City Lights Bookstore and the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will celebrate of the release of the book edition of Gary Carden’s new play, Outlander, at 6:30 p.m. July 14.

Outlander is a full-length play about Horace Kephart and the creation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The book launch will take place in the community room of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva and will feature a presentation on Kephart and his relationship with friend and aid, Granville Calhoun.

828.586.9499.

The Friends of the Haywood County Library is hosting a discussion the last book in the Jane Austen “Let’s Talk About It” series, Persuasion, from 4-6 p.m. on July 19 at the Waynesville branch auditorium.

Books are available at the library. See Teresa Glance during office hours Monday through Friday. Call or email Linda Arnold for additional information at 828.456.5311 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Children ages 8 and older can get muddy and learn about pottery in two workshops from 9 a.m. to noon July 14 and July 21 at Macon County Art Association’s Uptown Gallery in Franklin.

The Asheville Gallery of Art is accepting membership applications from area artists.

Applications must be submitted by July 31. Interested artists should obtain a copy of prospective member guidelines and an application, both of which are available at the gallery or may be downloaded from the gallery’s website (www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com).

Applicants must deliver five finished original pieces ready for hanging, six copies of a current resume, and six copies of the completed membership application to the gallery between noon and 5:30 p.m. on July 31. All work must then be picked up between 2-5:30 p.m. on Aug. 1. The gallery will endeavor to preserve and protect submitted work but cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage.

The Asheville Gallery of Art is an artists’ cooperative, which exhibits original two-dimensional works by twenty-eight member artists. The gallery is located on College Street across from Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville. It offers works ranging from representational to abstract in a wide choice of subject matter, styles and media. Photographs, computer art, and sculpture are not accepted at this time.

828.251.5796 or e-mail questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is piloting an artist-in-residence program, which will provide artists with uninterrupted time to pursue their body of artwork as well as the opportunity to engage and inspire the public through outreach programs. The program is a part of the National Park Service Volunteer program.

Each artist selected will have the adventure of living in and creating their art within the park for four to six weeks. The resident artist will have an opportunity to create works and experiences that promote an understanding of the need to preserve and care for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The park has selected the following seven artists for the remainder of 2012:

• Tom Virgin from Miami, Fla.; woodcuts.

• Kelly Adams from Greenville; painting and drawing.

• Michael Burke from South Bend, Ind.; filmmaker.

• Rob Wilson from Orlando, Fla.; photography and writing.

• Leigh Ann Carter from Monterey Bay, Calif; scientific illustration.

• Michal Truelsen from Lowell, Mass.; paper relief images.

In addition to resident artists, the park has also selected Tagan Crowe, a local student artist from Cherokee High School, to participate in the program. Crowe works primarily in oils and paints on large canvases and currently has an original painting on display at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Each artist will contribute a piece of original artwork, which characterizes Great Smoky Mountains National Park and present two public programs. The programs will be announced by the park as they are scheduled.

The program is possible due to support from Friends of Great Smoky Mountain National Parks and collaboration with Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts.

865.436.1265.

Waldo is hiding in local downtown Sylva businesses. Can you find him?

When you spot him collect a card from that business and take them to City Lights Bookstore. Collect eight cards and get a Waldo button. Collect 16 and be entered into a drawing for a six-book deluxe set of Waldo books and a growler for a free soda refill from Heinzelmannchen Brewery.

City Lights Bookstore will host the grand celebration and prize drawing at 6 p.m., July 31.

Participating business are: City Lights Bookstore, City Lights Cafe, Eric’s Fresh Fish Market, Friends of the JCP Library, Heinzelmannchen Brewery, Hollifield Jewelers, Hooker’s Fly Shop, In Your Ear Music, It’s By Nature, Jackson Co. Chamber of Commerce, Jackson Co. Pub. Library, Jackson’s General Store, Jake’s Mountain House, Livingston’s Photo, Main Street Bakery & Cafe, Motion Makers Bicycle, Nichols House and Survival Pride Clothing.

The event is a nationwide program to celebrate Waldo’s 25th birthday. Waldo is the creation of Martin Handford, whose entertaining drawings of crowd scenes swept the world in 1987, and held the record for the fastest selling children’s book of all-time until Harry Potter. There are more 56 million Waldo books in print worldwide and they’ve been translated into eighteen languages.

The first StreetFest of 2012 will be held from 6-9 p.m. July 13 in historic downtown Franklin.

Venture Local Franklin has teamed with local merchants to host the fest.

The schedule of events includes: local bands and music on the streets and a family friendly movie on a 26-foot screen. The film “Ghostbusters” will be shown in the Town Hall parking lot at dark.

There will also be plenty of great shopping and food from local businesses as well as some fun prizes.

