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June 6-12, 2018 Vol. 20 Iss. 2

Dwarfs wrestle with perception, performance Page 6 Farmers take stock after record-breaking rains Page 42

CONTENTS On the Cover: The second annual Cold Mountain Music Festival will return to Lake Logan this weekend featuring Shovels & Rope, The Steel Wheels, River Whyless, Jon Stickley Trio and Mandolin Orange. 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. (Page 26)

News State budget aims to deliver more for less ................................................................3 Franklin board fights over bathroom options ..............................................................4 Dwarfs wrestle with perception, performance ............................................................6 ‘Sore loser’ bill would block ballot access ..................................................................9 Jackson votes in favor of Blackrock conservation ..................................................10 Swain County to receive remaining settlement funds ..........................................12 Jackson wrestles with budget crunch ........................................................................13 Cherokee votes no on alcohol ......................................................................................14 WCU celebrates steam plant funding ........................................................................16 Business News ..................................................................................................................21

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Lake J eagles ......................................................................................................................55

June 6-12, 2018

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A sound decision and a wise investment ..................................................................22

Farmers takes stock after record-breaking rains ....................................................42

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SUBSCRIPTIONS SUBSCRIPTION:

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

State budget aims to deliver more for less E

remain unchanged at $134.6 million, $38.8 million and $89.7 million, respectively. For the fifth consecutive year, teachers will receive a pay raise averaging 6.5 percent, helping to bring lagging compensation better into line with other states. Principals, too, can look forward to a $3,150 pay raise. Although only a quarter of the amount proposed by Gov. Cooper in his budget, $35 million will also be included to bolster school safety. The money will be spent on grants to fund school resource officers ($12 million), nurses, counselors and mental health professionals ($10 million) physical security ($3 million) and a computer application that will let students anonymously report threats ($5 million). The state’s Department of Health and Human Services is slated for a small spending increase; although appropriations for adult and aging services are flat, substantial increases are slated for child development and early education ($10 million), Smart Start family support activities ($3 million), pre-kindergarten ($9 million) and subsidized child care ($4 million).

Largely seen as a hindrance to economic development, especially in rugged and rural Western North Carolina, the lack of broadband is finally garnering meaningful attention in the General Assembly.

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2017-2018 2018-2019 Education .............................................$13,061,993,972 .......................$13,759,414,134 Health and human services ...................5,253,299,542 ...........................5,353,212,884 Justice and public safety........................2,701,955,002 ...........................2,793,474,065 Highway fund .........................................2,190,963,770 ...........................2,224,500,000 Reserves and debt service.......................914,092,325 ..............................908,342,341 Ag., natural & economic resources..........566,297,278 ..............................602,768,253 General government.................................405,374,312 ..............................434,761,075 Information technology ..............................51,500,00 .................................61,893,631

program, which will drop from $300.8 million to $296.9 million. Justice and public safety spending is also set for a small increase, adding $1 million to the $121 million already earmarked for indigent defense, a 4 percent salary increase for corrections officers and $15 million in security enhancements for state prisons, and a new $44,000 entry-level salary for state troopers who’ll end up making more than $64,000 after six years of service. But it’s perhaps the Department of Natural and Economic Resources that takes the most substantial hit — funding for the Department of Labor, which is charged with ensuring the safety and well-being of workers, is flat from the previous year, while the Department of Environmental Quality will lose more than $1 million (about 1.5 percent) and the Wildlife Resources Commission will lose 3.1 percent. Other budget items of note include a new base salary for all state employees of $31,200 as well as a 2 percent raise for most other employees, and a small cost of living increase for retirees. There’s also another $60 million in disaster relief funds, bringing the state’s total allocation to more than $360 million since the fall, 2016, Hurricane Matthew brought destruction and flooding to vast swaths of the eastern portion of the state. Largely seen as a hindrance to economic development, especially in rugged and rural Western North Carolina, the lack of broadband is finally garnering meaningful attention in the General Assembly. In one of the most lauded appropriations of the budget, lawmakers will make $10 million in matching grants available to expand broadband access to rural customers. The Federal Communications Commission says that more than 640,000 residents of the state don’t have access to broadband; according to the N.C. Office of Broadband Infrastructure, drilling through local granite is far more expensive than the earthmoving required in the Piedmont of on the coastal plain, with costs topping out at $50,000 per mile.

Companies can submit proposals that are scored based on connection speeds, number of customers served and number of medical or educational facilities that would be able to take advantage of telemedical or telelearning advances that come with higher connection speeds. Rep. Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, touted the broadband funding grant that will help his region as well as other funding included in the proposed state budget to help the counties he represents. Some of those items include a $15,000 grant for Jackson County to install cameras for the Pinnacle Point running trail; $15,000 for HVAC replacement at the Pigeon Multicultural C o m m u n i t y Development Center in Waynesville; $15,000 each for Haywood and Jackson EMS; $10,000 for opioid abuse and drug enforcement in Rep. Mike Clampitt Swain County; $100,000 for Cullowhee Volunteer Fire Department an $15,000 for Bryson City Police Department K9 Transport Unit. “I am very grateful to the legislative leadership for allowing me to state the case for funding of certain items in District 119. These items will be carry a short and long term benefit for an area that has been too long neglected and overlooked,” Clampitt said. As to the criticism Republicans received regarding the budget process, Clampitt said the fact is that more than 90 percent of the decisions in this year’s budget were set in motion by last year’s budget, when a two-year budget was passed covering 2017-19. “To say there was no input as to what went into the budget is just not honest,” he said. “Democrat and Republican members went to the leadership with requests for certain budget items, and all of them were given proper consideration. Those requests came from various sources, whether it was the county commissioners, city councils, sheriffs, mayors, and other various local government entities… the same as it always does.”

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Mark Jewell, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said the state budget for public education was only a mere 0.6 percent increase over what had already been approved. “With the passage of the General Assembly’s budget, this generation of students will miss out on an opportunity to make significant investments in their future. This budget also continues to leave our experienced educators behind with salary increases that may cover little more than a tank of gas each month and shortchanges the lowest paid public school personnel by leaving them off the new minimum salary schedule for state employees,” he said. “Gov. Cooper put forward a budget that values our students, educators, and families while this General Assembly continues to prioritize corporate board rooms over classrooms with massive corporate tax cuts instead of investments in our public schools.” Women, infants and children will see a slight reduction in appropriations to the WIC

CHANGES IN N.C. BUDGET SPENDING

June 6-12, 2018

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ven though the process by which legislative changes to North Carolina’s $23 billion 2018-19 budget were made — shutting out Democrats by limiting floor debate and skipping right to the yea-or-nay vote — that budget now sits on Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. The question of whether or not he will sign it into law is mostly moot, considering both the veto-proof Republican majority in the General Assembly and the pride Western North Carolina’s legislative delegation takes in the proposal. “We’re doing more while cutting taxes. We’re implementing Rep. Michele basic economic princiPresnell ples, and it’s working,” said Rep. Michele Presnell, RBurnsville. “Imagine that.” Taxpayers, according to Presnell, will keep more of their hard earned money, with a 2.5 percent decrease in the state income tax rate. Almost 99 percent of taxpayers will pay lower or no state income taxes at all in 2019, as the amount of untaxable income — which has tripled since 2011 — rises to $20,000. The N.C. Justice Center was not pleased with the final budget proposal, calling it a “new low” for the state. As a result of Republicans wanting to bring income tax rates down to zero, Alexandra Sirota, director of the Budget & Tax Center, said every day families would pay the price. “They raided federal money intended to extend the reach of programming to young children, and they cut off rural counties with high poverty from tools to revitalize. They failed to put state dollars toward health care as needed, and they earmarked millions for special interests rather than invest in services for all,” she said. “They missed the chance to make genuine progress on investing in each child’s education. This new low is a missed opportunity for our state, made worse by the fact that they kept in place $900 million in new tax cuts that will begin in January 2019 and force more bad choices in the future.” On the expenditures side, many items remain the same as in the previous year, but there have been some slight changes relevant not only to people across the state, but also to people across WNC. Education spending is up almost $700 million from the previous year, a jump of almost 5 percent. Of that, almost $400 million is appropriated specifically for public instruction. Universities, however, saw little increase in funding as a whole. In the western part of the state, budgets for Appalachian State, UNCAsheville and Western Carolina University

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news

Pickin’ potties Franklin council debates best bathroom options for events BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR empers flared at the Franklin Town Council meeting Monday night as board members tried to find a solution to a public bathroom dilemma for its summer Pickin’ on the Square series. Some councilmembers wanted to place a town police officer at the courthouse bathrooms so they could continue using the facilities while Mayor Bob Scott insisted bathroom patrol was demoralizing for the town’s highly trained law enforcement officers. He suggested renting Port-a-Johns instead. “The past two Pickin’ events we’ve had Port-a-Johns and there were no complaints about not being able to use the courthouse bathrooms,” he said. While the town has traditionally utilized the public restroom facilities at the county courthouse during the Friday night music event at the town square, the town learned a few weeks ago that would no longer be an option due to county security concerns. It was the town’s understanding that the courthouse bathrooms would now be locked up after 5 p.m. and other bathroom facility options for the community needed to be explored. Also in the midst of the 2018-19 budget process, the council was considering budgeting $23,000 for the purchase a portable bathroom trailer to have at events. Scott was adamantly against the purchase, saying he couldn’t justify spending $23,000 on a portable toilet trailer when the town was looking at increasing taxes by 4 cents this year and the town maintenance crews were in dire need of a new vehicle. He suggested the town continue to rent Port-aJohns every Friday night for the event at a cost

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Pickin’ on the Square is held every Friday night during the summer at the Franklin Town Square. Donated photo of $160 for two units. In addition to the $23,000 price tag, Scott said the trailer would also have to be hauled in and out every Friday by an employee and that employee would have to be paid overtime. It would also have to have a tag and title and regular maintenance — costs Scott said could be $8,000 a year. “I don’t know where the $8,000 figure comes from,” Councilmember Joe Collins said to Scott. “You’re coming up with numbers I don’t believe.” Councilmember Dinah Mashburn told the board Monday night that she had found a more permanent solution after reaching out to county officials that would take the portable toilet trailer option off the table. After reaching out to Commissioner Ronnie Beale, Mashburn said she was told it was Superior Court Judge William H. Coward who had ordered the restrooms be locked after office hours for security reasons. Beale told Mashburn he would discuss the issue with County Manager Derek Roland and Judge Coward and get back to her.

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Beale came back with a compromise approved by Coward — the town could use the courthouse bathrooms during Pickin’ on the Square as long as the town could station a Franklin Police officer at the bathrooms inside the building for security and pay the county $150 to make security improvements inside the bathroom facilities. With that being the cheapest and easiest option, Mashburn recommended use of the county bathrooms and placing an officer inside the building instead of outside the building. “Given what Dinah presented, we should go with the county bathrooms. That’s a very clear choice,” said Collins. The town already pays an officer $56 a night for security during Pickin’ on the Square, but Scott said he wasn’t willing to make a trained law enforcement officer stand by the bathrooms all night to be on “potty patrol” instead of monitoring the crowd as originally intended. Mashburn argued that Pickin’ on the Square didn’t have a police presence for

many years with no incidents. “Pickin’ on the Square has grown exponentially in the last few years,” Scott said, adding that he hadn’t seen Mashburn at the event in years. “I take offense to you saying that about me not going to Pickin’ — all I did was reach out for a solution with the county,” Mashburn said. Councilmember David Culpepper said he agreed that an officer shouldn’t just be standing by the bathrooms all night. “I am very hesitant to host an event with a uniformed officer on bathroom patrol,” he said. “They should be walking around inspecting the large crowd. If the judge will let them walk around and check on bathrooms every once and a while I’d be OK with that.” Since it’s a county building, Scott asked why the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office couldn’t have one of its deputies patrol the bathrooms. He also questioned why the town should have to pay $150 to better secure the county court-

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Smoky Mountain News

June 6-12, 2018

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Franklin approves tax increase

office hours Monday through Friday when anyone from the public can walk in and use the facilities. “They are in the process of changing that,” Mashburn said. Trying to end the bickering, Collins made a motion to approve the 2018-19 budget and it was approved unanimously. While some board members were trying to delay a vote on the bathroom issue, Collins then made a motion to use the courthouse bathrooms in accordance to Judge Coward’s request to place an officer at the door and to pay the county $150. The motion passed 4-to2 with Culpepper and Councilmember Brandon McMahan opposing.

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Beef vs Broccoli - Fake News? Recently an infographic appeared on social media showing a cube of cooked meat on the end of a fork next to a small floret of broccoli on the tines of an adjacent fork. The text questioning "Do you really need to eat meat to get protein?" and showing amount of protein in in 100 calories of beef vs 100 calories broccoli and that there is more protein in 100 calories of broccoli. This is not exactly the whole truth and definitely not an accurate visual representation.

Here's the truth: 1.5 oz of cooked beef =106 calories & 11g protein - this would be the size of a small cube of beef. 4 cups chopped RAW broccoli =124 calories & 10.4g protein 2 cups cooked broccoli =108 calories & 8 grams protein. It doesn't have to be battle between broccoli and beef and we don't have to try and fool people with fake information to get them to eat broccoli. Both beef and broccoli have great nutrients beyond protein. • Beef is good source of iron and zinc. • Broccoli is a source of fiber, beta carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin C. Besides tofu, tempeh, beans and lentils, if you are specifically looking for items in the PRODUCE section that are a good source of protein: Corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Almost 5 grams of protein in 1 ear of corn Potato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 grams of protein in 1 medium baked potato Spinach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 grams in 1 cup of cooked spinach Peas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 grams in 1 cup of cooked peas Sources: Vegetarian Resource Group: "Protein in the Vegan Diet" www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php and Self Nutrition Data nutritiondata.self.com/

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house bathrooms. After more squabbling back and forth, Councilmember Barbara McRae suggested the board go ahead and adopt the budget and decide later which direction to go with the bathrooms. “We can vote on the budget but I don’t want this to keep rocking for weeks and months — the judge has spoken and we need to make a decision,” Mashburn said. Scott asked Police Chief David Adams how his officers would feel about guarding bathrooms for several hours. Adams said he hadn’t discussed it with his officers yet. However, he did point out that those bathrooms aren’t even guarded during

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June 6-12, 2018

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR he Franklin Town Council unanimously approved its 2018-19 budget on Monday night, which includes a 4-cent property tax increase for its residents. The town’s total budget is just under $9 million. With the property tax increase, the town’s millage rate will increase from 28 cents to 32 cents per every $100 of assessed value. For example, a homeowner with a house valued at $100,000 will now pay about $320 a year in property taxes instead of $280 a year. This is the first tax increase the town has had in the last several years. Only two people spoke during the public hearing prior to the budget being passed. Franklin resident Angela Moore, who has made a few unsuccessful runs for a town council seat, made suggestions of where the board could cut expenses in order to keep the tax rate the same. “The town has decided to raise taxes by 14.3 percent after raises of 4 to 8 percent over the last six to eight years,” she said. “When you look at what taxes were several years ago it’s a significant raise.” Moore said she knows cutting a budget can be difficult, but that it’s necessary given how much debt the town has to pay off. The town has $170,931 budgeted for general debt service and another $22,051 in interest payments. It also has about $75,000 budgeted for fire debt service and about $1 million in debt for a new water and sewer plant project. “There are lots of projects everyone wants to do but we are in a huge amount of debt — we’re paying $225,000 a year in interest to debt service,” Moore said. “We have to stop taking on new projects.” Moore said the town should also cut out expenses associated with tourism-related events like Pickin’ on the Square, Fourth of July fireworks and other town-funded festivals and hand that responsibility over to the Tourism Development Authority. Once again Moore asked the town to stop designating $40,000 a year in the budget for nonprofit funding. Each year, commu-

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Nonprofit funding could be cut next year

nity nonprofits providing services in Franklin apply for up to $5,000 grants from the town’s nonprofit pool and the town selects which agencies receive funding. Moore said it isn’t fair to take money from the taxpayers to give to charities they may or may not want to support. “I don’t get a say in where y’all donate my taxes and that’s just not OK,” she said. “Particularly in light of the fact you can’t pay your bills without raising taxes.” Councilmember Adam Kimsey said although a tax increase is scary, the town has to provide services and has to complete certain capital projects. “Those projects need to be done and the cost doesn’t get any cheaper,” he said. Kimsey added that he agreed the council needed to take a closer look at how the nonprofit funds are being spent. Mayor Bob Scott agreed, saying that many municipalities have stopped providing funds to nonprofits all together because of legality issues. “For the most part I’m conformable enough with it, but appreciate Angela’s comments,” said Councilmember Joe Collins. “I’m OK with Pickin’ (on the Square) because I can look at it as economic development. I’m OK with paying interest because you can’t build big things by paying it out of your back pocket. But I have a little angst about the nonprofit funding because there is an opportunity for us to choose what the citizens put their money towards. I do see the other side of it.” Councilmember Barbara McRae said the town should proceed with the nonprofit funding this year and closely examine it next year. “I don’t have a philosophical problem with it — they can provide the service much cheaper than the town could if we wanted to provide that service but we do need to make sure everyone is meeting that standard,” she said. Councilmember David Culpepper said he didn’t think there was a way to avoid a tax increase for this year, but would like to see the board start the budget review process earlier next year and think more long-term when it comes to funding projects. The 2018-19 budget passed unanimously.

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news June 6-12, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

NO SMALL FEAT: Dwarfs wrestle with perception, performance

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER erhaps not unique in that the reasons for both its popularity and its controversy are intertwined like the limbs of two grapplers struggling to gain the advantage, dwarf wrestling provides jobs where they’re scarce, boosts local economies with events and promotes positive examples of how dwarfs aren’t so different from their average-sized peers. Not everyone, however, sees it that way. People of short stature — another preferred term is “dwarf,” plural “dwarfs” — have struggled for centuries against misinformation and discrimination, and one major interest group says the sport evokes the “days of the traditional sideshow and freak show.” But as far apart as the two sides of this issue may now appear, like any good twist at the end of a professional wrestling story arc, it turns out that instead of going to the mat over this beef, the two sides could instead end up together, as tag team champions.

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midst all the challenges faced by dwarfs, perception is perhaps the greatest. “I think that we worry so much about how we are portrayed overall, [dwarf wrestling] just doesn’t help,” said Michelle Kraus, advocacy director for the Little People’s Association. “I don’t think it’s a portrayal or a representation that’s positive.” Legendary Hollywood actor Billy Barty founded the Little People’s Association in 1957. Over his nearly 70-year career, Barty 6 was a first-call dwarf who appeared in well-

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known movies featuring little people, like “Willow” and “Under the Rainbow.” Barty mostly portrayed impish jesters in comedic relief roles, but even played babies, appearing as one at age 11 in the 1935 Boris Karloff film “The Bride of Frankenstein.” The first organization in North America for dwarfs, the LPA now boasts almost 7,000 members in 70 chapters across the 50 states. In addition to celebrating the diversity little people bring to communities, the group also “strives to bring solutions and global awareness to the prominent issues affecting individuals of short stature and their families.” That awareness starts with the condition itself, which is widely misunderstood. Dwarfism is defined by the LPA as “a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4’10” or shorter.” The average adult height is about 4 feet, but can range from less than 3 to almost 5, in both men and women. The most common cause of dwarfism is a genetic condition known as achondroplasia, which results in shorter arms and legs than usual, but there are a number of semi-related medical conditions like abnormal bone growth or hormonal deficiencies that also result in reduced height. As many as 1 in 10,000 newborns are affected by more than 200 different diagnoses that produce dwarfism, and more than 8 in 10 have parents and siblings of average height. Most dwarfs can look forward to reasonably good quality of life considering the myriad medical issues that often accompany the condition; intelligence, lifespan and reproductive development are usually normal, and while it

does vary on a case-by-case basis, dwarfs can even have children of average stature. In a couple where both members have achondroplasia, for example, each member has one dwarfism gene and one for average stature. After genetic mingling, there’s a 25 percent chance the child will inherit both “average” genes and grow to average height, but also a 25 percent chance the child will inherit both achondroplasia genes and die before or shortly after birth. That leaves a 50 percent chance the child, like the parents, will be born with the condition, which isn’t strictly considered a disability, but is associated with some disabling mobility effects and is covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The LPA does point out that even the healthiest of dwarfs deals daily with situations — like accessing an ATM — that can certainly make it seem like a disability, but many dwarfs are active and athletic and can

participate in sports like bicycling or swimming. There’s even a Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA), which organizes competitions at Little People of America’s annual convention. Wrestling isn’t one of them. t took 14 years, but 27-year-old Mississippi native Jacob Brooks is now living his dream as a professional wrestler. “When I started out, I got paid hot dogs,” said Brooks, better known as Lil’ Show the Redneck Brawler. “I was lucky if I got gas money. Nachos. Mountain Dew. Then I started getting bumped up to $25, and then $50, and then $75. It took a long time to make what I’m making now. It took a long time.” Even after five knee surgeries, Lil’ Show still does 200 shows a year with the Cincinnati-based promotion Micro Wrestling Federation, which will visit the Haywood County Fairgrounds on Sunday, June 10. “I got really lucky,” he said. “I feel like I’m blessed because I get to go to work and I get to do a job that I love to do instead of going to a job that I hate like so many average other people.” Jack Hillegass, who is not a dwarf, has owned the Micro Wrestling Federation for about a decade. “I used to be a supervisor at UPS and I was running a Chippendales show back in the early ‘90s,” Hillegass said. “I was running 200 shows a year across the country.” That expanded into booking comedy reviews and other common nightclub fare, but after running into a little person named P.O.D. [Pissed Off Dwarf] who happened to be a wrestler, Hillegass saw the potential in the business. “I had a database of thousands of clubs and I thought, wow I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said. “I was sick and tired of male strippers, and I hated comedians because the comedians are bigger bitches than the strippers were, bitching about this, bitching about that.” Hillegass began booking P.O.D. and saw immediate success. “He was used to doing 20 to 25 shows a year,” he said. “When I took over the first year, I booked 65 for him.” That expanded to 150 shows the next year, when P.O.D. sold the company to Hillegass. Since then, it’s done nothing but grow. “I won’t even take nightclub bookings anymore,” he said. “We were doing 300, maybe 400 people a night, but some of these fairgrounds average between 1,000 and 2,000 people.”

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“I feel like I’m blessed because I get to go to work and I get to do a job that I love to do instead of going to a job that I hate like so many average other people.” — Jacob Brooks (left), “Lil’ Show the Redneck Brawler”

In an entrepreneurial sense, there’s no longer a middleman between Hillegass and fans of the sport. “There’s two kinds of nightclub owners, stingy ones and broke ones, and my show is way too expensive to be arguing and fighting over drinks and money,” he said. “So now what I’ve been doing is I just book my own venues and do my own promotion.” His company employs upwards of 15 people, including stagehands and a rotating stable of dwarf wrestlers. “I keep them all out on the road for six to eight weeks at a time,” he said. “I fly them in, we tour in a 31-foot RV with a 14-foot trailer, and I fly them home. I try to get them home as much as possible. A lot of these kids have families and kids of their own and a home life. They’re not going to be any good to me, or my company or to themselves in this profession if I can’t make their home life happy. They’re all making plenty of money.” Plenty of money and, like Lil’ Show, living the dream. One dwarf ’s dream, however, can easily be another dwarf ’s nightmare — Lil’ Show recalls an incident in which he was confronted by another dwarf about his occupation; she asked him why he was degrading himself. “I said, number one it’s how I put food on the table for my family,” he said. “And two, I’m going out there proving that we can do the same things the big guys can do, if not better.”

