The sixth annual Western North Carolina Pottery Festival is set for Saturday, Nov. 6, in Dillsboro.

This juried festival showcases more than 40 master potters demonstrating a variety of techniques.

The WNC Pottery Festival was established in 2005 by Travis Berning and Joe Frank McKee of Tree House Pottery and Brant Barnes of Riverwood Pottery. The show’s concept is for potters to interact with the public through demonstrations and sharing their general knowledge of clay. It also gives pottery collectors a chance to meet and take home a piece of pottery from their favorite artists.  

This year, potters from as far away as Texas, Florida, Michigan and New Jersey are exhibiting their wares.

Steven Hill, this year’s featured potter, has been a professional studio potter since 1974. He started working out of a backyard studio and selling his work, mostly at art festivals. By the mid 1990’s he was looking for a way to expand his studio, to begin a resident artist program for aspiring potters, and to provide space for other ceramic artists to work.

Red Star Studios became the home of Steven Hill Pottery from 1998 to 2006. Hill now lives in Sandwich, lll., and has founded Center Street Clay with his partner Kim Miner. This is a studio and residential workshop facility.

Hill has been single-firing his functional stoneware since 1972. Although at times it is frustrating to glaze raw pots, he finds it encourages directness and spontaneity in his work.

Hill received his BFA from Kansas State University in 1973. His work is featured in nationally juried shows and in many ceramics books. He has taught more than 200 workshops throughout the United States and Canada and has been published multiple times. For more information about Steven Hill, Center Street Clay and his workshops visit www.centerstreetclay.com.

A Clay Olympics will be held on Friday, Nov. 5, from 1-3 p.m. at Treehouse Pottery. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in this throwing contest.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine. Admission is $3 per person and includes a ticket for a day-long raffle. Kids under 12 get in free.

For festival information call Tree House Pottery at 828.631.5100.

The Most Unusual Litter Contest is currently open to all who participate in the N.C. Department of Transportation’s fall Litter Sweep or a similar litter cleanup event. All entry forms are due by Oct. 31.

The contest is sponsored by NCDOT, Keep NC Beautiful and the North Carolina Beverage Association, and is held each year during fall and spring Litter Sweeps.

Winning entries are awarded cash prizes of $250 (first place), $100 (second place) and $50 (third place). To enter the contest, take a photo of the unusual litter found during a litter pickup and complete the entry form available at www.keepncbeautiful.org

Contest entries must be found on North Carolina roadways and animals are excluded.

For information call 919.783.6993 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A Deep Creek litter cleanup will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, in conjunction with Make A Difference Day. Volunteers should meet at the Swain County Recreation Park on West Deep Creek Road at 9 a.m.

Volunteers should wear long pants and boots and should bring work gloves, although extra gloves will be available.  In addition, safety vests will be provided. The goal is to clean up West Deep Creek Road from Depot Street downtown to the National Park entrance.

The cleanup is sponsored locally by Love Bryson, the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (JCCCC) and Bryson City Bicycles.

Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. In 2009, more than 3 million people volunteered on that day, accomplishing thousands of projects in hundreds of towns.

For more information about the cleanup call Bryson City Bicycles at 828.488.1988 or visit www.brysoncitybicycles.com; Love Bryson at 828.488.6164; or Holly Krake, OJCCCC, at 828.497.8062.

Volunteers with the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River removed old car parts, iron pipes and other trash from Savannah Creek at the confluence with the Tuckasegee River this month.

Upstream, two old bridge beams were pulled out of the river using heavy equipment provided by landscapers Tim and Tony Henson.

“The beams had sharp bolts and spikes that posed a real bodily threat to rafters and kayakers. Hazards like this are rare, and it is always good to get rid of them,” said Roger Clapp, WATR executive director.

Landowner Tom Blankenship provided access to the creek and river that allowed the cleaning to happen.

For information about WATR call 828.488.8414 or visit www.watrnc.org.

The Haywood Community College Woodsmen’s Team took first in the 2010 John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet and Forest Festival Day recently held at the Cradle of Forestry. The team competed against Montgomery Community College, North Carolina State University, Penn State Mont Alto, and Virginia Tech.

Following is a list of all HCC finishes:

• Quiz Bowl, 3rd Place Team – Shane Baker, Johnny Manuel, Chris Steely, Bill Sweeney

• Dendrology, 1st Place Team – Shane Baker, Bill Sweeney; 2nd Place Team – Johnny Manuel, Laura Strother

• Archery, 1st Place Team – Trevor Lauber, Craig Oliver

• Team Log Roll, 4th Place Team – Heather Franklin, Vance Hagan, Zach Ritter, Kirby Shipman

• Orienteering, 4th Place – Dillon Michael

• Standing Block Chop/Male, 1st Place – Daniel Jones

• Pulp Toss for Accuracy, 3rd Place Team – Caleb Ferrell, Heather Franklin, Vance Hagan, Josh Justice, Dillon Michael, Kirby Shipman; 4th Place Team – Andy Fitzsimmons, James Judge, Kendall Judge, Justin Kearse, Joseph Lineberger, Laura Strother

• Axe Throw/Female, 3rd Place – Heather Franklin

• Axe Throw/Male, 3rd Place – Josh Justice

• Pole Fell, 4th Place Team – Miles Arnette, Kyle Childers

• Pole Climb/Female, 1st Place – Danielle Crocker

• Pole Climb/Male, 1st Place – Hunter Edmundson; 3rd Place – Zach Ritter

• Cross Cut/Male, 3rd Place – Joseph Lineberger, Kirby Shipman; 4th Place – Andy Fitzsimmons, Kendall Judge

• Cross Cut/Female, 2nd Place – Erin Kearse, Laura Strother

• Cross Cut/Jack and Jill, 2nd Place – Andy Fitzsimmons, Laura Strother

• Single Buck/Male, 1st Place – Daniel Jones; 2nd Place – James Judge

• Bolt Split/Female, 1st Place – Laura Strother; 4th Place – Chize Love

• Bolt Split/Male, 1st Place – Kirby Shipman; 4th Place – Preston Winters

• Chain Saw/Female, 2nd Place – Erin Kearse; 4th Place – Heather Franklin

• Chain Saw/Male, 2nd Place – James Judge

• Horizontal Speed Chop/Male, 1st Place – Daniel Jones

Approximately 20 volunteers and staff will converge at Suli Marsh on the Little Tennessee River Greenway from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, to eradicate exotic invasive plants smothering and crowding out native plants in natural areas.  

Some volunteers will work in the standing water of the marsh (in waders) while others will work around the edges of the marsh.   

Western Carolina University’s Service Learning Center hosts several days of service throughout the year to engage students in organized activities designed to enhance their understanding of course content, meet community needs, develop career-related skills, and become responsible citizens.

The Friends of Panthertown will hold its monthly Trail Work Day on Oct. 23.

Volunteers should meet at the Salt Rock parking area at 9:30 a.m. Tools will be provided and no experience is necessary.

The trail group will hike less than 5 miles and will be finished before 3 p.m. Visit the volunteer homepage at www.panthertown.wordpress.com/volunteer/ for more information on what to bring, how to prepare and what to expect. You can also sign up to receive an e-newsletter and get on the Friends of Panthertown mailing list by updating your e-mail subscription in the menu box on the right side column of the website.

Clayton Jordan is the new Chief Ranger for Resource and Visitor Protection at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“I am honored and excited for the opportunity to join the team at the Smokies,” said newly appointed Chief Ranger Jordan. “The park has an incredible staff with a great reputation for accomplishing so much every year to protect this world class park and to provide a safe, enjoyable experience for the millions of visitors who come to experience it.”

