Haywood Community College and Haywood County Schools recently signed an agreement to provide high school students with a seamless transition from secondary to post-secondary education. The agreement minimizes content duplication for high school students entering the community college system.

More than 35 courses are included, which allows students in all Haywood County schools who successfully complete these high school courses with a B or higher, a proficiency level of 93 on the VOCATS and recommendation of their instructor to complete part of their college freshman year before they graduate high school. Completing these courses saves high school students money and time. Students who complete classes must enroll at HCC within two years of graduating from high school to receive college credit.

Courses include: business, web design, marketing, masonry, construction, drafting, allied health, horticulture, networking and welding.

For more information, call 828.627.4500 or visit www.haywood.edu/high_school_programs.

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino recruiters will be at Haywood Community College’s West Waynesville Campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17. They will accept up to 13 candidates in a panel interview to staff their resort’s expansion.

Harrah’s expansion will create 400 new part-time and full-time jobs: room attendants, food court attendants, food service, cooks, security guards, cashiers, game hosts, valet parkers and others.

Three, 75-minute pre-interview workshops to be held at HCC on August 3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 15, and 16. Candidates who complete the workshops will get certificates to present to Harrah’s recruiters.

To enroll or make appointments for the August 17 interviews, call 828.246.9233.

MemoryCare, a program to assess memory and cognitive functioning, will present its Professional Caregiver Education Program curriculum in a three-part series with one part beginning Aug. 9.

Parts two and three will be given Aug. 16 and Aug. 23, respectively. The sessions will all be held at the Haywood County Administrative Building at 81 Elmwood Way in Waynesville. Each session will be four hours long.

The series is directed at professional caregivers of persons with dementia, and will be taught by Terry Mulligan, PA-C, and Margaret Noel, MD.

This course “is designed to enhance the professional caregiver’s understanding of the essential aspects of dementia care, including the common types of dementia, behavior management, treatment options, risk reduction, and end of life issues,” said Dr. Noel.

Registration is limited. Participants are eligible for up to 1.2 Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) through the Mountain Area Health Education Center. The cost is $10 per participant or $25 if CEUs are desired. Information is also available online at www.memorycare.org. The registration deadline is Aug. 5.

828.771.2219.

If you are a private forest landowner and suffered severe damage from the tornado or high winds earlier this year, you might be eligible for federal help.

The Swain/Jackson Farm Service Agency office administers the Emergency Forest Restoration Program. If you qualify for assistance, up to 75 percent of the financial assistance could be covered. Emergency measures must restore forest health and forest-related resources and might include: removing debris, site preparation, seeding establishing and restoring conservation structures and other similar installations. Contact the FSA County Office by August 15. 828.488.2684.

Time to go shopping — this weekend, Aug. 5 through Aug. 7, is the annual back-to-school tax free weekend.

Retailers searching for back-to-school items will be able to find clothing, shoes and school supplies (under $100 per item) tax free, as well as certain school instructional materials under $300 per item; computer systems and educational software for personal use that are under $3,500; computer accessories that are $250 or less per item; and sports and recreational equipment under $50 per item. Some new items have been added in the electronics field are exempt from taxes, too.

The three-day tax free weekend is typically one of the top sales periods for retailers throughout North Carolina and the other 17 states that offer this benefit to their shoppers. This year’s sales are predicted to reach $68.8 billion nationally.

“During these challenging economic times, retailers understand that consumers are extremely focused on value and are taking this weekend to offer substantial savings on merchandise that parents will need for back to school,” said Fran Preston, president of the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association.

Preston, drawing on data from the past seven years, believes that North Carolina can expect to see heavy traffic and elevated sales.

The Swain County Chamber of Commerce and The Smoky Mountain News will host a meet-and-greet at the chamber office from 1 to 4 p.m. on Aug. 5 to kickoff sales in the 2012 Visitor’s Guide.

This will be an opportunity for business owners to learn more about the benefits of chamber membership, join for the first time or renew their membership as well as reserve ad space in the 2012 publication.

MedWest Health System will open a new Urgent Care Center on Aug. 15 in Sylva.

It will be located at 176 Walmart Plaza, and will provide walk-in examinations six days a week to patients with non-emergency illnesses or injuries. The new center has space for eight patient exam rooms, x-ray and full lab services in 3,770 square feet.

An open house of the new facility will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 11. The new center’s staff will include two physicians, two physician assistants or nurse practitioners, two medical assistants, two registered nurses, and four radiology and lab technicians. The hours of operation for the center will be 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The new center is the only Urgent Care in Jackson County and is one of three in the MedWest Health System. The other two Urgent Care locations are in the Hazelwood area of Waynesville, beside the hospital in Clyde, which is scheduled to move to a new facility at exit 31 off Interstate 40 in Canton in December. 828.631.9462.

Chuck Wooten’s wings are still clipped as Jackson County’s manager, at least for now, but it looks like he’ll get big-boy hiring and firing powers soon.

Commissioners this week failed to act on Wooten’s request that he no longer bring all personnel decisions before them for approval, but pledged to revisit it soon.

Most county managers in the state have the power to hire and fire county employees. And until recently, Jackson’s manager did as well.

But when three new county commissioners swept into office, they pulled that power away from the county manger. At the time Ken Westmoreland, who left the post the next day, although there are still conflicting stories on whether he was made to leave by the new commissioners or left voluntarily.

Their rationale for overseeing hiring themselves was to ensure vacant positions really needed filling.

When Wooten came on board as a stopgap replacement for Westmoreland, he warned commissioners in January that the decision was posing a problem, mainly in clogging up the process of effective county government.

So they backed off part of that mandate, allowing department heads who are primarily state funded — such as social services and the health department, for example — to use their own discretion. They also said Wooten could make decisions when positions were contracted or grant funded.

Jackson County commissioners did, however, retain oversight for county positions paid for purely with county money.

Wooten is no longer the “interim” county manager, however, and is at the helm in a permanent capacity. The request to have full hiring and firing authority would seem to reflect Wooten’s growing comfort level in the post and with commissioners. And, the commissioners comfort level with him.

Queried after the meeting this week, the board of commissioners seemed united in wanting to grant Wooten full manager powers, but a couple said they had timing concerns — as in being kept informed on decisions being made, and when they would learn about hires.

“We’re just concerned about the time frame, that’s all,” Commissioner Mark Jones said.

— By Quintin Ellison

Two Handmade in America Craft Labs are coming to Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Graham County. Learn how to engage visitors in your studio and tips for arranging and selling from your booth during a session on August 10. How to price your work and budgeting will be covered in a session on September 14.

The craft labs are free, but contributions made to Handmade in America are accepted. Handmade in America’s mission is to grow handmade economies through craft, cultural heritage, and community assets.

828.479.3364.

The next meeting of the Blue Ridge Watermedia Society will be held from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 9 at Haywood Community College Building 1400.

The featured artist will be Pam Haddock. Haddock lives in Sylva and has been painting full time in watercolor for 21 years. She is co-chair of the Western Region of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina and is a member of the Southern Watercolor Society. She recently received the Arches/Canson award for her work in the 34th annual exhibition.

All are invited to attend the meeting. For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Popcorn Sutton Summer Jam is scheduled for noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.

In its second year, this event celebrates the life of legendary moonshiner and Maggie Valley native, Popcorn Sutton. Music, clogging, dancing, storytelling and fun, including a dunk tank, will continue throughout the day.

Featured entertainment onstage includes Tennessee Jed, Michelle Leigh, Josh Fields, Ali Randolph and Outta Luck Band, Charlie Duke and more.

Prize to be awarded for the best Popcorn Sutton look-a-like.   

Local restaurant Smackers will sell food and beverages, including beer and wine.

Admission is $1. 828.926.0999.

The Overlook Players will present Narnia at 7:30 p.m. from August 4-6, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday, August 7, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Based on the classic children’s novel, Chronicles of Narnia, written by C.S. Lewis, the two-act adaptation for the stage tells the tale of four young children who stumble through a wardrobe and into a mysterious world. The story is told here with a mix of live actors and puppets.

This production is sponsored by Compassion International, a Christian aid organization helping children in poverty. Compassion International is also sponsoring a Narnia Adventureland Party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, in the back parking lot of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Children can experience the mysterious world of Narnia through games, face-painting, adventure castles and more. Tickets are $5 per person.

Tickets for the play are $10-$13.

866.273.4615 or visit greatmountainmusic.com.

Phil Coghill, a professional kaleidoscope artist and woodturner, will be one of the newest artists to participate in the Creative Endeavors Art and Crafts Show, scheduled this year for August 12 and 13 at Lake Junaluska.  

Since 1988, Coghill has participated in juried shows and festivals throughout the southeast. He has been making and wholesaling kaleidoscopes to galleries and fine craft stores throughout the United States and internationally since 1990.

The show will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on August 12 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 13. The show is put on by the Junaluska Woman’s Club, and on display will be crafts and handmade items for sale by dozens of local artisans.  

For more information, call 828.454.9474.

Art After Dark returns to downtown Waynesville from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, August 5.

Working studios and galleries on Main Street, Depot Street and in Historic Frog Level will open their doors to the public and musician Chris Minick will provide strolling musical entertainment.

Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 will host an artists’ reception for its newest exhibit “Main Street: Moments in Time,” which celebrates 25 years of the Downtown Waynesville Association.

Twigs and Leaves Gallery will be showcasing mixed media designer Lynn Bland, which includes a hot wax painting demonstration by the artist. Gallery Two Six Two will be showing new photography work by local artists Kim Boyd & Ronald Brunsvold.

Other participating galleries will have Art After Dark flags flying out front.

Art After Dark takes place the first Friday of each month, May through December.

828.452.9284 or www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com.

The Downtown Waynesville Dog Walk will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, at the Haywood County Courthouse, and parade down the street.

Categories in a dog contest include best tail wagger, best dressed, most talented and best owner/dog lookalike.

The walk is a fundraiser hosted by Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation.

Teams who raise the most in donations win prizes. Last year, The Bracers won 1st place with The Thundering Herd in 2nd place, who used their website as a collection point for pledges and donations.

Donations to Sarge’s are critical to help offset the costs of medical supplies, boarding dogs and cats rescued from euthanasia from the county animal control facility when there are no foster homes available and operating the new adoption center.

Pre-registration will be held Thursday and Friday, August 4th and 5th from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. at Sarge’s Adoption Center located in the Waynesville Industrial Park near Lowe’s and Junaluska Animal Hospital. Registration fee is $15 per person, children under 10 are free. Sign-up for walkers who have not pre-registered will begin at 9 a.m. the day of.

828.246.9050 or visit www.sargeandfriends.org.

Balsam Range, a renowned bluegrass band across the region, will play Sylva’s Concerts on the Creek series at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 5, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

Members of the sought-after five-piece band hail from Haywood and Jackson counties. Since forming in 2007, Balsam Range has produced three albums and was nominated for emerging artist of the year by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2010.

Their sound is influenced by the traditions of the Appalachian Mountains and their hard-driving bluegrass music includes vestiges of other genres, including Americana, roots, blues, jazz and gospel.

For more information, call 800.962.1911 or visit www.mountainlovers.com.

Franklin will be hopping with all things barbecue at the Mountain High Barbecue Festival and Car Show on August 12 and 13 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center. The two-day event features barbecue teams from all over the country. Sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society, winners claim a state barbecue championship.

Saturday will feature the professional and backyard competitions, along with the “Tastin’ Tent” at 3 p.m. where a $5 ticket will buy 10 two-ounce cups of barbecue pork from 10 different teams. Tickets for the “Tastin’ Tent” are limited and on sale at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce

In addition to the barbecue and festival foods for purchase, crafts and retail vendors, there will be a car show, natural beauty pageant and a cornhole tournament. The Dallas Reese Band will entertain with classic rock.  

This pageant is for girls ages birth to 16 years old and will be held at 1 p.m. The attire is a casual country/western look, and every contestant will be recognized on stage and will receive a trophy. “Miss Mountain High BBQ Festival” will receive a sash, crown, 2 foot trophy and, of course, the title.

For more information, visit www.MountainHighBBQFestival.com.

For the last seven years, Canton has celebrated Haywood County’s biggest crop with a festival in its honor. This year, the town’s Mountain Mater Festival has grown from a small celebration of the red jewel of summer to a sizeable small-town festival that drew 10,000 attendees last year.

The 2011 festival is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, August 5 and 6 in downtown Canton.

This year, the lineup of entertainment on the downtown stages will be non-stop, featuring six mountain clogging groups, martial arts demonstrations and music. There will also be a talent competition.

The entertainment this time around will be one of the festival’s highlights, said Gene Monson, a member of Focus On Canton, the civic group that plans the event.

“Entertainment is a big portion of the festival,” said Monson. “We have a very nice stage and it stays busy from the time we open until the time close.”

And then, of course, there are the tomatoes that are the festival’s namesake.

Among the food vendors will be a section called Tomato Alley, where tomato delicacies can find their way into the hands of hungry tomato lovers.

Elsewhere at the festival, vendors will be selling local tomatoes, donated by J.W. Johnson, a tomato packing house in Crusoe.

There will be the annual Mrs. Mater Pageant, a car show and this year, a few new additions will join the Mater Fest family — a motorcycle show and a petting zoo for the younger crowd.

The event is coordinated each year by Focus On Canton, and the group underwrites the cost through merchandise and food sales, along with sponsorships from businesses and individuals in the community.

But after paying out its overhead, the group’s real goal is to put whatever money it can towards helping those in need in Canton.

Mater Fest might be a summer festival, but around the holidays, its impact is felt by those who need it most, said Monson.

“We sponsor families at Christmastime,” said Monson. “We give our entire treasury away at the holidays.”

The festival, he said, is for the people of Haywood County, as an enjoyment in the summertime and a help during the holidays for some who may not get it from other places.

“We try to make the festival as close to free as we possibly can, and to do it for the folks of Haywood County to come and enjoy it and hopefully not be a burden on their pocketbook,” Monson said.

Entertainment line-up

Friday, August 5

• 1 p.m. — The Josh Fields Band

• 3 p.m. — Lisa Price Band

• 3:30 p.m. — Southern Appalachian Cloggers

• 6 p.m. — Talent Contest and Mountain Mater Festival Talent Jubilee

• 8 p.m. — Simple Folks

• 8:30 p.m. — Blue Ridge High Steppers

Saturday, August 6

• 11 a.m. — Fred Riley Academy of Martial Arts

• 12 p.m. — Country Soul

• 1:30 p.m. — Southern Appalachian Cloggers

• 2 p.m. — Hominy Valley Boys

• 3 p.m. — Fines Creek Flat Footers

• 3:30 p.m. — Gray Wolf

• 4:30 p.m. — Smokey Mountain Stompers

• 5 p.m. — Gold

• 6 p.m. — Talent Contest continues

• 8 p.m. — Michelle Leigh

• 8:30 p.m. — Green Valley Cloggers

By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer

From playing a girl with big dreams that go nowhere in Haywood Arts Repertory Theatre’s “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” to embracing my fiance’s love for Smashing Pumpkins, this past year left an artistic imprint on my life.

Artistic influence can present itself in many different forms. That’s why I interviewed numerous people involved in the arts locally, from painters to bakers to librarians to the managing editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times.

In this compilation of interviews you will also find many others who were influenced artistically in 2008.

The question I presented was, “What have been the top three artistic influences for you this past year?”

The following are the answers I received via e-mail from Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties and Asheville.

I believe the people interviewed are best described by using a Louisiana-Cajun term, lagniappe, which means “unexpected bonus,” because these individuals enrich our communities.

Mike Gillespie
Dentist and Chair of Waynesville Public Art Commission, Waynesville

My top three artistic influences for the last year were:

Stefan Bonitz. Stefan is the creator of “Old Time Music,” Waynesville’s first-commissioned public art piece. Using metal objects uncovered at local scrap yards, Stefan pieces them together to make whimsical, cartoon-like figures. Reusing discarded items and giving them a second life is also an old mountain tradition, as the settlers here wasted very little and made crafts and utensils out of leftover materials.

“Homegrown Music: A Haywood County Tradition.” This is a CD compiled for the Haywood County Library and was accepted into the Library of Congress Local Legacies Project. It contains old-time music played by artists with Haywood County ties. There are a variety of styles, from shape-note hymns and traditional fiddle tunes to hammered dulcimer and country blues. This sampler platter of styles ensures there will be something there for everyone to enjoy.

Haywood County Arts Council. Their yearly programs bring a wide variety of cultural events to the area. Gallery 86 on Waynesville’s Main Street hosted several excellent shows for visual arts, and performing arts events are held at venues across the county. One of the best exhibits this year was “It’s a Small, Small Work” which showcased area artists and limited the size to no more than 12 inches. It highlighted the variety of talent we have in the region and allowed visitors to take home original art for a minor investment. On the musical side, patrons enjoyed performances in jazz, bluegrass, Celtic and classical styles. The wide range of events provided by the HCAC brings many opportunities for our citizens to enjoy the cultural arts.

Desmond Suarez
Second-Generation Furniture Designer/Craftsman, Canton

(1) I would say one of my biggest influences was the work that I was chosen to make for the “Handmade House at the Ramble” in Biltmore farms. It was an English arts and crafts cottage, and I designed a whole new series called “East of Appalachia” mixing in many international design elements.

(2) I have always been influenced and inspired by the beauty of the mountains and the local Appalachian hardwoods, the depth of color, and grain design.

(3) Functionality is an ever-growing influence, from the original Shaker design elements to the clean lines of modernism ... form that does follow function.

Alyson Nelson & Sandy Fogarty
Owners of the Quilters Quarters, Waynesville

I would say the book The Shack by William P. Young. It is a novel about faith and self-awakening. I continue to reread this book and each time I experience more about myself and my faith through the journey of the story. It is the kind of book that must be passed on and shared with others.

As a beginner in the art of quilt making, I have been inspired by the work of Alex Anderson. She has authored many quilt books and taken her quilt skills to television. Her down-to-earth nature and her dedication to the art of quilting give a beginning quilter the confidence to try new techniques.

Over the past few years I have read the Jennifer Chiaverini series, Elm Creek Quilts about quilting and relationships of women who quilt and always wanted to provide that kind of environment for quilters. Learning how to quilt and to have a safe place to come to enjoy friendship and fellowship with other women is an important part of being a quilt shop. Teaching others is my passion and to be able to pass that on is what keeps me inspired for my own quilting. It is a joy every day to see faces light up when they come through our doors and to know that we can also inspire others to be creative.

Barbara Bates Smith
Actress, Clyde

2008! A year I did not make my usual trek to New York for the bright lights and the big stars. But, oh my, I found great stimulation in Waynesville— being a part of Athold Fugard’s “Road to Mecca” in HART’s Feichter Studio. A standout memory in its many aspects: Superb onstage partners Kane Clawson and Terry Nienhuis; Suzanne Tinsley directing me through yet another challenging endeavor; and a play about artistic expression, as so glitteringly manifested in Dave Etheridge’s set.

And where else could you find audiences so enthusiastic about a serious play? Yea Waynesville.

The prize-winning novelist Lee Smith is on my list of inspirations as I wrap up ‘08 with a tour of her “Christmas Letters.” She has given me 19 years of rich characters to bring to life! So here’s to Lee!

And 2008 brings to the fore a local writer, Bill Everett, who has influenced me to join him in some public readings from his newly published sweeping saga, Red Clay, Blood River. Lucky me.

