The Maggie Valley Moonlight Race will return in 2011, once again enticing runners from near and far to lace up their sneakers in the dark.

“After a two-year absence, Glory Hound Events is proud to bring back this fixture of the Western North Carolina running scene,” said Greg Duff, race organizer. “Runners should be pleased to know that we are planning to restore some of the traditions of the past, as well as incorporate some modern aspects for the 30th running.”

Hosted by the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Moonlight Race will be held Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. Those participating in the 8K race will gather at the Maggie Valley Fairgrounds for the race start and run the same course as was used in 2008, Duff said. The course takes runners 1.2 miles up the valley to Ghost Town, then 2.4 miles in the opposite direction, before returning them 1.2 miles to the finish line back at the fairgrounds.

“The Maggie Valley Area Chamber and Visitors Bureau is extremely pleased to bring back the Moonlight Race in August 2011 for its 30th year,” said Teresa Smith, Chamber president. “Runners from all over the world have flocked to the valley throughout the years to participate in the Moonlight Race, and the businesses are happy to have the boost to the local economy that participants provide.”

The first Maggie Valley Moonlight Race was held on Aug. 4, 1979, with more than 830 participants. From its start the nighttime race was popular with elite and amateur runners alike, some of whom traveled great distances and from other continents to participate. In its early years, the Moonlight Race’s sizable winner’s purse attracted internationally-recognized runners from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and Kenya. While prize money is no longer available, Moonlight runners continue to be challenged by the difficulty of this course, Duff said.

“The valley appears to offer a relatively flat course, but the climb toward the Ghost Town parking lot is a tough one,” said Duff.

“The town of Maggie Valley is excited to be working with Greg Duff of Glory Hound Events to promote the 30th running of the Moonlight Race,” said Audrey Hager, Maggie Valley’s director of special events and festivals.

Just as was the case in 1979, town officials hope the return of the Moonlight Race will bring visitors in close contact with Maggie Valley’s many businesses and hotels rooms. “We believe this important event will bring economic stimulus to the businesses and put Maggie Valley back on the map,” said Hager.

“We are grateful to the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce and the town of Maggie Valley for their complete support of this endeavor,” said Duff. “We look forward to once again seeing hundreds of people running in the valley this August.”

Major sponsors for the returning Moonlight Race to date include Mission Health Systems and The Smoky Mountain News. Registration for the event will open on Feb. 1, 2011. All event information, including a link to online registration, is being updated as it becomes available at www.maggievalleymoonlightrun.com.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will hold the 35th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.  

The event, sponsored in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, is free to the public.

This annual celebration of the culture of the Smoky Mountain people, with an emphasis on the Christmas season, was the brainchild of Glenn Cardwell, former Park Ranger and Supervisor at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, 35 years ago.  

“The Festival of Christmas Past has become an institution here at Sugarlands over the decades, much like Glenn himself,” said Kent Cave, North District Resource Education Supervisor. “We always look forward to sharing the traditions of Christmas’ past with Smokies visitors, and in that way continue a tradition of our own,” he added.

The festival will include old-time mountain music featuring the Lost Mill String Band, Boogertown Gap band, and South of the River Boys (who have been a part of the festival since its first years). Demonstrations of traditional domestic skills such as the making of baskets, traditional textiles, quilts, and apple butter will be ongoing throughout the day.  Other special programs include:

• 9:30 a.m. – “Old-fashioned Harp Singing” led by Bruce Wheeler, Paul Clabo and Martha Graham.

• Noon – Charles Maynard telling stories of the holiday season  

• 2 p.m. –  “Stories of the Past” session, presented by the Smoky Mountain Historical Society  

• 11a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. – “Memories Along the Trail” Costumed interpreters will lead a short walk from the visitor center and talk about life in the mountains during the holidays in the early days of the 1880s to the 1930s

The Sugarlands Visitor Center is located on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Highway 441), two miles south of Gatlinburg. For more information call the visitor center at 865.436.1291.

Harvests of sweet corn, tomatoes, and other produce wrapped up weeks ago, but Haywood County farmers still have plenty to offer this holiday season — everything from Christmas trees and wreaths to smoked trout and other meats.

“Many shoppers connected with local farms and farmers last holiday season,” said Anne Lancaster, project assistant for the Buy Haywood program, which promotes high-quality farm products to community-minded consumers. “This year, we are featuring even more ways for local residents and visitors to get ready for the holidays right here in Haywood County.”

Other Haywood County farm products available this holiday season include poinsettias, honey, smoked tomato jam, and tomato sauces. For more details about these products, as well as retail purchase information, shoppers can go online to www.buyhaywood.com/listings.

The Buy Haywood project is managed by the Haywood County Economic Development Commission, and it receives support from the Golden LEAF Foundation, Haywood Advancement Foundation, Johnson’s Packing House, Haywood County TDA, Bethel Rural Community Organization, and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.

Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley is off to another strong start to its season.

“We’ve been open since Nov. 6,” said Cataloochee General Manager Chris Bates. “We have a base of anywhere between 18 to 80 inches. And the weather for snowmaking looks great for the next couple of weeks.”

Currently there are 11 trails and three lifts operating over a groomed surface.

Despite a lot of equipment upgrades during this offseason, Cataloochee ticket prices will remain the same for this season and all of the ski area’s great programs like Family Day, which starts Jan. 12, will be in place.

According to Bates, last Sunday’s partnership with Haywood Christian Ministries drew its largest crowd ever.

“And we are happy to be able to partner with them to make a difference in the community,” he said.

Additions to enhance skiing at Cataloochee this year include 30 new snowmakers and two new grooming tractors. Bates said the advance in equipment and computerization since Cataloochee revamped in 2004 has been amazing. “It’s like going from a car that gets 18 miles to the gallon to one that gets 35 miles to the gallon.”

The new equipment and dip in temperatures are really aiding Cataloochee’s snowmaking abilities. “We can make snow at 28 degrees,” Bates said, “but with the new equipment and technology, when the temperature falls to 7 degrees, like now, our capacity increases 25 fold.”

Cataloochee also boasts over 4,000 sets of snow sports equipment. According to Bates that includes 700 new pairs of rental skis.

To the Editor:

I was surprised to find my views somewhat misstated in Quintin Ellison’s column, “Kephart, Transplants and the Debate over Legitimacy” (http://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/2789-kephart-transplants-and-the-debate-over-legitimacy) in the Nov. 24 edition. After thinking about it over the weekend, I decided to comment on some of the worst distortions.

In my view, the heart of the current controversy is not the fact that Horace Kephart drank (and therefore represented a flawed and undependable source of information), but that Kephart’s fervent admirers steadfastly denied that he drank at all.

Now, Ms. Ellison acknowledges that Kephart “was a drunk” and concludes “So What?” In my opinion, we would not be having this controversy if someone had made that frank admission from the beginning. When I first began to run into the distinction between the way Horace was characterized by his neighbors in Swain County, and the reputation he acquired as a skilled and eloquent spokesman for the culture and tradition of Appalachian people, it quickly became evident that Kephart’s character was being augmented and enriched.

I heartily agree that the fact that the man had a fondness for moonshine has absolutely nothing to do with his contributions — not only in preserving our language and traditions, but in being the driving force for creating the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

However, in their enthusiasm to present the man in a favorable light, “someone” decided that he didn’t drink at all.

A decade ago, a talented young musician named Daniel Gore, who is based in Oregon, came to see me.  In essence, he wanted me to write a play about Kephart. Quite frankly, I was delighted.  At the time, Gore had an album, “Ways That are Dark” that was based on Our Southern Highlanders (one song for each chapter in the book). He gave me an advance and I started writing, but before I could finish the first act, we were at odds. 

I had mentioned the fact that Kephart met Granville Calhoun at the Medlin depot “drunk as a skunk.” Gore told me that Kephart’s family would not tolerate any mention of his drinking since they believed such accusations were totally false. Wow! There was a conclusion that was contrary to local history. 

I made a half-hearted attempt to write a version that Gore would accept, but I failed. I explained to Gore that, in my opinion, a man’s flaws gave him a richness of character, and that by overcoming his alcoholism (which was just one of his flaws, mind you), Kephart was more deserving of praise than had he been a teetotaler. Ah, but no, a stuffed and proper Kephart was already being ushered on stage.

Now, here is the sad thing about this issue. Buried somewhere in all of those distortions was a marvelous man. A drunken and bawdy Kephart sitting before a roaring fire with Quill Rose and a half-dozen bear-hunters and ballad-singers and moonshiners is a vibrant and exciting person. A man smelling of moonshine and sweat among his friends is far more appealing than this solemn and pompous fellow that is being celebrated now. Methinks I detect a faint smell of sanctity and b.s.