Jordan comes to this position most recently from Gulf Islands National Seashore, Fla.-Miss., where he served as the chief ranger since November 2006. He also played a vital role in the unified command of the recent Mississippi Canyon oil spill response along the Mississippi-Alabama-Florida coast. He was the U.S. Department of Interior’s second-in-command to the joint federal, state and private effort, as well as being a point person to NPS Director Jon Jarvis during this effort.

Former Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Merrill D. (Dave) Beal, 84, died on Sept. 21, at his home in Eugene, Ore.

Beal’s final National Park Service (NPS) assignment was as Smokies superintendent from December 1978 to 1983. He also served as assistant superintendent from 1969-1972.

“One of Dave’s major accomplishments during his tenure at the Smokies was his involvement in completing the park’s General Management Plan, a core planning document that continues to guide park managers in balancing visitor use and facility development with preservation,” said park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. The document described the future operations of the park after the major work was done in completing construction of park’s facilities, i.e., roads, trails, picnic areas, campgrounds, for visitor use. A draft of the document was released to the public one year after Beal took the park’s top job.   

“Dave will be remembered for his effective leadership skills and his positive approach in dealing with park neighbors and stakeholders,” said Ditmanson.

The Haywood Heroes 5K Road Race and 1-mile Fun Run honoring emergency service personnel who gave their lives in the line of duty will be held Saturday, Nov. 6, in Canton.

The race is sponsored by the Canton Lions Club and the Development Association. It will begin at the Canton Armory at 9 a.m. and follow a route through Canton’s historic neighborhoods and downtown district. The 1-mile Fun Run for children will begin at 10 a.m.

A monument will be erected to memorialize those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice to help individuals in need and to keep our county safe.

Cost is $20 in advance, or $25 day-of for the 5K and includes a T-shirt. The fun run is free. Day-of registration will begin at 7 a.m.

www.gloryhoundevents.com or 828.508.9608.

Authors Michael Beadle and Peter Yurko will discuss and sign copies of their new pictorial history book, Waynesville, from noon to 2 p.m. on Oct. 22 at Cackleberry Mountain Gift Shop.

This is Beadle’s second Images of America book and Yurko’s first. Beadle is a poet, journalist and touring writer-in-residence living in Canton. Yurko has a passion for history and lives in Waynesville with his wife, Nicole.

Waynesville is available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at 888.313.2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.

If you’ve got a young reader who has difficulty reading to parents or teachers, the Haywood County Public Library may have a new approach to consider — reading to a friendly, non-judgmental canine.

Puppy Tales, a program designed to encourage children to read by providing a certified therapy dog who will lie next to them and listen while they read, is now available by appointment on Tuesday afternoons and on Saturday mornings at the Waynesville library branch.

Assistant Library Director Sharon Woodrow said she is excited to be offering the program to Haywood County children. Puppy Tales currently has three certified therapy dogs — Myles, an Australian shepherd trained by Kristen Walker; Bodie, a Shelty trained by Joy Newton; and Lily, a Shih Tzu trained by Susan Hale.

“Around the country, programs similar to this one have been very successful in helping children improve their reading skills, sometimes by as much as 16 percent,” Woodrow said. “The children like being with the dog, so they begin to view reading in a more positive way. Over time, their confidence improves because they are practicing their skills.”

The program is aimed at children in grades 1-5. Appointments are available by contacting Donna Surles at 828.356.2519. Each session is for 20 to 30 minutes per person.

All dogs that participate in the program are certified.

Author Barbara Dumas Ballew will be signing copies of her novel, George’s Creek to Georgia, on Oct. 23 at PumpkinFest in Franklin.

Ballew, an accomplished genealogist and storyteller from Franklin, takes readers back to a simpler time in her novel, a time when a young illiterate pioneer purchased land for his first farm, met the woman of his dreams, and started a family. Ballew’s great-grandmother Lurana, one of Elijah’s children, took on the strong nature of her father, persevering even when her parents died and she and her husband were left homeless expecting their first child.

To the Editor:

Some of us may be confused about the many judicial contests. However, the name of one candidate is important to remember — Steve Ellis is running for the Davis seat in the 30th Judicial District, which comprises Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

Steve Ellis has the most experience of any candidate — 25 years of courtroom experience in a wide range of cases, including three years as assistant district attorney and more than six years representing the Haywood County Department of Social Services in its court cases for abused and neglected children. For an appointment to an open judicial seat last year, Steve received the most votes from the attorneys of our seven-county district, more than twice as many as the next candidate. This shows that attorneys in the district, including prosecutors and defense attorneys, know Steve would be a fair and impartial judge.

Steve is a Lay Leader for the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. He is a member of the board of directors of Wilderness Trail, a backpacking ministry and is a former youth sports coach in his community. He is not associated with any special interest group. 

Please remember Steve Ellis when you go to vote.

Carole Larivee

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Here are some disturbing trends.

The top 20 percent of the wealthiest individuals own 93 percent of America’s private wealth.

The top 1 percent own 43 percent of the money.

The bottom 40 percent own less than 1 percent.

Over 42,400 American factories have either moved overseas or closed between 2001 and 2009.

Over 32 percent of our manufacturing jobs went overseas. Millions more were lost in mega mergers of companies.

Yet Former President Bush and Vice President Cheney along with the Republican Party leadership decided that it would be good to give the richest people a huge tax reduction which is supposed to end this year but the Republicans running for office want to extend it or make it permanent while the Democrats do not.

The most devastating economic recession in America’s history began with the Bush Republican administration which, along with the super rich/super smart people of Wall Street, now wants you to believe that their Republican Party will save America and bring back jobs?

Folks, this is not the America I fought for or believe in. It is time we check into Freedom Works, the Tea Party movement and Republican candidates to see how much money is being given to them by these super rich people who only represent 1 percent of the vote but control 43 percent of the money.

This election, ask yourself if you want to give the keys back to the Republican Party so they can drive the country into another economic ditch. This election should be about cleaning up the Republican Party so it does not worship on the altar of mega capitalism, which is destroying this country.

Your vote can change America and get your job back, but not if we put the Republicans back into control. It will take years to clean up the hypocrites and bring fresh new untainted candidates into the Republican Party. The Democrat Party should also begin house cleaning, but they did not create the mess we are in today — they just have to deal with it.

Larry Stenger

Franklin

To the Editor:

Who is Ron Robinson? He must be someone who has powers beyond those of the mortals he wants to “educate.” He has never been to a meet the candidate’s event, forum, or any other event where he could really be informed about which he speaks, yet magically he knows all about what is in the minds and hearts of the opposition commissioner candidates.

He even knows that Cody Elders is one person instead of two (wrong). He knows that Cody, Debnam and Elders said they supported an early revaluation of property (a flat-out lie) even when they were all opposed to that because it was a waste of the taxpayer’s money. He knows that they want to turn over our beautiful mountains over to evil private enterprise that “would treat our mountains like coal mine operators treat the mountains of West Virginia,” (a lie) even though all of them supported sensible controls. 

Most sensible people would think it was wrong for government to make 25 to 30 percent of anyone’s land worthless. How much of grandpa’s land do you want big brother to manage for you Ron? How much green space and steeper land do you want to donate to the county but continue to pay the taxes? Just how much of these mountains do you actually own — 1,000 acres, 500 acres, 50 acres, 10 acres (am I getting closer)? How much do you claim? Are the owners of that property aware that it is really yours? Maybe you should just claim what land the state, federal, and local governments own in Jackson County, which is around 50 percent.