828.421.0535 or visit www.facebook.com/venturelocalfranklin.

REACH of Haywood will celebrate its resale store’s 10th anniversary with a fashion show and luncheon at noon July 16 at the Bourbon Barrel Beef & Ale Restaurant on Hazelwood Avenue in Waynesville.

Dancers and musicians in colorful traditional costumes from the countries of New Zealand, France, Belgium, Indonesia, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, Puerto Rico, Ukraine and Hawaii are expected to appear in more than 70 performances during the 29th Folkmoot Festival, July 18-29.

The second Sylva Art Stroll, sponsored by the Jackson County Visual Arts Association (JCVAA), is scheduled for 5 p.m. July 13 in downtown Sylva.

Most businesses will stay open later than 5 p.m. to welcome visitors, shoppers and diners before the Bridge Park Concert at 7:30 p.m. JCVAA hosts Sylva Art Strolls on the second Fridays of the month.

Several artist receptions will occur in conjunction with the Sylva Art Stroll:

• Gallery 1 will hold a reception for JCVAA’s summer show “Some Like It Hot,” featuring new artist Gabe McNair’s wood sculptures in addition to photography, paintings and other visual art. McNair began his art career by teaching art in public schools in Georgia. It was while teaching in Jackson County, however, that he began furniture design. He and his business partner, Roger Turner, were selected to membership in the prestigious Southern Highlands Craft Guild.

Other artists exhibiting include Joe Meigs, Tim Lewis, Carol Payton, Clint Hardin, Audrey Hayes and James Smythe.

Refreshments will be served and a free “make-and-take art project” will be offered. The gallery will be open until 9 p.m.

• It’s By Nature will welcome potter Linda Jennings of Bryson City with her Japanese Kimonos. Jennings uses various firing techniques of Raku and Sagger to help capture the rich silk brocades. She holds a fine arts degree from the University of Houston and has 35 years of pottery experience.

Also featured at It’s By Nature are Fiber Art Dolls by Sylva native Zan Barnes and new works by returning potter Marie Hriber. The store will be open until 8 p.m., and wine and cheese will be served.

• Signature Brew Coffee Roasting Company will host a reception for Krystal Sharrett and her new works featuring auric emenations and elemental renderings. Light refreshments will be served, and live music will follow the reception.

Other venues displaying art include Penumbra Gallery with Matthew Turlington’s photography, City Lights Cafe with art by Rachel Griffin, and Survival Pride Clothing Store and Art Gallery. Visitors can look for balloons designating the 30 participating merchants and see a map at any of the locations.

JCVAA is dedicated to enriching the arts community and presenting visual arts. Membership is open to the public, and new members are always welcome.

828.337.3468.

The 9th annual Franklin Folk Festival celebrating Appalachian Heritage will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, in downtown Franklin.

The eclectic band The Boxcars will take the stage at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. July 14.

The Boxcars, which includes members Adam Steffy, Ron Stewart, John Bowman, Keith Garrett and Harold Nixon, have deep bluegrass roots. The members, separately, have performed with bluegrass and country notables such as Alison Krauss, Lynn Morris, Curly Seckler, Lester Flatt, Quicksilver, Lonesome River Band, and JD Crowe and the New South.

Two dinner seatings, served family style in the Stecoah Kitchen, will precede the concert. Dinner seatings are at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; reservations are required.

Lighter fare will also be available in the Schoolhouse Café. Ten people will also have the privilege of enjoying a private 5 p.m. dinner with the band. The private dinner tickets must be purchased online three days in advance of show date.

Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center is located at 121 Schoolhouse Road in the Stecoah community off N.C. 28 between Bryson City and Fontana Dam.

Concert tickets can be purchased in-person at the Stecoah Gallery by calling 828.479.3364 or at www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

The Gibson Brothers, a traditional bluegrass band, will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. July 20.

The Gibson Brothers are widely recognized as among the finest brother duet in bluegrass music today. Eric and Leigh Gibson are accompanied by Mark Barber on bass, Clayton Campbell on fiddle, and Joe Walsh on mandolin. At the 2011 IBMA Awards, the Gibson Brothers were recognized as Vocal Group of the Year, and their album, Help My Brother, was named Album of the Year. Help My Brother was also named the 2012 SPGMA Album of the year, with the title track awarded Song of the Year.

The concert is sponsored in part by the Tourism and Development Committee of Franklin and Nantahala.

Tickets are $15 each. To purchase tickets, stop by the theatre’s box office at 1028 Georgia Road, Franklin or visit the center’s website.

www.GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.

Gospel quartet Gold City will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 14.

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will host a performance by Ubuntu Dillsboro, an a capella community chorus, at 7 p.m. July 17.

