Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013 Vol. 14 Iss. 47 Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information www.smokymountainnews.com

Local National Guard unit shipping out to Middle East

Haywood to ask for more school counselors

Page 11

Page 12

The next chapter Funding woes challenge future of WNC libraries

while our new building is under construction

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Smoky Mountain News

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CONTENTS

STAFF

On the Cover: From petitions to lobbying, librarians are decrying funding cuts that could be handed down by the state (Page 8)

News MedWest doctor deals with trauma at Boston marathon bombing . . . . . . . . 6 Road to Murphy casino on fast track to completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Macon REACH struggles to serve Jackson as well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Fund cuts on the way for domestic violence nonprofits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 National Guard unit prepares for tour in Afghanistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Haywood school leaders want more counselors in classrooms . . . . . . . . . 12 Jackson schools struggle with what to cut in return for new auditorium. . . 13 Waynesville florist stays strong through tough economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Maggie looks to retool convoluted planning process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 TDA restores funding for Folkmoot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Swain residents call for greater access to North Shore cemeteries . . . . . . 20

EDITOR/PUBLISHER: ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: ART DIRECTOR: DESIGN & WEBSITE: DESIGN & PRODUCTION: ADVERTISING SALES:

CLASSIFIEDS: NEWS EDITOR: WRITING & EDITING:

ACCOUNTING & OFFICE MANAGER: DISTRIBUTION: CONTRIBUTING:

Scott McLeod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@smokymountainnews.com Greg Boothroyd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . greg@smokymountainnews.com Micah McClure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . micah@smokymountainnews.com Travis Bumgardner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . travis@smokymountainnews.com Emily Moss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . emily@smokymountainnews.com Whitney Burton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . whitney@smokymountainnews.com Amanda Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jc-ads@smokymountainnews.com Hylah Smalley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hylah@smliv.com Scott Collier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . classads@smokymountainnews.com Becky Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . news@smokymountainnews.com Caitlin Bowling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . caitlin@smokymountainnews.com Andrew Kasper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . andrew@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), Dylan Brown (intern)

CONTACT WAYNESVILLE | 34 Church Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585

Opinion Columnist lost without Ebert’s movie guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Sylva celebrates annual “Greening Up” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Outdoors

Copyright 2013 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ Advertising copyright 2013 by The Smoky Mountain News.™ All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The Smoky Mountain News is available for free in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and parts of Buncombe counties. Limit one copy per person.

Additional copies may be purchased for $1, payable at the Smoky Mountain News office in advance. No person may, without prior written permission of The Smoky Mountain News, take more than one copy of each issue.

Bees disappear from local hives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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One thought, one decision, one action... that’s all it takes to make a change.

Smoky Mountain News

Make it! Enroll at HCC today.

Summer and Fall Registration in progress now.

April 1 continuing thru April 26 Call today!

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‘We’ll go back’ Sylva doctor who helped at Boston bombing vows not to let terrorists win

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER s the manhunt ends, the nation begins to cope and the primary suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing either lay dead or in custody, Dr. Allan Panter, a Sylva emergency room doctor who visited Boston for the race, is still reliving — in vivid detail — the brutal events of that day.

Panter was accompanying his wife in Boston the day tragedy struck. It was his wife’s 16th Boston Marathon, and usually she attends the storied run with friends.

The past few years, however, Panter has gone with her. Panter said he has run one marathon and was more enticed by the donut shops in Boston — the birthplace of Dunkin’ Donuts — and the festive atmosphere surrounding the event than he was the actual race.

The race day coincides with Patriot’s Day, a reenactment of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington, and a Boston Red Sox’s game in the evening.

“It’s basically a state holiday,” Panter said. “Everybody is basically in a festive mood,” However, as Panter found out, the festivities would not be the highlight of the trip.

The day of the race, Panter saw his wife off onto one of the marathon shuttles that brings participants 26.2 miles from the finish line, before cutting them loose on their trek back downtown.

Runners in the race are equipped with electronic chips, so as his wife passed certain checkpoints Panter could track her progress through automated text messages and know when to meet her near the finish line. When she crossed the 30-kilometer mark, he began to make his way through the hordes of spectators to watch her complete the race. Panter positioned himself

Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013

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“You’re talking screaming, yelling — people were taking their belts off and using them as tourniquets,” Panter said. “I kind of lost track of time.”

As Boston Marathon medical staff, nurses and doctors descended onto the scene and medical responders began to arrive and take control of the situation, Panter began to wonder about his wife. He also had the thought in the back of his mind that there may be a third bomb

About a half-hour after the bombs detonated, Panter felt his phone vibrate. He had received a text message from an unknown phone number, stating “I’m OK.” Another half-hour later he received the same anonymous message from a different number. underneath a row of flags blowing in the Panter wasn’t sure who it was, but April breeze, and tried to get a clear line of hoped it was his wife, who he had never site to snap a photograph of his wife. seen round the corner toward the finishing “I was mumbling and cussing at the stretch. He texted one of the numbers back flags,” Panter said. “Because when the wind and identified himself as Allan Panter and wouldn’t blow they would drop in asked if it was his wife who had sent front of me and I couldn’t see.” the message. He got a response sayThen he heard a loud “boom” and ing it was and she was fine. But it felt the heat and ringing in his ears. wasn’t until an hour and a half after A crowd of spectators beside the bombing that he had the opporPanter protected him from the blast. tunity to talk to his wife of 29 years He crouched down and watched as on the phone. bodies around him dropped to the “It felt pretty good,” Panter said. pavement. A woman to his right But he felt for the other spectators screamed and ran a few steps. A store who were still scrambling to find window blew out from the blast. loved ones amidst the confusion.

“Basically there were enough bod“I saw other spectators trying to ies between me and the bomb to profind their family members,” Panter tect me,” Panter said. said. “I saw other guys looking for He followed the screaming lady their wives. They were getting phone for a few seconds — then the second calls from back home.” blast went off. It was the second of After the bombs detonated, voltwo bombs detonated in the crowd unteers and race officials had swept near the finish line that day.

Panter’s wife in the opposite direc“When the first one went off, I tion while she was running. She told thought it was a bomb,” Panter said.

Panter later she thought the explo“When the other went off, I knew it sions were cannons being fired as was. I knew then it was a sequence part of the festivities. bombing.”

Panter and his wife eventually rePanter, as part of his specializaDr. Allan Panter works at the MedWest-Harris Regional united and were able to make it back tion in emergency medicine, had Hospital in Sylva. He treated victims at the scene of the to their hotel room downtown. They trained in disaster response. But slept for a few hours before being Boston Marathon bombing. awakened by an early morning phone nothing could have fully prepared him for what he saw next. After the call phone call to the room. NBC and second bomb detonated, Panter ABC wanted to interview him. Media “You’re talking screaming, yelling turned toward the source of the outlets were already reporting the — people were taking their belts explosion. That’s when he noticed the death toll at three and the number of carnage, a pile of seven or so people injured at over 100. off and using them as tourniwho had taken the brunt of the blast’s However, Panter said he and his force. wife have already discussed returning quets. I kind of lost track of time.”

“I had never really looked to my next year to Boston for the marathon.

— Dr. Allan Panter, Sylva emergency room doctor left,” Panter said. “And that’s where He said that might be the appropriall the bodies were.” ate reaction, rather than what hapPanter moved toward the injured. He intended for the emergency responders pened after 9/11. provided care to a woman with a bleeding But Panter said he couldn’t stop to give “I hope the public will not exchange leg wound. He started applying tourniit any serious thought. freedom for security like we did after 9/11 quets to a man left legless. He gave mouth“They sometimes plan a reserve device — you don’t give up your freedom for proto-mouth resuscitation to a young woman, to hit responders,” Panter said. “But when tection,” Panter said. “If my wife wants to then helped load her on a stretcher. He you’re in the thick of things, you don’t go back, yeah, we’ll go back. If you change, learned later that she died. think about it.” the people who did it win.”

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DOT to pave the way for new casino coming to Murphy

admin@jmteagueengineering.com by May 3. www.jmteagueengineering.com.

J.M. Teague Engineering is holding a drop-in public input session to discuss the North Main Street Complete Streets Study from 4 to 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 2, in the second floor boardroom of the Town Hall in Waynesville.

The public session will focus on gathering ideas and input from area residents and local businesses to get a thorough understanding of what the citizens and businesses of the area want out of the Complete Streets study. Complete Streets is a national movement in transportation design that focuses on the safety of users of all ages, abilities or mode of travel.

For those whom cannot attend the session but wish to share ideas or questions, email

GOP to select Board of Election members In the next several weeks, the Haywood Republican Party will be interviewing candidates to serve on the County Board of Elections.

The names of two members and one alternate will be presented to the State Board of Elections for approval. A fact sheet describing the duties of members of the BOE is posted on the county Republican Party’s website. Any registered Republican who would like to be considered, email Pat Carr at carr4pat@aol.com with your name and contact information. www.haywoodncgop.org.

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that the new road would be needed, June 2014,� Setzer said. “That is what we want to target. We don’t want them to open on this old gravel road.�

The permanent casino will open a year after that.

As soon as the Eastern Band’s Tribal Council approved the casino project earlier this month, DOT representatives contacted the tribe to start laying out plans for the bridge and half-mile entrance road. “As soon as they approved it, we called and tried to get ahead of it so no one will be disappointed if, when the casino opens, the road is not finished,� Setzer said.

The Eastern Band is not the only group to benefit from a taxpayer-funded road.

N.C. DOT is spending $1.7 million to build a new road and upgrading existing roads in Henderson County where Sierra Nevada is opening a new brewery — again because of the number of quality jobs that the company will create. The beer makers’ total investment in the brewery is about $107 million.

Such projects, which benefit local and state economies, are given precedence over others. The state already has a long to-do list of projects, ranked in order of importance. A complex formula is used to rank road projects, and it usually takes years for a project to work their way up the priority list from conception to actual construction. “But it does not account for something that comes up that is in the best interest of the state,� Setzer said of the formula.

To skip the line, companies must apply for the incentive through DOT and submit a letter of endorsement from the N.C. Department of Commerce and information about the project’s economic benefits.

Other considerations include: the average projected wage, the economic vitality of the county the project is located in, the amount of the initial investment, tax benefit to the state, job creation and whether it has support from local governments.

news

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER he construction of a bridge and entrance road to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ second casino in Murphy has jumped from not even on the radar to the front of the N.C. Department of Transportation’s list of top road-building priorities.

The Eastern Band just recently approved plans to build a second casino on an 85-acre tract just off the four-lane highway in Murphy. The $110 million casino will create about 800 high-paying jobs in a county plagued by 12 percent unemployment. “Unemployment is high in our neck of the woods and in Cherokee County. The jobs are desperately needed,� said Joel Setzer, the head of a 10-county division of DOT in the western mountains.

For that reason, the state agreed to construct and pay for a bridge and road necessary to take casino-goers from the four-lane to the planned site of Murphy casino about half a mile away. “This project was necessary to secure the enterprise, and it creates so many jobs at such a high wage that the state government did offer the incentive,� Setzer said.

The estimated cost of the project is between $7 million and $11 million. Work on the bridge and road could begin this fall, around the same time the Eastern Band hopes to start building a temporary casino facility on the site.

The tribe will erect a makeshift casino that will operate while the permanent 50,000- to 60,000-square-foot building is under construction. Members of the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise, a five-member board that oversees the tribe’s casino operations, hope to open the temporary facility by spring or early summer next year, and the state transportation department has set its project deadline around that. “We’re looking at something like June

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Libraries brace for hit

Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013

Three-year-old twin brothers Thomas and Cameron Sylvester play in the children’s section of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. The county library system is requesting more funds from local government for workers’ salaries.

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Libraries play offense over state budget cuts

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER or years, state funding for libraries has been on the decline. But librarians in Western North Carolina are not taking this next round lying down.

In response to a recommendation by Gov. Pat McCroy to cut the state library budget by nearly 5 percent, librarians in the Fontana Regional system put out petitions in the libraries in Macon, Swain and Jackson counties.

It asks visitors to pledge their support for funding libraries with tax dollars. The system’s website also carries alarming facts and figures about the impending cuts to rally support.

“It’s a long way to Raleigh,” said Karen Wallace, Macon County librarian and director of the Fontana system. “But we know people care passionately about their public libraries and we wanted to give them a voice.”

Within two days of putting out the petition, the system had collected more than 400 signatures, which they scanned and sent to state representatives. In the following weeks, more sheets of signatures were amassed, and Wallace is readying that next batch to be sent off soon. She is hoping the effort can help avert what she says will more painful cuts to a crucial public service.

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In 1998, the state contributed about $17 million to local public libraries, Wallace said.

This year, $13.1 million was allocated.

As state lawmakers were beginning the budget process in March, Wallace and other library directors were lobbying for a return to the funding levels of bygone years. But after McCroy’s budget recommendations were made, they found themselves fighting a different fight.

“Instead, we’re now battling to keep the $13.1 million,” Wallace said.

For Fontana Regional Library, which oversees six libraries in three counties, the 4.8 percent recommended cut would take a $20,000 hit out of the $350,000 it gets from the state, Wallace said. The majority of each library’s funding comes directly from counties, but the state’s allocation is still critical to operations.

As the state funding stream trails off, however, counties are often left with the decision whether to pick up the tab or make cuts to an ever popular service. The Fontana system saw 460,000 visitors last year, which is about 100,000 more visitors than there were in 2002.

“It’s a question of whether they can chip in extra,” Wallace said of the town and county governments. “They may or may not be able to make up the difference.”

Residents should see the public investment in libraries — whether at the state or county level — as a steal considering the access it provides them to countless books, free programs, music, movies, computers and more.

“We’re a really good bang for the buck,” Wallace said. “What you pay and what you get access to is really, pretty incredible.”

“It’s a long way to Raleigh, but we know people care passionately about their public libraries, and we wanted to give them a voice.”

— Karen Wallace, Macon County librarian and director of the Fontana system

LIBRARY LIFELINE One of the flagship libraries in the Fontana system is the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. After moving from a much smaller building two years ago to its current location in a behemoth wing built on the back of the historic courthouse, Jackson County commissioners have had to commit a pretty penny to provide a full range of services — from two floors outfitted with computers and books to story time to Earth Day programs to live concerts.

On a Monday afternoon, Peyton Young, a student at Western Carolina University, brought the twin 3-year olds she was babysitting to the library. Thomas and Cameron Sylvester happily made “choo choo” sounds as they maneuvered the wooden cars along the track of a train table in the children’s area.

However, Young claimed they like reading

even more than the train set, and there’s no better place for that than the library.

“Being able to read is an important thing, especially at their age,” Young said. “It expands their imagination so much. Every time we get to read, they get excited.”

For this year, Jackson Head Librarian Dottie Brunette requested just more than $900,000 from commissioners to operate the libraries in Sylva and Cashiers. For next year, Brunette is asking for just more than $1 million — with much of the increase slated for employees who haven’t seen a salary increase in five years.

Brunette is worried that if the state funding for the Fontana system is chipped away, county commissioners will have to contribute more and more, or decide they can’t keep up.

She said the Fontana system handles a lot of the administrative services that would be very costly if brought down to the local level.

“Cuts have trickle down effect,” Brunette said. “One way or another, it will come down to individual libraries.”

The library doesn’t usually allow petitions to be circulated because they are often partisan and political. But an exception was made in this case — Brunette thought the petition supporting funding for the library was well suited to be placed in the library. She also hopes it will have an effect winning over members of the legislature, who must vote on the final state budget in coming weeks.

“That’s why we’re doing this now, so it has some impact,” Brunette said. “Then maybe they can see that people out there care.”

Brunette maintains that cuts to library services actually work against the citizens of the county.

Cassie Stewart, a 19-year-old student from Sylva, said she would be at a loss if she couldn’t come to the library to use the Internet, which she uses for everything from surfing the web to checking her Facebook profile to studying. Stewart said she doesn’t have Internet access at her home and enjoys coming to the library anyway.

“It’s a good atmosphere,” Stewart said.

“You can go on the Internet, get books and hang out.”

THE CUTS CONUNDRUM

In neighboring Haywood, library Director Sharon Woodrow is reviewing the Haywood library system budget and having difficulty finding where she could trim down.

This year, the Haywood County library system had a budget of approximately $1.3 million, about $100,000 came from the state, Woodrow said.

Unlike Jackson, Macon and Swain counties, which belong to a regional library system, Haywood County operates as a singlecounty library network.

Apart from the governor’s recommended 4.8 percent cut to the state library, Woodrow said she has heard talk of eliminating all state library funding to counties with a tier three economic ranking, which Haywood has.

“Of course, I’m troubled by it,” Woodrow said. “Our budget has been cut for several years now.”

Woodrow said Haywood’s library budget was about $200,000 more five years or so ago. She said at those

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Scholarships available for high school seniors news

The Fines Creek Community Association is offering $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors living within the Fines Creek, Panther Creek and White Oak communities, as well as home-schooled students who graduate from a program certified by the N.C. Division of Non-Public Education.

The scholarships serve to support motivated students within the community to further their education from an accredited college or university.

The Fines Creek Bluegrass Jam is the primary source of funds for the scholarship program. This year’s event will take place Aug. 9-10 on the grounds of the old Fines Creek School. As the jam has grown in size, more scholarships have been available to area seniors.

Applications are available in the guidance office of Tuscola High School or online.

Deadline is May 15.

828.627.1113 or www.finescreek.org.

Volunteers needed to serve on Waynesville boards The Town of Waynesville needs volunteers to serve on its various boards and commissions, including the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Board of Adjustment, Firemen’s Relief Fund Board, Historic Preservation Commission, Planning Board, Public Art Commission, Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission and the Waynesville Housing Authority.

When vacancies occur, applications are reviewed and those applicants are considered for appointment. Anyone interested in serving must fill out an application for consideration, which are available at the Waynesville Municipal Building at 16 South Main Street in Waynesville, or online. www.townofwaynesville.org or 828.452.2491.

Sarah Willow, 65, reads a magazine on bird-watching at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Libraries across the state are threatened with another round of state funding cuts.

Andrew Kasper photo

Petition language:

Please RSVP: 8 800.

0 0. 4 436.3279 3 6. 32 79

Smoky Mountain News

funding levels, the system was operating very successfully. To survive in the new norm, the county’s libraries have reduced staff, cut operation hours and even taken out of the bookbuying budget.

The library in Waynesville is only open in the evenings twice a week and is not open at all on Sunday anymore.

And cutting from the materials budget is a surefire way to make the library system irrelevant in the changing times, Woodrow said.

“Purchasing more electronics and digital items can cost three times as much as a print item, but we have to make that transition to make sure we stay viable,” Woodrow said.

“That’s what the public wants.”

Marcus Roberts, a 37-year-old library user in Waynesville, said cutting the state library budget is the exact opposite of what decisionmakers should be considering right now.

Roberts goes daily to the library to read, rent movies and use the Internet.

He recommended that the library consider expanding its hours so more people can stop in after work before it closes. He also would like to see some upgrades to services

April 24-30, 2013

I believe that the public library is the heart of my community. It enriches my life and inspires my future. For these reasons, I support the funding for public libraries with my tax dollars.

like the Internet. And if there’s a will, there’s a way, Roberts said.

“I think there’s a way they could find a budget to get it right,” Roberts said. “That’s the last thing they need to cut if they value education.”

Christian Gentry, a 15-year-old Tuscola High School student was of the same mindset. He meets up with friends at the Waynesville library regularly. He wondered why resources would be taken away from such a treasured gathering place.

“It’s definitely a bad idea,” Gentry said.

“It’s a place where people in the community come together.”

However, Woodrow said the system can’t stomach many more funding decreases without making drastic changes, like closing one of its branches. Although it is a last resort, she said one of the system’s smaller branches in Fines Creek or Maggie Valley could be on the chopping block if the budgets keep shrinking.

“At this point, we’re as close to cutting out one or two of our branches as we’ll ever come.” Woodrow said. “That would be a huge loss to those communities. I really don’t want to do that.”

Woodrow, too, traveled to Raleigh for the library legislative day. Nevertheless, she wondered if the cries from librarians didn’t fall on deaf ears. She said for there to be any major reversal in fiscal policy regarding libraries, the call needs to come from constituents.

“My personal opinion is that the public needs to be involved because our services are for the public,” Woodrow said. “If they don’t speak up, I don’t feel that the representatives will listen.”

facebook.com/smnews 9

news

Neighborly lifeline for domestic violence victims could fray at the edges unless Jackson steps up

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER early a year has passed since a domestic violence support agency in Jackson County abruptly shut down under financial duress, and so far there’s no sign on the horizon of a new nonprofit to fill the void.

In the meantime, however, the domestic violence agency in Macon County stepped in and picked up the torch on an emergency — and presumably interim — basis.

“You really bailed us out,” Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten told Ann VanHarlingen, the director of REACH of Macon County, last week.

But it’s a role Macon REACH would eventually like to hand off.

“We would like to see a standalone agency for domestic violence and sexual assault in Jackson County,” VanHarlingen said in response to Wooten’s praise. “We’d like to see that move back into the control of Jackson County.”

That doesn’t seem likely any time soon, however.

“For whatever reason, no one has really stepped forward to form an entity in Jackson County,” Wooten said.

So REACH of Macon County appears stuck for now working across county lines to make sure victims in Jackson County have someone

April 24-30, 2013

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to turn to for help.

Two women in Jackson County have been killed in the past five years at the hands of abusive ex-partners. Eight in Jackson, Macon, Haywood and Swain counties combined.

“Services to victims are critical. They are living in highly dangerous situations,” said Christine Faulkner, program manager at the Domestic and Sexual Assault Alliance for the seven western counties.

But it hasn’t been easy for Macon REACH. For starters, staff is stretched thin.

The nonprofit added four positions after taking on Jackson as a charity case, but the other dozen employees at the agency are frequently called on to pinch hit — from fielding crisis hotline calls from Jackson to applying for grants on Jackson’s behalf.

Sometimes, a staffer has to drop everything in Macon and drive over to Jackson to meet with an assault victim in the hospital or walk them through the process of swearing out a warrant against their abuser. Macon REACH also opened its emergency shelter to women from Jackson since Jackson no longer has one of its own.

But the biggest missing piece for Macon REACH as it attempts to plug the hole in Jackson County is community support.

“Nonprofits depend on a local core of community activists, volunteers, business, church-

Smoky Mountain News

No good deed goes unpunished in state’s domestic violence funding formula

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER he domestic violence nonprofit REACH of Macon County is facing a more than $80,000 shortfall next year due partly to state budget cuts and partly to repercussions of stepping up to the plate when assault victims in neighboring Jackson County had no one else to turn to.

Macon REACH expanded into Jackson County last year after the local domestic violence agency there essentially went bankrupt. Macon REACH was initially a stopgap, ensuring that victims of domestic violence in Jackson weren’t simply abandoned. But no other entity has emerged to assume the role, so for now Macon REACH is indefinitely stuck as the lone agency serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Jackson.

Yet Macon REACH has not been awarded the full share of state funding that Jackson once got when it had its own agency. Despite serving the population of two counties, Macon REACH isn’t getting funded at a commiserate level by the state. Two state funding streams are doled out per agency, rather than per county being served.

Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten called the formula unfair.

“We are being penalized,” said Wooten.

In all, it’s about a $75,000 funding hit now that one agency is serving both counties, rather than each having a standalone agency.

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Macon REACH is obviously focused on fundraising for its own county. Funds raised for Macon County services are earmarked as such — and not shipped over to support Jackson, explained Andrea Anderson, services director for Macon REACH. One solution to build that local support sphere that is currently “Nonprofits depend on a local missing is to create a Jackson County advisory board or commitcore of community activists, tee to liaison with Macon REACH volunteers, business, churches staff, Anderson said.

While Macon REACH survives and individuals who have a primarily on state funding, cuts are passion for their particular cause.” in store for next year (see related article).

