Admin
There’s one fundamental reason the Southern Loop needs more discussion before it is considered a done deal — the simple fact that the citizens whose tax dollars pay for roads should, ultimately, decide the transportation future of the community in which they live. So far, the Southern Loop has not officially been endorsed by the leaders who act as the voice for Jackson County’s citizens. It’s that simple.
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer
Advertising was the hot topic of discussion at the second meeting of the recently re-organized Swain County Tourism Development Authority on Sept. 26. The board was presented with a range of magazine options, courtesy of Kelso Advertising Agency representative Marilyn Ball, in an attempt to determine what ad placement would give them the most bang for their buck.
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer
Over 50 people came out to hear Waynesville’s next mayor speak at the this election season’s first mayor’s forum, held by the recently formed chapter of the League of Women Voters.
Raising Sand
Duet albums are about as original as cheeseburgers, but this one has stayed in my car’s disc player for days now. A co-worker left Raising Sand on my desk Friday, and I’ve been listening to the collaboration between contemporary bluegrass diva Alison Krauss and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant all weekend. I’m a huge fan of both, but could not have imagined them together.
By David Curtis
The 21st Century arrived at the Curtis residence this past Friday.
We have evolved from caveman, cavewoman and cave children into the cellular age. Yes, our foreheads no longer slant and we can now stand erect while we call and text all of our friends and family, who will be now be known as our “contacts.”
Bands just have to stick with it. Whether on the grand scale of being a signed, touring group or one whose “tour” constitutes a weekend long stand at the two or three bars populating the local main drag, giving in to the many pitfalls lying in wait just can’t be an option.
By Stephanie Wampler
With a long flash of silver, the golf club revolved in a wide, smooth arc. The glinting club head cut through the air. Splat! It crashed against the tiny tomato and there was an explosion of juice and seeds. The lifeless remnant of the little fruit spun through the air and deep into the woods. It was gone.
By Kathleen Lamont
There has been a lot of planning, talking and meeting lately regarding the buzzword of the decade: “sustainability.”
A program on the local seed lending library in Jackson County will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 8 at the county extension office.
The program is sponsored by the Jackson/Swain Master Gardner Association and the speaker will be Jenny McPherson. McPherson started the seed lending library in Jackson County.
“A big part of the success of any seed library is for users to learn how to properly save seeds,” says McPherson. “I am still learning a lot about seed saving and hope that the seed library will encourage others to get involved too — either by sharing their knowledge or taking the time to learn proper seed saving methods.”
This event is open to the public and will be followed by a short business meeting with Master Gardener members.
Dr. Dan Pittillo will lead a two-part workshop on plant identification beginning at 10 a.m. on Aug. 6 at the Highlands Biological Station.
The morning session (10 a.m.-noon) will be a review of plant structure, then a picnic lunch (bring your own). At 1 p.m. participants will go to the gardens for identifications with Newcomb’s Guide, which participants should bring. This two-part exercise should put the participants into a comfortable use of identification keys.
Cost for the workshop is $10. RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Pittillo taught plant science at Western Carolina University for more than three decades, directing the WCU Herbarium from 1970 to his retirement in 2005. For many years he served as the fall color prognosticator for many local and regional publications.
The Highlands Botanical Garden will offer a free tour focusing on carnivorous plants of the Southern Appalachians at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 13. The tour is one of the regular free garden tours the Highlands Nature Center offers of its botanical gardens every Monday during the summer. For more information on the kid-friendly tours call 828.526.2221.
Local teachers and students will return to school with a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from a summer working with park rangers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Daniel Boone Scramble 15k Trail Run will take place on Aug. 11 at Camp Daniel Boone in Haywood County.
The Daniel Boone Scramble has a variety of terrain for runners to negotiate.
“Their shoes will hit single track dirt, tarmac, gravel roads, stream crossings, steep climbs, and steep descents,” said Bill Lawrence, a trail runner in Haywood County who designed and course for the trail run. “The views vary from vistas of Cold Mountain and Shining Rock Wilderness, to an intimate vantage point of Camp Daniel Boone Program Areas and isolated backcountry fauna. A lot of effort has gone into making it a scenic experience for the participants, something they would like to just go out and hike one day.”