I can’t respond to much that I find in Ms. Ellison’s “setting the record straight.” I certainly never denied that Kephart could write, nor was I so foolish as to conclude that he could not write about mountain folks since “he was not from here.” I do feel that apt as his conclusions frequently were, he sometimes missed the point, and yes, it is because he was not a product of the culture that he attempts to define. His desire to “entertain” his readers often lead him into exaggerations and unfounded conclusions.  On occasion, he was just plain wrong. He was a “discerning outsider” .... a quality that he shares with many of his most ardent fans.

I heartily concur with Ms. Ellison’s recommendation that the best source to determine Kephart’s gifts and flaws is Our Southern Highlanders.

Gary Carden

Sylva

To the Editor:

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is proposing high-impact road modifications for N.C. 107 and is planning to build a new $132 million highway through our county.

Thursday, Dec. 9, is the last day to submit comments, concerns, ideas and suggestions related to the NCDOT proposed options for major work on N.C. 107. To find out more about the NC 107 Connector, visit the DOT website at www.ncdot.gov/projects/nc107connector/.

Your comments are extremely important. If you have not already done so, please take a moment to send in your comments about these road projects before the end of the day, Dec. 9, to the following addresses:

• Mr. Derrick Lewis, P.E., NCDOT-Feasability Studies Unit, 1534 Mail Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1534. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Mr. Mark Reep, P.E., Florence & Hutcheson Inc., 5121 Kingdom Way, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27609. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please make multiple copies of your comments and send a copy to each of our elected representatives and to the local media. Smart Roads would also appreciate a copy of your comments and concerns.

If you would like to get more involved or would like detailed information about these and other transportation issues affecting our community, please visit the Smart Roads website at: www.smartroads.org

Jason Kimenker

Sylva

Mary Selzer received the “Library Friend of the Year” award at the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association meeting in Chapel Hill on Dec. 2.

Karen Wallace, director of the Fontana Regional Library, nominated Selzer for this award.

“Mary Otto Selzer is an extraordinary volunteer in the Friends of Jackson County Main Library (FOJCML) in Sylva,” wrote Wallace in her nomination. “Through her creative and dedicated leadership, she has lifted the Friends organization to a new level of excellence …. Moreover, her guidance has enabled the FOJCML to successfully drive a fundraising campaign for the new Jackson County Public Library Complex that has raised over $1.8 million for furnishings, fixtures, and equipment.”

The Macon County League of Women Voters will sponsor a program on the Natural Areas Inventory of Macon County at 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 9.

The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) works to identify and protect the best examples of the state’s natural areas. For the last two years Ed Schwartzman, inventory biologist with NCNHP, has been working in Macon County, exploring the peaks and valleys looking for unique places and documenting them in order to promote their conservation.

From the high summit of Standing Indian to the granite domes of Highlands and across the Cowee Mountains to the Little Tennessee River valley, Schwartzman has turned up populations of rare plants, animals, and unique habitats such as bogs and old-growth forest. He will show pictures and discuss these special areas and how landowners, researchers, and the public benefit from knowing about them.

The program will be held at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Lunch is available at noon, by reservation. Call 828.371.0527 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The program will begin at 12:15.

The public is invited.

Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center and the Greater Haywood Chamber of Commerce have partnered to offer a free seminar on “Doing Business with the Government” from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Dec. 16.

It will be held on campus in the Student Center.

Business owners will discover how to get the basics of contracting, including identifying sales opportunities; evaluate federal and state solicitations for jobs; register their business; find assistance resources; understand the bid process; and match their firm with the various SBA and other federal contracting preference programs to maximize their firm’s marketability.

Presenters include Clark Fields, procurement technical assistance counselor with the N.C. SBTDC/Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and Mike Arriola, senior area manager with the U.S. Small Business Administration.  

Call the HCC Small Business Center at 828.627.4512 for more information or to preregister.

Haywood Community College faculty and staff members collected a total of $2,924.00 for United Way to be used for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The funds were raised through the college’s annual campaign. This year’s campaign was led by instructors Susan Roberts and Jodi Wijewickrama. Through the Imagination Library, children ages newborn up to five years who are enrolled in the program receive one free book a month. As educators, this program is especially important to provide an early foundation for a love of reading in our young children. In 2009, 820 children were enrolled in this program in Haywood County.

Haywood Animal Welfare Association delivers 1,600 pounds of pet food per week to the local pantries and assists some cat colony caretakers with cat food.  

The pet food distributed through the pantries advertizes HAWA’s low-cost spay/neuter program.  This year the number of spay/neuter surgeries provided at no cost has increased dramatically.  All Haywood County pet owners can use HAWA’s service but most of the clients HAWA serves are low-middle to low-income people who cannot afford regular vet fees. Forty percent of the surgeries provided in November were fully subsidized by HAWA with the owners paying for the rabies vaccination.

“Life is good for so many of us but the fact is that the economic climate has forced many people in our community to turn their pets over to the Animal Services Shelter because they can no longer afford to keep them,” says Penny Wallace, HAWA’s executive director. “To prevent as many such tragedies as possible, HAWA volunteers labor in a shed without any form of climate control to provide as much pet food as possible to three county food pantries to help pet owners through tough times and keep their pets.”

To help HAWA keep this service to the community going, mail your gift marked “pet food” to HAWA, PO Box 992, Waynesville, N.C., 28786, or you can drop gifts and pet food off at HAWA’s office at 145 Wall Street in Waynesville. Call 828.452.1329 for more information and/or directions.

Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center is waiving the usual initiation fee on six-month memberships as a holiday gift to the community.

The special is valid through Jan. 7. Since Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center opened in 1998, it has remained the leading hospital-based fitness center in the 17-county Western North Carolina region. The center offers an indoor six-lane heated pool, a gymnasium and climbing wall, two racquetball courts, two massage therapy rooms, health promotion programs, group fitness, state-of-the-art exercise equipment, sauna and steam rooms, locker rooms and a full-service nursery.

Payment for this special offer must be made from a checking account or credit card draft. Gift certificates are available. For more information call 828.452.8080.

A recent decision by a North Caroline administrative law judge has denied Evergreen Packaging’s attempt to dismiss the case filed by Cocke County, Tenn., and seven Tennessee and North Carolina based groups against the wastewater permit for its Canton pulp and paper mill.

In addition to challenging the water discharge permit, the Southern Environmental Law Center also filed a challenge to a separate document, the mill’s color “variance.” The variance, say the environmental groups, has allowed the facility to continue to exceed the state’s narrative standard for dark color in the Pigeon River since the 1980s.

The ruling means that the case will now move forward. Clean Water Expected in Tennessee, Clean Water for North Carolina, Cocke County, Tenn., Tennessee Conservation Voters, Tennessee Scenic Rivers, Tennessee Chapter of Sierra Club and the Western North Carolina Alliance are represented by attorneys from the Southern Environmental Law Center in the case filed in July.

Western Carolina University will honor its fall graduating class, and recognize a group of graduates who received their degrees after this year’s summer school sessions, as the university holds fall commencement at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18.

The ceremony at the Ramsey Regional Activity Center is open to everyone and no tickets are required for admission. WCU Chancellor John W. Bardo will preside over commencement and deliver the charge to the fall semester degree candidates and summer graduates.

WCU’s fall class includes about 690 students who are currently completing academic requirements to receive their degrees. Graduates who completed degree requirements during summer school and who already have been conferred degrees also are eligible to participate in the ceremony.

Commencement activities will include the awarding of a posthumous honorary doctor of arts degree to Josefina Maria Niggli, a writer and teacher who led the development of WCU’s theater arts program and inspired legions of students during her two decades of teaching at the university. WCU’s Office of Undergraduate Studies coordinated a campuswide celebration of Niggli’s life during the 2009-10 academic year to mark the 100th anniversary of her birth.

WCU senior Lucas Owen Ladnier, a Hickory native and member of the Honors College, will deliver the primary commencement address.

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

For more information about commencement, contact the WCU Registrar’s Office at 828.227.7216 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

I would like to speak still in support of reinstating Al Slagle to the planning board and against appointing anyone, ever to the planning board or any other board, who is actively opposed to the missions and procedures of that board. People who oppose land-use regulation and actively work against it, no matter how reasonable, moderate and needed it is, will be a detriment to this board. Al Slagle, on the other hand, has worked hard to develop reasonable, moderate and much-needed standards for slope development. I would also ask that you include the planning board in decisions about who its members will be.

