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By Paul Clark • Correspondent
Harvesting poplar bark to make bark shingles is never easy, but this summer Danny Heatherly and his crew had a short season shortened even further by all the rain that fell.
When the clock strikes midnight and Dec. 31 gives way to Jan. 1, the tolling of the bell won’t symbolize the start of just another typical new year at Western Carolina University. Instead, the first day of 2014 will mark the beginning of WCU’s 125th year of existence, and university faculty, staff and students are planning a yearlong celebration to mark the milestone.
Western Carolina University has received a $500,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to help expand engineering education across Western North Carolina through a partnership with regional community colleges.
The funding will support WCU’s efforts to ensure a seamless transition for community college students who want to earn four-year degrees in engineering through the implementation of engineering pathway courses at community colleges and the recruitment of qualified students into the program.
Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Blue Ridge and Isothermal community colleges are initial partners in the effort, which will eventually include WNC community colleges from Rutherfordton in the east to Murphy in the west.
The grant, awarded out of the foundation’s Essential Skills in Advanced Manufacturing Initiative, will help produce qualified workers for manufacturers, including some of the region’s largest private-sector employers, said Dan Gerlach, Golden LEAF president.
The funding will provide support for Western Carolina’s recently announced undergraduate program in engineering at its instructional site at Biltmore Park Town Square, and will supplement advanced manufacturing engineering education on the campus in Cullowhee, said James Zhang, dean of WCU’s Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology.
For more information about engineering at WCU, visit engineering.wcu.edu.
By Colby Dunn • Correspondent
For residents of Highlands, the list of things to do in town, depending on the season, can be pretty short and “go to the movies” has never been on it. But the town is filmless no more, thanks to a new program at the Highlands Playhouse that’s bringing in the blockbusters four nights a week.
By Melanie Threlkeld McConnell • SMN Correspondent
Think of it as somewhere over the rainbow.
You know the place, only this time not in Oz, in Waynesville, on Frazier Street, behind the parking lot of Sagebrush Steakhouse, in a non-descript building that’s 60-feet long and maybe half that wide. This is where the bluebirds sing, where happiness prevails.
The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority has officially revived the Haywood County Film Commission.
Becky Seymour, video marketing manager of the Haywood TDA, is committed to draw more TV and film production to Haywood County. The TDA is currently working with Advantage West in Asheville and supplying information on Haywood County when presented with location requests for film and television.
Since 2010, the NC Film Tax Incentive has fueled three strong years for film and television production in the state. In 2013 North Carolina as a whole had 5,700 production days, $254 million in spending and 25,000 job opportunities from film and television production.
Production companies commonly request information on location, support services and crew. Many locations can be considered as long as the property/business owners are willing to accommodate the crew and their needs, Seymour said. Support services needed by production crews would be local caterers, environmental services, accounting and hair and makeup experts.
The directory forms and categories are provided at www.haywoodcountytourismdevelopment.com/haywood-county-film-commission - under the “Haywood County Film Commission” tab.
Submit the completed form by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by fax at 828.452.0153.
Funk group Kool & The Gang and rock band ZZ Top will perform at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.
Kool & The Gang performs at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29. The group has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of three generations. Thanks to songs like “Celebration,” “Cherish,” and “Jungle Boogie,” they’ve earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Their bulletproof funk and tough, jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled band of all time. Tickets are $32, $42 and $53.
Longtime rockers ZZ Top bring 2013 to a close with a concert at 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. The group lays an undisputed claim to being the longest running major rock band with original personnel intact. In 2004, the Texas trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with more than 40 years of rock, blues, and boogie on the road and in the studio. Their hits include “Tush,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs” and “Cheap Sunglasses.” Tickets are $65, $75 and $100.
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is ringing in the New Year at 7:45 p.m. Dec. 31 in Bryson City. The train leaves the Bryson City depot at 9 p.m. and returns after midnight.
