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July 30-August 5, 2014 Vol. 16 Iss. 09

Hazelwood residents question prison project Page 8 Tapping into WNC craft beer Page 24

Summer camps aim to bring struggling readers up to state standards

CONTENTS On the Cover: When the state legislature first passed a law that third graders who failed a three-hour standardized reading test would have to get up to snuff during a summer reading camp or be held back, educators state-wide were outraged at the one-size-fits-all approach. But with a suite of changes to the 2012 law following — some as late as June, when the first year of summer reading camp was in full swing — school districts and parents are feeling a lot more favorably toward the program. With most local counties now wrapping up their first year of Read to Achieve camp, students are finding out where they fall and district leaders are stepping back to evaluate how their first stab at running summer reading camp went. (Page 5)

News Skateboarding in the dark is tricky, but getting lights at the park is pricey . . 4 Hazelwood residents leery of prison-turned-halfway-house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 WNC residents get a public fracking hearing closer to home . . . . . . . . . . 11 Swain County joins Sylva and Webster in stand against fracking. . . . . . . . 11 Maggie Valley’s landslide triggers flurry of lawsuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Lake Junaluska merger with Waynesville sidelined until next year . . . . . . . 15 Optimism exceeds available funding in quest for library in Bryson . . . . . . . 16 Canton considers public alcohol consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The sale of regional MedWest hospitals to Duke LifePoint closes . . . . . . . 18 Waynesville recommits to Folkmoot USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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A bright idea Skaters say park needs lighting

July 30-August 5, 2014

BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS E DITOR Austin Fore calls it “a blessing.”

“If I’m not there every other day I’m bummed,” the Clyde skateboarder said.

Fore is quick to sing the praises of the Waynesville Skate Park. The nearly half-million dollar facility opened in the fall of 2013 after a long push from the skating community.

“In my opinion, it’s the nicest park around here,” Fore said. “Could be my favorite park I’ve ever skated.”

But the Haywood County skateboarder does have one complaint about the park.

There are no lights. When the sun goes down

INTO THE LIGHTS Western North Carolina offers up a selection of skate parks. Skaters up for a drive can venture between parks in Asheville, Hendersonville, Cherokee and Waynesville.

Professional skateboarder Jared Lee enjoys the Waynesville Skate Park. Luke Sutton photo

it can get dicey, and he’d like to see this change with the addition of lights to the park.

“Kids still want to be out there skating, but it gets dangerous — a little piece of moss you can’t see,” Fore said.

Professional skateboarder and Waynesville resident Jared Lee agrees.

Adding lights, he said, “makes total sense.”

“Out West it’s a no-brainer that all the parks have lights,” said Lee. The professional skater was a proponent of the park since its inception. And he’s been thinking about lights at the skate park nearly as long as he’s been thinking about the skate park.

“Once we got the park it just seemed like the next natural thing is to get lights,” Lee said.

But don’t look for after-hour allies or illuminated handplants anytime soon. Lights cost money, and at the moment there is none. The town of Waynesville paid for most of the park’s construction, and it just isn’t willing to take on the additional $40,000 or 4 so that lighting could cost.

Smoky Mountain News

But there is optimism, in the skating community at least. They put the mission in perspective: it may be difficult to find the funding to put lights in the skate park, but certainly not as difficult as getting the park itself built.

“It was really hard to get money for the skate park because it was such a big idea,” said Lee. “I think the lights will be easier.”

said.

Fore points to younger skaters. Once they head into fall, the school day and academics don’t make a daylight trip to the skate park feasible.

“They don’t even have a chance to get out there and skate,” he said.

Waynesville Parks and Recreation Director Rhett Langston doesn’t doubt that skaters would stay longer if the park were lit.

“Our park could stay open until 10 o’clock,” he said. “I don’t doubt that for a second.”

Lee would like to see his home park become the first in the region to get lights so that skaters could enjoy the park longer, particularly in the fall and winter months.

“It’d be really nice to lead the path on that,” Lee said.

If the park had lights, the skater said, it would serve to draw more people to the area. It would, in theory, generate additional visitor dollars assuming visiting skaters spent money while in town.

“We have some of the best parks in the state, which is kind of crazy being a rural area,” said Lee. “We just got lucky with who designed and built our parks.”

Lee’s got friends that come over from Asheville to skate Waynesville’s park. But they complain that it’s difficult to make it over after work and before it gets dark.

Not that his friends could skate a park after dark in Asheville, either.

“None of them have lights,” Lee explained.

It’s summer right now, and the sun stays out late. That’ll change soon, when the students go back to school and the dark descends before dinner.

“Come fall and winter, once you get off work at four or five you have maybe an hour, an hour and a half before it gets dark,” Lee

Lee guesses that upping the game on Waynesville’s already-solid skate park could even impact some tourists’ travel plans.

Skaters take vacations too, and all the better if their destinations have skate parks.

“That’s how I plan most of my vacations,” Lee said.

FLASHLIGHTS AND FEASIBILITY For years, there was a call for the town of Waynesville to have a skate park. It was sold as a place for kids to hang out and do something active, but the price tag was high.

A commendable chunk of the $445,000 total was divvied up among a variety of parties. About ten grand was netted in private donations, the town secured a $60,000 grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust

“Once we got the park it just seemed like the next natural thing is to get lights.”

— Jared Lee

Interested in helping?

Anyone interesting in helping raise funds for a lighting system in the skate park, or anyone interested in making a donation, may contact the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department at 828.456.2030 or Jared Lee at 828.400.1252.

Fund, the Waynesville Kiwanis Club donated $20,000 and international skateboarding legend Tony Hawk’s foundation threw in $5,000.

But the town of Waynesville footed the remaining $350,000 of the bill. Town alderman Gary Caldwell was instrumental in nurturing the skate park into being, but he can’t see how the town could contribute any money towards a lighting system for the park.

“Because the town has spent so much as it is,” Caldwell said.

Waynesville will be doing an assessment of the town’s recreational needs soon. It will include visioning and a public input session.

“The key component is getting public feedback — what they would deem as the greatest need,” said Langston.

Out of that assessment process will come a priority list. Langston doesn’t know if skate park lighting will make the top spots.

“We want to make that determination first before we go sticking lighting everywhere,” he said. “This would be a great opportunity for the skaters to voice their opinion that lighting is needed.”

Even if lighting at the skate park is deemed the most important recreational need in town, there’s still no guarantee of funds. Lee understands that.

“They’re just not really in a place they can give us more money right now,” the skater said.

To that end, Lee and Langston are among a small group of people who have met a handful of times to discuss possible ways to pay for lights at the park.

“We do need help. We can’t ask the town for help,” Lee said.

The group is brainstorming. Exploring grant possibilities. Lee is hoping for community buy-in, literally.

“I think there are people out there and businesses that may be willing to support a skate park,” he said.

The price tag still lives in an elusive range.

“Some of the figures, I almost hesitate to throw anything out there because there hasn’t been anything consistent,” said Langston, estimating lights would cost upward of $10,000.

Lee and Fore ballpark the project in the $40,000 to $50,000 neighborhood. But that amount doesn’t scare them.

“As a long-term plan, getting lights up by next winter,” Fore said, “I think it’s totally feasible.”

Until then, Fore will continue to skate until dark. And some may skate a little longer.

“I’ve seen kids out there with flashlights before,” Fore said. “You know, one kid’s got a flashlight and one kid’s skating.”

Carson Angel proudly displays her collection of reading projects as she leaves her last day of summer camp. Students used sticky-note summaries (right) as one strategy for keeping track of what they read. Holly Kays photos

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TRACKING THE LAW North Carolina’s new Read to Achieve law isn’t quite as clear-cut as fail-a-test, attend-acamp. The law passed in 2012, but legislators were making changes to it up until June of this year, when many reading camps were already in session.

“It’s almost like we’re building the plane as we’re flying it,” said Terri Hollifield, Title I director for Jackson County Schools.

No one really knew how Read to Achieve would come together, because the pieces weren’t even all in place at the time the law’s implementation began. For instance, instead of passing the EOG, the original law stated that students could instead demonstrate proficiency through a portfolio. The portfolio would consist of three pieces for each of 12 reading standards, a total of 36. Each piece includes a reading passage and a series of multiple-choice questions at the end.

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Smoky Mountain News

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER arson Angel is excited to show off her reading skills as she waits outside East Franklin Elementary for her mom to pick her up. From the pile of hand-colored posters, worksheets and drawings at her feet, the 8-year-old picks out a small book made of quartered computer paper to read out loud.

“We had to choose six animal facts and write them into sentences,” she explains.

Each sentence is chockfull of everything you’d ever want to know about tigers. Carson had been a little too shy to read anything in front of her peers for the last-day-of-camp reading talent show, but one-on-one she’s all about it.

“I’ll be honest with you, I was not happy about summer reading,” Carson’s mom Wendy says when she arrives. “I really wasn’t.

But this has been a blessing to have Carson ready for fourth grade.”

The summer program at East Franklin, like hundreds of others around the state, was the product of a state law passed in 2012. The Read to Achieve law declared that all third graders who did not pass a standardized end-of-grade test, called the EOG, or an alternative reading test would have to attend a summer reading camp. According to the original law, any student who did not attend camp or attended but didn’t test as proficient by the end would be held back from fourth grade.

Wendy didn’t anticipate that she or her

daughter would have to worry about any of that.

“I did not expect her to not do well, and when she didn’t do well I was not prepared for that,” Wendy said.

But Carson was not alone. There are all sorts of reasons a child might fail the test that have little to do with reading ability — learning disabilities, learning English as a second language or simple lack of attention span, for starters. In Macon County, 14 children had to come to summer reading camp to work toward advancing to the fourth grade. That number was 30 in Jackson County, 20 in Swain County and 47 in Haywood County.

Numbers for each district varied depending on demographics, schools and how many children were enrolled in each county.

July 30-August 5, 2014

Western counties work to satisfy state law, get young readers on track

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The need to achieve

The problem? It took a while for those pass. The General Assembly’s latest decision passages to be developed. Teachers didn’t ushered in some new exemptions for students even get them until January, leaving just a few with disabilities. For example, students with short months to feed students the 36 tedious legitimate disabilities that set them at least worksheets. That meant a lot of cramming, two years behind grade level in reading no and desire for a safety net in case of a failed longer had to pass the test and therefore did EOG come springtime meant that a lot of stu- not have to attend camp. dents had to work at the passages who probaThough, technically, nobody else did, bly should never have been given them. either. Another change made it a parent’s “I can see from a district perspective on choice whether to send their child to camp how they would want to give everybody a and said that, while the testing outcome chance to build a portfolio, but some children would be a big factor in deciding whether a just weren’t ready for it,” said Carolyn child would move on to fourth grade, promoGuthrie, director of K-3 literacy for the N.C. tion would be a joint decision of the principal Department of Public Instruction. and teacher.

The vision, Guthrie said, was for teachers “There’s a whole lot of administrator disto have these passages as another tool to help cretion because they know the students and students they felt could read on grade level they know what they feel will be best,” said but might not do well on the EOG. Instead, Jackie Smith, director of accountability for they got a bad name as equating to 36 more Swain County Schools. tests.

Educators had decried the original law as While teachers were trying to contend one-size-fits-all, and while they still have with working in the reading passages in dou- some issues with the current form, in general ble time, more changes were afoot. As the the reaction is positive.

DPI worked to make the law into a set of rules “The original design was horrible. It was school districts could implement, they found just horrible,” said Bill Nolte, associate supermore and more things that needed to be intendent at Haywood County Schools. “I changed. think more reasonable minds probably preOne change that gave educators a lot of vailed in the end, and we got something that relief was the introduction of an alternative from our perspective is pretty good. We got assessment. Provided that the district board of education verified their validity and the state board approved them, districts could come up with other ways besides the EOG and Read to Achieve test, given to third-graders who failed the EOG, for students to demonstrate proficiency.

That’s the test that Carson passed, and the alternative format might have been what made the difference, her mother said. At three hours long, the end-of-year test can be a doozy, especially for an 8-year-old. Though Swain County didn’t use any kind of alternative assessment, Macon, Jackson and Haywood counties all used the Reading 3D alternative “I’ll be honest with you, I was not assessment for their struggling happy about summer reading. But students.

“I think it was that the reading this has been a blessing to have part was too long and she lost attention,” Wendy said. “This test Carson ready for fourth grade.” was broken up differently.”

— Wendy Angel, mother Reading 3D breaks testing up into segments and involves the student reading a passage out loud to a an opportunity to extend learning for our stuteacher before completing some written com- dents who have the most difficulty learning, prehension questions. and that was funded by the state.”

Changes to Read to Achieve have also Each district implemented the program a allowed some flexibility as to how reading little differently, working to design somecamp is scheduled. The original law said it thing that wouldn’t seem like drudgery but had to be at least six weeks long, four or five would still somehow get lagging students up days per week and include at least three hours to that magic scale score. of instruction each day.

“When the new law came out it said they ACON OUNTY had to be 72 hours in length and at least three weeks long, so it gave districts flexibility,” Macon County emphasized a camp-like Guthrie said. atmosphere in planning its program.

Another big change that came through at Students did reading work in intensive small the last minute — literally, as summer school groups, but there was also a lot of movement, students were already in the midst of reading S EE R EAD, PAGE 6 5 camp — was a revision of who exactly had to

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R EAD, CONTINUED FROM 5 recess twice a day, drawings for prizes and on the last day of camp, an afternoon of fun. Ice cream, a dramatic reading of Eric Carl’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the chance to pet a goat — while also watching teachers and Superintendent Chris Baldwin kiss that goat — were all part of the post-test celebration.

“They all know they’re here because they’re struggling with reading,” said Diane Cotton, literacy specialist for Macon County Schools. “Some of them are aware of the test.

None of them seem to be stressed. They’re all running around and playing and excited about what they’re doing.”

Asked whether reading camp was more like working or more like playing, students replied

Students pet a goat as a last-day reward in Macon County.

Smoky Mountain News

July 30-August 5, 2014

Holly Kays photo

that it was kind of both before pulling out their portfolios of words and drawings to share.

Of course, plenty of work did happen during camp. Classrooms were hung with story maps and lists of reading strategies. For four weeks, buses picked students up from their homes and brought them to camp four days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., ending with an end-of-camp test July 24. They spent the time meeting with their teachers in small groups, working on phonics, practicing taking notes by placing sticky-note summaries on each page of their books.

The camp included more than just the 14 students the school district was required to invite, too. Because of the last-minute changes to who would be required to pass, Macon, like many other counties, wound up with some empty spots. They invited other students who could also use some work on reading and ended up with 37 campers.

JACKSON COUNTY

The scene in a Smoky Mountain Elementary School classroom last week was a far cry from the goat-kissing, ice-cream eating celebration that followed the end-of-camp test at East Franklin. With the latest end date of the four counties in The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area, Jackson County’s last summer reading program doesn’t end until Aug. 7, with the Blue Ridge School program finishing up a week earlier on July 31.

And also unlike Macon’s, the Jackson program is divided among different locations throughout the county, with separate programs at Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountain and a consolidated program of the other 6 three schools at Cullowhee Valley. Buses pick

students up from their homes. Jackson County spread its summer camp out to six weeks but does only half a day — 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. — at a time.

Last Thursday, the three students reporting to Smoky Mountain Elementary were hard at work, rotating between one-on-one time with teacher Leslie Buchanan and work with a computer reading program.

“We’re all over the room,” Buchanan said.

“We aren’t just sitting at that table all day long.”

Today, work focused on a Time for Kids article about Helen Keller. From that, students worked on skills such as separating interesting details from important details and coming up with text evidence. For example, Buchanan asked the students to tell her about some characteristics that describe Keller — and then asked them how they knew. Sure, she’s brave. But what in the text tells you that she’s brave?

“I really feel like we’re helping,” Buchanan said. “We talk about the summer slump a lot and I really feel like this is going to help that not happen.”

Her students haven’t taken their end-ofcamp test yet, but she’s already seeing improvements. Though still a good ways away from the reading level they need to reach to pass, the students have all improved from where they were at the beginning of camp.

“With such a small group, you really can get some work done,” Hollifield said.

John McCollough, whose son Mai-Pai attends the Smoky Mountain camp, agrees.

Though the district offers a school bus, John picks his son up from school every day, and he doesn’t mind doing it.

“His improvement is noticeable,” John said, “and I believe we should always encourage any kind of enhancement of their skill level.”

Mai-Pai enjoys math and does well there, but he’s not so much into the reading, John said.

“It has too much words,” Mai-Pai said of camp during a snack break. Still, he said, camp doesn’t completely feel like work. It can also feel like play too.

“He gets up, gets dressed, he’s ready to go in the morning,” his dad said. “He’s like any kid. He’d just as soon play video games or go to the beach, but he’s ready to go.”

SWAIN COUNTY Swain County has already finished its camps, sent the kids home and scored the test. Though the law’s done some twisting and turning, Swain didn’t much change its format as the law morphed.

“Our plans were pretty well in place regardless of legislation,” said Mike Treadway, the district’s director of exceptional children. “We were focused on offering something that the kids would find enjoyable, something that would expose them to activities beyond the scope of the normal school year.”

The district aimed for more of a summer camp format, even inviting children from the Department of Parks and Recreation’s day camp to join the 37 children attending

through the school. Buses picked children up from the two elementary schools as well as other central community hubs. In all, 68 children attended the summer reading program, housed at Swain Middle School.

Kids got to do fun stuff, but there was also plenty of intense work. Students were put into groups based on ability, with class sizes ranging from four to 10 third-graders per teacher. The four-week camp included a morning of focused reading instruction, 911:30 a.m., lunchtime and then an afternoon filled with project-based learning until the day ended at 2 p.m.

Feedback from parents and students was positive, Treadway said, and in the future he’d like to see the program expand even more.

“We’d like to get more kids involved,” he said. “We’d like to be able to make it even a larger outward bound experience. We didn’t do a great deal of traveling with them and we’d like to be able to do that.”

HAYWOOD COUNTY For Haywood County, the priority was to use Read to Achieve funds to give students the most focused, tailored instruction possible.

Though other counties extended the summer camp invitation to students they weren’t required to offer it to, Haywood kept the invites confined to the 47 students who hadn’t passed the end-of-year reading assessment.

While each county faced a mandate to put

Dollars and cents

on a reading camp, it was up to them how to design it.

“Our whole goal here was to help as many students reach grade level as possible,” Nolte said, adding, “Our goal was not to take the summer reading program and make it an enhancement and enrichment program for students who are already on grade level.”

Haywood students attending the camp plowed right into summer reading work as soon as the regular school year ended.

Administrators wanted to avoid summer camp dovetailing right into the beginning of the new school year, and they were also afraid that once kids and parents got a taste of summer’s freedom from the routine of school it would be hard to reel them back in.

For four weeks, students came to Clyde Elementary School from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., four days per week. Buses picked kids up from their home schools — parents had to get them that far — and took them to Clyde, the most centrally located school in the system.

With an average 3:1 student-teacher ratio, small group was the name of the game.

Children were divided up based on reading level, with a typical classroom containing six to eight children and two teachers. The day would be a mix of individual, whole group and small group work, though as Nolte pointed out, even the whole group was still a small group.

Rather than using a hodgepodge of reading passages and storybooks to drill students on reading skills, Haywood used a curriculum

How it shook out

When the first Read to Achieve law HAYWOOD COUNTY: passed the state legislature, district leaders • 535 third graders trembled in fear of what an unfunded — or • 47 needing summer camp to work toward even partially-funded — mandate could do grade level to their less-than-ample budgets. But as • 17 proficient at the end of summer camp it’s now written, districts found themselves able to offer summer camp without tightenJACKSON COUNTY: ing the belt in other areas. All districts • 280 third graders interviewed were able to offer camp without • 30 needing summer camp to work toward using any local dollars. Here’s the breakgrade level down of state funding by county: • Summer camp still in progress • Macon County: $53,961 state money • Haywood County: $86,316 state money MACON COUNTY: • Swain: $37,640 state money • 330 third graders • Jackson: $60,000 state money • 14 needing summer camp to work toward However, an educator’s wish list for getgrade level ting the children who Read to Achieve • 2 proficient at the end of summer camp serves on track for success would include more than that.

SWAIN COUNTY: “In my ideal world we would have • 146 third graders enough staff that we could continue to • 20 needing summer camp to work toward serve those students with three- to five-stugrade level dent intervention groups,” said Diane • 3 proficient at the end of summer camp Cotton, literacy specialist for Macon County Schools, “but losing our assistants, it’s getting to where it’s almost impossible to have those small groups.”

Due to budget cuts, there aren’t any teaching assistants in second and third grade at Macon County schools, and first grade teachers typically have to share assistants between them. Kindergarten teachers do have assistants.

Some districts are looking for new solutions to make the most out of the staff they do have, such as Jackson County’s move to the Daily 5, a teaching strategy for reading that has students move between stations independently so the teacher can pull small groups throughout the day.

“We have a greater need for more small groups because not only our struggling readers, our advanced readers need to have small groups so they can improve,” said Terri Hollifield, Title 1 director for Jackson County Schools. “We don’t want them to get stagnant.”

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July 30-August 5, 2014

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In addition to the now-infamous Read to Achieve test, the legislation also calls for an entrance exam of sorts for kindergarteners.

Nothing to do with paper and pencil — more of an observational assessment in which a teacher takes a student aside one-on-one and asks him to perform tasks like naming letters and pointing out parts of a book.

“It just gives you a feel for where the children are when they start into kindergarten in North Carolina so you will know where to start with them,” Guthrie said. “Read to Achieve is all about looking back at these K, 1 and 2 grades, identifying where children are early and what those children need.”

Of course, that whole steady pace of work approach did nothing for third-grade teachers this year, who found themselves trying to get students up to standard based on everchanging laws and a packet of sample reading passages that weren’t even released till after Christmas. And though Hollifield agrees that the intent of the legislation is on track, she’s not sure that the pressure will ever truly shift from third-grade teachers with the system as it is now.

“I agree with what they’re saying. I think what I’m opposed to is I know the third-grade teachers are feeling like so much has come down on them,” Hollifield said, adding, “I think third grade has become that grade that nobody wants to teach, and that’s not OK.” There’s also social stigma to consider, Moss said. A child held back in first grade might not really know what’s happening or feel bad about himself because of it, but a third grader is likely to be fully aware.

“By third grade, kids are cognizant of the social stigma,” Moss said.

Haywood Associate Superintendent Bill Nolte said teachers try to identify kids who could benefit from repeating a grade well before the end of third grade, with most retentions happening in kindergarten and first grade. Statewide, about 3 percent of thirdgraders are held back each year. Before changes to the law offered increased flexibility of testing criteria, that number could have multiplied to 30 percent in some school districts.

Third grade is a logical cut-off though, Guthrie said, because it’s the turning point at which curriculum shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. A student with marginal reading skills might get along OK in first and second grade, but by fourth grade she really needs to have her reading skills down to succeed.

To wit, a 2011 study funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that children not reading adequately by third grade will continue to struggle with school. Ultimately, they have a dropout rate that’s four times higher than their peers.

Studies aside, there are plenty of moving parts when it comes to testing, education and future implications. But one fact stays the same, John McCollough said, and it’s the reason why he has no problem bringing his son to as many days of summer camp as Jackson County offers.

Like it or not, reading is important.

“Whenever someone asks me how I learned how to do something,” McCollough said, “I say ‘Because I learned to read.’”

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classmates didn’t. But regardless, nearly everybody made improvements.

“It was a struggle, but they all showed growth so we are very pleased with that,” Cotton said, “And some of them showed significant growth and came very close to f passing it.”

In Swain County, Smith said, 14 of the 20 tested students showed improvement.

Haywood and Macon counties also reported high rates of improvement even among students who didn’t end up passing.

“In my opinion, the camp definitely was helpful,” Smith said.

“In the short amount of time they were able to come they might not have produced the overall results it would have had it gone longer, but it definitely helped bridge the gap between where the child performed in the Leslie Buchanan leans in while working with a student at Smoky spring and the reading Mountain Elementary’s program. Holly Kays photo goal they are ultimately trying to attain.” called Seeds of Science, a pack of materials Teachers and administrators who know the that helped students practice reading skills child have the final say in what happens to while also learning something. those who didn’t pass, but most will find “Not only did they come away with better themselves in a transitional classroom next reading skills in terms of decoding the words year. Meaning, they’ll be learning fourth grade and comprehending what they read, but they material in other subject areas but will spend also comprehended something that was actu- 90 minutes per day working on reading. ally factual,” Nolte said.

In late October, they’ll take the test again to see if they will be able to become fullfourth-graders.

HE REPORT CARD fledged “During that extra 90 minutes a day we To look at it from a strict pass/fail per- will keep providing that extra differentiated spective, it might not seem like summer camp instruction they need,” Cotton said. made a huge impact. Not many of the kids who took the Read to Achieve test at the end HY THIRD GRADE of camp achieved the necessary score to move on to fourth grade.

Few will argue that reading is a necessary In Swain County, just three of the 20 stu- skill to move forward in the world, but some dents who took the test passed, and in educators say Read to Achieve’s emphasis is Haywood County, 17 of 47 students did. In misplaced. If a child is having trouble with Macon County, two of 14 students tested pro- reading, intervention should start well before ficient. Though, interestingly enough, neither third grade. of those Macon students passed based on the “I think it should come much earlier,” three-hour state test. They both tested profi- Hollifield said. “Developmentally, that’s cient after taking the Reading 3D alternative when they need it. If they wait until third assessment. Carson was one of them. grade it’s almost a little too late.”

“She did it,” her mother said, relieved.

Though testing falls in the third grade, But it’s worth pointing out, administra- Read to Achieve isn’t all about the 8 to 9 age tors said, that a standardized scale score is group, Guthrie says. Rather, third grade is not the be-all-end-all of improvement. Many akin to the end of a race whose starting gun is summer camp students came in reading far in kindergarten. below grade level, so they had some serious “You do need to focus in on K, 1 and 2,” catching up to do. Others had learning dis- she said. “That’s where the focus needs to be, abilities or other impairments. Still others but instructionally if you truly are changing were learning English as a second language, your instruction in K, 1 and 2, the difficulties so they had a barrier to overcome that their in third grade are going to be less.”

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The old state prison in Hazelwood has been closed for three years, but a trio of Christian groups is hoping to convert the defunct campus into a soup kitchen, halfway house and homeless shelter. Holly Kays photo

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Hazelwood residents voice concerns about prison conversion

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ith the lease drawn up and fundraising underway, most people attending the Haywood County Commissioner meeting last week figured that approving the lease for a trio of Christian groups to renovate the old Hazelwood prison would be a matterof-fact agenda item. But when the public comment session opened, it became clear that all were not in favor.

“I have stressed over it and prayed it would just go away and it didn’t,” said Wanda Brooks, a Hazelwood resident who owns Alley Kats Tavern, which is just across the street from the old prison. “I don’t think it’s good for our neighborhood. I think this is a time where Hazelwood could be revitalized, and I think it’s going to bring it right back down.”

The plans for the prison’s future include turning the defunct correctional center into a homeless shelter, soup kitchen and halfway house for people recently released from jail.

Though they’re collectively calling themselves Haywood Pathways Center, each of the three arms is run by a different local organization, including Haywood Christian Emergency Shelter, The Open Door and Next Step. They hope that working together on the same campus will allow them to maximize their efforts. And, as a result, to change lives.

Brooks applauds their intentions but has some serious misgivings about the execution.

