The Balsam Mountain Inn will have a special dinner at 6 and 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 to provide donations to the Catman2 Spay and Neuter program.

All proceeds from the dinner will defray costs for the shelter and pay for the spay and neuter program for low-income cat owners.

Dinner is $10 if purchased in advance and $15 at the door. Entertainment and cash bar open at 5 p.m. A new video telling the story of the Catman@ shelter will be shown.

For information contact Balsam Mountain Inn at 800.224.9498 or the shelter at 828.293.0892 or visit www.catman2.org.

The Jackson County GOP’s Orville Coward Forum on Public Issues program featuring Retired U.S. Marine Corp Gen. Geoff Higginbotham will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 23, at the Sapphire Resort Community Center in Sapphire.

Gen. Higginbotham’s service in the military spans 33 years and includes tours in Vietnam and Desert Storm and as a commander at every level. He is a Distinguished Service Medal honoree who is now among several U.S. generals who have been asked by the Republican National Committee to appear and be interviewed on national radio talk shows.

“I am among those generals who felt it necessary to educate the public under our nation’s present circumstances,” he said in a recent interview.

In a recent address to the Mountain High Republican Women’s Club, Gen. Higginbotham began his remarks to the group expressing that he could speak to many areas but chose Afghanistan above the others. His speech covered a review of the reasons for the war, a brief summary of the conditions and the culture of Afghanistan, and an explanation of U.S military strategy. In his sidebars to the main subject, Higginbotham described the state of our military forces in general, the Iraq War and the political influences that impact our present military needs.

“Fantasies in Fiber and Fabric,” an exhibition of three-dimensional garments, hats, bags, and one-of-a-kind original dolls by Toni Carroll, will run from Wednesday, Aug. 25, to Saturday, Sept. 18, at Gallery 86 in Waynesville.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There will be a special artist’s reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3, in conjunction with the Waynesville Gallery Association’s Art After Dark event.

Inspired by nature and driven by passion, Toni Carroll’s work in “Fantasies in Fiber and Fabric” are enchanting and astonishingly beautiful. A Jackson, Miss., native currently living in North Carolina and Florida, Carroll shares her zeal of fabrics and design.

www.haywoodarts.org.

Pop-opera performer and 2008 winner of television show “America’s Got Talent,” Neal E. Boyd will open the 2010-11 Galaxy of Stars Series with a performance 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center on the Western Carolina University campus.

Opening the show will be WCU musical theater students, under the direction of program head Bradley Martin, performing selections from “I Love a Piano,” an Irving Berlin revue, and “Seven Deadly Sins,” an exploration of good and evil.

Boyd grew up overweight, biracial and bullied in a single-parent, financially stressed home in rural Missouri. Opera dropped into his life unexpectedly when a school project required his brother to listen to the Three Tenors.

“The moment I heard Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and Jose Carreras, they just blew me away,” said Boyd, also a tenor, who as a youngster already was a fan of popular music.

Boyd performed throughout his childhood, college years at the University of Missouri, where he studied music and graduated in 2001, and beyond. As an adult, he always kept a day job; he was an insurance salesman when he began appearing on “America’s Got Talent,” a reality show on NBC television where contestants compete for a million-dollar prize and a show as the headliner on the Las Vegas Strip.

He released his debut album, “My American Dream” from Decca Records, in 2009, with selections that ranged from popular to show tunes to opera to hymns. In March, Boyd performed for Barack Obama when the president visited Missouri.

This is the sixth season of Galaxy of Stars performances, featuring world-class theater, music and dance staged in the FAPAC and presented by the College of Fine and Performing Arts. The second performance of the season is Friday, Sept. 24, by the Hunt Family, a mother, father and seven children who perform Irish dance and play original, Celtic, bluegrass, inspirational and popular tunes.

Ticket prices for the Boyd performance, sponsored by Holiday Inn Express in Dillsboro, are $25 for adults; $20 for people 60 years and older and WCU faculty and staff; $15 per person for groups of 15 or more; and $5 for students and children. Subscriptions for the entire Galaxy of Stars Series still are available and cost $130 ($40 for students and children).

828.227.2479 or www.wcu.edu/fapac.

Asheville-based mountain and bluegrass group Sons of Ralph will perform a fundraising concert for the Canton Lions Club from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28, at the historic Colonial Theatre in downtown Canton.

The Sons of Ralph play a wide variety of music, including many original songs. Their unique sound, which has been described as “Americana,” incorporates traditional mountain music, bluegrass, country and Western, folk, and classic rock. As a testament to the band’s popularity, readers of The Mountain Xpress have voted The Sons of Ralph “Best Local Band” for eight of the last 10 years, including 2007 and 2008.

All proceeds from the concert go to the Canton Lions Club, an active service organization dedicated to serving the people and community of Canton. As part of its continuing mission to serve, the Canton Lions Club provides college scholarships for deserving high school students, supports community organizations and donates thousands of dollars to local schools and charities. The club also sponsors Canton’s annual Labor Day rides.

$10. Tickets can be picked up (with cash or check made out to the Canton Lions Club) in Canton at Clay Dangerfield’s State Farm Insurance Office at 80 Crossroad Hill next to Ingles or at American Cleaners at 10 Penland St. in downtown. Advanced tickets can be mailed if ordered before Aug. 21.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Canton Lions Club President Patrick Willis at 828.279.6195.

The winner of the Jackson County Green Energy Park 2010 Sculpture Competition is Box of Souls, a contemporary sculpture by artist Bob Doster of Lancaster, S.C.

Selected by an independent jury panel, Doster’s piece is a constructed stainless steel box, cut away to reveal empty space in the shape of numerous geometric and representational figures including the sun and stars, humans and animals.

A winner of the 2007 Southern Arts Federation Award, Doster has had his sculptures displayed throughout the Southeastern United States and around the world. He is an internationally acclaimed sculptor whose unique style of metal art ranges from accent pieces with a whimsical feel to large-scale installed sculptures.

Doster’s commitment to engaging and educating youth was formally recognized in 2006, when he received the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner award for outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts. This award is the highest honor South Carolina bestows on artists.

Box of Souls will be on display at the Green Energy Park through July 2011. Visitors may view the piece year-round during regular park hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. www.jcgep.org.

Thanks to a group of enthusiastic volunteers from the area, a new Patrick Dougherty sapling sculpture has been constructed at The Bascom Art Center in Highlands.

Dougherty constructs outdoor sculptures all over the world and has finished more than 200 major site-specific pieces, but has fashioned only a few in his own home state.