“Ubuntu Dillsboro is a group of people who love to sing in harmony,” said Tom Tyre, the group’s leader. “We sing because it allows us to be a part of something much bigger than the sum of us.”

The African word Ubuntu refers to the interconnectedness of humanity and means, loosely, “I am who I am because of the people around me and our relationship with each other.”

Ubuntu Dillsboro is a member of the Ubuntu International Network of community choirs. The group performs publicly on occasion but meets regularly simply to sing for the joy of it.

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

828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

The Macon County Arts Council is holding its free monthly ARTSaturday workshop for elementary school-aged children and their families from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 14, in the Macon County Public Library children’s area.

Activities include harmony and round singing, an American History lesson in song, and some musical sign language. Ice cream treats will be served.

There’s no pre-registration; children should wear play clothes and can come for any part of the session. Adults are encouraged to stay and participate.

The library is off Siler Road in Franklin, adjacent to Southwestern Community College.

The monthly ARTSaturday series is produced by the Arts Council of Macon County and is supported by the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council.

828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

To the Editor:

Maggie Valley must love the guns, badges and handcuffs. In fact, with Maggie Valley being only about 4.5 miles long, we have a little more than three fine local officers per mile. Maggie Valley has a population of 1,150 residents according to the 2010 census and confirmed by the director of planning, Nathan Clark. This is one police officer per every 82.14 people.

According to the N.C. League of Municipalities, a town of approximately 1,000 residents needs 2.4 police officers. Maggie Valley has 10 full-time police and 4 part-time. Each of Maggie Valley’s full-time officers has a patrol car for his use to travel to and from work, and none of these 10 lives in Maggie Valley. Is there any advantage to having patrol cars leaving town or being parked anywhere but in Maggie Valley? The more the cars are driven the more gas and maintenance is required and the more money is taken from taxpayers. Should taxpayers be paying for use of the patrol cars while the officer is off duty?

Having limits on where a patrol car is may also control any temptations an officer of the law would have to harass or abuse his authority while off duty or within another township?

At just about any time during the week, you can find our fine local peacekeepers parked in their usual spots making sure none of the people here in Maggie Valley are driving their vehicles (or scooters) over 35 miles an hour. Perhaps if you really did need one of our officers you may find them gathered together eating at their usual restaurant, perhaps discussing our local crime.

The article in The Smoky Mountain News stated: “While full-time residents only number about 1,000, Maggie’s population increases greatly as seasonal residents and tourists come to town. Maggie also has a high number of bars for a town of its size.”

I can think of only two things: (1) Seasonal residents are usually retired, laid back, good folks who would never cause any reason to increase the police force; (2) as for the number of bars in Maggie Valley, I know there are restaurants that serve alcohol. Maybe our peacekeepers need to thank these restaurant/bars for keeping them in a job. Without them there would be no need for any local police, in fact, Maggie Valley would be a “Ghost Town.”

Bonnie Hanson

Maggie Valley

To the Editor:

It’s election trash talking time again, and one of the things that will come up will be the Republicans reminding everyone of the old saying that Democrats are the “party of tax-and-spend.” Then the next thing they bring up is that we need to be conservative with the public money, implying that Democrats are not.

Recent history says that this is not true. From Historical Tables, The Budget of the United States Government, comes the following quote: “… deficits averaging $206 billion were incurred between 1983 and 1992. These unprecedented peacetime deficits increased debt held by the public from $789 billion in 1981 to $3.0 trillion (48.1 percent of GDP) in 1992.” And this is from a government publication.

So, what was the party in charge during those years? Not the tax-and-spend Democrats. It was guys like President Reagan and Bush running up the deficits. Let’s break it down. Reagan increased the debt 189 percent, George Bush (the elder) 55 percent, and George Bush (the younger), 86 percent.

How did the Democrats do? During Clinton’s presidency, the debt increased 37 percent and in the first two years of the Obama administration, the debt increased 35 percent … much to the screams of irresponsibility from the other side.

As to fiscal responsibility, what recent president was the first to post a balanced budget since 1957? Clinton. And who gave away the Clinton-era surplus and plunged the U.S. back into deficit spending? Bush.

So, which party has the better track record of being financially responsible?

Ginger Gaither

Bryson City

To the Editor:

As our government officials keep putting off a long-term solution to the debt ceiling problem, perhaps these limericks by Michael Silverstein will provide some guidance:

Solution 1: Keep on letting things slide. “A country much burdened by debt / its policies not firmly set / its people debated / each other berated / then opted to do nothing yet.”

Solution 2: Resolve it on the backs of the poor: “With everyone deploring / huge debt they’re long ignoring / some folks are a’buying / a plan by Rep. Ryan / that solves the whole thing with poor goring.”

