The Macon County Art Association will host a “Grand Re-Opening” of their Uptown Gallery from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at 30 East Main Street in Franklin.

A special Valentine’s Day dinner and live performance by jazz singer Jesse Earl Junior will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville.

1950s pop sensation Frankie Avalon will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

A community museum and learning center at Fontana Village along Fontana Lake will commemorate the 70th anniversary of power production at Fontana Dam, thanks to an alliance between Proctor Revival Organization, Fontana Village Resort, Graham Revitalization Economic Action Team and Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center.

A 10-acre tract along the Blue Ridge Parkway and a new section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in Jackson County will likely become Blue Ridge Parkway land following its Dec. 18, 2014, purchase by the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.

Trail adventures for kids will expand in North Carolina over the coming years, thanks to a $921,000 grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.

A three-year stream-mapping project in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now complete, revealing new information about the park’s water resources. 

Using a combination of aircraft-mounted scanners and a Global Positioning System verification system, scientists determined that the park holds 2,900 miles of stream, 1,073 miles of which are large enough to support fish. That’s a considerable jump from the previous estimate of 2,000 miles of stream in the park. 

A new showcase of work by artist Clint Hardin will be on display for the month of February at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

The winter theater season continues with the Tony nominated Broadway play “Shining City” that will run at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30-31 and at 3 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Award-winning mandolinist Darren Nicholson of Balsam Range will perform with his solo band as part of the First Thursday concert series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.

To the Editor:

Vic Drummond’s recent letter about “The Economic and Employment Costs of Not Expanding Medicaid in NC.” was just opinion and left-wing propaganda and not fact at all.  

It seemed apparent that Drummond has not read the detailed 35-page economic analyses by Leighton Ku, PhD. Dr. Ku has conducted research and analysis regarding heath care at national and state levels for more than 20 years. He has a PhD in health policy from Boston University and a masters in public health from University of California at Berkley.   

All of the factual information used in his analyses (like number of uninsured, or number presently enrolled in Medicaid in N.C.) are from multiple public sources that are readily confirmable. He and his economic experts used scientifically verified economic software developed by Regional Economic Model Inc. (REMI) to arrive at the total economic impact of Medicaid expansion on the state.  

Of course all scientists and economists use computers to assist in their analyses, but Drummond feels just because they use computer analysis their results are not “factual.” This particular software has been used in thousands of national economic studies including fiscal analyses for the N.C. General Assembly (hardly a left-wing propaganda machine). Articles about REMI’s model equations and research findings have been published in scholarly journals such as the Ameri-can Economic Review, Review of Economic Statistics, Journal of Regional Science, and International Regional Science Review.

This state can still pass Medicaid expansion in 2015 to begin in 2016. If it does not, the economic impact from 2016 to 2020 will be devastating: lost federal funding will total $21 billion; total jobs lost will be 43,000; business activity lost $21.5 billion; N.C. state revenue lost will be $862 million; and county tax revenue lost will be $161 million.  

Drummond claims these analyses and factual information are not accurate and true, but I have not heard a single analysis by other economists that contradict the factual information or the economic projections presented in this study. If you still reject this information, look at what has already happened in a Republican-controlled state, Arkansas, that actually expanded Medicaid in 2014. Their uninsured rate dropped from 22.5 percent to 12.4 percent, uncompensated care at hospitals decreased by $69 million in just the first 6 months of 2014, and the number of uninsured patients hospitalized fell by 47 percent.

I challenge Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin; Rep. Roger West, R-Marble; and Vic Drummond to do two things:

• Read the actual study (http://www.wral.com/asset/news/state/nccapitol/2014/12/17/14288878/158632-Expanding_Medicaid_in_North_Carolina_12-15-14_EMB_r.pdf) and report to readers of this newspaper the precise, actual factual information that is wrong in the study and give us the correct information.

• Spend two hours per month for the next six months volunteering at the Franklin Community Care Clinic and talk to real, hard-working people who can only afford the very limited medical services offered by this volunteer run clinic rather than the comprehensive medical care provided by Medicaid. Then tell us readers whether or not you believe these people deserve adequate health care for their families.

