The Rev. Jamie Washington, social justice educator and president of a Baltimore-based multicultural organizational development firm, will be the keynote speaker for Western Carolina University’s annual celebration in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Founder of the Washington Consulting Group and a senior consultant with the Equity Consulting Group of California and Elsie Y. Cross and Associates of Philadelphia, Washington will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center as part of a program sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor.

He will discuss the nation’s progress in the area of civil rights and race relations, and what additional steps are necessary to achieve King’s vision in a talk titled “Beyond the Dream to the Vision: The Charge for the Next Generation.” A reception will follow the address.

Washington has served as an educator and administrator in higher education for more than 20 years, most recently as assistant vice president for student affairs at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. He holds a doctorate in college student development with a concentration in multicultural education from the University of Maryland College Park, and earned his master’s degree in divinity at Howard University in 2004.

Other events planned at WCU as part of the King celebration range from service activities to cultural events.

The exhibition “With All Deliberate Speed: School Desegregation in Buncombe County” will open at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 17, on the second floor of Hinds University Center. The 15-panel exhibit explores the events, legislation and actions of people that led to the desegregation of Buncombe County from the 1950s to the present time, and will highlight the students of ASCORE (Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality) who worked to integrate schools and businesses in Western North Carolina in the 1950s and 1960s.

A unity march also is planned for 4:30 p.m. Jan. 17, followed by a reception to mark King’s 82nd birthday, to be held in the theater of the University Center.

The film and discussion “Our Friend Martin: An Adventure Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.” is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, in the University Center theater.

The Koresh Dance Company will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center. Known for its powerful stage presence and high-energy style, the company presents a combination of ballet, modern and jazz dance. Tickets are $5 for the event, part of the 2010-11 Arts and Cultural Events Performance Series at WCU. For tickets, call 828.227.2479 or visit the FAPAC box office.

A poetry slam will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Starbucks coffee shop in the Courtyard Dining Hall.

In addition, days of service will be held Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 22. Participants should register through the Center for Service Learning website, servicelearning.wcu.edu.

University administrative offices will be closed Jan. 17 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

For more information, contact James Felton, director of intercultural affairs, at 828.227.2924.

It’s easy to get cabin fever during mountain winters, so consider making Thursday evening the night to venture to Blue Ridge Books and News. You can buy a great cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, have some dessert, and watch or participate in some entainment and fun.

Here’s what’s planned:    

• Open Mic Nite — 1st Thursday Evening of Each Month, 7-9 p.m.

Thanks to the organizational efforts of the Haywood County Arts Council, all are invited to the Open Mic night once a month. Come to share a talent or enjoy the talents of your neighbors. Come just a little early if you’d like to sign up to perform.    

• Open Celtic Music Session — 2nd Thursday Evening of Each Month 6:30-8 p.m.

Professional and amateur musicians come together to play Irish music. Come to play or just to enjoy. If you’d like to play, check out the following websites so you can be prepared for the playlist: www.sunrise-entertainment.com/blueridgebooks.htm and  www.sunrise-entertainment.com/openplaylistA.html.    

• Game Night — 4th Thursday of Each Month, 6:30-8 p.m.

Get out of your house, bring some old friends and make some new ones. Come in and play board games. It’s the perfect event for all ages. We’ll have some games on hand, but feel free to bring your favorite from home.

For more information contact Blue Ridge Books, 152 S. Main St., Waynesville, 828.456.6000 or visit www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

The Diamond K Dance Ranch in Maggie Valley will hold a Two-Step Workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan.15.

The cost for the workshop is $40 per couple. Everyone must have a partner. To register call Joe and Patsy at 828.667.1870 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The famed Cherokee outdoor drama “Unto These Hills” will hold auditions from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Cherokee Historical Association Business Office located at 564 Tsali Blvd. in Cherokee. Anyone interested in acting, singing and or dancing can or should try out for a part in the historical outdoor production. For more info call Linda Squirrel at 828.497.2111, ext. 202.

The Haywood County Arts Council is proud to present Master Cherokee storyteller and historian Lloyd Arneach will perform at the Haywood County Arts Council’s Sunday Concert Series at 3 p.m. on Jan. 16 at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville.

An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Arneach was born and reared on the Cherokee Reservation in Cherokee. He learned his first legends from two storytelling Uncles on the reservation.

His father was vice chief of the Eastern Band and his mother was the first woman ever elected to the Tribal Council. From 1970 to 1990, Lloyd traveled throughout the state of Georgia lecturing on Cherokee history and culture. This was done in his spare time while working for AT&T. In 1990, he added storytelling to his presentations on culture and history, and in 1993 began a full-time career as both storyteller and historian.

Arneach  presents his stories in a style that is humorous, informative and extremely moving. Lloyd’s stories range from the “old stories” of the Cherokee to contemporary stories he has collected, from creation stories to behind the scenes of “Dances with Wolves.” He tells stories of different Native Americans like Floyd Red Crow Westerman; Billy Mills, an Olympic champion; a young Cree Indian girl with no stories to tell; and a postmaster on the Papago Reservation.

He shares historical stories from a variety of Native American tribes. Some of these stories are difficult for Arneach to tell because of the strong feelings associated with his experiences as a Native American. Arneach will also have a number of Native American artifacts to show and demonstrate on Jan. 16.

Arneach has told stories at the Kennedy Center, National Folklife Festival (Washington, D.C.), the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, D.C.), the Winnepeg International Storytelling Festival (Canada), festivals, schools, universities, pow-wows, theaters, and other venues throughout the United States. He has also told stories on the Discovery Channel. His CD Can You Hear the Smoke? features stories and legends adapted by Arneach. In 1992, Children’s Press published his book, The Animal’s Ballgame, based on one of Lloyd’s favorite Cherokee animal stories. During the summer of 2006 and 2008, Arneach performed in the Cherokee outdoor drama “Unto These Hills - A Retelling.” Lloyd finished a book of Cherokee stories, Long-Ago Stories of the Eastern Cherokee, that was released in early 2008. Lloyd now resides in Cherokee.

The Sunday Concert Series is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Haywood County Library. The concert is free and the public is cordially invited to attend.

For more information about the Sunday Concert Series, as well as other programs or events, visit the Haywood County Arts Council website at www.haywoodarts.org or call 828.452.0593.

Who: Haywood County Arts Council’s Sunday Concert Series

What: Native American Storyteller Lloyd Arneach

When: Sunday, January 16, 2011 @ 3pm

Where: Haywood County Public Library, 678 S. Haywood Street, Waynesville

January is Radon Education Month and the Jackson County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension is offering free testing kits for homeowners to assess the level of radon in their homes. Homeowners may pick up free kits at the Cooperative Extension Office in Suite 205 of the Community Service Center in Sylva.

