were, in fact, income tax cuts, but the benefits were not shared universally. Early analyses of this strategy indicated that with the income tax cuts, the loss of deductions and increases in sales taxes, the break-even point was above $70,000. If you made more, you won. If you made less, you lost. Keep in mind that only half of the households in Macon County make more than about $37,000. You probably lost.

Call Sen. Jim Davis and tell him to just raise teacher pay. Then he should come home before he does any more damage to your wallet.

John Gladden Franklin

No negative connotation in resignation To the Editor: As a founding member of the Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council, I offer for readers the following information: • Franklin Mayor Bob Scott was one of four people that promoted Franklin to seek designation as an Appalachian Trail Community.

• The Franklin Appalachian Trail

LINKS

TO STORIES

www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/17538 www.smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/17517 chalking were out of line.

“A lot of people were like, ‘Who did this?’ and they were upset people were hiding behind the chalk, so I sat beside the fountain and said that I led it and if anyone has questions about my beliefs, they’re welcome to ask,” said junior Kimmy Hammond, who organized the conservative chalking.

Those discussions are a critical cog in the bigger story.

Standing face-to-face with someone and discussing something you disagree about is no easy task, and it is as important a lesson as those students will get in any of their college courses.

“I was pleased to see these conversations of let’s take our attention away from the chalking to talk to each other,” said Kevin Koett, WCU’s dean of student affairs.

Agreeing to disagree but doing so with respect. Civil discourse. These are lessons that we must always keep in mind as we navigate the shifting minefields of race and cultural divisions. It ain’t easy, but the young adults and faculty at WCU are at least taking the bull by the horns and trying to move forward, encouraging open, face-to-face debate. That’s as much as we can hope for.

(Reach Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.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.

Community Council (by its bylaws) has two representatives from the Town of Franklin, an alderman and a town employee.

• Since the Council’s formation in 2009, until elected mayor, Bob Scott served as the town alderman representative.

• When elected mayor, Pattie Able replaced Bob Scott as the alderman representative.

• Mayor Scott remained on the council until his recent resignation (by its bylaws the council has a flexible membership).

In my opinion, Mayor Scott left the Council in strong hands. His love of Macon County’s surrounding natural beauty and his support to Franklin as a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts is unquestionable. At this time, his leadership, managerial ability and political capital need to focus on other issues facing Franklin. Franklin’s position as an A.T. Community is secure in no small part to his early vision and eight years on the Council.

Bill Van Horn Franklin

mobile technology to help you get a lot less mobile.

Log on. Plan a trip.

And start kicking back.

May 4-10, 2016

nyone who knows me well will tell you that I am a complete nut about music. There are people for whom music serves as a kind of soundtrack for their lives, so that certain bands and songs function as memory jukeboxes, instantly evoking specific times, places, and people whenever they come on, regardless of the circumstances.

You know who you are. One minute you are picking out ripe avocados at Ingles, the next you are jerked violently back to your eighth-grade formal because Elton John is singing “Daniel” over the cheap store speakers, and you are suddenly holding your shopping cart as if it were a freckled girl named Alison, and you are swaying foolishly between rows of plums and peaches while shoppers go about their day as if nothing of consequence is happening right next to them.

Maybe you are the kind of person who gets a new album, and then drives around playing it over and over until you know all the songs, sitting in your driveway playing one particular song over and over because it seems as if it were written about you, or for you, or by you.

Maybe you are the kind of person who has an assortment of favorite albums, bands, or songs for every mood or occasion, like a Whitman’s Sampler of music.

If you are sad, you play your old George Jones or Billie Holiday records. If you are happy, you have to put on your old disco records or Prince’s “1999” and jump around in your house. If you are frustrated, you play punk rock or metal, or you put on Miles Davis, Van Morrison, or Pink Floyd to cool off and board a plane to another dimension, far away from your troubles.

For people like us — the music nuts of the world — spending four days at Merlefest in Wilkes County, N.C., is what we imagine heaven must be like. Because I am not too fond of huge crowds, I some-

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how managed to talk myself out of going to the annual festival — now in its 29th year — until last year, some months after my brother became president of Wilkes Community College, where the festival is held every year. Last year, I took the family up for a couple of days of the festival, where we saw The Avett Brothers and Dwight Yoakam, Columnist among others, and essentially had the time of our lives bouncing around from stage to stage drinking in all of that wonderful music.

I swore then that this year we would be there from the moment it began on Thursday afternoon until the moment it closed near dinnertime on Sunday, and I waited for months for the lineup to be announced. The first major artist to be announced was the legendary John Prine, who is only one of the best songwriters in the history of American music.

I have a single friend who loves Prine so much that he uses his music as a litmus test for first dates. Bottom line, if she cannot appreciate the genius of John Prine, there will not be a second date. If you are a music nut, this is going to make sense to you. It might sound a little crazy to someone else, but then again, having dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of CDs and albums stuffed into every available empty space in your car, office, and home probably sounds a little crazy, too. For you, it is just normal, like having food in the refrigerator.

So, Prine. I would have gone to the festival to see him alone, but there was so much more to come over the next weeks and months. The Steep Canyon Rangers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dave Rawlings

Chris Cox

opinion

A music nut makes the Merlefest pilgrimage

Smoky Mountain News

Vaccines important for pets

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BY KRISTEN HAMMETT G UEST COLUMNIST As a pet owner, there are many things we do to keep our fur babies safe, healthy, and happy. Vaccinating is one that is very important. Vaccines can save a dog’s or cat’s life.

Diseases such as leptospirosis, distemper and rabies are avoidable if the proper vaccine protocol is followed. Even a pet that is not “social” can still be exposed to several different diseases, some of which are zoonotic (meaning transferable to humans).

Vaccines are designed to stimulate the immune system by introducing antigens, which “look” like disease causing organisms, so that it can begin developing antibodies which will help fight the disease if the dog or cat is ever exposed to it.

The vaccines for cats are different than

the vaccines for dogs. Both species require a rabies vaccine by law to keep them protected, as well as protecting their owners from this deadly virus. It needs to be given yearly or every three years depending on the vaccine. There are certain diseases that are preventable if the correct vaccine regimen is followed. The American Animal Hospital Association has set up guidelines to help veterinarians choose the correct vaccines for your feline and canine friend.

The core vaccines for cats are: rabies, feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia (FVRCP). Feline intranasal vaccines are safer for cats and are given to both kittens and adults. It is recommended that all kittens receive the feline leukemia vaccine the first year of life. After the first year, depending on the cat’s lifestyle and risk

Machine, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Jim Lauderdale, Peter Rowan, John Oates, Brandi Carlile, and Jason Isbell, to name just a fraction of the performers who played at Merlefest this year.

We spent the winter preparing for the festival, sampling the performers we hadn’t heard and relishing the ones we already loved, looking forward to getting our hands on the Merlefest app for our iPhones so that we could begin putting together a plan of who would see, at what time, and at what stage. When last Thursday rolled around at long last, we shot out of Haywood County toward Wilkes like the Wabash Cannonball.

By the time the incredible Jason Isbell closed the festival down on Sunday evening, we had seen so many performers play so many unbelievable sets over the course of four days, that we could not put together a list of favorites. John Prine had so much fun with his set that he played an extra 40 minutes, far later into the night than anyone expected. Sam Bush brought everybody but Elvis Presley and Lawrence Welk on stage to play his encore, which was, of course, a great Doc Watson tune.

Brandi Carlile punched up her set with covers of Bruce Springsteen’s classic “Born to Run” and Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California,” which both stunned and delighted the crowd.

In a year in which we music nuts have already lost David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Keith Emerson, Merle Haggard, and Prince, Merlefest was a great and needed reminder of the power of music to unite us in spite of our differences, to soothe us in our sorrows, to excite us into action, to heal our aching hearts, and to bring pure joy to the people who rely on it.

I am already looking forward to next year.

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

factors, it may not be needed again. Ideally kittens that are between 4 to 16 weeks of age get the kitten series of vaccines, meaning they get boosters of the core vaccines every 2 to 3 weeks until they are 16 weeks old. At 12 weeks, they should be vaccinated for rabies, using a rabies vaccine made particularly for cats, avoiding the adjuvanted rabies vaccines that may sometimes be associated with rare, but dangerous tumors.

The core vaccines for dogs are: parvovirus, leptospirosis, distemper, bordatella and, depending on where you live Lyme Disease. The lyme vaccine may become a core vaccine soon, as the disease is starting to raise its ugly head in our area as well.

Ideally, puppies from 4 to 16 weeks old need to get the puppy series of vaccines similar to the kittens schedule and at age 12 weeks should get their rabies vaccination.

(Dr. Kristen Hammett is with the Animal Hospital of Waynesville.)

LIVE MUSIC TUESDAY NIGHTS! 7-9 P.M. Upcoming Bands: May 10 — Mile High Band May 17 — Andrew Rickman SAGEBRUSH OF CANTON 1941 Champion Dr. Canton

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

tasteTHEmountains Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251 APPLE CREEK CAFE 111 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.456.9888. Tuesday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to midnight. Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. We are excited to be on Main St. serving lunch and dinner with a full bar. Our menu includes items such as blackberry salmon, fettuccine alfredo, hand-cut steaks, great burgers, sandwiches, salads and more.

Join us for live music every Friday and Saturday nights. Friday 6 to 9 p.m. live piano music. Saturday 6 to 9 p.m. live jazz music. No cover charge.

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.

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.

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

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

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

SUNDAY 12–8PM

MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED ALL ABC PERMITS

Hwy. 19 • Maggie Valley 828-926-1817

Herb Roasted Marinated Half Chicken over mashed potatoes $15.99 Fresh Strawberry Apple Chutney Pork Chop $17.99 Gorgonzola NY Strip Steak $22.99 6 oz Prime Rib with three Fried Shrimp $25.99 8 oz Rib-eye with Crab Legs $26.99 Above served with warm rolls and butter, salad and choice of vegetable, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, rice grits or French fries REGULAR MENU ALSO AVAILABLE

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Family-style breakfast seven days a week, from 8 am to 9:30 am – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch every day from 12:00 till 2 pm. Evening cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays, featuring steaks, ribs, chicken, and pork chops, to name a few. Bountiful family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with entrees that include prime rib, baked ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer.

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

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

From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through

Waynesville BREAKFAST HOUSE Not Just For Breakfast!

Monday - Saturday 11am - 2pm Lunch Buffet

4pm - 6pm Dinner Buffet

Friday & Saturday Breakfast Buffet

Sunday 10am - 4pm Brunch

Hot Lunch Specials Monday thru Thursday 67 BRANNER AVE. WAYNESVILLE

828-246-9881

Mother’s Day

Family-Style Dinner

12.95

$

PER PERSON *Does not include drink, tax or tip

May 4-10, 2016

MOTHER’S DAY MENU

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.

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

Open at Noon Thursday-Sunday for Lunch and Dinner

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

Music by Steve Whiddon

Smoky Mountain News

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“The Piano Man” Reservations are recommended

828.926.0201 828-456-1997 blueroostersoutherngrill.com

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

Located at Maggie Valley Inn 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley 828.926.0201 www.maggievalleyhotel.com 343-84

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tasteTHEmountains Saturday dinner starting at 5 p.m. “Best of�

Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine. Set in a distinguished atmosphere with an exceptional menu. Extensive selection of wine and beer. Reservations honored.

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

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

Sign Up Today for Our

REWARDS PROGRAM! 6306 Pigeon Road Canton, NC

(828) 648-4546 MON-SAT: 7 A.M.-8 P.M. SUN: 8:30 A.M.-3 P.M.

May 4-10, 2016

jukeboxjunctioneat.com

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch,

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

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

on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

GANKO EXPRESS 1896 S. Main St., Waynesville 828.246.9099 Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Serving a variety of Hibachi, Chinese, Thai and Sushi dishes.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

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

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

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

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

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

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

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

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

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

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

828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday

Bring your mom to brunch.

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Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Brunch Buffet, May 8, from 10:30 to 2:30.

She remembers your first tentative steps. And your awkward years.

And the glory of seeing you come into your own. So now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to remember her. Just call us at 926-1401 to make reservations for our Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day brunch buffet, including a special flower for your mom, at $21.95 per person. And come celebrate the fact that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always be her baby.

Cataloochee Ranch 26

119 Ranch Drive, Maggie Valley, NC 28751 â&#x20AC;˘ Cataloochee Ranch.com

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

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

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

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.

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

Pizza+Wine =Happiness

Begining May 18th Come see us at the Historic Farmers Market

See you soon!

Grab a bite & take home dinner.

Cottage Pie, Sausage Rolls & More

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

(828) 452-7837

LUNCH & DINNER TUES. - SUN.

Wed. & Sat. in the HART Parking lot

www.pasqualesnc.com

nchbox Café The Lu BREAKFAST & DINNER DAILY SUNDAY LUNCH by reservation

Breakfast Sandwiches Served All Day Daily Specials!

100 SPICEWOOD DR. CLYDE Behind Mountain Medical 828.246.6296 Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm

Mother’s Day Sunday Brunch

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.

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.

TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

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

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

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.

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito.

456.9498 • www.balsaminn.net

9 a.m.-3 p.m.

3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

www.CityLightsCafe.com 343-58

SMOKEY SHADOWS LODGE

Celebrate

Mother’s Day in the Clouds

Farm-Fresh, Family-Style Magnificent Mountaintop Views

Smoky Mountain News

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

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

SMOKEY SHADOWS LODGE 323 Smoky Shadows Lane, Maggie Valley 828.926.0001. Check Facebook page for hours, which vary. Call early when serving because restaurant fills up fast. Remember when families joined each other at the table for a delicious homemade meal and shared stories about their day? That time is now at Smokey Shadows. The menus are customizable for your special event. Group of eight or more can schedule their own dinner.

ITALIAN CUISINE

May 4-10, 2016

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.

SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE 1941 Champion Drive. Canton 828-6463750 Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carry out available. Sagebrush features hand carved steaks, chicken and award winning BBQ ribs. We have fresh salads, seasonal vegetables and scrumptious deserts. Extensive selection of local craft beers and a full bar. Catering special events is one of our specialties. Local acoustic music on Tuesday nights.

MEDITERRANEAN

343-08

THE LUNCHBOX CAFE 100 Spicewood Dr., Clyde, 828.246.6296 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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

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

Family oriented business.

343-36

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.

343-29

343-88

Limited Seating; Reservations Required

323 SMOKY SHADOWS LN. MAGGIE VALLEY smokeyshadows.com (828) 926-0001

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

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

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Smoky Mountain News

Haywood’s best kept secret Bosu’s Wine Shop opens new space

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER ith the quiet evening sun fading behind the Great Smoky Mountains last Thursday evening, a single building glowed bright at the bottom of Miller Street in downtown Waynesville.

The usual joyous commotion at Bosu’s Wine Shop wasn’t coming from their store. Rather, it was from a large wooden door around the side of the building and down the alleyway.

Welcome to The Secret Wine Company, where curiosity and culinary delights intersect.

“It’s that feeling of knowing a secret, that’s not exactly a secret, but the kind of secret you want to tell everyone without having to tell everyone,” said Maleah Pusz, co-owner of Bosu’s.

Alongside her business partner Tony Gaddis, Pusz has taken the 23-year-old shop (which they purchased in 2014) and added another layer of community spirit and collective fun, all with wine glass in-hand.

“When Tony and I starting thinking about our vision for Bosu’s, we wanted to have that place, kind of like when you drive up to someone’s house, lights are blazing, and people have arrived for a dinner party,” Pusz said. “And somehow this group of people showed up know that this is the place, this is where to go — these are my people.”

With the cozy Bosu’s storefront as the original foundation of The Secret Wine Company (the business umbrella which the shop sits under), Pusz and Gaddis overtook the empty building next door and began extensive renovations in recent months. A beautiful floor plan emerged, one which includes a 39-seat event space (the main celebratory room and den library), professional kitchen and wine bar.

“At this point, it is an event space, with casual dining to happen down the line,” Pusz said. “By this summer, we will have a limited small plate menu, a nice place to come for a first course, a glass of wine or craft beer before going out.”

And in terms of Bosu’s wine dinners and specialty events, Bosu’s teamed up with Jackie and Frank Blevins, who own Perfectly Seasoned, a longtime catering service in Waynesville. The partnership allowed Chef Jackie to bring her professional kitchen into Bosu’s and have an entire space to

W

The historic Imperial Hotel in downtown Canton is now home to the Southern Porch, a restaurant specializing in down home cuisine and casual fun. Garret K. Woodward photo

Historic Canton hotel enters next chapter

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER eading up the stairs at the historic Imperial Hotel, there’s an electricity in the air, a vibe that’s familiar, yet dearly missed in downtown Canton. With several people running around, attending to last minute details for a wedding party that evening, Nathan Lowe emerges from the depths of the enormous, beloved structure on Main Street.

“This place is a huge opportunity,” he smiled. “It’s a beautiful building, and something Canton needed.”

Co-owner of Southern Porch, which recently moved into the space, Lowe and his Head Chef Dave Grant (and their wives Michaela Blanton Lowe and Cindi Layman) decided to go into business together, all in an effort to kick start a downtown corridor that’s seen better days, in a town that’s seen better years.

“We believe in Canton, we believe that the people are here, and it just Southern Porch co-owners Dave takes that effort to Grant and Nathan Lowe. get the ball rolling,” Lowe said. “We’re embracing that true sense of community right here in our own backyard.”

Grant noted the menu will feature classic southern dishes “with a twist,” atop local ingredients and produce, as well as beef from Rice Family Farms just down the road.

“Just give us that opportunity to impress you,” he said.

Lowe noted they would be hosting live music multiple nights a week come summertime. There will also be cornhole tournaments and Sunday brunch (starting Mother’s Day weekend). The space can also be used for private events and whatever one may think needs a special touch of timeless southern flare that the building offers. Add into that over a dozen craft beer taps and an endless wraparound front porch, and you have a down home experience with open doors and arms for those from near and far.

