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December 12-18, 2018 Vol. 20 Iss. 29

Pez Heads: Little candies make for big friendships Page 4 Report yields optimism for Scotts Creek restoration Page 34

CONTENTS On the Cover: The Town of Waynesville is trying to clean up a parcel of land being used as a homeless encampment on the corner of Church and Richland streets, but the property owner says he refuses to force the people to leave as the cold winter weather settles in. (Page 6) Cory Vaillancourt photo

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News Cherokee election ordinance nears finish line ............................................................3 Pez Heads: Little candies make for big friendships ..................................................4 Franklin board split on future of ABC board ..............................................................8 Franklin looks at greenway connection ........................................................................9 Caney Fork closes following roadwork dispute ......................................................10 Storm delays N.C. 107 planning process ................................................................11 Robothon inspires coding and creativity in students ............................................12 Drug trafficker gets 37 years, $1 million fine ..........................................................13 AG looks to protect WNC’s interest in Mission sale ............................................15 WCU trustees approve fee increases for 2019 ....................................................16

Opinion Administration makes mistake with gender plans ..................................................20

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Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Jessica Murray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessica.m@smokymountainnews.com Susanna Barbee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . susanna.b@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Hylah Birenbaum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jessi Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jessi@smokymountainnews.com Holly Kays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . holly@smokymountainnews.com Cory Vaillancourt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cory@smokymountainnews.com Garret K. Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . garret@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Singletary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smnbooks@smokymountainnews.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Gary Carden (writing), Don Hendershot (writing), Susanna Barbee (writing).

CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 144 Montgomery, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 INFO & BILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786

A conversation with Sierra Hull ....................................................................................24

Outdoors Report yields optimism for creek’s restoration ........................................................34

CORRECTION

Smoky Mountain News

December 12-18, 2018

A photo used on page 10 of the Dec. 5 issue of The Smoky Mountain News was issued with an improper credit. The photo was taken by Monroe A. Miller, Jr.

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Cherokee election ordinance nears finish line Public hearing planned prior to passage

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SCC SWAT robot donated to sheriff

The new election ordinance is a work in progress, with substantial changes still possible pending a public hearing and final discussion and vote by council members. Here’s a peek at some of the changes proposed in the current draft. n Being more than 90 days in default of a debt to the tribe would result in ineligibility to run for office. n People protesting or appealing an election result or an election board decision to disqualify them from a run for office would have to pay a fee before filing a protest or appeal. n In addition to ballot recounts requested by candidates who qualify based on the margin of the election outcome, the election board would have the ability to recount ballots from any election of its own initiative. n The election board could hold a run-off election for a seat if it determines that election irregularities affected the election’s outcome or rendered the results unreliable. n In the case of a vacancy in the chief, vice chief or Tribal Council offices, no special election would be held to select the replacement. The successor would be the person holding the office outlined in the ordinance as next in the line of succession. The draft ordinance elaborates on additional vacancy scenarios to a greater extent than the existing ordinance. n Security cameras recording audio, visual or both would be required to run in polling places when voting is taking place, with records preserved for at least one year. n People who can’t go to the polling place because they’re incarcerated would be added to the list of people eligible for an absentee ballot. n The election board would have the power to decline hearing protests if it feels it can make an informed decision based on the written protest and supporting materials. n Anybody representing a person who is making an argument at an election board hearing would have to comply with Cherokee law regarding law practice on the Qualla Boundary. n Election board members would be required to take an oath of office. n Anybody making a false statement while under oath at an election board hearing could be prosecuted for perjury. n A new section of the election code specifies unlawful campaign practices, such as buying or selling votes, tampering with ballots, falsifying voter registration, intimidating others to influence an election result, voting more than once in an election, marking another person’s ballot or campaigning within 100 yards of a polling place. n The election board would be required to have a secure office with working security cameras and keys and codes available only to “authorized personnel.” Access to the offices would be logged remotely to allow for review of who has been in and out of them. n All ballots and security seals would be required to be kept in a locked safe or cabinet with an access log. The election board would be required to log spoiled ballots. n Poll books would be required to be reconciled and verified daily by two election board members.

To see the draft ordinance in its entirety, visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on this story.

respect for law enforcement and the risks they take every day. Systems like this are one more

tool to try and keep them safe. When we can obtain the budget, I hope to work on another one in the future.”

For Mitchell, his chosen career field is challenging, but very rewarding.

“It was great to be a part in building something that is not only useful, but helps save lives,” said Mitchell. “It was frustrating at first, when coming across technical issues I had never dealt with before, but the final product made it worth it.”

Mitchell is set to graduate in May 2019.

For more information on the Mechatronics program at SCC, contact Jim Falbo at j_falbo@southwesterncc.edu or visit www.southwesterncc.edu.

Smoky Mountain News

After a year-long process of designing, SCC Mechatronics student Scott Mitchell donated his SWAT Robot project to Jackson County Sherriff’s Office.

The SWAT Robot is a device on wheels that has a camera and microphone attached. It has the ability to drive over debris and communicate with people in close range of the robot. The operator of the robot can monitor what the robot is doing from a safe distance, which makes this robot ideal to use in dangerous situations to ensure the safety of officers involved.

“The safety of our officers is top priority, so the fact that SCC is willing to give us something that could potentially save an officer from a dangerous situation is pretty amazing,” said Jackson County Sheriff Chip Hall. “We want to thank Scott Mitchell, his instructor Jim Falbo, and the mechatronics program at SCC for their generosity.”

Falbo, the coordinator of the mechatronics program and Mitchell’s teacher, is proud of the work they have accomplished.

“One of my previous job responsibilities before teaching was to operate and maintain bomb disposal robots in a nuclear plant,” said Falbo. “The skill sets that go into that kind of work transfer well with this project. I have a high

A look at the draft ordinance

December 12-18, 2018

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER fforts to overhaul Cherokee’s election ordinance will come down to the wire following Tribal Council’s unanimous decision to table a vote on the legislation at its meeting Thursday, Dec. 6.

“Me and (Councilmember) Jeremy (Wilson) took this back to the community the other night and they said they would like this be tabled and have a public forum one evening where they can come in,” said Councilmember Bo Crowe, of Wolfetown, when the ordinance came up for discussion.

“They agree with some of the changes that’s in the election ordinance, but they would like to come out and be able to have some input also in it. So, at this time, if it would be alright with the election board, if we might be able to set up an evening where we could put this out and get some community input on it.”

With the deadline looming to pass the ordinance, the suggestion met resistance from the election board.

“That’s really not alright,” said Denise Ballard, chair of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Board of Elections. “This is the last time council will meet to make these changes before an election year starts.

We’ve been meeting on them since April. I think if people had been interested enough they would have requested that before now.”

The draft ordinance, which is currently 36 pages long, contains substantial changes from the law now on the books. Spurred by an elections controversy in 2017 that brought to light marked weaknesses in security surrounding tribal elections, Tribal Council has discussed the ordinance in work sessions and formal meetings throughout

the year with an aim to pass something in time for the 2019 elections.

But that job has proven difficult. The original law stated that the elections ordinance couldn’t be changed from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 in a year in which an election is held, but when Tribal Council found itself unable to make the Oct. 1 deadline it passed an amendment changing the timeframe to begin Jan. 1 instead. Now the new deadline is drawing closer and a final vote is still to come.

Dec. 6 was Tribal Council’s last regularly scheduled meeting before the New Year, but Principal Chief Richard Sneed assured council members he would call an emergency session later this month so that they could hold a final vote, after the community meeting.

“Today is only the sixth of December.

We’ve got to the end of the month,” said Councilmember Perry Shell, of Big Cove. “I don’t see why we can’t just come in here and spend a day. The tribe may be getting all this time off, but we can do our job and come in here and work.”

Sneed said he would “absolutely” be willing to call an additional meeting.

“I think from what I was hearing there are members of the community who want to have time to comment, but they can’t come here during the workday,” he said. “That’s absolutely fine.”

Scheduling could be tricky, Ballard warned, as the election board was already scheduled to fly out Dec. 10 for a weeklong training.

“We’ll work with the calendars. We’ll work with you,” said Wachacha. “We don’t even know if we need to have all of the election board for the public forum.”

As of press time Tuesday, the public hearing and subsequent meeting had not been scheduled. This story will be updated at www.smokymountainnews.com when dates are set.

Meet Santa in Macon Cookies and Pictures with Santa will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 13 at Macon County Public Health, 1830 Lakeside Drive, Franklin.

Bring your camera for a photo with Santa. Special appearance by Chase from Paw Patrol.

Macon County Health invites residents to apply for WIC and receive benefits the same day on the new WIC card. Renew your WIC or get help from a breastfeeding peer counselor. Remember to bring ID, proof of income or Medicaid and proof of residency.

For more information, call 828.349.2448.

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Little candies make for big friendships

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER omewhere on the outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio, about 18 months ago, Waynesville resident Peg Harmon — who notes her first name is just one letter away from “Pez” — experienced the power of one tiny candy in bringing people together.

Harmon was attending the Pezamania 27 convention, billed as the world’s largest gathering of Pez collectors, when fate interceded.

“My husband and I had gone a couple of times,” Harmon said, “and in 2017 the convention host who we had met many times saw our nametags and they said ‘North Carolina,’ so he asked, ‘Which part of North Carolina?’

We said Waynesville, and he grabbed my hand and walked me over to JoAnn and Steve and introduced me to my neighbors.”

JoAnn Pillifant and Steve Baker live just minutes from Harmon, but were completely unaware that they shared her unique passion for the ubiquitous plastic candy dispensers.

“What it is, is a gathering of ‘Pez heads’ — people that collect Pez — and it’s kind of like a family reunion,” said Baker. “You go a year or two, you remember people you talk to, people you email and see on Facebook, and you get to know the person, and you develop a lot of close personal relationships and then you find out somebody’s in your back yard.”

Born into a “family of collectors,” Baker began collecting Pez dispensers more than 20 years ago.

“I’ve collected things my whole life,” said Baker, who also has an impressive collection of comic books and sci-fi memorabilia. “Pez was one of those things that I had when I was a little bit younger, and then I discovered something else and lost my way with Pez, and then maybe about 15 years ago, the new Star Wars came out, and people started to give me Pez.” Baker introduced Pillifant to the hobby

Smoky Mountain News

December 12-18, 2018

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when they began dating about 13 years ago; her grown children joked that she’d joined a cult.

“I would get Pez gifts as a child and eat the candy and throw the dispenser away,” she said. “How crazy is that?”

Turns out, it’s not really that crazy — Pez is short for “pfefferminz,” the Austrian word for peppermint, and initially they closely resembled Altoids; sold in palm-sized tins as an anti-smoking aid for adults, the tiny candies were invented in Vienna in 1927 long before the whimsical modern dispensers were even a thought.

When the tins were canned and the dispensers were first created, they resembled Bic lighters. With the advent of the Second World War, sales of the Austrian-made Pez products dropped dramatically in western countries, but when the war ended and sales resumed, the products still weren’t all that popular in the United States.

“When they came to the U.S. in the early 1950s, they had a lot of trouble marketing them, because Americans were heavy smokers at the time, and nobody was really trying to quit,” Baker said. “So what they did is they looked around and decided to adapt this adult item for children, so then they started putting the heads on them.”

Baker said there’s “room for discussion” on which were the first characters to be featured on the dispensers.

“It’s been generally decided that Popeye and

Waynesville resident Peg Harmon stands in her “Pez room.”

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Cory Vaillancourt photo

Casper the Friendly Ghost and Mickey Mouse were the first three, and then Santa Claus came out and then as the years went by, a huge number of Christmas-related, holidayrelated seasonal ones came out,” he said. “The Easter bunny, and then Halloween with witches and pumpkins and skulls and all that.”

Since then, more than 1,500 different characters — or objects, like fruit — have been featured atop the slender stems that still resemble the lighters after which they were first fashioned. Factoring in minor variations of both head and stem color, Baker says he thinks there are between 5,000 and 10,000 different dispensers in existence today.

Many of those can be found at conventions like Pezamania, which takes place again next July.

“It just opened up a whole new world,” said Pillifant of Pezamania. “What happens is, it becomes a vacation for some people and they start coming earlier and earlier.”

Check-in is on Wednesday, but people show up as early as Monday to buy, sell, trade and bargain for rare and sought-after pieces. Most years, about 500 people attend the convention, but sometimes that number tops a thousand.

Before the official kickoff, conventioneers begin “room hopping,” or setting up displays in their hotel rooms so others can peruse their wares. As the event progresses during the week, it culminates in a large dealer showcase in the ballroom that is open to the public, and also raises funds for Gliding Stars, a Toledo-based adaptive ice skating charity.

Harmon said her 20-year hobby has resulted in a substantial collection.

“I have it all catalogued, all of my individual dispensers,” she said. “I have more than 1,500 but all of my sets I count as one item, so it’s probably closer to 3,000.”

Baker and Pillifant’s collection hovers around 3,000 unique pieces, but is likely closer to 5,000 including duplicates.

“One of mine, a soft-head Penguin from the Batman series, a book says it’s worth $250,” said Pillifant. “I also have a Little Orphan Annie that’s worth about $100.”

Harmon said one of her favorite pieces is a

vintage one called “crazy fruit,” an orange created in the 1970s. “It was done in the 1970s. It was in a set with a pear, and it goes for about $250.”

But, devotees of the hobby still cite its accessibility; dispensers are sold at retail for just a couple of bucks, and even rare or vintage dispensers can be acquired for very little money, but some pieces are worth more than most automobiles.

“There’s the JFK donkey,” said Baker, referring to a rare, specially-crafted piece made for President Kennedy in 1961. “I’d say it’s probably in excess of $20,000.”

“A Pez collector doesn’t generally collect as an investment, they collect it for fun, and you walk down and look at all these smiling faces, and on your worst day you say, “’Ah, it’s not that bad.’”

— Steve Baker

With some pieces fetching hundreds or thousands of dollars on the open market, it’s wise, said Baker, to be vigilant when shopping.

“Like any type of collectible, there’s people out there that will try to scam you,” he said. “One of the biggest scams is stem swaps — you put a stem with a head that was never officially put together with that head. Lots of times, it’s older Pez, they’ll try to say it’s a prototype or rare one, when in reality, it’s not — it’s just somebody trying to make a buck off somebody.”

Of course, the hobby features various newsletters and price guides for the uninitiated, but experience and expertise are plentiful at conventions like Pezamania.

“Respected vendors who have spent a long time in the industry, they could look at it

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Steven Baker (left) and JoAnn Pillifant have more than 3,000 unique Pez dispensers in their collection. Holiday characters like Santa Claus (below) and the Easter Bunny have long been popular on Pez dispensers. Cory Vaillancourt photo

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and tell you right away,” Baker said of attempts to deceive buyers.

Some of the oldest dispensers are called “footless” or “no-foot” because the dispenser has no base; those were followed by what are called “thinfoot.”

“That happened probably in the late 1970s,” Pillifant said. “The earlier ones are called ‘vintage.’ The plastic may be a little more brittle. And like any collectable, they’re used — kids played with them. Those are the ones that seem to have the most value, because there’s less of them.”

Those thin-foot dispensers were notoriously fragile, so thicker feet followed, but other imperfections can also exist, like tiny cracks in stems or something known as “head flop.”

“Some are notorious for being “I have it all catalogued, all of floppy, they’re too heavy or they don’t set right,” said Baker. “If it’s my individual dispensers. I have supposed to be shiny, it needs to be more than 1,500 but all of my shiny. Some can fade in the sun. And then there’s ones that have, like, an sets I count as one item, so it’s ear that’s become detached. There’s a Thor where his horns are very thin probably closer to 3,000.” plastic, and they break off. After — Peg Harmon you’ve done this for a while, you kind of know what you’re looking for.”

While this unique hobby born “There’s a point when a child becomes an almost a century ago from a failed smoking adult, and they lose interest,” said Baker. cessation aid certainly holds allure for “And then they have kids, and then they reach those of a certain age, Baker and Pillifant the age where they have additional dispossay that Pez Heads aren’t going anywhere, able income, and the retro nostalgic part any time soon. comes back. I’m hoping that’s what Pez does.

“From my experience at the conventions A Pez collector doesn’t generally collect as an and the gatherings we’ve gone to, it’s such a investment, they collect it for fun, and you family-oriented hobby, and to see kids look- walk down and look at all these smiling faces, ing at Pez, we’re talking 5-year-olds, I feel and on your worst day you say, “’Ah, it’s not very optimistic that the hobby’s going to that bad.’” continue on,” said Pillifant. “It’s still a very But, Pez … er, Peg Harmon takes a much affordable hobby to get into, and lots of peo- more simple, much more profound attitude ple buy the Christmas ones, and they become toward the hobby that’s displaced her husstocking stuffers, so they introduce their chil- band Bubba from the den while at the same dren to this.” time transforming it into her “Pez room.”

Collectors may come, and collectors may “It’s so inexpensive, and so colorful, and it go, but often, according to Baker, they come brings me joy,” Harmon said. “It makes me back. happy.”

Harris Family Care−Cullowhee

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Stalemate leaves homeless caught in the middle

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER ot far from the historic homes nestled along Waynesville’s Church Street sits a small plot of land that’s home to a typical Haywood County family — Ronnie Hicks, his girlfriend Sassy and their dog.

“We moved here about a year ago,” said Hicks. “My sister lived up here, and I migrated from Bryson City.”

What’s atypical is that the three of them are technically homeless and live on the garbage-strewn lot beneath a large tarp with a wood stove heater.

“You get caught up going to the soup kitchen, surviving, and it takes the place of walking around looking for a job when you’re just trying to survive in one place,” he said, noting that he hasn’t checked in at the area’s only shelter, Pathways, because they don’t accept dogs.

Hicks said he’s a truck driver by trade, and has had a hard time finding work because of a few traffic violations, and an even harder time finding work because of the lack of transportation, so he’s grateful that property owner Ron Muse has let them stay.

“He sent word that I can stay here and that the press and the cops was coming, so I should clean it up,” he said. “Then the city came and said we couldn’t live here.”

Hicks is caught in a dispute between Muse and the Town of Waynesville, which wants Hicks gone.

“The main thing — this is a grudge, see,” said Ron Muse, who owns the 1.5-acre parcel on Richland Street. “They got a grudge with me because I wouldn’t cooperate with them.”

Muse purchased the lot, which is zoned residential, for $13,000 in 1990. Since then, he said he’s tried to have it rezoned to commercial so he can construct a mini-storage facility but hasn’t had much luck with Waynesville officials in that regard.

“I’ve been trying for 25 years to find a use for that lot, this has been the only use that’s worked out,” he said. “Over that time, it’s been a homeless jungle. The town, with their actions, have maintained this as a homeless jungle for 25 years.”

Muse said he was offered $85,000 for the property a few years ago, contingent on a favorable zoning action that hasn’t materialized.

“I’m kind of getting sore about this,” he said. “There was a murder on the adjoining lot. A guy died in a car over there, and he laid there for days. If [the town] thinks there can be successful residential here, they’re sick.”

But as of Dec. 10, city officials haven’t been able to evict Hicks because Muse won’t sign a warrant for trespassing.

“I won’t run them off,” he said. “I don’t care how long this stalemate goes on.”

The encampment is somewhat secluded, and although its entrance can be seen from the street, many people drive by it each day without knowing it’s even there.

“Only commercial development has ever succeeded in cleaning up hobo camps like this,” he said. “And there’s not a better lot in 6 Haywood County for a hobo camp-out.”

Smoky Mountain News

December 12-18, 2018

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A large tent with a wood-burning stove is home to two people and a dog, for now. Cory Vaillancourt photo

“You get caught up going to the soup kitchen, surviving, and it takes the place of walking around looking for a job when you’re just trying to survive in one place.”

A 1.5-acre parcel just off Church Street has been a source of contention between its owner and the Town of Waynesville.

— Ronnie Hicks

Haywood GIS photo

Muse said he hadn’t been fined, and Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites said he had no knowledge of any fine or citation being issued to Muse, but instead Hites said he believed that the town sent a letter telling Muse the parcel was technically considered a campsite and therefore violated town zoning.

Hites said Muse then allowed the town to clean up much of the trash on the lot, and that its residents had gone.

“As of a few weeks ago they were in compliance,” Hites said.

When informed Dec. 11 that Hicks was again living on the property, Hites said that the town would again have to take action.

“What we do is, we issue a violation and give [Muse] a chance to abate that,” he said.

“If he does not, we will abate it for him and charge him our cost.”

Abatement in this case, according to Hites, means removing any debris and getting rid of any buildings or structures on the lot, usually with backhoes or front-end loaders.

While it’s not yet clear what the final reso-

lution will be, for now it’s status quo.

However it shakes down, Hicks said he doesn’t want to be around for it.

“I don’t know what they’re going to come up with the terms of us staying, but people are out there fundraising right now, trying to get us a scooter,” he said. “And we’re on the list for housing with Meridian, hoping to hear by the end December. If we get transportation and that happens, that’s a step in the right direction. “I should be working here before too long.”

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Haywood County officials opened an emergency shelter on Paragon Parkway during Winter Storm Diego. Cory Vaillancourt photo

A tale of two counties A

big thank you to a lot of our partners in emergency services, law enforcement and the Red Cross. Our school system stood ready as a partner, too.”

Not everyone was as lucky as those in Haywood County, however — especially the homeless.

Stephanie Almeida runs Full Circle Recovery Center in Franklin, but as the storm approached late last week, she was frantically trying to arrange warming stations and overnight shelter for the needy in Macon County.

“I see a lot of folks that are very vulnerable, couch surfing or living in their car,” Almeida said. “They need a shelter. We need a permanent shelter for those folks who are vulnerable. Macon County used to have a group of churches that alternated, but that doesn’t happen anymore.”

One problem with ministering to the homeless is that in rural areas like Western North Carolina, it’s often difficult to tell how many homeless people are actually around at any given time.

