SMN 05 30 18

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

May 30-June 5, 2018 Vol. 20 Iss. 1

Renovated Lambuth Inn looks to the next 100 years Page 8 N.C. 107 remake will displace Sylva businesses Page 14

CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Boy Scouts of America’s recent announcement that it will begin allowing girls to participate in the Cub Scouts this year and the Scouts BSA program for teens next year has spurred praise and criticism from people in the community.

(Page 6)

News Fee increases keep Waynesville taxes down ............................................................3 Waynesville passes controversial text amendment ..................................................4 Franklin proposes 4-cent tax increase ..........................................................................5 Renovated Lambuth Inn looks to the next 100 years ..............................................8 Historic inn also Civil Rights landmark ......................................................................10 Term limits could end for Jackson ABC ....................................................................11 Haywood County tourism strong, growing ..............................................................12 Tribe looks to diversify business interests ................................................................13 N.C. 107 remake could displace Sylva businesses ..............................................14 Jackson to vote on Blackrock conservation project ..............................................18 New state office to focus on outdoor recreation growth ....................................20 Health News ......................................................................................................................23

Opinion

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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Jessica Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Susanna Barbee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Hylah Birenbaum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@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).

CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786

Something is wrong with this picture ........................................................................24

A&E A conversation with Rhonda Vincent ..........................................................................28

Outdoors

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1 YEAR $65 | 6 MONTHS $40 | 3 MONTHS $25

May 30-June 5, 2018

New book shows early years of NOC ......................................................................42

2018 Relay For Life of Franklin Friday, June 1, 2018 • 6 p.m.–11 p.m.

Downtown Franklin CELEBRATE

Smoky Mountain News

• • • •

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6 P.M. Celebrate: Opening Ceremony 6:30 P.M. Survivor Ceremony 7-7:30 P.M. Dj Music 7:30-8 P.M. Visible For Christ Puppet Team • 8-8:30 P.M. Michaela Hedden • 8:30-9 P.M. Cake Walk/ Auction

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS Angel Medical Center • Gerald L. Maize, DDS, PA • J&B Disposal Southwestern Community College • Macon Early College • Town of Franklin

SIGNATURE SPONSORS

Appalachian Dental Associates—James F. Melzer • Bond U Bonding Company Bowling Law Office • Bryant Grant Funeral Home • Carolina Junction Coward, Hicks & Siler, PA • Crane Brothers Will Drilling • Depot Street Mini Storage Desoto Trail Construction • Dodge Packaging • Duvall Automotive Group Franklin Family Dentistry—Nathan L. Brenner, DMD, PA • Going Places Travel Hedden Mobile Home • Heritage Garage Doors • Joe Morgan Custom Cabinetry Macon County Transit • Macon Funeral Home • Nantahala Bank & Trust Company Prentiss Church of God • Register of Deeds—Todd Raby • Ridgecrest Towing & Auto Service Sonrise Sanitation • The Factory • United Community Bank

REMEMBER

• 9:15 P.M. Luminaria Service, Candlelight Ceremony, and Memory Lap

FIGHT BACK

• 10:30 P.M. Closing Ceremony

A penny for your thoughts

Fee increases keep Waynesville taxes down

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Trio of public hearings set in Waynesville

vehicle fee can be used for public transportation, but the rest has to be used for street maintenance.

“Lord knows we’re not getting enough money from the gas tax to keep up with street maintenance,” Hites said. “So the first $5 is targeted towards law-enforcement, and then the $10 is oriented to street maintenance.”

— Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites

fee, they’re now charging for garbage, and then of course the ad valorem tax,” he said.

On the spectrum of low-tax, high-fee cities and high-tax, low-fee cities, Waynesville is not especially fee-heavy despite its small size, according to Hites.

“Towns that have significant industries, their taxes drive a lot more income,” he said.

This year, a penny’s worth of Waynesville’s property tax rate is valued at $115,000, meaning that for every penny taxes are raised, an estimated $115,000 is generated.

In Statesville, where Hites previously served as manager, a penny’s worth is almost $240,000. Statesville’s population is more than twice Waynesville’s.

In Charlotte, a penny on the property tax rate is worth about $2.5 million.

“For towns like that they can just go out and purchase 16 police cars like it’s a walk in the park,” Hites said. “For us, we have to borrow money.”

Fees help keep taxes lower, but in the end the only difference isn’t how much money is generated as revenue, it’s who pays.

“When you mix their bowl of fees and taxes,” he said, “they’re going to pay about the same amount as we do.”

Both the FY 2018-19 budget and the proposed vehicle fee must be formally adopted by the Waynesville Board of Alderman before implementation.

Smoky Mountain News

The next Waynesville Board of Aldermen meeting will offer residents a chance to weigh in on three issues of note.

The first is the proposed fiscal year 2018-19 budget, which calls for a 1-cent tax increase. The board may vote to adopt the budget at the close of the public hearing, but still has time to hold a vote June 26 if necessary.

The second is a proposed fee of $15 for vehicles registered in the Town of Waynesville. The proposed fee could change from $15 to anywhere between nothing and $30, at the pleasure of the board.

The third is a revenue-neutral provision requiring taxicab operators to obtain a permit for a nominal fee of $5. The proposal does not include limousines, small busses or ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.

• Date: Tuesday, June 12 • Time: 6:30 p.m.

• Location: Waynesville Town Hall, 9 South Main Street, Waynesville

“For me it’s not a mask to deliberately make the tax rate look lower, it’s a matter of spreading the cost of services to the people who are using them. What I’m trying to doing and what other towns try to do is to balance the impact of various methods of revenue collection.”

May 30-June 5, 2018

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER he Town of Waynesville is about to embark on year two of a more conservative budget mindset; the days of 7 percent annual growth are gone, but the days of rising costs are not.

Most any town’s major budget expense comes in the form of personnel.

Waynesville’s $15.2 million general fund sees a full 64.5 percent of expenditures directed toward personnel.

Maintaining a wellRob Hites trained and competitively compensated workforce means costs — like this year’s 6 percent insurance rate hike — are constantly growing, while a flat tax base leaves little room for organic revenue generation.

The combination of the two is driving a 3.3 percent increase in general fund spending over last year, and has led to a proposed 1 cent ad valorem property tax increase, the first in Waynesville since the 2016-17 budget year.

“As you approach a 50 cent tax rate, you begin to look at how much more impact are we going to give the general ad valorem taxpayer versus beginning to charge more directed fees at the users who use that service,” said Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites.

Property taxes aren’t the only way in

which municipal governments can gather revenue, and towns like Waynesville are now more fully utilizing user fees rather than continuously upping the tax rate every year.

“For me it’s not a mask to deliberately make the tax rate look lower, it’s a matter of spreading the cost of services to the people who are using them,” Hites said. “What I’m trying to do and what other towns try to do is to balance the impact of various methods of revenue collection.”

Hites explained that user fees are often times more popular not only because they’re oriented directly at the people that are using the service, but also because the revenues generated are intended for the people in the budget who are doing the regulation.

That’s why Hites proposed a vehicle tax at last fall’s budget retreat.

Allowed by the legislature for decades now, the obscure fee is again gaining interest.

“When I first started out in the 1970s, the vehicle tax was limited to about five dollars, and if you were in that business you gave people this metal sign that said ‘Waynesville’ and screwed it to the front of your car,” he said. “The problem with that was the tags are made by the prison system, so each one cost us about $2, and the legislature said you can’t collect but $5.”

A lot of towns felt that for just $3, the whole scheme wasn’t worth the trouble, so some years back the legislature changed the statute to allow a vehicle fee of up to $30.

HItes’ proposal of $15 would generate an estimated $147,000.

Up to $5 of that vehicle fee can be used for any general purpose, and up to $5 of any

Were that spending not generated by the vehicle tax, it would necessitate another 1.3cent tax increase on top of the proposed 49.57 cents per $100 assessed value.

“One big challenge for us is that we’re a tax base in a town of 10,000 that expands to a town of about 18,000 for almost six months a year now, and growing,” he said, referring to the area’s second home owners and growing year-round tourism season (see Tourism, page 12). “So these type fees help.”

Hites had also proposed a stormwater fee of about $2 per home, per month that didn’t quite make it into the budget in time this year, but will likely come soon.

“I would say in North Carolina most cities have a small vehicle fee, a stormwater

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news

Over opposition, Waynesville passes text amendment

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER Gastonia-based developer’s request to change a small part of the Town of Waynesville’s zoning rules to allow for multi-family housing in a semi-rural community generated big waves last week.

That request was granted, against the wishes of dozens of area residents who turned up in force to not one but two public hearings — the Waynesville Planning Board on May 21, and the Waynesville Board of Aldermen May 22.

At issue was a 41-acre parcel off Plott Creek Road; an inconsistency in the town’s table of permitted uses allows up to 10 threestory dwellings per acre on that parcel, but only for townhomes, not apartments.

Southwood Realty has an option to purchase the property, and wants to build a 200unit apartment complex at the site, which residents said would strain schools and streets, spoil views and sink property values.

The proposed text amendment, which affects the entire Plott Creek Neighborhood Residential Zoning District, was first heard by the planning board before a capacity crowd that spilled out into the lobby. Also heard by the planning board were negative comments from more than a dozen area residents.

The planning board voted 5 to 2 to recommend the proposed text amendment to the Board of Aldermen, who then heard the request and the recommendation in a regularly scheduled meeting the next day.

That meeting drew even more people, with audio speakers stationed in the lobby for another overflow crowd that heard Mayor Gavin Brown compare the issue to the recently passed Brunch Bill, which allowed restaurants to serve alcohol earlier on Sundays than had been allowed in the past.

“We weren’t telling people you had to, we were telling restaurant owners you could if you wanted to,” Brown said of the text amendment, adding that it wouldn’t require

May 30-June 5, 2018

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anyone to do anything specific with their land, it would merely permit it.

Many of the same area residents opposed to the measure at the planning board hearing presented the same arguments as the night before, but in the end, they saw the same result.

After a protracted public comment period that was extended beyond the customary 30 minutes until it spanned nearly an hour, aldermen explained one by one how they’d vote.

“The area considered is adjacent to and according to the maps pretty much surrounded by what we had considered as a high density area,” said Alderman LeRoy Roberson.

“The driving factor here for me is the fact that Waynesville is lacking not minorly, but severely in housing.”

Roberson also addressed derogatory comments directed at the type of people who live in apartments as opposed to those who can afford mortgages; Roberson said he checked with Waynesville’s Chief of Police about similar apartment complexes and found little to draw concern.

“I think branding apartments as being some kind of incubator for unsavory people, I don’t think it’s fair,” he said.

Alderman Gary Caldwell boiled it down to one simple point.

“My biggest concern is housing right now,” Caldwell said. “We just don’t have it.”

Alderman Julia Boyd-Freeman said it was the most difficult decision she had to make in her seven years and two terms on the board, but agreed with Roberson and Caldwell, drawing upon her expertise on the issue as the executive director of a nonprofit that provides services to victims of domestic abuse.

“We represent the town of Waynesville,” Boyd-Freeman said. “We’ve got to look forward for our residents — 11,000 residents we have in the town of Waynesville, and housing is an extremely pressing issue with our citizens. So what do we do? If not your community, what community? Where do we move forward?”

A man signs up to speak against the proposed Plott Creek text amendment just in front of a speaker set up to accommodate an overflow crowd May 22. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Freeman also sat for over a year on Haywood County’s Affordable Housing Task Force.

“We desperately need housing in this community,” she said. “It’s something we have agonized over.”

Brown, in his customary role as resident board historian, framed the issue a bit differently.

“Let’s go back to 1986,” the lifelong Waynesville resident said, noting that none of the homes that many of the opponents lived in were there at that time. “I wonder what [existing residents in Plott Creek in 1986] would have said having known how Waynesville was going to grow … I find some of the logic here tonight is typical, it’s like, ‘I’m here, now let’s close the gate.’ I just find it interesting.”

The board voted 4 to 1 to find the proposed text amendment consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan, and then voted to accept the text amendment. Alderman Jon Feichter was the only dissenting vote.

“I woke up thinking about this at 3 a.m. and haven’t been back to bed since,” Feichter told the crowd. He said he had spent six or seven years on the planning board himself,

and that he relied on three criteria to make decisions there; the first two are land development standards and precedent.

“Finally and perhaps most importantly is the wishes of the residents,” he said.

In this case, Feichter opined, land development standards were constructed with citizen input and therefore should be deliberately construed as being unfavorable to multi-family housing. The precedent, he said, is there too.

Should the need for housing override the wishes of the residents in that district?

“I can’t imagine going against their wishes, so I stand opposed to this,” he said. “I am completely supportive of the drive to find housing for residents, but I’m just not sure Plott Creek is the place to do that.”

Southwood’s fight in Plott Creek may not yet be over — the proposed text amendment was not an endorsement of Southwood’s development, as Brown said and every other board member reiterated.

Any development plan by Southwood would be subject to a site review by the town and then have to go through the town’s usual permitting process before any work would be allowed to begin.

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that represented the biggest increase in this year’s budget,” she said.

Culpepper said he feels good about the additional funding going to the streets department and he hopes to make new sidewalks an even bigger priority in the future.

“I like that we’re buying a work truck so our crews can do more in-house work,” he said. “I really want to start laying more sidewalk and work toward a target number each year with a specific amount budgeted.”

A 4-cent tax hike, if approved, would increase Franklin’s tax rate from 28 cents per $100 of assessed value to 32 cents. It would also put the town closer in line with surrounding municipalities — Sylva’s rate is 42.5 cents, Waynesville’s is 48.57, Canton’s is 58 cents and Maggie Valley’s is 39 cents.

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Extra Virgin Olive Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Canola Oil Sea Salt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kosher salt or iodized salt (keep in mind iodized or table salt may have smaller granules so plan on using less!)

Balsamic syrup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Balsamic vinegar with added honey Dried cranberries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Raisins Quinoa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brown Rice or Barley (this will take a longer cooking time)

Fresh Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frozen Corn or canned corn Low-sodium beans (black, garbanzo,etc) . . . .Thoroughly rinsed and drained beans No-sugar added fruit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thoroughly rinsed and drained fruit packed in syrup Sour Cream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Plain Greek yogurt (low-fat or full fat) Plain Plant-based beverages . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cow’s milk (flax, almond, coconut)

Smoky Mountain News

Scott said many residents aren’t aware of how decisions on the federal and state level also impact municipal budgets. Towns have had to make up deficits created by changes in state and federal policies.

“The tax cuts being bragged about in Washington and Raleigh sound good but they’re pushing that shortfall back on to local governments,” he said. “We’re losing money because people are giving up telephone lines for their cell phones, which means we’re losing franchise fees. We can’t charge for business licenses anymore and the state prohibited involuntary annexation, which doesn’t allow the town to grow. We’re facing all those situations.”

Even with the 4-cent tax increase, Woodward said most town residents wouldn’t see a huge increase to their annual bills. The average home in Franklin is valued at between $100,000 and $150,000 — Woodward said those residents might see their property tax go up $40 for the year.

The town council will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed 2017-18 budget at 6:05 p.m. Monday, June 2, at town hall.

Residents will have a chance to comment on the budget. To see the complete budget, visit www.franklinnc.com/proposed-budgetfranklin-nc-2018-2019.html.

of vegetables, gardens plants, hanging baskets and more!

May 30-June 5, 2018

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he Franklin Town Council is recommending a 4-cent property tax increase this year in order to cover its growing expenses and to avoid dipping into its fund balance.

A 4-cent tax hike, if approved, would increase the town’s tax rate from 28 cents per $100 of assessed value to 32 cents. It would also put the town closer in line with surrounding municipalities — Sylva’s rate is 42.5 cents, Waynesville’s is 48.57, Canton’s is 58 cents and Maggie Valley’s is 39 cents.

Each additional cent added to the town’s property tax rate would produce another $60,000 in revenue, meaning a 4-cent increase would give the town another $240,000 to work with in the budget.

Town Manager Summer Woodward said that $240,000 would keep the town from having to transfer $238,000 from its fund balance to the general fund in order to balance the budget.

“We can’t cut any more in the budget without sacrificing services,” she said. “The proposed budget I presented balanced at 28 cents but we had to cut $72,000 internally from administration and finance and we’re still left with the $238,000 shortfall.”

Mayor Bob Scott said he didn’t want to see the town make a habit out of taking funds from the fund balance to balance the operating budget.

“If we don’t increase taxes, we’ll have to dip into the fund balance for $238,000.

People don’t understand the significance of that, but dipping into the fund balance is like taking money from your savings account to pay your monthly bills and if you don’t build it back up, you’ll be in serious trouble if there’s an emergency,” he said.

Councilmember David Culpepper, who was elected to the board last November, said he was the lone vote against the 4-cent tax increase on principle because he’d like to see the board make some tough cuts before resorting to a tax hike. However, he said he understands why the town has to do it.

“Realistically, there was little choice the town had — the increase was ultimately necessary,” he said. “I don’t want to take funds out of the fund balance for operational expenses either unless we have a concrete plan next year and know we won’t need to do it again.”

Woodward said the proposed budget with the tax increase also allows for a muchneeded increase to the streets department.

The department is past due for a new work truck as well as a salt spreader and more funding for sidewalk maintenance and improvements.

“For years the streets department has been asked to do with what they have, but we’ve had an increase in the need for pedestrian safety and sidewalk improvements so

news

Franklin proposes 4-cent tax increase

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news

More Boy Scouts programming open to girls Organization will allow teen girls to join in 2019

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR arrian Childers is quitting Boy Scouts after joining a local troop about three years ago when his family moved to Waynesville.

The 16-year-old made his decision not long after the Boy Scouts of America announced its decision to allow girls to participate in more of its programming alongside the boys. While Childers has really enjoyed his time with the Scouts, he doesn’t think the organization is moving in the right direction.

“Mainly (because) the fact that Boy Scouts, in their attempt to become more accessible, has lost their focus on what Boy Scouts really was,” he said. “I wanted to do camping and outdoors things without the complication of bringing both boys and girl on a trip.”

While Childers said he doesn’t mind being around the opposite gender at school or working alongside them during other social activities, Boy Scouts has given him and other teenage boys an opportunity to participate in a program that specifically caters to male bonding and growth.

“I like going out on campouts and other activities where boys can be boys,” he said.

“It will complicate things and because things will need to be regulated that might make things not as enjoyable.”

Smoky Mountain News

May 30-June 5, 2018

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CHANGE IS COMING The Boy Scouts’ announcement made earlier this month won’t be implemented until February 2019, but already strong opinions have formed on both sides of the issue. Many have praised the organization for trying to be more inclusive, especially since BSA announced last year it would accept transgender members, but others think America’s need for political correctness has gone too far. Can boys and girls truly not have separate but equal extracurricular activities anymore?

Melinda Kuehn, camp director of the Boy Scouts’ Camp Daniel Boone in Canton, said the announcement isn’t as radical as some people are making it out to be. BSA already allows females to participate in a number of events and programs. This most recent decision simply expands the opportunities available for the older girls.

“We’ll start letting girls into the older program for Scouts age 11 to 18 in February 2019, so next summer we might have girls here at camp,” she said.

Another misperception is that Boy Scouts of America is changing its name — Kuehn said that is not true. Scouts BSA is simply the new name of the program that will now include older boys and girls. Allowing females to participate in Scouts BSA means they will be able to earn the prestigious Eagle Scout designation for the first time.

2017 Annual Report – People BSA serves • 1,245,882 boys age 6-10 in Cub Scouts.

• 834,142 boys age 11-17 in Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts.

• 87,827 young men and women age 14-20 in Venturing and Sea Scouts.

• 376,837 boys and girls in elementary through high school in Learning for Life character education programs.

• 114,751 young men and women age 1020 exploring career-based programs • 99,814 units representing partnerships and collaborations with businesses, community and religious organizations and other supporting agencies.

Boy Scouts refers to these inclusive changes being implemented as the ‘Scout Me In’ campaign, and one big change is happening this year as young girls are now allowed to be in the Cub Scouts program.

“Cub Scouts is a lot of fun, and now it’s available to all kids,” Stephen Medlicott, National Marketing Group Director of Boy Scouts of America, said in a press release.

“That’s why we love ‘Scout Me In’ — because it speaks to girls and boys and tells them, ‘this is for you. We want you to join!’”

According to the BSA press release, the new campaign reinforces that the mission and core values in the Scout Oath and Scout Law are welcoming, inclusive and foundational for both young men and women.

“In my personal opinion, character development, leadership skills and outdoor skills are the main skills taught

by Boy Scouts. My Eagle Scout sons learned those skills — why wouldn’t I want my daughters to be exposed to that as well?”

— Melinda Kuehn, camp director, Camp Daniel Boone

Since announcing the BSA’s decision to welcome girls into Scouting, more than 3,000 girls across the nation have already enrolled in the BSA’s Early Adopter Program and are participating in Cub Scouts ahead of the full launch later this year.

“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible. That is why it is important that the name for our Scouting program for older youth remain consistent with the single name approach used for the Cub Scouts,” said Michael Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America.

“Starting in February 2019, the name of the older youth program will be ‘Scouts BSA,’ and the name of our iconic organization will continue to be Boy Scouts of America.”

Kuehen said the new Scout Me In campaign won’t have a major impact on operations at Camp Daniel Boone. The camp already has female staff, and the facilities are fully prepared to accept girls for summer sessions.

“Our facilities are already set up with single stalls, lockable bathrooms and locker facilities for our youth’s protection and safe-

ty so we’re all set to welcome female campers,” she said. “We already have female leaders that come with the troops — that’s been happening for decades.”

While male and female campers would share a camping site, the sleeping arrangements at camp will still be segregated by age and gender. Overall, Kuehn said she doesn’t have any major concerns about implementing the changes, though she knows not everyone is supportive of the decision.

“It will be an adjustment, but we’re not worried about it. We are aware some troops are embracing the changes and some are not, but the reality of it is we still have leaders that don’t like females in the camp at all, but we can all still get along,” she said. “In my personal opinion, character development, leadership skills and outdoor skills are the main skills taught by Boy Scouts. My Eagle Scout sons learned those skills — why wouldn’t I want my daughters to be exposed to that as well?”

NEW RECRUITS Savannah Schreiber, 10, said she’s excited about the opportunity to join a Cub Scouts

programs just because it’s considered a “masculine” activity.

“In the grand scheme of things, if you place everything that makes you you over a picture of what makes someone else who they are, you'll see we are mostly alike as humans and there are many more things that define a person than being male or female,” Kott said.

“Not only does it not make sense to use anatomy as a criteria for Scouts, it isn't effective. Girls like doing everything that Boy Scouts do. Girls can and should learn these same things.”

Jasmine and Holly Porter said the changes to the Boy Scouts don’t mean there’s anything wrong with the Girl Scouts’ mission, but there are skills BSA offers that Girl Scouts don’t. Both organizations On my honor I will do my best teach the importance of to do my duty to God and my country integrity, morality and leadership. Boy Scouts sell popand to obey the Scout Law; corn to learn about business and finance while Girl to help other people at all times; Scouts sell cookies, but Girl to keep myself physically strong, Scouts does lack some of the outdoor and wilderness mentally awake, and morally straight. survival skills offered through the Boy Scouts.

“We want to go camping and learn how to fish,” Holly said. “A lot of girls in A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, our troop have brothers of friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, their own in Boy Scouts — working together may help cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and them see the viewpoint of their younger or older reverent. brother and have a sense of what they may be thinking.” kindergarten and worked my way up to now “If a brother and sister are not getting so I have that feeling of familiarity with it.” along, maybe this would help them understand one another more instead of focusing differences,” Jasmine said.

EPARATE BUT EQUAL on their Holly and Jasmine also cleared up a misperception that Girl Scouts doesn’t offer an Some opposition to the BSA changes equivalent to the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Scout have questioned why the Girl Scouts doesn’t designation — the highest BSA honor. change its mission to offer more outdoor The Girl Scouts have levels of awards as activities for girls or why a new organization well — bronze, silver and gold. The Gold can’t be formed to accommodate both genAward is the community project Girl Scouts ders instead of changing the deep traditions have to complete by the time they graduate of the Boy Scouts. high school. Like the Eagle Scout status, Even though the Boy Scouts and Girl receiving a Gold Award is rare and looks Scouts formed around the same time to good on any college or job application complement one another, they are two sepabecause it shows initiative, commitment and rate organizations with their own separate community involvement. Both projects missions.

“We don’t have any control over what the require the same number of dedicated hours.

“The Bronze project is mostly done in Girl Scouts does,” Kuehn said. “Girls Scouts groups during middle school, the Silver projstarted alongside the Boy Scouts and they ect is pretty much done on your own with both teach valuable skills, but times change leaders supervising and the Gold Award is and they’ve both taken different routes.”

Kott agreed that both groups teach differ- you on your own and you can get volunteer help,” Holly said. ent valuable skills all children should learn, “It shows you have the necessary skills which is why she doesn’t think it makes and you’ve learned how to be a leader,” sense to segregate kids based on gender.

Jasmine said.

Girls shouldn’t be excluded from outdoor 7

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Join BSA For more information on how to join an established troop locally or how to start your own BSA troop, visit www.scouting.org.

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tion between boys and girls in the different troops would be beneficial for everyone.

“It will help them work better together because the girls’ groups might have different ideas than the boys,” she said. “It might help them work better together and with problem-solving skills.”

The twins admit the integration might be awkward at first, especially with overnight camping trips, but there are ways to work it out to make everyone comfortable. They said they’d be fine with the girls having their own separate campsite and campfire away from the boys’ camp as long as they were allowed to do daytime activities together.

“It will teach them how to connect to one another and not think, ‘Oh, she’s just a girl and we’re completely different,’” Holly said.

With an older brother who is an Eagle Scout, Jasmine and Holly have grown up attending Boy Scouts events as spectators, but would like the opportunity to participate in those events.

“We’ve done the family camps and enjoyed it. If we have the option, I wouldn’t mind joining but I’d also like to stay with Girl Scouts,” Jasmine said. “I started in

May 30-June 5, 2018

troop in Waynesville.

“It looks fun! You go hiking, and get badges and go camping,” she said. “My dad has a lot of badges for all kinds of fun things he did when he was a kid.”

With such a love of the outdoors, Schreiber said she’s never given much thought to joining the Girl Scouts, but Cub Scouts sounds like the right place for her interests.

“I want to camp, hike, fish, play sports and play at the park with my friends,” she said. “I want to be a horse trainer. I love riding horses and I love to be outside a lot. I know a lot about horses already.”

Schreiber’s mother, Nicole Kott, is supportive of her daughter’s interest in Scouting and agrees with the organization’s decision to be more inclusive for females.

“I'm thankful that BSA wants to send this message to our children, because that is a big pill to swallow for some and will potentially be met with hostility,” she said.

Kott has seen her daughter watching all the troop activities happening at the park near their house, and it has piqued her interest.

“They have a cabin and a fire pit designated for their use. She sees how fun it is and wants to participate. All three of my kids jump headfirst into most outdoor activities. They like to fish, camp, hike, play sports and play the usual games like tag and capture the flag,” Kott said. “It isn't right to exclude children from educational and enriching activities just because of anatomy.”

Even though the BSA’s decision is official next summer, Kott said girls are already participating in Boy Scouts camping trips — they just aren’t getting any credit for their participation. The only change coming is that girls will now be able to earn merit badges and feel part of the program.

“It is not exclusive to boys. Many of the boys have sisters that come on camping trips and to meetups,” she said. “Boys and girls will be supervised in the same manner as recent public school overnight field trips and summer camp arrangements, which are already quite common in Haywood County.”

With strong feelings about the inclusion of girls, Kott anticipates there may be some blowback for females wanting to officially join Cub Scouts or Scouts BSA, but she hopes it doesn’t keep them from participating in programs that interest them.

“It's a very real possibility, but we're not going to let fear of the unknown hold us back from living. Perhaps the boys will display kindness and maturity,” she said. “I believe that parental support will play a major role in these girls’ participation rates.”

Jasmine and Holly Porter, twin sisters heading into Haywood Early College this fall, are supporters of the changes and are considering joining a Scouts BSA program next year in addition to continuing their work as Girl Scouts. They see being in both groups as the best of both worlds.

“I think it’s good to be in different troops but being able to do some activities together — it will be good to be with the other gender sometimes,” Jasmine said. “I think doing things together would be a good new experience for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.”

