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Two trails that have been closed since 2011 after receiving extensive damage from a tornado in the western end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have finally been reopened.
Park trail crews recently completed rehabilitation work on Beard Cane and Hatcher Mountain trails. These trails have been closed since April 2011 due to damaging tornado winds and rain that left the trails blocked by thousands of downed trees. In addition, crews had to rebuild the trailhead and construct multiple retaining walls where the paths had been completely destroyed when trees uprooted.
The storm was so devastating that trail crews from as far away as California had to be brought into help park maintenance workers. All trails are now reopened for public use. However, backcountry campsite 11 remains closed because the damage was so great from the storm that it was deemed no longer suitable as a campsite.
www.nps.gov/grsm or 865.436.1297.
The Haywood County Health Department pitched in and gave away tents, tables, coolers and other equipment to vendors at area farmer’s markets last week, including Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market. The equipment was purchased through a Community Transformation Grant Project, which focuses on addressing disease in the state through tobacco-free living, exercise and eating healthy.
Keelin Schneider, the Health Promotions coordinator, was on site last Wednesday’s to help deliver the equipment to individual vendors who had applied and to market representatives.
“This generous contribution by Haywood County, supporting healthy lifestyles through local markets, is a refreshing boost for producers who are challenged by economic issues and weather,” Schneider said.
Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market is held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon in the Shelton House parking lot in Waynesville.
For paddlers looking to master the French Broad River, a new map is available online detailing the river’s paddle trail. The French Broad River Paddle Trail map includes river access points, campsites and river hazards in addition to nearby rafting and guide services, gear shops, equipment rentals, parks and lodging.
The river trail spans more than 200 miles from Rosman deep into the Tennessee, where is becomes the French Broad River Blueway. There are campsites, which are free and open to the public, every 10 miles or so along the river.
A grueling, 12-hour mountain bike race will be held from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Tsali Recreation Area outside Bryson City. Riders can take the course solo or sign up with a team of four to help split the long hours necessary in the saddle to conquer the course.
The race circuit is a 10-mile loop up hills and through the mud on some of the best single-track mountain bike trails in the eastern United States. And as bikers finish the half-day course after nightfall, headlamps and bike lights on, the team or rider with the most laps wins.
Race registration is limited to 350 riders, but if space is still available riders can sign up beginning at noon the day before the race. Camping and lodging is also available in the area on a first come, first served basis.
The azalea garden at Stecoah Valley Center is in full bloom, but will only be for the next few weeks. Visitors are encouraged to go to the garden and spend an afternoon among the floral aroma and variety of amazing colors.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking volunteers to help at its Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education to accommodate a boost in visitation.
Haywood County is now signing up players for its adult summer soccer leagues.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is planning to release two new predatory beetles to stop the spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that has devastated hemlock forests throughout the eastern United States.
A folk concert and artist reception will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.
Thea & The GreenMan of Asheville will perform a concert of original acoustic folk music from 7 to 8:15 p.m. The duo is known for its stellar harmony vocals accompanied by guitar and percussion. Their lyrics are inspired by Native American imagery, the elements of nature, and the subject of mountains, rivers and canyons.
Immediately following the concert there will be a reception from 8:15 to 9 p.m. for artist and writer Laura Elliott and glass artist Tadashi Torii, both of Sylva. The exhibit of abstract paintings and glasswork will be on display at the Center for the Arts through July 23.
In addition, Iva Veazey of Durham will play the keyboard during the reception, performing compositions inspired by Elliott’s paintings.
The evening is sponsored by Swain County Center for the Arts and Swain County Schools. It is free and open to the public.
www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta or 828.488.7843.
The Mother’s Day Gemboree will run from May 10-12 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Doors will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Known as “The Gem Capital of the World,” Franklin hosts three gem and minerals shows throughout the year, with others in July and October.
“Some of the nation’s finest gem and mineral dealers will display and sell everything from fine jewelry to rough and cut gems and minerals,” said Linda Harbuck, executive director of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event.
Admission to the gemboree is $2 for adults with those under 12 years of age admitted free.
828.524.2516 or www.discoverfranklin.com.
Haywood Square to host block party
A day of festivities for “Customer Appreciation Day” will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Haywood Square in Waynesville.
There will be live music and children’s activities, food vendors, a scavenger hunt with a prizes and professional pet photos. The festival will showcase the vibrant and diverse collection of locally-owned businesses that occupy the shopping plaza in the heart of downtown Waynesville.
