The Molly Tuttle Trio (Americana/soul) and Darren Nicholson (bluegrass) will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville.

Western Carolina University will wrap up the yearlong celebration of the 125th anniversary of its founding with the It’s a Wrap Party at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee.

Former Mouseketeer Lindsey Alley will present an evening of musical performances mingled with stand-up comedy titled “Blood, Sweat and Mousketears” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

A performer since the age of 6, Alley was cast as a Mouseketeer in 1989 on the Disney Channel’s “All-New Mickey Mouse Club.” She was one of only three cast members to appear in the pilot and all seven seasons of the show, and she had the chance to work alongside such stars as Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell.

Alley performed on Broadway in “Hollywood Arms,” written by Carol Burnett and Carrie Hamilton, and in off-Broadway productions including “Grand and Glorious,” “Like It Is,” and “Look Ma…No Ears,” which Alley co-wrote and produced. In addition, her film and television credits include “How I Met Your Mother,” “I Didn’t Do It,” “Bedtime Stories,” “Company Retreat,” “B.L. Stryker,” “Earnest Saves Christmas” and “On the Patio,” her original hit Web series. While on campus, Alley also will present workshops about the entertainment industry and auditions.

Admission is $5 for students and $10 for all others. 

828.227.2479 or www.bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

To the Editor:

For the most part, family traditions have been important in helping to bind families together. There are times; however, when some of these traditions need to be reevaluated.

Political loyalties fall into this group. Political parties can and have changed their entire philosophies. Many of your ancestors were politically active during the 1930s through the 1960s. Early on the country was mired into a time when jobs and opportunity were scarce. FDR came into office and created jobs for thousands of patriotic, hard-working  individuals who had begun to lose hope and had always been proud of their work ethic and were proud to support their families. Democratic Party initiatives built a base of party supporters that stayed strong and were dedicated Democrats. When they heard John Kennedy’s inaugural address he united and energized the country with his now famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

This challenge ushered in a time of scientific discovery, medical advancements, space exploration and built international respect for America during the Cuban missile crisis. His strong leadership in defense of our country and foreign relations initiatives built allies all around the world.

The philosophy of the Democratic Party was turned on its head with the assassination of President Kennedy. The Democratic Party had championed work ethic, individualism and self-respect. Lyndon Johnson and his “New Society” corrupted that philosophy and began to reestablish the base made up of people who could be made dependent on government through social welfare programs. Fatherless homes destroyed the family unit by subsidizing single motherhood, especially in the African-American community. The party then continued to build this new base using programs like the enormous expansion of the food stamp program. The party has been built on making more and more people dependent on government and giving them a hand out versus a hand up. All this is at the expense of future generations.

The conclusion here is that the Democratic Party that your ancestors strongly supported no longer exists.

Bruce Gardner

Waynesville

To the Editor:

News has recently come of the death of a second ebola victim on U.S. soil — a doctor from Sierra Leone flown here too late for treatment. Several thousand have died in the West Africa epidemic, too, and every death of a precious human being is tragic, of course.

But why have we allowed the media and political leaders to fan the flames of fear into a panic? We’re taking extreme measures at airports to keep potential ebola potential carriers from entering the country.

At the same time, however, there are 11,000 victims of gun violence in our country every year — a true epidemic. And no such panic over gun deaths occurs; no media or political figures are calling for gun control to prevent these deaths; no efforts to keep guns out of the hands of those who would use them to cause death are being taken.

I wonder why? Are the lives killed by guns less sacred that those lost to ebola? Perhaps we should “follow the money”?

Doug Wingeier

Waynesville

To the Editor:

If Editor Scott McLeod thinks that Obama is giving the finger to the GOP with his amnesty for illegals, think again. The finger is really being pointed at the millions of potential immigrants from all parts of the world who are waiting in line (some for as long as 10 years), following the process, obeying the laws, and have not been processed yet. This is a slap in their face. They’d have better luck buying a plane ticket to Tijuana and walking across, then waiting for the White House to give them a free pass. Immigrants are welcome in this country; always have been. Just ring the bell at the front door.