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— Michelle Kraus, advocacy director for the Little People’s Association

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5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 10 Haywood County Fairgrounds Tickets start at $20 each www.eventbrite.com/e/all-ages-microwrestling-at-haywood-county-fairgrounds-june-10-tickets-45689209656

“I booked a fairgrounds in Port Charlotte, Florida,” he said. “The minute that I put this up on the fairgrounds page, it sold 200 tickets. It went that fast. No advertising whatsoever.” But then came an email from the fairgrounds authority referencing a complaint by a woman who called the performance discriminatory and a “hate crime.”

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the “m-word” is not so far removed from the collective cultural lexicon as to have yet become obscure, which is why the LPA issued a statement in 2015 denouncing the word. “The term dates back to 1865, the height of the ‘freak show’ era, and was generally applied only to short-statured persons who were displayed for public amusement, which is why it is considered so unacceptable today,” reads the LPA’s website. That’s a major reason why the LPA also denounces what used to be — and still is, in many cases — called “midget wrestling.” “It perpetuates the stereotype of a person with dwarfism being somebody whose purpose is to entertain,” Kraus said. “Like a jester or somebody who is not necessarily thought about or looked at as a person that is multidimensional or that they’re a person of short stature who because of their short stature is there to entertain.” Whatever others may choose to call it, the LPA still calls it harmful. “With micro-wrestling or midget wrestling, there is somewhere a diminutive [descriptor] that describes the wrestler,” said Kraus. “Language has been very important to the LPA. It’s something we wanted to bring awareness to, the word ‘midget.’ It for some period of time was thought of as OK. We don’t think that’s OK and we don’t think any word describing us in a pejorative or dehumanizing way is OK.” The LPA’s website even includes a “toolkit” of sorts designed to help people of all sizes protest such events when they come to town. Included are talking points that point out that events are “defined by marketing little

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June 6-12, 2018

raus and the LPA are clear that they don’t oppose Lil’ Show’s choice to perform as a wrestler, but aren’t exactly pleased with what they say are the effects of that choice on the dwarf community as a whole. “I think there’s many things that little people do that could show that we are just like everybody else and that’s just like working in the regular world, or driving, or getting married, having kids, owning a house. I mean, they’re just sort of regular mainstream things. We do not stand in judgment, and we cannot tell people what they can and cannot do. We don’t think less of anybody who chooses to engage in this and do this as either sport or for their livelihood,” she said. “We would advocate that there would be more employment or livelihood opportunities for little people than just the stereotypical leprechauns or elves at Christmas.” The LPA’s advocacy over perception isn’t new; the group took a strong stance against “dwarf tossing” in the late 1980s and even petitioned the United States Department of Agriculture to revise standards regarding the labeling of several varieties of processed raisins in 2013. The problem? The “m-word.” According to the LPA’s website, “The word ‘midget’ is used as a derogatory slur to refer to people of short stature. Whether or not the intention of using the word is to bully and to demean, or just as a synonym for small, the term has been deemed a slur by those within the community and should be eliminated accordingly.” After a membership survey, the LPA said that 90 percent of its members “prefer to be referred to as dwarfs, little people, people of short stature or having dwarfism, or simply, and most preferably, by their given name.” Even though considered offensive by most,

“It perpetuates the stereotype of a person with dwarfism being somebody whose purpose is to entertain, like a jester or somebody who is not necessarily thought about or looked at as a person that is multidimensional.”

people as an entertainment spectacle” and reinforce stereotypes. “Some people argue this issue is about choice,” the guide says. “The wrestlers have made the decision of their own free will to participate in the event. Yet, the choice the wrestlers make doesn’t only impact them. It impacts thousands of other little people and their families who are forced to address the stigma related to dwarfs being used as entertainment because of their physical stature.” But talk is nothing without action, and the guide goes on to suggest that protestors contact one of 13 local LPA chapters and then work in concert to write letters to newspapers and the venue demanding performances be cancelled, using social media hashtags like #DwarfPride to help spread the word. “I don’t have to deal with it that often,” Hillegass said. “Every now and again someone will be like, ‘Oh you’re exploiting these people,’ and I’ll say, ‘Yeah, I dragged them over here on a boat from a foreign island and they’re stuck in a room being taught how to do headlocks and armbars.’ How can you exploit people that are doing what they love?” Lil’ Show agrees with Hillegass. “I love what I do and I don’t feel exploited,” he said. “If I did I probably wouldn’t do it. I don’t feel it. I’ve never felt it. When I’m in that ring, I feel adrenaline. I don’t feel nothing else. I feel sorry for my opponents sometimes, but that’s about it.” Still, there appears to be a fair bit of hypocrisy in how Hillegass and his wrestlers are viewed.

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“Is it discriminatory that Vern Troyer was in a movie with Austin Powers sitting in a knapsack, on his back, being Mini Me?” Hillegass asked. “Why aren’t they saying that’s discriminatory? And they’re coming to our show saying it’s a hate crime? Come on now.” Hillegass said that even online coupon site Groupon refuses to do business with him, but hasn’t exactly said why, even though it does promote events similar to the Chippendales shows he used to work. “Midget wrestling has a negative connotation,” Hillegass said. “I hate it when I call people, trying to book a show and they say, “Oh, midget wrestling, that’s funny, ha ha.’ I say, ‘Why does that sound funny to you?’ Not one part of the show pokes fun at them for being little. When people come to the show I tell them they’re about to see athleticism on display, and they’re going to walk out of there with a newfound respect from what they’re about to witness.” That respect stems not only from the incredible skill required to become a professional wrestler, but also the fact that none of the wrestlers in Hillegass’ operation started off with the same opportunities as other wrestlers of average size did. “The people that work on our shows are disadvantaged people in life that are living their dreams,” he said. “These kids grew up and from the moment they were born they were told ‘Hey you’re not going to be able to do this, you’re not going to be able to do that, the professional world is probably going be off-limits for you,’ and now all of a sudden there’s a company like mine that doesn’t use the term ‘midget’ and is only promoting the athleticism.” Despite the complexities of perception, Hillegass says he’s still searching for a way to bring even greater awareness to his athletes. “One of the things I want to do is I want to get with the LPA and I want them to come out,” he said. “I don’t know if they’ve ever even been to a show, or seen one.” Lil’ Show also thinks that the experience of seeing him and his co-workers in action can help dispel a lot of the misconceptions both within and without the dwarf community. “Anytime that anybody’s ever said that this is a freak show or carnival, I tell them, hey come to our show and if you think it’s a freak show or carnival, then you know what, we’ll prove you wrong,” he said. “And we prove them wrong every time.” Krauss said she hadn’t been to a show before, but did react favorably to the offer. “I think it’s great,” she said. “We’ve actually been talking about reaching out, we haven’t thought about owners, but we certainly wanted to reach out to the wrestlers themselves. We’ve been a little bit leery just because we’re concerned that they are interpreting our viewpoint as being judgmental and patronizing, but yeah, we’d like to sit down and talk with them about what the experience is for them and what the experience is for the community, and if there’s a way to kind of support each other in both of our goals.”

A successful petition drive has the Constitution Party poised to field at least a few candidates this fall. Cory Vaillancourt photo

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than Republicans would. But all the while, the right-leaning Constitution Party of North Carolina was also attempting to gather the 11,925 signatures needed to procure its own spot on the ballot and on May 15 reported having 12,636 signatures. Two weeks later, Davie’s bill resurfaced with what’s being called a “sore loser” provision tucked away amidst myriad other issues. “An individual whose name appeared on the ballot in a primary election preliminary to the general election shall not be eligible to have that individual’s name placed on the general election ballot as a candidate for the new political party for the same office in that year,” the bill reads. What that means in plain terms is that candidates who lost in the Primary Election can’t switch to one of the new parties and run for office in the Nov. 6 General Election. Although the Constitution Party hasn’t officially qualified for ballot access as of press time, it was expected to some time this week. Assuming it does, one potential Haywood County resident who could be directly affected by the “sore loser” provision is Haywood County resident Terry Ramey. Ramey finished fourth out of four candidates in the Republican primary for Haywood County Commissioner, losing by only three votes to third-place finisher Phillip Wight. “If it works, I’m going to run as a Constitution Party candidate,” Ramey said, adding that he likes the party’s conservative values and feels the Constitution Party is a valid alternative.

June 6-12, 2018

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER orth Carolina Republicans were quick to congratulate the first minor political party to gain official recognition by the State Board of Elections, but they haven’t been quite as welcoming to the latest. “Certainly, I think it’s wrong,” said Kevin Hayes, vice chair of the North Carolina Constitution Party, of a measure that would prevent candidates who ran in a Primary Election this past May from appearing on ballots with new parties in November. “People should have the right to associate with who they want to associate with.” More than a year ago, a bill filed by Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, attempted to address a number of minor elections-related issues. Davie resigned his seat in June 2017 to accept an appointment to the state’s Board of Review, but his bill was worked around in various committees until stalling that summer. Last fall, a separate bill was passed dramatically lowering the amount of signatures required for so-called “minor parties” to field candidates and appear on ballots. The North Carolina Green Party set to work, and on March 27 of this year was formally welcomed to join Democrats, Libertarians and Republicans on ballots across the state. The NCGOP was the first to welcome the Greens with a press release that same day “celebrating expanded ballot access [and] voting opportunities in North Carolina.” The release was widely interpreted as a poke at Democrats, who likely stand to lose more voters to the left-leaning Green Party

Assembly shouldn’t be changing the process in the middle of the election cycle; candidates should be “grandfathered” in because they had no idea if they’d have a chance to join the Constitution Party. In retrospect, he said, his Craven County candidate would have been better off if he had simply waited to run. And that’s exactly what prospective members of the North Carolina Green Party should do, according to Charlotte-based cochair Tommie James. “We don’t want people to come rushing over to the Green party just because they can,” James said with the caveat that she hadn’t spoken to the party and was offering her opinion. “My gut feeling is that this year, we’re fine with that.” James said the Green Party stresses a strong separation from the major parties, and features an intense vetting process. On June 4, the bill survived an attempt to amend it by removing the provision, and then passed its second reading. Western North Carolina representatives Mike Clampitt, R-Bryson City, Kevin Corbin, R-Franklin, and Michele Presnell, RBurnsville, all opposed the amendment and supported the bill’s passage. Boswell was absent for both. As of press time on the afternoon of June 5, the bill had been presented to the Senate, where it was expected to pass. From there, it will end up on the desk of Gov. Roy Cooper, who could sign it into law, not sign it and watch it become law or reject it and watch his veto be overridden.

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“Some people feel the Republican Party isn’t abiding by its platform,” Ramey said. “And then there’s the infighting, even on the local level. They’ve run a lot of real conservatives off.” Hayes said that the timing of the “sore loser” provision was curious, given that it wasn’t in the original bill until two weeks after the Constitution Party reported its progress in gathering signatures. “It’s retaliation,” he said. As an example, Hayes cited Rep. Beverly Boswell, R-Dare, who was defeated by six points in the last Republican Primary Election by Currituck County Chairman Bobby Hanig. Rumors began to circulate that Boswell would try again as a Constitution Party candidate in the fall. “They don’t want to see Constitution Party candidates who could possibly beat their candidates on the ballot,” said Hayes, who added that Boswell has not yet formally reached out to the Constitution Party. Whether or not the “sore loser” provision directly targets Boswell is speculation at this point, but it does affect others, like Ramey and a Craven County candidate mentioned by Hayes. “There was a Craven County Republican commission candidate who originally wanted to run as a Constitution Party member, but as filing approached they had to make a choice because it was then unknown if the Constitution Party would have a chance to appear on ballots,” Hayes said. “He chose Republican, and he lost.” At the very least, Hayes said, the General

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Jackson votes in favor of Blackrock conservation Unanimous vote followed 45 minutes of public comment in support BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER 441.5-acre piece of land high in the Plott Balsams is well on its way to being permanently conserved following a unanimous vote from the Jackson County Commissioners to contribute $250,000 to its conservation. If The Conservation Fund is successful in landing a $1 million grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the county’s $250,000 will join $250,000 from the Town of Sylva and $400,000 The Conservation Fund hopes to raise in private donations to purchase the property, which would then be transferred to town ownership. “People come to Jackson County and locate and spend money here not because they find roads and houses and buildings,” said Jay Coward, chairman of the Pinnacle Park Foundation, during a public comment period that preceded commissioners’ May 31 vote. “They come here because of wild places. A wild place is important to not only our county, but it’s important to the world. That forest is the lungs of the earth, and whenever we get a chance to conserve a piece of property we should do it.”

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agenda for the May 21 regular meeting, two people offered public comment in support of the project. And when the county announced a special-called meeting for 11 a.m. Thursday, May 31 — the last possible day to vote and still meet the June 1 deadline — a roomful of people showed up, with 18 speaking on the issue. Of the 18 speakers, all were unequivocally in favor. “I was fortunate enough to marry a local, and we’ve raised our family here,” said Barbara Hamilton, a Sylva town commis-

June 6-12, 2018

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While commissioners ultimately gave unanimous support to the project, a vote to move forward was anything but certain going into the special-called meeting May 31. Commissioners had last discussed the conservation project during a May 15 work session — in that meeting three of the five commissioners said they were hesitant to support it and asked that it not be placed on the agenda for the upcoming May 21 meeting. Letters of commitment to fund the project were due June 1 in order to factor into grant awards. During the May 15 meeting, Republican Commissioners Ron Mau, Mickey Luker and Charles Elders had given various reasons for hedging on the funding. Elders, who represents the northeastern part of the county, said that he wanted to see the county follow through on its promise to put a park in the Qualla/Whittier area before spending money on Blackrock. Luker said expanding the greenway should be a higher priority and that contributing money to purchase land and then “just turn(ing) it over (to the town) and hav(ing) no control or say in it” bothered him. Mau said he was skeptical that the land was actually worth the $2.2 million asking price and wanted to delay the vote until county staff could come up with more specific numbers as to how committing the $250,000 would affect the county’s ability to pursue other recreation projects. While the issue was absent from the 10

sioner. “We’ve been extremely proud to be residents of Jackson County. But I see our land slipping away and gated communities going up everywhere. And I see this as an opportunity we cannot resist.” The property in question is roughly half of a 912-acre area owned by the homebuilding company America’s Home Place. Originally slated for development, it’s now being offered for conservation. America’s Home Place is selling the 441.5 acres now under discussion for $2.2 million, with Mainspring Conservation Trust taking the lead to secure funding for the remaining 471 acres by 2020. “I’d like to see it left to all the taxpayers and all the people to do their thing. Walk, hunt — you won’t be doing much fishing I can tell you that — but if we let this go I’m afraid this will be the end of it,” said Henry Bryson, a Jackson County native and selfA video the May 31 public comment session and vote on the Blackrock conservation project is online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=95Ben4LKVtc. It was filmed by Olivia Hicks of The Canary Coalition and aired on Mountain Stream TV.

proclaimed “country boy.” “We won’t get another chance. I’m really surprised we’re getting this chance.” “It’s a deal, really,” agreed Sylva resident Drew Hooper. “If it goes to developers they’ll build houses and it will look like Waynesville. I don’t want that. It will ruin them creeks. It will ruin North Fork.” Other speakers addressed commissioners’ concern that taking the property off of county tax rolls would hurt county finances. “In 1989 a much larger and probably more developable piece of land was taken

from which money for the project would be drawn — was projected to have $1.003 million available at the beginning of the 20182019 fiscal year in July, he said. That would be the balance after withdrawals for recreation capital improvements and $250,000 to finish Savannah Park. “At this point, the million dollars is the known, and the two unknowns are the final cost for Savannah Park and the cost for Whittier Park,” Adams said. Adams’ proposed support letter included a series of contingencies designed to address concerns from commissioners. According to the letter, which commissioners later adopted by unanimous vote, the $250,000 would be transferred only if the Clean Water Management The Blackrock Trust Fund grant was sucproperty borders cessful, two independent Sylva’s Pinnacle appraisals of the property Park and a large were performed to show tract of land that that the purchase price was will soon become a fair market value, the part of the Blue conservation easement Ridge Parkway. placed on the property The Conservation Fund map allowed for the most flexible parameters possible for passive recreational use, and the town and county mutually agreed on any uses allowed in the future. In any case, Adams said, no money would be transferred until closing, projected to take place at the end of the calendar year. Following Adams’ presentation, commissioners out of the tax base when Panthertown Valley began a discussion that ended with the passed from private hands into the Republican commissioners reversing the Nantahala National Forest,” said Burt position they’d taken May 15. Kornegay, a retired outfitter and guide. “Thank you for all the comments from “Panthertown Valley contributes to the everybody,” Mau said. “They’re much apprefinances of this county. It is not a zero.” ciated. Everything stuck out. I go to Pinnacle The same can already be said of Pinnacle Park, love it out there.” Park, which has been around since 1992, Mau went on to say that he’d put some other speakers said. effort into researching land trusts, conserva“You wouldn’t believe how many people tion easements and their possible pitfalls, from out of Jackson County I have met on calling up the author of a Brookings that trail,” said hiker Sue Nations. “South Institution article on the topic to discuss red Carolina, Texas, Georgia — I even met a per- flags to look for in this situation. son from Alaska on that trail, and that’s “He gave me some. Some of the things he what drew them to Jackson County. That talked about were making sure these deals trail is very widely known and respected were transparent if using public dollars … across not only Jackson County and the state What happens on these deals is we’re getting but across the country. The Pinnacle Park is asked to put public funds into this deal and definitely an economic asset to the county, somebody’s going to get a big tax break on and adding the Plott Balsams to the park it. That’s a policy thing we need to think will increase the benefit to the county.” about as a county, Mau said.” Mau then asked his fellow commissioners whether they agreed that Jackson County HE PROPOSAL should have a policy on conservation projects. As public comment concluded, County “I think we’ve been transparent,” said Manager Don Adams spoke to the concerns Chairman Brian McMahan. some commissioners had voiced during the “My question was do we May 15 work session. The county’s Conservation, Parks and Recreation Fund — need to develop a policy for

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The conversation began to turn in favor of the project when Luker stated that he would provide the third vote necessary to commit the funding. However, Luker was also critical of the process used to move the project forward, saying that it wasn’t as transparent as it should have been and that his original hesitation had been because it sounded as though the land wouldn’t be open to uses like hiking, hunting and biking. The possibility of future recreational opportunities has been part of the conversation surrounding the property since it was first discussed publicly in 2016, with Bill Holman, North Carolina Director for The Conservation Fund, expressing a longstanding dream of creating a trail along the spine of the Plott Balsams to connect Sylva, Waynesville and Maggie Valley. “Here we are on the 13th hour of something that could have been worked out a lot earlier, some more clear, concise transparency,” Luker said. “There’s no doubt that I’m going to vote to approve it.” Deitz was quick to respond to the accusation. “I don’t think there’s any problem with

transparency … We weren’t hiding anything,” he said. “We were ignorant of the facts, and it’s our own fault if we’re ignorant and don’t get out and find out better.” McMahan added that it wasn’t correct to characterize the project as a “13th-hour” deal. “This project has spanned several years,” he said. “This is not just all of a sudden come up at the last minute.” The Smoky Mountain News first reported on the possibility of conserving the property in 2016, when The Conservation Fund began discussing the possibility of Sylva purchasing it. According to McMahan, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians had been considering purchasing it before that. When the current proposal first came around, he said, commissioners couldn’t discuss it as a group because it was the town’s project, so it wouldn’t have been appropriate for the county to break the news in open session and the topic was not eligible for closed session. So McMahan asked Adams to discuss it individually with each commissioner so that everybody could have the chance to research and consider the proposal. Sylva first discussed the proposal publicly April 26, and the county followed suit during a May 15 work session. “We have been fully transparent. Everybody has known about this for months and had the opportunity to ask questions and research,” McMahan said. “There has not been hidden information. Transparency means you’re hiding stuff from people, and that’s not what happened here.” With the commitment letter issued, all that’s left is to wait and see whether the property appraises and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant is awarded come September. If so, The Conservation Fund will move toward closing on the property by the end of the calendar year. “The Conservation Fund greatly appreciates the commitment of the Mayor and Commissioners of the Town of Sylva and the Chairman and Commissioners of Jackson County to provide local funds to help expand Pinnacle Park and to protect Blackrock,” Holman said. “Local funds will leverage private and Clean Water Management Trust Fund dollars to acquire the Blackrock property, protect the crest of the Plott Balsam Mountain range and provide public access.”

June 6-12, 2018

future projects like this?” asked Mau. “I think so,” said Elders. “I think it’s a case-by-case,” said McMahan. “That’s something we can talk about in the future. Obviously it doesn’t have any impact on today.” Commissioner Boyce Deitz said he didn’t have any problem with developing a policy, but that he did have a problem with the fact that it seemed to take a whole roomful of people to convince the majority of the board “how important these mountains are.” It used to be, he said, that the poor people scraped out a living in the high elevations while the rich folks lived down below. “It’s kind of changed here now in the mountains,” he said. “We have people coming in here, and they build on high so they look down on us on low. And we have to look up at them. And the reason I run for county commissioner was for that one reason. That was the only reason. Because I love these mountains, and I love what we got here.”

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Members of the public applaud following a unanimous vote to support the conservation project. Holly Kays photo

reiterated the importance of seeking green solutions. “Solar energy helps us honor our longstanding tradition to use the resources around us in the most effective manner possible,” he The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians said. broke ground on a 700-kilowatt solar farm on The $2.36 million project will involve an the grounds of the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley array of 2,000 photovoltaic solar panels. When complete, it’s expected to generate enough power for 10 percent of the casino’s electrical needs, equating to roughly $100,000 each year in Tribal officials and representatives from Harrah’s annual savCherokee Casino and Siemens Government Technologies ings. break ground on a solar project in Murphy. EBCI photo Siemens Government Technologies is under contract to lead project River Casino in Murphy last week. design and implementation, also working with “Our Tribe is helping set the standard,” the tribe to train its civil engineering team in said Principal Chief Richard Sneed. “We’ve installation, maintenance and operation of the been really blessed to have had success with solar array. our properties. But along with that success The project is funded through a combinacomes a responsibility to go green and be tion of tribal and federal dollars and is environmentally friendly for generations to expected to be operational by March 2019. come.” — by Holly Kays, staff writer Tribal Council Chairman Adam Wachacha

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Swain to receive remaining settlement funds BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ccording to an announcement from U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Swain County will finally receive the remaining $35.2 million owed to it by the federal government. After helping to secure another $4 million payment for Swain County last year, Tillis said the Department of Interior would pay out the settlement funds to Swain County sometime this year. The $35.2 million was included as a part of Secretary Ryan Zinke’s spending plan for 2018 construction projects at the National Park Service. In the early 1940s, the federal government flooded several communities in Swain County to build Fontana Dam to make electricity during World War II. In 1943, the federal government promised to rebuild the 30mile North Shore Road that was also flooded. The federal government failed to deliver on that promise for more than six decades. Though the county commissioners fought hard to get the road rebuilt, they finally compromised and agreed to a cash settlement of $52 million in 2007. In 2010 the Department of Interior, Swain County, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the State of North Carolina entered into a Memorandum of Agreement to “settle any and all claims under the 1943 Agreement” by Dec. 31, 2020. Swain County

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received a $12.8 million payment as a firsttime installment in 2010, but didn’t see another dime until the $4 million payment was made last year. With the settlement expiration quickly approaching, Swain County filed a lawsuit against the Department of Interior for breach of contract in an attempt to force the federal government to meet its obligation in time. The county spent over $100,000 in legal fees and the lawsuit was dismissed since the government still had a few years to pay out the settlement, but the litigation did seem to help move things along in Washington. “Today is the beginning of the end for Swain County’s long fight to receive the funds it is owed from the North Shore Road settlement,” Sen. Tillis said in a press release. “The Department of Interior’s commitment to reimburse the $35.2 million this year and make good on the promise to repay Swain County for the damage caused when the federal government flooded its communities is great news for the people who have been affected. I want to thank Secretary Zinke for making this a priority and I look forward to working with the Administration and my colleagues to ensure Swain County receives the money swiftly.” “One of my top priorities as your Secretary of the Interior is making sure the federal government is a good neighbor and a good land manager for federal lands like

The Road to Nowhere has become a popular tourist attraction in Bryson City. File photo

national parks and battlefields. Making sure Swain County received the funds from the Department of the Interior was key,” Zinke said in a press release. “Senator Tillis made sure this project did not get lost in the paperwork. I’m grateful for their tenacity on behalf of North Carolina.” “I cannot tell you how relieved and thrilled I am at the latest development,” said Rep. Mike Clamptt, R-Bryson City. “Sen. Tillis had shown genuine leadership, and had been a real advocate and partner in getting this done. My personal thanks especially to Senator Tillis and Secretary Zinke for

their role in this important endeavor.” The settlement money is sitting in a trust fund managed by the N.C. Treasury Department and the county government can only access the interest that accrues on the amount each year. The amount, which has been fluctuating around $200,000 to $300,000 a year, goes into the county’s general fund each year. However, with the full settlement amount coming in, the interest will be much higher, which will give Swain County more budget stability and allow the commissioners to complete more capital improvement projects in the future.

