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October 17-23, 2018 Vol. 20 Iss. 21

Swain leaders support sales tax increase for schools Page 21 Couple educates on the benefits of native bees Page 42

CONTENTS On the Cover: Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band is nearly 500 strong and according to a recent survey, is a major factor when prospective students are deciding which college to attend. (Page 3) The WCU Pride of the Mountains Marching Band performs its 2018 halftime show to fans at the E.J. Whitmire Stadium. Mark Haskett photo

News Dems defend Haywood commission seats ................................................................6 Republicans out for Haywood commission seats ....................................................8 Former commissioner laments lack of women in government ..............................9 Tough fight expected in Haywood tax collector’s race ........................................11 Incumbents, challengers seeking progress in Macon ..........................................14 Jackson sheriff faces challenge for second term ....................................................18 Swain leaders support sales tax increase for schools ..........................................21

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Waynesville couple educates on the benefits of native bees ............................42

CORRECTION An Oct. 10 story regarding the Swain County sales tax referendum included an incorrect detail. The school system does not intend to put sales tax revenue or critical need grant funding toward improvements to its multi-purpose building at the high school, which includes the gymnasium.

October 17-23, 2018

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‘The band that changes people’s lives’ WCU marching band a motivator for enrollment

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‘NO ONE IN THE BALLPARK’

— Madison Miller, freshman trumpet player

For many Pride of the Mountains members, that’s pretty much how it went. They saw Western on YouTube, or at the Macy’s Day Parade in 2014, or in exhibition at their high school band competition, and they decided that they were going to college at WCU. They could figure out what to major in later, as long as they could be assured a place with the band.

Madison Miller, a freshman trumpet player from Cherryville, is one such student.

“I applied to Western because of the band,” she said. “Five years ago I went to Enka (for the Land of Sky Marching Contest) with my high school and I watched them and it gave me chills. I started crying and I saw how the crowd reacted. I wanted to be in a band that made people react like that.”

Her fellow brass player Austin Ross, a freshman mellophone player, had a similar experience.

“I saw the YouTube videos and how amazing it was and how much it blows people away,” he said. “Watching the videos gave me serious goosebumps, and I was like, ‘I have to be a part of that. I have to be a part of that.’”

Starnes doesn’t turn anyone away, except percussionists and color guard if there are more applicants than equipment. But making it into the band as a full member isn’t a given.

The band includes mostly gold members, who play the whole show, but also purple members, about 35 people who still need some more training to meet Pride of the Mountains standards. They join their gold counterparts only for the last movement of the show and

The 2014 Pride of the Mountains Marching Band (top) performs in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. A color guard member (above) performs the band’s 2018 show 'Now is the Time.' Mark Haskett photos also perform the pregame portion.

“It’s competitive for a spot every year, and once you get that post you want to be the band that changes people’s lives when we’re performing,” said senior trumpet player John Sims II, from Mooresville.

‘I WANTED TO MARCH WITH THE BADDEST BAND IN THE LAND’ Of eight students who stopped to chat after Friday practice adjourned at 5 p.m., only one said that the band wasn’t a part of her decision to enroll at WCU. That student found the band afterward, and became just as swept up as the most avid of her fellow members. For the rest, the band was the reason or a significant part of the reason that they wanted to come to Cullowhee.

That’s a fact that’s recently caught the eye of university leadership.

Back in fall 2017, WCU Marketing Director Robin Oliver put together a freshman survey to get a better bead on why freshmen students were deciding to come to Western. It wasn’t intended to be a scientific survey, but rather an indicator of what kinds of factors are driving admission and what high schoolers care about when deciding where to go for college. She received 672 responses, a little over one-third of the 1,980member freshman class.

Results showed that academic program availability, academic quality, affordability and location were the biggest drivers. But it also revealed that many students give activities heavy weight when making their decision

Smoky Mountain News

At Western, band is serious business.

Most obviously, there’s its size — this year, Pride of the Mountains boasts 490 members, with numbers having stayed solidly between 450 and 500 since 2014. By any standard, that’s a huge band; schools far larger than Western have far fewer members in their marching bands. N.C. State lists its band at about 345 members, the University of Alabama at 400 members, the University of Florida at 360.

“Bands of our size are very few and far between,” said Starnes. “Across the country there may be two or three that are that size.”

Of those two or three, certainly none are mid-size regional universities like WCU. In that category, Starnes said, “there’s no one in the ballpark.” When WCU performed in the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, it became the largest marching band to have done so, and it stands a chance of breaking its own record when it returns for the 2019 parade.

Pride of the Mountains members account for 4.2 percent of all undergraduates, and when

“I applied to Western because of the band. Five years ago ... I watched them and it gave me chills. I started crying and I saw how the crowd reacted. I wanted to be in a band that made people react like that.”

October 17-23, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he calendar had declared the start of fall two weeks prior, but that didn’t stop the sun from shining hot and high over Cullowhee Oct. 5, the last day of classes before fall break. For much of Western Carolina University’s student body, the heat probably didn’t matter — they’d already finished their last class and hit the road for a weeklong respite from academics.

But for the 490 students in WCU’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, break would have to wait, because practice started at 4 p.m. It was hot and it was Friday, but the next hour would be dedicated to sweating it out in the E.J. Whitmire Stadium.

A cacophony of sound rang through the field in the minutes before 4 p.m., the percussionists beating out rhythm under a shaded portion of parking lot, the flutes, trumpets and saxes making circles across the field to warm up their lips or perhaps run through a difficult passage from the show. But when Director David Starnes gave the word, the extraneous sound dissipated, the circles broke up, and the band reformed as a single unit centered on the 50-yard line.

“I think the kids know what they’re getting into when they come here,” said Starnes in the moments before giving that direction.

“It’s an experience that some of them wait all through their high school years to be part of.

Everybody is invested and everybody cares, and we want it to be great.”

Even if making it great means marching to the fastest of tempos in 85-degree heat on a Friday afternoon when everyone else is already busy getting a jumpstart on fall break shenanigans.

looking at freshmen alone the proportion is even higher. This year, more than 9 percent of all first-time, full-time freshmen joined the band. Typically, WCU sees 10 to 12 percent participation from incoming freshmen — an extreme departure from the national average of 0.8 percent, a number pegged through a College Band Directors National Association study.

“We have kids from all over the country,” said Starnes. “We have them from Massachusetts, we have them from Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and they’re coming from all over now. It’s a pretty cool thing that they see us at a national event like a competition or the Macy’s Parade and say, ‘I want to do that someday.’”

S EE BAND, PAGE 4 3

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Anna Waters (left) wields her mallets Oct. 5 during band practice. Director David Starnes (right) speaks to his band Oct. 5 after practice. Holly Kays photos

Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

BAND, CONTINUED FROM 3 — and, in particular, band. Twelve percent of respondents said student activities were a deciding factor in coming to Western, and the marching band was by far the most heavily mentioned program on the survey responses.

Of the 79 respondents who said that student activities were a deciding factor, 32 included a sentence describing other factors in their decision. Fifteen of those responses — “I wanted to march with the baddest band in the land;” “the band for obvious reasons;” “band was the biggest factor out of it all” — pointed to the marching band as a motivating reason to attend.

“I think the biggest takeaway for us in marketing after this survey is that programs are really important to students, particularly undergraduate students,” Oliver told the Board of Trustees in September, when she presented the survey results.

Oliver followed up her remarks by unveiling WCU’s new marketing video, a 30-second spot that gives programs a heavy presence, including drama, athletics and — 9 seconds into the video — marching band, in the form of a purple-shirted percussionist tapping his drum as a voiceover says, “This is what I want to do every day, for as long as I can.”

ALWAYS PUSHING Size isn’t the only way Western’s band differs from the more typical college model.

Most college bands function mainly as a support for the football team, providing entertainment for the fans that come to watch their team (hopefully) win. Members perform a new show every week, and since there’s only a limited number of hours to learn each one, it has to be relatively simple.

Western, on the other hand, works all season long to perfect one very difficult show. “(Starnes) is not going to give us an easy show. Never,” Sims said. “He’s always pushing us to do things on a college marching band field that other colleges aren’t even thinking about.”

“The moment he tells you that Part Three is the fastest movement you’ll ever march in your life, it’s very hard to grasp that,” said senior trumpet player Austin Page, from Greenville, South Carolina.

“But you do it and you get it under your feet after so many runs and it’s, ‘How can we make this harder?’” Sims added.

There’s a satisfaction in that, and a power that comes from knowing that just because something looks impossible at first blush doesn’t mean that it is. Usually the band isn’t

THE CLASSY FLEA

even doing the whole show by the time the first football game rolls around — they’ll perform the traditional pregame show with the National Anthem and all that, but when halftime comes they’ll only do about four minutes of the nine-and-a-half-minute show, whatever portion they’ve completed thus far, and then march away.

This year, the Oct. 13 game against Chattanooga was the first time that Western fans got to hear the entire show. From here on out, it’s all about perfecting and tweaking, adding bells here and whistles there until the show is as close to flawless as humanly possible.

That will happen at football games, and it will happen at exhibition performances at various high-profile high school marching band competitions — the 18th annual Tournament of Champions on Oct. 20, which WCU will host, and the Oct. 27 St. Louis Band of America Regional Championships, which will draw 93 bands from across the Midwest. The groundwork for all that will happen during the 10 or so hours of practice the students put in each and every week.

“They’re being asked to commit an entire season to a nine-and-a-half-minute production, and on top of that three days of rehearsal a week plus week-

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WCU will host the 18th annual Tournament of Champions high school marching band competition Saturday, Oct. 20, at the E.J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee.

The competition will draw 22 of the top high school marching bands from the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee seeking the title of grand champion, and feature exhibition performances by WCU’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band.

High school bands will begin performing at 9 a.m. and continue through 3:45 p.m. for preliminaries, with event finals starting at 6:45 p.m. and results announced at 10:20 p.m. WCU will perform at 4 and 10 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and cover the entire day, with children 7 and under admitted free. Groups of 15 or more will receive $12 tickets. potminfo@wcu.edu.

The band also performs at home football games. The next one is at 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 3, against The Citadel. www.prideofthemountains.com.

MIKE CLAMPITT IS COMMITTED TO THE 119TH HOUSE DISTRICT MIKE CLAMPITT:

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Supported Reduction of Tuition Cost at WCU Initiated $1,000,000 - Drought Aid for Pasture Land

MIKE CLAMPITT DELIVERED FOR: Swain County: Supported Release of $35,200,000 & $4,000,000 from US Dept of Interior - North Shore Road Settlement Jackson County: Secured $16,200,000 for Western Carolina Steam Plant Haywood County: Cosponsored Evergreen Conversion to Natural Gas - $21,000,000

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A CULTURE OF FAMILY

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Holly Kays photo

“It’s an experience that some of them wait all through their high school years to be part of.

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Management Retreat at Lake Logan Conference Center

— Director David Starnes

The band freezes as it finishes the final note, instruments raised and motionless, then snapped down in unison as the drum major lowers her hands. There’s a collective drawing of breath, a smattering of applause from the few spectators perched on the stadium bleachers.

“Fifty-yard line, bring it in!” Starnes yells.

His band gathers around him, sitting down in a giant half-moon on the artificial turf.

“Great job!” he said. “That might have been one of the top runs in rehearsal all year long. I know there’s still things that need fixing, and I love the fact that you’re not ever satisfied with anything. That means you’re my band.”

There’s no doubt that the students appreciated the praise. But they didn’t need to hear it to know they’d done well.

“We get teared up down here at the end of full runs sometimes,” Sims said afterward.

“This last one, I was crying at the end of this last one partly because being a senior and all, you have a run that good it’s not one you’re going to forget.”

“Shoot, I’m a freshman and I still cry,” said Miller.

But they’re good tears. They’re the tears of a Catamount, making its mountains proud.

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October 17-23, 2018

When talking to Starnes, or to members of his band, the word “family” comes up again and again. Students compared the band to a family 500-strong, Starnes’ reaction to a poor performance something akin to criticism from a “disappointed dad.”

“It’s kind of like you walk in and you’re automatically greeted with family,” said freshman trumpet player C.J. Carideo, of Cary. “You’re automatically part of a family.”

“I didn’t know a single soul when I got here, so it was interesting basically meeting all new faces for the first time,” said freshman saxophone player Sydney Beasley, of Atlanta.

“The first half of the week I was just trying to remember faces and names and figure out who I was going to be friends with. But I clicked with almost every single person instantly. I feel like I have 500 new best friends right now.”

That’s exactly the kind of culture Starnes has been working to create in his eight years as director, and he hopes that culture will also continue to set the WCU band apart from the masses. College marching band has had some bad press in recent years, with Ohio State University firing its band director in 2014 after an internal investigation into hazing and sexual harassment in the marching band and a Florida A&M University drum major dying in a 2011 hazing incident.

“I learned something from that,” said Starnes. “I know that it can be anything we want it to be and kids will follow any lead that you give them, but if it’s negative nobody wins. That’s one of the things that I’m most proud of at my program is our kids know what that line is. They always ask before they do if they think it might be questionable. I’m really proud of the culture and I’m proud of the students’ morals and ethics.”

That pride continues after graduation.

Starnes said he’ll get six to eight calls a year from prospective employers when former students put him down as a reference. Band is heavy on teamwork, responsibility and time management — and those are skills that employers find highly desirable.

“They’re getting to work inside an organization that is very active, and at the same time if they drop the ball the organization fails. That’s a huge learning opportunity for students and for them to look in the mirror and see what they’re made of,” said Starnes.

“Am I capable of community? Am I capable of organization? Can I get a large number of people to trust me? That’s a large number of personal traits that I think are so important past graduation.”

Band has implications for all that, but it’s also about the now — about this moment, and its unique combination of sun and cloud and relative perfection of performance as lips press against brass and reed, the drum major sets the beat and feet begin to move in carefully studied and painstakingly practiced patterns.

The show is diverse, wide-ranging in tempo and genre. The band wonders whether anybody really knows what time it is (and if anybody really cares) as it plays its way through the classic Chicago song, and it ponders the rise and fall of power through Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida.” Fleeting themes from various corners of music weave through and between the songs, and a rotating array of flags add color to the notes, the final movement bringing with it spinning white banners calling for peace and love.

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ends, travel,” said Starnes. “They sacrifice a lot to be a part of it. It’s important to me that they know I’m aware of that. I don’t take that for granted.”

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Dems defend Haywood commission seats

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER aywood County’s board of commissioners consists of five members, three of whom are up for election Nov. 6. All three of those seats are currently held by Democratic commissioners. One of them, Bill Upton, isn’t seeking re-election.

Two of them, however, are — Waynesville attorney Kirk Kirkpatrick, 49, is currently serving his second stint as chairman and is in his 16th year on the board, and gas station owner Mike Sorrells, 62, is in his eighth year.

With a 3-to-2 Democratic majority at stake, Kirkpatrick, Sorrells and Waynesville attorney/former judge Danny Davis, 65, are all working to earn seats on the board.

Three Republicans are working toward that same goal, and if any one of them gets elected, the board will swing to a 3-to-2 Republican majority.

Voters will be able to choose any three of the six candidates, from either party, in a race that could be seen as a bellwether for a mostly-red rural county looking to define itself within the context of a Republican-controlled state and nation.

worked with Evergreen [Packaging, in Canton] to protect our good-paying jobs, along with others, and we’ve invested in education, helped the sheriff ’s department modernize public safety along with emergency management. There’s just been many, many accomplishments.

If you were elected in 2014, how would Haywood County be different today?

Davis: I would hope that our infrastructure, which I’m extremely interested in, would be a little farther along. [We’ve made] great strides in improving our infrastructure, but we’re still behind, so I would hope that if I’d have been here, there would’ve been a lot more emphasis put on infrastructure like water and sewer, high-speed internet and natural gas, so we can have the kind of infrastructure we need to bring good-paying jobs to this county.

What’s your biggest priority for the next four years?

Kirkpatrick: I would say to maintain infrastructure is one of the most important things.

To improve education. I think we have done a good job with education, but education is always at the forefront as part of being a Haywood County commissioner. I think keeping the tax rate as low as possible, and yet making sure that we provide the services that provide good quality of life for our citizens. The main thing is, just making sure that we take care of our citizens properly.

ferent boards, with eight different sets of five people — wherein that board does not serve to try to do what’s best for Haywood County.

I think what you could run into is a problem with someone who gets on the board who has an agenda, an agenda that doesn’t serve the best interests of all the people of Haywood County.

Davis: I would never say belonging to one party or another is a bad thing. I think the approach sometimes they take is not the approach I would take. For example, at the [Waynesville Mountaineer] forum last night, I think the consensus of the candidates on the other side was that you just kind of let nature

October 17-23, 2018

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Smoky Mountain News

What do you consider as accomplishments by the board during your tenure?

Kirkpatrick: One of the main things is the revival of the hospital. The hospital lost its Medicaid number. We were under hospital authority at one time, we were down to six patients. I served on multiple boards during that time. As a matter fact, one of the first meetings for collaboration with the hospital was in this [Kirkpatrick’s law firm] office. It’s certainly not attributable to one person, but I feel like I spent a lot of time to make sure that hospital was successful, and I believe now it has been successful.

Sorrells: During my eight years, we’ve had many accomplishments. We can start with reduction of debt for the county. We’ve reduced debt over $8 million in my years. We have increased our fund balance up to state average now. It was very low when I came in, dangerously low. We’ve increased our bond rating to as best the county’s probably had in many, many years. We’ve done all this while we’ve continued to invest in our infrastructure throughout the county, which is going to take us well into the future. We dealt with the hospital — we had a situation where our hospital was in dire straits. We stepped in and 6 did what we had to do to stabilize it … we

Mike Sorrells

“I hope that people feel I’ve made good decisions for the county, [that] we’re in a better place than we were 16 years ago, and that they will vote for me.”

— Kirk Kirkpatrick

Sorrells: I think those priorities right now are, of course, our opioid crisis that we have going on — not only in the county but throughout our whole country, and Western North Carolina. We have an affordable housing situation that we’ve got to do whatever we can do to facilitate, hopefully relieving the pressure on that. We have broadband expansion that we’ll continue to work on, and then of course workforce development and economic development throughout the county.

Davis: I was a judge for 27 years and then emergency judge for another couple years.

I’ve been in the legal profession 39 years. One of the things I’ve seen here is all of our chil-

Kirk Kirkpatrick

“I deal with people every day that live in this county, from all walks of life. I know the needs. I just think I’m really well suited for the next four years.”

— Mike Sorrells

Danny Davis dren — we educate them, and they have to move elsewhere to get a good-paying job. I would like for our children to not only be able to be born here, but live here and work here again like it used to be. We lost lots of manufacturing jobs. I think infrastructure, education and jobs go together. You can’t talk about one without talking about all three.

What happens if Republicans gain a majority on the board after this election?

Sorrells: I’m not sure that it would be a bad thing. We have worked extremely hard throughout my time as a commissioner to keep partisanship — especially extreme partisanship — out of our board and out of local government. I think if you come in focused on Haywood County and focused on doing what’s best for the county and don’t have a political agenda or a personal agenda, it works very well. When I came in, it was a 4-to1 [Democrat majority] board, now it’s a 3-2 board. It’s continued to work very well, and I expect it to work well any way.

Kirkpatrick: I don’t really look at the county commission as being a Republican or Democrat commission. I know that’s how we run, but since I’ve been there the last 16 years, I’ve seen the commission, at least the five people, act in a nonpartisan way. I think I’ve yet to serve on a board — I’ve served on eight dif-

take its course. When I say that, they’re not as concerned about infrastructure — and the government being involved in infrastructure — as maybe I am, and maybe the other candidates on the Democrat side are. My answer to that is, private enterprise has been responsible for high-speed internet in this county and that hadn’t worked out real well. We don’t have it. We have the sorriest high-speed internet in this state, and it’s private enterprise.

The county’s fund balance has been restored to a healthy level. Should it be maintained, increased or decreased?

Kirkpatrick: Fund balance is very important as far as the way that financial institutions look at a county. I think it’s important to have good fund balance, I also think it’s important to keep the fund balance at such a place where you’re not saving money on the backs of county citizens. I think you should use the fund balance when you have necessary items for expenditure, but I’m not a proponent of saving a lot of money to say we’ve got a big fund balance to utilize.

Davis: I think it depends on what your priorities are. When I’m talking about infrastructure and priorities, I think we need to sit down and figure out where we want to go and do some planning, some strategic planning.

So without having to raise taxes or do those kinds of things, you might have some money available to do what I’m talking about, about partnering with private enterprise. So you might want to use some of that fund balance to do that with, but I think we’ve got to sit down at the table and decide where we want to go, and then decide.

Sorrells: We decided as a board that we would try to maintain our particular percent-

S EE DEMOCRATS, PAGE 8

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER he only two seats that aren’t up for election on Haywood County’s five-member board of commissioners this November are both held by Republicans. The other three are currently held by Democrats, and have attracted two Democratic incumbents as well as a third Dem candidate seeking to maintain that majority.

But three Republicans are also seeking those three seats — electronics technician/farmer Tommy Long, 52, insurance agent and former firefighter/paramedic Mark Pless, 51, and motel owner/HVAC company owner Phillip Wight, 50.

Wight is also a Maggie Valley alderman, and ran for commission six years ago. If Wight, Long and/or Pless can gain one or more of those seats, Haywood County could be in for dramatic philosophical change in how government is run.

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Tommy Long

What’s your biggest priority for the next four years?

Pless: I’d like to see some of the fee systems gone. We charge taxes for everything and then we turn right around and when people need services in Haywood County — death certificates, birth certificates, weddings, concealed carry — you have to go and pay a fee on top of the taxes you’re already paying. I know all the fees can’t be eliminated but a large portion of those can, which would

“I’ve served on many boards and the boards that work most effectively are the boards where the members come to the table and bring a various array of experience.”

— Tommy Long

issue, and it is a priority. We have to spend money on the opioid issue. I talked to Sheriff [Greg] Christopher recently in a meeting. He said he had 137 beds, and 131 were full that evening. He said those prisoners cost us $78 a day. Also the mental health issue surrounding this situation is astronomical. He said we were putting nearly a quarter-million miles on a county vehicle — and a driver — to carry these involuntary commitments to a state hospital. They have to go wherever there’s an available bed, so if Morganton is full, the go to Raleigh, and if Raleigh is full, they have to go on down east.

Republicans could gain a majority on the board after this election. Is that a good thing?

Wight: I don’t think it’s a bad thing at the Haywood County level, but for me Republicans are my grandfather’s Democrats today, based on how we treat people and try to help people. But if you look at the federal level, I’m not sure I’d want to be a Democrat.

I mean, we’re talking about [being] against police officers. Look at the hatred. Look at open borders. But on the local level if you’re not willing to listen and have an opportunity to vote for who you want, for who sends a better message — I’ve never liked the words “either one.” I like the word conservative more than either.

Long: National politics are national politics, and there’s some deep feelings about both parties platforms, and there’s a difference. As far as the county goes, I’ve quoted

John F. Kennedy in several places. John F. Kennedy said, “We don’t need the Republican answer, nor do we need the Democrat answer, we need the right answer.”

I think Haywood County residents want results. They want somebody that’s got the right answer for Haywood County and I certainly think I can work with anybody that’s elected on that board.

Pless: I think it could be. I think the county has gone in this direction for too long now.

I view myself as a conservative. I think that [incumbent Republican commissioners] Brandon [Rogers] and Kevin [Ensley] are conservatives. If we even got one seat and conservatives were able to reach out and do the things people are asking them to do I think we could change the way Haywood County is viewed, and we could certainly change the way people are taken care of in Haywood County.

The county’s fund balance has been restored to a healthy level. Should it be maintained, increased or decreased?

Long: I came from a family where at one time there was seven of us living under one roof. I’m the last of five children, and I certainly know how to pinch a penny and stretch a dollar. I also know how to put back for a rainy day, and put back for when an opportunity presents itself, to go ahead and be able to pounce. Our fund balance is up, at a healthy level, our bond rating is up. I certainly would look at a point to where good government practices indicate we’re in a very safe place and we’re moving that way. At some point, certainly, I want to look for tax relief.

Pless: We should look at the exact amount that it takes to run Haywood County, not the amount that we’d like to spend. I know police cars are hard to plan for, ambulances are hard to plan for. There’s gonna be expenses that are going to come out throughout the course of the year. I think we can grow the balance and pay the debt off. One of the things I see is you see a lot of funding that goes during a commissioners meeting that’s just passed from one project to the next, like the dog pound being over-budgeted. And then they made a mistake on the floor covering and agreed to spend $60,000 to correct that. I believe little things like this, if things were

S EE R EPUBLICANS, PAGE 10

Smoky Mountain News

put more money back in people’s pockets. I’d like to see the debt paid down instead of borrowing money and continuing to climb it. I’d like to see it paid off, and get it to where we can lower the taxes down to where it’s livable and it’s something people can appreciate.

Wight: The same, hopefully, that I’ve experienced bringing Maggie Valley back up — pay off debt, bring a conservative approach, and be accountable. If we overspend by $2 million, it’s the public’s right to know. I think public access to public information should also be available. You shouldn’t have to change your policy based on one man asking questions. Also, I’d advocate very strongly to shop local. Any time we can buy local from our local vendors, whether it’s at the school board level or even here at The Smoky Mountain News, we shouldn’t be outsourcing across state lines if we can do it right here and spend our money local. Overall, [I want to] bring accountability to the taxpayers and be accountable.

Long: Everyone talks about the opioid

Mark Pless

Phillip Wight

October 17-23, 2018

If you were elected in 2014, how would Haywood County be different today?

Long: This is kind of a loaded question where you give me an opportunity to take a jab at maybe some of the incumbents. I will say since the Russians have been in our news lately pretty big about election tampering, let me say that [former Soviet Premier] Nikita Kruschev once said, “Politicians are all alike, they promise to build a bridge even when there’s no river.” One of the things I hear all the time is about the animal shelter. I’m an animal lover, and I have no problem with the animal shelter. We needed one. But I think we could have been wiser, and we could have been better stewards of taxpayer money.

Pless: I would like to think I’d be able to make a difference in the tax base. Taxes have raised by 4 cents over the last four years, and property values have also increased. I believe I could cut down what the government is spending, how much they’re spending, in order to compensate for what they are wasting at this point. I know that county government has to grow, but my personal taxes have grown from around $500 to $790 over the course of four years and I don’t see that I’m getting anything out of it.

Wight: I don’t believe we should have probably enacted the revenue-neutral tax. I also believe that, knowing that I was in government, that we re-evaluated property based on state standards two years early. We didn’t have to do that, knowing there was an election coming and our values were down. It probably wasn’t a good idea. But the tax rate — there wouldn’t have been a tax increase.

The other thing is, we spend a lot of tax dollars to advocate against bullying — from

grade school to high school — and it seems our government has taken it upon itself to bully certain positions in the Haywood County government. There’s no way you should ever be falsely accused by a government, or have the power of government turned against you, and I think that would have stayed out of the papers — a certain tax collector comes to mind, and [Supreme Court Justice Brett] Kavanaugh comes to mind at a higher level.

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Republicans on the hunt for Haywood commission seats

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DEMOCRATS, CONTINUED FROM 6 age amount, which would protect the county in the chance of a downturn. Anything above that would be looked upon to be used for non-recurring expenses, like voting machines or maintenance problems, something that needed to be addressed. I’m always looking for the possibility to cut taxes, if it comes to pass at some point and we have a healthy [fund balance] we can look at. The problem is, if you use it for recurring expenses, it just turns right around and eats you up in the end.

October 17-23, 2018

There seems to be a collaborative spirit between the county and its municipalities. Is that to be fostered or should towns stand more on their own?

Davis: I think we do need to be more cooperative with the municipalities because I think a lot of the growth that’s certainly going to come to this county — we’re already seeing it — I think a lot of that growth is going to come to the cities and then it may start sprawling, so there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s going to have to be better cooperation between the county and municipalities, especially about water and sewer … I don’t want to duplicate services, but I do want to cooperate and I think it’s going to take all of us working together to have a plan to deal with the growth that we’re going to have.

Sorrells: I think we should continue to work together. We’ve had great partnerships with all of our municipalities in the county. I think all of them will tell you this has been one of the unique times in Haywood County histo-

ry where all the municipalities have worked very closely together, and we have a track record of helping particular municipalities when they’re in need of help, and the same with us. I see some projects probably down the road that we will partner with them.

Kirkpatrick: We’ve established the Council of Governments and been part of that, and that has grown over the tenure I’ve been here, the last 16 years. I think the cooperation with the towns is a benefit to the county. I think the towns should stand alone, the county should stand alone, but we should collaborate on certain things, and we should also not duplicate certain things. Recreation is one of those things where we have to meet on a regular basis to talk to each other about not duplicating certain things, because none of us individually has the money to supply everything that the county needs recreation-wise.