Should a home have elevated levels of radon, the problem can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many other home repairs.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings.

For more information on radon and to receive your free radon test kit, contact your Cooperative Extension Office at 828.586.4009.

Mountain BizWorks will offer Foundations, an eight-week business planning course, starting Jan. 24 at its offices in Sylva.

During the course, students study how to craft a solid business plan: developing a mission statement, estimating start-up and overhead costs, setting profit goals, cash flow, marketing, licensing, and record keeping. The course also covers managing personal finances and the requirements of entrepreneurship, while providing direct and supportive feedback on participants’ business plans. 

The class will meet for eight consecutive Mondays from 6-9 p.m. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Call 828.631.0292 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register. Mountain BizWorks is located at 200 Marsh Lily Drive in Dillsboro Court.

The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the First Methodist Church in Waynesville.

Following the business meeting, member Steve Torda will present a program entitled, “With old time remedies the cure was sometimes worse than the disease.”   

Torda said the program will “explore how our ancestors and their physicians treated afflictions and disease prior to the development of modern medicine and acceptable safe medical treatment.”

Torda will discuss remedies that claimed to “cure hysteria and all diseases of the brain” such as Uncle John’s Pure Sassafras Brain Tonic, which claimed that there was no danger in its use.

Torda is a pharmacist at K-Mart in Waynesville.

For more information call Mary Harrah at 828.627.9828 and leave a message. Your call will be returned if requested.

Tired of being indoors this winter? Take your mind off winters chill and warm up with the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Fire & Ice Winterfest from 3-7:30 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort.

Whether you are looking for a relaxing mountain retreat, a girlfriend getaway or an escape from cabin fever, the Fire & Ice Winterfest has plenty to offer. Weekend highlights include an ice sculpting competition, live musical entertainment by local band Orange Krush, SegWay tours, horse and carriage Rides and more. There will also be a Fire & Ice Spring Preview Fashion Show.

Waynesville’s own microbreweries, Frog Level and Headwaters Brewing Co., will be on hand to offer samples of their frothy creations; and local restaurants and B&B’s will showcase their culinary talent in the first ever Star Chef Competition complete with locally produced ingredients.

For the pet centric, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will host a Cardboard Dog Sled Race. Visit www.sargeandfirends.org for additional information and a registration form. All proceeds from the Dog Sled race will support the initiatives of the Sarge’s organization. This one day event is sure to cure your winter blues.

Tickets may be pre-purchased at a reduced rate of $10 for adults and $5 for children (under 17) or purchased at the door for $12.50 for adults and $5 for children (under 17). Kids Stay Free Promotion: One child (under the age of 17) free with a paying adult. Visit www.fireandicefest.com for a complete list of events and additional information.

Fund for Haywood County has released $28,335 in recent grants to local nonprofit organizations supporting important community initiatives. The grants include:

• Habitat for Humanity — $25,000 to support start-up costs for a ReStore to sell usable donated building materials and home furnishings to support the building of additional homes for low-income Haywood County residents.  After two years, the ReStore is projected to support building of at least one additional home and to provide affordable building materials and furnishings to improve another 1,000 homes.

• Good Samaritan Clinic of Haywood County — $1,335 to purchase e-prescribing software for medical records at the two medical clinics serving Haywood County, greatly improving patient safety and the quality of overall care for uninsured and Medicaid patients who receive primary care at the clinics.

• ARC of Haywood County — $2,000 toward a match for the University Participation Program at WCU for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  This pilot program provides up to two years of on-campus living and learning experience for students as they transition from secondary school to adult life.

The Fund for Haywood County, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, was established in 1994 by a group of local residents as a permanent endowment and resource for charitable efforts that benefit Haywood County. The local volunteer board of directors works to raise awareness of The Fund for Haywood County and to build assets for the future. These board members are: Louise W. Baker and Peggy C. Melville, Co-Chairs; William C. Allsbrook Jr., S. Brandon Anderson, Kimberly Dionne Ghaussy, George Ivey, Rolf Kaufman, John W. Keith, Bruce A. Kingshill, Ron Leatherwood, William Owen, Jeremy Phillips, Phyllis Prevost, Asa “Buck” Williams and Kenneth F. Wilson.

Area nonprofit organizations and public institutions may apply to The Fund for Haywood County for support through The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The next opportunity to apply is the upcoming Opportunity Grant cycle with a Feb. 1 deadline.  Application instructions are available at www.cfwnc.org.  Funding decisions will be announced in May.

For more information about The Fund for Haywood County, contact Co-Chairs Louise Baker at 828.452.2227 or Peggy Melville at 828.734.6791. To make a tax-deductible donation to The Fund for Haywood County, donate on-line at www.cfwnc.org or by mail to The Fund for Haywood County, P.O. Box 627, Waynesville, N.C., 28786. Contributions of any size are welcome, are tax-deductible, and make a real difference.

A one-day workshop called “Does Your Forest Talk Money?” will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Graham County. It’s geared for landowners, farmers, wild crafters and food entrepreneurs.

The course will explore products that can be propagated and harvested in a woodland setting, such as ramps and ginseng. Learn how to propagate and harvest woodland crops as well as regulations and certifications that may apply. The course will also cover processing woodland crops into food products and marketing.

Speakers include forest products and woodland crop specialists as well three landowners engaged in harvesting woodland products. The programs is sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Native Plants Association and the NCSU Cooperative Extension Service.

The event will conclude with a roundtable discussion and an overview that includes referrals and resources for participants. Register at www.smnpa.org or call 828.479.8788. Cost is $30 and includes lunch.

A talk called “Forest Majesty: Bringing back the American chestnut tree” will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at Posana Restaurant in downtown Asheville as part of the Green Drinks series, a monthly get together to discuss environmental issues.

The speaker is Sarah Spooner of The American Chestnut Foundation, a national organization headquartered in Asheville that’s dedicated to restoring this missing tree back to the ecosystem.

Chestnut blight in the early 20th century and the resulting disappearance of the tree was a huge blow to the Southern Appalachian forest ecosystem. The disappearance also had huge cultural and economic effects. Now, after more than 25 years of scientific research, The American Chestnut Foundation has begun test planting trees that are almost genetically identical to the former American chestnut, but which carry the genes that provide resistance to the chestnut blight.

The return of the chestnut tree would have a huge positive impact on the mountain forest and all of its inhabitants. The technical scientific work of reintroducing this tree is still in the testing stages and reintroduction will require a massive effort.

