Gary Carden, storyteller and humorist, will once again visit Highlands at 4 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Hudson Library to share excerpts from his latest work, “Outlander,” a play about the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The outlander is Horace Kephart, a travel writer and librarian who in the 1920s had a desire to come to the mountains of North Carolina. Carden will be discussing the play and sharing some of the stories from the creation of this national park. Much of the dialogue in the play connects to the mountain families who had lived on the land for several generations. This is an issue that people are still sensitive about today.

Copies of his play will be available for purchase. The Hudson library is located at 554 Main St. in Highlands.

The Jackson County Green Energy Park will host a reception at its art gallery from 5-7 p.m. Aug. 23 for Western Carolina University alumnus and ceramist Preston Tolbert.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Blue Ridge Paper Products, long one of the largest employers in Western North Carolina, is no longer — at least in name.

An internal memo sent to employees Aug. 24 announced that the company’s name has officially been changed to Evergreen Packaging Group to reflect its new ownership by the New Zealand-based Rank Group.

When we were having record and near record heat back in August, I did what any overheated mountain dweller would do — I packed up the family and headed to the beach.

We don’t have air conditioning in our rural Clyde home; my wife and I tell ourselves that we don’t need it. However, in recent years there seems to be a 10-day to 2-week period in late summer that the humidity and increasingly hotter temperatures make us question why we are denying the obvious.

When the new owners of the Canton paper mill announced a few weeks ago that company headquarters were being moved to Memphis, it was seen as mostly a footnote to the larger story of Blue Ridge Paper’s sale to the Rank Group of New Zealand. That story of the mill sale became public back in April.

But the move to Memphis is symbolically important in many ways, and at least two of them are worth noting for the potential impact on Haywood County and the region. First, the successful sale of Blue Ridge Paper to the Rank Group was the culmination of what some mill insiders describe as an almost miraculous story of survival, one in which every employee will benefit.

Secondly, the move marks the end of a 100-year tenure of Canton-based mill managers and company executives who cared deeply about their community and their employees. That story is one unique to mill towns, one that is fading into history as the global economy changes the fundamental nature of the manufacturing industry.

A survival story

The impact of the paper mill on Canton and on the region is a story of epic proportions, and entire chapters could be written on its environmental, economic and cultural legacies. Books are already in print on the subject, and it’s very likely that more will be published. But these last eight years have been, perhaps, the most remarkable in the mill’s history.

When Champion announced plans to sell its Canton mill in 1999, the likelihood of closure was high. That would have put nearly 2,000 people out of work. But through community support, especially the work of many regional leaders, a plan was developed. KPS, a New York investment company that was well known for working with unionized companies, provided the cash to buy the mill while workers agreed to a series of pay cuts, wage freezes and benefit reductions. In exchange, the employees got 40 percent of the mill’s ownership and profit sharing.

Over these eight years, the profits have not materialized. Many times it seemed the mill was on the verge of closing, and it had racked up a debt of $213 million by the time of the sale to the Rank Group. Somehow, though, management and workers always found a way to survive. New markets were found. Employee productivity skyrocketed. During an eight-year span when about 100 North American paper mills closed, Blue Ridge held on.

That meant that the 1,100 remaining jobs in Haywood County also survived. And, despite the debt and the gloomy outlook for the industry, a buyer emerged that at least for now plans to keep the mill open. In addition, workers will be able to get somewhere around $20,000 each for the stock they own. The deal may not have worked out as many had hoped, but in the end the jobs are still intact, the mill is in the hands of a growing force in the paper industry, and workers will get a sizeable stock bonus.

Now, a cog in a big wheel

While the last eight years are a story in survival, the move of company headquarters to Memphis marks a turning point in the mill’s 100-year history in Canton. Even though the old Champion International had headquarters elsewhere, there was always the feeling that Canton was a centerpiece, as it was when Reuben Robertson Sr. founded the mill in 1906. When Blue Ridge Paper was formed, it initially decided to locate its headquarters in Asheville but soon came back to Canton.

There has always been a symbiotic relationship between the paper mill, Canton, and all of Haywood County. Mill employees were paid well, and that prosperity brought further benefits to the region as the workers sent children off to college and spent their hard-earned wages on homes and other items that brought prosperity to lthe ocal business community.