Her concerns are two-fold: first, that the cen-

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Prison protest

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ter will beat down property values in an already struggling part of town and, second, that the people it attracts will drive the crime rate up.

“Let’s put this in front of your business, and your business, and your house and everybody who wants this to go on, let’s put it in front of their house and see how they feel,” Jerry Owens, who owns a business in the neighborhood, told commissioners.

A QUESTION OF TIMING The commissioners acknowledged the concerns but were surprised to hear such strong objections raised so late in the game.

“This has been discussed now for several months, since actually the beginning of the year,” Commission Chairman Mark Swanger told Brooks.

“It was a little late really because this thing has been out in the public for quite a while,” Commissioner Mark Sorrells agreed in a later interview. “There’s been a lot of momentum behind it, a lot of solid support from the town, from the sheriff ’s department, lots of positive input, and so I was a little surprised that there was any issue with some opposition as late in the game as it was.”

Nick Honerkamp, director of the homeless shelter, said the first he heard of any objection was about two weeks ago when he was driving home from Houston. Two days later, he spent one-and-a-half hours meeting with Brooks.

“Half the meeting was dealing with half their concerns that just had misinformation, and the other part was hearing what concerns they had that were legitimate and how we could minimize that,” Honerkamp said.

Brooks said she first heard of the project when Haywood Pathways was launching its #TearDownTheseFences fundraising campaign. Brooks thought that phrase was meant literally.

“I had at least hoped the situation would be contained,” she said.

Honerkamp, however, said the plans call to tear down the existing fences but then to replace them with something more attractive, save at the entrance to the facility, and that that’s always been the case. He was also able to alleviate another one of Brooks’ fears, that the center would ship out-of-towners in for rehabilitation. Honerkamp said Haywood Pathways would serve only Haywood County residents.

But, Brooks’ lawyer Jack Kersten told commissioners, that could be hard to guarantee.

“Their [the neighborhood’s] concern is this would be a magnet for homeless all over Western North Carolina,” he said.

Brooks was also concerned about the fact that the entrance to the facility will face the residential area across the street rather than the sheriff ’s office on the other side.

“Why is the entrance to all of this, why does this happen on Hemlock Street across the street from these people’s houses?”

Kersten asked. “Why can’t the entrance be oriented to the sheriff ’s department?”

Honerkamp said he’s meeting with designers this week to look at those options.

“What we committed to Ms. Brooks was we would fully hear her concerns and do anything we could to minimize those issues she has while pursuing our mission,” Honerkamp said.

Brooks is thankful she’s being heard, but she is still not happy about the fact that the project is moving ahead.

A timeline of the prison plans

“I think it’s going to help,” she said of the possibility of reorienting the entrance. “Do I think it’s going to solve it? No.”

Haywood Pathways leaders believe fixing up the old prison will do good things for neighborhood property values, but residents fear the people the center attracts will make their homes’ value and security go down. Holly Kays photo area, even though that is where the soup kitchen is at now,” Beck said. “I don’t know why.”

A BOON OR A BOONDOGGLE? Security is only part of the neighborhood’s concern, though, Brooks said. She’s also worried that the center will damage property values that residents have long

S EE PATHWAYS, PAGE 10

Smoky Mountain News

would be opting out of the shelter’s program and therefore able to loiter in the neighborhood during the daytime.

“The number that I would anticipate using our services in Hazelwood who would not be a part of the shelter would be very minimal,” Hines said.

In addition, he said, The Open Door staff makes an effort to enforce good community effort when dispensing its services.

“If people don’t respect the community and we find out that they are displaying aberrant behavior and so forth and are not willing to rectify that,” Hines said, “certainly we’re prepared to say if you don’t respect the community, the services of The Open Door are not available to you.”

Sheriff Greg Christopher, who has “The neighborhood is already been a proponent of the project since its inception, also attended the meetacross from the sheriff’s ing and said that he doesn’t expect department and the detention crime to be much of a byproduct in the For one thing, the old prison is center and the recycling center area. directly adjacent to the sheriff ’s office.

“In any normal day at the sheriff ’s and the old prison. We believe office, I would say there’s no less than that cleaning up the prison will 30 patrol vehicles coming in and out definitely take away an eyesore of that driveway,” Christopher said.

While the Sheriff ’s Department is from the community.” available to help with any law enforcement issues in the area, he — Nick Honerkamp, homeless shelter director said, the Waynesville Police Department has jurisdiction there mother of a 6-year-old girl, worried as well. and also patrols the area carefully.

“I feel like it would be necessary for me to “Any need that would arise from the shelbasically imprison her [my daughter] in the ter, one phone call and an officer would be home when they are free to roam the streets,” there within two minutes,” said Waynesville Stephanie Cook said.

Lieutenant Brian Beck. “That is our average Perry Hines, executive director of The response time. I don’t see it being an extra Open Door, doesn’t think the soup kitchen burden on our department to keep order in will cause those kinds of issues, however. that area.”

Nearly all of the people who frequent The Beck also told commissioners that the Open Door’s current campus at Frog Level are location of the soup kitchen doesn’t necessareither homeless people who use the shelter ily coincide with the location of homeless peowhen it operates during the winter — at its ple’s camps. They used to all hang out at Frog new location the shelter will stay open year- Level, he said, even before The Open Door round — or are low-income people who have moved there, but now the camps have shifted homes to return to, many in the Hazelwood along Richland Creek to behind Walmart. area. Very few are homeless people who “A lot of our people have left the Frog Level

July 30-August 5, 2014

Principally, Brooks and her neighbors are concerned about safety. If a center dedicated to serving homeless and recently incarcerated people springs up in the neighborhood, what will that mean for parents who want to let their kids play outside in the afternoon or leave their cars parked on the street?

“It ain’t just the thing that’s there,” Joe Albert James, who works at a car wash in the area, told commissioners. “It’s what them people’s going to be doing outside of that.

It ain’t where they sleep at night and where they eat. It’s what they’re going to be doing somewhere else during the day.”

According to the Haywood Pathways leaders, however, the center won’t produce hundreds of people with nothing to do all day but loiter. The facility will shut down during the day, and both the homeless shelter and the halfway house will have structured programs that keep people busy while the sun’s up. At night, the campus will be secure with a hired security guard in place.

“Anyone can come for three nights, but after that they will be signing up for a program, a personal growth plan, a case manager,” Honerkamp said of the homeless shelter’s plan. “We are here to rehabilitate lives, not just to provide a shelter at night.”

Which is all well and good, Brooks said, but what she’s most concerned about is the soup kitchen. No program sign-up is required to get a free meal, so the people who use that service could find themselves with plenty of time to get into trouble during the day. That possibility has another Hazelwood resident, a single

• 2011 – The minimum-security state prison in Hazelwood closes.

• 2012 – Haywood County purchases the prison from the state for $1. It is never converted for another use.

• January 2014 – Leaders of the Haywood Christian Emergency Shelter, Next Step and The Open Door present to commissioners their proposal to convert the prison into a homeless shelter, halfway house and soup kitchen. Commissioners later expressed support for the project.

• March 2014 – The groups host community meetings to get input as to what the prison and its programs might look like once converted and to drum up interest in making those plans reality.

• May 2014 – The groups begin work to raise the $300,000 needed.

• June 2014 – The groups, now under the name Haywood Pathways Center, enter an online voting contest to win $50,000 and help from Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in completing the project. Haywood Pathways is at the top of the pack.

• July 2014 – The lease approval is placed on the Haywood County Commissioners’ agenda. A group of Hazelwood residents unhappy with the plans attend the meeting’s public comment period.

Commissioners vote unanimously to approve the 20-year, $1 per year lease.

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CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY

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we would see that revitalization. An investor could have come in there and bought that.”

Not that anyone is lining up.

Commissioners and Haywood Pathways leaders have been talking about the project for months, and there hasn’t been much but glowing enthusiasm from the community. But, Brooks’ lawyer said, that’s not the case in Hazelwood.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS “My client talked to over 70 neighbors today,” Kersten said. “Almost none knew anything about this. If there’s this concerted effort to involve the neighborhood and make certain they’re along for this ride and they’re

Brooks’ business, Alley Kats Tavern, is directly across the street from the old prison. Holly Kays photo PATHWAYS, CONTINUED FROM 9

Smoky Mountain News

July 30-August 5, 2014

hoped to see shoot back up. Brooks often gets musical acts into her bar and relates the story of one musician looking across the street and saying, “If that goes in, you might as well close your doors.”

“People have held onto these properties in hopes of getting some values and being able to sell and get out of there, and they don’t think it’s going to happen now,” Brooks said.

Honerkamp, however, doesn’t see it that way.

“The neighborhood is already across from the sheriff ’s department and the detention center and the recycling center and the old prison,” he said. “We believe that cleaning up

the prison will definitely take away an eyesore from the community.”

“My prayer would be that it would revitalize the area and actually be a boon to the whole community,” Hines said, “not only in dollars and cents financially, but be a boon in terms of the enthusiasm of the community knowing that there’s something positive and productive in people’s lives.”

Sure, said Brooks, but couldn’t the community wait for someone different to be the one removing that eyesore?

“It was hard before because it was in Hazelwood,” Brooks said of her business. “It’s going to be even harder now. I feel like if the commissioners had just held off a little while

— Wanda Brooks, owner, Alley Kats Tavern

all for it, why didn’t someone take the time and trouble to think, ‘Gee, do these folks who live across the street want this to happen?”

Back in February, the Smoky Mountain News did just that, visiting the neighborhood to talk to people about their thoughts on the project. Close to a dozen people were interviewed, and many of those were aware of the

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“I think this is a time where Hazelwood could be revitalized, and I think it’s going to bring it right back down.”

plans. Reactions were mixed, varying from full-fledged support to trepidation.

Though Haywood Pathways did no canvassing itself, Honerkamp said, the group felt that the plans were well enough in the public eye that any major objection would have come to light.

“We felt like this was no secret to anyone and if there was concerns, they would be addressed before now,” Honerkamp said.

Though Brooks acknowledged that, in fact, many people in the neighborhood were aware of the plans, she pointed out that a decision to come forward with objections isn’t so easy.

“I would say more than anything it’s the fear of the backlash of going against the church and the sheriff,” Brooks said. “Not that I think the sheriff would come after me because he’s good. He means to do good. They all do. But would they want it in their front yard?”

Despite objections from the Hazelwood residents, commissioners voted unanimously to approve the lease, which gives the groups use of the property for $1 per year for 20 years. The reason, Sorrells said, was that the process was at its end and he didn’t hear any concerns from the public that residents, the sheriff ’s office and Haywood Pathways couldn’t work out between them.

However, commissioners will be keeping an eye on the progress and its effect on the community.

“If a year from now you see problems are not being addressed, come back and talk to us,” Swanger told the audience. “At this point in this process, I think that’s as fair a resolution as we can have.”

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Swain passes fracking resolution

raises environmental concerns about issues such as groundwater contamination.

“We are opposed because we have 14 percent of the land base that’s taxable land,” said Commissioner David Monteith of his publicland heavy county. “If they get in here and drill and screw up the water table for our little ol’ 14 percent … we didn’t feel like they ought to be getting in here screwing up what little private land we have.”

In addition to Swain County, local governing bodies with Jackson County have also passed anti-fracking resolutions. In July, first Webster and then Sylva town boards passed resolutions. In August, Forest Hills officials will consider a similar resolution.

The resolutions are entirely symbolic. The newly passed state law stipulates that local governments have no authority to ban fracking.

“The state legislature has taken our power away as far as local jurisdictions,” King said, “but we’re just trying to make everybody aware.”

T

BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS E DITOR Swain County recently passed a resolution in opposition to fracking.

“Are you familiar with what fracking is?” asked Swain County Commissioner Steve Moon. “That’s why we’re opposed to it.”

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method of natural gas exploration that involves using a mixture of water and chemicals to pump natural gas to the surface. The N.C. General Assembly passed a law earlier this year allowing for hydraulic fracturing in the state.

Proponents contend that fracking is safe and will provide a source of both energy and jobs. Critics — which include a unanimous Swain commission — argue that the practice

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to make their comments. Everything will be recorded.

Womack explained that, except for a reading off of an overview of the hearing, the conversation will be one-way. The format calls for a collection of public comments sans response from the commission.

“We’re not allowed really to enter into conversation,” said Womack.

Since the state legislature green-lighted fracking, opposition has mounted in pockets of the west. In addition to citizen interest, several local governments have passed resolutions against fracking, citing possible environmental pollution.

“We certainly are aware that that is going on, as is the legislature,” said Womack.

The local resolutions are purely symbolic.

Local governments are not allowed to ban fracking.

“Local jurisdictions have no authority to restrict or prohibit drilling,” Womack said.

“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some bearing. When they go to that extent of passing a resolution like that, even thought it’s symbolic, it’s still meaningful.”

The MEC chair said that the passage of such anti-fracking resolutions does not jive with state law and is “probably not a good thing.”

“It sends a signal to industry that the welcome mat has not been rolled out,” Womack said.

The chair encouraged people to take note of public officials responsible for passing such local resolutions so that they could “go to the ballot box armed with that information.”

“If you disagree with them you ought to let them know because that’s not the state’s view,” said Womack. “That’s already been decided.”

July 30-August 5, 2014

BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS EDITOR he North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission has scheduled a public hearing on fracking for Western North Carolina. The hearing is slated for Sept. 12 on the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee.

Input gathered at the hearing will be taken into account as the MEC Commission hammers out the rules and regulations that will govern fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, in North Carolina. State lawmakers this year gave the thumbs-up to the method of natural gas exploration.

Jim Womack, chairman of the MEC Commission, said the unanimous decision to schedule the Cullowhee hearing was made because commissioners felt that “we should give voice to the people of the west.”

The MEC had previously scheduled three public hearings on fracking in August. One was in Sanford, another in Raleigh and the third in Reidsville. All hours away for western residents.

Although anyone may submit public comment by mail or electronically, western environmental organizations had called for the commission to schedule a hearing in Western North Carolina.

“We are excited that this additional hearing will allow many more folks who are several hours away from the other scheduled hearings to participate,” said Hope Taylor, executive director for Clean Water NC. “We expect that a large number will attend and testify. We will be encouraging large turnout and informed, substantive comments about the many major problems with the draft Oil and Gas rules.”

The hearing will last about four hours.

Public speakers will be given three minutes

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Canton gets new fire chief

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The Town of Canton has selected J. Derek Littlejohn as its next fire chief. Littlejohn has been employed with the Canton Fire Department for the past 28 years and has served in numerous capacities including firefighter, shift lieutenant and captain.

He was appointed interim fire chief in January 2014 after the retirement of Chief Jimmy Campbell.

Littlejohn is a seasoned professional with a wealth of credentials. In addition, he holds certifications in Code Enforcement, Fire Inspection, Fire Law and Administration, and Hazmat Response. As interim chief, Littlejohn oversaw the execution of an automatic aid agreement between Canton and its neighboring fire J. Derek Littlejohn departments, which drastically increased the level of service for Canton residents by adding additional forces for emergency calls.

“By strengthening interlocal cooperation, building regional partnerships, and planning for the future, Chief Littlejohn has already begun to usher in significant changes to the department and I am confident he will carry on Canton’s legacy as an effective, highly accountable agency,” says Town Manager Seth Hendler-Voss. “He also has a superb team of passionate professionals working alongside him and together they will build a safer, more secure community.”

Littlejohn will oversee 8 full-time employees, a small group of volunteers, and a budget of $701,000.

“I look forward to bringing our agency to new heights and making our community the best it can be,” Littlejohn said.

In addition to his numerous responsibilities as fire chief, Littlejohn will oversee Canton’s code enforcement program.

“Setting a new standard for building safety and aesthetics so that the quality of our built environment matches that of our beautiful natural environment is a top priority for Canton,” said Hendler-Voss.

Hicks testifies before U.S. Senate committee on positive impact of tribal gaming Michell Hicks, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, told a U.S. Senate committee in testimony on July 23 that gaming on the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina has had a “dramatic impact” on the lives of Cherokee families and especially children in ways “we never dreamed possible.”

“Before tribal government gaming came to Cherokee, our people struggled to get by in challenging economic conditions,” Hicks said, noting that the tribe was forced to depend heavily on seasonal tourism that produced mainly low-paying jobs. Families were split, Hicks added, “because people would have to travel off the reservation for work, sometimes for extended periods of time, to support their families in construction or other jobs. This situation tore at the fabric of the foundation of our society, our families.”

With the opening of the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in November 1997 came a large, complex, multiproduct enterprise and tourist destination that now attracts more than 3.1 million visitors each year. Hicks reported that “the reservation economy of the Eastern Band is in a period of strong growth.”

The casino’s economic impact extends throughout the Western North Carolina region Hicks said, “boosting per capita income from 70 percent of the state average in the mid-1990’s to more than 80 percent today….”

The chief reported that the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, funded by gaming revenues to create new businesses and initiatives, “has contributed a leveraged impact of about $99 million for additional social improvements, environmental enhancements, workforce development, and cultural preservation in the region.”

In his Senate report, Hicks also noted that the greatest and most gratifying impact of gaming resources has been on tribal children, as reflected in schools and youth programs. He talked about how the students have “sunlight in every classroom, gymnasium, library and student spaces” and about how the athletic programs were “designed to address the diabetes epidemic in our community,” Hicks pointed to research by Duke University Medical School showing the significant impact that resources from gaming can have on the well being of Cherokee children.

“The poorest children tended to have the greatest risk of psychiatric disorders, including emotional and behavioral problems. But just four years after the payments to Cherokee families from gaming revenues began, [there were] substantial improvements among those who moved out of poverty,” Hicks reported. “The frequency of behavioral problems in Cherokee children declined by 40 percent, nearly reaching the risk level of children who had never suffered from poverty.”

Minor crimes committed by Cherokee youth also declined and on-time high school graduation rates improved.

“These Cherokee youth were roughly one-third less likely to develop substance abuse and psychiatric problems in adulthood, compared with the oldest group of Cherokee children and with neighboring rural whites of the same age.

The Duke study also found that improvements to family income improved parenting quality.

“The assistance from gaming eased the strain of the feast-or-famine existence too many of our families were surviving in.”

Hicks told the Senators that direct investments made to tribal members saves both the Eastern Band and the federal government money in the long run. “[T]he Eastern Band Cherokee Tribal Government and the federal government benefit from savings in reduced criminality, a reduced need for psychiatric care, and savings gained from not repeating grades.”

Cullowhee development standards get reviewed standards or zoning regulations for Cullowhee — an area identified by the 2010 census as being the fastestgrowing portion of Jackson County.

The next Cullowhee advisory committee meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. July 31 in room 209 of the Burrell Building on the Southwestern Community College campus.

WCU Public Policy Institute to facilitate ‘Focus on Franklin’ discussion July 30

that profoundly affect the quality of life in Western North Carolina.

For more information about the “Focus on Franklin” event or other PPI initiatives, call the institute at 828.227.3898 or visit the website www.ppi.wcu.edu.

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The meeting is open to Chamber members and the public.

Registration is mandatory.

The meetings this year include a Gavin Brown wide range of speakers and topics.

Speakers range from the CEO of MedWest to those from the N.C. Department of Commerce and a meet and greet of all local political candidates.

Registration can be done online through the Chamber calendar. www.haywoodchamber.com or 828.456.3021.

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Issues and Eggs series kicks off

July 30-August 5, 2014

The Public Policy Institute of Western Carolina University and the municipality of Franklin will hold a Focus on Franklin town hall style meeting at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 30, in the Franklin Town Hall.

Facilitated by PPI staff, the meeting will provide members of the public and business owners an opportunity to talk about the town and to offer suggestions.

Surveys will be available for those who do not want to speak in public.

Among the questions the PPI will address are: What do you see as the best part of living or working in Franklin? What do you see as the biggest draws for visitors? What do you see as the worst part of living or working in Franklin? Do you believe the town government is sensitive to your needs, and why or why not?

“We are wanting folks to come in and give us an assessment of where we are going as a town, how we are going to get there and what are we going to leave for future generations,” said Franklin Mayor Bob Scott.

The Public Policy Institute was founded in 1999 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent research and outreach organization. The mission of the PPI is to generate effective public policy responses and alternatives to important political, administrative and social problems

Jackson county commissioners will decide if they want to adopt development standards or zoning regulations for Cullowhee — an area identified by the 2010 census as being the fastest-growing portion of Jackson County.

Western Carolina University is launching a new lifelong learning institute aimed at people age 50 and older across Western North Carolina who are interested in enriching their lives through the pursuit of knowledge.

The institute, based on the idea that “learning is for everyone” and titled LIFE@WesternCarolina, will feature weekly interactive seminars in Cullowhee and Asheville. Sessions will focus on a wide variety of topics spanning business, history, science, literature, politics and personal development.

LIFE@WesternCarolina is designed to extend to residents of the greater WNC community the wide array of academic resources available at the university and in the community, said Alison Morrison-Shetlar, WCU provost.

“The LIFE program is for retirees, alumni and community members seeking to engage in lifelong learning. It is for those seeking networking, community and engagement in the learning process,” Morrison-Shetlar said. “The program topics will nourish the mind, spirit and body.”

The provost described the program’s mission as “intended to enrich the quality of life for seasoned adults as they learn new things, meet new people and exchange ideas.”

The institute will include educational lectures, social opportunities and field trips as presenters, including university faculty, share expertise from a variety of backgrounds, she said.

Sessions are weekly for 12 weeks during the fall and spring semesters. Fall semester programs are tentatively scheduled to get underway Sept. 9 in Cullowhee and Sept. 10 in Asheville.

Among the proposed topics for this fall are Operations of the Biltmore House; Useful Legal Matters; Cherokee and the Seven Clans; How the Civil War Affected WNC; Native Plants; Local Scenic Hikes; Making the Theory of Evolution Clear to People Like You and Me; Storytelling in Appalachia; Seeing, Imagining and Recording: The Process of Creative Writing; Theater and Design; The Major Differences between the Core Beliefs of Conservatives and Liberals; State and Federal Politics and Trends: Impact on the Economy and Education; Terrorism and Global Threats; Being and Doing Good; and Living While Dying.

The final lineup of program topics will be announced soon.

Cost of membership in the institute is $125 per year, including 24 engaged learning experiences with opportunities to take part in additional activities related to some of the topics. Participants may attend all or as many sessions as they like.

“For example, participants might hear from the director of a play about how to develop and put on a performance, and then go and see the play,” Morrison-Shetlar said. “Or participants might hear about the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, and then go visit the town of Cherokee and see it with different eyes.”

For more information or to register for the LIFE@WesternCarolina institute, contact the Division of Educational Outreach at 828.227.7397, life@wcu.edu or visit life.wcu.edu.

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The Cullowhee Community Planning Advisory Committee will meet July 31 to review proposed development standards for the area. The proposed standards are an attempt to better define and regulate the growth occurring around Western Carolina University.

For the past year, the Cullowhee advisory committee — appointed by Jackson County commissioners — has worked to realize a vision for the currently unregulated college area. The process has included multiple public input sessions and resulted in a set of proposed development standards that lists separate zoning designations, such as commercial or varying density levels of residential, and defines what is and isn’t allowed within each area.

Following this week’s review of the draft proposals, committee members will schedule a time to trek around Cullowhee and determine which designation might be assigned to which areas.

Jackson County Planning Director Gerald Green has previously said that the committee will likely wrap up its work by the end of summer. After that, county commissioners will decide if they want to adopt development

WCU launches lifelong learning program

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Maggie Valley mudslide lands in court Couple sues huge cast of defendants for damage to home and mental distress

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER lawsuit casting blame for a massive landslide in Maggie Valley four years ago is headed to a jury trial in Haywood County this week.

A couple whose home was in the path of the landslide have sued a bevy of parties they claim are responsible.

Chiefly, they fault two sets of engineers and graders behind an extensive retaining wall that snaked a few hundred feet across the face of the mountain above their home. The suit claims the retaining wall was subpar and its collapse is what triggered the landslide — and further, that the risk of the retaining wall’s failure was known but not revealed.

“A year before the slide, this thing was showing signs of failure,” Attorney Matthew Roberson, who is representing the couple, said in court Monday. “You have Buck Mountain getting bored out by a massive landslide and our client’s house being struck by a massive wall of mud as a result.”

In addition to blaming the engineers and graders who built the wall, the suit names Ghost Town in the Sky, a mountaintop amusement park with chronic slope stability problems over the decades.

The suit accuses Steve Shiver, the former manager of Ghost Town in the Sky, of being inattentive at best to the threat posed by the strained retaining wall — and at worst, intentionally turning a blind eye to the looming risk to downslope neighbors.

could take two to three weeks.

The suit was filed in 2012. An attempt to reach a settlement during mediation was unsuccessful.

Adding to the courtroom mystique this week, one of the more high-profile people being sued has been a no-show so far.

Ghost Town’s former manager Steve Shiver, who skipped town after the park went bankrupt with a trail of bad debt, angry investors and unpaid bills, has been MIA during the nearly three years of legal filings and paperwork posturing between parties in the case. Shiver hasn’t responded to the suit and doesn’t have a lawyer defending him. He was listed by default as representing himself, but he hasn’t shown up to do that either.

July 30-August 5, 2014

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A TANGLED WEB A lawsuit claims this retaining wall was subpar and its collapse is what triggered a 2010 landslide in Maggie Valley. Patrick Parton photo Meanwhile, the engineers and builders behind the wall claim there’s no way to know what caused the landslide.

“The problem with this case is this whole mountain came down,” Bill Jones, an attorney for engineer Verlin Edwards, said in court Monday.

Jones proffered a chicken-and-egg conundrum. Did the landslide knock out the wall, or the wall fall and cause the landslide?

“Did it start at the wall? Did it start below the wall? To testify on the cause of the failure would be speculation and conjecture,” Jones said.

Such a deep bench of people being sued — six individuals in all — means a lot of lawyers in the kitchen. There were so many

lawyers trying to pack in behind the defendant’s table this week, they couldn’t all fit.

At the start of proceedings Monday, three of them took off down the hallway and returned a moment later, each wheeling an extra chair. Once they were settled, a row of seven lawyers snaked around the defendants’ table and along the wall, with boxes and giant binders of case files and exhibits mounded around them.

The attorney for the homeowners doing the suing seemed awfully outnumbered on the other side of the room.

Pretrial motions in the case were heard before Superior Court Judge William Coward on Monday. Jury selection was slated to begin Tuesday, and once a jury is seated, the trial

Smoky Mountain News

The story of the Ghost Town retaining wall

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Slope slippage had been an Achilles’ Heel for Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley over the years.

When the mountaintop was leveled off to build Ghost Town decades ago, dirt was pushed off, heaped up and piled over the side, apparently without being properly compacted. Gravity has been getting the best of it bit-by-bit ever since.

A civil suit filed by a couple who live below Ghost Town claim a massive landslide in 2010 that damaged their yard and home was due to the negligence of Ghost Town and the various engineers and graders hired between 2007 and 2009 to build and shore up retaining walls at the top of the mountain.

Here’s a timeline of the recent slope work and retaining walls at Ghost Town:

FALL 2007 - SPRING 2008 An old railroad tie retaining wall dating to the 1960s or ‘70s that was 40 feet high in places no longer seems up to the job of holding back the mountainside below Ghost Town, witnessed by a “number of blow-outs,” according to court filings.

Steve Shiver, general manager of Ghost Town at the time, hires a team to “stabilize an old crosstie retaining wall which had fallen into a state of disrepair and was in danger of failing,” according to court filings.

