Admin
To the Editor:
The patronage politics of roads, money, power, and ethics in North Carolina is a strange creature. Individual North Carolina Department of Transportation board members may not receive direct compensation (nor anyone related to them to the first degree) for a road-building project in their districts; yet that is not the whole story.
Every four years the DOT board members are re-appointed (or not) to their districts by the governor. Often, these re-appointed board members have given thousands of dollars to gubernatorial candidates’ campaigns. These DOT commissioners have given money, not necessarily out of their own pockets but through many $100, $200, and $300 contributions that the individual board members receives from other constituents (private citizens, paving companies, architectural firms, etc.). This is called “bundling.”
Many of these smaller (some not so small) contributors do have a stake in the board member’s re-appointment because of either jobs they hold with the DOT or companies who are regular contractors with the DOT. They consequently are dependent upon the DOT board being able to “fast track” certain projects and to informally steer certain projects to these contributors.
Of course the governor has a hand in all this — larger now since Gov. Beverly Perdue centralized more DOT/roads decision-making power in Raleigh back in 2009. Power and perquisites always flow from the governor’s mansion to campaign contributors — always.
Do the Southwestern Community College campuses in Jackson and Macon counties need these multi-million dollar “driveways,” as Jackson County Commission Chairman Jack Debnam calls them, complete with expensive overpasses that only allow for limited on/off access to major roads? No. More economical road designs are possible.
It is not “for the children” — it never has been and never will be. Yet because of the political patronage (jobs, money and power) at stake, these projects will probably get built. Under the state’s ethics statutes, is it legal? Yes. Is it truly ethical? No. But who cares? It is only yours and my money. And money is always the bottom line.
Carl Iobst
Cullowhee
To the Editor:
It is with astonishment that I have been following the flurry of recent articles in the newspapers detailing Jackson County commissioner chair Jack Debnam’s one-man crusade against building an access road on the Southwestern Community College campus.
Mr. Debnam is new to county government, but should he be reminded that his first duty is to serve and represent ALL the constituents of Jackson County, and this includes SCC? For more than 40 years the college has provided a valuable educational opportunity to the people in Jackson County and the surrounding area. As both an educational institution and one of the largest employers in the county, the college has had a positive impact on many lives.
Several weeks ago in an informal discussion regarding safety issues on the SCC campus, Mr. Debnam made a statement to me that, “If a disaster happens at SCC, you folks could just run through the woods.” What a callous and hurtful statement from someone elected (and paid) to serve all the people of Jackson County, including those who because of various handicaps or infirmities cannot “run through the woods.”
For the past 15 years I have been responsible for taking and transcribing the minutes at SCC Board of Trustee meetings. I can assure you that safety has been the primary concern with the connector/loop road and has been discussed frequently. The primary purpose of the minutes is to record actions and resolutions, not a word-by-word narrative discussion. Narrative is used only for clarification purposes. Safety was not mentioned because it is such an integral part of the road that I did not feel it necessary to include in the record.
The road is also not a recent concern for Southwestern. The need for an additional access road on the Jackson campus has been an issue for most of my 33 years at the college. In 1994 (17 years ago), the college officially made it part of its master plan, citing safety concerns. It was also detailed in subsequent college planning documents and correspondence.
One cannot help but wonder — what are Mr. Debnam’s true motivations? Is there a personal vendetta involved here? Is he using his position as an elected official to represent other interests besides those of the taxpayers of Jackson County? Perhaps these are some of the questions that should be asked.
My feelings about this one-man crusade against a community college whose only purpose is to serve and educate the community — well, to borrow a quote from Mr. Debnam, “This stinks so bad, I can hardly stay in the room.”
Sharon Grasty
Waynesville
To the Editor,
We North Carolinians are very fortunate people. Our Republican majority state legislature had the courage to make the necessary cuts in the state budget to close a $2.5 billion deficit. By reducing spending by more than $1 billion, North Carolina’s government will live within its means, preventing the bankruptcy that threatened our state and continues to threaten our nation and states and counties throughout the country.
However, ever since the budget debate began and the legislature overrode Gov. Beverly Perdue’s veto, numerous naysayers have been critical of the spending cuts, but especially those in education. You would think that the education budget was reduced to $0!
What is actually true is that the legislature trimmed bloated areas in education in favor of increasing funding for K-12 programs. The budget fully funds classroom teachers and teaching assistants, makes important education reforms, while also protecting other core state services. The education reforms will lower class sizes by hiring 1,100 additional teachers, pay teachers based on merit, and ensure students can read.
A bill to eliminate the charter school cap was signed into law. North Carolina parents will soon have more choice and control over their children’s education. Presently there are only 99 public charter schools in North Carolina — not enough to meet the needs of about 20,000 students on a waiting list. Finally, North Carolina families will start getting the public education choices they deserve.
Money from the federal government, states and counties has poured into education for years. What do we have to show for it? A high level of school dropouts, middle and even high school children who cannot read, students who must take remedial courses in college before they are able to handle college level material, disgraceful disciplinary behavior in classrooms including teachers molesting students, and subject matter that includes time spent educating students on condom use.