“This building itself gives people a reason to stop in,” Lowe said. “And with the Southern Porch, we want to give people a reason come back.”

H

create her culinary magic, one that also allows Bosu’s the platform to flourish in their own ideas and endeavors.

“I hope to build the wine bar business up with the help of my food,” Chef Jackie said. “It’s about using non-processed foods, all natural, and as local as possible. We also grow a lot of our own herbs and vegetables, too. It’s about creativity and seeing people happy — instant gratification is the nature of the job.”

And with an ever-evolving culinary scene in Waynesville and greater Haywood County, Pusz Perfectly Seasoned Chef Jackie looks at the big picture, Blevins and Bosu’s Wine Shop whereas to have this latest project complement the owner Maleah Pusz. other businesses, rather than take away from them.

“Waynesville’s culinary “For us, it’s having scene is exploding, and that ability to bring we’re really fortunate to have such great working people together relationships with a lot of the other restaurants and and share in an businesses,” she said. “The culinary pie in Waynesville experience.” is getting bigger, not small— Maleah Pusz, Bosu’s er. That, and Waynesville Wine Shop co-owner has never been a ‘I want my slice alone’ kind of place.”

At their recent German/Austrian wine dinner, which served as a kind of “soft opening” for The Secret Wine Company, the packed house was abuzz, with glasses held high in celebration of not only the evening and those in attendance, but also another night of pure fun and passion in Western North Carolina.

“I’m not ashamed to admit I was teary-eyed a few times tonight,” Pusz said. “Because the people were a beautiful blend of folks that had been here since day one, and also people finally having an opportunity to come here for the first time. For us, it’s having that ability to bring people together and share in an experience — it’s a dream come true.”

Kicking off last week, The Secret Wine Company combines fine dining and fine folks on Miller Street in downtown Waynesville.

Garret K. Woodward photo

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD Garret K. Woodward photo

Flexible Hours 16 years experience Owner: Medea Sharp

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May 4-10, 2016

America has never been great.

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just get that out of the way. Sure, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had plenty of high points, moments solidified Poet and novelist Fred Chappell will read and in time as historic milestones for sign his new fantasy novel A Shadow All of humanity. But, all in all, we do Light at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, at City Lights right now live in, what many Bookstore in Sylva. could say (myself included) is the greatest era of our country.

BearWaters Brewing Company (Waynesville) Throughout the entire 20th will host The Darren Nicholson Band century, we had wars, economic (Americana/bluegrass) at 6 p.m. Thursday, collapses, political turmoil and May 12. societal upheaval.

Art After Dark will kick off its 2016 season from Discrimination, racism and sex6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 6, in downtown ism were running rampant in Waynesville. every corner of our culture. The poor got poorer and the rich got Paint Nite Waynesville will be held at 7 p.m. richer, and that was decades ago, Friday, May 13, at the Panacea Coffeehouse. a sad fact that still rears its ugly head today. And what about before the 20th century? Yikes.

The Strawberry Jam will be held May 14-15 at Well, if you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a white male, Darnell Farms on Governors Island Road in life wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t peaches and cream, Franklin. The festival will open at 10 a.m. daily. far from it, where it was more about suppression and injustice. sentiments in any era of the United States.

From my perspective, we as a modern Hell, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the entire mentality of our exissociety have no basis of history. Either you tence on this planet. It is just part of the were too young to remember anything of growing pains that a country like ours goes substance to compare and contrast in your through as we evolve and figure out just who current outlook, or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sincerely naĂŻve in saying the â&#x20AC;&#x153;good ole days.â&#x20AC;? Well, my brothers we are, and where we want to go.

Now, in all my travels as a journalist, I and sisters, take off those rose-colored glasscan confidently say that the average person es, because, hot damn, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;good ole daysâ&#x20AC;? in our great land is a genuinely good person. were actually a big pile of shit that sentimenItâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true. The problem lies in that the loudest tal folks either werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exposed to or are so voices, in terms of pushing the national far removed from they forgot the smell. agenda, tends to be those of very limited perWar, a teetering economy, social change and the unknowns of tomorrow are common sonal interest and vast political and mone-

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

tary influence. In essence, John and Jane Q. Public â&#x20AC;&#x201D; you know, your neighbors â&#x20AC;&#x201D; are pretty great, but too bad they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold any clout in D.C. For me, I grew up in an â&#x20AC;&#x153;olderâ&#x20AC;? household, you might say. My parents were married some 13 years before they had kids. My father was a teenage football jock of the 1950s and my mother was a flower child of the 1960s. So, as I came along, I had firsthand history in my household of those eras as the foundation for my curiosity of America and our place in the world.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funny when people talk about the â&#x20AC;&#x153;good ole days,â&#x20AC;? especially if their voices come from a body thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s older than 60. OK, yeah, if you were white and living in suburbia, all was right in the world, or your backyard at least.

You had the Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper childhood, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no wonder you look back fondly on your adolescence.

But, what about the things that were beyond the horizon of your neighborhood, beyond your scope of understanding? What about the Jim Crow laws of the South that oppressed African-Americans? What about women being told they would never leave the kitchen and pursue their dreams? What about the gay community in utter fear of being found out and possibly sent to jail for loving someone of the same sex? What about the Hispanic field workers who were looked at as nothing more than, well, cheap slave labor? What about the environment and the pure insanity of death and destruction conducted by corporate chemical companies?

The 1960s were a tumultuous time for African-Americans, women, gays, immigrants, and the environment. Sound familiar? Just spin the clock ahead 50 years and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still fighting the same fights, still trying to find traction in a society that still has itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet stuck in the muck of misinformation and fear cast down upon them by the powers that be.

Track down the old newspaper clippings at your library, the black and white footage on YouTube, or the perfectly depicted CNN series â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Sixtiesâ&#x20AC;? (now streaming on Netflix). Dig a little deeper and see just how fucked up this country was, and has always been.

And yet, I still believe in the good of humanity. Because for every one step we take back in social progress, we trudge hard to earn two steps forward. I think of the 1960s. I think of Civil Rights leaders against great odds, of Gloria Steinem and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Feminist Movement,â&#x20AC;? of Cesar Chavez and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brown Movement,â&#x20AC;? of the Stonewall Riots and those in the LGBT community who fought back, of Rachel Carson and the eventual Clean Water and Clean Air acts that ensured the future of public health.

I think of those people, those events and movements, and I feel pride as an American, and as a human being, that there were people who stood up against the scrutiny of their time and knew humanity could do better. I think of those people, and I wonder where their modern day torchbearers are? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come so far, and yet, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still so much further to go. The road is long, but bountiful to those in search of truth and pure intent, kindness and acceptance of fellow man.

Life is beautiful, grasp for it, yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all.

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arts & entertainment

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WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY MAY-OCT. 30 8 A.M.-NOON AMERICAN LEGION PARKING LOT 171 LEGION DR.

The 19th annual Mountain Youth Talent Contest was held at the Greening Up the Mountains Festival in Sylva on Saturday, April 23.

This contest provides an opportunity to discover, develop, and encourage talent in the youth of Western North Carolina and to provide an opportunity for local youth to perform on stage before an audience. In hopes of encouraging a continuing “sense of place” for our young musical mountain youth, Jackson County 4-H and Catch the Spirit of Appalachia

JAM concert to honor Stuart Old-time music fans and friends of the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program are invited come together for a concert honoring the late Trevor Stuart, founder and instructor in the JAM program in Haywood County, at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Featured performers include current JAM students and teachers (Travis Stuart, Cary Fridley, and Robby Robertson), Helena Hunt, Jimmy Burnett, Julie Shepherd-Powell and Adrian Powell, Rayna Gellert, and Bruce and Loy Greene. Wayne Martin, the executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council, will also attend and play.

JAM students learn banjo, fiddle, or guitar in the traditional way mountain music has been taught for generations. As students advance, they are referred by instructors into a string band class in which they learn to play with others and prepare for public performance.

Tickets are available for $20 pre-sale or $25 at the door. Proceeds will go to the JAM program. They can be purchased at the Haywood County Arts Council at 86 North

(CSA) co-produce this contest that was held on the Signature Brew sponsored stage.

Congratulations to this year’s winners: Youth Fiddle I • 1st Place: Ella Ledford (10), Sylva • 2nd Place: Sayumi DeSilva (10), Sylva Youth Fiddle II: • 1st Place: Mihin DeSilva (7), Sylva • 2nd Place: Tucker Sparks (8), Whittier Youth Guitar: • 1st Place: Evan Lampkin (9), Franklin

Youth Mandolin: • 1st Place: Sayumi DeSilva (10), Sylva Youth Vocal (younger): • 1st Place: Mihin DeSilva (7), Sylva Youth Vocal (age 10+): • 1st Place: Ella Ledford (10), Sylva Group-Youth: • 1st Place: Carly & Avery Hester (11/9), Sylva Teen Vocal: • 1st Place: Grayson Riddle (12), Burnsville • 2nd Place: Emily Franklin (13), Bryson City Teen Mandolin: • 1st Place: Booth Bassett (12), Robbinsville Teen Guitar: • 1st Place: Grayson Riddle (12), Burnsville Teen Cello: • 1st Place: Booth Bassett (12), Robbinsville Teen Banjo: • 1st Place: Jonah Riddle (16), Burnsville Group-Teen: • 1st Place: Jonah & Grayson Riddle (16/12), Burnsville • 2nd Place: Booth & Elijah Riddle (16/12), Robbinsville Judges Choice Award: • Mihin DeSilva (7) Best of Show: • 1st Place: Ella Ledford (10), Sylva • 2nd Place: Jonah & Grayson Riddle (16/12), Burnsville • 3rd Place: Emily Franklin (13), Bryson City The first place Best of Show winner will get the chance to perform on stage Sept. 24 at the Mountain Heritage Day held at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Main Street in Waynesville or by calling 828.452.0593. www.haywoodarts.org.

Brasstown Ringers salute America The Brasstown Ringers will celebrate the USA with a selection of patriotic and Americana handbell music with “A Salute to America” at 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin.

The concert’s music features folk tunes, gospels, as well as beloved Broadway show and classic movie music. A special “Quilt of Valor” presentation to a local veteran will be made at this concert. There is no admission charge, but donations will be accepted at the door after the concert.

The Brasstown Ringers is a nonprofit organization based in Brasstown. All members are volunteers who ring for the joy of music, and to demonstrate the art of handbell ringing. They come from northern Georgia and western North Carolina to play in this advanced handbell group.

Their next concert will be at 7 p.m.

Friday, May 13, at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown.

PAT DONOHUE AT THE STRAND

Acclaimed fingerpicker Pat Donohue will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. Donohue is a Grammy-winning fingerstyle guitarist and talented singer-songwriter of blues, folk, and jazz, a natural entertainer with charm and wit. He is considered one of the most listened to finger pickers in the world. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 day of show. www.38main.com or www.patdonohue.com.

On the beat

HALESTORM TO PERFORM AT HARRAH’S Rock act Halestorm will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Harrah’s Cherokee. In 2013, Halestorm became the first female-fronted band to be nominated for, and win, a Grammy award for ‘Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance.’ Their latest album, ‘Into the Wild Life,’ peaked at number one on Billboard’s U.S. Hard Rock albums. For tickets, visit www.harrahscherokee.com.

• Apple Creek Café (Waynesville) will host an evening of piano music on Fridays and jazz on Saturdays. Both events are free and run from 6 to 9 p.m. 828.456.9888 or www.applecreekcafe.com.

Smokies Half Marathon. All shows are free.

828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night May 4 and 11, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo May 5 and 12. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

Friends (rock) May 6, SS Web with Leonhardt and Chris Blaylock (rock/Americana) May 11, Gold Rose (Americana) May 13, 20 Watt Tombstone and Chris Blaylock (rock/Americana) May 14 and The Hooten Hallers (rock/blues) with Drunken Cuddle and Chris Blaylock (rock/Americana) May 15.

All shows are free and begin at 9:30 p.m. www.nonamesportspub.com.

• The City Lights Café (Sylva) will host David Wiseman (singer-songwriter) at 7 p.m. May 13. 828.587.2233. www.citylightscafe.com.

• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will host The Trippen Hardie Band at 5 p.m. May 14. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Dallas Wesley (Americana) May 6, Blue Ribbon Healers (gypsy/jazz) May 7, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) May 13 and Lacy Green (Americana) May 14. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will hold community music jam from 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 5. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. Free. 828.488.3030.

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host a Mother’s Day Party with the Chinquapin Duo at noon May 8. 828.631.4795.

• Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) will host Circus Mutt (rock/jam) May 6, Franklin’s Kite (Americana) May 7, Wyatt Espalin (Americana) May 13 and Sunshine Station (rock/jam) May 14. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

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

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Mike Frazier & Mike Farrington with Fight For Your

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic with

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Todd Hoke (singer-songwriter) at 1 p.m. May 7 during the Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival and Mark Keller (singer-songwriter) 9:30 a.m. May 14 during the Gateway to the

ALSO:

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. May 7. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia.

• The Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host The Breedlove Brothers (Americana) May 6, Scott James Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) May 7 and Tom Johnson (singer-songwriter) May 13. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.rathskellerfranklin.com.

• Sagebrush Steakhouse (Canton) will host Mile High Band (rock) May 10 and Andrew Rickman (rock/folk) May 17. All shows begin at 7 p.m. 828.646.3750.

• Sneak E Squirrel Brewing (Sylva) will host the “Funk to What?” open jam every Thursday at 8 p.m. and Bobby G (blues) May 7. 828.586.6440.

• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host a jazz evening with the Tyler Kittle & Michael Colling Duo (with special guests) every other Tuesday starting at 7 p.m. with the next performance on May 10. www.soulinfusion.com or 828.586.1717.

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

828.926.1288.

• Tipping Point Brewing (Waynesville) will host Darren Nicholson & Richard Foulk (Americana/bluegrass) during their “Cinco de Weirdo” beard competition and celebration at 7 p.m. May 5. Free. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host a weekly Appalachian music night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays with Nitrograss.

828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• BearWaters Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host The Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) at 6 p.m. May 12.

828.246.0602 or www.bwbrewing.com.

• Jackson County Public Library (Sylva) host a recital of various local musicians from 2 to 4 p.m. May 7. Free, with donations accepted.

Proceeds will go to support the Jackson County Arts Council. 828.507.9820 or www.jacksoncountyarts.org.

Jimandi at 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, “Funky Friday” with Bud Davis at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Isaish Breedlove (Americana) at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

May 4-10, 2016

• Andrews Brewing Company will host Troy Underwood (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. May 6, Hope Griffin Trio (Americana) 7 p.m. May 7, Frank Lee (Americana) 6 p.m. May 13 and Rye Baby (Americana) 7 p.m. May 14. All shows are free. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

A special Mother’s Day performance

by Ann Steele and daughter, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Beth Steele will be held at 11 a.m.

Sunday, May 8, at the Clyde Central United Methodist Church.

During her military career, Steele has served as Commander of the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus in Beth Steele Heidelberg, Germany, Conductor of the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus in Washington, D.C., and the Continental Army Band in Hampton, Virginia, and Commandant, Army School of Music, Virginia Beach. She was Associate Director of U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, D.C. While in Europe, she developed partnerships with European musicians and was awarded the German government’s highest peacetime award of the Silver

Cross of Honor, a first for an American director of music. She also led the U.S. Army Band and Chorus in historic performances in Moscow’s Red Square, for Her Majesty the Queen in London, and the first-ever combined concerts with the National Serbian Defense Orchestra.

The mastermind and driving force behind the Summit of Music Adult Band Institute, she has performed on trumpet with numerous groups including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, New Sousa Band, Virginia Symphony and British Imperial Military Band. She received her Bachelor of Music (trumpet) degree and Master of Music (wind conducting) from Northwestern University.

Her mother, Ann Steele, has a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Drake University and was on the teaching faculty of Iowa State University and Drake. She also taught privately and has led and participated in many professional organizations for the musical arts. She plays the French horn and is a member of a brass quartet.

For questions or for directions, call the church office at 828.627.2287 or email the minister, Daniel Gaddy, at pastordan@clydeceentralumc.org.

arts & entertainment

Mother’s Day concert in Clyde

• The Waynesville Public Library will host the Blue Ridge Big Band (jazz/swing) at 3 p.m.

May 14. Free. www.facebook.com/theblueridgebigband.

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arts & entertainment

On the street Michelle ‘Red’ Roberts.

Culinary delights cooking in Franklin The Taste of Home Cooking School, America’s leading cooking school program which attracts up to 300,000 participants every year, will host a presentation on Saturday, May 14, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

This two-hour demonstration of exciting recipes and flavorful dishes will begin at 6:30

p.m., but doors will open at 4 p.m. so attendees can visit booths hosted by local vendors.

Culinary Specialist Michelle “Red” Roberts will show participants step-by-step instructions on how to create new recipes, as well as share cooking tips and techniques to ensure satisfying, delicious dishes. She will also showcase helpful products to have around the kitchen that will ensure each athome cook can become a star at dinnertime.

Taste of Home recipes are designed to be made with readily available, affordable, everyday ingredients so that family and friends can be together and create memorable meal moments.

Each Taste of Home Cooking School attendee will receive a gift bag filled with free products, coupons, and recipes, as well as a Taste of Home cookbook. There will also be opportunities to win one of many valuable door prizes.

Tickets for this event are $17 each. To purchase tickets, or to find out more information, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

May 4-10, 2016

‘Last Shot Fired’ in Waynesville There will be a reenactment of the Last Shot Fired of the Civil War at the Sulphur Springs Park on Saturday, May 7, in Waynesville.

Re-enactors will be in the park from 3 p.m. on Friday, May 6 until 3 p.m. on Saturday.

There will be firing of several “blank” shots from period rifles (powder only, no bullets) for the recreation of the event at 11 a.m. on Saturday. This may result in loud booms.