Solution 3: Try balanced common sense (which is pretty uncommon up there in Washington): “Approaching the debt ceiling wall / there came a sane, sensible call / much spending we axe / but the rich also tax / sacrifice is then shared by us all.”

Doug Wingeier

Waynesville

The N.C. Department of Transportation has started work on three projects in Western North Carolina.

In Haywood County, the DOT awarded a $1 million contract to resurface 12.7 miles of U.S. 276 from Forest Service Road 256 to Looking Glass Creek in Transylvania County. Work should be completed by Aug. 24.

In Macon County, the DOT awarded a $3.6 million contract for road resurfacing. The project involved 14.4 miles of U.S. 64 in the Cullasaja Gorge and 3.8 miles of Horse Cove Road. The work should be completed by Oct. 19.

In Graham County, the DOT awarded a $1.6 million contract for preservation work on the bridge on N.C. 28 spanning the Little Tennessee River below Fontana Dam in Graham County.

The preservation work will involve hydro-demolition, or the application of intense water pressure, to remove old concrete from the bridge deck. Then a new concrete overlay will be applied to the deck, and the bridge will be repainted.

MedWest-Harris and MedWest-Swain laboratory employees recently partnered for the first time with Jackson County Department of Public Health workers to conduct wellness tests for county employees.

As part of the county’s open enrollment period for benefits, all Jackson County employees participating in the county’s voluntary wellness plan were recently screened at the health department with the assistance of MedWest-Harris and MedWest-Swain lab workers.

“This is a good partnership utilizing local resources for providing lab tests that we collect,” said Jackson County Manager Chuck Wooten.

Jackson County has about 375 employees, and about 95 percent of the employees voluntarily participated in the county’s wellness program.

MedWest-Harris in Sylva will hold an American Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, July 12 to help with the decline in blood donations typically seen in summer months.

The American Red Cross sees a drop in blood donations during the summer months because regular donors are often busy with seasonal activities and may overlook scheduling appointments. Blood donations from high school and college students, which account for as much as 20 percent of donations during the academic year, also are not available when school is out of session.

Nationwide, American Red Cross blood donations are down by 10 percent, with 50,000 fewer pints of blood than expected. The American Red Cross currently has half the amount of readily available blood than they had at this time last year. Blood and platelet donors are needed.

Donors through MedWest-Harris should check in at the West entrance in the main lobby.

828.586.7130.

The businesses in Haywood County are collecting non-perishable food donations through July 15 for Hunger Free Haywood, an initiative with MANNA Food Bank to cut down on hunger in the county.

People wanting to donate should look for red barrels setup at participating businesses and organizations, including Walmart and Ingles. Red, White & Boom in Maggie Valley and the Lake Junaluska 4th of July celebration will feature the barrels.

The goal is to collect 50,000 pounds of food as well as educate people about hunger in Haywood County.

The Haywood County Public Library has acquired the Early Literacy Station, a computer loaded with 50 educational software titles for children ages 2-10.

The Early Literacy Station offers children a safe, standalone computer not connected to the Internet that is age-appropriate, engaging and academically relevant for children. The ELS has a colorful keyboard and tiny mouse, sized for a child’s hand, to promote easy learning and discovery.

The Early Literacy Station’s educational software covers seven areas: reading, math, science, social studies, writing, arts and music, and reference. The system is designed to attract and educate toddlers through elementary school ages.

The Early Learning Station is available in English, Spanish and French.

The Cherokee Preservation Foundation has awarded 24 new grants totaling $1.8 million that support cultural preservation, economic development, job creation and environmental preservation.

They include:

• A grant to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Emissaries of Peace, host the Southeast Tribes Festival and continue the Snowbird Cherokee language camp.

• A grant to Tribal Government to buy five fuel-efficient vehicles, two rainwater cisters and to retrofit 10 buildings for energy conservation. Money was also provided to complete solar thermal installation on an 11th tribal building, the Ginger Lynn Welch facility.

• A grant that will enable the new Cherokee Children’s Home to include a number of green components, including geothermal heating and cooling, solar heated water, rainwater harvesting and a solar photovoltaic system to generation electricity.

• A grant that will enable Swain County Schools to develop a science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum that will emphasize digital and financial literacy, business planning, best practices in environmental responsibility and economic development, real world experiences and academic achievement. It will be used by students at Cherokee Central Schools and in Swain, Jackson, Haywood, Clay, Graham and Cherokee counties.

• Grants to support the Cherokee Youth Council in promoting leadership development opportunities and to establish youth councils in Clay and Cherokee counties that are modeled after the Cherokee Youth Council.

• A grant that will enable the Oconaluftee Institute of Cultural Arts to offer a summer art program for high schools students.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.628.9160.

Chandra Spaulding, an animal rights activist and vet’s assistant in Sylva, has jumped onboard a statewide campaign to crack down on puppy mills.