The county’s recent economic development partnership with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been cited as an innovative way for rural communities to compete in economic development markets. What’s your view of this partnership and what do you want to see come from it?

Sorrells: If you know a lot about economic development and look throughout the country, it has become more regionalized.

Asheville and Buncombe County, they have lots and lots of revenue or monies in order to advertise and go out and attract new businesses and investments into the area. They have interest from people or businesses that want to be close to Asheville, but not neces-

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“I think I bring a passion about young people that a lot of people don’t have, because as a judge I’ve seen what happens to our young people.”

— Danny Davis

sarily in that area, so we serve that need … it’s not even been a year [for the partnership], and we have already seen tremendous interest. We’ve not had a particular result yet, but we’re close, and [there’s] a lot of interest in Haywood County right now.

Kirkpatrick: Basically just as hospitals are having to do — regionalize — we felt like it would be good for economic development for us to regionalize and be part of Buncombe County or part of the same group of people that they’re looking at. Hopefully what we can do is, we can attract an industry or a company that’s maybe not interested entirely in what Asheville offers, but something more like what Waynesville and Haywood County and Canton offers. I think it’s been a really good thing. We’ve had a lot of interested industry and companies since that time, and I hope soon we can land something.

Davis: What we were doing obviously wasn’t getting the result that we wanted here, so I’m all for trying new things and I think certainly partnering with a community like Asheville, as big as they are, helps. But everything comes back to infrastructure. They can give us 10 leads for potential industries but if we don’t have the shovel-ready sites, water, sewer, natural gas — if we don’t have all those things in place, we’re in trouble no matter how many people they send over here. I’m willing to look at that [partnership] and see how it does, but I think we have to do some things on our own too. I don’t think we can just totally depend on Asheville.

Voters will choose three of six candidates for three seats on the commission. Why should you be one of them?

Kirkpatrick: I think voters should choose me because of the experience that I have.

Unfortunately, voters can not choose me because of the experience. When you have 16 years under your belt, they can kind of look at you and say, “Do we like what this guy has done, or do we not like what he’s done?” and then they can cast their vote. When you’re running for election you can say a lot of things about yourself. Generally if you’ve been in there that long, it’s “What have you accomplished?” and “How have you made decisions?” I hope that people feel I’ve made good decisions for the county, [that] we’re in a better place than we were 16 years ago, and that they will vote for me.

Davis: I’ve had a career as an attorney and assistant district attorney, a judge for almost half my life. As a judge and a lawyer, you always have facts and the evidence, and you try to make a decision based on the best facts you have in front of you. I think I bring that kind of experience. I think I bring a passion about young people that a lot of people don’t have, because as a judge I’ve seen what happens to our young people. A job gives you a sense of self-worth, it gives you a sense of belonging to the community. A good healthy economy doesn’t just include tourism, it includes young people working here again.

That gives us a sense of community, and that’s the kind of community I want to see here again.

Sorrells: One of the big things now is experience. I’ve had eight years on the board. I’ve been in a lot of different situations. I’ve got a very good understanding not only of county government but I also served time on school board, so I understand education. I’m a longtime resident of Haywood County. I know its people, I’ve been in business — I’m a service business. I deal with people every day that live in this county, from all walks of life. I know the needs. I just think I’m really well suited for the next four years.

TWASA to hold policy meeting The Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority’s policy committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at TWASA’s main office, 1246 W. Main St., Sylva.

The meeting was called to discuss and review policies impacted by the 2018-19 TWASA budget change from impact fees to system development fees and to also discuss the impact of the Department of Transportation’s N.C. 107 project.

Macon unveils Women’s History Trail A new Women’s History Trail Project, part of the nonprofit Folk Heritage Association of Macon County, will soon be unveiled.

A trail opening ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Gazebo in downtown Franklin with opening remarks. Then “Walk in her Steps” visiting nine stops along the trail and learn about Macon County women who have contributed much to the local history.

Trail booklets, light refreshments and music will be provided.

@SmokyMtnNews

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them in order, is it’s hard to put yourself out there when you realize that you’re not entitled to one minute’s privacy. You can find out and tell everything you can find out and tell about me.”

That scrutiny may be new for women, but it’s not the only reason.

Eastern Style

Barbecue

SATURDAY, OCT. 27 3-8 p.m. $10/plate Cullowhee Valley School Cafeteria Dessert Donations Appreciated

Mary Ann Enloe.

“Women bring a different perspective. We’re not men. We don’t look at everything the way men look at it. We’re not supposed to.”

October 17-23, 2018

— Mary Ann Enloe

“And of course, the bias against women anyway — we’re at least a generation away, in my opinion, from fixing that, and I think that’s what we’re seeing nationally is that women have their place, and that isn’t their place. That’s a generational thing, and it’s wrong,” she said. “It’s as wrong as can be.”

It’s not only a problem in Haywood County, but many of the western counties.

There are currently no women serving on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, though Democrat Gayle Woody is running against incumbent Republican Charles Elders this year.

The Macon County Board of Commissioners does not include a woman, but Democrat candidate Betty Cloer Wallace hopes to change that this fall.

Swain County Board of Commissioners is also all male, but Republican candidates Holly Bowick and Carolyn Bair are running for seats this year.

Smoky Mountain News

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, there should be at least 31,614 women in Haywood County, but judging by this year’s commission race that number is actually zero.

Of the seven candidates that cast their hats in the ring back during the primaries and of the six now seeking three seats on an all-male board, not one is a woman, ensuring Mary Ann Enloe, 77, will remain Haywood County’s last female commissioner, at least for now.

“Women bring a difference in how things are looked at,” said Enloe. “Women bring a different perspective. We’re not men. We don’t look at everything the way men look at it. We’re not supposed to. And I think we need that difference. We need that perspective.”

It’s not a new phenomenon — women make up slightly more than half of the population nationally, and that percentage increases as people age, but nowhere in the United States do women achieve anything even resembling proportional representation.

This year, women as a percentage of Congress are at an all-time high of 19.4 percent. Right now, 24.7 percent of the N.C. General Assembly are female. Wyoming is lowest at 11.1 percent, and Vermont is highest at 40 percent.

And although there are women on every municipal board in Haywood County, including Maggie Valley’s Mayor, Saralyn Price, Enloe is only the second female Haywood commissioner, ever.

“One of two,” she said, referring to Commissioner Rubye Bryson, who was Haywood’s first female commissioner while Enloe was serving as Hazelwood’s first female mayor back in the mid-1980s. “I love to say in 200 years, because that is true, however, women didn’t have the vote until 1920.”

Enloe was defeated in 2008 after serving two terms. Since then, 28 candidates have run. Four have been women.

In 2016, Democrat Robin Greene Black finished second of four in the primary but fourth of four in the general. Libertarian Windy McKinney didn’t have a primary opponent in 2014, but finished sixth of six in the general election. No women at all ran in 2012. In 2010, Rhonda Cole Schandevel finished fourth of seven, not good enough to advance. That same year, Republican Jeanne Sturges Holbrook finished fourth out of five, also not good enough to advance.

So not only are women not getting elected, they’re not even running.

“I have some ideas about that,” Enloe said. “I think one thing, and I won’t put

Cullowhee Fire Department’s 42st Annual

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Haywood’s last female commissioner says we need more women in government

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October 17-23, 2018

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R EPUBLICANS, CONTINUED FROM 7 managed appropriately, you would have the money to continue to grow the fund balance and make the purchases. I think it’s just not being managed appropriately. They don’t watch it close enough.

Wight: When that time comes you always look at the opportunity to give back to the taxpayers, just in the name of a tax cut. What you don’t do is take that excess money and create new departments inside your government, whether it be a green energy department or something not necessarily frivolous but you try to keep that money and keep it accountable, and if there’s an opportunity to give back to the masses, you would. And you come up with policies that help people.

We’re getting ready to drop emissions testing. I ran six years ago and that was my pet peeve, emissions tests. I’ve never lost sight of that being elected in Maggie Valley and [Republican Rep. Michele Prensell] hasn’t either, and that’s almost come to fruition, because that type of policy helps medium income and below.

There seems to be a collaborative spirit between the county and its municipalities. Is that to be fostered or should towns stand more on their own?

Pless: The towns need to be responsible for the needs that affect their citizens. If it’s a county problem and something the county can help, then that’s fine. I can agree on certain small expenditures. But for the most part, the county needs to handle the people in the towns — if they are living inside of city limits, [towns] are collecting taxes. They need to manage their money better so they can care for the people that are living in their jurisdiction.

Wight: Haywood County municipalities I think pretty much do stand on their own. I think there are always opportunities, especially when we say the word “government level,” but a couple years ago, we were dealing with potential water shortages. There’s definitely opportunities where we should be all working together but for the most part we need to allow them to stand alone. But if there are opportunities such as water shortage, between the EMS, even policing … there’s times when we have to have that networking.

“I’m a conservative and I am looking to downsize what government is doing. A lot of people rely on the government to do everything for them.”

— Mark Pless

Long: I certainly believe in cooperation, and we have to remember that our municipal residents, they pay county taxes too on top of their municipal taxes. We have to be careful and form good partnerships. We don’t need to be taken advantage of at the county level because a municipality made some bad decisions and left a baby on our doorstep.

The county’s recent economic development partnership with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been cited as an innovative way for rural communities to compete in economic development markets. What’s your view of this partnership and what do you want to see come from it?

Smoky Mountain News

— Phillip Wight

Wight: Not knowing the inner workings of it, on the outside looking in it sounds ridiculous when we’re talking about always keeping an open mind and communicating, I think we can communicate at that level. As long as no Haywood County tax dollars go to fund a bigger municipality that needs us worse than we need them, our market’s here.

How quick do you want it to grow? I think they’re out of inventory when it comes to housing, and we need some flatter land for bigger industry, but you’re always keeping an open ear and an open dialogue for something bigger or better to come along, hopefully high paying jobs. But to say that we have to network and possible meet with them and put money into their coffers to market Haywood County, that would be a no for me.

I think it’s a negative.

Long: We weren’t getting exactly the results that I think people were looking for, but right now it’s working good. But if we’re not seeing the results that’s going to help Haywood County and get the bang for our buck, it has to be monitored continuously.

That’s what good managers do, and that’s what commissioners need to do. If it looks like we’re just getting the bread that falls off Buncombe County’s table, we definitely need to take a look at that.

Voters will choose three of six candidates for seats on the commission. Why should you be one of them?

Long: One reason — I’m a multi-dimensional candidate. I’ve served on many boards and the boards that work most effectively are the boards where the members come to the table and bring a various array of experience. If you get a board stacked with one group of people then that’s all they know. I’ve got industrial experience, I’ve got agricultural experience, I have business experience. I’ve been involved with my church. Community boards. I think I can bring a lot to the party.

Pless: I’m a conservative and I am looking to downsize what government is doing. A lot of people rely on the government to do everything for them. I as a citizen here in Haywood County, I manage my family. I take care of them. I do everything I can to support them.

I want the other people to have the same opportunities I have.

Wight: I’ve got a proven record in Maggie Valley. I believe in your property rights, I believe in your rights to keep your guns. I believe in open government, I believe in being fair to the taxpayers as well as the government. It’s kind of like, people first for me.

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“I’ve got a proven record in Maggie Valley. I believe in your property rights, I believe in your rights to keep your guns.”

Pless: I believe that’s helped Haywood County more than it’s hurt. I think it would be good to continue but you have to evaluate it every year. If you have a couple years that it’s really not doing anything for you, then that’s a wasted effort and it needs to be addressed. I think a lot of times we as a county go in and we make deals and we don’t go back and reevaluate them, we just assume that it’s gonna do it’s thing and we let it stay there even when it’s no longer profitable.

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MIKE MATTHEWS Mike Matthews, 38, was born in Chattanooga, but lived in Fayetteville until moving to Haywood County at the age of 16.

A graduate of St. John’s in Florida, Matthews majored in business management.

“My background has always been in finance. After Florida, I moved to Atlanta and took a job as a collections manager for a mobile home company,” he said.

Matthews spent four years there until the company restructured, and then got into the mortgage business. After serving a stint as a Maggie Valley alderman, Matthews defeated incumbent Tax Collector David Francis in a narrow upset in 2014.

validity to some of the criticism, but again Mr. Matthews was elected, he chooses to run his office the way he chooses, that’s up to him.

I don’t necessarily agree with everything that he does, but that’s his choice.

Like much of government, this job is really about relationships. With three of five seats on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners up for election and only two incumbents running, what kind of relationships do you have, or hope to have, with that board in the future?

West: We have a good working relationship, I feel. I do give reports at the [commission] meetings every month, and sometimes we have to talk with them concerning values and stuff like that, so I have a good working relationship I feel at this time. It’s important

GREG WEST Greg West, 50, was born and raised in Haywood County, went to Tuscola High School, and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Carolina University.

“I’ve always worked with the public,” said West. “I worked in the rent-to-own industry, and was very successful with that.”

About a decade ago he got into the appraisal business, and since then been with Haywood County, where he currently serves as the assistant tax assessor. This is West’s first run for office.

“The tax collector’s position is very important. As citizens of this county, we expect certain services — the sheriff’s department, emergency management, a lot of the money we collect goes to the school system. The citizens deserve these services, and the tax collector collects the money for those,” he said.

to have a good working relationship, and if there’s something causing that to not be the case, it would be my responsibility to work on it to where you can work those problems out, because ultimately, we’re a team.

Matthews: If we have a new board come in, I hope they realize my duty is not to them. It’s to the taxpayers. That’s it. Period. My job is not to make then happy or to appease them.

It’s to do what’s right for the taxpayers. I find it quite odd that the night I got in, [thenCounty Manager] Ira Dove looked at me on behalf of the commissioners and said, “As long as you meet this [collection rate] or exceed it, we’re good.” I think it was 96.95 percent at the time. I’ve exceeded that every year. I find it odd that these commissioners

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There’s been a lot of criticism of both the tax collector, and the tax collector’s office. How much of that is valid?

Matthews: I don’t think any of it is.

West: I work in that building, and see a lot of things that go on. I think there is some

Meet the candidates

October 17-23, 2018

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ncumbent Republican Tax Collector Mike Matthews is seeking re-election to an office many people don’t even think should be elected at all. In fact, Haywood County is home to the state’s only remaining elected tax collector.

Matthews’ tenure has been tempestuous since before it even began; bonding troubles delayed his swearing-in, and his defeated Democratic opponent was rehired by the county at a higher pay rate, setting up a work environment that could be called tense.

Haywood commissioners have since clashed with Matthews on a number of occasions, over a number of issues — namely, his knowledge and his work ethic.

In 2016, an internal complaint concerning Matthews was investigated by a county-hired attorney and although found ultimately to be unsubstantiated, the investigator’s report was subsequently anonymously leaked to The Waynesville Mountaineer, which published excerpts alleging a generally unprofessional workplace. No investigation into who leaked the confidential report — which the county has refused to release — was ever conducted.

Not long after, commissioners unanimously approved a resolution asking Haywood’s state legislators — all Republicans — to make the position an appointed one. No action has yet been taken on that. Franklin Sen. Jim Davis has expressed support for a ballot referendum on the issue, as has Bryson City Rep. Mike Clampitt. Burnsville Rep. Michele Presnell hasn’t been clear in her position but also hasn’t expressed any support for the idea.

Recent revelations of improperly waived property tax penalties by Matthews and his clerks — for which he said he’d make personal amends — again reignited the debate, just months after he survived a primary challenge and weeks before his contest against Democrat Greg West.

With such a tumultuous term, it’s a wonder he’s even running again. Undaunted, Matthews stands on his collection rate, as well as what he says is a genuine desire to look out for taxpayers.

“I feel like we’ve done a lot of good in the office. I think we’ve helped a lot of people, and I think we really haven’t quite reached our potential yet with what we can do, with all the back-and-forth,” Matthews said. “I think we’ve done a lot of good, and that’s why I’m continuing.”

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Tough fight expected in Haywood tax collector’s race

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TAX, CONTINUED FROM 11 are basically saying, “You’re not treating my constituents as badly as I want you to.” That makes no sense to me. Our numbers are better than they’ve ever been, the county’s bringing in more money than it’s ever brought in, and yet the people that they’re reaching out to, asking for their votes, they’re saying I’m treating them too nice, too fairly.

— Greg West

There’s been quite a bit of turnover in that office since Mr. Matthews took office. I believe there’s been 10 people come and go since then, so they need to have support there, in the staff and leadership, to build a team and work together to improve that collection percentage.

Should this office continue to be elected?

West: I look at that and I see both sides. I like the right to vote. I think it’s one of the most important rights that we have. But I also see the fact that there needs to be a reason 99 other counties have that office appointed. It’s really to have some checks and balances there, so that the citizens of the county are protected, in case someone comes in, gets elected and doesn’t do the job. Ultimately it should probably be left up to the people to vote on it.

Matthews: Absolutely. They [commissioners] have shown you why in the past couple of

years by the way they act. If you had people that you could actually trust to go in there and be fair-minded, sure, but the people we have on the board, you can’t trust them to do what’s right.

This remains an elected office, and a partisan one at that. How does party affect this job?

Matthews: I don’t think this should be a partisan position, but it is. Politics for me hasn’t swayed the job one way or the other.

With me, voters have someone that’s willing to step up and listen to them — not to the outside noise coming from commissioners.

— Mike Matthews

West: I think this office is really a nonpartisan office. I mean, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, unaffiliated. We all come in to pay our taxes, and so it makes no difference to me whether you are Republican or Democrat. We’re going to treat you fairly. The same. I think politics

should not play a part at all in this job.

Compared to your opponent, why are you the right person for this job?

West: I feel like my almost 10 years experience in that tax office — working in real property, appraising the values, learning all aspects of the tax department — gives me more experience than my opponent has now.

When people come in with questions concerning their accounts, bills, I’m able to explain it because I’ve been the one who sets the values, knows how it works, knows the programs we use for senior citizens, veterans, where I think Mr. Matthews doesn’t quite have that same experience that I do.

Matthews: In spite of all the opposition that we’ve had, we are still maintaining a collection rate higher than ever. Our delinquent balance is lower than it has ever been. At the same time, we’re helping people, and I think the reason that I would be better than my opponent is because I have no ties to the commissioners or to the county administration.

The voters picked me to make the decisions for that office. They didn’t pick me to make the decisions for that office as long as the commissioners or the administration agrees with the decisions that I make. With me, voters have someone that’s willing to step up and listen to them — not to the outside noise coming from commissioners.

Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

Haywood still doesn’t rank all that high in collections rate — out of 100 N.C. counties, 63 are better. What can be done to improve the performance of the office?

Matthews: As far as the rest of the state goes, we don’t get a bonus compared to what they do. I don’t care what the rest of the state does. My job is not to look after the rest of the state. My job is the county. So as far as with the rest of the state, that really has no bearing on how we treat our office. Honestly I’m not trying to reach a 99 percent collection rate. I’m trying to maintain the collection rate that we’ve got, give the county more money than they’ve had, every year, and treat people fairly in doing so. As long as we’re meeting the rate that was set forth, my priority is how we treat people, not about what we bring in, as long us we bring in enough for the county to operate.

West: We need to have a trained staff.

“I think Mr. Matthews doesn’t quite have that same experience that I do.”

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Prospective students invited to visit WCU campus Oct. 27

First Methodist hosts Poor Man’s Lunch

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Smoky Mountain News

The United Methodist Men of the First United Methodist Church of Sylva will host the annual Raymon Stovall Poor Man’s Lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, in the church’s Christian Life Center.

The meal will consist of pinto beans, potatoes, coleslaw, a drink and dessert. The cost of the meal is $8 per person.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the church’s missions and ministries. All in the community are welcome and invited to attend.

First United Methodist Church of Sylva is located at 77 Jackson Street in downtown Sylva. For more information, call the church office, 828.586.2358.

October 17-23, 2018

Prospective students will have a chance to learn about the ins-and-outs of college life as Western Carolina University holds Open House on Saturday, Oct. 27.

The day’s activities will begin with an information fair from 8:15 to 10 a.m. on the concourse of WCU’s Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Afternoon activities will include general tours of campus, an opportunity to visit a WCU residence hall and a variety of information sessions addressing topics such as paying for college.

Registration for Open House and more information are available by going to openhouse.wcu.edu or by calling the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 828.227.7317.

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Dr. Allison Johnson, general surgeon with Haywood Regional Medical Center, will be presenting the Talk with a Doc dinner seminar “Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention� at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center (located adjacent to the hospital).

Johnson will speak while patrons enjoy a healthy meal. Afterward, she will circulate and allow guests to ask questions. RSVP is required, and seats are limited. “The Haywood Breast Center program has grown tremendously over the past few years. We now offer many personalized services to our cancer patients including a multidisciplinary team approach with a case-bycase review,� Johnson said.

To RSVP for this dinner, call 800.424.DOCS (3627). Watch for additional “Talk with a Doc� seminars this year.

Seminars typically occur on the third Thursday of the month.

HOURS Monday - Friday

MyHarrisRegional.com

smokymountainnews.com

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Meet the candidates RONNIE BEALE • Age: 61 • Hometown: Macon County • Education: Franklin High School • Professional background: General contractor; owner of Beale Construction • Political experience: Macon County commissioner for three terms; former president of the NC Association of County Commissioners; named County Commissioner of the Year for N.C. in 2014; served on the Macon County Planning Board.

Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

RON HAVEN • Age: 60 • Hometown: Macon County • Education: Franklin High School • Professional background: Motel owner in Hiawassee, used to own several motels in Franklin; regional gun show promoter; former professional wrestler.

• Political experience: Served one term as commissioner from 2010-14

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GARY SHIELDS • Age: 70 • Hometown: Macon County • Education: Gardner Webb University; Master's Degree in School Administration from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Master of Arts degree in Guidance and Counseling from Western Carolina University.

• Professional background: Served in the U.S. Army, served tour tours during the Vietnam War; retired Macon County teacher and principal.

• Political experience: One term as county commissioner and also served on the Macon County School Board for four years BETTY CLOER WALLACE • Age: 74 • Hometown: Franklin • Education: Doctor of Education in Administration from University of Georgia, Education Specialist in Administration from Western Carolina University, Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from University of North Carolina and Bachelor of Arts in English and Art from Humboldt State University, California.

• Professional background: Deputy Assistant State Superintendent for the N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction, Director of the Western Regional Education Center, Superintendent of Vance County Schools, Associate Superintendent of Macon County Schools, adjunct faculty at Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College.

• Political experience: Elected two terms as state secretary of the N.C. Democratic Party, ran for U.S. Senate.

Macon commissioner incumbents run to keep seats Two challengers want to see change

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR wo incumbent candidates running for re-election to the Macon County Board of Commissioners say they want to see the current board’s progress continue, but the two challengers — one Republican and one Democrat — say the county is moving in the wrong direction.

Commissioner Ronnie Beale, a Democrat, is seeking his fourth term on the board.

During his tenure, he has been a vocal advocate for public education funding and in Raleigh he’s been a vocal advocate for more mental health and addiction resources for Western North Carolina through his involvement with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

Commissioner Gary Shields, a Republican, is completing his first term on the board. As a retired Macon County educator, his priorities have been focused on public education, public safety and public health.

Challengers Ron Haven and Betty Cloer Wallace may be in opposite political parties — Republican and Democrat, respectively — they agree that the current board of commissioners is not doing enough to promote economic development and provide for the needs of the people in Macon County.

T

Tell us about yourself and why you’re running for commissioner.

Shields: I think it’s important for me to keep involved in things. In education the subject is singular. With the Board of Education it was a little broader but when I moved into county commissioner, you have a number of topics and departments — everywhere I go it’s a new topic for me and that’s what’s kept me interested. I don’t know everything — I’m still learning — but I’ve enjoyed it and I hope I can continue with this type of work.

Wallace: I’m dismayed that Macon County continues to spiral downward, now ranked by the North Carolina Department of Commerce as a Tier I county for economic distress for the fifth year in a row. We can do better than that, but only if we work toward more local government transparency, less top-down authoritarianism, and more involvement by our citizens in bringing new ideas to our local government without fear of intimidation, insult and ridicule.

My experience as a school district superintendent and my administrative credentials in public service have been a lifetime of preparation for running for Macon County Commissioner, and I want to use my experience to work toward progressive and sustainable change to counteract the top-down voting bloc that has controlled our Board of

Ronnie Beale

Ron Haven

Gary Shields

Betty Cloer Wallace

Commissioners for many years.

Haven: I keep hearing all over the county that commissioners are moving forward and being in the majority — but there’s many ways to interpret that. For the last 10 years businesses have been closing and Macon County is losing jobs, kids are dying from drug overdoses, crime is on the rise like never before and homes are being broken into. We have an epidemic and the majority is doing nothing to help. How are they moving the county forward? They’re not. I don’t really want to be a county commissioner, but I think I could bring some jobs into this county.

Beale: The reason I’m running for my fourth term is I think, along with my colleagues, we’ve made some steady progress in a lot of areas and we continue to make progress. We have steadily improved the services to the citizens, we’ve got newer schools and safer schools, I’m very proud of what we’ve done with mental health and what we’re working now for the opioids, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

If elected, what would be your top three goals

and how would you accomplish them?

Shields: The three things I focus on during budget time is public safety — our law enforcement and EMS because you need to feel safe in your environment, our health services and we have an excellent health department, and public education. If we’re all trying to enhance our public education system we’re planting a seed and to me that’s the leveling field. Supporting public education is something you have to continue with because it affects everything. Those three things make up 73 percent of our budget.

Wallace: We should set long-range priorities for the entire county and continually review and reorder them for cost, feasibility and timeliness. Our greatest need at this time is economic development, providing employment opportunities that can support families, followed by bringing the drug epidemic under control and preparing for the growing population of retirees, including medical services.

We must put money into our school facilities, law enforcement and detention center, and services for the growing population of retirees, rather than continuing

County the first three things they look at is health care, schools and recreation. With recreation we’ve done real good — we have a band new facility, the Parker Meadows facilities. I think our schools will compete with anywhere, especially in the western part of the state. On

The reason I’m running for my fourth term is I think, along with my colleagues, we’ve made some steady progress in a lot of areas and we continue to make progress.”

— Ronnie Beale

health care, that’s ever changing. With what’s going on with the sale from Mission to HCA that’s sort of out of our hands but we can and have had input so we’re hopeful we’ll always have a hospital presence in Macon County.

Some people in the Nantahala community feel like they aren’t receiving adequate services — what’s your position on funding more law enforcement and providing a new library/community center?

Shields: I think with the Nantahala community we’re going to have to give public safety some more attention. We need to enhance their community whether it’s law enforcement or a place they can go for media and library

time. I’m up for listening to their needs and it’s something we want to keep focused on. We have a school resource officer at Nantahala School who can answer an emergency call in the area until back up can arrive — the sheriff has a plan in place and I’ll listen to the sheriff when making those kinds of decisions.

Wallace: Nantahala has been long neglected in comparison with the rest of the county in regard to law enforcement, communications technology, and civic and educational facilities and opportunities, and it is not because of lack of asking or because funding is not available.

Nantahala is continuously relegated to inequitable funding and services simply because Franklin and Highlands have always been given favored priority, leaving Nantahala further behind in every aspect of county services. Nantahala needs a reconditioned and expanded school and a separate community center that can accommodate extensions of all our county departments and programs, and with resetting of priorities the county can certainly afford to provide them. Perhaps, also, Nantahala would do well to explore incorporation as a municipality in order to have a more visible and vocal seat at the table.

Haven: I’m willing to do everything we could for that — ain’t nobody that doesn’t want to see their town have great law enforcement, recreation and schools.

Beale: I was liaison to the library for several years and we looked and looked for a place over there to construct a new library — that is a real problem in the Nantahala area. First of all you’ve got to be concerned about water and sewer because that’s a public facility. So my

If we do things right in mental health, if we do things right in public education and we do things right in public safety, we can decrease the need at the jail — that’s my objective.

— Gary Shields

idea is to construct it right there on the site it’s on now. There’s some land available and you’ll have to build it to suit that particular land. I think you’ll see that in our capital needs plan moving forward. When it comes to law enforcement back before the recession we had a plan to eventually put a full-time deputy out there. The SRO at Nantahala School is a fully certified deputy and if there’s any emergency in Nantahala, he can answer that call. We’ll continue to look at that and do it in steps because if you’re going to take a $400,000 hit to one department you’re looking at a tax increase and I don’t know of any of my colleagues that are interested in raising taxes.

What is the county doing (or should be doing) to address issues like broadband and economic development?

Shields: I’m liaison to the county broadband committee. Southwestern Planning

S EE MACON, PAGE 16

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to make piecemeal decisions to appease special interests that serve only a limited population and we should initiate long-range planning for a civic center large and complex enough to house high school graduations and events.