Socializing starts at 6:30 p.m. www.acf.org or 828.713.9547.

Cyclists aiming to stay fit during winter or those looking for a change of pace in their workout should check out the new spin classes at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

Spin classes make exercise on a stationary bike more exciting, as the instructor talks participants through a virtual bike ride complete with hill climbing fast stretches and cruising. Videos depicting scenery from real bike rides will compliment the class.

The class will meet each Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Free for members, or $23 a month. 828.456.2030 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center, the Jackson County Recreation Center and the Franklin Fitness Center also offer spin classes.

Cataloochee Ski Area is offering after-school programs for elementary, middle and high school kids to learn to ski or snowboard this winter.

The five-week course includes a two-hour clinic once a week from 5 to 7 p.m. Elementary school kids can chose from either Wednesday or Friday, with middle school offered on Thursdays.

When it turns cold, it’s tough getting the kids outside to get the exercise they need, but the after-school skiing program helps kids learn new physical and mental skills, get fit, and socialize safely in a controlled environment. The program is designed specifically for young people, who learn differently than adults.

A special learn-to-ski program is now being offered for parents whose kids are in the after-school program.

The cost is $99 for the five-week course and includes instruction and equipment. Cost is less for season pass holders with their own equipment. The ski area has scholarships for low-income families.

For the schedule of dates, www.cataloochee.com/school/after_school.php Contact Sue Reitze, After School Program Coordinator
Cataloochee Ski and Snowboard School, at 828.926.0285.

The quest to protect the 8,000-acre Headwaters tract in Transylvania County — one of the last undeveloped tracts of its size in the Southern Appalachians — is celebrating its first milestone.

A donation from Fred and Alice Stanback — conservation champions who have saved thousands of acres of mountain land from development with their large donations — allowed The Conservation Trust purchase a 786-acre portion of the Headwaters tract for $5.5 million. The N.C. Clean Water Management Trust fund contributed $1 million of the total.

Preserving this property is the first phase of what conservation advocates hope will be a multi-year, multi-phase effort to protect the whole tract, which is privately owned. Owners of the tract are willing to sell at less than market value to see the tract protected.

But success is contingent on funding from state and federal conservation agencies, which have pledged a philosophical but not a concrete commitment to the project.

The tract selected for this first phase includes a last unprotected leg of the 70-mile Foothills Trail and a nine-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge crest.

“The completion of this initial Headwater acquisition is an exciting first step that conserves some of the most significant features of the larger tract,” said Kieran Roe, executive director of the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy.

Special license plates sporting a black bear have proliferated across WNC, raising $356,000 in 2010 for Friends of the Smokies, which funds projects in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Some of the projects made possible by the license plate revenues last year include:

• Exhibits for the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center being built at the N.C. entrance to the park.

• Fieldtrips and classroom visits from parks rangers for North Carolinian schoolchildren.

• Elk reintroduction in Cataloochee.

• Black bear conservation.

• Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob outside Maggie Valley.

“We have another ambitious list of significant projects that will help the park in 2011, and we hope North Carolinians will continue to help us preserve and protect the park through their support of the plate program,” said John Dickson, founding member of Friends of the Smokies and retired Asheville Savings Bank President.

To get a specialty license plate, stop in at your local tag office. The specialty tag costs an extra $30. Of that, $20 goes to Friends of the Smokies to support projects and programs on the North Carolina side of the park.

www.friendsofthesmokies.org or 828.452.0720.

Fly-fishing wannabes can learn the basics and try their hand at casting a line this winter thanks to an ongoing series of beginner fly-fishing classes offer by the Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Sylva.

The program includes two classroom sessions held the first and second Thursday of the month from 6 to 8 p.m., plus a half-day outing on a local stream. The classes cover all the basics of mountain trout fishing and are taught by experienced local trout fishermen who are members of Tuck chapter of Trout Unlimited.

The series will be repeated the months of February, March and April. The class is held at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Jackson Street downtown. A donation of $50 covers expenses and support a youth fly fishing camp in the summer. No experience necessary.

Call or email Milt Wofford at 828.631.2613 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Though most people think the music jams at the Bryson City library are just a summertime thing, they carry on year round — the first and third Thursday of every month from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer — anything unplugged — is invited to join. Singers are also welcom to join in. Or, you can just stop by and listen.

The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music store in Bryson City. Normally Larry starts by calling out a tune and its key signature, and the group plays it together. Then everyone in the circle gets a chance to choose a song for the group. The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned over the years or learn old-time mountain songs.

This gets support from the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment of the Arts. 828.488.3030.

A free ARTSaturday program for elementary school-aged children and their families will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Macon County library.

The Macon County Arts Council will provide all materials and instruction for several make-and-take projects, including personalized 2011 calendars, cotton batting snowman collages, soap flake snowmen and pine cone bird feeders.

ARTSaturday always features live music by keyboardist Lionel Caynon and coloring projects. Children should wear play clothes and come for any part of the session.

The monthly ARTSaturday series is produced by the Arts Council of Macon County and is supported by the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

Registration is not necessary, just show up. Adults must stay with their children. 828.524.7683 or www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will open its 2011 winter Studio Theater Season with a bit of backstage humor and some twists for the audience when “A Life in the Theatre” debuts on Jan. 7.  

The comedy by David Mamet will feature HART Executive Director Steve Lloyd and Asheville actor Casey Morris in the play’s two roles under the direction of Julie Kinter. Mamet, one of modern theatre’s most celebrated playwrights, is known for his salty language which is toned down in this play, but audiences should be aware that the show still contains some adult language.

“A Life” follows two actors, a seasoned veteran and a new rising star in a resident company as they prepare and perform in a number of scenes Mamet has created to poke gentle fun at some of theatre’s sacred cows. There is a Chekov scene, showcasing the tedious Russian dramatic style, a lifeboat scene, an operating room scene, a Civil War scene, and a French Revolution scene that is obviously taking a jab at “Les Miserables.” On stage and off things break down and the two actors grow together then apart. For “A Life in the Theatre” audiences should expect some surprises. The first when they enter the performance space.

The HART Studio Season features six plays in just 12 weeks and is one of the highlights of the winter arts scene. Productions regularly sell out and runs are often extended. The Feichter Studio is HART’s second performance space, seating only 60 people and reservations are recommended to insure patrons get a seat.

Make a reservation by calling the HART Box Office and leaving a message. Calls are not returned unless no tickets are available. The show will run Friday and Saturday, Jan. 7-8, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 9, 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.

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce will host a Western Carolina chef’s competition during the second annual Fire & Ice Winterfest on Jan. 15 at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort.