Now, as new owners take control, differences are already apparent. The privately held Rank Group won’t be holding press conferences to announce profits and losses, and its executives are reluctant to talk to the media at all. The steadfast support that has been shown to the mill — even when it was being sued by Tennessee residents and cursed by environmentalists for degrading the Pigeon River — was always about more than just the jobs it provided.

The short history of Blue Ridge Paper has come to an end, as did the long story of Champion in 1999. Only the future will tell how Rank — and its umbrella company known as Evergreen — will treat the workers and the community that have embraced the paper mill through decades of controversy and prosperity. We can only hope for the best.

By Chris Cooper

The phrase “well rounded” gets thrown about pretty often, but it fits few people better than banjoist extraordinaire Alison Brown. Her forays into the many facets of bluegrass music, as well as her superb technical and compositional abilities have earned her Grammy and IBMA awards, critical acclaim and immense respect from music fans of every stripe.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Two of the three boat docks on the Swain County side of Fontana Lake shut their doors before Labor Day, traditionally one of the biggest money-making weekends of the season for lake businesses.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

The Jackson County Green Energy Park is slated to get even greener with the expansion of the Smoky Mountain Biofuels’ production facility and the addition of six greenhouses on the site.

By Michael Beadle

Once upon a sitcom, Linda Lavin was America’s hardest-working waitress. Remember “Alice” — a household name in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s?

What you may not know about this Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning actress is her gift as a singer. Since her stage debut at age 5, Lavin earned her chops singing in New York City nightclubs. She even sang the theme song to “Alice.” In fact, her no-nonsense character, Alice Hyatt, had big dreams of being a singer.

Southwestern Community College ranks fourth in the nation in a new listing of America’s best community colleges and was the only representative from North Carolina in the top ten.

That’s according to a report in the Washington Monthly. While colleges have been rated by guides like U.S. News & World Report, this is the first-ever ranking of the nation’s community colleges, according to Washington Monthly writer Kevin Carey, who compiled the ranking.

By Stephanie Wampler

Have you ever doubted the existence of Heaven? If so, then I will jump to the hasty conclusion that you have never picked and eaten fresh blueberries.

Yes, it seems a bold statement but entirely true as far as I can tell. Because, although there are many things that I don’t know, there is one thing that I do know: picking and eating fresh blueberries is about as close to heaven as you can get.

By Kathleen Lamont

I have had laying hens on and off for the past 20 years. My first flock of White Leghorns came from my cousin’s chicken farm. I brought them home, and after a few months of contented pecking and scratching, one grave evening an unknown nighttime predator wiped out most of the flock and thus came my first lesson in predator proofing the coop — closing the trapdoor at sunset.

Spray Paint

Took a page from “Trading Spaces” and all those other home renovation/redecoration shows this past weekend and salvaged a light fixture with a little creativity. For the cost of a can of Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Hammered paint in dark bronze and five little faux leather lampshades — about $30 — I solved what was looking to be otherwise about a $200 problem. Thrilled with the results, I’m looking for other things to spray paint now. Lucky me, the Rust-Oleum Web site has an entire section dubbed “Inspiration.”

Homemade Pizza

Living down in the Triangle while in college I got spoiled eating Lilly’s Pizza. It was the kind of pie that they just went ahead and put “Damn Good Pizza” on the box. And boy was it. Not that there’s anything wrong with the traditionals, but I miss being able to get toppings such as prosciutto, red onions, roasted red peppers and fresh basil. So I went to the G-store and got makings for a home variety with an olive oil base, lots of herbs, spinach, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Genoa salami, red onions and lots of garlic. It was great fun to make, more fun to eat. Rustle up the family and make an evening of topping off some pies — with all the pre-made crusts these days the hard work’s been done for you. Go healthy, go weird, just go play with your food.

Fall

The first day of fall is a mere two and a half weeks away. Fall! I love how the light changes with the season, the bugs sound different, the leaves start to turn. We’re having a rather sad apple harvest this year thanks to frost and draught, but I imagine there’ll be enough Stamens around for an apple pie or two. This time of year is great for getting outside and doing some hiking. When I was little my mom, my aunt and I would go for walks out in the woods behind my aunt’s Taylorsville home, looking for arrowheads and making our way to an old apple orchard. We’d pick an apple or two and eat it in the field, then stomp our way back through the brown, crunchy leaves. Start thinking about some fun, seasonal crafts — leaf pressings in sheets of wax paper was always an easy thrill — and plantings that will make the springtime bright.

