Jody Kraner (aka JadriAnna Lee), author of Northern Lights: A Journey to Insight, will appear for a reading and discussion at City Lights in Sylva at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 5.

The book includes a card set and instructions for doing readings from them. Kraner explores the body/mind/spirit connection from the particular perspective of dog mushing as a journey of personal discovery.

Kraner will be accompanied to the event at City Lights by her dog, Jadrinna, who helped inspire the book and cards.

828.586.9499.

Smoky Mountain Living magazine has issued a call for photos for its next issue, which will hit the stands in April and May. The magazine prominently features images from across the southern Appalachians in each edition. Photo essays adhere to the issue’s overall theme. With the coming of spring, the April/May edition focuses on growth in all its various forms.

SML covers the southern Appalachians and celebrates the area’s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, arts, history, and special places. Each issue brings the Appalachians to life. Published six times each year, SML is a magazine for those who want to learn more about where they live and those who want to stay in touch with where they love. The magazine will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

To submit photos to SML for consideration, email images to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Photos must be sent as high-resolution files and should be original works taken from around the region. Deadline is Saturday, March 5.

For more information about Smoky Mountain Living, call 828.452.2251, visit smliv.com, or become a fan at facebook.com/smliv.

For Waynesville seniors, the old armory recreation center now offers exercise for more than just the body.

The new Brain Gym system, installed thanks to a grant garnered by Haywood Community Connections, will help offer a place for the town’s seniors to work out their minds and bodies, as well as enrich their social lives and improve nutrition.

Parks and Recreation Director Rhett Langston said that the system would be the key feature in transforming the armory into a center for seniors. The program would offer them a place to go, socialize and play games like Wii bowling and tennis on two large flat screens and download mental-agility games on the room’s seven computers.

“Within the next few weeks we hope to be up and running,” said Langston. “This is a wonderful opportunity to partner with other organizations in Haywood County to provide opportunities for our seniors.”

The computers and Wii gaming consoles are up and ready, said Langston, and the only hold-up now is getting the flat screens in place.

Though the specific hours aren’t yet nailed down, Langston said that there would be a staff member on hand to help seniors learn the systems, download games to the computers and get the most out of the new features.

In the evening, the building will continue to be a multi-use facility.

— By Colby Dunn

An Urgent Care Center will open in August at Wal-Mart Plaza in Sylva.

The location of the MedWest’s new urgent care center will in a building currently occupied by Rent-A-Center. That business is scheduled to relocate May 1 and renovations on the building are expected to begin immediately after that, said Jeff Lee, director of MedWest’s Urgent Care Centers.

Urgent care centers are primarily used to treat patients who have an injury or illness that requires immediate care, but is not serious enough to warrant a visit to an emergency department.

The 3,770-square-foot facility has space for eight examining rooms, as well as X-ray and full lab services. The center will create a need for 14 medical positions, including two physicians, two physician assistants, two medical assistants, two registered nurses, four radiology and lab technicians, and two office assistants.

Hours for the center will be 8 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with consideration of having the center open seven days a week.

The Haywood County Meals on Wheels program is seeking volunteers in the Fines Creek community to deliver nutritious meals to the elderly, homebound or disabled residents. Volunteers are asked to contribute approximately one hour each week starting at 10:30 a.m. 828.356.2442 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Quintin Ellison and Colby Dunn • Staff writers

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is forced to rely on state social workers when it comes to protecting the tribe’s children from abuse and neglect.

That might change in the wake of Aubrey Littlejohn’s death. Some on the reservation are calling for the tribe to set up its own child- and adult-protection agency. Under the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, the tribe has the ability and federal right to do just that.

“I’ve been standing before tribal council ever since I’ve been in this position saying we need to take care of our own kids,” said Regina Rosario, program supervisor for Heart-to-Heart, a child-advocacy organization that works with tribal victims of child abuse.

This possibility was under discussion by tribal members and officials even before Aubrey’s death, Rosario said, in meetings held by the council’s social services committee.

Until — and if — that happens, the tribe and various county social service agencies must work together. Cases of suspected child abuse are handled by either Jackson or Swain counties for their respective portions of the reservation.

While Swain County DSS refused to speak to reporters about their role in Cherokee Bob Cochran, Jackson County’s DSS director, said the relationship between his county and the tribe is like any relationship in life: it requires good-faith work and thought.

“You have to maintain it,” Cochran said. “We also try to recruit and keep Native American staff. But, even when we can’t, we work hard to have our folks posted down there (in Cherokee) so they can develop those relationships.”