Donald Pierce

Barker’s Creek

David Tyler, assistant professor of sport management at Western Carolina University, and colleague Joe Cobbs, assistant professor of sports business at Northern Kentucky University, recently conducted a study as to what two schools have the most heated rivalry in college football.

The two studied sports rivalries for more than five years, focusing on teams in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision, examining a variety of factors surrounding the phenomenon of rivalry, and surveying thousands of college football fans. They surveyed more than 5,300 college football fans of 122 FBS teams, asking questions about their favorite teams, their rivals, their feelings about rival teams and their fans, and their thoughts about what contributes to those rivalries.

To quantify rivalry in college football, Tyler and Cobbs asked survey participants to allocate 100 “rivalry points” to as many as 10 teams. They then aggregated the responses of each team’s fans and calculated the mean point allocation, or “rivalry score,” toward each opponent (100 maximum). 

The researchers also examined factors including frequency of competition between teams, “defining moments” from the history of the rivalry, recent and historical parity, star players, geography, relative dominance by one team over the other, competition for personnel, and cultural similarities and differences.

Using social network analysis, they determined the strongest mutual rivalries, the most lopsided rivalries, the most likely rivals, and the teams with the greatest rivalry power in FBS football.

The research indicates that the most intense rivalry in college football is between Arizona and Arizona State. Other top national rivalries are No.2, Ohio State vs. Michigan; No. 3, Toledo vs. Bowling Green; No. 4, Brigham Young vs. Utah; and No. 5, Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan. 

In the state of North Carolina, research indicates that the most intense football rivalry is between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, the researchers say, with UNC vs. N.C. State a close second. The most intense rivalry in the Southeast – and the sixth most intense rivalry in the nation is between South Carolina and Clemson.

www.knowrivalry.com. 

A community campaign to combat prescription drug abuse known as Project Lazarus will be discussed from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, in the lobby of Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva.

A local coalition has adopted the Project Lazarus model in hopes of educating the public on the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. The Jackson County Substance Abuse Action Team and Emergency room doctors at Harris will lead the discussion.

The program is part of the monthly “Tuesdays to Thrive” wellness series at Harris, focusing on a different topic first Tuesday of each month, partnership with Jackson County Department of Public. Free, no reservations required.

www.westcare.org or 828.586.7734.

The Waynesville Special Response Team recently went up against dozens special ops units and SWAT teams from across the county in the national SWAT Round-Up Competition, nabbing the accolade of “Best Small Agency.”

Work on a new National Park Service Collections Preservation Center is underway following a Nov. 13 groundbreaking at the site in Townsend, Tenn.

Once finished, the facility will house 418,000 artifacts and 1.3 million archival records documenting history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and four other NPS areas in East Tennessee.

A project to revamp East Street Park in Waynesville has received a grant from the Pigeon River Fund that will allow the vision to move forward. East Street Park received $17,650 of its $25,200 grant request. 

“We’re ecstatic and are of the mind that nothing will stop us now,” said Ralphene Rathbone, who will manage the project along with Katie Messer. 

The grant-funded portion of the project will take place over the course of 2015. It will involve a plan to improve water quality in the little tributary to Shelton Branch that runs through the 5.8-acre park. Shelton Branch runs into Richland Creek, which Haywood Waterways Association has for years been trying to get off the state’s list of impaired waterways. The funds will go toward stabilizing the streambank, reshaping the stream channel to reduce erosion, planting a rain garden to reduce storm runoff and replacing invasive species with native ones. 

Future goals will include installing new playground equipment, bathrooms, a nature trail and a butterfly garden. 

A new holiday light show at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville will open Saturday, Nov. 22, and run through Jan. 2, adorning the Arboretum’s most visited landscapes with spectacular light installations to celebrate the winter season. 

An agreement has been reached in a lawsuit waged by multiple environmental groups claiming that wreckless coyote hunting laws were jeopardizing endangered red wolves in eastern N.C. — the only wild population of red wolves on the planet. 

Haywood Waterways Association will celebrate the Pigeon River watershed at its annual membership dinner from 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at Lake Junaluska’s Lambuth Inn. 

The Haywood Waterways Association Board of Directors and staff invite the public to join them in a celebration of the Pigeon River watershed. 

