Folkmoot International Festival is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year by introducing some new events during the 10-day cultural exchange and revamping its much-loved traditions. (Special Section) Jerica Rossi Photo
News
Jackson human services board seeks consolidation answers ..............................3
Covering the rural jail crisis ..............................................................................................4
Cherokee hospital to build $39 million crisis unit ....................................................5
WCU chancellor finalist withdraws from consideration ..........................................7
Bryson City to revisit Fry Street issue ..........................................................................8
Shining Rock moves on land purchase ........................................................................9
Administration shuffled in Haywood schools ..........................................................10
Macon seniors lobby for new senior center ............................................................11
Plott Creek developers submit site plan ....................................................................12
STAR Ranch rescues ‘miracle mare’ ..........................................................................14
County lukewarm on taking over sports complex ..................................................15
Opinion
My eyes and heart open after Mexico trip ................................................................18
A&E
The Swag changes hands after a half-century ........................................................22
Outdoors
Outdoor camp special needs youth builds friendships, confidence ................42
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S UBSCRIPTIONS
Jackson human services board seeks explanation for consolidation
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
When the Jackson County Health and Human Services Board met for its inaugural meeting June 11, board members made it clear that they had some major questions about county commissioners’ decision to create the consolidated board. The two-hour meeting ended with an exclamation mark when Jerry DeWeese announced his resignation from the board, with the remaining board members taking a split vote in favor of asking commissioners to provide a letter of explanation for the consolidation.
The board held its second meeting July 10, and though County Manager Don Adams informed its members that commissioners had declined to author a letter, the board voted unanimously to request that one of the three commissioners who had voted in favor of consolidation come to a board meeting to share their reasoning.
“The board only votes yes or no, yay or nay. The board offers direction, the board offers decisions. The board doesn’t offer opinions,” said Commission Chairman Brian McMahan by phone when asked why commissioners had decided not to write the letter. “And especially when we have a vote that was a split vote. It was a 3 to 2 vote. It’s not like the Supreme Court where there’s going to be a dissenting opinion written.”
McMahan was one of the two commissioners who voted against consolidating the departments of health and social services. As chairman, however, he would be the one tasked with authoring and signing any letter on the board’s behalf. McMahan said he didn’t feel that would be appropriate, a point of view the remaining commissioners agreed with when its members discussed the request during a July 10 work session.
“If there’s a need or a request for reasoning from individual commissioners, then those requests need to be made to individuals,” he said. “The board is not the entity to provide that information.”
According to Health and Human Services Board Chair Kathy Farmer, the board’s response to the commissioners’ perspective, as relayed by County Manager Don Adams, was mixed.
“There were a few folks that were still dissatisfied that someone had not tried to put it in writing or was present to give a response,” she said in a phone interview. “But there were several folks that understood and said this is the decision that’s been made — although initially folks might not have agreed with that, this is where we are and we need to move forward at this point for the sake of these two agencies.”
However, the board still wanted an explanation to accelerate that forward motion and voted unanimously to have a
Board members take their oath of office during the board’s inaugural meeting June 11. Jerry DeWeese (second from right) would resign this position within the hour. Holly Kays photo
commissioner come and “speak without debate, so someone would come not feeling like they would be attacked or questioned,” Farmer said.
The consolidation was the culmination of a discussion that began following the 2016 elections, when Commissioners Ron Mau and Mickey Luker were elected to join incumbent Commissioner Charles Elders to form a Republican majority. The Republican commissioners were interested in merging the county’s health and social services departments, something allowed through a 2012 state law.
In March 2017, experts on the topic from the University of North Carolina School of Government came to Jackson County to discuss the ins and outs of that law. While Commissioner Boyce Deitz and Chairman Brian McMahan, both Democrats, were against consolidation from the beginning, Luker, Mau and Elders wanted to move forward.
During a Jan. 29 public hearing, every one of the 11 people who spoke opposed consolidation, citing concerns about increased potential for political influence in the delivery of services, a monumental learning curve for volunteer board members and the futility of the effort, as the original structure was already functioning well. The commissioners who favored consolidation, meanwhile, said that the new structure would streamline the lines of authority by causing the director to answer directly to the county manager rather than to the board, offer the opportunity for financial savings and make it easier to connect people with services. The board ultimately voted 3 to 2 to move forward with consolidation.
“It brings up a question in my mind. Why are we consolidating?” said board member Dr. Tom Turrentine during a phone
Hiring process moves forward
The decision to consolidate the departments resulted in the subsequent decision to create a new position to oversee the new, consolidated department, and the Board of Health and Human Services has now appointed a committee to review those applications.
The committee will include the board’s executive committee — Chair Kathy Farmer, Vice Chair Charles Wolfe and Second Vice Chair Dana Tucker — Social Services Director Jennifer Abshire, Health Department Director Shelley Carraway and County Manager Don Adams, Farmer said in an interview.
The committee will begin reviewing applications around the middle of August, Farmer said, and will set up interviews with top candidates in September. If a viable candidate emerges in that initial round of interviews, an offer of employment could be extended shortly thereafter.
interview. “It just adds a level of bureaucracy unnecessarily to an already existing two boards that were functioning good and efficiently. I’m still confused as to why we exist. I’ll have to make my decisions based on my confusion.”
The consolidated board does have one commissioner among its members — Luker, who was one of the three in favor of consolidation. Luker was not present at the July 10 meeting but said he disagrees with the board’s decision to continue pursuing an explanation.
“You need to take the politics out of it and realize it was a board (of commissioners) decision and the decision has been made and it’s time to move forward,” Luker said during a phone interview. “Quit hashing it. It’s time to move on.”
For many of the board members, though, the conversation keeps coming around to why the change was made in the first place. The board is composed of people who “believe strongly in the services that the health department and the department of social services render to our community,” Farmer said, and they’re sensitive to any real or perceived threat to those services. Having a commissioner come and give a full-length explanation could put those questions to rest.
“They feel that they’re questioning on behalf of the general public as well, so they’re looking at are we saving funds, what is the reasoning here,” Farmer said. “If they felt like there was justification they would move on, but I really feel like this (explanation) may be sort of a turning point. It may not satisfy everyone, but I think that they will allow things to continue to move forward.”
Luker disagrees.
“As a board member, I just don’t see where an explanation of that makes a differ-
“The position will remain open until filled, so we will continue to take applications,” Farmer said. “If there are not folks that we can agree on at that time, we’ll continue the process.”
Before consolidation, the boards of health and social services were responsible for hiring and firing the directors of those departments. Under the new system, the county manager will make the hire with the advice and consent of the Health and Human Services Board.
The county will keep its existing directors of health and social services on staff, with the director of the consolidated department coming on as an additional position. The salary range is $74,000 to $145,000, plus benefits.
ence in your determination of serving on the human services board and being the best that you can be to see the human services agency be successful,” he said. “I don’t know what else to say other than that. At the end of the day, my position is to improve the lives of those that we serve that are less fortunate than some of us and try to make every way possible to improve their lives.”
As to which of the three Republican commissioners will respond to the board’s request, that’s still up in the air. Luker said the board will likely discuss the matter during its next work session, which is slated for Tuesday, Aug. 14 — the same day as the next DHHS board meeting.
“We need to for the sake of the DSS and Health Department to move forward and be functional and positive,” said Turrentine. “It’s a good board and it’s well represented and I’m for it, positively. But I’m anxious to see how it’s going to function towards improving the services that are given in both the Health Department and DSS.”
Covering the rural jail crisis
Looking at solutions to an overcrowded system
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
Many rural county jail populations are growing at a higher rate than urban county jails or even state prisons, according to research done by the Center on Sentencing and Corrections at the Vera Institute of Justice.
The average daily jail population in the U.S. is 615,000, but there are about 10.6 million jail admissions each year. If you suffer from mental illness, you’re nine times more likely to be incarcerated than hospitalized. If you are a person of color, you are more likely to have a higher bond set for your release and if you’re poor, you are more likely to be detained pretrial simply because you can’t afford a cash bond.
These are just a few of the staggering statistics about the mass incarceration problem in the United States.
I thought I had a fairly good grasp on the issues facing our criminal justice system when I accepted a journalism fellowship this summer that delved into the rural jail crisis.
I know that a lack of funding for mental health services and addiction treatment, mixed with the opioid epidemic, are draining local resources. I know law enforcement
and the courts are struggling to keep up with the increasing demand of services. I know our county jails stay close to capacity and that many of the people inside those jails should probably be in some kind of treatment facility instead.
A lack of resources for people with behavioral health issues is a major contributor to the exploding jail populations, but the fix is more complicated than I could have imagined. What I didn’t know was that those factors are just the tip of the iceberg when looking at the disparities within our criminal justice system that have led to this rural jail crisis — and we’re all paying the price.
The yearlong reporting fellowship kicked off last week with a two-day conference held at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. The 28 rural journalists selected from across the country were inundated with information from expert speakers, data and case studies that will help us as we embark on investigative projects in our own communities.
We heard from sheriffs, district attorneys, judges, researchers, criminal justice advocacy groups, award-winning journalists, defenders, prosecutors, state representatives, county commissioners and other stakeholders who have their finger on the pulse of the system. It was an eye-opening and overwhelming experience to say the least.
My main takeaway from the conference is
“How do we get our readers to care about all this?”
She was absolutely right. There’s no doubt to a room of reporters why justice for all matters, but getting our communities to understand and care about people we’ve labeled as criminals is no easy feat. Unless you have unexpectedly found yourself entangled in the justice system or had a family member go through it, it’s hard for people to empathize with people who are incarcerated.
The best answer given to Whitney and the rest of us was to show our readers who exactly are in the local jails because often times it’s not the stereotypical hardened criminals we have in our minds.
We’re not talking about the population of a state prison where people are serving time for a crime for which they were convicted. Most of the local jail population is made up of people serving sentences of under a year or people who are awaiting trial (meaning they are still presumed innocent and should be treated as such).
Sure, there are people in jail pretrial who need to be there because they pose a public safety risk to the community, but there are also people who have been accused of minor offenses but can’t afford to post cash bail. That $1,000 bail could be keeping a mother from seeing her children before her trial or it could mean a father loses his job and his ability to provide for his family.
There are also people who committed a crime because they are not managing their mental health disorder correctly or perhaps they’re self-medicating deeper trauma with drugs and alcohol. These people’s needs would be better addressed within the health care system — not the criminal justice system.
that everything within our system needs to be re-evaluated to reduce local jail populations and provide speedy and fair due process for Americans — our outdated laws, policing practices, bail assessments, pretrial services (or lack there of) and sentencing practices.
If we want to stop building jails at a higher rate than schools, we’re going to have to change the way we look at the criminal justice system and the people in it. We have to start asking why we do things a certain way and “because we’ve always done it that way” is no longer an acceptable option.
Yes, sometimes law enforcement, lawyers and judges are bound by the laws on the books. Those laws can be hard to change at the state level without major bipartisan support, but another take away from the conference was that our sheriffs, district attorneys and judges have more power to make minor changes that could result in major improvements.
It’s going to take education, understanding and cooperation to make it happen — but that’s nothing we aren’t accustomed to here in Western North Carolina.
CHANGINGATTITUDES
One of the journalism fellows — Whitney from Mississippi — had the guts to ask the question we were all thinking about during the conference.
If an examination of the jail population still doesn’t pique your interest, how about the bottom line argument? Unless the underlying problems in the system can be addressed, we can expect to build larger jails, employ more police and prosecutors and pay more taxes to be able to afford it. During a time when county commissioners are already making hard choices when it comes to funding schools and new infrastructure, building a new jail every 10 to 20 years is unrealistic and unsustainable. Instead of looking for a larger place to house the growing jail populations, leaders need to be looking at how to decrease the existing population.
Our community also needs to be more aware of the cost associated with housing inmates and weigh that against the public safety risk. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said he set a policy in his office that his prosecutors make a point in court to say out loud the cost associated with putting someone in jail for a certain amount of time. He admitted it’s been a controversial practice not used by many DAs, but one he plans to continue as it can make a difference in sentencing practices.
Changing processes and procedures that have been in place for decades is a daunting task. It will take a con-
certed effort between agencies that are typically fragmented from each other.
County officials at the conference gave plenty of insights and examples of what they’ve done to decrease their jail populations and their budgets. WNC counties might not have all the problems these other counties are experiencing and maybe not all the solutions would work for our region, but it’s certainly worth evaluating.
My hope is that this criminal justice project will open the lines of communication between agencies and get the community thinking outside the box when it comes to incarceration. As The Smoky Mountain News begins to ask questions about how our criminal justice system operates, I hope we can use the resources provided to us through this fellowship to identify solutions that would work in Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.
Let’s look at our arrest practices — what offenses can be settled with a civil citation versus a jail booking and court appearance?
Let’s look at our bail practices — are we using a modern tool for assessing whether someone is a public safety risk? Are we abusing cash bond practices that only keep poor people in jail for months awaiting trial? Are we utilizing pretrial programs
“Unless the underlying problems in the system can be addressed, we can expect to build larger jails, employ more police and prosecutors and pay more taxes to be able to afford it.”
that help rehabilitate people while being incarcerated?
Let’s look at our court practices — are we giving judges the ability to use their discretion as much as possible or leaning too much on mandatory sentencing laws? Are we diverting people into treatment when possible instead of incarceration?
Some of the jail reduction strategies other counties have started implementing have already started to pay off. Lucas County, Ohio, has been able to reduce its jail population by nearly 25 percent in the last two years with the help of a grant from the McArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge. Buncombe County also received a small grant from the same program to begin implementing changes.
THE BRIGHT SIDE
The conference painted a grim picture of our criminal justice system, but I still walked away with optimism knowing that there are solutions to the challenges our local law enforcement and court system face.
Many of the speakers painted a picture of fragmented agencies and turf wars between police departments and sheriff’s offices in
their jurisdictions. Maybe I’m being naïve, but that’s something I haven’t seen too much of in WNC. What I do see is our DA and police chief holding community forums to educate people about the system and our law enforcement, community organizations and churches working together to combat the opioid epidemic plaguing our communities and sheriffs who don’t want to see the same person again and again in their jail.
Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher has led the charge on providing rehabilitation services for people leaving his jail. A part of this ongoing project will look at the impact the Haywood Pathways Center has had on reducing recidivism in the jail and getting people the mental health and addiction treatment they need to keep them out of the criminal justice system.
Haywood County agencies are also working on implementing a LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program, a program that would divert qualified people into treatment instead of jail for certain offenses.
The program was discussed at length at the conference in NYC — it was started in Seattle and now other agencies across the country are using it. The fact that Haywood and other western counties are already implementing such a progressive program shows we’re ahead of the curve compared to other rural counties. It also shows that our leaders have a better understanding of the challenges than others and aren’t afraid to shine a light on the deficiencies and look for better solutions.
I genuinely look forward to working with all the key players in the next year as I try to learn all I can about our criminal justice system and discuss ways we can do our part to reduce mass incarceration in this country while keeping communities safe.
WHAT’STOCOME?
It’s hard to know where to start when tackling the tangled web that is the criminal justice system. Before exploring the problems with the system and possible solutions, our readers need to understand how the system works from arrest to release and the many steps in between.
Secondly, my goal is to tour all the jails in our four-county coverage area to give readers a sense of the differences in their operations, populations and the challenges sheriffs and jailers face on a daily basis.
We’ll also examine the bail bondsmen industry, cash bond practices in our region and the bail bond laws governing our state as well as alternatives to using cash bonds.
We’ll analyze incarceration data from our region compiled by the Vera Institute and other advocacy organizations and see how we compare nationally.
While this reporting fellowship is a yearlong project with John Jay College, I’m not placing a particular timeline on this topic. This will be rolling investigation that I want our readers to engage with as it moves forward. I want to hear your thoughts, comments and suggestions on our criminal justice system and the rural jail crisis. Reach me at jessi@smokymountainnews.com.
Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. We also cater! Serving all of WNC. 149 Park St, Canton 828-507-6209
www.hitthepitbbq.com
Your opportunity to meet some of the local farmers, vendors and artisan food, beer and cider makes that supply Ingles, sample products, shop local and support local businesses!
Brown Ave #1 Thursday, July 26 • 3-6 p.m.
For folks in town for FOLKMOOT - There'll be over 25 different vendors to meet and samples to try!
Annie's Breads - Asheville • Celtic Sea Salt - Asheville
Darnell Farms (produce) - Bryson City No Evil Foods (plant-based) - Asheville
Cherokee hospital to build $39 million crisis unit
Vote, 9-2, brings months of debate to an end
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
Long-debated plans to renovate the old Cherokee Indian Hospital building as a crisis stabilization unit will now move forward following a 9-2 vote from Tribal Council to appropriate $31 million in funding.
The body held the vote during its monthly Budget Council meeting July 10 following more than an hour of debate, the culmination of a process that launched in October 2016, when Tribal Council appropriated $1.7 million to plan the project. Since then, the hospital has analyzed the potential of six different construction scenarios, made three presentations to the health board and participated in at least two work sessions, hospital CEO Casey Cooper told Tribal Council. A resolution to fund the project first came before Council in February, and again in March, but the body voted to delay the decision on both occasions.
“We’re all aware the opioid and heroin epidemic is at crisis levels, and we really need to make a decision one way or another,” Principal Chief Richard Sneed told Tribal Council to kick off the discussion. “Either we’re going to do the project or we’re not.”
Plans for the unit call for 14 semi-private rooms and four high-risk rooms to house patients in crisis — whether they be addicts going through detox, teens struggling with suicidal ideations or people with mental health problems severe enough to require commitment. Some rooms could be converted into double-occupancy rooms, with a total of 28 potential beds.
In addition to the beds, the building would include a patient wellness center, two large group therapy rooms, two activity rooms, a dining room, a medical procedure room, a large intake room, two consult rooms for families and patients and the new headquarters of Analenisgi, a program aimed at supporting people in recovery. Analenisgi would include 11 office spaces, 24 workstations, 13 talking rooms, a large group therapy room, two small group therapy rooms and two classrooms. The building will house a total of 46 office spaces, with many of those supporting staff at the new hospital next door. In terms of square footage, 59 percent of the building would be for direct patient care and 41 percent of it would be office space, according to an informational flyer from the hospital.
CONCERNSABOUTCOST
In all, the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority expects the project will cost about $39 million — with Tribal Council funding $31 million, the hospital will cover the rest. Debt service would be paid through interest from the tribe’s Debt Service Sinking Fund, which generates about $11 million per year. The hospital debt service would require about $3 million of that, Cooper said. There is also potential to generate revenue from the project by leasing unneeded beds to the Indian Health Service.
“One of the things we’ve talked about with this project is the price tag attached to it, and that seems to be the elephant in the room,” said Councilmember Jeremy Wilson, of Wolfetown. “However, this Tribal Council has been on its soapbox for a long time about
project, calling the $450 cost per square foot “a very reasonable number.”
“I don’t think that we can get the cost per square foot down,” he said. “If we want to decrease the overall price tag, we literally have to decrease the square footage that we’re building. It’s not that complicated. It is a multiple of the square footage that we’re building.”
But why must the project include so much new construction, asked Rose, contending that “the (old) hospital’s in good shape.” Remodeling the existing structure would result in a lower price, he said.
“The reality is the old hospital is not in good shape,” countered Cooper. “We cannot upgrade the old hospital to meet the new codes and standards.”
In fact, Cooper said, a simple remodel was one of six options analyzed when the hospital initially started the planning process — back in 2016, when Tribal Council mandated it to. What’s being recommended now is the result of many hours of work, meetings and conversations with Tribal Council.
MAKINGTHEDECISION
Vice Chair David Wolfe, of Yellowtown, added that he’d heard some in the community object to spending so much on a crisis unit when the tribe has already put many millions of dollars toward resources for those battling addiction.
addressing the needs for the opioid crisis, for mental health issues. These are issues that are very real and they affect every single family on this Qualla Boundary.”
Council should pass the legislation, he said. Wilson met agreement from Councilmember Richard French, of Big Cove, who added that the tribe has already spent $1.7 million on planning — it would be a shame to have spent that money for no purpose, he said.
“They tend to believe that we’re just aiding these patients and giving them a legal way of helping their addiction and just giving them a legal way of doing what they’re doing,” he said, specifically referencing suboxone and needle exchange programs. “When I try to answer some of those questions, the reasons behind those, they’re, ‘Well, if you’re going to take a stance against drugs, you need to take a stance against drugs. You can’t keep giving them a way to do them.’”
Sneed responded that in the health care industry “pharmaceutically assisted recovery with suboxone, that is a given. When people are addicted to pills, their body physically has to have something.”
“Crisis stabilization is not just talking about individuals using drugs. We’re talking about people who need to be committed for their mental health. We’re talking about children who have suicidal ideations. We’re talking about elders.”
— Sunshine Parker, manager of the tribe’s Family Safety Program
However, Councilmember Albert Rose, of Birdtown, said he thought the price tag was too high, saying that a 16-bed unit in Asheville had recently been built for $1 million, though he couldn’t give specifics as to which project he was referencing.
“The only problem I have with this is if you want office space, take it out of your budget and we’ll just separate the two projects,” he said.
“These numbers are really high,” agreed Councilmember Tom Wahnetah, of Yellowhill. “I just can’t support it right now.”
Hospital CEO Casey Cooper defended the
“I just wanted to comment and just make sure that we’re understanding that crisis stabilization is not just talking about individuals using drugs,” added Sunshine Parker, manager of the tribe’s Family Safety Program. “We’re talking about people who need to be committed for their mental health. We’re talking about children who have suicidal ideations. We’re talking about elders.”
Because of the lack of beds, she said, there are elders who have been sitting in the emergency room for six months, not getting the care they really need and preventing other patients from using those rooms.
Drug addiction is a big problem that will require big resources to address, added Vickie Bradley, the tribe’ secretary of public health and human services. After being open less than five months,
The planned crisis stabilization unit will house people going through acute behavioral and mental health-related issues. Donated rendering
WCU chancellor finalist withdraws from consideration
UNC Board of Governors will pause hiring to revamp selection process
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
Western Carolina University will have to wait a little longer to welcome a new chancellor to Cullowhee following a July 16 announcement from the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.
According to a statement from Board Chairman Harry Smith, the candidate that UNC President Margaret Spellings recommended for the job withdrew from consideration. Rather than consider hiring one of the other two candidates endorsed by the WCU Board of Trustees, the Board of Governors will “complete an expedited review of the chancellor search process in an effort to refine and improve it,” Smith wrote.
“The board is committed to working with the President and the Boards of Trustees to identify the most capable and talented candidates to lead our remarkable institutions — and modifications to the chancellor search process will do just that. Together, we are working to move our institutions — and the system — forward,” Smith wrote.
That process is expected to be complete in September. In her charge to the WCU Chancellor Search Committee in January, Spellings set the goal of having a new chancellor in place by August.
