Admin
Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center is waiving the usual initiation fee on six-month memberships as a holiday gift to the community. The special is valid through Jan. 7. For more information call 828.452.8080.
A highly trained member of the rehabilitation staff of MedWest-Haywood will offer free knee screenings from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 4 at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, by appointment only. Call to register for the screening.
Free spine screenings will be offered by the rehabilitation staff of MedWest-Haywood from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 10 at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. Call to register.
The next Book Ends book discussion group will be held at the Jackson County Public Library on Thursday, Jan.13. The book selection is Time and Again by Jack Finney.
Time and Again is told in the first person by Simon Morley, a 28-year-old artist working in a 1970s Manhattan advertising agency who is approached to join a covert government operation exploring the possibility of time travel. Recruited as having the right stuff, Si begins to learn about the project and its goals.
Initially recruited to explore San Francisco prior to the 1906 earthquake, Si manages to convince his superiors to allow him to investigate 1880s New York. Simon’s motive for choosing New York is to witness the mailing of an envelope. An event Simon hopes may explain a family mystery of his girlfriend Kate.
There will be extra copies of Time and Again available at the library for patrons to read prior to the discussion. Call the library at 828.586.2016 for more information. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library.
By Mark Jamison • Guest Columnist
During the recent election for county commissioner in Jackson County, both sides made reference to property taxes. The challengers — who ended up sweeping out the incumbents — claimed, to some derision, that Jackson had seen a tax increase even though the marginal rate had fallen. Supporters for the incumbents made frequent reference to the fact that the county had the third lowest marginal tax rate in the state. Both sides were correct in their assertions and both were also somewhat misleading.
The issues surrounding revaluation and marginal tax rates are somewhat confusing and easy to distort for political purposes. The fact that this area of public policy is prone to confusion and misunderstanding is unfortunate because it is an essential issue that has a direct impact on not only every property owner but virtually every resident of the county.
Setting values
North Carolina mandates that counties determine the value of property within their jurisdiction at least once every eight years. Beyond that, the frequency of the process, known as revaluation is up to the board of commissioners. Statute mandates that values reflect the market value of a property, i.e., the amount a property would sell for in an arm’s-length transaction.
The state allows counties to select among several methods for determining market value. The tax assessor may visit every property. This yields perhaps the most accurate valuation since it presumes that a specific visit will fully account for particular defects or attributes of the property which may affect market value.
This is also time consuming, expensive and may be subject to the art of personal judgment.
The other methods available rely on various statistical modeling techniques and may result in as few as 10 percent of the properties in a jurisdiction actually being visited. In all the methods there are choices in schedules of values that can be applied which might yield differing results. The governing body has some discretion in these choices and makes them based on technical factors which are analyzed and presented by the tax assessor.
The process is more difficult in a developing areas like Jackson and other mountain counties. It is further complicated when the area has market pressures resulting from second home or resort development. Mountain land may be even further difficult to value because the costs of development vary greatly. The presence and complexity of local land use ordinances may impact the value of land, especially steep land that costs more to develop in an environmentally responsible manner.
The process of evaluation is also complicated when large tracts of undeveloped land are part of the market, or when many lots are in the inventory of undeveloped land. One of the most compelling reasons for a subdivision ordinance is the fact that it standardizes the process for platting of lots and therefore provides some order and basis of comparison to the market.
Revenue neutral declaration
After a revaluation, North Carolina mandates (through GS 159 - 11(e)) that a taxing jurisdiction state a “revenue neutral” tax rate in its budget. The Local Government Commission gives a specified method for making this calculation. Essentially, one takes the total value of property within the county after the revaluation and determines what tax rate, when applied to that value, would yield the same amount of revenue as prior to the revaluation.
For example, after the 2008 revaluation it was determined that in order to raise the same amount of revenue as prior to the revaluation, Jackson County would need to charge a rate of 26 cents. The previous tax rate was 36 cents but the total value of property in the county was now valued higher, meaning that a lower rate would bring in the same revenue.
Twenty-six cents is not, however, the “revenue neutral” rate. The LGC calculations recognize that each year properties are added or improved thereby increasing the tax base. The “revenue neutral” rate therefore allows for the application of a growth-rate factor.
In the case of the 2008 revaluation that calculation yielded a “revenue neutral” rate of 27.05 cents. In other words, for every $1,000 of assessed valuation the property owner would pay 27.05 cents or $270.50 on a $100,000 property. Under the concept of revenue neutral, that means that if the value of the property had increased exactly at the same average rate as all of the property in the county that the owner would pay the same taxes as before the revaluation.
Of course, a county is made up of thousands of pieces of property. Not all can be expected to increase in value at exactly the same rate so the actual tax an owner may be assessed after revaluation depends on both the average increase in values for the entire county but also on how that particular property compares.
My friend saw her property in Frady Cove increase in value from about $300,000 to more than $900,000. Her property was valued significantly higher than the average increase, consequently she paid significantly more in taxes. My house in Webster saw an increase in value of about 30 percent, much less than the average. My taxes went down.
So who was right?
So, were the challengers right in claiming there had been a tax increase? Well, technically they were since the new rate set by the commissioners was 28 cents, which was higher than the revenue neutral rate of 27.05 cents. Those who argued that there was actually a decrease because the rate went from 36 cents to 28 cents were wrong — they didn’t understand the concept of revaluation and revenue neutral.
But those who argued there was a tax increase in terms that made it seem immense were perhaps stretching a point. The increase was about $9.50 per $100,000 of assessed value, or $95 on a million dollar property — not nothing, but not a political point scored either.
And what of the incumbents, who pointed with great pride to the “third lowest marginal tax rate in the state.” Well, if you’ve followed the discussion so far you may have noticed that marginal rates might not mean much in an area with a very hot real estate market. Since 2000 there have been three revaluations in Jackson County resulting in property values increasing by about 200 percent on average.
Mega increases avoidable
Of all the things the commissioners who lost in the last election could be criticized for, the most serious error is the one no one talks about. The 2008 revaluation came at the height of a sizzling real estate market. It was apparent that because of some of the gated developments and very high lot and land prices that the revaluation was going to reflect some astronomical increases.
Contributing to that problem was the use of a statistical method in the process that had the potential for allowing some of the prices in places like Balsam Mountain Preserve to leak out and impact other areas — something that generally should not happen if the process is to be equitable and truly reflect market value.
One didn’t have to be especially prescient or have a crystal ball to see that we were on the cusp of a real estate bubble. I wrote about that potential in 2006. By 2008, when we were on the cusp of the bubble bursting, it was evident that there were serious problems in the market.
Jackson County had done a revaluation in 2004. The increases in that cycle were alarming. Jackson County had been on an eight-year cycle prior to 2000 and had justifiably shifted to a shorter cycle to minimize the impacts of the hot market. The idea was to reduce sticker shock and made good sense. The downside was that short cycles can lock in huge increases in market values right on the edge of a slowdown. The ordinance process the county engaged in may have exacerbated this, although certainly not in the way the alarmists in the Cashiers market claimed.
It was reasonably predictable that the ordinance process would at least pause the market while developers adjusted to the new regulations. That was a good thing, but it was also something that needed to be accounted for in the revaluation process — both in the methods chosen and in the schedule of values.
By mid-2008 when the revaluation was completed it was clear that the market was seriously challenged. By accepting the 2008 revaluation, higher land values were locked in and the distribution of the increases was clearly troubling. Valuing steep land in larger tracts at $16,000 an acre or more was not sustainable.
The problems were foreseeable and predictable. Going ahead with the 2008 revaluation was a serious mistake, and we’re about to see the consequences. We are scheduled for a revaluation in 2012. The complete collapse of the real estate market will have some serious consequences for that revaluation. It will be difficult to find “comps” — comparable values — needed to establish a shape to the market. How do you determine market value when there is no market?
Currently, much of the land that was slated for development in 2008, land in the former Legasus developments for example, is now virtually worthless. Lots that may have been worth $400,000 may now be in foreclosure. Land that was slated for gated development and relied on developers for community wide infrastructure may now only be saleable as lots or tracts having substantially less value and potential.
Who’s going to pay?
The county may have a current dilemma collecting revenues from some of these lots. That could have an immediate impact on budgets and require tax increases, but even worse consequences occur if a revaluation shows the true current value of some of the land previously targeted for development. It is possible that a huge slice of tax base has virtually disappeared, meaning that the next revenue neutral calculation would result in the marginal rate going up significantly to 35 or 50 cents.
I want to make perfectly clear that this discussion in no way endorses development. It isn’t about how we develop or preserve land or what we may want our communities to look like. It is solely about state mandates and current processes that have tremendous impacts and consequences.
The immediate solution may be deferring the 2012 revaluation. That does nothing to remediate the values locked in from 2008, but it may allow the market to recover and mitigate some of the foreseeable problems. Over the long run though we must rationalize the property tax system in a way that accounts for these systemic problems. The state must recognize that a system that works for stable developed areas like the Triangle has hugely negative consequences on rural areas.
Some will say that given the current state budget crisis that now is not the time to address these issues. I would argue that now is the best time to address these issues. I would like to see the rural counties of the state through both boards of commissioners and the representatives in Raleigh convene a planning group and design some specific changes in state law and policy that give local jurisdictions the tools they need to raise revenues in an effective and fair manner.
(Mark Jamison lives in Webster and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will be held at the Barkers Creek Community Building from 3-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 9.
Contra dancing will begin at 3 p.m. There will also be a potluck dinner following the contra dance, starting at 6 p.m. Please bring a covered dish, plate, cup, cutlery and a water bottle.
The dance is free. Participants are encouraged to make a contribution toward the cost of renting the hall.
No previous experience with contra dancing is required and all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. There will also be a short beginners’ workshop at the start of the dance. No partner is required.
Local musicians will play music for all the dances. Local musicians are invited to sit in with the band, to jam and learn how to play music for dancing.
The Barkers Creek Community Center is located at milepost 79 on U.S. 441 three miles north of Dillsboro. Coming from Sylva, make a U-turn just past milepost 79 to get in the southbound lanes.
Information about the dance is available from Ron Arps by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Elderly Brothers will perform on New Year’s Eve at American Legion Post 47 in Waynesville.
The Elderly Brothers have been playing together for more than 40 years.
“Our group originally started playing together over 40 years ago,” said band leader Ken Beck.
Shortly after forming the group back then, band members went their separate ways and performed alone or with other groups. However, over the years they remained the best of friends.
Around 2005, the musicians reunited as the now-fabulous Elderly Brothers. The musicians in the group have opened shows for such well known artists as The Drifters, The Coasters, The Byrds, The Diamonds, Lou Christy, and many others.
