A Christmas Bazaar will be held Sat. Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Sylva, at the Jackson County Community Services Building on Hospital Road below Harris Regional Hospital. 

This will benefit the Community Table. There is no admission, but food for the Community Table will be gratefully accepted. There will be various arts and crafts, such as trout flies and shadow boxes, gift baskets, pottery, wood turnings, jewelry, gourds, honey, rock candle lamps, watercolors, Indian crafts and more.

A Civil War Round Table Christmas Gala will be held at the Holiday Inn Express in Dillsboro on Dec. 13.

The event is open to members and the public. Refreshments and social hour begin at 6 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner and program.  Attire is “period dress” or “Sunday best”.  The cost is $ 25 per person and reservations may be sent to WNCCWRT, Box 3709, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723, or call Chris Behre at 293-9314 by Dec. 4.  A cash bar will be available.  

The speaker will be Brian Steele Wills, professor of history and philosophy at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.  His topic is “Solid as a Rock: George Henry Thomas.”  Wills will talk of Pap Thomas’ Virginia roots and his loyalty to the Union. Thomas was a critical component of Union success and one of its highest regarded generals.  

Wills is director of the center for the study of the Civil War era, and is tenured at the University of Virginia at Wise. He is the author of numerous articles and books relating to the Civil War, including “A Battle From the Start:  The Life of Nathan Bedford Forrest.” This book was chosen as both a History Book Club selection and a Book of the Month selection. His most recent work is “Gone for Glory: The Civil War in Cinema.”

During this busy holiday season, WestCare Hospice invites the community to take a moment and remember loved ones who have shaped your memories of this special time of year.

The public can express their memories by making a gift to the hospice program now serving families in Jackson, Haywood, Macon, Swain and Graham counties. Their gifts will make the Tree of Remembrance come alive with decorations and lights for all to enjoy. Gifts will also support the vital work of hospice as it provides care and support to individuals and their families who are coping with cancer or another life threatening illness.

The WestCare Home Health & Hospice office tree will be displayed Nov. 29 through Dec. 3 at Sylva Plaza. Butterfly ornaments will be available for purchase/donation in the office from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Drop by the lobby of MedWest-Harris or MedWest-Swain and see the Tree of Remembrance decorated with butterflies from Nov. 29 through Christmas. The name of a loved one will appear on every butterfly.

MedWest and family members will remember all past and present loved ones during a special ceremony at 6 p.m. Dec. 2 in the MedWest-Harris lobby.

For more information on any of these events call 828.586.7410.

Southwestern Community College is offering two holiday baking project classes in early December at its Jackson Campus.

Learn to make Cookie Bouquets from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9. Instructor Raquel Moore will show participants how to create festive cookie arrangements for any celebration. Learn the basics in this 2.5-hour class. Cost is $10 dollars.

Then from 6-9 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13, Moore will demonstrate how to make Ginger Bread Houses. Moore, who has had a series of very successful cake decorating classes at SCC this fall, said participants will “learn everything they need to know to make a spectacular gingerbread house or impressive centerpiece for the season.” Cost is $12 dollars.

To pre-register for these classes, call Continuing Education at 828.339.4000, or to learn more about the classes and instructor, call Michael Rich at 828.339.4497.

Learn what you need to know now about paying for college during a free workshop scheduled 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, on Southwestern Community College’s Jackson Campus.

The workshop, titled How to Pay for College, includes three concurrent sessions that will be held in the Balsam Center Auditorium.

One session presented by SCC Director of Financial Aid Melody Lawrence will focus especially on seniors and their parents.

Another session for all other parents will feature Laura Misner, Western regional representative of the College Foundation of North Carolina, who will tell about resources available to start planning for financing a college education.

The third session scheduled that evening is for all other high school students to focus on what they can do now to make a difference in paying for college.

Sponsored by SCC’s College Access Programs, the workshop will be hosted by Upward Bound. For more information, contact Annette Kesgen, Upward Bound director, at 828.631.2671.

Area women will have a chance to learn more about health issues, while growing in mind, body and spirit during the day-long Flourish Women’s Expo, on May 21, 2011, at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort Events Center. The highlight of the event, sponsored by MedWest health system, will be the keynote speaker, Maya Angelou.

The list of Angelou’s published verse, non-fiction, and fiction includes more than 30 bestselling titles. A trailblazer in film and television, she wrote the screenplay and composed the score for the 1972 film “Georgia, Georgia.” Her script, the first by an African-American woman ever to be filmed, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

She has appeared on television and in films, including the landmark television adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots (1977) and John Singleton’s Poetic Justice (1993). In 1996, she directed her first feature film, “Down in the Delta.” In 2008, she composed poetry for and narrated the award-winning documentary “The Black Candle.”

Angelou has received more than 30 honorary degrees and is Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

The Flourish Women’s Expo will offer several educational sessions throughout the day, booths and health screenings. Physicians and other medical professionals are scheduled to discuss a variety of women’s health issues, such as nutritional health, mental wellness, plastic surgery, aromatherapy, cancer and heart health.

“The expo will focus on educating women about the importance of healthy lifestyles, and the purpose will be to introduce women to the services, physicians and staff of MedWest Health System in order to serve as the primary health care provider and an ongoing resource for them,” said Teresa Reynolds, MedWest Chief Operating Officer.

Tickets are $45 and include lunch, participation in any or all of the educational sessions, lunch, a gift bag and chance to win a door prize. Twelve elite tickets will be available for $1,000 and will include an autographed personalized copy of Angelou’s latest book, “Letter to My Daughter,” and select seating for Angelou’s presentation. Dedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around her, “Letter to My Daughter” reveals Maya Angelou’s path to living well and living a life with meaning.

Special sponsorships are available for the event. Sponsorship levels include the Great White Trillium, $5,000; Blue Ridge, $2,500; Elk Heart, $1,500; and Whipoorwill, $1,000. A limited number of vendor packages will be available for $500. Smaller sponsorships are available for families or groups of women.

Tickets for the Flourish Women’s Expo are available online at www.flourishwomen.com. For more information, complete a contact form on the Web site or call Peggy Manning, Corporate Communications Specialist for MedWest health system, at 828.452.8883.

It’s that time of year. Now that Thanksgiving has arrived, so have holiday events — lots of them. If you have an event you want listed, send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Parades

• Franklin’s Christmas Parade. Nov. 28. The town of Franklin welcomes the holiday season with the parade through downtown with Santa and Mrs. Claus and much more. 3 p.m. 524.1598.

• Canton Christmas Parade. Dec. 2 in downtown Canton. 648.2363.  

• Highlands Olde Mountain Christmas Parade in downtown Highlands will be Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. 526.2112.

• 36th Annual Bryson City Christmas Parade. Dec. 4. Billed as the “biggest little” Christmas parade in the Smokies, complete with clowns, an old time oompah band, floats, marching bands, Santa and more. 2 p.m. 800.867.9246.  

• Sylva Christmas Parade. Dec. 4. The Downtown Sylva Association puts together a parade complete with floats representing a broad spectrum of the community pictures with Santa Claus and more. This year’s theme is “The Wonder of Christmas Morning.” 3 p.m. on Main Street. 586.1577.

• Maggie Valley Christmas Parade. Dec. 4. Parade begins at 6 p.m. on Highway 19 in downtown Maggie Valley. 926.0866.      

• Evening Christmas Parade in Downtown Waynesville. Dec. 6. Parade starts at 6 p.m. on Main Street and features floats, music, Santa and Mrs. Claus and more.

• Cherokee Christmas Parade. Dec. 11. A theme-based parade featuring floats, music, Santa Claus and more. Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Big Bear Exxon and ends at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds. 800.438.1601.

• Cashiers Christmas Parade. Dec. 11. Annual parade through downtown Cashiers. 1 p.m. 743.7710.

Holiday Activities

• Holiday Open House in downtown Waynesville. Nov. 21. A Holiday Tradition on Main Street. Enjoy the sights, scents and sounds as the holiday season begins in festively decorated shops and galleries. 12 to 9 p.m. 456.3517.

• Festival of Lights in Cherokee. Nov. 22-Jan. 11. View the Holiday Lights and visit in Cherokee’s many specialty shops. 866.433.6700.

• Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony in Franklin. Nov. 26. Tree lighting on the Square in Downtown Franklin with free cider, cookies and music at 7 p.m. 524.2516.

• Christmas Time in the Mountains. Nov. 26-Dec. 23. A shopping event at the Inn at Half Mile Farm in Highlands. 526.8170.    

• Hard Candy Christmas at Western Carolina University. Nov. 26, 27. An arts and crafts show in the WCU Ramsey Center. Admission is $3 for adults. 524.3405.

• Annual Mistletoe Magic in Macon County. Nov. 26, 27. Event featuring quality artisans, strolling carolers, Santa Claus and elves, Christmas trees for sale, horse drawn wagon rides and more. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center.

• The Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association will sponsor a Meet Santa Claus event at the Village Green on Nov. 27. Cider and cookies will be available. Bring a camera to take photos with Santa. 1 to 4 p.m. 743.1630 or www.visitcashiersvalley.com. 

• Town Tree Lighting in downtown Highlands. Nov. 27. Gather together to light the Highlands Christmas tree at 6:30 p.m. 866.526.5841.

• The public is invited to cast their votes for the Bascom gingerbread House contest from Nov. 30-Dec. 10, on Tuesdays – Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The winners will be announced at 10 a.m. Dec. 11. 526.4949 or visit www.thebascom.org.

• Christmas at Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska. Nov. 30 – Dec. 3. A special seasonal program for adult groups or individuals who wish to experience a meaningful preparation for celebrating the Christ in Christmas. www.lakejunaluska.com/christmas-at-lambuth.aspx.

• Window Wonderland in Downtown Franklin. Dec. 3-10. A holiday celebration on town hill in Franklin that features “living” window displays of the season, carolers, and other sounds of the holidays, carriage rides, refreshments and more from 5 to 8 p.m. 524.2516.

• Festival of Lights and Luminaries in Dillsboro. Dec. 3, 4 and 10,11. The town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles and song with 2500 luminaries that light the way to shops and studios. Shopkeepers will provide live music and serve holiday treats and children can visit with Santa at Town Hall. 800.962.1911.

• Live Nativity at Saunooke Village in Cherokee. Dec. 4. Nativity scenes with live camels and other animals, music and more. Presented by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia at 6 p.m. 631.4587.

• Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville will celebrate an Old Fashion Appalachian Christmas on Dec. 11. Enjoy traditional mountain dulcimer music and song, mountain stories, homemade treats and more. 7 to 8:30 p.m. 456.6000.

• A Night Before Christmas in downtown Waynesville. Dec. 11. A holiday tradition of caroling, live music, a live Nativity, Santa, old-fashioned wagon rides, storytelling, poetry and more. Main Street is lined with hundreds of luminaries and shops and restaurants open until 9 p.m.

• Spirit of Christmas in Bryson City. Dec. 11. Luminaries line historic Everett Street, the signature hemlock is lit with memorial lights, carolers and musical artists abound, photos with Santa and a living nativity. 800.867.9246.

• Cherokee Native Christmas at River Bend in downtown Cherokee. Dec. 11. The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce Annual event features Native arts and crafts, singing, clogging, storytelling and a visit from Santa with gifts for the kids. 866.433.6700.

• City Lights bookstore in Sylva will host music and a little comedy from duo Slim Christmas and Yuletide Carol on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in the store’s Regional Room. 586.9499.

• Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Polar Express Train Ride. Through Dec. 23. The popular children’s book “The Polar Express” comes to life on a journey to the North Pole. Read along with the magical story and meet Santa. Enjoy holiday caroling, hot cocoa and a special treat. Trains depart from the Train Depot in Bryson City. For schedule and rates call 800.872.4681.

