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Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014 Vol. 16 Iss. 22 www.smokymountainnews.com

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CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: Elk mating season, called the rut, is a popular time to visit Cataloochee Valley and watch the herds of elk bugling, fighting and chasing. The elk population has grown a lot since the animals were first reintroduced in 2001, and their success has spurred tourism, hopes for a hunt and some ire from growers whose fields have been damaged by the elk. Now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are teaming up for some groundbreaking DNA research to figure out how many elk there are and how the herd is changing. Holly Kays photo

News Economic initiative, Canton hopes for ‘energy’ and enthusiasm . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Steep slope development debate follows Jackson candidates into polls . . . . 6 Cullowhee development standards now due for a tweaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Grant helps Haywood children suffering from domestic violence . . . . . . . . . 12 All is clear following false alarm bomb threat at Tuscola High School . . . . . 13 Soda Jerks claims top prize in national entrepreneurship contest . . . . . . . . 14 Forest Hills looks to the future with planning workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Swain’s new museum draws the crowds, offers trip to past . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Macon County approves landfill expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Haywood may be getting a Friends of the Parkway chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Jackson County’s TDA continues executive director quest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Cherokee prepares to reel in fly fishing museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Opinion

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Canton dreaming Initiative strives to hold on to past while looking to the future

BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS EDITOR anging out at the confluence of crossroads that embraces downtown Canton, two young skateboarders while away a lazy afternoon. They’re leaping stairs against the backdrop of a mural depicting the town’s glory days — a ball team from the 1950s, the Labor Day parade and, as ever, the mill.

It’s pretty quiet around town. Slow streets and green lights wanting for traffic. Jason Burrell would like to see that change — he’d like to see more action. More energy.

“We want our buildings with businesses in them,” Burrell said plainly.

It’s a simplistic but accurate summation of Canton’s new economic development initiative. Adopted this month by the town board of aldermen, the initiative is a plan “focused on growing a sustainable, vibrant and thriving economy throughout Canton.”

The plan is a loose roadmap, with hopes that it will set the town on its path from “surviving” to “thriving.”

“We’re not putting ourselves in a category, like we want to be like Waynesville, or we want to be like Brevard, or we want to be like Black Mountain,” said Burrell. “But at the same time, those municipalities don’t have anything that we don’t.”

Burrell is Canton’s assistant town manager. And now he is also Canton’s economic development director.

He is the person charged with enacting the town’s new economic initiative. It’s a pretty daunting task, but Burrell thinks he can already feel the energy building — a

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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Smoky Mountain News

Mill town riddle

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Bearing the burden and reaping the rewards anton exists against the backdrop of the paper mill. Both literally and figuratively.

For generations, the paper mill — currently run by Evergreen Packaging — has helped to define the community of Canton.

Its billowing factory by the railroad tracks are as much a part of Canton’s horizon and landscape as the setting sun.

“The mill is a part of Canton and it’s a part of our legacy,” said Alderman Ralph Hamlet. “It’s a part of who we are, so we embrace the mill and what it has done for Canton.”

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Jason Burrell, Canton’s assistant town manager and economic development director, stands in front of a newly renovated downtown property; reflected in its windows is the Evergreen paper mill. Jeremy Morrison

push towards something better than the status quo.

“I think it’s just a general energy,” Burrell said. “I think there’s a realization that Canton has a potential that until you put the full effort forward you’re not going to reach.”

THE PLAN Canton’s new initiative is pretty straightforward. Standard economic development fare.

It lays out a plan that focuses on business retention, expansion and recruitment. It hits on workforce and entrepreneurial development. There’s an emphasis on the downtown area and something called “quality of place.”

Like Burrell, Canton Town Manager Seth Hendler-Voss sums the effort up in a word: “energy.”

“We want to create a new energy and let that radiate beyond its boundaries, to have people give us a second look,” Hendler-Voss said. “We want to capture people’s attention, and their imagination.”

Revitalizing and reimagining Canton is no small order. It’s a mill town. Always has been, and, one could easily assume, always will be.

How can Canton evolve? How can the town retain its roots and at the same time spread its wings?

“We’re gonna have to be really creative and work really, really hard, and we’re gonna have to get out there and enlighten people,” Hendler-Voss said. “That’s why this plan is so broad and bold. We’re going to try everything we can and see what sticks.”

Within five years, Hendler-Voss expects the initiative and efforts to pay off in the form of “significant growth.” No one is quite sure exactly what that growth will look like, but they seem ready to find out.

“The mill in and of itself is such an important part of Canton,” agreed Jason Burrell, Canton’s assistant town manager and economic development director. “It’s probably safe to say that without the mill, there wouldn’t have been a Canton.”

But the mill, Burrell said, shouldn’t be seen as defining or limiting the town.

“I don’t think it necessarily defines us as only being a mill town,” he said.

Canton Town Manager Seth HendlerVoss said that the town recognizes perspectives on the mill have evolved over the years. While there is still gushing appreciation for the contributions the mill makes to the community, there is also a growing awareness of the environmental stresses created by its very existence.

“The mill took a beating,” Hendler-Voss said, acknowledging the “negative stigma” sometimes attached to it.

Burrell labeled such a stigma as “perception.” He said that if anything related to the mill were to stifle Canton’s future, it would be that perception — as opposed to the

photo

WHAT’S TO COME? Standing in downtown, Burrell motioned across Canton’s Main Street. A brown brick building with blue accents stands out along the block.

It’s the new home of RNM Engineers. The firm recently moved in, renovated a building and set up shop.

“It had sat vacant for some time,” Burrell said, looking at the building. “That’s kind of the latest and greatest. They brought in about 18 jobs.”

The property serves as an example of what the town would like to see happen throughout the community. It represents a piece of Canton being refurbished and refashioned for the new age.

As he prepares to get to work on Canton’s new economic development initiative, Burrell isn’t sure exactly what success should look like. It might look something like RNM’s new digs. Or it might take the form of new industry moving to town. Or a brewery settling into downtown, or a solar farm taking root on available land.

Max Cooper photo

reality of a paper mill being located in the downtown area.

“The mill doesn’t impact us,” Burrell said, “as much as it impacts people’s perception of Canton.”

Hendler-Voss said that instead of deterring people from venturing into Canton, the mill could be viewed as a drawing card.

“It all depends on how we look at the mill,” he said. “And how we essentially tie the mill to our identity.”

Hendler-Voss drew parallels to Asheville’s River Arts District, a one-time

“We’re up for anything,” Burrell said “We’re very open to anything, but at the same time we don’t have to take everything that comes our way. We’re looking at sustainability.”

The future of Canton could also rest partly in the growth of Asheville. It borders Buncombe County, and some wonder if it’s ripe to become a bedroom community for the ever expanding city to its east.

Alderman Zeb Smathers would like to see a bit of Asheville’s vibe seep into Canton. He sees the bedroom theory as viable and dreams of “shoe shops, record shops and bike stores.”

“For me, personally, West Asheville is a good model,” Smathers said. “But at the same time, not lose our identity.”

Whatever Canton evolves into, its current leadership — both on the board and in administration — appears ready to lead the charge. Moreover, they appear to be excited about the challenge.

“We’re in a good place, and we’ve got a board that’s willing to push that and hopefully make something happen,” Burrell said. industrial hub that has been reimagined.

And while the River Arts District is a former site of industrial dreams and Canton’s mill is still humming along, the town manager believes that the air of industry could still be framed as a positive.

“There’s a romanticism that urban pioneers have with industry — it’s exciting,” Hendler-Voss said. “We’ve got living history right here, it’s all right here. And there’s so much to celebrate. It’s native America right here in the flesh.”

That’s a good way for Canton to look at the mill. Because it’s there to stay — thank God, goes the general consensus — for the foreseeable future.

And for all the jobs and security it offers Canton, that’s probably a good thing. Besides, it’d be a challenge to grow into the future without nurturing the roots of the past.

“I’d rather deal with economic development with the mill there than doing it without the mill there,” said Alderman Zeb Smathers.

The plan in Canton

anton officials have embarked on a journey into the town’s future. They intend to figure out how Canton can best grow and evolve while still holding onto its roots.

To that end, the town board of aldermen recently approved The Town of Canton Economic Development Initiative.

“The need for economic development is not a new idea in Canton, or in Haywood County or in Western North Carolina,” said Jason Burrell, assistant town manager and economic development director.

Indeed, Canton has embarked on this journey before, has made attempts to better its economic development front in the past. But Burrell is thinking this time might be different.

He points to the fact that the town recently brought on a new town manager with new enthusiasm. And the town board is made up of fresh faces that appear excited about the task.

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“We have a board that is very energized ... and determined to commit the time to economic development that we think it needs to be successful.”

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“We have a board that is very energized and very energetic and determined to commit the time to economic development that we think it needs to be successful,” Burrell said.

“I’ve believed for some time that economic development is something you have to focus like a laser beam on,” said Alderman Zeb Smathers. “We’re all excited. This is not going to be a 12-page document that’s put on a shelf somewhere. We’ve got enough of those.”

Canton’s new economic development initiative lays out a broad plan. Its planks consist of job development, retention and recruitment; workforce development; downtown development; entrepreneurial development; branding and marketing and financing potentials.

Initially, the effort will entail getting a handle on the landscape. Burrell will compile a database of available properties that might serve some interest. He will be venturing out into the community to find out what Canton residents and business owners want and need. He intends to find out what they think and how they feel.

Just as Burrell is getting a better read on the community, he will also be, hopefully, generating energy within that community.

He will be generating buy-in. Sewing seeds, laying a foundation.

“Economic development is only as successful as the people you have around you, jazzed up about what you’re trying to do,” Burrell said.

— By Jeremy Morrison

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

— Jason Burrell, assistant town manager and economic development director

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news

Seven years war for the mountainsides rages on in Jackson

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ontrolling mountainside development is a universal issue grappled with across Western North Carolina.

But Jackson County’s residents have wrestled more passionately, more vocally, more extensively and more heatedly over mountainside development than almost any other county in the region.

The war won’t be won or lost with this election. But it will be a decisive battle along the way.

Jackson’s mountainside development rules are the most restrictive in the state.

They emerged from the Wild West building boom of the 2000s — a boom that threatened to consume every last acre of the county with gated subdivisions to feed the insatiable appetite for high-end vacation homes.

When the rules were put in place seven years ago, opponents staged a huge but futile protest.

But the battle cry cuts both ways. With the boom days a fading memory, the rules are poised to be weakened. Once again, troops are being rallied in a protest — this time it’s those who want to preserve the mountainside building rules.

The commanders chosen by voters on Election Day (Nov. 4) will chart the strategy.

Will they rollback parts of the steep slope rules on the books, or keep most of it in place?

A rewrite undertaken by the planning board during 2013 was halted in as it reached the finish line until after the election.

Whether to jumpstart the rewrite, or let it die, will be up to the next board of county commissioners.

The Smoky Mountain News asked candidates to anticipate what course they will take if elected.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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JOE WARD DEMOCRAT, WHITTIER Smoky Mountain News

“I want to protect our mountains and our view shed. I want to keep our mountains looking pristine and not look up and see a shiny roof every 10 feet.

Not to say I am anti-building. You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet. But there are proper methods.”

Ward served on the Jackson County planning board for years. He was there when the steep slope rules were written seven years ago, and he was there for the rewrite over the past two years, 6 although he thinks it goes too far.

“There are a few things that could be changed and made more user friendly but not to the extent that were being proposed.”

Ward said those pushing for the rewrite weren’t prepared for the public backlash, but he “felt it was coming.”

“I wasn’t surprised. I will say that some of the commissioners may have been out of touch with their constituents.”

If elected, he would send the rewrite back to the drawing board.

“I would send it back to the planning board to see if they want to review it, refine it, but if that is what they want to send to us, then I would have to vote against it.”

He doesn’t think the development rules have stifled the construction industry in Jackson more so than anywhere else hit by the housing bust. Jackson County has actually shown more building permit activity than surrounding counties, despite its tougher restrictions.

CHARLES ELDERS, REPUBLICAN, WHITTIER “I really don’t want to comment. I think our planning board is really the greatest.

They are putting a lot of time into this and I don’t want a comment I make to influence them either way.”

Elders agreed to share a few thoughts anyway.

When asked if the steep slope ordinance is too strict, he said, “Evidently it is.”

Whether the proposed rewrite went too far and watered it down too much, Elders said “I want to stay in the middle of the road.”

Elders said he hasn’t looked at the proposed revisions extensively but trusts the planning board will make “improvements” and will seriously consider their proposal, whatever it may be since they are the experts.

The next step for the rewrite? Elders wants the planning board to hold meetings throughout the county to solicit more feedback from the public.

“One recommendation I would have right now is to see them get more involved in the communities.”

He feels like the outcry at the public hearing earlier this year wasn’t representative of the whole county.

“Of course, that public hearing, we all know it was staged. It is as plain as daylight and dark.”

Elders, who has family land of his own going back a century, personally wants to protect the mountains.

“These are the mountains and they aren’t

making any more of them and I want to do all I can to help preserve the mountains.”

However, the most anti-regulation member on the planning board who has argued at every turn for weaker steep slope rules was appointed by Elders.

DOUG CODY REPUBLICAN, SYLVA “Some people will never be satisfied unless they can sit on their porch and look at nothing but undeveloped land. They have come and bought their acreand-a-half and they want to dictate how the rest of the population uses theirs.”

Cody believes the rules on the books go too far and are aimed at stopping development. The rules limiting building so severely are not fair to property owners.

“If you devalue their property how are you going to compensate them?”

Cody has studied the existing ordinance extensively and was able to speak to the technical aspects of it more knowledgeably than any of the other candidates, pontificating on finer points like the method for calculating slope or measuring visibility from a public road. The ordinance is rife with subjective criteria that essentially leave a builders’ fate in the hands of the planning director, he said.

“I think some of it is very contradictory.

Some of it is so vague I don’t think it would hold up in court.”

Those opposed to the rewrite have distorted the truth and hijacked the conversation with emotional arguments, preventing the rewrite from getting a fair vetting, Cody said.

“I think we need a more thorough education process for our citizens.”

He proposes a series of community meetings in locations across the county to engage a broader cross section of the citizenry in a dialog, not just those who feel comfortable speaking up at a formal public hearing.

“We have a small group show up at these meetings who are very vocal and we never hear from the other side, but we can be fair to them if we hear from them or not.”

Cody said he wouldn’t have passed the rewrite in its current form. In hindsight, the planning board’s first version shouldn’t have gone to a public hearing without a cursory review by commissioners to see if it reflected their own positions. But commissioners were trying to err on the side of not interfering with the planning board’s work.

Cody said he doesn’t try to duck on the issues, but it doesn’t always work out in his

best interest.

That was witnessed at the heated public hearing earlier this year. Cody stood up in front of the angry and impassioned crowd to deflect accusations that the commissioners and planning board members were catering to their own financial interests in the building and real estate industry.

“I have been personally accused of being a crook. I have been accused of bullying the planning board. I can hold my head high because I am not a crook,” Cody told the crowd that night, defending the planning board who had been brow-beat all evening. “I want to get that straight. You are accusing these people of underhanded devious motives.”

Cody was ultimately booed from the podium, after a brief contest with audience members over whose ancestors had been in Jackson County the longest.

“I am not very timid, and not very tactful either.”

BOYCE DIETZ DEMOCRAT, SYLVA

“I am sure there is some of it that could be loosened up. But there is a difference in changing and tweaking stuff and just throwing everything out the door. I feel real strong about just eliminating something — bam. But I do feel like it is hard to put anything together and be perfect.”

Boyce said, in sum, the rewrite went too far, but that’s not to say the original ordinance couldn’t stand some changes, although he couldn’t talk specifics.

“I would need to look at it more than I’ve looked at it now. If there are some common sense things that need to be changed about it, we’ll do that. But we are not going to gut it.”

Dietz said he keeps coming back to the fact that no developer in seven years has asked for a steep slope variance.

“If it is to the point that we are going to gut this thing, then surely there have been a bunch of people storming in and asking for variances. I thought if it is so bad and so poor why hasn’t someone come and asked for a variance. I don’t understand why we are trying to change something when there has been no demand or push to do so.”

Dietz wants to ensure the safety of people downhill from steep slope development, and prevent people from getting swindled into buying a house on an unstable slope.

“I am not into telling everybody how to use their property or whatever, but there are some things if we do know better it could save them from getting into a disaster situation.

People who come in and buy a house that inherits all these problems, they aren’t protected. I guess that’s where the government

S EE WAR, PAGE 8

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER hat, where, whether and how to build on steep slopes — it’s galvanized Jackson County for years.

The hotly-contested commissioner election to be decided next week is no exception.

Where the candidates stand on Jackson County’s steep slope building rules is at the forefront of the race. But nailing them down on the nitty-gritty of the ordinance is tougher than catching a greased watermelon.

The race pits a trio of sitting commissioners against a team of challengers.

At issue: whether the steep slope ordinance on the books in Jackson County should be weakened, and if so my how much.

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Some see the rules as progressive — rightfully protecting the environment, quality of life, and coveted mountain beauty from being despoiled by greedy out-of-town developers.

Others see the rules as too restrictive — a draconian over-reach of government regulation intentionally aimed at stifling development, and in the process harming property owners.

A rewrite aimed at loosening the steep slope rules has been in the works for nearly two years. But it was halted in the spring for a cooling off period following a huge backlash from supporters of steep slope rules at a preliminary public hearing.

Now, whoever gets elected will decide what direction the rewrite takes: whether the rewrite resumes again, and if so, how much the rules will be loosened at the end

Hungry for more?

Extensive coverage of the Jackson County commissioner race, including profiles and a host of other issues, is available at The Smoky Mountain News online voter guide at www.smokymountainnews.com. of the day.

On the surface, it’s easy to say the three incumbents — Jack Debnam, Doug Cody and Charles Elders — want to roll back the steep slope rules.

And it’s easy to say the three challengers — Brian McMahan, Boyce Dietz and Joe Ward — want to keep them in place.

But that would be wrong. It’s more complicated than that.

All of them — the sitting commissioners and challengers alike — believe the rewrite went too far and watered down the existing ordinance too much.

And all of them think the steep slope rules on the books are too strict.

So that means all of them fall somewhere in between the rules on the books and the rewrite as proposed.

Where they fall on that spectrum isn’t easy to parse out.

The Smoky Mountain News picked a handful of the most hot-button issues to query them on, hoping to zero in on a more accurate portrayal of where each stands on mountainside development. Some are included here; for more, see this story online.

Ridge top rule

Density rule

ON THE BOOKS: You can’t build on a ridge or anywhere near it.

The roof or crest of a structure has to be at least 20 feet below the ridgeline. A ridge is considered anything over 3,000 feet in elevation that rises 500 feet above the adjacent valley floor.

PROPOSED CHANGE: You can build on all but the very highest, tallest ridges. Also, the definition of a ridge is loosened so things that counted as a ridge before and were thus off-limits to building no longer count as a ridge.

ON THE BOOKS: The number of homes on steep slopes are capped, based on a sliding scale. The steeper the slope, the fewer the homes. On slopes of 30 percent, you can have one house every two acres. On slopes of 45 percent, it’s one house every 10 acres, with gradients in between.

PROPOSED CHANGE: Do away with the restriction on lot size, lifting the cap on the number of homes that can go on a steep slope.

JACK DEBNAM, COMMISSIONER CHAIRMAN The blanket ridge top rule now may go too far, given the dragnet of what counts as a ridge. But allowing ridge top building outright isn’t likewise too extreme. A compromise: keep ridge top building low-profile so it doesn’t protrude above the tree line. The bigger issue is “what’s a ridge?”

That wasn’t well defined before.

BOYCE DIETZ, CHALLENGER FOR SYLVA SEAT “When my grandkids get older and can appreciate the mountains, I want them to appreciate them the way we can appreciate them now. I want them to see the same ridge tops our forefathers saw when they fist rode in here on horseback.”

BRIAN MCMAHAN, CHALLENGER FOR CHAIRMAN “The last thing we want to do is have big towers or houses built on ridges that would change the skyline.”

As for the competing definitions of what qualifies as a ridge, he doesn’t have enough information to form an opinion.

CHARLES ELDERS, SITTING COMMISSIONER FOR WHITTIER SEAT “I think there will have to be limits,” but the limits in place now are too strict.

DOUG CODY, SITTING COMMISSIONER FOR SYLVA SEAT “I think a lot of the land lends itself to taking care of that itself.” The terrain naturally limits the feasible number of homes for a given slope, as do other conditions like septic tank siting and market desirability. “The sad thing about this is it hurts the little guy,” not the big developer who has 1,000 acres to work with.

JACK DEBNAM, COMMISSIONER CHAIRMAN “There again I believe every site is different. If you had the correct engineering, you may be alright with a higher density. I can’t agree if a man has one 10-acre piece and it is over 45 percent he can only build one house. There could be more than one good house site on that piece of property.”

JOE WARD, CHALLENGER FOR WHITTIER SEAT “In my opinion it could have been loosened up some, but not to the extent that the rewrite wants to do.”

Ward believes there should be some limit to the number of homes on a steep slope, but perhaps not as strict as the current rule calls for.

BOYCE DIETZ, CHALLENGER FOR SYLVA SEAT “I can’t sit here right now and be that specific and tell you how many houses would be OK on a slope, but we are running on common sense and common sense tells you can’t overburden a slope.”

BRIAN MCMAHAN, CHALLENGER FOR CHAIRMAN “We need to have some kind of restriction on how many houses can go on a steep area. I don’t think it would be wise to eliminate the standard in place and hope that contractors do the right thing because that is what has led to a lot of problems that we had, because people didn’t do the right thing.”

Smoky Mountain News

DOUG CODY, SITTING COMMISSIONER FOR SYLVA SEAT “I don’t think you should be able to build a house on top of a ridge, but then again, how detrimental is it to build a one-mile road along the base of a ridge?”

Building on the side of a mountain can tear up more ground and can be more visible than a house set back on a flattopped knoll, so discretion rather than a black-and-white rule may be needed. Also, the definition of a ridge before was too all-encompassing.

JOE WARD, CHALLENGER FOR WHITTIER SEAT “I am not in favor of anything on a ridge top, period.” Also, Ward supports keeping the stricter definition of a ridge in place.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

CHARLES ELDERS, SITTING COMMISSIONER FOR WHITTIER SEAT “I don’t like to see a roof sticking way up on top of a ridge.” But what counts as a ridge may need to be loosened. If someone has a “little rolling hill” they should be able to build on it and not get caught up in the ridge top ban.

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Candidates stake out shades of grey in steep slope debate

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news

Rewrite timeline: The inopportune arrival of a slow but steady train

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER hen Jackson County commissioners halted the controversial rewrite of the steep slope development rules earlier this year, critics were both pleased and skeptical.

Pleased that a rollback of the county’s steep slope rules wouldn’t be pushed to the finish line before November’s election, but skeptical that the sitting commissioners would really stop work on the rollback. Instead, many thought the incumbents were trying to save their own re-election chances and would pick up where they left off after November.

“It’s purely political,” said Brian McMahan, a challenger running for commissioner chairman. “If that’s their platform, what they campaigned on, why not do it?”

But sitting chairman Jack Debnam scoffs at the notion he was trying to dodge a political bullet.

“I’ve never cared about political backlash,” Debnam said.

In reality, Debnam didn’t think the steep slope rewrite could proceed in a civil manner and objectively while on a parallel track to the county commissioner election. “People weren’t being rational. I was not hearing rational conversation coming from either side. That’s what I consider my job, to keep things rational,” Debnam said.

The steep slope rewrite had been in the works since late 2012. But getting it to the finish line took longer than expected.

The planning board chipped and hammered at it for 15 months, tackling the ordinance line by line. Nothing proved simple. Merely arriving at a definition of a ridgeline or the mathematical formula for how to calculate a slope took multiple meetings to hash out.

Aside from the tedious and technical nature of the rewrite, a couple members of the planning board bogged down the pace with objections. They didn’t want to see the ordinance substantially watered down and argued to keep parts of it intact at every turn.

As the months ticked by, election season drew closer.

When the planning board finally finished the rewrite in

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

W

WAR, CONTINUED FROM 6 comes in, is looking out for someone who can’t look out for himself.”

BRIAN MCMAHAN DEMOCRAT, SYLVA Smoky Mountain News

“I will continue to maintain the ordinance as is with its original goal and original purpose. Nothing’s perfect and there always is opportunity to make tweaks and changes. But I wouldn’t be favorable to major changes.”

McMahan was on the board of commissioners seven years ago when the steep slope rules were passed. Ironically, McMahan didn’t vote for them, although he isn’t against 8 them.

For the record, sitting commissioners signaled that A pending rewrite of steep slope rules were put on hold in Jackson some of the rewrites went too County in the run up to the commissioner election, a move prompted far, and wouldn’t adopt them in part by a packed house at a public hearing in February calling for wholesale as proposed. The the rules to remain in tact. Jason Kimenker photo planning board would need to revisit parts of the draft rewrite, but not right now, commissioners decided.

“I was surprised at the commissioners deciding not to go further with it. They wanted it until we gave it to them,” said Joe Ward, a member of the planning board who is running for commissioner. Ward was in the minority on the planning board, however, and was early 2014, the timing couldn’t have been worse for the trio against most of the rewrite as proposed. of sitting commissioners up for election this fall — Debnam, McMahan said it is disingenuous for them to backpedal Doug Cody and Charles Elders — all of whom support a now and the sitting commissioners should own what the steep slope rewrite in theory. planning board came up with.

The liberal, environmental constituency in Jackson “You never charge the planning board with a task you County long hoping to take out this more conservative trio weren’t prepared to follow through with. If you didn’t want began sharpening their knives in anticipation. an ordinance that dealt with X,Y,Z, you don’t let the planThe trajectory of the steep slope rewrite couldn’t have ning board just freelance. You tell the planning board ‘I want coalesced more perfectly for the challengers taking on the sit- you to take this issue and develop an ordinance with these ting commissioners. It would be working its way through goals in mind because this is the outcome we want,’” public hearings during the thick of election season and land McMahan said. in the commissioners laps for a vote in late summer, or bet“It is hard for me to believe they didn’t have some knowlter yet early fall — making for ideal campaign fodder on the edge that was going on with the planning board or that they eve of Election Day. didn’t instruct them in some way. Especially since we have a A rousing public hearing in February dominated by critics chair that controls the agenda so strictly,” McMahan added. of the rewrite — those who wanted to keep the current protecDebnam said he wanted to hear what the best minds tions on the books — sealed the fate of the steep slope rewrite. could come up with, and charging the planning board with The planning board had hoped to hand their steep slope how to go about the rewrite would defeat the purpose of havrewrite to commissioners on a silver platter. Instead, it ing a planning board in the first place. became a political hot potato.

“We had a board in place of people we really thought The commissioners tossed it right back to the planning were capable. I don’t want to micromanage. I could wade in board and told them they didn’t want it — particularly not on it and sway what may be good information and have good now, and not in that form. Commissioners told the planning information thrown out,” Debnam said. “I think you appoint board to cease and desist until after election season. people that are qualified and take their advice, or at least see “This is a touchy issue, it is very emotional issue. And in a what their advice is before you start making comments about way it is better,” said Commissioner Charles Elders. “I wish it what you like or don’t like because you don’t know what they had gotten done sooner, but sometimes it’s better if you wait.” are going to send to you.”

McMahan said his lone “no” vote to the steep slope rules seven years ago stemmed from his opposition to the subdivision moratorium put in place while the rules were being written.

“I totally, totally disagreed with the moratorium. It set us off on the wrong foot and it was an uphill struggle after that.”

The moratorium portrayed an image that commissioners at the time were anti-building, and that tainted the perception of the regulations that followed.

As for the pending rewrite, McMahan said he had not studied it in detail.

“To be real honest with you I don’t know completely all of the proposed changes.”

However, he’s followed the big-ticket changes, and he’s not for them.

Unfortunately, mountainside development regulations are there to safeguard against the lowest common denominator, he said. A lot of contractors would do the right thing on their own.

“They would build it just like they would build their own house. But there are some people out there that want to turn a quick dollar, and put as many houses on a moun-

tainside as they can and walk off — and when slopes fail it leaves a big problem.”

McMahan, like the other two challengers, said he would not support the rewrite as proposed and it would need to go back to the planning board.

JACK DEBNAM INDEPENDENT, DILLSBORO Debnam said he has avoided weighing in on the particulars of the rewrite for fear of swaying the process.

“I don’t want to micromanage,” he said. “I want to wait and see what they come up with.”

However, Debnam does believe the steep slope rules on the books are too strict. He said it greatly limits what people can build on their property.

“They can call it what they want to call it,

but the last commissioners reached out and zoned the whole county in a sense and told you what you could and could not do with your piece of property.”

Debnam said he advocated for halting the rewrite until after the election to allow for a cooling off period.

“A lot of people are passionate about it and I can understand that but I don’t think good decisions are made when passions are involved.”

Debnam said he has unfairly been accused of wanting to gut the steep slope ordinance.

“If I wanted to get rid of the steep slope ordinance would I have waited three and a half years? I think I am a little more intelligent than that.”

Debnam believes the county needs a steep slope ordinance, but that the technical language needs to be improved and the restrictions in place now should be tempered.

The limits on steep slope constructions have lowered people’s property values, and that could further impact the hit to the county’s property tax base when the countywide revaluation hits the books next year.

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JACKSON COUNTY... VOTE Boyce DEITZ, Brian McMAHAN, and Joe WARD

Your Voice for the Mountains and its People

WE PLEDGE TO: • Put our Citizens first, NOT special interests.

• Invite public input into policy development.

• Hold fair, open and honest meetings that respect all participants.

• Make decisions that both value our past and promote our future.

• Explain clearly and publicly why those decisions are made.

• Initiate opportunities, formal & informal, to listen to our constituents.

• Keep our mountains beautiful, our water pure and our air clean.

• Promote excellence & collaboration among our multiple educational institutions.

• Enhance economic opportunities for local businesses and farmers.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

In Order To

• Assist our neighbors in need.

• Expand recreational opportunities available for residents.

• Help our county work together once again as a community.

VOTE for COMMON SENSE, VOTE

Smoky Mountain News

• Support infrastructure modernization and expansion.

DEITZ, McMAHAN, WARD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Paid for by the committee to elect Boyce Deitz, Committee to Elect Joe Ward, and Committee to Elect Brian McMahan 9

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Cullowhee proposals in for a tweaking Community calls for revisions, changes of development standards

BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS E DITOR hey weren’t thrilled about it, but members of the Cullowhee community did show an appetite for possible development standards during a recent second public input session focusing on the proposed regulations.

“This is not a pretty plan, there are parts of it I find very disturbing,” said Jim Lewis, during the Oct. 23 meeting. “But if not this, what? Just let us go?”

For the past year, the Cullowhee Community Planning Advisory Committee has worked towards a set of potential development standards for the fast-growing home of Western Carolina University. Currently, the area’s growth is held to no regulations; the proposed standards address zoning and more.

