Swain County’s Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will travel to Haywood County to take on the Thunder Road Roller Girls in the upcoming “Debut Taunt Brawl” at 6 p.m. June 30 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.

This event marks Smoky Mountain’s first away bout as well as Thunder Road’s first-ever bout. The doors will open at 5 p.m. All ages are welcome.

The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls is an all-female roller derby league with members from Bryson City, Sylva, Cullowhee, Stecoah and Cherokee. Thunder Road Roller Girls is comprised of women from Haywood County.

Tickets are $10 at the door or can be purchased online. Children age 12 and younger get in free.

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/255390.

To the editor:

The barking ordinance that Jackson county commissioners recently said they’d support sounds at first like a good idea. After all, the idea of dogs barking all night long is upsetting and annoying. Tax-paying property owners deserve the right to enjoy their property without such annoyances.

However, these kinds of ordinances not only mask a more fundamental community problem, but they exacerbate a basic community division. The problem they mask is the problem of homeless animals.

Though commissioner interest in limiting pet overpopulation has been tepid in the past, the fact is that problem households with too many barking animals fall into two broad categories: those who can’t or won’t spay and neuter their pets, and those who rescue and care for the county’s resulting overly abundant animals.

As Reporter Quintin Ellison’s recent Smoky Mountain News coverage of this issue makes clear, Animal Control believes “enforcing a barking dog ordinance is not consistent with its mission.” That’s because their mission is animal control, a mission complicated by the fact that animal neglect and abandonment, and resulting animal euthanasia, have been made worse by poverty and joblessness in this community.

Such an ordinance, they add, would cost “considerable money for staff and an expanded animal shelter.” That’s because most people, when confronted with the prospect of silencing their dogs or getting rid of them, choose the second option because they can’t afford the first.

Such an ordinance would also widen a division that has been growing in recent years, pitting the well-to-do against the poor. In general, those who take the time to complain about an ordinance are prosperous. At least half of the individuals who spoke at the recent meeting are out-of-towners who are well-off enough to purchase vacation homes in the same Cashiers development.

The commissioners, too, enjoy higher-than-average property values; at least two own property in Jackson County with tax values that exceed a million dollars. As the Humane Society of the United States has recently shown, on the other hand, those who are young, poor, and uneducated are much more likely than the rest of the population to have unneutered pets — and unneutered pets lead to more pets.

Rescue groups, generous donors, and some local vets have made a dent in this problem, but pet overpopulation is still a major predicament in our county. The fact that we have no leash law adds to this predicament, since free-roaming pets and hunting dogs that are not altered cause not only a noise problem but a health problem.

The sheriff’s office is equally unwilling to enforce a noise ordinance, as Ellison’s article makes clear, and such ordinances are not enforced in neighboring counties either. I suspect that’s because, besides being overtaxed already, law enforcement personnel don’t relish the prospect of settling squabbles between neighbors who can’t agree about who’s at fault and how to solve the problem. No one likes the idea of taking beloved dogs away from families and turning them in to shelters where they will almost always be euthanized.

A few years ago, Asheville decided to tackle the real problem, pet overpopulation, with limited spay neuter laws and leash laws. It’s time Jackson County revisited this idea. Such laws might be enforced only when other animal infractions, like biting or cruelty, occur. We could make exceptions for responsible breeders who don’t sell wholesale to pet stores or puppy mills with the provision that such breeders meet minimal community standards. Let’s try to find a workable fix for the real problem.

Mary Adams

Cullowhee

To the editor:

Remember when we would say “Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite” as a nod to the mid 20th century quote? Well, bedbugs have literally raised their ugly heads again.

Why? Probably because a single politician didn’t like the smell and now pest control companies cannot spray near your headboard or mattress. This is just how easy it is to get stupid legislation passed that ultimately contains more negative consequences than beneficial.

Here we go again. For a few months now a few local residents have continued to petition our commissioners to “do something” about a barking dog in their neighborhood. What ever happened to neighbors talking to neighbors and resolving their differences between them?

Too many people have forgotten how to be neighborly. We have become a self-centered, instant gratification society where communication with another human being has been reduced to an e-mail or a tweet. It is time to return to the philosophy of “love thy neighbor.”

For instance, if there is a barking dog in your neighborhood, maybe the owner has a medical condition that precludes them from being able to exercise their dog on a regular basis. Instead of spending countless hours preparing speeches borrowed from cheap ambulance chaser commercials about ‘emotional distress’ you could have offered your neighbor your dog walking services. Certainly a measure that would benefit both you and the canine.