Ed Morris, MD, PhD

Volunteer and Board Member Franklin Community Care Clinic since 2010

To the Editor:

Historical injustices, real and perceived, create seeds of terrorism. Today’s policies create a fertile environment for the seeds of terrorism to flourish. 

The first environmental factor is overpopulation. Where there is cultural pressure and/or lack of access to birth control, high birth rates lead to overpopulation.

The second factor is finite local resources to sustain that population, including food, healthcare, education, housing, and employment that results in sustainable income for families. 

During the Great Depression, millions of young men and their families were saved by government-created employment in the CCC and other programs. Now with underemployment and low wages, millions of Americans are working themselves sick with little hope of progress. Illegitimate forms of income entice.

A further factor is lack of social cohesion. Today there is little to unify us. It is time to reinstate the draft. For those who do not wish to serve militarily, they may serve domestically working in troubled areas of our nation through AmeriCorps. Young Americans need a sense of belonging, responsibility, discipline, and citizenship.

When we address the environmental factors, we can prevent significant amounts of terrorism and gang-related violence. We owe it to ourselves and our children to address these issues effectively.

Dan Kowal

Franklin

By Bill Lea • Guest Columnist

In the article about the bear dogs attacking a camper’s dogs (www.smokymountainnews.com/outdoors/item/14952), Wallace Messer (a bear hunter whose dogs were not involved in the attack) begins by suggesting the blame for the attack should perhaps be placed on the victims — a strategy used time after time by defense attorneys and their defendants pleading innocence. Even if Kadie Anderson’s dogs had growled as a natural reaction to protect their owner — which Kadie vehemently denies happened — that does not justify being attacked by a pack of a dozen dogs. A forest user and her pets’ well-being were still jeopardized. The bear hunting dog owners should be held accountable just like any other dog owner would be in the exact same situation. Why should any small group of dog owners be given special status with a law that protects only them when every other dog owner in the state would be held liable?

Southwestern Community College students who earn an associate’s degree in criminal justice technology have a new transfer option thanks to SCC’s recent articulation agreement with Lees McRae College in Banner Elk.

The Commission for a Clean County (CCC) has announced the 2014 winners of its annual Community Pride Awards program. This program honors businesses, community groups, civic clubs, schools and individuals (both adults and children) for exceptional efforts in the categories of litter pick-up and control, recycling, beautification of public areas and environmental stewardship in Haywood County. Awards will be made at a luncheon at the Waynesville Inn on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

QUESTION: Should I be worried about BPA liners in cans and be buying BPA-free cans?

Answer: While some brands do offer BPA-free cans this is not commonplace and this is typically noted on the label. 

Looking for a new way to explore the wilderness? Check out the Dirty Dozen Wilderness Hike Challenge.

The Appalachian Trail has a new official length. It increased by 3.9 miles from last year to 2,189.2 miles due to trail remeasurements and relocations. 

Four men, ages 22 to 49, were arrested with 970 Venus flytraps in their possession earlier this month at the Holly Shelter Game Land in Pender County, earning the distinction of being the first to be charged with a felony for the crime. It had been a misdemeanor until a law change in December.

A new canoe portage around the Lake Emory dam is expected to open in Franklin sometime in late spring. 

A new conservation agreement finalized by the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee will protect 104 acres in Cullowhee from development, preserving it for wildlife, small-scale agriculture and timber management. 

For the first time in more than a decade, Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw more than 10 million visitors during 2014.

By Gwang S. Han • Guest Columnist

Obstetrics is the branch of medicine dealing with parturition, including care before and after delivery but also concerned with reproduction of society in a broader sense. The word of “obstetrics,” derived from Latin, means midwife, woman assisting the parturient, or the woman who stood by the parturient. Midwifery is a much older term than obstetrics and originated in England, being used since 1483. The British health care system has a long tradition with midwifery even during the Elizabethan era and allows more power and wider territory for midwives to maneuver and provide their own style of care.

