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By Dawn Gilchrist-Young • Guest Columnist
If I could create for you an apt metaphor for public education, it would be that of public schools as a sentient being. And, as such a being, it would have a body, much as we do, with a heart, with a brain, and with hands. The heart of public school, in my metaphor, is the loyalty, passion, and dedication of its teachers. The brain of public schools, the part that has foresight, is the knowledge of those teachers in pedagogy, in content, and in current thought. The hands of public schools, to complete the conceit, are the resources teachers have available to them, with time being the most important resource of all.
Vet-Fest in Waynesville will feature a poker run, live music and food on Saturday, Nov. 9, in the Haywood Square shopping center.
Live bands will play from 3 to 10 p.m., including Brian Keith & the Mile High Band, Smokerise and Fried Pie Experience. The event is family friendly.
A poker run starts at noon. Motorcyclists will visit five stops, drawing a card at each one to see who has the best hand by the end of the run. Stops include Jack’s Leather Shop in Maggie Valley, Legends in Maggie Valley, Harley Shop in Cherokee and Steel Horses.
The cost is $20 for drivers and $15 for passengers. Proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project and veterans initiatives. Haywood Square is in downtown Waynesville on Branner Avenue. 828.734.5795.
Native American Expo set for WCU
The 5th annual Native American Expo at Western Carolina University will run Nov. 11-13, with a series of events and presentations centered on Native American values, traditions and culture. All events will be held in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center.
Chris Teuton of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will discuss his book Cherokee Stories of Turtle Island Liars’ Club at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 11. Students from WCU Cherokee language and experimental archaeology classes will make presentations at 2:30 p.m. that day. Students from Cherokee Elementary School will perform native songs from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Nov. 12.
DiGali’I, the Native American student organization, will show the film “Smoke Signals” at 6:30 p.m., with a panel discussion to follow. WCU alumna Dr. Frances Owl-Smith, the first woman physician from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Dr. Jerri McLemore, associate professor of pathology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and a member of the Creek Nation of Oklahoma, will be honored at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 13, with a closing reception to follow.
The expo, which includes a walkthrough exhibit displaying Native American artifacts and information, is sponsored by the Department of Intercultural Affairs, the Cherokee Studies Program, the Cherokee Heritage Center and the DiGali’I student organization.
Free.
828.227.2276 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
‘Trail of Tears’ symposium in Cherokee
The North Carolina Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association will host a symposium, “Remembering the Removal and Those Who Remained,” from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, at the Joyce C. Dugan Cultural Arts Center at Cherokee Central School.
At 6 p.m., the N.C. TOTA will host a dinner at the Cultural Arts Center with Brett Riggs from UNC-Chapel Hill, an authority on removal in WNC, as the keynote speaker. There will be a short musical program before his presentation. Because of limited space, pre-registration is required. $25.
On Saturday, Nov.16, the N.C. TOTA will host a pilgrimage by bus to important WNC removal sites. The bus will depart from and arrive back at the Cultural Arts Center. Due to limited space, pre-paid registration is required and is $40 per person, which includes a box lunch. The daylong symposium is free.
828.227.2735 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Cherokee history discussion in Sylva
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the Jackson County Arts Council will sponsor a presentation by Tyler Howe, tribal historic specialist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Jackson County Public Library Annex in Sylva.
The presentation is titled: “We are left to do the best we can for ourselves — A discussion of Cherokee Self-determination During the Removal Period in Western North Carolina.”
Free.
706.540.9238.
AWAKE (Adults Working and Advocating for Kids’ Empowerment) will host a 20th anniversary celebration from 3 to 6 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Nichols House in Sylva.
AWAKE’s mission is to coordinate and advocate services for abused children in Jackson County. It is a child-friendly place where child victims of abuse can be interviewed once, rather than having to retell the story and relive the trauma numerous times. AWAKE has a multi-disciplinary team who collaborates to effectively bring the child’s case to a resolution. They work to educate the community on signs of abuse and the importance of reporting abuse. AWAKE is available for families if on-site counseling is requested and also supports children and their families involved in criminal justice systems.
Tickets are $20 per person.
828.586.3574 or www.awakecenter.org.