Holly agreed that having more interac-

news May 30-June 5, 2018

Lake Junaluska Executive Director Ken Howle (left) chats with Lake resident Bill Lowry on the second floor balcony at the Lambuth Inn. Cory Vaillancourt photo

Renovated Lambuth Inn looks to the next 100 years

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER estern North Carolina is a region filled with special places, one of the best known being a century-old religious retreat nestled away snugly in the center of Haywood County.

“Our focus here at Lake Junaluska is that we celebrate our history, and we embrace the traditions. Being a 105-year-old organization we have lots of wonderful traditions, and we do that, though, in a way that’s focused on excellence. That means even though our July Fourth parade is an example of a long-standing tradition, each year we work to improve and move that event forward,” said Ken Howle, Executive Director of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

“And the Lambuth Inn is no different.”

One of the oldest and most historic lodging facilities in the area, the Lambuth Inn is the “crown jewel” of lodging at the Lake, according to Howle.

But seven years ago, it was decided that the Inn needed a makeover — for a variety of reasons.

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“What we had to do was find that balance around what makes sense from an economic standpoint, what makes sense from a historic standpoint, and also what makes sense, most importantly, from a guest perspective,” he said.

Work didn’t begin until last fall, when the Inn was closed so 100 of its 131 guest rooms could be updated to present a more contemporary look; meeting facilities, common areas and dining rooms also benefitted from the work, which was recently completed.

When Howle cut the ribbon at the grand re-opening of the economically important Lambuth Inn on May 22, he in essence welcomed what will be another century’s worth of visitors to get busy making the memories that have made the Lambuth Inn so special to so many for so long.

“There’s lots of wonderful traditions associated with this building, such as having tea and sitting on the porch,” he said. “What this renovation has enabled us to do is to make sure that those traditions continue on and can be done an excellent way as we move into the next 100 years.”

FROM THE ASHES The 98-year-old Lambuth Inn is just 10 years older than Lake Junaluska resident Bill Lowry, a retired minister originally from Mississippi. Lowry’s lived at the Lake for a quarter-century, but his history with the Lambuth Inn goes back much further.

“My first visit here would’ve been in the early ‘60s,” he said, recalling the days of chartered buses dropping off entire churches at the Lake for events.

Since its establishment in 1913, Lake Junaluska has been a revered gathering place for generations of Methodists from across the Southeast, and indeed across the globe; its unique setting in a small mountain valley surrounded by hundreds of homes and a small artificial lake make it a visually stimulating place to seek spiritual transformation and renewal — a goal of the Assembly as a whole that is furthered by the classrooms and auditoriums that dot the grounds.

Upon his first “retirement” Lowry set to cataloging boxes upon boxes of the church’s records for the United Methodist General

Commission on Archives and History, located at the Lake. It took him 10 years.

“If you’re going to do that, you sure learn a lot about the history of the Assembly,” Lowry laughed.

The focal points of the Assembly were designated early on, when a layout for the grounds was first surveyed.

“The two major locations that were decided,” Lowry said, “was the auditorium and what they would consider to be the ‘showplace’ hotel, and on this very site they built a structure that really got the attention of the whole Southeast.”

That structure wasn’t the Lambuth Inn, however.

“It was such an elaborate thing, called Junaluska Inn, built on the architectural design of the great inns and lodges of the New England states,” he said. “It opened its doors in 1917 then and immediately established for itself a reputation of graciousness and wonderful cuisine.”

At that time, the Assembly was only open in the summer months, but the Junaluska was booked solid that first season. When fall came, it closed so workers could apply some finishing touches, but reopened in 1918, whereupon it promptly burned to the ground.

“Now, the remarkable thing about that was that the hotel is filled with people,” Lowry said. “It was in the middle of the night, and not a soul was killed and not a person was injured.”

The site remained vacant for two years, until it was purchased by the Board of

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER hat the Lambuth Inn is important to the tourist economy is well known around these parts, but what’s not as well known is how it unwittingly played an important role in the Civil Rights movement during the segregation era.

“There were two major structures that were on the grounds of Junaluska but didn’t belong to Lake Junaluska,” said Bill Lowry, an 88-year-old minister originally from Mississippi who now lives on the grounds. “One of them is Shackford Hall, which is a building at the west end of the lake. It’s primarily classrooms and an auditorium. And the other, of course, was Lambuth.”

Lowry explained that in the 1950s the trustees took the position that since the entire Assembly belongs to the Methodist Churches of the Southeast, that organization would “set the pattern” on racial inclusiveness.

“The Churches of the Southeast in those days were not inclined to be interested in that,” said Lowry. “But the larger church was. So the time came when they wanted to have events here at Junaluska, which would be biracial. Anyone could come. It didn’t matter. And the trustees said absolutely no.”

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Retired minister Bill Lowry spent 10 years working in Lake Junaluska’s archives. Cory Vaillancourt photo That prompted backlash from the Methodist Student Movement, founded in 1938 to create a national platform for students of the time. Among the group’s most notable accomplishments were highly visible, relatively progressive stances on the issues of the day, including war and race.

“They were having events here in the summertime, and they said, ‘We’re not going to come back unless all of us can come,’” Lowry said. “Well it turns out that somebody real-

“There’s lots of wonderful traditions associated with this building. What this renovation has enabled us to do is to make sure that those traditions continue on and can be done an excellent way as we move into the next 100 years.”

— Ken Howle, Executive Director, Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center

RENEWAL AND TRANSFORMATION Lake Junaluska has always touted itself as a place of relaxation and rejuvenation, but that’s never been more so the case than it is today.

Almost a decade ago now, the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church decided to slash funding to the Lake.

When Jack Ewing took the job as executive director in 2011, he had little choice but to begin making the Lake more fiscally sustainable without compromising its Christian roots.

That meant expensive upgrades to the Lake’s attractions and lodging; Ewing stepped down from his post last fall as many of those upgrades began to take place, but Ewing’s successor Howle has been at the Lake for almost 15 years now.

“We had at one time looked at a project of probably more than $15 million, which would’ve included also building a new meeting facility, but what it really came down to — the sweet spot for us — was a renovation that came down to about $3.2 million,” Howle said. “It felt like it really gave us the most value for the money we spent and increases the value for guests.”

The Lambuth, and its sister hotel the Terrace, both occupy a unique and important position in the Haywood County tourism industry, which by virtue of the room occupancy tax levied by the county’s Tourism Development Authority is an intensely scrutinized industry.

“Lake Junaluska has a large number of rooms that are critical to the tourism aspect of Haywood County, and to have one of those shut down for a period of time is going to have an impact on us,” said Lynn Collins, executive director of the Haywood County TDA. “We’re thrilled that it’s back open and renovated.”

Data provided by the TDA show that during the months the Lambuth was closed for renovations, collections in the zip code were well down from previous years. Collins said

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Lake Junaluska photo

Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church South (see Historic inn, above), as it was called.

They built what is today the center portion of Lambuth Inn, which was intended to serve as lodging for missionaries who’d recently returned to the United States from abroad to talk about their work and fundraise before again departing.

But the Centenary Mission Inn, as it was then known, still hosted short-term lodgers as well, despite being renamed for one of Methodism’s most prominent missionaries and bishops, Walter Russell Lambuth.

“It goes along that way for good long while,” Lowry said. “Later, the need for additional lodging was great, and they built what is now the west wing of the hotel, and that included more lodging rooms and it also included some classrooms, which were needed. Then, a decade after that, they built the east wing, which gave them still more lodging and enabled them to move the dining area, which was in the old center section, into a larger area and form the dining area which we have now.”

The list of luminaries who’ve crossed the threshold of the Lambuth Inn is great, according to Lowery — First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, astronaut John Glenn, presidents Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon, Rev. Billy Graham and many more.

“It’s just been a constant stream of personalities who have walked through this hotel during its lifetime,” Lowry said.

May 30-June 5, 2018

Built in 1921, the Lambuth Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

ized that they can have an event here [at Lake Junaluska], and they can have their meetings at Shackford and anyone who wanted to come could come and stay at Lambuth and the trustees couldn’t do anything about it, because they didn’t own those two buildings.”

The Methodist Student Movement was fine with that, but there was one area where the trustees could still exercise authority — the swimming pool.

“They said, ‘No, no we can’t have integrated swimming in the swimming pool,’ and the Methodist Student Movement said ‘OK, we won’t swim.’”

But that didn’t last long — the MSM held an integrated “swim in” that Lowry said didn’t go over well, but did make a splash that started the ripples that turned into waves.

A 1952 letter from Trustee J.P. Stafford to Board Chairman Edwin Jones chronicles changing attitudes during changing times.

“Ed, I am a Mississippian,” Stafford wrote. “I have been living in the Mississippi Delta for 43 years. I was born and raised with all the prejudices of the times, but a new day is here and we must have the courage to live in it, or be the rear guard standing for what we, in conscience, defend.”

Lowry said that letter resulted in a vote by the board that would open the assembly to all.

“Not only did Lambuth Inn become the first Methodist institution here at Junaluska to integrate,” said Lowry, “it became the first institution of any kind to integrate in Western North Carolina.”

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Historic inn also Civil Rights landmark

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May 30-June 5, 2018

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LAMBUTH, CONTINUED FROM 9 she’d seen the same thing when the Terrace closed briefly for renovations a few years ago.

Strong recent growth in tourism spending at the Lake has been evident since even before the Lambuth’s facelift.

“For a number of years, they held steady,” she said of the Lake’s 4 percent share of the TDA’s 1 percent fund. “Now they’re fluctuating anywhere from 11 to 14 percent on a monthly basis, so that’s a substantial increase.”

Changes in how sales tax is collected at the Lake should also result in greater revenues eventually making their way into county coffers.

“If [guests are] coming here for a religious conference as part of a nonprofit organization and they’re from North Carolina they can actually apply to receive a refund of the sales tax,” said Howle. “We evaluated this a few years ago, and we felt like it was not our role to be determining who should be getting a tax-exempt stay and who should not, but leave that up to the individuals that are staying here to apply to the state if they felt like the refund was necessary.”

Coupled with the rebounding economy across the nation and across the state, the Lambuth is becoming easier and easier sell, according to Marketing Manager Mary Bates.

“The Lambuth Inn is an incredible asset to Lake Junaluska and especially now with the new renovations, it’s a place that people love to stay and a place that they’re excited to stay,” said Bates. “It’s a place that’s going

Ken Howle, Lake Junaluska’s executive director, cuts the ribbon (left) at a rejuvenated Lambuth Inn May 22. Renovated rooms at the Lambuth Inn (above) offer the same comfy charm with contemporary looks. Cory Vaillancourt photos to contribute to the overall marketing of Lake Junaluska because we have a great product to offer.”

Howle said the renovations have already been met with approval from some of the Lake’s larger repeat visitors.

“The comment from them was, this is going to become a new attraction for their participants and make them want to continue to come to Haywood County,” he said.

“They’re looking forward to many more years of being here in Western North Carolina.”

When they return, Bates said, they’ll be greeted with a delicate balance of progress and preservation.

“The renovations were incredible in how they were able to preserve the historic nature of the Lambuth Inn and also upgrade it to the modern expectations of what guests are wanting in hotels today,” she said. “Still the Inn

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feels very historic in nature. We still have period furniture. When you walk through, you feel like you’re an in old inn from the 1920s.”

And for people like Bill Lowry, who still remember the Lambuth Inn as it once was but now see what it’s become today, it hasn’t lost the essence of what’s made it special in the first place.

“We’re still making memories,” he said.

“We’re still making history here.”

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According to ABC Chairman David Noland, the current board has some positive momentum behind it and would like to retain its two members who are slated to rotate off in July.

“I think that unit is pretty cohesive and functions pretty well together,” agreed Commissioner Greg McPherson.

The five-member ABC board is appointed by Sylva and Jackson County commissioners, with members paid $150 per monthly meeting attended. Jackson County’s appointment Tom Albert and Sylva’s appointment Maurice Moody will both see their terms expire July 1. Both will be ending their second term, and current rules limiting members to two terms would prevent them from being reappointed.

Waynesville seeks volunteer board applicants The Town of Waynesville Board of Aldermen is accepting applications to fill the following vacancies on various community boards and commissions. Applications should be submitted no later than June 15 for consideration. Applications are kept on file for one year. Unless indicated, applicants must be a resident of Waynesville to qualify.

Vacancies are available of the ABC Board, Historic Preservation Commission, Planning Board, Public Art Commission, Recreation Advisory Board, Waynesville Housing Authority and Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The terms for these boards are three years will begin on July 1 and run through June 30, 2021; except for the Waynesville Housing Authority, which carries a five-year term.

Applications are available online at www.waynesvillenc.gov/current-vacancies or can be obtained at the Municipal Building, 16 South Main Street, Waynesville.

The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen is now taking applications for appointments for both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Adjustments from both Maggie Valley residents and residents within the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).

Both boards normally meet one time per month: planning board meets at 5:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month, the zoning board meets at 5:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month.

Visit maggievalleync.gov to complete the application for nomination.

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May 30-June 5, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER erm limits could soon be lifted for the Jackson County ABC Board, pending a final vote from the Jackson County Commissioners.

The ABC Board has approached both town and county commissioners asking for a joint resolution to amend the 2014 agreement that created a merged countywide board. According to ABC Chairman David Noland, the current board has some positive momentum behind it and would like to retain its two members who are slated to rotate off in July.

“This board works well together,” Noland told county commissioners during a May 15 work session. “I think we’ve got good members.”

Of the 167 ABC boards statewide, he said, the Jackson ABC Board ranks 12th in percentage of profit from sales and is less than half a percentage point away from being in seventh place rather than 12th.

“I was interested in how our surrounding boards do in the amount of money that’s distributed,” Noland said. “Out of 10 or 12 in towns or counties that surround us, the only board that even comes close to us is the Bryson City board.”

County commissioners haven’t voted on the proposal yet, but following the work ses-

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Term limits could end for Jackson ABC

sion presentation they came to a consensus that striking the term limits would be a good idea.

Sylva commissioners approved the request during their May 10 meeting, voting 4 to 1 in favor, with Commissioner David Nestler the sole dissenting vote.

“I’m a huge proponent of term limits on any board, because I think it creates fresh ideas and turnover,” Nestler said. “I would oppose removal of term limits.”

The rest of the board didn’t feel the same way, with Commissioner Harold Hensley making a motion to remove term limits.

1819 Country Club Drive Maggie Valley, NC

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Tribe looks to diversify business interests LLC would augment revenues, reduce reliance on casino profits

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is hoping to diversify its revenues beyond gaming through creation of a new limited liability company, to be overseen by the yet-to-be-appointed five-member Kituwah Economic Development Board.

“In the case of this LLC and what it would be tasked with, they would have the opportunity to purchase existing businesses. They could fund startups, they could do real estate speculation,” Principal Chief Richard Sneed said in an April 22 video broadcast on his official Facebook page. “It’s really the sky’s the limit as far as what they’re able to do, but at the same time the tribe’s assets are completely protected because this is a separate corporation.”

Tribal Council approved an ordinance creating the LLC in March, but before the entity can get up and running Council must approve initial board appointments and a policy outlining how board members will be paid.

Council would also likely be asked to allocate seed money to get the business started.

The Kituwah Economic Development Board would be analogous to the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Board, in that its job would be to make business decisions for the company or companies it oversees, acting independently of tribal government.

“Because of the current format that we have of going to the planning board and through Tribal Council, that process moves so slowly that the pace at which business moves now, those opportunities are gone before we can

May 30-June 5, 2018

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make our mind up,” Sneed said in an interview.

Perhaps the most painful example, he said, is that of the data center that the tribe was hoping to build in Cherokee County a couple years ago. The plan was solid, a reputable company wanted to work with the tribe, and Tribal Council was on board to make it happen. But the slow pace of government kept it from happening, Sneed said.

“That opportunity just passed us by,” he said. “We had all the data, all the numbers on it. It was a good project, the return on investment was good. We could just never come to a decision.”

Through the LLC, the tribe could enter into any kind of business venture it desired, and it could also compete for U.S. government contracts under the 8A Business Development Program for minority-owned businesses. According to Sneed, Cherokee is behind the eight-ball when it comes to taking advantage of this opportunity — many other tribes have already been making money off of 8A contracts and other non-gaming business ventures for years, to great effect.

“When we were at Cherokee Days, Chief Bill John Baker (of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma) said they had just crossed the $1 billion mark in 8A contracting,” Sneed said in the April 22 video.

Sneed sees the LLC as more than just a way for the tribe to pad its revenues. He believes that the LLC could be crucial to the tribe’s financial stability in the future. Tribal government currently consumes 88 percent of the annual revenues from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, a number that Sneed said in the April 22 video that he’d like to ratchet down incrementally to 80 percent and possibly even as low as 75 percent in the long-term.

Meanwhile, he said, the tribe has to prepare itself for the fact that casino revenues

may not always remain as high as they currently are. Much of the casino’s clientele comes in from the Atlanta area, and if gaming were legalized in Georgia, Cherokee’s numbers could take a hit.

“Council understands the necessity and they understand that we need to get this done in a very timely manner. We don’t have the luxury,” Sneed said in an interview. “If it were 10 or 15 years ago, they could say, ‘It’s no big rush,’ but something like this should have been done years ago.”

“[The LLC] could fund startups, they could do real estate speculation.

It’s really the sky’s the limit as far as what they’re able to do, but at the same time the tribe’s assets are completely protected because this is a separate corporation.”

— Principal Chief Richard Sneed in an April 22 Facebook video

Georgia gaming could be coming sooner rather than later, Sneed said. When attending the Southern Gaming Summit earlier this month in Biloxi, Mississippi, he sat through an entire presentation about the ongoing effort to legalize gaming in Georgia. A referendum vote could make it on the ballot for the 2020 election, and the attorneys and lawmakers present to speak on the issue seemed

optimistic it would pass. If that were the case, new casinos could be on the ground as early as 2023, Sneed said.

“Even if they don’t get it done by the optimistic date that they put forward, I think they will get it done at some point,” Sneed said.

“We have to move now.”

Sneed said he has put some names forward for Tribal Council to consider appointing to the Kituwah Economic Development Board, and Council will likely vote on those appointments during its June 7 meeting.

Board members will serve five-year terms subject to removal for cause by Tribal Council. They’re appointed by the principal chief and confirmed by Tribal Council, with no Tribal Council members allowed to serve on the board. The March 1 ordinance creating the board requires all members to have education or experience in administration, accounting, law, finance, Cherokee culture or another field that will “contribute to the Board’s ability to manage tribal enterprises to achieve the purposes of the company.” All members must be a member of a federally recognized tribe, with the majority from the EBCI. For all board members, the first six months are probationary — appointments can be withdrawn during that timeframe.

Tribal Council has not yet approved the compensation plan for the paid board, but Sneed said his plan would be for performance-based pay. Board members would receive a base salary of $25,000 per year with increases as they meet revenue benchmarks — an extra $5,000 when they hit $5 million in gross revenue, then again when they hit $15 million, and so on.

“Performance is going to be evaluated,” Sneed said April 22. “This needs to happen, and I think it’s something we need to take a look at with all of our boards.”

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Smoky Mountain News

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BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ncouraging signs from Haywood County’s Tourism Development Authority suggest the lingering effects of the Great Recession of 2008 may finally be subsiding, and the county’s tourism attractions are drawing more of a year-round crowd.

The most recent data available, for March 2018, show four of five jurisdictions — Canton, Clyde, Maggie Valley and Waynesville — all up substantially in room occupancy tax collections from March 2017.

Lake Junaluska saw a 29 percent drop, likely due to the closing of the Lambuth Inn for renovations (see Lambuth, page 8). The Lambuth closed in January 2018, and didn’t reopen until last week, producing a 14 percent decline in room occupancy for the first quarter of 2018 over the first quarter of 2017.

In the past, the first quarter of any year in Haywood County was likely to be slow, as far as tourism spending is concerned. But for every jurisdiction besides Lake Junaluska, the first quarter of 2018 was a totally different story.

“I think it’s a matter of having more countywide inventory,” said Lynn Collins, execu-

E

3 PERCENT FUND AWARD • Haywood County Greenway planning study .................................................................hold • The Art of Music Festival 2018 ............$5,000 • The Art of Music Festival 2019..........$10,000 • Find Your Adventure! Buy Haywood Agritourism Guide................................$4,900 • Haywood Quilt Trail .....................................$0 • Folkmoot Tent Rental & marketing 2018/2019 ...............................................hold • Haywood County Fairgrounds dust control & sprinkler system ...................................tabled

CLYDE • Buffalo Creek Vacations marketing and events ....................................................$800 • Town of Clyde downtown upgrade .......$2,211 • Fines Creek Methodist Church quilt square ................................................................$550

LAKE JUNALUSKA • Mountaineer Publishing..............................$0 • Lake Junaluska 2018 Independence Day celebration ...............................................$10,500 • Lake Junaluska 2019 Independence Day celebration .................................................$5,000 • Haywood County Fairgrounds strategic planning study...................................................$0 • Haywood County Fairgrounds promotions...$0 • Lake Junaluska Promotional Photos 2017/2018...........................................$3,500 • Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association show .......................................................$480 • Online Advertising Campaign............$18,000 • Fall Specials & Packages Publication .............................................................$7,310 • Spring Specials & Packages Publication .............................................................$7,310 • Appalachian Christmas postcard...........$663 MAGGIE VALLEY • Haywood County Fairgrounds strategic planning study...................................................$0 • Haywood County Fairgrounds promotions...$0 • Elevated Mountain winter concert series $1,800 • Elevated Mountain fall/summer concert series ...................................................$2,400 • Mary Rathbone Rich Pavilion & Park.$20,000 • Maggie Valley Fall Days .......................$3,000

• • • • • • • • •

Lake Logan Multisport Festival...............$320 Miss Maggie.........................................$1,200 Winter Kickoff Event-Maggie Gets Lit..$6,730 Winter Days campaign.........................$7,358 Haywood County hotel & motel advertising initiative .....................................................$0 Haunted candy trail ....................................$0 Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association show ....................................................$1,025 Mountaineer Publishing..............................$0 Maggie Valley winter attraction (ice rink) ..........................................................$35,000 Co-op advertising for Maggie Valley....$83,000 Thunder in the Smokies spring motorcycle rally......................................................$2,048 Thunder in the Smokies summer motorcycle rally......................................................$2,048 Thunder in the Smokies fall motorcycle rally $1,883 Enriching the Cataloochee Valley elk viewing experience............................................$1,626

WAYNESVILLE • Lake Logan Multisport Festival............$2,160 • HART 2018/19 season advertising ......$3,500 • Dance ARIS - new event...........................hold • Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association show.........................................................hold • Smoky Mountain 9-Ball shoot out............hold • 2018 Independence Day celebration....$6,500 • Whole Bloomin' Thing...............................hold • Art After Dark & Winter Art Smokies Style .............................................................$3,850 • 2019 Independence Day celebration........hold • Apple Harvest Festival .........................$1,750 • Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon 2019 .................................................................hold

• Haywood Historic Farmers Market promotion .............................................................$2,500 • Haywood County Fairgrounds promotions .................................................................hold • Co-op Advertising for the 28785/86 zip code ..........................................................$50,000 • Haywood County Fairgrounds strategic planning study................................................hold • DWA Christmas Tree lighting ceremony .............................................................$3,000 • DWA website maintenance.......................hold • DWA A Night Before Christmas & Night Bazaar .................................................$2,000 • DWA Vintage Market (formerly Appalachian Lifestyle Celebration) ...............................hold • DWA social media marketing......................$0 • DWA photography and videography promo video ........................................................hold • DWA flag poles........................................$400 • DWA Where did you travel from?.................$0 • DWA fall décor......................................$1,500 • DWA mountain street dances July/Aug. 2018 .............................................................$2,625 • DWA mountain street dance June 2019 ...hold • DWA Winter Smokies Style ...................$3,000 • DWA ART in the Alley & public art project .............................................................$2,000 • Mountaineer Publishing..............................$0 • Sunday at the Opry ..............................$1,000 • Waynesville Soda Jerks promotion .......$3,000 • Base Camp on the Go ..............................hold • Webcam for downtown Waynesville .....$5,695 • Enriching the Cataloochee Valley elk viewing experience............................................$1,626

Smoky Mountain News

CANTON • Lake Logan Multisport Festival............$1,520 • Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association show .......................................................$895 • Canton Labor Day celebration ...........$25,000 • Mountaineer Publishing..............................$0 • Haywood County Fairgrounds strategic planning study...................................................$0 • Haywood County Fairgrounds promotions...$0 • Cold Mountain Music Festival at Lake Logan $7,500 • Cold Mountain corn maize ......................$500

• Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association show ...........................................................$0 • Haywood County Fairgrounds strategic planning study...................................................$0 • Haywood County Fairgrounds promotions...$0

• • • • •

May 30-June 5, 2018

TDA funding, 2018-19 fiscal year

tive director of the Haywood County Tourism Authority.

Canton posted its best March since at least 2015, when collections were $959. This past March, collections were $2,152. Canton’s 2018 first quarter also showed a 24.9 percent increase over the first quarter of 2017.

The Town of Clyde posted the biggest gains, quarter over quarter, with 27.5 percent growth in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of 2017. Clyde also saw its best March since at least 2015, when collections were just $74. In March 2018, that number was $787.

Maggie Valley saw only a slight increase in the first quarter of 2018, about 3.9 percent as compared to the first quarter of 2017. But like the others, Maggie Valley has likely seen its best March ever, as collections of $8,342 are nearly double those of March 2015.

The same goes for Waynesville, where this past March’s collections totaled $5,948, well above March 2015’s $3,315. The first quarter of 2018 saw growth of 13 percent over the first quarter of 2017.

“They just have such a vibrant downtown, and I think that contributes primarily to them being so strong, as well as having Frog Level and Hazelwood and the special events that they do,” Collins said.

Many of those special events in Waynesville — and everywhere else — receive funding from the TDA from the revenue collected each year; on May 23, the TDA adopted funding levels for dozens of proposals throughout Haywood County.

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Haywood County tourism strong, growing

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May 30-June 5, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

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N.C. 107 remake could displace many Sylva businesses

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER or more than 30 of its 45 years in business, Speedy’s Pizza has served its famous pies out of the same brick building on 285 West Main Street in Sylva, becoming a staple for lifelong residents and out-oftown college students alike.

But Speedy’s Pizza, along with 53 other businesses, one non-profit and five residences, is named on a recently completed list of establishments that could be displaced as a result of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s upcoming remodel of N.C. 107 and U.S. 23 through Sylva. Right-of-way acquisition is slated to begin next year, with two years of construction starting in 2020.

“We’re scared,” said Charlie Schmidt, general manager at Speedy’s. “We’ve heard everything from we won’t be touched to there could be a road going right through the middle of the building. Or it could be a corner off the deck or 2 feet off the end of the deck. We don’t know, and that’s the scary part.”

The list has caused quite a bit of turmoil in Sylva’s business community, much of which is located along the N.C. 107 corridor slated for remodel. According to Town Manager Paige Dowling, the town receives about 330 business registration permits each year — the 54 listed businesses make up 16.4 percent of that number, a full one-sixth.

“I think it’s early to tell what the actual impact will be, but it’s a big project,” Dowling said. “It’s going to be painful during construction, but until the plans are further along I don’t think we’ll know the actual impacts.”

The list is based on plans that are about

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Speedy’s Pizza and the Valero Gas Station & Convenience Store are both on the N.C. Department of Transportation’s preliminary list of businesses that could be displaced.

This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

15 percent complete, with final right-of-way plans not expected until August or September.

“We would expect this to be the most that would be relocated,” said Brian Burch, division engineer for DOT. “Our hopes and our expectations are that as we further refine the project and start looking at opportunities to minimize or reduce impacts, that this number would decrease.”

A COSTLY ENDEAVOR So far, the cost and disruption of the project are looking to be significantly more than originally anticipated. When DOT released its initial plans in March 2017, the project was estimated to cost $35.5 million total, with $14.6 million for right-of-way and utilities, $18.6 million for construction and $2 million for design.

A cost estimate report released in February, however, says that right-of-way alone will cost $47.6 million — 34 percent more than the original estimated cost of the entire project.

Burch said that it’s not a surprise that the revised right-of-way cost estimates are significantly more than the original figures, though it is unusual to see them go up to this extent.

During the initial planning phases of projects like this, he said, DOT uses average cost figures from statewide data, but road projects just cost more in the mountains.

“Unfortunately in the mountains we tend to have businesses located very close to the road, just due to the terrain, and it generally costs more to construct projects,” Burch said.