To the Editor:

Regarding the Nov. 14 Associated Press article in the Asheville Citizen-Times, “GOP lawmakers stand tall for all Bush tax cuts,” I see the next two years in Congress as totally unproductive — thanks to the Republicans taking control of the House.

The voters said their main concern was the economy and jobs. The Republicans, ignoring the voters concern, still seem to have an agenda to benefit the rich. They want the Bush tax cuts extended permanently for the wealthy (all congressmen’s incomes far exceed the $200,000 so this seems like a conflict of interest). The Republicans want to repeal the Obama Health Care package rather than tweak the plan (Rep Joe Barton, R-Texas). If repealed, there will never be a new agreed to health care plan.

The Republicans have said one of their main focuses will be to make this Obama’s last term. Who will help pay for the cost of two conflicts (Iraqi and Afghanistan)? I firmly believe the “trickle up, not trickle down effect” will benefit the economy most. Permanently extend the Bush tax breaks to the middle class so they will have the money to spend on goods and services that will benefit the rich and big business. The rich have benefitted for many years under the Bush tax cut, but has that helped the economy? Give the money to the rich and they will not invest in business expansion until the consumers can buy goods and services, then and only then will big business expand, thus helping the economy dig itself out of the recession. The Bush tax extension should be permanent for the middle class and allowed to lapse for the rich. By not extending the tax breaks for the wealthy, the increased taxes could be used to help begin repaying our debt. Now is the time for the two parties to work with each other, not against each other.

Unfortunately the voters who put the Republicans in control are in for a rude awakening. Time will tell, and I hope I am wrong.

Ron Rookstool

Maggie Valley

To the Editor:

The proposal to make the Overlook Area in Blue Valley a wilderness area in honor of Bob Zahner does not meet the criteria for a wilderness area. The criteria for a wilderness area are:

• No vehicular roads.

• No mechanical tools such as chainsaws for maintenance.

• Absence of sights and sounds of human activities such as traffic noise, view of houses.

The overlook area does have Forest Service roads, and urban activities can be seen and heard.

The overlook area does have features which attract many recreational pursuits such as hiking, photography, viewing or cooling off in the creeks and waterfalls, roadside dispersed camping, fishing, turkey hunting. Roadside dispersed camping would be eliminated with this proposed wilderness designation. Other recreational activities could continue but to a lesser degree because of access.  

The designation of the Overlook Area as a recreational area is more appropriate than wilderness. Recreation, not as a developed area such as Cliffside or Dry Falls, but as a dispersed recreation area where the user observes leave no trace principles for there is no caretaker to pick up paper, beverage containers, and other debris.

Honor Bob Zahner with a low impact recreation area, or a trail or vista on Whiteside Mountain. Do not dilute the definition “Wilderness” area.

Nathalie Sato

Highlands

By Raymond Turpin • Guest Columnist

Bullying, unfortunately, has always existed in the American school systems and it continues to be a pervasive problem. Many historically have dismissed it as a schoolyard rite of passage or just a part of growing up.  However, now that these behaviors have been more closely studied, we have learned that bullying is unnecessary, damaging and can cause negative long-term consequences not only for the victim but for the bully as well.  

Bullying is deliberate acts of physical or psychological harassment or intimidation. These acts occur repeatedly over time and are carried out by an individual or a group upon another, usually weaker, individual. Direct bullying (favored by boys) includes taunting, threatening, hitting, stealing and property damage. Indirect bullying (favored by girls) includes spreading rumors and enforcing social isolation.

However, direct verbal bullying is still the most common form of bullying for both boys and girls. With this electronically plugged-in generation, bullying has spread into cyberspace where threatening e-mails, slanderous postings and sexual harassment are frequently used to intimidate and control others. Most victims of bullying suffer in relative isolation and research has shown that the majority of these children feel helpless and believe that reporting to adults is ineffective in stopping the bullying and can sometimes lead to worse bullying.  

The media have recently reported stories about adolescents who committed suicide because of the effects of being bullied. These victims were often intimidated, excluded and harassed for differences in weight, size, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. In fact, studies show that gay and lesbian teens are three times more likely to report being bullied than their heterosexual peers and are two to three times more likely to die by suicide.  

For many victims of bullying, there are serious potential consequences such as depression, low self-esteem, school avoidance, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and poor academic and job performance. Bullies who may operate unchecked for years are at risk for not learning appropriate skills for dealing with their problems effectively and with proper respect for others. In one study, 60 percent of those characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24.  

So how should we deal with bullying in the schools? How can we ensure that all children can attend school each day and work to their potential in a supportive environment that is free of intimidation and fear? The majority of school-based bullying interventions have simply focused on the bully and the victim and they have been woefully inadequate for addressing the problem. Bullying is a problem that occurs within a social context, so if intervening with the bully and the victim has been ineffective, it might make sense to try and address the social context in which the bullying is taking place.

Changing the culture of a school will take time and patience, but it should begin with a school having a clearly understandable school-wide policy against bullying that is clearly explained to the students. In addition, it will be important for the school to consistently follow this policy. Educating students and parents about bullying and its destructive effects through parent meetings, classroom discussions and group projects will be necessary.  

However, the most important piece of this culture change will be to empower bystanders. Bystanders are usually present at most bullying incidents. A recent study found that peers were present in 85 percent of bullying incidents, but only 10 percent actually intervened even though two-thirds of children report that they know they should intervene. Empower bystanders to speak up against bullying because being questioned and confronted by peers will take away a bully’s sense of power and control. Empower victims to speak up for themselves firmly and assertively. Teach students that the bully is someone who has a problem managing their behavior and the victim is someone they can protect. If one bystander could be courageous enough to take a stand against bullying, others would follow.  

Of course schools can only do so much to teach a child about respecting others, tolerating individual differences and standing up for those who are weaker or are being victimized. It really begins at home. Talk to your child but more importantly listen to them.  

(Dr. Raymond Turpin is a licensed psychologist and the clinical director and co-owner of Haywood County Psychological Services which provides mental health services to the students and families of the Haywood County Schools. He has been treating child and adolescent mental health issues for 21 years with his specialty being adolescents, trauma, and developmental issues. He has been married for 21 years and has two children, four cats, one dog and fish.  He continues to believe in the inherent goodness of people.)

Two Macon County natives, Gail Shepherd Diederich and Gail Kelly Lester, recently released a new book, Tales of Two Gails. With 38 true stories and 68 photos, many shot in the Macon County area during the 1950s and the 1960s, the book recalls Franklin individuals who extended themselves to help two young girls. 

The stories also recall times and daily living of that era and all stories are told with humor, a good dose of faith, and with the hopes they will be inspirational to others who consider writing their stories.

Both Gails will take part in a book signing and short presentation on “Preserving and Presenting Personal History,” from 2-4 p.m. on Dec. 4 at the Macon County Public Library. Both authors will  also do book signings from 10 a.m.-noon on Dec. 4 at Books Unlimited in Franklin and from 7-8 p.m. on Dec. 3 at The Oaks Gallery, in the Riverwood Shops in Dillsboro.  

Diederich now lives in Tampa and Lester, from the Dallas area, were born 13 months apart and from the earliest days became close friends. Living in the Watauga community with grandparents, separated only by potato and corn fields and a creek, the two spent countless hours together during their early lives. During high school years, Diederich’s grandmother provided a home for both girls, cementing an already strong friendship.

The two went in different directions after graduating from Franklin High School but never lost contact and found ways to see each other a few times. With a 60-year friendship going strong, the two decided to write a book of true stories about resilience in the face of hardship and reflecting many individuals who encouraged them along their paths.

There’s nothing quite like a real Fraser fir Christmas tree.

In recent years, the value and quality of locally produced food has re-inspired many Western North Carolina citizens to purchase locally grown food. After all, products produced in Western North Carolina offer high quality, the chance to meet the producer and the opportunity to support the local economy. Mountain-grown Christmas trees are no exception.

Fraser firs are native throughout the mountains of eastern United States and Canada and are widely produced in Western North Carolina.

In 2009, consumers in the U.S. purchased 28.2 million farm-grown Christmas trees, spending an average of $41 that went back into the local economy. The choose-and-cut segment of the Christmas tree industry in particular has grown dramatically in recent years.

With children in tow, parents enjoy the opportunity to visit a farm where they can search for that perfect tree while spending time creating new memories with their family. In doing so, individuals and family’s support local businesses. Christmas tree growers with choose-and-cut operations work hard but are devoted to provide a fun family experience for everyone to enjoy.  In 2009, the retail value of Christmas trees sold in the U.S. was $1.15 billion. That money is going to Christmas tree farmers instead of supporting an industry that brings you petroleum chemicals and plastic trees where it is estimated that more than 85 percent are imported from China.

Fraser fir trees are truly a green product. With more than 1,500 Christmas tree farms here in North Carolina, it is easy to find a farm or retail lot that is close by. Take time this holiday season to support a local farmer.

Haywood County

Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm

143 Boyd Farm Rd., Waynesville

www.boydmountainchristmastreefarm.com • 828.926.8888 or 828.506.3513

Continued Traditions Farm

1198 Old Clyde Rd., Clyde

www.continuedtraditions.com • 828.734.9111

Dutch Cove Christmas Tree Farm

280 Setzer Dr., Canton • 828.648.9133

Nesbitt Christmas Tree Farm

333 Sunset Ridge Rd., Clyde • 828.456.9914

Raulerson Christmas Tree Farm

28 Wady Branch Rd., Canton • 828.734.9534

Smoky Mountain Christmas Tree Farm

One mile up Hemphill Rd., Waynesville

Jackson County

James & Joe Ammons

2233 Wolf Mountain Rd., Tuckasegee

828.293.5953, 828.508.6681

Chuck Denkert

Cane Creek Rd. (look for sign D’s Trees, 1½ miles up on the right), Cullowhee

828.293.3308

Adrain Fowler

Breedlove Rd., Cashiers

828.399.0326, 828.342.0067

Ron Fowler

Breedlove Rd. (2nd farm on the left), Cashiers

828.743.1737, 828.508.8183

George Frady

Charlies Creek Rd. (go 8.2 miles on Hwy 281, then left on Charles Creek Rd (7.6 miles) Look for signs. Tuckaseegee

828.450.9351, 828.293.3449

Larry Moss

822 Norton Rd., Cashiers

828.226.2397, 828.743.2215, 828.226.2340

Tom Sawyer

240 Chimney Pond Road, Glenville

800.662.7008, 828.743.5456

John & Joni Wavra

971 Lloyd Hooper Rd., Cullowhee

828.743.3899

Paul White

180 Cold Water Creek Lane, Cullowhee

828.293.0258

Swain County

Roy Burnette

Brush Creek Rd., Bryson City

828.488.4196 (ask for Arnold)

Ted Craig

160 Fraser Fir Dr., Bryson City

828.488.3954, 828.736.4356

Macon County

J & J Tree Farm  

28 Guffie Rd., Franklin • 828.524.3464

Peak Experience Christmas Trees

2820 Dillard Rd., Highlands

828.526.0229, 828.526.5405.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently took delivery of seven Ford Escape Hybrid vehicles that were purchased using a $197,550 grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program.  

The CMAQ funding is U.S. Department of Transportation money that comes through the state of North Carolina and was allocated by the Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs) of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council and Southwestern Commission.  

The goal of the CMAQ Program is to reduce air emissions in counties where air quality is in non-attainment of EPA Clean Air Act standards. The portions of Swain and Haywood counties that lie within Great Smoky Mountains National Park are both in non-attainment due to elevated levels of ground-level ozone.

With the addition of these new Escape Hybrids the park now has 16 hybrid vehicles in service.

The National Park Service is accepting entries in the Share the Experience photo contest through Dec. 31.