Lewis has a front row seat to Cullowhee’s anything-goes development scene. The 40year resident has recently found himself living near a new apartment complex brimming with WCU students.

“All I have to do is open my windows at night and I hear them,” Lewis groaned during the forum.

The man is not a fan of the area’s proliferation of student apartment complexes — “these apartments are trash as far as I’m concerned.” But he also doesn’t relish Jackson County slapping rules on private property — “maybe people that don’t want their land in this, just pull’em out.”

Ultimately, though, the Cullowhee resident thinks something needs to be done.

Before it’s too late and Cullowhee is crushed by its own growth.

“How many students can we put in this valley?” Lewis asked rhetorically. “Twenty thousand?”

Jackson County Planning Director Gerald Green had made a similar pitch earlier in the public forum, when he urged people to take hold of their community’s growth via zoning designations and development regulations.

“Who’s making decisions for the community now? I think that is a big question,” Green said. “The people who make the decisions now are the apartment complexes, the DOT and the university.”

Green had explained how the status quo was not advisable, how WCU’s growth was taxing the local community and infrastructure without any tools in place to correct the current course. He had explained how the proposed standards were aimed at protecting single-family residential areas while requiring significant development to conduct an impact analysis study and contribute to infrastructure improvements accordingly.

The planning director had explained all this at the initial Oct. 7 public forum. But this time, Green was finding a somewhat 10 more receptive audience — not entirely

Smoky Mountain News

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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Above: The Cullowhee community weighed in, for a second time, on proposed development standards during an Oct. 23 input session held on the Western Carolina University campus. Below: Contrasting land uses are illustrated with 808 West, a student apartment complex, neighboring up to a residential area; it’s what Jackson County Planning Director Gerald Green calls a “pretty stark example” of why Cullowhee is due some standards. Jeremy Morrison photo (above) • Donated photo (below) enthusiastic, but resolved to the reality.

“At least when we figure out what’s what we actually prevent things like an apartment complex going up without having to make any improvements,” said David Claxton.

“There are no rules right now. And I don’t know any other way we’re going to get rules in place unless we have some planning.”

The second forum, held again on the WCU campus, seemed to have a more accommodating vibe than the first. Voices of support — virtually silent before — speckled the crowd.

But there were also people present at the input session who were decidedly against adopting development standards, people who were opposed in both philosophy and practice.

These were the people that raised property rights concerns last time, the people that are worried new regulations could stifle what they are allowed to do with their long-time land. These are the people who feel outsiders are telling them what they can do with their land, and the people who dubbed Green a “carpetbagging government thug.”

“I’m just tickled to death that my land’s about to be made useless,” said Caroline Lewis at the most recent meeting.

Green started off the second meeting by addressing such concerns. He stressed that single-family dwellings would face minimal limitations — held namely to the rule that the land could not be sold and used for a purpose outside the designation; i.e., a student-housing developer could not buy someone’s single-family acreage and expect to develop without first securing a zoning change or variance to the standards.

The planning director also assured the attendees that the members of Cullowhee’s planning committee — including himself

— are also members of the community.

There were no outsiders, he told them.

“It’s not anybody from outside the Cullowhee planning area that has come in to try to make changes to your property or your business,” Green told them. “They’re already in the community.”

A consistent theme among those voicing

reservations was the fear that designating property as residential would limit its future use and profitability. One man pointed out that much of the color-coded map displaying Cullowhee’s proposed zones was residential-heavy.

“It looks to me like 80 percent of the map is single-family dwelling,” the man said.

“Who’s making decisions for the community now? I think that is a big question. The people who make the decisions now are the apartment complexes, the DOT and the university.”

— Gerald Green, Jackson County planning director

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Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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it is demanding regulations.

“To some extent that was the default,” “We do need something,” said Frances Green replied, conceding that the zoning Mincey. “Or we’re going to sit here and peowas up for discussion. ple are going to come in here and destroy it.”

Among the voices opposed to the proGreen said that he will now take the composed development standards was Donnie munity’s input back to the drawing board.

Allen, a Cullowhee resident whose family And there will likely be changes made. lives on a large tract of property that has “Some tweaking of the standards,” Green been in the family for more than a century. said.

There was also a man who said the uncerIn November, the Cullowhee advisory tainty about the standards was stalling out committee will be considering various his land-selling business — “I think the sooner we get this thing resolved, the sooner changes to the proposed standards based on we can get back to making some money” — and a woman who expressed concerns over her ability to profitably use her property.

And then there was Mike Clark. The Cullowhee property owner has long railed against the standards being proposed for Cullowhee. He was also a member of the Cullowhee Community Planning Advisory Committee until Mike Clark, former member of the Cullowhee Community Oct. 20, when he Planning Advisory Board and critic of proposed regulations, resigned. wrangles with committee Chairman Scott Baker during the Oct. “I think a lot of these 23 forum. Jeremy Morrison photo things that Gerald has mentioned can be remedied without taking our “This initiative started out on the right property rights,” Clark said during the public foot several years ago ... It was then forum, a few days after his hijacked by a group of government resignation.

In his resignation letthugs who want to force city zoning ter to Jackson County, Clark described the proand standards on a large unincorpoposed standards as being rated rural area.” “unconstitutional” and discriminatory against — Mike Clark the poor. He said that the proposed “method for the information gathered during this acquiring private property for the construcmonth’s public input sessions. Some propertion of a county walkway is illegal.” ties — primarily parcels neighboring the “This initiative started out on the right North Carolina Center for the Advancement foot several years ago with a group of people of Teaching — will be withdrawn from the working from the bottom up trying to incorplanning area entirely, while other areas will porate a small area,” Clark concludes in the be targeted for zoning changes. letter. “It was then hijacked by a group of Green said that he will be meeting with government thugs who want to force city members of the Cullowhee community who zoning and standards on a large unincorpohave voiced concerns about the proposed rated rural area.” standards in an effort to see if their concerns During the forum, Clark accused the might be addressed. county of developing the standards with the “I’m imagining there will be some revisions end goal of benefiting WCU. He also accused the advisory committee of being packed with to the standards and the maps,” Green said.

The county will also likely send out a letter yes-men, simply rubber-stamping the counto residents and property owners within the ty’s wishes. proposed Cullowhee planning area. The letter “I think I was the only one on that comwill offer the opportunity to respond, lodging mittee that wasn’t like this the whole time,” Clark said, nodding his head up and down in support or disapproval of the proposals.

After that, there will follow more coman exaggerated fashion. mittee considerations, further public hear“I can refute that immediately,” counings. Eventually, the proposed standards and tered advisory committee Chairman Scott zones may find themselves before the planBaker, who was also in attendance. ning board, then perhaps the Jackson While there was certainly a faction of County Commissioners for a final up or people present during the second input sesdown vote. sion opposed to the notion of Cullowhee Or, maybe not. adopting development standards, there also “The committee may decide to just drop seemed to be a recognition by others that the community has reached a point at which it all,” Green mused. “Who knows.”

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news

Dealing with violence Children the focus of nonprofit’s $1 million grant

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER omestic violence in Haywood County — and its effect on children — could take a hit as the Thirtieth Judicial District Domestic Violence-Sexual Assault Alliance starts using the $1 million it won through a competitive federal grant. Only $10 million was dispersed nationwide, but the Alliance’s share of the three-year grant, given through the Office on Violence Against Women through the U.S. Department of Justice, jumped from $400,000 in the last grant cycle to the $1 million it now has to work with.

The money will allow the Alliance, which has worked since 1998 to fund resources for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, to expand its focus to children living in homes affected by those crimes. The grant dollars will allow the Alliance to keep its existing programs in place while also addressing the problem of children who are exposed to violence in their home.

“That we feel is a game changer in that we really can’t wait until the multiple exposures [to violence] have occurred,” said Sue Fowler, the Alliance’s executive director. “We need to help the kids early on and make the message clear that exposure to violence, whether they see it or hear it, has an impact on them.”

Research shows that children who are repeatedly exposed to violence are more likely to become depressed or suicidal, develop health issues, do poorly in school, to struggle socially and fall into alcohol and drug abuse.

The Alliance’s goal is to intervene before the effects pile up.

The new program will begin with law

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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enforcement. Often, officers respond to domestic violence-related calls in homes where children live, but there’s no reason to remove the children from the home. There’s no weapon present, the children aren’t being physically hurt and there’s no reason to arrest the parent causing the violence.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no risk to children. Now, officers responding to these kinds of calls will be able to call back to dis-

patch with a CEV Alert, which stands for “children exposed to violence.” That alert will be sent to the Department of Social Services, who will do a follow-up visit to make sure the children are OK. “Our hope is to interrupt the cycle of abuse and create more positive family experiences for children as they develop into young adults, “ said Donna Lupton, Social Work Services Director for the Haywood County

A $1 million grant to help children exposed to violence in Haywood County will include an animal-assisted therapy program. Donated photo

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Health and Human Services Agency. The agency has been a partner in the project since 2011.

A good chunk of the grant dollars will go toward offering services to children and families to deal with the effects of exposure to violence. Children will have access to counseling, offered through Haywood Psychological Services, and animal-assisted therapy. The dollars will support an additional clinician in the Alliance’s office who will support anybody who is working with children identified as needing help. The program will also include a parent education component for the non-abusing parent, offered through the KARE House.

“That parent can have parent education access so that they understand better how to work with their children who have the violence exposure,” Fowler said. “They might say, ‘Oh my child’s been having nightmares. I don’t know how to handle it.’ Well, KARE can help them with that.”

Fowler is also excited that the grant will fund a partnership with the schools. The Alliance will be able to provide counseling services stationed in Haywood County Schools, specifically Waynesville Middle School and Central Elementary School, and at the Pigeon Community Center. The Alliance will provide staff development training with school employees, teaching them what to look for when identifying children exposed to violence.

“Kids typically feel really safe at school,” Fowler said. “They go there every day. They get support. They’ll talk to their teachers and they’ll say things to their teachers.”

“I am very excited about this grant because the project will provide a continuum of prevention, intervention, treatment and response services for our students who have been exposed to violence,” agreed Anne Garrett, superintendent of Haywood Schools. “This is a great opportunity for our students, parents and community. We are very fortunate to be involved in this project.”

By involving schools, law

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All OK after bomb threat clears Tuscola

iff ’s deputies did a thorough sweep of the school after students left but did not find a bomb.

“It went really, really well,” Nolte said of the response. “The only faux pas was Travis Collins, the principal, sent two messages in that rapid notification system to go out to students and staff and for some reason those did not go.”

The school has not been able to identify the person who wrote the note, though Nolte said they were able to narrow it down to a “fairly small pool.”

“The school resource officer on campus will follow any leads and any information and work with the schools on that,” said Heidi Warren, public information officer for the sheriff ’s office.

The school day has run normally since the Oct. 20 incident, and Nolte said there’s no reason to believe any danger exists for students. As early as the evening of Oct. 20, he said, students were using the campus for various school activities.

It is unlikely that the bomb threat was related to a spat of bomb threats that occurred in Buncombe County last week.

Those threats were delivered directly to the schools, much different than the bathroom scrawlings at Tuscola.

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER Things are back on track at Tuscola High School after some threatening graffiti found in a boys bathroom last week caused school officials to send students home a few minutes early.

“At about 10 till 3 we got a call from Tuscola,” said Bill Nolte, assistant superintendent of Haywood County Schools. “They had just discovered some writing on a boys restroom wall in the school and they had already notified the school resource officer.”

The “poorly written” note stated that there was a bomb in the school, Nolte said, and though the threat itself and the way it was delivered did not fit the profile of a legitimate portender of violence, school staff decided to be on the safe side and evacuate the school. Haywood County sher-

FOR

Commissioner

I am a native of Haywood County. My family has called Haywood County home for generations. Debbie and I will celebrate 32 years of marriage this year. We have been blessed with four children, a daughter-inlaw, a son-in-law, a grandson and soon-to-arrive granddaughter twins, all whom reside in Haywood County. I am active in the local church I attend.

In my younger years I earned the rank of Eagle Scout. I have worked in the private industry for over 35 years, currently as a manufacturing engineer.

I understand the challenges facing families today.

I support reversing the current trend of increasing property taxes and debt for our sake, as well as for our children’s sake.

We need jobs. I will encourage minimum, fair and just regulations to keep existing businesses and attract new ones. Taxes should be kept to a minimum so businesses and property owners can prosper.

I support open and honest government with transparency in every department, including putting the checkbook and neighborhood delineation maps online as well as easy access to other public information.

I support a fair and uniform assessment of property values. In 2011, during one of the greatest housing depressions since the Great Depression, approximately half of Haywood County property owners received a tax increase; many were substantial. I don’t believe data supports the increases. Our county was divided into 940+ neighborhoods.

Sales in your new delineated neighborhood were supposedly used to determine your neighborhood rate, which affects how much you pay in taxes. Your taxes may be significantly increased due to your neighborhood rate. Information on neighborhood delineation, including maps and tax rates, should be transparent and available online without a fee.

I support protecting our property rights, liberties and freedoms.

All of the county commissioners currently seated support the Haywood County Emergency Management Ordinance. The county could take anything you own "without regard to the limitation of any existing law."

I appreciate those in our county who respond to emergencies; however, I cannot support this ordinance. I will work with you to repeal this unconstitutional ordinance.

I support the Constitution, including our right to bear arms and to rightly petition our government as a group or individually to redress our grievances.

I have worked side by side with many of you from all party affiliations: Democrat, Republican, Libertarian and Independent. We came together without a party label, volunteering countless hours, to stand against tax increases and property revaluations that significantly increased the value of many businesses and homes. Together we were able to defeat the proposed rule and ordinance that could have infringed on our property rights, liberties and freedoms.

I would appreciate your vote for Haywood County Commissioner May God bless you, your family and Haywood County, and may God bless the USA.

Smoky Mountain News

[District Attorney] it didn’t happen, then I’ll come home and be a good dad,” Jicha said.

Jicha’s hope is that the grant will help educate parents on how witnessing domestic violence affects their children and therefore make them less likely to think that dropping charges will benefit their children.

“I’m hoping this grant will help educate parents and give them new opportunities when it comes to things like child care and support,” Jicha said, adding that she’s also thankful that the grant has extended her own job, allowing her to give domestic violence cases the extra attention they demand.

“Conviction rates are lower in counties that don’t have a dedicated domestic team,” she said.

Fowler hopes that through this grant, Haywood County will not only see more convictions for people who abuse their spouses but stymie the long-term effects that violence can cause.

“We didn’t change our focus,” she said.

“We expanded our focus.”

Native & Conservative STANDING FOR LIBERTY

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

enforcement and the families themselves, the Alliance hopes to provide a spectrum of services that will quell the effects of exposure to violence before they manifest.

“Every child responds differently, so you don’t know who will be able to handle it, deal with it and move on and be OK, or who will end up absorbing all that violence and not being able to cope,” Fowler said.

Amy Jicha, a domestic violence investigator whose position the Alliance funds as part of its existing program, is excited about the strength the new focus on children affected by domestic violence will lend her position.

In North Carolina, she explained, victims can fill out a warrant for an abuser’s arrest themselves. But if the victim decides to drop the charges, there’s nothing the courts can do because there was never any police investigation and never any evidence gathered. Often, children are caught in the middle of the decision to drop charges.

“A lot of times the offending parent will use kids as leverage, like, ‘If you tell the

Denny King

news

Early voting turnout is outpacing the last statewide, non-presidential election year of 2010.

And in the seven western counties, early voting is happening at one of the highest rates in the state. Early voting turn out per capita for the seven western counties was in the top five statewide as of Tuesday.

Five days into early voting, around 500,000 voters statewide had cast ballots. Five days into early voting four years ago, only 160,000 had cast ballots.

The early voting window is shorter this year, however, making an apples-to-apples comparison difficult. Considering early voting is already at the halfway mark, voting this year is about on

par with where early voting was at the halfway mark four years ago.

In the 2010 election, more than 900,000 people hit the polls during early voting, accounting for one-third of all those who cast ballots in the election.

Interest in this year’s election is heightened due to a closely contested U.S. Senate seat, and several high-profile races for the N.C. House and Senate.

The last day for early voting is Saturday.

Election Day is Nov. 4. Check out full coverage on state, regional and local races at the online voting guide at www.smokymountainnews.com Data for this early voting round-up was compiled from ncvotetracker.com a project of the Civitas Institute.

Paid for by King for Commissioner Committee.

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news Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

Serbian dancers at Folkmoot open house The Talija Folk Dance Troupe from Serbia will perform at a Folkmoot USA Benefit Open House at 5:30 p.m. and at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4 at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in the old Hazelwood School.

Talija will also perform twice the same day at local schools as part of Folkmoot’s educational outreach, according to Folkmoot Board President Rose Johnson.

The evening performances are open to the public as part of the benefit open house that will last from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted at the door and will be used to support Folkmoot’s cultural programming. In addition to the two performances, the open house will include tours of the center and light refreshments will be served.

Folkmoot USA is celebrating its 31st year of bringing music and dance from around the world to Western North Carolina.

The Talija Folk Dance Troupe was established in Belgrade in 1998 and performs around the world as a way of sharing native Serbian culture. The troupe has more than 200 members, but about 25 dancers and musicians are on this tour and will perform in Haywood County.

For information visit www.folkmootusa.org or 828.452.2997, ext. 207.

Waynesville Soda Jerks win national award

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER he Waynesville Soda Jerks, an independent artisan beverage company, recently won first place at the National Association of Community Colleges Entrepreneurship conference in Phoenix.

“It’s elation, honor, pride, relief, bewilderment, thankfulness and in some ways added pressure,” said co-owner Chris Allen. “Being recognized on a national scale, and particularly in that type of professional setting, is something we could have never seen coming.

Everyday we feel as if what we started is growing and developing into something larger and more meaningful.”

Alongside Allen is co-owner Megan Brown. The couple is currently enrolled in Haywood Community College’s business program. They were nominated for the award by Katy Gould, director of the Small Business Center at HCC. “We were notified that we had been selected as finalists in July, some two months after submitting the nomination essay. From there we did not know where we would place, only that we had placed and would be attending the conference in Phoenix,” Allen said.

And it wasn’t until the Soda Jerks arrived in Phoenix that they found out they’d won.

“We didn’t really know what to expect.

Would it be like an award ceremony where no one knows until the last moment or would they send a letter or some other announce-

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ference, but when we saw it in print it was still a shock.”

The award includes a $2,500 cash prize and a $1,500 travel stipend to attend the conference. And with the accolade, it’s back to business as usual for the Soda Jerks, who are evolving and growing leaps and bounds. Though still a mainstay at the Haywood Historic Farmer’s Market, their products can also be found at The Strand at 38 Main, Kanini’s and Frog’s Leap Public House, all in Waynesville.

“For the remainder of 2014, we have a full slate planned. We are ramping up distribution of our handcrafted sodas and syrups, and we are in the testing phase of our first run of hand-bottled soda — Haywood County Concord Megan Brown and Chris Allen, owners of the Waynesville Grape,” Allen said. “We’ve Soda Jerks, recently won first place in a national student been doing a lot of work on entrepreneurship contest. Donated photo the marketing front and are pleased to begin unveiling ment?,” Brown said. “It turned out that the our updated logo and image. Definitely keep results were printed in the conference pro- an eye out for Waynesville Soda Jerks to gram, so we found out shortly after checking appear on more local shelves and menus in in. We had a good feeling going into the con- the coming months.”

Vision in the village

BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS E DITOR he Village of Forest Hills is about to go on a vision quest. The quest begins Nov. 3 with a community workshop.

The village will be the latest community to ponder a vision, a long-range view. It follows in the footsteps of nearby Jackson County neighbors, most notably Cullowhee.

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The Village of Forest Hills is hosting a community charrette from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 3, at the Cullowhee Valley Elementary School cafeteria. The workshop will focus on planning issues and drawing up a long-range vision for the community.

rently mulling zoning restrictions and development standards — and the expected impact such would likely have on Forest Hills.

“Cullowhee basically surrounds Forest Hills,” Begley pointed out. “Because of this, the Forest Hills board anticipates that we will be approached at some point in the future by landowners or prospective buyers potentially requesting rezoning or conditional use permits for some of the undeveloped areas in and around the Village boundaries and on Highway 107 in the ETJ area — areas that are currently zoned residential with certain restrictions.”

Subjects that may be discussed during the charrette include sidewalks, walking trails, commercial development and community spaces.

“I would like to see it become a more walkable community with some uniqueness to it,” Begley said, sharing some insight into her personal vision for the village, though she added that she was “only one,” and that the community vision would be a group effort.

The mayor said that Forest Hill’s visionplanning process will look different from neighbors Cullowhee and Webster.

Cullowhee’s process has focused on zoning designations, which Forest Hills already has, while Webster’s planning process will focus on history trails and strengthening existing ordinances.

The Village of Forest Hills is using the same consultants as Cullowhee and Webster. Kostelec Planning & Chipley Consulting will be assisting the town with its planning process.

“The Forest Hills board felt that would be logical since they are already familiar with the area,” the mayor said.

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Village of Forest Hills Mayor Kolleen Begley said the charrette will focus on gaining input from residents and property owners about how they view the community evolving. The process will take into account zoning issues and how the prospects of eventual zoning regulations in Cullowhee may impact the village.

“We feel it’s important to get resident and stakeholder input as a consideration to include when making any future land-use decisions,” Begley explained in an email.

“We would also like to start some long-term planning for ideas that could further enhance the Village so it continues to be a desirable location to call home.”

The mayor said that the town was taking a “proactive approach” to planning as a result of WCU’s growth and the action in Cullowhee — where the community is cur-

Want to go?

Building was a complete renovation and space was first built out for Edward Jones office in 2005. Space was recently occupied by Haywood Co. Insurance Health Clinic and is in excellent condition. Unit includes 2 restrooms, kitchenette and mechanical room. There is direct access to an outdoor covered patio area on the creek. The building has excellent onsite parking and is located in Waynesville only 3/10 mile North of the courthouse. Location is centrally located to all commercial areas of Way. without the traffic backups. Lease is $11.64 sq.ft. and includes exterior maintenance, taxes, water and 3’x8’ lighted sign.

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Smoky Mountain News

Planning next door Forest Hills is not alone in its efforts to address future planning issues. Nearby examples include the community of Cullowhee and the Town of Webster.

For the past year, the Cullowhee community has explored adopting zoning standards and development regulations. Jackson County formed the Cullowhee Community Planning Advisory Committee to assess the matter, and soon a decision will be made on the group’s proposals.

Critics of Cullowhee’s potential zones and standards argue that personal property rights are being trampled. Proponents of the standards contend that such regulation is needed to address what has become unbridled and unregulated growth — largely due to the growth of Western Carolina University — resulting in large student apartment complexes being located near singlefamily dwellings.

Webster, meanwhile, is taking advantage of a $5,000 grant from the Southwestern Commission Toolbox Implementation Fund — along with a match — to take a look at the town’s walkability and history, as well as any potential advantages of strengthening existing ordinances.

In the words of Webster Mayor Nick Breedlove, the town’s process will focus on “where we are, where we want to go and what we could do better.”

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Forest Hills hosts workshop, explores planning issues

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Touchstones from the past Swain’s museum offers new attraction, old relics

Smoky Mountain News

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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Want to go?

The Swain County Heritage Museum is located at 12 Everett St., Bryson City. The museum is open seven day a week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information call 828.488.7857.

The new Swain County Heritage Museum in Bryson City has been a long-time pet project for Swain County Commissioner David Monteith. Jeremy Morrison photo Swain’s heritage museum opened its doors this past spring. Since that time, the attraction has proven to be a significant draw.

“Average, close to a hundred people a day,” Monteith said. “All summer long we’d have a hundred people a day, and that’s just word of mouth advertising.”

As hoped, the museum — as well as the visitors center and Great Smoky Mountains Association store located in the old courthouse — are drawing foot traffic closer to the main highway, balancing out the disproportionate amount of action seen on the side of downtown boasting the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.

“Most people, when they give [something] to us, they say ‘we don’t want it back.’” It may just be something small to them, but it’s big for us because this is our history.”

— David Monteith

the Swain County Chamber of Commerce’s visitor center and the GSMA store.

“We felt like this was the center now,” said the chamber’s Frank Calhoun, of the decision to locate the visitor center in the courthouse.

Correna Barker, with the GSMA, said that it just seemed to make sense to jump into the mix.

“I’m glad that we did,” Barker said. “There was really nothing here. The park didn’t have anything over here.”

Both the visitor center and GSMA store are located downstairs in the old courthouse.

Also downstairs are a few museum exhibits — one focuses on the Cherokee, while the other depicts an old-timey one-room schoolhouse.

But it’s not until a visitor ventures upstairs that they will see the wealth of history assembled at the new museum. There are old tools, photographs and newspapers, ancient kitchen utensils, and aging electronics.

“This was found in the basement under here,” Monteith

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BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS E DITOR nside and out, the Swain County Heritage Museum is an ode to history. The very building that houses the museum long served as the courthouse in Bryson City, and now serves to usher visitors through all those many years gone by.

On a recent Friday afternoon, Swain County Commissioner David Monteith stood looking at a an old barbershop chair in the museum. A man had brought it in recently.

It’s from the Parkway Barber Shop, and it’s a piece of history that the commissioner is familiar with.

“We all sat in that chair as a kid,” Monteith smiled. “His grandpa use to cut my hair when I was a baby.”

This isn’t the only piece in the museum that Monteith is familiar with. He donated some of the exhibit pieces himself — a camera, some ancient car tags. Others, he can point you toward their origin, years back down the road.

“The blade came from the sawmill at Forney Creek,” Monteith said, motioning toward a large, rust encrusted testament to Swain’s timbering past.

Assembled in the museum is a growing collection of touchstones with history. Items of interest brought forth from the community are spread out across a large, airy room upstairs in the historic courthouse.

“This has been a personal project for me for about 17 years,” said Monteith, standing inside the museum.

“We see’em all over town,” Monteith said.

“You didn’t see’em early in the season, and it’s because they’re coming down to the museum.”

The commissioner expected as much. He’s actually expecting more.

“We hope in another year to see it double,” Monteith said of the traffic the museum currently sees.

In addition to the offerings of the museum, the old courthouse is also now home to

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explained, motioning to an old wooden ballot box. “When they were digging out they found two of these.”

Under a glass case is an old fishing license from the 1930s. Monteith explained that the license belonged to a man who obtained it to go fishing on property he once owned, prior to the creation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

“In order to go back and camp where he use to live, he had to get a permit from the park service,” said Monteith.

The museum also has a viewing room in which visitors can watch a short video retrospective on Swain’s history. Across the room is an area designated for children. It features exhibits focusing on both history and wildlife; soon, there’ll be historically-based dress-up clothes for the kids to try on.

Most of the items on exhibit in Swain’s museum were donated from local residents.

On exhibit for the public to enjoy, they serve

as relics revealing lives of the past in Swain County.

“Most people, when they give it to us, they say ‘we don’t want it back,’” Monteith said, explaining that the museum is receiving new donations weekly. “It may just be something small to them, but it’s big for us because this is our history.”

One addition to the museum was not small at all. It was rather large. A window was removed to accommodate its arrival.

“The cabin was donated,” Monteith said, pointing to a partial cabin rebuilt in the middle of the upstairs gallery.

The cabin, built in the 1880s, was donated by a local resident. It had to be taken apart and brought in through a large window. The structure was then recreated in the museum.

“We had the lady that was born in it come in the first week we were open,” Monteith said. “Stood in there and had her picture made in it.”

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“Our existing landfill has an estimated capacity of 16 to 20 years. The expanded landfill gives us an expected life of 45 to 60 years.”

— Chris Stahl, Solid Waste Management Department director

let the gas out, and the county will monitor cap integrity, landfill gas and groundwater for at least 30 years.

“Our existing landfill has an estimated capacity of 16 to 20 years. The expanded landfill gives us an expected life of 45 to 60 years,” Stahl said. “To be honest I’d tend to use that 60-year mark.”

The reason, Stahl said, is that compaction rates have gotten a lot higher over the years, allowing more waste to be stored in less space. However, it’s hard to project for sure. Factors such as population and waste production per capita can also change the numbers.

The county has a plan, but it’s still far from set in stone.

“It’s early yet and I’ve got about a million things to do before we can have that analysis and get it ready to bring to the board,” Stahl said.

NC Senate

“These mountains have been my home for over 40 years. I am privileged to serve them in the North Carolina Senate and would be honored to have your vote November 4.”

— Jim Davis

Jim Davis focuses on the needs of Western North Carolina.

Sponsored and championed legislation that helped protect 1,200 jobs for Evergreen Packaging. (SB 3) He was given the “Friend of the Counties” award by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners in 2013.

Co-chair of the Senate State and Local Government Committee ... providing him the unique ability to advance issues of vital importance to Western North Carolina.

Voted to increase education spending by over $1 billion since 2010, giving teachers an average 7% raise in the last budget alone, all while balancing the budget.

Sponsored and helped negotiate legislation that allowed the Eastern Band of Cherokee to produce more jobs and create a fund to appropriate gaming revenue for education. (SB 582)

Smoky Mountain News

“That analysis came back pretty heavily one-sided that the best thing moneywise was to expand the landfill,” Stahl said.

Once full, the existing landfill will be capped with 2 feet of dirt, a synthetic geomembrane and another 18 inches to 2 feet of dirt. Grass will then be seeded in on top of that. Methane wells will be drilled to

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ith its landfill nearing capacity, Macon County is taking steps to add a new cell before the existing area fills up about two years from now. They’ve had another phase permitted for about 20 years, but rather than just install a liner in that property and call it a day, the Solid Waste Management Department is looking to buy an adjoining property to add to that already-permitted cell.

“The landfill cell is kind of narrow and bends at one end, so if we can square that off, expanding the footprint by about 35 percent yields a 300 percent return in volume,” said Chris Stahl, department director.

“That’s a pretty good return on investment and could basically triple the life of the current permitted landfill.”

The property, totaling just under 23 acres, would cost the county $1.5 million.

The purchase would mean a total 32 acres of lined landfill in the new cell, with additional acreage buffering the edges and the nearby Little Tennessee River. In their Oct. 14 meeting, county commissioners voted unanimously to allow Stahl’s department to go ahead with the purchase. But that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal.

“To this point what we’ve done is we’ve got an option [to buy] on these two properties and a six-month due diligence period,” Stahl said.

Which basically means that the money is there to buy the property and the owners have agreed to sell, but the county has to inspect the property and do some comparisons to make sure that site is the place to build the landfill expansion, not somewhere else. They’ve already completed an analysis to investigate whether it would be cheaper to build or to ship waste somewhere out-ofcounty.

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Macon approves $1.5 million for landfill expansion

www.DavisForNCSenate.com Paid for by Davis for NC Senate 264-232

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Friend-ing the Parkway Haywood looks to start Friends of the Parkway chapter, clear overlooks

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ith park funding falling and visitation increasing, keeping those iconic views open along the 46 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway in Haywood County — without breaking the bank — is a challenge. Fast-growing trees and shrubs grow up around the overlooks irrespective of budgets, so when Parkway Superintendent Mark Woods visited the Haywood Tourism Development Authority’s Mark Woods board meeting last week, it was with a view to talk about how to make those dollars stretch.

