To the Editor:

North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, a self-defined fiscal conservative, has a lot of explaining to do. He recently rejected to extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans because Democrats did not seek spending cuts to offset the $34 billion price tag. His position seemed to be logical and fair.

Burr’s voting record paints a different picture. He voted for the 2001 Bush tax cuts that cost over $890 billion in lost revenue. He voted yes on another extensive tax cut in 2003. The two massive tax cuts for the wealthy have cost us over $2 trillion. He also voted for the Iraq War Resolution in 2002 that has cost over $900 billion. Burr voted yes on these measures without seeking to offset their costs with spending cuts.

A common sense fiscal conservative would tell you that you cannot cut taxes and increase spending if you want to keep the deficit under control. Burr even voted for TARP, which will end up costing us $109 billion.

His yes vote for TARP shows that he is not really a free-market conservative. He understands that the federal government has to intervene into the economy when it is necessary. I believe he made the right decision by voting for TARP, even though it was and still is extremely unpopular. Nearly every economist agrees that the bank bailout saved us from another depression. Now Congress and Burr need to address “too big to fail” to prevent another financial collapse.

Burr ended up voting against the stimulus package in 2009 in an attempt to showcase his conservative credentials and backtrack from his wayward support of TARP, but his voting record is difficult to hide.

As of July 15, Burr has $6.3 million to spend for his reelection campaign, and he might have to spend every dollar to convince North Carolinians that he is a true fiduciary. Challenger Elaine Marshall has $163,000 on hand to combat Burr this fall. It will be tough for Marshall to overcome Burr’s big money, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is somewhat responsible for this huge discrepancy since they refused to endorse her during the primaries. This is forcing her to play catch-up.

A 38 to 1 funding advantage may help Burr sleep peacefully at night, but a lot can happen before November. Elaine Marshall needs to give specific alternatives to Burr’s supply-side economic policies that squandered Clinton’s $230 billion budget surplus. Burr helped Bush double the deficit in eight years. Now he wants to portray himself as a fiscal conservative. We should not let him off so easily. Elaine Marshall may be far behind in fundraising, but Burr’s record is her greatest weapon.

Chad Simons

Franklin

To the Editor:

The Waynesville Tailgate Market is celebrating 25 years of serving Haywood County. The longevity of the market is due to the growers, some who are first-time vendors while others have been a mainstay of 20-plus years. Main crops offered are, affordable fruits and vegetables. In addition one can find cut flowers, honey, nursery stock and black walnuts and a surprise item or two.

The market is now grower run, and all decisions are made as a group. Co-managers of the market are Steve and Judy West who have farmed and helped farmers of Haywood County for more than 30 years.

Some of our customers are old and loyal shoppers, some are new ones who are discovering the market and all it has to offer. Customers and vendors swap a lie or two, seeds, gardening tips and recipes. We know most by name if not certainly by face. Whether they are in town or out of town all our customers are welcomed and valued by all the vendors.

The market is certified for Senior and WIC coupons which can only be redeemed for fruits and vegetables. Most vendors are certified to accept coupons for vegetables and fruits that are available on market.

Market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon in the American Legion parking lot through Oct. 30.

Judy West

Market Manager

To the Editor:

Something is terribly wrong when the region has a “ready-made” audience of an estimated 18 million visitors and everyone is singing the blues about lack of business. Either the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway visitation numbers are in error or there’s something wrong at the private and public sector with products and marketing.

I think it’s the latter.

David Redman

Sylva

To the Editor:

I read with great interest your recent column about the tourism industry in Western North Carolina. As a result of your insightful comments about the need for tourism research and based on my years of working as a consultant in the tourism industry in the area of destination development, I want to offer two suggestions for the industry.

An easy and inexpensive way for any entity in the region to get valid tourism information “in real” time is to use an intercept interview survey conducted by college students and/or senior volunteers. All that is needed is for a focus for the survey to be defined, e.g., why you selected this area, what you want most from a tourism visit, your rating of the value/friendliness of the destination, etc.

The survey could then be developed with the help of a professor/class in marketing or statistics at an institution such as WCU, HCC or SCC OR all three.

Then the interview team (with proverbial clipboards in hand) fan out across the region for an extended period of time or on a regular cycle, i.e., the first week of every third month to adjust for seasonality until a few hundred surveys have been completed. Merchants could provide discount/free coupons as an incentive for the person to take 3 to 5 minutes to answer the survey conducted by the volunteer interviewer.

This is not brain surgery. They could just walk the streets of Sylva, Dillsboro, Waynesville, etc. and/or attend events such as art/craft shows, Folkmoot and/or visit local campgrounds and/or just be stationed at the visitor centers in these respective communities and ask folks who stop to get visitor information a few (8 to 12 questions) and move on.

If a standardized survey to be used in the intercept interviews was developed, it could also be added to Web sites of entities in the region, made available at the front desk of hotels, given at restaurants at check out time, etc. An incentive could be offered to complete the survey, i.e. name entered into a contest for a free ... whatever.

In short order and with little money, the tourism industry would have a baseline of valid statistical data that could be culled through for insights that might drive change in how the destination presents itself to the nation. If the entities who launch this effort make a long term commitment to making data-driven decisions about how best to market WNC as a region, we could have a leg up on most any other area of the Southeast that does not have a single focus.

Even without this type of “real time” research, there is another golden opportunity the region could leverage and the target market is easy to find. It is called “grand” tourism by some, not unlike developing a specific niche market such as eco-tourism, Grand tourism is a focus on GRANDparents. Free demographic data on the aging Baby Boomers travel preferences is everywhere. Guess what they want... to enjoy time with grandchildren.

However, amplified by the recession, these same millions of Boomer grandparents are looking to get out in nature, have a safe destination, be in close proximity to a wide variety of activities appropriate for grandchildren, and save money. They want value for their vacation dollar. Just think of WNC as a single destination, depending on the time of the year... we have whitewater rafting, fly-fishing, mountain climbing, festivals, Corvettes, Harleys, train rides, snow skiing, the Biltmore, WNC Nature Center, shopping, museums, the highest mountain in the Eastern U.S., Ghost Town, REAL Cherokee Indians, waterfalls. All of these “themed” parks are less than a two-hour ride in most any direction from a central location such as Maggie Valley or Waynesville.