— Ann VanHarlingen, When REACH of Jackson director, REACH of Macon County County suddenly shut its doors last February, it had been on the verge es and individuals who have a passion for their of financial insolvency for nearly two years and particular cause. Because we are new in finally reached the breaking point. By the end, Jackson County, we don’t have that core,” it was stitching together a budget from week to VanHarlingen said. week. Jackson REACH was behind on state and What they need most is donations and federal payroll taxes, its mortgage and had fundraising. And the Jackson community even used money earmarked for employees’ simply hasn’t stepped up to support Macon 401K accounts to stay afloat and pay bills.

REACH despite the nonprofit being the sole The root of financial ills for Jackson lifeline for domestic violence victims in the REACH stemmed from a housing complex for county. domestic violence victims trying to start a new A nonprofit’s board of directors typically life, but the mortgage burden overextended leads the fundraising charge. But the board for the agency.

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Macon REACH has asked Jackson County to help make up the difference.

Jackson County made a $20,000 contribution to Macon REACH in the current fiscal year. It has asked for $50,000 for the coming fiscal year to continue providing services in Jackson.

“We appreciate the support you as a county have given us,” Ann VanHarlingen, director of REACH of Macon County, told Jackson County commissioners during a presentation at a county budget workshop last week. “Unfortunately, there have been budget cuts, and our needs have grown due to the reduction of money coming in to Jackson County.”

Jackson County commissioners have seen a parade of nonprofits and agencies clamoring for budget increases in the wake of state cuts — from the public schools to the community college to the library system.

“How much can Jackson County afford to take up the shortfall of what the state is doing?” asked Commissioner Vickie Green.

“It is going to be really difficult this year.”

Green acknowledged that Macon REACH has been a lifeline, however.

“I think Jackson is getting a real deal to have the Macon REACH organization continue to provide those services in Jackson County,” Green said.

Macon REACH doesn’t want to sacrifice the level of services for domestic violence victims in its home county to prop up a shortfall in the funding formula for Jackson County, said Andrea Anderson, services director for Macon REACH. The nonprofit keeps a separate financial accounting for the services it provides in Jackson.

“We want people in both counties to know that resources meant for that county are used for that county,” said Anderson.

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER s Lieutenant James Rossi took the stage in his fatigues, a toddler’s voice cut across the auditorium, breaking the otherwise formal and borderline somber ceremony marking the imminent deployment of local National Guard troops to Afghanistan.

“Daddy, daddy!” the 16-month-old Ava hollered out from her seat as her father was ceremoniously handed the North Carolina state flag, which will accompany the 30 or so

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communities in Western North Carolina, including Sylva, Franklin, Bryson City and Cherokee. They are being sent first for training in Texas then on to the Middle East. As military police, their specialty is security detail.

Although it may seem counterintuitive — deploying more soldiers into a country where the U.S. military presence is supposedly winding down — Capt. Rick Scoggins, a spokesperson for the guard, explained that’s in fact why they’re being sent there. Beside

year stint, although not all of that time will be spent in Afghanistan. Another North Carolina company, the 211th, will be called up in coming months as well, Scoggins said.

The reserve soldiers lined up and moving in step at the ceremony in Sylva didn’t resemble the latest graduating class from boot camp. They range in age from 19 to nearly 40 years old and represent seasoned veterans to greenhorns.

Many have steady jobs, families and a normal life — all of which will be put on

base security, military police play an important role in necessary customs inspections of thousands of troops as they are brought back home from Afghanistan.

In other words, they’ll be facilitating the withdrawal, Scoggins said.

“They’re really and truly helping to assist other units to redeploy back to the U.S.” Scoggins said. “To reduce the footprint in Afghanistan.”

The 210th troops will join the ranks of more than 800 other N.C. National Guard forces serving oversees — scattered across the globe in Kuwait, Afghanistan, the horn of Africa and Kosovo.

The 210th military police will serve out a

hold for the time being while they are away.

One of the speakers at the ceremony, Army Lt. Col. Jerry Baird, urged the soldiers to take advantage of advances in technology to maintain contact with their families during their deployments. Skype, email and chat can make serving on a desolate base in a war-torn country across the world seem a little less distant.

“Today, 6,000 miles away is not the same as 6,000 miles away in World War II,” Baird said. “And just remember your family are the ones that are going to be waiting for you when you get home.”

At the age of 37, Samuel Long will be embarking on his third tour in the Middle

also be leaving behind a wife.

“It’s difficult leaving the family,” Long said. “The two youngest are handling it really well — the oldest knows more about what goes on.”

While Long knows, more or less, what to expect out of this deployment, 17 of the approximately 30 troops in the 210th going to Afghanistan are being called up for the first time in their military careers.

Long will be serving alongside troops in the company who are nearly 20 years his minor. But they’ll make it through, he said.

“Someone once said, you have to go to war to have war stories, so they’ll do just fine,” Long said.

Free kids festival coming to Haywood fairgrounds

Smoky Mountain News

troops from the 210th National Guard unit on their yearlong tour.

“It’ll be hard,” said his wife, Courtney Rossi, 26.

It’s the second time her husband has been sent away during wartime. The last time James Rossi was a bald-headed recruit heading to Iraq in 2004, right after the onset of fighting there. This time, James Rossi has a college degree and more responsibilities, like his wife and his 16-month-old daughter Ava. “We’re just proud of him,” Courtney said. “The sooner it starts, the sooner they get back.”

The troops in the National Guard’s 210th Military Police Company hail from several

April 24-30, 2013

Samuel Long, of Sylva, stands with his three children at a deployment ceremony in Jackson County last week. He will depart in coming weeks for a year-long stint on a military base in Afghanistan. The North Carolina National Guard’s 210th Military Police Company stands during prayer at a deployment ceremony at Southwestern Community College last week. Thirty members of the company are being deployed to Afghanistan.

news

National Guard send off one of many seen in WNC during decade-long conflict

East. Long, who lives in Sylva, served in Iraq in 2004 and Afghanistan in 2010. This upcoming tour will be the third time he has had to leave his family behind for the call of duty.

Except, this time around, Long said he also feels more confident about this upcoming deployment than he did about going to Iraq in 2004, when he was 27 years old. He is also more comfortable with the nature of this mission, than being sent to Iraq just as the war there was escalating nine years ago.

“With my training and my experience, I’m much more confident than I was as a 27year old kid,” Long said.

It’s actually his eldest son of three children, heading into high school next school year, who is taking the prospect of his father being away the hardest, Long said. He will

A free kids festival featuring music, activity areas, performances and give-aways will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Haywood County Fairground by Haywood Smart Start.

There will be craft and activity stations for kids, including face painting and balloon animals, plus storybook characters and clowns on site. Outside, there will be free hayrides by Canton’s The Maize, Haywood County Rescue Squad Ambulance Demonstrations, Mission Children’s Hospital Tooth Bus and Waynesville Fire Department’s Smokehouse.

On the stage, there will be performances by Angie’s Dance Academy, Voices in the Laurel, Take the Stage Fairy Tales, Dixie Darlin’ Cloggers and MusicWorks costumed children performing Seussical Musical & Little Mermaid.

For parents, there will be dozens of booths offering free literature and handouts on parenting tips and raising happy, active children.

Everything is free. diane@regionakids.org or 828.586.0661.

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news

More school counselors could afford needed ounce of prevention

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER f a student at Central Elementary has a particularly tough weekend at home, school counselor Leslie Smith won’t get to hear about it until four days later.

If a Lake Junaluska Elementary student is acting out on a Friday because they are struggling to cope with different emotions, Smith can’t be there to help. She is one of five fulltime school psychologists covering Haywood County’s nine elementary schools — which means splitting her time between two schools during the week.

“There are things that happen when you aren’t here, and you can’t be,” said Smith, who was hesitant to give any specific examples of school time incidents due to student confidentiality. “The ones that suffer with that are the kids.”

The school system hopes to change that by adding four additional guidance counselors so that each elementary school will have its own full-time counselor.

By getting troubled children help earlier,

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school officials hope to keep kids from becoming disgruntled and expressing their emotions through acts of violence or threats.

Parents, politicians and school leaders have called for increased safety and preventative measures in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy.

While school districts around the country have already or are contemplating adding more school resource officers to keep a watchful eye on students, Haywood County Schools is looking at increasing the number of school counselors on staff.

“We think it is a preventative measure for us,” said Bill Nolte, assistant superintendent of Haywood County Schools.

More counselors mean more eyes on the students. Counselors can help identify bullying and students with problems controlling their emotions or who need an ear to talk about troubles at home.

“If I get teased, how do I handle that?”

Smith said of a common cunundrum students face. “How do I handle the bossy kid?”

Haywood County Schools will seek a

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a rapport with them. She was more aware of personality and behavior changes.

“The more I know the kids, the more comfortable they are with me,” Smith said.

But now she has about 600 students in two schools under her supervision. About a quarter of those students, Smith estimated, have come to see her at some point or another.

“I don’t know that the problems are any different than 20 years ago. (But) they seem more severe and multiple,” she said.

Elementary school counselors can get to kids early and help teach them important skills such as perseverance, conflict resolution and even time management.

“I think that just makes sense. If you can help kids figure out school “It is possible for kids with really at the elementary level, middle school and high school will be so awful home situations to find much better,” Smith said. their place in school. They can When students are having troubles at home or with friends, it make it if school is something affects their productivity at school so teachers, staff and counselors try they feel good about, even if to make school a safe haven. things are falling apart at home.”

“It is possible for kids with really awful home situations to find — Leslie Smith, school counselor their place in school,” Smith said.

“They can make it if school is someNow only Bethel elementary, which has thing they feel good about, even if things are more than 500 students, has a full-time coun- falling apart at home.” selor. The other eight elementary schools have Counselors visit each classroom at least a counselor part time, which leaves school once a month to teach a new life lesson. It also administrators and teachers to deal with any gives them a chance to evaluate students. See problems on the counselor’s off-days. if their body language is closed off, if they are “We frequently have students who have more quiet than usual or disruptive. emotional needs, and the counselor is at the Since teachers are with the children every other school that day,” Nolte said. day, they too notice the same nuances. With Often times, what is happening at home everything else on their plate, however, teachspills over into the school day and affects stu- ers don’t have the time that school counselors dents’ behavior and decisions. While coun- can devote to aiding a single student. selors can sometimes anticipate problems on “The classroom teachers just have so the horizon for students, there will always be much. They can’t be everything,” Smith said. times when something unexpected occurs — For Smith, more full-time counselors and the school counselor may or may not be mean she can spend more time focusing on available. individual kids, getting to know them and “That is the concern. There is no way to be help them. And it could mean fewer students as effective as when I was at one school all the falling through the cracks. time,” Smith said.

“The more time that you have in a school, When Smith was responsible for only one the more able you are to meet more needs,” school, she knew the students and developed Smith said.

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$500,000 budget increase from the county for the coming fiscal year to add four new school resource officers and four new school counselors. Haywood school leaders presented their desired budget for the year at a school board meeting last week. The budget details projected revenues and expenses and also acts as a wish list when school administrators meet with county leaders in coming weeks to ask for funding.

“We are at the mercy of people actually providing what we are asking for,” Nolte said.

Haywood County used to have one fulltime counselor per elementary school and in a few cases, a part-time counselor as well. But they were cut.

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Tuscola High School student arrested for threats of mass violence A 16-year-old Tuscola High School student was arrested by Haywood County Sheriff’s Office deputies Thursday afternoon, April 18, and charged with a felony after telling fellow students he planned to commit mass acts of violence at the school the following day.

Deputies arrested Jonathan Miller Tingle of Clyde shortly after 3:30 p.m. and charged him with making a false report of mass violence on educational property — a Class I felony, according to Haywood County Sheriff Greg Christopher.

Tingle is alleged to have told classmates he planned to “commemoJonathan Miller rate” the anniversary of the school shootings at Columbine High School on Tingle Friday. The Columbine massacre occurred on April 20, 1999, in Colorado.

“We take these situations very seriously,” Christopher said. “School safety is of the upmost importance to us. We will continue to diligently work to protect our children, as well as the teachers and staff in our schools.”

Tingle was jailed in lieu of $10,000 secured bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for May 1.

Horse trading comes full circle in Jackson school budget news

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ackson County Schools brokered a sweet deal with county commissioners last year, or so it seemed at the time.

School leaders wanted to build a new gym and auditorium at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva, but the $11.4 million price tag was more than county commissioners wanted to pay.

So the school system agreed to a $147,000 budget reduction for the next two years in exchange for the county funding the building plan.

Now the time of reckoning has arrived, and Jackson school leaders have to figure out how exactly they are going to cut $147,000 from their budget for the next two years.

At this point, the school system doesn’t know, said Gwen Edwards, Jackson Schools finance director.

“We have to wait and see what the state budget is going to do to us,” Edwards said.

School systems across the state are bracing for state budget cuts, although it could be summer before a clear picture emerges of what those cuts will look like. Only then can Jackson school leaders figure out where there is still some wiggle room.

Superintendent Mike Murray said he does not regret making the deal with the county. It was worth it, he said.

Initially, the hoped-for cost of the gym

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and auditorium in the early planning stages was around $10.5 million. But by the time the final design was approved last fall, it clocked in at $11.4 million.

The school system also tacked on $1 million for locker rooms at Blue Ridge School in Glenville.

“We didn’t want them to be left out. Blue Ridge needed a dressing room,” said Murray.

The school system got a good deal from the county, he said, despite now being on the prowl to trim $147,000 from its budget.

“Ultimately, I am getting $12.6 million in building projects, and it is costing us $147,000 for two years,” Murray said.

The $147,000 will come from somewhere

on the operations side, Edwards said.

The school system only gets $235,000 from the county for maintenance and repairs, and it can’t come out of that, said Jay Grissom, director of school system operations.

Between warped carpet in Kindergarten classrooms, air conditioning repairs at Blue Ridge School, a moisture problem at Scotts Creek Elementary auditorium, and compromised football bleachers, the maintenance budget is nearly all spoken for, Grissom said.

And it can’t come out of a $400,000 line item for technology, according to David Proffitt, school technology director. That is barely enough as it is to pay software license

fees, replace things like file servers and network switches, run new cable and constantly repair the digital infrastructure backbone — not to mention buying computer devices for the student body, Proffitt said.

So that leaves the operations side, Edwards said. Jackson Schools get $6.7 million in operating funds from the county to supplement state operating dollars.

The new Smoky Mountain High gym will seat 1,500, and the auditorium will seat 750.

The high school currently lacks a proper performing arts venue. Band, choral and theater students stage productions off campus in the auditoriums at Southwestern Community College or Western Carolina University.

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news

Flourishing in a fading art form

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER It’s Monday morning, and Mary Lou Rinehart is taking a moment to relax.

Owner of Clyde Ray’s Flower Shop in Waynesville, Rinehart spent most of the weekend putting the final touches on innumerable corsages and arrangements for the two high school proms that were on back-to-back nights.

“You’re ecstatic when they come in and say their flowers look great,” she smiled. “It makes you feel good, and it never gets old.”

Clyde Ray’s is one of three locally owned flower shops in downtown Waynesville. It’s claim to fame, at least according to Rinehart, is it’s the oldest continuous florist in Western North Carolina. That’s a tradition she’s proud to carry on.

“I honestly didn’t think I’d be doing this for that long. It’s the longest I’ve done anything,” said Rinehart, who’s been running the shop for 28 years. “But, I really enjoy it, even when it can get hectic on Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.” Raised in Ohio, Rinehart has always had a love for flowers.

Whether it was wandering in her grandmother’s lush orchard or simply finding work at her hometown florist, flowers brought her joy.

“I like the changing of the seasons, and flowers are a great indicator of that,” she said. “There’s always something different, some new strain or color. It can be very trendy, too.”

Rinehart then moved from Ohio to Florida, where she lived for the next 30 years. Eventually, her family started looking around for new business ventures and soon came across Waynesville and Clyde

Owner of Clyde Ray’s Flower Shop in Waynesville, Mary Lou Rinehart takes pride in her service to the community, one flower at a time.

Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013

Garret K. Woodward Photo

Ray’s. It’s owner, the original Clyde Ray, had passed away, and the business was now being run by his bookkeeper.

“I never had any intention of owning a flower shop,” she said. “We wanted to come to the mountains and found we liked Waynesville.”

While the small town florists have taken a backseat to online retailers, large chain stores and a rollercoaster economy during the years, she has held strong and stuck it out. Rinehart points to the handful of regional flower shops that have already closed, but she feels the local hometown flower shop will never completely fade away.

“You get what you pay for,” she said.

“The problem with buying flowers online is you never know what you’re going to get or what shape they’ll be in. A lot of the flowers at these chain stores are either overwatered or not watered enough, so they die in just a few days.”

Still, sales are down at Clyde Ray’s, which is why Rinehart stresses the importance of supporting local business.

“I’m hoping it picks up like it used to be,” she said. “If you don’t support your local businesses, they can’t make it.”

Nowadays, Rinehart is the sole owner of the shop and runs it with the help of a few assistants. She enjoys helping out her loyal customers find the perfect flower for their mother, relative, friend or significant other.

It’s about sharing her passion for flowers with others, connecting to them through the unique beauty of a simple plant or complex arrangement.

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appeal to the town’s zoning board. But if the zoning board agrees with Clark, there is no other recourse.

“The buck stops there,” Clark said.

However, with some forethought and planning, business owners shouldn’t have much trouble meeting the town’s design guidelines, he said.

“These standards are for the most part very easily met — it just takes some prethought,” Clark said.

In addition to lightening the load for aldermen and speeding up potential development, the town’s design standards will become more black and white. Rather than using language such as “recommended” or “encouraged,” guidelines will be mandatory — including what building materials may be used and what paint colors are appropriate.

“This is less flexible,” Clark said.

Buildings in Maggie Valley incorporate a hodgepodge of looks and feels, so the design standards were changed three years ago to move the valley toward a single image — something it doesn’t have. The guidelines focus on a mountain theme and encourage business owners to incorporate earth tones and materials, such as native stone, wood siding and brick, on their buildings.

Terms like acceptable and encouraged leave wiggle room that could cause problems

BUILDINGS TO BE REMOVED FROM PROPERTY

• 1 Story Frame Building (Labeled Building #1 Above Taco Bell)

• 1 Story Block Building (Labeled Building #2 Above Taco Bell)

• 1 Story Brick Dwelling (Labeled Building #3 On NC 209 Near Train Trestle)

• Framed Barn (Labeled Building #4 On NC 209 Near Train Trestle)

• 2 Story Frame Dwelling (Labeled Building #5 Off Sr 1526)

• 1 Story Block Garage (Labeled Building #6 Off Sr 1526

• 1 Story Brick Dwelling (Labeled Building #7 Off Sr 1526)

• 1 Story Brick Dwelling (Labeled Building #8 Off Sr 1526)

• 1 Metal Sign (Labeled Sign #9) Above Taco Bell

• 1 Metal Sign (Labeled Sign #10) Above Taco Bell

Learn more The Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, at the Maggie Valley Town Hall to talk about the proposed changes to the conditional use permit process and the town’s design standards.

(Labeled Sign #11) Above Taco Bell

FOR SALE BY THE NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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BID OPENING DEADLINE: MAY 24, 2013 • 10 A.M. It is the sole responsibility of the buyers to remove these structures from North Carolina Department of Transportation property before September 3rd, 2013. All winning bidders will be required to furnish a performance deposit for the outbuilding to be held by the Department of Transportation until all structures are removed and cleared to ground level including slab foundation and crawl space removal. Any remaining basements will need to be filled in per Department’s standards. All structures are to be removed per all State and Federal regulations at the winning bidder’s expense.

Only SEALED BIDS on BID FORMS furnished by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and placed in a sealed envelope with the words “SEALED BID” and bid opening date written on the front of the envelope will be considered.

Sealed bids shall be delivered to : North Carolina Department of Transportation, Right of Way Office, 1594 East Main Street, Sylva, NC 28713 or mailed to Teddy Greene, 1594 East Main Street, Sylva, NC 28713 Sealed bids will be opened at the Division Right of Way Office at 10:00 am on May 24th, 2013.

Sealed bids must be received either by mail or personal delivery prior to 10:00 am May 24th, 2013 or they will not be considered. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to insure the bid is received prior to the opening. The North Carolina Department of Transportation makes no warrant as to the potential, present, or future use of this property. The North Carolina Department of Transportation reserves the right of reject any and all bids.

In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color or national origin.

Smoky Mountain News

in the future, particularly if one town employee is responsible for giving projects a thumbs up or down.

“People could read our rules, and what does encouraged mean? It is either acceptable or unacceptable,” said Billy Case, a member of the planning board. “It was open to anybody’s given interpretation.”

But such terms can also restrict business owners. Overly strict standards could prevent some businesses from moving to town.

“You are balancing on a fine line here of property rights and the overall of the appearance of the town,” DeSimone said. “You need to make sure you aren’t shooting yourself in the foot.”

Seifert said the more stringent standards are more for the town planner’s benefit than a means to hinder someone from doing what they want with their business.

“It was done that way so that Nathan (Clark), or whoever is town planner, doesn’t have to sit there and argue every single point with somebody,” Seifert said. “It is just to simplify it.”

• 1 Cash And Carry Sign

April 24-30, 2013

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER he Maggie Valley town board will soon divest itself from the role of both judge and jury for new businesses moving into the town’s commercial district.

The town board assumed the role three years ago of OK’ing — or vetoing — every new business that wants to come to town, not to mention any minor change to existing ones, from fences to parking lots to new patios. But it’s too much, aldermen feel.

“I would get a little frustrated. We would have to have these special called meetings,” said Maggie Valley Alderman Mike Matthews.

“There is no reason for us to deal with it.”

The town board also signs off on any new business coming to town, even if they simply plan to move into a existing building as is. In one egregious instance, a hotel shut down in the valley, and someone came along and wanted to reopen it. But they were delayed.

“We had to have meeting to figure out if they could put a hotel where another hotel was,” Matthews said.

It’s cumbersome for business people as well. The town board is actually the third stop in their approval chain. They must first run it past the town planning board and next the zoning board of adjustment.

Then comes a public hearing before the town board of aldermen finally votes on it.

Once all is said and done, the process takes two months at best, for even the most innocuous business, and delays development.

People have to “go through three different hearings with three different boards before they can get anything done,” said Mike Seifert, a Maggie planning board member and owner of the Alamo Motel. “Time is of the essence. They can’t sit around for two and half months.”

Under the town’s commercial rules, Maggie Valley’s Board of Aldermen needs to rubberstamp every minute change by existing businesses, such as adding a few spaces to a parking lot.

If an entrepreneur has financing lined up, a crew to make renovations and a summer deadline, the three or more step process for approval is unnecessarily time-consuming.

That could very likely change in the near future, however, as the board of aldermen is in favor of delegating more decisions to the town planner.

“We are trying to streamline the process,” said Maggie Valley Mayor Ron DeSimone. “The whole board kind of collectively wanted that.”

If approved, people planning to open businesses in Maggie Valley would just need an appearance certificate from Town Planner Nathan Clark to proceed. As long as the business meets the town’s design standards and permitted uses, Clark would award the owner the certificate — a process more in line with most other municipalities.

If a business owner is for some reason denied an appearance certificate, they can

— FOR SALE —

news

Maggie aldermen bow out of business approval process

For full particulars contact Teddy Greene, Jeff Riddle or Tony Rickman at the previously mentioned office and address, telephone number 828-586-4040.

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news

Lots of winners in festival grants

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER he Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will hand out a bevy of grants for festivals and niche tourism projects throughout the county this year — most of them old standards but a few new events.

The tourism board sets aside a quarter of its budget — about $225,000 — to doll out in the form of mini grants each year. The minigrant funding is split up among five locales, which each have their own committee to decide how to spend their piece of the pie. It gives each locale in the county a chance to fund pet projects or festivals seen as important to the tourism scene for their community.

The county tourism board must sign off on how the committees want to spend their pot of mini-grant funding, however.

One of the winners in this year’s minigrant funding was the Haywood County Fairgrounds.

The Canton mini-grant committee awarded $3,500 to the fairgrounds advertising — something it has struggled with in the past. The fairgrounds does not have someone whose sole job is to market the venue and get its name out there, making it difficult to attract new events.

“This is something that has not been funded before by Canton, but they have stepped up,” said Ken Stahl, the TDA

Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013

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finance chair.