“That’s a challenge as we continue to manage and maintain all of the areas that we do, and as I said earlier, we couldn’t do it without our partners,” Woods told the TDA board.

The TDA is one of those partners, allocating money each year — this year it’s $20,000 — to clear the views at overlooks along the Parkway in Haywood County.

Smoky Mountain News

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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So is the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, which raises money for Parkway projects the government can’t fund, and Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which supplies people and funds for volunteer projects.

But as of now, there’s no Friends chapter that tends to Parkway miles south of Mount Pisgah. That leaves 57 miles of Parkway without a Friends chapter to cover it. The TDA would like to see that change.

“Asheville’s the most southern chapter there is, and we’re trying to get that established. Smoky Mountain Host has agreed to work with us on getting that going and established,” Lynn Collins, executive director of the TDA, told Woods. “We are going to move forward with that.”

Friends volunteers pick up litter, build and maintain trails and repaint mileposts.

They empty ashes from fire rings at campsites and install fences. The Asheville chapter spends a lot of time at Pisgah Campground, and recently they’ve renovated the amphitheater there, repairing the screen and repainting the area. The core group of 14-ish volunteers meets once a month, figuring out how to plan and fund projects.

“It’s becoming a social group,” said Dan Wells, chairman of the chapter. “The group needs to do that because it needs to be more than just work. We all are just volunteers.”

Volunteers that, last year alone, put in 2,100 hours of labor and raised $3,200.

Meanwhile, visitation has been on the uptick while funding has gone down. So far this year, visitation is up about 8.5 percent over 2013, with fluctuation varying by month. August saw a surge, with 2014 visitation up 20 percent over 2013.

But 2014 also saw $600,00 less in operations funding than in the 2009 budget. In that year, the Parkway employed 300 people, but in 2013 it had only 240 employees.

The TDA board told Woods that they’re committed to ensuring that the Haywood County portion of the park doesn’t suffer as a result of budget cuts. Tourism is an economic driver in Haywood County, and the Parkway is an important asset.

Charles Johnson photo “I hear every day that Haywood County has the There’s no Friends chapter that prettiest Blue Ridge Parkway tends to Parkway miles south of there is, and we feel good about giving you money to Mount Pisgah. That leaves 57 miles do things with it,” said board of Parkway without a Friends member James Carver.

The Park Service clears chapter to cover it. up overlooks along the road on a three-year rotation. The Parkway is divided into three sections, and every year one of them gets trimmed. But for Haywood County, it’s important to keep those views open even in the off years, so the In order to have a successful Friends of the TDA pays to keep the maintenance annual.

Blue Ridge Parkway chapter, there will have The work is done by seasonal Park Service to be some enthusiastic Friends behind it. employees, and the TDA money pays their The Haywood Tourism Development Authority salary to begin the season early or stay late. is looking for people interested in leading At last week’s meeting, the board disthe charge. To volunteer to head up the cussed those cuttings with Woods, noting chapter, contact Lynn Collins, TDA executive that it had been about a year and a half since director, at lynn@visitncsmokies.com. the overlooks were last cleared. The work didn’t happen last year.

Friends of the Parkway has the Cherokee “It had to do with several things. It has to through Waynesville stretch listed as a place do with weather, it has to do with getting the in need of a chapter to contribute that service. paperwork done,” Collins said, clarifying that Such contributions are important. The the TDA didn’t release any funds the year the Parkway meanders along its 469-mile route, maintenance was skipped. only a few hundred feet wide in places, and that The trimming is scheduled to get back on spread can make it challenging to keep up with. track this spring. And before too long, Collins The value of its assets — building, tunnels, hopes to have a Friends chapter founded to campgrounds, roads — is the second most of provide the labor force to get some more the entire National Park System, including 77 Parkway maintenance done. cemeteries, nine campgrounds, more than 600 “When you look at all it [the Parkway] has buildings and 20 percent of all National Park to offer, it’s just incredible to have here in our Service tunnels. backyards,” Woods said.

Pitch in

Leaf pickup underway in Canton Canton’s leaf pickup schedule has started and will run through Dec. 5., During this time, leaves must be raked to the edge of the curb and will be vacuumed up weekly. Other debris can be separated into piles or bagged, with a work request made to 828.648.2363.

Election results digested at forum 18

A discussion of 2014 election results and what they mean will be held at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub, 58 Steward St. in Franklin. The discussion is part of Franklin Open Forum, a moderated discussion group that meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Rathskeller. 828.371.1020.

Jackson TDA laying groundwork for hiring director

Jeremy Morrison photo

BY J EREMY MORRISON N EWS E DITOR he Jackson County Tourism Development Authority is pursuing a leader, someone to act as the organization’s executive director. The workload is becoming more than volunteer board members can handle.

“Some of us feel, and I feel, it’s going to be a full-time job,” Robert Jumper, head of Jackson’s TDA, said earlier this month.

The TDA oversees the occupancy taxes — around $600,000 annually stemming from the room tax on overnight lodging — collected in Jackson County. The organization is charged with marketing the county to potential tourists.

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The tourism authority has discussed hiring an executive director in the past, but thus far day-to-day logistical duties have been distributed among board members and employees of the Jackson and Cashiers chambers of commerce. But now, it appears the board is ready to get some help.

“There’s just so much involved,” Jumper said.

Currently, the Jackson board is consulting with tourism authorities in nearby counties to get a feel for how others are set up.

The group is also drafting a job description for its eventual director.

The TDA must also decide if it prefers to hire a full-time staff member or a contract employee. Both options are currently on the

ed on the groups marketing efforts, on the number of Facebook friends the TDA was getting and how bed tax revenue was on the rise.

Jumper made no mention of the executive director search.

“We really appreciate the hard work you guys put in,” Commissioner Doug Cody told Jumper, praising the TDA. “I know this was a controversial thing at one time, but I think it’s been proven to be beneficial to the county.”

Though Jumper didn’t mention the executive director conversation happening in the background, Wooten did.

“It’s been reported that I’ve dug my heels in or whatever, but I don’t have a position on whether they have a position or not,” the county manager told commissioners, adding that if the TDA were to hire a director then that person should be answerable to the county.

In his email, Wooten had noted that the personnel issue would eventually need to be resolved. And the commissioners would have a big say in such a discussion, due to the way the TDA is set up. “ … since the founding resolution requires the Commissioners approval before TDA funds are spent on personnel,” Wooten explained.

The issue of bringing on an executive director will next be discussed during a meeting of the TDA’s executive committee.

That group will be presented with a proposed scope of work and job description as soon as such has been drafted.

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Members of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority discuss their search for an executive director this summer.

table.

Also being debated is to whom an eventual director will answer — the TDA or Jackson County?

In September, Jumper and fellow TDA board member Clifford Meads met with Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten about the matter.

“His comment was if the person was hired under the county then they felt like they should have some administrative authority over that person,” Jumper said.

“Currently, Jackson County holds all the TDA funds in our accounts and is responsible for accounting for the funds,” Wooten explained in an email. “I told Robert and Clifford that I thought the position should report to the Commissioners and ultimately to the County Manager, who has been delegated the authority for managing the personnel policy. I do not believe it is in the best interest of the county to have employees that do not report to the Commissioners.”

Jumper said that some TDA board members had reservations about such an arrangement. They felt the director should answer to the board.

“I kind of tend to agree,” Jumper said. “It would be a very difficult spot for an executive director to be in, having to answer to the board and the county.”

Earlier this month, Jumper made a presentation to the Jackson commissioners concerning the current state of TDA affairs. He report-

264-207

Affairs of the Heart

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• Keeping education for all students a top priority.

• Building our local economy by providing more job opportunities.

• Keeping taxes as low as possible.

• Providing services for our seniors.

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Smoky Mountain News

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Bill Upton will work for:

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Smoky Mountain News

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It has been my privilege to serve as your representative in Washington, DC over the past two years. It is an honor and a trust that I have not taken for granted. Representing you in Congress has required me to be grounded in discernment, prayer and a willingness to listen. Your support and voice have been a daily reminder that we live in the greatest country, where people are willing to work together and the Liberty Bell continues to ring for freedom.”

It’s sometimes easy to read the headlines and get discouraged by the many trials facing our nation. It is important, however, for us to remember that throughout our history we have faced similar hardships and as Americans we have always prevailed.

I believe that each one of us can make a difference in our communities, one decision at a time. It is incumbent upon all of us to support our country and serve our neighbor. I have witnessed thousands of people in Western North Carolina doing just that – caring for those around them and transforming their communities.

Like many of you, I have grown weary of the negative campaigning. This approach only leads to more divisiveness by focusing on our differences rather than celebrating what brings us together as Americans. This is why I have made the decision not to engage in personal attacks and negative campaigning. In fact, I have refrained from mentioning my opponent’s name in a derogatory manner and will continue to do so.

I will close with these requests: I respectfully ask for your vote on November 4th. Though I will also add that no matter who earns your vote, should I be reelected, I will work each day to represent you to the best of my ability. I also earnestly ask you to find people who are serving their communities, whether they be teachers, law enforcement officers, first responders, or fire fighters, and thank them for their service. Finally, I would ask that you continue to support and pray for our military men and women.

We can make a difference, one person and one decision at a time. I ask you to join me in helping make an even brighter future for our children in this country we are so blessed to call home.

With a grateful heart,

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Chicken dinner for the fish

Cherokee fly fishing museum sets opening day, fundraising dinner

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A panel discussion and question-andanswer session on the Ebola crises and the risk it poses will take place 4-5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the Forsyth Building at Western Carolina University.

Four WCU faculty members, including an environmental health professor who has spent more than 20 years studying the

Grab a ticket

spread and control of disease like Ebola, will be on the panel.

Burton Ogle, director of WCU’s environmental health program, will discuss the risk of exposure and transmission of Ebola and prevention strategies. Ogle has been researching the virus since he was consulted 25 years ago when a strain of Ebola was detected in monkeys in Virginia.

Jen Schiff, assistant professor of political science and public affairs, will talk about humanitarian efforts to stop the disease’s

spread and discuss why shutting down the borders won’t necessarily solve the problem. Rebecca Dobbs, geography instructor, will talk about spatial patterns of the Ebola outbreak and the role of environmental changes in affecting that. Saheed Aderinto, assistant professor of history and Nigeria native, will talk about Ebola in the context of Africa’s underdevelopment, something he traces to the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Free. For more information contact Niall Michelsen, 828.227.3336.

Smoky Mountain News

Ebola panel discussion offered at WCU

exhibits, as well as some changing ones, to keep visitors flowing in.

“If we can do somewhere around a dozen a year, we’ll have a good established set of stories for people to see,” Baker said. “We’ve got a lot of room. Hopefully we can get them in there and keep them.”

The group has located the first drift boat used for fly fishing in the Southeast, and The Nov. 1 fundraising dinner is coming up, but ticket they’re currently negotiating to sales are still open through Wednesday, Oct. 29. The night acquire it. There will be diswill start at 5 p.m. and include a chicken plate dinner catered plays of rods and reels and flies,

by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, as well as live and silent both historic and modern, and auctions, a bucket raffle and other fundraising activities. a live trout exhibit as well.

And the prizes aren’t paltry. Raffle items include a custom According to the museum, bamboo rod, a trip to Argentina, guided fly services in four “Southern Appalachian” states, a week in Myrtle beach, jewelry and a variety of tickets means anything from West and gift certificates to various businesses.

Virginia south, so that includes Tickets are $55 individually, $100 for couples and $1,000 eight states and a nearly limitfor a table of 10. Reserve a ticket with the Cherokee Chamber less supply of stories to tell and of Commerce, 828.788.0034 or info@cherokeesmokies.com. artifacts to display.

And the exhibits won’t all focus on long-gone history. The museum will could be “challenging,” Baker said, both he also budget space for new stuff: submissions and Parker say they’re on track to make that by anglers who tie flies, make rods or other- happen. So next summer, anglers will be able to see the beginning of the story of fly fishing wise celebrate the art of fly fishing.

“It doesn’t have to be old to be part of the instead of just living the ending of it.

“The most fun anglers have is getting story,” Baker said.

The museum will also focus on fishing together and telling the stories,” Baker said, “so that’s what it’s all about.” and its importance to Cherokee culture.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t’s been two years since Alen Baker, the self-described “instigator” of the effort to create the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians, sent an unsolicited pitch to the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. But now, the building is renovated and the chamber has moved its offices into part of it. Opening day is slated for May 1, and the museum will hold its first annual fundraising dinner Nov. 1 to gather funds to purchase and display fly-fishing memorabilia from across the region.

“We’re pretty much working around the clock at this point, trying to get ready,” said Amy Parker, executive director of the chamber.

The goal of the dinner is to raise $25,000 to create the museum’s first round of exhibits.

The chamber aims for a half dozen to start out with, but the list of exhibit concepts that the group of volunteer anglers fueling the effort has cooked up includes 80 separate ideas. The plan is to add on to the museum each year, installing more permanent

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Renovations are finished on the building that will house the fly fishing museum, but the organization still needs money to create exhibits. Donated photo.

“The whole history of the area and how they gathered and harvested fish will be included,” Parker said. “Fly fishing is part of our heritage in Cherokee.”

As well as celebrating an important part of Cherokee culture, Parker hopes the museum will serve as a draw to bring tourists to Cherokee and keep them there for a while.

Many people come through town as part of a day trip, but Parker would like to seem them make Cherokee a longer stop on their journey.

And for anglers who come up to the Smokies on their own, she’d like to see the museum encourage them to bring their families too.

“If we can give a reason for them to bring their families when they come, that just creates further interest in Cherokee,” Parker said.

The museum, located in the former Tee Pee Restaurant building, will share space with the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. The chamber has already moved into its new digs and will run the museum once it opens. In April, Cherokee Tribal Council upheld the museum’s contract to lease the building from the tribe for 25 years at $1 per year.

Plagued with mold, mildew and asbestos, the renovations took some time and money, but Parker said everything went quite smoothly, thanks to help from volunteers and funding from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

“We’ve been very fortunate, and the building as far as the asbestos and the mold and all that has been almost completely gutted and redone,” she said. “The tribe has been generous to help us in certain areas.”

While achieving that May 1 opening

PAID FOR BY THE JACKSON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY www.jacksoncountygop.com; jacksonctygop@yahoo.com 21

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SHOP • DONATE VOLUNTEER NEW STORE HOURS:

Tuesday through Saturday, 10-5 95 Montgomery St. • Waynesville 828.246.9135 • haywoodhabitat.org

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Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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JACKSON COUNTY VOTERS - Everyone Deserves a Voice

VOTE FOR CODY, DEBNAM, & ELDERS JACKSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - WE STAND BY OUR RECORD Education

Finance / Operations

Fully Funded or Exceeded School Board Requests.

New Gym & Performing Arts Center at Smoky Mountain.

New Weight & Dressing Rooms at Blue Ridge. $400,000 Budget Increase at SCC & Fully Funded Capital Projects.

New Roof at Cullowhee Valley.

Refinance Loans Saving $2 Million .

Lower/Stabilize Budgets.

Collected $2.5 Million in Back Taxes.

Adequate Collateral on All Loans.

Hired HR & Economic Development Directors.

Record High Retail Sales.

New Board of Elections Office.

Centralized Operations For Public Works.

One Stop Permitting.

New 911 & Emergency Operations Centers.

Record High Fund Balance.

Employee Raises & Improved Insurance.

Health Saved & Completed ECU Dental School.

Funded "Well at Work".

Plans for Health Department Renovations.

Funds for Good Samaritan Clinic.

Recreation Bought Land & Built 1.2 Miles of Greenway.

Built New Recreation Center at Cashiers.

Extensive Upgrade to Mark Watson Park.

Upgrading Andrews Park.

RE-ELECT CODY, DEBNAM & ELDERS Continuing to Move Forward

Paid for by the Committees to Elect Jack Debnam, Doug Cody and Charles Elders.

Business Economic development summit set for Nov. 12 Leaders from government, business and nonprofits across Western North Carolina will gather with economic development experts and others to discuss solutions leading to sustainable economic and community development at LEAD:WNC, a one-day summit set for Wednesday, Nov. 12, at Western Carolina University.

With the theme “Connecting Leaders: Building Regional Success,” the summit also will include the participation of economic forecasters, business development specialists and entrepreneurs.

“This event is a call to those who look to be a part of the sustainable growth and economic strengthening of Western North Carolina,” said Tony Johnson, executive director of Millennial Initiatives at WCU. “Those who gather at LEAD:WNC will be asked to be part of setting the agenda for future events as we work together to meet the region’s potential.”

Summit activities are set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ramsey Regional Activity Center.

Although summit activities will begin at 10 a.m., a pre-summit session has been set for 9 a.m. at the Ramsey Center for a discussion titled “Working Together to Expand Broadband.”

Leaders from the N.C. departments of Commerce, Public Safety and Public Instruction will be on hand to discuss that topic.

Registration, including lunch, is $59 per person through Friday, Oct. 31, and $99 per

Smoky Mountain News

person after that date. For more information or to register, go online to leadwnc.wcu.edu, call 828.227.3014 or email dshopkins@wcu.edu.

Planning for the event has been ongoing for the past year, and it is an outgrowth of a regional engagement retreat that brought together about 100 university and community leaders in October 2013 to examine strategies for strengthening partnerships between the university and region. Launching an annual conference of regional leaders and thinkers to work collaboratively on solving regional issues was among the pledges made by WCU Chancellor David O. Belcher in his March 2012 installation address.

“Western North Carolina is not a homogenous whole,” Belcher said. “It is a region defined by the haves and the have-nots – some areas where people are struggling to survive economically and other areas that are thriving with commerce and investment. We hope this summit and future events on WCU’s campus will ultimately lead to a regionally focused strategy for economic and community development that will enhance the quality of life for all of the region’s citizens.”

The summit keynote speaker will be Michael L. Walden, the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University.

Walden will speak at 11 a.m. on the state’s most pressing economic challenges and opportunities, with a focus on the role WNC will play in future development.

Cherokee hospital topped out Principal Chief Michell Hicks placed the last bolt in the top beam of the $75 million Cherokee Indian Hospital last week, marking completion of the first phase of construction of the 150,000-square-foot facility. Three years in the planning, the hospital is slated for completion in early 2016.

“The local community, including tribal elders, artists, students and enrolled members, as well as physicians and medical professionals, have all played a big role in shaping this new facility,” Hicks said.

The goal is to build something that is not only a state-of-the-art healthcare center but also based on the history and healing culture of the Cherokee tribe.

The hospital will have a 20-bed inpatient facility, integrated outpatient services, a lab, pharmacy, physical therapy and other services as well.

Early College students gets Drive 4UR School funds Back in April of 2014 Andy Shaw Ford sponsored a Drive 4UR School event at Jackson County Early college. Larry Hinton, president/general manager of Andy Shaw Ford, and some of the dealership staff presented a check for nearly $4500 to Rebecca Ensley, principal of the Early College, and some of her students. Through this program, Ford Motor Company has donated over $20 million to high schools and community organizations across the United States. Since 2010 Andy Shaw Ford has provided nearly $50,000 to local high schools through this program.

“This will go a long way to supplement our field trip funds,” said Ensley. “We really strive to provide real world experiences for our students and these funds will help us do that.”

• The 2014 Apple Harvest Festival, held Oct. 18 in Waynesville, was a tremendous success. The estimated attendance was 50,000-plus festivalgoers. Planning is underway for the 2015 event.

• Hunter Banks Co. has been fly fishing the South since 1985. The store, specializing in fishing apparel and gifts, has opened a new location at 48 N. Main St. in Waynesville.

828.251.9721.

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• Champion Credit Union recently participated in a CU Lunch Local event in Canton. The CU event, held Oct. 14, is part of a larger nationwide cash mob event.

• The Haywood Tourism Development Authority, along with Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, invites the public to a workshop titled “Servicing the Group Tour Market: Parking, Pricing, Potties and More!” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 13.

The workshop will be held at the Colonial Theater Annex in Canton. 828.298.5330.

• Kimberly (“Kim”) Carpenter has joined the law office of Earwood & Moore in Sylva. For the past eighteen years, Kim has practiced law with the local firm of Melrose, Seago & Lay, PA and had been a partner since 1998.

• Students in Western Carolina University’s master’s degree program in business administration recently created export business plans for six North Carolina companies.

The reports were for companies such as Equilibar, based in Fletcher, and Microbroo, which is located in Asheville.

• Rita Willis was recently named branch manager for Champion Credit Union’s Arden office. Willis has over twenty years of experience in the financial industry.

• Eric’s Fish Market, which has been operating in downtown Sylva since 2008, recently opened a new location in Waynesville. The new fish market is located on Depot Street, just below the historic courthouse.

• In her first year as director of Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center, Tiffany Henry more than doubled the number of free services available for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. Henry seeks out new seminar topics that will benefit entrepreneurs throughout Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties as well as the Qualla Boundary.

• Highlands Dermatology, which has served Macon County from its office in Highlands for the past decade, recently opened a location in Franklin. The new office of is located at 118 Holly Springs Park Drive.

• Mountain Laurel Gems & Jewels recently celebrated a move. The store, offering local jewelry and art, relocated to 304 Depot St. in Franklin.

• The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a seminar, “Modern Tourism Drivers: Authenticity, Community & Sustainability,” Thursday, Nov. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Haywood Community College Creative Arts Building. Free. To register, call 828.627.4606.

• The Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting nominations for its 2014 Volunteer, Educator, Business Person, Citizen of the Year and the Evergreen Award.

Nominees must be submitted to the chamber by Oct. 31, with winners announced during the chamber’s Nov. 13 meeting.

• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort will recognize U.S. military veterans on Tuesday, Nov. 11 with a free meal at Chefs Stage Buffet. The meal is offered from noon until 10 p.m.

• Otto resident Amy Poirier recently won a free laptop, the grand prize for Southwestern Community College’s seminar series focused on preparing students for a job search. The Dell Inspiron 15 was donated by Drake Enterprises.

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Opinion

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‘Remember, the flying itself is the thing’ t is a fine day for a cookout, this Father’s Day. It is hot enough that most of the younger folk are wearing shorts and T-shirts, revealing traces of recent sunburn and the random bruises and scratches of youth. This one has a strawberry from trying to steal third base, that one a burn from a dirt-bike muffler. Most of the boys have brought their girlfriends — some faces are familiar, others fresh and wide-eyed and eager to make a good impression. They pay special attention to the toddlers, trying to make them giggle, making over their tiny sundresses and overalls with grand gestures and exaggerated praise, as if the toddlers had put a lot of thought and care into what they were going to wear today.

“Don’t you look PRETTY in your new pink dress?”

There are four generations of us here, at Lillie and Elgin’s house. Most everyone made it, it looks like. The locals, of course. Stan and Ramona are up from Raleigh. My brother, Jeff, and his wife, Reba, are up from Monroe. She is going to have a baby very soon, perhaps in the next couple of weeks.

My own father is in off the truck. And Elgin himself is up and around, doing pretty good, it seems, in his struggle with cancer. To be sure, some days are better than others, and this day is good enough that he is able to work the grill, as he usually does on these occasions. He’s lost a little weight and his appetite isn’t what it used to be — food tastes funny, probably

I

Time for new county commissioners To the Editor: What have the incumbent county commissioners brought to Haywood County?

I am a 55-year resident of Haywood County. The current Haywood County Board of Commissioners has given us a massive debt of well over $69 million, with almost $9 million a year going just to debt payments, this in a county of just 59,000 residents.

I think about the countless job losses in the name of tourism. According to the Haywood Employment Security Commission, three out of every four workers in Haywood work outside the county. Yes, 75 percent can’t find work in Haywood. What had you rather have, a ballfield on J Creek or jobs for your family? Thirty-three percent of Haywood residents do not even own their home.

Everywhere you look you see great increases in unreasonable government regulations, building permits, massive unconstitutional ordinances. Every aspect of our lives has been touched. Our inalienable rights — guaranteed

by God himself — have been trashed by the Haywood County Emergency Management Ordinance, written and implemented without your vote by the commissioners themselves.

I say it is high time for a change in leadership.

I support replacing the three incumbent

because of the medication — but he’s in his usual high spirits, and it’s good, really good, to be sitting out here on the patio with him, talking about his tomato plants while the hamburgers sizzle in the sun.

As we talk, I try to think about the pain he is in, the fear he must feel sometimes as he confronts the end, the faith that lifts him above it, rising, rising … Suddenly, two cardinals — a male and a female — light on the clothesline only long enough to settle a small dispute, then take flight again, Columnist gliding over rooftops, the house, the shed, the workshop. It doesn’t seem they are going anywhere, or have any particular place to be. The flying itself is the thing, simple and pure and perfect. I think of Elgin as a bird, soaring, weightless, liberated utterly, from his body, from cancer, from the requirements of gravity and the burdens of the earth.

My father emerges from the kitchen, which, on Sundays, functions as one enormous piece of machinery. Women weave around each other, cutting cucumbers, peeling Saran Wrap off of casseroles and desserts, stirring pots of steaming vegetables, piecing the ham, pouring huge glasses of iced tea, and catching up on current events. A man can needle through, sometimes lucky enough to snatch a chicken leg or a bite of fried squash without getting swatted.

“Whew,” my dad says, joining us at the table outside. “It’s hotter in there than it is out here. Elgin, how long ‘til those hamburgers are done? Is that girl in the kitchen Ryan’s new

Chris Cox

Editor’s note: This essay is from Chris Cox’s new book, The Way We Say Goodbye. Cox will be reading and signing books from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Blue Ridge Books and News in Waynesville. In addition, Jeff Minick reviews the book in this week’s book section of The Smoky Mountain News.

commissioners with three honest, liberty-loving defenders of the Constitution who each believe in a balanced budget, lower taxes and less intrusions into your personal lives. This year I will vote for Denny King, Phillip Wight and Dr. Windy McKinney for Haywood County Commissioners.

Eddie Cabe Haywood County Taxpayer Editor’s note: We reserve Eddie Cabe’s right to support whomever he wants in the upcoming election, but for accuracy’s sake a few points of fact need clarification.

According to the Haywood County Finance Office, Haywood County’s total debt is $57.6 million, not $69 million. According to the Haywood Economic Development Commission, Haywood County has a workforce of 28,000, of which 11,000 leave Haywood to find work. That’s 39 percent who leave to find jobs.

Vote for Hill, send Meadows home To the Editor: I truly believe Tom Hill will stand up for us, the common person. If you haven’t seen many television ads for him, or seen too many signs, it is because he has not accepted money from corporations or big money interests.

girlfriend? Whose girl is she?”

I wait for him to say something about MY new girlfriend.

I’ve been talking about her on the phone for several weeks, and now she’s here, in the living room, talking to Lisa and Mamaw, getting acquainted, I guess. We’ve been dating only a few weeks, not long enough for the differences between us that will ultimately prove fatal to reveal themselves. By summer’s end, it will be over between us, but we don’t know that yet, and neither does anyone else. We’re happy and pretty excited. I’ve had a few girlfriends since my divorce, but this is the first time I’ve brought somebody home. Every time she’s in a different room, someone tells me, “I LIKE her. She seems so sweet! You better hang on to that one, mister.”

Now it’s dad’s turn. He worries about me and Lisa, I know.

“I like this one,” he says. “She’s more like us than anyone you’ve ever dated.”

It is, I think, a moment of grace for my family. I have a girlfriend, Reba’s going to have a baby, Elgin’s holding his own, and we are all together again, thankful and happy and blessed.

We are blessed by what we know, and what we don’t know.

By this time next year, Elgin will have taken flight. My father, too. From now on, Father’s Day will bring with it an ache, a heavy stone in the stomach of the earthbound, an absence that no volume of memories can ever adequately fill.

Even so, other fathers go on worrying about their children, providing for them, loving them. My brother, my uncles and cousins, someday maybe even me. We want to help our children fly. Remember, the flying itself is the thing. Simple, pure and perfect.

(Chris Cox can be reached at jchriscox@live.com.)

Tom Hill wants to go Washington because he is as fed up with the direction this country is going as are most of us!

Tom Hill will work to close offshore and other tax loopholes that are robbing our country of just revenue so that large corporations and the very rich pay their fair share. Tom Hill believes in ending the wars on foreign soil and putting that money back into this country where we need it, rebuilding our infrastructure and putting people to work at jobs that pay a living wage.

Support Hill over Rep. Mark Meadows, RCashiers, in this congressional election.

Connie J. Conklin Dillsboro

A letter to Gov. McCrory and the Legislature To the Editor: The actions taken in the last few years under Republican leadership have awakened a sleeping giant of economic development. Not only have you opened the door for industry and jobs to discover North Carolina, but you have put in place future changes that will enhance the attraction for additional economic progress. While some disagree with these changes, the end results will be indisputable and show their selfish priorities.

Having said all that, I would like to pro-

pose action that I believe would create an all but immediate flood of capital, industry and jobs to our state.

Every week there are 10,000 people retiring. For the most part, a great number of those people would like to retire in North Carolina. We have everything retirees are looking for. Beaches, mountains and metropolitan cities. Many choose to pass up those advantages and choose Tennessee, Florida and Texas because of the personal income tax.

I realize your plans are to eliminate that tax, but I believe an action that could be taken immediately would trigger an immediate flood of not only retirees, but their assets would come with them and create thousands of jobs in the construction, real estate, medical, home furnishings, restaurants, insurance, grocery and untold other businesses. The increased revenue from this growth would more than offset any lost tax revenue. My proposal would be to immediately eliminate the state personal income tax for residents over the age of 65. The gradual reduction for other taxpayers could continue along your proposed schedule. An action like this would certainly prove to be the catalyst for a huge economic engine that would dwarf the growth of other states.