The night before the race, participants can tent camp or stay the night in one of the bunkhouses at Camp Daniel Boone.
This is also the third and final race of the Brooks-Jus’ Running Trail Triplicity Series. Anyone who ran DuPont, Rock2Rock and the Daniel Boone Scramble has the chance to win prizes, including a coveted entry in to the Shut In Trail Run
$30 cost for pre-registration, $35 on race day. Awards will be given to first, second and third overall in the male and female categories. Age group awards will be given to first and second in each age group. First 100 get a free hat. Race starts at 9 a.m.
Joe Wiegand, regarded as the nation’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt impersonator, will bring the conservation-minded president to life during a fundraising dinner for the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance at 7 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Cedar Creek Racquet Club.
Wiegand brings Roosevelt to life with an unparalleled grasp of history and an uncanny way of convincing the audience that they are in the company of the great Rough Rider president. All proceeds from the event will benefit the J-MCA. Tickets are $50, which includes dinner, dessert, and an hour long show. VIP tickets can be purchased for $75. Along with the dinner show, VIPs are invited to the pre-show champagne reception starting at 6 p.m. with hors d’ oeuvres and a meet and greet with Teddy himself.
828.526.0890, ext. 320, or www.j-mca.org.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) — to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the completion of the AT — is hosting a video contest to find out what people love most about the A.T.
The contest entitled “Why Do You Love the Appalachian Trail?” is accepting submissions until Sept. 2. The grand prize winner will receive several prizes including the opportunity to have their video screened in theaters during the ATC’s membership drive this fall.
Videos must be no longer than three minutes and must answer the question, “Why do you love the Appalachian Trail?” Each participant can only submit one video and must adhere to the ATC’s Leave No Trace™ principles.
“Everyone has their own reasons for hiking the Appalachian Trail,” said Javier Folgar, marketing and communications manager of the ATC. “This contest provides the opportunity for Appalachian Trail enthusiasts to showcase to the world what the Trail means to them in their lives.”
The ATC’s Facebook fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite videos. For more information or to submit a video visit www.appalachiantrail.org/videocontest.
Visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on the rise, a good sign for Western North Carolina counties who depend on the park as a key cog in the tourism industry.
June was up 7.2 percent over the same month a year ago as 1,202,056 visitors passed through the entrances to the park. Year-to-date visitation is up 11.5 percent — 410,767 — over the same period in 2011.
The first half of 2012 is also up 3.6 percent above the five-year average of number of visitors during the same time period.
The June increase follows similar increases in May, March and February.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length from Georgia to Maine.
The Friends of the Smokies next “Classic Hike of the Smokies” will be to the top of Mt. Cammerer, where a historic fire tower affords a stunning panoramic view of the Smoky Mountains.
The third annual Main Street Mile will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 in downtown Waynesville.
The event is followed by a post-race party with food, drinks, children’s games and activities, and live music. All proceeds go directly to Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville, S.C.
Prizes will be award to the top finishers in various age groups, as well as to the winning public servant team (police, fire rescue, EMS). Registration and packet pick-up are in front of Badcock Furniture from 5-6 p.m. The race will be run in heats: 6:30 p.m., 18 and under; 6:50 p.m., female 18 and over; 7:10 p.m., male 18 and over; 7:30 p.m., team races for police, fire and emergency service teams.
Businesses sponsors this year include Headwaters Brewing Company, Frog Level Brewing Company, Fun Things Etc, FunShine Faces, Servpro, and singer-songwriter Chris Williams of Empty Slate.
Seven members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and 16 members of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma recently participated in “Remember the Removal,” riding 950 miles of the Trail of Tears on bicycles.
The RTR riders, who biked up to 75 miles daily across challenging terrain and heat, reflected on the struggles their ancestors faced.
Judy Castorena, the oldest member of the group, said the ride reminded her of what her ancestors endured.
“Being the oldest always stuck with me,” she said. “I was on a dirt road, pushing my bike when it hit me; I could have been the one left behind or the one getting whipped and pushed because I was the slowest. I could have been the one that died.”
“Remember The Removal (RTR)” is a remembrance of the forced removal of the Cherokee from their homelands during the winter of 1838-39. The RTR riders retraced the northern route of the Trail of Tears through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. More than 4,000 Native Americans died on the Trail of Tears.