I read these statistics from a writer who lamented that “in 1954 the U.S was No. 1 in the world in elementary school enrollment, math and science and college graduates. Today we are 19th in science, 24th in math, 79th in elementary school enrollment and 12th in the world in the number of college graduates.” That record tells me that just throwing more money at education does not work!
Thank you, North Carolina General Assembly, not only for reforming education but for reducing spending, cutting taxes for job-creating private small business and for taxpayers, reforming costly medical malpractice laws and for finding a reasonable solution to our state’s financial woes. Your efforts have provided us with more school choice, the potential for job creation, lower medical costs and the opportunity to keep our money in our pockets.
Carol Adams
Glenville
You’ve probably seen the ads. Some famous face sports a white “milk mustache” and encourages you to drink more milk. Everyone from Shaquille O’Neal to Taylor Swift to Martha Stewart.
Celebrity endorsements might be enough to convince some people to add more dairy to their diet, but I’m guessing it took a lot more than that to get Harvard University thinking about cows. They didn’t settle for a glass or even a whole gallon. They recently bought a 6,000-head dairy operation in New Zealand for their $27 billion endowment fund.
As much as I love milk — on cereal, with dinner, and before bed, I have to wonder what Harvard was thinking. I’ve worked with several dairy farmers in Georgia and North Carolina. I’ve met a lot of hard-working people. I haven’t seen excessive wealth.
If running a dairy was really lucrative, more people would be doing it. The reality is quite the opposite, especially here in Western North Carolina, where the number of dairies has plummeted. In Haywood County, for instance, the number of dairies has dropped from 43 in 1992 to just nine today.
When I was growing up, they put pictures of missing children on the panels of the milk cartons. One friend half-joked to me that they should revive that practice, but use a picture of a dairy farmer to go with the old question “Have you seen me?”
It’s those same declines that make me want to invest in dairies, though not in the same way that Harvard has. Western North Carolina is still home to 70 dairy farms with around 5,000 dairy cattle yielding more than $19 million in annual cash receipts. That’s a lot of milk. It’s also a lot of jobs and a whole lot of land, including pastures, corn fields, and hay fields. In total, these dairy farms help maintain thousands of acres of land. These fields also provide wildlife habitat, help absorb heavy rains and floodwaters, and enhance the scenic views that draw millions of tourists to our mountains. In short, when dairies do well, we can all benefit.
Investing in these dairies isn’t easy, but we can all start by buying more milk and ice cream and other dairy products. Finding local milk can be a challenge, though. We’ve made great strides lately in labeling the origins of our produce, but most dairy products have not followed suit. Many local store brands do in fact contain milk from local dairies, but the labels rarely boast the fact. Other brands may have milk from Pennsylvania, California, or elsewhere. Maybe if enough people start asking, we will soon be able to identify — and buy — milk exclusively sourced from Appalachian dairies.
Until then, please go ahead and pour yourself a tall, cold, white one — every day if you can. Your actions will still help increase the demand for milk, and that will help dairy farmers and dairy farms all over. It doesn’t take someone from Harvard to see the value in that.
(George Ivey is a Haywood County-based consultant and author of the novel Up River. Contact him at www.georgeivey.com.)
For the second time in as many months, strong winds ripped part of the roof off the school library, known as the media center, at Smoky Mountain High School in Jackson County.
Repairs are estimated at more than $700,000, Associate Superintendent Steve Jones said this week. The school’s insurance policy through the Department of Public Instruction is expected to cover the costs.
In April, winds during a strong storm lifted one section of the three-sectioned roof, damaging books in the nonfiction area. That part of the roof was temporarily repaired, Jones said, and the flooring replaced. The “temporary” portion of the roof hung in there during the second big storm earlier this month, remaining intact.
However, another section — in the middle this time — pulled loose, and water dumped in on 12 computers and the fiction selection, Jones said. The new flooring has to be replaced, too.
A structural engineer has evaluated the building, and determined it is safe, Jones said. The first storm most likely damaged the overall integrity of the media center’s roof, which is why the second storm ripped off yet another section.
The roof was built in 1963.
“Those were unusually strong winds,” Jones said. “It was just the luck of the draw.”
Repairs are scheduled to start soon.
— By Quintin Ellison
Public health officials have reported that a child in Macon County has contracted LaCrosse Viral Encephalitis, a potentially serious illness carried and transmitted by mosquitoes.
While other mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus are found across the state, LaCrosse is largely confined to Western North Carolina. The disease is rarely fatal, but a Transylvania County girl died as a result of infection in 2001. And in 2009, a child in Cherokee died, adding new emphasis to health officials’ efforts to warn people about the potential dangers of LaCrosse.
There were 13 confirmed and potential cases identified in WNC in 2010.
Cherokee, in particular the Big Cove community, and Black Mountain — for unknown reasons — are recognized in the medical community as hotspots for the illness, said Dr. Penny O’Neill, a pediatrician with Sylva Pediatric Associates. But, as the case in Macon County shows, the dangers exist anywhere in the region.
The big month for outbreaks is usually August, but with one in WNC already identified, “we’ll go from now until the first killing frost” with outbreaks of LaCrosse, O’Neill said.
