Western Carolina University, in collaboration with the University of Central Florida and Florida Atlantic University, received $1.8 million from the National Science Foundation to support first-generation college students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math programs, better known as STEM. 

The grant will provide scholarships to students majoring in STEM disciplines and create an innovative living-learning community that will provide additional supports and opportunities for students to succeed and graduate in fields that drive innovation and economic growth.

First-year students will live in the same residence hall, take core disciplinary classes together, work with mentors and engage in a 12-week research apprenticeship with faculty. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cheryl Fulghum, Haywood Community College’s distance learning coordinator, was recently named Innovator of the Year, Western Region by the NC Community College Association of Distance Learning.    

NC3ADL is an educational, nonprofit organization that supports and promotes distance learning (also known as e-learning, digital education, or digital learning). 

In addition to serving as learning management system administrator and distance education coordinator, Fulghum is tasked with providing professional development for faculty who teach online. 

Describing one aspect of her job as ‘cheerleader for faculty,’ the award was given for expanding her cheerleading focus for online instruction to include on-ground teaching topics. Fulghum and her Distance Learning team developed, coordinated, and staffed a wide-ranging schedule of professional development best practice workshops for faculty and staff covering many 21st century learning and teaching practices. 

I am not a big fan of the “don’t eat that” messages on Thanksgiving or the ones that try and shock you with “Did you know that ______has ____fat/calories/ingredients/additives?"

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation was recently awarded the Tourism Excellence Award from by the N.C. Travel Industry Association. 

“We’re so happy our mission to preserve and protect the Parkway results in visitors building a deep connection to this wondrous mountain landscape,” said a statement from the Foundation. 

A nonprofit that works to secure funding and carry out projects to improve visitor experience on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Foundation has given more than $9 million to Parkway projects and programs since its inception in 1997. 

www.brpfoundation.org/

The Blue Ridge Parkway is supporting fresh air over shopping malls to launch the Christmas season, offering two excuses to get outside and have fun rather than shop:

The Glance Cove Farm in the Crabtree area of Haywood County will keep its agricultural character for a long, long time following placement of a conservation easement using a $317,000 grant from the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.

A pair of tunnel closures on the Blue Ridge Parkway will impact travel and trail access beginning Dec. 1 and lasting through spring.

• Repairs to Buck Springs Tunnel at Milepost 407.3 will require a closure from Milepost 405.5 at N.C. 151 to Milepost 408.8 near Mt. Pisgah.
• Repairs to Tanbark Tunnel at Milepost 374.4 will require a closure from Milepost 364.1 at Craggy Dome Parking Overlook to Milepost 375.6 at Ox Creek Road.

“We recognize the popularity of these areas for local communities and the traveling public and we regret any inconveniences,” said Parkway Superintendent Mark Woods. “However, just as it’s important to take care of regular maintenance on your home, the historic tunnels on the Parkway require maintenance from time to time.”

The projects will involve repairs to deteriorating concrete tunnel liners, drainage systems, stone tunnel portals and the road surface. 

Real-time closure information for the Parkway is available at maps.nps.gov/blri/road-closures/. 

Santa Claus will start training for the big day with rappels down Chimney Rock 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at Chimney Rock State Park.

A benefit for Cullowhee Mountain ARTS, the “Gala Imagine” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, in the Grand Ballroom at Western Carolina University.

Award-winning bluegrass band Dailey & Vincent will kick off the holiday show season with their Christmas Show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

To the Editor:

“I am a conservative Republican, a firm believer in free market capitalism. A free market system allows all parties to compete, which ensures the best and most competitive product emerges, and ensures a fair, democratic process,” said Sarah Palin. It’s too bad most elected Republicans disagree with Ms. Palin.

Take the pharmaceutical industry, for example. By law, Medicare cannot negotiate the price for prescription drugs. Whatever a drug company wants to charge that is the price we pay. This is the opposite of a free market. The cost of this policy is billions of dollars of extra costs to the U.S. taxpayers.  

Defenders of the pharmaceutical industry say they need the extra billions in profits to do research new drugs. The truth is that the drug industry spends 19 times more on marketing than on research and development. 