Lake Junaluska’s mini-grant committee chipped in another $500 for the fairgrounds.

Stahl said that the fairgrounds deserved some help from tourism money.

“The fairgrounds needs to get more play, more support,” Stahl said.

The venue includes a football field-sized covered arena and a second indoor exhibition hall used for events, such as the county fair, gun shows and horse competitions.

Waynesville’s mini-grant committee chose not to give any money to the fairgrounds this year because members felt it attracts mostly locals to its events and does not put heads in beds.

However, Waynesville’s committee did feel that at least one event does bring in people. It has allocated more than $8,100 to the Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association for materials to promote its annual show held at the fairgrounds as well as Haywood County accommodations.

The annual dog fanciers’ show translates to 108 room nights, Stahl reported at the recent TDA meeting.

“That really could be a niche market so to speak because people come from far and wide,” Stahl said. “The numbers that we saw were very favorable.”

Two other notable allocations from the Waynesville committee that are newcomers on the mini-grant scene are: $1,500 for The Strand Theater to advertise a performance schedule for 2013-2014 and $3,000 to Bear Waters Brewing Company for a Waynesville Beer Fest in August 2013.

Folkmoot back in the tourism grant fold

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Folkmoot USA brings more than 250 performers from nine countries to Haywood County for two weeks in the summer. Performers from Turkey (pictured above) attended the Folkmoot festival a couple years ago. Patrick Parton photo

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER he Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will restore annual grant funding for Folkmoot USA, reversing a move last year to cut off the highly popular international folk dance festival.

Folkmoot has struggled financially in recent years as local government funding has dried up. It was forced to rely solely on donors and ticket sales to hold the two-week long event that brings in 250 performers from nine countries. The festival costs more than $300,000 annually, and Folkmoot has had to dip into its reserves at an unsustainable pace to keep going.

For years, the nonprofit received up to $12,000 annually from the tourism authority to help with advertising and promotions. But last year, the board told Folkmoot leaders that it would no longer get a guaranteed allocation from the general tourism budget.

TDA board members expressed concern at the time that Haywood County was the only county in the region funding the Folkmoot festival, despite a handful of performances being staged in other counties as well. The board also stated they wanted to place an emphasis on supporting new events rather than continuing to prop up the same long-running festivals.

However, this year — Folkmoot’s 30th year — the TDA has restored its general fund allocations for Folkmoot to the tune of $6,000 for advertising.

Folkmoot also won $8,000 from a separate pot of tourism dollars dolled out by a Waynesville grant funding committee — namely to spend on general operations in the name of International Festival Day, a free event in downtown Waynesville put on in cooperation with the Haywood Arts Council.

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The nonprofit’s financial struggles convinced the TDA to reinstate some of the funding, said Ken Stahl, head of the TDA’s finance committee. Folkmoot also lost up to $100,000 annual grant funding from the county and state during the recession. The town of Waynesville is the only government entity still helping Folkmoot.

The tourism authority brings in more than $900,000 a year from a 4 percent tax on overnight lodging, and pumps that money back into tourism marketing and development.

Karen Babcock, executive director of Folkmoot USA, said it only seems right for the county’s tourism arm to allocate a set amount to the festival since it brings thousands of visitors to Haywood, where it is headquartered.

“Since Folkmoot is one of the longest running and most successful events in Haywood County, it makes sense,” Babcock said. “Mostly what we try to explain is the huge majority of events and audiences are in Haywood County.”

Meanwhile, Babcock and others at Folkmoot have worked to trim their expenses and be more fiscally responsible, including cutting the number of countries represented at the festival from 12 to nine. In 2008, the nonprofit spent $417,203 annually. The nonprofit has now slashed that amount to $311,145.

“That is pretty considerable,” Babcock said of the cuts.

Babcock said she hopes to balance Folkmoot’s budget by next year.

“It has been a slow process, but we are working on being completely balanced,” she said.

While Folkmoot was cut last year from the tourism agency’s general budget, it was still been eligible for mini-grants given out from a separate pot of tourism money controlled by individual locales. Folkmoot ended up getting $8,000 last year in mini-grants from Waynesville.

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BY ANDREW KASPER sons as a kayaker looking for whitewater STAFF WRITER rapids on the Tuckasegee River. sk vacationers why they pick Jackson But shooting right down the middle County, and you might heard words might simply guarantee missing both target like “escape,” “relief ” and “tradition.” markets, pointed out Ken Fernandez, a realOne tourist described visiting Jackson estate agent in Cashiers.

County is like entering a Norman Rockwell The experiment in a countywide tourism painting; another said it’s like being brand and marketing focus is a new one. Until wrapped in a blanket with a hot drink. recently, the county had two separate tourism These fond descriptions are a sampling arms, one representing the Cashiers and of the findings of a Virginia-based marketing Glenville area and the other the county at large. firm, BCF, tasked with branding Jackson “We have two very different demographCounty’s tourism image. ics of folks who come to the county,” In recent weeks, the company has been Fernandez said. “It’s not going to be easy conducting surveys of past tourists, visiting because there is a diverse market.” with locals to understand their sense of place, The county merged the two tourism entiand taking in the sights and sounds of the ties into one in January, precipitating the quest mountains — all with for a unifying brand as the goal of manufacthe first step in their turing a tourism marnew paradigm. keting pitch for Webb also suggestJackson County. ed to the other “What we’re looktourism board meming for are powerful bers that they put emotional drivers, energy into attracting that happen to people a younger generation while they’re visiting of visitors, to build here,” said Art Webb, rapport with them president and CEO of now so they’ll continthe company. ue to come back in the The company’s future. Meanwhile the preliminary findings baby boomers, who were presented to the have historically drivcounty’s Tourism en tourism industries, If pondering waterfalls is your thing, per- especially in Jackson Development Authority at its meethaps you travel regularly to Jackson County. County, are retiring ing last week. BCF is Mark Haskett photo and downsizing their working under a lives, Webb said. That $50,000 contract to may mean they travel provide the county less or sell off their with a brand it can vacation homes. use to attract visitors.

The shift has left Webb said if his many tourist destinacompany can uncover tions saying, “Uh-oh, The Smoky Mountain News wants to hear the essence of the our older guests aren’t your ideas for a Jackson County tourism county and identify returning like they brand for a contest we’re running through reasons people visit, used to,” Webb said.

May 15. Send your brand suggestions to it can use that inforFurthermore, andrew@smokymountainnews.com. mation to develop the baby boomers no brand. Although the longer dominate the unveiling of a final product is still weeks off, generational landscape, as they did in the Webb promised it will consist of three 1980s and 1990s, when they were younger things: a name, an identity and a promise. and in their prime. Back then, the number of “It’s not a slogan, logo or any of that stupeople under the age of 50 in the country pid, trite stuff,” Webb said. “The brand iden- dwarfed the number of people over the age tity creates a visceral response.” of 50. Now, the two demographics are in a However, Jackson County may be up dead heat, meaning marketing campaigns against some distinct challenges, Webb said. need to find new and creative ways to attract The small, Appalachian county does not the younger crowd. have the name recognition as some other “It’s pretty clear we need to start establishtourist hotspots, such as Aspen, Colo. or Key ing traction with Generation X and Generation West, Fla. Y,” Webb said. “Demography is destiny.”

Moreover, the chosen brand will have to Webb said much of that targeted marketresonate across several distinct demographic ing will take place in the second phase of the boundaries to be successful. A homebuyer campaign, when choices are made about scoping out a high-end residence in Cashiers how and where to advertise the county’s may not visit the county for the same reabrand and image.

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news

Lake Junaluska’s bold new plan to reclaim its future

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center has unveiled a $40 million, 10year campus master plan in hopes of bolstering convention business and attracting a new breed of resort tourist.

The plan will bring conference facilities out of the 1950s and 60s era and up to modern expectations.

“We have to attract groups to come to Lake Junaluska to stay in our hotels, to eat our food, to have meetings here and to experience the beauty and tranquility of this place,” said Lake Junaluska CEO Jack Ewing.

Key components in the plan include a complete renovation of the Lambuth Inn, a new convention hall adjoining the back of the inn and renovation of the Terrace Hotel.

The final phase calls for new large-scale civic center on the lakeshore, seating 1,000 to 1,500.

Lake Junaluska’s business has been slumping in recent years and taking its toll on the conference center’s bottom line.

“What we are going to do is going to be economically transformational,” Ewing said.

But the Lake Junaluska Conference Center will have to borrow a sizeable amount to pull off the plan. Ewing hopes a capital campaign could raise as much as $20 million of the $40 million price tag for the master plan.

But there will still be debt to incur. And if the new facilities don’t create the hoped for bump in revenue, the whole plan will fail.

It is a gamble and it does have risk, but it’s a calculated risk, Ewing said.

“The risk of doing nothing is absolutely greater than the risk of moving forward,” he said. “We have got to do this right, and we have got to move with great caution. At the same time, we have to be bold in making some change for the future of Lake Junaluska.”

Ewing said the future of Lake Junaluska is at stake. On its current trajectory, it will become more and more irrelevant as it loses a little bit more of its conference and convention business each year.

“What people want today is so different than what we have been providing historical-

Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013

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“The world has changed; what people want has changed; what people are wiling to pay for has changed; and therefore, Lake Junaluska has to change as well. People are making choices about whether to come, how long to stay, what quality of service they want and ultimately how much they are willing to pay.”

— Jack Ewing, Lake Junaluska CEO

ly,” Ewing said. “Because we didn’t have the resources to invest in the meeting, eating and sleeping spaces, our traditional base has shrunk — partly because the demographic of United Methodist Conference goers has shrunk and partly because the competition around us has increased.”

Lake Junaluska employs around 100 people on a year-round basis, a number that doubles during the height of its summer

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conference season.

Other elements of the 10-year master plan include a new youth dining hall, expansion of the lakeshore trail to tie all the conference facilities together and improved recreational sites — including a swimming beach on the lake in Ewing’s ideal world.

Each element of the campus master plan will pay homage to Lake Junaluska’s most important asset: the lake itself.

“The lake is in the center — literally,” Ewing said. “It is in the center of everything.

Not just physically, it is the emotional center.

Everything we will do will ask the question of ‘How does that engage with the lake?’”

Buildings will be oriented toward the lake and positioned to afford long-range views of the water and mountains.

The first phase of the plan is renovating the Lambuth Inn to create a high-quality resort experience. That will in turn boost revenue to help pay for the next phases of the master plan.

“Lambuth will become a destination.

People will want to come and stay in this historic hotel with fabulous food,” Ewing said.

“The ability to complete this long range plan is highly dependent on us doing the right things along the way.”

As a Methodist retreat, Lake Junaluska Conference Center ascribes to a higher calling. It doesn’t exist for the same reasons as a private, for-profit resort destination.

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Setting up a business Facebook page

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free business seminar, “Setting Up Your Business Facebook Page,” from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30, Room 219 of the center. Attendees will learn how to build a business Facebook page from their personal Facebook pages.

Denise Teague, of Denise G.H. Teague Business Support Services, will be the presenter. Teague is a former retailer who used Facebook aggressively to promote her business. Reserve a seat at 828.627.4512.

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Lake Junaluska is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year since its founding as a summer retreat for wealthy Methodists in

WCU, he is a past president and member of both the WCU Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Catamount Club Board of Directors.

Drake and Messer will fill vacancies created by the departure of Joan MacNeill and former N.C. Sen. Steve Metcalf.

Sons of American Revolution hold clothing drive for veterans

Chris Cooper, associate professor and head of the Department of Political Science and

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors elected Phil Drake, chief executive officer of Drake Enterprises, and Kenny Messer, an executive with Milliken Corp., to four-year terms on the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees.

A native of Franklin, Drake began developing tax software in 1977. His companies now employ more than 500 people in businesses that include accounting, retail, software, dining, theater, golf, printing, Internet service, family entertainment, construction and fiber optics.

Messer is global business director of specialty chemical and packaging at Milliken & Co. in Spartanburg, S.C. A 1986 graduate of

Members of the Silas McDowell Chapter of the North Carolina Society of Sons of the American Revolution recently made their final delivery from this year’s clothing drive to the Veterans Restoration Quarters in Asheville, which serves more than 250 homeless veterans.

The chapter delivered more than 800 items of donated clothing and toiletries to Veterans Restoration Quarters.

One hundred percent of the veterans in the program are engaged in education or training; 80 percent hold jobs; 20 percent access disability support through veterans’ benefits and public support. The program has been recognized as one of the top in the country.

Veterans Restoration Quarters is located in a former Super 8 Motel one mile east of the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Asheville.

the early 1900s.

Lake Junaluska plays host to tens of thousands of Methodist church members for retreats every year — its bread and butter no doubt — but it has expanded into secular conventions.

Group bookings account for 90 percent of Lake Junaluska’s business, and the majority are church-related. After all, that’s its entire purpose: to host Christian retreats that in turn foster spiritual growth.

The sweeping master plan is ultimately aimed at attracting more guests — not only the church-related conferences and retreats it’s known for but also catering to vacationers seeking a resort experience.

Marketing itself as a vacation destination could help shore up its bottom line. Ewing

would like to grow that side of its market share from just 10 percent of its portfolio to as much as 20 percent.

Lake Junaluska has lost money eight of the past 10 years. But last year was one of its better ones.

“We ended the year with $200,000 in the black,” Ewing said.

It was accomplished largely by cutting costs, and thanks to a 50 percent increase in charitable donations from benefactors.

While bottom-line realities are forcing Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center to reinvent its campus, its mission won’t be forgotten or compromised, Ewing said.

“It doesn’t mean we abandon our foundational principles or values,” Ewing said.

Ewing finds a way to recite Lake Junaluska’s mission statement parcel and verse in nearly every conversation he has, often more than once, no matter how casual the encounter. It has been drummed in and committed to memory by nearly everyone who has an association with the lake of any sort.

The mission simply states: “A place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through renewal of soul, mind and body.”

New buildings, a prettier lakeshore and new interior decorating aren’t a goal in and of themselves, Ewing said.

“This is simply a means to an end,” Ewing said. “If people’s lives weren’t being transformed or renewed, we would have failed.”

WCU’s Chris Cooper named among UNC system’s top professors

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Smoky Mountain News

Mother’s Day is May 12th and we have her perfect gift!

WCU names Drake to board

April 24-30, 2013

But Lake Junaluska likewise can’t ignore business realities.

“The world has changed; what people want has changed; what people are willing to pay for has changed; and therefore, Lake Junaluska has to change as well,” Ewing said.

“People are making choices about whether to come, how long to stay, what quality of service they want and ultimately how much they are willing to pay.”

A reception for the exhibit “Testify: Beyond Place,” which celebrates the presence of the African Americans in Western North Carolina, will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University.

“Testify” is an installation by Marie T. Cochran, former faculty member of the WCU School of Art and Design. It pays homage to the 120th anniversary of the Mount Zion AME Church in Cullowhee, which once stood on the grounds of what was to later become Western Carolina University.

The reception will feature performances by the Ubuntu choir of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Truthwriters and the Three Arrows from 5:15-6:15 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through Friday, May 10.

The event is free and open to the public.

828.227.3591 or www.fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.

Public Affairs at Western Carolina University, has been named one of the best teachers in the University of North Carolina system in recognition of his engaging and dynamic teaching style.

Cooper is among 17 recipients of the 19th annual UNC Board of Governors Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

A faculty member at WCU since 2002, Cooper regularly wins rave reviews from his students and earns praise from his faculty colleagues as “an engaging professor who is actually energized as a teacher by his interactions with students.”

news

Anyone who wants to quit smoking can enroll in a “Freedom from Tobacco” course taught by nurses from the VA hospital in Asheville starting May 2 at the Haywood County Health Department.

The first class is from 1-3 p.m. that day.

Nurses will lead participants through an American Lung Association approved plan that has been shown to help smokers and other tobacco users kick the habit. Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care can receive tobacco cessation medications, as appropriate. The class is open to the community, and participants do not have to be veterans to attend.

828.298.7911, ext. 4244.

Reception for AfricanAmerican art exhibit held at WCU

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Cemeteries ensconced by park remain a source of consternation

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER t is a day Lawrence Hyatt looks forward to all year — venturing into the Smokies backcountry to pay homage at the graves of early settlers who lived there.

But this year, a landslide washed out the only trail leading to Lower Noland Cemetery, a place he’s visited regularly since childhood. The National Park Service, which transports descendents into the park for graveside Decoration Days, postponed the visit from April until October.

According to Hyatt and others who regularly visit cemeteries in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, that was not the first time a trip has been rescheduled because the park service has not yet taken the time to fix a damaged road.

And during the past few years, it has led some to feel as if park leaders are trying to shut them out of the old cemeteries, which are home to many of their ancestors.

“They seem to be trying to freeze us out,” said Lawrence Hyatt, a native of Swain County who lived with his family in Noland Creek until 1946 when it became part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Hyatt, who now lives in Tennessee, is one of dozens who make an annual pilgrimage across Fontana Lake and venture into the rugged Smokies backcountry to visit the graves of their ancestors. There are more than two dozen family cemeteries dotting the Swain County side of the national park.

The graves date to before the national park’s creation, when small communities were scattered through the hills and families tended their own cemeteries.

Family trips to visit the old cemeteries gave rise to the unique tradition known as “Decoration Days.” Each family cemetery has its own scheduled Decoration Day, when flowers and decorations are lavished on the graves. There are picnics, hymns and prayers, a family reunion of sort for descendents.

But the journey into the North Shore region of the national park — the largest roadless area in the East — is a challenge for descendents, especially the older ones. The park service helps out by transporting families across Fontana Lake by boat and up the trails by jeep or four-wheelers where possible.

However, some regular cemetery visitors feel that in recent years, the park service is simply waiting for the groups of older people who still celebrate Decoration Days to dissipate.

“It is just a matter of when the older folks fade out,” said Aileen McCoy, a 65-year-old Bryson City resident. “They would like the whole North Shore thing to go up into wilderness as if no one ever lived there.”

People have complained that the park service does not accommodate more senior citizens who still wish to participate in 20 Decoration Days but are not very mobile.

Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013

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Jack Cable decorates a grave at the Cable Branch Decoration on the North Shore of Smoky Mountains National Park. Photo courtesy of Karen Singer Jabbour

A history of grievances People in Swain County are naturally suspicious of the federal government, including the park service. The history between Swain County residents and the federal government is fraught with mistrust, starting with the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the 1930s. The acquisition forced people to abandon their houses, churches and family cemeteries to make way for the new national park, and make their homes elsewhere.

The construction of Fontana Dam in the 1940s forced more evacuations as the rising waters behind the dam flooded out communities and homesteads. And still hundreds more were evacuated from their homes simply because the lake had blocked access into or out of their communities in the territory now known as the “North Shore.” The isolated and unreachable land along the North Shore was deeded over the national park, but the remnants of the communities and homesteads of the area still remain — including dozens of small family cemeteries.

The federal government initially agreed to build a road along the north shore of Fontana Lake to provide easy access to these cemeteries. But decades later, the road sat partly finished, without much hope for completion as promised.

Rather than continue to hold out hope that the federal government would finish the road, former U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler negotiated a $52 million cash settlement on Swain County’s behalf. The county received an initial $12.8 million payment in 2010. But it hasn’t seen any money since.

They want the national park to improve the rough trails to give people easier, better access to the cemeteries.

For the baby boomer generation and their parents, Decoration Days are an ingrained tradition. They are something that you must do; participation is not optional. It is what they have always done.

“They are my people, and I pay heritage to them,” Hyatt said. “They are the ones who built the churches and all of that stuff. It is a responsibility.”

Although Hyatt’s people were exhumed from a cemetery that lies under Fontana Lake and reburied at Lauada cemetery in Bryson City, he still likes to visit cemeteries such as Lower Noland. For him and others of his generation, Decoration Days were the highlight of the year, a time to gather, to

pray and to celebrate.

“Most of the younger people don’t understand what it meant to these older people.

The decoration was the social event of the year,” Hyatt said. “We have people from all walks of life. We have doctors and lawyers and Indian chiefs. And we have poor people, hard working people.”

People would not just go to remember their relatives and decorate their own family’s graves but also those of their ancestors’ neighbors.

“It’s not just a ‘my family’ thing. It’s a whole community thing,” McCoy said.

OBSTACLES TO ENTRY The negative sentiments toward the park service expressed by McCoy and Hyatt are

examples of why the Swain County Board of Commissioners recently established the nine-member National Park Cemeteries Accessibility Council. The hope is the advisory council will give the park service an extra push toward improving access to the cemeteries.

“That is all we are asking for, to provide access to any and all who have people buried up there,” said Swain County Commissioner David Monteith.

In some cases, people have to take boats and hike at least a mile to the now-secluded cemeteries.

There is already an organization, the North Shore Cemetery Association, which works with the national park officials.

Monteith said the council is not trying to undercut the existing cemetery association’s efforts but rather add to them.

“We just want to enhance it and make it stronger,” Monteith said. “Try to put more backbone to it.”

The postponement of the Lower Noland cemetery visit seems to be the impetus for the council’s creation. According to Monteith and others, it is just one of a number of incidents when people have had trouble getting to a cemetery site.

Although Decoration Day at Lower Noland will still happen, just in October, some participants complained that the park service could have fixed the dirt trail between January when they washed out and April when the Decoration Day was scheduled — especially since families plan reunions around the graveside gatherings.

Don Casada, who has made it his mission to map the forgotten and historic home sites now hidden among the forests of the national park, visited the Noland Creek area after the slide and was shocked to find the trail still damaged with just some cones setup around the site.

“It was clear that absolutely nothing had been done,” Casada said. “It was kind of really surprising to me that nothing had been done to prevent further erosion.”

Casada sided with critics who believe the park service has slacked on its responsibility and could have fixed the Noland Creek slide in time for Decoration Day or at the very least used four-wheelers to transport people.

“There is plenty of room to take those through there,” Casada said. “If they really wanted to do it, it could be done, in my view, if it was a priority.”

In documents from the 1930s establishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, “The tenor of those was the park service would do everything they could,” Casada said. “It does seem to me that in the last few years it has declined significantly.”

Rather than balancing the preservation of the land and the memory of the people who once lived there, the scales tend to be weighed away from remembering what Swain County residents gave up, he said.

“Places are very important to mountain people — home places,” Casada said. “It basically becomes a family reunion.”

But park representatives stated it is simply a case of not enough manpower. The remote trail system along Fontana Lake is not heavily trafficked like U.S. 441 or Deep

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“It is just a matter of when the older folks fade out. They would like the whole North Shore thing to go up into wilderness as if no one ever lived there.�

Creek, both of which experienced slides after January’s rainstorms and flooding.

With limited resources and lots of park trails and roadways, it’s difficult to maintain. “It’s challenging. There are a lot of challenges with all the roads and networks keeping them going,� said Tobias Miller, a trails supervisor with the park service.

Miller added that park service officials consulted with the North Shore Cemetery Association before pushing the Decoration Day event back to October.

it was nothing to what we have now.�

Vance’s daughter and fellow association member Leeunah Woods said she has not heard one person complain about troubles getting to the cemeteries and would have her own problems with the park service if it were true. “We have never had anybody say anything. No, they are not trying to keep us out,� Woods said.

One example listed by critics of the park service was the limitation of visitors to the Calhoun, Walker and Wike cemeteries in June for Decoration Days at those ETTER THAN BEFORE early sites. The park service used to take whoever Leaders with the North Shore Cemetery wanted to go up to the cemeteries. But in Association disagree with Monteith and oth- recent years, the number has been limited ers’ assessments about the park service’s job to only about a dozen people. So even of providing access to cemeteries. though dozens showed up the first couple of “The park has been really good to help years after the change, many were left standus,� said Helen Vance, head of the North ing in the parking lot with no where to go, McCoy said.

Woods said the reason it was cut down was because many of the younger people would come to eat lunch at the cemeteries, a Decoration Day custom, and would immediately want to leave after.

After spending time boating people across Fontana Lake, park employees would have to turn around soon after and take part of the party back to their cars, leaving only one or two employees to transport the remaining individuals deeper into the park to continue Decoration Day. Children sing hymn during Brendle Hill Cemetery’s Decoration Day. Critics are also rallyPhoto courtesy of Karen Singer Jabbour ing around the idea of upgrading the roads to Shore Cemetery Association. “I have never the cemeteries so that vehicles can be used to had a problem before. If we had to postpone transport elderly visitors closer to the it, we postponed it.� gravesites.