John Curtis, Ph.D.

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Taxpayers should be infuriated about any tax dollars going to such an organization as the Evergreen Foundation. It is about time that county commissioners are taking a stand on behalf of the tax dollars as it relates to mental health, especially given this strange relationship with Evergreen.

How can our state and legislators allow this to continue? This is supposed to be about mental health, not financial gain.

Thanks to the Smoky Mountain Center for taking on this issue on behalf of the taxpayers and those in need of mental health services. How about a little help from our “elected” officials? Taking the word of the Evergreen director is not good enough, considering the relationship.

Ed Seavey

Waynesville

Western Carolina University’s Police Department will host a free law enforcement seminar on police officer survival skills from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Friday, July 30. Deputy Jeff DeGrow of the Charleston County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office will re-enact an incident in which he survived being shot six times responding to a burglary in progress.

Geared to veterans of law enforcement and recent police academy graduates alike, the seminar also will cover critical incident care, stress management, identifying as an officer, and other survival techniques. 828.227.7301.

The women’s giving circle, Women for Women, was able to award $235,000 in new grants this year. To date, the initiative has distributed more than $1.2 million in grants.

More than 1,000 women attended Women For Women’s sixth annual “Power Of The Purse event, where the grants were announced in late May.

This year, OnTrack Financial Education and Counseling received $100,000 to develop a Women’s Financial Empowerpent Center. The Task Force on Family Violence: REACH received $100,000 to expand counseling, educational training and job placement to survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.cfwnc.org/women.

An “old-fashioned” groundbreaking will be held July 30 for the new Homestead hospice inpatient facility, complete with a working mule and plow and banjo music.

The hospice has raised $2.8 million of the $3.6 million needed to build and equip the facility through two generous grants, community donations and a donation from the Bernice Medford estate. The new facility will house six beds for hospice patients, offering families with a  dying loved one a choice in between hospitalization and in-home care.

The groundbreaking will be held at 10 a.m. near the construction site on the hospital campus. Marc Pruett of the Balsam Range will provide bluegrass music for the occasion. Construction on the inpatient facility is expected to be completed by Sept. 2011. Clark & Leatherwood construction company of Waynesville  is slated to serve as contractors for the project.

The second phase of the project will eventually be the end-of-life outreach center, which will focus on outpatient services and community outreach programs, including space for medical professionals, therapists, clergy and volunteers to collaboratively manage care for patients in the home care hospice program. There will be private rooms for counseling services and bereavement therapy, a reference library for resources related to terminal diseases and end-of-life issues, and a community education center with multimedia capability. A courtyard will connect the two buildings, and memorial gardens will provide for intentional counseling through gardening and for memorial butterfly and dove releases.

828.452.8471.

Western North Carolina’s rich cultural heritage comes to life on Aug. 6 through during the Asheville Quilt Guild’s 28th Annual Show at The North Carolina Arboretum.

The popular show is a judged event featuring more than 250 quilts of exceptional craftsmanship from across the U.S. and worldwide. The three-day show offers live demonstrations, a vendor’s mall and more. This year’s theme is “Stars Over the Mountains.”

The show runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. $8 for parking per vehicle and $5 for the Quilt Show.

Visitors to The Arboretum during the Quilt Show will also be able to explore engaging indoor and outdoor exhibits, including:

• “Balance and Beauty: A Visual Celebration of Rural Life,” featuring paintings by Margaret Scanlan at the Baker Exhibit Center.

• “Inflorescence,” a new outdoor sculpture exhibit throughout the Arboretum’s gardens by Jason S. Brown and Elizabeth Scofield that features a variety of botanical forms created from synthetic nylon fabric.

828.665.2492 or www.ncarboretum.org.

Tickets for Western Carolina University’s 2010-10 University Theatre Mainstage season, which is packed with popular Broadway musicals and smaller experimental works, will go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 10.

Mainstage productions are directed by faculty members from the School of Stage and Screen. For the first time, the season includes three musicals: “The Seven Deadly Sins,” an operatic ballet by Kurt Weill; “Rent” by Jonathan Larson; and “Kiss Me, Kate” by Cole Porter.

In addition to the musical works are a combination of contemporary and intimate productions staged in the university’s Niggli Theatre: the comedy “Romantic Fools” by Rich Orloff; the Tony Award-nominated “Reasons to be Pretty” by Neil LaBute; and a selection of “theAtrainplays,” six short works by different authors all set on an iconic New York subway route.

Tickets may be purchased individually or in season packages. The six-show combo is $60, a savings of $40 over regular ticket prices.

Anyone interested in offering financial support for the University Theatre and its student organization, the University Players, can become a member of the Patron Club, which offers three membership levels. Go to www.wcu.edu/4915.asp for more information.

For tickets, 828.227.2479. For further information, 828.227.7491.

The two-day Mountain High BBQ & Music Festival is back for its second year at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center, home of the Macon County Fair. Doors will be open from 10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13, and from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14.

Teams will prepare their best BBQ on Friday and Saturday, hoping to be named Grand Champion and earn a N.C. State Championship.

In addition to the BBQ at this year’s festival, attendees will be treated to craft and retail vendors, and new this year is a Cornhole Tournament.

Cornhole is a lawn game played with bags filled with corn. The object is to toss the bags into a 6-inch hole cut in a 2-foot by 4-foot platform 30 feet away. The tournament will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13.

Registration forms are available at www.franklin-chamber.com and www.MountainHighBBQFestival.com, or pick one up at the chamber located at 425 Porter Street. Registration fee is $25 per two-person team. Cash prizes include $200 first place, $100 second place and $50 third place.

Every category of knitted items imaginable will be represented at The Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild’s  2nd Annual Benefit Fashion Show — including socks, mittens, menswear, baby clothes, skirts, sweaters, hats, handbags, children’s wear and more. This year’s benefit — with the theme of “Four Seasons” —will feature an array of fashions for all year long.

This gala event, including a luncheon, will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at The Gateway Club in Waynesville. Proceeds from the fashion show and luncheon will benefit HRMC Hospice and Palliative Care.