Mr. Robinson also must be an economics guru as is our current commissioner’s chairman, Brian McMahan. They seem to think that government salaries or any government expenditure does not “drain” county revenue. They seem to think there is a pool of money that is not depleted if you take some out of it.

Or they could just slap a 1 percent land transfer tax on us so they can have more to spend.

My friends, when it takes the average property tax bill of over 100 Jackson County citizens to pay the salary (not counting perks and benefits) of County Manager Ken Westmoreland, that is a drain by any definition.  The ignorance of simple economics by these two would be amusing if one of them was not holding our purse strings. 

Ron “knows” that the county expenditures have been reduced by 10 percent over the last year when in reality it is less than 5 percent. Could the $2 million (25 percent) fall in sales tax revenue have anything to do with that? That fall in sales tax revenue makes up over 3 percent of the total budget. He “knows” that Jackson County owns shiny vehicles.   Apparently he does not know we own around 200 of them — many of which are driven for personal use, even though they are non-emergency vehicles. How much does gas, tires, oil, insurance, depreciation, etc. cost each taxpayer? Ask Ron, he must know.

He “knows” that the county can’t break up massive building projects into smaller ones, allowing our local contractors to obtain bonding to bid on the jobs. He “knows” that no contractor west of Charlotte was found to be qualified to build the building at SCC. He “knows” that Jackson County had to contribute no money toward the construction of the building at SCC even though it is listed as a line item on the 2010-2011 budget.

Ralph Slaughter

Jackson County

Haywood Regional Medical Center, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain County Hospital have taken the next step in the affiliation that joined the three hospitals under the MedWest umbrella. The hospitals will now be known as MedWest-Haywood, MedWest-Harris and MedWest-Swain. MedWest is an affiliate of Carolinas HealthCare, the largest healthcare system in North and South Carolina.

“As we continue to work through our affiliation agreement, it became important to unite the medical staff and employees at each of our hospitals with a single name, while at the same time allowing each campus to retain its individual identity,” said Mike Poore, MedWest CEO.

MedWest is beginning to undergo signage changes to reflect the new name, although the process will take time. MedWest recently unveiled its new logo to employees and physicians, after undergoing an extensive market research study that involved a large-scale consumer perception survey and focus groups among staff and physicians.

Together, MedWest-Haywood (170 beds), MedWest-Harris (86 beds), MedWest-Swain (48 beds) and an outpatient clinic in Franklin employ 2,100. There are 230 physicians on the medical staff.

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled “Turning your Hobby into a Business” on Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 6-8 p.m. It will be held on campus in the Student Center Building, first floor.

In this two-hour interactive seminar, Gregory Paolini will address some of the most common concerns about making the transition from hobby to business, plus he’ll share some of the benefits you can enjoy by entering the business arena.  

Paolini designs and creates handmade wood furniture at his home in Haywood County. His work has been featured in numerous books, magazines, and newspapers, including the preeminent Fine Woodworking Magazine.

In addition, Paolini has authored freelance articles and advice columns for several publications, including Woodwork, Fine Woodworking, and Cabinetmaker magazines. Taunton Publishing will release his woodworking book and video in the spring.

828.627.4512.

The Swain County Sheriff’s Office has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice under the 2010 COPS Hiring Program.

The grant, in the amount of $125,811.00, will cover one officer position for a three-year period. The grant will be used to pay the wages and related benefits for the officer during that time. As part of the grant, Swain County will be required to retain the officer for one additional year after the completion of the grant period.

Commissioners will have to act to accept the grant before it can become effective.

Haywood Animal Welfare Association is holding a Microchip Clinic, Saturday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Vance Street Park behind Bi-Lo in Waynesville.  For the cost of $15 the pet will be registered for life with HomeAgain. Pet owners should sign up for time slot ahead of time by calling 828.452.1329.

Haywood County Recreation & Parks Department is now accepting registration for the 2010-11 Kids Recreation Basketball League.

Designed for ages 5-15, the recreation basketball league guarantees that each child will get the opportunity to play at least half of every game. The program focuses on learning the game where each age group has adapted rules to ensure the development of skills, such as 8-foot goals for ages 5-8.  

Registration fee includes a NBA replica jersey for each child to keep, practice one night a week, one practice game on Dec. 4, eight official games and a completion certificate. Practice begins the week of Nov. 15 and the last scheduled game is Feb. 12.  

Early registration of $40 for first child and $75 for two children ends Sept. 24.  Regular registration of $50 for first child and $95 for two children will be from Sept. 27 – Oct. 8. Registration forms are available online through the Recreation Department link at www.haywoodnc.net or at the Haywood County Recreation & Parks Dept. office at 81 Elmwood Way (former MARC Building). Scholarships are also available upon special request.  

828.452.6789 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The second annual “Coats 4 Folks” program in Swain County will continue through Oct. 31, and winter clothes can be dropped off at collection boxes in all county buildings.

Organizers are collecting gently used coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, gloves, scarves, etc., to forward to the Swain County Family Resource Center. As in the past, the center has sorted and made these items available to the public. Swain County Family Resource Center Director, Melissa Barker has announced that they will begin distributing items on Fridays, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. beginning Oct. 22.

If there are severe hardship cases that dictate immediate attention, persons are urged to call Mike Clampitt, 828.736.6222 to make arrangements. “Last years coats program was a great success”

For further information, contact Mike Clampitt at 828.736.6222 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Live and Learn program “The Genetics of Addiction” will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, in the Gains Auditorium of the Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.  The program is designed to aid in understanding addiction.

Experts from the Healthy Haywood Substance Abuse Team will be on hand to teach about addiction.

This program is sponsored by the Junaluskans, an organization of people who live at Lake Junaluska or are friends of Lake Junaluska.

828.452.2881 ext.450.

The Haywood Heroes 5K Road Race and 1-mile Fun Run honoring emergency service personnel who gave their lives in the line of duty will be held Saturday, Nov. 6, in Canton.

The race is sponsored by the Canton Lions Club and the Development Association. It will begin at the Canton Armory at 9 a.m. and follow a route through Canton’s historic neighborhoods and downtown district. The 1-mile Fun Run for children will begin at 10 a.m.

A monument will be erected to memorialize those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to help individuals in need and to keep our county safe.

Cost is $20 in advance, or $25 day-of for the 5K and includes a T-shirt. The fun run is free. Day-of registration will begin at 7 a.m.

www.gloryhoundevents.com or 828.508.9608.

The Haywood County Health Department is offering flu vaccines on a walk-in basis, with no appointment necessary, to people ages 19 and older.

The walk-in vaccines are available from 9 a.m. to Noon Monday-Thursday and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Nov. 30 at the Health Department, located at 2177 Asheville Highway. People who are ages 18 and younger, or who can’t come during walk-in hours, may schedule an appointment to get the vaccine by calling the health department at 828.452.6675.

The cost will be $28 for flu vaccine and $35 for flu mist. The health department will accept full payment in cash, check and from the following insurances: Medicare, Medicaid, Unicare, Humana, NC Health Choice, Today’s Option Pyramids, Medicare PPO insurances, Railroad Medicare, Aetna, BCBC of NC insurances, BCBS NC state Health Plan – if the policies covers vaccines. The Health Department will not be able to bill any other insurances including Tricare. Clients are asked to please bring their insurance cards with them. Pneumonia vaccines are not currently available.