In the coming weeks, Western Carolina University senior Mike Hill may go out after dark to drive up and down the interstates. He’ll be looking at rest areas, hoping to find a brightly lit one with a deserted parking lot that lies next to a black stretch of highway. If the place looks creepy, like something out of a Stephen King story, even better — because it could be.
The world premiere of “Zombies on Campus! A SlaughterPocalypse!” hits the stage nightly at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-19 in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.
“African Acrobatics International Presents: Zuma Zuma” will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
Celebrate the richness of African cultures with this show that blends acrobatics, dance and music by incredibly disciplined performers. “America’s Got Talent” finalists in 2011, Zuma Zuma combines the mysticism and magic of the African continent with the excitement of a theatrical cirque performance. With live music and percussionists, the talented cast performs a nonstop, action-packed show.
Tickets are $17 and $22.
866.273.4615 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.
Bobby Tomberlin, Candi Carpenter and Bill LaBounty will bring an adventurous musical spirit to the Songwriters in the Round series from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Balsam Mountain Inn.
Country star Rodney Atkins will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.
Atkins has had six No. 1 hits on his first three albums, from “Watching You” and “These Are My People” to his most recent successes, “Take A Back Road” and the platinum selling “Farmer’s Daughter.” Though his new crop of songs has some edge, and the vocal energy may be amped up a notch, Atkins’s persona as a hard-working, patriotic, rock-solid country boy hasn’t changed from his 2003 debut “Honesty.”
Tickets are $24.50, $34.50 and $44.50.
800.745.3000 or www.harrahscherokee.com.
Bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
The North Carolina Wildlife Federation recently honored those who have contributed to the conservation and safety of the state’s natural resources. The awards were given at the Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards banquet. The winners were:
• Wildlife Enforcement Officer of the Year — Sgt. Chad Arnold with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Special Investigations Unit for his major role in a four-year undercover operation to nab bear poachers.
• Natural Resources Agency of the Year — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission for its participation in “Operation Something Bruin,” a multi-agency infiltration into bear poaching circles that led to multiple arrests in North Carolina and Georgia.
Platinum or china may be the standard 20th anniversary gift, but Friends of the Smokies, a non-profit organization that supports the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is hoping for a little something in green to celebrate its 20th year. For every $30 motorists pay for a specialty Friends of the Smokies license plate, $20 goes to the organization. According to the newest NC Department of Motor Vehicles report, third quarter sales of specialty license plates were the highest of this year generating $116,140 for Friends of the Smokies and more than $400,000 in specialty license plates in general. The Friends of the Smokies funds are used on the North Carolina side of the park to help manage bears, support Elk Bugle Corps Park volunteers and educate schoolchildren on park activities. Since 1993, Friends of the Smokies organization has raised more than $41 million to help maintain Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including the establishment of the $4 million Trails Forever endowment to improve Smoky Mountain hiking trails in perpetuity.
www.friendsofthesmokies.org or 828.452.0720.
Buy Haywood has gone high tech to help promote the county’s abundance of locally grown produce, flowers and food items, and handcrafted products. A YouTube video at www.youtube.com/use/BuyHaywoodProject gives viewers a sample of the various products they can buy that originate from Haywood County. The video is designed to help boost agritourism in Haywood County, according to Tina Masciarelli, Buy Haywood project coordinator. “Each product is a whole that makes up our vibrant community,” she said. Masciarelli is also working on a Haywood County Agritourism Guide (formerly known as the Farm Map & Brochure). She is looking for Haywood County farms that accept visitors, value-added or specialty food retail stores that feature products with Haywood County grown ingredients, farm to fork restaurants that support local farmers consistently throughout the growing season by featuring Haywood County ingredients in their menu items, roadside stands that sell Haywood County grown products or other farming or agriculture related recreation and/or educational opportunities.
www.facebook.com/buyhaywood or 828.734.9574.
More than $22,000 was raised for the Madison Hornbuckle Children’s Cancer Foundation at the 2nd annual Cherokee Harvest Half Marathon & 5K in Cherokee recently. Jill Konkol of Winston-Salem (18:50) and Phil Latter of Bryson City (15:38) were the winners of the 5K.