Remember, this demographic has little or no impact on infrastructure. They do not impact the school system except to generate

S EE LETTERS, N EXT PAGE

opinion

JACKSON COUNTY

Partisan Races

Democratic Recommendations US Senate: US House: NC Senate District 50: NC House of Rep. Dist. 119: District Attorney Dist. 30: Board of County Comm. Chairman: Board of County Comm. Dist. 1: Board of County Comm. Dist. 2: County Clerk of Superior Court: County Register of Deeds: County Sheriff:

Kay Hagan Tom Hill Jane Hipps Joe Sam Queen Jim Moore Brian McMahan Joe Henry Ward Boyce T. Deitz Ann Melton Joe Hamilton Chip L. Hall

Non-Partisan Judge Races Democratic Recommendations

NC Supreme Court Associate Justice Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

NC Supreme Court Associate Justice

EARLY VOTING THROUGH NOVEMBER 1 AT THESE LOCATIONS:

Jackson Co. Board of Elections (Old Southern Lumber Building in Sylva)

Cashiers Recreation Center Cullowhee Recreation Center

Smoky Mountain News

Wolftown Community Gym (Cherokee)

26

NC Supreme Court Associate Justice NC Court of Appeals Judge NC Court of Appeals Judge NC Court of Appeals Judge NC District Court Judge District 30

Sam J. Irvin IV Robin Hudson Cheri Beasley John S. Arrowood Lucy Inman Mark Davis Roy Wijewickrama

Other Non-Partisan Offices Democratic Recommendations

Soil & Water Conservation Dist. Supervisor

John Wittekind

ELECTION DAY: NOVEMBER 4 BARKERS CREEK PRECINCT: Barkers Creek Community Building CANADA PRECINCT: Canada Fire Station CASHIERS PRECINCT: Cashiers Fire Department Main Station CANEY FORK PRECINCT: Caney Fork Community Building CULLOWHEE PRECINCT: Cullowhee Recreation Center

GREENS CREEK PRECINCT: Savannah Community Center GLENVILLE PRECINCT: Glenville/Cashiers EMS Rescue Building QUALLA PRECINCT: Qualla Community Building RIVER PRECINCT: Tuckasegee Fire Station SAVANNAH PRECINCT: Savannah Fire Department Main Station

SCOTT'S CREEK COMBINED PRECINCT: Balsam Fire Department Main Station SYLVA NORTH WARD/ DILLSBORO PRECINCT: Jackson County Justice Center SYLVA SOUTH WARD PRECINCT: Board of Elections Office (Skyland Dr., Sylva) WEBSTER PRECINCT: Family Resource Center (Old Webster School)

Paid for by the Jackson County Democratic Men s Club

Classroom contemplations

LETTERS, FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Hunter Murphy best option for Appeals Court To the Editor: I would like to take this opportunity to recommend Mr. Hunter Murphy for election to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. I have known Mr. Murphy and his family

since they moved to Waynesville in 1995. I would like to consider myself as Hunter’s mentor in that I played a large role in his entry into the legal field. In addition I consider Hunter a friend.

Mr. Murphy’s stature in the legal community goes without parallel. He is considered a worthy and trusted advocate. Mr. Murphy has practiced both in the Superior and District Court divisions of the trial courts of North Carolina. His primary practice is in the District Court, which is truly the place where humans are most affected by the legal system. All disciplines of the law must be understood. Hunter’s knowledge of the law and appreciation of this dynamic is unequalled. Most importantly, a practitioner in the District Court judge setting must display humility and an understanding of the human condition. Hunter continuously demonstrates those characteristics, and it is these qualities that would serve him well as a judge on the Court of Appeals.

In his community, Mr. Murphy is known as a good father, a husband and is quite active in his church setting. I have practiced

S EE LETTERS, N EXT PAGE

JACKSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Republicans Doug Cody Charles Elders and Independent Jack Debnam The team that put Jackson County back on track!

Up-To-Date School Amenities

A Growing Economy & Lower Unemployment

New & Improved Recreational Facilities

Financial Reform

Solid Business Development

Agency & Department Re-Organization

Keep these proven leaders!

Re-Elect Commissioners Cody, Elders and Debnam.

RE-ELECT

MARK MEADOWS

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Our Strong Conservative Voice in the U.S Congress

RE-ELECT SENATOR JIM DAVIS N.C. SENATE, DISTRICT 50 Continue Education Reform, Balanced Budgets, Job Creation, Lower Taxes for All

ELECT MIKE CLAMPITT, N.C HOUSE, DISTRICT 119 ASHLEY WELCH CURTIS LAMBERT DISTRICT ATTORNEY

SHERIFF

CONSERVATIVE JUDGES Mark Martin

Bill Southern

Supreme Court Chief Justice

Court of Appeals

Bob Hunter

Paul Holcombe

Supreme Court Associate Justice

Court of Appeals

Eric Levinson

Christina Earwood

Supreme Court Associate Justice

District Court

Mike Robinson

Donna Forga

Supreme Court Associate Justice

District Court

Smoky Mountain News

more property tax to support education and they have virtually no impact on law enforcement or needed facilities for incarceration, nor do they have a large impact on HHS. This proposal could be quantified by Art Pope’s department and I believe it would be a positive impact on our state budget. I urge you to also consider the thousands of people who are part-time residents and return to Florida to pay their property and vehicle taxes and vote. Many of these part-timers would leave Florida and make North Carolina their primary residence.

Bruce Gardner, Waynesville

Dawn Gilchrist

M

RE-ELECT

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

y weekdays begin at 5 a.m. I have time to drink coffee with my husband, thank him for making my lunch, make myself presentable and read, pray, and meditate. I also clean out the cat’s litter box, which is perhaps as important as anything in preparing me for the harsh truths of my students’ lives. I am three months into my 16th year of teaching public high school.

This essay, the first in a series on various aspects of the classroom, will be from a teacher’s perspective, my perspective, on issues ranging from student testing to teacher pay to what a teacher does to stay in love with her job and what any of these factors might mean to those who matter most: the students.

This year, I have only seniors, ranging in age from 16 to 20; just as widely ranging are their interests, academic abilities, and facility with language. That facility makes their lives easier in my class: I teach English. Each class, 90 minutes in length, is one in which we get to know one another pretty well.

I teach two mainstream English IV classes and one Advanced Placement Literature class. I also work with a group of sophomore boys for a 25-minute tutoring session/study hall each day. My 26 seats are filled with bodies too large for them, but students are mostly good-natured about it, chafing against the discomfort of hardened polymer and cold metal only when they bump their kneecaps or are sick or exhausted. They are exhausted more than sick, and for many rea-

sons, most preventable.

The majority of kids hold down full-time jobs, and our Ingles is the largest employer.

Students work the late shifts, sometimes arriving home after midnight to face the one non-negotiable assignment I give them every night: to take a single sentence, dissect it, identify its parts, and then manipulate it. I try to be transparent.

I tell them the sentence assignment is so they understand the structure of our language, and the reason for that is because humans immediately judge each other in two Columnist ways: the first by how we look, and the second by how we communicate. They sometimes ask me why I make them work so hard, and I say, “Because I like you.” They get it.

Sometimes they even do the homework.

Many students get home from their jobs or sports or band and still must finish the assignment or accept the failing grade. I think I balance my requirements with kindness and encouragement and firmness, but I’m not sure it always works. My 51 years have taught me that students will generally do what I expect of them, so real kindness is achieved by my requiring more of them rather than less. In the low-expectations world we’ve created, I like to buck the trend.

Our students navigate a daily routine where the one thing they can count on is that no one is counting on them.

Not in my class.

(Dawn Gilchrist teaches in Swain County.

She can be reached at dgyoung-@swainmail.org.)

opinion

Students will rise – or fall – to our level of expectations

MORE OF THE SAME! IT IS A GOOD THING!

John Tyson Court of Appeals

PAID FOR BY THE JACKSON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY www.jacksoncountygop.com; jacksonctygop@yahoo.com

27

opinion

LETTERS, FROM PREVIOUS PAGE law for over 42 years in Waynesville. It would be an asset to this community and the state of North Carolina for Mr. Murphy to be elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the upcoming election.

Gavin Brown Waynesville

Smoky Mountain News

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

This is what GOP legislature did for us

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To the Editor: Are you better off now than you were, say, a year ago? For most of us that depends on whether the bank account is larger and we have more money in our wallets. In North Carolina, that depends on how much money you make.

This year, we all got a cut in our income taxes. Near the bottom of the income scale, your taxes went down about 0.2 percent, so you may not have noticed. In the middle of the scale the decrease was about 1.2 percent, and the top earners saved almost 2 percent on income taxes. However, if you’re among the working poor and used the Earned Income Tax Credit in the past, forget it because the GOP legislature repealed it.

Have you noticed that you’re spending more on your kid’s school supplies? It got worse this year when the tax holiday for school supplies was repealed. If your child is in college, their meal plan is now taxed for the first time. You also lost the deduction for your college savings plan.

You also now pay sales taxes on your electric and natural gas bills for the first time.

Same for movie tickets, concerts and shopping at a farmers market.

Retired on a pension? You lost that deduction. Own a farm? You lost a bunch of deductions this year, and even more if your farm income is less than $10,000.

Trying to get ahead with a small business outside of your usual work? The $50,000 exclusion for that income is gone.

Planning on buying a modular or mobile home? You’ll now pay the full sales tax rate and the $300 cap on that tax is gone.

With the “tax reform” that our Republican legislators gave us, the breakeven point is about $80,000. If you make less than that, you pay more taxes; if you make more than that, you pay less. That $80,000 is more than twice what half of households in Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties bring home in a year.

And they thought you wouldn’t notice!

John Gladden Franklin

Choose science over a salesman’s snake oil To the Editor: I’m really impressed with Tom Hill, candidate for District 11 of the U.S. Congress, hoping to unseat the incumbent, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers. I have seen both of

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786.

Carolina’s unemployment rate down to 6.9 percent. Our state’s tax rates were among the highest in the South. Tillis and McCrory changed that. Without the Reid/Obama campaign money this Senate race would not be close.

Any person who is unemployed should vote for Tillis. He has played a big part in reducing the unemployment rate in North Carolina from 9.8 percent to 6.9 percent. We need two senators who will represent the people in North Carolina, not just one. It should not be a tough choice to decide who the other senator should be.

Jim Mueller Glenville

these candidates speak. Rep. Meadows is a slick public speaker who dances well when trying to avoid answering difficult questions. He must be a very successful salesman, but I keep looking around for the snake oil.

Tom Hill is authentic, genuine, believable and trustworthy. What you see is what you get. Born and raised in Henderson County, To the Editor: he studied hard, earned a Ph.D. in physics Most of the talk regarding education has and worked in the aerospace industry. Learn been about teacher pay, which is critical such more about him at tomhillforcongress.com. that we can continue to recruit and maintain Rep. Meadows has many hundreds of highly qualified teachers. Certainly, North thousands of dollars to spend on his re-elecCarolina teachers deserve better pay; it is tion. According to opensecrets.org, his also important to consider all of the support money comes from large corporations and that contributes to teacher effectiveness and partisan political action committees who student learning at the local level. keep donor names secret. Tom Hill accepts Classroom teachers in Haywood County only small donations from private citizens. schools could not do the work they do withRep. Meadows promotes legislation for speout the assistance of the educational support cial interests while Tom Hill will look out for staff. The Transportation Department mainthe rest of us. tains our buses and the bus drivers safely Rep. Meadows has done irreparable transport our students as they travel to and harm to this district and wants to do more. from school each day. The child nutrition Remember around this time last year when program provides breakfast and lunch for our national parks were shut down during students and staff on a daily basis. The cusleaf season? Not only did Rep. Meadows todians clean our schools and take care of instigate the shutdown, he voted against last the school grounds. The maintenance year’s government funding bill that ended it. department works to keep schools running And he even voted for another shutdown and safe. Instructional assistants work this year by voting against the government directly with our students and teachers to funding bill passed in September. If it were provide a quality education for our students. up to Rep. Meadows the government would Central office and school-based administrastay shut down forever. Is he an anarchist? tors along with administrative assistants I’m voting for Tom Hill for Congress in work diligently to ensure schools have the District 11. We need a mountain native to support they need. look after the interests of a mountain district.

I have not named all the educational supWith the problems facing this country, I sure port staff, but my point is they also play a would rather have a scientist looking out for critical role in educating our students. These me than a snake oil salesman. dedicated employees continue to do a great Carole Larivee job even with the budget cuts.

Waynesville While the budget did provide raises for many North Carolina teachers, keep in mind that the state’s budget also provided pay raises for other public school educational support staff. However, whereas most state employees received $1,000 and five bonus days for the 2014/2015 school year, our nonTo the Editor: certified public school employees and central The Senate race in North Carolina is the office staff received a $500 pay raise for the most important election in our state this 2014/2015 school year and no bonus days. year. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., has been and This equates to $41 a month for a 12-month will continue to be a rubber stamp senator for President Obama and Sen. Harry Reid 96 employee. I have a difficult time rationalizing how our legislators think it is OK to do percent of the time if she is elected. More this to our educational support staff. How do than $20 million has been poured into our you explain to a school custodian that state from outside to get her elected. We he/she will receive $500 while a custodian have a senator who represents an unpopular cleaning the executive mansion receives president more often than she does the peo$1,000 and 5 bonus days? ple in her state? The senator we elect is supI say thanks to educators and educational pose to represent us, not the president. support staff for their dedication. Please N.C. Rep. Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, keep our educators, educational support has helped Gov. Pat McCrory get North

Keep all school staff in mind when voting

Tillis clear over incumbent Sen. Hagan

staff, and most importantly our students in mind as you vote on Nov. 4.

Candie Sellers Candidate for Haywood School Board

Goode is fresh choice for school board To the Editor: Eleven years ago, I came home from work to find my wife — Wende Goode — holding our newborn son Tristin on our sofa. Tears poured from her eyes as she explained she could not go back to work; she needed to devote her life to our young family.

Before our children came along (we added a second child, Westin John, five years ago), Wende was a social worker who worked with young families.

Going from two incomes to one hasn’t been easy, but I’m daily blown away by how she pours her heart into volunteering at our boys’ schools (Tristin’s at Canton Middle; Westin’s at Clyde Elementary) and rushing the boys to Kindermusic, science clubs and youth sports leagues.

Through all her volunteering, she listens carefully to the amazing teachers who dedicate their lives to the development of all our children. She spends hours in conversation with parents of other children. She knows what issues matter to all of them, and she wants to make a difference on their behalf.

That’s why Wende is running for Haywood County’s school board this fall. As her husband of 18 years, I can tell you Wende has more integrity, honor and backbone than any woman I’ve met. You can rest assured she will stand up for our teachers, for parents and for all our children.

So please take a few moments on Nov. 4 and make sure there’s a fresh voice on the school board: Vote for Wende Goode.

Tyler Norris Goode Clyde

We should fear the puppet politicians To the Editor: In the campaign financial reports from 2012, Rep. Michelle Presnell, R-Yancey, spent $107,039 with $3,611 from individuals and Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, spent $920,258 with $62,666 from individuals. (Contrast Joe Sam Queen spending $128,871 with $88,632 from individuals.) Given who paid for our politicians’ campaigns, it is not surprising that in the last two years of legislation big business got everything they wanted.

So it is important to ask: What kind of people are these masters of our elected representatives? They dumped more pollutants into the nation’s waterways than General Electric and International Paper combined. They generated 24 million metric tons of greenhouse gases a year. They developed chemicals and helped craft the legislation that protects the fracking cocktails, which are exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act. They promote the burning of a denser, dirtier and cheaper coal. They used thousands of miles of unsafe pipelines caus-

Thanks for coverage of candidates

Best choice for school board is Goode To the Editor: Don’t we all desire what’s best for our kids? The best schools. The best teachers.

The best extracurricular options. The best friends. But how often do we consider an even broader picture — like the best school board? Or the best school board members?

Wende Goode is running for the Haywood County School Board. Why? It is a lot of hard work and very little tangible reward, perhaps. It’s because she loves kids!

A wife and mother of two, Wende loves people. She serves people. She helps people.

And the world is a better place because of this.

Each year, Wende spearheads a local church’s outreach event to children at Central Elementary. And she’s done so for years. The Vine of the Mountains hosts each August, just prior to school beginning, the “Vineival” — a carnival-style event where children receive so much more than just prizes and sweet treats. They receive backpacks filled with school supplies. And they receive love.

Wende, as the mother of two sons, has spent many hours volunteering in schools.

She knows many students. Many teachers.

And the system. And she knows all of these well.

That’s why I believe wholeheartedly that she would make a wonderful addition to our Haywood County school board.

I want the best for my kids. Don’t you?

Vote for the best. Vote for Wende Goode on Nov. 4.

Maureen Miller Haywood County

You have permission to vote Democrat

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

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

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

Enjoy world famous hot dogs as well as burgers, seafood, hushpuppies, hot wings and chicken. Be sure to save room for dessert. The cobbler, pie and cake selections are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside

Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997.

Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; 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.

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

828.452.1313. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m.

Closed on Sunday. We specialize in handcut, all natural steaks, fresh fish, and other classic American comfort foods that are made using only the finest local and sustainable ingredients available. We also feature a great selection of craft beers from

UPCOMING EVENTS:

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Smoky Mountain News

To the Editor: Recently I have heard folks say things like, “My daddy” or “Momma” would “roll over in their grave if I don’t vote for all the Republicans like we always have, but I’m sure not happy with some of them this year.”

To those folks, I say, give yourself permission to vote for a Democrat or two if you agree more with their record, or their stance on the issues, or their personal character.”

It would not mean you are no longer Republican, or no longer conservative; it just means for this election, for specific offices, you are supporting an individual ... a neighbor ... whom you believe will best serve the needs of our county, our schools, our region or our state.

Sherry Miller Otto

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

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

To the Editor: I would like to applaud The Smoky Mountain News for the articles on the Haywood County Commission candidates.

It was fair and impartial and all six candidates had a chance to qualify their answers. Naturally, those who are in the trenches have more insight into certain issues, but we must remember as Kirk said that the first time or beginning as a commissioner is new to all.

While serving on the school board is government experience, it is not the same as being a commissioner where the day never ends. Calls can come at any time and involve any issue. The question is not that one is better than another, as I am impressed with the quality of the incumbents but I feel that perhaps governmental service should not be a career.

However, the voters in their wisdom can retire any one they want.

One item not mentioned in this campaign as far as I noticed is any refinancing of bond issues to benefit from the much lower interest rates. I’m sure that this was done and that’s the reason for its absence from the discussion.

I have observed that this campaign has been very clean and sign disappearance has been little. That speaks well for all.

Some opine that elections are too costly, but they don’t suggest alternatives. We have many offices that could and should be nonpartisan, and why we continue with the archaic is unexplainable.

We should applaud the candidates for the county commission for offering their services that consume so much of their time.

A clean election should be the 11th com-

tasteTHEmountains

LETTERS mandment as we’ve all seen the other.

Thanks Smoky Mountain News for these articles.

KG Watson Maggie Valley

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ing millions of gallons of spills, resulting in at least two deaths.

Not to be caught, they used the churn of a tugboat’s engine to break up waterborne spills, or on land just buried them. They drove the prices of oil above $147 a barrel in July 2008, battering a global economy about to enter a free fall. They’ve taken large amounts of materials (oil, pine) off the market, betting on price disruptions the company itself creates.

Is water next? They profited from trade with the state sponsor of terror and reckless would-be nuclear power, supplying Iran with the largest methanol plant in the world.

They trade in unregulated derivatives, dubbed “financial weapons of mass destruction,” that banks are banned from. Their very essence is to exploit breakdowns in the free market.

They get richer as the costs of what they destroy are foisted on the rest of us — ill health, foul water and a climate crisis. To voters they hide by selling fear of abortion, gun control, entitlements and government.

What voters should fear is big business becoming our government through the election of their puppet politicians.

John Geers Haywood County

29

SERVING THANKSGIVING DINNER

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tasteTHEmountains local artisan brewers, and of course an extensive selection of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank.

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ 6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Monday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Chef owned and operated.

Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables. Fresh roasted ham, turkey and Roast Beef used in our hoagies.

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

We use 1st quality fresh not pre-prepared products to make sure you get the best food for a reasonable price. We make Vegetarian, Gluten Free and Sugar Free items. Call or go to Facebook (Breaking Bread Café NC) to find out what our specials are.

Smoky Mountain News

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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

Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday brunch 9 a.m. to 3p.m., Full Menu 3 to 9 p.m. Serving fresh and delicious weekday morning lite fare, lunch, dinner, and brunch. Freshly prepared menu offerings range from house-made soups & salads, lite fare & tapas, crepes, specialty sandwiches and burgers. Be sure not to miss the bold flavors and creative combinations that make up the daily Chef Supper Specials starting at 5pm every day.

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

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

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

Evening cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays (weather permitting), featuring steaks, ribs, chicken, and pork chops, to name a few. Bountiful family-style dinners on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with entrees that include prime rib, baked ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer. The evening

social hour starts at 6 p.m., and dinner is served starting at 7 p.m. So join us for milehigh mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Please call for reservations.

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

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

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

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

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly. Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday serving freshly prepared small plate and tapas-style fare. Enjoy local, regional, or national talent live each Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. www.classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter.

CORK & CLEAVER 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.7179. Reservations recommended.

4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, Cork & Cleaver has an approachable menu designed around

locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Executive Chef Corey Green prepares innovative and unique Southern fare from local, organic vegetables grown in Western North Carolina. Full bar and wine cellar. www.waynesvilleinn.com.

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

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

FILLING STATION DELI 145 Everett St., Bryson City, 828.488.1919.

Open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sundays (in October) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Locals always know best, and this is one place they know well. From the highquality hot pressed sandwiches and the huge portions of hand-cut fries to the specialty frozen sandwiches and homemade Southern desserts, you will not leave this top-rated deli hungry.

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

HERREN HOUSE 94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837.

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

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

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

Lunch Sunday noon to 2:30 p.m., dinner nightly starting at 4:30 p.m. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola

Thanksgiving Buffet

11am - pm $2 .95 Adults $6.95 Kids 828-926-4848 (Reservations Required) www.MaggieValleyClub.com 30

cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome.

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

JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212.

Winter hours; Friday through Sunday and Mondays, 7 a.m. to noon. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966.

Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites.

Joey & Brenda O’Keefe invite you to join what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

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

Reservations appreciated.

PATIO BISTRO 30 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.454.0070. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast bagels and sandwiches, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches for lunch with homemade soups, quiches, and desserts. Wide selection of wine and beer. Outdoor and indoor dining.

JUKEBOX JUNCTION U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Saturday. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

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

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

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

SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUB SHOP 29 Miller Street Waynesville 828.456.3400.

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

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

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.

ORGANIC BEANS COFFEE COMPANY 1110 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.668.2326. Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Happily committed to brewing and serving innovative, uniquely delicious coffees — and making the world a better place. 100% of our coffee is Fair Trade, Shade Grown, and Organic, all slow-roasted to bring out every note of indigenous flavor.

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

(828) 586-9441

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

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

Located across from the Fire Station.

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

THAI SPICE 128 N. Main St., Waynesville.

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

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Smoky Mountain News

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32

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER

Garret K. Woodward photos

They say the easiest way to hide something is to place it right in front of someone.

Well, what would you say if I told you one of the most beautiful roads in America is right in your backyard, and it’s not the Blue Ridge Parkway?

“I’ve lived in North Carolina my whole life and I never heard of the Cherohala Skyway,” said Phillip Davis. “It’s one of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever been on and I found it completely by accident.”

Standing next to his motorcycle, Davis scans the 360-degree mountain views from an overlook on the Cherohala Skyway National Scenic Byway, a 43-mile two-lane mountaintop road stretching from Robbinsville to Tellico Plains, Tenn. He shakes his head when asked why more people aren’t aware of the Skyway.

“If you could compact the best parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway into 40 or so miles of road, it would be the Cherohala,” he said. “It’s a road everyone needs to do at least once in their lifetime.”

INTO THE GREAT BEYOND Ever since I moved to Western North Carolina and took my position at The Smoky Mountain News, I kept hearing about the

Cherohala Skyway. Folks and friends would mention it here and there, with pretty much everyone saying the same thing — “I hear it’s absolutely beautiful, but I’ve never been on it.”

My never-ending itch for exploration coupled with an unrelenting curiosity of the unknown fueled the urge to track down the Skyway and finally see for myself just what this road was. And yet for two years it remained on my to-do list, always sitting there, teasing me to disappear for an entire afternoon into this great beyond of Southern Appalachia.

So, I started doing some research. Turns out the idea for the Skyway emerged in 1958, when the original route (which is now the Skyway) was a covered wagon trail, which was only used at the time as a novelty when the bookend communities would recreate the past on the “Wagon Train Road.” A buzz about maybe someday putting a road “up there” to connect all of the small mountain towns on both sides of the state line snowballed. By the early 1960s, Congress allocated funds to construct the Skyway.

Thirty years and $100 million dollars later, the Skyway was officially opened in October 1996. Back then, the U.S. Forest Service estimated five million cars would traverse the road, a number far above actual numbers these days. But, regardless of what statistics said, what remains is a beloved and often overlooked piece of blacktop meandering through

some of the most desolate and mesmerizing landscape this side of the Mississippi River.

LET THE ODYSSEY COMMENCE Rocketing out of Waynesville last Friday, a warm late fall sun sat overhead as a crisp mountain breeze coated the region. I’d never been into Graham County, with my furthest point of reference going mountain biking at the Tsali Recreation Area just beyond the Swain County line. Crossing into Graham on N.C. 28, the road is filled with steep inclines, rollercoaster down hills and s-curves galore.

Before you know it, you’re in Robbinsville, an isolated outpost community in the heart of the county. With the town being one end of the

Skyway, Delphus and Cindy Lee just finished riding the road from west to east. Sitting on their motorcycle, the Kentucky couple said they make a yearly trip along the Skyway.

“If you love to ride, it’s one of the most exhilarating roads you can get on,” Delphus said.

“The scenery and the curves,” Cindy smiled.

Heading to the start of the Skyway down N.C. 143, Thunder Mountain General Store suddenly appears. “Last Stop For 50 Miles” a small sign says in front of the building.

“Over 1.3 million travelers go by our store every year,” said owner Ken Osburn. “Every corner of the world comes here.”

Osburn and his family came from Franklin,

S EE CHEROHALA, PAGE 34

— I feel like I’ll never grow old because of the music.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

I

— Artimus Pyle

the music. And I love that. I’m not trying to fool anybody. This isn’t Lynyrd Skynyrd, this is a tribute band to Ronnie Van Zant (late lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd), his band and his music, and we do it better than anybody in the world.

SMN: Why is the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd still vital just as much as it was in the mid-1970s?

AP: Well, people bury their friends to “Free Bird.” “Simple Man,” Ronnie wrote about his mother. So, it’s all about the American family. It’s about real good stuff.

SMN: “The Ballad of Curtis Lowe” says a lot about the South.

AP: And Ronnie says, “Curtis Lowe was a black man with white curly hair.” So, Ronnie was talking abut showing that if a person is a good person, it doesn’t matter what color, what gender, what race — if they’re good, they’re good, if they’re bad, they’re bad.

“Sweet Home Alabama” is saying don’t blame every Southern man. Neil Young had “Southern Man,” you know with the line, “bull whips cracking.” Ronnie was saying don’t blame all of us for the racism of the few because Ronnie wasn’t like that, he loved people for the way they were.

SMN: What’s the biggest misconception of Lynyrd Skynyrd?

AP: The stars and bars. That we automatically are against black people. Ronnie felt if you were a good guy, you’re a good guy, if you’re a bad girl, you’re a bad girl.

SMN: What does it mean to you to still play these songs?

AP: It keeps me alive. Blood sucking weasel attorneys, managers and all those people that make music bad, they have not been able to take away from me my ability to play drums. I still kick ass. I’m still going to play drums when I’m 100, then I’m going to switch to standup comedy.

Wed., Oct. 29 • 6:30 p.m.

Asheville author and “ghostlorist,” Randy Russell presents his book, The Ghost Will See You Now: Haunted Hospitals of the South

Fri., Oct. 31 • Starting at 5:30 p.m.

Bill Collins will offer free tarot card readings on Halloween night.

Sat., Nov. 1 at 3 p.m.

Former Cullowhee resident,

Marly Youmans will read from and sign her new novel, Glimmerglass.

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“In my mind, I’m Peter Pan. The music of Lynyrd Skynyrd has kept me going — I feel like I’ll never grow old because of the music.”

Bookstore

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

t never ceases to amaze me the incredible people, places and things I cross paths with here in Western North Carolina.

From craft artisans to world-class musicians, stealthy moonshiners to stoic veterans, backwoods folks and cosmopolitan socialites — they’re all here in Southern Appalachia.

And so, it was nothing shy of mesmerizing when Artimus Pyle came to Haywood County last week. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer for southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pyle and his tribute band took the stage at Haywood Appliance in Clyde.

Yes, I said Haywood Appliance.

You see, as a resident of Western North Carolina, Pyle has befriended some of the good folks with the Haywood Home Builders Association. And at Garret K. Woodward their latest association meet-andwith Artimus Pyle. greet networking event, it was decided to kick it up a notch, bring in a little firepower from behind the drum kit.

Pyle and company launched right into the Skynyrd hit “Workin’ for MCA” and never let Bestselling Appalachian author Ron Rash will go of the gas pedal. Just when hold a reading at 11 a.m. Nov. 8 at Blue one tune would end with a Pyle Ridge Books in Waynesville. percussive solo, another would pop up, rock-n-roll staples like Soldier’s Heart (Americana/rock) will perform “Simple Man,” “Sweet Home at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at Nantahala Brewing in Alabama,” and “The Ballad of Bryson City.

Curtis Lowe,” and more rearing their melodic tones.

Renowned storyteller Donald Davis will be It was all there, every song we performing at 3 p.m. Nov. 9 at HART in know and love, with each sparkWaynesville. ing a cherish memory of the past, Opposite Box (funk/experimental) will perform when times and responsibilities at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at No Name Sports Pub perhaps seemed simpler. As I in Sylva. looked around the older crowd, the atmosphere felt like a time The Eastern Boundary Quartet (jazz) will perwarp, where well-earned wrinkles form at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Coulter and grey hair (or no hair) disapBuilding at Western Carolina University. peared, where all that remained was a bunch of teenagers cheer(Oh, and yeah they did play “Free Bird,” ing on the beloved sounds of their youth. and yes, it was everything I hoped it would And yet, none of the songs ever sounded be.) stale. If anything, they sound just as alive and vibrant as ever, with Pyle truly offering Smoky Mountain News: You’re 66 years the listener an unforgettable experience. old. What does that number means to you?

What Pyle does isn’t a nostalgia act, far Artimus Pyle: Nothing. It’s just a numfrom. It’s rock-n-roll in its purest form, which is rebellious and eternal. He is the real ber. You know, when I’m playing I’m in the moment. It’s ageless, timeless, effortless. It deal, through and through. He’s a straight shooter in a world full of smoke and mirrors. just comes perfect when I’m playing. I’ve had three airplane crashes, eight motorcycle To watch a legend of his caliber perform live wrecks and 12 car crashes, so I feel my age was a moment that will forever be talked sometimes because of the injuries to my about by those who bared witness. body. But, in my mind, I’m Peter Pan. The Just another day in Western North music of Lynyrd Skynyrd has kept me going Carolina — another glorious day.

SMN: Do you think the crowd feels that way too?

AP: I do. I think so. Once they realize we’re serious with what we do, that the guys play the music with respect and accuracy, my band plays Lynyrd Skynyrd music better than any band in the world. My vocalists are second to none, so there’s no problem. These huge crowds we play for they respond. They might not be able to see the band [from far away], but they hear the music, they feel it, and their responding to the lush sound of

arts & entertainment

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CHEROHALA, CONTINUED FROM 32

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Tenn. They purchased and opened the store in January 2014 and are all smiles with all of the unique people who wander into their business. “[The Skyway] is Gatlinburg without all the riff raff,” he said. “It’s pure nature and beauty — you get to see where God showed off.”