Vance was a key player in getting the In some cases, older residents with limitpark service to help get people up to the ed mobility are prevented from taking part cemeteries in the first place. For years, peoin decoration days as they had for decades ple could go but had to make their own way. because they cannot walk long distances or “The first couple years, we had to take the way up to the cemetery is too steep. our own boats,� Vance said. “Some of our very elderly, they can’t go And if you didn’t have a boat, you couldthere,� McCoy said. n’t visit some of the cemeteries or would McCoy and others have suggested that have to hike a considerable distance. But the park service upgrade the roads and also now, park employees use park service boats make use of four-wheelers to transport the to shuttle people across the lake, and fourmost senior members of the Decoration Day wheelers or buses to drive people as close to parties to cemeteries. the cemeteries as possible — a long way “I think the park could do better and from what it once was, according to Vance. needs to be better,� McCoy said. “What I am interested in is keeping what After all, they gave up their land to make we have,� Vance said. “The first eight years, the creation of the park possible.

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— Aileen McCoy, a 65-year-old Bryson City resident

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Opinion I will miss my conversations with Roger Ebert I

Smoky Mountain News

Dillsboro and Jackson need railroad back To the Editor: How will the saga of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad end? There have been many letters written about this grant, comparing it to a loan of Jackson County taxpayer money, which it is not. It is a grant with many terms attached. The state of North Carolina provided this grant money to help counties attract new businesses. This is the money that Jackson County is using to fund the grant for the GSMR. We cannot expect to get more grant money until we use the money we have.

What are the chances the grant will be successful for both parties? Several weeks ago, Western Carolina University made a presentation to commissioners concerning the impact the railroad would have on north Jackson County and Dillsboro. It was astounding the number of direct and indirect jobs that would result from the return of the railroad. The benefit would be significant if only half of the jobs forecast in the report would occur.

Our unemployment rate is more than 10 percent. Does anyone think it is likely our rate

agreed with each other, I would take sides, usually, but not always, with Ebert.

Of course, I knew they weren’t talking directly to me, but that is how it felt, and I certainly talked back to them. I am sure my mother thought I was nuts, yelling at two guys on television about some silly movie. But to me nothing about it was silly — these opinions about movies were of the utmost importance. I had found two people who not only validated my love affair with movies, but who taught me that it was perfectly fine to make judgments on whether the movie I had just seen was good, bad, or somewhere in between.

For the first time in my life, I became aware of developing a personal aesthetic.

By the time I got to college, I found a few other fellow travelers with whom I could see and talk about the movies, sometimes into the wee hours of the Columnist morning. But I would never forsake Siskel and Ebert. I continued to watch the show obsessively until Siskel died of cancer in 1999, and then continued to watch when Ebert moved on with the sadly inferior Richard Roeper in the wake of Siskel’s death.

I began reading Ebert’s reviews in the early 1980s, and I bought several collections of his reviews over the next several years until the advent of the Internet and his website made owning the books superfluous — all I needed to do was go to his website to find every review he had ever written, literally thousands of movie reviews just a mouse click or two away. I found his writing to be even better than his commentary on the show. It was deeper, obviously, and more fully developed, more humane and insightful, probably because he had more time and space to develop it.

For 35 years, I have watched, read, and depended on Roger Ebert. Every Friday for as long as I can remember, the first thing I do in the morning after I make coffee is check in to see what kind of reviews Ebert has given the week’s new releases. I relied on him

Chris Cox

cannot credit film critic Roger Ebert, who died just a couple of weeks ago after a lengthy battle with cancer, with instilling in me a lifelong love of movies. I was already in love with movies before I saw Gene Siskel and Ebert’s show “Sneak Previews” in the late 1970s. Growing up in Sparta, I had seen movies in the old Sparta Theater and at Twin Oaks Drive-In. I went every chance I got, loving how the movies transported me from my small town and tightly circumscribed life into places and times and adventures I could have never dreamed of otherwise.

When I discovered Siskel and Ebert, I was about as obsessed with movies as a teenage boy can be, and I quickly became obsessed with the show, which consisted of two critics who each wrote movie reviews for the biggest newspapers in Chicago — Siskel for the Chicago Tribune and Ebert for the Chicago SunTimes — reviewing and often debating the merits of four or five new releases each week. Of course, I hadn’t seen a number of the movies they reviewed, but it was thrilling to see them review the movies I had seen — usually the blockbusters that played everywhere — so that I could compare my reactions to theirs, learning things about the movies I did not know in the process.

I never — and I do mean NEVER — missed an episode of the show. Siskel and Ebert would soon become the most famous movie critics in America, but most people just knew of them dimly as “the fat one and the skinny one,” as well as the famous thumbs up or thumbs down trademark. This was a constant source of irritation for me because I saw them as demigods, human like me but also godlike in their knowledge of and insights into movies, and their power to make or break a movie by decreeing it as “good” or “bad.” How could people not see them as I did, or take them as seriously?

Looking back on that time, I believe what drew me to the show was that it was the first time I had “met” anyone who was as enthusiastic about movies as I was. In a way, Siskel and Ebert were like friends I could “converse” with about the movies. If I agreed with their verdict on a movie, I felt vindicated and a little smarter than I had before. If I did not, I would sometimes feel upset, sometimes defensive, sometimes confused. If they dis-

will decline if we don’t start attracting new businesses? Business owners are depending on the GSMR to bring new customers. Our unemployed people need jobs as well as some of our young people who have not been able to find work. The GSMR can help our county make life better for many of our people.

Jim Mueller Glenville

Career politicians are the problem To the Editor: Career politicians are ruining this country.

Unfortunately, once elected, most of our politicians’ concerns are to become career politicians.

Numerous tactics are used to meet their goal, i.e., gerrymandering, voter ID, caving in to lobbyists, etc.

Currently the hot topic is gun safety involving background checks. Roughly 40 percent of gun sales (Internet and gun shows where the seller is not a licensed dealer) are occur without background checks. Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, stated in testimony before the House Judiciary

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to let us know if the latest Batman sequel was worth seeing, or if there was some new independent movie I needed to track down.

For me, Ebert was the best, most reliable critic in America. He had a vast intellect, but he was also unpretentious. He rated movies on their own terms, without any agenda. Some people felt his positive reviews of some mainstream movies meant that he could not be taken seriously as a critic, but he was just as apt to eviscerate a mainstream movie as he was to praise it. He judged it for what it was, and for what it was trying to be. He did not use the same criteria to judge the latest Sandra Bullock romantic comedy as he would to judge “Apocalypse Now” or a Fellini movie. If the movie worked on its own terms, he would reward it accordingly. If it did not, he would pan it. He saw no reason that a person could not enjoy both “Citizen Kane” and “The Hangover.”

In 2006, Ebert was diagnosed with cancer and had most of his jaw removed. He could no longer speak or even eat, and the television show ended. After a period of time off, he began writing reviews again right up until just a few weeks ago, when he posted an announcement on his website that the cancer had returned and he would be taking a “leave of presence” to get radiation treatment and then work on revamping his website, among other plans for the future. Less than 48 hours later, he was dead.

It is still hard for me to believe that there will be no more Roger Ebert reviews to savor on Friday mornings. I still cannot accept that Ebert will not be around to expound on the next Scorsese movie, or to predict next year’s Oscar winners, or to warn us not to waste our money on the latest recycled turkey from the Hollywood formula machine. It will be quite some time before I see a movie without wondering if Ebert also thought it was a triumph, or a disappointment, rushing back home to compare notes with him by studying his review.

I never got to meet Roger Ebert in person, but when it comes to loving movies, he’s my oldest friend. I’ll miss our conversations more than I can possibly say.

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. He can be reached at jchriscox@live.com.)

LETTERS Committee Subcommittee in 1999 that the NRA supported expanding background checks.

LaPierre has flip-flopped and now does not support background checks. The majority of NRA members support background checks, as well as an overwhelming majority of Americans.

The Senate won’t pass background checks because the career politicians are afraid they might not get reelected. I respect and admire Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan for saying she would vote in favor of background checks. This could be the demise of her senatorial career; however, she has the intestinal fortitude to vote for what the majority supports.

Ron Rokstool Maggie Valley

Democrats need to unite behind Christopher To the Editor: I’m deeply troubled to learn that some Haywood Democrats are still disgruntled about the appointment of Greg Christopher as sheriff.

First of all, no one was more disappointed than

me that Chief Deputy Larry Bryson was defeated. I proudly submitted his nomination to the Executive Committee. However, after talking with several committee members afterward, it was apparent that Greg’s inclusive management style and desire for increased collaboration with other community agencies had resonated strongly. While Larry was viewed as capable and experienced, most committee members thought he represented the “status quo” and Greg reflected a “fresh start” for the sheriff ’s department.

I challenge any Democrat still upset about the outcome to be guided by the example set by Hillary and Bill Clinton. Following her failure to win the 2008 presidential nomination, Hillary was described as “somber, prideful, aggrieved and confused,” but she and Bill regrouped and pledged their full support to Barack Obama.

Just think what could’ve happened if Hillary had disengaged from the Democratic Party and encouraged supporters to stay home or vote for John McCain.

It’s time to focus on 2014 and working together to elect Sheriff Christopher to his first full term in office.

Myrna Campbell Chair, Saunook Democratic Precinct

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

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

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

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

ANTHONY WAYNE’S 37 Church St, Waynesville. 828.456.6789.

Open for lunch Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; open for dinner Thursday-Saturday 5 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exceptional, new-American cuisine, offering several gluten free items.

BLUE RIDGE BBQ COMPANY 180 N. Main St., Waynesville.

828.452.7524. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. TuesdayThursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Blue Ridge BBQ is a family owned and operated restaurant.

The BBQ is slow hardwood smoked, marinated in its own juices, and seasoned with mountain recipes. All menu items made from scratch daily. Featuring homemade cornbread salad, fresh collard greens, or cornbread and milk at your request. Old-fashioned homemade banana pudding and fruit cobbler of the season. Catering, take-out, eat-in. blueridgebbq@gmail.com.

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

Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine. Fresh-cut salads; slowsimmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts.

Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily.

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

BOGART’S 35 East Main St., Sylva. 828.586.6532.

Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Serving classic American food and drink in a casual environment. Daily lunch and dinner specials. Children’s menu available.

Call for catering quotes. Private room available for large parties. Accepts MC/Visa, Discover and American Express.

BOURBON BARREL BEEF & ALE 454 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville, 828.452.9191. Dinner nightly from 4 p.m.

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

of small batch bourbons and whiskey. The Barrel is a friendly and casual neighborhood dining experience where our guests enjoy a great meal without breaking the bank.

pares innovative and unique Southern fare from local, organic vegetables grown in Western North Carolina. Full bar and wine cellar. www.waynesvilleinn.com.

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. Mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view. Join us for cookouts on the terrace on weekends and Wednesdays (weather permitting) and familystyle dinners on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Social hour starts at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. Our bountiful family-style meals include prime rib, baked ham, and herb-baked chicken; cookouts feature steaks, ribs, chicken and pork chops, to name a few.

Every dinner is complemented with an assortment of seasonal vegetables, homemade breads, jellies and desserts, and we offer a fine selection of wine and beer.

Breakfast is also served daily from 8 to 9:30 a.m., and lunch from 12 to 2 p.m. Please call for reservations.

CORNERSTONE CAFÉ 1092 N. Main Street, Waynesville.

828.452.4252. Open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fresh meats purchased daily, great homemade breakfast, burgers made to order.

Comfortable and friendly atmosphere, with curb service available. Make lunch easy and call ahead for to go orders.

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

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

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

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

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

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

CORK AND BEAN 16 Everett St., Bryson City. 828.488.1934.

Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy organic, fair-trade, gourmet espresso and coffees, a select, eclectic list of wines, and locally prepared treats to go with every thing. Come by early and enjoy a breakfast crepe with a latte, grab a grilled chicken pesto crepe for lunch, or wind down with a nice glass of red wine. Visit us on Facebook!

CORK & CLEAVER 176 Country Club Drive, Waynesville.

828.456.7179. Reservations recommended.

4:30-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Tucked away inside Waynesville Inn, Cork & Cleaver has an approachable menu designed around locally sourced, sustainable, farm-to-table ingredients. Executive Chef Corey Green pre-

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

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

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

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

Tuesday-Saturday. Father and son team Frank and Louis Perrone cook up dinners steeped in Italian tradition. With recipies passed down from generations gone by, the Perrones have brought a bit of Italy to Maggie Valley. frankiestrattoria.com FRYDAY’S & SUNDAES 24 & 26 Fry St., Bryson City (Next To The Train Depot). 828.488.5379. Spring hours: 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wed., Thur. & Sun. 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fri & Sat. Fryday’s is known for its Traditional English Beer Battered Fish & Chips, but also has burgers, deep fried dogs, gyro, shrimp, bangers, Chip Butty, chicken, sandwiches & a great kids menu. Price friendly, $3-$10, Everything available to go or call ahead takeout.

Sundaes has 24 rotating flavors of Hershey's Ice Cream making them into floats, splits, sundaes, shakes. Private seating inside & out for both locations right across from the train station & pet friendly.

FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Sunday lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Mondays. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. Come for the restaurant’s 4 @ 4 when you can choose a center and three sides at special prices. Offered Wed- Fri. from 4 to 6. frogsleappublichouse.org.

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

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

HERREN HOUSE 94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837.

Lunch: Wednesday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 2

tasteTHEmountains p.m. Sunday Brunch 11 a. m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoy fresh local products, created daily.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

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

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

PATIO BISTRO 30 Church Street, Waynesville.

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

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

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24 & 26 Fry St. • Bryson City www.FrydaysAndSundaes.com

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

MON.-THURS. 11 A .M. TO 9 P.M. • FRI. & SAT. 11 A .M. TO 10 P.M. SUNDAY BRUNCH 11 A .M. TO 2:30 P.M. 184-62

THURSDAY APRIL 25TH Dining Out For Life AIDS Benefit Adam Bigelow & Friends Music Starts at 8pm

FRIDAY APRIL 26TH

Community Table fundraiser DJ Beta

SOUL INFUSION TEA HOUSE & BISTRO 628 E. Main St. (between Sylva Tire & UPS). 828.586.1717. Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon -until.

Scrumptious, natural, fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and desserts. 60+ teas served hot or cold, black, chai, herbal.

Seasonal and rotating draft beers, good selection of wine. Home-Grown Music Network Venue with live music most weekends. Pet friendly and kid ready.

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

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Traditional English Fish & Chips, Burgers, Dogs, Gyro, Shrimp & Loads More.

Music Starts at 8pm

SATURDAY

APRIL 27TH

Greening Up The Mountains After Party 5 Bands Starting at 5pm Noonday Sun, Total War, PMA, LOCAL, Porch 40 Tues.- Fri. 11a-9p & Sat. 12 noon - ‘til

628 E. Main Street • Sylva 828.586.1717 • soulinfusion.com 185-57

THE WINE BAR 20 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

828.452.6000. Underground cellar for wine and beer, served by the glass all day.

Cheese and tapas served Wednesday through Saturday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. or later. info@classicwineseller.com.

VILLAGE GREEN CAFE 389 Walnut Street, Walnut Village Plaza, Waynesville. 828.550.9489. Open Monday thru Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A fun, casual lunch spot offering fresh made salads, sandwiches, panini, and soups. All meats are allnatural and we support local growers when produce is available. Free delivery in the Waynesville area and call-in orders welcome. villagegreencafe.com. Like on Facebook to view daily specials and promos.

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Smoky Mountain News

MAD BATTER BAKERY & CAFÉ Located on the WCU Campus in Cullowhee.

828.293.3096. Open Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Earth-friendly foods at people-friendly prices.

Daily specials, wraps, salads, pastries, breads, soups and more. Unique fare, friendly service, casual atmosphere and wireless Internet. Organic ingredients, local produce, gourmet fair trade and organic coffees.

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

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

OLD STONE INN 109 Dolan Road, off Love Lane.

828.456.3333. Classic fireside dining in an historic mountain lodge with cozy, intimate bar. Dinner served nightly except Sunday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Signature dinner choices include our 8oz. filet of beef in a brandied peppercorn sauce and a garlic and herb crusted lamb rack. Carefully selected fine wines and beers plus full bar available.

Open year round. Call for reservations.

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April 24-30, 2013

LUCIO'S RESTAURANT 313 Highlands Road, Franklin.

828.369.6670. Serving Macon County since 1984. Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.

Lunch Wednesday-Friday 11:30 a.m. until.Dinner Wednesday-Saturday 5 p.m. until. Owned and operated by Tanya and Dorothy Gamboni. Serving authentic Italian and continental cuisine including appetizers, pastas, poultry, veal, seafood, steaks and homemade deserts. Selection of wine and beer. Lunch and Dinner menus. Wednesday and Thursday nights only. 1 appetizer and 2 selected entrées with unlimited salad and Lucio’s famous garlic rolls for $24.95.

Winter Special: half-off house wines, Friday and Saturday only. luciosnc.com

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180 N. Main Street | Waynesville NC Catering | Take out | Dine-in

828-452-7524

blueridgebbq@gmail.com Mon - Thursday 11:00-8:00 | Fri- Saturday 11:00- 9:00 | Sunday 11:00- 4:00

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A&E

Smoky Mountain News

Spring up at Greening Up

The 16th annual Greening Up the Mountains festival takes place Saturday, April 27, on Main and Mill streets in historic downtown Sylva

his free festival celebrates spring in the mountains, when the greening leaves work their way up the Great Smoky Mountains. It also celebrates the greening of the environment, with info about sustainable living and presentations by environmental groups.

Traditional heritage crafts are available throughout the festival, while three music stages feature local bands, children’s performances, heritage dancers and a popular youth talent show.

Musical acts set to perform include: The Freight Hoppers, Buchanan Boys, John-Luke Carter, PMA (Positive Mental Attitude), Porch 40, Sugar Barnes and Dave Magill, The Second Hand String Band, Marshall Ballew, Total War (see accompanying article), Noonday Sun, Local, Curt Collins and Rachel Waterhouse, Matt Williams, and Pearly Peach.

Children’s activities include: storytelling, face painting, an inflatable slide, volunteer projects and more. Food vendors will also be on hand.

The annual Greening Up the Mountains 5K Run also takes place. It will be the second year

T

Rock trio Total War will be taking the stage at the Greening Up the Mountains festival in Sylva on April 27. They play regular gigs in Sylva and at Asheville venues, including an opening act at The Orange Peel on May 8.

Aiming for the soul, one note at a time

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER hen finding your artistic voice, it’s about moving forward and not looking back, being true to yourself and refusing to run around in well-worn circles of creativity.

For rock group Total War, it’s that sentiment that keeps their music alive and flourishing. A three-piece trio formed in Jackson County, the band will be one of the many talented regional acts hitting the stage at the Greening Up the Mountains Festival in Sylva on April 27.

“Most of the bands playing Greening Up primarily or exclusively do their own songs, which is a big deal to me,” said guitarist Jeremy Rose. “Any town in the South can put together a bar band that play a passable ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ or ‘Wagon Wheel.’

Those things are boring, and a lot of people in Jackson County are trying hard to not be boring.”

Formed in 2009, the ensemble, featuring Rose, Ory Petty (bass) and Adam Woleslagle (drums), aims to provide the listener with an intimate sound, one that challenges you to dig a little deeper, for the true reward is in what lies beneath.

“I hope the audience feels connected to both us and the people around them,” Rose said. “I’m a lonely person, I guess, and I can think of times when being at a show with people, or just listening to a great recording, was the only thing that made me feel connected to anyone else in the world.”

A post-rock indie band, Total War puts emphasis on the spontaneity of melodic creation, where what matters most is the moment and the emotion, rather than the idea of making sure every single thing is perfect in a live setting.

W

on a newly designed route that is less strenuous than in past years. The 5K begins at 9 a.m., while festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info visit www.greeningupthemountains.com or call 828.506.3419.

Have a brew with a view

McGuire Gardens, a new outdoor event venue in downtown Sylva at 553 West Main St., will host a Beer Garden Celebration during Greening Up the Mountains in honor of the anniversaries of Main Street Bakery and Heinzelmännchen Brewery.

Main Street Bakery, open for one year under the ownership of Chad and Heather Kindy, will be serving freshly grilled brats, all the fixings, chips Dieter Kuhn and Sheryl Rudd of and pastries from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Meals will be Heinzelmännchen Brewery. File photo accompanied by beer selections from Heinzelmännchen Brewery, celebrating nine years in downtown Sylva with owners Dieter Kuhn and Sheryl Rudd. Non-alcoholic Root Beer & Birch Beer, cookbooks, pint glasses, and T-shirts will also be available.

Live music will be heard all day from the stage on the property, including Eric Everett with Asheville Party, Matt Williams and Friends, and much more. Chairs, tents, and tables will be available for festival attendees to relax, enjoy live music, and help support local businesses.

828.226.0181 or julie@pinnacleeventswnc.com.

“I love that music, even the technically challenging stuff, requires some close listening, so that it bypasses the listener’s brain and hits them right in the gut,” Rose said. “I mean, I spend enough time in my own head, and I like to be moved involuntarily sometimes.”

It’s creating that bond with the listener that is the foundation for the power and importance of music. It’s about standing there as a wave of sound crashes into your soul, stopping you in your tracks, giving another glance at the beauty radiating from the stage.

“I really like living, and I’d feel 99 percent less alive if I didn’t get to meet all these great bands and vibrant people all the time,” Rose said. “Or, heck, I might actually be dead if that were the case. It’s sometimes hard for me to figure out what other people must fill their empty hearts with, if not music.”

Reflecting on the haphazard music industry, Rose throws his aspirations to the cosmos above. Nothing is guaranteed, so why not keep making melodies that mean something to you, then release them onto the world?

“People already don’t buy records and bands struggle to make enough money,” he said. “But, those things will continue to be true and we’re not worried about it at all.

Everyone has something melodic to share with the world, if that’s what they want to do.”

And with Greening Up around the corner, Rose has always been impressed with the amount of musical talent that continues to emerge from Sylva and Jackson County as a whole.

“I personally think it’s stunning that a town of Sylva’s size can put on a festival with two stages featuring exclusively local talent, or at least talent with a local connection,” he said. “It’s an extremely creative and ambitious town, and this applies not just to music but to cuisine, visual arts, etcetera. It’s a marvelous place.”

Highsmith has practiced dentistry in Haywood County since 1984. His passion for photography started during his high school studies. Highsmith now combines his love of the underwater world with his photographic vision.

This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. www.haywoodarts.org or 828.452.0593.

arts & entertainment

Controlled Chaos Film Festival comes to Cullowhee

An exhibit of Dr. John Highsmith’s photography will be showcased at Gallery 86 in Waynesville starting May 1.

Gallery 86 to host family craft workshops

Controlled Chaos Film Festival will be held at WCU on May 3. in the Appalachian Mountains during the 1940s. The second film, “Jerry,” is a dark “bromantic” comedy centered on a homeless man who comes back to haunt the local politician, Dick Heard, who ran him over.

In addition, a short teaser for a third film, a documentary to be titled “Cataloochee,” will be shown. When complete, the film will tell the story of the valley from the Cherokee origins of the land to the movement to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Admission is $10, cash only, at the door. Proceeds and donations benefit the Motion Picture Student Project Fund, which helps students with the cost of creating their senior films.

828.781.0577 or atrufty1@catamount.wcu.edu or 828.227.7491.

Haywood County Arts Council announces a new exhibition, “Under the Sea,” featuring work by Dr. John Highsmith from May 1-27 at Gallery 86 in Waynesville.

An artist reception will be held at the gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 3.

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WNC Ecofest comes to Haywood

The Smoky Mountain 9-Ball Shoot-out pool tournament is expected to attract upwards of 200 players from the region April 25-28 to the Haywood County Fairgrounds.

The women’s tournament will be held Thursday and Friday, with the men’s field competing Friday through Sunday. Players will pay a fee for participating, but the event is free for spectators and open to the public.