The competition, which will be held from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m., will be a single elimination culinary skills recipe and preparation contest.  

Area chefs or restaurants are encouraged to submit recipes using North Carolina grown ingredients and the star ingredient, “Sweet Potatoes.” Entrants may submit an entrée, appetizer, salad or dessert and must feature the Star Ingredient in the preparation. Recipes will be reviewed by a panel of professional chefs and food critics. The top eight and an alternate will be invited to the Waynesville Inn to prepare and present their culinary masterpiece.

The final eight will be given one hour to complete their entry during the Fire & Ice Winterfest in front of a live audience. The top two finalists will be selected by a judging panel of culinary experts and will go head to head in a 45 minute cook off. Each finalist will be given a mystery box of ingredients to prepare their best interpretation of the “Stars of the NC Farms”. The winning chef or restaurant will be awarded the “Top Chef Award” complete with prize money and trophy.

All recipes must be submitted to the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce by no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7. The final eight will be notified by phone by Jan. 10. Visit www.fireandicefest.com for additional information or contact the Chamber at 828.456.3021 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a complete list of rules, regulations, and event information.

Moonshine will take center stage at the next Liars Bench, a variety show series paying hommage to aspects of Southern Appalachian culture, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

“This show is definitely going to be a unique cultural event and an opportunity for the audience to learn about our southern mountain history,” said Dave Waldrop, The Liars Bench host. “There also will be an exciting surprise for all the participants.”

Gary Carden, a noted local folklorist and storyteller, will give a special introduction to a short film on moonshining in the mountains. Marion Jones and Jack Parris will demonstrate with an authentic still how the old timers made “white liquor.” Steve Brady will relate, in story and song, the strong ties between the moonshining industry and the beginnings of NASCAR. Musicians Barbara Duncan and Paul Iarussi will also perform at the “white lightning” show.

The Liars Bench was started last summer by Appalachian storyteller and folk artist Gary Carden to promote Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry, drama, and folk arts. It’s proved to be a crowd pleaser.

“From the very first, The Liars Bench has been on the cutting edge blending authentic traditional Southern Appalachian culture with entertainment for children and adults — no matter where they come from,” Carden said. “The Liars Bench strives, and succeeds, in giving an accurate view of the people and their culture here in the southern mountains.”

Regular cast members include Gary Carden, Lloyd Arneach, Paul Iarussi, Barbara Duncan, Dave Waldrop, Steve Brady, and the show’s mascot Bodine. The group recognizes established artists and performers but encourages new talent, also. Admission is free.

The cooking star Paula Deen will bring her flare for Southern cooking to Harrah’s Cherokee Casino with a live cooking demonstration at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22.

Paula Deen, widely known as the Queen of Southern home-style cooking, is a popular chef on The Food Network, a restaurateur and best-selling cookbook author.

“During the show, Paula Deen will get up-close-and-personal with the audience, sharing stories and anecdotes from her life and road to success, as well as preparing two Valentine’s Day dishes during the cooking demonstration portion of the show,” said Human Resources and Community Relations Vice President Jo Blaylock.

The show will coincide with the grand opening for the new Paula Deen’s Kitchen, a 404-seat restaurant to be located in the lobby of the new Creek Tower Hotel at Harrah’s. The new food outlet features the décor and ambiance of Paula Deen’s legendary home and kitchen in Savannah. Adjacent to the restaurant is an 1,800-square-foot Paula Deen retail shop, offering cookbooks, spices, food items, cookware, logo-wear and gifts.

Proceeds from Paula Deen’s show will benefit the Cherokee Indian Hospital’s Digital Mammography Unit.

“We hope the community will enjoy getting to know Paula Deen and support the hospital at the same time,” Blaylock said.

The show will be held in the new 3,000-seat concert venue at Harrah’s. The giant stage is framed by two 32-foot high-definition screens, giving every ticket-holder in the room a bird’s-eye view of the show.

Show tickets range from $15 to $40. www.ticketmaster.com or call 800.745.3000.

The concert venue and Paula Deen’s Kitchen restaurant are part of a massive expansion at Harrah’s Cherokee, which is slated to be complete in 2012. Other additions includes a VIP lounge, a spa, a digital poker room, Asian gaming room and various other restaurant and retail outlets. The property also is renovating current casino gaming facilities and doubling the size of its casino floor.

To the Editor:

As a Macon County native who learned to drive in these mountains more than 40 years ago, I have driven in all kinds of weather, with and without four-wheel drive. That was not usually by choice, but because I was scheduled to be at work.

Living just off U.S. 64 between Highlands and Cashiers (less than a mile from the N.C. Department of Transportation maintenance shed), I now travel that stretch of road to town nearly every day — a route that takes me past Highlands-Cashiers Hospital.

On a recent morning, shortly before 9 a.m., I was on my way to work in Highlands. There was a very thin sheet of ice on the highway, which is always especially dangerous in the area between our house and the town limits. Although I was driving cautiously, and my Subaru has new tires and all-wheel drive, I slid several times between our house and Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. I finally came to a stop in a long line of traffic, which not only blocked the road into town but more importantly blocked the only entrance to the hospital. Clearly, N.C. Department of Transportation crews had made no attempt to chat the road.

Eventually, a DOT truck arrived, and the line of traffic proceeded slowly towards town. By then, I was late for work and I suspect others were as well. However, this letter is not about getting to work on time, but about saving lives. Because it provides the only access to the hospital, this part of U.S. 64 is a critical stretch of road. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. Similar situations occurred numerous times last winter despite a promise by DOT to county commissioners to give this stretch of road priority during bad weather.

On a recent Wednesday morning on my way to work, I turned onto Highway 64 towards Highlands. As soon as I got onto the highway, a vehicle coming towards me flashed its headlights. I slowed down, rounded the curve, and saw a vehicle flipped on its side. The driver had apparently hit a patch of ice. A fire truck and ambulance were at the scene. Once again, DOT failed to address the dangerous road conditions.

What will it take before our DOT realizes that this particular stretch of road is usually icy, even when other areas are not? What will it take before they realize that most of us who travel that road are on our way to work early in the morning? What will it take before they realize that, if traffic is blocking the entrance to Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, essential personnel and emergency vehicles cannot get through?

What will it take—a life-threatening emergency or a fatal accident on the highway? I hope not.

Mary Ann Sloan

Highlands

To the Editor:

I read in the newspaper an article called “Faith Leaders support the Dream Act.”