The Elderly Brothers are made up of Ken Beck (guitar), Mike Holt (guitar), Charles Queen (acoustic guitar), Chuck Russell (drums) and Skip Allman (bass).
For more information, call 828.456.8691.
The Friends of the Marianna Black Library will host the 4th Annual Chocolate Cook-Off from 2-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Bryson City Presbyterian Church.
The Friends are looking for the best chocolate dessert in Western North Carolina and are willing to pay for it. Compete to win cash prizes and help raise money for the Marianna Black Library.
Entries due Feb. 4, and applications are available at the Marianna Black Library at 33 Fryemont Street or call Elise Delfield for more details at 828.488.0580.
Storyteller and author Gary Carden will present a program titled “Old Christmas Traditions” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 4 at the Jackson County Library.
During the program Carden will regale the audience with stories of bygone traditions such as serenading (nothing to do with music); superstitions during the Christmas season; first footers (the first people to set foot in someone’s house on New Year’s Day); dumb suppers (common on Christmas Eve); animals discussing events of the year on Christmas Eve; and the Yule log (back log of the fireplace saved until next year.)
Carden is well known as a storyteller. He has taught the Foxfire Christmas Series for the past 35 years and has emphasized the pagan aspects of Christmas.
Carden, a Jackson County native, was raised by grandparents during the 1940s in the isolated Rhodes Cove community. During his formative years he listened to his great-grandmother tell stories, and, as Carden says, “acquiring the dialect and traditions of a Southern highlander.”
After a few years away Carden came back to his grandparents’ house where he embraced his native culture as a teacher, storyteller, novelist, historian, playwright and screenwriter. The body of work he has produced since then includes the book Mason Jars in the Flood and Other Stories, the Appalachian Writers Association 2001 “Book of the Year”; his storytelling video “Blow the Tannery Whistle,” which has been shown numerous times on public television across North Carolina; and a play, “The Raindrop Waltz,” which has been staged more than 300 times.
Novelist Lee Smith called Carden “a national treasure, an Appalachian Garrison Keillor.”
This Old Christmas Traditions program is free to the public and is part of the library’s Community Outreach Series. Call 828.586.2016 for more information. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library.
Phyllis Jarvinen of Sylva will demonstrate and teach a mini-workshop on book arts and book binding at the Art League of the Smokies meeting at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6, in the lobby of Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.
Participants will follow the step-by-step process to make a slim hardbound book during this free program. Participants can bring old maps, pretty papers or photos to use for endsheets or covers if desired.
Jarvinen’s artistic focus is two-dimensional work and includes book arts, pinhole photographs, drawing, painting, printmaking and mixed media. She is inspired by landscape and natural, organic forms and enjoys working from the figure. She also finds inspiration by experimenting with process and materials. To view artwork by Jarvinen, go to her website at www.phyllisjarvinen.com.
Jarvinen has lived in Western North Carolina since 1978. After studying psychology at Western Carolina University, she stayed in the area. She worked at NOC for 10 years in many capacities, including whitewater raft guide and canoeing instructor. With a master’s degree in clinical psychology, she practiced as a child psychologist in her “day job” for over 15 years.
Since deciding at age 49 to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, she earned her master of fine arts degree from WCU while continuing to work part-time as a therapist. Jarvinen has won recognition for her water studies and has exhibited throughout WNC including WCU and Swain County Center for the Arts. She now works as an adjunct professor of art, art history and psychology at WCU and Southwestern Community College.
Call 828.488-7843 for information.
Nearly 400 members of Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will travel to Pasadena, Calif., to march in the internationally televised 2011 Rose Parade.
The band is scheduled to appear at the 49th position in the parade, which begins at 11 a.m. on Jan. 1.
“The Rose Parade is seen by millions of people from around the world, and the Pride of the Mountains will be serving as marching musical ambassadors for Western Carolina,” said Bob Buckner, director of the WCU Pride of the Mountains Marching Band. “It’s a role we accept as a high honor, and we are ready to take on the challenges — both logistical and financial — of transporting our students, their instruments and other equipment to California.”
Three trucks will carry the band’s instruments, uniforms, equipment and even band member’s luggage to California in order to save about $40,000 in checked baggage fees. Students loaded the trucks Monday, Dec. 20, and will fly to California starting Dec. 28.
At the Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Thursday, Dec. 30, which friends, family and fans can watch online via a webcast available for $8.50, the band will perform its halftime show “Rock U.”
During the Rose Parade, the band will perform the song “You” by California ska band Suburban Legends, a local favorite in Orange County. Matt Henley, assistant director of the WCU marching band, said the music selection came about as he was thinking about the parade’s theme, “Building Dreams, Friendships and Memories,” and remembered a story about Suburban Legends.
After a member of the group, trombone player Dallas Cook, died in a traffic accident, Suburban Legends held a memorial concert and directed proceeds to Cook’s high school marching band in Huntington Beach, Calif. Cook had credited his experience in high school band for much of his passion for music.
Moved, Henley contacted Suburban Legends about the possibility of playing the group’s song in the parade and building a friendship.
“We love Suburban Legends’ music, and we are excited to play their song ‘You’ in Dallas’ memory and send the message that, like him, we love band too,” said Henley. “We arranged the song for marching band, and that is what we will play on TV as we go around the corner in the parade. Part of our goal was to build a friendship from East Coast to West Coast, and we hope to get the chance to meet members of Suburban Legends while we are there.”
Band members have said they are both excited and nervous to perform in front of so many people. More than 700,000 are expected to attend the parade, and more than 51 million people are expected to watch the internationally televised event on TV.
“I’m actually marching in the Rose Bowl (which will be) watched by a billion people. That is a lot of stress. A lot of eyes would be on me if I fall or trip,” said Candace Rhodes, a freshman music education major from Georgia, in a video she submitted in a WCU video contest, before willing it not to go wrong. “It won’t happen. It won’t happen. It won’t happen.”
When Jeffrey Throop, president of the Tournament of Roses Association, visited WCU’s band in September, he predicted the Pride of the Mountains would be a hit in California.
“I can already tell, you are going to blow everybody away. It’s just so exciting to see you and to see your style. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Throop, who has observed more than his fair share of marching bands during his affiliation of 36 years with the Rose Parade. “I can’t wait to show you off to everyone, to the world.”
Follow the Pride as they travel to Pasadena at roseparade.wcu.edu.
Editor’s note: Here is The Smoky Mountain News’ annual Year in Review, but ours comes with a nod and a wink — and an award. News is serious and sometimes tragic, but in hindsight we can at least try to find a little humor in what the newsmakers endured and we all read about in 2010.
The Sisyphus award
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus is sentenced for eternity to roll a rock up a mountain, only to have it roll back down every time he reaches the top.
The mountain gods showed a similar attitude toward human inhabitants this year, showing a particular inclination to shut down major thoroughfares. At one point, the three primary routes through the southern mountains into Tennessee were blocked with rock slides: Interstate 40 in Haywood County, U.S. 64 between Murphy and Chattanooga, and U.S. 129 running from Robbinsville to Maryville, Tenn.
The only passage was U.S. 441 over Newfound Gap through the Smokies, and even that route was temporarily reduced to one lane following a rock slide of its own.
Mountains have been running amok on the residential side as well. The biggest and most high profile was in Maggie Valley below Ghost Town amusement park, but there were also slides in the Water Dance development in Jackson County and the Wildflower development in Macon County that destabilized road grades and took out lots, as well as a slide in Macon County that led to a man’s home being condemned.
Popeye award
The construction crew restoring the historic Jackson County Courthouse could have used more spinach before tackling the structure’s crowning cupola. The domed top had to be taken down for restoration in June. But when a crowd of onlookers gathered at the bottom of courthouse hill to watch the day it was scheduled to come off, repeated attempts failed. Crews ultimately had to bring in a stronger crane the following week.
The $7 million restoration of the historic courthouse and construction of a new library adjacent to it was supposed to be finished by year’s end, but has been pushed back.
Pork award
When the U.S. Small Business Administration announced $1.4 million in loans for businesses hurt by the I-40 rock slide in Haywood County, business owners far and wide began hungrily licking their chops.
The October 2009 slide shut down the Interstate Haywood County for six months, choking off tourism traffic and commerce. Gas stations and hotels had to cut hours and even lay off workers as business dried up.
But of the 15 businesses that landed federal SBA loans, few were located in Haywood County. Among the more puzzling recipients: the Fun Depot in Asheville, an indoor kid’s amusement center; and an excavating company in Sevierville, Tenn., a business that hardly seems contingent on passersby on the interstate.
One local loan recipient was a bar in downtown Waynesville — a standard that would seemingly qualify every restaurant in the entire county.
Full House award
Despite a recession, Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino barreled ahead with a $630 million expansion. The casino rolled out a major addition to the gaming floor, debuted a 3,000-seat concert venue and topped off a 21-story hotel tower. A 16,000-square-foot spa in the works is a testimony to Harrah’s mission to transform itself beyond a casino to a full-service resort.
The casino’s two existing hotel towers are consistently full.
The casino hit another milestone this year when it began serving alcohol for the first time in its on-site restaurants and at a new bona fide bar and lounge on the gaming floor.
The expansion began in 2009 and is slated for final completion in 2012. A 400-seat Paula Deen Kitchen restaurant also opened at the casino this year.
Best Power Struggle award
Solar panels. That’s what Haywood Community College and the Haywood County commissioners spent the better part of a year at loggerheads over.
HCC wanted to include green features, from rainwater collection to solar hot water in the design of a new $10.2 million creative arts building that will house its famed craft programs like woodcarving, pottery and jewelry making. But Haywood County commissioners accused the eco-efforts of driving up the cost of the building, and as a result threatened to veto the project. The college spent months trying to convince commissioners the building as designed was both frugal and necessary, while commissioner played hardball in an attempt to send the college back to the drawing board. The biggest sticking point were proposed solar panels on the building, which the college claimed would pay for themselves while commissioners remained skeptical.
In the end, the college won its quest to build a sustainable flagship creative arts building.
Last Laugh Award
To Sylva business owner Dodie Allen, who fought back against being ticketed for parking a van outside her downtown auction under the town’s new law designed to free-up prime parking real estate for visitors and shoppers.
Allen protested the citation — and the $50 fine it carried — for 45 minutes at a town board meeting, saying it infringed on her rights and hampered her ability to make a living. Allen argued she was simply loading and unloading at her auction house on Main Street.