Cochran has six employees assigned to Jackson County’s portion of the reservation. Some are enrolled members of the Eastern Band. Five of the six Cherokee-dedicated workers report to an office each day that is physically located on the Qualla Boundary.

Although federal law does stipulate that states dealing with American Indian tribes must bear the cost of providing those services, Cochran said he was “quite confident the state is not paying for it entirely.”  A variety of federal funding flows into the state’s social services programs, he said.

There are certain complexities for those agencies working with Eastern Band members. When children are removed from an unsafe situation, for example, DSS must try to place those children into Indian families.

“Basically, we work with the tribe in doing that,” Cochran said. “But … I do have the discretion, if I disagree with a recommendation of the tribe, to place the child elsewhere.”

A court can overrule a DSS director’s decision.

Usually, it doesn’t come to that, Cochran said. The tribe and DSS generally find mutually satisfactory care situations. DSS workers and Cherokee’s Family Support Services conduct joint house studies, and are comfortable working closely together, Cochran said.

David Simmons of the National Indian Child Welfare Association said that the agency’s work has shown, however, that tribally run child protective services are more successful at locating and dealing with neglect and abuse than their state or local counterparts.

This, said Simmons, isn’t because state agencies are always sub-par or lacking in their dealings with tribal children, but because tribal agencies are able to take a more tailored, culturally oriented approach that larger agencies just can’t.

“They have knowledge about the community that the state or county program is not going to have access to,” said Simmons. “They’re going to know more quickly, be more knowledgeable about what kinds of interventions are going to be successful. They have a better success rate, usually, at being able to develop resources. They take more cultural approaches to the work.”

Simmons, however, also notes that it’s impractical to expect all tribes to take up their own DSS work.

“Child protective services is one of the more expensive services to operate,” said Simmons. “You can’t do it halfway, too many things rely on that.”

The tribe hasn’t formally announced whether it intends to reassess the relationship with local DSS agencies, but Rosario said she intends to reintroduce the idea of tribal child protection at this month’s tribal council meeting.

Indian Child Welfare Act

The Indian Child Welfare Act is a federal law that governs the relationship between state social-services departments and Native Americans. The act includes the following language:

• Nothing in the act shall be construed as preventing the emergency removal of an Indian child in order to prevent imminent physical damage or harm to that child.

• The act specifies tribal courts have exclusive jurisdiction of children who reside on the reservation. If the child does not reside on a reservation, the jurisdiction must be transferred to tribal court.

• In an action leading to a foster care placement or in any termination of parental rights action affecting an Indian child who doesn’t reside on the reservation, the parents, guardian or custodian may petition for transfer of jurisdiction to a tribal court.

• At any time during proceedings of a foster care placement, the Indian custodian and Indian tribe have the right to intervene in the proceedings.

Western Carolina University is laying off 10 employees in April as it struggles with the projected loss of approximately $8.6 million in state funding.

The 10 workers are employed in several divisions across the university.

University leaders say they anticipate eliminating another 15 other positions by July, of which three are staff and 12 are fixed-term faculty or administrative.

The job cuts are necessary to help the university continue to operate as efficiently as possible and protect its academic core, said Chancellor John Bardo.

The university will be making significant cuts in its operating budget, which includes supplies, materials and equipment.

Departments have been instructed to limit the inventory of supplies and materials to no more than one month’s supply. New subscriptions, memberships and contracted services not essential to current operations may not be processed. Equipment budgets and purchases have been frozen, travel has been severely limited, and all hiring has been frozen with the exception of positions that are deemed critical.

Some faculty may be reduced from full-time to less-than-full time – for example, some department heads on 12-month contracts may have their terms reduced to nine months –Other changes under consideration are the possible reorganization of departments and colleges, the use of a limited number of academic buildings for summer classes to help reduce utility costs, and other measures designed to reduce heating and cooling expenses.

“The Thoroughly Modern Family,” a program aimed at giving advice on how to provide happy and healthy marriages and families in the 21st century, will be held from 3 to 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

Dr. Lynne Barrett, a psychologist in Waynesville will discuss positive aging strategies that help individuals and families make the most of the challenges faced as they age.

Dr. John Curtis will be giving away copies of his relationship building ToolKit and will use his book, “The Business of Love,” to talk about his approach to build success in relationships using concepts from the world of business.

Direcor of the Mountain Center for Pastoral Counseling, Dr. Diane Stamey will answer audience questions and Dan Yearick, LPC-S, a licensed counselor will present five traits that parents can instill in children to foster healthy growth into adulthood.