How much does your “bundle” cost? The telecom industry and its four corporate giants — AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and Time Warner — have a virtual lock on the Internet backbone, the “pipes” that carry data. They control the price of access. In many cities there is no competition, you pay what they charge. We in the U.S. pay on average three times what other developed countries pay. A $150 bundle in North Carolina might cost $15 in South Korea, or $45 in England. 

Twenty-nine Republican House members have cosponsored “The Internet Freedom Act.” This law would preserve the monopoly and prevent regulation to force competition. Together, the 29 Republican cosponsors have received over $800,000 in campaign contributions from these four companies. I am sure they have no trouble paying their cable bill.

Power from the sun is free, except in North Carolina. The budget bill signed by Gov. Pat McCrory killed the alternative energy subsidies. Republicans say the solar industry is now mature enough to directly compete with coal and gas. Then the former Duke energy executive McCory signed HB 245, which forbids competition by third party solar companies. This bill effectively gave Duke Energy a monopoly on power generation in the state.

And now, Duke Energy has sued a small firm which installed a solar system on a small black church because it violated Duke’s new monopoly status. Let me get this straight; Republicans kill all solar subsides to create real completion in the solar industry , then make it illegal for companies to compete. Perfect!

Is this the kind of “free market capitalism” that the Republicans believe in? I wonder if Sarah Palin would agree. 

Louis Vitale

Franklin

To the Editor:

Here we go again. Another article (Nov. 18 Smoky Mountain News or at www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/16735) regarding the annexation of Lake Junaluska that only shows one side of the issue, those who have been trying to get this through the legislature. I would like to shed some light on what I consider half-truths or perhaps mistaken innuendos that are stated in this article.

“Lake Junaluska homeowners still support it, too.” Partially true. Many homeowners support it, but there are also some who do not. Unfortunately there are also a lot of non-resident owners who don’t understand what is going on. This is a very important issue which those looking to annex do not want to discuss (more on this later). I personally spoke with some of these people over the summer.

“Clearly the expectation was we would be supported in finding a democratically determined outcome.” I find this statement particularly disturbing for two very important reasons. Our local state representative, Joe Sam Queen, supports the annexation. If the “pros” can be represented in Raleigh, isn’t it in the democratic process for those against it to have someone to represent us in Raleigh?  

Rep. Michele Presnell was lambasted in the article for her efforts to defeat this bill. “Her subversive role working against the merger was strongly suspected but difficult to prove ....” Sounds like she was really doing something horrible. No, it sounds like she is working for those of us who are against the bill. 

All of that brings me to the most important part of the democratic  process. Should this bill pass, it would then be voted on by the residents of Lake Junaluska and Waynesville who are legally registered in Haywood County. You know that word “disenfranchised” that we hear so much about when it comes to voting? Well, at least half of Lake Junaluska property owners would not be allowed to vote. Talk about disenfranchised voters on something as important as the issue of annexation!

Many of our former full-time residents are now in retirement homes or reside elsewhere but still retain their homes here and come to stay for a while. Some are still working, so they can only come up here for vacations. Some are retired but live in the eastern part of our state but like to come to cool off in the mountains in the summer. To not give these people the right to determine if they want to pay Waynesville taxes for the rest of their lives is anything but democratic. 

“... the community is at a loss to understand why a bill giving the community the right to self-determination was blocked.” As just, only half of the community would determine the destiny for all in the community.

We would not “be in limbo” if this annexation which has been going on for three years would be dropped and lets start planning for our future without Waynesville. Yes, our fees will go up, but I would rather pay money to our residential services and know my money was going for our water, sewer, roads, etc. We have nothing in writing that says what Waynesville will do once we start giving them our tax money, only promises, which could change in years to come.

By the way, we have a terrific residential services manager who in the year he has been here has cut our water losses greatly to acceptable standards, and done some major sewer improvements and more are in the works. Why do we need Waynesville?

Gretchen Branning

Lake Junaluska

To the Editor:

Currently, Jackson County’s Green Energy Park is not self-sustaining. Neither are parks and public schools. Perhaps if all children were homeschooled, the county could save millions of dollars. But they add intrinsic value to the community just like GEP.

GEP needs money from the county because the original plans were never realized. There were only two spaces available for artists for the majority of GEP’s existence: the metal shop and the glass torch studio. On a very limited budget Timm Muth was able to split off part of the metal shop to create a stained glass studio.