Along with promoting affordable housing, we should support and encourage home ownership, rather than overburdening home and property owners with unnecessary local regulations and fees. For example, we should support and enforce the state environmental laws, including erosion control, but scrap the locally proposed “grading license requirement” for property owners who do their own work.

Haven: My main complaint with this county is we need to offer more for our kids that graduate from our schools. We have the early college and I’m thankful for that — but there’s nothing here so they have to go somewhere else. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. When you have no opportunity and job growth is nothing and you’ve gone from a Tier 3 to a Tier 1 county, that’s why people turn to drugs and crime. We need to help people by giving them opportunity.

Beale: First of all you don’t get nothing done by yourself. You hear all these promises but you don’t get nothing done by yourself — you have to work with your colleagues on the board and you have to listen to the people. As we move forward, we’ll be talking about our space needs study that’s going to serve the citizens for the next couple of decades for construction and remodeling (county facilities).

We also have to be mindful of our hospital situation — that’s a real concern. When new businesses want to move want to move to Macon

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Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

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MACON, CONTINUED FROM 15 Commission has been excellent in helping us and so has Balsam West and our emergency services director Warren Cabe, but we’ve kind of run into a standstill. We’ve run up on a situation with where do we go now? We’ve about beat this to death and I’m ready for some new information — something we can act upon. After a while you kind of look to the providers for a lot of help but I understand business and profit and loss and there has to be a profit to make it work. Congress once made a law saying everyone should have the opportunity for electricity and now broadband is just as important.

I’m working on the Business Advisory Council and if we don’t get a qualified workforce we’re not going to see job growth. We are seeing changing thoughts in the educational system now — we used to have college prep, tech prep, or careers diploma and now I see us gravitating back to that. We have a hard job of converting our students’ thinking to more hands-on career type things because we spent a long time telling our kids they’re going to college. But we need welders, auto mechanics, health care professionals, heating and cooling technicians — it’s a need. Your qualified workforce is going to determine your economic development.

Wallace: Macon County has fallen into a downward economic spiral as a number of large industries closed and as a succession of storefronts were boarded up. We should develop clear and forthright industrial recruitment presentations and aggressively

contact a wide range of businesses and industries through industrial associations and commercial publications to try to entice divisions or even headquarters to locate here. We can certainly offer tax incentives and negotiate long leases, but we should quit deeding away plots of our prime county-owned com-

“I’m dismayed that Macon County continues to spiral downward, now ranked by the North Carolina Department of Commerce as a Tier I county for economic distress.”

— Betty Cloer Wallace

mercial property to private companies that thrive for a while, then sell the property and move elsewhere.

Courting tourism and construction to the exclusion of other kinds of development is obviously not sustainable, but that is the sum total of what we continue to do. Our poverty rate (29 percent), median income ($39,000), needy and declining schools, children in lowincome households (58 percent), a growing homeless population, reduced hospital and health care facilities, lack of affordable housing, lack of broadband internet access, and growing crime statistics related to drug trafficking also need serious attention, since those are the main factors that prospective

businesses and industries look at beyond a potential workforce.

Haven: We don’t have people on economic development moving to get this stuff done. I’ve created businesses. I’ve created things to attract things to our county and my motels. I started a (transportation) business for Appalachian Trail hikers that’s sustainable and bringing in several million a year to the county.

All you gotta do is put a package together to fill the big empty buildings we have. I would offer CEOs a voucher to come down here to pay for a motel room for a couple of days and have the economic development folks take them out and show them our county. If we sent out 1,000 of these packages and got one response that would create 100 jobs it would be worth it.

Broadband is a necessity — we need better communications in this county.

Beale: Broadband is controlled by the providers, but we get penalized with broadband because of where we live — our typography penalizes us. We have great maps showing our broadband, we have a great broadband committee that will continue working and hopefully by end of 2020 I think you will see some changes. The legislature needs to tell these providers they need to provide service to mountain communities.

We need to start concentrating on our workforce development and take care of the businesses we have. We lost a big business in Caterpillar but now construction is slowly but surely coming back, but we’ve got to have a trained workforce, which is why we need to continue to partner with Southwestern Community College. I’m a big proponent of

The jail is overcrowded and we’re spending money to send inmates to other counties — is that a sustainable practice? Do you support expanding jail or how can we better manage the jail population?

“My main complaint with this county is we need to offer more for our kids that graduate from our schools.”

— Ron Haven

Shields: I think when we talk about jail expansion we have to look at the mental health situation — many people who are incarcerated it is drug related. But they may not be in too deep in the criminal part of it yet — we need to be salvaging those people and getting them back to being a productive citizen. I think Sheriff Holland does an excellent job with his staff and the programs he’s started. There’s a piece in the Capital Improvement Plan about jail expansion but we also have plenty going on in the community trying to decrease the need. But the need to expand is still there because we have more women in jail now, which makes the facilities tougher to manage because it used to be more male oriented. If we do things right in mental

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October 17-23, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

health, if we do things right in public education and we do things right in public safety, we can decrease the need at the jail — that’s my objective.

Wallace: By every socio-economic measure, Macon County has fallen prey to the opioid epidemic with less than adequate resources to deal with it. We should renovate and expand the detention center and quit sending, at great expense, our inmate overflow to Cherokee and Clay counties, and we should provide more programs for offenders to lessen incarceration time.

We need more rehabilitation services for non-violent offenders, and a separate “drug court” with pretrial services to relieve our overloaded court system, since we have seen the positive implementation of such specialty courts in other states, including Georgia. We should also work to change our laws regarding marijuana that is clogging our law enforcement and court systems, and increase the use of fines and electronic monitoring rather than incarceration for non-violent offenders. We should create more accurate and more streamlined flow of information between our local government officials and the public, and most of all, build trust by being transparent with the problems of law enforcement and the court system.

Haven: I’d love to see a big nice new law enforcement center built over there, but I don’t want to see anyone smoking pot being thrown in jail. I’m not saying I’m for marijuana, but we need to handle it like Georgia does by getting people to treatment. We pay for it either way so I’d rather put them in a halfway house than jail.

But it also goes back to what I said before — idle mind is a devil’s workshop. We need to teach children in school to be someone they’ll be proud of — that’s the solution.

Beale: I think we have to look at all avenues, especially with rural county jails. If you take Macon County’s jail population and what we have spent at other jails — Clay County, Cherokee County — I think that is going to be one priority. I really hate to put money into a new jail. We can’t lock up people to get out of this drug problem and 70 to 80 percent of those people incarcerated in Macon County jail are due to drug problems so you’ve got to tackle that problem. We’ve made some strides with good jail programs, but what we’re missing is treatment programs. Are we going to have to expand the jail and I think when you see the space needs study I think the answer is yes. When we’ve spent close to a million dollars in the past two or three years to transfer prisoners and incarcerate them elsewhere, I’d say yes.

Me and some other folks have started a program called No Wrong Door — it’s a navigation program. We still have people here in Macon County that don’t know where to go for help. No Wrong Door is help for the individual with the problem, but these families need assistance too. In some ways it’s not a money problem — there’s money out there but it’s all fragmented, we’ve got to get past that … it’s costing us a fortune in jail time.

Had several community meetings that have been well attended and we’ll continue that.

This is one program where we want to be proactive. We also need to be very conscious of House Bill 403 and the Medicaid changes coming to our area. That all ties together.

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Jackson sheriff faces challenge for second term

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen former Sheriff Jimmy Ashe decided not to run for re-election in 2014, a field of six Democrats and three Republicans signed up for the race to replace him, including Chip Hall and Doug Farmer.

Four years later, Hall is coming to the end of his first term as sheriff, and Farmer, a detective with the Sylva Police Department, is hoping to overtake him in his bid for reelection. In 2014, both men ran as Democrats; this time around, Farmer is running as a Republican, which he said is the party that more closely aligns with his conservative beliefs.

If re-elected, Hall would like to enhance the criminal investigation division through improved technology and training, improve school safety, increase programs available to detention center inmates and determine strategies to reduce recidivism.

Farmer said he would look to win tougher sentences for drug traffickers, improve patrol coverage in Cashiers, improve school safety and concentrate on proactively responding to citizen tips and complaints.

The winner will be sworn in for a fouryear term this December, overseeing a large department that — between sheriff operations, jailhouse expenses and grants — is currently operating under a budget of $6.8 million.

Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

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As sheriff, how would you lead the department and community?

The issue: From budgeting to strategizing to overseeing departmental operations, the sheriff has a full plate. Leadership skills are key to the job, as is interacting with the community outside office walls.

Farmer: Farmer would plan to be active and present in the community as sheriff, pitching in on enforcement when needed and holding town hall meetings to hear what citizens are concerned about.

“As hard as that is sometimes, you’ve got to sit there and listen to it and try to come to a solution,” he said. “That’s the only way you’re going to do it is if you have a dialogue with the general public.”

Farmer said he’d ensure that deputies are first in line for new cars and other equip-

ment, administrators second, and that he’d plan to evaluate the rank structure to ensure it’s not “top-heavy” with unnecessary or overpaid positions.

Hall: People expect their sheriff to be a present leader in the community and to hold staff and deputies accountable at work, Hall said.

“Professionalism starts at the top,” he said. “I set the standard and they follow along with the standards set.”

He believes Jackson County has “great” policies and procedures in place already and referenced a community outreach program he instituted upon taking office. Each day they’re on shift, deputies are required to visit with five citizens, patrol five secondary roads and visit five community properties, logging each. While he doesn’t keep a daily log himself, Hall said, those types of interactions are “pretty much what I’ve done for 30 years, and it served me well throughout my career.”

How would you combat the opioid epidemic in Jackson County?

The issue: The opioid epidemic is a problem nationwide, and Jackson County is no exception. From stopping traffickers to arresting dealers to dealing with addicts and the crimes they often commit in an attempt to feed their habit, law enforcement deals with the problem on multiple levels.

Hall: Hall is proud of the fact that in the past year Jackson County has gotten an officer assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s regional task force and is close to finalizing a deal with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

His department has also partnered with numerous other local agencies to combat opioids.

“It’s going to take a combination of education, it’s going to take treatment and enforcement to try to slow this epidemic down,” he said. “It’s coming through Western North Carolina like a tidal wave, especially on the northern end of the county down toward the tribal boundary.”

Hall would also like to improve recovery services for incarcerated addicts. Building an assembly area in the jail to hold educational offerings on opioid abuse and drug prevention will be an important step in the future, he said.

Doug Farmer (R)

Chip Hall (D)

Farmer, 54, is a Jackson County native who has worked in law enforcement for 20 years, ever since taking a job as a detention officer for the Macon County Sheriff’s Department in 1998.

Farmer worked his way up to a detective for Macon County, became a double-sworn officer with Macon County and the Highlands Police Department and then spent a year as an international police officer working with the military in Iraq in 2006. Upon his return, he returned to work in Macon County before taking a position in 2010 as a sergeant with the Sylva Police Department. He is currently a detective with that agency.

Farmer holds an advanced law enforcement certification. He is married with three children and lives in Dillsboro.

Hall, 51, is a Jackson County native and has worked in law enforcement for 30 years after receiving a law enforcement certificate from Southwestern Community College.

He began his career with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in 1988, working his way up to chief deputy and finally running for sheriff in 2014, winning amid a field of nine candidates. Hall was a longtime member of the Cullowhee Volunteer Fire Department, retiring in 2011 after 25 years.

Hall is married with two children who are students at Smoky Mountain High School and has been a member at Webster Baptist Church for 35 years.

The jail saw two inmate suicides shortly after Hall’s election as sheriff in 2014 — one before his swearing-in and another a few months after — which investigation showed occurred when detention officers failed to make their rounds as specified by law.

Afterward, Hall hired a fulltime jail captain to manage the detention center and contracted with a medical service that provides daily health services as well as mental health assessments.

Farmer: Farmer is “not a fan of long, drawnout campaigns” across state lines to bring

down traffickers when they mean “letting drug dealers continue to deal with the poison they sell on our streets to our children” at home.

If elected, he’d want to aggressively police dealers, get tougher sentences for offenders, collaborate with other agencies and proactively serve search warrants to build cases against suspected dealers.

Cracking down on dealers can also help encourage addicts to get help, he said.

“We’ve got to be that barrier between that dealer and the people

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Community invited to child welfare meeting The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Social Services is seeking public input on how child welfare services can be improved at a listening session from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 13, in the second-floor community room at Jackson County Public Library, 310 Keener St., Sylva.

While comments will be accepted on any area relevant to child welfare, DHHS is particularly interested in hearing ideas for: improving safety, permanency and well-being outcomes; services for high-risk populations (i.e., children aged 0-5, foster youth aged 18-21, LGBTQ population, runaway youth, pregnant foster youth) and post-adoption services.

Public input is vital to understanding what is working and what can be done differently. Input can also be provided via email at CFSP.APSR@dhhs.nc.gov; by mail at NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, Child and Family Services Review Coordinator, 2406 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-2406 or dropped off at NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, Child and Family Services Review Coordinator Dorothea Dix Campus, McBryde Building East, 820 S. Boylan Avenue, Raleigh, N.C. 27603.

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What would you do to improve school safety?

The issue: School shootings have increased in frequency over recent decades, leading schools across the nation to take a range of security measures. In the wake of the February shooting in Parkland, Florida, county commissioners hired additional

Jackson County deputies have dash cams but not body cams. Would you support using body cams?

Farmer: Farmer currently works for the Sylva Police Department, which does use body cameras. When he was first required to use dash and body cams, Farmer said, he thought they would be bad news but discovered that they’re instead “a lifeline.”

Video evidence can make frivolous complaints against police go away, and reviewing it can turn up evidence officers might not catch in the heat of the moment, such as stolen goods visible in the background of an image taken in someone’s house. Farmer said he’d like to see Jackson County get body cams, but also knows they’re not infallible.

“I understand video is great and everything, but that officer’s testimony is something that should carry a lot of weight as well, not just the video,” he said. “The officer’s testimony should still carry the same weight it did years ago.”

Hall: Hall said that he’s “very open” to getting body cams in the sheriff ’s department but said that the problem is funding. About 12 years ago, the department acquired grant funding for dash cams but never secured recurring funding to replace old equipment.

“We’re not able to meet our policy (for dash cam use) just due to the lack of recurring funding,” he said. “If we could get a good sound financial support in place through a grant funding program, I’d be all for it.”

Originally, the department had 16 dash cams and is now working to replace them incrementally through local funds. About 11 have been replaced to date.

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October 17-23, 2018

Do you believe the current patrol system is working?

The issue: Jackson is a rural county that contains only two local police forces aside from the sheriff ’s office — the Western Carolina University and Sylva police departments — meaning that most law enforcement actions stem from the sheriff.

Currently, the department works on shifts of five deputies, with four covering northern Jackson County and one covering the remote Cashiers area. With officers using sick, vacation and comp time, most shifts end up with four officers rather than five.

Farmer: In Farmer’s view, leaving Cashiers to the coverage of a single deputy is dangerous and counterproductive. With no nearby agencies available as backup, support is more than a 20-minute drive away. Making a simple arrest could mean that the area goes hours without any coverage at all as the deputy transports the subject to Sylva for booking.

“One officer up there, that’s a grave security risk for them if they’re going up and dealing with multiple subjects at once,” he said.

If elected, he’d want to see the sheriff ’s office go to six-man shifts, with two officers covering the Cashiers area and four covering the rest of the county. He would also like to see the county come to an agreement with Cashiers-based Blue Ridge Public Safety so that guards from that company could provide backup in an emergency.

Hall: In the past year, four senior law enforcement officers have retired from the department, and as a result Hall has developed a “priority-based” restructuring plan that will allow more flexibility in covering areas of the county in need of more policing.

“I hope with the restructuring I can implement them (new hires) in where it will have an increased presence in southern Jackson County,” Hall said. “I won’t say they’ll be two or three all the time but the majority of the call volume there is high priority. It could be as many as three or four with this restructure.”

Hall declined to give specific details on his plan until after the election but said it would allow multiple deputies to be stationed in Cashiers at times when that was deemed necessary. He said that he would be willing to “possibly look” at partnering with private security in Cashiers on some activities but that it would be “on a limited basis.”

school resource officers and allocated funds for security camera equipment and capital changes to improve security.

Hall: Hall counts putting a school resource officer in every Jackson County Public School campus the “biggest accomplishment” of his past four years and said that his office is finalizing an agreement to get one at Charter Summit School in Cashiers, to be paid for through a grant from the Department of Public Instruction.

“I’m sure we’re always going to find weaknesses. I’m happy with the plan that’s in place right now because it’s great improvement, but we’re probably never going to be satisfied,” he said.

Farmer: Farmer said he “applauds” the decision to hire additional school resource officers and install new security equipment but wants to see a focus on training and communication with the public.

Farmer would like to see the entire sheriff ’s department train in the school buildings and conduct active shooter drills. He’d also like to rethink how and when parents are informed of incidents, citing “slow”moving information following bomb threats earlier this year.

“We need to look at that and see how we can get information out to the families as quick as possible so we can assure them that the situation’s being handled and their children’s safety is first and foremost on our mind,” he said.

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and try to put a voice there to where they’ll seek help and not be going to the dealer,” he said. “As a sheriff in Jackson County I would like it to be where the dealers are afraid to even come into Jackson County because they know they’ll end up in prison if they come here.”

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Swain schools need expensive upgrades

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project that we must complete around the high school to fully renovate it like we want to do to create a safe campus,” Sale said.

“DOT is working with us some on this as well — they hope to shift us to a funding source that will move more quickly — otherwise we’re five to 10 years out for traditional routes.”

With the state grant, Swain County will have to provide $1 for every $3 provided by the state. The funds also come with a stipulation that the county will not collect any N.C. Education Lottery funds for capital improvements for the next five years.

While the high school project is the No. 1 priority of the school system, the school

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board has identified a total of $20 million in capital improvement needs. The pre-K modulars being used down the hill from the middle school have reached their 15-year life expectancy and traffic flow in that area is also a major concern.

“Traffic flow at pre-K can be as difficult as flow at the high school and there’s no solution for building additional roads — at some point we’ll need to move the pre-K buildings, but we can’t move the buildings so we’ll have to build new ones,” he said.

Additionally, the bus garage was built in the 1930s and needs to be replaced and $500,000 is needed to redesign the middle school.

Sale said people have asked whether the school system will receive any of the North Shore settlement funds recently secured by the county and the answer is it’s too soon to tell. While the commissioners are set to receive at least $1 million in interest from the $56 million principal sitting in an account in Raleigh, no funding commitments have been made.

“There’s been no discussion or public comment about putting settlement money toward the schools. Commissioners are working on a plan about how to use that money,” he said. “As superintendent, I’m going to be knocking on their door asking, ‘What about us?’ I know they have a lot of responsibilities, but I believe we’re a very important one.”

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October 17-23, 2018

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR wain County Schools are looking at a long list of capital improvement needs to keep students safe and plan for future growth, but it won’t be possible without a more steady revenue stream to support such projects.

Swain County Schools’ new Superintendent Mark Sale understands the community’s sentiment against raising taxes, but he’s been working hard to make the public understand why increasing the county’s sales tax by a quarter of a cent is the best way to fund capital needs. The sales tax would not apply to groceries, prescription medications and gasoline purchases.

“I one hundred percent understand what you’re saying, but one of the great opportunities with the is quarter cent sales tax referendum is that a large portion of the burden will be shared with people who don’t live in Swain County,” he said. “The tourism industry will help support this — I’d say 75 percent of it will be supported by tourism.”

A referendum to increase Swain’s sales tax from 6.75 percent to 7 percent will appear on the Nov. 6 election ballot. While the wording on the ballot doesn’t specify that the additional revenue from the increase will go to Swain County Schools, Sale said the county commissioners have committed to earmarking the money for capital improvements for the schools through a unanimously approved resolution.

“The wording on the ballot is controlled by the state election board. Rep. Mike Clampitt stepped up for us — for the last couple years he’s really tried to help our school system — and he tried to get the wording changed but he was told that couldn’t happen,” Sale said. “Know that we have a solid statement from county commissioners to support this and we will continue to seek resolution from commissioners in the future to support this — that it will go toward capital education needs.”

If approved, the additional quarter cent could bring in an estimated $300,000 a year to put toward the school system’s capital needs. Sale said it would also give the school system a revenue stream that doesn’t come with strings attached, which is normally the case when Swain County receives funding from the state or the federal government.

“This is important to us because it gives us a consistent revenue stream that only has a few stipulations attached to it — it stipulates it will be used for capital needs,” he said. “The reason that is so important to us is because all the money that comes to us

has a string attached to it — state funding has to be used in prescribed manner, when the federal government allots money most of the time it comes with some type of requirement.”

Another element of concern, Sale said, is that the school system continues to be burdened by unfunded mandates from the state legislature.

“They want us to reduces class sizes in K-3 but there’s no money to hire additional staff so we have to absorb that,” he said.

“So we end up kicking up class size in other places or use a less encumbered funding stream to supplement.”

Because so much of Swain County is occupied by federally Mark Sale, Swain County owned land Schools’ Superintendent. that the county can’t tax to help support the school system, the county receives federal impact aid, but again, Sale said that money is used to pay for things like maintenance staff salaries, activity bus transportation and other expenses not covered by state funding. The county receives some funding each year from the N.C. Education Lottery fund that it uses toward paying off the debt incurred from previous school improvement projects at the two elementary schools.

Lastly, the school system receives funding from the county each year — about $160,000 for capital needs and about $800,000 for general expenditures.

However, $160,000 a year isn’t much to undertake a major capital project like the one needed at the high school.

“We have to renovate space at the high school for STEM science rooms and we need to shift our point of entrance for the public and buses to a different place on campus to secure the main building with a buzz-in system,” Sale said.

The good news is Swain County Schools just received a $4.7 million critical needs capital construction grant from the state to put toward the capital project. However, to make that project possible, first the school system is going to need to complete a road construction project at the high school to reroute traffic flow. The state grant cannot be used for road construction, which is why the school system is relying on the additional sales tax revenue stream to cover some of that cost.

“Rep. Clampitt has also helped find us $35,000 to begin the road construction

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Sales tax increase could help get the ball rolling

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Opinion Power-drunk GOP leaders try grabbing for more A Smoky Mountain News

Martin Dyckman

nonpartisan nominating commission can be the best method of appointing judges. Or it can be the worst. It’s all in the details.

The North Carolina General Assembly’s current scheme, which appears on the Nov. 6 ballot as Amendment 4, is one of the worst. Too much is wrong on its face and some all-important details are left to future decisions of that same legislature. That’s like putting ISIS in charge of airport security. Senate President Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore have shown that there’s no power they are reluctant to abuse.

Regardless of the eventual details, the amendment effectively strips judicial appointing authority from the Guest Columnist governor and puts the legislature in charge. While the governor would retain the nominal right to make the appointments, he’d be confined to two nominees sent to him by — you guessed it — the General Assembly. That’s already the most power-drunk branch of North Carolina’s government, the one most in need of grown-up supervision by independent courts.

I’ve heard it said that “North Carolina is a valley of humility between two mountains of conceit,” but there is nothing humble about Berger, Moore and the rest of their Republican majority. What other states let their legislatures control the selection of judges? Only South Carolina and Virginia.

The American Bar Association and other advocates of judicial independence generally favor a merit-based appointment system for all vacancies, including those now filled by election. Amendment 4 doesn’t go that far, but it also goes in a very wrong direction. No branch of government should have such near-total control of the nominating process as this amendment proposes.

Florida, the nearest state that did it right, is now an example of how to go wrong.

On taking office in 1971, Democratic Gov. Reubin Askew voluntarily abdicated his power to fill judicial vacancies with

Young people need to vote To the Editor: President Trump dominates the news with his tweets and public statements, awkward diplomacy, unpopular tax cuts, and threats to dismantle social safety nets. Voters have the right and responsibility to try to change the conversation. But one group — younger people — have the opportunity to alter the direction of national, state and local politics by voting.

“Youth vote” is the official term used to describe 18- to 29-year-olds and their voting habits. Of all the age groups, younger voters historically have the lowest turnout. In the 2016 election, 50 percent of eligible young people showed up at the polls as compared with over 71 percent of those age 70plus. Unlike the stereotypes, the reasons for low turnout among younger voters cannot be simplified and are not about being lazy, selfinvolved or entitled.

There are many valid reasons for lower

his friends or campaign supporters. He created nominating commissions that he couldn’t control, allowing himself only three appointments to each. The Florida Bar, an agency responsible to the Supreme Court, chose three members.

Once appointed to staggered terms, those six people selected three more public members who were not to be lawyers. A lawyer who had represented the Republican Party said it was “the most unselfish thing any governor ever did.” Askew also signed legislation to make judicial elections nonpartisan.

They still are.

I won’t say that politics never intruded, but it happened rarely. The nominating commissions earned so much trust that voters approved a constitutional amendment to staff the appellate courts only with commission nominees appointed by the governor. Five Supreme Court justices had been caught in ethical or personal scandals mostly rooted in the election process.

Justices and appeals court judges now retain their seats by asking the voters to approve new terms every six years, but they do not run against opponents. None has been turned out.

But in 2001, after the state Supreme Court had struck down some of the Legislature’s pet projects and taken Al Gore’s side on whether to recount Florida’s’ decisive presidential vote, a largely partisan vote gave the governor the power to appoint all nine members of all 26 commissions. They now look and act suspiciously like political patronage committees and are biased toward corporate lawyers and former prosecutors. They create an illusion of independence behind which the governors can put their friends on the bench once again.

In North Carolina, it will be the bosses of the General Assembly packing the bench with their friends if voters approve Amendment 4. It calls for “no more than” nine seats on each commission, “allocated between the Chief Justice … the Governor, and the General Assembly.” But it doesn’t say “allocated equally,” only that none of them could appoint a majority. So the governor could be left with only one.

The measure calls for applicants to be “nominated on merit by the people of state,” but that’s simply propaganda.

The worst part of it is that the commissions would be required to evaluate applicants only as to whether they’re

LETTERS youth turnout. This group moves a lot — college, work, the service, relationships, adventure — which can create a disconnect with local and even state elections. This can make voting feel less important. Campaign issues often have a greater impact on older people, such as tax rates, health insurance, and Social Security.

Not surprisingly, many younger people are more liberal than some older folks on issues such as abortion, Dreamers, gun safety, and marijuana. Most don’t understand why full and equal rights for LBGTQ individuals are even questioned in 2018. Many devalue party loyalty, are disillusioned with the role of big money in policy decisions, and define themselves as global citizens rather than “America first” nativists.

But, there’s good news spilling over at this time of political discord and divisiveness; many young voters have been galvanized, bolstered by the gun safety activism of the high school students from Parkland, Florida.

Younger voters are registering, but it

23

qualified or not, not as to whom they think best, and send the entire list to the legislature which would then select just two of them. The governor would be required to select one of the two. If he refused to appoint either within 10 days, a joint session of the Legislature would choose the judge.

This isn’t just a pig in a poke. It’s a whole pigpen. If anything is certain about the outcome, it’s that most names sent to the governor would be those of sitting or former legislators of the majority party. That party, by the way, has yet to disavow intentions to add more seats to the Supreme Court if Democrat Anita Earls is elected in November, but it needs ratification of Amendment 4 to make sure that Republicans would fill them.

An amendment worth voting for would have these elements that are missing from the one on the ballot.

• Three seats allocated to each of the appointing authorities, no two of whom could be from the same party.

• A requirement that the two largest parties agree separately, by majority votes within their caucuses, to whomever will fill one of the legislature’s seats on a nominating commission. That power is too important to trust to the likes of Berger and Moore or to anyone who might succeed them regardless of party.

• A provision allowing the commissions to recommend the three people they consider best qualified for each vacancy, and to send them directly to the governor rather than the General Assembly.

• Returning the judiciary to the nonpartisan status it had before partisan radicals took over in Raleigh, and restoring matching funds to judicial campaigns.

Although I’m an active Democrat, it makes me almost sick to my stomach to be asked to support judges based on their party labels. Justice should be as blind to politics as to who is rich or poor or black or white. But that’s the mess we’re in, and Amendment 4 would make it even worse. I’ll continue to vote for Democratic judges, and if we elect enough of them perhaps the Republicans in Raleigh will send us a genuine nonpartisan reform.

(Dyckman is a retired journalist and author. dyckmanm@bellsouth.net.)

would strengthen these positions if more get on board. If you’re at least 18 and have not yet registered (or someone close to you fits that description), please make note. Although it’s too late to register by mail, it is not too late to register in person (deadline is Friday, Nov. 3, to register at local board of elections).