For more information, call the Haywood County Health Department Flu Hot Line 24 hours a day at 828.356.1111 or the health department at 828.452.6675 and pressing Option 5.

A Halloween event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Best Buy store in Waynesville to benefit Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation.

Pets dressed in Halloween costumes can have their photos taken with their owners for a $5 donation to Sarge’s.  Photos will be printed immediately.

“These photos will be fun to share with friends and family and to include in Thanksgiving or other holiday cards,” said Barbara Buck, coordinator of the event.

There will be treats available for children and pets. Complementary face painting will be provided by Carmela Egan.

“We will have other surprise activities for the day, information regarding Sarge’s and photos of cats and dogs available for adoption,” Buck said.  “I hope the community will come out to enjoy this event sponsored by Best Buy to benefit Sarge’s.”

For information call Sarge’s at 246.9050 or visit www.sargeandfriends.org.

Complimentary demonstrations on how to build a gingerbread house will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 1, in Grand Ballroom C at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.

The demonstration is in preparation of The 18th annual National Gingerbread House Competition which will be held at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa later this year and awards more than $12,000 in cash and prizes

Pastry experts from The Grove Park Inn, Chef James Hall and Blue Ridge Dining Room Sous Chef Lance Ethridge-Padilla will demonstrate and guide participants in the necessary techniques for success. Recipes, entry forms and other useful information will be available at the demonstration. Watch and learn the skills of designing, baking and decorating your very own gingerbread masterpiece!

For information call 800.438.5800, 828.252.2711 or visit www.groveparkinn.com.

Storyteller and writer Gary Carden’s Liars Bench programs will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 23 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva and again at 6 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the Waynesville Library.

Appearing this month are: Steve Brady, musician and actor, who will be telling the ghostly tale of the White Owl at High Hampton; Lloyd Arneach, who will tell the Cherokee myth of Spearfinger; Barbara Duncan, who will sing a few tragic ballads about doomed lovers; Paul Iarussi, who will do several ballads that date back to the 40’s; Dave Waldrop, who will perform song and dance; nd Carden, who will tell the wondrous tale of an Irish lad that lost his manhood and gained a family.

Arneach will not be at the Waynesville program, but Carden will recount the Spearfinger story.

The program is free, although a hat is passed. For information email Carden at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Rhonda Vincent and Gene Watson will perform Oct. 29 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. They will perform their No. 1 single, “Staying Together,” and other duets, as well as both artists performing full shows with their individual bands.

Famously crowned as “the new queen of bluegrass” by the Wall Street Journal, and indeed the most decorated musician in that field, Vincent’s music is actually much more inclusive and accessible than that banner would suggest, incorporating savvy contemporary touches while drawing deeply from the haunting mountain soul of classic Monroe-styled bluegrass. The presence on Taken of special guests ranging from Dolly Parton to Richard Marx to Little Roy Lewis affirms Vincent’s wide-ranging vision.

Vincent, this year’s Bluegrass Entertainer of the Year and eight times Female Vocalist of the Year, headlines this super show with her band of super pickers, “The Rage.”

Watson is a singer in country music’s grand tradition and has the skill to give powerful vocal performances and draw all the emotion from his selected material effortlessly. Gene has remained true to his Texas music roots for the best part of 30 years and is a standard bearer for honest, traditional country music.

Tickets from $20 to $30 on sale at the Center’s box office, Dalton’s Bookstore in Franklin and Waynesville, at GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Percy Sledge will bring his distinctive voice and style to Eaglenest Entertainment in Maggie Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23.

Sledge will forever be associated with “When a Man Loves a Woman,” a soulful ballad he sang with wrenching, convincing anguish and passion. Sledge sang all of his songs that way, delivering them in a powerful rush where he quickly changed from soulful belting to quavering, tearful pleas.

That voice that made him one of the key figures of deep Southern soul during the late ‘60s. Sledge recorded at Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, where he frequently sang songs written by Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn. Not only did he sing deep soul, but Sledge was among the pioneers of country-soul,.

Sledge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

Tickets are available at the venue box office and by phone at 828.926.9658. For information visit www.eaglenestnc.com.

Guadalupes in Sylva will be hosting a “Country Music Get Down!” on Friday, Oct. 22, featuring the Dan River Drifters of  Jackson County and Jacob Jones of Nashville.

This fall celebration will be sponsored by the Nantahala Brewing Company.

The Dan River Drifters consist of Jesse and Zach Lapinski on mandolin and guitar, Andrew Lawson on vocals/harmonica and guitar, Tim Sheehan on banjo and Adam

Bigelow on upright bass. This high-energy band mixes old time and traditional influences w/ upbeat original tunes.

Nashville musician Jacob Jones is coming off a year in which he released two albums with Electric Western Records and toured from coast to coast.

The Arc of Haywood County is holding its second annual “Arc”toberfest from 7 to 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29, at The Gateway Club in Waynesville from

Tickets are available for $50 per person and include heavy hors d’oeuvres and dancing to the music of “A Social Function.” Proceeds from the event will be used to offset state mental health budget cuts to The Arc programs and services.

Tickets can be purchased at The Arc office at 407 Welch St. in Waynesville or by calling 828.452.1980 ext. 300. The Arc provides residential serves for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For information visit at www.arcofhaywood.org.

Gospel group, Blue Ridge, will host a unique night of music beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 at The Smoky Mountain Center of the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Blue Ridge will perform all their songs including the hits “One Nation,” “I’m Going to Heaven” and “Back to the Well.” In addition, Blue Ridge will perform alongside a 200-voice gospel choir. The choir will be singing their own favorites as well as backing Blue Ridge on many of their gospel and patriotic favorites.

Blue Ridge is a versatile music group that began as an outgrowth of a county-wide youth group in Franklin, and has since crisscrossed country with their contagious style of gospel music.

Tickets $10. For information visit GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

Pale glimmers of subdued lighting casting shadowy silhouettes against a backdrop of muffled voices will transform the historic Shelton House from a gallery where artifacts, crafts and valuable artistic pieces are displayed in an eerie setting where ghostly tales are relayed.

The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts at Shelton House will host the second Ghosts and Goblets event from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 23, with the storytelling program lasting approximately one hour.

Those wishing to attend, including children age 10 and up,  should come to the Shelton House Barn where small groups will be assembled throughout the evening. Goblets of wine and juice as well as light refreshments will be available in the barn before or after the visit with storytellers. Refreshments will be served until 10 p.m.

Storytellers will be situated in various rooms in the historic Shelton House and will mesmerize the audience with tales of ghostly encounters, strange occurrences and spectral visits — blurring the line between real, surreal and supernatural. No goblins or monsters will startle from behind a creaky door, but the tales relayed will impress the audience with their potential for hazy connections between imagination and actuality.

The Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts is celebrating its 30th anniversary affiliation with historic Shelton House, built in 1875.  Ghosts and Goblets is one in a series of events and fundraisers held in 2010 to support the upkeep of the house and the museum collection. Tickets are $10 at the door.  

Shelton House is open May through October, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Curator Jackie Stephens is available to give tours and introduce visitors to the history of the house, its original owners, and the extensive craft collection.

The changing face of Appalachia is the subject of an upcoming photography exhibit at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University.

“Seeing Rural Appalachia,” large-format photographs by Mike Smith, will run Sunday, Oct. 24, through Friday, Dec. 17. The public is invited to a free reception beginning at 2 p.m. Oct. 24.

