By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Looking to start your own business? You should do well in Western North Carolina. Seeking a job in traditional manufacturing? Good luck, experts say — it won’t be easy to find.

“The Santaland Diaries”

If you’re reading this, you may already be too late — get thee right now to a phone and call the Asheville Community Theater to reserve tickets for David Sedaris’ short story turned play, “The Santaland Diaries.” Sedaris’ account of a season as an elf in the Macy’s department store bears the NPR favorite’s typical caustic wit, self-deprecation and tremendous observation skills. Tom Chalmers, former Artistic Director of NYC’s Gotham City Improv/Groundlings East, stars in this one-man show. The play has sold out for the past four years — you’d think with that success they’d add a few more shows, as it only runs Dec. 14-16. Note that the show is NOT recommended for children. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved by calling, 828.254.1320.

Making a Gift List

I’m a firm believer in never getting to old to make a list of what you want for the holidays. It clears up any confusion and helps ensure warm feelings all the way around for the gift giver and those on the receiving end. And if someone says that they really don’t want anything, make a donation in their name to a local charity and present them with a card stating such.

Godiva Chocolates

I’ve been a sucker for Godiva ever since my aunt introduced me to them (note that the phrasing is not the other way around) when I was about seven years old. These days they’re much more accessible, but remain special to my heart. There are full-on Godiva stores here and there, though none local to WNC, so instead head online to www.godiva.com. There’s a holiday collection featuring everything from nothing but white chocolate, a hot cocoa sampler, Hanukkah ballotins, truffles, chocolate Santas, cordials and absurdly large gift baskets. I know that we need more holiday treats like we need a hole in the head, but personally I’ve never let that stop me.

— By Sarah Kucharski

Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park appear to have hit a home run with a new license plate design sporting the image of a black bear.

Rumors have been circulating for years about the proposed mega-development in the Jonathan Creek area, the one with a thousand houses and a huge retail center that would take advantage of the area’s proximity to Interstate 40 and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Well, now that those plans are out of the bag, so to speak, the one thing people in the affected area should be reminded of is this: it’s going to take a grassroots effort that pulls out all the stops to prevent a development like this from getting under way.

By Chris Cooper

It hardly needs to be said that the banjo has taken major leaps in the hands of certain talented players over the years. It’s job as the “rhythmic glue” in traditional bluegrass continues, but has also evolved and found a unique voice in the more complex harmonies of jazz, “newgrass,” and all points in between. And the award winning playing of Tony Trischka has been a major force in taking the instrument to these new places for some 40 years or so.

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer

Kathy Sherrard and Anne Allison have dedicated their lives to educating the public about black bears.

By David Curtis

Wool socks, silk long johns, cotton turtleneck, boots, down vest, wool jacket, Gortex insulated camo gloves. Deer hunting? No, Friday night high school football in late November, expected temperature at game time — 27 degrees.

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer

Imagine having the flu and sitting in a folding chair in a crowded waiting room for five hours just to see a doctor. For those with no health insurance this is probably the best option when seeking care for minor illnesses. An office visit to a family physician could cost at least $100, and that’s not including prescription costs.

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer

Macon County commissioners spoke in favor of committing nearly $40 million to fund school construction at their meeting Nov. 26 but stopped short of taking any formal vote on the projects.

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer

Sarge’s Animal Rescue has scrapped its plans to build a no-kill animal shelter in a location that was fiercely opposed by nearby residents.

The Haywood County non-profit originally won approval to build the shelter on Oct. 9 by asking the board of aldermen for a text amendment that would allow for animal shelters to be a permitted use in the Hall Top Road Rural District, a residential area located off Russ Avenue near K-Mart in Waynesville.

By Garret K. Woodward • Staff Writer

If Norman Rockwell ever ventured out of New England, as the crow flies, he may have found himself in downtown Waynesville.

And if Rockwell had packed a blank canvas and a rusty toolbox of untouched acrylics into his vintage station wagon, he may have painted the scene that unraveled in front of the courthouse last Friday evening.

By Garret K. Woodward • Staff writer

I had just finished my third steamed carrot when the yelling began.

It was a group of men, with faces of power and a seemingly euphoric rage. With backs to each other, their bodies pointed in every direction, chests being pounded to the point red hand marks emerged. Tongues stick out furiously in a unique and precise tribal fashion that would make even Gene Simmons question if he was doing it correctly when he was onstage.

