The Proctor Revival Organization will once again honor the history of Graham County through May 31 with “A Time To Remember” celebration.

Country superstar Dolly Parton will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 25 at Harrah’s Cherokee.

To the Editor:

A friend of mine just bitterly complained that the new pope is a communist. It seems that representative of Christ on earth had the audacity to suggest that the very wealthy should share some of their vast wealth with the very poor and needy. I am sure that he would be labeled a heretic by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin.

Here is what the Pope said: “A contribution to this equitable development will also be made both by international activity aimed at the integral human development of all the world’s peoples, and by the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.”

The very idea that the Pope should suggest the redistribution of economic benefits set off alarm bells throughout the hard political right and Tea Party types. But here is the problem: almost all of these people have strong Christian beliefs, and Jesus was very specific on this issue.

“Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:24. No one would deny that one of the core Christian teaching is based on our treatment of those who are less fortunate than us. I find nothing in the Bible supporting “trickledown economics.”

Those who believe that every fiscal and social problem can be solved by adherence to strict ideological beliefs are in for a difficult time. Real world people and problems are not always solved by tax cuts and reduced government spending. Denying facts because they conflict with our ideology only worsens the problem of the poor in our society.

A perfect example of this is the argument over the minimum wage. Numerous studies have shown that far more jobs will be created than lost by an increase in the minimum wage. Yet most Republicans would rather there be no minimum wage. They believe that pure market forces should determine wages, even if that wage is a dollar an hour. Mitt Romney got it right last week when he broke with the ideologues in his party and said, “… on the issue of the minimum wage. I think we ought to raise it.” I think Jesus would agree.

Louis Vitale

Franklin

To the Editor:

Seventeen. Seventeen, as a number, doesn't normally mean much when compared to other numbers, does it? But, seventeen was a very significant number May 2 as 17 Haywood Community College (HCC) GED graduates were awarded refurbished computers from the PCs for GED program at HCC. They were clearly thrilled to briefly interrupt their post-ceremony celebrations to load their computers into their vehicles. Best of all, though, is that these worthy graduates have further dedicated themselves to continuing their education by enrolling in a wide variety of programs offered by HCC and other schools.

Thank you to this year’s PCs for GED program supporters and contributors, who provided hardware, time, talent, and even monetary donations to the program through the HCC Foundation. You enabled us to surpass last year’s total number of refurbished computers by 70 percent. New this year, and because of the generosity of the HCC Foundation, all 17 computers are running Windows 7, a significant software feature that will help with classroom and online coursework.

We are also truly thankful to the many generous individuals and area corporations — including Crown Capital Associates Inc., Asheville Eye Associates, Pigeon Multicultural Development Center, and Southpaws Pet Sitters — who have contributed either through our standard dropoff point at the HCC Learning Resource Center, at special on-campus events like Jammin’ at the Mill Pond, or by special arrangement. It is time to continue our work toward sustaining these PCs for GED awards for years to come. 

With continued support from the greater Haywood County area, we look forward to providing future GED graduates with one of the best tools to aid them as they further their education and become better prepared for careers in the Western North Carolina area.

Marc Lehmann

On behalf of HCC’s PCs for GED Program

Clyde

A Haywood County terrier is earning points for toughness after surviving a gunshot to the face. 

“The dog is alive and expected to recover,” said Heidi Warren, public information officer for the Haywood County Sheriff’s Department. 

James Scifers, professor of athletic training at Western Carolina University, received the North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association Educator of the Year Award for 2014.

The award is North Carolina’s most prestigious honor for teaching in the athletic training profession, said Jill Manners, director of WCU’s athletic training program, who called Scifers “a true mentor” to his students, even long after they have graduated from the program and gone on to successful careers of their own.

“He has dedicated his life to the education of athletic-training students and always challenges them — and everyone he works with — to be better,” said Manners. “He is driven to promote the profession and his enthusiasm is contagious.”

Downtown Waynesville was recently recognized as a model of success at the annual NC Main Street Conference this year, titled Main Street: Two Billion Reasons to Celebrate. 

Of the more than 100 officially designated Main Street Communities in the state, Waynesville was one of eight chosen as a model of success for others to emulate.

Over the past two decades, downtown Waynesville has seen 647 net new jobs and 169 net new businesses. The town has also seen a total of $41.7 million in private investment.

Statewide, the cumulative private investment figures of Main Street communities passed the $2 billion mark. The number of new jobs hit 19,000.