The business side of the evening will consist of Haywood Waterways accomplishments of the year, and a recognition of sponsors, retiring board members, volunteers and major do­nors during the annual awards ceremony. Entertainment-wise, there will be a meet and greet, guest speaker and the ever-popular silent auction. 

RSVP by Nov. 26 to Christine O’Brien, 828.550.4869 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The $15 per-person charge for the buffet dinner will be collected at the door. 

A scuba certification course Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Waynesville Recreation Center will give wannabe divers the know-how and practice they’ll need to pass an open water evaluation and earn their scuba certification. 

Acclaimed bluegrass group Balsam Range will play the Kids Advocacy Resource Effort’s (KARE) 4th annual Festival of Trees fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. 

The event will begin with a cocktail hour and live entertainment. Dinner will be served with a live auction to follow. Local artists, merchants, and creative folk will contribute ornately decorated trees, centrepieces, and other handmade creations for the live and silent auction, which will immediately follow dinner. 

A renowned act from Haywood County, Balsam Range recently won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s award for “Entertainer of the Year,” “Vocal Group of the Year,” and “Male Vocalist of the Year.”

KARE is Haywood County’s only Child Advocacy Center and provides services to child victims of abuse and their families through its Victim Advocacy Program.  KARE also offers parenting classes through the Positive Parenting Program, and creative, individualized developmental skill-building activities through its Parents As Teachers Program.

All proceeds will directly benefit KARE’s programs.

Tickets are $65 per person or $500 per table of eight.

www.karehouse.org or www.facebook.com/karehousewaynesville.

The Polar Express themed train will celebrate the holiday season Nov. 21-23 and 25-26 at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in Bryson City. The classic children’s book comes to life as the train departs for a special visit at the “North Pole.” Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story.

The touring exhibit “Understanding our Past, Shaping our Future,” will be on display through Dec. 17 at the Chief Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center at Cherokee Central Schools.

The Appalachian Women’s Museum has recently completed the repair of the roof to the Monteith House in Dillsboro. Funds for the roof project came from the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, AWM board member Roberta Buckner, and private donors from across the community and country. Work on the roof was completed by Woodard Construction, which is located in Bryson City. 

The 27th annual Hard Candy Christmas Art & Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 28-29 in the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University.

The event features authentic crafts from the hands of 100 regional and local artists and craftsmen. The idea for the show originates from the depression days in the mountains, when Christmas was still celebrated, no matter how lean the year had been. Santa always left stockings stuffed with apples, oranges and hard candy. The best gifts were handmade with love. 

There will be selections of clay art, woodcrafts, master jewelers, folk art, glass art, and specialty sweets and breads. Collectors of Old World Santa’s, heirloom ornaments and miniatures always find something new.  The mountain beekeeper will bring honey, bees wax candles and wax ornaments. Purchase a fresh mountain greenery wreath or scented dried fruit rope for your house. Order a Christmas quilt and meet the artisan who made it. 

Admission is $4 for adults, children under 12 free.

www.mountainartisans.net or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.524.3405.

The Franklin Chamber of Commerce will host its 2nd annual Gingerbread House Competition during the Winter Wonderland Celebration Dec. 5-12. The gingerbread creations will be located in the board room at the Franklin Town Hall on Main Street.

Heart will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. The acclaimed female group is known for their chart-topping hits “Magic Man” and “Barracuda.” Tickets start at $42.

Willie Nelson & Friends will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28. A country-rock megastar, Nelson penned such classics as “Crazy,” “Always On My Mind” and “Whiskey River.”

Tickets start at $53.

www.harrahscherokee.com.

By Deborah Miles • Guest Columnist

As the Director of the Center for Diversity Education, I and other educators have been hosting “Festivals of Light” for some 5,000 students each year across WNC since 1995. Now that the election is over, I am writing to share the truth about my visit to Bethel Middle School in December 2013.

Every time someone from CDE presents, we walk the fine line between educating about religion rather than advocating for a particular religion. Rather than proselytizing, we share artifacts, discuss geography, economics, immigration, and sample a food. 

To the Editor:

First, let me say that I greatly respect Dr. Sam Miller and the administration at Western Carolina University, having gotten to know them over the years I was a student there. Miller has more WCU spirit than an entire class of graduates. However, I am disappointed in the decision to require sophomores to live on campus.