“Small business is the backbone of our economy,” said Bruce McGovern, a small business owner in the square. “Keeping local business active means that money is being channeled throughout the county. When a local business makes money, they’ll spend the money in the community.”
Haywood Square bridges the Main Street and Frog Level shopping districts, and McGovern looks at the event as a chance to connect the dots of commerce in the greater downtown area.
“We want to bridge the gaps between downtown and Frog Level,” he said. “Businesses here are active, and the fact more people are supporting us, the more difference it’ll make.”
The festival is being held the same day as the Whole Bloomin’ Thing festival in Frog Level.
Spring festival gets hopping in Frog Level
The Whole Bloomin’ Thing street festival will kick-off the growing season with its annual showcase of music, art, crafts, food — and all sorts of things to plant in your yard — from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11, in Waynesville.
Local growers will be selling flowering baskets, vegetable and herb starts, perennials and annuals, berry bushes and potted plants. Local artisans will feature a wide range of nature-inspired crafts. Enjoy fresh cheeses, homemade preserves and jellies, BBQ, tacos, veggie wraps, ice cream and desserts all day long.
Live music and entertainment will be provided throughout the day by local musicians and dancers, including Chris Minick, Raqs Beledi Belly Dance School, Productive Paranoia, Sheila Gordan, ‘round the Fire, the Frog Level Phil Harmonic, The Ross Brothers, and the Jonathan Creek Cloggers.
It is put on each year by the Historic Frog Level Merchants Association.
Parking is available at Haywood Builders, the public parking deck on Branner Avenue and all public parking in the area.
The Pyramid Brass Quintet will play at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the Haywood County Library in Waynesville as part of the Haywood County Arts Council’s free Sunday Concert Series.
Formed in 2001, the WNC-based band was drawn together because of their love for brass music, using it as an art form to educate and entertain. Their repertoire has grown to include many arrangements from all musical styles and periods including The Renaissance, The Romantic Era, Sacred Music, Broadway Musicals, Big Band, Dixieland, Ragtime, Jazz, Marches, Polkas, and Patriotic Music.
This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. The Sunday Series is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
The annual “Spring Fling” will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Waynesville Recreation Center.
There will be tubing in Richland Creek, a kid’s dog show, food, music, games for children and a water slide. Kids can have a blast on the 21-foot Ninja slide, the 30-foot obstacle course or bounce on a large castle.
A free dog contest for kids will be held at 10 a.m. with categories for largest dog, smallest dog, best trick, best dressed and cutest dog. Prizes will be awarded. The deadline to register for the dog show is 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 8.
From 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday all Haywood County residents will have free admission to the Waynesville Recreation Center.
The Spring Fling is sponsored by the Waynesville Kiwanis and the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department
828.456.2030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The annual “Airing of the Quilts” festival will be held May 10-11 in downtown Franklin. The event will feature an array of workshops, demonstrations and activities in honor of the tradition and pastime.
A valuable piece of the history of the Rickman General Store in Macon County is back in its original home thanks to a contribution from Habitat for Humanity.
Jackson County Arts Council has arranged to donate the money collected in honor of the late Ray Menze to the Junior Appalachian Musicians of Jackson County.
A Dogs and Suds fundraiser for Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville.
Broadway star and Western Carolina University Musical Theatre Professor Terrence Mann was recently nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the revival of the production “Pippin.”
To the Editor:
Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and his extreme right-wing partisans have no problem wasting taxpayer money as long as he gets a headline and appears to be tough on the poor folks, as illustrated by his recent comments and support for a proposal to drug test anyone getting state benefits from programs intended to help people. The only people who will benefit are the lawyers, as usual, who will fight a losing battle because the suspicion-less drug testing of Americans has been ruled unconstitutional already by every federal court in every state that has attempted this ridiculous and pointless policy.
Alcohol is by far the most dangerous and widely abused drug of all, responsible for the majority of domestic violence arrests and in every other category possible where a substance is at issue, yet his “ drug testing” scheme does not cover that deadly drug. Any recipient of the Work First program can swill whiskey and stagger their way through life and that is OK with Davis; there are no tests done for alcoholics and problem drinkers, but some poor cancer patient with a minor amount of cannabis in their system would be excluded.