You can do it during the early voting period (Oct. 17 to Nov. 3). Your county Board of Elections (BOE) website details the times/locations. It’s called One Stop, SameDay Registration. Just show up at your early voting site, complete an application and show evidence of residency (N.C. driver’s license or government issued photo ID, a current utility bill, bank statement, or government check) or a current college photo ID paired with proof of campus residency. Then go ahead and vote. Within two business days, the BOE will verify your eligibility and your vote will be counted unless it’s determined you were not qualified. www.ncsbe.gov/voters/registeringto-vote.

Your vote will help ensure that that the people elected more closely align with your generation’s values and priorities. Younger

age voters now outnumber Baby Boomers. You can make a difference. Join your voting peers to ensure that your town, city, county, state and nation are more inclusive and progressive. With your help, this ship can be turned around.

Elaine Slocumb Bryson City

ID amendment is a pig in a poke To the Editor: There’s an amendment that will be on your ballot in November that would require everyone to have a photo ID in order to vote. Sound like a good idea? It’s not. If you vote for this, you’re buying “a pig in a poke.”

The proposed amendment does not say what kind of ID would be required, how often it would be renewed, what is required to get one, and how much it might cost in the future.

S EE LETTERS, PAGE 24

y wife and I do not play chess. A few years ago at a company Christmas party, we were participants in a game of Dirty Santa and came away with a chess set featuring oversized chess pieces that glowed in the dark. I had originally opened a gift I actually wanted — a big coffee mug with a nice bag of gourmet whole bean coffee — but some guy in a hideous Christmas sweater swiped it from me because he drew a better number and preferred my coffee bonanza to the chess set that he opened.

On the way home, I thought maybe the chess set would work out. I had learned to play in high school and even played a little in college when we were Columnist all out of beer money and had nothing much to do on the weekends on my dorm hall. I could teach Tammy to play, and we’d spend snowy afternoons playing chess over mugs of hot cider or hot chocolate, listening to Leonard Cohen on the stereo while the snow flew just outside the dining room window.

But we didn’t. We never opened the chess set, never took it out of the bag we brought it home in.

Instead, we “re-gifted” it the very next year at the company Christmas party, which — unless I am just being paranoid — raised quite a few eyebrows. Is there a Dirty Santa decorum we don’t know about?

Who cares? We ditched the chess set and walked away with a sweet collection of bath oils.

Besides, Tammy and I already play our own version of chess, only a far more complex game, one that requires not only great skill and cunning, but also a firm grasp of psychology, philosophy, and military strategy. We do not have a formal name for it, but for the purpose of this essay, let’s just call it, “Who’s cooking tonight?”

The basic concept of the game is just this: neither of us wants to cook. Ever. But one of us needs to cook. Because there have been months when we have spent approximately 75 percent of our total income eating out. Because neither of us wants to cook. Ever.

It is probably evident by now how this cycle works. In a better world, one of us would have developed an interest in cooking as a passionate hobby (“Who is up for some Lemon Trout Almondine?”) or inherited it as a family heirloom (“Hey, those chicken and dumplings are JUST like Mamaw’s!”). But we live in this imperfect world, where a family of four often winds up eating cereal out of the box for dinner like a bunch of broke college students. Or sending the short-straw-drawer for Chinese takeout. Or pizza. Or anything that does not require any preparation whatsoever.

When the better angels of our nature prevail, we remember that we are not millionaires and that we need to be both more budget conscious and health conscious. In other words, we need to cook. But who? And when? And what?

Our basic plan for many years is that we will alternate nights cooking and let that be the end of it.

Instead, it was just the beginning, the beginning of cooking chess, or “Who’s Cooking Tonight?”

A typical game might go something like this. It is my night to cook, but I know that all we have in the fridge is one skinny, frozen tilapia filet hiding under

M

Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

Chris Cox

opinion

Check mate, and I’m off to Ingles

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some grape popsicles in the freezer, a pack of chicken breasts with rib meat that is probably two days past the expiration date, and a package of tofu.

Tammy has an excellent tofu recipe in her repertoire. I have nothing in mine. On my way home from work, the prospect of slicing the tofu into little cubes and stir-frying it in the wok with some Teriyaki sauce is so sad and unsettling that I have to turn up the music and force myself to think about something else. And that something else will be my first move on the board. I tell Siri, “Call Tammy, mobile.”

“Hey, honey! Look, I know it’s my night to cook, but I have a situation with a student I need to take care of, and a stack of rough drafts that need to be critiqued. If I cook, I won’t have time to enjoy an evening with you after dinner.”

Queen’s Gambit, an old favorite. Now, it is Tammy’s move.

“Ah, that is a shame, sweetie. I would love to cook tonight, just love to. But I promised Lucy we would walk around the lake after work. She had something she wanted to talk about. I was just putting on my trail shoes when you called. Lucy is here and says ‘hey.’”

Of course, the albin counter gambit. I should have seen that coming.

“Hey to Lucy. I hope you all have a nice walk. You know, darling, I don’t mind getting out the tofu and rinsing it if you wanted to maybe cook that coconut curry dish that the kids love so much. And it is so healthy!”

A sudden bold move with my knight, using the kids for emotional leverage. I’ve won more than one match with this move. But not today.

“Oh, I promised them I would make that tomorrow night, babe. We’re out of curry anyway. I was going to stop in the morning to pick some up along with some paper towels. Hey, what about that chicken stir-fry and brown rice? Everybody likes that!

You, sir, are the stir-fry master!”

My knight has been captured by the queen. Now I can only retreat and play defense.

“But we’re out of broccoli. And I think the chicken might be bad. You know how you are about salmonella.”

Just a swap of pawns. I’m stalling.

“Ah babe. If only there were a place you could go to get fresh broccoli and chicken. Hey, I know!

There’s an Ingles right on your way from work, and then a Food Lion as well. Take your pick. You could even get us some ice cream and a movie from Red Box.” I’m down to my last move.

“But those rough drafts …”

“Hon, you’re a pro and you know it. Do you know how lucky I am to be married to a man who can do all the things you can do? Do you know how sexy you are stir-frying chicken? Did you remember that it is Wednesday?”

Checkmate.

In the game of “who’s cooking tonight,” sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I swing into Ingles and grab one of those small carts, just big enough for one large rotisserie chicken, a familysized container of potato salad from the deli, and a can of French-cut green beans. It’s not sexy. It’s not really “cooking.” But it beats cereal. After all, I will need all my strength for tomorrow’s game.

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

LETTERS, CONTINUED FROM 23 What if you don’t have the right one? Drivers license? Thousands of eligible voters don’t drive. Student ID? What if you’re not a student? A valid U.S. passport? Have you got one of those?

In North Carolina now, all first-time voters need proof of residence. That has worked well in our state for years. Voter fraud is practically non-existent. We do not need another level of bureaucracy churning out voter ID cards, deciding who gets one and who does not.

We do not need mysterious, as-yet undefined cards with unknown requirements.

This amendment is designed to drive poor and rural people away from the polls, not let them in. Vote against this deceptive amendment and all the others, too.

Leila Tvedt Hyde Bryson City

GOP abandons voters like me To the Editor: The letter from Ms. Kathryn van Heyningen in the last issue contained some valid points, but she unfortunately omitted others. As reported in the Oct. 6-12 issue of The Economist, a highly respected weekly newspaper, “Whatever the FBI finds, Brett Kavanaugh’s own testimony should disqualify him from America’s highest court.”

Lying under oath while testifying at his confirmation hearing should have disqualified him. Perjury is not a minor offense. As the article reports: “Lots of American teenagers drink before they are legally allowed to. They do not mislead the Senate about it three decades later.”

The article also reported on other lies under oath, including incorrect definitions of the “Devil’s Triangle” and “Boofing.” He also claimed that he could legally drink at 18, but from that same article, by the time he was 18, Maryland had increased the drinking age to 21.

As a former investigator in the Air Force, I have conducted many, many background investigations. I am certain that the bureau was restricted in the scope of its investigation, either by the White House or

by Senate Republicans. According to news reports, a lawyer of one of the accusers sent the FBI a list of 20 individuals who could provide corroboration, but not one was interviewed.

I was a Republican for over 50 years and almost never voted for a Democrat, but I’m now an unaffiliated voter. I did not leave the GOP, it left me.

Clark Pearson Sylva

SPACE AVAILABLE

Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News 828 | 452 | 4251

Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251 BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997.

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

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

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

BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY 50 N Main Street, Waynesville.

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

burgers, sandwiches, shareables and daily specials that pair perfectly with our beer.

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

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch daily 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner nightly at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Wine Down Wednesday’s: ½ off wine by the bottle. We specialize in handcut, all natural steaks from local farms, incredible burgers, and other classic american comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Breakfast seven days a week, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. – with eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, fresh fruit, sometimes French toast or pancakes, and always all-you-can-eat. Lunch menu every day from 12 noon to 2 p.m. includes homemade soup du jour and fresh-made salads.

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

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

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

October 17-23, 2018

207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde

828-456-1997 blueroostersoutherngrill.com Monday-Friday Open at 11am

Real Local Families, Real Local Farms, Real Local Food

Award-winning BBQ, brisket, and ribs, all with sides made fresh daily.

Smoky Mountain News

After thorough consideration of the options available, the community board members of Angel Medical Center voted unanimously to approve the acquisition of the assets of Mission Health System (which includes Angel Medical Center) by HCA Healthcare. The board believes this transaction to be in the best interests of Angel and the best option for continuing healthcare for Macon County and its surrounding area.

Angel entered into an affiliation with Mission in 2013. Mission guaranteed Angel’s outstanding bonds and injected much-needed funds for capital and other needs. Mission also provided the efficiencies of a much larger organization such as purchasing, administration, recruiting medical providers, access to specialized services and more; importantly, it has provided ongoing financial support of Angel’s operations.

Angel’s affiliation with Mission provided various protections for Angel’s operations and services through 2023.

Under certain circumstances, which include the acquisition of Mission by another entity, Angel had the right to withdraw from its affiliation with Mission. As a condition of withdrawal, however, Angel would need to assume responsibility for repayment to Mission of any funds expended by Mission on behalf of Angel, and Angel would also have to either assume, or find another party that would assume, responsibility for guaranteeing repayment of Angel’s outstanding bonds. The total amount of those outstanding financial obligations is in excess of $13 million.

Although not required to do so as a condition of the affiliation arrangement with Angel, Mission planned to build a replacement hospital for Angel’s aging, outdated facility. Mission obtained the certificate of need for the construction of the replacement hospital with the facilities desired by Angel’s Community Board Members with a cost not to exceed $45 million.

Angel was notified this spring of the potential acquisition of Mission by HCA. The corporate bylaws of Angel authorize the Community Board Members to obtain legal, consulting, and other services required in order to analyze whether Angel should withdraw from its affiliation with Mission. We promptly retained both independent legal counsel and an independent healthcare consulting firm. Both of these are familiar with Angel and the healthcare market in this region of the U.S. First, the law firm analyzed the terms of the transaction between Mission and HCA to determine how Angel might be affected.

Mission and HCA had an extended period of negotiations during which the terms of the transaction were negotiated and changed at various steps. Throughout, Mission was

tasteTHEmountains opinion

Board likes Angel’s acquisition

receptive to and pursued changes requested

by Angel’s attorneys.

Second, working with consultants, we explored alternatives to participating in the HCA transaction. It was immediately apparent that Angel could not return to its former status as a free-standing hospital. As a freestanding hospital it would not be able to meet its financial obligations to Mission, to its bond holders, build a replacement hospital or even pay ongoing operational expenses.

Third, working with its attorneys and consultants, we explored the possibility of other health systems affiliating with Angel on comparable or better terms. After a period of exploration with plausible health systems, it was determined to be unlikely that another system would make the financial commitments necessary (at least $58 million) to offer a desirable alternative to participating in the HCA transaction. Beyond the amount of the investment that would be required, we also would require the same level of protections for Angel’s future operations that could be obtained in the transaction with HCA. It quickly became apparent to the Community Board Members that participating in the HCA transaction was the superior course of action. In some respects, the HCA transaction offers more protection for Angel than its current affiliation with Mission.

Angel’s current affiliation only provided authority for Community Board Members through 2023, whereas the HCA transaction will authorize certain protections to a local board through 2028.

Angel will receive its replacement hospital as a contractual commitment from HCA. Angel will not have any financial responsibility for its outstanding bonds or the amounts previously received from Mission, both of which will be satisfied from Mission’s proceeds from the HCA transaction. Angel will retain a local board with community members with comparable “veto” authority over major decisions. In other words, all of the objectives for Angel that the Community Board Members sought to preserve through a transaction, whether with HCA or another party, have been preserved.

In addition, Mission will provide $15 million over a three-year period to community foundations of its various affiliated hospitals, including one for our community.

In sum, the 10 Community Board Members unanimously approved Angel participating in this transaction. In our best judgment, the transaction offers the best opportunity of providing quality hospital services for our community on an ongoing basis. This was a reasoned and informed decision made over a period of months working with attorneys and consultants. We are excited about the future of healthcare in our community and believe that our acquisition by HCA will provide a strong foundation to ensure the success of Angel long into the future.

Jane Kimsey, Angel Board Chair Community Board Members Thom Brooks, Jeff Cloer, Janet Greene, Connie Haire, Russell Hawkins, Johnny MiraKnippel, Ken Stonebraker, Chuck Sutton and Dale West

Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

We also cater! Serving all of WNC. 149 Park St, Canton 828-507-6209 www.hitthepitbbq.com

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tasteTHEmountains for reservations. And see our dinner menu online at www.cataloocheeranch.com/dining.

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

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

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly.

Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com.

October 17-23, 2018

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live

Smoky Mountain News

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

828.926.1820 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95.

FIREFLY TAPS & GRILL 128 N. Main St., Waynesville 828.454.5400. Simple, delicious food. A must experience in WNC. Located in downtown Waynesville with an atmosphere that will warm your heart and your belly! Local and regional beers on tap. Full bar, vegetarian options, kids menu, and more. Reservations accepted. Daily specials. Live music every Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Open Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

DELLWOOD FARMHOUSE RESTAURANT 651 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville.

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

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St., Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving dinner 5 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 9:30 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.

Reservations accepted. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

FERRARA PIZZA & PASTA 243 Paragon Parkway, Clyde. 828.476.5058.

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

HARMON’S DEN BISTRO 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville 828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART. Open 5:309 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (Bistro closes at 7:30 p.m. on nights when there is a show in the Fangmeyer Theater) with Sunday brunch at 11 a.m. that includes breakfast and lunch items. Harmon’s Den offers a com-

Real New Yorkers.

Real Italians. Real Pizza.

Dine-In ~ Take Out ~ Delivery

An Authentic Italian Pizzeria & Restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge.

Just to serve you!

NOW OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!

7 A.M. TO NOON

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

NEW LOCATION OPEN! 172 Sylva Plaza | Sylva

Simple, delicious food.

All location hours: Mon-Sat 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Closed Sundays

Craft Beer on Tap & Full Bar

Present this coupon and recieve:

LIVE MUSIC EVERY SATURDAY FROM 7-10 P.M.

10%

OFF ENTIRE MEAL

JOEY’S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Open seven days a week! 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Joey’s is a family-friendly restaurant that has been serving breakfast to locals and visitors of Western North Carolina for decades. Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey’s is sure to please all appetites. Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

KANINI’S 1196 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.452.5187. Lunch Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., eat in or carry out. Closed Sunday. A made-from-scratch kitchen using fresh ingredients and supporting the local food and local farm-to-table program. Offering a variety of meals to go from frozen meals to be stored and cooked later to “Dinners to Go” that are made fresh and ready to enjoyed that day. We also specialize in catering any event from from corporate lunches to weddings. Menus created to fit your special event. kaninis.com MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM 617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva.

Whatever the Occasion, Let Us Do the Cooking!

Meetings, Events, Parties & More

828-476-5058 499 Champion Drive | Canton

828-492-0641

plete menu with cocktails, wine list, and area beers on tap. Enjoy casual dining with the guarantee of making it to the performance in time, then rub shoulders with the cast afterward with post-show food and beverage service. Reservations recommended. www.harmonsden.harttheatre.org

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

243 Paragon Parkway | Clyde

828-492-0641

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music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m.

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

Sun.–Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

URDAY HIS SAT MUSIC T RING U T A FE 7-9 PM

ENTON BRYCE D

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

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

1941 Champion Dr. • Canton 828−646−3750 895 Russ Ave. • Waynesville 828−452−5822

tasteTHEmountains 828.586.3555. Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with Sunday Brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Handtossed pizza, house-ground burgers, steak sandwiches & fresh salmon all from scratch.

Casual family friendly atmosphere. Craft beer and interesting wine. Free movies Thursday through Saturday. Visit madbatterfoodfilm.com for this week’s shows & events.

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT 2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.926.0425. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Daily specials including soups, sandwiches and southern dishes along with featured dishes such as fresh fried chicken, rainbow trout, country ham, pork chops and more.

Breakfast all day including omelets, pancakes, biscuits & gravy. facebook.com/carversmvr; instagram @carvers_mvr.

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

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

with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

PIGEON RIVER GRILLE 101 Park St., Canton.

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

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

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

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

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

Check out our events and menu at rendezvousmaggievalley.com SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE 1941 Champion Drive, Canton 828.646.3750 895 Russ Ave., Waynesville

828.452.5822. Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carry out available.

Sagebrush features hand carved steaks, chicken and award winning BBQ ribs. We have fresh salads, seasonal vegetables and scrumptious deserts. Extensive selection of local craft beers and a full bar. Catering special events is one of our specialties.

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

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

WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY 32 Felmet Street, Waynesville.

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

Order Online for Takeout Hall of Fame 2018 Restaurant, Cuisine & Service by Open Table Diners 5.20.18

•••

Voted

#1

INNOVATIVE SOUTHERN CUISINE WITH A LOCAL BACKBONE & HOMEGROWN LIBATIONS

Pay online and pick up with no waiting!

Menu at CityLightsCafe.com 3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

www.CityLightsCafe.com

Daily Specials: Soups, Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

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

Breakfast : Omelets, Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy!

New Hours: Thurs.-Mon. Open at 7 a.m.

Breakfast served all day!

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

AT BEARWATERS BREWING

101 PARK ST. CANTON 828.492.1422

PIGEONRIVERGRILLE.COM

Retail Restaurant LIVE Music

Events begin at 7:15pm unless otherwise noted.

Dinner and Music reservations at 828-452-6000

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19

Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams guitar, piano, vocals. Americana, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20

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

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26

Tina & Her Pony ukulele, cello, vocals. Americana, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27

Russ Wilson & Hank Bones guitar, percussion, vocals. BeBop, Jazz Standards, $10 music fee plus dinner and drinks.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams guitar, piano, vocals. Americana, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Aretha Franklin Tribute by Sheila Gordon w/ Chris Minick & Lee Kram piano, guitar, percussion, vocals.

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

We’ll e fee ed your sp pirit, too.

Evening E vening feasts feasts. Casual lunches and breakfa br eakfa asts. And A nd the mile high peaks of the Great mile-high Great Smokies all around you. Call (828)926-1401 for reservations.

And get a little taste of heaven, Catalooc chee style. style

frogsleappublichouse.com

44 CHURCH STREET WAYNESVILLE 828-456-1930 Seasonal Hours, Call for Details

Catalo t oche ee Ranch 119 Ranch Drive, Maggie Valley, NC Catalooche eeRanch.com

Smoky Mountain News

WAYNESVILLE’S BEST BURGERS

Proud to be part of Downtown Waynesville Since 2011

October 17-23, 2018

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT

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

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

34 CHURCH ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6505 twitter.com/ChurchStDepot

facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Rodney Crowell.

It ain’t over yet Rodney Crowell reflects on life, role of the songwriter

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER ike a tumbleweed from his native Texas, Rodney Crowell has bounced and rolled along through life to wherever the four winds of the cosmos push him.

In his 68 years on this earth, the singersongwriter remains the fiery epitome of a troubadour, where truth is stranger than fiction, and the only way to make it through the day is to make sense of it through song and dance — with or without company, no matter.

Finding his way to the bright lights and lore of Nashville in the early 1970s, Crowell befriended the likes of Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, two cornerstones of American songwriting. He stood at the source, and let the tricks of the trade unmercifully wash over him.

Between rollicking late-night shenanigans and hard-earned miles on the endless pavement of the circulatory system that is the Eisenhower Interstate System, Crowell has spent the passing decades doing exactly what he has chased and dreamt of all along — a life worth living.

With Van Zandt long gone and Clark passing in recent years, Crowell is left standing at the crossroads, gazing around his current situation amid a sense of curiosity and zest. He knows damn well that times flies when you’re having fun, and yet there’s so much more left to say. Thus, Crowell continues to mine the landscape of creativity, friendship, and what it means to be a voice of reason in trying, uncertain times.

L

Smoky Mountain News: I was curious if you subscribe to the idea of “the now.” And if you do, how do you embrace that mentality?

Rodney Crowell: I was forced into a [recent] work stoppage by some health issues. So, dealing with it, has really demanded that I remain firmly planted in “right now,” which has been a good lesson for me. I’ve always subscribed to [“the now”], and I’ve taken more of a Zen approach to how I get through the day. But, this has been like, “OK, time to put your money where your mouth is, pal.” I certainly subscribe to “right now,” and I’m consciously trying to live more in “the now.”

Want to go?

Singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville. Tickets start at $34.50. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.dwtheatre.com or call 828.257.4530.

SMN: How do you measure success these days, in terms of your art and your day-to-day life?

RC: These days, I measure success by how well I accomplish a very simple thing, which is to live this day innocently. And by innocently, what I mean is, what the freedom of a child is — playing, which doesn’t preclude the adult responsibilities I have, but just to live. To get up, work on something I’m writing prose-wise, and to enjoy that, and not get into any kind of huff with how well it’s going. And to work on songs and play, to rehearse with my trio, to have dinner with my wife, talk to my friends.

Do whatever I do with the least amount of selfconsciousness, which I’m referring to the fear of how I’m going to look or how I’m going to come across, what somebody thinks of me — what does that really serve? Being in this moment, and being fully in it.

SMN: Was there a moment when you knew a song could be whatever you wanted it to be?

RC: Pretty early. I was lucky in my development as a songwriter. Probably the most vulnerable chapter in my development, as luck would have it, I happened to be in pretty close

daily contact with Guy Clark and often Townes Van Zandt. I was 10 years younger than them.

So, all I had to do was be quiet, pay attention.

And I realized if you’re patient enough, and will allow it, the song will tell you what it wants to be, what it should be. To me, [if you force it], the cart is definitely before the horse.

SMN: When was the last time you saw or spoke with Guy [Clark] before he passed?

RC: The day he passed. The last thing he said to me was, “I’m tired.” I mean, he said it cosmically. Guy was always a great sleeper. He could sleep anywhere, and he’d sleep warm. He could stay up longer than anybody. But, when he finally went to sleep, he’d sleep longer than anybody. It was the last day of his life. It was a roomful of people. I leaned in close and he said, “I’m tired.” That was the last thing he ever said to me. I always had Guy perfectly framed as an artist. I could separate the friend from the artist, and understood the supreme value he brought as a self-editor and his unflinching adherence to the truth, or as close to the truth as you could get it. And then, there’s the other side of it, I lost my friend. I was at my daughter’s house last night. She has a picture of Guy

“I measure success by how well I accomplish a very simple thing, which is to live this day innocently.

And by innocently, what I mean is, what the freedom of a child is — playing, which doesn’t preclude the adult responsibilities I have, but just to live.”

— Rodney Crowell

and I when we were younger, and to see that, it was, “Ah, shit, man. Well, that’s over.”

SMN: What is the place of the songwriter in our modern world?

RC: Depends on your own sensibilities. If you’re [only exposed to] music in the background of a restaurant or music in the background at a party, if you have that kind of loose relationship with language and song — I have no idea. But, if you’re like me, and you listen to music a lot, the role of the songwriter is more pointed and more centered than ever. In our culture and in the world, it has never been more important, never more prevalent — as is the poet, as is screenwriting, as is news reporting.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

The only way to remember is to forget in a rhyme

Adults $24 Seniors $22 Students $11 Special $8 Tickets for all Students on Sundays.

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

For More Information and Tickets:

828-456-6322 | www.harttheatre.org This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Smoky Mountain News

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5

October 19, 20, 26, 27 & November 2, 3 at 7:30 pm October 21, 28 & November 4 at 2:00 pm

October 17-23, 2018

There was a slight ringing in my ears leaving the show last Sunday evening at Ambrose West on Haywood Road in Asheville. The small, intimate venue had just busted at the seams with the heavy vibrations of San Diego-based Elektric Voodoo.

Not only was the septet a staggering presence of sound and purpose, it was also an opportunity to cross paths with my old friend, band leader/guitarist Scott Tournet. Though we’ve kept in touch via emails and Facebook, I hadn’t shaken his hand in around eight years, Scott Tournet perhaps more, truth-be-told. backstage at Founder and former guiAmbrose West. tarist of Grace Potter & The Garret K. Woodward photo Nocturnals, Tournet was actually the first piece I ever wrote that got published in a real deal magazine. Back in the spring of 2006, I was a junior in college at Quinnipiac Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will headline the University (Connecticut). I annual “Harvest Festival” that will be held hadn’t landed an internship, Oct. 19-20 at the Stecoah Valley Center in and spring break was rapidly Robbinsville. approaching. I needed something or else I wouldn’t meet a The Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival will crucial requirement in order to be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, in graduate. downtown Waynesville.

While home for spring Mark Twain’s “The Notorious Jumping Frog of break, I ended up at a rock Calaveras County” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. show where an old friend introOct. 19-20 at the Smoky Mountain Center for duced me to the publisher of a the Performing Arts in Franklin. music magazine, headquartered in Burlington, Vermont.

Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will Now defunct, State of Mind host The Get Right Band (rock/soul) at 9 p.m.

Music Magazine was a beloved Saturday, Oct. 20. product in New England.

REACH of Macon County and the Arts Council Multiple page spreads filled will co-host a free poetry night at 7 p.m. with intellectual and emotional Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Rathskeller Coffee perspectives on music that Haus & Pub in Franklin. could fill the deepest, darkest corners of our hearts with joymyself so used to simply just being in the ful songs and poignant lyrics. audience at a show. And there were those As an intern that summer for the magatimes we’d sit in a booth at a bar, sipping zine, I dropped off boxes of issues at busisome suds and discussing our favorite phasnesses and music venues and transcribed es of Miles Davis or what year of the Grateful interviews for other writers.

Dead produced the finest fruits of live perAnd I also was taken under the wing of formance. my publisher. At that time, I was 21, he had When it finally came time to let me get just turned 30. He’d bring me around my first by-line, I browsed a stack of albums Burlington, introducing me to legendary recently mailed to State of Mind for review. I musicians and others in the rich, vibrant scene. It was a rollercoaster for someone like eventually came across “Everyone You Meet

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

Is Fighting A Hard Battle” by Scott Tournet.

Clocking in at 07:27, the tune “Sitting Here (Too Long)” jumped out of the stereo, this kind of earthy tone where the rawness of Neil Young meets the bittersweet blues of Junior Kimbrough. I asked my publisher who Tournet was. “He’s the guitarist for Grace Potter & The Nocturnals,” he replied.

At that time, mid-2006, The Nocturnals were blowing up on the national scene. To many, the band was the “Second Coming” of true rock-n-roll sound and swagger. And it was something I truly agreed with, having seen them live earlier in the year at the raucous Paradise Rock Club in Boston. The group was something to behold, a presence of sonic truth, with Potter front-and-center orchestrating the melodic whirlwind.

And yet, Tournet’s solo record found itself in my possession. I took it home and wrote up the short blurb, only to see my name in print above it in the next issue. It was a feeling of joy and pride that hasn’t ever wavered in my 12 or so years in this industry.

Following the album review, Tournet and I became friends, to which I would cover several of The Nocturnals gigs for State of Mind and other publications, dive bars and night clubs around the northeast and out west when I found myself living in Idaho, seeing them onstage in the frozen depths of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or at the inaugural Outside Lands festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Through it all, Tournet always made me feel welcomed, even if I was some kid trying to find footing in the music industry. They were a rock act riding its way to the top, eventually playing vast NFL stadiums, Letterman & Leno, Red Rocks and so forth.

And there I was, backstage or side stage, taking it all in, watching a band chase its destiny right before my eyes and ears.

Tournet and I remained in contact through all the band shakeups, and even when he left the group himself, with The Nocturnals eventually dissolving after over a decade together when Potter went solo. For several years now, Tournet has resided in sunny California with his wife and child, with Elektric Voodoo his current focus, a rebirth back into a business he walked away from, disenchanted with the whole process.

Beyond the fact that Elektric Voodoo is a juggernaut of sound — where world fusion meets Motown soul meets hard rock — what really stuck out to me was seeing the ear-toear grin on the face of my old friend. He’s where he’s supposed to be, no doubt about it. And there’s something so damn special about witnessing that, especially to those in pursuit of their creative aspirations.