Members of the Smoky Mountain Knitting Guild, as well as yarn shops and knitters from Franklin, Sylva, Canton, and Asheville, will contribute the hand-knit fashions, the models and the moxie. HRMC and Hospice personnel may also be corralled as models.

With more than 100 members and still growing, the Guild also hosts small weekly knitting circles and offers organized classes. It meets on the second Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. in the new fellowship hall at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 234 Church St., Waynesville. Guild members’ handiwork can also be seen during the month of July in the Haywood St. entrance display window of the Waynesville Branch Public Library.

Tickets for the annual sale are available from Blue Ridge Books, The Laughing Lamb Antiques (Frog Level) and HRMC Hospital Gift Shop or from any of the Guild members. Tables for eight may be reserved with the group purchase of 8 tickets.  Contact Barbara Mancini at 828.627.9784. To learn more about the Guild, visit SMKGuild.com or call Kristi Siplon at 828.550.3136. There are no dues or fees associated with the knitters’ circles, and the cost of membership in The Guild is nominal.

Angela Faye Martin and the Scarlet Oak Sway will showcase its unique rock-and-roll sound when the band performs from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, July 30, at Sylva’s Bridge Park Pavilion.

Martin, a talented musician from Franklin, added the Scarlet Oak Sway last year for what was to be a one-time show to release her album, “Pictures From Home.” However, the band, comprised of musicians from Macon and Jackson counties, was a hit with fans and that evolved into a year-long tour of venues across the Southeast.

The band’s impromptu tour makes its final stop in downtown Sylva. The free show is part of a summer concert series each Friday evening through Labor Day weekend.

Martin says folks in Sylva can expect a setlist of the band’s original music, a haunting pop-rock sound with Southern and country tinges.

“People expect traditional mandolins and banjos out of the mountains, we play neither. This is primarily a rock outfit,” Martin explains. “The first time we played in Atlanta, a rock critic came up to me and asked, ‘These guys are from the mountains?’ That’s when I knew we were onto something.”

Joining Martin in the Scarlet Oak Sway are: lead guitarist Chris Cooper, keyboardist Jeff Southerland and drummer Adam Woleslagle.

“We want to take our sound further out into the world, but love playing near home, where the songs were written,” Martin says.

Concerts on the Creek are co-produced by: the Downtown Sylva Association, Town of Sylva, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Jackson Country Travel & Tourism and Jackson County Parks & Recreation.

800.962.1911 or www.mountainlovers.com.

The Josh Fields Band will perform a free concert at Materfest at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 6, in Canton.

From Haywood County, The Josh Fields Band mixes classic and contemporary country, Southern rock and a bluegrass leaning to make a sound all their own.

With tight three part harmonies, the Josh Fields Band prides itself on playing many original songs that are reminiscent of older times.

Visit www.joshfieldsband.com and look for their upcoming album “Tobacco Road” due out on Aug. 28. For more on Materfest, visit www.focusoncanton.com/materfest.html.

Dehlia Low will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center. The Asheville-based band offers fresh originality while also echoing the sounds of early country with a strong bluegrass flavor.

The show is part of the award-winning “An Appalachian Evening” concert and dinner series, which showcases bluegrass, folk and old-time music every Saturday evening through Aug. 28. Coming up on Aug. 7 is bluegrass group The Kruger Brothers.

“An Appalachian Evening” was named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2008 and is a featured event in the Blue Ridge Parkway 75th Anniversary community spotlight.

On Saturday, plan to come early to an authentic Appalachian Dinner served family-style at the Stecoah Kitchen, with seatings at 5 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

Concert tickets are $15 adult and $5 K-12 and can be purchased by calling 828.479.3364, in person at the Stecoah Gallery, or at www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

Every year, railroad enthusiasts and history buffs gather in Bryson City for the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s Railfest. This year, the 9th annual weekend railroading event takes place Sep. 17, 18 and 19.

The fun begins Friday night with a special “Wet Your Whistle” celebration train reception. The festival offers guests a taste of railroad food, memorabilia, storytelling, dance, music, special excursions and events that happen only once a year.

In addition to many display vehicles, motorcar rides will also be available on both Sept. 18 and 19. Railroads from the present and the past will be represented by motorcars from the U.S. and Canada. These track cars were formerly used on railroads to inspect track and carry track gangs and their tools out to work zones. The cars are now privately owned and used to ride on short line railroads nationwide.

On Saturday, Sept. 18, festivities include an authentic Mountain Craft Fair with close to 50 area crafters and artists displaying and selling their handmade crafts, pottery and artwork. Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will present local entertainment featuring singing, dancing and mountain folk music.

There will be food vendors, a children’s talent contest and winner’s jamboree and a bouncy train for children 8 and under.

On Sunday, Sept. 19, there will be a Nantahala Gorge “Photo Special” Excursion. This eight-hour roundtrip excursion takes you from Bryson City to Andrews, and includes two photo run-by opportunities and a picnic lunch. Visitors to Bryson City will enjoy mountain music with various artists throughout the day.

The Liquid Ginger Band — featuring former Graham County resident Ginger Edwards Fawcett on lead vocals — will perform from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, July 30, in front of the Wildwood Grill restaurant at Fontana Village Resort.

Working out of the Savannah, Ga., music scene, the band is known for its pure rock and roll sound with just a hint of country and classic blues. Considered one of the hottest acts in Savannah, Liquid Ginger has won numerous Entertainer of the Year awards. The band’s sound has overtones of pop, dance and alternative rock that always has the audience on their feet.

Johnny Floor & The Wrong Crowd will be entertaining guests from 8 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Fontana Recreation Hall. Their music style is best described as Americana. The band is frequently featured at festivals throughout the region.

828.498.2211 or 800.849.2258.

If you love the mellow, romantic songs of the oldies jazz big band era, check out Oldies Night with the Waynesville Wildcats.

The oldies jazz band will take the stage from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 30, at Ceviches On Main restaurant in Waynesville. Oldies Night brings together jazz singers and instrumentalists to create an evening of classic oldies jazz covers & signature songs from crooners like Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, and other jazz legends.

This Oldies Night features the superb jazz guitarist George Jones, who has backed up The Supremes and Frank Sinatra Jr. among others. Bassist David Lawter will be sitting in with the band later in the evening.

No cover charge.

Registration for fall personal enrichment classes is beginning at Southwestern Community College.