You would not put someone on the library board who wants to end public support for libraries or someone on the EDC who opposes all government participation in economic development. It’s been said that we need diversity of opinion on the board. As far as representing the interests of development, quite a few planning board members are involved financially in some aspect of development, building and real estate, so the interests of that industry are well represented. If you want more diversity, we could use the knowledge of an engineer, architect, community organizer, someone in health services or social services or land conservation, a biologist, forester, hydrologist, outdoor recreation worker, cultural or natural historian, wildlife manager.

It’s time for us to support the needs and rights of the landowner and homeowner, of the community, of the environment, and of future generations rather than the short-term profits of some developers who want no controls and no accountability.

Too many times we’ve unconditionally supported the rights of developers only to be left with substandard development and empty lots that now threaten our local economy, environment and safety. On Thursday night, the courtroom was filled with people who wanted to express their support for planning, for Al Slagle and slope-development standards, and against inappropriate appointments to the board.

We ask now and in the future you build a stronger planning board, rather than weakening it. You will earn the respect and gratitude of many good people in the process. Thank you for your consideration.

First off, I would like to thank Chairman Beale and the commissioners for meeting with us jointly tonight. And thank the planning board members, the comprehensive plan subcommittee members, and the safe slope development workgroup members for attending. And thank you to the public in attendance. We can see from the attendance that many people care about planning in Macon County.

Our work is important for so many reasons. We hear over and over during campaigns and we read in numerous surveys and studies, that planning is the most important issue in Macon County. And it’s not an issue divided between Democrats and Republicans, liberal or conservative in the true sense — because we believe in looking smartly at the way this county develops in an effort to conserve resources for the future, to build a strong stable economy and to protect property rights and the quality of life and heritage that has drawn and kept so much investment in this county.

Another indication that this work is so important is the fact that our board and subcommittees are made up of volunteers. Every member of our board has a family and obligations, yet they volunteer countless hours with the hope that their time will make a difference for future generations. I keep hearing how we need a different voice on the planning board or how we need diverse opinions. Well, if you’ve ever been to a board meeting, you would know that we have that covered. We disagree on almost everything, but in the end we come to consensus. And we agree on the basic principles of planning for the future of the county. And none of our volunteers, no matter how much he or she might disagree, works actively against the board, as was the case with Mr. Goodman. We agree to disagree and then we get down to the hard work.

Among the most active of our volunteers is Al Slagle. Al comes from an old Macon County family that has a long history of public service. Al has been working hard over the past year with our safe slopes workgroup. He has put together one of the most diverse groups of people and built a consensus among them. On the workgroup with Al, who is a retired geologist, is Paul Shuler, a grading contractor, Susan Ervin, a planning board member, Reggie Holland, a building and developer, Stacy Guffey, former county planner who now works on preservation and economic development, Barry Clinton, a scientist from Coweeta Lab who studies the forestry and hydrology of our mountains, and John Becker, a local real estate agent. This group of volunteers, appointed by the planning board, have developed a set of reasonable recommendations to guide us as we develop safe slope-development practices. And along the way, they have helped build a consensus among their family, friends and peers in their professions; so that we can now say we have tremendous support in the community for addressing slope development issues. This is the reason we cannot afford to lose Al Slagle as a planning board member.

Like the rest of the nation, our local economy is in bad shape. We need investment and we need jobs. The way we get those is through smart planning that creates a safe environment for investment that will lead to job creation. But that’s not what Macon County offers right now. What we offer is a “caveat emptor,” “buyer beware” atmosphere. For example, if I buy a used car down at the local lot and the brakes don’t work on that car, then, we come to find out, the salesman knew that all along, but he wanted to make the sale, so he didn’t disclose. Well, a couple of things are going to happen. First of all I will never buy a car from that individual again. Secondly, I’m going to tell all my friends “don’t buy anything from that car lot because you don’t know what you’re getting.” The same thing is happening right now with our county.

People who’ve invested in property here only to see that property affected by slides or erosion and runoff on their on property or their neighbors’ property. They in turn are telling their friends.

Over the long term, that’s going to hurt us. People will invest in areas where they know that their investment, not only in the monetary value of the property, but also their expectation of quality of life, will be protected. And some people will say that this can all be settled in court. Is that what we want for our county? A litigious county? Does that look good to potential investors and property owners?

Let’s be straight here. The reason people move to this county and stay in this county and invest in this county is because of clean water, the small-town atmosphere, the slower pace of life, fresh air, farmland, open space, and the most beautiful mountains in the world.

As a developer, I can say that we were well on our way to destroying those very things before the economic downturn. Now is our one and only chance to get things right, to protect our assets like any smart businessperson would do, and to build a strong stable economy for future generations.

We have sat by as people from faraway places have promised us the moon if only we would stay out of their way and let them develop. Well that promise has come and gone and we’re left with unstable roads and house sites, unlivable homes, and hundreds of foreclosed lots burdening our banks.

Folks, we’re looking at two choices — the vision that you can already see on our mountainsides, a vision that will bring short-term profit to a few. Or a vision built on our local sensibilities that works hand in hand with developers, property owners, environmentalists, long-term families and newcomers to create a strong stable economy that honors rather than destroys our way of life.

This is a critical time and that’s why we need dedicated members on this board who put personal interests aside for what’s best for the future of this county — members like Al Slagle.

I respectfully request that you remove Mr. Goodman from the planning board and appoint Al Slagle in his place. I also request that in the future, as has been the tradition, the planning board be consulted on any appointments to the board and that appointments be based on qualifications, not on political affiliations, and further that these decisions be deliberative and not on the spur of the moment because these appointments have long-term effect. I fully understand that the planning board serves at your pleasure, but it is important to our functioning as a board that we be consulted on any changes. We have to have a cohesive board in order to be effective. And finally, I would like to request that the board of commissioners and planning board communicate on a regular basis so that we can build a better understanding between the two boards.

On a personal note. At this point, I’d like to take the opportunity to address in public something I’ve been hearing that’s going around. There are some folks, and I’m pretty sure I can guess who they are, that have been spreading the rumor that Al has been working on these recommendations with the aim of (I quote) “creating himself or his family members a job.” I have known Al for many years and I can tell you that is not just a lie, it’s a damn lie. And I think such a lie speaks to the level that some people will stoop to and to the fact that when some people run out of constructive arguments they will resort to attacking good people. If you have an issue or constructive input to the work we’re doing, then please offer it, but personal attacks are just morally wrong and will only serve to undermine your argument.

The annual Christmas in the Mountains Art and Craft Show will be held Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Stechoah Valley Center.

There will be as many as 20 individual craft vendors in addition to the work of more than 120 local artisans who are represented in the Stecoah Gallery. There will be free activities for children ages 4 and up including a storyteller and visits with Santa.

Stecoah will also be hosting Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 18. Breakfast is at 9 a.m. for $3 per person and photos with Santa are available separately. Call 828.479.3364 to make your reservation.

Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center is located in a restored 1926 schoolhouse at 121 Schoolhouse Road off N.C. 28 between Bryson City and Fontana Dam. Visit www.stecoahvalleycenter.com for more information.

There will be a special holiday celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Rickman Store in Macon County.

Potters from the Heritage Arts Program of Southwestern Community College will be at the Store for a full day of demonstrations and exhibits. Many other artisans will be displaying and selling baskets, soaps, herbal products, honey, and more.

Writer and poet Patti McClure will tell stories and read poetry at 2 p.m., followed by Sylva’s Gary Carden at 3 p.m.

Christmas tree and wreaths grown on the slopes of Cowee Mountain will be available.

For more information or to place orders for trees and wreaths call Elena at 828.369.5595.

Singers from the internationally acclaimed children’s choir Voices in the Laurel will perform a special Christmas concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, at Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Lake Junaluska. 

This year’s concert will be entitled “The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree,” with a reading by author Gloria Houston. Houston hails from Western North Carolina and this particular story is a local favorite set in the Appalachian Mountains. There will also be a special guest musician, Anne Lough, playing the mountain and hammered dulcimers befitting the theme and creating a special ambience for the concert.

The choir will perform a dramatization of parts of the story by Ms. Houston. Concert and story music will include Appalachian and southern Christmas carols, including, “I Wonder as I Wander,” “Hush My Babe,” “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,” and a special arrangement of “Rise Up Shepherd” by Malcolm Dalglish and much more.