Stan Polanski, physician’s assistant for Macon County Public Health, said the child with LaCrosse is recovering. The last diagnosed case in Macon County was more than five years ago, he said.
Regionally, about 20 cases are reported each year.
“For every case we confirm, there are probably 20 to 50 unrecognized cases,” Polanski said.
In Cherokee, public health officials have crafted a two-part response to the problem.
On one side, they’ve long been educating parents, kids and the community at large on how to prevent mosquito’s and eliminate standing water that serves as breeding grounds.
“We’ve done mitigation in the community with everything from actually going out and doing community assessments to emptying stale water containers,” said Vickie Bradley, deputy health officer for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Last year, the tribe also started a program in concert with Cherokee Indian Hospital to support families that are struggling with the long-road to recovery from an encephalitis infection. Dr. Anna Eastman, a consultant from the United Kingdom where there is an established post-infection support program, has come to Cherokee to train tribal health workers.
The danger posed by encephalitis is greatest for babies, O’Neill said, because they can have potentially devastating neurological issues. The intensity of the illnesses seem to vary from year to year, she said, but emphasized there is one important step people can take: Use DEET.
O’Neill said parents often express concerns about the mosquito repellent, but “the danger from DEET is potential — the danger from encephalitis is real.”
The object, the pediatrician said, is to eliminate mosquito bites, not just reduce the number received.
By Quintin Ellison and Colby Dunn • Staff writers
LaCrosse Viral Encephalitis
Symptoms occur from a few days to a couple of weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito. These symptoms include fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. In more severe cases, convulsions, tremors and coma can occur. Children under 16 years of age and the elderly are the most susceptible to the disease.
To reduce mosquito breeding areas:
• Remove any containers that can hold water.
• Keep gutters clean and in good repair.
• Repair leaky outdoor faucets and change the water in birdbaths and pet bowls at least twice a week.
• Use screened windows and doors and make sure screens fit tightly and are not torn.
• Keep tight-fitting screens or lids on rain barrels.
Haywood Habitat for Humanity is holding an open enrollment through July for prospective new-home partner families.
Applicants interested in purchasing a Habitat house must meet the following criteria: resident of Haywood County, income of $20,400 to $30,120 and a good credit history, housing need, and willingness to pu in 400 hours of labor/time.
838.452.7960 or www.haywoodhabitat.org
A program exploring the history of Lake Juanluska and its influence on Haywood County will be held at 9:30 a.m. on July 11 at the Bethea Welcome Center.
The Junaluska Woman’s Club will host the talk by Ernestine Upchurch called “Remembering Haywood People, Places, and Connections in Lake Junaluska Season.”
One of the many stories that Ernestine will share is the tale of a skydiver who jumped out of a plane over Lake Junaluska as church services dismissed one Sunday. He was able to escape from the prank undetected in a rowboat, but there was a chase. She will also speak about growing up in Haywood County. 828.454.9474
The Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company has awarded a $500 scholarship to Candace Erin Ridley, a Smoky Mountain High School graduate whose father works at Jackson Paper.
This fall, Ridley will enter Southwestern Community College, where she is enrolled in the physical therapist assistant program. Jackson Paper has been awarding college scholarships annually to the children of its employees since 1992. Recipients are selected based on their grade point average, letters of recommendation, and school and community activities and honors.
Smoky Mountain OB/GYN will hold a patient appreciation day from 1 until 4 p.m. Saturday, July 9.
All past, present and future patients are encouraged to attend. There will be a magician, face painting, watermelon, a cakewalk, balloons and refreshments. Attendees will also have a chance to meet the new nurse midwives, Melanie Emery, CNM and Anne Karner, CNM, and visit with existing providers, Dr. Janine Keever, Dr. Anton Van Duuren, Ellen Howard, CNM, and Betsy Swift, CNM.
828.631.1960.
The Jackson County Public Library will hold a “yard sale” on Saturday, July 9, from 8 a.m. until noon inside the old library.
Items in the sale include free-standing bookshelves, chairs, tables, desks, filing cabinets and some miscellaneous items from the old library, prior to the move to the new facility.
Each sale item will be tagged with a cost. Prices are non-negotiable. Cash is the only acceptable form of payment. Buyers are asked to bring vehicles to remove the items by the close of the sale at noon. No pre-sale viewing will be allowed.
Cackleberry Mountain’s yearly charitable campaign has returned, and through it, you can purchase a raffle ticket for $3 to benefit The Good Samaritan Clinic of Haywood County, a nonprofit medical clinic serving adults in Haywood County.
The clinic provides life-changing health care and mental health services to many who are struggling financially to make ends meet. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the clinic. Raffle tickets available through June 30. 828.452.2432.
Steve Brown, the former head of the Haywood County Schools Foundation, has been named the director of foundations for three hospitals under MedWest Health System in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties.
Brown said he is excited about the opportunity to work on behalf of health care in the region. His father, Dr. Alan Brown, was a prominent and dedicated doctor in the community and founder of Midway Medical Center. He remembers his childhood playing in the unused areas of the old hospital while his dad worked.