Jerry Pressley, Walmart manager, presented $1,500 to The Arc of Haywood County for holiday presents and clothes to the individuals served in their program.  The Arc of Haywood County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

The Jackson County Tourism Development Authority will have some new faces around the table this year after the county commissioners appointed five new members to the board last week. 

Travis LeDoyt, acclaimed by critics as “the world’s best young Elvis,” will bring his tribute to the “King of Rock-N-Roll” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

Acclaimed Haywood County bluegrass group Balsam Range will be one of many acts featured in the premier of ‘David Holt’s State of Music’ at 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, on UNC-TV. The show features some of today’s finest musicians like Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops), Bryan Sutton, Josh Goforth and the Branchettes.

“Tracking Time,” an exhibition of paintings by Anna Jensen and Karen Ann Myers, will open with an artist discussion and reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, in the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University.

QUESTION: I get bored with my plain old oatmeal. Can you give me some ideas on some different things to add to it?

Answer:  Try cooking your oatmeal with milk or flavored non-dairy milk ( like vanilla soy/coconut or almond) to make it more creamy. You can also add in some dried fruit like raisins or chopped dates while cooking the oatmeal.

Projects in Haywood and Swain counties will benefit from an additional $4.5 million of Clean Water Management Trust Fund dollars awarded this month when the trust fund received revenue from specialty license plates and funds returned for previous award participants who wound up with unused money from their projects. 

Pitting insect against insect, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission released predator beetles last month on the Sandy Mush Game Land, located in Buncombe and Madison counties, to combat the devastating effects of the hemlock woolly adelgid on hemlock trees.

Birders turned out throughout Western North Carolina — and the globe — to participate in an avian enthusiast’s favorite winter tradition: the Christmas Bird Count. More than 60,000 birders participated in all 50 states as well as Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. 

Outdoor Mission Camp in Maggie Valley, an affiliate of Youth for Christ USA, is being outfitted with a new kitchen to serve its faith-based outdoor wilderness adventure camp thanks to donations and volunteers. 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is part of a new online travel itinerary from the National Park Service that highlights the 22 World Heritage Sites in the United States.

Three new members have been appointed to the tourism board in Haywood County that guides tourism marketing, promotions and development.

The recent round of appointments to the Tourism Development Authority continues a changing of the guard on the tourism board that’s been playing out for two years now. Of the 12-member board, eight have been appointed in the last two years.

To the Editor:

The Nantahala Hiking Club requests that Macon County commissioners reconsider or rescind the resolution passed on July 8, 2014, opposing the designation of additional wilderness areas within the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County. We believe that this resolution was passed prematurely and bypassed input from many interested citizens. Your minutes state that only one person, who represented the interests of one sector of forest users — namely small game hunters — spoke at that meeting.

Our club members do not recall this resolution having been publicized prior to this meeting such that we could have provided our perspective on additional wilderness areas. 

Mr. Kevin Corbin, commission chairman, has been quoted in the press saying that the commission merely expressed its opinion in passing the resolution, a right the members have as other citizens do. Further he is said to have pointed out that a public hearing is not required to pass a resolution and that the vote did not result in a decision, only an agreement on an opinion. Also, the board had not jointly researched the matter prior to approving the resolution. 

Our 290-member strong club is one of the official maintaining clubs of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, caring for nearly 60 miles of the venerable Appalachian Trail from the North Carolina-Georgia border to Wesser in the Nantahala area. Forty-seven of these miles are in Macon County and 13 of them are in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness Area running from Deep Gap to Mooney Gap. Our club officially was begun in 1968 by the Rev. A. Rufus Morgan after decades of work in creating the trail by him and other Maconians.

Our club has been active in the life of Macon County for many years, participating in Pumpkin Fest, the Christmas Parade, the Walking with Spring program at the Franklin Library, and the spring celebrations for AT thru-hikers including the Hiker Bash at a local motel and Easter gifts at local trailheads, among others. The club presents Hiking 101 programs in elementary and middle schools a few times each year and then takes children on hikes in their own backyard. We work closely with many businesses in our county including two major outdoor outfitters. 

