To the Editor:

“When asked about the likelihood of the AM radio station surviving in today’s advertising landscape, Jackson County commissioners said they were relying on the financial projections provided by the prospective radio owner.”

This excerpt is from the Dec. 7, 2011, The Smoky Mountain News. What part of this sounds quote like a good idea? Does anyone else out there think just a little more research on this prospective business venture should be studied by some impartial parties as to whether loaning this money in this direction is a good idea or not, rather than relying on the financial projections of the “proposed owner of the business?”

Why doesn’t the “proposed business” get the money loan from a bank like everyone else would have to?

There are businesses in this county in operation currently, with employees, that could use the money just to keep operating as they are. Why are we gambling tax money on a prospective business that could fail and default on the money? For a few jobs? If it fails and the company files bankruptcy, we never see a return on the money … and what is the interest rates on the tax money loaned?

Seems like local politics has become a business of banking with all the loaning of money going on.  We have new recreation centers being built, school add-ons, loans to bring the train back, the paper mill and now the AM radio.

Yet look at the county as a whole, businesses are closing left and right, there are no future job opportunities for the children, and not much for them to do now. Elderly have no new nursing homes being built (think about this baby boomers, it is gonna get crowded ). Poverty and poor housing are everywhere.

What happened to the idea of just holding on to money, saving money till you need it for something immediately pressing? Then maybe the county won’t have to get a loan from somewhere.

Remember when a variance was given to the big eyesore hotel across from Wal-mart … bad idea, no research. How about trucking Jackson County’s garbage to Georgia, breaking the contract with Macon County to help save on landfill costs — all right before the price of fuel costs went up. Now it costs more to truck to Georgia and Macon County will never have us back, and we don’t even have our own landfill. And then there is the airport in Jackson County.  

Before all the loaning and releasing of funds, in this terrible economy shouldn’t there be more research done to see if these ideas are actually good ideas to spend our money on, or should I say invest our money in? How about the crazy idea of just having a surplus of funds on hand?

Kelly Timco

Jackson County Taxpayer

The Hooper House on West Main Street in Sylva has received Jackson County’s first designation as a Local Historic Landmark.

The house, which now serves as home for the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, was built in 1906. It was listed on the National Historic Registry in 2003, according to County Planner Gerald Green.

“It meets all the criteria” for the local designation, Green said, “because it maintains all of its character.”

A nonprofit group owns the house, and the local designation will allow the group to request a 50 percent property tax break from the county. That would reduce the annual tax bill of $700 to about $350. In return, the group must meet certain regulations intended to protect the historic nature of the structure. To make changes, it must receive a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.

SMN: The $300,000 to the football coach represents at least three professors’ salaries. Is this cost worth trying to have a winning football program? Why pump this kind of money into athletics compared to academics in this day and age of massive economic constraints?

Chancellor David Belcher: “As I’ve said many times in my visits across Western North Carolina communities in recent months, I view athletics as a very important part of the university, for several reasons.

First, athletics plays a role in the development of student-athletes who participate in sports, providing them with leadership skills and helping instill in them foundations of teamwork and discipline that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Thus, athletics experiences are part of their educational pursuits.

Second, athletics is a critical component of the overall student life experience by helping ground students in the campus community and keeping them engaged in the university outside of the classroom. Third, athletics also helps keep alumni and friends connected to the institution, giving them something around which they can rally.

And fourth, athletics, just like the arts and cultural events, serves as a front door to the university, offering an entry point for folk in the community and the region who might not otherwise have a reason to set foot on our campus.”

A group of residents and students from Western North Carolina will embark in early March on a trip to the Central American country of Panama, donating ten days to do renovation work, provide medical assistance and distribute needed supplies to remote rural schools and clinics.

The participants must meet once a week for six weeks prior to the trip. Team members get a crash course in Spanish and the history, culture and geography of Panama. Each night a group of volunteers from the team makes a traditional Panamanian meal to be shared with other team members. Students at Southwestern Community College and high school students “dual enrolled” earn elective credits from SCC for their participation in this project.

Project Panama, which began in the winter of 2004, has blossomed into a service learning project that encompasses people from many different backgrounds and levels of experience. The first trip to Panama was a small operation organized by members of the Sylva Rotary Club, the Smoky Mountain High School Interact Club and St. David’s Episcopal Church in Cullowhee.

Together, these organizations were able to collect over 800 pounds of school supplies and $400 in cash. The cash and supplies were delivered to the Boquete Rotary Club in March 2005. Subsequent journeys in 2006 and 2008 with teams of twenty-five and thirty-two members provided nearly 2,000 pounds of medical and school supplies, $12,800 in donated funds, and more than 2,600 hours of labor. Additional funds and supplies have been provided in subsequent years. The spring trip is currently a joint undertaking of the Rotary Club of Franklin, Sylva Rotary Club, Club Rotario de Boquete in Panama, Franklin and Smoky Mountain High School Interact Clubs, and Southwestern Community College. While in Panama, the team will visit historic sites, immerse themselves in the customs and culture of this Central American Country and work on several projects in rural schools and medical clinics. The group is currently seeking additional team members and gathering supplies and donations from friends, family members, coworkers and community businesses.

828.369.1600 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The annual Elks National "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Contest will take place at the Waynesville Recreation Center on Friday, Dec. 16.