The search committee was formed in December 2017 after Chancellor David O. Belcher, who passed away in June, announced that he would go on medical leave due to an ongoing battle with brain cancer. The 21-member committee included faculty, staff, community members and representatives from the WCU Board of Trustees and UNC Board of Governors.
The search process included multiple community meetings to receive input on what various stakeholders in the university
community wanted to see in a new chancellor. The committee then developed a document describing the kind of person it was looking for and began to receive applications. Top candidates received in-person interviews and campus visits, with the search committee whittling the field down to three. Trustees endorsed those three candidates during a June 1 meeting, sending the names to Spellings, who, according to the search process outlined in January, would make her pick and send it to the Board of Governors for final approval.
However, the board did not grant that approval.
According to a July 13 story from Carolina Journal, the board went into closed session during its July 12 meeting to discuss the nominee Spellings put forth.
“The meeting went on behind closed doors for more than two hours,” the article says. “Carolina Journal was stationed outside the boardroom in the lobby of the UNC System offices and heard raised voices coming from inside the meeting room.”
Board members did not vote on the nominee, and that person — whose name was not disclosed publicly — ultimately withdrew from consideration.
“Certainly, this is not the outcome we had hoped for, but Western Carolina University remains strong and well-positioned to continue to make great progress. We look forward to working with the WCU Board of Trustees, the UNC Board of Governors, President Margaret Spellings and the WCU campus community to ensure a successful search for our next chancellor,” said a joint statement from Patricia Kaemmerling and Bryant Kinney, who are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Board of Trustees and co-chairs of the chancellor search committee.
“I’m disheartened that we did what we were supposed to do. We followed the guidelines that were supposed to have been in place, and the Board of Governors I would say didn’t uphold their end of what was agreed to,” added Leroy Kauffman, a WCU professor of accounting who has been
involved with the Faculty Senate for many of his 24 years at the university.
Smith is new in his position as Board of Governors Chair. His term began July 1, when he replaced former chairman Lou Bissette, a former Asheville mayor who had led the board since late 2015. The decision to revamp the chancellor search process coincided with the beginning of Smith’s leadership. The University of North Carolina Asheville also recently found itself with a vacancy in the chancellor’s office and
“Certainly, this is not the outcome we had hoped for, but Western Carolina University remains strong and well-positioned to continue to make great progress.”
— joint statement from Patricia Kaemmerling and Bryant Kinney, chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Board of Trustees
followed a similar process to the one used at WCU. During its June 1 meeting the Board of Governors opted to confirm the nominee Spellings forwarded.
Kauffman said that many faculty and staff members would like to see a more open search process, as the one typically used in North Carolina is closed up until the final candidate is confirmed. However, the same process was used to select Belcher, and “nobody would have a problem with the fact that we got David Belcher,” Kauffman said.
“The unfortunate result of the search is symptomatic of a very bad state process, mandated by the UNC Board of Governors, that does not allow the finalists to be properly interviewed and vetted during on-campus visits. The position of Chancellor is crucial to the university and the surrounding
community, and that position and the search are paid for by N.C. taxpayers. However, most constituents on and off campus are cut out of the process. We are paying for the most important position at a public university, and yet we have no direct knowledge or input regarding the candidates. Also, we are at the mercy of a highly paid search firm because of the complete lack of transparency. Finally, the finalists have no skin in the game. Because the process is secret, finalists can choose to withdraw as they wish. While the process is very lucrative for a search firm, it does not serve the citizens of North Carolina. I am very pleased that the new Chair of the Board of Governors is evaluating the process. I hope that the Board of Governors will return to a more open process — what we used to have here and what is normal practice in many other states,” Brian Railsback, Faculty Senate Chair Emeritus, said in an emailed statement.
Alison Morrison-Shetlar, who was provost under Belcher’s administration and became acting chancellor when he left, will continue leading the university in the interim, though she has stated publicly she will not seek the permanent position. Carol Burton will continue in her role as acting provost.
“I would echo the confidence in Alison Morrison-Shetlar — in her leadership and the people she has in place to surround her,” Kauffman said. “We’re in good hands from that perspective. The challenge is it’s just unsettled. They’re interim. We know they’re not going to be here long-term. It’s just that fence of what’s the long-term scenario going to look like.”
A list of questions sent to the UNC System media relations office about this situation and decision to revamp the entire search process was not returned by press time. Questions included why the board didn’t look at one of the other two candidates selected by the search committee when the first choice withdrew, and what specifically was lacking in the existing search process.
Cherokee’s needle exchange program has 281 participants. The community has 812 cases of Hepatitis C, of which more than 400 are currently infectious. The cost to treat one case of the disease typically falls between $200,000 and $500,000.
The challenge is daunting, but as long as the addict is alive, there is hope for change. The crisis stabilization unit can be a provider of that hope, Bradley said.
“I think we have a unique opportunity in this community to build something that will make a difference,” she said. “It will help give people a time out and stabilize them in a secure place so they can get the help that they need, and we can open up our inpatient beds.”
“Trust the subject matter experts. That’s what I would ask you,” she said. “We have spent many, many years in training, collectively becoming educated on your dime. Thank you. To gain the knowledge, experience the competencies that we need to make these decisions that are fiscally responsible on behalf of the tribe. Trust us. We’re not building offices. We’re building supported networks to keep our people alive.”
Tribal member Kallup McCoy, a former addict who has since become a leader in the recovery community, reminded councilmembers that change can happen.
“I was one of those people that had to be brought back with Narcan several times,” he
She concluded with an emotional plea for councilmembers to vote in favor of the project.
said. “I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for amazing EMS workers and stuff like that. Whenever we don’t see people for people and we see them for their experience, we’re missing the mark and we’re missing an opportunity for them to heal.”
Councilmember Perry Shell, of Big Cove, thanked Bradley for her words and added that in addition to funding recovery services, the tribe should turn its eye to bolstering prevention programs.
“We really need a better coordinated effort on this than what we’re doing right now,” he said, “and we need to start banishing more of these dealers.”
Eventually the conversation came to a close with a motion from Wilson and second by Wolfe to approve the project.
Councilmembers approved funding with a 92 vote. Councilmembers Tommye Saunooke, of Painttown, and Bucky Brown, of Snowbird, voted against it and Councilmember Boyd Owle, of Birdtown, was absent.
“I know that every one of us has been affected and I won’t use my family as an example, and I appreciate where Vickie (Bradley) is coming from, but I still need some more numbers,” Saunooke said to explain her no vote. “I think the cost is astronomical and we could do it for less.” Editor’s note: This story was reported using online meeting videos, as Tribal Council’s April decision to ban non-Cherokee media from its chambers prevents The Smoky Mountain News from attending in person.
Bryson City to revisit relinquishing right of way
Hearing set for Fry Street closure
BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR
The Bryson City Board of Aldermen will soon revisit the controversial topic of whether to relinquish its right-of-way on Fry Street at the request of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.
Giving up the right-of-way would allow the street to be closed off to vehicular traffic between Everett Street and Collins Street. After receiving a letter from GSMR a couple of weeks ago asking the board to reconsider the closure, the board voted to hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Swain County Administrative Building on Mitchell Street.
The brief letter to the town from Kim Albritton, vice president and general manager of GSMR, did mention a pedestrian plaza project that was originally planned for Fry Street area several years ago, but she didn’t give any specifics on cost or financial contributions.
“The vision for the street redesign would include enhanced safe pedestrian walking paths, green space with grass, flowers and trees and covered public areas for both train and local community events. The park would be a central gathering location for the town,” Albritton wrote in the letter.
The town will also discuss the closure of Greenlee Street between Bryson Street and Fry Street after receiving a letter of support from a town resident Joe Sawyer back in March. As a resident of Greenlee Street, Sawyer wrote in the letter than he had witnessed the pedestrian concerns throughout the years.
“I also have a concern with the auto traffic on Greenlee as it intersects with Fry Street at my residence,” he wrote. “Along with the railroad’s request to close Fry Street, I wish to also have the portion of Greenlee Street from Fry Street to Bryson Street abandoned and returned to the original owners.”
The Fry Street closure has been a contentious topic of discussion in town since 2015 when the GSMR and the Swain County Tourism Development Authority proposed the idea of closing Fry Street to vehicles to improve safety for the thousands of pedestrians milling around the train depot before and after excursions. While the train owns the property, the town maintains the right-ofway, which would need to be relinquished to be able to close the street.
In addition to improving pedestrian safety, the TDA also proposed a plan to develop the area into a pedestrian plaza with trees, landscaping, an open lawn and a stage for live performances. The plan would also include paving the current gravel parking lot between the businesses on Fry Street for 35 parking spots. Such a project would cost between $250,000 to $400,000 according to TDA officials, but funding was never committed from TDA coffers or grants.
town Bryson City after their train rides, but others saw the proposed project as the TDA and town giving favoritism to one business over another. The closure of Fry Street would also mean several downtown businesses would lose several storefront parking spots — something they said would be detrimental to their business.
Other business owners thought the pedestrian plaza would be a great addition to downtown, but wanted to see a bigger financial commitment from the railroad since it would be benefitting their business.
In August 2015, the board of aldermen held a couple of public hearings at town hall regarding the right of way abandonment and pedestrian plaza idea. The small space could barely accommodate the 60-plus people who showed up with strong opinions on both sides, which is why the next public hearing will be held at the county administrative building.
Following the public hearings, the town board still couldn’t make a decision on closing Fry Street. The board did decide to close Fry Street temporarily from November through January for the train’s popular Polar Express excursions during the Christmas season. The temporary closure was meant to be a test run, but aldermen weren’t pleased with the results.
The train put up metal fencing with Polar Express Banners at the intersection of Fry Street and Everett Street to keep vehicles out, but businesses said the barricades made people think their stores weren’t open. Former Alderman Rick Bryson said at the time that
he spoke to a handful of business owners who said the closure had negatively impacted their visitor traffic.
The board kept putting off a decision regarding the permanent closure, but finally newly elected Alderman Heidi WoodardRamsey made a motion to abandon the rightof-way during an April 2016 meeting. However, the motion died for a lack of a second, making it clear where the other aldermen stood on the issue.
While
the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad owns the property, Bryson City maintains the right of way, which would need to be relinquished to be able to close the street.
Albritton was back before the town aldermen in April 2017 to ask if the board would approve another temporary closure of Fry Street during The Polar Express. The meeting was again packed, but this time most expressed support of the temporary closure because of safety issues. With more than 40,000 people participating in The Polar Express, about 700 people a night — including many children — are getting on and off the train on Fry Street.
The Swain County Chamber of Commerce even took out a full-page advertisement in The Smoky Mountain Times listing the names of 50 businesses and individuals that
supported the closure. In a surprising 3-1 vote, the board denied the temporary closure with Woodard-Ramsey being the only one in support of it.
Not pleased with the town’s decision, Albritton responded by stating that she would explore all options to keep patrons safe — one of those options would be to move the Polar Express back to the Dillsboro depot this November through January.
The train’s statements about taking the Polar Express back to Dillsboro caused community backlash against the town board since the special excursions bring so much winter tourism to Bryson City. Aldermen quickly backtracked and decided to approve the Fry Street closure for Polar Express if the railroad would meet three stipulations — keep the gravel parking lot beside BoxCar Restaurant open to the public; not erect any event tents that would obscure visitors’ view of Fry Street merchants; and those merchants must be given a 30-day notice of the street closure.
The railroad complied and the temporary closure occurred without much fanfare. When it came time for the board of aldermen election that fall, there were several candidates who supported the permanent closure of Fry Street and the pedestrian plaza. Ben King, co-owner of Bryson City Outdoors, was one of those candidates and was also the highest vote getter in November. With a new face on the board, support for the Fry Street closure is now split with Woodard and King being in support and Aldermen Janine Crisp and Jim Gribble typically being against. In the case of a tie, Mayor Tom Sutton will have the deciding vote.
The Bryson City Board of Aldermen will revisit the controversial issue of permanently closing Fry Street near the train depot during an Aug. 9 public hearing. File photo
Shining Rock moves on land purchase
SRCA will fork over $225,800 in cash and, according to the contract, procure a $595,700 loan over 20 to 30 years at 2 to 6 percent interest.
Assuming everything goes through, SRCA will acquire the acreage along with a 9,000 square-foot building that used to be a garage.
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Just three days after holding a closed meeting during which members of the Shining Rock Classical Academy voted to contract with a local Realtor for brokerage services, the Haywood County public charter school has made an offer to purchase property.
“Right now we’re just securing future growth,” said Anna Eason, chairwoman of Shining Rock’s board of directors. “We’ll go into due diligence, make sure the property is viable for the school.”
Central gym
one step closer to demolition
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Astartling engineering report that called Central Haywood High School’s deteriorating gymnasium “unsound and unsafe” prompted Haywood County Schools to spring into action June 11, and now that a bid for demolition has been accepted, the gym’s deconstruction will soon begin.
“It’s an unfortunate thing, that build-
According to a contract for purchase provided by SRCA, the parcel at 3750 Crabtree Road is 6.294 acres. Eason said the property’s current owner, R & C Green Enterprises, LLC, had originally intended it to be a small industrial park.
County records show the parcel, located on the east side of Crabtree Road just north of Interstate 40, is assessed at $414,300. SRCA’s offer is for $851,000. North Carolina Secretary of State records indicate R & C Green is managed by Ronald J. Green.
After the $29,500 earnest money is paid,
ing’s been there since before my time,” said Board of Education member Bobby Rogers, who also chairs the building and grounds committee. “I grew up and played ball in that gym many days. It’s going to be hard to lose it, but we have to take care of the safety of these kids too.”
Canton-based NEO Corporation will do the job for $52,400.
“That’s very surprising — you’re looking at close to $200,000, that’s what our assumptions were as far as the cost of doing anything anymore and the disposal of materials,” Rogers said of the bid, which he said came in far lower than expected.
Board members voted unanimously to accept the bid July 16, and also voted to allocate $65,000 to the project on a contingency basis.
“You have an underground oil tank over
SRCA’s current home on Dellwood Road is owned by the Lake Junaluska Assembly and consists of several modular classrooms. Eason said off the top of her head that there were three modular classroom buildings on the 2.8-acre plot, containing about 25,000 square feet of space, not including the office.
But Eason added that there are no plans to move from the Dellwood Road location at the moment; without substantial construction, the Crabtree Road parcel has nowhere near the instructional space SRCA currently has, much less the space it thinks it needs — School
Director Nathaniel Duncan said last week he thought enrollment at the county’s only public charter school would increase from about 400 last year to about 460 this year.
Eason also said that assuming the purchase is successful, there are no plans to do anything with the building or the land in the near-term, and certainly not before this coming school year.
Closing on the property is projected to take place in late August.
“This is the first step in securing our future growth,” Eason said. “I’m really excited for what’s to come.”
there. Back in those days they heated it with an old oil-fueled furnace,” he said. “That’s underground, and you never know — there may be some heavy expenses, the tank could have a leak and you’ve got to get all that contaminated soil out.”
Rogers said that he hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but the board would inform commissioners of their intent to utilize $65,000 in capital outlay funds for the demo. Work should begin soon, he said.
There are still no answers as to how, when or even if a new gym will be constructed at the site; floodplain regulations would require the property be raised in elevation by a colossal 12 feet.
Board Chairman Chuck Francis said last week that nothing had yet changed in terms of the board’s plan to rebuild a new gymnasium on the site.
Haywood County’s only public charter school intends to purchase property off Crabtree Road. Haywood GIS photo
Administration shuffled in Haywood County Schools
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Haywood County Schools superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte wasted little time in announcing the administrative support team that will help him maintain and improve upon the school district’s eleventh overall statewide ranking.
Nolte presented recommendations to the Haywood County Schools Board of Education the night of July 12, after an 80-minute closed session.
“I want to thank the board for your support in putting, I believe, a strong senior administrative staff team in place that should carry us for the next five to 10 years,” Nolte said upon receiving board approval.
Leaving his job as Waynesville Middle School principal to become the associate superintendent for support services is Dr. Trevor Putnam, who will also manage facility use. He’ll also chair the policy committee, oversee random drug testing and serve as athletic director. He’ll see a base pay increase from $74,719 to $82,004, plus a stipend increase from $4,325 to $8,000.
Also moving up in the ranks is Jill Barker, who had been Pisgah High School’s principal. She’ll now serve as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and be
responsible for enrollment, faculty curriculum and instruction, student transfers, remediation budgets, teacher allocations and some public information duties. Barker’s base pay increases from $71,014 to $77,597 and her stipend increases from $7,245 to $8,000.
Mark Sheppard will assume the role of transportation director, charged with managing transport operations, driver’s education and determining road quality during inclement weather. Sheppard’s old job of student services director has largely been subsumed into Putnam’s new position. Sheppard will see his base pay increase from $66,000 to $74,000 while his $3,500 stipend remains unchanged.
Todd Barbee moves to Waynesville Middle School to fill the role of principal at the system’s largest middle school, leaving Canton Middle School. His base pay increases from $66,408 to $72,611, but his $4,325 stipend also remains unchanged.
Kim Jackson is the new technology director, tasked with supervision of system infrastructure as well as library and media services; her old position of assistant technology director will likely go to a data specialist, according to Nolte. Jackson earned $63,756 last year, but this year will earn $71,757 in
base pay, while her $3,500 stipend remains unchanged.
Clint Conner is the new Pisgah High School principal, leaving his principal’s job at Clyde Elementary School. Conner, who earned $77,806 plus $3,500 last year will now earn $87,298 plus $7,245.
Carol Fox will leave her assistant principal role at Tuscola High School and her $64,350 base pay to serve as the new principal of Canton Middle School, where she’ll earn $71,400. Her $4,450 supplement pay will decrease slightly, the $4,325. Those numbers don’t paint the whole picture, however, as Fox used to be an 11-month employee.
Another 11-month employee who’ll now be working year-round is Byron Burnette, who assumes the principal role of Clyde Elementary School. Burnette leaves his assistant principal position at Pisgah High School, which paid him $50,578 plus a $4,450 stipend. Now, he’ll take home $69,311, with a smaller stipend of $3,500.
Those salary figures do not include other stipends and/or longevity bonuses that push many administrators’ total compensation
Life’s a Puzzle...
packages — not including benefits and other fringe benefits — up into the $80-90,000 range.
In a press release sent by HCS later that evening, Nolte said his only regret was not having “enough openings to place everyone who is qualified and ready.”
Days later, on July 16, a few more status changes of HCS employees were announced. Todd Trantham, who leaves the transportation department for the principal’s job at Tuscola High School, added three people to his staff.
“Jacob Shelton came from a position that was shared between Tuscola and Waynesville Middle School,” Trantham said of Shelton’s assistant principal role at both schools.
“I had Graham Haynes as a student when I was at Tuscola about a decade ago,” said Trantham. “Graham was an excellent Waynesville Middle School teacher and became an assistant principal there. Lisa Thompson, a great curriculum person, she served as half-time LEAD teacher, half-time assistant principal at Junaluska Elementary. We’ve got a great team and I’m excited.”
Trantham’s salary wasn’t immediately available as of press time, nor was that of Travis Collins, Tuscola’s former principal who has since left the county for a job in a neighboring district.
Many of the upper-level administrators are homegrown; Putnam, Sheppard and Burnette attended Pisgah High School, while Barker is a graduate of Tuscola. Barbee, Conner, Fox and Jackson all attended high school elsewhere in North Carolina.
Macon seniors lobby for new senior center
BY J ESSI STONE
N EWS E DITOR
Seniors packed the Macon County commissioners’ meeting July 10 to lobby the county for a new senior center.
The Macon County Senior Resource Center, which is located in the old library building at 108 Wayah Street, is well utilized but is getting overcrowded and the parking lot can’t accommodate all the patrons.
Commission Chairman Jim Tate said he visited the senior center back in May on a bingo night and could attest to the limited parking situation.
“I had to circle the building twice for parking and ended up having to be dropped off,” he said. “I was pleased to see how many people were using the facility and seeing the smiling faces, but I’m also seeing we might not have enough space for what’s happening there.”
Jean Wright, 74, said she was devastated when her husband of 50 years died unexpectedly July 1, 2014. She admitted that she became a semi-recluse other than going to church on Sundays, but it was the senior center that gave her a new lease on life.
The ladies from her church asked her to come to lunch with them one day at the senior center and she agreed.
“Then in September I fell in my backyard and yelled for help for three hours before someone heard me and called EMS,” she told commissioners. “The first call I made was to explain why I hadn’t been at lunch at the senior center. These people have become very important to me.”
Wright was homebound and couldn’t drive after her recovery and the women from the senior center signed her up for the Meals on Wheels program, which she said helped more than they could imagine. When she could drive again she was right back at the senior center taking tai chi classes, joining the writers group and facilitating a new book club.
“I’m meeting people my own age and making friends and learning new things — I don’t have to sit at home and sink into a reclusive state,” she said. “They’re vibrant happy people that are quick to smile and I’m beginning to believe the 90s are the new 70s.”
When a part-time position became available at the senior center, Wright jumped at the opportunity. Now she works there organizing monthly trips for the seniors and facilitates brain games.
Lucille Green, 96, told commissioners a new facility is needed to meet the growing demands. With the North Carolina Department of Transportation working toward installing a roundabout at the intersection of Wayah Street and Porter Street, she said their limited parking would be further impacted.
Don Capaforte, senior center administrative officer, said he wanted seniors to share their stories so commissioners can see the real impact the center is having in the community.
With the growing rate of elderly residents and the increasing levels of participation at the center, Capaforte said the county needed to plan now for a larger facility.
“People are moving here to retire — there are more people 60 and older in Macon County than there is zero to 18 — 28 percent of residents are 60 and older,” he said. “We need to be ready. There are 1,500 participants on our rolls and we average 200 participants each day there for different activities.”
Of the 28 percent of seniors in Macon County, Capaforte said a majority of them are isolated and living alone. He said studies have shown social isolation is just as bad if not worse for seniors’ health than obesity, smoking or a lack of exercise.
Commissioner Ronnie Beale commended the senior center for its work and the amount of volunteer hours that go into keeping it running.
“I’m meeting people my own age and making friends and learning new things — I don’t have to sit at home and sink into a reclusive state.”
—
Jean Wright, 74
Tate assured Capaforte and the seniors at the meeting that a new senior center would be at the forefront of the Capital Improvement Plan that is currently being put together.
“We can’t go anywhere without a plan,” he said. “Nothing moves fast in government but we hear you.”
Seniors aren’t the only Macon County residents asking for improved facilities and services. People from the Nantahala community have been approaching the county commissioners for months asking for improvements to its community center, library and convenience center. Even though Nantahala only makes up a small percentage of the entire county population — about 2,000 of 34,000 — residents say their community isn’t getting its fair share of services based on the taxes they pay.
Nantahala resident Howell Jacobs said July 10 it would be his last time coming before the board to ask for improvements to their facilities, including the library that his housed in a modular building at Nantahala School and the convenience center that sits on a gravel lot.
“We need a new community building and library — that’s not much,” Jacobs said. “You’ve got to spend some money over there and y’all know it. Stuff being built over here (Franklin) all the time.”