So, why don’t more Western North Carolina locals know about the Skyway or actually go up on it?

“I notice a lot of locals get complacent, which happens anywhere you grow up,” Osburn said. “Anyone that lives at a beach gets used to the beach, while other folks can’t wait to get to the beach. One thing we’ve agreed on here is to never get complacent with the beauty of these mountains.”

UP AND AWAY

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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Smoky Mountain News

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Entering the Skyway, you’re immediately thrust into the sheer majesty of these mountains as an endless array of steep ridges look back at you from Santeelah Gap. The multitude of ridges hypnotizes the viewer, almost as if they were ripples in some vast, mysterious ocean. Countless trees still hold strong to their leaves, with the foliage season far from over.

The Skyway itself is a smooth road with too many notable viewing spots to count, so many in fact, you might want to tack on a couple more hours to the time estimation of your trip. After awhile your neck begins to hurt from turning left and right nonstop, eager to not miss an inch of this utterly captivating landscape.

At a nearby overlook, Linda and Mickey Archer are standing in awe of their surroundings. Visiting from Pensacola, Fla., they’ve ventured up to the Skyway every year for the last 15.

“As Floridians, we don’t have mountains,” Linda chuckled. “The Skyway is just a wonderful experience, the people, the trees, the road — everything.”

“The views knock your socks off,” Mickey added.

Drifting further along, the miles seamlessly tick away. Thoughts and memories, new and old, filter through your field of vision. A person can do a lot of thinking on the Skyway, as if to escape from the madness of a fastpaced world and get back to nature, back to silence, back to where you can hear the most important voice in your life — your own.

At another overlook, I find myself deep in my own mind, staring off into the abyss of not only Western North Carolina but also my existence. It’s a pretty amazing feeling to hear nothing around you but your boots on the ground, the air in your lungs and the occasional sound of a bird in flight to destinations unknown.

Soon, a sleek 1988 Chevrolet Corvette rolls up. At the wheel is Frank Helwig from Brantford, Ontario. With an ear-to-ear grin, the middle-aged man seems to have tapped into the fountain of youth cruising the Skyway.

“This car was made for this road,” he laughed. “This place is spectacular, it really is.

That’s why I came here — it’s a trip of a lifetime.”

On the beat

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The Eastern Boundary Quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University.

The quartet is a collaborative quartet featuring the Hungarian master musicians drummer Balazs Bagyi and saxophonist Mihaly Borbely and the long-standing bass/piano partnership of New York City bassist Joe Fonda and pianist Michael Jefry Stevens (co-leaders of the Fonda/Stevens

Donated photo

Morlix brings Americana to Strand Singer/songwriter Gurf Morlix will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.

Morlix is a master craftsman, taking home the 2009 Americana Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year award, and producing top shelf Americana and indie country for the likes of Lucinda Williams and Robert Earl Keen. Morlix can write, sing, produce, and play nearly every instrument (mostly stringed) and has a bottomless range of American musical idioms from which to draw.

Through more than four decades of professional music endeavors, he has distinguished himself with his innate musicality, exquisite taste, keen creative instincts, and well-honed ear for not only songwriting but also the elements that bring songs to their fullest fruition.

Tickets are $15 and $18. www.38main.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

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Gurf Morlix.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

The Beautiful Offerings Tour featuring Big Daddy Weave, with special guests Chris August, Dara Maclean and Group 1 Crew will perform an evening of contemporary Christian music at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Big Daddy Weave is currently enjoying their best-selling album to date, “Love Come To Life.” They have reached the number one spot with three singles so far, “Love Come To Life,” “Redeemed,” and “The Only Name (Yours Will Be).” Their best-selling track so far, “Redeemed,” spent eleven weeks at number one and earned the prestigious trophy for Song of the Year at the first ever K-LOVE Fan Awards. It also received nominations for Christian Song of the Year at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards and Song of the Year at the 2013 Dove Awards.

August is one of only three artists to receive awards for both New Artist of the Year and Male Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards. Maclean is a powerful vocalist and songwriter with a sound that adds an edge of Motown and soul. She has toured alongside Casting Crowns and Newsong. Group 1 Crew is known for their hits “Can’t Go On,” “Movin,” and “Walking on Stars.” They received the 2012 Dove Award for Special Event of the Year and their music has been featured on television shows such as America’s Got Talent and One Tree Hill.

Tickets start at $15. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

The Western Carolina University Percussion Ensemble will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Coulter Building in Cullowhee.

The ensemble is composed of 14 undergraduate percussion music majors from the studio of Mario Gaetano, professor in the WCU School of Music. Graduate student Dillon Ingle also performs with and conducts the group. The group typically performs contemporary music written specifically for percussion instruments such as drums, cymbals, xylophones, bells, marimbas and timpani.

Works to be performed include “Concerto for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble” by Ney Rosauro, a four-movement virtuosic 20minute concerto, with undergraduate student Chris Smith as featured soloist. Other works on the program include pieces by Ronald Lo Presti, Fisher Tull, Nathan Daughtrey, Lynn Glassock and John O’Reilly.

Free.

828.227.7242.

Group). The group uses Hungarian folk rhythms and melodies in combination with Jazz harmonies and rhythms to form an original hybrid variety of improvised music. www.wcu.edu.

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Group 1 Crew (pictured) will be one of the featured groups during an evening of contemporary Christian music on Oct. 31 in Franklin. Donated photo

Percussion Ensemble at WCU

arts & entertainment

Contemporary Christian music celebration hits Franklin

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Soldier’s Heart, 96.5 House Band to play fireworks fundraiser The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce will host a fireworks benefit with Soldier’s Heart and the 96.5 House Band from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

An Americana/folk act from Haywood County, Soldier’s Heart is a regionally acclaimed group quickly on the rise in Southern Appalachia. The 96.5 House Band brings together the sounds of Jerry Lee Lewis, KC and the Sunshine Band, Van Morrison, Elvis, The Eagles, Hall & Oates, Wilson Pickett, Dion, Queen, The Beatles, Otis Redding and lots more.

“We’re excited to not only bring these two amazing bands to Sylva for a fun night of music, but we’re also extremely pleased to be working diligently on bringing fireworks back to the downtown Sylva area next summer,” said Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Spiro.

“The community’s support of this event and others this winter will help finance a July 4 fireworks festivity downtown that everyone will be proud of for years to come.”

Citizens and businesses can make donations for fireworks anytime at the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. Volunteer,

vendor and sponsorship opportunities are also available.

828.586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.

Daughtry to rock Harrah’s

Haywood Community Band to honor Hill The Haywood Community Band will present its final performance of the 2014 season by honoring founder Bob Hill at 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 2, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

The afternoon’s program features favorite concert pieces from the successful 2014 season, performed in gratitude for the beloved man who came to Haywood County in 2000 and decided that our town needed a community band to play the popular music of America. Before his retirement, Hill took a course in conducting at Wichita State University with plans to start up a band when he and his wife Elaine arrived in Waynesville.

He had loved band music from childhood and played piccolo in bands throughout his life.

The Haywood Community Band is supported in part by a grassroots grant from the Haywood County Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council. The series is sponsored by the Maggie Valley Civic Association.

Free. www.haywoodcommunityband.org or 828.456.4880.

Acclaimed rock act Daughtry will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Harrah’s Cherokee.

In the course of only five years, Chris Daughtry has had more than his share of career highlights. The singer/songwriter from North Carolina has released back-to-back No. 1 albums, the 4x-platinum “DAUGHTRY” (which became the fastest-selling rock debut in Soundscan history) and 2009’s platinum “Leave This Town.” Daughtry has scored four No. 1 Top 40 hits (“It’s Not Over,” “Home,” “Feels Like Tonight” and “No Surprise”), earned four Grammy Award nominations (including Best Rock Album for “DAUGHTRY”) and won four American Music Awards.

Tickets start at $40. www.harrahscherokee.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

arts & entertainment

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• Back-porch-and-soul band Soldier’s Heart will perform at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com

• A Halloween Party, Josh Wager and the Spontaneous CombustJam will hit the stage at BearWaters Brewing Company in Waynesville. The Halloween Party will be 7 p.m. Oct. 31, with Wager 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and the Spontaneous CombustJam at 8 p.m. Nov. 3. www.bwbrewing.com or 828.246.0602.

• Craig Summers (solo), Flea Bitten Werewolves, Craig Summers & Lee Kram and Soldier’s Heart will perform at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville. Summers (solo) will be 5 p.m. Oct. 30, with Flea Bitten Werewolves 7 p.m. Oct. 31, Summers & Kram 6 p.m. Nov. 6 and Soldier’s Heart 7 p.m. Nov. 8.

828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

DID YOU KNOW?

• DJ Shane and Ashlee Rose will perform at Tipping Point Brewing in Waynesville. DJ Shane will spin during the Halloween party and costume contest at 8 p.m. Oct. 31, with Rose at 9 p.m. Nov. 7. Free. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• A back-porch, old-time music jam will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Cherokee. All welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia.

• The School of Music Choral concert, Trumpet Upperclassmen recital, faculty recital with saxophonist Ian Jeffress and faculty recital with pianist Holly Roadfeldt will be in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University. The School of Music will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30, with Trumpet Upperclassmen 6 p.m. Nov. 3, Jeffress 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and Roadfeldt 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5. www.wcu.edu.

• Pianist Joe Cruz and Americana singer/songwriter Aaron Burdett will perform at The Classic Wine Seller in Waynesville.

Cruz plays Nov. 1, with Burdett Nov. 7. $10 minimum purchase for Cruz and Johnson.

828.452.6000.

State law now bans straight ticket voting which means voters must select a candidate(s) in each race on the ballot.

Clip this list and take it with you to the polls.

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR 2014 GENERAL ELECTION

N.C. COURT OF APPEALS:

John Arrowood COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE:

Lucy N. Inman COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE:

U.S. SENATE:

Mark Davis

Kay Hagan

DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DISTRICT 30:

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 11:

Roy Wijewickrama

Tom Hill N.C. SENATE DISTRICT 50:

Jane Hipps N.C. HOUSE OF REP. DISTRICT 118:

Dean Hicks N.C. HOUSE OF REP. DISTRICT 119:

Joe Sam Queen DISTRICT ATTORNEY DISTRICT 30:

Jim Moore

Larry D. Henson H.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION (CLYDE) DISTRICT:

Wende Goode James M. (Jimmy) Rogers Candie H. Sellers H.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION (CRABTREE/IRONDUFF) DISTRICT:

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

HAYWOOD CO. BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS:

H.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION (BETHEL) DISTRICT:

Bobby Rogers

J.W. (Kirk) Kirkpatrick Michael T. Sorrels Bill L. Upton HAYWOOD CO. CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT:

H.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION (FINES CREEK) DISTRICT:

John Duckett Steven Kirkpatrick H.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION (BEVERDAM) UNEXPIRED TERM:

June L. Ray HAYWOOD CO. REGISTER OF DEEDS:

Sherri C. Rogers HAYWOOD CO. SHERIFF:

Greg Christopher HAYWOOD CO. TAX COLLECTOR:

David B. Francis

Walter E. Leatherwood HAYWOOD SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT SUPERVISOR:

Charles Boyd Robert A. (Bob) Cathey JUNALUSKA SANITARTY DISTRICT:

Jim H. Francis, Jr. Dan McCracken

N.C. SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUSTICE:

Robin Hudson SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUSTICE:

JUNALUSKA SANITARTY DISTRICT (UNEXPIRED TERM):

Tom Posey MAGGIE VALLEY SANITARY DISTRICT:

Cheri Beasley

Jack Leatherwood, Jr.

Smoky Mountain News

Sam J. Ervin, IV SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUSTICE:

Only a few days of Early Voting Left!

October 29-November 1 Waynesville Senior Center, Clyde Town Hall, Canton Library ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

ELECTION DAY — TUESDAY, NOV. 4 at your precinct

Paid for by the Haywood County Democratic Party

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ALSO:

• A Halloween Costume Party with rock act the Mile High Band will be held at 9 p.m.

Oct. 31 at the Rendezvous at the Maggie Valley Inn & Conference Center.

arts & entertainment

• Opposite Box, Nathan Kalish & The Last Callers, If Birds Could Fly, The Blind Staggers, Milton Menasco & The Big Fiasco and Dear Salem will perform at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. Opposite Box plays Oct. 30, with Kalish Oct. 31, If Birds Could Fly Nov. 1, The Blind Staggers, Nov. 3, Menasco Nov. 6 and Dear Salem Nov. 8. Shows begin at 9:30 p.m., with Sunday performances from 5 to 8 p.m. Free.

828.586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

37

arts & entertainment

Smith hits the stage for benefit Actress Barbara Bates Smith will celebrate her 25th year of touring as part of North Carolina Stage Company’s Catalyst series at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 and at 3 p.m.

Nov. 2 at the North Carolina Stage Company in Asheville.

Noted for her off-Broadway performance of “Ivy Rowe,” adapted from Lee Smith’s bestselling novel Fair and Tender Ladies, Smith portrays this feisty mountain woman’s life of “livin’ on love,” even as she takes a stand against the coal company’s bulldozer. “Go, Granny D!” from the memoir of Doris “Granny D” Haddock, who at age 90 walked across the U.S. for election reform, is also part of Smith’s repertoire.

Tickets range from $12-$24. The weekend of shows will benefit the Haywood Street Congregation, a service ministry where both homeless and housed enjoy food and fellowship.

828.239.0263 or www.ncstage.org or www.barbarabatessmith.com.

Davis to spin yarns at HART Renowned storyteller Donald Davis will be performing “Our Stories Take Us Home” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Growing up in Waynesville, Davis has

fond memories of spending time with his relatives and running around the hills of Western North Carolina “All of the stories are original and about growing up. They’re about trouble because those are the events in which we learn from.

It’s all about learning and things that move us forward,” Davis said. “They’re all funny, even if they may be sad. They’re all set in the mountains of North Carolina. Some of the stories I tell have come through my family, but it can be a double story because I’ll tell you about that person and then the story.”

Donald Davis will hit the HART stage on Nov. 9. Donated photo

The show is presented by The Shelton House, with Davis donating his performance proceeds to benefit the museum, a private, nonprofit whose mission is to collect and preserve the heritage crafts of North Carolina.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. They can be purchased online or at Blue Ridge Books and the Olde Brick House, both in Waynesville. www.sheltonhouse.org/donalddavis.

Professor, actor to receive state award

WCU professor and Broadway actor Terrence Mann will receive a state award for his work in the dramatic arts. Donated photo The North Carolina Literary and Historical Association will present Broadway star Terrence Mann, Western Carolina University’s Phillips Distinguished Professor of Musical Theatre, with the Hardee-Rives Award for the Dramatic Arts on Friday, Nov. 7. The annual award honors notable contributions to the dramatic arts in North Carolina and will be bestowed during an association meeting in New Bern.

Mann, who has been nominated three times for Tony Awards for his performances on the Broadway stage, joined the Western Carolina faculty in 2006. His Broadway roles have included Rum Tum Tugger in “Cats,” Javert in “Les Miserables,” Chauvelin in “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and King Charles in “Pippin.” He was the originator of the role of

the Beast in the Broadway production of “Beauty and the Beast,” and he has taken the Broadway stage in “Lennon,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Getting Away with Murder,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Rags,” “Barnum,” “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway” and “Jekyll and Hyde.”

Mann is founding artistic director of the Carolina Arts Festival and served as artistic director of the North Carolina Theatre for 14 years, directing more than 25 musical productions during his tenure. He also was artistic director of “The Lost Colony,” North Carolina’s long-running outdoor drama. At WCU, in addition to teaching and directing, he and Charlotte d’Amboise, his wife and a fellow Broadway star, founded WCU’s Triple Arts Intensive Musical Theatre Summer Camp.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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“The Legend of Love,” performed by The Bolshoi Ballet, will be screened in HD in Highlands on Nov. 2. Donated photo

• The Miss Asheville Pageant-Blue Ridge Valley Scholarship will be held on Nov. 8 at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. The Little Miss Pageant will be from 1 to 4 p.m., with the Miss & Teen Pageant from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door.

tures elaborate costumes, sets and special effects. The production features a “carolers ensemble” that sing throughout, but there are numerous non-singing roles for all ages. Actors auditioning as professionals should come with a prepared monologue, headshot and resume. Actors who audition as volunteers will be asked to cold read from a provided script. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production is also encouraged to come by during auditions to sign up. The production will run Dec. 11-14.

ALSO:

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The Bolshoi Ballet performing “The Legend of Love” will be shown at 12:55 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 2. This tale of forbidden love, self-sacrifice, jealousy and suffering returns to the Bolshoi stage after a ten-year absence. The Legend of Love is one of Russian master Yuri Grigorovich’s earliest choreographic works, and its storyline explores the conflict between love and duty through its two heroines. The royal apartments of Queen Mekhmene Banu are plunged into mourning — her young sister, Princess Shyrin, is dying. The Princess will only be saved if the Queen gives Shyrin her beauty. The Queen decides to sacrifice herself, but later regrets her action when she is disfigured and Shyrin falls in love with the Queen’s own lover, the painter Ferkhad.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for students. www.highlandspac.org or 828.526.9047.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

The Live in HD Series will continue with “Carmen and The Legend of Love” at the ML Performing Arts Center in Highlands.

The MET Opera’s production of “Carmen” will be shown at 12:55 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 1. Richard Eyre’s mesmerizing production of Bizet’s steamy melodrama returns with mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili singing her signature role of the ill-fated gypsy temptress. Aleksandrs Antonenko plays her desperate lover, the soldier Don José, and Ildar Abdrazakov is the swaggering bullfighter, Escamillo, who comes between them. Pablo Heras-Casado conducts the irresistible score, which features one beloved and instantly recognizable melody after another. A discussion will be led by Beverly Pittman at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $24, or $20.40 for members.

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On the wall arts & entertainment

Cowee Pottery School to offer sculpture class A clay class on sculpting animals will be offered in Franklin starting Nov. 3. File photo

N.C. Artist Fellowship deadline is Nov. 3

Smoky Mountain News

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Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

The North Carolina Arts Council will accept applications for the 2014-15 Artist Fellowship awards for songwriters, composers, and writers until Monday, Nov. 3.

The Artist Fellowship program, now in its 34th year, supports creative development and the creation of new work for artists in North Carolina. The Artist Fellowship allows artists to set aside time to work and to buy supplies and equipment. The fellowship award is $10,000.

The N.C. Arts Council’s fellowship program is one of the country’s premier programs in total awards, over $4.5 million in fellowships awarded to more than 585 artists across disciplines.

Fellowship guidelines can be found at www.ncarts.org.

A class to teach students how to sculpt animals in clay will be taught from 1 to 4 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 3, at the Cowee Pottery School in Franklin.

The class will meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for two weeks, break

for two weeks as the critters dry and get bisque fired, then meet for another week to glaze their pieces. Hank Shuler, one of the founding ceramists of the school, and an accomplished sculptor, will teach the class.

The founder of Southwestern Community

College’s master pottery certificate program, Shuler has been working in clay for a number of years.

Students need not have any experience in sculpting or pottery to participate in the class. As a result of taking the class participants will learn about sculpture clays and tools, firing techniques and how to build fireable armatures.  Gaining a better understanding of their animal’s proportions and natural positions, they will create at least one animal during the course.  In addition, students will prepare test tiles to determine glaze finishes for their pieces. Should students need additional time to work on their pieces, open studio hours will be provided on classroom days.

The registration fee for the 27-hour class is $198. www.coweeschool.org or 828.369.7186 or hank.coweepotteryschool@gmail.com or 828.524.7690 or coweepotteryschool1@gmail.com.

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On the wall

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• Ceramicist Alex Irvine will hold a discussion on his work at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. www.wcu.edu.

• A Visiting Artists Night will be held from 6 to f 9 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Nantahala School for the Arts in Bryson City. An educational evening with visiting ceramic artists.

828.366.2000 or www.greatsmokies.com.

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828-586-HAUS (4287)

arts & entertainment

• A call for artists is underway for the Small Works show, which will run Nov. 19-Dec.27 at Gallery 86 in the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Works will be received Nov. 3-8. office@haywoodarts.org or www.haywoodarts.org.

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• An open call for artisan vendors is underway for the annual craft fair to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde.

Booths are $15 for center members, $25 for nonmembers. 828.452.8080.

ALSO:

• Acclaimed painter Dominick DePaolo recently joined the Mahogany House Fine Art Gallery and Studios in the Frog Level District of Waynesville. DePaolo will now be teaching interactive classes in oil, watercolor, acrylics and drawing from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Fridays, and private classes by appointment. www.dominickdepaolo.com.

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• A basic knitting class will be held from 10 a.m. to noon every Tuesday morning at the Jackson County Senior Center in Sylva. Bring yarn and needles if you have them.

828.586.4944.

• The Swain County Quilt Trail Committee is currently recruiting quilt trail participants, to paint, to research quilt patterns, and to build blocks. Those interested should contact Rota Krape at 828.488.8180, or stop by the Swain County Chamber of Commerce to talk with Heidi. Meetings are the first Monday of each month at 10 a.m. in the chamber. www.greatsmokies.com.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Photographers Houa Vang and Tihomir Trichkov will speak about their experiences from 2 to 3 p.m. Oct. 30 in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. www.wcu.edu.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

• The 2nd annual Fall Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital.

Costume contest, hayrides, trick or treating, pumpkin decorating contest, face painting, food, music, and more. Lunch $5 per plate.

Admission is free.

• The Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program will be at 5 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $18 per child.

Materials and snacks included.

828.538.2054.

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On the street

WNC Halloween: where to go, what to do BETHEL • The Cold Mountain Corn Maze. Open 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $8 for ages 4 and older, ages 3 and younger free.

BRYSON CITY • Downtown Trick or Treat will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30. www.greatsmokies.com.

• Spooky Storytelling will be held at 8 p.m.

Oct. 31 in The Storytelling Center.

• The PEANUTS Pumpkin Patch Express is now running daily from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Depot. www.gsmr.com or 800.872.4681.

• A Masquerade Dinner Train will hit the tracks at 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.

• The Darnell Farms Corn Maze. Open daily, with hayrides Friday and Saturday. $5 for ages 4 and up, ages 3 and younger free.

828.488.3167.

CHEROKEE • “Haunted Cherokee” returns Oct. 29-31 and Nov. 1 at select locations. The Little Dorm of Horrors!, Haunted Theatre and Myths & Legends Ghost Walk will all featured. Tickets are $10 for each haunted attraction, $18 for a combination of any two or if you’d like to visit all three for $25. www.hauntedcherokee.com or www.cherokeeadventure.com.

• The 6th Annual “Arc”toberfest will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in the ballroom at Harrah’s Cherokee. The event pro-

Smoky Mountain News

Culinary weekend returns to Highlands

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SYLVA

The 8th annual Highlands Culinary Weekend will be Nov. 6-9 at participating restaurants and businesses.

The four-day destination event, created by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center, is one of the highlights of the fall season, which combines Highlands’ majestic mountain location with boundless activities, appealing accommodations, unique retail shops and extraordinary cuisine.

The weekend kicks off with the Opening Night Celebration at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Highlands Country Clubhouse. The evening includes live music, a variety of wine tasting tables and the delectable cuisine of Highlands’ local chefs. Throughout the weekend, there will also be an array of activities, cooking demonstrations, tastings and dinners hosted by area restaurants, merchants and accommodations.

Experience the wares of Highlands’ fine shops

vides The Arc of Haywood funding to support the residential programs and services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

828.452.1980 or www.arcofhaywood.org.

FRANKLIN • Trunk or Treat will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 29 at the Iotla Baptist Church. www.franklin-chamber.com.

• The Deals Farm Corn Maze. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. To visit on Monday through Thursday or from 6 to 9 p.m. on weekend nights, call ahead to make an appointment. $5 for ages 6 and older, ages 5 and younger free. 828.524.5151 or www.dealfarms.com.

by attending the annual Sip & Stroll held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 7-8 in downtown. It’s impressive to see the creativity that goes into Highlands Culinary Weekend.

For ticket sales, a complete schedule of events and list of participating businesses, click on www.highlandsculinaryweekend.com.

• Bill Collins will offer tarot card readings at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Candy will also be available for trick-or-treaters. Free.

• A Kid’s Harvest Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Encouraging Word Baptist Church located at the Historic Bethel Presbyterian Church in Waynesville. Come enjoy pony rides, bouncy house and slide, face painting, cake walk, games, prizes and hot dogs with all the “fixins” provided by Bethel Rural Community

ALSO:

• “Ghostlorist” Randy Russell, author of The Ghost Will See You Now: Haunted Hospitals of the South, will hold a presentation at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Attendees can share their stories, artifacts, and costumes to join in on the fun. 828.586.9499.

• Trunk or Treat will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the East Sylva Baptist Church.

828.586.2853.

• The Where the Shadows Walk: Local Historical Ghost Stories will be held at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. A Halloween party will also be held at 6 p.m. in the Storytime Room at the library.

Both events are free.

828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• Haunted Hill Happenings will be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Comfort Inn and Sonic Drive-In parking lot. 828.631.4200 or 828.354.0473 or www.mountainlovers.com.

WAYNESVILLE • Treats of the Street will be from 5 to 7 p.m.

Oct. 31 in downtown. www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller Psycho will be screened at The Strand at 38 Main.

Showtimes are at 7:45 and 10:15 p.m. Oct. 31; 2, 5 and 7:45 p.m. Nov. 1; 2 p.m. Nov. 2; 7 p.m. Nov. 4-5. $6 per person, $4 for children, $3 for matinee. www.38main.com.

Organization. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Bethel Middle School Gymnasium.

• The Highlands School Interact Club will be bringing candy around downtown at 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 28. The Halloween trick-ortreat in downtown will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31.

• The “Polar Express”-themed train will kickoff the holiday season Nov. 7-8 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in Bryson City. The classic children’s book comes to life as the train departs for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. The train arrives to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa boards the train, greeting each child and presenting them with their own silver sleigh bell. www.gsmr.com or 800.872.4681.

Books

Smoky Mountain News

43

Celebrating the ever-popular essay his week it’s time to break out the champagne, pop that cork, and raise a flute of bubbly to the essay.

Once the property of magazines and newspapers, the essay is now the vehicle of choice for thousands of online bloggers. Everyday we can go to our computers and pull up essays on every topic imaginable. Anyone can create a blog, and the essay, usually short and focused, is the ideal form for posting thoughts and opinions on that blog.

Name a topic — household budgets, Writer the novels of John Gardner, black bears, guitars, love, Ebola — and you’ll find amateur essayists sharing their observations online.

More remarkably, many of these essayists, who just 20 years ago would never have dreamed of writing, much less publishing, these observations, are excellent. They lucidly and enthusiastically share their ideas, and bring illumination and pleasure to those who read them. Those of us who follow certain blogs come to the computer in the morning with a cup of coffee and a high sense of anticipation.

Collections of in-print essays are also seeing a sort of golden age. Books of essays commonly make the best-seller lists, and certain essayists gain fans who eagerly await their latest work.

One of these writers, whom some call America’s greatest living essayist, is Joseph Epstein. This year Epstein published A Literary Education and Other Essays (ISBN 978-1-60419-078-6, 537 pages, $24), his thirteenth collection. Here Epstein combines memoir with reflections on the state of the arts, culture, and education.

Epstein’s writings on culture offer topics that should attract many general readers. In “Prozac, with Knife,” he wittily examines our current obsession with youth, beauty, and plastic surgery. Near the end of the essay, he

“the study and practice of decent, enlightened living.”

What adds luster to Epstein’s style and thought are the wide range of topics addressed in A Literary Education.

He delivers opinions on the health of

Jeff Minick

T

describes his own 60-something face, then adds: “A face, clearly, begging for the knife.

Yet, just as clearly, it is not going to get it: for I have grown accustomed to this face, a poor

the United States in “Whose Country ‘Tis of Thee?”, takes an affectionate look at the world of comedians in “Stand-Up Guys,” revisits the Jewish Literary Education and Other Essays by Joseph Epstein. delis of his youth in “Nostalgie de le Axios Press, 2014. 537 pages.

Boeuf,” and critiques our obsession with raising children in “The Kindergarchy: Every Child a Dauphin.” thing but my own.”

Closer to home is Chris Cox’s The Way We In “You May Be Beautiful, but You Gonna Say Goodbye (ISBN 978-0-9906968-0-3, 123 Die Some Day,” Epstein begins his short look pages, $15). Cox, who has written for The at death by writing “We are all born with a Smoky Mountain News and is the author of serious and unalterable birth-defect: we grow Waking Up in a Cornfield, another collection old — at least the lucky among us do — and of essays, here gives us a bittersweet look at then we die.” Epstein then contrasts Susan life: “there are some laughs,” he writes, “but Jacoby’s Never Say Die, a book on the “deprealso some sadness, a ‘casting off,’ if you will.” dations and bloody horrors of old age,” with With those words, Cox accurately sums up the thoughts of Cicero, who found in old age

Write a novel this November November is National Novel Writing Month and there will be a writing group meeting from 3:30 to 6 p.m. every Monday starting Nov. 10 at the Canton Public Library.

Every November, millions of writers around the country unite in a single purpose: to write a novel of at least 50,000 words in 30 days. Whether you’ve been planning the perfect historical romance or crime novel, National Novel Writing Month may be the push you need to start putting that idea on paper.

The library will be opening up its spacious meeting room at every possible opportunity to writers who want a quiet space to write, or who like knowing they’re not the only ones going through

the process, and want to share the joys and hardships of writing with others in the community. Interested writers can pick up schedules at the library of when the meeting room will be available in November.

To celebrate everyone’s accomplishments, there will be a Nation Novel Writing Month Wrap Party from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1 at the library. www.nanowrimo.org or 828.648.2924.

Rash to speak in Waynesville Bestselling Appalachian author Ron Rash will present his new book Something Rich and Strange: Selected Stories at 11 a.m.

his book. There is a great deal of humor here, but also many goodbyes. He writes lovingly of his deceased father and several other family members, regrets some of his own failures, and gives us a portrait of a man who tries to do the right thing, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing.

One of the best passages in The Way We Say Goodbye comes in the essay “Call Him, but Don’t Lecture.”

Here Cox looks at his father’s habits — smoking, eating country cooking, lack of exercise — that have caused three heart attacks. Many of us are tempted to lecture those we love, wishing them to change their ways so as to live longer or healthier lives.

Cox tells us that he finally stopped lecturing his father when he came to this realization: “He is a man, his own man, and if he wants to dodge cars in the road, so be it, and if he wants to touch something hot, he may as well grab it with both hands. He doesn’t want — or need — us to save him. He wants to live his life on his own terms, not having to monitor every breath, or count every calorie, or account for every action.

Unlike the poet T.S. Eliot’s emotionally paralyzed J. Alfred Prufrock, my father refuses to ‘measure out his life in coffee spoons.’”