Ultimately, Allen won her battle when it was discovered a key paragraph, the one specifying business owners and their employees can’t park on Main and Mill streets, wasn’t included in the ordinance passed. The town was forced to hold another public hearing and vote again on the town law, this time with the correct language intact.
Extreme Makeover award
Haywood County social workers will soon enjoy new digs. They are trading in a decrepit former hospital dating back decades for an abandoned Wal-Mart store being retrofitted for offices. Their new stripmall-esque working quarters will be a vast improvement over their current accommodations: a four-story brick building that’s cramped and crumbling, with makeshift offices in storage closets, perpetual leaks and rusted window jambs.
The Wal-Mart makeover project will cost the county $12.5 million — about half that to purchase the building and the other half to convert it into an office complex. Critics decried the move as an unnecessary cost in bad times. But county commissioners said the poor state of the DSS building could no longer be ignored, and scoring a bargain price for the old Wal-Mart made it the most attractive solution.
In addition to the Department of Social Services, the renovated building will also house the county health department and the planning department.
Initial construction bids came in higher than expected, so the county trimmed elements of the project to get costs down and then went back out to bid.
Most Creative Accounting
When the public learned Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe was funneling money seized in drug busts to youth sports teams — and as it happened to teams his own kids played on — he claimed it was all for a good cause.
Drug bust money by law must go toward drug crime prevention and enforcement, and Ashe argued that supporting wholesome diversions for kids keeps them off drugs.
The justification gets a little hazier though when it came to other uses for narcotics money by Ashe, like $20,000 to replace carpet in the sheriff’s office or $400 to get himself listed on a national “Who’s Who” list.
Ashe enjoyed an unsupervised, free rein of how to spend the narcotics fund. He failed to get approval from the county on the expenditures, violating state statutes governing fiscal controls for local government. The state Local Government Commission made Ashe comply with new accounting procedures after media reports brought the issue to light.
Janet Jackson award
Haywood County nearly had its own version of the infamous wardrobe malfunction when a river rafter protesting pollution by the Canton paper mill threatened to pull down his pants and bare his buttocks during a public hearing. He was one of several Tennessee river guides at the hearing who claimed to have sores and skin cancers from being in contact with the Pigeon River tainted by chemicals from the mill, and was willing to prove it until the hearing moderator advised him against such public displays.
Evergreen Packaging is seeking a new water pollution permit for the Pigeon River. The state was forced to ratchet down pollution levels in the proposed permit following objections by the EPA. But it wasn’t enough to abate environmentalists, who have filed a lawsuit to impose even tougher limits.
Evergreen is also facing a class action lawsuit by a group of Haywood County landowners. Downstream landowners in Tennessee have won similar class action suits against the mill.
The paper mill sucks roughly 29 million gallons a day out of the river and uses it in myriad aspects of the paper making process — from cooling coal-fired boilers to flushing chemicals through wood pulp — and then dumps it back in the river again.
Survivor Award
It was a dismal election year for Democrats, but U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, managed to hang on to his seat despite his conservative-leaning mountain district. He handily smashed Republican challenger Jeff Miller and advanced to the next round where he took on none other than House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. He went into the challenge with the intention of losing — or at least knowing he’d lose — because the loss gave him incredible national exposure.
What’s next for the former football player from Swain County? He’s not saying, but former communications director Andrew Whalen left a coveted job as executive director of the N.C. Democratic Party to rejoin Shuler’s staff. Something’s afoot with this fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Republican Democrat, that’s for dang sure.
The Mother of all Irony Award
To the Village of Forest Hills, which incorporated in 1997 for the express and unabashed purpose of keeping rowdy, drunken Western Carolina University students from taking over this residential community, is now considering annexing land at Chancellor John Bardo’s behest so that some unknown developer can build a town so students will keep going to Western Carolina University (there’s a little retention problem) because, finally, they won’t have to drive to Sylva to — is this for real? — get good and soused. They’ll instead drink beer and wine and shots of liquor within walking distance of campus as God intended for university students to do.
Additionally, WCU suggests the Boca Raton, Fla.-reminiscent name of Forest Hills be lost in favor of the name Cullowhee. We can only assume the town sign painted in pastels on U.S. 107 will have to go, too, folks.
Only in Macon Could This Happen Award
Where else would a county board of commissioners appoint a man who openly doesn’t support land planning to the county’s planning board, except in Macon County?
In a move so audacious in its sheer lack of thought and concern for regulating unbridled development, we salute the Republican (and one rogue Democrat) commissioners in Macon County for the appointment of Tea Party member Jimmy Goodman to the planning board. Never mind that he’d not been reappointed to that same board for (allegedly and all that) obstructing the other members in, well, their efforts to plan, those rascally planning-board members.
We take our hats off to you, Macon County, and offer sincere thanks for being in our coverage area. You help us remember that we still can be surprised by what actually does take place sometimes on the local political level.
Boomerang award
Cecil Groves, president of Southwestern Community College since 1997, retired this year and headed to Texas for a relaxing retirement close to the grandkids.
“As for everything and everyone, there is a season. My season has now come,” Groves said of his departure from SCC.
Three months later, Groves announced his return to the area to be the CEO of Balsam West, an entity that controls a 300-mile fiber broadband ring looping the six western counties. Groves helped create the fiber ring while at the helm of SCC and considered it one of his biggest accomplishments, but with few users, it is struggling to realize its potential.
The Garden City award
In Maggie Valley, the new mantra is call on the name of beauty and ye shall be saved. Residents and businesses alike buried thousands of daffodil and tulip bulbs this fall in hopes that the bursts of coordinated color will swoop in this spring to help save the struggling city from economic depression and the gaping financial hole left by the death of Ghost Town.
The idea is being coupled with another aesthetic assault from the town government’s camp. In November, the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to impose a set of design standards for renovations and new builds that follow a general design plan town planners call “mountain vernacular.”
Officials hope that the visual double whammy will spruce up the town’s face which, they seem to be admitting, is a less-than-pleasant sight to behold.
The Long and Winding Road award
“So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen …OK, I guess I’ll stay a little longer.” That’s the tune sung this year by Maggie Valley’s Dale Walksler, owner and curator of the renowned Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum.
After several years in its current location and several more bouts with local officials over the museum’s value to the town, Walksler threatened to pack up his collection and ship out to another, more friendly, but as yet unnamed, locale. This fall, however, he decided to make those empty threats and chose to keep the storied – and probably unrivaled – collection of American motorcycle memorabilia nestled snugly into its Soco Road home.
No word from local officials on how they’re reacting to the decision, but since sharing his thoughts with us in October, it’s been all quiet on the Walksler front. So maybe 2011 will see a happy ending to the animosity?
The Size Envy award
They say bigger isn’t always better, but Swain County’s Marianna Black Library isn’t so sure about that. After catching a glimpse of Macon and Jackson counties’ new, improved and enlarged library digs, they couldn’t help but want to gain some growth themselves.
So this October, the library system embarked on an exploratory campaign of their own, seeking input from local residents and guidance from the same consultants used by their neighboring counties. Patron suggestions ranged from expanded collections and more special events to requests for outdoor fire pits, presumably not to be stoked with the library’s contents.
Whether the county’s case of library envy has abated remains to be seen; the consultants won’t be back with final recommendations until the new year. But with Jackson County’s new facility opening up soon, it’s easy to hear cries of “but I want one, too,” on the not-too-distant horizon.
The Earmark to Nowhere award
To earmark, or not to earmark – that, of late, is the Congressional question. And for residents of Swain county, it’s the $52 million question. That’s how much they’ve been promised to repay the cash they laid out on the nonexistent North Shore Road over three decades. When the road was flooded for the war effort in 1943, the county took it on the chin, along with a pledge from the federal government that they’d put it back. But time went on, the county kept paying on the road loans and the promised new road was never to return.
Earlier this year, the county agreed to take a cash settlement from the government in lieu of a road they no longer needed, after laborious negotiations and a good bit of lobbying from Swain County native Rep. Heath Shuler.
But those dollars are in danger now that Congress is swooping in to slash earmarks. To some legislators, that’s just what the North Shore money is, an earmark designed to funnel federal money into local projects. But local proponents counter that it’s not just funding, it’s debt service paying off a 66-year-old IOU.
Whether the money will keep rolling into the county hasn’t been decided. But much rests on convincing Congress members that the settlement is an obligation, not an option.
Billy Graham Hall of Fame nominees
County leaders refused to stop praying in Jesus’ name during their public meetings, despite a federal court ruling that such overt prayers were tantamount to government endorsement of Christianity over other religions — and thus were unconstitutional.
A federal judge in Forsyth County found that specific references to Jesus Christ during prayers at county commissioner meetings “display a preference for Christianity over other religions by the government.”
But county commissioners in Macon and Swain counties were undaunted.
“If there was a law that said how I could pray, I think I would have to break it,” said Swain Commissioner Phillip Carson.
Or as Swain Commissioner David Monteith put it, “I guess they would just have to arrest me.”
Macon Commissioner Ronnie Beale said Christian prayers reflect the vast majority of his constituents.
In Haywood County, commissioners chose to drop references to Jesus and stick with more generic, and thus legal, references to Lord or God. Jackson County does not hold a prayer during its county meetings.
S.O.L. award
This is exactly where homeowners down slope of Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley found themselves this year. A massive landslide screamed down Rich Cove mountain in February, uprooting yards and bumping into houses on its way. While some residents remain without a well for drinking water and one couple still has not been able to return to their home, they had been unable to hold anyone accountable to cover the damages so far.
But Ghost Town’s liability insurance was canceled a week before the landslide due to late payments, according to the insurance company. Court documents verify that Ghost Town received warnings to pay up to risk cancelation, and eventually received a cancellation notice.
Ghost Town has blamed the slide on a company hired to shore up the slipping mountainside with a series of retaining walls, but the contractors blame Ghost Town for a leaking water line buried behind the wall, according to court documents.
Most Formidable Opponent
As a multi-billion Fortune 500 Company, Duke Energy is used to getting its way. But when it went up against the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians this year and came under fire for desecrating the tribe’s equivalent of an ancestral holy site, it seemed the utility giant had met its match.
Duke Energy had embarked on a $79 million electrical substation on a knoll overlooking an idyllic farming valley in Swain County — a valley that happened to be the home of Kituwah mound, an ancient ceremonial site and political center for the Cherokee. The massive electrical substation threatened to mar the landscape, which Cherokee considered integral to the cultural integrity of the spiritual site.
Duke faced three-fold opposition. The tribe’s government leaders condemned Duke for picking the site and failing to consult with the tribe first. A grassroots activist group formed to challenge Duke before the state utility commission. And Swain County leaders also got mad that Duke had started construction without applying for county permits, and even passed a moratorium barring work on the substation from moving forward.