The group will also hold a memorial service beginning at 2 p.m. in the Greenhill Cemetery (if no other services are being held) at the gravesite of William Holland Thomas. During this graveside service there will be a 21-gun salute. There will be shots fired from the period rifles and may result in loud booms.

The Town Board has given permission for these displays, with administration and the police department aware of the event.

Riders from across the state participating in the inaugural “Ride to Clyde” motorcycle charity ride will visit the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina (BCH) at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Broyhill Home campus located at 111 Sneed Drive in Clyde.

Simultaneously, the annual “Cookin’ for the Kids” Broyhill Barbecue festival kicks off. The public event invites anyone from the community to come out for a day of fun and festivities where proceeds benefit Broyhill Home’s boys and girls.

The children residing at BCH’s Broyhill

Home will be on-hand to interact with bikers as they complete the last day of their three-day ride.

The children who are being benefited by riders’ fundraising efforts will greet the bikers as they arrive on campus. Bike participants will present a check of raised funds to BCH president/CEO Dr. Michael C. Blackwell on the music stage during the festival.

The event includes a barbecue competition, live entertainment, car and motorcycle show, a 3-D target bow shoot, crafts, vendors, and more.

W Haywood 4-H barbecue fundraiser

The Haywood County 4-H Bulls Eye Shooting Sports Club will host a benefit car show, barbecue dinner and bluegrass music fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Haywood Community College High Tech Center in Clyde.

Plates include: award winning pork barbecue, baked beans, coleslaw, drink, and dessert and will be offered onsite or to go.

Concessions and lighter fare including: barbecue sandwiches and hotdogs will also be available for purchase.

There will be live bluegrass music, 50/50 drawing, and silent auction as part of the fundraiser. Proceeds from the fundraiser will help the club purchase equipment and cover the cost of attending competitions.

All makes, models, motorcycles, and years are invited to participate in the car show.

Registration to participate in the car show is $10. Trophies will be awarded to the top 15 entries. To register for the car show, please contact Patti Henline at 828.400.6070.

828.456.3575.

32

Smoky Mountain News

Barbecue festival at Broyhill

‘Airing of the Quilts’ in Franklin The Mother’s Day weekend “Airing of the Quilts” returns all day Saturday, May 7, in downtown Franklin.

The event showcases the artistry of quilts.

This year’s event will also include a tour of the Macon County Quilt Trail, plus demonstrations and musicians along the sidewalks of downtown.

For additional information, contact Linda McKay at 828.524.7766. www.franklin-chamber.com.

Music, storytelling at Strawberry Jam The Strawberry Jam will be held May 1415 at Darnell Farms on Governors Island Road in Franklin. The festival will open at 10 a.m. daily.

Local music, cloggers; horse, mule and plow demonstrations; hayrides. horse-drawn buggies, storytelling, local produce, strawber-

ry short cake, fresh barbecue, u-pick strawberries, and much more.

The event is a fundraiser for the preservation of this local, family-operated small farm.

• The Town of Canton will be hosting the “Pave the Way” buy a brick program for the Canton Recreation Swimming Pool Project at 6 p.m. Friday, May 6, at the Canton Recreation Park. There will be a free hot dog supper. Listen to beach music and make a lasting tribute to family and friends through our brick fundraiser. This program allows you to purchase an engraved brick to be installed at the entrance to the new Canton Aquatic Fitness Center and/or make a tax-deductible donation to the “It’s Our Time” campaign. For more information, visit www.cantonnc.com or 828.648.2363.

ALSO:

• The Sapphire Valley “Kentucky Derby Cocktail Party” will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Sapphire Valley Community Center.

BYOB and your favorite heavy hors d’oeuvre.

Wear your Kentucky Derby garb and hats. $5

per person. Dessert and set-ups provided.

RSVP to dncollier@aol.com or 828.743.3875.

• The eighth annual American Girl Tea Party will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, 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).

• A wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m.

May 7 and 14 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.586.6300.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. May 7 and 14 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.

May 4 and 11 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 828.452.6000.

W

On the street arts & entertainment

Call for artists for Folkmoot

Whole Bloomin’ Thing welcomes spring

Presentation on William Holland Thomas The “William Holland Thomas Scotts Creek Store Ledgers, 1832-1855” will be the topic during the Jackson County Genealogical Society program at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in the Community Room at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Jackson County native and Genealogical

Smoky Mountain News

The 14th annual Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 7, 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.historicfroglevel.com.

Society Vice-President Jason Gregory will share findings linking his local research to historical data gathered from Duke University’s Special Collections, where the William Holland Thomas Scotts Creek Store Ledgers are archived.

Now available at the Jackson County Genealogical Society offices, this information can help folks, both Cherokee and nonnative, who are “stuck” tracing their personal family trees. The program will also feature a Google Earth 3-D tour of General Rutherford’s War Road and history and photos of the early Love family, who were William Holland Thomas’ partners.

In addition, Gregory William Holland Thomas will make the first live announcement identifying the site of Thomas’ original store near present day Lovesfield.

Refreshments will be served and JCGS activities will be discussed beginning at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program starting. All JCGS events are free of charge and the public is welcome.

828.631.2646.

May 4-10, 2016

Folkmoot is seeking professional artists and community craftspeople to host booths at the inaugural Many Cultures Children’s Carnival from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville; and the 33rd Annual International Festival Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 30, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

Makers and producers of handmade arts, crafts and foods are encouraged to apply.

Folkmoot is a 501(c)3 organization that fosters the vibrancy of many cultures while building community. Folkmoot programs are based on cultural exchange and designed to build global relationships, foster cultural understanding and develop community prosperity.

International Festival Day attracts about 25,000 attendees and is the collaboration between Folkmoot and the Downtown Waynesville Association. Entertainment will include kid’s activities and two stages that feature dance performances by 10 world cultures, plus local musicians and dancers, representing Appalachian culture. International Festival Day will select up to 70 arts and crafts spaces and five food vendors.

Application packets can be downloaded or entered electronically at www.folkmootusa.org. Vendors who prefer to receive packets by mail can call the office at 828.452.2997. The deadline for applications and fees is 5 p.m. Sunday, May 15. Applications will be juried and selected vendors, notified by May 30.

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arts & entertainment

On the wall Want to learn blacksmithing?

Haywood Community College Continuing Education Creative Arts will host blacksmith Elizabeth Brim, who will be teaching her class “Blacksmithing for Jewelers: Hammer and Heat” from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 22-24, at the school in Clyde.

Brim, an instructor at Penland School of Crafts, is perhaps best known for feminine imagery in her ironwork. In May, she will be teaching a blacksmithing course specifically designed for jewelry makers at Haywood

Community College.

In “Blacksmithing for Jewelers: Hammer and Heat,” students will learn basic blacksmithing techniques such as bending, scrolling, splitting and torch welding steel. The scale of these techniques may be adjusted to suit a variety of artistic endeavors. Working in iron, students will leave with an understanding of blacksmithing techniques and samples to take home and apply to their own work.

Please register for the Brim course by May 6. For more information on this class or to view our full class selection, visit creativearts.haywood.edu. Call 828.565.4240 to register.

MACON LIBRARY TO HOST ARTIST RECEPTION

There will be a reception for artist Krista Skrede from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. A Macon resident, Skrede teaches art at The Franklin School of Innovation in Asheville, and will be displaying her multidimensional compositions, photography and fabric art throughout the month of May.

May 4-10, 2016

Lost wax workshop at HCC Blacksmithing class in Dillsboro There will be a handful of blacksmithing courses taught by Brock Martin at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

Artist and jeweler Sarah Rachel Brown will be holding a class at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

“Introduction to Lost Wax Casting: Carved Band Rings” will explore the fundamentals of the lost wax process as students carve a band ring out of wax and utilize surface techniques to add pizzazz to the final cast metal ring. The class will run for three days from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on June 3-4 and from 8:30 a.m. to

They include the following: • Bladesmithing: Seax Knife Class — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 14-15.

• Viking Axe Making — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 18-19.

For more information of these workshops, class fees, the JCGEP, and more, click on www.jcgep.org.

4:30 p.m. June 5. Register by May 20.

Brown is currently an artist-in-residence at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She has also completed a Core Fellowship at Penland School of Crafts and is a full-time studio artist.

Haywood Community College Continuing Education Creative Arts offers continuing education classes and workshops in clay, fiber, metals, wood, and music as well as design and computer classes. These classes are year-round and open to the public. creativearts.haywood.edu.

Call 828.565.4240 to register.

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Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Is a Will Enough?

343-46

Smoky Mountain News

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On the wall

Art After Dark will kick off its 2016 season from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 6, 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, such Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86, Burr Studio, Earthworks Gallery, The Jeweler’s Workbench, Twigs & Leaves Gallery, TPennington Art Gallery, Cedar Hill Studios, the Village Framer, and Moose Crossing Burl Wood Gallery. Studio SG, home of Suzanne Gernandt’s mixed media textiles studio, is a new member this year, with her studio located in historic Hazelwood.

• A reception will be held for the Contours exhibit at the Haywood County Arts Council. Contours features four local artists — Michael Dodson, Brian Fireman, Jo Ridge Kelley, and Trish Salmon — working in different mediums on a common theme.

Whether the contours of the human body, the shapes formed of wood or clay, or the tex-

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. May 5 and 12 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included.

828.538.2054.

ALSO:

• The “May the 4th Be With You!” Star Wars celebration will be held at 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 4, at the Canton Public Library. Star Wars snacks and a special movie screening.

• The Mother’s Day Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 6-8 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin.

Sponsored by the Macon County Gem and Mineral Society. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• The Highlands Road Gem Show will be held May 5-8 at the corner of U.S. 441 and

Highlands Road in Franklin. Rock, minerals, rough and cut gems, supplies, and more.

Admission is free. 828.369.6341 or vwproperties@gmail.com.

• After-School Art Adventure will be on from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays at The Bascom in Highlands. For ages 5 to 10, Art Adventure is a class that explores the creative process of drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, sculpture, fiber art, and crafts by utilizing a variety of media. The students will investigate some of the most popular techniques and theories in art history and will be exposed to contemporary as well as folk art traditions. Tuition is $40 for a fourclass package. www.thebascom.org.

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

The Canton Library Visual Arts Exhibit is currently featuring work by Denise McCullough, a 94-year-old acrylic artist.

McCullough’s works are a mixture of abstract expressionism, impressionism and realism — styles she has evolved through over the years. Her paintings are on view in the main patron usage room through August.

Born in Princeton, Kentucky in 1921, McCullough started her career as a realist, and has since transitioned into abstract expressionism and impressionism. She has won many awards throughout her active art life, and her work hangs in the state capital in Tallahassee, Florida, and in many other public buildings throughout the south and as far away as Australia and Iceland. Her paintings feature the remarkable places and fun activities to be enjoyed within the Haywood county area.

Also on view in the Canton Library meeting room are Helen Geltman’s landscape and horse photography, as well as some of her sculpted wall hangings and prints. www.haywoodarts.org.

Gem & Mineral Society of Franklin The

Presents

the

Mother’S Day Gemboree

Mother’s Day Weekend - May 6th, 7th & 8th | Fri & Sat 10-5 Sun 10-4

No Admission Charge

• The film “The Big Short” will be screened at 7 p.m. May 4-6, 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. May 8, 7 p.m. May 10-13, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. May 14, and 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. May 15 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. www.38main.com.

• The films “The Station Agent” (May 5), “Deadpool” (May 12) and “Joy” (May 13-14) will be shown at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Fridays; and 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays. Free. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Adult Coloring Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Fridays in the Living Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. An afternoon of creativity and camaraderie. Supplies are provided, or bring your own. Beginners are welcome as well as those who already enjoy this new trend. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 828.524.3600.

Diane Wolfe. There will also be hors d’eurves.

• Cedar Hill Studio will host a demonstration by Barbara Brook of her rice paper and watercolor paintings. Live music will be provided by guitarist Renee Mullinax www.downtownwaynesville.com or www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

Art exhibit at Canton Library

May 4-10, 2016

f• Paint Nite Waynesville will be held at 7 p.m.

Friday, May 13, at the Panacea Coffeehouse.

Grab a cup of coffee, glass of wine or pint of craft beer and get creative. $20 per person.

Group rates available. Sign up at Panacea or call host Robin Smathers at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

ture of brushstrokes showcasing nature, each highlights their creativity in celebration of the forms in our world. There will also be snacks and wine.

• Oil painter Patti Best will be demonstrating at Twigs and Leaves Gallery. A native of Haywood County, her hardwood panels evoke the beautiful landscapes, waterfalls and woodlands. Piano music will be played by

arts & entertainment

Art After Dark returns to Waynesville

Macon County Community Building - Carpenter Building

1288 Georgia Rd Franklin NC 35

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On the stage

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Smoky Mountain News

The three panelists will approach the topic from very different perspectives, religion, academia, and the arena of world conflict.

In addition to the discussion, there will be a post-show discussion following the Saturday evening performance. This will involve Beckwith, Wall and members of the cast.

The grant has also made it possible for the theatre to commission an original score for the production from Sarah McCoy and

Joshua Linhart who will be performing at each performance.

Special discount tickets are available for the May 5 performance and special discount tickets are also available to students and teachers for all performances.

To make reservations, call the box office at 828.456.6322 or visit www.harttheatre.org.

Waynesville historical speakers series CHRIS YOUNG

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Thanks to a grant from the N.C. Arts Council, the Haywood Art Regional Theatre’s (HART) upcoming production of William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” will address the theme of forgiveness in the Bard’s last four plays.

“The Winter’s Tale” will have performances at 7:30 p.m. May 5-7, and at 2 p.m. May 8 at the theater in Waynesville.

The story is of redemption, which ends with one of the most magical and heartwarming climaxes in all of Shakespeare.

Dr. Sarah Beckwith, author of the book Shakespeare and the Grammar of Forgiveness and head of the English Department at Duke University, will be joined by Kristen Wall, formally of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and now with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the Very Reverend Todd Donatelli of All Souls Cathedral in Asheville for a special panel discussion revolving around the production.

In her book, Beckwith postulates that Shakespeare reinvented, for a post reformation world, our understanding of “forgiveness” in his last four plays “The Winter’s Tale,” “Cymbeline,” “Pericles” and “The Tempest.”

CHIPPENDALES

JUNE 11 TWO SHOWS

GAB RIEL IGLES IAS JUNE 17

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

The Town of Waynesville Historic Preservation Commission will begin hosting a series of speakers to inform the public on the rich and fascinating stories behind some of the historic places within the community.

The goal of “Haywood Ramblings” is to entertain and inform all ages on some of the interesting aspects of Waynesville’s long history. Talks will be held at 4 p.m. in the Sam Love Queen Auditorium at the Folkmoot Friendship Center.

The final program of the spring series will be “Early Hotels and Boarding Houses of Waynesville” by Ann Melton on Thursday, May 5.

For more information contact Elizabeth Teague or Byron Hickox at the Town’s Development Services Department at 828.456.8647.

• Triple Threat dance academy will hit the stage with their musical theater show “Annie Jr.” at 6 p.m. May 14 in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

• The Musical Theater Department at Cherokee High School and Middle School will perform “Lion King Jr.” at 7 p.m. May 5-7 in the Joyce Dugan Cultural Center. Tickets are $5. The Braves Cafe will offer dinner served in the lobby for $7 starting at 5:30 p.m.

• Upcoming auditions for Ensemble and Character Roles for Community Theater Actors HART Theatre will hold auditions for its major summer musical the legendary

rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” at 6:30 p.m. May 9-10 in the Studio Theater at the Performing Arts Center in Waynesville.

Anyone auditioning should come prepared to sing with sheet music. An accompanist will be provided. There are roles for men, women and children of all ages.

The production opens on July 8 and runs through July 31. Rehearsals are typically from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and everyone is not called every night. Conflicts can be worked around until the final week when everyone is required. Rehearsals will begin May 23. www.harttheatre.org.

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We are open to becoming your primary health care center.

We accept most medical insurance, Medicare & Medicaid plans.

Smoky Mountain News

We are open to everyone!

May 4-10, 2016

THE FAMILY CARE CENTER

Call 828-554-5565 to make an appointment.

77 Painttown Road (Hwy. 19) â&#x20AC;˘ Cherokee, North Carolina

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

Crazy little thing called love

Jeff Minick

Love.

What a loaded word.

Let’s skip the love of country, the love of family, the love of nature, the love of God, the love of reading, the love of hamburgers or pizza or tiramisu, or whatever else we love along these lines.

Let’s look instead at that romantic love that brings us alive, that quickens our step and our smile, that livens the blood, the love that brings us to Writer song in the shower, that brings us heart to heart with another — no, with the other — that mystery of passion and devotion beyond any definition.

I’m talking about the love we feel in our very bones when we see the face of our beloved on a sidewalk on an April afternoon.

It’s that love no dictionary can truly define, that love captured by the greatest poets, painters, and other artists who’ve ever lived.

It’s that strange, eccentric love whose fierce powers jerk us away from our daily routine into a world of magic we’ve never before apprehended.

Requited or not, this love sweeps us out of ourselves and into the other.

This love transforms the mundane into the sublime. That mechanic in greasy overalls and engine-battered hands becomes a chevalier.

That waitress whose knees ache and who smells of French fries becomes a princess in the eyes of her beloved.

That’s the kind of love I’m talking about.

And you’ll find that sort of love in Antoine Laurain’s The Red Notebook (Gallic Books, 2015, 240 pages, $14.95) When out for his morning walk, Parisian bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across a woman’s handbag thrown on top of a garbage bin. After a failed attempt to turn the bag over to the police, Letellier eventually opens the bag. The purse is missing money and identification, but the bag does contain other belongings, including a red notebook. In the notebook he discovers observations that attract him to the owner.

pital. Through some excellent detective work, Letellier finds her apartment and even watches her cat while she is in the hospital, but he then leaves before meeting her, fearing he may somehow offend her by his investigation and his view of her personal life through the notebook.