Voices in the Laurel has toured throughout the United States, Europe and Australia since 1996, singing in venues such as the Ryman Autidorium, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Sydney Opera House. In 2012, Voices will be traveling to Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, and Prague in the Czeck Republic.

The choirs range from the Treble Makers, comprised of first- and second-graders, to the Concert choir in third through fifth grade, and the Chamber choir from sixth through twelfth grade. 

For information visit www.voicesinthelaurel.org or call 828.335.2849. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children under 12.

By Joe Hooten • Contributing writer

If your family is like mine, we have unspoken rules regarding the amount and duration of holiday music played in our house. The rule is simple: the music comes out the day after Thanksgiving and then promptly put away the day after Santa delivers the goods. We hardly vary the theme during this intense month of celebration as it sets the mood, and if you have kids, you know they love it. Holiday tunes, not to mention the first smell of Western North Carolina fir, get me ready for the eggnog and the insane amount of wrapping that lie ahead.

I’ve always admired artists that take on the Christmas album challenge. It’s a big one because you’re going up against classic holiday heavyweights like Nat King Cole, The Rat Pack, Burl Ives and Elvis. Every year there are worthy additions to yule-time mix tapes, CDS, and playlists, and this year, Knoxville’s Scott Miller has released “Christmas Gift” a seven-song EP of folk-laden cheer that could easily qualify as your new favorite Christmas album. Comprised of original material, unique covers (Neil Young, Roger Miller, John Prine) and enjoyable renditions of some holiday classics, Miller’s endeavor shares the spirit of Christmas and extends his prominence as East Tennessee’s finest songwriter.

Miller, who plays regularly in WNC and East Tennessee and was an original member of the V-Roys, recently spoke with The Smoky Mountain News about “Christmas Gift” and the upcoming holidays.

SMN: Is the Christmas album-concept a daunting challenge?  

SM: It’s only daunting in that there are but a few “classic” Christmas songs that still get played. Some songs are re-reorded by other artists, but really, is there another version of “White Christmas” besides Bing Crosby’s?  What about Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song”? (Ok, I’m dating myself AND my parents here.) How about “Run, Run Rudolph” by Chuck Berry? “Snoopy and the Red Baron” by the Royal Guardsmen? “I’m Mr. Heat Miser?” from the Rakin/Bass movie? So when I think about my CD and the songs and performances in rotation with or in somebody’s iPod playlist with those songs, that‘s the part that is daunting. Otherwise I love Christmas. That’s easy.

SMN: How did you select the songs that appeared on the EP?

SM: Self-appointed A&R man for F.A.Y. Records, Johnny Wright-wing, chose the songs. He did ask me for a suggestion or two, but I don’t think he really listened as he was on his cell phone the whole time we were meeting trying to organize a Barbara Streisand bluegrass album to be released in Canada.

SMN: “The Kingdom Has Come” is an original of yours that’s been around for a few years. What inspired you to incorporate RB Morris’ spoken word?

SM: I approached RB Morris when I had (the cliché`) idea of having him read the verses from The Bible (Luke) that everybody reads. When I played him the song, he jumped up from his kitchen chair, disappeared into his office and came back with an old faded copy of “Hard Knox Review,” a literary newspaper he helped publish years ago. In one edition was the T.S. Eliot poem “Journey of the Magi.” I left him the song as I had it and he chose verses and lines; he really mapped the whole thing out, all the way to a manger in Bethlehem ...

SMN: “Christmas in Prison” is a great Prine song. Is that you on piano? What songs did you play piano on?

SM: I have been known to tickle the old ivories, and did on some of the album, but Peggy Hambright played on this track. That is such a great song, and Prine’s performance is well, iconic. Using piano on this song specifically was my idea so it didn’t compete with his, or even get near it. As if it could!

SMN: How did you get into the Christmas spirit during the recording of “Christmas Gift”?  

SM: We roasted chestnuts, drank a lot and argued with our families.

SMN: Neil Young and John Prine are two songwriters you cover often. Why do they both resonate with you personally?

SM: Well, John Prine, in my opinion, is the poet laureate of the United Damn States of America. His songs, or even specific lines, resonate with me like no other singer, songwriter, poet, author or artist. I’m not the only one. And when I have the opportunity to introduce someone to his music, be it a concert or recording, I have yet to find one person, regardless of race, creed, color, background or planet, that can’t find at least one thing in them that makes them stop and take a breath and feel like that guy just read their mail ....

Neil Young I have always loved because his songs, and he does this, can be performed solo or full out rocked with a band and still come across to the listener. I like to think I can do that too. (Hell, I know I can do that too.) And his writing, while from a different place than Prine and his songs are structured so differently, use imagery that resonates with me as well. More than a few folks have said they didn’t think “Star of Bethlehem” was a Christmas song. But it’s about “hope” (to me, anyway) and isn’t that at least what part of Christmas is about?

SMN: Can Christmas be saved from commercialism?

SM: Pay me some money and I’ll answer this question.

SMN: What was a typical Miller Christmas like growing up in Virginia?

SM: As I’ve tried to impart to people many times, I grew up so different than most people of my generation. My parents have been married over 50 years. I grew up in the middle of nowhere on a cattle farm in a farming community called Swoope in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Christmas was the one holiday when both sets of grandparents would come in and all my siblings. I lived for it. The setting was idyllic. That being said, it was probably a lot like everyone else’s Christmas: family getting on each other’s nerves, over-eating and my mother bemoaning the fact that we had too many presents while the world suffered. And by the way, cows don’t take holidays. They don’t care if it’s your birthday or our Lord and Savior’s birthday: they have to get fed. So we worked. That’s how we do. That’s how we did.

SMN: “Old Toy Trains,” the old Roger Miller tune, makes me think of my childhood. Were trains apart of your childhood?

SM: My grandfather had a train set up in his basement, but oddly enough we never set it up around the tree like you see in the movies or TV. In the early 70’s, farmers weren’t doing so good and my folks didn’t have a lot of money. But my favorite Christmas present I ever got was a cheap dime store bag of cowboys and Indians that my dad set up on the living room floor in full battle while I slept.

Scholars will tell you Christmas was a pagan holiday incorporated by Christianity. That’s fine with me. God is where you find him, and sometimes you find him where you put him. Belief in Jesus is up to you, but families stopping to even hope for peace on earth and good will? That’s universal. And people may try to put a price tag on that but its always going to be free.

SMN: What can we expect from Scott Miller in 2011?

SM: Some light dusting of winter touring followed by a spring growth of new material. I hope. Merry Christmas, one and all.

Scott Miller will be performing his annual Christmas shows at the Down Home in Johnson City, Tenn., on Dec.10-11. For more information on “Christmas Gift” visit: www.thescottmiller.com

Joe Hooten may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Professional Crafts students at Haywood Community College will be selling their exceptional wares at the Holiday Sale Thursday, Dec. 9, and Friday, Dec. 10. Located in the Student Center Auditorium, the sale will feature handmade jewelry, woodwork, pottery and fiber art.

Arrive between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Dec. 9 or between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the 10th to take advantage of a rare opportunity to buy meaningful gifts for your loved ones. The proceeds from the sale go directly to the hardworking students and their campus studio.

The HCC professional crafts program has been offering a well-rounded education in the creative fields of jewelry, woodworking, pottery and fiber arts for more than 30 years. The teachers are experienced craft artists and work closely with their students to encourage innovative design, fine workmanship and sound business practices.

Students of the program participate in various sales throughout the two-year program, including the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands. The experience of showing and selling their work is invaluable preparation for their future endeavors.

The Holiday Sale provides a special opportunity for the students to interact and share their work with the local community.

For more information contact Amy Putansu at 828.627.4672 or visit the school’s website at www.haywood.edu.

Jackson County Manager Kenneth Westmoreland will retire effective Jan. 1, incoming Jackson County board chairman Jack Debnam has told The Smoky Mountain News.

With accumulated leave, his last day in the office will be Dec. 7.

“It was his decision,” Debnam said.

Westmoreland told the newspaper he did not want to comment on matter at this time.

In addition to Debnam, who is a registered independent, Republicans Charles Elder (replacing Democrat William Shelton) and Doug Cody (replacing Democrat Tom Massie) will join current commissioners Joe Cowan (a Democrat) and Mark Jones (a Democrat) on the Jackson County board. The trio will be sworn in Dec. 6, meaning Westmoreland will spend just one day with the new board.

Westmoreland’s actions as county manager had been a campaign issue this year, particularly his role in implementing a new pay scale system that was criticized as too generous to long-time employees like himself. The pay system was approved by the elected commissioners.