It didn’t take long for Duke to throw in the towel on the controversial site and instead bought another piece of property in the Swain County industrial park to locate the substation.
Dumbest Criminal
Attorney John Lewis may as well have worn a flashing neon sign when he tried to forge a judge’s name in Jackson County.
Lewis forged a court order in a parental custody case, but no sooner had he filed the fraudulent document with the clerk of court then he apparently thought better of it and asked for it back. The clerk — assuming it was a valid part of the case file — refused. But an agitated Lewis came back twice over the course of the day trying to retrieve the document. As a last resort, he came around the partition in the clerk’s office, snagged the file himself and put a Post-It note on the document declaring it void, arousing enough suspicion to launch an investigation.
The 31-year-old attorney had also faked the signatures on limited privilege driver’s licenses for at least three clients in Swain County who had their real licenses revoked.
Head in the Sand award
When a recession took hold of the country in 2008, most counties got to work cutting costs to head off impending budget shortfalls. But Swain County was nearly a year late to the party.
Swain County continued with business as usual until summer 2009 when its fund balance dipped so low it was put on the watch list by the Local Government Commission, a state agency that monitors the fiscal solvency of counties.
Counties are supposed to have a savings account, known as a fund balance, that’s equivalent to 8 percent of their total annual budget. Swain’s dropped to only 6.67 percent. The county had to play catch-up to restore its fund balance by laying off workers and imposing furloughs, which amounted to pay cuts.
County Manager Kevin King failed to let the Local Government Commission know ahead of time that the county would dip below the safe threshold, but county commissioners said they didn’t know either until it had already happened.
The Life’s not Fair award
As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. Haywood County nearly doubled its per capita recycling rate in two years under the leadership of a new solid waste director, Stephen King, who is passionate about recycling. The county will save money by saving landfill space in the long run, but in the short run, all those recyclables began to overwhelm the system. Faced with the need for more recycling staff, the county instead chose to simply shut down the recycling “pick line” and laid off workers who manually sorted recyclables before they were sold. Instead, the county started selling the recyclables in bulk without separating them first. They fetch a lower price, but allowed the county to save on salaries.
Biggest Loser(s) Award
The biggest election upset of the year was in Jackson County, where Democrats lost control of the board of commissioners for the first time in 16 years.
In a clean sweep, Democrats Brian McMahan, William Shelton and Tom Massie headed to the house, while the conservative ticket of Jack Debnam, Charles Elders and Doug Cody took over their reins.
The new guys immediately started shuffling the deck. County Manager Ken Westmoreland, a target in the election because, among other reasons, he helped institute a pay raise that most benefited longtime employees such as himself, has gone to the house as well. Chuck Wooten, just retired from Western Carolina University, has stepped into his shoes temporarily until a new manager can be found.
Easy Money award
As a new form of video gambling proliferated across the state this year, several towns decided to get in on a piece of the action by imposing hefty business license fees for establishments sporting the machines.
The fees were hardly a deterrent given the lucrative nature of the video gambling machines. When the Canton town board voted to set the fee at $2,500, a business owner attending the evening meeting pulled out his checkbook on the spot. The town manager advised him to come back the next morning.
State lawmakers banned video poker, but the gambling industry came up with a reincarnated version called “video sweepstakes,” which wasn’t subject to the ban. State lawmakers followed suit by broadening the language of the ban, outlawing the sweepstakes machines as well, effective with the new year. But not before towns cashed in.
Maggie Valley and Franklin also cashed in on licensing fees.
Don’t Have to Win to be a Winner award
Sylva Commissioner Harold Hensley, who lost his seat in last year’s election, landed a spot back on the board anyway. When former town board member Sarah Graham moved outside the town limits and had to step down, it was up to the remaining board members to appoint someone to fill the vacancy. By a 3 to 1 vote, Hensley found himself back in his old seat, a move that shifted power from the progressive voting bloc to a new majority characterized by a more traditional philosophy.
This marked the second time in less than a year that Sylva’s board had to vote to appoint one of their own, the other being the seat of Maurice Moody who left his seat on the board empty after moving up to mayor.
Texas Hold ‘em award
After seven long years, Jackson County finally folded in its protracted and expensive battle against Duke Energy over, well, that’s where things get murky. What started as a noble fight by mountain people to get their due from a utility giant left most people scratching their heads and wondering why Jackson County was still anteing up, long before the game was eventually over.
To casual observers, the fight appeared nothing more than a tug-of-war over the Dillsboro Dam: Duke wanted to tear it down and the county wanted to save it. But the origin of the conflict was philosophical: how much does Duke owe Jackson County in exchange for harnessing the Tuckasegee River with numerous dams?
Duke proposed removing the Dillsboro dam and restoring a stretch of free flowing river as compensation for saddling the Tuck with a handful of dams, but county commissioners believed they were being short-changed and wanted more, including a trust fund based on a percentage of the hydropower revenues.
Jackson County commissioners hoped to bring Duke to the negotiating table, but Duke repeatedly called the county’s bluff. Instead of folding, Jackson kept throwing in for the next hand until finally calling it quits this year.
The legendary Appalachian Trail grew by 1.9 miles in 2010.
Every December, the latest mileage and shelter information for the 11 official guides to the AT is updated from volunteers who are constantly improving the trail. Volunteer Daniel D. Chazin of Teaneck, N.J., pulls all the information together, a task he’s been performing since 1983.
This year, due to relocations and re-measurements, increases were reported for: Massachusetts-Connecticut (0.2 mile), New York-New Jersey (0.9 mile), central Virginia (0.1 mile), and Tennessee-North Carolina (0.9 mile), while the southwest Virginia mileage was reduced by 0.1 mile.
The new official length of the AT is 2,181.0 miles.
“The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s 2011 Data Book is an essential planning resource for any Appalachian Trail hiker; whether they are out for a day hike or hiking the entire length from Maine to Georgia,” said Brian B. King, publisher of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Each year, the $6.95 Appalachian Trail Data Book is a top-selling official guide to the longest continuously marked footpath in the world. It condenses into 96 pages the high points of the series of guidebooks and maps. Information is presented at a glance in the same geographic units as the guides, with elevations for major points. Shelters, campsites, water sources, road crossings, supply sources, off-trail lodging, eateries and post offices are all easy to identify in the Data Book.
For more information about the 33rd edition of the Appalachian Trail Data Book or to purchase a copy, visit www.atctrailstore.org or call 888.287.8673.
The University of North Carolina at Asheville and the U.S. Forest Service are joining forces to boost awareness and understanding of threats to forest health.
The joint venture will team UNCA’s advanced computer modeling and imaging capabilities with Forest Service research expertise to develop web-based resources that make threats to forest health readily visible and comprehensible.
The agreement, effective through June 2015, extends the ongoing collaborative efforts between UNC
Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) and the Forest Service Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC).
“Our team’s passion is helping diverse interest groups visualize and understand complex scientific data in creative ways,”NEMAC Director Jim Fox said. “The goal of the NEMAC-EFETAC collaboration is to deliver critical information and tools to the people who need it, when they need it.”
NEMAC will contribute unique skills in computer modeling and programming, database management, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and education and outreach to the joint venture. These include CRAFT (the Comparative Risk Assessment Framework and Tools), a forest planning and decision support system; the Forest Threat Summary Viewer, a database of forest threat information and images; a prototype Early Warning System, a satellite imagery-based monitoring system for detecting unexpected forest changes; EFETAC’s online portal (http://www.forestthreats.org) and related communication materials.
For more information about NEMAC, visit www.nemac.unca.edu.
Early registration is now open for the 2011 Organic Growers School Conference on March 5-6 on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Asheville campus.
More than 1,500 farmers, gardeners, chefs, food activists and consumers are expected to attend what has become the largest sustainable living conference in the Southeast.
Topics covered include fruit production, urban farming, primitive skills, all about poultry, gardening, farming, food preservation, cooking, herbs, sustainable forestry, Alternative energy and more.
For more information about the conference — to attend, exhibit or sponsor — email Meredith Leigh McKissick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Western North Carolina Wildlife Advocates will meet from noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.
North Carolina Rep. Ray Rapp, D-Mars Hill, will present his ideas for increasing funding and manpower for wildlife law enforcement officers. The group will also discuss the N.C. Wildlife Federation’s “Responsible Sportsman Doctrine” as a tool for educating hunters and encouraging responsible behavior.
The WNC Wildlife Advocates want to form a coalition of concerned citizens, conservation organizations, hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, law enforcement officers, wildlife experts, and elected officials to seek creative and proactive solutions to reduce human/wildlife conflicts and conserve mountain resources.
The meeting will convene at 12:45 p.m. after lunch, which will be available at the noon for $8.95 at the Terrace. Reservations required for lunch. Call 828.258.2667 for more information.
To the Editor:
The local radio station in Sylva, WRGC, has reported that the unemployment rate in Jackson County increased by one tenth of a percent from 7.2 to 7.3 in October.
Unemployed workers in Jackson County have received over $18 million in unemployment benefits since November of last year. And yet, when HR 6419 Emergency Unemployment Continuation Act came to the floor of the house on Nov. 18, Heath Shuler was the only North Carolina Democratic representative to vote no.
Rep. Shuler was the only N.C. democrat to vote no on other recent votes: HR 1742, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act; HR 1736 to accelerate relief for victims of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile (see www.govtrack.us/congress/votes).
It appears that these votes follow other no votes on bills that offer relief to citizens of North Carolina: HR 2749 (Food Safety Regulation Amendments); HR 1256 (FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products); HR 1 (“The Stimulus Bill”); HR 1931 (Hate Crimes Expansion); HR 3162 (SCHIP-State Children’s Health Insurance Program); HR 7081
(United States-India Nuclear Agreement); HR 4872 (Health Care Reconciliation Act); HR3590 (Health Care Insurance Law Amendments).
Is this what being “moderate and centrist” means? Is this what the citizens of Western North Carolina really want? I would much rather see a journalist explore in detail Shuler’s rationale for his no votes than the “love fest” article in a recent edition (“Calculated gamble, Shuler’s House leadership run thrusts him onto the national stage,” Dec. 1 SMN).
I would also like to see good definitions of moderate and centrist. If voting against initiatives that have the possibility of improving the lives of people — espeically children — is what a “big tent” means, then I want no part of it.
Linda Watson
Cullowhee
To the Editor:
Give the wealthy $700 billion over the next decade?