To say more here would hurt the suspense and plot of The Red Notebook.

But I must add that The Red Notebook impresses on several fronts.

First, there is author Antoine Laurain’s subtle sense of humor. Here, for example, is his description of Letellier going through the woman’s handbag: “Laurent would never have imagined that a woman’s bag could have so many nooks and crannies. It was even more complicated than dissecting an octopus on the kitchen table. Several times he thought he had emptied a pocket only to find a lump at the bottom which turned out to be a stone, no doubt picked up at some meaningful moment. He found three of them in all, in different parts of the bag. And a conker, probably picked up in a park.”(Conker was new to me; it’s a used The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain. Gallic Books, 2015. 240 pages. snail shell.)

Then there is the sense of the author finding some amusement he has dropped from the bag. She leaves him in his story, a joy in living he hopes to share a note announcing the end of their relationwith the reader. He pokes gentle fun at ship. authors and bookselling. He surely relished Meanwhile, we discover the whereabouts describing the notebook as red, while of the owner of the handbag, Laure. She is Letellier’s bookshop is called Le Cahier Rouge, lying in a hospital bed, the victim of a mugwhich in French means “The Red Notebook.” ging and a cerebral hematoma. Her recovery Antoine Laurain also gives us a book of is slow, but she does eventually leave the hosThat evening, Letellier’s girlfriend pays him a visit. She detects a scent from the bag, which Letellier has hidden, but he reassures her no woman has visited his apartment. The next morning, however, she finds a hairgrip

mysteries. He describes those weird cross-connections we make everyday with the people around us. In his quest, Letellier, for example, must track down a reclusive author, Patrick Modiano, who had once signed a book for Laure. For her part, Laure must explore several bookshops in her quest for this man who returned her notebook and purse.

Finally, as a review on the back-jacket of the book states, The Red Notebook is “the very quintessence of French romance.” The story of Letellier and Laure offers us a story of love and destiny light and sweet as the brush of lovers’ lips.

The Red Notebook calls to mind Nina George’s weightier novel, The Little Paris Bookshop, previously reviewed in The Smoky Mountain News. Like Laurain’s novel, The Little Paris Bookshop has as its theme “starcrossed lovers” and the yearning heart.

Highly recommended.

••• This past April marks the twentieth annual poetry month, inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets. April has passed us by, but the good news is that for those of you who love poetry — and I suspect you may be as rare as snowflakes in May — every month is Poetry Month. And for those of you who aren’t readers of verse, I urge you to give verse a try. Dig out some poetry in your local library or bookstore, or find it at dozens of places online.

Be daring. And no matter how old you are, be an opsimath. (“One who learns late in life”, courtesy of Stephen Fry in The Ode Less Travelled).

Chappell releases fantasy novel Poet and novelist Fred Chappell will read and sign his new fantasy novel A Shadow All of Light at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

In the book, a young man sets off on a journey to become the apprentice of a master shadow thief. His mysterious master challenges him with difficult mental and physical tests, setting in motion adventures with con men, monsters, ingenious detection, cats and pirates.

Chappell is a former professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was the Poet Laureate of North Carolina from 1997 to 2002. His 1968 novel Dagon was named the Best Foreign Book of the Year by the Academie Francaise. Chappell’s literary awards include the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry, the Prix de Meilleur des Livres Etrangers, the Bollingen Prize, and the T. S. Eliot Prize. He has also won two World Fantasy Awards.

828.586.9499.

History of Women in the Smokies Courtney Lix will present her book Women of the Smokies at 10 a.m. Friday, May 6, at the Swain County Visitor Center in Bryson City. She will also speak at 2 p.m. that day at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville, and at 6:30 p.m. at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The book chronicles the women who contributed to making the Smokies what we know today. The idea for the book, according to Lix, came from a series of articles she began writing for Smokies Life Magazine, GSMA’s bi-annual magazine featuring stories about an array of Smoky Mountain-centric topics.

“My research suggested that the lives and contributions of women in the national park area were under-documented and underappreciated,” she said. “The book emerged in response to that.”

Lix will share some of the stories of these women and sign books.

How Langston Hughes influenced MLK Jr. N.C. State English professor Jason Miller will present his book Origins of the Dream: Hughes’s Poetry and King’s Rhetoric at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

For years, some scholars have privately suspected Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”

speech was connected to Langston Hughes’s poetry, and the link between the two was purposefully veiled through careful allusions in King’s orations. In Origins of the Dream, Miller lifts that veil to demonstrate how Hughes’ revolutionary poetry became a measurable inflection in King’s voice, and that the influence can be found in more than just the one famous speech.

828.586.9499.

• Author Joy Resor will read from her book Go In Joy! An Alphabetical Adventure at 3 p.m.

Saturday, May 7, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. The book offers an authentic ride beyond inspiring, lyrical words. This engaging, relatable book of essays, poems and questions offers touchstones that deliver “ah-ha” moments. www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

ALSO:

The event begins on Main Street in beautiful downtown Waynesville & winds through neighborhoods & scenic farmlands to finish in Frog Level, a revitalized railroad district listed on the National Register of Historic Places

WWII vet to present poetry Canton resident, World War II veteran and poet Paul Willis will read from his collection Reflections of a World War II Veteran at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Willis fought in the hedgerows of Normandy, across Europe and survived the Battle of the Bulge. His poetry reflects his rich personal experiences and his love of history.

To reserve copies of the book, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

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May 4-10, 2016

MAY Come join us in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for the

26th Anniversary Wilderness Wildlife Week!

This special free event features more than 200 educational seminars, 40 outdoor excursions into Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area, a farmers’ market, as well as more than 60 onsite exhibitors.

Ken Jenkins, as well as the first-ever Appalachian Homecoming featuring storytelling from Bill Landry, Sam Venable and Elizabeth Rose, as well as music by the Ray Ball Family and Pistol Creek Catch of the Day.

...and many other remarkable activities!

The LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge

Smoky Mountain News

Featured sessions include presentations by: FDR character reenactor Gary Stamm, Dr. Bill Bass,

2986 Teaster Lane Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 For more information, visit MyPigeonForge.com or telephone the Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events at (865) 429-7350 39

40

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Operation box turtle Waynesville vet works to give baby turtles a leg up

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER oel Harrington has always been a fan of turtles. Of all animals, really — he is a veterinarian — but Harrington has had at least one pet turtle ever since he was a kid.

And if the collection of Eastern box turtles covering his lawn on a recent sunny afternoon is any indication, the affinity hasn’t faded.

Though it has shifted. With the exception of two, the 18 turtles now in his care aren’t pets. They’re wild animals. Or at least they will be, once they get big enough and strong enough for Harrington to deem them ready for release.

“I found a system that keeps them happy, healthy, growing — and still pretty wild,” Harrington said. “They’re not as shy (as a wild turtle), but they still wouldn’t hesitate to run away and disappear and never want to see another human in their life.”

Which is a good thing, because Harrington’s turtles have a monumental task ahead of them post-release — to go forth and thrive, bolstering their species’ long-term odds of survival. Box turtles, which are named the state reptile, have it rough. Run-ins with cars and well-meaning people who try making them into pets, as well as diminishing habitat, are taking their toll.

J

BECOMING THE TURTLE GUY Those factors are what got Harrington into the business of turtle husbandry in the first place. It began about seven years ago, soon after he moved the mountains to work at the Animal Hospital of Waynesville. He was driving along and noticed a turtle crossing the road. He took it home as a pet but soon realized that wasn’t the responsible thing to do — it was a wild animal. He returned it to where he’d found it.

Over the years, box turtles would make their occasional way into the vet office. Pet turtles who were sick or dying well before their time, wild turtles who’d been smashed by car tires while crossing the road.

Harrington took their reptilian woes to heart.

After contemplating what he could do to help, he came to figure out that the eggs inside a dead turtle — as long as it had died within the day — could be surgically removed and incubated to hatch just fine.

“I did it by experiment at first,” he said, “and they all hatched.”

As it turns out, nearly all the turtles crawling on the roads during the peak season in May are females, full of eggs and looking for a place to lay them. When the pregnant turtle is crushed, so are the chances of survival for the two to seven eggs she carries inside.

The eggs have a high fertility rate, so of those that Harrington manages to save and place into his Styrofoam chicken egg incubator, nearly all hatch. It takes about two months or so for the eggs to break into tiny baby turtles, at which point fall is on the hori-

zon, shortly to be followed by winter. So, while it would be fine to release the turtles as little as a week after they hatch, Harrington usually holds onto them through the winter to keep them warm and fed during the harsher season. In the wild, few turtles survive their first winter.

By springtime, they’ve tripled or quadrupled in size, their shells have hardened and are able to close in case of danger — baby turtles can’t close their shells — and they have a much higher chance of survival.

“My educated opinion is that in the wild maybe one out of 40 hatchlings is going to

An Eastern box turtles strike a pose in the backyard of veterinarian Joel Harrington, who has been taking care of it and many others in order to increase the chance to success upon release.

Holly Kays photo

Help the turtles During May and into June, female turtles will be on the move in search of the perfect place to lay their eggs, crossing roads and lawns in the process. It can be a dangerous time for the shelled creatures, with mortality increasing due to collisions with cars or runins with people looking for a new pet. Here are some tips from veterinarian Joel Harrington on how you can help the turtles in your area: ■ Watch out for turtles while driving. If you see one on the road, find a safe place to pull over, pick the turtle up and place it on the side of the road in the direction it was headed.

■ Mow the lawn midday, not early in the morning or late at night when turtles are most active. Keep an eye out to avoid mowing over them.

■ Don’t move a turtle you’ve found any further than a few feet in any direction. Turtles have specific home ranges, and moving one as little as 100 meters can severely disorient it.

■ Leave turtles in the wild. Their needs are hard to meet in captivity, and most captive turtles live for years when they should live for decades.

■ Limit pesticide use. Pesticides can harm both turtles and their food sources.

survive to adulthood, but if they’re a little bigger, a little stronger and they actually have gained the ability to close their shell, their odds probably go from 1 in 40 to 50-50, as long as they can avoid human hazards,” Harrington said.

He’ll usually release one batch in the spring and another batch in the fall, with the turtles that have done the most growing over the winter going first. Some get set free near where their mother was found. Others simply go to places that look like great turtle habitat, away from busy roads and development.

BOLSTERING A POPULATION The point of all this is to help strengthen a population that’s been struggling. Box turtles aren’t threatened or endangered, but they are listed as a North Carolina species of special concern. Their biggest threats come from people — via collisions with cars or when people take them to keep as pets or relocate them from the area they know.

“In the wild, once they reach adulthood they have almost no threats to them in nature,” Harrington said. “They can survive fires and floods and drought and every single predator that’s out there. If it wasn’t for peo-

ple, adult turtles would have very few worries.”

But they’re slow reproducers, with females laying an average of four eggs each year. If Harrington’s estimation that one in 40 of those eggs will survive to become an adult turtle is correct and the female turtle has 40 years of healthy reproduction, then she’ll create only four adult turtles in her lifetime.

“They don’t have an ability to come back from major losses,” Harrington said.

Enter Operation Box Turtle.

It really is quite the operation. Harrington has had as many as 45 turtles at a time before, with each of the babies kept in its own individual bowl, wadingdepth — if you’re a turtle — water kept within a specific temperature range.

“In nature when they hatch they all go their separate directions and never see each other,” Harrington said. “In captivity if you place them together, they often view tails and toes as food.”

Once they get to be about 2, they realize that other turtles’ toes are not food and can start to share space. But Harrington doesn’t typically keep them that long.

As far as what is proper food for turtles, the list is long. They’re omnivores, and variety is the key.

For Harrington’s turtles, the staples include commercial turtle pellets, dark leafy greens, carrots, sweet potatoes and treats like blueberries and strawberries.

They also get insects like crickets, pill bugs and earthworms found in the backyard. All that variety helps increase their chance of success after release.

“Otherwise they get hooked on one thing,” Harrington explained. “If I fed them only pellets they wouldn’t want anything else, no matter how good it was.”

He’s got the feeding down to a science. It happens every other day, requiring a few minutes to set up the turtles’ feeding stations, an hour of elapsed time to let them eat and then a few minutes to clean everything up. Once or twice a week, he takes the whole ensemble outside to let the turtles enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.

AIMING FOR CONSERVATION It is a commitment. But Harrington follows through partially out of a sense of responsibility.

“I like all wildlife,” Harrington said. “I’ve raised possums and all kinds of orphaned baby birds and mammals. But when it comes to turtles, there’s not many people that are doing it and it requires some knowledge that a lot of people don’t have. I kind of feel like if I’m not helping, there aren’t many people that are helping.”

But also, he just really likes tur-

New maps ‘unlock’ Tsali’s epic trail system

Joel Harrington has had as many as 45 turtles at a time before. Holly Kays photo

The doctor is in If you come across a dead or dying turtle on the road, take it by the Animal Hospital of Waynesville. Even if the turtle can’t be saved, the eggs it’s carrying often can.

828.456.9755.

Adult soccer is back in Haywood A co-ed adult soccer league is returning to Haywood County for the summer, with a maximum of 10 teams of up to 13 players.

Games will be played Monday and Wednesday evenings June 6 to July 31 at Allens Creek Park in Waynesville, with 7-on-7 play in

John Highsmith photo

two 25-minute halves.

Registration deadline is 5 p.m. May 19. $390 per team with a minimum age of 18.

Players must be out of high school. Organized

by Haywood County Recreation and Parks.

828.452.6789 or dryalor@haywoodnc.net.

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he just believes they live a more enriched life in the wild. But he’s got a few turtles he knows quite well. Bernard, a 15-year-old common musk turtle, has been with him since his first year of college — he didn’t know she was a female when he named her — and he has a 1-year-old three-striped mud turtle that a client at the animal hospital found in his yard.

It’s not a native species, so there’s no telling how it wound up out there. He also has partial custody of two male cooter turtles, which live in a friend’s first-grade classroom during the school year and with him in the summer.

Ultimately, though, Harrington has two dogs to deliver the satisfaction of a pet that comes when called and shows emotion.

The goal of his turtle operation has always been conservation.

“They are definitely declining in the area,” Harrington said, “and unless we protect natural habitats and we try to limit our impact on wild turtles, they’re not going to be around in the future.”

The date is set for this year’s Blue Ridge Breakaway ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway and scenic highways of Haywood County — Saturday, Aug. 20 — and BicycleHaywoodNC is hoping to give beginning riders a leg up toward participation.

The Path to the Breakaway, a group for women 18 and older, will kick off May 7 with the goal of preparing riders to complete one of the shorter routes offered through the Breakaway. Participants will learn about safety and bike maintenance while following a training program developed by Andre Vandenberg, a certified cycling coach who’s on staff at the Haywood Regional Fitness Center.

All Breakaway routes begin at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, with routes of roughly 100 miles and 75 miles including 30 miles on the Parkway. Shorter distances of about 50 and 25 miles are also on tap.

The ride is sponsored by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, with this year’s event presented by the Haywood Regional Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint hospital.

Registration is $41 for the shortest route through Aug. 1, while the other three routes are

$46 through May 31 with prices rising afterward. www.blueridgebreakaway.com. Contact for BicycleHaywoodNC is bobclarklaw@gmail.com.

May 4-10, 2016

tles. They’re docile, not aggressive, and each one is unique and important to the species’ survival.

“They can be personable,” Harrington said. “I have one turtle who really likes it when you scratch his shell. He starts to move back and forth to encourage you to scratch his shell. I have several that run to you because they think you have a treat for them. But I have just as many who would bite your finger, thinking you’re a human food dispenser.”

Harrington says he doesn’t see himself ever wanting a box turtle as a long-term pet — their needs can be difficult to meet, and

Female cyclists to start training for the Blue Ridge Breakaway

outdoors

every trail intersection, with each one Newbies to Tsali Recreation Area in including a “You Are Here” icon and a Graham County will have an easier time unique number that rescue and Forest navigating the 37-mile trail network thanks to the installation of 18 new color trail maps along the area’s four multi-use trails.

In the works for nearly a year, the project involved surveys of the area by the Nantahala Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, collaboration with a signmaker and oversight by the U.S. Forest Service to ensure accuracy.

“Hopefully this means no more hikers, bikers, trail runners or horseback riders getting Members of the Nantahala Southern Off-Road Bicycling lost on the trail comAssociation gather around their newly installed signs. Donated photo plex,” said Karl Haiss, Nantahala SORBA Trail Service personnel can use to pinpoint locaLiaison. “These new trail maps unlock the tions. magic of Tsali for all users.” www.nasorba.com.

The maps were installed in April at

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outdoors May 4-10, 2016 Smoky Mountain News

Tour the best of Haywood’s gardens this summer The best blooms and greenery in Haywood County will be on display with this year’s Haywood County Garden Tour Saturday, June 18. Tickets go on sale at The Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival in Waynesville’ Frog Level Historic District Saturday, May 7.

The tour will show visitors how to maximize their space to produce veggies, flowers and habitat for pollinators. Stops include: ■ The Giving Garden at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library, where a Master Gardener will demonstrate square-foot and vertical gardening.

A child-size planting bed will be on hand to show parents how to get their kids involved with gardening.

■ Joe Smiley’s sunny garden near Balsam for a hands-on demonstration of plant propagation to multiply flowers and shrubs.

■ Apple tree grafting and an overview of beekeeping.

■ An official Monarch Waystation, which exemplifies the best ways to attract and nourish the native migratory butterfly.

■ A wagon tour of ongoing studies at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville. This is also where ticketholders will pick up directions to the gardens.

■ Local artists at each stop with their easels set up to paint the beauty found there. $15 in advance, with a maximum of 500 tickets sold. Proceeds from the tour support the Extension horticulture program and horticultural and educational projects throughout the county, including elementary school and community gardens, the plant clinic and grant programs.