His leadership during the relicensing battle with Duke Energy, which cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, had also been criticized.

Asked point blank just after the Nov. 2 election whether Westmoreland’s job was in jeopardy, Debnam deferred to his fellow commissioners.

“It’s not going to be up to me,” Debnam said. “There are five commissioners … we are going to scrutinize several positions.”

The new commissioners have also promised to re-visit Jackson’s land-use regulations, which some blame for curtailing building activity in the county.

This marks the first time in 16 years Republicans have been able to seize seats on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. Debnam, while unaffiliated, received support as a conservative candidate from the Jackson County GOP.

The new commissioners will be sworn in at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6.

To the Editor:

Various citizens have made comments about the rich versus the poor based on their ideological thinking, but here are some startling facts:

• 20 percent of Americans own 93 percent of its assets.  

• 1 percent own 40 percent of its liquidity.

Another fact of life is that the middle class is shrinking while the rich are gaining in wealth.

Folks say that capitalism rewards effort, but only to a point. Too big to fail is a result of too much greed for money and power over others using whatever means available. Recent political ads funded by the super rich can only fool Americans for so long into voting for candidates that support their monopoly on wealth.

The bottom line is that if the middle class fails, so does democracy. Eighty percent of Americans are currently or will shortly become economic slaves as more and more jobs are sent overseas and more and more corporations are merged and jobs are lost while the super-rich make billions in the transactions.

At some point, the monopoly will self implode and at that point the rest of the world will take advantage of the vacuum. America only represents 5 percent of the world’s population but owns about 27 percent of its wealth. If 20 percent of Americans own most of the wealth in America, that could mean that 1 percent of Americans own about 25 percent of the world’s wealth.

The rich cannot fight 99 percent of the world — including its own countrymen — no matter how many political ads they buy or wars they create. Super capitalism is self-destructive, just like communism but for opposite reasons.

If the super smart and super rich don’t put their resources into compassionate capitalism (not as in welfare but in workfare), then revolution will surely follow.

So regardless of your ideology about the cause of this imbalance, we all are in it together. You can carve out your enclaves of gated communities, but you can’t hide. The only way out of life is to die, and each of us will have that experience. But if we allow human life to become so miserable for 99 percent of the world, then they may have nothing to lose and we will all join the parade of dinosaurs into a passing page of history leaving behind so much potential had it not been for our own stupidity, rigid ideologies, dogmas and greed.

Happy holidays.

Larry Stenger

Franklin

To the Editor:

I am a member of the Tea Party-The 9-12 group. 

I am an American mom and grandparent. Prayer is an important part of my life. I pray before meetings. There are clergymen in our organization who lead in prayer. I never ask you for your party-affiliation or religion. I am simply an American who loves this country and wants to give my children and grandchildren freedom, not massive debt that can never be repaid.

I fight to get the government out of every aspect of my life. I fight for seniors as Obamacare will cut Medicare by $500 billion while doctors are already turning Medicare patients away. Doctors can’t make it on what Medicare reimburses them. 

I want to continue to live in a free country, to keep my healthcare needs between me and my doctor, not to be determined by a bureaucrat in Washington. Your doctor has to obey that bureaucrat or he will face a fine of $100,000. If he disobeys a second time, he goes to jail.

I do not want the government telling me and my family what we can and cannot eat. I see my fellow Americans facing massive unemployment. I blame this on an oversized, intrusive government, over-regulation and taxation, the redistribution of the wealth and punishment of success. 

If you share these same sentiments and value the American way of life, don’t disparage the Tea Party movement, join it. Help ensure your children will have a better future. There is no greater legacy we can offer them. These are my values: honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility, and gratitude. If you don’t share these values, then there is nothing more I can say. 

Finally, my guiding values are all contained in these three words — faith, hope and charity.

Arlene Hemm

Canton

To the Editor:

In last week’s (Nov 24-30) Smoky Mountain News opinion piece by Quintin Ellison, she writes … ”I maintain I’ve got a perfect right to portray whomever I want to, whenever I want to, how I want to, in whatever form I desire.” (Here there should be a colon, not a period, since what follows is not a complete sentence.) “Fiction, nonfiction, newspaper or magazine articles, columns, whatever interests me in a given moment as a writer.” 

Well, that’s not precisely true. I assume Ms. Ellison would want to apply the same standard of precision to her own assertions as she recently attempted to apply to comments from a reader, whom she excoriated, quite erroneously, by the way, over the use of commas in a series (see Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style).   

Any professional journalist knows that one cannot portray whomever one wants in any way that one wants in print, unless writer and publisher are prepared to take the legal consequences. To be precise, there are libel laws that limit what one can print about another person. Ms. Ellison goes on to ask “Who is going to stop me, pray tell?”  

One hopes her editor would.

Gerlinde Lindy

Cullowhee

To the Editor:

Anyone who was living in this area at the time of the tragic Peeks Creek disaster off U.S. 64 between Franklin and Highlands would be well aware of the need for an ordinance giving teeth to construction requirements on the many steep sites in these mountains, thereby ensuring safety for residents who live in areas where the slopes are unstable.

We certainly do not need more lives lost and costly property damage done, and now is the time to step in and support a sensible ordinance to prevent those tragedies. Please support the Macon County Planning Board’s recommendations on this important issue.

Emily Dale

Franklin

By Patti Tiberi • Guest Columnist

“Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. A higher percentage of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 use alcohol than use tobacco or illicit drugs. The physical consequences of underage alcohol use range from medical problems to death by alcohol poisoning, and alcohol plays a significant role in risky sexual behavior, physical and sexual assaults, various types of injuries, and suicide. Underage drinking also creates secondhand effects for others, drinkers and nondrinkers alike, including car crashes from drunk driving, that put every child at risk. Underage alcohol consumption is a major societal problem with enormous health and safety consequences and will demand the nation’s attention and committed efforts to solve.”

This is a direct quote from former Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Kenneth Moritsugu, from his “Call To Action” in 2007.  But one may wonder why there is all this fuss about underage drinking. Isn’t it just something that is “a rite of passage?” Don’t all kids do it?

Well, the answer is no. Many of us like to look back and say, “We survived it, they will too!” Truth be told, there are many that did not survive it and they are not here to tell their side of the story. Many of us ended up going through many years of grief as we struggled to manage our disease of alcoholism. Few people in recovery speak out in public about their struggles to manage their disease. There is still a very strong stigma attached to having alcoholism.

But the reality is that more young people in the U.S. drink alcohol every month than smoke cigarettes or use any illegal drug. Additionally, alcohol kills more young people per year than all illegal drugs combined!

Many studies show that media advertising of alcohol products is a major factor in decisions made by 12- to 20-year olds to start drinking or drink more heavily if they are already drinkers. In a recently released report, the Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) noted that, since 2000, many alcohol companies have voluntarily reduced their advertising in markets with greater than 30 percent underage audiences.

However, the report stated that alcohol advertising in markets with more than a 15 percent youth population still results in overexposure. While the industry has made progress, more needs to be done to limit the amount of alcohol promotion our young people see on TV, movies and in magazines.

The availability of alcoholic drinks that have a sweet taste, like lemonade, is also a concern because they seem designed to appeal to young people. Plus, alcohol products like malt liquor can often cost less than soda. Even if it can’t be purchased legally by young people, the low cost makes it easier to pay someone to purchase it for them.

Children are beginning to drink at an earlier age in a day when we know much more about the impact that alcohol use has on the changing adolescent brain. Our science now reports that youth who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence. But every day in our country, 7,000 youth under the age of 16 take their first drink.

While we used to find that boys drank more heavily than girls, we now see that girls have caught up and are drinking just as heavily. (Institute of Medicine, National Research Council of the National Academics)

It is important that you help. First thing, please help to reduce the availability of alcohol to youth under 21. If you have alcohol at home, keep it in a secure place and monitor it. Second, help support law enforcement in targeting the underage drinking issue. This could be something as simple as getting to know the parents of your child’s friends and agreeing with them about not serving alcohol to youth under 21. Third, get involved locally to help change your community’s norms around alcohol use. Learn more about the issue by checking out the following websites: alcoholfreechildren.org, ncpud.org, faceproject.org, and drugfree.org.

(Patti Tiberi is the Regional Prevention Coordinator at Smoky Mountain Center and the Chair of Healthy Haywood’s Substance Abuse Action Team. For more information on how to get involved with a Health Action Team, go to www.healthyhaywood.org or call 828.452.6675. Healthy Haywood is a program of the Haywood County Health Department and certified Healthy Carolinians partnership.