“Do Tell” is a 15-foot-high by 27-foot-wide by 21-feet-deep, sinuous woven stick monumental work of art.

The community is invited to drop by and admire the sculpture’s whirling shape, maze-like interior, and natural features that echo the landscape around it. Walk inside the sculpture, as the cavernous magical interior is part of the experience.

Made up of native hardwood species including maple, beech, birch, elm and hazel tree saplings, the wood sculpture took three weeks, 75 volunteers and over 800 volunteer labor hours to build and install. Four tractor-trailer-truck loads of hardwood tree saplings were collected at neighboring Highlands and Scaly farms.

All in all, more than six tractor-trailer loads of construction material were used in the final creation.

According to Dougherty: “The sculpture’s 15 sides or facets or facades have two eye-like or window openings at the top and mouth-like or door openings at the bottom. On each panel, there is a suggestion of a face. The sculpture’s facets or walls spiral inward. There is mystery in this piece. You cannot see it fully from one vantage point. This is a work of art that you must circle around and enter into in order to discover all of its features. The title ‘Do Tell’ suggests that mystery. ‘Do Tell’ invites the viewer to come closer and have a deeper experience.”

An idea is planted

In the 1980s, current Bascom Director Linda Steigleder saw a twig-works outdoor sculpture by Dougherty at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., and was mesmerized. When Steigleder joined the staff of The Bascom, she introduced the idea of commissioning a work by this artist whose critical acclaim and talent have grown.

Volunteer and local artist Bo Sweeny has worked nearly every available work shift during the entire project.

“I was familiar with Patrick and his work from having seen it previously and was very impressed and I never thought I would have a chance to work with him,” said Sweeny. “This has been a chance of a lifetime.”

Bascom member and an accomplished artist Peggy Wilcox added, “I had seen Patrick’s work and became enchanted with it. I jumped at the opportunity to volunteer.”

Located in a green space next to the art center’s kiln barn, the impressive tree sapling structure is visually prominent from the moment you enter the campus through Oak Street or the art center’s main entrance off Franklin Road, the covered bridge. Dougherty’s sculpture will be on continuous view at The Bascom for at least two years or as long as the structure endures.

About the artist

Dougherty has created hundreds of monumental, site-specific sculptures around the world. His work is constructed from thousands of deciduous tree saplings and sticks gathered from local sources and shaped into massive, swirling forms as high as 40 feet. The artist loves the production phase of his work. “We are all hunters and gatherers,” Dougherty said. “It’s primal.”

In his work, Dougherty combines his carpentry skills with his love for nature. In the 1980s, he made small sculptural works, fashioned in his own North Carolina backyard and quickly moved from pedestal-sized pieces to monumental site-specific installations that require sticks by the truckload.

The Dougherty installation and sculpture, which took three weeks to construct, is made possible through tireless volunteer hours and the support of exhibition sponsors Mary Ann and Knox Massey.

For more information call 828.526.4949 or  www.thebascom.org.

Two hikes along the Bartram Trail in Northern Georgia will celebrate roadless areas in the national forests on Sunday, Aug. 15.

Both hikes, led by Georgia ForestWatch, will climb to the summit of Rabun Bald, the second highest peak in Georgia with spectacular panorama of the Nantahala and Smokies ranges. Georgia poet Laurence Holden will then read some of his new mountain-infused poetry.

The two hiking groups will take alternate routes to the top, one that is 8.5 miles and one that is 3.5 miles.

The first annual Roadless Recreation Week is being celebrated with various wilderness outings in 15 states to highlight the importance of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a hard-fought victory by environmentalists to keep “roadless” areas in national forests “roadless.” It protects 60 million acres from future road building.

Reserve a spot on the hike by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 706.635.8733.

Internships in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park gave not only students but teachers hands-on experience in science this summer. Teachers and students spent their summer in the field with park rangers, conducting environmental research and outreach with park visitors and helping them understand and appreciate the Smokies.

The teachers this summer included Phyllis Kapsalis with Waynesville Middle School, Greg Tucker with Pisgah High School in Canton, and Jane Jenkins, the librarian at Jonathan Valley Elementary. High school interns included students from Robbinsville High, Cherokee High, Swain County High and Tuscola High. Funding for the internships came from Alcoa, Friends of the Smokies, Toyota and two federal grants.

Take your passion for cycling to a new level during the Greater Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Blue Ridge Breakaway. The first annual Blue Ridge Breakaway, presented by MedWest, will take place August 21, 2010. Slated to be an annual cycling event in support of the initiatives of the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, the Blue Ridge Breakaway offers four routes specifically designed for riders of all skill levels.

The event will feature a Century (105 miles), Metric Century (65 miles) and 40-mile and a 24-mile rides. All routes will begin at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center which is conveniently located off of Interstate 40 and Highway 23/74. Riders will explore the mountain valleys near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Pisgah National Forest and the shadow of Cold Mountain. The Century ride will also include 30 miles on the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway with a cumulative elevation gain of 9,600 ft.

“The Blue Ridge Breakaway showcases the best of Haywood County,” said Committee Chairman Ken Howle of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. “Riders will travel from 24 to 105 miles on our scenic roads and have the unique opportunity to also experience Haywood County’s famous mountain hospitality. It will be a fun event for participants and spectators alike.”

Cyclists are encouraged to register by the Early Registration Deadline, Aug. 16 for the opportunity to win a Whitewater Adventure courtesy of the Nantahala Outdoor Center. One lucky registrant will win their choice between a 2-day, all-inclusive whitewater kayaking course, a Cheoah rafting trip for four people or a Chattaooga Section III rafting trip for six people. Riders may pre-register online at www.BlueridgeBreakaway.com.  Additional route descriptions, maps and cue sheets are also available online.

Event sponsored by MedWest Health System, Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, Clif Bar, Insight Marketing, Animal Hospital of Waynesville, WNCW, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Evergreen Packaging, Wells Funeral Home, Keller Williams Realty, Creekside Realty, Waynesville Parks and Recreations, Old Town Bank, Sunburst Trout Company, Champion Supply and the NC Cooperative Extension Service.

A new program in Wilderness Therapy at Southwestern Community College caters to a rapidly-expanding sector in the outdoors job field.

“In the past 10 years wilderness therapy has became a growing field in this area, and that opens up opportunities for employment,” said Paul Wolf , director of the SCC Outdoor Leadership program.