Southwestern Community College alumnus Jeremy Wilson said that he didn’t give much thought to applying for the ride at first because he hadn’t ridden a bicycle in years. “For some reason, on the last day of application, it [the ride] became a calling of sorts and I felt that I needed to do it,” said Wilson.
The first “Remember the Removal” ride was in 1984 when 20 Cherokee students rode the same route in commemoration of the Trail of Tears. The ride was revived in 2009 and is now an annual event meant to educate youth about the removal and to foster leadership skills.
To trace the ride, visit www.facebook.com/CherokeeRidersRememberTheRemoval.
By Jack Moore • Contributor
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” and he may as well have been writing about bicycle tourists. This time of year in the Smokies it’s not uncommon to see a cyclist, bike loaded with gear, struggling up and over one of our many mountain passes.
You might imagine they are on some grand adventure circumnavigating the globe or at least crossing the country in some epic voyage. You may be right, or it could be that this is one of your cycling neighbors out for a short overnight bicycle camping trip.
Stephanie Powell Watts will read from her new collection of short stories, We Are Taking Only What We Need, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2 at City Lights Bookstore.
Most of the stories in this collection are set in North Carolina. The story, “Unassigned Territory,” received the Pushcart Prize and a citation from Best American Short Stories.
“Stephanie Powell Watts offers an impressive debut that promises only wonderful work to come,” said Edward P. Jones, author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel Known World.
828.586.9499.
Contributors of the Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel Literary Journal will visit City Lights Bookstore at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, to share their featured work.
The journal focuses on Appalachian writers with the most recent volume being co-edited by poet Pauletta Clark. Other featured authors include Jennifer Barton, David Wayne Hampton, Brenda Kay Ledford, Chrissie Anderson Peters, Elizabeth Swann and Dana Wildsmith.
828.586.9499.
Rutherford County resident and New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper will visit regional bookstores this week to read from her new book, Haven.
Hooper will appear at Blue Ridge Books and News in Waynesville at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 3 and at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva at 4 p.m. Aug. 4.
Haven is a new thriller of a young woman’s homecoming to a town of menacing whispers, bad dreams and dangerous secrets.
Call Blue Ridge Books at 828.456.6000 or City Lights at 828.586.9499.
The Haywood Friends of the Library‘s Annual Book Sale will go into the second week on Aug. 3-4.
On Friday, Aug. 3, all books left from the first three-day sale will be half price. The following day, there will be a $5 bag sale of the remaining books.
The book sale is at the Waynesville branch of the library on Haywood Street in the lower level. Friday’s sale runs from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Saturday’s sale runs from 9 a.m. until about 2 p.m.
828.627.2370.
To the Editor:
Albert Einstein, who was a genius both in mathematics and in understanding human motivation, said the following: “... Leaders came to their power not by their ability to think and to make decisions, but by their faculty to impress, to persuade and to use the shortcomings of their fellow beings.”
That insight seems to fit Barack Obama. He is a very glib, persuasive, snake-oil salesman who knows how to garner votes. He gives benefits and money to illegal aliens and phony welfare recipients. Please notice the emphasis is on the word phony; genuinely disabled people and those trying to earn a living but who lose their jobs certainly deserve welfare help. But, Obama helps all the people who are perfectly able-bodied but who don’t want to work. That’s how he gets votes.
His recent speech, in which he clearly despises the free-enterprise system and entrepreneurs by announcing that it’s the government who has been responsible for prosperity, not individuals, starkly shows his socialist, maybe communist, leanings. Obama is trying to force this country into becoming a socialist state.
Many believe and have strongly stated they think he is the Anti-Christ. I have no opinion on that, but I do believe he is a budding tyrant. His disdain for individual rights shows in every speech. Beware. If he is re-elected, you will not be able to write a letter like this!
JoAnna Swanson
Hazelwood
To the Editor:
I live at the head of Tilley Creek, where my family has been since the early 1800s, so I have a keen interest in what happens up here. I have worked very hard since returning to my home place 10 years ago to preserve what remains unspoiled of this mountain.