With 11 years of experience in all phases and development as executive director, Brown said he is excited about developing a 10-year strategic plan to help MedWest Health System grow.
“This is an opportunity for me to spread the good word about MedWest to people who know and trust me,” Brown said.
Patsy Dowling, the executive director of Mountain Projects, has been appointed to serve on the Haywood Community College Board of Trustees.
Dowling was appointed to the HCC board last week by Haywood County commissioners. She is one of 12 college trustees.
For 13 years, Dowling has been director of Mountain Projects, a nonprofit agency that administers social assistance programs for the elderly, disabled and poor. She has been active in numerous civic organizations.
Dowling was nominated for the post by Mark Clasby, the county’s economic development director.
Haywood Community College and Haywood County Schools have signed an agreement between the schools that will give high school students credit at HCC for certain courses.
More than 35 courses are included in the agreement, which will be recognized by HCC if they got a grade of “B” or higher and a proficiency level of “93” on the VOCATS, and recommendation of their instructor. Some courses included are: Business, Web Design, Marketing, Masonry, Construction, Drafting, Allied Health, Horticulture, Networking, and Welding.
828.627.4500 or www.haywood.edu/high_school_programs or 828.456.2400.
On the second Mondays of the month, City Lights Bookstore in Sylva hosts the Sylva Monday Mingle with free appetizers, free massage and free tastings in the café from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The third Mondays of the month are game nights with games in the bookstore, and Cornhole and Washers in the café from 6 to 8 p.m. The third Thursdays of the month are Coffee with the Poet at 10:30 a.m., while the fourth Tuesdays of the month are Yappy Hour & Puppuchino Day with Pups on the Patio from 6 to 8 p.m. The proceeds from coffee drinks that day benefit ARF, an animal rescue organization.
There will be four different Family Clay Day workshops on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning July 8 at Southwestern Community College’s Swain Center.
In the July 8 workshop, participants will create Dr. Seuss Houses. On July 15, Clay Critters will be created. July 22 will be Face Jugs, where participants will learn to create a jug and put a face on it. The final workshop on July 29 will deal with Treasure Boxes. Children ages 8 to 12 are invited and class size is limited.
828.488.6413
The Art League of the Smokies will meet at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, at the Swain County Center for the Arts. A DVD with Tom Lynch titled “Secrets of Painting on Watercolor Canvas” will be shown to exhibit various tips and techniques for working on watercolor canvas with any water media.
Some tips and techniques that will be demonstrated in the DVD are: preparation of the watercolor canvas, wet on wet, bright over dark, texturing techniques, variety of edges, dry brush, pure color highlights, use of natural hair brushes, dry lifting, tape resist, liquid frisket resist, gallery wrap edges and spray fixative finish.
Anyone interested can attend free of charge. 828.488.7843
As part of a summer series of music, Lee Knight will visit the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City for an evening of traditional music and storytelling at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 30.
Raised in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, Knight became interested in folk music while in high school. During college, he became familiar with the music and stories of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, learning them people who had them as part of their culture and community for generations. He has also collected songs and stories from other parts of the world, including England, Scotland, Central Asia, Columbia and the Amazon region of Peru.
This program is free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 or visit www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
Mountain Artisans Arts and Crafts Show will be at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 2 and 3. William H. Roy from Macon County will be at the show to unveil his Uncle Sam folk art statue and will also be selling his one-of-a-kind sculptures. Other Macon County participants will include Hugh Franklin, who will be demonstrating pottery throwing and Janet Anderson, a glass artist.
New exhibits this year will include Arlene Ball, who paints ornaments, and Betty Cabe, who creates corn shuck dolls. Neal and Nanci Hearn will be back with glass boxes, copper sculpture and jewelry. Steve Simonelli, a master woodcrafter, will be present along with Laura Nelle Gobel, who will demonstrate traditional quilting on her lap frame. Other items that will be available are: pine needle baskets, weavings, goat milk soap, and woven cotton rugs and soup mixes from Louisiana. Contemporary crafts will include jewelry, glass art, woodcraft and sculpture. Demonstrators will be making brooms, blacksmithing, and basket weaving.
Admission is $3 for adults and children under 12 are free. Parking is free and concessions are available. 828.524.3405 or visit www.mountainArtisans.net.
The 3rd Annual Steve Whiddon Music Fest will be at 6 p.m. on July 8 at the Grandview Lodge. The proceeds from this event will benefit the four animal non-profit agencies in Haywood County, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation, Save the Animals Rescue (STAR) Ranch, HAWA Spay/Neuter and The Francis Fund. Featured artists will include The Steve Whiddon Band, Karen “Sugar” Barnes and Dave Magill, Angie Toomie, Bobby Wallace Country Classics, Susan Costine and more, plus a few big surprises.
The event will be held inside the Grandview Lodge and on the wrap-around porch. Haywood Equipment Rental is donating tents, tables, and chairs for additional space. The fish fry buffet dinner will be served following a short skit by the four animal non-profit agencies along with an introduction of animals available for adoptions.
Tickets are $25. 828.421.1290 or visit www.grandviewlodgenc.com.
