Adult volunteers are needed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Aug. 21 to help youth register for the Haywood County Fair.

If you are available to help, volunteers are asked to sign-up for three-hour shifts from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 1-3 p.m. or 3-6 p.m. Lunch will be provided for folks volunteering during the morning and afternoon shifts. Please call the Extension office at 828.456.3575 to sign-up.

Last year, 4-H had more than 400 entries. Youth are invited to enter their artwork, photography, sewing, vegetables, canned or baked items, etc. Please see Haywood County Fair enclosure for full details.

Republican and unaffiliated voters are invited to the grand opening of a new Republican Party office at 4 p.m. Aug. 9 at 58 D Sunrise Park, a retail complex located opposite the intersection of Highway 107 and the Asheville Highway in Sylva.

Featured grand opening guests are Mark Meadows, Republican candidate for the U.S. House seat presently held by Heath Shuler, and N.C. GOP Vice Chair Wayne King.

Reservations are requested but not necessary and can be made by calling the Victory 2012 Sylva office director Krista Carter at 318.376.9476, Jackson County GOP Chair Ralph Slaughter at 828.743.6491 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

www.jacksoncountygop.com.

Mission Health, Angel Medical Center, and the American Red Cross will offer a free Citizen CPR, hands only, class at 9 and 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18.

During the 30-minute class, participants learn how to check for consciousness, call 9-1-1 and give continuous chest compressions. The technique involves no mouth-to-mouth contact and is best used in emergencies outside of hospitals where a bystander has seen another person suddenly collapse.

“This life-saving skill is invaluable, easy to learn and empowers everyone to respond in an emergency to help to save someone’s life,” said Frank Castelblanco, director of cardiac emergencies at Mission Health.

The classes will be held at Angel Medical Center on 120 Riverview St. in Franklin. Sign-up.

828.258.3888, ext. 202.

The Haywood County Board of Commissioners declared Aug. 10 as the official “Balsam Range Day” to celebrate the upcoming release of the bluegrass band’s newest record as well as its contributions to the county.

“Congratulations. Very well deserved,” County Commissioner Chairman Mark Swanger said after passing the formal Balsam Range Day resolution at a county meeting Monday.

By Paul Clark • Contributor

Implementation of a new state law that increases the amount of land that can be clear-cut in front of highway billboards will get final tweaking and a public audience this month.

The N.C. Department of Transportation will take public input before finalizing rules for how the controversial tree-cutting will be performed. A law clearing the way for more clear-cutting passed the General Assmebly in July 2011. The law itself is not up for discussion, said Jamille Robbins, a DOT transportation engineer associated with the public hearing. But, commenters can have a say in the permanent rules that will be used to put the law in effect.

Local residents will have an opportunity to learn how to develop a website in “The One-Day Website,” a class that will be offered from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Aug. 17, by Western Carolina University’s Office of Continuing Education.

The class will meet in Room 137 of the Cordelia Camp Building. The cost of the class is $59, which includes lunch.

Participants will learn to design, create, publish and maintain the files needed for a free personal website by establishing a free account on Tripod.com. Using the features, options, templates and tools available in their accounts, students will define text, images and tables according to their needs. No book, program download or special computer skills are required.

learn.wcu.edu or 828.227.7397.

The Haywood Community Band will present its fourth free concert of the Maggie Valley Concert Series at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 19, at the pavilion adjacent to Maggie Valley Town Hall.

The band will take the audience on a musical tour around the world with its theme, “Touched by History.”  Come and enjoy listening to “A Morning in Madrid,” “One Night in Athens,” “In a Persian Market,“ and other familiar music. Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy a beautiful Maggie Valley sunset.

828.456.4880 or visit www.haywoodcommunityband.org.

Musician and folklorist Lee Knight will perform in the community room of the Jackson County Public Library Complex in Sylva at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14.

Knight is a native of the Adirondack Mountains and a long-time resident of Cashiers. He has studied the folk cultures of the Southern Appalachians and the Adirondacks as well as the sea islands off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. He refers to his musical style as “musical archaeology,” and he has developed his repertoire by visiting with local residents and musicians who have kept regional traditions alive. He plays several instruments, including the fretless five-string banjo, Appalachian dulcimer, Cherokee flute, rattle, and water drum, in addition to the guitar and mouth bow. He plays traditional Appalachian and Adirondack mountain music, but he often sings the traditional songs a cappella.

In April 2006, Knight performed at Carnegie Hall and has earned a reputation among folk music performers for his authentic style and traditional rhythms.