Smith’s photographs expose the human impact on the landscape, from aged, weather-softened farm buildings that seem to be an organic part of the landscape to the jarring reality of big, bright, new gas stations. His photographs of rural Tennessee show the lush beauty of the land while they reveal the suburban encroachment that threatens much of rural Appalachia. This exhibit collects Smith’s work from the past five years.

“The natural mountain landscape immediately made a profound impression on me when I arrived in East Tennessee in 1981. So did the rural lifestyle of the population,” Smith said. “Weeks after I arrived, I began my attempt to define both with my camera. I continue that effort today.”

Smith is a professor of art at East Tennessee State University, a Guggenheim Fellow and a founding member of the Appalachian Photographers Project. His works have been acquired by major U.S. museums, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum. His monograph “You’re Not from Around Here: Photographs of East Tennessee” was published in 2004, and he’s exhibited work at the Whitney Museum and San Francisco MoMA.

The Fine Art Museum’s hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. The museum also is open one hour before Fine and Performing Arts Center Galaxy of Stars performances and selected Saturday “Family Art Days.”

For more information, contact Denise Drury, curatorial assistant, at 828.227.3591 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visit the museum online at fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.

Western Carolina University will mark five years of art and entertainment beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center with a gala featuring art, music and a theatrical revue of songs by George and Ira Gershwin.

Festivities move indoors at 7 p.m. for a performance by WCU’s resident Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet, followed by a 7:30 p.m. curtain time for “’S Wonderful.” The new off-Broadway revue transports the audience to different places in different decades with scenes set in New York in the ’20s, Paris in the ’30s, Hollywood in the ’40s and New Orleans in the ’50s. Musical numbers include classics such as “Swanee,” “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “Nice Work if you Can Get It,” “Summertime,” “I’ve Got Rhythm” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

“It is time to celebrate and reaffirm the magic of this facility,” said Robert Kehrberg, founding dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts at WCU and member of the committee that began planning the facility.

The gala, recognition of past FAPAC achievements as well as a look ahead, will begin with an outdoor cocktail reception held under tents in the FAPAC courtyard. Reception guests will experience the unveiling of WCU’s new outdoor sculpture exhibition and have the opportunity to preview a Fine Art Museum exhibit of contemporary images of Appalachia by photographer Mike Smith.

Tickets to the Gershwin revue plus entry to the cocktail reception $100. Orchestra seats for only “’S Wonderful” $50; club seating $35; and balcony seat tickets $25.

To buy tickets or for information call 828.227.2479 or fapac.wcu.edu.

A concert and free symposium to raise awareness of the intersection of environmental, health and indigenous issues related to mountain destruction will be held Thursday and Friday, Oct. 21-22, in the theater of the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University.

WCU’s Division of Educational Outreach and Cherokee Studies Program are sponsoring the first “Rooted in the Mountains: Valuing Our Common Ground” with the Center for Native Health, which initiated the project.

The concert will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday and will feature entertainment by Sheila Kay Adams, Tawodi Brown, John John Grant, Kate Larken, Sue Massek, Paula Nelson and the WCU Porch Music Club. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7.50 at the door, with proceeds benefiting iLoveMountains.org.

The symposium, free and open to the public, will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. Keynote speaker, Silas House, an acclaimed writer and National Endowment for the Humanities Chair in Appalachian Studies at Berea College, and other presenters, including Clara Sue Kidwell (enrolled member of the White Earth Chippewa tribe), director, American Indian Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Evelyn Conley (Keetoowah), chair, Indigenous Education Institute; Tom Belt (Cherokee), WCU Cherokee language instructor; Heidi Altman, associate professor of anthropology, Georgia Southern University; Marilou Awiakta (Cherokee), author; ethnobotanist David Cozzo, a WCU faculty member and director of the Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources; and Brian Byrd, WCU assistant professor of environmental health will be present.

Other sponsors include WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center, Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, the Canary Coalition and the Tuckasegee Community Alliance.

Preregister online at www.wcu.edu/27734.asp; for information, contact Pamela Duncan, symposium co-chair, at 828.227.3926.

Are you artsy or interested in art? Want to engage the community and enrich public spaces through original art that celebrates Waynesville’s unique historic, cultural, natural and human resources?

Then join the Waynesville Public Art Commission, because that is exactly the mission of this nine-member board. The Public Art Commission has a vacancy and is seeking a member willing to make decisions, raise funds and help preserve and expand the public art collection.

For more information call 828.452.2491 or visit  for an application.

ColorFest, Art of the Blue Ridge, will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Oct. 23 in downtown Sylva.

The annual event will host some of the most accomplished artists in Western North Carolina.

ColorFest is produced by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia in partnership with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Jackson County Visual Artists Association.

Derek Roland’s presentation about the effort to create a comprehensive planning document for Macon County suggested that a progressive document might come out of the planning process. But it was evident from the ensuing question-and-answer session [see main article] that it would form a basis for difficult discussions to come.

“The process is in its beginning stages,” Roland said. “The board came up with a plan skeleton, with ideas for what they thought should be in it.”

Roland said the planning board intends to work extensively with citizens of Macon County, holding meetings in communities.

“Land use is the central issue,” he acknowledged. “The key is knowing where we are now, knowing how much growth we can sustain, what the current infrastructure is and future needs will be.”

From 1990 to 2009 the county’s population grew 44 percent, Roland said, adding that that hot rate represents a trend to consider, though the growth rate has fallen off and projections take that into account.

“For 2009 to 2029 growth is projected to be 30 percent — 46,191 people, or 89.61 people per square mile,” he said. “That’s considerably below the state average of 120 people per square mile, but it’s still much more that in 1991.”

Given those projections, Macon residents need to determine the future of their community, Roland said. At the moment, though, building permits — a leading indicator of growth — are off 35 percent from a year ago, he said.

“That presents a perfect opportunity to plan,” Roland said. “Growth’s not coming in faster than we can blink an eye. We have time to sit back and put something in place. So we have a chance now to determine growth rather than growth determining what it’s going to look like for us.”

You can’t stop ... growth

Growth, while inevitable and desirable, is also what presents the challenges that good planning seeks to address, Roland said.

“The comprehensive plan seeks to identify land currently suitable and feasible for growth, with the least impact on taxpayers,” he said. “The questions are: ‘When will growth begin to strain the county? At what point will it put strain on infrastructure, public facilities, on agriculture, on land we want to preserve, and on public services?’”

Roland said the board wanted to identify the things that set Macon County apart from the rest of the world — its recreational opportunities, its scenic beauty, its streams, trails, farms.

“We want to identify what we want to preserve,” he said, adding that current generations shouldn’t have to talk to their children and grandchildren about the beauty that used to be here. They should be able to point to it, and reminisce about the good times they had there.

At the same time, the county needs to develop economically and create jobs for those future residents.

Our children should be able to work here and prosper without having to go to Charlotte to get a job,” Roland said.

By Tim Campbell • Guest Columnist

Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company has been a proud part of Sylva and Jackson County since 1995. Our community’s highly-skilled and dedicated workforce, solid infrastructure, good business climate and quality of life all combine to make the area a great place to work and live.

We are pleased and fortunate to be able to build on the success we’ve had at Jackson Paper by establishing a new operation in Sylva, Stonewall Packaging. Announced in April, the new venture will take the fluted corrugating medium being made from 100-percent recycled paper at Jackson Paper and linerboard from other manufacturers to produce corrugated sheets of cardboard.