Food and drinks will be available throughout the event.

The annual tournament is a fundraiser for ARC of Haywood County, a nonprofit that works with people who have developmental disabilities. Through training and support from ARC, many clients learn the skills necessary to become more independent.

828.452.1980 or www.arcofhaywood.org or info@arcofhaywood.org.

WNC Ecofest will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, May 4, at Haywood Community College.

The festival put on by the Haywood Chamber of Commerce will share practical ways to embrace a sustainable lifestyle and environmentally friendly practices into your daily life.

It’ll offer everything from making soap to becoming a beekeeper to learning about food preservation. Learn about green building, how to create an eco-friendly backyard and healthy living. The event will help you save money by showing you the latest in environmentally friendly technologies. There will also be music and children’s activities, and vendors of environmentally friendly, sustainable products.

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Smoky Mountain News

Pool sharks cue up for the 9-ball shoot-out

April 24-30, 2013

Films created by Western Carolina University students will be screened at the fifth annual Controlled Chaos Film Festival at 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, in the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at WCU. The festival features short works from a range of genres and senior project films created entirely by students from the Motion Picture and Television Production Program and School of Stage and Screen.

“Controlled Chaos is the highlight of the Stage and Screen production season,” said Tom Salzman, director of the school. “It’s a combination of our motion picture and our theater students being represented in one festival. These students have been working all year on these films, and it shows.”

The first senior film, “Emeralds of the East,” is a coming-of-age drama about Carver, a boy being raised by a single mother

Photography exhibit goes underwater

Haywood County Arts Council will be holding two family craft workshops from 2 to 4 p.m. May 4 and 18 at Gallery 86 in Waynesville.

Each workshop will correlate with the exhibition “Under the Sea,” which is an underwater photography showcase that will be on display at the gallery starting May 1. Parents with children ranging in ages four to seven are encouraged to stay during the workshop.

The fee for each child is $5 to cover the cost of supplies. www.haywoodarts.org or 828.452.0593.

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arts & entertainment

Singer/songwriter comes ‘Pismo’ Spanky full circle in Sylva to make WNC debut

A NIGHT AT THE COLONIAL The Crowe Brothers performed with the Darren Nicholson Band (pictured) at the Colonial Theatre in Canton on April 19. Led by Nicholson, who is the mandolinist for Balsam Range, the mountain music quintet was mighty proud to be opening for the legendary bluegrass/country duo. Acclaimed banjoist Steve Sutton played with both groups throughout the evening. Garret K. Woodward photo

Country star Ronnie Dunn will be taking the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, April 27, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

Dunn knows a thing or two about being a singer in a cowboy band. As familiar as his voice has become, he’s only now taken the time to explore once and for all his own voice as a solo artist. Of course, Dunn has had an excellent reason to wait until now to make a solo album. For 20 years, he was part of the single most successful duo in country music history, Brooks & Dunn. Hits include “Bleed Red,” “Cost of Livin,” “My Maria,” “Red Dirt Road” and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.” www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.

Harrah’s to showcase Celtic Woman

Smoky Mountain News

828.586.7462

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instrumentation, consisting of 6- and 12string guitar, banjo and ukulele. His songs tell the stories of good times and friendships in a small California beach town, travels through the West, and other heartfelt journeys and comedic outlooks on life. His live performances are marked with alacrity and sincerity, and have resulted in a dedicated fan base that has followed him through the evolution of his distinctive musical style. www.pismospanky.com or 828.400.8797.

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California singer/songwriter Spanky will be performing at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.

Hailing from Pismo Beach, Spanky has performed around the central California coast for close to 30 years and now travels the country doing what he loves — playing music and meeting people. His rich resonate vocal sounds flow over a foundation of acoustic

Renowned music group Celtic Woman will be performing at 9 p.m. Friday, April 26, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

In just a few short years, the musical ensemble has emerged as both a commercial success and a genuine cultural phenomenon, combining the elemental appeal of traditional Irish music with modern production and staging. The ensemble’s evocative, uplifting music has transcended national and cultural borders to reach a devoted fan base that spans the globe. The group is the product of the musical vision of David Downes, who had previously been musical director of the pioneering Irish-themed stage show Riverdance. www.celticwoman.com or www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.

Dunn to play Harrah’s

April 24-30, 2013

Musician Terry Edwards will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Edwards was raised in WNC, a self-proclaimed “child of the sixties dragged kicking and screaming into the new millennium.”

Upon graduating from Western Carolina University, he joined Mike Clark and Sandy Flynn to form the trio Edwards, Clark & Flynn, touring the Southeast. During the next three years, the group grew to six members and changed the name to Cullowhee.

Cullowhee produced two albums and several singles, touring throughout the United States. Playing clubs, festivals and living rooms, the singer/songwriter draws on 40 plus years of experience to craft story songs of the people and places in his beloved mountains.

828.586.2016.

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Want to make your own goblet?

Artist Judy McManus will hold a glass goblet-making course from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.

Work with molten glass to create a unique stemmed wine goblet for your own enjoyment. No experience is necessary. McManus will walk the students through each step in the process. 828.631.0271 or www.jcgep.org.

The Handlebar Corral presents the annual Thunder in the Smokies spring rally will be held May 3-5 in Maggie Valley.

Motorcyclists will converge to roam the

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Smoky Mountain News

Thunder in the Smokies rides into Maggie Valley

Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway. Besides riding, there will also be music, vendors and bike show/games throughout the three days.

Rising country star Rachele Lynae will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. With a voice as bold and expansive as the Alaskan sky that blanketed her childhood, Lynae first burst onto the country music scene in 2012 with her debut single, “Party ‘Til the Cows Come Home.”

Weekend passes are $17 per person in advance, $20 during the weekend. Passes for children ages 5-12 are $8 and can only purchased at the event. www.thunderinthesmokies.com.

TAX RELIEF

April 24-30, 2013

Tennis superstars Andy Roddick and Jim Courier will play a charity exhibition match on Saturday, July 27, at Cedar Creek Racquet Club in Cashiers.

The Mountain Challenge brings together two players who have been ranked No. 1 in the world. Roddick held that position following his victory in the 2003 U.S. Open, one of 32 ATP titles in his career.

Courier, meanwhile, was the world’s No. 1 player four times in the 1990s.

He totaled 23 ATP victories, include four Grand Slam titles.

The UCB Mountain Challenge will also include two preliminary matches. The first is a Tennis legends Andy Roddick (pictured) and Jim Courier will be battle between topcompeting against each other in Cashiers on July 27. ranked juniors Thai Kwiatkowski of Charlotte and Korey Lovett of Brevard, and the second is $100. Fans can also choose from an array of a doubles match pairing the winners of a local luxury box tickets, VIP tickets and group pro-am versus Roddick/Courier. Other festivi- packages.

The matchup is sponsored by United ties include a Friday evening Mountain Dinner Gala and a Saturday morning VIP breakfast Community Bank. The event is hosted by the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce and with Roddick and Courier.

Tickets for this unique event go on sale benefits Mountain Youth Charities. www.cashiers.com.

Friday, April 19. Reserved seat tickets are

arts & entertainment

Tennis legends Roddick, Courier to face off in Cashiers exhibition match

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arts & entertainment

Historian to discuss secret son of Cashiers founder

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Local historian Jane Nardy will lead a presentation on the secret child of Mordecai Zachary at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, at the Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center.

The Cashiers historian, Nardy will deliver a presentation on the secret son of Cashiers’ founding father Mordecai Zachary. While Nardy has been conducting extensive research on the Zachary lineage for the past 30 years, she said that it wasn’t until two-anda-half years ago that someone suggested using DNA testing to trace the ancestry.

Following the suggestion, DNA swabs were submitted so that she and the Zachary family could further trace the surname back to its earliest settlers, but what came back was much more surprising.

828.743.7710.

April 24-30, 2013

Patrick Parton photo

Smoky Mountain News

Folkmoot festival holds Canton fundraiser

facebook.com/smnews 30

Folkmoot USA will kick off its 30th anniversary year with the “BIG 30” from 6 to 10 p.m.

Friday, May 3, at Sid’s on Main in Canton.

It will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, music, cash bar and live and silent auctions. Folkmoot, an international folk dance and music festival headquartered in Waynesville, brings more than 250 performers from nearly a dozen countries around the globe to perform throughout WNC. The annual cultural exchange brings the music and dance traditions of the world to Western North Carolina’s doorstep. It is one of the premiere festivals in the eastern United States, attracting 100,000 people each year.

This year, Folkmoot will be held July 17-28.

In recognition of the mountain communities who have supported Folkmoot for the last three decades, the festival will feature local Appalachian music and dance at flagship performances in Haywood County.

Tickets for the pre-festival celebration are $50 per person. Call 828.452.2997 or email dlavela@folkmoot.com for tickets. www.FolkmootUSA.org or 877.FolkUSA (877.365.5872).

Cashiers historian Jane Nardy will give a presentation on Mordecai Zachary on April 26.

Macon youth to bring talents to the stage Macon County youth will take the stage in Showcase of Talent 2013 at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the Franklin High School Fine Arts Center.

A non-competitive talent show for third to 12th graders, the showcase features talented students chosen from the county’s public, private and home schools performing a variety of entertaining acts, from vocal and instrumental numbers to dance, gymnastics and comedy routines.

Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for youth age 16 and under. Proceeds support the Arts Council’s Artists-in-the-Schools Program, which brings diverse interactive, instructive arts programs to Macon County Public Schools.

The event is a joint project of the Arts Council and the Macon County Board of Education. It is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. www.artscouncilofmacon.org or 828.524.7683.

Open call for actors in Swain comedy-mystery Auditions for “Honeymoon at Graveside Manor” will be held at 7 p.m. April 29-30 at the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre in Bryson City.

The play centers around Marian Thorncraft, who is looking forward to her honeymoon with her new hubby, Tyler. She pictures someplace romantic, secluded and cozy. Barely has she been carried over the threshold when she discovers her love nest (locally known as Graveside Manor) is really a one time mortuary.

No experience is necessary. Set crew and behind-the-scenes crew are also needed. The play will be held in late July.

828.488.8103 or www.smctheatre.com.

Books

Smoky Mountain News

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Tension-soaked novel is one of Appalachia’s best ark Powell’s The Dark Corner is probably the best Appalachian novel that I have read in the last decade. It is also the most disturbing. In this, his third novel, Powell captures both the natural beauty of northwestern South Carolina and the seething violence and paranoia that lurks beneath the surface. This is a region where the interests of environmental groups, real estate developers, the Writer federal government and right-wing extremists collide. The result is volatile and unstable, as homemade nitroglycerine.

At the heart of this novel is the Walker family: a collection of haunted and guilt-ridden souls who resemble terminal invalids, each trapped in a personal purgatory. Elijah Walker, the patriarch has retreated to a little shack where he spends the day watching a flickering black and white TV, feeding his beagles and peering at the ridge tops, which are occasionally filled with invading Vietcong.

The real world and the surreal past have merged and Elijah is haunted by Vietnam and his wife’s death in an automobile accident. Alienated from his sons and the modern world, he appears to have his back to the wall, watching his approaching death with resignation.

Malcomb, Elijah’s younger son is an exEpiscopal priest and a failed suicide (he drank a gallon of antifreeze). He is also haunted by specters from Iraq, including a mutilated child that accompanies him as he travels aimlessly through his old haunts in Seneca, Walhalla and his brother’s resort property on Lake Keowee. A reformed alcoholic, he is poor

Gary Carden

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company for his hard-drinking brother; however, he finds a kind of temporary peace with Jordan, a drug addict who is as psychically damaged as he is. Like many of the characters in this novel, Malcomb and Jordan are con-

highly successful real estate developer with a trophy wife who shares her husband’s obsession with physical fitness (she does twelve miles on the treadmill each morning), Randi has undertaken the daunting job of keeping Dallas up and running. Over-medicated and existing on a steady diet of Ripped Fuel, percocet, OxyContin and Johnnie Walker, Dallas seems to be preparing for some portentous event which is now at hand. Using his wealth and contacts, Dallas has become involved with extremist militia groups (The Tree of Liberty) and right-wing politicians; he waits for his “opportunity.” Like his father and younger brother, he is determined to experience his own war.

Then, there is Elijah’s brother, Uncle Tillman. Overweight and simple, Tillman is the family outcast. No longer capable of dressing himself and bathing, Tillman sits in his own excrement, texting religious messages to his relatives.

While his internet-acquired wife fornicates with Mexican workers in the next room, Tillman holds forth like Jeremiah and Job. (“Ye have made of my heritage, an abomination.”)

Tillman is a source of shame to the Walker family, especially Dallas.

The supporting cast in this dark The Dark Corner by Mark Powell. The University of and tension-soaked tale includes Dr. Tennessee Press, 2012. 305 pages.

Leighton Clatter, who may be the nearest thing to an earth-bound stantly searching for God through drugs, demon in The Dark Corner. Corrupt and meditation ... a peace that eludes them. wealthy, Clatter controls everything from illeDallas Walker, Elijah’s older son, is gal firearms and Atlanta-based drug traffic to Powell’s most fully realized creation. “Too prostitution and all of it is flowing into northyoung for Vietnam and too old for Iraq,” western South Carolina like a polluted river.

Dallas broods over his “missed opportuniClatter’s eager minions include corrupt govties.” A one-time college football star and a ernment officials, right-wing activists,

Authors nominated for awards Regional Appalachian writers Ron Rash, George Ellison and Kathryn Stripling Byer have all been nominated as finalists for the 2013 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Book Award.

Rash’s The Cove (fiction), Ellison’s Permanent Camp (poetry), and Stripling Byer’s Descent (poetry) were all selected.

The winners will be named on July 4.

Ted Olsen to perform in Sylva Appalachian educator/writer Ted Olson will read poetry from his new collection, Revelations, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. He will also perform Appalachian ballads and folk songs.

Olson has written several books, including two collections of poetry, edited numerous books, contributed trail narratives to the popular hiking guide Hiking Trails of the Smokies. Additionally, he

was the music section editor and associate editor for The Encyclopedia of Appalachia. He has received three Grammy Award nominations for his work as a music historian, most recently this year for the album “Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music.”

828.586.9499.

Haywood library offers free digital magazine downloads Haywood County Public Library announces the addition of Zinio to its system.

Zinio is an online service that allows you to download digital copies of popular magazines to your computer, tablet or mobile device for free. You can view Zinio magazines via a web browser or via an app. Zinio apps are available for the following devices: desktop, Blackberry, iPad, iPhone, Android, or Kindle Fire.

Go to the Haywood County Public Library website and click on the Zinio icon. You should click on “Create Account.” After following

America First advocates, turncoat FBI agents and a smattering of organized crime (Powell includes a marvelous old southern politician and ex-presidential candidate named Chellis, who still dreams of resurrecting “old South values.”). Clatter manipulates everything as though he is playing chess ... but his motives are uncertain since he seems to have moved

“The best Appalachian novelist of his generation.”

— Ron Rash

beyond mere greed and a lust for power.

Clatter seems to be “unmotivated evil,” perverse and whimsical.

Literature has come a long way since James Dickey’s Deliverance, yet here we are, once more probing the darkness beneath the natural world, like the “sea change” in Ron Rash’s short story, “Something Rich and Strange.”

Like Dickey and Rash, Mark Powell knows that more is at stake than a culture clash between traditional values and “Nu South” progress. From the “adventure-turned-nightmare” trip down the Chattooga in Deliverance, we have progressed to the beachfront cathedral-like summer homes and luxury pontoons that now troll those same waters.

Those four adventurers who rafted down a doomed river are now among the privileged and over-medicated residents of Lake Keowee.

They are dozing on the decks of their trophy homes. The dark waters of these “tamed” rivers appear serene, but Mark Powell suggests that this becalmed state is deceptive. It has something to do with the “protean nature” of water ... the ability to change into something radically different.

the steps, you can get the magazine list currently available to Haywood County Public Library patrons.

828.452.5169.

Writer to discuss new memoir about brain injury Author Deborah L. Schlag will recount the complicated, challenging process of living with and recovering from a traumatic brain injury in her candid new memoir, Becoming the Healer: The Miracle of Brain Injury, at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Written with heartfelt candor and informative detail, the memoir is Schlag’s personal account of her eight-year journey of what she rightfully calls “miraculous recovery and transformation.” She writes openly and honestly about the impact of the a accident on her and her family, and about the injuries that she sustained.

828.586.9499.

32

Smoky Mountain News

Outdoors

Honeybee disappearance baffles experts

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER Beekeepers in Western North Carolina were hit especially hard this winter by a mysterious rash of bee disappearances.

Amateur Haywood County beekeeper Andy Bailey said he lost three of his four colonies during the winter. His final hive lasted until the spring but then those bees disappeared.

What puzzles Bailey is that his hives weren’t filled with the corpses of the thousands of bees, which would seem likely in the case of a massive die-off.

Instead, the bees abandoned their homes — honey and all.

“We have no idea where they went,” Bailey said. “There are no dead bodies — they’ve left and not returned.”

In many instances, the caretakers visited their hives to feed the bees or per-

bee colonies were lost under the inexplicable circumstances. Bill Skelton, the county’s cooperative extension director, said he has been traveling from bee farm to bee farm in recent weeks surveying the wreckage. The diagnosis is plain and simple.

“It has not been a good winter for the honeybee industry,” Skelton said.

What is not so straightforward is why it is happening. Skelton and other scientists are shying away from using the overly general term “colony collapse disorder.” Rather, they have been working to identify commonalities among the bee farms that suffered the greatest losses, as well as among the beekeepers who retained more of their colonies.

Lyne Vendely, with Sweet Betty So far, Skelton said Bees in Madison County, tends to a few leads have surbeehive. Last winter, beekeepers in faced, linking the disthe region lost hordes of appearances to several honeybees to colony collapse practices, such as pesdisorder. Donated photo ticide use and a large parasite that attaches itself to bees, called the Varroa mite. Other people have pointed the finger at murkier causes such as cell phone signals or climate change.

Yet, even the correlative links Skelton has identified are tenuous.

For example, beekeepers that treated for the mite or are who are not located in areas where pesticides are used have still had their hives fall victim to colony collapse. A conclusive answer has not been found.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” form routine maintenance only to find the nests abandoned.

Skelton said. “That’s the $64,000 question.”

Moreover, after beekeeping for five years, Bailey said he has learned a bit Nevertheless, Skelton is encouraging local beeabout how to keep bees happy in their hives. He said his bees left behind perfectkeepers to repopulate their hives because honeybees ly good food intended to nourish them throughout the winter months. are a crucial part of the pollination process for The story was the same among Bailey’s Jonathan Creek neighbors. In a sixeverything from cucumbers and squash to apples mile radius, 26 hives were lost in a similar manner, abandoned by their bees for and peaches, and the hive’s old inhabitants are not a reason, or reasons, unbeknownst to the beekeepers. The numbers are staggercoming back. ing, considering each colony consists of 10,000 or so bees during the winter sea“They’re dead,” Skelton said of the bees that disson. appeared during the winter. “They can’t survive out“It is eerie,” Bailey said, “And it’s not new, and it’s definitely not unique to side the hive.” me.”

Along with the drop in local bee populations will In fact, it’s not unique to that part of Haywood County, the region, or the rest come a drop in local honey production. Each hive of the state. The phenomenon described by Bailey has been deemed colony colcan yield anywhere from two to six gallons of liquid lapse disorder — a blanket term used to explain the turn of events in which gold in a given season. While most beekeepers in droves of bees go missing, seemingly without a trace.

Western North Carolina are hobbyist with anywhere Beekeepers across the country and in other parts of the world have struggled from one to a dozen or so hives, the managers of with their colonies collapsing for years now. Incidences of the disappearing larger operations are biting their nails with the news colonies seemed to have trailed off during the past few years. However, last year, of widespread colony failures. the problem came back in force and it is proving to be an uncommonly bad seaTim Burrell has a side business in which he raises son for domesticated bees. queen bees to sell. He has about 230 colonies locatIn Haywood County, during the past winter, it is estimated that about half of ed Macon County, but he is not the largest opera-

tion in the county, by far. Appalachian Apiaries keeps nearly 2,000 beehives for commercial honey production.

If either operation were to lose half of their hives, as some beekeepers in Macon County did this year, it would be a serious blow to business.

“If you had a herd of cattle, and 40 percent of your cattle disappeared, that’s a big loss,” said Burrell. “Makes it hard to stay in business.”

Burrell is also vice president of the Macon County Beekeepers Association. He said the 50 or so members of the association have been swapping horror stories of losing bee colonies this year.

Although Burrell lost about 15 percent of his hives over the winter — a normal attrition rate, which he attributed to starvation — a nearby beekeeper lost the only two hives he had.

“He went to feed them, and there were no bees to feed,” Burrell said. “And he had bees in the hives two weeks prior.”

But as reports filter in from beekeepers, state agricultural officials believe they are zeroing in on the culprit. The Varroa mite that Skelton linked to many Haywood County cases is also appearing as a common denominator statewide, said Don Hopkins, apiary inspection supervisor for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The mite is large when compared to the bee’s body; relatively speaking, it would appear the size of a softball on a human. The parasite attaches itself to the bees and feeds on them. Its presence can cause entire colonies to fail, not only due to its behavior but also because of the bacteria, fungus and other threats it can introduce into a colony.

“It’s pretty devastating,” Hopkins said.

Out of every 10 cases of failed bee colonies inspected by state apiary officials during the last two months, about eight implicate the mite, Hopkins said. Nevertheless, many determinations of cause come down to an educated guess, one that is even harder to make when beekeepers clean out their abandoned hive before having it inspected by bee experts.

Hopkins likened the abandoned beehives to the scene of a crime.

“In a lot of these cases, when the bees simply leave, it doesn’t leave much evidence to go on,” Hopkins said. “And if the equipment is all cleaned up, we usually can find enough evidence to make a reasonably educated guess.”

As for the lack of bee bodies at the scene, Hopkins said bees have been known to abandon hives in the presence of a certain invasive beetle. So, it is not that much of a leap to say they may take flight when faced with other intruders.

However, Hopkins admits he is unsure about his own hypothesis. And he still can’t explain many of the cases he and his staff have come across. But he believes the circumstances may not be as strange as some people may believe, particularly when one considers the evidence.

“There is something mysterious going on — but a lot of the mystery isn’t that mysterious,” Hopkins said. “The worst thing about this year is the fact that there’s not a single smoking gun.”

outdoors

The Naturalist’s Corner

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

Homecoming

day or the day after that I was headed to town and a silhouette caught by eye; standing on a limb at the side of the road was the small slim shadow of a broad-winged hawk.

One of two truly neotropical raptors (Swainson’s hawk is the other) the broadwinged also spends the summer in the woods adjacent to my home.

Even though the nights this past weekend flirted with or dipped below freezing I knew that with the company I had, ruby throated hummingbirds could not be far behind. On Saturday, April 20, I filled my hummingbird feeders and put them out.

A group of about 30 demonstrators gathered last Monday at the public fountain on Main Street in downtown Sylva to demand state politicians take action to address climate change. The rally was one of a series of public gatherings around the state that culminated in the Climate Convergence gathering on Raleigh during the weekend, meant to raise awareness of environmental issues and push legislation to combat air pollution.

At the Sylva rally, local environmental leaders talked about climate change and a petition was circulated calling on the N.C. General Assembly to pass the Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates Bill.

The bill would mandate the N.C. Utilities Commission to implement a new utility rate structure that rewards energy efficient ratepayers by charging them lower rates.

“Climate Change is real. It’s mostly man-made, and it’s urgent. It’s not something that’s going to happen in the future. It’s happening right now,” said Avram Friedman, executive director of the Canary Coalition, a clean air organization.

A video of the rally in Sylva is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Noy12zdRM.

Have what it takes to be a junior ranger?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the National Junior Ranger Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27.

Special activities will be held at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at the park’s entrance on U.S. 441 just north of Cherokee. The events will range from guid-

ed walks to historic toy making to exhibits with animal skins, skulls and scat. Children can also earn a junior ranger patch by completing three of the activities.