The Franklin Chamber of Commerce hosted its inaugural “Gingerbread House Competition” at Franklin’s Town Hall during this year’s Winter Wonderland.
Renowned bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range’s 4th annual “Winter Concert Series” will continue with John Driskell Hopkins at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4 at the historic Colonial Theatre in Canton. Hopkins is a multi-award winner and founding member of the Zac Brown Band.
By Colby Dunn • Correspondent
This time of year, there’s a Santa around every corner. There’s the jolly Santa flying around in Coke commercials, the harassed-looking Santa on his mall throne, the grandfatherly, rosy-cheeked Santa in “Miracle on 34th Street,” but in Alane Bartnik’s workshop, the Santas of the past come to life.
Bartnik, the owner and artist behind Nonna’s Santas, handcrafts each of her Santas after a different era, complete with painstaking research into the clothes, style and most importantly, toys from that era. It’s not just their outfits and accessories that she makes by hand, but each Santa’s face is hand molded, each with his own personal expression.
Haywood Waterways Association passed out its annual awards this month to water quality heroes.
• The Big Creek Award for Partner of the Year went to the Haywood County Environmental Health Department for helping to repair 75 failing septic systems, which were leaching raw sewage, household chemicals, soap, medicines and anything else that people pour down the drain into Richland Creek. Bacteria levels dropped significantly following the septic repairs.
• The Lake Junaluska Award for Volunteer of the Year was given to Richard T. Alexander, one of Haywood Waterways’ founders and longtime board member. He volunteers as a water quality sampler and monitor, with litter pickup efforts and other civic projects.
• The Pigeon River Award was given to the Bethel Rural Community Organization for its significant contribution to protecting land and water resources — including assisting private landowners with eight conservation easements totaling 268 acres, promoting the Voluntary Agricultural District, and hosting public workshops to promote rural land and water conservation. Accepting the award for the Bethel Community Organization were Bill Holbrook, Ted and Pat Carr, Evelyn and Dick Coltman, Steve Sorrels and George Ivey.
The National Park Service has selected Pedro Ramos to serve as the acting superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park for 90 days, effective Jan. 12. Ramos has been the superintendent at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida since 2009.
Conservation groups reached a compromise with the U.S. Forest Service over a controversial logging project in the Courthouse Creek area, which is visible to the south of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Devil’s Courthouse.
By Lindsay Wertz • Correspondent
After hours of work and preparation, six terrain elements sparkled imposingly under the lights on Cataloochee Ski Area’s Rabbit Hill Run last Friday night in preparation for the inaugural Cat Cage Rail Jam.
The Maggie Valley’s resort first-ever rail jam — where boarders and skiers do as many freestyle rail tricks as possible during an allotted time frame — attracted more than 50 competitors of all ages and skill levels. The rails and boxes were arranged by skill level and resembled features used in the popular X Games.
The new documentary “Cataloochee” will be shown in a special preview at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, in the Charles M. Beal Auditorium at Haywood Community College in Clyde.
Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is well known for its elk and scenic beauty and its rich history. A new two-hour documentary — three years in the making — tells the story. Produced by the Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society, in cooperation with Western Carolina University and under the direction of Katherine Bartel, the film documents the valley’s rich heritage spanning centuries, from the time the Cherokee hunted there to the coming of the park. The documentary shares the stories told by the last remaining people who were born there and tells how this remote valley became part of a national park. Beautiful footage, family photos and rare audio recordings are woven together with historical research and interviews to produce a film that is both informative and entertaining.
Free.
Western Carolina University has unveiled its third annual holiday video greeting card, “Moments to Remember” and hosted at the website www.seasonsgreetings2013.wcu.edu.
Created by WCU’s Office of Communications and Public Relations, this year’s greeting card is patterned after the popular “Good Morning America” segment “Your Three Words,” in which viewers submit videos expressing themselves in three words.
The concept for the video is to share highlights from 2013, both personal and university-wide in scope, while also looking toward the year ahead and the celebration of the 125th anniversary of WCU’s founding, said staff writer and editor Teresa Killian Tate, who proposed the idea for this year’s holiday greeting.