If you are not inclined towards that as a solution, realize other options that do not perpetuate a negative environment between neighbors. The “super-gadget” Hammacher catalog contains a ultrasonic barking dog deterrent that looks like a birdhouse for only $50 bucks.

Compare that cost to establishing county ordinances. In order to enforce that, the planning department said it would take seven new employees, plus facilities. The county will spend endless dollars a year to deal with a problem they’ll never solve. Macon and Transylvania both have barking dog ordinances, but have stopped enforcing them because they’re unenforceable. But guess what? The PERSONNEL hired to deal with the problem are still on the county payroll!

For our county commissioners to pass an ordinance to address the concerns of a few, they must realize it would contain for the many a greater number of negative consequences. Thanks but no thanks. I have no need for increased property taxes or a further erosion of my personal property rights.

Instead, I suggest they thumb the pages of their favorite super-gadget catalog for that bark deterrent. I bet they can even get it gift-wrapped for an extra $7.

Ginny Jahrmarkt

Sapphire

To the editor:

I am writing in response to recent discussions of “Barking Dogs” in Jackson County and to the possibility of amendments to the current noise ordinances of Jackson County. I am the dog owner whom Norton resident Bill Armgard has repeatedly criticized at county commissioner meetings where this issue was discussed.

For generations my family has taken part in a tradition that began with our ancestors and was brought into Appalachia with the first Scots-Irish settlers: hunting with dogs. I was raised in this county hunting with dogs, and am currently raising my three sons in this same tradition.

I currently own 12 dogs, including six puppies, all of which are hounds used for the legal hunting of black bear and swine pursuant to the wildlife hunting regulations set forth by the N.C. Wildlife Commission. Of the 12 hounds, some are kenneled and some are kept chained to yard stakes.

To date, there have been absolutely no issues of aggression toward the general public and the dogs remain, outside of use in hunting, on private property that has been owned by my family for more than a century. My family owns 20 acres in Norton, 10 of which I own, and have owned this property since the earliest Jackson County property records: January 1, 1900.

I am writing you today to express my dismay with the recent news articles, in which all commissioners expressed their support of a noise ordinance amendment. This topic, this discussion, and the commissioner support associated with such an amendment has all stemmed from ongoing complaints from a handful of citizens.

The complaints regarding my dogs has come primarily from Norton resident Bill Armgard, who amongst other things has stated that there have been shotguns fired at his home as a result of this issue. Not only was this libelous statement made in the public forum of a commissioner meeting, it was publicized further by subsequent articles which ran in the media.

This defamation of character was not only unjustified, but lacked any documentation from complaints, formal charges, or convictions regarding such an incident.

The same is true of Mr. Armgard’s ongoing statements of noise associated with my dogs costing the county “millions of dollars” in potential property sales. I ask that rather than accept unfounded statements from single property owners, that you research these statements in order to verify their validity and furthermore that you keep the majority of Jackson County citizens in mind when considering the potential impact of such amendments.

We live in a rural community, much of which remains undeveloped by incorporation. If this were an amendment geared toward the townships of Sylva and/or Dillsboro then it could be justified on grounds of city limits. Yet to blanket the entire county with such an amendment is a direct attack on the freedoms associated with living in such a largely undeveloped area.

When a property owner with 20 acres of family land is not allowed to own dogs, work dogs used to provide food and recreation for a family, one must begin to question where the line is drawn between governmental regulation meant to serve the rights of citizens and governmental control meant to meet the demands of a select few. I was born in this county and raised on this land. I am your constituency.

From the county’s own estimates, the enforcement of such an ordinance would require the addition of at least seven employees, with benefits, as well as vehicles for enforcement.

The surrounding counties with ordinances have basically dropped regulation after realizing that the ordinance is virtually un-enforceable. All departments you have queried have expressed their dismay, and or inability, to enforce such an ordinance.

Lastly, to think that the potential cost of seven additional employees, benefits, and vehicles would be placed on the backs of county taxpayers, a potential cost of at least a few hundred thousand dollars realistically, to enforce this is a direct reflection of its infeasibility.

I am a volunteer fireman with the Cashiers-Glenville Volunteer Fire Department. I recently was in charge of moving the Waddell House for the Cashiers Historical Society. I employee 12 residents as well as over 20 subcontractors, all of who are members of this community. In short, I serve this community with dignity and honor and consider myself a community pillar in Southern Jackson County.

I respect your decision to allow a 60-day period for public comment from both sides of this issue before rushing toward a decision. All I ask is that you consider the potential impact of such an ordinance and consider the rights of all citizens in this county before making a decision on such a potentially detrimental ordinance.

Sam Jennings

Glenville

This letter was initially written as an open letter to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners.