National Junior Ranger Day is held during National Park Week, April 20 through April 28. This year’s theme is “Did You Know…” and most parks throughout the country will host events designed to connect children with the resources found in national parks.

865.436.1292.

CAROLINA READINESS Your Emergency Preparedness Store

BULK AND FREEZE DRIED FOOD CANNING SUPPLIES • CAMPING SUPPLIES BERKEY WATER PURIFIERS HERITAGE LIFE SKILLS II • May 17 - 19, 2013 Haywood County Fairgrounds Waynesville, NC Come and join us for a weekend of hands-on learning.

Admission $50 person-per day ($110 - 3 days) Children 7-13 - $25/day 13–18 - If you want your child to attend adult classes with you - $35 per day/child.

Butchering Fire Starting* Canning Gasification Ram pumps Dehydrating Reloading Blacksmith/Knife making

Food Storage

Horsemanship for Survivors Cheese Making Sun Oven Cooking Sutures Candle Making* Organizing a group Soap Making* Solar Energy

Smoky Mountain News

Protestors call for action on global warming

A junior ranger earns his stripes at National Junior Ranger Day in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. National Junior Ranger Day is this Saturday.

April 24-30, 2013

The blue-headed vireo sang to me of spring sometime around the first week of April. Blue-headeds are generally the last “non-resident” songbird we hear in the fall (sometimes into November) and the first we hear in the spring — probably due to the fact that many overwinter in the warmer climes of the Southeast. But the liquid, slow trilling, “can you hear me?” is a sure sign that neotropical nesters are on the way home to their nesting grounds.

On April 14, I heard the first flute-like “eee-oo-lay” announcing the return of wood thrushes to the woods adjacent my home.

A black-throated green warbler showed up on the next day.

On April 18, the rising “zzeeezzeeeezzee” that breaks off at the end with a sharp “tsip,” let me know that a northern parula was surveying the landscape. I have had one nest in the front yard for the last two years.

Last Friday morning, I was snoozing in and out on the couch after a 12-hour work night. The rain was falling, drawing a grey curtain around the large windows, Rose-breasted grosbeak in the rain. Don Hendershot photo making for perfect napping — but, somehow, a jolt of Sunday morning after breakfast, I walked color grabbed my attention. There in the past the bedroom window just in time to platform feeder, digging through wet blackcatch a male ruby-throat bent over the feedoil sunflower seeds, its crimson breast shimer inhaling a beak full of sugar water. mering in the rain was my FOY (first-of-theIt’s clear that spring is here, but I still year) rose-breasted grosbeak. have a few summer residents that I am Without banding, there’s no way of anticipating. I haven’t seen a single flash of knowing if these particular grosbeaks will crimson or heard the growling “chickkkburbe the same ones that nest in my woods; flit rr” of a scarlet tanager yet. And while I in and out of my feeders all summer and don’t need any competition for lazy, I’ve yet bring their young for buffets in the autumn, to hear the “I am sooo lazzeee” of the blackbut I do know that I will share my yard, throated blue warbler. feeders and deck with these striking crea(Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He tures from now until October. can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

I don’t know if it was that same rainy

Land Navigation Bread Making* Knot Tying Secret Garden of Survival Survival Basics for Women Wind Power Quilting*

Some classes will be limited. Sign up for classes early. Classes subject to change.

Bring pad & pens, and Folding chairs. If you make music- bring your instruments! * Minimal materials charge.

Vendors Welcome! Call for registration form. www.carolinareadiness.com 828-456-5310

185-26

33

outdoors April 24-30, 2013 Smoky Mountain News

Be a responsible ramp picker this spring Spring means ramp season in Western North Carolina, but the ramp population in Southern Appalachians is being hurt by over-harvesting.

The ramp is a potent wild bulb likened to a cross between an onion and garlic.

Ramps have attracted a culinary and cultural following, with ramp festivals cropping up in many mountain communities in recent years. But their popularity is taking a toll.

“Over the years, we’ve seen a decline in populations of ginseng and other forest products such as ramps,” said Gary Kauffman, a botanist with the national forests in North Carolina.

The forest service warns that overharvesting may lead to management changes such as shortening the picking season, reducing how many ramps can be picked or banning the harvest altogether.

The forest service is urging ramp harvesters to follow regulations and help regeneration by not taking too many of the plant in a single area. Part of the problem is due illegal harvesting.

Penalties for plant poaching may include a fine up to $5,000 and a sentence in a federal prison. Ramp collecting is not allowed on national park lands and is only allowed on national forest lands in certain areas only. Permits are required for commercial uses or for more than five pounds.

Check with your local ranger stations for regulations and permits for harvesting ramps. 828.257.4200.

Races, paddling, music and more at NOC Visitors to the Nantahala Gorge this weekend can take in a full lineup of freestyle paddling competitions, outdoor activities, film screenings, live music and family activities.

The 2013 USA Canoe/Kayak Freestyle Team Trials are being held in conjunction with the Nantahala Outdoor Center’s Spring Fling event April 26 through April 28 in the Nantahala Gorge.

■ Freestyle competition: Beginning at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday, top athletes will compete in the Team USA trials for their chance to represent their country in the Freestyle World Championships being held on the Nantahala in early September. The competition trial is expected to draw over 60 top competitors from across the nation performing freestyle kayaking. It will also be a trial run for organizers of the world freestyle event coming to the Gorge in September.

Freestyle kayaking is a dynamic sport reminiscent of the snowboard half-pipe event with competitors performing stunts and tricks, with DJ Brett Rock mixing music throughout the competition.

An “Open” class in both the men’s and women’s kayak will allow paddlers of all abilities to participate.

■ Whitewater creeking: On the upper reaches of the Nantahala, special whitewater releases from the Nantahala dam will pro-

Steven Mcbride Photo

vide top-notch class IV and V rapids from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 27 and 28. It will be the second-ever scheduled recreational release on the upper section of the Nantahala River. The release last fall drew 700 paddlers.

■ Other stuff to do: As a part of the weekend’s events, NOC is also hosting the Reel Paddling Film Festival. The year’s top paddling films from around the world will be screened at the NOC Welcome Center from

4 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, the NOC Outfitter’s Store will host a paddle sports vendor fair with industry representatives on-hand to show off their new boat designs for 2013, with free demos for paddlers wanting to test them out. For the kids, there will be face painting, bounce houses, hula-hoops and games.

Live music will begin at 7 p.m. each night. Bands include The Archrivals, Marcus King Band, and Jonathan Scales Fourchestra.

Test some new wheels in Bryson City Tsali Demo Day will be held at Tsali Recreation Area from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, followed by an after party at Nantahala Village from 4 to 7 p.m.

Bryson City Bicycles will let riders testride demo bikes from Niner and Scott, plus check out test products from SkinFare, Sram, RockShox, Kali Protectives, Skanunu MotorLines, American Classic and more.

828.488.1988.

185-48

FIND EVERYTHING FOR YOUR LAWN & GARDEN

Vegetable Sets & Seeds • Onion Buttons Seed Potatoes • Fertilizers • Mulch PLUS Fruit Trees, Berry Bushes & More

Country Road Farms NURSERY & GARDEN CENTER

34

8-6 MON.-FRI. • 8-5 SAT. • 828.586.5515 HWY. 441, 3 MILES SOUTH OF DILLSBORO

Two spring plant sales in Haywood

Gardeners lineup for a bargain at the annual plant sale in Franklin.

Master gardeners plant sale in Franklin A wide selection of plants will be available for purchase 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Environmental Resource Center in Franklin. This will be the 10th annual spring plant sale hosted by the Macon County Master Gardener Association, and gardeners can expect to find perennials, woody ornamentals, annuals, vegetables, herbs and more at reason-

Haywood Community College will hold a spring plant sale from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Friday, April 26. The sale will be held on campus and feature plants organically grown by students in the college’s horticulture program, including annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, shrubs and house plants. There will be a wide variety of tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, okra, herbs and much more.

Proceeds will benefit the Horticulture Department and the horticulture club.

828.627.4625.

Also, the Corneille Bryan Native Garden at Lake Junaluska will hold its annual plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  on Saturday, April 27. The sale will be held at the top of the garden, at the junction of Ivey Lane and County Road. Plants will include native perennials grown from seed collected in the garden. 828.778.5938.

Bugle Corp recognized for their volunteerism

Protected watershed offers rare public hike hikes in the town watershed are held twice a year; at all other times this property is offlimits to public access.

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828.452.2491.

Smoky Mountain News

A guided hike to the usually off-limits Waynesville watershed will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27.

During the three- to five-mile hike, naturalist Don Hendershot will talk about the surrounding flora and fauna, and Peter Bates of Western Carolina University will answer questions about forest ecology on the watershed property and the forest management plan.

The preserved 8,600-acre Waynesville watershed flanks the southern end of Waynesville, spanning the mountainside from the Blue Ridge Parkway down to the head of Allens Creek. It feeds a 50-acre reservoir and provides water to the residents of Waynesville and some surrounding communities. Guided

S L A I R T

April 24-30, 2013

In honor of National Volunteer Week, Friends of the Smokies is recognizing the work of the Elk Bugle Corps.

The team of volunteers rove Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and help educate the hordes of visitors who come to see the elk each year.

The share ethical wildlife viewing etiquette and teach visitors about the elk.

Last year, the Elk Bugle Corps was awarded the Haywood County Volunteer Organization of the Year. The Friends of the Smokies nominated them for the honor.

Annually the Elk Bugle Corps members spend over 4,225 hours volunteering in the valley and assisting more than 45,540 visitors. www.friendsofthesmokies.org.

Nantahala River Gorge, Bryson City outdoors

able prices.

All proceeds of the sale go to development and maintenance of the demonstration gardens at the ERC, where Master Gardeners volunteer each Tuesday and Friday from 9 a.m. until noon. The public is also invited to visit the gardens during those hours.

35

outdoors April 24-30, 2013

Sign up for the WNC trail event of the decade A national convergence of Appalachian Trail fans and hiking enthusiasts will descend on Western Carolina University this summer for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Biennial conference.

This year, the large gathering will be held July 19 through July 26 in Cullowhee. The event only occurs only once every eight years in the Southeast and will be hosted by the five southern Appalachian Trail maintaining clubs. It is expected to draw more than 1,000 trail managers, hikers and conservationists together for the common goal of celebrating and conserving the AT. This year’s program includes 137 organized hikes, 70 workshops, live music, dancing and trips to some of the region’s best spots. Hikes are planned on the AT and other regional trails.

Workshop topics cover hiking, trail maintenance, natural wonders, cultural history and volunteer leadership development. Activities include rafting, ziplining, touring Asheville’s booming art scene and visiting the Carl Sandburg Home and the Biltmore Estate. www.appalachiantrail.org/2013biennial.

Specialty license plates help fund A.T. projects This spring, nearly a dozen individuals, trail clubs, schools, scientists and conservation groups were awarded $35,000 in funds from the Appalachian Trail specialty license plate grant program. The recipients include the Carolina Mountain Club, Friends of the Smokies, the Nantahala Hiking Club, Summit Charter School in Cashiers and The Wilderness Society’s Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards.

The money will help fund projects along the A.T., such as shelter repair, species monitoring and invasive plant removal.

Overall, the A.T. specialty license plate sales in North Carolina bring about $120,000 each year to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and its grant program. Twenty dollars from each license plate is given to the A.T.C. to support its work in the state along the A.T. www.appalachiantrail.org/plates

Winter floods close some Smokies trails, repairs pending

A section of the Noland Creek Trail was washed out after heavy rains last winter.

A section of the Noland Creek Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed to hikers and horseback riders through May 2, as crews repair flood damage from the past winter. The closed section

will be from the trailhead to backcountry campsite 64.

On the Tennessee side for the park, the popular Chimney Tops Trail has been closed since January, when high waters destroyed the 70-foot-long pedestrian bridge across a stream near the beginning

of the trail. Replacement of the bridge and reopening of the trail is expected by June 30. However, the trail will continue to be closed Monday through Thursday until October 17 for an ongoing rehabilitation project. www.nps.gov/grsm or 865.436.1297.

C LY D E E L E M E N TA RY P R E S E N T S

BALSAM RANGE

Cardinals Take Flight

5K RUN

Smoky Mountain News

Clyde Elementary Would Like to graciously thank our sponsors for making the 5K a success!

Best Builders Company, LLC Carolina West Dental Champion Credit Union Christopher Farms Coffee Cup Café Cornerstone Printing Evergreen Foot Rx Great Beginnings H.A.R.T. Haywood County Schools Foundation Home Trust Bank

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John Highsmith, DDS Jus’ Running New Covenant Church Patti Boo Designs Inc. Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Road ID Sid’s On Main Single Stop Stores Smoky Mountain News Town of Clyde Urban Athletic Vaught Insurance Agency Wal-Mart

A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR CLYDE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS HOWELL BROWN III AND CARTER GREEN

APRIL 28, 2013 • 3-5 P.M. At Haywood Community College Auditorium Adults: $15 • Students 5-12: $10 • Under 5: FREE

185-62

Tickets available at Champion Credit Union, Clyde Elementary School and HomeTrust Bank

WNC Calendar BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Drake Enterprises open house, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, new training facility, Phillips St., Franklin.

• Information session on master of science degree in technology at Western Carolina University’s instructional site, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 25, room 344, WCU’s Asheville facility, 28 Schenck Parkway, Biltmore Park Town Square, Asheville. James Zhang, dean of WCU’s Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, at zhang@wcu.edu. Register for meeting at 654.6498 or by emailing miller@wcu.edu.

• Macon County Economic Development Commission Banquet, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 25, fellowship hall of Holly Springs Baptist Church. Keynote speaker is Tony Almeida, senior advisor to N.C. Governor Pat McCrory for jobs and the economy. Seating limited. Register at www.maconedc.com or call Tommy Jenkins, 369.2306.

• Smoky Mountain Chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association meeting, noon Saturday April 27, Terrace Hotel, room 319, Lake Junaluska. Scotty Setzer, Health and Fitness Director at MedWest Fitness Center, will present the program. The Chapter serves Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Graham Counties. Ed Fox, 456.5251, Haywood County, Betty Brintnal, 586.9292, Jackson County; and Luci Swanson 369.8922, Macon County.

• Free Internet Safety computer class, 5:45 p.m.

Monday, April 29, Jackson County Public Library. Space limited. Call to register, 586.2016.

• Getting Paid to Talk: Have you ever wondered if there might be a way to make money with your voice? Learn about the voice-over field, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, Southwestern Community College, Sylva. Latresa Downs, 339.4426 or www.southwesterncc.edu.

• Free business seminar, Setting up a Business Facebook Page, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, room 219, Haywood Community College, Clyde. Presenter, Denise Teague. Call to reserve a place, 627.4512.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

• Golden LEAF Foundation and Swain County will host a public forum, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 29, Mountain View Room, Business Training Center, 45 East Ridge Road, Bryson City. Pat Cabe, pcabe@goldenleaf.org or call 684.8404.

• Drop-in public input session, North Main Street Complete Streets Study, 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday, May 2, 2nd floor Board Room, Town Hall Building, 9 S. Main St., Waynesville.

• PetSmart National Adopt-a-Thon weekend featuring Sarge foster dogs and cats available for adoption, 10 a.m. May 3-5, PetSmart, 321 Town Center Loop, Waynesville. Photos of pets available can be found on the website www.sargeandfriends.org. 246.9050.

• Foster Pet Adoption, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s Adoption Center, 256 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville. Photos of pets available for adoption can be seen at www.sargeandfriends.org or www.petfinder.com. 246.9050.

• Ducks on the Tuck race, 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Sylva Pool, to help raise money for Jackson, Macon and Swain county New Century Scholars. CC President Don Tomas will dive for ducks. Pamela Judson, 339.4477 or email pjudson@southwesterncc.edu.

• Haywood and Jackson County Guardian Ad Litem New Volunteer Training Classes, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wednesdays beginning May 8 through June 19.

454.6394 or 454.6513.

• Foster Pet Adoption, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s Adoption Center, 256 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville. Photos of pets available for adoption can be seen at www.sargeandfriends.org or www.petfinder.com. 246.9050.

• Young Professionals of Haywood - Networking in the Round, noon Thursday, April 25, conference room at City Bakery, downtown Waynesville.

• PetSmart hosts Sarge Foster Pet Adoption, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, PetSmart, 321 Town Center Loop in Waynesville. Photos of pets at www.sargeandfriends.org. 246.9050.

• Issues & Eggs, 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, Gateway Club, Church St., Waynesville. Speaker, Janie SinacoreJaberg, president and CEO of MedWest - Haywood.

• Youth for Sarge will have a booth at the Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival, Saturday, May 11, Frog Level district, Waynesville.

• WNC Ecofest, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Haywood Community College. $5 per car.

• Tickets on sale for The Mountain Challenge, a charity exhibition match between retired professional tennis players Andy Roddick and Jim Courier, Saturday, July 27, Cedar Creek Racquet Club, Cashiers. Includes a Mountain Dinner Gala and a Saturday morning VIP breakfast with Roddick and Courier. Reserved seat tickets $100. Details at Cashiers.com.

• Ending Stress for Productivity and Profit seminar, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Maggie Valley Club, Maggie Valley. Offered by Destination Stress Free. Owner Vicki O’Connor, Certified Master EFT Trainer, will teach new tools to end stress and improve organizational and prioritization skills. www.destinationstressfree.com and click events button. Vicki, 768.4252.

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • A Day of Beauty, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday April 24, Haywood Professional Park, exit 105, adjacent to Coffee Cup Café, Clyde.

• P.A.W.S. Adoption Days first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn at Charleston Station, Bryson City.

BLOOD DRIVES Haywood

• Giving Them Hope Breakfast, 8:30 a.m. Thursday, April 25, conference center in the Burrell Building at Southwestern Community College, Sylva. Free. Autumn Weil, 231.5413.

• American Red Cross blood drive, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Friday, April 26, MedWest Health and Fitness Center, Clyde. Participants will be automatically entered to win one of three $1,000 gift cards. 452.8080, 800.733.2767 or go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter the code MedWest-Haywood.

• Annual Cashiers Historical Society membership meeting, Friday, April 26, new Cashiers-Glenville Recreation Center. 743.7710.

• Operation In-As-Much Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 27, First Baptist Church, 100 Main St., Waynesville. 800.REDCROSS to make an appointment.

• Silent auction to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Sun Trust Bank parking lot, 135 N. Main St., Waynesville.

• Waynesville Community Blood Drive, noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 29, Masonic Lodge, East Marshall St., Waynesville. 800.733.2767.

Smoky Mountain News

• Hazelwood Elementary School Blood Drive, 1 to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, April 30, 1111 Plott Creek Road, Hazelwood.

456.2406.

• Junaluska Fire Department Blood Drive, 1 to 5:30 p.m.

Monday, May 13, 90 Old Clyde Road, Lake Junaluska. All donors will be automatically entered into a drawing to win a $1,000 gift card. To schedule an appointment, call Larry, 456-9934 or 800-REDCROSS (800.733.2767) and enter Sponsor Code: Junaluska.

Macon • Southwestern Community College Macon Campus Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, April 29, 149 Siler Farm Road, Franklin. Fairley Pollock, 306.7017 or logon to www.redcrossblood.org – Keyword: MACON to schedule an appointment.

• Angel Medical Center Blood Drive, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, May 3, 120 Riverview Street, Franklin. Barbara Hall, 369.4166, 800-RedCross or log onto www.redcrossblood.org.

• Keller Williams Realty Blood Drive, 1 to 5 p.m.

Thursday, May 9, 1573 Highlands Road, Franklin.

Connie Coker, 524.0100 or log onto www.redcrossblood.org. .

HEALTH MATTERS • Free hand screenings, 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 25, MedWest-Harris, with Dr. Paul Cutting of Western Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists.

• Freedom from Tobacco course, 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 2, Haywood County Health Department, 157 Paragon Parkway, Suite 800, Clyde. Includes eight classes over seven weeks. Taught by Rural Health Nurses from the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville. Enrollment is limited. Call Robin, 298.7911, ext. 4244, to enroll.

• Indians in Sobriety Campout May 2-5, KOA Campground, Cherokee. Registration begins at noon, May 2. $45 per person includes campsite and meals.

Activities include talking circles, campfire meeting, sobriety walk, sobriety powwow and AA/Al-anon speakers. Mail check to Indians in Sobriety, ATTN: Treasurer, P.O. Box 548, Cherokee, N. C. 28719. 736.7510.

RECREATION & FITNESS • American Red Cross certified swim lessons for children age 6 months to teens, starting May 13, Western Carolina University. Details at http://swim.wcu.edu or call 227.7397.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Annual Ham Dinner Missions Fundraiser, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, First United Methodist Church, 29 Newfound St., Canton. Donations only.

• Worship Fusion, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Cornerstone Fellowship Church, 224 Barber Hill Road, Waynesville. Featuring worship Leaders Joe Perry, formerly with Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and Danny Edwards, formerly with Biltmore Baptist worship team, and others. Worship teams/praise choirs also invited to participate in a time of interaction at 5 p.m.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Haywood County Senior Games, May 6-21, throughout Haywood County. Opening Ceremony, May 6, Ice Cream Social, May 15, and dinner at the Closing Ceremony, May 21. Haywood County Recreation & Parks office, 452.6789 or visit www.haywoodnc.net.

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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

KIDS & FAMILIES • Smart Start Free Kids Fest, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 27, Great Smokies Arena, Haywood County Fairgrounds, 758 Crabtree Road, Waynesville.

• Summer Nature Day Camps at the Highlands Nature Center, Tuesday through Friday, June through August.

526.2623 or www.highlandsbiological.org.

Day Camps • Elementary School Summer Day Camp. Space is limited and filling up fast. Call 293.9215 or visit http://www.cullowheeumc.org/summer-camp-2013/.

• Preschool Summer Day Camp Cullowhee United Methodist Church. Space limited, call 293.9215 or visit http://www.cullowheeumc.org/summer-camp-2013/.

Science & Nature • Nature Center Summer Day Camps at the Highlands Nature Center. Filling up fast. Find complete schedules, costs, and other information, at www.highlandsbiological.org or call 526.2623.

Literary (children) • Jackson County Public Library closed Wednesday April 24 for annual training. 586.2016.

• Paws to Read, 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Family Night- Art-Cycling, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 25, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Write On! Tween Creative Writing Workshop, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 25, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time- Oh Say Can You Seed? 11 a.m.

Friday, April 26, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time with Miss Sally- Arbor Day, 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Concert with Terry Edwards, 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Movie, noon Saturday, April 27, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time - Rotary Readers, 11 a.m.

Monday, April 29, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Concert with Lori Sealy, 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

ECA EVENTS • Extension and Community Association (ECA) groups meet throughout the county at various locations and times each month. NC Cooperative Extension Office, 586.4009. New members welcome any time.

• 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 2 – Ramps - A Spring Tonic and Recipe Exchange, Potpourri ECA, Conference Room of Community Service Center, Sylva.

wnc calendar

• 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7 – Mothers’ Day Gifts, Kountry Krafters ECA, Claymates.

• Noon Thursday, May 9 – Container Herb Garden, Lunch and Learn ECA, Conference Room of Community Service Center, Sylva.

• 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 16 – ECA Craft Club Workshop: Pine Needle Pendant, Conference Room of Community Service Center, Sylva. Call Extension Office, 586.4009, to sign up.

• 1 p.m. Monday, May 20 – VA Projects, Sew Easy Girls ECA, Conference Room of Community Service Center, Sylva.

• 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 21 – Paper Craft, Cane Creek ECA. Call Extension Office, 586.4009, for location.

POLITICAL GROUP EVENTS & LOCAL GOVERNMENT • Haywood County Democratic executive committee meeting, 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 29, Democratic Headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville.

452.9607 or visit haywooddemocrats.org.

• Haywood County Democratic Rally, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Tuscola High School cafeteria, 564 Tuscola School Road, Waynesville. Dinner, 6 p.m. $12.50 person.

Purchase tickets at Democratic Headquarters, 286 Haywood Square, Waynesville, or from precinct chairs.

Office hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Open to all registered Democrats. 452.9607 or visit www.haywooddemocrats.org.