That is a sickening and shameful example of the hypocrisy of the nanny state promoters’ refusal to use common sense in the use of our tax money.
How about if Sen. Davis proposes a bill that would drug test all N.C senators and house members every year so we know our tax dollars are not being wasted on the politicians? Let them be the first. After all, we are paying their salaries with our money and have a right to make sure that the oftentimes insane and ridiculous laws and policies they pass are not the result of intoxication but just due to their individual failings as leaders.
I guarantee you that if alcohol were forbidden to the talking heads in Raleigh and Washington, there would be virtually no one left to govern … and good riddance.
There has never been a “drug-free” society in all of human history, and Davis is deluded if he thinks there ever will be despite the efforts of the people who would destroy our rights and freedoms to accomplish an impossibility. If someone does have a real drug problem, which statistically would involve alcohol far more often than any illegal substance, offering medical help and counseling would do more for them and their families than to deny them benefits and pressure them into serious crime to survive.
Republican politicians care nothing about results, common sense or human dignity, but are only concerned with headlines and promotion of far right wing nonsense never meant to succeed but only to curry favor from political donors and rabid far right voters. Unless we want to keep looking like illiterate and moronic bumpkins we would do well to ignore the grandstanding of Davis and his cronies and instead promote policies that actually help people, make common sense and use our money for beneficial purposes and not pipe dreams destined to fail.
Richard Moore
Sylva
To the Editor:
Watching the YouTube videos (since removed) of the “jack booted thugs” trampling on our Third, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendment natural rights recently in the greater Boston area, I experienced a great sadness. Sadness because peace officers, who took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, believed that they could commit these unconstitutional crimes; sadness that there has been no great public outcry against these atrocities; sadness that media commentators and officeholders haven’t spoken out vociferously against these fascist terror tactics against the American people; sadness mostly because despite the facade of liberty we still enjoy, all of these acts and attitudes mean that we have lost the republic.
What comes next won’t be pleasant. I know that I will continue to work to restore the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights that the founders handed down to us. What will you do? Choose wisely.
Benjamin Franklin once said: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Carl Iobst
Cullowhee
To the Editor:
This is an open letter to Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., our district’s freshman congressman:
Your vote to filibuster expanded background checks to purchase guns will haunt you through your next election. To defend your vote based on the lies of the National Rifle Association speaks to your ignorance of what the bill really said, your incompetence to represent the will of your constituents, or your laziness to determine either.
If you talk to hunters and sportsman, you know that hunters have to buy licenses to hunt, have limits on the numbers of ducks, deer, turkeys, etc., that can be killed and have limits on the number of shells they can have in their guns.
Guess what? Nobody has come to take their guns away from them.
These are all common sense measures to sustain the resource they want to hunt so their grandkids can enjoy the same experiences they have now. Surely our children who are our future deserve as much protection from common sense regulations as ducks or deer!
Over 31,000 people die EACH YEAR in the United States from gun violence — EACH YEAR! That is seven times more people than were killed in 10 years of war in Iraq and you want to do nothing! Shame on you.
Jane Harrison
Waynesville
To the Editor:
I am extremely disappointed in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribal Council (except members Perry Shell, Terri Henry and Bo Taylor) for allowing the bear zoos to continue in operation.
It’s understood that the bears cannot be released into the wild. However, they can and should be provided an environment as near to their natural habitat as humanly possible and anything short of that is unconscionable.
As Council Member Diamond Brown admitted, the tribal focus is on the new casino being built in Murphy. That excuse is so lame, and certainly undeserving the proud and ageless heritage of the Cherokee Nation.
David Snell
Dillsboro
Macon Pride, a county-based environmental organization, has recognized Caterpillar Precision Seals in Franklin for what it deems an exemplary recycling program. On a regular basis, Macon Pride highlights a local recycling program. The extensiveness and organization of the one at Caterpillar landed the company the honor this time around.
Caterpillar recycles large volumes of paper, metals and lubricants; its plant also has nearly a dozen stations for employees to recycle beverage containers and paper used daily.
“We strive for 100 percent recycling at our facility,” said Curtis Green, the facility’s senior associate for environmental health and safety.
Macon Pride also wants to hear from other county businesses, clubs, classrooms and churches that have recycling programs to recognize the effort. And, if an organization is lacking a program, Macon Pride will facilitate implementing a no-cost recycling station on site.
828.349.5201 or 828.524.9991.