“I don’t know that we have a handle on how many homeless we have,” said Franklin Mayor Bob Scott. “You see it in urban settings, like tent cities, but we don’t have anything like that. People are good about looking out for each other. We tend to care for people out here, and if someone doesn’t hear from you, they’ll come looking for you.”

“I see a lot of folks that are very vulnerable, couch surfing or living in their car. They need a shelter.”

— Stephanie Almeida, Full Circle Recovery Center

rier is getting the county to start the paperwork, for commissioners to start the process. Resources are in place, workers have been trained.”

Macon County Manager Derek Roland said via email Dec. 7 that the county was preparing for the storm, but mentioned nothing about opening a shelter.

“As with each and every forecasted weather event, this organization stands prepared to take any and all action necessary to ensure that our citizens remain safe in the event of a disaster,” said Roland. “The first step in this process is preparation. Our emergency management department has contacted the American Red Cross to notify them we will be monitoring this event closely, therefore to remain on standby.”

Smoky Mountain News

BY CORY VAILLANCOURT STAFF WRITER s many residents of Southern Appalachia stocked up on necessaries in advance of a powerful winter storm that ended up leaving thousands without power, governments and nonprofits across the region scrambled to open shelters and warming stations that wound up being, for some, more of a necessity than milk and bread.

“We decided to open the shelter after monitoring the power outages and calls for assistance,” said Ira Dove, director of the Haywood County Department of Health and Human Services. “We’ve had the emergency shelter open continuously since 2:37 a.m. on Saturday, and people began arriving not long after.”

Dove said that by the evening of Sunday, Dec. 9, more than 45 people had shown up at the Paragon Parkway shelter for coffee, food, snacks, water, cots, blankets and warmth.

It’s not the first time the county has had to open the shelter, but it’s by far the most use it’s seen, going back to at least 2012, according to Dove.

Dangerous road conditions weren’t even an obstacle during the two-day storm that dropped as much as 16 inches of snow in parts of the county.

“Emergency services and fire services have been bringing people in,” Dove said. “A

The storm was first discussed during the Dec. 3 Macon County Commission meeting, at which information was distributed on resources available to those in need; a Dec. 4 story in the Franklin Press provided even more info, and Macon County joined Haywood and others in issuing a declaration of emergency on Dec. 9.

That wasn’t quite enough for Almedia, who created a Facebook group and began collecting supplies and recruiting volunteers, even opening the Georgia Road offices of Full Circle as an ersatz warming station.

“Many churches are reaching out to individuals through their congregations to let them know their resources are available should a need arise,” Roland said. “Other groups have also been helping prepare through the distribution of coats, sleeping bags, etc. in advance of the forecasted event.”

One of those organizations mentioned by Roland was Macon New Beginnings, a nonprofit established in 2015 to help the local homeless; Almedia said that as of Sunday no shelters had been opened in Macon County, but Macon New Beginnings was able to pay for a hotel room for a family with an infant as well as a room for a homeless person.

Macon County Department of Social Services was also available to do the same thing, she said.

A release from Macon County Schools, however, said that in the event of power outages, the schools “have a goal to provide children who may not have access to electricity at home a heated building, hot food and possibly a shower.”

Almedia blasted the release, saying, “Even the schools acknowledge our families need heat. I’m so ashamed of our leadership and their lack of response with a warming station or shelter.”

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December 12-18, 2018

Wintry weather tests regional response to those seeking shelter from the storm

Almedia said she’d contacted town and county officials about opening a shelter or even using a county-owned building to provide similar services to what Haywood County offered, but got nowhere with her request.

“The biggest issue right now is the temperature,” she said, days before the storm began. “It was 19 degrees this morning when I came out to my vehicle. I think the issue is that we have the ability, and there is a plan in place for the county on how to begin the process to start a shelter. The bar-

news

Franklin board split on future of ABC board

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR couple of Franklin Town Councilmembers want to explore future changes to the ABC store and ABC board while other members think the alcoholic beverage operation is fine the way it is.

Councilmember David Culpepper has questioned why the ABC board only has three members instead of five like other town advisory boards. Another issue brought up by Councilmember Joe Collins has been the amount of rent the ABC board has to pay for its current facility in the Macon Plaza. Collins thinks it’s too much and that the town should look elsewhere or build a new facility.

The issue came up again last month when the town board was tasked to fill the unexpired term of Wayne Swank. ABC board Chairwoman Sissy Pattillo came to the Dec. 3 town council meeting to address it during public comment.

“We’ve been operating for 24 years.

We’ve been profitable for 24 years and we’ve had 24 clean audits,” she told the board.

Pattillo said revenue from the ABC store has generated nearly $1.7 million for the town over the years. She also said the current building is an attractive and well-located store that customers appreciate.

“Sixty-five percent of our customers are female — it’s important they feel comfortable in our store. It’s attractive, well-stocked and impeccably clean — that doesn’t happen by itself,” Pattillo said. “There are 11 stores in our district and only three have five board members and the others have three members.”

She pointed out that adding two more members would cost the town another $3,000 to $4,000 a year since ABC board members are paid a small stipend for each meeting. She also invited the councilmembers to attend the ABC board meetings and come visit the store to talk to the manager about operations. The store currently has

December 12-18, 2018

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two full-time employees and six part-time employees.

ABC Board member Alton Sutton said he wasn’t trying to tell the town board what to do, but asked the board to consider all the factors before deciding to increase the ABC Board to five members.

“Why do we need a bigger board? It would be great for more people in the county to be involved but I’ve been on their five years and if I’m not mistaken through all the years we can’t get more than a couple people to apply,” he said. “If you think the board’s not doing its job then come out to our meetings every month — we’ve got nothing to hide.”

Sutton said the manager Todd Mason, who has worked there since 1994, does a great job keeping the board informed and keeping them in line with all the state regulations. He said adding more people to the board could make it harder for them to reach consensus on matters.

Sutton asked for the board to go ahead and make the board whole by appointing a third member and to take more time to consider expanding the board to five members.

The ABC board has missed two meetings waiting for a third member to be appointed.

With town advisory boards, the town accepts applications from interested parties and then the advisory board makes a recommendation to the town board for final approval. Mayor Bob Scott asked that the two names interested in the ABC board be given to Pattillo and Sutton so they could make a recommendation.

Town Manager Summer Woodard said the town advertised the opening in September through October and only had two people apply. More recently, she said Jacob Reiche, owner of Smart Pharmacy in Franklin, had expressed interest in serving on the board if it is expanded to five members.

Town Attorney John Henning Jr. said a majority of ABC boards have three members but state statute does allow towns to choose

to have a five-member board. He recommended filling the vacant seat immediately and advertising for another month for the two new positions if the town council chose to expand the ABC board.

Scott said he didn’t feel comfortable voting on the board expansion issue that same night without getting public input first.

“I don’t think we can vote on both issues at one meeting,” he told the board.

“I don’t advise it but you do have the authority to do it,” Henning replied.

While the question of why kept coming up, Culpepper said he would like to see more people serving on more town boards and that the current location should be evaluated because of the high rent.

“I don’t think the ABC board is doing a bad job,” he said. “There’s broad consensus that the store it’s located in now is very costly and they’re having to spend money on repairs in that facility — it may not be fair to spend that much in repairs and rent.”

Culpepper also said he would like to see better communication between the town and the ABC board since ABC revenue has a direct impact on the town’s budget.

“It’s a weird relationship but we should be able to get along and communicate directly without hurting anyone’s feelings,” he said. “I think we could use more heads and more ideas to figure out a more longterm solution.”

“Is that your sole reason to make this change?” Scott asked, adding that the ABC board meetings are subject to same public records and meetings laws as the town council. “Anyone can attend their meetings.”

Since joining the board last year, Culpepper said he’s seen how controversial subjects get swept under the rug by the board, but he didn’t want to keep kicking the can down the road.

“I know sometimes they make us uncomfortable but that’s OK — that’s our job to talk to people and bring ideas together,” he said to Mayor Scott. “You shouldn’t vilify a

Smoky Mountain News

The Franklin Town Council recently discussed the cost of rent for the current Franklin ABC Store located in Macon Plaza. File photo

8

Franklin ABC Store net profits to the Town of Franklin 1995-96 ....................................$35,000 1996-97 ....................................$50,000 1997-98 ....................................$69,149 1998-99 ....................................$92,211 1999-00 ....................................$70,000 2000-01 ....................................$50,000 2001-02 ....................................$50,000 2002-03 ....................................$50,000 2003-04 ....................................$50,000 2004-05 ....................................$50,000 2005-06 ....................................$50,000 2006-07 ....................................$50,000 2007-08 ....................................$50,000 2008-09 ....................................$50,000 2009-10 ....................................$70,000 2010-11 ....................................$70,000 2011-12 ....................................$70,000 2012-13 ....................................$70,000 2013-14 ....................................$70,000 2014-15 ....................................$70,000 2015-16 ....................................$70,000 2016-17 ....................................$70,000 2017-18 ....................................$70,000 Total ..........................................$1,396,360

council member because they have an idea — we should come into this objectively, thoughtfully and have an honest open discussion without prejudgment and without you being mad at me for talking about it.”

Scott said the Franklin Town Council is probably the most open government body in the state and that every councilmember has a responsibility with issues they’re concerned about.

“If I belittled you or anybody else, I apologize,” he added.

Collins said the issue was not as complicated as everyone was trying to make it sound. He said his main interest was to maximize revenue for the town in hopes of not increasing property taxes in the near future.

With two more years on the ABC store lease and Mason’s pending retirement, Collins said it was an ideal time to discuss future changes. The ABC Board pays $10,000 a month in rent. While annual revenue to the town is $70,000, that allocation hasn’t increased since 2009-10.

“I don’t see how we can go wrong with looking at it — went can’t stay where we’re at,” he said.

Councilmember Dinah Mashburn said she had some concerns about the process of gathering information in between meetings if it’s not legal for councilmembers to discuss town business outside of public meetings.

Scott reminded her that open meetings laws say a quorum of council members can’t discuss town business outside an open meeting, but that it’s perfectly legal for one member to call another member, town manager or chairman of another

Franklin looks at greenway connection project could be done in-house using town crews, he said the town would probably need to reach out and coordinate with other agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers since it would include grading within a floodplain, DOT and Macon County commissioners since the county owns the greenway property.

Culpepper said he already found someone to donate 16 tons of gravel for the proj-

board to gather information on an issue.

When he attended new board member ethics training, Culpepper said he asked how a three-member board would not be in violation of open meeting laws if two members are in a room together talking. The answer he got was that they would be in violation of the law since two members of a three-member board would constitute a quorum.

Henning clarified to say those two members would only be in violation of open meeting laws if they were together discussing town business. He also suggested the town council board have a joint meeting with ABC board to talk through some of these issues.

“We have open communication right now. Give me an example of not communicating?” he asked Culpepper. “I’ve been here quite a while and I’ve never had a complaint about the ABC store in any fashion ever. I haven’t heard a valid reason to change something that’s operated beautifully for 20 years. We rank in the top 5 to 10 percent in the state.”

“Not in profitability,” Collins shot back.

“I don’t want to raise ad valorem taxes — I’m looking at increasing a revenue stream.”

“If you move out of that building, you will get zero money for a long time because you’ll be paying for new building and the land we’ll have to buy,” Sutton said. “And Mr. Mason isn’t retiring, we just renewed his contract so he’s not going anywhere.”

Councilmember Brandon McMahan said he didn’t see the need for two more members on the ABC board, but said he would like to fill vacant seat as soon as possible so the board can continue to operate.

Once Pattillo and Sutton were made aware of the applicants during the meeting, Pattillo said their recommendation would be to appoint Jamison, a former town council member who understands how the board works.

Mashburn made a motion to approve their recommendation and it passed unanimously.

Woodard said she would present the board with a few possible dates for a joint meeting with the ABC Board at the council’s January meeting.

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news

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ow that the N.C. Department of Transportation has completed a new bridge over the Little Tennessee River in downtown Franklin, the town council is discussing ways to connect the pedestrian walkway to the greenway.

Some of the Franklin Town Councilmembers said they were under the assumption the bridge project included plans to connect the pedestrian path on the bridge to the greenway property on the other side of East Main Street.

“I’m not the only person who imagined the plan of the beautiful new bridge and walkway aligning with a walkway to go under the bridge to connect to the greenway,” said Councilmember David Culpepper during a Dec. 3 board meeting.

“I thought it was happening too with the redesign,” said Councilmember Brandon McMahan. “I really want to see it done.”

Making Franklin more pedestrian friendly has been a top priority for the town in recent years with plans to improve sidewalks, add more bike paths and make more connections to the greenway. While the $3.5 million bridge replacement project did not include funds to add a walkway under the bridge and over to the greenway park, the town still hopes to make it happen.

“DOT seems to think we were going to put a walkway und the bridge so they left it for us to complete and I’d like to see it completed,” Culpepper said.

Town Engineer Nathanael Moore handed councilmembers a map showing preliminary designs of how the town could complete the project. While the gravel walkway

Franklin greenway. SMN photo

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ect, though much more will be needed.

“There’s room down there for picnic tables and landscaping — this would also be a first step connecting to Nikwasi (Mound),” he said.

McMahan mentioned the town should reach out to Lowe’s Home Improvement because the retailer is often looking for beautification projects that would help the community.

Councilmember Barbara McRae is also involve in a joint initiative between the Franklin and Cherokee communities to develop a driving tour along the NikwasiCowee corridor to highlight the history of Nikwasi Mound, which sits close to the new bridge, and Cowee Mound.

“Anyway we can dress up that area would be great,” McRae agreed.

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Store closes following roadwork dispute Caney Fork General hopes to pay bills, reopen in 2019

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ust over a year after opening its doors at a new location, Caney Fork General Store is closed, though likely only temporarily.

“Sorry we will be closed until after the New Year!” reads a sign now posted on the door of the gas station and convenience store south of Cullowhee. “NCDOT has forced us to make some hard decisions! Until which time NCDOT decides to pay us and our vendors for the comdemnation (sic) move! This process started in April 2016 and has left us with no other choices.”

The store, whose owner Mickey Luker also serves as a Jackson County commissioner, has been at the center of a controversy that involves the N.C. Department of Transportation, an Atlanta-based program management company called THC Inc., and various subcontractors.

Luker first bought Caney Fork General Store in December 2011 and opened it in April 2012, though at that time the store was located across the road from its current location. He was forced to move due to a DOT road-widening project along N.C. 107 between Caney Fork and Tuckaseigee, relocating his business to a new building little more than a stone’s throw from the original location.

The DOT paid him for the property, also releasing funds to cover re-establishment and relocation expenses for the business.

According to the DOT, Luker received $757,800 for the property, $533,900 to relocate the four businesses contained inside the store and $100,000 to re-establish those four businesses.

However, Luker says that he did not actually receive the money promised, and that’s why multiple contractors have been left unpaid for their work. He also believes that $757,800 is too little for a property that will be rendered basically unusable following the road project and filed a lawsuit to that effect. He reached an agreement with the DOT in mediation last month, and the DOT Review Board is expected to approve the settlement at a Dec. 12 meeting. When those funds are released, he said, he will be able to pay his subs.

Caney Fork General Store closed its doors last week following an ongoing dispute with the N.C. Department of Transportation and various subcontractors over compensation for a recent relocation and unpaid contractor bills. Holly Kays photo

Smoky Mountain News

December 12-18, 2018

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COMING TO AN AGREEMENT

Despite repeated statements to the contrary from the DOT, Luker has maintained that he never saw the $533,900 promised him for the relocation. He said that the money was funneled through THC, which was responsible for paying the contractors, and that THC’s shortcomings are the reason contractors haven’t gotten paid. DOT, meanwhile, has 10 said that paying contractors was not one of

THC’s responsibilities and that the $533,900 was paid to Luker.

One of those contractors is Blitz Estridge of Sylva-based Estridge Electric, who in January filed a lien, followed by a lawsuit, alleging that Luker owed him more than $42,000. Estridge said that he met with DOT officials in May to discuss the issue.

“They wanted me to itemize a bill for them, really detailed out on what I did,” he said. “I had to break down the cost of wire, fittings, outlets, the lights, everything. It took a long time. But nothing really came out of that deal.” According to a DOT document provided following a public records request, that discussion resulted in $1,881.81 for Estridge.

The lawsuit has been lying dormant for a while, because Estridge says he’s waiting on the outcome of the condemnation suit between Luker and the DOT. Jay Coward, Luker’s attorney in the condemnation suit, said that the yet-to-beapproved agreement would give Luker more than the original $757,800. However, Luker said the agreed-upon amount is still less than needed. He said the average of the three commercial appraisals he had done, plus the amount still owed contractors, should be $275,000 more than the pending agreement.

Luker has said that he’s tried in good faith to pay his subcontractors but that irresponsibility on the part of THC and ineptitude on the part of DOT meant that some companies never got their money. However, a statement sent to The Smoky Mountain News in May shows that the DOT keeps quite a different point of view.

“Mr. Luker asked his contractors to perform work outside the scope of NCDOT’s moving bids, and has refused to pay for the work performed, telling them that NCDOT will pay for it,” wrote Robert Woodard, state

relocation director for DOT. “This is why he has not paid the companies himself, and why they have taken out liens against them.”

Further, Woodard wrote, “NCDOT will not be paying the entire balances that Mr. Luker owes, as he simply is not eligible to receive reimbursement for all of the costs.”

Some of the work was for capital improvements, he added, not simple replacement of existing services.

While Luker declined an interview about the store closure and the status of his dealings with the DOT, saying he didn’t want to jeopardize any forthcoming payment, he did answer some questions via text message.

Among them was a reaction to Woodard’s statement that Luker had asked his contractors to do work outside the scope of work that could be reimbursed by the DOT. “A 100 percent complete false statement — As none of the Contractors were given a scope of work to be performed by the NCDOT or were there any oversight or guidance by TMC (sic) or the NCDOT! How would Mr. Woodard know as he never once visited the site during his period of Work?”

Luker said via text message.

He further denied the charge that he had work done for capital improvements beyond what existed at his original store, saying that the work was done to accommodate the same services, coolers, refrigerators and inventory spaces as the old location.

OTHER CONTRACTORS’ EXPERIENCES Estridge is not the only one to have filed a lawsuit against Luker. Tillman’s Restaurant Equipment and Supplies did as well, with a

Wayne County suit claiming that Luker had paid Tillman’s only $55,000 for $94,989 of work.

In that case, Luker blamed the nonpayment on the company’s alleged poor quality of work, saying that he’d been having issues with leaks and frozen lines in the new equipment.

The last filing in that case was a September scheduling order, but it does not appear on the court calendar, said Kelly Lewis of the Wayne County Clerk of Court Office, indicating that the dispute likely went to mediation.

In March, Luker said that there were several other vendors who hadn’t filed a formal complaint but had not yet been “completely made whole.” Carpenter Chad Crowe is not one of those vendors.

In contrast to Estridge, who has said that Luker is habitually dishonest and intentionally solicited services he wouldn’t be able to pay for, Crowe said that Luker is an honest man who has “paid me every dime he ever owed me.”

Crowe did all the carpentry work for the relocation, he said, and was paid in full despite having just a handshake agreement on the matter.

“I don’t ask for no written nothing from Mickey (Luker),” said Crowe. “I’ve done so much work for him it’s just … we’re like brothers. We trust each other.”

However, Crowe said, he got his work done and bills turned in early, finishing work around the time Estridge was starting his in July 2017 — Estridge said that by the time he sent his bills in, there wasn’t any money left to pay them. Crowe said he turned his bill in to Mickey, who sent it along to THC, and received a check from the DOT. “I tried to get my work done early and bills turned in early, because I know how the DOT operates — slowly on getting you paid,” said Crowe.

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Smoky Mountain News

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER now and ice caused the Asheville Design Center to cancel a planned public hearing on the N.C. 107 project in Sylva, but the meeting has been rescheduled for 4 to7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The town of Sylva decided to accept the ADC’s offer of pro-bono services to develop an alternative — and hopefully less disruptive — plan for 107. Preliminary plans from the N.C. Department of Transportation, released this spring, drew widespread disapproval from a community fearful of the negative effect they could have on Sylva’s future.

Those early estimates forecasted relocating 54 businesses, five residences and one nonprofit along the corridor, about one-sixth of Sylva’s entire business community.

The Jan. 14 meeting will be a chance for volunteer planners from the ADC to hear what the community wants in a new road so they can then attempt to incorporate those wishes into a plan.

Afterward, ADC representatives will hold a workshop with Sylva and DOT officials to discuss the feasibility of various improvements to existing plans. That meeting, originally scheduled for Jan. 14, will be moved forward to be 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, also at the library. There won’t be an opportunity for public input, but it will be open for the public to attend and observe.

The schedule also calls for a second public comment meeting, a chance for the ADC to present the draft recommendations and show how public input helped inform them. That meeting was to take place Jan. 28, but it, like the other steps in the process, will be moved back. A new date has yet to be scheduled.

The ADC is part of MountainTrue, an Asheville-based nonprofit. The team assigned to work on the 107 plan includes four professionals and one student who are volunteering their time to help Sylva end up with a road better suiting its needs. The team includes Kristy Carter, a principal at the urban and active transportation planning firm Friction Shift Projects; Christy Staudt, a transportation engineer and regional lead for Traffic Planning & Design Inc.’s North Carolina office; Rachael Bronson, a transportation planning specialist with Traffic Planning & Design; Kelsey Morrow, a recent graduate of UNC Charlotte’s Masters of Urban Design program; and Jessica Nagler, a student at UNC Asheville pursuing an undergraduate degree in health and wellness promotion.

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Fourth and fifth grade AIG students from across Haywood County compete in teams at the inaugural Wolfpack Robothon. Robots were used to paint a large canvas at one of the day’s most popular activities. Donated photo ore than 150 Haywood County Schools fourth- and fifth-grade students chased after zooming robots at the Wolfpack Robothon on Friday, November 30.

The Wolfpack Robothon, held at the Hazelwood Conference Center, was a collaboration between Haywood County Schools’ Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program, Haywood Early College, and Haywood County Schools’ Instructional Technology Center (ITC).