Plott Creek developers submit site plan
Huge crowd expected for public hearing
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
When a controversial text amendment passed the Town of Waynesville Planning Board and Board of Aldermen in back-to-back public hearings almost two months ago, Mayor Gavin Brown told opponents that they’d again have their chance to oppose the development that instigated it.
That chance will come at the end of this month.
“We got feedback from the last hearing that there were so many people involved that not everyone could have a seat,” said Elizabeth Teague, the Town of Waynesville’s development services director. “We want the people who come to our hearings to be comfortable and feel like they can be a part of it, so we didn’t want people hanging out on the mezzanine like last time, and we feel like there will be a crowd.”
That’s why the town booked the Historic Haywood County Courthouse for an upcoming public review of the developer’s recently submitted site plan; indeed, overflow crowds turned out to both Waynesville meetings near the end of May, nearly unanimous in their disapproval of the biggest proposed residential development Waynesville has seen in some time.
The text amendment got the green light from elected officials, passing the planning board by a vote of 5 to 2 and the board of aldermen by a vote of 4 to 1, but all who spoke on it stressed that it was only an approval of the text amendment, not the proposed development.
It’s called “Palisades at Plott Creek,” according to a preliminary plan submitted by Gastonia-based Triangle Real Estate, and will feature 200 apartments that developers call “workforce housing.”
“That plan will now go to what’s called technical review,” Teague said of the process whereby the town’s public works depart-
ment, fire department, building inspectors and planners all gather to assess the validity of the plan.
“What we try to make sure we do is that by the time the application ends up before the planning board, we have a firm understanding about [developers’] compliance, and if there’s anything they need to address for the board to approve the plan, we call that out,” she said.
Area residents lamented the proposal for the 41-acre parcel, which they said could present a strain on local schools, ruin views and negatively affect the value of their properties. Some even called into question the moral character of renters, as opposed to those who could qualify for a mortgage.
Alderman LeRoy Roberson offered a swift rebuke to that argument, calling it an unfair generalization, but other aldermen who voted for the text amendment that paved the way for the development had their own reasons.
Alderman and mayor Pro Tem Gary Caldwell cited the need for affordable hous-
Be heard
A special called meeting of the Town of Waynesville Planning Board will be held next week to consider the preliminary site plan of developers hoping to construct multi-family housing on a parcel just off Plott Creek Road. Due to a history of strong attendance, however, that meeting will not take place in Waynesville’s Town Hall, as is customary.
• Time: 5:30 p.m.
• Date: Monday, July 30
• Location: Historic Haywood County Courthouse, 215 N. Main St., Waynesville
ing; even though the proposed apartments don’t strictly qualify as “affordable housing” per U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, they’re by no means luxury housing.
Alderman Julia Boyd-Freeman, executive director of a domestic abuse nonprofit, also
recognized the need for housing — any housing — in Haywood County, where development has been stagnant since the Great Recession but population increases have not.
Brown joined them in voting to find the proposed text amendment was consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan; the lone dissent came from Alderman Jon Feichter who, as a veteran of the planning board, cited his desire to follow the wishes of residents.
Those residents will likely turn up in force, again, to see the matter settled July 30.
“Because it’s a higher density, they have to go through this secondary step, which is a quasi-judicial proceeding where the planning board does additional review on site plan, layout, landscaping, storm water, any other issues that might come up with a development of this scale,” Teague said.
Should the development not gain approval at the July 30 meeting, one possible recourse for developers would be to take the matter to superior court.
Preliminary site plans show the proposed apartment development at Plott Creek. Town of Waynesville photo
Grace Episcopal now accepting grant applicants
Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville is still accepting grant applications from Haywood County nonprofit organizations until Wednesday, July 25.
Distribution of all proceeds from the Church’s Annual Parish Fair will be made to local charities. The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at the church.
Grant applications forms are available at the church office located at 394 N. Haywood St., between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Call 828.456.6029 or email admin@gracewaynesville.com.
The completed application must be accompanied by proof of nonprofit status, a copy of the organization’s current budget, and have the required signatures to be considered.
Haywood to hold county manager interviews
Two special called meetings have been scheduled near the end of this month for the purpose of interviewing candidates for the vacation position of Haywood County Manager.
The meetings will begin in open session, but will then enter closed session to discuss the personnel matters. Although it’s unlikely the county will announce a new hire during or immediately after the closed-session proceedings, it is likely that the process is drawing to a close.
• Dates: 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25 and 4:30 p.m. Monday, July 30.
• Location: Historic Haywood County Courthouse, 215 N. Main St., Waynesville.
Swain County Book Day
The Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society is celebrating WNC history and literature with Swain County Book Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Riverfront Park, beside the courthouse on Mitchell Street in Bryson City.
This will be an opportunity for people to meet the writers/authors/researches of these books, purchase autographed copies and hear some of the writers/authors speak. There are still spaces for writers to sign up for a table. Persons who have written/complied books with the subject matter about history, genealogy, stories, people, culture, folklore/folk stories, and/or historical fiction of WNC may reserve a space for the day to display their books, talk with visitors and sign autographs.
To sign up for a space, call 828.488.2932.
STAR Ranch rescues ‘miracle mare’
BY J ESSI STONE
N EWS E DITOR
STAR Ranch Horse Rescue in Haywood County has had many success stories through the years, but a recent horse rescue effort has Karen Owens believing in miracles.
By all accounts the rescued horse shouldn’t have survived with all the problems she had. In addition to being extremely underweight, she had a massive knot on her head that required an operation. Owens, president and founder of STAR Ranch, knew the horse might be too far gone to help but she didn’t give up on her.
Now the “miracle mare” is healing well at the ranch.
“If I hadn’t seen it I wouldn’t have believed it,” Owens said.
In early June, Owens received a call from a concerned resident about a nearby horse that appeared to be malnourished and sick. Owens reached out to the owner who was trying to get the mare the medical help she needed.
“He was doing his best on limited funds and had been put in a bad situation when the original owner of the mare, known as Scarlett, had left her on his property when he had purchased it,” Owens said.
STAR Ranch offered the owner $500 to help pay for Scarlett’s surgery at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Owens went to UT on June 18 for the surgery and met Scarlett for the first time. While the pictures she’d seen of the mare made it obvious the horse was in trouble, she said she was unprepared for what she saw.
“Scarlett had embedded halter marks on her head. Her hooves were terrible and she
was 300 pounds under weight. The odor emanating from her was necrotic,” Owens said.
Scarlett was about to undergo surgery while standing up, and Owens knew she needed to be beside her in the operating room. The veterinarians numbed Scarlett’s skin, blocked her nerves and literally sawed a hole into the horse’s head as she stood there for more than two hours. Scarlett stopped breathing shortly after her surgery due to swelling in her head. The surgeons then performed an emergency tracheotomy.
The experienced surgeon at UT said the large knot was most likely cancer and not a cyst. He hadn’t seen anything like it in his 50 years of experience. Tissue samples were removed from her head and sent off for biopsy. The tissue was also placed under a microscope for a quick analysis, but still the assumption was cancer. Owens said the surgeon and attending vet recommended euthanasia.
“No one wanted her to suffer,” she said.
Though he wasn’t optimistic, another surgeon said to wait four days for the test results to come back and manage her pain in the meantime, so that’s what they did.
Desperate for some hope, Owens posted a message on the STAR Ranch Facebook page asking everyone to take a minute and pray for Scarlett on the day of her surgery — 65 people agreed to do so.
Everyone was floored when the results came back showing no cancer cells. Scarlett had a strange bacterial infection normally found in cows as well as a nasty fungal infection, which led to her weight loss. But at 22, Scarlett still has a lot of life left in her to fight the infections.
Lend a hand
• STAR Ranch will host a fundraiser featuring Jeff Foxworthy impersonator Jamie Simpson from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley.
• Catered by Maggie Valley Rendezvous Restaruant
• Tickets $35 at the door or call 828.400.4940. $5 to sample the distilleries spirits.
• Proceeds will assist STAR Ranch pay for bails of hay. The ranch uses about 2,500 bales of hay a year.
• For more information, visit www.facebook.com/starranchrescue.
STAR Ranch picked Scarlett up at UT four days after surgery to bring her home. With the surgery and the tracheotomy tube still in, STAR Ranch asked the owner to surrender the horse since she would need intensive after care for a while.
A respiratory therapist from Mission Hospital came to the ranch every day to change and clean her trach tube.
“Scarlett was surrounded by people who loved and cared for her,” Owens said. “Thankfully a STAR Ranch hand lives in the barn and was able to check on her the first night she came home to make sure the trach tube was in place and that she was breathing OK for the first 24 hours, around the clock, every hour.”
After a few days when the surgical site stopped draining through her nose the trach
tube was removed and she began to breathe normally. Now the trach hole is covered to heal and her breathing is almost normal.
A Go Fund Me page was set up for Scarlett as expenses for the surgery at UT had more than doubled. Owens said $565 was raised in 30 minutes and 2,100 hits on the STAR Ranch Facebook page indicated Scarlett had a fan club.
The miracle mare had beaten all the odds and was eating. All Scarlett’s volunteers remark about her ‘big brown eyes’ and how compliant and sweet she is. Scarlett is now up to 800 pounds with only 150 more to go.
“Not many horses would stand still for all the treatments Scarlett has had to have. She is one in a million,” said STAR Ranch volunteer Caryn Williams.
“This is proof of the power of prayer, twice,” said Browen Talley, one of Scarlett’s biggest fans. “There really is no other reason she pulled through all these dire prognoses. She has gone from basically no chance, to a good life.”
Once she’s fully recovered, Owens said she is open to putting the miracle mare up for adoption if the right family came along, but with the life she’s had up until now Owens wants to ensure Scarlett goes to someone willing to give her the love and attention she deserves.
Scarlett is the 130th horse to come to STAR Ranch, which is now in its 12th year. The ranch is located at 970 Rabbit Skin Road, Waynesville, for anyone who would like to financially help the organization continue its mission.
Visit www.star-ranch-rescue.com, www.gofundme.com/after-care-for-scarlett or call 828.400.4940 for more information.
Scarlett, a 22-year-old mare who needed surgery to remove a large mass on her face, is recovering nicely after being rescued by STAR Ranch several weeks ago. Donated photos
County lukewarm on IP complex takeover
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Aquick discussion by the Haywood County Board of Commissioners on July 16 about the possibility of taking responsibility for the International Paper Sports Complex in Canton left commissioners with more questions than answers.
“I need more information on this,” said Commissioner Mike Sorrells when the issue came up during the commission meeting. “Until we get more information we don’t know which direction we could go anyway. It’s a good facility and I think there’s a desire to expand county recreation a bit, but I have no idea what money we’re looking at or what it all entails.”
Chairman Kirk Kirkpatrick said he’d scheduled the agenda item to determine if the board was interested in continuing the discussion with the Town of Canton.
On June 5, the county’s Recreation Advisory Board voted to recommend that commissioners “explore” the possibility of relieving the Town of Canton of responsibility for the complex, which costs about $150,000 a year to maintain, but generates less than $3,000 a year in revenue.
Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers sits on that board, as does Haywood County Commissioner Brandon Rogers, who is also from the eastern end of Haywood County.
Rogers has been a vocal proponent of recreation even before his tenure on the board of commissioners, and has said that he’d like to see more of a county presence, recreationally speaking, on the eastern end of the county.
Smathers, on the other hand, told The Smoky Mountain News a few weeks ago that Canton doesn’t have the resources to maximize utilization of the property, which the town still leases from former owners of what is now Evergreen Packaging.
“They have a recreation department, full-time employees, a lot more resources,” said Smathers of Haywood County’s Recreation and Parks Department. “We have struggled year in year out, even since I was an alderman, saying we need to do more. We have not been able to do that because of how tight our budget is.”
Indeed, the county’s budget is dozens of millions of dollars greater than Canton’s, and were the county to assume responsibility for the complex, home to ball fields and batting cages, there’s hope they’d invest more resources in making it more attractive.
Canton Alderman Dr. Ralph Hamlett expressed support for the proposal when it was first broached by Smathers last month. Alderwoman Kristina Smith echoed Hamlett.
Not everyone, however, is sold on the idea.
“I think what’s important to me is that the Town of Canton no longer wants to manage that or lease that, and there’s a reason for that,” Kirkpatrick said.
Kevin FitzGerald, who chairs the recreation advisory board, admitted the same.
“Like you we have a lot of questions about what the real costs are, and what the needs are. I learned a long time ago that people don’t generally give you something that has value, for nothing.”
“I want to see the county do more with recreation. We’ve let towns do recreation probably for too long, and we’ve not really contributed to that. I think people that move here expect us to be doing more recreation than we do.”
— Kevin Ensley, Haywood commissioner
Kirkpatrick noted that it wouldn’t be as simple as just taking over and sending lawnmowers to the property once a week.
“If the county was to take it over we would need a significant plan as to what we’re going to do with that property, so we can use it for the best interests of Haywood County,” he said. “We certainly don’t want to take over a significant complex and not have a plan for its use. As far as recreation goes, we all know it’s not a moneymaker, but it’s certainly a quality of life issue.”
FitzGerald said the recreation advisory board would begin to compile a variety of scenarios under which the county might participate, either in a public-private or public-public partnership. Commissioner Kevin Ensley, however, seemed supportive of finding some solution.
“I want to see the county do more with recreation,” said Ensley, who added that when Interim County Manager Joel Mashburn first stepped into his Haywood County role, he was surprised at just how little the county did. We’ve let towns do recreation probably for too long, and we’ve not really contributed to that. I think people that move here expect us to be doing more recreation than we do.”
Rogers was not present at the commission meeting, nor was Smathers.
My eyes and heart open after Mexico trip
Though my parents were both teachers and worked second jobs to give my sister and me all we needed, they never put travel on the back burner. Their mentality was “less stuff, more experiences.” We always had a used station wagon and a modest home but we never sat still very long, and for that I’m forever grateful.
As a girl, we took three weeks one summer to drive crosscountry, stopping at landmarks such as the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. We went to New York City multiple times, traveled up and down the East Coast, visited Hawaii and more. We found ways to travel less expensively. The transportation varied but we always made it to our destination, sometimes via car or borrowed RV, sometimes train or plane.
In high school we traveled to Europe and Mexico. These adventures instilled a desire to see the world and taught me the ins and outs of foreign travel. They also showed me, at an early age, that we’re all human beings. All that separates us are skin color, territory borders and luck.
And as you’ve probably figured out, Americans are most often the lucky ones.
In college and early adulthood, when I was on my own, I continued this pattern and visited Montana, Canada, Boston, and backpacked in the Pacific Northwest and Europe.
Once I became a mom, the traveling slowed down but didn’t stop. Whether it be the Outer Banks, Washington, D.C., Disney World, Charleston, the Riviera Maya or somewhere else, I’ve continued to travel with my two boys. They are already quite savvy with airports, train stations, subways and Ubers.
Since my marital separation, I’ve decided to continue traveling with the boys but to also use my time away from them to make longer, more “advanced” trips. Last week, a friend and I spent five full days in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While we uti-
Watershed may not meet standards
To the Editor:
The Waynesville Watershed has a Water Supply 1 (WS-1) classification, which is the most strict in North Carolina. When looking at the watershed regulations, they show how strict a WS-1 classification really is. This property has to be the entire drainage basin and in ownership of the public. Residential development and sewer lines are prohibited.
While researching deeds, I learned that the Town of Waynesville allowed private owners to retain 18 acres inside the drainage basin of the watershed. Consent to construct three houses on two parts of this property was also given. At a town board meeting on April 27, 2004, I raised the question of the 18 acres. It appeared that former Mayor Henry Foy and three of the town board members were unaware of this property. Former Town Manager Lee Galloway stated that to keep a WS-1, the watershed property would have to be in public ownership.
When I asked the board if the town received a variance on restrictions of this property, Manager Galloway replied yes. Further saying an approval was received from the N.C. Division of Environmental
lized a vacation package for our meals and lodging, we were determined to get into the city and experience the culture of Cabo. Because really, how much can you learn by staying within the confines of a resort?
Our first experience in the city was at night. We’d been at the pool all day, enjoyed a great dinner and on a whim, decided to go dancing in downtown Cabo. Chatter around the resort was there was a very fun nightlight and places stayed open until 4 a.m. This is about as opposite from Western North Carolina as one can get. While our region is proud to tout live music and great craft beer, we’re not much of a late-night area.
Along those lines, neither of us is a clubbing person per se, but we wanted to experience the true culture of Cabo. First, we visited a dance club someone had recommended. It was directly across from the resort and was so commercialized and full of all-inclusivers, it felt like an American establishment. This wasn’t what we were looking for.
We went further into the heart of town and found the true Mexican vibe. From then until 3:30 a.m., we danced, laughed and enjoyed the scene.
But, we also observed. We watched the locals and made note of how very similar they were to us.
The next day we went shopping in the same area. There were plenty of hagglers trying to get us to buy everything one could imagine. I was continually drawn to the women who were trying to sell. I really enjoyed talking to the Mexican women and engaging with the children.
LETTERS
Management and also the three houses could be built with septic systems diverted to the other side of the ridge.
When I wrote Dr. David H. Moreau, chairman of the N.C. Environmental Management Commission, the reply was that no variance
Our shopping experience reminded me of the times I visited Tijuana when my sister lived in San Diego. While the haggling can be annoying to some, it makes shopping a game of talk and negotiation, which is kind of fun and rewarding in a weird way. We came upon an elderly lady; her face brown and weathered from years of sitting on stoops selling handmade dolls and bracelets. We bought several items from her. She loved pointing out the straight stitches and lace accents on her dolls. Something about her stole my heart. Shopping continued that day and a little the next. We worked hard to only purchase locally-made items and not fall into the trap of buying cheap souvenirs made far, far away.
The crew at the resort was also outstanding. All of them were Mexican and full of smiles, made a point to converse with us, and clearly appeared to enjoy their jobs. They embodied a spirit of gratitude.
The more we interacted with the Mexican people, the more our hearts ached for those in strife. While there is clearly conflict going on between Mexico and America, this isn’t a political column. This is a column about people and the connection between all beings, a similarity that can’t be denied. Something I found in paramount form last week as I interacted with Mexicans, young and old.
We weren’t put on this earth to simply ho-hum through each day and ignore the pain and suffering of others. It’s so important to teach our children and youth tolerance and compassion and to instill in them a confidence to travel. Through my own actions and choices, I hope my boys learn these lessons. As their mom, it’s the greatest gift I can offer.
(Susanna Barbee writes this column and wears many hats at The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living, and Mountain South Media. susanna@mtnsouthmedia.com)
was given that allowed private property in the watershed. This letter also said the Division of Water Quality was very involved in the limitations placed on the development in our watershed.
If private property, houses, and sewer lines are allowed in a WS-1 watershed, what is the use for the classifications?
Newspaper articles from 1993-2007 told us repeatedly that all the property had to be in public ownership, no construction was allowed, and Waynesville was in full ownership.
Does the DWQ or Waynesville have the authority to ignore or alter Haywood County ordinance 151.31 that pro-
F
Columnist
Susanna Barbee
hibits residential uses in our watershed?
Can code 15A NCAC 02B.0212 be brushed aside? This code affirms to have a WS-1 watershed the property must be natural, undeveloped and in public ownership.
Charles Miller Waynesville
The final call to save red wolves
To the Editor:
Some of you may have read my red wolf letter to the editor published in early May. So, I will keep this simple.
The last red wolf population in the wild exists solely in eastern North Carolina. The red wolf has faced increasing political pressure in the last few years from landowners in the red wolf range and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission. Pressure from these sources led the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to passively watch as gunshot mortalities became the main cause of death during the last several years. The red wolf population dropped from more than 130 wolves to less than 30 known individuals in less than four years.
Instead of rectifying their agency’s apathetic approach to red wolves by helping them regrow their population, the USFWS has instead moved forward with a proposal that will effectively doom the red wolf. The proposal includes shrinking the population by 90 percent, pulling many red wolves into captivity, and allowing any remaining red wolves who wander off federal lands to be shot. Scientists have already stated that the red wolf will go extinct in the wild within a decade under this plan.
As North Carolinians, we deserve better than to have the rarest canine go extinct in the wild in our state. Please voice your opposition to the USFWS proposal by submitting a comment by July 30 to HYPERLINK “http://regulations.gov/”regulations.gov using the red wolf docket number FWS-R4-ES-2018-0035.
Christopher Lile Waynesville
Folkmoot wins friends around the world
To the Editor:
I would like to express my enthusiastic support for the thoughts expressed in Scott McLeod great article in the past week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News (www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/ item/25146).
I have long felt strongly that giving our residents and guests, and especially our younger generation, access to the interchange of intangible cultural heritage that is provided by the presence of performers from around the world in our community is Folkmoot’s most valuable contribution to
our society. Obviously, there are tangible benefits as well, which are important to our community; however, the intangible ones are the longest living.
Two things strike me as especially important. The first is the impact that Folkmoot has had on the lives of many young people in our region, who have served as interns, guides, volunteers, etc., in giving them inspiration as to their future, education, careers, travel opportunities, including visiting their friends from abroad whom they met during the festival, etc.
The second long-term benefit resides in the fact that the members of visiting groups return to their home countries with experiences in the U.S. and friends in the U.S. that, in most cases, will insure their favorable view of our country and will never become enemies of our country, thus making a small contribution to the endless struggle for future peace on our planet.
The thoughts expressed in your article call attention of your readers to the benefits emanating from Folkmoot beyond pure entertainment, and we are most grateful to you for calling attention to these intangible but important results that accompany each annual edition of our festival.
Rolf Kaufman Folkmoot USA Board of Directors Waynesville
DACA immigrants should leave U.S.
To the Editor:
Here is the news … but it is not new — there is a legal way to enter the USA!
So much attention is given to illegal entrants that those waiting in line seem to be all but forgotten. It is a shame that those waiting in line see that thousands of people, like the DACA illegals, who spent years in the U.S. illegally, may be allowed in ahead of them.
You often hear “we are a nation of immigrants,” citing the influx of immigrants in the early 1900s and that is true … but they came legally with papers and were allowed in only after health and background checks.
Now we are spending a great deal of time, money and energy on bold illegal entrants and what to do about the DACA individuals instead of perfecting our legal entry process and laws by improving the path for legal entry.
I, and many others I am sure, am sick and tired with those on the left who protest and encourage protesters to march to break our laws. They carry signs with phony phrases, shout, chant and wave their arms in the air … all for law breaking.
No matter how you cut it, coming to the USA in any way other than through our legal immigration system is against the law. Do Democrats and the left know that? You bet they do, but instead of protecting our country and citizens they want to protect their power in government. No law and order from that crowd.
No illegal entrant should be allowed to set foot on our country period. That is why we need a wall … one with doors of course to allow those who apply for entry at our embassies and consulates in the first country they set foot in. For many this would be Mexico.