Registration will begin at 5 p.m. and the event will start at 6 p.m.

The event is for boys and girls ages eight to 13 (age as of April 1), and it is free. There will be free hotdogs and drinks from 5 to 6 p.m.

Free throw shooters will be divided into boys and girls divisions with three age categories: eight to nine, 10 to 11 and 12 to 13. Birth certificates will be required at registration.

All local winners will advance to district, state and possibly regional competitions.

828.456.2030 or 828.452.6789.

The Jackson County-Webster Historical Society commemorated Pearl Harbor’s anniversary on Dec. 7 at its first public meeting in the renovated, historic courthouse in Sylva.

“We are commemorating here an event that fundamentally transformed the history of the United States and the world,” said David Dorondo, associate professor of history and international relations at Western Carolina University, to the crowd that gathered at the Jackson County History Museum.

George Frizzell, Archivist at WCU, played several historical recordings including British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin’s “Peace in Our Time” speech and Roosevelt’s December 8, 1941, address to Congress. Frizzell talked about the construction of the Glenville dam on the west fork of the Tuckasegee River and Fontana Dam on the Little Tennessee River in Swain and Graham counties. Both were constructed to provide electricity to Alcoa’s aluminum plant and a then ‘secret’ city called Oak Ridge, and the Y-12 nuclear reactor in Tennessee.

Western Carolina University will honor its fall graduating class and recognize a group of graduates who received their degrees after this year’s summer school sessions, as the university holds fall commencement at 2 p.m., Dec. 17.

The ceremony at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center is open to everyone, and no tickets are required for admission. Chancellor David Belcher will preside over his first commencement as the university’s chief executive officer and deliver the charge to the fall semester degree candidates and summer graduates.

WCU’s fall class includes about 650 students who are currently completing academic requirements to receive their degrees. Graduates who completed degree requirements during summer school and who already have been conferred degrees also are eligible to participate in the ceremony. About 770 current students and summer graduates are expected to don caps and gowns for the event.

WCU senior Richard Anderson Miller, a Candler native who is majoring in philosophy and international studies, will deliver the primary commencement address.

The commencement audience should enter the Ramsey Center through one of four upper concourse doors. Those with physical disabilities should use the northeastern upper entrance, adjacent to the stands of E.J. Whitmire Stadium.

828.227.7216 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Waynesville artist and teacher Nick DePaolo will help people create an oil painting with his follow-along technique.

The two-hour class is open to any skill level and will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 16 and Dec. 23. Students must reserve an easel in advance. The course costs $27, which includes a canvas and paint.

828.456.5541 or www.longgroveartschool.com.

The Skaggs Family will perform songs from its new, 10-song holiday album, A Skaggs Family Christmas Volume Two, at the Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center in Franklin at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 17.

The CD, which is now available nationwide, features Ricky Skaggs, a 14-time Grammy winner, his wife Sharon White Skaggs and their children, Buck and Cheryl White, and Cheryl’s daughter, Rachel Leftwich. A Skaggs Family Christmas Volume Two has a mix of studio and live recordings as well as performances of traditional seasonal songs and new compositions.

The disc kicks off with the upbeat bluegrass arrangement of “Christmas Time’s A Coming,” which segues in a song by Sharon and her sister, Cheryl, trading lead vocals on “Light of the Stable.”

The album also features an a capella version of “The First Noel” by Ricky, “Silent Night,” “What Songs Were Sung” and “Flight To Egypt” among others.

A Skaggs Family Christmas Live (DVD) is included with the purchase of the CD. The DVD features the family’s holiday concert, recorded live in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium. The group, which includes three generations, have taken this show on the road for the last eight years, and the tradition continues this year.

“We started singing these songs in our living room all those years ago, with no idea that we would ever take A Skaggs Family Christmas to so many places,” said Sharon. “We’ve performed everywhere from churches to symphony halls to the National Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C., where we sang for President George W. Bush. The recording process, the performing and traveling has been so much fun! It has been such a blessing to share all of this as a family.”

Tickets for the show at the Smoky Mountain Performing Arts Center are $35.

828.524.1598 or at www.greatmountainmusic.com.

The Overlook Theatre Company will present Disney’s “Aladdin” at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin on Dec. 13 and Dec. 15.

The story of Aladdin is based on the folktale of “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp” from One Thousand and One Nights. It tells the story of a commoner named Aladdin and his monkey who battle to save Princess Jasmine. His life changes with the rub of a magic lap and the appearance of a genie who grants him three wishes.

Prior to the performances, the theater will host Aladdin’s Royal Party at 6 p.m. Attendees can meet their favorite Aladdin characters. Tickets to this event are $8 and sold at the box office.

Actual showtimes are at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $10.

GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

The Macon County Public Library is hosting an old-time carol-along at 5 p.m. on Dec. 20.

The song list will feature “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Silent Night,” “White Christmas” and many familiar holiday carols and hymns.

Attendees are encouraged to donate a new or gently used book, which will be distributed to needy Macon County children.

Prior to the carol-along, children under age 12 can gather in the library at 4 p.m. for a “Club Discovery” holiday workshop, where they will create seasonal take-home crafts including cookie-cutter ornaments and one-of-a-kind greeting cards.

There is no charge for either event.

828.524.3600.

The Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City is hosting its first Nanta Claus party and benefit Dec. 17.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will feature several Christmas brews. All attendees are asked to bring an unwrapped, unused toy to be donated to children in Swain County who would otherwise not have a Christmas this year.

The Nantahala brewers have concocted Christmas brews, which will be tapped at 7 p.m.

The event will also include a “Worst Holiday Sweater” contest. The judging will commence at 8 p.m., and the winner will receive a growler of one of the Nanta Claus brews, and a $50 gift certificate for Nantahala Brewing Company.

nantahalabrewing.com.

WNC Television will air the Christmas Parade Special, a compilation of this year’s Waynesville and Canton parades, beginning Dec. 19.

The program will air on Charter channel 16 in Haywood County 12 times between Dec. 19 and Christmas morning.

People can watch the program at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day, except on Dec. 22. That day, the Haywood County High School Basketball Game of the Week will air during 7 p.m. time slot. The Christmas Parade Special will also be shown on Christmas Day at 11 a.m.

The Brasstown Ringers will perform their 2011 concert program “Christmas Bells” at 6 p.m., Dec. 16, at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Franklin.

“Christmas Bells” has a mixture of well-known Christmas favorites, pieces with roots in the 1700s, and a few selections with a modern flair.

Brasstown Ringers began in 1992 with three octaves of bells and seven musicians. Of these musicians, only two had ever rung hand bells before; the rest were pianists or string players. The group and number of octaves have continued to grow from there.

Its current 13 members come from a 100-mile radius once a week to practice for 2 to 3 hours, and the group plays moderate to advanced hand bell music.

Anyone interested in learning more specialized bell techniques or just want to join can talk to the director after the concert or call 828.837.8822 for lesson times.

Tickets for the concert are $15 and can be reserved or purchased at the door.

828.524.6777.

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will hold its next community music jam 6 to 7:30 p.m., Dec. 15, in the library auditorium.

Participants will play holiday favorites during the jam. Anyone with an instrument, such as a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle or dulcimer, is invited to join. Singers and spectators are also welcome.

Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City will facilitate the jam.

People of all ages and levels of ability will have a chance to choose a song for the group to play together.

The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month all year. 828.488.3030.

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City is showing family-oriented Christmas movies each Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in December.

The movies are free to the public and projected onto an 8-by-10-foot screen with a theater sound system. Popcorn will also be served.

Each attendee will receive one free movie check out voucher.  

On Dec. 20, the library will show “The Night Before the Night Before Christmas,” the story of a family too busy to spend the holidays together. Santa surprises them when he accidentally leaves the North Pole a day early and crashes onto their roof. Santa loses his memory in the accident, and it is up the family to come together to help restore his memory and save Christmas.

828.488.3030.

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City will have a teen Friends of the Library meeting at 3:30 p.m. on Dec 15.

Local teens will share their ideas about materials of interest, including what sort of programming they’d like to see at the library. They will also make Christmas ornaments for the library’s Christmas tree.

Teens can earn community service hours for school by volunteering at the library.

828.488.3030.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a Holiday Homecoming at the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center Dec. 17.

Park staff and volunteers will provide hands-on traditional crafts and demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children and adults can to make a corn shuck doll, buzz button and cinnamon ornaments to take home or to hang on the visitor center tree.

From 1 to 3 p.m., there will be an acoustic old-time jam session focused on holiday music. “Musical expression was and still is often a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is strongly tied to the Smokies history and culture,” said Lynda Doucette, supervisory park ranger at the center. “We would like to invite musicians to play traditional Appalachian tunes such as gospel songs and traditional ballads as they were played on the porches in the old days.”

The visitor center, located on U.S. Highway 441 just inside the Cherokee entrance to the park, will be decorated for the holiday season and will include an exhibit on Christmas in the mountains in the past. All activities are free and open to the public.

828.497.1904.

Rockwood United Methodist Church in Canton will host two holiday programs Dec. 18.

The Chancel Choir will present “One Small Child,” a Christmas musical at 10:45 a.m.

The re-telling of the Christmas story will include several familiar songs, such as “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Joy to the World,” “Here I Am to Worship,” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

The church youth group will host a Christmas program at 7 p.m. The program will include songs and presentations of “My Christmas Memories” by members of the group. A reception will follow the evening program.

828.647.6870.

The Catamount statue at the main entrance of Western Carolina University is now sporting a red and green holiday sweater trimmed with colored lights made by the WNC Fiber Folk Group.

The group is comprised of people who share an interest in fiber arts such as knitting and crocheting. Group members “yarn bombed” the mascot Dec. 8 and will remove the sweater Dec. 16.

Yarn bombing, a practice that began in the mid-2000s, is the practice of wrapping a structure in the public landscape in knitted or crocheted cloth.

“The sweater project not only was fun but also is part of a contemporary, worldwide artistic movement,” said Denise Drury, interim director of the WCU Fine Art Museum and Fiber Folk organizer. “As a university, this is where experimentation in the arts begins, and we need to foster that.”

Jessica Breen, a group member and an assistant in the WCU Biology Department, created the five-foot-long sweater in four days on an electric knitting loom. It was her first experience knitting a sweater.

For information about the WNC Fiber Folk Group or the WCU Fine Art Museum, call 828.227.2553 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Assault on Black Rock trail race is a go next year in Jackson County, so mark your calendar for Saturday, March 17, and start practicing steep ascents.