SUPPORT GROUPS Haywood

April 24-30, 2013

• Men’s Only Grief Support Group, 9 to 10:30 a.m. the second Tuesday of each month, First Presbyterian Church, 305 Main St., Waynesville. John Woods, facilitator. 551.2095 or jhwoods55@yahoo.com.

• Grief and Beyond, a grief support group, 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursdays, room 210, Long’s Chapel UMC, Waynesville. Facilitated by Jan Peterson, M.S. 550.3638 or Long’s Chapel UMC, 456.3993, ext. 17, Tim McConnell.

• Haywood County Aphasia Support Group, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., second Monday of each month in the Haywood Regional Medical Center Fitness Center classrooms. 227.3834.

• Haywood County offers an HIV/AIDS Support Group, 4 p.m., first Tuesday of each month at the Health Department. Anonymity and confidentiality are strongly enforced. 476.0103 or haywoodhiv@yahoo.com.

• AA meetings, 7 p.m., Saturdays, Maggie Valley United Methodist Church, 4192 Soco Road. 926.8036.

Smoky Mountain News

• Al-Anon, a support group for families and friends of alcoholics, 8 p.m., Tuesdays, Grace Episcopal Church, 394 N. Haywood St. Use Miller St. entrance. 926.8721.

• Alzheimer’s Association, 4:30 p.m., fourth Tuesday of each month, First United Methodist Church, Waynesville and 2:30 p.m., third Thursday of each month, Silver Bluff Care Center in Canton. 254.7363.

• Celebrate Recovery, 6 p.m. every Thursday, Long’s Chapel UMC, Waynesville. A Christ-centered 12-step recovery ministry open to all adults with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Childcare available. 456.3993, ext. 32.

• Diabetes Support Group, second floor classroom, MedWest Health & Fitness Center, 4 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. 452.8092 • Grandchildren/Grandparents Rights of N.C., 7 p.m., first Thursday of each month, Canton Library.

648.5205.

• HOPEful Living: Women’s Cancer Support Group, third Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Haywood Regional Medical Center, Fitness Center, Health Educ. Room, Waynesville. 627.9666 or 38 riggs_sandi@msn.com or 627.0227.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chapter, 7 p.m., third Thursday of each month, Asbury Sunday School Room, First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. 400.1041.

• Recovery from Food Addiction, a 12-step recovery program for individuals suffering from food addiction, 5:45 p.m. Wednesdays, Friendship House, Academy St. beside Waynesville’s First United Methodist Church, 400.7239.

• Single Parents Networking Group, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays, First United Methodist Church, 566 S. Haywood St., Waynesville, free, dinner and child care provided in fun, informal setting. 456.8995 ext. 201.

• WNC Grief Support Group is for families who have lost a child. 7 p.m., third Thursday of each month, Clyde Town Hall. 565.0122 or hotstraitcountry@aol.com.

• WNC Lupus Support Group 7 p.m., first Tuesday of each month, Home Trust Bank in Clyde. 421.8428 or countrygirl351@bellsouth.net

Jackson • Man to Man Support Group for prostate cancer patients and survivors, 7 to 8 p.m., Monday, May 13, Harris Medical Park conference room 98, Doctors Dr., Sylva. Mary E. Mahon, RN, 631.8100.

• MedWest-Swain WNC Breast Cancer Support Group, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, private dining room next to the cafeteria at MedWest-Swain in Bryson City. Mary E. Mahon, RN, 631.8100.

• MedWest-Harris WNC Breast Cancer Support Group, 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, Harris Medical Park conference room, 98 Doctors Dr., Sylva. Mary E. Mahon, RN, 631.8100.

• Harris Monthly Grief Support Group, 3 to 4 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month, Chaplain’s Conference Room, MedWest-Harris, Sylva. 586.7979.

• Al-Anon Family Group meets every Monday evening from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sylva Methodist Church. A support group for family and friends whose lives are affected by someone else’s drinking.

• Breastfeeding support group, 9:30 to 11 a.m., first Monday of each month at the First United Methodist Church (park in back and use rear entrance) Sylva. smokeymtnmamas@yahoo.com or 506.1186.

• Men’s discussion circle, 7 p.m. Mondays, The Center in Sylva. Join an open circle of men to discuss the challenges of life that are specific to men in a safe environment of confidentiality. $5. Chuck Willhide, 586.2892 or e-mail chuckwillhide@hotmail.com.

• Al-Anon Meetings are held at 4 p.m. Tuesdays at Grace Community Church. The meetings bring hope for families and friends of alcoholics. 743.9814.

• Cashiers Cancer Care Group for cancer patients, survivors, spouses and caregivers offers support, encouragement, hope and understanding. 7 p.m., first Thursday of the month, Grace Community Church.

743.3158.

• Food Addicts In Recovery Anonymous, 7:30 p.m., Mondays, Harris Regional Hospital in the small dining room, Sylva. 226.8324.

• Jackson County Alcoholics Anonymous, 7:30 p.m., Mondays, Sylva First Presbyterian Church, Grindstaff Cove Road.

• Look Good, Feel Better is for women dealing with the appearance related side effects that occur with cancer treatments. A trained volunteer cosmetologist shares expertise in dealing with hair loss and skin change. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Harris Regional Hospital. Sessions are offered bimonthly on the first Monday. RSVP required, 586.7801.

• WestCare Hospice Bereavement Support Group meets at 3:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month in the Chapel Conference Room at Harris Regional Hospital. 586.7410.

• Weight Watchers meets at 8:30 a.m. every Monday at Grace Christian Church in Cashiers. 226.1096.

Macon • Angel Medical Center Hospice offers three bereavement support groups for people who have lost loved ones. Two Women’s Support Groups both meet on the third Wednesday of each month at the Sunset Restaurant on Highway 28 at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. A Men’s Support Group meets the first Monday of each month also at the same location at 11:30 a.m.

369.4417.

• Angel Medical Center offers a monthly Diabetes Support Group the last Monday of each month. The group meets in the Angel Medical Center dining room beginning at 4 p.m. Pre-registration is required by calling 369.4181.

• Anxiety, nervousness and/or panic disorders support group meets at 7 p.m. on Fridays in the basement of Highlands United Methodist Church. 526.3433.

• Al-Anon meetings are held at noon every Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church at Fifth and Main in the community room in Highlands. All are welcome.

• Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Macon Co. Department on Aging. 369.5845.

• Angel Medical Center’s Diabetes Support Group meets at 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month in the Center’s dining room.

• Chronic Pain Support Group meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Monday of every month in the dining room of Angle Medical Center. 369.6717 or 369.2607.

• Circle of Life support group meets 10 a.m. to noon Fridays at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. The group is for those who are dealing with any loss or grief.

526.1462.

• Healthy eating/weight control classes are held every Tuesday at noon at the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service Office, 193 Thomas Heights Rd. 349.2048.

• Highlands-Cashiers Cancer Support Group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at First United Methodist Church of Highlands. Meetings are confidential.

• Miracles Happen group of Overeaters Anonymous meets at 5:30 p.m. each Thursday and 5 p.m. each Sunday in the downstairs chapel of First United Methodist Church. 349.1438.

• Overeaters Anonymous meets at 5 p.m. on Sundays at First United Methodist Church at 86 Harrison Ave in Franklin. 508.2586 • NAMI Appalachian South (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the local affiliate of NAMI NC, meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7 p.m. at the Community Facilities Building, Georgia Road Contact Ann Nandrea 369.7385.

• Suicide Survivors Support Group. Angel Hospice sponsors a monthly support group for those who have suffered a loss due to the suicide of a loved one. This meeting is open to everyone in our community and meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in the back room. 369.4417.

• TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) support group meets 5:30 p.m. every Monday at Bethel Methodist Church. Weigh in begins at 4:30 p.m. 369.2508 or 369.5116.

• Weight Watchers meet each Tuesday at the Peggy Crosby Center in Highlands. Weigh in is at 5:30 p.m. with the meeting beginning at 6 p.m.

Swain • Women’s 12-Step Medicine Wheel Recovery Group meets Tuesdays at 5 p.m. at A-Na-Le-Ni-S-Gi in Cherokee.

• Circle of Parents, support group for any parent, meets at noon on Thursdays at the Swain Family Resource Center.

• Grief Support Group meets from 7 to 8 p.m. each Monday night at the Cherokee United Methodist Church on Soco Road. 497.4182.

A&E FESTIVALS, SPECIAL & SEASONAL EVENTS • 16th annual Greening Up the Mountains festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Main and Mill streets in historic downtown Sylva.

GreeningUpTheMountains.com or call 506.3419.

• Folkmoot USA celebrates its 30th anniversary, 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 3, Sid’s on Main in Canton, Heavy hors d’oeuvres, music, cash bar and live and silent auctions. Tickets, $50. 452.2997 or email dlavela@folkmoot.com for tickets.

• The Haywood Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for artists and crafters – as well as craft demonstrators – for the 25th annual Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct.19 on Historic Main Street downtown Waynesville. Deadline for applications is August 30. Booth space assignments for the festival will be announced after October 4. Applications available at HaywoodAppleFest.com or by calling 456.3021.

• Empty Bowl Fundraiser, 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 26, The Community Table, Central St., Sylva. Tickets $20 at the door or in advance.

• Student Talent Showcase featuring Macon County youth, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Franklin High School Fine Arts Center. Admission $5 adult, $2 youth age 16 and under. Proceeds support the Arts Council’s Artists-in-the-Schools Program. www.artscouncilofmacon.org or phone the Arts Council, 524.7683.

• Wire Wrapped Jewelry Demo, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27, 99 Depot St., Clyde. Hosted by Artisan in the Mountains. 565.0501 or artisaninthemountains@gmail.com.

• Great Decisions 2013 Edition Discussion Group, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays through May 23, auditorium Haywood County Public Library, Waynesville. $20, cost of Great Decisions, 2013 Edition. Leader, David E. McCracken, National Associate with the FPA. 550.5980 or dem32415@aol.com or www.fpa.org.

• Hunger Games Fan Tours - Walking Tours June 8, July 6, Aug.17, & Aug. 31, DuPont State Forest (between Hendersonville and Brevard). $59 per person. www.hungergamesfantours.com.

LITERARY (ADULTS) • Meet the authors of A Life for Nancy: Daughter of Frankie Silver, 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Blue Ridge Books, 152 S. Main St., Waynesville. 456.6000 • Nadia Dean will discuss her book, A Demand of Blood, 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva. 586.9499.

• May Day Tarot Reading, 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, City Lights Bookstore. 586.9499.

• Writer and musician Ted Olson to perform and read from his new poetry collection, Revelations, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, May 3, City Lights Bookstore. 586.9499.

• Author Deborah Schlag discusses healing and overcoming traumatic brain injury, 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva. 586.9499.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • Auditions for Smoky Mountain Community Theatre’s summer production, Honeymoon at Graveside Manor, 7 p.m. Monday, April 29, and Tuesday, April 30, 134 Main St., Bryson City. No experience, but definitely a plus. Also need a set crew and behind-the-scenes crew. Play held in late July. Roles are for three men, six women, and one flexible role. Director Toby Allman, 488.8103, visit our Facebook page, or check out our web site at www.smctheatre.com.

• University Chorus and Concert Choir, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 24, recital hall of the Coulter Building, Western Carolina University. WCU School of Music, 227.7242.

• Low Tech Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. April 25, recital hall of the Coulter Building, Western Carolina University.

WCU School of Music, 227.7242.

• Celtic Woman, 8 p.m. Friday, April 26, Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center, Cherokee. Tickets start at $35.

800.745.3000.

• Madison: A Gary Carden Monologue Celebrating the Life of Dr. Robert Lee Madison, 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin, 89 Sierra Drive, Franklin. Tickets available at Franklin Chamber of Commerce, 524.3161, UU Fellowship of Franklin, 89 Sierra Dr., 524.6777 or at the door.

• Free concert featuring Cullowhee band member Terry Edwards, 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, Jackson County Public Library Community Room, 586.2016.

• Concert production of Dead Man Walking, a modern day opera based on a nonfiction book of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean, 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Coulter Building recital hall, Western Carolina University. Tickets, $25 to $40, may be purchased online (with a $3.50 surcharge) at tmamp.com or by calling 800.595.4849. For information about Dead Man Walking, email Francis at david@tmamp.org or call 298.0300.

• 2013 Jazz Festival, April 27 and 29, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee. Tickets, $10 general public; $5 for WCU faculty, staff and students. Tickets

for the Saturday evening concert can be purchased at the Bardo Arts Center box office by calling 227.2479 or online at fapac.wcu.edu or events.wcu.edu.

• Free concert featuring Lori Sealy, 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, Community Room, Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Rachele Lynae, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Maggie Valley Festival Grounds during Handlebar Corral Presents Thunder in the Smokies. Discount tickets can be purchased online at www.handlebarcorral.com/Event_tickets.htm.

Weekend passes to the rain or shine event are priced at $17 when purchased online or $20 on day of show. $8 passes for children ages 5-12. www.handlebarcorral.com.

• Auditions for Brigadoon, 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5, HART, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville.

Production runs July 12 through Aug. 4.

• Four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt and Mountain Faith, 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, Coulter Hall, Western Carolina University. $10. Tickets sold at the door. Sponsored by the Jackson County arm of the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program. All proceeds to help sustain the JAM program in Jackson County. Heather Gordon, Jackson County 4-H, 586.4009 (office), 400.2114 (cell), or heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.

• Grace Noon Concert Series, noon, third Thursdays of the month through June 20, Grace Church in the Mountains, 394 Haywood St., downtown Waynesville.

Featuring the Signature Winds. 456.6029.

• Season tickets on sale for An Appalachian Evening Concert Series at historic Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center. Performances for the 2013 season will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, June 29 through Aug. 31.

General seating $120 adults, $40 students (K-12); season reserved seats are $50 rows A through E and $25 all others. www.StecoahValleyCenter.com or call 479.3364.

• The hour-long radio show Stories of Mountain Folk airs at 9 a.m. every Saturday on its home station, WRGC Jackson County Radio, 540 AM on the dial, broadcasting out of Sylva. Stories of Mountain Folk is an ongoing all-sound oral history program produced

by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia (CSA), a western North Carolina not-for-profit, for local radio and online distribution.

ART/GALLERY EVENTS & OPENINGS • Artist Dawn Behling exhibition of nature-inspired work, April 13 through May 8, Rotunda Gallery, Jackson County Library Complex, Historic Courthouse, Sylva.

• Reception for the exhibit “Testify: Beyond Place,” which celebrates the presence of the African American community in Western North Carolina dating from the 18th century, 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University. Featuring performances by the Ubuntu choir of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Truthwriters and the Three Arrows, scheduled for 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

• Testify exhibition through Friday, May 10, Fine Art Museum, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee.

WCU Fine Art Museum, 227.3591 or go online to fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.

• Meet and greet reception for artist Dawn Behling, 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Rotunda Gallery, Jackson County Library Complex, Historic Courthouse, Sylva.

• Empty Bowl 2013 Fundraiser, 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 26, Community Table, Sylva. Your choice of a beautiful bowl made by local potters. Raffle items, soups from local restaurants and live music. Tickets, $20. 586.6782 or www.communitytable.org.

• Blue Ridge Watermedia Society exhibition, through April 27, Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. www.haywoodarts.org.

• Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Department Graduate Show opening reception, 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Folk Art Center Main Gallery, milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville.

298.7928, www.craftguild.org.

• Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Department Graduate Show, April 27 through June 23, Folk Art Center Main Gallery, milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville. 298.7928, www.craftguild.org.

wnc calendar

• Welcome to Mitford, 7:30 p.m. April 26-27, and 3 p.m. May 2-4, HART, 250 Pigeon St. Waynesville.

Based on popular novels by Jan Karon. Tickets, $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $10 for students/teachers. Special $6 discount tickets for students and teachers for Thursday and Sundays. Tickets at 456.6322 or online to www.harttheatre.com.

• Artist reception for John Highsmith, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 3, Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. Under the Sea, an exhibit of photographs taken underwater, runs May 1 through 27, Gallery 86. www.haywoodarts.org.

• Art After Dark, Friday, May 3, downtown Waynesville.

Stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street and Depot Street. Galleries open late with food, wine and live music.

• Photographer Barbara Sammons’ Dusty Roads and More, a collection of 18 photographs of old cars and tractors, wildlife and scenography, May 7 through July 31, Canton Branch Library, 11 Pennsylvania Avenue, Canton. Barbara Sammons, 707.4420. www.barbarasammons.com.

• Family craft workshops, 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4 and Saturday, May 18, Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. $5. Space limited. Correlates with Under the Sea exhibition, a series of underwater photographs by Dr. John Highsmith. Haywood County Arts Council, 452.0593. www.haywoodarts.org.

• Norma Bradley (fiber) and Rebecca Kempson (mixed media), May 11 through June 30, Folk Art Center Focus Gallery, milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville. 298.7928, www.craftguild.org.

• Fifth annual Spring Cashiers Arts & Crafts Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 25-26, Cashiers Village Green.

Spring juried event. Artisans interested in participating in this show email artsandcrafts@cashiersrotary.org.

April 24-30, 2013

The Best Deal in the Mountains!

CLASSIFIED ADS 50 WORDS OR LESS ARE PER WEEK

Smoky Mountain News

(Pre-pay only)

FREE: Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads FREE: Non-business items that sell for less than $150 $35: Non-business items, 25 words or less, 3 months or until sold

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

Call Classifieds Manager Scott Collier — 828.452.4251 or email classads@smokymountainnews.com 68793

39

wnc calendar

CLASSES, PROGRAMS & DEMONSTRATIONS • Create your own classic Glass Goblets, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 27, Green Energy Park, 100 Green Energy Park Road, Dillsboro. $75. Register at 631.0271, www.JCGEP.org.

• Western North Carolina Carvers (WNCC) monthly meeting, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 28, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Road, Asheville. Presentation on chip carving by Bill Johnson. Bring tools and something to carve. Bruce Dalzell, 665.8273.

• Jackson County Arts Council annual membership meeting, 6:30 p.m. Monday April 29, Community Room, Jackson County Public Library Complex.

507.9280, www.jacksoncountyarts.org.

• Southwestern Community College is offering several pottery classes this summer at the Swain Center, 60 Almond School Road, Bryson City. For a complete schedule, visit www.southwesterncc.edu/finearts or call 366.2000.

• Rug Hooking Group, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Jackson County Public Library. Beginners welcome.

631.2561.

• Taking Control of your Digital Photography – From Camera to Computer, by Ed Kelley, for Intermediate & Advanced Students, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays. www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197 orcharspaintings@msn.com.

• Children’s Art Classes, by Scottie Harris, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays. www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197 orcharspaintings@msn.com.

• Drawing Lessons for Adults, by Char Avrunin, 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays. www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197 orcharspaintings@msn.com.

• Painting Lessons for Adults, by Char Avrunin, 1 to 4

p.m. Tuesdays. www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197 orcharspaintings@msn.com.

• Private Art Lessons by Char Avrunin, www.iamclasses.webs.com or contact Char at 456.9197 orcharspaintings@msn.com.

• Beginning knitting class 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 25, or 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18 and Saturday, May 25, Professional Arts and Crafts/Instructional Facility, Haywood Community College. $38 each class. Register one week before class by visiting Student Services or visiting www.haywood.edu/continuing_education. 565.4240.

• Beginning crochet class 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 16 and Thursday, May 23, Professional Arts and Crafts/Instructional Facility, Haywood Community College. $38 each class.

Register one week before class by visiting Student Services or visiting http://www.haywood.edu/continuing_education. 565.4240.

• Comic Stripped: A Revealing Look at Southern Stereotypes in Cartoons, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, through Tuesday, May 14, Mountain Heritage Center, Western Carolina University. 227.7129.

• The Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild offers free Learn to Knit classes for adults and children at the Waynesville Library on Tuesdays. The adult class meets from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Children (boys and girls ages 8-12) meet from 5 to 6 p.m. Pre-registration required. 246.0789.

FILM & SCREEN • 2013 Wild & Scenic Film Festival, 5:30 to 9 p.m., Thursday, April 25, Illusions Café at A.K Hinds University Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee. Students, $6; general public; $10 (includes general admission ticket and free raffle entry. Tickets available at the door or online at www.wnca.org. www.wildandscenicfilmfestival.org/.

• Classic movie series, 1 p.m. Friday, April 26 (new time and day) featuring Humphrey Bogart, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City. 488.3030.

• Free family movie featuring Wreck-It Ralph, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City. Free popcorn. 488.3030.

• Free movie, 4:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, Meeting Room, Macon County Public Library, Franklin.

Stars Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, PG-13, sexual themes. 524.3600.

• Free classic movie, 2 p.m. Friday, May 3, Meeting Room, Macon County Public Library, Franklin. Author Eugene O’Neill gives an autobiographical account of his explosive home life. 524.3600.

Films created by Western Carolina University students will be screened at the fifth annual Controlled Chaos Film Festival in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on Friday, May 3.

DANCE • Community Dance, 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28, Gateway Club Ballroom, 37 Church St., Waynesville.

Frederick Park will call the dance to the live music of Out of the Woodwork. www.dancewnc.com.

• Pisgah Promenaders Dahlia/Mother’s Day square dance, 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. Saturday, May 11, Old Armory Rec. Center, 44 Boundary Street, Waynesville.

Plus and Mainstream dancing with caller Ken Perkins.

586.8416 Jackson County, or 452.1971.

• Beginner clogging classes, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the NC Cooperative Extension, 60 Almond School Road, in Bryson City, in the SCC building. No prior dance experience required. 488.3848 to register.

• Hip Hop Dance Class for grades K-12, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. 456.2030 or youthprogramsupervisor@townofwaynesville.org.

• The Diamond K Dance Ranch in Maggie Valley offers live music and dance Saturdays at 8 p.m. 246.0207.

April 24-30, 2013

• The Diamond K Ranch in Maggie Valley offers live music Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays are ladies nights. 926.7735.

• Ballroom dance classes are offered every Thursday Night at Club 56 Fitness Inc. in Maggie Valley. No partner needed. Taught by Laura Roberts. Classes at 7 to 8 p.m. and 8 to 9 p.m. Cost is $30 for one series for an individual or $40 for both series; couples are $40 for one series or $50 for both. 734.2113.

FOOD & DRINK

Smoky Mountain News

• Wine and Food Pairing, 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, The Classic Wineseller. RSVP to 452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.

A million miles away is just down the road. visitnc.com

• Sixth annual Asheville Gluten Free Expo and Information Fair, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 27, UNC-Asheville’s Kimmel Arena. www.inglesmarkets.com/ask_leah or 800.334.4936 • Gathering Table, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, at The Community Center, route 64, Cashiers. Provides fresh, nutritious dinners to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay. Volunteers always needed and donations gratefully accepted. 743.9880.

Outdoors OUTINGS, HIKES & FIELDTRIPS

40

• USA Canoe/Kayak Freestyle Team Trials, 10 a.m.

April 26-28, Nantahala Outdoor Center. 488.7285, www.noc.com.

• Waynesville Watershed guided hike, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27. Happens twice a year. Meet at Waynesville Water Plant. Three- to five-miles, moderately strenuous. Naturalist Don Hendershot will talk about the flora and fauna; Peter Bates of Western Carolina University will answer questions about the watershed property and forest management plan.

Bring lunch, water, appropriate clothing, hat, rain gear, and wear sturdy shoes. Birders bring binoculars.

No pets. Advanced registration, 452.2491.

• Third annual Buzz on Bees, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday, April 27, Chimney Rock State Park. Find out why they’re disappearing and what you can do to help.

800.277.9611 or visit@chimneyrockpark.com.

• Shutterbugs Nature Photography Workshop, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27, and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 28, Chimney Rock Stage Park.

800.277.9611 or visit@chimneyrockpark.com.

• Eco-Tour of Cataloochee Valley, 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 3, with master naturalist Esther Blakely of Cataloochee Valley Tours. Four-hour round trip. Current members of Friends of the Smokies may join Eco-Tour for $30. Non-members, $65, which includes a complimentary one-year membership to Friends of the Smokies. Space limited. Pre-registration required.

Friends of the Smokies at outreach.nc@friendsofthesmokies.org or 452.0720 to register.