The photo taken by the grand prize winner will appear on a 2012 America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. He or she will receive a prize package that includes a trip for four to a federal recreation area, photography equipment, and a pass to the national parks and other federal lands for 2012. Second-, third-, and fourth-place winners and 10 Honorable Mention winners will also receive prizes.

Amateur photographers can participate by uploading photos on www.sharetheexperience.org or through Facebook, Flickr, or Shutterfly to the contest website.

“We always encourage the American people to visit and experience their national parks,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis. “We especially do so now, in the weeks before the Share the Experience deadline. Photography is very much about seeing. Head to a national park and really see it — through the lens of your camera.”

“We always tell people in parks to take only pictures and leave only footprints,” said Neil Mulholland, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “Our annual photo contest is a great reason to get outside and capture the incredible places preserved in our national parks.”

For contest rules and a complete list of prizes visit www.sharetheexperience.org.

The U.S. Forest Service has rerouted a portion of the Rim Trail Clay County.

The Rim Trail is a 26-mile Forest Service trail that travels along the rim of the Fires Creek basin near Hayesville. The approximately 2.5-mile section of the Rim Trail located between the trail’s intersections with Phillips Ridge Trail at Will King Gap and Rockhouse Trail at Big Stamp has been closed because this section of trail crosses through private land.  

Hikers will now use the Phillips Ridge and Rockhouse Trails to connect the two sections of the Rim Trail. This reroute is approximately 7.1 miles. Maps of the trail re-route have been posted within the Fires Creek area and are also available from the Tusquitee Ranger Station or from www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/.     

“The affected section of the Rim Trail is located on private land that was recently posted by the landowners. We had to close this section of trail to avoid crossing the private tract,” according to District Ranger Steve Lohr. “The current reroute is a temporary solution as the Forest Service explores alternatives for a shorter, more convenient trail relocation which will keep hikers closer to the ridgeline.”  

Hikers are encouraged to be “good neighbors” and respect private property rights while visiting the national forest in this area.

For more information contact Lohr at 828.837.5152.

During the holiday season, when family and friends gather, many go on traditional hunting trips.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is reminding hunters to take proper precautions when hunting during the holidays.

The Wildlife Commission’s “Home From The Hunt” campaign encourages everyone to be prepared, take the proper precautions and enjoy their time outdoors this season.

“The holidays are a wonderful time for hunting,” said Travis Casper, the state’s assistant hunting safety coordinator with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “In the excitement of a holiday hunt, don’t overlook the safety aspects. Communicate with fellow hunters and stress the importance of everyone being careful.”

Casper advises:

• Go back to basics — review hunter education training and equipment instructions.

• Read the rules — know all applicable regulations before going afield.

• Identify the target — remain cautious and be absolutely sure before firing.

• Inspect all equipment — repair or replace equipment, as needed, before use.

Successful completion of hunter education is required for all first time hunting license buyers in North Carolina. Courses are offered free by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, with schedules and registration available at www.ncwildlife.org.

The First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Session Series at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will continue Thursday, Dec. 2, with a concert by traditional music icon David Holt and a jam session in which local musicians are invited to participate.

A recipient of four Grammy Awards, Holt will get the music started at 7 p.m. in the museum auditorium. Performers of old-time and bluegrass music are invited to bring their instruments and take part in the jam session that will follow his performance.

Holt has filled the roles of musician, storyteller, historian and television host over a career that has spanned more than three decades. During that time, he has performed with many of the legends of traditional and country music who also have been his mentors, including Doc Watson, Bill Monroe and Chet Atkins. Holt plays 10 acoustic instruments and has released numerous recordings of traditional mountain music and Southern folk tales.

Well known for his work on television and radio, Holt is currently host of the public TV series “Folkways,” which takes viewers through the Southern Appalachian Mountains visiting traditional craftspeople and musicians.

The concerts and jam sessions will continue at the Mountain Heritage Center through the winter, with programs from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. Other performers scheduled to present concerts are the Freight Hoppers, Mountain Faith, Travis and Trevor Stuart, and Wayne Martin.

The events are free and open to everyone, and no reserve seating is available. Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions, and the events also are open to those who just want to listen.

The Mountain Heritage Center is located on the ground floor of WCU’s H.F. Robinson Administration Building. For more information, call the museum at 828.227.7129.

Trumpet player Scott Harrell will be the featured soloist at a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, at the Fine and Performing Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University.

The concert, part of the WCU School of Music’s Catamount Concert Series, is free and open to the public.

The WCU Jazz Ensemble will play with Harrell, performing selections by Sammy Nestico, a composer and arranger of big band music who is well known for his arrangements for Count Basie’s orchestra, to more modern music of John Coltrane and Bob Mintzer.

A New Yorker since 1997, Harrell has performed with jazz artists such as Maria Schneider, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie alumni band and with contemporary groups such as Fountains of Wayne and They Might Be Giants.

Harrell also has performed with many popular Broadway shows, including “Cats,” “The Producers,” “Jersey Boys,” “Young Frankenstein,” “A Chorus Line,” “In the Heights,” “Billy Elliot,” “West Side Story” and “Memphis.” In 2009, Harrell was a featured musician in the play “Exit the King,” starring Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon, and he is performing this fall in the new Broadway musical “Elf,” based on the popular motion picture of the same name.

Harrell, originally from Houston, is a graduate of the University of North Texas, where he spent three years in the One O’Clock Lab Band. He also has been a faculty member at jazz camps at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Texas at Arlington.

For more information, contact Pavel Wlosok, assistant professor of jazz at WCU, at 828.227.3261 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A singing contest will be held in Franklin to choose a male youth from 9 to 14 to appear onstage with the contemporary Christian group NewSong.

WPFJ’s and Sleep USA will hold auditions at 6 p.m. on Nov. 30 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Nov. 29 at the WPFJ studios inside Tech Place in the Franklin Plaza or at any of the three locations of Sleep USA in Franklin, Murphy or Sylva.

The winner will sing the solo part and a duet with lead singer Billy Goodwin on their hit song, “The Christmas Shoes.”

For information call Cathy James at 828.369.5033.

Archie Watkins and Smoky Mountain Reunion will perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 3.

The show will include a special appearance by Karen Peck and New River. Multi Grammy nominated Peck and New River have become synonymous with southern Gospel music with five consecutive No. 1 songs over the last two years.  

Also appearing will be The Diplomats.

Tickets are $15 and are now on sale at the center box office at 1028 Georgia Road in Franklin, at Dalton’s Bookstore in Franklin and Waynesville, and online at GreatMouintainMusic.com; or call 866.273.4615.

Franklin’s Winter Wonderland holiday celebration will be held one night only this year from 5 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 3 in downtown.

Among this year’s new attractions are ice artists Masterpiece Ice Sculptures (MIS). This group of Asheville artists will create a special slide made of ice especially for Winter Wonderland.  

This is a working slide and takes the crew around three hours to setup. We’re sure all of the kids attending this winter festival will enjoy it,” said MIS’ Jeff Pennypacker. There will also be a live demonstration of how ice sculptures are created as the MIS crew transforms a large block of ice into a work of art.   

“In previous years, this festival had a Victorian feel,” said Linda Schlott, Franklin Main Street Program Executive Director.  “This year, however, we’ve decided to breathe some new life into the event. Winter Wonderland will be a whole new experience for all those that attend.”

Free wagon rides will be offered during Winter Wonderland.  The bright red wagon will be decked out for the holidays, and will give those riding a whole new perspective on the evening’s activities.  The free wagon rides will be offered beginning at 5 p.m. and run until the end of the event.

Roxy the miniature horse will be back in action from her very popular debut during Pumpkinfest. Youngsters can ride Roxy beginning at 5 p.m. There is an 80-pound weight limit.

Live entertainment has a renewed focus for Winter Wonderland and will be headlined by the popular Rye Holler Boys. They will be performing traditional holiday favorites from the gazebo beginning at 6:30 p.m.  Other entertainment scheduled includes the South Macon Elementary School Chorus and Men Making Music.  

Downtown Franklin merchants will also get in on the holiday fun. Stores will be open late offering free refreshments including hot cider and delicious treats to their patrons.

For more information on the festivities of Franklin’s Winter Wonderland visit www.renewingfranklin.org or call Linda Schlott, executive director of the Franklin Main Street Program at 828.524.2516.

The 23rd Hard Candy Christmas Arts and Crafts show that will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 26-27 at the Ramsey Center on the campus of Western Carolina University. Admission is $3 and children are free. See www.mountainartisans.net for this year’s line up of crafters. Call 828.524.3405 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

One of the more traditional holiday experiences in Western North Carolina takes place in Dillsboro the first two weekends of December.

Each year, this small mountain village is awash in the glow of white paper bag luminaries during the Dillsboro Festival of Lights & Luminaries.

This year’s festival is Dec. 3-4 and Dec. 10-11. On these special Friday and Saturday evenings, the town’s merchant “elves” illuminate the streets and sidewalks with more than 2,500 luminaries. The merchants also flip the switches on strands of small white lights trimming the town’s buildings, many of which date to the 1800s.

Once Dillsboro is aglow, carolers fill the streets, musicians stroll through town playing Christmas favorites, and Santa visits with children at Town Hall. Shopkeepers add to the merriment by staying open late and serving holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa.

New in 2010 are horse-drawn carriage rides on both weekends, and performances by the Smoky Mountain High School Show Choir on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4.

“Folks tell us every year how genuine this event is, and how much they enjoy it,” said Julie Spiro, tourism director for Jackson County. “It’s a nice combination of cool winter weather and warm holiday spirit.”

The Festival of Lights & Luminaries begins each evening at dusk and runs until 9 p.m. There is no admission charge and lodging is plentiful with more than half of Jackson’s County guest rooms located in Dillsboro or within a 15-minute drive.

For information, go to www.visitdillsboro.org, or call the Jackson County Visitors Center at 800.962.1911.

Leapin’ Frog Gallery will host local artist Silvia Williams for a one-hour art talk and demonstration on “Experimental Painting” beginning at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 2.

Williams has been an artist for many years and has recently transitioned from realism to abstract art using mixed media. Bright happy colors are her palette of choice and she uses inks, watercolor, acrylic, foil, bubble wrap, saran wrap and other items to create her art.

Williams is originally from Cuba but has been a U.S. citizen for over 50 years and holds a master’s in Modern Languages from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her teaching career included public school, prep school as well as university. She is past president of the Blue Ridge Watermedia Society. Her work is also in collections throughout the U.S. as well as in Canada and Spain.

Leapin’ Frog Gallery is located in the Historic Frog Level District on 58 Commerce Street, Waynesville, beside Panacea Coffee Shop. Public invited. For more information call 828.456.8441.

It’s by Nature Gallery of Sylva is pleased to announce that the gallery will be hosting a one-man-show during the month of December for Cullowhee watercolor painter Craig Forrest. Forrest has been represented exclusively by the gallery since its opening.

This show will be titled Downtown Sylva in Detail - Urban Subjects, A New Direction.

Forrest was interested in tackling some new subject matter for this show. The work represents a departure from his usual subject matter of local rural landscapes, still-lifes and portraits. It is expected that viewers of the work will enjoy trying to guess the locations of the subjects as the titles will purposely not provide easy identification. Some works will be be almost immediately recognized while others will possibly be more obscure.

Giclée reproductions of his paintings will be available. These reproductions are done by the artist in his home studio using a technique he has mastered over the past several years with a flat-bed scanner, computer and inkjet printer with pigmented inks. Forrest was a featured artist in the first edition of the book Mastering Digital Printing by Harald Johnson.