Those who take the program will be equipped to work as a field instructor as a part of a professional outdoors therapeutic team. Coursework leading to the certificate and degree include Introduction to Wilderness Therapy, Wilderness Therapeutic Models, Field Techniques and Primitive Living Skills.  

Wolf said students can also earn national certification as a Wilderness First Responder through SOLO Wilderness Medicine and select a technical specialty in climbing, challenge course,  paddling or expedition skills.

Classes this fall are Introduction to Wilderness Therapy on Mondays from 8 to 11:50 a.m. and Primitive Living Skills on Wednesdays from noon till 4:50 p.m.

Registration runs until Friday, Aug. 13. For more about the course, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 828.488.6413. The admissions office is at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A 35-acre tract of forested land next to the Blue Ridge Parkway on the Haywood-Jackson countyline in Balsam has been protected thanks to work of the Conservation Trust of North Carolina and the help of private donors and land conservation champions, Fred and Alice Stanback.

Ownership of the tract will be transferred to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Mount Lyn Lowry is known for the lighted cross that can be seen at night when driving through Balsam on U.S. 23-74. The tract is near Waterrock Knob around milepost 450 and is highly visible when traveling that section of the Parkway.

“The Mount Lyn Lowry property is small in size, but large in importance to the region’s wildlife habitat and spectacular natural beauty,” said Reid Wilson, director of the Conservation Trust.

Part of Mount Lyn Lowry remains in private hands and is dotted with homes.

In addition to bordering the Parkway, the tract is directly across from The Nature Conservancy’s 1,700-acre Plott Balsams Preserve, which links Waterrock Knob and Sylva’s Pinnacle Park.

Funds for the $200,000 bargain purchase of the tract were provided by Fred and Alice Stanback of Salisbury. The property was brought to Conservation Trust attention by the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee.

Map of tract and photos can be downloaded at ctnc.smugmug.com/News/Richland-Creek-Headwaters.

Whitewater clubs from across the Southeast will have their final showdown for the Canoe Club Cup at the Nantahala Outdoor Center Saturday, August 14.

A downriver race starts at 10 a.m.

Going into the final race of the three-race series, the Atlanta Whitewater Club is slightly ahead of the Carolina Canoe Club in the contest for first place. The winning club gets a Jackson Kayak Villain.

Meanwhile, the slalom course set up between the bridges at Nantahala Outdoor Center is open to anyone for a “first timer friendly” slalom course race. Boaters can go through the course as many times as they want between 4 and 6 p.m. with only their best time counting. Unlike pro races, there are no penalties for hitting a gate, but paddlers must go through each gate in the correct order. NOC will give out prizes such as free gear or gift cards to paddlers with the best time, most runs, etc.

Live music and awards will be at 8 p.m. at The Pourover.

800.232.7238 or www.noc.com/noccom/festivals-a-events/canoe-club-challenge.

Mary J. Messer, author of the newly published Appalachian memoir Moonshiner’s Daughter, will be at Blue Ridge Books at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14.

In the book, Messer wrote about her memories growing up in the Smokies during the ‘40s and ‘50s. 

“It’s not always a comfortable story to read, but it is truly uplifting because she was able to survive and overcome the poverty and abuse that she experienced as a child,” said Allison Best-Teague, co-owner of Blue Ridge Books.  

Messer is donating a portion of the sales of Moonshiner’s Daughter to REACH of Haywood to support their mission of intervention-prevention of domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse.

828.456.6000 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. www.moonshinersdaughter.com.

A special children’s storytime (adults are welcome) devoted to the elk of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

In attendance will be Patty Davis and Esther Blakely, volunteers with the Park’s Bugle Corps that tracks the elk population and educates the public about these animals that were re-introduced to the Smokies. They will bring a wealth of “visual aids” to teach children and adults about the elk.

For more information contact City Lights at 828.586.9499.

By Kirkwood Callahan • Guest Columnist

Haywood County Commissioners on Aug. 16 will conduct a public hearing on a $12 million, 15-year loan request by Haywood Community College. Most of the loan would finance a new creative arts building on the main campus.

Haywood taxpayers would be wise to follow this final chapter in a protracted effort to build a $10.3 million structure whose design symbolizes a faith in green technology. Citizen focus should not only be on the high costs — up to $293 a square foot (* see below), more than double the cost of  replacing a middle school building in the county — but also  the problematic issues the collegiate planners must confront to bring their green aspirations to fruition.

First some background.

In a May 2008 referendum Haywood voters approved a quarter cent sales tax that the sitting county commission had earmarked for capital projects at the college prior to the referendum. Under state law the county is obligated to fund the college’s construction costs. However, state legislators and bureaucrats set construction standards for public colleges that exceed those required of private sector buildings. An example is a 2008 law that requires energy efficiency to exceed code by more than 30 percent. Indoor water consumption efficiency must exceed code by at least 20 percent.    

Every time someone flushes at the ne building, government will be keeping score. Water and energy uses will be verified by metering. (See www.haywood.edu/, click on “About HCC,” click on Creative Arts Building)    

All aspects of the 36,000-square-foot building are affected by the desire to be “green.” A much greater extensive plumbing architecture is required for the reuse of rainwater in lavatories, urinals and sinks, and green technology extends to walls, slabs, roofing, and solar absorption cooling and thermal panels.

I spoke via phone with Mike Nicklas, president of Innovative Design of Raleigh, the building’s architects. Nicklas is an engaging advocate of solar and other green technology. He states that a “life cycle cost analysis” was performed early in the design process. The rainwater re-use systems will have 7 to 8 year pay backs, he says. (see www.innovativedesign.net/ )

Nicklas stakes hopes for great savings on a “solar developer approach” approved recently in a split 6-5 decision by the college’s Board of Trustees. The board also selected FLS Energy for contract negotiations. The objective is to have FLS install and maintain the solar thermal heating/cooling system and photovoltaic cells, one source of the building’s power. FLS as a private entity could receive many state and federal credits for solar energy while leasing the system from the college. The designer says the lease payments can be used to buy the system in seven years. He predicts eventual positive cash flow, energy savings of 69 percent, and substantial upfront reduction in constructions costs. Excess power could be sold to utilities.

But it is the certainty of these high front-end costs with future paybacks dependent upon complex contractual relationships that raises great concerns.   Commissioner Kevin Ensley has been the most vocal critic on the Haywood county board. He has pointed repeatedly to the project’s high construction costs, and voiced his willingness to vote against the loan request.