After the Whole Bloomin’ Thing, tickets can be ordered through Cooperative Extension at 828.456.3575 or by emailing mgtour2016@charter.net.

Become a wildflower expert A six-week course studying the blooms that make Western North Carolina come alive in the springtime will begin May 10, meeting every Tuesday through June 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at various outdoor locations around Jackson County.

Horticulturist Adam Bigelow will teach the identification techniques using ID guides and keys, as well as on-the-ground practice outdoors. Bigelow will also cover the plants’ “stories,” including their names, benefits, uses and relationship to each other and the world at large. $120 for the series. In case of rain, class will be rescheduled for weekend afternoons. bigelownc@gmail.com.

National Park.

The class “Introduction to Tree Identification” will keep technical terms to a minimum, using photographs to help students learn to identify trees based on their bark, twigs and leaves. Ecological requirements for dominant tree species in the area will also be reviewed to help students gauge the likelihood of encountering a particular species in a given location. $79. Taught by Mac Post as part of the Smoky Mountain Field School. www.conferencesandnoncreditprograms.utk.edu/smoky.

Rain barrels are on sale this spring at the Haywood Cooperative Extension office in Waynesville, part of an effort to raise awareness about water conservation.

Haywood Waterways Association sells the rain barrels every spring, hoping to conserve water while also helping homeowners with gardening and landscaping. Barrels can be purchased anytime during normal business hours. $90. Go to the Extension office at 589 Raccoon Road or contact Haywood Waterways at 828.476.4667 or or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

Celebrate wildflowers in Highlands

Pink trillium. Mike Hunter photo

Spring’s ephemeral beauties will take center stage at Wildflower Whimsy, scheduled for May 6-7 at the Highlands Biological Foundation.

The annual fundraising event includes garden tours, a lecture, a live auction and wine reception, and a variety of guided wildflower walks. Proceeds support the foundation’s three pillars — its botanical garden, laboratory and nature center. $75 for members; $100 for nonmembers. www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.

Pick your plant at sale in Franklin A plethora of plants will be for sale 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Macon County Environmental Resource Center with the 14th annual Plant Sale of the Macon County Master Gardener Volunteer Association.

Master Gardeners grow the plants using their own soil and seeds, with local businesses and residents also adding inventory to the plant sale. All proceeds go back to the Environmental Resource Center, where the Master Gardeners are developing a horticultural demonstration garden full of native plants.

The ERC is located at 1624 Lakeside Drive in Franklin. Plant donations are welcome. 828.369.0882 or 828.349.2046.

Get a leg up in agribusiness People in the agriculture business will have a chance to hear from experts in agriventures during a full-day workshop on Thursday, May 12, at Southwestern Community College in Sylva.

The workshop will give an overview of resources in areas including land assessments, land trusts, livestock, training program, emerging specialty markets, lending options and business planning, with plenty of chance to talk one-on-one with local providers.

Free. Register at 828.278.9332. www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc.

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Identify trees like a pro Barrel up rain A full-day workshop to turn tree novices for better gardening into tree identification experts will be held Saturday, May 21, at the Oconaluftee Visitor and conservation Center in the Great Smoky Mountains

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Members of the Franklin Bird Club look to the trees during an excursion in the Highlands area. Holly Kays photo

Go bird-watching in the mountains A 4-mile exploration of the birds that make their home in the Overflow Wilderness Study Area near Highlands will begin at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, May 5.

Brent Martin, director of The Wilderness Society’s regional office based in Sylva, will lead the walk, discussing bird communities, identification techniques, climate change’s impact on migration and the

ecological value of the Overflow area, which The Wilderness Society hopes to see receiving full wilderness designation.

Meet at Founders Park in Highlands to caravan to the trailhead. Free with loaner binoculars available. A joint effort of The Wilderness Society and the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society.

828.587.9453.

See spring in the high elevations May 4-10, 2016

Experience spring in the high elevations with a hike along the Thomas Divide Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 7.

The hike, accessed from Newfound Gap Road, will cover 4.7 miles of spring diversity, with naturalist Liz Domingue leading the experience to point out tree species and spring wildflowers.

Shuttle parking will eliminate the need for out-and-back hiking. $20 for Great Smoky Mountains Association members; free for Hemlock members; $35 for nonmembers with a one-year membership included. Part of GSMA’s lineup of monthly branch out activities to educate participants about park history and ecology.

Register at www.smokiesinformation.org/info/branch-out-programs-spring.

columnist for The Smoky Mountain News, to early champions of the yet-to-be-formed park like Horace Kephart. It goes beyond the names to include stories, such as that of Charlie Conner, who was born near the Oconaluftee River in 1891 and assisted with early surveys of park boundaries.

“He accompanied Horace Kephart on many hikes, famously the one in which they discovered part of a mountain denuded by a storm,” the piece reads. “The rocky protrusion was compared to the guide’s gnarled foot, resulting in the now-famous landmark, Charlies Bunion.”

It’s likely that future years will see additions to the park’s top-tier of protectors.

“It took thousands and thousands of people to get this place protected as a national park in the 1920s and 1930s, and it takes ten times that many to keep them pristine,” Kemp wrote.

The magazine is available at the online store at www.smokiesinformation.org.

1.

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3.

Smoky Mountain News

Throughout its journey from concept to reality to regional treasure, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has drawn the support of millions — but the Great Smoky Mountains Association has created a list naming the top 100 most influential people in the park’s history.

The idea was born as a result of planning for the National Park Service’s centennial celebration, which is this year. The 100 people named in the Smokies Life Magazine article, where the list was published, mirrors the 100 years the Park Service has been in business.

“We thought the list of Smokies’ heroes would be a good springboard for discussions about the significance of the park and the people who gave their time, energy and money to make it happen,” said Steve Kemp, editor of magazine.

This list’s honorees range from contemporary people like Bryson City historian and naturalist George Ellison, who is also a

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outdoors

Wilderness medicine courses planned for summer Emergencies sometimes happen in the backcountry, but a slate of courses planned for the summer through Landmark

Landmark Learning students practice CPR. File photo

Learning, an accredited outdoor education school based in Cullowhee, will aim to prepare students to respond appropriately.

■ A Wilderness First Responder course, nine days of comprehensive training in wilderness medicine, will be offered May 10-18 and June 2-10 in Cullowhee.

■ Recertification for Wilderness First Responders, three days providing up-to-date standards and practices for WFRs, will be offered May 7-9 and May 19-21 in Cullowhee.

■ Emergency Medical Technician & WMI Wilderness Upgrade for the Medical Professional, a three-week certification course in basic EMT with an option for an

additional week in the fall to receive certification as a Wilderness EMT, will be offered May 23-Jun 11, June 13-17, July 11-30 and Aug. 1-5 in Cullowhee.

■ Leave No Trace — Master Educator, a five-day course in how to be environmentally sensitive in the backcountry and teach others to do the same, will be offered June 20-24 in Cullowhee.

■ Wilderness Lifeguard, a two-day course to equip wilderness trip leaders for rescues in remote areas, will be offered May 17-18 in Cullowhee.

■ A Wilderness First Aid course, a 2-day class covering the fundamentals of first aid in remote areas, will be held May 21-22 in Arden and May 26-27 in Hendersonville.

Register with Landmark Learning, 828.293.5384 or main@landmarklearning.edu. www.landmarklearning.edu.

Master the map and compass

A how-to on photographing nature’s finest details

Learn how to use a map and compass with an orienteering class offered Saturday, May 14, at the Ralph J. Andrews campground through Jackson County Parks and Recreation.

Participants will get to practice their skills on a navigation course.

All ages. $5. Register through May 12 at 828.293.3053 or in person at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee.

A photography workshop on how to magnify the smallest details in nature will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, May 9, at the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center.

Les Saucier, a professional nature photographer and educator for more than 30 years, will discuss the three levels of macro photography and the best gear for each.

“Landscape photographers get up at ungodly hours just to catch a few minutes of

Smoky Mountain News

May 4-10, 2016

343-68

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golden early morning light, and wildlife photographers spend hours driving to capture elusive moments of their wary subjects, while macro photographers can carry their light source in their pockets and their wee wildlife subjects are usually as close as their backyard,” Saucier said.

Free. Hosted by the Cold Mountain Photographic Society. www.coldmountainphoto.wordpress.com.

Prepare for emergencies Training in CPR and first aid held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, at Jackson County Recreation in Cullowhee will prepare participants to respond to heart attacks and address injuries before medical assistance arrives. $40 with space limited. 828.293.3053.

Class will help jumpstart healthy living

Get hands-on with leafy greens

A six-week program to help participants get started in a healthier lifestyle will begin at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 4, at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina is a statewide initiative to help people eat smart, move more and achieve a healthy weight, thereby preventing obesity and chronic disease. The group will meet weekly for a onehour session for six consecutive weeks.

828.456.3575 or Julie_sawyer@ncsu.edu. Organized by Haywood County Cooperative Extension.

Learn about the delicious and healthy properties of leafy greens with a cooking class from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 9, at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Sara Lewis, a certified holistic health coach, will lead the session, covering the rejuvenating benefits of dark leafy greens, proper preparation and seasoning, and a demonstration of three simple dishes — sample food will result. $18 for rec center members; $22 nonmembers, with a take-home gift included.

Space limited. 828.550.1640 or saralewis27@gmail.com.

Eat spaghetti, help the trails 366 RUSS AVE. • WAYNESVILLE (BiLo Shopping Center)

44

Dragonfly. Les Saucier photo

Mounds of spaghetti and dessert will help the Nantahala Hiking Club fund another year of volunteer trail stewardship with a fundraiser held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 13, at the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin.

Part of the proceeds will buy dinner for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Konnarock Trail Crew, who have done three weeks of trail work on the A.T. section that the Nanthala Hiking Club maintains.

Bring your own dishes, silverware and a dessert to share. $6 per person.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Shred Days, opportunities to bring sensitive documents to a Mountain Credit Union branch to be shredded, starts May 6. Days, times and locations: 9:3011:30 a.m. on May 6 at Sylva office; 1-3 p.m. on May 6; 9-11 a.m. on May 12 at Fletcher office; noon-2 p.m. on May 12 at Asheville office; 3-5 p.m. on May 12 at Candler office; 10 a.m.-noon on May 13 at Franklin office; 1:30-3:30 p.m. on May 13 at Cherokee office.

Info: marketing@mountaincu.org or www.mountaincu.org/Contact_Us_22.html.

• Mother’s Day Weekend will be celebrated May 6-8 at Fontana Village Resort and Marina. 498.2211 or http://www.fontanavillage.com/Mountview%20Mothers %20Day%202016.jpg.

• The Mother’s Day Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 6-8 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• “Back Porch Old-Time Music Jam,” two hours of traditional Appalachian music at 2 p.m. on May 7 and May 21 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• A grant workshop for Haywood County non-profits is scheduled for 8-9:45 a.m. on May 11 at the Haywood County Agricultural Center in Waynesville. Please RSVP to George Ivey at 712.6474 or georgedivey@gmail.com. www.FundforHaywoodCounty.org.

• Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Award. Nominations for the awards will be accepted through Thursday, June 30.

Nomination letters may be hand-delivered to the Mountain Heritage Center at its new location in the Hunter Library building, Room 240; mailed to Mountain Heritage Center, 1 University Drive, Cullowhee N.C. 28723; or emailed to Pam Meister at pameister@wcu.edu.

• A Star Wars Day Celebration will be held on May 4 at 3:30 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. Costumes optional. Join us for Star Wars inspired snacks and a special movie screening. 648.2924.

• Western Carolina University is offering a program called WCU Road Works to organization, communities that need a place to perform a self -contained event.

227.7028.

• Coloring Club will be hosted on the second Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. at Canton Library.

Color pencils and color pages supplied. For ages 8 to 108. 648.2924.

• Beginners Chess Club is held on Fridays at 4 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 8-108 invited to participate. 648.2924.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Issues and Eggs is scheduled for 8-9 a.m. on May 4, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Guest speaker is Katy McLean Gould, director of the Small Business Center at Haywood Community College.

• Downtown Merchants Association meets from 8-9 a.m. on May 5, at the Swain County Chamber of Commerce in Bryson City.

• A graduation ceremony for High School Equivalency Diploma, Adult High School and Career College Graduation will be held at 7 p.m. on May 6, at Haywood Community College’s Charles Beall Auditorium.

627.4648.

• A reenactment of the Last Shot Fired of the Civil War East of the Mississippi River is scheduled for 11 a.m. on May 7, at Sulphur Springs Park in Waynesville.

• “Shakespeare and the Grammar of Forgiveness” – a panel discussion – is scheduled for 2 p.m. on May 7, at

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

HART Theatre in Waynesville. Panel will include author Dr. Sarah Beckwith, Kriten Wall of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and Very Reverend Todd Donatelli of All Souls Cathedral in Asheville.

• Choose Privacy Week is being observed through May 7 at public libraries in Macon, Jackson and Swain Counties. A guide to digital privacy issues and tools are available at www.fontanalib.org.

• Southwestern Community College will hold a total of three graduation ceremonies on May 10-11, at the Jackson Campus in Sylva. Early college as well as arts and sciences graduates will be honored at 5 p.m. on Tuesday; graduates in the career technologies division will participate in a 7:30 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday; and health sciences division graduation is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. www.southwesterncc.edu or 339.4000.

• A Podcast Basics class will be offered by the Jackson County Public Library at 5:45 p.m. on May 11, in Sylva.

Class will be taught by library staffers Tim Tweed and Laura Chapman. 586.2016.

• An accelerated phlebotomy certificate program will be offered by Southwestern Community College starting May 12 at the Jackson Campus. Classes meet from noon-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. $185 plus books, insurance, background checks, immunizations, drug screening and uniforms. Clinicals are from June 20-July 29. Register and get info: 339.4426 or ldowns@southwesterncc.edu.

• Connect Up WNC business networking meeting is from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 18, at City Bakery.

316.8761 or wayne@woodmen.org.

• A creative business plan series, offered by Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center, will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Thursdays through May 26. Each seminar is aimed at addressing needs and challenges of craft artists who have, or are thinking about starting, a business. Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc. Info: t_henry@southwesterncc.edu or 339.4211.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • “Pave the Way” buy-a-brick program will be hosted by the Town of Canton at 6 p.m. on May 6, for the Canton Recreation Swimming Pool Project. Free hot dog supper, music. www.cantonnc.com or 648.2363.

• Sharin Care will hold a Yard Sale at 7 a.m. on May 7 at Hazelwood Event Center in Waynesville. All proceeds benefit Sharin Care. 400.0438; www.opendoor-waynesville.org/index.php/programs/sharin-care.

• REACH’s eighth annual American Girl Tea Party will be held from 2-4 p.m. on May 7, at Cowee Baptist Church in Franklin. Food, creative activity booths, door prizes and silent auction. Proceeds benefit REACH. 369.5544 or 586.8969.

• Pet photos will be taken from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on May 7 at the Dog House in Waynesville. For appointment, call 456.9573 or 456.3753. Sitting fee donated to Duke’s Animal Haven.

• Tickets are on sale for three works of art that will be on display May 7, at Taylored For You Studios at 19 Iolta Street in Franklin. Proceeds benefit Relay for Life of Franklin.

• Franklin’s Personal Lab Services/Dosher Physical Therapy Relay for Life Team will have a Parking Lot Sale at 555 Depot Street starting at 8 a.m. on May 7.

371.2888.

Smoky Mountain News

• A motorcycle ride and “Cookin’ for the Kids” Broyhill Home barbecue Festival are scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 7, at Broyhill Home in Clyde. Motorcyclists interested in participating in the charity ride can visit Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina Broyhill Home Campus in Clyde. www.broyhillbbq.org.

• The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority, who manages the Haywood County Quilt Trail (HCQT), is excited to announce the kick off of a raffle program where you can enter to win your very own 4x4 foot quilt block. Raffle tickets can be purchased by calling 452.0152 or by stopping by the TDA visitor center at 44 North Main Street in Waynesville. The block is currently on display at the visitor center as well. The cost is $25 per ticket or five for $100 and are capped at a total of 10 tickets per person. The drawing will be held on May 6th. All proceeds from the raffle will go to benefit the future development and enhancement of the Haywood County Quilt Trail. www.haywoodquilttrails.com.

• The Annual Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser for Nantahala Hiking Club is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 13, at First Presbyterian Church’s Tartan Hall in Franklin. $6 per person; bring your own dishes, silverware and a dessert to share.

• The Haywood County 4-H Bulls Eye Shooting Sports Club will host a benefit car show, BBQ dinner, and bluegrass music fundraiser from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on May 14, at the Haywood Community College High Tech Center.

Registration to participate in the car show is $10. To register, call 400.6070. 456.3575.

• Library Fundraising Party is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. on May 15. Cork & Bean. Heavy hors d’ouevres and wine tasting; giveaways; Liz Nance music.

• Swain County Public Schools Foundation Fundraiser is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on May 18, at Pasqualino’s Restaurant. Dinner will honor scholarship recipients.

Tickets for sale at the school administration office for $25. Prime rib or vegetarian option.

• A seed money fundraiser is underway to benefit the new Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. The library furnishings fund receives 50 percent of sales receipts for each packet sold directly or 25 percent sold at SowTrueSeed.com; use the code MBL2016. 488.3030, ext. 128, jdelfield@fontanalib.org.

VOLUNTEERS • The May meeting of the Beaverdam Community Center is set for 7 p.m. on May 9, in Canton. Guest speaker is Steve Kelley with the Canton Fire Department. 648.0552 or judysellars1067@att.net.

• The last Event Leadership Team Meeting for Relay for Life of Franklin is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on May 10, in the Depot Room of The Factory in Franklin.

VENDORS • The town of Dillsboro will be hosting arts and craft shows open to vendors from the surrounding region.