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requests. “The worst part is when the nonprofits come in. Nobody has a bad story. Nobody’s doing something you don’t want to fund.” Commissioners opted to keep nonprofit funding level with the proposed budget in all cases but one. United Christian Ministries, which currently receives $4,000 per year, had requested an additional $11,000. Commissioners opted to raise funding slightly to $6,000.

Sheriff Chip Hall presents his budget requests May 31. Holly Kays photo

Work session planned The Jackson County Commissioners will firm up the proposed budget during a work session at 1 p.m. Monday, June 11, at the Jackson County Justice and Administration Center in Sylva. The budget is scheduled for adoption during the regular meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, June 18. Budget documents are posted at www.jacksonnc.org/finance-department/jackson-county-budget-documents.

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but they also had a hard time figuring out how to fund a yes. There was little appetite for raising taxes by more than the 1 cent per $100 already proposed, and the county’s fund balance sits just $2.6 million above the minimum level county policy allows. County staff told commissioners that they’d already combed the budget pretty thoroughly for unneeded spending and would have a hard time cutting much more without impacting services. Commissioners discussed the sheriffs’ request first, with a consensus that improving school safety should be the top priority and that Hall should do whatever possible to make existing resources stretch further. However, commissioners were interested in exploring

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June 6-12, 2018

The board denied the Board of Elections request for the full-time one stop absentee coordinator and limited the requested $14,000 increase in travel funding to $7,000. Commissioners also denied the library’s funding request, limiting raises for employees to the 2 percent contained in the original proposed budget. Funding for a 24-hour ambulance service in the Qualla area was approved. The discussion got knotty when it came down to the requests from the school system, community college and sheriff ’s office. Commissioners had a hard time saying no —

ways to fund additional road deputies. Luker brought up the rebounding economy and suggested that the county pay for the officers out of fund balance this year in hopes that revenue would pick up enough next year for future appropriations to come from the general fund. Meanwhile, McMahan suggested paying off some of the county’s debts out of fund balance, freeing up the money that would go to debt service to pay officers’ salaries. Adams said that either idea should be viewed with caution. The fund balance is getting slim, and if the county paid off its debts prematurely it would have to think about borrowing money for some projects it had been planning to pay for with cash. And as to Luker’s idea, that could work for a single salary, but the fact is that the sheriff wants two deputies and the school system is hoping for six teachers — a total of $478,000 in recurring expense. “Let’s not apply that to all these positions, because that gets real dangerous,” said Adams. Commissioners decided they would fund SCC’s requests — the HVAC work is necessary to keep the buildings functioning, and the shooting range project is necessary in order to prevent the county from getting into another massive lead cleanup project down the road — and agreed to pay for them from fund balance. But the school system request spurred another long and roundabout conversation. Finding the salaries of six teachers in the annual budget would be difficult. “Honestly, do you think we could find another $300,000, $400,000 in (the budget)?” Adams asked Finance Director Darlene Fox. “It would be hard,” said Fox. “Without eliminating something,” added Adams. “We’ll sit down and go through what you’re talking about, but I don’t know if we’re going to find $400,000 or $300,000.” The question, Adams said, is whether it’s all or nothing. If six teachers aren’t possible, is there a lower number that would allow the school system to treat all its schools equally? Eventually, commissioners recessed the meeting with no clear decision on requests from the sheriff ’s office and the school system, directing county staff to research the options further before resuming the discussion June 11. “Let me say as we get ready to close on a personal note how much I appreciate each one of you and the job that you all have done and we do collectively together,” said McMahan. “It’s very satisfying to me to sit here and know that we can all come together and make this work when we look at how dysfunctional our federal government is and sometimes our state government.”

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ith the deadline to adopt a new budget drawing ever closer, Jackson County Commissioners are still deliberating how to handle $1 million in lastminute budget requests. That’s on top of an already planned $979,800 public safety increase that’s spurred a 1-cent per $100 property tax increase in the proposed budget. “You as a board have to decide, are you going to go with the difference (in budget requests),” said County Manager Don Adams as the board sat down to a special-called work session June 5. “If so, you have to figure out how you’re going to pay for it.” The proposed 1-cent property tax increase is expected to bring in an additional $918,000, less than the already-planned $979,800 increase. Granting any of the additional requests will require a larger tax increase, spending from the county’s savings account or finding cuts elsewhere. Commissioners heard from the various departments and nonprofit organizations hoping to secure additional funding during a pair of work sessions May 31 and June 1. The biggest requests came from Jackson County Schools, Southwestern Community College and the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Department. School Superintendent Kim Elliott asked commissioners for $383,335 to hire six additional classroom teachers so that class sizes in fourth through twelfth grades could stay below 29, a number that Elliott called her “moral maximum.” Typically, the state pays for school personnel while the county funds facilities, but that dynamic has seen a shift in recent years — Elliott does not expect to see the positions funded from the state budget. Without them, she said, class sizes will be too high and the school district will have to convert some of its physical education teachers into classroom teachers. Meanwhile, SCC wanted an additional $182,000 in capital funding to address HVAC issues on some of its older buildings as well as $287,000 to prevent future lead contamination and reduce the amount of noise produced at its shooting range. In addition, Sheriff Chip Hall requested funds to hire two additional road deputies — salaries and benefits alone would cost $95,000, plus the cost of vehicles and equipment. The Jackson County Public Library wanted money to give employees raises and take a part-time position at the Cashiers library to full-time, and Harris Regional Hospital wanted $165,000 to upgrade to 24-hour ambulance service on the Qualla area. The Board of Elections wanted to add $14,000 to the travel budget as well as $20,000 to take the one-stop absentee coordinator position from part-time to full-time. The county also heard from 11 nonprofits looking for funding increases ranging from $1,000 to $35,000. On June 5, commissioners sat down to go through the requests line by line. “This is my least favorite part of the budget, by the way,” said Commissioner Ron Mau as the board went through the nonprofit

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Cherokee votes no on alcohol

Turnout falls short of requirement for valid referendum

Smoky Mountain News

June 6-12, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER referendum vote asking Cherokee voters to OK a tribally owned beer, wine and liquor store off casino property failed on two fronts last week — the question received more no votes than yes votes, and turnout fell short of the percentage required to qualify as a valid referendum. Of 6,779 registered voters, 1,733 voted in the May 31 referendum, a 25.56 percent turnout. Cherokee law requires that at least 30 percent of voters participate to trigger a change in law. “It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t get the needed voter turnout to have a valid referendum,” said Principal Chief Richard Sneed. Of those who voted, 52.63 percent voted no to the proposal, which would have allowed the Tribal Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to issue permits so that a tribally owned store could sell beer, wine and liquor on tribal land outside of casino property. The yes vote was 47.37 percent. Should tribal leaders wish to bring the question before voters again, it will have to wait until after the 2019 elections, in which all 12 Tribal Council seats and the principal chief and vice chief seats will be up for election. That’s because Cherokee law states that “An issue that has been brought before the eligible voters and voted upon by referendum/initiative may not be voted upon again until a period of two years has passed.” In this case, that would be sometime after May 2020. Turnout and results varied widely by 14

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The results Voters were asked to respond “For” or “Against” to the question “To allow ABC permits to be issued to allow retail sales of alcoholic beverage on tribal trust land at a tribally owned package store and ABC store” during a May 31 referendum vote. COMMUNITY FOR AGAINST TOTAL VOTES TURNOUT Big Cove .......................38.34% ....................61.66% .......................193.....................24.71% Big Y...............................50.42........................49.58 .........................119.......................29.53 Wolfetown .......................45.85........................54.15 .........................349.......................30.09 Birdtown .........................53.81........................46.19 .........................459.......................26.08 Cherokee County.............35.48........................64.52 ..........................31.........................7.81 Snowbird.........................35.92........................62.26 .........................103.......................20.72 Painttown .......................49.79........................50.21 .........................235.......................28.45 Yellowhill ........................47.13........................52.87 .........................244.......................26.52 Overall............................52.63........................47.37 ........................1733......................25.56 community, with the referendum question earning a yes vote among Big Y and Birdtown voters, with 50.42 percent and 53.81 percent in favor, respectively. However, in the remaining six communities the answer was no. Big Cove, Cherokee County and Snowbird voters were the most vehemently opposed to the question, with yes votes of 38.34 percent, 35.48 percent and 35.92 percent, respectively. However, turnout in Cherokee County was exceptionally low, with only 7.81 percent of registered voters casting a ballot. Wolfetown, Painttown and Yellowhill said no by a narrower margin, with 45.85 percent, 49.79 percent and 47.13 percent of voters in favor, respectively. Turnout tended to be lowest in the communities with the largest proportion of no votes, with Big Cove, Cherokee County and Snowbird all seeing turnout rates below the boundary-wide average. In Big Cove, 24.71 percent of voters cast a ballot, and in Snowbird, 20.72 percent. On the flip side, the communities that

said yes — Big Y and Birdtown — were both above the overall 25.56 percent figure, with 29.53 percent of voters casting a ballot in Big Y and 26.08 percent in Birdtown. Painttown, which was less than a quarter of a percent away from seeing a majority yes vote, had a 28.45 percent turnout, with the community with the next highest yes vote, Yellowhill, seeing a 26.52 percent turnout. Wolfetown, however, had the highest turnout, at 30.09 percent — its percentage of yes votes was next after Yellowhill, at 45.85 percent. The discussion that ultimately produced the referendum vote began shortly after the 2017-2019 Tribal Council was sworn in. Councilmember Lisa Taylor, of Painttown, was upset that some restaurants near the Blue Ridge Parkway had been granted alcohol permits as the result of a loophole in a state law. In multiple previous referendum votes, Cherokee voters had voted against allowing alcohol anywhere except casino property, so Taylor wanted a new referen-

dum in order to get rid of the so-called Blue Ridge Law permits. Attorney General Mike McConnell advised Tribal Council that referendum results would not affect those permits. However, the referendum discussion continued on with Council eventually settling on the question voters decided May 31. “When the people of this tribe speak, this government is supposed to listen,” said Taylor. “The results of this recent alcohol referendum couldn’t be clearer — the people do not want to expand alcohol outside the casino with the ABC store and I couldn’t agree more.” Proponents of the referendum question included Chief Sneed, who said during public discussions on the topic that loosening alcohol laws would prove essential to diversifying Cherokee’s economy and boosting tourism. During a May 15 town hall meet-

Should tribal leaders wish to bring the question before voters again, it will have to wait until after the 2019 elections, in which all 12 Tribal Council seats and the principal chief and vice chief seats are up for election. ing, he said that approving establishment of the single ABC store would be a responsible way for the tribe to “ease into” expanded alcohol sales. Currently, alcohol sales are allowed only on casino property or at one of the restaurants qualifying under the Blue Ridge Law. “There’s a lot of emotion attached to it because of abuse in the past,” Sneed said May 15. “It was just trying to take a very leveled and metered approach to moving into it.” Opponents of the measure, meanwhile, often cited the enormous toll that alcohol has taken in the community and said they’d be against any changes that would make it easier to access. “I don’t think it’s a good thing at all, because it’s too close,” said Debra Locust, 53, of Birdtown, when The Smoky Mountain News caught up with her during a series of random interviews with voters last month. “If they have to ride a little further, let them ride a little further. I know it may be big money for the tribe, but we’ve always voted against stuff like that.” The election was the first one the tribe held since a report investigating the September 2017 elections found evidence of ballot tampering, causing substantial differences between the original machine count of votes and hand recount that took place later. Election Chair Denise Ballard did not respond to multiple requests for comment when contacted before the election about how the recommendations contained in the investigation report had been implemented to ensure security this time around.

Belk to donate $20,000 to Haywood Habitat

Jackson sheriff recognized

To celebrate Adopt a Cat Month in June, FUR of WNC is hosting a cat adoption from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the sanctuary in Waynesville. Every adopter will go home with a bag of goodies for the new family member. Light refreshments will be served. Adoption fees are $50 per adult and $65 per kitten. Feline Urgent Rescue’s address is 38 Safe Haven Drive. Take Rabbit Skin Road at the junction of U.S. 276 and I-40 at Exit 20. Safe Haven Drive is one mile on the right. For more information or directions, call 844.888.CATS or email furofwnc1@gmail.com.

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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. V isitCherokeeNC.com | 828.497.3481

Smoky Mountain News

Adoption event at FUR

Ice Cream,

June 6-12, 2018

Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall was recently recognized by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee as a “Patriotic Employer.” This recognition comes in support of Guardsman Jesse Aiken, who is currently deployed with the local 210th MP Company. In addition to Aiken’s service to the nation, he is also a deputy sheriff in Jackson County. Aiken nominated Hall for this award and Pete Haithcock with the ESGR presented it today. He stated during his recommendation, “Sheriff Hall hired me as a deputy sheriff knowing that I am a member of the National Guard and he considers this as an asset to the position. Sheriff Hall and the entire Sheriff ’s Office staff openly and actively support my service in the Guard. I consider myself very fortunate to work for this organization.”

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A special presentation to Haywood Habitat for Humanity will be given at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9, at Belk in Waynesville. Belk is visiting southern towns across their 16-state footprint to recognize the local communities they call home. On June 9, Belk is stopping in Waynesville to celebrate loyal customers with an anniversary party at its Town Center Loop location. The special event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature pastries from Nettie’s Bakery, brews from BearWaters Brewing, live music from Marc Keller, and complimentary gift cards ranging from $5-$500 for the first 130 customers. Community is the fabric of Belk’s business, and the retailer will donate $20,000 to Haywood Habitat for Humanity in appreciation of the city’s support over the last 80 years. Belk’s new community outreach program, Project Hometown, is designed to strengthen southern communities and Habitat for Humanity is one of the retailer’s national partners focused on providing affordable housing for all.

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Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Is a Will Enough?

WCU celebrates steam plant funding

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28 Maple St. • Sylva Steam plant crew members and Western Carolina University’s associate vice chancellor of facilities management Joe Walker show their thanks that funding to replace WCU’s aging steam plant was included in the state legislature’s budget proposal. WCU photo

Smoky Mountain News

June 6-12, 2018

State budget bill includes first of two installments for $33 million project

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER estern Carolina University got some good news last week when the state legislature approved a budget bill that includes $16.5 million for the first of two phases to replace its aging steam plant, an ever more pressing need that WCU has been clamoring to address for years. “I am beyond thrilled that our state legislators have included significant funding to address one of the most acute and critical infrastructure needs facing our campus — our antiquated steam plant, or, as I like to call it, ‘steam museum,’” said Chancellor David O. Belcher, who has been on medical leave since Jan. 1. “Obtaining the funding necessary to upgrade the steam plant was the top priority left unaccomplished when I began medical leave at the beginning of this year, and I am heartened to learn of its inclusion in the budget plan.” The steam plant, which serves as the university’s source of heat and water, has been around in some capacity or another since the 1920s. While the typical life expectancy for the plant’s three older boilers is about 30 years, two of them are about 50 years old while the third is 45 years old. WCU officials have been concerned for years that the university could be just one harsh winter and mechanical failure away from a complete campus shutdown due to lack of steam and hot water. That almost happened in 2016, when the oldest boiler failed and resulted in

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the need to install costly temporary boilers, which have a projected lifespan of just 10 years. It’s only because of the efforts of the steam plant crew that the system has kept running as long as it has, said Acting Chancellor Alison Morrison-Shetlar. “While it’s not a very sexy item, the steam plant is a vital facility, providing heat and hot water to the majority of our campus,” said Morrison-Shetlar. “I am glad to see such strong support on the part of our elected state officials in ensuring the safety and comfort of our students and all members of our university community.” The university has already started planning and design thanks to a $750,000 state appropriation in last year’s budget bill. When the 2018-19 budget meets final approval — as of press time it was awaiting signature from Gov. Roy Cooper — the university will begin work on phase one immediately, with an estimated completion date of May 2021. “It’s just a huge win,” said Meredith Whitfield, director of external relations for WCU, during a May 31 meeting of the trustees’ Administration, Governance and Trusteeship Committee. “I want to thank everybody in this room for their support and assistance in getting us there. That has taken a team and a few years’ worth of teamwork.” Completing the project will depend on receiving a second $16.5 million appropriation in the 2019-20 budget, but trustees were hopeful the second appropriation would transpire, especially following statements from House Appropriations Chairman Chuck McGrady characterizing the $16.5 million as the first of two installments. “For anyone who’s a worrywart like I am, it’s great to see those kinds of things in writing,” Whitfield said.

he Western Carolina University Board of Trustees has endorsed a slate of three finalists for the position of chancellor to be considered by University of North Carolina System President Margaret Spellings. Approval of the trio of candidates came during the board’s quarterly meeting Friday, June 1. In a closed session discussion as allowed by the North Carolina Open Meetings Law, the board considered the qualifications of three candidates recommended by a university search committee, which was appointed in December 2017 to conduct the search for a successor to Chancellor David O. Belcher. WCU chancellor since July 1, 2011, Belcher announced last November his plans to go on medical leave effective Dec. 31, 2017, with no intention of returning to the position. He has been battling brain cancer since April 2016. Alison Morrison-Shetlar, WCU provost, has been serving as acting chancellor since Jan. 1. By a unanimous vote, the trustees recommended sending the names of the three candidates — in unranked order – to Spellings, who will evaluate the finalists and put forward one name to the UNC Board of Governors for approval. In her charge to the committee in January, Spellings asked the group to work toward the goal of having a new chancellor on the job by mid-August. At its most recent meeting on May 21, the

development for the UNC System. search committee narrowed the Among the first tasks tackled list of finalists to three after invitby the committee was to hold a ing four candidates for campus series of eight forums in February visits and meetings with selected in Cullowhee, Asheville and students, faculty, staff, adminisCherokee to obtain public input trators, alumni and community concerning the characteristics members earlier that month. participants would like to see in Participants in those sessions were the WCU’s next chancellor. required to sign nondisclosure Those forums helped the comagreements to protect the confimittee develop a leadership statedentiality of the candidates. ment, a detailed document later “I want to express my sincere approved by Spellings that was gratitude to the members of the designed to attract highly qualicommittee for the many hours of fied candidates to seek the posihard work and dedication they tion. The leadership statement have put into this process,” said resulted in applications from 70 Patricia Kaemmerling, chair of qualified individuals, with 42 of the Board of Trustees, who is Pat Kaemmerling, co-chair of the Chancellor Search Committee and those receiving additional screenserving as co-chair of the search chair of the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees, speaks ing and review, and 21 candidates committee along with fellow during a search committee meeting earlier this year. File photo recommended to the committee trustee Bryant Kinney. “I am also for its consideration. pleased to report that we have a nothing short of phenomenal,” he said durThe committee then narrowed down that transition team in place to help onboard the list to 10 to invite to off-campus interviews new chancellor and his or her family into the ing the committee’s May 21 meeting. The 22-member search committee is held in Charlotte over a three-day period in Western Carolina University family.” That composed of members of the WCU Board of late April. During those interviews, committransition team is being chaired by Bob Trustees and faculty, student, staff, alumni tee members asked each candidate questions Roberts, a WCU trustee. and community representatives, and one incorporating themes and issues heard durKinney, vice chair of the trustees, called nonvoting member from the UNC Board of ing the public forums. After those interthe search process an amazing experience. Governors — David Powers, who serves as views, the committee selected four candi“We have had some very open, honest and that board’s liaison to WCU. The group has dates for the campus visits in May. transparent discussion, and to be able to been working with Lynn Duffy, senior associFor more information, visit the website come to consensus with so many different chancellorsearch.wcu.edu. people with so many different perspectives is ate vice president for leadership and talent

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Trustees endorse finalists for WCU chancellor T

June 6-12, 2018

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WCU to get entrance sign BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen you enter Western Carolina University from the four-lane, a green-and-white N.C. Department of Transportation sign is the only thing to say that you’ve officially arrived on the Catamount campus. “I think we need something a little more than that,” Matt Ketchum, WCU’s director of facilities planning, design and construction, told university trustees during a May 31 meeting of the board’s Finance and Audit Committee. If all goes as planned, there soon will be. During its June 1 meeting, the WCU Board of Trustees unanimously approved a design concept for a formal entrance to campus, planned as a tiered wall of natural stone wrapping the north and south sides of the entrance onto Centennial Drive from N.C. 107. Stretched out for about 30 feet of the 4-foot-high-wall would be the words “Western Carolina University” in bronze or powder-coated steel, lit from below with lettering about 18 inches high. The berm would be landscaped with trees and native wildflowers, an earthen security berm and the stonework replacing the existing guardrail.

June 6-12, 2018

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Western Carolina University trustees approved a concept for a new campus entrance display that will include a tiered rock wall with bottom-lit letters spelling out ‘Western Carolina University.’ WCU rendering The design is inspired by the rock walls present all along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Ketchum said. WCU contracted with Knoxville-based Sanders Pace Architecture for the design. “What we’re really trying to do is make a sense of place for Western Carolina so you know you’re here,” Ketchum said. “We can’t compete with Catamount Gap. That’s pretty impressive.” The design is still in its conceptual phase, so all details are not final. The height of the letters could change — during the board’s Finance and Audit Committee meeting May 31, Board Chair Pat Kaemmerling told Ketchum she’d like to see them a little taller than 18 inches — as could the look of the

letters themselves. WCU’s chief marketing officer Robin Oliver, who has worked closely with Ketchum on the project, told the committee that there’s been no decision yet as to whether to color the letters, though they’re leaning toward no. “What we wanted to achieve was something that was timeless and 50 years from now if we have a different logo, look, or our purple changes to a slightly different color, that we are anchored on Western Carolina University, the thing we know will not change,” Oliver said. “It will be a simple and elegant execution that will live on.” The plan is to eventually install similar signage at all of WCU’s entrances, with the north side of the N.C. 107 entrance the first

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target and the south side of that entrance the second target. In the future, the Old Cullowhee Road entrance and Millennial Campus where the Health and Human Sciences Building is located could be candidates to receive an entrance sign upgrade. “Ideally we’d like to establish a campus stone,” said Ketchum, using Virginia Tech’s famous Hokie stone as an example of branding embedded with architecture. It will cost roughly $250,000 to install entrance walls on the north and south sides of the N.C. 107/Centennial Drive entrance, said WCU Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Mike Byers. The project is expected to be complete by spring 2019.