Paul’s

On Tsali Boulevard in Cherokee this family eatery earns its recognition for offering traditional Cherokee items on its regular menu. There’s fry bread — the Indian taco version or with blueberries — Buffalo burgers and on special nights bean bread and selected greens. It’s right tasty and great to see alongside the decidedly non-traditional and more commonly found fast food chains. For those who want to try their hand at making fry bread at home, I found a mix at the Qualla Arts and Crafts Co-Op.

— Sarah Kucharski

By Michael Beadle

It’s 5:30 on a steamy Monday night at the Waynesville Recreation Park, and pairs of disc golfers are setting out to play 18 holes on the new course, which opened in April.

Kevin McBride of Clyde and David Powell of Canton take turns launching their opening drives on hole one, which has a deceptively simple layout. Hook left and you’re in the parking lot or the trees. Hook right and you’re in the softball field.

By Arthur Hancock • Guest Columnist

I had a dream that the following communication came into my hands. I read it and woke up screaming ...

TOP SECRET: CLASSIFIED!

TO: Osama bin Laden, Tribal Areas

FROM: George W. Bush, Leader of the Free World, Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. bin Laden,

Well it’s been six years ago this week since we last heard from you (in some ways it seems like yesterday). I guess it’s true: time does go fast when you’re having fun. In any case I trust you are well and taking good care of those kidneys!

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Swain County residents will vote November 6 on whether to enact a new tax on real estate transactions to bolster county coffers.

The tax is equivalent to 0.4 percent of a real estate transaction, or $800 on a $200,000 home. It would rake in an estimated $800,000 a year at current real estate sales levels.

A new community group dedicated to revitalizing Cullowhee will host an open house at the Cullowhee Café from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 22.

“CuRvE, the Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavour, is still in the initial planning stages, and now is a great time to jump on board,” said Christopher Blake, who is co-chairing CuRvE with fellow Cullowhee resident Mary Jean Herzog.

In this day and age, as the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen and this country’s manufacturing economy undergoes a dramatic transformation, community colleges are more important than ever.

Buxton, a consulting firm that analyzes a community’s demographics, has 60 some population classes that it uses to describe the population. The Jackson County Economic Development Commission disagrees with how the firm described the Sylva area. The analysis seems to leave out the tourism base, the university and the large second-home and resort community population — all factors that don’t show up at first blush by looking at basic census information.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Sarah Rolland first connected with clay on an emotional level. With lunch plans to meet a friend who was taking a course in Haywood Community College’s craft program, Rolland walked into the school’s pottery studio — her curiosity immediately was piqued.

Angi West: Orange Thread In A Blue Sea

Thoughtfully arranged tunes that wander through elements of folk, sun-dappled guitar and piano-driven pop and the occasional hint at twangy alt-country aren’t difficult to find on Angi West’s new CD.

Carried by a shape-shifting voice and nicely crafted storytelling, Orange Thread In A Blue Sea takes a few attention-grabbing turns. Check out the cabaret drama brought by the accordion halfway through “Every Drop In This Glass,” or the shimmering pedal steel and piano of “The Light In Your Eyes” for fine examples of choosing exactly the right color at the right time to enhance a song.

West demonstrates a disarming fragility in sections of “A Good Catholic Boy,” but no other tune reveals her “old soul in a young body” personality and tone as well as “Black Crow,” sung a cappella with nary a frill to be found.

“Home” shines brightly as well, and has the most potential as a song that could gain her more attention if heard by the right ears. It wouldn’t sound out of place on an older Kate Bush album, either, in the way it’s delicate verses build until giving way to a chorus and bridge peppered with strings and West’s aching delivery. And though the word “love” makes several appearances in the lyric, there’s a pervasive sense of sadness to the song that keeps you from breathing too easily. Again, it’s that sense of drama that pulls you in, marking the difference between simply hearing something that’s “good” or something that deserves another spin to really digest and enjoy.