What reality do these faith leaders live in? They care so much for the children of illegal aliens. Where is there compassion for the millions of Americans who are desperately looking for jobs, young Americans graduating from college, unable to find decent jobs? It seems these “leaders” would rather see illegals gaining these jobs after taxpayers subsidize their college tuition.

Of course, they will accept much lower pay than real Americans. And to top it off, they will become citizens and bring all their families and relatives to the USA. Of course, most of these family members won’t speak English, will get taxpayer funded healthcare and welfare, and sit back and laugh at the stupid gringos trying to support their families

Have these leaders watched the news and seen the rioting in European countries over tuition costs being raised and benefits reduced? Do you think that American workers, who swallow their pride and accept charity at the food banks and have lost their homes, are just going to sit back and take this? Instead of finding decent jobs, they will see the children of lawbreakers taking these jobs away. They have no money to send their own children to college, but the doors are wide open for those who break our laws.

I’m afraid we could see “race” riots in our streets, and not by just desperate white workers but also African-American workers who are the hardest hit in this unemployment crisis. Obama will stop at nothing to turn this country into a banana republic and all Americans will be serfs begging for crumbs from the elites who will laugh at what they consider inferior human beings. Do you think it will only be white people subjugated? If they get the power, they won’t care what color or nationality you are. They look down their noses at the common folk and use the minorities to further their plans for total power.

Arlene Hemm

Canton

To the Editor:

We live in the greatest country in the world, but we have serious challenges — challenges that threaten our future and need to be addressed. Unfortunately, our elected leaders, in many cases, look at these challenges as opportunities for them personally or as a party to score political points. Many of us are frustrated and concerned about the tone of our elected officials and the hyper-partisanship that makes “compromise” a dirty word.

In December, a new group — No Labels — was launched with the goal of encouraging our elected officials to work together and put the good of the country before their party labels. This isn’t a third party. It is for Democrats, Republicans and Independents who believe that we may disagree and be passionate about our beliefs, but we can be civil and respectful towards one other — that demonizing and vilifying others with different opinions is unnecessary and counterproductive.

Our first goal is to organize local groups in every congressional district so that we may monitor and track our members of Congress to ensure they are not playing hyper-partisan games. We want to provide support to them when they put aside their labels and work with others across party lines. Everyone interested is invited to our first meeting at 6 p.m. on Jan. 13 in Waynesville.  For additional information, contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information about No Labels, visit nolabels.org.

Terri McGovern

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Scott McLeod writes accurately and with emotion about the Dream Act (“Hagen, senate wrong on Dream Act,” Dec. 22, Smoky Mountain News). Its passage would not have weakened our borders.

The immigrant youth affected by the “no” vote are likely to continue living here; many could understandably become sullen and resentful of opportunity denied. They might have enriched us with their energy and their friendships. This must be an especial discouragement to the high school teachers who nourish their development.

Bill Sullivan

Raleigh

The Small Business Center of Haywood Community College will offer a free seminar entitled, “Organizing your Work and Life - a Great Way to Start the Year!"from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6, on campus in the Student Center, first floor.

This workshop will be an entertaining and useful way to start your year, get organized and finally understand the best way to set and achieve your goals. The presenter is Sarah Kirkish, owner of WorkLife Organization. Kirkish has over 18 years of project management experience in corporate America.

For more information or to preregister for this free seminar, call the Small Business Center at 828.627.4512.

Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation’s annual meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 13, at the Haywood County Library on South Haywood Street in Waynesville.

Speakers featured at the meeting will be Katherine McGowan Shenar, Interim President/CEO, and Jennifer Brehler, director of operations of the Asheville Humane Society.

McGowan-Shenar moved to Asheville and joined AHS in January 2008 after working for The Humane Society of the United States. Brehler came to AHS in July 2008 from the Durham Animal Protection Society. She has over 11 years experience working in open admission shelters. 

All volunteers and anyone interested in the work Sarge’s does for animals is invited.

“In 2009, due to the dedicated efforts of Sarge’s volunteers and shelter staff, over half of the dogs and cats that entered the shelter were rescued,” said Steve Hewitt, president of the Sarge’s Board of Directors. “That is a first. Sarge’s volunteers saved over 900 animals last year and is on track for the same number in 2010.”

For more information regarding the Annual Meeting or Sarge’s in general, visit the website at www.sargeandfriends.org  or call 828.246.9050.  Sarge’s can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

By Colby Dunn and Quintin Ellison • Staff Writers

Although retail businesses might have found some relief toward the latter part of the year, homebuilders and real estate agents found fewer reasons for joy in 2010.

For homebuilders, the outlook was pretty bleak, according to Dawson Spano, president of the Haywood Home Builders’ Association. The bleeding in the industry, he said, has slowed but hasn’t altogether stopped, and many contractors around the region are still calling it quits — or at least still feeling the heat of the recession.

“Builders are getting out of the business, but not at the fast rate that it was last year,” Spano said.

The best way to characterize the situation, he said, is that things aren’t yet getting better, but at least they’re not getting worse.

The business they’re seeing now is different than what has long characterized the home building industry in Western North Carolina, with large developments of second and luxury homes on the decline or stopped altogether. And Spano said he’s not certain that kind of construction and housing market will ever return to the area.

“We’re going back to the way it used to be, where you have builders building one, two houses a year,” Spano said. “I think the big developments are dead for a long time. The Balsam Mountain Preserves, the Sanctuaries, those big places — I don’t see people dropping 300 to 400 thousand for a piece of property.”

Homebuilders, though, are seeing a trend towards remodeling, and Spano thinks this may be where the market is going when the country finally drags itself out of the economic slump. Wherever it’s headed, he has no doubt that it will be scaled back.

Phyllis Osborn, executive officer for Haywood’s Home Builder’s Association, said that the numbers bear this out. What they’re hearing from contractors around the region is that work is there, but it’s smaller in scope and opportunities are still sparse, as evidenced by the drop in contractors still in the game.

“We are 136 in our membership and at the end of last year it was 148, so we’re continually dropping,” said Osborn. “And I know in years prior it’s been up almost to 200.”

Spano’s predictions that small building will lead the way out of the recession and beyond are echoed by the National Association of Home Builders, who released a study at the end of December proving that very trend. The NAHB found that 65 percent of builders that are still in business pull in less than $1 million annually.

“We are seeing market conditions returning to normal in many parts of the country after a long, hard downturn, and these companies have the agility to move quickly and start leading the economy forward,” said NAHB Chairman Bob Jones in a December statement.

In the real estate market, the general sentiment seems to be much the same – that things are still languishing, but the sales dips are not quite as deep as they were last year.