Ron Rash
Author, Jackson County

My favorite fiction books published this year are Annie Proulx’s Just Fine the Way It Is, Tim Winton’s Breath, and Richard Price’s Lush Life. I’ve also really gotten into Malcolm Holcombe’s music; what a fantastic talent.

Gary Carden
Writer and Storyteller, Sylva

Well, since I now have a cochlear implant, I have gone back to listening to things that I had lost. The implant can’t handle music very well, but sometimes it gives me a faint echo of what things used to sound like, including Chopin, Beethoven and Merle Haggard. I have also gone back to listening to Garrison Keillor on WCQS on Saturday night and Sunday morning and I think that has had a definite impact on the way I view things like aging, folklore and my own childhood. In addition, now that I can hear, I can teach, so I have gone back to developing my old classes like Appalachian culture, Appalachian literature, Appalachian Folklore (From Grimm to Jack Tales) and Cherokee history. I have applied to Southwestern Community College for a position teaching adult education courses (continuing education) and I hope to be back in the classroom by March. I’m also “rediscovering storytelling.” Now that I can hear, I want to tell stories more often ... maybe in the schools. I’ve got a new project that I am excited about called “Folk Drama in the Schools,” and I am going to start working with high school students who want to write one-act plays about their own culture and/or tradition. I’ll be doing the first one for Foxfire down in Rabun this month.

Linda Steigleder
Executive Director, The Bascom Art Center, Highlands

In 2008, I was inspired by the American artist Helen Frankenthaler (born 1918) who recently turned 80 years old, yet continues to be considered one of the greats in the pantheon of 20th to 21st century painters. Her very large stain paintings will the subject of The Bascom’s June through July 2009 exhibition, the first special arts program that we will offer in our new architect-designed building and 6-acre campus.

Trumpet player and jazz virtuoso Wynton Marsalis continues to inspire me along with vocalists Tony Bennett and Diana Krall, all of whom interpret and celebrate our existence through music.

Poet Billy Collins (recent book is Ballistics) and a younger poetic voice, Elizabeth Alexander (teaches at Yale), give me hope for verse, humor and the written and spoken word.

Will Rogers
Blacksmith Artisan at Jackson County Green Energy Park, Sylva

The past few months I have been totally focused on studying traditional Cherokee metalwork in preparation for teaching a metals class for the Qualla Arts and Crafts co-op. There’s been some very interesting work done in both blacksmithing and in non-ferrous work, that is copper, brass, and silver.

Like the Cherokee, my work is inspired by nature, that’s probably my strongest artistic influence. I have also been looking at a lot of Mayan imagery.

Kristina Lynn
Reference Assistance and Event Coordination at the Macon County Public Library, Franklin

Billy Bragg – The English folk/punk/protest musician spent this past fall touring throughout the United States, working at voter registrations before his concerts. Asheville was lucky enough to host him on his last night in the States at the Orange Peel the first Sunday in November, just before our Election Day. While my vote was already cast in an early ballot, I’d like to believe that Billy and his rally-like concerts sent enough of my fellow audience members out that next Tuesday to help change history. And we thought we were there just to hear that sweet Essex accent.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi —Both the graphic novels and the movie struck me. Having spent the past 15 years living here in the mountains, I have an understanding of my native friends’ frustration at the persistent misunderstandings about their culture. Satrapi wishes to dispel similar confusions about her own nation’s society in her autobiography about growing up in Iran during the Revolution. Her story and her simple, stark graphics express the ideas that, when we meet and know people who are from elsewhere, we won’t be so ready to assume that they’re evil, ignorant, and wrong. We usually find we have a lot more in common than we’d expected.

David LaMotte — The Farewell Concert in the Grey Eagle was a night I’m glad I didn’t miss. David has been playing his songs in and around Asheville for close to 20 years, but recently earned a scholarship to study international relations, peace and conflict resolution in Brisbane, Australia. Listening to just a smidgen of his songs that night from his 10 CDs reminded me that this new turn isn’t really a change in his vocation; it’s something he’s been working for throughout his career. We’ll miss him, those of us who grew up hearing him at the end of the week at Camp Grier in Old Fort, or at the coffee and tea houses in Sylva, but we wish him well in the continued work for peace and understanding.

Jeffrey & Sarah Southerland
Owners, Riverblaze Bakery, Franklin

For the past three years we’ve sold artisan breads, pastries, and desserts at our small bakery off of Highway 64, and beginning in February we will be opening a new retail bakery in downtown Franklin on Palmer Street. Growing with this bakery has given us so much opportunity for creative freedom.

1.The rural aesthetic: When it comes to the design of our new bakery space, our main influence is the country character that infuses Franklin’s landscape. We see so much beauty around us, in everything from old tractor seats to barn wood, from winding grape vines to forgotten tools. And we love cheerful and over-the-top pastoral images like roosters and colorful painted landscapes, bright folk art, and anything handmade.

2.The people, both past and present: Michael Beadle from The Smoky Mountain News said about our bakery: “There’s a lot of love in these loaves.” When it comes to the craft of artisan baking, we do believe that this statement is true, and we draw a lot of our inspiration from our love for the local community.

3. Local Food makes tasty food: Our third artistic influence is the abundance of fresh, local and organic food at our fingertips! Franklin has a vibrant local foods community and an abundant weekly Farmer’s Market, and this coming year Jeff plans to expand the bakery’s garden on his family’s land. Our recipes and daily menus are sculpted by the local harvest, and we are blessed with a great supply of tasty berries, plump tomatoes, zesty garlic, fragrant herbs, colorful veggies and fresh eggs, all produced by members of our own community.

Bobbie Contino
Executive Director, Macon County Arts Council, Franklin

I enjoyed a hard-hat tour of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, under construction here in Franklin and set to open early July 2009. A 1,500-seat, privately owned (by local businessman Phil Drake and wife Sharon) state-of-the-art facility with every imaginable amenity, it represents a giant step forward in bringing even more quality arts programs to our community and to the region.

My high point of our council’s excellent 2008 concert series came during an amazing performance this November by guitarist Brad Richter and cellist Viktor Uzur, two internationally acclaimed artists. Their selections ranged from works by Bella Bartok to Led Zeppelin (honest), along with some original compositions. Their combination of Dick Dale’s “Miserlou” — a tune most folks remember from the movie “Pulp Fiction” — and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumble Bee” had the audience on their feet cheering. It’s the moment arts presenters dream of.

A major arts influence in my life this year, and every year, is WCQS Radio. We’re so fortunate to have this fine public radio station (I’m listening as I write this).

Elena Carlson
Rickman General Store, Cowee

This year I have been influenced by the courage and perseverance of Jerome Laurence, Atlanta painter, whose career I have closely followed since he was introduced to me in the year 2002. Jerome is a recovered schizophrenic patient who has found in painting the peace that his mind really wanted to express. This year his painting “Tulips are People II” was chosen by the Carter Center to illustrate their Christmas Card, and I was really happy when I opened the envelope and could recognized the strokes of his hand and the gentleness of his soul on the card.

I have also found myself celebrating with Meryl Streep her last movie. A musical! I have admired Streep for years for her versatility and powerful identification with her roles, but in “Mamma Mia” I saw her tal cual es (just as she is now) full of vibrance and hunger for life. Fortunately, she is very contagious!

Last but not least, I have been influenced by the creativity and willingness to share of the artisans, writers and storytellers I was lucky to meet this year at the Rickman General Store in Cowee. All of them have extended their hand in sharing their talents with our community, and I am in debt with them forever.

I am convinced that the challenges of the year 2009 will awake higher levels of creativity around us.

A peaceful 2009 to all!

Elizabeth Ellison
Artist & Teacher, Bryson City

I spent a lot of 2008 renewing my spirit, walking my dog along the Tuckasegee River and contemplating the landscape which especially in winter and early morning fog brings to mind the tao of painting and The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting. So as always I have drawn inspiration from the Eastern world of art.

I also reacquainted myself with the paintings of John Marin and Charles Burchfield, who in different ways sing to me but always renew my creative energy.

Jeff Delfield
Librarian, Marianna Black Library, Bryson City

The Coen Brothers: These days I see all my movies on DVD so I got a chance to see two Coen Brothers releases in 2008. While “No Country for Old Men” might be their modern masterpiece, I thoroughly enjoyed the return to silliness of “Burn After Reading.” Though the two movies couldn’t be more different in tone and subject matter, that Coen magic is found on each frame of both.

Banjo Blues by John White. I’m a huge fan of old delta blues recordings — the scratchier the 78, the better. This year my favorite music recording came from a modern blues player who happens to convey his musical message via fretless clawhammer banjo. John White, who lives in Jasper, Ga., has the weathered voice to match his rustic music, too. I received the disc on a Friday and by the end of the weekend I had played through the whole thing at least 20 times – incredible stuff. (http://cdbaby.com/cd/johnwhite).

While I enjoyed many books published in 2008 (Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth was a standout) I have to say that the most influential book on me this year was Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, which I am embarrassed to say I had never read until this year. Though the message of simple living and self-sufficiency was not necessarily a revelation, the urgency of the message and the clarity in which it was written struck me more deeply than I expected it to. If the current economic crisis doesn’t turn in 2009, this classic could become the “how-to manual” for us all on making due with less.

Dee Dee Triplett
Artisan, Bryson City

My intention when doing creative things has always been to make people smile and put forth joyous energy rather than angst. This past year that has seemed especially necessary! I find immense inspiration in the woods around our home — the patterns in the bark; the year’s changes in leaves from tiny delicate vulnerable green and spring to saturated color and leathery curves in the fall ... last fall when the mud-slinging just wouldn’t stop, looking outdoors was a perfect antidote. Helping others learn how to enjoy their creative side is always inspirational, and it always makes new ideas pop into my head. Robert and I have spent a lot of time this past year building a retreat where we can teach classes to small groups and hopefully offer positive experiences to help others be inspired.

Robert Triplett
Artisan, Bryson City

It is important to me to spend time thinking about the piece to be made or the task to be accomplished. If the work is a commission, extra thought and understanding are required to fulfill the recipient’s vision. Early in the process I take time to plan, brainstorm and consider alternatives and potential designs. I then step away to allow time for the idea to find its voice. Walking down seldom-traveled roads helps to solidify the thought process and firm the final design. One of the most inspiring people in my life is Tom Joyce, a blacksmith in Santa Fe who often works outside the box. Tom’s conceptual thought process is exceptional and his craftsmanship is impeccable.

Phil Fernandez
Managing Editor, Asheville Citizen-Times, Asheville

Three topics related to the arts world in 2008 that will continue to be a challenge as we move into 2009 are the impact of the economy, the growing number of entertainment options and the need to educate children more on the topic of the arts.

All three of these seem to be affecting the traditional arts venues, such as playhouses, and raising concerns that fewer will attend events. Museums, theaters and art galleries contribute to the quality of life in a community, and they are rich, cultural resources we don’t want to lose.

Every year about this time, reporters dig out their old files and back editions and start cruising the headlines for the top stories of the year. Lucky for us, there never seems to be shortage of material for the “Year in Review” issue. A year has yet to slip by without a hefty share of humdingers: the funny, the astonishing, the dismaying.

This year we paid homage to the newsmakers of 2008 in our first annual awards edition. Staff put their heads together, chucked convention out the window and came up with a list of our most noteworthy local figures and incidents from the year. For those who made the cut, think of it as a thank you for giving us something to write about. For those who didn’t, there’s always 2009.

Pig in a Poke Award

When Haywood County commissioners bid for and won a 22-acre parcel of land in the Jonathan Creek community that they hoped to turn into a recreation park, there was one small problem — someone else claimed ownership to the same property. A man who had once lived on the property argued that the owner, Lucius Jones, had promised that the property would be signed over to him upon Jones’ death.

What the county first referred to as a “minor cloud” over the title to the land resulted in a months-long legal wrestling match over who actually owned the property. Meanwhile, the county had $1 million riding on the parcel. The county finally settled and secured the land, but it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Elephant in the Room Award

No, witnesses in the illegal gambling trial of former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford didn’t name names, but it wasn’t exactly hard to guess who they were referring to when they called out the “Haywood County sheriff” for taking bribes in exchange for allowing the operation of an illegal video poker ring.

No charges have been filed against Sheriff Tom Alexander, who has had little choice but to go on with business as usual despite scrutiny placed on him. The FBI has since subpoenaed records relating to Alexander’s payroll and campaign contributions, as well as the names and numbers of sheriff’s department employees.

Medford was convicted of accepting large payouts in exchange for permitting illegal gambling operations and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Show Me the Money Award

Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran sued the county in July over his salary, which is one of the lowest in the state. He’s asking commissioners to nearly double his pay to $80,000 per year, which would put his salary more in line with that earned by the former sheriff.

Bob Ogle, who Cochran succeeded, made upwards of $100,000 per year because of a county-approved practice that supplemented his income. Ogle was given a certain amount of money to feed inmates at the jail, and could pocket whatever he didn’t spend on food.

The county finally ended the sketchy practice on the eve that Cochran took the helm from Ogle. In his lawsuit, Cochran alleges that the county’s move was politically motivated — the county commissioners are Democrats, as was Ogle; while Cochran is a Republican.

Perseverance Award

Local car dealerships hurting from the blow of the national economic downturn are persevering despite the fact that their sales are down as much as 60 percent.

Local auto dealers were hoping Congress would pass the auto bailout to keep the Big Three automakers afloat and prevent bankruptcy.

The local dealership owners and managers say they’ve had to lay off employees in the wake of the crisis, and if the Big Three go bankrupt, their dealerships could close because no one is going to want to purchase a vehicle made by a bankrupt company that can’t service a warranty.

U.S. Rep Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, voted against the bailout.

Up in the Air Award

With a new school board in place and the economic downturn hitting hard, plans to build a new K-4 school in Macon County to replace the old schools of Cowee and Iotla may be on hold.

The previous school board approved the architectural plans for the new school at the 11th hour before the new board, which has four out of five new members, took office in December.

The majority of the new board appears to concur with building the new school, but county commissioners Ronnie Beale and Jim Davis announced at the first meeting of the new school board that there may not be enough money to build the new school proposed to cost $15.2 million.

The county commissioners are scheduled to discuss funding options for the school at their annual retreat Jan. 10 at Southwestern Community College.

Macon Schools Superintendent Dan Brigman said a new K-4 school is needed to replace the old Iotla and Cowee schools that are running out of space.

However, some have said they favor keeping the smaller community schools of Iotla and Cowee because they provide better learning environments.

It’s Still Not Mine Award

Former Haywood Tourism Development Authority Director Scotty Ellis claimed ignorance — twice — after she was found with marijuana in her vehicle on two separate occasions and charged with possession. Both times, Ellis speculated that family members may have left it in her 2008 BMW after riding in the car.

Apparently, that excuse made little difference to the TDA board, which voted for Ellis’ resignation after the second incident. The director of 11 years stepped down Nov. 1.

Sweetest Deal

While the state’s mental health system lay in shambles, the director of a regional mental health agency was having a bit of an easier go. Smoky Mountain Center for Mental Health Director Tom McDevitt allegedly paid himself two salaries, gave himself special perks, and changed the date of his hire to dodge taxes on his retirement benefits. McDevitt also paid his wife commission for real estate transactions and used a loophole in the agency’s guidelines to employ his daughter. All the while, McDevitt raked in one of the highest six-figure salaries in the state among those with comparable positions.

McDevitt cemented his authority by convincing his board to approve a five-year contract, an unusual request for a mental health agency director. But he didn’t leave much room for the 30 members of the Smoky Mountain Center board to question his activities — McDevitt attempted to amend the board’s bylaws with a phrase that threatened consequences for speaking negatively about the agency.

After a Smoky Mountain News investigation shed light on some of McDevitt’s activities, the board of the agency took swift action and called for McDevitt’s resignation.

Litmus Test Award

When Jackson County commissioners passed strict mountainside development regulations last year, opponents pledged to get even come election time.

Two of the Jackson County commissioners that helped pass the regulations were up for election this year, but managed to hang on to their seats. Both faced opposition from candidates that expressed an interest in undoing part of the regulations.

If the commissioners election indeed served as a litmus test on voters’ feelings toward the development regs, looks like the Jackson commissioners that hung on to their seats had accurately gauged the public’s proclivity for reigning in laissez-fare mountainside development.

Most Unlikely Criminals

Police called to the scene of a farmers market in downtown Waynesville nearly laughed when they encountered the subjects in question — a group of farmers, some in their 80s, who refused to move their setup to the market’s new location.

For nearly 20 years, the farmers had hawked their wares in the parking lot of Badcock Home Furnishings on Main Street. The owners of Badcock asked the farmers to vacate the lot, but the farmers didn’t want to leave — so police were called to intervene.

The standoff was short-lived and ended when police agreed to let the farmers stay until the end of the day.

The battle over the farmer’s market waged on, however, resulting in the creation of two separate markets in new locations — one run by old-timers who wanted the market to stay exactly the same; the other overseen by a newer group supporting an expanded farmers market.

Main Street Champion

Oh wait, this was a real award, given to SMN’s own Greg Boothroyd by the Downtown Waynesville Association for 2008.

Boothroyd, a staunch supporter who’s worked dilgently to make downtown all it can be, has been a figure on Main Street since the mid-‘90s.

The Downtown Waynesville Association called him an “enthusiastic supporter” of the Main Street vision. Boothroyd sees the value of a vibrant downtown not only to his own business, but to the place where he has chosen to raise his family. Boothroyd is the part-owner and advertising director of The Smoky Mountain News.

“Interacting so closely with downtown merchants, he ingratiated himself into the community by tirelessly promoting the central business district. Always willing to volunteer his time and services, Greg is an invaluable and well respected member of the community and embodies the spirit of a true Main Street Champion for partnering with the DWA and the town in creating a thriving and prosperous central business district,” the DWA said.

Go Greg!

Extreme Makeover Award

A cracking foundation, uneven floors, and a sagging roof covered with water spots — not exactly the building one would expect to be home to one of the most esteemed arts programs in the country.

But that was exactly the case at Haywood Community College, where the Mary Cornwell Production Crafts program and others were housed in out-dated facilities. The college had a laundry list of repair and construction needs totaling $70 million — and made a direct plea to the community for help.

Luckily, voters came through in May by overwhelmingly approving a countywide quarter-cent sales tax that will fund repairs and new construction at the school. College officials celebrated the hard-fought campaign with whoops and cheers on election night.

“I know it was asking a lot of the community. I am so overwhelmingly grateful,” said HCC President Rose Johnson.

Involved Citizens Award

A small group of citizens took to the streets in Cherokee and gathered more than 1,500 signatures on a petition so the public can vote on whether alcohol sales should be allowed at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

Alcohol is banned on the reservation, but the group that circulated the petition — the Petitioners Committee — said alcohol should at least be allowed at the casino to boost profits.

To put the measure on the ballot required 1,534 signatures, which is 25 percent of the registered voters in Cherokee.

The Elections Board has certified 1,536 signatures, which means the election can take place.

Petitioners Committee member Bob Blankenship said the election will probably take place the first Thursday in June during the primary election.

In the summer the chief vetoed a resolution passed by the tribal council that would have allowed the public to vote on whether alcohol should be sold at the casino. However, the chief has promised not to veto the petition, saying it is the will of the people to have the vote.

Bottoms Up Award

In May, restaurant owners in Waynesville raised their shot glasses to voters who passed a referendum allowing the sale of liquor by the drink. The town was one of the last in the western counties to bar the sale of liquor in restaurants. Some opposition to the referendum sprang up, but in the end, the measure passed by a landslide.