If DACA individuals want to become American citizens and vote, they are free to leave and attempt to re-enter the country as legal immigrants.
Something is very wrong with this state of affairs. As a U.S citizen I feel abused, used and pick-pocketed. Finally we have a leader, a president who has plans for solving our immigrant problems that are not mean, cruel or inhumane as described by some leftists who are also Trump haters. The president’s plans protect U.S. citizens, our country and our future. What has been done about immigration so far has developed into the sad situation we have now. Nothing else has worked up to now so let’s give Trump’s ideas a chance.
Most of all let’s demand only legal entry into the United States and let that be known throughout the world.
Let’s keep America great.
Ralph Slaughter Cashiers
Don’t traffic in fake news
To the Editor:
In reference to the letter from Lowell Crisp titled, “The whole truth about Red Hen incident,” I must question his sources. He states:
The real truth is that Secretary (Sarah) Sanders’ family went across the street to another restaurant after the Red Hen owner refused service. Well guess what happened? According newspaper accounts, the Red Hen owner followed the Sanders family and organized a protest. The protestors were yelling and screaming at them outside the other restaurant.”
Mr. Crisp then switches topics to say the editor should have said “at least one little ole piece of information about President Trump that was positive.”
Beyond the fact that the “little ole” comment was irrelevant to the subject of the letter, I would offer the following comment.
The letter writer references newspaper accounts. What accounts? Which publications? Who said it?
He did not because an account of the owner crossing the street did not happen. It was not reported in accounts on the day of and day after the incident because it did not happen. It was suggest by Mike Huckabee on Fox News but not substantiated. Also, Huckabee was talking about an incident that occurred involving his daughter.
All Americans should recognize and not traffic in fake news.
Richard Gould Waynesville
tasteTHE mountains
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.
BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY
50 N Main Street, Waynesville. 828.246.0350. Taproom Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gem Bar Open Tuesday through Sunday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks at Boojum’s Downtown Waynesville restaurant & bar. Choose from 16 taps of our fresh, delicious & ever rotating Boojum Beer plus cider, wine & craft cocktails. The taproom features seasonal pub faire including tasty burgers,
sandwiches, shareables and daily specials that pair perfectly with our beer. Cozy up inside or take in the mountain air on our back deck.”
BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE
454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Wine Down Wednesday’s: ½ off wine by the bottle. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.
CATALOOCHEE RANCH
119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1401. Breakfast seven days a week, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. – with eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-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
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.
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.
HARMON’S DEN BISTRO
250 Pigeon St., Waynesville
828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART. Open 5:309 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.
MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM
617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva. 828.586.3555. Open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Hand-tossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch. Beer and wine. Free movies Thursday through Saturday. Visit madbatterfoodfilm.com for this week’s shows.
MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB
1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley. 828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine. Open seasonally for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.
specials including soups, sandwiches and southern dishes along with featured dishes such as fresh fried chicken, rainbow trout, country ham, pork chops and more. Breakfast all day including omelets, pancakes, biscuits & gravy. facebook.com/carversmvr; instagram @carvers_mvr.
PIGEON RIVER GRILLE
101 Park St., Canton. 828.492.1422. Open Tuesday through Thursday 3 to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Southerninspired restaurant serving simply prepared, fresh food sourced from top purveyors. Located riverside at Bearwaters Brewing, enjoy daily specials, sandwiches, wings, fish and chips, flatbreads, soups, salads, and more. Be sure to save room for a slice of the delicious house made cake. Relaxing inside/outside dining and spacious gathering areas for large groups.
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
SPEEDY’S PIZZA
285 Main Street, Sylva. 828.586.3800
Open seven days a week. Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Family-owned for 30 years. Serving hand-tossed pizza made to order, pasta, subs, gourmet salads, calzones and seafood. Also serving excellent prime rib on Thursdays. Dine in or take out available.
TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL
176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville. 828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com.
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.
Events
Thursday, July 19
Wine Pairing with Winemaker Gabrielle O’Connell of O’Connell Family Estate Vineyard, Napa Valley. Four wines paired with food, Guest Master Chef Michelle Briggs, $55/person plus tax & gratuity. Friday, July 20
James Hammel guitar, vocals. Jazz, Pop, Originals.
Saturday, July 21
Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.
Friday, July 27
Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams guitar, piano, vocals. Pop, Americana, Originals.
Saturday, July 28
Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.
Friday, August 3
Kevin Lorenz guitar. Jazz, Pop, Classical guitar. Dinner & music
Saturday, August 4
Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More. Dinner & music
828-452-6000• classicwineseller.com 20 Church Street, Waynesville, NC
Honoring the past, welcoming the future
After a half-century, The Swag changes hands
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER
High atop a mountain overlooking Haywood County, Annie Haslam Colquitt sits across a dining room table at The Swag. A rainstorm has just swept through, with a cold breeze floating through the open front door. She gazes around, her eyes slowly drifting out the windows onto the deep woods of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park bordering the property.
“There’s just a feeling in this place that’s so special,” she smiled. “It’s removed from any sort of stress of everyday life, the hustle and bustle. When you come here, you’re coming to a home — a warmth and hospitality that’s unique to the mountains.”
Annie Haslam Colquitt
Consisting of several cozy cabins orbiting the large guesthouse, The Swag had been owned by Dan and Deener Matthews since 1969. At first, it was the couple’s private abode, but soon became a world-renowned lodging experience. And when word emerged this past winter that the Matthews were looking to finally sell The Swag, Annie and her husband, David Colquitt, both in their early 30s, jumped on the once-ina-lifetime opportunity.
“It was a hard decision for Dan and Deener to make because they love this place, they’ve poured so much of themselves into The Swag,” Annie said. “They bought the land when they were in their 30s and ran in into their mid-tolate 80s. We could only be so lucky if we get that kind of lifetime here. It’s such an amazing thing to think about — for us, for our kids, for our family.”
But, the decision to sell The Swag was made that much easier knowing that the new owners came from a family of dear friends of the Matthews.
“My grandparents have been the best of friends with Dan and Deener for decades. They’ve come up here on several occasions,” Annie said. “My dad also used to visit The Swag when he was in high school. David and I came here (in 2011) for our honeymoon, too.”
Annie’s grandfather is James “Jim” Haslam II, founder of the Pilot Corporation, which owns and operates numerous convenience stores and travel centers throughout the United States and Canada. Her father, James “Jimmy” Haslam III, is the current CEO of
Pilot, based out of Knoxville, Tennessee. Her mother, Dee, is the owner of the Cleveland Browns (an NFL team). And her uncle, Bill Haslam, is the current governor of Tennessee.
In terms of the longtime traditions of The Swag, the Colquitts aim to keep the property as is — physically and emotionally.
“The core things will definitely stay the same. It’s about staying connected to nature and preserving that. We’re not interested at all in selling the green spaces here. We will remain stewards of the land,” Annie said. “This is a place where people come to connect and reconnect, and we will always retain that genuine sense of community — between staff and guests, staff and staff, guests and guests.”
Though The Swag is a private, reservation only inn, anyone can come up the mountain for just dinner or the popular Wednesday picnic. By doing this, visitors are welcomed to wander the property and immerse themselves in all of its natural beauty.
“You can also reserve a lunch or picnic ahead of time if you’re hiking through in the park,” Annie said. “It’s such a great experience that most people don’t even know it’s an option.”
Aside from the weekly dinners and picnics, The Swag will continue to offer an array of programs for its guests. Each week, an artisan or naturalist will hold a specific residency, where guests can partake in several activities — going for a hike, learning about wildflowers, paint a landscape or perhaps hear some live Appalachian music. As well, The Swag’s Executive Chef Jake Schmidt will also hold cooking schools semi-regularly.
And on a recent evening (aka: “Barbecue Night”), The Swag is once again filled to capacity with folks from near and far, all coming
Want to go?
To learn more about The Swag, any of its upcoming events, dinners, classes and/or reservation information, visit www.theswag.comor call 828.926.0430.
together for a hearty, gut-busting meal from Chef Schmidt and his incredibly talented kitchen. Faces are mingling with other faces, known and unknown, the building glowing not only from the dining room lights, but also the jovial souls inhabiting the beloved space.
“I love the mountains, love the Smokies. It’s the natural beauty of this place drew us in. It’s the community of the longtime guests and the employees who have worked here for years, and the bonds between them. It’s humbling and inspiring,” Annie said. “I feel like every time we come up here, get out of the car, look around and walk the property, I can’t believe how lucky we are to be part of this story — to call this place home.”
A world-renowned inn, The Swag is located just outside of Maggie Valley. A dinner plate (below) at the recent ‘Barbecue Night’ at The Swag. Garret K. Woodward photos
This must be the place
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Finding Nirvana
is like locating silence
Emerging from the Appalachian Trail on the North Carolina/ Tennessee state line this past Sunday afternoon, a hot southern sun hung high, beads of sweat rolling down my face. I turned around and saluted the dirt path I just had finished running.
The AT is something I’ll never take for granted. I didn’t move to Western North Carolina six years to sit in my house all day. I came here to immerse myself in the neverending natural beauty of this ancient, sacred landscape. And the AT remains one of the greatest creations by humanity, this 2,200-mile long meandering trail stretching from Georgia to Maine. And as the summer heats up, like clockwork, I’m finding myself on the AT more often. Three times in the past week, actually.
Recently, I felt frisky for a hike on the AT. Actually, I was craving it. That unrelenting urge to simply stand up at your desk and walk out the door without a word uttered to your co-workers, only to get into your car and rumble towards the mountains on the horizon. I felt that, and did that, with the truck nose aimed for Tellico Gap, an AT crossing on an scurve road (S.R. 1365) between the Nantahala Gorge and Franklin, way off N.C. 28.
An Appalachian Trail marker.
HOT PICKS
1
Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Grayson Jenkins (Americana) at 9 p.m. Friday, July 20.
2
”The Liars Bench” will return at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19, in Room 101 of the H. F. Robinson Administration Building at Western Carolina University.
3
It’s approximately 1.7 miles from the AT crossing on S.R. 1365 southbound to the top of Rocky Bald. Though the trees provided shade from the sun, the air in the woods was heavy and moist. Sweat everywhere. But, it was a glorious sweat. The kind where you feel human and, most importantly, alive and in-the-moment. I stood there on top of Rocky Bald, overlooking Franklin and parts of North Georgia way down below. I wondered who was in all of those tiny buildings so far away, and also who was possibly looking in my direction from other nearby peaks. With a mindset of thankfulness for the world before me, I headed back down the trail, back to civilization.
The Historic Cowee School, Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host Carolina Blue (bluegrass) at 7 p.m. July 21.
4
The Lake Junaluska Singers will perform a “Lakeshore Goes Broadway” dinner theater night on July 17-18.
5
Harmons’ Den, the Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, will be presenting a special five-course dinner with beer pairings from Lagunitas Brewing Company at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, in Waynesville.
Whenever I’m in the depths of Mother Nature, I start to recall the words of Jack Kerouac’s seminal 1958 novel The Dharma Bums, which chronicles his life and times as a joyous Buddhist Zen lunatic, running around the mountains of California and (what would later be named) the North Cascades National Park in Washington:
“The woods do that to you, they always look familiar, long lost, like the face of a long-dead relative, like an old dream, like a piece of forgotten song drifting across the water, most of all like golden eternities of past childhood or past manhood and all the living and the dying and the heartbreak that went on a million years ago and the clouds as they pass overhead seem to testify (by their own lonesome familiarity) to this feeling.”
By this past Saturday, I had yet another urge to get back on the AT. I was cruising down Interstate 40 towards Knoxville, Tennessee, to spend the evening with my best friend and his wife, running around The Marble City and all its curious adventures. I pulled off Exit 451 at the state line. But, instead of wandering into the Big Creek entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I pulled over right after the Pigeon River bridge, a lesser known AT crossing, barely noticeable except for the two white dash marks on a roadside tree signaling the crossing.
After a few switchbacks, the trail flowed along a shallow creek. About a mile in it began to rain. I got caught in the rain, and I smiled. My hair dripping wet, I jogged and purposely splashed through the mud puddles, finally entering a clearing near the top of a ridge. I stopped, looked up, and thought of my late grandfather, wondering where he was in the ether. I thought of old friends, and also friends not yet met, somewhere down the line it would all become clear.
The next day, following an evening of shenanigans in Knoxville, I found myself once again on Interstate 40, though this time heading east back to Waynesville. And amid all the traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge, I saw the sign for Exit 451 appear. I immediately said “screw this” and yanked the truck towards the off-ramp. Instead of heading towards Big Creek and the AT crossing from the previous day, I headed left and jumped onto the AT about a half-mile up the gravel road. Not a soul in sight, at the parking area or on the trail. I launched onto the AT for another hot and humid trail run. Forty-five minutes later, I returned from the beautiful silence of the trail, back to my truck, and back to the noise of I-40, of tractor-trailers and rumble strips.
I was “back to reality,” as they say. Though, for me, reality is what I think, feel and see on the AT. I stood within earshot of the highway, and within a hop, skip and a jump from the AT, with the ending of The Dharma Bums rolling through my mind:
“And in keeping with Japhy’s habit of always getting down on one knee and delivering a little prayer to the camp we left, to the one in the Sierra, and the others in Marin, and the little prayer of gratitude he had delivered to Sean’s shack the day he sailed away, as I was hiking down the mountain with my pack I turned and knelt on the trail and said ‘Thank you, shack.’ Then I added ‘Blah,’ with a little grin, because I knew that shack and that mountain would understand what that meant, and turned and went on down the trail back to this world.”
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
Boojum welcomes Americana act
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Grayson Jenkins will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, July 20, in The Gem downstairs taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.
A native of western Kentucky, Jenkins is a singer-songwriter who now calls Lexington his home. John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Eagles, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and
many others have influenced his unique brand of Kentucky country music.
His lyrics are inspired by the words of Mark Twain, who always said, “Write what you know.” Jenkins’ songs pay homage to the things most important to him — family, friends, and a life without regrets.
His latest studio album, “Cityscapes & Countrysides,” was released in April 2017.
The show is free and open to the public. www.graysonjenkins.comor www.boojumbrewing.com.
Lakeshore goes Broadway at Lake Junaluska
The Lake Junaluska Singers will perform a “Lakeshore Goes Broadway” dinner theater night on July 17-18.
The performance will include music from famous Broadway shows including “Hamilton,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Chicago” and more, as well as a plated three-course meal.
JOIN THE TEAM!
Project MARS/AmeriCorps is recruiting for full-time positions in Haywood, Swain , Transylvania, Cherokee, Graham and Buncombe counties.
MEMBERS WILL:
• Serve children directly within the schools
• Provide mentoring, academic assistance andresources for success
• Collaborate with teachers, staff and administration to identify students with needs
The Lake Junaluska Singers are a 16-voice ensemble, and their legacy at Lake Junaluska goes back over 60 years. The Lakeshore Goes Broadway event began last year and sold out. This time around, guests have the opportunity to choose between a Tuesday or Wednesday night performance.
Although the Lake Junaluska Singers often do light choreography during their performances, the addition of more Broadway music inspired more dance moves.
Groovin’ On the Green
The Groovin’ On the Green concert series will host High-5 at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 27, at The Village Green Commons stage and lawn.
Other performers this summer include: Andalyn (Aug. 3), Sundown (Aug. 10), The Krickets (Aug. 17), The Buchanan Boys (Aug. 24) and The Boomers (Sept. 1).
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
“This is the first year in my memory that we are going to have several pieces with intense dance demands,” said Mary Huff, director of the Lake Junaluska Singers. “There are two pieces that require very strong dancing skills and throughout the course of the evening there may even be a kick line.”
Both nights of the performance begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Harrell Center Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. Seating is limited. Tickets are $50, including the meal and performance. The event serves as a major fundraiser for the Lake Junaluska Singers. Tickets can be purchased online at www.lakejunaluska.com/singers, by calling 800.222.4930 or at the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.
must be on a leash and under the control of their owners at all times.
To learn more, visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.comor follow The Village Green on social media @cashiersgreen.
Pickin’ on the Square
The Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature Elderly Brothers (beach/oldies) at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin.
The concert series is free and open to the public. Bring your lawn chair. Food vendors will also be available. The Clydes (bluegrass) will also perform on July 28.
www.townoffranklinnc.com.
Grayson Jenkins.
Lake Junaluska Singers.
Bringing the world to Western NC
The 35th annual Folkmoot Festival
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Rolf Kaufman was there, at the beginning, 35 years ago. Now approaching 88, he’s spent nearly 40 percent of his life involved in the Folkmoot Festival.
“I guess I’m an old fella, and I’d like to preserve our traditions, to preserve the exchange of what we call ‘intangible cultural heritage’ with people from other countries,” Kaufman said.
Folkmoot’s been relatively consistent in preserving its traditions over those 35 years, but for any longstanding festival, there comes a time when tried and true becomes tired and taxing.
“It’s had variable numbers of foreign visiting groups, ranging up to 12, I think. I think there were 10 or 11 the first year,” said Kaufman. “Actually that was probably too many to give everybody an opportunity to see them and get well acquainted with them. We’re now at a level eight visiting groups, usually with at least one US-based group that features the traditions of its ancestors.”
This year’s lineup includes groups representing the cultures of the Czech Republic, Ghana, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Northern Cyprus, Thailand and Venezuela, per Folkmoot Group Relations Coordinator Elizabeth Burson.
“We have fewer groups this year so we’re changing the way we do things,” said Angie Schwab, executive director of Folkmoot.
What returning visitors to the festival will notice is a continued focus on festival events that feature authentic interactivity and cultural exchange, as opposed to more formal performances in years past.
Those regional performances are still a centerpiece of the festival, and will again take place in Asheville, Canton, Clyde, Franklin, Hendersonville, Hickory, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley and Waynesville, but they’re not the only way people — especially the young people vital to the Folkmoot’s future — can experience the festival and its performers.
“Camp Folkmoot is an effort to have more opportunities for youth and families,” said Schwab of the July 20 children’s event, now in its second year. “It really is very fun. Four different groups teach their dance, alongside Joe Sam Queen, who will teach Appalachian dance, and then they’ll put on a little show for their parents all of those dances.”
That same day, in that same location, the Sam Love Queen Auditorium will for the first time play host to the Grand Opening Matinee.
“This will be the first time we’ve had that event at the Queen Auditorium, and we suggest that kids and families attend that event as well,” Schwab said. “There’s plenty of
room for people to run around, and it will be a great opportunity for people to meet the groups be able to speak with them.”
The next day, July 21, the well-known Parade of Nations kicks off on Waynesville
together for them.”
This year’s Sunday Soiree, on July 22, has been revamped from last year’s offering and this year focuses on foods that for many may come from parts unknown.
“Based on our relationship in the past, we can count on him, everyone likes him, he brings a lot of people in from Maggie Valley and he shares our values,” Schwab said. “It will have a different feel.”
Not everything, however, is new and different, because sometimes tried and true is just that — tried and true.
As usual, representatives of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will not only host
North Main Street at 10 a.m., but an hour later, back at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Hazelwood, a greatly expanded Many Cultures Day will begin.
“There will be many, more vendors, more activities, more events and stages,” said Schwab. “It’s very inexpensive for people to come. Every one of our groups will have a booth at that event, so that’s again an opportunity for people to experience different cultures from all over the world right here at home.”
The increased utilization of the Folkmoot Friendship Center has also resulted in a stronger bond with the business community in the Hazelwood neighborhood.
“We are working to build our relationship with Hazelwood,” Schwab said. “The businesses in Hazelwood are hosting a stage over in the new town parking lot [on Hazelwood Avenue].”
Later in the festival, groups will again visit Hazelwood, travelling to local businesses that have been supportive of Folkmoot.
“Many of the businesses are doing something special to celebrate the culture that’s coming,” Schwab said. “Nettie’s bakery loves the Czech Republic, I think there’s some kind of baked good that the bakery will put
“The Blind Pig Supper Club a group of foragers and hunters and chefs. Many of them have restaurants in Asheville, and they come together to do community development projects. It is really cool, and the food will be amazing,” Schwab said. “So they will do an education piece about the street foods of each one of our countries. It will also be out in the green space beside Folkmoot.”
Music will be provided by the Tuscola High School Jazz Band during the event, which will also feature a performance by Asheville’s Urban Arts Institute (see page X).
New this year is a July 25 event at Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley.
“[Distillery owner] Dave Angel has been friend of Folkmoot for a good long time, and he made a request to us that we consider using his place as a performance venue,” said Schwab.
Angel does more than just create fine spirits with locally made ingredients according to old family recipes — his facility is a former dinner theater with decent acoustics and plenty of space; he’s been hosting popular bluegrass jams right next to his distilling rig, which looks like a cross between Willy Wonka and The Yellow Submarine.
foreign groups in Cherokee, but will also remain heavily involved with festival events outside the Qualla Boundary, according to Folkmoot’s Cherokee Coordinator Lisa Wilnoty.
“It’s very important, because a lot of times you can come to Cherokee and you can see the culture, but for some people — especially people who are visiting the area — a lot of times they don’t get a chance to make it over to Cherokee,” Wilnoty said. “This is a chance for Cherokee to kind of come to them.”
Colorful Appalachian groups — representative of the host culture of the festival — will again be well represented; this year five are featured, including the Appalachian Mountain Cloggers, The Dixie Darlins, The Blue Ridge Heritage Cloggers, The Fines Creek Flatfooters, Hotfoot Studios and Mountain Tradition Cloggers.
And in what has become one of the festival’s most cherished traditions, the Candlelight Closing at the Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska on July 29 will remain just as stirring as ever, according to Schwab.
“It’s everything our loyal patrons have come to expect,” she said.
Folkmoot guides play critical role
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
As approximately 200 international performers descend on Hazelwood in the coming days, much of the public — from Franklin to Hickory and everywhere in between — will see them flawlessly execute their demanding dance routines in elaborate wardrobes, often accompanied by substantial live instrumentation.
What they probably won’t see, however, is the small army of people behind the scenes working to make sure more than two dozen different events spread out over 10 days and almost 150 miles all go off without a hitch.
Language, culture and even geopolitics can sometimes be a barrier, but as a new group of locals carries on the 35-year tradition of welcoming performers from across the globe to lil’ ol’ Waynesville, they’re also learning lessons about tolerance and communitybuilding that will stay with them for life.
Take eight international performing groups, house and feed them in a 40,000-square-foot historic Western North Carolina schoolhouse for nearly two weeks, transport them to and from 25 separate events, add a smattering of local festival staffers, and what do you have?
Of course you have the Folkmoot Festival, but you also have a huge logistical challenge backdropped with what at times seems like a sociological experiment in human nature. It’s a wonder it doesn’t all devolve into The Lord of the Flies, but in this case, the thin line between order and chaos is held by a group of young people known in Folkmoot parlance as “guides.”
“Every time Folkmoot brings in a group from another country, they expect that we provide them with an ambassador or a guide who helps them get to their events on time, or even find their shoelaces,” said Angie Schwab, executive director of Folkmoot.