During my four years, I stayed in Walker Hall my freshman year then lived off campus for the rest of my time as a student with no regrets. Dorm life was extremely difficult for me for a number of reasons, including roommate issues and simply missing my pets. I also have special dietary needs, and when I was a freshman, Campus Dining Services did not provide the extra late-night hours and dining choices they do today. I suffered from blood sugar crashes on a regular basis. I spent many weekends driving a six-hour round trip home because I missed my privacy and the space of a real home. 

Now, yes, I made a strong group of friends who I still talk with regularly today, but we never participated in the on-campus activities that Miller quoted in the article published in The Smoky Mountain News on Nov. 5. We were content to hang out on the fifth floor of Walker and continued to hang out at each other’s homes off campus throughout the years.

Once I moved off campus, my health improved, I brought my cat to live with me, and I stayed home on the weekends. I participated in campus activities like games of ultimate Frisbee and put more time into my volunteer work, because I was actually there in Cullowhee. My love and support as a WCU student also skyrocketed. By my senior year, I rented a small trailer in Sylva, and I considered myself a permanent resident, not a renter moving through. I became a resident of Jackson County and fell in love with the area when I was able to get away from the university. I wanted to stay for good, however, had to regrettably move away for a job.

I hope that some sort of compromise can be reached. Maybe sophomore students can petition to move off campus if they have a certain GPA or have legitimate reasons as to why they believe their college experience would improve to not live in a dorm. Or, really, I’d love to see the requirement dismissed, because, if I had been required to live on campus for another year, I would have been highly tempted to transfer.

Lex Menz

WCU Class of ‘09

Morganton

To the Editor:

Your opinion piece a few months back, “Changing mind  now won’t undo the damage,” left out a more common solution to the annexation of the 775 homes in Lake Junaluska with its woefully and poorly maintained Lake Junaluska sanitation infrastructure.

Really, why should the homeowners of Waynesville pay for the seemingly intentional lack of proper maintenance that occurred over 30 to 40 years? This gave them a reduced cost on utilities during that time.

Now, with a clear road to annexation, their failure will be paid for by Waynesville homeowners with just a portion of the cost going to the Lake Junaluska folks. Is this really fair?

So annex them. It is good for them and ultimately good for Waynesville. But for 15 years put them in a special sanitation sub-district so that they can pay for their lack of oversight, diligence, etc. Have them pay for at least 75 percent of their mess before the current Waynesville homeowners and business owners have to take on their debts.  

Did Waynesville homeowners vote to accept the infrastructure debts of Lake Junaluska? Lake Junaluska homeowners voted to have Waynesville homeowners take on Lake Junaluska debts. Where is the reverse? This is a pig in a poke that will cost an estimated $10 million over about five years.

Make it more fair, then proceed. Neither Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, or Rep. Michelle Presnell, R-Burnsville, or any public officer has developed a fair solution before annexation.

Annexation without fair apportionment of infrastructure debts harms the majority of Waynesville taxpayers and rewards the Lake Junaluska homeowners. Lake Junaluska management shirked their responsibility in order to keep utility costs abnormally low.

Let’s be fair to all and annex Lake Junaluska but put them in a special sub-sanitation district for more than 10 years.

Rick Helfers

Waynesville

Safe driving program “VIP for a VIP” impacts students in partnership with EMS and local law enforcement.

Harris Regional Hospital, which provides Emergency Medical Services for Jackson County, recently participated in a safe driving program for students at Smoky Mountain High School in Sylva. 

The program, called Vehicle Injury Prevention for a Very Important Person — or, “VIP for a VIP” — is targeted toward young adults. It involves local law enforcement, fire departments, and rescue organizations, including Harris Regional Hospital EMS, to present an informative program to young drivers in an effort to promote motor vehicle safety and prevent fatal accidents.

The program stresses the hazards of driving while texting or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Students are encouraged to consider all risks associated with unsafe driving habits and are presented with facts and figures directly related to fatalities of young drivers in North Carolina during the last several years.

The program also included a dramatic, real-time reenactment of a vehicle accident involving a teenage. The reenactment gave students a look into the perspective of all those who would be involved, including a nearby pedestrian, first responders, law enforcement, highway patrol, emergency medical care workers, and the driver’s parents and friends.