The department is moving to a new planning process using actual estimated costs, not statewide averages, so hopefully estimates for future projects will be a little closer to the truth, Burch said.

The planned project would extend from West Main Street at the fire department all

the way out past Ingles, plus a one-third-mile section of the Old Asheville Highway from McDonald’s to the intersection with N.C. 107. With the exception of the West Main Street portion, which would remain a fourlane road, the result would be a five-lane road with a grassy median in place of the existing “suicide lane.” Drivers would be able to turn across the median only at designated locations, and bike lanes and improved sidewalks would encourage non-vehicular transportation.

Burch said that the project is needed to remedy the road’s high crash rate, especially in anticipation of future growth in Sylva and at Western Carolina University. Between August 2011 and July 2016, he said, the road saw 233.83 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled— that figure is slightly lower than the 2013-2015 statewide rate of 241.81 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles. The 2011-2016 timeframe saw 254 crashes, of which 67 resulted in non-fatal injuries. Of the 254 crashes, 41 percent were rear-end, 27 percent were angle and 16 percent were left-turn — types of crashes that Burch believes would decrease as a result of the planned roadwork.

Not everyone agrees. In Schmidt’s view, there will be four lanes of traffic after the project and four lanes before it — so what’s the difference?

“Nothing about it is actually addressing the fact of how many cars are on the road,” he said.

That’s not quite so, Burch said.

“When you put in this median, you would eliminate those types of angled crashes,” Burch said. “People would have to u-turn in designated locations. It would improve the safety overall and it would also improve the efficiency of the roadway. You’re eliminating that congestion. People are not having to survey right and left trying to see who’s pulling out, who’s coming into my lane.”

Much of the traffic congestion is caused

by WCU students trying to get on and off of U.S. 74, Schmidt said, so wouldn’t the better solution be to give Cullowhee its own access, independent of Sylva?

When he drives home to Webster for his break everyday, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Schmidt said, traffic is bumper-to-bumper, and “every other car has one person in it and a Western parking tag hanging in it. They’re not coming to me to buy pizza. They’re not shopping in town. They’re people trying to leave town.”

The Cullowhee extension idea, called the Southern Loop, has been debated since the mid-1990s. However, the DOT eventually axed the idea — it would have cost more than $150 million to build and churned up many acres of pristine mountain forest. A group of Jackson County residents calling themselves the Smart Roads Alliance fought for a redesign of N.C. 107 in lieu of seeing a new highway cut through the mountains.

A petition that’s been circulating at Speedy’s since early May doesn’t take issue with the project as a whole or push for a renewal of the Southern Loop proposal, however. It simply asks that the DOT leave the West Main Street portion of the project, where Speedy’s is located, alone.

A LACK OF LOTS For the owners of businesses that stand to be displaced by the road project, construction could be life-altering — and not in a good way.

“I’m thinking, where am I going to go?” said Shehnaz Adam, owner of Saint’s European Skin Care on the Old Asheville Highway. “There’s not many nice properties here. I’m just thinking about moving to Waynesville. That’s what I’m thinking about doing, but I don’t know.”

Adam bought her building in 2012 and embarked on a one-year renovation project that concluded in 2013. The thought of losing

LIVE MUSIC COVERED PATIO

Holly Kays photo

the fruits of all that hard work, and having to go through the hassle of moving again, is demoralizing.

To be clear, Adam — should her business remain on the relocation list — won’t be left empty-handed. The DOT would have to pay her for the property, as well as for the cost of relocating and re-establishing her business

elsewhere. Those funds could be used anywhere within a 50-mile radius, meaning that businesses displaced in Sylva could literally move anywhere between Andrews and Asheville.

Many of them might. As the DOT notes on its relocation report, “the impacted businesses will have a difficult time locating avail-

Bacck to a s ...

Basic

May 30-June 5, 2018

CASUAL FINE DINING WITH

The flow of cars to and from the intersection of N.C. 107 and U.S. 23 in Sylva is constant.

able sites suitable for business purposes.

Suitable business sites in and around Sylva are very limited.”

“There’s not going to be any revenue,” said Adam. “That’s what I think. Because people are not going to stick around Sylva. It’s hard to find a location.”

Sylva, which has traditionally had a hard time growing its tax base due to topographical constraints, is preparing for its revenues to take a hit surrounding the construction project. In her budget message for 2018-2019, Dowling wrote that construction will likely take a bite out of sales tax revenue by impeding access to businesses and that the town’s tax base will take a hit as the DOT acquires right-of-way.

But that’s not to say that the town is opposed to the road project. It isn’t — the road needs improving, Dowling said, and there’s just no way around the fact that it won’t be easy.

“We want minimal disruption to businesses, but the road also needs to be improved,” she said. “It’s just going to be a painful project.”

Dowling said she hopes that any businesses displaced by construction will choose to stay in Sylva and emphasized that the town’s committed to helping them any way it can.

She’s currently working to develop an inventory of business properties, including vacant ones, to hopefully make it easier for displaced businesses to find a new home.

“With it being two years from construction, we have a lot of time to finalize how we can assist,” she said.

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“Everything that was discussed was on East Main Street,” Schmidt said of crash and congestion issues. “West Main Street, everything’s just fine. Leave us out of it.”

In its first 10 days, Schimdt said, the petition gathered more than 400 signatures and currently boasts 500.

However, Burch said, the West Main Street portion of the project needs to stay.

The goal of the project is to build facilities that will accommodate growth for the next 20 years, and West Main Street — with its lack of pedestrian facilities and aging, substandard bridges — won’t cut the mustard for much longer.

“We feel like if we’re going to go out here and go through the expense of doing this project, let’s do it one time, get it right and ideally not have to come back for many years,” Burch said.

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Long-term leadership key to planning future of homeless services

we see fewer children in the shelters,” she told commissioners. “We also saw more chronic homelessness.”

That’s a trend that’s been consistent statewide, she said, and if it holds it would offer another reason why the child development center should eventually get out of the shelter business — when the organization originally got involved, it was with the idea of helping children impacted by homelessness.

“The first year we served there were many children that were part of the homeless families,” Hoyle said.

B

By the numbers Clients served April to November 2017* • • • •

74 people served 34 children 40 adults 32 new clients and 42 continuing from the shelter period • 43 households • 65 percent of households found longterm housing

Clients served November 2017 to April 2018 • 104 people served • 63 people sheltered and 41 housed quickly or referred elsewhere • 23 children • 81 adults • 16 rooms per night average, $41.54 per room • 61 households • 32 percent of households found longterm housing

* No shelter was provided during these months, but a case manager worked with families to find them housing and other services.

May 30-June 5, 2018

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER efore Jackson County commissioners can answer the question of whether Jackson should have a permanent, year-round homeless shelter building, they’ll have another decision to make: if such a shelter existed, who would manage it?

Last year, the nonprofit Neighbors in Need transitioned management of the cold-weather shelter — which uses rented motel rooms to house clients, as the county does not have a dedicated shelter building — to the Southwestern Child Development Center. Coming out of their first winter as shelter managers, the child development center’s leaders let county commissioners know that, while they’re willing to fill in for now, they won’t be able to manage the The Southwestern Child Development Center is serving as the shelter long-term. interim shelter manager, but its leaders told commissioners “It’s quite hard to do it it can’t serve in the role long-term. Holly Kays photo well,” said Sheila Hoyle, executive director of the center, However, she emphasized, the center during a May 15 commissioners work seswants to do its part to help with the homesion. “If we do it, we want to do it well.” lessness problem and doesn’t want to leave “It’s not because they don’t wish to prothe county adrift. vide services to the homeless,” County “If you’re pleased with our services, we’re Manager Don Adams clarified to commispleased and willing to go forward again for sioners. “It’s because it consumes quite a bit another year,” said Hoyle, provided that perof managerial time.” sonnel issues are taken care of. Last year the The child development center was origishelter had an issue with the person hired nally chosen to take over shelter managefor case management leaving halfway ment because the organization had previthrough the grant cycle. ously served as the entity to apply for grant Adams suggested that commissioners funding to cover a case manager. Last year give some serious thought to how the county marked the first time that the shelter used a could best fill the shelter management gap, year-round case manager rather than permanently. staffing that position only during the cold“Until we have an entity that’s willing to weather months.

“During the off-season of the cold weath- work with us long-term to deal with the challenge, it’s hard to discuss a permanent er, we were still seeing clients and providing model,” Adams said. “If we don’t have an some sorts of services as we could,” said Marilyn Chamberlain, director of operations entity willing to run it, whether we have a physical homeless shelter or not is not necesat the child development center. sarily priority one.”

Between April and November of 2017, Hoyle congratulated commissioners on Chamberlain told commissioners, the shelter having taken “all the steps in the right order helped 74 individuals, including 34 children, in the right way” to find a permanent soluand found housing for 65 percent of housetion but acknowledged that “it’s just a very holds served. Between November 2017 and difficult issue for a community to come April 2018, she said, the shelter served 104 together around.” individuals, 23 of them children, finding The child development center has rallied housing for 32 percent of households.

Chamberlain told commissioners that it’s typ- some collaboration when it comes to funding. The $130,000 budget for 2017-2018 ically harder to house clients in the winter, as came from a total of six different sources, housing tends to open up in the spring. including Jackson County, the Evergreen The percentage of clients who were children was lower in 2017-2018 than it has been Foundation, The Church of God, the Great Smokies Health Foundation, HUD and in the past, Chamberlain said.

Jackson County Neighbors in Need. The “There is a trend in the current year that

county provided the bulk of the funding, at $88,780.

“One of the things we’ve been most pleased about in this project is the way we’ve been able to bring multiple funding sources together,” Hoyle said.

During their May 21 meeting, the county approved a request of $30,180 to fund remaining shelter costs for the fiscal year.

The proposed 2018-2019 budget includes $85,000 for the homeless shelter.

Shelter managers last came before commissioners in January, when Chamberlain presented a report from the task force commissioners had formed to research the pros and cons of different approaches to serving the homeless. The report found that few counties Jackson’s size even have a homeless shelter, but that shelters in most comparable counties that do have one are open yearround and have a dedicated building, with not a single hotel model like Jackson’s in sight. Few of the shelters received state or federal funding, and none were run solely be a government entity — half were linked to religious organizations and half were linked to general nonprofits.

While the county has taken the lead on addressing the homelessness issue, commissioners seem to agree that any long-term solution will require significant buy-in from stakeholders outside of county government.

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Jackson seeks homeless shelter manager

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Jackson to vote on Blackrock conservation project Sylva already approved $250,000 toward 441.5-acre purchase

Blackrock Falls tumbles through the property that Sylva is considering adding to Pinnacle Park.

Donated photo

suing a funding plan that would hinge on winning a $1 million grant from the state’s Clean Water Management Trust Fund, raising $400,000 in private donations and receiving $250,000 apiece from Jackson County and Sylva. Mainspring Conservation Trust is working on a conservation plan for the Shut-In tract and aiming for a 2020 closing.

Sylva commissioners first discussed the request during an April 26 budget work session, expressing enthusiasm for the idea ahead of the final vote May 24.

“I feel it’s something that we as good citizens of North Carolina ought to think of as something that if we help with this, we’re doing something wonderful for the state and for our region, because this land will be saved forever,” Mayor Lynda Sossamon said April 26.

Jackson commissioners, meanwhile, showed more hesitation during their May 15 work session, with the majority of the board asking that the request not be placed on the agenda for a vote May 21. Holman has a hard deadline of June 1 for committed funds to factor into the grant application.

“I prefer to hold off until we get all the numbers,” said Commissioner Ron Mau on May 15.

Mau said he was skeptical that the land was actually worth the $2.2 million asking price, with fellow

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May 30-June 5, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER Sylva commissioners voted unanimously during their May 24 meeting to contribute $250,000 to a 441.5-acre conservation project adjacent to Pinnacle Park, but the success of the endeavor could hinge on a vote the Jackson County commissioners will take during a special meeting at 11:05 a.m.

Thursday, May 31, at the Jackson County Justice and Administration Center in Sylva.

“If Jackson County would commit funds, I think it’s very likely we’d be successful in acquiring the property and expanding Pinnacle Park early next year,” said Bill Holman, North Carolina director for The Conservation Fund, which is spearheading the conservation project. “If Jackson County doesn’t commit funds, we’ll do our best to find other sources of funds, but I’ll be honest — it will be a lot harder to pull it off without Jackson County’s support.”

The land in question is part of a larger 912-acre area owned by the homebuilding company America’s Home Place. Originally planning to develop it, the company now wants to sell the land for conservation. For

the past couple years Holman has been working to help pull that off. Running along the ridge of the Plott Balsam Mountains, the property abuts Sylva’s 1,088-acre Pinnacle Park and a 5,000plus-acre block of land that is being transferred into National Park Service ownership as part of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Originally, America’s Home Place was looking to sell the entire 912 acres together for $4.25 million, but the revised plan splits the land into two sections — the 441.5-acre Blackrock tract and the 471-acre Shut-in Tract. The Conservation Fund is gathering $2.2 million to buy the Blackrock tract, pur-

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what Jackson County decides, but closing the deal will be much harder and perhaps impossible without their support.

“The Clean Water Management Trust Fund has criteria for scoring projects, and you get more points if funds are committed instead of just requested,” Holman said.

“We very much appreciate the Town of Sylva making its commitment last week.

That’s very helpful, but it would be wonderful if Jackson County could make a similar commitment.”

Holman has been working for years to conserve property along the spine of the Plott Balsams, with significant accomplishments including 2,986 acres adjacent to Waterrock Knob and 1,925 acres near Maggie Valley that is now known as the William H. Silver Game Land. The Conservation Fund and a group of other land conservation groups have been pursuing a vision of conserving land stretching up from Maggie Valley to the Blue Ridge Parkway, then back down again to Waynesville and Sylva. Ultimately, Holman said, he’d love to see a high-elevation hiking trail connecting those three communities via the Plott Balsams — such a trail, he said, would prove to be a significant tourism draw for the area.

“The crest of the Plott Balsams is one of the most spectacular ridges in Western North Carolina, and I think it would be great to protect that view and protect the forest on top and have it open to the public,” Holman said. “But that will be a choice for the Jackson County commissioners.”

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Republican Commissioners Mickey Luker and Charles Elders saying that they’d rather see funding go to other projects first, like installing a park in the Qualla area and extending the greenway.

Meanwhile, the Democrats on the board — Commissioner Boyce Deitz and Chairman Brian McMahan — said they’d like to see a yes vote, because conservation projects of this magnitude don’t come along often.

“You don’t have the opportunity to do these things much when you talk about conservation and property protection, things of that nature,” Deitz said May 15. “You’ve got to take advantage of it when it’s there. You can’t just put it off until it’s a better time.”

The topic did not make it onto the agenda May 21, but the public comment section drew two speakers, both of whom spoke in favor of the land purchase. McMahan said he called the May 31 meeting so that commissioners could hear detailed answers to the questions they’d asked during the work session and take an official vote ahead of the June 1 deadline.

If commissioners vote to issue a commitment letter, it will be months before any actual funds are issued, if at all. If Holman doesn’t land the Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant, or if the property appraisal comes back at a lower value than the asking price, for example, the deal will likely fall through and the county will owe nothing.

Holman said that he expects to be under contract for the property soon, regardless of

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New state office to focus on outdoor recreation growth

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR utdoor recreation leaders in the region recently had the opportunity to weigh in on a newly established North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Industry Office whose aim is to help the industry and recruit more business.

David Knight, director of the new state office, stopped by Southwestern Commission in Jackson County on his statewide listening tour to find out more about the many natural resources Western North Carolina has to offer.

“I’m not an expert, not in the industry — that’s why I need feedback from you,” Knight said to a packed room of outdoor industry leaders from local government, business and nonprofit organizations. “This movement is not a trend. With the creation of this office — and eight other states have something similar — the industry is driving this effort and raising their voice.”

The new state office, under the N.C. Department of Commerce, was created to support the 260,000 outdoor recreation jobs in the state and grow that number to expand the industry. Knight said the outdoor recreation industry makes up 2 percent of the national GDP with $887 billion in spending.

Outdoor recreation spending is around $28 billion in North Carolina, placing the state seventh in the nation.

“When you compare that to other sectors, it’s twice as big as the pharmaceutical or utilities industries,” Knight said. “It’s much bigger than I thought it was when I came on the job.”

With Noah Wilson acting as moderator, WNC outdoor recreation leaders voiced their opinions on the region’s key assets, ideas to better promote the region’s outdoor industry and how the state office can help facilitate growth.

The list of the region’s assets is extensive with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the national forests being at the epicenter, but within those national parks and forests are thousands of miles of rivers, lakes, waterfalls and hiking and biking trails.

There are also a number of initiatives underway to help improve the outdoor recreation industry, including expansions of greenways, the Fire Mountain Biking Trail System recently completed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Western Carolina University’s biking and hiking trails.

WCU and Southwestern Community College are also expanding academic programs for outdoor recreation jobs.

The completion of the Fire Mountain Trail System was integral to attracting two outdoor businesses to Cherokee — Outdoor 76 in Franklin opened up a second location in

Smoky Mountain News

May 30-June 5, 2018

O

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Cherokee as did Motion Makers Bicycle Shop.

When it came time to talk about how the state can help facilitate growth, outdoor folks had some strong opinions.

“The state level hasn’t supported Western North Carolina, ever,” said Juliet Kastorff, owner of Endless Rivers Adventures in Swain County. “All of the efforts to market (the region) have been by the counties.”

From a tourism perspective, Nick Breedlove, director of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, added that Visit NC — though funding was gutted and the office privatized — has spent every dollar it has to focus on promoting the mountains of WNC. Trey Barnett with Wildwater Adventures said more focus should be given to international marketing efforts based on the number of international tourists coming to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

While each county has marketing campaigns that utilize revenues from an occupancy tax, Ben Wilder with the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority said marketing the county as a whole has been a challenge.

“Our office is now Visit NC Smokies because no one outside here knows what Haywood County is,” he said. “We have very distinct towns and getting them to work as one is a big challenge.”

Knight was made aware of the confusion associated with the occupancy tax laws that

David Knight, director of the newly established North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, speaks to a packed room of outdoor recreation leaders in Western North Carolina.

Jessi Stone photo

dictate how that revenue can be spent. The funds have to be used for tourism-related marketing and promotion, but there are some gray areas regarding whether the funds can be used for tourism-related infrastructure from sidewalk improvements to building convention centers.

“In Franklin there’s confusion among the TDA,” said Bill Van Horn with the Nantahala Hiking Club. “They would like to use the tax to do infrastructure improvements like sidewalks, but there’s confusion over whether it can be used for that, but other towns seem to understand they have more flexibility.”

Some communities are also struggling with a lack of lodging for tourists, including Franklin, while others lack enough workforce housing, including Cashiers.

People also spoke about the low wages associated with working in the outdoor recreation industry and the challenges that presents when trying to grow businesses.

“Recruiting long-term professionals is hard because it’s a lowpaying industry,” Kastorff said, adding that the cost of liability insurance is also a challenge.

Since there is no specific classification for outdoor recreation businesses like rafting companies, she said many outdoor rec operations are lumped into the “amusement park” category when it comes to getting a liability insurance plan.

David Huskins, president of Smoky Mountain Host, agreed there were some insurance policies holding back the industry along with the lack of high-speed internet in the western part of the state.

While broadband progress has been slow moving, there are initiatives underway in many western counties. The Southwestern Commission has been facilitating efforts by conducting a regional broadband study counties can use to see where infrastructure exists in their communities and where it’s needed.

A lack of cell phone coverage also proposes

North Carolina Outdoor Recreation • 56 percent of N.C. residents participate in outdoor recreation each year • $28 billion in consumer spending • 260,000 direct jobs • $8.3 billion in wages and salaries • $1.3 billion in state and local tax revenue Source: outdoorindustry.org safety risks for outdoor enthusiasts.

“Infrastructure costs a lot of money and the private sector can’t get a return on their investment in a rural area and a law prevents local governments from being providers,” said SWC Director Sarah Thompson. “It doesn’t prevent them from building infrastructure but it’s a gray area. Counties don’t have millions to put on the table. We do have access to federal grant money, but because of the state law, governments can’t be the applicants. Third world counties have better service than Western North Carolina.”

Outdoor leaders also discussed the importance of passing on the love of outdoors to youth if they want to continue to see the sector grow in the future. Kastorff said the Nantahala Kids Club’s mission is to develop that next generation of outdoor enthusiasts by offering an affordable way for youth to get into whitewater sports.

“Nantahala Kids Club created a bridge between outdoor individuals and the local community,” she said. “If we don’t get them involved, they won’t protect it.”

EBCI also has many programs geared toward getting youth involved in outdoor recreation. Community colleges and universities are also working to educate the next generation by offering a number of outdoor related areas of study.

Knight said he planned to return to WNC in the fall for a second listening session and hopefully will be able to offer solutions to some of the challenges outdoor rec businesses are facing.

Baby & Children’s Fair at HRMC

Sheriff warns of phone scam The Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office has received several calls from concerned citizens regarding a phone scam that is very

Little Free Library coming to Macon The Macon County Public Library, a member of the Fontana Regional Library, and the Friends of the Library recently installed another Little Free Library at the Parker Meadows Complex, located off U.S. 64 west of Franklin.

The 40-plus acre sports complex offers an assortment of outdoor recreational activities. With a view of the Nantahala

Mountains, the refreshing waters of the Cartoogechaye Creek, walking paths and other outdoor activities, the Parker Meadow Complex is a great setting for the newest Little Free Library.

The Parker Meadows little library, built by the 2016 Franklin High School Carpentry Class under the guidance of Rick Rogers, was inspired by the architecture of the Franklin library. The little library will be stocked with books collected by community members, books donated to the Friends of the Library, and children’s books donated to Read2Me. To find out more about Little Free Libraries, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org.

Conflict management class offered A free workshop featuring local awardwinning authors and podcast hosts Jacqui Letran and Joseph Wolfgram will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Waynesville Public Library.

Discussion will cover how to improve your communication skills and handle conflict. Refreshments provided by the Friends.

Registration is required. Call 828.356.2507 or email kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

Grants made for home repairs Over the last couple months, there have been some grants made for home repairs to enable veterans, senior citizens, and disabled North Carolinians with very low incomes to continue safely in their homes.

The first grant was made to Mountain Projects, Inc. for $200,000 to repair 25 homes in Haywood and Jackson counties. The second grant was made to Four Square Community Action, Inc. for $100,000 to repair homes in Swain County.

Earlier in the year, Mountain Projects was awarded a $175,000 set-aside, with access to a competitive loan pool to serve Haywood County. Four Square Community Action was awarded the same set-aside for the same purpose.

These projects will provide comprehensive rehabilitation, including energy efficiency improvements, to homes owned by low-income veterans, elderly and disabled homeowners.

“I have had a chance to get to know the people who operate the Housing Finance Agency. This group has started to be a great partner and advocate for helping people who are struggling to maintain a home,” said Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City.

news

Haywood Regional Medical Center (HRMC) cordially invites all community members to a baby and children’s fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center located at 75 Leroy George Drive, Clyde.

This event will encompass numerous HRMC vendors as well as community vendors offering services. Enjoy pregnancy and baby health information, prenatal yoga and massage demonstrations and information, first-aid for children, child seat safety education and checks, giveaways, and children's activities. Community members will also get the opportunity to meet local obstetricians, certified nurse midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, and pediatricians.

Catering provided by Chick-fil-A Waynesville. RSVP by calling 800.424.3627.

specific in nature when it comes to the name of the party soliciting money.

Scammers have called individuals pretending to be “Sheriff Christopher” “Major Smiley” and “Captain Moody.” These men do work with the Haywood County Sheriff ’s Office.

The person who answers the phone is told there are federal warrants for their arrest and they must pay by purchasing a prepaid money card. Another method is saying the person has missed jury duty and they must pay.

These scammers use tactics that create fear and urgency in the people they call, and they are getting very specific with the names they choose. Do not fall for it. Hang up the phone.

May 30-June 5, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

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NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON JUNE 19

Smoky Mountain News

May 30-June 5, 2018

REGARDING PROPOSAL TO REPLACE BRIDGE NO. 159 OVER CULLOWHEE CREEK AND IMPROVE INTERSECTION ON MONTEITH GAP ROAD (S.R. 1336) FROM SOUTH PAINTER ROAD TO LEDBETTER ROAD IN JACKSON COUNTY

The N.C. Department of Transportation proposes replacing Bridge No. 159 over Cullowhee Creek and improves intersection on Monteith Gap Road (S.R. 1336) from South Painter Road to Ledbetter Road in Cullowhee.

The meeting will be held at Cullowhee Baptist Church located at 148 Central Drive on Tuesday, June 19th from 5 to 7 p.m.

The purpose of the project is to replace Bridge and improve intersection. The improvements will align South Painter Road and Ledbetter Road into one four-way intersection. In addition, the 43-year-old bridge is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.

The purpose of this meeting is to inform the public of the project and gather public input on the proposed design. As information becomes available, it may be viewed online at the NCDOT Public Meeting webpage: http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/publicmeetings/.

The public may attend at any time during the public meeting hours, as no formal presentation will be made. NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and receive comments. The comments and information received will be taken into consideration as work on the project develops.

The opportunity to submit written comments will also be provided at the meeting or can be done via phone, email, or mail by July 10, 2018.

For additional information, please contact Mr. John McCray, Division 14 Engineering Technician by phone: (828) 488-0902 or via email at jrmccray@ncdot.gov; or by mail: NCDOT Division 14, 345 Toot Hollow Road, Bryson City, NC 28713.

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, by phone (919) 707-6069 or by e-mail at magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made.

Persons who speak Spanish and have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.

Aquellas personas que hablan español o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-481-6494.

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Health

Smoky Mountain News

Haywood Wound Care recognized Haywood Regional Medical Center physicians, leaders and clinicians celebrate receiving the Center of Distinction Award, which was given to Haywood Wound Care by Healogics, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including patient satisfaction higher than 92 percent, and a minimum wound healing rate of at least 91 percent within 30 median days to heal. There were 635 Centers eligible for the Center of Distinction award, but only 427 achieved the honor.

“The HRMC Wound Care has a wonderful program in place and receiving the Center of Distinction further demonstrates that. I want to congratulate our Wound Care staff and physicians, it really is such a big accomplishment. We will continue to strive forward and maintain that excellence,” says Rod Harkleroad, CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center.

Opioid overdose reversal training

Free diabetes classes offered

North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition staff will conduct overdose recognition and opioid reversal training from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, at Health & Human Services Agency Room 301, 157 Paragon Parkway, Clyde.

Participants will receive free naloxone, harm reduction resources and information on substance use services. People are welcome to drop by between noon and 2 p.m.

For more information, contact Jeremy Sharp at Jsharp@nchrc.org or 706.482.8795.

The Canton Senior Center will offer a free sixweek diabetes class from 1 to 3 p.m. on Mondays starting June 11 through July 23 at the senior center, 1 Pigeon St., Canton.

The class is for people who have pre-diabetes or diabetes and who are covered by Medicare.

Register by calling Teresa Woodruff at 828.648.8173.

Opioid drop-off event A Medication Take Back Event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 9 in Macon County.

Medications can be dropped off with law enforcement at the new Ingles in Franklin and at Bryson’s Food Store in Highlands.

Health departments offering eWIC The North Carolina Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program is going electronic and WIC clients in Jackson and Macon counties will be issued an eWIC card instead of paper vouchers.

Families will use this eWIC card and a PIN, just like one one a debit card, to access food benefits at participating grocery stores. If you are currently a WIC client, you will be issued your eWIC card at your next scheduled appointment after the start of the program in May 2018. At this time, WIC staff will provide education on how to set up PINs and how to use the eWIC card during your regularly scheduled appointment.

To see if you are eligible for WIC or to schedule an appointment, call 828.587.8243.

Local CAREGiver recognized with award Home Instead Senior Care, the country’s largest provider of in-home senior care services, has named Anna Belle Groseclose, of Leicester, the Mid-Atlantic CAREGiver of the Year. A caregiver in Asheville and surrounding areas for more than 10 years, Groseclose rose to the top among hundreds of candidates for this prestigious award and is one of eight nominees who will be considered for the national CAREGiver of the Year award later this week.

To learn more about Home Instead Senior Care or to find an office near you, visit www.homeinstead.com/state.