Don Rykema, a principal of the PlaceEconomics consulting firm, saw the results right away.

“One walk down Main Street in Waynesville and it becomes quickly apparent that this is a community committed to quality,” Rykema said. “Quality shows up in major projects, like the restoration of the historic town hall. It also shows up at a small scale, like the benches, planters, and even trash receptacles.

Rykema, also the author of The Economics of Historic Preservation: A Community Leaders Guide and an adjunct professor in the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Pennsylvania, was hired by N.C. Main Street Program to analyze the economic impact of the program. He visited many of the participating towns, including Waynesville, within the past year.

“And the emphasis on quality is not limited to the built environment,” Rykema continued his Waynesville assessment. “Window displays in businesses, art in the galleries, and food in the restaurants are all about quality. So are the events featuring crafters or musicians or artisans. Waynesville is a success story program in part because, for nearly 30 years in the Main Street program, it has refused to settle for second-best.”

About 200 Swain County students recently got an up-close look at emerging technologies at a manufacturing expo at the Swain Regional Business Education and Training Center. They were able to check out robotics, computer programming, a 3-D printer and other technology on display during the inaugural manufacturing and STEM awareness event — a part of the N.C. Manufacturing Awareness Week 2014.

“It’s really neat,” said Cameron Ponchot, an eighth grader at Swain Middle School, after watching a robotics demonstration put on by Mark Little of ConMet. “I’d like to go to a company like that. I’m really excited that Swain High School is about to get a robotics class.”

The expo was organized by Swain County Schools and Southwestern Community College and featured nearly a dozen exhibits from regional organizations like Google and Duke Energy. SCC and its partners throughout its service area recently secured more than $1.5 million in advanced manufacturing training grants, which will be used to ensure ConMet and other area manufacturers can train their employees on the latest technology for years to come.

“We’re thrilled that all these young students got a chance to see where manufacturing and technology are headed right here where they live,” said Sonja Haynes, SCC’s dean of workforce innovations. “Events like this showcase what our local businesses and industries are doing, and they allow us to demonstrate how we’re meeting their educational and training needs.”

Spots are going fast to view the unique synchronous firefly display in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park June 4-11. Every year, thousands of visitors gather to watch the synchronized flashing of Photinus carolinus, a firefly species that puts on a natural light show. Parking passes are required to attend. 

Reservations cost $1.50 each and cover a maximum of six people per vehicle. Shuttle buses will transport people from the designated parking area to the viewing area beginning at 7 p.m., for an additional $1 per person. A small number of passes will be held until the day before the event. 

www.recreation.gov or 877.444.6777. 

Soccer players ages 11 to 18 looking for a challenge beyond their local leagues will have a chance to try out for a spot on the Mountain United Classic Soccer Teams May 17-18. The teams will travel to compete with some of the state’s top youth soccer teams.    

The May 17 tryout will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee. The May 18 tryout will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Macon County Industrial Park Soccer Fields. Players vying for a spot on the U11 and U12 boys teams or U11-U18 girls team may attend one or both days. Teams for boys 18 and under will be organized in the spring. 

Matt Kolodzik, Macon and Rabun counties, 828.713.2664; Jonathan Parsons, Jackson County, 828.399.9614; Scott Cline, Swain County, 828.736.0455. www.maconsoccer.net.

A Birds of Prey program planned for 1 p.m., May 9, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center will give visitors an up-close look at birds ranging from the eastern screech owl to the northern bald eagle.

Anyone who’s wondered what a day in the life of a National Park Service employee looks like will get a chance to see at National Park Career Day, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 10 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Unearth the secret of square-foot gardening

A free introduction to square-foot gardening at 5:30 p.m. May 13 at the Canton Branch Library will teach participants how to get a high yield from a small space.

Classic rock icons Chicago will perform at 9 p.m. May 16 at Harrah’s Cherokee.

The Grammy and American Music Award-winning group is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades. They were recently ranked #13 in Billboard Magazine’s recent list of Top 100 artists of all time, making them the highest charting American band.

Tickets are $44.50, $5450 and $74.50.

800.745.3000 or www.harrahscherokee.com.

The Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a lineup highlighted by a return engagement of country-western icons Riders in the Sky, a Grammy Award-winning group that performed during the inaugural season of the series.