By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist

My wife and I moved here from Florida because we wanted to live in a state that valued its people, its environment, and its future as much as North Carolina did. We knew this would mean paying a state income tax, but we considered the value we would be getting in return.

A presentation titled “Winged Hunters – Birds of Prey” will begin at 7 p.m. June 26 at the Village Green in Cashiers.

Michael Skinner of Balsam Mountain Trust will bring live raptors and teach participants about their habits. Participants can expect to see a variety of raptors including a kestrel, great horned, barred and screech owl, Harris and red-tailed hawk and a bald eagle.

Skinner is the executive director of the Balsam Mountain Trust. He is responsible for directing the natural and cultural resource management, environmental education programs and scientific research at Balsam. Before coming to Balsam, Skinner was the Emmy nominated host of “Georgia Outdoors” on Georgia Public Television.

The Village Nature Series is a free community event; everyone is welcome, no reservations are necessary. Upcoming VNS programs will are: July 24 “The Amazing Black Bear!” with Bill Lea; Aug. 28 “Before Bluegrass – Ancient and Old-Time Music of the Southern Appalachians” with Lee Knight; and Sep. 25, “Hummingbirds: Delicate Gems or Kings of the Sky?” with Romney Bathurst. This program is a collaborative effort between Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and The Village Green. www.hicashlt.org, www.villagegreencashiersnc.com, 828.526.1111 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will host its weekly bird walk on June 23 at Chinquapin in Cashiers.

The group will meet at the Highlands Town Hall near the public restrooms at 7:30 a.m. and carpool to Cashiers. Cashiers residents can meet behind Wendy’s at 8 a.m. Binoculars will be available if needed.

Chinquapin is a private, gated, conservation-oriented development, and the bird walk will be on the 700-acre Carlton Family Conservation Easement.

828.743.9942.

A new series of short internet videos feature North Carolina sections of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The videos were produced by the Great Smoky Mountains Association and were paid for with a Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership grant. The series is available for viewing on Great Smoky Mountains Association’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/GreatSmokyMountains. The videos are categorized into a playlist titled “Discover the North Carolina Smokies.”

The videos take viewers to places like Cataloochee Valley, Deep Creek, the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum and Clingmans Dome.

Great Smoky Mountains Association is a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, providing support for educational, scientific, and historical programs through revenue generated from park bookstores and memberships.

Rob Gudger brings his Wolf Tales educational program to two local libraries in the coming days.

Known as “Trapper Rob,” the Haywood County-based wildlife biologist will conduct events at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva on Tuesday, June 26, and at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library in Cashiers on Friday, July 6. The program, designed for children of all ages, features two juvenile wolves.

The program lasts about an hour and participants will have a chance to interact with a wolf and learn about their habits. 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 more. The wolves are gentle and Trapper Rob encourages participants to pet them.

The start time of each program was not available at press time. Call the Sylva Library at 828.586.2016 or the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library in Cashiers at 828743.0215. 

Biodiviersity Days in the Smokies June 20-23 will commemorate the diversity of plant and animal life in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Biodiversity Days will include programmed seminars, demonstrations, scientist-led field trips and more. It is estimated that as many as 80,000 different species are found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Local writer and naturalist George Ellison will conduct a “Fern Identification 101” workshop from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 5 at the Highlands Biological Station.

Of the 70 species of ferns in western North Carolina, participants in the workshop will learn to identify those that are distinctive and readily identified. Emphasis will be placed on learning to use a non-technical identification manual titled Fern Finder by Anne and Barbara Hallowell.

Following an introductory session, the workshop will take advantage of the Highlands Botanical Garden and identify ferns on campus. Advanced registration is required and the workshop fee is $25, which includes a copy of Fern Finder. Participants should bring water, lunch, rain gear, and a handlens or household magnifier. The program is offered as part of the “Think About Thursdays” summer activity series.

www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.

MedWest Rehabilitation Services is offering a free running seminar from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on June 25 at the MedWest Outpatient Care Center at 581 Leroy George Dr. on the MedWest-Haywood campus in Clyde.

The seminar will be led by expert orthopedic physical therapist and competitive runner Todd Watson.

Watson is a professor of physical therapy at Western Carolina University and a two-time Boston Marathon finisher. At the June 25 seminar, Watson will help attendees learn more about natural and barefoot running, what physical therapists can do for runners and how to improve or begin a running program. The natural running method is designed to reduce wear and tear on joints, minimize impact and maximize the efficiency of running for improved health and fitness.

Thomas Burns will be assisting in the presentation. Burns is board certified in orthopedic physical therapy at the MedWest Western Carolina University campus.

Both beginning and experienced runners are welcome. Attendance is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. 828.586.7235.