Knight’s performance at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. For more information, please call the library at 828.586.2016. The Jackson County Public Library is a member of Fontana Regional Library (www.fontanalib.org).

The Haywood Arts Regional Theater is once again presenting a chance for area talent to take home the gold with the Second Annual “Haywood’s Got Talent” event in September.

HART is offering a $1,000 top prize for the winner and cash prizes for the two runners up. Contestants are not limited to Haywood County, and there are no age limit or category restrictions. However, all contestants must first make it past a screening audition.

Everything from musicians to jugglers to dancers to acrobats are encouraged to come in and audition from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18, and at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 19. Anyone unable to attend auditions may submit a recorded audition via mail to HART at P.O. Box 1024, Waynesville, NC 28786 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or YouTube prior to auditions.

Those who get past the initial audition will be part of a semifinal round of performances during Labor Day weekend, which will be presented as full variety shows on the HART main stage.

There will be three guest adjudicators at each level who will narrow the field down. The finals will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 and will be presented as one evening featuring the best of the best.

At the end of the evening at both the semi-final and final rounds, the audience will be allowed to cast a vote which will count 25 percent towards the final outcome. The winner selected by the three judges, and the audience will be presented with a check for $1,000, and the runner-up will received $300 and $200 prizes.

The Charlie Daniels Band, a Grammy-winning group that requires little introduction, will perform live at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts on at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17.

The Smoky Mountain Community Theatre is holding auditions for its December production, “A Christmas Carol,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 16-17.

This play is based on the classic book by Charles Dickens. The story tells about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, in an attempt to show Scrooge the error of his ways.

The cast consists of 11 males, six females, four boys, and two girls; however, the cast is expandable. There are several non-speaking roles as well. The theatre is located on Main Street in Bryson City. For information contact Director Toby Allman at 828.488.8103.

Visit the web site at www.smctheatre.com or look for the theater on Facebook.

Haywood Arts Regional Theater will present Neil Simon’s play “Lost in Yonkers” which premiered at the Richard Rogers Theater in February 1991 and won the Pulitzer Prize and Tony award.

The play will show at 7:30 pm. on Aug. 17-18 and Aug. 23-25, with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. on Aug. 19 and 26.

This coming of age tale tells the story of two young brothers left to live with their grandmother when their traveling salesman father can no longer take care of them. Living with them is Bella, their aunt, a mentally slow and excitable woman intimidated by her immigrant mother and also on the scene is their hoodlum uncle.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $8 for students. Special discount tickets for students for Sundays and Thursdays are $5.

828.456.6322 for reservations or at www.harttheatre.com.

Forty-seven students played and sang their way through the week as Voices in the Laurel Children’s Choir recently completed its third annual summer music camp.

Western Carolina University will host two bands and screen the horror film “Cabin in the Woods” on Saturday, Aug. 18, as part of the university’s annual outdoor Valley Ballyhoo event.

The Marianna Black Library will present an evening of acoustic music with local singer/songwriter team Liz and AJ Nance at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 9.

Weather permitting, this program will be presented on the front porch of the library; otherwise, it will be moved to the library auditorium. Snacks and refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Marianna Black Library.

The program is free. 828.488-3030 or visit www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

The Summer Concert series at Fontana Village Resort will feature The Elderly Brothers from 8-11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11, in the Events Hall at Fontana Village Resort. The Elderly Brothers play classics from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

There will also be music on the deck of the Wildwood Grill Thursday and Friday nights. Randy Flack will play from 8-11 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 9. Flack plays everything from country, classic rock, Motown, gospel, blue grass, and his own original songs. On Friday, Aug. 10, from 7:30-10 p.m. enjoy the Logan Murrell, a songwriter and musician from Knoxville. 

Visit fontanavillage.com or call 828.498.2211.

Kellie Pickler, a small-town North Carolina native who competed on NBC’s American Idol, will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18.

The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will be from 2:30-5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12, in the community room on the second floor of the old courthouse in the Jackson County Library Complex in Sylva.

Jennie Wakefield will call the dance to the music of Out of the Woodwork. There will also be a potluck dinner following the contra dance, starting at 5:30 p.m. Bring a covered dish, plate, cup and cutlery and a water bottle.

All dances are done to live music, and local musicians are invited to sit in with the band, to jam and learn how to play music for dancing. No previous experience with contra dancing is necessary, and all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. No partner is required.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

“Answering the Call: Religion and Chaplains during the Civil War” will be the topic of a lecture by Ronald Vinson at 1 p.m. on Aug. 18 at the Macon County Public Library.