Like Epstein, Cox casts his eyes on a variety of subjects ranging from the death of George Lindsey, who played Goober on the television show “Andy Griffith,” to a bad day at a barbecue joint, from taking up golf to a rueful wish that he’d had children.

In the introduction to A Literary Education, Epstein writes that the essayist “comes to the world dazzled by it. The riches it offers him are inexhaustible. Subjects on which he may scribble away are everywhere.”

Both Epstein and Cox are fine writers who bring the world’s dazzling beauty to the page.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. He can be reached at minick0301@gmail.com.)

Saturday, Nov. 8 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

Rash is the author of the 2009 PEN/Faulkner finalist and New York Times bestselling novel Serena, in addition to four other prizewinning novels, including The Cove, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight; four collections of poems; and five collections of stories, among them Burning Bright, which won the 2010 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, and Chemistry and Other Stories, which was a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award. Twice the recipient of the O. Henry Prize, he teaches at Western Carolina University. Something Rich and Strange contains thirty-four of Rash's finest short stories, collected in one volume.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

44

A dominant bull elk bugles to his harem in Cataloochee Valley.

Holly Kays photos

The bugle of triumph Elk herd success spurs tourism, scientific innovation

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER t 7:30 a.m., darkness is just barely beginning to lift from the pre-dawn fields and forest of Cataloochee Valley. Joe Yarkovich steers his National Park Service vehicle through the valley and past a herd of elk bedded down in a field just past the ranger station. A handful of cars already lines the road, their occupants standing bundled outside holding binoculars and long-lensed cameras. We pass a few more fields, empty of both elk and people, before reaching a pull-off near the Caldwell House. An impressive bull and his harem of cows are practically on the road, close enough to toss a rock at. Or, more importantly, to make a great photo. I tighten my grip on the camera.

“That’s the bull I was looking for,” says Yarkovich, a Great Smoky Mountains National Park wildlife biologist who specializes in elk. This particular elk had lost his radio collar when his neck swelled during mating season, called the rut — for that reason, Yarkovich typically replaces collars on male calves with larger ones as the animals mature.

As we near the group, they start heading into the woods.

That’s typical for this time of day, this time of year, Yarkovich explains. The elk bed down in the fields at night and then head for tree cover as the sun comes up.

“Let’s get back to the other group,” Yarkovich says, referencing that first field of elk we’d passed. “They look like they’re going to be there for a while.”

So we turn around, park the SUV on the edge of the field of elk, and stand beside it, ready for the show to start. The rut, which spans most of September and October, brings out the dramatic side of elk. It’s when the bulls match their strength to determine who is most worthy of reproduction, and when the winners gather harems of cows around them, staving off any young upstarts who think they can steal a cow from the dominant bull. The race to pass on their genes is a

A

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full-time job for those large-antlered elk who win the game.

ECOMING HE LK UY “It’s all day, basically, 24 hours a day,” Yarkovich says.

Though he now lives in Maggie Valley with his wife, “During the rut a bull loses an incredible amount of weight, Yarkovich spent five years living in the ranger house in 200 pounds of body weight, because they don’t take too much Cataloochee. One night, somewhere around 3 a.m., Yarkovich time to eat.” got fed up with the incessant bugling stealing his sleep. He Instead, they’re bugling their decrees to the harem and to came out of the house in his underwear, wielding a broom, competing bulls, locking antlers if necessary, and, most bent on chasing those noisy creatures away so he could get importantly, mating with their females once they come into some shut-eye. It was one of those situations, Yarkovich said, heat. That only happens for a 24-hour period once every three weeks, meaning that each female is available for a maximum of only three days during the six to eight weeks of the rut.

■ Historically, six subspecies of elk roamed North America. Now, only two are left. The Smokies elk “There’s not a big window, are the Manitoban subspecies. which is why the bulls are con■ Elk antlers are the fastest-growing tissue in the world. In the spring, they can grow up to 1 inch stantly following them around,” per day and reach 50 pounds in weight.

Yarkovich said.

■ Adult bull elk typically weigh 600 to 800 pounds.

As the sun climbs higher ■ Females breed when they reach age 2 and usually raise one calf each year. above the horizon, more of the ■ Though predators, mainly black bears, can take elk calves, nothing lives in the woods that will elk stand up from their beds in take down an adult elk. the field, the cows nibbling at ■ The last native elk in North Carolina was killed in the 1790s. the grass and the dominant bull Source: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Great Smoky Mountains National Park surveying his domain. He’s huge, carrying a six-point rack that that causes you to reflect on what life choices you’ve made to weighs close to 50 pounds. And he’s also a little put out by a lead to this moment. younger male, a paltry little five-point thing, that’s hanging a Now headquartered at Oconaluftee, Yarkovich is still “The bit too close to his harem.

Elk Guy” and knows the herd as well as anyone. He’s been the The big bull lets out a bugle. It’s my first time ever hearing go-to guy for elk since taking the job in 2006, five years after that sound, and I catch my breath, paging through the corelk were first reintroduced to the park. ners of my mind for something to compare it to. “Bugle” realHe can tell the bulls apart by their antlers — though he ly seems the most accurate term, but in terms of comparisons admits the females are all but impossible to distinguish — in nature, I come up blank. But there’s nothing mechanical and he’s certain that the animals know the difference between about it. It’s a wild sound. him and the rest of the public, though he said “It doesn’t get old,” Yarkovich says, before backtracking. rangers debate whether that’s because of uni“Well, actually it can.”

Did you know?

F

A MORE FREQUENT SIGHT Joyce Cooper agrees with that description of the elk. The Cherokee resident is also the state chairperson for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, an organization she

belonged to well before there were any plans to bring the animals back to the Smokies.

“I was so thrilled when I saw my first elk in Yellowstone. I just thought it was the most majestic animal I had ever seen,” she said.

Now, she doesn’t have to travel 2,000 miles to see one.

“I came home from work and here lay this big elk right in the trees in my backyard,” she said. “I was so excited.”

In all likelihood, the elk will continue to spread. They’re a grass obligate species, meaning that they can live pretty much anywhere in the mountains where there’s enough grass to provide a dietary staple.

“What I imagine is going to happen is we’re going to stick to managing the herd that we do have and let that progress out naturally,” McVey said. “I expect the herd will start expanding out toward Max Patch and Harmon Den.” A habitat analysis looked at factors such as vegetation cover, road locations and terrain to predict where elk might eventually wind up. It’s all a guessing game, but on paper the piedmont region looks like pretty great elk habitat, and Caswell County came out on top.

IMPROVING THE SCIENCE McVey, Yarkovich and Caleb Hickman, supervisory fish and wildlife biologist for the EBCI, are working together to come up with a better way to monitor — and therefore manage — the herd.

“We’re busting our butts and wracking our brains,” McVey said. “It’s going to be a long process.”

The group is throwing around a couple of different options for coming up with a whole-area estimate of the elk population.

One of those options would be a somewhat standard wildlife census technique known as mark-recapture. In this method, a certain number of animals are captured, tagged and then released. Then, the team sets about capturing as many animals as it can, recording how many are marked and how many are not. Through that process, they can come up with a proportion of marked to unmarked elk. That proportion can then be used to infer how many animals are out there total.

S EE E LK, PAGE 46 A dominant bull elk herds up his harem in the field across from Caldwell House.

Smoky Mountain News

The herd has come a long way since 2001, when 52 elk were released into Cataloochee Valley. The park radio collared each one, tracking their movements and reproductive success. It was a carefully monitored enterprise, and the herd stuck close to Cataloochee.

Not so anymore.

“It’s definitely gone from an experiment to a region-wide management issue,” Yarkovich said.

While Cataloochee is still the best place to see an elk, there’s a herd of about 25 that’s taken up residence in the Oconaluftee area of the park. Elk range east to U.S. 276 and south to U.S. 19 going through Maggie Valley. They’re in the Harmon Den area as well as Max Patch, and when young bulls disperse during the rut and right before it, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has gotten calls from as far away as Cullowhee, Cashiers and Bryson City.

It’s hard to say exactly how many elk live in the Smokies right now. Standard methods for counting herd numbers are based on western terrains, which tend to be more open. Counting herds via a helicopter flyover wouldn’t work too well in wooded, hilly Appalachia.

Photographers and elk-gazers line up along the road through the valley to witness the rut

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

BEYOND AN EXPERIMENT

“It’s at a point where we actually don’t know,” Yarkovich said. “I’m not giving people numbers because we don’t have any confidence in the numbers.”

That said, Justin McVey, district biologist for the Wildlife Resources Commission, puts the number at somewhere around 150, and a population analysis done in 2013 estimates a population growth rate of 1.074 percent since 2001, a slow but steady upward trend.

“It’s projecting good, strong growth,” Yarkovich said of the study.

With that growth comes more management challenges, and a scope that extends outside of the park. What originally began as a team-up to complete the 2013 study, which included an elk census, a plan to overcome elk-human conflict, studying population dynamics, a vegetation impact study and creating meadow habitats for elk to find food — a report is still being completed — has now turned into a more long-term coalition between the National Park Service, the Wildlife Resources Commission and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work with habitat analysis to see if it’s feasible to expand the herd, and we’ve also been doing some surveys of folks to get their feeling on expansion of the herd,” said Justin McVey, district biologist for the Wildlife Resources Commission.

The Commission officially took over management of the herd in 2011, and McVey came on board to get the management efforts going in 2012. Besides collaring as many elk as possible, McVey’s role now involves a lot of conflict management between elk and people.

“I deal a lot with angry landowners,” McVey said. “It’s the same thing. They’re upset that they’re having damage, but they also respect the elk and the fact that it’s a magnificent creature.”

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forms, vehicles, body language or something else.

“They learn very well how to react to us,” Yarkovich said of himself and other park wildlife biologists. “The ones that we work over and over with paintballs, they learn exactly what distance they can get away with. They’re pretty bright.”

A paintball gun is Yarkovich’s park-issued defense against the massive bull elk.

Yarkovich has no problem using clapped hands and a loud voice to scare off cows, and he does so multiple times as we drive up Cataloochee Valley together. But he says he always has a paintball gun in hand when facing a bull. The clear pellets do the job of scaring them away without hurting the animals, and the paintball guns are more palatable to visitors than guns loaded with beanbags.

His job is more than just curating the elk population — he also deals with bears, bats and any other wildlife issue that demands his attention. But the elk program, he said, “has kind of become my baby.”

He’s a fan of calving season, the time that determines what herd growth will look like for the next year, and he’s an admirer of the elk’s ability to adapt.

“The first couple years they were here, bears were killing most of their calves,” Yarkovich said. The elk had never seen bears before, and they didn’t know how to keep their calves safe.

He retold the story of Cow 15, who had her calf in the field that first year. A bear soon killed it, and the next year she went just inside the wood-line, but the calf still got taken. The third year, she trekked 6 miles through the woods to Balsam Mountain, and the calf survived. She’s done the same thing every year since.

“They’ve figured it out,” Yarkovich said.

“Now predation from bears is a lot lighter.”

45

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Yarkovich answers visitors’ questions as the sun rises on Cataloochee Valley. Holly Kays photo E LK, CONTINUED FROM 45 Another option would be much more difficult to get right but yield a treasure trove of data if perfected.

“It’s a challenging project, but the ideas are fairly solid,” said Hickman, who conceived the idea. “We wouldn’t be the first to do population work through genetics, but the way we’re doing it is fairly unique.”

Basically, this sampling technique would involve collecting elk droppings and testing them to determine how many unique individuals the pellets come from. When food passes through an animal’s intestines, some cells from inside the intestines slough off and come out with the waste.

“It’s a little CSI after that,” Hickman said. “You can figure out the individuals from that and have a particular number and give them a name. If you find it [the same individual] again down the road or on the trail you can figure out what their movements are, get the recapture rate, and if we have a high recapture rate we can have a good idea of what the population size is.”

It would be a similar idea, then, to the standard mark-recapture method, but extra sciency. Hickman is currently working with some scientists at the University of Georgia to figure out the method.

While fecal DNA testing in itself isn’t new, this proposed method would use something called “next-generation sequencing,” a technique Hickman describes as “not your standard genetics.”

The method would allow the group to figure out which elk are related, who they’re hanging out with and which groups are interacting. All that would lead to a greater understanding of how elk organize socially without having to tarp or tranquilize them.

“Right now it’s hypothetical because we haven’t gotten that far yet,” Hickman said.

“We’re still trying to work out methods, and it does require expert opinion.”

PUTTING ELK TO WORK Beyond the scientific benefit of learning more about how elk move and socialize, hav-

ing a good population estimate would give the Wildlife Resources Commission a better idea of when to introduce the next milestone of the elk reintroduction: an elk season.

“It would bring a lot of money in would be one thing, a lot more tourism dollars and that kind of thing,” McVey said. “Hunting is a great tool for management, for keeping populations in check.”

“I hunt with my camera so I’m pretty content the way it is now, but if the herd ever gets large enough to do a hunt, I know it would thrill a whole lot of people,” added Cooper.

Between hotel stays, equipment purchases, gas fill-ups and meals out, hunters can contribute a good bit of cash to an economy. But elk season or not, the ungulates are already pulling their weight when it comes to tourism.

“Visitation to Cataloochee has doubled since we brought the elk back,” Yarkovich said.

If it weren’t for the harrowing one-lane gravel road leading in to that area of the park, it could be even higher.

A PRICELESS SIGHT It’s hard to think about money, though, as morning sun illuminates the reds and oranges of peak fall color. The rays break through scattered cumulus clouds, lighting up the fields, backlighting the big bull’s rack.

That smaller guy still isn’t moving far enough away, so the big bull edges toward him. The smaller bull steps back, keeping distance, and the two animals engage in a walking-pace chase around the field, across the road and looping back around to where the cows graze. Finally the chase ends, the smaller bull defeated still. Maybe next year.

The big guy bugles his triumph.

It’s a sight that makes it hard to talk about research techniques, stapled scientific studies or economic impacts.

“How do you put value on people’s experience when they come down here and get to hear that bull bugling?” Yarkovich asks.

“I think having that landscape as close to natural is a really important thing.”

Learn how to keep gardening as temps dip

Waynesville holds fall mulch sale Waynesville will have compost and double-ground mulch available for pickup 8 a.m. to noon at the town yard waste landfill Oct. 31-Nov. 1 and Nov. 6-8. The landfill is on Bible Baptist Drive off Russ Avenue, near the bypass for U.S. 74. Go straight through the

Free, with no registration necessary. A limited number of low-tunnel hoops and row covers will be available for sale. Adam

Bigelow, thecullowheecommunitygarden@gmail.com or 828.226.0398.

gate at the end of Bible Baptist Drive and see the attendant.

For compost, prices per load are $10 for a regular pickup or trailer and $60 for a tandem truck.

For double-ground mulch, prices per load are $10 for a small pickup, $25 for a regular pickup, $100 for a tandem truck and $200 for a roll-off. An extra $10 or $20 will be charged for trailers, with extra charge

depending on the trailer’s size. Tandem trucks and roll-offs will be allowed Nov.6-8 only.

A limited amount of single-ground mulch will be available for $10 per load regardless of truck size.

Cash or check payments only. Loads must be covered.

The sale will be canceled in case of wet weather. 828.456.3706.

A workshop to help communities enjoy their natural resources by including habitat conservation in land use planning will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Hosted by the Jackson County Planning Department and presented by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the Green Growth Toolbox Workshop communicates science-based recommendations and case studies about conserving priority wildlife habitats and natural resources through land-use planning methods. The toolbox consists of a website, a handbook, GIS data and follow-up technical assistance.

The workshop will begin with coffee and pastries at 8:30 a.m., and the Wildlife Commission will provide lunch. Information on the economic benefits for communities, the future of wildlife and how to protect natural resources, public access, working farms and forests will all be included. The day will finish up with a field trip from 2-4 p.m. to a nearby wildlife habitat.

The Wildlife Resources Commission has worked with more than 25 North Carolina counties to use the Green Growth Toolbox since developing it in 2010.

Free, but registration required at kacy.cook@ncwildlife.org. www.ncwildlife.org/greengrowth.

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A workshop on winter gardening and spring garden prep to teach gardeners how to avoid putting growing season to bed in the winter months will be held from 12:30-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Cullowhee Community Garden.

Both out in the open and under cover using low-tunnel hoops, plenty of plants are capable of being cultivated in the winter.

The workshop, organized by the Cullowhee Community Garden, will cover methods of growing under covers, how to maximize heat retention in the soil, extending the season for fall crops and getting started early in spring using low-tunnels.

The workshop will also cover how to make for a better spring garden with preparation now. Topics will include soil fertility, pH adjustment, cover crops, green manures, building soil with compost and animal manure and growing a weed-free garden.

Workshop educates on growing green

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WCU gets $436K to protect coastal parks The National Park Service has awarded a $436,000 grant to the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University to help produce strategies for the future preservation of infrastructure and resources at all U.S. coastal parks threatened by rising sea levels.

WCU’s program will be responsible for assessing the vulnerability of everything from the Statue of Liberty in New York to small roads in places such as Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida and Mississippi, and then helping the National Park Service decide how to deal with threats that may be presented by coastal flooding.

“To no small degree, the protection of our nation’s coastal heritage is being guided from Cullowhee,” said Rob Young, director of PSDS. The award is the latest in an ongoing partnership between the Program for the Study of Developed Shoreline and the NPS. The current project is funded by the agency’s Facilities Management Division in Washington, D.C. www.psds.wcu.edu.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are offering a reward for information after artifacts were stolen from a locked display case in the Palmer House, located in the Cataloochee Valley area.

Stolen were a trowel, mill pock and coffee mill that were part of a historical display.

“While these items have some market value as mere antiques, their associative value with individual families and with the community of Cataloochee is immeasurable,” said Acting GSMNP nSuperintendent Clay Jordan. “These values make them truly irreplaceable.”

Park officials are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for the theft. The unique, wall-mounted coffee mill was donated to the park in 1935 by a Cataloochee resident. The trowel and mill pick, which was used to cut and sharpen millstone grooves, were also part of the park’s permanent archival collection.

It is unlawful to disturb or deface historic resources within the park. Perpetrators may be sentenced up to 6 months in jail and or fined up to $5,000. Call the tip hotline with information, 865.436.1580.

The stolen items were housed in this display case. Donated photo

Daylight Savings Time ends, winter skies begin Daylight Savings Time will end at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, ushering in earlier evenings as winter sets in.

For those who get up at 2 a.m. to change clocks at the first opportunity, a glance high in the southeast will reveal Orion followed by the Dog Star Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, a formation that shows winter skies are here.

At the same time, the bright planet Jupiter will be low in the east, north of and below Orion and just above the Leo constellation. Venus is making its way around from behind the sun and will soon be our evening star in the west after sunset.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

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A partnership between the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and the Rural Advancement Foundation International is aimed at increasing farmer direct sales and expanding access to local foods.

The project, called Connect2Direct, aims to increase farm-to-consumer direct sales and food stamp use at North Carolina farmers markets by 100 percent over the next two years. To do that, the organizations will give training and technical assistance to markets and their vendors, work on marketing and outreach, work on the technical aspects of using food stamp payments and build capacity and efficiency statewide.

Though demand for local food is growing in North Carolina â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the state is home to almost 250 farmers markets â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sales grew only slightly from 2007 to 2012, increasing by $31.8 million. But from 2010 to 2013, the number of N.C. farmers markets able to accept food stamps increased by 175 percent, growing from 24 to 66. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just scratched the surface of potential for North Carolina farms and communities. Efforts to expand access through outreach and food assistance pro-

grams are good for our farms, our health, and our local economies,â&#x20AC;? said Charlie Jackson, executive director of ASAP. Upcoming workshops and announcements are listed at www.connect2direct.org.

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Project aims to increase sales, food stamp use at farmers markets

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Duke Energy Progress to replace mercury vapor lights in N.C.

with a neighbor in need FFall all brings beautiful colors, but it can also bring anxiety and concern for those who are facing colder wea weather ther and cannot afford hea heating ting for their homes.

Duke Energy Progress customers may see some changes in their communities as the utility embarks on a new initiative to modernize outdoor lighting across its service area. Duke will replace more than 100,000 mercury vapor street and area lights with advanced LED fixtures.

The project is part of Dukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lighting Modernization Program, which seeks to replace mercury vapor fixtures in its North Carolina service area by October 2016.

Plans call for about 9,000 lights to be upgraded each month. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard from our customers that they want more energy-efficient outdoor lighting options and we want to be responsive,â&#x20AC;? said Emily Henson, Duke Energyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director of outdoor lighting.

The utility has also committed to investigate and consider new, more efficient lighting options as they become available in the market, and to share those options as part of the utilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing commitment to serve outdoor lighting customers.

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Hike takes in Deep Creek and high falls

Volunteers needed to stock the West Fork The Cataloochee chapter of Trout Unlimited will rally at 10 a.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, to stock the West Fork of the Pigeon River with more than 1,000 pounds of trout.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks the river, but having a volunteer force to help allows the trout to be dispersed so as to make for a more enjoyable fishing experience.

The group will meet at the West Fork upper parking lot, located on N.C. 215 past Lake Logan when coming from Waynesville and a little past the church on the left. There is parking on the left across the road from the gun range.

Volunteers should bring a gallon bucket and waders. Nonmembers are welcome to join in too.

The stocking should take two to three hours, and everybody is invited to bring a fly rod to have some fun when the work is done. tucataloochee427@gmail.com.

Toms Branch Falls. Donated photo

A hike along Deep Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tuesday, Nov. 11, will yield views of the 80foot Toms Branch Falls as well as plenty of other waterfalls and cemeteries.

Hiking guide author Danny Bernstein will lead this Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park hike, traversing 9 miles and a total elevation gain of 1,600 feet. The hike is classified as moderately difficult.

Starting on the Deep Creek Trail, hikers will visit Juney Whank Falls and pick up the loop trail to Indian Creek Falls before gaining elevation and returning to the Deep Creek Trail.

Deep Creek was one of the first trails constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps when the park was created in the 1930s, and the area was briefly home to Horace Kephart, author of Our Southern Highlanders and a leader in the park’s creation.

Bernstein will discuss native trout management and ginseng poaching protection,

both efforts funded by Friends of the Smokies and important in the Deep Creek area. $20 for Friends members; $35 for nonmembers, with year-long Friends membership included. Donations benefit Smokies Trails Forever program. Carpools will leave from Asheville and Waynesville. Register with Anna Zanetti at AnnaLee@friendsofthesmokies.org or 828.452.0720.

Hike at night A full moon will light up the Blue Ridge Parkway during a hike Friday, Nov. 7, led by Jackson County Parks and Recreation.

The hike will involve about 3 miles of hiking, and chilly nights will require some bundling up. The group will meet at the Cullowhee Recreation Center at 6 p.m., and a Parks and Rec vehicle will leave from there.

Cost is $5 per person, with space limited. Registration is open through Nov. 5 at the Cullowhee and Cashiers/Glenville recreation centers, 828.293.3053 or 828.631.2020. Jennifer Bennett, 828.293.3053, or jenniferbennett@jacksonnc.org.

Trout Unlimited looking for photogenic fish

Smoky Mountain News

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

Trout Unlimited is looking for fishy photos to contend for gear prizes in its 2014 photo contest.

The contest is open through Oct. 31 and will award prizes to first- through third-place category winners as well as one grand prize winner. Categories are best fish, best angler and best scenic. The grand prize consists of an Orvis Helios 2 five-weight rod, Fishpond Pawnee gear bag and Orvis double-sided fly box packed with 16 flies.

To enter, “like” TU’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/TroutUnlimited and choose the contest menu item under “more.” Winners will be based on online voting Nov. 3-10.

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A hike to the Waynesville Watershed at 9 a.m. on Oct. 31 will give homeschooled students a chance to see where Waynesville’s water comes from while enjoying some time out in the woods.

Students ages 7-16 are invited, as well as parents. The group will meet at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Cost is $3 for Waynesville Recreation Center members; $5 non-members.

Advance registration required.

828.456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

Arboretum plans geocaching adventure Geocaching will be the main topic on the agenda Saturday, Nov. 1, at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. This hightech treasure hunt involves downloading GPS coordinates for hidden loot and then adventuring around to find it.

■ Self-guided geocaching will last all day, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. New geocaches can be

downloaded at www.geocaching.com. The first 10 people to retrieve all five geocaches will win an N.C. Arboretum travel bag and souvenir.

■ A Family Geocaching Adventure, 1011:30 a.m. and 2-3:30 p.m., will include a guided exploration of Arboretum trails as families and children learn to use a GPS unit and seek out geocaches. Equipment provided.

■ Geocaching for Educators and Group Leaders, 1-2 p.m., will introduce concepts and techniques for leading groups of youth in geocaching adventures. Teachers, scout leaders, parents and grandparents might be especially interested.

■ A make-and-take station will allow participants to make their own geocaching trade items.

Free, though regular parking fees apply. $12 personal vehicles; $50 commercial vehicles; $100 buses. Jonathan Marchal, jmarchal@ncarboretum.org.

North Carolina Arboretum photo

outdoors

Homeschoolers hike the watershed

Now providing hospice services for Haywood, Jackson, and surrounding counties.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • The 2nd annual Western Carolina University Student Ice Cream Eating Competition will be held at 12:30 p.m.

Nov. 1 at Jack the Dipper Ice Cream in Sylva. The competition consists of up to 10 men and 10 ladies (two separate). Fundraiser for the Reading Rover bookmobile.

• Indoor Flea Market at the Haywood County Fairgrounds, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, Haywood County Fairgrounds, off Hwy 209 North, Lake Junaluska.

400.1704.

• Auditions for the Haywood Arts Regional Theater’s “A Christmas Carol,” 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2 and 3, HART Theater, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville.

• Introductory Movie Maker class at JCPL, 5:45 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 3, computer lab, Jackson County Public Library. Call to register. 586.2016.

• Introduction to Computers class, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 or Thursday, Nov. 6 at 9:05 a.m, Macon County Public Library. 524.3600 or cwilder@fontanalib.org.

• The Franklin Open forum will discuss the 2014 election, and what the results mean, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, Rathskeller Coffee Haus and Pub, 58 Stewart St., downtown Franklin. 371.1020.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Basic Facebook Computer Class at JCPL, 5:45 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 29, Jackson County Public Library computer lab. Limited to 16 people. Call to register.

586.2016.

• Haywood Chamber of Commerce Issues and Eggs will meet, 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, Laurel Ridge Country Club, Waynesville. Dr. Edward Wright, Director for the Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at WCU will speak. 456.3021 or media@haywoodchamber.com.

• Women in Business will meet, 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, Laurel Ridge Country Club, Waynesville. Dr. Sarah Evans, professor of women’s empowerment, will speak. 456.3021 or media@haywoodchamber.com.

• Free GED classes offered by Southwestern Community College, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, SCC Swain Center, Room 101. 366.2000.

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

• P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston Station, Bryson City.

• The Sylva Photography Club will host a photography contest of the WNC Pottery Festival. Oct. 31 in Dillsboro and Nov. 1 at the Clay Olympics. All photos will be judged by club members on Nov. 8. Entries may be emailed by Friday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m. sylvaphotoclub@gmail.com or 293.9820.

HEALTH MATTERS • Harris Regional Hospital will host a session focused around diabetes awareness, prevention and treatment, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, Harris Regional Hospital, main lobby. 586.7734.

• A diabetes awareness program including blood glucose screening will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. Part of the monthly Tuesdays to Thrive focusing on different health topics the first Tuesday evening of each month. Sponsoed by WestCare Wellness and Jackson County Department. www.westcarehealth.org or 586.7734.

• A program on prescription drug abuse and Project Lazarus will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. Part of the monthly Tuesdays to Thrive focusing on different health topics the first Tuesday evening of each month. Sponsored by WestCare Wellness and Jackson County Department. www.westcarehealth.org or 586.7734.

KIDS & FAMILIES

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS

• Seasonal stories, crafts, games and snacks for the family at Haywood County Public Library in Waynesville at 4 p.m. Nov. 19, and Dec. 10. 356.2511.

• An evening of music at Sylva’s Bridge Park to raise money for fireworks in Sylva, 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, Sylva’s Bridge Park. $5 donation is requested. 586.2155 or www.mountainlovers.com.

• Children’s Storytime at JCPL, 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• The Jackson County Family Resource Center is in need of slightly used blankets for their Blanket Drive.

Accepting blankets until Dec. 1. Deliver to the Jackson County Family Resource Center, 1528 Webster Rd., Webster. 354.0109.

• $10 Fall Fix: get unfixed pets for spay/neuter and rabies vaccination for only $10 through Nov. 30,

• The 2nd annual Fall Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the HighlandsCashiers Hospital. Costume contest, hayrides, trick or treating, pumpkin decorating contest, face painting, food, music, and more. Lunch $5 per plate. Free.

• A Kid’s Harvest Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Encouraging Word Baptist Church located at the Historic Bethel Presbyterian Church in Waynesville.

• The Salvation Army in Waynesville is taking applications for Christmas assistance, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 30, 290 Pigeon St., Waynesville. 456.7111 ext. 7.

• The 17th annual Turkey Drive by the Maggie Valley Area Lodging Association. Donations benefit Haywood County’s disadvantaged residents. Every $25 will deliver a full meal to a family. www.visitmaggie.com.

FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

through Haywood Spay/Neuter. Pet owner must live in Haywood County and sign their pets up at the Haywood Spay/Neuter office, noon to 6 p.m. open Tuesday through Friday. 452.1329.

• A drop-in information session about a new charter school planning to open in Haywood County, Shining Rock Classical Academy, will be held at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Old Armory on Boundary Street in Waynesville. Another session will be held Nov. 20. bbutler@srca.teamcfa.org.

• Mast General Store Feed the Children, through Oct. 30. Main Street in downtown Waynesville. For each pair of Merrell Shoes sold, Merrell will donate a Backpack of Food for Kids in Haywood. 452.2101.

A&E

• A Kid’s Harvest Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Historic Bethel Presbyterian Church in Bethel. Pony rides, a bouncy house and slide, face painting, cake walk, games, prizes and hot dogs with all the fixins provided by Bethel Rural Community Organization. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Bethel Middle School Gymnasium.

• Saturday morning cartoons play for free at 11 a.m. at the Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville. 283.0079 or www.38main.com.

POLITICAL EVENTS • N.C. Senator Jim Davis, R-Franklin, will face challenger Jane Hipps, D-Waynesville, for a debate at 7 p.m.

Oct. 30 in the Burrell Building at SCC’s Jackson Campus. 339.4000.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted. taking place behind the scenes, at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, Oct. 29-31 and Nov. 1. www.hauntedcherokee.com or www.cherokeeadventure.com.

• Myths and Legends Ghost Walk at Oconaluftee Indian Village, Oct. 29-Nov.1. Tickets are $10. Put on by the Cherokee Historical Association. 497.2111 or www.hauntedcherokee.com.

• “Ghostlorist” Randy Russell, author of The Ghost Will See You Now: Haunted Hospitals of the South, will hold a presentation at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Attendees can share their stories, artifacts, and costumes to join in on the fun.

586.9499.