Gotcha Award

The Sylva police department busted a dozen restaurants, bars and gas stations during two stings in February and April targeting the sale of alcohol to underage buyers. Restaurant and bar owners complained about tactics used by police officers in the sting operations.

The restaurant owners claimed tactics set-up the businesses with unrealistic scenarios and seem aimed at a game of “gotcha” rather than a desire to promote responsible alcohol sales. They even took their complaints to the town board.

The town board stood behind the police department’s operations. One establishment, however, Heinzelmannchen Brewery, was vindicated after the police dropped the charges after reviewing the audio footage from the case.

Off the Hook Award

Swain County Commissioner Chairman Glenn Jones was cleared of any wrong-doing in a voting drive leading up to the 2006 commissioner election.

The N.C. Board of Elections released the findings of its report, and the U.S. Justice Department also dropped its interest in the case.

The investigation looked into whether a voting drive targeting the poor and elderly crossed the line from exceptionally ambitious to improper. The voting drive had targeted trailer parks, low-income senior housing and nursing homes, with Jones helping more than 120 residents vote through the mail.

While the Board of Elections decided there was no intentional wrong-doing, they did find that Jones’ actions were “inconsistent” with the state statute that bars anyone from handling a voter’s mail-in ballot other than the voter or near relative. Jones had taken dozens of these ballots into his possession to mail.

Costly Mistakes Award

The Sylva town commissioners fired their Town Manager Jay Denton after they discovered that he inappropriately invested $2 million in public funds by putting the money into a CD and mutual fund that are not among those allowed by state statute.

The money he inappropriately invested was a portion of the $3.5 million that the town got last year from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund in exchange for placing the 1,100 -acre Fisher Creek Watershed in a conservation agreement.

Denton said his investment decisions were based on getting the best interest rates.

State statute prohibits placing public money in risky investments such as stocks and mutual funds.

Denton said he misinterpreted the statute when deciding how to invest the money. Also, the banker Denton used was his brother-in-law.

Goofiest Scandal

A bizarre scandal that put the Franklin mayor and two town aldermen at odds over slate and doors made headlines in 2008.

The scandal involved former Franklin resident David Whitmire, now of Alaska, taking slate and doors off town property without first asking the town board for permission. Mayor Joe Collins and Assistant Town Manager Mike Decker had granted Whitmire permission to take the slate — allegedly just a few pieces as a memento of the property, because Whitmire grew up at the site.

Whitmire took more than a few pieces, however. He took slate and doors totaling more than $19,000, according to the town. Collins said he didn’t think Whitmire was going to take that much.

Franklin Alderman Bob Scott called for an independent investigation into what exactly transpired when the mayor and Decker allowed Whitmire to take things from the property. An investigation was not conducted, and the case was settled for $5,000.

Babe Ruth Award

Similar to when Babe Ruth called his famous homerun, former Sylva Planning Director Jim Aust publicly called his own resignation after the town board voted down a 68-unit affordable housing development.

After the vote Aust told The Smoky Mountain News he was fed up with the board, adding, “My days are limited here because this is ridiculous.”

Sure enough, Aust resigned about a week later.

Aust, who worked for the city nine years, was furious after the vote, saying the board was not doing anything to bring much-needed affordable housing to Sylva.

Greenwashing Award

Legasus developers claimed their mega-development with 1,700 lots in Jackson County was eco-friendly, but their Tuckasegee neighbors weren’t buying it. The mere thought of so many houses — with their exorbitant prices, not one but two golf courses and fancy entrance gates — was enough to raise the hackles of rural residents who fear their way of life and culture is slipping away.

The development, spanning five separate tracts from Tuckasegee to Cashiers, covers a total of 3,500 acres. Legasus offered an olive branch to locals with round tables and public forums designed to address the community’s concerns, but residents weren’t won over and have continued to fight the development anyway they can.

The development was grandfathered in just before Jackson County passed stringent development regulations last year, but county planners say Legasus’ design would pretty much meet the regulations anyway.

Legasus needs state and federal environmental permits to pull off their golf courses, and will likely need the county to sign off on its master plan again before its all over, since the developers won’t be able to get the lots sold before their grandfathered status expires in a few years.

Unfortunately for Legasus, the economy soured just as they began marketing lots. Relatively few have sold, and the company had to take out various loans to fund operations since lot sales weren’t forth-coming in the numbers they needed.

Creative Financing Award

A man who reportedly has ties to the New York City mob made waves in the Jackson County community of Cashiers with his controversial Big Ridge development.

In the development, 13 property owners allegedly lied about their incomes to obtain $1.5 million construction loans.

SunTrust bank initiated foreclosure on the loans after claiming in court that some of the borrowers weren’t advancing with their construction, which would leave the bank upside down on the loan at the end of the day if there wasn’t a completed house. Further, the incomes provide by the borrowers were inaccurate, Sun Trust claimed.

Domenic Rabuffo, the project manger, pleaded guilty to a $49 million mortgage fraud years ago and served a brief prison sentence. His business partner, Irwin “Fat Man” Schiff, was gunned down in a 1987 mob hit in Manhattan.

Whoops Award

A cell company accidentally increased the height of an existing cell tower in Haywood County without the necessary permits. When it eventually applied for its permits, it failed to mention the work had already been done.

The tower belongs to Crown Castle, a company that builds cell towers on behalf of Verizon Wireless.

County commissioners were in a quandary over how to proceed when hit with the situation. They said their decision of whether to grant a variance and allow for the taller towers won’t be swayed by the fact the company already did the work. If they vote “no,” the company will have to undo it, they said.

Groundhog Award

Keith Presnell once more challenged Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, for his state senate seat and once again lost.

Presnell has now run for the seat four times. Queen won three of the four, with Presnell, who hails from Yancey County, prevailing only once in 2004. Queen calls that isolated win a “coat-tails fluke,” corresponding with the same year President Bush won re-election by a large margin in the mountains, helping the other candidates like Presnell who happened to be on the Republican ticket.

Republicans better get cracking, with barely a year left to figure out who they will put up against Queen in 2010.

Hard Feelings Award

Dillsboro was dealt a huge economic blow this summer when the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad pulled out of town after 20 years.

Dillsboro businesses heavily depended on the train, which brought in an estimated 60,000 tourists annually.

The decision to pull the train out of Dillsboro and put the whole operation in Bryson City was based on economics and had nothing to do with a lawsuit that was filed by the train against the town, according to GSMRR officials.

Nonetheless, there were still clearly hard feelings between the train and the town over the lawsuit.

Town Alderman Jim Cabe said the town was unwilling to settle the lawsuit because it was not at fault in the incident, which involved a train car being damaged when it drove over a resurfaced roadway.

On Second Thought We Better Not Award

Politicians in Macon and Jackson counties tested the bounds of the Open Meetings Law in 2008, but reversed their actions after called into question by the media.

Macon County commissioners were frequently recessing their meetings rather than formally adjourning. When a meeting is recessed rather than adjourned, not as much public notice is required for the next meeting, which made it more difficult to keep track of when the board was meeting to discuss public business.

An N.C. Press Association attorney said the commissioners were not violating the law by recessing their meetings but said it was not a good practice.

Macon had recessed at least 17 meetings in the first 11 months of the year, far more than other counties.

Macon County commissioners said so many meetings were being recessed because there was too much business to take up in a single meeting. Now rather than recessing, the commissioners in December voted to have two meetings a month rather than one.

In another case testing the Open Meetings Law, the N.C. Department of Transportation called a private meeting between DOT officials and local government officials to discuss the controversial N.C. 107 Connector, or the Southern Loop, in Jackson County.

The Smoky Mountain News polled Jackson County commissioners to find out if they planned on attending. The majority said they did, until the newspaper informed them that it would be a violation of the Open Meetings Law should a majority of the board attend a private meeting where public business would be discussed.

After the commissioners were informed of the possible violation only one of the five commissioners attended.

Consolation Prize

If Swain County school teachers aren’t thrilled about their $400 Christmas bonus — the first the system has ever given — it’s not that they’re ungrateful. It’s just hard to get too excited about $400 when teachers in surrounding counties routinely get two to three times that amount.

Swain is one of the last remaining school districts in the state that doesn’t pay a teacher supplement. In contrast, most school districts, like Haywood, kick in 4.5 to 5 percent of the teacher’s salary; larger districts, such as Buncombe, can offer more than 10 percent.

The lack of a supplement makes recruiting and retaining teachers difficult. Those who do opt to stay in Swain sometimes struggle to get by — one teacher interviewed by the Smoky Mountain News holds down two additional jobs to make ends meet.

Though Swain’s status as one of the state’s poorest counties could make carving out a supplement difficult, the Swain County school board has also never formally asked the county commissioners to provide the money for a supplement.

Told You So Award

When a long-time team of emergency room doctors spoke out against the way former CEO David Rice was running Haywood Regional Medical Center, Rice retaliated by running them off. The doctors were sent packing on New Year’s Day two years ago.

The departed ER doctors complained that Rice ran the hospital with little regard for the doctors and nurses that made it tick. They also alleged that he controlled the hospital board, sequestering them from information that ran counter to his own propaganda.

The warnings of the ER doctors came to fruition this year when the walls crumbled around Rice’s administration. The hospital lost its Medicare status along with most private insurers, effectively shutting down the hospital for four months.

When consultants came in to get the hospital back in order, they began with a top-to-bottom assessment of what went wrong. The assessment cited “significant leadership failing” and likened the leadership style to a “bunker mentality” and “Lone Ranger approach.”

It verified what the ER doctors had said 14 months before.

“Physician-hospital integration was actively discouraged. Medical staff had been kept at arms length. Access to the hospital board was strictly controlled so people were not permitted to talk to board members without going through the CEO without threat of termination,” the consultants wrote in a now infamous report.

If that weren’t enough vindication, the hospital isn’t satisfied with the corporate physician staffing outfit brought in to replace the old ER docs. The hospital plans to replace them in coming months.

‘Heck of a Job, Brownie’ Award

Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, President Bush praised then-FEMA director Michael Brown for doing a “heck of a job,” a compliment that soon proved far from the truth. This award goes to the Haywood Regional Medical Center board, which showed unfaltering support for their CEO David Rice until the bitter end.

Over a period of three years, the hospital board overlooked a sudden departure of all its orthopedists, the mass resignation of its anesthesiologists, a revolving door of nurses that left the hospital short-staffed more often than not, the ousting of the ER doctors, the ire of the medical community for not being listened to and a loss of confidence among the community — until the Medicare crisis landed on its doorstep and Rice resigned.

Clean Sweep Award

The loss of Medicare and Medicaid, a crisis that rocked Haywood Regional Medical Center, led to a drastic change in the hospital’s leadership. Members of the former hospital administration resigned one by one: CEO David Rice; hospital board chairman Nancy Freeman; Chief Nursing Officer Shirley Harris; vice president of professional services Eileen Lipham; as well as the vice president of quality and performance oversight and the department head of human resources.

The hospital board also saw its slate wiped clean. Three members resigned, including Chairman Nancy Freeman; Bob Browning and Jim Stevens. Two members opted not to reapply when their seats were up. Board members have been quickly replaced. There were so many community members interested in the seats — 37 applied — that Haywood County commissioners added two additional positions, bringing the total number of board seats to 10.

Comeback of the Year

When Haywood Regional Medical Center lost its ability to bill for Medicare and Medicaid Feb. 24 following a failed inspection, the situation appeared dire. The hospital lost its Medicare and Medicaid status, along with a host of private insurers, effectively shutting down most operations within the hospital and plummeting the number of patients to single digits.

Meanwhile, hospital leadership was in turmoil as the CEO and members of the hospital administration and board resigned. It took four months before HRMC regained its federal healthcare funding, and has taken even longer to begin earning back the community’s trust in the facility.

Yet slowly but surely, HRMC has rebuilt itself from the ground up. The departure of former CEO David Rice helped to erase the culture of fear and secrecy that existed at the hospital, and new CEO Mike Poore appears ready and willing to lead HRMC down its new and improved path. New hospital board members are keeping a careful eye on the administration.

Strength in Numbers Award

Haywood Regional Medical Center and WestCare announced their plans to join forces, not only with each other but with a larger health care system. Today’s health care climate makes it increasingly hard for smaller, rural hospitals to go it alone, they said.

Joining forces with one another will make them more attractive, improving their negotiating power with the larger entities.

WestCare and Haywood Regional hope to partner with either Novant of Winston-Salem or Carolina Medical Center of Charlotte, or to a lesser extent Mission in Asheville.

Both Haywood and WestCare were pursuing an affiliation with a larger entity regardless of the other. If each went with a different entity, the two could get locked in a battle that would fragment health care for the region rather than make it stronger. Thus the decision to join up.

Boomerang Award

In May, Haywood County commissioners fired the firm they had hired to renovate the county’s historic courthouse — Salisbury-based KMD Contractors — for failing to meet timelines and causing the project to fall months behind schedule. The bonding company overseeing the project set out on a search for a new contracting firm, and settled on ... KMD Contractors. All but one commissioner voted to re-hire the firm to complete the project. All the while, the county has been involved in a series of litigations against KMD, even as the company continues to work on the courthouse.

Class Warfare Award

The rich versus the poor became an issue in the wealthy Macon County community of Highlands in August when the town board voted down providing water and sewer services to an affordable housing development that many blue-collar workers said was needed.

Highlands, full of million-dollar plus homes, has no place for the workers who serve the elite to live, some said. Because the town board voted down providing water and sewer, the 48-unit development could not be built.

Town board members who voted down the development said they did so because they didn’t think it was right to provide water and sewer to people who live outside the town limits and don’t pay town taxes. Board members said there were still some people in the town limits without those services.

Some in the community felt the town board’s true reason for not approving water and sewer for the development was to keep low income people out of town and said the water and sewer issue was just a “guise.”

Voter Pride Award

Voter turnout reached all-time highs in the November presidential election, but two who showed unique pride in their right to vote were Macon County inmates Christopher O’Bitts and Phillip Nix.

O’Bitts, who was jailed on a probation violation, and Nix on a DUI charge, said just because they were jailed did not mean their voices did not matter.

Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland said all inmates were given the opportunity to vote. Both inmates told The Smoky Mountain News they supported Obama.

Comeback Kids Award

Haywood County commissioners Mark Swanger and Kevin Ensley were voted out of their seats two years ago, and weren’t about to lose again. Both recaptured commissioner seats in the November election, beating out two-term commissioner Mary Ann Enloe, who expressed shock at the surprise upset. Enloe is the only woman to ever hold a Haywood County commissioner seat. Ensley, though, is also a rare breed — he’s only the third Republican to be elected commissioner.

Look for Enloe to come back swinging in the next election.

Best Timing

Haywood County Commissioner Chairman Kirk Kirkpatrick’s appointment as board chairman couldn’t have come at a better time. Typically viewed as the busiest commissioner, with a full-time job and family, Kirkpatrick says his schedule isn’t nearly what it used to be. He’s a real estate lawyer, and the economic downturn means he’s found himself with plenty of time to kill.

David and Goliath Award

When Jackson County first took on Duke Energy five years ago, the public cheered on their leaders for standing up to the mega-corporation for their rights. The county hoped to exact fair compensation from Duke for the numerous and profitable hydropower dams straddling the Tuckasegee River, which belongs to the public after all, and also hoped to save the Dillsboro dam.

But this year, Jackson County commissioners finally began to show signs of fatigue. One commissioner, Tom Massie, has repeatedly called on the county to throw in the towel, saying they “fought the good fight” but it’s time to cut their losses.

Jackson County’s attorney against Duke keeps pitching one last strategy the county should try. But Jackson continues to lose round after round and has nearly exhausted its appeals on both the federal and state level. The longer the battle goes the more desperate the attempts sound. One includes condemning the dam and seizing it from Duke, while another includes withholding the county permits Duke needs to tear down the dam.

The Try, Try Again Award

Balsam Mountain Preserve sought permits to rebuild the earthen dam that collapsed at its golf course the previous year. The permits weren’t immediately forthcoming, however, with state and federal environmental agencies reluctant to sign off on them.

Not only had the dam failed the first go around, but the Balsam Mountain Preserve had changed the lay-out of the dam without permission. The dam held back an irrigation pond for the golf course.

The fate of a new permit for the dam is still up in the air.

Most Likely to Make You Feel Lazy

Swain County school administrator Steve Claxton, 52, proved that age is nothing but a number by riding his bicycle across the country this summer. Claxton’s speed on the trip matched that of someone half his age — he biked 4,000 miles in 35 days. And he did so just three and a half years after he broke seven vertebrae in his back and wondered whether he would ever ride again.

Claxton undertook the journey in honor of his late mother, Phyllis, a career Swain County schoolteacher. The $58,000 he raised from those who sponsored his ride will go into a scholarship fund set up for Swain County students interested in pursuing a career in the teaching profession.

Most Ambitious

Of course, no one wants to see crime rates increase, but it sure would be nice to fill Swain County’s new jail. The 109-bed facility is more than double the size of the previous jail, which usually held around 50 inmates a day. The county is shelling out nearly half a million dollars a year to pay back loans it took out to construct the new jail. County officials are hinging hopes on money made by housing federal inmates and prisoners from surrounding counties to help cover costs. Commissioner Chairman Glenn Jones said the county “desperately” needs to fill the facility — county coffers are running dangerously low, and there’s question of how the county will continue to pay for the facility without some additional cash flow.

Most Persistent

Supporters of the North Shore Road in Swain County don’t give up easily. Their battle to get the government to rebuild a road flooded when the Fontana Dam was built has spanned nearly 70 years — and supporters insist it’s not over yet, even though a new agreement was signed last year in which all the original parties agreed to provide Swain County with a $52 million cash settlement in lieu of building the road.

North Shore Road supporters, many of them descendants of families relocated when the Fontana Dam was constructed, refuse to give up their fight. They frequently make impassioned speeches at county commissioner meetings, and it’s not uncommon to see a man well into his 80s get choked up when talking about the Road.

Though many hoped the signing of a new agreement would bring an end to the saga, a resolution has been slow to come by. Negotiations for the settlement got underway, but stalled earlier this year. So far, Swain County has yet to see a penny of the windfall settlement.

Tortoise Award

Waynesville Town Planner Paul Benson takes the mantra “slow and steady wins the race” to heart. A review of the town’s award-winning land use plan has moved at a snail’s pace due to Benson’s failure to choose a consultant to oversee the process. As a result, the review — which, according to a proposed six-month timeline, should have been finished by now — has yet to begin. Meanwhile, some critics say the longer the town waits to start the review process, businesses that don’t want to comply with the standards will pass over Waynesville.

This isn’t the first time Benson hasn’t been up to speed. Grants for two projects currently underway — the Russ Avenue Corridor Study and Pedestrian Plan — sat untouched for two years before Benson finally got around to using them.

Ghandi Award

Jackson County schoolteacher Doug Ward became a hero in the eyes of many when he was fired for refusing to administer a No Child Left Behind standardized test to his students with disabilities.

Ward said the test wasn’t a fair way to measure the progress his students had made during the school year. After teaching lessons about the Civil Rights movement and standing up in the face of inequality, Ward felt he had little choice but to practice what he had preached and become a conscientious objector.

Unfortunately, the board of education also felt they had little choice but to punish Ward for his actions, and voted unanimously to terminate his contract.