The Wolfpack Robothon proved that play is a powerful learning tool for students.

Laughter echoed in the old gymnasium as students raced to code their robots to complete a variety of tasks. Coding has become a popular buzzword in education over the past few years as it has been incorporated into elementary, middle, and high school curriculum. Coding is essentially writing instructions for a computer to perform.

Many would not think to describe coding robotics as a creative process, but dozens of students at the Robothon said otherwise.

“I like coding because I can change the colors, speed, and distance traveled of the robot,” said Stevie Trogdon, a fifth-grader at Hazelwood Elementary. “My favorite thing we’ve done today is the obstacle course because we’re racing and having to code at the same time.”

Students were divided up into teams upon arrival and began the day with a “Mission to Mars.” Teams had to create a rover that would haul their supplies across Mars — the gymnasium. The students on Earth — the conference room, had to communicate back and forth with their Mars counterparts to code their Spheros, a robot

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aline in the air of the gymnasium, it was not surprising to hear the Robothon described as the “best day ever” by several of the student participants.

Fox explained that coding was actually only one step of the Robothon. Along the way, students had to problem-solve, design, and test before they could execute a code.

Even then, a code might not work. Students then had to have the patience to start from the beginning to correct the code until the robot worked correctly.

“Coding encourages critical thinking and helps develop problem-solving skills,” Trantham said. “We want our students to graduate with a usable understanding of technology so that they can not only use it, but they can create it.”

Proficiency in coding allows students to understand the technology shaping the world. Students are learning coding beginning in elementary school, so they can build their knowledge and skills each year.

Something that seems dull on a white board, suddenly comes to life when a teacher puts a robot on the table and asks students to code different-sized triangles or navigate an obstacle course.

“Our AIG program is always exploring new technologies in the realm of creative play and learning,” Trantham said.

Haywood County Schools’ educators are

that rolls around and is controlled by an app on a tablet, to make the trip.

During the second half of the event, students competed in the Sphero Olympics.

Students coded the robots to go straight, dodge obstacles, flash colors, and even create a giant painting.

The idea of the Wolfpack Robothon was born out of a collaboration between Haywood Early College, AIG, and ITC. HEC donated several iPads to the county’s AIG program. When Belinda Trantham, AIG director, went to pick up the donation, she and Haywood Early College Principal Lori Fox began brainstorming ways to expose robotics to more elementary-aged children. They met with ITC staff and Robothon began to take shape.

Mason Young, (from left) Shelby Weathers, Shawn Crawford, and Each group spent hours Avery King work together to code their Sphero robot during the planning and gathering curling event of the Sphero Olympics. Donated photo materials. HEC students, as well as some of the school’s faculty, volunteered to work at each actively trying to create STEM-based lesson station during the event. plans that engage students and make the “We have a real sense of community at subjects more interesting. Robotics are a Haywood Early College, and our students guaranteed way to capture the attention of enjoy sharing their love of technology with any students. others,” Fox explained. “We wanted to reach Trantham says that the AIG department out to our elementary schools and share a hopes to make the Wolfpack Robothon an day of enrichment with them using our annual event for elementary schools and is resources. “ currently working to plan a robothon in the With the palpable excitement and adren- spring for middle school students.

ewman R. Sigman, 55, of Franklin, pled guilty to first degree arson and driving while impaired and was sentenced to a maximum term of 94 months in the Division of Adult Corrections.

He will serve at least 51 months before he is eligible for release. The convictions stem from an August 2017 incident on Bryson City Road in which Franklin Fire Department, Franklin Police Department, Macon County EMS, Clark’s Chapel and Cowee fire departments responded as well as the State Bureau of Investigations.

Catlin Davis, 30, of Franklin, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to a maximum term of 31 months in the Division of Adult Corrections. He will serve at least 18 months before he is eligible for release. This conviction arises from an October 2016 vehicle collision at the intersection of U.S. 23 and Addington Bridge Road and was investigated by the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

Gerald Shope, 58, of Franklin, pled guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and was sentenced to a maximum term of 93 months.

He will serve at least 70 months before he is

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“Opiate abuse is rampant in our communities throughout Western North Carolina,” said District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch. “My office aggressively prosecutes defendants who possess and peddle these drugs in our mountains.

These cases can be difficult to detect due to the clandestine nature of the drug trade, and I commend the officers for their vigilance and hard work.”

Assistant District Attorney Kaleb Wingate tried the case for the State.

“I’m so proud of Kaleb,” Welch continued. “He’s out there doing his best for Haywood County and I want the community to know it.”

Ray received two consecutive sentences in the total amount of 450 to 564 months in prison and a $1 million fine, as dictated by law.

“The penalty is stiff, and I’m sending the message to other dealers. If we catch you, you are going to prison,” said Welch.

“If we can save one addict from an overdose, then we’ve done our jobs. Making a profit on people who struggle with addiction is perverse and our officers and prosecutors are making cases and getting convictions to the best of our abilities.”

Smoky Mountain News

On Nov. 28, Matthew William Ray, 25, of Waynesville, was found guilty of trafficking in opiates by possessing and transporting illicit hydrocodone pills after a two-day trial in Haywood County Superior Court.

On April 30, 2018, members of the Unified Narcotics Investigative Team observed a Century Appliance work truck speeding, driving left of the center line, and driving with a broken tail light as it left the Allens Creek area and travelled to Riverbend Street in Waynesville.

Detectives approached the vehicle as it came to a stop back at the business.

Matthew Ray was behind the wheel.

Officers immediately noticed a .38 caliber handgun in plain view and were granted consent to search the vehicle where they recovered a modified plastic straw with a powder residue, a small cooler containing a brown bag containing a plastic bag which in turn contained 90 hydrocodone pills.

Hydrocodone is an opiate derivative and a Schedule II controlled substance under the North Carolina Controlled Substances Act.

eligible for release. The conviction is the result of a traffic stop initiated by the Franklin Police Department with the assistance of the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office.

Charles Spain, 43, of Franklin, pled guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, breaking or entering, larceny and fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to a maximum term of 51 months and will serve at least 17 months before he’s eligible for release. These convictions arise from two separate incidents in Macon County — a July 2018 call to service on Sloan Street and an October 2018 high-speed chase involving Dillard Police Department in Georgia and the Macon County Sheriff ’s Office.

“A productive week of Superior Administrative Court produced over 20 guilty pleas highlighted by the disposition of several high profile cases,” said District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch. “This is a testament to not only the hard work of our law enforcement officers but the court system as a whole; the Macon County Clerk’s Office, our court reporters and bailiffs make this process work efficiently every season.”

December 12-18, 2018

Drug trafficker gets 37 years, $1 million fine

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DA’s office highlights guilty pleas in Macon

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AG looks to protect WNC’s interest in Mission sale

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR ttorney General Josh Stein recently issued a press release discussing his ongoing review of HCA’s proposed $1.5 billion purchase of the nonprofit Mission Health system.

“Since July, my office has been hard at work requesting and reviewing information from Mission and HCA, which has been provided on a rolling basis,” Stein said. “I have also heard from hundreds of people who have contacted me — including nearly 200 letters and emails from people in Western North Carolina. In fact, in the last three months my office has received more letters and emails about this proposed sale than any other topic.”

Franklin Mayor Bob Scott and Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor recently made a trip to Raleigh to speak to Stein’s office about their concerns with for-profit health giant HCA purchasing Mission, which includes Angel Medical Center and Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in Macon County. Since the sale was announced in the spring, these mayors have had questions and concerns about how the purchase will impact health care services in their rural communities.

Since Mission will be transitioning from a nonprofit to a for-profit operation, the proceeds from the sale have to be placed into an independent nonprofit foundation to continue the mission of improving health care for

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Western North Carolina. The Dogwood Health Trust has already been established, but people are worried that Mission Health communities outside of Asheville won’t be well-represented on the board. So far the board doesn’t seem independent from Mission Health considering it’s made up of mostly people from Buncombe County who have previous ties to Mission Health’s Board of Directors. Out of the 11 people appointed to the board thus far, only a couple reside west of Buncombe — Michell Hicks, former chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Sam Lupas, a Cashiers real estate broker and developer.

“Second, the people’s longtime and substantial investment in the healthcare system must be fully preserved in the Dogwood Health Trust, the new foundation. Third, the board of the Dogwood Health Trust should represent the full diversity of western North Carolina and remain connected to the public,” Stein said.

Another concern is whether the contract agreement between Mission and HCA contains enough protections of critical services now offered at WNC hospitals.

HCA has committed to maintaining key clinical services for at least five years and keeping open all rehabilitation and acutecare hospitals for a minimum of 10 years and not to sell any rehabilitation or acute-care hospital for a minimum of 10 years. HCA has

Residents of Franklin have been especially concerned with Mission’s sale to HCA since Mission shut down the labor and delivery unit at Angel Medical Center last year.

Donated photo

also committed to investing $430 million over five years in capital expenditures, which includes the completion of the Mission Hospital for Advanced Medicine, building a replacement hospital for Angel Medical Center in Franklin and building a new behavioral health hospital.

“My review focuses on three main issues.

First, the people of western North Carolina deserve greater certainty about HCA’s commitments to continue to provide needed healthcare at Mission Hospital — and especially — the other five rural hospitals in the system,” Stein said. “I will continue to get answers and work with the parties involved. I want to ensure that there are substantial protections for healthcare in western North

Carolina, that Mission’s assets continue to be used for a public purpose, and that the Dogwood Health Trust is independent and representative.”

Under statute, the Attorney General has the right to review any transaction in which a nonprofit corporation sells substantially all of its assets. The Attorney General has dedicated substantial time and resources in carrying out this responsibility regarding Mission Health System’s sale. Stein has not indicated whether he will make a final decision on the sale by the end of the year or not.

The state Justice Department is still accepting public comment on the proposed sale of Mission Health to HCA. Call 877.5NOSCAM or visit ncdoj.gov/complaint.

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December 12-18, 2018

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M AG G I E VA LLEY C LU B . CO M 15

news

WCU trustees approve fee increases for 2019-20

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER estern Carolina University students will likely see only a modest increase to their cost of attendance following the Board of Trustees’ approval of tuition and fee levels for 2019-20.

Because of the N.C. Promise Tuition Plan, there will be no increase in tuition rates. Fee increases will fall far below the 3 percent cap mandated by the state, rising by only 1.7 percent, though meal and housing plans will increase by about 4 percent, depending on the exact plan chosen. WCU did not raise fees at all last year.

“We’re taking that cap very, very seriously,” said Mike Byers, WCU’s vice chancellor for administration and finance.

Fall 2018 was the first semester for N.C. Promise, which capped undergraduate tuition at three UNC schools, including WCU, at $500 per semester for in-state students and $2,500 for out-of-state students.

The state legislature has pledged to pay the difference between that fixed rate and the actual cost of providing an education and thus far has kept its promise. Now in its first year, the program boosted WCU to a recordhigh freshman class and a 40 percent increase in transfer students.

However, the overall cost of attendance is padded with university fees and, for on-campus students, food and housing costs. While

December 12-18, 2018

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two semesters at WCU would cost an in-state student only $1,000 in tuition, mandatory fees for 2018-19 bring the cost to $3,788. Oncampus undergraduates would pay about $13,178 or $17,178 for tuition, fees, food and housing, depending on whether they’re instate or out-of state. That’s up from $12,738 or $16,738 this year — a $440 increase.

Next year, students will pay $48 more in mandatory fees than they are this year, upping the annual cost 1.27 percent for instate undergraduates and 0.62 percent for out-of state undergraduates. The increase includes $26 more annually for the athletic fee, $14 for the student activity fee and $8

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8 Locations Serving you in Western North Carolina 721 North Main Street, Waynesville, NC · 452-2216 219 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC · 252-8234 1453 Sand Hill Road, Candler, NC · 667-7245 3270 Hendersonville Road, Fletcher, NC · 684-9999 746 East Main Street, Franklin, NC · 524-4464 8005 NC Highway 141, Murphy, NC · 837-0460 30 Highway 107, Sylva, NC · 586-0425 3533 US 441 North, Whittier, NC · 497-6211 APY=Annual Percentage Yield. This is not a commitment to lend. Rate and term based on an evaluation of credit.

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for the health services fee. These increases are needed mainly to cover rising personnel costs, especially for university employees not supported by state dollars.

In addition, a 4.24 percent increase of $5 in the transportation fee will allow the CatTran shuttle service to keep a weekend schedule. Trustees also approved a 1.36 percent increase of $4 in the book rental fee.

The tuition and fee proposal was developed through a “grassroots effort” across campus, Byers said, with programs asked for proposals for tuition and fee increases. Those proposals then go through the chancellor’s office and leadership council and are sent on

to the Tuition and Fee Advisory Committee, which includes students, faculty and staff from across campus. The process included two open campus discussions, a town hall sponsored by the Student Government Association, an online survey and an interactive live-streamed video session. Students responding to the survey said they were not in favor of the proposed increases but that they supported N.C. Promise.

The advisory committee approved all of the enacted tuition and fee increases except for the athletic fee increase. However, administration recommended that trustees approve all the increases, and trustees agreed. The athletics fee is currently $756 and will increase to $782 next year, generating more than $200,000 in additional revenue.

Meals and housing would both see an increase of about 4 percent, depending on the exact plan and housing option selected, and the cost of parking passes for students living on campus will take a sharp hike.

Freshman permits will hold steady at $400, but sophomore permits will increase from $324 to $400, junior permits from $288 to $324 and permits for seniors and graduate students from $252 to $288. Commuter permits will increase as well, from $288 to $324.

The increases will require approval from the UNC Board of Governors to go into effect, with a vote expected in January or February.

Learn more when you visit our website: mountaincu.org

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Sen. Davis selected as opioid fellow

Winner of Bryson City Christmas Parade The 44th Annual Bryson City Christmas Parade continued despite the cold rain. Swain Clean was the grand marshal group leading the parade followed by a number of civic groups, businesses, beauty queens, fire trucks, and more.

This year Santa & Mrs. Claus traveled by golf cart. The winners for best floats were: First place — 4-H Livestock Club & Tangled Feet Stompers; Second place — Jay’s Firewood/Kirkland’s Logging; and Third place — Swain Family Care.

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Smoky Mountain News

The office of N.C. State Sen. Jim Davis, RFranklin, announced on Tuesday, that Davis has been selected to be a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Opioid Policy Fellow for 2019.

Davis is one of only 22 legislators from around the country who have been selected to participate in the NCSL’s Opioid Policy Fellows program for 2019. The Opioid Policy Fellows Program was established by the NCSL to focus on health policies and programs being addressed by state legislatures across the country.

This includes strengthening prescription drug monitoring programs, developing prescribing guidelines, increasing naloxone access, and supporting access to treatment and recovery services. The program is designed to support legislators who are experienced or emerging leaders on opioid addiction and overdose issues.

“It is an honor to be chosen by the National Conference of State Legislatures to participate in the Opioid Policy Fellows program, and I hope that it will aid me in developing new ideas to continue the ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic in North Carolina,” said Davis.

Davis has sponsored multiple bills that have passed the General Assembly over the past two years designed to combat the opioid

Recently FUR volunteers placed small Christmas trees in several area businesses and veterinarian offices. Attached on these trees are cards with photos, bios and a holiday wish list of some of the abused, abandoned and neglected cats rescued by Feline Urgent Rescue and presently in foster care or living at FUR’s sanctuary.

To help these needy kittens and cats, simply take a card from the tree, purchase from the Wish List and drop off the item(s) at Balsam Animal Hospital located at 1628 S. Main Street in West Waynesville, The Big Red Barn Trading Post at 79 Branner Avenue or Maple Tree Veterinarian Hospital at 1855 Russ Avenue.

The trees are at Balsam Animal Hospital, Maple Tree Veterinarian Hospital, Animal Hospital of Waynesville, Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery, The FUR Resale Store in the Big Red Barn Trading Post, Bosu’s Wine Shop, Mast General Store and, in Maggie Valley, at Rendezvous Restaurant and Maggie Mountain Fitness.

Or visit the website at www.furofwnc.org to make a donation via PayPal or check.

A special adoption event FUR the holidays will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Sanctuary. There will be reduced adoption fees for kittens.

For more information, visit www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/fur of wnc, or call 844.888.CATS (2287).

AT

December 12-18, 2018

Learn new ways to explore the Appalachian Trail at a book signing 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Books Unlimited in Franklin.

Authors Carol and Jim Steiner will be signing their book The Appalachian Trail Hikers’ Guide: Downhill to Fine Wine and Accommodations, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The book pairs A.T. hikes with explorations of the communities nearby, suggesting side trips such as museums, pottery shops, waterfalls and wineries. www.atdayhiker.com.

FUR to hold donation drive

Ring In 2019

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Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a free seminar designed to show area business owners how they can succeed in the government marketplace from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. Registration is required.

Featured speaker at the seminar will be Pam Racer, a procurement technical assistance counselor. Participants will also learn about federal certifications such as WomanOwned and HUBZone.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/yb3holb4.

For more information about this seminar or services available through SCC’s Small Business Center, contact Henry at 828.339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

crisis in North Carolina.

In 2017, he sponsored the Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Act, which implemented new guidelines for prescribing and dispensing highly-addictive prescription drugs to ensure those medications are responsibly administered and not over-prescribed. It also required universal registration and reporting by pharmacies to detect misuse and diversion while strengthening reporting requirements for prescription transactions.

In 2018, Davis sponsored the Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Enforcement (HOPE) Act which strengthened law enforcement efforts to fight the opioid crisis by giving them tools to improve drug investigations, increasing penalties for healthcare workers who abuse their power and providing funding for community-based drug treatment services.

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Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit financing. 0% APR financing for 72 months at $13.89 per month per $1,000 financed regardless of down payment (PGM #20952). Not available on Raptor. Residency restrictions apply. Take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford dealer's stock by 1/2/19. See dealer for qualifications and complete details. $3,750 Customer Cash (PGM #13340) + $1,500 Bonus Cash (PGM #13348) + $300 2.7L V6 EcoBoost Bonus Cash (PGM #13256) + $1,750 XLT Luxury Chrome or Sport Nat'l Discount Pkg. (PGM #97594) + $500 XLT Mid Array Navigation Pkg. (PGM #97520) + $250 XLT Luxury Power Equipment Pkg. (PGM #97598) + $3,240 Average Dealer Discount + $500 Ford Credit Bonus Cash (PGM #13344) which requires Ford Credit financing. Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit financing. Average dealer discount based on a sales survey of average discounts offered by Ford dealers regionally. Discount may vary; dealer determines price. Residency restrictions apply. For all offers, take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford dealer's stock by 1/2/19. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.

$1,000 Holiday Bonus Cash (PGM #13362). Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit financing. 0% APR financing for 60 months at $16.67 per month per $1,000 financed regardless of down payment (PGM #20954). Residency restrictions apply. For all offers, take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford dealer's stock by 1/2/19. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.

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$1,500 Bonus Cash (PGM #13346, #13224) + $1,000 Holiday Bonus Cash (PGM #13362). Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit financing. 0% APR financing for 60 months at $16.67 per month per $1,000 financed regardless of down payment (PGM #20954). Residency restrictions apply. For all offers, take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford dealer's stock by 1/2/19. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.

$1,000 Holiday Bonus Cash (PGM #13362) + $1,000 Ford Credit Bonus Cash (PGM #13344) which requires Ford Credit financing. Not all buyers will qualify for Ford Credit financing. 0% APR financing for 60 months at $16.67 per month per $1,000 financed regardless of down payment (PGM #20954). Residency restrictions apply. For all offers, take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford dealer's stock by 1/2/19. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.

Smoky Mountain News

December 12-18, 2018

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Health

Smoky Mountain News

Get health insurance

by Dec. 15 Open enrollment for 2019 health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace is still open until Dec. 15.

Since debuting in 2013, the Health Insurance Marketplace has provided access to low-cost healthcare coverage for millions who would otherwise be without health insurance or who are interested in taking advantage of more cost-effective alternatives to their current coverage.

Now is the time to enroll in a plan if you do not currently have coverage; make changes to your current coverage; or renew your current plan as it stands today. If you have experienced a major life event, such as health coverage loss, marriage, adoption or having a baby, you may qualify for an extended special enrollment period after the Dec. 15 deadline.

There are several ways you can enroll, including online, by phone, through an agent or broker, with in-person help or by mail. For more information on how to enroll, visit www.healthcare.gov.

Grant given for wellness programs MountainWise, a regional public health partnership, will use an $873,930 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to fund the expansion of worksite wellness programs throughout Haywood, Jackson, Swain, Graham, Cherokee, Clay, Macon and Transylvania Counties.

The new project, WorkWise Western North Carolina, will result in a healthier workforce in 24 automotive and advanced manufacturing industry worksites in Western North Carolina and will be implemented throughout the next two years. During the last three years MountainWise established successful worksite wellness programs at 26 work sites within the above-mentioned counties, providing the opportunity for 4,635 employees to enjoy increased access to healthy eating, physical activity and tools for tobacco-free living.

MountainWise will expand the WorkWise WNC program to 24 new sites and nearly 5,000 employees who work in a vital part of the local economy: the region’s manufacturing industries. Not only will the grant money from ARC fund expansion of worksite wellness programs to additional sites, it will also fund the addition of clinical services.

To bring a WorkWise WNC Program to your worksite, contact Nan Kramer at nan@mountainwise.org or 704.562.2828.

Harris receives ‘A’ for Patient Safety Harris Regional Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2018

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Anyone with symptoms should contact their health care provider, who can perform a blood test for the virus. For more information about viral hepatitis, visit https://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/hepatitis/related.html.

LifePoint Health donates $100K to hurricane relief

Haywood receives ‘A’ for Patient Safety Haywood Regional Medical Center was awarded an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2018 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes Haywood Regional’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.

The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.

