Smoky Mountain News

January 23-29, 2013 Vol. 14 Iss. 34 Western North Carolina’s Source for Weekly News, Entertainment, Arts, and Outdoor Information www.smokymountainnews.com

Cherokee lights continue to mystify locals

Sylva music scene flourishing

Page 4

Page 16

MUDDY WATERS WNC feels the blues following unrelenting rainstorms

Stop by Start the year off right with an Old Town Bank Money Market Account or call for details

2045 S. Main St. | Waynesville 828.456.3006 | OldTownBanking.com

AT TURDAY Y,, A P R I L 6 WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY | SA

CONTENTS On the Cover

HALFMARA AT THON.WCU.EDU

Join us on a scenic journey through the hee V a alley and along the T uck uckaseigee u Cullowhee Valley Tuckaseigee River before winding back onto W Western Rive estern e Ca Carolina University campus for the finish.

Training T rraining Program, Program, T Technical eechnical Runni Running Shir Shirtt and “Goody Bag” included with race fee.

T Training rraining Program includes: running group, 11-week progressive programs a for beginners and advanced runners, professional guidance for nutrition, shoe fittings, and other tips to help prepare runners for the race.

REGISTER NOW A AT T IMATHLETE.COM IMATHLETE.COM Proceeds Proceeds to support suppor t student pr professional ofessional development and travel.

January 23-29, 2013

SPONSORS

RACE HOSTS: WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY | School of Health Sciences | Campus Recreation Recreation & Wellness Wellness

Strange lights near Cherokee are source of folklore, ghost stories ................4 WCU grapples with reducing its number of college dropouts ........................5 Jackson commissioners take a stance on mountainside development ..........9 New owners hope to give Carolina Nights in Maggie new life ......................10 Applications are in for Haywood’s next top lawman ........................................10 Report analyzing Lake Junaluska, Waynesville merger due out soon ..........10 Waynesville bids goodbye to town’s longest-serving clerk ............................11

Opinion Lawmakers looking to tax the poor and untax the rich ....................................13

A&E Outdoors Local weatherman attempts to master the mountain forecast........................20

Mountain Radiance Medical Spa

828.627.2711

Back Then Northern siskins ‘irrupting’ right now at Ellison’s feeder ..................................31

24 Falcon Crest | Clyde HAYWOOD PROFESSIONAL PARK EXIT 105 US 23/74 | BEHIND COFFEE CUP CAFÉ WWW.MOUNTAINRADIANCE.COM

Spa Party Sponsored by Allergan Open House • Door Prizes • Refreshments by Kanini's

Botox $9 per unit Smoky Mountain News

News

Sylva is alive with the sound of music ................................................................16

Jan. 30th, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm

Average savings $25 - $50

$425 Juvederm Ultra Plus XC Save $75 per syringe "It's like a magic eraser for wrinkles.

My friends say I look great!"

WAYNESVILLE | 34 Church Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 P: 828.452.4251 | F: 828.452.3585 SYLVA | 629 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 P: 828.631.4829 | F: 828.631.0789 I NFO & B ILLING | P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 smokymountainnews.com | wncmarketplace.com | wnctravel.com Contents © 2013 The Smoky Mountain News. All rights reserved. ™

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.

E DITOR/PUBLISHER: ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: ART DIRECTOR: DESIGN\PRODUCTION: ADVERTISING:

CLASSIFIEDS: N EWS E DITOR: WRITING /E DITING:

20% off Latisse & all Vivite skincare

Free paraffin hand dip Brilliant Distinctions coupons honored if presented at checkout

Introducing CO2 Fractional Laser 2

Four days of rain left parts of Western North Carolina inundated with water last week. Emergency officials from around the region kept busy responding to a multitude of reported floods and landslides.

(Page 6)

One treatment can reduce fine lines, lift age spots, reduce pore size, soften acne scars and tighten skin.

Skin continues to improve for up to 18 months.

ACCOUNTING: DISTRIBUTION:

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

CONTRIBUTING: Jeff Minick (writing), Chris Cox (writing), George Ellison (writing), Gary Carden (writing), Don Hendershot (writing) SUBSCRIPTION:

DISTRIBUTION: Donald Trull, Kathy Singletary Amanda Collier

1 YEAR $65 | 6 MONTHS $40 | 3 MONTHS $25

January 23-29, 2013 Smoky Mountain News

Waynesville (828) 452-2101 Ý Valle Crucis Ý Boone Ý Hendersonville Asheville, NC Ý Knoxville, TN Ý Greenville Ý Columbia, SC Ý MastGeneralStore.com

3

news

Theories swirl around perplexing mountain lights

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER hosts, spirits, swamp gas, gnomes and car headlights — there’s no shortage of hyphotheses behind the mysterious phenomenon along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The real question is, though, have you seen the light?

For the curious, the experience starts with a night drive down the parkway to the Thomas Divide Overlook, about two-thirds of the way between Maggie Valley and Cherokee, mile-marker 464 to be exact.

From there what happens is out of your control — some claim flashing your high beams or honking your horn helps, others claim that is the last thing you should do. In the end all you can really do is wait — and that’s when the lights come out.

Against the backdrop of the distant mountain range, they dance like orbs of yellow and white across the ridges, sometimes moving rapidly, other times standing in place.

Sometimes they stay out for a long time, other times they never appear.

Unlike the famous and more reliable Brown Mountain Lights of Boone, the Thomas Divide Lights are little known outside local circles. An Internet search will reveal several postings on supernatural blog sites, a forum or two that mentions them and at least one home video of a family who went camping nearby and drove over to see the lights.

Other than that documentation is scarce.

Marsha Bowers, a park ranger for more than 20 years along the parkway, said she was confused at first when she would come across the busy parking area at the Thomas Divide overlook while patrolling on the night shift, until she asked someone what was going on.

“It’s mostly people from Cherokee. They

January 23-29, 2013

G

Thomas Divide overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. David Haas, Library of Congress

“There are lights in the mountains — I really do believe that. What the lights are is a question I would not be comfortable betting on.”

— Lynne Harlan, Eastern Band of Cherokee public relations coordinator

say they see lights in the distance, and they move,” Bowes said, though she has never seen them herself. “People swear by it.”

But to those in Cherokee, heading a few miles out of town on the Parkway to take a gander at the Thomas Divide Lights is a popular pastime — be it a coming of age experience for teenagers cruising with their friends or kids dragged out on a chilly night by their enthusiastic parents.

Currie Custer, M.D. Certified by the American Board of Dermatology

Beverly Connolly, PA-C Smoky Mountain News

Traci Long, PA-C

Serving Western North Carolina

Accepting New Patients With Extended Office Hours New Clyde Location effective February 1st 243 Jones Cove Road

For appointments call 828.627.9616 or 828.631.1852

currentdermatology.com 4

“It’s a fun thing to do with young people because they get excited and scream; some older people do, too,” said Lynne Harlan, a public relations coordinator with the Eastern Band of Cherokee. “It’s been a folktale over here for generations.”

Harlan first saw the lights about 35 years ago, when she was a teenager. Since then, she’s heard a multitude of explanations for the lights — from car headlights to combustible methane gas to fireballs hurled by the Cherokees’ legendary giant, Judaculla.

Some even say the lights are the lanterns of the Cherokee’s mythical “Little People,” mischievous dwarves that are said to populate mountainside caves. One park ranger who has worked on the parkway for 20 years postulates they are simply the lights of distant houses, or campfires.

But, Harlan still hasn’t heard one she is willing to settle on.

“There are lights in the mountains — I really do believe that,” Harlan said. “What the lights are is a question I would not be comfortable betting on.”

One of the oldest personal accounts of mysterious mountain lights in Cherokee comes from Jerry Wolfe, a respected elder in the Cherokee community and an employee at the local museum. Wolfe, who’s almost 90, remembers his first encounter with the lights when he was 16.

He was walking home with a friend along the parkway late one night when they saw an erratic set of car headlights on a distant mountainside — or so they thought.

“Those two lights would go in, disappear, then they’d come out, then go into a valley and disappear,” Wolfe said. “They’d be on the

ridge, in and out, in and out.”

The next day they investigated the area the lights seemed to be coming from — where Big Cove meets the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — and he realized those were no headlights.

“There’s no highway up there,” Wolfe said. “That’s the roughest terrain there is.”

The phenomenon has caught the eye of a local paranormal author and lead investigator of the Smoky Mountain Ghost Trackers, Micheal Rivers. Based out of Whittier, Rivers has made several trips to Thomas Divide, occasionally outfitted with infrared photograph equipment and claims he has been able to capture images of orbs of light.

But he has yet to see the lights with his naked eye, despite one six-hour marathon stakeout. Meanwhile, other viewers will be lucky enough to see the lights on their first visit.

However, after investigating countless supernatural and possibly haunted sites across the country, Rivers said he does feel something special about the overlook area and the adjacent valley. On one occasion, when he was alone at the site, he noticed what he called anomalies appearing on the pictures he was taking, so he stopped shooting and called into the night, “I want to know if anyone is there but me.”

He then heard someone walking along the nearby creek.

“You knew you were not alone. You can feel something in the air with you,” Rivers said. “It was just paranormal. There was no other way to explain it.”

But what has proved even more useful than his onsite investigations are the oral histories Rivers has documented surrounding mountain lights near Cherokee.

Rivers, who is 59, has known about the lights since his youth, when he used to spend summers in Western North Carolina. A family friend who constructed roads through the Appalachian mountains in the early 1900s — sometimes working late into the night when the lights would appear — was the first to recount the story of them to Rivers.

Later, Rivers gained the trust of Cherokee elders, many of them dead now, and claims that they had family stories of the lights dating as far back as the 1700s. The elders believed the lights are guardians of the mountains, the life and secrets of the Cherokee people, Rivers said.

And as for the other explanations floating around in the darkness, Rivers said he’s staying with what the native Cherokee elders have told him.

“When you bring in outsiders, they start second guessing with the UFO’s, swamp gas and ghostly spirits,” Rivers said. “I’ve heard a lot of theories on it — most of them were pure bullshit.”

W

“Students who get involved are much more likely to do better in the classroom, persist and graduate. Part of it is a matter of finding their niche.”

— Phil Cauley, director of student recruitment and transitions at WCU

Bookstore

Fifty Shades of Grey, local novelists

For fans of the hit

JANA DOWNS & SHANNON RECKLER present their steamy novels.

Saturday, January 26th at 6:30 p.m.

3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA

828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

We Make

it h appen!! easy to oWn

We Won’t Be Undersol d

New & Used Repos • Modulars • Factory-Direct Dealer 1123 SMOKEY PARK HIGHWAY • CANDLER www.claytonhomesofasheville.com | 828-667-2529

James Zhang, dean of the WCU Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, leads hands-on learning activities. WCU photo Giving students activities that pique their interests, such as marching band, honors college, outdoors clubs or a campus job, can also encourage them to stick around Cullowhee, as well as study abroad trips and hands-on learning experiences.

“Students who get involved are much more likely to do better in the classroom, persist and graduate,” said Cauley. “Part of it is a matter of finding their niche.”

Extracurricular activities could be an answer to Cullowhee culture shock.

The majority of WCU’s freshman are from out of the region — only about one in five students come from the surrounding area. Wake and Mecklenburg counties (home to Raleigh and Charlotte) are the top two feeder counties for WCU. Some students can’t adapt to the rural setting of Cullowhee.

But the good news, Cauley added, is once a student shows he or she can hack it in Cullowhee for one year, it probably means that student will make it another few years, at least.

On average, half the students who leave WCU do so after the first year. Another 10 percent usually leave before their junior year, and about half of the students in a given freshman class ultimately graduate from WCU. “How well you start goes a long way in determining how well you’ll finish,” Cauley said.

“Typically, if they make it over that first year, they’ve gotten over those humps and hurdles.”

Smoky Mountain News

dropping out, that’s where WCU will put its energy, with a push to increase the freshman retention rate to 80 percent.

“We’re really pressing on a number of fronts,” Brenton said.

The school is developing a system for early warning indicators that will detect failing students well before semester grades are turned in so that some sort of intervention can be launched. WCU will also ramp up its counseling and support services for freshman.

Another strategy that’s shown promise is a summer crash course for freshmen before school begins. The program is a requisite for students who are on the cusp of WCU’s admission criteria. A tradeoff is made: if the potential students complete a summer college preparatory course, they are granted admission.

While on the lower-end of the admission spectrum, students who complete the summer course usually go on to do better than their cohorts. Brenton thinks it helps with the big adjustment of college.

“Sometimes it’s the first time kids have been away from home,” Brenton said. “(The summer program) lets them learn study habits before all the distractions.”

Boosting retention rates could prove even more critical under a new state funding formula being considered. It would shift funding among universities based on competitive factors like retention and graduation rates, espe-

January 23-29, 2013

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER ith more than 15,000 applications for just 1,500 freshman spots last year, Western Carolina University has no difficulty attracting students.

The harder part is getting them to stay.

More than a quarter of WCU’s freshman are expected to drop out or transfer to another university after their first year. Only half will ultimately go on to graduate from Cullowhee.

Retaining students has been a perennial problem for the university — during the past decade the number of students who have returned for a second year has hovered around 73 percent. It dropped as low as 66 percent in 2006, meaning one-third of the freshman class didn’t re-enroll the next year.

When compared with other state institutions, WCU can’t seem to keep its students.

Appalachian State University retains about 87 percent of its freshman, and UNC-Asheville keeps around 80 percent. Leading the pack is UNC-Chapel Hill, which surpasses a 95 percent retention rate for freshman.

The numbers are nothing to ignore. Higher freshman dropout rates can spell trouble for any public institution: dragging down graduation rates, signaling problems within a school and potentially wasting public resources. WCU leaders have struggled to address its retention rate during the years, and now the issue has caught the eye of WCU’s new provost, Angela Brenton.

“Tuition only covers a fraction of a college degree — the rest comes from private donations and state tax dollars,” Brenton said.

“When a student comes and leaves before receiving a degree, you can see a lot of dollars are spent before the goal was met.”

Many students counted in WCU’s dropout statistics are not actually “dropouts,” however, Brenton pointed out. Some transfer to other schools because WCU doesn’t have the degree they want, such as architecture or Latin.

Others take a break to work or travel. Some local students spend their first year at WCU, living at home to save money while knocking out entry level courses, before transfering to a different school for the remainder of their college career.

In 2010, nearly 100 students transferred from WCU to other state institutions — that number had been as high as double in previous years. So a quarter to half of WCU’s so-called “freshman dropouts” actually continue their education at other state colleges. No data is kept for students who transferred out-of-state or to private schools.

Yet, there are those who simply can’t hack it, for financial, personal or academic reasons, and some just stay up all night playing video games in the dormitories instead of studying.

Those are the ones Brenton doesn’t want to lose — and shouldn’t have to lose.

“If we admit somebody, it’s because we believe they can be successful,” Brenton said.

Since freshman are the most at-risk class for

72256

news

WCU casts wide net to reel back freshmen dropouts

cially in key subjects like engineering or health care, Brenton said.

One of the first defenses for poor retention rates is tougher admission standards in hopes of weeding out likely dropouts before they walk into the classroom. Several years ago, WCU began putting more emphasis on high school grade point average and the rigor of high school course work over standardized test scores like the SAT. High school grades are more indicative of success at WCU than test scores, explained Phil Cauley, director of student recruitment and transitions. But even the best data only allows for an educated guess as to a student’s probability of graduation.

“You’re not a mind reader, but you can look at data and past performance to predict success,” Cauley said. “A test score will say if they could do it, but are they?”

Legal Services for a Strong Mountain Community Nathan Earwood • David D. Moore 559 West Main Street, Sylva, NC 28779 828.339.1010 • earwoodandmoore.com

5

news

Digging out

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER

Smoky Mountain News

January 23-29, 2013

A four-day stretch of heavy rains fell

6

on Western North Carolina, leaving residents wondering if it would ever end. Some areas witnessed up to 10 inches.

The following collection of stories and interviews captures the drama and tension of the unrelenting rains as they wreaked havoc across the mountains.

Creeks flooded.

Mud flowed down the mountainsides. Trees toppled onto homes.

Bridges washed out. Roads caved in and looked as if someone misplaced the last piece of a puzzle.

There were no deaths or major injuries reported, but the 10 westernmost counties were plagued with landslides, some small and some narrowly missing homes.

Unceasing rains put mountain and valley dwellers alike on edge As the rain continued to pelt down with no signs of stopping, emergency workers stayed on alert.

“All week was busy for us. We just worked one call after another,” said Tim Carver, chief of the Maggie Valley Fire Department.

With one eye trained on creeks and rivers for flash floods, the other eye was turned upward to the mountainsides where the risk of landslides loomed large.

Maggie Valley’s history of landslides made it a potential danger zone — and in particular the site of a mammoth slide three years ago that tore a giant swath of destruction from Ghost Town down Rich Cove.

While lightening doesn’t strike in the same place twice, the opposite holds true for landslides. Despite a $1.4 million clean-up intended to shore up the destabilized mountainside above Rich Cove, it’s impossible to completely abate the risk of another one.

Water jumped the bank of Plott Creek in Waynesville, flooding attorney Chuck Dickson’s yard.

The garage to the Stacy’s Macon County home was crushed in by a landslide. Caitlin Bowling photo

Sure enough, one afternoon last week, the fire department got a call that another landslide had occurred on Rich Cove, in the same spot as before. In the driving rain, Carver took a crew straight into the line of fire to size up the landslide — first from the bottom, and then from the top, ultimately walking the length of the slide on foot to assess it.

Landslides also made a debut appearance in Maggie at the head of Soco. One led to an emergency middle-of-the-night evacuation on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

“It missed the house by 30 feet, not by much. It destroyed the driveway and knocked the lady’s car off the bank,” said Marc Pruett, erosion control inspector in Haywood County.

Just a few hundred feet away, another slide came down an embankment and landed in the road, stopping just short of a house.

“It came down so hard it knocked trees down on her house,” Pruett said.

After spending all Wednesday night responding to landslide calls with the Maggie Valley Fire Department, Pruett said he was not optimistic that the saturated mountain slopes would fare better under the duress of more heavy rains Thursday.

“The ground was pretty wet,” Pruett said Thursday. “We are just sitting tight, hoping everything stays in place.”

While Maggie Valley was plagued with landslides, creeks in Waynesville swelled into fullblown rivers during the deluge of precipitation.

The unrelenting rain brought memories of 2004 flooding back, when the Pigeon River submerged hundreds of homes and businesses in Canton and Clyde. The town of Clyde warned residents to listen for emergency sirens warning of high waters and to get out quick if they heard them.

Richland Creek, which courses through the heart of Waynesville, jumped its banks by the Waynesville Recreation Center flooding the Frisbee golf course. Upstream, the normally gentle Plott Creek had become a raging torrent.