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The Se eldom Scene They seldom tour. t So see them while you can. Do we w need to say more?

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estern Carolina University has launched a new online information tool designed to provide easy access to recent economic trends in the counties of Western North Carolina and across the entire state to everyone from communityminded residents and college students conducting research to industry and business executives exploring possible locations for expansion. Called the North Carolina Data Dashboard, the economics database includes more than 12,000 unique data series from sources such as the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Federal Reserve Economic Database. The open-access electronic resource will serve as a one-stop information source that includes nearly 12 million independent observations from categories including workforce, product markets, land and infrastructure, said WCU economics professor Angela K. Dills, who holds the university’s Gimelstob-Landry Distinguished Professorship in Regional Economic Development and is one of the primary drivers behind the project.

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Lake Junaluska Flea Market is June 9 The Junaluskans Flea Market will take place from 8-11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Nanci Weldon Memorial Gym. Special early bird shopping is available from 7:30-8 a.m. for a $5 fee. Everyone is welcome to attend. The Junaluskans are a volunteer organiza-

“The new economic data dashboard fills a growing need for information that’s available in an easy-to-use format,” said Dills. “With this dashboard, Western North Carolinians from all walks of life – from small business owners and entrepreneurs, to economic developers, to laypeople who are curious about the WNC economic engine – will have access to vital information about their economy and their communities.” To view the dashboard, visit the website NCDataDashboard.org.

tion made up of people who love Lake Junaluska, and the annual flea market is their largest fundraising event of the year. Proceeds from the flea market go toward many projects that are integral to the Lake Junaluska community — maintenance of the gardens, including the Rose Walk, the Native Garden, the Biblical Garden and Inspiration Point; the swan feeding program; the Community Chorus; Christmas decorations at the lake; Lake Junaluska cleanup programs; sponsoring Clothes to Kids; and the monthly book review program.

Join us for a Hawaiian Dance Party! Let's have a little summer fun!

Paul Indelicato, a professional entertainer, will play and sing great songs. Open to all dancers or those who simply enjoy great music. Where: Waynesville Rec Center When: Saturday, June 9th 7:00 to 8:45 p.m. Cost: $10 per person Attire: Casual or something Hawaiian

Waynesville seeking input The public is invited to an input session at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center. Come see and hear about the African American architectural resources that have been surveyed as part of the Town of Waynesville’s project. Preservation Consultant Sybil Argintar will be there to share photos, answer questions, and learn more from the community as she works toward completion of her report. For more information, contact Sybil Argintar at 828.230.3773 or Elizabeth Teague at 828.452.2004.

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*Please bring a dish or finger food of your choice.

Smoky Mountain News

The Jackson County Public Library is hosting a free seminar at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, in Sylva to address drug abuse and the opioid crisis. This seminar will focus on the history of the drug crisis, local law enforcement’s use of Narcan, the strain of drug abuse on Health and Social Services, the strain on the justice system, and how families can help their loved ones. The seminar will conclude with an opportunity for the public to be connected to the resources they, or a family member, needs. For more information, call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. This seminar is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

The economics database includes more than 12,000 unique data series from sources such as the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Federal Reserve Economic Database.

June 6-12, 2018

Seminar to address drug abuse

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WCU launches online dashboard of WNC

WAYNESVILLE

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NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON JUNE 19

Smoky Mountain News

June 6-12, 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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Business

Smoky Mountain News

Hospitals offering tuition for NPs

New coffee shop in Franklin The Franklin Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed The Coffee Shop to the business community, located at 179 Highlands Road in Franklin. “We are so excited to announce the Grand Opening of our new shop,” said owner Tracy Boemig. “It has been a lifelong dream of owning my own business in the mountains. After making Franklin my permanent residence over two years ago, the dream finally came true.” This internet café style coffee shop offers free WIFI, a charging station, coffees and fresh baked pastries and bagels. Boemig also teamed up with her lifelong friend, Lori, and they combined their efforts to have a unique gift shop. The gift shop will include local handmade gifts, fresh coffee beans, mugs, tees and more. 

Introducing Franklin’s ‘Eggs & Issues’ Eggs & Issues is Macon County’s new monthly business forum where the community gathers to network and discuss business issues of the day. Join the inaugural event with breakfast catered by Martha’s Kitchen at 7:45 a.m. Thursday, June 7, at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce located at 98 Hyatt Road. Guest speaker will be Karen Gorby, President and Chief Nursing Officer of Angel Medical Center. Gorby will give an update on the latest news from Angel Medical Center and Mission Health including how joining HCA Healthcare benefits the community. Admission is $10 per person at the door. Seating is limited to 36. Register online at www.maconedc.com or call 828.524.3161. This forum is sponsored by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, Macon County Economic Development Commission and NCWorks Career Center.

Champion Credit named ‘Best Employer’ Champion Credit Union was recently named as one of the 2018 Best Employers in North Carolina. This program was created by

Business North Carolina, NC SHRM, and Best Companies Group. This survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best employers in North Carolina, benefiting the economy, workforce, and businesses in the state of North Carolina.

WCU to offer customer service workshop Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering a customer service workshop from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, at WCU’s instructional site at Biltmore Park in Asheville. The seminar, entitled, “Creating a Culture of Internal, External and Eternal Customer Service,” will cover how to use exceptional internal and external customer service to create an eternal customer; ultimately increasing the organization’s service reputation and customer loyalty. Dr. Susan Fouts, WCU’s Division of Educational Outreach director, will serve as the instructor for the workshop. At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to identify their internal customers, and the effect of internal customer service on the external service provided to customers including patrons, clients, students, vendors and patients. The registration fee is $119. Lunch is included. Register at pdp.wcu.edu.

Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital are joining Western Carolina University to announce a call for applicants for The Ascent Partnership nurse practitioner tuition support program for the 2018-20 cohort group. The Ascent Partnership is the formal relationship between WCU and the hospitals. In the partnership, the hospitals provide full tuition coverage each year for two selected nurse practitioner students who commit to a minimum of three years of employment by the hospitals after graduation. The main requirement for consideration of partnership funding is for the student to have been formally accepted to the WCU nurse practitioner program. An application, interview, and reference process are also included. Visit www.myharrisregional.com/ascent or call 828.586.7100.

New gallery in Waynesville Our Summerhouse Pottery recently opened its doors in the former studio of Dane and Mary Etta Burr in downtown Waynesville. The space 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. For more information on classes or pottery, visit facebook.com/oursummerhousepottery or email Amy at amydapore@gmail.com.

Champion for Women in Business The U.S. Small Business Administration named Sharon Oxendine, director of the Western Women’s Business Center in Asheville, as the 2018 Women in Business Advocate of the Year for North Carolina. This award recognizes Oxendine for her achievements on behalf of women-owned small businesses. The criteria for the award include advancing efforts to increase business and financial opportunities for women and strengthening the role of women business owners within the community. Oxendine has worked in the Western

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North Carolina area offering business training, lending and support to women entrepreneurs since 2002. Her efforts resulted in service to over 4,300 entrepreneurs and assisting over 1,200 businesses in the WNC region.

Workshop to become crisis-ready

In an effort to help organizations become “crisis ready,” a Western Carolina University professor and consultant will offer a one-day workshop on Crisis Communication Planning and Response: How to Communicate Before, During and After a Crisis from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at WCU at Biltmore Park in Asheville. Dr. Betty Farmer, professor of communication and public relations and owner of Farmer Communications, developed the workshop in response to research that reveals many organizations are not adequately prepared to respond quickly and effectively when a crisis hits. The workshop will cover principles of effective crisis communication, expectations for leaders, guidelines for managing social media and elements of a basic CCP. Case study examples will be used throughout to illuminate key principles. Attendees are also encouraged to bring laptop computers to the session. To register, call 828.227.7397 or visit pdp.wcu.edu. • Kela and Kevin Seagle recently celebrated the grand opening of their new business Disciples Ink located at 160 Main Street in downtown Bryson City. Offering unique inspirational gifts, ministry supplies, custom T-shirts, and home décor, Disciples Ink is a unique faithbased retail boutique. • The Department of Revenue is offering a free workshop from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 20, at 800 Alliance Court, Asheville. The workshop will cover basic business requirements from how to register a business as well as how to file and pay taxes that are relevant to your business. Register at www.ncdor.gov/taxes/business-tax-seminarsworkshops.

ALSO:

• Be In Health recently celebrated its grand opening at 80 Bryson Walk in Bryson City. Be In Health, owned by Paula Parton, offers a large variety of salts, Himalayan salt lamps, clays, essential oils, homeopathics, tinctures and Keto products as well as personalized gifts. • WNC Sales and Marketing recently announced that Sears Hometown Store located in the Waynesville Shopping Plaza will close as of July 1, 2018. Inventory clearance is in progress.

22

Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

A sound decision and a wise investment T

WLOS propaganda is sickening To the Editor: I am extremely uncomfortable knowing that our local television station, WLOS, continues to advance political content under the veil of news. The most recent advocacy presentation by Sinclair Broadcasting Corporation on the legacy of one of President Trump’s administrators, Scott Pruitt, was aired this past week. Enough of this public relations media blitz from SBC! Any individual or group must realize this is pure propaganda. In light of their public relations move with a segment recommending audiences should be aware of “fake news,” this assault on reason seems ironically hypocritical. This station, WLOS, with its doubledown support of this administration, clearly identifies itself with clandestine, if not nefarious, public manipulation strategies. So, my question is simple. When will we see and hear the next assault on our democratic principles through the manipulative tactics of Sinclair Broadcasting Corporation

departments like inspections and planning have real needs. And Jackson County commissioners almost made the wrong decision. Up until their meeting on May 31, all indicators pointed toward the three GOP commissioners on the board voting against the funding for the preservation of Blackrock. For various reasons — all of them with at least a degree of validity — they had gone on record as opposed to this preservation effort. But in two weeks the tide turned. Citizens from all walks of life encouraged them to preserve this special place high in the Plott Balsams. Here’s what I hope: that investments like these won’t always be considered unconventional. I did just a cursory search and found multiple Editor studies touting the benefits that trails and wild places have on the communities that invest in them. The scorecard includes tremendous direct economic benefits, health benefits, quality-of-life benefits, and on and on. I’m one of those travelers that look for communities that

Scott McLeod

own and counties never have enough money to provide all the services and amenities that their citizens — in a perfect world — would like. That’s an unrealistic expectation, so when local leaders do make smart investments that are somewhat unconventional, we think it’s worth noting. The decision by the Sylva Town Board and the Jackson County commissioners to spend $250,000 each to conserve an additional 441 acres adjacent to Pinnacle Park is one of those admirable and wise expenditures. Jay Coward, a long-time supporter of Pinnacle Park and head of its namesake foundation, eloquently summarized the reasons the preservation effort is worthwhile: “People come to Jackson County and locate and spend money here not because they find roads and houses and buildings. They come here because of wild places. A wild place is important to not only our county, but it’s important to the world. That forest is the lungs of the earth, and whenever we get a chance to conserve a piece of property we should do it.” Coward is completely right. But, for many elected officials, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees and make this kind of decision. Each year there are education needs left unfunded, there is always more to be done for law enforcement, and mundane

LETTERS and its mouthpiece in Western North Carolina, WLOS? Propaganda or news, it remains your choice. Jon Jicha Waynesville

EPA’s Pruitt is doing a bad job To the Editor: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is in violation of his oath of office. Our members of Congress are charged with oversight of this agency. The Environmental Protection Agency, created by President Nixon’s Reorganization Plan No. 3 in 1970, is tasked with protecting the environment, the health of which is directly related to the health of all Americans. Under this GOP administration, the EPA is reducing staff and enabling polluters rather than regulating them, by allowing greater land, water, and air pollution. Not enforcing climate-related regulations, while firing bonafide scientists and replacing them with indus-

have hiking and biking opportunities. Whether it’s the village of Copper Harbor on the northern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or a trail system outside Ocala, Florida, those are the kinds of places we visit and where we spend our money. Supporters of this preservation effort have discussed how it could eventually include trails that would connect Maggie Valley, Sylva and Waynesville. I’m no economist, but if that happens each of these communities will reap huge benefits. It’s a no-brainer, and I hope once this land is in hand, the effort to connect these towns will gain steam. We live in an area of unique natural treasures: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, Shining Rock Wildernes Area, Appalachian Trail, and on and on. These wilderness areas are of tremendous importance. But the preservation of the remaining large tracts in and around our towns and communities is of vital importance, as is the need to build connecting hiking and biking trails. Doing so will make this area a better place to live and a better place to visit. Jackson County and Sylva have made a wise investment that will pay off for their citizens. (Scott McLeod can be reached at info@smokymountainnews.com)

try shills, as well as drastically slowing down work at the agency, is calculated to reward those who profit from polluting. Our congressmen and senators must perform their duty under their oath of office. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is a clear and present danger to America’s health. His ethical transgressions are obvious and egregious, but his regulatory actions will lead to real damage to Americans every day. Please tell your representatives to act as though their constituents are their first concern. They have an obligation to not allow this to go unchecked and unbalanced. Bil Aylor Bryson City

Do we want another Andrew Jackson? To the Editor: By the year 1808, the eastern Cherokee had adopted a written legal code. In 1820, they established judicial districts and appointed judges for these districts. By 1822 the Cherokee had established a Supreme Court, and in 1827 had drawn up a Constitution, based on the United States Constitution.

Air your dirty laundry. Send your opinions to info@smokymountainnews.com

It all came to an end in July 1829 when gold was found on Ward’s Creek in Lumpkin County, Georgia. The Georgia Legislature passed laws confiscating Indian lands, nullifying Cherokee law, and forbidding assembly of the Cherokee people. They were aided in this by the then President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. The Cherokee fought back by turning to the U. S. court system. The final verdict was rendered on March 3 of 1832. The Supreme Court of the U. S. ruled in the case of Worcester v. Georgia that Georgia’s laws against the Cherokee were unconstitutional. The decision was handed down by Chief Justice John Marshall. President Jackson’s reply to this was: “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.” Andrew Jackson believed himself to be above the court system and the law and ignored the ruling. Next time you view a TV news report concerning President Trump in the Oval Office, please note the presidential portrait he has chosen to hang in that space. It is the portrait of Andrew Jackson, whom Mr. Trump seems to emulate. I fear we have not seen the last president that seems to disregard the court system and the rule of law.

F

reason that we have laws is to protect those that do not have the power to protect themselves. Our current president has shown his disregard for the rule of law by pardoning Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted in federal court of defying the federal law, and Dinesh D’Souza for pleading guilty to campaign finance violations. Both men were found guilty by the court system. Both men have not shown any signs of regret for their transgressions on society and the law. Both men have been pardoned by a president that has little regard for the rule of law. Do we really want or need another Andrew Jackson? Luther Jones Sylva

Susanna Barbee

Richard Nixon was once asked in an interview by David Frost if the President could give an illegal order. Nixon’s reply was that if the order was given by the President, then it could not be illegal. We see where that led. Yet even Nixon did not defy the Supreme Court when ordered to turn over the Watergate tapes, though there did seem to be a convenient 18-minute gap in the recording. Mr. Trump seems to be attempting a concerted effort to denigrate the courts, the legal system, and the news media. It is an effort to convince the people of this country that these institutions are not to be trusted, that trust and loyalty should only be given to Mr. Trump and to those to whom he delegates power. We need to remember that the

Smoky Mountain News

places and having two homes. My heart pumps with pride anytime I think about their resiliency and understanding during all of this. Part of what made this year less traumatic were their teachers. Not one time did either of my children say they didn’t want to go to school and every afternoon, they chattered about activities that happened throughout the day, conversations that were had or experiences they enjoyed. Living in a small town can be brutal during marital strife, but it can also be comforting, offering a village of people to wrap their arms around my children. I know both of my boys’ teachers personally, so it feels like family has been taking care of them every day of this school year. And even if I hadn’t known them beforehand, they are both excellent teachers and would have alleviated any stress I had. My youngest is in kindergarten and my older in third grade. These are both pivotal years during a child’s elementary school experience. Despite what’s going on with the adults in their lives, I wanted their year to be happy and successful. And I truly feel like it has been. I credit so much of that to their teachers. It’s scary how quickly time flies. It seems like yesterday that my boys were babies and I was swaddling their little bodies and wiping their tiny tears. And now, one is almost a first grader and the other will be a middle schooler in two years. It also seems like yesterday that I was teaching seventh-grade language arts at Waynesville Middle School reading test directions to my students and making sure everyone had a sharpened number two pencil. As a mom, a former teacher and a member of this amazing community, educators and students are on my mind this week. Very soon all this testing will be over and summer break will be in the palm of your hands. Just breathe. You’ve got this! (Susanna Barbee can be reached at susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com)

June 6-12, 2018

t’s high stakes testing week for students and educators in Haywood County. This is my 9-year old’s first year taking an End-of-Grade test and he is very nervous about it. When I was teaching, I remember this time of year looming ahead like an ugly, stressful punctuation mark to a well-constructed, creative sentence. Testing season is very intense for those inside a school building. It seems Columnist like each year children and teens are tested more and more. Teachers worry about scores all year and students fret about their performance. And as the actual testing dates draw near, the anxiety increases. It’s hard to see such young children worry so much about their ability to test well. Sitting still in a hard chair for four hours reading consecutive long passages and answering complicated questions is not fun for them. They’re built to run, wiggle and jump. They love variety and quick transitions. That’s what annoys me most about standardized testing. In no way does the test setting mimic the innovative classroom environment teachers work to create during the school year itself. But that’s been an argument with critics for decades and nothing has changed. Now that I’m a parent to a child who has to take EOG tests, I have an entirely new take on things. The kids can feel how serious these tests are. I’ve tried to be easygoing at home and not put additional stress on my child. I just keep reminding him to do his best, take his time and use the strategies he’s practiced in class. This has been a year of transition for my two boys. Their father and I separated last year and I moved into my own house. They had to get adjusted to living in different

opinion

Students and teachers are on my mind I

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tasteTHEmountains Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251 BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997. Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slow-simmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted. Private parties, catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.

June 6-12, 2018

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,

LUNCH · CATERING TAKEOUT & DINNERS TO GO Smoky Mountain News

We are a scratch kitchen!

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-youcan-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 handcut 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 Wi-Fi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com. THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday serving freshly

Simple, delicious food. Craft Beer on Tap LIVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY FROM 8-10 P.M.

OFF NOW FULERING L BA A R!

M-S: 11:30-9 · Sun: 10-9 · Sun. Brunch: 10-2

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

All meals are homemade using the freshest ingredients. We support the Local Food & Farm program.

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.

Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza. Dine-In ~ Take Out ~ Delivery

An Authentic Italian Pizzeria & Restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge. Just to serve you! 243 Paragon Parkway | Clyde Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Open Sundays Noon to 8 p.m.

Monday-Saturday 10:30-2:30

828-476-5058 NEW LOCATION OPEN!

1196 N. MAIN STREET WAYNESVILLE

828-452-5187

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sandwiches, shareables and daily specials that pair perfectly with our beer. Cozy up inside or take in the mountain air on our back deck.”

kaninis.com

Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m • Closed Sundays

Open Daily 7 a.m. to noon Closed Thursdays

Any day is a great day when it starts with Joey’s Pancakes!

4309 Soco Rd., Maggie Valley (828) 926-0212

499 Champion Drive | Canton

10%

Present this coupon and recieve:

OFF ENTIRE MEAL

tasteTHEmountains HARMON’S DEN BISTRO 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville 828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in 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 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. Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated. 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.

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,

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. Southern-inspired 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. 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 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. 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.

Mon/Wed/Thurs 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday/Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Closed Tuesday

Sunday 12-9 p.m.

Sandwiches • Burgers • Wraps 32 Felmet Street (828) 246-0927

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

Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday 7pm to 9pm

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 8

Sheila Gordon piano, vocals. Jazz, Pop, Originals. SATURDAY, JUNE 9

828.586.3555 • Downtown Sylva MadBatterFoodFilm.com

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT Daily Specials: Soups, Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

Featured Dishes: Fresh Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Country Ham, Pork-chops & more

Breakfast : Omelets, Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy!

New Hours: Thursday- Monday Open at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast served all day!

2804 SOCO RD. • MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.0425 • Facebook.com/carversmvr Instagram- @carvers_mvr

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Smoky Mountain News

WAYNESVILLE’S BEST BURGERS

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

June 6-12, 2018

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Everybody’s scared, everybody’s inspired Shovels & Rope to headline Cold Mountain Music Festival

Shovels & Rope. Leslie Ryan McKellar photo

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER here’s a reason Shovels & Rope has evolved into one of the “must see” live acts in the music scene over the last decade. Sure, the Charleston, South Carolina, band is comprised of two incredibly talented songwriters and performers (Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent). And yes, the energy they radiate onstage is insanely contagious to anyone within earshot. But, the main reason at the core of the band’s success and rabid fanbase resides within Hearst and Trent themselves — a married couple, onstage and off, of ragged company in pursuit of passion and glory. They’re inspiring, and real in every sense of the word. And that’s an attitude taken at face value by the 21st century listener, who’s constantly in search of something authentic and tangible in a modern age of mass confusion and plastic realities. It is the sincere love between the duo that is the catalyst for their music, where the honest beauty of the human spirit won’t shy away from obstacles — physical or emotional — nor be defeated in the grand scheme of things.

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Smoky Mountain News: [This year] marks the 10th anniversary of Shovels & Rope. With the amount of shows and the endless miles since the beginning, what does that number mean to you? Cary Ann Hearst: It definitely doesn’t feel like 10 years has gone by. But, if you look at it like a [time] capsule, our entire adult life together has taken place in the last 10 years. That record (2008 self-titled debut release) kind of marked the beginning of our romantic partnership, our musical and business partnership. Our families are one. We have a daughter. We’re traveling [together]. Everything about our production, sound and songwriting has grown in accordance with time and wisdom. SMN: How has the meaning of the word “love” changed or remained the same since you’ve gotten older? CAH: That’s a good question. I guess when you’re a teenager, love feels like some kind of sickness, some kind of syndrome, which you’re physically struck by and you don’t know how to manage it. Now, we’re old married people, with a toddler, with aging parents. Love is so much more intense and complex, and powerful, as you grow and get wise. I believe in it more than I believe in anything. I believe in love as much as I believe in God, and I don’t think those two things are mutually exclusive. It’s the power of creation — love. Michael Trent: It’s kind of a process.

“People should be writing their most brave and bold songs right now. If you have something to say, especially now, it’s time to say it.” — Michael Trent

There’s a lot of patience, and just showing up. It’s about the long game. You can have really bad days, really bad weeks, but it’s about being persistent and being willing to show up every day. We’re married people and we go see a marriage counselor every once in awhile. And a lot of times things are going great in our marriage, and we’re just showing love by just checking in and making the drive.