“This is a wonderful accomplishment for our hospital, and it reflects the hard work and dedication our team has put forth in delivering safe, efficient, and quality care to our patients,” said Rod Harkleroad, chief executive officer of Haywood Regional. “We are very pleased with this high mark, which places us among the top tier of hospitals across the country when it comes to patient safety.”

To see Haywood’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.

Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes Harris Regional Hospital’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.

The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers.

The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.

“While a single rating cannot fully reflect the quality and compassionate care provided by our amazing staff and exceptional providers, I am proud of the work that has gone into achieving an ‘A’ rating from the Leapfrog Group,” said Steve Heatherly, chief executive officer of Harris Regional Hospital.

“Quality in health care is a journey rather than a destination and this recognition is indicative of how our entire team works together daily as we pursue our mission of Making Communities Healthier.”

Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

DHHS confirms hepatitis an outbreak The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed the first death related to an ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A affecting parts of North Carolina. The death occurred in October.

Hepatitis A is a contagious and vaccine-preventable liver infection that can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. It is usually transmitted through food or water that has been contaminated with small, undetectable amounts of feces from a contagious person.

“The best way to protect yourself against hepatitis A is through vaccination,” said Dr. Heidi Swygard, viral hepatitis medical director in DHHS’ Division of Public Health. “Good handwashing is also important, especially after using the bathroom, changing diapers and before preparing or eating food. Anyone who thinks they may have been infected or exposed should seek medical attention.”

Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite and stomach pain. Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and/or eyes), dark-colored urine and clay-colored bowel movements may also occur. These symptoms can appear within 15-50 days (average 28 days) following infection with the virus.

LifePoint Health, a leading healthcare company that operates Haywood Regional Medical Center, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital, has contributed $100,000 toward recovery and relief efforts following Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

To aid in recovery efforts following Hurricane Florence’s devastating path through the Carolinas, LifePoint donated $25,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization which mobilized multiple teams to assist homeowners with flood cleanup, and $25,000 to Feeding the Carolinas, a network of food banks in North and South Carolina which has been actively working to get necessary food and supplies to affected areas.

LifePoint also contributed $50,000 to Americares to aid in relief efforts following Hurricane Michael’s catastrophic landfall and impact on the Florida Panhandle and the southeastern U.S. Americares is an international healthcare organization providing emergency medical relief and quality healthcare to communities across the globe.

While LifePoint’s facilities were spared the brutal effects of the two storms, the company recognizes that recovery for impacted areas is a monumental undertaking and is proud to support these organizations’ efforts to bring lifesaving aid, medical care and rebuilding assistance to those in need.

Jackson Health promotes diabetes awareness

Over 30 million Americans have diabetes, a disease with complications that include vision loss, kidney disease, and heart attack.

The benefits of managing the disease are increased energy, improved healing, and fewer skin and bladder infections. Knowledge of your blood sugar numbers, a healthy diet, adequate physical activity and getting routine health care are key elements to effective diabetes management.

The Jackson County Department of Public Health (JCDPH) offers diabetes self-management education and support as well as medical nutrition therapy from a team of professionals.

This team includes Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Lee Lillard, Registered Dietitian Jessi Basset, and Pharmacist Amanda Holland. Classes are available for free; a physician’s referral is required. Sign up today and start your diabetes education this month.

For more information on any nutrition class, contact Lee Lillard at 828.587.8240 or visit http://health.jacksonnc.org/wic/.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

Mueller investigation closing in on Trump “How can you drain the swamp if you keep muddying the waters?

Your own words on lots of stuff give me lots of pause. You said Russia didn’t interfere [in the 2016 election] until some Republicans reminded you that they did.”

— Neil Cavuto, Fox News s the Robert Mueller investigation barrels toward its conclusion and the walls close in on President Donald Trump, his regular splattering of tweets sound more and more like a modern-day version of Richard Nixon’s “I am not a crook” proclamation, but more fanciful and less coherent.

Based on most polls, as well as anecdotal evidence gathered from my Facebook feed, I see no evidence that Trump’s core supporters are swayed by the barrage of daily headlines or twists and turns in the investigation, which I guess is no surprise. They have long since hitched their wagons to Trump’s star, which means swearing off all media outside the Fox News alternate reality bubble, as well as willful indifference to any developments in the investigation, including indictments of Trump associates of various rank and caliber.

Whatever is reported, whatever happens, will be spun or shrugged off as tainted, the fruit of the poisonous tree of the liberal media. The Trump true believers have essentially been inoculated from the harmful impact of facts and evidence that run counter to their increasingly bizarre reality — that Trump is a real patriot, that he is a genuine man of God, that he is Moses come again to lead them, this time all the way to Beulah Land.

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Thanks for Sunburst story

Say what you will about Trump, but when has any politician in history ever used technology more cunningly or effectively. The day’s events unfold — every news cycle stuffed with new horrors and more bad news — and then in the wee hours of the morning, Trump unleashes a barrage of tweets, which provide his followers with assurance and catharsis, but not talking points they can really use, since Trump is manifestly incapable of cogent expression.

For this, they rely on Fox News, and Fox News has always delivered, offering a Whitman’s Sampler of nonsequiturs, logical fallacies, half-truths, and deft misdirection. We can be sure Columnist that within eight to 12 hours, our news feeds and conversations will be cluttered with these talking points, factory fresh. Thus, the alternate reality is preserved. Collusion? Corruption? Hush money?

More indictments? No way. It’s nothing really. Smoke and mirrors. Snakes in the woodpile. Trump is a brave warrior, the victim of a liberal conspiracy. Like all authentic heroes, he must endure the slings and arrows of those who resent his basic goodness and rugged individualism.

Trump tweets, Fox spins the news into gold like Rumpelstiltskin, and then Trump uses Fox’s talking points for the next news cycle. And so it goes, and has gone, for nearly three years now.

But there is a problem, and it has always been there, like a ticking time-bomb hidden in a dark corner of this false reality.

The problem is that of all of Trump’s mistresses, technology turns out to be the most fickle. No one, and I mean no one, has a longer memory. For example, when Trump claimed that he had no knowledge of any hush money being paid to porn

Chris Cox

“He (Trump) knows very little about the legislative process, hasn’t learned anything, hasn’t surrounded himself with people that can get it done, hasn’t done all the things you need to do so. It’s mostly his fault that he hasn’t achieved those things. I’m not in charge of Trump.”

— Tucker Carlson, Fox News

star Stormy Daniels, he said it not just for that day’s particular news cycle, but for all eternity. Therefore, he cannot logically come back in less than a year and claim with any integrity that it was a “private payment.” He cannot claim that there was no interference from Russia in the election, and then later say there was.

Trump is now caught in a web of lies of his own making, preserved forever by technology. Can you beat that irony?

Then again, maybe you can beat that irony. What happens when Fox News realizes once and for all that it has backed the wrong horse? It is one thing to bend the facts in order to distort reality. It is another thing altogether to blow it all to hell, to insist that what is plainly and empirically true is somehow false, to convince people that what they are seeing and hearing with their own eyes and ears is not really what they are seeing and hearing.

Or put another way, would you want your future tethered to Donald J. Trump’s? Mueller is closing in. He has the proof.

He has the evidence. He has been gathering it for months, brick by brick, one indictment at a time. Here is a prediction.

We are about to see an unveiling the likes of which we have never seen in American history. In terms of scale, it will make Watergate look like robbing some kid’s lemonade stand. Little by little, day-by-day, Fox News is gradually peeling off from the Trump Express because it has to.

The fascinating question remaining is this: what do the Trump true believers do when that happens? Will they abandon Fox News, the source of their worldview for years and years, or will they abandon Trump, the brash, system-smashing anti-hero they have dreamed of for so long? It may not be much longer before Robert Mueller forces the moment to its crisis.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. jchriscox@live.com)

LETTERS

To the Editor The works of Bethel Rural Community Organization (BRCO) seem to have flooded the news lately. A full page in the Dec. 5-11 issue of Smoky Mountain News and four BRCO articles in December’s Haywood Vicinitus has piqued a lot of interest among readers.

Cory Vaillancourt’s interesting report on our DVD documenting the history of Sunburst and other logging operations plus his well-researched full-page article, “Sunburst – a Short History” has helped produce a flood of on-line orders for the DVD. Readers want to learn what the short history could not tell.

If Cory had been able to garner another half page for BRCO, he may have reported that our organization president, Carroll Jones, is an award-winning author and has written several historical non-fiction and fiction books about Haywood County. SMN readers will remember the articles that reported on Carroll’s most recent book, Thomson’s Pulp Mill, that unveils the history of Canton’s original pulp mill.

BRCO members, as Cory meticulously reported, are eager to preserve the rich history of the area. BRCO thanks SMN for Cory’s time and well-done reporting.

Ted Carr Bethel

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.

Hannah McLeod

T

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Smoky Mountain News

Obama administration caused much public discourse of the issue, lots of it malicious, but it created the beginnings of a world/country where those who exist “between” gender were no longer in some limbo space linguistically. To be able to be who they are very simply, and not in comparison or according to the standards already laid out.

History shows us the dangers of forcing people to define themselves in accordance with and in comparison to others. When Spaniards conquered the great portion of the Americas and almost completely successfully transformed the population they did not eradicate into Spanish speaking Catholic people, it took generations and centuries for Latin Americans — especially those with strong native ties — to understand themselves in the philosophical sense.

They had been defined not by their own history but starting with the Spanish conquest (not their choice), in the Spanish language (not the native language of the Americas), and by Spanish standards (a culture completely foreign to their own). They were forced to define themselves through the eyes of their conquerors.

This may seem like a far-fetched comparison. But all people should have the right to define themselves as they are, it should not be forced upon them by others.

Sure, language complicates this, but language is ever changing anyway, never static and so we must help push it forward when these complications arise. We must call people how they wish to be called. Define people as they wish to be defined, if for no other reason than to better understand those humans around us. Their complications and intricacies, all the beauty and light they have inside them to offer the world, different or the same to yours.

So whether it is correctly defining the spectrum of genders at the bureaucratic level, using appropriate pronouns, or taking the time to learn and understand new terms that define gender, sexuality or anything else — do it. Push the boundaries of your mind if you must, in order to more fully appreciate and understand the human experience in all its intricacies.

(Hannah McLeod is a writer and social media specialist for The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain South Media. Mcleodh828@gmail.com)

December 12-18, 2018

he current administration is in the process of trying to erase transgender/cisgender people. If they have their way they will define gender as biologically incontrovertible, determined by genitalia at birth. This definition will exist in title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans gender discrimination in education programs that get government financial assistance.

It will also inform section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which investigates medical discrimination based on sex, in Guest Columnist which sex includes gender identity and presentation. It would effectively relieve doctors of any obligation respect gender that may differ from genitalia at birth.

The Department of Health and Human Services argues that the government needs a uniform definition of gender based on biology that is “clear, grounded in science, objective and administrable.” While the intention of clarity for the purpose of bureaucratic facilitation is not harmful in and of itself, this definition, if implemented, will be extremely detrimental.

Gender, as medical professionals attest, is not determined anatomically. Many factors contribute to gender identity including genes, hormones, biology, and the mind. It can be different from the biology of one’s body, and it often does not fall clearly into male/female boundaries, even on a purely anatomical scale. Gender is a spectrum, on which some people, though they are a minority, fall somewhere between the existing boundaries.

Forcing these people to be defined by words that do not befit them is not only harmful to these people psychologically, but is also medically/ biologically dangerous.

There is substantial evidence that shows transgender/cisgender children and teens are at much higher risk of depression, anxiety, drug/alcohol addiction, and suicide.

They must exist in a world that wishes not to define them or allow space for who they are. They must live according to definitions they did not choose, within boundaries that have no room for them. The loosening of technical definitions of gender (within schools/hospitals/public spaces) during the

opinion

Administration makes mistake with gender plans

Closed Sunday & Monday 454 Hazelwood Avenue • Waynesville Call 828.452.9191 for reservations 21

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

December 12-18, 2018

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.

BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY 50 N Main Street, Waynesville.

828.246.0350. Taproom Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gem Bar Open Tuesday through Sunday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Enjoy lunch, dinner or drinks at Boojum’s Downtown Waynesville restaurant & bar. Choose from 16 taps of our fresh, delicious & ever rotating Boojum Beer plus cider, wine & craft cocktails. The taproom features seasonal pub faire including tasty burgers, sandwiches, shareables and daily specials that pair perfectly with our beer. Cozy up inside or take in the mountain air on our back deck.”

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

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.

WEDNESDAY 5-9 P.M.

THURSDAY 5-9 P.M.

SUNDAY 11 A.M-3 P.M.

Rib buffet, fried chicken, vegetables, and a twenty-three item salad bar!

Piano Man & Angie

Buffet Brunch

$11.95

Country Buffet

$11.95

$12.95

Smoky Mountain News

At the Maggie Valley Inn • 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK ALL YEAR! 7 A.M. TO NOON 22

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

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

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

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville.

828.452.6000. Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue. Kitchen opens at 4 p.m.

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

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

828.926.1820 Winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our

waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

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

Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 12 to 8 p.m. Real New Yorkers. Real Italians. Real Pizza. A full service authentic Italian pizzeria and restaurant from New York to the Blue Ridge. Dine in, take out, and delivery. Check out our daily lunch specials plus customer appreciation nights on Monday and Tuesday 5 to 9 p.m. with large cheese pizzas for $9.95.

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

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

Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 9:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural

Sandwiches • Burgers • Wraps

Order Catering or Take-Out NO LINES NO WAITING! 828.587.2233

32 Felmet Street

www.CityLightsCafe.com

featuring turkey and dressing

828.926.0201

It’s cold outside, but the pancakes are hot!

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burgers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh hand-cut fries.

Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining. facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot.

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

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

Closed Tuesday

Sunday 12-9 p.m.

(828) 246-0927

3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

Pancakes With Santa!

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

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

Saturday, December 15 9-11 a.m. • $5 ——————————————————————

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

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

tasteTHEmountains and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors.

Reservations accepted. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

HARMON’S DEN BISTRO 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville 828.456.6322. Harmon’s Den is located in the Fangmeyer Theater at HART. Open 5:309 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (Bistro closes at 7:30 p.m. on nights when there is a show in the Fangmeyer Theater) with Sunday brunch at 11 a.m. that includes breakfast and lunch items. Harmon’s Den offers a complete menu with cocktails, wine list, and area beers on tap. Enjoy casual dining with the guarantee of making it to the performance in time, then rub shoulders with the cast afterward with post-show food and beverage service. Reservations recommended. www.harmonsden.harttheatre.org J. ARTHUR’S RESTAURANT AT MAGGIE VALLEY U.S. 19 in Maggie Valley. 828.926.1817.

Open for dinner at 4:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. World-famous prime rib, steaks, fresh seafood, gorgonzola cheese and salads. All ABC permits and open year-round. Children always welcome.

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

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

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

Home of the Maggie Valley Pizzeria. We deliver after 4 p.m. daily to all of Maggie Valley, J-Creek area, and Lake Junaluska.

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

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

SAGEBRUSH STEAKHOUSE 1941 Champion Drive, Canton 828.646.3750 895 Russ Ave., Waynesville 828.452.5822. Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carry out available.

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

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT 2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.926.0425. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Daily specials including soups, sandwiches and southern dishes along with featured dishes such as fresh fried chicken, rainbow trout, country ham, pork chops and more. Breakfast all day including omelets, pancakes, biscuits & gravy. facebook.com/carversmvr; instagram @carvers_mvr.

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

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

PIGEON RIVER GRILLE 101 Park St., Canton.

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

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

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 70 Soco Road, Maggie Valley 828.926.0201

Daily Specials: Soups, Sandwiches & Southern Dishes

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

828.926.0425 • Facebook.com/carversmvr Instagram- @carvers_mvr

WAYNESVILLE PIZZA COMPANY 32 Felmet Street, Waynesville.

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

APPÉTIT Y’AL N L BO

Breakfast : Omelets, Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy!

Breakfast served all day!

Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays Closed Christmas Eve OPEN Christmas Day! 8:00 am to 7:00 pm 2804 SOCO RD. • MAGGIE VALLEY

TAP ROOM BAR & GRILL 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.3551. Open seven days a week serving lunch and dinner. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, the Tap Room Bar & Grill has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Full bar and wine cellar. www.thewaynesvilleinn.com.

AT BEARWATERS BREWING

101 PARK ST. CANTON 828.492.1422

PIGEONRIVERGRILLE.COM

Retail Restaurant LIVE Music

Events begin at 7:15pm unless otherwise noted.

Dinner & Music Reservations at 828-452-6000

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14 James Hammel guitar, vocals.

Jazz, Pop, Originals.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21 Tina & Her Pony ukulele, banjo, cello, vocals.

Americana, Originals.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22 Russ Wilson & Hank Bones guitar, percussion, vocals. BeBop, Jazz Standards.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28 Bob Zullo guitar, vocals.

Jazz, James Taylor, Santana, Pop. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29 Joe Cruz piano, vocals. Beatles, Elton John, James Taylor + More.

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

WAYNESVILLE’S BEST BURGERS

Smoky Mountain News

MAGGIE VALLEY RESTAURANT

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.

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

December 12-18, 2018

JOEY’S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

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

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

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

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

207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde

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

Real Local Families, Real Local Farms, Real Local Food

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

34 CHURCH ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6505 twitter.com/ChurchStDepot

facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Choices and changes A conversation with Sierra Hull

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER hough part of the scene most of her life, singer/mandolinist Sierra Hull has been making some big waves in the world of bluegrass in recent years.

At 27, Hull has received the “Mandolin Player of the Year” award from the International Bluegrass Music Association the last three years in a row. Before that time, no other female musician had ever been given the honor in the decades-old history of the IBMAs. The awards are not simply the culmination of a lifetime of work. It’s more so the line in the sand between her youthful immersion in the genre and her place as one of the great, defining figures in the modern era of that “high, lonesome sound.”

Signing to Rounder Records at just 13 years old, Hull has played seemingly every single backyard pickin’-n-grinnin’ session and bluegrass barbecue festival stage from coast to coast, soaking in the rich history and deep appreciation of the beloved music.

And yet, for all of her respect and appreciation of bluegrass, Hull is continually looking toward the horizon, a place where she can break new ground — as a female musician, but, more importantly, as an artist in the truest sense of the word.

T

Smoky Mountain News: When you look at the current landscape of the bluegrass music, what do you see? Because some people say that it’s changing, and some people say it’s business as usual…

Sierra Hull: I definitely think it’s changing, but I think that’s music in general. It has been changing since before I was even a musician.

To me, you can tell that from even just going back and listening to albums and hearing how the music has changed, say, since Bill Monroe’s day. And how his music changed as it became what we think of as bluegrass today. And what we think of as “bluegrass today,” I feel like everybody thinks of that word as meaning something slightly different depending on what section within bluegrass music you grew up in.

SMN: It’s such a weird genre, because it’s so particular in its ways…

Sierra Hull.

Want to go?

Acclaimed bluegrass singer/mandolinist Sierra Hull will hit the stage for a special evening, “A Bluegrass Christmas with Sierra Hull,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Tickets start at $15 per person. For more information, call 866.273.4615 or visit www.greatmountainmusic.com. To learn more about Hull, visit www.sierrahull.com.

SH: Yeah, it is. I also think, though, that a lot of my generation, a lot of my peers, grew up loving bluegrass music and that sort of five or six-piece band format, which is what I think of when I think of bluegrass music.

But, I feel that genre is becoming less and less important for most of my generation. Not that we don’t love bluegrass, and a lot of my friends grew up in the world the same as me, but as far as worrying about what’s considered “bluegrass,” it feels like it’s becoming more inclusive than ever before, which I think is very healthy. I do, because it’s important for the younger musicians to play good music, but yet be accepted by the wonderful community and group of musicians that I think of when I think of bluegrass.

I love the music itself, but getting to be

“It’s important for the younger musicians to play good music, but yet be accepted by the wonderful community and group of musicians that I think of when I think of bluegrass.”

— Sierra Hull

part of that community and the spirit of it was such an exciting thing to be part of as a young musician. I want the next generation, even if they what they’re playing isn’t the most traditional thing in the world, that they can be welcomed within the bounds of that word [“bluegrass”].

SMN: Creatively, I would think it wouldn’t be fun to be pigeonholed rather than just “serve the song.”

SH: Definitely. And when I say it’s becoming less and less important to my generation, I do feel that, in a healthy way, that’s the case.

People are just trying to think about what kind of music do [they] want to play, what kind of songs do [they] want to sing, rather than worrying about if it fits within the bounds of a particular thing.

SMN: Yourself, Molly Tuttle, Becky Buller and Flatt Lonesome are really breaking some

new ground in terms of female performers in the genre. Is it that there are more prominent female artists today or that the door is opening more, or is it both?

SH: It may be a little bit of both, honestly. I think people are more aware of it perhaps more than they once were. But, I’m also seeing more and more females taking part than ever before. I’m totally aware of the fact that, yes, my whole life I’ve looked around and many times [I have] been the only female in a room in a jam or the only female on a bill at a festival for an entire weekend. And I know a lot of my fellow ladies have felt that way.

But, I’m a big believer that, first and foremost, you need to be the best musician you can be, regardless of male or female. There’s more women out there, so to speak, to earn a seat at the table than ever before. Women are digging in and are deciding that this is what they want to do — inevitably we’re going to see these musicians that are earning their place.

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD

Dave Grohl.

Garret K. Woodward

HOT PICKS 1 2 3 4 5

The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return to the streets of downtown from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 14-15.

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Smoky Mountain News

s a Rolling Stone magazine subscriber since I was Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Rats in ninth grade, it has my Sabbath (Black Sabbath tribute) at 8 p.m. biggest dream as a writer to get Saturday, Dec. 15. a piece — just one single article Author Y.C. Harper will host a reading and — published by them. Well, as signing of her debut novel Death of a Publisher of this week, I’ve now had two at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Blue Ridge pieces published by Rolling Books in Waynesville.

Stone. And it all came completely out-of-nowhere.