Reservations are requested. 828.456.6000

The Tye Blanton Foundation is hosting its annual blood drive from 12 to 5 p.m Sunday, March 6, at Canton Central United Methodist Church. The event is held in memory of Trooper Shawn Blanton and his son, Tye.

In previous drives, the foundation has collected 329 units of blood and saved nearly 1,000 lives. The Tye Blanton Foundation is the only nonprofit in Western North Carolina created specifically for premature babies.

Appointments for the drive are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. 828.550.6853.

The League of Women Voters of Macon County will hold a program Thursday, March 10, on fair elections, presented by Democracy North Carolina.

The group is a non-partisan organization. Democracy NC conducts original research into such topics as big money campaign donations and their effects on election outcomes, advocates for change, promotes strong ethics in government, and provides leadership training.

Jenn Frye, associate director of Democracy North Carolina, will speak about the impact of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling on the 2010 elections, and discuss other current threats to election reform in North Carolina.

The program will take place at Tartan Hall in Franklin. Lunch is available at noon by reservation. 828.371.0527 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

By DeeAnna Haney • SMN Intern

Perched atop a Canton nursing home roof, gleaming in the sun is the newest addition to the building, bringing it to the forefront of the green initiative in North Carolina.

Silver Bluff Village held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week to celebrate the installation of a new solar energy system. It is the first nursing facility in the state to harness the sun for the building’s hot water needs.

Provided by SolTherm, a clean energy services firm based in Asheville, the 32 4-by-10 foot panels will provide up to 50 percent of the facility’s hot water consumption including bathing, cooking and other dietary requirements.

When SolTherm first approached Silver Bluff owners Bob and Lisa Leatherwood about how a solar energy project could benefit the 195-bed nursing home, the couple had already committed to reducing energy usage by replacing their plumbing fixtures, all light bulbs and upgrading their wastewater treatment facility.

The idea of using alternative water heating sources had crossed their minds during this building transformation two years ago, but they were sure the project would be far too expensive.

But SolTherm’s research results on the building quickly changed the couple’s minds. The company found that a solar hot water energy system would reduce the nursing home’s energy costs by 10 percent immediately, saving them an estimated $315,000 over 20 years if they participated in the NoCapEx program. (This number is assuming propane prices continue to increase at six percent each year).

Bob Leatherwood said he first thought it was too good to be true. With NoCapEx, the company promised to front the solar panel equipment and installation with no upfront cost to Silver Bluff. In return, the Leatherwoods were asked to sign a 20-year contract and pay a monthly fee.

After SolTherm’s proposal, Lisa Leatherwood said the decision to install was a “no-brainer.” “All we had to do was provide the building,” she said.

The Heliodyne solar panels capture the sun’s thermal energy by heated fluids in the solar collectors and then send it to heat exchangers. The solar heated water is then stored in a 2,000-gallon tank and can be used throughout the day.

According to SolTherm’s Web site, SolTherm.com, traditional hot water heaters waste as much as 35 percent fossil fuels. The solar panels work to reduce the use of a hot water heater thus saving money and environmental impact.

“This is something we would encourage anybody to look at and we’re very excited and glad to be an example in the community,” Bob Leatherwood said at the ceremony.

Lisa Leatherwood said she is pleased with the results of the solar panels already. The online monitoring system inside the building that tracks the system’s progress reads the facility has saved 225 trees, 221 gallons of gas and 6,746 vehicle miles to date.

“We’re proud to reduce our carbon footprint, create jobs and of course save money,” she said.

Gallery 86 presents “Reflected Light: Scenes of Haywood County by Luke Allsbrook” Wednesday, March 2, through Saturday, March 26. An artist reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 4.

The exhibition is presented by the Haywood County Arts Council and showcases oil paintings that highlight landscape scenes from around Haywood County. The common theme in all the paintings is water, including scenes of Lake Junaluska, farm streams and the Pigeon River.

www.haywoodarts.org.

Classical guitarist Gregory Guay will perform at WCU’s Coulter Recital Hall at 8 p.m., March 9. Guay is a classically trained guitarist who learned and teaches in the Suzuki method. He is currently a master’s candidate at Appalachian State University and will perform works by Bach, Regondi and Dyens.

A certification in the building industry for Cherokee craft artists is open free-of-charge to artists, artisans and college-level students from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 9, 16 and 30, at Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts (OICA).