Had the original plans been adequately funded perhaps we would be welcoming more artists, tourists, and community members. Luckily the support of the current county board can help finish what was started years ago. 

Expanding GEP is feasible. It’s also an efficient way to recycle the methane gases from the landfill. We are ready to establish a board full of professionals — engineers, attorneys, accountants, and others — for the non-profit GEP so that we can apply for federal grants to make the GEP self-sustaining. 

We plan to investigate grants to place solar energy panels on the landfill and sell the extra energy to Duke Energy. Further, it’s better to convert the methane into usable energy instead of burning it off and adding to our greenhouse problems.

The potential of GEP will only be realized when given the resources to shine. With the support of the current county board, now is the time to finish what was promised over a decade ago.

Robert Estep

Whittier

(Editor’s note: Estep has been both a teacher and a student at the Green Energy Park in Dillsboro)

Shoppers are innundated with so much information on packaging these days that it can be confusing. It's important to remember that brands and suppliers will often put labels on packaging to attract your attention in an effort to sell their products. Let's try and makes some sense of what labels mean and which are just about the marketing.

A week of fall fun will celebrate Thanksgiving at Fontana Village, with a schedule of events including hiking, hunting and dancing from Wednesday, Nov. 25, to Saturday, Nov. 28. 

Here are some highlights:

• Wednesday, Nov. 25: A 7 p.m. campfire and marshmallow roast will offer a combination of comfy and cool. 

• Thursday, Nov. 26: A 2.5-mile hike around Fontana Village’s trail system will depart at 11 a.m. The evening will include clogging lessons, a hayride and a dance, with events starting at 4:30 p.m.

• Friday, Nov. 27: A pontoon boat ride around Fontana Lake will take place from 2-3 p.m. $15 adults; $7.50 ages 5-12. 

• Saturday, Nov. 28: A shooting range turkey shoot competition will start at 9:30 a.m.

www.fontanavillage.com. 

A survey to find out what can be done to make walking and biking in Franklin easier and safer is now online. 

The town is currently developing a bicycle and pedestrian plan to guide future investments in facilities, which could include everything from expanded sidewalks to bike lanes to signs. A grant from the N.C. Department of Transportation is supporting the initiative, with matching contributions from the town. 

Information and a link to the survey are available at www.bikewalkfranklin.wordpress.com. 

Fish habitat and the brook trout populations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park got a $19,000 boost thanks to a donation from the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited, based in Maryville, Tennessee. 

The money will support brook trout restoration efforts and internships with the park’s fisheries management crew. Due to destructive logging practices in the early 20th century and competition from non-native rainbow and brown trout, brookies have taken a beating over the past century. Since 1987, the park has actively worked to restore the native trout to its historical range, restoring more than 27 miles of habitat in 11 streams since that time. 

“Trout Unlimited continues to be a champion of the Smokies fisheries program,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We are grateful not only for this generous donation, but also for the countless hours of hands-on volunteer labor served in the park.” 

A total $30,000 in grants for Appalachian Trail related projects in North Carolina is up for grabs thanks to proceeds from the Appalachian Trail specialty license plate.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will accept applications through Jan. 8. 

Projects could include work on the trail and its facilities, natural heritage, environmental monitoring, education, partnerships and public service projects.

Funds must be spent in North Carolina, and individual requests can’t top $5,000. Last year, A.T. license plate sales in North Carolina generated $115,000, supporting the grant program, land acquisition and work in the ATC’s Southern Regional Office.  

www.appalachiantrail.org/plates.

If a bill recently introduced to Congress passes, a federal fund used to support parks and open spaces across the nation could be dismantled. 

The Land and Water Conservation Fund lapsed on Sept. 30 when Congress failed to reauthorize it. The program had set aside $2.46 million per day to fund projects such as trails, playgrounds and recreation centers in nearly every U.S. county. 

Some Republicans opposing reauthorization argue that the law needs overhauling. A significant portion of the funds should go to state and local projects, they say, and the money should be used mainly to maintain existing park infrastructure rather than to purchase more land, which they argue takes away from the local tax base. 

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, has introduce a bill that would extensively rework the program, angering many environmental groups. 

“Americans in virtually every county of the United States enjoy trails, playgrounds and recreation centers paid for by the Land and Water Conservation Fund and overwhelmingly support the continuation of the program as is,” said a statement from The Wilderness Society. 