The only professional entertainment series in Jackson County, the series debuted in 2005, with all performances taking place in the 900-seat John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The 2014-15 schedule will include the following:

• The band Riders in the Sky will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14. The group, founded in 1977 and featured in the motion picture “Toy Story,” is known for its award-winning harmonies, wacky cowboy wit and high-yodeling adventures.

• “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical” will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24. A group of master improvisers gather made-up hit song suggestions from the audience to create a spontaneous evening of music and humor.

• Cinnamon GRITS: Christmas in the South will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12. This production is a mix of storytelling and music that provides a Southern-style look at the holidays.

• Elvis impersonator Travis Ledoyt will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31.

• Man 1, Bank 0 hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28. Patrick Combs tells the true story of a man who deposited a junk-mail check labeled “non-negotiable” into a bank account only to see things erupt into an adventure pitting a “David” regular guy against the “Goliath” of the banking industry.

• Ventriloquist Lynn Trefzger and comedian Glenn Singer will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 27.

• We’ve Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26.

The Galaxy of Stars Series is presented by the WCU College of Fine and Performing Arts with support from the WCU Friends of the Arts organization.

Season subscriptions go on sale Monday, May 5. $120 for adults and $45 for students and children. Subscriptions for WCU faculty and staff are available for $110.

Single-show tickets for the 2014-15 series go on sale Aug. 12. Those prices are $21 for adults; $16 for WCU faculty and staff; and $7 for students and children. Ticket prices are $15 per person for groups of 20 or more.

828.227.2479 or  www.bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

Musician Marshall Ballew will perform at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The comic/drama “Painting Churches” will kickoff Smoky Mountain Community Theatre’s 2014 production season at 7:30 p.m., May 9-11 and 16-19 in Bryson City. 

To the Editor:

Human health, wildlife resources and sportsmen had a big win recently in the Federal Appeals Court. The court reaffirmed the EPA’s authority to set limits on mercury, arsenic, and other pollutants from power plants under the Mercury and Air Toxics standard. Big polluters and climate deniers in Congress have launched every attack in the book to stop the administration’s lifesaving safeguards on public health, and natural resources protections but once again the EPA’s authority, granted under the federal Clean Air Act and upheld by the US Supreme Court, has been defended by the highest courts in the land. 

Mercury is a neurotoxin that damages children’s cognitive thinking skills when consumed. We have fishery consumption advisories from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. Most of that mercury falls from the skies and are directly sourced to burning carbon products as fuel. North Carolina anglers and their families should be able to eat the fish they catch without fear of harm. 

Big polluters and their allies are sure to continue their onslaught of obstruction as the administration works to set limits on the dangerous carbon pollution from power plants, the greatest contributor to climate change, but with the backing of average Americans across the country, the administration will continue to act. 

G. Richard Mode

Sportsmen Outreach Coordinator, National Wildlife Federation 

Morganton

To the Editor:

On the way to Wilmington using the smaller roads off the interstate, I found it depressing to note so many of what appeared to have been small manufacturing businesses shut down.

Empty parking lots told the story of what was probably a previously bustling business and a source of jobs no longer there. In some of the smaller towns, one could see the effects of losing an industry, however small it may have been, with deserted stores and shops and gas stations out of business. Some of the factories still had identifying signs hanging on the building advertising a company I had never heard of but who obviously had been part of their community. A few of the buildings were pretty slick looking and probably built prior to the current recession.

One could only guess what hustle and bustle took place in these buildings. Even their empty parking lots seemed to be haunted by the ghosts of times past. Had we not been in a rush to get to Wilmington it might have been worthwhile to take some pictures to document the empty buildings. Just what was the gizmo or gadget had they manufactured? Tractor wheel rims, flashlights, dies for machines, plumbing, mothballs, diesel injectors, outdoor BBQs?  In passing I could only guess.

Each company had a story to tell, not only about the entrepreneurial people who founded them but the lives and families of the people who labored there. At day’s end, they all went home to supper and watched the world unfold before them on their television just like the rest of us, filled with the satisfaction of having put in a good day’s work.

We can blame part of the recession on the government for requiring banks to make loans to folks who otherwise couldn’t afford to buy a home and no question that this played a part in our current economic dilemma when buyers discovered they couldn’t afford the monthly payments. We can blame the real estate professionals who sold the homes folks couldn’t afford, the appraisers who inflated the values of the homes and the mortgage brokers who bundled them up and sold them to the investment banks. In the end, it was a boom; but as with all booms, it inevitably collapsed.