Bob Holt, who teaches about real estate for Southwestern Community College, said there are fewer agents than during the pre-recession boom years. The ones that have stuck with it, however, are staying relatively busy, he said.

“It is still slow, but things are turning around,” said Holt, a Franklin resident. “The prices are low, the interest rates are low — it is a good time to buy stuff.”

Holt said the situation would not improve significantly for another year or so, “until we clear out all the foreclosures” and the job situation improves.

In Haywood County, the Board of Realtors is looking to a merger with Asheville as a possible force to help mitigate the loss if the economic hits keep coming. For homebuilders, 2007 was the banner year, and for Western North Carolina’s real estate world, the benchmark for booming business was 2005. But as one real estate agent put it at a recent board meeting, 2005 probably isn’t coming back, so the future may be found in a new business model, not a return to pre-recession growth.

“If the real-estate market doesn’t improve, then neither will my membership,” said Lisa Brown, association executive for the Haywood Board of Realtors. The math is simple, and after taking a hit of more than 25 percent last year, the area’s agents are looking for a better 2011.

But John Keith, a Waynesville real estate agent in his second year in the county, remains optimistic. People are still buying, even if the pace is much slower. People still want to move here, even if they can’t make it happen until their current house sells.

“The market is still depressed, but I’m optimistic,” said Keith. “We still know that this is one of the best retirement relocation areas in the country, and there’s still a lot of people that are trying to get here.”

For his part, Spano takes a more poetic view of what’s coming in 2011.

“We’re in the valley of the shadow of death,” Spano said. “We’re there, except now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw away 25 percent more trash than any other time of the year, which amounts to 25 million tons of trash. Following are some tips on how to reduce waste and consider energy efficiency this holiday season:

• Recycle your live Christmas trees. The Haywood County Materials Recovery Facility will accept one Christmas tree per household free of charge. Please make sure all lights, tinsel and decorations are removed. Trees from commercial businesses must be disposed of at White Oak Landfill for a fee.

• Rechargeable batteries and a battery charger are great ways to cut down on battery consumption. If you don’t use rechargeable batteries, remember you can recycle old batteries at any Haywood County Convenience Center.

• If you get new TVs or other electronics for Christmas, don’t toss out your old ones. They’re recyclable at the Haywood County Materials Recovery Facility.

• If every family in the United States reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the world.

• Gift boxes, gift catalogs, corrugated cardboard boxes, non-metallic wrapping paper, non-metallic greeting cards and newspapers filled with advertising inserts can all be recycled.

• Remove your name from mailing lists of most catalogs you no longer wish to receive. Eliminate unwanted credit offers by calling 1.888.5OptOut (1.888.567.8688) or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com .

• If you received packages that contain foam peanuts, return them to local packaging stores. Most will accept them, but call ahead to make sure.

To find out more about recycling in Haywood County, and for links to other great information on recycling and sustainability, visit the county website, www.haywoodnc.net, or contact the Haywood County Solid Waste Department at 828.627.8042.

The Aquatics Department of Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center will begin the 2011 group swim lesson lineup with the winter session, Jan. 14 and 15, through March 4 and 5.

Group swimming lessons are available for children of all ages and ability levels. Participants may choose to sign up for either the Friday evening rotation or the Saturday morning rotation. All swimming lessons conducted at the fitness center are taught by certified water safety instructors, maintaining a strict adherence to the American Red Cross’ standard of instruction.

Although centrally focused on the mechanics of swimming, the program also incorporates an extensive lineup of tips, hints and demonstrations on how to stay safe in and around the water.  On its lighter side, the program’s games and activities reinforce the concepts introduced, while creating more fun for young participants.

Sign-ups will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis at the front desk of Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. The cost of this program is $30 for members, $50 for non-members.  For more information on the program, or which class is best-suited for your child, call 828.452.8056.

The North Carolina BioNetwork BioBusiness Center in Candler will host the first annual North Carolina Conference on Sustainable Viticulture on Feb. 23.

The conference will feature speakers from throughout the U.S. who will share information on how to grow grapes organically and still make a profit, which grapes are best for our steep mountain slopes and climate conditions, how to develop vineyards on steep slopes with hard-pan clay soils, practical aspects of pest management and treatment alternatives, end-product differentiation for organic and/or biodynamic wines, and value added products like neutraceuticals.

“Because of the need for a crop to replace tobacco, and the desire of landowners, farmers, and growers to find a sustainable market so that they can keep their land, there’s a lot of interest in alternative crops here in the mountains,” according to David Kendall, Madison County Extension agent.

By necessity, sustainable means growing grapes naturally, organically, biodynamically and being able to make a bottom-line profit. This conference is designed to be a practical approach to growing grapes. Farmers and growers who want to seriously consider growing grapes in the mountains should attend.

The workshop will feature several speakers, each with a broad range of experience in the field of sustainable viticulture. Our specialist presenters will include Charlie Caldwell, owner of Black Squirrel Vineyard (an organic vineyard in Iowa); Chuck Blethen, co-owner of Jewel of the Blue Ridge Vineyard (a biodynamically grown, cold-hardy Muscadine steep-slope vineyard); Rudy Mullis, manager of the Muscadine Group at Hinnant Family Vineyard & Winery (a major processor of neutraceuticals from grape pommace); and Hannah Burrack, assistant professor and extension specialist for N.C. State University Department of Entomology.

There is a $30 charge for the workshop, which includes lunch on site at the Enka campus Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Registration for the conference will be available on-line starting Jan. 11, 2011. E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the registration link.

Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center is waiving the usual initiation fee on six-month memberships as a holiday gift to the community. The special is valid through Jan. 7. For more information call 828.452.8080.

A highly trained member of the rehabilitation staff of MedWest-Haywood will offer free knee screenings from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 4 at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center, by appointment only. Call to register for the screening.

Free spine screenings will be offered by the rehabilitation staff of MedWest-Haywood from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 10 at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. Call to register.

The next Book Ends book discussion group will be held at the Jackson County Public Library on Thursday, Jan.13. The book selection is Time and Again by Jack Finney.

Time and Again is told in the first person by Simon Morley, a 28-year-old artist working in a 1970s Manhattan advertising agency who is approached to join a covert government operation exploring the possibility of time travel. Recruited as having the right stuff, Si begins to learn about the project and its goals.

Initially recruited to explore San Francisco prior to the 1906 earthquake, Si manages to convince his superiors to allow him to investigate 1880s New York. Simon’s motive for choosing New York is to witness the mailing of an envelope. An event Simon hopes may explain a family mystery of his girlfriend Kate.

There will be extra copies of Time and Again available at the library for patrons to read prior to the discussion.  Call the library at 828.586.2016 for more information. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library.