The program is presented by partners HandMade in America, Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources (RTCAR), Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual and OICA.

Participants must attend all three sessions to receive a certificate.

Jeff Marley at 828.497.3945 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts, Southwestern Community College’s fine arts   program, this spring welcomes Brian Kane as the new program instructor.

Kane completed his BFA in spatial arts at Youngstown University in Youngstown, Ohio. He went on to get his MFA in sculpture at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Kane has taught at USC and most recently at the College of Charleston.

Kane also brings business experience in the arts. He has worked with the South Carolina Arts Commission, the Gibbes Museum of Art and the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston.

828.497.3945 or visit southwesterncc.edu/finearts/.

To celebrate the 86th anniversary of Cowee’s Rickman Store, the Friends of the Rickman Store are inviting neighbors and visitors to share an evening of poetry and music at the store at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 4. Cowee poet Brent Martin will be leading the night sharing poems from his latest book A Shout in the Woods. Storyteller Gary Carden will join Martin, and Angela Faye Martin will play some of her songs and other artists will join.

Elena Carlson at 828.369.5595.

Multimedia artist Mark Menendez of Andrews will do a demonstration of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting techniques for Art League of the Smokies at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, March 7, at Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.

He’ll show the process from initial sketch to under-paintings to the finished painting of his copy of da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

Jenny Johnson at 828.488.7843 or visit www.swain.k12.nc.us.cfta.

The Main Street Artists Co-op on Main Street in Waynesville is scheduled to open for its third season May 1, and is accepting applications from artists wishing to be considered for membership.  

The Co- Op is a group of local area artists, specializing in painting, photography, and three-dimensional art that presents original fine art to the community, for sale by the artists themselves.

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

Kathrine Cays, Artist in Residence at the Rickman Store in Macon County’s Cowee Valey, will offer an art class for children and parents from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 5.

The focus will be on birds of this region and about the Great Backyard Bird Count that the Audubon Society is organizing nationwide. There is a fee of $10 per student, with a maximum cost of $20 per family, parents participate for free, and there will be a discount for groups of five children or more.  

Contact Cays at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 919.413.8303.

The feature film, “The Living Matrix — The New Science of Healing,” will be shown at Waynesville’s Creative Thought Center at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 4.  

Discussion will follow the film, which features scientists, psychologists, doctors, bio-energetic researchers and holistic practitioners sharing their knowledge, experiences and insights into wellness.

828.246.2794 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sharon Woodrow has been appointed the new director of the Haywood County Public Library, after serving as interim director since December 2010 and as assistant director since 2007.

Woodrow is a Haywood County native and went to work for the library in 2001 after two years in the Haywood County Finance Office. Prior to joining the County, she opened the first medical uniform shop in Waynesville.

www.haywoodlibrary.org.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its May production of the off-Broadway musical  “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 6 and 7, in the Feitcher Studio of Waynesville’s HART Theater. The production is being directed by Mark Jones and opens on April 29.

The age of the actors is flexible, and anyone interested in being in the show should come prepared to sing. An accompanist will be provided.

Actors will be given scenes to read from the script. Those looking to work backstage are encouraged to come by during auditions to sign up.

“Church Basement Ladies,” a touching musical comedy, will grace the stage of the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11.

Set in a rural Minnesota church in turbulent 1965, the show goes behind the scenes to celebrate the church basement kitchen and the women who work there cooking meals for church functions.

It is based on the novel Growing Up Lutheran by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson.

www.artfegan.com.

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership has awarded a new round of grants to preserve and promote Western North Carolina’s heritage.

There were 20 grants totaling nearly $245,000.

The grants will focus on craft, music, natural heritage, Cherokee traditions and the region’s legacy in agriculture. These five facets of the region’s heritage earned the 25 western counties Congressional designation as the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in 2003.

The grants this year include:

• $1,500 to the Bethel Rural Community Foundation to support the nomination of the Francis Mill in Waynesville to the National Register of Historic Places.

• $3,500 to the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design for an interpretive brochure highlighting the Jackson County Energy Park and EnergyXchange in Yancey County, both of which use methane released from old landfills to fuel pottery, glassblowing and blacksmith studios and greenhouses.

• $12,500 to the Great Smoky Mountains Association for the production of videos highlighting points of interest within the North Carolina portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• $15,000 to Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc., which teaches kids to play traditional mountain instruments and music.

• $24,998 to the Western Carolina University Hunter Library for the research and documentation of mountain potteries and Cherokee pottery.