Dr. Dan Pittillo will explore the natural history of the southern Appalachians at 7 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the Highlands Nature Center as part of the Zahner Conservation Lecture series.

In a geological discussion, Pittillo will go back to the theory of plate tectonics and consider how mountain building took place here in the southern Appalachians. Did we have peaks pushed up to 15,000 to 20,000 feet or might it have been less dramatic? He will use case studies in the Flat Laurel Gap at Pisgah, Craggy Gardens, and Panthertown Valley to get clues of how these processes have been contributing to our very biodiversity.

Dr. Andrew Methven will discuss “Highlands Fungi: The good, the bad, and the deadly” at the next lecture, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Aug. 9.

The southern Appalachian Mountains are world-renowned for an incredibly rich diversity of fleshy fungi, especially mushrooms.  This lecture will introduce participants to some of the common and unusual fungi that can be encountered on a walk through the woods in the vicinity of Highlands. Attendees are encouraged to bring mushrooms for identification before or after the lecture! 

All Zahner lectures take place at the Highlands Nature Center. www.highlandsbiological.org or call 828.526.2221.

A Farm to School project will provide food awareness and better nutrition education for students and staff at five Haywood County school while also helping local farmers.

The project — funded by a $22,000 grant from the Community Foundation and its affiliate Fund for Haywood County — is designed to address concerns about nutrition and health and the disappearance of small farms. The program supports farmers by increasing sales and diversifying markets. Students, teachers and staff at Bethel Elementary, Jonathan Valley Elementary, North Canton Elementary, Riverbend Elementary and Waynesville Middle School are taking part in the project. In addition to local healthy food served in cafeterias, the program includes farm field trips, cooking demonstrations, nutrition education and school gardens.

The project will serve about 3,000 students and staff at the five school sites, comprising nearly 40 percent of Haywood County Schools’ enrollment.

Volunteers are being sought for a workday at Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County that will enhance the habitat for migratory birds and improve water quality.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and Nature Valley are partnering with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to coordinate the workday, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 28.

The schedule of activities for the day includes:

• 8:45-9 a.m.: Volunteers arrive, sign in, waivers.

• 9:10 a.m.: Intro and welcome, recognize partners, share plan for day.

• 9:20 a.m.: Split into project groups, head to project site.

• Bird group: led by Chris and Margot.

• Trail group: led by Hanni and Allison.

• 9:30 a.m.: At worksite: work for three hours, snacks provided.

• 12:30 p.m.: Bird habitat group finishes work.

• 12:50 p.m.: Trail crew finishes work, hikes to top of Hemphill Bald.

• 1 p.m.: Catered lunch all together at top of Hemphill Bald. Informal presentation/discussion on conservation from a landowner’s perspective and what SAHC is doing in the Smokies focus area.

• 1:50 p.m.: shuttle ready to take people back to parking area.

• 2 p.m.: program officially ends

To register call 828.253.0095, ext. 212, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 A $20,000 reward is being offered for information about the recent killing of three elk near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Mount Sterling area of Haywood County. 

Last month, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation offered a $5,000 reward. The conservation organization has pledged up to the new amount to a person who provides information about the elk killings that directly leads to an arrest, a criminal conviction, a civil penalty assessment, or forfeiture of property by the subject or subjects responsible.



The three elk were killed around May 18, one bull with a .22 caliber firearm, a cow with a birdshot from a shotgun, and a pregnant cow with a undetermined gunshot.

“We feel strongly that this malicious and cowardly act of illegal activity has no place in North Carolina,” said Tim Gestwicki, executive director of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. “We are upping the ante to hopefully entice anyone with information to come forth.”

The poached elk were part of a reintroduction program by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that began in 2002.  Initially, 25 elk were brought to Cataloochee Valley where the herd has grown to 140 but have now spread beyond the park boundary. People come from far and wide to view the elk, significantly supporting local tourism.



Anyone with information is encouraged to call the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission toll free wildlife violations number at 800.662.7137. Any awarded monies do not have to be made public..



While heavy rains have washed wayward trash into creeks in recent weeks, kids from Whitehouse, Tenn., helped scoured the banks of Richland Creek in Waynesville for litter as part of a summer youth project for Whitehouse First United Methodist Church.

