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A three-day cycling and camping trip around Bryson City is set for Friday, May 18, through Sunday, May 20, under the guidance of the Western North Carolina Alliance.
The trip starts with an exploration of Burningtown and Cowee valleys in Macon County and an overnight stay at Deep Creek Campground. Saturday night will include an optional waterfall hike, dinner and a trip to the Nantahala Brewing Company.
On Sunday, the group will head out from the campground by bike to the “Road to Nowhere,” an eight-mile road in Bryson City that’s inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
You must be able to bring you own bike and camping equipment, though some gear is available if you don’t have any. Cost is $40 for Alliance members and $50 for non-members. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.258.8737.
The second annual “bike to work day” ride in Haywood County will be held beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 18. The ride will depart from Best Buy parking lot on South Main in Waynesville, and will make its way via portions of the Haywood Hub to the town’s park at the intersection of Depot and Main streets.
“Ride to Work Day” events draw attention to the possibilities of commuting to work, saving gas, and improving the quality of the environment. The 2011 event attracted 14 cyclists. This year’s organizers hope to double that number to 28.
Riders will be accompanied by cycle-mounted Waynesville police. Registration and helmets are required. Children under 15 should be accompanied by an adult.
The ride is sponsored by the Waynesville Police Department, Smoky Mountain Café, Best Buy and BicycleHaywoodNC, a chapter of Blue Ridge Bicycle Club.
Smoky Mountain Café will provide drink and post-ride nourishments for the participants.
Nathan Chapman, guide and flyrod builder, will be the speaker at the 7 p.m. June 5 meeting of the Plateau Fly Fishing Club at the Albert Carlton Library in Cashiers.
His presentation will focus on how and where to fish for native brook trout in Western North Carolina. Chapman has guided extensively across the Southern Appalachians, and he will discuss some of his favorite fishing locations. Prior to the meeting, Chapman will conduct a casting clinic at the pond behind the library.
After the presentation, a raffle will be held for one of Chapman’s handcrafted Steffen Brothers flyrods.
828.885.7130
A free running seminar will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, at MedWest Rehabilitation Services on the MedWest-Harris campus in Sylva with expert orthopedic physical therapist and competitive runner Todd Watson.
Watson is a professor of physical therapy at Western Carolina University and a two-time Boston Marathon finisher. In the seminar, he will help attendees learn more about the Chi Running technique, barefoot running, what physical therapy can do for runners and how to improve or begin a running program. Both the Chi Running method and barefoot running concept are designed to reduce wear and tear on joints, minimize impact and maximize the efficiency of running for improved health and fitness.
The seminar will consist of a talk about optimal running technique and Chi Running, a demonstration and discussion. Attendees will also be able to sign up for free individual injury screens as well to identify existing or potential problem areas and receive treatment options.
Both beginning and experienced runners can benefit from attending this seminar. Attendance is limited and is available on a first-come first serve basis.
828.586.7235.
The Nantahala Area Sorba (Southern off-road biking association) has started a weekly mountain bike ride 6:15 p.m. every Thursday at Tsali Recreation Area. The group meets at 6 p.m., and the ride is for all levels of bikers. The group rides the easiest trail in Tsali.
828.506.0133.
Visitors to The North Carolina Arboretum will be encouraged to stop and smell the roses when the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition debuts to the public from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20.
Award-winning roses of every color and size will be featured at this year’s exhibition, “Roses, Roses, Roses!” Experts will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about selection, care, and history of these garden plants. A sale will be held in conjunction with the exhibition, which will include rose plants, fertilizer, and soil amendments, and educational programs will be offered throughout the weekend.
Programs during the Rose Society Exhibition include:
Knock Out Roses, Disease Resistant Roses, Growing Roses on Slopes, Basic Rose Care, Old Garden Roses, Miniature Roses and Roses for Beginners.
The Rose Society Exhibition is one of the most popular events hosted by The North Carolina Arboretum. The exhibition is free for Arboretum Society members or with the standard parking fee ($8 per personal motor vehicle).
828.665.2492 or www.ncarboretum.org.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is celebrating its protection of more than 50,000 acres across Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. This is the organization’s 38th year of preserving land from the Highlands of Roan to the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
“Protecting 50,000 acres of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a tremendous accomplishment that demonstrates the commitment of a dedicated group of people to forever preserve one of the most important places in the world for biodiversity,” said Carl Silverstein, SAHC executive director. “We invite the Appalachian community to celebrate with us, to play a role in protecting the rich diversity of the Southern Appalachians.”
This land protection ranges from vast tracts, including the recent acquisition of 225-acre Spear Tops in the Roan Highlands, to smaller in-holdings transferred to Mt. Mitchell State Park.
As the organization matured, it evolved to protect mountains and places further afield. In the early 1990s, SAHC pioneered the use of easements in the Southeast to protect Cataloochee Ranch at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
“Our family has lived in these mountains for almost a hundred years. Cataloochee Ranch was originally founded in 1933, and thanks to our conservation easement with SAHC, we know it will continue to be here, generation after generation,” said Judy Coker, co-owner of Catalochee Ranch.
An eight-week medicinal botany class will be held at Haywood Community College beginning May 19 through July 14. The class will explore the historical, botanical and traditional uses of medicinal plants, including Southern Appalachian native herbs.