It probably doesn’t need to be mentioned that West is a local musician, this is her very first CD, and that the majority of the recording of Orange Thread In A Blue Sea was handled right here in WNC, but just in the case it did, well, there you go. West is a musician with no shortage of potential, and seeing where she goes with it is just one benefit of having another gifted songwriter in our midst.

Corinne West: Second Sight

I swear that it’s pure coincidence that both artists reviewed this week are female and happen to have the same last name. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

Corinne West has a voice that’s sweet, but just beneath the surface is something a little coarse and blue and just waiting to jump out. Even on the first cut, during the line “you know why I lose it /and I know why you’re quiet,” it’s the way she yells “quiet,” the frustration in her voice that gives this already powerful song real wings.

Of course, having the baddest cats out of Nashville in your corner can’t hurt in the least, especially when they have names like Jerry Douglas (jedi of the Dobro that he is) and similarly talented mandolin master Mike Marshall. Toss Tony Furtado and Darol Anger into the mix and you have the makings of a fine CD.

West isn’t afraid at all to embrace bluegrass and country as her roots, but it’s a quality in her voice that keeps the music from feeling too “grassy.” At once playful and the next moment world-weary and matter of fact, her interpretive skills are truly impressive, doing great service to an already stellar bunch of songs. Wells’ ability to go straight for the gut with a tune could easily have been developed in the formative years she spent as a busker, where one’s skill ability to emote is directly related to one’s likelihood of eating that night.

Second Sight has a distinct personality as an album — the choices to keep a chuckle into the microphone at the end of “Gandy Dancer” or the birds chirping at the close of “Cabin Door” heighten the quirkiness factor. West’s voice and songwriting are chock full of humor, wit and emotion as well, and she’s endowed with an innate understanding of harmony. Creating train whistle-styled layers here and lush waves of voice there (“All Good Things” being one of the best illustrations of these qualities) she sounds like she enjoys what she’s doing, let alone how good she is at doing it. Add to it the stellar playing of the “band” and you’ve got one of the most enjoyable new bluegrass CD’s I’ve heard in months. Excellent.

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

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

A petition by Maggie Valley Mayor Roger McElroy to re-zone a 90-acre tract of land to allow for higher density development is being met with vehement protests from town residents.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Much like a band-aid on a kid’s scraped elbow, No Child Left Behind was put in place to mend an educational system many claimed was in disrepair. An increasing number of critics, however, are questioning the effectiveness of the act as a permanent fix for the problems plaguing America’s schools.

By S. Michael Hewitt • Guest Columnist

Remember the game of 20 Questions? One person thinks of a thing. A second person tries to figure out what that something is by asking a series of questions that can be answered yes or no. Typically, the first question is “Are you thinking of a mineral, vegetable, or animal?” Let’s twist the rules; I’ll tell you what I’m thinking but I’ll ask the first question. Ready?

“Come Early Morning”

This is the kind of movie that gets past you, a small budget movie that didn’t get wide release or big studio backing, one you might have noticed briefly in the papers or trailers upon its initial release and then forgotten about 10 minutes later. Thank God for Netflix. This movie, despite a fairly standard storyline, is filled with small wonders, not least of which is Ashley Judd’s best performance since the somewhat similar — and likewise small budgeted — “Ruby In Paradise,” as a woman using alcohol and promiscuity as a way of asserting her independence, but also evading painful issues from her past. On paper, this seems like a standard movie cliché, but up-and-comer Joey Lauren Adams, who wrote and directed, manages to make the story fresh and avoid the most predictable pitfalls — there is redemption, yes, but it isn’t sugar-glazed. Definitely worth the trouble of seeking out. And it has the best, most resonant sense of small town life since “Slingblade.”

The National, Boxer

A couple of years ago they “broke through,” at least by alternative rock standards, with Alligator, which was enthusiastically recommended to me by several friends. I finally bought it, played it half a dozen times with moderate interest, then filed it away under OK, but nothing to write home about.