Aug. 20 — The Dillsboro Summer Arts & Crafts Market showcases local art and fine crafts, with a focus on family and children activities. Application due by June 1. Vendors may apply for these shows by downloading an application from the town’s website, www.visitdillsboro.org or directly from www.visitdillsboro.org/specialevents.html. For more information, call Connie Hogan at 586.3511.

HEALTH MATTERS • Registration is underway for a CPR & First Aid training, which is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, at the Jackson County Recreation Center. $40 registration fee.

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Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals ■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings • MemoryCare Family Caregiver Education Program “Caregiver College” – a series of six two-hour lectures for caregivers of persons with memory disorders, meets from 3:30-5:30 p.m. each Tuesday from May 17-June 21 at Maple Leaf Adult Day in Waynesville. Cost: $85, free to caregivers actively enrolled in MemoryCare; scholarship opportunities available. To register: 771.2219 or office@memorycare.org.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • Registration deadline is May 2 for adult racquetball leagues at the Jackson County Recreation Center. Fee is $10 for singles or $20 per doubles team. League begins week of June 6. Mandatory players meeting at 6 p.m. on June 2. 293.3053.

• Pickleball is from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays at First Methodist Church in Sylva. $1 each time you play; equipment provided. 293.3053.

• Registration is underway for Appalachian Dance Class 101, which will be offered at Folkmoot in Waynesville. Instruction on square dance formation and basic flat-foot and clogging styles unique to Haywood County will be provided by Kim Rose, director of the J. Creek Cloggers. Four-week classes cost $40 and are offered from 6-7 p.m. at the Folkmoot Community Center. Classes start May 17 for Ages 16-up. Register: 452.2997 or elizabeth@folkmoot.org.

POLITICAL • Occupy WNC General Assembly meets at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, at Dogwood Wellness Center in Sylva.

• The Democratic Women of Jackson County and Jackson County’s Issues Roundtable are co-sponsoring a Town Hall, featuring Rick Bryson and Tom Hill, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, at the Family Resource Center in Webster.

• A lunch-and-discussion group will be held by the League of Women Voters at noon on the second Thursday of each month at Tartan Hall of the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. RSVP for lunch: lwvmacon@wild-dog-mountain.info or 524.8369.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Time to Unite prayer session is set for 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, at the Maggie Valley Pavilion. Open prayer for local residents, community and business leaders and local, state and national political leaders.

• Faith Journal Workshops are held from 5:30-7 p.m. each Thursday through May 5 at First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. Info and RSVP: 524.3119.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Swain County Genealogical & Historical Society meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, at the SCGHS Library.

Jim Casada will speak and sign books.

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• Courtney Lix will read from her new book “Women of the Smokies” from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. 456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

• Joy Resor will read from her book “Go in Joy! An Alphabetical Adventure” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. 456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

• Dr. Bart Ehrman will read from and discuss his new book “Jesus Before the Gospels” at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

• Franklin native and Western Carolina University alumnus Tyler Cook will release his second novel Aluria at a special release party at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Books Unlimited will provide copies of Cook’s books at the event on May 7. Reservations can be made by calling 369.7942.

371.8519 or moonshinepressnc@gmail.com.

• There will be a reception for WCU professors, Justin Menickelli and Ryan Pickens, who wrote The Definitive Guide to Disc Golf and Jessie Swigger who is releasing her book, History is Bunk: Assembling the Past at Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. There will be light refreshments served at the reception. To reserve copies of the books please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.

• Poet and novelist Fred Chappell will read and sign his new fantasy novel A Shadow All of Light at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

586.9499.

• N.C. State English professor Jason Miller will present his book Origins of the Dream: Hughes’s Poetry and King’s Rhetoric at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 586.9499.

• Canton resident, World War II veteran and poet Paul Willis will read from his collection Reflections of a World War II Veteran at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of the book, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina – an effort to help area residents commit to a healthier lifestyle, will meet from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

• Haywood County Senior Resource Center is looking into starting a weekly Euchre Card Group. If interested, contact Michelle Claytor at mclaytor@mountainprojects.org or 356.2800.

• An iPhone/iPad user group meets from 2:15-3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. Register: 356.2800.

• Senior Resource Center will hold an open house from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, in Waynesville.

Refreshments, Bingo and opportunity to learn more about the center. 356.2800.

KIDS & FAMILIES • Crazy 8s Math Club for grades 3-5 is scheduled for 3:30-4:30 p.m. each Monday through May 23 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. cdando@fontanalib.org or 524.3600.

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 4 p.m. May 5 and 12 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $20 per child. Materials and snacks included. 538.2054.

• Nature Nuts: Life Cycles will be offered to ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on May 9 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Pre-regis-

• Eco-Explorers: Archery will be offered to ages 8-13 from 1-3 p.m. on May 9 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Introductory class covers safety and different types of bows and arrows. Pre-registration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx.

• Kids Zumba four-week class is at 3 p.m. on Thursdays June 2-23 at the Jackson County Recreation Center. Register by May 31. $25 for members; $35 for nonmembers. 293.3053.

• Get Moving, a program for children ages 5-12 to encourage children to live a healthy life through exercise and healthy eating, will be held on the first Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. at the Canton Public Library. 648.2924 • Family Story Time is held on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 0-6. Stories, songs, dance and crafting. 648.2924.

• Rompin’ Stompin’ Story Time is held on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and Fridays 11 a.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 0-6. An hour long story time full of music and movement. 648.2924.

• A program called “Imagine”, an art program for children 8-12 meets at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Jackson County Public Library. Program contains art, writing, and drama. 586.2016.

KIDS MOVIES

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• Performances of “The Winter’s Tale” are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on May 5-7 at Hart Theatre in Waynesville. Reservations: 456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.

• The Musial Theater Department at Cherokee High and Middle Schools will present their production of Lion King Jr. at 7 p.m. on May 5-7 at the Joyce Dugan Cultural Center in Cherokee. Tickets are on sale now: $12 for dinner and musical or $5 for general seating.

Tickets available at the schools’ front office.

• Brasstown Ringers will present a “Salute to America” concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at First United Methodist Church in Franklin. A Quilt of Valor presentation will be made to a local veteran.

837.8822.

• The Blue Ribbon Healers perform at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • Art After Dark will kick off its 2016 season from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 6, in downtown Waynesville.

• The third annual Mother’s Day Gemboree is scheduled for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on May 6-7 and from 10 a.m.4 p.m. on May 8 at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin.

• The 14th annual Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in the Frog Level district of Waynesville. Contact Joy Simmons, joy.b.simmons@outlook.com.

• The Mother’s Day weekend “Airing of the Quilts” festivities is all day Saturday, May 7, in downtown Franklin.

• The Strawberry Jam will be held May 14-15 at Darnell Farms on Governors Island Road in Franklin.

The festival will open at 10 a.m. daily.

828.246.9135 HaywoodHabitat.org

• “Profiles in Mountain Character: Memorable Swain County Folks” will be presented by Jim Casada at 6:30 p.m. on May 5 at the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society Library in Bryson City.

• A family movie will be shown at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Movie is a baseball adventure about a foster child whose irresponsible father promises to get his act together when the child’s favorite team wins the pennant. 488.3030.

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• N.C. Arts Council, the Haywood Art Regional Theatre’s (HART) will host the work of William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” that address the theme of forgiveness in the Bard’s last four plays at 7:30 p.m. May 5-7, and at 2 p.m. May 8 at the theatre in Waynesville. 456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.

• Dallas Wesley (guitar, vocals) performs at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

452.6000.

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ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • The Little Town Playhouse will present “Seussical the Musical, Jr.” at 6:30 p.m. on May 5-6 – with a 3 p.m. matinee on May 7 – at the Swain County Recreation Center. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (60 and over), $5 for students (six and over) and free for children five and younger. 226.5637.

• A free family movie (rated PG) will be shown at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 8, at the Canton Library. Movie is about crazy chipmunks. 648.2924.

May 4-10, 2016

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tration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx.

• The Sapphire Valley Kentucky Derby Cocktail Party is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. BYOB; bring appetizer; $5 each. RSVP: dncollier@aol.com or 743.3875.

• The Jackson County Arts Council will host a recital performed by music students of all ages from 2-4 p.m. on May 7 at the Jackson County Library Complex’s Community Room in Sylva. 507.9820; www.jacksoncountyarts.org.

• Pat Donohue (Grammy-winning fingerstyle guitarist, singer-songwriter) will perform blues, folk and jazz at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at The Strand on Main in Waynesville. Tickets are $18 in advance or $20 on show day. www.38main.com.

• Ann Steele and daughter Lt. Col. (Ret.) Beth Steele will present trumpet and piano music at 11 a.m. worship on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 8) at Clyde Central United Methodist Church. 627.2287 or pastordan@clydecentralumc.org.

• HART Theatre will hold auditions for its major summer musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” at 6:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, May 9-10, in the Studio Theater at the Performing Arts Center in Waynesville.

Production will run from July 8-31.

• Country star Chris Young will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 7, at Harrah’s Cherokee. www.harrahscherokee.com or www.ticketmaster.com or call 800.745.3000.

• Brasstown Ringers will present a “Salute to America” concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 13, at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. 837.8822.

• Joe Cruz performs music of the Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor and Simon & Garfunkel at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 13, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. 452.6000.

• Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) concert honoring the late Trevor Stuart, founder and instructor in the JAM program in Haywood County, at 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 14, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. Featured performers include current JAM students and teachers (Travis Stuart, Cary

â&#x20AC;˘ Nashville Touring Artist Lacy Green performs at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. $7. 452.6000. â&#x20AC;˘ The Waynesville Public Library will host the Blue Ridge Big Band (jazz/swing) at 3 p.m. May 14. Free. www.facebook.com/theblueridgebigband. â&#x20AC;˘ Triple Threat dance academy will hit the stage with their musical theatre show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Annie Jr.â&#x20AC;? at 6 p.m. May 14 in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. â&#x20AC;˘ Rock act Halestorm will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 14, at Harrahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cherokee. For tickets: www.harrahscherokee.com. â&#x20AC;˘ Tickets are on sale now for a show by Rascal Flatts, which performs at 9 p.m. on Friday, May 27, at Harrahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cherokee Casino Resort Event Center.

800.745.3000.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS â&#x20AC;˘ The Adult Coloring Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Fridays in the Living Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. An afternoon of creativity and camaraderie. Supplies are provided, or bring your own. kmoe@fontanalib.org or 524.3600. â&#x20AC;˘ Dr. Ann Melton will offer a presentation entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Old Ways: Dowsing, Healing, and Knowing the Signsâ&#x20AC;? at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, in the Sam Love Queen Auditorium at the Folkmoot Friendship Center.

456.2004.

â&#x20AC;˘ A presentation on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Macro Photographyâ&#x20AC;? will be offered by Les Saucier (lessaucier.com) at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 9, at the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center. â&#x20AC;˘ A program about cooking leafy greens will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, May 9, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. $18 for members; $22 for nonmembers. Holistic health coach Sara Lewis will lead the presentation. 550.1640 or saralewis27@gmail.com.

â&#x20AC;˘ A spring retreat open to all artists and writers is scheduled for May 9-14 at Lake Logan. Cost is $875 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; five days, all inclusive. 342.6913 or www.CullowheeMountainArts.org. â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;&#x153;The William Holland Thomas Scotts Creek Store Ledgers, 1832-1855, is the topic for the Jackson County Genealogical Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s May program, which will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, in the Community room in the courthouse wing of the Jackson County Library in Sylva. Refreshments and discussion at 6:30 p.m. 631.2646. â&#x20AC;˘ Paint Nite Waynesville will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, May 13, at the Panacea Coffeehouse. Grab a cup of

â&#x20AC;˘ Blacksmithing courses taught by Brock Martin at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro will include the following: Bladesmithing: Seax Knife Class â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 14-15 and Viking Axe Making â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 18-19. For more information of these workshops, class fees, the JCGEP, and more, click on www.jcgep.org. â&#x20AC;˘ Lens Luggers will meet at 7 a.m. on Wednesdays through May 11, at the Waynesville Old Armory and car pool to field venues as part of the spring field photography program led by Bob Grytten. Each shoot is $45. The group will also meet every other Tuesday to discuss the morning sessions and to review participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; images.

Each session is $15. Info about the association: www.lensluggerworld.com and http://bobgrytten.com.

Reservations: 627.0245 or bobgry@aol.com. â&#x20AC;˘ Registration is underway for Cuttlefish Casting, a jewelry metal-casting workshop that will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Fee of $103 includes supplies. Register by May 7: 565.4240. â&#x20AC;˘ Folkmoot is seeking professional artists and community craftspeople to host booths at the inaugural Many Culture Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carnival this summer. Deadline for submissions is May 15. Application packets can be downloaded at Folkmoot.org, or you can receive them in regular mail by calling 452.2993. Event is from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, in Waynesville. â&#x20AC;˘ Registration is underway for a three-day Blacksmithing for Jewelers workshop, which will be held from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday through Tuesday, May 22-24, at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

Fee of $352 includes supplies. Register by May 6: 565.4240. â&#x20AC;˘ Registration is underway for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blacksmithing for Jewelers: Hammer and Heat,â&#x20AC;? which is presented by Haywood Community College Continuing Education Creative Arts. Led by Elizabeth Brim, an instructor at Penland School of Crafts, the class runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on May 22-24. Registration deadline is May 6. 565.4125 or CreativeArts.Haywood.edu. â&#x20AC;˘ Artist and jeweler Sarah Rachel Brown will be holding a class at Haywood Community College in Clyde. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Introduction to Lost Wax Casting: Carved Band Ringsâ&#x20AC;? will explore the fundamentals of the lost wax process as students carve a band ring out of wax and utilize surface techniques to add pizzazz to the final cast metal ring. The class will run for three days from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on June 3-4 and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 5. Register by May 20. creativearts.haywood.edu. 565.4240 to register. â&#x20AC;˘ The Jackson Rangers Camp 1917 will hold monthly meetings (except July) at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Barkers Creek Community Center. Members are being sought to participate in honor guard graveside events and honor Confederate soldiers. The Confederate Rose, a ladies auxiliary group that supports active members, meets at the same time and location. 736.6222 or jrcamp1917@hotmail.com.

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â&#x20AC;˘ Talent acts are being sought for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Talent in the Mountainsâ&#x20AC;? show. Applications are due May 9. Chance to win $100. Show is at 7 p.m. on May 21 at Grove Church. Pick up application at the library, Friends of the MBL Bookstore on Everett Street or at www.fontanalib.org/friends-of-the-library. Entry fee is $10 per act. Info: 488.5655.

â&#x20AC;˘ The Taste of Home Cooking School is returning to the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, in Franklin. Two-hour demonstration starts at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m. to allow attendees to visit booths hosted by local vendors. Tickets: $17. Tickets: 866.273.4615 or GreatMountainMusic.com.

May 4-10, 2016

â&#x20AC;˘ There will be an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Introduction to Puppetryâ&#x20AC;? workshop from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. through May 5 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

The class is open to all ages. Cost is $30, which includes registration fee, all materials, patterns and instruction. www.greatmountainmusic.com.

coffee, glass of wine or pint of craft beer and get creative. $20 per person. Group rates available. Sign up at Panacea or call host Robin Smathers at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

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Fridley, and Robby Robertson), Helena Hunt, Jimmy Burnett, Julie Shepherd-Powell and Adrian Powell, Rayna Gellert, and Bruce and Loy Greene. Wayne Martin, the executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council, will also attend and play. Tickets are available for $20 pre-sale or $25 at the door. Proceeds will go to the JAM program. They can be purchased at the Haywood County Arts Council at 86 North Main Street in Waynesville or by calling 452.0593. www.haywoodarts.org.

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GALLERIES â&#x20AC;˘ Acrylic paintings by 94-year-old Denise McCullough and photographs by Helen Geltman are on display through August at the Canton Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Visual Arts Exhibit. www.haywoodarts.org.

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Smoky Mountain News

May 4-10, 2016

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• An exhibition entitled “This is a Photograph: Exploring Contemporary Applications of Photographic Chemistry” is on display at Penland School of Crafts near Spruce Pine. 765.6211 or penland.org/gallery.

Outdoors • An HPAS-sponsored birding trip is scheduled for May 5 to the Overflow Wilderness Study Area (Blue Valley) forest interior birding with Brent Martin of the Southern Appalachian Regional Director of the Wilderness Society. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.

• Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum will host an exhibition exploring the use and meaning of color in art till May 6 in Cullowhee.

Fineartmuseum.wcu.edu or 227.3591.

• The Highlands Road Gem Show will be held May 5-8 at the corner of U.S. 441 and Highlands Road in Franklin. Rock, minerals, rough and cut gems, supplies, and more. Admission is free. 369.6341 or vwproperties@gmail.com.

• A presentation on “Epic Elkmont” will be offered by naturalist, photographer and educator Wilma Durpo from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at Waynesville Library.

• Unveiling of a storywalk is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday, May 6, at Greenway Loop off Highlands Drive.

Reading and walking will follow. Refreshments. Raindate is Friday, May 20.

• An art reception featuring the work of Macon County resident Krista Skrede is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, in the Macon County Public Library’s Meeting Room in Franklin. Skrede’s multidimensional compositions, photography and fabric art are on display throughout May. 524.3600.

• An “Introduction to Fly-casting and Fly-fishing” course will be offered from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, through the Smoky Mountain Field School. Register: www.smfs.utk.edu or 865.974.0150.

• A nature-based sculpture project launched by Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum will feature outdoors art while promoting discussion of sustainability and aesthetics through Saturday, May 21, on the university’s multi-use trail. Work is by artists Walker Tufts, Greg Stewart and Aislinn Penetecost-Farrin. www.wcu.edu/museum, ddrury@wcu.edu or 227.2550. For info about the Sustainable Energy Initiative, visit energy.wcu.edu, email lbishop@wcu.edu or 227.3562.

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

The works will be exhibited for free. www.thebascom.org.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• The film “The Big Short” will be screened at 7 p.m.