Signs of her handiwork — literally — can be seen in the form of a billboard on N.C. 107 telling people not to buy dogs from pet stores but instead to rescue animals from their local shelter.

The American Red Cross will hold blood drives in the area as the agency has reached emergency levels after receiving 50,000 fewer donations than expected in last month. 

All blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand this summer. 

Here are upcoming blood drives in Haywood County:

• 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 7, Crabtree United Methodist Church. 828.627.3666.

• 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 8, New Covenant Church, Clyde. 828.627.9000.

• 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 16, Longs Chapel Church, Waynesville. 828.627.9000.

• 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, July 27, Lowe’s of Waynesville. 828.456.9999.

Here are upcoming blood drives in Jackson County:

• 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., walk-ins welcome, MedWest-Harris. 828.586.7130.

• 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., walk-ins welcome, Southwestern Community College at Bradford Student Lounge. 828.339.4305.

A free dental clinic will be held July 13-14 at the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University.

The N.C. Missions of Mercy clinic is for adults earning less than twice the federal poverty level, providing free dental care ranging from dental hygiene to restoration to extractions. Most patients are served on a first come, first served basis.

The N.C. Missions of Mercy is sponsored by the N.C. Dental Society, which is partnering with Rotary District 7670. In September, a similar clinic attracted 500 people.

828.734.3393 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has installed a series of metal trees baring solar panels on the branches near the three visitors areas on the Qualla Boundary.

The artistic solar arrays fasioned in the form of a tree were installed at the Welcome Center on Tsali Boulevard, the visitors center on U.S. 19 and a public rest area and infomation kisok near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park entrance.

“I think they are pretty neat,” said Damon Lambert, EBCI Building Construction manager and head of the Strategic Energy Committee.

The tribe hopes the unique look will draw attention from visitors to the reservation.

“That is kind of why we did them in town,” Lambert said.

The end goal is to make the Welcome Center LEED certified and the downtown building achieve net zero energy status, meaning it does not use any non-renewable energy.

The addition of the solar panels is part of a larger Energy Efficiency & Environmental Showcase, which includes solar hot water, more efficient lighting and improved insulation. The project also will include a small wind turbine on Cow Mountain.

The total project is being funded through a $500,000 from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit focused on preserving native culture, protecting the natural environment and creating diverse economic opportunities.

Lambert estimated that the upgrades will be complete by September.

Cherokee Preservation Foundation is sponsoring a community photo contest in connection with its 10th anniversary celebration. The contest is open to people who live on the Qualla Boundary or in Haywood, Swain, Graham, Jackson, Cherokee, Macon and Clay counties. Photos must relate to at least one of the foundation’s three areas of focus: cultural preservation, economic development and environmental preservation.

Photos must be submitted by 5 p.m. on July 27, and winners will be announced at a public reception and exhibition at Qualla Arts & Crafts in Cherokee on Aug. 23. 

The contest has an adult and youth (16 years old or younger) age category. In the adult age category, winners will be selected for first prize ($500), second prize ($300) and third prize ($200), and the judges shall have the discretion to select honorable mentions ($100). In the youth age category, judges will award a first prize ($200), and they shall have the discretion to select honorable mentions ($50).  

Information about the contest is available on the foundation’s website www.cpfdn.org/contest. And, those with additional questions are encouraged to email them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Cherokee Preservation Foundation awards grants to regional projects and programs that address cultural preservation, economic development and job creation, and environmental sustainability.

Ron Rash and his latest novel The Cove will be featured in the season premiere of “North Carolina Bookwatch” on UNC-TV.

The program, hosted by D.G. Martin, will be broadcast at 9:30 p.m. July 6 with a repeat showing at 5 p.m. July 8.

Released in April, The Cove is set in Western North Carolina during World War I and tells the story of a mountain woman, Laurel Shelton, who lives in an isolated cove with her brother Hank, a war veteran recently returned from France. One day, Laurel finds a stranger, Walter, who has been nearly stung to death by yellow jackets, and she nurses him back to health as she falls in love. But, a local Army recruiter who is rabidly anti-German suspects Walter is not the person he claims to be and threatens to ruin the couple’s hopes for the future.

The Cove was collecting favorable reviews even before its release. It was recently listed as one of Amazon’s “Best Books of the Year So Far,” and it was named in a Publishers Weekly roundup of the “Best Summer Books 2012.”

Friends of the Haywood County Library’s “Let’s Talk About It” series will continue with The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara from 4-5:45 p.m. July 18 at the Waynesville branch auditorium.

Shaara drew inspiration from his own life experiences for the 1974 novel. The Killer Angels won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and is written from the perspective of soldiers on both sides of the Gettysburg battle. 