But the story of these closed down small factories is a different story because the vast majority of them made things that we can now buy cheaper from China. Cheaper Chinese products probably played as much of a role as anything else in sinking our economy, closing down those small manufacturers. Lower labor costs allow China to turn out cheaper goods which we buy knowing full well that we are costing American jobs. We are doing it to ourselves, shooting ourselves in the foot by buying Chinese goods. With higher minimum wages here, we’ll buy even more Chinese goods, all very sad indeed.

We never seem to learn.

Bob Wilson

Franklin

To the Editor:

It appears that Bob Wilson, a frequent letter writer, is stuck in a 1950’s time warp. He’s still fighting the Red Menace and the Cold War, and thinks the enemy is still communism and its little brother socialism. His rhetoric is full of old Cold War anti-communist propaganda and group-think.  

In the last 50 years the United States has become more like old fascist Germany than arch-enemy Communist Russia. Yes, there is a ruling political class in our U.S.A. It’s the ultra-rich and the corporations they run! But don’t take my word for it. Facts provide all the proof necessary. 

Will heavier taxation kill industry and push us into debt? Fact: a recent study shows that the effective tax rate for the 500 largest businesses in the U.S. is 13 percent, far lower than the rate you and I pay. If there is a problem with U.S. debt it’s because the lobbyists of corporate America have created a tax code riddled with loop holes, exemptions and tax havens putting the burden of taxes on the middle class, which is slowly going broke.

Is our so-called “socialist” government out to disarm ordinary citizens who may pose a threat? Fact: the United States has more guns per person than any other country. There are probably over 300 million guns in private hands, equaling almost one gun for every man, women and child. Last week armed vigilantes “out-gunned” federal officers trying to collect over a million dollars in grazing fees and penalties legally owed by a wealthy landowner.  

Do “socialists” pass more regulations to “keep a lid on things?” Fact: exactly what regulation on which “things” would we want to do away with? How about less regulation on Duke Power and their coal ash ponds? Less food inspectors? Fewer tests for prescription drugs? Would you want less of these regulations? I know, let’s take the air bags out of cars. Corporate profit margins would greatly benefit from those changes. 

Are lawmakers attempting to pacify citizens with more freebies? Fact: the largest “freebies,” other than those handed to corporations, are Social Security and Medicare. All other “social welfare” programs are tiny by comparison. Any problem with Social Security can be cured by requiring the wealthy pay the same percentage we pay. And, if Medicare is out of control, unlike any other major industrialized country, our medical system is designed to make a profit for big insurance companies and medical providers.  

If President Obama’s goal is to make this into a “socialist” country, he’s a colossal failure. The definition of socialism is to spread the wealth. Exactly the opposite is happening. The wealthy are doing better than any time in the past 100 years. The middle class is shrinking and the poor are getting poorer. Corporate power, especially in the wake of Citizens United and the recent McCutcheon decision, is at the point where they can now buy and sell politicians, just like corporate stock.   

Shirl Ches

Franklin

Western Carolina University will hold a trio of commencement ceremonies over a two-day period – Friday and Saturday, May 9-10 – to recognize the academic achievements of what is expected to be a record-breaking spring class.

Three grants totaling $12,110 were recently awarded by The Fund for Haywood County.  

The grants include:

• $5,000 to Folkmoot USA to support the renovation of the kitchen and cafeteria space in the Folkmoot Friendship Center to create a functional, year-round facility to host international visitors and cultural and community events.

• $5,000 to Hazelwood Elementary School for The Leader in Me Initiative, a school-wide effort to improve student academic achievement and to create a culture in which students are challenged, encouraged and nurtured.

• $2,110 to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to enhance recreation and natural resources at the Graveyard Fields Overlook.

“Haywood County is rich in culture, education and natural resources, and we’re fortunate to have these organizations in our community,” said John Keith, advisory board member. “The Fund for Haywood County is glad to be able to support them.”

The Fund for Haywood Country, an affiliate of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, is a permanently endowed fund to meet local needs. Tax-deductible gifts are added to the principal, which is preserved and invested. The returns are used to make grants to support nonprofits in Haywood County. Since 1994, The Fund for Haywood County, in partnership with CFWNC, has awarded 79 grants totaling $672,640 to 42 organizations.  

For more information about The Fund for Haywood County, contact Chair George Ivey at 828.648.2710. To make a tax-deductible donation to the Fund for Haywood County, donate online at www.cfwnc.org or by mail to The Fund for Haywood County, P.O. Box 627, Waynesville, NC, 28786. Contributions of any size are welcome and are tax-deductible. 