A special stage production of “A Tuna When I moved to Western Christmas” presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14-15 North Carolina in 2012 to work and 17, and at 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Smoky for The Smoky Mountain Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.

News, I quickly befriended a brewery owner in our back”A Christmas Carol” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. yard. He’s now considered one Dec. 14-15 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 16, at the of my closest friends.

Haywood Arts Regional Theatre.

Well, when he was in Nashville, Tennessee, doing Then, this past summer, Kent played our distribution work, he befriended a talented mutual friends’ wedding at his brewery, a up-and-coming musician, Jamie Kent. The singer-songwriter would then come and play ceremony where I was also a groomsman.

Before he left town, Kent gave me one of my buddy’s brewery from time-to-time, to his band T-shirts. It was this all-black shirt. which Kent and I hit it off. Somehow, in our About a month later, I was randomly asked rollicking conversations, I told Kent my ultiif I wanted to go to a show at Pisgah Brewing mate dream of being published by Rolling in Black Mountain. Yep. And the only clean Stone. He informed me one of his good shirt I had left was Kent’s, and it was perfect friends in Nashville is a senior editor for the to wear on a hot, sweaty day where one can magazine. I told Kent, “Well, maybe somehide perspiration behind the black design. day that editor and I will meet.”

While in the audience, this guy tapped And a lot of time went by. Like two ships passing in the night, the Rolling Stone editor me on the shoulder. He goes, “Hey, man, Jamie Kent? He’s a good buddy of mine.” would be in Asheville when I was out of Mine, too, I replied. I introduced myself. He town or he was not around when I was in told me his name. I go, “Wait, are you the Nashville. Oh, well, I figured. Someday.

LIVE MUSIC

December 12-18, 2018

‘If everything could ever feel this real forever’

CASUAL FINE DINING WITH

arts & entertainment

This must be the place

guy who is an editor at Rolling Stone?” He was. I gave him my number, saying if he ever wanted to work together, well, call me.

Several months go by and really no word from Rolling Stone. I wasn’t going to get my hopes up. But, about a week ago, I get a message from him, “Do you want to cover Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam for Rolling Stone?” I was shocked. Yes. Onward to the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville this past weekend as a Rolling Stone correspondent.

From this past Thursday through Saturday night, I ran all around the arena, gathering quotes from beloved musicians and jotting down observations for my feature article. It was an overwhelming spectacle of lights and sound — physically and emotionally.

And yet, the one person I wanted to interview, singer/guitarist Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), the main headliner, had eluded me the entire time. I never seemed to cross paths with him. As a longtime music journalist, and one whose life has been greatly shaped by Grohl’s music, he’s remained atop my “Interview Wish List” since the beginning of my career — I was Captain Ahab, Grohl was my Moby Dick.

But, nevertheless, I awoke early Sunday morning, hazy and bleary-eyed from the melodic chaos, poured myself a strong cup of coffee, sat down and cranked out my article to be submitted and posted online. By the afternoon, it was published on Rolling Stone’s website for all to see. I was so overjoyed my eyes began to water on multiple occasions most of the day, and still now as I write this.

By late Sunday afternoon, my phone rang. It was a member of the Christmas Jam production. Apparently Grohl and Haynes were snowed in and couldn’t fly home, so they were going to do a surprise show at The Orange Peel.

I jumped on the opportunity and found myself in the sold-out Asheville venue by that evening. The editor at Rolling Stone found out I was at the show and asked if I could send another piece to them by Monday morning to be posted — the oncein-a-lifetime show was too important to not be documented. No problem.

The show ended and immediately thereafter a dear friend and I walked down to Buxton Hall Barbecue. His buddy, the restaurant owner, was going to open to establishment just for us and some musicians to eat a late-night meal.

And there I was in this barbecue joint, only to see a transport van roll up. Out pops Warren Haynes, Dave Grohl and the rest of the musicians who played that night. I introduced myself to Grohl. He goes, “Rolling Stone? Did you write that feature that was posted today?” Yes, I did. “Dude, that was a great article. I love how you wrote about our guitarist, nobody gives him enough credit.”

I then asked Grohl if he wanted to give me some quotes for the surprise show article. “Definitely,” he smiled. We grabbed a couple beers and found a quiet corner to interview. Fifteen minutes later, I hugged him in sincere gratitude. I had now made a new friend. I was living — and will continue to live — my dream in real time.

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

Log on. Plan a trip.

And start kicking back.

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arts & entertainment

On the holiday

Christmas in Appalachia

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Smoky Mountain News

December 12-18, 2018

s the temperatures drop in Western North Carolina, the fun only heats up. The holiday season here is filled with events and activities aimed to celebrate the best way we know how.

Families can partake in wagon rides, iceless skating, craft sales and art demonstrations, all the while enjoying authentic mountain music, clogging and parades through several downtowns. These are just some of the innumerable activities to be had. Within every date, time and place found amid this section, the communities around the region once again opens their arms to share in the winter festivities.

It’s a winter wonderland out there. It’s yours for the taking, so reach out and enjoy all Southern Appalachia has to offer.

HART presents ‘A Christmas Carol’ Haywood Arts Regional Theatre.

A special production of “A Christmas Carol” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14-15 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 16, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre.

It has been three years since HART last presented its production of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol,” and now it’s back. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his visit by three ghosts is timeless and HART’s production is sure to remind audiences of the true spirit of the holidays. The 26 production features elaborate scenery

designed by HART’s scenic artist, Lyle Baskin.

This year’s production is under the direction of Julie Kinter, who is bringing a new take to the staging. The show will feature a cast of 35 with Pasquale LaCorte in the role of Scrooge. LaCorte was last seen in the role of Nunzio in HART’s “Over the River and Through the Woods.”

Ticket prices are $13 for adults and $7 for children. For reservations, call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322 or visit www.harttheatre.org.

Nick Breedlove photo

‘Lights & Luminaries’ returns to Dillsboro The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return to the streets of downtown from 5 to 9 p.m.

Dec. 14-15.

Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios. Horse and buggy rides available each night. Shopkeepers provide live music and serve holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa. Carolers sing and children visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Live Nativity at Jarrett Memorial Baptist Church.

Free shuttle service from Monteith Park. www.visitdillsboro.org.

Sylva library to host Christmas Concert The Western Carolina Civic Orchestra will present the annual “Community Christmas Concert” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The musical celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. with caroling on the library steps.

Caroling will again be led by Phil & Gayle Woody. They encourage everyone to come and join their friends and neighbors in singing traditional carols.

Members of the Civic Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Damon Sink, will begin the concert at 7 p.m. with portions of the Corelli Christmas Concerto, La Rejouissance and Winter Wonderland.

Franklin guitarists Paul Savaiko and Ray Olson will perform seasonal favorites. Their duo is known as Jazz Mountain.

The concert is free and the public is welcome. The Jackson County Arts Council will serve refreshments after the concert.

For more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016. This event is cosponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

‘A Tuna Christmas’ A special stage production of “A Tuna Christmas” presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1415 and 17, and at 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.

The plot centers on the Tuna, Texas, annual Christmas Yard Display Contest, won 14 times in a row by Vera Carp. A mysterious “Christmas Phantom,” known for vandalizing the yard displays, threatens to throw the contest into turmoil.

Among the subplots are Stanley Bumiller’s attempts to end his probation and leave Tuna, Bertha Bumiller’s trying to hold her family together at Christmas time, and Joe Bob Lipsey’s struggle to mount successfully his production of A Christmas Carol despite numerous obstacles.

Tickets are $14 for adults, $8 for children 6-17. Cash only at the door. www.facebook.com/smctheatre.

Ready for the ‘Christmas Cantata’?

The Chancel Choir will present the annual “Christmas Cantata” at 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 16, at the First United Methodist Church in Sylva.

The choir will present “Night of Miracles”/”A Christmas Cantata” by John W. Peterson. The Christmas story will be narrated by Jeff Goss. Tommy Ginn is the director of the chancel choir. Actors from the church will portray the nativity scene.

The Sylva Bells, a community handbell choir, will play holiday selections prior to the concert. Following the cantata, heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served in the church’s Christian Life Center for all to enjoy.

Various instrumental groups will present Christmas music at this time.

The public is invited. For more information, call the church office at 828.586.2358.

On the holiday • The “Polar Express” will depart on select times through Dec. 31 from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot. For more information on departures or to purchase tickets, visit www.gsmr.com.

CASHIERS • The annual “Christmas On the Green” celebration will run through New Year’s Day at The Village Green. The 13-acre park in the heart of Cashiers will feature thousands of twinkling lights. For more information, visit www.villagegreencashiersnc.com.

CHEROKEE • “Cherokee Lights & Legends Christmas” will be Dec. 15-17 at 31 Tsali Boulevard.

Highlights include performances by the Kenya Safari Acrobats, a country-style cake walk, a raffle for a big gingerbread house, and hourly drawings for door prizes. Visit Santa’s Workshop to enjoy craft making, games for the kids, a bouncy house, and pictures with Santa. There is no admission cost for this event, but individual activities require a nominal fee ($5 or less). Vendors will be on hand for you to buy that Christmas craft or get a bite to eat.

DILLSBORO

FRANKLIN • “Cookies and Pictures with Santa” will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Macon County Public Health office. Bring your own camera. Special appearance by Chase from Paw Patrol. For more information, call 828.349.2448.

SYLVA • The Mountain Winds Community Band will present “Tis the Season” at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at Smoky Mountain High School.

Come and enjoy all your Christmas favorites.

Donations will go toward helping the Smoky Mountain Band program. 828.586.2177.

• The Jackson County Cooperative Extension’s

The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet will perform a special program of “Christmas Brass” to benefit victims of the California wildfires on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The free event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature holiday favorites, as well as several sing-alongs. Donations will be accepted to aid those in need after the fires, which have left thousands homeless and claimed more than 80 lives, with another 200 missing.

The quintet was formed in 1993 and has since performed nationally and internationally, with a wide repertoire that includes pop, jazz, patriotic and standards, as well as commissioned works.

The SMBQ is from Sylva and made up of faculty with Western Carolina University’s School of Music. Members are P. Bradley Ulrich, trumpet; David Ginn, trumpet; Travis Bennett, horn; Mike Schallock, tuba; and Zsolt Szabo, trombone.

For more information, contact Ulrich at 828.227.3274 or www.smbq.org.

“Holiday Craft Market” will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15. Unique gift ideas handcrafted from over 20 local vendors at this event. The 4-H Youth Leadership Council is also holding a food and winter clothing drive so bring your nonperishable food items and gently used coats, gloves, scarves, and sweaters along with you to help support your community. Call the Extension Office at 828.586.4009 if you have any questions.

• The inaugural “Gingerbread House Workshop” will be held at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, and at noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, at the First Baptist Church. Make your very own Gingerbread House. This two-hour class will be hosted by Cotton Leigh Bakery. To sign up, visit the bakery at 628 West Main Street or call 828.477.4566.

WAYNESVILLE • “Winter Arts Smokies Style” artist reception will be Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Haywood County Arts Council in downtown. Kid’s Crafts from noon to 3 p.m. with an artist demonstration by painter Melissa Moss from 3 to 6 p.m. The artist reception will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Other events include a pancake breakfast with Santa from 9 to 11 a.m. at Firefly Taps & Grill, cookie decorating at ReMAX Executive Realty, and an Elf Parade at 3 p.m. on Main Street.

Wayne Ebinger photo

THANK YOU to all of our sponsors, band, venues, attendees, staff and volunteers.

This year’s Art of Music Festival was an awesome experience and a great success.

We’re already planning and looking forward to next year’s event.

Stay tuned for more information!

Smoky Mountain News

• “A Christmas Together: An Evening of Stories, Songs & Family” will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

Come celebrate with the Overlook Theatre Company as we share some of our favorite stories and songs of the season. Featuring members of the theatre’s performance troupe, this evening of family, tradition (and a few surprises) is sure to inspire everyone’s holiday spirit. Tickets are $10. For more information, call 828.524.1598 or visit www.greatmountainmusic.com.

Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet to host Christmas benefit

December 12-18, 2018

• Innovation Station will host a “Holiday Market” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13. www.innovation-brewing.com.

arts & entertainment

BRYSON CITY

balsamrangeartofmusicfestival.com 27

arts & entertainment

On the beat • Andrews Brewing Company (Andrews) will host the “Lounge Series” at its Calaboose location with Scott Stambaugh (singer-songwriter) Dec. 14 and Jody West (singer-songwriter) Dec. 15. All shows are free and begin at 6 p.m. www.andrewsbrewing.com.

• Blue Ridge Beer Hub (Waynesville) will host an acoustic jam with Main St. NoTones from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13 and 20. Free and open to the public. www.blueridgebeerhub.com.

• Boojum Brewing Company (Waynesville) will host a bluegrass open mic every Wednesday and an all-genres open mic every Thursday.

All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. www.boojumbrewing.com.

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Joe Cruz (piano/vocals) Dec. 15. All shows are free and begin at 7:15 p.m.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host “Pints For A Purpose: Toys for Tots” 5 p.m.

Dec. 12, ‘Round the Fire (rock/Americana) Dec. 14 and Bonafide (Americana) Dec. 15.

All shows begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. www.froglevelbrewing.com.

Smoky Mountain News

December 12-18, 2018

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Goat (Americana/folk) 5:30 p.m. Dec. 16, The Honey Chasers (bluegrass) 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 and Hannah Kaimer & JP Parsons (Americana/folk) 7 p.m. Dec. 19. For more information about the performances and/or to purchase tickets, visit www.isisasheville.com.

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

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Dec. 12 and 19, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Dec. 13 and 20. All events are free and begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host Coy Wolf Dec. 15, John Duncan & Friends (Americana) Dec. 22 and Shane Meade (singer-songwriter) 2 p.m. Dec. 23. All events are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

ALSO:

• Isis Music Hall (West Asheville) will host Jacob Johnson (Americana/folk) 7 p.m. Dec. 12, State Birds w/Sipe, Seal, Fountain & Lopes (jazz/funk) 8:30 p.m. Dec. 12, Forest Bailey (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Dec. 13, Italian Night w/Mike Guggino & Barrett Smith (folk/world) 8:30 p.m. Dec. 13, West King String Band (bluegrass/folk) 7 p.m.

Dec. 14, Nouveaux Honkies 7 p.m. Dec. 15, NewSong Music Songwriting & Performance Competition 8:30 p.m. Dec. 15, Pretty Little

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• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host an open mic night at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, Rats Sabbath (Black Sabbath tribute) Dec. 15 and Andalyn (Americana) Dec. 22. All shows begin at 8 p.m. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Mad Anthony’s Taproom & Restaurant (Waynesville) will host Billingsley Dec. 21 and 28 Pages Dec. 29. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m.

• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host an open mic night every Thursday and Aces Down Dec. 14 and Twelfth Fret (singersongwriter) Dec. 15. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. www.mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 15. All are welcome to

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come play or simply sit and listen to sounds of Southern Appalachia.

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

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

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

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

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

• The Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host an “Open Mic Night” on Mondays, karaoke on Thursdays, Doyle & Merrell (variety) Dec. 14 and Aunt Bees Jam Band Dec. 15. All events at 10 p.m. unless otherwise noted. 828.456.4750.

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On the street arts & entertainment

WWI exhibit at Mountain Heritage Center

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until November 1918, with the U.S. involved in the European military action beginning in April 1917.

The exhibit was created by Mountain Heritage Center staff with support from the Library of Congress, WCU’s Special Collections and the “Defining America” theme committee on campus, as well as the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. It will be on display through Friday, April 26.

In January, the exhibit will be supplemented by elements from the “North Carolina in the Great War” exhibit from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

For more information, call the Mountain Heritage Center at 828.227.7129.

On the table

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

• Dec. 13/20: Five for $5 Wine Tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. Come taste five magnificent wines and dine on Chef Stacy’s gourmet cuisine.

• Dec. 14/21: Secret Wine Bar Night from 5 to 9 p.m.. Gourmet food, and a great wine & beer menu.

• Dec. 15/22: There will be a free wine tasting from 1 to 5 p.m.

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

• A free wine tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 15 and 22 at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. www.papouswineshop.com or 828.631.3075.

• Free cooking demonstrations will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at Country Traditions in Dillsboro. Watch the demonstrations, eat samples and taste house wines for $3 a glass. All recipes posted online. www.countrytraditionsnc.com.

ALSO:

INDOOR FLEA MARKET AT THE OLD ARMORY Saturday, Dec. 15, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m 44 Boundary St., Waynesville The flea market will be held the third Saturday of each month. To sell items, booths are $10 each.

For more info, call the Old Armory at 828.456.9207

Smoky Mountain News

Bosu’s tastings, small plates

32 Montgomery Street Downtown Waynesville

December 12-18, 2018

Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center is currently hosting an exhibit to commemorate World War I and the centennial of the end of hostilities in the “war to end all wars.”

“I Want You! How World War I Transformed Western North Carolina” is on display in the museum’s first floor gallery, located in Hunter Library. It features wartime images and artifacts, as well as examples of propaganda used to build support for the war effort. It highlights local individuals who served, such as Ransom Coward, a Jackson County soldier, and Lula Owl Gloyne, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who served as an Army nurse and a commissioned officer.

World War I took place from July 1914

WAYNESVILLE

PARKS AND RECREATION

828.456.2030

or email rlangston@waynesvillenc.gov

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On the wall

arts & entertainment

On the stage

HPAC ‘Live via Satellite’

The works of painter Gloria R. Weiss will be on displayed throughout the month of December at the Macon County Public Library.

Weiss was born in Parma, Ohio, and now resides in Franklin. Her work has been featured in several group shows in Highlands, Cashiers, Biltmore Estate, and the Uptown Gallery in Franklin. The Murphy Newspaper has featured her in an article. Weiss is a self-taught artist and gives credit for her creative successes to God, and a lot of perseverance. www.facebook.com/ maconcopl.

There will be a pre-opera discussion beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.highlandspac.org at the door or by calling 828.526.9047.

The Highlands Performing Arts Center will present “Live via Satellite” the MET Opera’s new production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” at 12:55 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15.

This richly textured new production, features a dazzling 18th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Soprano Diana Damrau plays the tragic heroine, Violetta, and tenor Juan Diego Flórez returns to the Met for the first time in five seasons to sing Alfredo, Violetta’s hapless lover. Baritone Quinn Kelsey is Alfredo’s father, Germont, who destroys their love.

December 12-18, 2018

New Macon art exhibit

A scene from ‘La Traviata.’

• There is free comedy improv class from 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday in Maggie Valley.

No experience necessary, just come to watch or join in the fun. Improv teacher Wayne Porter studied at Sak Comedy Lab in Orlando, Florida, and performed improvisation with several groups. Join Improv WNC on Facebook or just call 828.316.8761 to RSVP for directions.

ALSO:

Y O U R T I C K E T T O A G R E AT N I G H T

A work by Gloria R. Weiss.

What Are Cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are a group of closely related compunds that act on cannbinoid receptors in the body, unique to cannabis (or hemp). The body creates compounds called endocannabinoids, while hemp produces phytocannabinoids, notably cannabidiol.

Cannabinoids is traditionally used for pain, sleep, and fibermyalgia.

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On the wall

The Western Carolina University (Cullowhee) Campus Theme, the “Defining America” exhibit brings together artists with different perspectives on the concept of “America” and asks visitors to reflect on the values, definitions, and assumptions attached to this concept. The exhibition will be on view through May 3 at the Bardo Arts Center. Regular museum hours at the BAC are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. For information, call 828.227.ARTS or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• A “Beginner Step-By-Step” painting class will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursdays (Dec. 20) at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Cost is $25 with all supplies provided. RSVP by contacting Robin Arramae at 828.400.9560 or paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

ALSO:

• Haywood Community College (Clyde) Continuing Education Creative Arts will host “Introduction to Bladesmithing” March 1819, as well as the “Smoky Mountain Hammer-In” March 21-24. For more information about any of these classes, visit creativearts.haywood.edu or call 828.565.4240.

• Our Summerhouse Pottery in downtown Waynesville will host adult pottery classes on

• Mad Batter Food & Film (Sylva) will host a free movie night at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For the full schedule of screenings, click on www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• The Waynesville Fiber Friends will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of the month at the Panacea Coffee House in Waynesville. All crafters and beginners interested in learning are invited. Keep up with them through their Facebook group or call 828.276.6226 for more information.

• “Thursday Painters Open Studio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. at the Franklin Uptown Gallery. Bring a bag lunch, project and supplies. Free to the public. Membership not required. For information, call 828.349.4607.

• A “Youth Art Class” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

• Free classes and open studio times are being offered at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Join others at a painting open studio session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays.

For information on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at 828.349.4607.

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Smoky Mountain News

• Our Summerhouse Pottery in downtown Waynesville will host after-school art classes for elementary/middle-schoolers. Classes begin Jan. 8-9.

Pottery/art classes will be held weekly for six weeks. Elementary (8-10 years olds) will be Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.. Middle-schoolers (11-14 years olds) will be Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuition is $95, which includes all supplies. Class size is limited to eight. For more information and/or to register, contact Amy at amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or call 828.734.5737.

Tuesdays evenings (starting Jan. 8) from 6 to 8:30 p.m. or Thursday afternoons (starting Jan. 10) from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tuition is $225, which includes all supplies. Class size is limited to six. For more information and/or to register, contact Amy at amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or call 828.734.5737.

We are pleased to announce the opening of our third location in Haywood County at 33 Bennett Street in Waynesville. We are located just off Brown Ave below Hazelwood Tire and beside Pioneer Supply. Thanks to our customers, we are the largest self storage provider in Haywood County.