Absolutely, say the Republican politicians led by Rep. John Boehner. It would be unfair to allow their tax rates to return to the pre-Bush rates. Giving the rich more money will help the economy. Really? How has it helped the economy the last 10 years?
David Stockman’s (budget director under Ronald Reagan) says, “Let the temporary tax reduction expire for the wealthy.” It would cost $700 billion over the next decade if extended. Stockman says over the past 10 years while the rich have benefitted from reduced taxes how has it helped the economy? Hello?
Warren Buffett and Bill Gates also say let the temporary tax reduction for the rich expire. They believe the rich should help pay to reduce the deficit.
The rich spend their money on stocks, bonds and real estate. The middle class spends theirs on goods and services that help everyone, including the wealthy. Leading economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez agree.
But, my friends, remember that the Republican politicians receive large donations from the rich. Wake up America.
Ron Rookstool
Maggie Valley
To the Editor:
Whether it be a deficit or a debt, no amount of money owed a creditor is a good thing; not on the federal, state, or local level. Unfortunately, for too long it has been much too easy for us to borrow when we should have saved instead. The fiscal conservatives have been there for many years. Mores the pity that they have been ignored by both parties, the bureaucrats (un-elected office holders) who manage the government on a day-to-day basis, and the vast majority of the American people who are too busy watching “Dancing with the Stars.” Consequently the piper will come to collect his due, soon.
Unlike “Astroturf,” which is essentially a tool of public relations/publicity campaigns, authentic grassroots movements don’t arise, grow, and become powerful overnight. This is especially true when apathy in participation in government has been overwhelming for so long.
How could a county manager be able to get away with the irregularities and abuse that he has for so long? How could a board of commissioners be able to spend our county into backbreaking debt otherwise?
Ask yourself, “when have I gone to, sat and listened, and sometimes used the public comment period (our First Amendment rights!) at a county commissioners meeting? Did I want something from the commissioners, or did I go because it was the right thing to do? Have I participated in a meaningful way?”
Previously on the federal level, any surpluses were merely on paper and only affected the deficit, not the growing debt. Americans of all stripes are only just waking up to the fact that the deficit and the debt (two different wolves) have been enormously increased by unscrupulous elected and un-elected office holders who have not been following the Constitution. For this citizen, it makes me wonder if anybody else has read (and understands) the socio-political contract between us and our government? And do they care?
But take heart; for the truly concerned individuals lamenting the pending demise of our republic, there’s always as a last resort Locke’s “appeal to Heaven” to achieve a restoration of the founder’s vision of what we still could be.
Carl Iobst
Cullowhee
Steam engines are coming back to Western North Carolina, thanks to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.
The railroad announced that in coordination with Rail Events Inc., it has closed on the purchase of a steam locomotive — #1149 — and a Bud Rail Diesel Car — RDC-1. Additionally, the railroad has obtained nine passenger coaches from the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad Preservation Society in Unity, Maine.
The locomotive and coaches have been winterized and will remain in storage for the winter. They will come to Bryson City, where the railroad is headquartered, in late spring 2011. Minor repairs are needed — two boilers will be renewed, which means disassembly of the smoke box and reinstalling a throttle.
Locomotive #149 is a Swedish locomotive built in 1913 and exported to the U.S. in 1994. It is a coal-burning locomotive with a 4-6-0 wheel configuration and a 5,000-gallon coal tender. The locomotive was rebuilt and re-tubed in 1998 under Federal Railroad Administration standards. The locomotive and passenger coaches have a Swiss coupling system and will operate together as a train set.
The RDC “Budd car” is capable of seating up to 84 passengers and is equipped with controls on each end. It has two 275hp diesel engines and has #6 airbrakes with D-22 brake valves. The RDC may be coupled with additional passenger coaches.
“Having been with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad for the past 23 years, I have seen the operation grow and expand the passenger rail-tourism industry with our successful special events,” Kim Albritton, vice president and general manager, said in a prepared news release. “I, along with my staff at GSMR, are exploding with excitement and the many opportunities that restored steam service will provide, not only to the railroad but to the region of Western North Carolina.”
The Waynesville Planning Board said this week it will hold off on adopting a major update to the town’s land use plan until February at the earliest, and will delay voting even then if it thinks citizens still want time to digest the plan and offer suggestions.
“I will say that people have told me that if we vote at this meeting it would prevent some from commenting,” said planning board member Jon Feichter at the Dec. 20 meeting. “I would be in favor of waiting until at least Feb. 21 to vote.”
Other planning board members agreed to wait until then at the earliest.
“I think we can tentatively schedule it for then, but it can wait until later if that’s what we need to do,” said board chairman Patrick McDowell.
Town Planning Director Paul Benson also said that there should be no rush to adopt the revisions.
“It is my recommendation that you vote when you feel comfortable with it. Tonight would be too early,” said Benson.
Benson told board members he would like them to delay voting and take public comment at its next couple of meetings.
The updates to the town’s land development standards have been in the works for more than a year. Waynesville hired a consulting company that has been working with a town committee to update the land-use standards that were originally adopted in 2003. Nearly 40 meetings have been held, and result of that work was presented to town citizens at two public meetings in late November and early December.
Benson prepared a package of all the comments for the planning board, but he said two issues raised by the public stood out: one, criticism of the revision that will remove the mandate that parking be on the side and in backs of buildings in commercial areas; and two, complaints about the new plan’s allowable density and height.
The board did not discuss any changes to the original proposal in response to public comment from the two public meetings.
Feichter did bring up one problem that he said might need to addressed: the stipulation that redevelopment of existing structures did not have to meet the new standards as long as the revision was to less than 50 percent of the existing structure. He said some could take advantage of this if there was not a time limit put in the regulations saying how long a period there had to be between renovations.
Benson suggested that saying a year must pass between renovations would likely solve this problem, but the board did not adopt any change.
The Haywood County Board of Commissioners is accepting applications for the following boards:
Haywood County Board of Health – This board is a policy-making, rule-making and adjudicatory body for the Haywood County Health Department. The Board adopts rules necessary for the purpose of protecting and promoting public health. The regular meeting for the Board of Health is held at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. The Health Board has four vacancies in the following specialties: registered nurse, veterinarian, pharmacist, and medical doctor.
Tourism Development Authority Board — The function of this board is to oversee the operations of the Tourism Development Authority in the collection and disbursement of occupancy tax from Haywood County accommodations and in the promotion of tourism in Haywood County. The TDA Board has one vacancy for an owner or operator of a hotel, motel or other accommodation with 20 units or less, to serve remaining term ending Dec. 31, 2012. The board meets at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Application forms may be downloaded from the Online Services section of the county website, www.haywoodnc.net; or picked up from the County Manager’s Office, Haywood County Courthouse, Third Floor, 215 North Main Street, Waynesville, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Completed applications may be returned to the County Manager’s Office or attached to an email to Rebecca Morgan, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 31. For more information contact the County Manager’s Office at 828.452.6625.
The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled, “Organizing your Work and Life — a Great Way to Start the Year!” from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6, on campus on the first floor in the Student Center.
This workshop will be an entertaining and useful way to start your year, get organized and finally understand the best way to set and achieve your goals. The workshop will cover the three main areas of disorganization: time, information and workspace management. Time management includes: creating effective calendar systems, setting value-based goals, using follow-up systems that work and understanding the difference between “preparation and procrastination.” Information management includes: mastering your inbox, tracking important projects, critical decision making and going from “piles to files.” Workspace management includes: the number one tip for keeping your desk clean, what to put on your desk and why and how to use the “5 second rule” to know if your system is working.
The presenter is Sarah Kirkish, owner of WorkLife Organization. Kirkish has over 18 years of project management experience in corporate America. She is a certified Coach and Professional Organizer. She helps busy professionals simplify their lives from the inside out with her down-to-earth coaching and interactive workshops.
For more information or to preregister for this free seminar, call the Small Business Center at 828.627.4512.
Listeners to WWNC-AM can hear a broadcast of the Western Carolina University presentation of the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 24.
“We’re looking forward to airing it,” said Brian Hall, director of programming with Clear Channel in Asheville. “It will be a good way to kick off the Christmas programming.”
WWNC-AM is at 570 on the radio dial and also is available for streaming online at www.wwnc.com. The one-hour “A Christmas Carol” will lead into the station’s Christmas Eve holiday music programming, an annual tradition on the typically talk-radio station.
The radio presentation is a recording of “A Christmas Carol” as it was performed live on stage at WCU in early December. Steve Carlisle, associate dean of the Honors College, was the show’s director; Bruce Frazier, Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Commercial and Electronic Music, was the musical director. Don Connelly, associate professor and head of the Department of Communication, produced the show. Students in departments across campus were involved in the collaboration.
The performance was a re-enactment of the Campbell’s Playhouse adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” from 1938 and included live sound effects, a 20-piece orchestra and an eight-person choir. It even starred Arthur Anderson, who reprised his role as the Ghost of Christmas Past from the original Orson Welles 1938 radio production.
For more information about the WWNC-AM broadcast of “A Christmas Carol,” contact Hall at 828.257.2700.
In 2011, The Bascom in Highlands will be open year round. In January and February visit us on Fridays and Saturdays and take part in a variety of activities.
Spend “Saturdays at The Bascom” and discover Art Cinema. Beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturdays, enjoy a schedule of great afternoon movies.
• Jan. 7 – Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye
• Jan. 15 – The Art of the Steal
• Jan. 22 – The Agony and the Ecstasy
• Jan. 29 – F for Fake
• Feb. 5 – Georgia O’Keeffe
• Feb. 12 – Surviving Picasso
• Feb. 19 – Camille Claudel
• Feb. 26 – Sunday in the Park with George
Relive the fun and spirit of Highlands’ past at the nostalgic Winter Barn Dances. Honoring educators on Jan. 22, police, firefighters and EMS on Feb. 26 and veterans on March 26, the dances are from 7-10 p.m. and feature live entertainment. To purchase tickets ($5) or for more information call 828.526.2112 or visit www.winterinhighlands.com.
Greg Newington returns to The Bascom on Jan. 28-29 for “Photography for Lovers.” Part of Highlands Romance Weekend, learn how to add a sense of romance to your photos using light, filters and Photoshop.
The Bascom winter hours from Jan. 7 to April 2, Fridays and Saturdays only, are 10 a.m.-5 pm. For more details on all Bascom winter activities, visit www.thebascom.org or call 828.526.4949.
In the tradition of his German heritage, brewmeister Dieter Kuhn of Heinzelmannchen Brewery has crafted a specialty beer for the Christmas season.