The more than $17 million investment in Stonewall will create 61 new jobs over the next three years. The jobs will pay an average of $39,344 not including benefits. Jackson County’s average annual wage is $27,820.

Renovations are already under way on Scotts Creek Road at the old, 200,000-square-foot Chasam Building, which will house the new Stonewall operation. One natural gas boiler that meets or exceeds industry standards for emissions will power the facility. Production is expected to begin there in late fall.

In Phase 2 of the Stonewall project, the company will build a new mill similar to the 139,000-square-foot Jackson Paper manufacturing facility, including a wood-fired boiler and stack. The new mill, to be located on a site adjacent to Jackson Paper, will produce linerboard from 100-percent recycled cardboard. Although we may be permitted to do so, there are no plans to use any fuel source other than wood at the Stonewall mill.

Phase 2 could begin in two to three years, but is contingent on the economy and the demand for the product continuing to grow.

Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company was established in 1995, but the mill sits on an industrial site that has been home for more than a century to various manufacturers, including Mead, which operated a paper mill for nearly 50 years. Federal rules governing the discharge of effluent resulted in closure of the Mead operation in 1974. Subsequent owners converted the mill to the production of 100-percent recycled corrugated medium with a closed-loop water treatment system and began the work of cleaning up the site.

Since 1995, Jackson Paper has invested significantly in facility and machine upgrades at the mill and has systems in place that meet or exceed government mandates and regulations for air and water quality.

Unlike most paper mills, Jackson Paper does not use fossil fuels to fire its boiler but burns waste-wood. The boiler generates steam that powers the turbine-driven paper machine and dryers, and heats the plant. A pollution control scrubber prevents wood ash from leaving the boiler.

With an annual output of more than 100,000 tons of corrugating medium, the mill is the largest producer of 100-percent recycled paper in the state of North Carolina.

Jackson Paper diverts approximately 109,000 tons of Old Corrugated Containers (OCC) – or cardboard – from landfills annually. That’s the equivalent of 72 million boxes the size of an average microwave.

Jackson Paper’s closed-loop water system and treatment facility allows the plant to reuse the large quantities of water needed in the papermaking process, resulting in zero discharge of waste into the stream or sewer.

Many of Jackson Paper’s environmental practices have been recognized by government and business groups, both inside and outside the paper industry. Most recently, the company earned the Sustainable Forestry Initiative designation of the Forest Stewardship Council for its recycling efforts.

Jackson Paper takes very seriously its role as good and responsible stewards of our environment and our communities, and we are committed to applying those same guiding principles and practices as we move forward with the Stonewall project and creating more jobs for the people of this region.

(Tim Campbell is President and CEO of Stonewall Packaging and Jackson Paper Manufacturing Co., an independently-owned mill in Sylva that produces 100-percent recycled paper used by independent box manufacturers to make the fluted layer of corrugated boxes. With 119 employees, Jackson Paper is one of the largest private employers in Jackson County.)

Construction will soon begin on a medical office building on the Harris Regional Hospital campus in Sylva.

The new 45,000-square-foot, three-story building will house physician practices, allowing for growth of the medical community. The building will also house an outpatient laboratory and x-ray to make access easier for patients.

“Currently most of the physician office space on the Harris Regional Hospital campus is occupied, so we’re very excited about the development of this new building which will provide the opportunity for our medical staff to grow and for hospital related functions to expand, so that we can better serve the community” said Mark Leonard, CEO, WestCare Health System.”

As a testimony to the growing medical community, WestCare has recruited 11 new physicians and seven new physician assistants during the past six months.

The medical office building is being built by a private entity who will in turn lease space to doctors.

No capital or foundation money from WestCare is involved. WestCare will ground lease the land to the developer, Colony Development Partners of Charlotte.

Colony Development Partners said there is enough demand in the Jackson County medical community to support the building.

“We’ve pretty much got the building almost 100 percent leased with physicians at the hospital,” said Heath Knott of Colony Development Partners.

Colony Development Partners is a full-service turnkey healthcare development company. Its portfolio includes speculative medical offices, hospital-sponsored medical office buildings, surgery centers and single-practice medical office buildings.

Knott called the planned building a “Class A” medical office building. It will have covered patient drop-off and two gurney-sized elevators.

Adequate data lines and power outlets are particularly important in the building’s design as the health care industry transitions away from paper charts and to electronic medical records.

“WestCare is on the forefront of electronic medical records, which are an integral part of medicine moving forward,” Knott said. “To be able to use the Internet securely and access servers is critical to medical operations today.”

WestCare Health System is in the process of affiliating with Haywood Regional Medical Center and Carolinas HealthCare System, a network of 25 hospitals headquartered in Charlotte.

The Cherokee Nation and Harrah’s pulled out all the stops to mark start of construction on a third hotel tower at the tribe’s casino — an addition that will make the property the largest hotel in the state.

The $633 million work is also the largest construction project in the state, according to Lynn Minges, assistant secretary of tourism, marketing and global branding, who came from Raleigh for the breakfast event and groundbreaking last Friday (July 10).

Also speaking at the event were Principal Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of Cherokees; Norma Moss, chair of the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise; Darold Londo, senior vice president and general manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel; John Payne, Central Division president of Harrah’s Entertainment; and Ken Leach, executive vice president of Turner Construction, the company building the hotel tower.

At a breakfast before the groundbreaking, Hicks expressed his view that the massive expansion effort — adding 532 luxury rooms — will grow and transform the property into “a world-class entertainment and tourism destination.” He also noted that the timing of the project is fortuitous.

“Despite the economy, the expansion will position the property perfectly — and ahead of the competition — when the economy rebounds and we can welcome new customers anxious for world-class entertainment, accommodations and service,” said Hicks.

Hicks praised all those whose vision helped lead to undertaking the project, and thanked family, friends, fellow officials and other supporters for their help. At one point in his remarks he acknowledged getting “choked up” as he saw how Cherokee was creating a brighter future for current members and their descendants.

Elected officials from around the region who attended the event included Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy and county and town commissioners from surrounding Western North Carolina counties.

Upon completion in 2012, the third tower on the 37-acre property will incorporate luxury accommodations and high-end suites, a 3,000-seat events center, entertainment and VIP lounges, a 16,000-square-foot spa, an all new state-of-the-art digital poker room, an Asian gaming room, a variety of new restaurant and retail outlets, and new hotel and casino parking garages.

Harrah’s Cherokee is also renovating its current casino facilities and doubling the size of its casino floor to 150,000 square feet while increasing video and table game capacity. The design of the new facilities will utilize the Eastern Band of Cherokee’s large and important collection of Native American art portraying local culture. Significant investment is also being made in sophisticated technology and an array of group services ranging from business and conference support to elaborate catering services.

Turner Construction, the tower’s builder, is a leader in its field in the United States, with construction volume of $10.8 billion in 2008. Other major Turner construction projects include Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden, as well as the Burj Dubai in United Arab Emirates, the tallest high-rise in the world. The tower was designed by Cunningham Group of Minneapolis, Minn.

Last year Cindy Gilbert took her Polk County band students to China to perform. This year she is bringing the world’s music to them — thanks to Folkmoot USA and its drive to expand its presence in Western North Carolina.

Gilbert jumped at the chance to host an international folk group at the high school’s 750-seat auditorium at Columbus, one of Folkmoot’s three new venues this year. As the Polk County High School director of bands, Gilbert knew the value of a Folkmoot performance and agreed to help make it possible when the local arts council couldn’t.