In the end, Ward said he had no regrets about standing up for what he believed in.

“It was the right thing to do, and it worked out how it was supposed to,” he said.

Heartbreak Hotel Award

When the national foreclosure crisis struck in the fall, many local people were affected, including Ricky Stephens who granted an interview to The Smoky Mountain News to talk about what it’s like to lose a home to the bank.

Stephens of Sylva lost the home he had lived in for 26 years when health problems put him and his wife out of work and prevented them from making mortgage payments. He and his wife and their 12-year-old son were forced to moved out of their home to an apartment in Dillsboro.

Stephens hated to lose the home, saying he wanted to leave it to his son.

Studied to Death Award

In 2008, Western North Carolinians saw a slew of initiatives aimed at regional and community planning. The Mountain Landscapes Initiative was the largest, involving hundreds of people around the region, months of study and thousands of dollars. Among other projects: the USDA-sponsored farmland values project; the Haywood Growth Readiness Roundtable, sponsored by Haywood Waterways; task force on Mountain Ridge and Steep Slope Protection orchestrated by a Land of the Sky Regional Council, and an invitation sent out by Haywood County commissioners offering to help communities with their own planning process.

The final product produced by most planning initiatives was similar — a list of recommendations of how to protect and preserve the region’s natural and cultural resources. Though an extensive compilation of information is beneficial, the goals of some of the efforts seemed to overlap.

The power to enact many of the recommendations rests with local governments. But in the mountains — where a sentiment of private property rights still lingers and the real estate and development lobby are powerful — planning decisions are political and officials have been slow to act.

Hard Times Award

WestCare Medical Center in the fall announced that it lost $3.2 million between June and August due to economic conditions. Patients put off procedures when possible, while a greater number who did seek medical care were unable to pay their bill. And more were filing under Medicare and Medicaid, which bring in less money for hospitals than private insurance.

The hospital’s CEO Mark Leonard said the hospital has tentatively planned on reducing its workforce by 90 out of its 1,000 full-time employees over 18 months.

“These losses are a result of lower revenue and higher operating expenses,” Leonard stated in a memo to hospital employees.

Leonard said the hospital planned on laying off the first 30 employees by Jan. 15.

Disturbing the Natives Award

Construction on a much-needed sewer plant in the Jackson County community of Whittier was ceased when the contractor disobeyed orders not to drive heavy equipment over a site deemed archaeologically significant because it is believed to hold Cherokee Indian artifacts.

After work was stopped, the involved parties — Jackson County, the Tribal Historic Preservation Office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Whittier Sanitary District — worked out an agreement on how work would be resumed.

The agreement stated that a permanent fence would be put around the archaeological site, and that if any artifacts were discovered during construction that the tribe would be notified immediately.

Jackson County Manager Ken Westmoreland said the contractor, Good Water of Greenville, S.C., drove over the archaeological site because something happened to the road that accessed the sewer project. Westmoreland said the contractor was taking a “short cut.”

Hot Potato Award

Since Swain County’s first-ever development regulation — a subdivision ordinance dealing primarily with road widths — was tabled late last year, it’s turned into a hot potato that county commissioners refuse to touch.

The ordinance faced an outpouring of opposition from those in the real estate and construction industry, which prompted the commissioners’ decision to table it. They promised that the planning board would reconvene to modify the ordinance the following month. A year later, such a meeting still hasn’t happened — and officials continue to shrug off the responsibility.

County Manager Kevin King says the planning board doesn’t have the power to revisit the ordinance. But just who does have the power isn’t clear. Commissioner David Monteith says it’s up to the commissioner chairman, Glenn Jones. Jones, however, says he has no plans to bring up the ordinance, but if somebody else wants to bring it up, that’s fine with him.

Holding the Bag Award

To all the developers in Western North Carolina with lots for sale ...

The Haywood Waterways Association announced its water quality heroes for the year at its annual banquet in December.

Here’s who won the three awards given out by the premier water quality group in Haywood County.

Eric Romaniszyn received the Pigeon River Award, an award given to an individual or organization who has made significant contributions to protecting the land and water resources in Haywood County. Romaniszyn, the project manager for Haywood Waterways, has tackled numerous water quality projects during his tenure. He has spearhead the restoration of Hyatt Creek, aided the town of Waynesville with storm water management, written several educational publications and organized the annual Kids in the Creek program.

“Eric has taken Haywood Waterways to a new level with his expertise as an aquatic entomologist, his great rapport with the public and his exceptional organizational and teaching skills,” said HWA director Ron Moser. “We are very fortunate to have Eric on board.”

The Town of Waynesville was recognized as Partner of the Year. The town has worked diligently to address fecal coliform contamination in Shelton Branch, a tributary of Richland Creek. The town spent significant time and money finding and repairing sewer leaks. Over a mile of sewer lines were replaced and fecal contamination has been dramatically reduced.

The town has also worked on public education of water quality, such as storm drain markers to let folks know storm drains lead directly to our streams. Another major project has been the restoration of stream banks along Richland Creek, a rare case of designated trout waters running through the middle of a town.

“Even in these difficult economic times, the town has shown it is committed to protecting our mountain streams for the citizens of the town and Haywood County, and our visitors,” Moser said.

The Waynesville Rotary Club was recognized as Volunteer of the Year. The club provided significant and much needed financial support for Kids in the Creek. This program gives every eight grader in Haywood County a fieldtrip to the river where they don waders, wield nets and conduct water quality experiments. Over the past 11 years, nearly 8,000 students have gone through Kids in the Creek.

The Waynesville Rotary Club also played a key role is developing, funding and providing volunteer labor for a rain garden at the new Haywood Community College Child Development Center.

The acknowledgement by Waynesville’s leaders that they let a review of the town’s much-heralded land use plan languish and now intend to jumpstart the process is welcome news.

“It’s back on track,” said Mayor Gavin Brown of the review process.

It was last March when Town Planner Paul Benson was told to get the ball rolling on this important project. But since that time, next to no progress has been made, other than establishing a committee and beginning to look at a possible consulting firms.

“It’s been slower than we anticipated,” said Town Manager Lee Galloway.

This update is important for several reasons, the primary two being the most obvious: one, things change; two, no one is perfect.

One of the big criticisms of the original land use plan was that it did not address big box developments like the Super Wal-Mart now open and going strong on the west end of Waynesville. Though there is a lull in development throughout the country right now, there is every reason to believe similar projects are in Waynesville’s future. The plan needs teeth to meet this challenge, so that every step of the way is not marked by requests for variances and special use requests that pit developers and the town against one another.

These big box developments have their opponents — we have fought against some aspects of them for years — and some people refuse to use them. But local government is not supposed to be a bully, whether it’s dealing with local businesses or outside interests. A good land use plan will take into account the needs of big developers and the overall good — and desires — of taxpayers. It’s difficult to imagine a plan that would address most these scenarios, but it is impossible.

This is the kind of kind of change that the plan needs to address. Waynesville and all of Western North Carolina will always — we hope — be a place dominated by smaller, family-owned businesses. But the chain stores will come as they see the opportunity to make money. Waynesville needs to be ready.

The second reason to review the plan is that the people who developed it five years ago — though they worked long and hard — surely made some mistakes or overlooked what have become important land use challenges. Some scenarios they imagined have likely turned out differently. Growth may be heading to where it wasn’t expected. Some requirements that seemed important then may now seem trivial, and others that weren’t even discussed now loom large.

The land use plan as adopted was described as a living document. Now’s the time to breathe some new life into it so that it will continue to meet the town’s needs.

By John Beckman • Guest Columnist

A lot of attention lately has been focused on how bad the economic downturn has been for the U.S. and its world partners but as everyone knows; there are two sides to every story. For some reason, many of the more positive aspects of this recession have been overlooked and under reported, and a few examples here may help us to find encouragement and even reason for celebration in these nervous times.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, in March 2008 Americans drove 11 billion miles less than in March 2007, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 9 million metric tons — in one month. With virtually all economic indicators heading well downward since then, one can safely assume that this trend has continued and we are consequently polluting oat a slower rate. This is good news.

With fewer user miles, many road construction projects could be delayed, saving millions in taxpayer funds. This is good news as well. The Harper’s Index has projected that America’s decrease in total driving miles has resulted in around 1,000 fewer traffic deaths per month nationwide. That’s a lot fewer widows, orphans and lawsuits. This is positive news too.

Locally we’ve seen the effect on our mountain roads, largely devoid of back-to-back motorhomes and overloaded Humvees sporting license plates laden with oranges, peaches, dolphins and Seminoles. This translates into more room on the highways and in motels, restaurants, parking lots and local attractions.

Indeed, the roads in this tourist-dependent area have seemed eerily empty since the spring. Every year I hear some locals grumbling about “dang tourists,” but that problem too has apparently been all but solved and quieted, another plus for these tough times?

This summer when gas was nearing $5 per gallon, many just parked their cars and refused to pay it, helping send the price to just about a $1.50 a gallon this week. This could be considered another plus point. And of course we need to add the apparent death of America’s passion for the huge SUVs to the list of corpses. I personally will be glad to see these behemoths laid to rest, a crazy love affair from the beginning.

Another area of the slowdown where one can find solace is in the abrupt halt to the rampant build up of housing developments and McMansions that had been mushrooming in our region. Housing starts are way down and inventories are way up due to the rapid evaporation of buyers using leverage to purchase vacation homes and speculating on ever-rising land values. Recent data from the WNC Board of Realtors MLS sheets suggest that there is a four-year supply of homes for sale (priced $500,000 to $ 999,000), an 11-year supply of mega-homes (priced at more than $1 million) and approximately a nine-year supply of undeveloped lots.

This compares with a three-year supply of undeveloped lots in December 2007, just one year ago. Many people tapped the equity in their homes, using them like ATM machines to purchase more and more, driving demand and prices skyward, until recently.

We are likely to see prices continue to drop as yesterday’s over-eager buyers dump assets they probably shouldn’t have bought to begin with. A good portion of WNC’s vacation buyers have been from the Florida and Atlanta areas, both hard hit by the housing bubble and both expected by analysts to be slow to recover. This will allow locals to again be able to afford to buy in their home counties, which sounds an awful lot like a plus to some people.

An upside for the consummate shopper in all of this glum news is that retailers are falling off a cliff as consumers hunker down and will mark down just about anything to just about any level to get you in the store. This translates into a bargain shopper’s paradise with everything from stocks to stockings on the discount racks.

There may also be a big gain for the nation in an attitude shift taking place, largely out of necessity, but somewhat out of an emerging movement away from credit-based consumption. We’re all aware now that the economy and the nation’s operating systems are in deep doo-doo, and that it’s going to take a lot of adjustment to survive and fix them. I believe many people are re-evaluating their lifestyles and making changes both obvious and not so, finding ways to reduce their consumption and planning for a leaner, greener future.

I hope we do not miss this opportunity to realign our priorities and our development patterns as this may be the true silver lining behind the dark cloud hanging over us.

(John Beckman is a builder, farmer and writer in Cullowhee. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is now taking public comment on several proposed changes to hunting and fishing regulations.

The Wildlife Commission continues to lift restrictions on hunting wild boar as the exotic animal is increasingly recognized as a detriment to the native ecosystem. The proposal calls for extending the wild boar season to run nearly six months, from early September through February. The hunting method would be restricted, however, to whatever weapon is in season for other game during that time. For example, during bow and arrow season for deer, boar can only be hunted with bow and arrow, not a gun. And hunting boar with dogs can only be done when it corresponds with dog season for bears.

While the method of hunting would be limited, extending the boar season should encourage hunters who are already in the woods after other game to take down any wild boar they happen to stumble across as well.

“This regulation change was requested by U.S. Forest Service personnel in order to control increasing populations of wild hogs on Forest Service property as well as private lands in the western six counties,” the Wildlife Commission proposal states.

The Wildlife Commission is also proposing to lift restrictions on trapping otter. Otters were wiped out of Western North Carolina due to over trapping, but have been reintroduced over the past couple decades.

“When otter restoration efforts were taking place, otter populations were low and vulnerable to harvest pressure,” the proposal states. But “restoration efforts have been successful and the bag limit on otters in Western North Carolina is no longer needed.”

The Wildlife Commission also proposes lifting the daily bag limit on deer, which is now capped at two per hunter per day.

The Wildlife Commission is inching toward lifting the ban on hunting on Sundays. An in-depth analysis of the Sunday hunting ban and whether it should be lifted was conducted in recent years, generating mass amounts of comment statewide. The Wildlife Commission didn’t end up lifting the ban, but a proposal in the works would allow only bow hunting on private land on Sundays — no guns and no public lands, but a foot in the door for Sunday hunting at the least.

Fishing changes

Among the proposals, the Wildlife Commission wants to quit stocking several sections of stream in the region. For some stretches, the Wildlife Commission claims the trout are reproducing adequately enough on their own to support fishing and the stocking of trout isn’t necessary.

Here’s the stretches in the area that would be reclassified as Wild Trout/Natural Bait Trout Waters due to reproducing wild populations:

• Hiwassee River in Clay County, 13 mile upper section.

• Hemphill Creek in Haywood County.

• North Shoal Creek in Cherokee County.

• Webb Creek in Cherokee County.

• Big Tuni Creek in Clay County.

• Vineyard Creek in Clay County.

On other stretches, the Wildlife Commission plans to quit stocking because the stream isn’t good fishing anyway and therefore doesn’t merit stocking, either because the streams make for poor trout habitat or lacks adequate public access to make fishing feasible. Those stretches include:

• Hothouse Branch in Clay County.

• Tessentee Creek in Macon County (total of 5.9 miles).

• Shooting Creek in Clay County (total of 5.1 miles.)

A public hearing on the changes will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Southwestern Community College in Sylva. Comments can also be sent in via email. Visit www.ncwildlife.org and look for the comment link.

The Wildlife Commission board will vote on the rule changes in March.

By Chris Cooper

Last year I wrote a “suggested Christmas play list” for the holiday. It may have been a stretch (Miles Davis and Joe Satriani may constitute MY ideal soundtrack for Dec. 25, but maybe not everyone else) but at the very least it was an effort to encourage music lovers to pursue the sounds that simply make them feel good during the holidays.

This time, though, I’m going to take a little artistic license and map out a kind of “what I want for the new year” list in regards to music, Sylva, and, well ... everything else.

I would like to see continuing growth and diversity in our little music scene. And by no means do I think it’s not happening already; we have electronic craziness, bluegrass, metal, punk, funk and jam admirably represented. But I want more of it all — maybe more cross-pollination of local projects, better opportunities for the singer/songwriter crowd. How about a blues project? A rockabilly band?

By the same token, live music needs an audience. Attendance is a bit of an issue around here. Otherwise, you’re playing for bartenders that want to go home and a depressingly empty room. With the economy in its current state, everyone’s taken a hit. Venues that were slammed last year, no matter how cold it was outside, now more often find tumbleweeds blowing through the bar where there once were patrons. But if you compare average cover charges around town to those in Asheville, we’re still getting a pretty good deal. But there has to be something going on to make people want to come out in the first place. See above.

This one’s kind of tricky. And maybe I got spoiled in Charlotte, where it seems that every little hole in the wall joint has a reasonably workable sound system. But the point is: if you’re going to have live music, you need a PA system that functions! It doesn’t have to be some massive, state-of-the-art NASA thing, either. Two mains, a couple monitors, some mics and cables and a powered mixer will do the trick. It’s difficult to get, and keep, the crowd’s attention if a) they can’t hear you, and b) what’s coming off the stage doesn’t sound very good. Now if those bad sounds are coming from the band, no fancy PA will fix it. But a good band can sound fantastic in a small room with the proper equipment. Something to consider, and an investment that will pay itself back in spades.

Continuing with that whole diversity thing, there’s enough room on Main Street and beyond for a few more funky little places that serve good food and provide live music. We don’t need another furniture store. Or a burger joint. How about a good Thai restaurant? Maybe some Indian food, with matching atmosphere and sounds to boot? A cool little sushi bar? It’s not impossible, but it’s up to whether Sylva wants such things. I tend to think it does. It’s not that what we have now isn’t good enough, but more options would help with the whole “burned out from going to the same places” problem, and it would certainly liven up the nightlife around these parts.

Finally, I’d like to see, and sense, a little more appreciation for what we do have in Sylva. I’m not going to beat the same horse I always seem to flog, but I’m still inspired that In Your Ear Music Emporium has made it 15 years in this town. A decade and a half. With the alarming rate at which indie music shops are going the way of the dodo and the brontosaurus, Lauren Calvert has — against the odds of digital downloading, burning, Best Buys and Wal Marts — made this thing work. This falls into the “attendance” idea, a bit, as well as the theme downtown of supporting local businesses, holiday season or not. Walk into a big box store looking for some new music, ask the kid in the blue shirt what’s new and cool, and he’s probably going to point to some massive display rack of whatever artist just signed an exclusive release deal with his employers.

Walk into IYE (or any smaller, independent shop for that matter) and you’ll get into a 30-minute discussion about who you like, who influenced them and who’s making similar noises. And you’ll likely walk out with an armful of good music. That’s just the way it is. In many ways, same goes for Bubacz’s Underground — the guy roasts his coffee in house, and buys it fair trade. And he’s got wheatgrass shots. Hot damn. Jen Pearson’s Guadalupe Café has a menu I never tire of, even if now they can safely assume that I’ll order the black bean burrito with gorgonzola and guacamole, and chase it with a 90 minute IPA almost every time I go there. As well, she supports local farms and offers the most eclectic fare on Main Street.

And there you have it. Hope you guys get at least a chuckle from all of this, and maybe something to think about. Hope your holiday was all you wanted, and in the new year, listen to some music. It’s good for you.

(Chris Cooper can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

By Rudy Beharrysingh • Professor, Southwestern Community College

Editor’s note: This series of green living tips is provided by Sustainable Mountain Initiative, a Jackson County coalition of government officials and concerned citizens working together to lead the way toward a more sustainable future.

The issue of climate change and how to lessen the impact of human activities is a hot topic these days, and the solutions to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions are complex, involving nearly every area of everyday living, trade and commerce.

It was only recently that the environmental impact of our diets (and factory farms worldwide) became a major factor in our decisions about how to reduce our impact. In 2006, the United Nations released a report titled “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” which brought these issues to the forefront of public awareness. The report looked at the energy used to raise, feed, transport, slaughter, refrigerate and package the animals for consumption — and found that the production of meat with factory-farmed animals accounted for more than 18 percent of all man-made emissions, more than all forms of transportation combined.

Another UN report in 2007 confirmed these findings and emphasized that the most effective ways for individuals to reduce their carbon output was to drive less — and eat less meat.

The graph below shows the greenhouse gas emissions for each type of diet — vegetarian, vegan, poultry, fish and red meat. The vegan diet takes first place with literally no output of greenhouse gases; the fish and red meat diets tie for last place with an annual output of two tons of greenhouse gases.

Production of meat requires seven to 10 pounds of grain for each pound of meat, leading to deforestation and the use of more than 30 percent of our planet for livestock farming. In addition, energy is required to heat and cool buildings and trucks, to transport animals, and to package animal products safely before they come to the store for you to purchase.

Waste runoff from factory farms pollutes waterways and groundwater and can be more deadly for fish and plants than oil spills; the animal farming industry produces more than 65 percent of our annual nitrous oxide emissions and more than 37 percent of our methane emissions.