Similar “green” aspirations for academic buildings are not without their critics elsewhere. Last August the Civitas Review (Civitas Institute of Raleigh) published a strong rebuttal to the building of green schools in the state and nation, including its findings that, “Whatever savings accrue, however, are offset by higher building costs.”  

Though conclusions may vary about the cost benefits of green technology, one reality dominates my analysis. Significant financial uncertainties remain in the case of the proposed HCC building. Good green outcomes can not be guaranteed by yet to be demonstrated contractual relationships. The county would be taking great risks to achieve 69 percent energy savings — 39 percent (** see below) more than that required by state law — with design costs of the proposed building close to $1 million.

There is one contractual relationship that is certain — that between the county and the taxpayers who pay HCC’s construction bills. That relationship is under stress. While the 15-year loan may require most if not all of the quarter cent sales tax proceeds, HCC president Dr. Rose Johnson seeks additional county money for capital improvements.

Those who are eager to spend more on HCC should consider the recession battered Haywood taxpayers. Since the passage of the quarter cent sales tax for the college, the state has increased sales tax another full cent so that Haywood citizens now pay a 8 percent rate on most purchases. The state and nation face dire fiscal problems. County commissioners should say no to the loan request and make certain that future construction planning is guided by clear and certain cost guidelines.

Put the Haywood taxpayer first.

(Kirkwood Callahan is retired and lives in Waynesville. He has taught government and public administration at four southern universities. He may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

* The $293 per square foot calculation is based on total project cost, which includes parking lot construction and demolition of an existing building on the site. It also excludes certain areas of the building that are covered but not heated, such as outdoor kilns, dye and woodworking areas.

** This number includes solar panels, however those are considered optional and are not included in the construction costs. Factoring these out, the building exceeds state standards by 20 percent.

To the Editor:

The standing-room-only Aug. 2 public hearing of the Franklin Town Board of Alderman regarding the development of a Wal-Mart Supercenter was an object lesson in how politics trumps reason at every turn. It’s bad enough when partisan politics and posturing rear their ugly heads in Washington, but when it shows up on our own doorstep, then it’s time for local government officials to take a good hard look in the mirror. Hopefully, they can see their reflection.

If news reports covering the hearing are accurate, what transpired that evening was nothing more than a preordained exercise in folly starting with Mayor Joe Collins condescendingly grabbing a Bible to remind the congregation that their opinions on the subject were irrelevant.

Add to the general silliness the fact that Alderman Bob Scott was forced to recuse himself from the proceedings because he, perish the thought, conducted a survey on the issue to gauge the public’s feelings on the matter. How’s that for a footprint, Mr. Scott?

Then came another big surprise when real estate developer Marty Kimsey, spoke in favor of the project using the hackneyed argument that somehow a Super Wal-Mart will magically help ease the job woes of the local citizenry. Mr. Kimsey’s insinuation that a “bottom line” of economic despair may ensue if the project is rejected was nothing more than fear mongering, a tactic no doubt appreciated by the Wal-Mart developers sitting nearby. Sorry Mr. Kimsey, but the only bottom line in this equation is Wal-Mart’s share price.

But let’s not point fingers at our hard-working aldermen who voted unanimously to approve the special use permit despite a chorus of public opposition during the meeting. Instead, let’s examine some well-established, indisputable facts about the impact Wal-Mart makes on small communities like Franklin.

First, Wal-Mart does not lead to net retail job creation. Second, small businesses are particularly hurt by Wal-Mart’s entry, causing “a substantial reduction in net employment growth at smaller retailers,” according to a 2009 study by the U.S. Census Bureau Center for Economic Studies.

Third, Wal-Mart stores generate a significant amount of traffic congestion. In fact, the average-size Wal-Mart Supercenter will generate nearly 10,000 car trips per day. Fourth, Wal-Mart abandons stores throughout the country. Wal-Mart’s own realty website lists almost 200 abandoned stores. Abandoned stores and vast parking lots are a haven for crime and vandalism.

Franklin government officials have spent hours of taxpayer time trying to figure out how to make this area a “destination location.” Why they foolishly believe a Super Wal-Mart will better enhance Franklin’s appeal for visitors is a mystery. What makes a destination desirable today is focusing on what makes it unique, not what makes it redundant. To use Mayor Collins’ expression, that’s a no-brainer. Too bad it’s a no-brainer he and the Franklin aldermen have failed to embrace.

Carol J. Ramsey

Cowee

To the Editor:

In response to Jim McCarthy’s Aug. 3 letter, “County pay raises gone afoul,” I want to thank him for his diligence into this matter and support him and the Jackson County Citizen Action Group in their request for an investigation to determine if intentional misconduct was carried out by county personnel in implementing raises.

As a former county employee, I was present when the Mercer’s report was implemented. As each of us had spoken to Mercer representatives and had filled out questionnaires, many employees were curious about the results of the report. However, we were not given copies of the Mercer report. 

When county salaries were listed in local newspapers, county employees were shocked by the huge raises that were given at the middle and top of the pay scale. Most employees at the bottom of the pay scale received raises near and even less than they would have received if the previous step raises and cost-of-living raises had been maintained.

I want to believe that our elected commissioners knew nothing about the way the Mercer report was implemented. If it is their belief that the report was used legitimately, then they need to address this matter. 

However, if commissioners suspect the report was twisted to benefit upper management, they need to do something about it. Either way, do something.

Commissioners advocated that the Mercer raises would make county positions more competitive, especially starting salaries. However, the Mercer report stated that mid-point and maximum salaries were already well above the surrounding average and that only minimum salaries needed adjustment.

Those at the bottom of the pay scale work long hours, performing the work that upper management wouldn’t consider doing. They are good people, and making around $20,000 a year, they are living from paycheck to paycheck like most Americans. These employees have no human resources department and a human resources manual that is a joke. Taking advantage of them is wrong — on so many levels.

Deidre Parris,

Sylva

Editor’s note: Margaret Osondu’s bookstore was bought out by a competitor, Blue Ridge Books and News. Osondu remained on staff for a few months after the merger, but the bookstore was sold again and Osondu’s position was eliminated. She now works for Grateful Steps Publishing House in Asheville, which will soon be opening a retail bookstore to compliment the publishing business. Osondu continues to live in Waynesville.

To the Editor:

I want to thank all the staff at The Smoky Mountain News for their support of Osondu Bookseller. I was wise to come to Waynesville to have a book business. I did not know it when I first got here, but I learned quickly.

From the first day people in Haywood County welcomed me. When all the books were falling off the shelves and I could not figure it out, John Gernandt came down and explained what I needed to do. People came and supported Osondu Booksellers by purchasing books and teaching us their interests so we could better provide for our readers.