Duke Energy will spend more than $100,000 on seven streamside habitat projects in the watersheds and tailwaters of its Nantahala area hydroelectric projects. Duke’s Riparian Habitat Enhancement Fund grant of $109,057 plus matching and in-kind funds for the projects total $406,873.62.
People with physical disabilities will have better access to Lake Glenville, thanks to upgrades to some of the lake’s amenities.
Blackrock Mountain summit, a 5,700 foot peak that overlooks the Blue Ridge Parkway, has been purchased by the Southern Applachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC).
To the Editor:
When Reconstruction came to the South after the Civil War, big plantations were worked by nearly destitute farmers for a share of what their labor produced. They got enough to live on — barely — but the lion’s share of the produce went to the landowner. Farmers were intentionally kept poor, and this form of economic servitude lasted until the South became industrialized.
Now can it be that North Carolina is trending back to a modern form of sharecropper economy? Disturbing indicators coming from the new administration in Raleigh point to a small, wealthy segment of the population controlling a larger, economically depressed population. Consider recent legislation designed to widen the separation between the wealthy and working man:
Education — Reductions by the Republican legislature in per capita spending on public education has put North Carolina in the cellar, on a par with Mississippi where the schools are often so poor that employers have to retrain graduates on simple skills, in what are called “learning laboratories.” As has been proven for decades, a progressive school system graduates enlightened, capable students. However, the Mississippi case proves the reverse is also true. Dumbing down public education produces students who don’t know how to read a ruler, limiting them to menial jobs only. On the other hand, the legislature is working to build up private secondary schools, those that require substantial tuition to attend. Whose children do you think are going to be able to pay these high tuition costs? If this comes to pass, wealthy kids will do calculus; poor kids will be stuck with arithmetic … if even that.
Massive jump in the number of sales tax items — Taking 4.75 percent out of the pocket of a millionaire for a purchase is chump change. But when you take 4.75 percent out of the pocket of someone who makes $10 an hour, it’s a big bite. Thus, when the Republican administration lowered the income tax to favor the rich and boosted the numbers of items by over 130 on which to impose sales tax, they swung the burden of paying for state services onto the middle and low-income people.
Unemployment — To have a workforce available to work low-paying jobs, it is necessary that they stay hungry and under-employed. The drastic cut in unemployment benefits by the Republican administration in Raleigh effectively does just that: keeps wage earners desperate for any work they can get.
Voting — In the legislature, 108 members don’t want elderly, Black, Hispanic, or working people to vote — because the fear that these voters would not vote for them. They are probably right, but it doesn’t mean that a restrictive voter identification law is the right thing to do. The spirit of democracy demands that everyone who is eligible to vote be encouraged to do so. The mandatory voter ID law passed by the Republican legislature is a pointless hurdle to be overcome by would-be voters and smacks of the old poll tax that was used to suppress the Black vote in North Carolina. Also, they have shortened the early voting period and eliminated on-site registration. What the Gang of 108 is saying is that if you are not with them, they don’t want you to vote. Remember, voting is power. The Gang of 108 wants to keep the power to themselves, the rest of us on the outside looking in.
Healthcare — The Affordable Care Act will reduce health insurance premiums for working people by 25 to 50 percent, and ensure that they get timely health care, not desperation health care at emergency rooms. But, our elected Republican leaders in Raleigh have turned their backs on this extraordinary benefit from Washington. So, those of us who have been health care poor will stay health care poor.
It’s clear that the Republican-led legislature in Raleigh is taking North Carolina toward a new plantation mentality, where the wealthy and empowered decide what share of the economic crop the rest of us can have. In the old days after the Civil War, it was “40 acres and a mule.” Are you ready for the 21st Century version?
Rick Bryson
Bryson City
To the Editor:
With the government shutdown fiasco, we have learned what TEA in Tea Party really stands for “Totally Egocentric Anarchists.” Tea Party legislators meet the definition of anarchist: a person who promotes disorder or excites revolt against any established rule or law.
They are certainly not patriots. They were willing to damage the U.S., its reputation, credit, and economy to oppose a law. That law (Obamacare) is largely based on previous Republican proposals and principles. The opposition — without any alternative solutions — seems based primarily on the fact that those Republican proposals are now embraced by a president who is not an old white guy.