• $22,000 to the Stecoah Valley Arts, Crafts & Educational Center in Graham County for classes and workshops on craft, music dance, and culinary arts.

• $3,525 to the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association, to support curriculum materials and events associated with the Nelson Heritage Park Cherokee exhibit in Hayesville.

• $17,850 to the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project for an initiative to link new farmers to available farmland and to stimulate farm and food tourism.

• $5,000 to the Asheville Art Museum for an exhibition of Appalachian, Cherokee and low-country baskets.

Since its inception in 2003, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership has awarded 90 grants totaling nearly $1.5 million and leveraged another $2.7 million in matching contributions from local governments and the private sector. These grants have funded projects in all 25 counties of Western North Carolina.

The WNC Agricultural Options program recently awarded $326,000 in grants to help farmers diversify and for joint marketing and distribution efforts.

“These farmers have a wide variety of innovative ideas and we expect successful outcomes from which other farmers can learn,” said Bill Teague, acting chairman of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, which funds WNC Ag Options.

Individual grants included: Traditional Cherokee Delicacies in Cherokee, truffles in Jackson County, poultry processing in Haywood, beekeeping in Macon County, production of heritage variety of peppers in Macon County, refrigeration transport in Haywood, raspberry propagation in Haywood, heritage bird production in Jackson, and more.

WNC AgOptions has given 300 individual grants to farmers since 2004 to protect mountain farmland by assisting the longevity of farm enterprises.

This year grants have been extended to collective groups of farmers to solve logistical challenges in the local agricultural system, which have been identified as the main barrier in boosting farm income. This year, that included marketing grants for the Jackson County Christmas Tree Association and Mountain Cattle Alliance in the far western counties.

For a full list of 2011 recipients go to www.wncagoptions.org.

Interested in being part of a native pond society? Carol and Bob Grytten of Haywood County are gauging interest in Western North Carolina.

“Our purpose is to help others who wish to learn more about having and maintaining ponds, water gardens, bog gardens, rain gardens and other related things,” Bob Grytten said, who has been involved with water gardens, landscape ponds and native flora for more than three decades.

Grytten said the cost of membership probably would run about $30 a year, with the first 100 people receiving a 50-percent discount.

Grytten hopes to include a couple complimentary native aquatic plants as part of the membership plus additional plants at wholesale prices.

“Activities will probably include area pond tours, workshops on water feature designs and construction, general who’s doing what and how, get togethers, native plant and seed swaps, and other things to help each other,” Grytten said.

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

The Franklin Bird Club will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, at the Macon County Public Library. Artist, illustrator and bird expert John Sill will present a video and talk about warblers. This will also be an organizing meeting to plan activities for the rest of the year. Anyone with an interest in birds is invited to attend.

Haywood County wants to create the county’s first-ever comprehensive bicycle plan.

The county is now accepting proposals from consultants interested in steering the process.

The selected firm will be responsible for:

• The collection of relevant background data and other information.

• Coordinating public input.

• The creation of a realistic — and doable — bicycle plan that can be shared in both print and electronic formats with government agencies, interested groups, businesses, individuals and others.

Expertise in developing bicycle plans for both urban and rural environments, including mountainous terrain, is required.

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, March 4. Go to BicycleHaywoodNC.org.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.648.2710, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 828.452.6789.

The fourth annual Pisgah Fly Masters fly-fishing tournament, sponsored by the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Davidson River Outfitters, is scheduled for March 19 and 20 in Transylvania County.

A casting competition on March 19 will test anglers skills in accuracy and distance. Winners will go on to the catch-and-release trout fishing finals, to be held March 20 on the Davidson River.

Anglers compete in one of three categories: fisherman, professional and youth under 16.

All money raised will go toward programming at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission site with exhibits and programs on mountain ecology located on U.S. 276 between Waynesville and Brevard.

Entry fees are $30 for youth (ages 10 to 15); $50 for anglers 16 and older; and $50 for the professional level. Entrants registered by March 3 will receive a 2011 tournament T-shirt. For rules, a prize list and entry forms, go to www.ncwildlife.org/pisgahflymasters. 828.877.4423.

Highlands Biological Station in April has received a partnership award in science, mathematics and technology education from the N.C. Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Center, based in Research Triangle Park.

Founded in 1927, the Highlands Biological Station is a year-round biological field station and inter-institutional facility of the University of North Carolina system. The station has worked closely with Western Carolina University since becoming a part of the UNC system in 1976, and is directed by Jim Costa, WCU professor of biology.

