Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Cooperative Extension Service have 55-gallon rain barrels for sale.

To the Editor:

My family and I were enjoying a meal at a local buffet restaurant (on Mothers Day 10 at approximately 3:30 p.m. The restaurant was moderately crowded. We were seated about 15 feet from the cash register area. At one point during our meal we were startled by the sound of breaking glass. A patron was standing in line to pay for her meal and dropped a bag containing a piece of glassware. Of course we all looked over to see what was going on.

She was holding a baby carrier on one arm and her other arm was laden with other items minus the bag which she dropped. There was some conversation among her party and other people waiting to pay their check. She nonchalantly stated: “I will just take it back to Burke’s and tell them it was broken when I bought it and get another one.”  

I was shocked. Did I hear her correctly? She was going to return to the store and ask them to exchange something she carelessly broke long after the purchase? What a thief.

I immediately excused myself from my table, called 411 to get the phone number and phoned Burke’s Outlet to warn them of their impending deception. I explained to the manager the sequence of events and to expect a visit by this thief. After we finished our meal and headed back home, I called Burke’s again and the manager confirmed she was visited by the thief. She said the thief was acting nervous and after concluding her deceit was discovered stated, “I must have gotten it at Walmart” and departed the store. 

People wonder why things cost so much. Not only do we have to pay for the cost of development, manufacturing, distribution and selling we now have to pay for theft. This is common theft at its best.

Madam, my hope for you is you fall to your knees and beg your God to forgive you. Then call the store and ask them to forgive you too. 

Douglas Turner

Clyde

To the Editor:

The Waynesville Public Art Commission would specifically like to thank Waynesville town employees Dave Foster, Daryl Hannah, Jonathan Yates and Bill Litty and all of the men who worked with Daryl Hannah when they were installing each of our seven pieces of art. Without their very careful handling of each of our art pieces we would not have the art pieces installed in their places and look as great as they do! We are very fortunate to have these very special men who serve Waynesville as conscientiously as they do! Thanks to all of these gentlemen.

Jan Griffin

Waynesville Public Art Commission

To the Editor:

Fast Track legislation that was prepared in secret by some 600 lobbyists of the largest transnational corporations will give permission for the passage of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). This legislation, often referred to as the North American Fair Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on steroids, is now before Congress.  

On May 12 the Senate voted to deny debate on the proposed legislation but advocates (including Obama) insist that it be brought back to the floor. The House has yet to take action. NAFTA was a job and economy killer and the TPP is much worse. This bi-partisan effort to bring more grief to the working people of this country must be stopped.

Reuters reports (blogs.reuters.com-/great-debate/2015/02/16/as-free-trade-pacts-expand-u-s-trade-deficit-soars-why-add-one-more/) that over “5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs — one in four — have been lost since NAFTA and other post-NAFTA expansion deals, all enacted through fast track.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports www.bls.gov/news.-release/disp.t07) that three out of five displaced workers who were fortunate enough to find new employment earn less money now than before NAFTA. A full one-third of displaced workers took pay cuts of 20 percent or more.

Sen. Tom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., voted yea for the fast track legislation. From all indications, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, is in support. If this legislation passes it will give President Obama unfettered authority without full congressional approval to unilaterally enter into the TPP and other similar trade agreements. It is time that we the people have our voices heard.  Please contact your representatives via phone, email, and letter. Let them know that the TPP is bad for local business, bad for jobs, and bad for our economy. Ask them to vote No on fast track authorization. 

Allen Lomax

Sylva

By Jason Love • Guest Columnist

I am writing on behalf of the Western North Carolina Public Lands Council, an advisory group appointed by the governor whose mission is to promote the protection, conservation, and sustainability of Western North Carolina’s natural and economic resources.

The Jackson County Planning Board will have a new face at the table with the appointment of Bonnie Claxton, a Sylva attorney with Legal Aid for North Carolina who previously worked with Coward, Hicks & Siler. 

“She wants to do this and it’s not an easy job, but I think she will be very good in the position,” said Jackson County Commissioner Boyce Dietz, who made the recommendation. 

Claxton will replace Ben Burgin, who had not participated in board activities for the past year or responded to communications, warranting his removal, Chairman Brian McMahan said. 