The video was shot and edited by staff videographer Joseph Hader, who also enlisted the assistance of students from WCU’s Film and Television Production Program. The website housing the video was designed by Zack Keys of the Office of Creative Services.
The Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild of Franklin, together with members of Misty Mountain Quilters Guild from Blairsville, Ga. and the Cashiers Guild, presented Quilts of Valor on Dec. 8 to members of the North Carolina National Guard’s 210th Military Police Company during their company’s Christmas party in Sylva.
Work by painter Edith Neff will be on exhibit through Jan. 31 in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a Holiday Homecoming from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
John Beckman • Columnist
The discussions and debates regarding health care on both the local and national levels have been going on for years as people everywhere have tried to come to grips with rapidly rising costs, a huge number of uninsured people and loss of benefits from providers. The volume of the discourse has risen to screaming new levels since the passing of the national Affordable Care Act and the botched launch of the website enrollment in recent weeks. The controversy has given rise to many instant geniuses on both sides with much of the opinion being offered short on fact, insight or applicability to the real world the rest of us inhabit.
What seems to be missing in all this is addressing the underlying question: How does our great nation get health services to those who need it in an affordable, efficient, ethical manner?
The Ambassadors of Jackson County recently elected new officers: Chairman Tommy Dennison, Business Counselor with the Small Business and Technology Development Center at Western Carolina University; Vice Chairman John Hagdorn of Highlander Self Storage; and Secretary Karen Walston, the Bug Lady of WNC.
Known for their red jackets, the Ambassadors are the outreach and goodwill arm of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.
“While all the Ambassadors work and have their own careers and businesses, they graciously give of their time to assist others in the business community. Our Ambassadors warmly greet new business owners and offer to help in any way they can,” said Julie Spiro, executive director of the Jackson County Chamber.
Other members of the Ambassadors Committee are Carroll Smith from Smith Insurance; Ina Ustich from Smoky Mountain Getaways; Amy Ammons Garza, Catch the Spirit of Appalachia and Fun Things to do in the Mountains; Michele D. Smith, attorney; Dana Smith of Jack the Dipper; Beth Bell of Morris Broadband; and Sande Hagdorn of Highlander Self Storage.
828.243.9318.
Chris Cooper, associate professor and head of the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University, has been named the 2013 “Professor of the Year” in the state of North Carolina by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
“This award simply confirms what his students and colleagues already know — Chris Cooper is a gifted teacher who fires his students’ imaginations and love of learning through his infectious passion for political science and his sincere dedication to their success,” said Richard Starnes, dean of WCU’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Cooper is among faculty members from 36 states who were selected from more than 350 top professors nationally for this year’s awards.
Cooper earlier this year was named one of the best teachers in the UNC system by the UNC Board of Governors, was the 2011 winner of WCU’s Distinguished Scholar Award and a 2007 winner of WCU’s Chancellor’s Award for Engaged Teaching.
For Carroll Brown, an associate professor in the hospitality and tourism program at Western Carolina University, there’s nothing like taking her classroom to the streets. For the past five years, she and her students have helped decorate the town for Dillsboro’s Lights and Luminaries Festival.
“There’s no better teacher than experience,” said Elizabeth Kilmer, a junior from Concord majoring in hospitality and tourism and marketing. “Taking part in setting up the Lights and Luminaries festival taught me more than any textbook could have. Helping out Dillsboro when they needed a few extra hands was so rewarding.”
The students aren’t the only ones who benefit from the experience. “Having the students help out during our Lights and Luminaries festival has been a great blessing for the town of Dillsboro,” said Susan Leveille, co-owner of Dillsboro business Oaks Gallery.
By Jake Flannick • SMN Correspondent
Since she started spreading the word about the new health care law, Cynthia Solesbee has encountered many questions — and opinionated remarks — about a sweeping change affecting tens of thousands of people without insurance across the far western part of the state.