Several all-day Space Science Labs for adults or kids will be held on various dates in late July and early August at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, led by working astronomers and engineers.

Treading lightly on the land isn’t always easy if you’re sitting on top of 1,000 pounds and four stout hooves, but backcountry horsemen in the Smokies have been learning new practices for minimizing their impact to the environment while trail riding and camping with horses.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to help staff the visitor contact station at Clingmans Dome through Nov. 30.            

The visitor station at Clingmans Dome sits at an elevation of 6,300 feet and is a point source of information for the national park and the high elevation spruce fir ecosystem, in particular. Volunteers are needed to assist in educating visitors about the Park while also providing recreational, trip planning, and directional information.

The information center, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, originally served as a comfort station but was converted into a seasonal information center in 2010. It also includes a bookstore area managed by the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

“In the past, visitors to this popular destination did not have a chance to obtain information on their high elevation visit or have questions answered,” said Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. Volunteers will work alongside Association employees and are asked to work at least one four-hour shift per week through November. The hours will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Interested persons will be provided with an orientation and training before beginning at the contact station. Training is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 14.

To sign up for training, call 828.497.1906.

Learn about the early locomotives and logging railroads that once wound their way through mountain hollers and hillsides during the annual Train History Day at the Cradle of Forestry on Saturday, July 28.

Western North Carolina train historian Jerry Ledford will give a talk at 10:30 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. featuring historic photos of logging trains and their crews, and footage of steam engines in action. After his talk, Ledford will lead the group to see the narrow-gauge Climax locomotive on exhibit at the Cradle of Forestry.

A hands-on railroad yard and miniature replica of a scale switching layout will be set up by the Asheville Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, showing how railroad cars moved within the yard using switch tracks. See pictures from Southern Railway in the 1950s, old railroad lanterns and other railroad memorabilia.

Admission to the Cradle of Forestry is $5 for adults and free for youth under 16 years of age. Located on U.S. 276 four miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway. 828.877.3130 or go to www.cradleofforestry.org.

Kids can get up close and personal with wolves and their owner, Trapper Rob, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 27.

Rob Gudger and his program “Wolf Tales” is so popular that it is returning for a repeat performance. The free program, which “sold out” when it first came to the Jackson library last month, lasts about an hour.

Topics include the hunting and social behaviors of wolves, the benefits of protecting wild wolves in natural ecosystems, conservation efforts, dispelling myths and misconceptions, and, of course, the chance to interact with a wolf. The wolves are gentle, and Trapper Rob encourages participants to pet them.

While the program is free, due to high demand and limited space, “tickets” will be handed out to the first 75 people in line starting at 1:30 p.m. Anyone who received tickets at the previous Wolf Tales program but could not attend due to space limitations will be given first priority and should bring the tickets they were originally given.

828.586.2016. 

A class for people who have an interest in the benefits of raising their own chickens and/or turkeys will be held at the Stecoah Valley Center from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 6.

Raising poultry can provide fresh homegrown food and free fertilizer for flowers or vegetables.

Topics covered are breed types, purchasing and raising chicks, housing, food and water, breeding and broodiness, a discussion on butchering, diseases, and manure control. This class will also include a heritage turkey dinner with all the fixings and a tour of a small-scale poultry flock setup. $50.

The Stecoah Valley Center is located on N.C. 28 about 30 minutes west of Bryson City. www.Stecoahvalleycenter.com or call 828.479.3364.

Curtis Sikes and Sheena Kohlmeyer will present their new children’s book, The Heart of a King, at 11 a.m. on July 28 at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.  

The Heart of a King tells the story of a young lion prince named Leo and his journey to find his roar. Along the way he receives help and advice from some of the animals in his father’s kingdom. To reserve a copy of the book call City Lights Bookstore at 828.586.9499.

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will host author Dennis Murphy at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, for an introduction to his novel, Brain Waves, and a discussion of the process of publishing a novel.

The book deals with near-death experiences, and his program at the library will also address whether such phenomena should be considered as primarily physiological or supernatural. Set in Colorado, Costa Rica and on the fringe of heaven, Brain Waves is an inspirational medical suspense novel. A tale of revenge and intrigue turns into a story of forgiveness as protagonist Mark Farrell struggles to avoid entering heaven too soon.