As occurred this year, proceeds from the race will go to support the Community Table in Sylva.  

New next year will be the Black Rock 101 challenge. Think of it as a pass/fail college course (i.e., English 101). Anyone who completes the course in 101 minutes or less will “pass” and receive an oversized belt buckle. That’s amounts to a 14:26 minute per mile pace, with more than 2,700 feet of elevation gain.

Seven out of 65 people (just 11 percent) would have taken home belt buckles from the race earlier this year. In addition to the belt buckles, prizes will be awarded to the top finishers.

Those fatigued by even the thought of running to Black Rock are encouraged to participate by simply hiking to the top.  

The cost is $25 to pre-register and $30 on race day. T-shirts guaranteed to the first 100 people who sign up.  

www.communitytable.org or Assault on Black Rock Trail Race Facebook page.

The scenic Cullowhee Valley will serve as the backdrop again when runners from throughout the region gather at Western Carolina University for the second annual Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5-K on Sunday, March 25.

The half marathon will begin at 7:30 a.m. and take runners on a 13.1-mile journey through the WCU campus and along the Tuckasegee River. For runners looking for a shorter and faster option, race organizers are adding a 5-K (3.1-mile) race and walk to this year’s activities. That event will begin at 7:45 a.m.

Packet pickup will be held at WCU’s Campus Recreation Center from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 23. Details about a Saturday, March 24, packet pickup will be announced later, and packets also will be available from 6 to 7 a.m. race morning at the Campus Recreation Center.

Runners will find numerous aid stations with water and sports drink along the route, and mile-markers will help them chart their progress. All registered runners will receive a short-sleeve technical shirt.

WCU’s School of Health Sciences and Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness are hosting the races. Proceeds will be used to assist WCU students with expenses for professional presentations and travel to conferences.

A free training program developed by the athletic training staff will be e-mailed to registered half-marathon runners, and group training runs for the half marathon will be held on the WCU campus at 6 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and at 8 a.m. on Saturdays, beginning Monday, Jan. 9. There will be tracks for both beginner and experienced runners, and experts in the fields of injury prevention, nutrition and health will provide information sessions and assistance to runners.

halfmarathon.wcu.edu.

Award-winning businessperson Meridith Elliot Powell has been selected to join the Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Board of Directors.

Powell is an internationally certified coach, speaker and author. She is founder and President of Motion First, a consulting firm providing expertise in leadership and business development. She brings both energy and business savvy to the board.

“I am so honored to be joining the board of Friends of the Smokies,” said Powell, who was elected to the board in their November meeting. “For me, it provides the unique opportunity to work alongside an amazing group of volunteers all passionately dedicated to the important goal of preserving and protecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

Powell is an active member of the National Speakers Association, the Carolinas Speakers Association, the American Society of Training and Development and the International Coaching Federation. She holds master certifications in Strategic Planning, Business Coaching and Communications.

Since 1993, Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a not-for-profit organization, has raised more than $34 million to support educational programs, historic preservation projects, conservation of natural and cultural resources, and wildlife research and protection in the Smokies.

Learn all about bears and bear behavior at a monthly “Green Drinks” social at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Rathskellar Coffee House in Frankin.

Green Drinks is a meeting of area conservationists. This gathering will highlight a Bear Story Telling Contest, judged by Cynthia Strain, co-founder of B.E.A.R. (Bear Education and Resources) in Highlands.

Winning stories, bear photos, and relevant newspaper articles will be posted on the B.E.A.R. website. Other prizes include a framed picture of the B.E.A.R. logo from Mill Creek Gallery and Framing in Highlands and a Western North Carolina Alliance T-shirt. Strain will give a brief presentation on the growing frequency and challenges of human interaction with bears — with a focus on “peaceful co-existence.”

828.524.2280 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Twenty-two high school science teachers from across North Carolina recently visited the Highlands Biological Station for a weekend retreat focusing on the impact of climate change on the Southern Appalachian mountain ecosystem.  

The Highlands Biological Station, an inter-institutional center of the University of North Carolina system that is administered by Western Carolina University, hosted the teachers in collaboration with the Institute for the Environment at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The teachers are enrolled in the NC CLIMATE Fellows Program. The professional development program – which stands for North Carolina Climate Literacy: Integrating Modeling and Technology Experiences in N.C. Classrooms – is designed to increase teachers’ knowledge of current climate change science and use of technology to support climate change instruction.

Made possible through $318,000 in funds from NASA’s Innovations in Climate Education (or NICE) project, the NC CLIMATE Fellows program will serve up to 24 N.C. high school teachers annually for the next three years. The teachers will investigate how scientists are studying climate change and its impacts on the local, regional and global scales, as well as how scientists use NASA data and models in their research.  

The weekend retreat in Highlands was one part of the free yearlong program, said James Costa, director of the Highlands Biological Station and professor of biology at WCU.

“Participants were immersed in themes related to the ecology of climate change as it pertains to the mountains,” said Costa. “Emphasis was placed on salamanders, which are especially abundant and diverse in the Great Smokies, as well as plant species unique to the Southern Appalachian Mountains.”

828.526.2602 or www.wcu.edu/hbs.