“That is a very important board that meets on a regular basis,” McMahan said. “It’s very important to have people at the table making those decisions.”

— By Holly Kays, staff writer

Event promoters may soon be able to advertise by hanging a banner across Main Street in Franklin.

The Franklin board of alderman approved a special banner policy at its May board meeting after being asked by merchants in March to consider the possibility. Larry Hollifield, owner of American Computer Repair in Franklin, told commissioners in March that allowing banners would be an inexpensive way for event organizers to promote their events and draw more people to downtown.

Theoretically, a new homeless shelter that opened across town in Hazelwood last fall should have made things better for Frog Level’s homeless plight.

Local NAACP chapters in Haywood and Jackson counties are holding workshops to educate the public on North Carolina’s new voter ID laws and to prepare them to attend an upcoming N.C. Board of Elections public hearing in Sylva.

A screening of the documentary “First Language: The Race to Save Cherokee” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Comedy legend Jay Leno will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at Harrah’s Cherokee.

The Blues, Brew and BBQ festival will be from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the Village Green in Cashiers.

Acclaimed bluegrass groups Lonesome River Band and Mountain Faith will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

QUESTION: I heard there’s a Taste of Local next week at one of your stores. Is it free? Who will be there?

ANSWER: Our next Taste of Local event is at the Ingles in Waynesville on Barber Blvd., Thursday, May 21st 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Expect to see about 17 or more local farmers and vendors there! At this FREE event you’ll be able to meet the farmers and vendors and sample their products.

First Maggie Valley Creek clean is May 30

The inaugural Maggie Valley Community Creek Clean will take place at 10 a.m. on May 30 in Jonathan Creek.

Trophies and yearlong bragging rights will be awarded for the most interesting pieces of trash found and for the most trash reclaimed. Individuals and teams are encouraged to participate.

Bags will be provided by Haywood Waterways.

For information and to sign up contact the Maggie Valley Town Hall at 828.926.0866. 

The Haywood County Cooperative Extension Service is seeking gardens to include in its 2016 Haywood County Garden Tour.

Anyone who has a garden that might be included or knows someone who has a garden that deservers to be showcased can contact Sarah Scott at the Extension Center.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.456.3575.

The Merrell Adventure 5K Dash and 1K Fun Run will be held Saturday, May 23, along the Nantahala River near Bryson City.

A float trip down the Little Tennessee River on May 16 is being sponsored by two land conservation organizations, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT).

Why adopt a tiny rubber duck that’ll soon be floating down the Tuckasegee River in Swain County?

To the Editor:

One of the great mysteries of government in America is how and why we give over $50 billion a year in foreign aid.

Trying to point out many of the strange questions that exist in this seemingly total waste of money within the word limit of publications is all but impossible. I will share a few things to think about. 

We are $18.5 trillion in debt and we continue to pour borrowed money out to countries, many of whom hate us.

Nine of the 10 top receiving countries in Obama’s 2016 budget are Muslim countries. Does that tell you the same thing it tells me? 

One of the countries that we do not “officially” give foreign aid to is Australia; however, we did give them money for economic development. It is interesting though that we gave Al-Taqwa College, Australia’s largest Muslim school, $11.3 million dollars. The state government last year froze the school's funds and asked it to repay $9 million in government grants over allegations the not-for-profit school was funneling funds back to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils.

This collage president has banned running by girls because he says “running causes loss of virginity in girls.”

A few other interesting numbers show that we give $6 million to China, $160 million to Syria, $370 million to the West Bank and Gaza, $150 million to Egypt, $1.2 billion to Afghanistan, $478 million to Packistan, $103 million to Vietnam, $79 million to Yemen, $110 million to Lebanon and we have increased our aid to Kenya by 14 percent to $622 million. 

If that isn’t enough to raise your blood pressure, we gave $71,500,000 to Russia. All of, of course, borrowed from future generations.