Chuck Dixon, who lives along Plott Creek, found the creek surging across his and his neighbors’ backyards after it jumped its bank and cut a new course — unfortunately its favored path surrounded Dickson’s back porch, giving him the distinct feel of being on a houseboat. Two days later, it showed no signs of returning to its original channel of its own accord. Dickson quipped that his wife always wanted a pool.

Thankfully, for the Dicksons, their house did not sustain significant damage other than roughing up the yard and displacing the gravel driveway. Although he has flood insurance, it will not cover any property damage, other than structural damage to the home or garage, meaning Dickson will have to cover the cost of, somehow, moving the creek out of his backyard.

Brush with a landslide leaves Macon couple shaken but thankful Cheryl Stacy was in her living room watching television with her husband, Wayne, winding down before bed when the couple heard a loud rumble, and then whoosh, the ground moved.

The Stacys moved into a high mountainside home in Macon County about a year ago from Boiling Springs to enjoy their golden retirement years. As relative newcomers to the mountains, they didn’t know what all

the commotion was when the ground shuddered around 9 p.m. Jan. 15. Wayne thought it was a tornado, Cheryl an earthquake.

In truth, it was a landslide that took out part of their garage and washed over their driveway, trapping them inside their house.

Cheryl counts herself among the lucky, who perhaps narrowly avoided peril last week. Cheryl had driven up and down the driveway several times that Wednesday heading to the grocery store and running other errands.

Had the slope collapsed as she was coming or going, “You would not have survived,” Wayne said soberly.

But, thankfully, it waited until

F

Landslides shorten the lifespan of many mountain roads

garage disjointed, they weren’t sure what to do — whether they must deal with the aftermath of the landslide alone or should report it.

“We just thought, ‘It is our problem,’” Wayne said, since the slide was on private property.

But, they called the highway patrol and were told to hang up and call 911 immediately. The slide may not be done slipping, and they should get out now. But they couldn’t on their own. Volunteers with the Mountain Valley Fire Department arrived not 10 minutes later, tied a rope to a secure tree above the house for footing and led the couple down the muddy mountainside in the dark rain.

The Stacys spent Wednesday night at the Hampton Inn but returned the next morning with the Macon County building inspector to survey the damage.

After hearing the house was fine — with the exception of the garage — Cheryl continued describing what had happened a little

S EE CHEROKEE, PAGE 8

more than 12 hours earlier when she was suddenly caught by a realization. She fell silent for several seconds, and as if waking from a haze, Cheryl suddenly stated, “The birds are back.”

“Yesterday, there was no birds,” Cheryl

“You have to count your blessings after you cry.

We have a lot to be thankful for.”

— Cheryl Stacy

said. “We’ve commented for the last three days, ‘Where are the birds?’”

Birds were not the only things missing in the days leading up to the landslide.

The drainage ditch along their driveway, which should have been a small torrent, was only a trickle. Cheryl, in passing, noted that

water wasn’t flowing down like it usually did in heavy rains, but didn’t suspect anything was amiss.

“We didn’t live in the mountains. We didn’t know,” Cheryl said.

In truth, something was wrong. Debris had clogged the drainage ditch, causing water to build up in the ground above the Stacy’s house. With no place for the water to go, it continued to soak into the already saturated soil.

Rain is a chief ingredient in landslides.

When there’s too much too fast, water builds up between the bedrock and the soil layer above it. The soil lifts up and sloughs off, carrying rocks or trees with it, sometimes gathering steam, momentum and mass as it travels down the mountainside.

When it comes to erosion and landslides, “water is our biggest enemy,” said Marc Pruett, director of Haywood County’s Sediment and Erosion Control.

Smoky Mountain News

evening, both said.

“You have to count your blessings after you cry,” Cheryl said. “We have a lot to be thankful for.”

The couple was still in a state of shock Wednesday morning as they looked out from their front porch to a view of the nearby mountains, an packed bag still sitting by the front door as a sign of their hurried evacuation the night before. Cheryl leaned against the railing, her head resting on a wooden pillar, while Wayne compulsively jumbled the change in the right pocket of his jeans.

They had been prepared for everything, the couple thought. They had a backup generator and a wood-burning stove, just in case a strong storm knocked out the power or heat.

But, they didn’t think about landslides.

Standard homeowner’s insurance won’t cover the thousands of dollars of damages.

The night of the slide when the Stacys peered outside and found a thick layer of mud caking their driveway and the walls of their

Flooding along the Oconaluftee River, creeks jumping their banks and washed out roads could come with a likely clean-up price tag of $3 million on the Cherokee reservation, based on early estimate from the Eastern Band’s Department of Transportation.

However, in Cherokee Friday, the feeling was still “things could have been worse.”

“I think we were pretty lucky,” said Mollie Grant, program manager for the tribe’s Emergency Management.

When water submerged Oconaluftee Island Park mid-week — at one point leaving only the roof of a picnic pavilion poking above the high water mark — many feared the damage being done by the raging river would destroy Cherokee’s prime recreation area.

But when the water finally receded, the pavilions, benches, picnic tables and trashcans in the park did not sustain structural damage, so the clean up will simply include removing the mud, stones and logs littering the island. Grass reseeding will likely be in order as well, Grant said.

Residents were cautioned to stay home and avoid bridge crossings at all costs, particularly overnight Tuesday as rising water covered some roads.

However, only one road was bad enough to warrant closing — Saunooke Bridge Road in Big Cove community.

To help ease clean-up, Principal Chief Michell Hicks planned to issue a state of emergency. That gives tribal public safety employees extra authority to ensure safety, including trespassing on private property to clear debris posing a hazard, Grant said.

Grant estimated that most everything on the reservation will be back to normal within a week. However, Grant said she does expect to receive more calls about slides or other weather-related problems in the days to come from remote areas of the reservation.

Cherokee’s worst damage was a slide on Mt. Noble Road that will cost an estimated $1.3 million to repair.

The slide covered part of the road, but one lane remained open to give residents above the slide a way

January 23-29, 2013

A landslide on Long Branch Road in Maggie Valley missed a house but took a woman’s car with it as the mud moved down the mountainside. Caitlin Bowling photo

Rainstorm trifecta of flooding, slides and wash-outs strikes Cherokee

news

More than 55 landslides struck state roads in North Carolina’s 10 westernmost counties during the four-days of torrential storms that inundated the region with rainfall.

The rash of landslides reported to the N.C. Department of Transportation last week was abnormally high, but most luckily logged in as small slides. The most common type: the embankment above the road sloughed off and landed in a heap on the roadway. The debris was a nuisance but could be hauled off and cleared in a day or less with equipment.

Dozens more of these small slides and slumps plagued mountain subdivisions. Homeowners associations will be emptying their pockets to repair the damage themselves.

It’s impossible to know just how many of these slides in mountain subdivisions happened, as some will never be reported. But even of those that were, Marc Pruett, director of Haywood County’s Sediment and Erosion Control just hasn’t had time to tally them yet. He was too busy assessing landslide and slope failures on the ground last week to file the requisite county paperwork detailing all the sites he and other county staff visited.

“We were running and jumping from one to the next. You just couldn’t get to it all,” Pruett said.

Reports of slides and slumps began coming in Monday, less than a day into what would be a marathon four days of solid, heavy rain.

In some cases, debris fell down on the road from above.

In other cases, the road itself crumbled away and slid down the mountain, posing a much bigger repair job.

One of the larger landslides took out part of the Cherohala Skyway, a scenic high-elevation parkway that travels through rugged mountains of Graham County.

The slide traveled 900 feet down the mountainside, cutting a cut a 150-foot-wide swath in its wake. It only damaged a small section on the shoulder of the Cherohala Skyway, but DOT officials deemed the route unsafe for motorists and have shut the scenic tourist route.

DOT officials had no time frame or cost estimates for repairing the area along the Cherohala Skyway as of press time.

An even larger job lies ahead with a slide that buried Newfound Gap Road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The DOT had road crews double as landslide spotters during the storms, watching likely problem spots, but predicting slides is impossible.

“Only God knows those things,” said Mark Gibbs, a maintenance engineer with DOT’s Division 14. “We just have to stay vigilant.”

Luckily, Interstate 40 through Haywood County, which is normally a high-hazard zone for landslides, was spared this time.

“Keeping I-40 open is certainly important,” Gibbs said.

With a list of slides and washed out gravel roads needing urgent maintenance, DOT was not for want of work when the rain finally let up Friday. But where to begin?

“We try to look at the sites that affect people the most,” Gibbs said, adding that the size of a landslide or project does not factor into what gets attention first, so much as how many vehicles travel over the road.

How long repairs takes depends on the best way to tackle the particular slide. A traditional slope repair can be completed in a couple of months. The department carefully rebuilds the missing slope on a foundation of large rocks.

But, others necessitate the construction of a stone retaining wall to hold the slope in place — which takes more time and can jack up the price.

“It’s a very costly and expensive repair,” Gibbs said.

7

news

Rising Tuckasegee forces late-night evacuation

CHEROKEE, CONTINUED FROM 7 in and out of their homes.

As the waters receded last week, hairstylist Jennifer Bigmeat was taking the flooding in stride, despite her salon being in a mobile home just a couple of yards away from the Oconaluftee River.

Slide takes out giant section of main Smokies thoroughfare

Smoky Mountain News

January 23-29, 2013

A football field-sized section of Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was destroyed by a landslide in last week’s rainstorms, cutting off the lone road through the park from Cherokee to Tennessee.

The slide took a large bite out of road, leaving a 45- to 50-feet deep hole. The slide is on the North Carolina side of the park, nine miles from the park entrance. There is no timeline for repairs.

The road is a the only direct route between Cherokee and Tennessee and a critical route for tourists going to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort or Cherokee’s cultural attractions. It was also the only route through the Smokies for people living on the North Carolina side of the park.

The landslide will undoubtedly translate to a bottom-line loss for Cherokee’s casino, as well as the myriad mom-and-pop hotels and shops that line Cherokee.

“Overall, the impact is nothing short of substantial,” said Jason Lambert, director of commerce for the tribe. “Everyone feels the affects when the park is closed.”

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park sees more than 9 million visitors a year in all. The entrance to the Smokies outside Cherokee alone counted 2.2 million visitors entering the park from the N.C. side.

“It’s a great source of drive-through traffic,” Lambert said.

National Park and Federal Highway officials plan to visit the site of the landslide on Jan. 28 with leaders from the Eastern Band to view the damage and talk about possible solutions.

“Our immediate goal is to get an assess8 ment,” said Michell Hicks, principal chief

Oconaluftee River waters rose, flooding the island park and leaving heaps of debris.

Caitlin Bowling photo

“We didn’t expect it to get this high, but we’ve seen it higher than this,” Bigmeat said.

of the Eastern Band.

For Hicks, and business owners in Cherokee, the thought that Newfound Gap Road could be impassable for months is concerning.

“We just don’t want it to completely shut down traffic flow,” Hicks said.

The Eastern Band is already devising a marketing plan to let people know about the slide and encourage them to visit Cherokee anyway, even if it means adding time to their trip with detours.

“We are looking at multiple opportuni-

“Our biggest message to them right now is ‘We are on top of it. We are planning.’”

Steve Dow, resident at Bear Hunter Campground in Bryson City, stood smoking a cigarette Wednesday, surveying the Tuckaseegee River and the muddy mess it left after it started receding.

Half of the campground — the part without a five-foot tall earthen berm that was supposed to protect it from flooding — sat empty, except for a single camper that had sunk into the mud. While called a campground, it was actually home to a dozen year-round dwellers and had a regular seasonal population.

In addition to his normal pair of jeans and cut-off black shirt, Dow had tied plastic grocery bags around his socked feet before slipping them into his tennis shoes. He was tired of being wet after moving his camper, where he lives fulltime with his wife, in the middle of the night during a downpour.

Despite plopping down roots in a campground that sits directly on the Tuckaseegee River, the former resident of Fort Myers, Fla., was not prepared for the flooding Tuesday night. He’d weathered multiple hurricanes in Florida and didn’t think a little heavy rain would ultimately lead to a forced evacuation as water rose around him.

“We were going to sit out there and ride it out,” said Dow. But, in the late hours of Tuesday night, Swain County emergency officials ordered residents to relocate seven or eight of the campers and get out of dodge.

Neighbor John Porter helped unhook and move trailers closest to the rising river. It only took 10 or 15 minutes to get each camper out, Porter said, but the hard part was staying on his feet as the water levels rose to meet his ankles and continued rising.

Most of the campers were empty; the owners left them in the care of others while

they wintered elsewhere.

“That was the understanding when they left them here, that we would do everything we could to get them out,” Porter said.

With some campers littering higher parts of the campground and some moved up the road toward downtown Bryson City, the campground was in a state of “disarray” Wednesday, said David Breedlove, head of Emergency Management Services in Swain County.

Meanwhile, six dwellings in a small Bryson City trailer park were condemned, at least temporarily, last week after heavy rains caused the ground beneath them to become unstable.

Pipes carrying rainwater that ran beneath the dwellings got clogged with debris when heavy rainstorms hit Western North Carolina last week.

“It started building up pressure,” said Brenda Fortner, who owns and rents out the trailers.

And eventually, the pipes burst, opening up a sink hole in the ground underneath the homes. After the ground collapsed, county emergency officials evacuated the families who lived in the six structures.

“We just tried to make it safe until the water went down,” Breedlove said. “We are very fortunate” there were no injuries.

The trailers were low-end housing, and the occupants have little money to find a new place to live. Some may be eligible for rental assistance from the Department of Social Services or the American Red Cross.

Fortner took one of her female renters in.

“I am just trying to help them. They are just people,” Fortner said. “They need help.

They need clothes. If you don’t have the money, you know, it makes it hard.”

County water and soil conservation officials will be assessing the stie to see if it is possible to fill in the miniature canyon that has formed beneath the dwellings, and whether she has any hope of reopening the small trailer park.

“Right now, I am just sitting and waiting,” Fortner said.

— Jason Lambert

ties for how to get our message to different markets,” Lambert said, adding that specifics of its marketing campaign are still up in the air until the tribe finds out how long the road will remain closed.

Lambert has spoken with the chief ’s office as well as leaders within Cherokee’s Chamber of Commerce to get and give updates on how the tribe plans to deal with the closure.

“Our biggest message to them right now is ‘We are on top of it. We are planning,’” Lambert said.

This is not the first time that the park road has closed because of weather-related hazards. Since the road traverses high elevations, snowfall and ice can prompt park rangers to shut it down for periods of time during the winter months.

“We have seen historically how temperature closures on the mountain for weather will negatively impact our businesses,” Lambert said.

Rainwater pipes bursts along Water Street in Bryson City, creating a mini-canyon under six now-condemned dwellings. Caitlin Bowling photo

Doug Cody, Republican, elected commissioner in 2010

Charles Elders, Republican, elected commissioner in 2010 Since he started on the county board more than two years ago, Elders said he is listening closely to the complaints and desires of local builders and contractors, many of whom oppose all or parts of the regulations in their Charles Elders current form, as he formulates his stance on potential changes.

“Builders have been saying they’d like to have an ordinance that makes it easier to build houses.” he said. “I’d like to talk more with builders and contractors and get their thoughts on it. There are a lot of them unhappy or disappointed with how things are now.”

He hopes the planning board will soon have a draft of changes for commissioners to review, because he feels that it’s important to implement the changes in a timely matter. However, he said he wants to make sure they are done right.

“We’re in a hurry, but we don’t want to rush the (planning) board too fast,” he said. “It is something in my view that needs a lot of attention.”

Jack Debnam, Independent, elected commissioner in 2010 Debnam said he is taking a backseat role while the planning board comes up with a revised ordinance to present to commissioners. He said he trusts the judgment of the planning board, which includes people from across the spectrum Jack Debnam — from environmentalists to those in the building industry — and claims not to be meddling in the process.

“We’re relying on them to bring the recommendations to us,” Debnam said. “I’m not going to second guess them or give them demands.”

As for his philosophy on why the ordinance may need reworking, Debnam said its good for lawmakers to take a look at any extensive set of regulations periodically to reassess them.

“Now that things have changed in the economy, building has slowed down on its own, I think that there needs to be a fresh look taken at what we’ve created,” he said. “Not to weaken the ordinance as much as update it to cite the times.”

Although Jones was around to pass the first set of regulations, he admits that it was a trial run, and now, it would be prudent to revisit the rules and evaluate what has worked and what hasn’t. But, he said, he would oppose any major changes and is especially opposed to allowing building on ridge tops — which is currently prohibited but has been a topic of discussion.

“The ordinances need to be revisited,” he said.

“But I’m not sure we want to take the natural beauty of the mountains as some Mark Jones communities have done, and some communities regret, chopping up those ridge tops just for the view factor.”

Jones is also concerned about potential changes to housing density that limit the number of homes on steeper slopes and what that could mean for landslides and the groundwater supply.

“Have there been studies recently?” Jones said. “Until I hear some true, recent documentation, my position is going to be the same.”

Seal switches and outlets One of the easiest, most cost effective home improvements a person can make.

Simply remove your existing faceplate, insert the foam piece, and reattach existing faceplate.

Eliminates small drafts for years! Fits anywhere!

Available at Haywood Builders Supply.

This GREEN LIVING TIP brought to you by Haywood Builders Supply …WE BUILD GREEN!!

72135

100 Charles St. • Waynesville • 828-456-6051 Employee Owned

72117

Scott Taylor, PLLC

Attorney at Law

Free Consultation!

Talk to the attorney from the start!

Social Security Disability & Civil Litigation 95 Depot Street • Waynesville

Smoky Mountain News

Cody believes that the downturn in the building market in 2008 was mostly due to the national recession but believes the county’s ordinances didn’t help matters. In particular, he decried the fiveDoug Cody month moratorium that halted new subdivisions from coming on line while the first set of development regulations were being drafted.

“We’ve had some decisions made in the past that kept us from growing when we should have been growing,” Cody said.

Cody said he respects certain parts of the ordinance that address safety and smart building practices but thinks they go too far and are hampering the economy.

“I think the ordinances, generally speaking, were too stringent,” he said. “A little bit of moderation, review and common sense will put us in a position where people can benefit more from having their property and make it a little easier to build a house.”

This is the third in a three-part series on proposed changes to Jackson County’s development regulations and steep slope ordinance. Past stories analyzed the changes being considered and explored the philosophical positions behind both sides in the debate. www.smokymountainnews.com.

Greene said her election and fellow Democrat Mark Jones’ reelection in 2012 lend credence to the belief that Jackson County voters wanted to protect the current mountain hillside building rules.

“One of the things I ran on was to keep the mission of the mountain hillside and subdivision ordinances — to make sure whatever changes are made leave the original intent in place,” she said.

Vicki Greene “The voters in Jackson County had a clear choice.”

Greene said she is open to certain changes but will oppose anything too drastic. Most importantly, even though the proposed changes are still in their infancy, she would like to see community members get involved and start weighing in on the direction they’d like to see the revisions take.