Health screenings coming to Maggie Residents living in and around Maggie Valley can learn about their risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and other chronic, serious conditions with affordable screenings by Life Line Screening on June 28 at Maggie Valley United Methodist Church, 4192 Soco Rd., in Maggie Valley.

Screenings are affordable, convenient and accessible for wheelchairs and those with trouble

walking. Free parking is also available. Packages start at $149, but consultants will work with you to create a package that is right for you based on your age and risk factors.

Call 877.237.1287 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com.

Hospital hires health coordinator Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital have hired Chelsea Burrell as wellness outreach coordinator for the hospitals.

In her role, Burrell is responsible for designing wellness programs for the communities served by the hospitals. In addition, Burrell serves as the organization’s primary regional wellness liaison, interacting with local health departments, health advocacy groups and local employers as the hospitals deliver on the mission of “Making Communities Healthier.”

A native of Swain County, Burrell received a master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro after completing undergraduate studies at North Carolina State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology, minoring in Spanish. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in health and human performance from Concordia University Chicago. Burrell is a certified health coach.

To contact Burrell, call 828.586.6052.

Medicaid changes and solutions The Smoky Mountain Medical Society and the N.C. Medical Society are co-sponsoring a presentation on “Medicaid Changes and Potential Solutions” at 5:30 p.m. June 5 in the upper-level classrooms of the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center.

Steve Keene, the chief operating officer and general counsel for the N.C. Medical Society, will lead this presentation regarding the transformation of the current Medicaid program to Medicaid managed care.

This meeting is appropriate for medical providers in the Western North Carolina area, as well as administrators, office managers and billing staff.

Email nancy@ashevillemeeting.com or call 828.277.9634.

Life-saving app available Wells Funeral Homes has invested back into the community by assisting local first responders through a marketing initiative that could help save lives.

The funeral home asks that you download the Vital ICE (In Case of Emergency) app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play, for your smart phone and enter in their code: #2371.

This app is available to the entire community, regardless of age. Questions about the app can be answered at www.vitalboards.com/vitalice.

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In the event of an emergency, first responders can use the Vital ICE app to retrieve the user’s vital information. This information can then be easily taken on the ambulance to the hospital, or sent directly to the hospital from the Vital ICE app.

Mission named Top 15 Health Systems For the sixth time in seven years and for the fourth consecutive year, Mission Health has been named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems

by IBM Watson Health, formerly known as Truven Health Analytics.

Mission is the only health system in the nation to achieve this recognition in six of seven years, and the only health system in North Carolina to achieve this recognition even once. The study spotlights the best-performing health systems in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard of measures derived from publicly available clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction data.

“Receiving this recognition for the fourth year in a row and for the sixth time in seven years is an extraordinary achievement directly related to our physicians and team members,” said Dr. Ronald A. Paulus, president and CEO of Mission Health.

Mercy Award winner named Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital recently announced that Toby Moore has been recognized as the hospital’s 2018 Mercy Award winner.

The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of LifePoint Health’s hospitals who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded.

The Mercy Award is an annual recognition program established in 2002 to honor the life and contributions of Scott Mercy, LifePoint’s founding chairman and chief executive officer. Moore is a lifelong resident of Jackson County, well-respected paramedic and volunteer fireman for over 20 years.

“Toby consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty and maintains an unwavering commitment to his patients, our organization and our community. His ever present calm and charming demeanor provides comfort to others during their most difficult times,” said Steve Heatherly, CEO of Harris and Swain Hospitals.

24

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Something is wrong with this picture I

Gun rights advocates ignore amendment’s words To the Editor: A gun rights rally was held on the historic courthouse lawn in Waynesville on May 19.

Jeremy Davis is quoted as saying, “I’m 44 years old and never in my life have I seen somebody march to take rights away. We’re seeing that now, where you’ve got a bunch of misguided youth out marching, begging the government to limit their rights.”

I hope the entire Second Amendment to which Mr. Davis refers was read and displayed: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”

Few people attempt to support the entire Second Amendment. Many merely want the right to bear arms. Some insist the right has no limits. Some choose to ignore the need for “A well regulated Militia.” Both clauses of the amendment make it the complete law.

Being one of five military veterans in my immediate family, I am grateful for the right to own firearms. However, I do not believe the constitutional writers meant for civilians to sport modern-day assault weapons. We must do all we can to protect innocent civilians

in Macon County the average jail population has surged from around 52 inmates a day in 2013 to right at 100 per day in 2018. School resource officers are being added rapidly in all our counties as deadly school shootings around the country force us to reassess school security.

When I visited South Africa a few years ago, I wasn’t that surprised to see armed security guards at many businesses while being warned that it was not safe to venture outdoors at night in Durban, the Indian Ocean city where our conference was being held. I had Editor seen armed guards in other countries I had visited. However, reading the local press and talking to residents, I learned that the fastest-growing industry in post-apartheid South Africa was the personal security business. Violence was a fact of life for many, and people were scared.

Here in the U.S., though, I find it hard to believe that dealing with miscreants and jails that house, as in Macon, perhaps

Scott McLeod

’ve been covering local governments in North Carolina for 30 years, and a small item in Macon County’s budget for 2018-2019 caught my attention like a flash of lightning: the public education budget is $8.5 million, or 18 percent of the total budget; the public safety budget (law enforcement and jails) is $13.9 million, or 28 percent of the county’s budget.

For decades, education and human services (DSS and health departments) have traditionally been the most expensive items for county commissioners. Now we’ve reached a point where it seems law enforcement and jails will take an equal amount or more of our local tax dollars, which inevitably means local schools will be squeezed even tighter.

We haven’t yet seen that tipping point in all the counties in our coverage area, but it appears we are headed in that direction. In Haywood County, public schools and the community college will get 24 percent of the budget while public safety will get 21 percent; in Jackson County, it’s 23 percent for education and 22 percent for public safety.

Sheriff departments and our local law enforcement officers deserve every penny they can get. Most of those officers are underpaid and overworked. Jail expenses continue to rise, and

100 inmates a day, can consume as much — or more — of our tax money as public education. I’m talking about school systems that educate thousands of students a day and community colleges that one could argue are the best job preparatory centers in the state.

The values that have defined this nation since its inception are grounded in education. We must have an educated electorate for our republic to function as the forefathers imagined.

If each individual is to live up to his or her potential in our capitalist society, then again, a sound education is essential.

Teachers have marched in Raleigh and in states throughout the country demanding more investment in public education.

Here in North Carolina, per pupil spending by the state still has not caught up to pre-recession levels despite tax collections coming in at above what was predicted.

Call me naïve, but somehow it seems pretty simple to make the case that more money spent on creating productive, educated citizens would mean less money was needed for jails and more law enforcement officers. Something is wrong with this picture.

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

LETTERS while at the same time defending people’s right to own and use conventional firearms.

Dave Waldrop Webster

Town board failed Plott Creek residents To the Editor: In a recent Smoky Mountain News article, the writer confirmed the Waynesville Town Board overwhelmingly reached a decision last week on the apartment complex proposed for Plott Creek Road. The board chose to side with the developer despite overwhelming opposition to the project, citing a major shortage of rental housing throughout the county as a prime factor in their decision.

My experience with these town meetings has been the same — they appear to listen but typically side with growth regardless of opposition from the existing county residents. I understand the position they are in and realize that they are likely to side with growth every time unless there is some existing law/statute that prohibits it.

Those of us who live near the proposed building site have known for years that some sort of multi-family development would occur there since the property sellers were

demanding such a high price for the land.

Our biggest concern is the scale of the proposed complex. Our hope was that voicing our concerns openly would prompt some sort of compromise in development scale to be more in line with the Plott Creek community as a whole.

Considering a smaller complex such as less units or even less profile (one-story versus three-story units) or both would not only serve the needs of the town (additional housing) but also show the local residents that their concerns are considered as well. What I see from this town board decision is that there was no indication alternative proposals were

even considered. Basically the board members seemed to say “suck it up neighbors, we know better than you what you need.”

I realize the developer would not unilaterally offer alternate plans as his goal is to maximize profits. I look to the town leaders to consider all sides of the proposal when making decisions of this magnitude. I look to the town leaders to help us all meet in the middle. On that, they appear to have failed.

Please push the developer to offer alternate, less-invasive proposals to better align with the existing community.

Steven Winchester Waynesville

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.

The truth no longer matters

many divorces, adulteries, bankruptcies, failed businesses, and hundreds of lawsuits against him, he always proclaims himself a winner. He calls this twisting of facts “truthful hyperbole.” The real truth never seems to catch up with him.

Here are just a few examples of the truth

by Donald Trump: Obama bugged Trump Tower; I had the biggest inauguration crowd; Hillary Clinton won the popular vote because of fraud; Michael Flynn did not do anything wrong; Americans pay the most in taxes; tax reform will cost me a fortune; there is substantial evidence of voter fraud; the FBI spied on my campaign; and I have signed more legislation than any president. Even though every one of these claims have been disproven by actual facts, no one noticed.

We have all heard Trump say that the Russia investigation is a witch hunt, so what are the facts? “In the nine months since Robert S. Mueller III was appointed to oversee the investigation into possible links

between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, he has issued more than 100 criminal counts against 19 people and three companies. Of the 19 people, five — including three Trump associates — have pleaded guilty. Thirteen are Russians accused of meddling in the 2016 presidential election.” (nytimes.com/2018/02/23/). If the investigaton is a witch hunt, then there are a lot of witches who speak Russian.

If you are host of “The Apprentice” or a circus ringmaster, you are expected to create an entertaining world of unreality. If you are the President of the United States, your words have power and consequences.

The president’s need to create his own truth has alarmed our allies and encouraged dictators around the world. I have to believe that his most ardent followers have decided that the end justifies the means and that the truth no longer matters.

Louis Vitale Franklin

M

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Lunch Wednesday - Saturday 11 am - 2 pm Dinner Starting at 5:00 on Performance Nights* Brunch Sunday 11 am - 2 pm

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Smoky Mountain News

To the Editor: “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes,” Mark Twain once said. Twain never really said this, but most people believe he did. Attributing this quote to him has become an alternative fact. If you tell a lie often enough it becomes the “truth.”

Dictators, advertisers, phony religious leaders, and politicians have all known that the truth is what they want it to be. All they have to do is keep repeating their alternative fact loud and often enough and it will fly around the world long before the truth ever catches up. We now live in a world of alternative facts.

Donald Trump has spent his whole professional life mastering the art of alternative facts, and he is a master at it. Through his

Chris Cox

When more than eight people are gathered in our home, I know that sooner or later my throat will tighten up and I will get that feeling I always get when I dream of crawling into caverns or through a tiny attic until I am trapped and can move no further, not one inch. Then I know I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got to escape to the deck. But there are more people there, two or three clusters of them, hanging in random places like grapes from a vine.

Columnist For an introvert, no problem is more impossible to solve than how to insinuate oneself into a conversation between people that is already in progress, as almost all conversations at parties necessarily are. I have no aptitude for this whatsoever, so all I can do is pretend that I am looking for someone — “oh, she’s not out here? — and then duck back inside and move stealthily toward the door that leads to the driveway.

“Where are you going?” somebody shouts. Busted. “You can’t leave, this is your house!”

“I’ll be right back,” I say. “I think I left something in the car.”

When I get outside and shut the door, I feel like a character in one of those disaster movies where everyone’s survival depends on the sealing of a valve or a hatch or something to keep out the water or the deadly gas — though I feel guilty thinking of our guests (our dear, dear friends) in this way.

But when the door is sealed, I find I can relax and breathe just a little and bask in the warm glow of laughter still going on

May 30-June 5, 2018

y wife and I are introverts who pretend to be extroverts, both personally and professionally, which means that we are the kind of people who plan a party, and then immediately regret it once the invitations are sent.

We write the date of the party with a Sharpie on our adorable miniature dachshund calendar that hangs next to the front door, then examine the calendar every day until the party arrives. We stare at the date with a mixture of profound dread and abject fear, fear that our antisocial tendencies will somehow manifest during the party in some horrific and inappropriate manner, or that the image of normalcy we have literally labored for weeks to project will be shattered like a crystal goblet when a guest unwittingly opens a closet door or a cabinet or a drawer, and three months’ worth of detritus that has been stuffed into any available out-of-sight compartment comes springing out like fake fuzzy snakes out of a can. A guest only needed a fork, but ended up with a ripped bleacher cushion, a balled-up yoga mat, some expired cat food coupons, and the first season of “Golden Girls” on DVD. “Sorry, forks are in the other drawer,” I offer. “Isn’t that Blanche a hoot, though?”

Let me be clear. We like people. We even love some people. But, we tend to do better with people in smaller groups, with smaller groups defined as two or less. The old saying that “three is a crowd” is a literal truth for us. We can deal with somewhat of a crowd. We have found that our magic number for a party is eight people. If more than eight people show up, our house suddenly feels like a mosh pit, or like getting on a hotel elevator with the New York Jets football team and going up to the 100th floor.

opinion

The party’s in there, and we’re out here

inside the house, on the other side of the door. Perhaps I will not be missed at all, maybe for as long as 10 or 15 rapturous minutes.

And then I remember my wife, still in there, still “on.” I know what happens when she has to stay on and perform for more than three or four hours at a time. A crash is coming, and I mean a big one. The kids and I might as well forget about seeing her tomorrow. She’ll need a full day to curl up in her chenille blanket and recharge her batteries before engaging in any interaction with anyone, even the dog.

It occurs to me that I should go back inside and get her. Pretend that there is some urgent situation out here that requires her presence. Practice the Golden Rule. Rescue her as I would have her rescue me.

And I will, just as soon as I’ve had just a few moments to regroup in the backseat of my car. When I open the door, I find her already there, stretched out as if reclining in a hammock, reading her Kindle as if this behavior were the most normal thing in the world.

“Hey,” she says.

“Hey,” I say. “How long you been out here?”

“This is the third chapter.”

“Nicely done. Should we go back in?”

“Why?” “Because we are throwing a party, and it’s in there and we’re out here.”

“Is it still a party?”

“Yes, I guess it is.”

“Then get in the car.”

So, here we are, hiding out in the backseat of my car like a couple of teenagers scheming to make out, but actually more like two dead cell phones trying to get enough of a charge to make it through the next couple of hours until people begin to leave.

Another chapter ought to do it. Or maybe two.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher. jchriscox@live.com)

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May 30-June 5, 2018

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

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Smoky Mountain News

Monday-Friday Open at 11am

Real Local Families, Real Local Farms, Real Local Food

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

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

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

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

BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY 50 N Main Street, Waynesville.

828.246.0350. Taproom Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gem Bar Open Tuesday through Sunday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks at Boojum’s Downtown Waynesville restaurant & bar. Choose from 16 taps of our fresh, delicious & ever rotating Boojum Beer plus cider, wine & craft cocktails. The taproom features seasonal pub faire including tasty burgers, sandwiches, shareables and daily specials that pair perfectly with our beer.

Cozy up inside or take in the mountain air on our back deck.”

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly at 5 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Wine Down Wednesday’s: ½ off wine by the bottle. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Breakfast seven days a week, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. – with eggs,

bacon, sausage, oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch menu every day from 12 noon to 2 p.m. includes homemade soup du jour and fresh-made salads.

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night will feature an evening cookout on the terrace.

On all other nights of the week, dinner is served family style and includes locally sourced vegetables, homemade breads, jellies, desserts, and a wide selection of wine and craft beer. The evening social hour starts at 6 p.m., dinner is served starting at 7 p.m., and cozy rooms and cabins are available if you love us so much that you want to stay for breakfast, too. Please call for reservations. And see our dinner menu online at www.cataloocheeranch.com/dining.

CHEF’S TABLE 30 Church St., Waynesville.

828.452.6210. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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

Reservations honored.

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 hand-cut fries. Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining. facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot.

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine.

Come taste the savory and sweet crepes, grilled paninis, fresh, organic salads, soups and more. Outside patio seating. Free WiFi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

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

Wednesday through Saturday serving freshly

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Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251

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828.454.5400 | 128 N. Main | Downtown Waynesville | FireflyTapsAndGrill.com

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

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

828.926.1820 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet.

Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

DELLWOOD FARMHOUSE RESTAURANT 651 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville.

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

You’ll be glad you did! Closed Wednesdays.

FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA 243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde.

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

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St., Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

HARMON’S DEN BISTRO 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville 828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in

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

Open for dinner at 4:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome. Takeout menu. Excellent service and hospitality.

Reservations appreciated.

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley 828.926.0201 Home of the Maggie Valley Pizzeria. We deliver after 4 p.m. daily to all of Maggie Valley, J-Creek area, and Lake Junaluska.

Monday through Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. country buffet and salad bar from 5 to 9 p.m. $11.95 with Steve Whiddon on piano.

Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 to 8 p.m. 11:30 to 3 p.m. family style, fried chicken, ham, fried fish, salad bar, along with all the fixings, $11.95.

Check out our events and menu at rendezvousmaggievalley.com

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

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

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

828.586.3555. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Handtossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch.

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT 2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

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

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

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections. Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

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

828.497.4590. Open 7 a.m. daily.

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

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

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

Located across from the Fire Station.

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

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

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

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998.

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

WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY 32 Felmet Street, Waynesville.

828.246.0927. Open Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday noon to 9 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Opened in May 2016, The Waynesville Pizza Company has earned a reputation for having the best hand-tossed pizza in the area. Featuring a custom bar with more than 20 beers and a rustic, family friendly dining room. Menu includes salads, burgers, wraps, hot and cold sandwiches, gourmet pizza, homemade desserts, and a loaded salad bar. The Cuban sandwich is considered by most to be the best in town.

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

101 PARK ST. CANTON 828.492.1422

PIGEONRIVERGRILLE.COM

Retail Restaurant LIVE Music

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 1 ‘Round the Fire featuring Chris Minick guitar, harmonica, vocals; Lee Kram percussion, vocals; and, Greg Kidd bass, vocals. Folk Rock, Americana, Originals.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

FRIDAY, JUNE 8

Sheila Gordon piano, vocals. Jazz, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 James Hammel guitar, vocals.

Jazz, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

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

828-452-6000 • classicwineseller.com 20 Church Street, Waynesville, NC

WAYNESVILLE’S BEST BURGERS

Smoky Mountain News

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

PIGEON RIVER GRILLE 101 Park St., Canton.

828.492.1422. Open Tuesday through Thursday 3 to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Southerninspired restaurant serving simply prepared, fresh food sourced from top purveyors.

Located riverside at Bearwaters Brewing, enjoy daily specials, sandwiches, wings, fish and chips, flatbreads, soups, salads, and more. Be sure to save room for a slice of the delicious house made cake. Relaxing inside/outside dining and spacious gathering areas for large groups.

May 30-June 5, 2018

EVERETT HOTEL & BISTRO 16 Everett St.,Bryson City. 828.488.1934.

Open daily for dinner at 4:30 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday Brunch from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner from 4:30-9:30 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials.

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.

the Fangmeyer Theater at HART. Open 5:30-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (Bistro closes at 7:30 p.m. on nights when there is a show in the Fangmeyer Theater) with Sunday brunch at 11 a.m. that includes breakfast and lunch items.

Harmon’s Den offers a complete menu with cocktails, wine list, and area beers on tap.

Enjoy casual dining with the guarantee of making it to the performance in time, then rub shoulders with the cast afterward with post-show food and beverage service.

Reservations recommended. www.harmonsden.harttheatre.org

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

34 CHURCH ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6505 twitter.com/ChurchStDepot

facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

All-American bluegrass girl

play a Bill Monroe [album] to this generation, they’re probably not going to be as receptive to it. I think it’s whatever you perceive it to be, whatever you were taught — it’s wherever you were raised. [Bluegrass] is very much alive, [and] I think there’s room for everyone.

SMN: Even if you weren’t raised [with bluegrass], [if you love music] there comes a point where you do search out for something real...

RV: Authenticity. There is a realness. I can sing to you here and it’s going to sound the same as when I get onstage. The music I was raised in — what you see is what you get. And that’s what I love.

SMN: How do you describe bluegrass?

RV: To me, it’s the voice. What defines bluegrass is the instrumentation. In bluegrass, it has a banjo, upright bass, mandolin, [fiddle and guitar]. That’s a template, and you can go beyond it. The banjo “drives the bus,” that’s what my husband always says. And it does. You want to have that up in the mix.

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage will play June 8 in Cherokee. Sharp Images

A conversation with Rhonda Vincent

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER ot off the heels of winning the Grammy for “Best Bluegrass Album” this past winter, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage stand atop the genre as a marquee act, one whose determination is deeply rooted in keeping the traditions of the “high, lonesome sound” alive and flourishing.

At the center of this whirlwind of string instruments is Vincent, an eight-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) “Female Vocalist of the Year.” The singer/mandolinist remains a vital, vibrant bridge between the originators and pioneers of the music created by Bill Monroe and where we stand today in the modern era — a crossroads of the neo-traditional and progressive bluegrass camps, come hell or high water.

H

Smoky Mountain News: When you look out on the landscape of bluegrass these days, what do you see?

Rhonda Vincent: Sadly, I think it’s kind of lost right now. I think there’s been an attempt to merge different styles, and I don’t think that’s been successful. It’s just like country music. There’s classic [country] and there’s traditional country music. Classic is Patsy Cline and Marty Robbins. Then, you have traditional with [acts like] Gene Watson. And now we have different transitions, The Band Perry, who just went pop, and Taylor Swift. Before, [bluegrass] was very well-defined — Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse, Mac Wiseman.

I was listening to the Osborne Brothers, they are the greatest influence in our music, but I was also listening to New Grass Revival.

Unfortunately, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) made a mission statement and said, “we want to blur the lines,” and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. We don’t

“There is a realness. I can sing to you here and it’s going to sound the same as when I get onstage. The music I was raised in — what you see is what you get. And that’s what I love.”

— Rhonda Vincent

blur the lines, we know exactly who we are.

They were saying, “What is bluegrass?” If you have to ask, I’m not sure that you know what it is. You may want to open the doors and move into a different direction, but are you going to forsake who established [bluegrass], the tradition of [bluegrass]?

We know where [bluegrass] started, there’s no doubt — Bill Monroe. However, if I go and

Want to go?

The Cherokee Bluegrass Festival will return June 7-9 at the Holiday RV Village and Campground in Cherokee.

The three-day event begins at noon Thursday, June 7, and goes until 10:30 p.m. daily. Open stage will be 11 a.m. to noon.

• Thursday: The Crowe Brothers, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, The Little Roy & Lizzy Show, The Inspirations, Carl Jackson and Larry Cordle & Jerry Salley. There will also be a 90-minute show by Grand Ole Opry members Dailey & Vincent at 8:30 p.m.

• Friday: Carolina Blue, Mountain Faith, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, Paul Williams & The Victory Trio and The Gibson Brothers. The “Queen of Bluegrass” eighttime International Bluegrass Music Association “Female Vocalist of the Year” Rhonda Vincent & The Rage will close out the evening.

• Saturday: The Malpass Brothers, Kenny & Amanda Smith, The U.S Navy Band Country

SMN: You’ve spent most of your life in this industry. What does bluegrass and being a performer mean to you these days?

RV: Oh, it’s my life. I grew up doing that. It continues to be my life. It’s my livelihood. It’s what pays the bills. You need to love what you do.

You have to work and you have to make a living in life, that’s just a given. So, whatever you do, make sure you love it. If you’re going to do this, you first of all have to love the music and the passion for the music. And that’s something every person I travel with, they would play music no matter what, no matter where we are in life.

Editor’s Note: To listen to the entire conversation, you can stream the audio for free by going to YouTube and searching: “Rhonda Vincent Garret K. Woodward.” To message Woodward, email: garret@smokymountainnews.com.

Current, The Gibson Brothers and Balsam Range. Seven-time IBMA “Gospel Recorded Performance” winner Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will culminate the stage shows.

Happy Holiday RV Village and Campground has over 400 hookups, including water, electric, and bathhouses. This is in the heart of The Cherokee Indian Reservation.

Please bring lawn chairs with no high back chairs or rockers allowed. No pets or alcoholic beverages allowed in concert area. Security will be on duty. This is a family show.

Shows go on rain or shine under a large tent, with tickets available at the gate. Daily ticket prices are $40 for adults in advance until May 30, then $45 at the gate. A threeday adult ticket is $90 in advance and $95 at the gate. Children ages 7-15 are $15 per day or $45 for three days in advance and $50 at the gate. Children under age 7 are free when accompanied by parents.

Tickets may be ordered online at www.adamsbluegrass.com. Sound by Blue Ridge Sound, Sherry Boyd, M.C.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Chasing the American Dream of Breakfast

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5 The Cherokee Bluegrass Festival will return June 7-9 at the Holiday RV Village and Campground in Cherokee.

The rock musical “Million Dollar Quartet” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. May 31 and June 12, 7-9, and at 2 p.m. June 3 and June 10 at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

The “Art After Dark” season will continue from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 1, in downtown Waynesville.

The Jackson County Public Library will host the Liberty Baptist Church Choir for a concert at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 31, in the Community Room in Sylva.

Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host The Peachtree Peppers (Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute) at 10 p.m. Friday, June 1.

As someone who holds breakfast and breakfast foods above all culinary times and delights, I’ve always stuck by my bacon, eggs, toast and homefries. Born and raised in Upstate New York, the idea of the diner is such a fixture of my youth and adolescence.

Going to a 24-hour old-school diner for a greasy spoon breakfast is a big deal up there, such a routine part of the day (or night once the bars close).

And while settling into the desolation of Teton County, I kept noticing that all the breakfast spots only served one slice (cut into two pieces) whenever I’d order “my usual.” At first, I would ask where the other slice was out of curiosity, then I would demand to know why this was to be, and how come I was being deprived of my second slice (cut into two pieces)?

The servers didn’t know what to say or do with me, while the owners simply scoffed at my complaint: “It was two slices until about two years ago,”

And then the story got published and hit newsstands around Teton County. Initially, folks found it a funny piece, then others started to take offense. I never meant any harm with it, but soon all these people going into those three restaurants started requesting a second slice for their breakfast plate.

The movement had taken flight, and now was completely out of my hands.

At one point, a week or so after the article was released, I was eating in one of the establishments, and as my breakfast was placed in front of me, another plate stacked high with about 10 slices of toast was also dropped onto my table: “Is that enough toast for you?” the owner sternly said from the open kitchen window. A cook from one of the other spots yelled at me from his passing pickup truck as I was crossing the street: “Fuck you and fuck your toast article.”

Nowadays, I still get texts from friends of their breakfast plates and if the portions are correct. I eventually left Teton County in early September of 2008, the exact week the economy tanked, as I watched several Wall Street institution collapse on my four-day road trip back to New York.

And it was the “toast story” that changed everything. Once back in New York, I was at a crossroads. The economy was demolished and I wasn’t finding much (or any) work in journalism. Do I go back to graduate school to become a teacher or do I keep pushing ahead in my dream of being a writer? And just as I was about to mail out my grad school applications, I heard word from my old co-workers that the “toast story” had won the 2008 Idaho Press Club award for “Best Light Feature.” The news refilled my tank. I figured I’d give this writing thing another shot.

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Smoky Mountain News

A decade ago this past week, those words above kicked off a feature article I wrote for the Teton Valley News, a tiny newspaper in the tiny mountain town of Driggs, Idaho.

The story was “Chasing the American Dream of Breakfast: Tracking toast in Teton Valley.” What was meant as a truthful and lighthearted tale of why every breakfast establishment in Teton County (there were three) only served one slice of toast in their breakfast dishes molded itself into a fullfledged community uproar, forever changing my trajectory as a journalist.

I was 23 years old. This was my first writing gig out of college. I’d been living and working in Eastern Idaho since early January 2008. And this was before the economic recession would hit the country that fall. So, there I was, running around the high desert prairie of the Rocky Mountains, interviewing and photographing all kinds of wild and wondrous characters — ranchers, blacksmiths, barbecue pit masters, pro skiers, etc.

“That is just shocking,” said Richard Gutman, director of the Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. “As far as I know, the standard has always been two slices cut into four triangular pieces. This is unbelievable. There is symmetry involved with breakfast and one slice just throws the whole meal into whack.”

“I’ve never heard of one slice,” said Michael Karl Witzel, the American-culture guru and author of The American Diner, over the phone from Texas. “There are two holes in a toaster for two slices of toast. Why make one? You need more than one. One for the yolk and one for the jam. Down here they serve two slices, and it’s Texas Toast, nice and thick.”