To that end, we were able to purchase and put under conservation 65 acres of my mother’s homestead, which is adjoined by U.S. Forest Service land, and is just across the ridge from the Moss Knob Shooting Range. I don’t shoot guns, but have grown sons and teen-aged grandsons who enjoy shooting and sometimes go to Moss Knob range when they visit us from time to time, and we take the noise in stride, knowing that men and boys especially seem to need to practice this age-old tradition.
I also worked very hard several years ago to block the proposed installation of a large private shooting club on the old Pressley farm, just down the road on Tilley Creek. That was a success as a then more progressive county government adopted a moratorium on permitting shooting ranges and an organic farmer bought the Pressley farm and a great granddaughter and her husband and children now live there and plan to restore the old Pressley home. So, community battles do sometimes succeed.
What I do object to is despoiling more land and native plants and habitat to make a larger road around the mountain and into the shooting range as proposed in a column from the Forest Service this week in The Sylva Herald. If you need to go in and add gravel and cut the sides of the road (which are so overgrown up Tilley Creek it’s like going through a tunne), then do so, but please, leave the roadbed as it is! Don’t spend our tax dollars tearing up more steep mountain ridgelines. In doing so, you would be spending our hard-earned tax dollars to defeat what a few of us have worked ourselves threadbare to save. Please re-consider your plans.
Vera Holland Guise
Cullowhee
To the Editor:
Having read about the dispute of the barking dogs and a push for a county-wide ordinance, I have to make a comment or two regarding this issue.
Number one it is always wise to look and listen closely around any home or property one may decide to purchase before signing the contract. Number two, common sense and respect should be a deciding factor in these disputes.
But I am from the country and grew up with hunting and dogs, so in my book if you are dumb enough to not look around and get to know your possible neighbor first, you just need to invest in a “For Sale” sign and buy some ear plugs! This also applies to people who build or buy in a flood zone, mudslide potential area or cry in winter time that there is no power in their log mansion or a snow plow for their paved, high-attitude road.
Mylan Sessions
Clyde
To the Editor:
Republicans in Raleigh and Washington who want to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act — and those who vote for them — would be doing away with the following benefits to us which are now in place:
• An insurance company cannot drop our coverage if we become sick or disabled.
• An insurance company can no longer place lifetime dollar limits on our health coverage.
• Many plans must now cover preventive care services at no additional cost.
• If we have been denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, we can now get insurance.
• Young adults up to age 26 are now covered under their parents’ policy.
• Starting in 2014, insurance exchanges will provide better access and more options to self-employed people and small businesses.
• Medicare now covers annual wellness visits and preventive care services, such as immunizations and screenings.
• If we have Medicare Part D, we now receive discounts on prescription drugs while in the donut hole.
• New resources to fight Medicare waste, fraud and abuse will now add 10 years to the solvency of Medicare.
Some call this “Obamacare.” I call it “Our Care.” Those who want to get rid of it “Don’t Care.” When we vote in November we had better keep in mind “Who Cares.” If we lose it by voting in Mitt Romney and his cohorts we will soon discover that “Nobody Cares.” I’m glad we have a president who cares; we need to keep him.
Doug Wingeier
Waynesville
By John Beckman • Guest Columnist
I’ve read the letters regarding the barking dogs issue and the responses from both sides. It’s clear to me that the central issue is not dogs at all, but how Jackson County and the region has changed, and how residents are needing to cope with these changes.
I have been in Jackson County for 19 years, I have three dogs, I own guns and would not deny anyone the right to legally hunt. But with that right comes the responsibility of abiding by the laws and to recognize the impact it has on our fellow citizens. Hunting is not a “God-given right,” but a right granted by state and federal law, under which we are all equal. Many people living here were not born here. Does that mean that we have fewer rights than someone who’s great-grandpappy moved here 100 years ago? Under the law, the answer is obviously “No.” It would appear as though some feel that they are more entitled since they were here first. I would argue that unless you can trace your family back to the first Native American, you are indeed an immigrant to the area, just like the folks who moved here last month.
From Staff Reports
Patrick Willis is a history buff of the first order, so when he landed a part-time job staffing the front desk at the Canton Area Historical Museum while working on his masters in history from Western Carolina University, it was a perfect fit.