“More citizens should be attending the planning board meetings,” Greene said. “I don’t think it hurts to be talking about it now.”

GREEN LIVING

A

Read more

Mark Jones, Democrat, first elected commissioner in 2006

January 23-29, 2013

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER rewrite of Jackson County’s development regulations are well underway by the Jackson County Planning Board. It will be several more months before they finish, and final changes are ultimately up to the county commissioners.

The board of commissioners has a very different makeup today than the one six years ago when the first hillside building ordinances were put in place. In the 2010 election, three new commissioners — Jack Debnam, Doug Cody and Charles Elders — were elected to the board, and one of their stated campaign platforms was to rework the controversial development regulations considered among the toughest in the state.

Critics of the ordinance point to the 2010 election as a mandate from voters.

But claiming victory in the court of public opinion might not be so clear cut. The subsequent county commissioner election last fall muddied the waters. Both of the commissioners elected in 2012 — Mark Jones and Vicki Green — largely support the steep slope ordinances as written. Jones in particular beat out a pro-building challenger from the real estate arena whose top campaign pledge was to rollback some of the tougher regulations.

The Smoky Mountain News checked in with the five current county commissioners to gauge their philosophy on the potential changes, as well as other ordinances tweaked by the planning board during the past two years.

Vickie Greene, Democrat, elected commissioner in 2012

news

Jackson commissioners hold final say on looser steep slope rules

828.452.5801 wncjustice.com

828.454.1990 Fax scott@wncjustice.com 9

news

New concert venue in the making for Maggie Valley

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER arolina Nights, a closed-down dinner theater in Maggie Valley, could make a comeback as an entertainment venue under new owners.

A Haywood County couple with a track record as local business partners bought the building last month for $235,000.

Phil and Camala Ferguson envision a venue that brings in well-known bands and performers from all genres of music.

“Country and classic rock and bluegrass — a little bit of everything,” Camala said.

Camala emphasized that the idea is only in its infancy. They are still fleshing out their business plan and crunching numbers to make sure it is a viable endeavor.

The Fergusons own and operate Steel Horses, a motorcycle shop outside Waynesville, and Thunder Disaster Services, which manages clean-up services after natural disasters around the country.

Camala said she and her husband enjoy the challenge of opening and running new business ventures, and when the opportunity to buy Carolina Nights presented itself, they went for it.

“We had been looking for another project and that building came up; it was a kind of a nice surprise,” Camala said.

Camala said Maggie Valley has always been a special place for her after vacationing there often as a child.

“Maggie means a lot to me personally. We could have done this anywhere. We really want to see Maggie grow,” Camala said.

Maggie has been hit particularly hard by the recession and has fallen from its former status as one of the mountain’s premier tourist towns.

Some have complained about a lack of places to go in Maggie at night. While Maggie Valley has a robust bar scene, it currently has no concert venues for big name acts following the closure of both Carolina Nights dinner theater and Eagle’s Nest, a large formal auditorium-style venue. While several bars host bands on the weekends, it’s not the same as a ticketed concert.

“We really want to do a music venue,” Camala said.

“Not a bar. Maggie’s got plenty of bars.”

Steve Hurley, owner of Hurley’s restaurant, said he definitely thinks there is more room for businesses that offer nighttime entertainment.

“I certainly welcome them,” Hurley said.

The Haywood County building inspector Bruce Crawford has already visited the property and said the building does not need much renovation beyond installing a fire alarm and sprinkler system.

Camala intends to speak at the Maggie Valley Board of Aldermen’s meeting next month to outline their vision. Maggie Town Manager Tim Barth said he welcomes any new business to town.

“It sounds like they are planning to do something, so that is a good sign,” Barth said.

The Fergusons were not the only ones eyeing the former Carolina Nights building. A robotics manufacturing company, the Ohio-based Automation Design Technology, had considered moving its operations along with 10 jobs to the valley after its owner, Mick Combs, bought a house in Maggie last year.

Combs lobbied the town board to change the zoning to allow his operations in the downtown commercial district. Combs could not be reached for comment 10 on his plans at this point.

Smoky Mountain News

January 23-29, 2013

C

Contenders line up to be next Haywood Sheriff

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER hree men, all with impressive law enforcement backgrounds, are vying to be Haywood County’s next sheriff.

The current Sheriff, Bobby Suttles, is retiring next month, but with two years to go until the next sheriff election, a replacement must be named in the meantime. Since Suttles is a Democrat, leaders in the Haywood County Democratic Party will pick his successor.

Three contenders had applied by last week’s deadline: Lt. Greg Christopher with the N.C. Highway Patrol, Chief Deputy Larry Bryson of the Haywood Sheriffs Office and Lt. Bill Wilke with the Asheville Police Department. All live in Haywood County.

Party leaders will hear from the contenders in a forum on Saturday, Feb. 23, and then vote on a replacement March 2.

All may not get an invitation to appear in the forum, however. Party leaders will decide next week which of the three men meet their preliminary qualifications to even be considered.

“If one does not meet those qualifications, then only the ones that do will be part of that forum,” said Janie Benson, chairwoman of the Haywood Democratic Executive Committee.

It’s possible that Wilke, a Republican, could be weeded out early. In his application, Wilke noted the “political obstacles” he may face in being considered for the job but hoped that the party would judge him on his professional qualifications and merits.

However, an internal party document listing characteristics the next sheriff should display included a line about being a Democrat.

T

Wilke ran for sheriff in 2010 against Suttles. While it’s likely a longshot for Wilke to win the endorsement of Democratic Party leaders, putting his name in the hat sends a public message that his interest in serving as sheriff hasn’t waned, and that could be impor-

tant should he decide to run for the post again in 2014.

Picking a new sheriff specifically rests with the Democratic Executive Committee, approximately 100 people consisting of the chair and vice chair of all 31 voting precincts in the county and any elected officials who are Democrats, from town boards to school board to county commissioners to state legislators. The party went through a similar process four years ago when then-sheriff Tom Alexander retired, and Suttles was named as his replacement.

Answering the call • Lt. Greg Christopher, 51, has worked in the N.C. Highway Patrol for 27 years and served in the National Guard for 21 years. Christopher is a native of Haywood County and has three children in high school and college. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In his application to the party, Christopher emphasized the importance of building relationships and trust with the public and other law enforcement agencies in the county, training and support for deputies, and a high standard of personal integrity.

• Chief Deputy Larry Bryson, 57, has worked in the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for more than years, mostly in the detective division, including as the chief of criminal investigations. For the past four years, he has been second-in-command under Suttles. His law enforcement career also includes 10 years as a Waynesville police officer and seven years as a company police officer By putting his name in for what was then the Champion Paper Mill in Canton. He is originalthe hat, Wilke sends a ly from Jackson County and got his basic law enforcement training at public message that Southwestern Community College his interest in serving and Haywood Community College.

In his application to the party, as sheriff hasn’t waned he emphasized his experience running the daily operations of the sheriff’s office, the importance of training for deputies, creating a citizen-advisory board and more community involvement.

• Lt. Bill Wilke, 43, is a district commander with the Asheville Police Department. Wilke has lived in Haywood County since 2000 and has three children in high school. He has served in the National Guard and as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves, including a tour in Iraq. He has a degree in Public Affairs and Human Resource Management. In his application, Wilke emphasized common-sense leadership, community policing, innovative problem solving and professionalism.

Lake Junaluska residents to weigh merits of being a town

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER ake Junaluska, a community of 800 homes in Haywood County, is closing in on a decision whether to merge with Waynesville or become its own town.

A task force primarily has been studying the pros and cons of a merger for the past several months. The idea of Lake Junaluska forming its own town from scratch hasn’t officially been ruled out but has been on the backburner of discussions.

That will change this Saturday, when a report on what it would take for Lake Junaluska to become its own town will be delivered at a joint meeting between the task force and Lake Junaluska Property Owners Association.

L

Forming a new town is fraught with hurdles and technical requirements, which could ultimately make that option not feasible, but that’s what the report should clarify, according to Jack Ewing, director of the Lake Junaluska Assembly.

The clock is ticking if Lake Junaluska decides merging with Waynesville is the best option. A bill would have to be introduced in the N.C. General Assembly by mid-March.

Several things will happen between now and then: • A survey will be conducted of all Lake Junaluska property owners in midFebruary to gauge their opinion.

• The task force will vote on its recommendation.

• The Lake Junaluska Community

Association will vote on its recommendation.

• A $60,000 feasibility study analyzing the pros and cons of a merger by an outside engineering firm will be delivered.

• Waynesville’s town board will vote.

• The Lake Junaluska Assembly Board of Directors will vote during a meeting March 7-8.

Lake Junaluska’s back-up plan is simply to stay the way it is: akin to a highlyfunctioning homeowners association with trash pick-up, a security force, water and sewer lines, street crews and public parks. But it lacks the safety net or economies of scale that being part of a town offers. On the flipside, some residents fear a loss of identity that could come with a merger.

Waynesville’s longtime town clerk retires

Phyllis McClure

BY CAITLIN BOWLING STAFF WRITER he longest-serving town clerk in Waynesville’s written history will retire next week, taking with her a vast store of institutional knowledge of the town’s inner workings.

Phyllis McClure could be described as the town’s chief cook and bottle washer, or an air traffic controller who kept town government ticking and on course for 22 years.

McClure’s tenure spans four mayors, five town managers and 16 aldermen. McClure, now 54, first started working for the town at 21 in the tag office.

“When I first started here, some of the employees called me ‘the kid,’” McClure said.

Now, she is lovingly called Mayor Phyllis — a title bestowed on her by Mayor Gavin Brown.

“Invaluable, I guess is an appropriate word to use,” Brown said, describing McClure. “We were fortunate to have her for as long as we did.”

But Brown said that, for him, the most important quality for a town clerk is personality. All of the Waynesville history and the technical aspects of the jobs can be learned, he said, but you can’t learn how to work well with people, which McClure excelled at.

“Phyllis was somebody you trusted implicitly.

She was very understanding and accommodating,” Brown said.

As town clerk, McClure was the face of Waynesville — people’s first contact with the town.

“The thing I like most is working with the public,” McClure said, adding that that will also be what she misses once she retires.

But McClure is excited to spend more time with her grandchildren — her tenth is on the way — and with her own mother.

“I think you reach a time and you know, well, it’s time to go on and do something else,” McClure said.

A retirement reception for McClure will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, at the new town hall.

news

Farewell, Mayor Phyllis

A smart start to the new year.

Smartphones for $49.99 or less.

T

January 23-29, 2013

Get a fresh start in 2013 with a great deal from the provider with the highest network satisfaction of any national carrier.

Visit your nearest U.S. Cellular® store to find the phone that’s right for you. uscellular.com

49.99

$

49.99

LG Splendor™

ZTE Render™

After $100 instant savings.

Applicable Smartphone Data Plan required. New 2-yr. agmt. and $30 device act. fee may apply.

After $100 instant savings.

Applicable Smartphone Data Plan required. New 2-yr. agmt. and $30 device act. fee may apply.

1¢

Huawei Ascend® Y After $100 instant savings.

Applicable Smartphone Data Plan required. New 2-yr. agmt. and $30 device act. fee may apply.

Smoky Mountain News

$

Things we want you to know: A new 2-yr agmt. (subject to a pro-rated $150 early termination fee for feature phones, modems and hotspot devices and a $350 early termination fee for smartphones and tablets) required. Agmt. terms apply as long as you are a cstmr. $30 device act. fee and credit approval may apply. Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee applies (currently $1.40/line/month); this is not a tax or gvmt. required charge. Add. fees, taxes and terms apply and vary by svc. and eqmt. See store or uscellular.com for details. Promotional phone subject to change. Applicable Smartphone Data Plans start at $20/month. Application and data network usage charges may apply when accessing applications. Kansas Customers: In areas in which U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Limited time offer. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. ©2012 U.S. Cellular

11

news

WE CAN HELP YOU O FIND YOU O R

world-class caregivers off ffeer a number surgical and non-surgical options to elp you meet your weight loss goals.

Find out more at 828-213-4100 or ssion-health.org/ /weightmanagement.

Smoky Mountain News

January 23-29, 2013

Healthy Weight.

ssion Hospital has earned the ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excce cellence速 designation

12

Opinion State GOP leaders’ tax plan would benefit wealthy Smoky Mountain News

BY MARTIN DYCKMAN G UEST COLUMNIST 1996 New Yorker cartoon — poking fun at Steve Forbes’s presidential campaign plank — pictured two men dining on steaks at a posh private club.

“I’ve been thinking about the flat tax and how it would inflict hardship on the poor,” one says to the other, “and I can live with that.”

Substitute “sales tax” for “flat tax,” and those two men could be Phil Berger, boss of the North Carolina Senate, and Pat McCrory, the new governor.

Or in McCrory’s place put Art Pope, the reactionary retailer who bought the legislature two years ago and is now chief budget adviser to the governor some people already regard as Pope’s puppet.

The scheme Berger brags about would replace the personal and corporate income tax with sharply higher sales taxes on goods, including groceries, and on services such as those provided by beauticians, auto repair shops, real estate and insur-

A

U.S. Postal Service should be left intact To the Editor: We have just been through a holiday season during which the U.S. Postal Service and its workers have served us well. Millions of cards, letters, and packages have passed from city to city, home to home. Stamps have been sold, money orders purchased, heaps of mail delivered to our doorstep. As a nation, we should be grateful for this useful and friendly service. As individuals, I hope we have said “thank you” to postal workers at the counter, in the delivery truck, and at our door.

Each day, USPS letter carriers cover four million miles delivering an average of 563 million pieces of mail. They ride snowmobiles, fly bush planes, run mail boats, and even ride mules to the floor of the Grand Canyon. All for 45 cents per piece! I believe the USPS is a huge bargain, a civic treasure, a public good that links our people and communities into one nation.

But what do we hear about the Postal Service from Congress and other scaremongers bent on privatization of everything within reach? It’s broke, going bankrupt, wasteful, near collapse, superfluous, bloated with too many overpaid workers, unprofitable, in serious crisis.

Hogwash! The Post Office is a service! It is explicitly authorized by the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8). Benjamin Franklin was our first Postmaster General. Our founding fathers never expected it to make a profit; rather, it was created to provide a service. We don’t expect the State Department to make a profit, or the Defense Department, or the Center for Disease Control, or FEMA, or the Park Service. All government agencies exist to serve our people. Why is the Postal Service any different? Answer: It’s not!

Keep in mind that the PO takes no money

ance brokers, and conceivably even doctors and hospitals.

That’s straight from the propaganda mills that Pope controls, and it’s good news for wealthy North Carolinians like Pope, whose tax bills would shrink dramatically.

But it would be cruelly unfair to many others, especially retirees trying to live on their savings. Any shift from taxes based on income to taxes based on spending spells disaster for people whose entire incomes — or savings — must be devoted to necessities.

According to the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center, it would cost $10 billion to eliminate the state’s personal income tax. The sales tax would have to be more than doubled, to 13.88 percent, to make up the loss. Those with average incomes of $65,000 and higher would pay less. Everyone else would pay more, with the steepest increase, 5.6 percent, affecting people who earn less than $18,000 a year.

The North Carolina tax system is already tilted somewhat against the poor and middle classes, who pay a higher percentage of their incomes than the wealthy. It would be beyond

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome. Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786. from taxpayers. It is not going broke. All its 32,000 local offices (more than Walmart, Starbucks, and McDonald’s combined) are paid for by selling stamps and other products.

And it made a $700 million profit during the last four years, despite the slumping economy.

The so-called “deficit” comes from a 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act that required the Postal Service to pre-pay the health care benefits — not only of present employees, but also of all employees who’ll retire during the next 75 years. Yes, some who haven’t even been born yet!

And the law further required that these benefits be fully funded by 2016. This is costing the Postal Service $5.5 billion a year — money taken from postage revenue that could be going to services. This was a deliberate effort by the then-President and Congress to make it look like the PO was losing money.

Furthermore, through a 40-year-old accounting error, the federal Office of Personnel Management has overcharged the post office by $80 billion for payments into the Civil Service Retirement System. Give the PO back its own postage money and, presto, no more crisis, no more risk of collapse.

So, let’s demand that no post offices be closed, no mail processing centers shut down, no jobs cut back, no loss of Saturday delivery or of next-day delivery for first class mail!

Stop trying to make the PO into a business.

13

wrong to make this even worse; it would be evil.

That’s not to say that the sales tax isn’t overdue for reform.

As consumer spending continues to shift from durable goods that are taxed to services that are not, the sales tax pays for an ever smaller share of the state budget. It would be a progressive step to extend it to services — as the Budget and Tax Center recommends — but only if the rate of tax is reduced in the bargain. It should not be part of a scheme to soak the poor and spare the rich.

That worst of all worlds is dangerously near to being a done deal. Nobody but McCrory can stop it. Will he?

Dyckman is a writer and former reporter who lives in Waynesville. His newest book, Reubin O’D Askew and the Golden Age of Florida Politics, is available at Blue Ridge Books, in Waynesville and at Amazon. His earlier works inclue Floridian of His Century: The Courage of Governor LeRoy Collins, and A Most Disorderly Court: Scandal and Reform in the Florida Judiciary. He can be reached at dyckmanm@bellsouth.net.

Let’s reclaim it as the Postal Service — like other services the government provides to “we the people” — law enforcement service, military service, diplomatic service, forest service, national parks service, roads and highways service, environmental protection service, food safety service, etc.

And let’s take special care to express our gratitude to the postal workers who serve us every day.

Doug Wingeier Waynesville

‘Gun Free Zones’ are danger zones To the Editor: Legislation has created a zone where the only people protected by a “gun free zone” are the evil criminals that come there to break the law. No one can stop them.

Good people are forbidden to carry a gun to protect themselves.

The criminal targets a gun free zone to break the law knowing the good people will not be able to stop him. Progressive legislation creates the problem, and then acts like more bad legislation will prevent it next time.

Logic dictates that lawbreakers do not obey the laws.

Gun free zones are dangerous. We can trust the American people to protect our children and ourselves.

Lynda Bennett Maggie Valley

Some want to lead by using fear To the Editor: Don’t let anyone tell you there’s no conspiracy or that conspirators are not busily at

work here in our “exceptional” country full of “superior” people.

It’s not written anywhere. There’s no agenda to read or way to order your very own printed copy. You won’t find it on a site like Google, where you can select from an assortment of opinions written by various authors (many offer valid research based on facts but, sadly, others promote flawed opinion).

But yes, there is definitely a conspiracy out there working against you and me. It’s organized by those multi-billionaires often called plutocrats or oligarchs. It’s advanced by wellpaid minions and media shills, leaders and members of groups like ALEC. Most names are readily available and have been publically reported. They’ve spent billions on past elections to influence your thinking so you’ll slavishly allow them to control you, your children, and the future of our country.