Deer hunters may encounter sick or diseased deer afflicted with hemorrhagic disease this hunting season, according to the N.C. Wildlife Commission.

Two closely related viruses — epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus and bluetongue virus — cause hemorrhagic disease. Both are spread by biting flies, called midges.    

The commission is asking hunters to report sightings of the disease, which has no human-health implications but is one of the most significant infectious diseases of white-tailed deer in North Carolina.

Symptoms of hemorrhagic disease in deer vary widely. Some diseased animals will exhibit no symptoms. Some may appear bloated, very thin and weak, while others suffering from the disease for longer duration may drastically lose weight. They also may have foot, mouth and internal lesions. High fever associated with the disease can make deer thirsty, so dead and dying deer are often found near water. Hunters may observe cracked or sloughing hooves on harvested deer, which is another classic symptom of the disease.

Outbreaks of this deer disease are seen almost every year somewhere within the state and across the Southeast. In years with severe hemorrhagic disease outbreaks, deer mortality in some localized areas can be as high as 30 percent. However, in most instances mortality is much lower.

To report sightings of symptomatic deer, or dead and dying deer, contact the Division of Wildlife Management at 919.707.0050 or   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A collection of handmade books created by Kathrine Cays, artist-in-residence at The Rickman Store in the Cowee community of Macon County, will be on display this month at The Wilderness Society’s office in Sylva.

Since the early 1990’s Cays’ work has depicted elements from the natural world. In 2001, she began to involve minerals, metals, insects and found objects onto her canvases and panels, as well as into her sculptural works.

Cays sources spiritual wisdom and relationships to develop her central theme, which includes the placement of people within human constructions, the natural world and spiritual realms.

The Wilderness Society is on Main Street in Sylva.

Regional efforts to make highways more beautiful added up to statewide recognition recently when the N.C. Department of Transportation announced the winners of the 22nd Annual Wildflower Awards.

The awards recognize the efforts of NCDOT staff to carry out North Carolina’s wildflower program and enhance the overall appearance and environmental quality of the state’s highways.

In this area, the 2011 award winners are:

• Best Overall Division Wildflower Program: Honorable Mention – Division 14, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Swain and Transylvania counties.

• William D. Johnson Daylily Award: First Place – Division 14 – U.S. 441 Franklin in Macon County; Second Place, Division 13 – I-240 at Exit 4A in Buncombe County.

• Best Regional Wildflower Planting, Western Region: Honorable Mention – Division 14 – U.S. 74 at Exit 102 in Haywood County.

The NCDOT Wildflower Program began in 1985 and is coordinated by the department’s Roadside Environmental Unit, which installs and maintains 1,500 acres of wildflowers along North Carolina’s highways.

Mary J. Messer, author of the Appalachian memoir Moonshiner’s Daughter, will read from her book and answers questions from the audience from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec 10 at the Penland & Sons Department Store in Marshall.

Messer’s memoir, set in Haywood County as well as northern Virginia and New York City, tells of her life as the middle daughter of an abusive moonshiner and his mentally ill wife, the incredible hardship her mother and the four children suffered at her alcoholic father’s hands, as well as the trauma the children suffered from the cruelty of other youth and adults as they struggled to grow up.

The event is free, and copies of her book will be available for purchase and author signing.

828.649.2811 or www.moonshinersdaughter.com.

Friends of the Haywood Public Library will present Barbara Bates Smith will appear in the one-woman play Christmas play “Deck the Halls with Southern Writers” at 3 p.m. on Dec. 11 in the Waynesville Library auditorium.

This new play was adapted by Bates Smith, who is accompanied by Jeff Sebens on hammered dulcimer. Featured works from Lee Smith, Allan Gurganus and Truman Capote will be interwoven with Bates Smith’s comical search for the “true meaning” of Christmas.

Smith lives in Haywood County and is known for her roles in regional productions of “Wit,” “Hamlet” and “Doubt.” Free and open to the public. Seating will be limited.

828.456.5311 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Creative writing students from Western Carolina University will read original works at 6 p.m. on Dec. 13 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

During the two-hour event, 17 students from an advanced fiction writing class at WCU will read selections from works they have written.

“Anyone who finds pleasure in good storytelling or great writing will enjoy this,” said Pamela Duncan, an assistant professor in the professional writing program at WCU.

For the past four months, students have been improving their writing skills by primarily focusing on developing two short stories to submit for publication.

The event is free and open to the public. City Lights Bookstore is located in downtown Sylva.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.3926.

To the Editor:

After reading Carol Larivee’s letter noting the differences between the Tea Party and the Occupy movement, it amazes me that in this day and age of vast online resources a person can continue to be so gullible as to buy into every piece of liberal spin and blindly accept as truth. When one fails to do their due diligence, they live in a world of fear, baseless prejudice and ignorance.

The author portrays the Occupy Movement as some sort of Utopian Society of shared wealth. When Occupiers’ laptops and other sweet little electronic devices or personal property were being stolen from the camps, they saw things differently and complained. Occupiers have little respect for others property or right to make a living.

Meanwhile, the Tea Party respects both private and public property. So much so that they leave a site of a rally cleaner than when

The Occupy movement has continued its struggle to arrive at a coherent message, but the Tea Party rallied around this core on day one — limited government, free market principles and personal responsibility.