Although they can be of diverse ages and from anywhere in the county — or world — guides are usually local to Haywood County and tend to be high school or college-age young people who more or less volunteer for the two-week assignment. They’re paid a small stipend, but it’s not about the money, Schwab says, it’s about the richness of the experience.
“We have 47 people that work with us every year to produce this festival,” she said, adding that this year there are about 25 guides who will be profoundly affected by the experience.
“A lot of times they decide they want to travel the world. They make choices for their work that includes international culture,” said Schwab. “I think this year we have three or four kids that are in international business that want to have this experience. They’re coming back from N.C. State and
Appalachian State and the University of South Carolina. They want to experience all of these cultures together.”
To call it immersive is an understatement; guides over 18 stay in the dorm-style housing at the Folkmoot Friendship Center for the duration of the festival. They eat with the groups. They sleep with the groups. They travel with the groups.
Sometimes, guides speak the language of a foreign group. Sometimes they don’t. Whatever the case, guides ensure performers have everything they need to do their jobs — that includes coordinating mealtimes and ensuring access to medical care, when needed, but can also include running minor errands or procuring necessary supplies.
Over the past 35 years more than 10,000 performers have passed through these parts, all of them assigned at least one guide; indeed the learning experience and the cultural exchange seems to go both ways — there are more than a few humans walking this earth who owe their very existence to a parent who at one time served as a Folkmoot guide.
One doesn’t simply show up at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Hazelwood and begin working as a guide.
fest. “Based on my experiences in the first year working for Folkmoot, I realized the kids needed more guidance to be successful. They needed to be more prepared for Folkmoot to grow, and for them to grow themselves.”
Coursework includes not only teambuilding exercises meant to build cohesiveness within this year’s cohort, but also includes sessions on conflict resolution and global politics.
“This year, Ingrid Bego a WCU professor of political science, teaches that to the kids,” said Schwab. “What they’ll learn from that is a lot of relationship information between the groups that are attending.”
Safety is also obviously a concern, not solely due to the international nature of the fest and not solely due to potential conflicts among performers or staff.
Also given that many performers — and assistant guides — are minors, guides receive training from law enforcement on
Guides also serve another important role, according to Canton resident Vivian Poppas.
“They kind of take each group under their wing and they help him with anything that comes up that needs to be done,” said Poppas, who has been involved with Folkmoot for 29 years. “But they’re also a representative of the United States, for each group that travels so far to get here.”
Despite the seriousness of the training, the importance of the role, the long hours, the low pay and the muggy July heat, serving as a Folkmoot guide brings a lot of people back year after year, like Spartanburg schoolteacher Heather Davidson.
“My mother lives in the area and I visit her every summer, and that’s how I first got involved with Folkmoot,” said Davidson. That was about a decade ago, and
During the festival, the sprawling brick schoolhouse is a dynamic and harried environment where one might hear more than a dozen foreign tongues at any given moment. People are stressed, sleep is in short supply and of dubious quality, and there’s always another performance or event looming on the schedule.
“It’s fairly discombobulating at first, but after a day or two it’s really joyful because we see lots of people with significant differences — whether it’s language, or religion or historical experiences — that may have caused their countries not to get along,” said Schwab. “We see all of those folks coming together and I don’t know if there’s another experience, at least in Western North Carolina or maybe the Southeast, that creates that environment. It’s lovely.”
Lovely, but demanding, and it doesn’t just sail smoothly along on its own; about 50 percent of applications for guides are rejected, and those who make the cut are subject to an intensive five-day training that gives them the tools they need to manage their environment.
“What we say is that when we have good guides we have a good festival, and when we have bad guides we have a not-so-great festival, so we work very hard to prepare them for anything they might experience,” said Schwab, who’s now heading up her fourth
spotting trouble before it becomes trouble.
Waynesville Police Department Captain Brian Beck has served as a captain for seven years but has been with the department since 1990 and has worked with Folkmoot the whole time. He has extensive training in SWAT tactics and even serves as an instructor on some law enforcement topics, like he did the morning of July 14 when he addressed a group about 60 Folkmoot guides, staff and volunteers.
“I snuck in here around midnight last night and put something under your seats,” Beck told them. “Did you check before you sat down?”
As everyone in the room nervously reached down between the legs of their blue plastic cafeteria chairs, Beck’s lesson in situational awareness began with a confession.
“I didn’t,” he said. “But you didn’t check.”
He then made everyone take out their cellphones and enter the number of the Waynesville Police Department, while discussing how to handle suspicious persons — “Where’s your lanyard?” — and suspicious packages or baggage.
He also said he’d already been talking to his officers about the fest.
“I told them I want them here a lot,” he said. “But you have to serve as the eyes and ears of the Waynesville Police Department.”
kitchen, worked in the office, and done “a little bit of everything” during the fest. This year, she’s the gal who guides the guides.
“I think this is my second year being lead guide,” she said. “It’s been a challenge but I’ve endured it.”
Waynesville native Grace Feichter appears to be on the same path as Davidson; she’s just 17, but is in her third year as an assistant guide.
“I remember watching the parade as a child, and when I was about seven years old, there was a group from Mexico and I was standing on the side of the street with my eyes wide in awe,” Feichter said. “She asked me if I wanted to dance with her in the street. I hope that as an assistant guide, I’m helping other people to have the same experience.”
Feichter calls taking part in the whole festival experience “life-changing.” Haywood County native Vivian Poppas, who had already been working with Folkmoot for 12 years before Feichter was even born, can certainly testify to that.
“[For] people that become involved internally with this festival, the cultural awakening is just overwhelming at times,” said Poppas. “I’ve learned so much about different countries, different people, different religions, but the bottom line is, we’re all just alike.”
Group Relations Coordinator Elizabeth Burson (standing) takes Folkmoot guides through a training session. Cory Vaillancourt photo
Meet the groups of Folkmoot
EASTERN BANDOF CHEROKEE INDIANS
The Qualla Boundary
• Capital: Cherokee
• Languages: English, Cherokee
• Location: Western North Carolina
• Religion: Christianity, traditional tribal religion
Compared to N.C.
• Population: about 625X as small
• Size: about 653X as small
KASAVA
Czech Republic
• Capital: Prague
• Language: Czech
• Location: Eastern Europe
• Religion: undeclared/none, Catholicism
Compared to N.C.
• Population: about the same
• Size: three-fifths as large
Folkmoot is again joined by representatives of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, many of whom still inhabit ancestral lands on the Qualla Boundary just a few miles west of Haywood County. Always a fan favorite, the Cherokee are used to thrilling Folkmoot crowds with traditional dance, drum, chants and screams. Not to be missed.
Founded in and named after a village in northern Czech Republic, Kasava has been combining drama, dance and music to the delight of international audiences since 1971. With a special focus on the country’s eastern region of Wallachia, Kasava promises a lively performance that includes a 230-pound dulcimer.
GHANA
• Capital: Accra
• Languages: Akan, Hausa, many others
• Location: Western Africa
• Religion: Christianity, Islam
Compared to N.C.
• Population: almost 3X as large
• Size: almost twice as large
Affiliated with both the Centre For National Culture and the Ghana Dance Association, the Nkrabea Dance Ensemble began in Nkrabea, Ghana, in 1995 and strives to portray an African celebration by incorporating drumming, folk music and fire eating.
LE RAGAZZE ITALIANE
Italy
• Capital: Rome
• Language: Italian
• Location: Southern Europe
• Religion: Catholicism Compared to N.C.
• Population: almost 6X as large
• Size: more than twice as large
“FIESTA
MEXICANA” BALLET FOLKLORICODE MONTERREY
Mexico
• Capital: Mexico City
• Language: Spanish
• Location: North America
• Religion: Catholicism Compared to N.C.
• Population: more than 10X as large
• Size: about 15X as large
Although hailing from Canada, Le Ragazze brings the quintessential Italian experience to thousands across the world each year, including their home base of Winnipeg, which is also home to Folklorama — the biggest, oldest (48 years) multicultural festival in the world.
Since its inception 31 years ago in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Fiesta Mexicana has remained a ballet company that utilizes a variety of styles and sensibilities to tell the story of all 31 Mexican states, while maintaining the authenticity of both ancient and modern Mexican cultural influences.
KYRENIA YOUTH CENTER ASSOCIATION
Turkish Cyprus
• Capital: North Nicosia
• Language: Turkish
• Location: Eastern
Mediterranean
• Religion: Islam
Compared to N.C.
• Population: about one twenty-fifth
• Size: less than one twenty-fifth
Created with the specific mission to promote the culture, folklore and traditions of Northern Cyprus, the Kyrenia Youth Center Association consists of almost 30 dancers known for their high-energy performances in locations as varied as Switzerland, South Korea and Tunisia.
JAMAICA
• Capital: Kingston
• Language: English patois
• Location: Caribbean
• Religion: Christianity Compared to N.C.
• Population: less than a third as large
• Size: about two-fifths as large
The most unique attraction at the festival this year very well may be a small group of Jamaican academics currently in residence at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. These educators incorporate song, dance and poetry into their classrooms, but also explore the use of dance in mathematics and literature.
LAMPANG KALAYANEE SCHOOL
Thailand
• Capital: Bangkok
• Language: Thai
• Location: Southeast Asia
• Religion: Buddhism Compared to N.C.
• Population: almost 4X as large
• Size: almost 7X as large
SENTIR VENEZOLANO
Venezuela
• Capital: Caracas
• Language: Spanish
• Location: South America
• Religion: Catholicism Compared to N.C.
• Population: more than 3X as large
• Size: about 7X as large
One of the largest and best-known schools in Northern Thailand, the Lampang Kalayanee School has more than 3,600 students — many of whom are there because of the school’s reputation as having one of the most notable Thai dance programs in the country. Performers have participated in international festivals across the world.
This traditional troupe established in 2003 under the tutelage of Judith Perez, formerly a Venezuelan National Dance Company featured dancer and student at the prestigious Fundacion Biggott in Caracas, promises elaborate costumery, energetic dances and live percussion reflective of its diverse Afro-Latino cast.
Sunday Soiree brings flavor to Folkmoot
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER
Last year’s inaugural Sunday Soiree featured the usual festive Folkmoot fun — drinks, dancing and heavy hitters on the stage, including Grammy Award winner Secret Agent 23 Skidooo and perennial favorite Empire Strikes Brass — but this year’s event looks to take it up a notch by focusing on the food.
Founded in Asheville in 2011, The Blind Pig Supper Club is a group of professional chefs, bartenders and servers that also includes artists, farmers, and musicians — all of whom, according to the groups’ website, share “a fondness for good food, art, music and a bit of adventure.”
They’ll be hosting a “friendship dinner” at this year’s Soiree, featuring foods found in the homelands of this year’s fest guests, including the Czech Republic, Ghana, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Northern Cyprus, Thailand and Venezuela.
What often gets lost in the overall picture of this thing called Folkmoot is that it’s an organization dedicated to fostering “the vibrancy of many cultures into one community.” Nowhere in its mission statement does it even mention dance.
What it does mention is cultural exchange; other than language, food is the primary vehicle by which culture it transmitted across generations and exchanged
across ethnicities.
Folkmoot Executive Director Angie Schwab said she was particularly excited about Blind Pig’s participation in this year’s fest.
“It’s going to be great,” said Schwab.
over 150 unique supper concepts that have brought together thousands of individuals to our tables,” reads the group’s website. “We have been effective in networking and building lasting relationships through what we do.”
about food, Folkmoot hasn’t lost its focus on what’s built the festival over the past 35 years — song and dance performances that offer insight to other cultures.
This year, visitors to the Sunday Soiree will see performances by a number of young people, including Weaverville fiddle phenom Lillian Chase. Just 14 years old, Chase appears comfortable and confident in both bluegrass and classical settings, and has already performed at Merlefest.
Reigning Junior Miss Cherokee Dvdaya Swimmer is another young prodigy, probably best known for stunning vocal performances, including her rendition of “Home” from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” sung in her native Cherokee Language. Swimmer is also a greatgranddaughter of Cherokee Beloved Woman Amanda Swimmer.
“What they do is so cool.”
Call it a catering company with a social conscience; through what they call “Community oriented pop-up concepts,” the group also works as a fundraising organization and catalyst to community building.
“Since 2011, The Blind Pig has produced
The Blind Pig also donates directly to a diverse list of organizations including Manna Food Bank and Boys & Girls Clubs, and also runs a campaign of pop-up fundraising dinners that fight poverty and homelessness.
Even though all the fuss seems to be
Rounding out the regional attractions are the Tuscola High School Jazz Band with skilled performances of American standards, and the Asheville-based Urban Arts Institute, which promotes artistic expression — dance, especially — in Asheville’s urban community. The Sunday Soiree takes place at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 22, in the green space beside the Folkmoot Friendship Center at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville. Tickets cost $65 for adults, $30 for children and are available online at www.folkmoot.org or by phone at 828.452.2997.
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Catherine Proben
Folkmoot welcomes the Blind Pig Supper Club. Blind Pig photo
Schedule of events
THURSDAY, JULY 19
• 5:30 p.m. – Waynesville, Friends of Folkmoot Meet and Greet, Queen Auditorium
• 7 p.m. – Waynesville, Gala Under the Stars, Folkmoot greenspace (invite only)
• 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. – Waynesville, International Festival Day, Main Street (all groups) FREE
• 7 p.m. – Clyde, festival performance, Haywood Community College (all groups)
SUNDAY, JULY 29
• 7 p.m. – Lake Junaluska, Candlelight Closing, Stuart Auditorium (all groups)
Jerica Rossi photo
Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival continues
The annual Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival festival will continue throughout the month of July around Western North Carolina.
Performances are Saturdays at Warren Wilson College’s Kitredge Community Arts Center in Asheville and Sundays at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. There are also performances on Mondays at the Carolina Music Museum in Greenville, South Carolina.
All concerts at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville are Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. except at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 22. • Program 4 — July 21, 22, 23: Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet in A major,
Concerts on the Creek
The Concerts on the Creek summer series will welcome Andalyn (rock/country) at 7 p.m. Friday, July 20, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.
The lineup for this year’s series will also include: 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.
‘An Appalachian Evening’
The summer concert series “An Appalachian Evening” will continue with bluegrass act The Snyder Family at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.
Op.18, No. 5; Inessa Zaretsky Sextet for piano 4 hands and string quartet; Claude Debussy String Quartet in G minor, Op.10 - Tesla String Quartet; Lenore Fishman Davis, piano; Inessa Zaretsky, piano.
• Program 5 — July 28, 29, 30: Ern Dohnányi Serenade for string trio in C major, Op.10; Amadeus Mozart Concerto for piano in C major, No.21; Antonín Dvorák String Quintet in G major, No. 2, Op. 77 - All Star Ensemble with Alexander Velinzon, violin; Elisa Barston, violin; Tatjana Mead-Chamis, viola; Mihail Istomin, cello; Joe McFadden, bass; Inessa Zaretsky, piano. For tickets and additional information, visit www.scm-festival.com.
The concerts are free and open to the public. There will also be food trucks onsite. For more information, call 828.586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.
Grammy winner in Bryson City
Renowned acoustic guitarist Bill Mize will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
A Grammy-winning guitarist, Mize is a son of Tennessee, and a fitting representative of his state’s rich musical heritage. His critically lauded fingerstyle compositions are fluid and intricate, and their delivery masterful. Mize is also a past winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition.
Free program with light snacks and refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. The library is located one block up the hill from the Main/Everett intersection. For more information, call 828.488.3030.
The annual bluegrass/mountain music series will also feature Salt & Light (July 28), The Jeff Little Trio (Aug. 4), Volume Five (Aug. 11), Unspoken Tradition (Aug. 18) and The Kruger Brothers (Aug. 25).
Tickets for the Fireside Collective performance are $15, grades K-12 $10. Tickets are a pre-show dinner are also available for purchase. The Lynn L. Shields Auditorium is airconditioned.
www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.
The Snyder Family.
Tesla String Quartet.
Andalyn.
On the beat
• Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” with Somebody’s Child (Americana) July 20, Tessia! July 21 and Alma Russ (Americana/folk) July 27. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted.www.andrewsbrewing.com.
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Bird In Hand (Americana/folk) July 20 and John the Revelator (blues/folk) July 27. All shows begin at 9 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. July 19 and 26. Free and open to the public.www.blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host Grayson Jenkins (Americana) July 20 and Aorta Node Trio July 21. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. www.boojumbrewing.com.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host James Hammel (guitar/vocals) July 20, Joe Cruz (piano/vocals) July 21 and 28, and Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams (piano/guitar) July 27. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.
• The Historic Cowee School, Arts & Heritage Center (Franklin) will host Carolina Blue (bluegrass) at 7 p.m. July 21. Dinner and
festivities start at 5 p.m. Concert tickets are $15 for adults, $7.50 for ages 6-16 and free for ages 6 and under. Tickets available at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce or at the school the day of the performance. www.franklin-chamber.com.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Brady Clampitt July 20 and Bradley Carter July 28. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.www.curraheebrew.com.
• The First United Methodist Church (Waynesville) will host organists Kyle Ritter & Kathy Geye McNeil and The Lake Junaluska Singers 4 p.m. July 22. Both shows are free with donations accepted.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Ryan Furstenberg Duo 8 p.m. July 20, Marc Keller (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. July 21 and 28, and Keil Nathan Smith Band 7 p.m. July 28. All shows are free and open to the public.www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Harmon’s Den Bistro at HART (Waynesville) will host karaoke and an open mic at 8 p.m. on Saturdays. www.harttheatre.org.
• Highlands Town Square “Friday Night Live” series will host Marce & Ben (Americana) July 20 and Sycamore Flats July 27. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
perfect for all walks of life, from families to golf groups to ladies who lunch. We pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients from our gardens and supporting local farmers. The details are priority.
Open to the Public, 7 Days A Week! Call 828-926-4848 for reservations.
Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 19, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City.
The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs. The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month — yearround. This program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment of the Arts.
828.488.3030.
ALSO:
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night July 18 and 25, a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo July 19 and 26, Dorien Michael (folk/blues) July 21 and Pickxen (Americana/folk) July 28. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.
• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host Flagship Romance 7 p.m. July 18, Lawn Concert w/Queen Bee & The Honeylovers 6:30 p.m. July 19, Freebo & Alice Howe 7 p.m. July 19, Lawn Concert w/Letters to Abigail 6:30 p.m. July 20, Oceanic 7 p.m. July 20, Jim Arrendell 9 p.m. July 21, Jonathan Byrd 5:30 p.m. July 22, Serene Green 7:30 p.m. July 24, Sweet Sweet 8:30 p.m. July 25 Lawn Concert w/Upland Drive 6:30 p.m. July 26, Bob Bovee 7 p.m. July 26, Matt Fassas 8 p.m. July 26, Lawn Concert w/Moonlight Street Folk 6:30 p.m. July 27, Greg Ruby & Friends 8:30 p.m. July 27, David Jacobs 7 p.m. July 28, Tom Paxton & The Don Juans 8:30 p.m. July 28 and Blake Ellege & The Country Resonators 5:30 p.m. July 29. www.isisasheville.com.
• Kelsey Hutchinson Park (Highlands) “Saturdays on Pine” series will host The Orange Constant (rock/jam) July 21 and Shane Meade & The Sound July 28. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, Dirty Dave Patterson July 20, The Ramcats July 21 and The Colby Deitz Band (Americana/rock) July 28. All shows begin at 8 p.m. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• The Macon County Public Library (Franklin) will host the “Songwriters in the Round” with George Gray, Bill Peterson and George Reeves at 7 p.m. July 21. Free. www.facebook.com/maconcopl.
• Maggie Valley Inn’s Redezvous Restaurant will host Stone Crazy Band (classic rock/pop) from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 22, at the outdoor tiki bar. www.maggievalleyhotel.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an open mic night every Thursday, Paul Davis 20 and Heidi Holton (blues/folk) July 21. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host Big Dawg July 20, South Hills Banks July 21, Open Road July 27 and The Snozzberries (rock) July 28. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m.unless otherwise noted. www.nantahalabrewing.com.
• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. July 21.
• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday with Mike Farrington of Post Hole Diggers. Free and open to the public. www.pub319socialhouse.com.
• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mile High (classic rock) 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, and a Trivia w/Kelsey Jo 8 p.m. Thursdays.
• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and live music on Friday evenings. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.
• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host Karaoke with Daniel McCord July 21, Paradox Engine 3 p.m. July 28 and Wineaux Jones & The Corkscrews 7 p.m. Aug. 4. 828.586.1717 orwww.soulinfusion.com.
• Southern Porch (Canton) will host Laura Thurston (singer-songwriter) July 19 and Joshua Simmons & Friends July 28. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. www.southern-porch.com.
• The Strand at 38 Main (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic” night from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. 828.283.0079 or www.38main.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host The Orange Constant (rock/jam) July 21 and Grandpa’s Cough Medicine (bluegrass) July 28. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m.
• The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host Otto & The Moaners July 20. All shows begin at 10 p.m. 828.456.4750.
On the street
Ready for the Gemboree?
The 52nd annual Macon County Gemboree will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 26-28 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 29 at the Robert C. Carpenter Community Building in Franklin. Rough and cut gems, minerals, fine jewelry, supplies, beads, door prizes, dealers, exhibits, demonstrations, and more. For more information, call 828.349.2090. Sponsored by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and the Macon County Gem & Mineral Society. www.franklin-chamber.com.
Indian village now open
The popular Oconaluftee Indian Village will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Nov. 10.
As you step into the Oconaluftee Indian Village, you’re transported back to witness the challenges of Cherokee life at a time of rapid cultural change. Tour guides help you explore the historic events and figures of the 1760s. Visitors can interact with villagers as they participate in their daily activities. The Village also hosts live reenactments, interactive demonstrations, and Hands-On Cherokee Pottery for Kids classes. For more information, visit www.cherokeehistorical.org.
Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling
The Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 27 at the Oconaluftee Islands Park. There will be no bonfire events in September. 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. www.visitcherokeenc.com.
ALSO:
• Christmas in July, a celebration where Jackson County Farmer’s Market and local businesses give back to the community will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 21, at Bridge Park in Sylva. They will have free school supplies for local students.
• “Mater Fest” will be kickoff at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 21, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Come out and enjoy the plentiful harvest of Western North Carolina tomatoes. Live music, crafts, food onsite, ice cream, children’s activities, and more. Free. Address is 2300 Governors Island Road. 828.488.2376.
• REACH’s much-loved Red, White, and Blue Bash will return at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Maggie Valley Club. Party games, silent and live auctions, heavy hors d’oeuvres, signature cocktails, a photo booth, entertainment by Stone Crazy Band, and much more. Tickets are only $50 each and are on sale now. Purchase yours by credit card atwww.reachofhaywood.orgor by calling REACH at 828.456.7898.
• There will be several ballroom and Latin dance classes offered on Sundays and Mondays at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Classes for beginners, intermediate and all levels. $10 per class. www.froglevelbrewing.com.