May 4-6, 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. May 8, 7 p.m. May 1013, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. May 14, and 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. May 15 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. www.38main.com.

• The films “The Station Agent” (May 5), “Deadpool” (May 12) and “Joy” (May 13-14). Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Fridays; and 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays. free. www.madbatterfoodfilm.com.

• A classic 1941 drama starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara and Anna Lee will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Movie description: At the turn of the century in a Welsh mining village, the Morgans, he stern, she gentle, raise coal-mining sons and hope their youngest will find a better life. 524.3600.

• A new movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro (Rated PG-13) will be shown at 9:30 a.m. on May 18 at the Canton Library.

Coffee and doughnuts provided. Funding provided by Friends of the Library. 648.2924.

• A spring wildflower hike is scheduled for Saturday, May 7, in the Big Creek Watershed of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Free for members; $5 donation for nonmembers. Memberships start at $25. RSVP

by May 4: christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 476.4667.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Highlands Biological Foundation’s “Wildflower Whimsy,” which is scheduled for 5:30-8:30 p.m. on May 6 and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 7 at the Highlands Biological Station. $75 for members; $100 for nonmembers. Tickets: http://highlandsbiological.org/wildflower-whimsy. Info: www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.

• “Charismatic Mega-Fauna,” a 30-minute program featuring the park’s biggest animals, will be offered at 11 a.m. on Fridays through May 7 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, located along U.S. 441 just north of Cherokee.

• “Coffee with a Ranger,” an hour-long program giving visitors a chance to find out what’s happening in the park over a cup of coffee, will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturdays through May 7 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• “Down on the Farm,” a two-hour program exploring the lives of homesteaders in the Smokies, will be held at 2 p.m. on Sundays through May 7 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• Tickets are on sale for a specialty train, “The Railroad Reserve,” through the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The wine-and-rails pairing operates from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on May 7 and June 1 in Bryson City. Tickets are $129 per adult (21 and older). www.GSMR.com/wine-experience or 800.872.4681.

• An Introduction to Fly Fishing class will be offered for ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 7 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Pre-registration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx.

• A new course on “Historic Cataloochee Valley, Smoky Mountain Elk & More” will be offered at Saturday, May 7, and May 28 at the Smoky Mountain Field School – a 39-year partnership between the University of Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. $69. Register at www.smfs.utk.edu or 865.974.0150.

• Trout Unlimited Cataloochee will hold its chapter meeting from 6:30-8 p.m. on May 10 at Rendezvous Restaurant in Maggie Valley. Guest speaker is David Vigue, director of Rivercourse.

• A Wilderness First Responder course will be offered May 10-18 and June 2-10 in Cullowhee. Nine days of comprehensive training in wilderness medicine.

Register: 293.5384, main@landmarklearning.edu or www.landmarklearning.edu.

• “Spring Wildflowers of Southern Appalachia with Adam Bigelow,” a six-week course, meets from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesdays from May 10-June 14. Cost: $120 for the series. Single-day walks also available for groups and individuals. bigelownc@gmail.com.

• On the Water: West Fork Pigeon River – an opportunity to practice fly-fishing skills – will be offered to participants ages 12-up from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 11 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Pre-registration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah/E ventRegistration.aspx.

• A full-day, comprehensive workshop for agricultural service providers or anyone in the agriculture business is scheduled for 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus. Lunch provided. Topics include: land assessments and land trusts, animals, training programs and more. Register at: https://www.ncsbc.net/workshop.aspx?ekey=490360082.

• Rain barrels are on sale for $90 apiece at the USDA Agricultural Service Center in Waynesville. 476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

• Macon County Master Gardener Volunteer Association’s 14th annual plant sale is scheduled for 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, at the Environmental Resource Center at 1624 Lakeside Drive. To donate plants, call 369.0882 or 349.2046.

For info, call 349.2046.

• The Haywood County Plant Clinic is open every business day till May 15 at the Haywood County Extension Center on Raccoon Road. Master Gardeners are available to answer questions about lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees, ornamental plants and more. May 15.456.3575

FARMERS MARKET

• An opportunity to learn how to use a map and compass is coming up with an orienteering class offered on Saturday, May 14, through Jackson County Parks and Recreation. Register by May 12 at 293.3053 or in person at the Cullowhee Recreation Center. $5.

• Haywood Historic Farmers Market is held from 8 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the parking lot of HART Theatre in Waynesville. 280.1381 or haywoodfarmersmarket@gmail.com or waynesvillefarmersmarket.com

• Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute is hosting a special observing session of the summer skies starting at 7 p.m. on May 13 in Rosman. Reservations required; accepted until 3 p.m. on May 13. Cost: $20 per adult; $15 for seniors/military. Children 10-under are free. Register and pay: www.pari.edu or 862.5554.

Info: schappell@pari.edu.

• The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market is from 8 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville (behind Bogart’s).

456.1830 or vrogers12@att.net.

• ACA Canoe Instructor, Level 2, course will be offered May 14-16. Taught in the classroom, on the lake and in the Tuckasegee River. Learn the principles of canoeing and how to teach others. Register: 293.5384, main@landmarklearning.edu or www.landmarklearning.edu.

• Introduction to Fly Fishing is scheduled for ages 12up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 16 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County. Pre-registration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx.

• Casting for Beginners: Level 1, for ages 12-up, is scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 17 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Transylvania County.

Pre-registration required: 877.4423 or www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/EducationCenters/Pisgah /EventRegistration.aspx.

• Wilderness Lifeguard, a two-day course to equip wilderness trip leaders for rescues in remote areas, will be offered May 17-18 in Cullowhee. Register: 293.5384, main@landmarklearning.edu or www.landmarklearning.edu.

• Birds and Beer is May 17 at the Ugly Dog in Highlands. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.

FARM AND GARDEN • Garden Day is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at the Cradle of Forestry. First planting, cleaning, “Make Way for Monarchs” indoor program and “Why Are We Letting the Grass Grow” program. www.cradleofforestry.com/site/wpcontent/uploads/2015/03/gardensbeans.jpg.

• The Jackson County Farmers Market will be on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon at Bridge Park located in Sylva. Info: 393.5236. jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com or website jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

• The ‘Whee Farmer’s Market is open from 4 p.m. to dusk every Tuesday at the corner of the N. Country Club Drive and Stadium View Drive in Cullowhee, behind the entrance to the Village of Forest Hills off Highway 107 across from Western Carolina University.

476.0334.

• Franklin Tailgate Market is from 8 a.m.-noon every Saturday at 203 E. Palmer Street in Franklin. Info: collins230@frontier.com.

• The Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market is from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturdays on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software in Franklin. 349.2049 or alan_durden@ncsu.edu.

• Swain County Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fridays starting May 6 through Oct. and Tuesdays starting June 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Aug. 16 at the barn on Island Street in Bryson City. 488.3848 or Christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Registration is underway for “Gateway to the Smokies” Half Marathon. The 13.1-mile event is at 7:30 a.m. on May 14 in Waynesville. Register at http://tinyurl.com/gryw4cy. Info: www.smokieshalfmarathon.com , 456.3021 or KWyatt@HaywoodChamber.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• A new movie starring Harrison Ford will be shown at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Movie description: Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.

524.3600.

• The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute will host its annual Space Day open house from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, in Rosman. Activities and events suitable for all ages. www.pari.edu.

• Recertification for Wilderness First Responders, three days of up-to-date standards and practices, will be offered May 7-9 and May 19-21 in Cullowhee.

Register: 293.5384, main@landmarklearning.edu or www.landmarklearning.edu.

• A program on “Advance Seed Saving” will be presented by representatives from Sow True Seed of Asheville at 5 p.m. on Monday, May 9, at the Waynesville Library. Also covered will be in-depth cross-pollination and plan isolation for varietal purity.

To sign up or get more info, contact Kathy at 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

May 4-10, 2016

FILM & SCREEN • Adult movie time, 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. Call for title of movie.

586.2016.

• “Historic Cataloochee Valley, Smoky Mountain Elk & More” will be presented by naturalist Esther Blakely on May 7 and 28 in Cataloochee Valley. $79 per person.

Register at www.smfs.utk.edu or call 865.974.0150.

• “Wild Survival” exhibit featuring the return of North America’s wolves and peregrine falcons will be on display through May 8 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

Open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. inside the Baker Exhibit Center. Free; non-member guests are required to pay $12 parking fee. www.ncarboretum.org.

wnc calendar

• A sampling of Jackson County artist Susan Lanier’s work is on display through May 6 at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus. The exhibit is open to the public from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m.-noon on Friday in the first-floor lobby of the Balsam Center.

• Registration is underway for Tour de Cashiers bike race, which is May 14 in Cashiers. www.tourdecashiers.com. Early registration is $45.

• The third annual Flyin’ Eagle 5K Run/Walk will be

49

wnc calendar

host by the Fairview School PTA on Saturday, May 14, at Fairview School in Sylva. Registration and check-in are from 7:30-8:45 a.m. One-mile family fun run/walk costs $5 and starts at 8:45 a.m.; 5K run/walk is $25 and starts at 9:15 a.m.

HIKING CLUBS • An all-day hike will be offered by Jackson County Recreation Department on May 6. $5 per person.

293.3053.

• A hike along the Thomas Divide Trail is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 4.7 miles. Naturalist Liz Domingue will lead the walk, pointing out tree species and spring wildflowers. $20 for Great Smoky Mountains Association members; $35 for new members. Register: www.smokiesinformation.org/info/branch-out-programs-spring.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate sixmile hike on Saturday, May 7, on the Kimsey Creek Loop in the Standing Indian area. Elevation change is 700 feet. For info and reservations, contact leader Gail Lehman at 524-5298.

• Friends of the Smokies’ Classic Hike to Hyatt Ridge, a moderate 9.5-mile round trip, is set for Tuesday, May 10, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Elevation gain is 2,000 feet. $20 for existing members; $35 for new members. Donations benefit the Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program. www.Hike.FriendsoftheSmokies.org.

Smoky Mountain News

May 4-10, 2016

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a very strenuous 11-mile hike, with an elevation gain of 3,000 feet, on Saturday, May 14, to Black Rock—Pinnacle Loop near Sylva. For info and reservations, contact leader Don O’Neal at 586-5723.

Ongoing POLITICAL CORNER

in Sylva.

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 mocrats.org.

• Jackson County Democratic Party meets the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at - Headquarters, 500 Mill St., Sylva. Becky Kornegay, 293-3999.

• Jackson County Democratic Party executive committee members meet at 6:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at Democratic Headquarters, 500 Mill St., Sylva. jacksondems.com.

• Jackson County Democratic Women meet at 6 p.m. the third Thursday of every month at Democratic Headquarters 500 Mill St., Sylva. jacksondems.com.

GOP • Jackson County Republican headquarters at Laurel Terrace on U.S. 64 East in Cashiers and at 58 Sunrise Park retail complexes in Sylva. 743.6491 or jacksonctygop@yahoo.com, www.jacksoncountygop.com.

• The North Jackson County GOP monthly meetings are held at 6:30 p.m., the fourth Monday of each month, at the Sylva headquarters, 58 D Sunrise Park, Sylva.

Ralph Slaughter, Jackson County GOP Chair at 743.6491 or www.jacksoncountygop.com.

• The South Jackson County GOP monthly meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at the GOP headquarters office at Laurel Terrace on N.C. 64 east in Cashiers. Ralph Slaughter, Jackson County GOP Chair at 743.6491 or www.jacksoncountygop.com.

• The Haywood Republicans meet at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at the GOP headquarters, 303 N. Haywood St., Waynesville. 246.7921. www.haywoodncgop.org.

Other political groups

Democratic party • Macon County Democratic Party Headquarters, 251 Sloan Road in Franklin, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. 369.8561.

• Occupy/WNC General Assembly meets from 7-8:30 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday at Dogwood Wellness Center. GPS address is 114 West Hemlock Street, Sylva NC 28779 but location is in Dillsboro.

743-9747.

• Haywood County Democratic executive committee meets at 5 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Democratic Headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville. www.haywooddemocrats.org.

• The Haywood County NAACP meets at 2 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month. Location varies around the county for each meeting. Call for info.

• Haywood County Democratic Party headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville, is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 452.9607, haywoodde-

• The Jackson County NAACP meets at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, April 16, following the second Thursday of every month at Open Door Center for Spiritual Living

forwardtogetherhaywood@gmail.com or 400.5475.

• The Libertarian Party of Haywood County meets at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Dunlapdisputeresolution.com.

• The Jackson County Patriots, a grassroots group of citizens promoting Constitutional government, free markets and responsible personal liberty, will meet at 5 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at Tuck’s Restaurant in Cullowhee. For info, contact Ginny Jahrmarkt at Box547@aol.com.

• Waynesville Aldermen meeting at 6:30 p.m. second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Town Hall.

456.3515.

VOLUNTEERING • The Haywood County Meals on Wheels program has route openings for volunteer drivers. Substitute drivers also needed. Info: Jeanne Naber, Meals on Wheels Program Coordinator, 356.2442.

• Dogs and cats are available for adoption from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays as well as Saturdays at Sarge’s Adoption Center in Waynesville.

The public may also adopt Sarge’s cats from PetSmart in Waynesville. For information or to donate or volunteer, visit www.sargeandfriends.org or call 246.9050.

• P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston Station, Bryson City.

• The Community Kitchen in Canton is in need of volunteers. Opportunities range from planning a meal updating their webpage. 648.0014.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County is now accepting applications for boys and girls within the Haywood County area between the ages of 6 and 14 who could benefit from an approved adult mentor/role model. No cost to the family. 356.2148.

• Gathering Table, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, at The Community Center, Route 64, Cashiers. Provides fresh, nutritious dinners to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay. Volunteers always needed and donations gratefully accepted. 743.9880.

• The Haywood Jackson Volunteer Center has many new openings for volunteers throughout the region. Learn about a wide-range of volunteer opportunities with a variety of non-profit agencies, including respite work, domestic violence hotline volunteers, meal delivery drivers, court mediators, Habitat for Humanity house building, foster grandparenting, charity thrift shops, the Elk Bugle Corps for the Great Smokies National Park and many more. 356.2833.

• Community Care Clinic of Franklin needs volunteers for a variety of tasks including nursing/clinical, clerical and administrative and communications and marketing. 349.2085.

• The Volunteer Water Inventory Network (VWIN) is looking for people to work one to two hours a month taking water samples from local creeks and streams.

Fill up empty bottles, collect water samples, and return full bottles. 926.1308 or www.haywoodwaterways.org.

• The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society maintains a museum located in the historical courthouse in room 308. The HCHGS is seeking articles and objects of historical value to Haywood County that anyone would like to share. 456.3923.

• REACH of Haywood County is looking for volunteers who would like to assist in its newly expanded resale store. 456 Hazelwood Avenue. 456.7898.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Cornhole for seniors will be held from 1-2:30 p.m. on the third and fourth Wednesdays of each month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center. 452.6789.

• A fitness class designed specifically for seniors will meet from 11 a.m.-noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Jan. 4-March 25 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Basic knitting class, 10 a.m. to noon every Tuesday, Jackson County Senior Center, Sylva. Bring your own yarn and needles. Free. 586.4944.

• Senior Nutrition Program, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Jackson County Senior Center, 100 County Services Park, Sylva. 586.4944.

• Foster Grandparents needed in Head Start, non-profit day care centers and public schools in seven county Western North Carolina region. Meet 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines and receive a small tax free stipend plus annual and sick leave plus mileage. Must be 55 or older. Torrie Murphy, Mountain Projects, 356.2834.

• New Memory Café, 10 a.m. to noon, second Thursday of each month, Mission and Fellowship Center, First Baptist Church of Sylva. For people who suffer with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or other memory disorders, and their caregivers.

• Senior Resource Center Brain Gym, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville.

Open to the public for games, computer/iPad, Wii, XBox and Brain Bikes. People 50 years of age and older and teens 18 and older with disabilities can participate in cardio workouts, and much more. 356.2800.

• Happy Wanderers senior group holds several events coordinated through Haywood County Parks and Recreation. 452.6789.

• For information on resources for older adults in Haywood County, call 2-1-1, or by cell phone 888.892.1162; www.nc211.org.

343-61

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’ $

92

20’x20’ $

160

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828

50

• A TEA Party group meets at 2 p.m. the third Saturday of each month at the 441 Diner in Otto.

• Catman2 Shelter in Jackson County needs volunteers for morning feeding and general shelter chores.

293.0892 or hsims@catman2.org.

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

Puzzles can be found on page 54.

These are only the answers.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MarketPlace information:

FRANKLIN FARMERS MARKET Saturdays 8am - Noon.

Fresh Local Produce, Plants, Preserves, Baked Goods, Honey, Botanicals, Eggs - 200 Block Palmer Street, 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.

AUCTION

Rates:

AUCTION Vehicles-Tractors-Guns-ToolsEquipment-Antiques-Memorabilia - Saturday, May 14, 10am. 401 S. Potter Road, Monroe, NC. Damon Shortt Auction Group.

877.669.4005. NCAL7358. damonshorttproperties.com

■ 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 Bank Owned Real Estate in NC & VA, Online w/ Bid Center, Begins Closing 5/12/16 at 3pm, Bid Center at Iron Horse Auction Co. Inc, www.ironhorseauction.com.

800.997.2248. NCAL3936.

VAAL580.

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

AUCTION Online Bidding Bankruptcy Liquidation James River Iron. Forklifts, Press Brakes, Metal Working Equipment. Bid 5/2-5/12. Located: Richmond, VA (Case #16-30042KRH). www.motleys.com.

804.232.3300x4. VAAL#16.