The next Second Sunday Contra Dance will be held at the Barkers Creek Community Building from 3-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 9.

Contra dancing will begin at 3 p.m. There will also be a potluck dinner following the contra dance, starting at 6 p.m. Please bring a covered dish, plate, cup, cutlery and a water bottle.

The dance is free. Participants are encouraged to make a contribution toward the cost of renting the hall.

No previous experience with contra dancing is required and all dances will be taught and walked through before dancing. There will also be a short beginners’ workshop at the start of the dance. No partner is required.

Local musicians will play music for all the dances. Local musicians are invited to sit in with the band, to jam and learn how to play music for dancing.

The Barkers Creek Community Center is located at milepost 79 on U.S. 441 three miles north of Dillsboro. Coming from Sylva, make a U-turn just past milepost 79 to get in the southbound lanes.

Information about the dance is available from Ron Arps by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Elderly Brothers will perform on New Year’s Eve at American Legion Post 47 in Waynesville.

The Elderly Brothers have been playing together for more than 40 years.

“Our group originally started playing together over 40 years ago,” said band leader Ken Beck.

Shortly after forming the group back then, band members went their separate ways and performed alone or with other groups. However, over the years they remained the best of friends.

Around 2005, the musicians reunited as the now-fabulous Elderly Brothers. The musicians in the group have opened shows for such well known artists as The Drifters, The Coasters, The Byrds, The Diamonds, Lou Christy, and many others.

The Elderly Brothers are made up of Ken Beck (guitar), Mike Holt (guitar), Charles Queen (acoustic guitar), Chuck Russell (drums) and Skip Allman (bass).

For more information, call 828.456.8691.

The Friends of the Marianna Black Library will host the 4th Annual Chocolate Cook-Off from 2-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Bryson City Presbyterian Church.

The Friends are looking for the best chocolate dessert in Western North Carolina and are willing to pay for it. Compete to win cash prizes and help raise money for the Marianna Black Library.

Entries due Feb. 4, and applications are available at the Marianna Black Library at 33 Fryemont Street or call Elise Delfield for more details at 828.488.0580.

Storyteller and author Gary Carden will present a program titled “Old Christmas Traditions” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 4 at the Jackson County Library.

During the program Carden will regale the audience with stories of bygone traditions such as serenading (nothing to do with music); superstitions during the Christmas season; first footers (the first people to set foot in someone’s house on New Year’s Day); dumb suppers (common on Christmas Eve); animals discussing events of the year on Christmas Eve; and the Yule log (back log of the fireplace saved until next year.)

Carden is well known as a storyteller. He has taught the Foxfire Christmas Series for the past 35 years and has emphasized the pagan aspects of Christmas.

Carden, a Jackson County native, was raised by grandparents during the 1940s in the isolated Rhodes Cove community. During his formative years he listened to his great-grandmother tell stories, and, as Carden says, “acquiring the dialect and traditions of a Southern highlander.”

After a few years away Carden came back to his grandparents’ house where he embraced his native culture as a teacher, storyteller, novelist, historian, playwright and screenwriter. The body of work he has produced since then includes the book Mason Jars in the Flood and Other Stories, the Appalachian Writers Association 2001 “Book of the Year”; his storytelling video “Blow the Tannery Whistle,” which has been shown numerous times on public television across North Carolina; and a play, “The Raindrop Waltz,” which has been staged more than 300 times.

Novelist Lee Smith called Carden “a national treasure, an Appalachian Garrison Keillor.”

This Old Christmas Traditions program is free to the public and is part of the library’s Community Outreach Series. Call 828.586.2016 for more information. This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library.

Phyllis Jarvinen of Sylva will demonstrate and teach a mini-workshop on book arts and book binding at the Art League of the Smokies meeting at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6, in the lobby of Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.

Participants will follow the step-by-step process to make a slim hardbound book during this free program. Participants can bring old maps, pretty papers or photos to use for endsheets or covers if desired.

Jarvinen’s artistic focus is two-dimensional work and includes book arts, pinhole photographs, drawing, painting, printmaking and mixed media. She is inspired by landscape and natural, organic forms and enjoys working from the figure. She also finds inspiration by experimenting with process and materials. To view artwork by Jarvinen, go to her website at www.phyllisjarvinen.com.

Jarvinen has lived in Western North Carolina since 1978. After studying psychology at Western Carolina University, she stayed in the area. She worked at NOC for 10 years in many capacities, including whitewater raft guide and canoeing instructor. With a master’s degree in clinical psychology, she practiced as a child psychologist in her “day job” for over 15 years.  

Since deciding at age 49 to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, she earned her master of fine arts degree from WCU while continuing to work part-time as a therapist. Jarvinen has won recognition for her water studies and has exhibited throughout WNC including WCU and Swain County Center for the Arts.  She now works as an adjunct professor of art, art history and psychology at WCU and Southwestern Community College.

Call 828.488-7843 for information.

Nearly 400 members of Western Carolina University’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will travel to Pasadena, Calif., to march in the internationally televised 2011 Rose Parade.

The band is scheduled to appear at the 49th position in the parade, which begins at 11 a.m. on Jan. 1.

“The Rose Parade is seen by millions of people from around the world, and the Pride of the Mountains will be serving as marching musical ambassadors for Western Carolina,” said Bob Buckner, director of the WCU Pride of the Mountains Marching Band. “It’s a role we accept as a high honor, and we are ready to take on the challenges — both logistical and financial — of transporting our students, their instruments and other equipment to California.”

Three trucks will carry the band’s instruments, uniforms, equipment and even band member’s luggage to California in order to save about $40,000 in checked baggage fees. Students loaded the trucks Monday, Dec. 20, and will fly to California starting Dec. 28.

At the Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Thursday, Dec. 30, which friends, family and fans can watch online via a webcast available for $8.50, the band will perform its halftime show “Rock U.”

During the Rose Parade, the band will perform the song “You” by California ska band Suburban Legends, a local favorite in Orange County. Matt Henley, assistant director of the WCU marching band, said the music selection came about as he was thinking about the parade’s theme, “Building Dreams, Friendships and Memories,” and remembered a story about Suburban Legends.

After a member of the group, trombone player Dallas Cook, died in a traffic accident, Suburban Legends held a memorial concert and directed proceeds to Cook’s high school marching band in Huntington Beach, Calif. Cook had credited his experience in high school band for much of his passion for music.

Moved, Henley contacted Suburban Legends about the possibility of playing the group’s song in the parade and building a friendship.