Citing a desire to maximize their donation through a federal challenge grant, representatives of the Community Services of Swain County (CSSC) recently gave $2,500 to Southwestern Community College’s Student Success Campaign.
An effort to bridge the gap between scholarship need and availability, the Student Success Campaign is the most ambitious fundraising effort to date by the SCC Foundation. Mary Otto Selzer, director of the SCC Foundation, said the campaign aims to raise more than $1 million before Sept. 30, 2014.
The challenge grant, through the U.S. Department of Education, matches every dollar (up to $300,000) given to the campaign.
“The leverage of the federal matching program is the main incentive for us,” said Ken Mills, president of CSSC. “When we give $2,500 toward student scholarships, it instantly doubles and does that much more good. That’s exciting for us. Our organization was formed with the purpose of doing everything we can to make our communities better. We are thrilled about the growing partnership between our communities and SCC.”
For more information about the Student Success Campaign and the SCC Foundation, visit southwesterncc.edu or contact Selzer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.339.4241.
Jackson County volunteers who provide free basic tax forms preparation and counseling for individuals are looking for others to join their team.
Volunteers must be willing to assist taxpayers at least one day a week during tax season. Training will take place during the month of January. No previous tax preparation experience is required. You will be trained and certified by local mentors using IRS and AARP Foundation training materials and guidelines. Experience with computers, accounting, tax preparation, or just being good with numbers is helpful but not a requirement.
This effort is partially supported by the Jackson County Senior Center and the Jackson County Public Library Complex. Last year the group of volunteers prepared over 326 tax returns for local residents of all ages at these locations.
For more information contact learning coordinator Donald Selzer at 828.293.0074.
The last day of federal court in Bryson City will be Dec. 31.
By Colby Dunn • Correspondent
When it comes to Vegas-style gaming, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort has hedged its bets on being the only game in town … in the region … in the state … in the surrounding five-state area.
The fall semester came to a close at Western Carolina University on Dec. 14 as commencement exercises were held in Ramsey Regional Activity Center to recognize the university’s newest graduating class and a group of WCU alumni who were awarded degrees in August.
A public input meeting that will help shape the future of the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 17 in Franklin at the Nantahala Ranger District Office.
It is one of several held it the region over the past month as part of the ongoing development of a master plan to guide the management of the national forests. The meetings were previously scheduled for October but were postponed due to the federal government shutdown.
The four-year process will analyze a wide spectrum of national forest issues, including every form of recreation imaginable, ecological integrity, scenic and cultural values, logging, environmental threats and wilderness area designations.
Public input is being invited to help shape these management strategies for the forests over the next 15 years.
The current round of public input meetings will delve into aspects of the current forest management plan that should change. Some examples offered by the forest service based on stakeholder input to date are:
• How should large mountain bike festivals in the forests be managed?
• Logging in national forests has been dramatically curtailed — has it been curtailed too much?
• In light of burgeoning outdoor recreation, how should conflicts between competing forms of recreation be handled?
• Are trails being properly maintained?
• Should the forest service take a more active role in protecting rare ecosystems, like balds and bogs?
• Should new wilderness areas be designated?
The last forest plan was finalized in 1987. But there are new issues now that weren’t around then. Climate change, the advent of cell towers and wind turbines, the reintroduction of elk in the landscape or even new types of recreation like geocacheing. All these will need to be wrapped into the new forest plan as well.
To read the report, and all about the forest plan process, go to www.fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevision.
The Nantahala Ranger district office is located at 90 Sloan Road outside Franklin.
National Park Service officials want your input on how to manage the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT).
Nearly 12,000 plastic bottles will have been saved from a landfill when Western Carolina University students graduate this month. What’s the connection? More than 500 of the 700 graduates and numerous participating alumni will be wearing eco-friendly gowns they purchased at the WCU Bookstore.