They want you to support a return to prior administration policies of unpaid-for wars instigated for maximum profit by the militaryindustrial complex. They work to allow Wall Street’s multiple ventures to gamble with America’s capital, and they advocate that health care be in the control of insurance and medical corporatists, while they promote hate and fill you with fear.

These manipulators are counting on your reality show attention span in the hope you won’t notice they’re the creators of our socalled fiscal problems. They encourage you to fantasize a return to the heyday of growth following WWII when European manufacturing was obliterated and we filled that gap. They want you to believe their silly stories until the inevitable day when the country comes to halt, is unsustainable, has another war, and all benefits flow only upward. Trickle down? Not here.

They’re plying you with fear! They advocate that you arm yourself because some

S EE LETTERS, PAGE 15

72271

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

LOCAL DISCOUNT Call Ahead Takeout + Call 4 Weekly Specials Winter Hours: Thur & Sun 11.30 - 6.00 Fri & Sat 11.30 - 7.00

24 & 26 Fry St. • Bryson City 488-5379 • NEXT TO THE TRAIN DEPOT Plenty of parking available

www.FrydaysAndSundaes.com CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED • JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

72316

ITALIAN

MEDITERRANEAN

STEAKS • PIZZA CHICKEN • SEAFOOD SANDWICHES

January 23-29, 2013

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

ARTISAN BREADS & PASTRIES

PRIVATE

MEETINGROOM

Smoky Mountain News

NOWOPEN

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 Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Celebrating our 25th year. 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.-3 p.m.; open for dinner Thursday-Saturday 5 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Exceptional, new-American cuisine, offering several gluten free items.

catering, and take-out available. Call-ahead seating available.

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.

HERREN HOUSE 94 East St., Waynesville 828.452.7837.

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

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

MON-FRI: 7 a.m.-5 p.m.

SAT: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. SUN: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

ASHEVILLE: 60 Biltmore Ave. 252.4426 & 88 Charlotte St. 254.4289

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!

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,

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

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

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

DINING ROOM | CURB SERVICE | TAKE-OUT | ICE CREAM

Scratch-Made Fresh Daily Breads • Biscuits • Bagels Cakes • Pies • Pastries Soups • Salads • Sandwiches

18 North Main Street Waynesville • 452.3881

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.

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.

TAKE-OUT • EAT-IN • CATERING

Fair Trade Coffee & Espresso

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.

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.

BREAKFAST • LUNCH

www.citybakery.net

14

tasteTHEmountains

72336

WELCOME TO

Burgers to Salads Southern Favorites & Classics 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.

DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT & DAIRY BAR

Ammons Burgers ❉ ❉ Steaks & Shakes ❉ BBQ ❉ ❉

Over 4.5 million of Ammons Famous hotdogs served since 1984.

Open 7 days a week - 10am-9pm 1451 DELLWOOD RD. | WAYNESVILLE | 926-0734

tasteTHEmountains 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.

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.

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.

MOONSHINE GRILL 2550 Soco Road, Maggie Valley loacted in the Smoky Falls Lodge. 828.926.7440.

Open Wednesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Cooking up mouth-watering, wood-

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. Live music Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

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.

THE TIKI HOUSE SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR 2723 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.

828.944.0445. Fresh seafood made to order. Oysters raw, steamed, or fried. Handcut steaks. Live music, cocktails, petfriendly patio dining with a nice fountain.

Friday patio music starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday night after dinner. Live bands and a dance floor.

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. Also on facebook and twitter.

72208

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 • 6PM

Sarah Morgan

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 • 6PM

The Wrong Omar

Thursday Jan. 24th • 8pm Adam Bigelow & Friends

Friday Jan. 25th • 8pm Dj Beta

Saturday Jan. 26th • 8pm Pearly Peach Tues.- Fri. 11a-9p & Sat. 12 noon - ‘til

628 E. Main Street • Sylva 828.586.1717 • soulinfusion.com

S PRING S TREET, D OWNTOWN S YLVA

CREPES, PANINIS, SOUPS, SALADS, GOURMET PASTAS WINE & BEER

CityLightsCafe.com

Shame on Jack Debnam and Jackson’s citizens To the Editor: Friends, they’ve out-waited us. And, motivated by the smell of money, they appear to have outlasted us as well and are – right now – in the process of outmaneuvering us.

Jackson County’s land-use ordinances were enacted six years ago at the urging of and with the strong support of county residents; this was accomplished over the vigorous opposition of area developers (some county-based, some not). Now it’s six years later and Jack Debnam and Co., aka the majority faction of Jackson County’s Board of Commissioners, are busily pulling the original ordinances’ teeth and concocting a more developer-friendly set of rules.

Shame on Debnam and his cronies for working hard and quietly to subvert the demonstrated wishes of Jackson County residents, and shame on us for watching it happen and doing nothing about it.

Robert M. Lindy Cullowhee

A different perspective on guns and government To the Editor: As someone who has lived in four different countries and traveled to several others over the last 11 years, I can tell you that no people who I have encountered continually demand that their government institutions solve every problem imaginable like Americans do. From the

Smoky Mountain News

7220s

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

Reservations appreciated.

unspecified others are coming. They say religion and the U.S. Constitution are in danger.

They tell you that all government involvement in public benefits like education, police, fire, emergency workers, water resources, roads, farms, prisons, immigration or all similar entities, not forgetting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, must be privatized. By whom? Who benefits?

There’ll be no outside conspiracy. Megacorporatist greed will cause the ultimate downfall of the U.S.A. The aim of constant hate and fear messages will be their tool of control, cause dissent and turn us against each other — “divide and conquer.”

Don’t allow control or support to these takers who mask themselves as caring patriots and-or Christians. While telling you they advocate freedom and small government without any regulations, their ulterior motives will necessarily impose huge governance. Theirs! Freedom? Also theirs!

Observe the real conspirators whose only goal is to gain even more wealth without investing in anything, without contributing to the national coffers, and without producing any real benefit to the U.S., or us.

Conspiracy? You can count on it.

And, by the way, it is not sponsored by the U.N. Shirl Ches Franklin

dangers of electric garage doors to the eradication of bed bugs, there seems to be nothing that Washington isn’t charged with fixing.

Then, there are those horrific incidents of violence perpetrated by a mentally unstable person that sends many Americans into a tizzy and raises their collective voices for Washington to do something urgently. Cries of “this can never happen again” call out for new laws to prevent future tragedies.

And so we have the latest episode of hysterics over the tragedy that was the Sandy Hook Elementary School killings.

To be sure, whenever any young children lose their lives it is a tragedy. Whether they are in the classrooms of America’s schools, in cars on America’s streets, or collateral damage from an American drone strike over Pakistan, the loss of the young and innocent hits each of us where we live.

But, in the case of the reaction to the latest tragedy, the last thing Washington should do is pass any new gun control legislation including legislation banning so-called “assault rifles” A little perspective is needed to understand why. Less than 400 people a year are killed with rifles of all kinds. According to FBI numbers from 2005 to 2011, hammers and clubs killed more people than rifles in America. Logically then, shouldn’t hammers and clubs be banned before rifles? At the very least, shouldn’t a license be required to own one? Furthermore, why would anyone but construction contractors need to own sledge hammers? Are they not the hammer equivalent to an assault rifle?

Could you imagine going to Lowes to purchase a hammer and having to undergo a background check and a seven day waiting period?

Yet, this is the conversation our leaders are having about rifles, which again, kill fewer people than hammers and clubs.

America has not experienced a direct danger from a foreign adversary since the War of 1812. One could argue that Pearl Harbor was about the Japanese only wanting to cripple our Pacific fleet. Yet we have sent millions into harm’s way to “defend” our freedom and have lost thousands doing so.

Were the lives of those young people less worthy than the youth lost at Sandy Hook? Of course not. But our leaders tell us that freedom has costs, and the hundreds of thousands of young men and women that gave their lives “defending” our freedom is a large part of that cost.

So, I submit to you that those 20 children who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary are also a part of the cost of defending freedom.

At the end of the day, individuals have a natural right to self-defense. They have a right to defend themselves against criminals, foreign invaders, and their own government if it becomes tyrannical enough. Why should lawabiding citizens be asked to unilaterally disarm because a deranged individual used a gun to murder children? It is nonsensical.

Lastly, children die in car accidents, drown in bathtubs, and are poisoned by ingesting prescription drugs all the time.

Does this warrant the banning of these items? Of course not, because they are vitally important to modern life just like the means to protect oneself is.

Kenn Jacobin Waynesville 15

January 23-29, 2013

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.

fired Angus steaks, prime rib and scrumptious fresh seafood dishes. The wood-fired grill gives amazing flavor to every meal that comes off of it. Enjoy creative dishes made using moonshine. Stop by and simmer for a while and soak up the atmosphere. The best kept secret in Maggie Valley. themoonshinegrill.com

LETTERS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

16

A&E

Smoky Mountain News

7:09 p.m. — City Lights Bookstore

Country singer Dylan Riddle tames the wild crowd at the No Name Sports Pub in Sylva. The small mountain town has become a haven for musicians and those curious to find live music in rural Western North Carolina. Garret K. Woodward photo

What lies beneath

Entering the shop, I could hear laughter radiating from the backroom. Local singer/songwriter Eric Hendrix was in the midst of a rousing story behind one of his melodies, which he was performing as part of a release party for his latest album, Would You Dance With Me?.

A decidedly older crowd, filled with graying hair and a sophisticated sense of taste, the 30 or so attendees were all ears while Hendrix spun his web of words and guitar notes. Living in Sylva since the early 1980s, he’s seen the music blossom around the community. It’s an eclectic mix of genres and talents, one that local business owners are willing to let flourish, whether at their own respective stores or sponsoring events throughout the year.

“It’s a healthy combination of styles and genres, more progressive than one would expect.

College, alternative bands mixed with acoustic, jazz, blues and Americana,” he said.

Hendrix said Sylva has a rare “openness and genuine support for local musicians” — to its own credit.

A night on the town with Sylva’s musical renaissance

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD • STAFF WRITER

f the Grateful Dead taught us anything through their music, it would be the mere fact that surprises, in all shapes and sizes, can come from – Grateful Dead “Scarlet Begonias” the most unexpected of encounters and corners of the universe.

The town of Sylva is one of those corners.

Since relocating to Western North Carolina to become the arts and entertainment writer for The Smoky Mountain News, I find myself constantly amazed at the unique people, places and things I cross paths with in this incredible area, particularly the artists, musicians and handcrafters who are quick to extend a welcoming handshake and friendly smile.

Amid this embracing camaraderie, I keep my ear to the ground, eager to hear the slightest rumblings of whatever it is I should be aware of and why the newspaper should cover it. Lately, that rumbling has been coming from Sylva, a place where there has been a vast convergence of creativity and melodic discovery. This boom is due in part to the storied musical tradition of Southern Appalachia and the constant flow of musicians and curious audiences spilling out of nearby Western Carolina University.

So, last Friday, I ventured into the heart of Sylva, where a wild, vibrant music scene awaited.

“Once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right…”

I

Singer/songwriter Eric Hendrix talks to the audience between songs during his album release party at City Lights Bookstore in downtown Sylva. Garret K. Woodward photo “Art, in any form, but in this case, music, is essential to a community’s ongoing development and wellbeing,” he said.

Hendrix glides through each selection, accompanied by his wife Norma (flute/vocals) and guitarist Dave Magill. Feet are tapping, while heads bob to the soothing feel of original acoustic numbers, each able to stand on its own.

“Storeowners watch out for one another, promote each other and share ideas,” Hendrix said. “The influx of WCU students, staff and faculty, along with the local community, provides a unique, warm and friendly environment in which to develop professional and personal relationships.”

8:34 p.m. — City Lights Café Downstairs from the bookstore, acoustic duo Liz and A.J. Nance are tucked in the back of the

café, which is bustling with college students, young families and baby boomers. Some have microbrews in hand, while others go for a subtle glass of wine to tie a bow on a cozy evening. It’s cold outside, with crisp air coating the town.

Windows are foggy from the outside, as warm souls inhabit within.

“It’s very laid back here — the people relax, listen and are respectful of the musicians,” Liz said.

“I’m always surprised by how diverse the music is in Sylva. There’s something for everybody. You can hop around pretty easily and catch other shows in town.”

Liz straps her guitar back on, sliding into the second set. A few tables down, Sylva resident Gary Montanari is enjoying an evening out with his wife, who’s celebrating her birthday. Guitar notes waft through the room, ricocheting around and falling into receptive ears.

“Music is one of the things that make you want to live in these mountains,” he said. “I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of this small town. You almost don’t want to tell too many people about it, so it won’t get too crowded.”

9:51 p.m. — Soul Infusion

Pulling into the large dirt parking lot, not a spot could be located, except for a couple prime spaces on the front lawn. Inside the large residential home (turned bistro), rock-fusion instrumental trio Diatomic is headlong into their performance. The ensemble fills one side of the “living room” while patrons pack into the numerous corners of the establishment.

Behind the counter, bar manager Martin Adams is slinging drinks. The band is cranking, and he’s pleased to once again see the surrounding community come out and support live music.

“As long as I’ve been here, the local music is as good as it has ever been,” he said. “There’s a lot of great, original music. With the revolving door of musicians and students at WCU, it’s the most interesting collective of people I’ve ever known.”

During their set break, guitarist Chris Cooper takes a breather and chats with a few nearby friends. A resident of Sylva and accomplished musician, he’s deeply proud of both of those things.

“People tend to imagine this as a sleepy mountain town with just bluegrass,” he said. “But, it’s not. Most styles of music are represented here.”

Down the bar counter, Chris Blaylock, banjoist for Bonham and the Bastards, is in town for the evening to check out the scene. Based out of Murphy, Blaylock looks forward to when his group performs in Sylva, which is seemingly becoming a routine endeavor.

“People here are really into music,” he said. “It seems they appreciate it more and that [in turn] makes the musicians focus more, where it then flows and sounds better.”

Not the only out-of-town musician sniffing around, Asheville resident Dusty Greer, percussionist for roots rock outfit Circus Mutt, is taking it all in. He heard about Sylva, and the group decided to stop in on their way home from an outof-town gig to check out a few possible venues to book. That decision was made several hours ago,

11:17 p.m. — Signature Brew Coffee Company

Rising country group to play Franklin

A Lego Extravaganza building contest for f children ages 5 to 15 will debut at 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 2, in Waynesville. It is put on by the Haywood County Public Library.

Participants are asked to think of a favorite book and then create an original Lego design related to the book. Then bring your Legos and build your creation on the day of the contest.

Participants in the older age divisions (9-11 and 12-15) will compete for prizes and will be judged on the originality and creativity of their construction, and on the quality of their poster presentation/oral report. Ages 5-8 will not be in formal competition. Register this week to participate.

The contest will be held at the Haywood

Frog Level Philharmonic Dixieland Jazz Band of Waynesville will give a free concert of spirited renditions of Dixieland classics from the early 20th century to the 1930’s at 3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 3, at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.

Immediately following the concert there will be a reception for Waynesville artist Dominick DePaolo, whose artwork is on exhibit through the end of March. His realistic style evokes a sense of America’s most innocent days, with creations ranging from nostalgic drawings of classic cowboy heroes and western sidekicks.

The event is sponsored by the NC Arts Council, Swain County Center for the Arts and Swain County Schools. Free. www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.

HART presents Charlie Brown “all-grown-up” “Dog Sees God – Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” will be hitting the stage at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 and 2 and 3 p.m. Feb. 3, at the HART Theatre in Waynesville.

Oh, good grief! The Peanuts gang has grown up, and it turns out that life is not a comic strip after all. Ten years removed from childhood, Charlie Brown, Pigpen, Lucy and the

Coasting into the wee hours of Saturday morning, the pub showed no signs of slowing up. Filled to the rafters with college students, local residents and seemingly every nighthawk in Jackson County, the location was buzzing over WCU student Dylan Riddle, a country crooner/guitarist with a voice as deep as a backwoods holler.

“The music is blowing up around here,” he said. “I think there really hasn’t been a lot of bands around for awhile, and now there are, and everyone is eating it up.”

Riddle said it’s great that such a small mountain college town gets the proper reputation it deserves, one of big things coming in small packages. It’s not about taking a town at face value but looking a little bit closer, a little others are grappling with the issues of teens today. They include a stoner, a homophobe, an arsonist, a Goth performance artist, a couple of slutty, booze-swilling clique leaders and an outcast who finds happiness only at a keyboard. Turning Charles Schulz’s pleasant world into a scathingly funny psychological disaster area, “Dog Sees God” will turn childhood on its head and take you through all the happiness and pain that is the institution of high school.

Tickets are $10 per adult and $6 per student. Holdover dates will be Feb. 8-10.

828.456.6322 or harttheater@gmail.com or www.harttheatre.com.

Calling all chocoholics to Bryson City Cooks of all things chocolate will square off at the “Sixth Annual Chocolate Cook-Off” from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 23, in Bryson City to raise money for the Swain County library.

Both amateurs and professionals are invited to enter to win cash prizes. Entries due Feb. 19.

Applications available at the Marianna Black Library, the Friends Used Bookstore or online. www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity or 828.488.0580.

Blues-rock spills into WNC Blues guitarist Husky Burnette will be performing at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at the No Name Sports Pub in Sylva and at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Water’n Hole in Waynesville.

Hailing from Chattanooga, Burnette (aka: Rick Saunders) is an accomplished blues musician who has toured extensively around the country, soaking in all the emotion, sorrow and madness he has crossed paths with.

Meanwhile, blues duo Yettysburg will also be playing at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at No Name Sports Pub. Originating in North Augusta, S.C., Yettysburg is a newly formed ensemble featuring guitarist/vocalist Shane Davis and upright bassist John DeSousa.

Adorned with large beards, the group’s motto is, “There’s not too much you can do to stop two Yettys with microphones.”

Both shows at the No Name Sports Pub are free. There will be a $3 cover charge for the Water’n Hole. www.huskyburnette.com or www.reverbnation.com/yettysburg.

Jamey Johnson comes to Harrah’s Acclaimed country star Jamey Johnson will be performing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

The outlaw country singer/songwriter has been quickly rising to the top of the industry during the last decade. With numerous awards and hits, including “In Color” and “Give It Away,” Johnson continues to impress and awe music fans in any direction he may wander in, which these days is his new collaboration tribute album filled with the classic hits of the late Hank Cochran.

Tickets are $25 and $35. 800.745.3000 or www.ticketmaster.com or www.jameyjohnson.com.

Smoky Mountain News

Lego building contest stacks up Feb. 2

Dixieland jazz pairs with art exhibit opening

12:40 a.m. — No Name Sports Pub

bit further into what exactly makes this special place tick.

Sitting next to Riddle is Kevin Washam, his accompanying guitarist and friend who goes to Appalachian State University. Coming from Boone, a renowned music town in its own right, Washam is in awe at how crazy Sylva is when the mood and sound is just right.