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May 30-June 5, 2018

It’s the only way to eat breakfast.

Two eggs, two slices of toast (cut into four triangular pieces), a side of meat, a side of hashbrowns or homefries, a cup of coffee and the day’s newspaper alongside. It is, quite literally, the American Dream in a meal.

But, over the years, that dream has come under attack. Not by foreign entities, not by the debate over whether eggs are healthy, not even by the always-intimidating Sunday brunch. But the sabotage comes at the hands of its creator, the American culinary industry.

The sabotage in question is a single slice of toast.

I remember being at my desk in the newsroom of the Teton Valley News and mentioning this weird phenomenon to my co-workers. Most just listened for a hot second and went about with their day, but one reporter encouraged me to make a story about it. Thus, I started making some phone calls, slowing going down a nationwide rabbit hole to find an answer to my concern.

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

said Stewart Chisholm, general manager of the Milk Creek Grill in Driggs. “The cost of food has gone up so much. Flour has gone up almost 200 percent in the last six months, and my food costs have gone up 8 percent in eight months.”

29

arts & entertainment

On the beat

Groovin’ On the Green Geoff McBride.

Cold Mountain Music Festival

May 30-June 5, 2018

The second annual Cold Mountain Music Festival will return June 8-9 to the Lake Logan Conference Center.

The festival will feature top-notch musical talent, including Shovels & Rope, Mandolin Orange, River Whyless, The Steel Wheels, Jon Stickley Trio, Tyler Ramsey, Dangermuffin, The Broadcast and The Kenny George Band. The event will raise funds and awareness for Lake Logan and Camp Henry.

The festival will also include food trucks, craft beer vendors, a kid's area, and more all in one of the most pristine settings imaginable. The centerpiece of the 300-acre property is a mile-long lake surrounded by the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of Pisgah National Forest.

There are also lodging options, which includes cabins and camping onsite. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.coldmountainmusic.org.

The Groovin’ On the Green concert series will host Geoff McBride at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, June 1, at The Village Green Commons stage and lawn.

Other performers this summer include: The Colby Deitz Band (June 8), The Bo Spring Band (June 15), Porch 40 (June 22), Jay Drummonds & Friends (June 29), Hurricane Creek (July 6), Eat A Peach (July 13), High-5 Band (July 27), Andalyn (Aug. 3), Sundown (Aug. 10), The Krickets (Aug. 17), The Buchanan Boys (Aug. 24) and The Boomers (Sept. 1).

The Village Green has served as the host venue and last year collaborated with GCAMA to present the concerts. This year, GCAMA has merged all event functions into The Village Green. The highly

Bryson City community jam Smoky Mountain News

A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 7, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

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. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City.

The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — yearround. This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts.

828.488.3030.

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successful GCAMA events Groovin’ On the Green and Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival will now be produced by The Village Green for the public enjoyment.

Groovin’ On the Green is rain or shine.

Bring a chair and your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors to The Village Green Commons on Frank Allen Road.

Picnics and coolers are allowed, however concert goers can enjoy delicious food and beverage for sale from the vendors onsite.

Concerts are free, but donations are always appreciated. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash and under the control of their owners at all times.

To learn more about the concert schedule, or about community events, visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

Concerts on the Creek The Concerts on the Creek summer series will welcome Train (classic hits) at 7 p.m.

Friday, June 1, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

The lineup for this year’s series will also include: The Dirty Soul Revival (rock/blues) June 8, Robertson Boys (bluegrass) June 15, Tuxedo Junction (classic hits) June 22, Carolina Soul Band (R&B/beach) June 29, Crocodile Smile (soul/rock) during the 4th of July Fireworks (starting at 6:30 p.m.), Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/country) July 6, The Super 60s Band (classic hits) July 13, Andalyn (rock/country) July 20, Summer Brooke & The Mountain Faith Band (bluegrass/gospel) July 27, Lance & Lea (Americana/pop) Aug. 3, The Get Right Band (soul/rock) Aug. 10, The Colby Deitz Band (rock/Americana) Aug. 17, Geoff McBride (rock/Americana) Aug. 24 and Dashboard Blue (classic hits) Aug. 31.

The concerts are free and open to the pub-

Mandolin Orange.

lic. There will also be food tricks onsite.

828.586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.

Franklin Community Singalong There will be a Community Singalong from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. each Tuesday in June at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Sing along campfire-style. You don’t need to read music, just listen and sing back what you hear.

• June 5 — Rounds (one song sung by two or more groups starting the same song at different times) • June 12 — Layer Songs (two or more groups sing a different line of the same song at the same time) • June 19 — Partner Songs (two or more groups sing different songs at the same time) • June 26 — Sing your favorite songs from the previous weeks.

Attend any or all of the first three sessions, with session four a review for folks who attended earlier sessions. Free and open to the public. For more information, email campfirechoirwnc@gmail.com.

Pickin’ on the Square

The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature The Upbeats (variety/rock) at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin.

Other acts for the rest of the month include: The Seeds of Faith w/Curtis Blackwell, Conrad Hefner & Friends (variety) June 9, Michael Reno Harrell (folk/storyteller) June 23 and Tugalo Holler (bluegrass) June 30.

The concert series is free and open to the public. Bring your lawn chair. Food vendors will also be available. For more information, visit www.townoffranklinnc.com.

On the beat

The Jackson County Public Library will host the Liberty Baptist Church Choir for a concert at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 31, in the Community Room in Sylva.

Mary Sue Casey will open the concert with a short historical talk about the history of Liberty Baptist Church and the African-American community in Jackson County. Casey was raised in Sylva, where she attended all-black schools through seventh grade. She graduated from SylvaWebster High School in 1970 and went on

• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” with Troy Underwood (singer-songwriter) June 1, Jordyn Pepper June 2, George Ausman June 8 and Andrew Chastain Band June 9. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host 1898 (Americana) June 1, Kevin Fuller (singer-songwriter) June 8, The Maggie Valley Band (Americana/indie) June 15 and Nick Prestia (singer-songwriter) June 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. www.facebook.com/balsamfallsbrewing.

ALSO:

• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Gold Rose (Americana/rock) 9 p.m. June 2. Shows are free and open to the public. There will also be an open mic every Thursday at 9 p.m. www.boojumbrewing.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Isaac Corbitt (soul/indie) June 1, Eric Hendrix (singer-songwriter) 7:30 p.m. June 9 and Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) June 16. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.curraheebrew.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Scoundrel’s Lounge June 2 and Marc Keller

• Harmon’s Den Bistro at HART (Waynesville) will host karaoke and an open mic at 8 p.m. on Saturdays. All are welcome. www.harttheatre.org.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night May 30 and June 6, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo May 31 and June 7. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host Chris Jamison’s Ghost (Americana/country) outside 6:30 p.m. May 30, Seth Glier & Brad Cole (indie/pop) 8:30 p.m. May 30, Rahm Squad (jazz/funk) outside 6:30 p.m. May 31, Nikki Forbes (folk/indie) 7 p.m. May 31, Chrissy Lynn Band 6:30 p.m. June 1, Seduction Sideshow “Private Practice” 9 p.m. June 1-2, House of Hamill 7 p.m. June 2, Chasing Jonah w/Hannah Kaminer 5:30 p.m. June 3, Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions 7:30 p.m. June 5, Blue Yonder 7 p.m. June 6, David Ramirez 8:30 p.m. June 6, The Everly Brothers Experience 8:30 p.m. June 7 and The Appalcians w/Lazybirds 8:30 p.m. June 9. For more information about the performances and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.isisasheville.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Dirty Dave Patterson (classic hits) June 1, Train (classic hits) June 2, Jon Scott (singer-songwriter) June 8 and the Lazy Hiker Anniversary Bash w/Lyric (soul/rock) 6 p.m. June 9. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. There will also be an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an open mic night every Thursday, Paul Davis (singer-songwriter) June 1 and 8, Liz

@SmokyMtnNews

• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host If Birds Could Fly (Americana) June 1, Frank & Allie (bluegrass/Americana) June 2, Ciara C. Miller June 8 and Highway 14 June 9. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. June 2. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia. www.thepapermilllounge.com.

• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday with Mike Farrington of Post Hole Diggers. Free and open to the public. www.pub319socialhouse.com.

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mile High (classic rock) 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, and a Trivia w/Kelsey Jo 8 p.m. Thursdays.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and live music on Friday

evenings. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• Southern Porch (Canton) will host Jason Wyatt (singer-songwriter) May 31, Freewheelin’ Mama June 1, Tyson Michael Halford (singer-songwriter) June 7 and Hannah Styles (singer-songwriter) June 9. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.southern-porch.com.

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

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host Andalyn (rock/country) June 2, The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) June 9 and Fletcher’s Grove (old-time/jam) June 16. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.

• The Warehouse Restaurant at Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host Frank Lee & Allie Burbrink (Americana/folk) June 2 and Isaiah Breedlove (Americana/folk) June 16.

All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host The Peachtree Peppers (Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute) June 1. All shows begin at 10 p.m. There is also an open mic night every Monday, which is free to the public.

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• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host ‘Round the Fire (acoustic/rock) June 1, l Joe Cruz (piano/pop) June 2 and 9, and Sheila Gordon (piano/vocals) June 8. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

(singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. June 8. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

Nance (acoustic/folk) June 2 and Twelfth Fret (Americana/folk) June 9. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

May 30-June 5, 2018

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. May 31 and June 7. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

to earn B.S. and M.A. degrees in secondary education from Western Carolina University.

An award-winning math teacher and cheerleading coach at Smoky Mountain High School and Cherokee High School, Casey is now retired from teaching but remains highly involved in community and church activities.

This program is free of charge. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, call the library at 828.586.2016. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).

arts & entertainment

Liberty Baptist Church Choir

Dr. John Highsmith

www.TeethTomorrowAsheville.com

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arts & entertainment

On the street

‘Franklin In Bloom’ festival

Smoky Mountain News

May 30-June 5, 2018

The “Franklin In Bloom” festival will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 2, in downtown.

A festival for all ages, the event is hosted by the Franklin Garden Club. It will include children’s activities, garden tours, gardening demos, wildflower self guided walk, fairy gardens and homes, bee pollinators, reading in the garden, garden critters, “Make and Take” children’s activities and a “Garden Critters Hunt.” There will also be music, vendors, popcorn, garden arts/crafts for sale, and more.

You’ll also receive a free “Franklin In Bloom” keepsake pin to remember the day.

Calling all gardeners, artists and friends for a tea cup garden competition. Think small and join in the fun. Drop off your creative entries by 11 a.m. for a 1 p.m. judging with ribbon awards. Entries will be on display and can be picked up by 3 p.m.

Sponsored by Fox Mercantile. For more information, visit www.franklin-chamber.com.

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Nominations sought for Mountain Heritage Awards Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Awards, prestigious honors bestowed on an individual and an organization each year for contributions to or playing a prominent role in research, preservation and curation of Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore.

The awards will be presented at the 44th annual Mountain Heritage Day on Saturday, Sept. 29, on the WCU campus. Deadline for nominations is Saturday, June 30.

Letters of nomination should not exceed five pages and should include the full name of the individual or organization being nominated, with a website address if applicable; the mailing address of the nominee; the founding date for organizational nominees; a list of the nominee’s accomplishments; a list of the awards and other recognitions received by the nominee; information about the nominee’s influence in the relevant field of expertise; and information about the nominee’s role as a teacher, advocate, leader or curator of mountain culture.

Nominations should be delivered to the Mountain Heritage Center offices, located in Room 240 of WCU’s Hunter Library; mailed to Mountain Heritage Center, 1 University Drive, Cullowhee N.C. 28723; or emailed to pameister@wcu.edu.

• Line Dance Lessons will be held on Tuesdays in Waynesville. Times are 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday. Cost is $10 per class and will feature modern/traditional line dancing.

828.734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com for more information.

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

Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission. For more information, call 828.335.8210, and like them on Facebook.

ALSO:

• There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m. June 2 and 9 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. June 2 and 9 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075.

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

On the street

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828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

May 30-June 5, 2018

A presentation by North Carolina Humanities Council Road Scholar Dr. Bill Anderson, “Cherokee Removal” will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 7, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The removal of the Cherokee Nation from its homeland in the southeast to a new territory beyond the Mississippi River remains a compelling and controversial event in United States history.

The Cherokee, more than any other Native American people, tried to adopt Anglo-American culture. In a remarkably short time, they transformed their society and modified their traditional culture in order to conform to United States policy, to fulfill the expectations of white politicians and philanthropists, and most importantly, to preserve tribal integrity.

On the eve of Cherokee removal, many white Americans considered them to be the most “civilized” of all native peoples. In this program, Anderson explores the questions of why the Cherokees were removed and whether removal was inevitable.

Anderson, Professor Emeritus at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, specializes in Cherokee history and cultures. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a doctorate in history and did his post-doctoral work at the University of Tennessee.

Anderson is the co-author or editor of four books and received the Gustavus Myers Award for the Study of Human Rights in the US for his book Cherokee Removal: Before and After, published by the University of Georgia Press in 1991. He has worked with Sesame Street, National Geographic, PBS, History Detectives and the Discovery Channel.

Free and open to the public. This program is presented by the Macon County Arts Council.

Bookstore

arts & entertainment

Program on ‘Cherokee Removal’

Quality Trailers, Quality Prices

Smoky Mountain News

facebook.com/ smnews 33

arts & entertainment

On the street Indian village now open

For more information, visit www.cherokeehistorical.org.

The popular Oconaluftee Indian Village will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Nov. 10.

As you step into the Oconaluftee Indian Village, you’re transported back to witness the challenges of Cherokee life at a time of rapid cultural change. Tour guides help you explore the historic events and figures of the 1760s.

Visitors can interact with villagers as they participate in their daily activities. The Village also hosts reenactments, demonstrations, and Hands-On Cherokee Pottery for Kids classes.

Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling

Waynesville ‘Great Decisions’ series

May 30-June 5, 2018

The “Great Decisions” series will take place from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. on Thursdays from through June 21 in the auditorium of the Waynesville Public Library.

Prepare to discuss the world. “Great Decisions” is America's largest discussion program on world affairs. Presented by the Foreign Policy Association.

This program provides background information and policy options for the eight most critical issues facing America

Cherokee festival showcases artists, storytelling

The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 27 at the Oconaluftee Islands Park.

Sit by a bonfire and listen to some of Cherokee’s best storytellers. The bonfire is free and open to the public. www.visitcherokeenc.com. each year and serves as the focal text for discussion groups across the country.

Schedule is as follows: Turkey: A Partner in Crisis (May 31), U.S. Global Engagement and the Military (June 7), South Africa's Fragile Economy (June 14) and Global Health: Progress and Challenges (June 21) Questions may be directed to moderator David McCracken at dem32415@aol.com. Registration is required: 828.356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

The 22nd annual Cherokee Voices Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, June 9, at The Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

Elders and millennials will be sharing traditional Cherokee culture through dance, music, storytelling, food and cultural arts demonstrations. This is a great way to immerse yourself in Cherokee culture, and to talk with Cherokee artists and performers.

Admission is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the N.C. Arts Council and The Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

For more information, visit www.visitcherokeenc.com.

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On the street

Ole Smoky Antique Tractor show

Smoky Mountain News

The Ole Smoky Antique Tractor & Engine Association will hold its 23rd annual show from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 1-2 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Lake Junaluska.

The show will feature antique tractors, hit and miss engines, displays and a parade of power each day. The tractor pull will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 2.

Club members sell raffle tickets all year on a pedal tractor which will be given away at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 2. All proceeds from the ticket sales goes toward the scholarship fund.

As of 2018, the club has awarded 13 scholarships valued at $6,500. This year, scholarships were awarded to Kimberly Williams, a 2018 graduate of Tuscola High School; Chance Best, a 2018 graduate of Pisgah High School; and Cheyanne King, a 2018 graduate of Pisgah High School.

Admission is free, but donations of nonperishable food is appreciated to help support the Harvest of Hope food drive. For more information, contact Darren Wade at 828.593.8327 or Courtney Smith at 828.593.8330.

May 30-June 5, 2018

The Jackson County Youth Leadership Council will host the seventh annual “Spring Into Summer” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

Activities include fun with Brewdogz, a bouncy house, face painting, art contest, corn hole, community booths, and tie-dye ($5). Musical performances by Tuckasegee bluegrass gospel group Hollerin’ Home (1 p.m.) and local favorites Summer & Bray of Mountain Faith Band (2:30 p.m.) playing Americana/roots music.

Art Contest Requirements: “Summer Theme,” must be made on a 2-D medium, no bigger than 16x20 inches. Age Categories: Elementary, Middle and High School. Elementary and Middle School entries must be mounted on poster board or tack board with a frame. High school entries must be matted. A first place overall winner will be awarded in each category. Drop off entries at 11 a.m. June 2 at Bridge Park.

Jackson County Youth Leadership Council is a club of the Jackson County 4H that provides teenagers with opportunities to leave a positive impact on the community by creating, serving, and implementing change.

For more information, contact Heather Gordon at 828.586.4009 or email heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

arts & entertainment

Sylva ‘Spring Into Summer’

35

arts & entertainment

On the wall

Dogwood Crafters workshops The Dogwood Crafters Co-Op of Dillsboro will sponsor two upcoming craft workshops, both with a focus on working with natural materials. The workshops will be held at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge.

• The Woodcarving Class will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. June 14-15. Ron Yount, a member of Dogwood Crafters, will guide participants in carving an item out of wood. As they carve, participants will learn about wood grains, stains, and wood carving tools. Cost is $20.

Register by June 7.

• The humble pine needle workshop will be led by longtime Dogwood member Joyce Lantz from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 21. Participants will make a beautiful pin or pendant from pine needles. Lantz reminds those interested in attending that they need to have good eyesight and enjoy doing close work. Cost for this class is $10.

Register by June 14.

To register, call 828.586.2248.

May 30-June 5, 2018

Interested in making jewelry?

Smoky Mountain News

Waynesville art walk, live music

Long-time local artist Melissa Enloe Walter will be demonstrating her unique gold and silver leafing technique on jewelry from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the Haywood County Arts Council in downtown Waynesville.

Walter has developed this technique by layering multiple acrylic glazes over gold and silver leaf to create luminous original works of art on canvas and jewelry. The pendants are miniature versions of her original paintings. In the demonstration, she will showcase how she hand-enhances each piece of jewelry with gold and silver leaf, therefore making each pendant a one-of-a-kind treasure.

Walter’s subject matter ranges from many of our native animal species, such as foxes, owls and luna moths to ethereal waterscapes and landscapes. Featured jewelry will be available to view and purchase at this special event.

Walter has operated numerous galleries and design firms in the southeast and is now residing in Waynesville. Her studio is located in the 100-year-old farmhouse where she grew up inspired by nature and animals.

For more information call 828.452.0593, email info@haywoodarts.org or visit www.haywoodarts.org.

‘Artist’s Point of View’ showcase

The Haywood County Arts Council and local nonprofit REACH are co-sponsoring the latest exhibit “Freedom: An Artist’s Point of View.” The exhibit will run June 1-30 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showcase in downtown 36 Waynesville.

REACH serves survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and teen dating violence. They not only operate a 24hour helpline and emergency shelter, but also provide victim advocacy, legal assistance, counseling referrals, and community education.

With over 30 local artists donating works of art in oil, acrylic, ceramic, photo, digital, textile, watercolor, pencil, cold wax and glass mediums, this promises to be an exciting show. The artist reception will be held during Art After Dark from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 1, at Gallery & Gifts.

For more information call 828.452.0593, email info@haywoodarts.org or visit www.haywoodarts.org.

The “Art After Dark” season will continue from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 1, in downtown Waynesville.

Each first Friday of the month (MayDecember), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors.

Participants include Burr Studio, Cedar Hill Studios, Earthworks Gallery, Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery & Gifts, The Jeweler’s Workbench, Moose Crossing Burl Wood Gallery, T. Pennington Art Gallery, Twigs and Leaves Gallery and The Village Framer.

It is free to attend Art After Dark. www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

Want to build a fairy house?

Ready for ‘Adventures in Acrylic’?

The next Creating Community Workshop will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 9, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

In this workshop, Annie Burrell will show participants how to create a charming fairy house from clay forms and cutouts, adding their own special touches and details. The houses will be bisque fired at the pottery studio and ready for pickup at the library in about a week.

Participants can then paint them at home with their own acrylic paints and spray with a polyurethane clear coat to complete for use in their own fairy garden. All supplies will be provided.

This program is free of charge. For more information and/or to register, call the Jackson County Public Library at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) will host the “Adventures in Acrylic” art classes from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 5, 12, 19 and 26 at Gallery & Gifts in downtown Waynesville.

This is a class to explore different ways of using acrylic paint.

Local artist, Dominick DePaolo will provide instruction in using acrylic in the traditional way, in the watercolor format and also using a palette knife for maximum texture.

The class size is limited to eight students. Each session will be four classes and the attendee will have finished two paintings in each style.

All supplies will be provided for each class or you may bring your own.

For more information and/or to reserve your spot, call 828.452.0593.

On the wall

JUNE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (May 31, June 14 and 28) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up for either event on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

ALSO:

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

• The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners inter-

Each year, the Shady Ladies create a group quilt to be raffled at their annual quilt show, “Quilt Art by the Shady Ladies,” which will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 8-9 and noon to 4 p.m. June 10 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

The 2018 raffle quilt is made up of 6,400 one-inch squares with a white border, measuring about 96 inches square. Tickets are available from any Shady Lady or at the show: $1 each or 6 for $5. Raffle proceeds will be divided between Meals on Wheels and the Pigeon Street Community Center.

Quilt Art by the Shady Ladies will include about 100 of the members' recently completed quilts, ranging from artistic wall hangings to traditional bed quilts. The $5 entry fees will be donated in full to Folkmoot.

For information about the Shady Ladies, visit the group’s Facebook page: Shady Lady Quilting Group. For information about Folkmoot Center and directions, visit www.folkmootusa.org.

ested in learning are invited. Keep up with them through their Facebook group or by calling 828.276.6226.

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

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

• Free classes and open studio times are being offered at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Join others at a painting open studio session from 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday or from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday. Bring your own materials and join an ongoing drawing course led by gallery artists from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday.

For information on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 828.349.4607.

CALL OR REGISTER ONLINE AT WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com

274 S. MAIN ST. WAYNESVILLE

828.246.6570

• Local artist Lawrie Williams will be offering her Wire Art Jewelry Class from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, at the Jackson County Extension Office in Sylva. Williams is a skilled jewelry maker and has been a featured artist at Southwestern Community College. During this class she will be teaching participants how to make the popular boho or ribbon/fabric bracelets.

The cost is only $10 and you'll need to bring your jewelry pliers if you have them, otherwise all materials will be supplied.

But feel free to bring beads, stones, and assorted strips of fabric scraps, cut 1/2 to 1” wide, any length. To register, call 828.586.4009.

• The next meeting of the Brasstown Woodturners Guild will be at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 2, at the Hayesville High School. Drive around the back of the school to the wood shop where the meeting will be held. Visitors are always welcome. The club meets in Hayesville the first Saturday of every month. The guest presenter this month is Harvey Meyer who will be demonstrating how he makes a square platter. The cost for a guest demonstrator is $10 per person. If there are any questions, contact John Van Camp at 706.896.9428 or Don Marks at 828.524.6282.

new search functions. solely designed to help you get lost.

Smoky Mountain News

• Gallery 1 Sylva will celebrate the work and collection of co-founder Dr. Perry Kelly with a show of his personal work at the Jackson County Public Library Rotunda and his art collection at the gallery. All work is for sale. Admission is free. Children are welcome. Gallery 1 has regular winter hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. art@gallery1sylva.com.

Quilt show in Waynesville

May 30-June 5, 2018

Haywood County Arts Council Board President Michael Lodico and his wife Mary Alice are giving a great surprise — an end-ofyear gift up to $10,000 in matching funds for all donations to the HCAC annual fund through June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

All gifts to the Haywood County Arts Council made between now and June 30 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000.

Consequently, when an individual makes a tax-deductible donation of $25, HCAC will receive $50.

“Whether the Haywood County Arts Council receives $5 or $500, every dollar counts when it comes to ensuring that our community’s quality of life is enhanced through a broad array of cultural and artistic activities”, said HCAC Executive Director Leigh Forrester.

Annual fund donations enhance art education, local artists and innovation in art. This year, annual fund gifts supported monthly art exhibits in the HCAC gallery, artist workshops, the Junior Appalachian Musicians program, Mind the Music senior piano lessons, Dance ARIS, Young Artist Concert, art exhibits at the HART and both Waynesville & Canton Libraries, Student Honors Recital, Sunday at the Opry Veterans Day performance, as well as artist receptions and other community events.

To give online, visit www.haywoodarts.org or visit the HCAC gallery at 86 North Main Street in downtown Waynesville to make a cash donation.

arts & entertainment

Haywood Arts $10,000 challenge

SATURDAY JUNE 2ND 2–3:30: Look Ma: I Can Fly! Arm Balances + Inversions w/ Candra ($30/ $35 at door) SATURDAY JUNE 9TH 2–3:30: I’ve Fallen – and I CAN Get Up w/ Leigh-Ann + Jay ($30/ $35 at door) WEDNESDAY JUNE 13TH 6–7 Buti Glow @ The Water'n Hole ($14/ one class credit) SATURDAY JUNE 16TH 2–3:30: Bring Your Dad to Yoga w/ Tara ($35/ $40 at door) SATURDAY JUNE 23RD 2–3:30: Summon Your Muse w/ Iva Veazey ($30/ $35 at door) SATURDAY JUNE 30TH 2–4: Glorious Greens w/ Sara ($35/ $40 at door)

Log on. Plan your escape.

Feel your stress dissolve.

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arts & entertainment

On the wall New Waynesville gallery, pottery classes Our Summerhouse Pottery, LLC opened its doors in a very familiar location in downtown Waynesville. The former studio of Dane and Mary Etta Burr is now home to Amy Butler Dapore, a children’s art teacher and potter.

This business combines a gallery, classroom, and working artists’ studio at 225 Wall Street. The entrance is next to the alley that leads to Main Street businesses Roots Hair Salon and Goblin Lane.

Pottery classes begin in June and are available for all ages. Kids Art Camp at the Summerhouse meets for one week in either June, July or August. Beginning adult sessions are available Tuesday evenings or Thursday

afternoons meeting weekly for a month.

The first of the Women’s Series entitled “Women and Wine” is designed to create a wine chiller, as well as a wine tasting.

Children will be able to ask a special adult to accompany them to “My Big Person and Me” and build a clay project together during a weekend afternoon.

The gallery displays the work of three resident potters: Amy Butler Dapore, Kim Heuer and Laurel Blackwood. There is a wide selection of pottery featuring wheelthrown and hand-built techniques, colorful glazes, and unique surface decorations.

Shipping is available.

For more information on classes or pottery, message Dapore through her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oursummerhousepottery or email her at amydapore@gmail.com.

May 30-June 5, 2018

Uptown Gallery workshops, presentation The Uptown Gallery located at 30 East Main Street in Franklin will host a handful of upcoming workshops and an artist presentation.

• Sundays, June 3, 17, 24: Karen Smith will be conducting an “Encaustic Adventure” workshop involving a painting process that uses pigments and wax applied to a surface. Classes will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Cost is $125 for the three days including all materials. Registration is required at the gallery.

• Sunday, June 10: Abstract Painting Workshop. If you are a traditional painter, you have the skill and knowledge to become an abstract painter. It is your “thinking” about art that needs to change. Workshop runs from 1 to 4 p.m. The class will be guided by Pearl Tait in exploring a path to self-expression. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Bring your own materials of choice, preferably quick drying. Registration is required at the gallery.

• Monday, June 11: A presentation by artist Jason Rizzo will cover the preparation of artwork for sales and the process of exhibiting at shows. The program begins at 1 p.m. followed by The Macon County Art Association general meeting. This event is open to the public and refreshments will be provided.

For additional class information, call 828.349.4607, email franklinuptowngallery@gmail.com or click www.franklinuptowngallery.com.

www.smokymountainnews.com Roadworks: Experiential Arts Opportunities

Smoky Mountain News

The Western Carolina University College of Fine and Performing Arts presents WCU Roadworks, a free outreach program offering experiential arts opportunities throughout the summer to the community.

This free program will be presented at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, in the yard at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The program began with performances from students in the School of Stage and Screen in 2016 and in 2017, students from the School of Music were featured. This summer, students from the School of Art and Design will be roving around the community in an “Art Trailer.”