“I really try to bring any type of cultural art, especially cultural music, to my kids and to my community,” the award-winning band director said from her home in Landrum, S. C., just across the border from Polk County. “I was willing to do whatever they needed me to do.”

That is just the kind of enthusiasm Folkmoot’s board of directors was looking for when it decided to expand Folkmoot’s international reach in Western North Carolina, receiving a $37,500 grant to do so.

“This was a grant that was received a year ago,” said Karen Babcock, Folkmoot’s new executive director. “Last year’s festival expanded into three new venues and this year we’re adding three more.”

Besides Polk County in the Tryon/Columbus area, performances will be held for the first time at Burnsville Town Center at Burnsville in Yancey County and Moore Auditorium at Mars Hill College at Mars Hill in Madison County.

This year’s festival runs from July 16 through July 26 and features performers from Serbia, Greece, Netherlands, Romania, Mexico, Togo, Spain and Israel. Host sites are Waynesville, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley, Canton, Clyde, Highlands, Bryson City, Cullowhee, Asheville, Columbus, Burnsville, Marion, Mars Hill, Flat Rock and Franklin.

Debbie Lavela, Folkmoot’s ticket manager, said the 36-member board was looking to expand Folkmoot’s footprint in Western North Carolina to generate new audiences for the festival and help raise its profile and ticket sales — stifled by a sluggish economy and rising gas prices.

Even with ticket sales and support from Friends of Folkmoot and sponsorships, not all expenses were being met, said board member David Stallings. But board officials hope that new grants will help the organization to reach fresh audiences and untapped financial supporters.

“We have a very smart board,” Lavela said. “We knew we had to expand into some new counties, into some places we had not been, some new areas like Polk County. Burnsville just wanted us, so we knew we were going to have the support from the local people.”

George Nero, auditorium manager for the Burnsville Town Center, credited Sen. Joe Sam Queen (D-Waynesville), for recognizing a good fit. The Burnsville Town Center opened in 2005 and seats more than 400 people, serving as the area’s convention, community and performing arts centers.

“Joe Sam really had the idea of putting us together,” Nero said. “We had an economic development summit for [Yancey] county at the center ... and he was talking about what a nice place this would be for a Folkmoot event. We agreed we’d really love to have one and we could probably get the crowd to come. This area is supposed to have the highest number of artisans per capita in the United States. That’s everything from pottery makers to dancers to musicians to everything. We have a built-in audience and should do fairly well with group sales. We’ve already had several sell outs with bluegrass and gospel groups.”

Queen said expanding Folkmoot is the next step for the 26-year-old festival, which officially became North Carolina’s International Folk Festival, thanks to legislation he crafted and pushed through the legislature.

“We’ll go as far as time and our radius allows us to sleep and eat and gather our wits about us,” he said.

Expanding Folkmoot also makes a “big difference in the way Western North Carolina thinks of itself,” he said.

“We are hosting the world. We are a world-class place. It’s great to have different counties pull together for Folkmoot. It’s our state’s official international festival and it’s a regional festival,” said Queen.

The Toe River Arts Council, which promotes the arts in Yancey and Madison counties, was so happy to have Folkmoot its members spearheaded the group sales effort and recruited volunteers to serve as ushers and help in other positions.

In Polk County, six of Gilbert’s band students will serve as ushers during the performance, and her school-based volunteer group, Friends of the Band, will sell concessions at intermission. It’s a win-win situation, Gilbert said, in more ways than one. “It’s a wonderful auditorium, plenty of room and very convenient for the public. The kids will be there in their dress clothes and it will help them with their community service,” she noted. “They’ll help elderly people get to their seats and show them up to the balconies.”

For Folkmoot to expand, the board had to look carefully at ways to shuffle and trim performances in other communities, with minimal negative impact and without raising ticket prices, a task the board performed remarkably well, Lavela noted.

“The only thing we really eliminated this year was Stecoah Valley in Robbinsville. Stecoah was the longest distance we had to travel, and that was a problem,” Lavela said. “We just couldn’t make the schedule fit this year. We’re still on good terms and just because we didn’t go this year doesn’t mean we won’t go in the future. Considering what we had to do, I really think it turned out great.”

The board also cut one of two performances at Blue Ridge Community College at Flat Rock and reduced the number of countries that will perform at various Haywood County venues, Lavela said, sending those one or two shaved from the Haywood County schedule to Burnsville, Mars Hill or Polk County.

“We’re scheduling Family Night again this year because we really believe in that,” Lavela said. “It’s an interactive family performance on the lawn. People bring blankets and children have the freedom to run around. Two countries will perform and afterward the performers will come down off the stage and show dance steps and answer questions.” (For a complete Folkmoot schedule, check the Web site at www.folkmootusa.org or see the schedule in this section.)

Getting kids outside and away from a computer is part of what drove Gilbert to so eagerly accept the job of introducing Polk County to Folkmoot.

“We’re in a technical age and these kids are sitting around playing computers and video games and it is definitely a discovery time,” she said. “But these things (international performances) are not really brought around to them unless it’s on the Internet. But to see it live is a totally different perspective.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for everybody. My kids get the opportunity to see this entertainment from all over the world. They are not having to travel anywhere but to the high school. You can’t get any better than that.”

By Melanie Threlkeld McConnell

Forget Europe. Haywood County is where the action is for Karen Babcock this summer, and she couldn’t be happier. Well, give her a piece of dark chocolate and she could be.

Babcock is the new executive director of Folkmoot USA, North Carolina’s official international festival. A seasoned traveler, Babcock has spent several summers exploring the Netherlands and neighboring countries with her sister, an international civil rights lawyer, who teaches law for two weeks in July at the University of Amsterdam.

But this July will find Babcock in the throes of Folkmoot, Western North Carolina’s international house party. Hired just seven months ago to lead Haywood County’s biggest tourist draw, Babcock has found that telling people she’s with Folkmoot gets her warm fuzzies from everyone she meets. And it’s more than just good ol’ fashion Southern hospitality.

“They clearly love Folkmoot. There’s just an incredible positive attitude about Folkmoot here,” Babcock says. “I don’t see that people are taking it for granted. I see that people fully realize the value to the community.”

That’s good news for Babcock, who is looking for new sources of revenue now that budget constraints have forced Haywood County officials to slash the festival’s budget by $20,000 this year. “I think about fundraising 24 hours a day,” Babcock says. “We have a lot of the same sponsors as last year, I’m happy to say. Some have leveled out their sponsorships from last year, but we have some new ones, too.”

Some of those include much — needed in-kind contributions, such as catering the all — important volunteer recognition dinner in the fall, she adds.

“We have found that in some cases cutting costs is just as important as raising money. But we like to raise money, too,” she says.

Babcock hopes that expanding Folkmoot’s reach will bring in new audiences and grow the appreciation for the 25-year-old festival’s cultural contributions to Western North Carolina. “The more people we can get in front of and get this incredible international experience to, the better,” she says.

This year the festival will send performers to three new venues: Moore Auditorium in Mars Hill, Burnsville Town Center in Burnsville and Polk County High School in the Tryon area, near the South Carolina border.

Babcock has also stepped up marketing efforts by expanding her media outreach to South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. She says she is trigger ready to help the media get the information they want when they want it, a detail not to be taken lightly.

“A consistent marketing program always pays off. You have to pay attention to and be responsive to media requests,” she says.