Verlin Edwards of Maggie Valley serves as the engineer that oversees the job. Burton Edwards, a Maggie Valley grader and Verlin Edwards’ nephew, is the main contractor. Colin Edwards, Burton’s cousin and Verlin’s son, is hired by Burton as a laborer to help with the job.

The work includes rebuilding an 80-foot-long by 40-foothigh section of the original wall, plus building a new wall that’s 380 feet long by 25 feet tall, running along the base of the existing wall to shore it up and buttress it in place. The price tag for the job is estimated between $312,000 and $377,000, according to the contract.

The various defendants — the suit names five engineers and builders plus Ghost Town’s former manager — have postulated various defenses.

A universal favorite is that natural causes were to blame for the slide, a so-called “act of God” in legal terms.

But, to be on the safe side, the two sets of engineers and builders have pointed fingers at each other in a series of cross-claims, thirdparty suits, counter claims to the cross claims and various legal wranglings.

Two different crews of engineers and graders were hired at different times between 2007 and 2009 to tackle slope stability issues at Ghost Town — stemming from a 40-yearold railroad tie retaining wall that was in disrepair and prone to blowing out in places.

This was no run-of-the-mill retaining wall.

It stretched for 380 feet and reached up to 40 feet high. Shoring it up required rebuilding an 80-foot section, plus building a brand-new wall that ran its full length and was about 25 feet high.

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2009: “Members of Ghost Town Partners observed what they believed to be new signs of distress in the soils around the retaining wall,” court filings state. Engineer Pat Burgin of Waynesville is hired to assess the walls — both of the new walls that were built and the original wall that’s still there.

Burgin determines it is “not functioning as intended at this time and structural failure of the wall is possible if not replaced,” according to court filings. Burgin designs a fix and grader John Caldwell was hired to do the work, which included removing some of the soil load being held back by the wall and cutting off the top of the wall to make it shorter.

JAN. 10, 2010: A massive landslide rocks down the mountain, appearing to originate from the retaining wall, which has busted apart at the head of the slide. Homes are evacuated. No one was injured.

2012: A couple who lived in the path of the slide file a lawsuit against all the above named parties.

Lake Junaluska homeowners have suspended their push to merge with the town of Waynesville until next year due to political roadblocks in the N.C General Assembly.

The vast majority of homeowners at Lake Junaluska support merging with Waynesville as the most economically viable and sustainable option for the community, according to both a mail survey and petition drive. But garnering the necessary approval from the state legislature has proven elusive.

After a failed effort last year, proponents of the merger tried again this year during the General Assembly’s so-called “short session.”

“We knew that trying in the short session was a long shot, but as long as there was a shot we were going to try to push it,” said Buddy Young, the Lake Junaluska public work’s director and a resident himself.

Lake Junaluska homeowners are now resigned to waiting until next year and trying again when a new legislature convenes. f Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, championed a bill that would bring Lake Junaluska into fWaynesville’s town limits, and it passed the Senate with flying colors last year. But the bill

DAMAGES

Smoky Mountain News

The couple who filed the suit, Kurt Bielder and Tammy Jones, weren’t injured in the landslide, nor was their home destroyed.

While their yard was ravaged, their house was only side-swiped by the slide.

But it was enough to bust one wall and shift the house on its foundation, which coupled with irreparable damage to the septic drain field has rendered the house unlivable, according to their suit.

In addition to monetary compensation for their damaged home, the couple is seeking damages for emotional distress. Jones has post-traumatic stress syndrome, including bouts of crying, sleeplessness and depression, her attorney Matthew Roberson said in court on Monday.

In the suit, Jones describes being home alone in her living room at night on the evening of Feb. 5, 2010, when a loud crashing noise grew closer and closer, accompanied by shaking and vibrating.

“The debris flow was 3,000 feet long and 90 feet wide and created a wave of mud and debris some 30 feet high. The mudslide destroyed virtually everything in its path,” the suit states.

“In the darkness, Tammy Jones had to remove mud, limbs and wood to escape from the home. She feared for her life, that her home could collapse and additional mudslides would occur,” the suit states.

Attorneys defending the accused engineers and graders include Bill Jones, Burton Smith and Rusty McLean of Waynesville; Garry Davis, Luke Sbarra and Ben Chesson of Charlotte; and Robert Allen of Asheville.

July 30-August 5, 2014

The first stab at fixing the wall was in 2007. Verlin Edwards, an engineer from Maggie Valley, was hired to oversee the work, and Burton Edwards, a grader from Maggie and Verlin’s nephew, was the contractor. The suit also names Colin Edwards, Burton’s cousin and Verlin’s son, who was an equipment operator on the job.

A year-and-a-half later, a second crew was called in to shore up the wall once more, this time Pat Burgin, an engineer from Waynesville, and grader John Caldwell.

Verlin and Burton Edwards claim this subsequent work undermined the stability of their original wall, and if the wall failed, it was Burgin and Caldwell’s tinkering that caused it, according to court filings.

Meanwhile, Burgin claims the wall built

by Verlin and Burton Edwards was “not functioning as intended and structural failure of the wall is possible if not replaced.” Burgin also claimed the work by Caldwell attempting to fix problem spots was “inadequate” and “improperly constructed” and it “was destined to fail,” according to court filings.

Burgin was originally recruited as an expert witness for the couple who filed the lawsuit, but he ultimately got dragged into the suit as a defendant himself.

Caldwell claimed he was just a hired hand paid by the hour and did what Ghost Town’s general manager Steve Shiver told him to do, according to a deposition.

Meanwhile, Colin Edwards claims he was just a hired laborer for his cousin Burton Edwards — “I basically hauled dirt,” Colin said in his deposition — and thus isn’t responsible for any failings of the wall.

must also pass the House, where it languished in committee, despite Davis’ best effort.

Part of the hurdle was simply more important issues on lawmakers’ plate.

“They are still fighting over the budget.

We were not a priority,” Young said.

Given the “complex, statewide issues the legislature has been dealing with during this short session,” Davis said the decision to quit trying for now was reasonable.

Last year, a minority of Lake Junaluska homeowners opposed to joining the town of Waynesville created an air of controversy around the proposed merger and caused some state legislators, including Rep. Michele Presnell, R-Burnsville, to view it with suspicion.

Whether that will dog the bill again next year remains to be seen.

The 775-home residential enclave with century-old roots as a summer retreat for wealthy Methodists rings the campus of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Providing services like trash and security, not to mention repairs to its aging infrastructure, will force homeowners’ annual fees and water and sewer rates to go up if it doesn’t join Waynesville.

“It’s not that we can’t keep going, or that we would have to turn off the water and turn off the lights,” Young said. “The option was do you want to pay for the capital improvements or do you want to go to Waynesville?”

— By Becky Johnson, Staff Writer

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Junaluska merger plan sidelined until next year

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Big dreams, but no money A new library in Swain searches for funding

BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS E DITOR A day earlier the room was full. Wall-towall children and snakes.

“That was in this room,” said Swain County Librarian Jeff Delfield.

But now the long room is mostly empty and noticeably large. There’s some chairs leaned against the wall. A lonely laminating machine waits near the door.

This is the Swain library’s all-purpose room. Whatever’s happening, it’s probably happening in here. It’s pretty much the only available space.

“We do movies in this room,” Delfield said, motioning around the empty room. “We do storytime in this room.”

The room is much too large for some needs. Like tutoring sessions. Or, an interview with the local newspaper.

To make the room seem somehow appropriately sized for the occasion, Delfield has set up two tables instead of one. He and Fontana Regional Library System Director Karen Wallace sit on one side of the adjoined tables.

“At first I had one table and then I said ‘Let’s put out two tables, let’s take up some space here,” Delfield smiled from the other side of an expanse two-tables deep.

Delfield dreams of a day when the library can offer various sized rooms for the variety

of things that happen at a library. It’s one of the many reasons he’d like to see a new library built in Swain.

“That is one thing, if — scratch the ‘if ’ — when we get a new library, [we need] a new meeting space and smaller rooms,” Delfield said.

“Having a variety of different spaces has really been a popular thing in our libraries,” agreed Wallace.

But right now a new library, or smaller rooms or more computer stations, remain just a dream. While land has been donated for the construction of a new library, the money to actually build it has been scarce.

And Delfield’s been looking for a long time. When he first arrived on the job nine years ago, a pitch was being made for a new library in Swain.

“Within the first couple of weeks I was in a county commission meeting,” the librarian recalled. “We were talking about it then.”

‘A HANDSHAKE AND A SMILE’ The Mariana Black Library in Bryson City sits on a quiet and shady corner. Across the street is the Yum-Yum Chinese diner, and beyond that the heart of downtown Bryson City.

“It’s really a 1960s library,” Delfield said.

July 30-August 5, 2014

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The popular Snakes Alive program tends to pack out the Mariana Black Library’s auditorium.

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Along the library’s edge is a handful of parking spaces. On busy days Delfield takes pictures of the cars being forced to park illegally wherever they can — like too many puppies suckling their exhausted mother — in order to document the lack of parking, which was one of the issues raised in the Dubberly Report.

The Dubberly Report is a needs assessment that consultant Ron Dubberly conducted for the Swain library in 2010. It arose out of public input sessions and pointed out the library’s needs, primarily that it needed to modernize and grow to accommodate Swain’s 21st century population.

It covered the practical, but was also a bit pie-in-the-sky. Without limitations, what could a library of the future be?

“His approach is ‘Think Big,’” Delfield said.

“We had crazy stuff, like IMAX-size screens and a swimming pool. It went that far.”

No one is seriously wanting an IMAX or swimming pools. But a case is consistently being made for a new library that will feature private study rooms and a teen reading area.

A case is being made for a new library that also serves as a quasi community center or local gathering hub.

“In many ways our libraries are becoming community centers,” Wallace said. “Lots of different uses.”

Just this month the pitch for such a place was made to community leaders. Again. The reception was, as always, polite.

“Everyone to my face, with a handshake and a smile, is saying ‘I’m behind this, it’s needed.’ And it is needed,” Delfield said. “No one is picking up this Dubberly Report and saying, ‘nah, this is bunk.’”

But neither town nor county leaders are willing to commit any cash for the library.

‘EVERYBODY KNOWS WE NEED A NEW ONE’ Swain is on a journey that sister counties within the Fontana Regional Library System have taken before. Both Jackson and Macon

“Everyone to my face, with a handshake and a smile, is saying ‘I’m behind this, it’s needed.’

And it is needed. No one is picking up this Dubberly Report and saying, ‘nah, this is bunk.’”

— Jeff Delfield, Swain librarian

saw new libraries in recent years.

In each instance, library supporters raised the funds needed for the interiors — like furniture and light fixtures — while the counties funded the construction of the buildings, or in Jackson’s case the renovation and expansion of its historic courthouse in Sylva.

“In Macon there were some little boys who brought their allowance money in,” recalled Wallace. “What we got from those boys was not so much, but what they inspired was huge.”

Library leaders would like to see a similar formula in Swain. They feel they can fundraise the estimated million-plus dollars for the interior fixtures and would like to see local government fund the nearly $5 million to build a new library.

And there’s really very little debate about the need for the library to grow.

“Everybody knows we need a new one,” said Janis Wright, a Mariana Black Library board member.

Local officials don’t contest the case the library has been making for years.

“They all have indicated their approval and recognition for a need,” said Chester Bartlett, chair of the library board.

But, theoretical support doesn’t translate into actual support.

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BY GARRET K. WOODWARD on town property and streets.

STAFF WRITER “I understand and appreciate the reasons, new push to change the public alcohol con- whether moral or safety based, why some are sumption and possession law in Canton against the change,” Smathers said this week. has not come without controversy.

“If passed, public safety will be my number “At present time, no vote has been cast and one concern concerning the approval of any we as a board are currently working through event, and I could not see myself supporting the pros and cons of a possible ordinance any event that brings negative attention to change that would give us the ability, if request- our town.” ed, to allow beer and/or wine to be sold on As in the hearing, Smathers again pointed town property,” said Town Board Alderman out the board’s interest in encouraging more Zeb Smathers. “However, at the present time, no event is before “A change in the ordinance would us to consider.” bring Canton to the same position The debate arose when the board brought the issue to the of our sister towns of Waynesville forefront during their public hearing meeting on July 24. and Maggie Valley.”

The board wanted to see if — Zeb Smathers, alderman allowing alcohol consumption and possession on town property could be a viable option in hosting and events and business into Canton by loosening attracting festivals and larger events in the alcohol laws.

Canton. If allowed, the board would have the “A change in the ordinance would bring power to approve or disapprove alcohol Canton to the same position of our sister requests for specific events. towns of Waynesville and Maggie Valley,” he At the hearing, members of the public explained. “I’m committed and support bold voiced their concerns over having alcohol economic development and want people openly and publicly consumed in their com- across the area to know that Canton is ‘Now munity, which many felt could cause more Open for Business.’ Whether hosting events harm than good. The board assured the audi- or attracting new jobs, my passion is for ence that nothing was set in stone in chang- Canton to have the ability to compete on ing the ordinance, which currently prohibits every level, and a change to this ordinance the consumption and possession of alcohol would allow us to do so.”

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Canton debates public alcohol ordinance

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Everyone loves a library. But love doesn’t pay the bills. Not in Swain County.

“We don’t have taxpayer money to do that. We support it, don’t get us wrong,” said Monteith, assessing the library’s chances of

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‘DON’T GET ME WRONG’

securing funding from the county. “I don’t know if the money would ever appear.”

That’s been the county’s position for the entirety of this years-long conversation. Yes, a new library would be nice. Yes, it is needed.

But, no money is available.

“We don’t have $3 million hanging out anywhere,” said King.

Earlier this year, property was donated by Don and Toni Davidson for the placement of a new library. It’s 9 acres, more than is needed, a short distance from downtown Bryson City. The Davidsons also kickstarted the library’s fundraising efforts with a $50,000 donation.

That helps — it’s what King calls a “critical part” — but doesn’t make funding a new library any more palatable to county officials.

“It doesn’t make it doable,” said Swain County Commissioner Steve Moon. “It takes a lot of money to construct a new building.”

King said that if commissioners felt that a new library was a “benefit to the community” they would “figure out how to fund it.” That doesn’t appear likely any time soon.

“I hope we can find the money, but right now we just don’t have it,” said Moon. “Right now the only way is to float a bond or a tax increase and that’s not even something I want to talk about.”

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July 30-August 5, 2014

“We support that,” explained Swain County Commissioner David Monteith, “but we’re not behind that, putting money behind it, getting it done.”

Plus, points out Swain County Manager Kevin King, the landscape and dynamics in Swain are different than those in Jackson and Macon. For starters, Swain is flush with public land but short on private property — meaning, there are a lot fewer property tax dollars to work with than in other counties.

“Everybody’s trying to compare us to Jackson and Macon counties,” King said. “We don’t have the money that Jackson and Macon have.”

And there is a concern that a new, expanded library will carry with it an increase in long-term, operational costs associated with the facility. More lights to burn, more landscaping to tend to, additional staff.

“It’ll be open longer, they’ll probably need more staff, you know, the whole nine yards,” King said.

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Folkmoot festival inspires Waynesville leaders to restore town funding

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER fter oscillating on how much money to give Folkmoot USA during annual budget machinations last month, Waynesville town leaders have revisited the issue and upwardly revised their contribution.

Folkmoot historically got $10,000 to help with its general operating costs. But town leaders initially decided to cut that funding — in exchange for a $25,000 grant toward Folkmoot’s goal of transforming its headquarters at the old Hazelwood Elementary School to a year-round community center.

But last week, the town board reversed that decision and will now give Folkmoot the standing $10,000 contribution for operating costs regardless of the additional grant funding for the capital campaign.

Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown brought it up at the town meeting, saying that he realized in hindsight he was wrong to cut Folkmoot’s funding.

“I let this one slide,” Brown said. “I realized at the end of the day we need to fund the annual operating expenditure.”

The rest of the town board agreed.

It’s no coincidence that the discussion came in the thick of the international folk dance and music extravaganza, which wrapped up last weekend. Performing troupes from around the globe use Waynesville as their home base while performing throughout the region, and Brown was reminded while taking in Folkmoot shows why it was a valuable thing for the town to support.

As for the town’s capital campaign donation to Folkmoot, it isn’t a shoe-in yet. While

July 30-August 5, 2014

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Folkmoot dancers parade through downtown Waynesville. Garret K. Woodward photo

the town board has set aside $25,000 for it, only $5,000 will be released initially, said Town Manager Marcy Oneial.

To get the rest, Folkmoot has to come back to the town board with a more formal renovation plan for the old Hazelwood School.

“It is like saying here is your allowance but this trip you want to take to Europe you are going to have to work for that one,” Brown said.

Folkmoot is engaged in a visioning process to transition its signature summer international dance and music festival into a more year-round presence, with the old Hazelwood School being the center.

“They have got to recreate themselves. We need to understand overall what Folkmoot will be going forward,” Brown said.

Smoky Mountain News

Hospital sales on track to close this week

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The sale of the MedWest hospital trio in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties will go through on July 31, in keeping with the transaction date that’s been in the crosshairs for the past few months.

Duke LifePoint HealthCare, a national for-profit hospital network, will take over Aug. 1 at Haywood Regional Medical Center, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Medical Center. Medical practices under the umbrella of the hospital will come under Duke LifePoint at well.

LifePoint, which has 62 hospitals around the country — soon to be 65 — is no stranger to acquisitions. Little will change about the patient experience, at least initially, with the same doctors, nurses and front line health care workers coming to work Friday morning as they always have.

Some things to watch in coming weeks though are new corporate logos on billing statements and new signs going up at hospital entrances.

Under MedWest, the hospitals names were all truncated with the prefix MedWest tacked on to the front: MedWest-Haywood, MedWest-Harris and MedWest-Swain.

The new names never really took with the public, who still referred to the hospitals colloquially by their old names. Under Duke LifePoint, the hospitals will revert to their former full name, with a more simple prefix of DLP tacked on to the front of the name, as in DLP Haywood Regional Medical Center.

To view past coverage of the sale, go to www.smokymountainnews.com.

— By Becky Johnson, Staff writer

Snowbird youth club gets a home A

Boys & Girls Club members stand together as the ribbon is cut for their new youth center.

Donated photo

two separate wings for elementary students and teenagers. It has a dance room, a data center, an art room and several classrooms.

There’s a gymnasium, and an outdoor walking path circles the whole thing. The building is certified for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. A combination of grant money and funding from tribal council paid the bill.

The Boys & Girls Club has already seen its numbers swell in the scant time since the youth center opened for business, and its staff size has

increased from the original two to eight.

“A little over 100 registered, and before the move we were averaging about 30 on average a day,” Wachacha said. “Since the new center opened we’re averaging over 60.”

That’s a trend that’s bound to have a positive effect on the community, he said.

“To me it’s very important because it provides them a good positive place to be besides out having the temptations to do wrong things,” he said. “They’re in a good, positive environment.”

news

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER dream eight years in the making met reality earlier this month when the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians cut the ribbon on a new youth center in Snowbird. The 15,000-square-foot building will offer Cherokee youth opportunities ranging from Cherokee language and craft classes to help with homework.

“Having a place to go and hang out with teachers and other kids — I think it’s very important,” said Adam Wachacha, Cherokee Tribal Council member who has been a proponent of the project. “I wish every community could have the type of atmosphere this brings to ours.”

The center was built mainly as a venue for the growing Snowbird Boys & Girls Club.

The group, which began as an afterschool and summer program with two part-time workers, had grown its membership rolls and was bursting at the seams in its space at the Snowbird Community Center. The club shared the space with the library, health department and parks and recreation department.

“They didn’t even have classrooms,” Wachacha said. “All they had was they could go to the library and do research for homework.”

The new building, which cost $4.5 million, boasts a kitchen, a commons area and

The EBCI wasn’t able to find a suitable site for the new center on private land, however, so the new center is on land leased from the U.S. Forest Service. The EBCI first approached the USFS in 2010. The tribe paid for an environmental analysis, and in 2011 then-forest supervisor Mary Sue Hilliard signed the decision to grant a special use permit for 20 acres of Forest Service land.

“The Forest Service has a special uses screening process that we use to evaluate special-use requests on a case-by-case basis,” said Lauren Stull, a ranger with the USFS who at the time worked in Nantahala National Forest. “We analyzed the project through that.”

The EBCI won’t have to pay anything to use the land, but the tribe was financially responsible for the project from the first letter of the environmental analysis to the last brush of paint on the building.

The lease lasts for 20 years with opportunity to renew, but Wachacha hopes that won’t be necessary.

“The ultimate goal is to do another land exchange with them here in Graham County,” Wachacha said.

Wachacha hopes that sometime in the next 20 years the tribe can find a piece of land to trade to the Forest Service for the 20 acres it’s leasing for the youth center. Then, the tribe could own the property outright.

For now though, Wachacha is just happy to see the youth center up and running and to talk to the children who are excited to go hang out there.

“It’s an awesome project,” he said.

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July 30-August 5, 2014

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Opinion ‘Trust’ is insufficient check on any elected official M Smoky Mountain News

ost anyone who has worked for a living, volunteered, or held elected office has stood at the edge of the abyss, looked over it, and made a very important decision: complete honesty and unyielding integrity, or maybe a little dishonesty, maybe a seemingly harmless white lie. The dishonesty might concern office supplies or maybe tools, perhaps a few dollars from the organization no one would miss; for an elected official, it could mean cozying up and getting favors from someone who could benefit from your vote, or perhaps it could mean a little extra money or a gift from such a person.

The situation that The Smoky Mountain News reported about last week concerning the Junaluska Sanitary District is a great illustration of how this happens. The district’s former employee developed a scheme for embezzling a little money each day over a long period of time. Finally caught, she admitted to stealing $210,000 over six years. She repaid it all and did not serve any jail time.

The details of what happened next are still coming to light.

Elected board members stepped in to take over duties performed by employees after the embezzler was fired. Despite no clear policy on how such a system should work, some elected sanitary district members began paying themselves the fee they usually got for attending board meetings.

There’s no evidence anyone was stealing or taking advantage of the situation, even though state law prohibits elected

Honest survey or deceitful phone ad?

To the Editor: Recently “SSI” surveys popped up on my called ID and in a moment of curiosity I answered my phone. I figured it was a political questionnaire and it was. What I didn’t anticipate was a veiled attempt by Sen. Jim Davis, RFranklin, and/or his operatives to misrepresent Davis’ Senate votes while misquoting and selectively editing the positions of his state Senate opponent Jane Hipps.

For example, would I be more or less likely to vote for Jim Davis knowing he voted for an 11 percent raise for North Carolina’s teachers?

Left unsaid was that this was a one-time raise given at the expense of tenure and future raises and cut teacher assistant jobs. I replied less likely. How about if you knew he “lowered your taxes?” Truthfully, this tax cut benefits only the wealthiest 20 percent. Poor and middle-income citizens will see higher taxes with the repeal of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the movement to a flat tax system where four of five will pay more taxes.

After a series of similar questions I was asked questions in the same format about Jane Hipps. Would I be more or less likely to vote for Jane Hipps, “who wants to raise your taxes?” I replied she wanted to increase education funding and increase jobs for the middle class by returning to fair taxes on millionaires and corporations. There were other additional questions. You get the picture.

I want to know who paid for this deceitful “survey.” Was it Davis’ campaign or dark, outof-state money? Either way, this type of cam-

leaders from working for the organization they govern. Board members were adamant that they trusted each other and therefore had no issues with the compensation method or questions about the work being performed.

The problem, though, is that the way the elected board members kept records left way too much to the imagination. Were they doing work that deserved up to $250 a day, the amount one board member was getting? Or could they have been padding the compensation since the record keeping was set up in such a way that doing so Editor would be very hard to detect?

A wall calendar in the Junaluska Sanitary District Office was the tool of record for who got paid what, a paper calendar marked with names and check marks. No detailed invoices or itemized reports of work completed, no time clock, no computerized record of activities.

According to an official with the Institute of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill that a reporter for this newspaper talked to, some changes should have been made: “They should have passed another policy because that definitely doesn’t fit.

Whether it was unethical, careless, lack of knowledge, I don’t

Scott McLeod

20

paigning does not belong here in the mountains. Hipps will be outspent, but hopefully people will use their voices, letters and votes to overcome money, half-truths, misrepresentations and manipulation of facts.

Good, honest debate and comments on issues are important and vital. This “survey” is a travesty and dishonors our political process.

Barbara Morris Franklin

Giving voters advice and attacking Sen. Davis To the Editor: Most letters to the editor are benign or overly active, but the one in the July 2 edition of The Smoky Mountain News (“Let’s stop yellow journalism politics,” July 2, 2014, The Smoky Mountain News, www.smokymountainnews.com/opinion/item/13676) was an aberration. It began with how civic, nobleminded and considerate the writer is and how cavalier/gentile he always was with other politicians. The writer thought of government as a wonderful pursuit of the highest ethics.

However, recently he quit the field and things have deteriorated and he can advise the voters of the 50th Senatorial District.

My friend advises that outside money is bad but doesn’t say what outside money is: is it from Buncombe County, from Charlotte or from anywhere outside the 50th District?

He doesn’t say if he is a Democrat or something else. I wonder why? Does this revelation offend his pristine sense of political discourse?

Did Jane Hipps, who is running against Sen. Davis, R-Franklin, appoint him to challenge

know, but it sounds unusual.”

No matter at what level an elected official serves, that person accepts the responsibility that comes with the office. If all hell breaks loose during your watch and you have to spend much more time doing the job than originally anticipated, that comes with the territory. After uncovering the embezzlement scandal and spending many hours, days and weeks to recover from it, it would be easy to turn a blind eye to elected officials taking unusual steps to keep the district moving forward.

But that’s not how it is supposed to work. Creating formal procedures and checks and balances is how we keep honest people from stepping over that abyss and into an area where there is too much grey and too little black and white. It appears the Junaluska Sanitary District may be correcting some of these accounting and board compensation practices that were just too informal.

More important, though, is the message this should send to all elected bodies, no matter if that’s for something as outside the public eye as a water district or whether it is a town or county board. Take the time to create formal procedures instead of relying on honesty and trust. That’s what taxpayers — in this case, the sanitary district customers — deserve and expect.

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

her enemies?

And about those so-called 167 items on which taxes were allegedly raised? I’d like to have the statutes that were enacted to approve these taxes. Surely he has them.

He seems to know a lot about Ms. Hipps.

Was he the student or the teacher with his vast knowledge of civics? In conclusion, I hope my friend will continue to educate us with examples, tragedies, aspirations and vitriol.

The mix is volatile and stimulating.

K.G. Watson Maggie Valley

Fracking in a perfect world still problematic To the Editor: The issue of fracking by the oil and gas industry — already one of the most controversial issues of our time — is not a political issue, but one which has the potential to forever alter the quality of life for each of us.

Our mountain area, source of pristine water for the region around us, is at risk. Our property rights have been placed in jeopardy by the new law. Farming and natural beauty would be permanently destroyed. There are reams of data about violations by industry in other states as well as negligence by the regulatory agencies.

But let us suppose that everything works exactly as the industry tells us it will. Let’s imagine for a moment that fracking in North Carolina is done in a perfect world. What then, can we expect to see?

• Drilling pads of many acres each, leveled from forest, farm land, and even state and fed-

eral park land to accommodate multiple wells.

• Multiple fracking towers at each well pad, their height dominating the landscape.

• Continuous — 24 hours a day — operation of compressor stations and fracking towers, with the attendant industrial noise and halogen lighting throughout the night.