This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. 828.586.2016.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its October production of the hit Broadway musical “The Light in the Piazza” at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 5-6.

The production is being directed by Charles Mills and opens on Oct. 5 for a three-weekend run.

The show with music by Adam Guettel and a book by Craig Lucas tells the story of a woman from Winston-Salem who journeys in the 1950s to Florence, Italy with her learning impaired daughter. The daughter finds romance, and the mother must make some hard choices. There are leading roles for four women and four men with additional supporting roles and chorus.  

Actors auditioning as professionals should come with a headshot and resume, as well as a prepared audition piece. Community theater actors should come with sheet music and a prepared song. All actors will be given the opportunity to read from the script. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production is also encouraged to come by during auditions to sign up. Auditions will be held in the Feichter Studio of the HART Theatre, 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville.

Two-time Emmy winning comedian, Grammy nominee and best-selling author Kathy Griffin will appear at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Griffin is a multi-faceted performer with rapid-fire wit. She has been making audiences laugh for years discussing Hollywood gossip and celebrity blunders. Griffin has had recurring roles on ER, Seinfeld, Suddenly Susan and Law Order SVU, plus numerous HBO and Bravo comedy specials.

Tickets available at www.ticketmaster.com.

Local actress Barbara Bates Smith will star in a one-woman benefit performance titled “Go, Granny,Go: A Walk to Washington to Set’em Straight,” at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 at the HART Theater.

The play is the memoir of Doris “Granny D” Haddock. Jeff Sebens of Cana, Va., will provide musical accompaniment. As an added attraction, Men on a Mission, a Haywood County gospel choir, will sing.

In February 2000, 90-year-old Doris “Granny D” Haddock became a national heroine when she completed her 3,200-mile, 14-month walk from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., to bring attention to the issue of campaign finance reform.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. They may be purchased at Haywood County Democratic Headquarters, located at 286 Haywood Square, in Waynesville. The headquarters is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

828.452.9607 or haywooddemocrats.org.

Gem and mineral dealers and rock hounds from across the country will converge on Franklin for the 47th Annual Macon County Gemboree July 26-29.

The hour-long radio show “Stories of Mountain Folk” airs every Saturday at 9 a.m. on Jackson County’s WRGC Radio at 540 AM.

Krista Robb of the Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will give a program and slide show presentation on modern Roller Derby at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, in the community room of the Jackson County Public Library.

The Macon County Library in Franklin will hold two programs on July 26.

Avid coin collector Paul Biery will present a program on American Coins at 11 a.m. in the meeting room.

Biery has been collecting coins for more than 35 years and is an expert in the field of the history of American coinage and in the evaluation of old and rare coins. He will describe historic American coins, where they were minted, and how U.S. coinage has evolved over the years. Feel free to bring old coins for Biery.

Later, at 7 p.m., Becky Lipkin will host a program titled “Let’s Make Soap.”

At this “make-and-take” workshop, participants will be able to create their own soaps.

For more information call 828.524.3600 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A class teaching beginning faux finish instruction will be held from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Aug. 4 at the Leapin’ Frog Gallery in Waynesville.

Instructor is Teir Siewert of Wallchemy, and the cost is $75.

Siewert was trained in designer wall finishes at the internationally renowned Faux Effects Studio in Vero Beach, Fla. and is a PDRA Certified Faux Consultant.

828.456.8441.

Local artists and artisans in Swain and surrounding counties are invited to submit up to four original works of art for the annual community art exhibit at the Swain County Center for the Arts.

Artwork for this nine-week exhibit will be received in the lobby of the Center for the Arts from 8-11 a.m. on Monday, July 30, or earlier by appointment. All artwork should be available for display through the end of September and can be priced to sell.

The artwork can be done in any medium of any appropriate subject — sculptures, paintings, drawings, photographs, needlework, etchings, batiks, weaving, wall hangings, pottery, baskets, jewelry or other original handcrafted items. Artwork for the wall should be ready to hang with wire attached. Works on paper should be framed under glass or plexiglas or they can be matted and shrink-wrapped without a frame.