Bruce Gardner

Waynesville

The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County will show some more of their DVDs of past Front Porch Interviews with local residents at 2 and 6 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 

Interviewee Sue Waldroop has a great interest in genealogy and preservation of family heritage. She is a fifth generation Macon County native as her great-great grandfather brought his wife and children to Macon County and built a home on Matlock Creek in the Cowee area in 1832. Interviewee Fred Stiles moved from Rabun County to Macon in 1948. In his interview, he refers to the memory of such events as his daughter getting the polio vaccine on a sugar cube and chores like stacking hay and churning milk. 

www.fontanalib.org.

Writer Nita Welch Owenby and the SouthEast Bluegrass Association will perform on Saturday, May 16, at the Rickman Store in Cowee. 

At 11 a.m., Owenby will read from her autobiography Echoes of the Appalachian Mountain, which provides the readers with an in-depth view of farm living in the 1940s and 1950s and shares with them her values and experiences. Owenby was born and raised on a farm by the Little Tennessee River, and although her professional life led her to experience life in different states, her connection to her roots continues being strong. She is the author of The House of Rose and over 400 articles and short stories published for the Burningtown News. From noon to 3 p.m., the Southeast Bluegrass Association will host a music jam. 

The Friends of the Rickman Store invite the community and visitors to the region for the opening of a new series of weekly educational and cultural programs and for a special year of celebrations. It was built in 1895 by John Hall, with the business established in 1925 by Tom M. Rickman. Considered one of the gems of Macon County, the Rickman Store has been preserved by the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) and the Friends of the Rickman Store since 2007. The store is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday.

The event is free and open to the public.

828.369.5595.

A paper-making Creating Community Workshop will be held at noon Saturday, May 16, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Ingles Markets will host a “Taste of Local” event from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at their Waynesville location on Barber Boulevard.

There will be a handful of new nightlife businesses popping up around Western North Carolina in the coming weeks.

The 6th annual Concerts on the Creek season begins on May 22, and will run from 7 to 9 p.m. every Friday through Labor Day at the Bridge Park Pavilion in downtown Sylva.

A two-year trail restoration project began this week on Alum Cave Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, meaning that the trail and associated parking areas will be closed on weekdays through Nov. 19.

A contaminated property next to Land Trust for the Little Tennesse’s office in Franklin could have a brighter future now that the land conservation organization has purchased it. 

“I never paid that much attention to this part of town until our offices moved here,” said Ben Laseter, LTLT’s associate director. “LTLT staff parks behind the building, so every day I’d park my car and be face-to-face with this adjacent lot full of tanks, barrels and pumps from its days as an oil distribution business and service station. It seemed kind of ironic that this was right next door to a non-profit dedicated to conserving this wonderful part of the world we live in.”

The 1.5-acre property used to belong to Duncan Oil. Containing 350 feet of Little Tennessee River frontage, the land took a beating during the 40-plus years it was used for storing and distributing petroleum. 

Hopefully, those effects will soon be in the past. Since purchasing the land, LTLT has removed 954 tons of contaminated soil and three underground petroleum tanks from it. Future cleanup will include removing above-ground storage tanks and contaminated soil on the property, and remediation of contaminated groundwater.

“There are so many options, and I hope by LTLT cleaning up this one property, we can have a hand in helping start the revitalization of this area in Franklin,” Laseter said. 

Backpackers in several popular areas of Pisgah National Forest are now required to use bear canisters when staying overnight, following a recent policy change by the U.S. Forest Service. 

Reports of bears accessing food from improperly stored gear and, most notably, an instance of a bear entering a tent at Graveyard Fields in March, resulted in a new requirement for canister use in Shining Rock Wilderness as well as the Black Balsam, Sams Knob and Flat Laurel Creek areas of the forest. Meanwhile, Graveyard Fields is under a camping ban until further notice. 

“Visitor safety is of the utmost importance, and canisters are the most effective way to safely store food and reduce bear-human conflicts,” said Pisgah District Ranger Derek Ibarguen.

Bear canisters must be commercially made of solid, non-pliable material manufactured to resist entry by bears. Other practices to prevent bear encounters include cleaning up food and garbage from the campsite and never leaving food unattended. 

More safety tips are online at www.fs.usda.gov/main/r8/recreation/safety-ethics.

Pisgah Ranger District, 828.877.3265.

With Superintendent Cassius Cash now settled into his new role, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a permanent deputy superintendent too.