December 12-18, 2018

• The Groovy Movie Club will screen “Collette” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16. The holiday potluck will begin at 1:30 p.m. The club meets at a private home in Dellwood once a month and there are no dues. The public is invited to attend this casual, warm, and inclusive gathering of cinema lovers with newcomers, singles, couples and natives all welcomed. A discussion of the film and contemporary themes will follow the screening for all who wish to participate. To RSVP, email johnbuckleyx@gmail.com or call 828.646.8602.

arts & entertainment

DEFINING AMERICA

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arts & entertainment December 12-18, 2018 Smoky Mountain News 32

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Books

Smoky Mountain News

33

Making a small dent in the book pile spicy wit, I found in Dear Fahrenheit 451 mention of dozens of books and authors unfamiliar to me. I kept a running list of the ones that sounded interesting, and will eventually

Jeff Minick

So many books, so little time.

Many booklovers may have uttered that old saw with a sigh, but in my case these words have never been truer. On my spare desk a stack of books sits waiting for review, three more wave to me from a bedside stand, and two are calling to me from the steps leading from my apartment to the upstairs. Here are books from three Writer different libraries, books sent in the mail for review, books picked up from the library sale. In addition, I am still working my way through Will and Ariel Durant’s The Story of Civilization, trying to read at least half an hour every day in order to finish the 11-volume series by the end of the year.

Time to get busy.

Let’s start with Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In The Stacks: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life (Flatiron Books, 2017, 244 pages).

Here librarian Annie Spence writes notes to the books in her life — not to the authors, but to the books themselves. Spence seasons these mini-reviews with a ribald humor that often had me laughing aloud. Her comments on librarians and library patrons are equally amusing. Moreover, she’s unabashed in her penchant for the silly, even daring to indulge in puns. Here, for example, she ends her note to Cornzapoppin, a book of popcorn recipes headed from the library shelves to the used book sale: “All right, Corny. I ‘butter’ be going. Stay A-maize-ing, Annie.”

At one point, she writes to Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. As a girl, Spence loved this story of a boy and the tree that keeps “giving and giving and giving” to him, but as an adult Spence says: “Then the punk comes and takes all her leaves and apples. In the end, I think we’re dealing with a severe case of low self-esteem and an unreliable narrator…You took from me, Giving Tree. You took and you took and you took. And I’m still giving, but now I’m giving you up. How Do You Like Them Apples?”

In addition to relishing Annie Spence’s

ferret them out in the library.

Below is my own short note to Dear Fahrenheit 451 a la Annie Spence: Greetings Dear Fahrenheit 451, Thank you for giving me an entire platoon of authors to investigate. Thank you for making me laugh. Any book that brings laughter is a winner.

Dear Fahrenheit 451, I hope you have “blazed” your way into the hands of other readers. Tepid wit compared to the fiery furnaces of your humor, but I am a mere reviewer and you are the bright star. I will end with that valediction you gave to your Roget’s College Thesaurus (Mine stands at my elbow every time I sit at this desk),

With Intimacy, Deep Affection, and Ardor, Jeff Next up is Richard Russo’s The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life (Alfred A. Knopf, 2018, 205 pages). While I’m not sure we need more books on writing, even general readers will find gold in Russo’s nuanced remarks on comedy vis-à-vis politically correctness, his tales from his days as a university teacher, his life-embrac-

ing address to the graduates of Colby College, and the chapter titled “Imagining Jenny,” in which he discusses the transition of his friend Jim into Jenny.

In “Jenny,” Russo gives us a fine and honest account of the transgendered, their conflicts, and the effects of this change on those who love them.

In addition to these high points of the book, I am grateful to The Destiny Thief for bringing up novelist Jon Hassler. In the chapter “What Frogs Think: A Defense of Omniscience,” Russo discusses Hassler, who died in 2008, as a master of omniscient narration. Russo’s remarks — I had read and enjoyed a few of Hassler’s novels years ago— caused me to add Hassler to the list I’d begun when reading Dear Fahrenheit 451.

Though I have lost interest in reading books by political commentators of any ideological stripe, I picked up Pete Hegseth’s In

The Arena: Good Citizens, a Great Republic, and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America (Threshold Editions, 2016, 285 pages). In The Arena takes its title from a speech Theodore Roosevelt delivered in April of 1910 at the Sorbonne in Paris. I had previously read part of the speech — the famous lines about the man in the arena — and was interested in reading Roosevelt’s address in its entirety while getting Hegseth’s take on it.

Hegseth, a graduate of two Ivy League schools, a combat veteran, and a Fox News contributor, carefully dissects Roosevelt’s speech, explaining that much of what Roosevelt said about citizenship remains as true today as it was a century ago. At the end of In The Arena, Hegseth offers “A Prescription: Advancing Citizenship in a Republic,” a chapter in which he includes specific remedies designed to strengthen American citizenship. Progressives would likely disagree with most of Hegseth’s prescriptions, and even many conservatives would oppose his ideas, especially his advocacy for expanded involvement in the Middle East.

Yet some of his suggestions for the improvement of our republic strike me as laudable. Who would find fault with teaching citizenship and the Constitution more ardently in high school, requiring students to pass a test similar to those we require of our immigrants who want to become citizens? Who would oppose getting rid of gerrymandered political districts or turning Election Day into a nation holiday “to foster a shared civic experience? Other than government bureaucrats, who would deny that “America needs civil service reform across the federal government?”

Three very different books, all of them with some value.

Next pile, please.

(Jeff Minick is a writer and teacher. minick0301@gmail.com.)

Mystery novel about crooked politics Author Y.C. Harper will host a reading and signing of her debut novel Death of a Publisher at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

The book follows the journey of Western North Carolina reporter Stone Runnel after she learns that her former newspaper publisher was found dead in the murky Blackwater Bay of Santa Rosa County. Dealing with her own mixed emotions about her time working for the shrewd Brogan Shoal, Runnel returns to the small Gulf Coast town of Navarre to determine who killed the controversial yet award-winning publisher.

Death of a Publisher is the first novel written by Harper, a Florida native who fell into a reporting job at The Navarre Press in 2012. She is also a U.S. government professor at Pensacola State College and served in the U.S. Navy.

During her time with the Navarre Press, Harper working alongside news editor Jessi Stone, who is now the news editor at The Smoky Mountain News in Waynesville. While the book is a work of fiction, many of the characters in the book are all too familiar for Harper and Stone who covered crooked politics in the Florida Panhandle for two years.

For more information or to reserve a copy of the book, call 828.456.6000 or visit www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

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Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

Hope for Scotts Creek Report yields optimism for creek’s restoration

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ylva got some good news about the creek that runs straight through its heart at a Nov. 8 town meeting.

Scotts Creek has been on the state’s list of impaired waterways since 2008, continually testing above acceptable levels for fecal coliform bacteria, a group that includes dangerous pathogens like E. coli. Aside from implications for the health of the aquatic ecosystem, high concentrations of such bacteria can make streams unsafe to boat, wade or otherwise recreate in.

The town board has been talking for years about ideas for cleaning up Scotts Creek, transforming it from an impaired waterway and gathering place for litter into an aesthetic and recreational centerpiece. In 2016, it landed a $63,000 grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund — combined with $21,250 from the town and $7,000 from Jackson County — to create a report evaluating the creek’s status and developing a plan to improve it, and when Danvey Walsh of the Asheville-based consulting firm Equinox presented the results of that report during last month’s meeting he had some encouraging words for commissioners.

“Do you ever see Scotts Creek being a recreational creek for boaters?” asked Commissioner Mary Gelbaugh.

“I think so. I really do,” Walsh replied.

“Would you swim in Scotts Creek?” asked Commissioner David Nestler.

“I would. I waded all through it,” said Walsh. “I was in there a lot.”

S

could have been in the past when Scotts Creek’s fecal coliform counts were even higher than they are today.

Aside from the ambiguity of the fecal coliform test, Walsh’s data from the past year of tromping through the water support a more positive view of Scotts Creek. One good indicator of a waterway’s health is the number and type of aquatic critters that can be found there. Certain species are simply not tolerant of contaminated water — if the water isn’t clean, they won’t exist.

“If you have a pollution problem, generally you’ll see low numbers of those,” Walsh told the board. “We didn’t. The biological index for Scotts Creek came back as good.”

That would indicate that the water quality is also reasonably high, despite the creek’s listing as impaired.

Actual water quality testing that Equinox performed as part of the study buoyed that assertion. Testing was done in accordance with N.C. Department of Environmental Quality standards at 17 locations along the 15-mile stretch designated as impaired. At each location, fecal coliform levels were tested on five days in a one-month period, with the a geometric mean — a sort of adjusted average — of those five readings serving as the number to be compared to the state standard.

At all 17 locations, average levels fell well below the limit of 200 fecal coliform colonies per 100 milliliters — the highest was a site located near the confluence with Fisher Creek, which yielded a geometric mean of 145 colonies per 100 milliliters. That said, some individual readings did come in over 200 — six

of the 17 sites at least on reading greater than 200, though in all cases the a geometric mean of five came in lower.

Of the 19 sites tested — 17 were on Scotts Creek and two on its tributaries — the only site that yielded a mean above the state standard was located midway down Cope Creek, with 281 colonies per 100 milliliters.

REACTION FROM COMMISSIONERS Town commissioners were pleasantly surprised to hear the news, with some seeming almost disbelieving that it could be true.

“I’m just happy to hear that the creek is not as bad as we were thinking it was,” said Commissioner Greg McPherson. “I think that there’s some opportunities for recreation on that creek, which is really interesting and a very positive thing for us in terms of economic development.”

“I guess that inspired me that down the road we might have some more recreation opportunities on Scotts Creek, but that’s down the road,” Gelbaugh agreed.

Commissioner Barbara Hamilton was a bit more circumspect, saying that while she doesn’t want to be a “doubting Thomas,” she’ll need more information to be convinced that Scotts Creek can be considered open for business.

“I remember two years ago we were at Bridge Park and all of a sudden this smell of sewage was coming down Scotts Creek,” she said. “I know sewage when I smell it. Now two years have passed, so maybe they’ve been forcing people to comply but I can’t say I truly — I still have questions about it.”

Commissioner Harold Hensley, meanwhile, questioned whether it’s worthwhile for the town to spearhead cleanup when the

creek’s headwaters are outside town limits.

“If it’s not cleaned up from where it begins at the top of Balsam, the top of Fisher Creek, you have defeated any purpose,” he said.

Walsh acknowledged that headwaters are the most important part of any watershed, but he said that testing indicated that Scotts Creek’s headwaters are already quite healthy.

Even if Walsh is correct and Scotts Creek doesn’t belong on the impaired waterways list, getting it officially removed will take time. It would require the state to do an official sampling and the EPA to approve those results. The creek would continue to be monitored even after it came off the list to ensure it doesn’t lapse — which, according to history, is certainly a possibility.

The creek’s levels of fecal coliform were astronomically high in the early 2000s, with a 2005 round of sampling yielding a number nine times the level considered safe. That result spurred a collaborative effort to fix the problem, and between 2009 and 2012 levels stayed below the state standard. But the recovery didn’t last. New sources of pollution appeared, with samples in 2013, 2014 and 2015 coming in well over the state standard.

“It was interesting to me too that things weren’t as bad as I anticipated it being,” said Mayor Lynda Sossamon. “I’m looking forward to studying the report and really being able to see what there is and see when we could get started on cleaning up some of it.”

ROOM TO IMPROVE The report contains plenty of ideas for the cleaning up part of things. Fecal coliform contamination comes from three main sources, Walsh said: agriculture, stormwater runoff and failing septic or sewer lines.

In the Scotts Creek watershed,

F

A LOOK AT THE CREEK That’s despite the fact that high fecal coliform counts have Scotts Creek still listed as an impaired waterway. But according to Walsh, fecal coliform tests capture a swath of bacteria that includes species that aren’t harmful to humans.

“It would be good probably if the state would switch over to a standard that uses the EPA-recommended fecal indicator bacteria, which is E. coli,” he said in a follow-up interview. “That is a better indicator of whether or not there could be pathogens in the water which are most likely to be harmful to human health.”

The fecal coliform group contains species that are associated with decaying plant matter like leaves and grass clippings, as well as textile, pulp and paper mill wastes. While Jackson Paper’s current operations aren’t of the type that would support this species of bacteria, Walsh said, it’s possible that they

Walsh conducts sampling on Scotts Creek. Equinox photo

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641 North Main St. • Waynesville, NC

509 Asheville Hwy., Suite B • Sylva, NC

828.456.HAUS (4287)

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Healthy Habits ‌ Don’t Stop During the Holidays Looking for an easy to use eating plan that’s not a fad diet with a long list of foods you can’t eat? Have you heard of My Plate? The Choose My Plate website https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ is a FREE program by the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) based on the US Dietary Guidelines and provides a wide range of free information and resources to help you achieve a healthy weight:

The Healthy Eating on a Budget section includes information on making a meal plan and shopping list, understanding the food label and economical recipes.

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Smoky Mountain News

Choose MyPlate Plan – this tab helps you figure out a calorie goal based on your gender, age, height, weight and physical activity level. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplateplan The overall emphasis of My Plate is to encourage you to make small changes to achieve healthier eating habits.

These types of changes are always better than dramatic elimination diets that are not sustainable for most people.

December 12-18, 2018

Scotts Creek Watershed encompasses a section of northeastern Jackson County that is largely located outside town limits, by far most of the hard surfaces that cause rain to run off into the creek rather than absorb into the ground are located in Sylva. That means that the greatest opportunity to reduce stormwater runoff is also located in Sylva.

Walsh suggested that Sylva consider labeling storm drains to remind people that the water goes right into the creek, work to increase pet waste pickup and improve dumpster and landfill management.

And, he said, the town should look into some landscaping projects aimed at trapping and treating rainwater before it has a chance to find a creek.

Equinox developed a list of 17 locations where stormwater control projects would be helpful, including public and private holdings. “With each site we took a great deal of time and effort to identify what is the appropriate stormwater control measure to implement at each site,� Megan Foy, landscape architect with Equinox, told town commissioners.

Suggestions included bioretention ponds on either side of the driveway to the Jackson County Justice Center; cisterns and a bioswale — a plant-filled drainage route designed to filter out contaminants and slow The Scotts Creek Watershed is located in northeastern water down — at Scotts Creek Jackson County. Equinox graphic Elementary School, with an emphasis on the educational aspects of the project; and a much more more directly in its purview. involved endeavor at Bridge Park.

Historically, Scotts Creek has had issues The Bridge Park plan, as envisioned by with straight piping — that is, sewer pipes Equinox, would include a variety of plantdepositing waste straight into the water, ings along the creek and around parking untreated. Much of the problem has been lots; rain barrels around the stage; a walkaddressed, but there are still plenty of aging ing path and possible greenway connection; septic systems in the area, located close to wetlands area; creek overlook and more. streams and with older pipes.

Commissioners were excited about the posWalsh recommended that Sylva look sibilities presented and the opportunity to into a program similar to one in place in further improve Bridge Park, but also cogHaywood County, which helps landowners nizant that it’s not a question to be resolved pay to replace aging septic systems. Offered overnight. through a partnership of Haywood Fully implementing the Bridge Park plan Waterways Association and the Haywood would be expensive — $521,000 to $1.2 County Health Department as part of the million, according to Equinox’ estimates — N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and while Sylva has just about that much Section 309 Grant Program, the program money in a fund that’s already earmarked has been extremely successful, helping for water quality projects, the town will more than 130 homeowners prevent as have to decide if this is the best way to use much as 48,000 gallons of untreated sewage that money. from flowing into Haywood County streams There’s also the fact that, while each day.

Equinox’s testing boded well for the creek’s “That’s really important because if my health, Scotts Creek is still officially listed as septic is failing and I can’t afford to fix it, an impaired waterway. Sylva would likely I’m not going to come to anybody and say, want to see it removed from that list before ‘I have a failing septic,’ because it’s expenit really started to market the creek as an sive,� said Walsh. “You’re going to get a lot amenity. more self-reporting when you have funds “They presented some neat plans, that available to make those repairs.� who knows, maybe they’ll take wings and The report also laid out some proactive fly,� said Gelbaugh. “But at this point I measures the town could take to reduce polthink it’s just too soon to predict.� lution from stormwater runoff. While the there are some livestock operations that could be contributing to fecal coliform levels — the report identified several sites, saying that restoring the streams that flow through them would go a long way toward reducing contamination in the watershed.

However, the number of livestock operations in Scotts Creek is relatively low, and because addressing the issues would require cooperation from private landowners Walsh recommended that the town focus its efforts on the other two areas, which are

35

outdoors

Hike Scaly Mountain A 4-mile hike to the summit of Scaly Mountain will offer views and a waterfall Saturday, Dec. 15.

The group will meet in Franklin at 10 a.m. and then drive 18 miles to the trailhead. The

hike, which uses the Bartram Trail, includes 1,050 feet of elevation change starting from Osage Overlook on N.C. 106. The steep climb passes as burned area and a small waterfall.

Organized by the Nantahala Hiking Club.

RSVP to hike leader Gail Lehman, 828.524.5298. Visitors welcome, but no dogs.

Half marathoners brave the cold

December 12-18, 2018

A cold, rainy day made for a muddy course on the inaugural Headwaters Half Marathon Saturday, Dec. 1, in Panthertown Valley.

The route included three creek crossings, each at least thigh-high, and lots of climbs and descents — runners started at 4,000 feet and descended 2,200 feet to the valley only to climb back up to 4,000 feet.

The race drew 48 runners, A runner gives with 46 finishing. a thumbs-up Dominick Laporte of in the middle Asheville had the fastest time of a frosty run. with 2:04:10, with Seth Holing April Copeland photo of Cherokee the second-place male and Zack Brown of Asheville the third-place male.

Leah Nicholson of Brevard came in first among female competitors at 2:07:24, with Michelle Provost of Sylva in second and Amanda Blair of Crabtree in third.

The race was organized by the Plott Balsam Runners, which welcomes runners of all skill levels for group runs.

Sponsors and supporters included the Jackson County Green Energy Park, Friends of Panthertown Valley, Full Spectrum Farms, Shire Forge, Homestead Chimney Sweep, Foot Rx and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as a variety of volunteers.

Tower gardens grow plants on the vertical plane. Donated photo

Plan for easy veggie growing Learn about a space-saving way to grow vegetables and herbs at the Tuscola Garden Club’s next meeting, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18, at Bethea Welcome Center in Lake Junaluska.

Gary and Trish Hughes of WNC Urban Farms will present “Food and Desserts …

What, Where, Why and How.” Their passion for a healthier lifestyle introduced the

Count the birds of Balsam A Christmas Bird Count will be held in Balsam Friday, Jan. 4, covering much of western Haywood County as well as the Balsam Mountain Preserve in Jackson County.

The count will be divided into sections, with most meeting around 7 a.m. and continuing through 5 p.m. Afterward, groups will meet for dinner and a tally of the day’s species at Bocelli’s in Waynesville. No expertise is necessary to join.

The Christmas Bird Count is a worldwide effort of the Audubon Society, with groups meeting across the globe between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 to find as many bird species as possible in a single day. In Western North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park counts are also scheduled for Highlands, Franklin, Brevard, Gatlinburg and Cades Cove. Information for all counts is online at www.audubon.org/conservation/join-christmas-bird-count.

RSVP to Don Hendershot at ddihen1@bellsouth.net or 828.646.0871.

Smoky Mountain News

Clean Water awards flow to WNC

36

Hughes to the tower garden, a vertical and aeroponic growing system. The system can help people feed their families local, nutrient-dense food grown as close as outside their front door.

The club will gather at 9:30 a.m. for a social time with the program starting at 10 a.m. and a business meeting held when the program ends. Teresa Brothers, 828.246.0437.

The N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded $20 million for conservation projects across the state this fall, with much of that money going to Western North Carolina. n The Maggie Valley Sanitary District received $925,000 to conserve the Campbell Lick tracts in Haywood County. n The Western N.C. Stream Initiative received $425,000, awarded to the Resource Institute. n The Stingy Branch area of Haywood County received $237,000 for a restoration project through the Resource Institute. n The Southwestern N.C. Resource and Development Council received $500,000 for a restoration project on Jonathan Creek in Haywood County.

n A 504-acre property at Simp Gap in Graham County that Mainspring Conservation Trust is working to conserve received $605,000. Most of the property is within the Appalachian Trail’s viewshed. n A pair of projects to conserve land in Jackson County owned by developer America’s Home Place received a combined $1.6 million. Mainspring received $578,000 for the 470-acre Shut-In Creek tract and The Conservation Fund received $1.02 million for the 441.5-acre Blackrock Tract. n Mainspring received $156,000 to extend the Little Tennessee River Greenway at Cartoogechaye Creek in Macon County.

The Clean Water Management Trust Fund was established in 1996 to protect the state’s drinking water sources. With more than $55 million in active contracts, the fund is also tasked with conserving and protecting the state’s natural resources, cultural heritage and military installations.

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December 12-18, 2018

A slate of proposed changes to N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission regulations are up for public comment through Friday, Feb. 1, with a public hearing to be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

Proposed regulations cover everything from hunting to fishing to land management. If the regulations are passed: n Elk, alligators and feral pigs would be added to the list of species that can be taken during archery season. Hunting permits are not available for elk, which still have a small population following their 2001 reintroduction, but the Wildlife Commission has been paving the way for a future elk season. Previously, the Commission passed a season structure for elk but is not yet issuing any hunting permits. n Deer of either sex could be taken on the Cold Mountain Game Lands during the first Saturday of the season for deer with visible antlers. Introductory Gun Either-Sex Deer Season dates were shifted to the beginning of the season during the 2018-19 regulation cycle, and the introductory season open date on game lands was moved to the first open Saturday of gun season, but this change was not captured in rules for Cold Mountain. n Bear sanctuary rules would be clarified and county locations of existing bear sanctuaries updated. Two bear sanctuaries in the eastern part of the state would be renamed to align sanctuary names with the names of existing game lands. n The lower boundary of Delayed Harvest Trout Waters on the East Fork French Broad River in Transylvania County would be modified, removing 0.9 miles from Public Mountain Trout Waters. The change would more accurately reflect the portion of the stream that is stocked and accessible to the public. n A temporary rule prohibiting the importation of cervid carcasses and carcass parts — cervids include deer and elk — from outside the state would be made permanent.