The instructor, Richard Gualandi, Jr., is a graduate of HCC and Western Carolina University, and holds a master’s degree in plant science from the University of Tennessee. Gualandi currently works for the N.C. Bionetwork’s Biobusiness Center and Lab helping natural products businesses with product development and analysis of medicinal plants.
Course information will be offered in an online format and will meet for lab sessions on campus two Saturdays, covering basic herbal preparation techniques and common cultivation methods.
The cost of the class is $100. 828.565.4244 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
An outing along the Bartram Trail near Jones Gap and the nearby Fishhawk Mountains is set for Saturday, May 19.
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is sponsoring the event. The outing will include additional stops along Turtle Pond Road to investigate contrasting ecologies.
The two-mile hike is of moderate difficulty, with the primary emphasis being bird watching and identification as well as general natural history. Participants will carpool from a Highlands location at 7:30 a.m. and should return by early afternoon. A picnic lunch will be provided.
Russ Regnery, president of the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society, will co-lead the trip with Cheryl and Panos Kanes from Georgia.
Cost is $10 for HCLT members and $35 for nonmembers, which includes a membership to the Land Trust.
828.526.1111.
Hunters might soon be hunting coyote and wild swine at night with a light on private lands.
The new regulations are year-round, seven days a week. Hunting on Sundays is allowed only on private lands with archery equipment.
The new regulations are scheduled to take effect Aug. 1 pending final approval by the Rules Review Commission of the N.C. Wildlife Commission. Currently, there is no closed season on either species, but hunting them at night is not allowed except by permit for feral swine.
Local writers will have the opportunity to hone their skills with UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program summer workshops in poetry and prose. This year, a class will be held in Waynesville.
Visit www.agc.unca.edu/great-smokies-writing-program to see descriptions of other courses that are part of the Great Smokies Writing Program. All other classes will take place in Asheville.
Classes are open to all interested writers but class size is limited; early registration is recommended. Each course qualifies for one UNC Asheville credit hour in literature and language. In-state tuition and fees for five-session courses are $117.92; cost for out-of-state residents is $578.96. A $20 non-refundable application fee for new students will also be charged.
828.250.2353 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Friends of the Haywood Public Library will hold its annual meeting at 7 p.m. on May 24 at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
Guest speaker will be Ann B. Ross, author of the Miss Julia series. Her latest book is Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle. Books will be available to purchase and will be autographed by Ross. There will be a short business meeting to elect officers and the Friend of the Year will be announced.
The evening will conclude with a dessert buffet catered by Kanini’s. Tickets for the buffet are $8 and can be purchased at the Waynesville, Canton and Maggie Valley branches or at Blue Ridge Books and Gallery 86.
To the Editor:
I thought that the letter by Dr. Laci Jamison (www.smokymountainnews.com/component/k2/item/6931) in the May 2 edition was a wonderful expression of her dedication to her profession. Her patients will be fortunate to experience her care.
William G. Sullivan
Raleigh
To the Editor:
Statistics claim that the purpose of licensure laws is to protect people and produce quality results. They would say that through licensing, states can guarantee that whether you are educating your children, insuring your life, or getting a haircut you can be assured that the provider of those services has been through a state sanctioned training program and thus will render services with at least a minimal standard of performance required to ensure the health and vitality of society.
But what about marriage licenses? Are they intended to guarantee a minimal quality of family life? Apparently they were first intended to do just that. In the United States, by the early 1920s, marriage license laws in at least 38 states made it a crime for whites to marry blacks, “mulattos,” Japanese, Chinese, Indians, “Mongolians,” “Malays” or Filipinos. It doesn’t make it right and these laws seem totally reprehensible to us today, but they did reflect the social mores of that time period.
So, what does it say about our time period that voters are still supporting similarly repugnant laws? I speak of course about the voters of North Carolina recent approval of an amendment to the state constitution making anything other than a union between one man and one woman an invalid relationship under state law. The amendment passed with the support of 61 percent of the electorate! What’s worse is that North Carolina became the 30th state to amend its constitution to prohibit marriage between same-sex couples.
Whatever happened to the principle that constitutions are meant to limit the scope of government and protect individual rights? It apparently has been thrown out the window, into the street, and run over by traffic time and time again just like other time tested principles of constitutionalism.
And like all laws dealing with personal matters, the number of unintended consequences once this law goes into effect will be huge. An ACLU analysis of the new constitutional mandate indicates that domestic violence laws could be undermined for folks in unmarried relationships; parents that aren’t married to each other could no longer have the same child custody and visitation rights as married parents; end-of-life arrangements like wills could be altered; and lastly, agreements between unmarried life partners could be determined null and void.
In the final analysis, government has no right being in the business of determining who can marry whom. We are talking about private relationships between consenting adults. It has no more right to interfere in this area of life than it does to tell people where they can live within the country or how many children they can have.
When you think about it, why do you need a license to marry but not to have children? Are children not a larger and more complicated responsibility because they are totally dependent on their parents, unlike spouses who are self-sustaining adults? Like child rearing, marriage is a private matter and it should be privatized – it should be formed by a document similar to a business contract between the two individuals involved. The only time government involvement would be warranted would be when one of the marriage principles asked it to adjudicate the terms of the marriage contract.