They are not conservatives because the only things they seem to want to conserve are their personal bank accounts and the wealth of the rich. In this state they passed a law that could force landowners to allow oil companies to do fracking on their land to get at natural gas. At the national level, they want to do away with the Environmental Protection Agency so that corporations can pollute at will.
Before you think that the solution is to kick out all incumbents, remember that this mischief of the shutdown was caused by newly elected Tea Party legislators. If you want to avoid more mischief, kick out the Tea Party extremists and replace them with rational Republicans or Democrats.
Norman G. Hoffmann
Waynesville
To the Editor:
I would like Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, to realize that there was a time when opposing parties would come together and work for the good of our citizens. Though there are many examples, let me point to one with which I was intimately involved.
Throughout the fifties and sixties, the pollution problems of the Potomac River had become infamous. In 1957, the U.S. Public Health Service declared the Potomac unsafe for swimming. A sign fastened to the pier at Mt. Vernon advised visitors to “Avoid Contact With Polluted River Water.” The Potomac, the drinking water source for D.C., had become very difficult to adequately treat.
This growing problem was addressed not by a political faction, but by a coalition of U.S. congressmen from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Maryland’s Republican Rep. Gilbert Gude led the group and brought national river legislation before the House. The coalition’s work continued over the next several decades, culminating in vastly improved water quality for all those who depended on the Potomac. “Environmentalist” was not a dirty word, but a term of which one could be justly proud.
Fast forward to October 2013. The Tea Party, willing to work only for their own narrow interests, reportedly has called Rep. Meadows their “poster boy.” The shutdown occurred because the Tea Party finds the Affordable Care Act — duly passed into law by our Congress — unpalatable for their taste. Thus they held the entire U.S. hostage.
Never mind the consequences. The small businesses wrecked by this shutdown, businesses that reach far beyond the direct furloughs, businesses that may not survive. The incredible devastation to the lives of hard-working men and women, barely keeping their heads above water in the best of times. This country is being taken back to the Dark Ages and those who are the architects – the Tea Party – are disclaiming any responsibility.
Give hope to those who have had their trust betrayed by their elected representatives.
Doug Woodward
Franklin
To the Editor:
I once asked a gentleman why he placed so much reliance on government and he replied, “Because your life can turn on a dime.” To me, that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. A recent example can be found in the recent problems with electronic bank transfers for food assistance. For these people, life did indeed turn on that dime. In the time it took to say “system down,” they went from being able to walk into the grocery store and purchase their whims to not being able to put food on the table. Dependency placed them in a very vulnerable position.
Dependency is as much a mindset as it is a financial position. Those that ascribe to personal responsibility were better able to weather that storm because they took the time to practice restraint, watch the sales flyers, and cut coupons. They opt to methodically build upon their pantry staples. When the system went down, they were prepared. They may have failed to get that gallon of milk, but their family was not going to go hungry.
This exposure to vulnerability is not limited to individuals. During the government shutdown, when the White House ordered the park closed and the Pisgah Inn to cease operations, it had a ripple effect because so much of our area’s prosperity is based on tourism.
The good news is that our citizens rallied to support the Pisgah Inn and both North Carolina and Tennessee decided to use state funds to reopen the park and preserve our local economy. The bad news is that both of these measures were reactive versus proactive.
We must be like the individual I noted above and keep staples in the pantry. The state must reconsider the current political power structure and revenue stream. It is as if we send a whole pig to D.C. then beg for a few strips of bacon for our compliance.
In 1800, Thomas Jefferson wrote: “Our country is too large to have all its affairs directed by a single government. Public servants at such a distance, and from under the eye of their constituents, ... reduces us to a single consolidated government, it would become the most corrupt government on the earth.”
A bureaucrat in D.C. does not know you as a neighbor or friend, but rather as a statistic and a nuisance to be dismissed. As Brian Roberts stated in a recent piece regarding our politicians in D.C., “They are ignoring you, return the favor.” We must reclaim our state’s authority granted under the Tenth Amend-ment. If we do not change our level of dependency upon the federal government we will always be vulnerable to its decrees. After all, it was the states that created the federal government, not the other way around.