“The crowd got so big we had to move to the back room,” he chuckled. “They probably knocked our microphone over like 20 times.”

Bartender at No Name, Mary Harper is a key facilitator in the scene. Besides continually letting others know about what’s happening in town on the weekends, Harper emphatically seeks out new and different music to book into the venue. It’s a passion she’s happy to share with her customers and the community at large.

“With a college cult following usually found in much larger towns, it’s blooming,” she said.

“The roots, character and diversity of the music and its creators here is the richest in the area. To find a business here that doesn’t offer live music on the weekends would not be an easy task.”

Heading back to the stage to bring the audience into last call, Riddle is greeted by a jovial roar from the crowd. It’s almost 1 a.m., but these listeners know damn well there’s another hour left to play music, and they want to hear every last minute of it. “[Sylva] may be a tiny dot on the map, and people might not think there’s much going on, but the music is; it really is,” he said.

January 23-29, 2013

Rising country music group Eden’s Edge will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Their vibrant sound honors country music’s roots as their dazzling harmonies and insightful songwriting makes them proven hitmakers. f The ensemble, all from Arkansas, won a music f contest sponsored by CMT in 2006 and moved to Nashville. Their first single, “Amen,” was released in 2011 and quickly became the first Top 20 hit for the group.

Tickets start at $12 each. www.GreatMountainMusic.com or f 866.273.4615.

County Co-operative Extension Office on Racoon Road.

828.356.2511 or cdennis@haywoodnc.net or www.haywoodlibrary.org.

Overseeing the youthful exuberance, shop owner John Bubacz notes that though venues and stores come and go, the musicians remain and, if anything, multiply as the years go on.

“There’s no shortage of excellent players and places that will have people come play in,” he said. “My interest is less as a business owner and more as a community member. You need to keep this town interesting; you need to keep the people healthy with live music.”

arts & entertainment

Main Street corner coffee shop. Drummer Brett Wilson is a senior at the school. He described the local music scene as one that offers plenty of spots to perform, where you could play a venue one night and a college party the next.

The options are available, and expanding, to his delight.

“First of all, it’s something to do,” he said. “If you don’t have Instrumental trio Diatomic glides through an intimate set in anything to do around Soul Infusion. Garret K. Woodward photo here, people will pick up an instrument and and Greer is enjoying every minute of his time play with anybody. I’d like to see [the scene] immersed in the small mountain town. grow as big as it can.”

“This place is great, there’s a lot of music During their set, rapper Logik jumps into around,” he said. “[Soul Infusion] is like a house the mix. The lyricist weaves his intricate words party with a great bar.” into the raucous sound of the band. A group of students collect around him. They cheer him on, shouting for more of what he has to say.

Soon, as quickly as he arrived, Logik hands the microphone back over to the Jamunkatrons and heads for the door.

“There’s always someone to jam with here,” Back in downtown Sylva, the Jamunkatrons, he said. “I like that there’s so many different peoa WCU trio, are heating up the inside of the ple who want to play. It’s great.”

17

18

Smoky Mountain News January 23-29, 2013

arts & entertainment

Historian presents a factual story of Cleopatra “Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book.”

— Cicero, 106 B.C.

Gary Carden

S

Homer’s “Iliad” and eagerly participated in debates on questions such as “Can Medea’s murder of her children be justified?” The city contained more than 400 theaters and the works of the Greeks, from Sophocles to Sappho, were popular with the local citizens.

Due to mutually beneficial trade agreements with India, Egypt teemed with foreign wines, spices and silks.

Schiff provides fascinating insights into the most famous/infamous tales about the Egyptian queen. Did the 17-year-old queen smuggle herself into Julius Caesar’s presence wrapped in a rug?

Yes, she did, although the actual event may have lacked the dramatic trappings of the movies, she succeeded in her purpose: to seduce Egypt’s conquerer and become the mother of his child. Frequently, the author’s research reveals excesses that are grander and more fantastic than anything described by her critics. She and Julius Caesar did make an astonishing journey up the Nile in a 300-foot royal barge that included a gym, a library, a garden, a grotto, a lecture hall, copper baths and an aquarium. The luxury of this incredible journey is verified right down to the menu and the wine list.

The heart of this fatal drama concerns the astonishing events which occur after Julius Caesar’s assassination. When Cleopatra finds herself playing host to a second conquerer, Antony. Thus begins a love story that inspired hundreds of poets and playwrights, including Shakespeare and Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff. Little, Brown and Company, Bernard Shaw. Is it true? How much of 2012. 368 pages it is either the posturing of two egomaniacs or the creation of Greek and streets of Alexandria and the public buildEgyptian gossipmongers who bear a remarkings were encased in semi-precious stones able resemblance to modern-day tabloids? with the city’s main thoroughfare (40 feet Schiff provides proof that, despite political wide) guarded by a phalanx of elaborately intrigue and the shifting loyalties of the carved sphinxes. The Alexandrian library Ptolemaic rulers and the Romans, beneath contained 500,000 scrolls — the works of the rants and theatrical posing, the passion the world’s greatest thinkers and philosowas real. phers. All of the Greek arts flourished in At the time that Antony met Cleopatra, Alexandria and Cleopatra, like the average he was the darling of the Roman senate. He citizen of her day, could quote passages from had married wealth and was the acknowl-

edged “adopted son of Julius Caesar.” After Caesar’s death, Antony was committed to tracking all of the assassins who fled like a covey of quail to a dozen cities. He was also on the fast track to becoming Caesar’s successor. According to the writers, orators and sculptors of the time, Antony was strikingly handsome (he was in his 50s) and possessed a frank and open nature that made him loved by both the Roman populace and his own soldiers. However, his devotion to Cleopatra cost him his future, and made him a “traitor” to Rome. After he “abandoned” Rome, he quickly passed from being “a mortal god” to an object of contempt. After Octavian, Caesar’s “true son,” denounced him as a besotted and foolish man who had allowed himself to be enslaved by a woman (unforgivable in a Roman), his fate was sealed.

Schiff develops the idea that Rome (the West) and Egypt (The East) were direct opposites in geography, climate, morals and temperament. From the beginning, many Romans found Egypt to be a land of hedonists and degenerates. In like manner, Egyptians viewed Rome as a fascist state ruled by moralistic kill-joys who were obsessed with conquest and power. Conflict was inevitable.

However, Schiff finds yet another reason to admire Cleopatra. She was unique for her age — a powerful, intelligent woman capable of ruling a 300-year-old dynasty. She successfully held her own against assassins, generals and world leaders, such as Herod, the murderous “client king” of Judea, and defied Rome who denounced her as Caesar’s concubine.

What about the fabled end of these starcrossed lovers? When the triumphant Octavian arrives in Alexandria prepared to march Antony and Cleopatra in chains through the streets (although he dreamed of executing Antony), did he succeed? No, he didn’t, and it frustrated him considerably.

The final suicides of these two lovers differs slightly from the popular tale (no poisoned asp), but it remains a moving and poignant conclusion to one of the world’s most memorable love stories.

72401

Joann Lyons

With two years of automo ve sales experience, Joann Lyons has now joined the sales team at Ken Wilson Ford in Canton, NC and is looking forward to assis ng you with your 'new or pre owned' automo ve needs.

Call Joann today at

828 648 2313 (work) or 828 400 1757 (Cell)

Custom Renovations & Additions

for friendly and professional 'automo ve' assistance

Smoky Mountain News

Ken Wilson Ford Welcomes

January 23-29, 2013

tacy Schiff, a Pulitzer prize-winning historian and a guest editorialist for the New York Times, has written a fascinating historical biography of one of “the most alluring and elusive women in recorded history” — Cleopatra VII. She was the last of a long list of Egyptian queens and pharaohs who lived in luxury, controlled a fabulous kingdom and murdered their enemies (including their own family) with impunity, a descendant of the Ptolemaic Writer dynasty that ruled Egypt from the death of Alexander the Great (305 B. C.) until 30 B. C. It is a period of excessive cruelty and creativity and embodies a time when knowledge (the Alexandrian library was the greatest in the world), wealth and power co-existed, all of which made Alexandria “the greatest city on earth.”

According to Schiff, Cleopatra has been ill-served by everyone from “the lilac-eyed Elizabeth Taylor” to a host of historians, including Dellius, Plancus and Josephus, none of which knew their subject personally but readily accepted the wildly improbable stories that were repeated at the time, reports of Bacchanalian orgies and banquets that gave new meaning to the word gluttony.

Perhaps the Queen’s greatest enemy was the philosopher and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, who developed a reputation for his scathing attacks on his enemies. (He appears to be a kind of Roman Walter Winchell.)

Cicero devoted an amazing amount of time and talent (in both writing and oratory) to ridiculing Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Much of Rome and Egypt lived in fear of this noted senator’s witty diatribes on everything from bad taste in clothing to social misconduct of the rich and famous. As a result, Antony finally ordered his murder and

requested that Cicero’s hands (which has written so many insults and lies) be returned to him. Antony’s wife, Flavia, demanded Cicero’s head and took pleasure in piercing the dead orator’s tongue with a pin.

Essentially, Schiff corrects the errors of Cleopatra’s detractors by painstaking research. She reveals that her subject spoke nine languages fluently and surrounded herself with hundreds of advisors, philosophers, poets and musicians. During her reign, the

Custom Cabinetry

I-40 EXIT 31, CANTON, NC

Built-In Storage Units Decks, Porches & Patios Outdoor Living Areas 72253

Furniture & Home Goods

828.545.1375

RiverwoodCustomCreations.com

828-648-2313 1-800-532-4631 www.kwford.com

kenwilsonford@kwford.com

19

20

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

WEATHER OR NOT Local Yokel Weather fine tunes forecasts for your neck of the woods

BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER ave you ever been told by the evening news to expect three inches of snow overnight, but after stocking up on bread, toilet paper and flashlight batteries, you walk out the next morning, snow shovel in hand, to find only a pitiful dusting in the driveway? If you live in Western North Carolina, chances are you’ve been there, done that.

The complex wind patterns and varied topography make forecasting weather in the Southern Appalachians more time-consuming, technical and arduous compared to flatter, more predictable terrain. Many mountain dwellers have learned to take the forecasts of their regional and local weatherman with a grain of salt.

“We felt like we were being lied to,” lamented Preston Jacobsen, an amateur meteorologist in Sylva.

Those sentiments prompted Jacobsen to take matters into his own hands, joining a growing number of internet weather sites engaged in “hyper-local” forecasting.

Jacobsen, now 25, was a student at Western Carolina University when he launched the Local Yokel Weather in 2007. A loose-knit group of fellow students and community members, who have come and gone over the years, helped get the site off the ground and continue to provide volunteer manpower.

What began as a simple weather blog with several dozen visitors per day — most of whom Jacobsen suspects were his family members and friends — and has now grown into a regional website with thousands of visits per week.

Since those early days of forecasting mostly campus weather, Local Yokel Weather has expanded from one weather station to seven across the region. Most now are in Jackson — along with one in Highlands and one in Haywood based at Cataloochee Ski Area. Soon, Jacobsen will add a station in Franklin. Eventually, he hopes to have

more than 100 stations in his weather empire spanning the far western counties of WNC and mountainous sections of neighboring South Carolina and Georgia.

“These areas haven’t even been touched yet in terms of accuracy or coverage,” Jacobsen said. “Big weather doesn’t have the manpower or resources or even interest to do it on the scale that were doing it. We’re fixing the gaps, filling in the holes nobody wanted.”

The region’s remoteness and unpredictability is what has scared away larger — what Jacobsen calls “mega” — weather outlets. It takes a lot of time and resources to offer highly localized forecasts, with very little return given the comparatively small number of viewers in rural areas.

Instead commercial weather outlets, like the Weather Channel, use general algorithms and paint with broad strokes across WNC when making forecasts.

Even WLOS, said Jacobsen, may mention Sylva in its forecast, but not Caney Fork.

Based on his experience, Jacobsen said mega weather outlets frequently get it wrong by 5 and 8 degrees Fahrenheit and can be off by an inch or two of precipitation.

Getting it right takes specialization, time and resources — each weather sta-

H

Preston Jacobsen, a forecaster for weather website www.localyokelweather.com, occupies his booth at a Sylva street festival last spring. Jacobsen started the website with the goal of providing accurate weather information for local mountain communities in Jackson County and the region. Donated photos

tion costs about $600.

Terrain poses a host of challenges for mountain meteorologists. Drastic jumps in elevation — climbing from a 2,000-foot valley to a 6,000-foot peak over a short distance —mimics a climate range that stretches form Canada to Alabama, Jacobsen said.

The mountains also wreak havoc on uniform precipitation — Transylvania County, the wettest part of the state, is only 20 miles away from Buncombe County, one of the driest parts of the state. Then throw in a few tropical storms from the Gulf or hurricanes along the Atlantic coast.

“This part of the Appalachian chain is truly unique,” Jacobsen said.

It helps to have local knowledge, taking into account the cloud cover created by the Jackson Paper mill in Sylva or Cullowhee’s location in a thermal valley.

The uniqueness and local variability of weather in the WNC stuns many college students coming to WCU from the flat lands. While at WCU himself, Jacobsen would see students caught off guard, wearing shorts in freezing temperatures because it had been in the 70s the day before. He’d refer them to the website, and indeed WCU students have become the biggest fans of Local Yokel Weather.

“Students need to be in touch,” Jacobsen said. “They don’t know the area, they don’t know patterns. And the variability is something to behold.”

Jacobsen, himself came from the Gulf Coast area to study in Cullowhee.

Jacobsen said the site is attracting hundreds of new loyal followers each year and has plans to expand into the mobile phone market.

And, unlike so-called “Big Weather” companies, Jacobsen isn’t getting rich off his forecasts. Anything he does make he invests back into Local Yokel Weather, perhaps in the form of more weather stations.

Two sales representatives sell ad spots on the website, where a majority of the company’s revenue comes from.

Jacobsen, with the help of a staff climatologist, also does side projects with Jackson County Emergency Management and other local businesses to provide specialized weather forecasting. And as a side job, Jacobsen has his own portable snow machine and will make snow-forhire for parties and events.

Jacobsen’s day job overseeing sustainability initiatives at Haywood Community College is what pays the bills. Rather, he sees his weather service as just that — a service to the community, and a lot of fun.

“Our focus is local, local, local. We’re not in it for the money,” Jacobsen said.

“Honestly, it’s just something I’m a really big nerd about.”

BY DON H ENDERSHOT

I feel the earth move…

Facelift for Smokies visitor center in Tenn.

Sugarlands Visitor Center at the Tennessee entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is being renovated to improve the layout of the main lobby and entrance area over the next three months, but will remain largely open to the public during that time. The center receives 850,000 visitors each year.

Along with lighting improvements, the new visitor information desk and exhibits will be laid out to have more open space. New interactive exhibits in the lobby will focus on natural resource challenges like air quality and forest health. In addition, access to the popular natu-

No foul play suspected in case of dead hiker Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers found a dead hiker at Tricorner Knob shelter in the Swain County section of the park along the Appalachian Trail last Wednesday.

The cause of death does not appear to be suspicious but rangers have temporarily closed the shelter where the body was found to the public. Park Rangers are investigating the incident with the assistance of the Swain County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Richard Lemarr, 50, from Knoxville, had set out from Newfound Gap on the morning of Jan. 12, intending to hike 30 miles along the Appalachian Trail to Davenport Gap in North Carolina. A friend alerted the park when he did not show up when expected on Monday, Jan. 14. His body was found Wednesday, but it took two more days, due to the remote location of the body and inclement weather, before the Tennessee Highway Patrol could successfully evacuate the body on Friday, Jan. 18, using their hoist helicopter.

January 23-29, 2013

Aerial view Peeks Creek landslide. NCDENR photo pace to be wrapped up by 2014 at a total cost of around $3.6 million ($355,000 for 10 years). So by cutting the program in 201,1 business-savvy lawmakers saved taxpayers $1.4 million. It only cost taxpayers $3.2 for the cleanup at Peeks Creek and one slide in Maggie Valley had a $1.4 million price tag.

One can only hope that the next homes to slide down a mountainside are vacant and the only costs to consider are property costs.

North Carolina lawmakers may be able to assign a dollar value to human life, but I certainly can’t. Especially when we have the tools available to prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening.

(Don Hendershot is a writer and naturalist. He can be reached a ddihen1@bellsouth.net.)

Workshop to help teachers broaden horizons A workshop called “Physics in a Whole New Light” designed to help science teachers improve their physics instruction will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Jan. 28, at Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education.

Two faculty members in WCU’s Department of Chemistry and Physics will share the peer instruction teaching strategy, which has proven effective with students. Teachers also will gain access to free online resources that will help them design future classroom activities. Cost is $59 per person which includes lunch. www.learn.wcu.edu or 828.227.7397.

RAFT THE

French Broad OR THE Nolichucky!

USA RAFT

Join , a leading outfitter in the Southeast, for an exciting whitewater rafting trip for two down the Nolichucky or French Broad rivers — and help FMD CHAT, an international, peer-to-peer support group for those affected by Fibromuscular Dysplasia.

ONLY $100 per trip! (4 available)

Smoky Mountain News

It may not have shaken the Richter scale like the stampede of Republican lawmakers and their realtor and developer lobbyists in Raleigh back in 2011, clamoring to cut funding for the state’s Landslide Hazard Mapping program, but there were more than 50 landslides across Western North Carolina and East Tennessee after the recent heavy rains (official are still trying to get an official count). Thankfully, to my knowledge, there was no loss of life associated with these slides.

That wasn’t the case back in 2004 when remnants of Hurricane Frances and Ivan dumped torrential rains on the area causing the Peeks Creek slide in Macon County that killed five people and destroyed 15 homes.

Across the region, there were 85 landslides when the back-to-back tropical storm residue from Frances and Ivan pelted the mountains.

Those slides, and Peeks Creek in particular, led to the statefunded Landslide Hazard Mapping project, which was embedded in the state’s 2005 Hurricane Recovery Act. From the bill itself: “… During Hurricane Ivan, the community of Peeks Creek was devastated by a debris flow triggered by the heavy rains. The debris flow traveled speeds as great as 33 miles per hour for two and a quarter miles from the top of Fishhawk Mountain. Five persons were killed, and 15 homes destroyed by the flow that was estimated to be several hundred feet wide and up to 40 feet high.”

Landslides are not new phenomena in the U.S. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that landslides create more than $3.5 billion in damages and kill between 25 and 50 people each year, and it comes as no surprise that mountainous areas like Western North Carolina are prime landslide candidates.

The task of the Landslide Hazard Mapping program was to identify these areas in North Carolina’s 19 westernmost

counties. A daunting task, but one the North Carolina Geological Survey was well equipped to handle. In fact, N.C. Geological Survey had completed three counties (Macon, Buncombe and Watauga) and started on Jackson when funding was pulled. Using the best available mapping technology, both aerial and from the ground, plus hours of field work by trained geologists, NCGS was (and is) able to determine where landslides have occurred in the past — the most likely place for future slides. Peeks Creek was the site of at least two previous debris flows.