• Line Dance Lessons will be held on Tuesdays in Waynesville. Times are 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday. Cost is $10 per class. 828.734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com.
• “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, please call 828.335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.
On the table
All aboard the BBQ, craft beer train
There will be a barbecue and craft beer tasting from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 21, on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, departing from Bryson City.
Board the GSMR and enjoy a steam train ride along with beer tastings, and your own basket of Southern-style barbecue goodness with hand-pulled pork slider, a couple pork ribs, and chicken drumstick accompanied by baked beans, house-made coleslaw, and apple cobbler.
Tickets start at $69 and include a souvenir tasting glass for three samples of finely crafted beer selections. Adults-only and family friendly seating.
800.872.4681 or visitwww.gsmr.com.
Frog Level Brewing opens restaurant
In keeping with the company’s everevolving property, Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville has now opened a kitchen.
Dubbed “The Canteen,” the restaurant
component of the brewery will consist of small plate items and sandwiches, all of which offered from 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The new space is another addition to the brewery, which, in recent months, has expanded its production facility and lounging space for clientele.
A full feature on the expansion at Frog Level will be published in an upcoming issue of The Smoky Mountain News. www.froglevelbrewing.com.
ALSO:
• There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m. July 21 and 28 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.comor 828.452.0120.
• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. July 21 and 28 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.comor 828.631.3075.
• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.
HART to host craft beer dinner
Harmons’ Den, the Bistro at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre, will be presenting a special five-course dinner with beer pairings from Lagunitas Brewing Company at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, in Waynesville.
The event will feature the dishes created for the evening by HART Chef Christy Bishop. The cost of the evening is $35 per person plus tax and gratuity.
The menu for the event includes deviled quail eggs, mixed greens with grilled peaches, grilled salmon, lavender grilled chicken, braised short ribs and a chocolate espresso cobbler.
To make reservations, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322. Seating is limited. HART is located at 250 Pigeon Street in Waynesville.
C AROLINA B LUE
Making their home in Brevard NC, Carolina Blue may be considered ‘new to the scene’, but they are certainly taking it by storm. Their 2017 release “Sounds of Kentucky Grass” spent some time at #1 on the roots music chart, and has held strong with Bonnie Goodbye on the Bluegrass Today Chart. The band was formed in 2007 after the release of the album “Nothing So Blue” by Bobby Powell and Tim Jones. Carolina Blue won the South Carolina state bluegrass championship at RenoFest in 2011. The band’s repertoire consists of original songs, many bluegrass favorites, and gospel too, all done in the traditional style.
Saturday, July 21 • 7 p.m.
Adults $15 / Children 6-16 Half Price; Under 6 Free
On the wall
Plein Air Festival returns to Cashiers
The Cashiers Plein Air Festival will return July 17-21. The event is an art competition and sale featuring nationally acclaimed painters from throughout the country. Plein air is French for “open air.” During the festival, more than 20 select festival artists will set up their easels outdoors to capture the beauty of the North Carolina mountains. Their original art is displayed for viewing and sale at a pop up art gallery at The Village Green Commons in Cashiers. Special events, ticketed and open to the public, showcase their art.
The highlight of the week is the Palette to Palate Affair on Friday, July 20, a summer soiree celebrating the artists. Festival artists compete for the Ring Art Awards which are announced during this event. Patrons will enjoy cocktails, delectable hors d’oeuvres and dessert with an artful flair catered by Chef 365 of Greenville, South Carolina. The gallery will be open to ticket holders only that evening who can browse the art for sale while listening to jazz music by The Hot Club of Cullowhee.
Tickets for the Palette to Palate Affair are $125 per person. For information, call 828.743.3434 or email info@villagegreencashiersnc.com. Visit www.cashierspleinairfestival.com for a full schedule.
Haywood Arts workshops, demo
There will be an upcoming artist demonstration and workshop to be held by the Haywood County Arts Council at the
‘Paint & Sip Workshop’
The “Paint & Sip Workshop” will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Gallery Zella in Bryson City.
Enjoy learning to paint with a buddy, daughter, son or even your sweetheart. Take home an incredible memory of your trip to the mountains — your own original painting on canvas. Enjoy a glass of wine (or soft beverage) and a light snack.
Painting instructor Melissa Owen is one of the area’s best painting teachers. Students will be presented with a Smoky Mountain landscape, then Owen will guide you in creating your own master work of art.
Cost is $50, which includes all materials. For more information, call 828.488.3638 or visitwww.galleryzella.com.
• The Uptown Gallery (Franklin) will host a felt bowl workshop from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, July 23. Mary Jo Gaynor, will conduct a workshop on the basic wet felting process to design a
Interested in leatherwork?
The monthly Creating Community Workshop will feature Derek Morrow of Morrow Leatherworks at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 28, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library.
HCAC Gallery & Gifts in Waynesville.
• Betina Morgan will host a drawing class from 2 to 4 p.m. July 24, Aug. 14 and Aug. 28. Cost is $20 per class session. Call HCAC for a supply list.
• “Adventures in Acrylic” with acclaimed painter Dominick DePaolo will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. July 24 and 31. Cost is $20 for HCAC members, $25 for non-members. All supplies will be provided or you can bring your own.
• Painter Tina Honerkamp will host an artist demonstration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28. Free to attend. For more information or to reserve a spot in any of these workshops, call HCAC at 828.452.0593.
useful and decorative small bowl. Cost is $45 non-members and $40 members. Price includes materials but please bring three old bath towels, rubber gloves and five plastic bags. Register at the gallery, which is located at 30 East Main Street. For additional class information, call 828.3494607, email franklinuptowngallery@gmail.comor visit www.franklinuptowngallery.com.
• The “Meet the Artist” reception with Brian Hannum (pianist), Drew Campbell (photographer) and Jon Houglum (painter) will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, at Gallery Zella in Bryson City. Enjoy North Carolina wine, food and music. Free to attend. For more information, call 828.488.3638 or visit www.galleryzella.com.
• The Cashiers 42nd Annual Antiques Benefit Show will be held July 20-21 at the Blue Ridge School on N.C. 107 North. Over 60 exhibitors, grand prize drawings, food onsite, and more. Admission is $10. www.mountainlovers.com.
Morrow will be leading the workshop. Participants will learn how to make a small, leather clutch. All supplies will be provided, but some hand strength is necessary for leather working. The workshop is limited to 10 participants. This program is free of charge. Call the library to register.
Morrow is a self taught leatherworker that has been working at his craft for many years. He has a whimsical, upcycled style and creates leather goods ranging from full hip bags down to knife sheaths and wallets.
For more information, call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.
Derek Morrow sporting a leather clutch.
• “Paint Nite Waynesville” will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (July 19, 26) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Sign up for either event on the Paint Night Waynesville Facebook page or call Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560. paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.
• The “Movies on Everett” outdoor series will run through Aug. 17 at the corner of Mitchell and Everett streets in downtown Bryson City. Screenings begin at 9 p.m. Family-friendly. Free to attend. For a full schedule of the films to be screened, visit www.greatsmokies.com.
• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will host a free movie night at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 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.
• There will be a “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.
• A “Youth Art Class” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.comor 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 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays. For information on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 828.349.4607.
Artwork by Dominick DePaolo.
On the wall
Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in
Contemporary Sculpture
The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum exhibition “Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture” will run through Dec. 7 at the Bardo Arts Center.
Celebrating the efforts of the late 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 was unveiled at a special opening reception from on 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.
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.
Haywood Arts member show
The Haywood County Arts Council annual “Artist Member Show” exhibit will run from through July 28.
The show is a celebration of our community of artists, allowing them to share their great work at the height of the summer season. It’s a show filled with variety, including local painters, potters, jewelers, and more.
For more information about HCAC programs and events, visit www.haywoodarts.org.
On the stage
‘Liars Bench’ at WCU
A program devoted to preserving, promoting and performing materials dealing with Appalachian heritage and culture, “The Liars Bench” will return at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19, in Room 101 of the H. F. Robinson Administration Building at Western Carolina University.
According to Gary Carden, the founder of “The Liars Bench,” “Western North Carolina contained some of the best material in the region since it has gifted story-
tellers and popular musicians. We also have the best folklore.”
Admission is free. Donations accepted. Additional information is available from Carden via email at gcarden498@aol.com.
SMCT to present Simon comedy
The Smoky Mountain Community Theatre summer production of “Rumors” by Neil Simon will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 20-23 in Bryson City.
“Rumors” starts with the guests arriving at the 10th anniversary party of Charlie Brock, the Deputy Mayor of New York, and his wife Myra. The host has shot himself in the earlobe and the hostess is nowhere to be found. Rumors fly when the guests try to figure out what has happened. Gossip about each of the guests are spread and it all comes to a head when the police arrive on the scene.
The show features strong language, parents be advised. Ticket prices are $14 for adults and $8 for students (ages 6-17), children under 5 are free.
For more information, visit www.smtheatre.com.
Herman classic at HART
The Jerry Herman blockbuster “Mame,” starring Lyn Donley in the title role, will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 19-21, 26-28 and at 2 p.m. July 8, 15, 22 and 29 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
formance schedule, so it was offered to Mary Martin, who turned it down.
“Mame” is based on the play Auntie Mame, which is in turn based on the Patrick Dennis novel of the same name. Set in New York and spanning the Great Depression and World War II, it focuses on eccentric bohemian Mame Dennis, whose famous motto is “Life is a banquet and most poor sons of bitches are starving to death.” Her fabulous life with her wealthy friends is interrupted when the young son of her late brother arrives to live with her. They cope with the Depression in a series of adventures.
In 1958, a film based on the play was released, starring Rosalind Russell, who originated the role on Broadway. Russell was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for her portrayal. The decision to turn the show into a musical was almost immediate and Jerry Herman wrote the show with Judy Garland in mind for the title character. He was later persuaded that she was not up to the rigorous eight show a week per-
The musical opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater in May of 1966, starring Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur. The production became a hit, running four years, racking up over 1,500 performances and garnered Tony Awards for all of its leads. The success of the musical spawned a 1974 film with Lucille Ball in the title role and Bea Arthur reprising her supporting role, as well as a London production, a Broadway revival, and a 40th anniversary revival at the Kennedy Center in 2006.
Jerry Herman was coming off the success of “Hello Dolly,” which was still running on Broadway when “Mame” opened. He would later create “La Cage aux Folles,” cementing his reputation for creating shows with elaborate sets, costumes, and showstopper numbers.
HART’s production will also feature Stephen A. Gonya, Allison Stinson, Karen Covington Yow, Janice Schreiber and Andrew Delbene in principal roles and an ensemble of nearly 35.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call 828.456.6322 or visit www.harttheatre.org.
Lyn Donley.
Gary Carden.
Books
Choose your summer reading carefully Following your musical dreams
The last 10 days have brought some broad swatches of time for reading.
Two novels have traveled from the library, visited my fingers and eyes, and returned to their comrades on the shelves.
Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization I’ve just finished Volume VI: The Reformation — keeps me out of trouble for 30 minutes a day, and old friends like Robert Hartwell Fiske’s
The Best Words, Mark Helprin’s A Soldier of the Great War, Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop, and Jordan Peterson’s 12
Rules For Life offer, as a Coca-Cola ad once put it, “the pause that refreshes.”
Anyway, some words on the novels.
Lydia Smith works as a clerk in Denver’s Bright Ideas bookstore. Haunted by a past that includes the death of her mother and estrangement from her father, and by memories of the Hammerman, a murderer who killed one of her childhood friends, Lydia keeps to herself, helping the customers in the store and befriending some of the staff, but never opening up about her past.
The walls she has built around herself begin to crumble when Joey Molina, a young, handsome, and mysterious Bookfrog — the name given by the staff to those lost and often homeless regulars who drift daily through the bookstore — hangs himself in an upper room of the bookstore one night just before closing time. His death brings Lydia unwanted publicity — a photograph of her taken the night of his suicide appears in newspapers and on television — and sets her off on a quest to find out more about Joey. In his run-down room, she finds some books that Joey has defaced, cutting out words in some sort of code.
So begins Matthew Sullivan’s Midnight At The Bright Ideas Bookstore (Scribner, 2017, 323 pages). Sullivan, who today teaches writing in Washington State, worked for years in Denver’s famed Tattered Cover Book Store and in Boston’s Booksmith, and so brings to this novel a vast knowledge about books and bookshops. He aptly blends that knowledge with a credible psychological exploration of a young woman forced to confront her past. The irascible detective, who failed to solve the murder and who is now retired, contacts her; a childhood friend, Raj, seeks her out, and by the novel’s end is forced, like Lydia, to dive into the dark
waters of his childhood; her father, whom she abandoned as a teenager, still hovers over her, a shadow from her past that she can’t escape.
into the making of a pope.
Tensions build as the cardinals separate themselves into traditional and liberal camps, and as some of those favored to sit in the Throne of Peter fall to the wayside because of overreaching or past misdeeds. We learn, too, all the labor that go into such an event, everything from the heightened security that surrounds Vatican City to the manner in which the cardinals are assigned their rooms and take their meals.
If you’re looking for a good summer read with entertaining characters, stylish prose, and mystery set around books and bookstores, give Midnight At The Bright Ideas Bookstore a shot.
I have read some of the novels of British novelist Robert Harris, and enjoyed particularly The Ghost Writer, which became a movie by the same name.
So when I spotted his novel Conclave (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016, 286 pages) on the library shelves, I pulled it, came home, and set out right away to reading. The subject is the death of a fictional pope, who bears some resemblance to Francis I, and the conclave of cardinals who must elect the next pope. Through the eyes of Cardinal Lomeli, a Vatican official who worked closely with the deceased pontiff and who must now steer the College of Cardinals through the election, we gain insights into the protocol and maneuvering, both spiritual and political, that goes
Author Michael Cody will present his work Gabriel’s Trumpet at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.
Moving between the landscapes of fictional Runion, North Carolina, and Nashville’s Music Row, Gabriel’s Songbook follows a singer-songwriter through his search for fame and belonging. As he juggles ambition, love, and occasional despair, he finds that his dream of success and his love of music become increasingly at odds.
For more information, call 828.456.6000 or visit www.blueridgebooksnc.com.
City Lights poetry reading
Asheville poet Alida Woods will read from her collection Disturbing Borders at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 20, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
Conclave had me hooked until I hit the last eight pages. Here Harris concocts a situation so ridiculous and so absurd that for the first time in years I finished a book feeling utterly cheated. He revives the old legend of Pope Joan in the form of Cardinal Benitez, a devout priest and archbishop whom the pope had earlier made a cardinal in pectore, meaning in the heart, or secretly. Until the end, I was buying into the fact that a cardinal whom none of the other cardinals had ever met might take the seat of Saint Peter through his personal holiness and commitment to social issues.
Then came the denouement, the revelation that Cardinal Benitez, despite being born a girl, had believed for most of his life he was male because of an abnormally large clitoris. He doesn’t learn that he is female until hospitalized as a 60-year-old, and the doctor who treats him informs him of his gender. Benitez tells his story to the pope, who then makes him a cardinal.
Sorry, Mr. Harris. I’m not buying it. Other signs of womanhood — breasts, menstruation, a lack of facial hair (Benitez has never shaved) — would surely have told Benitez pretty early on he was female. He would also know, even in the utterly unlikely event that he thought he was male for six decades, that his gender would have prevented his taking part in the conclave.
A waste of time on this one.
(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com)
“Disturbing Borders is filled with wonder(s). This is a collection of unique homecomings in which ‘borders’ take on the many expectations both made manifest and broken, and promises reknit into stronger fabrics. The reader follows happily through literal and figurative landscapes of shadowy tints that only Alida Woods could create,” said Katherine Soniat, author of Bright Stranger.
A native of New England, Woods has spent her life among school children as a teacher, school principal and mentor. Her poems have appeared in The Avocet, The Great Smokies Review, The Westward Quarterly, Front Porch, and The Amsterdam Quarterly.
To reserve copies of Disturbing Borders, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.
Song lyrics as poetry
Patrick Frank will offer a presentation on looking at contemporary song lyrics as poetry at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
Frank will discuss examples of poetic lyrics across all genres and encourage others to share their favorite poetic song lyrics. He will also play acoustic renditions of some of his own original songs. His book of song lyrics, Back to the Sun, will be available for purchase.
Frank is a poet, essayist, and songwriter with a background in teaching and counseling. To reserve copies of Back to the Sun, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.
Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke
Andrew Lawler will present his book The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
Author of Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick said, “A fascinating account of one of our country’s great historical mysteries. Fast-paced and wonderfully written, with plenty of surprising turns along the way, The Secret Token is a delight.”
Lawler is the author of the highly acclaimed Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? He is a contributing writer for Science, a contributing editor for Archaeology Magazine, and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Slate.
To reserve copies of The Secret Token, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.
Writer Jeff Minick
Adventure for all
Outdoor camp for youth with special needs builds friendships and confidence
BY HOLLY KAYS STAFFWRITER
Intermittent breeze ripples the water atop Lake Junaluska as the sky vacillates between sun and cloud, but the wind can’t quite carry away the excited shouts and chatter of the 60 kids and teens strung out along the dock, casting lines in the water or paddling its surface in red canoes.
“There goes Maggie!” somebody shouts, pointing to a little girl whose head just barely rises above the top of the canoe as she reclines between two teenage volunteers and another young girl, who supports Maggie carefully from behind.
“Hi Maggie! Woo-woo, Maggie!” shouts a kid standing on the docks. “There’s Maggie!” yells another, as more kids and adults join in to cheer Maggie on.
CREATING CAMP ABILITY
Maggie, like 27 other kids on the dock that day, is a camper with Camp Ability, a day camp that invites kids with special needs in Haywood and its surrounding counties to come spend a week playing outside, making
friends and learning about Jesus.
“We have campers here who have been turned away, some kids who can’t even participate in the school system because of their behavior, or they’ve been turned away from other camps,” said Diane Gahar, who created the camp in 2009.
A speech therapist, Gahar saw the need for a summer experience that could include all kids, including those with disabilities that would normally prevent them from having that quintessential summer camp experience. So she joined forces with an occupational therapist assistant and created Camp Ability, which is now in its eighth year. This summer included two weeklong sessions, each full of activity — horseback riding, games, swimming, tennis, drumming and more.
“This makes kids’ summers really mean-
ingful,” said Jamie Shackelford, co-director of Camp Ability partner Outdoor Mission Camp, as she lounged at the end of the dock with a camper named Luke. “Luke has been at Camp Ability since he was just a little boy. Right? I remember him at about 12, it seems like.”
Asked how old his is now, Luke held up his hands, showing two fingers on one and zero on the other.
“Twenty. A two and a zero, that’s 20,” said Shackelford. “That’s good communication. He does a great job with communication if you slow down and listen to him and watch how he signals things.”
Serving kids age 5 through 22, Camp Ability typically keeps a roster that’s 60 percent returning campers and 40 percent new campers, though this year it’s closer to a 50-50 split, Gahar said. A good many kids aged out of the program last year.
FUELINGFRIENDSHIPS
Camp Ability isn’t just about giving kids with special needs the chance to have fun outside. It’s also about fueling friendships — between kids with special needs, and between campers and their same-age peers who don’t face those challenges. A key component of the program is the buddy system, and that’s
“It’s a safe place for kids that are a little different. They don’t get bullied. There’s a lot of acceptance, and they feel like they can be who they are instead of feeling awkward.”
— Rossi McDonald
where OMC comes in. The camp works to recruit buddies for each session of Camp Ability, matching each volunteer with a camper. Buddies and campers stick together all week long, with buddies learning how to take cues from their partners and help them get the most possible out of their week at camp.
Shackelford saw the magic of the process firsthand several years ago, when she volunteered at a camp for disabled adults in Wisconsin.
“I was a buddy with the campers, and the campers were my age,” she recalled. “I was 49 or 50 and my camper was 49 or 50. I spent the whole week with this woman. It was impactful. When I came home I said, ‘What’s happening in our community that’s similar?’”
She found Camp Ability, and the partnership took off from there.
“The buddy system is really awesome,” said Rossi McDonald, whose 10-year-old son is a camper at Camp Ability. He comes with his 8-year-old sister, who is developmentally normal but provides a comforting presence for her older brother.
“It’s a safe place for kids that are a little different,” McDonald added. “They don’t get bullied. There’s a lot of acceptance, and they feel like they can be who they are instead of feeling awkward.”
Her son doesn’t necessarily look different from other kids his age, but he struggles with social skills. Having a place where he can come, be himself and let go of some of the anxiety that comes with never quite fitting in is a restorative experience.
And, as with any kid — regardless of whether or not a disability is thrown into the mix — campers are sometimes more apt to step outside their comfort zone following encouragement from peers and mentors than they’d be willing to do at the behest of their parents.
“It expands their possibilities and experiences, whereas with Mom and Dad they’re like, ‘No, I don’t want to do it,’” said Jennie Boothroyd, whose 11-year-old daughter came as a camper, with her 16-year-old sister volunteering as a buddy. “Even my normal-developing teenager is the same as Regan in that respect.”
A TWO-WAYSTREET
The benefit goes both ways — from the buddies to the campers, and from the campers to the buddies.
“They can teach you a lot about yourself, things you didn’t really realize before,” said Clyde resident Tristan Goode, 15, enjoying some end-of-the week ice cream back at New Covenant Church, where the camp is headquartered.
“It helps that they make you smile,” he added as a camper grabbed the mic at the
front of the room and launched into an enthusiastic rendition of “Winnie the Pooh.”
A camper waves from the dock at Lake Junaluska after an afternoon of fishing and canoeing. Holly Kays photo
New tick species found in N.C. Learning Center opens at PARI
A new species of tick has been spotted in North Carolina following the discovery of a longhorned tick on an opossum in Polk County.
Originally from Eastern Asia, the longhorned tick is a serious pest of livestock in its native region. An aggressive biter, it frequently builds intense infestations on animals, causing stress, reduced growth, reduced production and blood loss. Because it can reproduce without a male, a single fed female tick can create a localized population. The longhorned tick is known to carry several viral, bacterial and protozoan agents of livestock and human diseases. It hasn’t yet been linked to any human infection in the U.S., but the N.C. Division of Public Health and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services are working to understand its distribution and monitor for diseases it may carry.
Prior to its identification in New Jersey last fall, the longhorned tick was not typically found in the U.S. It has also been found in Arkansas, Virginia and West Virginia. It’s unknown how it arrived in this country from Asia.
To prevent tick-borne illnesses, shower immediately upon returning home and check for ticks. While outdoors, wear clothing that covers the skin and use insect repellents. Veterinarians are asked to submit ticks they find on clinical patients to help track and identify tick populations in North Carolina. To participate in the study, contact Dr. Alexis M. Barbarin, nctickid@dhhs.nc.gov.
The Learning Center at PARI has officially launched following a ribbon-cutting ceremony this month.