EMS Director Steven Rice participated in the reenactment as an Emergency Medical Technician arriving on the scene of the wreck.

“As those involved in emergency situations involving vehicles on a daily basis, we want to do everything possible to educate our community, especially young people, about the hazards and consequences of unsafe driving habits,” Rice said. “While we are dedicated to being there as quickly as possible when something happens, our greatest desire is that we don’t get the call in the first place. Programs like “VIP for a VIP” help to ensure that.”

Following the program, students were asked to complete and sign two contracts, one committing to a zero-tolerance for drugs and alcohol, and one entitled “VIP contract for the life of a VIP”, with which, by signing, students promised to abide by certain safety measures to ensure welfare while operating a vehicle.

“Our Emergency Medical Services team is highly trained to respond to motor vehicle accidents and work quickly to provide care for those involved, but it is our hope that accidents are prevented at all costs,” said Anetra Jones, Harris Regional Hospital and Swain County Hospital Chief Nurse Executive. “We were honored to participate in this program and to play a role in the prevention of potential accidents.

The Town of Canton Recreation Commission is leading a volunteer effort to make safety improvements to the playground at Recreation Park, a popular destination.  The project will include slide repairs, mulching, painting and construction of a wooden border and perimeter fence system.  

According to Canton Alderman Zeb Smathers, the project fulfills a shared goal of the town’s governing board.

“As a Board, we are committed to harnessing the power of recreation to sustain and grow our community,” Smathers said.

Jake Robinson, chair of the Recreation Commission and chief operating officer of Champion Credit Union, agrees. He acknowledged the important support role the commission must play in the effort.  

“This effort represents a renewed energy from the Recreation Commission,” Robinson said. “We are taking a more active role in enhancing the town’s park system.  Our new mantra is ‘let’s get things done.’”

The Commission is seeking $10,000 in donations to cover the cost of materials and supplies. Eight hundred dollars of the funding will be “crowdfunded ”— a new community fundraising model that uses an online donation platform. Additional crowdfunding challenges may be established once the first goal is reached.  

There are four sponsorship levels available, but any donation amount is welcome. All donors will be recognized on a plaque, which will be installed at the playground.

The renovation will take place in early spring during a series of planned workdays for which the public will be invited to participate.  To donate to the project or sign up to volunteer, visit www.citizinvestor.com/project/canton-rec-tunnel-slide or call 828.648.2363.

Thanks to community generosity, many of Haywood County’s neediest families will eat a hot turkey dinner this Thanksgiving. The Maggie Valley Area Lodging Association is once again seeking donations to help provide food baskets to those who may not otherwise enjoy this long standing American tradition. 

The key to economic and community development in Western North Carolina is for leaders of the public, private and nonprofit sectors to reach beyond town limits and county lines to embrace a more regional approach, steeped in a spirit of cooperation and partnership.

That was the message heard again and again Wednesday, Nov. 12, from speakers and participants at LEAD:WNC, a one-day summit convened by WCU to discuss solutions leading to sustainable economic and community development.

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is looking for the best images of the people, places and pursuits that characterize the Southern Appalachians. Sporting a variety of categories and offering more than $4,000 in cash and prizes, the contest is open through 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21. 

Open to amateur and professional photographers 13 and older. Submit online at www.appmtnphotocomp.org.

With a new forest management plan now in the works for the Pisgah and Nantahala national forest, Brent Martin, regional director of The Wilderness Society, will speak on the subject 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the Macon County Public Library.

The talk, sponsored by the Southern Appalachian Plant Society, is titled “How Can We Protect the Future of our Plant Communities?”

The new national forest plan will govern the management of more than 1 million acres of national forest in Western North Carolina for decades to come. The task of balancing preservation of plants, animals and their varying environments with demands of recreation, logging and other uses is not an easy one and has drawn heated opinion. See page 16 for the latest updates on the Forest Management Plan. 

A new version of Our Southern Highlanders by Horace Kephart is out, and it includes eight Kephart articles not included in any earlier editions.

Astronomers at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute are reminding the public of the annual Leonid Meteor Shower in November.