Private marriages would eliminate all of the political issues surrounding same-sex marriage – issues like whether other states must honor a same-sex marriage granted in another state (full faith and credit clause of the Constitution), divorce rights, dividing assets, child custody, and next of kin status. All of these issues could be addressed in the marriage contract. It is true that companies could deny workers the same benefits received by workers in a heterosexual marriage, but those companies would run the risk of losing top quality applicants to fill important positions. Otherwise same-sex couples could bid for benefits outside of their employment and negotiate higher salaries to cover the additional costs.
At the end of the day, licensing laws are a means for government to control society. Within the institution of marriage they have been/are being used to place value on one kind of relationship over another. They are anti-democratic, intolerant, and infringe upon the liberty of individuals. By making marriage a totally private endeavor, a political issue that divides our country would be eliminated. This would free up time and resources to confront the really important issues facing America – war, the devalued dollar, and the erosion of our civil rights. People would be free to live as the Founders intended and the age of bigotry with regard to marriage could finally end.
Kenn Jacobine teaches internationally and maintains a summer residence in Western North Carolina
To the Editor:
The passage of Amendment One by a majority of North Carolinians this week adds fuel to a fire burning in the bellies of civil rights activists nationwide who are working hard even today to ensure cases on marriage equality are soon heard by our U.S. Supreme Court. This law will, on the federal level, eventually be overturned.
But like my family and friends, I am greatly saddened to think of the message this amendment sends to all our gay brothers and sisters here in our mountain home. So to them I want to say this: even though you may feel alone, you are not. Don’t give up hope but instead keep on working to overcome ignorance and fear. Many allies here in your hometown believe in you and in your right to live peacefully and love whom you choose. I certainly do.
Mary Alice Lamb
Waynesville
To the Editor:
If you have listened to TV news or seen the national print media since Tuesday, May 8, you have heard and read some of the most disgraceful, denigrating referrals to the state of North Carolina and North Carolina voters. Why? Because by an over 60 percent margin North Carolina voters passed a constitutional amendment that states marriage here is between one man and one woman.
Of course there are people in North Carolina and throughout the nation who disagree with the amendment. On the other hand 31 states, over half of the states in the United States, have also voted for a similar status that marriage is between one man and one woman.
It is obvious that liberals and the far left, including the mainstream media, have no tolerance for any person, institution or voter whose positions include that marriage is between one man and one woman. Yet it appears that those disagreeing entities demand that everyone tolerate their same sex marriage position fully.
Liberals and the far left continually throw around the idea that tolerance is a characteristic we all should embrace. This is their perfect opportunity to practice what they preach.
Carol Adams
Glenville
By Gwang S. Han • Guest Columnist
Simply put, I question if there is a problem with the current system at Harris Regional Hospital and Haywood Regional Medical Center, supervised by Carolinas HealthCare in Charlotte. Since retiring in 2007 after 33 years in Sylva specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, I paid little attention to the hospital’s future. Some old patients share their complaints of deteriorating quality care, emergency room problems, or the lack of good doctors; they never complain about the business structure established in merging two hospitals. However, I wonder why and how they arrived at this business model; what triggered it? Did local hospital management, boards of trustees, groups of physicians elect to merge, or did Carolinas HealthCare offer a deal too good to refuse?
The real problem appears loss of revenue for Harris Regional Hospital caused by a continuous drain of patients mostly to Asheville doctors, as stated by Steve Heatherly, Harris Hospital administrator. This has occurred since 2007 and increased almost 25 percent between 2007 and 2010, according to Becky Johnson of The Smoky Mountain News. Hospitals do not admit patients: doctors do. Patients are not stupid and can judge the quality of care they receive, especially women.
So what happened in those two years? Can identifiable causes explain the decline of the Sylva hospital? Did the “loss of a few doctors” cause the large migration of patients? Or was deteriorating quality of care at Harris Regional Hospital not the main reason for people to flee to Asheville for medical care? Was the hospital so poorly run that it needed outside help, or were the replacement doctors in certain specialties not providing the same quality of care people received from those few doctors who left?
The uproar from complaints by a few Sylva physicians appears confined to the business aspect of medical practice, as if recently implemented organizational system is the reason patients go to Asheville. Hospitals do compete; doctors also compete in providing quality medical care. Doctors are the main workhorses and hospitals play supporting roles for physicians to carry out their jobs. Healthy competition between hospitals and between physicians does not lead to a downhill path and death: to the contrary.
The two hospitals must have reasons to elect the “big daddy” approach instead of allowing two not-necessarily-close siblings to pool their energy and financial resources and use their combined synergy to retain their deserved market share instead of worrying about the eventual demise of one or both medical facilities. Size of business offers some advantage with its flexibility to maneuver, deep pockets, and ability to negotiate with insurance companies for remuneration. However, “big daddy” doesn’t have a reason to feel charitable toward these two ducklings (not necessarily ugly). It calculated its “take” by offering mighty financial power and business acumen, namely a bigger business market and bigger referral base. There is some truth in old saying that the friendship between two competing entities is inversely proportional of square of distance. This might have been the reason the hospitals chose Carolinas HealthCare instead Memorial Mission Hospital.
To me, the problem seems that the perfect picture doctors and hospitals have drawn is not what they expected to see and is not a perfect one. Is there someone or some organization to blame for the ugly picture or for the unfair deals as claimed by a few Sylva doctors? Let me remind you that these two hospitals have existed in two different business environments in a geopolitical-business sense and have two different doctors’ groups employing different business models. Perhaps Sylva has the advantage of being located in the bottleneck of two major highways and experienced an earlier introduction of medical specialties than in towns west of Sylva. Haywood has the handicap of being close to Asheville, the capital city of WNC.