Now comes the real breakthrough, and they’ve got an appearance on Letterman to prove it. In a year when there have been at least a dozen excellent albums waiting for their turn in my playing rotation, I cannot seem to put this one aside long enough to listen to anything else. Matt Berninger’s low key delivery is so subtle — not exactly the Tindersticks, not exactly Leonard Cohen, but that’s a place to start — it might take two or three tries for the songs to sink in, but when they do, they stay with you all day. Pay attention to the lyrics, and it becomes clear that this band has not only mastered tunes and textures, but has something real to say, and an intriguing way of saying it.

This is not only my favorite album of the year, but one of those albums that has already become essential: I know I’ll still be playing it in 10 years, in 20, along with Rubber Soul, Blood On The Tracks, and Astral Weeks. If you love music, you have your own list of desert island recordings. Boxer is one of mine.

Appalachian State Football

On the cover of Sports Illustrated. Responsible for changing the voting rules for the AP football poll so that “sub division” teams can now be included in the Top 25. Favored to win a third consecutive I-AA National Championship, and might well be a serious contender to win the ACC this year if they were in it. I had to get one more plug in for ASU. Just had to.

— By Chris Cox

By Michael Beadle

Peter Bates inspects a trio of cucumber trees growing closely together on a 20-acre tract of woods in the Balsam Mountain Preserve in Jackson County.

He checks to see if one of the trees died from a chainsaw cut known as “girdling,” in which a partial cut is made around the tree trunk. It’s a forestry management practice used these days. The idea is that some trees have to die so that others will survive, thus maintaining a healthy and productive forest.

By David Curtis

As a teacher in the public school system I have often heard teachers express their frustrations by using the famous middle school axiom, “How do they expect us to train a wild animal if each night we send it back to the jungle?”

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Nearly two years after receiving a grant to study traffic issues on Russ Avenue, Waynesville is finally moving forward with the project.

Town planner Paul Benson said the proposal for the study has morphed in recent weeks amid growing concerns about traffic problems.

By Susan Leveille

Editor’s note: This letter, which contains some updates, was sent by Susan Leveille to the Maggie Salas, secretary of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in 2004. She asked that we publish it as a guest column.

Dear Secretary Salas:

As a lifelong resident of Jackson County and one who has always lived within a few thousand yards of the Tuckasegee River, I would like to state some concerns with the proposals made by Duke Power as they seek to receive the exclusive license to use this river for monetary profit derived from the production of electric power.

Years of wrestling over a location for a new Jackson County library will come to a close next month.

Jackson County commissioners pledged to pick a site for a new library at their next meeting on Oct. 1. There are two main contenders: the hill behind the historic courthouse overlooking Main Street and a two-acre tract on the outskirts of town adjacent to the Jackson Plaza strip mall.

Congress is likely to re-authorize the No Child Left Behind Act sometime this fall. If that is indeed the case, then we can only hope it makes some significant changes in this flawed bill that will help school systems use their resources to educate children instead of turning out students whose most memorable public school lessons will be a useless ability to ace bubble tests.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Swain County’s first-ever planning board is nearly finished with its first project — drafting an ordinance to regulate road construction — and will send it on to county commissioners to review next week.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

David Tripp’s workshop is piled head-high with wood. There are tree limbs here, locust logs there, stands of chestnut boards leaned against the wall and lying on the floor.

By Chris Cooper

Two things still stick in my mind about Darren Nicholson’s excellent self-titled 2006 release; state of the art musicality married to a completely down to earth attitude, whether in person or on disc. Nicholson’s mastery in bluegrass mandolin has earned him no shortage of acclaim, some of which came in the form of an IBMA award for his work with Alecia Nugent.

Jackson County commissioners sanctioned a feasibility study on whether a new library would fit on the hill behind the historic courthouse. McMillan Smith and Associates concluded it would work, based on the following rough plan.

Michael Buble

In his four albums of the American Song bag series, Rod Stewart brought back many American classics from the 1940s and 1950s: “Blue Moon,” “What A Wonderful World,” “Stardust,” “A Kiss To Build A Dream On,” and many others. Now a new singer, Michael Buble, has entered the lists to bring us more great American songs. On the album titled Michael Buble, the singer gives us everything from a big band sound in “Moondance” to the sound and feel of a cocktail lounge in “For Once In My Life.” On the album’s notes, Buble writes that “this record is ... a tribute to what I consider to be the greatest genre of music the world has ever heard ...” Buble’s rich, full voice delivers his listeners to a land of enchantment rarely found among today’s vocalists.