After the show, Tournet and I caught up backstage, reminiscing about some old times, but mostly talking about the “here and now,” and what wild, wondrous things the future holds in both of our respective lives. With a handshake and hug goodbye, I ventured back out into the cold air of a fall night in the mountains of Western North Carolina. But, this time, there was a little more of a kick in my step, my head gazing slightly, happily into the heavens above.

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

a website to take you to places where there are no websites.

Log on. Plan a getaway.

Let yourself unplug.

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arts & entertainment

On the beat

‘Celebration of Song’ at WCU

October 17-23, 2018

A choral concert “of music about music” will be performed Thursday, Oct. 18, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

“Meta Music: A Celebration of Song” begins at 7:30 p.m. in the John Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Admission is free and open to the public.

“Meta is a word more often used in the literary world, but it means a creative work that refers to itself or to the conventions of its genre,” said Allison Thorp, director of WCU choral activities. “Essentially, it is a concert of music about music.”

The concert will feature WCU’s large choirs, the Concert Choir and University Chorus, with the Community Chorus, led

by Bob Holquist, joining for one performance. Anna Waters, Sarah Smith and Wyatt Gibson will accompany on oboe, violin and horn, respectively. There also will be recognition of several local choral advocates in Jackson County, including teachers and community leaders.

The Concert Choir is an auditioned group of 36 singers from a variety of majors across campus. The group’s repertoire includes a diversity of compositions spanning historical works to present, as well as multiple languages. The University Chorus is open to all students without audition and performs lighter choral works.

The University Chorus will begin with works from Zambia and Brazil, followed by staples of the American choral repertoire, Daniel Gawthrop’s “Sing Me to Heaven” and Joseph Martin’s “The Awakening.” The Concert Choir will begin with William Billings’ “Modern Musick,” followed by a setting of Amy Lowell’s poem “Listening,”

by Dan Forrest. Works by Moses Hogan, Frank Ticheli and Deke Sharon will round out the set.

For more information, contact WCU’s School of Music at 828.227.7242.

WALK-IN

EXTENDED HOURS

NON-EMERGENCY CARE

Doyle Lawson to headline Stecoah fest Doyle Lawson.

Sandlin Gaither photo

Renowned bluegrass group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will headline the annual “Harvest Festival” that will be held Oct. 19-20 at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville.

• 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19: Micah Swimmer and native Cherokee dancers.

Storytelling, marshmellow roast, hot cocoa, and more.

• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20: Artisan crafters, clogging, country fair, and quilt exhibit. Admission is $3 for adults, free for children (grades K-12).

• 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20: Performance by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Admission is $30 for adults, $10 for students (grades K-12).

With nearly 40 albums to their credit,

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver have multiple Grammy, Dove, ICM, IBMA and SPBGMA Award nominations, and are seven-time winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s “Vocal Group of the Year.”

Lawson also has received SPBGMA’s “Mandolin Player of the Year,” and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver are the won the Inspirational Country Music Association (ICM) “Vocal Group of the Year,” crowned in October 2012 at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, on the heels of Lawson’s induction into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

Smoky Mountain News

Bryson City community jam

CARE ON YOUR SCHEDULE. 828-213-4444

MISSIONMYCARENOW.ORG 360 Hospital Drive, Suite 1 Clyde, NC 28721 7 am - 10 pm Monday - Sunday

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A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City.

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

828.488.3030.

@SmokyMtnNews

On the beat T HE H IGHLAND

Typically, the end of a year brings about personnel changes and often the demise of bands in bluegrass music. But near the close of 2017, fans of The Boxcars and Ramblers Choice ( Junior Sisk's sidemen) were thrilled when news broke about a new ensemble that combines members of both popular groups into one mecca of musicians to form The Highland Travelers. With Adam Steffey (mandolin), Keith Garrett (guitar), Jason Davis (banjo), Kameron Keller (bass), and Gary Hultman (dobro), The Highland Travelers, who state they like to “stay true to our traditional grass roots while creating new, original songs, as well as putting our stamp on our classic favorites," will no doubt set their chosen genre on its proverbial ear. Steffey is an IBMA 10 time winner of the “Mandolin Player of the Year.”

• facebook.com/pg/TheHighlandTravelers/about/ • bluegrasstoday.com/introducing-highland-travelers/

Saturday, October 20 • 7 p.m.

Adults $15 / Children 6-16 Half Price; Under 6 Free

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Smoky Mountain News

A fiddle instructor is needed for the Jackson County Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program.

Time commitment is 1.5 hours per week. Pay is $30/hour.

Class meets at Cullowhee Valley School each Tuesday from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. in coordination with the Jackson County Public Schools calendar.

The JAM program is an after school program providing young people instruction and performance opportunities in Mountain Heritage Music on traditional Appalachian instruments.

If you play the fiddle, have this time slot available, and would like to be a part of teaching kids the art of fiddle playing, contact Betty Brown at 828.293.1028 or the program sponsor, the Jackson County Arts Council at 828.507.9820 or email jcncjam@gmail.com.

All volunteers and instructors must pass a criminal background check in order to participate in this program.

T RAVELERS

October 17-23, 2018

Grassroots musician Susan Susan Pepper.

Pepper will return to the Rickman Store at 11 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20, in Franklin.

Pepper will share with visitors the fruit of many years of research and song collecting in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Early European settlers of North Carolina brought with them the tradition of narrative folk songs from different parts of the old continent, and they soon became a way to express the talent and oral tradition of the Appalachian people.

Pepper is a musician, performer and educator based in Jackson County. She has dedicated nearly twenty years to sharing heartfelt songs and building community through music.

Pepper’s dynamic performances include unaccompanied ballads as well as folk songs with banjo, dulcimer and guitar. Her solo album “Hollerin Girl” includes traditional ballads and folks songs as well as originals. She spent time learning from and Refreshments and fellowship will follow recording older ballad singers in the region Pepper’s performance. for her Master’s degree in Appalachian The historic Rickman Store is located in Studies. Her album “On the Threshold of a Dream” features field recordings of Western the Cowee-West’s Mill Historic District on 259 Cowee Creek Road, seven miles north North Carolina ballad singers Zora Walker, from Franklin via N.C. 28. Extra parking is Hazel Rhymer, Rosa Hicks and Pearl Hicks. available at the Old Cowee School. For more The Friends of the Rickman Store feel information, visit Friends of the Rickman honored to host Pepper again as part of the Store on Facebook. celebrations of the fall color season.

arts & entertainment

Pepper returns to Rickman Store

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arts & entertainment

On the beat • Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” at its Calaboose location with Bill Vespasian Oct. 18, Lindsay Beth Harper Oct. 19, Trevor Pattillo Oct. 20 and Blue Revue Oct. 26. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host Scott Bianchi Oct. 19 and Jeff Ginn Oct. 26. All shows begin at 8 p.m. www.facebook.com/balsamfallsbrewing.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 18 and 25. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host a bluegrass open mic every Wednesday, an all-genres open mic every Thursday and The Get Right Band (rock/soul) Oct. 20. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. www.boojumbrewing.com.

October 17-23, 2018

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Dulci Ellenberger & Kevin Williams (piano/guitar) Oct. 19, Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Oct. 20 and Tiny & Her Pony (Americana) Oct. 26. All shows are free and begin at 7:15 p.m. The Russ Wilson Duo (swing/old-time) will also perform at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 27 ($10 cover).

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host Stone Crazy Band (rock/pop) Oct. 20 and a Halloween party at 8 p.m. Oct. 27. All shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.curraheebrew.com.

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host a “meet and greet” with the Smoky Mountain Roller Girls w/DJ Tape Fire 7 p.m. Oct. 19, “Rock the Vote” w/Only Fly 9 p.m. Oct. 20, Midnight Zombie Prom 9 p.m. Oct. 27 and a “Nightmare Before Christmas” Halloween party 5 p.m. Oct. 31. 828.631.4795.

ALSO:

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host Joey Fortner (Americana/folk) Oct. 19, Marc Keller (acoustic) 2:45 p.m. Oct. 20, Todd Hoke (acoustic) Oct. 20, Conservation Theory Oct. 26 and Stone Crazy Band Oct. 27. All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

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

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Oct. 17 and 24, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Oct. 18 and 25. All events are free and begin

‘Singing in the Smokies’ The annual “Singing in the Smokies” fall festival will be held Oct. 20-21 at Inspiration Park in Bryson City. Gates open at noon, concerts begin at 2 p.m.

Oct. 20: The McKameys and The Inspirations. Oct. 21: The Old Paths and The Inspirations. Nearby lodging, camping and RV parking available.

Tickets are $20 per night, which are available at the gate. www.theinspirations.com. at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Eric Congdon Oct. 20 and Scott Stambaugh Oct. 27. All events are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host Carly Taich w/My One & Only 7 p.m. Oct. 17, Rachel Baiman & Alexa Rose 8:30 p.m. Oct.

17, Kipyn Martin & Kirsten Maxwell 7 p.m.

Oct. 18, Towne w/Zoe Child 8:30 p.m. Oct. 18, Karyn Oliver & Carolann Solebello 7 p.m.

Oct. 19, Rhythm Future Quartet 9 p.m. Oct. 19, The Nouveaux Honkies 7 p.m. Oct. 20, The Georgia Flood & Lauren Beeler 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 21, Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23, Seafoam Green 7 p.m. Oct. 24 and Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards 8:30 p.m. Oct. 24. www.isisasheville.com.

Western Carolina Football Saturday, November 3 3:30 pm

Smoky Mountain News

VS.

Homecoming For ticket info: CATAMOUNTSPORTS.COM or 800.34.GOWCU

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The Inspirations.

On the beat

• The Maggie Valley Pavilion will host the Haywood Community Band at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 21. Free and open to the public.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an open mic night every Thursday and Aces Down Oct. 19 and Twelfth Fret (Americana) Oct. 20. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• Nantahala Brewing (Bryson City) will host The Sun The Moon Oct. 26 and Mac & Juice Quartet Oct. 27. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.nantahalabrewing.com.

the 30th

APPLE

arts & entertainment

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, Anthony Mossburg Oct. 19, Sol Rhythms Oct. 20, Nick Prestia Oct. 26 and a Halloween Bash w/STIG Oct. 27. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

Haywood Regional Medical Center & The Haywood County Chamber Of Commerce Present

HARVEST FE STIVAL

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 20. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia.

• Pub 319 (Waynesville) will host an open mic night from 8 to 11 p.m. every Wednesday.

Free and open to the public. www.pub319socialhouse.com.

October 17-23, 2018

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

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host “Hoppy Hour” and an open mic at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and live music on Friday evenings. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro (Sylva) will host a Halloween Bash at 6 p.m. Oct. 27.

828.586.1717 or www.soulinfusion.com.

• The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host karaoke every Thursday, Tail Light Rebellion Oct. 19, The Talent Oct. 20, Humps & The Blackouts (psycho-billy) Oct. 26 and Amnesis w/Beitthemeans Oct. 27. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

828.456.4750.

• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host Geoff McBride Oct. 19, Lo Wolf 1 p.m. Oct. 21 and Ashley Heath (singer-songwriter) 1 p.m. Oct. 28. All shows start at 5:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.743.6000 or www.whitesidebrewing.com.

10AM - 5PM

Live Entertainment Great Food • Local Merchants • Arts & Crafts Dancing, and so much more!

Smoky Mountain News

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

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20

Sponsored in part by HCTDA www.VisitNCSmokies.com

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arts & entertainment

On the street

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Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

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The Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, in downtown Waynesville.

Hailed as one of the “10 Best Fall Harvest Festivals in the Nation,” the annual festival is a celebration of the autumn harvest and Haywood County’s agricultural heritage. The event features handmade arts and crafts, locally grown apples and apple products for sale.

In addition, the festival will feature food vendors of all types, educational and information booths, authentic mountain music, dance groups and a children’s fun area.

For more information, visit www.haywoodapplefest.com.

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The annual corn maze and pumpkin patch will return from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.

Come to the farm for some old-fashioned fun. Walk through the corn maze ($8 admission) by answering difficult trivia questions at each numbered stop in order to avoid the winding turns and dead ends. Enjoy a hayride ($10 admission) and visit the huge six-acre pumpkin patch, where you and your family choose your perfect Jack O’ Lantern. Prices vary by size.

All the kids will enjoy the Kiddie Corn Box, The 20-foot-long farm slide from the Hay Pyramid, and the 20-foot swing set, right on the river bank. The “Maze of the Dead,” “Zombie Pumpkin Patch” and “Haunted Hayride” will take place at 8 p.m. Oct. 26-31. www.facebook.com/darnellfarmsnc.

‘Plow Day & Harvest Festival’

743 HAYWOOD RD • WEST ASHEVILLE

We're offering 30% off drop-ins and class packages for the month of October!

Can you escape the corn maze?

Philosophy in the Public Square: Re-thinking the Western Tradition The Jackson County Public Library will be continuing its series of lectures/discussions on the history of Western Philosophy lead by Western Carolina University professor Dr. Daryl Hale. Each event in the series will be held at 6 p.m. in the Community Room of the library in Sylva. It is free to attend, with no registration required.

Hale is associate professor in the Department of Philosophy & Religion at WCU. Regular courses taught include Kant & Early Modern Philosophy, Classical & Late Antiquity, Medieval & Reformed Thought, History of Early Christianity, Global Justice, and Religion & Science. He

has written a manuscript on the ancient Stoics & Epicureans (read by Lynn Redgrave onto audio).

Hale had the privilege of undergraduate study of Kant with Nick Wolterstorff at Calvin College (now Emeritus Prof. Yale Divinity School), and of his Ph.D. thesis with John Lachs at Vanderbilt University.

Here is a breakdown of the ongoing series and what will be covered each week: • Oct. 23 — Philosophy 202: Ancient Greeks – Replace Mythos [story] with Logos [reason]? Thales, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Democritus, the Sophists, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

• Oct. 30 — Philosophy 303: Mysteries, Faith, Doubts, and Reason in the Middle Ages. St. Augustine, Anselm, Al-Ghazali, Abelard & Heloise, Aquinas, the Mystics, and the Late Scholastics.

• Nov. 6 — Philosophy 404: Is the Modern Age Fully Enlightened or

The annual “Plow Day & Harvest Festival” will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.

This old-fashioned event is a hit with the entire family. Music jam, food, crafts, pumpkin patch, hayrides, and old-time farming demonstrations. Parking is $10.

Get lost in Corn Maze. There will be fresh made mountain barbecue, as well as pumpkin pies and apple pies for sale.

Stock up on fall decorations, and choose from 25 different varieties of pumpkins, gourds, and decorative squash. www.facebook.com/darnellfarmsnc.

Endarkened? Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, and the Stoics and Epicureans.

For more information, call the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 828.586.2016. These seminars are co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).

• There will be “Scary Storytelling” at 8 p.m. Oct. 19-20 at the train depot in downtown Bryson City. Hear some spooky tales about “Haints, Boogers & Witches of the Southern Highlands” around the fire pit in front of the Storytelling Center located at 22 Fry Street.

ALSO:

On the street arts & entertainment

The marching band from Haywood County’s Pisgah High School performs in a previous Tournament of Champions at WCU.

Smoky Mountain News

Twenty-two of the top high school marching bands from the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee will be competing for the title of grand champion and other honors at the 18th annual Tournament of Champions, which will be hosted by Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band on Saturday, Oct. 20.

The high school bands will present performances at WCU’s E.J. Whitmire Stadium with hopes of capturing the prestigious Chancellor’s Award, a glass traveling trophy that is presented to the grand champion.

The highest scoring band from North Carolina will receive the Roll of Honor.

The bands will compete in four classifications during the preliminaries — A, AA, AAA and AAAA — with the winners from each, as well as the next eight highest scoring bands, battling it out in the event finals.

Last year’s grand champion, DobynsBennett from Kingsport, Tennessee, will return this year to defend its title.

The preliminaries competition includes a 20-minute clinic session after each band’s performance during which a nationally recognized band adjudicator provides a constructive critique for the band’s director and staff regarding performance and design.

North Carolina bands and their preliminary performance times are Murphy, 9 a.m.; Clayton, 9:15 a.m.; Tuscola, 11 a.m.; North Lincoln, 11:15 a.m.; Pisgah, 11:45 a.m.;

Central Cabarrus, 1 p.m.; Owen, 1:15 p.m.; Enloe, 1:45 p.m.; Ardrey Kell, 2 p.m.; Marvin Ridge, 2:30 p.m.; North Henderson, 2:45 p.m.; Smithfield-Selma, 3 p.m.; Enka, 3:15 p.m.; and East Lincoln, 3:30 p.m.

Tennessee bands and their preliminary performance times are Seymour, 9:30 a.m.; Farragut, 10 a.m.; Bearden, 10:45 a.m.; Hardin Valley, 1:30 p.m.; and DobynsBennett, 3:45 p.m.

South Carolina bands and their preliminary performance times are Clover, 10:30 a.m.; and Mauldin, 11:30 a.m.

A band from a Georgia high school, Allatoona, will have a preliminary performance time of 9:45 a.m.

WCU’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will perform twice during the event — at 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. Results from preliminary competition will be announced at 4:20 p.m., and the event finals begin at 6:45 p.m.

Results from the finals will be announced at 10:20 p.m.

Judges for the event include Dale Warren, chief judge; Levi Chavez, Randy Greenwell, J.D. Shaw and Chip Wood, music; Michael Gaines and Jeff Sacktig, visual; Rick Subel, color guard; Shane Gwaltney, percussion; and Emily Salgado, drum majors.

Tickets that cover the entire day of preliminaries and finals are $15, and children under 7 are admitted free. Groups of 15 or more can received a discounted ticket price of $12 per ticket. More information about tickets is available by sending an email to potminfo@wcu.edu.

More information about WCU’s awardwinning Pride of the Mountains Marching Band is available at www.prideofthemountains.com.

October 17-23, 2018

WCU’s high school marching band tournament

35

arts & entertainment

On the street Peanuts Pumpkin Patch Express The Peanuts Pumpkin Patch Express will depart at 4 p.m. Oct. 19 and 26, and noon and 4 p.m. Oct. 20-21 and 27-28 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City.

On board the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, guests will hear a narration of Charles Schulz’s “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” as the train travels to the Pumpkin Patch. Upon arrival, passengers will be greeted and have a photo opportunity with Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy.

Activities to enjoy at The Great Pumpkin Patch will include: campfire marshmallows, a coloring station, temporary tattoos, trick or treating, bouncy house, hayrides and live musical entertainment.

For tickets, visit www.gsmr.com or 800.872.4681.

Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling

Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

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

Sit by a bonfire, alongside a river, and listen to some of Cherokee’s best storytellers.

The bonfire is free and open to the public.

There will be no bonfire events in September. www.visitcherokeenc.com.

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

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

Visitors can interact with villagers as they participate in their daily activities. The

Village also hosts live reenactments, interactive demonstrations, and Hands-On Cherokee Pottery for Kids classes For more information, visit www.cherokeehistorical.org.

Presbyterian Craft Fair returns The annual Presbyterian Craft Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 20 at the First Presbyterian Church in Waynesville.

The Fellowship Hall with be filled with handcrafted items and baked goods made by the congregation. Profits are used to support the local missions of the church. This year is marked by new crafts and new, talented crafts people.

Traditional favorites such as Christmas elves and knitted scarves will be sold.

However, this year there are chalkboards and matching games for children. There will be practical items such as log holders for firewood, hand knitted slippers for anyone with cold feet and hot pads especially designed for the handles of cast iron skillets. The food sale will include jam, jelly, cookies and that favorite, brownies.

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PumpkinFest rolls into Franklin The 22st annual PumpkinFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, in downtown Franklin.

The centerpiece event of PumpkinFest is the World Famous PumpkinRoll. Who can roll a pumpkin the greatest distance down Phillips Street and vying for bragging rights and the $100 grand prize? One past winner rolled 1,021 feet.

Sign up for the Pumpkin Roll is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the actual “roll” from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pumpkins will be available for purchase at the event or bring your own.

Other highlights of the day include a costume parade and contest, pumpkin pie eating contest, along with more than 80 vendors featuring arts and crafts, fabulous festi-

val food, and more.

Downtown merchants get in on the fun as well as little ones can enjoy treats with merchants from 3 to 4 p.m.

PumpkinFest is all about kids and families and this year will be no different. There will be two Kid’s Zones with free inflatable slides, bounce houses and more. Free pony rides. These areas will be located at each end of Main Street. Free shuttles rides from Franklin High School.

PumpkinFest is sponsored by the Town of Franklin. For more information on the festivities, visit www.townoffranklinnc.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/pumpkinfestfranklin or call Franklin Town Hall at 828.524.2516.

Thanksgiving at Lake Logan Join us for feast, family, fellowship, football, and fun. You don’t have to cook, clean, or entertain. That’s something to be thankful for!

D

Overnight options are available for the whole family, or simply come for the feast.

Reservations are required.

lakelogan.org/events 828.646.0095

On the table arts & entertainment

Bosu’s tastings, small plates

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‘Libraries on Tap’ in Franklin

questions about the art of sour beer and any other beer related inquiries.

“Libraries on Tap” is a brewing scavenger hunt and a three-county collaboration between Fontana Regional Library and breweries in Macon, Jackson and Swain counties.

Collect stamps at events or by visiting partner breweries and libraries to win prizes.

Call 828.586.2016 and ask for the Reference Desk with questions.

There will be two upcoming events in the continuing “Libraries on Tap” series hosted by the Fontana Regional Library system. The events will both be held in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin.

• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23: “A History of Beer” presentation with Jeffery Edel from Mountain Layers Brewing (based in Bryson City). Edel has been working in the brewing industry for a number of years and previously worked as an interpretive ranger discussing history at national monuments. His deep love of both brewing and history makes him a wonderful fit for this fun and informative romp into the history of beer and brewing.

• 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24: “Mixed Culture Q&A” beer talk with Aaron Maas, brewer from Innovation Brewing (based in Sylva). He will be answering

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Ayurveda is the practice of balancing bodily systems using diet, lifestyle, herbs and yoga recommendations.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 20 and 27 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075.

• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro.

Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

ALSO:

Smoky Mountain News

• Oct 24: Wines of Chile & Argentina Seated Tasting with Donna Creese, MidAtlantic Regional Sales Manager for Vine Connections, and Kate McCabe of Tryon Distributing. In this fun and informative event you will taste seven amazing wines from Chile and Argentina, as Creese shares her knowledge of each producer and her passion for the wine growing regions each comes from. Light snacks will be served. This is a ticketed event, reservations required. Cost is $20 plus tax per person. Call to reserve your seat, 828.452.0120.

• Oct. 29: TGI Monday Chardonnay Sale & Tasting. All chardonnay is 15 percent off.

Stop by from 1 to 5 p.m. to sample a delicious staff favorite.

For more information, call 828.452.0120 or visit www.waynesvillewine.com.

Waynesville 828-456-9473

October 17-23, 2018

Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host an array of wine tastings and small plates from Chef Stacy’s gourmet cuisine, available at The Secret Wine Bar within the shop. Dog friendly patio and front garden open, weather permitting.

• Oct. 18/25: Five for $5 Wine Tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. Come taste five magnificent wines and dine on Chef Stacy’s gourmet cuisine.

• Oct. 19/26: Secret Wine Bar Night from 5 to 9 p.m.. Gourmet food, and a great wine & beer menu.

• Oct. 20/27: There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m.

• Oct. 22: TGI Monday Zinfandel Sale & Tasting. All zinfandel is 15 percent off. Stop by from 1 to 5 p.m. to sample a delicious staff favorite.

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Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

arts & entertainment

On the wall Have you visited WCU’s art exhibits?

Throughout the academic year, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee hosts an array of ongoing exhibits at the Fine Art Museum in the Bardo Arts Center and also the Mountain Heritage Center.

• The MHC will host the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit “The Way We Worked,” chronicling late 19th- and early 20th-century jobs and labor and based on photographs from the National Archives.

The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 7 in the MHC’s Hunter Library gallery. It is free and open to the public. National Archives photographs depict many aspects of work, from the clothing worn, the locations and conditions, and workplace conflict. The photos also document a workforce shaped by many factors immigration and ethnicity, slavery and racial segregation, wage labor and technology, gender roles and class as well as by the American ideals of freedom and equality. Special tours with a curriculum-based program will be available for K-12 school groups planning to visit the exhibit. For more information, go to mhc.wcu.edu or call 828.227.7129.

• “Grids & Gradients: The Visual Systems of Vernon Pratt” will run through Nov. 9. Drawn primarily from the collection of the WCU Fine Art Museum, this exhibi-

Want to craft Christmas greetings?

The next Creating Community Workshop will be “Paper Craft Christmas Greetings” with Sherri Roper at 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Roper will be showing participants how to make a gift bag/card holder, ornament and a handmade card that will make the perfect, thoughtful arrangement for your loved ones. All materials for the crafts will be provided.

Roper is an avid local crafter who specializes in paper crafts. She has been teaching for several years since retirement afforded her the time to pursue her true artistic passion. Roper teaches a wide variety of crafts at multiple locations around Jackson County and enjoys spreading her love for the arts to all who fill her classes.

This program is free of charge. The workshop is limited to 10 participants. Call the library to register at 828.586.2016. This

tion brings together a selection of recentlyacquired paintings by Pratt, an artist who worked at the intersection of art and mathematics. Pratt took a systematic approach to his creative process, often exploring the rich array of possibilities within a given set of parameters. The paintings on view focus on two of Pratt’s characteristic elements — the grid and the gradient.

• “Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture” will run through Dec. 7. Celebrating the efforts of the late Harvey Littleton, one of the greatest proponents of using glass as an expressive medium, the exhibition explores the work of contemporary artists concentrating in glass and how they are building off the foundations laid by Littleton during the early years of the Studio Glass Movement. A key work in the exhibition is the recent acquisition to the museum’s collection: a glass sculpture by Harvey Littleton entitled “Terracotta Arc.” • The WCU Campus Theme, the “Defining America” exhibit brings together artists with different perspectives on the concept of “America” and asks visitors to reflect on the values, definitions, and assumptions attached to this concept. The exhibition will be on view through May 3.

Regular museum hours at the BAC are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

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

The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).

Dogwood Crafters ornament workshop The Dogwood Crafters Co-Op will host an upcoming craft workshop, which will be held at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge.

• 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26: Learn how to shape and hammer aluminum wire into an ornament. Joan Marsden, a Dogwood Crafter, will lead participants in shaping hearts, trees, stars, and more. Cost of the class is $9. Register by Oct. 19.

Register to attend by calling the Co-Op at 828.586.2248. Dogwood Crafters offer monthly workshops designed to provide the community with opportunities to learn new skills and connect with others. www.dogwoodcrafters.com.

facebook.com/smnews 38

‘Pottery Night’ in Hazelwood

There will an “Pottery Night” craft workshop from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. on Oct. 23 and 30 at the Good Earth Studio in the Hazelwood district in Waynesville.

The subject will be a Jack O’ Lantern. This is a two-night class event. During the first night, you come in to make and create the pottery piece of the night, and the second night you come in to glaze. This experience will give you an opportunity to get your

hands molding clay with step-by-step instructions.

You will create your own piece of art. Give it as a gift, use it in your house or sell it. It’s up to you what you do with your work of art.

Bring your own beverage, if you’d like to.

Cost is $55 per person. Price includes light hors d’oeuvres and everything you will need to create.

To register, call or text 828.400.9560.

ArtQuest returns to Haywood This October, local residents and visitors are invited to view work from Haywood County artists in the Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville.

Participants work in diverse media, including clay, fiber, wood, jewelry, glass, mixedmedia, sculpture, and two-dimensional applications. View the work of 12 local artists through Oct. 27.

The ArtQuest Studio Tour runs from Oct. 26-28. For additional information, visit www.haywoodarts.org or www.artquesthaywood.com.

Waynesville pottery classes There will be a handful of pottery creation opportunities at Our Summerhouse Pottery in downtown Waynesville.

• Adult pottery classes from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30 and from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 1. These six week classes will focus on hand building techniques in creating functional pottery. Tuition is $225, which includes supplies. Class size limited to six.

• After-school art classes for elementary/middle-schoolers. Pottery/art classes will be held weekly for six weeks. Elementary (8-10 years olds) will be Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.. Middle-schoolers (11-14 years olds) will be Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuition is $95, which includes all supplies. Class size is limited to eight. Classes begin Oct. 30.

Our Summerhouse Pottery is located at 225 Wall Street. To register, contact Amy at amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or call 828.734.5737.

On the wall

• “Paint-N-Pour” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at Balsam Fall Brewing in downtown Sylva. Cost is $20, which includes all materials. RSVP on the brewery’s Facebook page.

• There will be a pumpkin painting party from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, at the Waynesville Public Library. You provide the pumpkin, the library provides the supplies.