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) will host a hike on June 22 led by Jack Johnston to see the rare Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata) in bloom. 

Join members of LTLT on the annual quest to find the rare mountain camellia which is known to exist in only a few mountain locations. This member of the tea family produces one of the most spectacular blooms in the region. 

Hikers should meet at LTLT’s Queen Branch property on N.C. 28 (11 miles north of Franklin) at 9 a.m. to carpool to various bloom locations. Participants will want to wear appropriate clothing for hiking although the hikes will not be strenuous; bring snacks, water, and a camera. Space is limited to protect this rare beauty so RSVP to reserve your spot.

828.524.2711, ext. 304, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Two hiking programs aimed at getting families and kids outdoors and on the trail have been launched in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Folkmoot 4.01K race through downtown Waynesville will be held at 8 a.m. on July 14.

This year, organizers decided to tweak the traditional 5K Folkmoot race by shifting the course from Hazelwood to downtown Waynesville and offering participants a unique distance — 4.01 kilometers, or roughly 2.5 miles.

Novelist Ann Hite, author of the acclaimed debut novel Ghost on Black Mountain will speak at 7 p.m. June 28 at the Jackson County Public Library in downtown Sylva.

Ghost on Black Mountain is told in the voices of five women whose lives are inextricably bound when a murder takes place in rural Depression-era North Carolina. It spans generations and conjures the best of Southern folklore.

Her book talk will touch on what makes Southern fiction unique, and she will read selections from Ghost on Black Mountain, a tale in the Southern Gothic tradition and the first in a proposed series. 828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

John Quinnett will be featured at City Lights Bookstore’s Coffee with the Poet series at 10:30 a.m. June 21.

John Quinnett is a Swain County poet who works with haiku and tanka poems. Attendees are encouraged to bring one or more poems to share with the group.

Coffee with the Poet is a monthly gathering that meets on the third Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. and is sponsored by the NetWest Chapter of the N.C. Writers’ Network. 828.586.9499.

To the Editor:

This is intended for all men: political office-holders, the religious of all faiths, and just plain “guys.” I speak for women. You know – us! The other half of the population.

We may differ in age, ethnicity, income level, religion or personally held values, but nevertheless we are sisters under the skin. We usually grow up guided by our mothers or other family females or caretakers. We learn to care for our shelters, we learn how to feed our future families, and we play with dolls and learn to care for our young — though we often dig in dirt and play with trucks too.

We go to school and learn we have minds. We learn reading, science and mathematics, but most of all, we learn to think. 

We learn skills to earn our way, so we not only bear our children, but help bear the expense of home and family – and often find we must do that job alone.

We strive to care for and stand beside the men in our lives, and often we share the too frequent need of bearing arms to “serve and protect” our country. 

So do note, as we accomplish all these tasks, we have hands that help and minds that capably assist our families and our communities. Indeed, we women benefit all of man- and woman-kind. 

We are well-qualified to make decisions. That said, we’d take it as a significant step forward if all men would acknowledge our contribution and our abilities and stop the hypocrisy. It’s high time to realize we are not here only to provide care, support, and creature comforts. We are an equal, well functioning, integral part of the human team.

Do not design legislation to limit or control women’s personal decisions, and we won’t legislate your work, where you hunt, fish, which ball team to support, or whether or not you can legally take your (insurance covered) “medicinal” little blue pills.

We women require the respect of men who should now realize we are fully capable of making our decisions, for our health, our welfare and most significantly, our own bodies! In fact, we insist on it! 

In the words of the old song: “I am woman. Hear me roar.”

Shirl Ches

Franklin

To the Editor:

Election reform is needed in North Carolina. Nearly eight out of 10 North Carolina voters support Voter Photo ID legislation. Support for restoring confidence in government extends across racial demographics (whites, 81 percent; black, 64 percent; Hispanic, 79 percent).

The Tar Heel state has some of the most lax election laws in America. We are so trusting that, once registered, N.C. requires only that an individual state their name and address to receive a ballot. Voting is extended over a period of two and one half weeks before Election Day and we allow Same-Day Registration (enabling people to both register and vote on the same day.)

Do these lenient election laws attempt to discourage or encourage voter fraud? Are voters who they say they are? A Voter Photo ID law would help to alleviate voter deception and keep our elections honest.

Our neighbor to the south, Georgia, has developed a comprehensive program to improve the integrity and security of the election process. Their secretary of state, Brian Kemp, led the way in establishing Georgia as a national model for election security. He implemented Georgia’s Photo ID voting law that was passed in 2006.