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

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BUILDING MATERIALS

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www.smokymountainnews.com

May 4-10, 2016

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT MACON COUNTY Day Treatment QP/Manager Meridian Behavioral Health is currently seeking a Qualified Professional to fill the position of Day Treatment Manager. Day Treatment includes a structured program that builds on strengths and addresses the identified problems associated with the complex conditions of each individual. The Day Treatment manager will oversee the Day Treatment administrative program operation and will assure the program is operated according to service definition policies and procedures. The manager will provide administrative supervision to all direct service staff and also provides development and implementation of the client’s person centered plan, monitor progress of client and the family, and case management duties within a Systems of Care model. QPs must have a Bachelor's degree in Human Services with two years of full time, post-degree experience with this population.

JACKSON COUNTY Psychiatric Nurse - Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) - Part-time Meridian is seeking a parttime RN or LPN to join our Jackson County Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT), in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. The ACTT nurse is responsible for conducting psychiatric assessments; assessing physical needs; making appropriate referrals to community physicians; providing management and administration of medication in conjunction with the psychiatrist; providing a range of treatment, rehabilitation and support services; and sharing shift-management responsibility with the ACTT Coordinator. Employee must have a valid driver's license without violations or restrictions which could prevent completing all required job functions.

For further information and to complete an application, visit our website: www.meridianbhs.org

FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following position: Dean of Sciences. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com /. Human Resources Office. Phone: 910.678.8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu. An 52 Equal Opportunity Employer.

EMPLOYMENT HAYWOOD COUNTY Employment Support Professional (ESP) - Supported Employment. The ESP functions as part of a team that implements employment services based on the SE-IPS model. The team’s goal is to support individuals with MH/SUD obtain and maintain competitive employment. The ESP is responsible for collaborating with clients on creating and achieving their personal employment goals. They will also develop relationships with potential employers in the community in order to create employment opportunities for clients. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license with no restrictions and a bachelor’s degree or higher. Preference will be given to Qualified Professional and Certified Employment Support Professionals.

Employment Peer Mentor (EPM) - Supported Employment The Employment Peer Mentor (EPM) functions as part of a team that implements employment services based on the SEIPS model. The team’s goal is to support individuals with MH/SUD obtain and maintain competitive employment. The EPM is responsible for sharing their lived experience with MH/SUD challenges and how those challenges impacted employment. The EPM offers hope and motivation to others to seek employment, wellness and community integration. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license with no restrictions, be proficient with a computer, and qualify to be a Certified Peer Support Specialist in North Carolina.

HAYWOOD/BUNCOMBE COUNTY Vocational Specialist – ACTT Meridian is seeking a Vocational Specialist to work on our Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) in Haywood County. This position offers a unique opportunity to work with individuals and businesses supporting people returning to the workforce.

Bachelor’s degree, valid driver’s license & reliable transportation required.

For further information and to complete an application, visit our website: www.meridianbhs.org MAPLE TREE VETERINARY Hospital is hiring FT experienced Veterinary Technician. Open interviews Thursday, May 5th @ 2pm.

Bring Cover Letter, Resume & References. Applications will be provided. Email: staff@mapletreevet.com if you plan to attend.

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

BE A PART OF THE TEAM THAT BRINGS BACK STEAM IN 2016!

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City is currently hiring for Parking Attendant, Musician, Food & Beverage Runner, Retail, Rear Brakeman, Property Maintenance Worker, Cleaning Attendant, Ticket Agent and Reservations Shift Supervisor.

Earn train passes, retail & food discounts, passes to area attractions and more! Full details of all positions can be found at: www.gsmr.com/jobs

NOW HIRING The Sweet Onion Restaurant in Downtown Waynesville is Now Hiring All Positions: Servers, Hosts, Buser, Line Cooks & Dishwashers. Please apply in person.

EXPERIENCED AUTO MECHANIC Wanted for on-site Motor Repair.

Applicant must have Tools. Up to $12.50 per hour based on exp.

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ACCOUNTING & PAYROLL CLERKS In demand! Train at home to process invoices, payroll & A/P! Online Career Training Program gets you ready! Call for free info! HS Diploma/GED required. 1.888.407.7063 HAYWOOD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY A non-profit organization located in Waynesville is seeking a Construction Manager. Experience in all areas of residential home building and rehab, capability to work with volunteers, and current General Contractor’s License required. For a full job description or to submit resume please email: hr@haywoodhabitat.org No Phone Calls Please.

RECEPTIONIST FOR LAW OFFICE Bookkeeping experience preferred.

Send resume AND cover letter to: info@wenzellawfirm.com or fax: 828.452.9059.

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NEED MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES! Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experience Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc.

1.888.512.7122 VICTIM ADVOCATE/FORENSIC Interviewer - Bachelor’s Degree in Human Service or related field with at least three years relevant experience, Master’s Degree preferred. Grant-funded position working with children and families impacted by abuse. Must demonstrate excellent communication skills and knowledge of child development. Forensic interview training provided for qualified candidates. Email resume and cover letter to: victimadvocateapplicant@gmail.com EOE.

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FINANCIAL BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

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1.866.362.6497.

JOB FAIR FOR MANPOWER AT CONMET IN BRYSON CITY

KITTENS! WE HAVE A LITTER OF FIVE KITTENS, 2 FEMALE AND 3 MALE, AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION THIS WEEK. THERE IS A TORTIE WHOSE NAME IS DELANEY, AND THE FEMALE ORANGE TABBY'S NAME IS KELSEY. THE ORANGE TABBY MALES ARE JEROME, OWEN AND RANDALL. THESE BABIES ARE ABOUT 8-9 WEEKS OLD AND SUPER CUTE! JANET IS A CUTE LITTLE MIXED BREED DOG, WE BELIEVE TO BE PEKINGESE AND SHIH TZU, BUT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW FOR SURE. SHE IS ABOUT 7 YEARS OLD AND WEIGHS 13 LBS. SHE IS CALM AND SWEET, LOVES TO BE WITH PEOPLE AND WILL BE A WONDERFUL BEST FRIEND TO HER LUCKY ADOPTER.

LOCATION: 1821 HWY. 19 SOUTH TIME: 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MAY, 11th

SAME DAY INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE 343-73

Mountain Realty

ROB ROLAND

828-400-1923

Ron Breese Broker/Owner

RROLAND33@GMAIL.COM

2177 Russ Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

Find the home you are looking for at www.robrolandrealty.com

www.ronbreese.com

Each office independently owned & operated.

PETS

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

HOMES FOR SALE

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

ROOMMATE ROOMMATES WANTED: Coolest house in Cullowhee on the river. Looking for 2 great people to share 3/BR, 1.5/BA next to WCU. Lots to offer for $500/mo. plus electric, 3 month minimum. Prefer 2 women but will consider couple.

Available May 8th. Call or Text John at 828.260.3050.

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578 MOUNTAIN CABIN NEAR Lake Lure, NC. $154,900 2 bed/2 bath on 1.68 acres w/stone fpl, large deck, mtn views, loft.

828.286.1666 broker.

828-508-9607

PUBLISHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise â&#x20AC;&#x153;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 discriminationâ&#x20AC;? 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.

74 NORTH MAIN ST. â&#x20AC;˘ WAYNESVILLE, NC

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Mieko

Thomson ROKER/R /REALTOR EALTORÂŽÂŽ BBROKER

Cell (828) 226-2298 Cell

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

EMERSON â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

GROUP

George Escaravage BROKER/REALTOR PO BOX 54

|

46 SOUTH MAIN STREET

WAYNESVILLE, NC 28786 | WWW.EMERSONGROUPUS.COM

828.400.0901 â&#x20AC;˘ 828.456.7705

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Lakeshore Realty â&#x20AC;˘ Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Home Properties

mountaindream.com â&#x20AC;˘ Sammie Powell - smokiesproperty.com

1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

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RE/MAX â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Mountain Realty

Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400

SFR, ECO, GREEN

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

147 Walnut Street â&#x20AC;˘ WayneSville

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com 343-17

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find us at: facebook.com/smnews

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remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson - ncsmokies.com The Morris Team - maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team - the-real-team.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com Catherine Proben - cp@catherineproben.com

smokymountainnews.com

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS

Equal Housing Opportunity

beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy - MichelleMcElroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - MarilynnObrig@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - MikeStamey@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - EllenSither@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - BrookeParrott@beverly-hanks.com Randy Flanigan - RandyFlanigan@beverly-hanks.com Pamela Williams - PamelaWilliams@beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - AnnEavenson@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group

george@emersongroupus.com

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Lifestyle Properties â&#x20AC;&#x201D; vistasofwestfield.com Beverly Hanks & Associates

MOUNTAIN REALTY

REAL ESTATE WANTED TO BUY WANTED: OLD BARN - HOUSE To Salvage Rough Cut Lumber, Flooring, Antiques, Vintage Materials, Etc. Terms Negotiable.

Licensed & Insured. Call or Text John at: 828.380.1232 ashevillepropertyservices.com

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

May 4-10, 2016

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

Mike Stamey mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

WNC MarketPlace

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

343-70

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 53

www.smokymountainnews.com

May 4-10, 2016

WNC MarketPlace

Super

54

TAKEN AS A HOLD

CROSSWORD

constituent?

74 Algerian port ACROSS 75 Plastic film measure 1 “Honor Thy Father” 76 “- vincit amor” author Gay 77 Actor Scheider 7 Lesley of “60 Minutes” 78 Lacking in resonance 12 Nasty online argument 80 High tennis hits 20 Heist halters 82 Swindle 21 “Well, golly!”

84 “Undercover Boss” 22 Black, chewy candy airer 23 Put something on one 87 Comment to a baseof the planets? baller from a fan who’s 25 One present at an studied his fly-catching event technique?

26 Deposit at a river’s 91 Jai mouth 92 Spirited session?

27 Graceland’s city 93 “Ac-cent- - -ate the acquired by a buyer?

Positive” (1945 hit) 29 Typeface option that’s 94 Bad way to finish a carrot-colored and heavy? race 34 Pulley part 96 Major name in insur35 Christmas poem ance starter 99 Not masc.

36 Flood barrier 101 Haunting 37 Cariou of “Applause” 102 Indy’s 200 39 Rookies 106 Six: Prefix 42 Hears about 108 Ice cube?

46 “Big -” (nickname of 112 Slightly feral? baseball’s David Ortiz) 116 Davis with a 1988 48 Rival of Sam’s Club Oscar 53 In that case 117 Gratification 54 Steroid user’s 118 Precious metal one physique? keeps for many years?

58 Repair shop guess: 124 UPS cargo Abbr.

125 Immature egg 59 Routine task 126 See 121-Down 60 Has no entity 127 Most thin, as fabric 61 Provide with an ability 128 Affirmative respons62 Oahu gift es 63 Some South Africans 129 Eats into 66 Animal home 68 Actress Charlotte and DOWN explorer John 1 Price’s place 69 Green gem’s chief 2 Boxing great

3 Loo, for short 4 In advance of 5 Wee bit 6 Cosmetician Lauder 7 Took care of 8 Low tie score 9 Farmer’s sci.

10 Ship steerer 11 Word before hosen 12 - Bird (notoriously hard game app) 13 More supple 14 Opera’s start 15 Homer Simpson’s favorite bar 16 Artist Max 17 Black - (spider type) 18 Fast Amtrak service 19 Bulrushes 24 Tirana’s land: Abbr.

28 Themes 29 Comic Hardy, briefly 30 Shoals 31 “Stop, mate!”

32 Rex Stout’s Wolfe 33 Pt. of DOJ 38 No, in Fife 40 Fall mo.

41 Drink with a lizard logo 43 Major rift 44 Hugs, in text 45 Skirt ruffle 47 Penitentiary 49 Solar beam 50 Like some waves 51 Hip, with “in” 52 Lofty tributes 55 Light in signs 56 Captivated 57 Newsy note 59 “Meh” grade 62 Beatle John 64 U.N. division

65 Sleep activity 67 Poet Pablo 69 Tot’s vehicle 70 Barbera’s partner 71 Crop holder 72 Poodle name 73 Diviner’s aid 74 Sitcom sot 79 Female youth gp.

81 Popular way to get around New York City 83 Barley brew 84 Cigar variety 85 Pesto herb 86 Positioned 88 “Tee- -!”

89 Range of 300-3,000 MHz 90 Pit-stop stuff 91 Baldwin of “Lymelife” 95 One libeling 97 “- no way!”

98 Most fresh 100 Non-magical person, to Harry Potter 102 Reindeer herders of Scandinavia 103 Shia’s deity 104 Pie slice, e.g.

105 Vampire killer 107 Solder, say 109 Dishes (out) 110 “Big Top - Wee” 111 Ham - (deli staple) 113 Despot of old 114 Sporting sled 115 Bird of peace 119 Mu followers 120 Shine, in ads 121 With 126-Across, Disney title dog of 1957 122 Spike of films 123 ENTs, e.g.

answers on page 39

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT 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.

VACATION RENTALS FLAGLER BEACH FLORIDA Oceanfront Vacation Rentals Tripadvisor Award, Furnished Studio, 1-2-3 BR’s, Full Kitchen, WiFi, TV, Pool. Seasonal Specials 1.386.517.6700 or www.fbvr.net SAPA

LAWN & GARDEN HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

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

WANTED TO BUY CASH PAID For Unexpired, Sealed Diabetic Test Strips - Highest Prices! Shipping prepaid. 1 DAY PAYMENT. 1.888.366.0958. www.Cash4DiabeticSupplies.com SAPA

PERSONAL A CHILDLESS COUPLE Seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on parents. Financial security. Expenses paid. Todd & Sharon toddandsharonadopt@hotmail.com 1.844.377.4077 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!

1.888.637.8200. 24 Hour Hotline.

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

SERVICES AT&T U-Verse Internet starting at $15/month or TV & Internet starting at $49/month for 12 months with 1-year agreement. Call 800.992.1743 to learn more.

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YARD SALES 4-FAMILY YARD SALE May 7th, 8:00am-1:00pm at 464 Boundary St., Waynesville.

Lots of Home Items, NASCAR, Antiques & Kids Stuff.

HUGE MOVING SALE Everything must go! Furniture, clothes, toys, movies, books and more. Downtown Sylva, behind the old courthouse, at 373 Savannah Dr., Saturday 7th, 8am until.

Yard Sale Saturday, May 7 at 7 a.m.

Hazelwood Event Center 154 Hemlock St., Waynesville.

All proceeds goes to Sharin Care.

828.400.0438 for more info

WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 39

32 years and counting for birding expedition

T

George Ellison

Carolina wrens, yellow warblers, cardinals, bluebirds, Carolina chickadees, song sparrows, house sparrows, American goldfinches, and so on.

One unusual sighting in town was a flock of perhaps 12 fish crows flying over Bryson City. More about that later.

Lunch was at the Collins Creek Picnic Shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That site turned up more species, including black-throated green warblers, northern parulas, and ovenbirds.

From there we birded at various stops up the Blue Ridge Parkway to its junction with Balsam Mountain Road. Excellent views were had of scarlet tanagers, black-capped chickadees, chestnut-side warblers, blackthroated blue warblers, golden-crowned kinglets, ravens, red-breasted nuthatches, juncos, and others.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the extensive fields and sloughs associated with the Katuwha site off U.S. 19 between Cherokee and Bryson City, which is owned by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation.

In addition to blue grosbeaks we spotted a small flock of migrating bobolinks feeding in the high-grass fields.

Having retired to our house for a potluck dinner, we heard a cerulean warbler singing in the shrubbery off the back deck. It was the first of that species ever recorded on our property.

By the end of the day Saturday, the total was 87 or so. We were close to 100 species but the last ones are always the hardest to come up with.

Sunday morning was spent in the Nantahala Gorge at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and at the raft put-in area eight miles upstream. These areas turned up many birds already tallied as well as several new ones, including the always elusive swainson’s warbler.

At the Tulula Wetlands Mitigation Site in Graham County we didn’t locate goldenwinged warblers, which are sometimes encountered there. But we did have exceptional views of a worm-eating warbler.

THE PRINT HAUS INC. GROUP Since 1982

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Through the years, the first sightings of three birds have occurred during the GSMBE. The first was of cattle egrets many years ago. Within the last five or so years, cliff swallows have been observed building their jug-like nests under the bridges in Bryson City. And this year, as mentioned above, the first fish crows were recorded.

Normally a coastal bird that is obviously extending its range inland, the fish crow resembles the common everyday crow. But its call is unmistakable.

Instead of “cawing,” the fish crown flies around all day saying “uh-uh” … “uh-uh” … “uh uh.”

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

Yellow-billed cuckoo. Elizabeth Ellison illustration

Smoky Mountain News

www.ThePrintHaus.com

BACK THEN

May 4-10, 2016

his past weekend marked the occasion of the 32nd annual Great Smokies Birding Expedition. Fred Alsop, the ornithologist at East Tennessee State University, Rick Pyeritz, the nowretired physician at UNCA, and I initiated the event in the fall of 1984. Since 1985, it has been held the first or second weekend in May. The number of participants has ranged from over 50 some years to less than 15 in others.

We prefer to have not more than 20 so Columnist as to enhance the learning experience for beginning birders. Identification is made by either visual markings or by vocalizations (both calls and songs) or both.

So as to add a bit of spice and focus to the event, we keep a checklist of the birds encountered each year. The goal each weekend has always been 100 species. I’d guess that number has been tallied perhaps 15 times. The record of 116 species was set several years ago. This year the total was 95, counting a yellow-billed cuckoo found dead in Bryson City that been hit by a vehicle.

These are not huge numbers. There are many experienced birders in this region who could easily total 100 or more species in a single day. Our emphasis is placed on having fun, helping beginners learn some fundamentals, and obtaining good views of as many species as possible.

We did better than usual with warblers this year. The total for that group was 20 or so species. These included some that we don’t always see or hear, like worm-eating and Swainson’s warblers.

Saturday morning we started off in downtown Bryson City, birding both sides of the Tuckasegee River and adjacent yards and fields. Within an hour and a half we had totaled 50 or so species of the sort found in towns and cities: rock dove (pigeons), mourning dove, chimney swifts, eastern phoebes, purple martins, barn swallows,

R

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