By Paul Clark • Contributor
Long caravans of traffic streamed into Cherokee on U.S. 441 recently, but relatively few passengers cast more than a disinterested glance at the small excavation by the Oconaluftee River.
There a dozen local high school students, under the guidance of the University of Tennessee Archaeological Research Lab, were scraping away minute layers of a 2,000-year-old Indian village that once provided food and shelter to the ancestors of the students doing the digging.
Suzanne DeFerie, CEO and president of Asheville Savings Bank, will be the guest speaker at the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business luncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Aug. 9 at the Gateway Club.
DeFerie was born, raised and educated in Western North Carolina, and will share her journey as she entered banking and became the first female CEO of a bank in WNC. Under her leadership, the bank converted from a mutual savings bank to a public stock savings bank last October. DeFerie was the first CEO from the Asheville area to ring the NASDAQ Stock Market Closing Bell in New York City.
She will speak about women in leadership, effective networking, and steps to success.
RSVP to 828.456.3021.
A community yard sale held from noon to 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 10, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11, in the MedWest-Harris parking lot will benefit the Mother and Baby Unit at MedWest-Harris.
People wishing to donate to the community yard sale can drop a variety of items off at the old Sylva Medical Center. Donations will be accepted until 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 9.
For more information about the community yard sale, call MedWest-Harris & Swain Foundation Assistant Linda Claus at 828.631.8924.
The community yard sale is sponsored by Dr. Charles H. Toledo of WNC Pediatric and Adolescent Care in Sylva. Toledo is a candidate in the Disco King contest, which is part of the MedWest-Harris & Swain Foundation’s upcoming “That ‘70s Gala” fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 25. As part of the contest, Toledo is competing to be the Disco King who raises the most money for the “That 70s Gala” which is benefiting MedWest-Harris’ Mother and Baby Unit.
The “That ‘70s Gala” at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 25, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel Event Center in Cherokee will feature an evening of disco dancing, fine dining, a silent auction and more. Now in its 13th year, the Gala is the Foundation’s largest fundraiser. Reservations are $100 per person. For more information about sponsorships, the “That ‘70s Gala” or the Foundation, contact Executive Director of Foundations Steve Brown at 828.631.8924.
The N.C. Department of Transportation will conduct inspections of three tunnels in the Pigeon River Gorge on Interstate 40 in Haywood County, causing traffic delays for motorists during August.
The tunnels being examined are located between the Tennessee border and Exit 15 (Fines Creek). One of the tunnels is on the eastbound side of the interstate and one is on the westbound side.
All work will take place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Work on the two tunnels will be conducted by shutting down one lane of traffic.
The tunnels on I-40 East will be examined on the following dates:
• Eastbound tunnel: Sunday, July 29-Wednesday, Aug. 1, and Sunday, Aug. 5-Monday, Aug. 6
• Westbound tunnel: Tuesday, Aug. 7-Wednesday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 12-Wednesday, Aug. 15.
For real-time travel information at any time, call 511 or visit www.ncdot.gov/travel.
The League of Women voters of Macon County will host a candidate forum at 12:15 p.m. Aug. 9 for N.C. state Senate candidates Democrat John Snow and Republican Jim Davis.
Snow, a retired chief District Court Judge from Murphy, will once again face off against Davis, an orthodontist from Franklin. Snow held the District 50 seat from 2005 to 2010 when Davis defeated him in the election. District 50 includes the seven counties west of Buncombe in Western North Carolina.
The forum will take place at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Lunch is available by reservation — email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828.371.0527. Public is invited, rsvp required for those who want lunch; no rsvp needed just for those attending program.
The Haywood County Arts Council invites artists to submit work samples for consideration in its art in business program, which places artists’ work for sale in area businesses.
Original works in oil, watercolor, and acrylic are sought as well as fine art photography, textiles, and prints. All artwork must be for sale.
Artwork will be installed in a new medical facility in Haywood County. Suggested themes include landscape, still life, contemporary and floral. Work should be medium-sized, 16-by-20 or larger, ready to hang, and canvas-wrapped or in simple wood or metal frames. Rustic and ornate frames are not accepted for this location.