Dr. Emory Maiden from Appalachian State University will lead the discussion. Copies are available at the Waynesville library.

828.456.5311 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Author Marshall Frank will give a talk at the public library in Sylva at 7 p.m. on July 12 based on his books and experiences as a police officer.

Frank’s most recent book, a thriller entitled The Upside to Murder, follows a respected Miami physician as he tries to protect his daughter, the victim of a horribly violent crime, and has to relive it as the case moves to trial. 

Much of Frank’s writing is inspired by his 30 years as a police officer, including his years as a homicide detective in Miami-Dade County. His previous books are both novels and non-fiction, including a memoir entitled From Violins to Violence, which chronicles his early life as the stepson of a Miami Beach mobster and his training as a musician and dancer before he became a law enforcement officer.

828.586.2016.

A hummingbird program by Cathyrn and John Sill will be held July 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Kern Youth Center at Lake Junaluska by the Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Society.

Cathryn Sill is the author of the “About” series of books for children, which includes About Hummingbirds. The book uses simple, easy to understand language to teach children what hummingbirds are, how they look, how they move, what they eat, and where they live. Many varieties of hummingbirds are introduced, from the smallest to the largest.

John Sill is a nature freelance artist and illustrator. He illustrated his wife’s “About” series.

The Plateau Fly Fishing Club will hold a casting clinic at 6:15 p.m. and a meeting at 7 p.m. July 10 at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers library.  

The speaker will be Alex Bell, owner of AB’s Fly Fishing Guide Service and co-creator of the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, which outlines 15 prime fishing stops in Jackson County.  Mr. Bell will discuss the locations to include access points, flies and techniques for accessible and lightly fished streams.

Following the meeting, a raffle will be held featuring flies, accessories and the grand prize of a handmade fiberglass rod for small streams.

828.885.7130

Cherokee mounds will be the focus of a 7 p.m., July 12, presentation at the Highlands Biological Station.

Ben Steere, from the Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research Program at the University of Georgia, will give a talk titled “The Western North Carolina Mounds and Towns Project:  New perspectives on human settlement in the southern Appalachians.” 

WNC has a rich history of archaeological research, yet data regarding Cherokee mound and town sites have not been systematically compiled. The Coweeta program and the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are working together to build a database and GIS map containing archaeological information for all mound and town sites in WNC.

828.526.2221.

An evening of stargazing using optical or radio telescopes will be held at 7 p.m. July 13 at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute.

The event is part of the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute’s monthly evening at PARI series. It will include a presentation by Bernard Arghiere, president of the Astronomy Club of Asheville. Arghiere has been observing and studying the night skies for 40 years and has made astronomical observing trips to Africa, Europe and South America.

The program will begin with the presentation, followed by the observing session and optional campus tour.

Reservations are required and will be accepted until 3 p.m. the day of the event. Evening at PARI programs cost $20 per adult, $15 for seniors/military and $10 for children under 14.

www.pari.edu, 828.862.5554, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or www.AstroAsheville.org.

Nantahala Outdoor Center has opened a new Nantahala Zip Line Adventure Park that features a traditional zip line and aerial obstacle course.

The Mountain Research Station will hold its annual Hay Day on July 12, featuring demonstrations of the latest hay equipment and educational sessions for growers. Two hours of pesticide credits are available as well as three hours of continuing education credits for certified crop advisors.

The schedule will include:

• 10 to 10:45 a.m.: mowing, tedding and sprayer demonstrations

• 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.: calibrating sprayers

• 11:45 a.m. to noon: FFA competition

• Noon to 12:30: lunch

• 12:30 to 12:50 p.m.: welcome and Introductions

• 12:50 to 1:00 p.m.: FSA update

• 1 to 1:20 p.m.: preparing for emergencies on the farm

• 1:20 to 2:20 p.m.: pesticide and farm safety

• 2:20 to 3 p.m.: pasture and hayfield fertility

• 3 to 4 p.m:. raking and baling demonstrations

Learn the latest about the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, including an update on land conservation initiatives, at noon on Thursday, July 12, at Tartan Hall in Franklin.

The League of Women Voters of Macon County is sponsoring the program by Sharon Taylor, the deputy director of the Land Trust, and Dennis Desmond, stewardship director. The Land Trust is a Franklin-based nonprofit conservation organization. It merged in December 2011 with the Little Tennessee Watershed Association.

Taylor will give an update on the merged organization’s expanded staff and their move to the Little Tennessee River near the Nikwasi Mound. Desmond will discuss the Land Trust’s growing restoration and monitoring program, including its partnership with Southern Appalachian Raptor Research on breeding bird monitoring.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.371.0527.

Meet with a park ranger and enjoy mountain views while lunching on top of Hemphill Bald July 19.