The Roadworks Art Trailer will be available for outdoor event opportunities and is 38 managed by four WCU students, two gradu-

ate students, and two undergraduates. The Art Trailer will feature an aluminum pour demonstration, showcasing some of the advanced skills and ideas being implemented by the School of Art and Design. Highlighting the School’s strong connection with the Jackson County Green Energy Park, this opportunity brings metal pouring to individuals that may have never experienced this spectacle before. As the host of the event, Roadworks will gift a 4” x 4” piece of aluminum art to commemorate the experience.

The second element of the Art Trailer is a drum painting pop-up tent accompanied with music. Participants will use percussion tools, such as drumsticks, mallets, and brushes, to paint onto a piece of canvas serving as their “drumhead.” At the end of the event, guests are able to take their paintings home.

Finally, in another tent from the Art Trailer, Roadworks will offer a small pop-up gallery space to showcase the work of the 4 student

Public Art Commission fundraiser The latest Waynesville public art piece “The Plott Hound” is located in the mini-park in the Hazelwood parking area and sculpted by artist Todd Frahm. Although there are many beautiful pieces of art around the town, the Waynesville Public Art Commission (WPAC) would love to place more.

In an effort to continue to finance public art in Waynesville, the WPAC is holding a dog show fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 3, in the lawn area behind the Fangmeyer Theater at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre. This event was originally planned for last summer, but due to storms on the day of the event, it was postponed.

“By changing the venue and the time, it is hoped that there will be increased interest in

artists involved with this project.

If you are interested in learning more about Roadworks or would like to request the Art Trailer for your event, please click on arts.wcu.edu/roadworks to read more about the program and fill out our contact form.

HCC Professional Crafts Graduate Show The graduating class of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program will exhibit their best work at the 2018 Graduate Show, which will be held through June 24 at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville.

This year’s show has work in clay, jewelry, fiber and wood. This exhibit marks the professional debut for many exhibiting crafts-

the event and greater participation,” said Commission Chairman George Kenney.

Dogs will be shown in four categories: Best Plott Hound, Best Costumed Dog, Best Small Dog (under 35 lbs) and Best Large Dog (over 35 lbs), with prizes for each. The entry fee is $25 per dog and all dogs must have up to date vaccinations. No dog show experience is necessary.

There is no charge for spectators to the event. However, individuals are encouraged to help support the WPAC’s efforts by engaging in the silent auction and purchase of T-shirts, cookbooks or notecards for $10 each with all proceeds going toward funding for the Plott Hound piece and future public art projects. The Harmons’ Den Bistro will also have hot dogs and beverages available for purchase.

The mission of the Waynesville Public Art Commission is to engage the community and enrich public spaces through original art that celebrates Waynesville’s unique historic, cultural, natural and human resources.

For more information, please contact Waynesville Public Art Commission Chairman George Kenney at 828.246.0124.

people. The college makes involvement in the installation, organization, and publicity of this exhibit as part of the coursework for the professional crafts students.

The Professional Crafts program is a twoyear commitment, focusing on all aspects of becoming an independent craft professional.

In addition to sharpening their technical and artistic skill in their chosen medium, students also create a marketable line of production work, plan a studio, and become familiar with the craft market.

Mandatory coursework includes photography of finished pieces for gaining entrance into craft shows, creating a business plan, and designing and building a studio tailored to fit production needs.

The Folk Art Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission and parking are both free. For more information, call 828.627.4673 or visit creativearts.haywood.edu.

On the stage

‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at HART

Jerry Lee Lewis (from left), Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.

Perkins. Actor/guitarist Jackson Whiting from Atlanta is Elvis. And area actor/musician Dominic Aquilino is Johnny Cash. They are joined by Clara Burrus, Dave Bruce on drums, Raymond Mathews on bass, and Jeff Messer as Sam Phillips.

This is HART’s first all professional cast and a big risk for the theater but the show has a reputation of inspiring dancing in the aisles.

The focus is on four of the music industry’s most exciting performers at the start of their careers, and it’s all about the music.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. May 31 and June 1-2, 7-9, and at 2 p.m. June 3 and 10.

Harmons’ Den Bistro at HART is also open before all performances with a new menu and features karaoke on Saturday night after the performance.

To make reservations for the show and the bistro, call 828.456.6322 or go online to www.harttheatre.org.

Comedian, entertainer, musician, ventriloquist and actor Taylor Mason will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 8, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Mason was hired as a musical director for The Second City Touring Company in the spring of 1981 and worked as a musician for almost a year at the theater. During that time, he began working as a ventriloquist at Zaines Comedy Club and before long, Mason was working full-time in show business.

In 1984, Mason helped open Zaines Comedy Club in Nashville, Tennessee. The next year he and his wife moved to New York City. He worked for three years as an emcee at Catch a Rising Star in New York.

After that, he began playing on college campuses and over the next 11 years, he did more than 1,500 shows and won two “Family Entertainer of the Year” awards. He also began making television appearances on shows such as, “Evening at the Improv,” “Comic Strip Live” and MTV’s “Half-Hour Comedy Hour.”

In 1990, Mason auditioned and was cast on “Star Search” hosted by Ed McMahon.

He was the grand-prize winner and earned $100,000 and some notoriety in the comedy

Taylor Mason. world. He made appearances on multiple Showtime comedy specials before moving to southern California in 1992. He headlined many of the major clubs and played hundreds of college shows over the new few years and even added a couple of puppets to his act. He also began using a portable electronic keyboard in his shows.

Mason’s latest adventure is a new variety show, “Taylor’s Attic,” featuring familyfriendly adventures of a star puppet named ChildrenTalk. This fun-filled show guides audiences into a Victorian style attic where puppets are real and there’s always an adventure waiting to happen.

Tickets start at $15. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

May 30-June 5, 2018

One of rock-n-roll’s legendary events is being recreated as a musical on the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre stage in Waynesville.

On Dec. 4, 1956, at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, four of the century’s immortals — Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis — engaged in an impromptu jam session. Record producer Sam Phillips recorded the event, which was never to be repeated.

Director Steve Lloyd knew when he picked the show for the season that it would be impossible to cast locally, so ads were placed in theater industry trades and after reviewing scores of video auditions four actors were cast with the musical skills to recreate the “Million Dollar Quartet.”

Actor/pianist Edgar Cardoso was brought in from Los Angeles to tackle the role of Jerry Lee Lewis. Actor/guitarist Joshua Rubenstein was brought in from New York to play Carl

Stand-up brings laughs to Franklin

HPAC ‘Some Enchanted Evening’

‘Unto These Hills’ outdoor drama The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday from June 2 through Aug. 18 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee.

This decades-old acclaimed outdoor drama traces the Cherokee people through the eons, through the zenith of their power, through the heartbreak of the Trail of Tears, finally ending, appropriately, in the present day, where the Cherokee people, much like their newly re-scripted drama, continue to rewrite their place in the world — a place based on traditional Cherokee values and modern sensibilities.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.cherokeehistorical.org.

Smoky Mountain News

The Highlands Cashiers Players will perform the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical revue “Some Enchanted Evening” May 31-June 3 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.

The evening begins with the entire cast onstage getting ready for the production.

From the time the chorus enters while the dancers run to the stage, and the lead singers start warming up their vocal chords, the sound of music abounds.

There are solos and incredible medleys from “The Sound of Music,” “The King and I,” “Oklahoma,” “Carousel,” “Flower Drum Song” and “State Fair.”

The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The evening shows start at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 828.526.8084 or by visiting www.highlandscashiersplayers.org.

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arts & entertainment

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

Sense of time and place resonates throughout this novel S Jeff Minick

ometimes a writer so imaginatively recreates a place and a people that the book becomes a time machine, sweeping us into the past so effectively that when we finish reading the last page we feel as if we truly have breathed the air of a different century.

In If The Creek Don’t Rise (Sourcebooks, 2017, 305 pages), Leah Weiss takes on one such ride into the recent past.

The time: 1970.

Writer The place: Baines Creek, a mountain hamlet near Asheville, North Carolina The people: ten narrators, including such characters as an old mountain woman who knows the ways of the woods and reads signs, a young wife-beating moonshiner with murder in his heart, a minister who wants to see the community grow and flourish, a teacher whom he recruits to help him in this quest, and Sadie Blue.

Sadie is the character at the heart of this fine novel of Appalachia. Raised hard by her grandmother — her father has died, and her mother deserted the family after Sadie’s birth — Sadie becomes attracted to Roy Tupkin.

When she becomes pregnant, they marry on a whim, she moves into Tupkin’s trailer, and the beatings begin. Barely literate, left mostly to her own devices, Sadie tries to pick her way toward some sort of future that will take her away from this trailer and the savagery of her husband.

Others are struggling as well. Eli Perkins, the minister of the church in Baines Creek, has enticed a teacher, Kate Shaw, to the oneroom schoolhouse where local bullies have

already driven off several predecessors. Eli is a man with tenderness in his heart toward his ragamuffin flock, preaching the gospel but approaching the hard realities of their lives with practical advice and material help.

His sister, the appropriately named Prudence Perkins, is the opposite side of the Christian coin: shrewish, spiteful, judgmental of those who like Sadie have fallen and of newcomers like Kate. Prudence is more burden than blessing in her brother’s life.

Kate is a finely drawn character who is facing her own trials. Dismissed from a prestigious all-female academy down east for helping one of her students procure an abortion, she now has her hands full trying to teach children of all ages in a battered schoolhouse with few of even the most essential supplies: books, paper, pens and pencils.

Like so many good teachers, however, Kate is determined and persevering, drawing more and more students to the school by her relaxed teaching ways. She takes Sadie under her wing, not only helping her learn to read and write, but inspiring her to look for her interior gifts and for a brighter future.

Born in North Carolina and raised in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, author Leah Weiss clearly and accurately depicts a part of life during a time when great change was coming to Appalachia. Today’s visitors to our mountains and perhaps younger natives may be unaware that places like Baines Creek — and there were many such places — helped inspire the federal government’s War On Poverty. Begun in the 1960s, and continuing in many ways today, the government sought solutions to end the rampant poverty, the lack of opportunity, and the poor education throughout Appalachia.

In If The Creek Don’t Rise, Weiss shows us Appalachia on the cusp of this change. Her

Debut post-apocalyptic novel Glenville author A.J. Stewart, will present her novel Hey, Brother at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 1, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Her debut novel is set four years after the United States was essentially wiped off the map. Jane Campbell and her siblings, Will and Duke, are living life on their own terms. But, an unfortunate accident forces them to return to the one place they had hoped they would never see again — home. When they arrive, they find the idyllic mountain town they left behind has been taken over by a totalitarian regime, led by a National Guard unit gone rogue. When the Guard begins reducing rations and refusing life-saving medications, the

descriptions of the dirt-poor privation of so many of these people, the bad diet, the lack of

meaningful work and educational resources, and the concomitant violence, alcohol abuse (drugs had not quite reached the mountains yet), poor health, and despair: these are not fictions. They were a living, breathing reality for many, many people in these hills.

Weiss also shows us that this War On Poverty will change the lives of the native people in unforeseen ways. Kate Shaw, and though he himself is hill-born, Eli Perkins, are pioneer agents of this change, bringing the outside world into Baines Creek. The days of moonshiners like Roy Tupkin and his side-

Campbells take matters into their own hands.

To reserve copies of Hey, Brother, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

Nantahala Outdoor Center stories A panel of contributors for the new book NOC Stories will host a presentation at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

NOC Stories describes the Nantahala Outdoor Center’s first 25 years, a time of explosive growth in whitewater sports and instruction. Compiled by Payson Kennedy and edited by Greg Hlavaty, NOC

41

kick, Billy Barnhill, are numbered, though in real life these two criminals might have transferred their dubious talents to running drugs and opioids.

Birdie Rocas is the ancient mountain woman skilled in woodcraft, herbal medicine, and reading signs in nature.

Trained long ago by an old Cherokee, Gray Wolf, and now watched over by another loner, Tattler Swan, Birdie lives alone with a crow, Samuel, who rides on her shoulder when she walks through the woods.

Some of her neighbors consider her a witch, but when facing medical emergencies or solving mysteries, it is to Birdie that they come. She is the last of her kind, a “granny-woman” who delivers babies, brews curative teas, and speaks to the birds, talents and knowledge that will vanish with her death.

Weiss’ novel is an intricately plotted and fast-paced story of love, violence, redemption, and death. She is particularly adept in her use of shifting perspectives, moving effortlessly from one character to another.

If The Creek Don’t Rise also pinpoints the beginning of the enormous changes in Western North Carolina almost 50 years ago.

Weiss has not only given us a fine novel, but a study of a culture that would soon, for better and for worse, vanish.

High marks for this one.

(Minick is a writer and teacher. minicko301@gmail.com)

Stories presents a history of the Nantahala Outdoor Center as seen through the eyes of early leaders and some of its dedicated staff.

This history spans the years 1972-1997 and approaches the story of the NOC’s inception and growth in conjunction with the explosive growth of paddlesports and paddle instruction; in a very real sense, the great strides in paddle instruction and the growth of whitewater sports parallel the growth of the NOC. The contributors who will be in attendance are Payson Kennedy, John Burton, Bunny Johns, Villa Brewer, Tom Gonzalez, Florrie Funk, Maggie Parkes and Cathy Kennedy.

To reserve NOC Stories, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Payson Kennedy stands on his deck holding his new book, NOC Stories.

Holly Kays photo

Telling NOC’s story Book shows early years of outdoor center through the eyes of staff, leaders itself — the writing was a team effort. Each section contains stories, vignettes, essays and even poems by the people who have been part of the NOC family throughout its lifespan.

“I’m not a writer, never was in school or in my academic life. Writing was always hard,” said Kennedy. “That was the key to making it (the book) happen in my mind, was not trying to do it myself but getting lots of staff people to send their memories.”

The first memory, though, is Kennedy’s — that of the leap from a stable life as a librarian at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where his wife Aurelia was a schoolteacher, to the uncertainty of scraping out a living on the river. Holden had approached them about the opportunity after he bought The Tote ‘N’ Tarry, a complex including a motel, restaurant, souvenir shop and gas station where the NOC stands now.

The Kennedys decided to come down for that first summer, 1972, and then return to their jobs in the fall before deciding to go all in.

They decided to do it, selling their house and collecting their retirement funds to invest $25,000, and moved themselves and their four children to the NOC campus, where they still live today.

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t was 1972, and the world of whitewater paddling was changing. Americans were just about a decade into experimenting with kayaks and it had been only three years since the first whitewater race in the South and the passage of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. That year’s Summer Olympic Games in Munich would be the first to include whitewater paddling among its events.

Amid all of this, Horace Holden, Payson Kennedy and Aurelia Kennedy decided to start a new rafting business in Swain County, to be called the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

“We did not expect it to be anything of the scope that the NOC became,” Payson Kennedy, now 85, said during a recent interview on his home’s spacious deck. “We expected it to be a small family and friends group that would operate on a very much smaller scale. The first few years, the only heat we had was a potbellied stove, and we would spend our winters sitting around that stove doing crafts to sell in the summer and making spray skirts to sell.”

After 46 years in operation and growth into an outdoor center that’s hosted all manner of national and international whitewater events, employed more than 25 Olympic athletes and guided countless visitors on once-in-a-lifetime expeditions down the Nantahala River, it’s fair

I

to say that the NOC exceeded expectations.

And the stories behind how that happened, and what it was like to be part of it all, have stuck with Kennedy in the decades since.

Now they’re enshrined in a new book, NOC Stories. Kennedy compiled the book, and Greg Hlavaty edited it, but — as with the center

Hear the stories The roots of the Nantahala Outdoor Center will come alive during a panel discussion at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva, featuring eight of the people most instrumental to the 46-year-old business’s success.

All eight panelists are contributors to the new book NOC Stories, which describes the NOC’s first 25 years, a time of explosive growth in whitewater sports and instruction.

Compiled by Payson Kennedy and edited by Greg Hlavaty, the book presents the history through the eyes of its early leaders and dedicated staff from 1972 to 1997.

Contributors in attendance will include Payson Kennedy, John Burton, Bunny Johns, Villa Brewer, Tom Gonzalez, Florrie Funk, Maggie Parkes and Cathy Kennedy.

Reserve a copy of NOC Stories by calling City Lights at 828.586.9499.

FLOW The business lost money that first summer.

And the next. And the next. But then came 1975, the year that Kennedy would come to see as a turning point. The center saw an influx of top-level staff that year — Olympic paddlers, a U.S. team coach, a pair of older paddlers who quit higher-paying jobs to join the NOC crew.

“People like that came to work, and we made a profit for the first time. That was our fourth year,” said Kennedy. “That seemed like the turning point. Then by 1980, which I always thought was our best year ever financially, profit was up to $250,000 on revenue of maybe $4 million. And our staff had grown, and it really seemed like we were prospering.”

Those first years were hard. Payson and Aurelia were working 80 to 100 hours a week, just trying to get it all done, and they pushed their staff as well. The river guides weren’t just guides. They were also dishwashers and waitresses and maintenance workers and drivers, working 60 or 70 hours a week.

“For the privilege of working, I was paid $80/week plus room and board,” wrote Sue Firmstone Goddard in NOC Stories. “I’ve never been happier. I had to be told to take my mandatory days off, or I would just keep guiding.”

Kennedy can understand that perspective.

Those first years were the hardest. But they

were also the best, and the greatest provider of a sought-after state that Kennedy terms “flow.”

“It’s a time when you’re confronted by a challenging and new situation that causes you to focus your attention so completely that your mind gives up all the chatter that’s usually there, and you’re completely focused on what you’re doing in that moment,” he said. “You’re able consequently to perform at a much higher level than usual, and the aftermath leaves you with a feeling of euphoria.”

In addition to the challenge of starting and running and growing a new business, there was the added dimension that whitewater itself was a relatively new sport. When Kennedy was learning to paddle in the 1940s, there were no kayaks, and canoes were made of wood and canvas. The boats couldn’t handle much abuse.

“I did a three-day river trip from North Georgia to Atlanta when I was a camp counselor, and one of the canoes with two campers hit a rock,” Kennedy recalled. “We had to stop and finish the day patching the canoe and letting the patch dry. It interrupted the trip if somebody hit a rock. People were very cautious and didn’t get on difficult water till their skills were very developed.”

Aluminum canoes came later, and then plastic, which made it even easier to slide off rocks. More and more people became interested in paddling — the NOC was built atop the foundation of a surging sport.

BUILDING A CULTURE The center soon found itself to be something of a hub for high-level paddlers.

“The key was early on attracting some really capable, outstanding staff, and they told their friends and top-level paddlers,” said Kennedy. “They told their friends about it and their friends would come and there just became such a feeling of a group of friends working together.”

That culture had its roots in the very first season, 1972, when a man named Jim Holcombe, whose family was big into paddling, came to work at the NOC. Jim’s sister Louise Holcombe was on the inaugural Olympic whitewater team in 1972. She was also a college student and took her brother up on his suggestion that she look to NOC for summer employment.

Louise brought another member of the 1972 team with her, and the next year she brought her fiancé, also an Olympic paddler. The chain went on from there.

“That initial group attracted more and more of the top paddlers in the country,” said Kennedy. “When they got here they spurred one another on in competi-

Blitz Blackrock

ties for all fitness levels, ranging from relaxed hikes through areas close to the base of the park to vigorous ascents of Blackrock.

Hike leaders will include university faculty and professional naturalists from a variety of educational, research and nonprofit organizations.

Organized by MountainTrue and Mainspring Conservation Trust. Free, with RSVP required at mountaintrue.org/event/blackrock-bio-blitz.

Participants should come with food, water and equipment to spend a day in the woods.

HIT THE

MARK

outdoors

Expert naturalists will work hand-inhand with interested Western North Carolina residents during a daylong inventory of one of the most diverse natural communities in the area, beginning 9 a.m.

Saturday, June 2, at Pinnacle Park in Sylva.

The Blackrock BioBlitz will be a chance for people who love the great outdoors to learn more about the plants and animals that call Blackrock Mountain and Pinnacle

Park home. The park has a significant range of elevation, rising from its base at 3,000 feet to an altitude of more than 5,600 feet.

“BioBlitzes are great citizen-science programs that help people connect with and learn about the natural world around them,” said Josh Kelly, public lands biologist for MountainTrue. “We’re going to be documenting a broad range of life at Pinnacle Park, including butterflies, beetles, aquatic invertebrates, vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, birds, mammals, mushrooms and more.”

The event will include hiking opportuni-

New exhibit explores the mystery of fragrance An interactive exhibit exploring the artistry, history and science behind the fragrance industry is now open at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, with opening celebrations planned for June 7 and June 8.

Making Scents: The Art and Passion of Fragrance, invites visitors to pick up a scent seekers guide at one of the information desks to help them uncover 10 scent seeker kiosk stations placed throughout the gardens, with an official “certified nose” stamp granted upon completion.

A special “Scent Soiree” will be held 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 7, featuring live music, “Sense Stations,” food and drink, and a silent auction, with tickets $100 for arboretum members and $125 for nonmembers. At 6 p.m. Friday, June 8, Dr. Richard Stamelman, author of Perfume: Joy, Obsessions, Scandal, Sin; A Cultural History of Fragrance from 1750 to the Present, will explore the mysterious allure behind fragrances and the plants used to make them. The lecture is free, but space is limited and registration required.

“Making Scents” will be open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 3.

tion, but also in teaching and coming up with new ideas of how to teach and new paddling techniques.”

Many of the NOC’s top guides were women, something of an unusual occurrence for river outfitters at the time.

“In those days, women couldn’t get jobs as guides very many places,” Kennedy said.

“Most companies thought river guides needed to be men, so we got lots of the top women paddlers because we were happy to have women who were good paddlers.”

2006, is still on the board and still lives on campus, also guiding occasionally and helping to orient new staff.

Since 2012, the NOC has had new ownership — a group of six businessmen and outdoorsmen from Atlanta bought majority control — and its story has continued to evolve. Things are different now than they were when he owned it, Kennedy said, but “a strong element” of the early culture still survives, its legacy filtering throughout Western North Carolina. Over the years, NOC has

had about 12,000 different people on staff, and while many of them were college students who just worked a summer before moving on, others have stayed, becoming entrepreneurs, teachers, contractors and leaders in the mountain community.

Paging through the memories in NOC Stories, past employees certainly seem to remember their years there as “the good life,” a time of adventure, learning and growth.

“We look up at the stars and read in them/a hundred glorious tales of a future that/waits for us with open arms/that will welcome us just as we are/unadorned and smelling of fern and spring water/draped

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Smoky Mountain News

Kennedy credits that development of topnotch guides, combined with the team-player atmosphere he strove to create, with much of NOC’s success over the years. Early on, NOC adopted a policy that allowed employees to become part owners in the company — though the plan has evolved since then, the original policy allowed employees to earn four shares per month after their first year working at NOC. “Our goal was to have a good life for everybody, and not just a few absentee owners,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy retired from the NOC in 1998 — sort of. He went back to work to help the company through a hard time from 2004 to

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Several NOC employees competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics on the Ocoee River. Villa Brewer photo

around by purple raspberry flowers/that glow faintly/from the star-shadows/on the riverbank,” Florrie Funk wrote in a poem about summer evenings during her time at the NOC from 1973 to 1975.

Other memories feature more adrenaline-filled moments, like Eric Nies’ piece “Staring into the Eye of God,” about the first time he ran the challenging Section III of the Chattooga — during high water — and found himself paddling straight into the one feature he’d been told to avoid, dubbed “The Eye Of God.” “I remember a giant corkscrew thing, breaking hard right, and mist coming up like the edge of the world,” Nies wrote. “It was a tornado on its side. I have been waiting 30 years to see that wave again, and if I never do, my recollection will mostly be a thought of amazement that water could do such a thing… we squared up and charged. Chaos, noise, the boat seemingly airborne and totally submerged at the same time, then on its right tube, me deep in a vortex of mystery, Phyllis somewhere in the sky. And then calm. We were upright, floating away, and then somehow we were sitting in an ordinary eddy, looking back at the Narrows.”

Adventure and camaraderie like that don’t just disappear. They stay in the air, traveling alongside their possessor throughout the seasons of life. Creating NOC Stories gave Kennedy — and anyone who reads the book — a chance to see how those gifts have served members of the NOC family through the decades.

“Over the years, I have heard with increasing frequency folks using expressions such as ‘having one another’s backs’ and ‘looking out for their wingman on the river,’” Kennedy wrote in the book’s last chapter.

“And when I receive communications from former employees about their time here, they most often speak about what an incredible community it was and how they still feel a part of that community, even though they no longer live at Wesser or one of our outposts.”

CONCEALED CARRY CLASS

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Log on. Plan a getaway.

Let yourself unplug.

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outdoors

Delayed Harvest waters to reopen

Get a boating certification

Delayed Harvest trout streams will open at 6 a.m. Saturday, June 2, remaining open through Sept. 30.

From 6 a.m. to noon June 2, the 34 North Carolina streams in this designation will be open only to youth 17 and younger. At noon, all anglers will have access to the water and be allowed to keep up to seven fish per day — no bait restrictions or minimum size limits.

Since last fall, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has stocked more than 372,000 trout in Delayed Harvest waters to give anglers better opportunities to catch fish.

A boating safety course will be offered 6 to 9 p.m. June 5-6 at Haywood Community College.

The boating certification will give participants a shot at a certification required to operate vessels propelled by a motor of 10 horsepower or greater. Participants must attend both sessions and pass a written exam.

The free course is offered as a partnership between HCC and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

The boating course will also be offered July 9-10, Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 10-11.

Register at www.ncwildlife.org by selecting the “Learning” tab.

Pigeon River Fund awards grants

received $30,000 to help protect the 163-acre Sirkin property. The grant is contingent on securing other funds as well. n Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, which received $15,000 apiece for two farmland conservation easements. The easements are for the 160-acre Terry Rogers Farm in Crabtree and the 215-acre Edwin Rogers Farm, also in Crabtree.

Since its creation in 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has awarded millions of dollars for water conservation and education. The money comes from Duke Energy in exchange for the company’s damming the Pigeon River for hydropower.

The fund is managed by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The next application deadline is Sept. 7. www.cfwnc.org.

May 30-June 5, 2018

Environmental groups in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties recently received a total of $217,010 to improve water quality, wildlife habitat and water-based recreation thanks to this spring’s round of grants from The Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

Haywood County recipients were: n Haywood Waterways Association, Inc, which received $44,970 for the Elevated Park Stream Improvement Project on Jonathan Creek, a major tributary in the Pigeon River watershed. n Maggie Valley Sanitary District, which

Lakeside yoga will be a regular feature of the 2018 Summer Activities Program. Lake Junaluska photo

A summer full of yoga, bonfires and nature walks A nine-week program designed to build community and spark fun at Lake Junaluska will kick off Monday, June 4.

Programming highlights include evening bonfires, nature walks, boat tours, movie nights and various music events. The Summer Activities Program began in 2016 due to financial support from Lake Junaluska homeowners Bill and Irene Gattis. Charitable gifts have kept the program going into its third year.

Some events, such as yoga by the lake, lakeside devotions, Monday movies and Thursday bonfires, will occur every week, while others, such as the nature walks and live music, will occur on rotations. The program also offers the unique opportunity to enjoy Lake Junaluska after dark for full moon boat tours during the program’s two full moons.

A full schedule is available at www.lakejunaluska.com/summeractivities.

Summer Relief starts in Macon Macon County 4-H is starting up its schedule of 4-H Summer Relief Summer Activities, with activities planned in everything from woodworking to outdoors exploration.

The series will begin with 4-H Poultry School, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Macon County Cooperative Extension Center for ages 5 to 18. The class is free.

To participate in Summer Relief activities, students must have a current 4-H Enrollment Form and medical form on file. For more information, call 828.349.2046 or visit macon.ces.ncsu.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

Help clean Richland

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A creek cleanup 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 9, will aim to clean up Richland Creek in Waynesville.

The group will meet in the Waynesville Middle School parking lot and get to work on the area of Richland Creek around Boyd Bridge. Volunteers should wear closed-toed shoes and long pants — gloves, trash bags, trash grabbers and snacks will be provided.

Organized by Haywood Waterways Association. RSVP by June 7 to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

Junaluska pool to reopen The pool at Lake Junaluska will likely open this week following renovations that began in March.