Library lovers and history buffs from all over have a singular opportunity this year to combine giving Christmas presents to family and friends and giving to their community.

The Jackson County Library capital campaign is still under way, and co-chair Mary Otto Selzer says this is the perfect time to give.

“This is the time of year when we are thinking about our loved ones and dear friends and want them to know we care. A donation to the Jackson County Public Library Complex capital campaign in honor of someone shows a special kind of thoughtfulness. The honored person will receive a card letting him or her know of your Christmas gift donation in their honor,” said Selzer.

According to Selzer, the capital campaign has raised over $1.8 million from over 1,000 individual contributors.

To donate in someone’s name, or in your own name, drop off the donation at the Friends of the Library Used Book Store or the current library, both on Main Street in Sylva, or mail the donation to Friends of the Library, P. O. Box 825, Sylva, N.C., 28779. For further information call Mary Otto Selzer at 828.507.0476.

City Lights Bookstore has started the 12th year of its annual Holiday Giving Tree, a program designed to put books in the hands of local children during the holiday season.

Each year since 1998 the store has worked with local social service agencies to come up with an anonymous list of Jackson County children in need.

Bookstore customers are invited to buy a book for a child at a 20 percent discount and put it under the store’s Christmas tree. Books will be picked up by the social service agencies and delivered to children in time for the holiday.

A bookmark identifying the age and gender of the child is available at the bookstore, and customers can buy for that child. The store has a wide selection of Spanish-language books, as well, for bi-lingual and Spanish-speaking children. (Language choice is also designated on the bookmark, so that customers know the recipient’s preference.)

The deadline for participation is Sunday, Dec.19, when the store is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information call 828.586.9499.

A “Birder Friendly Community Workshop” will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Balsam Mountain Inn.

The workshop, sponsored by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, will provide training for businesses and communities to help take advantage of the North Carolina Birding Trial and its potential as an economic development tool.

The North Carolina Birding Trail was constructed to “conserve and enhance North Carolina’s bird habitat by promoting sustainable bird watching activities, economic opportunities and conservation education.”

All attendees will receive a workshop notebook, a Sibley Field Guide to Birds and a “Birder Friendly Business or Community” decal. For information or to register for this free workshop call 828.456.3573 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Jackson County Farmers Market will remain open throughout the winter months.

The market vendors will hold a Holiday Bazaar to kick off the winter season from 9 a.m. until noon on Dec. 4 in the parish hall of St. John’s Episcopal Church located at 18 Jackson Street.

Locally made gifts will be available including special holiday jams, salsa, apple butter, herbal products, handmade journals, soaps, shampoo, local yarn, candles and other crafts. Also available will be eggs, honey and greens. The market will be every Saturday in December until Christmas from 9 a.m. until noon at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through October is up for the year, and in October 2010 park visitation jumped by 19 percent over October 2009.

Parkwide, visitation for the year is up 2.9 percent. Through October 2009, 8,257,869 people had been to the Smokies. Through October of this year, that number is up to 8,449,815.

For October, the 2009 visitation was 1,052,137 compared to 1,252,357 in October 2010.

All the main entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had increases over their October 2009 numbers: Gatlinburg was up 8.2 percent; Townsend jumped 18.4 percent; and Cherokee was up 13.4 percent.

The 13 outlying areas were up by 45.9 percent. To view the report for the Smokies visit www.nature.nps.gov/stats/viewReport.cfm.

More than a quarter million visitors to North Carolina state parks used a new reservations system in its first full year of operation, with most campers preferring short visits to state parks near their homes, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.

By far, the most popular park for camping and picnicking by reservation was Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, which logged 14,124 reservations during the year ending July 30. It was followed by Kerr Lake State Recreation Area (6,162) and Hanging Rock (5,256), Stone Mountain (5,062) and Carolina Beach (4,410) state parks.

The year-end reservations report showed that the state parks system’s online and call center-based system placed 61,484 reservations for campsites, picnic shelters and other amenities.

“The reservations system has been very popular, and we anticipated an important byproduct would be detailed information about our visitors and how they use the parks,” said Lewis Ledford, state parks director. “Over time, that will help us improve visitor service and gain more insight into how state parks contribute to local economies.”

The state parks attracted visitors from 16 nations during the year with Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom contributing the most foreign visitors, but reservations originated in far-flung locations such as Australia, Namibia and Sweden. North Carolinians, of course, were the most frequent visitors, and most state park campgrounds were populated by people from nearby towns, although there were exceptions. For instance, Hammocks Beach and Pilot Mountain state parks most often had campers from the Triangle area. Visitors from Charlotte most often filled Lake James, Morrow Mountain, New River and Stone Mountain state parks.

Reservations for campsites peaked in the months of April, May and June with a smaller but noticeable spike during August. The typical camping trip involved three people staying two nights on a weekend. In total, 123,149 nights of camping were reserved.

State park visitors were most comfortable making reservations in person at a state park (47.6 percent), while 35.9 percent of the reservations were made online and 16.5 percent were made through a call center. Visitors can camp without a reservation if a site is available when they arrive. Reservations can be made up to 48 hours in advance, online at www.ncparks.gov or by calling toll-free 1.877.7 CAMP NC (722.6762).

Early registration is currently under way for the 2011 Caring for Creation experience at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center on March 31-April 3, 2011.

Caring for Creation is a loosely organized movement of faith communities that believe there is Biblical and theological support for developing opportunities to be caretakers of the Earth.

The Rev. Sally Bingham, a priest in the Diocese of California who serves as the Environmental Minister at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, will be a guest speaker at the 2011 Caring for Creation. She is a founder of the Regeneration Project, a non-profit ministry focusing on the response to global climate change, whose initiative is the Episcopal Power and Light.

The model has developed into an interfaith initiative in several states and in Canada, and its mission is to mobilize the community of faith to lead by example in reducing green house gas emissions.

“The Rev. Bingham is giving a plenary, ‘A Religious Response to the Climate Crisis,’ and her workshop will focus on the work of Interfaith Power and Light,” said Loy Lilley, event coordinator for Caring for Creation. “We are excited about this ever growing opportunity to learn diverse ways to preserve and care for our Earth, and we hope that persons from all walks of life and of all ages will come.”

More than 38 guest speakers, including John Hill, Director of Economic and Environmental Justice from the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, will appear at the Caring for Creation conference. Other guest speakers include Derek Arndt of the National Climate Data Center; Dr. Brian Helmuth, professor of Biological Science at USC in Columbia, S.C.; and Dr. Jim McKenna, interim department head and professor of crop and soil environment sciences at VPI in Blacksburg, Va.

New workshops will be available this year, including “How Harming Earth Harms Heart, Mind, and Soul” by Andy Bell. Other workshops include “Biblical/Theological Foundations of Creation and Wesley” by Rev. Jeanne Finley;“Involving Young People in God’s Call to Hope and Action” by Mr. John Hodges-Batzka; and “How to advocate for Environmental Sustainability” by Mr. John Hill.

The first 50 persons to register will receive a free copy of Jonathan Merritt’s book, Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet. Merritt is also a speaker and workshop leader. Special early registration will be available for persons registering before Jan. 1. Ethnic scholarships will be available online soon. For registration, workshops, and more information visit www.lakejunaluska.com/caring-for-creation or call 828.454.6656.

The Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance is celebrating its 10th anniversary and holding its annual meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Episcopal Church in Highlands.

The celebration will include food, wine/beer and music performed by Thea and the Green Man. No long speeches or Power Point programs at this meeting, just a celebration of the work done in the Highlands-Cashiers area since the organization’s inception in 2001.

It will also be a chance for members of the public to meet new executive director Michelle Price.

For more info contact J-MCA at 828.526.0890, ext. 320, or visit www.j-mca.org.

Liars Bench Southern Appalachian variety show to play a “foxfire Christmas” at bookstore

The Liars Bench — Western North Carolina’s own Southern Appalachian live variety show — plays City Lights Bookstore at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4, for the ninth time.

Gary Carden, Barbara Duncan, Steve Brady, Dave Waldrop and several members of the Smoky Mountain Choral Ensemble will perform at this Dec. 4 “foxfire Christmas” City Lights show.

Carden, a noted local folklorist and storyteller, will be giving a special presentation on old Christmas traditions including “dumb suppers” and “first steppers.”

“We’ve got a successful thing going here and we want to make sure that the whole community gets the opportunity to experience this unique cultural event,“ said host Dave Waldrop. The regular cast members include Gary Carden, Loyd Arneach, Paul Iarussi, Barbara Duncan, Dave Waldrop, Steve Brady, and the show’s mascot, Bodine. The Liars Bench recognizes established artists and performers and encourages new talent also.