Hiking enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein will lead the hike from Purchase Knob to Hemphill Bald as part if Friends or the Smokies classic hikes series. The 7.5-mile hike is moderate in difficulty and has an elevation gain and descent of 1,500 feet.

A park ranger will discuss work done at the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center. Hikers will also visit the The Swag’s Nature Trail, a two-mile loop that includes a swinging bridge, working water-wheel, and hidden pond.

Participants will gather to depart from Asheville at 8:30 a.m. and in Waynesville at 9 a.m. Meeting locations are specified upon registration.

Hikers should come prepared with food, water and appropriate hiking gear for the all day excursion. A donation of $35 to go to the Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program is requested, and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. A donation of $10 is requested from current Friends of the Smokies members. Members who bring a friend hike for free.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.452.0720, www.friendsofthesmokes.org

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee will host a nature study and leisurely hike to Yellow Creek Falls and nearby stretches of the creek in Robbinsville July 13.

Philip Moore, the Land Trust’s program director for Clay, Cherokee and Graham counties, will lead the hike. The forested tract includes healthy streams and upland communities, wetlands, and critical habitat for aquatic species. The upper section of Yellow Creek on the property is very slow moving and winding, unusual features for a mountain stream. The creek gets progressively steeper as it charts its downstream course toward the Cheoah River and culminates in Yellow Creek Falls.

Hikers will meet at the trailhead at 9 a.m. on U.S. 129 North in Graham County, about 2.3 miles north of Yellow Creek Road.

This event is free for LTLT members, but a donation of $35 is requested for non-members, and includes a complimentary membership to LTLT.

RSVP’s are required. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.524.2711 ext 304.

A guided hike on the three-and-a-half mile round-trip Thomas Divide Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be held July 7.

Great Smoky Mountains Association is sponsoring the hike, which will be led by naturalist Liz Domingue. Thomas Divide Trail has moderate uphill and downhill grades. There is a forest of Eastern hemlock, yellow birch, American beech and several species of maple. Many fallen chestnut logs can be seen on the forest floor.

Wear appropriate hiking gear. Bring rain gear and bottled water, along with a snack or lunch. A hiking stick is recommended.

There is a $5 fee for GSMA members, and a $10 charge for non-members.

865.436.7318, ext. 222 or 254.

The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society is offering birders a chance to stroll around the grounds of a private home on Mirror Lake in Highlands on July 7.

Also on tap will be a talk by Douglass Pratt, a curator with the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, at 7 p.m., July 9, and a Saturday morning field trip around Highlands on July 14.

The Mirror Lake property has exceptionally active bird feeders and wildflower gardens geared for beginners. Audubon leaders will offer assistance and education in using binoculars, field guides and spotting birds in the field. Participants will meet in the Highlands Town Hall parking lot near the public restrooms at 7:30 a.m.

The program featuring Pratt will be held at the Highlands Civic Center on U.S. 64. Pratt has gained an international reputation as an authority on birds of the tropical Pacific Islands and has conducted museum expeditions to Fiji, Samoa and Micronesia, along with incidental visits to Hawaii.

The regular Saturday morning field trip will be led by Audubon guide Romney Bathurst and will include roadside birding along Rich Gap Road. The group will meet in the Highlands Town Hall parking lot near the public rest rooms at 7:30 a.m. to carpool.

828.743.7421.

The Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest just outside of Brevard will host a night for nature enthusiasts of all ages to learn more about night-flying animals during the Winged Creatures of the Night Program from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. July 14.

Moths, bats and owls are among the animals active at night when many people are settled into bed.

Children can make a luna moth finger puppet to take home. After a short program of nature-oriented songs, naturalists will describe the special adaptations animals have for going about the business of living from dusk to dawn. Winged creatures, such as bats and owls, play important roles in the forest because they help keep mosquito and mouse populations in check.

After the talk, naturalists will lead the group on a stroll through the evening woods in search of winged creatures of the night. Along the way, participants will see and hear a demonstration of acoustic monitoring equipment used to survey local bat activity. This device allows the human ear to hear bats’ echolocation, the biological sonar they use to navigate and forage in the dark.  

The fee is $6 for ages 16 and older; $3 for youth 15 and under and America the Beautiful and Golden Age pass holders.

828.877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.org

The Bascom’s 2012 Mountains in Bloom Garden Festival, which includes a garden tour and flower show, will take place July 13-14.

The Jackson County Farmers Market is sponsoring the sixth annual Farm Tour and Garden Walk from 1 to 5 p.m. July 14 and 15.

To the Editor:

We, the undersigned, are a group of Haywood County citizens that meets regularly for a respectful dialogue around race issues. This group first fellowships together over a meal and then enters into a structured conversation aimed at understanding and appreciating our varied life experiences around race.