The Folio Society

For readers interested in great books beautifully and lovingly published, the Folio Society is the place to shop. For whatever reason, I recently joined this book club and now pronounce myself fully satisfied in regard to my several purchases. Here are classics and minor classics bound, printed, and illustrated in a manner worthy of royalty. Folio Books range in their titles from Inventions of the Middle Ages to Jane Austen’s Letters with each book specially bound and then placed in a board holder. Interested readers may contact the Folio Society via www.foliosociety.com.

Cider

One of the great delights of living in the mountains in the fall is to drink locally produced apple cider. Whether taken stone cold in the heat of the day or warmed with spices and cinnamon to fight off a chilly October evening, apple cider provides a nutritious treat.

Young people

Despite the grousing and criticism I hear directed sometimes at our youth, most of the young people I know are striving to meet challenges in their lives and to push themselves to excel in their various undertakings. Like most of us, they work terribly hard when offered the first word of encouragement. I encourage all my older readers — we’ll leave the upper age level flexible — to offer the young people whom they encounter in their daily lives a word of encouragement, a word of interest in their activities and lives. Our championship of their efforts can only result in a brighter future.

— By Jeff Minick

The Internet sex sting conducted by the Waynesville Police Department was part of an undercover operation dubbed “Summer Heat,” which captured headlines last week for the more prominent part of the sting — arresting men soliciting gay sex in the public bathrooms at the Waynesville Recreation Park.

Riverwood Shops, a group of artisans’ studios overlooking the town of Dillsboro, will commemorate their 50th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22.

By Joel Adams • Contributing Writer

Strong public interest in the aftermath of the dam break at Balsam Mountain Preserve has prompted Roger Clapp, executive director for the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, to organize a public forum on the progress of clean-up efforts by the developers. Or at least attempt to.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Haywood County commissioners have agreed to pay for the creation of a farmland protection plan they hope will guide efforts to preserve the region’s farming tradition for generations to come.

The native garden located at the Bridge Park parking lot in the triangle surrounding the Jackson County Farmers Market sign provides a mini native plants lesson. On the back of the sign, you will find a map of all of the plants planted in the triangle and an article about native landscaping with a list of a variety of plants to choose from.

The Speaking of Gardening symposium Aug. 24-25 at the N.C. Arboretum will bring some of the world’s finest gardeners to Asheville.

The annual symposium is a popular event for horticulture professionals and enthusiasts. This year’s event features speakers from the U.S., the United Kingdom and Japan presenting lectures on creative design and cutting-edge plants. A number of lectures are scheduled this year, as well as book signings and live and silent plant auctions showcasing rare and unusual plants.

The keynote speaker is Mike Buffin, Gardens and Parks Adviser for the National Trust of the United Kingdom. He provides technical advice for historic gardens and parks in London, Southeast England, and Northern Ireland. Among Buffin’s published works are Winter Flowering Shrubs and The Illustrated Guide to Trees.

Lectures scheduled for the symposium include:

• Plants Come First; Imagine That!, presented by Jenks Farmer.

• The Evolution of Japanese Horticulture, presented by Takayuki Kobayashi.

• Is it a Vegetable, Fruit or Ornamental?, led by Rita Pelczar.

• Growing Plants in a Global Greenhouse, by Mike Buffin.

• Soul Gardening, led by Jenks Farmer.

• Ornamental and Edible Selections & Trends in Japanese Horticulture, presented by Takayuki Kobayashi.

Registration for the symposium is $145 for Arboretum members and $170 for non-members. The fee includes lectures, book signings, lunches and snacks for both days. Seating is limited and registration is required. 828.665.2492 or visit www.ncarboretum.org.

The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River is offering guided adventure tours from 9 to 11 a.m. each Saturday morning at Monteith Farmstead Park.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail with a summer games competition from 5-9 p.m. on Aug. 14 at the Highland Brewing Company in Asheville.

Participants will compete for a variety of outdoor gear prizes by playing classic activities like a water balloon toss, watermelon seed spitting contest and a cupcake walk.