“We love Suburban Legends’ music, and we are excited to play their song ‘You’ in Dallas’ memory and send the message that, like him, we love band too,” said Henley. “We arranged the song for marching band, and that is what we will play on TV as we go around the corner in the parade. Part of our goal was to build a friendship from East Coast to West Coast, and we hope to get the chance to meet members of Suburban Legends while we are there.”

Band members have said they are both excited and nervous to perform in front of so many people. More than 700,000 are expected to attend the parade, and more than 51 million people are expected to watch the internationally televised event on TV.

“I’m actually marching in the Rose Bowl (which will be) watched by a billion people. That is a lot of stress. A lot of eyes would be on me if I fall or trip,” said Candace Rhodes, a freshman music education major from Georgia, in a video she submitted in a WCU video contest, before willing it not to go wrong. “It won’t happen. It won’t happen. It won’t happen.”

When Jeffrey Throop, president of the Tournament of Roses Association, visited WCU’s band in September, he predicted the Pride of the Mountains would be a hit in California.

“I can already tell, you are going to blow everybody away. It’s just so exciting to see you and to see your style. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Throop, who has observed more than his fair share of marching bands during his affiliation of 36 years with the Rose Parade. “I can’t wait to show you off to everyone, to the world.”

Follow the Pride as they travel to Pasadena at roseparade.wcu.edu.

The legendary Appalachian Trail grew by 1.9 miles in 2010.

Every December, the latest mileage and shelter information for the 11 official guides to the AT is updated from volunteers who are constantly improving the trail. Volunteer Daniel D. Chazin of Teaneck, N.J., pulls all the information together, a task he’s been performing since 1983.

This year, due to relocations  and re-measurements, increases were reported for: Massachusetts-Connecticut (0.2 mile), New York-New Jersey (0.9 mile), central Virginia (0.1 mile), and Tennessee-North Carolina (0.9 mile), while the southwest Virginia mileage was reduced by 0.1 mile.

The new official length of the AT is 2,181.0 miles.

“The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s 2011 Data Book is an essential planning resource for any Appalachian Trail hiker; whether they are out for a day hike or hiking the entire length from Maine to Georgia,” said Brian B. King, publisher of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Each year, the $6.95 Appalachian Trail Data Book is a top-selling official guide to the longest continuously marked footpath in the world. It condenses into 96 pages the high points of the series of guidebooks and maps. Information is presented at a glance in the same geographic units as the guides, with elevations for major points. Shelters, campsites, water sources, road crossings, supply sources, off-trail lodging, eateries and post offices are all easy to identify in the Data Book.

For more information about the 33rd edition of the Appalachian Trail Data Book or to purchase a copy, visit www.atctrailstore.org or call 888.287.8673.

The University of North Carolina at Asheville and the U.S. Forest Service are joining forces to boost awareness and understanding of threats to forest health.

The joint venture will team UNCA’s advanced computer modeling and imaging capabilities with Forest Service research expertise to develop web-based resources that make threats to forest health readily visible and comprehensible.

The agreement, effective through June 2015, extends the ongoing collaborative efforts between UNC

Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) and the Forest Service Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC).

“Our team’s passion is helping diverse interest groups visualize and understand complex scientific data in creative ways,”NEMAC Director Jim Fox said. “The goal of the NEMAC-EFETAC collaboration is to deliver critical information and tools to the people who need it, when they need it.”

NEMAC will contribute unique skills in computer modeling and programming, database management, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and education and outreach to the joint venture. These include CRAFT (the Comparative Risk Assessment Framework and Tools), a forest planning and decision support system; the Forest Threat Summary Viewer, a database of forest threat information and images; a prototype Early Warning System, a satellite imagery-based monitoring system for detecting unexpected forest changes; EFETAC’s online portal (http://www.forestthreats.org) and related communication materials.

For more information about NEMAC, visit www.nemac.unca.edu.

Early registration is now open for the 2011 Organic Growers School Conference on March 5-6 on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Asheville campus.

More than 1,500 farmers, gardeners, chefs, food activists and consumers are expected to attend what has become the largest sustainable living conference in the Southeast.

Topics covered include fruit production, urban farming, primitive skills, all about poultry, gardening, farming, food preservation, cooking, herbs, sustainable forestry, Alternative energy and more.

For more information about the conference — to attend, exhibit or sponsor — email Meredith Leigh McKissick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Western North Carolina Wildlife Advocates will meet from noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.  

North Carolina Rep. Ray Rapp, D-Mars Hill, will present his ideas for increasing funding and manpower for wildlife law enforcement officers. The group will also discuss the N.C. Wildlife Federation’s “Responsible Sportsman Doctrine” as a tool for educating hunters and encouraging responsible behavior.

The WNC Wildlife Advocates want to form a coalition of concerned citizens, conservation organizations, hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, law enforcement officers, wildlife experts, and elected officials to seek creative and proactive solutions to reduce human/wildlife conflicts and conserve mountain resources.

The meeting will convene at 12:45 p.m. after lunch, which will be available at the noon for $8.95 at the Terrace. Reservations required for lunch. Call 828.258.2667 for more information.

To the Editor:

The local radio station in Sylva, WRGC, has reported that the unemployment rate in Jackson County increased by one tenth of a percent from 7.2 to 7.3 in October.

Unemployed workers in Jackson County have received over $18 million in unemployment benefits since November of last year. And yet, when HR 6419 Emergency Unemployment Continuation Act came to the floor of the house on Nov. 18, Heath Shuler was the only North Carolina Democratic representative to vote no.

Rep. Shuler was the only N.C. democrat to vote no on other recent votes: HR 1742, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act; HR 1736 to accelerate relief for victims of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile (see www.govtrack.us/congress/votes).

It appears that these votes follow other no votes on bills that offer relief to citizens of North Carolina: HR 2749 (Food Safety Regulation Amendments); HR 1256 (FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products); HR 1 (“The Stimulus Bill”); HR 1931 (Hate Crimes Expansion); HR 3162 (SCHIP-State Children’s Health Insurance Program); HR 7081

(United States-India Nuclear Agreement); HR 4872 (Health Care Reconciliation Act); HR3590 (Health Care Insurance Law Amendments).

Is this what being “moderate and centrist” means? Is this what the citizens of Western North Carolina really want? I would much rather see a journalist explore in detail Shuler’s rationale for his no votes than the “love fest” article in a recent edition (“Calculated gamble, Shuler’s House leadership run thrusts him onto the national stage,” Dec. 1 SMN).

I would also like to see good definitions of moderate and centrist. If voting against initiatives that have the possibility of improving the lives of people — espeically children — is what a “big tent” means, then I want no part of it.

Linda Watson

Cullowhee