The first course offering at SCC-Cashiers Center (217 Frank Allen Road) will be an eight-hour workshop on Digital Camera Basics, starting Monday, Aug. 16. The class will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 16, 23, and 30, and Sept. 13.

This course will cover the basics of using your digital camera and using the various functions and tools available with it. There will be practical applications of photography theory and opportunities to explore several forms of expression. The class will conclude with the basics of getting digital photos from the camera to a computer, and simple editing and production of prints.

The instructor will be Michael Rich, the current director at Cashiers Center, who has been a professional photographer and worked for Mountaineer Publishing as staff photographer and photo editor.

828.339.4272.

Two FUNd Parties will be held in August to help raise money for the Haywood County Arts Council’s Arts in Schools program.

Join in on an evening under the stars at the 10th Annual Wine for the Arts, starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 24, at the home of Kay and Ron Isserman.

Co-hosted by the Classic Wineseller, Inc, guests will enjoy spacious decks that draw them outside and cozy overstuffed sofas to keep them comfy inside. Enjoy the fun of a “blind” wine tasting and partake in the fruit of the vine alongside culinary delights to completely satisfy the palate. $40 per participant and the ticket purchase deadline is Monday, Aug. 16.

On Wednesday, Aug. 25, it is Bridge and Lunch with a View from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sky-high experience is offered for foursomes to provide another excuse to play Bridge and enjoy a delicious lunch while experiencing the breathtaking view of Haywood County from high above on Bottoms Way. Paid reservations must be made for tables of four, $180 per table. Deadline to purchase tickets is Monday, Aug. 2.

Call Karen for more information at 828.235.9219; for tickets, call 828.452.0593.

The feature film “Wesley” will be screened at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

“Wesley” is based closely on the actual events of John Wesley’s life, a story that already reads much like a Hollywood screenplay.

Arledge Armenaki, WCU associate professor of cinematography, was the director of photography for the movie.

Sixteen Western Carolina University students got hands-on experience as crew for “Wesley” during filming on locations in and around Winston-Salem and Morganton for two months in 2007 and two weeks in 2008, including a sold-out red carpet premiere. WCU students and faculty also were cast in the movie.

Wesley is a compelling and controversial main character that women found intensely attractive; there is adventure on the high seas, a terrible storm and near-shipwreck. In the newly settled Savannah, Ga., there is an incredibly romantic but star-crossed love affair that ends tragically. Wesley is crushed, and on his return to England, we experience his spiritual struggle and finally renewal. We are then swept away with his preaching in the fields and his efforts to help the lowest classes of society. His ministry is controversial, there is mob violence, confrontation, and tension followed by his victorious preaching to thousands in his hometown.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the center box office at 1028 Georgia Road in Franklin, at Dalton’s Christian Bookstore in Franklin and Waynesville, and online at GreatMountainMusic.com, or call 866.273.4615.

In August, educational programs continue in Highlands with three diverse artists-in-residence workshops.

• Lewis Knauss, “Fiber and Handmade Paper into Sculpture,” Aug. 10 to 14.

Combining ceramic and fiber, this workshop will guide students through five days of sheer enjoyment combining off-loom techniques with Eastern papermaking to create a lightweight sculpture. His works, which reference landscape and a sense of place, will engage each student in a memorable experience. Tuition is $475 Bascom members/ $500 non-members (most materials included).

• Mira Lehr, “Painting and Layering,” August 24 to 28.

While combining Japanese paper and collage with painting, take risks and experience new levels of creativity and expression with this workshop. Described as a visual poet, Lehr teaches students to search, analyze and develop their own vision. Tuition is $500 Bascom members/$525 non-members.

• Tom Turner, “Attention to Detail”, August 27 to 28.

This workshop is an exposé of Turner’s approach to throwing, decorating and finishing porcelain pottery. His approach is graceful and inviting, alluring and complex. Tuition is $200 Bascom members/ $225 non-members.

Turner’s and Lehr’s works will be featured in The Bascom’s “Fire and Heat by Three” exhibition, which opens Sept. 11 in the loft gallery.

The public is invited to meet with all three artists-in-residence. Lewis Knauss on Aug. 10, Mira Lehr on Aug. 24 and Tom Turner on Aug. 27. Enjoy demonstrations and learn what motivates and inspires them. All artist talks, which are free to the public, begin at 5 p.m. and are preceded by a public reception at 4:30 p.m.

The Art Academy, classes for non-artist, beginners and continuing students, begins Summer Session III on Aug. 2. Courses will be offered in Outdoor Drawing, Life Drawing, Interactive Art Appreciation, Painting: Oil or Acrylic, Watercolor Basics: Design, Pastels: Studies in the Landscape and/or Botanical Watercolor. Four classes per course. $120 Bascom members/ $125 non-members.

Registration required. 828.526.4949 or visit www.thebascom.org/artacademy.

The upland waterways of the southern highlands provide one of the region’s most interesting natural areas. Unlike most upland habitats — which generally occur as blocks or patches — streams form long corridors that afford rich and varied niches for  plants and animals that have adapted their lifestyles accordingly.

Within the water there’s a variety of animal life, ranging from native brook trout to grotesque hellbenders to water shrews equipped with hairy feet that allow them to hunt underwater. In quiet nooks of pools and eddies, waterstriders skate on film provided by the surface tension of the water.

Over the water corridor, kingfishers, dragonflies and other species establish linear territories. Along the edges, Louisana waterthrushes hunt for worms and snails that they take to their young hatched in nests built back under the banks.

Within the spray zones of waterfalls and cascades, there’s the shimmering emerald world of the mosses, liverworts, ferns and other moisture-loving plants. Then, somewhat farther back — in the miniature flood plains or wash zones created by periodic overflows — a variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants form thick walls of undergrowth and overhanging canopy that define the outer edges (or walls) of the corridor.

Shrub yellowroot (Xanthoriza simplicissima), one of the most distinctive and important plants found here in the Blue Ridge, occurs along the banks of most streams. Yellowroot is distinctive because of the handsome tassel of flowers that sometimes appear as early as February and the strategies it has devised for growth and seed dispersal in areas often invaded by raging currents. The plant is also economically and socially important because of its medicinal use and the yellow dye Cherokee women extract from the plant’s inner pulp for tinting basket splints.