Ginny Jahrmarkt
Sapphire
I am writing this in my classroom on a Friday evening in the hours of quiet before the kickoff for our homecoming ball game. My students are all gone for the weekend, but it is still early enough that my classroom remains lit by the clear autumn sunshine. I look out at 28 desks that hold the adult sized bodies of the 63 students I teach in senior English: 24 in first period, 25 in fourth period, and 14 in AP English Literature. In my first- and fourth-period classes, the place is pretty packed when everyone is present, so I am grateful I do not as of yet have the full allotment of 29 students that N.C. law allows. My county is fighting hard to keep class size within reason and to maintain teaching staff, although current legislation is telling us that staff reduction is only a matter of time.
Haywood Community College recently received a $20,000 matching grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership (BRNHAP) to develop and implement an Appalachian Heritage Arts Music Program at the college.
Music Heritage is identified as one of the core interpretive themes for the BRNHAP focusing on traditional music with significant history in the region.
The Appalachian Heritage Arts Music Program is designed for individuals to be able to explore the rich heritage of Appalachian music from the novice to those with career ambitions. Continuing Education classes are being offered in HCC’s Creative Arts Building in a dedicated space equipped with state of the art theatre surround sound and recording capabilities.
Classes include Guitar Basics, Introduction to the Banjo, and Getting Started on the Fiddle. As the program grows, other courses will be offered such as: Beginning and Advanced Old Time Bluegrass and Clawhammer Banjo; Bluegrass, Folk, and Bass Guitar; Mandolin; Dulcimer; Dobro; and Appalachian Clogging.
828.246.9233 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Eric Davis, 23, was indicted on one charge of first-degree murder and two charges of felony child abuse Monday. He is currently being held without bond.
Davis’ 4-year-old daughter was found injured and abuse in the Qualla Motel in Whittier Oct. 11. She was transported to Mission Hospital where she later died.
Davis initially faced charges of intentional child abused and inflicting serious bodily harm, but after an autopsy was completed, law enforcement added first-degree murder to the list of charges, which a grand jury indicted Davis on.
If found guilty of murder, Davis could face life in prison or even the death penalty.
The Jackson County Planning Department will host a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at Cullowhee Valley School to gather input from residents about the future development of the area.
Jackson County Planner Gerald Green said the department is seeking the opinions of residents and business owners as it moves forward with the development of the Cullowhee Community Plan.
The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. with an informal question and answer session. The formal program will begin at 6 p.m. with an opportunity for attendees to provide their thoughts regarding the future development of Cullowhee.
For information, contact Green at 828.631.2255 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Haywood Community Band will honor founding director Bob Hall during a performance at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.
Selections include Joplin’s “Ragtime Follies,” The Symphonic Beatles and Greensleeves: A Fantasia for Band. The Haywood Community Band is supported in part by a grassroots grant from the Haywood County Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council.
Free.
www.haywoodcommunityband.org or 828.456.4800.
Art After Dark will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, in downtown Waynesville.
Stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street and Depot Street. Festive Art After Dark flags denote participating galleries, such as Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86, Earthworks, Jeweler’s Workbench, Twigs and Leaves Gallery, TPennington Art Gallery, Main Street Artist’s Co-op, Grace Cathey Sculpture Garden and Gallery, Cedar Hill Studios and the Village Framer.
The event is presented by the Waynesville Gallery Association. Free.
Tickets for the 2013 Madrigal Dinner at Western Carolina University will go on sale at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, in the Grandroom of WCU’s A.K. Hinds University Center.
Held annually at WCU since 1970, the Madrigal Dinner recreates the pageantry, music and food of 16th-century England, with authentic madrigal entertainment and costumes. The menu will include a choice of three entrees: grilled pork loin chop with bourbon-apple glaze, honey citrus glazed Cornish game hen, or a vegetarian plate featuring a shepherd’s pie. They entrees will be served with wassail, hearts of romaine salad with sugared pecans and dried cranberries with a balsamic vinaigrette, roasted garlic mashed new potatoes, honey cinnamon glazed carrots, plum pudding, rolls, tea, water and coffee. Tables seat eight patrons.
Tickets are $23 for WCU students and $38 for all others. They may be purchased in the administrative offices located on the second floor of the University Center from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reservations can be made over the telephone by calling 828.227.7206, but the tickets must be purchased with a credit card (MasterCard, Visa or Discover.)