Each submitted piece should have a 3-by-5-inch card attached with name, address, and phone number. Also, identify the artwork by title, the medium you used to create it, and the price if you wish to sell it. Write “NFS” if the piece is not for sale.

828.488.7843 or www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.

Art League of the Smokies will meet at 6:15 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the Swain County Center for the Arts.

The DVD “Lee Hammonds’s Lifelike Drawing,” will be shown. Learn how to draw a simple vase, furry dog, layered rose and textured pineapple using Hammond’s special blending technique to achieve realistic drawings.  

Sponsored by Swain County Center for the Arts and Swain County Schools, anyone interested is invited to attend free of charge.

For more information about the Art League of the Smokies or to view the exhibits at Swain County Center for the Arts, call Jenny Johnson at 828.488.7843 or visit swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.

The 7th annual Downtown Waynesville Dog Walk hosted by Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4.

Members of Voices in the Laurel Children’s Choir recently returned from the Kingsway International Children’s Choir Festival in Spain.

The Texas Tenors, a phenomenal trio who has been entertaining sold out audiences around the world, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets start at $22.

Fans of NBC’s America’s Got Talent will recognize The Texas Tenors as they won the hearts of millions with their three-part harmonies and Texas appeal when they took fourth place in the popular talent competition in 2009. JC Fisher, a country singer, founded the group when he partnered with Marcus Collins, a contemporary singer, and John Hagen, an opera singer.  The trio celebrates their country roots, blends it with a classical sound and adds a touch of country humor and Texas charm.  

www.GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

The ABBA tribute band Arrival from Sweden will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3. Tickets start at $22.

ABBA was a Swedish pop/rock band who reached great fame in the 1970s when they became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of pop music, selling more than 370 million records worldwide. They are best remembered for hits such as, “Dancing Queen,” “Winner Takes All,” and “Mamma Mia.”

Arrival from Sweden formed in 1995.  

www.GreatMountainMusic.com or call 866.273.4615.

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City continues its Summer Music Series with Carolina Dusk, fronted by Dusk Weaver, at 7 p.m. on July 26.

The Summer Music Series at the library has become a local tradition, and this year’s line-up has been offering great local music for the community to enjoy every second and fourth Thursday (every first and third Thursday evening is the Community Music Jam). Weather permitting, these programs will be presented on the front porch of the library, otherwise they will be moved to the library auditorium. Snacks and refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Marianna Black Library.

The library is located in Downtown Bryson City at the corner of Academy and Rector. 828.488.3030 or visit www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

Natalie Grant, an award-winning singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, will be in concert Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.  Showtime is set for 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $10.

Grant has received the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year four consecutive years, 2006-2009, and again in 2012. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 2012 for Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance for “Alive.”  

In 2011, Grant toured with award-winning, multi-platinum group, MercyMe. She is a powerhouse vocalist and heart-gripping songwriter. Her hits include, “Live for Today,” “Held,” and “In Better Hands.”

To purchase tickets for this sprit-lifting performance, visit GreatMountainMusic.com, or stop by the theatre’s box office at 1028 Georgia Road in Franklin. 866.273.4615.

To the Editor:

It’s hard to understand why working people would ever vote Republican. The Republican Party is the party of the rich … the Donald Trumps, the Sheldon Adelsons, the 1 percent. Since 1997, when the Republican congress slashed taxes for the rich, the income of the 400 richest Americans has risen to $345 million on average. The taxes paid by them, however, stayed nearly flat.

This is not to say that there are no rich Democrats. There are. But the ranks of the Democrat Party are mostly filled with people who have driven a truck, pounded a nail, painted a house, installed a telephone, fixed a leaky roof, or operated a metal press. There is a good reason for this, and it stems from a tradition that started back in Franklin Roosevelt’s day. We had tough times then, tougher than now. People were desperate for work or just for something to eat. Roosevelt stepped in and created hundreds of thousands of jobs that helped people who had their backs to the wall. He was — and still is — called a socialist by many, but not by the people who learned a trade and sent money home from the camps of the Civilian Conservation Corps. (Remember? We had one on Deep Creek.)

With Obama, the tradition continues. With an eye toward folks who with less money than they can count, he has supported the following programs:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) – $20 billion.

• Community Services Block Grant (help for low-income communities) – $1 billion.