If you’re not familiar with yellowroot, look for a woody plant about 8- to 24-inches high that looks to me like a miniature palm tree; that is, all the leafy green growth is at the top of the stem. A participant in one of my plant identification workshops disagreed, saying that it looked like carrot tops.

The flowers emerge on graceful drooping racemes about 3-inches in length. These flowers consist of five purplish-brown sepals (no petals) about a half inch in diameter. The most distinctive feature of the flower is the bright yellow dot in its center — the pollen used to attract pollinators.

The yellowish follicles or fruits produced in summer disperse seeds that float away on inflated capsules.  That makes wonderful sense of why the plant favors a streamside habitat and of how it becomes distributed downstream.

The tissue under the bark is a bright yellow hue that rivals the color of fine butter. The slender roots have long been used for medicinal purposes. Doug Elliott, in his neglected little book Roots (The Chatham Press, 1976), advises that “many people who do use it, including myself, chew a section of the bitter root regularly as a general tonic with an especially beneficial effect on the gastric system.”

Many years ago, Martha Ross, a resident of the Big Cove Community on the Qualla Boundary and a member of family well known for their basketry, told me that her mother, Charlotte Lossiah, “didn’t use yellowroot as a dye too much except with honeysuckle. She liked to use bloodroot. But I like yellowroot. We also use butternut and walnut and bloodroot. You can gather yellowroot anytime, but it’s best in spring when you get a brighter color. It’s a little dull in winter. The roots can be used if you beat them with a hammer, but I like the stems to get the prettiest yellow. You scrape the pulp into a kettle of boiling water on the stove. Pull the splints out to the edge so that the yellow fills up a little hole in the center. After 30 or 40 minutes it’s ready. I never dye a big batch at once, just enough to make a few baskets.”

George Ellison wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees. In June 2005, a selection of his Back Then columns was published by The History Press in Charleston as Mountain Passages: Natural and Cultural History of Western North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains. Readers can contact him at P.O. Box 1262, Bryson City, N.C., 28713, or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting for volunteers for the Adopt-a-Trail program.

A mandatory training program will be held on Saturday, July 31, on the North Carolina side of the Park for interested volunteers.

Volunteers are asked to hike their adopted trail section eight times between spring and fall and report major problems to park rangers. Minor issues would be handled by the volunteers, like removing small limbs from across the trail, clipping back encroaching branches, picking up trash and removing illegal fire rings found along trail.

The training will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at the park entrance on U.S. 441.

RSVP by July 26. 828.497.1949 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Great Smoky Mountains Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will throw its annual banquet at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation was integral to the reintroduction of elk in the Smokies. The annual banquet is their primary fundraising and social event of the year.

The lively evening includes a prime rib dinner, raffles, silent auction and live auction — including more than 15 rifles or shotguns and a bow. Other auction items include hunting trips, a pack trip and Bristol race tickets.

The park’s two elk experts, wildlife biologist Kim DeLozier and elk researcher Joe Yarkovich, will give a presentation on the status of the Smokies elk prior to the banquet at 4 p.m.

$45. Contact Joyce Cooper in Cherokee at 828.506.3308 or Rusty McLean in Waynesville at 828.452.2896.

Stocking a river with one of the nation’s rarest fish is a slow and gentle process.

On a recent summer day, biologist Steve Fraley lowered a clear-plastic bag full of water and 50 small, threatened fish called spotfin chub, into Graham County’s Cheoah River, holding it closed until the water temperature in the bag approached that of the river’s. After a few minutes, he opened the bag and slowly mixed in river water before finally giving the fish free rein to enter the river. By the end of the day, 844 of the tiny fish were released following the painstaking acclimation process.

“To watch us empty those bags in the river may seem a little anti-climatic, but returning this rare fish to this river is a tremendous step in restoring the river’s rich diversity and one that is the result of a lot of effort by a lot of people,” said Fraley, a biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission who has directed the effort to restore the spotfin chub in the Cheoah.

This is the second year in a row the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has stocked the rare minnow in the Cheoah, and the latest chapter in an effort to bring back the river’s biodiversity. For decades the nine-mile river reach between Lake Santeetlah and its confluence with the Little Tennessee River was largely dewatered by Alcoa Power, which diverted the river to a hydropower generator.

Some fish and other aquatic life, including a remnant population of endangered Appalachian elktoe mussels, were able to hold on in the Cheoah River thanks to a trickle of water seeping through the dam and small feeder creeks.

A few years ago, however, federal environmental regulations forced Alcoa to stop diverting the entire river and return a small flow of water to the natural riverbed.

The spotfin chub, a fish on the federal endangered species list, is the latest in a series of reintroductions aimed at restoring aquatic life to this stretch of river. Wavy-rayed lampmussels and the wounded darter, a small, bottom-dwelling fish, are also being reintroduced. Other native species on the horizon for stocking in the Cheoah include the rainbow and Appalachian elktoe mussels.

The effort is being led by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the N.C. Wildlife Commission.

The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will host a “Walk ‘n Talk” in the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside Bryson City at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 23.

Two retired WCU professors, Glenn Liming and Dan Patillo, will take the group on a short hike to a waterfall, followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Anyone interested in discussing environmental issues and water quality in Jackson and Swain counties is welcome. 828.488.8418 or WATRnc.org.

Jackson County resident Josie Williams will be guest storyteller at a special children’s storytime at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 24, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Williams is co-creator (with her sister-in law Kim Williams) of Shert: The Helping Hand Glove Puppet, a book-and-puppet combination for children. Shert is an acronym for Safety, Helping, Encouraging, Relating, Teaching. The simple glove puppet is both toy and teaching tool.

Williams will read from the book, Shert: Goes to the Park and introduce children to puppets. 828.586.9499.

Join the fun at a Star Wars party at 2 p.m on Saturday, July 31, at Blue Ridge Books. The bookstore in Waynesville is one of only 70 in the United States hosting a 2010 DK Star Wars Event. The party is co-sponsored by the DK publishing company.