Our long-standing and close relationship in the community resulted in Franklin becoming the first officially-designated Appalachian Trail Community by the AT Conservancy. 

We believe that the passage of the resolution ignored the relationships our club has built over the years throughout our county and the sizable financial and publicity contributions stemming from the network of hiking trails in the Nantahala Forest that our members maintain for the use and enjoyment of Maconians and countless visitors from throughout our nation and even the world. 

The club is presently reviewing the U.S. Forest Service proposed plans for forest use in the Nantahala Forest and, based on preliminary study, think that preserving the integrity of our trails will require supporting some of the proposed additions to wilderness areas by the forest service and that there are other areas that should be considered for wilderness based on various factors. We think the Macon County Commission should have studied this complex issue in depth and sought input from various sectors, including hiking and outdoors representatives. Furthermore, we believe that passing a resolution opposing new wilderness designations in the manner it was done actually ignored the democratic process where all interests are heard and relevant voices have their say. 

As we humans continue to change the natural landscape, preserving some land in its untouched state may prove essential for our survival in understanding the interrelationships of organisms, obtaining cures for diseases, and preserving our connections to the earth and creation. Thousands of AT thru-hikers and hikers attest to the human need for being in nature, for solitude, and for getting away from “civilized” life. Not all things have a monetary value, some things have value beyond the profits that may be derived from cutting down old trees. 

When the Macon County Commission passes a resolution it does more than express the individual opinions of its members. Because it is a governing body and because of the weight and respect that is accorded to it by citizens, the opinions embodied in a resolution exert a strong influence on other government agencies and their actions and may sway the viewpoints of many citizens. 

For these powerful reasons, the Nantahala Hiking Club reiterates that this resolution opposing the designation of additional wilderness areas must be reconsidered, brought up to the public, discussed and examined, and only then will the commission take a position reflecting the views of Macon County citizens.

Olga F. Pader, President

Nantahala Hiking Club

Programs and initiatives to address unmet health care needs in Haywood County could be eligible for mini-grants of up to $5,000 through the Haywood Healthcare Foundation.

Country star Wynonna Judd will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

A performance of the “An Appalachian Songbook: North Carolina in Word, Music and Song” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19, there will be an variety of events around Western North Carolina.

Established as an annual day of remembrance that was passed by both houses of Congress, MLK Day was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in November 1983, with its first celebration occurring in 1986. Since then, U.S. citizens volunteer their service on MLK Day, the third Monday in January.

Mixed media artist Dr. Rachel York-Bridgers will hold a workshop at noon Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

QUESTION: One of my New Year’s resolutions was to eat healthier and so I have been trying a gluten-free diet.  Do you think a gluten-free diet is healthy and will it help me lose weight?

Answer:  Gluten is a combination of the proteins (glutenin and gliadin) found in wheat, barley and rye. For individuals with celiac disease,  a gluten-free diet is a medical necessity and is currently the only treatment for that disease. 

Blue Ridge Biofuels, an Asheville-based biodiesel company, is planning to expand to a new facility in Catawba County. 

Learn the business side of farming with the Appalachian Farm School, a pilot agricultural business training program for farmers in the seven western counties of North Carolina. 

There’s something alluring about plunging into icy midwinter water — enough so that it spawns polar plunge fundraisers for sundry causes all over the country.

A quest for sparrow sightings will commence during the morning of Jan. 14 at Kituwah, an area of about 300 acres along the Tuckesegee River in Swain County, between Bryson City and Cherokee. 

Land Trust for the Little Tennessee has a new executive director in Sharon Fouts Taylor, who will move into the leadership role following the retirement of LTLT’s long-time director, Paul Carlson.

A public hearing on proposed changes to hunting, fishing and wildlife management regulations will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the Enloe Multi-Purpose Room at Tri-County Community College in Murphy. 

The societal comedy “Elemeno Pea” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16-17 and at 3 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

John MacLean will be the guest speaker during the Sylva Photo Club’s meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Cullowee Methodist Church on the Western Carolina University campus.