Can you make it in the corps? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park needs volunteers to join the Elk Bugle Corps and assist rangers with managing traffic and providing information to visitors in Cataloochee Valley.
Cataloochee is a remote mountain valley in Haywood County where elk were reintroduced in 2001 as part of an experimental release. Approximately 140 elk now live in the herd, and their presence attracts throngs of visitors and lines of vehicles. Rangers have difficulty keeping up with the numbers and demands of visitors. Volunteers teach visitors about elk behavior and biology and impart ethical wildlife viewing.
Volunteers work at least two, four-hour shifts per month, starting the second week in May and continuing through November. This target period is during the high tourist season from elk calving season through their mating season. Volunteers will spend time roving the valley in a zero-emission electric vehicle or by bike. Volunteers who prefer to rove by bike are required to bring their own bicycle and helmet.
828.506.1739.
For the third consecutive year, Western Carolina University has been listed by The Princeton Review as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in North America.
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust has received national accreditation for its work in protecting treasured lands.
Folks interested in hiking a section of the Mountains to Sea Trail and learning a bit more about the storied path have a chance to chat with a MST guru in the Smokies Saturday, May 4.
As spring and backpacking season returns to the mountains, so does bear danger in the woods. A recent bear encounter, in which a bear got a hold of food that was hung from a tree, has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to encourage visitors to the Shining Rock Wilderness Area, and other parts of the Pisgah Ranger District in the Pisgah National Forest, to store their food securely and be on the lookout for black bears.
No injuries or property damage were reported in the incident, but it has the agency on alert. Officials had to close that area of the forest to overnight camping last fall when similar bear encounters were on the rise. To prevent bear run-ins, forest rangers are urging visitors to store food by properly hanging it between two trees or stashing it in a bear proof canister container at least 150 feet away. Forest-users should also clean up food and garbage around fire rings, grills and in the campsite.
In 1953, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, at the urging of the British M16, overthrew democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. In a declassified report completed in 1954 on the 1953 operation, “blowback” for the first time entered the CIA’s lexicon.
To the Editor:
A smile, a touch, a simple “how are you today?” are some of what I hear and see every day as I walk the halls of Medwest Haywood. Rain, sunshine or snow, those smiles are the ever-present greeting our patients and families receive. Our volunteers go beyond what we could imagine to support our team.
National Volunteer Week was April 21-27. On behalf of our entire team of staff and physicians, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to our very special group of volunteers.
We don’t say thank you often enough, and we want our volunteers to know how very much we appreciate them, as we could not achieve what we do without them. They devote their time, energy and compassion to give back to the community, and I am glad that they chose our hospital to support.
Join me in congratulating all the men, women and young people who freely dedicate their time to giving back, making a difference in the lives of others each and every day.
Thank you to our amazing volunteers.
Janie Sinacore-Jaberg
President and Chief Executive Officer
Medwest Haywood
To the Editor:
I am a local biologist and an avid outdoorsman and spend a great deal of my time for both business and pleasure in the stream.
Historically, we have abused our floodplains all over the world. In many cities, including Franklin, downtowns are built on the floodplain or filled floodplain. Over time, as human population has grown, we have learned what’s wrong with this way of development. We’re probably not going to move Pittsburgh, but we can profit from earlier mistakes. This is a large part of what motivated Macon County, and many other local governments, to adopt a floodplain ordinance.
Our floodplain ordinance leaves plenty of room for debate as to how it should be applied. This is good — there is every reason to be able to discuss how individual floodplain parcels can be used, what can or should be planted or built, and how the risks associated with floodplain development should be assessed and distributed.
Floodplain filling is a distinct case. When you propose to fill a floodplain area, this is no longer a discussion about use, it is a question of circumventing the ordinance by eliminating an inconveniently located portion of floodplain. It is a direct attack on the logic that led to creating a floodplain ordinance. It is, in essence, “fixing the map.”
When working in the stream, I cannot tell you how many landowners approach me just to tell me about what their upstream neighbor has done to the creek and how it impacts their land. The principle, “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,” also applies to water. When you fill a portion of the floodplain, you are removing that area from the floodplain — at least until a large flood comes along and decides to reclaim it.
Call me cynical, but if we allow filling of the floodplain, I foresee in the near future the turning of neighbor against neighbor. The first person downstream that chooses not to, or cannot afford to fill their portion, will be negatively impacted. If you are going to remove the prohibition on floodplain filling, better strike the whole ordinance and abandon the pretense of trying to protect the floodplain, the downstream residents and infrastructure, the river and the common good.