The event will include games and crafts for children, a trivia contest for all ages, free Star Wars souvenirs for the first 100 participants, and a costume contest. Star Wars prizes will be given for contest winners and there will be a raffle for other Star Wars prizes. The highlight of the event will be a special appearance by several members of the 501st Legion, a costuming organization formed in 1997. Be sure to bring a camera. 828.456.6000.

Dr. Barbara Carlton will autograph copies of her book, This Nearly Was Mine: A Journey Through Carlton Country at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28, in the Friendship Garden at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library.

In June 1994, the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library was dedicated. The site for the library was purchased by the Carlton family. Dr. Carlton has continued her support with spearheading the expansion of the library in 2007.

Proceeds from the sale of her book will go to the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library Foundation, which supports the library and the Friends of the Library and the Summit Charter School.

A group of award-winning mountain dulcimer players — including several national champion musicians — will present a concert of dulcimer music at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 22, at Western Carolina University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The concert is sponsored by WCU’s Division of Educational Outreach and features the staff of Mountain Dulcimer Week, an annual residential workshop that brings together dulcimer masters and players of all skill levels for a week of courses and performances.

The show will feature a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs played on baritone and bass dulcimers, and some played with a violin bow. Performers will include Susan Trump of New York and Molly McCormack of Kentucky, both of whom accompany themselves while singing, and national champions Jeff Hames of Mississippi and Erin Rogers of Kansas.

$12 adults, $7 students and children. Tickets are available at the arts center box office from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, by calling 828.227.2479, or at www.wcu.edu/fapac.

Space is still available for courses during Mountain Dulcimer Week, scheduled for July 18 to 23. dulcimer.wcu.edu or 828.227.7397.

Join Bean Sidhe, pronounced ban-shee, for a lively evening of traditional music from the British Isles. The premier Celtic band of the Smokies will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 22, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

The group began as a means for members to explore the connections linking traditional music from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales with its contemporary American counterparts, especially in the bluegrass, country, and folk genres. The band currently has four members: David Russell, who may have lost count of the exact number of musical instruments he plays, but he is capable of playing at least a dozen at the performance level; Amanda Burts plays recorder and accordion; Ralph Wright-Murphy, who is a classically trained baritone, sings, plays bodhran (Irish drum) and guitar; and rounding out the group is Karin Lyle, a professional musician from Waynesville who plays harp and violin, and can be found teaching at the Balsam Gallery Dulcimer Shop in Waynesville.

The Friends of the Marianna Black Library will provide snacks and refreshments. This program is free.

828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

Celebrate the remarkable bonds of familial harmony this weekend at The Highlands Cashiers Chamber Music Festival.

“All In The Family” parts I and II will feature performances by brother and sister pianist William Ransom and violinist Kate Ransom and the HCCMF debut of sisters The Albers Trio.

On Friday, July 23, the Ransoms will deliver Antonin Dvorak’s brilliant “Sonatina in G Major, Op. 100.” The Ransoms are no strangers to sharing the stage — every HCCMF season contains at least one duet by this dynamic team.

The Ransoms will be followed by the Albers Trio’s performance of Ernst von Dohnanyi’s “Serenade in C Major for String Trio, Op. 10.” The Albers sisters — violinist Laura, violist Rebecca, and cellist Julie — will also perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s “String Trio in G Major, Op. No. 1.”

On Sunday, July 25, the Ransoms return with Bela Bartok’s “Roumanian Folk Dances.” The Albers Trio follows with Bohuslav Martinu’s “String Trio No. 2.”

Following Intermission, the Ransoms and The Albers Trio will team up for Dvorak’s “Quintet in A major, op. 81.”

The Highlands Cashiers Chamber Music Festival stretches through Sunday, Aug. 15. Concerts are held at 6 p.m. Fridays at the Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center in Highlands and repeated at 5 p.m. Saturdays at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library in Cashiers. Sunday concerts are staged at 5 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center in Highlands and repeated at 5 p.m. Mondays at the Cashiers Community Library.

www.h-cmusicfestival.org or 828.526.9060.

The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet takes the stage 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 23, for the weekly Concerts on the Creek series in downtown Sylva, and the group encourages other brass musicians to join the fun.

Brass players of all ages are invited to bring their instruments to Sylva’s Bridge Park and play along with the quintet on two songs. The selections will be played just after intermission, and the music for the songs is available for download at: www.smbq.org/music/music.html.

“If you’re in the Sylva area, dust off your instrument cases, oil your valves and slides, and come join us,” said trumpet player David Ginn.

The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet is a popular group that serves as quintet in residence at Western Carolina University. The quintet has performed nationally in such venues as Carnegie Hall, as well as internationally with tours of Russia, the United Kingdom and China. Their unique music ranges from early renaissance to rock.

In addition to Ginn, the band consists of Brad Ulrich on trumpet, Dan Cherry on trombone, Mike Schallock on tuba and Travis Bennett on French horn.

This free show is part of a summer concert series each Friday evening through Labor Day weekend.

Concerts on the Creek are co-produced by: the Town of Sylva, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Jackson County Parks & Recreation, Downtown Sylva Association, and Jackson Country Travel & Tourism.

800.962.1911 or www.mountainlovers.com.

Creating a youthful, energetic mood, the new 175-seat Entertainment Lounge at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel is the focal point in the property’s Mountain Breeze zone, one of four themed zones of the casino, which is soon to be doubled in size as part of its $633 million expansion. The Mountain Breeze zone is characterized by rich, striking colors, strobe lighting and pulsating music. More than 700 new games are being added to this zone, with the new 3,000+ seat Events Center on its upper level set to open Labor Day weekend.

The Entertainment Lounge features live music on Wednesday through Saturday nights and a variety of stimulating bar top games. Music will include a rotating roster of entertainment for adults of all ages and interests. With 33 plasma-screen TVs, a 13-foot over-the-stage projector, and concert-level audio, guests will also be able to enjoy sporting events and music videos. The Lounge will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily with full bar service. For the balance of July, except July 22, 23 and 30, the Entertainment Lounge will host live karaoke from 8 p.m. to midnight every Wednesday, dueling pianos from 8 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays, and live bands from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Ultimate Elvis Competition will take over the Entertainment Lounge on July 22 and 23. The Ultimate Elvis finals will take place in the Ballroom at 7:30 p.m. July 24. On Friday, July 30, Terry Lee and the GTs will perform from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. in the Lounge.