In Waynesville, I had volunteers working in my store. Imagine a community where a bookstore is important enough for folks to volunteer to help support the shop. Without all of them, we would have been less than who we were. We were a community bookstore not just because of me but also because of the community’s commitment to literature, to authors, and to each other.

It was a fantastic experience and one that I will cherish always. I learned much about books and though I knew I loved books, I had no idea how deep that passion was until I actually was there day in and day out thinking, reading, talking and playing all about books. Bookworld, as I say, is my passion.

Thank you all.

Margaret Osondu

Waynesville

Haywood Community College will offer Medical Office Assistant, Nurse Aide I, and Phlebotomy courses in August through the JobsNOW Program.

Students in the programs can obtain a certificate in less than six months that includes workplace readiness skills and completion of a Career Readiness Certificate.

The Medical Office Assistant certificate will run Aug. 16 to Dec. 14. Graduates qualify for employment in medical and dental offices, hospitals, insurance companies, laboratories, medical supply companies, and other health care related organizations.

The Nurse Aide I course will run Aug. 23 to Dec. 29. The course prepares students to provide care and perform basic nursing skills for the elderly and other adults.

The Phlebotomy course will run Aug. 18 to Oct. 1. The course includes classroom, lab, and clinical practice.

Call Rinda Green 828.565.4243.

Lake Junaluska Assembly will hold its African-American Clergy Health Summit September 27 to 28. Participants will participate in a self-care covenant workshop designed specifically for African-American clergy, which reflects the health summit’s theme, “Wanting to Heal and Be Healed,” John 5: 1-9.

The Self-Care Covenant workshop is an interactive session where attendees can evaluate personal dimensions of health and well-being related to their daily life and work. Each workshop is planned and led by trainers within the annual conferences, and will provide a structured opportunity for individuals to examine their current choices within the areas of mental and emotional health, physical health, social health, and spiritual health.

Early registration open until Aug. 31. www.lakejunaluska.com/health-summit or call 828.454.6656.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina will hold the 1st Annual Smoky Mountain Cabin Raffle to benefit its efforts to recruit, screen, train and support caring adults who want to make a difference in the life of a child.

Tickets are available for purchase until Oct. 7 at www.LogCabinRaffle.org and the grand prize drawing will be held Oct. 14.

The Smoky Mountain Cabin Raffle will include bonus drawings on a one-week stay at a cabin provided by Hidden Creek Cabins, a whitewater rafting trip down the legendary Nantahala River provided by Paddle Inn Rafting. and a $1,000 cash prize drawing.

www.bbbswnc.org  and  www.LogCabinRaffle.org.

Neighbor to Family, a nonprofit aimed at improving foster care by keeping siblings together, is offering free classes to potential foster parents.

Classes will be held at the Neighbor to Family office beginning with an orientation class at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 30 at 256 North Main Street, Waynesville. An orientation class will also be offered at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 in Henderson County, location to be determined. 828.452.0729.

An eight-week grief support group will meet from noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays from Aug. 24 to Oct. 12 in the second floor classroom at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. The group sessions will be facilitated by Dan Yearick, a licensed counselor, and Robin Minick, Western Carolina University counseling graduate student. The sessions are designed for those who has lost a person close to them. Groups are limited to 12 participants. Registration is required. Call 828.452.8811 for details.

Glenville residents are working to preserve the area’s rich history. Woody Hayes is leading a group of community members as they record and transcribe interviews of prominent residents. Residents will be asked for recollections, photos, drawings and other documents.

In 1827, state records show 11 families lived in Glenville with the addition of nine more by 1854. Anyone who has historical information to contribute should contact Woody Haynes at 803.225.0327 or Carol Adams at 828.743.1658.

The 30th Judicial District Domestic Violence-Sexual Assault Alliance is working to end elder abuse by offering training sessions across the far western counties of North Carolina.

Statistics from the National Center for Elder Abuse state that between one and two million Americans 65 or older have been injured, exploited or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care or protection.

In January 2008, Det. Jeff Haynes of the Waynesville Police Department began working on a federal elder abuse grant with Sybil Mann, an assistant district attorney in the 30th Judicial District. Since that time, Haynes and Muse have trained numerous groups, including law enforcement, medical personnel, victim advocate groups and others who wanted to know more about the problem of elder abuse.

Call the 30th Alliance at 828.452.2122 or the Elder Safe Hotline at 866.496.5406 for help.

MedWest Health System invites the community to meet several new physicians who have recently joined the medical staff at its Sylva campus 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 16, in the lobby of Harris Regional Hospital.

A reception for the new physicians at the Clyde campus will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, in the classrooms at Haywood Regional’s fitness center.

The MedWest medical staff consists of 230 physicians practicing at Haywood Regional Medical Center, Harris Regional Hospital, Swain County Hospital and the outpatient medical park in Franklin. The MedWest Physician Network currently owns 13 physician practices and employs 50 physicians.

828.631.8891.

The Haywood Regional Medical Center Foundation will host the 19th Annual Charitable Classic Golf & Gala Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. This year, the fundraiser will include a third golf course and offer two chances to win a new car.

Last year’s Golf & Gala attracted 176 sponsors, 364 golfers, 79 volunteers and 478 Gala participants. It raised $171,000 for the new hospice building and digital mammography equipment.

The ladies’ tournament will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 31, and the men’s Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The Gala celebration, featuring The Reality Show Band, will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa.

Individual golf slots, which include one gala ticket, are $150. Individual gala tickets $50. Register by Aug. 17. 828.452.8343 or www.haymed.org.

The Buy Haywood Project is bringing farmers and chefs from Haywood County and surrounding counties together for the third in a series of meetings aimed at connecting local farmers and chefs. The meeting, which will feature a panel of local and regional food distributors, who each play a critical role in collecting local farm products and delivering them to local restaurants, will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 16, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

The Buy Haywood project receives support from the Golden LEAF Foundation and is managed by the Haywood County Economic Development Commission.

Register by Aug. 13. For info, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.683.5560.

The Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and its Board of Directors is offering area physicians, active and retired, the opportunity to attend a continuing educational seminar beginning 8 a.m. Aug. 13 at the Jane Woodruff Clinic, Suite 103. The seminar will focus on “Advances in Cardiology” and “Evolving Treatments of Breast Cancer.”  