On the home front she has increased the exposure of Folkmoot’s logo so that it is prominently displayed and advertised throughout the community. She’s even getting children in on the act by supplying them with — you guessed it — Folkmoot tattoos for the international parade through downtown Waynesville.

Since she arrived last December, Babcock, 48, has immersed herself in the people and places of Western North Carolina and found much to her liking, especially the chocolate shop in downtown Waynesville. “I eat chocolate every day,” she admits. She’s also thrilled to have a concentrated arts and theater arts community, great coffee shops and yes, that chocolate shop that now sells gelato.

Babcock left suburban Maryland and a job as the associate director of the nonprofit Ladew Topiary Gardens to settle in rural Western North Carolina at the urging of friends who had already moved here. She came for a visit and liked what she saw.

“Haywood County reminds me of the places I haven’t been,” she says. “The mountains are just beautiful and amazing and calming and inspiring. I love the outdoors so a place like this is just heaven for me.”

But Babcock discovered that rural living in Maryland wasn’t quite the same as rural living in Western North Carolina. “I come from a rural area 30 miles from Baltimore,” she says. “The community was huge that I was working with at my last nonprofit. The difference here is you know everybody and everybody knows you. That’s quite a different mindset to get your head around. But it’s very nice that people wave at everybody.”

Babcock also is learning to work with a small staff, compared to her last job, which means more multi-tasking for her. She shares the Folkmoot office space with two part-time employees. Hundreds of volunteers keep the festival running.

Though this world traveler with a taste for international cuisine, art and outdoor adventure won’t be sipping wine along the Seine this summer or bicycling through Holland as she has in the past, Babcock has found that Haywood County can hold its own for her. When she needs a fix, she’s got the spectacular Blue Ridge Parkway, the Chef’s Table pasta, which rivals any in Tuscany, and the Chocolate Bear, which satisfies that one-of-a-kind craving as well as Belgium’s famous trademark delicacy. Trust her on this; she’s experienced them all.

And if she feels a few pangs of homesickness for Amsterdam come summer? Well, blessed serendipity. Guess who is part of the Folkmoot lineup this year? The Netherlands. There’s just no place like a new home.

Folkmoot will be the subject of a public art piece commissioned by the Waynesville Public Art Commission (WPAC).

Artist Wayne Trapp has been selected to be the artist for the third public art piece. With an installation date scheduled for early November, the new piece will be placed in the landscaped area between the two retaining walls outside the new Waynesville Police Station located at the corner of Main and East Street.

The theme for this piece is Folkmoot — chosen to honor the international dance festival that has been such a vital part of the community for over 26 years. Folkmoot is a theme that represents the WPAC mission to “engage the community and enrich public spaces through original art that celebrates Waynesville’s unique historic, cultural, natural and human resources.”

The WPAC wanted a work of art that could convey the color, movement, energy and drama of this event and requested that artists interpret these elements in their design proposals.

Of the six artists who originally submitted qualifications, three finalists were selected to present detailed drawings and models to an advisory panel of citizens and town officials. These individuals were selected for their knowledge of public art installations, artistic knowledge and community history. Taking into consideration the verbal and written comments from the advisory panel, Trapp was chosen or the Folkmoot piece.

Trapp is a celebrated sculptor who has worked in stone and steel for years, creating lavish, even colossal outdoor pieces for corporate clients and public places. His interpretation of the Folkmoot piece will be a bold and dramatic statement and a lasting reminder of the friendships created abroad and at home that are a significant part of Waynesville and this festival.

During his presentation to the advisory panel, Trapp made the suggestion that children or other community members could be invited to design the colorful, moving flags that will become part of his permanent sculpture. Each flag could be an original, graphic design, not representative of any specific country. His suggestion was well received by the advisory panel and will be used in his execution of the Folkmoot piece.

As with the inaugural art piece, “Old Time Music,” located in the heart of downtown Waynesville, at the corner of Main and Miller, funding for this project will be provided by area businesses, community and art supporters and an award from the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

Waynesville’s second public art piece is also part of the Waynesville Police Station project and is planned for the plaza in front of the new building. In January, the WPAC sponsored a contest for Tuscola High School art students. They were asked to create a paver design for the plaza taking into consideration the history of the building site. The purpose of the competition was to give the students experience with the public art selection process, and at the same time, and for no extra cost in the building project, create a second piece of permanent public art for the town. The young artists used architects specifications and site plan as a reference. Upon submission, the students’ designs were reviewed by the WPAC and project architects (ADW of Charlotte) and three finalists were selected. The three finalists gave formal presentations to a committee of citizens and town officials who made the selection of the winning design, “A Patchwork Community,” by Courtney Boessel. Courtney’s design was presented to the Town Board in February for final approval.

Anyone who would like to make a donation to the Folkmoot or future projects, or for more information about the WPAC, contact the Downtown Waynesville Association at 828.456.3517 or Mieko Thomson, WPAC commission member, at 828.226.2298.

By Joann B. Poindexter • Special to The Smoky Mountain News

The Franklin Folk Festival will celebrate the region’s cultural heritage with music, historical re-enactments and preservation information during an all-day celebration from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 18 in downtown Franklin.

This year’s theme, “Exploring Our Natural Heritage,” highlights the importance of the mountains and associated rich natural resources in shaping Appalachian culture. Sponsored by the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County (FHAMC), the festival is held each year in downtown Franklin on the third weekend in July

This year’s celebration of mountain heritage actually kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 17, with Macon County’s own Patton String Band. They will be joined by the Rye Holler Boys at the Downtown Gazebo for 90 minutes of entertainment. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs, which will also come in handy for Saturday’s Picking on the Square. Friday’s music is sponsored by the Arts Council of Macon County.

Early Saturday morning the streets of Franklin and public areas around the Macon County Courthouse, the First Baptist Church, and the new Town Hall will be lined with exhibitors demonstrating the way early mountaineers lived and celebrated life. More than 100 volunteers will take part in more than 50 live demonstrations of quilting, wood carving, tatting, churning, spinning, weaving, and splitting shingles — creating by hand a wide variety of objects needed for everyday life.

Adults and children who come to the festival will have opportunities to participate in or observe a wide variety of activities such as playing games, splitting boards, stringing beans, entering contests, and taking part in musical jam sessions.

A large contingent of environmental and natural heritage participants will take part, including the Little Tennessee Watershed Association, the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, the Nantahala Hiking Club and Friends of the Greenway. The groups will be on hand to share their knowledge and to showcase their missions.

A new festival addition is the Heritage Alive Mountain Youth Talent Contest, sponsored by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia. The contest will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Downtown Gazebo Stage. Participants must complete applications by July 8. Entry forms are available at the Macon County Chamber of Commerce and online at www.spiritofappalachia.org.

The 25th North Carolina Civil War Re-enactors will be camped all weekend within walking distance of downtown Franklin. This popular group will participate in the parade, hold mock battles, and conduct candlelight tours at their camp.

At an old-time “Front Porch” setting, Macon County’s senior citizens will share their memories as they are videotaped so that future generations can hear their stories. This is a favorite gathering place for those who want a glimpse into the past through the eyes of those sharing their own experiences and stories about life in Franklin and surrounding communities that were told to them by their parents and grandparents.

Another highlight of the festival is the Heritage Parade which takes place Saturday at 11 a.m. Working in partnership with the Early Farm Days Engine and Tractor Club, the festival features a Power Parade from the Macon County Fairgrounds to the Main Street of Franklin, where it becomes part of the popular Heritage Parade.

For more information call 800.932.5294 or visit www.mcncfha.org.