The population and industry in Jackson County can’t support the hospital and the number of doctors in Sylva unless they are draw patients from surrounding communities. In fact, a lot of patients the Sylva hospital claims to have lost are not from Jackson County, but those from other communities who sought medical care in Sylva because they found better care than from doctors in their local community or it lacked specialists.
As the first board certified obstetrician and gynecologist west of Asheville, I witnessed on the ground level how people sought better care for their needs. Women are smarter, far more discerning, and more selective in choosing their doctors than men, in general, when looking for quality. The majority of medical decisions in the family are made by the woman in the house. They don’t mind of traveling distances seeking “better care.” Sixty five percent of my patients were not from Jackson County, but I doubt I could have attracted so many patients from different areas unless they thought it better. Most patients came by the word-of-mouth from other people, in fact more than 90 percent.
I think the two hospitals should maintain their separate identities and invest strength and financial resources in areas where they provide the best care: internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and the surgical fields. Harris Hospital has taken many missteps wasting its resources with misguided objectives (one example is purchasing spine table so scarcely used). It would benefit from a modern Women’s Center, including a new labor and delivery room with modern, appealing décor instead of using the 1970s ugly, depressing facility. The year I arrived, about 250 deliveries occurred in the Sylva hospital; at its peak, close to 900 deliveries happened in one year (there were many fewer in Waynesville). I believe almost two- thirds of the deliveries were for people outside of Jackson County. Obviously, field of women’s and children’s health care can be a successful enterprise for this hospital.
In summary I don’t see a problem with the business structure since Harris Hospital has its own boss and administrative system with the help of Carolinas HealthCare. It should work with Haywood County in areas useful for both institutions. The key now is to regain the confidence and trust of people in this area. I kept the following message at the entrance of my office: “Please don’t come to see me unless you have trust in me.” It may take a long time for trust to return, but the two institutions have no other option but to try. Don’t underestimate consumers, clients, or patients and their ability to discern the quality of care or their knowledge of their health issues. Additionally, the residents of Jackson County should be concerned and become more actively involved in this effort. I wish them the very best.
Gwang S. Han, MD, FACOG, is a retired Jackson County physician.
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce has launched its 2012 membership campaign, which will run through June 14. The campaign will reach out to over 1,000 businesses in the Haywood County area that are not yet benefiting from membership with the chamber.
Nearly 40 business leaders and 11 teams have volunteered to recruit new members during the chamber’s “Wild, Wild West” campaign. Volunteers will share their stories about the positive impact the chamber has had on their business and the many benefits of chamber membership. The campaign will also include a sponsorship drive focusing on chamber events, publications, and programs.
In addition to monthly networking events and professional development programs, membership with the chamber offers seminars, networking opportunities, and special events that provide valuable business information and enables those attending to build resourceful contacts. 828.456.3021 or www.haywood-nc.com.
MedWest Health System opened its new $3.4 million inpatient hospice unit in Haywood County, The Homestead, with an open house and dedication ceremony in March.
The Homestead is a new six-bed facility that offers specialized end-of-life care to patients and their families. It is the only inpatient hospice facility west of Asheville. The Homestead is staffed by a team of experts including physicians, nurses, social workers, nursing assistants, a music therapist, and spiritual and bereavement counselors. The Homestead is open to patients with a physician’s referral from across the region.
The Homestead has accommodations for family gatherings and meals, outdoor activities, and a memorial garden. Long-term plans include expanding to 12 beds and construction of an end-of-life outreach center, which will provide counseling and bereavement services, a resource library and a community education program. 828.452.8811.
Mountain BizWorks will host Merchandising WOW, a new merchandising course, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for three consecutive Wednesdays starting May 30.
Students will learn merchandising skills from an expert, discover what makes effective merchandising ignite sales, learn hands on tools to develop visual merchandising, learn how to integrate visual catalysts into current marketing plans, and build brand presence into merchandising strategies.
The course will be held at the Mountain BizWorks office in Sylva. 828.631.0292 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Southwestern Community College is offering a free Employability Lab designed to help unemployed people obtain jobs.
It will be held on the Jackson Campus from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. It will be held on the Macon campus from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
During the lab, participants assess and identify job interests, learn advanced job search techniques, learn how to keep their resume out of the trash, develop interviewing skills, discover the importance of social media and networking, and earn their Career Readiness Certificate.
Walk-ins are welcome. Held in Founders Hall Room 124 on the Sylva campus and at the Macon Annex Campus Room 104. 828.339.4272 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A wide variety of healthcare speakers are headlining the second annual Flourish Women’s Expo put on by MedWest Health System on Saturday, May 19, at Harrah’s Cherokee Events Center.
The event is intended to support women’s mind, body and spirit, and attracted hundreds of participants last year. The vision of the event is for women to join a sisterhood, embracing health for themselves and their families.
“The ultimate purpose of the event is to let women know what’s available here in terms of healthcare and wellness,” said Jan Wilson, co-chairwoman of the event and wife of MedWest radiologist Dr. Al Wilson of Carolina West Radiology.