Heinzelmannchen’s Merry Gnome ale debuted Dec. 17 and will be available at the brewery in downtown Sylva through the end of the year.
The Merry Gnome is a cocoa-flavored dark porter, spiced with brandy-soaked dark cherries.
“Our other seasonal beers are traditional beers that are lighter in flavor and have more affinity to be paired with food because they are not overpowering,” said Kuhn. “However, our Merry Gnome is a chocolate-flavored porter infused with dark cherries marinated in brandy during fermentation, giving a chocolate-cherry flavor profile with a warming finish.”
Kuhn had considered crafting a Christmas brew for several years, and figured the timing was right this holiday season.
“People always want something new and different. We’ve had success with our specialty beers and I wanted to step out and add a Christmastime beer to our lineup,” Kuhn said. “It’s a time of year when we want to give thanks to our customers and invite them into our brewery and share our success with them.”
In December, Heinzelmannchen Brewery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and closed Sundays. For brewery info, visit: www.yourgnometownbrewery.com, or call 828.631.4466.
The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s version of The Polar Express™ will continue running through Dec. 24.
The round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the “North Pole” to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board The Polar Express™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell.
Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.
In 1985, Chris Van Allsburg wrote The Polar Express™, a story of a magical train ride on Christmas Eve. The train takes a young boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.
Ticket prices begin at $39 for adults and $26 for children ages 2-12. Children under 2 years old ride complimentary. For more information and reservations call 800.872-4681 or visit us online at www.GSMR.com.
Crown Class ticket prices are $49 for adults, $36 for children 2-12 and $10 for under two years. First-class seating upgrades are available. Each guest will receive a deluxe serving of warm cocoa in a souvenir Polar Express™ mug and other treats in addition to the standard offerings. Ticket prices for first class are $59 for adults and $41 for children. Children under 2 years old are $10. The Polar Express™ Christmas Eve Limited ticket prices are $50 and children 2-12 are $37. First class seating upgrades are also available. Adult ticket prices are $72, children 2-12 are $50 and $16 for under two years.
Smoky Mountain Trains Museum admission is included with all train excursion tickets. Without train excursion admission is $9 for adults and $5 for children.
A two-time Grammy-nominated songwriter and a Grammy winning singer will host a New Year’s Eve show at the Balsam Mountain Inn that will showcase jazz, folk, blues, Americana and other styles of music.
Casey Kelly’s hits include “Soon” (recorded by Tanya Tucker), “Cowboy Rides Away” recorded by George Strait (who still closes all his live concert shows with it), “Anyone Who Isn’t Me Tonight” (recorded by Kenny Rogers/Dottie West), and “That Road Not Taken” (Joe Diffie). Other hits include: “Only Game In Town” (America) and “Somewhere Down the Line” (T.G. Sheppard).
Kelly is also a successful session player and singer. He has performed concerts and club gigs throughout the U.S. and Europe with artists like Arlo Guthrie, The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, Fleetwood Mac, Gordon Lightfoot, The Grateful Dead, Hall And Oats, Jackson Browne, Jimi Hendrix, Randy Travis and many more.
Leslie Ellis won a Grammy as a vocalist (with Celine Dion) on “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic. She has performed on “Six Times Around the Sun” (CBS TV mini-series Perfect Murder, Perfect Town) and is starring in a new film “My Name is Wallace.”
All inclusive tickets are $78 per person and include the show, a 2011 champagne flute, a split of champagne, party favors, buffet dinner and beverage. Wine, beer, and mixed drinks may be purchased at table. The buffet starts at 8 p.m. with seating every 15 minutes and the show is from 9 p.m. until midnight.
For information and tickets call 800.224.9498
Rush of Fools, a Birmingham-based Christian band, will perform at Lake Junaluska New Year’s Ministries with Young People (MYP) INFUSE Ski celebration for youth on Dec. 31.
Local youth and churches are invited to attend the New Year’s concert. Tickets are available for $15.
Part of Ministries with Young People at Lake Junaluska’s INFUSE New Year’s Weekend, Dec. 31 through Jan. 2, Rush of Fools will share the stage with This is Luke and Rev. Jasmine Smothers.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the New Year’s celebration will begin at 8 p.m., lasting until midnight. Visit www.myp.lakejunaluska.com/infuse-special or call 800.222.4930 to purchase concert tickets or for more information about INFUSE Ski weekends at Lake Junaluska.
A local group has raised more than $10,000 to support local, state and national efforts to bring back that mighty giant, the American chestnut tree.
The Cataloochee Branch of The American Chestnut Foundation sponsored its first annual Chestnut Saturday and fundraising dinner in September. More than 500 people joined in the festivities which were held at Cataloochee Ranch, which boasts an outstanding chestnut breeding orchard.
Chestnut Saturday was scheduled just prior to the Branch’s fundraising dinner. The day-long event featured crafts and vendors, live bluegrass and dancing, chestnut orchard tours, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, horseshoes, kids’ games and wildlife biologist Rob Gudger’s captive wolves. The Branch’s dinner featured entertainment and a live auction and the event was almost sold-out.
“Cataloochee Ranch is ideal for growing chestnuts,” said TACF board member Dr. Paul Sisco. “The high-elevation site is good because chestnuts are susceptible to another introduced pathogen, Phytopthora, which causes root rot; however, Phytopthora can’t survive freezing.”
Now in its fourth growing season, Cataloochee’s orchard will be tested in a couple of years for resistance to the blight, and the survivors will be backcrossed again. The trees growing there will be ready for introduction to the wild in 2015, Sisco reports.
“Despite two inches of rain that day [of the event], we were extremely pleased with the turnout,” says Judy Coker, owner of Cataloochee Ranch. “We’ve already started planning next year’s event which will be held the first Saturday after Labor Day. We were very fortunate to have partnered with the Haywood County Council of Garden Clubs and we worked with three outstanding groups, Mountain View Garden Club, Richland Garden Club and the Waynesville Council of Garden Clubs.”
Linda Boyd, President of the Waynesville Council of Garden Clubs said that while Council members were meeting at Cataloochee Ranch to plan a program, they learned about the ranch’s involvement with TACF. The Council decided quickly to help promote the rebirth of the American chestnut tree by participating in the Chestnut Day and gala fundraisers.
For information about the return of the American chestnut, visit www.acf.org. To join the Cataloochee Restoration Branch of The American Chestnut Foundation call 828.926.1401.
Dr. Carolyn Ward of Asheville was recently named as head of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
Ward replaces Dr. Houck Medford, a Waynesville native, who has served as the founder and CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation since its inception.
Ward has been serving chief operating officer. Medford will continue to serve as a consultant to the Foundation.
Bob Shepherd, chairman of the board of trustees, praised Medford’s vision and dedication to preserving the beauty and culture of the nation's most visited national parks. The parkway extends 469 miles through 29 counties in North Carolina and Virginia.
“Our board is unanimous in expressing deep appreciation for Houck’s and K.B’s (his wife) perseverance over the years in creating and growing our foundation so that citizens and organizations can have a tax deductible conduit through which they can contribute in a meaningful way to enhancing the Blue Ridge Parkway,” Shepherd said.
A Swain County native now living in South Carolina has won several writing awards from the South Carolina Outdoor Press Association.
Jim Casada writes frequently about the Smokies and is a regular columnist in The Smoky Mountain Times in Bryson City and also contributes regularly to Smoky Mountain Living (a sister publication of The Smoky Mountain News).
Members of South Carolina Outdoor Press Association (SCOPe), their supporters and guests gathered at The Territories Saluda River Preserve near Lake Greenwood for their annual fall conference in November. The members of SCOPe represent South Carolina’s top outdoor communicators from magazines, newspapers, online media and television.
Casada’s awards include:
• Newspaper Feature, first place, “Living Off the Land: A Vanishing Way of Life.”
• Magazine Feature, third place, “Reflections On A Marvelous Madness”
• Column, first place, “In The Good Ol’ Summertime…”; second place, “Musings On Coons, Possums And Other Destructive Critters.”
• Non-game Outdoor Enjoyment, first place, “A World of Wonder: Wildflowers Along the Parkway;” third place, “The Pleasures of Pickin’ — Strawberries, That Is.”
• Editorial/Opinion, first place, “Only Hunters Are Able To Save Hunting;” second place, “Economic Woes And The Sportsman’s World.”
For more information, contact P.J. Perea, South Carolina Outdoor Press Association President, at 803.637.3106 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Supervisory Fisheries Biologist Steve Moore was recently recognized with two national awards for his leadership in native trout stream restoration in the Smokies and at national parks across the nation.
Moore recently received the Aldo Starker Leopold Medal by the Wild Trout Symposium and the Trout Unlimited Trout Conservation Professional Award.
Both awards recognize the more than 25 years of achievement by Moore’s in restoring populations of native brook trout to streams in the Smokies, and assisting with other projects including the restoration of bull trout to Crater Lake National Park (Ore.) and to North Cascade National Park (Wash.) and restoring Bonneville cutthroat trout to Great Basin National Park (Nev.).
Throughout the country, a combination of habitat degradation and extensive stocking of non-native fish species have taken a heavy toll on numerous species of native trout, which typically require cold, clear, pristine water for survival. In many cases streams that may have been degraded by siltation or pollution have been cleaned up, but the native trout still need a helping hand to return.
According to Deputy Park Superintendent, Kevin FitzGerald, “One of the core missions of national parks is to preserve natural biodiversity which sometimes means restoring native plant and animal species which have been displaced from their historic homes by earlier human impacts,” said Deputy Park Superintendent Kevin FitzGerald.
In the Smokies, the brook trout was the only native species of trout, but they were crowded out of all but the most isolated high-elevation streams when — with the best of intentions —logging companies and early park managers released rainbow and later brown trout into Park streams in the early 20th Century.”
In the Smokies the brookies that remain in the headwaters face a double threat. They are squeezed between heavy competition from rainbows and browns downstream, and airborne acid deposition upstream that has made the water too acidic to support trout. The key to preserving the Appalachian brook trout is to remove the non-native trout from selected segments of lower-elevation streams and then to assist the brookies in moving downstream into less acidic waters.
To be suitable for restoration, a stream segment must have a record of a pure brook trout population in the past and a waterfall or other barrier at the lower end that prevents non-native fish from returning back upstream. Restoration of each segment involves removal of the non-natives through either electro-shocking and/or chemicals. Over the last 24 years of the Park’s Brook Trout Restoration Program, Park biologists — assisted by a small army of state fishery managers and volunteers from Trout Unlimited — have restored a total of 24.1 miles of stream to brook trout habitat.