The average American diet emits more than 1.5 tons of greenhouse gases per year. For a family of two, switching to a vegan diet could save nearly 2 tons of greenhouse gases per year — as many as by switching your current auto out for a $25,000 hybrid sedan. So if you’re looking for a way to save money and save the planet, eating less or no meat just might be the answer.

By David Curtis

Just a short two weeks ago I was texting my daughter, who was in the process of finishing up her first semester at N.C. State, asking her when her finals would be over, about her arrangements for a ride back to the mountains for Christmas break and when could we expect her home. Typical fatherly questions, and as a typical father I try to stay connected with what’s happening in my daughter’s life.

The response I got from her was a text back that read something like, “Why do you want to know?” followed by, “Are you trying to run my life?” Now I ask you, what kind of question is that to ask a father with two daughters. Of course the answer is I ask these questions because if I don’t prod into your business you will never tell me anything. So I told her that her Nanny and Paw were asking when she would be home, that’s why I’m asking. Playing the Grandparent card is always a good way to deflect suspicion.

As to “running her life,” well excuse me; I thought she was majoring in math education not independent living, and yes, that’s my job. I texted her back to let her know that, if needed, I was fully capable of micromanaging her life from five hours away and would welcome the opportunity, besides, I texted, “Who’s your Daddy?” in case she’s forgotten.

I’m so out of touch with the current culture of our youth today. You would think as a middle school teacher I could pick up on some of the popular slang phrases kids are using now. My daughter informed me the phrase “Who’s your Daddy?” is so, like yesterday, loserville, gone, history, totally over. And, that I needed to grow up.

She’s been home a week now. Caught a ride with a friend from Raleigh to Charlotte. Charlotte is not Canton I told my wife, it’s OK she said, she will drive to Charlotte and bring her home, no big deal. What’s in Charlotte I ask that she can’t be picked up in, say Statesville or Hickory? A boy she’s meeting for lunch I’m told. I made a note to myself to work on improving my micromanagement skills over the Christmas holidays. I’m failing in the boy department.

Several months ago when my wife and I took our daughter off to college I wrote right here in this paper that “I am just too excited about the opportunities that await her than to spend time missing her and wishing she were still home and my little girl. She will always be my little girl, just a little more independent, wiser and grown up.”

My daughter has changed since she went off to college. She has become more independent and does act more grown up, but do children, no matter what age, do they ever become wiser in their parent’s eyes? No matter how successful each of my daughters will become in their careers or the future families they will raise, I will always feel they can benefit from my fatherly advice, experience and wisdom. Does that sound conceited? Or does it sound like something a parent, a father, would say?

The image my daughter likes to portray is one of a self sufficient, independent young woman, but I still catch glimpses of Daddy’s little girl. Now that she is home for break she has things she needs to do, a schedule of her own not relying on mom or dad to drag her places. She puts gas in the car with her own money, runs her own errands, has her own appointments, dates and friends that need visiting. All this without my help or pre-approval, but when the keys got locked in the car one afternoon it was nice to know Daddy was still needed. That’s right, I whispered to myself, who needs your Daddy?

When my daughter was younger and we were out running errands in Waynesville we would often stop at our favorite coffee house for a hot drink — coffee for me and a hot chocolate for her. Several days ago I was meeting my girls at the lake for a run and I was swinging by Panacea for coffee on the way. I called and asked if I could bring them a hot chocolate. My 15-year-old said sure, love one, but my oldest said she would rather I bring her coffee instead.

Did she say coffee? Coffee is an adult drink; it’s our Mt. Dew, our Red Bull, our caffeine jolt in the morning. You’re too young to be drinking coffee. What has happened to my hot chocolate loving little girl?

She is growing up; she has changed in the few short months she has been away. She is learning to make decisions on her own and to use her best judgment as situations arise because her mother and I cannot always be by her side to make those decisions for her anymore. And I am proud of her because she makes good decisions. Still, that Charlotte thing puzzles me.

I think about this as we finished our run and as we are walking back to where we parked the cars. She slips her hand in mine like she used to when she was little. She giggles as we hold hands and swing our arms back and forth a few times, reminding me that she will always be my little girl. And then reluctantly I let her hand slip from mine and I let her go.

My family and I wish you all a blessed Christmas and New Years.

(David Curtis teaches middle school in Haywood County. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

(poem from Wildwood Flower by Kathryn Stripling Byer)

Two dead leaves

on the table and ice

floats on milk like the ashes

of leaves. Oak

twigs kindle

and fire leaps like a prayer, “Give us

breath.” When I open

the door and breathe deeply

the cold air inflames me.

The fire seizes log after log.

In the garden my husband burns

dead stalks of squash and potatoes.

I sweep my dust into the coals

and our smoke mingles over the orchard.

In autumn I sweep the floor gladly.

I gather the crumbs from the cupboard,

and the rinds of the apples.

When my dustbin grows heavy,

I give what it holds to the fire

and the fire sings its song:

raise your dead

from the earth, make a fire

of their bones,

set them free

to be sky,

to be nothing at all.

By Doug Scarborough • Contributing writer

With the winter season here, dressing appropriately to prevent cold injuries is often overlooked. Significant heat loss while exercising can be prevented by wearing the appropriate layers of waterproof and water-resistant clothing.

The more layers of clothing worn between the skin and air, the more insulation created for the body. Several layers of lighter clothing provide better protection than one single bulky layer.

For the layer directly against the skin, choose a lightweight synthetic material such a polypropylene. This material wicks away moisture from the body’s surface and dries quickly.

The mid-layer of clothing is the insulation for the body to keep warm. This item of clothing should be a bit looser than the first layer, but for the best results it needs to remain in contact with the first layer. Mid-layers commonly made from down, fleece, and polyester also help carry moisture away from the first layer to the outer layer.

The goal of the outer layer is to block wind and allow moisture to escape from the body. Typical outer layer clothing includes shells made of Gore-Tex or wind and water resistant fabrics.

Once a layering plan has been established, you can control your temperature simply by removing or adding additional layers of clothing as needed.

After your core is covered, you need to properly dress your head, hands, and feet. Wear a hat, gloves, socks and shoes that accommodate your selected activity and weather conditions. Keep in mind that wind-blocking fabric is also important for hats and gloves.

Proper layering will not only make you more comfortable during winter activity but also keeps you protected from preventable injuries.

Here’s some more tips:

n Warm up and cool down. Cold weather constricts muscles, so allow enough time for proper stretching to warm up muscles before you exercise. Cool down with stretches to keep you limber and flexible. Leg, arm and calf stretches should be held for 30 seconds each for best results.

n Hydration and Nutrition. Due to the dryness of cold weather, hydration is extremely important. Significant body fluid can be lost, and since sweat may evaporate more quickly than in a hot environment, you may not have a clear indication of how much fluid you are actually losing. Always begin workouts properly hydrated and continue throughout activity.

n For long workout sessions, keep high-energy snack foods available. Energy bars and packaged fruit/nut mixes are easy to carry and make for high carbohydrate snacks.

For more information regarding winter weather gear, hydration and exercise preparation, contact Haywood Sports Medicine at 828.452.8077.

Scarborough is the Sports Medicine Coordinator at Haywood Sports Medicine.

By Cynthia Deale • Western Regional Representative, Center for Sustainable Tourism

Editor’s note: This series of green living tips is provided by Sustainable Mountain Initiative, a Jackson County coalition of government officials and concerned citizens working together to lead the way toward a more sustainable future.

Nearly everyone in the world travels once in a while, even if only to visit relatives for a night or two. Regardless of whether you’re crossing oceans to see new places or visiting friends for an overnight stay, there are some things we can all do to make our travel “green” and to encourage sustainable tourism.

One significant decision we make when we travel is where we stay. Choosing “green” lodging accommodations is easy if you’ve done your research: check to see if the property offers recycling programs, allows guests the option to reuse towels and sheets, uses native plants in its landscaping, incorporates green building techniques or green cleaning products, and contributes to the local community.

Other decisions you can make to green up your travel include riding a bike rather than a car to sightsee in the area; eat at locally-owned restaurants, which often use nearly 100 percent locally produced foods; shop at local markets for products created by that area’s residents from native resources; support local events by attending festivals, fairs and fundraisers; and remember to slow down while traveling to truly take in the culture, history and depth of the places that you visit.

Resources on the web include www.sustainabletourisminternational.org or www.ecu.edu/sustainabletourism.

Two recently created tourism boards in Macon County met last week to begin discussing how they can make the area more of a tourist destination.

The groups, the Tourism Development Authority and the Tourism Development Commission, represent the town of Franklin and Macon County, respectively. Each manages its own pot of money collected from a tax on overnight lodging.

Suffering from lower lodging tax revenues, the groups are trying to decide what they can do to help keep businesses afloat that depend on tourist traffic.

According to the Macon County finance office, lodging taxes in the county are down about $20,000 this year compared to last.

In November 2007 there was $36,331 collected in lodging taxes compared to $30,636 this year.

Last week’s brainstorming session, held at The Factory in Franklin, was designed to think up new ways to draw tourists to the area.

One idea is for the county to host cheerleading tournaments to bring up to 600 teams from all over the country.

Another idea is to start an Appalachian Quilt Trail with large colorfully painted wooden boards displayed on buildings, such as homes and barns, throughout the county. A map and brochure of the “Quilt Trail” would be printed with historical information about the sites. Quilt trails are in Watauga, Avery, Yancey and Mitchell counties currently, according to Linda Harbuck, executive director of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, who is trying to get a trail established here.

In their efforts to work together the TDA and the TDC want to maintain their own identities but at the same time work together and not duplicate services.

In promoting Macon County they seek to make the area a destination rather than a place tourists pass through on the way to Gatlinburg, Tenn.

A 1,500-seat performing arts center scheduled to open this spring is expected to be a large tourist draw. The facility could stage large-scale theater and music productions.

Macon County Commissioner Bob Simpson said it is important that the entities not just accumulate and sit on the lodging tax money but spend it to promote the area.

The TDC has around $27,000 while the TDA has little to nothing, according to Harbuck. The TDA has no money because the town only recently started collecting its own lodging tax.

With the country in a recession, members of both boards say they are worried about the upcoming summer season being bad for the local merchants.

The summer is the biggest tourist season for the area, while spring and winter are slow. The groups discussed possibly having more events during the off months, but Simpson warned that attempts to do so in the past were met with little attendance and people lost money.

When attempting to develop events, the TDC and TDA said they may want to look at attracting “multi-day events” — functions that take the entire weekend. Such events will keep hotels booked.

But Franklin and Macon County have challenges in bringing large events because there is a lack of hotel space for attendees.

Simpson said if the county wants to draw tourists it needs to create an environment where events can be hosted.

This may require building a convention center, large softball complex and other facilities.

There are only about 300 hotel rooms in Franklin, which is not enough to accommodate large events.

By James McCarthy • Guest Columnist

Did the N.C. Department of Transportation hold an illegal meeting on Dec. 4 at Western Carolina University when it failed to give proper notification or invite the public? Actually there were two meetings held by the DOT on Dec. 4. One advertised and open to the public from 4 to 7 p.m. and the “no notification” meeting earlier on the same day at 2 p.m. for government officials only. The public was not notified nor was it invited to the 2 p.m. meeting. It is this earlier meeting that will be addressed here.

Although there are many opinions on what the law says — and believe me, I’ve heard many pros and cons on this issue — so I decided to go to the law itself. Using the Open Government Guide and conferring with legal counsel to direct me to the proper state statutes in determining if the DOT violated any laws by conducting the 2 p.m. meeting at WCU, there were three main statutes that appeared germane to the issue.

All three fall under the NC General Statute Sections 143-318.9, 10 and 12.

First, in Section 9, “Public Policy” provides that public bodies exist “solely to conduct the people’s business,” and “actions of the bodies to be conducted openly.”

That wasn’t done. The 2 p.m. meeting was not an open meeting because the people were deliberately excluded by the DOT, therefore the people’s business could not be conducted pursuant to state statute.

Second, in NCGS 143-318.10 (B) it states: “For purposes of the Open Meeting Law, public body means any appointed authority or other body of the Stat (DOT), the University of North Carolina or other political subdivision (WCU).” Any group that carries out activities on behalf of a public body or advises a public body is treated as a public body. This section determined both DOT and WCU to be “public bodies.”

We of the Jackson County Citizen Action Group view the aforementioned meeting as an “official” meeting and just because NCDOT never declared the 2 p.m. “meeting” either “open” or “closed” pursuant to NC General Statutes, “Meeting Categories A through G,” we have referred to this meeting, believing it was illegal, as the “Secret Meeting,” in that that meeting only became exposed to the public through the efforts of the media.

NCGS 143-318.12(B) states: “If a public body (DOT) holds an official at any time or place other than a time or place shown on the schedule filed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section it shall give public notice of the time and place of that meeting as provided in that subsection.” Public notice wasn’t given by the DOT. That law wasn’t followed by the DOT.

All DOT staff who where at the meetings in pay status can thank the citizens that were excluded from the “secret” meeting for footing the costs for conducting those meetings and paying the salaries and per diem(s) e.g. lodging, food, travel expenses, or other emoluments of those employees in attendance in pay status, especially those who travel from Raleigh to attend.

The elected officials need to be reminded of same, but I want to keep the focus on the DOT for now. Also, it is rather sad that of all the local elected officials only one appears to have been a whistle blower, which allowed myself and others to “crash the party.”

On entry I was asked if I was an “official.” I said yes, but I forgot to say what I was an official of.

Did Western Carolina University compromise its position by allowing the Department of Transportation to conduct what now appears to have been an illegal meeting on the WCU campus? WCU being a legal “Public Body” under NCGS doesn’t need even a hint of complicity with DOT in this regard. And in defense of the university, I don’t believe permission would have been given to the DOT to hold these meetings at WCU if the aforementioned had been known to WCU staff beforehand.

The blame belongs with DOT.

Excuses, as it wasn’t done purposely or done out of ignorance or even arrogance, is just not excusable. If the law was broken here, what we have is legal negligence and that behavior is not acceptable. I’m not going to speculate on what the DOT intent on calling the meeting was. I’ve heard they have been doing it for a long time as a standard operational procedure. If they have, it needs to stop and stop immediately. We of JAG will stay on it as a First Amendment issue. We have Americans coming home in body bags in defense of democracy and to many of us democracy starts first with our First Amendment rights.

(James P. McCarthy is President of the Jackson County Citizens Action Group)

By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer

North Carolina’s poet laureate Kathryn Stripling Byer listens to the CD “Alma,” composed by Harold Schiffman, in the mornings as she begins her day and when she drives to her home state of Georgia.

“Every time I hear the cantata, I hear more,” Byer said.

The CD holds special meaning to Byer as texts from her book of poetry, “Wildwood Flower,” inspired the composer to write the CD.

“With every artist no matter the medium you have echoes of works that add another dimension,” said Byer, a Cullowhee resident.

The word alma means “soul” in Latin, and while the poet and composer didn’t know each other until her words inspired his music, their mutual love for the mountains destined them to create the art that crossed their paths.

Written for a mixed chorus, mezzo-soprano solo and orchestra, “Alma” has been professionally performed three times most recently with a European premiere this past October.

Conducted by Mátyás Antal, the cantata was performed by the Gyor Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hungarian National Chorus in Gyor Hungary, which also coincided with Schiffman’s 80th birthday.

The composer

Born in Greensboro, Schiffman knew since age 13 that he wanted to be a composer.

Performing at local venues, he wrote his first pieces of music at age 14.

Schiffman has spent his life composing, and while music is his passion, poetry has been his muse.

For many years the composer has made contributions to the Academy of American Poets, and in the summer of 1993 he received a copy of Byer’s “Wildwood Flower.” Her book of poetry had been selected by the Academy of American Poets as the Lamont Poetry Selection for 1992.

“I just fell in love with the poems and sent her a fan letter,” Schiffman said.

In 1999, a Hungarian conductor wanted Schiffman to compose a mixed chorus and orchestra cantata, and Schiffman thought of Byer’s poems.

“Kay’s poems have marvelous rhythms, wonderful images and fantasy,” Schiffman said. “They are also wrapped up in nature, and I love that, too.”

The composer asked the poet’s permission, and the process of writing his first large choral composition began.

The art of arrangement

Schiffman didn’t analyze the poems he read, allowing the rhythms to come alive in his ears. He felt “lucky” as the music suggested itself out of the poetry.

As he made musical sketches, the music made itself happen and was very “tonal.”

“The poetry was accessible and there were clear forms and from those forms came ideas,” Schiffman said.

The composer felt the central piece of the composition was “Lullaby” due to its rhythm and harmony and related it to everything else he wrote.

In “Alma,“ there are six movements involving texts from “Wildwood Flower,” as well as two Biblical excerpts from The Song of Solomon and The Book of Job.

“Alma is a very romantic lyrical piece of music that has a rich orchestration,” Schiffman said. “Kay has illusions to Celtic and Appalachian music and some passages sound like folk music.”

To intertwine all the ideas involved, the composer turned to his favorite poem “Alma,” which not only inspired the title but opens the cantata.

“Alma is about a fictional mountain woman who lived around the turn of the century,” Schiffman said.

While working on his composition for the CD recording, he met Byer in 2000 at a concert at Western Carolina University.

In 2002, Schiffman finished the cantata, and has drawn critical praise since its CD release in 2004.

He currently resides with his wife, Jane, in Robbinsville part of the year, and while being commissioned for numerous works, Schiffman is thinking about setting new poems from Byer.

A distinguished background

After high school, Schiffman attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his master’s degree at the University of California at Berkeley.

Following service in the U.S. Army from 1951-54, Schiffman went on to earn his doctorate at Florida State University.

Throughout his musical career, Schiffman was influenced by instructor Roger Sessions in principal composition and mentor Ernst von Dohnányi.

Hired as a faculty professor at FSU in 1959, Schiffman went on to be the founding director of Florida State University Festival of New Music in 1981. He retired in 1983 and was designated Professor Emeritus two years later.

He presently serves as chair of the Music Advisory Board of UNC Greensboro, and has been commissioned to write music by many diverse groups. For more information on Schiffman visit www.haroldschiffman-composer.com.

The poet

Byer, born and raised in Southwest Georgia, promised herself she would live in the mountains that held a fascination with her since childhood.

Upon receiving her master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she taught poetry in the master’s of fine arts program at the UNC Greensboro. She served as Poet-in-Residence at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, and received the 2001 North Carolina Award for Literature.

Byer has received writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council.

Residing in Cullowhee, she is currently North Carolina’s poet laureate.

She has lived in the mountains of North Carolina since 1968, and when she first arrived in Cullowhee, she felt compelled to get a sense of her new home allowing the cadence, rhythm and way of life to connect with her.

In the midst of changing times, Byer found the mountain way of life staying relatively the same.

“Living toward the land made me feel particularly close to people,” Byer said.

While forming friendships, Byer looked to the mountains for poetry letting the local music and stories permeate her imagination.

Among her many published works she sensed something was different about the “Wildwood Flower” collection.

“These poems would just come to me and I just knew what to say,” Byer said.

Hiking in the Smokies, she imagined what life would be like living ruggedly in the mountains.

While writing she remembered Alma Presley, a friendly neighbor who had welcomed her.

“She was a generous and colorful old lady, and I became found of her,” Byer said.

The fond memory of that neighbor turned into the main voice of her poems as she titled one of them “Alma.”

Byer has always had a passion for music and singing, and when she heard Schiffman’s composition of her poems, it gave her goose bumps.