In addition, the artist will have available for sale the recent painting Snowfall at Full Spectrum Farms, a watercolor painting depicting the hay barn at Full Spectrum Farms during a snow storm earlier this year. Through special arrangement with It’s by Nature Gallery all proceeds from the sale of the original painting will go to Full Spectrum Farms of Cullowhee. Full Spectrum Farms will serve adults with autism in Western North Carolina by providing a farm community where affected individuals can live and work in a healthy, enriching environment. Limited edition prints will be available as well with a portion of the proceeds to go toward Full Spectrum Farms.

An opening reception will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 3 at the gallery. Public invited.

Oct. 2006-Feb. 2008 — HRMC has several problems with federal inspectors, culminating in the threat to revoke its ability to get reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid patients.

Feb. 13, 2008 — HRMC given notice that Medicare funding will be revoked Feb. 24. CEO David Rice does not go public — even to his board or the medical staff — in hopes of passing a last ditch follow-up inspection.

Feb. 22, 2008 — HRMC fails follow-up inspection. Legal notice appears in Asheville Citizen-Times that says HRMC will no longer be eligible to receive Medicare reimbursements, which alerts community.

Feb. 24, 2008 — Medicare and Medicaid status revoked at HRMC.

Feb. 25, 2008 — David Rice resigns as CEO.

March 3, 2008 — Hundreds gather at HRMC wearing purple ribbons to show community support for the hospital as it slips further into its financial morass.

March 6, 2008 — HRMC Board Chairman Dr. Nancy Freeman resigns her seat, saying in a letter she wants “the healing to begin.” Dr. Henry Nathan appointed to replace Freeman on the board but not as chairman. Glenn White later appointed chairman.

March 10, 2008 — Consultants hired to help HRMC re-group issue an assessment blasting administration of former CEO David Rice, citing a “significant leadership failing.” Also, Future Directions Committee begins public discussions of potential merger options with another hospital or hospital system.

April 17, 2008 — HRMC passes Medicare inspection, first step toward full recertification.

May 21, 2008 — HRMC passes final inspection and regains Medicare and Medicaid certification.

Aug. 20, 2008 — Interim CEO Al Byers says hospital is breaking even for first time since crisis started.

September 2008 — Interim CEO Al Byers steps down, the last of the top administrators who worked under Rice to depart.

Oct. 1, 2008 — Michael Poore hired as new CEO for HRMC.

Deduction would tell us that in the information age libraries would be accorded great respect, but somehow that isn’t universally the case anymore. Given that truth, it’s encouraging to see what has happened over the last several years in Jackson County as support has gathered for a new library that, after much debate, will be attached to the strikingly beautiful historic courthouse.

After a decade-long community debate that raged with unusual fervor, county leaders decided in October 2007 to put the county’s new library atop courthouse hill. This wise decision did two things: ensured Jackson County residents their new, much-needed library would have wide community support; and it infused the project with a historic and cultural significance, providing a symbol of political and intellectual aspirations that will endure for generations.

There was a time when libraries were enshrined as the world’s primary learning centers. The administrators of the ancient library of Alexandria, Egypt, according to some historians, were charged with with no less a task than bringing together all the world’s collective knowledge. Stipends were paid to scholars and their families to come spend time there. Throughout the ancient world libraries were held in high regard as the keepers of culture and history, and typically they were among a city’s most splendid architectural masterpiece.

Today too many communities neglect these important institutions. As television and the Internet have grown in significance, and indeed put much of the world’s knowledge and literature at our fingertips, libraries could be written off as quaint relics.

But that’s just not the case. Places where people — children and adults — gather to read, write, research and discuss ideas will always be important. Amid the rush of today’s world, a place where adults work and read in a cocoon of silence and where children can discover the profound joys of the written word are indeed sacred.

Macon County has already done its community proud with its recently opened library, and citizens came together to support the furnishings of that facility with their donations. Now the same is being asked of Jackson County residents. Fund raising is currently under way, and almost $500,000 of the $1.6 million goal has already been pledged.

We believe this library is among the most worthy of community projects. It will become the epicenter of the intellectual and community life of Jackson County, and we encourage residents to support the fund-raising drive to the best of their abilities.

By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer

Chubby Checker clears his throat and states with pomp, “I plan on tearing the place up and taking no prisoners in Cherokee.”

Leaving New York City on his tour bus, the Checkerlicious Express, Checker said he was extremely excited about traveling to North Carolina to perform in concert at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino on Saturday, Feb. 28.

“My whole life is a holiday,” Checker told The Smoky Mountain News during a telephone interview. “The biggest event in the music industry and the number one song on the planet is coming to Cherokee and it’s going to blow the house down.”

Chubby before the Checker

Checker was born Ernest Evans on Oct. 3, 1941, in Spring Gulley, S.C., and remembers his childhood fondly.

“All good stuff happened in South Carolina. I had to do hard work and we lived on a farm where I had to clean pens,” Checker said.

When Checker was 7 he moved with his family to South Philadelphia. His mother took him to see the child piano prodigy Sugar Child Robinson and the famous country singer Ernest Tubb. The showbiz bug had bitten Checker. At the age of 11, he joined a street corner harmony group.

Early musical influences that made on impression on Checker were Perry Como, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.

During his high school years, Checker played the piano and began making a name for himself with vocal impressions.

He had an after-school job at Fresh Farm Poultry and the Produce Market, where he would sing and crack jokes. His boss, Tony A., was the one who gave him the nickname “Chubby.”

Henry Colt, the storeowner of Fresh Farm Poultry soon caught sight and sound of Checker and began showing him off to his customers through the store’s loudspeaker.

It wasn’t long before Colt arranged for Checker to meet with Dick Clark. Clark was impressed with young vocalist, and in 1959 Checker recorded his first hit with the Christmas single, “The Class.”

Upon being asked what his name was by Clark’s wife, Bobbie, Checker replied “Chubby.” Clark’s wife came up with “Checker,” which was a play on Fats Domino, who Checker had imitated earlier.

The big break and beyond

Checker’s big break came that same year as he appeared on the popular TV show “American Bandstand.”

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters didn’t show up for an appearance on the show, and Clark asked Checker to cover the group’s hit “The Twist.” The song became a Number One hit and the dance craze took hold of America.

The dance encouraged boys and girls to jive separately from each other, changing the teen beat with rippling effects for the future.

“I gave them something they can use 24/7,” Checker said. “When I hear the music of today, I hear the influences of yesterday.”

Launching into the 60s, “The Twist” found a resurgence in the “Peppermint Twist,” “Twist and Shout,” and “Twistin’ the Night Away.”

With each new song came new dance moves such as “The Jerk,” “The Hully Gully,” “The Boogaloo,” and “The Hucklebuck.”

Checker had hit after hit, and in 1961 he recorded “Pony Time,” which went to Number One and stayed there for 16 weeks. Checker took time to star in the films, “Don’t Knock The Twist” and “Twist Around The Clock.”

Making record industry history in 1961, Checker’s original hit “The Twist” re-entered the charts, and by 1962 the song was at Number One again. No other song before or since has accomplished that achievement.

“The Twist” spent a total of nine months on the charts.

Checker tried his hand at other musical genres including folk, country and reggae, and he admits that he is his own worst critic.

Being in the music business since the age of 18, Checker said if he had pursued another career he would have “built skyscrapers and been a landlord.”

Snack Attack

Almost a decade ago, Checker branched out into the snack food business honoring 40 years of “The Twist” with Chocolate Checker Bars, beef jerky, hot dogs, steaks, and popcorn, including Girl of the World Water which he dedicated to his wife.

“From candy bars to hotdogs, every time you pick up a Chubby Checker snack you’ll know about our history and how we affected lives,” Checker said.

With plans of a Chubby Checker Smokehouse in the works for the end of the year, Checker keeps cruising his Checkerlicious Express with inventive ways to twist again.

For more information on Checker or his snacks visit www.chubbychecker.com.

By Marth Teater • Guest Columnist

The Good Samaritan Clinic of Haywood County has served the medical needs of our community since 1999. In 2007 the clinic started a mental health program funded by two multi-year grants. Funding for the program ended in 2008, and the clinic has been utilizing funds from individuals in the community to sustain the program until funds become available.

We have applied for funding from three major grantors, but even if we get those grants, funds will not be available until the summer. Without immediate funding the clinic will be hard pressed to find money to continue the program.

In 2008 the Good Samaritan Clinic provided over 1,400 therapy visits at no cost to the patients. Currently the clinic has two mental health counselors on staff. Both have master’s degrees and several years of experience. The clinic also utilizes volunteer counselors and student interns.

Clinic patients may receive up to eight individual counseling visits with one of the clinic counselors to help improve their mental and physical well-being.

We anticipate serving more than 1,680 patients in 2009. At about $100 per visit, we are providing $168,000 worth of visits per year for $50,400 since our counselors work for a much reduced rate. The savings to our community are significant.

The clinic is supported by area churches, individuals, civic groups, and grantors. Haywood County and the United Way contribute as well. This support helps the clinic to continue to provide medical services to uninsured adults in our county.

“Our general operating funds are not used for the mental health program,” said Donda Bennett, executive director for GSC. “This program operates solely on grant funding and donations.”

Although funds were applied for in early 2009 the clinic will not find out if they are being funded until early June. The only way to continue this program is to appeal to the community for emergency funds.

Current clinic counselors are Art Dosch and Sequoyah Rich. Both are master’s level practitioners with a wealth of experience and a desire to serve those in need. I am the director of mental health services and oversee the counseling program of the clinic.

The counselors work as a team with the health care providers; medical director Don Teater, MD, and Kristin Gruner, PA. This coordination of care has tremendous advantages to more traditional models of care that treat mental and physical health separately.

The clinic has the capacity to provide about 140 client visits monthly, or 1,600 annually. Providing this mental health care benefits the entire community in many ways. By keeping people emotionally stable we will see a reduction in emergency room and urgent care visits, fewer interventions needed by law enforcement, and healthier individuals and families.

To find out more about the Good Samaritan Clinic contact executive director Donda Bennett at 828.454.5487 or visit the Web site at www.gschaywood.org.

(Teater is available to discuss the mental health program at 828.454.5287, ext.1009, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The clinic provides speaker and programs to any community group. Donations are tax deductible. To designate a donation for the mental health program note that on the check. Mail donations to Good Samaritan Clinic, 34 Sims Circle, Waynesville, N.C., 28786.)

What would surprise someone the most about the Appalachian culture?

Well, assuming that they are not Appalachian, it would probably be the fact that we have nothing in common with the stereotypes. I remember teaching a class at the Mountain Retreat near Highlands and encountered several enrollees who were afraid to go “downtown,” because they had encountered so many people with gun racks in their trucks as they drove up the mountain. Their assumption was that Appalachians are so prone to violence, they go armed everywhere. They had never encountered people who fish and hunt. That is just one classic example of the bias that I encountered in elder hostel classes. I used to use a book entitled Appalachia: The First and Last Frontier. The first sentence summed it up. It stated that there was no geographic area in the U.S. more misunderstood than Appalachia.

If you had to describe the Appalachian culture in one sentence, what would that be?

People who have retained a profound awareness of their heritage and traditions.

What is the biggest contribution the mountain culture has given to our society?

Probably our ability to co-exist with the natural world.

What do you think is the biggest collective fear of Appalachians?

That they will be erased. The steady encroachment of concrete, industry and technology could plow us all under.

Is there one Appalachian folklore that stands apart from the others?

There is a lot of Appalachian folklore that deals with a single individual who is pitted against daunting odds, but retains his identity: outlaws, musicians and a few “public officials.”

Why is knowing local folklore worth while?

Well, it defines who were are and what we value. English folklore is different from Italian folklore, for example, and yet both demonstrate what that culture values.

What is your favorite aspect about teaching?

My favorite aspect of teaching is the “exchange” that flows between teacher and students.