• Trunk or Treat will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Iotla Baptist Church, Franklin. Parking lot treating in a safe, welcoming environment. www.franklinchamber.com.

• Fall Festival in Franklin, during the evening. Friday, Oct. 31, 156 Belleview Park Dr., Franklin. Event also includes Face Painting, Horseback and Hay Rides, and Bobbing for Apples. 524.6840.

• Downtown Trick or Treat will be from 4 to 6 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 30, Everett St., Bryson City. Local merchants will provide candy for trick-or-treaters. www.greatsmokies.com.

• The 6th Annual “Arc”toberfest will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in the ballroom at Harrah’s Cherokee. The event provides The Arc of Haywood funding to support programs and services for people with developmental disabilities. Community businesses and organizations can also sponsor the event. 452.1980 or www.arcofhaywood.org.

• Halloween Party at Jackson County library in Sylva, 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30. 586.2016.

HALLOWEEN EVENTS • Darnell Farms Corn Maze, Hayrides and Pumpkin Patch. Friday-Sunday, U.S. 19 at the Tuckasegee River Bridge, Bryson City. Special Haunted Corn Maze on weekend nights. A produce stand on site sells farm goods of all sorts, including apples, jam and fall decorations like gourds and dried corn. Open daily, with hayrides Friday and Saturday. $5 for ages 4 and up, ages 3 and younger free. 488.3167.

• The Cold Mountain Corn Maze in Bethel has hayrides, concessions, bonfire and pint-sized maze for toddlers.

Corn maze becomes haunted after dark. Open 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 1 to 9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday. $8 for ages 4 and older, ages 3 and younger free.

• The Deals Farm Corn Maze in Macon County is now open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday or by special appointment. $5 for ages 6 and older, ages 5 and younger free. 524.5151 or www.dealfarms.com.

• Mel Brooks’ Halloween classic comedy “Young Frankenstein” and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller “Psycho” will be screened at The Strand at 38 Main.

Show time for “Young Frankenstein” will be at 7 p.m.

Oct. 29. “Psycho” will be shown at 7:45 and 10:15 p.m.

Oct. 31; 2, 5 and 7:45 p.m. Nov. 1; 2 p.m. Nov. 2; 7 p.m.

Nov. 4-5. Tickets are $6 per person, $4 for children, $3 for matinee. www.38main.com.

• Spooky Storytelling will be held at 8 p.m. Oct. 31 in The Storytelling Center in Bryson City. Tim Hall spins the tales of the spirits that live in the mountains — haints, boogers, and the witches of the Southern Highlands.

• The Little Dorm of Horrors!, an old boy’s dorm building, will be filled with creatures from your worst nightmares, at the Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, Oct. 29-31 and Nov. 1. www.hauntedcherokee.com or www.cherokeeadventure.com.

• The Haunted Theatre, with the most terrifying acts

• The Where the Shadows Walk: Local Historical Ghost Stories program will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

• Halloween “Enchanted Forest” Nature Trail at the Highlands Nature Center, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, Highlands Nature Center. Group tours leave every 15 minutes. $1 per person. 526.2623.

• Haunted Hill Happenings will be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Comfort Inn and Sonic Drive-In parking lot in Sylva. Trunk or treat, patio games, food, and more. 631.4200 or 354.0473 or www.mountainlovers.com.

• Downtown trick or treating on Main Street in Waynesville, 5-7 p.m., Oct. 31. Sponsored by the downtown Waynesville Association.

• Trunk or Treat will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at the East Sylva Baptist Church. Trunk or treat, hotdog supper and more. 586.2853.

• A Masquerade Dinner Train will hit the tracks at 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot. Evening of Halloween costumers, live music, dinner and cash bar. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com. * Hallo”WHEE”n Trunk or Treat at Cullowhee United Methodist Church, 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, Cullowhee United Methodist Church. Call for dinner reservations. 293.9215.

• Trick or Treat at The Factory in Franklin, 4 p.m. – midnight. Friday, Oct. 31, The Factory, 10 Georgia Rd., Franklin. Unlimited attractions with Unlimited Video Games or $15 Bonus for $25. Wear your costume and get Pizza Buffet for $1 off. 349.8888 or www.thefactory.bz.

• “Football Fight Night” at the Pisgah vs. Smoky Mountain football game, 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, Pisgah High School, 1 Black Bear Drive, Canton. Kids 10 and under, and in costume, will be admitted free to the game with a paying adult. 646.3440.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical” at WCU, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 24, John Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, $16-21 per person. 227.2479.

• “Beautiful Offerings Tour” featuring Big Daddy Weave, Chris August, Dara Maclean and Group 1 Crew, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. $15 each. 866.273.4615.

• Shelia Gordon and Chris Minick will perform at the Classic Wine Seller. Friday, Oct. 31, Classic Wine Seller, Church St., downtown Waynesville. 452.6000.

• Music producer and singer-songwriter, Gurf Morlix, will perform, 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, The Strand at 38, 38 N. Main St., Waynesville. $15-18 per person.

283.0079.

• Opposite Box, Nathan Kalish & The Last Callers, If Birds Could Fly, The Blind Staggers, Milton Menasco & The Big Fiasco and Dear Salem will perform at No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. Opposite Box plays Oct. 30, with Kalish Oct. 31, If Birds Could Fly Nov. 1, The Blind Staggers, Nov. 3, Menasco Nov. 6 and Dear Salem Nov. 8. All shows begin at 9:30 p.m., with Sunday performances from 5 to 8 p.m. Free. 586.2750 or www.nonamesportspub.com.

• “Back porch and soul” band Soldier’s Heart will perform at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City. Free. www.nantahalabrewing.com • A Halloween Party, Josh Wager and the Spontaneous CombustJam will hit the stage at BearWaters Brewing Company in Waynesville. The Halloween Party will be 7 p.m. Oct. 31, with Wager 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and the Spontaneous CombustJam at 8 p.m. Nov. 3. www.bwbrewing.com or 246.0602.

• A Halloween Costume Party with rock act the Mile High Band will be held at 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Rendezvous at the Maggie Valley Inn & Conference Center.

• DJ Shane and Ashlee Rose will perform at Tipping Point Brewing in Waynesville. DJ Shane will spin during the Halloween party and costume contest at 8 p.m. Oct. 31, with Rose at 9 p.m. Nov. 7. Free. www.tippingpointtavern.com.

• A back porch old-time music jam will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Cherokee. All welcome to come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia.

• Actress Barbara Bates Smith will perform at the North Carolina Stage Company. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m, North Carolina Stage Company, 15 Stage Lane, Asheville. The shows will benefit the Haywood Street Congregation. 239.0263.

• The Haywood Community Band will perform its last show of the 2014 season, 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, First United Methodist Church, Waynesville. 456.4880.

NIGHTLIFE • Bill Collins will offer tarot card readings at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Candy will also be available for trick-or-treaters. Free.

• The Polar Express themed train will kickoff the holiday season Nov. 7-8 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in Bryson City. www.gsmr.com or 800.872.4681.

• The Diamond K Ranch in Maggie Valley has live music Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays are ladies nights. 926.7735.

• A game day will occur from 2 to 9 p.m. every third Saturday of the month at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in Sylva. Bring dice, cards or board games. 586.6300.

DANCE • The High Mountain Squares will reschedule their dance for Oct. 31, 6:30- 9 p.m. Macon County Community Building, Georgia Rd., Franklin. 371.4946 or www.highmountainsquare.com.

BOOKS & AUTHORS • A Haywood county non-fiction book club meets the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at various locations. 456.8428.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • HCC will offer a class on Felted Hats, 6-8 p.m. Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, Haywood Community College Creative Arts Building. Call to reserve. 565.4240.

• Photographers Houa Vang and Tihomir Trichkov will speak about their experiences from 2 to 3 p.m. Oct. 30 in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. www.wcu.edu.

• Beginning bookmaking class for children, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 6, Jackson County Public Library. Free to the public. 586.2016.

• Dogwood Crafters and Joan Marsden will lead a Hammered Metal Ornaments class, 1-2:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 7, Masonic Lodge, Dillsboro. $6 per person. 586.2435 or junettapell@hotmail.com.

• The Jackson County Senior Center will offer two painting classes, 1-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 and 14, Jackson County Senior Center. $10 per senior center participant, $15 for non participants. Pre-register by Nov. 4. 586.4944.

• Art After Dark with Sunny Normand, 6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, Beverly Hanks Offices, 26 N. Main St., Waynesville. Sunnynormand2@gmail.com.

• Coppering hammering workshop at the JCPL, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, atrium of the Jackson County Public Library, Sylva. Registration is required.

586.2016.

• The Boys from Tuckasegee will perform at WCU, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center. 227.7129.

• Oil, Watercolor, Acrylics and Drawing classes by Dominick DePaolo, 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, Frog Level’s Mahogany House Fine Art Gallery and Studios. 246.0818.

• Chris Daughtry will perform at Harrah’s Cherokee

• The Bascom in Highlands is offering classes this

Smoky Mountain News

• The School of Music Choral concert, Trumpet Upperclassmen recital, Faculty Recital with saxophonist Ian Jeffress and Faculty Recital with pianist Holly Roadfeldt will be in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University. The School of Music will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30, with Trumpet Upperclassmen 6 p.m. Nov. 3, Jeffress 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and Roadfeldt 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5. www.wcu.edu.

• The Miss Asheville Pageant-Blue Ridge Valley Scholarship will be held on Nov. 8 at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. The Little Miss Pageant will be from 1 to 4 p.m., with the Miss & Teen Pageant from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

• Craig Summers (solo), Flea Bitten Werewolves, Craig Summers & Lee Kram and Soldier’s Heart will perform at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.

Summers (solo) will be 5 p.m. Oct. 30, with Flea Bitten Werewolves 7 p.m. Oct. 31, Summers & Kram 6 p.m. Nov. 6 and Soldier’s Heart 7 p.m. Nov. 8.

454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Donald Davis will present his performance “Our Stories Take Us,” 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, HART Theatre, Waynesville. Davis will donate his performance to The Shelton House, which houses the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts. $10-20 per person. 452.1551 or www.sheltonhouse.org.

wnc calendar

• HART theatre will present “Macbeth” for two weeks.

Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 2 at 3 p.m.

Tickets are available online. 456.6322 or www.harttheatre.com.

Event Center, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, 777 Casino Drive, Cherokee. Email for ticket prices. mifisher@cherokee.harrahs.com.

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wnc calendar Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014 Smoky Mountain News 54

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

Log on. Plan a getaway. Let yourself unplug.

month in Fall Photography, The Art of the Teapot, Landscape in Watercolor and a Multi-Media Art Sampler. www.thebascom.org.

• Art classes with Dominick DePaolo, 10 a.m. to noon on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Old Armory Building, 44 Boundary St. in Waynesville and from 1 to 3 p.m. every Friday at Mountain Home Collection at 110 Miller St., Waynesville. Armory classes, 456.9918; Home Collection classes, 456.5441 • Watercolor classes with Dominick DePaolo from 10 a.m. to noon and oil painting classes from 1 to 3 p.m. on Mondays, at Uptown Gallery, Franklin. 349.4607.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • Two-part exhibition titled “David Raymond’s Other People’s Pictures” and “Eric Oglander: Craigslist Mirrors” will feature more than 600 photographs.

Starting, Thursday, Oct. 30, Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University. 227.2553.

• Movies at the Macon County Library. New movies, documentaries and foreign films every Monday at 3:30, Wednesday at 4:30 and again at 7 p.m., and classic matinees at Fridays at 2 p.m. The movies and popcorn are free, but donations are welcome.

524.3600.

MUSIC JAMS AND GROUPS • Old-time music jam from 1-3 p.m. the third Saturday of the month at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on U.S. 441 outside Cherokee. 452.1068.

• A community music jam will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Held first and third Thursday of the month – year round. Free. 488.3030.

• Cruso Circle Play & Jam, 7 p.m. every Tuesday, Cruso Community Center and Friendship Club in Cruso. www.facebook.com/crusocircleplayjam.

• Oaks Gallery will host an exhibition of regional “Pottery Traditions.” The exhibit will run until Nov. 14.

Located in Dillsboro’s Riverwood Shops. The exhibit is free to the public. 586.6542.

• Signature Brew Coffee Company holds Sylva Open Jam nights on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. Shop provides the instruments, you provide the talent. Chris Coopers’ Fusion band hosts.

• The “Come Paint with Charles Kidz Program” will be at 5 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City. $18 per child. Materials and snacks included. 538.2054.

• An open jam session is held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each Thursday at Heinzelmannchen Brewery in Sylva.

All skill levels and instruments welcome. 631.4466 or www.yourgnometownbrewery.com

• Ceramicist Alex Irvine will hold a discussion on his work at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, in the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina University. www.wcu.edu.

• Golden Aires singing group meets at 10:30 a.m. every Thursday at the Golden Age Senior Center in Sylva. Secular and religious music. Performances given at area nursing homes. Singers need not be seniors to join. goldenagecenter1@verizon.net.

• A Visiting Artists Night will be held from 6 to 9 p.m.

Nov. 3 at the Nantahala School for the Arts in Bryson City. An educational evening with visiting ceramic artists. 366.2000 or www.greatsmokies.com.

• WCU Fine Arts Museum has an exhibit, “Abstract Autobiography for a Fractured Narrative” on display until Nov. 7. WCU Fine Arts Museum, Cullowhee.

227.3591.

• Kara Chambers will be the featured artist for October at City Lights Café in Sylva. www.citylightcafe.com • Johanna Ohly and Lisa Kelley are the featured artists for the month of October at Tunnel Mountain Crafts, Dillsboro.

• The Appalachian Pastel Society Juried National Exhibition will be held through Jan. 4 at The Bascom in Highlands. www.thebascom.org

• A historical drama starring George Clooney will be shown, 2 and 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• “Frankenstein” will be shown at the Martin Lipscomb Performing Arts Center, 2 and 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 8, 507 Chestnut St., Highlands. $1518. 526.9047.

• The Mad Batter Food & Film now showing featured films, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays, downtown Sylva location. Special kids’ matinee at 2 p.m. Saturdays. Free. Movie listings and information, www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

586.3555.

• Thursday Painters meet at the Uptown Gallery in Franklin every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your project and a bag lunch and join us for a day of creativity and fun. All artists are welcome. 349.4607.

• Rug Hooking Group, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Jackson County Public Library. Beginners welcome.

631.2561.

• Jackson County Arts Council meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Monday of each month at the Jackson County Library Complex conference room. 293.3407.

• The Haywood County Beekeepers Association will meet, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, Haywood County Extension Service. Annual election of club officers will be conducted. Refreshments and door prizes will be offered.

• Smoky Mountain Elk talk, every Saturday through October. A ranger will take questions about elk and dish on the best places to see them in the park. 11:30 a.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. 497.1904.

• A benefit to raise money for a Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians will be held at 5 p.m. Nov. 1, in the Oak Room at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. RSVP by Oct. 24 to info@cherokeesmokies.com or 788.0034.

• Welcome Back to the Smokies! Join a ranger to hear the stories of reintroduced species within the park, including peregrine falcons, river otters and elk. 1 p.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center porch. Every Monday.

Outdoors OUTINGS & FIELDTRIPS • Bird walk along the Greenway, 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, Macon County Public Library parking lot.

524.5234.

• The Town of Waynesville will have compost and double-ground mulch available, 8 a.m. – noon. Thursday – Saturday, Oct. 30, 31, and Nov. 1, 6, 7, 8, Town yard waste landfill, off Bible Baptist Drive. $10-200 per load. 456.3706.

• The U.S. Forest Service will hold a public input

• Do You Have Power? Join a Ranger to learn how to leave a light carbon footprint and help protect the park and planet for future generations. 1 p.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center porch. Every Tuesday.

• Forecasting the Future with Mother Nature. Nuts were fair, berries late, with several morning fogs and moon rings in August. Join a ranger to learn what this might mean for the upcoming winter and how people in the past used nature to forecast the seasons. 11 a.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Every Wednesday.

• Black Bears: Big, Smelly and Smart. Discover the wondrous ways black bears adapt to their environment and how they prepare for winter. 1 p.m., Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Every Thursday.

• Myths and Legends of the Cherokee. The lands of

• Haywood Community Band meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday at Grace Episcopal Church.

452.7530.

• Karaoke is held at 7 p.m. every other Friday at the American Legion Post 47 in Waynesville. Open to all members and their guests. 456.8691.

• Karaoke is held from 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. every Friday at the Tap Room at the Waynesville Inn. 800.627.6250.

• Men Macon Music, canella singing, meets at 5:30 p.m. every Monday in the Chapel of First Presbyterian Church, 26 Church St., Franklin. Visitors welcome.

524.9692.

• Mountain Dulcimer Players Club meets from 2 to 4 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of each month at the Bryson City United Methodist Church. Knowledge of music not required, tablature method used.

488.6697.

• Pick and Play Dulcimer Group of Sylva meets at 1:30 p.m. on the first, third and fifth Saturday of every month in the fellowship hall of St. John’s Episcopal Church. 293.0074 • The Franklin Early Music Group meets every Monday at 9 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. 369.5192 • The Nikwasi Dulcimer Players meet every Thursday afternoon from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Franklin. All are welcome.

524.1040 or 524.2294

ARTS GROUP MEETINGS • Blue Ridge Mountain Quilt Guild, 6 to 9 p.m. fourth Thursday, January through October, and third Thursday, November and December in Canton.

316.1517 or on Facebook at Blue Ridge Mtn. Quilt Guild.

• Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild meets every Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. Blue Ridge Books, Waynesville. 246.0789.

Buy a wood-burning appliance and get your first load of wood FREE!*

Smoky Mountain News

FILM & SCREEN • “The Muppets” will be shown at the Marianna Black Library, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City. 488.3030.

• The WNC Fiber Folk Group meets weekly from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursdays in the Star Atrium of the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at WCU. 227.2553 or ddrury@wcu.edu.

meeting on the forest management planning process, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, Graham County Community Center, Robbinsville.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

• A call for artists is underway for the Small Works show, which will run Nov. 19-Dec.27 at Gallery 86 in the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. Works will be received Nov. 3-8. office@haywoodarts.org or www.haywoodarts.org.

• The Tuesday Quilters meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church on N.C. 107. Bring your machine and whatever quilt you are working on.

wnc calendar

• Drawing Lessons for Adults, by Char Avrunin, 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays and painting lessons from 1 to 4 p.m.

Tuesdays. www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197, orcharspaintings@msn.com.

• Family movie days at Marianna Black Library, Bryson City, are at 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Classic movies at 1 p.m. the second and fourth Friday. Other films also shown. Free movies and popcorn. 488.3030 or www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

*Limited delivery area, ask for details.

S. MAIN ST., WAYNESVILLE

828-333-5456 • cleansweepfireplace.com

Chimney Inspections, Repairs & More

55

wnc calendar

the Cherokee once extended through several states within the southeast and included all of the Great Smoky Mountains. Join a ranger to explore the culture, history and mythology of the Cherokee through storytelling. 1 p.m. Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Every Friday.

• The American Legion will hold a turkey shoot every Saturday, 9 a.m. Every Saturday through April 2015, Post 47, Waynesville. 456.8691.

PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS • The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer a Green Growth Toolbox workshop, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, Jackson County Public Library, Community Room. Must register via email.

Kacy.cook@ncwildlife.org.

• The Waynesville Parks and Rec will offer a hike to the Waynesville Watershed for home school students ages 7-16, 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 31, Waynesville Rec Center. $3 for members, $5 for non-members.

456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• The Jackson County Parks and Rec will offer a Full Moon Hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway, 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, Cullowhee Rec Center. $5 per person. Must register at the Cullowhee Rec Center by Nov. 5.

293.3053.

• Nantahala Hiking Club based in Macon County holds weekly Saturday hikes in the Nantahala National Forest and beyond. www.nantahalahikingclub.org

• Try Scuba Program by the Smoky Mountain Divers Carolinas, 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, Waynesville Rec Center Pool. $30 plus pool admission per person.

Call to RSVP. 864.710.1567.

• High Country Hikers, based out of Hendersonville but hiking throughout Western North Carolina, plans hikes every Monday and Thursday. Schedules, meeting places and more information are available on their website, www.highcountryhikers.org.

• A Youth Swim Refresher Course will be offered by Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education, 6:25-7:15 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Oct. 27-29 and Nov. 3-5, Reid Gymnasium. $59 per person. 227.7397.

• Carolina Mountain Club hosts more than 150 hikes a year, including options for full days on weekends, full days on Wednesdays and half days on Sundays.

Non-members contact event leaders. www.carolinamountainclub.org

Competitive Edge

• Mountain High Hikers, based in Young Harris, Ga., leads several hikes per week. Guests should contact hike leader. www.mountainhighhikers.org.

• Runners to get coated in color at WCU Fun Run 5K, 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, Alumni Tower at WCU. $12.50-20 per person. 227.2610.

FARM & GARDEN • Winter Gardening and Spring Garden Prep workshop, 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, South Painter Rd., Cullowhee. 226.0398.

• The Sylva Garden Club will meet, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, First Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall, Sylva. 910.476.2544.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

HIKING CLUBS

• Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, located in East Tennessee, makes weekly hikes in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park as well as surrounding areas. www.smhclub.org.

• Benton MacKaye Trail Association incorporates outings for hikes, trail maintenance and other work trips.

No experience is necessary to participate. www.bmta.org.

• Diamond Brand’s Women’s Hiking Group meets on

the third Saturday of every month. For more information, e-mail awilliams@diamondbrand.com or call 684.6262.

BIKE RIDES • A weekly bike ride in Waynesville meets Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at Rolls Rite Bicycles on the Old Asheville Highway. Beginner to intermediate rides led by Bicycle Haywood advocacy group. Eight- to 12-mile rides.

276.6080 or gr8smokieszeke@gmail.com.

• A weekly bike ride meets in Bryson City on Wednesdays around 6 p.m. Depart from the East Swain Elementary school in Whittier on U.S.19 off exit 69 from U.S. 23-74. All levels. 800.232.7238.

• A weekly bike ride in Sylva meets Tuesday at 6 p.m., departing from Motion Makers bike shop for a tough 25-mile ride up to the Balsam Post office via back roads and back into Sylva. 586.6925.

• A weekly bike ride in Franklin meets Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., departing from Smoky Mountain Bicycles at 179 Highlands Road. Geared for all levels. 369.2881 or www.maconcountycycling.blogspot.com.

• A weekly bike ride in Franklin meets Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. at Macon Middle School on Wells Grove Road.

Ladies and beginners’ ride. 369.2881 or www.maconcountycycling.blogspot.com.

• A weekly bike ride in Franklin meets Saturdays at 8 a.m., departing from South Macon Elementary School.

369.2881, www.maconcountycycling.blogspot.com.

• The Cherokee Riders holds weekly group rides. Hugh Lambert 554.6810 or hughlamb@nc-cherokee.com.

MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDES • Weekly mountain bike ride at Tsali, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesdays. Hosted by Nantahala Area SORBA. Social ride, so all skill levels are welcome and encouraged to

come. Meet in the Tsali parking lot. www.facebook.com/nantahalaareasorba. Andy, 488.1988.

• Monthly “Girlz Ride” at Tsali, last Friday of every month. Sponsored by Nantahala Area SORBA. Meet at 6:30 p.m. in Tsali parking lot. All skill levels welcome.

Social and snacks provided after the ride. 506.115, www.facebook.com/nantahalaareasorba.

FARMERS & TAILGATE MARKETS Haywood County • Canton Farmers Market and Heritage Crafts. 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday through Oct. 31, municipal parking lot of downtown Canton. Robin Smith, 734.9071 or michaelrobin07@yahoo.com.

• Haywood Historic Farmers Market. 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday and Saturday through mid-December at 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville, parking lot HART Theatre.

280.1381 or haywoodfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

• The Original Waynesville Tailgate Market. 8 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays and Saturdays through Oct. 29 at 171 Legion Dr., Waynesville, behind Bogart’s restaurant. 648.6323. www.facebook.com/pages/waynesville-tailgate-market/117024646020.

Jackson County • Cashiers Tailgate Market. 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays May through October. Anglican Church parking lot next to Macon Bank on U.S. Highway 64 East. 226.9988 or blueridgefarmers@gmail.com.

• Jackson County Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to noon April to October at Bridge Park in Sylva; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

November to March at Community Table. Family Art at the Market offered at 10 a.m. and story time with City Lights at 11 a.m.; monthly fundraising brunches and occasional music given. 631.3033, 399.0290, or jacksoncountyfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

MountainEats.com

Smoky Mountain News

Let your smartphone be your guide!

• Find restaurants nearby • Read descriptions and explore menus • View photos and interactive maps It’s that simple!

An online dining directory for Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: 866.452.2251 56

• Franklin Farmers Tailgate Market. 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through November on East Palmer Street across from Drake Software. 349.2049 or alan_durden@ncsu.edu, www.facebook.com/franklinncfarmersmarket.

Swain County • Swain County Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fridays through Oct. 31. 210 Main St. at the corner of Main St. and Everett St. in Bryson City. 488.3848 or christine_bredenkamp@ncsu.edu. www.facebook.com/pages/Swain-County-FarmersMarket/104853346226504.

OUTDOOR CLUBS • Cold Mountain Photographic Society is a camera/photography club for amateurs and professionals who want to learn about and share their knowledge of photography with others. Must be 18 or older to join. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month in the conference room of MedWest Health and Fitness Center, 262 Leroy George Drive in Clyde. More information at www.cmpsnc.org or info@cmpsnc.org.

• 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. www.cherokeerunners.com.

• Mountain Wild, the local chapter of the N.C. Wildlife Federation works to preserve and increase wildlife and wildlife habitat of the region. Free programs and guest speakers held periodically at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville. Call 338.0035.

• Free Fly Fishing Classes are offered at River’s Edge Outfitters in Cherokee every week. Participants of all ages and skill levels are welcome and encouraged to attend. Classes will be approximately an hour and half long. For more information contact Rivers Edge Outfitters at 497.9300.

• The Jackson-Swain Master Gardeners’ Association meets at 9:30 a.m. every second Wednesday at the Jackson Community Services Building on Scotts Creek Road in Sylva. Mike Glover at 736.2768 or lmgofish@gmail.com.

• Macon County Horse Association meets at 7:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Macon County Fairgrounds Alumni Building. Education program and business meeting. ddoster@fs.fed.us.

Auto ~ Home Life ~ Retirement

David Mesimer (828) 452-2815 283 North Haywood St. Waynesville david.mesimer@allstate.com

Insurance subject to terms, qualifications and availability. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co.. Life insurance and annuities issued by Lincoln Benefit Life Company, Lincoln, NE, Allstate Life Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL, and American Heritage Life Insurance Company, Jacksonville, FL. In New York, Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York, Hauppauge, NY. Northbrook, IL. © 2010 Allstate Insurance Co.

• The Macon County Beekeepers Association meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the extension office located on Thomas Heights Road next to Jim Brown Chrysler on Highlands Road. New members welcome.

• Haywood Bee Keepers Association meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the NC Ag center on Raccoon Road. hcbees.org.

• Smoky Mountain Beekeepers meet at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month at the Jackson Extension Center, 538 Scotts Creek, Sylva. Open to anyone interested in honeybees. 554.6935.

• The Franklin Walking Club meets at 10 a.m. every Saturday (weather permitting) at the Tassee picnic shelter on the Greenway at the corner of Wells Grove Road and Ulco Drive. All fitness levels are welcome, call Linda at 421.7613.

• Haywood Alliance, a local chapter of the WNC Alliance, meets at various locations each month. Get involved with protecting Haywood County’s environment, scenery and farmland from development, and encouraging politicians to take steps. Contact jeswan@gmail.com.

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

• Small RV Camping club is seeking additional members. We camp one weekend per month March through November. All ages are welcome. No dues, no structured activities. Just an enjoyment of the outdoors, fellowship, good conversation, potluck dinners and a roaring campfire. Contact Lillian for more details lilnau@aol.com or 369.6669.

• Pigeon Valley Bassmasters Club will meet at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at J&S Cafeteria, Enka, Exit 44 off I-40. 712.2846.

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76023

Macon County

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

wnc calendar

• The Jackson County Farmers Market will be indoors at the Community Table, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Every Saturday, starting Nov. 1, Community Table, over the Bridge and through the playground from Central St. 399.0290.

• Swain County Trail Runners. Long run group meets 8 a.m. Saturdays at the Deep Creek Trailhead Parking Area in Bryson City. All runs are on trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or Tsali Recreation Area. All distances, paces, ages welcome. More information at 399.0989, 488.6769 or wdtreern@yahoo.com.

• The Sylva Garden Club meets at 9:30 a.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the Presbyterian Church. hooperteresa@yahoo.com.

• WNC Sportsman’s Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Monday night of each month at the Juke Box Junction Restaurant located in Bethel at the junction of US 276 and N.C. 110 wncsportsmansclub.com

Smoky Mountain News

Discover the state you’re in.

1-800- V I S I T

NC

W W W. V I S I T N C . C O M .

facebook.com/smnews 57

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MarketPlace information:

REACH READERS Across North Carolina for only $375. Run your 25-word classified line ad in 99 newspapers with one call to this newspaper 452.4251, or call NCPS at 919.516.8009.

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.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

Rates:

ALLISON CREEK Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC

■ Free — Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads.

■ Free — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $12 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

■ $12 — 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.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

AUCTION ABSOLUTE AUCTION Independence, VA. 291 acres - 3 Tracts. Saturday, November 8th 10:30 am. 3.5 acres with Warehouse. 10.04 Acres with commercial building. 277 Acres marketable mixed hardwood timber. Boyer Realty & Auction. Jimmy Boyer VAAR1279. 336.572 2323. boyerrealty@skybest.com

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

INC.

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DI

SC OV ER E

ATR

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Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

AUCTION A&G Enterprises Fleet Alignment, November 8, 9am, Ashland, VA. Thermoplastic, Painting, Grinding, Trucks & Equipment. Motley's Asset Disposition Group, 804.232.3300 x.4. www.motleys.com/industrial.

VAAL#16.

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

Service truck available for on-site repairs 264-18

LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS

MON-FRI 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

828-456-5387

AUCTION HARPER’S AUCTION COMPANY Friday Oct. 31st @ 6:00 p.m.

Holiday is the Theme: Start your shopping here; Trees, Decorations, Gifts, Tableware, Jewelry, Wrapping and Lots More!!!

47 Macon Center Dr. Franklin,NC 828.369.6999. harpersauctioncompany.com Debra Harper, NCAL #9659, NCFL #9671.

ACCELERATED SALE

By Sealed Bid- Former Arby's Restaurant. 3,322± SF, 1.24±AC, Includes Equipment. 1237 North Road St., Elizabeth City, NC. Bids Due Thurs., 10/30 @ 3pm. motleys.com. 1.877.MOTLEYS. VA16 EOH REAL ESTATE, 7 Parcels, Farm, Homes, Lots-Gorgeous Mountain Views! Nov. 7th & 8th, Mill Spring, NC; Landrum, SC. United Country - Rogers Auctioneers, Inc. 919.545.0412.