Country music superstar and American icon Naomi Judd will give the keynote speech. Judd will draw upon her experiences as a hepatitis C survivor and as a former registered nurse in her talk about the importance of women’s health and wellness.
Sessions being held include topics such as skin care, creativity and aging, weight management and better communication for better health. There are also sessions for teens scheduled, including tips on healthy dating and avoiding dating violence.
Also on tap is a “Meet the Doctors” mini-event to give participants the opportunity to meet local physicians in a non-clinical environment. About 20 physicians will participate in this one-hour session.
Flourish Women’s Expo attendees also will have the opportunity to participate in specific medical screenings. Last year, about 400 screenings were performed at the event.
Sponsors of the event are the Foundations of MedWest Health System, Haywood Regional Medical Center, MedWest-Harris and MedWest-Swain, Carolina West Radiology and 21st Century Oncology.
Tickets to the all-day event are $45 and can be purchased online by visiting the Flourish Women’s Expo section at www.MedWestHealth.com.
The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will host their annual Business Start-Up Competition Luncheon to honor this year’s recipients of up to a $10,000 business grant from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 17.
The Chamber Business and Community Development Committee believes that a key pillar of economic development in our community is to promote the start-up and expansion of local and small businesses, in addition to the typical focus on recruitment and relocation of big industries that employ a large number of people.
The luncheon will be held at The Gateway Club. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non Chamber Members. Advanced purchase is required.
www.haywood-nc.com. 828.456.3021.
Western Carolina University’s Forensic Science Program has acquired two state-of-the-art pieces of DNA sequencing instruments to help it establish a DNA sequencing core facility on campus.
“We will be able to offer a multitude of DNA sequencing services to institutions across the state and enhance research and educational opportunities for students, particularly in areas such as forensic genetics, cellular and molecular biology, environmental health sciences and biochemistry,” said Brittania Bintz, a forensic research scientist at WCU.
The new equipment enables WCU to increase the number of samples that can be processed and supports research collaborations for faculty members across forensic science, biology, and health and human sciences disciplines and researchers at Highlands Biological Station. Currently, students and faculty use the laboratory to not only gain hands-on experience with sample preparation, genotyping, sequencing and analysis but also research the newest sequencing instruments to develop methods that may be employed in crime laboratories in the future.
A $175,000 grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center allowed WCU to purchase a fourth DNA sequencing instrument. Then, a new research collaboration with Illumina Inc., a manufacturer of next-generation DNA sequencing instrumentation, helped WCU to acquire a fifth sequencer, an Illumina MiSeq, for evaluation and use.
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.3680.
Angela Laird Brenton, dean of the College of Professional Studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been appointed provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Western Carolina University. She starts Aug. 1.
The selection of Brenton, dean at Little Rock since 2001, concludes a national search by a 16-member campus committee to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Kyle R. Carter, who was named chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in April 2010.
“Angi is one of the most passionate people I know in terms of the importance of a university focus on engagement with the external community,” WCU Chancellor David O. Belcher said. “She is a strong advocate for the academic affairs of her institution, and she is one of the best communicators I have ever met in my life. She is a respected member of her community, and she is loved and adored by her faculty and staff.”
As dean at Little Rock, Brenton is responsible for the departments of audiology and speech pathology, criminal justice, and speech communication; the School of Social Work; the School of Mass Communication; Institute of Government; public radio stations KLRE-KUAR; and the Mid-South Center, which is responsible for all child welfare training in the state of Arkansas. She oversees 150 faculty and staff in a college with an annual budget of $12 million.
A free community forum on planning and decision-making for end-of-life events is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 20, in the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church of Waynesville.
The forum is sponsored by Hospice & Palliative Care Services of MedWest Health System. Topics being covered include advance planning, patient care and bereavement. Expert panel members will be joined by community members who will share their personal experiences.
“People need to be prepared,” said Jenny Williams, hospice director. “We see problems related to lack of prior communication on a daily basis. Not having anything decided has the potential for catastrophe.”
Also available at no cost will be forms that include living wills, health care powers of attorney and advance instruction for mental health treatment.
The instructors of Stecoah Junior Appalachian Musicians will host a Spring Bluegrass Celebration at Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center on May 19.
The JAM instructors formed the group “The Leftovers” and include Bill Pruett, Dwight Bradshaw, Karl Sutter, Bradley Adams, Larry Barnett, Sue Bullock and special guest Sonny Reighard.
The efforts of these JAM instructors and local musicians to preserve the Appalachian heritage and musical roots give cause for this Spring Bluegrass Celebration. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. In addition to celebrating these musicians and Appalachian heritage, the center will be showing their new state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems made possible in part by grant funds from the Golden Leaf Foundation. In addition, the newly expanded Schoolhouse Café will be open before the show and during intermission for a light dinner or snack.
The Highland Cashiers Players will spend their last weekend as Sheree, Lexie, Dinah, Vernadette, and Jeri Neal of “The Dixie Swim Club.”
The final performances are at 7:30 p.m. on May 17, 18, 19 and 2:30 p.m. on May 20 at the performing center on Chestnut Street in the Highlands.
The funny, touching comedy celebrates the enduring friendship of five women who met in college on the swim team. During a span of 33 years, they have gathered for long weekends at a beach cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, to catch up, laugh, and meddle in each other’s lives. The play presents four of these weekends.
Tickets are $20.