The building, located on PARI’s campus in Transylvania County near Rosman,
An Outdoor Mission Camp volunteer plays clapping games with a camper while waiting for the bus to pull up.
Help Camp Ability
Donations of time, money and supplies are vital to continuing to offer the Camp Ability experience to campers and buddies of all backgrounds. Email campability321@gmail.comto help. Visit campabilitywnc.org or www.outdoormissioncamp.orgto learn more.
This was Goode’s second year at Camp Ability, and he already knows he wants to come back next year. The experience has given him so much insight into the ways that these kids have their own unique gifts and abilities, he said. For instance, this year he was paired with 14-year-old Bradley, who had no trouble “completely destroy(ing) me” in a game of Yu-Gi-oh.
Bradley gave him some new perspective on his own life, too, Goode said.
Throughout the week, Bradley would encounter various activities that he’d never done before, and didn’t really want to try. Watching Bradley overcome his hesitations and go for it, Goode was inspired.
“I had been kind of holding off on some things I didn’t really like to do,” he said. Seeing Bradley take the leap made Goode realize he should do likewise.
“These kids, they are more smart than
me,” added Melisa Enriquez, 17. “They are very gentle and smiley and sometimes we need to be more like them. They enjoy the little things.”
Enriquez traveled from her native Guatemala to spend her entire summer in Maggie Valley as part of OMC’s wilderness discipleship training program, called the Sherpa program. Molly McGreevy, 20, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was in Enriquez’s shoes last year, when she was a Sherpa. This year, she could return for only one week out of the two-month season — and Camp Ability was her pick, hands down.
“It’s really awesome to see them bond with others but also to bond with their buddies, and for the buddies to be able to step beyond that threshold of ‘it’s not for me, it’s for these kids, and for one week I’m going to put them first,’” McGreevy said. “And that’s one thing that’s a testimony for me. That’s what Christ did for us. Christ put us first.”
Learning to put someone else first is what it’s all about, Shackelford said — taking joy in another person’s uniqueness, staying attentive to their needs and struggles, and beginning to lead by following.
“Certain personalities are designed for that, it seems like as adults,” she said. “But to learn that is important for all of us, to learn how to serve in a way that builds others up.”
offers raised-floor classrooms and meeting space for education camps, meetings and retreats, as well as an archive of astronomic photographs. Its newly constructed cabins, Gemini and Apollo, each contain four rooms that sleep up to eight people in each room, and are built using timber that was cut to make way for the cabins.
“The educational spaces at The Learning Center are a direct result of our strong desire to offer an environment where campers, higher education faculty, staff, students, teachers and community members can work in a collaborative environment to create rich, engaged learning and teaching experiences,” added Learning Center Director, John Holloway. “We are excited and honored to have the opportunity to breath new life into this historic, storied building from the NASA era.” The building was originally constructed in the 1960s during the space race, with NASA using the location to track satellites. The reimagined environment revitalizes the same location NASA used during its tracking missions.
For information on event packages, special groups, pricing and availability, call 828.862.5554.
PARI campus. Donated photo
Holly Kays photo
Botanical biography author comes to Asheville
The author of a biography of the man responsible for the nation’s first botanical garden will host an event 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at the N.C. Arboretum Education Center in Asheville.
Victoria Johnson’s book American Eden: David Hosack, Botany, and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic explores Hosack’s advocacy for the nation’s first botanical garden, which was build in 1801 and is now buried under New York City’s Rockefeller Center. Used to grow and test medicinal plants, Hosack’s garden was designed to support scientific progress and be more akin to the National Institutes of Health or the CDC rather than a tree-lined park.
Johnson will give a talk about the book followed by a brief question and answer session, with an opportunity to purchase and have books signed. Free with standard $14 parking fee.
Rethink rattlesnakes
A lecture on timber rattlesnakes will illuminate the vital ecological roles filled by one of the Southeast’s most misunderstood species, at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands.
Christopher Jenkins, Ph.D., is the founder, director and CEO of The Orianne Society, who focuses on the conservation of rare reptiles, amphibians and the critical habitats they depend on. He will deliver a talk titled “Timber Rattlesnakes on the Highland Plateau: Ecology, Conservation and Landowner Safety.”
Jenkins will dive into the complex ecology of this region’s timber rattlers, explaining how they survive through the seasons while also discussing the Orianne Society’s work to conserve rattlesnake populations on the Highlands Plateau while also make the woods safer for landowners.
The presentation will conclude with a chance to interact with live rattlesnakes.
The lecture is part of the nature center’s Zahner Conservation Lecture Series, a
Insect appreciation coming to Franklin
weekly series of free lectures offered at 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 13. For a full schedule, visit www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.
Learn to appreciate the ecological place of creepy crawlies in the garden during a presentation at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
Jim Costa, Ph.D., who is executive director of the Highlands Biological Station and a biology professor at Western Carolina University, will deliver the lecture. Costa will discuss the value of insects and their relationships to plants, birds and other wildlife, and how gardeners can plan and maintain their gardens to support these six-legged creatures.
The presentation is part of the In the Garden Lecture Series sponsored by the Franklin Garden Club, the Macon County Master Gardeners Association
Timber rattlesnake. The Orianne Society photo
Take home a native plant
A variety of native plants from 15 vendors will be on display during the final day of the 35th Annual Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center at Western Carolina University. Admission will be free, with no conference registration required to visit the vendors or purchase plants. The conference’s mission is to increase interest in and knowledge of propagating and preserving native southeastern plant species in the landscape. www.nativeplants.wcu.edu.
Leap into coastal conservation
A talk featuring seabird conservation along the Georgia coast will be offered at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at the Hudson Library in Highlands. Abby Sterling will discuss Wilson’s plovers and American oystercatchers, and efforts to conserve them on the Georgia coast. Offered by the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society, the talk is sponsored by Russ and Helen Regnery.
Bill seeks to fund Park Service maintenance backlog
A bi-partisan bill seeking to create a fund to address deferred maintenance in the National Parks System has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.
The Restore Our Parks Act would establish the National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund, to be fueled by a deposit
of half of all energy development revenues the U.S. receives from fiscal years 2019 through 2023. Of those funds, 65 percent would be allocated for repair and rehabilitation projects not eligible for other funding, and 35 percent would be for transportationrelated projects that may also be eligible for funding through the transportation program and similar federal land highway programs. No funds could be used for land acquisition or to take the place of discretionary funding given for annually recurring facility operations and maintenance needs.
Connect food, land and people
The bill was introduced June 28 by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-TN, Mark R. Warner, D-VA, Rob Portman, R-OH, and Angus King, I-ME.
Deferred maintenance is an ongoing issue for the national parks, with the system as a whole logging more than $11 billion in deferred costs. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has $211 million in deferred maintenance, and the Blue Ridge Parkway has a $500 million backlog.
No further action has been taken on the bill since its initial introduction.
CASUAL FINE DINING WITH LIVE MUSIC
COVERED PATIO LATE NIGHT MENU
A workshop showing educators how to teach the strong connections between food, land and people will be offered 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, at the USDA Service Center on Raccoon Road in Waynesville.
The “Project Food, Land & People” curriculum is a national science and social sciences-based curriculum with 55 hands-on, interdisciplinary lessons designed to help students see these connections. Lessons cover environmental science and stewardship, human populations, food, health and land use issues.
Participants can earn 0.6 continuing education credits and/or six hours toward certification as an N.C. environmental educator, with an option to earn 10 hours by doing pre-workshop homework.
Free, and sponsored by the Haywood, Transylvania, Clay and Buncombe soil and water conservation districts. Participants should bring a bag lunch. Register with Jo Ann McCall at the Transylvania Soil and Water Conservation District, joann.mccall@transylvaniacounty.orgor 828.884.3230.
Canoe through Cherokee history
A gentle 7-mile canoe trip will take participants through the landscape of the middletown Cherokees on a Saturday, July 28, outing with Cowee-based Alarka Expeditions. The trip will emphasize the descriptions from and significance of naturalist William Bartram’s trip to the area in 1775. The day will also include identification of plants and arriving songbirds. A lunch stop at Cowee Mound will offer a visit to the village site of the middle-town Cherokees. No experience is necessary, with basic canoeing instruction provided. Space limited. $50, plus $10 launch fee if you bring your own boat or $38.50 if you rent one. Sign up at www.alarkaexpeditions.com/upcomingevents.
KITCHEN 743
TUESDAY THRU SUNDAY FROM 5PM UNTIL... SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH FROM 10AM TO 2PM
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MAGAZINE
Hike Panthertown
A guided hike into Panthertown Valley Saturday, July 28, will trek up Blackrock Trail and across Overlook Trail to take in some magnificent views.
The group will meet a 9:30 a.m. at the Salt Rock Gap entrance off Breedlove Road, hiking 3 to 4 miles for a return by 2:30 p.m. Hikers should wear sturdy shoes and bring
Make trail-ready food
their own lunch and water. Space limited. Free for Friends of Panthertown members and their guests; others requested to make a donation. Panthertown is located within the Nantahala National Forest near Cashiers. RSVP to Jason Kimenker at friends@panthertown.org.
Youth ages 9 to 18 will learn the art of dehydrating food during a workshop 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, June 30, at the Macon County Cooperative Extension Kitchen.
The event is part of the Macon County 4H Summer Relief program, which offers a full and diverse schedule of summer activities for kids. All participants must have a current 4H enrollment form and medical form on file.
Cost is $4. To register, visit macon.ces.ncsu.edu or call 828.349.2046.
MeetUp to hit the trail
Carolina Mountain Club offers a full schedule of hikes on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, but now a CMC MeetUp group lets hikers who want to hike on other days of the week join in with the additional options offered there.
Using the MeetUp group, hikers can see who else will be on the hike and see photos shared on the website. MeetUp hike leaders follow the same guidelines as the leaders of other CMC hikes.
To sign up, visit www.meetup.com/carolina-mountain-cluband create a free account.
Gregory Bechtel, gabechtel@gmail.com.
Do the ‘Ultimate Hike’
Learn about a single-day, 28.3-mile hike that raises money for cancer research each year during an information session 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, at REI in Asheville.
The CureSearch Ultimate Hike traverses the entire Foothills Trail, which begins in Jackson County and ends in South Carolina, in a single life-changing day, with this year’s hike scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 10. Hikers walk the miles and also raise money to help end the number one disease killer of children.
For more information about the hike, visit www.ultimatehike.org/southeast.
Nick Breedlove photo
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.
⦁ Join Folkmoot for an evening of locally-grown, internationally-themed delicacies for the Sunday Soiree Friendship Dinner at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 22, on Virginia Avenue in Waynesville. Celebrating the second year of the Soiree, Folkmoot has invited the chefs of the Blind Pig Supper Club to share an array of street foods from eight world cultures, alongside four youth cultural groups practiced in Appalachian, African, American jazz and Cherokee inspired entertainment. After dinner, meet and greet Folkmoot’s international performers over dessert. Tickets for this event can be purchased in advance, $65 for adults, $30 for kids, at www.folkmoot.org or by calling 452.2997.
• Haywood County Farm Bureau will offer “Avoid/Deny/Defend” – a civilian response to an active shooter event – at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Farm Bureau Office in Waynesville. Sandwiches will be served. Led by Deputy Kevin Brooks of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office. RSVP: 452.1425.
⦁ Grace Church in the Mountains is accepting grant applications from nonprofit organizations in Haywood County. Distribution of proceeds from the church’s Annual Parish Fair will be made to local county charities. The fair is from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, July 28. 456.6029 or admin@gracewaynesville.com.
⦁ Sign-ups are underway for Jackson County’s “Citizens Academy” – an eight-week course focused on services provided by the county – starting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Info and applications: 631.2295 or jcfitzgerald@jacksonnc.org.
• Nominations are being sought for the Mountain Heritage Awards that will be presented on Saturday, Sept. 29, on Western Carolina University’s campus in Cullowhee. Awards go to individual and organization for contributions to or playing a prominent role in research, preservation and curation of Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore. Nominations can be sent to pameister@wcu.edu, Mountain Heritage Center, 1 University Drive, Cullowhee N.C. 28723, or drop off in person at Room 240 of WCU’s Hunter Library.
⦁ Registration is underway for participants in the Southwestern Community College Automotive Club’s annual car show, which will take place Aug. 10-11 at the Wayne Proffitt Agriculture Center in Franklin. Entry fees range from $10-25. d_myers@southwesterncc.edu.
B USINESS & E DUCATION
• “Russia – Then and Now” will be presented by Alan J. French at 6 p.m. on July 19 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Insights into Russia and the Russians before and after the fall of the Soviet Union. 524.3600.
• A six-hour workshop on “Project Food, Land & People” for teachers and other educations is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on July 31, at the USDA Service Center in Waynesville. Earn .6 CEU and/or six hours toward certification as a North Carolina environmental educator. Register: joann.mccall@transylvaniacounty.org or 884.3230.
⦁ Registration is underway for a workshop on hiring effective nonprofit leaders, which will be offered by Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30, at WCU’s instructional site at
All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.
Biltmore Park in Asheville. For info or to register: pdp.wcu.edu.
FUNDRAISERSAND B ENEFITS
• FUR’s fourth annual barbecue fundraiser is scheduled for 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, at Barn Star Events at 2436 Jonathan Creek Road in Waynesville. Live music by James Hammel. Games, raffles and silent auction. Tickets: $35; Sponsorships: $125. Tickets and sponsorships available at www.furofwnc.org. Info: 844.888.CATS (2287).
• REACH’s much-loved Red, White, and Blue Bash will return at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Maggie Valley Club. Party games, silent and live auctions, heavy hors d’oeuvres, signature cocktails, a photo booth, entertainment by Stone Crazy Band, and much more. Tickets are only $50 each and are on sale now. Purchase yours by credit card at www.reachofhaywood.org or by calling REACH at 456.7898. Proceeds from this event will go to support the REACH mission, providing aid to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse in Haywood County.
⦁ A fundraising event for Shelton House will be held on July 26 at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Tickets: $60. Four-course dinner and beverage. Tickets available: 452.1551 or stop by the Shelton House, an 1885 historic house and museum in Waynesville.
• Downtown Waynesville merchants are invited to participate in a fundraiser for Mountain Projects on Thursday, Aug. 9, and on Sunday, Aug. 12. Participating merchants will donate 10 percent of sales from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday and through closing on Sunday to Mountain Projects. For info or to participate: dana@tiadana.com or 101mercantile@gmail.com.
⦁ Tickets and sponsorships are available for “Bluegrass, Blue Jeans & Bling,” the fifth annual fundraising gala for the Southwestern Community College Foundation. Event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 25 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Performances by Frogtown (Bluegrass) and Steve Johannessen (Classics). $150 per person; sponsorships start at $1,500. 339.4241 or www.southwesterncc.edu/foundation/2018-gala-event-details.
H EALTH MATTERS
• The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donors due to an emergency shortage. To schedule an appointment or donate, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.2767).
• The Haywood County Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group will change the location of its meetings beginning with the July 24th meeting. The group will meet at the Haywood Senior Resource Center (81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville). The meetings are scheduled from 4:30 PM until 6:00 PM. 926.0018.
⦁ “Back in Control: New Ways to think about Chronic Pain” will be presented by Sheila Kaye, MSW, from 10 a.m.-noon on Thursday, July 19, in the upstairs conference room of the Waynesville Library Upstairs. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.
⦁ The Waynesville Yoga Center will have a “Mini Retreat: Yoga, Acupressure and Qi Healing” from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 18. Cost: $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.
• “Osteo: What is it? Do I have it? What Can I Do?” will be the topic of “Talk with a Doc” seminar scheduled for
6 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. Featuring Rheumatologist Kate Queen, MD. 800.424.DOCS (3627) or MyHaywoodRegional.com/FindaDoc.
• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. www.redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.
• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 12:30-5 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at Franklin First Baptist Church. 369.9559.
• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday, July 20, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Hotel. 497.8853.
⦁ The Waynesville Yoga Center will have a “Self-Care Saturday: Essential Oils for Stress Reduction” from 23:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 21. Cost: $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.
• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Redcrossblood.org or 800.REDCROSS (800.733.2767).
• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. 339.4305, Redcrossblood.org or 800.REDCROSS (800.733.2767).
• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 25, at the Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. Redcrossblood.org or 800.REDCROSS (800.733.2767).
• Sunset Yoga by the Pool will be offered from 5:306:30 p.m. on July 27 at the Maggie Valley Country Club. Offered by Maggie Valley Wellness Center. $15 or $12 for country club members. 944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.
• A lunch with Maggie Valley Wellness Center is scheduled for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on July 29. $30. Learn about your own unique constitution and how to best prepare foods to keep you cool and calm in the hot weather. 944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.
• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, at Lowe’s in Waynesville. 456.9999, Redcrossblood.org or 800.REDCROSS (800.733.2767).
• The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Bi-Lo in Franklin. To schedule an appointment or donate, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.2767).
R ECREATIONAND FITNESS
⦁ The Waynesville Yoga Center will offer “Buti at Boojum” from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 21. Cost: $14. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.
⦁ The Waynesville Yoga Center will have a “Seasonal Flow Master Class” from 1-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 28. Culinary journey with leafy greens. Cost: $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Register: 246.6570 or WaynesvilleYogaCenter.com.
S PIRITUAL
⦁ Lake Junaluska Singers will perform at the Summer Worship Series at 10:45 a.m. on Sundays through Aug. 5 at Stuart Auditorium. www.lakejunaluska.com/singers.
• The Summer Worship Series at Lake Junaluska continues on Sunday, July 22, with Rev. Dr. Carl Frazier as
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
guest speaker. Dr. Frazier has served Methodist churches in the N.C. conference since 1980. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/summer_worship.
• The Summer Worship Series at Lake Junaluska concludes on Sunday, Aug. 5, with Rev. Ginger GainesCirelli as guest speaker. Gaines-Cirelli became the first woman to serve as senior pastor of historic Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/summer_worship.
• 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.
P OLITICAL
• The Swain County Democratic Party Whittier/Cherokee Precinct will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24, at the Chestnut Tree Inn in Cherokee. 488.1118.
• Macon County Democratic Women will meet Tuesday, July 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the NEW Democratic Headquarters on Palmer Street Circle.
• Indivisible Asheville/WNC will host an “Indivisible Flip NC for ‘WNC Votes!’ Hands-On Demonstration and Voter Engagement Training” from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, at Pack Library Auditorium in Asheville. Indivisibleavl.org or info@indivisibleavl.org.
• Haywood County Republican Party will host its Executive committee meeting at their new headquarters located at 287 N. Haywood St. Waynesville on Thursday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m.
• July Monthly Membership Meeting of the Jackson Branch of the NC NAACP will start at 10:00 am on Saturday, the 21st at Liberty Baptist Church, Sylva NC. (Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties). At 11 am the public is invited to the program, Organizing to Protect the Mission of the NAACP.
AUTHORSAND B OOKS
• “Housekeeping,” a novel by Marilynne Robinson, will be the topic of discussion at “Picturing America: Making Tracks” from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at the Waynesville Library Auditorium.
• Asheville poet Alida Woods will read from her collection Disturbing Borders at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 20, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
To reserve copies of Disturbing Borders, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.
• Book Day is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, at Riverfront Park in Bryson City. A celebration of WNC history and literature presented by the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society. Writers and book compilers can sign up for a table: 488.2932.
• Michael Cody will present his work Gabriel’s Trumpet at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. 456.6000 or click on www.blueridgebooksnc.com.
• Patrick Frank will offer a presentation on looking at contemporary song lyrics as poetry at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of Back to the Sun, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.
• Andrew Lawler will present his book The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of The Secret Token, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.
• Author Victoria Johnson will appear at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24, at the N.C. Arboretum’s Education Center Auditorium in Asheville. Discussion and signing on her book: “American Eden: David Hosack, Botany and Medicine in the Garden of the Early Republic.” 665.2492 or www.ncarboretum.org.
K IDS & FAMILIES
⦁ Voices in the Laurel will host its 10th annual SummerVoice Music Camp, A Million Dreams, July 2327 at First Baptist Church in Waynesville. The camp is open to young people who will be entering 1st – 12th grades this fall. The theme will be A Million Dreams from the hit movie, The Greatest Showman. Register online at www.voicesinthelaurel.org now, as space is limited! Tuition for camp is $95 for 1st – 5th graders, and $125 for 6th – 12th graders. 564.3310.
⦁ A new traveling recreation program called “Base Camp on the Go” will be present at the following locations and dates this summer from 10 am to 12 pm: Jonathan Valley Elementary School: July 23 & 30; Canton Park: July 31; Fines Creek Community Center: July 18, 25 & Aug. 1; Recreation Park in Waynesville: July 13, 20, 27 & Aug. 3. Log rolling in a large inflatable pool, badminton, ninja warrior obstacle course and other games. 456.2030 or cmiller@waynesvillenc.gov.
⦁ Annual Summer Learning Program is being offered through the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Features prizes, story times, movies, STEAM programming, arts and crafts and more. 586.2016.
⦁ “Smoky Mountain Elk”– a Great Smoky Mountains National Park Summer Junior Ranger program – is at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays from through Aug. 5 and Saturdays, July 21, Aug. 11-18 and Sept. 8 & 22 at the Palmer House in Cataloochee Valley.
• 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 through Aug. 1 in Pisgah Forest. Topic for July 25 is “Be Considerate of Others.” $5 per youth and $3 per adult per program. Registration required: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.
• The Cradle of Forestry in America will host “Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club” from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Aug. 12 in Pisgah Forest. Topic for Topic for July 25-26 is “Animal disguise and surprise.” $5 per youth and $3 per adult per program. Registration required: 877.3130. www.cradleofforestry.com.
• 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. $30 per camper: Info: elizabeth@foolkmoot.org. Register: Folkmoot.org or 452.2997.
⦁ “Nature Nuts: Stream Investigation” will be offered to ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on July 30 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.
⦁ “Eco Explorers: Raising Trout” will be offered to ages 8-13 from 9-11 a.m. on July 30 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.
⦁ The 4-H Chop Camp will be offered for ages 9-18 from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on July 24 and 31 at the Cooperative Extension Kitchen in Franklin. Cost: $20. Preregister: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.
⦁ “Advanced WILD: Mountain Streams” will be offered to ages 18-up from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on July 19 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.
• Registration is underway for a Woodworking program through the Macon County 4-H running from 9 a.m.noon on July 24 and 31 (for ages 10-14) in Franklin. Cost: $25. Preregister in person or by mail. Info: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.
⦁ A Week in the Creek will be offered to ages 6-10 through the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education from 9 a.m.-noon on July 23-27 in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.
⦁ “On the Water: Looking Glass Creek” will be offered to ages 12-up through the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on July 25 in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.
⦁ Registration is underway for a Macon County 4-H program entitled: “Learn How to Dehydrate Food,” which is scheduled for 1-4 p.m. on July 30 at the Cooperative Extension Kitchen. For ages 9-18. Cost: $4. Preregister: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.