A map of projects funded by the Land and and Water Conservation Fund — including many in Western North Carolina is available at www.wilderness.org/mapping-land-and-water-conservation-fund-lwcf.

Former Congressman and Brevard resident Charles H. Taylor was recently named 2015 North Carolina Tree Farmer of the Year by the N.C. Forestry Association in recognition for a long career in forestry.

Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the winter last weekend, kicking off the first run of the season at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15.

The rare green salamander had never been documented in the Highlands area before, but a September excursion to the Overflow Wilderness Study Area in the Nantahala National Forest resulted in an exciting discovery.

The 14th annual “Stecoah Arts & Crafts Drive About Tour” will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 27-28 in Bryson City, Stecoah and Robbinsville.

The performance of “Tuscola Loves Broadway, 50 Years of Celebration!” will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at the Tuscola High School auditorium in Clyde.

Presented by the Tuscola High School Choral Department, the will feature romantic Broadway hits. They will perform several group numbers including "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from Lion King and "Seasons Of Love" from Rent. There will be individual performances from many Broadway shows including Phantom of the Opera, Annie Get Your Gun, Les Miserables and Wicked.

Tickets are $10 and include a dessert and drink at intermission. They are available at the door, through any Summit member or by calling the school at 828.456.2408. 

When purchasing tickets, you can name your favorite Summit student and they will receive a portion of the ticket sale to be used for their trip to Disney in December where they will sing at Epcot's Candlelight Procession with 200 other voices from around the country.

828.456.2408.

Country singers Kaitlyn Baker and Reagan Boggs will host a viewing party for the Baker/Boggs episode of “Song of the Mountains” at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Tap Room Sports Bar & Grill in the Waynesville Country Club.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in commercial and backyard poultry flocks, wild birds, or captive wild birds in 21 States. With the last case of the spring outbreak identified in June 2015, a total of 211 commercial and 21 backyard poultry premises had been affected. 

This resulted in the depopulation of 7.5 million turkeys and 42.1 million egg-layer and pullet chickens, with devastating effects on these businesses, and a cost to Federal taxpayers of over $950 million.

Raising backyard poultry is a growing trend across the United States and Macon County in particular. It is very important for all backyard poultry owners to know the signs of Avian Influenza, as well as the basic “biosecurity” steps you can take to protect your birds. Signs/symptoms to look for in birds include:

• Lack of energy and appetite;

• Decreased egg production or soft/misshapen eggs

• Swelling of the head, eyelids, and comb;

• Purple discoloration of the wattles, combs and legs;

• Stumbling, falling down, diarrhea;

• Sudden death.

By following good biosecurity practices, you can reduce the chances of a disease being carried to your farm, your backyard, your flock, or your pet birds, by people and animals. The six basic steps for protecting your birds include:

• Isolate your birds from visitors and other birds;

• Prevent germs from spreading by cleaning shoes, tools and equipment; clean vehicles and cages;

• Avoid sharing tools and equipment with neighbors;

• Watch for early signs to prevent the spread of disease;

• Report unusual signs of disease or unexpected deaths.

919.733.7601.

Station manager Robert Lowe hopes to have Swain County’s first FM radio station up and running by next week.

A group of Whittier farmers hoping to turn the vacant Drexel factory into an agricultural resource got a nod of support from Jackson County commissioners this week.

What’s the difference between organic and non-gmo (not genetically engineered)? 

I frequently hear from people who believe that there are various health attributes associated  with products that are labeled “organic” or “non-gmo”  but this is not the case nor is it the intent of those labels.  Let’s look at some facts:

A celebration for friends of Outdoor Mission Camp, based in Maggie Valley, will be held 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the camp’s base on 3190 Fie Top Road.

More than 200,000 LED lights will illuminate the gardens of the N.C. Arboretum starting Nov. 20 for the second annual Winter Lights showcase.

The Jackson County Arts Council will be hosting an art exhibit opening for Jon Jicha from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, in the Rotunda Gallery at the Historic Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva.