SMN: I ask that question because I was thinking about [your] song “Great, America.” I would assume you were referring to the Charleston shooter? MT: We were referring to all the shooters. That song was written when we had just gotten back from a European tour. We flipped on the news and every terrible thing you could imagine was happening. They were just going down

SMN: Is the role of songwriter as important now as ever before, maybe like it was in the late 1960s and early 1970s? MT: There’s definitely a lot to talk about. There’s so much “everything” right now. Maybe it’s different [today] just because everybody is constantly being inundated with everybody’s opinion and everybody has got a platform. If music speaks to you, and if you connect with it, then I think it’s very important nowadays. People should be writing their most brave and bold songs right now. If you have something to say, especially now, it’s time to say it.

COLD MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL the list. And so, we sort of wrote down what we were hearing, in kind of just disbelief, and that’s where that song came from. We had been away from the States for maybe like two weeks, and just so much tragedy, climate change craziness, natural disasters. CAH: Michael and I, we’re parents and we’re humans. We’re part of the brotherhood of man. And it hurts our spirit to see all the suffering in the world. “Great, America” is our

overall response to feeling overwhelmed with the state of the world. SMN: Are you optimistic about the future? CAH: I feel like we literally choose to remain optimistic because throwing up your hands in abandonment is just not an option. It’s just not an option. So, day-to-day, do you feel discouraged? Do you feel you’re not getting far enough, fast enough for the will of mankind? But, you have to put out in your own results and in your own efforts what you want to see in other people. SMN: That lyric [in “Great, America”], “everybody’s scared, everybody’s inspired,” I really think that sums it up, because as much as there’s a lot of confusion, there’s also a lot of people coming off the sidelines... MT: It’s true. When you put something like that out in the world, you’re not sure how everybody is going to respond. But, we felt compelled to write it, compelled to put it out. Maybe it will inspire somebody else to do something greater. Editor’s Note: Shovels & Rope will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Cold Mountain Music Festival on the grounds of the Lake Logan Conference Center. To listen to the entire audio interview of this conversation, go to YouTube and search “Shovels & Rope Garret K. Woodward.”

arts & entertainment

Cold Mountain Music Festival returns to Lake Logan

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

Mandolin Orange.

June 6-12, 2018

The festival will feature top-notch musical talent. Friday’s schedule will be The Kenny George Band (4:30 p.m.), The Broadcast (5:45 p.m.), Jon Stickley Trio (7 p.m.) and Mandolin Orange (8:45 p.m.). Saturday’s schedule will be The Broadcast (1 p.m.), Dangermuffin (2:15 p.m.), Tyler Ramsey (3:45 p.m.), The Steel Wheels (5 p.m.), River Whyless (7 p.m.) and Shovels & Rope (9 p.m.). 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 on N.C. 215 just south of Canton. There are also lodging options, which includes cabins and camping onsite. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.coldmountainmusic.org.

MANDOLIN ORANGE Multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin have steadily picked up speed and fans from long stretches on the road, including appearances at Austin City Limits, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and Pickathon. It’s been an auspicious journey for a pair who casually met at a bluegrass jam session in 2009. Lean in to Mandolin Orange’s recent album, “Blindfaller,” and it’s bound to happen. You’ll suddenly pick up on the power and devastation lurking in its quietude, the doom hiding beneath its unvarnished beauty. You’ll hear the way it magnifies the intimacy at the heart of the North Carolina duo’s music, as if they created their own musical language as they recorded it.

With three superlative singers and songwriters in Ryan O’Keefe, Halli Anderson and Daniel Shearin, River Whyless consciously worked to blur the designation of a lead singer on “We All The Light,” deftly blending the three voices throughout the record. The trio’s vocals intertwine and layer together with gorgeous harmonies, rarely working alone. The vocal synergy is in many ways another instrument on “We All The Light,” adding additional colors and textures to the sonically adventurous mix. At its core, “We All The Light” is still very much a folk album. The global music influence is subtle, but significant in that it ties the record together, if not sonically, then spiritually. But, it was music created outside the United States — of Africa and India and Asia — that inspired the band to experiment, to explore, and, most importantly, to have some fun.

Smoky Mountain News

RIVER WHYLESS

River Whyless. Shervin Lainez photo

Dangermuffin. 27

arts & entertainment

Cold Mountain Music Festival returns to Lake Logan DANGERMUFFIN Easy, breezy melodies and soul-shaking grooves radiate from this genre-bending roots group. Dangermuffin brings thoughtful tunes that are both heartfelt and truthful. Its haunting harmonies and gowith-the-flow vibe invite listeners to kick back, relax, and be consumed by the ethereal rhythmic backbone and inspiring messages Dangermuffin has to offer. Lyrically, they evoke themes of self-discovery and true awareness, all within a unique and casual approach.

THE STEEL WHEELS Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, The Steel Wheels are familiar with the traditions of folk music and how a string band is supposed to sound. In fact, they’ve been drawing on those steadfast traditions for more than a decade. Yet their name also evokes a sense of forward motion, which is clearly reflected in their latest album, “Wild As We Came Here.”

June 6-12, 2018

The Steel Wheels.

Tyler Ramsey. Jameykay and Arlie photography

The Broadcast.

THE BROADCAST

Smoky Mountain News

The Asheville-based act is a soulful blues and roots-rock band bursting at the seams, fronted by explosive vocalist Caitlin Krisko taking her cues from early 1970s classic rock.

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TYLER RAMSEY Praised by NPR, Stereogum, WNYC and The Huffington Post, Asheville-based Tyler Ramsey is a multi-instrumentalist equally at home playing guitar, piano, keyboards, bass, and percussion, but is best known as a talented finger-style guitarist and singer-songwriter.

THE KENNY GEORGE BAND Hailing from Aiken, South Carolina, The Kenny George Band is a rock ensemble that has created an indelible impression with fans. The band’s latest album, “Borrowed Trouble,” looks at life, longing and relationships through the vast spectrum of constant tours and travel. Like the road itself, it dips and sways, advancing not in a straight line, but rather in a series of circuitous twists and turns that reveal a uniquely personal perspective.

Kenny George Band. Phillip Douglas photo

The Jon Stickley Trio. arts & entertainment

Maybe believe A conversation with Jon Stickley BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER hen you dig into the music of The Jon Stickley Trio, you find yourself meandering farther down the rabbit hole, with seemingly no end in sight. It’s a whirlwind of tone, bolting across the musical spectrum in a never-ending game of melodic duck-duck-goose. The Asheville-based acoustic instrumental triangle of sound is well-known, and beloved, in these parts. But, it’s been in recent years, that Stickley & Co. have been making big waves in the bluegrass, Americana and rock-n-roll scenes across the country and around the world.

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SMN: With being an acoustic guitar instrumentalist, what about the notes and

improvisational aspects of your sound provides you with a platform to say something you might not otherwise be able to say with your voice? JS: Because I’m not singing words with my voice, I can put 100 percent of my focus into speaking through my instrument. Lyndsay [Pruett] (violin), Hunter [Deacon] (drums) and I have dedicated our lives to the study of our instruments, so we feel confident that we can tell a story with them. I like to sing too, but I can’t say that I’ve dedicated my life to singing — I’ve dedicated my life to the guitar. SMN: What’s the role of string and acoustic music in the digital age? And why is there such a resurgence in the interest in these ancient sounds and tones? JS: String music is natural. As our lives become more digitized, I think a lot of people have started craving natural sounds. I mean, The Avett Brothers used to be as death metal band. On the other hand, mod-

COLD MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL ern electronic music has had a big impact on the music of the trio — they’re doing some very cool things with tempos, beats and energy. We’ve stolen some of those ideas and incorporated them into an acoustic setting, with occasionally good results. SMN: Why the acoustic guitar? What about that instrument drew you in and remains the way you communicate with the world? JS: I fell into the guitar spot in an early bluegrass band after playing mandolin for years. Eventually, I really fell in love with the instrument, especially in the newgrass world. The guitar mimics the human vocal range, and you can feel it vibrate against you while you walk around with it. It’s extremely versatile.

SMN: The essence of bluegrass comes from the roots of American music, be it jazz or the blues, mountain music or Scotch-Irish and African influences. Why is it important that bluegrass, and the heritage and history it encompasses, not disappear, but also remain vibrant and alive in the 21st century? JS: Bluegrass changed my life. A set I watched during a recent trip to DelFest (Cumberland, Maryland) was the closest thing I’ve had to a religious experience in a long time. There’s something insanely powerful about the way bluegrass music brings people together, and these amazing festivals are helping draw people to it more and more. I’ll never forget the good feeling I had when I went to my first bluegrass jam and saw how everyone was connecting and loving on each other. Editor’s Note: The Jon Stickley Trio will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, June 8, at the Cold Mountain Music Festival on the grounds of the Lake Logan Conference Center.

Smoky Mountain News

SMN: What is it within that triangle of the power trio realm of possibility that breeds the sonic textures and spaces you’re searching for? JS: It forces us to think outside the box and imagine new ways to do things. We’ve all created new techniques simply because we had to. There’s also plenty of space for improvisation and spontaneous creation.

— Jon Stickley

June 6-12, 2018

Smoky Mountain News: What is it about the dynamic of the power trio that appeals to you, creatively and musically? Jon Stickley: The Trio is a constant challenge. [The late, iconic] John Hartford said something about musicality being defined as “what you can pull off within your limitations.” The Trio has a lot of limitations, but that gives us an opportunity to push even harder to create within those limitations. It has led to a lot of new ideas, and an extremely original sounding band — it’s rarely boring.

“Bluegrass changed my life. A set I watched during a recent trip to DelFest was the closest thing I’ve had to a religious experience in a long time. There’s something insanely powerful about the way bluegrass music brings people together, and these amazing festivals are helping draw people to it more and more.”

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planting

arts & entertainment

seeds inspiring

growth

Plant Your Seed!

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Smoky Mountain News

June 6-12, 2018

A FESTIVAL OF

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FOLK DANCE & WORLD CULTURE Cultural activities, cuisine, live music, dance instruction and performances.

View full schedule at folkmoot.org

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Adults $26 Seniors $24 Students $13 Special $8 Tickets for all Students on Thursdays & Sundays.

The Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville, NC

For More Information and Tickets:

828-456-6322 | www.harttheatre.org 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.

CASUAL FINE DINING WITH LIVE MUSIC COVERED PATIO LATE NIGHT MENU

KITCHEN 743 TUESDAY THRU SUNDAY FROM 5PM UNTIL... SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH FROM 10AM TO 2PM

Smoky Mountain News

But, my urge to become a writer always outweighed anything else, even though I also got a history degree alongside my journalism degree, just in case I changed my mind. Even to this day, that deep urge remains to stand up in front of a classroom and instruct. The hard work and sheer unrivaled determination of our teachers is something so astounding to me, just the notion of what it takes to impact the minds of the next generation, doing so in such a selfless and tireless manner. That said, the next couple of weeks signals the end of another school year for most of the districts in North Carolina. And all across the country, schools are letting out into another unknown summer of curiosity and adventure. I remember those last days, filled with so many great memories and emotions, walking the now silent hallways, everyone already on the bus or in their cars, without a care in the world as to what tomorrow will bring, for the next school year was way off in the distance. Here’s to the teachers, to all who educate and champion education. Each and every single one of you are the foundation by which our society achieves greatness, finds compassion, and also nurtures the will to succeed against all odds. Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

May 31 & June 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 at 7:30 pm June 3, 10 at 2:00 pm

June 6-12, 2018

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5

I was thrown into the deep end. When I was 20 years old, I became a substitute teacher. I Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host the was still in college, but I was also Sarge’s Karaoke Party Fundraiser 7 p.m. looking to make some extra Saturday, June 9. money when I was home for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the The Concerts on the Creek summer series will subsequent spring and summer welcome The Dirty Soul Revival (hard breaks. The pay was OK, but the rock/blues) at 7 p.m. Friday, June 8, at schedule was very flexible. The Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. administrator would call me up Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host its the night before and ask if I was Anniversary Bash w/Lyric (soul/rock) at 6 p.m. free to take over whatever was in Saturday, June 9. need of adult supervision: social studies, science, physical educaThe Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host The tion, English, etc. Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) 9:30 p.m. Back then, in my native New Saturday, June 9. York State, you only needed two years of college completed to be Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Kevin eligible to substitute teach. So, Fuller (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. Friday, going into my junior year of colJune 8. lege, my mother, a retired special education teacher of 34 years, shenanigans and what later would be kept nudging me to apply for the gig, to get referred to as “sophomoric transgressions.” some extra spending cash. I brushed it off, He shook my hand. I could tell it was as more so a bit nervous to stand up there in weird an interaction for him as it was for me. front of young minds all ready to pick you He walked me down to the classroom. apart. I liked public speaking, but could I Stepping into the room, a group of a dozen handle a classroom of millennials? or so young kids lit up at the prospect of a Sometime during that Christmas break new person to talk to and play with. So, I of 2005-2006, I took the plunge and signed stood up there and began going through the my name up to substitute. I soon got a call detailed lesson plan left for me from the the night before, though they didn’t tell me teacher. By lunch, I was getting the hang of what the assignment was just yet. I took it. things. By the end of the day, I was completeEntering the front door of Mooers ly exhausted leaving the building. The experiElementary School the next morning, on the frozen Canadian border, I was greeted by the ence was incredibly fulfilling and eye-opening, where I finally realized how crazy and principal, who used to be the vice principal intricate being an educator is, let alone do it and disciplinarian at my old high school. I day-in-and-day-out for a decades-long career. knew him well, and knew his old office well, And as the administrators kept calling when I was a teenager eager to partake in

“One day I was a gym teacher in my old middle school, the next giving a tutorial on earth science in the same classroom I sat in during my sophomore year at Northeastern Clinton Central School. It was wild, and I loved it.”

ELVIS PRESLEY JOHNNY CASH CARL PERKINS JERRY LEE LEWIS

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

me, I kept taking the next assignments. And this went on for the next two years before I graduated college. One day I was a gym teacher in my old middle school, the next giving a tutorial on earth science in the same classroom I sat in during my sophomore year at Northeastern Clinton Central School. It was wild, and I loved it. Coming from a family of teachers, I truly felt this sort of thing was in my blood. I liked sharing knowledge and wisdom, and seeing actual positive change happening before my eyes in the faces of the youth of America. Those experiences in my hometown led to me taking a part-time after-school teaching position my senior year of college in the depths of New Haven, Connecticut. I found myself at the mercy of 20 kids ranging from third to sixth grade, all who needed help with homework and always wanting to see just how far I could crush a kickball into the large yard behind the old school. In the back of my mind there was always the thought that maybe I would pursue teaching, maybe get my master’s degree and follow in the footsteps of my family members.

743 HAYWOOD RD • WEST ASHEVILLE

ISISASHEVILLE.COM 828.575.2737

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arts & entertainment

On the beat

Bluegrass festival welcomes Vincent, Lawson 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” eight-time 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 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.

Concerts on the Creek

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will play June 9 in Cherokee.

June 6-12, 2018

Robert Dick.

Smoky Mountain News

A virtuosic flute journey

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The Dirty Soul Revival. The Concerts on the Creek summer series will welcome The Dirty Soul Revival (hard rock/blues) at 7 p.m. Friday, June 8, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. The lineup for this year’s series will also include: 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 public. There will also be food tricks onsite. For more information, call 828.586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.

Acclaimed flutist Robert Dick will present a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at the Kern Center at Lake Junaluska. Dick will play his own compositions as well as music of Telemann, Paganini, and Karg-Elert and will be performing on all sizes of flutes as well as his Glissando Headjoint. World renowned as a leader in contemporary music for the flute, Dick has utterly dispensed with preconceptions about what a flutist should sound like and what a flutist should play. He has reshaped the musical possibilities of the flute, creating many thousands of new sounds. In his 20s, Dick’s world of music experienced its own Big Bang. He became a pas-

sionate, omnivorous listener to world music, to rock, to jazz, and to electronic music. One musician’s influence outweighed all others, and that was Jimi Hendrix. Dick wanted to create a sound world for the flute as extensive and as free as Hendrix’s guitar sound world. He felt that for the flute, the human playing could do what electronics did for the guitar sound. For the past quarter century, Dick has been contributing to the evolution of the flute itself. He is the inventor of the Glissando Headjoint, which does for the flute what the “whammy bar” does for the electric guitar. Dick’s concert opens his five-day masterclass at Lake Junaluska for flutists wishing to learn contemporary flute techniques. There will be morning workshops open which will explore multiphonics, circular breathing, glissandi, microtones, whistertones, harmonics, throat tuning, and improvisation. Evening classes will be devoted to contemporary (since 1960) flute literature. The June 16 performance is free and open to the public. For more information on the workshops, contact Anna Thibeault at flutegoof@yahoo.com or 828.944.0786.

On the beat

The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature The Seeds of Faith w/Curtis Blackwell, Conrad Hefner & Friends (variety) at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin. Other acts for the rest of the month include: 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.

Bookstore

Memoirs of a Casino Dealer ROBERT WAGNER Sat., June 9th at 3 p.m.

3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA

828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

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arts & entertainment

Pickin’ on the Square returns June 9

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Bryson City community jam

June 6-12, 2018

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 — year-round. 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. 

Franklin Community Singalong

Smoky Mountain News

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. Ordinary people coming together to sing for fun and to experience the power of music to connect us. Sing along campfire-style. You don’t need to read music, just listen and sing back what you hear. 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 sessions, with the last session a review for folks who attended earlier sessions. Free and open to the public. For more information, email campfirechoirwnc@gmail.com.

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arts & entertainment

On the beat • Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” with George Ausman June 8, Andrew Chastain Band June 9, Somebody’s Child (Americana) June 15 and Bill Vespasian June 16. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com. • Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host 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. • Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. June 7 and 14. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com. • Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host the Sarge’s Karaoke Party Fundraiser 7 p.m. June 9. Shows are free and open to the public. There will also be an open mic every Thursday at 9 p.m. www.boojumbrewing.com.

ALSO:

June 6-12, 2018

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Sheila Gordon (piano/vocals) June 8, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) June 9 and 16, and James Hammel (guitar/vocals) June 15. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com. • Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host 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 Marc Keller (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m. June 8 and Heidi Holton (blues/folk) June 15. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

Smoky Mountain News

• 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.

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will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. June 16. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia. www.thepapermilllounge.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night June 6 and 13, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo June 7 and 14. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovationbrewing.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.

• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host 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, The Appalcians w/Lazybirds 8:30 p.m. June 9, Molly Stevens 7 p.m. June 13, Tret Fure w/Heather Mae & Crys Matthews 8:30 p.m. June 13, The Currys 7 p.m. June 14, The Wholigans 8:30 p.m. June 14, Becca Stevens & Cecily 7 p.m. June 15, Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions 7:30 p.m. June 19. For more information about the performances and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.isisasheville.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 Tyson Michael Halford (singer-songwriter) June 7, Hannah Styles (singer-songwriter) June 9 and Grand Theft Audio June 15. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.southern-porch.com.

MAGGIE VALLEY BAND TO PLAY SYLVA

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Jon Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host The Maggie Scott (singer-songwriter) Valley Band (Americana/folk) 7 p.m. June 16 and Bird in Hand June 8, Lazy Hiker (Americana/folk) 8 p.m. June 23. 828.586.1717 or Anniversary Bash w/Lyric www.soulinfusion.com. (soul/rock) 6 p.m. June 9 and Karaoke Throwdown Somebody’s Child (Americana) June 16. All June 15. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. There will also be an open otherwise noted. mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com. • Maggie Valley Rendezvous will host Stone Crazy Band (classic rock/pop) from 6 to 9 p.m. June 9. www.maggievalleyhotel.com. • Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an open mic night every Thursday, Paul Davis (singer-songwriter) June 8 and 15, Twelfth Fret (Americana/folk) June 9 and

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• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host Ciara C. Miller June 8, Highway 14 June 9, Jordan Okrend Experience June 15 and The Dirty Badgers (rock) June 16. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.nantahalabrewing.com. • The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee)

• 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 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 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 Talent June 9, Partin Ways June 15 and Captain Midnight Band June 16. All shows begin at 10 p.m. There is also an open mic night every Monday, which is free to the public.

On the beat arts & entertainment

Groovin’ On the Green Colby Deitz.

GCAMA to present the concerts. This year, GCAMA has merged all event functions into The Village Green. The highly 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 at The Village Green visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com. You can follow The Village Green on social media @cashiersgreen.

facebook.com/smnews

FATHER’S DAY

BRUNCH BUFFET Sunday, June 17 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. $24.95 per person, $12.95 children 12 & under

MENU: Big Daddy’s Cold Food Selections

Daddio’s Breakfast Selections Chicken and Waffles • Maple Syrup Steak Benedicts with Hollandaise Breakfast Burritos

Man Sized Main Buffet House Rolls and Biscuits Au Gratin Potatoes Southern Style Green Beans Broccoli Casserole with Lots of Cheese Shrimp and Grits Big Daddy Style Big Hunks of Prime Rib and Yabadabbadoo Lamb

Papa Bear’s Dessert Bar Chocolate Fountain • Chocolate Eclairs Blackberry Cobbler with Ice Cream, Pies and Cookies

Reservations are required. RSVP the Pin High at 828.926.4848

Jackson County Americana/bluegrass group Ol’ Dirty Bathtub will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at Currahee Brewing in Franklin. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, click on www.facebook.com/oldirtybathtub.

Smoky Mountain News

Chopped Iceberg with Bleu Cheese and Bacon Caesar Salad • Deviled Eggs Assorted Cured Meats That Dad Likes Crab Gazpacho • Some Fruit for Mom

CURRAHEE GETS IN THE TUB

June 6-12, 2018

The Groovin’ On the Green concert series will host The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 8, at The Village Green Commons stage and lawn. Other performers this summer include: 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 Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association, commonly known as GCAMA, created Groovin’ On the Green nine years ago to bring high quality entertainment to the area while at the same time highlighting local and regional musicians. Since that time, the concerts have grown in popularity and become a cherished summertime tradition. The Village Green has served as the host venue and last year collaborated with

1819 Country Club Drive Maggie Valley, NC

M AG G I E VA LLEY C LU B . CO M 35

On the street arts & entertainment

Cherokee festival showcases artists, storytelling

Women’s Work Festival The annual Women’s Work Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at the Mountain Farm Museum in Cherokee. During the event, you will learn about the vital role women played in creating and maintaining a mountain home. Walk the grounds of the mountain farm and watch demonstrations of open hearth cooking, spinning or sewing, corn shuck doll making, and more. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.greatsmokies.com.

June 6-12, 2018

Waynesville ‘Great Decisions’ series 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

Program on ‘Cherokee Removal’

Smoky Mountain News

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 36 why the Cherokees were removed and

eight most critical issues facing America each year and serves as the focal text for discussion groups across the country. Schedule is as follows: 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.

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 U.S. 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.

All aboard the BBQ, craft beer train There will be a barbecue and craft beer tasting from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 16, on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, departing from Bryson City.

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.

Slow-cooked barbecue and ribs, with beer tastings from Hoppy Trout Brewing Company (Andrews) for the adults, age 21 and up. The age 20 and under crowd will enjoy a uniquely crafted root beer by Happy Trout. The train will take you to the Fontana Trestle for a spectacular sunset. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 800.872.4681 or visit www.gsmr.com.