On the agenda for the seminar is Dr. Byron Williams, Jr., Chief of Medicine at Emory University Hospital, who will discuss the latest information involving advances in Cardiology and Dr. Edward Copeland, Retired Chief of Surgery at the University of Florida, will discuss evolving treatments of breast cancer.

RSVP to 828.526.1434.

Harris Medical Park, the newly-constructed medical office building adjacent to Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, is now open, providing patients with outpatient care and lab services.

The three-story, 45,000 sq. ft. medical office building is home to Sylva Medical Center, WNC Pediatric & Adolescent Care, and Mountain Valley Surgery, which have welcomed a total of five new physicians, one physician assistant and two nurse practitioners to their practices in the last two years. Harris Regional Hospital’s outpatient lab has also relocated to the new building.

Harris Medical Park was developed by Colony Development Partners on land owned by the hospital and its space is leased to the tenants. The building includes technological innovations, including a fiberoptic network for voice and data communications and wireless Internet.

In addition to its cutting edge features, the walls of Harris Medical Park serve as gallery space to local artists. The Jackson County Visual Arts Association, partially funded by the Jackson County Arts Council and the N.C. Arts Council, has provided art for the building.

When the Bryson City and Sylva ABC boards hammered out a profit-sharing agreement for liquor orders from Harrah’s Casino, there was widespread speculation the new revenue source would bring in big money.

But the reality, so far, has been different.

“It’s not doing anywhere near what people thought it was going to do,” said Bryson City ABC store manager David Maynard.

The Bryson City store does the ordering and records the revenue on its books, then passes along a share of profits to the Sylva ABC board since the Cherokee reservation lies in both Swain and Jackson.

Harrah’s Cherokee opened its first full service bar in May, placing a start-up order with the ABC store that bumped its monthly sales numbers up 50 percent from the year before.

But since then, mixed beverages sales to the casino have averaged between $6,000 and $8,000 per week.

“That sounds like a lot of money, but the state takes a good chunk of it. We thought it was going to be a whole lot more money as far as sales. I think everybody did,” said Maynard.

With the state, the Sylva ABC board, and the tribe all involved in the formula of alcohol sales to the casino, sales don’t exactly turn directly into profit.

“It has help us make an increase from last year as far as sales, but it hasn’t helped out the profits yet,” Maynard said.

By the numbers

A spike in the volume of liquor passing through the Bryson City ABC store is a direct reflection on the bottles of booze headed for Harrah’s Casino since alcohol was legalized there.

May 2010

Walk-in customers    $124,192

Sales to retail outlets    $91,857

Total Sales    $216,049

May 2009

Walk-in customers    $129,134

Sales to retail outlets    $11,965

Total Sales    $141,099

The Sawmill Creek Porch Band will reunite for a free performance at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 12, on the front lawn of the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Sawmill Creek Porch Band was one of the mainstay bluegrass bands in Bryson City until its breakup in 2008. Larry Barnett (banjo, fiddle and vocals), Bradley Adams (mandolin and vocals) and Aaron Plantenberg (guitar and vocals) played together as Sawmill Creek Porch Band, recording two CDs and playing area venues constantly for almost a decade.

The concert is part of a summer series of music at the library. The Friends of the Marianna Black Library will provide refreshments.

828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

The New North Carolina Ramblers will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center. The New North Carolina Ramblers perform old-time string music in the fashion of the original North Carolina Ramblers formed in the 1920s.

The concert is part of “An Appalachian Evening,” which includes a traditional Appalachian dinner and bluegrass, folk, or old-time music every Saturday evening through Aug. 28. The remaining shows are the Jeff Little Trio on Aug. 21 and the Farewell Drifters on Aug. 28. Dinners are served family-style in two seatings at 5 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. Reservations required. Tickets can be purchased at the Stecoah Gallery, by calling 828.479.3364, or at www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

Soprano Lisa Odom and pianist Fabio Parrini will perform at the annual Classics and Chocolate concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, at the Performing Arts Center, 250 Pigeon Street in Waynesville. The annual concert pairs the highest quality live musical performance with a sumptuous all-chocolate reception.

The duo will include favorite Gershwin songs like “Summertime,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” as well as solo piano featuring Gershwin “Preludes,” plus much more.

For a sneak preview of the concert, listen to Lisa Odom and Fabio Parrini on WCQS Radio with host Dick Kowal at 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13.

Concert tickets are $15 per person with a limited number of free student tickets available.

www.haywoodarts.org.

Three of country music’s fastest rising stars are performing on Thursday, Aug 26, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort Event Center to raise funds for the Development Foundation of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

Performances by Jason Michael Carroll, Josh Thompson and Lee Brice will begin at 9 p.m. with doors opening at 8:30 p.m. All three have had songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart.

Singer/songwriter Jason Michael Carroll’s 2009 album, “Growing Up Is Getting Old,” holds the hit single, “Hurry Home,” still in regular play. Carroll’s first album, “Waitin’ In the Country” went straight to number one with fan favorites like “Alyssa Lies” and “Livin’ Our Love Song.”

Josh Thompson’s debut album, “Way Out Here,” started climbing the charts as soon as it was released in February. The title track became an immediate hit, joining his 2009 single, “Beer on the Table,” on the Billboard charts.

The latest single from Lee Brice and the title track to his CD, “Love Like Crazy,” is in regular play and has hit the top ten. Brice shares writing credits with the likes of Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw.

Joyce Dugan, director of education for the Cherokee Central School System and a current board member of NCCAT’s Development Foundation, said the concert will benefit one of the region’s greatest assets for teacher education and development.

“NCCAT does so much to keep our teachers at their peak, so they in turn can help our students reach theirs,” said Dugan.

In addition to the concert, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel employees are collecting school supplies and cash gifts for the Development Foundation of NCCAT, which will distribute the supplies to public schools in western North Carolina.

Concertgoers should print out their tickets because there will be drawings for door prizes throughout the evening.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available: 828.293.5202 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To learn more, visit www.nccat.org/benefitconcert.

Tickers are $9.99 plus a convenience fee, and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Ages 21 and over only. Parking is free in the Casino Parking Garage or main parking lot. Shuttle service will be provided from the lot.

Patrons and visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the woodcarving artistry of intarsia at a program to be held at the Jackson County Public Library. Lebern Dills, an experienced intarsia artist and resident of Cullowhee, will show some of his work and share his techniques at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17.

Dills uses patterns to carve and all of his pieces are hand-finished without using power tools.

Intarsia is a woodworking technique that uses varied shapes, sizes and species of wood that are fitted together to create a 3-dimensional, mosaic-like picture.