“The Liars Bench is a totally different entertainment event featuring authentic traditional Southern Appalachian culture, giving both natives and transplants to the region and an accurate view of the people who live and work here in the southern Mountains,” said Liar’s Bench creator Gary Carden.

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

Parker and Paschal will appear at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 with a show that promises to jump-start your holiday celebrations.  

Parker’s June 2003 song “It’s True” — the title song on one of Ivan’s CD’s — climbed to No. 2 on The Singing News top 10 list. Janet Paschal grew up outside of Reidsville in Caswell County. Her breakout hit came with her 1997 album The Good Road, which landed her numerous appearances on Bill Gaither’s Homecoming Concerts as well as the corresponding records. Since then, Paschal has released five more albums  and has received numerous awards including Dove and Grammy nominations and was named Christian Music’s top female vocalist for three consecutive years.

To purchase tickets go to GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615. Tickets are also available at the box office or at Dalton’s Christian Bookstore in Franklin and Waynesville.

An original Christmas Cantata, “It Shall Be Fulfilled,” will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 5, at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Franklin.  

The cantata includes a narration of the birth of Christ as recorded in the Bible, accompanied by original songs based on the Scriptures and written in contemporary music styles including bluegrass, R&B, and soft rock.  The cantata will be directed by the composer, Franklin resident Lionel B. Caynon, and performed by a six-member vocal ensemble, C-Square & Friends, with narrator.

There is no admission charge; a light reception will follow the performance. First Presbyterian Church is at 26 Church Street in downtown Franklin.

Smoky Mountain Living magazine's February/March issue will be dedicated to love — not just in the romantic sense, but for place, work, family, animals, etc.

The magazine wants your images and interpretations of love for its photo spread. Submissions should be hi-resolution, digital images and include information about where and when the photos were taken and by and of whom.

Also, Smoky Mountain Living is looking for historic wedding portraits of couples from the Appalachians. Images should be from the 1930s and prior. Information about the couple pictured is required. Images submitted will be considered for the cover of SML. If a submitted image is selected, the couple featured therein will receive a small write up as part of SML's upcoming story about the history of Appalachian love, courtship and marriage. Submissions also should be hi-resolution, digital images and include information about where and when the photos were taken and by and of whom.

All submissions should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than 5 p.m. on Dec. 15.

Smoky Mountain Living magazine covers the southern Appalachians and celebrates the area’s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, art, crafts and special places. Each issue brings the Appalachians to life.

Become a fan at www.facebook.com/smliv.

The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts at the historic Shelton House is sponsoring an Appalachian Christmas musical event that evokes nostalgic recollections of holiday celebrations evident in early settlements in the Appalachian Mountains.

Performed by noted folk and traditional musicians Anne and Rob Lough and the Trantham Family Band, the evening celebration of music, song and folklore will enable the audience to reminisce about the heritage that still emanates from the deep coves, the valleys, and the dwellings of this region. Both groups of musical entertainers are annual performers at the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival and have performed at Mountain Heritage Day in Cullowhee.  

Blue Ridge Books, Christmas Everyday and Olde Brick House have tickets for the Appalachian Christmas event scheduled for 7 p.m., Dec. 4, at HART’s main theater.  Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $5 for children 5 to 15, and free admission for children under 5.

Anne Lough is a nationally known traditional musician, highly acclaimed for her skill as a performer and educator. Dedicated to preserving traditional music, stories and folklore, Lough devotes her time to festivals, workshops, performances and school residencies. In addition to being a regular instructor of mountain and hammered dulcimer at the prestigious John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, Lough has taught at the Swannanoa Gathering, Western Carolina Dulcimer Week, Augusta Heritage Dulcimer Week and numerous other festivals and workshops throughout the country. Anne’s Lough’s husband Rob is a full-time insurance agent but accompanies his wife at special programs and is a capable and entertaining musician and vocalist.  

Jim Trantham, the first generation of the three-generation Trantham Family Band, has been collecting and performing traditional songs for 60 years. Trantham has performed in many of the schools and universities of the Southeast and in five European countries. Trantham holds awards from some of the most highly regarded folk stages in North Carolina. In addition to his musical skills, Trantham is a noted maker of musical instruments, crafting all of the instruments used by the family.  

Jim’s son Doug Trantham began performing with his father at an early age. Doug Trantham, like his father, is an accomplished musician and vocalist, specializing in banjo, hammered dulcimer, and guitar. Doug Trantham’s daughters Emily and Sara have, since early childhood, been performing with their father and grandfather in the award winning Trantham Family Band.

The annual Canton Christmas Tour of Homes is from 1-6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 5. The show features six homes and all proceeds will benefit the Canton Miss Labor Day Scholarship Fund.

Admission is $12, and children under 12 are free. Tickets will be on sale soon at the following sites: Polly’s Florist and Gifts in Canton; Nest in Waynesville; Clyde Florist in Clyde; Mountain Home Collection in Waynesville/ Smokey Park Antiques in Candler

For tour information or to purchase tickets contact Laura Simmons at 828.400.0699.

Tickets may also be purchased at any of the homes on the day of the tour. The following homes are on the tour.

The Harris and Courtney Clark Home

4350 Pigeon Road

(Bethel- Hwy 110 to traffic light then right)    

This Cape Cod style home was built in 1954 to serve as the farmhouse presiding over the 100 or so acres it overlooks in the valley behind. The 2,400-square-foot home combines both an open floor plan and modern use of space with a wonderfully rustic charm lent to the home by its many antiques, unique handmade furnishings and farm-life-inspired artwork.  

The Thomas and Amy Fitzpatrick Home

21 Pennsylvania Avenue

(Past Canton Public Library)

The previous owners were the Phillips family. This is a 1918 brick, craftsman style bungalow.  This home feels like a bungalow, but at the same time it is a very modern translation of an early 20th century house.  It has a very defined look — white walls with lots of wood, natural fibers, and family heirlooms.

The Patrick and Brianna Willis Home

24 Pennsylvania Avenue

(Past Canton Public Library)

The Willis house was built in 1932 in the craftsman style. Currently the homeowners are working to restore some of the original touches and have been delighted to uncover and restore the original brick fireplace, glass paned French doors, glass door knobs, and similar architectural features from the early 30’s. While renovations are still under way, the Willis’ are decorating with live greenery, touched with traditional “soap flake” flocking and metallic accents.

The James Giglio Home decorated by Clyde Florist and Judy Jones

134 Academy Street (Main Street to Academy Street near St Andrews Episcopal Church)

This is historic home built in 1900 in the classic style. The two-story home features a formal Victorian living room with a fireplace, a formal dining room, and a stately staircase leading to the upstairs bedrooms. Original hand crafted woodwork add charm and character. Victorian furniture and antiques are decorated with Christmas greenery, poinsettias, and an assortment of cherished Christmas treasures. Clyde Florist and Judy Jones have provided the decorating skills for celebrating an old fashioned Christmas in this home.

The Guest Home of Doug and Gail Mull

16 Division Street (Hampton Heights to Oakland Circle right on Division Street)

A three-story brick Tudor built in 1925. The gothic door opens into a large foyer featuring a beautifully crafted oak staircase. The large living room features a mullioned bay window and a corner brick fireplace decorated with greenery. A bright sunroom, formal dining room, a butlers pantry, and a country kitchen feature varied cottage Christmas themes

The David and Coleen Blaylock Home

127 Newfound Street (Main Street to Bridge Street right on Newfound Street)

This house is a Georgian Colonial Style home built in 1937. It features a square symmetrical shape with five windows across the front. The house is spacious and the floor plan allows for entertaining. The home is decorated in a traditional style that exhibits southern hospitality and graciousness.

The Haywood County Arts Council’s third annual show of “pint-sized” artwork titled, ”It’s a Small, Small Work 2010” is currently on exhibit at Gallery 86 now through Friday, Dec. 31, in Waynesville.

The show provides a unique opportunity to purchase original art at very modest prices—just in time for holiday gift-giving. Most artwork is priced between $20 and $80, with no work priced over $300. Artwork is sold off the wall in a “pay and walk away” style.

Participation in the annual small works has grown from 68 participating artists in 2008 to 118 artists in 2010. “There are over 500 pieces of art from which to choose—but folks better hurry because artists are limited to five pieces—and the work sells fast,” says Arts Council director Kay Miller, who started the show three years ago.