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. There is a storied tradition of the awards and the recognition given to regional figures, institutions and organizations, beginning with the first presentation in 1976. Recipients are chosen by a committee comprised of regional and campus representatives. 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, such as crafts, music or organizational cause; 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.

On the street

f • The “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Great Smoky - Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. Full servh ice all-adult first class g car. Wine pairings with r a meal and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or visit - www.gsmr.com. • Line Dance Lessons will be held on Tuesdays d in Waynesville. Times are 7 to 8 p.m. every a other Tuesday. Cost is $10 per class and will - feature modern/traditional line dancing. 828.734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com for more inforn mation. d y • “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 9 and 16 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 9 and 16 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. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

Lastly, with few exceptions, the festival is free and open to the public. The Clan Dinner on Thursday night is the only ticketed event for the festival. Put on by Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum, you can learn more about the festival and its full schedule of events by visting www.tasteofscotlandfestival.org.

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Smoky Mountain News

there are many restaurants from which to choose to sit and relax. The entertainment stage located at the end of Church Street, will host four local acts. Beginning at 11 a.m., a high-energy dance team, the J. Creek Cloggers, based out of Haywood County, will dance on the street. At noon, Dillsboro welcomes the husband and wife team called Twelfth Fret, featuring a acoustic duo with Craig Neidlinger on guitar and Kim Neidlinger on upright bass. Beginning at 1 p.m., the Maggie Valley Band (Americana/folk) will entertain. American Idol contestant Alma Russ will be on stage at 2 p.m. Russ is a singer-songwriter who sings a blend of folk, bluegrass, and mountain ballads and plays fiddle, claw-hammer banjo and guitar. To learn more about the show, call 828.506.8331 or email brendaanders@frontier.com.

The 21st annual Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival will be held June 14-17 in downtown Franklin. The festival is a celebration of the heritage brought to these mountains, that of the Scots and Scots-Irish, along with celebrating the historic relationships with the Cherokee. Franklin is home to the Scottish Tartans Museum. The Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival celebrates the history and heritage of our area, and encourages everyone to participate. This year, they’re including a Highland Games contest to further enhance the festival’s offerings to the public. “The Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival is important to our community because it’s a celebration of our community. We’re actively celebrating our cultural inheritance, and sharing that with the people who attend the festival. We work very hard to include as many events as we can to reach everyone,” said George James, TSCF chairman. Personally, I’m very happy that we can continue to bring in representatives of the Cherokee Nation to our festival. The lectures and demonstrations of their culture help to remind us all that we are now, as we were then, neighbors.”

June 6-12, 2018

The annual Front Street Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 16, in downtown Dillsboro. The small mountain town will glow with homespun talent as Front Street (by the railroad tracks) will be filled with fine arts and crafts from local artisans. Strewn with vibrant colors, inviting festival aromas, and the warm sounds of guitars, banjos, and bass, the event will once again swing wide its welcome. More than 50 vendors on Front Street will offer pottery, glass, candles, jewelry, needle crafts, birdhouses, soaps, gourds, photography, metal art, fiber art and visual arts: oil painting, pen and ink drawings, pastel prints, and so much more. r As you stroll through the town, you can also slip into the shops where you can enjoy the many different items especially chosen with you, the visitor, in mind. At lunch time g

Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival

arts & entertainment

Front Street Arts & Crafts Show

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Select positions eligible for hiring bonus. Restrictions apply. Please see Talent Acquisition department for details. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid photo ID. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos value diversity and inclusion, and are equal opportunity employers. ©2018, Caesars License Company, LLC.

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arts & entertainment

On the wall Franklin art scholarship winners Justus Leighton Bailey and Abbey Cecilia Siek are the 2018 winners of the Arts Council of Macon County’s $1,000 Arts Scholarship. Bailey, a graduating senior at Franklin High School, has held many leadership positions in the school’s band program and excelled in honor bands throughout the region. He will attend Young Harris College, majoring in music performance. He is the son of Scott and Kimberly Bailey. Siek, also a Franklin High School senior, has served as head editor of the FHS yearbook staff and worked extensively on school’s website, RedOnline. She’ll pursue a degree in graphic design at Southwestern Community College and later at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She is the daughter of Danny and Trese Siek. The Arts Council’s Arts Scholarship is awarded annually to a resident of Macon County seeking a college degree in an arts field. Award criteria include talent, commitment, educational goals, and career aspirations. For further information, contact any Macon County high school guidance office or the Arts Council, 828.524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.

Smoky Mountain News

June 6-12, 2018

Dogwood Crafters workshops

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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

• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (June 14 and 28) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com. • The Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild will host a day meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 11, which will feature Pepper Cory, a nationally-known quilter who’ll discuss the topic, “How to be a more creative quiltmaker.” There will also be an evening meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 18, which will host an indoor yard sale of quilting items. Both meetings will be held at the Tartan Hall on Church Street in Franklin. All are welcome to attend. For more information, visit www.smokymtnquilters.org.

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.

Interactive drumhead painting from the WCU School of Art and Design Roadworks Art Trailer.

Want to build a fairy house? 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 in about a week. Participants can then paint them at home with acrylic paints and spray with a polyurethane clear coat to complete for use in their own fairy garden. 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.

HCC Professional Crafts Graduate Show

Roadworks: Experiential Arts Opportunities

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. 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.

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. 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

• 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. • 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 interested in learning are invited. You can keep up with them through their Facebook group or by calling 828.276.6226 for more information.

ALSO:

• 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

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 managed by four WCU students, two graduate 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 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.

in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or find them on Facebook. • 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.

On the wall

‘Knit Knot’ by Carol Milne.

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 through June 30 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showcase in downtown Waynesville. REACH serves survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse and teen dating violence. They not only operate a 24-hour 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. For more information, call 828.452.0593, email info@haywoodarts.org or visit www.haywoodarts.org.

Quilt show in Waynesville 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.

Smoky Mountain News

study under Littleton, yet each of them, like Littleton, works glass to its fullest potential by creatively expanding the medium. All of the artists represented in the exhibition take a conceptual approach to their work, ushering glass beyond the functional realm where its traditional roots lie. Born to a physicist who worked at Corning Glass Works, Littleton encountered glass in a factory setting at an early age. Believing that glass had creative potential outside its applications in industry, Littleton set out to make it possible for artists to experiment with glass in their individual studios. He built a small-scale furnace and other equipment that could be used for blowing glass. This initial experimentation inspired Littleton to share his findings with others. In 1962, Littleton led a watershed glass workshop at the Toledo Museum of Art that would eventually spark the creation of glass programs at universities, craft schools, and art centers throughout the world. He is often credited with making information about glass widely available. Coming out of an era when glass techniques and formulas were concentrated in Europe and largely kept secret, Littleton took a democratic, and arguably American, approach to his art form by sharing ideas and techniques freely amongst a community of interested artists. His efforts led to the elevation of glass as an art form and the creation of a viable market for artists working in glass. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

‘Artist’s Point of View’ show

June 6-12, 2018

The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center is pleased to announce the opening of its newest exhibition “Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture,” which will run June 14 through Dec. 7. Celebrating the efforts of Harvey Littleton, one of the greatest proponents of using glass as an expressive medium, the exhibition explores the work of contemporary artists concentrating in glass and how they are building off the foundations laid by Littleton during the early years of the Studio Glass Movement. A key work in the exhibition will be a new acquisition to the Museum’s collection: a glass sculpture by Harvey Littleton entitled “Terracotta Arc.” This piece will be unveiled at a special opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at the Bardo Arts Center, which would have been Littleton’s 96th birthday. Donated by the Littleton Family in honor of WCU Professor Emeritus Joan Falconer Byrd, this sculpture serves as a focal point in the exhibition and a reminder of how Littleton’s impact reverberates through the generations. Artists featured in the exhibition include: Alex Bernstein, Carol Milne, Hayden Wilson, Matt Eskuche, Shane Fero, Robert Burch, Carmen Lozar, Carole Frève, Einar and Jamex de la Torre, Shayna Leib, and Dean Allison. Glass enthusiasts, sculptors, lovers of innovation, and even knitters will especially enjoy this display of works ranging from cast figures to blown glass to delicate lamp-worked forms. The majority of the artists in the exhibition represent a younger generation of glass sculptors who did not directly work with or

The Uptown Gallery located at 30 East Main Street in Franklin will host a handful of upcoming workshops and an artist presentation. • 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 selfexpression. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Bring your own materials of choice, preferably quick drying. Registration 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. • Sundays, June 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 required at the gallery. For additional class information, call 828.349.4607, email franklinuptowngallery@gmail.com or visit www.franklinuptowngallery.com.

arts & entertainment

Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture

Uptown Gallery workshops, artist presentation

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On the stage arts & entertainment

Stand-up brings laughs to Franklin Taylor Mason.

Alex Bernstein, Aqua Fiin, Image credit: Steve Mann

GLASS CATAL ATTALYYST

LITTLETON’S LEGACY IN CONTEMPORARY SCUULPTURE

OPENING RECEPTION

JUNE 14 FROOM 5-7 PM EXHIBTION

JUNE 15 - DEECEMBER 7

BARDO ARTS CENTER WESTERN CARROLINA UNIVERSITY

June 6-12, 2018

BARDOARTSCENTER.WCU.EDU | 828.227.ARTS

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 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.

Smoky Mountain News

‘Unto These Hills’ outdoor drama The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday 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.

Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling

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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.

Books

Smoky Mountain News

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Judging a book by its cover In Appalachia and the foothills and into the surrounding lands, we find log cabins — southern and rustic — constructed of hand-felled and hewn logs from the rocky ridges. — James T. Farmer III, “Foreword,” The Southern Rustic Cabin

native, Lisa Frederick, editor and writer, Followill also gives us the history of each cabin, the story of their repair and restoration, and their unique features. An example: Famed cabin builder and restorer Baxton Dixon, who handcrafted over 50 such houses through the years, put a sandstone heart on every chimney he’s built and embedded a

Jeff Minick

In stores and libraries, books grab our attention for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s the title of the book that jumps at us from the shelves. David Hewson’s Nic Costa series, reviewed here a couple of years ago, first attracted me with The Dante Killings, the name seizing my attention because three years before I Writer had fulfilled a 20year-old desire to read The Divine Comedy in its entirety. Occasionally, favorite authors we’ve read and enjoyed lead us to a new book they’ve written that we somehow missed. James Lee Burke has twice surprised me in this way, popping up on my public library’s shelves with his latest tale of his fictional detective, Dave Robicheaux. At other times, it’s the subject that appeals. William Irvine’s A Guide To The Good Life snagged me because of my interest at that time in stoicism. More infrequently, it’s the sheer beauty of a book that ensnares us. Like seeing an alluring stranger on a spring afternoon, a figment of our dreams come to life on the sidewalk, such a book makes prisoners of our eyes. We look and cannot look away. Long ago, I reviewed in this column At Home With Books: How Book Lovers Live With and Care For Their Libraries, a feast of photographs and descriptions prepared by Estelle Ellis and Caroline Seebohm. I bought that book for myself, revisit it every couple of months, and still drool over the pictures of some of the finest private libraries in existence today (including that of Rolling Stones musician Keith Richards). Emily J. Followill’s The Southern Rustic Cabin (Gibbs Smith Publishers, 2015, 208 pages) is just such a book. Before I take you inside these pages, let me explain that books on housing and architec-

ture rarely find me thumbing their pages. After selling a bed-and-breakfast in Waynesville 12 years ago, I rented an apartment, moved and rented again, and now live comfortably and happily in an unfinished basement, surrounded by books, shelves, desks, and other items having sentimental meaning for me. I have no desire to own a

house again. I want no more upkeep, no more mowing lawns, worrying about frozen pipes, and all the other routine headaches of home ownership. The Southern Rustic Cabin could almost make me change my mind. Here photographer Emily Followill, an Atlanta native whose work has appeared in such publications as Garden and Gun, Southern Living, and Better Homes and Gardens, brings all her commendable camera skills to bear on 13 renovated cabins in Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Working with another Atlanta

wooden cross somewhere in the house. Two features in particular increase the charm of The Southern Rustic Cabin. First are the stories of those who did the restoration. In Madison, Georgia, we meet Carolyn and John Malone, who bought a former cow pasture in hopes of turning it into a nursery. They found an 1840s log cabin in Kentucky, removed it to their property, built it, and eventually restored three more nineteenth century cabins. In Highlands, North Carolina, designer Carole Weaks brought her particular skills to the renovation of a 1928 home, originally

built by well-known craftsman Joe Webb. Here Followill and Frederick write of her changes: “Given the rugged backdrop, some designers might have gone for robust, country-flavored furnishings. Carole took the opposite approach, deftly mixing her clients’ collection of elegant antiques with traditional upholstered seating and refined, leggy tables. Modern artwork keeps company with vintage jugs and formal lamps.” But as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and the truth of this old chestnut is borne out on every page of The Southern Rustic Cabin. Like the photography in At Home With Books, the pictures here shimmer and glisten with light and color. Unlike At Home With Books, Followill’s photos include no human figures, no owners or designers or builders. This absence of human beings provides viewers with a parade of still life shots that produces, at least in my case, a sense of tranquility and peace, which was, after all, a primary reason for the owners to build and renovate such dwellings. On pages 190-191, for example, Followill takes us to Highlands and inside the living room of another cabin built by Joe Webb and now owned by Tom Hayes and Toby West. Here we see the old stone fireplace and the chinked cabin walls brightened intentionally with red sofas and touches of red in lamps, chairs, and draperies. The room as photographed by Followill glows with light and warmth, bidding visitors to sink down in one of those sofas and enjoy the silence. A final note on this beauty of a book: despite that word rustic in the title, the decorative touches brought to these cabins by designers and owners are anything but rude or rustic. Here are a 19th-century French grandfather clock, an antique pie safe, beautiful cabinetry and dressers, ancient rugs, hand wrought lamps and hardware, and a host of other lovely pieces. For anyone interested in discovering some wonderful home decorating ideas, or for readers who simply enjoy peeking inside the homes of strangers via books, The Southern Rustic Cabin is a fine place to spend some time. (Jeff Minick is a writer and a teacher. minicko301@gamil.com)

New memoir on predatory priest Local resident Royal Phillips will read from her work, Priest: The Last Confession, at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. In this memoir, Phillips discloses her experiences as the groomed teenage lover of a charismatic, yet predatory priest. He was beloved by his parish and community, yet abusive and deceitful to the young woman he took advantage of. It is the author’s wish to share her story so that others who have experience similar things will know that they are not alone. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Through the raincloud Agricultural community takes stock after record-breaking rains BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER month of rain capped off by the arrival of Tropical Storm Alberto has caused massive flooding, landslides and loss of life in North Carolina’s western region, but the mountains west of Asheville were mostly able to escape the devastation experienced in Polk, McDowell, Avery and Buncombe counties. “I think everyone’s optimistic that we dodged a bullet to have got 20 inches of rain in two weeks and not gotten any more extensive flooding than what we had,” said Joe Deal, agriculture extension agent for Macon County Cooperative Extension. According to volunteer-collected data through the National Weather Service’s Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network — referred to as CoCoRaHS — the Franklin area received 7.59 inches of rain between May 20 and June 3, while the Highlands area received 17.95 inches. The

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National Weather Service’s furthest-west official weather station, in Asheville, recorded 14.68 inches for the month of May, a recordbreaking number. That rainfall drowns the previous May record of 9.18 inches, set in 2009, and makes May 2018 Asheville’s wettest month on record since August of 1940, when the city received 13.75 inches. Climate records for Asheville go back to 1869. “This is an unusual event for this time of year,” said Lisa Leatherman, Duke Energy’s local government and community relations manager for the six western counties. “It’s unusual that we’ve had a named tropical storm prior to today. Really the kickoff for the hurricane season is June 1.” May had been a wet month from the getgo, but rainfalls coming in from Alberto tipped the scales from manageably wet to historically wet. Up until Alberto, said Leatherman, Duke Energy reservoirs in the Nantahala region had been able to capture all

The Jackson County Greenway and boat put-in were blocked off last week due to danger from the swollen Tuckasegee River. Holly Kays photo

Water shoots through open spillways at Fontana Dam. Joshua Moore photo

the runoff and pass it through the generators, but when Alberto came through lake levels began to climb, nearing the maximum allowed by Duke’s operating agreement. In Lake Glenville, for example, the target elevation for May is 97 feet with a normal minimum of 95 feet and normal maximum of 99 feet. During the month of May, levels were over the 99-foot maximum for four days and over the target elevation for 27 out of 31 days.

Water quality can recover quickly from flooding As floodwaters subside and swollen rivers return back to more normal flows, Black Mountain-based Environmental Quality Institute will be keeping an eye on how water quality recovers. The organization uses volunteers to collect about 160 water samples in Western North Carolina each month, which are then analyzed for eight different chemical tests, adding to an existing 28-year dataset.

If history is any guide, water quality will be able to recover swiftly from any impairment caused by flooding. After the 2004 hurricane season, the Environmental Quality Institute conducted a study of water quality that revealed most Western North Carolina rivers and streams to have surprising resiliency, with chemical concentrations and aquatic organism populations showing little to no change over the next year. By 2005, sites that had previously earned excellent water quality ratings were still excellent and sites that had earned poor ratings remained poor. In areas with excessive land disturbance, streambank erosion led to higher sediment and nutrient concentrations,

“To maintain that (target elevation) we have to open spillways to maintain flows beyond what pass through the generators,” Leatherman said. “That triggers increased inflows into the main stem of the Tuckasegee River, greater than what the general public and the recreating public see when we’re just running water through our generators.” The rains caused Duke Energy to open gates on all of its hydro facili-

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though in some cases floodwaters scoured streambeds, leaving less sediment to enter the water column during subsequent heavy rains. Heavy rains can also lead to cooler lakes with a higher dissolved oxygen content, which is beneficial to aquatic organisms. That’s because, while it can take more than a year for water to migrate out of a lake, heavy rainfall and flooding accelerate the process to the point that a large percentage of the water can be replaced within a month. However, flooding can also bring in large amounts of sediment, reducing water clarity and lake storage volume. A detailed report is available at www.eqilab.org/vwin/pdf/hurricane-project-eqi.pdf.

Chimney swifts are coming to town

Tom Tribble. Donated photo

chimney swift is constantly twittering and changing direction as it hunts insects on the wing. Free. Offered as part of the Franklin Bird club’s regular monthly meeting.

Join the farm tour A farm tour including 20 family farms in Yancey, Buncombe and Henderson counties will be offered June 23-24, celebrating the 10th anniversary of event organizer Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. The self-guided tour, offered annually, gives visitors a chance to engage in guided tours, demonstrations, tastings and hands-on activities on the land that grows food and fiber for the region. Passes are $30 and admit one carload of visitors to all farms on both days; on the weekend of the tour prices will rise to $40. Free passes for one day of the tour are available to anyone who signs up to volunteer on the other day welcoming visitors at a farm. Buy tickets or sign up to volunteer at www.asapconnections.org

Explore the outdoors this summer A pair of summer programs offering outdoor education for kids 4 to 12 years old will start up at the Cradle of Forestry in America next week. n The Junior Forester program, open to ages

Just Arrived! See Our Full Selection of Styles and Scents Made With Soy & Beeswax

Smoky Mountain News

support them and buy from them when we have tough times like this,” said Deal. In addition to direct damage from flooding and moisture, the recent weather has slowed down production and made it hard for farmers to get into the fields to plant or replant. Hayfields, for instance, should have had their first cutting some time ago, but that’s proven impossible. “The hay crop has definitely been hit,” said Rob Hawk, Cooperative Extension director for Swain and Jackson counties. “It’s rained the last two weeks off and on, and there’s been no time they could really cut and lay the hay down to bale, much less dry. So that hay crop is beyond maturity, and when it goes beyond maturity, it loses nutritional value.” Still, many farmers have stored hay from last year, which was a good hay year, and even if the nutritional value isn’t what it should be the animals will still have food to eat. Things aren’t as bad as they could have been, and in Jackson and Swain counties the impacts were even lower than in Macon — there was no flooding, just ponding in the fields from direct rainfall, Hawk said, and he hasn’t heard from any farmers who have outright lost a crop. “We haven’t heard of anything really bad. Don’t know about the tomatoes,” said Hawk. “Those have been out just a little while. We’re worried about possible blight with the wet soil and wet saturated air. That’s always a possibility with tomatoes, but nobody’s mentioned any of that yet.” While there seems to be a good deal of optimism in the air among Macon County’s agricultural community, said Deal, the fact is the past month has been just Act One of a much longer growing season. Everyone seems to be bouncing back fine, but the future is unknown. “It’s a long way till the end of this season, so it’s kind of hard to judge from just one event,” he said. “There’s still a lot that can go wrong between now and the end of the season.”

June 6-12, 2018

ties in the Nantahala area, including on Lake Glenville, something that doesn’t happen very often. In fact, the last time Leatherman can remember dealing with this much water was in 2004, a year of hurricanes that caused massive flooding and landslides in the mountain region. “We’ve been fortunate,” said Leatherman. “We’ve been fortunate in the fact we’ve had saturated soils and we haven’t had any winds, which has been good for our power delivery side.” The Tennessee Valley Authority has also been responding to the abnormally high water levels, over the past weekend increasing releases from Fontana Dam through the turbines and both spillway tunnels at a rate of 16,700 cubic feet per second. TVA anticipates that the spillway tunnels will stay open until the middle or end of this week. While Deal, like Leatherman, thinks the mountains came through the storms much better than they could have, the rainy weather is not without impact. “On my farm we threw away about 75 percent of the (straw)berries that we picked last week,” he said. “That was pretty tough, but to keep picking we had to get those rotten fruit off the vine.” Macon County farmers saw some minor flooding on the Little Tennessee River, mostly affecting hayfields and pastures, Deal said, but the Cullasaja River didn’t flood at all. Crops like Deal’s strawberries weren’t damaged due to flooding but rather because of diseases spurred by the unrelenting wetness. And while it’s never easy to lose a crop, Deal’s well aware that others have fared much worse. In Clay County, the TVA opened up the floodgates of the Chatuge Dam, flooding several Hayesville farmers. When floodwaters reach the edible portion of a plant, farmers are required to destroy the crop due to sanitation concerns. “That makes it hard, especially on small farmers, where it makes it more imperative for the local community to come out and

Summer activities are now underway at the Highlands Nature Center, with a weekly schedule offering activities for a range of ages and interests. Daily activities include a tour of the botanical gardens with a staff member at 10:30 a.m. each Monday. Tuesdays and Fridays feature a live animal feeding at 11:30 a.m., with Mad Science demonstrations — 30-minute hands-on scientific explorations for children — on Wednesdays. An Exploration Hike will embark at 2:30 p.m. each Thursday to visit forests, streams and other spots on campus. Saturday’s activity is the Creature Feature at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., letting visitors get close to one of the nature center’s live animal ambassadors. Evening programs occur each Tuesday night, kicking off the chance to explore Highlands after dark with Feelin’ Froggy at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, followed by Going Batty, at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 19. Both programs cost $2. A full calendar is available at www.highlandsbiological.org.