“He really captured it,” Byer said. “He caught the shades of the voices— the bounce and lilt and the cold sense of being trapped.”

Traveling to Hungary this past fall to see the European premiere of Schiffman’s “Alma” brought a resurrected youth to the poet.

“My poems connected with people so far away and spoke to them like the mountains spoke to me,” Byer said.

The poetic process

Byer describes “Alma” as a woman finding her way through her story by song.

“She was a singer of her own story and grew out of her struggles by singing her way through the dark nights,” Byer said.

The poet believes that women have been devalued in the mountains with little communication between a man and wife as the woman’s role was to be “silent.”

In her first poem “Wildwood Flower,” Byer deals with survival.

In “Empty Glass,” the poet lets the mountain woman’s voice sing despite the desperate cold and isolation.

In the second section, Byer notes the “undulating quality” of her poems as the mountain woman sings back through memories.

“She imagines herself becoming part of nature,” Byer said. “Harold’s music captures that journey of hers.”

While the core poems for Byer are “Alma” and “Empty Glass,” due to their mystical and lyrical aspects of nature, her poem “Lullaby” emerged from the particular image of heavy snow.

During one winter, Byer’s husband noted concern for the pressure of a heavy snow on their roof.

“I thought of Alma alone with snow on her roof,” Byer said. “She’s isolated and alone and needs to dig herself out of this place because she’s suffocating. She sets up a state of mind and she needs to find a way out which is why there is repetition of sound and image.”

It took Byer a year to write all the poems in “Wildwood Flower,“ and another year to organize them.

With other endeavors such as “Appalachian Song Book,” Byer proves her love of language is interwoven in the mountain’s musical fabric.

For more information on Byer visit her blog at www.kathrynstriplingbyer.blogspot.com.

Trevor Jones, a native of St. Cloud, Minn., is the new curator at the Mountain Heritage Center, Western Carolina University’s museum of Southern Appalachian natural and cultural history.

Jones was formerly curator of history at the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay, Wis. He earned bachelor’s degrees in history and German at Grinnell College, and a master’s degree in history and certificate in museum studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

In his role as curator at the Mountain Heritage Center, Jones will write, design and build exhibits; oversee the museum’s collection of artifacts; and assist visitors as they learn about the region.

“I’m excited to be working at the Mountain Heritage Center during such an exciting time in the organization’s history,” Jones said. “The center is in the process of launching innovative new programs and exhibits, and I’m pleased that I can be a part of it.”

Jones has published articles on a wide range of subjects, including the role of American Indians in the Civil War, blacksmithing at the dawn of the 20th century, and the digitization and preservation of rare and fragile museum materials. Recently, his research has focused on civil liberties and World War I.

Earlier this year, Jones was chosen as the first American recipient of the Global Curator Fellowship, a new honor sponsored by the Historians’ Special Interest Group of Museums Australia, and the Curators’ Committee of the American Association of Museums. The fellowship is bestowed upon one American and one Australian each year, and as the American honoree, Jones will attend and present a research paper at the May meeting of the Museums Australia Annual Conference in Newcastle, Australia. He also will attend the May conference of the American Association of Museums in Philadelphia.

The Mountain Heritage Center, located on the ground floor of WCU’s H.F. Robinson Administration Building, spotlights the human and natural history of the Southern Appalachian region with a wide variety of programming for adults and children, and through its exhibits and displays.

The museum is open free to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday year-round, and from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sundays, June through October. Because the Mountain Heritage Center observes a university holiday schedule, visitors should call the museum around major holidays at 828.227.7129 to inquire about visiting hours.

By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer

Providing a historic glimpse into triumph and tragedy of real life in Haywood County over the past 200 years, professional musicians Buddy Melton, Milan Miller and Mark W. Winchester have combined their talents to create the CD “Songs From Haywood County.”

Released in November, all the songs are original country, bluegrass and folk tunes derived from real life characters, criminals and events from Haywood County while celebrating its bicentennial.

Melton and Miller were born and raised in Haywood County with connections that go back to childhood as Melton’s mother was Miller’s second-grade teacher.

Winchester, a native of Monroe, has spent an abundant amount of time in the county and now resides in Nashville.

Melton who currently resides in the Crabtree area of Haywood County, is an accomplished fiddler and singer who performs regularly with the bluegrass band, Balsam Range, which has a new album “Last Train to Kitty Hawk” to be released in early February.

Miller grew up in Waynesville and has lived in Nashville since 1999, and is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed on television and national tours with Alan Jackson and the Grand Ole Opry.

Winchester is a songwriter and is well known for his abilities on the upright bass, which have landed him tenures with Emmylou Harris and the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

He has won a Grammy for his work with Setzer and written a top 40 country hit for Randy Travis.

The trio first worked together as part of the Nashville-based quintet Jubal Foster, which developed a following throughout the Southeast.

As the musicians have stayed friends through the years, creating songs about Haywood County has been a “satisfying experience.”

Taking music and adding an educational element to it with a historical background has been new venture for Melton.

“This was a different thing than anything I’ve done musically,” Melton said.

“It’s like gospel music. Some people can’t stand the pastor preaching, but they enjoy singing the Psalms. You can get some history of who you are from different formats.”

Melton hopes listeners will take away more appreciation for the county‘s history and possibly learn some stories they might not have known.

“Did you know the last shots of the Civil War were shot on Sulphur Springs Road?” Melton asked.

The local historic intrigue was spurred on when Melton noticed two graves near his house on a hill.

After further investigation, he found out the graves belonged to Dave and Mary Mason, and the musicians felt compelled to write the CD’s first song “The First Man They Hanged in This County,” which is about the deadly relations between the Masons.

As the musicians compiled song ideas, they wanted to make sure the CD was well-rounded with a variety of elements involved.

Putting a positive twist on the paper mill in Canton, the song “Papertown,” written by Miller, describes how the mill was a big part of the community as well as how the town was influenced by it.

“It’s a really great song, and I enjoy singing it,” Melton said.

The second song also written by Miller is “Henry Grooms was a Fiddler,” which is about a fiddler, his brother and brother-in-law who was charged with desertion. As the folklore goes, the fiddler, Henry Miller, was instructed to play one final song, and he chose the “Bonparte’s Retreat.”

All three men were shot and buried in a single grave located in a private cemetery.

Melton made efforts to travel to each song’s location and take photos, which are featured in the booklet that comes with the CD along with additional information and donated photos.

It took Melton three days to hike to the cave where Nance Dude was accused of leaving her granddaughter.

The song “Poor Child,” written by Winchester, captures the core of the Nance Dude story.

“It’s an intriguing story because people can’t believe the nature of how it happened and when it happened,” Melton said.

When discussing the song “Interstate,” written by Winchester, Melton noted how the politics involved had an impact on Haywood County “changing the face of the county.”

Melton shared that one of the great things about song writing is having the freedom to take any perspective desired.

When researching the history of Cataloochee, Miller wrote, “The Government is taking our homes,” which describes how the development of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park forced people out of their homes.

Capturing the emotion of that time included involving characters of the county such as in the song, “Sam Love Queen (The Square Dance King)” whose heritage is still alive today as his grandson state Sen. Joe Sam Queen attends and calls local dances.

Joe Sam is featured on this song using calls that were handed down by his grandfather.

Reflecting on his own personal experiences in the song “Good Ole Letha Hicks,” Melton describes the unique personality of a true mountain woman.

“She lived by herself, made moonshine, grew tobacco and had a funny accent,” Melton said. “She was a good person.”

When Melton was a young boy, he and his friends would take Letha firewood. He remembered a mountain hawk’s head staring at him in her living room as well as her hospitality.

“She wanted us to taste the pulled pork and whiskey she had made as well as see her quilts. When you left there, you left with something like a tobacco twist and it‘s hard to get all that into a song,” Melton said. “So we tried to capture some element of that.”

Creating an “Allman Brothers feel,” according to Melton, is the last song on the album, “The Big Gun at the Center of Clyde,” which is a tribute to veterans and written from the gun’s perspective by Winchester.

Used as a rendezvous spot and reference point, many Haywood County natives know the phrase “I’ll meet you at the Big Gun.”

“The gun came off a battleship, and a lot of people don’t know why it’s there,” Melton said. “We wanted to explain its history and presence.”

The group would work on the project whenever they could, emailing music files back and forth for about 10 months.

“Different folks can relate to different songs,” Melton said.

With more CDs ordered and a Web site in the works, Melton is confident that “Songs From Haywood County” offers something for everyone.

For more information on the CD, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Where to buy

Celebrating the bicentennial of Haywood County is the CD “Songs From Haywood County” performed by Buddy Melton, Milan Miller and Mark W. Winchester.

CDs are available at Osondu Booksellers, Music Box and Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters in Waynesville as well as Riverview Farm and Garden in Canton.

It took a team of Western Carolina University students just 10 days and dozens of discarded plastic bottles to design and build a product that is original, innovative, creative, useable — and award winning.

Three seniors in engineering technology at WCU will advance to the national Juicy Ideas Collegiate Competition, which challenged college students to design and build a prototype of a useful product out of a trash item. Judging was based on YouTube videos submitted by more than 160 of teams from colleges around the region.

When the required recyclable material was revealed — in this case, plastic bottles — the WCU engineering students began considering the possibilities: a yo-yo, solar panel, mailbox, medical device, cup holder, shower caddy.

“There were tons of things we could have done,” said Drew Tolliver of Atlanta.

“Yeah, we could have built a skyscraper if we wanted to,” fellow team member Ben Plowman of Waynesville said.

They settled, instead, on a windmill capable of generating small amounts of electricity.

Their third team member, Josh Kirkland of Hendersonville, began collecting bags full of empty plastic bottles from his residence hall, and the team broke its work into three stages, following a process they learned in the project management class of Phil Sanger, director of WCU’s Center for Rapid Product Realization.

“It’s really neat, because you think of the process in broader scale and then follow the steps like a waterfall. It’s easy to think about what you have to do down the line and not get overwhelmed,” Plowman said. Tolliver said, “It’s good because you sit there in class, wondering how you’re going to use this, and, bam, you’re using it. It was pretty cool.”

After brainstorming in the library and sharing ideas through instant messaging, the three settled on a miniature windmill and gathered in Plowman’s room to cut out and assemble the pieces. Kirkland figured out how to weld the parts together with solder because glue won’t stick to polypropylene, and they used a small wind-up flashlight motor for the generator. Everything else came from trash bags full of used bottles.

“We had plenty of spares. There was no shortage of the problem, which is the problem. There are so many of these throwaway items around, you need to figure out something to do with them,” Tolliver said.

“We tried to use very part of the bottle, including the cap and the o-ring that holds it on; even the threaded part of the neck,” Plowman said. From those parts, they made the blades, the body of the windmill, and a long post or handle. Best of all, their design works. With a light breeze, the windmill generates a quarter of a volt – enough electricity to power a tiny light or to charge a battery over time.

The contest was organized by AdvantageWest regional economic development arm. Tolliver, Plowman and Kirkland’s team earned third-place honors.

Editor’s Note: The following is testimony delivered by Mark Singleton of Sylva, who is the chairman of the Outdoor Alliance. Singleton is the executive director of the Sylva-based American Whitewater, a paddling advocacy organization. The Outdoor Alliance is made up of six advocacy groups. Singleton spoke to the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Dec. 10.

Mr. Chairman and members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee:

Outdoor Alliance is a coalition of six national, member-based organizations devoted to conservation and stewardship of our nation’s public lands and waters through responsible human-powered outdoor recreation. The Outdoor Alliance includes: Access Fund, American Canoe Association, American Hiking Society American Whitewater, International Mountain Bicycling Association, and Winter Wildlands Alliance. Collectively, the Outdoor Alliance has members in all 50 states and a network of almost 1,400 local clubs and advocacy groups across the nation. Our coalition represents the millions of Americans who hike, paddle, climb, mountain bike, backcountry ski and snowshoe on our nation’s public lands and waters.

Our staff and members spend much of their free time exploring public lands via the roads, trails, rivers, and at the campsites. Collectively, we witness firsthand the state of these resources and are among the many people impacted by an aging infrastructure that is mismatched with today’s priorities for public land management. We recognize the need for active and immediate efforts to bring our public lands infrastructure and in some cases the lands themselves up to standards. Perhaps most importantly today, we believe that doing so would create an array of economic benefits across multiple sectors of the United States economy immediately and for decades to come.

Specifically, we suggest that the Committee prioritize the following activities in an economic stimulus package:

U.S. Forest Service Road Decommissioning and Restoration: Unmanaged roads can wash out and erode, pollute water, damage wildlife habitat, impact recreation, and speed the spread of weeds. The current 380,000-mile U.S. Forest Service (USFS) road network contains many redundant, obsolete or unnecessary roads that are costly to maintain and do not serve the millions of people who visit national forests. Outdoor Alliance supports a common-sense policy, including retiring unnecessary roads to limit environmental damage and focusing scarce resources on maintaining the roads that best serve the public. Currently, deferred maintenance is over $8.4 billion nationwide and increases annually as allocated funds fall far short of annual maintenance needs. A number of national forests have already set sound road maintenance priorities, but lack the funds to reach those goals. An infusion of funding into road management would immediately put people to work and would avert risks to water supplies, wildlife habitats, recreational opportunities, and fire-sensitive communities.

USFS and BLM Recreation Infrastructure Improvements: Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands often provide the closest and best mountain biking, backcountry skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, paddling, and climbing opportunities for millions of Americans. Investing now in the construction and maintenance of trails, river access areas, campsites, parking areas, sanitary facilities, and other visitor amenities – in the tradition of the Civilian Conservation Corps – would immediately create new jobs and benefit our citizens and gateway economies for decades to come.

Federal Agency Recreation Field Staff: The primary federal land management agencies (U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) each have a significant need for recreation field staff. The National Park Service has proposed 3,000 new rangers as part of their Centennial Initiative, and the other agencies certainly have a similar need. Hiring field staff to interact with the visiting public would directly create thousands of new jobs, encourage recreation-based tourism, reduce planning conflicts and errors, and create new opportunities for volunteerism. We envision these individuals as highly skilled recreationists that share experiences with the public, forming an invaluable personal connection between public land managers and the public.

Each of these priorities would result in both immediate and lasting economic and societal benefits for communities near public lands and the nation as a whole. In addition, each of these priorities is a wise and necessary investment that will protect at-risk public assets. We ask that you consider the following relevant points:

These priorities offer a wide range of jobs. From backcountry trail crews requiring physical stamina, to engineers requiring years of higher education, the priorities we are suggesting provide a full range of job opportunities. Thus, these projects offer work for a broad cross section of citizens.

These priorities offer construction-related jobs. Many of the jobs relating to public lands infrastructure are within the hard-hit construction field. These jobs include heavy equipment operators, engineers, architects, surveyors, landscapers, and general contractors.

These priorities bolster the recreation economy. Outdoor recreation is a $730 billion industry in the US, and the vast majority of outdoor recreation occurs on public lands. These priorities will enhance recreation opportunities and in turn the recreation economy. The economic benefits of these actions are significant in both the manufacturing of outdoor equipment and products, and also in the nature-based tourism economies of countless and often rural communities. It is our belief that high quality infrastructure, landscapes, and management result in high-quality recreational experiences and in turn increased participation in human-powered outdoor recreation.

These priorities avert economic and ecological risks. Many roads and other infrastructure elements require maintenance to prevent failure – and failure can have massive impacts requiring costly remediation. Getting to work on the sizable backlog of basic maintenance and in some cases decommissioning of public land infrastructure is a good and needed investment. Doing so will protect the landscapes, water, and recreation that define our public lands, and protect our nation from future, much larger management expenses. Taking these actions is analogous to putting a new roof on your house to avoid major water damage – and by all accounts there are already some leaks in the old roof.

These priorities can happen right away. There is certainly no shortage of work to be done, and it is our understanding that agencies have active lists of projects in need of implementation. Unlike some agency actions, infrastructure maintenance and enhancements are generally non-controversial and in fact popular with the public. Therefore agencies should be able to complete the planning and implementation of such projects in short order. In the parlance of the day, what we have recommended is “shovel ready.”

These priorities have additional societal value. Protection and enjoyment of our American landscapes are core values of our nation. In addition to their inherent and iconic value, public lands provide human-powered outdoor recreation opportunities that foster public health, childhood development, an invaluable connection with nature, and other quality of life benefits. We believe that investing in our public lands is money well spent.

In conclusion, we feel that offering federal land management agencies significant economic stimulus funds for the priorities that we have listed above will have an immediate and lasting positive impact to the United States economy. We feel that the funding levels suggested at today’s hearing by the witnesses (Roughly $2 to $3.5 billion each for BLM and USFS per year, and roughly $1.5 billion for the NPS) represent reasonable balances between the agencies’ needs and their capacities.

Thank you for considering this testimony.

• Mark Singleton: Executive Director, American Whitewater; Chairman, Outdoor Alliance

• Brady Robinson: Executive Director, Access Fund

• Martin Bartels: Executive Director, American Canoe Association

• Greg Miller: Executive Director, American Hiking Society

• Mike Van Abel: Executive Director, International Mountain Bicycling Association

• Mark Menlove, Executive Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance

Editor’s note: The following is series of student-written excerpts from a five-day camping trip taken to the Hazel Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trip was taken by eighth-grade students from Mountain Discovery Charter School in Bryson City.

Day One:

The eighth-grade class loaded a Nantahala Outdoor Center bus with Southwestern Community College canoes and paddles. Director of Outdoor Education, Carter Petty said, “The trip would not have been possible without the contributions from Nantahala Outdoor Center and Southwestern Community College.”

The group then drove to Cable Cove and launched the canoes. Before the students set off on their journey, teachers asked them to compare their trip to Hazel Creek to the early settlers’ experience. From there it was the beginning of a week-long fun, and educational adventure. The canoe trip was two miles. After that, the students hiked four miles with heavy school back packs to their campsites.

Mountain Discovery’s well structured P.E. program prepared the eighth-grade class for the strenuous exercise during the trip. After hiking, the eighth-grade class set up camp and began cooking dinner. Eighth-grade student Sidney Parham thoughtfully informed the teachers, “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn life skills while also learning to work with other people.” Writing by headlamps, the students journaled about their day as early settlers. Students finished the day telling ghost stories around their camp fire.

Day Two

On Tuesday, the eighth-grade class woke up to the sounds of Hazel Creek. The students were all sore from their paddle across the lake and the 4-mile hike to the campsite on the previous day. Everyone ate bagels toasted in a frying pan with peanut butter or cream cheese for breakfast. After finishing the meal, leftovers went into the food bags to hang on bear cables, so the bears wouldn’t raid the campsite.

Splitting into groups, everyone read specific pages in the book, Fontana: A Pocket History by Lance Holland, about different subjects, including mining, logging, splash dams, and Horace Kephart’s contributions to the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After the class discussed these topics as a group, they packed up daypacks and went for a 5-mile hike to the Adams-Westfeldt mine. The class took their time and took a few breaks on the way there. Finally, the group discovered the spot on the trail that led to the mine and hiked through briars to get there.

Bushwhacking through the thick undergrowth led the group to a very steep part of the mountainside. Students climbed next to a 30-foot deep mine pit, which anyone could have easily fallen into if it hadn’t been fenced off. When finally reaching the highest point of the mine opening, the class paired up and went in. What was inside was amazing. Students witnessed gleaming ore streaking through the shaft. It was dark and cold with puddles of water everywhere. There was even a bat hanging from the ceiling! After everyone had climbed through the cave, they hiked back to the campsite along Hazel Creek for writing and dinner.