Restoring each segment involves close coordination of 20 or more biologists and volunteers who string nets, electro-shock and relocate the non-natives, add and monitor the chemicals used and add neutralizing agents at the lower end of the segment being restored.
“Stream restoration is such a complex and labor-intensive process that the Park could never even attempt it without the financial support and/or hands-on assistance of all the neighboring entities such as Trout Unlimited, Tennessee Brookies, Friends of the Smokies, and the Tennessee and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commissions.” FitzGerald said. “Steve has become nationally-recognized master of planning these restoration projects and brokering together a huge number of partners to get them done. We welcome this opportunity to acknowledge this well deserved recognition of Steve and show our appreciation to all the partners that he has brought into the mix over the years.”
Cataloochee Ski Area continued a long tradition of holiday giving to the local community recently with its 9th Annual Can-U-Ski Food and Coat Drive.
Cataloochee skiers and riders turned out in record numbers to participate in the area’s annual event benefiting Haywood Christian Ministries.
Thousands of cans of food and hundreds of coats were donated to the area during the event. All donations will be given to the local non-profit organization in order to stock its pantry for the Christmas holiday season.
Skiers and boarders from across the Southeast came to Maggie Valley to take part where ten cans of food or a winter coat could be redeemed for a free lift ticket for the day.
“What better way to start the season of giving than by giving back to your local community to folks in need.” said Chris Bates, Cataloochee Ski Area general manager. “We appreciate all of our guests who participated in this worthwhile event and thank them for their support.”
Many customers showed up at the ticket window on Sunday with more than the minimum required to be able to ski for free.
The so-called “Missing Link” of the Foothills Parkway in east Tennessee is now scheduled for completion by 2015.
Officials with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park say a $33.8 million contract has been awarded to the Lane Construction Company of Charlotte. The half-mile section of the road between Walland and Wears Valley, Tenn., includes three bridges.
The Foothills Parkway is a scenic parkway congressionally authorized in 1944. The parkway corridor is 72 miles long, but to date, only two discontinuous segments totaling 22.5 miles are completed and open. Administered by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Parkway parallels the Park’s northern boundary from Chilhowee Lake, Tenn., to Interstate 40 near Cosby, Tenn.
The teen friends of the library meeting will be held at the Marianna Black Library at 3:30 on Thursday, Dec. 16. Teens are invited to come share their ideas about materials of interest to them, including what sort of programming they’d like to see at the library. There will be food, crafts, games, and much more at the meeting.
Don’t forget, there are volunteer opportunities for teens here at the library and also at Friends of the Library bookstore.
For more information, call 828.488.3030 or go to www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
Three professors from Western Carolina University who co-edited a work of collected historical writings about the Cherokee will sign copies of the book from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, in the Education and Research Center of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee.
William L. Anderson, history professor emeritus; Jane L. Brown, instructor of anthropology; and Anne F. Rogers, professor of anthropology, edited “The Payne-Butrick Papers.”
The annotated, two-volume set is available at the museum gift shop for $150.
Published recently by the University of Nebraska Press, the work is a collection of writings about the Cherokee from the 1830s, when John Howard Payne, an author, actor and playwright, and missionary Daniel S. Butrick, gathered information on Cherokee life and history, fearing that the cultural knowledge would be lost during the impending forced removal west. Butrick, who was a Baptist minister, lived with the Cherokees for a number of years and accompanied them when they were taken on the Trail of Tears.
Prior to the published version, the papers were available to researchers in a typescript that contained a number of errors, or by traveling to Chicago to read the original manuscript archived in the Newberry Library there, Rogers said. “The material is valuable because it provides information not only about the political and economic aspects of Cherokee life at that time, but gives insight into ceremonial practices, traditional beliefs and other components of their traditional culture,” she said.
The work is part of the Indians of the Southeast Series, which also includes “Demanding the Cherokee Nation,” a work by WCU associate professor of history Andrew Denson that examines 19th-century Cherokee political rhetoric to addresses the contradiction between the sovereignty of Indian nations and the political weakness of Indian communities.
For more information about the signing, contact Joyce Cooper, membership manager at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, at 828.497.3481, extension 305.
The Marianna Black Library will hold its next community jam from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16.
Anyone with a banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle (anything unplugged) is invited to join. Singers are also welcomed or you can come by to just listen.
The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City. Normally Larry calls out a tune and its key signature, and the group plays it together, but there’s also a chance for anyone to share with the group a song they would like to perform. The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn the old-time mountain songs.
The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month. Marianna Black Library is located in Downtown Bryson City at the corner of Academy and Rector. For more information call the library at 828.488.3030.
The renowned Oak Ridge Boys will play at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center in Franklin.
The Oak Ridge Boys have carved out a huge following with their unmistakable four-part harmony. They have produced dozens of hit songs including “You’re the One in a Million,” “I’m Settin’ Fancy Free,” “Sail Away,” and “Elvira.“
The group has earned just about every industry accolade available, including Grammy, Dove, ACM, and CMA awards. Their newest albums, “The Boys are Back,” and “The Oak Ridge Boys: A Gospel Journey,” are now available.
For ticket information visit www.greatmountainmusic.com or call 828.524.1598.
The Western Carolina Community Chorus will be joined by The Smoky Mountain Brass and Friends for a gala concert at 8 p.m. on Friday evening, Dec. 17.
The performance will be presented in the Music Recital Hall, located in the Coulter Building on the Western Carolina University Cullowhee campus.
The two music groups will collaborate in presenting “Christmas Voices and Brass,” a medley of Christmas carols, old and new. Many of the titles are familiar favorites, and all are being presented in settings composed and arranged by Richard Trevarthen and James Dooley, both retired professors of music at Western Carolina University. Dooley, also long-time director of the chorus, will conduct the performance.
The Western Carolina Community Chorus is the oldest community choral group in western North Carolina. The organization is sponsored by Western Carolina University, the Jackson County Arts Council, and the Grassroots Program of the North Carolina Arts Council. Since its inception in 1970, it has performed some 80 concerts in fifteen different locations throughout the region.
There is no admission charge, but response to the chorus’ annual holiday concerts is generally excellent, and everyone should plan to arrive a few minutes early to ensure good seating.
The sixth annual Mountain Dulcimer Winter Weekend, sponsored by Western Carolina University, will be held Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 6-9, at the Terrace Hotel at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.
Longtime music educators Elaine and Larry Conger will host this year’s event, which includes classes in mountain dulcimer taught by Anne Lough, Dave Haas and Joe Collins; bowed dulcimer with Ken Bloom; and — new this year — hammered dulcimer with Lough and Ruth Smith. Instruction also will be offered in waltzes for dulcimer, Native American flute music, fast Celtic tunes, hymns and more. The Congers, Miller, Marsha Harris and Will Peebles, director of the School of Music at WCU, will teach elective classes.
Registration for the event is now open at dulcimer.wcu.edu. Tuition for playing participants is $149 and includes all activities. A nonparticipant rate of $40 also is available, which includes attendance at jams, nightly events and Sunday morning singing. Reservations for accommodations should be made separately through the Terrace Hotel at 800.222.4930 or 828.452.2881. Some meals are included with accommodations.
For more information, contact Bobby Hensley of WCU’s Division of Educational Outreach at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.7397.
The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will plan to offer a day camp for children in grades 1 through 5 at the Waynesville Recreation Center on days that school has been cancelled due to snow. The decision will be made by 8 a.m. that day depending on the availability of staff. Please call ahead to verify if the camp will take place.
The cost is $15 for members or $20 for non-members. Please bring a lunch, two snacks, a swimsuit, towel, warm clothes, sneakers, a quiet activity such as a book and an extra blanket. For more information or to register please call 828.456.2030 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Highlands-Cashiers Players are holding audtions from 3 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 19 and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 for the performance of “You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running” by Robert Anderson.
The collection of four unrelated, one-act comedy plays cover a range of topics: a director’s and producer’s difference of opinion on stage nudity, a couple shopping for twin beds after 25 years of marriage, parents discussing the sex education of their almost adult children, and an elderly couple with memory problems trying in vain to recall their earlier relationships.
This play, with its amusing, lengthy title, was one of the most successful comedies in Broadway history. There are parts for men and women ages 25 to 70.
For more information call Donna Cochran at 828.526.2080
During the month of December the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will continue to show family Christmas favorites.
The movies are shown every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., are free to the public and projected onto an 8-by-10 foot screen, with a theater sound system. The library will also be giving away one free movie check out voucher to each patron who attends the movie.
Due to production studio guidelines, the library may not include movie titles in its print advertising. Please call the library 828.488.3030 for information on the movie, including its title.
On Saturday, Dec.18, the Marianna Black Library invites children of all ages to participate in making Christmas ornaments at 11 a.m. For more information call 828.488.3030 or go to www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
Balsam Range will perform a concert with Tony Rice and Bobby Hicks at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the Colonial Theater in Canton.
Balsam Range is renowned bluegrass band based in Haywood County whose members include Buddy Melton, Tim Surrett, Marc Pruett, Caleb Smith and Darren Nicholson. Each one has extensive music credentials, and each brings a well-rounded, unique contribution to the fresh sound of this new bluegrass band.
The Canton concert includes nationally known artists Tony Rice and Bobby Hicks for what Balsam Range’s web site is calling a “Christmas party.”
Admission is $15. For tickets and information call 828.235.2760 or visit www.balsamrange.com.
The Haywood County Public Library will hold its first ever Lego® construction contest at 9 a.m. on Jan. 29
Youth Services Librarian Carole Dennis had the idea for a Lego® contest partly based on her own children’s interest in the popular building block toys, and partly from reading about other libraries holding Lego® competitions. Another consideration was to have something for kids to do after the Christmas holidays during the winter days when other activities might be limited.
“There’s sometimes a letdown after the holidays and kids have been looking forward to Christmas so intensely all year, and then it’s over. I’m hoping this will help extend the fun of the holidays a bit longer,” said Dennis.
The library’s Lego® Extravaganza Contest will require pre-registration due to the limited amount of space available for construction and display in the library’s auditorium.
“According to my best estimate, we’ll only have display space available for 30 projects,” explained Dennis. Registration forms are available in the Children’s Department of the Waynesville branch of the Haywood County Library. Rules for the contest will be posted on the library’s website (www.haywoodlibrary.org). The contest is open to children between the ages of 5-18 and children can enter as individuals or as a team.
“We’re trying to have some relation to books and reading, so for our first contest we’re asking kids to design a character, vehicle or scene from their favorite book or movie,” said Dennis. “That leaves a lot of room for creativity as a character can include a real or imagined person or animal, and a vehicle could be anything from a bicycle to a space ship.”