Thousands of eyes will look skyward this month as volunteer birders, armed with binoculars, participate in the 114th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, Dec. 14-Jan. 5. Among those scouring the state’s back roads and byways will be members of the Franklin Bird Club and the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society.
Those sky watchers at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute are preparing for the winter solstice. Astronomers there say that the sun will be at its most southern point in the sky this year at 12:11 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 21, marking the first moment of winter and the shortest day of the year. Why is this significant? At this moment the sun in its apparent path around the sky will stand directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. For an observer at that latitude, the sun will appear directly overhead at noon. However, from Western North Carolina, the noontime sun will appear only about 31½ degrees above the southern horizon, its lowest point of the year.
What’s more, the sun rises at its most southern point along the southeastern horizon and sets at its most southern point on the southwestern horizon. Around this date the days are the shortest of the year and the length of the night the longest. For example, in Brevard sunrise occurs at 7:36 a.m. EST and sunset at 5:23 p.m. Thus, it is above the horizon only 9 hours 47 minutes. And viewers in Asheville, which is slightly north of Brevard, will see the sun for two minutes less that day. PARI is a public not-for-profit public foundation established in 1998 and located in the Pisgah Forest southwest of Asheville. It offers educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate research.
Several young runners from Western North Carolina turned in best times at recent state-wide and southeastern regional cross country events.
By Colby Dunn • Correspondent
Though winter may have you couped up inside, you can dream of sunnier days in the outdoors with The Smoky Mountain News outdoor holiday gift guide, a rundown of the season’s hottest gifts from the region’s top outfitters. So for the budding outdoor enthusiast or seasoned nature lover still on your gift list, we’ve got you covered from head to toe, pretty much literally. Or if you’d like to reward yourself for making it out of the mall alive and not using a waffle iron as a weapon on Black Friday, there’s some options for that, too.
The Lights and Luminaries festival will be held in downtown Dillsboro, Dec. 13-14. Helping Dillsboro glow for the town’s annual Lights and Luminaries festival are Carroll Brown, an associate professor in the hospitality and tourism program at Western Carolina University, and her students. For the last five years, they have helped light more than 2,500 candles, placed luminaries in designated locations and assisted with decorations and lights.
Brown described the ongoing relationship with her students and the town of Dillsboro, which has grown out of the Lights and Luminaries festival, as mutually beneficial. Merchants appreciate the help, and students in her festival and special events course learn from and enjoy the experience.
“The event helps my students get into the Christmas spirit, and many of them bring their parents, which helps the merchants in Dillsboro,” she said.
The Cherokee Healing and Wellness Coalition is sponsoring a Snow Moon (Usgiwi) celebration and potluck lunch will be from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Cherokee Youth Center.
The event will honor retired Cherokee educators for their years of service and the legend of the Red Cedar Tree will be shared. Attendees are asked to bring a traditional Cherokee food dish for the potluck lunch, along with your favorite beverage.
828.421.9855 or 828.554.6222.
Haywood Early College students recently participated in the National Career Development Association’s Poetry and Poster Contest, “Charting the Course for Our Second Century” held by Haywood Community College.
The Western Carolina University student-created film “Jerry,” a dark comedy about a homeless man who comes back to haunt the local politician who ran him over, won the jury award for the best student film at the 2013 Asheville Cinema Festival.
Wildlife/nature photographer Ron Brunsvold will be the featured artist for December at the Mahogany House Gallery in Waynesville.
Television star and International Bluegrass Music Museum legend Randall Franks, “Officer Randy Goode” of the former show “In the Heat of the Night,” will be a special guest during the “Christmas Show” at 8 p.m. Dec. 14, at the Maggie Valley Opry House. Franks will appear onstage with Raymond Fairchild and his band.
By Joe Hooten • Correspondent
Asheville will once again be the home of the annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam at the Asheville US Cellular Center Dec. 13-14, where hometown hero and all-around guitar god Haynes will present yet another impressive lineup of talent.