The work includes a complete replastering of the pool, and while the job was on track to be done before Memorial Day Weekend, weather-related days pushed back completion.

In addition to the pool, Lake Junaluska offers a variety of other water-based recre-

Renovation work proceeds at the Lake Junaluska pool. Lake Junaluska photo

ation opportunities, including inner tubes, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and Bellyaks. www.lakejunaluska.com.

Cheoah and Tuisquitee get new district ranger

Authorized Motor Fleet Management Maintenance your friendly, local blue box — smoky mountain news

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The Cheoah and Tusquitee Ranger Districts of the Nantahala National Forest have a new district ranger following the May 29 hire of Andy Gaston.

“Andy’s years of experience across the range of natural resource program areas and his prior experience as a district ranger will make him a valuable asset to the districts and the communities we serve,” said Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas.

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Andy Gaston. Donated photo

A festival dediicated to sharing the wisdom of Cherokee C 's elders. s Annual 21 st A

Cherokee Voices o Festival e June 9, 10 a.m.–5 a p.m.

Discover ancient Cherokee craf ts, t dance, storr y tel ling, and more as we e xplor x e “ Passing the Knowledge—the Rising Generation,” the th heme fo or this year ’s Cherokeee Vo oices Festival.

It ’s free, and held at the Museum of the Cherokee Indiaan.

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May 30-June 5, 2018

Gaston replaces former district ranger Angela Gee, who resigned the position in December after accepting a job on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado.

“This is a dream job for me, and I bring with me a deep sense of appreciation and optimism about what the future holds for the Cheoah and Tusquitee Ranger Districts,” Gaston said. “I look forward to building strong and lasting relationships with employees, neighbors, friends and partners.”

Originally from North Georgia, Gaston has had a 30-year government career spanning numerous natural resource management and administrative programs in the U.S. Forest Service, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He has previously worked as district ranger in the Chattahoochee-Oconee national forests and served as acting district ranger on the Cheoah and Tuisquitee districts in 2014. His last job was as the trails program supervisor for the U.S. Forest Service Enterprise Program, a mobile workforce that provides expertise where needed.

Land Trust Day comes to Mast Smoky Mountain News

Mast General Store will celebrate Land Trust Day Saturday, June 2, hosting the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy at its Waynesville and Asheville stores and donating 20 percent of the day’s sales to that organization.

Land trusts are nonprofit organizations that work to facilitate land conservation by holding the deed in trust until an agreement can be reached with the landowner. SAHC has been busy over the last year, with projects including protecting 526 acres of high-elevation forests near Swannanoa and 541 acres in the Marshall watershed. The organizations also works to protect agricultural land and maintains the Community Farm in Alexander as a working educational model to demonstrate how productive agriculture and environmental health go handin-hand, meanwhile serving as a farm incubator program.

828.452.2101.

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outdoors

Parkway facilities open for the summer Memorial Day Weekend signals the beginning visitor season on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with all facilities now reopen after winter closures.

The Craggy Gardens and Mount Pisgah picnic areas both opened May 25 and will remain open through Oct. 28. Other facilities on the Parkway’s route through Western North Carolina — The Pisgah Inn & Restaurant, Mount Pisgah Campground, Waterrock Knob Visitor Center and Asheville Visitor Center — opened earlier in the year.

While the Parkway typically remains free of weather-related closures during the summer months, a real-time road map at go.nps.gov/brp-map is updated to reflect all types of closures along the route.

A closure of the Linn Cove Viaduct at Milepost 304 will continue for some time as the season begins due to an ongoing road maintenance project. The project began in March, but continued and heavy rainfall in the area has delayed completion. The final steps to complete the project require at least 48 hours of dry weather. Project managers will resume and complete the project once conditions improve. Rainfall has also closed the original detour route on a section of U.S. 221 around the Viaduct due to a road washout; an alternate route uses N.C. 105.

Retaining wall causes closure at Chimney Rock

Smoky Mountain News

May 30-June 5, 2018

Heavy rains caused this retaining wall along the upper parking lot to crumble. Donated photo

46

A collapsed retaining wall at Chimney Rock State Park has caused the park to be closed since the collapse occurred Saturday, May 26.

Erosion caused by heavy rains prompted the retaining wall along the park’s upper parking lot to collapse. The park will remain closed until the wall can be assessed and stabilized, and debris cleared from the road below.

Opening updates will be posted at www.chimneyrockpark.com.

Cradle of Forestry. SMN photo

Get outdoors National Get Outdoors Day will get proper recognition 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Cradle of Forestry in America.

The day will include skills, teaching and demonstrations from Western North Carolina’s outdoor recreation community, helping visitors learn how to seek healthy, active, outdoor lifestyles.

National Get Outdoors Day is part of

the Every Kid in the Woods movement to support children and adults exploring public lands. Across the nation, participating sites will offer opportunity to unplug and connect with the outdoors.

Admission to the Cradle will be free June 9. Located along U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest about 35 miles south of Waynesville. 828.877.3130.

Hike Frying Pan A 1.5-mile roundtrip hike to Frying Pan Fire Tower will take in wildlife and wildflowers along the Blue Ridge Parkway, 10 a.m. Friday, June 1.

The group will leave from the Frying Pan Trail pullout at milepost 409.6, which is 1 mile south of the Pisgah Inn. Park at the gravel U.S. Forest Service road without blocking the gate, and bring water, good shoes and clothing for changeable weather. Led by Blue Ridge Parkway rangers, the walk will include plenty of discussion about the natural communities along the way.

Ranger-led hikes are held weekly at 10 a.m. Fridays from various points along the Parkway.

Call 828.298.5330, ext. 304, to find out more.

Highlands Biological gets new director The Highlands Biological Foundation has a new executive director with the hire of Charlotte Muir.

Muir has been working as HBF’s communications coordinator for the past year and will take over from former director Sonya Carpenter, who will continue to work as a part-time project coordinator for HBF. “The HBF Board of Trustees enthusiastically chose Charlotte Muir to be our Executive Director. She comes to HBF with experience in nonprofit administration and

is well-qualified to take HBF to the next level,” said Julia Grumbles, president of the HBF Board of Trustees.

Muir holds a masters degree in arts administration, having served as theater director at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Colorado before moving to Highlands.

HBF will have a full slate of programs this summer catering to all ages, including weekly conservation lectures beginning in July, daily activities at the Nature Center and workshops on various topics for those wanting to learn more about the Highlands Plateau’s diversity of flora and fauna. www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.

National Trails System turns 50 A celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act will kick off at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, May 30, at the Cradle of Forestry in America near Brevard.

Suzanne Dixon, president and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, will deliver the keynote speech highlighting the landmark legislation of 1968, which adopted the A.T. into the National Park System. Dixon will also discuss the A.T.’s rich history and management and the future of the world’s most iconic hiking trail.

The National Trails System Act now includes 30 trails recognized for their scenic and historical significance. These trails connect more than 70 wildlife refuges, 80 national parks, 90 national forests and 120 wilderness areas. The celebration is part of the Wilderness Skills Institute, now in its eighth year of providing training to public lands volunteers, advocates and agency staff. Training is free to accepted participants, with applications accepted annually beginning in mid-January at www.wildernessskillsinstitute.org.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • A rabies clinic will be offered for dogs, cats and ferrets four months or older from 5-6:30 p.m. at the following dates and locations: May 30 at Waynesville Middle School; May 31 at Bethel Elementary School; and June 1 at Riverbend School. $9 per vaccination.

456.5338.

• Lake Junaluska’s nine-week Summer Activities Program starts June 4 with a schedule of activities including bonfires, movie nights, nature walks, boat tours and various music events. For a full schedule: www.lakejunaluska.com/summeractivities.

• Western Carolina University’s “ROADWORKS” program will present a live pour of molten aluminum, a drum painting tent and a display of featured students’ work at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, in the yard next to the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• National Get Outdoors Day will be observed from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the Cradle of Forestry in America on U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest. Skills, teaching and demonstrations.

• Nominations are being sought for the Mountain Heritage Awards that will be presented on Saturday, Sept. 29, on Western Carolina University’s campus in Cullowhee. Awards go to individual and organization for contributions to or playing a prominent role in research, preservation and curation of Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore. Nominations can be sent to pameister@wcu.edu, Mountain Heritage Center, 1 University Drive, Cullowhee N.C. 28723, or drop off in person at Room 240 of WCU’s Hunter Library.

• The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 27 at the Oconaluftee Islands Park.

Sit by a bonfire, alongside a river, and listen to some of Cherokee’s best storytellers. The bonfire is free and open to the public. There will be no bonfire events in September. www.visitcherokeenc.com.

• Oconaluftee Indian Village will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Nov. 10. As you step into the Oconaluftee Indian Village, you’re transported back to witness the challenges of Cherokee life at a time of rapid cultural change. Tour guides help you explore the historic events and figures of the 1760’s. www.cherokeehistorical.org.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • An Introduction to Quickbooks 2018 class will be offered in June at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

Cost: $60. Info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.

• A Wilderness First Responder course will be offered June 2-10 and June 30-July 8 by Landmark Learning in Cullowhee. Register: www.landmarklearning.edu.

• “Eggs & Issues” – Macon County’s monthly business forum – is scheduled for 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, at the Franklin Cahmber of Commerce. Guest speaker is Karen Gorby, president and chief nursing officer of Angel Medical Center. Admission: $10. Preregister: www.MaconEDC.com or 524.3161.

• A program on “Cherokee Removal” will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. Featuring Dr. Bill Anderson, N.C. Humanities Council Road Scholar.

• Community Choir will be offered from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays through June 13 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Cost: $60. Info: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.

• Registration is underway for a Wilderness Upgrade for

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

Medical Professionals course that will be offered June 11-15 by Landmark Learning in Cullowhee. Register: www.landmarklearning.edu.

• Registration is underway for a pair of workshops on Six Sigma and “Lean” Improvement principles that will be offered June 15 and July 13 by Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment. Six Sigma workshop is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on June 15; “Lean” Improvement Principles workshop is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, July 13. Early registration is $249; cost goes up to $279 after June 1. For info or to register: pdp.wcu.edu.

• A Forklift Operator Certification class will be offered from June 26-27 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Cost: $75. Info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS

Smoky Mountain News

• Haywood County Arts Council is matching, dollar for dollar (up to $10,000) it receives through June 30.

Donations enhance art education, local artists and innovation in art. To donate: www.haywoodarts.org or visit the gallery at 86 North Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • The Town of Canton is accepting submissions for its 112th Labor Day Festival – “A Celebration of All Things Made in Western North Carolina.” Deadline for all arts and crafts is 4 p.m. on Aug. 21. Before applying: call 648.2363, email photos to lstinnett@cantonnc.com or mail to: Town of Canton, Attn: Canton Labor Day; 58 Park Street; Canton, NC 28716. Event runs Sept. 2-3 in downtown Canton. Cantonlaborday.com.

HEALTH MATTERS • The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 1-5:30 p.m. on June 1 at the Jackson County Department on Aging in Sylva. RedCrossBlood.org, 800.733.2767.

• Asheville Tourist tickets are for sale as a fundraiser for Clyde Elementary. Tickets are good for most games except for July 4 & Thursday night games. These tickets don’t have a set date and are good through August. Tickets cost $7.50 which is 50 cents below gate prices. The school earns $3.50 from each ticket sold. Unlimited tickets are available. Contact the school at 627.2206 or email ptaclydeelementary@gmail.com to purchase tickets.

• “Look Ma: I can Fly! Arm Balances + Inversions” will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at the Waynesville Yoga Center. $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• The Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center is seeking donations for its silent auction at the Annual Barn Event, which is set for June 2 at Bloemsma Barn in Franklin. 349.3200 or smpregnancycc@dnet.net.

• An Opioid Overdose Reversal Training and Distribution will be offered from noon-2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, at the Haywood County Health & Human Services Agency, room 301, in Clyde. Info: Jsharp@nchrc.org, 706.482.8795 or 356.2292.

• An Open Door Meal & Sing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30, at First United Methodist Church of Sylva. Meal, musical entertainment and fellowship. 586.2358.

• The Ole Smoky Antique Tractor & Engine Association will hold the 23rd annual show from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 1-2 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds in Waynesville. Raffle proceeds support the organization’s scholarship fund. Nonperishable food items are accepted for donation and will support the Harvest of Hope food drive. 593.8327 or 593.8330.

• Tickets are on sale for “Starstruck,” a benefit for the Highlands Playhouse, scheduled for July 1 at the Highlands Country Club. Multi-course plated dinner and drinks, live auction and live theatrical vignettes from the casts of “Guys and Dolls” and “Damn Yankees.”

Tickets: $200. 526.2695, HighlandsPlayhouse.org or Playhouse Box Office.

• A dog show fundraiser to finance public art in Waynesville will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, in the lawn behind HART in Waynesville. Entry fee is $25 per dog. Categories are best Plott Hound, best costume, best small dog and best large dog. Info: 246.0124.

• Haywood Spay/Neuter will hold its inaugural Yappy Hour fundraiser on Friday, June 8 at the Maggie Valley Club and Resort. Hors d’oeuvres, dog/cat trivia, wine pool and silent auction. Admission: $50. Sponsorships range from $250-$1,000. For tickets, sponsorships or to donate wine for the wine pull: 452.1329 or stop by the office from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday at 182 Richland Street, Unit 1, in Waynesville.

• Registration is underway for the Haywood Healthcare Foundation’s annual Golf & Gala event, which is scheduled for June 27-28 at Maggie Valley Club. Benefits “Base Camp on the Go” for Haywood County children. $150 for both events or $75 for gala only.

HaywoodHealthcareFoundation.org or 452.8343.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 2-6 p.m. on June 4 at the Center Pigeon Fire Department in Canton. RedCrossBlood.org, 800.733.2767.

• A presentation on “Medicaid Changes and Potential Solutions” will be offered at 5:30 p.m. on June 5 at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Waynesville. www.mysmms.org or 277.9634.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on June 6 at Haywood Regional Medical Center Health & Fitness Center in Clyde.

RedCrossBlood.org, 800.733.2767.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 1-6 p.m. on June 7 Francis Cove United Methodist Church. RedCrossBlood.org, 800.733.2767.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 3:30-8 p.m. on June 7 at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Bryson City. RedCrossBlood.org, 800.733.2767.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 8 at First United Methodist Church in Sylva. RedCrossBlood.org, 800.733.2767.

• MountainWise of Macon County’s Substance Use Task Force will hold a Medication Take Back Event from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on June 9 at the new Ingles on the Georgia Road in Franklin. Bring unused/old prescription medications for free disposal.

• “I’ve Fallen – and I CAN Get UP” will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on June 10 at Central United Methodist Church in Canton. RedCrossBlood.org, 800.733.2767 • Diabetes classes will be offered from 1-3 p.m. on Mondays from June 11-July 16 at the Canton Senior Center. Register: 648.8173.

• A monthly health series on “Mind and Body: Health, Nutrition & You” continues with a presentation on “Drug

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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 Abuse, Addiction and the Opioid Crisis” at 6:30 p.m. on June 12 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

586.2016.

• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on June 13 at Lowe’s in Sylva.

RedCrossBlood.org, 800.733.2767.

• Registration is underway for a “Story Based Medicine Course 1: Making Your Own Medicinal Syrups,” scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on July 7, through the Alarka Institute. Led by Katie Ballard. Cost: $65. Register: www.paypal.me/cedartree. Info: alarkaexpeditions@gmail.com, 371.0347 or alarkaexpeditions.com.

• Registration is underway for a “Story Based Medicine Course II: Hydrosol Distillation,” scheduled for 10 a.m.4 p.m. on July 7, through the Alarka Institute. Led by Katie Ballard. Cost: $65. Register: www.paypal.me/cedartree. Info: alarkaexpeditions@gmail.com, 371.0347 or alarkaexpeditions.com.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • An organizational meeting for a summertime adult volleyball league will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Ages 18-up. Season is June 20-Aug. 22. Info: 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Registration is underway for adult beginner tennis classes, which will be offered from 6-7 p.m. on July 12Aug. 9 through the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. $60 for five sessions. 703.966.7138 or kakareka@me.com.

SPIRITUAL • The Summer Worship Series at Lake Junaluska kicks off at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 10, with Rev. Susan Slye Giles, who will be guest preacher. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/summer_worship.

• The Summer Worship Series at Lake Junaluska continues at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 17, with Rev. Dr. Clarence Newsome. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/summer_worship.

• Registration is underway for Music & Worship Arts Week, which is June 24-29 at Lake Junaluska.

Highlighting arts, worship, education and renewal; designed for worship leaders of all ages. Theme: Encounter Jesus. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/mwaw, 800.222.4930 or communications@lakejunaluska.com.

• Registration is underway for the Native American Summer Conference, which is June 29-July 1. Theme: Keeping Ancestral Dreams Alive and Preserving Identity.

Spiritual walk, opportunity to learn about substance abuse, historical trauma and health issues. Talent show and ice cream social. https://tinyurl.com/ycfzulhz, 800.222.4930 or communications@lakejunaluska.com.

• Registration is open for the Festival of Wisdom and

wnc calendar

Grace, a conference for adults seeking purpose and renewal in the second half of life scheduled for Aug. 13-16 at Lake Junaluska. Speakers include Rev. Heidi B. Neumark and Dr. Clayton Smith. Entertainment includes “Acts of Renewal” – a husband and wife theatrical duo. 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/wisdom-and-grace.

POLITICAL • Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Bryson City) will hold town halls from 4-6 p.m. on June 1 (at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva) and June 29 (at the Swain County Administration Building in Bryson City).

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Glenville author A.J. Stewart, will present her novel Hey, Brother at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 1, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of Hey, Brother, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.

• A panel of contributors for the new book NOC Stories will host a presentation at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. NOC Stories describes the Nantahala Outdoor Center’s first 25 years, a time of explosive growth in whitewater sports and instruction. To reserve NOC Stories, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.

• Merrilee Bordeaux will hold poetry readings/book signings from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday June 9 at Hudson Library in Highlands and from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, at City Lights bookstore in Sylva.

KIDS & FAMILIES

May 30-June 5, 2018

• Mountain View Intermediate School will have a “Family Day” program on May 31. Event is from 911:30 a.m. for Cartoogechaye and from 1-3:30 p.m. for Iotla Valley.

• Free fishing days are scheduled for kids at the following dates, times and locations: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Cullowhee Creek (293.3053 or 557.0618); 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Cliffside Lake in Macon County (524.6441, ext. 421); 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on June 2 at Lake Powhatan in Buncombe County (877.3265); 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Cherokee Lake in Cherokee County (837.5152); 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Santeetlah Creek in Graham County (479.6431); 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at Max Patch Pond in Madison County (682.6146).

• A “Nature Nuts: Raising Trout” program will be offered to ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on June 4 and June 16 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• An “Eco Explorers: Stream Investigation” program will be offered to ages 8-13 on June 4 and June 16 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

Smoky Mountain News

• Registration is underway for the Macon County 4-H Poultry School, which runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on

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Saturday, June 9, in the Cooperative Extension Meeting Rooms in Franklin. For ages 5-18. Preregister in person or by mail. Info: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.

• Registration is underway for a Woodworking program through the Macon County 4-H running from 9 a.m.noon on June 12, 19 and 26 (for ages 7-9) and July 17, 24 and 31 (for ages 10-14) in Franklin. Cost: $25.

Preregister in person or by mail. Info: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.

• A “Snorkeling in the Stream” program will be offered to ages 8-up from 9 a.m.-noon on June 12 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• Registration is underway for Backstage at Highlands Playhouse for ages 9-up through the Macon County 4H. Program is set for 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on June 20.

Cost: $3. Preregister in person or by mail. Info: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.

• Registration is underway for “Beginning Sewing: Sew a Pillowcase” through the Macon County 4-H from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 21-22 at the Cooperative Extension meeting room in Franklin. For ages 8-18.

Cost: $8. Preregister in person or by mail. Info: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.

• Applications are being accepted for young entrepreneurs interested in sharing handmade products at the Many Cultures Day on Saturday, July 21, through Folkmoot. Deadline is Friday, June 15. Guidelines and applications: folkmoot.org/young-entrepreneurs. Info: 452.2997 or vendors@folkmoot.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Live Your Legacy Leadership Summit for Girls” that will be offered to rising 10th graders through college freshmen from June 17-23 at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Prepare for college, career, relationships and living a healthy and successful life. Registration info: camps.wcu.edu. Summit info: http://ibmee.org/liveyour-legacy-camp.

• “A Week in the Water” will be offered to ages 10-15 from 9 a.m.-noon on June 18-22 and June 25-29 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• Camp Folkmoot – “Hands Around the World” is open to dancers of all abilities, ages 10-17, and is scheduled for July 20 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center at Sam Love Queen Auditorium. Learn basic movements and concepts, gain appreciation for differences and similarities between cultures, create “Make-and-take” cultural crafts, participate in short performance with groups. $30 per camper: Info: elizabeth@foolkmoot.org.

Register: Folkmoot.org or 452.2997.

• Registration is underway for a “Basketball Shooting and Dribbling Camp” that will be offered from July 1619 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Led by Kevin Cantwell, former head coach at Appalachian State and associate head coach at Georgia Tech. $150 per person. 456.2030 or academy7@live.com.

• Registration is underway for a summer youth event at Lake Junaluska, geared toward grades 6-12, featuring Charlie Conder (speaker) and The Advice (worship band) as well as an outdoor movie, from June 24-27.

Register: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/summeryouth.

• Registration is underway for Youth Tennis Camps that will be offered this summer through the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. Juniors tennis camp is from 3-5 p.m. on July 16-20; Teen camps (ages 14-18) are from 3-5 p.m. on June 19-24.

Teacher is Rumi Kakareka, a certified teaching pro with 20-plus years of experience. Register: 703.966.7138 or rkakareka@me.com.

• The Summer Youth Filmmaking Experience, a twoweek intensive summer course for teenagers, will be offered in three different rotations this summer. Start dates are June 18, July 16 and Aug. 6. Cost: $495.

Students will direct, shoot and edit a 5-7 minute script of their choosing. www.ashevilleschooloffilm.com.

• Registration is underway for Camp WILD – a day camp for students entering seventh or eighth grade – from Aug. 6-9 with an overnight camping trip on Aug. 8. Presented by the Jackson County Soil & Water Conservation District. Registration deadline is July 1. $35 (scholarships available) To register: 586.5465 or janefitzgerald@jacksonnc.org.

• Registration is underway for a summer youth event at Lake Junaluska, geared toward grades 6-12, featuring Celia Whitler (speaker) and Abbye West Pates (worship band), from July 20-23. Register: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/summeryouth.

• Registration is underway for a summer youth event at Lake Junaluska, geared toward grades 6-12, featuring Kevin Wright (speaker) and Abbye West Pates (worship band) – as well as a special performance from illusionist Matt Adams along with a talent show - from July 23-27. Register: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/summeryouth.

• Registration is underway for a summer youth event at Lake Junaluska, geared toward grades 6-12, featuring Juan Huertas (speaker) and Jimmy Atkins (worship band) – as well as a special performance from illusionist Matt Adams along with a talent show and Sunday morning worship in Stuart Auditorium - from July 27-31. Register: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/summeryouth.

SUMMER CAMPS • Registration is underway for a summer youth event at Lake Junaluska, geared toward grades 6-12, featuring Andy Lambert (speaker) and Jimmy Atkins (worship band) from June 17-21. Register: 800.222.4930 or www.lakejunaluska.com/summeryouth.

Puzzles can be found on page 54.

These are only the answers.

KIDS FILMS • “Solo: A Star Wars Story” will be showing at 7 p.m.

May 30-31 and at 1 p.m., 7 p.m. & 10 p.m. on June 1, 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. & 10 p.m. on June 2, 1 p.m., 4

p.m., and 7 p.m. on June 3, and 1 p.m. June 4-8 at The Strand on Main in Waynesville. Check website for tickets, 38main.com.

• “James and the Giant Peach” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on June 1 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva.

Free. 586.2016.

• “A Wrinkle in Time” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on June 9 and 7 p.m. on June 10 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • The “Art After Dark” season will continue from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 1, in downtown Waynesville. Each first Friday of the month (May-December), www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

• The sixth annual Family Fun Event is scheduled for 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Bloemsma Barn in Franklin. Games, corn hole tournament, silent auction, activities and barbecue. Barbecue plate ($15), hot dog plate ($7), family meal ticket for two adults and four children ($45). Proceeds benefit the ministry and free services of the Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center. 349.3200 or smpcc.org.

• The “Franklin In Bloom” festival will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 2, in downtown. Children’s activities, garden tours, gardening demos, wildflower self guided walk, fairy gardens and homes, bee pollinators, reading in the garden, garden critters, “Make and Take” children’s activities and a “Garden Critters Hunt.” There will also be music, vendors, popcorn, garden arts/crafts for sale, and more. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• The Cherokee Bluegrass Festival will return June 7-9 at the Holiday RV Village and Campground in Cherokee.

The three-day event begins at noon Thursday, June 7, and goes until 10:30 p.m. daily. Open stage will be 11 a.m. to noon.

• Shows go on rain or shine under a large tent, with tickets available at the gate. Daily ticket prices are $40 for adults in advance until May 30, then $45 at the gate. A three-day adult ticket is $90 in advance and $95 at the gate. Children ages 7-15 are $15 per day or $45 for three days in advance and $50 at the gate. Children under age 7 are free when accompanied by parents. www.adamsbluegrass.com.

• The second annual Cold Mountain Music Festival will return June 8-9 to the Lake Logan Conference Center.

• The 21st annual Cherokee Voices Festival is scheduled for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 9 in Cherokee.

Cherokee crafts, dance, storytelling and more.

VisitCherokeeNC.com or 497.3481.

• Art in Monteith Park, a daylong arts and crafts festival, will celebrate the Appalachian Women’s Museum starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18, in Dillsboro.

More than 40 booths of handmade local arts and crafts; performances by The Maggie Valley Band and J.Creek Cloggers. Parking: $3. Info: artinmonteithpark@gmail.com or 586.3511.

FOOD & DRINK • “Karaoke Night for the Animals” is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at “The Gem” – Boojum Brewing’s downstairs bar and event space in Waynesville. Tickets: $20 (presale) or $25 (at the door). Food, entertainment and cash bar. Info: 246.9050 or visit Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation on Facebook.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “Million Dollar Quartet”, HART’s first all professional cast will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 31 and June 1-2, 7-9, and at 2 p.m. June 3 and 10. Harmons’ Den Bistro at HART is also open before all performances with a new menu. To make reservations for the show and the bistro, call 456.6322 or go online to www.harttheatre.org.

• The Highlands Cashiers Players presentation of “Some Enchanted Evening” Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on May 31-June 2; and Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. on June 3. Tickets: 526.8084 or highlandscashiersplayer.org.

• The Liberty Baptist Church Choir will have a concert at 6:30 p.m. on May 31 in the community room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 586.2016.

• The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday from June 2 through Aug. 18 at the Mountainside Theater in Cherokee. www.cherokeehistorical.org.

• Tickets are on sale now for “Lakeshore Goes Broadway” featuring the Lake Junaluska Singers at 6:30 p.m. on July 17-18 in the Harrell Center Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/singers.

SUMMER MUSIC

• The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series at The Village Green in Cashiers will be hosting Geoff McBride at 6:30 p.m. on June 1. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

• The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature The Upbeats (variety/rock) at 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 2, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin.

Food vendors will also be available. www.townoffranklinnc.com.

• Summer and Bray of Mountain Faith Band – as well as Hollerin’ Home - will perform at the sevent annual “Spring Into Summer” from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Bridge Park in Sylva. Brewdogz, bouncy house, face painting corn hole and more.

Hosted by the Jackson County Youth Leadership Council. 586.4009 or heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • “Turkey: A Partner in Crisis” – part of the “Discuss the World! Great Decisions series – will be held from 5:15-6:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 31, in the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net. Questions: dem32415@aol.com.

• The Gem & Mineral Society of Franklin meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 31, at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Guest speaker is Jeff Schlottman, a specimen and crystal collector with more than 25 years of experience.

• Summerhouse Pottery, LLC, will offer pottery classes for all ages starting in June. Kids Art Camp meets for a week in either June, July or August. For info, visit www.facebook.com/oursummerhousepottery or write: amydapore@gmail.com.

• “SING ALONGS” are scheduled for 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in June at the Macon County Library in Franklin. Info: CampFireChoirWNC@Gmail.com.