• Preregistration is underway for an Intermediate Sewing Camp that will be offered as part of Macon County 4-H’s Summer Relief activities from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Aug. 6-8 in the Cooperative Extension Meeting Rooms in Franklin. For ages 9-up. Preregister: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.
• Preregistration is underway for a “Zoo Snooze” offered on Aug. 9-10 through the Macon County 4-H. $45 for youth or adult. Leave from Macon Cooperative Extension Office in Franklin. For ages 5-18. Preregister: 349.2046 or macon.cec.nscu.edu.
S UMMER CAMPS
• The Summer Youth Filmmaking Experience, a twoweek intensive summer course for teenagers, on Aug. 6. Cost: $495. Students will direct, shoot and edit a 57 minute script of their choosing. www.ashevilleschooloffilm.com.
• 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.
K IDSFILMS
⦁ “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is showing at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on July 18-19 at The Strand On Main. See www.38main.com for tickets.
⦁ The “Movies on Everett” outdoor series will run through Aug. 17 at the corner of Mitchell and Everett streets in downtown Bryson City. Screenings begin at 9 p.m. Family-friendly. Free to attend. For a full schedule of the films to be screened, click on www.greatsmokies.com.
• Summer Film Fest 2018 will be presented by Suminski Family Books at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 19 and Aug. 9-16 at Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Featured movies will be “Hidden Figures” (July 19), “Peter Rabbit” (Aug. 9) and “Wonder” (Aug. 16). Tickets $5 and available at Franklin Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Tartans Museums or members of benefitting non-profits: Grandpa’s Woodshop, Women’s History Trail (FHAMC), Read2Me and Friends of the Greenway. Info: 369.5417 or Claire@dometrics.com.
• A planetarium show entitled “From the Earth to the Universe” will be presented at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.
⦁ “Isle of Dogs” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on July 19 & Aug. 4, 6:30 on June 20 & 27, at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555
• Macon County Public Library will show a children’s movie (Rated PG) at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 23, in Franklin. Info, including movie title: 524.3600.
art, music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors. www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.
• The Cashiers Plein Air Festival will be through July July 21. The event is an art competition and sale featuring nationally acclaimed painters from throughout the country. Plein air is French for “open air.” During the festival, more than 20 select festival artists will set up their easels outdoors to capture the beauty of the North Carolina mountains. Their original art is displayed for viewing and sale at a pop up art gallery at The Village Green Commons in Cashiers. The highlight of the week is the Palette to Palate Affair on Friday, July 20, a summer soiree celebrating the artists. Festival artists compete for the Ring Art Awards which are announced during this event. Patrons will enjoy cocktails, delectable hors d’oeuvres and dessert with an artful flair catered by Chef 365 of Greenville, South Carolina. The gallery will be open to ticket holders only that evening who can browse the art for sale while listening to jazz music by The Hot Club of Cullowhee. Tickets for the Palette to Palate Affair are $125 per person. 743.3434 or info@villagegreencashiersnc.com.
• Tickets are on sale now for Folkmoot: North Carolina’s International Folk Festival, which will be held from July 19-29. Schedule and tickets: www.folkmootusa.org or 452.2997.
• The Cashiers 42nd Annual Antiques Benefit Show will be held July 20-21 at the Blue Ridge School on N.C. 107 North. Over 60 exhibitors, grand prize drawings, food onsite, and more. Admission is $10. www.mountainlovers.com.
• “Mater Fest” will be kickoff at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 21, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Come out and enjoy the plentiful harvest of Western North Carolina tomatoes. Live music, crafts, food onsite, ice cream, children’s activities, and more. Free. 488.2376.
⦁ The annual Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival will highlight two world premieres of commissioned works — Clarinet Quintet by Alyssa Weinberg, commissioned by Chamber Music America for the Enso String Quartet, and Sextet for piano 4 hands and string quartet by Inessa Zaretsky, commissioned by Lenore Fishman Davis for the St. Urban concert series. Sundays at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville at 3 p.m. though July 29, except July 22 will be at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and additional information including other locations, visit Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival at www.scm-festival.com.
A&E
FESTIVALSAND S PECIAL EVENTS
• The “Art After Dark” in downtown Waynesville is hosted on the first Friday of the month (MayDecember), Main Street transforms into an evening of
F OOD & D RINK
• There will be a barbecue and craft beer tasting from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 21, on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, departing from Bryson City. Board the GSMR and enjoy a steam train ride along with beer tastings, and your own basket of Southern-style barbeque goodness with hand-pulled pork slider, a couple
pork ribs, and chicken drumstick accompanied by baked beans, house-made coleslaw, and apple cobbler. Tickets start at $69 and include a souvenir tasting glass for three samples of finely crafted beer selections. Adults-only and family friendly seating. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.
ON STAGE & I N CONCERT
• The Jerry Herman blockbuster “Mame,” starring Lyn Donley in the title role, will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 19-21, 26-28 and at 2 p.m. July 8, 15, 22 and 29 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.
• “Rumors” will be on stage from July 20-23 at Smoky Mountain Community Theatre, 134 Main Street in Bryson City. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $14 for adults; $8 for students. Children under 5 admitted free. Strong language. Info on the theatre’s Facebook page.
⦁ The Jukebox Babies will be on stage at 9 p.m. on July 21 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. $10. For 18 and up. 586.3555.
• Songwriters in the Round will hold its eighth event at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 21 in the Macon County Public Library’s Living Room in Franklin. Featuring George Gray (singer-songwriter and storyteller), Bill Peterson (vocalist, musician) and George Reeves (lead guitar/slide).
• Organists Kyle Ritter and Kathy Geyer McNeil will present “Cheek to Cheek” – a concert of four-hand organ and piano and organ duets – at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 22, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
• Renowned acoustic guitarist Bill Mize will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 26, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Free. 488.3030.
• Lake Junaluska Singers will perform at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 1, at Memorial Chapel in Lake Junaluska. www.lakejunaluska.com/singers.
• The Lake Junaluska Singers will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 3 in Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/singers/concert_tickets. 800.222.4930 or communications@lakejunaluska.com.
• The Raleigh Ringers will perform handbells at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 in Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. www.lakejunaluska.com/events/singers/concert_tickets.
S UMMER M USIC
• Highlands Town Square “Friday Night Live” series will host Marce & Ben (Americana) July 20 at 6 p.m. www.highlandschamber.org.
• The Concerts on the Creek will have Andalyn (rock/country) at 7 p.m. July 20 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 Pickin’ on the Square summer concert series will feature Elderly Brothers (beach/oldies) at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin. Food vendors will also be available. www.townoffranklinnc.com.
• “An Appalachian Evening” will host The Snyder Family at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Stecoah Valley Center. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.
• The “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series at The Village Green in Cashiers will be hosting High-5 Band at 6:30 p.m. on July 27. www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.
CLASSESAND PROGRAMS
• Bingo will be held at 6:30 p.m. on 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.
⦁ The Jackson County Farmers Market will have its second annual Christmas in July event on July 21 in Sylva. Opportunity for parents and children to collect required, non-funded school supplies for the upcoming school year through interaction with participating entities. Jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com or 331.7684.
• A “Crafter Showcase Spotlight” is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, at the Shelton House in Waynesville. Featuring Cindy Shock, knitter and quilter. $5 donation. 452.1551 or info@sheltonhouse.org.
⦁ An “Ikebana Demonstration” on making a reed fan using midollino sticks will be presented by Jane Irwin and Carla Amerau of the Sogetsu School at 9:30 a.m.
on July 24 at the Folk Art Center in Asheville. Info: 674.9239, komon_cano12@yahoo.com or www.ikebanaasheville.org.
• Summerhouse Pottery, LLC, will offer pottery classes for all ages this summer. Kids Art Camp meets for a week in either July or August. For info, visit www.facebook.com/oursummerhousepottery or write: amydapore@gmail.com.
• The Highlands Village Square Art & Craft Show is scheduled for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Aug. 25-26 at KelseyHutchinson “Founders” Park on Pine Street in downtown Highlands. Fine art, folk art and regionally made crafts. 787.2021.
• Registration is underway for a “Lichens of the
Southern Appalachians” program scheduled for Aug. 4, through the Alarka Institute. Led by Jennifer Love. Register: www.paypal.me/cedartree. Info: alarkaexpeditions@gmail.com, 371.0347 or alarkaexpeditions.com.
• Registration is underway for an “Armor Construction: Gothic Serman Helm (Sallet): class that will be led by Brock Martin of WarFire Forge from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug. 4-5, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $390 (materials included). Preregistration required: 631.0271 or www.JCGEP.org.
⦁ Registration is underway for “Bladesmithing: Seax Knife Class” – a class with Brock Martin that is
scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 18-19, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Cost: $380. Preregistration required: 631.0271. Info: www.JCGEP.org.
ARTSHOWINGSAND GALLERIES
⦁ Penland School of Crafts will host an auction of student and instructor work on Thursday, July 19 at 8:00 PM at the Flex Studio on the Penland campus in Mitchell County. The auction will feature student and instructor work in clay, glass, metals, wood, textiles, printmaking, book arts, and other media. No admission charged. For directions and a map visit www.penland.org. For more information, call 828765-2359. All proceeds benefit Penland’s scholarship programs.
⦁ 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.
• The Haywood County Arts Council will host its annual “Artist Member Show,” at HCAC’s Gallery & Gifts in downtown Waynesville. The exhibit will run through July 28. The show is a celebration of our community of artists, allowing them to share their great work at the height of the summer season. It will be a show filled with variety, including local painters, potters, jewelers, and much more.
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 Lecture by Dr. Richard Stamelman on the mysterious allure behind fragrances and the plants.
• An exhibit on photographer William A. Barnhill is on display through Sept. 14 at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center in Cullowhee. Barnhill documented 20th century regional craftsmanship. 227.7129.
⦁ The Haywood County Arts Council ArtShare exhibit, runs from Aug. 3-25. Opportunity for collectors to be able to pass on art for someone else to enjoy. HaywoodArts.org.
FILM & S CREEN
⦁ “Won’t you be My Neighbor” is showing at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on July 20-25 and 4 p.m. on July 21-22, at The Strand On Main. See www.38main.com for tickets.
⦁ “Rampage” will be shown at 7 p.m. on July 21 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.
• Free movies are shown every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. See website for listings and times at madbatterfoodandfilm.com.
during a workshop from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, July 21, in Balsam. Led by Larry Thompson, who served as the National Audubon Society’s Southeast Regional Vice President for 20 years. $35. Open to ages 10-up. Register: 452.5414 or lvthompson@earthlink.net.
• The inaugural Smokies Stomp Barn Party will mark the 25th anniversary of Friends of the Smokies on Saturday, July 21, at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. SmokiesStomp.org.
• A talk on seabird conservation along the Georgia coast is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24, at the Hudson Library in Highlands.
• Franklin Bird Club will have a bird walk along the greenway starting at 8 a.m. on July 25 at the Big Bear Shelter parking area.
⦁ “Timber Rattlesnakes on the Highlands Plateau”part of the Zahner Lecture Series – will be presented at 6 p.m. on July 26 at the Nature Center at the Highlands Biological Station. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.
• A guided hike into Panthertown Valley is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 28. Donation for nonmembers of Friends of Panthertown. RSVP: friends@panthertown.org.
• A gentle, seven-mile canoe trip is scheduled for Saturday, July 28, through the landscape of the middle-town Cherokees. Offered by Alarka Expeditions. $50 plus $10 launch fee if you bring your own boat or $38.50 if you rent one. www.alarkaexpeditions.com/upcoming-events.
⦁ “Herpetological Mysteries” - part of the Zahner Lecture Series – will be presented at 6 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the Nature Center at the Highlands Biological Station. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.
• Registration is underway for The Great Smoky Mountains Association’s 2018 Members Appreciation Weekend, which is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 13-16, at Fontana Village. Learn about Eagle and Hazel Creek communities, guided tours and more. $109. Register: https://conta.cc/2lHoLSI.
⦁ Coffee with a ranger is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sundays through Aug. 5 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center porch at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee.
• Registration is underway for a Fly Rod Making class that will be offered from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 7 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Cost: $360. Info or to register: 627.4669 or rgmassie@haywood.edu.
⦁ “Foraging for Food and Farmacy” will be offered on Aug. 18, on part of the original route from Gatlinburg, Tenn., to Cherokee. Led by wildcrafter Ila Hatter. Cost: $69. Register: smfs.utk.edu
• Boating Safety courses will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on Aug. 28-29 and Sept. 10-11 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Must attend both meetings. Pre-registration required: www.ncwildlife.org.
• An easy cycling ride aiming to help people ease into a healthier lifestyle through cycling is offered in the Canton area, typically covering 8-10 miles. Road bikes are preferred and helmets are required. Nobody will be left behind. A partnership of Bicycle Haywood N.C., the Blue Ridge Bike Club and MountainWise. For specific start times and locations: mttrantham@hotmail.com.
Advancement of Teaching and divide into a beginner group and a non-beginner group, with 60 to 90 minutes on the trail each time. Organized by the Nantahala Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, with an event page at www.facebook.com/NantahalaAreaSORBA/. nantahala.area.sorba@gmail.com
• A cycling ride leaves at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, with alternating starts at Smoky Mountain Bicycles and South Macon Elementary School in Franklin. Routes vary. Road bikes only. A no drop ride. Organized by Smoky Mountain Bicycles, 369.2881 or info@smokymtnbikes.com. Check the “Macon County Cyclists” Facebook page for updates.
• A no-drop relaxed cycling road ride will roll from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays through the end of October from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop in Sylva. Routes vary and are open to cyclists of all levels. Organized by Motion Makers, 586.6925.
• A group road cycling ride will leave at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through the end of October from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop in Sylva to tackle a 40-mile “race” to the Balsam Post Office, climbing 1,600 feet of elevation gain. Organized by Motion Makers, 586.6925.
• A pair of ladies-only mountain bike rides will be offered at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays through Oct. 31 from the Ledford Branch Trailhead at Bent Creek in Asheville. A beginner-friendly, recovery pace social ride will cover 5 to 8 miles, with all skill levels encouraged to attend. Simultaneously, a training ride for ladies who know how to handle a bike and want to increase their speed will cover 8 to 12 miles on Bent Creek’s more technical trails. Organized by Motion Makers Bicycle Shop. 633.2227.
• A weekly nighttime mountain bike ride is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Mondays from the Ledford Branch Trailhead at Bent Creek in Asheville. Organized by Motion Makers Bicycles. 633.2227.
• Starting in June, a cycling ride will leave at 8 a.m. on Saturdays from South Macon Elementary School in Franklin. Routes vary with distances typically 15-25 miles. Road bikes only. A no drop ride. Organized by Smoky Mountain Bicycles, 369.2881 or info@smokymtnbikes.com. Check the “Macon County Cyclists” Facebook page for updates.
• A 25-mile cycling ride covering the back roads from Sylva to Balsam leaves at 6 p.m. Tuesdays from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop in Sylva. The route includes 1,600 feet of elevation gain. Organized by Motion Makers, 586.6925.
• An easy cycling ride aiming to help people ease into a healthier lifestyle through cycling is offered Thursday mornings in the Canton area, typically covering 8-10 miles. Road bikes are preferred and helmets are required. Nobody will be left behind. A partnership of Bicycle Haywood N.C., the Blue Ridge Bike Club and MountainWise. For specific start times and locations: mttrantham@hotmail.com.
• A beginner-friendly social cycling ride for women will begin at 6:15 p.m. on Mondays from the Bent Creek Ledford Parking Lot, covering 5-to-8 miles of mountain bike trails. Start back in the fall. Organized By Motion Makers Bicycle Shop. 633.2227.
survey ever. Residents of Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties can participate in a brief online training process then borrow a camera trap from any Fontana Regional Library location. Info: NCCandidCritters.org or www.fontanalib.org.
• The Franklin Appalachian Trail Community Council meets at 10 a.m. every second Tuesday in Franklin. Contact Kristina Moe at kmoe@fontanalib.org for location. Franklintraildays.com.
FARMAND GARDEN
⦁ “Planting in a Post-Wild World” - part of the Zahner Lecture Series – will be presented at 6 p.m. on July 19 at the Nature Center at the Highlands Biological Station. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2221.
⦁ Power of the Produce Club for children will meet at 10 a.m. on the last three Saturdays in July (21 & 28) at the Jackson County Farmers Market. Educational activities and prizes. For more info: 393.5236.
• Fifteen vendors from across the country will display a variety of native plants from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, during the final day of the 35th annual Cullowhee Native Plant Conference at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center in Cullowhee. http://nativeplants.wcu.edu or 227.7397.
• The Haywood County Plant Clinic is open every business day at the Haywood County Extension Center on Raccoon Road in Waynesville. To discuss any gardening problem, call 456.3575 or stop by.
• Local farmers can stop by the Cooperative Extension Office on Acquoni Road from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every fourth Friday to learn about USDA Farm Service Agency programs in the 2014 Farm Bill. Info: 488.2684, ext. 2 (Wednesday through Friday) or 524.3175, ext. 2 (Monday through Wednesday).
• The Macon County Poultry Club of Franklin meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative Extension Office on Thomas Heights Rd, Open to the public. 369.3916.
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.
Outdoors
• The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will continue its “Smokies Service Days” volunteer program on Saturday, July 21 at Crosby. Sign-up: 865.436.1278 or logan_boldon@partner.nps.gov.
• Train History Day is from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, at the Cradle of Forestry in America near Brevard. Includes a talk on local logging history at 10:30 a.m. Focus is on old logging trains. 877.3130.
• Learn how to identify summer and fall wildflowers
• A cycling ride exploring the Fire Mountain Trail System in Cherokee will be offered at 6 p.m. every other Thursday, rides started on April 12. Participants will divide into a beginner group and a non-beginner group, with 60 to 90 minutes on the trail each time. Organized by the Nantahala Area Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, with an event page at www.facebook.com/NantahalaAreaSORBA/. nantahala.area.sorba@gmail.com.
• A cycling ride exploring the Western Carolina University mountain bike trails will be offered at 6 p.m. every other Thursday, begin on April 19 in Cullowhee. Participants will meet at the N.C. Center for the
• The Nantahala Hiking Club holds a Saturday Work Hike on the fourth Saturday of each month. 369.1983.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to assist the Trails Forever trail crew for a rehabilitation project on the Rainbow Falls Trail from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. every Wednesday starting in May. Sign up or get more info: 497.1949, Adam_Monroe@nps.gov or https://friendsofthesmokies.org/trailsforever/volunteer.
• A Spay/Neuter Clinic is offered from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays at 182 Richland Street in Waynesville. As low as $10. 452.1329.
• North Carolina residents are invited to participate in the “NC’s Candid Critters” – the largest camera trap
• The ‘Whee Farmers Market, Cullowhee runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through the end of October, at the University Inn on 563 North Country Club Drive in Cullowhee. 476.0334 or www.facebook.com/CullowheeFarmersMarket.
• The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the end of October at 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville. 456.1830 or vrogers12@att.net.
H IKING CLUBS
⦁ Friends of the Smokies will hold a 7.2-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail on Thursday, July 19. $20 for current members; $35 for new members. Hike.FriendsOfTheSmokies.org.
MarketPlace information:
The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.
Rates:
■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.
■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads,
■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.
■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2. If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.
■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.
■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.
■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.
■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.
Classified Advertising:
Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com
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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.
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The naturalist’s corner
BY DON H ENDERSHOT
Continuing red wolf saga
U.S. Fish and Wildlife (F&W) held a public meeting regarding proposed rule changes to its Red Wolf Recovery Plan. According to Defenders of Wildlife’s Ben Prater, this public meeting echoed most of the other polls and/or comment periods regarding the recovery plan.
“Of the 22 people who spoke only two were opposed to the red wolf program,” Prater noted.
My last Naturalist’s Corner on July 3 also highlighted this public support: “… results of the last public comment period from 2016 showed that 99 percent of responders 54,992 out of 55,087 supported the recovery of wild red wolves even 68.4 percent of comments from the current five-county region of the state where wild wolves are found supported the recovery.”
It is hard to ferret out how a program with such overwhelming public support appears to be drawing its last breaths. North Carolina’s own Wildlife Resources Commission is one of the harshest critics of the program, asking Congress to end the recovery program and declare the red wolf extinct. NCWRC said F&W had failed to
meet population goals and the red wolf was negatively impacting other native species.
Hunters in the region also claimed red wolves were killing too many deer. However, a 2015 article in The Raleigh News & Observer stated, “The reality is that even with the coyotes and wolves, the total deer harvest by hunters in Tyrrell County (where one strident wolf opponent has a hobby farm) has risen by 375 percent since the start of the red wolf recovery program in 1987.”
The next obstacle that has gained prominence is the worry of hybridization with coyotes — and yes red wolves and coyotes do hybridize, and if it happened on a massive scale, it would likely mean the end of genetically pure red wolves. But there are a couple of caveats to this scenario. F&W had a protocol in place to sterilize coyotes in the region, thus creating what they dubbed “placeholders.” These placeholders would guard their territory from other coyotes while not being able to deplete the red wolf gene pool.
And, as most biologists know, a healthy, robust red wolf population has very little danger of being either displaced or overly mixed with coyotes. The two don’t get along and the red wolf is the “big” dog. A 2015
study in “Biological Conservation” found the placeholder protocol to be effective.
According to the study, “From 1999 to 2013, red wolves displaced or killed 51 out of 182 sterile “placeholder” coyotes …” It went on to note, “Placeholders provided territo-
ries for wolves to colonize, yet reduced the production of hybrid litters, thereby limiting genetic introgression to less than 4 percen t coyote ancestry in the wolf population.”
Another concern being raised cannot be answered by paws on the ground. A 2016 study by Bridgett M. vonHoldt et al declared that the red wolf was actually a hybrid whose DNA was about 25 percent wolf and 75 percent coyote. Opponents of red wolf recovery quickly jumped on the bandwagon, declaring the red wolf couldn’t be protected by the endangered species act because it is, in fact a hybrid.
But other researchers disagree. Lisette
Waits, distinguished professor of natural resources at University of Idaho, believes, “It is important for them to understand that the conclusions stated in the vonHoldt et al paper are not universally supported by the scientific community, and there are alternative interpretations and remaining questions about the evolutionary history of canids in North America.”
While the fate of the red wolf may ultimately be decided by its genetic composition, don’t expect a quick resolution. Scientific consensus on such a challenging and complicated issue is likely years, if not decades, down the road.
In the meantime F&W, after a 2012 review of the science regarding the red wolf’s genetic makeup decided the wolf was a distinct species, so until that opinion changes, F&W is charged with protecting the red wolf.
The comment period is still open through July 24. To comment electronically go to www.regulations.gov and search for FWS-R4-ES-2017-0006, which is the docket number for this action. You may submit a comment by clicking on “Comment Now!” You may comment by hard copy by mail to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWSR4-ES-2017-0006; Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.
(Don Hendershot is a naturalist and a writer who lives in Haywood County. He can be reached at ddihen1@bellsouth.net)