The landslide mapping program was on

Wendy Janssen has been named the new superintendent of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a unit of the National Park System.

“It is an honor to be selected as the superintendent of this much loved national treasure and the first National Scenic Trail,” Janssen said. “This ‘footpath for the people’ is a wonderful example of citizen action in the public interest.”

Janssen has managed various national park units across the country, including her most recent post as superintendent of Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and Minidoka National Historic Site in Idaho.

ral history exhibits in the existing museum will be improved. Sustainable products will be used in the renovations.

The estimated design and construction costs are around $200,000 and are being paid by the Great Smoky Mountains Association and Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

outdoors

The Naturalist’s Corner

New A.T. boss to start

Buy at eBay.com — ITEM 181066520898 Each trip for two includes a professional guide and all equipment.

Experience is not necessary. Winning bidder receives a certificate from USA Raft good through August 2013. Auction ends Jan. 30, 2013.

21

outdoors January 23-29, 2013 Smoky Mountain News

Big investment made in local bio-fuels A consortium of Western North Carolina public agencies and private organizations will receive a grant of $766,000 from the N.C. Bio-fuels Center, to advance the biofuels industry in the region.

Those involved in the project hope the grant will increased bio-fuels production by as much as 5.2 million gallons per year by 2017 and create jobs in the process, promote sustainability and advance entrepreneurship.

“It is an opportunity to improve our region’s energy security and air quality while simultaneously building a new agricultural sector to help support our farmers,” said Woodrow Eaton of Blue Ridge Befouls in Asheville.

The grant is money the state won in an air pollution lawsuit against the Tennessee Valley Authority for its dirty coal plants, funds that were earmarked for air quality.

Those receiving the grant will make a 50 percent match in the form of in-kind services and financial contributions for a total investment of more than $1.1 million in bio-fuels.

The project will increase bio-fuels production and use in WNC through: ■ recycling spent micro-brewery grains for biofuel production.

■ recruiting more farmers to grow raw materials used for biofuel production.

■ establishing a new bio-fuels testing lab.

■ investigating a bio-fuels and bio-products industrial park.

Grant will be used for conservation The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust received a $3,000 grant for land and conservation stewardship from Sustainability For Generations to Come. The WNC-based organization was formed to support the preservation of open lands and conservation efforts in the mountains.

“For more than a century, the HighlandsCashiers Land Trust has been saving and conserving the natural and scenic places in and around these special mountain towns.

We are so pleased to be able to support them and the very important work they do,” said SFCG partner Tim Campbell.

New Trout Unlimited chapter forming A general interest meeting for a new chapter of Trout Unlimited in the far west counties of Macon, Swain, Graham and Cherokee will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, in Andrews.

This gathering is being hosted by local fly-fishing enthusiasts and those interested in restoration of fish habitat. Currently, the Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Sylva is the only chapter west of Asheville.

The meeting will be held at the Andrews Valley Initiative office at 985 Main Street in downtown Andrews.

828.557.1202.

A farmland protection plan is being crafted in Swain County to help farmers keep scenes like this one at (Darnell or Kituwha) part of the community’s landscape.

Working farmland protection plan being crafted in Swain Swain County farmers, landowners, and other interested individuals are invited to share their thoughts and idea on a new farmland protection plan to support agriculture in Swain County.

CompleteLaserClinic.com JOHN HAMEL M.D.

72314

4Weight Loss 3 4Laser Lipo 3

Simplified Since 1932, Champion C Credit Credit Union U has been here for you and your family. money, we m process…simple e. There There ar e no When it comes to lending money, make the process…simple. are O HZZSLZ VY OVVWZ [V Q\TW [OYV\NO ^P[O H SVJHS KLJPZPVU THKL YPNO[ PU V\Y VɉJL OHZZSLZ VY OVVWZ [V Q\TW [OYV\NO ^P[O H SVJHS KLJPZPVU THKL YPNO[ PU V\Y VɉJL , _WLYPLUJL 3LUKPUN :PTWSPÄLK ^P[O *OHTWPVU *YLKP[ <UPVU ,_WLYPLUJL 3LUKPUN :PTWSPÄLK ^P[O *OHTWPVU *YLKP[ <UPVU

4CO2 Resurfacing 3 4Botox/Dysport 3 4Dermal Fillers 3 4Permanent Makeup 3 4Breast Augmentation 3 4Bio Identical HRT 3

BRYSON CITY 828-488-9877

ASHEVILLE 828-298-0125

Nutrition Facts serving size : ab out 50 p ag es Am ount per Serving Calories 0 % Daily Value *

800-204-0596 CANTON WAYNESVILLE ARDEN CANTON WAYNESVILLE YNE Y ARDEN Find us on Facebook. Federally Insur Insured ed by NCUA

22

A public forum will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31, at the Swain County Senior Center in Bryson City.

A free dinner will be provided.

Attendees will be asked to share their ideas on the challenges facing agriculture in Swain County and what strategies might help protect the future of farming, such as conservation agreements, a community kitchen to produce farm products or new marketing strategies.

Auto / Lifestyle Lifes / Mortgage / Visa Visa Credit Credit Cards Cards / Business.

Tot al Fat 0g

0%

Reg ional New s

100%

Op inion

100%

Outd oors

100%

Art s

100%

Entert ainm ent

100%

Classified s

100%

* Percent Weekly values b ased on Hayw ood, Jackson, M acon, Sw ain and Buncom b e d iet s.

WNC Calendar BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Free internet safety class 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, Jackson County Public Library Computer lab.

Register at 586.2016.

• Free business seminar, Setting up Your eBay Store, 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, Regional High Technology Center. Register at 627.4512.

• Professional Development Breakfast, 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, Bethea Welcome Center, Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Hosted by Haywood Chamber’s Young Professionals of Haywood (YPH). Speaker Andrew Sanderbeck of People Connect Institute will speak on The Power of Positive Thinking: Creating Your Strategy for Success. $10 for YPH members or $15 for nonmembers.

Includes breakfast, speaker session and networking. Or, $5, no breakfast. Pre-registration required at YPHaywood.com, 456.3021 or kgould@haywood-nc.com.

• Free business seminar, Beyond the Basics of Selling on eBay: Techniques for the Serious Seller, 1 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, Regional High Technology Center, Waynesville. HCC Small Business Center, Register at 627.4512.

• Sitebuilder video demonstration, 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, SiteDart Hosting, Franklin. $25; alumni free.

Pre-registration required, 877.790.7263 or email Lee Cloer at getanswers@sitedart.net.

• Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, Thursday, Jan. 24, Andy Shaw Ford, Sylva. RSVP, 586.2155.

• Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor (CuRvE) annual meeting, 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, Cullowhee Café, old Cullowhee Road, Cullowhee.

• Basic Cake Decorating Class, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Mondays, Jan. 28 – March 4, at Southwestern Community College, Macon Annex room 102. $35, preregister by calling Latresa at 339.4426.

• Physics in a Whole New Light, workshop to help science teachers improve their physics instruction, 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Jan. 28, Cordelia Camp Building on the WCU campus in Cullowhee. $59 includes lunch.

Professional Development Programs link at learn.wcu.edu, or call 227.7397.

All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

• Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society meeting, 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, Haywood County Public Library downstairs auditorium. 564.1044.

• The Smoky Mountain Chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association meet at noon, Saturday, Jan. 26, Lambuth Inn, North Lakeshore Drive, Lake Junaluska. Program presenter, Paige Jones, who works with KARE (Kids Advocacy Resource Effort).

Ed Fox, 456.5251 in Haywood County. In Jackson County, contact Betty Brintnall, 586.9292. In Macon County, contact Luci Swanson, 369.8922.

• The Woodcrafters will meet at 6 p.m. (social time) 6:30 p.m. (business meeting) Monday, Jan. 28, at their new shop, Apple Country Woodcrafters of Hendersonville, 5628 Howard Gap Road, Flat Rock.

Meetings held the fourth Monday of each month at new location. All skill levels welcome. www.applecountrywoodcrafters.org or email: applecountrywoodcrafters@gmail.com.

• Panel discussion on how to respond to traumatic events in school communities, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, A.K. Hinds University Center multipurpose room, Western Carolina University. Dale Carpenter at carpenter@wcu.edu or 227.7311.

BLOOD DRIVES Haywood • Senior Resource Center Blood Drive, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23; 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville.

Suzanne, 356.2816 or 452.2370, or go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter Sponsor code Sr Resource Center Haywood for more information or to schedule an appointment.

• Pigeon Fire Department Blood Drive, 2 to 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2412 Pisgah Drive, Canton, 800.733.2767 or go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter Sponsor code Center Pigeon FD for more information or to schedule an appointment.

• Beginner Spanish Level I Class, 2 to 5 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 28 – March 18, room 124, Founder’s Hall, Southwestern Community College Jackson Campus. $85 Gene Rainone, instructor. To pre-register, call Latresa at 339.4426.

Macon

• Beginner Spanish Level I Class, 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 28 – March 18, room 117, Founder’s Hall, Southwestern Community College, Jackson Campus. $85. Pre-register by calling Latresa Downs, 339.4426.

• Mountain View Intermediate School Blood Drive, 2 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31; 161 Clarks Chapel Road, Franklin. Sandy Keener, 349.1325 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

• Free computer class: Intermediate Access 2010, 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, Jackson County Public Library.

Space limited. Register at 586.2016.

• Lyle Tavernier, a NASA digital learning network specialist, will speak to students, Feb. 5 and 6 at the Western Regional Science Fair at Western Carolina University, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Pasadena, Calif., about the Mars Rover mission. learn@wcu.edu, http://sciencefair.wcu.edu or 227.3688.

COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Nikki Giovanni, world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator, will speak at Western Carolina University’s annual MLK celebration, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 23, in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center. Free and open to the public. James Felton, director of intercultural affairs, at jafelton@wcu.edu or 227.2276.

• SCC Macon Campus-Macon Library Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, 149 Siler Farm Road, Franklin. Fairley Pollock, 306.7017 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Smoky Mountain News

Recreation Center, Cullowhee. Free for members. $5 for non-members. Space limited. Pre-register at 508.2501 or at centeringyoga@yahoo.com.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Mountain Synagogue will celebrate Shabbat at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, 216 Roller Mill Road, Franklin.

Dr. Harvey Tritel will conduct the service; kiddush will follow. Phyllis Cardoza, 369.9270.

• Free Lunch and Learn seminar, featuring orthopedic unit nurses, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, MedWest Health & Fitness Center, Clyde. Advance reservations required. 631.8889 or email andrea.robbins@haymed.org.

• Free Lunch and Learn session with orthopedic surgeon Ryan Slechta, M.D. and Hannah Hill, PA-C, noon to 1 p.m., Friday, Feb. 1, in the MedWest-Harris board room, second floor on the MedWest-Harris campus in Sylva. Topic is hip replacement. Reservations required.

631.8893.

RECREATION & FITNESS • Yoga for Over-Achievers with Chad Hallyburton, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 26, Jackson County

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals ■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Parkinson/MS Movers and Shakers Club, 2 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 23, Senior Resource Center of Haywood County, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. For those with Parkinson or MS and their spouse or caregiver. Guest speakers, free books from the Parkinson Organization.

Every fourth Wednesday. 452.2370.

• Join Harmony Singer Seniors, 2:15 to 4:15 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 28, Senior Resource Center, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. Every second and fourth Mondays.

Bring your voice.

• Deadline for Senior Art Contest is Tuesday, Jan. 29.

Contest open to all seniors age 55 and older as of Feb. 28. Entries accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Senior Center, 81 Elmwood Way, Waynesville. Bruce Johnson, 926.7478, brucemjohnson@bellsouth.net or Suzanne Hendrix, 356.2816, shendrix@mountainprojects.org.

KIDS & FAMILIES • Lego® Extravaganza, Lego® building contest for children ages 5-15, doors open at 8:30 a.m., building begins at 9 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 2, Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office, 589 Raccoon Road, across from the Test Farm. Hosted by the Haywood County Public Library. Deadline to register is Wednesday, Jan. 23. For directions, 456.3575. Rules and registration forms at the library’s website: www.haywoodlibrary.org.

Contest questions, call Carole Dennis, 356.2511 or cdennis@haywoodnc.net.Registration.

• Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District’s contest, Water . . . the Cycle of Life. The contests and eligible grades are: Poster – 3rd, 4th and 5th graders; essay – 6th graders; PowerPoint – 6th graders; public speaking – 7th and 8th graders; and computer-generated poster – 9th graders. Contest deadline is Friday, Jan. 25. Submit entries to the District office at 589 Raccoon Road, Waynesville. Contact Gail Heathman at 452.2741, extension 3 or email gheathman@haywoodnc.net. www.haywoodnc.net/.

Literary (children) • Family Night—Let it Snow, 6 p.m. Thursday Jan. 24, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

HEALTH MATTERS

23

• Children’s Story time—Mittens, 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Paws to Read, 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Word—Teen writing program, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time—Ice Skating, 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time with Miss Sally—Opposite Day!, 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s movie, noon, Saturday, Jan. 26, Jackson County Public Library. Call library for details. 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time—Rotary Readers, 11 a.m.

Monday, Jan. 28, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time—Wake up Groundhog!, 11 a.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 29, Jackson County Public Library, 586.2016.

• Children’s Story time—Shadows, 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 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.

• 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4 – pot scrubbers, Kountry Krafters ECA, Tuckasegee Wesleyan Church, Tuckasegee.

• 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb.7 – (Quilts of Valor) pillowcase and needle felting, Potpourri ECA, conference room of Community Service Center, Sylva.

• Noon, Thursday, Feb. 14 – soup, cooking and canning, Lunch and Learn ECA, conference room Community Service Center, Sylva.

• 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18 – VA Projects, Sew Easy Girls ECA, conference room of Community Service Center, Sylva.

• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19 – paper heart basket and angel, Cane Creek ECA

A&E ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • SoLe Sanctuary, featuring tap dancer, choreographer and actor Savion Glover, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, Bardo Arts Center, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee. $10 for students, $15 for all others. Tickets available at the box office. 227.2479 or visit bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• Essence Lounge at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort presents Crocodile Smile, DJ Dizzy, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Friday, Jan. 25; Corbitt Brothers and DJ Paul Gallo, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26.

• Rising country music star Eden’s Edge, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 25, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. Tickets start at $12.

GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

• HART Theater presents three hold over performances of 21A, a comedy with some adult language, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 25-26, and at 3 p.m. Jan. 27, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville. By Kevin King, directed by Tim Stoeckel and Peter Savage. Stoeckel plays eight characters on the Minneapolis 21A bus. Structured as a series of monologues in which events occur simultaneously. $10 adults, $6 students. To reserve tickets, call 456.6322 and leave a message on the theatre’s answering machine. Tickets available on line at www.harttheatre.com.

wnc calendar

• Beethoven Project, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, recital hall of the Coulter Building, Western Carolina University. Remaining dates are Feb. 25 and March 18. Asheville radio station WCQS-FM will broadcast a recording of the concerts at later dates. The WCU College of Music, WCQS and the Asheville Symphony Orchestra are event sponsors. www.wcu.edu, martinb@wcu.edu or 227.3726.

• Music and comedy group the Water Coolers, 3 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 27, Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. The event is part of WCU’s 2012-13 Galaxy of Stars Series. $20 for adults, $15 for WCU faculty and staff, and $5 for students and children. Bardo Arts Center box office, 227.2479 or go online to bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

• Pianist Gordon Mote, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin.

Tickets start at $12. GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

• Third annual Winter Concert Series, Balsam Range & Missy Raines and The New Hip, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, Colonial Theatre, Canton. Tickets available at the Colonial Theatre Box Office, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday – Friday, 53 Park St. Canton NC, 28716.

Complete schedule at www.visitncsmokies.com/events • Frog Level Philharmonic Dixieland Jazz Band of Waynesville, 3 to 4:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, auditorium, Swain County Center for the Arts. Concert followed by reception for Waynesville artist Dominick DePaolo. 488.7843 or www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.

ART/GALLERY EVENTS & OPENINGS

Smoky Mountain News

January 23-29, 2013

• Ladies Night, 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, Claymates, 460 Hazelwood Ave, Waynesville. Ladies 14 and over get 20 percent off all pottery. Free hors d’oeuvre, bring your own beverage. Reservation only. $10 minimum purchase. 246.9595. www.claymatespottery.com/.

• Printmaking with Linoleum Blocks and Rubber Blocks workshop, by Jeff Marley, multimedia artist from Cherokee. 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5 at Swain County Center for the Arts. $25, registration and supply feed required in advance. To register, call Jenny Johnson, 488.7843. www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.

• Fire & Ice: Pottery, Glass, and Metalwork exhibit through Saturday, Feb. 9, Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville. Fire & Ice: Pottery, Glass, and Metalwork celebrates the heating and cooling process involved in the making of pottery, glass, and metal work. Artist’s reception, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. www.haywoodarts.org.

• Free family film, an animated Disney film about Rapunzel, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City. Popcornserved at 3:20 p.m. in library auditorium. 488.3030.

DANCE • Fourth Sunday Community Dance, 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 27, The Gateway Club, 37 Church St, Waynesville. Folk, ballroom and contra dancing will begin at 2 and 4:30 pm. Tom Calwell and Myra Hirschberg will call the dance to the music of Out of the Woodwork. No previous experience with contra dancing necessary. No partner required. www.dancewnc.com, ronandcathy71@frontier.com.

Outdoors OUTINGS, HIKES & FIELDTRIPS • Audubon Society birding field trip rescheduled to Monday, Jan. 28, Lake Junaluska, Waynesville. Leave at 7:30 a.m. from Wendy’s in Cashiers. Call Romney, 526.1939 if you’re coming, so you won’t be left behind. Or email her at croftess@brmemc.net.

• Nantahala Hiking Club, Saturday, Jan. 26, from Rock Gap to Winding Stair Gap. Call Bill or Sharon Van Horn, 369.1983 by Jan. 25.

PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS • Bike Maintenance Basics, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, REI Asheville. Free; don’t bring bike. Register at http://www.rei.com/event/48220/session/65158.

• Ski and Snowboard Lessons, register at the Recreation Center in Cullowhee. 1:30 to 3 p.m. Feb. 3, 10, and 24 at Cataloochee Ski Resort, Waynesville.

Ages 8 and up. Lift ticket valid from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. $170, includes lift, ski or snowboard rental and lesson; $135, includes lift and lesson; $85, season pass holder with your own equipment. 293.3053.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

• Wine & Dine, 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, Claymates, 31 Front St., Dillsboro. Chef Brian prepares pasta dishes to order while you paint your choice of a plate, mug, or bowl. $20 per person.