• “Let’s Talk About It” – a library discussion series exploring how selected books, films and poetry illuminate a particular theme – will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at the Waynesville Library auditorium. Focus is “Nothing Like It In The World: The Men Who Build the Transcontinental Railroad.”

• The Brasstown Woodturners Guild meets at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Hayesville High School.

Guest presenter is Harvey Meyer, who will demonstrate how to make a square platter. $10 per person.

706.896.9428 or 524.6282.

• Uptown Gallery in Franklin will host an “Encaustic Adventure” workshop by Karen Smith. Painting process uses pigments and wax applied to surfaces to achieve the final product. Workshop will be held on three Sundays, June 3, 17, 24 from 3 to 5 p.m. Cost is $125 for the three days including all materials.

Registration is required at the gallery. 349.4607, franklinuptowngallery@gmail.com or www.franklinuptowngallery.com.

• A Wire Art Jewelry Class will be offered from 12:30-3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, at the Jackson County Extension Office, which is located at 876 Skyland Drive, Ste. 6, in Sylva. Led by Lawrie Williams. $10.

Register: 586.4009.

• “Adventures in Acrylic Art Classes” will be offered by the Haywood County Arts Council from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on June 5, 12, 19 and 26 at the HCAC Gallery in Waynesville. 452.0593.

• Registration is underway for a Surface Design with Natural Dyes class that will be offered from 4:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays from June 5-July 24 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Cost: $377. Info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Concerts on the Creek will have Train (classic hits) at 7 p.m. June 1 at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. Free and open to the public. There will also be food trucks onsite. 586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.

• The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series at The Village Green in Cashiers will be hosting The Colby Deitz Band at 6:30 p.m. on June 8. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

May 30-June 5, 2018

• A Cherokee Story Telling/Drum Circle will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 1. Cherokee stories told by Lianna Constantino. Covered dish at 6 p.m.

Directions: 342.9274 or SandiDonn2@yahoo.com.

• The Concerts on the Creek will have The Dirty Soul Revival (rock/blues) at 7 p.m. June 8 at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. Free and open to the public. There will also be food trucks onsite. 586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.

wnc calendar

• Tickets are on sale now for Folkmoot: North Carolina’s International Folk Festival, which will be held from July 19-29. Schedule and tickets: www.folkmootusa.org or 452.2997.

• The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature The Seeds of Faith w/Curtis Blackwell, Conard Hefner & Friends (variety) at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin. Food vendors will also be available. www.townoffranklinnc.com.

• Bingo will be held at 6:30 p.m. on June 7, June 21, July 5, July 19, Aug. 9 and Aug. 23 at the Pavilion next to Maggie Valley Town. Sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association. Cash prizes; snacks available.

• “U.S. Global Engagement and the Military” – part of the “Discuss the World! Great Decisions series – will

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wnc calendar

be held from 5:15-6:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, in the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

Questions: dem32415@aol.com.

• A program on “Effective Communication and Conflict Management” will be offered from 1-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium.

Led by authors/podcast hosts Jacqui Letran and Joseph Wolfgram. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• The Western North Carolina Woodturners Club will meet at 10 a.m. on June 9 at the Bascom in Highlands.

• Registration is underway for an “Axe-Making Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 9-10 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $380; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Uptown Gallery in Franklin will host an Abstract Painting Workshop on Sunday, June 10 from 1 to 4 p.m.

The class will be guided by Pearl Tait in exploring a path to self-expression. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Bring your own materials of choice, preferably quick drying. Registration is required at the gallery. 349.4607, franklinuptowngallery@gmail.com or www.franklinuptowngallery.com.

• Uptown Gallery in Franklin will have a presentation by artist Jason Rizzo on Monday, June 11 about the preparation of artwork for sales and the process of exhibiting at shows. The program begins at 1 p.m. followed by The Macon County Art Association general meeting. This event is open to the public and refreshments will be provided. 349.4607, franklinuptowngallery@gmail.com or www.franklinuptowngallery.com.

May 30-June 5, 2018

• The Haywood County Arts Council will offer a Plein Air Sessions at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13, with featured artist Jo Ridge Kelley at Ironduff Farm in Waynesville. Opportunity to paint with professional and emerging artists. Reservations and payment due by June 6. $20. Info and reservations: 452.0593.

• “South Africa’s Fragile Economy” – part of the “Discuss the World! Great Decisions series – will be held from 5:15-6:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, in the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net. Questions: dem32415@aol.com.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host an “Artist Coffee & Chat” at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 14, at 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. Meet fellow artisans for a morning of camaraderie. RSVP by June 13: 452.0593.

Info: info@haywoodarts.org or www.haywoodarts.org.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Haywood County Arts Council will offer a “Paint & Wine Art Class” with local artist Joan Doyle from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, at 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. RSVP by June 12: 452.0593. Info: info@haywoodarts.org or www.haywoodarts.org.

50

• Registration is underway for a two-day Woodcarving class that will be offered by Dogwood Crafters Co-op from 1-5 p.m. on June 14-15 at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Led by Ron Yount. $20. Register by June 7.

586.2248.

• Registration is underway for a pine needle pin/pendant class that will be offered by Dogwood Crafters Coop from 1-4 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Led by Joyce Lantz. $10. Register by June 14. 586.2248.

• Registration is underway for a “Beginning Bladesmithing Class” that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 23-24 at Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $300; materials included. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.

• Registration is underway for a “Lichens of the Southern Appalachians” program scheduled for Aug. 4, through the Alarka Institute. Led by Jennifer Love.

Register: www.paypal.me/cedartree. Info: alarkaexpeditions@gmail.com, 371.0347 or alarkaexpeditions.com.

• Registration is underway for an “Armor Construction: Gothic Serman Helm (Sallet): class that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug. 4-5, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $390 (materials included).

Preregistration required: 631.0271 or www.JCGEP.org.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • The latest public art piece “The Plott Hound” is currently located in the mini-park in the Hazelwood Parking Area.

• The Haywood County Arts Council and local nonprofit REACH are co-sponsoring the latest exhibit “Freedom: An Artist’s Point of View.” The exhibit will run June 1-30 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showcase in downtown Waynesville. The artist reception will be held during Art After Dark from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 1, at Gallery & Gifts.

452.0593, email info@haywoodarts.org or visit www.haywoodarts.org.

• Local artist Melissa Enloe Walter will demonstrate her unique gold and silver leafing technique from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at the Haywood County Arts Council. www.haywoodarts.org.

• A new exhibit exploring the artistry, history and science behind the fragrance industry is open through Sept. 3 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville with opening celebrations planned for June 7-8. “Scent Soiree” is from 6:30-9 p.m. on June 7, featuring live music and “Sense Stations.” $100 for members; $125 nonmembers. Lecture by Dr. Richard Stamelman on the mysterious allure behind fragrances and the plants used to make them at 6 p.m. on June 8. Registration required. www.ncarboretum.org.

• Graduating students of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program will exhibit their best work at their graduate show through June 24 at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville. It’s open from 9 a.m.6 p.m. daily. Info: 627.4673 or creativearts.haywood.edu.

• The Haywood County Arts Council is accepting applications for its “HCAC Artist Member Show” exhibit scheduled for July. Applications: director@haywoodarts.org or www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Haywood County Arts Council is accepting applications for its “Art Share” exhibit scheduled for August. Applications: director@haywoodarts.org or www.haywoodarts.org.

FILM & SCREEN • “Monty Python & The Holy Grail” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on May 31 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• “Red Sparrow” will be shown at 7 p.m. on June 2 and 7:30 p.m. June 7 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

• “Annihilation” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on June 14 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free.

586.2016.

• “Tomb Raider” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on June 15 and 7:30 p.m. June 16 at the Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.2016.

Outdoors

• Suzanne Dixon, president and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, will deliver the keynote address celebrating the 50th anniversary of the

National Trails System Act at 6 p.m. on May 30 at the Cradle of Forestry amphitheater in Brevard.

• Cradle of Forestry in America will host an “In Search of Blue Ghosts Twilight Tour” from 8:30-10:30 p.m. on May 30-June 2, near Brevard. Tickets: $8 for ages 4-12; $16 for 13-up. Register: cradleofforestry.com/event/blue-ghost-tour.

• “Slingshots in the Smokies” – an annual slingshot owners event – is scheduled for through June 2 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. 561.351.9095 or www.slingshotroadsters.com.

• Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead a 1.5-mile “Wildfires to Wildflowers” round-trip to the Frying Pan Fire Tower at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 1. Meet at Milepost 409.6. Info: 298.5330, ext. 304.

• A 40-mile bike ride is scheduled for Friday through Sunday, June 1-3, leaving from the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Mills River. Hosted by the Adventure Bicycling Association. RSVP required: havenerk@gmail.com.

• A three-day paddle festival focused on helping female paddlers connect, share and paddle together is scheduled for Friday through Sunday, June 1-3, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center near Bryson City. $20. https://bit.ly/2rNesPG. • The Blackrock BioBlitz, a citizen-science program that pairs residents with more than a dozen expert naturalists, is scheduled for 9 a.m. on June 2 starting at Bryson Park in Sylva. Document the diverse natural communities of Sylva’s Pinnacle Park and its highest point, Blackrock Mountain. RSVP: mountaintrue.org/event/blackrock-bio-blitz.

• A picnic and expo will celebrate National Trails Day from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Panthertown Valley near Cashiers. Live music by Geoff McBride. www.panthertown.org.

• A work day on the Appalachian Trail is scheduled for 8:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, at Max Patch.

Hosted by Carolina Mountain Club. RSVP required: www.carolinamountainclub.org/eventform.cfm. Info: arriba2928@gmail.com.

• A “Women’s Intro to Fly-Fishing” class will be offered for ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 2 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• An “Introduction to Fly Fishing” program will be offered to ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 5 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• Boating Safety courses will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on June 5-6 at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

Room 3322; Building 3300. Must attend both meetings. Future offerings are July 9-10, Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 10-11. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org.

• A “Casting for Beginners: Level I” program will be offered to ages 12-up from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 8 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard.

Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• FUR will celebrate “Adopt A Cat Month” with a cat adoption day from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the sanctuary in Waynesville. $50 per adult; $65 per kitten.

844.888.CATS or furofwnc1@gmail.com.

• A Richland Creek Cleanup at Boyd Bridge is scheduled for 10:30-11:30 a.m. on June 9 starting at Waynesville Middle School parking lot. RSVP by June 7: Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 476.4667, ext. 11.

• Registration is underway for a Fly Rod Making class that will be offered from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 12-Aug. 7 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Cost: $360. Info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.

• Registration is underway for a “Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata) Field Trip,” scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 21, through the Alarka Institute. Cost: $35. Led by Jack Johnston. Register:

www.paypal.me/cedartree. Info: alarkaexpeditions@gmail.com, 371.0347 or alarkaexpeditions.com.

• Registration is underway for a “Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata) Field Trip,” scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 30, through the Alarka Institute. Cost: $35. Led by Jack Johnston. Register: www.paypal.me/cedartree. Info: alarkaexpeditions@gmail.com, 371.0347 or alarkaexpeditions.com.

FARM AND GARDEN • The N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund will hold a workshop from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 31, at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.

Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/y7293et3.

Info: www.ncadfp.org.

• Passes are on sale now for ASAP’s 10th annual Farm Tour, which is June 23-24. Discover over 20 Appalachian Grown family farms through guided tours, demonstrations, tastings and hands-on activities.

Each pass costs $30 in advance at asapconnections.org and admits one carload of visitors to all farms both days. On the weekend of the tour, passes cost $40 each. Info: 236.1282.

FARMERS MARKETS • “Locally Grown on the Green,” the Cashiers farm stand market for local growers, will be held from 3-6 p.m. every Wednesday at the Village Green Commons in Cashiers. info@villagegreencashiersnc.com or 743.3434.

• The Swain County Farmer’s Market is held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Friday through October on Island Street in downtown Bryson City. 488.3681 or chamber@greatsmokies.com.

• Jackson County Farmers Market runs from 9 to noon on Saturdays at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

• Waynesville Historic Farmers Market runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon at the HART Theater parking lot. waynesvillefarmersmarket.com • Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturdays through the end of October, on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software. 349.2049 or www.facebook.com/franklinncfarmersmarket.

• The ‘Whee Farmers Market, Cullowhee runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through the end of October, at the University Inn on 563 North Country Club Drive in Cullowhee. 476.0334 or www.facebook.com/CullowheeFarmersMarket.

• The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the end of October at 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville.

456.1830 or vrogers12@att.net.

HIKING CLUBS • Carolina Mountain Club will have an 8.3-mile hike with a 1,400-foot ascent on May 30 at Bridges Camp Gap. Info and reservations: 337.5845 or laurafrisbie@gmail.com.

• An eight-mile roundtrip hike is scheduled for Wednesday, May 30, to Charlies Bunion in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Leave at 7:30 a.m. from the Waynesville Recreation Center; return by 5:30 p.m. $12 for Rec Center members; $15 for nonmembers. 456.2030.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate fourmile hike with an elevation change of 750 feet on Saturday, June 2, to Kephart Prong in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Reservations and info: 524.5298.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have a 7.5-mile hike with a 1,800-foot ascent on June 3 at the Folk Art Center. Info: 243.3630 or rhysko@yahoo.com.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MarketPlace information: The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

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20’x20’

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ONE MONTH

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HAYWOOD CO. FAIRGROUNDS Lower Building, Sat. June 2nd from 7:00am to 1:00pm. This Estate Sale is Full of Household Treasures, Lots of Tools & Much More! Rain or Shine, there is Sure to be Something for Everyone!

Presented by Frog Pond Estate Sales & Downsizing

AUCTION AUCTION 160+ ACRE FARM Wednesday 5/30/2018 at 1:00pm in Lillington NC. Gorgeous farm overlooking the Cape Fear River with beautiful views, pasture & woodlands! See website JohnsonProperties.com or call 919.639.2231; NCAL7340 FABRIC AUCTION Over 15,000 Rolls of First Quality Home Decorative Fabrics up for Auction in Colfax, NC, Online Only, Begins Closing 6/13 at 12pm, ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL 3936 RESIDENTIAL LOTS In Seven Lakes West, NC. Online w/ Bid Center. Begins Closing 6/6/18 at 2pm. See Website for details and for Bid Center Location: www.ironhorseauction.com 800.997.2248 NCAL# 3936

AUCTION 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 $375 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

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING ALL THINGS BASEMENTY! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs!

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CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING ACORN STAIRLIFTS. The affordable solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1.855.808.9573 for FREE DVD and brochure.

GOT MOLDOr think you might have it? Mold can be hazardous to you and your family’s health! Get rid of it now!

Call our experts and get a quote today! 844.766.3858 SAPA CALL EMPIRE TODAY To schedule a Free in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring.

Call Today! 1.855.929.7756 DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included. Call for more information 800.807.7219 and for $750 Off. HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

PAINTING JAMISON CUSTOM PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING Interior, exterior, all your pressure washing needs and more.

Specialize in Removal of Carpenter Bees - Cedar or Log Homes or Painted or Siding!

Call or Text Now for a Free Estimate at 828.508.9727

WNC MarketPlace

CARS A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR For Breast Cancer! Help United Breast Foundation Education, Prevention, & Support Programs.

Fast Free Pickup -24 Hr ResponseTax Deduction 855.701.6346 AUTO INSURANCE Starting At $49/ Month! Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save! Call: 855.970.1224 CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!!

Top Dollar Offer! Free Towing From Home, Office or Body Shop. All Makes/Models 2000-2016. Same Day Pick-Up Available! Call Now: 1.800.761.9396 PAYING TOO MUCH FOR Car Insurance? Not sure? Want better coverage? Call now for a free quote and learn more today!

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May 30-June 5, 2018

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES HAVE AN IDEA For an invention/new product?

We help everyday inventors try to patent and submit their ideas to companies! Call InventHelp®, FREE INFO! 866.783.0557 SAPA NEW AUTHORS WANTED! Page Publishing will help you selfpublish your own book. FREE author submission kit! Limited offer!

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EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

AIRLINE MECHANIC TRAINING – Get FAA Technician certification.

Approved for military benefits.

Financial Aid if qualified. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866.724.5403 SAPA FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: DENTAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTOR & MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTOR. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer SAPA CAREER OPPORTUNITY Located in Busy Downtown Waynesville. Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent, or Willing to get Licensed Immediately.

Competitive Salary, Incentives, Bonuses & Benefits. Mon. - Fri. Work Week. Send Resume to: GEORGI.INSURANCEGROUP@ OUTLOOK.COM OWNER OPERATORS, DRIVERS, Fleet Owners for DEDICATED Local/ Regional routes. Weekly Settlements. Minimum 12 months 4853’ tractor trailer experience.

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HIGHLANDS INN LODGE Has Immediate Openings, Day & Night Shifts for a Frond Desk Associate, Housekeepers & Laundry Tenants. Come Join Our Team!

Send Resume to: Sabrina@highlandsinnlodge.com or apply in person 96 Log Cabin Ln., Highlands, NC 28741 DRIVE WITH UBER. No experience is required, but you'll need a Smartphone. It's fun and easy. For more information, call: 1.800.655.7452

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD IN BRYSON CITY Is Getting Ready for the 2018 Season! We are Hiring for First Class Server, Concession Staff, Parking Attendant, Ticket Agent, Reservationist, Cleaning Attendant, Show Conductor in Entertainment, Rear Brakeman in Operations & Property Maintenance Worker (year-round) Earn train passes, retail and food discounts, passes to area attractions and more!

Full Job Descriptions and Applications are Available at: www.gsmr.com/jobs If you would like to fill out an application in-person come to our Depot located at 226 Everett Street in Bryson City.

CAVALIER ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

GOT YOUR EARS ON? Find your next driver by advertising statewide in over 100 newspapers for only $375. Call Wendi Ray at NC Press Services for more info 919.516.8009. SAPA BROWN TRUCKING Is looking for COMPANY DRIVERS and OWNER OPERATORS. Brown requires: CDL-A, 2 years of tractor trailer experience OTR or Regional in the last 3 years, good MVR and PSP. Apply Online at: driveforbrown.com. Or Contact Brandon at 919.291.7416.

SAPA EARN $500 A DAY: Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Wants Insurance Agents • Leads, No Cold Calls • Commissions Paid Daily • Agency Training • Life License Required. Call Now 1.888.713.6020

HOMES FOR SALE BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578 SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your Mortgage? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL 844.359.4330

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Offering 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $420.00

We Are Offering 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting From $465.00

Section 8 Accepted - Rental Assistance When Available Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS:

OFFICE HOURS:

Tuesday & Thursday 8:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.

50 Duckett Cove Road, Waynesville, NC 28786

Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm 168E Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.456.6776 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.735.2962

Equal Housing Opportunity

Equal Housing Opportunity

Climate Control

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Sizes from 5’x5’ to 10’x20’

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Call:

828-476-8999

MaggieValleySelfStorage.com torry@torry1.com

52

EMPLOYMENT HOME WORKERS!!

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For More Details, Send $2.00 With A Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope to: Publishers Market Source, P.O. Box 1122, Merrillville, IN Zip Code 46411. SAPA

Torry Pinter, Sr. 828-734-6500

Find Us One mile past State Rd. 276 and Hwy-19 on the right side, across from Frankie’s Italian Restaurant

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

CREEKFRONT W/LOG CABIN 7.8 Acres in NC near TIEC. New 1400 sf cabin features screened porch, fpl, lg. deck, vaulted ceilings, hdwd floors. Horse Friendly. $189,900 CALL 828.286.1666 SAVE YOUR HOME! Are you behind paying your Mortgage? Denied a Loan Modification? Is the bank threatening foreclosure? CALL Homeowner’s Relief Line now! 844.359.4330

COMM. PROP. FOR RENT COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT On Russ Ave., Formally Used as a Real Estate Office. 1,852 sq. ft. $2,000/Mo., Private Parking Lot, High Traffic Count, City Water, Convenient To Maggie Valley & Waynesville. For more details please call Ron at 828.400.9029

VACATION RENTALS

BEACH VACATION SPECIAL Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Mention ad to receive an extra $25 off all vacation rentals. Near Myrtle Beach/Wilmington. Golf, fishing.

Family beach 800.622.3224 www.cookerealty.com SAPA

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.

FURNITURE HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240 KILL BED BUGS! Buy Harris Bed Bug Killers/KIT Complete Treatment System. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com SAPA

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

Berkshire Hathaway

Catherine Proben Cell: 828-734-9157 Office: 828-452-5809

• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

• • • •

74 N. Main St., Waynesville, NC

828.452.5809

Phyllis Robinson OWNER/BROKER

(828) 712-5578

lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

The Only Name in Junaluska Real Estate 91 N. Lakeshore Dr. Lake Junaluska 828.456.4070

www.LakeshoreRealtyNC.com Conveniently located in the Bethea Welcome Center

3/3, view, open floor plan $275,000 MLS#3310278

Call Rob Roland — 828-400-1923

rroland33@gmail.com • www.robrolandrealty.com

——————————————

GEORGE

ESCARAVAGE BROKER/REALTOR

—————————————— 28 WOODLAND ASTER WAY

ASHEVILLE, NC 28804

828.400.0901

• • • • • • • • •

ERA Sunburst Realty sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com • Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com

RE/MAX Executive

• • • •

GESCAR@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

beverly-hanks.com Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com George Escaravage - gescar@beverly-hanks.com Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com

•

remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com Holly Fletcher - hollyfletcher1975@gmail.com The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com Ron Breese - ronbreese.com Landen Stevenson Landen@landenstevenson.com Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com

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Super

54

RECREATIONAL MATHEMATICS ACROSS 1 Sovereign 9 “And on and on and on”: Abbr.

15 Like saltines 20 Fit to send via the postal service 21 Old-time comedian Russell 22 Designer Oscar de la — 23 Olive Oyl’s guy, to a math lover?

25 Hall’s partner in music 26 Chicken — 27 “Have — a deal for you!”

28 Increases, as debt 30 2011-15 speaker of the House 34 Huge grin, to a math lover?

38 Meditative discipline 39 “Oh really? — who?!”

41 Old Carl Sagan series 42 Guitarist Nugent 43 Layer with a “hole” in it 45 Hand lender 48 Narrow coastal inlet 49 R.E. Lee’s org.

52 Male Oscar category, to a math lover?

58 Cry audibly 59 Sir — Newton 60 One like the previous one 62 Suffix with leopard 65 Will subject 67 Lump of mayo, e.g.

69 Harsh in tone 70 “Les Miserables”

author, to a math lover?

73 More done than “bloody,” to a math lover?

75 Pretty up 76 Mimic 77 Ballpark bite 78 Casual greetings 79 Cry upon arriving 81 Air, as an oldie 82 Wallach of “The Misfits” 85 Spinning measure, to a math lover?

92 — while 93 Extra NBA periods 94 Petrol station name 95 “— Marner” 96 Stick on 99 Reporter, informally 102 South, south of the border 104 Tetra- + five 105 Protective spirit, to a math lover?

110 Motoring TV series 112 No fewer than 113 Burglarizes 115 Jerry’s uncle on “Seinfeld” 116 Certain floor specialist 117 1950 black-comedy film noir, to a math lover?

125 Lift with effort 126 Motionless 127 Talked nonsense 128 Pack-toting animals 129 Carmelite nun 130 Vampire novelist DOWN 1 Mini-demon 2 — Zedong 3 Domino spot

61 Deli breads 4 Pachyderms 62 “Well, Did You —?”

5 Silky fabric (Cole Porter tune) 6 Alpine goats 63 Nisan feast 7 Height stat 64 Win points 8 Utah City near Provo 66 SeaWorld killer whale 9 Belgian artist James 67 Outfits 10 Big name in breath 68 Peculiarity mints 71 Roman fountain 11 Tax doc. pro 72 Shallot’s kin 12 U.S. aliens’ subj.

73 — code 13 Hot brew 14 Storied duelist with a 74 Many moons 77 Mother bird big nose 80 Singer Morissette 15 Gators’ kin 81 Bow rub-on 16 Supply with a new 83 Guitarist Paul weapon 84 Freezing up 17 Have a hunch 86 City 18 Remington of 1980s 87 “— trap!”

TV 88 Beat big-time 19 Went by 89 Balm plant 24 Yolk’s place 90 Mama’s ma 29 Med. x-ray 91 Old overlord 30 Party abbr. about 96 Christie of mystery drinks 97 Import taxes 31 Seep 98 City in Texas 32 Huge heads 100 Annoys a lot 33 Get as profit 35 Classical column style 101 Way to leave 103 Arrive, as fog 36 “The ball — your 106 Christopher of court” “Superman” 37 Hi-tech ‘zine 107 Ventures 40 “Hush!”

108 Bunch of, informally 44 Tijuana “that” 109 Diminish 46 Prescription measure 111 Annoy 47 Lyric Muse 114 Mixer choice 50 Derision 118 Aztec cousin 51 Floral oil 119 “I’m cold!”

53 Rival of Lyft 120 View 54 — kwon do 121 It may dispense 1355 One-named Italian Down model 122 Old ring king 56 “Hey, I was thinking 123 Abbr. on a camcorder ...”

124 HST follower 57 Glossy proof

answers on page 48

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WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 48

Learning bird songs is an art unto itself

I

n the opaque early-morning light outside our bedroom windows, the birds that reside in our woods — or do we reside in their woods? — commence warming up for the day with tentative calls and whistles. The male cardinal seems to take the lead most mornings. Before long, however, the patterns arrange themselves into a tapestry of music.

Throughout the year male and female birds of the same species use various call notes to stay in contact with one another or as signals of alarm. For instance, male and female eastern towhees whistle a call that sounds like “tow-hee.” Therefore the common name.

During the breeding season, the male of the species makes the vocalization we recognize as song in order to establish a breeding territory, attract a female, and warn other males of the same or competing species out of that territory.

The male towhee’s song sounds for all the world like “drink-your-tea.” If you learn the phrases associated with specific calls and songs (“mnemonics” or memory devices), you will be able to identify birds readily whether you actually see them or not.

Some male birds can really sing. Rose-

BACK THEN breasted grosbeaks sound like robins that have had music lessons. (Scarlet tanagers, on the other hand, sound like robins with a sore throat.) In my opinion, winter wrens emit the most sensational bird vocalization in the southern mountains: a musical series of bubbling warbles and trills that may last for five seconds or more.

There are several bird songs that seem to mystify people.

You can hear their Columnist songs on a regular basis but never seem to locate the birds. I am invariably queried about these “mystery” songs each year. Two of the most common “mystery” birds of the southern mountains are the yellow-billed cuckoo and the ovenbird.

The yellow-billed cuckoo is a bird that is often heard but seldom seen. Along with the Swainson’s warbler, it is one of the most furtive birds that breeds in Western North Carolina. The cuckoo is known to farmers as the “rain crow” because its hollow, lowpitched “kowp, kowp, kwop, kwop” vocalizations are often sounded just before a sum-

George Ellison

Editor’s note: This column first appeared in a May 2009 issue of The Smoky Mountain News.

mer thunderstorm.

If you must see a yellow-billed cuckoo, sit down near a black cherry tree that contains tent caterpillar nests Yellow-billed cuckoo. and watch Donated photo for movement. You may well have to sit there for a good while — bring your lunch — but you may be rewarded with a fleeting glimpse of the bird described as “a wandering voiced.”

The ovenbird resembles a thrush but is actually a warbler with an orange crown. It nests on the ground in an oven-shaped nest.

All day long you can hear their rising “teachteach-teach” vocalizations without ever seeing the bird except, at best, as a flitting shadow.

Fred Alsop notes in his Birds of the Smokies (1991) that ovenbirds sometimes create a “vocal domino pattern,” when “the

singing of one territorial ovenbird often stimulates the adjacent territory holder to proclaim his presence, which induces a third male to announce that he is still on station, which may cause other males to follow suit or hand the challenge back to the original singer.”

There are many CD and cassette guides to bird calls and songs. Although I don’t recommend the two-volume Stokes Field Guide to Birds (1996) by Donald and Lillian Stokes as an everyday field guide, I do recommend Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs (Time-Warner Audio Books, 1997) by Lang Elliott with Donald and Lillian Stokes. This 3-CD boxed set provides precise call and song recordings of 372 species. The 64-page band location booklet that comes with the set also provides one of the best listing of the “mnemonic” phrases used to recognize bird vocalizations that I am aware of.

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer.

He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

May 30-June 5, 2018 Smoky Mountain News 55

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Smoky Mountain News May 30-June 5, 2018