828.497.7777 or www.harrahscherokee.com.

The popular play, “The Prince of Dark Corners,” by local writer and storyteller Gary Carden will be performed at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at the historic Rickman Store in Macon County’s Cowee Valley.

The play centers on the life and times of the Carolina outlaw, Major Lewis Redmond, and has been performed widely in North Carolina and South Carolina over the past several years.

Seating is limited to 60. Tickets are $15 and can be obtained at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and at the Rickman Store on Fridays and Saturdays. All proceeds will go to support the preservation and maintenance of the Rickman Store.

Filled with wit, humor, and pathos that pays homage to the eternal image of the true American folk hero, the play has been lauded as an entertaining glimpse into the life of one of the Carolina’s most colorful characters.

The T.M.Rickman Store is located seven miles north of Franklin by Hwy. NC 28 on Cowee Creek Road next to Cowee Elementary School.

Students will learn the basics of quilt piecing and machine quilting while making an easy tote bag at a one-day workshop Saturday, July 31, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center.

Participants will use the “Mini-Charmer” pattern, which is available at local quilt shops & online. A sewing machine in good working condition, preferably with a “walking foot,” is required.  If you don’t have a portable sewing machine to bring to class, don’t let that stop you. Contact Melinda at Stecoah Valley Center or the instructor, Rena Magolnick, at 828.479.2100.

$20 if you bring your own materials, or $55 including the fabric and pattern. A material and supplies list will be provided when you register. To register, 828.479.3364.

Local residents of all ages are exploring one of the newest and hottest fitness classes: Latin Aerobics. This upbeat class offers a fun-filled, hip-shaking cardiovascular workout where students can enjoy Salsa, Samba, African, Cumbia, and Reggaeton rhythms, all while toning and sculpting their bodies.

“This is a fitness option for all ages. The class makes exercise fun, so people feel motivated to come each week,” says Nicole Polzella, local instructor and director of AccessDance WNC, a mobile dance instruction company. Waynesville Inn Golf Resort and Day Spa is already on board, providing Latin Aerobics classes at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and 4 p.m. on Thursdays.

To take part or learn more, contact AccessDance WNC at 828.276.6458 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The annual Parish Fair will feature smoked barbecue, a drawing for a locally-made colorful quilt, and music and entertainment, including a children’s booth and games. The fair takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 31, at Grace Episcopal Church.

Bargain hunters can find good buys in clothing, books and boutique items at the flea market and garden shop. Some appliances and furniture will also be offered.

All proceeds from the fair go to support local charities.

Grace Church in the Mountains is at the corner of Miller and Haywood streets in Waynesville.

Penland School of Crafts will host a professional development workshop for artists living in Western North Carolina from Oct. 1 to 3.

The workshops will be taught by the nonprofit group Creative Capital and is geared for all artists who would like to earn their living from their art or would like to take their art-based career to a new level of professionalism.

The weekend workshop is an intensive two-and-a-half-day crash course in self-management, strategic planning, fundraising, and promotion, including lectures, peer critiques, one-on-one consultations, interactive exercises, and written assignments. Participants will be given a workbook as well as handouts with practical how-to information, and they will meet with leaders in small groups.

The workshop is open to artists living in the following Western North Carolina counties; Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey.

Applicants will be asked to submit a resume, a letter of interest, and photographs of their work. Tuition for the workshop, which takes place on the Penland campus in Mitchell County, is $50. Housing and meals are available at additional cost. Applications due Aug. 16.

www.penland.org or www.creative-capital.org.

“For the Love of Color: Mixed-up Media,” an exhibition of works by Sylvia Everett, will take place from Wednesday, Aug. 4, to Saturday, Aug. 21. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through. A special artist’s reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 6, in conjunction with the Waynesville Gallery Association’s Art After Dark event.

In 1995, Everett was one of the first artists to exhibit at the Haywood County Arts Council’s newly founded Little Gallery on Church Street. From 1995 to 2001, she was a resident artist at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Mass. She maintained a working studio on campus and provided help and guidance to students who chose to use art as a way to explore theological questions.

In addition to the weaving, mosaic, and painting of this exhibition, Everett has created many large banners using painted silk and cut paper as well as seasonal installations for First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

Everett has also provided worship settings for Lake Junaluska and was an artistic consultant for the Bethea Welcome Center, where her large sculptural installation, “Song of Justice,” is permanently displayed. That sculpture, composed of 27 vintage organ pipes and authentic ethnic fabrics, honors the many cultures of people who come to Lake Junaluska.

www.haywoodarts.org.

A special art showing of David Arms’ works will run July 30 through Aug. 1 as part of Old Edwards Inn and Spa’s Season of the Arts.

For many years, Arms was one of the leading special event designers in the country, producing award-winning events from coast to coast. In 1996, he was presented the “Award of Excellence” by Special Events Magazine for his outstanding designs and contributions to the events industry. Also in 1996, he chose to devote himself full-time to his fine arts career.

He is a self-taught artist that is known for his ability to create compositions that simplify a subject to its essence. Arms’ paintings can be found in private collections and noteworthy publications. Each piece is given great detail that is evident in the final result. He resides in Nashville, Tenn. with his wife and two daughters.

828.526.8008 or www.oldedwardsinn.com.

For the first time, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation invites teams as well as individuals to sign up for the 5th Annual Downtown Waynesville Dog Walk on Aug. 7.

Last year, almost 280 dogs walked down Main Street. The fun begins at 10 a.m. when walkers meet at the Haywood County courthouse.

The route will be from Depot Street to Montgomery Street to Church Street then returning down Main Street back to the courthouse.

Contests for registered dogs and their owners who walked will be held upon returning to the courthouse. The contests, emceed by Jeanne Naber, will be Best Dressed, Best Tail Wagger, Best Trick and Owner-Dog Look Alike.

The two judges for the contests are Brian Hatfield, afternoon host of 99.9 Kiss Country radio, and Larry Blunt, News Anchor at WLOS-TV. Both judges will bring their dogs and walk with the crowd.

Sponsors receive up to three free T-shirts and free dog walk registration for one dog.

Pledge sheets accompany registration forms and prizes will be awarded for the most money collected by a team and by an individual.  There will also be a prize for the runner-up in each category.