Includes complimentary wine and dessert. Reservation only. 631.3133. www.claymatespottery.com/

• Icycle Mountain Bike Race, Saturday, Jan. 26, 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and the nighttime downhill race at darkthirty, Fontana Village. Night racers must have a 10 watt / 150 lumens or greater night riding light(s) to participate. Participants: $30 one event, $50 for two. http://www.icyclerace.com/.

• Downtown Waynesville Association seeks heritagethemed vendors for the third annual Appalachian Lifestyle Celebration, Saturday, June 8, Main St., Waynesville. Applications accepted until April 19.

Downtown Waynesville Association, 456.3517 to request an application or visit the event calendar at www.downtownwaynesville.com.

• 4th annual Cubs on the Fun Run Sprint and 5k, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23, Meadowbrook Elementary School. Entry form at teacher.haywood.k12.nc.us/ bswanger/files/2011/10/2013-brochure-entry-form2.pdf.

• Regional fine artists are invited to show and demonstrate their art form at ColorFest, Art & Taste of Appalachia in fall 2013. Applications available at spiritofappalachia.org or 293.2239 for more information.

CLASSES, PROGRAMS & DEMONSTRATIONS 24

FILM & SCREEN • Free classic movie, 1942 Hitchcock thriller, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 26, Marianna Black Library, downtown Bryson City, at the corner of Academy and Rector streets. 488.3030.

• North Carolina Glass 2012: In Celebration of 50 Years of Studio Glass in America, exhibit through Friday, Feb. 1, Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University.

• 3rd annual Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5K, Saturday, April 6, Western Carolina University.

Register at imathlete.com.

FARM & GARDEN • Public meeting for Swain County farmers, landowners, and others to provide input on a new plan to support agriculture in Swain County. 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, Swain County Senior Center, 129 Brendle St., Bryson City. Free dinner. Funding to create the Swain County farm plan has been provided by the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. RSVP to Swain Soil and Water Conservation District, 488.8803 x 3.

PRIME REAL ESTATE

INSIDE

Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ARTS & CRAFTS

MarketPlace information:

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

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.

AUCTION 105+/- ACRES- ELKIN, NC. Auction, February 23rd. Big Elkin Creek, Young timber; fronts cul-desac; NC Wine Country. Just off Business 21/ near I-77.

800.442.7906. www.RogersAuctionGroup.com. NCAL#685 BANK OWNED, Absolute Auctions, Online Only w/Live Bid Centers, 2/13, 2/14 & 2/15 ending at 2pm, 21 Counties, Residential, Commercial & Acreage Tracts, Iron Horse Auction Co., Inc. 800.997.2248.

NCAL3936. SCAL1684. www.ironhorseauction.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.

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 | classads@smokymountainnews.com

BANKRUPTCY REAL ESTATE Auction, Case No.12-11648-C-7G, Lake Lure Waterfront Home with Dbl Boat House, Lake Lure, NC, 2/16/13 at 2pm, Held On Site, 131 Neighborly Dr., Lake Lure, NC. Iron Horse Auction Company, 800.997.2248. NCAL3936. www.ironhorseauction.com

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

R

DI

SC OV ER E

ATR

PE

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

72127

LEE COUNTY OPEN Consignment Auction- Saturday, February 16, 2013, 9am. Bishopville, SC. Auction Conducted By WorldNet Auctions. SCAL#3965F SCAL#1966. Call 843.426.4255 or worldnetauctionslive.com ABSOLUTE AUCTION Saturday, January 26 at 10am. 1 03 Locust Avenue, Locust, NC. (East of Charlotte). Complete liquidation of 4 year old Hardware Store. Forklifts, Paint Equipment, Shelving, Inventory. ClassicAuctions.com. 704.507.1449 ncaf5479.

ANNUAL HOKE ROBESON GIN Consignment Auction- Saturday, January 26, 2013, 9am. 7480 Old Maxton Rd, Red Springs, NC 28377. Call Aaron 843.858.0677 or 843.426.4255. Visit Us Online At worldnetauctionslive.com. Worldnet Auctions, 9988 Hwy 521, Greeleyville, SC 29056. NCAL#9176F. NCAL#9156.

AUCTION FROG LEVEL AUCTIONS Every Friday Night Auction at 6pm, Preview at 5pm.

Starting January 26th we will have 2 auctions per week: Friday Nights at 6pm & Saturday Afternoon at 3pm Booked Dealer Sale Antiques, Collectables, Tools, Furniture, House Wares, New & Old, This & That, Something for Everyone! See our Full Schedule with Photos, Info & Directions at: www.froglevelauctions.net For more information or To Book A Spot Call 828.775.9317 or email: david@froglevelauctions.net Terms: Cash or Credit/Debit Card Only, 13% Buyers Fee 3% Discount For Cash Auction Firm NCAFL 9537, David Roland NCAL 9133 & Kai Calabro NCAL 9127 255 Depot St., Waynvesville, NC 28786.

BUILDING MATERIALS HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS Needing siding, windows, roofs.

10 homes will be selected in your county this month for our showcase before/after remodeling program. Save hundreds. All credit accepted. $89/month 1.866.668.8681.

DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

ELECTRICAL BOOTH ELECTRIC Residential & Commercial service.

Up-front pricing, emergency service. 828.734.1179. NC License #24685-U.

CARS - DOMESTIC 2000 FORD MUSTANG GT Convertible. New custom paint, style bar, Mach I rims and lots of upgrades completed. Serious inquiries only. $10,000. Please call 828.226.7461.

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.

I BUY ANY JUNK CAR. Must Have Title! $300 Flat Rate.

FREE Pick Up. 800.576.2499.

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

AUTO PARTS DDI BUMPERS ETC. Quality on the Spot Repair & Painting. Don Hendershot 858.646.0871 cell 828.452.4569 office.

EMPLOYMENT APPLY NOW, 13 Drivers. Top 5% Pay & Benefits. Credential, Fuel & Referral Bonus Avail. Need CDL Class A Driving Exp. 877.258.8782. www.ad-drivers.com CITY BAKERY Is hiring for a cafe position. 6 mos experience required. Apply in person at our location: 18 N. Main St, Waynesville, after 2pm. No phone calls please!

COMPANY DRIVERS: $2500 Sign-On Bonus! Super Service is hiring solo and team drivers. Great hometime options.

CDL-A required. Students with CDL-A welcome. Call 888.441.9358 or apply online at: www.superservicellc.com

R

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT DRIVER Daily or Weekly Pay. $0.01 increase per mile after 6 months and 12 months. $0.03 Quarterly Bonus.

Requires 3 months recent 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.tangomotorotransit.com or call 877.533.8684.

DRIVERS Class-A Flatbed. Home Every Weekend! Up to 37c/mi. Both ways. Full Benefits. Requires 1 year OTR Flatbed Experience. 800.572.5489 x227. SunBelt Transport, Jacksonville, FL. MONEY FOR SCHOOLNavy 4 year NROTC scholarships for rising seniors. Or HS grads get money for college & great career.

Paid training with benefits.

Restrictions may apply. FT active duty or PT reserves. Go to: www.navy.com for more info.

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Dental Assisting Instructor. Deadline: Feb 4. English Instructor.

Deadline: Feb 4. Sociology Instructor. Deadline: Feb 4. Part-time Military Programs Natural Sciences Instructors: A&P, Biology I/II & General Chemistry. Deadline: Feb 4. All applications must be submitted online through our electronic employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com / by the closing date of the position. Any previous versions of applications will not be accepted.

Human Resources Office, Fayetteville Technical Community College, PO Box 35236, Fayetteville, NC 28303. Phone: 910.678.8378.

Fax: 910.678.0029.

Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer.

TRUCK DRIVERS WANTED Best Pay and Home Time! Apply Online Today over 750 Companies!

One Application, Hundreds of Offers! HammerLaneJobs.com. SAPA

FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED The Bair Foundation, a Christian Foster Care Ministry, is looking for committed families willing to open their homes to local foster children & teens. Training, certification, reimbursement & support provided. Call Now 828.350.5197 GYPSUM EXPRESS Opening terminal in Roxboro, NC. Class A CDL Flatbed Drivers. Road & Regional Positions. Melissa, 866.317.6556 x6 or apply at www.gypsumexpress.com MEDICAL CAREERS BEGIN HERE Train ONLINE for Allied Health and Medical Management. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV authorized.

Call 1.877.206.7665 or go to: www.CenturaOnline.com. SAPA 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.USATruck.jobs

Puzzles can be found on page 29.

www.smokymountainnews.com

January 23-29, 2013

These are only the answers.

26

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

NEED MEDICAL OFFICE TRAINEES! Become a Medical Office Assistant at CTI! No Experienced Needed!

Online Training gets you job ready!

HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Careertechnical.edu/nc 1.888.512.7122

START THE NEW YEAR With a Great CDL Driving Career!

Experienced Drivers & Recent Grads - Excellent Benefits, Weekly Hometime, Paid Training. 888.

362.8608. AVERITTcareers.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer.

NOW HIRING! National Companies need workers immediately to assemble products at home. Electronics, CD stands, hair barrettes & many more. Easy work, no selling, any hours. $500/week potential. Info 1.985.646.1700 DEPT NC - 4152 (Not valid in Louisiana) 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

FINANCIAL

O-OP - REGIONAL. Pay Increase. $0 Down Lease Purchase. Class A CDL / Home Weekly. New pay packages.

1.800.446.2864 or go to: www.driveforwatkins.com

$$$ ACCESS LAWSUIT CASH NOW!!

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

WANTED: Unexpired diabetic test strips. Up to $20/box. Prepaid shipping labels. Hablamos EspaĂąol!

1.281.764.9615. www.SellDiabeticStrips.com SAPA

BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA

FINANCIAL BUY GOLD & SILVER COINS 1 percent over dealer cost. For a limited time, Park Avenue Numismatics is selling Silver and Gold American Eagle Coins at 1 percent over dealer cost. 1.888.470.6389 GOLD AND SILVER Can Protect Your Hard Earned Dollars. Learn how by calling Freedom Gold Group for your free educational guide. 888.478.6991

FURNITURE REMAINING FURNITURE LUMBER Sale! Walnut, Butternut, Cherry, Ash & Curly Maple Slabs $4,000 Call for more info 828.627.2342 COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 828.926.8778.

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

LUMBER CHESTNUT LUMBER Some 6 feet sections, Some 17 ft. boards $800. Call for more info 828.627.2342

&(/(%5$7,1* <($56

)YPUN [OPZ HK PU MVY Â&#x2C6; JVSVY JVWPLZ Ăą _ UV SPTP[ L_WPYLZ 1HU Â&#x2039; ALL YOUR PRINTING NEEDS Business, Professional & Personal Â&#x2039; +PNP[HS >PKL -VYTH[ (YJOP[LJ[\YHS ,UNPULLYPUN 0THNPUN *LU[LY Â&#x2039; 5L^ *HUVU *VSVY *VWPLYZ 3V^ 7YPJLZ :LSM :LY]PJL (]HPSHISL Â&#x2039; )SHJR VU >OP[L +PNP[HS *VWPLYZ WLY TPU\[L -(:; Â&#x2039; 5L^ >PKL -VYTH[ *VSVY :JHUUPUN *VW`PUN 7YPU[PUN Â&#x2039; 5L^ *HUVU *6369 3HYNL -VYTH[ 7YPU[LY 7N 0UR Â&#x2039; 6MMZL[ 7YPU[PUN :PUNSL [V *VSVY 7YVJLZZ Â&#x2039; .YHWOPJ +LZPNU (Y[^VYR 7* HUK 4HJ &RSLHV 6HOI 6HUYH Â&#x2039; >LKKPUN :VJPHS 0U]P[H[PVUZ (YHU\GD\ ò [ % :

Â&#x2039; +PYLJ[ 4HPS =HYPHISL +H[H &RPSOHWH 'LJLWDO ,PDJLQJ &HQWHU Â&#x2039; 3HTPUH[PUN 4V\U[PUN Customer Friendly Work Area â&#x20AC;˘ Convenient Access & Parking Â&#x2039; *VPS *VTI )PUKPUN Since 1982 Â&#x2039; )HUULYZ :PNUZ 828.586.HAUS (4287) 828.456.HAUS (4287) Â&#x2039; 9\IILY :[HTWZ 1RUWK 0DLQ 6W $VKHYLOOH +Z\ 6XLWH % Â&#x2039; 3V^ *VZ[ -(?

6\OYD 1& :D\QHVYLOOH 1& ;OL7YPU[/H\Z JVT

Â&#x201E;

Pet Adoption Bently is for you. He is a two year old, male Shar Pei/ Lab mix. He weighs 60 lbs., is friendly, good with cats and kids. He is housebroken. He will be available as soon as he is neutered. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC. BUFORD - A sweet, white, playful, housebroken Feist. He weighs just 15 lbs, is two years old, and needs a fenced yard.

Call foster home at 1.877.ARF.JCNC. HOMER - A little, male Beagle.

He is 3 years old, 17 lbs., and is white and liver colored. He is housebroken, good with other dogs, but is initially shy with strangers. Call 226.4783.

HENRY - A 12 week old, male, Shar Pei mix. He is tan and black, weighs just 11.5 lbs. and is very friendly. Call 828.293.5629 for more info or to make arrangements to meet him FUDGE - A five year old, brown, male Dachshund mix. He is a very cute little guy who gets along with everyone. He weighs 16 pounds. He is neutered and up-to-date on all vaccines. He is house-broken and paper trained.

He knows how to use a doggie door 828.226.4783 BEN - A male, Chihuahua who weighs only five pounds. He was a little shy, but is making great progress in this area. He deserves a great, calm home. He has special pricing. Call 828.631.2676.

RASCAL - A cute terrier/corgi mix who is 3 years old. He weighs just 16 pounds. He is neutered, housebroken, and current on all his shots. He plays well with other dogs, but he is frightened of people. His not a lapdog, nor does he like to be on a leash. He is a good porch dog; he'll sit there all day and bark to let you know if someone is coming. He doesn't run off once he is used to being at his new home. Call 226.4783.

HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, North Carolina 828.734.7819, or 828.926.7883, Email us at: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com

ann@mainstreetrealty.net

MainStreet Realty

Baby Girl - A pretty calico who is a bit shy - she is not used to all the activity that goes on at our adoption center! She is about 8 years old and declawed on her front feet so must be an indoor kitty.

(828) 452-2227 mainstreetrealty.net

Rango - Looks like an American Staffordshire Terrier crossed with a Basset Hound -- short in stature and big on personality! He is crate trained and house broken, walks well on a leash. He has basic obedience training, a medium energy level and is well mannered in the house.

facebook.com/smnews

January 23-29, 2013

SMN

Pro/file

WE SAVE YOU MONEY

BEST PRICE EVERYDAY

INDOOR & OUTDOOR

10-5 M-SAT. 12-4 SUN.

FURNITURE

72319

ON DELLWOOD RD. (HWY. 19) AT 20 SWANGER LANE WAYNESVILLE/MAGGIE VALLEY 828.926.8778 72131

72137

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’

92

$

20’x20’

160

$

Mountain Realty

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828 Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

smokymountainnews.com

TUPELO’S

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.

CRS, GRI, E-PRO

101 South Main St. Waynesville

adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 animalcompassionnetwork.org.

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 258.4820 or animalcompassionnetwork.org. for your pet? Animal Compassion Network 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, contact us at 828.258.4820.

Ann Eavenson

72115

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.

DUDLEY - Labrador Retriever Mix dog – black & white, I was born in summer 2012, and I’m an adorable pup who is shy but very sweet. $125 adoption fee, Animal Compassion Network 258.4820 or animalcompassionnetwork.org.

JALAPENO - Jack Russell Terrier Mix dog – brown & white, I was born in spring 2012 and I’m very active and sweet. I get along fine with children and other dogs, but tend to play rough and can sometimes be a bit too much for little ones. I am crate-trained, and usually need to be crated when left alone since I tend to get into things, and I still need some work on staying calm in the car. I love stuffed toys and I’m very sweet, and with some training I will make a wonderful pet for an active family. $125

PETS LOST DOG: REWARD OFFERED 45 lb., long-haired, shy & much loved Collie Mix. Golden and white.

Call 828.456.8241

Ann knows real estate!

506-0542 CELL

VISIT ARF ON SATURDAYS 1-3 To register for February 11th low-cost spay/neuter trip. Call 1.877.ARF.JCNC for more information. Limited number!

STEEL BUILDINGS STEEL BUILDINGS End Of Year Blow-Out! Lowest Prices Around! LOW Monthly payments. 5 left, Make Offer. 16x20, 20x26, 25x32, 30x40, 40x60. Call Now! 757.301.8885

WNC MarketPlace

BENTLY - If you want a big dog,

LAWN AND GARDEN

Ron Breese Broker/Owner 2177 Russ Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786 Cell: 828.400.9029 ron@ronbreese.com

www.ronbreese.com Each office independently owned & operated.

27

WNC MarketPlace

PETS HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

• • • • • • •

Prevent Unwanted Litters And Improve The Health Of Your Pet

Michelle McElroy — beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig — beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey — beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither — esither@beverly-hanks.com Jerry Smith — beverly-hanks.com Billie Green — bgreen@beverly-hanks.com Pam Braun — pambraun@beverly-hanks.com

APT. FOR RENT UNFURNISHED

REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT 20 ACRES FREE! Own 60 acres for 40 acre price/ payment. $0 Down, $198/month.

Money Back Guarantee, NO CREDIT CHECKS. Beautiful Views, West Texas. 1.800.343.9444.

SAPA

• Steve Cox — haywoodproperties.com

Keller Williams Realty kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Rob Roland — robrolandrealty.com • Chris Forga — forgarentalproperties.com

CASH NOW! For Owner Financed mortgages.

Receive your money in one lump sum! Call James @ 828.385.0093 www.nationalnoteservice.net SAPA

Mountain Home Properties — mountaindream.com • Sammie Powell — smokiesproperty.com

January 23-29, 2013

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor shamrock13@charter.net McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

Monday-Thursday, 12 Noon - 5pm 182 Richland Street

Haywood Properties — haywood-properties.com

Main Street Realty — mainstreetrealty.net

• Bruce McGovern — shamrock13.com

Prudential Lifestyle Realty — vistasofwestfield.com Realty World Heritage Realty — realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter — realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/1701 RE/MAX — Mountain Realty remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland — brianknoland.com Connie Dennis — remax-maggievalleync.com Mark Stevens — remax-waynesvillenc.com Mieko Thomson — ncsmokies.com The Morris Team — maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team — the-real-team.com Ron Breese — ronbreese.com Dan Womack — womackdan@aol.com Bonnie Probst — bonniep@remax-waynesvillenc.com

2/BR 1/BA NEW APARTMENT Close to downtown Waynesville.

Porch overlooks small stream.

Central heat/air, W/D hook-ups. $625 + deposit & lease. No Pets.