I’ll admit I’m not the fastest draw in the West when it comes to pop culture fads. I’ve yet to watch an episode of “Glee” — although I’ve concocted a vague idea of what it might be about from overheard snippets between friends. And I still do double-takes when I see someone in skinny jeans, even though this tragic fashion trend has been in our midst for at least a couple of years.
Quilter Susan Sheets (pictured) was one of many first place winners from Jackson County at the 2013 Mountain State Fair.
George Frizzell, head of special collections at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library, is the 2013 recipient of the Thornton W. Mitchell Service Award for outstanding service to the archival profession in North Carolina.
The Western Carolina University School of Music will present a concert by the Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the recital hall of the Coulter Building in Cullowhee.
A Sylva conservation organization was featured at the Making a Difference Monday program Oct. 21 at the Oskar Blues Tasty Weasel Taproom in Brevard.
The Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards demonstrated cross-cut saw skills they use when building and maintaining trails in wilderness areas. They also discussed SAWS’ work in the national forests of the Southeast. SAWS is a project of the Southern Appalachian Office of The Wilderness Society in Sylva.
Sales in the Tasty Weasel Taproom went to SAWS to support its trail stewardship and restoration work in the Appalachians.
www.trailcrews.org.
A Bryson City brewery has chipped in $1,000 to support the Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner program, whose mission is to preserve and improve the hiking experience along the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The recent donation by Nantahala Brewing Co., which uses water from the Smokies in its beer making, came from sales of its newly released Trail Magic Ale. This sixth installment of the Trail Magic Ale series is a 10.2 percent Rye Wine and an award-winning beer, named for the random acts of kindness many hikers experience along the A.T.
The brew company was founded in early 2009 and brewery operations and distribution began in May of 2010. For 15 years the Ridgerunner program has recruited individuals to provide visitor information, perform trail maintenance, advise hikers on trail conditions and provide vital real-time information for emergencies and possible problem bears along the 71 miles of A.T. that run through the Smokies.
www.friendsofthesmokies.org or 828.452.0720.
Olympic silver medalist and Asheville resident Lauren Tamayo will serve as guest speaker at the Haywood Chamber of Commerce Women in Business luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 5 at the Gateway Club in Waynesville.
Tamayo is a veteran rider with 15 years racing experience, a multiple Junior and U23 National Champion and Pan American Champion, and a National Team member who has represented the United States in both the Junior and Elite World Championships for both the track and road.
Cost is $25 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members. Registration is required. The Gateway Club is located at 37 Church St. in Waynesville.
828.456.3021 or www.haywoodchamber.com.
Paddlers and swiftwater rescue experts from across the country will gather Oct. 25-27 in Jackson County for the 2013 American Canoe Association Swiftwater Rescue Conference, much of it on the Tuckaseegee River.
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) will host its 14th annual fall celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Historic Cowee School near Franklin.
Forget roses. Susan Belcher is hoping for beds of Cullowhee lilies to blanket Western North Carolina in the coming years.
Belcher — the wife of WCU Chancellor John Belcher — is leading an effort by the Western Carolina University Alumni Association to re-establish the flower in the Cullowhee valley by selling packages of the flower bulbs. The proceeds will be used to support the development of Cullowhee lily flowerbeds on campus and to grow a WCU Alumni Association Scholarship fund.
The packages will be sold through the month of October for $10 each. They may be purchased at Catamount Clothing and Gifts and Tuckasegee Trading Co. in Cullowhee; Bradley’s General Store, Dillsboro Smokehouse, Dogwood Crafters, Hopberry – A Primitive Home Collection, Oaks Gallery, Tunnel Mountain Crafts in Dillsboro; at Bryson Farm Supply, Country Road Farms Nursery & Garden Center, Ray’s Florist & Greenhouse and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce in Sylva; and at other locations in Jackson County. The bulbs and Cullowhee lily notecards will be for sale before and during the Catamount Homecoming game against Elon Saturday, Oct. 26.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.7335.