As students busily recorded the day’s events in their journals, their teacher, Mr. Killebrew, cut wood for a campfire. As the sun began to set, all sat around the campfire, listened to each other’s ghost stories, and relaxed. When it was time for “lights out,” everyone got into sleeping bags for a well-earned rest.

Day Three:

After waking up to a nice early morning drizzle, the students enjoyed a nice breakfast of fried bagels and g.o.r.p. (good ol’ raisins and peanuts), the students proceeded with their plans to hike to another campsite, which was about 3 miles away from the one they had been staying in so far.

After the hike, the students set up their tarps, did some reading, and then four of the students — Ethan Swartzentruber, Cassidy Quillen, Sidney Parham, and Colyn Petty — went to help one of their other teachers (who was swapping out for Mr. Jim Killebrew, who had been with them so far) get her things and herself up to the campsite. The students hiked down to the place where they had left their canoes on Monday, got into a canoe, and went out to get the other teacher, Mrs. Randa Jobe, who was quickly and efficiently brought to shore.

After a short hike back to camp with Mrs. Jobe, the students began to cook supper. After a wholesome meal of burritos filled with rice, refried beans, cheese, and salsa, the students enjoyed a quick reading of “The Lorax” by Dr. Suess, and went to sleep.

Day Four:

After the light drizzle the previous day, the eighth-grade students set out towards the Proctor graveyard to learn of Hazel Creek’s ancestry. They made their way up through beautiful scenery towards the graveyard. As the students arrived, the cemetery surroundings reminded them of a great and luscious garden where the departed should be laid to rest.

The group learned of the town’s august lineage starting with Moses and Patience Proctor, the founders of the town of Proctor. The gravestones taught students about life spans in Proctor. While at the cemetery, students also learned about the controversy over the North Shore Road. The eighth-graders learned about the reasons behind both opinions on the Road to Nowhere. Students were amazed that any elderly person would ever be able to access such a remote spot without modern transportation in order to visit their departed loved one’s gravesites.

Later, after doing a tree study around the campsite, most of the eighth-graders went for a swim in a nearby swimming hole. The water was unbelievably cold. One at a time, the students would enter the water, and eventually, being persuaded by their peers, go underwater. At one point, all the eighth-raders ran into the frigid creek and fell forward into the water. The students enjoyed swimming, and the temperature of the water in some ways increased and in other ways stifled the fun in this experience. Most of the time was spent shivering on the waterside, joking and watching Ethan Swartzentruber spiking up his wet hair, a talent the class has been entertained by on many occasions.

Soon, the eighth-graders were tired of their goose bumps and chattering teeth and proceeded to change clothes and make dinner; dinner was rather unappetizing that night. There was a group discussion after the dishes and stoves were cleaned and put away, and after that, they went to bed.

There was a slight issue that had to be dealt with before turning in for the night. There were some men in a campsite that the groups feared were drinking alcohol, which was worrisome for the girls camping nearby. Within minutes, the classmates worked together to relocate the girls closer to the main group where they felt much safer. This showed how much could be done when classmates workd together with a common goal. Thus ended Day 4 of the Hazel Creek camping trip for the Mountain Discovery School eighth-graders.

Day Five:

After a long night on Thursday, the whole class woke up and started to cook toasted bagels and oatmeal. When the group got done cleaning the campsite up, it was time to get into the boats and head back. When canoeing back to the bus, most of the class saw river otters swimming around in the water. The students who saw the otters were amazed how close the otters were to the boats.

Upon arrival, the exhausted students took everything out of the boat and loaded the bus. Several students helped load the boats onto the bus, while others were cleaning out the boats and securing the life vests and paddles. Finally, the group of eighth-graders jumped on the bus to head to Fontana dam.

Upon arrival at the dam, students learned about how long it took to build the dam and how many people it took to build the dam. Students explored the structure of the dam as Mr. Carter Petty explained the building process.

Time to leave the dam ... students were very happy because everyone had missed the little things like running water, bathrooms, and their own beds. Students had gotten used to the challenges that were put in front of them, and they all worked together to make the trip exciting. Since their return, students have been working together like one big family. This camping trip was a great way to get everyone to open students’ eyes about the hardships endured by early settlers and how one company such as the Ritter Lumber Company can impact so many lives in both positive and ultimately negative ways through taker methods of clear cutting timber, then leaving the land scarred and people without jobs when resources get depleted.

We must all learn from the example set by the Ritter Lumber Co. and consider all consequences on people and ecosystems when we continue to take and consume without regard for our surroundings and others. We CAN make a difference with a greater awareness of the world around us and our impact on it.

It’s time for Waynesville to get going on its land use plan review, especially since the economic downturn has slowed development and provided a window of time where big projects just aren’t coming along.

Waynesville’s land use plan is about five years old. It is based on smart growth principles and requires commercial developers to build sidewalks, plant trees along the street and in their parking lots, and adhere to architectural standards. Signs are kept short and parking lots are kept small, or at least not oversized. Parking is placed to the side or rear so that building facades and not parking lots define the streetscape.

While the plan has won many awards, it is also the bane of some developers. They say it was not designed with some uses in mind — particularly large commercial projects — and therefore needs to be tweaked. Although we support the plan and most of its components, taking a second look is a smart idea. When the plan was passed it was often referred to as a work in progress, able to be updated as Waynesville changed and grew.

A committee was established seven months ago to begin this process. This review needs to begin with the same energy and zeal that accompanied the creation of the original plan. Waynesville’s adoption of this land use plan helped cement its reputation as a progressive town with the backbone to preserve its best attributes while welcoming growth, and a place willing to do so in the face of many critics. It should take pride in continuing to build on that reputation.

Swain gambling on inmates

We hope it works out for Swain County, but we’re fearful that it just isn’t going to happen and that taxpayers are going to be in for a rude awakening.

Swain leaders are hoping that inmates from out of county will defray costs at the new jail. Overhead for the new 109-inmate facility has increased $20,000 per year, and that doesn’t include extra staffing. In addition, the loan payment on the mortgage is $452,000 per year.

“We desperately need it to pay for itself,” says County Commission Chairman Glenn Jones.

So here’s the math: If Swain lands federal prisoners, it gets $75 per day. To pay for the extra overhead — $20,000 — it will need to house at least one federal inmate 267 days a year. That sounds reasonable because if some inmates do come to the facility, it’s likely to be more than one or two.

The loan on the new jail is $454,000 annually, which comes out to $37,833 per month. Again, if federal inmates stay in Swain, it gets $75 per day. The jail would need to house 504 for at least one night per month for that to add up to $37,833. That’s about 17 per day, which would be in addition to the 30 to 50 the jail already deals with each day to meet its own criminal problems.

That sounds like an awful ambitious plan. Swain was able to get a low-interest loan to build a jail much larger than needed for its own inmate population. We wish them the best, but we fear taxpayers are going to end up footing the bill for this project.

Macon leaders do well by constituents

Macon County commissioners took a step last week their constituents will appreciate.

They switched to a twice a month meeting schedule. The Smoky Mountain News reported a couple of weeks ago that the Macon commissioners have recessed a lot more meetings than any other elected body in the region. In the last 10 months they’ve recessed at least 17 meetings. During the same time period Jackson recessed three and Haywood just one.

The problem with recessing meetings is that no public notice is required to reconvene. It keeps the public guessing about when their business is being discussed and decreases the opportunity for voters to attend and offer comment on what’s going on.

If a public body has to recess a few meetings in order to finish dealing with a long agenda, that’s expected. For it to become common practice — as it had in Macon — is a sure-fire way to erode credibility.

The new meetings schedule has the board meeting on the second Monday at 6 p.m. and the fourth Monday at 2 p.m. We think the public will appreciate this new schedule.

This spring, the greens served in Haywood Community College’s cafeteria couldn’t have been more local — they were grown just outside on the college campus itself by horticulture students.

The buy-local movement has taken off at HCC. In addition to ramping up the horticulture capacity on campus to provide even more student-grown food in the cafeteria, the school has also launched initiatives to buy from local farmers.

When Jim Hill took the position as HCC’s food service manager, he learned of lettuce being grown by the horticulture students and approached instructor George Thomas about supplying the cafeteria with produce. Thomas’s students provided lettuce to top burgers and stocked the salad bar with fresh spring mix several times. Hill watched with pleasure as diners sought out the greens grown on site.

“There was really buy-in from the students who eat in the cafeteria,” Hill said. “I like that students in the classes are growing for a purpose.”

Haywood students are learning about alternative growing methods like hydroponics where plants grow in a nutrient rich liquid solution instead of soil, and aeroponics where plants get a fine mist of nutrients and water to the roots in lieu of soil.

What’s more, students are learning a practical skill: how to produce much-needed food.

The college’s current aeroponics system was made possible by a mini grant from the Haywood Community College Foundation. Hill and Thomas are seeking more support so they can expand their systems and expand the college’s food production. In addition to more lettuce, Hill wants to serve herbs, tomatoes, and mixed vegetables grown on campus.

Hill is also championing local farms by asking for it from their produce supplier, Christopher Produce of Haywood County. The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is in the process of certifying Christopher Produce as an Appalachian Grown distributor. Appalachian Grown branding identifies farm products grown or raised on family farms in Western North Carolina and the Southern Appalachian mountains.

Hill, in addition to participating in Farm to School programs offered by ASAP, will work with the organization to design a promotional campaign for local food in the cafeteria.

“Local food production is a vital part of any community. It provides jobs for growers and a sense of connection to food for the consumer,” Thomas says, looking at local food not only as a product for his students, but as a benefit for all.

By Chris Cooper

I guess it’s a kind of Christmas tradition. Every year around this time I go on the hunt for Christmas music that provides a bit of the prerequisite holiday spirit without making the listener want to smack themselves in the head with a can of cranberry sauce. Or even, worse, stuff it in their ears lest they hear one more version of “Jingle Bells” sung by an aging (or deceased) crooner or some new flavor of the minute pop “star.”

So this time we’ve got Bela Fleck and the Flecktones aiming their prodigious newgrass/jazz/fusion talents at a batch of holiday tunes, and some of the best of the newer batch of female singer-songwriters taking on this classic material with Hotel Café’s Winter Songs collection. Here we go ...

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: Jingle All The Way

As many times as “Jingle Bells” has been twisted around, mutated or otherwise creatively interpreted, the Flecktones have to be the first to toss the Tuvan throat singing of the Alash Ensemble into the mix. And that’s just the opening track. Fleck and Co. have no trouble fusing forward thinking harmonic ideas with traditional melodies, and throughout Jingle All The Way the chance taking yields wonderful, if sometimes quirky, results. They slip into a swinging, syncopated waltz on “Silent Night,” with bassist extraordinaire Victor Wooten sneaking finger busting lines and sly rhythmic ideas into every nook and cranny. Without warning, the band segues into “Sleigh Ride,” and continues the craziness, this time with Jeff Coffin doubling Fleck’s breakneck reading of the main melody, and humorous fills from all involved. Then Wooten goes off with a gorgeous reading of “The Christmas Song,” and fills it with his signature two-handed tapping, sparkling harmonics and that inimitable sense of daring and precision that’s all his own.

One of the most beautiful Christmas compositions, at least to me, has always been Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here,” and the Flecktones turn in yet another inspiring reading here, keeping the original’s haunting melody intact while playing around respectfully with the composition. That they couldn’t help but slide into the classic “Linus And Lucy” theme is typical of the group’s virtuosic sense of humor. From here they take on Tchaikovsky, Bach and Joni Mitchell with equal aplomb. This certainly isn’t an album you’ll find yourself listening to out of season, but it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll spin it each and every Christmas after hearing it once.

The Hotel Café Presents: Winter Songs

Some of these are voices you’ve heard in various commercials hawking anything from cell phones to music downloading services. Don’t hold that against them. Some are some of the most recognizable new artists in the singer-songwriter genre; Brandi Carlile, KT Tunstall and Nicole Atkins are certainly forces to be reckoned with. And then there’s Katy Perry, whose inclusion in this project is inexplicable beyond sheer popularity and name recognition. That, indeed, you can hold against whoever spearheaded this thing. At the very least, though, the whole project is for a good cause, with 50 cents of each CD sale going to the Susan G. Komen fund for breast cancer research, and with the artists waiving all royalties on each digital download of the medley track “Auld Lang Syne.”

KT Tunstall takes “Sleigh Ride” to an awfully fun and groovy place, taking chances with the classic’s arrangement with a thick backbeat and a playful toy piano throughout. Alice Smith brings her powerful voice and a certain feeling of world weary soul to “Silver Bells,” and Nicole Atkins spins a classy (and classic in a distinctly vintage sense) version of “Blue Christmas.” And Fiona Apple’s picture perfect “Frosty the Snowman” brings to mind Billie Holiday in its time warping feel and her quivering vibrato. Meiko talks about shooting Santa down in the middle of town (doubtful she’s talking about the gift bearing fat guy) and while this is a fine and unusually sexy original composition, having a female singer cooing about having been “a bad, bad girl...” right next to Fiona Apple’s track seems a little weird. Or fitting- your call. Katy Perry’s take on “White Christmas” is redeemed only by it’s noticeably UNDER-produced quality, quite a step for the MySpace maven.

Winter Songs delivers a pleasant collection of singers and songs for the tinsel and wrapping paper season, and while some tunes fare much better than others, fans of any of these artists will find plenty to like here. I still think Fiona Apple takes the prize here, though. Disagree if you like.

(Chris Cooper can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

By Danny Bernstein • Guest Columnist

Our national parks have been assaulted by new rulings in the closing days of the Bush Administration. Users and lovers of the national parks have to say no — no guns, no bikes, and no dogs.

Guns

The Bush Administration has finalized a decision to allow concealed, loaded firearms at 388 of 391 national park sites. That includes the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The administration did not listen to the vast majority of comments from people who said “no” to allowing guns in national parks. Nor did they listen to the professionals such as the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, the Association of National Park Rangers, the Ranger Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, and the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association.

What upsets me is that these folks making these decisions have never spent a night sleeping cheek to jowl in a shelter or discussed and argued about where to put up a tent. I wonder when they last walked a backcountry trail in a national park. Professional park associations are concerned about opportunistic wildlife killings. Someone sees a bear, panics and shoots it. I’m just as concerned about a person in a shelter getting into an argument over personal space or noise and pulling out a gun. I’ve asked campers to pick up their trash on the trail and campsite and I often get ignored or even cursed out. What if this litterer now has a gun?

“If you’re allowed to carry a concealed weapon on Main Street, you’re allowed to carry that weapon in a national park and wildlife refuge,” an Interior Department spokesman said. This ruling even reached the British newspapers. It’s not going to sound good to international visitors who already think that all Americans carry guns down the street. Yet, national parks are one of the safest places to walk. They’re also the best place to see wildlife, because mountain bikes are not allowed on the trails. Until now.

Bikes

The National Park Service is considering a plan to relax their regulations governing bicycles on trails. This change potentially is being made without public notice or review and would allow Park Superintendents to designate trails for mountain biking. That means that you could be meeting a cyclist coming down the hill on the Alum Cave Trail in the Smokies as you huff and puff up to Mt. LeConte. That scenario in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is not too-far fetched.

Another unintended consequence. Mountain bikers are more prone to accidents and need more rescues than hikers. The Smokies doesn’t need the extra expense of pulling out people who crash on their bikes. Currently the Smokies doesn’t charge an entrance fee and it doesn’t charge for rescues, as several parks do. The park is so underfunded that it shouldn’t be asked to spend more money on rescues or law enforcement.

No one has yet talked about lifting the ban on dogs on backcountry trails, but I stand ready for that one also. There are good reasons why guns, bikes, and dogs are not allowed on the trails. The national parks are meant to preserve the environment and leave it unimpaired for future generations. You want to bike with your dog and gun, go to Pisgah or Nantahala National Forests where hiking is only one of many uses. There’s a big difference between a National Park and a National Forest. In Pisgah, the trails are rougher and less maintained so mountain bikes are not going to make much of a difference.

I have nothing against cyclists, hunters, or dog owners — well maybe dog owners if they can’t control their dogs. Just not in a national park.

Danny Bernstein, a hike leader and outdoor writer, is the author of Hiking the Carolina Mountains. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Mark W. Winchester (MW) and Milan Miller (MM) answer questions about the collaboration of “Songs From Haywood County.”

SMN: How was this project different for you from other CDs you have worked on?

MW: It was different in a lot of ways. Setting out with the intention to write it was exciting. Knowing we had these subjects to cover, reading the research, sitting down with a guitar hoping the songs would appear, and being amazed when they did, was wonderful. It was different for me in that I had to let go of my pre-conceived notions of what the final version of the songs I was making up would be. I would go over to Milan’s when I had one and just bang it down roughly as a guitar and vocal demo, and let Milan work his magic. A great example of that is “Maggie of the Valley” because I wrote the melody instrumentally on the guitar, then began to add the lyric, but I never even figured out what chords went with it, so the rough demo is just me singing it over those same notes being played on the guitar. Milan had a lot to do with how great that song turned out as he fleshed it out and built the tracks for it. When I went over one night to play bass on the track, I was blown away with his vocals and the whole backing track. So, the collaborative nature of it was different for me, and in this case wonderful.

MM: There were a couple of main differences. Here in Nashville, most of the recording is driven by hopes of hit records and broad commercial success. Secondly, it is almost a necessity to stay within a specific genre or format to allow for focused promotion and marketing.

With “Songs From Haywood County,” we knew from the conception of the project that outside of people from Haywood County, much of the material might not be of interest, or in some cases even make sense. When we were writing these songs, our main focus was to stick as close to the history books (and folklore) as possible. On the production side of things, we didn’t feel the need to commit to one specific type of music, which explains the blending of country, folk, bluegrass, and pop styles that make up the album.

Do you have a favorite song on the CD? Why?

MW: It is hard to pick a favorite. I know when I use to ride around listening to early rough mixes of the project, the next few days I always found myself humming or singing, “Henry Grooms was a Fiddler” or “The Government’s Taking our Homes” which has such an infectious chorus, I would bust out in that one a lot. What Milan did with “Big Gun” is amazing. That one makes me grin every time I listen to it, and hearing my children belt it out in the car fills me with pride and joy. Of all the songs that came through me, and I say that because as songwriters have always said, the good ones seem to just mysteriously appear, I was glad “Poor Child” came together like it did. That story affected me so the first time Buddy described it, that I knew I wanted to write about it and wanted it to be powerful. But it’s hard to pick a favorite.

MM: I can honestly say that I like all of the songs included on the project, but for different reasons. For example, I remember very clearly the first time Mark (Winchester) played me the song about the Nance Dude story (“Poor Child”). I couldn’t believe how he had captured the horror and emotion of the story in a 3-minute song. If I listen closely to the words, I still get a little unnerved, even after hearing it many times through the recording process. “Papertown” is more of a sentimental favorite, while songs like “Interstate” and “For The Pigeon River” are fun from a musical standpoint because we really get to step on the gas.

What do you want folks to know the most about this CD?

MW: What I want people to know most about this CD is a hard question. For one thing, it is absolutely a ride that is worth the cost of admission. I heard a famous novelist say once in regards to historical fiction that the broad understanding of a time, or an event, or a place is best arrived at by looking at the details of the individual lives and circumstances involved — or something to that effect, and I feel that is what makes this CD so appealing. The stories are real and true. I gave one to a friend to listen to, a Canadian whose lived in America for many years and her comment was, “Great CD!, I’m right there. It really pulls you in.” So. I want people to know — if you’re from up around there, It’s gonna feel like home. And if you’re not from up around there, this record will make you wish you were.