Motion Makers Bicycle Shop has reopened in its new location at 36 Allen St. after an August fire in downtown Sylva resulted in extensive water, smoke and soot damage. 

As fall colors fade from the landscape, the bright yellows and oranges become a vivid memory marking the peak of the autumn season. As winter approaches, now is the time for the rich reds, burnt yellows and russet colors donned by the last of the deciduous trees to drop their foliage: the oaks. Always the last to leave the party in the fall and the most hesitant to sprout their leaves in the spring, the dominance of oaks in our forest cannot be denied.  

Bryson City earned the top honor in Blue Ridge Outdoors’ list of top outdoor towns of 2014, which appeared in November’s issue.

To the Editor:

Journalists like Scott McLeod, SMN Editor, usually follow a code of ethics that includes fairness and impartiality during the acquisition and reporting of news articles to the public. Unbiased reporting is an integral part of journalistic ethics, but historians have found that publishers have often served the interest of powerful social groups. Even the most conscientiously objective journalists cannot avoid accusations of bias, but there are times when a journalist’s bias is obviously more important to him than any code of journalistic ethics. 

When your reporting of public meetings and issues so obviously lack fairness and impartiality, and read more like your flowery but misguided editorials, you will likely have a tough time even giving your publication away, much less having anyone take you seriously.  

Mike Clark

Cullowhee

To the Editor:

I have read the opinions going back and forth regarding the Nikwasi Mound in Franklin and am aware there are serious disagreements and difficulties on both sides.  So I would like to present an idea of the future of the mound that would make everyone a winner.  The picture above is of the Indian Temple Mound Museum in the center of downtown Fort Walton, Fla. Imagine what such a stone structure surrounding the Nikwasi Mound could mean to the residents of and visitors to Franklin.   

It would be a statement of the significance of the mound in Franklin’s history and would honor the Cherokee heritage. 

Imagine also how such a beautiful structure would enhance the town and east Main Street. Perhaps an outdoor interpretative exhibit could be included, and a history/heritage trail could be established from the Franklin Historical Museum to the Scottish Tartan Museum to the Nikwasi Mound and on to the greenway.  

I hope the parties involved can move past the differences and come together to do something even bigger and better than before. Everyone would benefit and everyone would be a winner. 

Marcia Lindstrom

Franklin

To the Editor:

Regarding Bob Wilson’s latest letter on negative campaign rhetoric, Wilson exemplified the hate-filled distorted rhetoric that he criticizes.

First off, Wilson didn’t give a single example of the “lies” and “distortions” that he complains about. Instead he blames liberals for just about every ill of society. For Wilson, liberals are clearly the problem and the enemy in this country. His thinking can lead to dangerous actions.

His characterization of liberals is grossly dishonest. It is apparent that Wilson is passing along the hatred and lies he consumes from the media he chooses. 

A recent study by Pew Research shows that liberals have three to four varied sources for their political news, while most conservatives just have one — Fox. Analysis by PolitiFact showed that only 18 percent of recent statements on Fox News are true — by far the lowest among Fox, MSNBC and CNN. 

Combined, these statistics illustrate the dangers of trusting a single source of information, especially one so overtly partisan and biased as Fox.

At the end of his diatribe, Wilson asks “Can opposing parties ever sit down at a table and discuss our real problems in a sane and honorable way?” The obvious answer is no, not when you are too busy stereotyping and insulting the other side.

 A word of advice, Bob. Turn down your partisan ideology a few hundred decibels and join the rest of humanity as we try to find a way forward. We need to focus on our common ground and work on that, rather than the obstruction that’s been ongoing in D.C. We don’t need a class war. We don’t need a civil war. Bloodshed would make things infinitely worse for all of us, as shown in Ukraine and across the Middle East. But we do need change.

Dan Kowal

Franklin

By Bob Scott • Guest Columnist

In a letter to the editor published in the Nov. 5 edition of  The Smoky Mountain News, Rachel Truesdell wrote that as mayor, I “have a lot of explaining to do because most of the arguments in the media from the Town of Franklin are horribly invalid and definitely culturally insensitive.” She was speaking of the Nikwasi Mound.

A national fiber exhibition, EXCITE, will be on display through Dec. 6 at Haywood Community College in Clyde.