Last year, the station offered 11 academic summer courses and workshops and hosted more than 360 students, faculty and researchers-in-residence. In addition, the associated Highlands Nature Center served more than 18,000 people in science-based outreach programming.

The award will be presented and a video shown April 16 at the Cary center’s annual celebration. Nightlight Productions of Chapel Hill produced the video about Highlands Biological Station’s efforts to support science education.

A restoration project to improve fish passage on streams feeding into the Little Tennessee watershed finished last month on Bradley Creek in Macon County.

Like with most creeks, Bradley Creek had been squeezed into culverts so roads could pass over it. But two of the culverts were too small and were damaged, causing flooding and were at risk of failing. The culverts were taken out and free-spanning bridges put in their place. Stream-bank restoration also was done.

The project was paid for with a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and employed local contractors. This is the second restoration by the Little Tennessee Watershed Association using the grant fund. The first project was finished in December 2009 on Watauga Creek in Macon County.

Old, collapsing culverts hinder migration of fish and other aquatic species.

The lower reaches of Bradley Creek is near a bed of endangered Appalachian elktoe mussels in the Little Tennessee River. Sediment was being dumped in the river via the creek.

If you are looking for a trail race — with the emphasis on “race” — the Assault on Black Rock Trail Race might not be for you.

But, if you are willing to walk, crawl or yes, run, your way to the top of a very tall mountain for fun and in the name of a really good cause — supporting Jackson County’s Community Table soup kitchen — this is the event for you, so mark March 19 as a day to spend in the woods.

The Assault on Black Rock is the brainchild of Brian Barwatt, a climber who loves to hike up Pinnacle Park, a 1,100-acre tract of land owned by the town of Sylva and previously used as a watershed. The pinnacle is 5,008 feet in elevation, and Barwatt said the estimated 8.3-mile race (he believes the distance might actually be just over 7 miles in reality, signs to the contrary) gains 2,700 feet on the way to the top.

“It is a really hard trail run,” Barwatt said. “It would take a topnotch trail runner to actually run it all.”

But, don’t despair: Barwatt has asked Jackson County Emergency Medical Service personnel to stay for up to eight hours that day — plenty of time for even the slowest of the slow to get to the top and back down again. Even sliding down on your rear end if you must.

Barwatt said he wants to support the Community Table, which feeds the hungry in Jackson County, and introduce people to the beauties of Pinnacle Park. Prizes will be awarded to top finishers. Pre-registration is $25 (www.active.com, there is a $3.25 fee); race-day registration is $30. The race is at 9 a.m. March 19, starting at Fisher Creek parking lot in Sylva.

828.506.2802 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visit www.communitytable.org for registration forms.

— By Quintin Ellison

As part of the celebration of Read Across America, Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville is hosting two events that emphasize the importance of reading to young children. 

Parents of preschoolers are welcome to come to a free workshop from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on March 1, that will address strategies for engaging kids in reading.   

Kids from preschool to elementary are invite to a birthday party for Dr. Seuss at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 5.

Dr. Seuss on the Loose will include games, crafts, fun learning activities, Dr. Seuss books and or course, birthday cake.

828.456.6000

The WNC Historical Association and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial will host Western North Carolina author Wayne Caldwell from 2-4 p.m. on March 6.

The winner of the 2010 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, Wayne Caldwell, will appear in tandem with Stephen Woody, whose grandfather served as a model for Silas Wright, a main character in Caldwell’s recent novel, Requiem by Fire.

Caldwell’s novels are set in Cataloochee Valley, a community in the Smoky Mountains that residents were forced to abandon after the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

For further information contact the WNC Historical Association, at 828.253.9231 or The Thomas Wolfe Memorial at 828.253.8304.

Gary Carden has announced the first meeting of a book discussion group which will begin with a meeting at 5 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Sylva Senior Citizen Center in Room 129.

The first meeting will be devoted to establishing the time and date of future meetings and the selection of books to be discussed.

“Now is your chance,” said Carden. “If you have been wanting to talk about the historic background of Ron Rash’s Serena, or the similarities between To Kill a Mockingbird and Tom Franklin’s new novel, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, now is your chance.”  A portion of the first meeting will be devoted to possible selections, including (but not limited to) Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone, William Gay’s short story collection, I Hate to See That Evening Soon Go Down, Harriette Arnow’s The Dollmaker and Margaret Miller’s Lamb in His Bosom.”

Carden emphasized that the group’s purpose is to discuss books in a casual, non-threatening atmosphere. Refreshments are encouraged and there will be free coffee.