Interested artists should send phone number, email address, website address and/or other online gallery presence address to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by at 5 p.m. Aug. 15.
Teachers Curt and Julie Cloninger will lead a writing seminar designed to help teachers and parents teach writing to their children from 7-9 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Vine of the Mountains Church on Depot Street in Waynesville
The Junaluska Woman’s Club Creative Endeavors Craft Show will exhibit custom-made table lamps from Kenneth Lambert, a.k.a. Sir Lamps-A-Lot, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 10-11 at Harrell Center Auditorium at Lake Junaluska.
The Green Energy Park in Dillsboro will host a glass blowing classes on Aug. 4.
The classes will be split into 45-minute slots from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
With the assistance of one of the resident glass artists, participants will work with molten glass to create a unique piece of glass art. The process takes between 30 and 45 minutes.
Space is limited to 8 participants each session; pre-registration is strongly suggested.
No experience is necessary and students age 13 to 18 may participate with a parent present. Attendees should wear cotton clothing, no polyester, close-toed shoes and long pants.
Artwork will be available for pickup 48 hours after class.
Cost is $30. The park is located on Grindstaff Cove Road.
828.631.0271 or www.jcgep.org.
Six professionals are hoping to be crowned Disco King and Queen, based on donations they collect for the MedWest-Harris & Swain Foundation as part of the Foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year – “That ‘70s Gala,” an evening of dancing, dining and a silent auction.
Franklin will be hopping with all things barbecue when the fourth annual Mountain High BBQ Festival and Car Show comes to town Aug.10-11 at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center located on Georgia Road in Franklin.
The next community music jam at the Marianna Black Library in downtown Bryson City will be from 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 2 in the library auditorium or, weather permitting, on the library’s front lawn.
Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer — anything unplugged — is invited to join. Singers are also welcome.
The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City. Normally, Larry starts by calling out a tune and its key signature, and the group plays it together. Then, everyone in the circle gets a chance to choose a song for the group to play together. The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs.
The music jams are offered to the public the first and third Thursday of the month – year round.
828.488.3030.
A course in “Creating Stained Glass” is being from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays for the month of August at Western Carolina University.
Participants will learn about the Tiffany method of stained glass, which involves each piece of glass being wrapped in copper foil and soldered. The course also will cover safety, proper cutting techniques, foiling and soldering techniques, and simple metal framing, as well as types of glass, solders and copper foils. The instructor for the course, Moya O’Neal, has been working in stained glass more than 20 years.
The cost is $85. Register by Aug. 2.
828.227.7397 or 800.928.4968 or learn.wcu.edu.
Russian pianist Margarita Shevchenko will display her chops at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the Performing Arts Center on Pigeon Street in Waynesville.
The evening’s program will include: Two Scarlatti Sonatas, Handel’s “Chaconne in G-major;” Tchaikovsky’s “Dumka op. 59;” “Sonata #2, op.19,” and “Valse op.38 in A flat major” by Scriabin; and the Chopin Barcarolle op. 60 and Sonata #3, in b minor, op. 58.
Shevchenko has toured extensively, winning top prizes at major international competitions including the Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, the Cleveland International Piano Competition and the Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Israel.
Shevchenko started to play the piano at the age of five and made her debut with a symphony orchestra at 12. She received her musical training at Moscow Central Music School, Moscow State Conservatory and at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio.
Concert tickets are $20 per person with a limited number of free student tickets available. A “Meet the Artist” reception will follow the concert.
The concert is sponsored by the Haywood County Arts Council, WCQS Radio (88.1FM), New Meridian Technologies, John Highsmith and Sandra Hayes and The Windover Inn.
The Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 will host an exhibition of art quilt pieces by the Shady Ladies quilting group called, “Pushing Tradition” Aug. 2-25.
The public is invited to Western Carolina University’s School of Art and Design at 1 p.m. Aug. 3 for an open house for the Cullowhee Mountain ARTS Summer Visual ARTS Series.
The town of Canton will host the ninth annual Mountain Mater Fest from noon on Friday, Aug. 3, to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the recreation park on Penland Street.
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) will host festivities on Aug. 4 to celebrate its purchase of T.M. Rickman General Store five years ago.
Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys will bring traditional bluegrass music to the stage of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Aug.11.