Registration is required, call 828.356.2507 or email kolsen@haywoodnc.net. Refreshments will be provided. Adults only please.

ALSO:

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host two upcoming craft workshops. Traditional color mixing with Susan Remi Dawkins from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 and holiday fused glass ornaments with Gayle Haynie from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 25-26. For more information and/or to register for these classes, visit www.haywoodarts.org or call 828.452.0593.

• The “Not Clark Kent: Other Superheroes & Sheroes” exhibit will run through Oct. 31 in the Intercultural Affairs Gallery on the

Do you like plein air painting?

Eclectic art exhibit at Gallery 1

There will be a plein air outing with acclaimed Haywood County painter Nick DePaolo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Those who register for the outing will meet at 10 a.m. Oct. 31 at Panacea Coffee House. Artists who attend are responsible for their own transportation, bringing their own supplies, and the optional lunch at Panacea. All mediums are welcome.

Cost to attend is $20 for HCAC artist members, $25 for non-members. To register, call 828.452.0593. Payment is required to hold your spot. Make checks payable to Nick DePaolo. Credit cards not accepted for this class.

The eclectic art work of Isabella R. Jacovino will be featured in a show in the Backstreet Gallery Room of Gallery 1 at 604 West Main Street in Sylva. The exhibit will remain available though Dec. 7.

As a visual artist working with recycled materials, Isabella explores combining the aesthetics of steampunk, dieselpunk, street art, and interpretations on retro-futurism.

Her works focus on the “punk” suffix attached to both the steam and diesel aesthetics and highlight the counterculture nature of the genre with regards to its opposition to contemporary artistic canons.

Admission is free. For more information, email art@galley1sylva.com.

University Center second floor at Western Carolina University. This exhibit challenges popular culture’s notions and expands the definition of who can be an American hero. It features male and female heroes of color and little known queer and differently able characters.

• A “Beginner Step-By-Step” painting class will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (Oct. 18

and Nov. 1, 15, 29) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Cost is $25 with all supplies provided. RSVP by contacting Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560 or paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

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

• The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners interested in learning are invited. Keep up with them through their Facebook group or by calling 828.276.6226 for more information.

• There will be a “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.

arts & entertainment

• Acclaimed painter Jo Ridge Kelley will host an artist demonstration from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Haywood County Art Council’s Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville. Free to attend.

• A “Youth Art Class” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

• Free classes and open studio times are being offered at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Join others at a painting open studio session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays.

For information on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main St., at 828.349.4607.

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October 17-23, 2018

e s . . t d

Smoky Mountain News 39

arts & entertainment

On the stage There will be a pre-opera discussion beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.highlandspac.org, at the door or by calling 828.526.9047.

‘Samson et Dalila.’

‘Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County’

HPAC ‘Live via Satellite’

October 17-23, 2018

The Highlands Performing Arts Center will screen “Live via Satellite” the MET Opera’s production of “Samson et Dalila” at 12:55 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.

Saint-Saëns’s biblical epic stars mezzosoprano El na Garan a and tenor Roberto Alagna in the title roles; Live in HD audiences last saw the pair together in the acclaimed 2010 transmission of Bizet’s Carmen.

The Tony Award–winning director of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,” makes his debut directing the first new Met production of the opera in 20 years. Sir Mark Elder conducts.

A stage production of Mark Twain’s beloved work “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Oct. 19-20 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Jim loves to gamble and will offer to bet on anything and everything, from horse races to dogfights, to the health of the local parson’s wife. When Jim catches a frog, whom he names Dan’l Webster, he offers to bet $40 to anyone in Calaveras County that can produce a frog that will out-jump Dan’l.

Filled with scheming, silliness and Twain’s traditional wit, this classic story reaffirms that most of life’s lessons can be taught with a laugh. Approximately one hour in length.

Presented by the Overlook Theatre Company, tickets are $12. For more information and/or purchase tickets, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 828.524.1598.

TESL A

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON & TH E S T R AN G E R S NOVEMBER 9

Smoky Mountain News

The Highlands Cashiers Players will perform the play “Mauritius” by Rebecca Rebeck at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18-21, 25-28, with a special Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.

Mauritius is a tropical island off the coast of Africa where two early postage stamps were printed in 1847 with an error that has made them worth millions to stamp collectors. However, the play is about so much more than the valuable stamp collection which contains the Mauritius stamps.

Two half-sisters have inherited it, but their differing natures and a complicated family history has them at odds over what to

do with the stamps, while shady stamp dealers and a dangerous buyer plot to acquire it.

And as suits a drama of suspense, “Mauritius” concludes with a surprising development.

The cast includes Jamie Thomas and Virginia Talbot as the sisters. The seedy collector/dealers trying to acquire the stamps by means foul or fair are Philip (played by Craig Eister), Dennis (played by Lance Trudel) and Sterling (played by David Spivey).

Tickets now available for purchase. For more information, check the Players website at www.highlandscashiersplayers.org or leave a message at 828.526.8084.

HART to present ‘The Bad Seed’

duction that features Doug Savitt, Abby Welchel, Amanda Klinikowski, Pam Elder, Ryan Peterson, Adam Welchel, Mary Ann Enloe, Jack Ross, Janice Schreiber, Charlie Wilson and Ethan Schilling.

Reservations can be made by calling the box office at 828.456.6322 or going online at www.harttheatre.org.

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The final main stage show of the season, “The Bad Seed” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19, 20, 26, 27 and Nov. 2, 3 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 21, 28 and Nov. 4, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

If you are old enough, you will remember the 1950s film with Patty McCormick. The scene is a small Southern town where Colonel and Christine Penmark live with their daughter, Rhoda. On the surface she is sweet, charming, full of old-fashioned graces, loved by her parents and admired by all her elders.

But, Rhoda’s mother has an uneasy feeling about her.

The play opened on Broadway on Dec. 8, 1954 running until Sept. 27, 1955 for a total of 354 performances. The production starred Nancy Kelly, who won the 1955 Tony Award as “Best Actress in a Play” in the role as the mother; and Patty McCormick, Eileen Heckart and Henry Jones. Interest in the play was strong enough that Life magazine ran an extensive story on the production a week before it opened. The play was shortlisted for the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Drama but Joseph Pulitzer, Jr. pressured the prize jury into presenting it to “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ” instead.

Wanda Taylor is directing HART’s pro-

• A production of the comedy “Greater Tuna” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19-20, 22 and 4 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. A day in the life of Tuna, Texas, and its citizens. Only cash is accepted at the door. To purchase with a credit card, you must purchase through EventBrite prior to the event. For more information, call 828.488.8227 or email info@smctheatre.com.

ALSO:

• There is free comedy improv class from 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday at Moo Mountain Bakery in Maggie Valley. No experience necessary, just come to watch or join in the fun.

Improv teacher Wayne Porter studied at Sak Comedy Lab in Orlando, Florida, and performed improvisation with several groups.

Join Improv WNC on Facebook or just come on down to the bakery 2511 Soco Road.

Books

Smoky Mountain News

A book for those who wonder what ails them ime to move away from novels and histories, and look inside some general gift books.

First up is How Psychology Works: Applied Psychology Visually Explained (Penguin Random House, 2018, 256 pages). Here is a compendium of various disorders, advice, and information about such topics as forensic psychology, safety in the community, nationalism, and performance anxiety.

Illustrations on every page, the use of statistics, clear talk about such topWriter ics as binge-eating, tics, and sleep disorders, explanations regarding the symptoms and treatments of dozens of afflictions: this is a marvelous collection.

Unfortunately, having read parts of How Psychology Works — I readily confess having skipped many chapters and pages — I realized I might develop psychological problems simply by reading about them.

Have you ever known people who browse medical books or research various diseases online, and so become convinced they are suffering some horrific illness? A woman whose child has the sniffles reads an article and diagnoses pneumonia. A tired man investigates causes for his weariness and concludes the grim reaper is gearing up for a visit.

Well, if I learned anything from reading random chapters of How Psychology Works, I discovered I may be one of those people. The chapter on “Dementia” just reinforced my horror of that “degenerative disorder” and caused me to wonder if I was becoming more and more forgetful. It took me a full minute, for example, to remember what I had eaten for supper two nights earlier. Delusional disorder is “marked by an individual’s inability to distinguish what is real from what is imagined.” This morning’s sunrise brought me great pleasure, but then I asked myself: What if I am deluding myself? What if my pleasure isn’t real? What if the sun isn’t real? What if I am imagining myself imagining the sunrise and then imagining myself taking pleasure in it?

Yikes.

Then I thought of how the insights of this book might affect my impressions of the people around me. Was that guy outside the coffee shop lighting up a cigarette a pyromaniac? Was that friend who always misplaces his car keys suffering from dissociative amnesia? Is it possible that ASR (acute stress reaction) accounts for the kooky mental state of all those politicians

Jeff Minick

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who work — or whatever it is they do — in our nation’s capitol? Did I really wish that politicos from Donald Trump to Nancy Pelosi suffered from “selective mutism,” an anxiety disorder in which people are unable to talk in certain social situation?

(OK, that last one seemed a plus rather than a minus.)

How Psychology Works is a great gift for 1.) someone interested in psychology as a subject for study; 2.) an amateur less neurotic than I; 3.) an enemy whose mind and confidence you wish to poison; or 4.) any politician you dislike.

How Psychology Works obviously deserves a large audience. It just isn’t for me. I’ll allow loved ones and close friends entrance into the distant rooms of my psyche, but the thought of some professional knocking on those doors brings on a severe case of GAD (generalized anxiety disorder).

Only slightly more soothing to the nerves was the Guinness World Records 2019. Because of the layout of this book with its hundreds of gaudy illustrations, I could not immediately find the name of the publisher to record in this review. (It’s apparently Guinness World Records, Limited.) As a result, I developed a minor case of RIDD (reviewer in distress disorder).

Nonetheless, I again flipped through this huge collection. When I first opened the pages, I found myself staring at Rolf

Buchholz of Germany. Here is a man sporting the greatest number of body modifications in the world: 481 piercings, 111 around his mouth alone, horn implants, a split tongue, and 90% of his flesh covered in tattoos. He looked like a creature from one of the Star Wars movies. Admit him to any kindergarten in the world, and we’d have to add another dozen disorders to How Psychology Works.

It was a relief to turn to the French-built ship Harmony of the Seas, which is the largest passenger liner in the world, accommodating 2,100 crewmembers and 6,780 passengers. Most impressive was the ship’s “living park,” with 52 trees and 10, 600 plants.

As a parent and grandparent, I found one Guinness World record guaranteed to cause more nightmares to parents than the pricked and painted Buchholz. Frank Smoes and his family, who live in Australia, own 1.2 million Lego pieces. Put my younger grandchildren among that collection unattended for an hour or so, and I would spend the rest of my days sorting out Legos and drinking heavily.

Guinness World Records 2019 would make a fine gift for adults or teens who enjoy dipping into such things. Children will need a guiding hand through some of the entries.

Harry and Zanna Goldhawk’s The Creature Garden: An Illustrator’s Guide to Beautiful Beasts & Fictional Fauna (Rock Point, 2018, 160 pages) is a gorgeous guide for drawing and illustration. (The lines and dots on page 10 brought to mind a Rorschach test, but I quickly skipped onward.) A family friend whom my daughter’s children call “Aunt Terry” gave them this book, and the twins in particular have derived pleasure from it.

Employing all sorts of animals, both mythic and real, the Goldhawks of Great Britain offer step-by-step drawing instructions for reproducing these beasts on paper. The book also includes advice on tools and materials.

The Goldhawks founded Papio Press in 2014, an online business centered on art and aimed at “making every day life a little bit more magical” through the greeting cards and illustrations they sell. Both that expertise and sense of magic may be seen here.

For those amateurs who enjoy drawing or for those who wish to begin, The Creature Garden offers a delightful introduction to illustrating animals.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com)

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Poetry night in Franklin To commemorate National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, REACH of Macon County and the Arts Council will co-host a free poetry night at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin.

Writers and lovers of poetry are invited to come and share their original works, or the works of other poets, that express the pain that survivors of domestic violence suffer, and the healing that can happen in the aftermath. Words of inspiration and strength are encouraged. The program is open to everyone.

The Rathskeller is at 58 Stewart Street, a half block south of Franklin’s Main Street, offering specialty craft beers, coffees, teas, soft drinks, and healthful foods. Contact the Arts Council for details, arts4all@dnet.net or 828.524.ARTS.

Story time at City Lights Gail Diedrich will host a special story time at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The author of several children’s books, she will read her latest, I’ll Take Care of Violet. An African Violet family spanning 25 years provides the background for a gentle story told in the voice of Violet, the potted plant in the middle of three generations.

To reserve copies of I’ll Take Care of Violet, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

A story of choice and sacrifice Charles Dodd White will read from his new novel In the House of Wilderness at 3 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Rain is a young woman under the influence of a charismatic drifter named Wolf and his other “wife,” Winter. Through months of wandering homeless through the cities, small towns, and landscape of Appalachia, the trio have grown into a kind of desperate family, a family driven by exploitation and abuse. A family that Rain must escape.

When she meets Stratton Bryant, a widower living alone in an old east Tennessee farmhouse, Rain is given the chance to see a bigger world and find herself a place within it. But, Wolf will not let her part easily. When he demands loyalty and obedience, the only way out is through an episode of violence that will leave everyone involved permanently damaged.

A harrowing story of choice and sacrifice, In the House of Wilderness is a novel about the modern South and how we fight through hardship and grief to find a way home.

White is the author of three novels and a short story collection. He has been recognized for excellence in Appalachian writing with the Chaffin Award. He has also received a fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his family, and he teaches English at Pellissippi State Community College.

To reserve copies of In the House of Wilderness, call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Planting for pollinators Waynesville couple seeks to educate on the benefits of native bees

Jill Jacobs and her husband Brannen Basham

hold up one of their handmade bee houses amid flowering native plants at their home in Waynesville. Holly Kays photos

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER rannen Basham spends more time puttering around the yard than the average homeowner, but the result is not what most people would picture when asked to envision a well-cared-for lawn.

The grass below the home that Basham, 32, and his wife Jill Jacobs, 31, purchased in Waynesville last year is scattered with sprawling plants that some people would call weeds but Basham and Jacobs think of as vital nectar sources for native pollinators. Multiple

B

Brannen Basham holds a model depicting what the inside of a mason bee nest looks like.

species of asters and goldenrod grow bushlike above the grass, and a leafy plant proliferates sporting clusters of tiny pink flowers that droop at the end of the stalk — it’s called smartweed, Basham said. The yard is filled with myriad species in various stages of flowering or seeding, but very little grass.

“When you come out here, almost every one of these flowers is teeming with bees,” said Jacobs as she and Basham walked the backyard, naming plants along the way.

The buzzing insects are kind of the point of the whole thing.

Jacobs and Basham are partners in life, but also in business. They moved to Western North Carolina from Philadelphia in June 2016, soon thereafter launching an enterprise focused on helping people be better hosts to the more than 4,000 species of native bees that live in North America. It’s called Spriggly’s Beescaping, named for the nickname of their plant-loving cat Lucy.

It’s not exactly a common type of business, but for Basham and Jacobs it seemed a good fit. Basham is a horticulturist and Jacobs works in marketing and web design. They’re both passionate about nature, conservation and bees.

“The more I fell in love with horticulture and the plant world, the more I realized there’s a huge amount of insects that interact with native plants. Especially the more I talked about those insects the less I realized people knew about those insects,” said Basham.

Basham found himself initially pulled in by a book on honeybees, which are immensely important not only for making delicious honey but for pollinating America’s crops.

They’re also facing severe challenges due to factors such as parasitic mites invading their hives, pesticides and habitat loss.

“We like to say that honeybees are the gateway bug,” said Jacobs. “It’s really the way people see the connection.”

That certainly proved true for the creators of Spriggly’s. The more they realized how “fascinating and humbling” honeybees are, the more they began to appreciate the diversity and importance of native bees. Honeybees are

not native — Europeans brought them over in the 1600s. Meanwhile, North America holds about 4,000 species of native bees that are designed to interact with New World ecosystems in very specific ways. They don’t make honey, but they do perform incredibly efficiently when it comes to pollination.

For instance, Jacobs said The Orchard Mason Bee by Brian Griffin states that it takes only 250 native orchard bees to pollinate an acre of apple trees compared to at least 20,000 honeybees.

“It’s 2018 and we like to think of ourselves as living in the future, but we still know so little about so many of these insects,” said Basham. “A lot of these native bees, we don’t even really understand where they live or how they live their lives.”

What Spriggly’s aims to do is to teach people what is known about native bees and how to support them, and to help customers design and plant gardens that will be effective at giving native bees a leg up.

“Right now we’re just casting the widest net to see what sticks,” said Jacobs.

Spriggly’s does educational talks, exhibits — the company will soon have an Insect Exploration Station exhibit at the Asheville Museum of Science — garden landscaping designs and builds bee houses that it sells on Etsy and at festivals. They’re working on two different books as well, one a collection of columns Basham has written on native plants and pollinators and another a kids book about a day in the life of a mason bee.

It’s a lot, but it’s still largely a side hustle.

Basham works part-time for Spriggly’s and part-time as a horticultural consultant in Cullowhee; Jacobs has a fulltime job as the marketing manager for the Western Carolina University Bardo Arts Center.

But ultimately, they’d like to be able to focus in on educational exhibits and talks as the company’s main source of income, because for Spriggly’s, education is the key to helping the bees. The more people know about how the bees live and the jobs they do, the better they can make individual decisions to help them. As hard as honeybees have it at the moment, for native bees the situation is worse, Basham said.

“Honeybees might be in trouble, but they’re also livestock and they can be managed by humans, whereas these native pollinators really need support more than anything,” he said.

Native pollinators are losing habitat left and right, and in many cases they’re also competing with honeybee colonies for nectar. But there are three simple rules, Basham said, that anyone can follow to make their home more friendly to native bees.

For one, have something in bloom during each growing season. Native shrubs and trees like maple, redbuds rhododendron and Virginia sweetspire are good bets in the springtime, with sunflowers, Echinacea, asters, milkweed and phlox solid summer choices. In the fall, Basham suggests goldenrod, Joe Pye weed and jewelweed.

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Canoe Slalom a success More than 50 people competed in the ninth annual Cullowhee Canoe Slalom Sept.

22, raising more than $300 for the Western Carolina University Parks and Recreation Management Scholarship Fund.

Listed from first to third place, winners in each category were: n Tandem canoe: Todd and Griffin Murdock, Debby and Mark Singleton, Burt and Becky Kornegay. n Solo canoe: Todd Murdock, Ryan Smith, Burt Kornegay.

n Men’s paddle board: Glenn Middleton, Mark Singleton, Andrew Bobilya. n Women’s paddle board: Becca Lee, Debby Singleton, Charlotte Masters. n Men’s kayak: Maurice Phipps, Todd Murdock, Andrew Bobilya. n Women’s kayak: Greta C. Durbin, Allie Pratt, Cindy Phipps. n Kids’ kayak: Ellie Padgett, Lilyanne Bobilya, Anna C. Kempker.

Hosted by WCU Parks and Recreation Management students and the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, and held on the Tuckasegee River.

Jill Jacobs examines an aster plant in her developing pollinator garden.

Proactive bear management in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park got a boost thanks to a $4,000 grant Friends of the Smokies landed from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

The money will support food storage cable repairs at campsites and shelters along the Appalachian Trail on its way through the park.

Grant funds come from the ATC’s specialty license plate sales in North Carolina. Proceeds go toward materials to repair the cables, as well as seasonal staff and two wildlife interns to assist with cable repairs and other aspects of bear management and monitoring.

Park biologists estimate there are more than 1,500 black bears in the park, a population density of two bears per square mile.

Since 2006, more than 60 percent of A.T. shelters in the Smokies have experienced some form of human-bear conflict annually. Food storage cables help reduce that conflict.

Mainspring to solve minnow mystery

Shiners and minnows can be found almost everywhere, but many of those living in Western North Carolina prefer free-flowing streams to still lakes. Every fall, river shiners embark on a massive migration to smaller creeks.

To better understand what triggers this migration, Mainspring biologists are analyzing what creeks or habitats fish are searching for and how long they remain in the creeks after they find them before returning to the rivers.

In creeks where shiners have been observed before, Mainspring biologists are surveying each week to determine when the migration begins. The week of Oct. 8 marked the first indication that 2018’s migration had started.

The federally threatened Spotfin Chub migrates from larger rivers to smaller creeks each fall. Donated photo Small streams are often the most neglected, but they’re ecologically important, especially at this time of year. Landowners with streams on their property should shade the water and use alternative watering sources for livestock.

Mainspring Conservation Trust is partnering with the Tennessee Valley Authority in a study to better understand what triggers thousands of minnows to migrate from rivers to smaller creeks each fall.

October 17-23, 2018

A

“We received a lot of flack from our neighborhood at first for our garden,” Jacobs admitted. “Of course everyone wants these pristine mowed lawns, but we just told them we’re doing this for insects.”

They don’t use any pesticides, trim out non-pollinator-friendly plants by hand, and just let things grow naturally. And, they take every opportunity to talk to their neighbors about why they’re doing what they’re doing. It’s worked, Jacobs said. The neighbors now understand why the yard looks like it does, and as Basham continues to perfect the collection of plants growing there, the bees will only benefit.

And not just the bees. Insects and pollinators of all types.

“When you’re restoring habitat, you’re restoring habitat for all,” said Jacobs. “It’s an ecosystem. Everything is an ebb and a flow and a balance.”

"I thank God first and I am grateful for the assistance I have received at the Waynesville Recreation Center," Oldham said. "This is the best place in Haywood County. Where else can you go and have individualized training for free?”

For more information about personal training at the Waynesville Recreation Center please call 456-2030 or email tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov

WAYNESVILLE

Smoky Mountain News

Second, Basham suggests planting flowers in clumps at least 3 feet wide to make them an easier target for insects flying overhead. Finally, a bee-friendly yard should have places for the insects to nest and stay warm over winter. This includes leaving some spots, even small ones, of bare soil, and allowing some piles of leaves or mulch to survive autumn raking. Bees also like to nest in hollow stalks such as blackberry and raspberry cane.

Such measures will result in a yard that bees find attractive, but unfortunately that outcome sometimes clashes with human ideals of horticultural beauty. Many native flowers are prone to a weedy appearance, and a yard that’s spared the blade of a lawnmower to allow insects to thrive will quickly begin to look unkempt. Switching to a pollinator-friendly mindset is almost about switching to a new way of seeing.

fter a head-on collision and partially going through the windshield of her car, Keitha Oldham was told she may never run again. A year and a half ago she met with Tim Plowman, personal trainer at the Waynesville Recreation Center, about exercising and dieting. After their meeting, she then met with Recreation Assistant Melba Smart and learned how to use the weight machines. Today, Oldham has dropped from a size 24 to a size 10.

She also used to weigh 215 pounds but now she weighs 150 and is thankful to be alive, to have lost 65 pounds and to be enjoying life.

outdoors

Friends of the Smokies gets bear management grant

WCU student Charlotte Masters heads toward a third-place finish in the Cullowhee Canoe Slalom paddleboard race. WCU photo

PARKS AND RECREATION

828.456.2030

or email tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov

550 VANCE STREET • WAYNESVILLE

43

outdoors

Birder honored for volunteerism Tom Tribble, president of the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society in Asheville, has been named Audubon North Carolina’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year.

“We are so fortunate to have volunteers like Tom Tribble advocating for birds in Western North Carolina,” said Andrew Hutson, Executive Director of Audubon North Carolina. “His projects create a springboard for engaging churches, schools and local businesses to build an ever-moreeffective network from the mountains to the coast.”

A dedicated birder and Audubon member since 1975, Tribble is known to friends as “the Ambassador of Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary” because he has spent so much time facilitating bird walks for groups ranging from local Boy Scouts to faith groups and garden clubs. Tom’s work extends throughout the greater community — currently, Elisha Mitchell Audubon is partnering with St. Eugene’s Catholic Church to add 300 bird-friendly native plants to their Friendship Garden or “Jardin de la Amistad.”

Smoky Mountain News

October 17-23, 2018

Outdoor gear industry to expand in WNC

44

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CANTON • 1 Acaademy St St. • Canton Canton, NC 28716 • 828 828-648-1515 648 1515 WA AY YNESVILLE • 311 Walnut St. • Waynesville, NC 28786 • 828 828-456-6268 456 6268 Find us on Facebook. Feederally Insured by NCUA

The outdoor gear industry in Western North Carolina is expected to take off in the coming years thanks to a recently announced grant the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER Initiative awarded to Mountain BizWorks.

The $940,000 grant — which joins $787,000 in local matching funds for a total pot of $1.7 million — will fund a project titled “Growing Outdoors: A Regional Approach to Expanding WNC Outdoor Industry and Jobs.” Strategies for boosting the outdoor gear sector will include workforce development, entrepreneurship and access to capital, supply chain optimization and engagement of local economic development practitioners.

Western Carolina University will develop new degree and certificate programs, and area community colleges will promote outdoor industry career pathways. Over the next five years, the project is expected to help start up 35 new outdoor businesses, expand 100 more businesses, train 125 students in new outdoor degree programs, create at least 150 jobs and attract $10 million in new business investment, according to a press release from Mountain BizWorks.

The award will be executed by a partnership led by Mountain BizWorks but also including the Outdoor Gear Builders of Western North Carolina, WCU, Burke Development, Inc., Graham County Economic Development, Mitchell County Economic Development Commission, the Southwestern Commission, Natural Capital Investment Fund and the N.C. Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. Many additional partners will be engaged throughout the project.

Clean up the campground Volunteers are needed 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 27, to help clean up the Deep Creek picnic area and campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City.

The work day is one of a series of 10 Smokies Service Days running through Nov. 23 offering unique opportunities to help care for park cemeteries, campgrounds, trails, roadsides, rivers and native plant gardens. An optional enrichment adventure follows each morning of work. Remaining service projects will be held at various points in the Tennessee side of the park.

Tools and safety gear provided; participants should bring water and wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants and closed-toed shoes. Volunteers planning to stay for the afternoon activity should bring a bag lunch as well.

Sign up with Logan Boldon by calling 865.436.1278 or emailing logan_boldon@partner.nps.gov.

An evening focused on MountainTrue’s history of advocacy will be held 6 to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 24, at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville as part of the organization’s annual gathering.

The evening will include an overview of past successes as well as a look ahead at new plans for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests and for the I-26 connector project.

Free for members, with memberships available for $30. www.mountaintrue.org.

outdoors

MountainTrue to hold annual gathering

New Smokies magazine released

Volunteers help spruce up a campground. NPS photo

Help bust invasive plants Learn about invasive plant removal and identification by helping remove privet from the Highlands Recreation Center, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18.

Privet is an evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub that can grow up to 30 feet high and crowds out native species with shade and competition for nutrients. It also produces toxins that can cause respiratory irritation in humans.

The workday is organized by the Coalition for Nonnative Invasive Plant Management, whose members include MountainTrue and the Highlands Cashiers Land Trust.

Bat-focused education workshop offered Learn about North Carolina bats and how to teach others about them during a workshop offered 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Cradle of Forestry in America.

The class is designed for formal and non-formal educators, including information about bats, conservation issues and activities to use in classrooms and programs. Participants can receive up to six hours toward Criteria III for the N.C. Environmental Education certification. Portions of the class will be held outdoors.

Free. Register with Stephanie Bradley, cradleprograms@cfaia.org, or 828.877.3130. The Cradle of Forestry is located along U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest, about 35 miles south of Waynesville.

A countywide stream cleanup held Sept.

22 in Haywood County removed 2,205 pounds of trash from area waterways thanks to help from 62 volunteers.

Much of the trash makes its way into streams via storm drains — as rainwater washes over pavement it picks up trash and other pollutants, which is then swept straight into the drains and eventually into streams. The most common trash pulled out of Haywood’s waterways is plastic soda bot-

tles, with plastic bags, cans and cigarette butts common as well.

Individuals and groups are wanted to help keep streams clean year-round through the Adopt-a-Stream Program. Volunteers should clean their adopted stream at least once a year for a duration of two years. Sign up with Christine O’Brien of Haywood Waterways Association, christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

The Big Sweep was made possible by Haywood Waterways, Haywood Community College and the Pisgah High School Ecology Club, and it was sponsored by the town of

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Smoky Mountain News

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Trash removed from waterways ranges from plastic bottles to porch furniture. Donated photo

October 17-23, 2018

Stream cleanup nets a ton of trash

The Great Smoky Mountains Association has released a new issue of its award-winning Smokies Life magazine.

The new issue features an in-depth look at groundbreaking bear research unique to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the first four chapter of best-selling Smokies novel Willa of the Wood, 10 compelling archival treasures stored in the Collections Preservation Center and a comprehensive list of essential preparation techniques for staying safe in the backcountry.