Jicha is a Professor of Art in the School of Art and Design at Western Carolina University where he teaches Design and Media Art. His work has been featured in Metropolis Magazine, Print Magazine, Art Direction Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. He has curated and organized major exhibitions including Tibor Kalman: Process; April Greiman: Large Scale Posters; Rudolph DeHarak: A Thirty year Retrospective; Chew on It: New Genre Hybrid Language; We Are Happy to Serve You; Thinking Design: An Appetite for Meaningful Design; Drawing: Points of View; Cleveland Rocks: The Birthplace of Rock and Roll / Photographs of George Shuba.

Jicha's work is included in private and public collections including the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Coburg Museum, Bavaria, Germany; Littleton Collection, Spruce Pine; South Carolina Arts Commission Collection, Columbia, South Carolina.

www.jonjicha.com

Acclaimed faith speaker Lysa TerKeurst will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at the Smoky Mountain Center of the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Pop/space country singer-songwriter Hailey Whitters will perform at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.

“David Holt’s State of Music — Live” will take to the stage from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

The Sylva Board of Commissioners election came down to the flip of a coin — literally.

Macon New Beginnings, a new nonprofit in Macon County working to address homelessness, has been hard at work trying to come up with a plan to shelter people in need through the winter.

Vandalism in the Nantahala National Forest has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to offer a monetary reward for information about the incident. 

Vandals destroyed doors and damaged fixtures inside the restrooms at the Nantahala River launch site on N.C. 1310 in Macon County last week, causing damage estimated at $4,500. 

The Forest Service is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. 

The vandalism occurred between the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 2, and the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 3. 

The facilities had been closed for the winter with signs directing people to a nearby vault toilet. 

"It is sad that a few spoiled and selfish individuals think that it is acceptable to destroy the public's property, because they have to walk 50 feet and use another toilet," said Mike Wilkins, district ranger for the Nantahala Ranger District. 

Conviction for the crime of Damage to Government Property could result in a fine of up to $100,000 and as much as 10 years in prison. 

Special Agent Brian Southard, 828.200.4049.

When you’ve operated a successful restaurant in Asbury Park, New Jersey patronized by the famous, including Bruce Springsteen, and then decide to sell it, what’s your next business move?

To the Editor:

In 2008, the CEO of BBT, John Allison, gave $1 million to Western Carolina University. Some have called the bequest a gift, others, a bribe. The purpose of the money was to endow a professorship in the university’s school of economics to teach “Objectivism.” Objectivism, more a philosophy of life than a true economic theory, is contained in the writings of the novelist, Ayn Rand. “Randism” can be boiled down to the phrase, “me first.” John Allison is a disciple of Ayn Rand. He gave a similar contribution to other colleges in North Carolina. Several had the integrity to decline.

A website devoted to Objectivism states that man is an end in himself. Happiness is not found in serving others, but in fulfilling one’s own self-interest. In other words, forget “do unto others.” As Ayn Rand states, “the source of man’s right is not divine law or congressional law, but the law of {self} identity.” So much for “one nation under God.”  This philosophy is carried over, somewhat shakily, to economics, which advocates a completely free market, with no government influence whatsoever, except as a policeman to enforce free market capitalism. The removal of government oversight for corporations, banks and Wall Street was a goal of the last Bush administration. We saw what ensued in the fall of 2008 when such safeguards were removed and the economy tanked. (A website devoted to Rand and Objectivism: www.aynrand.org).

Those who find Objectivism repugnant as a form of capitalism are not necessarily socialists, although they are often labeled as such by Rand disciples, such as the “BBT Distinguished Professor of Capitalism and Professor of Economics at Western Carolina’s College of Business,”  (Whew), Professor Lopez. Many people are strongly supportive of capitalism, but opposed to “predatory capitalism” as inherent in Objectivism, and find it abhorrent that such a philosophy should be taught at a state university. The goal of Objectivism, as it relates to economics, is “survival of the fittest,” to be the “the last man standing.” The trouble is, he’s the last man.

R. Michael Jones

Sylva

To the Editor:

I would like to elaborate on the comments I made at the hearing on Oct. 19 on the proposed recycling racility in Beaverdam. Leaving aside the NIMBY (not in my backyard) concerns, this is just a bad deal for all the people of Haywood County.

The development of this property as an industrial site was a good investment decision made by the county. Unfortunately, it happened to be ready for marketing just as a severe nationwide economic downturn occurred. It’s discouraging to see this property sit idle for years as the nation climbs out of the recession, but I think this property will soon be worth much more than Haywood County has spent purchasing and developing the site.  