On March 3, 2012, at a Civitas Leadership Conference in Raleigh, Kemp highlighted the increase in Georgia’s voter turnout since the implementation of the law. Dismissing the unfounded charges of potential racial discrimination, he stated that African-American turnout increased by 42 percent in the four years since the Photo ID voting law’s passage.

There have been legal challenges, but opponents of Photo ID law have failed to find even one individual who has been harmed due to the requirement. Common Cause filed a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s Photo ID law. Finding that the law imposed no undue burden on the right to vote, U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy dismissed the case in September 2007.

In January 2009, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Judge Murphy’s decision, noting that, “The interest in detecting and deterring voter fraud is a valid neutral justification that this Court cannot ignore.” In addition, the Georgia Supreme Court, in March 2011, upheld the Photo ID law’s constitutionality in a challenge brought by the Democratic Party of Georgia.

In order to restore confidence in government and honest elections and to deter voter fraud, Voter Photo ID law should be passed here. This should not be a partisan issue.

Gail Chapman

Otto

To the Editor:

Mitt Romney is saying his experience in the private sector means he can do a better job of “fixing” the economy and “creating” jobs. He also tells us to ignore the rhetoric and “look at the record.”

Romney was CEO of a financial company. That is a very different kind of company than Ford Motors, Microsoft, Exxon or General Electric. These companies actually make a product as their main focus so they need raw materials and labor, as well as capital, to make their profits, so they do create jobs. Romney was CEO of Bain Capital, a name he rarely mentions, using the term “private sector” instead. As the very “poster guy” for what Wall Street does, his job as CEO was to make money for his investors, not to create jobs or make anything other than money. Henry Ford once said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.”

Most “financial capitalist” will tell you the last thing they want to do is “hire people.” Labor is usually the largest item on the “cost” side of any corporate ledger. When a company like Bain Capital invests in a struggling company, their goal is not necessarily to “save” the company by making production more efficient or innovating new products. Their goal is to increase short-term profits for their investors. 

In most cases the fastest way to increase short-term profit is by cutting costs and the biggest saving is in cutting labor costs. Therefore, if you can fire people, reduce wages, reduce or eliminate benefits and pensions, short-term costs can be reduced dramatically. Better yet, you can close the whole U.S. plant and ship production to some foreign country with the cheapest labor and least safety protections. Then you use most of those short-term profits to pay yourself and your management team large salaries and pay the rest to your investors, and then sell the company at a profit before its debt you leveraged with company assets to increase profits comes due.

As CEO, Romney and his investors could also take advantage of special rules that allowed them to avoid paying taxes on much of their profits by putting their profits in offshore tax shelters and Swiss bank accounts.

If we look at his public sector record, job creation in Massachusetts dropped from 36th place to 47th place during Romney’s term. He also made massive cuts to education. His one positive accomplishment was creating a health system for all, which he prefers to disown now.   

Romney’s own tax plan increases taxes on the poor by 60 percent and cuts them on the wealthy by 15 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office analysis. Romney thinks the Ryan Budget is “marvelous” while Ryan’s church thinks it is immoral. Wall Street is sitting on an estimated $2 trillion in cash. If Wall Street is really the engine that drives job creation, where are the jobs? Do you think jobs in China or India count for the 99 percent? Wall Street has given $37.1 million to Romney’s campaign and only $4.8 million to Obama. Wall Street obviously thinks Romney’s “record” favors the 1 percent.  How many of the 99 percent can afford to agree?

Jane Harrison

Waynesville

Leah Hughes, associate editor at “Our State” magazine, will be the guest speaker at 9:30 a.m. on July 9 in the Bethea Welcome Center at Lake Junaluska.

This will be a meeting of the Junaluska Women’s Club, and in keeping with the 2012 club theme, “Junaluska’s Rosy Future,” Hughes’ talk will focus on roses. Hughes has written extensively about gardens in North Carolina for “Our State.”

828.452.3149.

A Summer Worship Series is under way at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

Three worship services are being held as part of the series: a service of Word and Table at 8:30 a.m. in Memorial Chapel, a Praise and Prayer Service at the Lake Junaluska Cross Amphitheater at 9:30 a.m., and Morning Worship at Stuart Auditorium at 10:45 a.m.

The morning worship features a variety of well-known preachers from across the country.

www.lakejunaluska.com/summer-worship.

The Fund for Haywood County has awarded $50,000 in grants to area nonprofit organizations that provide critical services for economically disadvantaged people.

The grants include:

• $25,000 to Aspire, Youth and Family for a structured afterschool program, serving 80 youth in Haywood and Buncombe counties, that employs culinary arts training to help at-risk youth make positive decisions and motivate them to stay in school.