A full list of proposed regulations is available at www.ncwildlife.org/proposedregulations. Submit comments online at www.ncpaws.org/paws/wrc/publiccomments/publiccomments.aspx, email them to regulations@ncwildlife.org with name, phone number and mailing address included; or mail them to Rule-Making Coordinator, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1700.

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Proposed wildlife regulations open for comment

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Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

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December 12-18, 2018

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Celebrate Christmas Appalachian style sing along as they play traditional A holiday homecoming featuring tradiChristmas carols and holiday songs from tional Appalachian crafts and music will be the old days. held Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Children and adults alike will have the chance to learn about and experience some of the traditional crafts and activities surrounding an Appalachian Christmas 10 a.m. to noon, and the visiA costumed singer uses shape notes to sing tor center will along with musicians gathered for a previous be decorated Holiday Homecoming. NPS photo for the season. Hot Free through support from the Great apple cider and cookies will be served on Smoky Mountains Association. The the porch with a fire in the fireplace.

Oconaluftee Visitor Center is on U.S. 441, Then, from 1 to 3 p.m., the park will about 2 miles north of Cherokee. host its monthly old-time acoustic jam ses828.497.1904. sion — with musicians inviting visitors to

Dive into Appalachian Mountains research Students who have spent the past months immersing themselves into researching the Southern Appalachian environment will share their findings at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, at the Highlands Nature Center in Highlands.

Every fall, undergraduates pursuing a degree in environmental science or environmental studies come to the Highlands Biological Station as part of the field site program for the UNC Institute for the Environment. They take courses that involve intensive exploration of regional watersheds, hydrology, forests and waterway health, as well as principles of ecology and conservation biology.

Their stay involves individual research projects, as interns are paired with mentors in science, local government, nonprofit and federal agency careers. They also work collectively on a capstone research project. Research to be presented Dec. 12 ranges from bear management to salamanders to hemlock work in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Smoky Mountain News

Catch a meteor shower

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peak around 8:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 14, with optimal viewing from midnight until dawn.

The Learning Center at PARI near Regarded as the best meteor shower of Brevard will hold a viewing event Dec. 14, the year, the Geminids Meteor Shower will with event packages including lodging, meals, educational programming and night sky observing with Learning Center educators.

During peak observing hours, the moon will be a waxing crescent and will not interfere with observations of fainter meteors.

Telescopes are not necessary when viewing a meteor shower if viewed from a clear and dark location.

Purchase tickets to the Learning Center event at The Milky Way spreads out over the observation 828.862.5554 or deck at PARI. PARI photo www.pari.edu.

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Cashiers Area Chamber is seeking feedback to improve visitors’ experiences to the area. Take the survey at: tinyurl.com/y6w4uqyo.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

Red Barn Trading Post or Maple Tree Veterinarian Hospital in Waynesville. www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/fur or 844.888.CATS.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Balsam Mountain Business Matters meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Great opportunity to network with other business owners. Meeting is held in the clubhouse of Balsam Mountain apartments located at 17 Wilkinson Pass Ln in Waynesville. lgaddy@balsammountainapartments.com.

• Haywood Community College will host a Career and College Promise Dual Enrollment Program Open House at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13, in the college’s auditorium in Clyde. 565.4419.

• Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a free seminar designed to show area business owners how they can succeed in the government marketplace from 9-11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 14, at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce in Franklin.

Registration required: tinyurl.com/yb3holb4. Info: 339.4211 or t_henry@southwesterncc.edu.

• Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center will offer a five-part QuickBooks Series on Dec. 14, in building 200, room 203, on Haywood Community College’s campus in Clyde. Speaker is Alicia Sisk Morris.

In-depth seminars on the accounting software system.

Registration and more info: SBC.Haywood.edu or 627.4512.

VOLUNTEERS & VENDORS • Senior Companion volunteers are being sought to serve with the Land of the Sky Senior Companion Program in Henderson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Madison Counties. Serve older adults who want to remain living independently at home in those counties.

HEALTH MATTERS • A four-part series on creating a Wellness Lifestyle Enhanced with Essential Oils will continue on Thursday, Dec. 13 10:30 a.m. and the last one of this series will be held on Dec. 20. This class will dive deeper into the use of essential oils for your wellness. Topics of discussion will be rest & managing stress, reducing toxin load, informed self-care, and proactive medical care.

Participates are encouraged to attend all sessions but are not required. Free • A wine and cheese social with Ken Gilligan is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14, at The Creative Thought Center, 449 Pigeon Street in Waynesville. Topic is: “Spiritual Sticky Notes to My Younger Self.” www.creativethoughtcenter.org.

• Registration is underway for an online beginning German Language course, which will be offered through Western Carolina University’s Office of Professional Growth and enrichment from Jan. 14-March 8. Cost: $79. For info and to register: learn.wcu.edu or 227.7397.

• The Creative Thought Center will host a “How to Speak Science of Mind” class from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on Sundays, Dec. 16, Jan. 6 and Jan. 13, at 449 Pigeon Street in Waynesville. Aim is to heal lives of discord, fear, superstition, guilt and sense of lack. Info or to sign up: 734.0843 or 201.988.0852. www.creativethoughtcenter.org.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS

• Jackson County Department of Public Health is offering diabetes self-management education as well as medical nutrition therapy. Info: 587.8240 or http://health.jacksonnc.org/wic.

• A number of businesses in downtown Waynesville are collecting items for Haywood County’s elderly residents through Dec. 15. Blankets, socks, gloves and scarves can be delivered to any of the following during regular business hours: Twigs and Leaves Gallery, Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery, T. Pennington Art Gallery, Moonlight and Garbo, J. Gabriel, Main Street Mercantile, Mountain Favors/Art by Mollie, Mast General, The Jeweler’s Workbench, Affairs of the Heart, United Community Bank, Goblin Lane, Sweet Onion, Haywood County Art Council, Blue Ridge Beer Hub, The Olde Brick House, Cedar Hill Studio, Moose Crossing Burlwood Gallery, Boojum Brewing Co. and Earthworks Gallery.

Info: 452.1447.

• REACH of Haywood will host its Holiday Gala at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Fine dining, champagne toast, live music, dancing and cash bar. Proceeds benefit REACH’s vital services, providing aid to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse. Tickets: $100 each and available at reachofhaywood.org or 456.7898.

• The Episcopal Church Women of Grace Church in the Mountains will sell a variety of homemade Christmas cookies from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 394 Haywood Street in Waynesville. Proceeds benefit Pathways Center, the local homeless shelter. 456.6029.

• Feline Urgent Rescue is holding a donation drive throughout the region. Several area businesses and veterinarian offices have Christmas trees with photos, bios and holiday wishlists for abused, abandoned and neglected cats. Take one, purchase items from the wish list and drop them off at Balsam Animal Hospital, The Big

• The Haywood County Senior Resource Center holds a dementia caregivers support group from 4:30-6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday each month in Waynesville.

356.2800 or www.haywoodseniors.org.

• “Riding the Waves of Cancer” meets from 2:30-4 p.m. on Thursdays at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. Physician referral from an oncologist or cancer doctor is required: Myhaywoodregional.com/yogaforcancer. 452.8691.

• Codependents Anonymous (CoDA) meets at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays at the Friendship House on Academy Street, behind and adjoining the First United Methodist Church of Waynesville. Group of persons desiring healthy and fulfilling relationships. 775.2782 or www.coda.org.

• The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donors due to an emergency shortage. To schedule an appointment or donate, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 800.RED.CROSS (800.733.2767).

• The Jackson County Senior Center will offer a Caregiver Education Class at 10 a.m. on the third Monday of every month in the Board Room of the Department of Aging in Sylva. 586.5494.

• The Haywood County Dementia Caregivers’ Support Group has change the location of its meetings. The group will meet at the Haywood Senior Resource Center (81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville). The meetings are scheduled from 4:30 PM until 6:00 PM on the fourth Tuesday. 926.0018.

Smoky Mountain News

• A support group for persons with Multiple Sclerosis as well as family, friends and caregivers meets at 6:45 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in the conference room of the Jackson county Public Library in Sylva.

293.2503.

• Nutrition counseling and diabetes education are offered through Macon County Public Health in Franklin.

349.2455.

• Western Carolina University’s student-run, Mountain Area Pro Bono Physical Therapy Clinic will be open from 6-8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays of each month. 227.3527.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) holds a support group for family, friends, and those dealing with mental illness on the 1st Thursday of each month in the 2nd floor classroom at Haywood Regional Medical Center at 6:30 p.m.

• HIV and syphilis testing will is offered during normal business hours at Jackson County Health Department.

• A support group for anyone with MS, family & friends meets monthly at 6:45 p.m. on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at the conference room of Jackson Co. Library in Sylva. No Fee, sponsored by National MS Society. Local contact: Gordon Gaebel 828-293-2503.

• “Laughing Balsam Sangha,” a meeting for Mindfullness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, meets will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at 318 Skyland Drive in Sylva. Included are sitting and walking meditation, and Dharma discussion. Free admission.

335.8210, and “Like” them on Facebook.

• The Jackson County Department of Public Health will offer a general clinic from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 587.8225.

• A Food Addicts Anonymous Twelve-Step fellowship group meets at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays at Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville. www.foodaddictsanonymous.org.

• Big Brother/Big Sister, a one-evening preparation class for children who are about to greet a new baby into their family, is offered for children ages 3-10 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• Mothers Connection, an ongoing social gathering for mothers and their babies, meets from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Thursdays excluding holidays at Haywood Regional Medical Center. 452.8440 or MyHaywoodRegional.com/ParentClasses.

• A support group meeting for those with Parkinsons Disease and their caregivers will be held at 2 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

• Dogwood Insight Center presents health talks at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

• Free childbirth and breastfeeding classes are available at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. Classes are offered bimonthly on an ongoing basis. Register or get more info: 586.7907.

• Angel Medical Center’s diabetes support group meets at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the AMC dining room. 369.4166.

• A free weekly grief support group is open to the public from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at SECU Hospice House in Franklin. Hosted by Four Seasons Compassion for Life Bereavement Team. 692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

• A monthly grief processing support group will meet from 4-5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care in Clyde.

452.5039.

• A free, weekly grief support group will meet from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at the SECU Hospice House in Franklin. 692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

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Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals ■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings • “ECA on the Move!” – a walking program organized

by Jackson County Extension and Community Association – meets from 9-10 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. It’s an effort to meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 10,000 steps per day. 586.4009.

• A Tuesday Meditation Group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • “Walk This Way” – a fitness program for safely exercising during the fall and winter – will be offered from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Mondays, Dec. 17 and Jan. 7, at the Waynesville Library.

• The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department is now offering pickleball on four indoor courts from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Equipment provided; free for members or daily admission for nonmembers.

456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

• ZUMBA! Class with Monica Green, are offered from 67 p.m. on Monday & Wednesday, at the Canton Armory. $5 per class. 648.2363 or parks@cantonnc.com.

• ZUMBA is offered at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville on Thursdays at 6 p.m. with Patti Burke.

Check Facebook page Patti Burke Zumba Students for additional information such as holiday or weather related cancelations. $5 per class.

• There will be several ballroom and Latin dance classes offered on Sundays and Mondays at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Classes for beginners, intermediate and all levels. $10 per class. For more information, click on www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Line Dance Lessons will be held on Tuesdays in Waynesville. Times are 7 to 8 p.m. every other Tuesday.

Cost is $10 per class and will feature modern/traditional line dancing. 734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com for more information.

• Flow + Center Yoga is offered from 9-9:55 a.m. on Wednesdays at Maggie Valley Wellness Center.

944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.

• Gentle Vin Yin Yoga is offered from 9-9:55 a.m. on Fridays through November at Maggie Valley Wellness Center. 944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.

• The Safekids USA/Blue Dragon Taekwondo School is offering self-defense classes from 9-10 a.m. on Saturdays. $5 per class. For females 14-older. Classes are at 93 Jones Cove Road in Clyde.

• Karaoke is happening at 8 p.m. on Saturdays at Harmon’s Den Bistro at HART Theatre in Waynesville.

• The Maggie Valley Wellness Center is offering two yoga classes from 9-9:55 a.m. on Wednesdays through March: Gentle Flow with Candra and Gentle Vin Yin with Jamie. 944.0288 or maggievalleywellness.com.

• Line dance lessons will be offered from 7-8 p.m. every other Tuesday in Waynesville. $10 per class.

wnc calendar

Modern/traditional line dancing. 734.0873 or kimcampbellross@gmail.com. • A wide variety of yoga classes are offered daily through the Waynesville Yoga Center. For updated, current listings, visit: http://waynesvilleyogacenter.com/class-schedule. • Pickleball, a cross between tennis, badminton and ping-pong, will be offered from 9 a.m.-noon on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Old Hazelwood Gym in Waynesville. $3 per visit, or $20 for a 10-visit card.

452.6789 or iansmith@haywoodcountync.gov. • Yoga classes designed specifically for those who have experienced trauma are being offered at the Fitness Connection in Waynesville. www.sonshineyoga.com. • Tai chi is offered from 10:45-11:45 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center. It’s also offered from 1-2 p.m. on Thursdays. Taught by Bill Muerdter. For info about the classes or HRHFC memberships and offerings, call 452.8080 or visit MyHaywoodRegional.com/Fitness. • Ultimate Frisbee games are held from 5:30-8 p.m. on Mondays at the Cullowhee Recreation Park.

Organized by Jackson County Parks & Recreation.

Pick-up style. 293.2053 or www.rec.jacksonnc.org. • Pickleball is from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday nights at First Methodist Church in Sylva. $1 each time you play; equipment provided. 293.3053. • Cardio Lunch class will meet from noon-1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members.

456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

December 12-18, 2018

• Flexible Fitness class will meet from 4:30-5:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Pump It Up class will meet from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

POLITICAL • Haywood County Democrats will host a Holiday Open House from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Democratic Headquarters, 734 N. Main St. in Waynesville. Marta Christmas Culp will perform popular seasonal selections. Donations of $10 or more requested to benefit the Community Kitchen in Canton. • The December membership meeting of the Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties’ NAACP is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at Sylva’s Liberty Baptist Church. 743.9747. • Down Home Haywood holds its monthly community meetings at 2:30 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at Canton Presbyterian Church. Tackling issues like healthcare, wages, housing and more. chelsea@downhomenc.org.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • Margaret Pennington Roberts will present her book “Be My Guestâ€? from 1-3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14, at the Haywood County Arts Council Gallery in Waynesville. • Author Y.C. Harper will host a reading and signing of her debut novel Death of a Publisher at 3 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 15, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. • The North Carolina Writers’ Network-West will sponsor The Literary Hour on the third Thursday of the month unless otherwise indicated at the Keith House on the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown.

This reading is free of charge and open to the public.

Smoky Mountain News

• The Mexican Train Dominoes Group seeks new players to join games at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800. • Book Club is held at 2 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800 • A Hand & Foot card game is held at 1 p.m. on Thursdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800. • Senior Sale Day is on the third Friday of every month at the Friends of the Library Used Bookstore. Patrons 60 and older get 20 percent off all purchases.

Proceeds benefit the Sylva Library. • Pinochle game is played at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800. • Mah Jongg is played at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays at Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800. • A Canasta card game is set for 1 p.m. on Mondays at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800. • A Parkinson’s Support Group is held at 2 p.m. on the last Wednesdays of each month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville.

356.2800.

noon on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts, 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. Crafts, caroling and painting technique demonstration. www.HaywoodArts.org. • Registration is underway for after-school art classes for elementary and middle-school students starting Jan. 8-9 at Our Summerhouse Pottery, 225 Wall St., in Waynesville. Ages 8-10 meet from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays; and ages 11-14 meet from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Tuition: $95 (includes supplies). amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or 734.5737. • The “Polar Expressâ€? will depart on select times through Dec. 31 from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot. www.gsmr.com. • A Lego club will meet at 4 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Library provides Legos and Duplos for ages 3 and up. Free. 488.3030. • Registration is underway for Lake Junaluska’s Winter Youth Retreats, which are held from December through February in Haywood County for middle school and high school youth groups. Two-night events start at $186 per person; three-night events start at $249 per person. To register or view schedule, including speakers, band and entertainers: www.lakejunaluska.com/winteryouth. Register: 800.222.4930.

ONGOING KIDS ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS

• Teen Game Night is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. Video games and cards welcome. 524.3600.

• A “Youth Art Classâ€? will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Appalachian Art Farm on 22 Morris Street in Sylva. All ages welcome. $10 includes instruction, materials and snack. For more information, email appalachianartfarm@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will have “Jingle Mingleâ€? activities for children and adults starting at

• The Canton Library offers a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) program each

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SENIOR ACTIVITIES

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shown at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of March in Highlands. For info on each show, call 526.2221.

• “Art Beats for Kids” will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays at the Charles Heath Gallery in Bryson City.

A new project every week. $20 per child, with includes lesson, materials and snack. To register, call 828.538.2054.

• A family movie will be shown at 10:30 a.m. every Friday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• A program called “Imagine,” an art program for children 8-12 meets at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Jackson County Public Library. Program contains art, writing, and drama. 586.2016.

• Rompin’ Stompin’, an hourlong storytime with music, movement and books, is held at 11 a.m. on Fridays at the Canton Library. For ages zero to six.

648.2924.

• Library Olympics will be held at 2 p.m. on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. Children age 5 and up get active through relay races, bingo, mini golf.

586.2016.

• Family Story Time is held on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Canton Public Library. Ages 0-6. Stories, songs, dance and crafting. 648.2924.

• Storytimes are held at 10 and 10:40 a.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

A&E FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS • The “Art After Dark” in downtown Waynesville is hosted on the first Friday of the month (MayDecember), Main Street transforms into an evening of art, music, finger foods, beverages and shopping as artisan studios and galleries keep their doors open later for local residents and visitors. www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

HOLIDAYS

• After-School Art Adventure will be on from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. on Tuesdays at The Bascom in Highlands.

For ages 5 to 10, Art Adventure is a class that explores the creative process of drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, sculpture, fiber art, and crafts by utilizing a variety of media. The students will investigate some of the most popular techniques and theories in art history and will be exposed to contemporary as well as folk art traditions. Tuition is $40 for a fourclass package. www.thebascom.org.

• Winter Lights at the N.C. Arboretum has begun.

Nightly from 6-10 p.m. through Dec. 31. Tickets: $18 for 12-up, $12 for ages 5-11 and free for ages 4under. $15 for groups of 20 or more. Purchase tickets at www.ncwinterlights.com.

• Wednesdays in the Stacks, “WITS”, a new program for children in grades 3-6, on the third Wednesdays of the month from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Macon County Library. WITS will include lots of fun games, prizes, and hands-on activities. This club replaces book club previous held on the third Thursdays of the month. 526.3600.

• The Highlands Cashiers Players will hold their annual holiday program of music and dramatic readings at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13, at Highlands Performing Center and at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17, at the Cashiers Library.

• Teen Coffeehouse is at 4:30 p.m. on the first, third, and fourth Tuesday at Jackson County Public Library.

Spend time with other teens talking and sharing. 12 and up. 586.2016.

• Rock and Read is at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586-2016.

• WNC Martial Arts will hold karate classes from 67:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Old Armory in Waynesville. For more info, contact Margaret Williams at 301.0649 or mvwilliams39@gmail.com.

KIDS FILMS • “The Grinch” released in 2018 is showing at 7 p.m. on Dec. 12, 14-16 and 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. on Dec. 15-16 at The Strand On Main. See www.38main.com for tickets.

• “Mary Poppins Returns” is showing at 1 p.m. on Dec. 19 & 21 and 7 p.m. Dec. 19, 21 & 22 and 10 a.m. 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. on Dec. 22 and 1 p.m. & 4 pm.

Dec. 23 at The Strand On Main. See www.38main.com for tickets.

• The Highlands Biological Foundation will offer a series of nature-themed films and documentaries

• The Western Carolina Civic Orchestra will present the annual “Community Christmas Concert” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. The musical celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. with caroling on the library steps. Caroling will again be led by Phil & Gayle Woody. They encourage everyone to come and join their friends and neighbors in singing traditional carols. (www.fontanalib.org).

• The Mountain Winds Community Band will present “Tis the Season” at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at Smoky Mountain High School. Come and enjoy all your Christmas favorites. Donations will go toward helping the Smoky Mountain Band program. 586.2177.

• The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return to the streets of downtown from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 14-15.

Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios. Horse and buggy rides available each night. Shopkeepers provide live music and serve holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa.

Carolers sing and children visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Live Nativity at Jarrett Memorial Baptist Church. Free shuttle service from Monteith Park. www.visitdillsboro.org.

• Breakfast with Santa at Canton Armory from 9 to11 a.m. on Dec. 15. Free 4x6 photo by Garret Photography and buffet available for $7/adults and $5/children. All money collected will go to Haywood Christian Ministries.

Smoky Mountain News

• Story time and kids can make their own piece of art from 10 a.m.-noon every Saturday during the Family Art event sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council at the Jackson County Farmers Market located at the Community Table, downtown Sylva. On the first Saturday of each month, there is a scavenger hunt with prizes. 399.0290 or www.jacksoncountyfarmermarket.org.

• Cookies and Pictures with Santa is scheduled for 46 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Macon County Public Health, 1830 Lakeside Drive in Franklin. Bring your own camera. You can also apply for WIC and receive benefits.

Info: 349.2448 (or 349.2453/espanol).

December 12-18, 2018

• Fun Friday, everything science, is held at 4 p.m. on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

wnc calendar

month. At 4 p.m. on third Tuesday. Children ages 612 are welcome to attend. Please call 648-2924 for more information.

• The Jackson County Cooperative Extension’s Holiday Craft Market is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Dec. 15, at the Extension Office, 876 Skyland Drive in Sylva.

Handcrafted gifts for sale from more than 20 local vendors. Info: 586.4009.

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a

41

wnc calendar

Holiday Homecoming from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. Learn about and experience traditions surrounding an Appalachian Christmas. 497.1904.