Close to 175 people tackled the inaugural Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon in Waynesville this weekend, coming from as far as Colorado and as close as Waynesville itself.

A rash of break-ins to cars parked along the Blue Ridge Parkway on its way through Asheville has rangers asking the public to pay extra attention to securing their vehicles.

A new website aims to help Blue Ridge Parkway visitors better plan their attire for a day in the high country.

Growing season is upon us, and that means farmers of all stripes are harvesting produce to sell. Farmers markets around the region are starting up, with outlets for fresh food and locally made products in every county.

The WNC QuickDraw will be from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville.

Casino Royale Night, a benefit for the Haywood Healthcare Foundation's Drug Abuse Coalition, will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Maggie Valley Club and Resort.

Entrepreneurs and owners of existing small businesses from around Western North Carolina shared $7,000 in prize money to help launch or grow their companies during the inaugural LEAD:Innovation conference on April 22 at Western Carolina University.

The Russ Wilson Quartet will host an evening of jazz standards, swing and blues at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

The 18th Heritage Alive! Mountain Youth Talent Contest was held at the Greening Up the Mountains Festival on Saturday, April 25, in Sylva.

To the Editor:

As events unfold in Baltimore, the failure of liberal ideologies becomes clear. We’ve also seen the failures in Ferguson and even going back as far as Watts.

In spite of all the high minded speeches about the War on Poverty, the reality is that LBJ and his liberal camp have always considered black Americans as inferior to other races and we see this in their decision to simply throw more money at the problem which makes black Americans even more dependent.

Listening to some of the black protesters in Baltimore talk to reporters, the problem becomes clear in their answers; basically uneducated and dependent on the government for welfare and a total loss of self-respect. One could go on for hours talking about the various things we saw, such as destroying their own businesses and automobiles, but all of it goes back to one single root cause, lack of education and a lack of self-worth.

I doubt if the educational system in Baltimore is much different that it is in New York so I’ll toss in some information for you.  

Catholic schools in New York City graduate almost all of their black students and in fact some 90 percent of the kids go on to college or some sort of trade school. And, they do it for less than half of what a public school costs. Most of their students are from high crime and poverty areas of NYC.

In contrast, only a little more than 20 percent of the black public school students go on to higher education. NYC public schools are broken but their administrator’s only response is to throw more money at the problem.

To fix the problem, we must face the fact that teachers unions exist for teachers only and to protect their jobs. A teacher who uses drugs or has sex with a student cannot be fired, at least in NYC.  

Obviously, the problem in Baltimore is similar in nature to NYC and lies in the powerful control teacher unions have over education along with a completely useless Department of Education.

Breaking the choke hold teachers unions have on our educational system is the first step. But then we must find ways to restore self-respect, break up the single parent disaster supported by food stamps and other welfare that keep black Americans on the plantation.

Unlike the clap-trap mouthed by people like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, there are thinking black Americans who understand the problem and all agree that the human mind is a terrible thing to waste. Liberal ideology has not and will not work.

Bob Wilson

Franklin

To the Editor:

Imagine that in 2015, you, as an American citizen, don’t feel at home in your own town. You go out for pizza or to get braces for your child, and the TV blames you for all the ills of America. You turn on talk radio and it’s more of the same. Televisions and radios across town send the same message: you are unwelcome, you are bad, you are to blame.

Most of the messages are false. They put words in your mouth that you never said. They attack your patriotism, second guess your every move and motive. The talking heads attack your leaders viciously, lying about their military service, undermining their legitimate authority. If that isn’t enough, there are some pastors in town who have made it clear that you are not welcome in their church. 

Are you supposed to just accept this treatment? You ignored it, but it got stronger and more pervasive. What’s worse is that too many people believe the noise and vote accordingly. The results are trickling down on us from Raleigh and Washington, D.C.

What has happened to America, that this has come to pass as normal? There was a time in this country when everyone watched the same news channels and it was just news, not hate speech. But almost 20 years ago, a conservative ideologue started Fox News and public discourse and policy in America have deteriorated ever since.