• $25,000 to Thirtieth Judicial District Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Alliance for the Rural Collaborative for Underserved Crime Victims to support development and training to improve positive responses by staff in the far west seven counties that work with victims of crime including those experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, disabilities, human trafficking and immigrant abuse.

The Fund for Haywood County was established in 1994 by a group of local residents as a permanent endowment and resource for charitable efforts that benefit Haywood County.

828.254.4960 or www.cfwnc.org.

Haywood Community College has unveiled a new electric vehicle charging station, the only one west of Asheville. The station was made possible from a grant provided by Advanced Energy Corporation and was manufactured by Eaton located in Arden. The station is an example of how HCC is expanding as an influence in the community and on the environment.

The station is located in the upper level parking lot of the Student services Building at HCC. It is free for use to the public. 828.565.4033.

The 30th Judicial District Domestic Violence-Sexual Assault Alliance, Inc. has recently been awarded a $25,000 Janirve Legacy Fund Grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to further its work on elder abuse and victims with disabilities in the region.

Since 2005, the Elder SAFE program has provided training and collaboration with social service organizations and the public in the seven westernmost counties to aid in identifying victims and directing them to available resources. The program received a 2010 Award of Excellence from the N.C. Governor’s Crime Commission.

Elder abuse is an underreported crime and has become a huge problem. For every elder abuse case reported another 23 cases go unreported. People with disabilities also have a greater risk for abuse and neglect.

Angel Medical Center in Franklin introduced the Telestroke Robot as their newest team member. The robot literally rolled in to action to demonstrate its capabilities to a crowded room.

With the robot it is possible for stroke victims to be remotely diagnosed by neurologists with Mission Hospital giving the Angel Medical staff an upper hand on helping victims in their critical hours of care.

Through the robot Neurologists are linked live to stroke specialists through the robot’s screen. The technology will be available at all times to Mission’s affiliate hospitals. Mission guarantees a link with a stroke specialist within 30 minutes. There will be seven different physicians on rotation, each equipped with a laptop that can operate the Telestroke robot, even from home at any given time. Time is an important factor when diagnosing a stroke. Each second creates a greater possibility of permanent damage, so the readiness of this program is vital to patients.

The robot, manufactured by InTouch Health, is the first and only FDA-cleared Remote Presence device. Angel Medical staff entered a contest to give the robot a name. The winning entry being “IC4U.” 828.349.6639.

Franklin has a new dog park on the town’s greenway adjacent to Big Bear Park.

The park is fenced and has two benches for dog owners to rest on while their pooches play. Friends of the Greenway, which oversaw the creation of the dog park, hopes to install more benches and canine agility equipment.

The dog park was funded entirely through fundraising and donations from individuals and groups in the community.

Dog lovers who want to help with future improvements to the park can donate via Friends of the Greenway, 573 East Main Street, Franklin, NC 28734.

Hospitals and health departments across Western North Carolina have partnered to develop WNC Healthy Impact, a regional initiative designed to improve community health across a 16-county area.

The partnership is currently gathering information to understand each county’s community health status. This information will help determine high priority health issues through the community health assessment process.  

In addition to pulling together existing health-related data, WNC Healthy Impact is conducting a community health survey, by phone in a random sample, in all 16 counties. This survey started toward the end of May and will continue through July. Updated health assessment findings will be available for communities by the end of the year.

After the information is collected, hospitals and health departments will work together with communities to create plans.

828.452.6675 ext. 2272. 

Supporters of Smart Start traveled recently to Raleigh to encourage the N.C. General Assembly to restore its funding.

The group included parents, business leaders, faith community leaders and board members. They met with Western North Carolina’s legislative delegation. Last year, Smart Start funding was reduced by 20 percent, or $37.6 million, meaning thousands of children are no longer enrolled in early childhood programs.

“State funding for Smart Start has been cut by $80 million over the last decade,” said Larry Hinton of Sylva, board chair for the Region A Partnership for Children. “These cuts are occurring at the same time that economists, military leaders, law enforcement and business leaders are advocating that investments in young children are one of the strongest investments for sustained growth and job creation, protecting our national security, and providing children with the opportunity to reach their potential.”

The Region A Partnership for Children administers Smart Start and N.C. Pre-K initiatives in the seven westernmost counties of the state and on the Qualla Boundary.

The popular Mountain Street Dances held in downtown Waynesville on select Fridays throughout the summer kick at 6:30 p.m. on June 22. Whitewater Bluegrass will be performing along with the Dixie Darlin’s Dance team. Special guests will be the Trantham Family Band, and Joe Sam Queen is the master of ceremonies.

A Children’s Film Festival for Macon County children will be held at 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday morning through July 26 at Ruby Cinema in Franklin.