For additional information, contact Gary Carden at 109-D Mountain Oaks Lane, Sylva, N.C., 28779 or mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To the Editor:

I thought the new Republican majority in the North Carolina legislature was elected because voters felt they could do more to generate jobs and improve the economy in North Carolina than the Democrats. Yet some of the first legislation from this body does nothing to generate jobs or improve the economy. Instead, this legislation would waste North Carolina taxpayer dollars on purely partisan issues.

The bill requiring voter picture identification at the polls, co-sponsored by Sen. Ralph Hise (Avery, Haywood, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, and Yancy counties), is estimated to cost North Carolina taxpayers $20 million.

My research tells me that improper voting in North Carolina is hardly a problem. Less than 5 votes in 1 million in North Carolina involve fraud that a photo ID would stop. You are more likely to be struck by lightning in North Carolina than have somebody steal your vote. This bill would discriminate against those who do not own cars — students, the elderly, people with disabilities, and low-income people, folks who tend to vote for the Democrats.  

One of the other pieces of legislation is the bill to force Attorney General Roy Cooper to join legal action to block the federal law which requires residents to carry health insurance. Why should North Carolina waste taxpayer money on this effort when other states have already filed suit? This federal issue is already working its way through the court system, without the need to waste North Carolina taxpayer money.

The news is full of stories about draconian cuts to necessities — education, medical care, safety nets for low income folks, incentives to create jobs. Why waste taxpayer money on partisan politics when we need jobs?

Carole Larivee

Waynesville

To the Editor:

As soon as the federal budget was delivered to Congress, members like Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders trotted out the age-old whine that conservatives want to harm women and children. The fact is that without deep spending cuts all of us, but especially our children and grandchildren, will be saddled for years to come with high taxes and a lowered quality of life to pay for the our generation’s government debt. The federal government and many states are bankrupt thanks to irresponsible spending by Congress and legislatures.

Now all sides are weighing in with ideas to rein in the debt and future spending. In almost every case citizens will be asked to sacrifice with higher taxes and a myriad of taxes on numerous products and services. How about beginning with the sacrifice of those who brought us to this point – our elected officials. Let’s cut deeply into their perks, staffs and expenses, including the cadillac healthcare and pension programs enjoyed by members of Congress and the executive branch of the federal government.

Other suggestions on where to cherry pick for cuts – defense, entitlements, agencies and government supported organizations. But, the response is “ oh no, not me” as in the case of Wisconsin teachers who demonstrated in mass at their state capital.

Instead of singling out any one area, let’s cut 20 percent across the board. That would be cuts to all in the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government as well as every agency and department and special interest groups.  

Private businesses create an annual budget every year and if the budget is lower than the previous year, department heads are told “here is your operating fund; you make the cuts needed to meet the current budget.” That makes sense to me. Do we need czars who are a duplication of bureaucrats already in place reporting only to the White House and paid thousands of dollars a year? Why do we continue to have troops and bases in countries like Germany?

Regardless of what side of the aisle you are on, all taxpayers should be demanding that elected officials get our fiscal houses in order immediately before these government bankruptcies truly collapse not only our way of life but also the ability to maintain our position in the world.

Carol Adams

Glenville

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Family-to-Family Education Program offers new spring classes for caregivers of individuals living with mental illness. Family-to-Family is a free, 12-week course led by John and Suzanne Gernandt, who are experienced in caring for a loved one with serious mental illness.  

Participants receive current information on serious mental illness, learn about proven treatments, develop problem-solving skills and communication techniques and explore local community supports.

The class is scheduled to begin March 15 and will run for 12 weeks.

828.452.0058 or 828.400.1040.

A pancake breakfast will be held from 7:30 to 10 a.m. on Friday, March 4, at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Sylva, hosted by The Rotary Club of Sylva.

On offer will be hot and cold beverages, all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, and all the fixings, and proceeds go to the Stop Hunger Now project for world hunger relief.

Tickets are not needed and a $5 suggested donation is payable at the door.

www.sylvarotaryclub.org

Jackson County has decided to postpone its revaluation of property values from next year until 2015. A resolution to that effect is being prepared for adoption during the March meeting.

Tax Assessor Bobby McMahan this week recommended the delay, citing the extreme downturn of the real-estate market and the difficulty of accurately determining market value.

“Typical qualified sales used to establish a legitimate valuation are very scarce, and in some areas of the county nonexistent,” he told commissioners.