Registration forms are at The Dog House located at 304 N. Haywood Street in Waynesville, Sarge’s office at 1659 S. Main in West Waynesville, veterinarian offices in Waynesville, Clyde and Canton, and online at www.sargeandfriends.org.

828.246.9050.

The monthly Art After Dark will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 6 in Waynesville. Sponsored by The Waynesville Gallery Association, Art After Dark takes place the first Friday of each month, May through December.

Enjoy a stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street, Depot Street and in Historic Frog Level. Festive flags identify participating galleries, while Steve Whiddon will provide music on the street.

• The wire-wrapping art of Nadine Fidelman will be featured at The Jeweler’s Workbench from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, at Waynesville’s Art After Dark.

Fidelman searches out the best gemstones, pearls, fossils and dichroic glass from the world’s top suppliers to use in her one-of-a-kind pendants and earrings.  She “wraps” each one, surrounding it with a minimal amount of wire, to enhance its beauty.

• Burr Studio will be featuring woodcarver Dennis Ruane for the month of August. Many folks will remember Dennis from the Hardwood Gallery previously located on Main Street in Waynesville.

• Earthworks Gallery is proud to feature the work of nationally-acclaimed artist Bonnie Marris and the fanciful creations of Ruth Apter as it celebrates August Art After Dark.

• Ridge Runner Naturals Studio & Gallery will be hosting a Trunk Showing of new creative, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces by Waynesville artist Keri Anna Kelley. Kelly will be sharing her inspiration and design process. Wine and cheese will be served.

www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com or 828.452.9284.

Honoring four-legged friends at Twigs and Leaves

Twigs and Leaves Gallery is celebrating our four-legged companions with a special Art After Dark tribute from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6.

Having recently lost its gallery dog, Twigs and Leaves will honor Debbie, who welcomed thousands of customers, with a tree planting on Wall Street. The gallery will also be fundraising for The Francis Fund, which helps injured and sick creatures who are abandoned or homeless and will help the pets of people in financial difficulty.

Clay animal artist “Old Dog” will be in the gallery, and he and Twigs and Leaves Gallery will donate the profit of the sales of Old Dogs dogs to the fund. Munch on “dog treats,” stroll the gallery with its more than 170 artists, and enjoy familiar tunes on the piano.

www.twigsandleaves.com.

To the Editor:

Last week I announced that I would be conducting an online poll seeking input about public sentiment surrounding the proposed Super Wal-Mart project.  Many community members responded, and I would like to give them my sincere thanks for their time and thoughtfulness.

This past Friday, the Town of Franklin’s attorney informed me that polls like the one I conducted are not allowed before hearings like the one to be held by the Board of Aldermen on Aug. 2. That hearing is a “special use permit” hearing and by state law has to be “quasi-judicial,” meaning that the board of aldermen can only make their decision based on information put before it during the hearing and cannot seek public input beforehand. Because I did seek input, the town attorney has asked me to recuse myself from the Aug. 2 hearing and not participate.

I do not agree with this feature of our state law nor was I aware of it. I’ll chalk it up to a learning experience and take full blame for not being aware of this situation.

Elected officials represent the public, both the majority and the minority’s opinions to make sure everyone’s ideas and thoughts are considered. I particularly try to take in the minority’s opinion.

I will abide by the town attorney’s request. The last thing I want to do is cause any legal difficulties for the town. Therefore, I will not participate in the Aug. 2 hearing, and I will keep the poll results to myself until after that hearing. I want to stress, however, that I can and will share the poll results after the Aug. 2 hearing.

The town attorney confirmed to me that the poll and its results are proper for any other board activities that are not “quasi-judicial.”  While I will not be participating in the hearing, I would remind the public that it is a public hearing, and anyone can come and give evidence on the question of the special use permit.

Thanks again to those of you who responded to the poll.

Bob Scott

Alderman, Town of Franklin

To the Editor:

I wish the article written by Thomas Crowe (“The terrorists are right here among us,” July 23 Smoky Mountain News) would have never been published, but I reckon this is freedom speech being exercised.

I live in coal country and work at a refinery. Yes, we lost 29 miners in West Virginia just recently, and a great loss it was. British Petroleum lost 11 men on that rig that blew. Not everybody has office jobs where the greatest danger may be a paper cut, tripping over extension cords, or maybe even a strained back while changing the water bottle on the cooler!

Why is it the well-funded green machine makes all these statements, yet out of hypocrisy, they write and use computers that use electricity that is made from burning coal or nuclear energy? Or like Al Gore makes such statements as the ocean is rising and then turns around and buys a mansion for a mere $9 million. Of course he went and looked at it before purchasing it — in his jet, which burns 1,000 pounds of fuel per hour.

It’s amazing to me. They preach the message of doom and gloom, and people buy into it. Part of that message is we need to change our way of living.

I have a better idea. What if the power companies that supplied the A/C your sitting in while you read this or the electricity in the hospitals would shut off power to everybody that didn’t like coal, or what if all products that you used that contained some sort of crude oil in it was eliminated. Needless to say you wouldn’t be driving on roads then. All the while the rest of us who believe in coal and oil maintained our way of life as usual and see how long it took for your opinion to change! Thank God for the greatest country on the face of the earth!

Jesse McClanahan

West Virginia

We are writing to express our gratitude for your excellent coverage of the 2010 Haywood County Garden Tour. Your full page spread was really appreciated. Our attendance was up over 15 percent from 2008 thanks, we’re sure, to your support.

The Garden Tour is the primary fundraiser for the Horticulture Program of the Haywood County Extension Agency. The Horticulture Program provides advice and support to local area farmers and home gardeners. In these days of state and county budget cuts, the funds raised by the Garden Tour are sorely needed.

Paula Gatens

2010 Haywood County Garden Tour Co-chair

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, I would like to thank those who helped to make Franklin’s Annual 4th of July Fireworks & Fun Day such a huge success.

Businesses donated not only money but products, while others donated their time. These people willingly worked a long, hot day to provide the activities that were offered to the folks of Franklin. We here at the Franklin Chamber feel it is an honor to serve our residents and visitors.

Linda Harbuck, Diane Baldwin and Cindy Cavender

Franklin Chamber of Commerce