The Franklin Lion’s club and Ruby Cinema sponsor the event for children under the age of 16. A different movie is shown each morning with free admission for children and a $1 fee for adults and teens over the age of 16.

Franklin Lion’s Club accepts donations at the door, by mailing a check or leaving it at the theater. Checks can be mailed to Brian Hylton, c/o Macon Funeral Home, 261 Iotla Street, Franklin. Donations are applied to the Lion’s Vision Screening program for the local county schools, and to purchase glasses and eye exams. Ruby Cinemas does not receive any of the donation money. 

www.rubycinemas.com or 828.369.2029.

The Haywood County Truck Pull will be held at 11 a.m. June 23. Entries will begin at 9 a.m. at the Great Smokies Arena.

The truck pull seeks to accommodate trucks, 4x4s and other vehicles of all shapes and sizes. The pull fee is $10 and there will be a $2 entry fee at the gate for drivers and spectators. 828.246.1273, www.haywoodcountyfairgrounds.org or 828.400.1704.

There will be an art reception benefitting Haywood Waterways Association at the Village Green Café in Waynesville from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 22.  

A studio owner from Waynesville, Rick Hills, will feature his new mixed media paintings. Visitors will be able to see his newest works, talk with him and learn about what HWA does to keep the water clean and clear in Haywood County. Hills will donate 20 percent of the sale of his work that will be on display to HWA.

HWA has a history of success writing 90 successful grant applications that have brought more than $6 million to Haywood County. When including local matching contributions, over $8 million in education, storm water management, stream restoration and other projects have been accomplished.

The Cashers Mountain Music Festival is being held June 30 and July 1 at the Village Green and Commons in Cashiers.

In just three years, the Cashiers Mountain Music Festival has become one of the most respected events in the Southeast. The festival has featured artists such as the Isaacs, Lizzy Long and Little Roy Lewis, Sierra Hull, the Steep Canyon Rangers, two surprise appearances by bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, and last year’s headliners, David Holt and Doc Watson.

The event continues the tradition of bringing top-notch regional and national mountain music to the plateau by featuring a special two-night appearance by Grammy award-winning bluegrass superstar Tony Rice.

There will be food, beverages, a children’s zone, arts and crafts, ice cream fundraisers, the Dixie Darlin’ Cloggers, and fireworks on Sunday, July 1.

This is a family and community-oriented event sponsored by the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce for the benefit of the Cashiers Preservation Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing assistance to a variety of local needs.

Tickets are $25 per day or $40 for a two-day pass. Children 12-under are admitted for free. 828.743.5191, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.cashiersnorthcarolina.com/cmmf.

Logan Murrell will be performing from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. June 22 and 29 at the Wildwood Grill at Fontana Village Resort.

Additional dates for performances have been set for July 6, 13 and 20 as well as Friday night dates in August. The Knoxville singer, songwriter and musician displays a smoky voice, veteran confidence and commanding stage presence for someone so young. Her style includes bluegrass, rock, jazz, gospel and pop.

Murrell is one of the many musicians who will be performing as part of the Summer Concert Series at Fontana Village Resort. Other upcoming performers include The Fontana Ramblers, Randy Flack, The Chillbillies, and My Highway.

fontanavillage.com or 828.498.2211.

“Broadway and More” with Glory Crampton will be at 8 p.m. June 23 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.

Crampton is a Broadway leading lady, musical theatre veteran. She is best known for her critically acclaimed roles in The Fantasticks, Hello Dolly, Camelot, My Fair Lady, Carousel, Jane Eyre, Nine, Guys and Dolls, and Phantom. Crampton is also an accomplished soprano solo artist who has sung with acclaimed tenor Jose Carreras. She has also performed regularly at the Houston Theatre Under the Stars where she worked with composer and lyricist Jerry Herman. Gloria has also performed several times for former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush.

Tickets will be $25. Highlandspac.org or 828.526.9047.

A Steampunk Jewelry & Creations Workshop will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. June 28 at the Macon County Library in Franklin.

Participants can drop-in anytime during the workshop to watch a how-to presentation and look at some Steampunk craft books for inspiration. If they have them, participants are asked to bring some supplies even though extras will be provided. Some items that could be helpful are spare gears, old watches, jewelry, keys, etc.

This event is part of Thursdays at the Library where all programs are free and open to the public.

A “Cooking With Soy” class will be offered at 1 p.m. June 25 in the Conference Room of the Community Services Center in Sylva.

Laura Rogers and a chef from the N.C. Soybean Producers Association will teach the class with demonstrations, a discussion of the health benefits of soy, and tasting. There will be items such as stir-fry with tofu and vegetables, soy noodles, soy lasagna, and soy brownies or cookies.