At our most recent gathering, we discussed a racially charged incident which happened recently in our area. We fervently believe that we need to address this incident; it should be brought out into the sunlight so we can move fully into an era when all of our residents live in safety, dignity, and without discrimination.

The situation was a reported cross burning in the yard of a home in northern Haywood County where a biracial child was visiting on May 4. Although the four-foot cross was characterized by one law officer as ‘a huge cross it was not; it was a homemade smaller cross ….,” we are heartened that the burning is being treated as a hate crime and that it is being investigated by local authorities. We encourage the inquiry to go forward.

These kinds of acts are loaded with historical memory which is painful, frightening, and disrespectful to particular members of our community. Indeed, they are a form of terrorism that has historically been used to threaten and control minority populations. We are dismayed that young people are reenacting this history of hatred and violent repression. They do not do this spontaneously. Prejudice and hatred are learned. As a community, we must come together to rethink the messages we transmit across generations.

We thank you for your attention to this matter. We believe that if anyone is made to fell unwelcome or ‘less than’ because of race, then none of us can fully know justice and equality.

We welcome anyone interested in joining our dialogue to participate with us as Changemakers for Racial Understanding. Please call 828.456.6029 for date, time, and location of our next meeting.

Barbara B. Smith, Sara Jenkins, Thelma Gibbs, Douglas K. Staiger, William Nelson Stecher, Elizabeth K. Stecher, Robert G. Fulbright, Alvin Forney, Liz Forney, Mary Elizabeth Staiger, Tom Bishop, Charles Alley, Kathryn F. Alley, Mary Alice Lodico, Mary Grace Lodico, Arlene Lukas, Helen Geltman, Mary McGlauflin, Katherine Bartel, Russell Binkley, Dr. Ari Hart, Kelly Coe, Suzi Pressley, Latuasha Forney, Rocky Turner, Mayra Vargas, Ken Roach, Ann Overbeck, John Vanderstar, Ernestine E. Upchurch, Michael Lodico, Sara Evans, Charles Dayton

To the Editor:

In Western North Carolina we are extremely lucky to live, work and play in a place of incredible natural beauty. I am proud that I worked professionally for many years to safeguard the health of both our environment and our economy by protecting the national parks in our region. A recently published economic analysis of all national parks found that Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) ranked highest in the country for economic benefits.

Visitors to GSMNP spend over $818 million annually in the gateway communities surrounding the park and those same visitors support 11,367 local jobs. Visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway spend close to $300 million supporting over 4,000 local jobs. nature.nps.gov/socialscience/docs/NPSSystemEstimates2010.pdf

We enjoy this huge benefit to our economy because people from all over the world enjoy exploring our natural resources. Visitors also come to experience our national and state forests, clear vistas and clean running streams and rivers. Of course it is not only tourists who support the health of our economy because of the beauty of western North Carolina and the quality of our environment.

The Asheville region has gotten excellent economic news recently with New Belgium Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing and Legacy Paddlesports opening new facilities. Sierra Nevada will invest $107.5 million in a new facility in Henderson County and create 175 full and part-time jobs and 60 construction jobs for two years. Legacy Paddlesports will spend $4.5 million renovating a facility in Fletcher and will add 40-50 employees to the 70 who will come with it.

Sierra Nevada owner Ken Grossman cites the “outstanding quality of life, shared values and access to the outdoors” and the quality of our water. Bill Medlin, president and CEO of Legacy Paddlesports, says, “We wanted to be part of the growing outdoor cluster based in the Asheville area. It gives us an opportunity to recruit people who have strong passion for outdoors to become our employees.”

It is perfectly clear that the health of our economy in western North Carolina is based on the quality of our natural resources and the health of our environment.

I do not believe that our elected officials in Raleigh understand this. The new legislative leadership argues that environmental safeguards hamper economic growth. To make their point, last year they slashed state funding for the state environmental agency, eliminated environmental programs like the landslide hazard mapping program, made it virtually impossible to pass new environmental regulations, weakened groundwater protections, and forbid new rules that are more stringent than federal standards. This year, they gutted the state’s protective toxic air pollution program and passed a bill to allow fracking for natural gas.

These leaders, including most of the first-term legislators from Western North Carolina, are out of touch with what works here. The economy of this region requires a healthy environment to be successful. Environmental safeguards that keep our air and water clean don’t kill jobs, they create them. Instead of recognizing this, the policies coming from these leaders only benefit a few special interests, and the result is legislation that serves neither the public good nor our economy.

I want to see that our economic health improves and job growth continues. Our elected leaders should stop forcing the false choice between jobs and the environment and, instead, understand that we can have both. To be economically successful, western North Carolina must have both.

Greg Kidd

Waynesville

Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Clay students got a firsthand lesson in designing and building kilns at its new creative arts building.