Ginny Jahrmarkt

Sapphire

To the Editor:

In the Nov. 23-29 issue of The Smoky Mountain News, Carole Larivee wrote a letter comparing the TEA Party to the Occupiers. As I read her letter at first I thought it was a joke. However, I realized quickly that the letter actually was written seriously but that the ridiculous, grossly mistaken comparisons are so far out of the realm of reality that they actually are comical.

I cite the following responses to several of Larivee’s untruths and misconceptions: Quote from Larivee: “Every Tea Party event was covered by the media ….” It is well known that the media gave the Tea Party rallies very little coverage and rarely acknowledged the hundreds of thousands attending; Larivee states that “At Tea Party events people showed up with assault rifles, shouted and spit at members of Congress.”. I attended all of the local Tea Party events and the September 2009 and 2010 events  in Washington, D.C.  I never, ever saw a gun, rifle or assault weapon at any of these events nor was any congressman ever present in the crowd to be spit upon at these high-profile rallies or marches. In fact, most members of Congress do not support the spending cuts and smaller government on the Tea Party agenda. Therefore they have been and continue to be either in Tea Party denial or in no way interested in aligning themselves with the group let alone be seen in the presence of Tea Partiers!  

Larivee continues “At Occupy events, people show up unarmed, are committed to non-violence and are maced and beaten by police.” The facts are that there have been rapes, rampant drug use, nudity, vulgar behavior and at least one killing at Occupy sites. The Occupiers break multiple laws ... set up tent camps for weeks in public parks or on public property, possess and use illegal drugs, commit violent crimes and they expect no police action? Police have been wounded, urinated on, punched and hit by this “non-violent” crowd. Law-abiding citizens are denied access to public streets and sidewalks surrounding Occupy sites and shop owners have lost business because customers are not able to get to their stores. The reality is you will never find a record of that kind of behavior at any Tea Party event.  

Larivee’s  statements that  “Tea Party participants mock the sick and the poor” and “Tea Party participants are anti-union, anti-poor, racist, bigoted and xenophobic” are the most ridiculous and preposterous. It is an amazing stretch of reality to take the Tea Party principles to cut spending, reduce the size of government, encourage free enterprise and protect private property and individual rights and twist them into the accusations made by Larivee.  

In the end Larivee claims: “Occupy is standing up for the rest of us, the 99 percent.” The truth is the Occupiers are the 1 percent on the bottom line of the nation’s spectrum ... they are the nation’s lawbreaking, offensive behaving, non-producers who love creating this Occupy happening for something to do rather than actually finding a real job. How many of our nation’s citizens, the real 99 percent, who are hard-working earners nurturing their families and obeying laws could spend weeks and even months hanging out in tents on city streets 24 hours a day?

Larivee’s idea that Occupiers “avoid leaders” is a myth. Their real leaders are faceless, keeping themselves anonymous. However, if you read Occupy signage and listen to their rhetoric, you will see that communism, Marxism and socialism is the Occupy theme. The actual Occupy leaders who promote that theme don’t show themselves in public but they are behind the scenes for sure.

Carol C. Adams

Glenville

To the Editor:

So the Democrat North Carolina state senators have waived off the chance to cap the automatic 4 percent gas tax increase set for January, claiming they’ll lose jobs and money needed for roads. Liars. This is not a “loss.” It’s an increase on top of the existing gas tax that already supports jobs and roads. But they’re more than willing to rip an additional $95 million out of our pockets. Gotta pay for those ever-increasing union salaries and benefits somehow!

Remember who is raising taxes the next time you fill your tank.

Larry Wright

Maggie Valley

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will host a Holiday Open House from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the chamber office in Waynesville.

New, current and potential new members are encouraged to attend to network with other chamber members.

“During these economic times such as these, it becomes important to make businesses aware of the resources available through the chamber,” said Executive Director, CeCe Hipps.

Call light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be provided.

RSVP at 828.456.3021 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A new Republican women’s group in Western North Carolina also has a new name, “Smoky Mountain Republican Women.”  

The group has been meeting for two months and will be a new club affiliated with the N.C. Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women.  

All members, and anyone interested in becoming a member, is encouraged to attend he group’s meetings.

Smoky Mountain Republican Women currently has members in Swain, Jackson, and Graham Counties, rotates meetings and will have events in the tri-county region. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.736.5926.

A candlelight service to honor soldiers and veterans who have served in the Iraq war from Swain County will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 on the square in front of the historic courthouse.

The service coincides with the date all U.S. Iraqi Combat Forces will be returning home or redeployed to a more urgent part of the world. This service is open to everyone, and candles will be provided. Anyone with the name of a soldier to share should submit it by Dec. 15 by contacting 828.342.9805 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The event is sponsored by the Swain County Democratic Party.

A heavy-lifting helicopter flexed its muscle in Cherokee Wednesday in the ongoing expansion and construction at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel.

The Sikorsky helicopter — one of the largest helicopters commercially available — performed 17 lifts to the roof. The units lifted weighed up to 12,000 pounds.

Learn about programs and services in Macon County to help the less fortunate at the monthly League of Women Voters in Franklin at noon on Dec. 8.

Gwen Taylor, public information officer for Macon County Department of Social Services, will describe the broad range of services offered and delivered, from child welfare to senior services, food and heating assistance, health care assistance and employment services.

The meeting will be held at Tartan Hall in the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin.