828.526.8084.
New exhibits are heading to The Bascom art gallery in Highlands this month.
Admission for these exhibitions is free.
• Alex Matisse: Ometto: “In Italy, the word Ometto, meaning ‘little man’, is used to describe rock cairns that lead the way on hiking trails above the tree line,” said Matisse, whose works will be at The Bascom through October 21. The pots in the exhibition originate from the tradition of salt-glazed stoneware grave markers that were made in abundance in the counties of the eastern Piedmont of North Carolina.
• Green Art, which will be on display through July 8 in the atrium gallery, is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the American Studio Glass Movement; Harvey Littleton, its founder; and environmentally friendly art. Tracy Kirchman, a glass artist who aided in the establishment of the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro, and her students from the Little Black Pearl Glass Lab in Chicago, will be creating works of art from recycled glass wine bottles for this exhibition.
• From Mud to Art, Highlands High School Ceramics will be in the landing gallery through July 8. The Highlands High School students will demonstrate their proficiency in pottery making and understanding of the science that makes it happen. Student work and an explanation of clay bodies, firing and glazing will be on view. Now in its third year, the High School Ceramics Class is an ongoing partnership between Highlands School and The Bascom.
www.TheBascom.org or 828.526.4949.
Legendary rock band Foreigner will take the stage at Harrah’s Casino and Hotel at 9 p.m., June 8.
With over 50 million sales to their name, and six multi-platinum albums between 1977 and 1987, Foreigner’s place as one of the frontrunners of the rock genre is hard to dispute.
Their multi-platinum debut album, “Foreigner,” was released in 1977. It was an immediate hit with tracks like “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice” and “Long, Long Way From Home,” reaching the Top 20 in the Billboard charts. The 7x platinum follow-up, “Double Vision” (1978) proved to be their best-selling album and established their credentials as arena-filling rockers. Tickets are already on-sale. Must be 21 or older to attend. www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.
The Jackson County Public Library will host a free two-part drawing class with Norma Hendrix at 7 p.m. on May 22 and 24.
“Drawing can be both observational and therapeutic,” said Hendrix, who has been teaching art to all ages and levels for nearly 40 years.
Through a variety of simple lessons, she will help attendees learn the difference between “looking” and “seeing.” The class is geared for people (ages 13 and up) who would like to try drawing for the first time, or those who used to draw but have fallen away from the practice. No previous experience is required.
Hendrix is the director of Cullowhee Mountain ARTS, a new non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the arts in the Western North Carolina.
Class size is limited to 16 people and supplies will be provided.
828.586.2016 or www.cullowheemountainarts.org.
This summer, high school students and recent graduates can participate in a summer art program at Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts. The three-week program is designed for students who are interested in pursing a degree in art.
“Students will be able to experience what a college level art class is all about,” said Jeff Marley, the fine arts coordinator at OICA. “Our goal is to help the students develop their skills and build a portfolio for college admissions. In the process, students will be able to explore printmaking, drawing and sculpture in our studios.”
The program will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday-Friday, June 11-29. The deadline for registration is May 31. Pick up an application at the Oconaluftee Institute or any Southwestern Community College center, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Cost is $50 per student, with aid available based on need. The program is made possible, in part, by funding from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
The OICA is located on U.S. 19 North, behind Tribal Bingo in Cherokee.
828.497.3945 or www.southwesterncc.edu/finearts.
The City Lights Coffee with the Poet series continues at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 17, and will feature the poetry of Webster resident Dave Waldrop. He has written a poetry collection titled, Am I and co-authored a nonfiction book titled, Appalachian Roots.
The Coffee with the Poet series is a monthly gathering held every third Thursday and is co-sponsored by NetWest.
828-586-9499.
The Haywood Arts Regional Theater will perform “The Marvelous Wonderettes” at 7:30 p.m., May 25, 26, June 1, 2, 8 & 9 and at 3 p.m., May 27, June 3 and 10.
The premise of the show is simple; it’s a 1958 high school prom. The band scheduled to play isn’t available so instead a girl group takes their place at the last minute. During act one, the audience gets to know each of the girls, their hopes dreams and quirks. Act two skips forward 10 years to their 1968 reunion. Songs include “Mr. Sandman,” “Lollipop,” “Secret Love,” “Goodnight Sweetheart,” “Heatwave,” “You Don’t Own Me,” “It’s My Party,” “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Leader of the Pack.”
Tabitha Judy, Tierney Cody, Kelli Brown Mullinix, and Morgan St. Clair will star in the HART performance. They are under the direction of Mark Jones, assisted by Alexia Grant in production number staging and music direction by John R. Crawley.
Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors and $10 for student/teachers. There is a special $5 discount tickets for students and teachers for Sundays.
The performing arts center is on Pigeon Street in Waynesville.
828.456.6322 or www.harttheatre.com.
The summer Tail Wagging Tutors reading hours will return to the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library, starting May 23. The reoccurring event takes place at 3:45 p.m. Wednesdays.
Read to the library’s dog Pilar, a.k.a. Miss P. Reading to the dog is good practice for beginning readers or kids working on public speaking, and dogs love to hear stories. She is always ready with a doggie kiss for readers.
The library is located at 249 Frank Allen Road in Cashiers.
828.743.0215.
The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will host a Blacklight Party for teens in sixth-12th grade from 3:30-5 p.m. on May 21.