8 to 12, will be held 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday from June 13 to Aug. 1. The program combines learning new skills with discovery and reflection, with this summer focusing on each of seven different Leave No Trace principles. While participating in handson activities, Junior Foresters will explore how to apply LNT principles to ensure the longterm enjoyment and sustainable care of national forests and cultural heritage. Kids should wear close-toed shoes and bring a small backpack with water. They will receive a Junior Forester booklet and badge. $5 for youth and $3 for adults. n Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club, open to ages 4 to 7, will be held 10:30 a.m. to noon every Wednesday and Thursday, June 13 to Aug. 2. The program invites kids and their chaperones to explore various forest-related themes to engage in the natural world around them. This blend of investigation and creativity can help kids learn how to “lend a hand, care for the land,” which is the mission of Woodsy Owl, the U.S. Forest Service’s conservation symbol. Each child will receive a copy of the book Woodsy Owl’s ABCs and make a topic-related craft to take home. Topics this year cover trees, bees, night creatures and more. $5 for children and $3 for adults. The Cradle of Forestry in America is located along U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest, about 35 miles south of Waynesville. Adults with America the Beautiful, Golden Age and Friends of the Cradle passes are admitted free. Registration required for both programs, as space is limited. Call 828.877.3130 to register.

outdoors

The secret world of the chimney swift will be unpacked during a presentation at 7 p.m. Monday, June 11, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Tom Tribble, president of the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society in Asheville, will present “You Better Watch Out, Chimney Swifts Are Coming to Town,” a talk showcasing Audubon North Carolina’s 2016 Bird of the Year, the chimney swift. A familiar sight in the sky over towns and cities, the

Summer in Highlands

Affairs of the Heart

————————————————————————————— 120 N. Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.0526 • affairsoftheheartnc.com

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outdoors

Hike Sam’s Summit A 7-mile hike along the Sam’s Summit Loop Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway will head out from a carpool in Bethel at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 16. This moderate-to-easy high-elevation hike travels through forested areas and open vistas looking out over the Shining Rock Wilderness and Black Balsam Mountain. Steve Winchester, an avid hiker who has lead hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for years, will lead the hike. The event is part of Haywood Waterways Association’s “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor recreation activities working to raise awareness of Haywood County’s natural beauty. Light refreshments will be provided and the hike will conclude by 3:30 p.m. Hikers should bring their own lunch and water and leave their pets at home. Free for HWA members and $5 for nonmembers; memberships start at $25. Space limited. Sign up with Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or call 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

Hike Max Patch A 7.1-mile hike in the Max Patch area will take in the view from Max Patch as well as the forest at Browns Gap on Friday, June 8. The group will leave from the Waynesville Recreation Center at 7:30 a.m. and return by 5 p.m. to start from Browns Gap, eat lunch on the bald and then return via the Appalachian Trail. $14. Offered through Base Camp Waynesville. 828.456.2030.

Snorkel a stream Margaret Hester photo

A morning of stream snorkeling will be offered 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, June 12, at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education near Brevard. The activity is open to ages 8 and older and one of many outdoor-related workshops offered for people of all ages and skill levels. Free, with registration required at www.ncwildlife.org/learning/education-centers/pisgah/eventregistration/pageid/eventlistview.

June 6-12, 2018

Race Fire Mountain A weekend of mountain biking racing will come to the Fire Mountain Trails in Cherokee June 16-17 with the Fire Mountain Inferno XC & Enduro Weekend. Open to all levels of racers, the event will feature an enduro race beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 16, and a cross-country race starting between 10 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. Sunday, June 17, depending on race category. Space is limited. Online registration open through 9 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at www.gloryhoundevents.com. Pre-registration is $60 for the enduro race and $30 for the cross-country race, or $85 for both.

Smoky Mountain News

Paddle with a pro

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A one-day freestyle clinic on the water will give youth a chance to learn paddling from a pro on Saturday, June 16, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County. Three-time World Cup champion and head coach of the Australian Freestyle Team Jez Jezz will lead this one-day clinic. Open to kids under 17, the clinic will focus on developing downriver paddling and freestyle moves. $99, register at www.noc.com/events/paddle-with-the-pros-jez-jezz. Jae Jackson, 828.785.5030.

Wildlife Commission considers rule changes The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is considering an amendment to rules for deer hunting on the Cold Mountain Game Land in Haywood County, with a public comment period open through June 29. The amendment would clarify that deer of either sex can be taken on the first open Saturday of the Deer with Visible Antlers Season.

The amendment is one of several being considered for adoption. The only other change under consideration that would affect Western North Carolina is an amendment to the Importation of Animal Parts Rule specifying what carcass parts may be imported and how. Comments can be submitted online at www.ncwildlife.org/Proposed-Regulations or emailed to regulations@ncwildlife.org. Proposed amendments are posted at www.ncwildlife.org/proposed-regulations#7543986-description-and-justification-for-temporary-rule.

Clingmans Dome closed for rehab outdoors

The Clingmans Dome Observation Tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed through Friday, June 15, to complete a rehabilitation project that began last year. Last year, contractors repaired deteriorated areas on the concrete columns and walls, stabilized support walls at the base of the ramp and repaired stone masonry. To complete the project, they must apply a final surface overlay along the tower ramp. While visitors will not be able to climb the tower, which offers the highest-elevation view in the park, the Clingmans Dome parking overlook area will remain open, providing outstanding mountaintop views. The visitor contact station and store, the trail to the tower and all accesses to area trailheads will be open as Clingmans Dome. well, though some construction Kristina Plaas photo traffic will be present around the contact station and along the trail. The work is funded through a $250,000 grant from Partners in Preservation awarded to Friends of the Smokies in 2016. Partners in Preservation is a partnership between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to award grants to historic places across the country, providing $16 million in preservation funding since 2006.

Explore Toxaway history

Little Tennessee River to star at conference

Chimney Rock State Park still closed Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is still closed due to storm damage, but Chimney Rock Village and Old Rock Café are now open for business. “There’s still a lot of cleanup to do, but we’ve started to make a dent in things,” said Landdis Hollifield, events and promotions manager for the park. Crews have been working to remove trees from the park’s roadway and trails as well as restoring power to areas that lost it after the storm. There is still no estimated opening date because state engineers have yet to complete damage assessments. Those assessments will determine what repairs should be made to the damaged areas. The park has been closed since a retaining wall collapsed in the park’s upper parking lot May 26, caused by erosion due to heavy rains in the area.

shed moderated by Brent Martin of Alarka Expeditions and featuring Rob Gasbarro of Outdoor 76, McLarney, Dr. Steve Morse of Western Carolina University, Warren Stiles of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and WCU student and sportsman Zach Tallent; and a talk on impacts and changes to mountain climates by Gale and Chelcy Miniat of the U.S. Forest Service. The packed lineup includes many other programs as well. The event is free, with registration required at tinyurl.com/rainriver.

MONDAY 9-10 AM: Slow Flow Yoga w/ Sara • 10:30-11:30: Gentle Yin Yoga w/ Sara • 5:45-6:45: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Candra • 6-7: Yoga Basics w/ Sara • 7- 8: Buti Yoga w/ Jay TUESDAY 9-10 AM: Gentle Yoga w/ Jay • 10:30-11:30: Flow + Myofascial Release w/ Jay • 12- 1: Qi Gong w/ Bill • 5:306:30: Gentle Yoga w/ Hanna • 5:30-6:15: Barre Above* w/ Jay • 6:30- 7:30: Fluid Unwind w/ Hanna • 6:30- 7:30: Mixed Level Flow @ Lake Junaluska w/ Kendall WEDNESDAY 9-10 AM: Flow + Deep Stretch w/ Sara • 10:30-11:30: Gentle Yin Yoga w/ Sara • 5:45-6:45: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Maura • 6- 7: Hot Stone Restorative w/ Amber • 7-8: Intro to Flow + Restorative w/ Maura THURSDAY 6- 7 AM: Sunrise Yoga w/ Michael • 9-10: Gentle (Chair) Yoga w/ Jay •10:30-11:30: Mixed Level Flow w/ Abbie •10:3011:30: Gentle Yoga @ Lake Junaluska w/ Amber • 2:15 – 3:15: Qi gong w/ Bill • 5:30-6:15: Barre Above* w/ Jay • 5:15-6:15: Movement and Meditation w/ Amber • 5:45-6:45: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Maura • 6:30-7:30 PM: Gentle Yoga w/ Amber • 6:30-7:30 PM: Candlelight Flow w/ Kendall FRIDAY 9-10 AM: Hot Stone Restorative w/ Amber • 10:30 – 11:30: Gentle Yin Yoga w/ Sara • 12- 1: Barre + Flow w/ Jay • SATURDAY 9-10 AM: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Michael or Candra • 10:30-11:30: Beginner Flow Yoga w/ Maura • 12- 1: Tai Chi w/ Bill

Smoky Mountain News

A conference on the state of water in Macon County will be held 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at the Drake Education Center in Franklin. The first Little Tennessee River Watershed Conference was held in Macon County in 1993, and this event will aim to ask some of those same questions explored 25 years ago, includ-

ing what progress has been made since then, new threats to biodiversity and water quality in the Little Tennessee and economic opportunities to use and conserve the river. The conference will feature a varied lineup of programs and presenters, including a history of the Little Tennessee watershed and approaches to preserving it by oral historian Bill Crawford, Dr. Bill McLarney of Mainspring Conservation Trust and Bob Gale of MountainTrue; a panel on the future of waterbased recreation in the Little Tennessee water-

JUNE CLASS SCHEDULE June 6-12, 2018

A celebration of the Toxaway community’s history will come to Gorges State Park in Jackson County June 8 to 10. This inaugural event is a coordinated effort between the Historic Toxaway Foundation and numerous business and attraction leaders in Rosman, Lake Toxaway and Sapphire. It will feature food, music, storytelling, shopping and learning to promote the area’s rich history. n At 1 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9, Marcy Thompson, history librarian at the Transylvania County Library in Brevard, will give a talk titled “A Historical Perspective of Hogback Township.” She will share stories on early settlers and communities, covering the building and draining of Lake Toxaway, the logging boom and more. n At 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 10, Connie Regan-Blake, one of America’s most celebrated storytellers, will offer park visitors amusing and poignant stories from the Appalachian Mountains using her engaging humor and Southern charm to turn even a packed auditorium into an intimate circle of friends. For a complete schedule of events, visit historictoxaway.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/celebration-flyer-most-current.pdf.

SUNDAY 11:30-12:30: Mixed Level Flow Yoga w/ Kendall • 4- 5: Beginner Flow w/ Maura

Crews work to remove fallen trees. Donated photo

CALL OR REGISTER ONLINE AT WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com

274 S. MAIN ST. WAYNESVILLE

828.246.6570

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outdoors

Nantahala Forest management proposed A proposed forest management project in the Nantahala National Forest would aim to improve wildlife habitat, tree species diversity, soil and water health and general forest health, with a comment period open through June 25. Dubbed the Turkey Pen Project, it would affect lands in the Nantahala Ranger District west of Franklin. Treatments would include commercial logging and thinning, cutting of nondesirable tree species, planting of native plants, enhancement of brook trout habitat, invasive plant control and creating wildlife

openings. In addition, the Appalachian Trail parking area at the end of Ben Creek Road would be improved and new turnout and parking areas created in places where hunters typically pull over. The project would involve adding 1.17 miles of existing unclassified road and 0.28 miles of new road to the U.S. Forest Service road system. Comments can be emailed to commentssouthern-north-carolina-nantahala-nantahala@fs.fed.us; mailed to Mike Wilkins, District Ranger, Nantahala National Forest, 90 Sloan Road, Franklin, N.C. 28734; or faxed to 828.837.8510. Oral and hand-delivered comments can also be given directly at the ranger station during business hours.

Grant helps preserve A.T. view A $21,500 grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will help Mainspring Conservation Donated photo trust conserve a 504-acre property in Graham County. Known as Simp Gap, 80 percent of the property is visible from various points along the A.T. It’s also host to many natural resources, including the rare Cheoah salamander and significant riparian habitats. The grant will help cover costs related to land conservation transactions and is made possible by the ATC with revenue from the N.C. Appalachian Trail Specialty License Plate.

June 6-12, 2018

Simp Gap appears in a view from the Appalachian Trail.

{Celebrating the Southern Appalachians}

Ginseng harvest lottery now open The ginseng permit lottery is open now through Friday, July 20, with winners of the 136 permits will be allowed to harvest 1 to 3 wet pounds of ginseng in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. To apply for the lottery, call or visit a ranger district office to submit a name and address. Email requests will not be accepted. Successful applications will receive written notification by mail before Aug. 17, with winners allowed to start gathering Sept. 1. Ginseng has long been lauded for its supposed medicinal qualities, especially in East Asia. In 2013, due to concern over

Arboretum to hold plant sale A plant sale offering a selection of annuals, perennials, succulents and tillandsias will be held June 13-14 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. The sale will kick off with early hours for upper-level members of the N.C. Arboretum Society 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, with regular hours for all members of the public 1 to 7 p.m. June 13 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 14. This additional plant sale is offered due to the overwhelming popularity of the spring plant sale. Quantities of each plant will vary and will be sold on a first-come, first served basis with all proceeds benefiting the N.C. Arboretum Society to support education programs, exhibits and facilities.

Smoky Mountain News

Kids in the Creek design winners announced

Smoky Mountain Living celebrates the mountain region’s culture, music, art, and special places. We tell our stories for those who are lucky enough to live here and those who want to stay in touch with the place they love.

Subscribe or learn more at smliv.com MAGAZINE

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reductions in wild ginseng numbers, the U.S. Forest Service reduced the number of permits issued by 75 percent. Permits are issued through a lottery system and usable only in the ranger district where issued. The permitted harvest season is Sept. 1 to Sept. 15. Harvest is prohibited in designated wilderness and other natural areas set aside for research purposes. Removing a wild ginseng plant or its parts from a national forest without a permit or outside of the legal harvest season is considered theft of public property and carries a maximum punishment of $5,000 and six months in federal prison.

For winning the contest, Cody received a Visa gift card from HomeTrust Bank and a private tour of Rikki Tikki Tees Screen Printing and Design Shop, where his artLucas Cody of Bethel Middle School won work will be printed on 650 T-shirts for this fall’s Kids in the Creek this year’s participants. First and Haywood second runners up in Waterways the contest were Kaylee Association Kids Grace Leatherwood of in the Creek TBethel Middle School shirt design conand Skylar Camby of test. Canton Middle School. Cody can September will mark often be found the 21st year of Kids in with a notepad the Creek, an environin hand and is mental education evnet currently designRick Thomas (left) and Lucas Cody show off that gives eighth graders ing the yearbook winning design for this year’s a hands-on outdoor cover for Bethel Middle School. Kids in the Creek T-shirt. Donated photo learning experience about watersheds, water He has also chemistry and wildlife found in local designed the logo for a nonprofit organizastreams. tion working with a Haitian orphanage.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Lake Junaluska’s nine-week Summer Activities Program begin on 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. • 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. • The Junaluskans Flea Market is scheduled for 8-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the Nanci Weldon Memorial gym in Lake Junaluska. Early bird shopping for $5 from 7:30-8 a.m. Proceeds benefit projects in the community. www.lakejunaluska.com. • The inaugural Sylva Community Yard Sale that will be held from 8 a.m.-noon on June 30 at the gravel lot beside Bridge Park in Sylva. Vendor spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis from 7:30-8 a.m. No sign-ups. www.TownofSylva.org. 586.2719. • 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. 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. www.visitcherokeenc.com. • Oconaluftee Indian Village will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Nov. 10. 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 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 Chamber 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 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.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. • 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 • Asheville Tourist tickets are for sale as a fundraiser for Clyde Elementary. Tickets are good for most games with the exception of 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. • 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. Purchase tickets: 526.2695, HighlandsPlayhouse.org or Playhouse Box Office. • 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. • Haywood County Arts Council is matching, dollar for dollar (up to $10,000) it receives through June 30. www.haywoodarts.org.

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 1-6 p.m. on June 7 Francis Cove United Methodist Church. 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. 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. 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

Smoky Mountain News

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. 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 Abuse, Addiction and the Opioid Crisis” at 6 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. 800.733.2767. • Haywood County will celebrate the 31st annual “National Cancer Survivors Day” at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 24, at the Laurel Ridge Country Club Pavilion. Food, music, survivor crafts and butterfly release. • 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. • A beginner line dance class will be offered from 6:307:30 p.m. on June 7, 14 and 28 and July 5, 12 and 19 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Taught by Herb and Sally Roach. $60 per person for the set of six classes. Info: 356.7060 or 550.3170. • The Waynesville Recreation Center will host a Hawaiian dance party from 7-8:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, in Waynesville. Musical performance by Paul Indelicato. $10 per person. Casual dress. 356.7060 or 550.7130. • “Summon Your Muse” will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, at Waynesville Yoga Center. Experience ways to calm your mind, enjoy enhanced creativity and reduce stress. $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com. • 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.

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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 Clarence Newsome, who will be guest preacher. Newsome is the former president of the National Underground Railround Freedom Center in Cincinnati. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/summer_worship. • The Summer Worship Series at Lake Junaluska continues at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 24, with Bishop Paul Leeland as guest speaker. Leeland is resident bishop of the United Methodist Church’s Western North Carolina Conference. 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 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-andgrace.

POLITICAL • An ice cream social with Joe Sam Queen, candidate for NC House District 119, will be held from 3-5 p.m. on June 10 at the Glenville Community Center. Ice cream, homemade cakes and live music.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • 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. • Local resident Royal Phillips will read from her work, Priest: The Last Confession, at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. www.blueridgebooksnc.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. Giles is dean of Memorial Chapel at Lake Junaluska. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/summer_worship.

• The final free fishing day for kids is scheduled for 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at Max Patch Pond in Madison County (682.6146).

• The Summer Worship Series at Lake Junaluska continues at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 17, with Rev. Dr.

• Registration is underway for the Macon County 4-H Poultry School, which runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on

KIDS & FAMILIES

wnc calendar

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. • Box Turtle Day will be observed from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. North Carolina’s state reptile will be celebrated with a children’s program including guided demonstrations, live reptile demonstrations, crafts and more. www.ncarboretum.org/event/box-turtle-day. • The Jackson County Department of Public Health is now offering “eWIC” cards rather than paper vouchers for the N.C. Women, Infants and Children program. 587.8243. • The Highlands Biological Foundation will hold a “Feelin’ Froggy” program at 8 p.m. on June 12 at the Highlands Nature Center. Cost: $2. 526.2221 or www.highlandsbiological.org. • 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. • The Cradle of Forestry in America will host a Junior Forester program for ages 8-12 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays from June 13-Aug. 1 in Pisgah Forest. Topic for June 13 is “Plan ahead and prepare,” and topic for June 20 is “Travel and camp on durable surfaces.” $5 per youth and $3 per adult per program. Registration required: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.

June 6-12, 2018

• The Cradle of Forestry in America will host “Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club” from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Wednesdays and Thursdays from June 13-Aug. 2 in Pisgah Forest. Topic for June 13-14 is “We Speak for the Trees,” and for June 20-21, it’s “Busy Bees.” $5 per youth and $3 per adult per program. Registration required: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com. • 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. • A “Nature Nuts: Raising Trout” program will be offered to ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on June 16 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8. • A one-day freestyle clinic on the water will give youth a chance to learn paddling from a pro on Saturday, June 16, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Led by three-time World Cup Champion and head coach of the Australian Freestyle Team, Jez Jezz. Open to kids under 17. $99. Register: www.noc.com/events/paddle-withthe-pros-jez-jezz. Info: 785.5030.

Smoky Mountain News

• An “Eco Explorers: Stream Investigation” program will be offered to ages 8-13 on June 16 at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Register: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• 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. • “Bring Your Dad to Yoga” will be offered from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, at Waynesville Yoga Center. $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com. • 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. • The Highlands Biological Foundation will hold a “Going Batty” program at 8 p.m. on June 19 at the Highlands Nature Center. Cost: $2. 526.2221 or www.highlandsbiological.org. • 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 an “Art and Creativity” camp that will be held for grades 6-8 from June 25-29 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. https://tinyurl.com/yan722ym. • 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. • 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 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.

• 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.

• 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 4-H Chess Tournament that will be held from 1-4 p.m. on July 2 at the Macon County Cooperative Extension Office in Franklin. For ages 5-18. Cost: $3. Preregister in person or by mail. Info: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.

• 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.

• 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 an “Outdoor Skills” camp that will be offered to grades 6-8 from July 2327 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. https://tinyurl.com/yan722ym.

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.

• 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

• Registration is underway for a “Wildlife Management” camp that will be offered to grades 6-8 from Aug. 13-17 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. https://tinyurl.com/yan722ym.

KIDS FILMS “Solo: A Star Wars Story” will be showing at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 6-8 & June 10-14, 1p.m., 4 p.m., & 7 p.m. June 9, at The Strand on Main in Waynesville. Check website for tickets, 38main.com. “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 new children’s movie about a young aspiring musician’s journey to the Land of the Dead will be shown at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 11, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Info, including movie title: 524.3600. • A recent children’s movie about an impetuous, courageous daughter of a Scottish King will be shown at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 15, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Info, including movie title: 524.3600. “The Incredibles 2” will be showing at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 15, June 18-22, & June 25-28 and 1p.m., 4 p.m., & 7 p.m. June 16-17 & June 23-24, at The Strand on Main in Waynesville. Check website for tickets, 38main.com.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • 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 sched-

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uled for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 9 in Cherokee. Cherokee crafts, dance, storytelling and more. VisitCherokeeNC.com or 497.3481.

• The annual Women’s Work Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at the Mountain Farm Museum in Cherokee. During the event, you will learn about the vital role women played in creating and maintaining a mountain home. Walk the grounds of the mountain farm and watch demonstrations of open hearth cooking, spinning or sewing, corn shuck doll making, and more. Free and open to the public. www.greatsmokies.com. • Tickets are on sale now for Folkmoot: North Carolina’s International Folk Festival, which will be held from July 19-29. www.folkmootusa.org or 452.2997.

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. • Songwriters in the Round is scheduled for June 16 at Balsam Mountain Inn. Featuring Aaron Burdett Duo. Prixe Fixe menu is $32; show tickets are $20. Info: balsam.inn.events@gmail.com or purchase tickets at BalsamMountainInn.net. • Songwriters in the Round is scheduled for June 28 at Balsam Mountain Inn. Featuring Dark Waters. Prixe Fixe menu is $32; show tickets are $20. Info: balsam.inn.events@gmail.com or purchase tickets at BalsamMountainInn.net.

• 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. Tickets start at $15. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615. • The “Unto These Hills” stage production will be held at 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday 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 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 9, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin. Food ven-

• The Concerts on the Creek will have The Robertson Boys (bluegrass) at 7 p.m. June 15 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 Bo Spring Band at 6:30 p.m. on June 15. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com. • The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature Michael Reno Harrell (folk/storyteller) at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin. Food vendors will also be available. www.townoffranklinnc.com.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • 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 Public Library in Franklin. campfirechoirwnc@gmail.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. • A customer service workshop entitled: “Creating a Culture of Internal, External and Eternal Customer Service” will be offered from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, at Western Carolina University’s instructional site at Biltmore Park in Asheville. $119. Lunch provided. For info and to register: pdp.wcu.edu. • 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. • “U.S. Global Engagement and the Military” – part of the “Discuss the World! Great Decisions series – will 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. • Sylva Photo Club meets at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at the Cullowhee United Methodist Church. Featuring Andre Daugherty, a landscape and portrait photographer. $5 for visitors. Sylvaphotoclub.wordpress.com or sylvaphotoclub@gmail.com. • 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. 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

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• Acclaimed flutist Robert Dick will present a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at the Kern Center at Lake Junaluska. The June 16 performance is free and open to the public. He will be offering a workshop the following five days. For more information on the workshops, please contact Anna Thibeault at flutegoof@yahoo.com or 944.0786.