By Sandi Simons-Crawford

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is one of very few perennial vegetables. A properly managed bed will produce for 15 years or more. The taste of fresh asparagus from your garden rewards your initial effort and patience.

Varieties

The Jersey series (Jersey Knight, Jersey Giant, Jersey Gem and others) are all-male hybrids that produce twice as many spears as older heirloom strains. They are resistant to major asparagus diseases and can be harvested the year after planting. Mary Washington is the standard heirloom variety. Purple Passion has thick deep burgundy spears that turn green when cooked; used raw in salads they provide extra color and crunch.

Plant 10 crowns (5 if planting the Jersey hybrids) for each family member to have enough asparagus for fresh table use.

Soil Preparation

The soil must be light and well drained for asparagus spears to grow straight. Don’t walk on the bed after the initial digging, as it compacts the soil. Full sun is best.

Prepare the bed a couple of months before spring planting. Cultivate the soil about 16 inches deep, breaking up clumps and working in organic amendments to assure good drainage. Don’t use peat moss; it will increase the soil’s acidity. Work compost into the top 3 or 4 inches.

Then take soil samples 12 inches deep, and deliver the samples to the Extension Center for testing. The test report will tell you if you need to add anything else. The ideal pH range is 6.0 to 6.7.

Planting

Crowns should be planted 12 inches apart, with rows at least 3 feet apart. Allow space for a path between rows so you can tend the bed without damaging the plants. Plant in late April or early May. Dig a trench 8 inches deep and wide enough to allow the roots to spread out. Place the crowns in the trench with the buds pointing upward, and cover with 2 inches of soil. Add a high phosphate starter fertilizer. Add soil around the plants 2 or 3 times during the next few weeks as the plants grow, until the trench is filled and you have a slight mound to prevent puddles.

Feeding & annual care

Asparagus is a heavy feeder. Follow the soil test recommendations. On average soils that have not been tested, broadcast a complete fertilizer (like 5-10-10) in mid-March at the rate of 2 to 5 pounds per 100 square feet, then add a second application at the end of the cutting season. Organic growers should add regular applications of compost or well-rotted manure during spring and summer.

Keep free of weeds and water deeply. Heavy hay, straw or leaf mulch may be applied in mid-summer. The ferns that grow feed the roots; don’t cut them back until they die naturally in the fall.

Harvesting

Do not harvest asparagus the first growing season. Harvest the second year for a short period (two weeks maximum). This allows the plants to become established. After the second year harvest for 6 to 8 weeks each year. Cut or snap the spears at ground level, but be careful not to damage spears that have not yet emerged. Asparagus develops fiber rapidly after harvest, so wash and cool immediately.

Sandi Simons-Crawford is a Master Gardener Volunteer in Haywood County. For more information call the Haywood County Extension Center at 828.456.3575.

When it comes to caring for the mentally ill in North Carolina, there’s been very little good news over the last few years. A 2001 attempt to radically reform the state’s mental health system has been, by nearly unanimous opinion, a disaster. It has wasted millions of dollars and created a system that has too little oversight of patient care, too few facilities, and too much opportunity for mismanagement at the local level.

The breadth of these problems, however, is exactly why a new psychiatric unit at Haywood Regional Medical Center that’s being praised by mental health professionals is so promising, and why it might be the model to start fixing some of what’s gone so wrong over the last several years.

The new 16-bed unit at HRMC opened in November and was paid for with a state grant that also funded another wing at another hospital. The hope was the regional units would reduce the waiting list for patients to get into a long-term bed at Broughton Hospital in Morganton. The Broughton facility is way overcrowded and has suffered its own woes. Besides, those in need of immediate psychiatric help can run into serious problems if they have to put off professional care. It became a very dangerous situation for patients when they could find no facility to check into when their problems needed medical attention.

The new unit at HRMC helps solve of these issues. For one, patients can get care closer to home, which allows more interaction with family members they trust and depend on. The new facility is run under a model that allows the patient to take part in the cure. The program allows patients to make choices about how to structure their day, similar to what life is like on the “outside,” where many of these patients will soon return to and begin taking care of themselves.

“It’s a support network that gives you the strength you don’t have outside,” a 20-year-old patient told The Smoky Mountain News.

The new center’s early success is worth noting. Doug Trantham, interim director of Smoky Mountain Mental Health, said the region has had its lowest transfer rate to Broughton in recent memory. Two other hospitals are looking at the HRMC model with an eye toward possibly replicating it. There’s also hope that the Balsam Adult Recovery Unit may re-open. It closed when the HRMC wing opened because there was only enough trained staff to operate one of the units. When that happens, there will be even more options for patients in Western North Carolina who are in need of residential mental health care.

We’ve got a long way to go before we solve the crisis confronting this state’s mental health system. But increasing the number of available local beds — and increasing the opportunity to receive the necessary treatment right here at home — is a good first step toward helping patients gain access to the kind of treatment they need.

By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist

In an article in Blue Ridge Country magazine, author and professor Steve Nash provided a bleak overview of what climate change means here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Most significant are current predictedions for increasing temperatures, including a boost in the number of days over 90 degrees (75 a year predicted by 2080), and record drought (coupled with record intensity storms).

Changes such as these will alter the face of this ancient landscape in ways that we can hardly imagine. Iconic Appalachian creatures such as brook trout are expected to lose 50 to 90 percent of their habitat by 2080, and woodland salamanders dependent upon soil moisture could be wiped out altogether. High-elevation spruce-fir forest would also suffer. And these are but a handful of the projected impacts.

Given that climate change is now considered indisputable by every leading science organization in the world, one would think that as citizens we would be more alarmed and thus determined to make every change we can in order to reverse the momentum of this seemingly irreversible trend. Yet, according to some polls, almost half of all Americans are unsure that climate change is occurring. I suppose this is not surprising given the Bush administration’s denial of the issue for eight years, along with the limited media attention and public understanding. However, with the advent of the Obama administration, not only do we have immediate recognition of the issue but prompt action.

One of the administration’s first actions was the creation of an Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets. This office will be part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which includes the U.S. Forest Service and its 193 million acres of public land. The mission of this office will be to connect industrial emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2) with private landowners to plant new forests or crops to absorb their CO2 emissions. This could be a good thing for us here in Western North Carolina, where national forests make up over a million acres and private forest land totals another two million. Such incentives for forest and farmland conservation could be part of a broader agenda for our region to become agriculturally independent, to conserve our remaining working forests, and to mitigate the projected impacts of climate change.

With this “new climate” in Washington, and in anticipation of climate change impacts to our region, Warren Wilson College, The Wilderness Society, and Orion Magazine have come together to launch their first annual Headwaters Gathering March 27 to 29 at Warren Wilson. As our region is the source of drinking water for millions of downstream residents and is home to the East’s coal fields, the conference is aptly subtitled “Southern Appalachia at the Crossroads.” The conference will focus on the impacts of climate change in the region and what these impacts will mean to our economy, environment, and community well being.

Keynote speaker Herman Daly will be joined by activists Majora Carter and Winona LaDuke, retired coal miner Chuck Nelson, and renowned environmental educator David Orr. Also presenting are NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center scientist Thomas Peterson, author and activist Janisse Ray, New York Times writer Andrew Revkin, and National Wildlife Federation President Larry Schweiger.

From a town meeting with expert panelists, to intimate sessions with inspired leaders, the Headwaters Gathering will engage a broad array of citizens and inspire a new network of problem solvers. Registration and information is available at www.headwatersgathering.org.

(Brent Martin is the Southern Appalachian Director for the Wilderness Society, and his office is in Franklin. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

By Christi Marsico • Staff Writer

Movie stars are coming to Cullowhee. With a snip here and a dye job there, hair stylists will be battling the gift of glam in Hair Wars for the second annual fundraiser Feb. 21 at WCU’s Ramsey Center.

Five salons from Jackson, Swain and Macon counties will present hair models representing this year‘s theme of “The Movies.”

Salons competing are Cristal and Company and Les Gens Beaux of Sylva, Shear Madness of Franklin, and Hairport of Cullowhee.

Potential movie characters possibly making an appearance are Scarlett O’Hara, Marilyn Monroe, James Bond, Mary Poppins and Princess Leia among other notable celebrities from the 1920s to today.

Textures salon from Bryson City took home the trophy for the first competition last year whose theme was “Rock Stars of the 80s.”

Greg Wright, owner of Textures, came up with this year’s theme.

“We wanted to make it as appealing as possible and let artists define it,” Wright said. “It was an evening of silly fun, and everybody really exceeded my expectations.”

Recruiting was easier this year for Wright who plans on having between 12 and 20 hair models.

Wright will transform his models’ hair the day of the event.

Last year it took four hours to makeover one of Wright’s clients as Annie Lennox, the lead singer of Eurythmics.

From transforming clients into movie stars as well as helping those with disabilities, the salon owner is thrilled to be involved with this competition.

“I enjoy the fact that it is something crazy and on behalf of something for the community,” Wright said.

No wigs or synthetic hair is allowed in the competition. Hair styles showcased will be real hair that has been colored, cut and styled.

Each salon will have about 10 minutes to present their movie models. The models plan to debut their hairdos in costume to music that best represents the film or character they portray.

There will be makeovers, cutting edge hairstyles and talent demonstrations featured during the family friendly affair as well.

Over 200 people attended Hair Wars last year, and the event raised $2,000.

The first place winner will receive a plaque, trophy and half the entry fee. Second and third place winners will be awarded plaques and thirty percent of the entry fee.

Funds raised will go to Pathways for the Future, Center for the Independent Living. Pathways is a non-profit organization that helps people with disabilities maintain an independent lifestyle. The program serves about 650 people in 14 Western North Carolina counties.

Admission is $10 in advance; $12 at the door for adults; $8 for children ages 3 to 13; children under 3 are free.

Tickets are available at Pathways and participating salons.

For more information call 828.631.1167 or 828.586.1570.

Sylva’s current library opened in 1970 and is 6,400 square feet. The debate over where to locate a new library lasted more than eight years, with commissioners finally deciding to build it as an attachment to the historic and beloved Jackson County Courthouse.

• 1999 – County leaders decide to tear down the historic Hooper House on Main Street to expand the library, but opposition mounts among those who want to save the historic structure.

• Dec. 2000 — Those fighting to save the Hooper House prevail. Renovation to the Hooper House gets underway to serve as the home for the chamber of commerce, Jackson County Travel and Tourism Association, and Sylva Partners in Renewal. Library supporters are left looking for a site for a much-needed library expansion.

• May 2003 — The idea to partner with Southwestern Community College for a joint library on the SCC campus in Webster has been gaining steam. County commissioners see the SCC joint venture as a way to save money, but it creates deep division among those who want to keep the library downtown. A public hearing on the issue attracts more than 200 people, most against the joint library.

• Jan. 2004 — Jackson commissioners, spurred by opposition to the joint SCC-Jackson County library proposal that culminated in the creation of a group called Build Our Library Downtown (BOLD), put plans on hold and appoint a task force to select a new library site.

• March 2004 — N.C. Board of Elections denies Jackson’s request to hold a non-binding referendum to gauge public sentiment on the idea of a joint library with SCC.

• July 2004 — The search for a library site has left task force members, commissioners, town leaders, opposition groups, and the Friends of the Library members torn. Many favored the historic courthouse, but it was dismissed as unfeasible. Finally, commissioners settle on a parcel located near the site of the old Western Sizzlin’ steakhouse in Jackson Plaza. The Sylva town board agrees to contribute $105,000 to the cost of the property. The property was purchased in September, but many still oppose the site. Even the town considers it a compromise, keeping it close to town but not in downtown proper.

• June 2007 — Jackson commissioners pledged $4.2 million to build a new library, but the location is again being questioned. The board had significant turnover during the last election, with three out of five members being new. Commissioners William Shelton and Tom Massie agree to set aside the money but re-open the debate about where to site the library.