Jason Meador
To the Editor:
Most of us have heard the term fracking by now. In states where this underground energy extraction method is being used, the track record is not good for the folks who live there. Contamination of drinking water, associated health problems and even earthquakes have been tied to fracking.
There has been such a rush to make a profit from these energy sources that the welfare of people living over or near these extraction areas has been largely ignored. North Carolina is poised to give the green light to fracking – in its most populated areas — with virtually no safeguards in place.
It should be obvious to our legislators that a short-term profit from a relative small amount of energy resources should not leave land and drinking water contaminated for centuries. Apparently this is not the case.
There is action that you can — and should — take immediately.
On a state level, urge your representative (Rep. Roger West, R-Marble, 919.733.5859 for Macon, Graham, Cherokee and Clay counties; Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, 919.715.3005, for Jackson, Swain and part of Haywood; and Rep. Michelle Presnell, R-Burnsville, 919.733.5732 for Madison, Yancey and part of Haywood) to vote against SB 76, which has unfortunately already passed the N.C. Senate under the co-sponsorship of Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, and been referred to the House for action. West and Presnell are members of the House Commerce Committee, which will be the first to consider SB 76. This bill is essentially an end run around previous legislation which would have given timely consideration to the negative impacts of fracking and the measures necessary to assure a continuing healthy living environment for those living in impacted areas.
On a national level, tell your representative (Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, for most of us in Western North Carolina, 202.225.6401) to vote for — and to cosponsor — H.R. 1154, the Bringing Reductions to Energy’s Airborne Toxic Health Effects (BREATHE) Act, and H.R. 1175, the Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydrofracking Environmental Regulation (FRESHER) Act. This legislation has been introduced to protect air and water quality in communities across the country affected by oil and gas drilling. These bills seek to close loopholes that the oil and gas industry has secured that allow them to play by different rules than other industries.
Please take time to call your representatives now, before the opportunities to protect our healthy environment have passed.
Doug Woodward
Franklin
Mail carriers in Haywood County will collected non-perishable food items for the National Letter Carriers’ “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive on Saturday, May 11.
Place canned goods or other non-perishable items in your mailbox before the mail carrier stops by to pick your mail on that Saturday. People may also leave donations at the post office. Do not include any items in glass.
All food gathered will go to Haywood Christian Ministry, the Open Door, Canton Community Kitchen, and the Salvation Army. Those agencies will welcome volunteers to unload food donations at each location beginning at 1 p.m. on May 11.
Last year, nearly 41,000 pounds of food was gathered in Haywood County.
The mail carrier food drive is held nationwide that day.
When Sydney Bridges sets out to do something, she doesn’t give up.
A 10th grader at Tuscola High School in Haywood County, Bridges is currently spearheading a fund-raising campaign to build a clear water well in Kampala, Uganda.
The Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin is hosting a one-day leadership event from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 10 for those who want to move forward as a leader.
The simulcast event will be broadcast live from Atlanta and include the following speakers: former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of Duke University’s men’s basketball team; Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric; Henry Cloud, organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies, clinical psychologist and leadership consultant; and Sanya Richards-Ross, 2012 track and field Olympic Gold medalist, among others.
Tickets are $60 per person or $50 for two and includes a Chick-fil-A lunch.
GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.
Photographer Barbara Sammons will be showcasing an exhibit of her work from May 7 to July 31 at the Canton Branch Library.
Titled “Dusty Roads and More,” the exhibit will offer a collection of photographs of old cars, tractors, wildlife and scanography she has taken from the back roads of North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. Sammons is an award-winning photographer and published writer with over 40 years behind the lens who now resides in Candler.
828.707.4420 or www.barbarasammons.com.
The J. Creek Cloggers are gearing up for a lively summer festival season. A high-energy dance team based out of Haywood County, the group keeps the mountain tradition alive of clogging, audience participation square dances and broom dances. Members demonstrate different styles of dance including buck dancing, flat-footing and clogging.
You can see the J. Creek Cloggers perform around the area at The Stompin Grounds (Maggie Valley), Pickin In The Park (Canton), Lifestyle Celebration (Waynesville), Folkmoot International Music and Dance Festival, Labor Day Celebration (Canton) and Haywood County Fair.