The only other thing I would add is that it was such a satisfying experience to work with Milan and Buddy on this in such a collaborative way. It unfolded at a natural pace, over time, and to sit there and just start talking about all the unique things that happened in Haywood County and knock around the idea that if we made up songs about all of them we could have a CD — to start that process, and then find out halfway through that it was the county’s bicentennial, (and the songs were turning out great by then) made it seem like fate. In the music business, it is so rare to have a project go so smoothly, and not bog down in ego. It seemed like the roles that fell to us, we were each suited to, and we didn’t have to force anything. It wouldn’t have happened without Buddy’s research, writin’, fiddlin’ and beautiful voice, and Milan Miller’s talent as a writer, singer, musician and especially producer. He wouldn’t put it on the CD that way, but he produced this record. He has a real talent for it. Anyway. I’m proud to be a part of Haywood County’s history now, too.

MM: It was a lot of fun to make this record, and I certainly learned things about Haywood County that I didn’t previously know. Hopefully the listeners will have a similar experience and find it both entertaining and educational.

I hold Buddy and Mark in very high regard, both as friends and musicians, and it was great to get to work with them again. I also appreciate the overwhelming support that we have received from the community since we released this project in late November.

A brief synopsis of “Nance Dude,” which is one of three dramatic monologues in “Land’s End” written by Gary Carden:

In February of 1913, Nancy Kerley, more commonly known as Nance Dude, was told by her son-in-law, Will Putnam, to take her 2-year-old granddaughter, Roberta, and give her away.

The child was rumored to be born out of wedlock, and the family had more people living in the home than was allowed by the landlord.

For three days Dude walked the roads of Haywood County, and no one would take the child. She carried the little girl the majority of the time.

Finally, Dude risked going home, and the door was locked.

Dude got desperate as she ventured near Ad Tate Knob on Utah Mountain in Dellwood.

Upon returning to the Putnam home, she said she gave the little girl to a preacher in Tennessee.

Two weeks later, the little girl was found dead in a cave, and a lynch mob showed up to hang Dude.

She was 65 when she was sentenced to prison. She came home at age 80, and her daughter, Lizzy, wouldn’t let her stay.

She had a $10 bill in her shoe, which she slid under the door and then walked out of Jonathan’s Creek for good.

A grocer gave her a can of peaches and took her to Conley’s Creek where she lived in a utility shed which had a dirt floor and no running water or electricity. This was her home until she died.

Visitors could soon be toting loaded, concealed guns in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A long-standing ban on loaded guns in national parks has been lifted by the Bush Administration.

Of 140,000 public comments that came in on the issue, the vast majority opposed the proposal — including every former director of the National Park Service who is still living and several park ranger associations.

Park rangers have come out strongly against the move, fearing it will increase danger in remote areas without back-up law enforcement nearby. National parks are currently some of the safest places in the United States for crime, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report.

“This regulation will put visitors, employees and precious resources of the National Park System at risk,” said Bill Wade, president of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. “We will do everything possible to overturn it and return to a common-sense approach to guns in national parks that has been working for decades.”

Wade said the Bush Administration buckled to the interests of the National Rifle Association over the concerns of every day Americans.

The new regulation would not only risk the safety of visitors and rangers but could increase shootings of wildlife, according to opponents.

Hunting is not allowed in national parks. Right now, it is easy to tell if someone is in the park trying to hunt illegally. But if guns were allowed, poachers could simply say they are out for a stroll with their guns in hand but not hunting. The Association of National Park Rangers believes that wildlife poaching will increase as a result.

The National Parks Conservation Association contends the government should have conducted a formal environmental review of the policy change since it has the potential to affect resources, namely wildlife. That argument could provided the basis for a court appeal.

Previously, visitors with guns in their vehicles that passed through national parks had to make sure the gun wasn’t loaded and was safely stowed. Hunters chasing their dogs or wounded game across the national park boundary had to hide their guns under rocks or bushes before crossing into the park.

The new specialty license plate for Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, sporting a black bear against a mountain ridge line, continues to show record support among drivers.

Friends of the Smokies brought in $338,280 from its special black bear license plate program in 2008, an increase of $95,520 or 39 percent over 2007.

“We are truly thankful to see such strong support for the tag program during these uncertain economic times,” said Elaine Stewart, manager of the North Carolina office of Friends of the Smokies. “It’s harder for people to give a lot these days, but when a lot of people give a little, it really adds up.”

Of the extra $30 cost for the specialty tag, $20 goes to Friends of the Smokies to support projects and programs on the North Carolina side of the park. Launched in 1999, the Smokies license plate has now raised nearly $1.5 million.

With these funds, Friends of the Smokies has supported a wide variety of projects and programs in 2008:

• Assisting with black bear conservation initiatives.

• Helping purchase two electric vehicles for use in Smokemont and Cataloochee.

• Providing educational programs for park visitors and local schoolchildren.

• Launching plans for new educational exhibits at Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

• Protecting the park’s hemlock forests from the deadly hemlock woolly adelgid.

• Supporting the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center in Haywood County.

• Improving backcountry safety and management programs.

• Supporting air quality research.

• Sustaining the country’s largest Student Conservation Association internship program.

• Providing support for the park’s Volunteer Visitor Assistance Program.

“Next year we will celebrate the park’s 75th anniversary,” said Stephen W. Woody, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Friends of the Smokies. “We have so much work to do then to support conservation, education, trail improvements, and more, and we hope people will continue to contribute to our efforts one plate at a time.”

By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer

Stoned by children, considered a witch by some and a complete outcast by others, the story of Nance Dude has left a legacy in Haywood County.

Local playwright and storyteller Gary Carden has written the play “Nance Dude,” which will be performed by Elizabeth Westall Dec. 12 and 13 at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

In the winter of 1913, the 65-year-old woman, Nance Dude, was found guilty of causing the death of her 2-year-old granddaughter by burying her in a cave in Haywood County.

She was almost lynched and ended up serving 15 years of hard labor of her 30-year sentence as a convict at the women’s prison in Raleigh.

Paroled at the age of 80, she lived out the rest of her life on Conley’s Creek near Bryson City and died at the age of 104 in 1952.

“She dropped dead chopping wood to sell to tourists,” Carden said. “She made enough money to keep body and soul together.”

Carden remembers seeing Dude when he was a child riding in his grandfather’s oil truck as they passed her on the road.

“She was an incredibly old woman with all this wood tied on her back with a mob of dogs around her,” Carden said.

Carden based his play on the book “The Legend of Nance Dude,” by Maurice Stanley.

The playwright noted Stanley married a woman from Waynesville and while visiting Haywood County, Stanley spent time at the library and stumbled onto the history of Dude which prompted him to write his book.

Carden has asked Stanley to be involved with his play, sharing his perspective as a humanist scholar.

Carden has turned Dude’s story into a provocative piece believing she paid for being an unwed mother who was forced to make bargains and tradeoffs all her life.

“I dealt with the role of women in the mountain culture, and Dude is an indication of that,” Carden said.

Writing the piece over a decade ago, the playwright had thought of writing about Dude for years since he had known her story since childhood.

“Most local people know her story front-wards and backwards, and my goal is to give a voice to the people who were denied a voice,” said Carden

Carden’s play predicts what she might have said given the chance to speak. The most intriguing fact about Nance Dude is her silence. She never confessed to her crime, nor provided any information about the circumstances surrounding it, according to Carden.

“She was a victim of total circumstance,” Carden said.

During his research of Haywood County and Western North Carolina, certain aspects of that time period made an impression on Carden, and he wove them into the framework of what her life was like.

“She was alive during the Civil War and saw soldiers come home,” Carden said.

The playwright touches on other local folklore in hints and indications throughout Dude’s monologue, such as the fiddler, farmer and handicapped man who were shot in Jonathan’s Creek, as well as the man who laid down in his ashes and died laughing.

Carden wants the audience to take away an awareness that this woman “is an awful lot like you and me.”

“She’s a survivor and did what she had to do to stay alive,” Carden said.

Westall’s “Nance Dude”

Westall, 77, has performed “Nance Dude” hundreds of times for numerous events including museums, schools and libraries around the region, and Carden feels her portrayal of Dude is “exactly right.”

The actress has appeared in numerous productions in the Burnsville area since she retired from teaching drama and English at Mountain Heritage High School.

The story of Dude touches Westall’s heart now just as much as it did the first time she performed it.

“This is the best thing I’ll ever do,” Westall said. “There’s something about one heart, one soul, one miserable lost person who reaches out to others.”

Westall is legally blind, and the first thing she does when preparing to perform is locate the boundaries where she can move.

“Maybe the fact that I don’t see has made me more aware of the frailties of other people,” Westall said.

With a black book, chair, stump and hatchet, the actress portrays the Dude as a suffering person during the 55-minute performance, and she believes that on a whole the piece touches men more than women.

“Gary Carden does a miraculous job of seeing inside a woman’s mind and heart,” Westall said. “He has a way with words.”

The actress believes that since Carden didn’t condemn her, she shouldn’t either.

Though many people think Dude is guilty of abandoning her grandchild, Westall doesn’t rule out the possibility that the son-in-law had a hand in the actual crime and Dude took the blame.

“I think circumstances can drive people to do unthinkable things and put people in situations they never dreamed they‘d be in,” Westall said.

She hopes the audience will feel compassion toward her portrayal of Dude, acknowledging she is a somebody who loved and was loved and had a raw deal all her life, according to Westall.

The actress believes Dude lived to be 104 because of her tenacity and strength, and when she started rehearsing the play over 10 years ago, she wept.

Sensing the character reached out to her, Westall confessed she does feel selfish about the part — like it’s hers.

“I love doing this play, and this might be the last time I do it. I am getting old, and I have done this a long time. I’ll be 78 on Christmas Day, which is not quite as old as Nance Dude, but getting there,” Westall said.

By Linda McFarland • Guest Columnist

Here we are in the holidays, the most sacred and profane time of year. When we yearn for simple pleasures and traditions, for celebrations which affirm connection and presence, how do we find meaning in the frenzy of consumption and excess?

Each year, for me, the challenge is to distill the essence of this season to determine what is good and nurturing, what really feeds our spirits and gives us hope, what is the proper antidote to the spiritual junk food that rains down on us, relentless and unbidden.

What I hear, in the silence, is:

Be more, do less. Be quiet. Turn off everything that makes noise and claims your attention. Listen to the stillness that ensues. Savor the silence. This is the time of the solstice, the time of long nights and darkness and mystery and introspection. Allow yourself to rest.

Be grateful. Notice all your blessings: life and breath and health, clean water, fresh air, food, shelter, warm clothes, people you love who love you, even those you don’t like very much but you tolerate and learn from, the stars that shine up there all the time even when you can’t see them, the presence of the Holy.

Be restless, unwilling to settle for anyone else’s idea of what this time looks like and means.

Be generous. Act on every impulse to do good, especially if no one else will know who did it.

Be attentive. Notice what is really going on, this minute, not what you expect to happen. Be playful. Do something different, daily, something “unlike you.” Have fun!

Be honest. Consider what is important to you, really worth your time and attention. Live that.

Be open to wonder, innocent, seeing with the eyes of a child.

Be tender. Pray for an open heart, and allow that to happen.

Be gentle with yourself. If you are the main creator of festivities in your circle, ask for help. Share the work and play. Most everything is more fun with a buddy. Be reasonable and relaxed.

Be excited with anticipation, as when a baby is expected. Something new and special is coming. Welcome it. Be willing to be surprised.

Be aware. Hold within your consciousness the contradictions — beauty and gaudiness, violence and peace, grief and joy, exhaustion and energy, poverty and abundance, darkness and radiance, the divine and the ordinary, “no room” and infinite space.

Rejoice! You have reclaimed the holiday season, infused it with meaning. Let it come to you!

Linda McFarland lives at Lake Junaluska.

By David Curtis

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise?

If a man is putting up Christmas lights and his wife is not there to supervise, is he still wrong?

There are no answers to the questions above, for they are philosophical in nature — not questions with good solid answers, but the type of questions that make you question life itself. Like, “Why am I out here in the cold and dark — did I say cold? — stringing lights on this bush.”

Several times this past week I saw a couple of dedicated employees from the town of Clyde faithfully stringing Christmas lights. The workers were using long poles to string the lights high in the 40-plus Bradford pear trees that run the length of Clyde’s main street. It was two men that were stringing the lights; probably veterans of many Christmas light details so no spousal supervision was needed as these two carried out the holiday ritual for which Clyde is well known.

I remember reading in the paper several years back the former mayor of Clyde, when asked what the town board has done for its residents (it must have been an election year question), said something to the effect that they were really proud of their Christmas lights. And they should be, the lights are simple white lights tastefully strung from tree to tree — not flashing obscenely, or multi colored, or surrounded by tacky inflatable Santas, reindeer or smiling Christmas trees. My daughter calls these contraptions “blowy-uppies.”

Growing up in Minnesota, I’m used to it getting dark early in the winter, around October. OK, we’re not quite that far north, but in December it is usually dark by 4:30 in the afternoon, so you would think having Christmas lights would be a popular activity to ward off seasonal depression disorder. Besides, ice fishing doesn’t really get going until after New Year’s.

I don’t recall many neighbors in my hometown that put up Christmas lights, but those that did used the only lights available — red, blue, green and yellow colored lights with large bulbs that sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. As fancy as we got was to outline the front window and door, then if there was any lights extra maybe circle them a few times around whatever was growing by the front steps.

My wife likes Christmas lights, but they don’t like me. For several years when the girls were little we would put what seemed like miles of small colored lights around a fat blue spruce in the front yard. I would use a long forked stick to place the lights on the high branches. The first couple nights the light would look festive, then the Christmas light gremlins would arrive.

You know the routine; several days of Christmas light bliss and then without warning your holiday light display goes to hell in a hand basket. You plug in the lights and the top of the tree is dark, or the lights in the middle of the tree flash, then the dog chews the extension cord in half. You remove the top strand and go through 30 feet of lights bulb by bulb only to discover it was just the fuse, something your wife suggested you check first. You replace the strand and a day later another goes out.

The spruce is now too large to decorate — boy were those needles sharp — so now instead of lighting up one large tree we do several smaller evergreens, with more forgiving foliage, and several boxwood. The colored lights are also gone. We’ve upgraded to the newest technology in Christmas lighting — LED (light emitting diode) lights.

The new LED lights emit a very bright light that is whitish blue in color. The selling point of the new lights is that LEDs use one-tenth the electricity of the super bright mini-lights that they are replacing. As a comparison the new LED lights burn one-hundredth the energy that the incandescent lights of my youth. The new lights are reported to last up to 11 holiday seasons and rarely burn out.

The LEDs are more expensive than the traditional super bright lights — we got a $3 rebate for each strand of old lights we bought, so that helped out — but the savings in lowered energy costs can quickly offset the extra cost of the lights. I did notice the LED lights were shorter than the old strand of lights, so it will take a few extra strands.

Will the LEDs be more reliable than my old colored lights? I sure hope so, but I cringed when I saw there was a fuse and replacement bulbs in each of the light boxes. I may need the help of the guys from Clyde if I have any trouble.

(David Curtis teaches school in Haywood County. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

By Chris Cooper

My participation in the Play For Peace project has been, honestly, primarily for purely selfish reasons. The opportunity to play music live is one I’ll rarely pass up, especially when the lineup includes an abundance of fine players involved in our little community. The first PFP was mostly inspired by a pointless and tragic act of violence in 2007, which functioned as a platform to unite some of these musicians to simply make some noise and, at the very least, make people think about the things that are happening around us; good and bad. The “peace” thing brings with it some connotations, indeed: visions of well meaning but motivationally challenged hippies spring to mind. The peace symbol itself is a bit of a cliché, sadly. And up until a point- how in the heck does all this “playing” result in any more “peace” for anybody? Interesting.

Here’s the catch, though. The first PFP actually worked. So did the second. The event grew and grew, not without the prerequisite amount of missteps and scheduling blunders, but people knew about it, and began to anticipate the next happening. Musicians wanted to be involved, and- suddenly might not be the best word, if you asked the sometimes overwhelmed but always high-spirited event coordinator Eli Hashemi- it was a full blown festival, with music in nearly every genre represented with all day shows that often last from 2 pm to 2 am. The purpose grew as well, with hand made t-shirts being sold and donations accepted to move beyond simply “raising awareness” to actually assisting returning soldiers from Iraq that, time and again, are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and find themselves lost and without the necessary means to cope with life outside of the military.

Pretty heavy stuff, indeed. But it also demonstrates how a simple idea, in the hands of a motivated person, can take on a life of its own and in many ways grow well beyond the initial expectations. As well, it shows that, under the right circumstances, a bunch of slacker musicians will actually get off their collective butts and put some energy into something beyond themselves. In my case, this meant taking the invitation of bassist Adam Bigelow to participate in a little musical endeavor (which at the last minute was bestowed the moniker Fungus Head- don’t ask...) that was to perform Saturday, December 6th at Guadalupe Café. The band consisted of Bigelow, drummer Nick Demos, guitarist Tommy Dennison and me. I was in a band with Demos and Bigelow called Triggerfish for a while, and Dennison has been a staple of the regional music scene for many years now. The guy’s also one helluva guitarist, a melodic player with fantastic technique that always makes me look at my fingers and wonder what the heck a goof like me is doing on stage with him.

But we were just a small part of an all day music affair; the bill included former Commonfolkers turned Freight Hoppers Issac Deal and Bradley Adams backing up mountain music expert Frank Lee, former Ali Baba’s Tahini and Mother Vinegar frontman Karl Engelmann going solo with and acoustic set, the punk jazz antics of Solito and a kind of impromptu set from a few of the members of local faves CIA, who as well sat in on our set with wonderful results. Though I was unable to catch all of the performances, what I did hear (and see) was great stuff, and the feedback from those lucky enough to catch the majority of the performances was nothing but positive.

As for our performance goes, well, it’s tough for me to say exactly, because I’m usually too busy trying to make it through the songs without falling on my face. But the audience’s reaction, let alone the sheer amount of people that came out in support of the event, was nothing short of inspiring. Whoops and hollers erupted from the crowd for all the players involved, every time any of us did something “cool” we got a reaction, which means- my goodness- people were actually listening. The tunes ranged from originals that Dennison and I put together over two rehearsals, and older Triggerfish tune, some Meters and, of course, an extended reading of Hendrix’s “Third Stone From The Sun,” which stands out as one of my favorite moments of the evening. It’s rare to get onstage with another guitarist and actually “go for it” together, as opposed to trying to outdo each other. In this case, the energy was positive and the results, though occasionally sloppy (my fault) were pure and unadulterated fun.

But let’s not forget that, though the music was happening and the booty shaking abounded, this was an event with an ever growing purpose, one that will certainly take on more power and importance with each continuing installment of the Play For Peace concept. At the same time that I left the stage feeling the rush of adrenalin and appreciated the compliments for the band’s performance, I hoped that in the back of everyone’s mind was the underlying awareness of why it all happened in the first place. If nothing else, maybe those in attendance were able to shake off some of the weariness we’re all experiencing this season, and find a bit of much needed peace within themselves.

(Chris Cooper can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)