To the Editor:
Today I visited healthcare.gov on the internet, and thanks to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, I am now, at age 63, covered by healthcare insurance for the first time in my adult life.
Throughout my life I’ve had financial ups and downs with periods of relative prosperity and at other times, not so much. But, the real reason I never before invested in healthcare insurance is that I was never exactly certain what I was buying. There was always so much fine print written into the policies I felt as if I needed a lawyer to figure out what would be covered and what would not if, God forbid, I needed extensive medical care or hospitalization. I couldn’t bring myself to spend the time or money on such an uncertain venture.
But, I am so thankful that is no longer the case because of the Affordable Care Act. Now there are standards the healthcare insurance industry has to live by. All pre-existing conditions are covered and so much more. At healthcare.gov I found a set of clear, affordable choices, all of which will ensure that I will never be financially destroyed because of a catastrophic illness or accident. Tonight I will sleep well knowing that my family and I are much more secure in life.
Thank you President Obama and those in Congress who voted to pass the Affordable Care Act.
Avram Friedman
Sylva
To the Editor:
I would like to respond to the article in the Oct. 30 issue of The Smoky Mountain News discussing the “internal debate” which “divides Haywood GOP.”
In this article, some members of the Republican party of Haywood County were told that they were better suited for the Libertarian party because the Libertarian party is for “conservative purists” who are “so far right they’ve fallen off.”
Let me point out that this is a misguided notion. Libertarians are not far right conservatives. In fact, to be Libertarian is to be neither left nor right.
Rather, Libertarians consider themselves fiscally responsible and socially liberal and advocate both a smaller government and less restriction on individual rights. I can understand how someone unfamiliar with the philosophy could find themselves confused and misuse the terminology, as Libertarian philosophy defies the simple left-right paradigm that American culture has been saddled with over the last century, and which is advocated throughout the mainstream. Put simply, Libertarians advocate the freedom and responsibility given to the people in the Constitution: we all have unalienable rights that exist without restriction, until their use violates the rights of another. Not only does this mean freedom from burdensome taxation, but also less restriction on the individual and therefore less government.
As you can see, our philosophy is not that of a “far right” Republican, but something different altogether.
That being said, I would also like to reach out to the “conspiracy group” mentioned in the piece who are being accused of dividing the Republican party, and whose contribution to the party appears to be unappreciated. Those conspirators would be more than welcome to join me and my fellow Libertarians at our meetings, at 7 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesdays, at the future site of the Cross Country School of Real Estate, 176 Waynesville Plaza. Our meetings are open to all political persuasions, and we do not expect everyone who attends to be a registered Libertarian.
The Libertarian Party of Haywood County is interested in hearing what local citizens have to say, and are open to all opinions and perspectives. We only require that participants respect one another and listen to all opinions without censure. We would never limit your freedom of speech, and we encourage the “robust dialogue” that Tracy Coward advocated for the GOP.
I would also like to respond to the fact that in the article Mitchell Powell is quoted claiming that renegade Republicans are part of the GOP because they find it “impossible” to run as Libertarians. This again is a flippant use of terminology and is incorrect. Not only is it possible to run for office in North Carolina as a Libertarian, the Libertarian party of Haywood County is planning to run a candidate for Haywood County commissioner in 2014. I invite any rebellious Republican who is interested in leaving an unappreciative GOP with all its name-calling and petty brawling to join us in this endeavor. Our party could use your enthusiasm to shake up Haywood County government and break the cycle of politics as usual with all its bickering and squabbling.
We are seeking to move our county forward, and there are many in Haywood County who see through the two-party paradigm to what the founding fathers intended for us. For example, Lynda Bennet from Maggie Valley wrote an opinion piece in the Nov. 27 issue of The Smoky Mountain News where she pointed out that: “Freedom is not free; it must be fought for everyday. Limiting government insures freedom. I will even protect your freedom to disagree with me.”