• Oct. 2007 — Library site selection debate finally ends with a 3-2 vote by commissioners to construct the library next to the historic courthouse overlooking downtown Sylva. The renewal of the courthouse property as a potential site for a new library was spearheaded by Commissioner William Shelton.

• June 2008 — Architectural plans for the new library on courthouse hill are well-received by library supporters and project continues to move forward. Cost, including historic courthouse renovations, are pegged at $7.9 million.

• Jan. 2009 — County commissioners pledge to move forward with construction despite recession. Fundraising for the library furnishings reaches its half-way point.

Courtney Boessel’s “Patchwork Community” was chosen as the winning entry for Waynesville’s new police station paver design as part of a contest sponsored by the Waynesville Public Art Commission.

The contest was designed to build community — and also to build public awareness of town history — and was open to Tuscola High School art students.

Given the theme “A Heritage of Service and Friendship,” the students were asked to submit sketches of a brick paver design to be installed at the outdoor plaza area in front of Waynesville’s new police station. The design concept needed to be site specific, reflecting the history and past uses of the location. In the past it had been a livery stable, a town hall, chamber of commerce, fire and police departments and the Downtown Waynesville Association headquarters. The site has also served as a gathering place, promoting fellowship among citizens and visitors, during numerous festivals including Folkmoot.

Three sketches were chosen as finalists from among those presented by Tuscola teacher Donna Rhodes’ art class. In addition to Bowessel the finalists were Kelsey Jaynes’ “Tri-umphant” and Patrick Burke’s and Cory Plott’s joint effort titled “Where We All Come Together.” Boessel, submitted her drawing titled, “Patchwork Community.” The three finalists made a formal presentation, each with a detailed rendering and written explanation of their concept, to a selection committee consisting of citizens and town officials.

Boessel explained that her concept pays homage to the venerable craft of quilting. The focal point of the walkway in her design is a giant log cabin square, a popular quilting pattern in our region. “From the log cabin days of early pioneers to the thriving commerce and growth of our town today, we are a patchwork of cultural diversity, strength, talent, accomplishment and promise,” she said.

The two finalists were awarded $250, and Boessel was awarded $750. All three drawings will be on display in the lower level of the Haywood County Public Library on Haywood Street in downtown Waynesville, beginning Feb. 14.

Established in 2006, the Waynesville Public Art Commission was appointed by the Town of Waynesville to develop a public art plan. Choosing themes that are unique to Waynesville, the commission’s purpose is to bring art to public sites, resulting in a permanent art trail for residents and visitors to enjoy.

The commission dedicated its inaugural piece titled “Old Time Music” in October 2008 at the corner of Miller and Main street in downtown Waynesville.

To learn more about the Waynesville Public Art Commission and their projects, contact the Downtown Waynesville Association at 828.456.3517, or visit the Town of Waynesville Web site at www.townofwaynesville.org and press on the public art tab.

Environmental groups in Macon County are joining forces to tackle the scourge of exotic plants along the Little Tennessee Greenway in Franklin.

Exotic plants undermine the natural ecosystem, pushing out native plants and the wildlife that depend on them. The Greenway Invasives Partnership includes Friends of the Greenway, the Western North Carolina Alliance and the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee.

A growing network of volunteers has already launched an on-the-ground offensive to stem the tide of exotics, showing the potential for a comprehensive project to manage exotics on the greenway.

A roundtable meeting and lunch for those interested in joining the partnership will be held in Franklin on Wednesday, Feb. 25, to hear presentations and discuss plans for a partnership. Contact 828.524.3899 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The first Friday in February came with some bad news for the Swain County School District and systems around the state. Word came from Raleigh that school budgets would be cut by 7 percent in the upcoming fiscal year.

The Swain school system already trimmed costs by $75,000 in December when the state called on schools statewide to send back a small percent of their current budgets. Schools were bracing for more cutbacks , but didn’t know how much.

“In the beginning, they were saying between 2 and 7 percent, but realistically around 4 percent,” said Steve Claxton, community schools coordinator. “Now they’re saying no, it’s looking more drastic than we first projected.”

A worst case scenario could call for 7 percent budget cut, which would amount to $952,000. While the exact amount won’t be known for some time, administrators are bracing for some tough decisions.

“We’re going to take a pretty serious cut. That’s plain and simple,” said Claxton. “Everybody knows that. The revenues just aren’t there.”

Layoffs are now a very real possibility, and likely a necessity. Hopefully the school system can achieve a workforce reduction through attrition. For the past two years, between 15 and 17 teachers retired at the end of the school year. If the same scenario happened this year, the school could chose not to fill vacancies and naturally reduce the number of paid positions. But that won’t be the case.

“We don’t have those numbers this year, so it’s really concerning us,” said Claxton. “This year we’re looking at people if they even are qualified to retire.”

The school also loses a certain number of teachers every year who move to other counties. But if there aren’t enough teachers in that category, the school may have to broaden its scope, he said.

Talk of layoffs has caused a cloud to hang over the schools.

“It’s creating a real feeling of uneasiness,” said Claxton.

What a great way to earn public trust: a public body decides that minutes from closed sessions no longer need to be secret, and therefore it periodically votes to make them public.

That’s what the Franklin Town Alderman Bob Scott asked the Franklin board to do. Scott was concerned about the information in one particular set of minutes, but he also understood what he was doing. If the town adopted a formal policy, the public would be a lot better informed as to what went on behind closed doors when aldermen lawfully shut out the public from their debate.

Here’s the deal about closed meetings and public bodies. The North Carolina Open Meetings Law gives public bodies seven lawful reasons to close their discussions. Those seven reasons are clearly defined, and minutes must be kept. How detailed those minutes are depends on each group of elected officials, but it must be discernible what was being discussed and who was saying what.

Once the reason for going into the closed meeting is past — say an industry has finished negotiations and announced plans to build — then the minutes become a part of the public record.

Most boards — including Franklin’s — adhere to the letter of the law. But what becomes of those closed session minutes? Reporters and the public seldom request them. In truth, most of what took place in those meetings is never revealed despite the fact that taxpayers and voters could gain valuable insight from them.

We think Franklin should have set itself up as the most open board around. It did not change its policy, but merely formalized what’s already taking place: once every few months, its attorney will review closed session minutes and determine if they can be released. That’s OK, but the public would be better served by the policy Scott proposed.

Franklin Alderman Bob Scott is to be commended for his commitment to open government. The public and elected officials need to understand that nothing has to be discussed in closed session, that the law gives public bodies a few exceptions where they are allowed — if they choose — to go behind closed doors. Some personnel matters probably should be discussed privately, but many times it seems public bodies close their meetings when the reasons for doing so seem suspect.

Franklin’s isn’t a bad policy, but we think a better one is to formally include closed session minutes in board packets whenever the reason for closing the meeting has passed. Rather than have an attorney make the decision, we think elected officials or the manager could more easily — and cheaply — make that call. The onus for conducting the public’s business in the open is on the elected officials, and they will suffer the fallout if they wrongfully shut the door on their constituents.

By Karen Dill • Guest Writer

The weather in February can be as fickle as new love. In the mountains of North Carolina, the wind can howl through the ridges like a scorned lover or the day can be as soft and gentle as a lover’s kiss. I’ve seen snow fall nonstop for a week in February and I’ve seen daffodils and crocus pop up through the snow with fresh optimistic faces turned toward the dazzling sun. Weather prediction in February is a crap shoot. More predictable is the mountain terrain, the color of the February sky and the chill in your bones that only a bowl of hot soup can remedy.

The Februarys of my youth are bleak in my memory. The days were short; the evenings chilly; the days raw and all without the benefit of television or telephone to break the monotony. The longest month of the year, I thought, despite the shortest number of days. Yet it was in this dreary month that I experienced what seemed to be first love, or at least a serious crush.

The boy that I met at a forbidden Halloween dance (I had told my fundamental Baptist parents that it was a fall church social) liked me. He hailed from the big town of Canton and I lived in the backwoods of Bethel. He held my hand and my heart leapt. He called me at my cousin Vicky Lynn’s house for her family had a phone and I would stammer hopelessly. He sent love letters via a friend as we went to different schools and I read and reread them as I hid them under the mattress of my bed. Despite the fact that this was the first boy to take a liking to me, I was sure this would be the love of my life, my future husband. I was smitten.

Our romance lasted through Christmas and New Year’s Day. I was a sneaky and rather clever participant. I attended Bible study and went to the youth outings at both my church and my cousin’s church and it was during the attendance at my cousin’s more liberal Baptist church that I would meet up with my — dare I say it — boyfriend. My parents thought I might be headed for sainthood with all of the church activities that I was attending, but I was secretly making out with The Boy of My Dreams in the back of the church van and holding hands on the back pew of the church. As I quietly worried that this could be my ticket to Hell, I was helpless to stop the allure of first love.

When Valentine’s Day rolled around, it never occurred to me that my young suitor would present a gift, as my family rarely acknowledged the day. Being a town boy, he evidently did not know the ways of hard-core mountain men like my father who thought little of their young 14-year-old daughters having a suitor and less of young men who had the nerve to show up in the yard with a store-bought box of Valentine candy. The poor boy never made it to the door. My father met him on the porch, shotgun in hand, and told him to hit the road. He did, and to this day I don’t know became became of the box of candy.

I was crushed, embarrassed beyond words. Mad as an old wet hen, I burst into tears and stomped through our small frame house with an indignation that shock the rafters. I resolved to stay angry forever and vowed that I would never forgive my father. My mother gathered me in her arms, patted my back and suggested that we make a big pot of vegetable soup. It was a raw day outside and the bleak weather matched my mood, but I reckoned as how the chopping of raw vegetables might provide a substitute for further provoking my father.

As I chopped onions, carrots and potatoes, I sobbed hot tears of anger and humiliation. I would never have a boyfriend. I could never face my cousin or my friends. As I cried, my tears mixed with the chopped vegetables and I feared that the soup would be too salty or too bitter to the taste. My mother chatted on, ignoring my tears and angry chopping. She talked about her own adolescence and teenage humiliations, lost loves, and disappointing unions of the heart. At one point, she looked up soberly and replied, “No boy worth his salt runs away. I reckon as how they have to face up to your father or they won’t be worth a plug nickel.”

As it came to pass, my mother was right. Despite the boy’s future efforts to woo me, his cowardice in the presence of my father was unfortunately etched in my mind in a most unflattering way. Also etched in my mind was the beautiful memory of the warmth and flavor of that Valentine’s Day vegetable soup It was nectar for the bruised soul; balm for the open wound; and it warmed through the cracks of my broken heart.

From that time on, soup would be the magic elixir for hurt, disappointment and just plain sadness. Better than Prozac and Zoloft, the healing power of soup was immediate. The warm steam from the tomato and beef broth, the chunks of beef, and the hunks of vegetables dried my tears and eventually melted my frozen heart and I forgave my father. Much later in my life, another young man would bravely walk up those steps, stand up to my father and ultimately earn his respect. That young man would become my husband and would years later help me bury my father on a cold February day.

The power of soup was a lesson that I had learned early on and one that I passed on to my children. When tears of frustration and sobs of hurt from teenage angst filled the kitchen, I would pull out the pots and hand over the knives to my children. Zach became a pro at chopping vegetables (later buying me a beautiful set of good knives) and Anna learned how to blend basil with tomatoes for a delectable tomato basil soup. We would talk and as tears fell into the broths, life would begin to look better and the soups were once again seasoned from the heart. The savory broths were never too salty or bitter.

There were very few problems that a good bowl of soup and a wedge of cornbread or sour dough bread could not solve. When my husband, Tom, returned home from the hospital last year after a mild heart attack, he healed with steaming bowls of chicken noodle soup that my Cherokee friends had brought to us. During a blizzard a few years back, I was able to heat soup over an open fire in our old fireplace and we were able to survive the lack of electricity for four days.