Vinson is a graduate of Georgia Tech and has worked with many museums on historical projects. He is the executive director of the Presbyterian Heritage Center in Montreat near Asheville.

The Center currently features an exhibit, which he helped design and which will be subject of his talk. The 1,100-square-foot display contains diaries, letters, documents, uniforms, buttons, swords, rifles, and rare photos. The exhibit, which runs to October of this year, provides information and photos on many chaplains from a variety of denominations including Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Jewish. Vinson recently spoke at the 15th Annual Salisbury Confederate Prison Symposium.

704.637.6411 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville is reviving the very popular Spelling Bee fundraising event that was run, for many years, by the Haywood County Literacy Council.

The event is scheduled for Nov. 2 at the First Methodist Church in Waynesville. Members are already seeking sponsors and individuals willing to be a part of this fun and great community experience.  

The sponsorships and funds raised will go directly to assist the children of Haywood County with their educational, medical, nourishment and clothing needs. For more information please call Marti Peithman at 828.926.3678 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call George Dixon at 828.452.3573 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Folk Art Center will host its annual celebration of woodcrafts at Wood Day from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug.11 at The Folk Art Center’s auditorium.

Demonstrations include carving, wood-turning, broom-making, and furniture design and construction. Southern Highland Craft Guild members Sandra Rowland and Jan Morris will host activities for children.

Another part of Wood Day is the 12th Annual Carve-Off Competition from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants have two hours to turn a simple block of wood into a work of art. Carvers must sign up by 12:30 p.m. to participate.

Admission is free. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in east Asheville. Headquarters to the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the Center also houses three galleries, a library, Allanstand Craft Shop and a Blue Ridge Parkway bookstore.

828.298.7928 or visit www.craftguild.org.

Elementary school-aged children and their families are invited to a free “Back To School” ARTSaturday workshop from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Aug. 11, in the children’s area of the Macon County Public Library.

Make-and-take projects include personalized book covers, bookmarks and caps. Music will be provided by keyboardist Lionel Caynon and ice cream treats will be served. No pre-registration; children should wear play clothes and come for any part of the session. Adults can work with their younger children at a designated workstation.

The library is off Siler Road in Franklin adjacent to Southwestern Community College. The Arts Council presents ARTSaturday workshops at the Library the second Saturday of the month.

www.artscouncilofmacon.org or 828.524.7683.

Jackson County Visual Arts Association (JVCAA) is sponsoring the Sylva Art Stroll in historic downtown Sylva starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 10.

Metal artist Grace Cathey of Haywood County will display her work and talk about her artistic journey from 7 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 24 in the barn behind the Shelton House in Waynesville.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

The problem with trying to interview a ventriloquist is that he — in this case Jeff Dunham — represents not just himself but multiple other personalities — in this case five — and in summoning a cast of half a dozen from the back of his throat said ventriloquists’ voice was shot by the time we were supposed to talk.

Ugly Truths

Has the entertainment industry really crumbled to such a sorry point that rather than attempting to make the best music they possibly can, the current “superstars” are more interested in making bets on whose outrageously hyped, fancily packaged and hopelessly mediocre product will outsell the other’s equally lame-o new disc? Yeehaw — 50 Cent’s going to retire if Kanye wins.

Haywood County commissioners have taken a first step forward — albeit a small one — to protect farmland in the mountains, but they and leaders in other counties need to do more. If they don’t, the region’s agriculture traditions is going to just fade away before our eyes.

By David Curtis

I would like to think Haywood County is still considered a rural county. At least to me, sexing a possum is something I can’t really associate with an urban lifestyle.

Swain County inched a notch closer this month toward seeing a cash settlement in lieu of the long-promised North Shore Road.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Forget the presidential election — the biggest race to watch in the coming months may be the battle for mayor of Maggie Valley.

By Chris Cooper

The picture you see when you flip open the new Moolah Temple Stringband CD shows singer/guitarist/found-sound alchemist Jonathan Wertheim whacking some hapless little synthesizer to bits with a mallet. That’s almost all that needs to be said if you’re familiar with the kind of sonic de-(re?)construction he and Ian Moore have pursued since the days of Smoky Mountain Drum’n Bass, the project from which Moolah Temple was born.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

With no word yet from former U.S. House Rep. Charles Taylor on his decision to run for re-election, one Republican candidate — Asheville city councilman Dr. Carl Mumpower — has stepped up to announce his bid for the seat.