828.734.0873 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The legendary David Holt and local gospel group Mountain Faith will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, in the Coulter Hall at Western Carolina University as a benefit for the Jackson County chapter of Junior Appalachian Musicians.
Woofstock, a benefit festival for ARF (the Humane Society of Jackson County), will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Bridge Park in Sylva.
Western Carolina University is accepting nominations for the Mountain Heritage Award, an honor bestowed annually on one individual and one organization that has played a prominent role in the preservation or interpretation of Southern Appalachian history and culture.
Letters of nomination should not exceed five pages, and include a list of the nominee’s accomplishments, their influence in the relevant field of expertise (such as crafts, music or organizational cause), and their role as a teacher, advocate, leader or preserver of mountain culture.
Send nominations by June 24 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The awards are presented at Mountain Heritage Day, the university’s celebration of traditional Appalachian culture that takes place on the last Saturday each September.
Legendary country singer Reba McEntire will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.
The graduating class of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program will exhibit some their best work at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville through June 23.
A national convergence of Appalachian Trail fans and hiking enthusiasts will descend on Western Carolina University this summer for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Biennial conference.
This year, the large gathering will be held July 19 through July 26 in Cullowhee. The event only occurs only once every eight years in the Southeast and will be hosted by the five southern Appalachian Trail maintaining clubs. It is expected to draw more than 1,000 trail managers, hikers and conservationists together for the common goal of celebrating and conserving the AT.
This year’s program includes 137 organized hikes, 70 workshops, live music, dancing and trips to some of the region’s best spots. Hikes are planned on the AT and other regional trails. Workshop topics cover hiking, trail maintenance, natural wonders, cultural history and volunteer leadership development. Activities include rafting, zip-lining, touring Asheville’s booming art scene and visiting the Carl Sandburg Home and the Biltmore Estate.
In honor of National Volunteer Week, Friends of the Smokies is recognizing the work of the Elk Bugle Corps.
The team of volunteers rove Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and help educate the hordes of visitors who come to see the elk each year. The share ethical wildlife viewing etiquette and teach visitors about the elk.
Last year, the Elk Bugle Corps was awarded the Haywood County Volunteer Organization of the Year. The Friends of the Smokies nominated them for the honor. Annually the Elk Bugle Corps members spend over 4,225 hours volunteering in the valley and assisting more than 45,540 visitors. www.friendsofthesmokies.org.
A guided hike to the usually off-limits Waynesville watershed will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27.
During the three- to five-mile hike, naturalist Don Hendershot will talk about the surrounding flora and fauna, and Peter Bates of Western Carolina University will answer questions about forest ecology on the watershed property and the forest management plan.
The preserved 8,600-acre Waynesville watershed flanks the southern end of Waynesville, spanning the mountainside from the Blue Ridge Parkway down to the head of Allens Creek. It feeds a 50-acre reservoir and provides water to the residents of Waynesville and some surrounding communities. Guided hikes in the town watershed are held twice a year; at all other times this property is off-limits to public access.
Must call ahead to reserve a spot. 828.452.2491.
A group of about 30 demonstrators gathered last Monday at the public fountain on Main Street in downtown Sylva to demand state politicians take action to address climate change. The rally was one of a series of public gatherings around the state that culminated in the Climate Convergence gathering on Raleigh during the weekend, meant to raise awareness of environmental issues and push legislation to combat air pollution.
At the Sylva rally, local environmental leaders talked about climate change and a petition was circulated calling on the N.C. General Assembly to pass the Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates Bill. The bill would mandate the N.C. Utilities Commission to implement a new utility rate structure that rewards energy efficient ratepayers by charging them lower rates.
“Climate Change is real. It’s mostly man-made, and it’s urgent. It’s not something that’s going to happen in the future. It’s happening right now,” said Avram Friedman, executive director of the Canary Coalition, a clean air organization.
A video of the rally in Sylva is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Noy12zdRM.
A section of the Noland Creek Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed to hikers and horseback riders through May 2, as crews repair flood damage from the past winter.
Visitors to the Nantahala Gorge this weekend can take in a full lineup of freestyle paddling competitions, outdoor activities, film screenings, live music and family activities.
Spring means ramp season in Western North Carolina, but the ramp population in Southern Appalachians is being hurt by over-harvesting.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the National Junior Ranger Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27.