RogersAuction.com. NCFL7360SCFL3919

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

ABSOLUTE AUCTION Nice House - 30+/- Acres Divided Pond - 2612 Brogden Road, Creedmoor, Granville County, NC. Saturday October 25, 11am. Damon Shortt Auction Group.

877.669.4005. NCAL7358. www.damonshorttproperties.com

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, Finishing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control.

FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1.800.698.9217

FARM EQUIPMENT AUCTION Saturday, November 1 at 9am.

5102 E. Dixon Blvd., Kings Mountain, NC. Kubota M-7040 4WD, Mahindra 4025 with Loader, 68 Kaiser, (2) Skid Steers & Attachments, 1997 Ford Dump, (40+) 3pt Implements. 704.791.8825. ncaf5479. www.ClassicAuctions.com

DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

PAINTING WHERE PRIDE & WORKMANSHIP STILL EXIST! Painting By Fred Hoffman Over 40 yrs. Exp. Ineterior & Exterior Painting. Located in Haywood County. For more info & - Free Estimates 561.420.9334

AUTO PARTS BLOWN HEAD GASKET Cracked Heads/Block. State of the art 2-part Carbon Composite Repair! All Vehicles Foreign or Domestic including Northstars!

100% guaranteed. Call Now: 1.866.780.9038 SAPA

CARS *CASH TODAY* We’ll Buy Any Car (Any Condition) + Free Same-Day Removal. Best Cash Offer Guaranteed! Call For FREE Quote: 888.472.2113 SAPA DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck or Boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. Call Now 800.337.9038.

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA

BOATS 2003, 31’ x 8’ SELF CONTAINED Lil Hobo Houseboat, 2005 2-Stroke 90HP Motor. Docked at Fontana Marina $27,000 Negotiable. Call 828.293.0762.

R

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

MAKE 250K AND UP! CDL OTR Drivers needed. Make Great Money- Owner Operators, Reefers, Step Decks, Flats, POWER ONLY ACCEPTED! Call Frank Now! 478.951.9123 & Start Making Money Today! SAPA

EMPLOYMENT AIRLINE MECHANIC CAREERS Start Here - Get FAA Approved Maintenance Training. Financial Aid For Qualified Students. Job Placement Assistance. Call Aviation Institute Of Maintenance 1.866.724.5403 WWW.FIXJETS.COM. SAPA ATTENTION: Drivers $$ Recent pay increase $$ 4 cpm raise for every driver + bonuses. 401k + insurance. Paid training orientation. CDL-A Required 1.888.592.4752. www.ad-drivers.com SAPA

B.H. GRANING LANDSCAPES, INC Winter Is Coming But We Are Not Slowing Down! Now Hiring Licensed CDL Driver. Competitive Pay, Health Insurance, & Retirement Plan Available.

Please Call Office Phone# 828.586.8303 Ask to Speak With Pam.

DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED! Become a driver for Stevens Transport! No Experience Needed!

New drivers earn $800+ per week!

PAID CDL TRAINING Stevens covers all costs! 1.888.748.4137 drive4stevens.com DRIVERS: Need CDL A or B to relocate vehicles from area body plants to various locations throughout U.S. - No forced dispatch. We specialize in continuation trips to reduce deadhead! 1.800.501.3783 or www.mamotransportation.com under Careers.

HIGHLANDS-CASHIERS HOSPITAL Positions now available: ER and Acute Registered Nurses, MDS Coordinator, Annual Gift Officer, Major Gift Officer, Unit Clerk, Certified Nursing Assistant, Pharmacy Tech and Administrative Assistant.

Benefits available the first of the month following 60 days of full-time employment. PreEmployment screening required.

Call Human Resources.

828.526.1376, or apply online at: www.highlandscashiershospital. org IF YOU DESIRE Competitive rates and a company that cares about you, call a recruiter at 1.866.764.1601 to get started with Quality Drive Away!

No CDL required, competitive rates, great people!

JOIN OUR TEAM! Guaranteed pay for Class A CDL Flatbed Drivers! Regional and OTR. Great pay/benefits/401k match.

CALL TODAY 864.299.9645. www.jgr-inc.com

NEW OTR ROUTES Company Driver and Owner Operations; Solos or Teams wanted.

Newer equipment, GPS and benefits. Call PAM 855.894.7779 or pamjobs.com NEW PAY And Weekly Home Time for S.E. Regional Drivers! Earn up to $0.42/mile PLUS up to $0.03 per mile in bonus pay! Call 866.291.2631 or SuperServiceLLC.com TEMP. CLIENT SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR Haywood Spay/Nueter. Nov. 15, 2014 - Mar. 31, 2015. $13/Hr. Lots of Public Contact, In Person and by Phone. Must be able to use MS Office, QuickBooks and be Well Organized. 28hr/week Tue. - Fri. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Send Resume by email only to: Treasurer@haywoodspayneuter. org

DRIVERS: CDL-A Do you want more than $1,000 per week? Excellent Monthly Bonus Program/Benefits. Weekend Hometime you Deserve! Electronic Logs/ Rider Program. 877.704.3773.

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA

DRIVER TRAINER, Must have training experience.

RELAY DRIVERS (loads to VA, SC & GA) & OTR DRIVERS (up & down the East Coast) Dedicated Freight.

New Pay Scale with benefits & safety bonuses. Limited Availability. Contact Corney Transportation, 1.800.354.9111 ext.6 or Judy ext.226

FIX BAD CREDIT In Just 30-Days! Delete Judgments, Collections, Charge offs, Repo’s, Medical Bills, BK’s etc. Deletions Guaranteed! Free to Start!

Call Now! 855.831.9712 SAPA

WANT TO DRIVE A TRUCK...

No Experience. Company sponsored CDL training. In 3 Weeks Learn to Drive a Truck & Earn $45,000+.

Full Benefits. 1.888.691.4423 FOREMEN TO LEAD Utility field crews. Outdoor physical work, many positions, paid training, $20/hr. plus weekly performance bonuses after promotion, living allowance when traveling, company truck and benefits. Must have strong leadership skills, good driving history, and be able to travel in the Carolina's and east coast States. Email resume to: Recruiter4@osmose.com or apply online at www.OsmoseUtilities.com EOE M/F/D/V

AVERITT EXPRESS New Pay Increase For Regional Drivers! 40 to 46 CPM + Fuel Bonus! Also, Post-Training Pay Increase for Students! (Depending on Domicile) Get Home EVERY Week + Excellent Benefits. CDL-A req. 888.602.7440 Apply @ AverittCareers.com Equal Opportunity Employer - Females, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

ATTENTION: Drivers- New Kenworth Trucks! APU equipped. Earn up to 50 cpm Plus Bonuses! Full Benefits + Rider/ Pet Program. CDL-A Req 877.258.8782. meltontruck.com/drivers

FINANCIAL

INJURED? IN A LAWSUIT? Need Cash Now? We Can Help! No Monthly Payments to Make. No Credit Check. Fast Service and Low Rates. Call Now 1.866.386.3692. www.lawcapital.com (Not available in NC, CO, MD & TN) SAPA

FURNITURE MICROWAVE CART ON WHEELS Shelf and lower cabinet, medium wood color. In Franklin, $25.

239.691.1100

HEAVY EQUIPMENT SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $4397.00 Make & Save Money with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship.

FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com. 1.800.578.1363 Ext.300N

PETS HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

FURNITURE COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240 FURNITURE: 3 Piece set: small desk, table, waste basket. Professionally hand painted white with yellow & green.

Like new, very nice. In Franklin $40 239.691.1100.

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

A million miles away is just down the road.

smokymountainnews.com

CAN YOU DIG IT? Heavy Equipment Operator Training! 3 Week Program. Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement Assistance with National Certifications. VA Benefits Eligible! 866.288.6896.

GORDON TRUCKING, INC. CDL-A Truck Drivers. Solo & Team Positions. Our Biggest Pay Increase Ever! Excellent Hometime. Call 7 days/wk! EOE. 866.646.1969.

GordonCareers.com

NEED MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES! Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc.

1.888.512.7122

EMPLOYMENT

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

AVIATION MANUFACTURING Careers Get started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician.

Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance.

Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance. 877.300.9494.

FT ADMIN, ASST. NEEDED Individual with friendly outgoing personality needed to greet visitors and answer office phones.

Must have strong clerical skills using Microsoft Office Suite, Word, Excel, Publisher, email, and other database entry. Good communication skills, oral and written, ability to work under pressure in a fast paced nonprofit organization. Must be accurate, dependable, and organized to meet specified time frames. Experience in an office environment a must. People with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applications available at DisAbility Partners, 525 Mineral Springs Drive, Sylva or call Gale at 828.631.1167 for more information. You can also apply through the Employment Security Commission.

EMPLOYMENT MAPLE TREE VETERINARY Hospital is hiring FT Lead Receptionist/Administrative Assistant.

Submit cover letter, resume, references to: kbirthright@mapletreevet.com or bring to the office M-F, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

WNC MarketPlace

GREAT MONEY FROM HOME With Our Free Mailer Program.

Live Operators On Duty Now! 1.800.707.1810 EXT 901 or visit WWW.PACIFICBROCHURES.COM SAPA

EMPLOYMENT

visitnc.com

59

WNC MarketPlace

LAWN & GARDEN

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT

HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

ABSOLUTE AUCTION Nice House - 30+/- Acres Divided Pond - 2612 Brogden Road, Creedmoor, Granville County, NC. Saturday October 25, 11am. Damon Shortt Auction Group.

877.669.4005. NCAL7358. www.damonshorttproperties.com

SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $4397.00 Make & Save Money with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship.

FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com. 1.800.578.1363 Ext.300N SAPA

REAL ESTATE, 7 Parcels, Farm, Homes, Lots-Gorgeous Mountain Views! Nov. 7th & 8th, Mill Spring, NC; Landrum, SC. United Country - Rogers Auctioneers, Inc. 919.545.0412.

RogersAuction.com. NCFL7360SCFL3919

HOMES FOR SALE

NC MTNS NEAR ASHEVILLE Owner must sell new log cabin on 1.5ac. Huge porches, vaulted ceiling, 1200sf ready to finish. $74,900, add'l acreage avail.

828.286.2981.

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor shamrock13@charter.net McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

BANNER ELK, NC 10 acre tract adjoining National Forest, huge panoramic views of Grandfather Mountain & access to 2 lakes & 9 parks! Taking a loss, $49,900. 877.717.5263, ext691.

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT ABSOLUTE AUCTION Independence, VA. 291 acres - 3 Tracts. Saturday, November 8th 10:30 am. 3.5 acres with Warehouse. 10.04 Acres with commercial building. 277 Acres marketable mixed hardwood timber. Boyer Realty & Auction. Jimmy Boyer VAAR1279. 336.572 2323. boyerrealty@skybest.com

VACATION RENTALS CAVENDER CREEK CABINS Dahlonega, North Georgia Mountains. *WINTER SPECIAL: Buy 2 Nights, 3rd FREE* 1,2,& 3 Bedroom Cabins with HOT TUBS! Virtual Tour: www.CavendarCreek.com Call Now Toll Free 1.866.373.6307 FLAGLER BEACH MOTEL & Vacation Rentals **Trip Advisor** Certificate of Excellence Furnished Oceanside Studio 1-2-3 Bedrooms, Full Kitchens. FREE WiFi, Direct TV, Pool. Call 1.386.517.6700 or www.fbvr.net SAPA NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS! Fall or winter vacations! Cabins, Condos, Homes. Pets welcome.

Nightly, Weekly & Monthly rentals.

Best rates. Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock. Foscoe Rentals 1.800.723.7341 www.foscoerentals.com. SAPA

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS JADA IS JUST EXQUISITE, WITH BEAUTIFUL MEDIUM LENGTH BLACK FOR AND BRIGHT GREEN EYES! SHE'S A SWEET AND FRIENDLY GIRL WHO JUST WANTS A LOVING HOME OF HER OWN.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400 Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

HARLEY IS A 6 MONTH OLD TERRIER/MIX. HE IS SUCH A CUTIE PIE AND VERY FRIENDLY. HE IS LOOKING FOR HIS NEW FAMILY NOW AND THAT COULD BE YOU!

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962

www.smokymountainnews.com

Equal Housing Opportunity

BULLFROG STORAGE Convenient Location 19/23 Between Clyde and Canton

5 x 10 = $25 10 x 10 = $40 10 x 20 = $75 • NO CONTRACTS • Nobody Beats Our Rates

828.342.8700 CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE UNITS FOR RENT 1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700 maggievalleyselfstorage.com

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

MEDICAL ACORN STAIRLIFTS. The Affordable solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1.800.291.2712 for FREE DVD and brochure.

CANADA DRUG CENTER Is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call Today 1.800.265.0768 for $25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping.

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MEDICAL ATTENTION VIAGRA USERS: Viagra 100MG and Cialis 20 MG! 40 pills + 4 Free, Only $99. No prescription needed! Satisfaction Guaranteed! 1.800.491.8751 SAPA MEDICAL GUARDIAN Top-rated medical alarm and 24/7 medical alert monitoring. For a limited time, get free equipment, no activation fees, no commitment, a 2nd waterproof alert button for free and more - only $29.95 per month. 800.983.4906.

SAPA SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB. Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included. Call 800.807.7219 for $750 Off.

FOR SALE ENJOY 100 PERCENT Guaranteed, delivered?to-the-door Omaha Steaks! SAVE 74 percent PLUS 4 FREE Burgers - The Family Value Combo - ONLY $39.99.

ORDER Today 1.800.715.2010 Use code 48829AFK or www.OmahaSteaks.com/mbfvc46 SAPA PET MATE Large Dog Crate 40x27x30, Clean Good Cond. $45. Large Red Radio Flyer Wagon, 0890 Vintage, little rust $35. Call 828.524.8138.

ENTERTAINMENT SCOTTISH TARTANS MUSEUM 86 East Main St., Franklin, Open 10am- 5pm, Mon - Sat. Come & let us find your Scottish Connection!

828.584.7472 or visit us at: www.scottishtartans.org.

DISH TV RETAILER. Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available.) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 1.800.405.5081

264-09

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

92

$

20’x20’

160

$

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828 60

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

Puzzles can be found on page 62.

These are only the answers.

Your Local Big Green Egg Dealer

Pet Adoption Shepherd mix. He weighs 20 pounds, is friendly, and very handsome. He gets along with other dogs and is working on crate training, but isn’t fully housebroken due to his young age. Newman could be adopted now, but can’t go to his new home until he is neutered. ARF is scheduling this surgery for as soon as possible. 828.508.1301.

BANDIT - An adolescent, neutered, black cat. He tries to answer the telephone. He is litter box trained. 828.586.5647.

SIR JOSEPH - A white with tan markings Jack Russell. He is 2 years old and weighs 15 lbs.

Call 877.273.5262.

BARNUM - A purebred, 3 year old, male, 28 lb. Beagle. He is sweet, good on a leash, working on house training, and uses a

doggie door. Barnum is very laid back, but will definitely let you know if someone is at the door.

Call 828.586.5186.

SMOKY - A two-year-old brindle Aussie mix. He is lively and friendly. Call 877.273.5262.

VIOLET - A 1-2 year old, purebred Black and tan hound.

She is very affectionate.

877.273.5262.

ON DELLWOOD RD. (HWY. 19) AT 20 SWANGER LANE WAYNESVILLE/MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.8778

dog and cat spay/neuter trip is in November 3rd. Register in advance at ARF’s adoption site in Sylva 1-3 on Saturdays.

Spaces are limited, so don’t wait until the last minute to register. You should not bring your animal to registration. Do bring income documentation if you wish to apply for free or other low-income discounts.

877.273.5262.

Beverly Hanks & Associates beverly-hanks.com

people-friendly and will seek out your attention, but don’t get along with other cats very well.

Adoption fees vary; if you’re interested in me, please contact adoptions@ashevillehumane.org.

SHAKIRA - Domestic Shorthair cat – apricot & white, I am about 8 years old, and I’m intelligent, sweet girl with plenty of energy left but maturity to go with it. I enjoy cuddling but will not “smother” you with my affection.

Many of my teeth have been extracted, but that doesn’t stop me from being able to eat dry cat food. I get along fine with dogs, birds, and other cats, but I do prefer an environment that is more calm than active. Adoption fees vary; if you’re interested: adoptions@ashevillehumane.org.

264-03

• • • •

Full Service Property Management 828-456-6111 www.selecthomeswnc.com

Michelle McElroy — beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig — beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey — beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither — esither@beverly-hanks.com

ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com Haywood Properties — haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox — info@haywoodproperties.com

Residential and Commercial Long-Term Rentals

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Ron Kwiatkowski — ronk.kwrealty.com

Jerry Smith

Mountain Home Properties — mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell — smokiesproperty.com

828-734-8765

Main Street Realty — mainstreetrealty.net

jsmith201@kw.com

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

264-12

2562 Dellwood Rd. Waynesville

• Bruce McGovern — shamrock13.com

(U.S. Hwy. 19)

Between Russ Ave. & Maggie Valley kellerwilliamswaynesville.com

Emerson Group

214-64

• George Escaravage — gke333@gmail.com 264-214

Prudential Lifestyle Realty — vistasofwestfield.com Realty World Heritage Realty realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766 • Martha Sawyer realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7769 • Linda Wester realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7771

• • • • • • •

263-15

MOUNTAIN REALTY

Mieko Thomson

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland — brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson — ncsmokies.com The Morris Team — maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team — the-real-team.com Ron Breese — ronbreese.com Dan Womack — womackdan@aol.com Catherine Proben — cp@catherineproben.com

smokymountainnews.com

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty

ASHEVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY 828.761.2001, 14 Forever Friend Lane, Asheville, NC 28806 We’re located behind Deal Motorcars, off Brevard & Pond Rd.

The Seller’s Agency — listwithphil.com • Phil Ferguson — philferguson@bellsouth.net

ROKER/R /REALTOR EALTOR®® BBROKER

Cell (828) 226-2298 Cell

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

Mix dog – black & white, I was born in spring 2014 and I’m a handsome, energetic pup. I already weigh 53 pounds, so I’m going to be a big boy. I already know how to use a doggy-door to let myself go potty, and I have mastered several commands.

Even though I enjoy playing rough with other big dogs, I do get along with cats and small dogs and I am very respectful of them.

Adoption fees vary; if you’re interested in me, please contact adoptions@ashevillehumane.org.

GOOSIE - Domestic Shorthair cat – gray & cream, I am 4-5 years old, and I’m a big beautiful girl. I am front-declawed, which means I need to stay strictly indoors! I’m very sweet and

264-23

10-5 M-SAT. 12-4 SUN.

ARF’S NEXT LOW-COST

ARF (HUMANE SOCIETY OF JACKSON COUNTY) Holds rescued pet adoptions Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 (weather permitting) at 50 Railroad Avenue in Sylva. Animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots.

Most cats $60, most dogs $70.

Preview available pets at www.a-r-f.org, or call foster home.

CONNOR - Great Dane/Retriever

BEST PRICE EVERYDAY

WNC MarketPlace

NEWMAN - A four month old

264-24

find us at: facebook.com/smnews

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com 61

www.smokymountainnews.com

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

WNC MarketPlace

Super

62

CROSSWORD

Castro 73 Sidelong look 74 PC screen type ACROSS 77 Tiara-winning teen 1 Stored up 79 Emmy-winning Falco 8 Redirects 81 Catch wind of 15 A little off 82 De-intensify 20 “I was wrong ... big 83 Ascend deal!”

21 Single-issue publica- 85 “The Waltons” actor Will tion 88 Sleek, briefly 22 First extra inning 89 Place for GIs 23 Place to stay apart 90 Jenny Craig regimen from others 91 Schoolroom surprises 25 Aquarium growth 93 Make mad 26 Store away 94 As blind as 27 Swine 96 Throws from a saddle 28 X-ray cousin 97 Spat 29 Furrow 103 Puente or Jackson 30 Cities, informally 104 Island greetings 32 Schubert’s “Trout,” 105 Always, in verse e.g.

106 Fissure 35 Select for jury duty 107 Soprano Tetrazzini 39 City near Cologne 112 Less wild 40 “Fee, fi, fo, -!”

41 Certain job lineup for 113 Fitting exhortation to someone solving this puza computer zle?

43 R&B legend Marvin 117 Harsh 45 Ultimate 49 Cry from churchgoers 118 In the best case 119 Prizes highly 50 Robotic rock group 120 Responses of con51 Office missive sent 52 This or that 121 Frightful flies 54 Ten: Prefix 122 Wear 55 Irish New Ager 57 Lifted-out, boldfaced DOWN article excerpt 1 Vipers 59 - Jeanne d’Arc: Abbr.

2 Humorist Sahl 60 Ski lift 3 Oman locale 63 Like some hygiene 4 Yukons and Xterras 65 Appropriated 5 Old Lloyd Bridges TV 66 Something often series dodged 6 911 agt.

69 Camp David 7 IBM’s old chess-playing 72 Brother of Fidel PUZZLING BEHAVIOR

computer 8 Illusionist Henning 9 With 81-Down, confused 10 Mice and lice 11 Make hostile 12 Köln’s river 13 Rocky peak 14 Rd. crossers 15 Game maker since 1972 16 Casaba, e.g.

17 Gold block 18 Ward (off) 19 Bed cover 24 Sue Grafton’s “- for Quarry” 29 Breath mint alternative 31 Not optional: Abbr.

32 “The Raven” writer 33 “I Get a Kick Out -” 34 Juan’s “what” 35 2010 Apple debuts 36 Citi Field mascot 37 Fragment 38 Faris of films 39 “- giorno!”

42 Tennis great Chris 44 Plentiful 45 Booze 46 Take - for the worse 47 Galleria unit 48 Head, in Québec 51 Place for movie titles 52 Decorator de Wolfe 53 Like ketchup 56 “Star Wars” guru 58 Guitar’s ancestor 60 Rotational force 61 Raise in price by successive offers 62 “As I Lay Dying” father

64 The - Sod (Ireland) 66 Apples and pears 67 Baseballer Banks 68 Doze 69 Chest beater 70 Curmudgeon 71 - Nostra (Mafia’s kin) 74 Gibbons of TV talk 75 Insertion mark 76 Smelting waste 78 Eleniak of “Baywatch” 80 Jim Croce’s “- a Name” 81 See 9-Down 84 Eyed intently 86 Accoutered 87 Smallest litter member 90 R&B’s - Hill 91 Good buddy 92 Put in solitary 93 High figs. for Einsteins 95 Green gem minerals 97 “Crazy” singer Cline 98 Give a big lift 99 Very big books 100 “Voilà!”

101 Knitting balls 102 Adorée of silent films 103 Road crew goo 106 Dudes 108 Les - (French for “some”) 109 - of March 110 640-acre unit: Abbr.

111 The “A” of PTA: Abbr.

113 “Good Will Hunting” sch.

114 Age-verifying docs.

115 Corrida holler 116 Bygone Russ. state

answers on page 60

PERSONAL A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS, Let Us Help! Personalized Adoption Plans. Financial Assistance, Housing, Relocation And More. Giving The Gift Of Life? You Deserve The Best. Call Us First!

1.888.637.8200. 24 hour HOTLINE. SAPA ARE YOU PREGNANT? A childless young married couple seeks to adopt. Hands-on mom/devoted dad. Financial security. Expenses PAID. Call Maria & John 1.888.988.5028 (FLBar#0150789) SAPA CHILDLESS, MARRIED COUPLE Seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on mom/devoted dad. Preplacement assessment approved by Better Living Agency on 6/26/2014. Expenses paid. Jeanne and Damian 1.855.563.8901.

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

PERSONAL MAKE A CONNECTION. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call now 1.888.909.9978 18+. SAPA

SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION EARN YOUR High School Diploma at home in a few short weeks. Work at your own pace. First Coast Academy. Nationally accredited. Call for free brochure. 1.800.658.1180, extension 82. www.fcahighschool.org SAPA COMPUTER CERTIFICATION Classes! Get the skills needed to become a certified Help Desk Professional! No Experience Needed!

Call CTI for details at 888.734.6712 or visit AskCTI.com.

Training Grant Available!

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA From Home. 6-8 weeks. Accredited, Get a future. FREE Brochure. Call NOW:1.800.264.8330 Benjamin Franklin High School www.diplomafromhome.com SAPA NEED MEDICAL BILLING TRAINEES! Doctors & Hospitals need Medical Office Staff! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc.

1.888.512.7122

SERVICES KP PAVING Over 50 Years Experience.

Specialize in BST (Tar & Chat) 40% Cheaper than Asphalt. We also do Grading, Blacktop Seal Coating, Private Driveways & Roadways. Free Estimates at 828.246.0510 or 828.400.5489 GET THE BIG DEAL From DirecTV! Act Now- $19.99/ mo. Free 3-Months of HBO, Starz, Showtime & Cinemaxfree Genie HD/DVR Upgrade! 2014 NFL Sunday Ticket Included with Select Packages. New Customers Only IV Support Holdings LLC- An authorized DirecTV Dealer. Some exclusions apply - Call for details 1.800.413.9179 SAPA REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL!* Get a whole-home Satellite system installed at NO COST and programming starting at $19.99/mo. FREE HD/DVR Upgrade to new callers, SO CALL NOW 1.800.614.5355 BUNDLE & SAVE On your TV, Internet, Phone!!! Call Bundle Deals NOW. Compare all companies, Packages and Prices!

Call 1.855.549.3156 TODAY. SAPA MEDICAL GUARDIAN Top-rated medical alarm and 24/7 medical alert monitoring. For a limited time, get free equipment, no activation fees, no commitment, a 2nd waterproof alert button for free and more - only $29.95 per month. 800.615.3868

WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 60

The naturalist’s corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Monarchs to Mexico onarch butterflies, like orange autumn leaves filling the skies, have been winging it to Mexico for the last month or so. Peak migration for the mountains of Western North Carolina is from mid- to late September through early to midOctober.

But don’t be surprised if you still see one or two – there is still time for them to make it to Mexico. Tagging data has shown that monarchs can cover up to 500 miles in three days under favorable conditions. Migration is generally more leisurely than this, however. A monarch tagged on Oct. 7 at Cape May, N.J., by Mark Garland was recaptured on Oct. 24 at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida – a distance of 807 miles.

A monarch tagged in Central Park on Aug. 27, 2005 was recaptured at El Rosario Monarch Sanctuary, 2,150 miles away on Feb. 14, 2006. And these bugs aren’t afraid of heights. They have been recorded migrating at altitudes above 11,000 feet.

The monarch migration story is a biological mystery. Most adult butterflies live about a month or so. Their primary function is to propagate the species. It has often been

M

said that a butterfly is just the breeding stage of a caterpillar. But the last emerging monarch of the summer doesn’t fit this mold. It is not sexually mature when it leaves the chrysalis. Instead, it turns south and heads for Mexico. It will not sexually

mature for six to eight months, when it leaves Mexico in the spring and heads back to North America where it will emerge from reproductive diapause and begin the common cycle of breeding, egg-laying and then the adult will go to that happy butterfly garden in the sky, while the egg hatches, the caterpillar grows, then pupates and the chrysalis opens to reveal another generation of monarch butterfly.

The other part of the migration mystery is maybe, even more, intriguing. The animal that eventually turns south, towards Mexico, is as many as four (or more) generations

Monarchs on their wintering ground in Mexico. creative commons photo

removed from the animal that left Mexico in the spring. How this creatures finds its way back to the same area in the mountains of central Mexico every fall is a wonder.

Colonies of overwintering Monarchs in Mexico last winter were at their lowest-ever numbers. Researchers estimated the population at around 33 million, which was about half of 2012’s 60 million.

Biologists are studying this precipitous population drop to qualify and quantify its causes. Likely culprits appear to be habitat loss (primarily the loss of milkweed, its host plant) plus herbicides and/or pesticides.

This year’s fall migration shows promise of a slight rebound in population. Seventy-four fall roosts of migrating monarchs in the central flyway were recorded this year. That is up from 28 in 2012 and 24 in 2013. There were also more roosts with more than 1,000 butterflies recorded – 11 this year, compared to four in 2012 and three in 2013. More population data will be available after scientists do a population census on the monarch’s wintering grounds in December.

There are a number of websites where you can learn about monarchs and many offer citizen-science opportunities plus explain simple things you can do in your yard and/or on your property to aid this wonderful and wondrous pollinator. Two websites are: Monarch Joint Venture monarchjointventure.org and Monarch Butterfly Journey North www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch.

(Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

20% OFF* Sterling Silver Jewelry 30% OFF* Men’s Los Altos Boots 40% OFF* Ladies’ Denim – Miss Me, MEK & Affliction NOVEMBER 15th

Haywood County Toy Run & Motorcycle Parade

Exit 100 off U.S. 74 82 LOCUST DRIVE | WAYNESVILLE | NC

828.452.7276 SMSH.CO FOR OUR FULL INVENTORY Mon.-Fri. 9-6 | Sat. 9-5 | Closed Sun.

Smoky Mountain News

SAVE THE DATE

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

Halloween Spooktacular Sale

AFFLICTION • MISS ME • INOX • HOT LEATHERS VOCAL • MEK DENIM • MUSTANG HARLEY-DAVIDSON • BELL EASYRIDERS ROADWARE • ALPINESTARS FULMER • DRAG SPECIALTIES

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63

"Assistant District Attorney Ashley Welch is a committed public servant with a heart for the people of Western North Carolina. In her role as Assistant District Attorney, she has shown her commitment to bringing justice to those who have been victims and accountability to those who choose to break our laws.

Ashley Welch is universally respected by her peers and local law enforcement. She will make a great DA for our community and has my whole-hearted support."

Congressman Mark Meadows

Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2014

represents the 11th District of North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have had the privilege of working with Ashley Welch for nearly ten years. I am supporting Ashley not because of her party affiliation but because of her work ethic and because of her record as our Prosecutor. She has always been an advocate for victims including the youngest of our community. I have seen her make tough decisions even when they were not the most popular decisions. Ashely does not and will not allow politics to interfere with the judicial process or in the decisions that she makes. I have confidence that Ashley Welch will be a District Attorney we can count on no matter what your party affiliation and a District Attorney who will make the right decisions in the best interest of our community and while following the law.â&#x20AC;?

Sheriff Robert L. Holland

Smoky Mountain News

Macon County Sheriff, 2002- Present

Ashley Welch has the strong support of WNC law enforcement.

Endorsed by Sheriff Curtis Cochran (Swain County), Sheriff Vic Davis (Clay County), Sheriff Homer Holbrooks (retired - Macon County), Sheriff George Erwin (retired - Henderson County) Recognized by the Drug Enforcement Administration from the US Department of Justice for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Drug Law Enforcement Graduate of the National Career Prosecutor's Course Strong and successful record of prosecuting murders, crimes against children, and drug traffickers.

AshleyWelchForDistrictAttorney.com 64

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Ashley Welch for District Attorney.