Artists must reside in one of the 25 counties that comprise the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in western North Carolina. The show challenges artists to create works smaller than 12 inches in every dimension, including base, matting, and frame, etc.

For more information about “It’s a Small, Small Work 2010” visit the Haywood County Arts Council website at www.haywoodarts.org.

Want to make a Cherokee basket or Cherokee pottery bowl for that special Christmas present?

Come to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian Dec. 11 and create your own white oak basket with plain and dyed splints, or your own stamped pottery bowl. Or give the workshop itself as a special gift to someone who would like to learn these traditional crafts.

Master artists Ramona Lossie and Bernadine George, members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will be teaching hands-on workshops for a limited number of participants. Cost is $50 for each workshop, plus materials fee. Basket materials cost $25 and pottery materials $5, with an extra fee for firing if you choose.  (Discounts apply to museum members and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.)

From 9 a.m. to noon, Ramona Lossie will instruct on making a small square white oak basket. Bring a sturdy knife and scissors to work with and a piece of leather to spread on your lap.  Participants will complete a basket by noon.

From 1 to 4 p.m., Bernadine George will instruct in making a cazuela pottery bowl with traditional stamped Cherokee patterns. This tradition dates back three thousand years in the southern Appalachians. Participants may take your bowl home and fire it yourself, or arrange with Bernadine to fire it at an additional cost.

The annual Cherokee Christmas Bazaar will be going on Dec. 11 at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds next door to the Museum, featuring hand-made items by dozens of Cherokee artists.

Museum workshops are limited to the first 20participants to register and pay their fee. Call the Museum Store at 828.497.3481 or visit at 589 Tsali Blvd. (Highway 441) in Cherokee. Credit cards and cash are accepted. For more information, contact the Museum Store.

Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center will host a Craft Fair from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the gymnasium on Saturday, Dec. 11.

Members can purchase a 6-foot table to display their items for $10. Non-members can purchase a 6-foot table for $20. Tables and chairs are provided. Crafters may purchase more than one table.

Each crafter will be responsible for the set-up, break-down and clean-up of the area around their booth.  Set up will begin at 7 a.m. on Dec. 11, the morning of the craft show. Booth information and applications are available at the front desk. For more information, call 828.452.8080.

The Gateway Club in Waynesville is currently hosting an exhibit of the The Haywood Snapshot Project. The exhibit, recently displayed at Haywood Arts Repertory Theater, uses historic photographs to bring Waynesville’s history to life. Images, ranging from an 1886 photograph of Main Street to a picture of The Gateway Club building during its construction in 1927, are a rich sample of Haywood County’s photographic heritage.

The project was developed under the auspices of the Historic and Genealogical Society of Haywood County. It seeks to involve the community in locating, preserving and sharing irreplaceable images and stories from the past. 

The exhibition is open to the public and is free. For information call 828.456.6789 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Waynesville Gallery Association presents Art After Dark from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Take a stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street, Depot Street and in Frog Level. Festive flags identify participating galleries such as: Art on Depot; Blue Owl Studio and Gallery; Burr Studio and Gallery; Earthworks Gallery; Grace Cathey Sculpture Garden and Gallery; Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86; Ridge Runner Naturals; Textures; The Jeweler’s Workbench; TPennington Art Gallery; and, Twigs and Leaves Gallery.

Burr Studio is hosting an opening reception with artist Courtney Tomchik and her raku storytellers, mirrors and other items to purchase just in time for holiday gift-giving.

Textures will be having a beer tasting with the Frog Level Brewing Company during December’s Art After Dark. Enjoy soft pretzels and other Holiday treats from “It’s Simply Delicious” while listening to music by Karen “Sugar” Barnes.

Visit Twigs and Leaves Gallery — named “Haywood County’s Best Gallery” by Mountain Xpress for the second year in a row. Enjoy music by the Signature Winds, Haywood County’s resident woodwind quintet, along with piano accompaniment for seasonal favorites.

The Waynesville Gallery Association’s Art After Dark takes place on the first Friday each month May through December 2010. For more information about Art After Dark visit the web site at www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com or call 828.452.9284.

Art After Dark

What: The Waynesville Gallery Association presents December Art After Dark

When: Friday, December 3, 2010 from 6 – 9 pm

Where: Downtown, Historic Frog Level, and Depot Street in Waynesville

The next Sylva After Dark will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, in downtown Sylva. This will be the last Sylva After Dark until May 2011.  

Some of the events planned for Dec. 23 include:

• It’s by Nature will be hosting a one-man show during the month of December for Cullowhee watercolor painter Craig Forrest. The show will be titled, “Downtown Sylva in Detail-Urban Subjects, A New Direction.” An opening reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, Dec. 3.

• Heinzelmannchen Brewery will have a food and beer pairing from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Brewery. Partake samples of beer and fine cuisine.

• Annie’s Naturally Bakery (506 W. Main St.) will be showcasing holiday breads (German stollen and Italian panettone) and pairing them with egg nogg.

• Gallery One will have its Winter Members Show running through December.

• Signature Brew will feature the drawings of Mary Jane Ellsworth of Cullowhee for Sylva after Dark in December. Ellsworth, a member of “The Silent Generation” at William and Mary College, the American Aesthetic Society and the Blue Ridge Watermedia Society, has had juried exhibits at the Biltmore Estate, HART Theatre, the Armory and other venues.

• The Village at Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company will have live music during Sylva After Dark. 

• “The Downtowner Building” offices are having a holiday open house the evening of Dec. 3 during Sylva After Dark. (upstairs in the building to the right of Sapphire Brewing Company). Included are The Tuckaseegee Reader (tuckreader.com), Aurora Professional Design Guild, Jim Smythe, painter, Jackson County Real Estate, The Wilderness Society, AWAKE, and Insure America. All are welcome to drop by for music, food, beverages, and holiday cheer.

The radio version of a classic holiday ghost story, “A Christmas Carol,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

A 30-minute preshow concert will start the evening off with holiday music until the 8 p.m. live broadcast begins.

The show is organized and produced by three WCU faculty members who collaborated two years ago on their first radio re-creation, “The War of the Worlds,” and last year’s award-winning “On the Home Front, Nov. ’44.”

Steve Carlisle, associate dean of the Honors College, is the show’s director; Bruce Frazier, Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Commercial and Electronic Music, is the musical director. Don Connelly, associate professor and head of the Department of Communication, is producer of the show.

The broadcast is a re-enactment of the Campbell’s Playhouse adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” from 1938.

“The audience is watching a radio production. We don’t play to the audience. We play to the microphone,” Connelly said. “It’s a fun thing to do. What’s neat is to expose people to this unique form of storytelling.”

The one-time performance stars Arthur Anderson, who will reprise his role as the Ghost of Christmas Past from the original Orson Welles 1938 radio production. Anderson was 16 years old at the time.

The Dec. 9 performance is being produced with permission of the show’s original sponsor, Campbell’s Soups.

The audience will get the feel of the holiday spirit as vintage Christmas card images from the archive collection of Hallmark Cards of Kansas City are projected onto a large screen at the back of the stage, said Connelly. The Hallmark artists selected cards from the late 1930s specifically for the WCU show.

“A Christmas Carol” will be performed exactly as it was originally done, including live sound effects, a 20-piece orchestra and an eight-person choir, Connelly said.

Frazier has created his own musical scores for the performance. The original 1938 musical director was Bernard Herrmann, who used a variety of music for the original show, such as traditional Christmas carols and folk music to accompany the festive scenes, and an original musical underscore to play during the dramatic moments.

“We are using a small orchestra and a chorus of carolers and will highlight School of Music faculty vocal soloists Mary Kay Bauer and Dan Cherry,” said Frazier. “‘A Christmas Carol’ is a ghost story with a happy ending and the music reflects the contrast of spine-chilling creepiness and unbridled joy.”

Prior to the start of the show at 7:30 p.m., the Biltmore Company will host a display of its first-edition copy of  “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, on loan to WCU from the library in the Biltmore House.

The evening’s events are part of the university’s Quality Enhancement Program, enabling students to experience a practical application of what they are learning. The lobby area of the Fine and Performing Arts Center will feature English students displaying a synopsis of papers on Dickens and his Christmas story. The evening’s printed program will feature papers written this semester by students in a 19th-century English literature class taught by Brent Kinser, associate professor of English.

A number of other students in various departments across campus are involved in this professional collaboration.

For tickets, contact WCU’s Fine and Performing Art Center at 828.227.2479 or visit tickets.wcu.edu. All seats are $10. Advance tickets are suggested.