RSVP if attending for lunch, a cost of $5. 828.371.0527 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

An orientation session for high school students interested in taking classes at Haywood Community College will be held at 1 p.m. and again at 4 p.m. on Dec. 19 at the HCC auditorium.

Dual-enrollment opportunities through the Career and College Promise program allow high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit for free. The program reduces the amount of time and the cost to get college certificates, diplomas and associate degrees later on.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.627.4759, or visit www.haywood.edu/high_school_programs.

Niche marketing and regional cooperation were the reoccurring topics of this year’s Smoky Mountain Host meeting held in Cherokee last week, an annual forum that brings together the major tourism players of the Smoky Mountain region.

“Our greatest customers are our neighbors,” said Mary Jaegar-Gale, general manager of Chimney Rock State Park, during a panel discussion at the stakeholder’s meeting.

Matthew Pegg, head of the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce, agreed that Western North Carolina businesses should work together to attract people who live in the region to be tourists in their own backyards.

“There are a lot of people here who don’t know what we have,” Pegg said.

Throughout the meeting, David Huskins, the head of Smoky Mountain Host, encouraged those in the room to stop competing against each other for tourists and instead band together to help brand the Smokies region as a destination, in turn benefiting all the tourism in the region. By pooling their money for advertising, tourism attractions can get more bang for their buck, Huskins said.

Several panel participants discussed creating a map of activities or an a-la-carte itinerary that helps visitors pick and choose what they want to see and do.

“It is very important to get information into their hands before they plan their trip,” said Ed Phillips, executive director of the Burke County Tourism Development Authority.

An itinerary or regional events are a couple of ways in which businesses, towns and tourism authorities could work together to appeal to niche markets, including fishing and motorcycling.

Cherokee alone hosts six fishing tournaments. But, a regional fishing tour could keep visitors in the area, spending money at local businesses, for three or four days, Pegg said.

Speaker Berkley Young, a tourism marketing specialist, emphasized that towns should focus on their niche experiences to draw in tourists rather than trying to offer something for everyone.

People need to ditch their “build it and they will come” mentality and focus on unique experiences, said Young, president of Young Strategies, a tourism research and strategic planning firm based in Charlotte.

While “uncertain” has been the buzzword used to describe travel and the economy during the past few years, businesses are expected to see moderate, 1 to 3 percent, growth in 2012, Young said, and people have not stopped traveling or spending.

The need to get away will always trump other considerations, such as the price of gas, he said. People are taking shorter trips, closer to home and are participating in fewer but more engaging activities.

By promoting unique opportunities, regions are more likely to draw in those vacationers.

Businesses must also get back to the basics of hospitality.

The first words out of a hotel employee’s mouth should not be ‘Do you have a reservation,” Young said. A simple ‘Welcome! We’re glad you are here’ can improve the experience of a visitor, who is likely tired and annoyed from traveling, and increase the chance that they will return, he said.

An after-school program for sixth graders will be offered from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursday starting in January at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

The first hour will be devoted to homework with assistance for students who need help. Snacks will also be provided at this time. The remainder of the afternoon will be a structured P.E. program. A bus will be provided from Waynesville Middle School.

Free to members of the Waynesville Recreation Center or $12 a week for non-members.

828.456.2030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Haywood County Public Library has opened to the public a unique library collection to help meet the recreational and educational needs of children that are homeschooled.

This special collection contains a variety of formats including fiction, biographies, history, language arts, mathematics and science materials. Funding to start the collection was provided by federal funds via a Library Science and Technology Act grant awarded to the library in June.

The collection is located at the Canton branch library on Pennsylvania Avenue.

A home-school patron card with specific guidelines will be made available for home-schooled applicants upon request.  Patrons using the home-school collection card will have access to the special collection with longer checkout periods.

828.648.2924.

Deborah Horn, from Lake Junaluska, is now teaching music lessons out of her home studio.

Horn has taught music lessons since she was seventeen and recently working in the public school system. She also performs with her flute, piano and violin at weddings and other special events.

Horn’s educational background as a Learning Behavior Specialist provides her with a better understanding of the student’s goals and learning strengths.

She has daytime and after school openings. She is also providing a gift certificate, which can be purchased in time for Christmas.

400.1915 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority board backed down from plans to cut grant funding for long-celebrated events such as Folkmoot USA, Downtown Waynesville street dances and Canton’s Labor Day Festival.

The tourism board had been contemplating new grant guidelines for events — cutting off grant funding after four years and capping one-day events to a maximum grant of $1,500. But they reversed course following backlash from event organizers over the proposed changes.

Not all tourism board members wanted the changes in the first place. Mark Clasby, executive director of the county’s Economic Development Commission and a board member, was among those on the tourism board who raised concerns about the repercussions of cutting funding for existing festivals.

The intent was to free up grant money to boost new, up-and-coming festivals. The watered-down guidelines encourage rather than mandate that “new, qualified events” are given priority status.

Established festivals already have strong sponsorships and attendance, and after receiving TDA money for four years, new events should be better able to support themselves, said Marion Hamel, a member of the board from Maggie Valley.

“We didn’t feel like it would be that big of a hardship,” said Hamel, who helped draft the proposed guidelines.

Hamel said four years of grant funding should be adequate.