• Neighborhood Stabilization Funds (help for ailing neighborhoods – $2 billion.

• Homeless Prevention Funds – $1.5 billion.

• Weatherization Assistance Program (help for low-income families to save on heat) – $5 billion.

• Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 (school meals) – $4 billion.

• Expanded eligibility for Medicaid.

• Health care reform (in spite of all the objections, this will help people who need it most).

This is just the short list, but the record of the president’s administration is one of tending to lower-income folks … urging that the bill giving tax cuts for the rich be allowed to expire … backing grants to enable low-income students to stay in college … stabilizing the auto industry (and making a capitalistic profit for the government in the process).

Come November, when you get ready to mark your ballot, remember that it was Republicans who said that corporations were people, not Democrats. Democrats take care of real people.

Lisa Weeks

Chair,

Democratic Women of Swain County

Bryson City

To the Editor:

In a recent interview with David Joy in the Cashiers Crossroads Chronicle regarding a county wide barking dog ordinance, Incumbent District 4 Jackson County Commissioner Mark Jones stated that he is “... on the fence” and “… is not going to take a position” relative to a barking dog ordinance.

As a candidate for the District 4 Jackson County Commissioner seat, let me state clearly that I am not on the fence on this issue and I clearly have a position. I do not support a countywide barking dog ordinance and oppose any amendment to the Jackson County Noise Ordinance that attempts to institute a countywide barking dog provision.

While I sympathize with those who feel they have a problem with a nearby dog, to think that county government in Jackson County can quiet dogs from the South Carolina line to the Qualla Boundary and all points in between is simply not practical.

Secondly, a countywide barking dog policy ignores the rich hunting heritage of a great number of Jackson County residents. In an age when hunting rights are under attack already, I will not support any laws that continue to undermine those rights.

Lastly, private property includes one’s tax dollars. As a property rights advocate, squandering hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on a countywide barking dog policy that cannot possibly be enforced is a violation of my core beliefs. If a disagreement between neighbors over a barking dog reaches a complete impasse, there are remedies in court that do not affect the rights of the county in its entirety.

Marty Jones

Candidate District 4 County Commissioner,

Cashiers

To the Editor:

Your readers may be interested to know the result of petitions signed this year by hundreds of residents of Jackson, Macon, Haywood and Swain counties. These petitions called for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would nullify the 2010 Supreme Court ruling known as Citizens United.

Most of your readers will know that the 2010 Citizens United ruling, overturning the bipartisan McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act, has resulted in what we now see — vast amounts of anonymous money pouring into election campaigns. And that money being reported daily by journalists as an indication of who will win. The Citizens United 5-4 ruling giving corporations the rights of people and declaring that money is free speech has borne pretty awful fruit.  

Because of grassroots pressure across North Carolina, bills were introduced in May in both N.C. House and Senate calling for this U.S. Constitutional Amendment. H 1201 had 12 sponsors; S 937, nine sponsors. A number of our Western North Carolina legislators sponsored or supported these bills. Despite citizen lobbying, the House and Senate leadership refused to send the bills to the floor for voting.

It is interesting that in a time of budget crises, the General Assembly leadership sees no need to stem the flow of money into politics. The corporate wealthy fight to reduce their taxes and spend obscene amounts of money to elect candidates who will oblige. What must that feel like for the North Carolina jobless, for people working three jobs to support their families, for the teachers without pay raises for five years?  

You may be sure that this issue will not go away simply because the N.C. General Assembly leadership wants it to. Citizens who believe that corporations should not have the rights of people and that money is power, not speech, will be back again to raise this issue. Five states have already sent resolutions to Congress calling for this Amendment. North Carolina could be the sixth.

If you too feel that money is destroying our democracy, you need to speak up. If you signed a petition this year, circulate one this fall. If you complain to friends about money in politics, speak or write to your county commissioners and your legislators. Politicians won’t make changes until enough people demand that change.

Pat Montee

Sylva

To the Editor:

There’s a “For Sale” sign in front of your home, but you didn’t put it there. What’s worse, you may never know who did.

The object of the sale is your mind, and through it, your vote.

Staggering sums of money — in billions, not millions of dollars — will be invested in that purpose this year, in amounts and ways that were unthinkable only a few years ago.