By Michael Beadle

Several Western North Carolina running teams recently concluded the 208-mile Blue Ridge Relay Race from Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia to downtown Asheville. About 600 runners from 48 teams ran the third annual race from Friday morning, Sept. 7, to Saturday afternoon, Sept. 8.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

A clean water advocacy group is questioning why an accidental discharge of a paper-making byproduct into the Pigeon River by the former Blue Ridge Paper mill hasn’t been the subject of more scrutiny.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Roger Winge knew a good deal when he spotted one.

Before Super Wal-Mart had announced plans to set foot in Waynesville, Winge, a local realtor, took one look at the 30-acre former industrial site once occupied by the Dayco rubber plant and saw dollar signs.

By Arthur Hancock

Anyone who is among the living has hope — even a live dog is better off than a dead lion.

— Ecclesiastes 9:4

Do you agree with the following sentence? The survival of the human race is more important than anything else on Earth.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Supreme Court ruled Saturday that a new election will not be held on the Qualla Boundary, putting to rest a month-long debate filled with accusations of eligible voters being turned away from the polls.

In a tight race for chief — decided by a mere 14-vote margin — 21 protests had been filed with the Election Board.

By Armando Basulto • Guest Writer

There is something vaguely depressing about watching your nostalgia for your adolescent years transformed into a VH1 “We Love the 70’s-80’s” special. Realizing the years of high school memories you hoped to keep precious in a locked drawer were now paraded for the post-Grunge generation to marvel at like an artifact in a museum diorama was a sobering mortality check.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

The roar of motorcycles is a familiar sound in the mountains of Western North Carolina. And for many business owners, it’s music to their ears.

Bikers mean warm bodies to occupy beds, eat in restaurants, and shop in stores. This means dollars for the local economy. So why aren’t counties doing more to advertise to this fast-growing segment of the population?

By Michael Beadle

If you’re lucky enough to visit the Flying Cat Studio just off U.S. 276 in Jonathan Creek, you might get a glimpse of Spike, the mischievous mixed breed cat who’s been known to paw on the switch that starts the potter’s wheel. Stepping on the spinning wheel, he’ll go flying into the air like a dizzy kid exiting a merry-go-round. Hence, the name of the studio.

By Marsha Crites • Guest Columnist

Much has been written in this paper and others about what is causing our gorgeous hemlock trees to die and what steps one can take to forestall or halt the disease. Rather than belabor these horticultural lessons, I am moved to talk about the emotional response many of us are having to losing these old giants who have guarded and shaded our lives for so long in the mountains.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Voters can thank the recently formed Haywood County League of Women Voters for the opportunity to hear what each Waynesville mayor candidate had to say about the important issues in the Nov. 6 race.

There’s one fundamental reason the Southern Loop needs more discussion before it is considered a done deal — the simple fact that the citizens whose tax dollars pay for roads should, ultimately, decide the transportation future of the community in which they live. So far, the Southern Loop has not officially been endorsed by the leaders who act as the voice for Jackson County’s citizens. It’s that simple.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Advertising was the hot topic of discussion at the second meeting of the recently re-organized Swain County Tourism Development Authority on Sept. 26. The board was presented with a range of magazine options, courtesy of Kelso Advertising Agency representative Marilyn Ball, in an attempt to determine what ad placement would give them the most bang for their buck.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Over 50 people came out to hear Waynesville’s next mayor speak at the this election season’s first mayor’s forum, held by the recently formed chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Raising Sand

Duet albums are about as original as cheeseburgers, but this one has stayed in my car’s disc player for days now. A co-worker left Raising Sand on my desk Friday, and I’ve been listening to the collaboration between contemporary bluegrass diva Alison Krauss and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant all weekend. I’m a huge fan of both, but could not have imagined them together.

By David Curtis

The 21st Century arrived at the Curtis residence this past Friday.

We have evolved from caveman, cavewoman and cave children into the cellular age. Yes, our foreheads no longer slant and we can now stand erect while we call and text all of our friends and family, who will be now be known as our “contacts.”

Bands just have to stick with it. Whether on the grand scale of being a signed, touring group or one whose “tour” constitutes a weekend long stand at the two or three bars populating the local main drag, giving in to the many pitfalls lying in wait just can’t be an option.

By Stephanie Wampler

With a long flash of silver, the golf club revolved in a wide, smooth arc. The glinting club head cut through the air. Splat! It crashed against the tiny tomato and there was an explosion of juice and seeds. The lifeless remnant of the little fruit spun through the air and deep into the woods. It was gone.