The cost of the program is $2. 828.586.4009.

The Waynesville library will unveil the traveling exhibit “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 23.

There will also be re-enactors from the NC Troops 25th Regiment from noon to 3 p.m. Immediately following the reception (3 p.m.) will be the program: “Lincoln’s Second Gettysburg Address” with Lincoln scholar David Madden. This presentation explores what would Lincoln have to say about what has been accomplished since his death and what remains to be done.

This event coincides with a library open house so patrons can see changes made at the library.

Other events that are part of the Lincoln exhibit include:

“Lincoln Chose Louisiana”

• At 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 12, Lincoln scholar David Madden will explore how and why Lincoln chose the state of Louisiana to be a model for reconstruction and how his assassination changed his concept into a terrible reconstruction whose effects linger still.

“Lincolnites”

• At 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 15, Barbara Bates Smith will give a narrative performance of Ron Rash’s short story “Lincolnites.” This performance will be enhanced by the reading of Civil War letters from WCU and musical accompaniment by Jeff Sebens. An added attraction will be local poet Michael Beadle and local civil war enthusiast the Rev. Timothy McRee.

The traveling exhibit was organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office and made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funds were provided by the Haywood County Friends of the Library.

Franklin and Dillsboro Ubuntu Choirs will perform a concert of music from around the world and here at home at 3 p.m. June 24 in the historic chapel of Franklin’s First Presbyterian Church.

The groups are directed by Tom Tyre and are over two-dozen voices strong. The choir is comprised of men and women from many foreign countries who now live in Macon, Jackson and Rabun Counties as well as area natives.

The program features songs from diverse traditions and lands sung in a cappella in several languages, including. “Ateh Malkuth” in Hebraic, the South African “Sana Sananina,” and the American Spiritual, “Let Your Little Light Shine,” among others.

Ubuntu is a worldwide choral movement open to all people who enjoy singing together in harmony. There is no admission charge; donations will be accepted. Light refreshments will be served. 828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

The Grace Noon Concerts season finale will feature flutists Sarah Cifani and Kathy Alley at noon on Thursday, July 21, Grace Church Episcopal in Waynesville.

Kathryn Stephenson will accompany Cifani and Alley as they play music by Bach, Gabriel Faure, G.P. Teleman, Paul Schoenfield, Arnold Black, Robert Murczynski and Hans Kohler. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are invited to enjoy their lunch during the program.

Cifani was a professional flutist in Chicago for 30 years and a music mducator.  Since moving to Haywood County she has performed in a number of organizations incuding The Haywood Community Band, SongSpinners and several organizations in the Asheville area.

Alley was an elementary educator in Florida for 30 years where she performed with the Lakeland Symphony, Central Florida Chamber Orchestra and the Florida Camerata. She is also a Haywood County Schools substitute teacher.

Novelist Vicki Lane will hold a book talk with a question and answer session at 7 p.m. June 26 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Lane of Madison County is the author of “The Day of Small Things” and the Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian mysteries, which include “Signs in the Blood,” “Art’s Blood,” “Old Wounds,” “In a Dark Season,” and “Under the Skin.”

She pulls inspiration from rural Western North Carolina where her family has lived since 1975. She teaches in UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and at the Wildacres Writer’s Workshop.

Lane will speak on the experience of portraying our beautiful mountains, their history, and their various cultures. She will read brief excerpts from her books to illustrate her points and answer questions. 828.586.2016, www.fontanalib.org or www.vickilanemysteries.com.

The Overlook Theatre Company will present “Peter Pan: The High-Flying Musical Adventure” at 7:30 p.m. June 21-23 and at 2:30 p.m. June 24 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

This two-act musical adventure follows Peter Pan’s journey through the streets of London and through the forests and oceans of Neverland. It is based on the play by James M. Barrie with something for participants of all ages. Greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

Adult tickets are $15 and student tickets are $10.

The Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University will open its eighth season this fall with a lineup featuring musicianship, comedy, magic and a command performance.

Storyteller and singer Michael Reno Harrell will perform an afternoon full of Smoky Mountain stories at 4 p.m. June 30 at the Oconaluftee Visitors Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A showing of Japanese glass artist Tadashi Torii’s works will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. June 21 at Jackson County Green Energy Park’s art gallery with a free reception that is open to the public.

The historic Rickman Store in Macon County will once again become a stage for one of the most accomplished monologues written by Appalachian playwright Gary Carden. 

Jeff Marley is creating signs for Cherokee and the surrounding area proclaiming in Cherokee and in English, “We are still here.”