McMahan said more than 20 North Carolina counties have elected to postpone revaluation, including neighboring Macon County.

“With this postponement would come the hope of a revived real estate market and an overall improvement in the economy,” the tax assessor said. “Most importantly, a delay will provide the tax administration staff ample time to improve the current tax data by allowing time for field reviews to be performed on each existing parcel of property.”

The purpose of a revaluation is to determine fair market value for tax reasons.

Reach of Haywood needs volunteers for the nonprofit’s helpline.

Helpline volunteers can assist from home — or away from home — if they have a cell phone.

Other opportunities for volunteering are available, including helping at the REACH office on court days, and in the Safe Dates teen-education program. Volunteer training will be held Feb. 19 from 9:30 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. in Waynesville.

Lunch and snacks will be provided by REACH. 828.456.7898 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Free flu vaccines are available at the Haywood County Health Department while supplies last.

The flu vaccine is recommended for anyone over six months old and it is especially important for people at high risk of complications, including pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, very young children and the elderly.

The Health Department has approximately 2,000 doses of the vaccine.

Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be accepted from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

828.452.6675 or 828.356.1111.

Four seats on the MedWest-Haywood hospital governing board will open up in April, with a deadline to apply of Feb. 28.

Applications can be accessed on the county’s web page at www.haywoodnc.net or at the county administrative building. Completed applications can be e-mailed to Rebecca Morgan, administrative assistant to the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or faxed to 452-6715.

The seats are currently held by Pam Kearney, Roy Patton, Suzanne Supola and Cliff Stovall.

The MedWest-Haywood board’s nominating committee will review the applications and make recommendations to the Haywood County Board of Commissioners for appointment.

Board appointments are for three-year terms.

Delays are expected on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park beginning March 1, due to road rehabilitation.   

In addition to repaving the road, thousands of feet of stone masonry retaining walls and several drainage culverts will be repaired, and one lane will be partially closed.

From June 11 until August 15, there will only be overnight lane closures, running from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.

The project is scheduled for completion in October 2012 and is the first of three phases to repair all 15 miles of the road from Newfound Gap to the Park boundary at Gatlinburg, Tenn.

The full project will be finished in 2016.

A new community band called Mountain Winds is forming in Jackson County, led by Bob Buckner, outgoing director of athletic bands at Western Carolina University and Jon Henson, assistant director of the school’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band.

Musicians who played in high school or college bands are invited to join.

Henson said he decided to organize the band in response to interest from community members who share a love of music, want to develop their musical skills, and enjoy the camaraderie and experience of performing as a group.

828.227.2711 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

prideofthemountains.com

Jackson County’s Children of Zion Singers will be perform a free concert at 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 27, at First Baptist Church of Clyde. The show is part of the Sunday’s On Main concert series. The Children of Zion have been singing together since 2004 and their musical selections vary from Southern Gospel to contemporary to Appalachian ballads

828.627.2201.

The Share the Warmth benefit concert featuring Balsam Range and Hominy Valley Boys is coming to Haywood Community College from 2 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 27.

The event is sponsored by HCC and Champion Credit Union and all donations collected will go to Mountain Projects to help area residents with heating costs. Donations are tax deductible and checks should be made payable to Mountain Projects.

Admission is a minimum donation of $10. Seating is limited with tickets available at Champion Credit Union and the HCC Foundation.

Brenda Fannon at 828.627.4522.

Legendary country star Kenny Rogers will make his way to The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing arts at 7:30 p.m. on March 5, for performances of some of his greatest hits.

Rogers will entertain audiences with favorites from his vast catalogue of songs ranging from his heyday in the 70s to his recent resurgence in popularity on the country charts.  The singer left the performance circuit to start his own label, but returned with the hits The Greatest and Buy Me A Rose. 

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre continues its Studio Theater season with The Oxymorons, an improvisational comedy troupe made up of many HART veterans.  

The group has been in existence for a number of years and has become quite well known in Asheville. This will be their first appearance at HART. Original members Graham and Forest Livengood are joined by Strother Stingley, Sarah Felmet and a few new faces. For those not familiar with improvisational comedy, the group takes titles, words and ideas from the audience then builds a comic sketch on the spot. It requires actors with quick minds and a great sense of humor. Every performance is different.  

“The Oxymorons” will perform Fridays and Saturdays March 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday March 6 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $8 for all adults and $5 for students, general admission. To make reservations call the HART Box Office at 828.456.6322. All performances are in the Feichter Studio Theatre, 250 Pigeon Street, Waynesville.