• “Jingle Mingle” – a holiday celebration filled with activities – is scheduled for 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Dec. 15, in downtown Waynesville. Merchants and restaurants are participating. Full schedule: https://tinyurl.com/ybe9uz45.

• The inaugural “Gingerbread House Workshop” will be held at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, and at noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, at the First Baptist Church. Make your very own Gingerbread House. This two-hour class will be hosted by Cotton Leigh Bakery. To sign up, visit the bakery at 628 West Main Street or call 477.4566.

• Cherokee Christmas Parade will be held Dec. 15 2:30 from the Cherokee Bear Zoo to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Shop local event at the fairground from 12 to 5, so come shop before or after the parade.

• The chancel choir will present its annual Christmas Cantata, “Night of Miracles” by John W. Peterson at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16, at First United Methodist Church in Sylva. The Sylva Bells, a community hand bell choir, will play holiday selections prior to the concert. 586.2358.

• The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet will perform a special program of “Christmas Brass” to benefit victims of the California wildfires at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

227.3274 or www.smbq.org.

December 12-18, 2018

• Actor Curt Cloninger will perform “Celebrate the Child” at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 23, at Folkmoot auditorium in Waynesville. Event is sponsored by Vine of the Mountains. All are invited to this free performance and non-perishable food items are being accepted as donations to the local “Little Food Pantry”. www.thevine.cc.

• Christmas Eve Polar Express PJ Party will be held at 10 am at The Strand on Main on Dec. 24. Tickets include a bell, hot cocoa, movie and all that wear PJs receive free popcorn. Seating in limited so reserve them now at www.38main.com.

FOOD & DRINK • Learn how to make a healthy one-pot meal that can simmer and stew from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at the Macon County Cooperative Extension Office at 193 Thomas Heights Road in Franklin. Led by Julie Sawyer, FCS Agent in Macon County.

Smoky Mountain News

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville will host five for $5 Wine Tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13/20. Come taste five magnificent wines and dine on Chef Stacy’s gourmet cuisine. 452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

• A wine tasting will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Papou’s Wine Shop in Sylva. $5 per person. www.papouswineshop.com or 586.6300.

• Gloria R. Weiss will have art on display and for sale throughout December in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. 421.6850.

• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 452.6000.

• The Haywood County Arts Council will host a demonstration of icon painting techniques featuring local artist Melissa Goss from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts, 86 N. Main Street in Waynesville. www.HaywoodArts.org.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • “A Christmas Carol” will be staged at 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 14-15 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 16, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre.

• A special stage production of “A Tuna Christmas” presented at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14-15 and 17, and at 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City. Tickets are $14 for adults, $8 for children 6-17. Cash only at the door. www.facebook.com/smctheatre.

• The Brasstown Ringers community handbell ensemble will hold a Christmas concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Andrews. 837.8822.

• The Highlands Performing Arts Center will present the MET Opera’s production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, live via satellite at 507 Chestnut Street in Highlands. Tickets: highlandspac.org, 526.9047 or at the door.

• Tickets are on sale now for National Theater’s production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Room,” which will be screened as part of the Bardo Arts Center’s Sunday Cinema Series at 3 p.m. on Jan. 20 in Cullowhee. $15 for adults; $10 for WCU faculty/staff and seniors and $5 for students. Arts.wcu.cinema or 828.227.ARTS. • The Nikwasi Dulcimer Players will perform at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Rickman Store, 259 Cowee Creek Road in Franklin.

• Tickets are on sale now for National Theater’s production of “Hamlet” which will be screened as part of the Bardo Arts Center’s Sunday Cinema Series at 3 p.m. on Feb. 10 in Cullowhee. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch. $15 for adults; $10 for WCU faculty/staff and seniors and $5 for students.

Arts.wcu.cinema or 828.227.ARTS.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • The Haywood County Arts Council will host “Winter Arts Smokies Style” and Artist Reception on Saturday, Dec. 15. Kids Crafts (noon-3 p.m.), artist demonstration with Melissa Moss’ icon painting techniques (3-6 p.m.) and artist reception (6-8 p.m.) at the gallery in Waynesville.

• The Haywood County Public Library is offering online lifelong learning courses in over 30 subject areas, many of which offer continuing education units, through Universal Class. Free for library cardholders. www.haywoodlibrary.org or 452.5169.

• “Brown Bag at the Depot” – an opportunity to gather with neighbors – is at noon every Friday at Sylva’s newest park at the corner of Spring and Mill Street along Railroad Ave. For info, contact Paige Dowling at townmanager@townofsylva.org.

• A “Beginner Step-By-Step” painting class will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday Dec. 20 at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville. Cost is $25 with all supplies provided. RSVP by contacting Robin Arramae at 400.9560 or paintnitewaynesville@gmail.com.

• Graceann’s Amazing Breakfast is 8-10 a.m. every Tuesday in the Sapphire Room at the Sapphire Valley Community Center. $8.50 for adults; $5 for children.

Includes coffee and orange juice. 743.7663.

• Registration is underway for adult pottery classes that will start on Jan. 7 at Our Summerhouse Pottery, 225 Wall St., in Waynesville. Two options for timing: 68:30 p.m. on Tuesdays or 1-3:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

Six-week classes will focus on hand-building techniques in creating functional pottery. Tuition: $225 (includes supplies). amy@oursummerhousepottery.com or 734.5737.

• A game day will occur from 2-9 p.m. every third Saturday of the month at Papou’s Wine Shop & Bar in Sylva. Bring dice, cards or board games.

42 586.6300.

GALLERIES

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Saturdays at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 452.0120.

• Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesvill will host a Secret Wine Bar Night from 5 to 9 p.m on Dec. 14/21.

Gourmet food, and a great wine & beer menu.

452.0120 or www.waynesvillewine.com.

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

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

ART SHOWINGS AND

• A comedy improvisation class will be offered from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays in Haywood County. Led by improv teacher Wayne Porter, who studied at Sak Comedy Lab in Orlando and performed improv with several groups. To RSVP and get directions, call 316.8761.

• The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center will have a yearlong exhibition on “Defining America” through May 3 in Cullowhee. Info: 227.ARTS or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• Through April 26, Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center is hosting an exhibit to commemorate World War I and the centennial of the end of hostilities. “I Want You! How World War I Transformed Western North Carolina” is on display in the museum’s first floor gallery in Cullowhee.

227.7129.

• The Franklin Uptown Gallery has opened for the 2018 Season. The artist exchange exhibit will feature artwork created by members of the Valley River Arts Guide from Murphy. 349.4607.

• New artist and medium will be featured every month at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center in Waynesville. 356.2800.

FILM & SCREEN • “The Equalizer 2”, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free.

586.3555.

• “Smallfoot”, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Free. 586.3555.

• The Groovy Movie Club will screen the feature film “Colette” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16, at a private home in Dellwood. Club’s goal is to show excellent films, feature and documentary, with a message.

RSVP and get directions: johnbuckleyx@gmail.com or 646.8602 (call or text).

• Free movies are shown every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. See website for listings and times at madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

Outdoors

• Sons of the American Legion in Waynesville will have a Turkey Shoot at 9 a.m. every Saturday on Legion Drive.

• Volunteers are being sought to help re-pot native azaleas from 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesdays through Thursdays at the Southern Highlands Reserve in Lake Toxaway. For info, and to schedule a shift: anorton@southernhighlandsreserve.org.

• The Asheville Winter Bike League offers rides weekly at 10 a.m. on Saturdays through Jan. 26. Structures, long winter road training rides. Bit.ly/2qS3YP8.

• The Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer Authority will hold a combined Work Session and Business Meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the TWSA Boardroom, 1246 West Main Street in Sylva.

• A weekly fly-tying class is held from 6-8 p.m. every Wednesday at Outdoor 76 in Franklin. 349.7676.

• FUR will hold it holiday adoption event from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 38 Safe Haven Drive in Waynesville. Kitten adoption fees: $35. Adult cat fees: $50. All cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/furofwnc or 844.888.CATS.

• A Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 14, at Kelly Hutchinson Park in Highlands. Groups disburse and search for birds in a 15-mile radius until 1 p.m. RSVP: 404.295.0663. Data goes into a citizen-science database.

• The Learning Center at PARI will hold a viewing event from midnight until dawn on Friday, Dec. 14, for viewing the Geminids Meteor Shower near Brevard.

Optimal viewing is at 8:30 a.m. Tickets available: 862.5554 or www.pari.edu.

• Volunteers are being sought for a trail crew starting at 8:45 a.m. on Dec. 15 in DuPont Forest. llbmwb@gmail.com.

• Feline Urgent Rescue will hold a special adoption event from 1-4 p.m. on Dec.15 at the FUR Sanctuary in Waynesville. Reduced adoption fees for kittens. www.furofwnc.org, www.facebook.com/fur or 844.888.CATS. • Balsam Mountain Trust will hold a Creature Feature from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 81 Preserve Road in Sylva. Explore the diets and eating habits of resident animal ambassadors. RSVP by Dec. 12: education@bmtrust.org or 631.1061.

• The Franklin Bird Club will host a Christmas Bird Count from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17.

Search for birds in a 15-mile radius. RSVP: rstcl10609@aol.com. Data goes into a citizen-science database.

• Registration is underway for “Winter Tree ID” – a moderate hike scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 29, at Chimney Rock State Park. $23 adults; $8 for annual passholder; $13 youth (ages 5-15) and $6 per Rockin’ Discovery Passholder. Led by naturalist and author Ron Lance, who will show how to identify trees without their leaves.

Advance registration required: chimneyrockpark.com.

• The Balsam Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for Jan. 4. Part of Audubon’s 119th Annual Christmas Bird Count. 15-mile diameter includes portions of Haywood and Jackson Counties. To participate: ddihen1@bellsouth.net or 646.0871.

• Proposed changes to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission regulations are up for public comment through Feb. 1 with a public hearing to be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at Haywood Community College in Clyde. Regulations would cover hunting, fishing and land management issues. Full list available at www.ncwildlife.org/Proposed-Regulations.

Submit comments: https://tinyurl.com/ychgt4hs, regulations@ncwildlife.org or mail to: Rule-Making Coordinator, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1700.

FARM AND GARDEN • The Jackson County Farmers Market operates from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays through Dec. 22 in the Bridge Park parking lot in Sylva. www.jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

• The Tuscola Garden Club will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, in Gaines Auditorium at the Bethea Welcome Center in Lake Junaluska. Gary and Trish Hughes will present a program entitled: “Food & Desserts … What, Where, Why & How.” 246.0437.

• Haywood County Extension is accepting applications for the 2019 Master Gardener class with training sessions scheduled for Tuesdays mornings from January through April. 456.3575 or mgarticles@charter.net.

HIKING CLUBS • The Nantahala Hiking Club will take a moderate four-mile hike on Saturday, Dec. 15, to the summit of Scaly Mountain on the Bartram Trail. Elevation change of 1,050 feet. Info and reservations: 524.5298.

• Carolina Mountain Club will have an eight-mile hike with a 1,100-foot ascent on Saturday, Dec. 15, at Wildcat Rock Trail. Info and reservations: 404.731.3119 or Djones715@aol.com.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

PUBLIC NOTICES

MarketPlace information:

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $375 — Statewide classifieds run in 170 participating newspapers with 1.1+ million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

Mountain Projects, Inc. is planning to submit a proposal to the North Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity for a oneyear grant under the Community Services Block Grant Program.

Public input is requested to utilize funding.

The public hearings will be held in Haywood County at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday December 20, 2018 at Mountain Projects office located at 2177 Asheville Road, Waynesville, NC 28786 and in Jackson County at 1:30 p.m. at Thursday December 20, 2018 at Mountain Projects Office located at 25 Schulman Street, Sylva, NC 28779.

AUCTION

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

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EMPLOYMENT

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FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: A/C Heating & Refrigerator Technology Instructor. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/ Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer

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FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Biology InstructorIndustry Training InstructorPractical Nursing Instructor. For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com Human Resources Office Phone: 910.678.7342 Internet: An Equal Opportunity Employer

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CAMEO ONE OF A LITTER OF FIVE PUPPIES ABOUT FOUR MONTHS OLD. THEY ARE ALL ADORABLE OF COURSE! CAMEO IS THE LARGEST BABY OF THE BUNCH AND IS EXPECTED TO BE A FAIRLY LARGE ADULT. HE HAS A BEAUTIFUL DARK BLUE MERLE COAT WITH WHITE ACCENTS.

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SFR, ECO, GREEN

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www.smokymountainnews.com

Carolyn@BHGHeritage.com

1986 SOCO ROAD HIGHWAY 19 MAGGIE VALLEY, NC

147 WALNUT STREET • WAYNESVILLE

828.558.0607 CarolynLauter.com

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

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www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey

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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

Haywood Co. Real Estate Agents Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Great Smokys Realty - www.4Smokys.com Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate- Heritage

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• Carolyn Lauter - carolyn@bhgheritage.com Beverly Hanks & Associates- beverly-hanks.com • Ann Eavenson - anneavenson@beverly-hanks.com • Billie Green - bgreen@beverly-hanks.com • Michelle McElroy- michellemcelroy@beverly-hanks.com • Marilynn Obrig - mobrig@beverly-hanks.com • Steve Mauldin - smauldin@beverly-hanks.com • Brian K. Noland - brianknoland.com • Anne Page - apage@beverly-hanks.com • Brooke Parrott - bparrott@beverly-hanks.com • Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com • Catherine Proben - cproben@beverly-hanks.com • Ellen Sither - ellensither@beverly-hanks.com • Mike Stamey - mikestamey@beverly-hanks.com • Karen Hollingsed- khollingsed@beverly-hanks.com • Steve Mauldin- smauldin@beverly-hanks.com • Jerry Powell - jpowell@beverly-hanks.com • Mike Stamey - mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group • George Escaravage - george@emersongroupus.com ERA Sunburst Realty - sunburstrealty.com • Amy Spivey - amyspivey.com • Rick Border - sunburstrealty.com • Pam James - pjames@sunburstrealty.com

Jerry Lee Mountain Realty Jerry Lee Hatley- jerryhatley@bellsouth.net Keller Williams Realty - kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • The Morris Team - www.themorristeamnc.com • Julie Lapkoff - julielapkoff@kw.com • Yvonne Kolomechuk - yvonneksells@kw.com

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smokymountainnews.com

CAVALIER ARMS APARTMENTS

• Ron Rosendahl - ron@mountaincreekrealestate.com

December 12-18, 2018

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on equal opportunity basis.

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WNC MarketPlace December 12-18, 2018 www.smokymountainnews.com 46

SUPER

CROSSWORD

PUNCH LINES ACROSS 1 Fistfight “souvenir” 7 Fish groups 14 Yasir of the Middle East 20 Actress Mumford 21 Fine-meshed nylon cap 22 Go to the polls again 23 Certain room decor adhesive 25 Gives a heads-up 26 Baseball’s “Georgia Peach” 27 Hindu mystic 29 Mobster’s gun 30 Spot’s sound 33 Ending for plug or play 34 It may be worn under a tennis shoe 38 Hitchcock film of 1940 41 Cliches 42 Trickster of Norse myth 43 Ramones’ debut single 45 In the -- of (during) 46 “-- So Shy” (1980 hit) 47 Bluish-black sour fruit 48 Check casher, say 51 -- boom 54 Hurt 55 Slimy pest in a flower bed 60 Does some needlework 62 Penniless people 64 Pop singer Turner 65 Fracas 66 Lead-in to mo or pitch 67 Blackjack call that’s apt for this puzzle’s theme?

68 “-- the ramparts ...”

70 Roker and Pacino 71 Nevada city 73 Trouser lines 75 Hand-held seizing tool

77 Sleeve feature with a link 79 Transaction in 71Across 80 Wants badly, with “for” 81 Eddie -- (clothing chain) 82 Above 84 Luau bowlful 85 End in -- (go unresolved) 88 Innate sense of time 94 Pieces of pizza?

95 Actor Tatum 98 Acorn maker 99 Solar system component 101 He cried “I pity the fool!”

102 Little guy 103 Luau accessory 104 Perfect thing 105 Small river craft 108 Messing up 110 Ability to influence a campaign, perhaps 117 Loath (to) 118 Not in time 119 Come out 120 One hunting 121 Appalachian range 122 Get canines DOWN 1 Handful of 2 Imitating 3 “My mama done -- me ...”

4 Buoyant tune 5 Kids’ guessing game 6 Tail-fanning birds 7 Brand of cat food 8 Low- -- meal 9 In vogue

10 Man-mouse middle 11 Put- -- (hoaxes) 12 Disclose accidentally 13 Plastered 14 Pal of Athos and Porthos 15 Antique 16 “-- Maria” 17 Permanently 18 Tears into 19 Aid in self-diagnosis 24 Like icecaps 28 Eroded 30 Hedge fund whiz 31 Roman Cath., e.g.

32 DOJ agcy.

34 Jason’s ship of myth 35 “It wasn’t meant --” 36 Managed care gp.

37 Most furtive 39 Set of values 40 Brno natives 41 Tolling thing 44 Sister and wife of Osiris 45 Guys 48 Lead-in to 52-Down 49 Clever 50 “Pro” replies 51 Neck wrap 52 Get via Amazon, e.g.

53 Not a single person 54 Pronto 55 Supporters of canines 56 Oafish sort 57 Fibbing sorts 58 Not aflame 59 Breathes in quickly 61 Yale of Yale University 62 Singer Edith 63 It spits out bills, briefly 67 Pajama-clad mag founder 69 Latch again, as a door

72 Like some safe runners 74 South, in Spanish 75 -- diagram (math image) 76 Remorse 78 Raven sound 79 Tennis champ Bjoern 82 Electric co., e.g.

83 Bottled (up) 84 Blood part 85 Funnel-shaped flowers 86 Merit 87 Career completer 88 Flowering 89 Hanoi-to-Beijing dir.

90 Major vessel 91 Moon, e.g.

92 Co. leader 93 B minor, e.g.

95 Coot 96 Go in haste 97 Makes fit 100 Light wash 101 Middle Ages weapons 105 Nosh 106 Highest point 107 “--’s Gold” (Peter Fonda film) 109 Bug a lot 111 Brit’s john 112 Sort 113 Mai -114 Leftover bit 115 “Blech!”

116 Informal shirt

ANSWERS ON PAGE 40

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Galax’s enduring popularity

G

George Ellison

alax is an evergreen groundcover found throughout the Blue Ridge.

The plant can thrive in various settings, but the ideal habitat is a cool moist site with partial shade and acidic soil. It occurs in extensive patches that can reward the observer in every season. As Peter White observed in Wildflowers of the Smokies (1996), “In early spring, its round, evergreen leaves carpet the dormant forest floor. By summer, a tall pillar of tiny white flowers line many park trails.

Columnist Then, as winter approaches, the deep green leaves turn bronze and crimson to contrast against the coming snows.”

During the early 1900s, many residents of southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina gathered and sold galax leaves that were shipped out by rail. An official from the Norfolk and Western Railway Company who observed this activity suggested that one of the communities be named for the plant. In 1906, the Virginia General Assembly officially chartered the town of Galax, Virginia.

Two attributes of galax are of particular interest: the odor it sometimes exudes; and

BACK THEN the colors its leaves exhibit each fall.

Have you ever been walking a mountain trail when you encountered a musky smell that reminded you of skunk, mold or scat?

Whenever this happens to me, I consider six possible sources: skunk, bear scat, wild boar rooting, carrion vine, skunk goldenrod or galax. Quite often the smell will be emanating from a nearby stand of galax.

A note titled “Wild Ideas: The Odor of Galax” by J. Amoroso that appeared in Chinquapin: The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society in 2000, reviewed speculations by several botanists about the possible causes for these odiferous odors. A plant physiologist and chemist, working separately, have surmised that they might come from sulfur compounds similar to those exuded by skunks. Crushed living galax leaves produce no smell — but sulfur compounds could be released as the older leaves decompose.

Because its large shiny leaves assume beautiful colors in late fall — reds, bronzes, purples or browns — galax has been gathered commercially since the nineteenth century. Initially, entire families ventured into the mountains to collect them in two sacks.

They were then sold to botanical companies specializing in herbal medicines and ornamentals that marketed them as seasonal

evergreen decorations. For the mountain families the few dollars earned in this manner were more than welcome.

Today, galax leaves are in high demand in the floral industry, especially in Europe, because they are attractive, sturdy and can be stored for Galax. Donated photo months.

Rounded or heart-shaped leaves are preferred as background foliage in floral arrangements.

They can be hot-glued onto a plastic tray or wrapped to make a “floral rose.” And they are sometimes sown together to form tablecloths for weddings or blankets for funeral caskets.

As a sign of the times, upwards of 90 percent of the galax pickers today are Hispanic.

After these workers started arriving in Western North Carolina in the late 1980s, area nursery owners encouraged them to harvest galax in the off-season. An experienced harvester can collect up to 5,000 leaves a day and earn from $20 to $120, depending on the season and the size and color of the leaves. Concerns about the sus-

tainability of galax have prompted the U.S. Forest Service to restrict both the quantity gathered and the harvest season. Permits cost $25 and are good for 30 days or 100 pounds of leaves. Each leaf should be at least 3 inches in diameter, with 3 inches of stem, and no roots attached.

Because of galax poaching on National Park Service lands like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as on U.S. Forest Service lands where harvesting is not allowed, a tagging program for the plant has been implemented. Leaves are sprayed with an adhesive and then dusted with a “micro-taggant” — a 6-layer polymer that bears a “signature” coding. Using this method, plants in areas where harvesting is illegal are marked and can be tracked back to their source when sold.

Most of the information in this column is derived from an excellent 34-page pamphlet

by Mary L. Predny and James L. Chamberlain titled Galax (Galax urceolata): An Annotated Bibliography, published in 2005. A free copy can be obtained by request from Communications, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, PO Box 2680, Asheville, N.C., 28802-9903.

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer.

He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

December 12-18, 2018 Smoky Mountain News 47

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