Galleries in Sylva and Waynesville will stay open late this Friday, July 1, for evening art walks held the first Friday of the month.
This month in Sylva, the Hallway Gallery will feature fresh paintings of blooming rhododendrons representing late spring. Just for summer inspirations include paintings of mountains, lakes, waterfalls and beach scenes of a realistic style.
Robert L. Shook will be signing his novel A Journey in Courage from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Monday, July 4, at Books Unlimited in Franklin.
Based on the true story of Shook’s ancestors, the book captures the incredible legacy of the Schuck family, a family connected by their faith in God and their deep love for their country and one another. This fascinating account will treat you to a remarkable three-dimensional trip through time and leave a lasting impression on your heart.
828.369.7942
Laura Boosinger will begin the 2011 Songcatchers Music series at the Cradle of Forestry at 6 p.m. on July 3. Also performing will be the local old-time music trio Galloway, Gordon and Hudson.
Boosinger’s music focuses on the interpretation of traditional music from the southern mountains. She plays banjo, guitar, dulcimer and autoharp.
The Songcatchers Music Series continues with the Crooked Pine Band on July 10, Sparky and Rhonda on July 17, Josh Goforth on July 24 and Don Pedi and Bruce Greene on July 31. Admission for all shows is $6 ages 16 and older, and $3 for 15 and under and America the Beautiful and Golden Age pass holders. The Cradle of Forestry is located on U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest, six miles north of Looking Glass Falls and four miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Attendees can bring picnics, chairs, and blankets for use on the grass. Concert-goers can arrive early and view indoor and outdoor exhibits, two interpretive trails and the Cradle of Forestry’s gift shop
828.877.3130 or visit www.cradleofforestry.org.
Jaime Lauren Webb, a singer-songwriter, will be performing from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, July 1, at the Wine Seller in downtown Waynesville. She will be performing with her banjo, ukulele, harmonica, and harp. Jarred Teague will also be performing.
The Friends of the Library Used Book Store in Jackson County received a large donation of books that includes some historical fiction books and many non-fiction history books. The books deal with U.S. history, military history, the Civil War and World War II. Many are first editions and some are signed copies.
Also included with the collection are approximately 100 videos on a variety of subjects, including Walt Disney classics and some series. First editions of fiction and non-fiction books with a variety of titles from other donations are also on display at the bookstore.
828.586.1640 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Local author Barbara Dumas Ballew will be available to sign copies of her novel, George’s Creek to Georgia, July 1 and 2, at the Smoky Mountain Firecracker Fest in Franklin.
George’s Creek to Georgia is a journey through four generations of Barbara Dumas Ballew’s family. Ballew, a genealogist and storyteller, takes readers back to a simpler time when a young, illiterate pioneer purchased land for his first farm, met the woman of his dreams and started a family.
888.361.9473 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
There is no shortage of festivals and special events planned for the extended July 4 weekend. Mountain communities are going all out to make sure that locals and visitors alike will have plenty to do. So whether your idea of and Independence Day celebration includes a good, old-fashioned parade, music, a street festival, shopping, or night-time fireworks, it’s happening somewhere close by.
Maggie Valley
Enjoy a weekend of family fun, games, delicious food and live entertainment with a dazzling display of fireworks launched directly over the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
Red, White, and Boom will be held at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds July 1 through July 4, with fireworks at 9:45 on Sunday evening.
Parking is free on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are now on sale to get unlimited rides with a daily bracelet. Early online purchases start at $7 and $10, with day-of purchases at $10 and $15.
There will be 14 mechanical rides available, three inflatable attractions, a fun house, a caged ferris wheel and a hot air balloon ride among the attractions.
Live music will include Glen Shelton, John Emil, Caribbean Cowboys, Sarkadelics, Sound Extreme Entertainment and Karaoke with Dan Massey.
Novelty items, food, beverage, crafts, and games will be available all weekend. 828.926.0866 or visit www.maggievalleyfestivalgrounds.org.
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
Railroad buffs and families alike will enjoy celebrating on Freedom Train at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The special train will depart from the Bryson City Depot at 8 p.m. on Monday, July 4.
Tickets will include a picnic style dinner with a pork barbecue sandwich for adults and a hotdog for children, with chips, cookie and soda. The Family First Class package will include the same meal with a private car attendant, unlimited soda refills in a souvenir tumbler, a Great Smoky Mountains Railroad gift amenity and apple pie for dessert.
Tickets start at $61 for adults and $39 for children 2 to 12. 800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.
Fontana Village
The barbeque pit is ready, the stage lights are up and the fireworks are aimed skyward for this year’s annual July 4 Celebration, from July 1 to July 4, at Fontana Village Resort. The event includes entertainment from the Michael Kennedy Band on Friday, the Jay Mathey Band on Saturday night and cover band Neon Bloom on July 3. On Independence Day, a tribal dancing performance by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will start at 6 p.m. The My Highway Band will take the stage at 8 p.m., followed by the evening’s headliner, The Chillbillies.
Fireworks will start promptly at 10 p.m. in the center of the Village.
Lake Junaluska
Grab the gang and head to Lake Junaluska Monday, July 4, where they’ll be keeping their Independence Day traditions alive.