• A constant flow of tanker trucks, greatly increasing the maintenance cost and the probability of traffic accidents on our roads.

• The quandary of what to do with the millions of gallons of water, arsenic, benzene and other toxic chemicals that are left after each frack. Only about 40 percent of these fluids can be recovered, the remainder being left in the ground to migrate as the local geology determines. That waste which is recovered is either placed in on-site surface ponds or trucked away in tankers to become some other community’s problem.

• Air pollution in the form of escaping methane, as well as the burning of undesirable gases at the well-head, an operation which may go on for weeks.

Again, I urge each of us to research the history and problems of fracking. If you have six minutes to watch Anson County’s fracking video, it is time well spent. Watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds3phzEPxhY&f eature=youtu.be.

• If you have time, watch “Triple Divide” at vimeo.com/ondemand/tripledivide.

We are concerned not only about the future of Western North Carolina, but with seeing that the current law is reversed and fracking not permitted anywhere in our state.

Doug Woodward Blue Mountain Engineering Franklin

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 A TASTE OF NEW ORLEANS 67 Branner Ave., Waynesville, 828.246.0885. 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week. Curtis Henry opened A Taste of New Orleans to cater to the locals and become the place that’s always open that you can rely on for different, flavorful dishes every day. Serving Cajun, French and Creole Cuisine in a lovingly restored space, Curtis looks forward to serving you up a delicious dish soon.

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

828.926.0734. Open 7 days a week 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Celebrating over 25 years.

Enjoy world famous hot dogs as well as burgers, seafood, hushpuppies, hot wings and chicken. Be sure to save room for dessert.

The cobbler, pie and cake selections are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

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

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

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

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

BOGART’S 303 S. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.1313.

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Carry out available. Located in downtown Waynesville, Bogart’s has been long-time noted for great steaks, soups, and salads. Casual family atmosphere in a rustic old-time setting with a menu noted for its practical value. Live Bluegrass/String Band music every Thursday. Walking distance of Waynesville’s unique shops and seasonal festival activities and within one mile of Waynesville Country Club.

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m. Closed on Sunday. We specialize in hand-cut, all natural steaks, fresh fish, and other classic American comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available. We also feature a great selection of craft beers from local artisan brewers, and of course an extensive selection of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining

BRYSON CITY BAKERY AND PASTRY SHOPPE 191 Everett St., Bryson City. 828.488.5390 Offering a full line of fresh baked goods like Grandma used to make. Large variety to choose from including cakes, pies, donuts, breads, cinn-buns and much more. Also serving Hershey Ice Cream. Open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 9 a.m. to 3p.m., Full Menu 3 to 9 p.m. Serving fresh

“Wonderful!”

Alan Jackson, Lake Junaluska

T HAI SPICE

128 N. Main St. Waynesville

828.454.5400

www.thaispicewnc.com July 30-August 5, 2014

New Dinner Menu & Specials Now Available Friday & Saturday 5-8 p.m.

828-648-3838 251-46

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Mon.-Fri. 7-4 Sat. 8-4

“Great!”

Erin Boyd, Waynesville

Deli & So Much More

11 North Carolina Beers on Tap — Now Filling Growlers!

DOWNTOWN SYLVA • NC

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ 6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday & Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. closed Sunday. Chef owned and operated. Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables. Fresh roasted ham, turkey and Roast Beef used in our hoagies.

We hand make our own Eggplant & Chicken Parmesan, Pork Meatballs and Hamburgers.

We use 1st quality fresh not pre-prepared products to make sure you get the best food for a reasonable price. We make Vegetarian, Gluten Free and Sugar Free items. Call or go to Facebook (Breaking Bread Café NC) to find out what our specials are. We are now open for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights by customer request, so come join us and find out what all the talk is about.

Café

www.CityLightsCafe.com

SUNDAY BRUNCH 9AM-3PM

experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank.

opinion

A Destination Restaurant

tasteTHEmountains

MON-THURS 8-5 • FRI & SAT 8-8

6147 Hwy. 276 S. • Bethel

(at the Mobil Gas Station)

bbcafenc.com

CLASSIC American Faire

Flame Grilled Steaks Smoky Mountain News

Burgers and Sandwiches Salads and more Join us on Thursday nights for live Bluegrass/String Band performances.

828.452.313 303 South Main Street, Waynesville NC 251-06

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tasteTHEmountains and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials starting at 5pm every day.

Followed by a tempting selection of desserts prepared daily by our chefs and other local bakers. Enjoy craft beers on tap, as well as our full bar and eclectic wine list.

Soda Shop NOW OPEN!

Hot Dogs Ice Cream

Pretzels Smoothies & More!

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11 Memory Lane • 828-454-6769 Game Room • Next to the pool

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WINE DINNER th

Tuesday, August 12 CALIFORNIA WINE DINNER TOUR THE WEST COAST WITH 5 WINES AND PAIRINGS CALL FOR MORE INFO

BY RESERVATION ONLY

94 East St. • Waynesville

July 30-August 5, 2014

Serving Lunch Wed-Fri 11:30-2 & Sunday Brunch 11-2

68585

828-452-7837 www.herrenhouse.com

SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Family-style breakfast seven days a week, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. – with eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch every day from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Evening cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays (weather permitting), featuring steaks, ribs, chicken, and pork chops, to name a few. Bountiful family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with entrees that include prime rib, baked ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer. The evening social hour starts at 6 p.m., and dinner is served starting at 7 p.m. So join us for milehigh mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations.

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

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

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 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 plate and tapas-style fare.

Enjoy local, regional, or national talent live each Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. www.classicwineseller.com.

CORK & CLEAVER 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.7179. Reservations recommended.

4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, Cork & Cleaver has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Executive Chef Corey Green prepares innovative and unique Southern fare from local, organic vegetables grown in Western North Carolina. Full bar and wine cellar. www.waynesvilleinn.com.

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

828.926.1820 Open Daily 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

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

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

Monday-Saturday. Father and son team Frank and Louis Perrone cook up dinners steeped in Italian tradition. With recipies passed down from generations gone by, the Perrones have brought a bit of Italy to Maggie Valley. frankiestrattoria.com FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to

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

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

Open 7 days a week at 5 p.m. Located in the historic Hooper’s Drugstore, Guadalupe Café is a chef-owned and operated restaurant serving Caribbean inspired fare complimented by a quirky selection of wines and microbrews. Supporting local farmers of organic produce, livestock, hand-crafted cheese, and using sustainably harvested seafood.

HERREN HOUSE 94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837.

Lunch: Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Brunch 11 a. m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoy fresh local products, created daily. Join us in our beautiful patio garden. We are your local neighborhood host for special events: business party’s, luncheons, weddings, showers and more. Private parties & catering are available 7 days a week by reservation only.

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

Lunch Sunday noon to 2:30 p.m., dinner nightly starting at 4:30 p.m. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome.

Take-out menu. Excellent service and hospitality. Reservations appreciated.

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Winter hours; Friday through Sunday and Mondays, 7 a.m. to noon. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966. Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites. Joey & Brenda O’Keefe invite you to join what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

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

828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Serving breakfast, lunch,

Smoky Mountain News

LOCALLY ROASTED

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ORGANIC COFFEE & ESPRESSO

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ITALIAN

MEDITERRANEAN

STEAKS • PIZZA CHICKEN • SEAFOOD SANDWICHES 452.3881 OPEN DAILY MAIN STREET WAYNESVILLE WWW.CITYBAKERY.NET

OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK 1863 S. MAIN ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.454.5002 HWY. 19/23 EXIT 98

Dine at 5,000 feet COUNTRY INN

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For reservations, please call 828.926.0430 • TheSwag.com • Waynesville, NC

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tasteTHEmountains nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

LOS AMIGOS 366 Russ Ave. in the Bi-Lo Plaza.

828.456.7870. Open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Monday through Friday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Enjoy the lunch prices Monday through Sunday, also enjoy our outdoor patio.

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

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

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

828.497.4590. Open 7 a.m. daily.

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

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

Reservations appreciated.

PATIO BISTRO 30 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.454.0070. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast bagels and

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 828.926.0201 Bar open Monday thru Saturday; dining room open Tuesday thru Saturday at 5 p.m. Full service restaurant serving steaks, prime rib, seafood and dinner specials.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400.

Open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A Waynesville tradition, the Smoky Mountain Sub Shop has been serving great food for over 20 years. Come in and enjoy the relaxed, casual atmosphere. Sub breads are baked fresh every morning in Waynesville.

Using only the freshest ingredients in homemade soups, salads and sandwiches. Come in and see for yourself why Smoky Mountain Sub Shop was voted # 1 in Haywood County.

Locally owned and operated.

SOUL INFUSION TEA HOUSE & BISTRO 628 E. Main St. (between Sylva Tire & UPS).

828.586.1717. Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon -until. Scrumptious, natural, fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. 60+ teas served hot or cold, black, chai, herbal. Seasonal and rotating draft beers, good selection of wine.

Home-Grown Music Network Venue with live music most weekends.

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

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

Check Out Our New Menu & Movie Showtimes Sunday Brunch: 10:30-2:30

UPCOMING EVENTS

-Local beers now on draft-

Live Music

FRIDAY, AUG. 1

Karaoke w/Chris Monteith

SATURDAY, AUG. 2 Darren and the Buttered Toast

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito. The recipes have been in the family for 50 years (don't ask for the recipes cuz’ you won't get it!) Each Pizza is hand tossed and made with TLC.

SID’S ——————————————————

ON MAIN

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83 Asheville Hwy. Sylva Music Starts @ 9 • 631.0554

TAP ROOM SPORTS BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Dr. Waynesville 828.456.5988. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Enjoy soups, sandwiches, salads and hearty appetizers along with a full bar menu in our casual, smoke-free neighborhood grill.

THAI SPICE 128 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.454.5400. Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday noon to 3 p.m. Dinner Tuesday-Saturday 4:30 to 9 p.m. Closed Monday. Thai Spice, an authentic Thai restaurant, warmly welcomes you to experience a superb dinning experience. Don’t be timid, the food comes mild, medium, hot and Thai Hot. You choose. www.thaispicewnc.com

Burgers to Salads Southern Favorites & Classics

117 Main Street, Canton NC 828.492.0618 • SidsOnMain.com Serving Lunch & Dinner

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11:30 A.M.-2:30 P.M. DINNER NIGHTLY AT 4 P.M. MONDAY-SATURDAY

Vegetarian & Fresh Fish Classic local American options available. comfort foods, craft beers & small batch bourbons Check out our weekly & whiskey. Join us for drink specials.

Prime Rib Thursdays.

Smoky Mountain News

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

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

100% of our coffee is Fair Trade, Shade Grown, and Organic, all slow-roasted to bring out every note of indigenous flavor.

Bakery offerings include cakes, muffins, cookies and more. Each one is made from scratch in Asheville using only the freshest, all natural ingredients available. We are proud to offer gluten-free and vegan options.

sandwiches, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches for lunch with homemade soups, quiches, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer. Outdoor and indoor dining.

B R U N C H

July 30-August 5, 2014

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

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections.

Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

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S U N D A Y

Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. • Dinner Nightly at 4 p.m. • CLOSED ON SUNDAY 454 HAZELWOOD AVENUE • WAYNESVILLE Call 828-452-9191 for reservations 251-07

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Bryson brewer named ABA president, hits the road

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER n the last two weeks, Joe Rowland has soaked in the California sunshine, rafted the Grand Canyon, wandered the Rocky Mountains, gone skydiving and tamed the endless cornfields of the Midwest, all the while cruising the country in a rock star tour bus.

He’s also been drinking a lot of beer along the way — a lot of beer.

“It’s been nuts,” Rowland said from the road, somewhere between Colorado and Western North Carolina. “It’s been the great American road trip that we all dream of. I’m surrounded by some of the best brewers in the country, and there’s no shortage of beer. It’s been a nonstop adventure among friends and we’ve all enjoyed sharing tall tales, experiencing each other’s beers and getting to know each other better.”

Owner/brewer at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City, Rowland is currently on the road for Beer Camp Across America, a cross-country trek hosted by craft beer pioneer and industry giant Nantahala Brewing Company owner/brewer Joe Rowland Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. (right) is currently on a cross-country road trip on the Beer With Sierra Nevada recently Camp Across America tour hosted by Sierra Nevada Brewing opening their East Coast headCompany. Rowland was recently elected the first president quarters in Mills River (south of of the Asheville Brewers Alliance to be selected from outside Asheville), the California-based of the city. Pictured with Rowland is Doug Riley, head brew company decided to hold the celmaster for the Asheville Brewing Company. ebratory trek, inviting brewers from around Western North Diego, Denver, Chicago, Portland, Maine and Carolina and beyond to see the open road.

The trip consists of trying beers from every Philadelphia. The tour makes its final stop on corner of the country, holding seminars and Aug. 3 in Mills River, an event including 99 presentations at travel stops, and simply being regional brewers. the catalyst for innovation and collaboration as the brewers sit, talk, and genuinely learn from EW SHERIFF IN TOWN one another.

“Ken [Grossman (owner/founder of Sierra For Rowland, there is another reason to celNevada)] and his son, Brian, are great guys ebrate. Recently, he was elected president of the who have helped dream up the biggest craft Asheville Brewers Alliance. Created in 2009, beer celebration ever. They’re just normal guys the group consists of 27 breweries in Asheville who love hanging out, talking shop and enjoy and Western North Carolina. Started as an great craft beer,” Rowland said. “We’ve had a organization to encourage not only progression lot of well-known brewers on the bus — it’s in the local craft beer scene, but also to perpetbeen an amazing opportunity for all of us. I uate the unique camaraderie and brotherhood believe that this whole trip has strengthened that exists between the businesses. our industry through these amazing experiRowland is the first member to be elected ences and fellowships.” whose brewery resides outside of the city of Kicking off in Sierra Nevada’s Chico, Calif. Asheville. headquarters, the celebratory tour consists of seven craft beer festivals, with stops in San S EE ROWLAND, PAGE 26

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Franklin brewery readies for spring opening

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER As the snow melts in Southern Appalachia, the beer will begin to flow from the taps of the Lazy Hiker Brewing Company in the former Franklin Town Hall.

“We’re on schedule to begin production brewing early in 2015 and should open our tasting room sometime around March 1,” said co-owner Ken Murphy. “We took possession of the facility on July 1, and we’ve been going full tilt on renovation since then. We’ll probably not install brewery equipment until the beginning of November.”

The brewery is aiming to have a 15-barrel system with 15 and 30-barrel fermenters. With that system, the brewery could potentially be able to hit the ground running and distribute around Western North Carolina upon opening.

“Overall, we want to produce a top-notch customer experience for craft beer novices and experts alike. To do that, we ‘re working to create a first-class setting and a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere,” Murphy said. “We really want Lazy Hiker Brewing to be a beckoning destination in Franklin for both locals and tourists. The measure of our success will be customers coming back often and asking other retail establishments if they carry our beer — no, make that insisting that their local establishments carry our beer.”

Noah McIntee was recently named And with selecting Franklin as the location, Murphy sees the the head brewer of the Lazy Hiker downtown as the ideal spot to Brewing Company in Franklin. The launch the brewery. microbrewery is scheduled to offi“The people are great, the cially open to the public on March 1, natural surroundings are incred2015. Donated photo ible, and there are abundant outdoor activities — hiking, biking, kayaking, hunting, fishing. Very quietly, a lot of good things are happening in Franklin, and we very much want Lazy Hiker Brewing to be a significant part of that,” he said. “Quite simply, we want to provide quality craft beer on the southern end of the Asheville Ale Trail. The craft beer segment is still growing, and we think there’s absolutely room for another good microbrewery in Western North Carolina. Equally as important, we want to provide a vibrant destination on the west end of downtown Franklin, with the increased employment and the economic revitalization that can come with that.”

SCC home brewing class for beginners A home brewing class for beginners will be led by Clark Williams of Frog Level Brewing Company every Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5-26 at Southwestern Community College in Sylva.

The final product from Southwestern Community College’s first class turned out so good that Williams took bottles from each batch home and shared them with his wife. The class itself went so well that Williams agreed to serve as the instructor for another.

“I was very pleased with the beer from that first class. We made three batches of a pale ale, each with different ingredients. The carbonation was great, and the beers were all really good,” he said. “I had a blast teaching other people how to brew, and I think they were a little surprised that it’s not as hard as it seems. Once you start learning the process, there aren’t a lot of hugely scientific equations involved.”

This time around, Williams plans to help students brew three different types of beers, including a Mexican-style cerveza and a dark beer. Class members will help determine the third type of beer they’ll brew.

Cost for enrollment in the new class will be $99.

828.339.4426 or ldowns@southwesterncc.edu.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

W

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5

“Finding Your Voice: Lessons for the Soul from a Life on Broadway,” a special performance by world-renowned tenor J. Mark McVey will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at Stuart Auditorium in Lake Junaluska.

McVey made his Broadway debut as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” after having won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actor. For years, he performed this role to audiences worldwide, including the 25th anniversary tour, for which he won

the Ovation Award and the BroadwayWorld.com Award. He continues to perform with numerous symphonies around the country and the world.

He has a strong and passionate commitment to his Christian faith, and has created this program to combine his real life experiences and lessons with the story of faith, courage, love and truth shared in “Les Miserables.” McVey will also sing several songs from the musical to give voice to the lessons found therein.

Free. www.lakejunaluska.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

Lake J welcomes Broadway tenor

We’ve Relocated

July 30-August 5, 2014

hen the camera bulb flashed, it hit me — had it really been that long?

Standing in the Belhurst Whitewater Bluegrass Company will perform at Castle, a Great Gatsby-esque 7: 30 p.m. Aug. 1 at Bridge Park in Sylva. property situated on Seneca Lake in Geneva, N.Y., I realThe Mountain High BBQ Festival and Car Show ized it had been around a will be held Aug. 8-9 at the Wayne Proffitt decade since my childhood Agricultural Center in Franklin. friends and I had been in the same room together. And World-renowned tenor J. Mark McVey will yet, here we were, drinks in perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at Stuart Auditorium in hand, smiles plastered across Lake Junaluska. our faces, as family members and dates for the wedding The Canton Moose Lodge 515 Mater Fair will be stood in front of us, eager to held at 9 a.m. Aug. 2 at 12 Penland Street. capture the moment we all were huddled as one.

Owner of the Sun will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 1 These were the childhood at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City. cronies I’ve known since birth, the boys from down the street who I rode bicycles horizon, I find myself (more than usual) takaround town with, swam in nearby Lake Champlain with, played little league baseball ing stock of the last three decades. I wonder, as we all do, if the path I’m on is right for with, went to middle school with, went to me, and if it has been worth it, through all prom with, graduated high school with, and the sacrifices, struggles and feelings of being set off into the unknown world with. in no man’s land when seemingly everyone But now, they are names and job titles I around you has “it” figured out. read about on Facebook and get the occaIn my early 20s, friend’s weddings left me sional birthday text message or phone call from. We’ve all kept in touch, in some way or thinking, “Why are they getting married so young? There’s a whole big world out there, another, even though we’re scattered all with billions of people and opportunities?” around the country, all living separate lives As I slid into my mid-20s, I looked at wedin different towns, with different girlfriends, dings as a way for a free meal, some good fiancés and wives. booze, and perhaps a chance encounter with With my 30th birthday looming on the

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OLE TIME BARBER SHOP

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

a cute bridesmaid. Towards my late 20s, I became jaded with weddings, where I found myself standing on the dance floor, watching two friends have their first dance together, thinking, “Well, looks like I won’t be finding that happiness anytime soon.”

Approaching 30, I feel a mesmerizing sense of clarity with my intentions and interactions in the world. Maybe it’s me getting older, maybe it’s simply the fact I’ve been through a lot, for good or ill, and came out the other side, still standing, still fighting the good fight and pursuing just causes with passion and sincerity.

The odd thing in all of this was the recent wedding at the Belhurst Castle. Yes, these folks were friends of 20 or more years, but could we still have that connection? Driving to the wedding, I speculated to my girlfriend over what would come of this weekend with my old cronies. I knew what they were up to, at least based on Facebook, but are they happy? What were their dreams and goals these days? Did they even want to keep in touch with me?

All of those questions washed away to the ground beneath my feet with the numerous hugs received from those old familiar faces.

The voices, the smiles, the laughs — it was all the same, it was how I remembered. We saluted over drinks and danced into the wee hours of the night. It may have been years since we were all together, but time, especially amid genuine friendship, does not exist, where distance, both physical and emotional, is erased, replaced with an overwhelming sense of self.

With my 20s in the rearview mirror, I now look upon weddings as reunions, as a sacred place where the scattered dots of humanity, of my past, converge and bounce and vibrate off of each other, happily. It was surreal to stand there, posing for photos, my arms around the necks of my hometown brothers who will always know me better than anyone, to see my beloved girlfriend smile at me from behind the camera, to hear the sounds of folks I dearly miss and will always catch right back up with, no matter the time between encounters.

The next morning, we all met up at a family lake house not far from Belhurst Castle, for lunch, some swimming, to tie up any loose ends of conversation, and to take one last breath before we hopped into the car or onto the airplane, back to our Monday morning realities and responsibilities.

We sat on the lake, toes in the water, and saluted the sunny day above, the bright futures awaiting each of us. Eventually, goodbyes were said, hugs given, as car engines were started towards destinations unknown.

Heading home, I smiled, squeezed my girlfriend’s hand a little tighter, already looking forward to the next wedding.

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

From jewelry to scarves to mail box covers & so much more!

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arts & entertainment

On the wall Wildlife art display, discussion in Highlands The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will host the opening reception and program on wildlife art at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, at the Hudson Library in Highlands.

During the month of August, the Hudson Library, with Highlands Plateau Audubon Society, is hosting a wildlife exhibit entitled “Feathers, Fins and Fur.” The exhibit comprises the art of John Sill, the photography of Ed Boos and the carvings of Bill Cochran. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.

Penland School of Crafts benefit auction

Smoky Mountain News

July 30-August 5, 2014

The Penland School of Crafts 29th Annual Benefit Auction will take place on Aug. 8-9 at the historic campus north of Asheville.

The weekend includes live and silent auctions, music, food, receptions at the Penland Gallery and the studios of Penland’s resident artists, and displays of the donated auction work. Absentee bidding is available.

Weekend tickets are $385, Friday tickets are $225, and Saturday tickets are $275.

Absentee bidding is available for a $25 fee, which includes a color catalog. Reservations are required, and the event often sells out. All proceeds benefit Penland’s programs.

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A silver and glass cocktail service created for the auction by silversmith Julia Woodman and glass artist Kenny Pieper.

828.765.2359, ext. 30 or auction@penland.org or www.penland.org.

Uptown Gallery to host ‘Art on Main’ The Uptown Gallery will host “First Saturday — Art on Main” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 2 in downtown Franklin.

There will be art and activities on the sidewalk, with the farmer’s market happening nearby. Local artists have been invited to participate.

The event is in part to help support the Uptown Gallery, which, after 52 years of operation, is at risk of closing.

The other event dates are Sept. 6 and Oct. 4.

828.369.6552.

Craft beer fair returns In other beer news …

• Satulah Mountain Brewing Company to Waynesville recently opened in Highlands and it is the The Waynesville Craft Beer Faire will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at the American Legion Post 47 in Waynesville.

The event will feature an array of craft beer vendors, live music and food vendors.

Breweries included this year will be BearWaters, Frog Level, Tipping Point, Nantahala, Highland, Hi-Wire, Innovation, Double Barley, Oskar Blues, and many more.

Tickets are $35 per person, with $45 VIP passes available. Proceeds will go to the American Legion, a nonprofit veteran organization that is committed to youth mentoring and promoting wholesome community projects.

The event is strictly for ages 21 and over. State identification is required for entry. The faire will be held rain or shine. www.waynesvillebeer.com.

first official operating brewery in Macon County. It is located at 454 Carolina Way. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, 2 p.m. to midnight Saturday, and 2 to 10 p.m.

Sunday. The Smoky Mountain News will be sharing more about this brewery soon. www.facebook.com/satulahmountainbrewing or 828.482.9794.

• Innovation Brewing Company in Sylva has upgraded their system from a 1-barrel to a 3-barrel production facility. They also are having live music weekly, with a food truck for hungry patrons parked nearby. 828.586.9678 or www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Boojum Brewing Company will be the newest brewery in Haywood County. Expected to start production next month, the business will be located in the Dellwood area of Waynesville. More about this brewery in a future issue.

• Both Frog Level and BearWaters brewing companies in Waynesville have successfully canned their product. Frog Level canned their Salamander Slam IPA, while BearWaters went with their Sliding Rock Ale. Both canned brews are available at the breweries and select regional locations. www.froglevelbrewing.com or www.bwbrewing.com.

• The Junaluska Woman’s Club Creative Endeavors arts and crafts show will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 8-9 in the Harrell Center at Lake Junaluska. Funds from this project are used primarily for scholarships for summer workers.

828.454.9474.

• The Jackson County Extension and Community Association will host two art programs. The cloth circle flower petals class will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Tuckasegee Wesleyan Church. A potpourri craft project class will be held at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 7 at the ECA center in Sylva. 828.586.4009.

• Sketching workshops with Norma Hendrix will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 5-6 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

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

828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• The Sylva Art Stroll will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, in downtown. Art showcases and live demonstrations. Participating businesses include Rotunda Gallery, It’s By Nature, Gallery 1, Nichols House, Signature Brew Coffee Company, Guadalupe Café and City Lights Cafe. 828.337.3468.

• A class on editing digital photos will be held online at 5:45 p.m. Aug. 6 by the Jackson County Public Library. The class will introduce participants to a free online image editing website called Pixlr. Participants will learn to create a collage, resize, crop and apply special effects to images. Free.

828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

ALSO:

• The Exotic & Popular Body Art of Henna

by Mary DeHart Bennett will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. Bennett is from Macon Mehndi Henna Body Art. Attendees will learn about the ‘henna” plant and where it comes from, how it is prepared and applied. www.fontanalib.org.

• The film “Neighbors” will be shown at 9:30 p.m. July 31 in the Central Plaza at Western Carolina University. Free. corelli@wcu.edu or 828.227.3618.

• There is an open call for artisans at the 5th annual Balsam Crafters Arts & Crafts Show Aug. 30 and Nov. 29 at the Balsam Fire Department. No tent needed. Inside show. 828.226.9352 or 828.269.8604.

• Local potters, Carmen Holland and Lydia Pattillo along with James Payne-Stewart, local stitcher and textile artist will be the featured artists for the month of August at Tunnel Mountain Crafts in Dillsboro. The trio will hold a live demonstration from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2.

how our industry works. We’re making an alternative to mainstream products, much like the craft food industry has done,” he said. “[Craft beer] represents a fundamental change in our culture that will have a long term impact on our industry.”

Rowland points out there are still many niches and areas not yet filled in the craft beer industry. And, at the end of the day, the tastes of humanity are shifting back to quality, not quantity, especially when it comes to beer demands, where a well-crafted product will always rise to the top.

“The national craft beer scene is still growing despite the national decrease in the overall sales of beer in the US. As of this year, the craft beer market is approaching a 10 percent market share, up from 7 percent last year. I think that trend will continue,” he said. “Like the local, farm-to-table movement, our industry tends to grow organically and is a true grassroots effort. [It will be] sustainable as long as we continue to make great quality products and we continue to focus on increasing quality across the industry.”