The magazine is mailed to GSMA members twice yearly as a member benefit and is available for sale at GSMA stores and online.

Proceeds support the park. www.smokiesinformation.org.

828.926.0201 At the Maggie Valley Inn • 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley

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outdoors

Duck stamp artists wanted Artists are wanted for the annual N.C. Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Print Competition.

The winning artwork will be featured on the 2019-2020 waterfowl conservation stamp, also known as the N.C. duck stamp. Artwork will be judged based on accuracy in all aspects of waterfowl anatomy; appropriateness, accuracy and detail in depicting the species’ habitat; attractiveness and creativity of the composition; and visual appeal and suitability for reproduction at the print and stamp scales.

Artists may submit only one design, in any medium. Images must be horizontal,

13 by 18 inches, matted in white to outside dimensions of 18 by 23 inches and loosely covered with a protective overleaf.

A panel of five judges with expertise in waterfowl biology or artistic method will choose the winner on Jan. 25, with a prize of $7,000. Proceeds from stamp sales support the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Waterfowl Fund, which generates revenue to conserve waterfowl habitat.

Artists 18 and older are eligible, and mailed entries are due, along with a $50 entry fee, by 5 p.m. Jan. 18 to the Washington Tourism Development Authority at 108 Gladden Street, Washington, N.C. 27889. www.littlewashingtonnc.com/nc-duckstamp.

A Parkway ranger explains the view from Devils Courthouse to a visitor. File photo

Get started with turkey hunting A family-friendly event celebrating wild turkey hunting will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Depot on Asheville Highway in Pisgah Forest.

The event will include activities and demonstrations for all ages and skill levels, including a pellet range, box call building, call demonstrations, fly-fishing, archery and more. Cost of $10 for those 17 and under includes activities, a JAKES membership to the National Wild Turkey Federation and a personally built box call. Free for those over 18 who accompany a paying attendee.

Presented by the Cold Mountain Strutters Chapter of the NWTF, the N.C. Bow Hunters Association, Mountain Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, the N.C. Nature Conservancy, Cross Trail Outfitters, Trout Unlimited and the Wildlife Commission. The depot is located at 5620 Asheville Highway, Pisgah Forest.

Find monsters in the mountains A short but uphill hike will offer a chance to hear some pre-Halloween Appalachian lore at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 19, from Devil’s Courthouse Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This will be the last ranger-led Friday morning hike of the season. The hike to the

top of Devil’s Courthouse is 1 mile roundtrip and rated moderate to strenuous.

Hikers should meet at the overlook, mile 422.4 of the Parkway, and bring water, good walking shoes and clothing for changeable weather.

828.298.5330, ext. 304.

Learn the names of trees October 17-23, 2018

An easy 4-mile hike will offer an overview of local trees and woody plants, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 27, in the Sunburst area of Haywood County.

Shannon Rabby, lead instructor of fish and wildlife management technology at Haywood Community College, will lead the excursion organized by Haywood Waterways Association. The group will meet behind Jukebox Junction Soda Shoppe in Bethel, carpool to the trailhead and return by 2:30 p.m. Hikers should be prepared to walk through mud and water.

The event is part of Haywood Waterways’ “Get to Know Your Watershed” series of outdoor outings, hikes and paddle tours. Free for members and $5 for nonmembers, with memberships starting at $25. Light refreshments provided. No pets.

Space limited. RSVP by Oct. 25 to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.com or 828.476.4667, ext. 11.

Smoky Mountain News

Pursue the great pumpkins

46

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

Celebrate leaf season in the Smokies with a day of pumpkin decorating, live music, costume contests and the unforgettable waterbound Great Pumpkin Pursuit, during NOCtoberfest, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Registration for the Pumpkin Pursuit will take place noon to 2 p.m., and at 2:30 p.m. participants will line up along the concrete beach above Nantahala Falls, setting off in kayaks to gather as many pumpkins as possible. On-shore spectators can also gather pumpkins that wash ashore.

Numbers on the pumpkins correspond to raffle tickets, which will be drawn when the event is complete.

Free. NOC is located along U.S. 74,

Costumed competitors slice through the water in pursuit of pumpkins.

NOC photo

about 14 miles west of Bryson City. A full schedule is online at www.noc.com/events/noctoberfest.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Southwestern Community College will hold its Fall Job Fair from 1-4 p.m. on Oct. 18 at the Macon Campus in Franklin. Updated list of employers: www.southwesterncc.edu/jobfair2018. Info: 339.4212 or m_despeaux@southwesterncc.edu.

• Twenty two high school marching bands from across the Southeast will perform at the 18th annual Tournament of Champions hosted by Western Carolina University on Saturday, Oct. 20, in Cullowhee. Tickets: $15; ages 7-under admitted free. Groups of 15 can get in for $12 per ticket. potminfo@wcu.edu or prideofthemountains.com.

• The annual reunion of the Northshore Cemetery Association “family” is scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21 at the Deep Creek Shelter in Bryson City.

• Diane E. Sherrill, a Southwestern Community College graduate and local attorney, will present an estateplanning seminar at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, in Room 102D of the Burrell Building on SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva. For info and to RSVP: 586.4051.

• Registration is underway for Marriage Enrichment Retreats that will be offered three more times over the next year at Lake Junaluska. Led by Ned Martin, an expert in marriage counseling. Price is $699 per couple. Dates are March 10-12, Aug. 18-20 of 2019 and Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in 2019. Registration and info: www.lakejunaluska.com/marriage or 800.222.4930.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • David Dorondo, Western Carolina University associate professor of history, will speak on “The U.S. Army and Nuclear Deterrence, 1955-1991: A European Historical Context” as the Carolina Roundtable on the World Wars meets Wednesday, Oct. 17.

• The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. in Room 211 of WCU’s Health and Human Sciences Building. Free and open to everyone. For more information, contact Dorondo at 227.3908 or dorondo@wcu.edu.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment is offering a three-part “Retirement Planning Today” course from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, 22 and 24 at WCU Biltmore Park in Asheville. Registration: $79. Pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering an event planning workshop that focuses on planning, organizing and implementation from 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, at WCU’s instructional site at Biltmore Park in Asheville. Registration is $119 or $640 for six event-planning certificate workshops.

Pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will offer a workshop focusing on Building Cultural Competency and Diversity within Nonprofits from 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19 at WCU Biltmore Park in Asheville.

Registration fee: $89. CNP course fee: $300.

Pdp.wcu.edu, jcthompson@wcu.edu or 227.3070.

• Ken Langone, co-founder of Home Depot and philanthropist, will speak on life and work as part of Western Carolina University’s Distinguished Lecture Series from 5-6:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, in the A.K. Hinds University Center in Cullowhee. langone.wcu.edu.

• Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a seminar entitled “How to Find Your Customers” from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the College’s Regional High Tech Center, Room 3021, in Waynesville.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

For info or to register: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Western Carolina University will host a Global Spotlight Series event from 4-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, in Room 101 of the Forsyth Building in Cullowhee. “Six Fearless Professors Predict the Future” will look at social, economic, climate, government and other issues from a contemporary viewpoint of possibilities in years to come. 227.3860 or jsschiff@wcu.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

Sausage Breakfast – is scheduled for 8-11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, at United Methodist Church on Main Street. $10 for adults; $5 for ages 10-under. Supports efforts to address negative effects of the opioid crisis.

488.4455.

• Tickets are on sale now for the Literary Council of Buncombe County’s 11th annual Authors for Literacy Dinner & Silent Auction, which features a keynote from New York Times bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver on Nov. 29 at the Crowne Plaza Resort Expo Center in Asheville. $95 for general admission. Limited number of VIP passes available, including a meet-and-greet with the author. 254.3442, ext. 206 or www.litcouncil.com.

• A luncheon entitled “How to Have Your Best Holiday Season Ever” will be offered through Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at SCC’s Swain Center in Bryson City. Speaker is Aaron Means.

Registration required: www.southwesterncc.edu/sbc or 339.4211.

• The Community Table has a Blue Plate Special fundraiser from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month from January through October in Sylva. $7 minimum donation; dine-in or carry-out. 586.6782.

• Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and Enrichment will be offering a Six Sigma Yellow Belt training Oct. 23-26 at WCU Biltmore Park in Asheville. Learn how to apply the five-step methodology of Six Sigma in product, process or service industries.

Registration fee: $1,099. For info or to register: pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• A meeting to discuss creating accessible garden beds for community members with disabilities or decreased mobility is scheduled for 6-7 p.m. on Oct. 18 at Western Carolina University’s Health & Human Sciences Building, room No. 204, in Cullowhee. beparmenter1@catamount.wcu.edu or 808.9009.

• The Haywood Community College Small Business Center will hold a social media and digital marketing summit for the small business owner on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 30-31, in library room 206 in Clyde.

Facebook, Instagram, video marketing and podcasting will be covered. Led by Chisa Pennix-Brown. For info or to register: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

• Registration is underway for a millennial recruitment workshop that will be held from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, at Western Carolina University Biltmore Park in Asheville. Led by Dr. Darrius Stanley, professor of educational leadership. Early-bird registration ($99) through Oct. 15; afterward registration is $125. For info and to register: pdp.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• Haywood Community College will offer hunter safety course from 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 5-6 in Clyde.

Preregistration required: www.ncwildlife.org.

• Registration is underway for “Strategic Leadership for the 21st Century,” which is scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Nov. 9 and 16 at Drake Education Center in Franklin.

Hosted by Franklin Chamber of Commerce. Led by Dr. Fred Toke, PsyD. Registration: $150. Info: b2f@msn.com or 334.703.5977.

• Registration is underway for a Management Retreat, which is scheduled for Nov. 12-13 at Lake Logan Conference Center. Facilitated by Ron Robinson, author of “On All Cylinders.” Share ideas for making businesses, nonprofits and public services better. Register: www.lakelogan.org/events.

• Registration is underway for Community Mediation Training that will be offered by Mountain Mediation Services on Nov. 13-14 at First United Methodist Church of Franklin. Tuition fee: $250. Info: 341.5717.

Registration Forms: www.mountainmediation.org, info@mountainmediation.org or 631.5252.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • In support of “Center for Domestic Peace in Jackson County,” the following restaurants will donate a percentage of sales on dates/times as listed: Soul Infusion, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Oct. 17; Dillsboro Chocolate, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 19; South of Philly, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Oct. 23, Slab Town Pizza in Cashiers, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Oct. 26; Zaxby’s, 5-10 p.m. on Oct. 31.

• A RENEW Bryson City Fundraiser – Pancake &

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS

• Volunteers are being sought for “Hands on Jackson” – a day of caring community effort scheduled for Nov. 1.

To register: https://tinyurl.com/y7ep36d7.

HEALTH MATTERS • The Haywood County Senior Resource Center holds a dementia caregivers support group from 4:30-6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday each month in Waynesville.

356.2800 or www.haywoodseniors.org.

• A workshop on “How to Prepare Healing Herbs For Your Health” will be presented by Michelle Sanderbeck, ND, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Waynesville Library Auditorium. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolesn@haywoodnc.net.

• Dr. Allison Johnson, general surgeon with Haywood Regional Medical Center, will present a “Talk with a Doc” dinner seminar on breast cancer screening and prevention at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, at Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center in Clyde. RSVP required: 800.424.DOCS (3627).

• The Macon County Cancer Support Group will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Angel Medical Center cafeteria in Franklin.

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 4-8 p.m. on Oct. 18 at American Legion Post No. 47 in Waynesville. Appointments and info: Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.7267).

• The 10th anniversary of Ladies Night Out will feature guest speaker Dr. Kellet Letson, VP and Chief of Women’s Health at Angel Medical Center, speaking on “Women Power” at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 in Angel Medical Center’s cafeteria in Franklin.

• Registration is underway for an eating disorder workshop with Linda Bacon, Ph.D. the workshop is scheduled for 12:30-5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Folk Art Center Auditorium in Asheville. Title is: “Nurturing Body Respect: The Facts, Fictions and Clinical Path” – an evidence based alternative to weight-focused care.

Advance tickets only; no on-site tickets. 298.7928. info@crcfored.com, . https://tinyurl.com/ya9qtvhh or 337.4685.

• Healthy Carolinians of Jackson County Partnership will hold a priority-setting meeting for the health department from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25,

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Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals ■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings at the Department on Aging Heritage Room in Sylva.

587.8238.

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus in Sylva.

Appointments and info: Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.7267).

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Lowe’s in Franklin.

Appointments and info: Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.7267).

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 29 at Swain Community Hospital in Bryson City. Appointments and info: Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.7267).

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 1:30-5:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 at Grace Church of the Mountains in Waynesville. Appointments and info: Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.7267).

• The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 31 at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Appointments and info: Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.7267).

• Registration is underway for “Riding the Waves of Cancer,” a four-week series that will be offered from 2:30-4 p.m. starting Thursday, Nov. 8, at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde. A physician referral form is required: my.haywoodregional.com/YogaforCancer.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • The Smoky Mountain Rollergirls conclude their roller derby season at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Swain County Rec Park in Bryson City. Proceeds benefit the Smoky Mountain Community Theater. Tickets: $5 in advance from skaters or $7 at the door. Youth game is at 4 p.m.

• A community jam will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. 488.3030.

SPIRITUAL • Paul Saik, Director of Music Ministries at Centenary United Methodist Church in New Bern, will be featured in services at 8:20, 9:40 and 11:05 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21, at Long’s Chapel in Waynesville. Info: longchapel.com.

• “The Power of We” – an evening of stimulating though, discussion and presentations with a simulcast – is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25

wnc calendar

in Q Commons of Outdoor Mission Camp at 3190 Fie Top Road in Maggie Valley. Simulcast features Bob Goff, Jo Saxton, Scott Harrison and more. Donations accepted. RSVP: call 926.3252 or text 336.583.9932.

Info: https://tinyurl.com/y8bhre3b.

• The United Methodist Men of First United Methodist Church of Sylva will host the annual Raymon Stovall Poor Man’s Lunch from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, at the church building in Sylva. 586.2358.

• Registration is underway for a Self-Directed Retreats that will be offered at Lake Junaluska in the coming months. Spend time walking the trails, meditating in gardens, in private devotions, journaling, reflecting and more. Lake Junaluska will also provide a booklet with optional agendas, resources and ideas for structuring your retreat. $97 per person, per night, including lodging in Lambuth Inn, breakfast and retreat booklet.

Other dates are available, pricing varies. Dates are Oct. 29-Nov. 1 and Nov. 19-21. www.lakejunaluska.com/retreats.

• Registration is underway for Personal Spiritual Retreat that will be offered at Lake Junaluska Nov. 5-7.

Experienced spiritual directors and clergy guide you through a group centering session, evening prayer service and an individual spiritual direction session, while leaving you ample time for personal reflection and renewal. $297 for two nights lodging in Lambuth Inn, program and retreat booklet. www.lakejunaluska.com/retreats.

POLITICAL • Indivisible Asheville/WNC will host a town hall meeting for local candidates for the N.C. State House and Senate at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Wesley Grant Southside Center in Asheville. IndivisibleAVL.org or info@indivisibleavl.org.

October 17-23, 2018

• The Macon County Democratic Women will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Democratic Headquarters on Palmer Street Circle in Franklin.

• Down Home Haywood holds its monthly community meetings at 2:30 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at Canton Presbyterian Church. Tackling issues like healthcare, wages, housing and more. chelsea@downhomenc.org.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • To commemorate National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, REACH of Macon County and the Arts Council will co-host a free poetry night at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub in Franklin. arts4all@dnet.net or 828.524.ARTS.

Smoky Mountain News

• Sylva storyteller Gary Carden will perform “Blow the Tannery Whistle” at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, in the community room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Part of the ongoing exhibit “The Way We Worked” hosted at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center in Cullowhee. 227.7129 or mhc.wcu.edu.

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• Gail Diedrich will host a special story time at 11 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. To reserve copies of I’ll Take Care of Violet please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.

• Charles Dodd White will read from his new novel In the House of Wilderness at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

To reserve copies of In the House of Wilderness, please call City Lights Bookstore at 586.9499.

KIDS & FAMILIES • “Nature Nuts: Bats” will be offered for ages 4-7 from 9-11 a.m. on Oct. 29 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• “Eco Explorers: Hellbenders” will be offered for ages 8-13 on Oct. 29 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• Art classes for elementary and middle schoolers will be offered for six weeks starting Oct. 30 from 3:304:30 p.m. on Tuesdays (for ages 8-10) and Thursdays (for middle schoolers) at Our Summerhouse Pottery, LLC, 225 Wall St. in Waynesville. Tuition: $95.

• Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s Winter Youth Retreats, which are held from December through February in Haywood County for middle school and high school youth groups. Two-night events start at $186 per person; three-night events start at $249 per person. To register or view schedule, including speakers, band and entertainers: www.lakejunaluska.com/winteryouth. Register: 800.222.4930.

• The Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, in downtown Waynesville. The event features handmade arts and crafts, locally grown apples and apple products for sale. The festival will feature food vendors of all types, educational and information booths, authentic mountain music, dance groups and a children’s fun area. www.haywoodapplefest.com.

• The annual “Plow Day & Harvest Festival” will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Corn Maze, barbecue, as well as pumpkin pies and apple pies for sale. Stock up on all our homegrown fall decorations, and choose from 25 different varieties of pumpkins, gourds, and decorative squash. www.facebook.com/darnellfarmsnc.

• The 22st annual PumpkinFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, in downtown Franklin.

Sign up for the Pumpkin Roll is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the actual “roll” from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Pumpkins will be available for purchase at the event or bring your own. $100 grand prize. Costume parade and contest, pumpkin pie eating contest, along with more than 80 vendors featuring arts and crafts, fabulous festival food, free inflatable slides, bounce houses and Free pony rides. Free shuttles rides from Franklin High School. www.townoffranklinnc.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/pumpkinfestfranklin or call Franklin Town Hall at 524.2516.

• The Maggie Valley Annual Fall Arts and Crafts Show is scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Oct. 20-21 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Teresa@maggievalley.org, 926.1686 or www.maggievalley.org.

FALL/HALLOWEEN KIDS FILMS • “Ant-Man and the Wasp”, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 19 and 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • “Harvest Festival” that will be held Oct. 19-20 at the Stecoah Valley Center in Robbinsville. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

• The annual “Singing in the Smokies” fall festival will be held Oct. 20-21 at Inspiration Park in Bryson City.

Gates open at noon, concerts begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 per night, which are available at the gate. For more information, click on www.theinspirations.com.

• The annual corn maze and pumpkin patch will return from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. Come to the farm for some oldfashioned fun. All the kids will enjoy the Kiddie Corn Box, The 20-foot-long farm slide from the Hay Pyramid, and the 20-foot swing set, right on the river bank. The “Maze of the Dead,” “Zombie Pumpkin Patch” and “Haunted Hayride” will take place at 8 p.m. Oct. 2631. www.facebook.com/darnellfarmsnc.

• “Scary Storytelling” at 8 p.m. Oct. 19-20 at the train depot in downtown Bryson City. Hear some spooky tales about “Haints, Boogers & Witches of the Southern Highlands” around the fire pit in front of the Storytelling Center located at 22 Fry Street.

• The Peanuts Pumpkin Patch Express will depart at 4 p.m. Oct. 19 and 26, and noon and 4 p.m. Oct. 20-21 and 27-28 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. www.gsmr.com or 800.872.4681.

• The 22nd annual PumpkinFest is scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, in downtown Franklin. “World Famous Pumpkin Roll,” Chris Clark Bicycle Stunt show, pony rides, face painting and more activities. Info: TownofFranklinNC.com, facebook.com/FranklinNCEvents or 524.2516.

• A “Pumpkin-Painting Party” is set for 2-6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, at the Waynesville Library. Bring your own pumpkin. Library provides paints, ribbons, glitter and more craft supplies. Registration required: 356.2507 or kolsen@haywoodnc.net.

• Goblins in the Green is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, at the Village Green Commons in Cashiers. Activities, music, dancing, games, trick or treating. info@villagegreencashiersnc.com or 743.3434.

• The historic “haunted” Shelton House will hold its “Ghosts and Growlers Masquerade Ball” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, in Waynesville. Food, “spirits” and fun. $75 per person. Sheltonhouse.org or 452.1551.

• REACH of Haywood County will have its Halloween Party at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, at Mad Anthony’s on Legion Drive in Waynesville. Tickets: $75 and available at reachofhaywood.org or 456.7898.

• The Highlands Biological Foundation will host a Halloween Enchanted Forest from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the Highlands Botanical Garden.

Guided tours, trick or treating. www.highlandsbiological.org.

• Trunk or Treat is from 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 31 at West Canton Baptist Church off Old Clyde Road.

• Western Carolina University’s Bardo Arts Center will present a Halloween screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, in Cullowhee. $5 for students, $10 for WCU faculty, staff and ages 65-up. $15 for general public. Info and tickets: arts.wcu.edu/rocky.

FOOD & DRINK • Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host five for $5 Wine Tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 18/25. Come taste five magnificent wines and dine on Chef Stacy’s gourmet cuisine. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host Secret Wine Bar Night from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 19/26. Gourmet food, and a great wine & beer menu.

452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host Wines of Chile & Argentina Seated Tasting with Donna Creese, Mid-Atlantic Regional Sales Manager for Vine Connections, and Kate McCabe of Tryon Distributing. In this fun and informative event you will taste seven amazing wines from Chile and Argentina, as Creese shares her knowledge of each producer and her passion for the wine growing regions each comes from.

Light snacks will be served. This is a ticketed event, reservations required. Cost is $20 plus tax per person.

Reserve your seat, 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m.

Oct. 20/27 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 452.0120.

Puzzles can be found on page 54 These are only the answers.

all supplies provided. RSVP by contacting Robin Arramae at 400.9560 or paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• The “Libraries on Tap” brewery tour from the Jackson County Public Library will continue at 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17: Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City. “Beer School” with flight. Limited to first 20 people who show up.

• A workshop on how to shape and hammer aluminum wire into an ornament will be offered by Dogwood Crafters from 10-11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, at the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge. Taught by Joan Marsden.

Register by Oct. 19 by calling 586.2248.

• Highlands Cashiers Players will present “Mauritius”

by Rebecca Rebeck on Thursdays through Sundays, Oct. 18-28, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.

Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m.

Highlandscashiersplayers.org or 526.8084.

• Tickets are on sale now for “Choir Music Weekend,” which is Oct. 19-21 at Lake Junaluska. Learn and perform eight anthems, attend workshops and celebrate autumn colors. 800.222.4930, communications@lakejunaluska.com or www.lakejunaluska.com/events/worship/choirmusic.

• Mark Twain’s beloved work “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” will hit the stage at 7 p.m.

Oct. 19-20 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

• HART will present “The Bad Seed” starting Oct. 19 in Waynesville. Performances are scheduled for Fridays through Sundays, Oct. 19-Nov. 4. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets: 456.6322 or www.harttheatre.org.

• The Highlands Performing Arts Center will screen Live via Satellite the MET Opera’s production of “Samson et Dalila” at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, in Highlands. Tickets: highlandspac.org or 526.9047.

• Grassroots musician Susan Pepper will perform unaccompanied ballads and folk songs at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Rickman Store, 259 Cowee Creek Road, seven miles West of Franklin.

• The Haywood Community Band will present “A Musical Harvest” concert at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21, at the Maggie Valley Open Air Pavilion on Soco Road.

• Actor Hasan Davis will offer performances at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 24-25, at Western Carolina University. He’ll tell his life story of a troubled youth who overcame obstacles to become commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and he’ll portray York – a slave who was part of the Lewis and Clark expedition, in a one-man play at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

227.2276.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • A “Beginner Step-By-Step” painting class will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18 (Nov. 1, 15, & 29) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Cost is $25 with

• The First Presbyterian Church of Waynesville will host craft fairs from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Oct. 20. Profits support local missions of the church.

• Registration is underway for a retreat featuring artists Judith Kruger and Chris Liberti from Oct. 22-27 at Lake Logan Conference Center in Haywood County.

Kruger’s workshop is “Abstract Alchemy” while Liberti’s is “Strengthening the Foundation: Color, Value, Composition and Surface.” www.cullowheemountainarts.org or 342.7899.

• A presentation on “Raoul Wallenberg: Swedish Hero and Righteous Among Nations” will be offered by Alan French at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

• Pottery Night” craft workshop from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. on Oct. 23 and 30 at the Good Earth Studio in the Hazelwood district in Waynesville. The subject will be a Jack O’ Lantern. This is a two-night class event.

During the first night, you come in to make and create the pottery piece of the night, and the second night you come in to glaze. This experience will give you an opportunity to get your hands molding clay with stepby-step instructions. Bring your own beverage, if you’d like to. Cost is $55 per person. Price includes light hors d’oeuvres and everything you will need to create.

To register, please call or text 400.9560.

• A History of Beer presentation is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. Led by Jeffery Edel from Mountain Layers Brewery. 524.3600.

The (Nutrition) Truth Changes We used to have an expression in the Army, “The truth changes.”

What this meant to me was a few things: 1. Be open to new information.

2. Make sure you get your information from reliable, science-based and educated sources.

3. What you believe to be the truth may change over time.

4. Don’t confuse your opinion with facts based on science-based information and research.

The same is true in nutrition and the conversation about food and ingredients. I’ve been a Registered Dietitian (RD) for over 20 years. As new nutrition research has been done, some of my opinions and what I say or recommend has changed ... and that’s okay.

In order to keep current with new information I attend classes, lectures and conferences, participate in webinars, read articles and talk to experts. As a Registered Dietitian I’m required to complete continuing education — it amounts to about 15-20 hours annually, but I usually do more.

I’m here to help you sort out the facts from the misinformation about food and nutrition. Call (800-334-4936) or write me (lmcgrath@ingles-markets.com).

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host two upcoming craft workshops. Traditional color mixing with Susan Remi Dawkins from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 and holiday fused glass ornaments with Gayle Haynie from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 25-26. For more information and/or to register for these classes, click on www.haywoodarts.org or 452.0593.

• A Mixed Culture Q&A beer talk with Aaron Maas is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. Maas is brewer at Sylva’s Innovation Brewery. 524.3600.

• Adult pottery classes will be offered on your choice of 6-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays (starting Oct. 30) or 13:30 p.m. on Thursdays (starting Nov. 1) at Our Summerhouse Pottery, LLC, 225 Wall St. in Waynesville. Six-week classes. amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or 734.5737.

• A plein air outing with acclaimed Haywood County painter Nick DePaolo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 31. Those who register for the outing will meet at 10 a.m. Oct. 31 at Panacea Coffee House.

Artists who attend are responsible for their own transportation, bringing their own supplies, and the optional lunch at Panacea. All mediums are welcome. Cost to attend is $20 for HCAC artist members, $25 for nonmembers. To register, call 452.0593. Payment is required to hold your spot. Make checks payable to Nick DePaolo. Credit cards not accepted for this class.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Tickets are on sale now for “Follies,” which will be screened as part of the Bardo Arts Center’s Sunday Cinema Series at 3 p.m. on Oct. 21 in Cullowhee. $15 for adults; $10 for WCU faculty/staff and seniors and $5 for students. Arts.wcu.cinema or 828.227.ARTS.

• A glass pumpkin class will be offered Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 at the Green Energy Park in Dillsboro. Time slots are available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; each slot is approximately 45 minutes, and participants will make one pumpkin in that time. Ages 13-18 may participate with parent present. $40. Register: 631.0271 or www.jcgep.org.

October 17-23, 2018

• A production of the comedy “Greater Tuna” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19-20, 22 and 4 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. A day in the life of Tuna, Texas, and its citizens. Only cash is accepted at the door. To purchase with a credit card, you must purchase through EventBrite prior to the event. For more information, 488.8227 or info@smctheatre.com.

• The monthly Creating Community Workshop will feature local artist and crafter Sherri Roper demonstrating how to make a gift bag/card holder, ornament and handmade card at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20.

Info: 586.2016.

newsdesk crafts

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • A choral concert “of music about music” will be performed Thursday, Oct. 18, at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. “Meta Music: A Celebration of Song” begins at 7:30 p.m. in the John Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Admission is free and open to the public. 227.7242.

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• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 20/27 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 631.3075.

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ART SHOWINGS AND wnc calendar

GALLERIES • The Haywood County Arts Council will present the ARTQUEST Studio Tour through Oct. 27 at 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. Featuring work from 12 Haywood County artists. www.haywoodarts.org or www.ArtQuestHaywood.com.

• Local artist Jo Ridge Kelley will demonstrate her oil techniques from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery & Gifts at 86 N. Main St. in Waynesville. 452.0593, info@haywoodarts.org or HaywoodArts.org.