Festivities begin at 11 a.m. with a float-filled parade, followed a barbecue lunch and a host of other family activities.
From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., the Whitewater Bluegrass Company will offer their blend of bluegrass, country, swing, rockabilly and square dance music. There will be face painting, inflatables and a balloon artist for kids
At 7:30 p.m., the Lake Junaluska Singers, directed by Dr. Melodie Galloway, will celebrate the country’s heritage with a 90-minute concert featuring classic Civil War songs, Appalachian folk music, selections from the Broadway musical “The Civil War” and many other patriotic favorites. They will also perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 3. Both concerts will be held at Stuart Auditorium.
At 9:45, a fireworks display will begin which has been lighting up the sky for over 60 years.
Tickets for the barbecue are $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 4 to 11. Tickets for the Lake Junaluska Singers are $15 for adults and $6 for children 8 and under. 828.452.2881 or visit www.lakejunaluska.com/july4th.
Franklin
Get your arms limbered up and your horseshoes ready for the July 4 Horseshoe and Cornhole Tournaments, starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 4, and presented by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. The Horseshoe Tournament will kick off the annual 4th of July Fireworks in the Park festivities at the Macon County Veterans Memorial Recreation Park in Franklin.
The Horseshoe Tournament will begin at 10:00 a.m. and is open to “pitchers” of all ages, both men and ladies. Registration fee is $25 per team. First place is awarded $200, second place earns $100 while third place wins $50.
The Cornhole Tournament will be held later that day at 3:00 p.m. Cornhole is a lawn game in which players take turns throwing bags filled with corn at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point. Play continues until a player reaches or exceeds the score of 21. Registration fee for the Cornhole Tournament is $25. The first place team will take home $200 and $100 will be awarded to second place.
828.524.3161.
Waynesville
Downtown Waynesville is showing off its patriotism with the Stars and Stripes Celebration.
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 4. Main Street shops and restaurants will be open, along with sidewalk sales, live music and entertainment, refreshments and fun for all ages throughout the downtown area.
828.452.3517.
Bryson City
If you’re looking to race or just relax, Freedom Fest, an old-fashioned street festival in downtown Bryson City, is a day-long celebration. The day begins with the Firecracker 5K, and then continues with local artisans and crafters, a full day of local entertainment, free children’s area, festival foods and fun events including a watermelon-eating contest and hula hoop contest. Canine friends can enter in the Strut Your Mutt event that awards ribbons for such categories as Best Tail Wag and Looks Most Like Owner.
Music will include Grandpa’s Music, the Rye Holler Boys, Big House Radio, the Elderly Brothers and Jakleg.
Fireworks will begin at 10 p.m.
828.488.3681 or 800.867.9246.
Cashiers
The Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce presents the Third Annual Cashiers Mountain Music Festival on July 2. Headlining the program is Doc Watson and David Holt, along with Sweet Tater, Hurricane Creek, the Harris Brothers, the Darren Nicholson Band and the Rye Holler Boys.
Bring a chair or blanket. No coolers, pets or firearms. Fireworks planned at dark on Sunday, July 3. 828.743.5191.
Dillsboro
Old-Fashioned Picnic & Tuck River Derby from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on July 2 in Dillsboro. Watch the first annual Tuck River Derby at 10 a.m. where homemade rafts drift down the Tuckasegee River. Registration for rafters is at 9 a.m. at the town launch off Webster Street. July 4 celebration includes music, food and fireworks. 828.631.5100 or 828.586.3891.
The annual Firecracker 5K sponsored by the Bryson City Rotary Club is set for Monday, July 4, in conjunction with downtown festivities scheduled for later that day.
The race will begin at 8 a.m. with registration starting at 6:45 a.m.
It’s a fast, flat, road race through the Deep Creek community near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The race begins and ends at the administration building in downtown Bryson City.
Cost is $20 with a T-shirt or $15 without a T-shirt if you register online by 5 p.m. Friday, July 1. Cost goes up $5 afterwards.
To register by mail, send checks payable to Rotary Club of Bryson City with the completed registration form to Brian Thomas, P.O. Box 2305, Bryson City NC 28713.
www.runbrysoncity.com or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.342.5015.
Stories of Appalachian conservation by a native son and award-winning storyteller Gary Carden will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 30, in Highlands.
The program is hosted by the Highlands Biological Foundation as part of the “Think About Thursdays” summer event series. The event will be held at the Highlands Nature Center (930 Horse Cove Road.) Free. 828.526.2221.
A raising trout class will be held Saturday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for ages 4 to 7. The event will cover the ins and outs of the Bobby N. Setzer trout hatchery operations, plus kids can feed the fish. The program is free, but spaces are limited and pre-registration is required. 828.877.4423
On Friday, July 1, a Women’s Introduction to Fly Fishing class will be presented from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., covering equipment, knots, casting techniques and aquatic entomology. Equipment and materials provided. The program is free and open to ages 12 and up. Spaces are limited and pre-registration is required. 828.877.4423.
The Canary Coalition will hold its annual membership meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 30, in Sylva.