From left, Joe Rowland, Sierra Nevada Brewing owner/founder Ken Grossman, his son Brian Grossman, and Doug Riley rafting the Grand Canyon. Donated photo

ROWLAND, CONTINUED FROM 24 “I believe it reflects that our organization has grown to represent all of the brewers in the mountains of Western North Carolina,” he said. “I’ve been participating as [an ABA] board member for over three years, and have made it my goal to include the concerns of our members outside of Asheville. I feel honored that my peers felt I have the skills and dedication to help the organization continue to grow.”

And as the craft brewing industry continues to explode across the country and around the globe, the idea of a “craft beer bubble burst” doesn’t sit well with Rowland.

“I hear it from folks who don’t understand

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On the stage

arts & entertainment

WCU dance program director wins national teaching award

May through December

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

WCU dance director Karyn Tonczak recently won a teaching award from the Dance Teacher Summit in New York City. dance classes, toured theaters, attended shows and performed in The Ziegfield Society’s shows saluting the history of the Rockettes. As part of the experience, Tomczak also arranged for musical theatre students to be able to perform before agents and in a cabaret.

For more information, visit dance.wcu.edu or contact Tomczak at 828.227.3672 or ktomczak@wcu.edu.

tion “The Rocky Horror Show” will run at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19-21, with a special 10:30 p.m. show on Feb. 21, at Hoey Auditorium. The sci-fi gothic musical about a transvestite and his motley crew includes audience participation and cascading toilet paper.

• “Peter Pan: The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up” will run at 7:30 p.m. April 16-21, with a 3 p.m. matinee on April 19, at the Bardo Arts Center. The fantasy play follows the adventures of Peter, Wendy, Michael and John in Neverland.

Subscriptions for the musicals and plays are available Wednesday, Aug. 6, through Sunday, Sept. 28, and are priced at $50 for adults, $40 for seniors and WCU faculty and staff, and $20 for students.

Individual tickets for the two musicals, “42nd Street” and “The Rocky Horror Show,” are $21 for adults, $16 for seniors and WCU faculty and staff, and $7 (in advance) and $10 (day of show) for students.

Individual tickets for the two plays, “Elemeno Pea” and “Peter Pan,” are $16 for adults, $11 for seniors and WCU faculty and staff, and $7 (in advance) and $10 (day of show) for students.

828.227.2479 or www.bardonartscenter.wcu.edu.

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Smoky Mountain News

The students and faculty of Western Carolina University’s School of Stage and Screen will soon raise the curtain for their 2014-15 Mainstage season.

The playbill includes two plays and two musicals. Season subscriptions and individual tickets for the productions will go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the box office in WCU’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

• “Elemeno Pea” will hit the stage 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1-4, with a 3 p.m. matinee on Oct. 4, at Hoey Auditorium. A comedy written by Molly Smith Metzler and directed by D.V. Caitlyn, a professor in the School of Stage and Screen, the play, exploring the themes of status, ambition, regret, mistakes and life-defining choices, contains adult language and content.

• The musical “42nd Street” will run 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-15, with a 3 p.m. matinee on Nov. 16, at the Bardo Arts Center.

Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes, the musical follows an aspiring chorus girl on her journey through Broadway.

• The musical comedy/horror produc-

6-9 p.m.

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WCU Mainstage tickets on sale Aug. 6

First Friday of each Month Second Friday in July

July 30-August 5, 2014

Karyn Tomczak, director of the Western Carolina University dance program, will receive the 2014 Dance Teacher Award for Higher Education at the Dance Teacher Summit to be held in New York City in August.

“Dance Teacher” magazine published a feature in July about Tomczak and three other award winners recognized for offering students top-notch training, real-world performing experiences, financial support and an emphasis on academic success.

Tomczak began teaching dance at age 14, when she ran her own dance studio, and taught at three others in the Buffalo, N.Y. area. After college, she gained experience working as a professional dancer for more than 15 years. She not only was a Rockette but also performed in the United States and abroad in shows such as “42nd Street,” “Sophisticated Ladies,” “Will Rogers Follies” and “Funny Girl.”

“My performing experience enhanced the teaching package I am now able to offer students,” said Tomczak, who joined the WCU faculty in 2009. “I loved performing and miss it sometimes, but when I see my students on stage, I feel like part of me is still performing.”

Tomczak teaches a full course load in addition to choreographing a range of shows at WCU. For the past two years, she has secured grants and raised money through teaching master classes to take dance students during spring break to New York City. There, they took

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arts & entertainment

On the beat

Sylva welcomes Whitewater Bluegrass Co.

Smoky Mountain News

July 30-August 5, 2014

Whitewater Bluegrass Company will play Sylva on Aug. 1. Garret K. Woodward photo The Whitewater Bluegrass Company will perform as part of the Concerts on the Creek Series at 7: 30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

For over 30 years, the group has captivated audiences throughout the Southeast with their blend of Bluegrass music, country ballads, mountain swing and humor.

Banjoist Steve Sutton cut his musical teeth working for Raymond Fairchild in Maggie Valley and went directly from there to working with the King of Bluegrass, Mr. Good & Country, Jimmy Martin. He has helped Rhonda Vincent create her sound with The Rage and most recently worked with Alicia Nugent. Sutton is an International Bluegrass Music Award (IBMA) winner as well as a Grammy-nominated artist.

The driving rhythm of Bill Byerly’s Martin guitar provides the backdrop against which the melody of sound is woven. With the addition of mandolinist David Pendley, the blend of the Whitewater sound has become riveting. Newest member 18-year-old fiddler phenom Danielle Bishop plays and sings with the feeling and taste of a seasoned road veteran.

The series is held every Friday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The concerts are free with a donation encouraged and cooperatively produced by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Sylva and the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department. Those attending should bring a chair or blanket.

828.586.2155

• Americana/folk group Owner of the Sun, singer/songwriter Jamie Kent & the Options and Rough & Tumble will perform at Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City. Owner of the Sun plays Aug. 1, with Kent Aug. 2 and Rough & Tumble Aug. 8. Both performances are at 8 p.m. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

• The Music on the River series continues with The Will Hayes Band, Running Wolf Band and Eastern Blue Band at the Oconaluftee River Stage in Cherokee. Hayes will play Aug. 1 and 8, with Running Wolf Band Aug. 2-3 and Eastern Blue Band Aug. 9. All shows are at 8 p.m. Free.

• Rock group The Matt Joiner Band and jazz act Rockwell Scott & Friends will perform at Groovin’ on the Green at the Village Commons in Cashiers. Joiner plays Aug. 1, with Scott Aug. 8.

All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. Free. www.mountainlovers.com.

• Guitarist Ben Wilson and pianist Joe Cruz will perform at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Wilson will play Aug. 1, with Cruz Aug. 2. Both shows begin at 7 p.m. $10 minimum purchase. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Darren & The Buttered Toast, 3 Sum, Tony Poole, Wade Baker, Natty Love Joys and ENE will perform at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. Darren & The Buttered Toast will play Aug. 1, with 3 Sum Aug. 2, Poole Aug. 3, Baer Aug. 7 and 10, Natty Love Joys Aug. 8 and ENE Aug. 9. All shows begin at 9 p.m. Free.

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Knight brings ‘Songcatcher’s Notebook’ to Bryson “A Songcatcher’s Notebook: Traditional Music and Storytelling” with singer-songwriter/storyteller Lee Knight will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 31, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Raised in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York, Knight became interested in traditional folk music as a young man and soon found himself to be an amateur folklorist. During college, he became familiar with the music and stories of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, as well as of the Adirondacks. He wanted to learn the music and stories from traditional sources, people who had them as part of their culture and community for generations. He also collected songs and stories from other parts of the world, including England, Scotland, Central Asia, Columbia and the Amazon region of Peru and has recently released his third album, “An Untraditional Journey.”

Knight currently works as a folk singer,

828.586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• Variety musician Charlie Horse and modern country act Fast Gear will perform as part of Pickin’ on the Square at the gazebo in downtown Franklin. Horse plays Aug. 2, with Fast Gear Aug. 9. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. Free. 828.524.2516 or www.franklin-chamber.com.

• Craig Summers & Lee Kram, Two Armadillos, Frog Hop Festival, Jamunkatrons and James Stinnett will perform at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville. Summers & Kram play July 31 and Aug. 7, with Two Armadillos Aug. 1, Frog Hop Festival Aug. 2, Jamunkatrons Aug. 8 and Stinnett Aug. 9. Thursday shows begin at 6 p.m., with weekend performances starting at 7 p.m. Free. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

ALSO:

• Americana/bluegrass group The Bankesters will perform as part of An Appalachian Evening concert series at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville. Cost is $20 for adults, $10 for students. Dinner services begin at 6 p.m. in the Schoolhouse Café. Next up in the series will be The Jeff Little Trio on Aug. 9. 828.479.3364 or www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• The Summer Live Music Series will continue with Playing on the Planet, Goldmine Pickers, Heidi Holton and The Archrivals

story teller and outdoor leader, performing at concerts, workshops, Elderhostels, festivals, camps and schools.

Free.

828.488.3030 or www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

Sugarland singer hits the Harrah’s stage

Country superstar Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, at Harrah’s Cherokee.

A winner of multiple CMA and Grammy awards, including a four-year streak of CMA Vocal Duo of the Year awards, Nettles has had vast success as leading vocalist of Sugarland.

Now she strikes out on her own with her first solo release, “That Girl.” Nettles offers a range of variety showing off her genre-bending vocal versatility. She’s recently appeared on David Letterman and The View.

Tickets are $40, $55 and $65.

800.745.3000 or www.harrahscherokee.com.

at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in the Nantahala Gorge.

Playing on the Planet will perform Aug. 1, with Goldmine Pickers Aug. 2, Holton Aug. 8 and The Archrivals Aug. 9. Live music, barbecue and craft beer. All performances are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.

• Jonathan Byrd & The Pickup Cowboys will perform as part of the Outdoor 76 concert series at 7 p.m. Aug. 7 in downtown Franklin. Live music and craft beer. $10 per person.

828.349.7676 or www.franklin-chamber.com.

• Southern rock/country group The Josh Fields Band and acoustic duo Liz & AJ Nance will perform at the Bryson City Train Depot. Fields plays Aug. 2, with Liz & AJ Nance Aug. 9.

Both shows are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. www.greatsmokies.com.

• Singer-songwriter Logan Murrell, classic rockers Unit 50, singer-songwriter Randy Flack and southern rock outfit The Soco Creek Band will perform at the Fontana Village Resort.

Murrell plays Aug. 1, with Unit 50 Aug. 2, Flack Aug. 8 and 15, and The Soco Creek Band Aug. 9. All shows begin at 7 p.m. www.fontanavillage.com.

• A concert for the Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth & Families will be at 3 p.m. Aug. 3 at the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. 828.586.3391 or www.frankin-chamber.com.

On the street

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Sarge’s to ‘dog walk’ Waynesville

Mater Fair kicks off in Canton

• The Shelton House, which houses the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts in Waynesville, will be featured on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekendâ€? in August. The segment entitled “Collecting Carolinaâ€? will showcase the museum’s 19th and 20th century collection of quilts and coverlets. The

ALSO:

before Festival admission will be $5 adults, with children ages 12 and under free. Your festival admission will enter you into the drawing for a Holland Grill valued at $1,200, sponsored

by Holland Grills and Macon Appliance. www.mountainhighbbqfestival.com or 828.524.3161.

828.634.7813 #LLINICAL )NS ,AS 6EGAS ) !DVVAANCED $

Waynesville. Registration forms may be picked up at local area animal hospitals in Waynesville, Clyde and Canton or at Sarge’s Adoption Center. Sign up starts at 9 a.m. the day of the walk outside the Haywood County Courthouse. There is a $15 fee for each dog walking in the event. This fee includes a dog walk goody bag and dog bandana. To receive a free official 2014 Downtown Dog Walk TShirt, registered walkers will need to have collected at least an additional $15 in “partner� money. T-shirts will also be on sale at pre-registration and at the dog walk.

828.246.9050.

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JEWELRY IN STOCK

show will air on UNC-TV at 9 p.m. Aug. 7, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 8, and 10 a.m. Aug. 9. www.sheltonhouse.org or 828.452.1551. • The “Way Back Whenâ€? dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1 and 15, at the Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley. The dinner showcases a recreation meal, music, storytelling and atmosphere of a 1930s Appalachian trout camp. $31.95 per person, which includes food and beverage.

828.926.1401 or 800.868.1401 or www.cataloocheeranch.com.

Trinity Cross Necklaces Alexa’s Angels Bracelets Jilzara Charms & Necklaces

• A street dance will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Aug. 8 in downtown Waynesville. Live music by Whitewater Bluegrass and The Trantham Family, with clogging by the Dixie Dar-lin’s. Dancing led by Joe Sam Queen. All skill levels welcomed to participate. www.downtownwaynesville.com. • Art After Dark continues from 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 1, in downtown Waynesville.

Enjoy a stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street and Depot Street.

Festive Art After Dark flags denote participating galleries. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

Lake Junaluska Bookstore and Cafe 710 North Lakeshore Dr. 828-454-6777

Smoky Mountain News

After being cancelled to much dismay, Mater Fest will return as the inaugural Canton Moose Lodge 515 Mater Fair from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, at 12 Penland Street in Canton.

The event will include a car show from 10 to 2 p.m., a Mater Recipe Contest and vendors.

There will be music, food, family fun and the Canton Moose Lodge Famous Mater Pies.

Proceeds raised will go to Christmas for local children and Moose Charities. The Loyal Order of the Moose is a nonprofit organization and fraternity.

828.648.6139 or cmlmater@yahoo.com.

If you wear dentures or have worn teeth, your jaw line can droop, adding years to your ppearance. With “Facelift�

Dentures, Dr. John Highsmith an lift your smile! Without urrggery! If you’re unhappy with u our den ntures call Dr. Highsm miith odayy!

July 30-August 5, 2014

The Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation annual “Downtown Dog Walk� will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, in Waynesville.

The walk begins and ends at Haywood County Courthouse on Main Street.

Participants must fill out registration forms online at www.sargeandfriends.org and attend pre-registration between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 31 or Friday, Aug. 1 at Sarge’s Adoption Center in

Friday, with the car show all day Saturday. All makes and models are welcome. Registration forms are available at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. The Buchanan Boys are set to perform onstage at 7 p.m. Friday.

251-52

The 6th Annual Mountain High BBQ Festival and Car Show will be held Aug. 8-9 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center in Franklin. Gates will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The event is a Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) sanctioned competition. The event also has partnered with the KCBS in their coordination of a national barbecue donation effort to cook and distribute more than 100,000 meals throughout America over the next year. Everyone is invited to bring a non-perishable food item.

Alongside food vendors and competitors, there will also be Franklin’s own Tastin’ Tent.

The Cruise-In will be held from 5 to 8 p.m.

“Facelift� Dentures by Dr. John Highsmith Can Turn Back Time!

arts & entertainment

BBQ Festival & Car Show in Franklin

Across from the Terrace Hotel in the Harrell Center

OPEN MON-SAT 8 A.M.-6 P.M.

www.lakejunaluska.com/bookstore

29

30

Books

Smoky Mountain News

Stephen King’s newest is more noir than horror ach time Stephen King is interviewed, he finds himself responding to the same question: “Where do you get your ideas?” Usually, the question is prompted by the questioner implying that an author who writes about serial killers and psychotics must be as twisted and devious as the subjects that he writes about. King always responds with some variation of the following: His ideas come from Fox News and CNN; the New York Times and Time magazine.

In other words, his ideas are drawn from current events. King has been affected by the tragedies at Sandy Hook and Columbine. He has listened to Nancy Grace’s rants and has pondered the guilt of O.J. Simpson and Casey Anthony. In the process, he has acquired and astonWriter ishing knowledge of crime in America, especially brutal crimes committed by a lone perpetrator.

Recently, King wrote a series of articles and stories for the New York Times in which he discussed his own work and the possibility that he has unwittingly influenced unstable teenagers to act out their fantasies. In fact, King has withdrawn one of his books from publication because he feels that there is a possibility that the book might “foster violence,” possibly another school shooting.

Because he is mindful of his possible influence, he has become a kind of monitor of violence in America.

In the final analysis, King reads and weighs the news. His curiosity is prompted by a singular question: why?

The unthinkable crime at the heart of Mr. Mercedes was probably inspired by a tragic accident in which an elderly driver, George Russell Weller, drove his 1992 Buick LeSabre into a crowd of shoppers at a farmer’s market in Santa Monica, Calif., on July 16, 2003. The accident left 10 dead and 60 injured.

Although the court ruled the incident an accident, numerous witnesses testified to something more sinister. Weller never applied the brakes and yelled insults at his victims throughout the incident. Later investigation revealed that Weller had been in a similar “accident” several years prior to the Santa Monica fatalities. Could it be that George Russell Weller was a murderer?

Now, this is the kind of incident that attracts Steven King’s interest.

Gary Carden

E

The setting of Mr. Mercedes is an unnamed city in the Midwest, one large enough to have a major civic center (seating for 4,000 people). In addition, the city has the traditional problems of a large city: crime,

in feeling the tires roll over bodies. Tomorrow, the newspapers will call him “The Mercedes Killer.”

Mr. Mercedes has two major characters who are antagonists. One is the warped killer who has two jobs: he works for a computer repair business called the Electronic Cyber Patrol (which repairs computers in the customers’ homes); and each afternoon, Brady drives the Mr. Tastey Ice Cream truck.

The second character is a retired, suicidal detective named Kermit William Hodges. Divorced, estranged from his daughter and living alone, Hodges spends most afternoons watching television and drinking. Since retiring from the force, Hodges has become overweight and deeply depressed. He keeps his old service pistol nearby as we watches television. The mindless chatter of the TV contributes to his depression. Occasionally, Hodge thinks that the dismal programming on his TV will finally give him the courage to pick up the gun and shoot himself.

Gradually, we learn that Detective Hodges is somewhat famous. He investigated and solved hundreds of cases, and now he yearns for his old Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. Scribner eBook, 2014. 437 pages. life. Ironically, the killer who knows about the poverty and unemployment. It is the latter honors that the retired detective has won problem that creates the setting of “murder decides to offer Hodges a challenge. He initiby vehicle.” Some 2,000 unemployed citizens ates a correspondence with Hodges, inviting gather in a large municipal parking lot in him to join him in a private “chat room” response to a large banner: “1000 JOBS where he plans to taunt Hodges, telling him GUARANTEED!” The job recruitment is real that he knows about his boring life and the and the huddled unemployed are waiting, gun that he keeps by his side. He offers clues many in sleeping bags, for the interviews to to his identity and makes veiled references to begin. Then, someone notices the Mercedes at his next crime ... a massacre that will claim the entrance to the parking lot. Behind the hundreds of lives ... maybe more. “Come on, steering wheel is a 28-year-old psychopath Loser!” he taunts Kermit Hodge. “Talk to me.” named Brady Hartfield, his face hidden in a Det. Hodges responds, and as he reads the yellow clown’s mask. Then, Brady steps on the killer’s arrogant insults (in a chat room called gas and speeds into the crowd, taking delight “Under the Blue Umbrella”), he finds himself

filled with a rage that prompts him to come out of retirement. Gradually, the 62-year-old detective begins to perform, opening a file, keeping notes, and doing research. Although he is no longer authorized to investigate crimes, Hodges cannot resist the temptation to nail Mr. Mercedes. Hodges goes on a diet and begins to walk around his neighborhood where he often hears the Mr. Tastey Ice Cream truck.

King has abandoned spooks and the supernatural for the traditional hard-boiled detective/noir tale and he handles it well. Mr. Mercedes moves at a brisk pace and the tension mounts. In short order, we learn that the killer not only lives with his mother ... he sleeps with her. He is haunted by the murder of his brother and he is filled with a hatred for ... well, everyone. He fantasizes about orchestrating mass killings and he spends each night designing bombs and explosives. Brady feels a sense of urgency and suspects that he will initiate his final devastating act soon. He is fascinated by the civic center that sponsors concerts and seats 4,000 people, and it is gearing up for a teeny-bopper performance that has sold out.

As Hodge becomes immersed in his hunt for Mr. Mercedes, his life changes. In addition to losing weight, he stops drinking and confides in a young African-American, who becomes his assistant. Most surprising of all, romance enters his life in a most unique fashion. Following the massacre in the parking lot, the owner of the Mercedes becomes unstable and guilt-ridden about the fact that her car (with the keys in the ignition) was turned into a murder weapon. She begins to receive sinister messages from Brady, who torments her until she commits suicide. It is at this point — while he is investigating the suicide — that he meets the deceased woman’s sister, Janelle, and for whatever reason, some kind of sparks fly. Hodges has found yet another reason to lose weight Hodge thought his life was over, but suddenly he is involved in a passionate love affair. The pursuit of Mr. Mercedes will radically changed Det. Hodge’s life. Suddenly, the old detective has two delightful (and unconventional) friends who assist with his search for Mr. Mercedes, but before his investigation is over, Det. Hodge will suffer both a heartbreak and a nearly fatal stroke. This book has a non-stop “thriller” conclusion ... one that may require the reader to read the last 100 pages at a single sitting. Enjoy!

(Gary Carden is a writer and storyteller who lives in Sylva. He can be reached at gcarden498@aol.com.)

Reading with magic in Bryson City

books

The Summer Reading Program Carnival and Magic Show will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Enjoy games like ring toss, beanbag toss, and squirt away. There will be lots of yummy snacks available. At 5 p.m., professional magician Caleb Ryan Sigmon will present his magic show in the library auditorium. This will be an all ages performance and the community is invited to attend and celebrate the magic of reading.

Born and raised in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Sigmon spent the majority of his childhood playing inside cardboard boxes, fighting dragons and playing cowboys and Indians in his backyard. He developed the ability to dream big at an early age. Now, he has made it his career. Sigmon will bring his small-town charm to the card table.

828.488.3030 or aplatt@fontanalib.org.

251-39

Bookstore

Saturday, Aug. 2 • 3 p.m.

Roy Owenby, Nantahala native and Franklin resident, will present his new book, Blue Ridge Mountain Heritage.

3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA

828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

Owenby to share Appalachian stories

Tyson to hold discussion at Lake Junaluska

plus $3 disposal fee

1034 N. Main St. 828-456-9468 Steve Woods, MGR

WAYNESVILLE GRAND thOPENING Saturday, August 9

$29.99

INCLUDES: Synthetic Blend Motor Oil, Change Filter, Lube, Where Applicable, Check All Fluids, Rotate Tires & Check Air Pressure, Hand Torque Wheels To Specs, Brake Inspection Up to 5 qts of oil. Additional charges for certain brands of oil.

No other discounts apply. Must present coupon to get this price.

Expires 08/31/2014.

Meet NASCAR Legend

Harry Gant 1-3pm Asheville

Hendersonville

32 Tunnel Rd. PH: (828) 252-9681 Paul Tester, MGR

165 Linda Vista Dr. PH: (828) 309-0914 Neal Spieler, MGR

-990 Patton Ave. PH: (828) 253-4818 Orlando Avalos, MGR

$40OFF A set of 4 Advantage Line Tires

Arden 2300 Hendersonville Rd. PH: (828) 684-4201 Aaron Fiddner, MGR

Also in Charlotte, Boone & Greensboro!

Cannot combine with other offers.

Must present coupon. See associate for details.

Expires 08/31/2014

Smoky Mountain News

Dr. Timothy Tyson, professor of American Christianity and Southern Culture at Duke Divinity School and author of the book Blood Done Sign My Name, will speak at 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.

Tyson’s book deals with the killing of a 23year old black Vietnam vet by whites in Oxford in 1970. The book explores white supremacy and the racial history of North Carolina through a narrative that weaves together not only the story of the murder and the acquittal of the accused white men by an all-white jury and its aftermath, but also Tyson’s own family story — his father was the minister of the First United Methodist Church in Oxford at the time of the murder and was ultimately run out of the church for supporting civil rights. Blood Done Sign My Name won the Southern Book Award in 2005, the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, and has been adapted into a play as well as a movie, which was filmed in North Carolina and released in 2010.

Junaluska Associates, Junaluskan Book Review and Haywood County NAACP are co-sponsoring the event. forwardtogetherhaywood@gmail.com.

PIT STOP PACKAGE OIL, LUBE, FILTER & TIRE ROTATION PACKAGE July 30-August 5, 2014

Nantahala native and Franklin resident Roy Owenby will share his stories about Appalachian life at 3 p.m. Saturday, August 2, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Blue Ridge Mountain Heritage is the culmination of thousands of miles of travel throughout the South in an effort to gather stories that portray the soul of Appalachia. These stories span past and present and offer a full spectrum of human emotion. A prolific writer, Owenby has written hundreds of articles and short stories. He is also the author of The Owl Knows, a mystery set on the Appalachian Trail.

828.586.9499.

31

32

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER aking a walk with Ila Hatter is the outdoors equivalent of sitting beside a scrapbooker as she pages through the family photo album. Every step is a story, a meeting with a plant bearing its own history and its own place in the present.

“I think stories help you remember,” Hatter said. “They give you something to hold onto as you’re learning plants.”

Leading a group of attendees to the 31st Annual Cullowhee Native Plants Conference around the campus of Western Carolina University, Hatter stops by a sprawling grapevine. There aren’t any grapes on it yet, but to Hatter the plant is more than a supplier of fruit. Its leaves make excellent tamale husks, and during a hot hike it can also substitute for a spring.

“When I was hiking in Elkmont [in Great Smoky Mountains National Park] one time, I saw water running like it was coming from a spring,” Hatter said. Upon investigation, she found that the water flowed from a cut grapevine. Hatter later relayed the story to a Cherokee woman who she considers her adopted grandmother.

“She said, ‘I wish you’d gotten me some of that,’” Hatter said. “That was great hair tonic when I was growing up.”

Hatter’s knowledge of plants and the stories attached to them come from a lifetime of accumulating anecdotes like that. She’s never taken a botany class in her life, but her outdoors education began as a child in Texas. Her parents, who had lived through two world wars and the Great Depression, taught her the survival skills of hunting and foraging, and later as a stewardess for Pan American World Airlines, Hatter made it a point to question the locals of each culture she visited about their food, their spices and where they come from.

Upon moving to the Southern Appalachians, she spent years learning under her mentor Marie Mellinger, a naturalist who served as plant advisor for the Foxfire book series, and she’s developed deep friendships with Cherokee people, internalizing their knowledge of native plants along the way. At age 72, Hatter keeps busy leading an array of botany workshops, walks and classes.

According to those who have been to her conferences or sat through her classes, Hatter is a veritable mine of information, bringing the medicinal, culinary and cultural meanings of plants together. Hatter herself, though, is quick to point out that there’s still plenty she doesn’t know.

“I’m not a trained botanist, so I ask questions all the time,” she said.

T

THE BACKYARD MEDICINE CABINET

But years of study, living close to the land and asking those questions have done their work. Hatter points out the plantain, a tiny

S EE PLANTS, PAGE 33

Beyond blueberries Backyard cornucopia revealed at native plants conference Holly Kay photos unless otherwise noted.

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale

Spicebush, Lindera benzoin

Plantain, Plantago major

It’s one of the world’s most prolific weeds but also one of its most versatile edibles.

Hatter once won a dandelion cook-off — a competition whose organizer Peter Gail had collected more than 1,000 dandelion recipes from around the world — for her dandelionand-ramps raviolis. The young leaves make nutritious cooked greens, the flowers contain a fat emulsifier that can be used to lower cholesterol. Sap from the stems removes wards and the ground roots make a caffeine-free coffee. And that’s just for starters.