As part of the Dillsboro Business Plan Competition, roughly a half dozen aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small business owners transformed their ideas into business plans over the past four months while regularly attending free weekly seminars through Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center in Webster.

Annie Burrell claimed the $5,000 grand prize during an awards banquet at SCC, but organizers said the town of Dillsboro will ultimately be the big winner as several viable business ideas emerged from the competition.

“We really hope everyone who participated will follow through and put the business plans they developed into action,” said Sonja Haynes, SCC’s dean of Workforce Innovations who spoke on behalf of the judges. “We feel like every single one of them has the potential to be very successful.”

Burrell, who opened Rabbit Creek Pottery in October with sister Jenny Patton, entered the competition to help formalize a business plan.  

“I’m overwhelmed and overjoyed,” said Burrell, who lives in Franklin. “My sister and I are potters, and we’ve been struggling because we haven’t had a gas-fired kiln. I’ve had a kiln in the backyard covered up by a tarp because we couldn’t afford to get the gas hook-up, and this is going to make it possible.”

For more information about SCC’s Small Business Center, contact Henry at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.339.4211. To learn more about WCU’s Small Business & Technology Development Center, contact Dennison at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The primary election was held Tuesday, May 6, in counties throughout North Carolina. Here are the results from the local races in our coverage area of Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

Wildflower blaze expected on Highlands hike

A wildflower hike will step off from the Jones Gap parking area near Highlands at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4. Sponsored by the North Carolina Bartram Trail Society, the hike will be led by botanist and former Western Carolina University professor Dan Pittillo. Later trilliums and flaming “yellow-to-orange-to-red” azaleas are expected to make a showing. The route will go from Jones Gap to Whiterock Gap, returning to the parking area at 6 p.m. 828.787.2091

Smokies hike offers venture to Ramsey Cascades

A strenuous hike up to Ramsey Cascades, the tallest waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be the next installment in Friends of the Smokies’ Classic Hikes of the Smokies. Hiking guide and author Danny Bernstein will lead the hike on Tuesday, May 13.

The strenuous 8-mile hike in the park’s Greenbrier area has a total elevation gain of 2,200 feet, passing through coves of old-growth hardwood before arriving at the 100-foot waterfall. 

Participants can carpool from Asheville or Waynesville, or meet at the trailhead. Register at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or 828.452.0720. $10 for Friends of the Smokies members; $35 for nonmembers, with complimentary one-year membership; free to members who bring a friend. 

Plant sale planned for Franklin

The 12th annual plant sale of the Macon County Master Gardener Association will be held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Environmental Resource Center on 1624 Lakeside Drive in Franklin. The selection will include perennials, woody ornamentals, annuals, vegetables and herbs, with proceeds going to benefit the ERC’s demonstration gardens. 828.349.2046.

Plant clinic open in Haywood County

Master gardeners will be on hand through the end of the growing season to answer any garden-related questions plaguing Haywood green thumbs. The gardeners will be available at the Haywood County Extension Center on Raccoon Road via the Haywood County Plant Clinic on business days from 9 a.m. to noon through September 26. 

Gardeners will offer advice concerning issues related to lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees, insects, diseases, soils and frost. If they don’t have an answer, and any other problem, the master gardeners will have the answer they’ll consult the experts and come back with a research-based answer.

828.456.3575.

Cherokee language and culture is the focus of a touring exhibit slated to visit ten sites in the region throughout the month of May. The exhibit “Understanding our Past, Shaping our Future” is based largely on excerpts from conversations originally recorded in Cherokee. 

A Cherokee speakers group, organized in cooperation with the Cherokee Language Program at Western Carolina University, met weekly at the Kituwah Academy where members were shown historic photographs and asked to comment on them. These conversations were transcribed, translated, and included on the fifteen panels that make up the exhibit.

The exhibit will be displayed at Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City, Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cashiers Symposium and Historical Society in Cashiers. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is accepting comments on a proposed temporary rule change that would prohibit using dogs to hunt deer and bear on certain portions of game land. The proposed rule is designed to address trespass and safety concerns of adjacent private landowners.

If approved, the rule would take effect July 1 and remain effective up to 270 days while the commission pursued an identical, permanent rule. 

The proposed rule is online at http://www.ncoah.com/rules/. Comments must be received by May 9. 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Kate Pipkin, 1722 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1722. 