Dennis encouraged participants to plan ahead what they would make for the contest, as none of the building bricks can be assembled before the contest.
“The only way that I could make sure that the kids were doing all the work themselves was to have them do all the work here during the contest. We’ll give everyone two hours to build their entry here in the auditorium and then we’ll break for lunch. The judges will make their decisions and we’ll have the winners announced by mid-afternoon,” Dennis explained.
There is still a need for volunteers to serve as judges and Carole Dennis is actively seeking donations for prizes from area businesses.
“We’ve had a good response so far from several businesses offering incentives for all participants, but I would like to have some special gifts for the first-, second- and third-place winners in each of our five age categories,” Dennis stated.
Parents, teachers and community leaders are encouraged to call Ms. Dennis at 828.356.2511 to volunteer as judges or timekeepers.
Winners of the Lego® Extravaganza Contest will also have the option of leaving their creations on display in the library’s downstairs display case beginning Monday, Jan. 31 through mid-February:
“If they can stand being without their Legos® that long,” said Dennis. Children who have made Lego® constructions at home and are unable to participate in the contest, can contact Dennis at 828.356.2511 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if they would like to loan their creations for display in January.
Editor’s note: This letter was written by Waynesville’s planning director in response to Mary Lamb’s letter above.
Dear Ms. Lamb
Thank you for copying me on your message to Mayor Gavin Brown. I can’t speak for the mayor, but I was frustrated that most of your questions seemed to be aimed at attacking our process rather than genuine questions to gather information about the draft ordinance. Many people have worked very hard to produce the product that you have attacked even before understanding what it contains. My concern at both community meetings was that your insistent, repetitive and argumentative statements were dominating the meeting to the exclusion of comments from other citizens that pertained to the actual content of the ordinance.
Our steering committee was never intended to be demographically balanced. The criteria for selection was experience with the Town’s development regulations. All were appointed directly or indirectly by your elected representatives. All meetings of this committee were open and members of the media did occasionally attend.
As you have the opportunity to review the draft ordinance, I am hopeful that you will appreciate some of the changes even if you don’t agree with others. Please let us know what you don’t agree with, and how in your opinion it can be improved. That is the type of feedback that will be effective in making the ordinance better.
I’m sure you realize that all development ordinances represent compromise, so it’s unlikely that everyone will be completely pleased with the result of the revision. However, the objective of this process as I see it is to produce a set of development regulations that are more user-friendly and more importantly will make Waynesville a better place.
Paul Benson
Waynesville Planning Director
To the Editor:
Like so many other young couples, my husband and I felt so blessed when he landed a job in this area five years ago and we were able to move and start a family in Waynesville. We had looked at living in Sylva, but immediately were attracted to the historic character and charm of this dear town and seriously impressed with the well-thought out planning of the downtown, where we currently live.
This interest in being a part of a vibrant, beautiful community led me to attend a meeting hosted by Paul Benson, planner for the town of Waynesville, on Tuesday in which the town’s newly drafted land development standards were presented to the public. Benson explained that over a more than two-year period, a committee appointed by our respected town board reviewed the old land development standards, coming up with a completely new document to be enacted into law — a document that would entirely replace our current standards.
Mr. Benson said that only 10 percent of the current law would effectively be changed; however, the changes he discussed I found to be on very critical issues (parking, setbacks, landscaping, to name just a few). Many of these changes could alter the originally planned landscape, making it appear more and more like suburban strip malls and big box centers of larger cities, not the quaint mountain town we love and that tourists love to visit.
Residents wishing to make changes to improve and protect the character of their neighborhoods have been told that this review process would be their opportunity to organize and make changes. But even after news outlets have advertised the public meeting times, the public still needs ample time to review, digest and discuss the more than 300-page document that is currently the law, along with the new 200-plus page document being proposed to supersede it. These documents are written in entirely different forms, making it very time-consuming to compare and contrast them.
Currently, neither Mr. Benson nor his committee have offered the public an easy to read list of all changes from the old law to the new—only summaries they wish to highlight and that are admittedly incomplete. They are putting the burden of review on the public, a process that again is complicated and lengthy.
Currently, the town planning board is set to begin discussion and possibly even vote on the new standards Monday, Dec. 20. This would only allow concerned citizens two and a half weeks (during the Christmas season) to review it. I would urge interested citizens to contact the Town Board and urge them to delay all voting on this plan until at least March to allow interested citizens time to read, meet and develop their own concerns for consideration.
What is the vision of Waynesville’s residents for their future? A handful of men only have spent two years revising the original standards which were developed and adopted (in 2003) with both men and women actively involved. Allowing folks a couple of months to give feedback is not too much to ask. The standards adopted by the town greatly affect the beauty, character, economic development and general sustainability of our community.
What you can do to help:
1. Email or call the Waynesville Aldermen, the chair of the Planning Board and the Town Planner and ask them in your own words to postpone any vote on adopting the Land Development Standards until at least March.
Mayor Gavin Brown, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.452.2491
Alderman Gary Caldwell, 828.456.3138
Alderman Elizabeth Feichter, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.456-6918
Alderman J. Wells Greeley, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.456.7288
Alderman LeRoy Roberson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.456.7142
Town Planner Paul Benson, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.456.2004
Planning Board Chair Patrick McDowell, 828.508.4932
2. Attend the Waynesville Planning Board meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 20, in the upstairs room of the new downtown police station to ask the entire planning board to postpone their critical vote on this issue until at least March.
3. Forward this letter and info to anyone Waynesville residents you know who are concerned with Smart Growth, historic preservation and maintaining the character and charm of our community. Post information on any Facebook or other social networking site you regularly use to contact your Waynesville friends, family, co-workers and neighbors.
4. Contact me with your other ideas on how we can work fast to take advantage of this window of opportunity for making positive change in our community. A small group of concerned citizens is currently forming to carefully review the new plan and we would love your help.
Mary Alice Lamb
Waynesville
Robert “Rob” Hawk, a Whittier resident and the former community resource development agent in this region for the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, last month became the new county extension director for Jackson and Swain counties.
Hawk replaced Jeff Seiler, who retired in October 2009, after serving as county extension director in both counties for 10 years.
Hawk has held the position of community resource development agent, based in Waynesville, since 2004. He also has worked as an area extension agent for community development, based in Sylva (2000-2003) and as a community development, agriculture and 4-H Extension agent in Cherokee (1997-2000).
Hawk earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation and leisure administration from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in parks, recreation and tourism management, with a minor in public policy and resource economics, from N.C. State University.
The Smoky Mountain News asked Hawk a few questions about his plans for Jackson and Swain counties. Here’s what he said in reply:
Q: What administrative changes do you plan on making, if any?
A: Administratively there are no changes to be made at this time, due to a shortage in the budgets for additional staff. Hopefully in 2011 we can regain our family and consumer science extension agent back to the Swain County Extension Center.
Q: What special problems come for a director answering to commissioners and residents of two counties?
A: There is really not a problem serving two counties … I have been an area extension agent for the last 10 years covering 10 counties from Buncombe County west. There may be a slight challenge in doing everything administratively twice instead of once.
Q: There is no one on staff for the extension service in Jackson and Swain counties with particular experience dealing with livestock. Any plans to address this gap?
A: There are plans to hopefully hire a livestock agent in Macon County, who would also serve the counties of Macon, Swain and Jackson, the same area that is covered by the Jackson, Macon and Swain Cattleman’s Association. Until that happens I will cover livestock requests for Jackson and Swain counties. I realize the livestock folks have been without an agent to help them, so we will do our best to serve them in the future because livestock is very important to our two counties agriculturally.
Q: What special areas of interest do you bring to the job of director?
A: My interests are in community and leadership development, in which I provide facilitation and educational programs to help individuals and both public and private businesses to advance their business and mission through improving their leadership skills. Customer service and hospitality education is another interest of mine in working with the businesses in both counties. Another major interest is conservation education with the youth of both counties, and my goal is to help the youth learn to enjoy, appreciate and respect our great natural resources in the two counties.
Q: What is the overall goal of your office staff?
A: Extension educational programming and (answering) individual requests are our means for effectiveness and strength in Jackson and Swain counties. Our extension staff believes in being out in the community helping others learn how to help themselves, which helps makes better communities in both counties.
The Haywood County Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 20, in the Historic Courtroom of the Haywood County Courthouse.
The first public hearing will be for the purpose of receiving public input on a proposed Public Health and Solid Waste Awareness and Compliance Ordinance. The proposed ordinance was drafted by an advisory committee established by the board of commissioners in September. A draft of the proposed ordinance is available in the Recent Updates section of the county website, www.haywoodnc.net.
The second public hearing will be to receive input on a proposed modification to the Junaluska Fire Service District concerning the removal of Lakemont Condominiums from the district.
For more information contact the Haywood County Manager’s Office at 828.452.6625.
Conrad Burrell, a member of the state’s Board of Transportation and chairman of Southwestern Community College’s board of trustees, underwent surgery Monday for fractured vertebrae in his neck.
“The surgery went well,” Joel Seltzer, who oversees this region for the N.C. Department of Transportation, said. “He is resting after surgery and will be in the hospital for several days. It is unsure when he may be released. He is expected to make a full recovery.”
Burrell, who is a Sylva resident, tripped and fell down a set of stairs last week after a board of transportation function in Raleigh. He was taken to Wake Medical Center.
Burrell is long-time public servant in Jackson County who has served as register of deeds and a county commissioner in the past.
Jackson Paper Manufacturing hosted more than 45 local elementary students and their families at the company’s Christmas for Kids party on Dec. 11.
The guests were joined at the gathering by the children of employees of Jackson Paper. Staff at Jackson County’s elementary schools selected the students who attended.
“This annual event is a highlight of the Christmas season for us,” said Tim Campbell, President and CEO of Jackson Paper. “Our employees work all year long to make this party as special and memorable as possible, and we are so pleased to be able to include children from across our community.”
Party-goers enjoyed three hours of games and crafts, lunch and a visit with Santa Claus. Each child received a toy or game, a goodie bag and other prizes.
This is the ninth year that Jackson Paper has hosted Christmas for Kids. Party organizers were Human Resources Department staff Angie Rogers, Heather Stillwell and Renee Phillips, with help from 25 employees and family member volunteers.
Jackson Paper Manufacturing Co. is an independently-owned mill in Sylva that produces 100-percent recycled paper used by independent box manufacturers to make the fluted layer of corrugated boxes.
For more information on Jackson Paper, visit www.jacksonpaper-nc.com/.