The event will include glow-in-the-dark carnival games, including bowling. Teens will learn about “Own the Night” summer events that meet from 3-4:30 p.m. on Mondays, starting June 4 and ending on July 27.
Teen volunteers are also needed to help with younger groups this summer.
Call 828.488.3030 and ask for Sara or visit www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
The 18th Annual Swain County Heritage Festival will take place on Memorial Day weekend and feature local arts and crafts, food, kids’ games, music and a log-sawing contest.
Bands and singing groups ranging from gospel to country and bluegrass will perform during the holiday weekend event. The festival will begin with Gospel Night from 6-9 p.m. on May 25 at Riverfront Park, near the Swain County Administration Building in Bryson City. Several groups will perform that evening, including Shining Pathway, Brian Birchfield, The Masters Four, One Step Closer and The Hinkle Family.
On Saturday, the musical lineup will include country, bluegrass and gospel favorites, including The Ross Brothers, The Hinkle Family, The Locust Ridge Quartet, Appalachian Fire Blue Grass and Mountain Faith. In addition to the musical performances, Saturday’s events will include performances by the J Creek Cloggers and the Southern Appalachian Cloggers. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
There will also be dozens of crafters and vendors on hand to sell their products, plus children’s games and a kid’s potato sack race.
There is no charge for persons attending the Festival. Crafters wishing to participate are encouraged to contact Festival organizers.
828.488.0454 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The SongSpinners and the First Ringers will perform at 3 p.m., May 20, at the Waynesville Public Library as part of the Haywood County Arts Council’s Sunday Concert Series.
The free concert series is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Earthworks Gallery and Frame Shop are the concert sponsors.
The SongSpinners, formerly the Haywood Women’s Chorus, is comprised of singers from Haywood County. Their repertoire includes Broadway hits, spirituals, and among other genres. The First Ringers is a 13-member handbell choir from First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. The group plays a five-octave set of Schulmerich Handbells and a five-octave set of Malmark Choirchimes.
The Liars Bench will perform the third of the Balsam Chronicles series with the story of Osley Bird Saunooke, colorful chief of the Cherokee, at 7 p.m., May 17, at WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center.
Supported in part by a grant from the Grassroots Arts Program of the Jackson County Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council, the story is about a young Cherokee man’s rise from Indian boarding school, entry into and success in the world of professional wrestling, and finally becoming the elected leader of his band during a turbulent period in their history.
“Chief Osley Saunooke had a reputation for honesty and was quite popular all over WNC. Historical accounts say he was the most approachable, the most well known — and in terms of being chief and politics, he was the most amenable,” said Gary Carden, host and storyteller.
The Liars Bench is a two-year old program featuring authentic traditional Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry and drama.
In addition to Liars Bench regulars Carden; Lloyd Arneach, the Cherokee storyteller; Paul Iarussi, claw-hammer guitar specialist; William Ritter, vocalist and musician; and Karen Barnes, the May 17 performance will also feature Dave Waldrop singing home-spun vocals.
828.227.7129. Free.
Buy Haywood is connecting the community with local farmers and chefs in an effort to reintroduce people to the simple pleasure of preparing seasonal, local foods.
The first cooking demonstration will be held on May 12 at the Whole Bloomin’ Thing Spring Festival in Waynesville.
This Cooking Local project, funded by a grant from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and administered by the Haywood County Economic Development Commission, aims to foster healthy eating and increase the sale of locally-grown fruits and vegetables in Western North Carolina through expanded knowledge of fresh food preparation and nutrition education.
It will include a series of cooking demonstrations in Haywood, Jackson and Buncombe counties featuring a locally-grown product, the farmer who grew it, and a local chef who will show just how quick and easy it is to cook with fresh, locally-grown ingredients.
Demonstrations will take place through November at a variety of venues including farmers markets, festivals and other events.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Learn how to coexist with black bears through a free Bear Education and Resources program at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, at the Macon County Community Center in Franklin.
Bear Education And Resources (B.E.A.R.) Task Force is kicking off its 2012 B.E.A.R. Talk Program series with the presentation. A growing population of both bears and people in the area means that problems stemming from improper storage of garbage, barbecues and birdfeeders are growing. Potentially dangerous encounters with bears are increasing as well.
The program will begin with a short film, “Living in Bear Country: Practical Advice on Living Responsibly in Bear Country.” Then Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard will share information about black bears and explain how to reduce human and bear conflicts. Allison and Sherrard have been wildlife educators for more than 15 years and currently work closely with Appalachian Bear Rescue and B.E.A.R.
B.E.A.R. is a task force of the Western North Carolina Alliance.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.526.9227.
Registration will take place May 14-21 for adult summer soccer leagues through Haywood County Recreation and Parks.
There will be two leagues, an open league and a women’s league. The open league will feature a maximum of 10 teams and will consist of teams with a maximum roster size of 13 people. The women’s league will feature a maximum of six teams and will also consist of teams with a maximum roster size of 13 people; however, this league will feature women only.
Both leagues will have games from June 11 through Aug. 1 on Monday and Wednesday evenings at Allens Creek Park. The registration fee is $365 per team, which includes a soccer jersey for each player and tournament prizes. Registration should be submitted to the Haywood County Recreation and Parks office at 1233 N. Main St. (Annex II Building) in Waynesville.