Intarsia is created through the selection of different types of wood, using their natural grain pattern and color to create variations in the pattern. After selecting the specific woods to be used within the pattern, each piece of wood is then individually cut, shaped, and sanded. Once the individual pieces are finished, they are fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and glued to a piece of wood backing.

Intarsia dates back to the 17th century and has its European origins in crafted rocks and stones.

The program is free to the public.

828.586.2016.

Join Mary O’Shannon of Spiritsong as she shares how to tap into the beneficial energies of the planets during “Connecting with Your Celestial Guides: Your Allies in These Times of Change!” at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13, at The Creative Thought Center in Waynesville.

Spiritsong is an intuitive astrologer, healing facilitator, musician and metaphysical minister living in Asheville.

Join Spiritsong for a fun and interactive evening, filled with a lot of spirit and a bit of song.  

Bring your individual natal chart or email Mary your name and birth information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ahead of time and she will bring a birth chart for you.

The program is part of the People of Wisdom series at The Creative Thought Center. A $10 love offering is suggested but no one will be turned away.  

For reservations, 828.456.9697 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Volkswagen devotees make their way to Cherokee, Aug. 13 - 15 for the second annual VW Show at the Cherokee Event Center on Aquoni Road. Volkswagens of all makes and models will be on display, and all registered vehicles are eligible to win cash prizes and may compete for Best of Show in the best van, best car, best three wheeler and best dune buggy as well as a People’s Choice categories. Deal of Asheville, Asheville’s area Volkswagen dealer, will be on hand all weekend to demo Volkswagen’s latest offerings, answer questions, and share in some vintage VW tales.

“This year we’re asking all participants to bring a daisy or two to the VW Show. We will collect the daisies, make an obviously enormous bouquet and deliver it to Ambassador Said T. Jawad of the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C. as a symbol to encourage peace among all people of the world,” said Mary Jane Ferguson, director of marketing for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Members of Cherokee’s Travel and Promotion Department will collect the flowers at the Cherokee Event Center throughout the weekend, preserve them and prepare the bouquet for shipping to Washington D.C.

Gates open Fri., Aug. 13 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to noon, with the awards program at 11 a.m. Vehicle registration is $10 and includes two free passes to the show. All registered vehicles are eligible to participate in the cash drawings on Saturday and Best in Show competition on Sunday. General admission is $5 daily. Vendors are welcome, and may register for a 10 x 20 space for $50. More information and registration forms are available online at www.cherokee-nc.com/vw.

The all-male Land of the Sky Chorus will sing classics in “Schtick to Singing,” a concert held 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 15, in Tartan Hall at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Franklin.

With more than thirty members, Land of Sky sings lively a cappella renditions of old-time and contemporary favorites in four-part harmony. The upcoming program features hits like “Make ‘em Laugh,” “It’s Only A Paper Moon,” “That’s An Irish Lullaby,” and “Somewhere” from “West Side Story,” with costumes and props to enliven the show, and a heavy sprinkling of rib-tickling humor. Complimentary ice cream sundaes will be served.

Land of the Sky Chorus is a chapter of SPEBSQSA, Inc., one of about 800 society chapters in North America. The chorus is based in Asheville and has performed for audiences throughout the region and beyond.

Suggested donation is $5. Doors open at 2:30.

This program is sponsored by the Arts Council of Macon County. 828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

The Highlands Cashiers Players’ production “Dearly Departed” runs Aug. 19 through 22 and Aug. 27 through 29 with two performances scheduled for Sunday Aug. 29 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. All evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., the matinees at 2:30 p.m.

“Dearly Departed” follows the tribulations of the Turpin family as they prepare for the funeral of the Daddy Bud. The large cast includes eight family members and seven other colorful Southern characters. Add to that the eight Joy of Life Singers, who will perform during the preacher’s radio broadcast and sing a medley of old fashioned hymns before the play begins.

The group will be accompanied on keyboard by Tom Wyse, who has also agreed to play the part of Merline, the irascible pianist for Depew’s Funeral home where Daddy Bud is resting in peace.

All these characters add up to a hilarious comedy and the actors playing the Turpin family and friends are uniquely suited to their roles, according to director Virginia Talbot. “You wouldn’t think the subject of a funeral would be funny,” says Talbot, “But the laughs are almost continuous as these all-too-human characters struggle with their problems and relationships. Some may even remind you of some of your own family members.”

“Dearly Departed” is the first play of HCP’s sixteenth season. This production marks the third time the Players have produced the popular comedy.

The other three plays coming up are “Life With Father,” in October, “You Know I Can’t Hear You When The Water’s Running” in February, and “Leading Ladies” in May.

Season subscriptions are now on sale at a cost of $65, a fifteen dollars savings over the per ticket price of $20.

“Dearly Departed” is sponsored in part by Building Technology Services of Highlands and Cashiers.

Call 828.526.8084 starting Aug. 12 and 13 for season subscribers, Aug. 14 for individual tickets.

Tired of heating up your kitchen this hot summer? The Stecoah Valley Food Ventures Kitchen is offering a cooking class from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14 focusing on cool recipes to break the heat. 

Participants will make and eat cantaloupe soup, vichyssoise (fancy name for cold potato soup), and gazpacho. Other recipes will be used to teach new variations on classic favorites such as cucumber sandwiches, potato, and pasta salad. The cost of the workshop is $55 and includes all supplies and a lunch that you prepare along with instructor, Darryl Talley. The class requires pre-registration by calling the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center at 828.479.3364.

The Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center is a non-profit corporation that serves the people of Stecoah and Graham County through programs and services that benefit all members of the community, by preserving and promoting the Southern Appalachian mountain culture and through the restoration of the historic old Stecoah School to its original role as the center of the community.

Expect mouth-watering BBQ accompanied by great mountain music at the 2nd Annual Mountain High BBQ & Music Festival, where the bluegrass band Rye Holler Boys will perform. The festival runs 10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13, and 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Macon County Fair Grounds. www.mountainhighbbqfestival.com.

Balsam Range will play Sylva’s Concerts on the Creek Friday, Aug. 13.

The free concert takes place from 7-9 p.m. at the pavilion in the Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

Balsam Range has produced two CDs, Marching Home (2007) and Last Train to Kitty Hawk (2009). This year the band has performed at Merlefest in April and the Country Music Awards Festival in Nashville in June. The band has also played bluegrass festivals in Dillard, Ga., Naperville, Ill., and Kodak, Tenn. Most recently, they performed at Asheville’s Bele Chere Festival.