All members of the public interested in grassroots action to further this cause are invited. There will be a general discussion about the direction of the organization. Director Avram Friedman called the past year a “landmark” one for the group.
The Canary Coalition began in 1999 as a small, dedicated group of grassroots activists who were determined to bring clean air back to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Since then the organization has grown to include more than 2,000 people, organizations and businesses. Most are here in North Carolina, but there are now 23 states with members represented in the Canary Coalition.
The Canary Coalition’s annual meeting includes a potluck dinner. Bring a favorite dish to share, along with a plate or bowl, cup and silverware.
The results of the annual board of directors’ elections will be announced at the meeting.
The meeting will be at the Community Services Building, room 234, at 538 Scotts Creek Road. www.canarycoalition.org.
The U.S. Forest Service is warning hikers and campers that there has been an increase in black bear encounters in the vicinity of Graveyard Fields on the Pisgah Ranger District.
There have also been reports of increased bear activity around North Mills River and Wash Creek areas. Although none of these areas are currently closed, forest users are encouraged to use caution and follow bear-safety practices when in the forest.
Suggested practices include:
• Keeping a clean camp site by properly disposing of food scraps and garbage.
• Not leaving food or coolers unattended.
• Never storing food in a tent.
• Staying away from any black bears spotted in the area.
“Hunters of the Sky,” a program featuring live birds of prey, will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28, at the Village Commons at the Crossroads in Cashiers.
The program, by Michael Skinner of Balsam Mountain Trust, is part of the Village Nature Series. This is a rare opportunity to learn about the Bald Eagle, Peregrine falcon, and other birds of prey.
Before working at Balsam Mountain Trust, Skinner was the Emmy nominated host of “Georgia Outdoors” on Georgia Public Television. He is an experienced field ecologist, naturalist, nature photographer and environmental educator.
The event is free. The Village Nature Series is the result of collaboration between two local non-profits: Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and the Village Green. www.hicashlt.org or www.villlagegreencashiersnc.com.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking nominees for its annual Lawrence G. Diedrick Small Game Award, given to an individual and an organization whose actions significantly and positively impact North Carolina’s small game populations, including Northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse, squirrel and rabbit.
In the individual category, past award winners were landowners who improved and integrated small game habitat into their forestry or farming operations. In the organization category, past award winners included corporations, government agencies, and non-government organizations whose actions improved small game habitat.
Nominations for this year’s award are due Aug. 1.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Division of Wildlife Management, c/o Martha Homovec, 1722 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1722.
Fifth graders at Clyde Elementary school worked with Haywood Waterways Association to stencil storm drains in their school campus parking lot this month.
The drains now provide the message that the water that flows into them goes straight into the stream next to the school and on to the Pigeon River. The students not only learned where water goes once it disappears through the grates of a storm drain, but also broadcast it to the public.
Christine O’Brien, project assistant, and Jane Falkenstein, outreach specialist, with Haywood Waterways, went over the basics of the water cycle and demonstrated why it’s so important to use water wisely, and keep it clean and free of debris.
Then, using bright green paint and stencils to label each storm drain in the parking lot, kids cleaned each area, set up the stencils, and spray painted each one.
“It was environmental stewardship in action, a perfect example of how education plus service learning and a chance to make a difference can lead to a sense of ownership by the kids and a feeling of responsibility for taking care of our waterways,” O’Brien said.
The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will hold its annual summer meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 27, at Monteith Farmstead Park in Dillsboro.
Anyone interested in water quality is welcome. The meeting will include an overview of WATR initiatives and projects, including creek cleanups.
People can also check out the new Interpretive Buffer Trail being constructed with the help of the Oconaluftee Jobs Corps students. This trail demonstrates the critical benefits of a natural riparian buffer to the health of creeks and forests.
Dinner will consist of hot dogs, potato salad, and cookies, plus drinks. It is free, though contributions are welcome.
828.506.0899 or www.WATRnc.org.
Recent storms have left debris on and other damage to trails in Panthertown Valley, a national forest recreation area located in southern Jackson County near Cashiers.
Friends of Panthertown will hold a workday to clean up those trails from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Meet at Salt Rock trail-head (located at the end of Breedlove Road). Tools will be provided.
www.panthertown.org or 828.269.4453.
Western Carolina University faculty member and writer Ron Rash is putting the final touches on his new novel even as he is honored for the contributions he has made to Southern literature through his previous novels, short stories and poems.
Rash, who serves as WCU’s Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Culture, is currently making last revisions to The Cove, which is scheduled for release next April. Set in Western North Carolina during World War I, the novel tells the story of a mountain woman who comes upon a mysterious stranger in the woods whom she saves from a near-fatal accident.
As Rash gets The Cove ready for publication, he also is working on a new book of short stories. He has about one-third of the stories written, and one of them, “The Trusty,” was recently published in The New Yorker magazine, along with an interview with Rash.
Rash is the author of seven books of fiction set in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (including the best-selling novel Serena) and three books of poetry. A native of Boiling Springs who was raised there and in Chester, S.C., he teaches Appalachian literature and creative writing at WCU.
Local author Barbara Dumas Ballew will be available to sign copies of her novel, George’s Creek to Georgia, July 1 and 2, at the Smoky Mountain Firecracker Fest in Franklin.