828.452.6789 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Learn about aquatic insect sampling starting at 9 a.m. May 16 at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in Macon County.
You’ll learn what aquatic insects are and why they are important, plus how to use insect data in conjunction with fish data to monitor a stream’s health. This is a project of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and David Penrose, who is an aquatic insect expert. Penrose helped develop the metrics and assessment protocols needed to assign bioclassification criteria to streams and rivers.
Participation with field sampling is encouraged, but not required, please dress accordingly.
828.524.2711 ext. 309 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Patrick McMillan, the host, co-creator, and writer of the popular and award-winning ETV nature program “Expeditions with Patrick McMillan,” is headlining an event celebrating the Highlands Botanical Garden’s 50th anniversary with a talk at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, at the Highlands Biological Station.
McMillian is a professional naturalist, biologist, and educator, and has extensive experience in botany. He is the director of the Campbell Museum of Natural History at Clemson University, plus the interim director of the South Carolina Botanical Gardens. His intense interest in natural history, which he attributes to his grandmother, has taken him all over the world.
McMillan will talk about the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment in “The Southern Blue Ridge: Crucible of Life.”
Registration for Saturday includes a wildflower walk, lunch, the chance to bid on silent auction items while listening to live music and enjoying a reception and cash bar, and, of course, the opportunity to hear McMillan’s talk. Cost is $50 for members and $60 for non-members.
828.526.2221 or highlandsbiological.org/wildflower-whimsy.
A trip for seniors to the Mountain Farm Museum with the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday, May 14.
The cost is $7 per person for members of the Waynesville Recreation Center or $10 per person for nonmembers.
828.456.2030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Learn how to take great photographs of spring wildflowers by participating in a guided photography hike on Tuesday, May 15.
Professional nature photographer and teacher Don McGowan (Earthsong Photography) will lead this photography hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
McGowan has been a professional nature photographer for 18 years, including five years as staff photographer for Friends of the Smokies. McGowan’s images and articles have appeared in Smoky Mountain Memories, Georgia Journal, Outdoor Photographer, Smoky Mountain Living, Preservation, and Smokies Life magazines. He currently operates EarthSong Photography, providing in-depth nature photography workshop experiences around the country.
Participants will gather to depart from Waynesville at 8 a.m. Hikers should come prepared with food, water and appropriate hiking gear for the all day excursion. DSLR cameras preferred. A donation of $35 to go to the Friends of the’ Smokies is requested and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.452.0720.
A bird walk and program led by N.C. Audobon’s Curtis Smalling and international birding enthusiast Romney Bathurst will be held in Lonesome Valley in Cashiers May 12.
The event is sponsored by the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society. Participants will look especially for migratory warblers. Interested birders will carpool from The Bascom parking lot in Highlands at 7:30 a.m. Cashiers and Sapphire Valley residents are encouraged to carpool from the area just behind Wendy’s restaurant, or go directly to Lonesome Valley. The walk, which will take approximately three-and-a-half hours, will begin at 8 a.m.
At 4 p.m., Smalling will present a program at The Bascom, “The Birds of the Highlands Plateau: Amazing Stories from a Remarkable Place.” The program is free.
James T. Costa, Western Carolina University professor and director of Highlands Biological Station, is the recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Biodiversity Educator of the Year award bestowed by Discover Life in America.
The nonprofit organization helps run the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. ATBI has resulted in the discovery of more than 900 species new to science and more than 7,000 species never before recorded in the park.
The annual educator of the year award recognizes a person’s contributions to outreach and education in the study of biodiversity. Dan Pittillo, retired WCU professor of biology, nominated Costa for the award, citing his commitment to education and to research in areas such as the socialization of insects.
“As Costa pushes the knowledge frontier further, he is passionate about providing this information to everyone,” said Pittillo. “Working as the director of Highlands Biological Station, he continues to make the biodiversity of our very diverse region available to all that come into contact with the station.”
The award was presented to Costa at the ATBI Conference held in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
Author Bob Plott will discuss Western North Carolina’s unique Plott Hound at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at the Bethea Welcome Center.
Plott’s The Story of the Plott Hound: Strike & Stay, was published in 2007 and awarded the 2008 Willie Parker Peace N.C. Historical Literary Award.
Plott will chronicle how five of the Plott family hunting dogs survived the passage to America from Germany in 1750 with his ancestor, Johannes Plott, and in the ensuing years developed into a breed that is sought worldwide as a premier hunting dog.
This event is sponsored by the Live and Learn Committee of the Junaluskans, an organization of the residents and friends of Lake Junaluska.
800.222.4930 .
The North Carolina Arboretum will participate in National Public Gardens Day on Friday, May 11, waiving the parking fee for those visitors who present the National Public Gardens Day coupon, which may be printed from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine website, www.bhg.com.
The coupon is only valid for the one day. Coupons must be presented to receive free admission and must be surrendered upon entry.
National Public Gardens Day celebrates all public gardens, arboreta, botanical gardens, educational gardens, specialty gardens, entertainment gardens, farm gardens, historical landscapes, and zoos with each institution participating in its own unique way.
Now in its fourth year, National Public Gardens Day is a national day of awareness in which communities nationwide are invited to visit and learn about the important role their public gardens play in promoting environmental stewardship and awareness, plant and water conservation, and education.
828.665.2492 or www.ncarboretum.org.