As the February winds howl, I pull out the pots and remember the past. I smile at the memory of a young girl sobbing tears of sadness for a first love. The young girl, now a woman of indeterminable age, knows that soup is a far more powerful gift than a cheap heart-shaped box of Valentine candy. I still cook soup most Valentine’s Day accompanied by a loaf of bread or cake of cornbread. Because I’m still somewhat of a romantic at heart, I also open a bottle of wine and slice a wedge of good cheese with a salad of mixed greens. I also make a dessert that is often sweet and tart — much like the kind of love I’ve experienced over the years.

My meal this year will be lentil soup with ham, sour cream cornbread, a smoked cheddar cheese and for dessert, a blackberry upside down cake with vanilla ice cream. Lentil soup is strong sturdy fare and it symbolizes the kind of love that I share with Tom. I have decided to serve a favorite salad that I created from a combination of my favorite ingredients. In years past, I have experimented with various soups throughout the seasons. I have tried a seafood stew, borscht, split pea soup, potato soup, and many varieties of vegetable soup but it is a thick savory soup that I will serve this Valentine’s Day. And though hopefully no tears will flavor the broth, I will throw in an extra pinch of salt for the memories.

The preparation of the soup is relatively simple. Lentils do not need soaking, only a rinse or two before boiling in water mixed with chicken stock. I add a ham bone from the freezer that I’ve saved from the Christmas baked ham. As the lentils cook slowly and the smell of smoked ham permeates the air, I sauté onions, celery, carrots, and some garlic (actually a lot as we are garlic lovers) in olive oil. I will add the mix of sautéed vegetables to the soup along with a couple of bay leaves, a pinch of oregano and basil, some crushed tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. As the soup simmers for an hour or so, I bake the cornbread and prepare the salad. During the last few minutes of cooking, I will add some fresh spinach to the soup and cook until it wilts.

The salad consists of a bed of mixed greens topped with a sauté of sliced Asian pears and English walnuts in butter, brown sugar and a few sprinkles of ginger. The mixture is served warm over the greens and topped with a raspberry vinaigrette (slightly heated in the microwave), a few dried cranberries and crumbled Stilton cheese. The tart vinaigrette and the sharp cheese blend wonderfully with the sweet fruit mixture. This particular evolved through several salad experiments and has become one of my family’s favorite.

As I prepare the finishing touches on this particular Valentine dinner, I am reminded that recipes (like love) require time to evolve. Each new rendering provides another opportunity to improve or add an extra element. For the soup, I decide to top it with some shaved Parmesan cheese. I mix butter and cream cheese to spread over the cornbread instead of the usual margarine. The dessert takes a turn when I find some beautiful raspberries and blueberries as well as the blackberries for the blackberry upside down cake. It seems that the cake will have spontaneous additions and will take on a new dimension with the vanilla ice cream.

Cooking (like love) requires some planning but its beauty is in the intuitiveness and spontaneousness of its actions. It is an act of abandon; a dance of joy. Creativity trumps rules and with a dash of this and a dash of that, a dish (and a relationship) takes on life and spirit. It is reflective of the soul of the chef or the lover. Every sweet, tart, and fiery taste comes together in a beautiful dance. Even tears add flavor and essence.

Western Carolina University is leading the way in a state mandate to cut energy production on college campuses.

WCU has already reached the state target of reducing energy consumption by 30 percent by the year 2015, making it the first and only university to reach the goal so far.

WCU Energy Manager Lauren Bishop, who has led efforts to reduce energy consumption on campus, organized last week’s fair on energy and the environment. The goal of the fair was to promote sustainability, which she defined as “meeting the needs of today without compromising future generations.”

The university is doing the best it can to reduce its energy consumption, Bishop said. While WCU had a $4.8 million utility bill last year, that’s $600,000 lower than it had been — a reduction achieved by using natural gas instead of petroleum and taking other steps such as using electric vehicles.

During the fair, WCU Chancellor John Bardo touted WCU’s energy reduction accomplishments. The 30 percent cut in fossil fuel consumption was based on 2002-2003 levels.

Universities account for 52 percent of the state governments total energy use, according to Reid Conway, program manager for the state Energy Office in Asheville, who served as keynote speaker at the event.

North Carolina ranks 12th in energy consumption and is expected to see a 28 percent increase in energy use between 2005 and 2020.

About $200 million was spent on energy in state buildings in 2006.

The state consumed 180.9 million barrels of oil in 2006, he said.

Conway believes the state will make progress thanks to a new law passed by the state legislature that requires power companies to get 3 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2012 and 12.5 percent by 2021. Using renewable resources such as wind, thermal, geothermal and biomass, can improve air quality, Conway said.

More efficient building codes and water conservation also need to be employed in the state to help the environment, he said.

People should be encouraged to conserve energy because it costs $3,555 a year for a family making $10,000 to $30,000, he said.

Lentil Soup

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups dry lentils

• 8 cups water

• 1/2 cup spinach, rinsed & thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons vinegar

• salt to taste

• ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Sour Cream Cornbread

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 3/4 cup low-fat sour cream, room temperature

• 1/2 cup skim milk

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°F Coat a 9” x 9” pan with nonstick spray.

Sift the flour, cornmeal, salt, brown sugar and baking powder together in a mixing bowl.

Stir in the eggs, sour cream, milk and butter with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not overmix.

Pour into the pan and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. The cornbread is done when a small knife inserted in the center comes out dry. Best when served warm from the oven.

Blackberry (and raspberry and blueberry) Upside Down Cake

• 2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries (12 ounces)

• 1/2 cup plus

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk

• Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream

• Special equipment:

parchment paper

preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line bottom of a buttered 8- by 2-inch round cake pan with 2 rounds of parchment paper, then butter parchment. Dust pan with some flour, knocking out excess.

Arrange blackberries in 1 layer in cake pan. Sprinkle berries with 11/2 tablespoons sugar and shake pan to help distribute sugar.

Whisk together 1 cup flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix at low speed until just incorporated. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 batches, mixing at low speed until just incorporated.

Spoon batter evenly over berries, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven until top is golden and a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Run a thin knife around edge of pan, then invert a large plate over pan and, using pot holders to hold plate and pan together tightly, flip cake onto plate. Peel off parchment and serve cake with ice cream.

By Anna Fariello • Guest Columnist

OK, so I have to admit that part of the appeal of the Dillsboro/Duke battle appeals to me in the same way that David and Goliath inspired me as a child. Small-town-takes-on-giant-corporation has the makings of movie. While I am into confession, I should admit that I don’t quite get the science arguments, although I am sure there is soundness on both sides of the issue. But overall, it is my practical nature that wonders — if Duke doesn’t want this dam, why can’t Dillsboro have it? The entire battle seems ludicrous as I imagine corporate fat cats strategizing on how to take such a little dam down, plotting where to strategically plant sticks of dynamite.

When I taught in Central America almost 10 years ago, I was struck by how historically significant archeological sites lived side-by-side with spontaneous soccer matches. In this country we protect our national treasures with guided tours and admission fees. Did those ball-kicking children realize that they were in the holy presence of history? There I was sent to teach collections care and soccer was, indeed, not in the preservationist’s handbook.

As the semester progressed and I became more familiar with those sites, my initial shock gave way to an appreciation of what is commonly called “patrimonio” in Latin America. We have a comparable word in English — patrimony — but in cultures where personal property rights reign, the word does not carry the same weight of meaning. Indeed, my Webster’s definition is particularly lacking, defining patrimony as “property inherited from one’s father.” A more professional definition, and one shared by Latin America and other countries, might better define it as “property of the people,” or I should say “property of The People.”

The Dillsboro dam has been around for the better part of a century. It has only been the property of Duke Power since 1988. In the hearts and minds of many Jackson County citizens, the dam is part of their cultural landscape as sure as Cowee Mountain and the Tuckesegee. It is a sweet and picturesque spot, a place to pause and drink in the view.

Most people are familiar with the National Register of Historic Places, the federal program that designates historic buildings and sites as significant to our country’s heritage. Indeed, Dillsboro recently received such designation for the historic Monteith House, bestowing both honor to the town and making the property eligible for tax rehabilitation credits. State law also provides for lesser-known designations, those called historic landmarks and historic districts, which are more local in nature. These designations do not require the same stringent nomination process, nor do they bestow the same benefits as the National Register, but they do enable local governments and citizens to take advantage of a number of credible preservation tools.

Historic landmarks and historic districts are administered by the N. C. Office of Archives and History and governed by specific North Carolina law. Local landmarks are designations that are applied to buildings or structures that have historical, architectural, archeological, or cultural value. While designation is honor, it is also a mechanism to assist with preservation planning and cultural conservation.

The process is not particularly difficult, but state law is specific and the process must adhere to defined procedures. The first step is that the locality — county or a joint commission of county and town managers — must establish an historic preservation commission or historic landmarks commission. This is the body that investigates and designates historic landmarks or districts for the locality that it serves. The commission is created by an ordinance adopted by the local governing board. After a commission is established, the local governing board appoints its members and provides enough support for it to operate. It is the commission that has the authority to designate local landmarks and districts with the state providing guidance and recommendations.

A local historic landmark does not have to be a building. The state allows for sites and structures to be included in the process. Yes, dams are specifically named as a category of “structure.” Once a landmark or district is recommended, the state reviews the designation and makes recommendations. A public hearing must be held. Once process is complete, it is the county attorney who drafts an ordinance to declare a local landmark. Interestingly, the consent of the property owner is not required.

I have pondered the plight of Dillsboro, a town that has had to endure the abandonment of the train, one of its fondest attractions. I have read and re-read explanations of sedimentation and mitigation with a limited understanding. I’ve been proud of the steadfast determination of our local leaders (some would say stubbornness, I am sure) to keep up their fight. Some have proposed making the dam operational and, who knows, the new administration may very well provide federal incentives for this as part of President O’Bama’s efforts to create “green” jobs. The idea of the Dillsboro Dam given designation as a historic landmark is not so far-fetched as it may sound. Surprisingly, Duke Power studied the possibility for itself in 2003. The “Eligibility Study of Seven Hydroelectric Projects in the Nantahala Area, North Carolina” is on the web.

Thinking back to Panama Viejo — “Old Panama,” the archeological site mentioned at the start of this essay — I recall the crumbling stone tower that was threatened with collapse. The National Institute of Culture had mounted a campaign for its salvation, adopting the motto, “Salve Tu Tore” (Save Your Tower).

I still have the mug, given to me by students at the end of the course, with the motto that seemed to be everywhere I looked. In class, we had agreed on the importance of delivering a succinct message that would resonate with anyone regardless of their level of interest or understanding of larger interpretive issues. “Salve Tu Tore” was printed on banners in the street, on the sides of city buses, in large newspaper ads, on tote bags, and coffee mugs. While the professional in me would advise careful planning and deliberate forward motion, the little girl awestruck by the audacity of David is ready to start printing T-shirts.

(Anna Fariello is Director of the Craft Revival and From the Hands of our Elders, projects of Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library. She can be reached This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

Robert Conley, the Sequoyah Distinguished Professor of Cherokee Studies at Western Carolina University, is winner of the 2009 Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Oklahoma Center for the Book.

An enrolled member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, Conley is a noted scholar and prolific author, with poems, short stories, articles and 80 books of fiction and nonfiction to his credit.

The Oklahoma Center for the Book, a state affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, encourages interest in books and reading. Named for the center’s first president, the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award is given annually and honors Oklahomans who have contributed to the state’s literary heritage. Past winners include Joy Harjo, S.E. Hinton, N. Scott Momaday and Tony Hillerman.