The benefits of this recovery should accrue to Haywood County, not to a speculator who can craft a deal to pick up the property on the cheap. As Warren Buffett has said, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” It seems as though the Haywood County commissioners are fearful that this property will never be disposed of at a good price, and Ken Allison is stepping in to take advantage of your fear.  

With a little patience and a better marketing effort, I am confident that this property will attract one or more higher quality businesses that can provide much better and higher-paying jobs for citizens of Haywood County. Perhaps we could look for businesses in the fields where Haywood Community College is already training students. I’m not aware that “garbage sorting” is one of the fields they train for at Haywood Community College.

I have other concerns about this proposal as well. At the hearing on Oct. 19, the county manager’s presentation alluded to property tax benefits of this transaction. I have had legal experts look into this, and they confirmed that state law exempts the land and equipment at a recycling facility from the property tax base. 

I find it hard to believe that Ken Allison did not know this, and he certainly witnessed the presentation at the hearing and the speaker who raised the issue near the end of the hearing. Knowing this, it is clear that Ken Allison has not been acting in good faith even if he never made representations about the property tax benefits himself. This causes me to have much less confidence in any of the other assertions he has made.

I am sure that other residents will raise many other legitimate issues about this scheme, but to me the property tax issue alone is a sufficient deal breaker. The loss of tax revenue for this exempted “recycling facility” is significant, and Ken Allison’s disingenuous actions are even more significant. As one of your constituents, I am asking you not to fall for it.

Brad Stanback

Beaverdam

By Avram Friedman • Guest Columnist

By proposing to replace its Lake Julian coal plant in Asheville with a new natural gas/fracking-fired mega power plant in Western North Carolina, Duke Energy is moving in an anachronistic direction that inhibits the transformation to energy efficiency and renewable energy needed to address rising energy costs and climate change.

A competition challenging students to take their best stab at trash sculpture aims to get Haywood County teens thinking about how to make recycling a priority. 

Organized by the Commission for a Clean County, the “Recycle Your Art Out” program is open to middle and high school students. Four schools have signed up so far — Bethel Middle, Canton Middle, Pisgah High and Tuscola High. 

In each school, the art class will build a sculpture made from recyclable materials, with the CCC providing $50 for materials to each class participating and the town of Canton covering the cost of bases for the sculptures to sit on. 

Sculptures will be completed by Dec. 1 for display at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville. The CCC will hand out awards, including a “Best in Show” prize, in February. 

The sculpture contest, spearheaded by Seth Hendler-Voss, CCC board member and Canton town manager, fills out the environmental cleanliness message the CCC has sought to bring to schools over the past three years with its “Litter Troll” interactive program for kindergarten and first graders. 828.452.1550.

A strenuous hike to one of the most unique peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will also include a story of restoration and rebuilding Tuesday, Nov. 11.

The Barkers Creek and Locust Creek River access points in Jackson County will close over for construction over the coming weeks, remaining off-limits until January 2016. 

Duke Energy, which created the put-ins as part of its relicensing agreement to harvest hydroelectric power from the Tuckasegee River, plans to extend the two ramps about 20 feet each to reach the riverbed.

Construction at Barkers Creek started Monday, Nov. 2, requiring closure of the boat ramp and a portion of the parking area, though amenities such as picnic tables and the volleyball court will remain open. Construction at Locust Creek will start Monday, Nov. 9, requiring closure of the entire access and parking area. 

Alternative river access points include the Webster River and C.J. Harris sites. 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.293.3053.

One of the most unique leaf-looking experiences in the country — the Shadow of the Bear — is now visible from U.S. 64 near Cashiers.

Final versions of management plans for seven North Carolina game lands, including Sandy Mush Game Lands in Madison and Buncombe counties, are now available online. 

The plans will provide management framework for these lands in the coming years, aiming to balance science-based conservation with public access. Input from public meetings and online comment opportunities were used to arrive at the final product. 

The seven plans are the first of many that the Commission has been developing since 2013.

www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/WheretoHunt/PublicPlaces/GameLandPlans.aspx

A handicapped-accessible fishing pier along the Tuckasegee River in downtown Bryson City was dedicated this fall. It is located beside a newly constructed gazebo at the end of Island Street, which is home to the Swain County Farmers Market.