• The “Not Clark Kent: Other Superheroes & Sheroes” exhibit will run through Oct. 31 in the Intercultural Affairs Gallery on the University Center second floor at Western Carolina University. This exhibit challenges popular culture’s notions and expands the definition of who can be an American hero. It features male and female heroes of color and little known queer and differently able characters.

• The eclectic art work of Isabella R. Jacovino will be featured in a show in the Backstreet Gallery Room of Gallery 1 at 604 West Main Street in Sylva. The exhibit will remain available for viewing and sale though Dec. 7. As a visual artist working with recycled materials, Isabella explores combining the aesthetics of steampunk, dieselpunk, street art, and interpretations on retro-futurism. Admission is free. art@galley1sylva.com.

• Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will host the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit “The Way We Worked,” chronicling late 19th and early 20th century jobs and labor and based on photographs from the National Archives.

October 17-23, 2018

The exhibit will be on display through Wednesday, Nov. 7, in the Mountain Heritage Center’s Hunter Library gallery. mhc.wcu.edu or 227.7129.

• The newest exhibit in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University, “Grids & Gradients: The Visual Systems of Vernon Pratt” will run through Nov. 9 at the Fine Art Museum Gallery C on campus in Cullowhee. bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at the Bardo Arts Center is pleased to announce the opening of its newest exhibition “Glass Catalyst: Littleton’s Legacy in Contemporary Sculpture,” which will run through Dec. 7. Littleton’s work and other glass artist will be on display. A key work in the exhibition will be a new acquisition to the Museum’s collection: a glass sculpture by Harvey Littleton entitled “Terracotta Arc.” Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Thursdays until 7 p.m. 227.ARTS or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center will have a yearlong exhibition on “Defining America” through May 3 in Cullowhee. Info: 227.ARTS or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

50

• “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 26-27 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

FILM & SCREEN • “The Nun” is showing at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 at The Strand On Main. See www.38main.com for tickets.

• “Eighth Grade”, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• “Halloween” (1978) is showing at 5 p.m. on Oct. 19 at The Strand On Main. See www.38main.com for tickets, $1 show.

• “Sorry to Bother You”, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free.

586.3555.

• “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is showing at 9:45 p.m. on Oct. 26 & 27 at The Strand On Main. Interactive movie weekend, with throw bag with each ticket, a costume contest and RHPS themed drinks & snacks. See www.38main.com for tickets, $12.

Outdoors

• Sons of the American Legion in Waynesville will have a Turkey Shoot at 9 a.m. every Saturday on Legion Drive.

• Volunteers are being sought to help re-pot native azaleas from 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays through Thursdays at the Southern Highlands Reserve in Lake Toxaway. For info, and to schedule a shift: anorton@southernhighlandsreserve.org.

• Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer Authority will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Main Office in Sylva.

• A Native Plant Habitat Improvement day with Invasive Plant Removal is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Oct. 18, at Highlands Recreational Center.

Volunteers needed. www.stayandplayinthesmokies.com/vendor/highlandscivic-center-highlands-nc.

• Wildlife advocate Rob Gudger and his “live” wolves will be featured in a presentation at 7 p.m. on Oct. 18 at the Sapphire Valley Resort Community Center near Cashiers. $5 adults; free for kids. www.blackbears66.com or 743.7663.

• Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead a moderate-tostrenuous one-mile, round-trip hike to the top of Devil’s Courthouse at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 19. Meet at Devil’s Courthouse Overlook at milepost 422.4. Info: 298.5330, ext. 304.

• A Wildlife Photo Hunt Competition will be offered from 1-4 p.m. on Oct. 20 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• The Highlands Plateau Greenway will conduct its monthly work day from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Oct. 20, on the Greenway Trail. If interested: highlandsgreenway@nctv.com or 482.2346.

• Registration is underway for “Nature at Night” – an easy-to-moderate hike scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20, at Chimney Rock State Park. $23 adults; $8 for annual passholder; $13 youth (ages 5-15) and $6 per Rockin’ Discovery Passholder. Visit an area typically not open to the public. Advance registration required: chimneyrockpark.com.

• Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute will hold its second annual Frightful Friendfest from 5:30-10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, in Rosman. Campus hayrides, Seeking Sasquatch, bonfire, ghost stories and more. $25 for adults ($40 including dinner); $15 for students 6-17 ($25 including dinner) and children 5-under are free. Info: cblythe@pari.edu or 862.5554.

• A Fall “Smokies Service Days” volunteer cleanup project is scheduled for Oct. 27 at the Picnic Area and Campground in Swain County. To volunteer: 865.436.1278 or logan_boldon@partner.nps.gov.

• Women’s History Trail of Macon County will hold a trail opening from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the gazebo in Franklin. Visit nine stops on the trail and learn about Macon County women who have contributed much to local history.

• Volunteers are being sought to help clean up the Deep Creek picnic area and campground from 9 a.m.noon on Saturday, Oct. 27, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City.

865.436.1278 or logan_boldon@partner.nps.gov.

• Learn about North Carolina bats in a workshop offered from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Cradle of Forestry in America. Register: cradleprograms@cfaia.org or 877.3130.

• The waterbound Great Pumpkin Pursuit is scheduled for noon-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Nantahala Outdoor Center. Participants ride in kayaks to gather as many pumpkins as possible. Pumpkin decorating, live music, costume contests. www.noc.com/events/noctoberfest.

• A “Financial Viability for Water Systems” workshop will be offered from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 at Land of the Sky Regional Council in Asheville. Trainer is Shadi Eskaf, Senior Project Director of the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yadtgjjh.

• The Trail of Tears Association will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System at 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 29, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser. www.trails50.org.

• An opportunity to fly in one off World War II’s most vital Aircraft, EAA’s B-17G “Aluminum Overcast,” will be offered from Nov. 2-4 at the Macon County Airport in Franklin. Flights from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: $435 for EAA members; $475 for nonmembers. Ground tours available from 2-5 p.m. Cost: $10 for 8-under; $20 for all others except veterans and active military, which get ground tours for free. B17.org or 800.359.6217.

• Registration is underway for “Ecology of Chimney Rock” – a moderate hike scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 24, at Chimney Rock State Park. $23 adults; $8 for annual passholder; $13 youth (ages 5-15) and $6 per Rockin’ Discovery Passholder. Led by local naturalist Clint Calhoun. Advance registration required: chimneyrockpark.com.

FARMERS MARKETS • “Locally Grown on the Green,” the Cashiers farm stand market for growers, will be held from 3-6 p.m. every Wednesday at the Village Green Commons in Cashiers. info@villagegreencashiersnc.com or 743.3434.

• The Swain County Farmer’s Market is held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Friday through October on Island Street in downtown Bryson City. 488.3681 or chamber@greatsmokies.com.

• Jackson County Farmers Market runs from 9 to noon on Saturdays at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

• Waynesville Historic Farmers Market runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon at the HART Theater parking lot. waynesvillefarmersmarket.com • Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturdays through the end of October, on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software. 349.2049 or www.facebook.com/franklinncfarmersmarket.

• The ‘Whee Farmers Market, Cullowhee runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through the end of October, at the University Inn on 563 North Country Club Drive in Cullowhee. 476.0334 or www.facebook.com/CullowheeFarmersMarket.

• The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays through the end of October at 171 Legion Drive in Waynesville.

456.1830 or vrogers12@att.net. Limited spots available

HIKING CLUBS • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate-tostrenuous, fast-paced, four-mile hike with an elevation change of 1,500 feet on Wednesday, Oct. 24, from Warwoman Dell to Pinnacle Knob. Reservations and info: 772.263.3478.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate fourmile hike with an elevation change of 500 feet on Wednesday, Oct. 24, to Lower Whitewater Falls. Info and reservations: 743.1079.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate 4.5mile hike on Sunday, Oct. 28, to Rough Run Falls. Info and reservations: 954.632.7270.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a strenuous eight-mile “Trail of Tears” hike on Tuesday, Oct. 30, from the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Elevation change of 1,800 feet. Info and reservations: 369.1983.

OUTDOOR CLUBS COMPETITIVE EDGE • Registration is underway for the inaugural Hazelwood Elementary 5K run/walk, which is set for Oct. 26. $25 for adults; $10 for ages 12-under. Registration deadline is 3 p.m. on Oct. 22: bit.ly/HESglowrun or at the school.

• The Jackson County Poultry Club will hold its regular meeting on the third Thursday of each month at the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office. The club is for adults and children and includes a monthly meeting with a program and a support network for those raising birds. For info, call 586.4009.

• Haywood County Extension is accepting applications for the 2019 Master Gardener class with training sessions scheduled for Tuesdays mornings from January through April. 456.3575 or mgarticles@charter.net.

• The North Carolina Catch program, a three-phase conservation education effort focusing on aquatic environments, will be offered through May 15. The program is offered by the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. Free for members; daily admission for nonmembers. 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• The Haywood County Plant Clinic is open every business day at the Haywood County Extension Center on Raccoon Road in Waynesville. To discuss any gardening problem, call 456.3575 or stop by.

• An RV camping club, the Vagabonds, camps one weekend per month from April through November. All ages welcome. No dues or structured activities. For details, write lilnau@aol.com or call 369.6669.

• The Franklin Bird Club will hold a bird walk at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 24. Meet at Salali Lane.

Franklinbirdclub.com or 524.5234.

• Local farmers can stop by the Cooperative Extension Office on Acquoni Road from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every fourth Friday to learn about USDA Farm Service Agency programs in the 2014 Farm Bill. Info: 488.2684, ext. 2 (Wednesday through Friday) or 524.3175, ext. 2 (Monday through Wednesday).

• The Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited meets the second Tuesday of the month starting with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Rendezvous restaurant located on the corner of Jonathan Creek Road and Soco Road in Maggie Valley. 631.5543.

• “Women’s Introduction to Fly-Fishing” will be offered to ages 12-up from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Oct. 27 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• The Macon County Poultry Club of Franklin meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative Extension Office on Thomas Heights Rd, Open to the public. 369.3916.

• The Nantahala Hiking Club will take an easy, fourmile hike on Oct. 21 on the Coweta Lab Shope Creek loop trail. Info and reservations: 421.4178.

• “Casting for Beginners: Level 1” will be offered to ages 12-up on Oct. 23 at Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Brevard. Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/yb28fpz8.

• MountainTrue will hold its annual gathering from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 24 at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville.

Focus is on MountainTrue’s history of advocacy. https://tinyurl.com/y9q698cl.

FARM AND GARDEN

• The Cherokee Runners meets each month on the 1st and 15th of the month (if the first falls on Sunday, the group meets on the 2nd), at the Age Link Conference Room. Group runs are being held each Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. starting at the Flame.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

AUCTION

MarketPlace information: The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

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ABSOLUTE AUCTION Upland's Reach Conference Center 2385 North Old Nc Hwy 16 Millers Creek, Wilkes County, Nc. Saturday November 3, 2018 10:30 Am 107 Acres Divided Into 3 Tracts Ranch House* 4 Bunk Houses/Dorms* Gymnasium W/Pavilion * Office Building* Canteen Building * Shop Building * Picnic Shelter Boyer Realty & Auction Jimmy Boyer NCAL 1792, 336.572.2323 boyerrealty@skybest.com BoyerRealtyandAuction.com ABSOLUTE AUCTION Personal Property from Business fka Harrell Sign Company -TrucksEquipment-Tools-Trailers-Office Furniture. Wednesday, October 17, 10 AM. 512 Pershing Rd, Raleigh, NC Damon Shortt Auction Group 877.669.4005 NCAL7358 damonshorttproperties.com REAL ESTATE AUCTION: 231.7 acre farm offers incredible views of the mountains and beautiful countryside. Spacious 2-story farm house, barn and bold stream that runs through several tracts.

Property is being offered in 8 tracts with approx. 1 mile of road frontage on Black Hollow Rd. Bid Your Price! Tract 1 being sold Absolute.

Auction held Oct. 26, 5pm at the Dublin Lions Club. For more info: woltz.com or call 800.551.3588.

Woltz & Ass. Inc. (VA#321) Real Estate Brokers & Auctioneers.

AUCTION 2 AUCTIONS, 10.51+/- Commercial Acres & 20,000+/-SF Manufacturing Facility in Catawba Co., NC Begins Closing 10/31 at 2pm, HPM Injection Molding Machines, Dies & More, Begins Closing 11/1 at 2pm, ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL 3936 ABSOLUTE AUCTION 48 Acres Divided into 3 Tracts Saturday October 20, 1018 10:30 AM Quincy Road, Alleghany County, NC Boyer Realty & Auction Col. Jimmy Boyer NCAL 1792 336.572.2323 boyerrealty@skybest.com BoyerRealtyandAuction.com FIREARMS STORE CLOSING Auction, Handguns, Shotguns, Rifles, Ammunition, Supplies & More, Ayden, NC in Pitt County, Online Only, Begins Closing 10/29 & 10/30 at 2pm both days, ironhorseauction.com, 800.997.2248, NCAL 3936 AUCTION, Waterfront Property 1.1+-Acres with 2 BR House & Guest Quarters on Peltier Creek-Bogue Sound, Morehead City,NC OnLine BiddingOctober 17th thru 30th. www.HouseAuctionCompany.com 252.729.1162 NCAL# 7435 & 7889

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LEGAL ADVERTISEMENTS WNC MarketPlace

SKANSKA USA BUILDING Inc. Invites you to bid on Western Carolina University’s new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (“STEM”) Building in Cullowhee, NC. The project consists of initial building demolition, construction of a fivestory, 181,000 square foot building followed by additional demolition of a further existing building. The project will be procured in a phased bidding fashion and this invitation is for re-bid as part of the second phase of bidding. The following details the re-bid package(s):

BID PACKAGES: (RE-BID) • Bids Due: October 23, 2018 at 2p.m. EST o BP 31.2 – Landscaping (RE-BID) o BP 31.3 – Vegetated Roof • Pre-Bid Meeting: N/A • RFI Cut Off: N/A • Bid Drop Off/Opening: (for October 23, 2018): Western Carolina University c/o Skanska Bid Facilities Planning, Design + Construction 3476 Old Cullowhee Road Cullowhee, NC 28723 Only pre-qualified firms are allowed to bid. A list of prequalified first tier bidders can be made available on request to all interested second and third tier bidders. To request that list, please e-mail Christian Edwards at: christian.edwards@skanska.com.

Documents can be made available via an iSqFt invitation link. Addenda will be posted and you will continue to be notified of changes utilizing this on-line service.

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www.smokymountainnews.com

October 17-23, 2018

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EMPLOYMENT NCCAT AT CULLOWHEE Seeks Permanent Full-Time Program Associate Salary Range: $31,200-$37,850 Job description and application are available online: www.oshr.nc.gov/jobs/index.html Application deadline: October 23, 2018, at 5 PM EST. Questions about this job? Please call Sandra Bowling at 828.293.5202.

NC State Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

EMPLOYMENT BOATBUILDING CAREERS Bayliss Boatworks is hiring!

CNC Programmer/Operator with 3-axis router, CAD, CAM, 3D modeling software experience desired. Other positions available. www.baylissboatworks.com/about/ careers CERTIFIED MEDICAL ASSISTANT For Physician Office Practice in Macon County. Full Time; 8:30-5, Mon.-Fri. 3-5yrs Experience Preferred. Excellent Corporate Benefits. Send Resume to: resumes@ioa.com FTTC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Medical Office Administration Instructor (10-month contract) History Instructor. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer

DEDICATED REGIONAL ROUTES Owner Operators, Drivers, Fleet Owners. Weekly Settlements. Minimum 12 months 48-53' tractor trailer experience. 800.832.7036 ext. 1626, cwsapps@ilgi.com. www.cwsdedicated.com FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Compliance Officer - PT Information Specialist: Athletics . For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu Equal Opportunity Employer

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52

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LEONARD - A GEM OF A DOG, EXTREMELY FRIENDLY AND GOOD-NATURED, ABOUT ONE YEAR OLD. HE HAS A FAIRLY HIGH LEVEL OF ENERGY, AND IS VERY PLAYFUL, SO HE WILL BE HAPPIEST WITH AN ACTIVE FAMILY WHO WILL TAKE HIM ON ADVENTURES, AND HAS THE TIME TO PLAY WITH HIM. HE ALREADY KNOWS "SIT TO SAY PLEASE" AND CATCHES ON QUICKLY, SO HE'LL BE FUN TO TRAIN. BEAR - A SMARTLY DRESSED TUXEDO KITTY ABOUT SIX YEARS OLD. SHE WAS SURRENDERED THROUGH NO FAULT OF HER OWN, AND IS A FRIENDLY, CONFIDENT CAT. SHE IS A VERY LARGE KITTY, WEIGHING ABOUT 15 LBS. EVEN SO, SHE'S GOT PLENTY OF KITTEN PLAYFUL SPIRITS TO ENTERTAIN HER NEW FAMILY.

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KHOLLINGSED@BEVERLY-HANKS.COM

Jerry Lee Mountain Realty

Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Yvonne Kolomechuk - yvonneksells@kw.com

74 N. Main St. Waynesville, NC

828.452.5809

Offering 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $420.00 Section 8 Accepted - Rental Assistance When Available Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday & Thursday 8:00a.m. - 5:00p.m.

50 Duckett Cove Road, Waynesville, NC 28786

Phone# 1.828.456.6776 TDD# 1.800.725.2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

$641,00

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828-452-1519 8282 1519

Vii s ual V al T Too urr at at s h a mrr o cck13 sha kk11 3 .cco com com MLS LS## 340062 400626

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS We Are Offering 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting From $460.00 Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

Steve Mauldin

828.734.4864

smauldin@beverly-hanks.com

OFFICE HOURS: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm 168E Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.735.2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

Lakeshore Realty

• Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

Mountain Creek Realty

• Ron Rosendahl - ron@mountaincreekrealestate.com

Mountain Dreams Realty- maggievalleyhomesales.com • Shirley Cole - shirleycole13@gmail.com Mountain Home Properties mountaindream.com • Cindy Dubose - cdubose@mountaindream.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• Bruce McGovern - shamrock13.com RE/MAX Executive - remax-waynesvillenc.com remax-maggievalleync.com • Holly Fletcher - hollyfletcher1975@gmail.com • The Real Team - TheRealTeamNC.com • Ron Breese - ronbreese.com • Landen Stevenson- Landen@landenstevenson.com • Dan Womack - womackdan@aol.com • Mary & Roger Hansen - mwhansen@charter.net • Judy Meyers - jameyers@charter.net • David Rogers - davidr@remax-waynesvillenc.com • Marsha Block- marshablockestates@gmail.com Rob Roland Realty - robrolandrealty.com

• Rob Roland - rroland33@gmail.com

74 N. Main St.,Waynesville

828.452.5809

beverly-hanks.com

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

smokymountainnews.com

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS

• George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com • Pam James - pjames@sunburstrealty.com

October 17-23, 2018

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com • Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com • Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com • Michelle McElroy- michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com • Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com • Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com • Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com • Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com • Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com • Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com • Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com • Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com • Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com • Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com • Steve Mauldin- smauldin@beverly-hanks.com • Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com • Mike Stamey - mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

Mary Kay Eddleman

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.

CAVALIER ARMS APARTMENTS

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Great Smokys Realty - www.4Smokys.com Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage

WNC MarketPlace

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

HOMES FOR SALE

The Smoky Mountain Retreat at Eagles Nest

• Tom Johnson - tomsj7@gmail.com • Sherell Johnson - sherellwj@aol.com

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

WNC MarketPlace October 17-23, 2018 www.smokymountainnews.com 54

SUPER

CROSSWORD

BE AWARE ACROSS 1 Goof (up) 5 Gland near a kidney 12 NASCAR units 16 ER skill 19 Vocal quality 20 On the dot 21 Jai -22 “... boy -- girl?”

23 “This shop sells every fruity frozen dessert flavor”?

26 Ryan of films 27 Hot peppers 28 Bank charge 29 In -- (bored) 30 Three or four 31 Segway inventor Dean 32 Broncos’ gp.

33 “John Brown’s Body” poet’s wages?

36 Mexico Mrs. 37 Long cut 38 TV’s Swenson 39 Lofty nest 40 Flying disc that toy spaniels love to fetch?

44 Was a blowhard 46 Big name among cello virtuosos 47 Label for Elton John 48 Bric-a- -- (trinkets) 49 Ship’s trail 51 Thorough search of an Apple computer?

59 Pierre’s “here” 62 Virile type 65 Inferior to 66 Mixed in with 67 Lots of sun-dried brick surrounding an empty space?

72 Former Navaho foes 73 Toy with

74 Massive mammal, for short 75 K’ung Fu- -(Confucius) 76 Political group turns against one of its own members?

80 This, in Argentina 82 Dinghy pair 83 -- polloi (the masses) 86 Some electric cars 90 Early-flowering leguminous trees 94 Flemish painter being violent?

98 Love, in Paris 99 Slacken 100 Beard, e.g.

101 Ming of basketball 102 “The Zoo Story” playwright with red hair?

105 -- Jima 106 “-- de Lune” 108 Momentous time periods 109 Omanis, e.g.

110 D.C. ballplayer 111 Milano of “Charmed” 112 Was idle 113 Enter a sea between Siberia and Alaska?

117 Broke bread 118 Years on end 119 Put in place 120 Tony winner Adams 121 Danson of “Dad” 122 Player’s fee 123 Mutinied ship of 1839 124 Mems. of the upper house DOWN 1 Is loyal to

2 Romeo type 3 Closeness 4 Norman Vincent -5 Big goons 6 ER figures 7 Assert again 8 Drawing from many styles 9 Aswan Dam’s river 10 Obstinate animal 11 Astral feline 12 Noted locale of tar pits 13 Alaskan language 14 Singer LuPone 15 She’s part of the fam 16 Solace 17 Early baby, informally 18 Pollen-count plant 24 15-Down, e.g.

25 Scope 30 Tennis zingers 32 ‘80s sitcom 33 Highchair neckwear 34 Atlanta-to-Charlotte dir.

35 Racial rights gp.

37 Twisted and turned 41 “-- goes it?”

42 Largest city of Nebraska 43 Walton of Wal-Mart 44 Chocolate treat 45 Sturdy wood 48 Kiosk, e.g.

50 Stage hams 52 Nuns’ home 53 Co. honcho 54 Hazy image 55 Rally yell 56 Skip over 57 Boxes for recycling 58 Ax feature 59 “It’s my turn”

60 -- rug (dance) 61 Cake froster 63 Helps illicitly 64 Approaching 68 Pres. before DDE 69 White -- ghost 70 GM security service 71 Clan symbol 77 “-- one to talk!”

78 Severe 79 The lady 81 Nile slitherer 84 Away for an extended break 85 Cry after catching someone in the act 87 Save for later 88 “Little Birds” author 89 Warehouse charges 90 Directs fury toward 91 Dubai, e.g.

92 Gave away 93 Pesters 94 Shul head 95 Spend 96 Stinging flier 97 Brazilian port city, in brief 99 Pass by 103 Expose by blabbing 104 “-- you clever!”

106 The Indians, on sports tickers 107 U-shaped instruments 110 Terse denial 111 Undercover?

113 Viking realm 114 Intel org.

115 Senator Kaine 116 Hellenic “H”

ANSWERS ON PAGE 48

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SUDOKU

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ITEMS FOR SALE SCENTSY PRODUCTS Your Local Independent Consultant to Handle All Your Scentsy Wants & Needs.

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Call 312.291.9169 or email: www.refrigerantfinders.com

YARD SALES VINTAGE YARD SALE Friday & Saturday Oct. 19-20, 8am til 4pm. Located at 81 Welch St., Waynesville, NC. Furniture, Home Decor, Collectibles, Small Appliances, Glassware and Many Other Unique Items! Inquiries - Please Contact Lucia Gammon at: lfgammon58@gmail.com or call 912.663.3098.

Finding the balance between good and evil

1st Annual HAZELWOOD ELEMENTARY COST: Adults: $25 Children 12 and younger: $10 Registration: Registration will close October 22nd at 3:00 p.m.

Online: bit.ly/HESglowrun or Pick up and return form to School Course:

Race start time: 6:00 p.m.

Fun run start time: 6:30 p.m.

Starts and Ends at Waynesville Middle School

Smoky Mountain News

@SmokyMtnNews

margins of the Cherokee world — like dark shadows in a dream — in the deep pools of

rivers or lonely passes in the high mountains. From generation to generation, these sites were carefully designated as “where the Uktena stays” to warn the unwary not to venture near them.

But if a Cherokee warrior was brave enough to venture into the dreaded place where an Uktena resided, he could evoke the spirit of the Upper World in the guise of the Mythic Hawk to accompany him.

Together, they would be able to slay the serpent, extract the ulunsuti from its forehead, and bring it home to the Ani-Yunwiya to restore peace and harmony in the mundane world ... yet another story about the eternal battle between order and chaos.

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

October 17-23, 2018

never quite as they seem.”

Mythic Hawks would sometimes carry off the young children to their hideaways in the high cliffs and devour them. But they were also invoked on behalf of stickball players, who wore red-dyed feathers representing the great bird when they played that punishing game known as “little war.” And the Cherokees held the Columnist great hawks in high esteem because they were the mortal enemies of the Uktenas, the giant serpents that represented the Under World — the realm of everlasting darkness.

While living with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Western North Carolina during the late 1880s, anthropologist James Mooney collected Uktena lore subsequently published as part of Myths of the Cherokee (1900). To this day, a conversation about Uktenas can be conducted with a few of the more traditional Cherokees. They sometimes refer to it as “The Uk-ten” — so that, in a metaphorical sense, the creature lives on.

A snake myth requires a big serpent.

Uktenas were very large. According to Mooney’s informants, the creature — which had been born of envy and anger — was “as large around as a tree trunk, with horns on its head, and a bright blazing crest like a diamond upon its forehead, and scales glittering like sparks of fire. It has rings or spots of color along its whole length and cannot be wounded except by shooting in the seventh spot from the head, because under this spot are its heart and life.”

Uktenas were often described as having large sets of antlers. The most compelling physical feature, however, was a diamondshaped crest (often depicted as a quartz ckrystal) on its forehead that emitted flashes of light like a blazing star. Those encountering the serpent — especially young children — were so bedazzled by this light they were lured, like a moth to a flame, toward certain death.

But in the Cherokee spirituality system there was always a balance between good and evil. Their medicine men utilized various crystals to foresee the future and restore balance. The most powerful of all was the ulunsuti — the jewel embedded in an Uktena’s forehead. Such a stone, they felt, insured “success in hunting, love, rainmaking, and other undertakings, but the greatest use is in divination, so that when it is evoked for this purpose by its owner the

future is mirrored in the transparent crystal as a tree is reflected in the quiet stream below.”

For the most part, Uktenas lived on the

OR WALK

O

n one level, the natural history of a region consists of its terrain, habitats, plants, animals, and how they interrelate. Elizabeth and I also believe that no full understanding of the natural history of a region can be realized without coming to terms with its spiritual landscape. And when we turn to the consider the spiritual landscape of the Blue Ridge country, we enter the realm of the ancient Cherokees.

They called themselves the Ani-Yun-wiya, which signified they were The Principal People. As such, the Cherokees assumed that it was their responsibility to maintain harmony and balance — not only in their homeland but also in the universe. They did so by invoking the powers of the Upper World to help them neutralize the powers of the Under World, in order to bring balance and peace into the mundane Middle World occupied by humans and the four-legged animals.

Quite naturally, birds epitomized the Upper World — the realm of light and everlasting life. The Cherokees were keen observers of bird life. As we do today, they admired birds for their beauty, for their ability to sing, and — most of all — for their ability to fly.

During times of peace, their national flag consisted of a long white pole with a white cloth fastened at the top. Immediately below the white cloth, a bird was painted or carved. As part of their belief system, they envisioned a mythic bird — probably modeled on the peregrine falcon — known as the Mythic Hawk. This was a large and ferocious bird noted for its swift and strong flight.

Numerous cliffs throughout the mountains were designated as places where Mythic Hawks resided. These, no doubt, were also places where peregrine falcons nested in ancient times.

As with many entities in Cherokee lore, this bird would at times would be an ally of the Cherokees, while at other times it could become their mortal enemy. This reflected their concept of duality, whereby “things are

BACK THEN

George Ellison

The Cherokees believed that they must keep the world in balance, in a state of equilibrium …. that if they did not maintain equilibrium, then droughts, storms, disease, or other disasters might occur …. They tried not to exploit nature.

When a hunter killed a deer, for example, he performed a special ritual in which he apologized to the spirit of the deer and explained that his family needed food. Hunters never killed for sport. They believed that if they violated their sacred trust, terrible things would happen to them. The exploitation of animals could bring disease. If this happened, plants, which were a natural counterbalance to animals, could provide a cure.

— Theda Perdue, The Cherokee (1989)

Fun Run Course for Children 6 and younger at Waynesville Middle School

55

October 17-23, 2018 Smoky Mountain News

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