For more information about the Cherokee studies program at Western Carolina University, call 828.227.2306.

By Jane Young

Haywood County Master Gardeners had you in mind when they wrote The Gardener’s Guide to Growing in the Mountains. This latest edition of the garden almanac addresses the Western North Carolina gardener’s concerns with elevation, weather, soils, slopes, and a host of other influences on our gardening success.

And if you, like me, are a gardener who tends to over-plan and over-plant, struggling to stay on top of it all, you need this almanac. It hangs on the wall like a calendar, and each month’s page tells you what you need to be doing now. For instance, in February you should prune your roses before they leaf out. It’s also time to start seeds indoors for a spring crop of cabbage, broccoli, and kale. And there is still time to plant shrubs and trees when the ground is not frozen.

The almanac’s monthly ‘To-Do’ list is organized according to Flowers, Vegetables, Fruits, Shrubs and Trees, Lawns, and Miscellaneous. Even its format lessens that overwhelmed feeling when so much needs to be done in the garden.

This publication is easy on the eye throughout, but its page-long monthly lessons are substantial in their topics and coverage. Newcomers to the area will appreciate the discussion on questions to ask and to answer before starting to landscape a slope with an unfamiliar elevation. Illustrated directions in “Plant a Tree” and “Pruning Basics” give us all more confidence approaching these projects.

“Landscaping with Native Plants” is timely as more gardeners are concerned for the entire ecosystem surrounding us in these mountains. We’re also told how to water our gardens adequately without wasting water. “Lawn Care: Going Greener” helps us figure out what to do to maintain a lawn without harming water and air quality, and how to avoid over-use of fertilizers and insecticides.

Mountain gardeners learn right away that we share our space with birds, bats, bees, butterflies, and wild mammals that urban dwellers rarely see. “Landscaping for Wildlife: 10 Tips,” tells us precisely what we can do to support this magical community.

On a gloomier note, “The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid” gives basic information on how a tiny insect creates such devastation in our forests. You’ll find recommendations for controlling the loss of hemlocks on your property.

Nearly every page of the almanac has blurbs helpful to both new and seasoned gardeners. These aren’t the quirky tidbits that typically liven up a farmer’s almanac; they are sound, practical tips for the everyday gardener who is still learning. Short pieces on mulching, factoring in soil temperature, hardening off transplants, nurturing earthworms, identifying lady beetle larva and other useful topics—all have the voice of real gardeners, the kind with calloused hands and bib overalls.

If you use the web, you will appreciate the almanac’s detailed, step-by-step directions on “How to Get More Information on Gardening Topics.” You’ll be amazed at how much good, research-based information N.C. State University makes available to us.

You can get The Gardener’s Guide to Growing in the Mountains at the Haywood County Extension Center, 589 Raccoon Road, across from the Mountain Research Station test farm. Price of the almanac is $5, just barely above production costs. It’s a bargain.

Jane Young is a Master Gardener Volunteer in Haywood County. For more information call the Haywood County Extension Center at 828.456.3575.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm, a historic and scenic farm in Buncombe County, has been permanently protected through a conservation agreement with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

The family-owned farm raises livestock and grows produce found at several grocers, including Earth Fare in Asheville. In exchange for pledging conservation of the tract, the family received more than $1 million for protecting nearly 300 acres of the farm. The bulk of the money came from the N.C. Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, to the tune of $700,000. Matches came from the Buncombe County conservation fund and private donors.

The scenic farm is an important part of the landscape marked by the new state parks of Chimney Rock and Hickory Nut Gorge.

The farm straddles the designated Drovers Road Scenic Highway. Travelers of the road lodged at Sherrill’s Inn, the centerpiece of the farm.

The Clarke family faced a tough decision, as the property is in a prime spot for development, which could be lucrative for the family.

“But we looked at that and said, ‘no, we don’t want to do it,’” said Annie Clarke Ager, one of the landowners. Ager said the family is grateful to the citizens of the state for funding the conservation.

The farm is owned collectively by the six living children of the original property owners.

“The conservation easement is beneficial for family relationships because it settles important previously unanswered questions about how the family property will be managed and used in the future,” said Ager.

“This conservation easement was the only option our family had to keep our farm and forestland intact for future generations,” said Doug Clarke, part-owner of the property.

A recent court victory by the state of North Carolina will require the Tennessee Valley Authority to reduce emissions at four coal-fired power plants close to the state line and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Once these modifications are complete, it should substantially help clean the air we breathe every day. But we hope this decision is a tipping point in the long-term effort to force utilities, manufacturers and others to make use of the latest technologies as this country makes the move toward cleaner, smarter, and less use of polluting fossil fuels.

The TVA has long been a poster child for companies that embrace a philosophy whereby the environment always plays second fiddle to economics. Although some of its plants were modernized over the years, the utility giant also regularly relied on technicalities in the 1970 Clean Air Act to keep from meeting the law’s stated principles. Those interpretations of the law allowed TVA to modernize its plants without installing the newest pollution-control technologies.

That meant Western North Carolina and east Tennessee residents never benefited from the Clean Air Act as we should have. The dirty air from the giant coal-fired utility plants became the major contributor to dirty air that obscured mountain views, damaged trees, streams and wildlife, and led to asthma and other pulmonary-related illnesses in many residents, especially children and the elderly.

The court ruling could become very symbolic in the effort to convince other utilities and private companies to do a better job of cleaning their emissions and reducing them. North Carolina’s court case was preceded by the passage of its own Clean Smokestacks Act in 2002. North Carolina’s two utility giants — Progress Energy and Duke Energy — forged a compromise with legislators. The utilities would clean up their emissions while being allowed to slightly raise power bills to pay for the work. In other words, citizens paid to clean up their air.

The TVA ruling comes just as the Bush Administration is leaving office. That administration’s wars in the Middle East and its economic policies grabbed most of the headlines over the last eight years, but it also did little to lead with new ideas about energy and pollution. In fact, it continually sided with corporate lobbyists who argued to maintain the loopholes in the Clean Air Act.

The Obama administration is promising a different strategy. Our dependence on imported oil is seen as a foreign policy liability and our energy policy is viewed as outdated. By moving toward greener technology, smarter energy use and less reliance on coal and oil, jobs will be created and we will become the world leader in the emerging new energy industries.

North Carolina acted on its own to clean up its act, and TVA had to be ordered to do the right thing. In both cases, the right decision was made. Perhaps this victory for residents of Western North Carolina is symbolic of a new era where the flashpoint between the economy and energy doesn’t always mean sacrificing the environment. That would be a welcome change.

A new rule could make it easier to open up trails in national parks to mountain biking.

Mountain biking isn’t banned in national parks as a matter of course, although it is rare to find parks where it is allowed. Before allowing mountain bikes, a park must undergo an extensive environmental analysis heavily laden with opportunities for public comment.

The rule change would loosen the requirements, allowing what amounts to an “abbreviated analysis,” said Greg Kidd, a representative with the National Parks Conservation Association Asheville office. Needless to say, Kidd’s organization is against any truncation of the process.

“We feel strongly it is important to have the full analysis and that includes public participation and opportunity for the public to weigh in,” Kidd said.

But Kent Cranford, owner of Motion Makers bike shop in Sylva, thinks the current process is so arduous that it is essentially a barrier.

“This new rule change will make that process much easier. Right now it is an ugly process,” Cranford said.

Cranford said the rule change will streamline the process, not totally skirt it.

“My understanding is that it won’t remove any barriers of making sure mountain bikes aren’t going to damage anything. They are still going to have to go through the environmental process and the approval process,” Cranford said. But it wouldn’t be as burdensome, time consuming or costly to the park.

The rule change came at the suggestion of outgoing President Bush, a mountain biker himself, in his final days in office. The proposal could be dead in the water already, however.

“When Obama came in, they put a freeze on all rule changes that had been promulgated by the outgoing administration,” said Bob Miller, spokesperson for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “At the end of any administration there is a lot of rule making, or changing, as they go out the door. The new administration wants to catch their breath and decide which are in play. There is no telling when this one will move forward.”

A public comment period has been underway for the rule change and will expire Feb. 17.

To read the rule change, go to edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-29892.htm. To comment, go to www.regulations.gov and use the code 1024-AD72.

— By Becky Johnson

By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist

A municipality would never think of electing a chief of police. But in North Carolina, sheriffs are elected like a high school popularity contest. When I tell people there are no qualifications required to run for sheriff, they are amazed.

Anyone can be elected sheriff without ever having completed first grade — although it’s not likely. A sheriff does not have to complete basic law enforcement training or have any law enforcement experience. This issue has surfaced again with the incident involving Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran.

Media reports say Cochran has had no law enforcement experience nor has he undergone basic law enforcement training. (The Smoky Mountain News, Jan. 21-26)

It is time for counties to do away with this archaic office bound by tradition and transfer the law enforcement function to professionals hired by and answerable to a commission or other oversight body. A county could still have an elected sheriff, who would be responsible for the jail, court security and civil process. The law enforcement function would be taken over by county police headed by an appointed chief. This would take partisan politics out of the law enforcement function, bring professionalism to the office, and establish accountability to the public.

Presently, the only control county commissioners have over a sheriff is his/her budget. Otherwise, the sheriff is not answerable to anyone for four years until he/she has to answer to the public at election time. Unfortunately, without any oversight, the public is often unaware of a sheriff’s effectiveness.

One argument to keep the office of sheriff is that it is the only office mentioned in the North Carolina Constitution. However, there is no mention in the constitution of the sheriff having law enforcement powers or protecting life and property.

Just for argument’s sake, here is a sampling of requirements some small towns are requiring in current advertisements for police chiefs:

• Archdale (Pop. 9,900) Bachelor’s degree. MA preferred in criminal justice related fields, advanced law enforcement certificate, high-level supervision experience.

• Mount Gilead (Pop. 1,389) Associate’s degree and minimum of three years experience.

• Erwin (Pop. 4,770) Must have thorough knowledge of law enforcement practices, procedures, requirements and working knowledge of administrative principles, finance, accounting and computers.

Another difference between a municipal police department and a sheriff’s office is that a sheriff may swear in a deputy. This allows that deputy to carry a badge and gun with powers of arrest for a year before attending Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET). Currently BLET is over 600 contact hours and is generally taught through the community college system. A municipality may not put a police officer on patrol with arrest powers until that officer has completed state mandated BLET. Other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies do not give an officer power of arrest until they successfully complete required training.

It is a common practice across North Carolina for sheriffs to fire and/or demote deputies who do not actively support their election. So if a deputy disagrees with a sheriff, he can lose his job for political reasons. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld this draconian practice. What other law enforcement or governmental agency can be so unreasonable in dealing with employees without due process?

It is time for North Carolina counties to establish county police departments, or at the least give deputies some form of civil service job protection and a grievance procedure overseen by neutral and objective persons. Sheriffs should have to abide by the same personnel regulations as other law enforcement agencies.

Many deputies loyal to the criminal justice system have had their careers cut short because of politics. Loyalty to the sheriff is seen as more important than loyalty to the criminal justice system and the public. When sheriffs demote or fire well trained and experienced officers, the taxpayers lose as well as the officers.

Another problem with the office of sheriff is the cost of the political campaign. The public should be concerned that sheriffs, unlike police chiefs or other law enforcement officials, become obligated to campaign contributors. The sheriff’s race is often the most expensive local race.

It hasn’t been too many years ago that the law was changed to require district attorneys to be lawyers and most counties have now done away with elected coroners in favor of medical examiners. Several counties have opted for county police. So there is precedent for counties to consider a move to county police.

(Bob Scott served as Executive Officer of the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. He has degrees in criminal justice, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and earned the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the N.C. Sheriff’s Education and Training Standards Commission. He may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)