828.506.9559 or 828.506.3365 2/BR, 1/BA APARTMENT In Beautiful Downtown Waynesville. 2nd Floor, W/D, Heat & Air, Clean & Ready to Live In, All Hookups Available. $750/mo.

Move in with First & Last. Call 828.400.1040 or 828.400.1041

LOTS FOR SALE

EVER CONSIDER A Reverse Mortgage? At least 62 years old? Stay in your home & increase cash flow! Safe & Effective! Call Now for your FREE DVD! Call Now 888.418.0117.

SAPA

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management

• • • • • • • • •

HOMES FOR SALE

Low-Cost spay and neuter services Hours:

ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com

www.smokymountainnews.com

SEEKING FORECLOSED PROPERTY (or cheap land) In Sylva, Waynesville, Jackson County or Haywood County. $10,000 or less. Have cash. Any size. Will consider a subdivided property. I am a good neighbor and rarely home. I would like to build a very small cabin on the property. Call Eric Sarratt at 828.333.4586

Haywood County Real Estate Agents Beverly Hanks & Associates — beverly-hanks.com

2.819 ACRE TRACT Building Lot in great location.

Build your second home log cabin here. Large 2-story building.

Was a Hobby Shop. $81,000. Call 828.627.2342

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 9 am - 4 pm & Thurs. 9 am - 3 pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone # 1-828-586-3346 TDD # 1-800-725-2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

VACATION RENTALS CAVENDER CREEK CABINS Dahlonega, North Georgia Mountains. *WINTER SPECIAL:BUY 2 NIGHTS, 3RD FREE!* 1,2,&3 Bedroom Cabins with HOT TUBS! Virtual Tour: www.CavenderCreek.com Call NOW Toll Free 1.866.373.6307 SAPA

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

MEDICAL ATTENTION DIABETICS With Medicare. Get a FREE Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking!

Call 877.517.4633. SAPA ATTENTION SLEEP APNEA Sufferers with Medicare. Get FREE CPAP Replacement Supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery!

Best of all, prevent red skin sores and bacterial infection! Call 888.470.8261. SAPA BEST PRICES, Huge discounts, Viagra™ 40 pills $99.00. Get Viagra™ for less than $3 per pill. Call NOW 1.888.721.2553. SAPA CANADA DRUG CENTER Is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call Today 877.644.3199 for $25.00 off your first prescription and free shipping.

SAPA DO YOU KNOW YOUR Testosterone Levels? Call 888.414.0692 and ask about our test kits and get a FREE Trial of Progene All-Natural Testosterone Supplement.

SAPA

MEDICAL FEELING OLDER? Men lose the abilityto produce testosterone as they age. Call 888.414.0692 for a FREE trial of Progene- All Natural Testosterone Supplement. SAPA MEDICAL ALERT FOR SENIORS 24/7 monitoring. FREE Equipment.

FREE Shipping. Nationwide Service. $29.95/Month CALL Medical Guardian Today 866.413.0771 VIAGRA 100MG AND CIALIS 20MG! 40 pills + 4 FREE for only $99. #1 Male Enhancement, Discreet Shipping. Save $500! Buy The Blue Pill! Now 800.491.8751 SAPA

WANTED TO BUY CASH FOR Unexpired Diabetic Test Strips!

Free Shipping, Friendly Service, BEST prices and 24 hour payment!

Call Mandy at 1.855.578.7477 or www.TestStripSearch.com SAPA

NOTICES BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

PERSONAL A UNIQUE ADOPTIONS, Let Us Help! Personalized adoption plans. Financial assistance, housing, relocation and more.

Giving the gift of life? You deserve the best. Call us first!

888.637.8200. 24 hr HOTLINE. SAPA ADOPTION? PREGNANT? We can help you! Housing, Relocation, Financial & Medical Assistance available. You Choose Adoptive family. Forever Blessed Adoptions. Call 24/7. 1.800.568.4594 (Void in IL, IN) SAPA ARE YOU PREGNANT? A childless married couple (in our 30’s) seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on mom/devoted dad.

Financial security. Expenses paid. Nicole & Frank.

1.888.969.6134 MEET SINGLES RIGHT NOW! No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now 1.888.909.9978. SAPA

72128

Talk to your neighbors, then talk to me.

Mike Stamey mstamey@beverly-hanks.com

®

See why State Farm insures more drivers than GEICO and Progressive combined. Great ser vice, plus discounts of up to 40 percent.* Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

CALL CALL FOR FOR QUOTE QUOTE 24/7.

24/7.

828-508-9607

®

The Seller’s Agency — listwithphil.com • Phil Ferguson — philferguson@bellsouth.net 71298

CALL NOW TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE 28

LAND WANTED TO BUY

828.452.4251 OR ads@smokymountainnews.com

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

1001174.1

*Discounts var y by states.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company State Farm Indemnit y Company, Blooming ton, IL

74 NORTH MAIN ST. • WAYNESVILLE, NC

www.beverly-hanks.com

PERSONAL

ENTERTAINMENT

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 ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE From home. Medical, Business, Criminal Justice, Hospitality. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Financial aid if qualified. SCHEV certified.

Call 888.899.6918 or go to: www.CenturaOnline.com EARN YOUR H.S. DIPLOMA At home in a few short weeks. Work at your own pace. First Coast Academy. Nationally accredited.

Call for free brochure.

1.800.658.1180, extension 82. www.fcahighschool.org SAPA HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA FROM Home 6-8 weeks. ACCREDITED. Get a Diploma. Get a Job! No Computer Needed. Free Brochure call 1.800.264.8330 Benjamin Franklin High School www.diplomafromhome.com. SAPA MEDICAL OFFICE TRAINEES Needed! Become a Medical Office Assistant at CTI! No Experienced Needed! Online Training gets you job ready! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. Go to: Careertechnical.edu/nc 1.888.512.7122

SERVICES * REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL! * Get a 4-Room All Digital Satellite system installed for FREE and programming starting at $19.99/mo.

FREE HD/DVR upgrade for new callers, SO CALL NOW. 1.800.935.9195. SAPA 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.

1.888.431.2934.

DISH NETWORK. Starting at $19.99/month PLUS 30 Premium Movie Channels FREE for 3 Months! SAVE! & Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL 888.709.1546 SAPA HIGHSPEED INTERNET Everywhere By Satellite! Speeds up to 12mbps! (200x faster than dial-up). Starting at $49.95/mo.

CALL NOW & GO FAST! 1.888.714.6155 LOCAL PHONE SERVICE With long distance starting @ $19.99/mo. Taxes not included. No contract or credit check. Service states may vary. Call today: 1.888.216.1037 SAPA 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

WEEKLY SUDOKU

Super

CROSSWORD

67 Alternative to Armani 70 Palm smartphone 71 Accrued qty.

72 Jazz “Count” ACROSS 73 Grafton’s “- for 1 Soda brand since 1905 7 Tree yielding gum arabic Innocent” 74 Fee-free mutual funds 13 Sun visors and para76 Insect living in deadsols wood 20 Light particle 79 Big name in direct 21 Gondolas’ “roads” selling 22 Amount that fits in a 80 Works, as dough fist 81 Knee’s place 23 Hasbro is its parent 82 Genetic cell stuff 25 African country 83 Like icecaps 26 Meal maker 27 1983 Barbra Streisand 87 Goulash, e.g.

88 Partner of wherefores musical 90 University in Detroit 28 Baseballer Combs 92 Cosmetician Lauder 30 Toronto and Ottawa’s 95 Forget to include loc.

97 Rough shed 31 Opposite of near 98 Teen doing volunteer 32 “Indubitably!” work in a hospital 33 What insults may 102 That guy result in 104 “- Boot” 36 Stored, as a résumé 39 “For - jolly good fellow” 105 Amin of infamy 106 Mexicali Mr. 40 Spring flower 107 Sour fruit 41 Courteney Cox sitcom 109 - -am (Seuss charac44 - Mawr College ter) 46 Egyptian snakes 111 Minuet-like dance 50 Bit of land in the sea 113 Barriers with pickets, 51 Suffix with direct 52 “Alice in Wonderland” often 117 Undying star Wasikowska 118 Harmonious 53 “Enough!”

119 Confessional user 55 “The Birds” star 120 Gives a new label to Hedren 121 Take-home salary 57 Hammy brunch dish 122 Big name in 60 Feminist Gloria swimwear 63 “- pro nobis” 64 Les - -Unis (America, DOWN in Paris) 1 Tach abbr.

65 Quantity: Abbr.

2 Mexican-Americans 66 Holy Week’s period SUPER CROSSWORD JOHN WHO?

3 Not drab 4 Preminger of film 5 Appearance 6 Actress Blyth 7 Lot units 8 “Misery” star 9 “What happened next ...?”

10 Hard, thickened skin area 11 Suffix with duct 12 Until now 13 Be a part of, as an experience 14 Passover chant of praise 15 Lansbury of “Gaslight” 16 Post-WWII pres.

17 Zac of “High School Musical” 18 Regretting greatly 19 Shutter pieces 24 “Sayonara!”

29 “Waiter, there’s - in my soup!”

31 Points of convergence 32 “- out!” (ballpark cry) 34 Yitzhak of Israel 35 “Veni,” in English 37 “No need to clarify” 38 Livy’s tongue 39 Tnpk., e.g.

42 Fore-and-aft rig part 43 “Either she goes - go” 45 Untwists 47 Midsize 70-Down model 48 Aspiring doc 49 Scuffles 52 Denotation 53 “Ask later” 54 Mantra sounds 56 Nut trees 57 Soft & - deodorant

58 Summer, in Bordeaux 59 Dustin Hoffman film 60 Oily patches 61 Renter 62 Main order 63 Too 68 Prevarication 69 “Assembly required” buy 70 Prius maker 72 B&B part 75 Slight error 77 Manhandled 78 Famed fabulist 79 - which way 82 Wharf pest 84 Weight-triggered danger 85 Reached 86 Classic cars 88 Moisture 89 Male lead 90 Connected electrically 91 Tree with samaras 93 Part of DOS 94 Feared African insect 96 Hall-of-Fame Giant 98 Stogie 99 Wise truism 100 David who played Bond 101 Writer Shaw 102 Natural sweetener 103 George Gershwin’s “Concerto -” 108 Actress Suvari 109 Prune a little 110 Oxy 5 target 112 Rock- - jukebox 114 A certain 115 19th letter 116 Miracle- - (plant food)

answers on page 26

Answers on Page 26

smokymountainnews.com

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

January 23-29, 2013

READERS & MUSIC LOVERS. 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) ONLY $99.00 (plus sh.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories. BONUS: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back . Guarantee. Call Today!

1.888.659.4896

SCHOOLS/ INSTRUCTION

WNC MarketPlace

PREGNANT? Considering Adoption? Call Us First! Living Expenses, Housing, Medical and continued support afterwards. Choose Adoptive Family of Your Choice. Call 24/7. ADOPT CONNECT 1.866.743.9212.

SAPA STAY AT HOME Wife and loving, dedicated, hard working father want to Adopt and become Mommy and Daddy! Fully Confidential and Allowable Expenses paid. Rachel & James.

1.888.467.1645 SAPA YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

29

an

e

r de il

t

Smoky Mountain News

January 23-29, 2013

Building Custom Homes omes for Over 40 Years! e

30

Mountain Area Model Center 3 35 NP & L Loop, Franklin, NC Across from Franklin Ford on 4 41

Northern siskins ‘irrupting’ right now at my feeder “The opportunistic nature of the species and its partial indifference to constraints of time and space make it an intriguing subject.”

— E.W. Dawson, North American Birds Online

V

George Ellison

olcanoes “erupt,” birds “irrupt.” We haven’t experienced any eruptions of that sort lately, but we do have periodic irruptions of bird populations.

This year at our feeders and probably yours, too, the species is the northern pine siskin. If Columnist you don’t know the siskin, you ought to.

It’s a small goldfinch-like bird that comes and goes in the blink of an eye.

Some winters there will be an influx of northern bird species into the southeastern United States. Here in the Smokies region of Western North Carolina, the likely candidates are various hawks and owls as well as evening grosbeaks, purple finches, red and white-winged crossbills, and pine siskins.

Ornithologists call these irregular movements “irruptions.” John C. Kricher describes the phenomenon in A Field Guide to Eastern Forests of North America (1988): “These dramatic mass movements ... are unusual both

BACK THEN because they involve large numbers of birds and because, unlike migration, they are not generally predictable ... There is no local indication that an irruption will occur ... The appearance of irruptive species is called a ‘flight year’ ... thought to be caused by periodic unpredictable food shortages in the breeding ranges of these species. Seed-eating species may irrupt in years following the cessation of masting. Many young are produced when seeds abound during masting, producing an over-population. When the seed crops drop precipitously, seed-dependent species ... are forced southward. Not all individuals of the irruptive species leave the nesting areas, however. Irruptive flocks tend to be comprised predominantly of young birds. Of adults, females seem to outnumber males, although data are not well established on this point.”

Bird species like hawks and owls would be driven southward when there is a shortage of voles and other rodents or small mammals upon which they are dependent for food.

The evening grosbeak is perhaps the most spectacular of the irruptive species, but I haven’t seen one in years. The whitewinged crossbill is perhaps the most rare of the irruptives species in our area. I last saw white-winged crossbills along the road to

our house near Bryson City back in 1979.

They were attracted to the salt on the pavement that the DOT had spread to prevent icing. As a matter of fact, that was also the first time and the last time I have ever seen white-winged crossbills — and since I was in a moving vehicle at the time makes the sighting questionable at best. But it’s staying on my lifelist.

I know, for sure, the siskins are here this winter in great numbers. Your best shot at seeing one (or maybe a hundred) is mixed in with a flock of American goldfinches.

In winter plumages, the goldfinches have unstreaked brownish backs and unstreaked drab-grayish undersides. The male displays some yellow about its face and throat. Both male and female will have very apparent paired white wing-bars and some white on the rump. Their tails are not deeply notched. The call is a high thin wiry “toweeoweeee.”

In winter plumages, siskins are brownish and heavily streaked overall. The yellowish wing-bars are not particularly apparent.

Some field guides (like “Sibley’s”) show the female in winter plumage with an upper stripe that’s white. Other field guides don’t show any white; or if they do, there’s no suggestion that it’s a reliable indicator of sex. I haven’t made up my mind about that as yet. The tails of both sexes are deeply notched. The call is a loud “clee-ip.” If you

live an urban-suburban area, the only other bird you might mistake for a siskin is the house finch.

Only in recent years have siskins extended their breeding range into the southern mountains. Until, say, the late 1980s, they were seen here occasionally during the summer months and there was no doubt sporadic breeding. The first nest wasn’t discovered until not many years ago.

Pine siskins are erratic. They nest here and there … they appear in droves or not at all … startled while feeding, they dart away like a mouse with wings before settling into an undulating fight pattern similar to that of the goldfinch.

“Presumably this pattern is related in some way to annual variation in the distribution and abundance of seeds that make up the bulk of its diet,” Dawson noted.

“Reproductive schedule and attachment to a particular breeding area appear to be less rigidly fixed in the pine siskin than in many other songbirds. In some cases, members of an irruptive population may linger on a favorable wintering ground long enough to breed.”

Most people have never seen a siskin — or they saw one and thought it was a goldfinch or a really fast house sparrow. Now’s your chance ... check out your feeders and see if they’re there. If so, let me hear about it.

(George Ellison can be reached at info@georgeellison.com)

Spring is … r e n r o c e h t Authorized nd u o r a Roadsmith Dealer!

Authorized

January 23-29, 2013

Is your your bike Is bike ready to to ride ride on ready on these these warm days? days? warm

Dealer!

2 trikes in stock or custom build your own!

New shipment of Miss Me Jeans & Vocal tops!

DYNO TUNING with appointment!

Exit 100 off US 74 - 82 Locust Drive | Waynesville, NC 828.452.7276 | SMSH.co Tues.-Sat. 10-6 | Sat. 10-5 | Sun. & Mon Closed

Smoky Mountain News

VOCAL • MISS ME • INOX JEWELRY • HOT LEATHERS • BIKER ESSENTIALS/ MUSTANG • EASYRIDERS ROADWARE • ALPINESTARS • FULMER • DRAG SPECIALTIES BELL • HARLEY-DAVIDSON • BLING BEAUTY • GLOBAL VISION

31

Dr. Mila Bruce specialties include performing minimally invasive operations, such as total laparoscopic hysterectomies, laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomies and other minimally invasive pelvic surgery. Her training in high-risk obstetrics includes treating diabetes, hypertensive disorders, endocrine disorders, twin pregnancies and cardiac conditions. “In addition to my training, I feel as though recently becoming a new mother has allowed me to connect with my patients on a more personal level,”

Our mission is to provide high quality, personalized and compassionate obstetrical and gynecological care to women beginning in adolescence and continuing through menopause. We strive to consistently exceed the expectations of all of our patients.

Anne Karner, CNM has a new baby of her own and is especially interested in being with women as they transition through motherhood. She provides prenatal care, labor and birth support, and postpartum care, including breastfeeding support and contraception. Anne is available for annual exams and well woman care as well as for management of a wide variety of gynecologic needs.

January 23-29, 2013

Cindy Noland, CNM considers contraception counseling an important part of her work. “Family planning and contraception are a huge part of a woman’s daily life. Many of us spend the majority of our lives trying NOT to get pregnant.” Cindy enjoys helping women choose the best birth control option for their lives, whether it be pills, rings, IUDs, or the new Implanon implant.

Betsy Swift, CNM, enjoys all aspects of women’s healthcare, from the first pelvic exam through menopause.

“I like the first pelvic exam because it sets the stage for a positive attitude towards self-care… and it doesn’t have to be traumatic!” Betsy considers it a privilege to be a partner in a woman’s healthcare during the most significant times of her life- adolescence, pregnancy, birth and menopause.

Smoky Mountain News

Melanie Emery, CNM, has many years experience in obstetrics and gynecology. She has relocated to the mountains and is now focusing her practice on gynecological and well-woman care. Her specialties include annual exams, gynecological problem visits, menopause counseling, weight management, and management of chronic gynecological conditions. Melanie is often available for same day appointments for urgent needs.

32

Janine L. Keever, MD, FACOG Anton vanDuuren, MD • • • • • •

Yearly Exams and Paps Contraception/ Birth Control Hormone Replacement Therapy Specialized Gynecologic Surgery Minimally Invasive Surgery Prenatal Care for both Low and High Risk Pregnancies • Physician and Midwife Services • In Office Ablations and Essure Procedures

For informative articles, online appointments, online bill pay and more visit our website at

www.mysmoga.com

Same day appointments available for urgent concerns. To make an appointment, call 828.631.1960 Sylva or 828.369.5754 Franklin

64 Eastgate Drive Sylva, NC 28779

33 Edgewood Avenue Franklin, NC 28734