George’s Creek to Georgia is a journey through four generations of Barbara Dumas Ballew’s family. Ballew, a genealogist and storyteller, takes readers back to a simpler time when a young, illiterate pioneer purchased land for his first farm, met the woman of his dreams and started a family.
888.361.9473 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Maggie Valley will be hosting Red, White, and Boom 2011 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds July 1 through July 4. There will be 14 mechanical rides available, three inflatable attractions, a fun house, a caged ferris wheel and a hot air balloon ride among the various attractions. Live music will be featured as well, including Glen Shelton, John Emil, Caribbean Cowboys, Sarkadelics, Sound Extreme Entertainment and Karaoke with Dan Massey. Novelty items, food, beverages, crafts and games will be available all weekend.
Tickets are now on sale to get unlimited rides with a daily bracelet. Early-bird online purchases start at $7 and $10. 828.926.0866 or www.maggievalleyfestivalgrounds.org.
The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its August production of the Noel Coward comedy hit “Hay Fever” at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, June 26 and 27, in the HART Theatre in Waynesville. The production is being directed by Jeff Bachar and opens Aug. 19.
“Hay Fever” is a witty comedy set in the English countryside in the 1920s and focuses on the Bliss family, an eccentric bunch, each of whom has invited a guest for the weekend. It features roles for four men and five women all colorful characters of various ages.
Actors will be given scenes to read from the script. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production should also come during auditions to sign up.
Didgeridoo Down Under will visit the Marianna Black Library at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28.
The show is a high-energy, Australia-themed program that combines music, puppetry, comedy, environmental education, character building and audience participation. They have presented more than 3,000 shows and workshops at 1,800-plus venues for well over 300,000 viewers and participants.
828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity.
“Guys and Dolls,” the Tony award-winning musical, will be performed by the Overlook Players at 7:30 p.m. June 23, 24, and 25 and again at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
“Guys and Dolls” is a musical take on gamblers, night club singers and missionaries in 1940s New York. The play is directed by Scotty Corbin, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts Artistic Director, and stars Heather Lenox as missionary Sarah Brown; Chase Byrd as gambler Sky Masterson; Kathi Graham and Fred Berger as showgirl Miss Adelaide and her beau Nathan Detroit; and father-and-son Steven and Samuel Crabtree as pals Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet.
866.273.4615 or GreatMountainMusic.com.
Penland School of Crafts has open spaces in several classes in the third summer session available at half tuition to local residents. Regular room and board charges apply, but students are not required to stay on campus.
The session runs June 26 to July 8 with openings in clay, metals, photography, print and letterpress, and a textiles class with a special emphasis on teaching. The clay class, taught by Stephen Dixon will explore unconventional approaches to figurative sculpture. Angela Bubash’s metals class will include ways to incorporate natural and found materials into jewelry. Students in Maritza Molina’s intermediate-level photography class will create dramatic theatrical scenarios and photograph them. In the print and letterpress studios, Amy Pirkle and Bill Hall will combine letterpress printing with copperplate etching. And in textiles, Sherri Wood will teach improvisational quiltmaking in a class especially geared for teachers who want to bring artmaking into the classroom.
The photography class requires prior experience. All of the other classes mentioned are open to students of all levels.
828.765.2359, ext. 15 or visit www.penland.org.
The Macon County Art Association’s Uptown Gallery, located on Main Street in Franklin, will host an art workshop from 9:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, for children age 8 and older. The project will consist of studying and reproducing VanGogh’s “Wheatfield with Cypress” using acrylic paint on canvas.
Pre-registration is required by signing up at the gallery. 828.369.0356 or 828.349.4607 or visit mcaauptowngallery.org.
Local artists in Swain and surrounding counties are invited to submit up to four original works for the annual community art exhibit at Swain County Center for the Arts. Artwork for this nine-week exhibit will be received in the lobby of the Center for the Arts between 8-11 a.m. on Thursday, July 28, or earlier by appointment. All artwork submitted should be available for display through the end of September and can be priced to sell.
The venue is equipped to show almost anything that can be hung on the wall or large sculptures that sit on the floor. There are four maple cases with locked glass doors where items such as pottery, jewelry, baskets, carvings and other handcrafted items or small paintings can be displayed.
If artwork is sold as a result of this exhibit, artists are asked to agree to donate ten percent to the ongoing programs and exhibits at Swain County Center for the Arts.
828.488.7843 or visit www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.
Local bluegrass group The Sweet Tater Band will perform at the Jackson County Public Library Complex at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, in the Community Room.
The Sweet Tater Band is made up of musicians from Cullowhee and Canada. They have appeared on stage throughout the region. Recently, Sweet Tater was filmed on the History Channel series, “Only in America,” with host Larry the Cable Guy.
The performance is part of the adult services summer program series and is free to the public.
828.586.2016.
This month’s Fourth-Sunday contra dance will run from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 26, at The Gateway Club in downtown Waynesville.
The venue is air conditioned and dances will be called by Diane Silver, with music by Laura Lengnick and Karen Gaughan
Tickets are $5.