“There really isn’t anything in the dandelion you throw away,” Hatter said, “except you have to pinch the little green leaves at the back of the flower to get the petals out.”

Hatter keeps a jar full of spicebush berries in her kitchen to grind up for allspice flavoring. She also learned that the outside of the berry can be grated to get pepper flavor. As her Cherokee adopted grandmother said, sometimes “you got a lot of little hands you have to keep busy.”

Boiling wild game with spicebush twigs takes the gaminess out, and the leaves make an anti-inflammatory tea. But one encounter with a mouse that had recently feasted on spicebush berries convinced Hatter they might not be the thing for small animals.

“He was just sort of spaced out. I thought, ‘What’s wrong with this mouse,’” Hatter said.

“I picked up the mouse and I went, ‘He’s drunk from the spicebush berries.’

It grows underfoot just about anyplace you might step, but this omnipresent weed is also pretty near omni-useful. Hatter once taught a conference where a self-described “one-herb man” presented her with a list of four typed pages of all the uses he had for plantain. It can be eaten as a cooked green, and the crunched-up leaves help relieve pain when applied to bruises. Hatter recommends wrapping it around a sprained ankle and grabbing a few leaves on the way to the doctor in the event of a snakebite. Sap from the leaves can also help stop itching from poison ivy, and the seeds are a laxative.

“For me, I like having it around,” Hatter said. “I allow it to grow in certain places.”

Elderberry, Sambucus nigra

Sassafras, Sassafras albidum

Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida

Aside from producing berries whose wine is one of the strongest anti-flu medications in existence, elderberry flower stalks make excellent fritters when fried in pancake batter. Tea from the dried flower can help break fevers, and crushed elderberry leaves deter gnats.

And that’s to say nothing of the delicious taste of elderberry wine, pie or jelly. Be careful though. Too many of the uncooked berries can cause diarrhea.

Sassafrass has three different kinds of leaves, and it also produces three different flavors. The young leaves can be boiled into a lemon-flavored tea, and the roots have a root beer flavor. The powder from dried, ground sassafras leaves — called filé powder — is an essential ingredient for Cajun gumbo.

“It was called the good news out of the new world because it was so well thought of in Europe,” Hatter said.

Dogwood’s name evolved from its first moniker, dagger tree, so dubbed for growing wood that’s perfect for tool handles. Its roots are said to produce a pinkish dye. But its most important role comes from the feverquelling properties of its inner bark and berries. In the Civil War, dogwood was often used in battlefield treatments.

“The dogwood was the fever tree of the native Americans,” Hatter said.

Donated photo

PLANTS, CONTINUED FROM 32

Talk to feature the sacredness of food The garden is our oldest metaphor, where God made humans from humus, says awardwinning writer and permaculture gardener Fred Bahnson, this year’s featured lecturer at the Lake Junaluska Signature Series.

Bahnson will speak at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, in Terrace Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. The lecture is free, but a love offering will be taken. A book signing with the author will follow.

Bahnson also is the final guest preacher of the Lake Junaluska Summer Worship Series, speaking at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, at historic Stuart Auditorium.

His life and writings center on what he calls the sacred relationship between food,

faith and agriculture, and he directs the Food, Faith, & Religious Leadership Initiative at Wake Forest University School of Divinity in Winston Salem. He is also the author of Soil & Sacrament: A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith, and the co-author of Making Peace With the Land: God’s Call to Reconcile With Creation.

Dayton Duncan to speak at Blue Ridge Heritage gathering Dayton Duncan, who worked with Ken Burns to write and produce The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, will be the keynote speaker at Gather ‘Round the Blue Ridge at 1 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Crowne Plaza Resort Expo Center in Asheville.

Duncan has worked with Burns for many years, their joint projects including The Civil War, Horatio’s Drive, Baseball and Jazz. He was the co-writer and consulting producer of the 12-hour series The West, about the history of the American West, and writer and producer of the four-hour documentary Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.

The event is expected to fill up quickly, so get tickets soon. $50. www.blueridgeheritage.com/heritage/gather-round-2014.

July 30-August 5, 2014

little weed whose uses range from a paste for sprained ankles to a cure for poison ivy.

She stops at a staghorn sumac, whose red berries make a tart sun tea.

And she pauses at length in front of an elderberry tree, whose widely forked branches used to provide Native Americans with the perfect material for slingshots and doll cradles. The green berries still ripening on its branches will become a fruit that is powerfully tasty as well as powerfully medicinal. Its flowers can make eyedrops for glaucoma and dried flowers can make a tea to The group gathers around as Hatter leads her walk. (above) Hatter break fevers. Once demonstrates how to make a drinking cup from a tulip-poplar leaf. made into syrup, the Center for Disease Control calls elderberry the strongest antiviral next to Tamiflu.

“As my husband jokingly said, if you don’t have the flu, use it on your pancakes,” Hatter said.

Elderberry pie, jelly and anything else are pretty good, too, but it’s best to cook the fruit before ing, is all about understanding those intereating too much of it, Hatter warned. Too relationships. many raw elderberries can cause diarrhea.

“We’ve kind of lost those traditions of our own plants that we can eat and use RAZY PLANT LOVE medicinally,” Eierman said, “and it’s not just about us eating them. It’s about sharing Hatter’s audience, a group of plant with nature.” enthusiasts with home states ranging from Alabama to New York to everywhere in between, listen closely and scribble notes as ELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAND she tells each plant’s story. The chance to An important point, Hatter agreed. spend three hours learning naturalist lore Foraging is about sharing, not just taking. from Hatter was a big draw, but with four The three things to keep in mind whenever consecutive days of plant lover paradise you’re thinking about picking a meal up on offered at the Cullowhee Native Plants your way home, she told the group, are Conference, the overall package was someidentification, location and multiplication. thing none of the 269 conference attendees Be sure you know the identity of that plant wanted to miss. Not even Mount Olive resiyou’re picking and that it’s safe to ingest. dent Barbara Bullard, whose husband was Then, consider the location. If it’s been still in a cast after breaking his elbow. sprayed with chemicals or contaminated “We got a ride from Mount Olive with some other way, go elsewhere. another person coming for the conference And always, she said, be sure you’re not because he couldn’t’ drive his car with his harvesting something that needs to stay broken elbow,” she said. “That’s how badly where it is. we wanted to come.”

“Be responsible and pick the fourth plant,” “People are really into it,” said Kim she said. “Leave three so it will propagate.”

Eierman, a speaker at the conference who And when it does, she said, come back. also attended Hatter’s session. “You feel like Because while most people would consider people understand your crazy plant love.” pulling dandelions and lamb’s quarter out Eierman’s expertise focuses on the of the ground weeding, Hatter calls it someimportance of using native plants in landthing else. scaping, because those are the plants best “Your weeding chores are not really weedsuited to giving insects and animals the ing,” she said. “You say you’re harvesting.” resources they need for all stages of life. For

outdoors

instance, non-native butterfly weeds are popular for landscaping and great for providing nectar to butterflies, but they’re useless for feeding the caterpillars that those well-fed insects would then produce.

Appreciating native plants, whether in backyard landscaping or in wildland forag-

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Booming triathlons bring economic impact to Haywood outdoors

More than 1,200 outdoor atheletes will converge on Lake Logan in Haywood County this weekend for the annual Lake Logan Multisport Festival.

The weekend lineup includes: n three triathlons of varying length and endurance, a Half-Iron, International distance and Sprint distance. n an aquabike, which includes a swim and a bike leg. n an aquathlon, which includes a swim and run leg.

Two of the three triathlons are already full — both the Half-Iron and International distanace. This year was the first year a HalfIron was added to the line-up, making it all the more impressive to fill all 650 slots before race day.

“The impact of this event will be felt all over Haywood County in terms of contributions to the local economy and as the athletes race through Bethel, Canton, Clyde, Crabtree, Ironduff and Lake Junaluska area on the bike courses,” said Greg Duff of Glory Hound Events, which organizes the race weekend.

More than 75 percent of the races will be coming in from more than two hours away, requiring a nights stay which translates to an estimated economic impact of $300,000 from room nights, meals, and other purchases.

Of the 650 athletes competing in the gnarliest Half-Iron, 95 percent are coming from areas more than two hours away from Haywood County.

In total, athletes from twenty-three states

Sam Fowlkes.

July 30-August 5, 2014

Training initiative garners award for WCU instructor Sam Fowlkes, who teaches paddlesports and rescue at Western Carolina University, has received prestigious recognition in the field of technical swiftwater rescue for an American Canoe Association conference he helped coordinate.

Fowlkes, chair of the American Canoe Association’s safety and rescue committee, was a primary organizer for its landmark Swiftwater Rescue Conference held in October along the Tuckseigee River.

The event featured seminars from the leading water rescue educators in the nation, including people who developed techniques and wrote the first instructional materials in the field. Participants included more than 100 recreational paddlers, certified paddlesport instructors and emergency responders from 22 states and three foreign countries.

The water rescue division of the National Association of Search and Rescue honored Fowlkes with a special commendation for the initiative in June.

Fowlkes has served as an adjunct parks and recreation management instructor at WCU for 16 years.

Racers in the Lake Logan Multisport Festival. Donated photo

will be racing in Haywood County.

The route goes from Lake Logan, through Bethel and the Pigeon River Valley toward Canton and Clyde. Expect to see bicycles on roads from 7:30 a.m. to noon and use extreme caution when passing them and at intersections. All major turns and intersections on the courses will be staffed with public safety officers.

Beat the dog days with hike to a Jackson swim hole Cool off after a hike with a dip in a swimming hole through an outing with the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department on Aug. 10.

Participants can ride a van from Cullowhee Recreation Center at 1 p.m. or meet at the location — which will be disclosed upon registration — at 2 p.m. The hike in is about 2.5 miles roundtrip. $5 per person. Registration open through Aug. 8. 828.293.3053 or 828.631.2020

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The eastbound lane of N.C. 215 from Little East Ford Road to the Sunburst Campground will be closed to vehicles on Saturday, Aug. 2. Pilot cars will escort vehicles down the open lane on an alternating basis but those who don’t live on the road are encouraged to use other roads during this period of time. www.GloryHoundEvents.com.

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GET BOWED UP Make a one stop shop at Bowed Up Outdoors for guns, ammo, archery and various sporting accessories.

July 30-August 5, 2014

Hundreds of children will get to try their hand at fishing during the free Talking Trees Children’s Trout Derby Aug. 2 at Oconaluftee River Islands Park in Cherokee.

The kids trout derby, hosted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will run from 8 a.m. through noon Saturday, with $20,000 in Anglers show off their awards catch with tribal member and prizes.

Marty Fourkiller. EBCI photo.

The event includes free breakfast and lunch, and post-fishing activities of music, celebrity guests and live animal exhibits until 6 p.m.

Pre-registration is required by coming by the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds on Friday, Aug. 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday festivities at the fairground include Cherokee music and dance, food, games, zip lines and animal exhibitions. The Fishing Derby Armband gets a child free admission at Unto These Hills Drama and the Oconaluftee Indian Village when accompanied by an adult.

Free and open to ages 3-11. Accessible to children with disabilities. www.visitcherokeenc.com/events/detail/ talking-trees-childrens-trout-derby/

Fly Fishing the South

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Young anglers wanted for trout tourney

Junior Olympics to draw paddlers nationwide

Mathews • Hoyt • Bowtech • PSE

Smoky Mountain News

Whitewater paddlers ages 18 and under will converge on the Nantahala River for three days of paddling and racing Aug. 9-11.

Hosted by Nantahala Racing Club, the event features freestyle, slalom and downriver competitions. Many participating athletes are training for junior national team trials in September, using this event to practice their competitive skills. There will be slalom, downriver sprint and freestyle competitions.

The Junior Olympics is NRC’s largest event of the year, drawing children from across the U.S. As well as stiff competition, it will include several just-for-fun water events — like a Duckie Cross — as well as off-thewater social activities. Nantahala Racing Club is a non-profit that promotes the sport of paddling, both in competition and as recreation, from athlete training and development to hosting events that bring paddlers together. $40 registration fee. Spectators welcome.

Sponsored by USA Canoe/Kayak, a member of the United States Olympic Committee.

Full schedule online at www.nantahalaracingclub.com. zuzana.montagne@noc.com.

1370 Soco Road Maggie Valley NC 28751 246-39

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outdoors

Nantahala Racing Club and N.C. Wildlife Federation win funds for youth programs The Nantahala Racing Club and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation came out on top in an online voting contest from The North Face, winning $25,000 for special initiatives aimed at connecting youth with the outdoors.

The organizations were two of 10 nationwide selected to participate in the contest, which granted $25,000 to the top five vote-getters and $10,000 to the bottom five.

Nantahala Racing Club will use its money to fund the Young Rhinos Whitewater Discovery Project.

“Our project is very community-oriented, and it was rewarding to see the community rally around our cause,” said Zuzana Montagne, NRC executive director.

“This money, which will be spent on youth equipment and transportation to local rivers, will make a huge impact on the quality of our programming and the number of kids we will be able to engage in the

coming year.”

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation, meanwhile, will use its money to jumpstart its Great Outdoors University program. GoU works to reduce nature deficit in children and restore their bonds to nature. The initiative began in 2012, and since then more than 1,800 have participated. Kids are fishing, exploring streams and taking woods walks and boat rides.

Some have pulled a bow, and others have simply eaten a sandwich in a field.

“Great Outdoors University makes possible a much needed chance for our youth to experience the wonders of the natural world in ways that can have a profound effect for years to come,” said Mary Bures, manager of the program for the Federation. “It offers a unique opportunity to learn ‘outdoors’ using an interesting experiential approach for teaching many valuable lessons.” For more on the Wildlife Federation project, go to www.ncwf.org/programs/gou/newsupdates.

The Young Rhinos will launch Aug. 9 with the Whitewater Junior Olympics at Nantahala Outdoor Center. www.nantahalaracingclub.com/youthprograms/young-rhinos-whitewater-discovery.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians recently opened a new greenhouse for native plant propagation. Donated photo

Native plants take root in new Cherokee greenhouse Native plants are getting a boost in Cherokee with the opening of a 2,200-squarefoot greenhouse designed to produce and propagate native plants. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians designed the building to propagate black willow, silky dogwood, Carolina rhododendron, Catawba rhododendron and mountain laurel, to be used in habitat restoration projects on tribal lands.

Built of tempered glass, the greenhouse

uses passive cooling techniques to strive for energy efficiency and is made of decay-resistant materials.

It features a fully automated misting irrigation system, LED lighting, climate control and a cistern system that harvests rainwater and collects condensation in two 6,000-gallon tanks.

The project is funded, in part, by an Environmental Protection Agency grant.

Other partners include the Tennessee Valley Authority, the N.C. Forest Service, Oconaluftee Job Corps, the Tennessee State Nursery, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Chattanooga and North Carolina State University.

July 30-August 5, 2014

Free hunter safety course offered at HCC Hunters will have a chance to get their safety creds for free with hunter safety courses offered through Haywood Community College’s Natural Resources Department and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The courses will be held 6 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 4-5 in building 3300, room 3322, with both evenings required for certification. Additional courses will be offered Sept. 89, Oct. 6-7 and Nov. 17-18.

Free with no age limit. Pre-registration required online at www.ncwildlife.org.

The Haywood fair is upon us It’s not too early to start thinking about the Haywood County Fair. Competition among local gardeners invites entries in many varieties of flowers, fruits and vegetables. There is no cost to submit an entry, but the Haywood County Master Gardeners are sponsoring $450 in prizes.

The fair will run from 5 p.m. Aug. 20-25. 828.456.3575.

Smoky Mountain News

Nature series explores conservation

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The Tuckaseegee Nature Presentation Series this week will focus on the philosophy of Aldo Leopold, whose ideas influenced and set the stage for the modern conservation movement, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 31, at the Jackson County Library in Sylva.

Rob Hawk, director of the N.C. Cooperative Extension in Jackson and Swain counties, will talk about Leopold’s enduring idea of land ethics, the moral responsibility of humans to the natural world, fostered through personal connections to the landscape.

The series continues the following week with a talk titled “Golden-Winged Warbler and Early Successional Habitat” on

Thursday, Aug. 7, by Patrick Farrell of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Presentations will continue on the same 6:30 p.m. Thursday schedule through Aug. 28.

The series is a partnership of Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department.

828.524.2711 or www.ltlt.org.

Hikers eat it up The Nantahala Hiking Club will have its annual club picnic from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8 at the Watauga Vista Club House.

Club members should bring a dish to share and their own dinnerware and cup, and dessert contributions are encouraged. The club will provide iced tea and ice. www.nantahalahikingclub.org or 828.369.6820.

Classic hike to explore Charlie’s Bunion outdoors

Walk in the footsteps of Horace Kephart with a Friends of the Smokies hike to Charlie’s Bunion Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Danny Bernstein, expert hiker and author of many hiking guides, will lead this Classic Hike of the Smokies organized by Friends of the Smokies. Hikers will climb 1,800 feet during the course of this 8-mile roundtrip hike. It’s considered moderately difficult, but stunning views of North Carolina and Tennessee from the Appalachian Trail will dole out rewards along the way, plus the rocky outcrop that’s the namesake of the hike.

En route, hikers will learn how donations to Friends of the Smokies improve the trails, with features such as bear cables and backcountry shelter upgrades coming from these funds.

View near Charlies Bunion. John Worrell photo $10 for members; $35 for non-members with one-year membership included.

Carpools available from Maggie Valley.

Register for times and locations. www.outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org or 828.452.0720. friendsofthesmokies.org/hikes.html.

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A short waterfall hike at Graveyard Fields will show off a renovations to the popular recreation area along the Blue Ridge Parkway at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1. Parkway rangers will lead this easy-to-moderate 2.5-mile hike.

Meet at the Graveyard Fields Overlook at milepost 418. Be sure to observe any posted parking signs. 828.298.5330, ext. 304.

Graveyard Fields celebrates new look

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“We have had over 100 donors and supporters of the project thus far and donations are still coming in”, said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. “This project is a great example of the power of the Parkway in rallying our Community of Stewards together to make a difference.”

Graveyard Fields is located in the Shining Rock area along the Haywood County section of the Parkway, near milepost 419. www.brpfoundation.org.

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Better public access and trail improvements for Graveyard Fields, one of the most popular spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway, will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Aug. 4, with representatives of The National Park Service, U.S Forest Service and Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation on hand for the area’s official re-opening.

It had been closed earlier this year while crews completed extensive trail improvements, construction of new restrooms and an expanded parking area. It reopened in time for July Fourth.

The project has been in the works for five years, prompted by the site’s popularity and increase use, which was taking its toll on the land.

Contributions from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Community of Stewards members made the final product possible. The Foundation secured a Scenic Byways grant of $261,000 and committed to raising over $65,000 in matching funds — $40,000 is still needed to meet that goal.

Graveyard Fields.

July 30-August 5, 2014

Graveyard fields hike to be a lively time

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WNC Calendar

Smoky Mountain News

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Sign up for local emergency notifications in Jackson County, noon to 3 p.m. Aug. 4-6, Jackson County Department on Aging, Sylva. No appointment necessary.

Free service. 586.4944.

• New support group, The Compassionate Friends of Western North Carolina, for families who have had a child die, holds monthly meetings at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month in the Dugan Classroom of Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church, Clyde. John Chapman, chapter leader, 356.6877 or tcfofwnc@gmail.com. Park at the rear of the church and enter the building across the elevated cement sidewalk that leads to the second floor room #210, which is the first door on the right.

• Southern Vintage Trailer Friends (members of the national group the Tin Can Tourists), annual fall rally, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, Pride Resort, 4393 Jonathan Creek Road, Waynesville. More than 30 restored and period decorated vintage trailers open to public viewing.

• Smoky Mountain Model Railroaders work session, 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday and public viewing session from 2 to 4 p.m. the second Sunday of the month, 130 Frazier St., in the Industrial Park near Bearwaters Brewery, Waynesville. http://smokymountainmodelrailroaders.wordpress.com.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • “Focus on Franklin,” town hall-style meeting, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 30, Franklin Town Hall. Presented by the Public Policy Institute of Western Carolina University and the municipality of Franklin. 227.3898 or ppi.wcu.edu.

• Beginners’ home brewing class, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, Aug. 5-26. $99. 339.4426 or ldowns@southwesterncc.edu.

• Issues and Eggs with speaker Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown, 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, Laurel Ridge Country Club. Registration a must at www.haywoodchamber.com or 456.3021.

• Computer Class, PIXLR, 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Leadercast event, featuring internationally renowned speakers, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, Ruby Cinemas, Georgia Road, Franklin. Tickets, $50, includes catered meal, snacks and breakout networking sessions. sitedart.net/leadercast or in person at the Dnet office, 189 East Palmer St., Franklin. 877.790.7263.

Continuing Education Credits available for some professions.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

• 10th annual Gigantic Church Yard Sale, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 89 Sierra Lane, Franklin. www.uufranklin.org.

• Concert for the Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth & Families, 3 p.m. Aug. 3, First Presbyterian Church, Franklin. 586.3391 or www.frankin-chamber.com.

• Mountaintop Rotary of Highlands golf tournament, 9:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 4. Benefits the Special Operations Warrior Foundations. Registration is due July 30, with the $150 fee including a round of golf, hors d’oeuvres and prizes. 828.787.2323 • Penland School of Crafts 29th annual Benefit Auction, Aug. 8-9, Penland campus, 52 miles north of Asheville.

Live and silent auctions, food, music, artist displays and more. Reservations required. Event often sells out.

Tickets, 765.2359, ext. 30, send e-mail to auction@penland.org, or follow the auction link at www.penland.org.

• A Celebration of Humane Heroes: The 2014 CHHS Patron Party, 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, The Farm at Old Edwards Inn, Cashiers. Featuring worldrenowned dog trainer, best-selling author, and star of the hit TV series “It’s Me or the Dog” on Animal Planet and CBS’s “Greatest American Dog”, Victoria Stilwell.

Seats are $375 per person ($750 per couple), and tables of 10 can be reserved for $3,500. 743.5752 or email info@chhumanesociety.org.

• Altrusa Back to School Tennis Shoe Drive, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, Walmart, Waynesville. Accepting donations of new tennis shoes for sizes K-12. www.waynesvillealtrusa.org.

• Bolivian Mission Auction, 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, Wildcat Cliffs Country Club. Reservations, 526.3605 $125 per person.

• Haywood County Fairgrounds annual fish fry, 4 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 22, Haywood County Fairgrounds. $10.

Children under eight years of age are free. Proceeds to help the Fairgrounds with operating funds. Mehaffey, 508.2972, or the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office, 456.3575. Tickets can be purchased at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office.

• Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Yard Sale, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23 Western Carolina University Ramsey Activity Center. 586.2155.

BLOOD DRIVES

• American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 9, Mountain Valley Fire Department, 188 Echo Valley Road, Franklin. 332.7094 or visit www.redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: Mountain Valley.

Swain • American Red Cross Blood Drive. 1 to 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 21, Victory Baptist Church, 2175 Fontana Road, Bryson City. 488.7888.

HEALTH MATTERS • Diabetes and Chronic Disease Self-Management Training programs, 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 7 and 14, followed by six weeks of chronic disease education. For ages 14 and up. Offered by Macon County Public Health and Macon County Senior Services. Registration, fees, or location at 349.2086.

RECREATION & FITNESS • Youth Fall Soccer registration, 8 a.m.to 6 p.m. through Aug. 1, $45. Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, 293.3053.

• Football and Spirit Clinic, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Aug. 9, Franklin High School gymnasium and practice field. Open to all rising K through sixth grade students. $20 per child with discounts available for multiple children from the same family. Registration forms are available at any school office or the front desk of Angel Medical Center. Sponsored by Franklin High School and Angel Medical Center. 349.6639.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Signature Series, featuring award-winning writer and permaculture gardener, Fred Bahnson, 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, Terrace Auditorium, Lake Junaluska. Book signing will follow. Free. www.lakejunaluska.com/signatureseries. 800.222.4930 • Fred Bahnson, guest preacher, 2014 Summer Worship Series, 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, Stuart Auditorium, Lake Junaluska. 800.222.4930

KIDS & FAMILIES • Space Exploration, 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, HCPL Canton branch, and 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, HCPL Waynesville branch. Learn about the solar system and make a portable planetarium. 648.2924, Canton; 452.5169, Waynesville.

• Woodsy Owl’s Curiosity Club, 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3 p.m. Thursdays, Cradle of Forestry. Summer nature series for children ages 4-7 years old. $4 per child for each program. 877.3130.

• Open House, 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, Wells Funeral Homes and Cremation Services new event center, 248 N. Main St., Waynesville. Ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. 476.5070.

Haywood

• Cashiers Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, The Rotary Club of Cashiers/Summit Charter School. 743.5191.

• Heather Reid Memorial Blood Drive at First United Methodist Church, 1 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, 566 South Haywood Street, Waynesville. 800.REDCROSS.

Science & Nature

• Haywood Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 19, Laurel Ridge Country Club. Guest speaker is Marcy Breault, founder and president of the Protocol and Etiquette School.

Jackson

• Guided chestnut orchard tours, 11 a.m. Wednesdays, Cataloochee Ranch. $15, includes lunch. Reservations, 926.1401.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • Sarge’s Downtown Dog Walk, 9 a.m. signup, 10 a.m. walk, Saturday, Aug. 2, Haywood County Courthouse, downtown Waynesville. $15 fee to participate. Register online at www.sargeandfriends.org.

• American Red Cross Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 6, MedWest Haywood, 75 Leroy George Road, Clyde. 800.REDCROSS.

• Sylva Community Blood Drive, 1 to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, Jackson Department on Aging, 100 County Services Park, Sylva. 1.800.REDCROSS or www.redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: Sylva.

Macon • American Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 5, Southwestern Community College Macon Campus, 149 Siler Farm Road, Franklin.

306.7017 or visit www.redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: Macon.

• Family nature activities, 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Highlands Nature Center, Highlands. For ages 4 and older. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2623. $1 per person.

• Astronomy Club of Asheville offers free star gazes twice a month.www.astroasheville.org/star-gazes.

• Teen science program: Experimental Times, 3 p.m.

Wednesday, July 30, Jackson County Public Library, 828.586.2016.

Summer Camps • Lake Junaluska and Roots in Education Day Camp, 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, through Aug. 15, Wilson Children’s Complex, 21 Shackford Hall Road, Lake Junaluska. Fullday and halfday, drop-in.

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: n Complete listings of local music scene n Regional festivals n Art gallery events and openings n Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers n Civic and social club gatherings Angel Benson. 400.4841, rootsineducation@gmail.com or stop by Wilson’s Children’s Complex, 21 Shackford Hall Road (near the pool) at Lake Junaluska.

Literary (children) • Teen Craft Time., 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. 586.2016.

• Experimental Times, Teen Science Experiments, 3 p.m.

Wednesday, July 30, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. 586.2016.

• Summer Reading Program Finale, 11 a.m. Thursday, July 31, Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. 586.2016.

• Between the Lines, 6 p.m. Thursday, July 31, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time, 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time, 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Teen Time, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Summer Reading Finale Carnival and Magic Show, 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City. 488.3030 or aplatt@fontanalib.org.

ECA EVENTS Extension and Community Association (ECA) groups meet throughout the county at various locations and times each month. 586.4009. This month’s meetings, listed by date, include: • 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5 – Cloth Circle Flower Petals, Kountry Krafters ECA, Tuckasegee Wesleyan Church, Tuckasegee.