This is a Libertarian perspective, and I appreciate her taking the time to demonstrate that not everyone has been taken in by the present government’s need to parent us — to control our speech, to protect us from ourselves, to tell us how to think.
Surely, the infighting between the Republicans is only part of that party’s problem in winning over this largely Democratic controlled county. Not only are they so frivolous as to fail to recognize the value of the supporters within their own party, in whatever guise they may appear, they have also shown blatant disregard for real Libertarians and their values. The people of Haywood County expect more maturity from their elected officials, and deserve better.
Windy McKinney
Jonathan Creek
Jackson County retained its status as one of the economically distressed counties in North Carolina according to just-released rankings, but county manager Chuck Wooten thinks some of the factors in that ranking are improving and others are “distorted.”
Leaders from Christ Anglican Church in Cashiers convinced Jackson County commissioners to waive their property tax bill for 2013 even though they applied for a tax-exempt application after the Feb. 1 deadline.
Father Jim Murphy explained to commissioners that the church acquired the property in September 2012 and renovations continued until May 2013. After construction was finished, the church filed for its tax-exempt status.
“I know ignorance is no excuse,” said Murphy. “But we have already been a benefit to the community. Already we are attracting parishioners from Bryson City, Cashiers, and even Transylvania County.”
Tax Assessor Bobby McMahon was actually at the church taking measurements for the assessment when Murphy learned of the need to file for a tax-exempt status.
“I actually helped him take the measurements,” Murphy said.
Commissioner Mark Jones, who lives in Cashiers, confirmed Murphy’s assertions about the renovation and construction dates.
“They have been doing what a tax-exempt entity would do in the time they have been open,” Jones told fellow commissioners.
McMahon said his office was following standard protocol when it sent the disputed $2,752 tax bill to the church.
“Everyone has to make application to gain a tax-exempt status. If you fail to file in January, you have to file a reason for good cause,” he said. “The state statute does not specifically say what is ‘good cause.’”
The board voted 4-1 to excuse the tax bill, with Chairman Jack Debnam voting against the move. After the meeting, Debnam said his vote was in support of county staff who followed normal procedures and deserved support for their actions.
Ghost Town in the Sky has been cited for safety violations by the North Carolina Department of Labor stemming from an injury during one of the amusement park’s theatrical gun fights.
The gun fights are a signature attraction at the Maggie Valley theme park, staged several times a day on a mock-up street of an Old West town at the center of the park. The gunslingers use blanks, but somehow, veteran gunfighter Robert Bradley was hit by a projectile from a gun during a show in July.
The citation was issued this week following a several month investigation. It carries a fine of $2,000 and demands abatements. The Maggie Valley amusement park was given 15 days to respond to the citation.
“They have 15 days to pay the fine, contest the citation or request an informal conference,” said Dolores Quesenberry, communications director at the Department of Labor.
The owner of the park, Alaska Presley, told The Smoky Mountain News that she had already requested a conference with the department.
“The citation is not permanent yet,” she said.
The citation states that the business was in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act by not furnishing to employees a place of employment “free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
The citation specifically cited Ghost Town in the Sky for two hazards: the use of revolvers and shotguns capable of firing live ammunition, and the fact that triggers had been removed from the revolvers used in the mock gunfights.
The citation recommended that the firearms used in mock gunfights be replaced or modified so that only blanks could be fired, and that revolvers have triggers installed. Up to now, the firearms used in the gun fights at Ghost Town could be shot simply by pulling and releasing the hammer.
Bradley, a longtime Ghost Town gunsligher who went by the stage name “Apache Kid,” has not worked at the park since his injury. Bradley is suing Ghost Town to retrieve some of the memorabilia at the park that he claims belongs to him. Bradley also says the shooting wasn’t an accident, and believes someone tampered with the gun that shot him.
Maggie Valley police said last month the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
A new campus Master Plan endorsed Friday (Dec. 6) by the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees is designed to closely link physical facilities of the university, including future construction and renovation, to goals of its recently approved strategic plan.