• 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.

June 6-12, 2018

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “Million Dollar Quartet”, HART’s first all professional cast will perform at 7:30 p.m. June 7-9, and at 2 p.m. June 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 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.

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• The 21st annual Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival will be held June 14-17 in downtown Franklin. Lastly, with few exceptions, the festival is free and open to the public. The Clan Dinner on Thursday night is the only ticketed event for the festival. www.tasteofscotlandfestival.org

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at the pottery studio and ready for pickup at the library in about a week. This program is free of charge. Register by calling 586.2016. 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. 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. • Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild will hold its monthly meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 11, at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Pepper Cory, national quilt teacher/designer/author, will discuss “How to be a More Creative Quiltmaker.” Social time at 9:30 a.m. www.smokymtnquilters.org. • The WNC Civil War Round Table featuring Lt. Com. David Bright (USN ret) and his presentation “Locomotives Up the Turnpike” will meet at 7 p.m. on June 11 at the HF Robinson Auditorium on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Meet-ngreet dinner at 5 p.m. at Bogarts in Sylva; lightrefreshment social at 6:30 p.m. at the auditorium.

June 6-12, 2018

• “Adventures in Acrylic Art Classes” will be offered by the Haywood County Arts Council from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on June 12, 19 and 26 at the HCAC Gallery in Waynesville. 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. • The Dillsboro Front Street Arts & Crafts Street is scheduled for June 16. More than 50 vendors offering pottery, glass, candles, jewelry and more. Entertainment by J. Creek Cloggers (11 a.m.), Maggie Valley Band (1 p.m.) and American Idol contestant Alma Russ (2 p.m.). Info: 506.8331 or brendaanders@frontier.com. • Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild will hold its regular evening meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 18, at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Indoor yard sale of quilting items and demonstration of installing zippers in handmade bags and carryalls by Karen Burney. Social time at 6:30 p.m. www.smokymtnquilters.org. • “Global Health: Progress and Challenges” – part of the “Discuss the World! Great Decisions series – will be held from 5:15-6:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, in the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net. Questions: dem32415@aol.com.

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• The Maggie Valley Swap Meet/Tri-Five

Reunion/Camaro & Firebird Show is scheduled for June 21-23 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. $5 daily admission for ages 13-up. Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. Info: 423.608.4519, rodneybuckner@att.net or www.maggievalleyswapmeet.com. • 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. • The Highlands Village Square Art & Craft Show is scheduled for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on June 23-24 and again on Aug. 25-26 at Kelsey-Hutchinson “Founders” Park on Pine Street in downtown Highlands. Fine art, folk art and regionally made crafts. 787.2021. 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.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • 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. 452.0593, email info@haywoodarts.org or visit 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. “wwwwwwwwwwwwww 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 dm 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 Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center is pleased to announce the opening of its newest exhibition “Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture,” which will run June 14 through Dec. 7. Littleton’s work and other glass artist will be on display. A key work in the exhibition will be a new acquisition to the Museum’s collection: a glass sculpture by Harvey Littleton entitled “Terracotta Arc.” This piece will be unveiled at a special opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at the Bardo Arts Center. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.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 “Red Sparrow” will be shown at 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 • The Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority Finance Committee will have a meeting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, to discuss the 2018-19 budget at the TWSA Main Office, 1246 West Main Street in Sylva. • 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. • Friends of Gorges State Park will sponsor several family friendly events focused on history and storytelling during the Historic Toxaway Celebration on June 8-11. The first is a talk on “A Historical Perspective of Hogback Township” by Marcy Thompson at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday Jan. 9; the second is a performance by storyteller Connie Regan-Blake at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 10. All performances are at the park’s Visitors Center Auditorium. • 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. • The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will continue its “Smokies Service Days” volunteer program on Saturdays, starting with a campground clean-up on June 9 at Elkmont. Future opportunities are June 16 clean-up at Smokemont, June 30 gardening at Oconlauftee, July 7 clean-up at Deep Creek and July 21 clean-up at Crosby. Sign-up: 865.436.1278 or logan_boldon@partner.nps.gov. • 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. • Boating Safety courses will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on July 9-10, Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 10-11 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Must attend both meetings. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org. • 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. • A conference on the state of water in Macon County will be held from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, at the Drake Education Center in Franklin. Featuring a lineup of various programs and presenters. Info and registration: tinyurl.com/RainRiver. • “Rain, Rivers, Fish and Faucets” – a local conference on the state of water – is scheduled for 9 a.m.3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, at the Drake Education Center at 210 Phillips Street in Franklin. Info: https://tinyurl.com/yatc5rzu. Register: http://tinyurl.com/RainRiver. • 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.

COMPETITIVE EDGE • Registration is underway for the Fire Mountain Inferno XC & Enduro Weekend, which is June 16-17 at Fire Mountain Trails in Cherokee. Open to all levels. Register through 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, at www.gloryhoundevents.com. Preregistration is $60 for the endure race and $30 for the cross-country race or $85 for both.

FARM AND GARDEN • The N.C. Arboretum will hold its June Plant Sale on Wednesday and Thursday, June 13-14, in Asheville. Open from 1-7 p.m. on Wednesday and from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday. Annuals, perennials, succulents and tillandsias. www.ncarboretum.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 • 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 • A 7.1-mile hike in the Max Patch area will be offered through Base Camp Waynesville from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday, June 8. Cost: $14. Leave at 7:30 a.m. from Waynesville Recreation Center. Info: 456.2030. • Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead a moderate, 1.5-mile round trip hike at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 8, on the Craggy Gardens Trail. Meet at the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area at Milepost 367.6. Info: 298.5330, ext. 304. www.nps.gov. • Carolina Mountain Club will have a 7.5-mile hike with a 1,400-foot ascent on June 9 at Bridges Camp Gap. Info and reservations: 337.5845. • Nantahala Hiking Club will take an easy-to-moderate 4.5-mile hike, with an elevation change of 600 feet, on Saturday, June 9, to High Falls. Reservations and info: 743.1079. • Carolina Mountain Club will take a 5.3-mile hike with a 1,500-foot ascent on June 10 to Reinhart Knob and Richland Balsam. Info and reservations: 606.3989, jqs290@gmail.com, 606.1490 or quilter290@gmail.com. • Carolina Mountain Club will have a five-mile hike with a 1,100-foot ascent on June 10 starting at Glassmine Falls Overlook. Info and reservations: 564.3662 or sarahebroughton@icloud.com. • Haywood Waterways Association will hold a sevenmile, moderate-to-easy hike on June 16 along Sam’s Summit Loop Trail. $5 donation for nonmembers. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at Bethel Baptist Church. Info: www.hikethesouth.com/hike.aspx?id=49, Christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 476.4667.

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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.

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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. BATHROOM RENOVATIONS. Easy, One Day Updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Grab bars, no slip flooring & seated showers. Call for a free in-home consultation: 877.661.6587 SAPA 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 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 -

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! 888.203.1373 SAPA FREE AUTO INSURANCE QUOTES. See how much you can save! High risk SR22 driver policies available! Call 855.970.1224 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

DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pick-up. Call Now for details. 855.972.0354 SAPA

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! Why wait? Call now: 844.660.6943 $100’S EARNED WEEKLY Selling sneakers. Text 770.910.6872 or visit us at: PnnyAKickz.com SAPA DISCOVER INTERNET INCOME Earn 5 Figures (+) Monthly Eliminate Traditional 9 to 5 Work Stress Opt-in To Learn More: get.webinnsite.com/wealth SAPA

ABSOLUTE AUCTION

ESTATE SALE

sells regardless of Price - NO Minimum - NO reserve

June 6-12, 2018

Thursday, June 21 · 11 a.m. · On Site Property Location: 911 East View Rd. Sylva, NC 28779

EMPLOYMENT

THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES Is recruiting for two Income Maintenance Caseworkers, one in Family Medicaid and one in Food and Nutritional Services. These positions are responsible for intake, application processing and review functions in determining eligibility for Public Assistance Programs. Above average communication, computer and organizational skills are required. Work involves direct contact with the public. Applicants should have one year of Income Maintenance Casework experience. Applicants will also be considered who have an Associate’s Degree in human services, business or clerical related field, or graduation from high school and an equivalent combination of training and experience. The starting salary is $27,937.59 - $30,801.19, depending on education and experience. These positions are full-time with benefits, but are time-limited. To apply, submit a NC state application form (PD-107) to the Jackson County Department of Social Services 15 Griffin Street Sylva, NC 28779 or the NC Career Works Center.

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

INSTALLER/CARPENTER. Experienced or we will train. Must be good with your hands. Possibility of some fun travel. Great company. Many Growth Opportunities. Call Aaron 770.406.8175

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

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD IN BRYSON CITY Is Hiring! We’re Hiring for Concession Staff, Parking Attendant, Reservationist & Retail Sales Associate. 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

Sylva/Waynesville, NC 2 Bedroom Cabin • 2.27 +/- Ac. • Views - High Elevation Minutes to Harrahs Cherokee Casino • Furnished • Gated Community Screened-in Porch • Fireplace Estate of Late Damon B. Walker

Call 828.524.3500 for Preview Dates/times and Directions

www.smokymountainnews.com

EMPLOYMENT

KIMSEY REALTY & AUCTION Call for Private Preview Appointment

828.524.3500 • NCAL #8704 • Franklin, NC For Free Auction Package go to MArty KiMsey www.KimseyAuction.com Owner/Broker/GRI

THE JACKSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IS Recruiting a SOCIAL WORKER II. This position recruits, trains and licenses foster parents, provides support for foster/adoptive parents, provides adoption services and works with community groups. To a lesser degree, this position will also provide services to a small caseload of families where needs have been identified. The starting salary is $35,656.23 Depending on Education and Experience. Minimum qualifications include a Four Year Degree in a Human Service field. Preference will be given to applicants with a Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and/or Experience providing Social Work services. Applicants should complete a NC State Application Form (PD-107) and Submit it to the Jackson County Department of Social Services, 15 Griffin Street, Sylva, NC 28779 or the NC Career Works Center. 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

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

COMPLETE HOME INSPECTION SERVICES

Climate Control

Storage Security: Management on site Interier & Exterior Cameras

Sizes from 5’x5’ to 10’x20’

Climate Controlled

1106 Soco Road (Hwy 19), Maggie Valley, NC 28751

Call:

828-476-8999

MaggieValleySelfStorage.com torry@torry1.com

52

EMPLOYMENT

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

Moving or Buying? Let Us Help You.

HAYWOOD HOME INSPECTIONS

828.734.3609 | haywoodhomeinsp@gmail.com

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

FINANCIAL BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company. FED UP WITH CREDIT CARD DEBT? Consolidated Credit Can Help Reduce Interest Rates & Get you out of DEBT FAST… FREE Consultation. 24/7 Call Now: 855.977.7398

2. Atlanta, GA Skanska USA Building Inc., 55 Ivan Allen Jr Boulevard NW, Ste. #600 Atlanta, GA 30308. Contact: Clinton Aldridge / clinton.aldridge@skanska.com Tel: 404.946.7437 3. Charlotte, NC Skanska USA Building Inc. 4235 South Stream Boulevard Suite #200, Charlotte, NC 28217 Contact: Christian Edwards / christian.edwards@skanska.com Tel: 919.422.8916 4. Durham, NC Skanska USA Building Inc. 4309 Emperor Boulevard Suite #200, Durham, NC 27703. Contact: Sandy Gray / sandy.gray@skanska.com Tel: 919.406.4451 For further information and questions please contact: Christian Edwards at christian.edwards@skanska.com 919.422.8916 or Sandy Gray at sandy.gray@skanska.com 919.406.4451.

BROKER

(863) 944-2576 holly@4smokys.com WAYNESVILLE OFFICE:

Great Smokys Realty

828-564-1950 www.4smokys.com

36 S. Main St. Waynesville

Haywood County Real Estate Agents Berkshire Hathaway www.4Smokys.com

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Heritage • Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com

Beverly Hanks & Associates • • • • • • • • • • • • •

RE/MAX

EXECUTIVE

Ron Breese Broker/Owner 71 North Main Street Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

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

ERA Sunburst Realty sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com

www.ronbreese.com Each office independently owned & operated.

9 acres with Home over 4 stalls/2 tack rooms with Miles and Miles of Horse Trails. $179,000. 2268 Blanton Branch Rd.

Call Rob Roland — 828-400-1923

rroland33@gmail.com • www.robrolandrealty.com

Mike Stamey

mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

828-508-9607

74 NORTH MAIN ST. • WAYNESVILLE, NC

www.beverly-hanks.com

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

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

• • • • •

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

smokymountainnews.com

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160. Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

1. Cullowhee, NC Western Carolina University Facilities Planning, Design, & Construction 3476 Old Cullowhee Road Cullowhee, NC 28723 Contact: Mark Thomas / mark.thomas@skanska.com Tel: 919.815.5739

Holly Bowles

June 6-12, 2018

COASTAL DEALS! Ocean Isle Beach, amazing rates on summer rentals. www.cookerealty.com, 1.800.622.3224. Amazing buys! Southport,N.C. New water view condominiums starting at $139,900. Stuart 910.616.1795

NOTIFICATION OF RE-BID Western Carolina University STEM Facility Cullowhee, NC GENERAL INFORMATION Skanska USA Building Inc. invites you to bid on Western Carolina University’s new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (“STEM”) Building in Cullowhee, NC. The project consists of initial building demolition, construction of a five-story, 181,000 square foot building followed by additional demolition of a further existing building. The project will be procured in a phased bidding fashion and this invitation is a re-bid for the Sitework phase of the project. · BP 31.0 - Earthwork, Site Work & Utilities · All other scopes of work will be procured by a subsequent bidding round. Only pre-qualified firms are allowed to bid. A list of prequalified first tier bidders can be made available on request to all interested second tier bidders. For your convenience, multiple location options have been established for bid drop-off. Please be prepared to deliver your sealed bid on or before 2:00 pm ET on June 21st, 2018 to one of the following four (4) bid drop-off location options:

WNC MarketPlace

AUCTION 160+ ACRE FARM Wednesday 6/10/2018 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

LEGAL NOTICES

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 53

CROSSWORD

www.smokymountainnews.com

June 6-12, 2018

WNC MarketPlace

Super

54

INTERNAL BONES ACROSS 1 Put a cork in 8 Tribulations 15 Rival of Hertz or Avis 20 Very weak 21 Patty of the LPGA 22 Supped 23 Set a camel’s cousin free? 25 In a devious way 26 Toyota model 27 Meadowland 28 Folk stories 30 Belt stabbers 31 Times Square lights 32 — -mo replay 33 Terrible-tasting stadium snacks? 36 Writer — Stanley Gardner 37 — -Z (complete) 38 Wood splitter 39 Reply to the invite 40 Baaing “ma” 41 Very light wood gradually decayed? 45 Annual 47 Low cloud 48 So-o-o slow 51 Piano pieces 52 Easter meat 55 Kitten cry 56 — de plume (pen name) 58 Tutti- — 61 Yale alums 63 Tall beast makes a low, indistinct sound? 68 Patronize 15-Across, e.g. 72 “It’s so-o-o cold!” 73 Pastel color 74 Unearth Moscow

natives? 77 Brewer’s kiln 78 California surfing spot 79 Yoko of “Two Virgins” 80 “— -la-la!” 83 — power 84 Cut short 87 Voyaging 89 Cooking competition reality show 92 2001 Sean Penn drama 95 Skier/shooter carboloading on tubular pasta? 100 iPhone game, often 101 Vitality 104 Singer Davis 105 “Livin’ Thing” rock gp. 106 Load to bear 107 Merciless theater guide? 110 Monkly title 111 “It’s — cost you!” 112 Top-tier 113 Certain opera singer 114 River of Switzerland 115 Hank known for hitting 116 Ford debut of ‘55 118 Tune sung by a robed singer? 123 “Neon” fish 124 Biting insects 125 Laura — Wilder 126 So far 127 Hall of TV 128 Most profound DOWN 1 Sault — Marie Canals 2 Painting emulsion with egg yolk 3 Hot in Vegas

4 Runt’s quality 5 Hocus- — 6 San — Obispo 7 Claimed psychic skill 8 Bone: Prefix 9 Ostrich kin 10 Costa — Sol 11 Long fish 12 “Two and — Men” (sitcom) 13 Dorothy of the “Road” films 14 Tie-ups 15 Some plugs 16 Pastel color 17 In whatever place 18 Without harshness 19 Long, trying trips 24 Full-scale 29 Reason to turn green? 31 State east of Wyo. 32 Diner freebie 33 Rock’s Rose 34 Sob 35 Act like 37 Tillage unit 38 Soaks up 42 $20 bill dispenser 43 City bond, informally 44 Tip, as one’s hat 46 With hands on hips and elbows out 49 TV beatnik Maynard G. — 50 Arizona city on the Colorado 52 “You take it” 53 TV’s Trebek 54 Ho Chi — City 57 Writer Puzo 59 Bath mat site 60 Take a shot 62 Stymies 63 Beetle larvae

64 Frenzied 65 — Bator 66 Red-brown 67 Meyers of “Late Night” 69 Doc’s gp. 70 Disney frame 71 113-Across solo, often 75 Red Sea gulf 76 Green net user 80 Central Florida city 81 “— be in England ...” 82 Snicker part 84 Panini bread 85 Leg-warming blankets 86 Exemption from penalty 88 “Je t’—” (Luc’s “I love you”) 90 Physicist Curie 91 Diagram of a facility’s layout 93 In the style of 94 Actress Kunis 96 Pothole filler 97 Dignify 98 Underground passages 99 That, in Spain 102 Levers’ pivot points 103 Rolle with a sitcom role 108 Pied-a- — (apartment) 109 Homies’ turfs 110 1980 Dom DeLuise film 111 Evaluate 114 Fizzy wine, familiarly 115 Poet Sexton 117 Not “dis,” in Brooklyn 119 “Norma —” 120 Hotel cousin 121 Relieve (of) 122 Post-Q run

answers on page 48

WANTED TO BUY FREON R12 WANTED: CERTIFIED BUYER will PAY CA$H for R12 cylinders or cases of cans. 312.291.9169; www.refrigerantfinders.com

MEDICAL WELLNESS ADVOCATE mydoterra.com/blueridge wellness LUNG CANCER? And Age 60+? You And Your Family May Be Entitled To Significant Cash Award. Call 866.590.3140 for Information. No Risk. No Money Out Of Pocket. MEDICARE DOESN’T COVER All of your medical expenses. A Medicare Supplemental Plan can help cover costs that Medicare does not. Get a free quote today by calling now. 1.877.212.8839 FDA-REGISTERED Hearing Aids. 100% Risk-Free! 45Day Home Trial. Comfort Fit. Crisp Clear Sound. If you decide to keep it, PAY ONLY $299 per aid. FREE Shipping. Call Hearing Help Express 1.866.744.6150 SAPA UNABLE TO WORK Due to injury or illness? Call Bill Gordon & Assoc., Social Security Disability Attorneys! FREE Evaluation. Local Attorneys Nationwide 1.800.371.1734 [Mail: 2420 N St NW, Washington DC. Office: Broward Co. FL (TX/NM Bar.)]

PERSONAL

MAKE A CONNECTION. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call 888.909.9978 18+ YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

SERVICES

DISH SPECIAL! Save $480 on your TV Bill! Starting at $49.99/mo. FREE Next-Day Installation + FREE $50 giftcard with signup courtesy of SatelliteDeals Call 855.402.1615 HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET 25mbps starting at $49.99/mo! Get More Data FREE Off-Peak Data. FAST download speeds. WiFi built in! FREE Standard Installation for lease customers! Limited Time, Call 1.800.916.7609 SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY! TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed No contract or commitment. More Channels. Faster Internet. Unlimited Voice. Call 1.855.993.5352

SERVICES SCENTSY PRODUCTS Your Local Independent Consultant to Handle All Your Scentsy Wants & Needs. Amanda P. Collier 828.246.8468 Amandacollier.scentsy.us apcollier1978@gmail.com Start Own Business for Only $99 ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR FAMILY! Final Expense/Burial Insurance $30,000 Coverage Only $1per day! No Med Exam! Free Consult Call Today 1.877.920.7576 SAPA AT&T HIGH SPEED Internet Starting at $40/month. Up to 45 Mbps! Over 99% Reliability! Bundle AT&T Digital TV or Phone Services & Internet Price Starts at $30/month. Call 1.800.950.1469 CHAMPION SUPPLY Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581,

YARD SALES FLEA MARKET- LAKE JUNALUSKA Weldon Gym, Saturday June 9th From 8:00-11:30am & Early Bird Shopping at 7:30 for a $5 Fee. Furniture, Housewares, Plants, Tools, Baked Goods & More! Come Join Us! Service Dogs Only.

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

The naturalist’s corner

Eagle perched at nest back in March - Lake Junaluska. Don Hendershot photo

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Lake J eagles ost readers know the pair of bald eagles that nested at Lake Junaluska this spring were unsuccessful. There is no way to know the reason for nest failure. It could simply be this was a young inexperienced pair — once eagles attain adult plumage there is no visual clue to determine age. It could have been some kind of predator, but this seems unlikely because that would have created quite a ruckus and the eagles’ next-door, human neighbors would have probably noticed. Sadly human disturbance is probably the greatest cause of bald eagle nest failure. The Pennsylvania Game Commission noted nest failure at one site near I-80 was caused in 2011 and 2012 by photographers stopping to get photos and frightening the birds off the nest. Eagles are most sensitive to disturbances during the incubation and hatching phase. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife, “During the incubation and hatching period, human activities may startle adults or cause them to flush from the nest. Startling can damage eggs or injure young when the adults abruptly leave the nest. Prolonged

M

absences of adults from their nests can jeopardize eggs or young. Depending on weather conditions, eggs may overheat or cool and fail to hatch. “We recommend seasonal restriction for many temporary activities that do not involve habitat alterations (e.g. fireworks, outdoor concerts). Potential negative impacts can be avoided by restricting these kinds of activities to the non-nesting period.” There was some tree trimming in proximity to the nest, which could have been during the sensitive incubation, hatching period. But there’s no way to know if it had any impact on the nest failure. Human disturbance can be a pretty subjective thing when it comes to bald eagles. Stopping to take photos is enough to cause some eagles to flee the nest and other eagles build nests on Staten Island in New York. Of course, it is better to err on the side of caution and give nesting eagles as much room and privacy as possible. The Lake J pair seemed to vacate the nest and the area around late March. There were no sightings for a couple of months. Then on May 24 an eagle was spotted perched near the nest. Again, since all mature eagles

look much the same, there is no way of knowing for sure if this is one of the pair of nest builders or just a curious passer-by. But it is not uncommon for bald eagles, in good habitat with a stable food supply, to remain in or near their nesting territory year-round. Hopefully this is one of the nesting pair and as seasons progress the mate will also return to the area. The eagles likely aren’t seen as often at the lake this time of year

because with all the coots and diving ducks gone they have to range farther to forage. I believe the recent sighting at the nest bodes well for another nesting attempt next winter/spring. We should know by September/October as the pair would be together by then and adding to the nest. (Don Hendershot is a naturalist and a writer who lives in Haywood County. He can be reached at ddihen1@bellsouth.net)

June 6-12, 2018 Smoky Mountain News 55

June 6-12, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

UPCOMING SHOWS:

JULY 13

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JULY 26

JULY 27

AUGUST 3