A hike to see the rare pink shell azalea on the slopes of Black Rock Mountain near Panthertown, scheduled for May 5, will give participants a chance to see plenty of blooms while supporting the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust.

Free, weekly bird-watching trips from the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will start up in Highlands beginning May 3. Walks leave from Highlands Town Hall at 7:30 a.m., with binoculars, field guides and knowledgeable leaders provided. 

A deluge of fly fishermen will soon descend on Western Carolina University. It’s the annual Southeastern Fly Fishing Festival, and for the second year in a row, it’s happening in Cullowhee. 

The Moscow Festival Ballet will perform “Sleeping Beauty” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 9, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Art After Dark continues from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 2, in downtown Waynesville.

“Woofstock — Blues, Brews & BBQ” will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at McGuire Gardens in Sylva.

Iconic rockers REO Speedwagon will play at 9 p.m. Feb. 14 at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

By Don Livingston • Guest Columnist

Congress is not our most popular branch of government, not by a long shot. Its lowest job approval rating, according to one respectable polling organization, was 9 percent late last year. Earlier this year, this polling firm found that only 13 percent of the respondents in its scientific survey felt that Congress was doing a decent job. Congress’ average job approval rating since pollsters began probing for such feedback in the 1970s is around 33 percent. That’s certainly nothing to brag about.

To the Editor:

I read with interest the article regarding Western Carolina University and the regional tourism conference with hopes of learning something new in the industry. Disappointment set in knowing that the same-old, same-old hadn’t changed over the years.

It was like watching one of the network soap operas, once in 2001 and again in 2010 ... pretty predictable.

• Tourism and its effect on the local economy: a storyline from the 1970s still being played as an ace card.

• The need for regional marketing cooperation: thought that was the responsibility of Smoky Mountain Host.  

• Determining why visitors come to the mountains: fairly obvious, etc., etc.

I think the area tourism industry continues to lay a foundation and once that’s done, move over and lay another foundation without really building much of anything.  

What needs to be done is to play the game smarter and move forward. But what I see is tourism wheels spinning in the same old ruts. While the bed tax concept has been historically good for a local community, it divides a region. 

Too much bickering on the local levels. Monies and energies that could be used to accomplish much-needed goals are being wasted.

We will never be able to compete monetarily with Sevier County (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville) or the state of Florida; however, finding some “smart, out-of-the box” avenues for promotion just might be the ticket.

David Redman

Sylva

To the Editor:

This may be liberal heresy, but it is true. Republicans are right about many things: “Family Values,” education and jobs. Republicans clearly saw the serious social damage caused by ignoring these issues.

Republicans correctly argue that the breakdown of the family and the increase in single-parent households greatly increases the poverty rate for families. So what is their response? They stop extended unemployment benefits. They cut family planning services and restrict contraceptive availability, thereby increasing out-of-wedlock births. Then they cut food stamps, of which 50 percent or more goes to children. Next they block Medicaid for millions, creating real health and financial hardships for poor and middle class families. This is the single greatest cause of bankruptcy in this country.

School reform has been a rallying cry for Republican for years. Broken school systems and overprotective unions are seen as a problem. To fix these problems they have gone on a crusade to eliminate teacher union, ignoring the fact that the states with the strongest unions consistently have the best schools. The most effective and proven school reform is preschool and assistance to disadvantaged kids. Yet Republicans have fought tooth-and-nail to stop these programs. The most successful universal preschool state is Kentucky; but apparently proven results don't trump politics.

As for jobs creation, Ronald Regan said, “The best social program is a job.” He was right. Most able-bodied citizens on public assistance say they would rather have a job that gives them the dignity that comes with supporting their families. So, how do Republicans go about creating jobs? They give big tax breaks to wealthy, the so-called “job creators,” who invest the extra cash in the stock market. They block attempts to improve our infrastructure. They stop any increase in the minimum wage, which on balance creates many more jobs than it costs. 

The key to a good job in the future is a good education. So what do they propose? They cut back funding for public education at all levels but give public money to religious schools. They charge high interest on collage loans and cut back funding for all forms of higher education. And my favorite: make our students share 15-year-old textbooks.

When it comes to family values, education and job creation; Republicans should be judged on what they do, not what they say.

Louis Vitale

Franklin

To the Editor:

Rumor has it that once again vote buying may be taking place in Swain County and on The Cherokee Reservation. These vote buyers will use cash, liquor or fear to get your vote, because your vote is important to them. It helps insure that the “Old Guard” stays in control.