“It is going to take three years for any new event to get off the ground,” Hamel said.

But, just because an event is longstanding does not mean it’s profitable or no longer needs grant support. The town of Canton doles out $20,000 for music, portable toilets, stages, tents, clean-up crews and law enforcement at its annual Labor Day Festival.

“Ours is a little over a 100 years now. We are going to get it right,” joked Al Matthews, Canton town manager and a board member.

Many of these events depend on TDA funding to help broaden their promotional efforts beyond Western North Carolina. Organizers said they would not be able to continue attracting larger crowds to the popular annual events without the funding, and the loss could force some perennial favorites to shut down.

“You don’t want to penalize somebody who is successful,” said Kay Miller, executive director of the Haywood County Arts Council, who attended the meeting. Miller said International Festival Day would never be able to advertise in publications, such as Southern Living, if it did not receive TDA money.

Most events are run by nonprofits, which are only allowed to keep a certain amount of money in the bank. Any monies left over go back into the nonprofit or are used to promote the event the following year.

“This would be very devastating to some of us,” said Deborah Reed, a member of the tourism board. Reed is also leader within the Canton merchant’s association FOCUS, a nonprofit that puts on the annual Mater Fest.

Board members agreed that new events should be given a chance but disagreed over whether older events should be excluded from the TDA’s funding pool.

“You don’t want to create funding dependent organizations,” agreed Matthews, who also suggested cutting out the proposed guidelines how much money older events can receive.

About $215,000 of the tourism agency’s funds — a quarter of what is collected from the county’s 4 percent tax on overnight lodging — are earmarked this year for special tourism initiatives. The TDA collects more than $850,000 in revenue each year from the county’s 4-percent lodging tax.

Maggie Valley, Canton, Waynesville, Lake Junaluska and Clyde each keep a portion of the tax revenue they generate. The five areas also have their own committee, which divvies up their share of the tourism agency’s funds.

Ken Stahl, the tourism board’s finance chair, said the committees need to try to achieve a balance between giving new events an opportunity to flourish and supporting the events the county is already known for.

“Our prime directive is to get an increase in tourism,” Stahl said.

Each year, the committees sift through applications and make recommendations to the tourism authority, which has final approval in all funding decisions.

The committees have “a very difficult time sometimes,” Hamel said.

“The best things to do would be to clarify (the guidelines),” Hamel said. “This is what we are suggesting.”

Some board members and event coordinators did not know about the proposed changes until they received a call for comment from The Smoky Mountain News for an article prior to the tourism meeting last week.

“It caught me a little off guard,” said Matthews, who noted that he had not seen the changes to the guidelines until he received the board’s meeting agenda.

Although a tamer version of the proposed guidelines was passed, the board could decide to pass stricter standards in the future.

“This subject comes up every two or three years for discussion,” said Lynn Collins, executive director of the Tourism Development Authority.

Join in holiday caroling and a concert by the strings section of the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra on Dec. 15.

Caroling will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the steps of the Jackson County Public Library Complex in Sylva, which will be lined with luminary bags decorated by children during the course of the fall at the library.

If weather is wet or too cold, carolers will move into the Atrium of the building. All singers and would-be singers in the community are encouraged to participate.

“We would like to make this the start of a tradition in the community,” said organizer Cathy Arps.

The caroling will be followed at 7 p.m. by a concert in the Community Room by the strings section of the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra.

The Civic Orchestra will play several classical and holiday favorites, including the Brook Green Suite, the Corelli Christmas Concerto, the Toy Symphony, and the Carol of the Bells. Children are encouraged to bring a small toy drum, trumpet, or rattle to “help” when the Toy Symphony is played.

828.586.2016.

The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will take place on Dec. 11 in the Community Room on the second floor of the old courthouse in the Jackson County Library Complex in Sylva.

Contra dancing is a form of English country dancing and uses many of the same figures as square dancing such as circles, stars and swings. All dances are done to live music and local musicians are invited to sit in with the band, to jam and learn how to play music for dancing.

Dancing will take place from 2:30-5 p.m., with a potluck dinner following at 5:30 p.m. Bring a covered dish, plate, cup and cutlery and a water bottle.

No previous experience with contra dancing is necessary and all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. No partner is required.

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

Lee Knight, a folklorist and musician, will perform holiday folk music in the community room of the Jackson County Public Library Complex in Sylva at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13.

Knight, a native of the Adirondack Mountains and a long-time resident of Cashiers, has studied the folk cultures of both the Southern Appalachians and the Adirondacks, as well as the Sea Islands off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia.

He refers to his musical style as “musical archaeology” and has developed his repertoire by visiting with local residents and musicians who have kept regional traditions alive.

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

The performance is free and open to the public. 828.586.2016.

The Western Carolina University School of Music will present the Christmas portion of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio “Messiah” at 3 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The performance will feature the WCU Concert Choir and University Chorus in collaboration with the Western Carolina Community Chorus and the Western Carolina Civic Orchestra.

“First performed for a benefit concert in Dublin, Ireland, in 1742, ‘Messiah’ rapidly became a favorite of both the Christmas and Easter seasons,” said Will Peebles, director of the School of Music.

Tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for WCU faculty and staff, and seniors; and $5 for students and children. Tickets will be available at the door. All proceeds will be used for music student scholarships.

828.227.2479.