• Tsali Demo Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 4, Tsali Recreation Area. Hosted by Bryson City Bicycles, 157 Everett St., Bryson City. 488.1988.

• Audubon Society Beginners’ Walk, with guest leader Jack Johnston, 7 a.m. Saturday, May 4, to Gibson Bottoms in Franklin. Meet at Highlands Town Hall at 7 a.m. to carpool.

• Paddlesports Demo Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5, Shelter 1, Lake Julian, Arden.

• Audubon Society special joint walk with the Franklin Bird Club, led by Jim & Ellen Shelton, 7:30 a.m.

Saturday, May 11, Walnut Gap. Highlands participants should carpool from the Highlands Town Hall Parking lot, meeting at 7:30, while Cashiers residents will meet at the Community Center parking lot, at 7:45 a.m. Michelle, 743.9670.

• Sons of the American Legion Turkey Shoot, 9 a.m. every Saturday, Legion Drive, Waynesville. Benefits local charities.

• The local Audubon Society is offering weekly Saturday birding field trips. Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the Highlands Town Hall parking lot near the public restrooms, or at 8 a.m. behind Wendy’s if the walk is in Cashiers. Binoculars available. www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org or 743.9670.

PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS • National Junior Ranger Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 27, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Free, hands-on activities at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tenn.; Cades Cove Visitor Center near Townsend, Tenn; and Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. Lloyd Luketin, 865.436.1292.

• Free boating safety course, 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 8, and Thursday, May 9, room 309, Haywood Community College. Participants must attend two consecutive evenings to receive their certification. No age limits. Pre-registration is required at www.ncwildlife.org. Sponsored by HCC’s Natural Resources Division and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park South District Spring Interpretive Programs: • Mingus Mill Demonstration, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, one-half mile north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on US 441 (Newfound Gap Road), Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• Mountain Farm Museum, dawn to dusk, daily, adjacent to Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

PRIME REAL ESTATE

INSIDE

Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

CLASSES

MarketPlace information:

YOGA BY ROSE Core Strength, Tuesday 5:30 6:45 p.m. ($10); Restorative, Wednesday 4:15 - 5:15 p.m. ($7); Meditative Flow, Thursday 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. ($10).

Mountain Spirit Wellness, 254 Depot Street, Waynesville.

Register: rose@yogabyrose.com or 828.550.2051.

Facebook.com/yogabyrose.

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 — Residential yard sale ads, lost or found pet ads.

■ Free — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $12 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

■ $12 — If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad.

■ $35 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

ARTS & CRAFTS ALLISON CREEK Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC

Classified Advertising:

AUCTION

Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com

HUGE AUCTION Friday April 26th @ 4:30 PM Selling over 800 lots!!

FARM RELATED ITEMS/ ANTIQUE AUCTION Partial Listing: John Deere tricycle tractor with front loader, gooseneck stock trailer, wagons, buggies, wagon wheels, Massey Ferguson baler, tri-axle flatbed trailer, old farm implements, lumber, saddles, harness, tools, lots of furniture, primitives, antiques, collectables, glassware & MORE! Too Much To List!!

View pictures and more details: www.boatwrightauction.com Boatwright Auction, 34 Tarheel Trail, Franklin NC, 828.524.2499.

NCAL Firm 9231

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

R

DI

SC OV ER E

ATR

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INC.

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

Service truck available for on-site repairs LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS STEVE WOODS, MANAGER

MON-FRI 7:30-5:30 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

456-5387

185-05

AUCTION AUCTION Beautiful Home & 156 acres on stocked trout waters. 3 Tracts, Buy Part or All. Saturday, May 4, 2013.

4180 Tumbling Creek Rd. Saltville, VA www.countsauction.com #0326 AUCTION Utility Trucks & Equipment, May 3, 10 a.m. Raleigh, NC. Featuring Progress Energy & Others! Aerials, Derricks, Service Trucks, Plus Equipment, Trailers & More! Taking Consignments Daily. www.motleys.com. Motley's Auction & Realty Group. 804.232.3300. NCAL5914.

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

WHITE PINE, HEMLOCK, POPLAR Lumber and Timbers, Any Size!

Rough Sawn or S4S, Custom Sawing. Smoky Mountain Timber, 3517 Jonathan Creek Rd., Waynesville, NC. 828.926.4300.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

PAINTING JAMISON CUSTOM PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING Interior, exterior, all your pressure washing needs and more.

Call Now for a Free Estimate at 828.508.9727. Ask about our Senior Citizens Discount

ELECTRICAL BOOTH ELECTRIC Residential & Commercial service.

Up-front pricing, emergency service. 828.734.1179. NC License #24685-U.

AUTO PARTS DDI BUMPERS ETC. Quality on the Spot Repair & Painting. Don Hendershot 858.646.0871 cell 828.452.4569 office.

CARS - DOMESTIC DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck or Boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 877.752.0496.

MY COMPUTER WORKS: Computer problems? Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connections - FIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help. 1.888.582.8147 SAPA TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA

CHILD CARE AVAILABLE EXPERIENCED BABYSITTER AVBLE. I have a degree in Early Childhood Education. I’m available Days & Nights - 7 days a week. References available upon request. For more info please call 828.335.0220.

R

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT

BOJANGLES RE-OPENING SOON! NOW HIRING 65 Veterans Blvd. We are looking for smiling, energetic crew members. Day and Evening shifts, full and part time positions available Top pay and benefits. Apply online at: apply.bojangles.com Select Bryson City, NC location.

EEO/DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE AIRLINES ARE HIRING Train for hands on Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial Aid if Qualified Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance.

1.866.724.5403. SAPA AVERITT Offers CDL-A Drivers a Strong, Stable, Profitable Career. Experienced Drivers and Recent Grads. Excellent Benefits, Weekly Hometime.

Paid training. 888.362.8608.

AverittCareers.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer.

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

AVIATION CAREERS Train in Advance Structures and become certified to work on aircraft. Financial aid for those who qualify. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 1.877.205.1779. www.fixjets.com SAPA

DRIVER Two raises in first year. Qualify for any portion of $0.03/mile quarterly bonus: $0.01 Safety, $0.01 Production, $0.01 MPG. 3 months OTR experience. 800.414.9569. www.driveknight.com

DRIVER Flatbed & Heavy Haul Owner Operators/Fleet Owners. Consistent year round freight. Avg $1.70 - 2.00 all miles. No forced dispatch. Apply online www.tangomotortransit.com or call 877.533.8684.

HOUSEKEEPER Top Dollar, Convenient Location!

ChaletInn.com, 828.586.0251.

DRIVERS CDL-A $5,000 SIGN-ON BONUS For exp'd solo OTR drivers & O/O's.

Tuition reimbursement also available! New Student Pay & Lease Program. USA TRUCK. 877.521.5775. www.GoUSATruck.com HEAVY EQUIPMENT Operator Career! 3 Week Hands On Training School. Bulldozers, Backhoes, Excavators. National Certifications. Lifetime Job Placement Assistance. VA Benefits Eligible.

1.866.362.6497

DRIVERS - REGIONAL Class A CDL - Company Drivers & Owner Operators Out 5 to 7 Days 1.800.444.0585 Press 2 for Recruiting or Online applications www.howellsmotor.com DRIVERS...APPLY NOW, 13 Drivers Needed! Top 5% Pay & Benefits. Class A CDL Required.

877.258.8782. Or go to: www.ad-drivers.com GYPSUM EXPRESS. Regional Hauls for Flatbed Company Driver Terminal in Roxboro. Ask about Performance Bonus coming April 1st & more. Melissa, 866.317.6556 x6 or go to: www.gypsumexpress.com

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

DRIVERS: HOME WEEKENDS! Pay up to $.40 per Mile. Chromed out Trucks with APU’s. 70% Drop & Hook. CDL-A, 6 Months Exp. 888.406.9046 or Apply at: SmithDirvers.com

EMPLOYMENT

MEDICAL CAREERS BEGIN HERE Train ONLINE for Allied Health and Medical Management. Job placement assistance. Computer and Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV authorized. Call 1.877.206.7665 www.CenturaOnline.com SAPA

FREIGHT BROKERAGE NEEDS Agents, commission based. Great opportunity to train, work, and build your business from home. Not get rich quick! Invest in yourself!

719.846.2126 TRUCK DRIVERS WANTEDBest Pay and Home Time! Apply Online Today over 750 Companies!

One Application, Hundreds of Offers! HammerLaneJobs.com. SAPA

TANKER & FLATBED COMPANY. Drivers/Independent Contractors!

Immediate Placement Available.

Best opportunities in the Trucking Business. Call Today.

800.277.0212 or go to: www.primeinc.com TRANSPORT SEVICE CO. Food Grade Division is hiring Class A CDL DRIVERS out of Asheville, NC for our Long Haul (5-7 days out) positions! We offer competitive pay, medical benefits for you and your family, paid training on product handling, paid uniforms, paid vacations, 401K & MORE! 1 year tractor-trailer experience, Tank Endorsement (or ability to obtain) & safe driving record required.

APPLY NOW at: TheKAG.com or call 800.871.4581.

FOREMEN TO LEAD Utility field crews. Outdoor physical work, many positions, paid training, $17/hr. plus weekly performance bonuses after promotion, living allowance when traveling, company truck and benefits. Must have strong leadership skills, good driving history and able to travel in the Carolinas and nearby states.

Email resume to Recruiter4@osmose.com or apply online at OsmoseUtilities.com. EOE M/F/D/V

YELLOW BRANCH POTTERY Is hiring sales person/studio assistant. Duties: gallery sales, customer service, studio assistant. Sales experience helpful. Fun, creative work. June 1 to October 31, 2013.

Wed. - Sat., 12pm - 5pm. Location: 9 miles south of Fontana Village off NC 28. Call for application 828.479.6710.

WE ARE GROWING IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA! We are looking for Managers who are smiling, results oriented and energetic with quick service experience in Bryson City, Sylva and Franklin. We offer competitive pay, Medical and Dental benefits, LTD, Life Insurance and 401K. Please apply online at: apply.bojangles.com Or fax resume to: 828.684.1861.

EEO/DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

185-11

Puzzles can be found on page 45.

April 24-30, 2013

These are only the answers.

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

92

$

20’x20’

160

$

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828

www.smokymountainnews.com

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

42

LILY - A 17 lb. Feist mix. She is tan and white. Just a little shy at first, but would make a good watch dog. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC.

He is 3 years old, 17 lbs., and white and liver colored.

Housebroken and good with other dogs. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC.

Redtick. She is 1-2 years old.

Very gentle, she will make a wonderful pet. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC.

BEN - A 5 lb. purebred Chihuahua. He is white and brown. He is a bit shy. No small children. Special pricing applies.

Call 877.ARF.JCNC.

FERDINAND - A handsome, young Aussie, Plott mix. He is well behaved and good with other dogs. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC.

RASCAL - A cute Terrier/Corgi mix who is just 3 years old. He is housebroken, current on all shots, not a lapdog, but is a good porch dog to alert when visitors arrive. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC.

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

SASSY - A 60 lb., purebred

HOMER - A little, male Beagle.

GIBBS - A two-year-old, purebred, male Beagle. He is tricolored, weighs 35 lbs., and is very friendly. He gets along well with other dogs, is affectionate with people, and obeys house rules. Call ARF at 877.ARF.JCNC

Your Local Big Green Egg Dealer

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Injury Lawsuit Dragging? Need $500-$500,000++ within 48/hours? Low rates. Apply Now By Phone! 1.800.568.8321. wwwlawcapital.com Not Valid in CO or NC. SAPA BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

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185-23

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CALL CALL FOR FOR QUOTE QUOTE 24/7.

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Chad McMahon, A gent 3 4 5 Wa l n u t S t r e e t Waynesville, NC 28786 Bus: 828 - 452- 0567 chad.mcmahon.r v37@s t atef arm.com

ARF’S Next low-cost spay/neuter trip will be May 6h. Register and pre-pay at ARF’s adoption site on Saturdays from 1-3.

1001174.1

ARF (HUMANE SOCIETY OF JACKSON COUNTY) Holds rescued pet adoptions Saturdays from 1:00 - 3:00 (weather permitting) at 50 Railroad Avenue in Sylva. Animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots.

Most cats $60, most dogs $70.

Preview available pets at www.a-r-f.org, or call foster home.

185-20

Kao - Is quite a striking beauty - this young gal is all white with blue eyes and a calico tail! She is sweet and friendly, spayed and ready for her new home.

EVE - Labrador Retriever Mix dog – black. I am about 2 years old and was found living in the woods with my sister. I can be shy with people at first, but a happy girl once I know I can trust you. I love toys, other dogs, and belly rubs. I’m still in a learning phase with some things like not jumping up and getting used to new places and people, but am making steady progress. I am housetrained and also learning sit and down commands. $125 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 828.274.3647 or animalcompassionnetwork.org.

NEED A NEW HOME

ANIMAL COMPASSION NETWORK Pet Adoption Events - Every Saturday from 11a.m. to 3p.m. at Pet Harmony, Animal Compassion Network's new pet store for rescued pets. Dozens of ACN dogs, puppies, kittens and cats will be ready to find their permanent homes. The store also offers quality pet supplies where all proceeds save more homeless animals. Come see us at 803 Fairview St. (behind Province 620 off Hendersonville Rd), visit www.animalcompassionnetwork.org, or call 828.274.DOGS.

Willow - Is a young, beautiful Staffie mix. She is a very happy, playful and sweet 6 month old puppy who adores people and really enjoys playing with other dogs.

Full Service Property Management 828-456-6111 www.selecthomeswnc.com Residential and Commercial Long-Term Rentals

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“LIKE” MY PAGE

185-19

CRS, GRI, E-PRO

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185-09

jsmith@beverly-hanks.com

101 South Main St. Waynesville

MainStreet Realty

(828) 452-2227

74 N. Main St. • Waynesville

mainstreetrealty.net 185-08

smokymountainnews.com

For your pet? Animal Comp Net provides a re-homing service! that includes neutering, microchipping, and food – all FREE to you! You'll bring your pet to our adoption events and we'll find them a loving new home! For details, call us at 828.258.4820

*Discounts var y by states.

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April 24-30, 2013

OAKEY - Domestic Shorthair cat – black. I was born in February 2012, so I still have a great mix of kitten-y playfulness and energy, but also some maturity to balance it out. I’m a very cute and loving fellow. $100 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 828.274.3647 or animalcompassionnetwork.org.

JACK - Beagle Mix dog – brown & white. I am 4 years old, and I’m a very well behaved boy who is perfectly housetrained and never destroys anything. I’m very friendly with every person and dog I meet, and my ideal forever home would have a canine companion. I love stuffed animals and am good at entertaining myself with them when alone. I’ve been known to bark at cats from afar, but have never actually met one close up. $125 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 828.274.3647 or animalcompassionnetwork.org.

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43

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YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS, Let Us Help! Personalized adoption plans. Financial assistance, housing, relocation and more. Giving the gift of life? You deserve the best. Call us first!

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182-15

7RZQKRXVH MOUNTAIN REALTY

Mieko Thomson

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185-21

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 44

828.452.4251 | ads@smokymountainnews.com

mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com mthomson@remax-waynesvillenc.com www.ncsmokies.com www.ncsmokies.com

2177 Russ Avenue Waynesville NC 28786

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YARD SALES BLAST FROM THE PAST Sears Kenmore wall oven/microwave combo (retail $2100) $600/ OBO; metal dome top 20 gal. trash can with liner (retail $150) $50; white computer desk $25; twin headboards $20; Drexel table & chairs $195; Lexington armoire (retail $3000) $500; Seigler oil heater $150/OBO; New mattresses; and LOTS MORE! Blast from the Past Retail and Consignment 2122 Skyland Dr. Sylva. Call 828.586.1030 or 828.226.0045.

SATURDAY’S CHILD 470 Haywood Rd., Dillsboro, NC. The Big White Bldng. w/ Blue Awnings! Nice Furniture, Household, Clothing, Miscellaneous, Everything Under The Sun! Saturdays 10am - 3pm. Call for directions or more information 828.226.7993 STORAGE SALE Unit 10 at A-1 Storage on Route 441 S. Recliner sofa, love seat convertible, coffee & end tables, appliances, chairs & stools, dear freezer, ext. Low Prices! May 4th & 5th, 9 a.m to 12 p.m. or call 828.508.8486.

WEEKLY SUDOKU

Super

CROSSWORD

80 Failure to act promptly, enlarged?

84 Now-rare skill 86 Frequent downhiller’s ACROSS 1 Requests at bar doors purchase 87 Role-play 8 Liquid-filled vessel in 90 – Butter (Nabisco which to clean things cookie) 15 Map source 91 Razz 20 Smears with animal 92 Harvard or Yale, fat reduced?

21 Dish of soybeans 97 Post-failure comment boiled in their pods 99 “-you ready?”

22 Horse sound 100 Writer with morals 23 Most valuable Scrabble square, reduced? 101 Walk around looking for work, reduced?

25 Fish store favorite 108 In proportion 26 Peter of film 109 Thumbs downs 27 Dress edge 110 See 101-Down 28 To that place 30 Impersonal little kiss, 116 White wader 117 Skeptically, enlarged? enlarged?

36 Celebs’ rides 123 “The Cloister and 41 Summer, in Quebec the Hearth” novelist 42 Military order Charles 43 Very quickly, 124 “Free Your Mind” enlarged?

46 “Casino” co-star Joe R&B group 125 Nation next to 51 Williams of tennis Georgia 52 Dog, often 126 Earnestness 53 Time-stamps anew 127 Wanted 55 Jails 57 NHL trophy, enlarged? 128 It has three-pointed antlers 62 Flight part 63 Airport transport DOWN 66 Tiny tot 1 “Tell—the judge!”

67 ROTC grads 2 Flit 68 Alternate title of this 3 Ad biz award puzzle 4 Fido’s food 73 Exec’s deg.

75 Food court pizza chain 5 Drum effect 76 With 44-Down, Kenobi 6 Uncool sort 7 Dallas-to- Laredo dir. of sci-fi 8 Visitors’ first words 77 Cloverleaf compo9 “- to the list” nents SUPER CROSSWORD SWITCH UNITS

10 Blue 11 Dr. provider 12 La - (city in Bolivia) 13 “Follow Me -” (Kipling poem) 14 Final bowling frames 15 Bit of hijinks 16 Zipper parts 17 Limber 18 Feel similarly 19 “Jaws” peril 24 “All right, I get it!”

29 Snicker bit 31 One-eighty 32 “— -di-dah!”

33 Western Amerind 34 Opposite of old, in Bonn 35 La Brea stuff 36 Talks like the cat Sylvester 37 Not reactive 38 2000 #1 hit for Santana 39 Infant’s bodysuit 40 Spanish lady 44 See 76-Across 45 Some chess pcs.

46 “At once!”

47 —de vie 48 Deadlocks 49 Official doc.

50 Cause adherents 53 Fix, as a loose board 54 They blink 56 Swims with the fishes, maybe 58 A couple of runners at the corners, in baseball 59 - Lingus 60 Sci-fi skipper 61 Singer Lisa 64 Limp as65 Icy hazard 69 Lith. And Ukr., once

70 Workweek ender: Abbr.

71 Andress of “Dr. No” 72 Infant’s toy 73 Hit 1990s computer game 74 Scorch 78 Spaghetti sauce brand 79 Bug causing a sore throat 81 They result in two outs: Abbr.

82 “Lost” actor Daniel— Kim 83 Moo goo — pan 85 Artist Yoko 88 Raised a din 89 “Mother” of Calcutta 92 Mad feeling 93 Big name 94 “Truly” 95 Cato’s 1,505 96 100-yr. span 97 Hairy sitcom cousin 98 Liquefied 101 With 11 0Across, where divas deliver 102 Prodding person 103 Santa-tracking org.

104 Belief set 105 One feeding 106 Provide, as with a quality 107 Extensive, for short 111 “How stupid —!”

112 Not new 113 Lucid 114 Author Wiesel 115 Macy’s logo 118 Suffix with Carol 119 Tellies 120 —polloi 121 Farming sci.

122 Taint

answers on page 42

Answers on Page 42

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April 24-30, 2013

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45

A

bi-monthly magazine that covers the southern Appalachian mountains and celebrates the area’s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, art, crafts and special places. Each issue relies on regional writers and photographers to bring the Appalachians to life.

In this issue: On the trail of Cherokee’s marker trees The last scream of the Virginia Creeper Winding along the Blue Ridge Parkway Postcards’ role in attracting early tourists PLUS ADVENTURE, CUISINE, READING, MUSIC, ARTS & MORE

SUBSCRIBE: www.smliv.com OR

Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013

185-42

46

866.452.2251

Cliff swallows return

T

George Ellison

BACK THEN each year in areas where Cliff Swallows were previously unrecorded as breeders. Both sexes build the nest, although the male may initiate construction before he attracts a mate. Birds gather mud in their bills along the bank of a stream, lake, or temporary puddle (e.g., ruts in road) … Birds bring a mud pellet back to a colony and mold it into the nest with a shaking motion of bill. A newly built nest begins as a narrow mud ledge affixed to wall … Birds add to the ledge until it is a crescent shape projecting outward … then extend lateral and ventral walls upward to form a broad half-cup … A roof is added by doming over the sides, creating an entrance tunnel pointing downward … Birds gather mud in large synchronized groups [but will] steal wet mud from unattended neighboring nests. Nests retain heat and are warmer than outside temperatures at night and in early morning. They offer greatest advantage in preventing radiative heat loss at night.”

Swallows are the ballet dancers of the bird world. They bring flying to another level. We never tire of watching the patterns

Cliff swallow

April 24-30, 2013

— intricate, endless, ever changing, and yet somehow the same — they etch against the sky. Accordingly, it’s exciting news for area birders that cliff swallows, a species relatively new to Western North Carolina, are now breeding here in appreciable numbers and can be readily observed both flying and crafting their unique nests.

George Ellison wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees.

In June 2005, a selection of his Back Then columns was published by The History Press in Charleston as Mountain Passages: Natural and Cultural History of Western North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains. Readers can contact him at P.O. Box 1262, Bryson City, N.C., 28713, or at info@georgeellison.com.

Smoky Mountain News

hat’s the news. Our common breeding swallows have always been purple martins, barn swallows, and northern rough-winged swallows. To a lesser extent, tree swallows also breed here, where there are suitable tree cavities or boxes. Cliff swallows are another matter.

Two years ago, Rick Pyeritz — the physician at UNC-A, whose first practice was in Bryson City — and I were leading an annual spring bird identification outing that we initiated 29 years ago this May. As usual, we started out the morning in Bryson City. We were observing the purple Columnist martins, barn, tree and rough-winged swallows over the Tuckaseigee River (between the two downtown bridges) when someone in the group remarked that the nests attached to the sides of the vertical supporting structures under the Everett Street Bridge were “funny looking.”

Tony Scardaci, an excellent birder who lives in Haywood County, was lugging a spotting scope. Sure enough, closer examination quickly revealed the characteristic jug-like nests of cliff swallows. At that point, we began to pick out the cliff swallows flying with the other swallows over the river. They displayed their characteristic snowwhite foreheads, burnt-orange facial patterns, dark throats, and pale rumps. The white foreheads are especially prominent when the birds are sitting just inside their nests looking out.

I later counted 20 nesting jugs on the Everett Street Bridge (10 on each side) and about 20 on the upstream side of the Slope Street Bridge.

There were none on the lower side of that bridge because of a pipe that blocked access.

Some of the nests were isolated units, but many were clustered together in colonial units comprised of five or more jugs fused in a honeycombed pattern. Beautifully crafted, they are the work of skilled avian potters.

This year’s cliff swallows are just getting started but will have completed some impressive nest building within a week to ten days. “The Birds of America Online” (an Internet subscription site sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Ornithologists’ Union) describes the nest sites as follows: “The Cliff Swallow is one of the most social land birds of North America. These birds typically nest in large colonies, and a single site may contain up to 3,500 active nests ... New colonies continue to appear

47

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Smoky Mountain News

April 24-30, 2013

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48

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Maggie Valley 3BR, 4BA,1HBA $949,000 #533083

185-38