We are by definition nice people.  We just want to live our lives without being picked on or bullied. But to bullies, that is like an invitation. So now we have to stick together and fight back. It’s a sad state of affairs that it has come to this.

The seed for this scenario was planted in 1985, when the Fairness Doctrine was thrown out by the FCC. When Congress voted to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, Ronald Reagan vetoed the legislation. Apparently, some folks aren’t interested in fairness, but rather winning at all costs.

In our experience, fairness is always a good policy. Just ask us Democrats and/or liberals. 

Dan Kowal

Franklin

To the Editor:

The people have been told for years, particularly by Republican candidates running for the General Assembly, “We will cut your taxes.”

They have cut your taxes if you made over $88,000 per year. If you have made less than that you have seen no cut and, in most cases, have seen your taxes raised. You may not have a raise in income tax but you will probably pay much more every day for sales tax.

They have imposed sales taxes on electricity, natural gas, entertainment and movies. They have increased tax rates from 2 percent to 4.75 percent on modular homes and manufactured homes (mobile homes) and taken off the cap on the maximum tax.

You will also be paying sales tax for your dentist, doctor, mechanic, electrician, plumber and for work done on service contracts. You will now pay sales tax on farm equipment and if you gross less than $10,000 per year, you will lose your farm deduction.

They have eliminated all personal exemptions and repealed the $50,000 business income deduction. They have eliminated the $4,000 deduction for most government retirement income and the $2,000 deduction for private retirement.

They have also eliminated deductions for premiums paid on long-term care insurance, medical expenses, earned income tax credit and cost of meal plans at colleges.

Who wins from these tax bills? Corporations have been paying 6.9 percent. This drops the tax rate to 6 percent for 2014 and to 5 percent for 2015.  Individuals have been paying 7.5 percent, 7 percent and 6 percent and will now pay 5.8 percent. Figure this tax advantage for those making millions.

Calculate how much more you will pay and remember it when you vote for members of the General Assembly in 2016.

Clayton Ramsey

Franklin

Bradley Letts will have to keep his day job, but the Superior Court Judge will soon begin serving as a temporary judge for the Cherokee Supreme Court. 

William Holland Thomas, a self-made, prominent businessman, a revered chief in the Cherokee tribe, a politician and a colonel in the Confederate Army, spent the final 20 years of his life fighting mental illness. He passed those years, as he put it, “in a mad man’s cell.” No diagnosis of his condition exists, though biographers E. Stanley Godbold and Mattie U. Russell contend that Thomas was possibly suffering the tertiary state of syphilis, which causes erratic behavior and bouts of insanity.

QUESTION: I don’t like to eat red meat … How much protein should I be getting each day and what are some sources besides red meat?

ANSWER: The amount of protein you need each day depends on your age, activity level and also any medical conditions you have.  Generally a sedentary male should be consuming about 56 grams of protein per day and a sedentary woman about 46 grams each day.

A discussion on falconry and the importance of birds of prey to a healthy ecosystem — as well as a chance to meet those birds — will be the centerpiece of Trout Unlimited Cataloochee’s next meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at the Rendezvous Restaurant in Maggie Valley.

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust will kick off its annual lineup of eco tours to ecologically important areas throughout the region with a wildflower hike to Whitewater Falls Thursday, April 30, led by botanist Gary Wein.

The time is drawing near for synchronous fireflies to once more light up the night in the Smokies, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced this year’s dates for up-close firefly viewing at the park’s Elkmont Campground. 

The park has a limited number of passes to see the fireflies from Tuesday, June 2, through Tuesday, June 9. The passes, which cost $1.50 each, can be reserved starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 30, at www.recreation.gov. Typically, they sell out within minutes of going on sale, though the park holds back 85 passes for each day to go on sale at 10 a.m. the day before the event. 

During each evening, shuttles ferry viewers to and from the campground for an additional $1 per person. The prices are designed to regulate the number of people flooding the site at any one time rather than as a way for the park to make money. 

Synchronous fireflies are a particular species of firefly that lives only in certain habitats at certain elevations. For a short window each year, they give a showy mating ritual in which all the males in the forest blink simultaneously, making the forest appear to be lit by blinking Christmas lights. The annual event at Elkmont attracts viewers from across the region.