The exhibition includes 15 artists, some of which are HCC Professional Crafts Fiber graduates and current students. The theme of the exhibition is contemporary fiber work inspired or reflective of the design ideals set forth by Anni Albers at Black Mountain College. The work must include some material or resource obtained within a 100-mile radius of the artwork’s origination. 

Rachel Meginnes, juror of EXCITE, will provide an in depth look at the exhibit and her own work at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at HCC. She is a current resident artist at Penland School of Crafts. Meginnes received a Bachelor’s degree from Earlham College in 1999 and then traveled to northern Japan to study the traditional crafts of ikat and indigo dyeing. She then received a Master’s degree in Fibers from the University of Washington in 2005. She believes that there is infinite possibility in the most basic of methods. 

The Meginnes event is free

828.565.4240.

Pam Meister, interim director and curator of Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center, was honored Oct. 22 with the James R. Short Award from the Southeastern Museums Conference.

A nonprofit organization committed to supporting and connecting museum professionals in 12 states, SEMC presents the award to individuals who have given a lifetime of service to the profession with a significant portion in the Southeast.

Country sensation Scott McCreery hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

Since coming into the national spotlight in 2011, McCreery quickly emerged as country music’s most successful new artist. His first studio album, Clear As Day, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release.  

McCreery won New Artist of the Year at both the 2011 American Country Awards and the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards. McCreery was ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s list of Top New Country Artists for 2011 and also earned the No. 4 spot on Billboard’s 2012 List of the Top 21 Under 21. Scotty spent most of 2012 opening for Brad Paisley’s Virtual Reality Tour.

Danielle Bradbery will open, with acclaimed Western North Carolina country act My Highway playing the Essence Lounge immediately following the concert.

Tickets start at $37. 

800.745.3000 or www.harrahscherokee.com.

The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet will present its fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the Coulter Building at Western Carolina University.

Members of the SMBQ, the quintet-in-residence at WCU, are P. Bradley Ulrich, trumpet; David Ginn, trumpet; Travis Bennett, horn; Mike Schallock, tuba; and Zsolt Szabo, trombone. The program will consist of “Street Song” by Michael Tilson Thomas, “Blues for Brass” by Richard Roblee, “Adagio” by Samuel Barber, “Animal Ditties” by Anthony Plog, “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin and “Recruiting Songs” by Hungarian composer Antal Farkas.

A special presentation of Appalachian stories of the “unusual” with Gregg Clark will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Rickman Store in Cowee.

A local resident of Macon County, Clark is constantly seeking the unexplained. He took a job at the historic and haunted Balsam Mountain Inn in Waynesville. While there, Clark led the “Weird Travels” television show around the inn. Clark became star of the BMI episode, becoming the go-to employee and most filmed. Clark, thrilled with the experience of being asked to blend his knowledge of history and ghosts on the popular television show, began collecting and writing ghost stories. 

A madrigal dinner evoking the elaborate and festive flare of the Renaissance will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, in Waynesville by the premier youth choral ensemble Voices in the Laurel.

The show, “A Knight to Remember,” will feature heraldry, pageantry, comedy, minstrels and song. A madrigal dinner show is a re-enactment of a Renaissance feast, where the audience is actively engaged as part of the show.

Tonight (Nov. 10) at 7 p.m., the N.C. Department of Transportation will close the westbound on-ramp to Interstate 40 at Exit 37 (Wiggins Road/East Canton Exit). The ramp is expected to reopen at 6 a.m.  Tuesday morning.

An expedition to Worley’s Cave in Bluff City, Temm., on Nov. 22 will give people of all experience levels a taste of the underground.

The caving expedition will take in stalagmites, columns, flowstone and more cave features, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The adventures will involve crawling, climbing, bending and getting wet, so participants must be in good physical condition and in the eighth grade or older. 

Offered through Jackson County Parks and Recreation for an all-inclusive fee of $60. Space is limited. Register by Nov. 19 at the Cullowhee or Cashiers/Glenville recreation center, 828.293.3053 or 828.631.2020 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Public input gathered at a series of statewide hearings on fracking rules was supposed to be presented in a report to the N.C. Mining and Energy Commission last week, but the meeting was delayed to give hearing officers more time to finish the report.