But your vote is important to you. It’s important that you as an American have the freedom, the right and the honor to vote your own choice.

If you are approached by anyone offering you something in exchange for your vote, contact the Board of Elections. Vote buying is a crime.

Do we really want someone running our county who has to buy votes to win?

Barbara Robinson

Bryson City 

A public input session regarding the future growth in Cullowhee is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 6 at the Cullowhee Valley School Library. 

The session will focus on the Cullowhee Vision Plan, which has been prepared based upon comments provided at previous community meetings. Attendees will have the opportunity to comment on the draft plan, put together by the Cullowhee Community Planning Advisory Committee.

According to the 2010 census, Cullowhee is the fastest-growing area in Jackson County. The growth is evidenced by recent residential and commercial development.

The public input session is being hosted by the Cullowhee Planning Advisory Committee and Jackson County. 

828.531.2255 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

By Jake Flannick • Correspondent

He had gained enough wealth as a young marketing executive to fulfill almost any of his aspirations. But the very trappings of success are perhaps what led Justin Phillips, 33, to turn elsewhere for clarity.

The 17th annual Greening Up the Mountains Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26, in downtown Sylva.

Named for the way spring’s green gradually progresses up a mountain, the festival is Sylva’s largest annual event and is expected to draw an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 attendees. 

Live raptors, green building and spring flowers will all be part of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Greening of the Parkway special event, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center. 

In this combined celebration of Earth Day, National Park Week and National Junior Ranger Day, visitors can learn how to landscape with native species, see spring animal babies, see a live raptor demonstration, tour a LEED-certified building, learn about sustainability and green building practices, check out the Parkway’s new green vehicles, learn about the Junior Ranger program and hike on a Kids in Parks TRACK Trail. 

Free, with food from Webo’s BBQ available for purchase. 828.298.5330, ext. 304. 

The Wildflower Whimsy event, May 2-3, at the Highlands Biological Foundation, will feature guided garden tours, a live plant auction and reception — with live music — guided wildflower walks and a lecture. At 6 p.m. on Friday, Peter Loewer will present a lecture titled “Wildflowers and Native Perennials - and Even a Few exotics - for the Southeast.” Loewer is an established writer and botanical artist, writing on topics ranging from ornamental grasses to nocturnal flowers. 

The Wildflower Whimsy event runs from 5 to 8 p.m., May 2, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 3. $40 for Highlands Biological Foundation members, $50 for non-members or $25 for Friday night only. Friday tickets include heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, garden tours, live music and a seat during the lecture on Friday night. Saturday tickets include lunch and a wildflower walk. 828.526.2221 or www.highlandsbiological.org/wildflower-whimsy.  

Another season is underway for Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market, which starts up again at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 26. The market will run every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon until mid-December at the parking lot of HART Theater and Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts, 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville. 

On any given Saturday, 50 vendors will be there to sell food and craft items. Early season wares are spring greens, meats, eggs and starts for vegetables, herbs, annuals and perennials. Fresh seafood from North Carolina’s coast will be available Saturdays, and fresh-caught trout from Almond will also be sold. 

www.waynesvillefarmersmarket.com or like on www.facebook.com/waynesvillefarmersmarket for weekly updates on what’s being sold. 

Rain barrels made from recycled food-grade containers are available for purchase at the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce and the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office. They can also be ordered through the Haywood Waterways Association. 

The barrels have bug screen and connections for a garden hose, overflow pipes or to connect multiple barrels together. During drought, the barrels provide a source of irrigation water, reducing strain on rivers and wells, and they capture stormwater to reduce runoff when it rains. The average barrel captures 650 gallons of stormwater annually and has a 30-year lifespan. 

$80.25 each, including tax. Contact Haywood Waterways, 828.476.4667 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Bear management will get a boost in the Smokies with $4,000 in Appalachian Trail license plate sales to go toward repairing damaged cables in the cable-and-pulley systems installed at each backcountry campsite and shelter in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Volunteers are needed to help Haywood Waterways root the invasive plants out of Richland Creek’s banks at Vance Street Park in Waynesville. From 2 to 5 p.m. April 29, the group will remove Japanese knotweed, multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet, Chinese privet and Japanese honeysuckle.

The Waynesville Skate Park will be closed from April 28 to May 2 for repairs. The park will reopen May 3.