The band is comprised of Marc Pruett on banjo, Caleb Smith on guitar, Darren Nicholson on mandolin, Tim Surrett on bass and Buddy Melton on fiddle.

Concerts on the Creek are co-produced by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Jackson Country Travel & Tourism, Downtown Sylva Association, Jackson County Parks & Recreation, and the Town of Sylva.

For information about the concerts call 800.962.1911, or go to: www.mountainlovers.com.

Balsam Range plays benefit for HART

Balsam Range will play live at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, at a special benefit concert at Eaglenest Entertainment in Maggie Valley.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre and the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton House.

Tickets are $15 general admission and can be purchased on line at www.harttheatre.com or at Eaglenest on Soco Road in Maggie Valley.

The Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild will present its 2010 quilt show, “Quilting New Trails” Aug. 19-21 at the Community Facilities building in Franklin.

Established in 1983, the guild is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to stimulate an intelligent interest in the art of quilting in the community and to provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas, instruction and the presentation of pertinent information among members of the guild.

Every two years the guild sponsors a quilt show featuring local and national quilts, judged by an NQA (National Quilter’s Association ) accredited judge. There will be cash prizes and ribbons awarded. There is a silent auction featuring small wall hangings made by members of the guild, vendors booths, a Member’s Boutique where items made by guild members can be bought, and raffle tickets for the guild’s scholarship fund.

The dates are Aug. 19, 20, and 21. Thursday and Friday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per day or $10 unlimited access. For more information call 828.369.2125 or visit www.smokymtnquilters.org.

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia is producing its “Traditional Heritage Walk” at Gateway Flea Market in Whittier from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14.

With their mission of “keeping heritage” alive, the local nonprofit is presenting vendors who will be demonstrating their crafts, sharing their knowledge with those who come to this third annual Heritage Day.

“We’re going to have a great time,” says Gail Stillwell Cooper, owner of the Shops at Gateway. “My regular dealers here in the market are joining in the fun, wearing heritage clothing, demonstrating and showcasing their wares. They are as excited as I am about the upcoming festive celebration for Gateway. With Catch the Spirit of Appalachia here with their demonstrators, it makes all of us want to pull up a chair, do a little whittling and tell our heritage stories.”

Among the demonstrators this year are the Ammons siblings, David F. Ammons and Doreyl Ammons Cain. David will be demonstrating chair caning. His skill with weaving strips of cane and white oak was learned at the foot of his grandfather, Tom Ammons from Cullowhee Mountain, and practiced for 30 years. Doreyl, an artist who once had her artwork tour with the Smithsonian, will share a mural demonstration entitled “Cakewalk,” and selling limited edition prints.  

Nan and Ron Smith  will be among those in attendance. Nan will be demonstrating crocheting, while husband Ron will have his guitar, sharing his music with all. There will be a book booth where local authors will be autographing and selling their books. Other crafters will be sell handmade wooden birdhouses, pottery, and more.

Call 828.497.9664 more information.

Craving information about a family heirloom or a quilt purchased at a flea market or antique shop? A Bed Turning event will help solve those mysteries.

It will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, at the Historic Shelton House Barn behind the museum. The event is part of a continuing series of educational and entertaining events scheduled for 2010 to commemorate the 30th year merger of the North Carolina Handicrafts Museum with the Historic Shelton House in Waynesville.

In bed turning, woven and quilted bed covers are placed on a bed or table and turned, front and back, to determine various aspects of the piece’s history. Quilt and coverlet specialist Suzanne McDowell will oversee the evaluation of 20 quilts and/or coverlets while simultaneously instructing participants and observers about the quilting or weaving style, design, category, materials, dyes, age, location of origin, and unique qualities about each quilt and coverlet.

Last year’s event involved 20 bed coverlets and quilts and proved to be popular with observers as well as those desiring detailed information about their own particular piece of handiwork.

For example, McDowell determined that Jackie Spenser’s quilt, a variation of the Lone Star pattern, was created in the late 1800s and was made using Turkey red dye, with accompanying green on white.

828.452.1551 to reserve a space. $10 for one quilt/coverlet and $15 for 2. Observers may enter for free.

Country music recording artist Matt Stillwell returns for the third annual Shinefest Friday, Aug. 13, through Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Fontana Village Resort. The event features live concerts on both Friday and Saturday evening with a lake party at Fontana Marina on Saturday afternoon.

Stillwell will be accompanied by other Nashville recording artists and friends including Lynn Hutton, Mickey Jack Cones, Lance Stinson, David Borne, Jason Sellers, Rachel Farley, Ira Dean and Lauren Briant.

The My Highway band from Robbinsville opens the Friday night performance at 6 p.m. with Stillwell and friends taking the stage at 8 p.m. The Saturday afternoon lake party at Fontana Marina begins at noon with Lance Stinson, David Borne and Matt Stillwell performing.

The Saturday night concert begins with performances by Big House Radio at 7 p.m., Rachel Farley, Lauren Briant and Ira Dean at 8 p.m. and Hoss Howard at 9 p.m. Matt Stillwell will take the stage at 10 p.m.

For more information or tickets call 828.498.2211 or 800.849.2258.

Too hot to road bike? Why not try a spinning class.

While pedaling a stationary bike might not sound like the most exciting workout, the instructor in a spinning class leads the group through various drills and visualizations on the cycle.

The instructor may call out, “you are climbing a long hill and you are almost at the top!” Participants are asked to vary their pace, sometimes pedaling as fast as they can, other times cranking up the tension and pedaling from a standing position, said Kyle Smith, fitness coordinator at the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center.

“Spinning is an excellent exercise class for a number of reasons. Spinning burns serious calories, sometimes as many as 450 calories in a 45-minute class,” Smith said. “It is also a wonderful cardiovascular workout. You can really feel you heart working.”

The tension knob of each bike can be adjusted individually, allowing the beginner to keep up with more advanced cyclists by toning it down a few notches, or the pros to get a better workout by cranking it up.

Due to the popularity of spinning, Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center has added 15 state-of-the-art spin bikes that displays RPMs, resistance, distance and heart rate.

• The Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center offers spin classes 828.452.8097.

• The Jackson County Fitness Center in Cullowhee holds spinning classes at 4:!5 p.m. Tuesdays, 5:45 p.m. Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. Fridays 828.293.3053 or rec.jacksonnc.org.

• The Franklin Health and Fitness Center holds spin classes at Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m. and Friday at 5:30 p.m. 828.369.5608.