Most of it will be spent not by the candidates it seeks to elect but by allies pretending to be “independent” of their campaigns. Virtually all of the mind-numbing propaganda it purchases will be negative in nature, deliberately misleading, and sometimes crossing the line into prurient hate.

The sewers through which the money flows, the so-called Super PACS, are often managed by former aides to the candidates who know precisely what the candidates want them to say. Their “independence” is a distinction without a difference, but it is enough to warp the judgment and deaden the consciences of a majority of the Supreme Court.

Some of these committees are required to report where they get and spend the money, but not necessarily in time to let voters know before the election. Others that pretend to be non-political, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, don’t have to reveal anything. There’s no assurance that some of it isn’t foreign money.

Legislation pending in the Senate would require all such organizations, corporations, and labor unions to file a disclosure report with the Federal Elections Commission within 24 hours of receiving or spending $10,000 or more.

There is no reasonable doubt that this would be constitutional, no matter what the wily Mitch McConnell says. Even in the disastrous Citizens United decision, eight justices acknowledged disclosure as a proper antidote to unlimited spending. Justice Antonin Scalia said so on television this week.

“You are entitled to know where the speech is coming from — you know, information as to who contributed what,” Scalia said.

But the Republicans in the U.S. Senate don’t think so. They’re blocking a vote. Even John McCain’s halo went missing on this issue.

Republicans didn’t always think that way. 

“We believe that every senator should embrace the Disclosure Act of 2012,” two former senators wrote in a New York Times op-ed article. “This legislation treats trade unions and corporations equally and gives neither party an advantage. It is good for Republicans and it is good for Democrats. Most important, it is good for the American people.”

The former senators are Warren Rudman of New Hampshire and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. They are Republicans.

Martin A. Dyckman

Waynesville

MedWest Health System has opened its expanded Orthopaedic Therapy Services and Occupational Therapy/Hand Therapy Services in the MedWest Outpatient Care Center in Clyde.

Expanded services include general physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. Specialized services include orthopedic-sports rehabilitation, spine and orthopedic manual therapy, and hand rehabilitation for upper extremity disorders.

The expanded rehabilitation services are delivered by 35 physical, occupational, speech and athletic training experts.

“It is uncommon to have this level of expertise and this number of clinicians in a community our size,” Chuck Nettles, director of rehabilitation and sports medicine services at MedWest-Haywood.

The Outpatient Care Center also houses such MedWest-Haywood services as radiology, outpatient surgery including endoscopy procedures, and women’s imaging and breast services as well as Western Carolina Orthopaedic Specialists PA.

The MedWest Outpatient Care Center in Clyde is located at 581 Leroy George Dr. between the MedWest Health and Fitness Center and the hospital.

Office hours for the expanded therapy services will be from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. 828.452.8070.

MedWest-Haywood recently opened a psychiatric evaluation area in the hospital’s emergency department to reduce the time patients may spend waiting in examination rooms prior to being transferred to mental health facilities.

Generous grant funding from The Evergreen Foundation, the Rural Hope initiative of the Golden LEAF Foundation, and the Appalachian Regional Commission helped MedWest-Haywood create the new area.

The new psychiatric evaluation area is comprised of a kitchen area, comfortable recliners, a television, a bathroom and individual areas that can be closed off by curtains for privacy. It can accommodate up to six patients at once and makes the transition and waiting period for patients more comfortable and allows the emergency department to open more rooms for other uses.

“This has been a long time coming, and I’m glad we have it open now,” said Roger Coward, assistant vice president of Emergency Services. “I think it will definitely help our population.”

Western Carolina University will receive a $642,960, five-year investment award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to continue operation of the EDA University Center for Rapid Product Realization, which works to accelerate job creation and retention among existing businesses and emerging entrepreneurial enterprises in Western North Carolina.

The EDA University Center links clients to a range of services, including three-dimensional design and scanning, reverse engineering, rapid prototyping and mechanical and electrical testing at the Rapid Center; business assistance from the SBTDC; and consulting and entrepreneurial mentoring from the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. WCU received funding from the EDA each of the last three years to provide services to regional businesses.

The EDA University Center is located in WCU’s Belk Building alongside the Center for Rapid Product Realization. The EDA funding will be used to support existing positions as the university contributes faculty resources, equipment and laboratory space to the project.

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