• 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 7 – Craft Project, Potpourri ECA, Conference Room of Community Service Center, Sylva.

POLITICAL GROUP EVENTS & LOCAL GOVERNMENT Others • Libertarian Party of Haywood County monthly meeting, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, Organic Beans, 1110 SoCo Road, Maggie Valley.

SUPPORT GROUPS Buncombe • Buncombe County Family Group Night, 5:30 p.m. dinner, 6 p.m. meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 5, Mission Reuter Children’s Center Family Support Network of WNC, 11 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Asheville. 213.9787 or Kate.Glance@msj.org. Registration required. www.mission-health.org/centers-services.

Jackson • Volunteer training to support patients under palliative care or hospice treatment, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, LifePath office, 26 WestCare Drive, Suite 301,

Sylva. 12 hours of training are required for those wishing to volunteer. Lauren Stafford, 631.1702.

Macon • NAMI Appalachian South “Family Support Group,” 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, 14 W. Palmer St., Franklin.

349.9252, matt@hughes.net or Sherry or Gary 421.1225.

A&E FESTIVALS, SPECIAL & SEASONAL EVENTS • Dinosaur Train™, Aug 1-3, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Bryson City. 800.872.4681 or visit www.gsmr.com.

• Stories that Portray the Soul of Appalachia, by storyteller Roy Owenby, 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, City Lights Bookstore, 586.9499.

• The Shelton House, which houses the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts in Waynesville, will be featured on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Weekend,” in a segment called “Collecting Carolina,” 9 p.m. Aug. 7; 8:30 p.m. Aug. 8; and 10 a.m. Aug. 9, UNC-TV. www.sheltonhouse.org, 452.1551.

• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Fight, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center, 777 Casino Drive, Cherokee. Must be 21 or older. Tickets, www.Ticketmaster.com.

• Village Square Art & Craft Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Aug. 23-24, Kelsey-Hutchinson Park, Fifth and Pine streets, Highlands. 787.2021.

• Mountain Heritage Day, 40th Anniversary, Saturday, Sept. 27, Western Carolina University campus.

Mountain Heritage Day contests, whisker-growing, oldfashioned costumes, home-canned goods; chainsaw competition, antique auto show and Mountain Heritage Day 5K. Artists and craftspeople juried competition. Applications at www.mountainheritageday.com or 227.7129. www.facebook.com/MountainHeritageDay or @WCU on Twitter.

• Jackson County Green Energy Park seeks vendors for the Youth Arts Festival, Sept. 20. JCGEP.org or call the Green Energy Park Director Timm Muth, 631.0271.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • Japanese guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto, 7:45 p.m.

Thursday, July 31, The Strand, 38 Main St., Waynesville. $12. www.38main.com.

• “A Songcatcher’s Notebook: Traditional Music and Storytelling” with Lee Knight, 7 p.m. Thursday, July 31, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City. Front lawn, weather permitting. Free. 488.3030 or visit www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

• “Smoke in the Mountain,” by Licklog Players, 8 p.m.

Aug. 1-2 and at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 3, 34 Creekside Circle, Hayesville. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $8 for students. Box office open, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. 389.8632 or licklogplayers@aol.com. www.licklogplayers.org.

• Jennifer Nettles, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center, 777 Casino Drive, Cherokee. www.Ticketmaster.com.

• Bingo, 5:45 p.m. Thursdays, through Sept. 5 in the Pavilion next to Maggie Valley Town Hall. Cash prizes.

• The Bankesters, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, 121 Schoolhouse Road in the Stecoah Community. Tickets at StecoahValleyCenter.com or 479.3364.

• Game Day, 2 p.m. third Saturday of the month, Papou’s Wine Shop, Sylva. Bring cards, board games, etc. 586.6300.

• Mainstage season subscriptions and individual tickets go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the box office in WCU’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The playbill includes two plays and two musicals.

Tickets, 227.2479 or go online to bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• Unto These Hills outdoor drama, 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, through Aug. 16, Mountainside Theater, Cherokee. General admission tickets, $20 for adults, $10, children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 5. Reserved tickets available at 866.554.4557 or www.visitcherokenc.com.

• Street dance, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Aug. 8, downtown Waynesville. Live music by Whitewater Bluegrass and The Trantham Family, with clogging by the Dixie Darlin’s. Dancing led by Joe Sam Queen. All skill levels welcomed to participate. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• Season subscriptions for the 2014-15 Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. All seven shows, $120 for adults, $45 for students and children. $110, WCU faculty and staff. Single-show tickets go on sale Aug. 12. 227.2479, www.bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• Mountain High BBQ Festival & Car Show, Aug. 8-9, Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center, Macon County

• Singer-songwriter Logan Murrell, Aug. 1; classic rockers Unit 50, Aug. 2; singer-songwriter Randy Flack, Aug. 8 and 15; and southern rock outfit The Soco Creek Band, Aug. 9, Fontana Village Resort. 7 p.m. www.fontanavillage.com.

• David Troy Francis, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, Stuart Auditorium, Lake Junaluska. Performing the music of Rachmaninoff, Gershwin and American hymns, with special guest Broadway star Mark Maroales. Tickets $17.50, available at www.lakejunaluska.com/concert-tickets, in person at Lake Junaluska Bethea Welcome Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

452.2881

• Cruso Circle Play & Jam, 7 p.m. every Tuesday, Cruso Community Center and Friendship Club in Canton. www.facebook.com/crusocircleplayjam.

• Friday Night Jazz! with The Kittle & Collings Duo, 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 1 and 8, Lulu’s on Main, Sylva. www.mountainlovers.com.

• Darren & The Buttered Toast, Aug. 1; 3 Sum, Aug. 2; Tony Poole, Aug. 3; Wade Baker, Aug. 7 and 10; Natty Love Joys, Aug. 8; and ENE, Aug. 9, all at 8 p.m. No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. Free. 586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

LITERARY (ADULTS) • Dr. Tim Tyson, 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, Bethea Welcome Center, Lake Junaluska. 91 N. Lakeshore Drive. Tyson is a professor of American Christianity and Southern Culture at Duke Divinity School and author of the book “Blood Done Sign My Name,” which deals with the killing of a 23-year old black Vietnam vet by whites in Oxford, North Carolina in 1970.

“Blood Done Sign My Name” won the Southern Book Award in 2005, the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, and has been adapted into a play as well as a movie which was filmed in North Carolina and released in 2010.

OUTDOOR MUSIC CALENDAR BRYSON CITY • 6:30 p.m. Saturdays, Train Depot Aug. 2 — The Josh Fields Band (southern rock/country) Aug. 9 — Liz & AJ Nance (singer-songwriter/folk)

CASHIERS • Groovin’ On The Green, 6:30 p.m. Fridays, Village Commons Aug. 1 — Matt Joiner Band (rock) Aug. 8 — Rockwell Scott & Friends (jazz)

CHEROKEE

NIGHT LIFE • Craig Summers & Lee Kram, July 31 and Aug. 7; Two Armadillos, Aug. 1; Frog Hop Festival, Aug. 2; Jamunkatrons, Aug. 8; and James Stinnett, Aug. 9,

• Music on the River, 8 p.m. select nights, Oconaluftee River Stage Aug. 1 — Will Hayes Band Aug. 2 — Running Wolf Band

• Gaither Homecoming Tour, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, Western Carolina University’s Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Tickets are $73 for platinum seating, $36 for artist circle seating, $26 for regular reserved seating and $23 for seniors and children.

Fresh. LOCAL. Yours.

Visit your local Mountain Market.

Bethel’s Grocery

Smoky Mountain News

• 5th annual Hillbilly Woodstock, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Aug. 1-2, Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, 3374 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. Admission is $6 per day or $10 for both days. Bluegrass and country music performers, Discovery Channel “Moonshiners,” car and motorcycle shows, and descendants of the Hatfields and McCoys. www.HillbillyWoodstock.com.

• Creative Endeavors arts and crafts show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 8-9, Harrell Center, Lake Junaluska.

Presented by the Junaluska Woman’s Club.

• The hour-long radio show Stories of Mountain Folk airs at 9 a.m. every Saturday on its home station, WRGC Jackson County Radio, 540 AM on the dial, broadcasting out of Sylva. Stories of Mountain Folk is an ongoing all-sound oral history program produced

by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia (CSA), a western North Carolina not-for-profit, for local radio and online distribution.

• Christian advocator, evangelist, and writer Josh McDowell, 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. Free.

Discussion, “Save Our Children, Save Our World.”

GreatMountainMusic.com, 866.273.4615.

• Cherokee Bonfire and Storytelling, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday nights, through Aug. 30, Oconaluftee Island Park, US 19 and 441 N.

• The Shelton House, at the corner of Shelton and Pigeon Streets in Waynesville and home to the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts, has opened for its 35th season. www.sheltonhouse.org, 452.1551.

Frog Level Brewing Company, Waynesville. Thursday shows begin at 6 p.m.; weekend performances, 7 p.m.

Free. 454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

July 30-August 5, 2014

• Dayton Duncan, who worked with Ken Burns to write and produce The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, will be the keynote speaker at 1 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Gather ‘Round the Blue Ridge, Crowne Plaza Resort Expo Center, Asheville. Tickets, $50, at www.blueridgeheritage.com/heritage/gather-round2014.

• 2014 Haywood County Fair, Aug. 19-24, Haywood County Fairgrounds.

Groups of 15 or more with reservations, $21 per person. 227.7677. 227.7722 or visit the Ramsey Activity Center box office.

wnc calendar

• Essential tremor support group meeting, 1 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 16, Alliance Bible Church, 501 N. River Road, Sylva. Presented by the International Essential Tremor Foundation. Serves Jackson, Macon, Swain and Haywood counties. Ted Kubit, 631.5543 or tkubit@frontier.com.

Fairgrounds, Franklin. Bring non-perishable food items to donate to the 100KCBS Meals Mission.

Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

Mountain High BBQ Festival will work with CareNet to distribute the food to those in need. www.MountainHighBBQFestival.com, www.kcbs.us.

5692 Pigeon Rd Waynesville, NC 28786 828.648.5797 To learn more about your local mountain market, visit

mountainwise.org

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wnc calendar

Aug. 3 — Running Wolf Band Aug. 8 — Will Hayes Band Aug. 9 — Eastern Blue Band

CULLOWHEE • Western Carolina University, 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Central Plaza, 227.3618.

FRANKLIN • Pickin’ on the Square, 7 p.m. Saturdays, Town Hall Aug. 2 — Charlie Horse (variety) Aug. 9 — Fast Gear (modern country) • Outdoor 76 Concert Series, 7 p.m. downtown Franklin, 349.7676, www.outdoor76.com Aug. 7—Jonathan Byrd & The Pickup Cowboys. $10 per person.

HIGHLANDS • Friday Night Live, 6 p.m. Fridays, Town Square Aug. 1 — Macon Grass Band Aug. 8 — Fred Kopp • Saturdays on Pine, 6 p.m. Saturdays, KelseyHutchinson Park Aug. 2 — The Lonesome Road Band Aug. 9 — Hi 5

SYLVA • Concerts on the Creek, 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Bridge Park Aug. 1 — Whitewater Bluegrass Aug. 8 — Asheville 96.5 House Band

NANTAHALA OUTDOOR CENTER • Summer Live Music Series, 6 p.m., www.greatsmokies.com Aug. 1—Playing on the Planet Aug. 2—Goldmine Pickers Aug. 8—Heidi Holton Aug. 9—The Archrivals

MUSIC JAMS July 30-August 5, 2014

• 7 p.m. Fridays, Pickin’ in the Park, through Labor Day, Canton

DANCE • Beginning Dance with Katy Elders, 11 a.m.

Wednesday, July 30, Jackson County Public Library.

828.586.2016.

• Dance classes for adults, six-week sessions, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays starting Aug. 4, MedWest Haywood Health & Fitness Center. Learn the cha-cha, swing, mambo, samba, meringue, bolero, tango, waltz, Viennese waltz, foxtrot, county (2-step) and free – style. $120 per couple and limited to 10 couples. 452.8080, or stop by the Health & Fitness Center front desk.

Smoky Mountain News

FOOD & DRINK • Second annual Cupcake Challenge, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 31, Haywood County Library, Canton Branch Library, Canton. Open to all ages. Signup required, 648.2924. Prizes awarded. 648.2924.

• “Way Back When,” dinners at Cataloochee Ranch to celebrate its 80th anniversary: Aug. 1 and Aug. 15. $31.95 per person. Reservations, 926.1401 or 800.868.1401. Meet at ranch house at 5:30 pm, rain or shine, to board the wagon ride to the camp. www.cataloocheeranch.com.

ART/GALLERY EVENTS & OPENINGS • Artist Wendy Cordwell will demonstration her collage painting techniques, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, Beverly Hanks on Mainstreet in Waynesville during Art After Dark.

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• Artist Char Avrunin will demonstrate her painting techniques, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at the newly opened Re-Max office on Main Street (next to City Bakery) in Waynesville during Art After Dark.

• Art dedication, “Chasing Tadpoles,” 5 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 2, Frog Level Historic District, corner of Commerce and Depot streets. Frog hop from 4 to 9 p.m., with local artists, food, children’s activities.

• Featured artists demonstrations 1 to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 2, Tunnel Mountain Crafts, 94 Front St., Dillsboro, with local potters, Carmen Holland and Lydia Pattillo, and local stitcher and textile artist, James Payne-Stewart.

• Sylva Art Stroll, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, downtown Sylva. 337.3468, 421.4969.

• Artist demonstration, Sylva Art Stroll, 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 8, It’s By Nature, 678 W. Main St., Sylva.

631.3020.

• Artists reception, 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sylva Art Stroll, Friday, Aug. 8, Gallery 1, 604 Main St., Sylva.

• “Fly Over,” photography collection of WWII Warbirds, by local Candler photographer, Barbara Sammons, Main Meeting Room at the Canton Public Library, 11 Pennsylvania Avenue, Canton. 648.2924. Through Aug. 1. www.barbarasammons.com.

CLASSES, PROGRAMS & DEMONSTRATIONS • Intermediate Bookmaking two-part workshop, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, July 30, and Thursday, July 31, Conference Room of the Jackson County Public Library Complex.

Free. Space limited to the first 10 people who register.

Taught by Gayle Woody. 586.2016.

• Art League of Highlands-Cashiers monthly meetings, 4:30 p.m. Aug. 25, Sept. 29 and Oct. 27, The Bascom in Highlands. Guests welcome. www.artleagueofhighlands.com.

• Lens Luggers of WNC Field Photography Program with Bob Grytten, 8 a.m. Wednesday mornings, Aug. 6, 13, 20 and 27, and from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Aug. 5, 12, 19 and 26, Old Armory, Waynesville. $45 for the Wednesday morning shoots and $15 for the Tuesday evening class events. Register, 627.0245, bobgry@aol.com or www.lensluggerworld.com.

Outdoors OUTINGS, HIKES & FIELDTRIPS • Blueridge Parkway hike with Parkway rangers, 7 p.m. Thursday, July 31, in Asheville’s backyard. Meet at Milepost 388.8, just south of Hendersonville Road (Highway 25) at the dirt parking area. 298.5330, ext.

304.

• Blueridge Parkway hike with Parkway rangers, 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1, Graveyard Fields. Easy to moderate 2.5-mile hike. Meet at the Graveyard Fields Overlook at Milepost 418.8. 298.5330, ext. 304.

• Talking Trees Children’s Trout Derby, registration 10 a.m. to 6, Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds, derby 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Aug. 2, Oconaluftee River Islands Park, 86 Tsali Boulevard, Cherokee. http://visitcherokeenc.com/events/detail/talking-trees-childrens-troutderby/.

• Wild Mushroom Walks, 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 1, 15 & 19, Chimney Rock State Park. Meet at Grady’s Den. http://chimneyrockpark.com/events/month.

• Beginners’ bird walk in Highlands with HPAS President Russ Regnery, meet in the parking lot behind Highlands Town Hall, 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, 828.743.9670 or www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.

• Rockin’ Naturalist Guided Hikes, 11 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, Chimney Rock State Park. chimneyrockpark.com.

• Ribbon cutting ceremony, 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, Graveyard Fields, Milepost 419, Blueridge Parkway. To celebrate official reopening after extensive trail improvements.

• Nantahala Hiking Club annual Club Picnic, 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, Watauga Vista Club House. Bring a dish to share, dinnerware and cup. www.nantahalahikingclub.org or 369.6820.

• Sketching workshops with Norma Hendrix, 6 p.m.

Aug. 5-6, Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• Franklin Bird Club bird walk, 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, the Greenway. Meet at the Macon County Public Library parking area. 524.5234.

• Online editing digital photos class, 5:45 p.m. Aug. 6. Offered by the Jackson County Public Library. The class will introduce participants to a free online image editing website called Pixlr. Learn to create a collage, resize, crop and apply special effects to images. Free. 586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy birding hike with Simon Thompson of Ventures Birding, 9 a.m. Roan High Knob, Saturday, Aug. 9. No dogs.

Register at Anna@appalachian.org, Appalachian.org.

• The Exotic & Popular Body Art of Henna by Mary DeHart Bennett, 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, Meeting Room, Macon County Public Library, Franklin.

• John Tolmay, creator of Serengetti Animal Sculpture, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, Meeting Room of the Macon County Regional Library on Siler Road, Franklin.

FILM & SCREEN • Classic movie, “It Happened One Night,” Aug. 1-3, The Strand, 38 Main St., Waynesville. www.38main.com.

• New movie starring Lake Bell, 4:40 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 6, Meeting Room, Macon County Public Library, Franklin. Rated R. • Classic 1940’s drama starring Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Claudette Colbert, 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, Macon County Public Library, Franklin. www.fontanalib.org.

• The Mad Batter Food & Film now showing featured films, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays, downtown Sylva location. Special kids’ matinee at 2 p.m. Saturdays. Free. Movie listings and information, www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

586.3555.

• Swimming Hole Hike, Aug. 10. Meet at 1 p.m. at the Cullowhee Recreation Center to ride in a van or meet at 2 p.m. at the trail head. Register until Aug. 8 at the Cullowhee Recreation Center or the Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center. Activity fee is $5 per person with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 (only 10 riding spaces available).

• Franklin Bird Club bird walk, 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, Greenway. Meet at Salali Lane. 524.5234.

• Classic Hike of the Smokies, Tuesday, Aug. 12, to Charlies Bunion, led by hiking guide and author, Danny Bernstein. Register at outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org or 452.0720.

• Register now for the Blue Ridge Breakaway, Aug. 16, and save $10 on registration fee. Enjoy scenic and challenging rides through areas near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Pisgah National Forest.

Choose from four rides: Hawk (105.8miles), Trout (75 miles), Panther (50.8 miles), and Rabbit (26.5).

Register at http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp.

• Nature Photography Exhibit: Our Spectacular Southern Appalachians, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Cradle of Forestry, Pisgah National Forest. $5 for 16 and up.

Youth free.

• Free guided, themed nature walks, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays, Highlands Botanical Garden, Highlands Nature Center, Highlands. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2623.

• Learn about the eating habits of the Highlands Nature Center’s animals, 11 to 11:30 a.m., Fridays, Highlands Nature Center, Highlands. All ages. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2623.

• Featured Creature program, 11:30 a.m. to noon, Saturdays Highlands Nature Center, Highlands. All ages. www.highlandsbiological.org or 526.2623.

• Volunteer-guided hikes, 1 p.m. Saturdays and Tuesdays through November, The North Carolina Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville. www.ncarboretumregistration.org.

• Blue Ridge Parkway’s Pisgah District summer program schedule: Hike of the Week, 10 a.m. Fridays, between Milepost 356 and 469; Evening Campfire, 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Milepost 408.8; After Hours Hike, Parkway ranger guided hike, 7 p.m. every other Thursday, along Mountains-To-Sea Trail near Asheville; Family Night, 7 to 8:30 p.m. every other Thursday, opposite After Hours Hike, Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, milepost 384. www.nps.gov/blri, or 298.5330, ext. 304.

PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS • Triple Divide, film about fracking, 6:30 p.m. July 30, Mad Batter, Sylva (free); and 7 p.m. July 31, Fine Arts Theatre, downtown Asheville ($8), hosted by the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, Western North Carolina Alliance, and Clean Water for North Carolina. The Coalition Against Fracking in WNC Swain County is also playing a key role in bringing the film to Swain County. tripledividefilm.org/screenings.

• Leopold Land Ethics Leaders, Rob Hawk, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 31, Community Room, Jackson County Public Library, 310 Keener St., Sylva.

• Smokey Bear’s 70th Birthday Party, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 2, Cradle of Forestry, Pisgah National Forest. www.cradleofforestry.org. 877.3130.

• Highlands Plateau Audubon Society presents “Feathers, Fins and Fur: Artistic reflections on the Hudson Library Summer Exhibit,” 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, Hudson Library, 554 Main St, Highlands. 743.9670 or www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.

• Hunter Safety courses, 6 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 4-5, Room 3322, Building 3300, Haywood Community College, Clyde. Must attend two consecutive evenings to receive certification. Free. No age limits. Pre-registration required. Register online, www.ncwildlife.org.

• Zahner Lecture Series presents “Swamp Monsters and Bone-Eating Snot Flowers: Poetry and the Nonhuman World,” 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Road, Highlands. Featuring Dr. Catherine Carter. Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Road in Highlands, at 6:30pm on Thursday nights. www.highlandsbiological.org or call 526.2221.

• Highlands Plateau Audubon Society annual picnic, 5 p.m. Aug. 10, Highlands Civic Center/Recreation Park. $5 per person. Reservations, Dee Andry, 787.1586. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.

• Trout Unlimited Cataloochee meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 12, The Waynesville Inn Golf Resort and Spa, Tap Room, 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

Ron Gaddy, tucataloochee427@gmail.com.

• Golden Winged Warbler and Early Successional Habitat, Patrick Farrell, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, Community Room, Jackson County Public Library, 310 Keener St., Sylva.

WATER SPORTS • Whitewater Junior Olympics Aug. 9-11 Nantahala Outdoor Center. For elite and recreational paddlers.

Registration fee, $40. www.nantahalaracingclub.com or contact Zuzana Montagne at zuzana.montagne@noc.com.

• Family Night, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Canton Recreation Park Swimming Pool. Enjoy the new diving board. $2 per person.

• 2014 Lake Logan Multisport Festival, Aug. 2-3, Lake Logan, Canton. This year’s race will include a HalfIron distance triathlon, in addition to the sprint triathlon, Aquathon and Aquabike. Volunteers needed.

Greg Duff, Glory Hound Events, 400.5868, greg@gloryhoundevents.com. www.GloryHoundEvents.com.

• Mountaintop Rotary of Highlands SOAR Golf Tournament to benefit Special Operations Warrior Foundation, 9:30 a.m., shotgun start, Monday, Aug. 4, Sky Valley Country club. $150 per player includes: round of golf, hors d’oeuvres and prizes; best ball scramble (gross prizes). Registration deadline, Wednesday, July 30. Mail form to Mountaintop Rotary Club, Bill Zoellner, PO Box 2584, Highlands, NC 28741 or call 787.2323 for details.

• Madison Hornbuckle Charity Golf Tournament, 8 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. Tee Off, Saturday, Aug. 9, Sequoyah National. 736.2408, 736.0005, 508.3139.

• Richard’s Run, 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, Catalooche Ranch, Maggie Valley. 5K mountain trail run crossing the mile-high ranch grounds honors Cataloochee Ranch founders Mr. Tom and Miss Judy Alexandar’s grandson, Richard Coker, who lost his battle with brain cancer in 2013. $25 entry fee. www.Richardsrun.org.

• Main Street Mile, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, downtown Waynesville. Post-race party featuring music of Fireball Coma, kids’ activities, food and local craft beer.

Proceeds to Shriners Hospitals for Children. Details and registration, www.communityfitnessevents.com.

• Twilight Rock n Roll 5K, 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, Kelsey Hutchison Park, Highlands. Registration and

• Paddle Grapple, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug.2. Choose from SUP, surfski, marathon, kayak or canoe classes in this race on beautiful Fontana Lake. Three and six mile race options. http://noc.com/events/paddle-grapple.

FARM & GARDEN • Mary Palmer Dargan, “My Magic Mix,” 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, July 31, Dovecote, Cashiers. Register, www.dargan.com/dovecote-events.

• Free class on medicinal herbs with naturopath Michelle Sanderbeck, N.D., 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, Haywood County Public Library, Canton. 648.2924.

• Mountain Heritage Day’s “A Gathering In” traditional foods competition, Saturday, Sept. 27, Western Carolina University campus. Also a “Best in the West Sweet Potato Recipe Contest” adult and youth winners. www.mountainheritageday.com/Contests, or contact Peter Koch at pkoch@email.wcu.edu or 227.7129.

FARMERS & TAILGATE MARKETS Haywood County Canton Farmers Market and Heritage Crafts 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday through Oct. 31, municipal parking lot of downtown Canton. Robin Smith, 734.9071 or Michaelrobin07@yahoo.com.

• Haywood County Beekeepers Club monthly meeting, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, Haywood County Extension Center, Raccoon Road, Waynesville.

Haywood Historic Farmers Market 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday and Saturday through midDecember at 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville, parking lot HART Theatre. Carol James, 280.1381 or haywoodfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

• Anyone planning to display chickens or birds at the 2014 Haywood County Fair should call Erin Freeman, NCSU, at 456.3575. All chickens and birds on display at the Haywood County Fair will be inspected and tested by state veterinarian Ryan Higgins from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds. The fair runs from Aug. 19-24.

Maggie Valley Farmers Market 8 a.m. to dusk Fridays and Saturdays through the first frost beside Organic Beans Coffee Co., 1098 Soco Road, Maggie Valley. Adam Capparelli, 209.8061 or adam@organicbeanscoffee.com.

• Expanded Viewing Zoo at the Haywood County Fair will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the fair, Aug. 19-24, alongside the Fairgrounds Livestock Barn.

The zoo will include farm animals and livestock as well as a variety of non-farm animals and poultry or other fowl. To exhibit, 456.3575, 734.9673 or 497.3401.

• Award-winning writer and permaculture gardener Fred Bahnson, 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, Terrace Auditorium, Lake Junaluska. Free, but a love offering will be taken. A book signing with the author will follow. www.lakejunaluska.com/signature-series.

The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market 8 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays and Saturdays through Oct. 29 at 171 Legion Dr., Waynesville, behind Bogart’s restaurant. Judy West, 648.6323. www.facebook.com/pages/Waynesville-TailgateMarket/117024646020.

Jackson County Cashiers Tailgate Market 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays May through October.

Anglican Church parking lot next to Macon Bank on U.S. Highway 64 East. Donna Few, 226.9988 or blueridgefarmers@gmail.com.

Jackson County Farmers Market Family Art at the Market offered 10 a.m. to noon; Story time with City Lights at 11 a.m.; monthly fundraising brunches and occasional music given. 9 a.m. to noon April to October at Bridge Park in Sylva; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. November to March at Community Table. Jenny, 631.3033 or jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

Macon County Cowee Farmers Market 3:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Oct. 28, Old Cowee School, 51 Old Cowee School Dr., Franklin. Susan Ervin, info@coweefarmersmarket.com, 524.8369.

wnc calendar

COMPETITIVE EDGE

check-in on race day starts at 4PM. Cost is $30; $35 race day. Proceeds to benefit Highlands School running track. Michael Johnson, 526.4114 or Derek Taylor, 526.3571. www.twilightrocknroll5k.com.

Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through November on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software. Alan Durden, 349.2049 or alan_durden@ncsu.edu, www.facebook.com/franklinncfarmersmarket.

Swain County Swain County Farmers Market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays through Oct. 31. 210 Main St. at the corner of Main St. and Everett St. in Bryson City. Christine Bredenkamp, 488.3848 or christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu. www.facebook.com/pages/Swain-County-FarmersMarket/104853346226504.

BIKE RIDES • A weekly bike ride in Waynesville meets Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at Rolls Rite Bicycles on the Old Asheville Highway. Beginner to intermediate rides led by Bicycle Haywood advocacy group. Eight- to 12-mile rides.

276.6080 or gr8smokieszeke@gmail.com.

• A weekly bike ride meets in Bryson City on Wednesdays around 6 p.m. Depart from the East Swain Elementary school in Whittier on U.S.19 off exit 69 from U.S. 23-74. All levels. 800.232.7238.

RELAX RELA AX THIS T SUM SUMMER MME R

Build Build A Home Home Yo You’ll u’ll Never Want Want To Leave

July 30-August 5, 2014

America’s America’s Ho Home me Plac Placee

#SummerBuild

335 NP & L Loop, Franklin, NC Across From Franklin Ford on Hwy 441

Smoky Mountain News

Franklin Building Center

(828) 349-0990 AmericasHomePlace.com We’ve e’ve broken ground on our new model! Come watch us build.

41

Hiring Bonuses available.

Call Nick Vollmer today

828.452.0010 ANNOUNCEMENTS

MarketPlace information:

- ON-SITE HOUSE SALE -

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.

Everything Must Be Sold in 3 Days. Living Estate of Second Home - Living Room, Bedroom, Tools, Art, Housewares, and Everything In Between. 237 Assembly St., Waynesville. Thurs - Sat, 9a til 3p

ARTS & CRAFTS

Rates:

ALLISON CREEK Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC

n Free — Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads. n Free — Non-business items that sell for less than $150. n $12 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2. n $12 — If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type. n $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad. n $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold. n $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words. n All classified ads must be pre-paid.

LAWN AND GARDEN HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

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AUCTION Construction Equipment & Trucks, August 5th, 9am, Richmond, VA. Excavators, Dozers, Dumps & More.

Accepting Items Daily thru 8/1.

Motley's Asset Disposition Group, 804.232.3300, www.motleys.com, VAAL#16.

INC.

PE

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

AUCTION

AUCTION HARPER’S AUCTION COMPANY Friday August 1st @ 6:00 p.m.

Public and Dealers Welcome: Over 250 Box Lots, Crafts, Dolls, Purses, Lots of Glass, General Household Merchandise and Lots More...

Come for Dinner and Auction ‘Hungry Bear Restaurant’ $5 Plus Tax on a Select Menu harpersauctioncompany.com 47 Macon Center Dr. Franklin, NC 828.369.6999.

Debra Harper, NCAL #9659, NCFL #9671.

TAX SEIZURE AUCTION Restaurant Equipment. Wednesday, August 6 @ 10am, 196 Crawford Rd. Statesville, NC. Selling seized Restaurant Equipment for NC Department of Revenue for Unpaid Taxes. Coolers, Freezers, Gas Cooking Equipment, Fryers, Stoves, Ovens, Walkins, more.

704.791.8825 ncaf5479/5508. www.ClassicAuctions.com

PAINTING JAMISON CUSTOM PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING Interior, exterior, all your pressure washing needs and more.

Specialize in Removal of Carpenter Bees - Cedar or Log Homes or Painted or Siding!

Call or Text Now for a Free Estimate at 828.508.9727

ESTATE SALE!!

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

Service truck available for on-site repairs

250-105

LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS

MON-FRI 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

828-456-5387

Friday Aug. 1st & Saturday Aug. 2nd 10:00 a.m. til 4:00 p.m.

Location: 62 Keepsake Lane, Whittier, NC. Exit 74 - US 441 North to ‘Old’ Soco Rd., Right to Keepsake, Signs Will be Posted.

Check: estatesales.net or dodieallen.com More info: Call Dodie 828.226.3921, 828.735.4790

Entire Furnishings of Residence.

Real Estate Offered by - Apple Realty, Open House on Day of Sale

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING ALL THINGS BASEMENTY! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, Finishing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control.

FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1.800.698.9217 DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

AUTO PARTS DDI BUMPERS ETC. Quality on the Spot Repair & Painting. Don Hendershot 858.646.0871 cell 828.452.4569 office.

CAMPERS 25’ TRAVEL TRAILER - EXCELLENT With new awning and carpet, central heating and cooling. Queen bedroom. Everything in top condition. Sleeps 6. $9,400, Call 813.753.9626.

CARS DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck or Boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 800.337.9038.

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA

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EMPLOYMENT HAYWOOD TRANSIT PROGRAM MANAGER This position requires a four year degree or comparable work experience in management, proficient computer skills, good oral and written communication skills, and the ability to manage an annual budget. Supervisory/ management experience with some financial background required. Fleet management experience helpful. Must have the ability to work effectively with diverse populations. Experience in public speaking and human relations helpful. Clean driving record required and be able to obtain CDL License within 60 days of hire. Applications will be taken at Mountain Projects, Inc. 2251 Old Balsam Rd., Waynesville or 25 Schulman St., Sylva, or you may go to our website: www.mountainprojects.org and fill out an application.

Pre-Employment drug testing is required. EOE/AA.

AIRLINE CAREERS BEGIN HERE Get FAA Approved Maintenance Training Financial Aid For Qualified Students - Housing And Job Placement Assistance. Call Aviation Institute Of Maintenance 1.866.724.5403 WWW.FIXJETS.COM. SAPA

AVERITT EXPRESS New Pay Increase For Regional Drivers! 40 to 46 CPM + Fuel Bonus! Also, Post-Training Pay Increase for Students! (Depending on Domicile) Get Home EVERY Week + Excellent Benefits. CDL-A req. 888.602.7440 Apply @ AverittCareers.com Equal Opportunity Employer - Females, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

HIGHLANDS-CASHIERS HOSPITAL Positions now available: Family Nurse Practitioner, Med/Surg and ER Registered Nurses, Clinical Coordinator, Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, and Receptionist.

Benefits available the first of the month following 60 days of full-time employment. PreEmployment screening required.

Call Human Resources.

828.526.1376, or apply online at: www.highlandscashiershospital. org HVAC TECHNICIANS. 4 Week Accelerated Hands On Training Program. We Offer 6 National Certifications and Lifetime Job Placement Assistance. VA Benefits Eligible! 877.994.9904 NEED MEDICAL BILLLING TRAINEES Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc.

1.888.512.7122

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-- JOB LISTINGS -10294384

Jerry Smith

Office Assistant III

The Administrative Clerical Support Section is part of the Business Services Division of the Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency. The clerical support provided by this section includes but is not limited to: greeting persons arriving at the Customer Service desk, providing information concerning the services provided by the Agency, the location of those services, the right to apply for said services or programs, answering incoming phone calls, directing those calls, completing computer inquiries, completing logs, scanning, setting up case files, processing incoming, outgoing, courier mail , collecting payments and completing numerous data entry functions i.e. NC Fast and other systems utilized by the Agency.. *Primary Purpose of the Position: *The Office Assistant III in this position is supervised by the Administrative Assistant I. The employee in this position will be assigned to the Customer Service reception area of the Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency.

The employee in the position will deal with a high volume of customers on a daily basis performing a wide variety of tasks. This employee will perform a variety of office assistant tasks as generalists in support of the administrative, programmatic or technical operations within the Agency. The completion of the work of this employee often involves a public contact role to obtain, clarify or provide general information regarding all the services provided by the Agency.

828-734-8765 jsmith201@kw.com 251-70

2562 Dellwood Rd. Waynesville

(U.S. Hwy. 19)

Between Russ Ave. & Maggie Valley kellerwilliamswaynesville.com 214-64

251-60

MOUNTAIN REALTY

Mieko Thomson

Thomson ROKER/R /REALTOR EALTORÂŽÂŽ BBROKER

Cell (828) 226-2298 Cell

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

10294381

Police Officer

DRIVERS: Money & Miles... New Excellent Pay Package, 100% Hands OFF Freight, Great Home Time, Monthly Bonus, 1yr. OTR exp., No Hazmat.

877.704.3773.

DRIVERS: OTR: Company & O/O’s. All Drivers Paid by Mile, Loaded Mile & Empty.

No-Touch Freight. 50% Drop & Hook. 800.588.7911 x225.

Will be cleaning residents rooms. Prefer Experience but will train.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes every other weekend.

Registry.

OWN YOUR OWN TRUCK! Best Lease Purchase Deal in the Country! *You can earn over $150,000 per year. *No Credit Check. *Late-model Freightliner Columbia. *Low Truck Payment.

Call 866.612.2218 to talk to a recruiter. Apply Now Online @ www.joincrst.com.

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Town of Maggie Valley is accepting applications for a full time Police Officer. Applicants must have valid NC Driver's License, High School Diploma or GED, and a BLET Certification.

EXPERIENCED HEAVY Equipment/Truck Mechanics needed to work in the Fayetteville/Kinston/Goldsboro N.C. areas. Need self-starters to diagnose and repair various types of Heavy Diesel Construction Equipment. Applicants must furnish their own tools.

Excellent benefits and competitive wages. EOE. Contact Charles Rose, 252.813.0193 or email crose@barnhillcontracting.com

10293847

Cleaner, Clearer and Healthier water at every tap in your home

Housekeeper

10294345

An EcoWater Water System can remove

CNA

CNA will work with adults and older adults to assist with activities of daily living. They will be required to assist with bathing, toileting, dressing, feeding and transferring/ambulating. Other duties include light housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders, and running errands/shopping. CNA certification is highly preferred, but not always required. Full time, part time and PRN positions available.

For More Information Call our Waynesville Office at 828.456.6061 or visit our website at: www.ncesc.com

Lease to Own

Bad Taste & Odors Iron/Rust Sediment/Silt Bacterias Harmful Chlorine Balance pH

smokymountainnews.com

ATTENTION: Drivers Be a Name, Not a Number. $$$ Up to 50 cpm Plus Bonuses $$$ 401k + Pet & Rider. CDL-A Req. 877.258.8782. www.ad-drivers.com

GORDON TRUCKING CDL-A Truck Drivers Up to $5,000 Sign-On Bonus & $0.56 CPM! Solo & Teams. Full Benefits. Excellent Hometime. No Northeast. EOE. Call 7 days/wk! 866.646.1969.

GordonTrucking.com

EMPLOYMENT The North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Solutions (previously known as Employment Security Commission) assists individuals who need help getting back to work and in finding the training they need to find a job.

July 30-August 5, 2014

$1,000 WEEKLY!!

Mailing Brochures From Home.

Helping home workers since 2001.

Genuine Opportunity. NO Experience Required. Start Immediately. www.MailingMembers.com SAPA

FUEL TRUCK/WATER Truck Driver needed in Goldsboro area. Valid CDL. Hazmat/Tanker Endorsement. EOE. Contact Charles Rose, 252.813.0193 or crose@barnhillcontracting.com

WNC MarketPlace

GREAT MONEY FROM HOME With Our Free Mailer Program.

Live Operators On Duty Now! 1.800.707.1810 EXT 901 or visit WWW.PACIFICBROCHURES.COM SAPA

EMPLOYMENT

251-05

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

828.452.3995 | americanwatercareinc.com

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

43

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT

PETS

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Seeking a internet/social media guru experienced in sales through social media. This is a full-time, Waynesville office location. For detailed info visit: www.marketsuperforce.com or send resume to: mpg@marketsuperforce.com

PETS

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

ALL NEW! Happy Jack DuraSpot®: Kills & Repels fleas, ticks & larvae. Repels mites, lice & mosquitoes. Contains Nylar® IGR. At Southern States. www.happyjackinc.com

FINANCIAL

THE NAVY IS HIRING Top-notch training, medical/dental, 30 days vacation/yr, $ for school. HS grads ages 17-34. Call Mon-Fri 800.662.7419

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

WANT A CAREER Operating Heavy Equipment?

Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators.

"Hands On Training" & Certifications Offered. National Average 1822 Hourly! Lifetime Job Placement Assistance. VA Benefits Eligible.

1.866.362.6497

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville, NC.

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA DELETE BAD CREDIT In Just 30-Days! Raise Your Credit Score as much as 200 points! Results Guaranteed! FREE To Start!

Learn How. Don’t wait. Call Now 1.855.831.9714 SAPA INJURED? IN A LAWSUIT? Need Cash Now? We Can Help!

No Monthly Payments to Make.

No Credit Check. Fast Service and Low Rates. Call Now 866.386.3692 www.lawcapital.com (Not available in NC, CO, MD & TN) SAPA

FURNITURE COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

20 ACRES ONLY $99/mo.

Hurry, Only a Few Remain! Owner Financing. NO CREDIT CHECKS! Near El Paso, Texas. Beautiful Mountain Views! Money Back Guarantee 1.800.343.9444 Landbrkr@gmail.com. SAPA

July 30-August 5, 2014

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS GRACIE A GORGEOUS 2-YEAR-OLD GOLDEN RETRIEVER MIX GIRL WITH THE MOST GLORIOUS TAIL! SHE HAS AN EASY-GOING, LAID-BACK STYLE THAT WILL MAKE HER A GREAT FAMILY COMPANION AND A WONDERFUL BEST FRIEND.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400 Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

DESIRAE A SWEET AND VERY PRETTY BROWN TABBY GIRL. SHE AND HER DAUGHTER SHERRI LOOK SO ALIKE THEY COULD BE TWINS!

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

www.smokymountainnews.com

Equal Housing Opportunity

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

HOUSES FOR SALE - HORSE PROPERTY Cullowhee, 3/BR 2/BA house and 3 stall center aisle barn with tack room. 6.39+/- acres. Upgraded construction. Open living/ dinning. Quartz counter kitchen, Master ensuite custom bath, shower. Laundry/mud room.

Screened back porch. Fenced pasture. Large attached double carport, 8 minutes to WCU. State maintained road. $329,000.

828.293.1064 BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor shamrock13@charter.net McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

HOMES FOR RENT UNFURNISHED HOUSE FOR RENT - 3/BR 2/BA Amazing View and Privacy. W/D, Large Covered Deck and Hot Tub. 1st, Last & Dep. Req. No Smoking, Pets Negotiable, $1200/mo. Call 828.586.6641.

COMM. PROP. FOR SALE APARTMENT COMPLEX FOR SALE 14 - 2/BR Units. Excellent Rental History. Sylva Area. Call Broker, Robert A. Kent, NC Broker Lic. #274102, The R.A. Kent Co., LLC 828.550.1455

VACATION RENTALS NORTH CAROLINA Beat The Heat & Head to the Mountains! Book your vacation now.

Pets welcome! Nightly, Weekly & Monthly rentals. Best rates.

Foscoe Rentals 1.800.723.7341 www.foscoerentals.com. SAPA

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT BULLFROG STORAGE Convenient Location 19/23 Between Clyde and Canton

5 x 10 = $35 10 x 10 = $40 10 x 20 = $85 • NO CONTRACTS • Call Brian

828.342.8700 CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT 1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700 maggievalleyselfstorage.com

CABINS FOR RENT UNFURNISHED CABIN IN GATED COMMUNITY For Long-Term Rent, Bryson City, Hwy 74 W. 2/BR, 1/BA. Suitable for Couple. Service Animals ONLY! $650/mo. For more information please call 828.450.5871 or 770.846.0893.

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

251-59

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

92

$

20’x20’

160

$

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828 44

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

Puzzles can be found on page 46.

These are only the answers.

MEDICAL

CANADA DRUG CENTER Is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call Today 1.800.265.0768 for $25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping.

SAPA MEDICAL GUARDIAN Top-rated medical alarm and 24/7 medical alert monitoring. For a limited time, get free equipment, no activation fees, no commitment, a 2nd waterproof alert button for free and more - only $29.95 per month. 800.983.4906 SAPA SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB. Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included. Call 800.807.7219 for $750 Off.

FOR SALE CHAMPION SUPPLY Janitorial supplies. Professional cleaning products, vacuums, janitorial paper products, swimming pool chemicals, environmentally friendly chemicals, indoor & outdoor light bulbs, odor elimination products, equipment repair including household vacuums. Free delivery across WNC. www.championsupply.com 800.222.0581, 828.225.1075.

ENTERTAINMENT SCOTTISH TARTANS MUSEUM 86 East Main St., Franklin, Open 10am- 5pm, Mon - Sat. Come & let us find your Scottish Connection!

828.584.7472 or visit us at: www.scottishtartans.org.

PERSONAL

STELLAR - A female, Plott mix.

She is about 2 years old, crate trained, 35 lbs. Has recovered from a gunshot wound.

631.1984 or 506.6311.

FINLEY - A 20 month old German Shepherd mix. He is very loving. 877.273.5262.

SHIRLEY - A 2-3 year old, swee,t long-haired, Collielooking dog. She is shy of other dogs at first. Call 877.273.5262.

LIL’ BIT - A mixed, brindle Hound/Boxer. He is 7-9 months old, weighs 29 lbs. He is mostly housebroken and is dog door trained. Call 507.3248.

DEBO - A 1-2 year old, male Pomeranian. He is black with white on his chest and feet.

Adorable. Special pricing. Call 828.293.5629.

BANDIT - An adolescent,

neutered, black cat. He tries to answer the telephone. Litterbox trained. Call ARF foster home at 586.5647.

PEARL - A seven month old Terrier mix. She weigh 26 lbs., is white with just a little bit of tan, and is adorable. 877.273.5262

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

ARF’S NEXT LOW-COST Dog and cat spay/neuter trip is August 4th. Register in advance at ARF’s adoption site in Sylva 1-3 on Saturdays. Spaces are limited, so don’t wait until the last minute to register. You should not bring your animal to registration. Do bring address documentation and income documentation if you wish to apply for free Cullowhee dog or Sylva cat spay/neuters or other low-income discounts. For more information, call 877.273.5262.

Beverly Hanks & Associates — beverly-hanks.com • • • • • • •

Michelle McElroy — beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig — beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey — beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither — esither@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Smith — beverly-hanks.com Billie Green — bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Pam Braun — pambraun@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com Haywood Properties — haywoodproperties.com

HERO MILES To find out more about how you can help our service members, veterans and their families in their time of need, visit the Fisher House website at www.fisherhouse.org SAPA MAKE A CONNECTION. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call now 1.888.909.9978 18+. SAPA YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com ADOPTION Creative, married couple praying to grow our family with adoption. Lots of love to give. Legal, Confidential, Expenses Paid. 1.973.699.8763 SAPA

ARF (HUMANE SOCIETY OF JACKSON COUNTY) Holds rescued pet adoptions Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 (weather permitting) at 50 Railroad Avenue in Sylva. Animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots.

Most cats $60, most dogs $70.

Preview available pets at www.a-r-f.org, or call foster home.

BO - Great Pyrenees Mix dog – white, I am about 6 years old and, consistent with my breed, I’m an extra-large boy. I’m a real sweetheart and I already know lots of basic commands. I like to cuddle and go for walks, but I am a bit shy and wary of strangers at first. I get along with some dogs but not others, so I would be fine as an only dog but if you do already have another dog, AHS will require us to meet before adopting me. Adoption fees vary; if you’re interested in me, adoptions@ashevillehumane.org.

STORMY - Domestic Mediumhair cat – black, I was born in summer 2013 and I’m a beautiful, sweet, and loving girl.

I’m a bit skittish in new environments but get more comfortable with time. And once

ASHEVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY 828.761.2001, 14 Forever Friend Lane, Asheville, NC 28806 We’re located behind Deal Motorcars, off Brevard & Pond Rd.

251-09

Full Service Property Management 828-456-6111

Your Local Big Green Egg Dealer

BEST PRICE EVERYDAY

10-5 M-SAT. 12-4 SUN.

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Ron Kwiatkowski — ronk.kwrealty.com

Mountain Home Properties — mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell — smokiesproperty.com

Main Street Realty — mainstreetrealty.net McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern — shamrock13.com

Preferred Properties • George Escaravage — gke333@gmail.com

Prudential Lifestyle Realty — vistasofwestfield.com Realty World Heritage Realty realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766/

• Thomas & Christine Mallette realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7767/

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty • • • • • • • • •

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Looking back at strawberry wine, Kephart and Calhoun

I

George Ellison

BACK THEN Granville and Lillie bought a two-story home downstream at Proctor in 1928 and eventually owned 17 other houses. With the coming of the park and the flooding of Lake Fontana in the mid-1940s, they had to move to Bryson City where their son, Seymour, operated a hotel.

When I visited Granville in early 1973, he was going on 100 and communicated with visitors via Seymour’s assistance. Even so, sitting upright in a kitchen chair, he was still the man remembered by a contemporary as being “larger than life.”

In Strangers in High Places: The Story of the Great Smoky Mountains (1967), Michael Frome aptly described Granville as the “squire of Hazel Creek ... a man with a sparkle in his eye and flood of mountain stories rolling from his lips.” And the accounts Granville passed along to regional columnists like Carson Brewer of the Knoxville NewsSentinal about an incapacitated greenhorn named Horace Kephart have all the earmarks of a tall tale spun by Mark Twain. The tale varied somewhat from listener to listener.

In a chapter devoted to Kephart, Frome reported after interviewing Granville that Kephart — “transfixed as with some distant image” — held onto a mule “as best he could” for 16 miles. Arriving at Granville’s home, he was undressed, put to bed and offered milk.

Kephart declined that beverage in favor of “Smoky Mountain strawberry wine,” which Frome was assured “is reputed to awaken the dead and delight the angels.” Thereafter the patient was restricted to “sweet milk.”

And “so it went for three weeks, Granville spoon-feeding Kephart, first milk, then bread and butter and fish from the stream, while Kephart arose very slowly from his torpor and tremens, the long hangover, the flight away from himself and the world he knew before.”

In Carson Brewer’s version, Valley So Wild: A Folk History (1975), Granville recalled, 70 or so years after the fact, that the strawberry wine was “a pale red wine and you could smell it all over the room when I took out the stopper.”

I noted almost 40 years ago in the intro-

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Kephart kept a diary following his departure for the Smokies. The two volumes are presumably “lost,” but being an inveterate library cataloger he created an “Index to Diary” that has been preserved in Journal 1 of the 27 journals archived in Special Collections at Hunter Library at Western Carolina University.

On Nov. 1 under the heading “Off for Medlin,” he left the Dicks Creek camp near Sylva via train, making seven diary entries along the way to the Bushnell depot at the mouth of Hazel Creek. The eighth entry for that day is “Trip to Medlin” followed by diary notations having to do with “Ginseng,” “Buzzards and hog cholera,” “Holly, mistletoe, ‘ivy,” and “The Mail Rider.”

There is no indication of where he spent the night (probably at Medlin with the Calhouns), but a photograph of the cabin at the mine site is captioned by Kephart, “Lived here alone, Nov. 2, 1904, to Jan. 1906” and the diary entries for that day, under the heading “The Everett Mine,” include: “The Cabin”; “Prices of hauling”; “Ownership of Lands”; “The man whose eyes shine”; “Josh Calhoun and the burnt shoe;” “Ground hogs;” “Working on cabin;” and “Dearth of provisions.”

George Frizzell, curator of the Kephart materials at WCU, and Daniel S. Pierce, chairman of the Department of History at UNC-Asheville (and author of the wellregarded The Great Smokies: From Natural Habitat to National Park (2000) agree with my conclusion — based on currently available documentation — that there was evidently no three-week interval at that time of “torpor and tremens” and “spoon-feeding.”

As is well known, Kephart was a chronic alcoholic and remained so until the day of his death in 1931. He was a “binge drinker” who would have extended periods (weeks or even months) between alcoholic episodes.

But all of the tangible evidence now available seems to indicate that he was apparently quite sober from Nov. 1, 1904, when he left Dillsboro, until he arrived at the cabin on the Little Fork of the Sugar Fork of Hazel Creek on Nov. 2, 1904. If additional evidence surfaces that indicates otherwise, that will be fine.

Granville Calhoun and Horace Kephart remained friends for almost 30 years, with Granville serving as one of Horace’s pallbearers in 1931.

Online Sources n Web address for Nov. 6, 2013, Back Then column by George Ellison: www.smokymountainnews.com/component/k2/item/12045 n Web address for July 9, 2014, letter to the editor (Strawberry Wine and its Place in the Smokies) by Gwen Franks Breece: www.smokymountainnews.com/component/k2/item/13699 n The Special Collections Department of Hunter Library at Western Carolina University contains all of Kephart’s 27 journals, an index for his “lost” diary, his library, an extensive photographic collection, maps and other personal items.

Internet resources that feature Kephart materials include “Horace Kephart: Revealing an Enigma,” an online exhibit of his life and works maintained by WCU archivist George Frizzell: www.wcu.edu/library/DigitalCollections/Kepha rt. Therein, Kephart’s “Index to Diary” detailing his activities and observations from Nov. 1, 1904, at his camp site on Dick’s Creek near Dillsboro to the cabin near Medlin Non Hazel Creek in the Smokies: can be examined. The photo of Kephart standing in the doorway of his cabin inscribed “(Lived here alone, Nov. 2. 1904, to Jan. 2, 1906.)” can be examined in the online photo album...

George Ellison wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees. Readers can contact him at P.O. Box 1262, Bryson City, N.C., 28713, or at info@georgeellison.com.

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duction to the University of Tennessee’s 1976 reissue of Our Southern Highlanders that Frome’s “presentation conflicts with available sources.” Neither Frome nor by extension his informant, indicated much, if any, awareness that Kephart was not coming directly from St. Louis to Hazel Creek.

In an “Afterword” to the published version of Gary Carden’s play “Outlander,” in which Granville and Horace are the major protagonists, I considered the matter again in greater detail, as follows:

July 30-August 5, 2014

n a letter to the editor of the Smoky Mountain News published several weeks ago, Gwen Franks Breese took exception to a Back Then column of mine originally published in SMN in November 2013.

That column went into considerable detail as to Horace Kephart’s “condition” (in November 1904) at the time Granville Calhoun (her great-uncle) escorted the writer from Bushnell to an abandoned cabin on the Little Fork of the Sugar Fork of Hazel Creek.

The event has some significance in the life stories of two of the more prominent figures in this region’s cultural history. Because I am currently contracted (along with Janet McCue, former librarian of Cornell University) to write a biography of Kephart for the Great Smoky Mountains Association, I am Columnist obligated to examine, as best I can, each episode in Kephart’s life in the light of available evidence.

Since Mrs. Breese chose to focus upon some interesting family lore but failed to mention (even in passing) the materials I cited, I will go through it again.

A regional entrepreneur named Jack Coburn, who subsequently became a lifelong friend of both Calhoun and Kephart, obtained permission from a mining company that had gone into litigation for Kephart to live in one of its vacant cabins.

That remote site on “the Little Fork of the Sugar Fork of Hazel Creek” became from 1904 until 1907 the now well-known vantage point from which he studied the land and its people for parts of three years.

Coburn arranged for a mountaineer named Granville Calhoun to meet Kephart at the depot at the mouth of Hazel Creek and lead him up to the cabin. Therein lies the context for one of the region’s most legendary encounters.

Granville and his wife, the former Lillie Hall, built a store at Medlin, which served as post office and unofficial community center.

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