The event will also feature Jay Leutze, noted national conservation spokesperson and author, who will read from his new book, Stand Up That Mountain. Musicians are welcome to come and perform during the competition. The Highland Brewing Company will also feature beer specials throughout the event.

“Not only does this anniversary celebrate the completion of the Trail, it also celebrates the unique collaboration and determination of countless individuals, private organizations, and state and federal agencies in their efforts to complete this long-distance hiking trail from Maine to Georgia” said Mark Wenger, Executive Director and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

The A.T. was completed on Aug. 14, 1937. This task took more than 15 years to complete and involved thousands of volunteers, agency partners, local Trail maintaining clubs and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The A.T. is one of the longest continuously marked footpath in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length. The Trail goes through fourteen states from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain in Georgia to the Trail’s northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine.

It has been estimated that 2 to 3 million people visit the Trail every year, and about 1,800–2,000 people attempt to “thru-hike” the Trail.

Prizes for the competition have been donated by Mountain Khaki, Gregory, and ENO.

304.535.2200, ext. 117 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

New state hunting laws make it legal to hunt coyotes and feral swine at night on private lands.

The laws were passed in an attempt to control burgeoning populations of the animals, both of which are non-native to North Carolina and destructive to the landscape, livestock and domestic animals.

It is still illegal to hunt feral swine and coyotes on public lands.

The temporary revisions to the state hunting laws will remain in effect for up to 270 days during which time the Wildlife Commission will continue to pursue permanent rules. The new regulations are year-round, seven days a week. Hunting on Sundays is allowed only on private lands and only with archery equipment.

To learn more, visit www.ncwildlife.org.

Haywood Community College’s Natural Resources Division and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer Hunter Safety courses from 6-9:30 p.m. on Aug. 20-22 in rooms 309 and 310 on the HCC campus. Participants must attend three consecutive evenings to receive their certification.

Additional hunter safety courses will be offered Sept. 24-26, Oct. 8-10, and Nov. 5-7. All sessions will be offered from 6-9:30 p.m. in Rooms 309/310 on the HCC campus.

Courses are free and open to all ages. Pre-egistration required and can done at ncwildlife.org.

The WNC Sportsman’s Club and the Lake Logan Episcopal Center are sponsoring an Outdoor Sportsmans Day beginning at 9 a.m. on Aug. 18 at the Episcopal Center.

Vendors of outdoor-related equipment will be on hand. There will be traditional blackpowder hunters in period dress, and survivalist and long-range shooting instructor Tres Moncet. There will also be a Sportsman’s Challenge Contest, Youth Fishing Contest and demonstrations in archery, taxidermy, trapping, fly-fishing, fly-tying and more.

There will be no sale of firearms or alcohol allowed. Free. For information contact Troy Carroll at 828.231.8864 or Mark Rogers at 828.648.5845.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will hold a fundraising banquet and auction on Aug. 18 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Hotel Ballroom in Cherokee.

Dr. Ron Sutherland will give a presentation on the eastern cougar at 7 p.m. on Aug. 16 as part of the every Thursday Zahner Conservation Lectures at the Highlands Nature Center.

“Eastern Cougar: Their ecological importance and prospects for recovery in the southeast,” will be Sutherland’s topic. Recently, the US Fish & Wildlife Service declared the Eastern cougar to be extinct, closing the door on decades of sporadic sightings up and down the Appalachian Mountains. The loss of the cougar poses challenges to maintaining the biodiversity of recovering wildlands. Sutherland will review recent evidence suggesting the importance of cougars and options for restoring cougars to the Southeast.

All Zahner Conservation Lectures are free and open to the public. www.highlandsbiological.org or call 828.526.2221.

North Carolina State University’s Forestry & Environmental Outreach Program is co-sponsoring a series of four workshops for private forest landowners called the “Woodland Steward Series: Mountains Program.”

The final two programs in the series are Aug. 15 and Aug. 17 at Bent Creek Experimental Forest and the Cradle of Forestry near Brevard.

Workshops are led by natural resource and land management specialists, and include both hands-on activities in the field and instruction in the classroom. For more information or to register online visit www.ncsu-feop.org/woodlandstewards. Contact Addie Thornton, Course Coordinator, with any questions or concerns at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 919.515.9563.