Award winning naturalist and writer George Ellison will present a lecture titled “Edible, Utilitarian, and Religio-Medical Plants Used by the Cherokees” at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
Every fall, folks flock to Rhodes Big View between Highlands and Cashiers to photograph the bear shadow that appears in the Chattooga River headwaters. Photographers set up their cameras and wait for the shadow to creep over the mountains.
By Colby Dunn • SMN Correspondent
What makes the stem of one pumpkin better than another for chunkin’? Why is one gourd so tiny, yet its neighbor so plump? What tints their hues from muted to mottled to blinding fluorescence? And will they grow up the same again and again, year after year?
While such Seussian musings may sound like they belong more in children’s poems than scientist’s papers, they’re actually real research questions asked each year by the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville. Though admittedly, they probably phrase them a little differently.
George Frizzell, head of special collections at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library, is the 2013 recipient of the Thornton W. Mitchell Service Award for outstanding service to the archival profession in North Carolina.
A native of Jackson County, Frizzell is a descendant of a family that has lived in the area for more than 200 years. His grandfather attended the small school that was the predecessor of WCU, and his father was employed by the university. Frizzell earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WCU and a Master of Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
In recent years, Frizzell has given dozens of talks, tours and presentations to community organizations, regional historical and genealogical societies, public libraries, civic groups, community centers, elementary school classes, student organizations, churches, and conferences and symposia on regional history. A founding member and former president of the Jackson County Historical Association, he is a Cherokee scholar and has published many articles on the Native American experience in professional journals. He also is a published poet and an aficionado of rock ‘n’ roll music.
For more information, visit specialcollections.wcu.edu or contact Frizzell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.7474.
Western Carolina University’s state-of-the-art Health and Human Sciences Building, which opened in fall 2012, has won two awards for its architectural design.
By Sarah Kucharski • Columnist
The government shutdown went into effect on the first night I arrived in Yosemite National Park. There was no phone call at midnight, no note on the door in the morning. The birds still chirped, and the redwood trees still perfumed the air. Yet there was a great sense of angst. At the park hotel’s front desk, I was just one of many tourists asking what to do next — do we stay, or do we go? The road to Glacier Point already had been closed, making the day’s planned hikes impossible. The stables were shuttered too, which meant no mule rides. Restaurants and retail operations within the valley would be closing during the next 48 hours. And so we packed our bags, shoved everything back into our rental car, and left.
To the Editor:
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, I delivered to Rep. Meadows’ office in Hendersonville more than 32,000 signatures of people from all over the U. S. who were objecting to his role in trying to close down the government. This website was from Faithful America, made up of Christians from many denominations who are concerned about the poor and needy being exploited by the far Right. Many people from all over WNC had signed on to the web site, which was in operation only six days. Signatures from people in Rep. Meadows’ district include the following locations: Burnsville, Hendersonville, Rosman, Sylva, Waynesville, Bat Cave, Asheville, Cedar Mountain, Franklin, Lenoir, Brevard, Mars Hill, Cullowhee, Flat Rock, Bakersville, Leicester, Candler, Whittier, Hildrabran, Barnsville, Newland, Weaverville, Morganton, Murphy, Hayesville, Mills River, Maggie Valley and Lake Junaluska.
According to the an article in the New Yorker in August, our congressman sent a petition to many of the tea party Republicans suggesting a government shutdown if they could not stop ObamaCare. He also voted to keep the government shut down; fortunately there were enough intelligent Republicans and Democrats to end the shutdown.
This shutdown has cost the government more than $24 billion and caused thousands of people hardship and loss of income.
When election time comes around, I suggest we send Rep. Meadows back to his gated community in Highlands, where he and his wealthy neighbors live. I think the poor and middle class people in our district deserve someone better.
Robert G. Fulbright
Waynesville
To the Editor:
This is my first ever letter to the editor. I feel I must respond to comments made in local papers by several candidates for Alderman for the Town of Canton. One statement made was that there had been no progress made in Canton over the last four years, and that things had declined during that time; others referred to lack of infrastructure and economic development.
Some of the many accomplishments made over that last four years are as follows:
• A new larger sewer line was extended to Buckeye Cove at a cost of $1.8 million, paid for with grants and local funds with no additional debt, all contributing to future economic development.
• The town cooperated with the county, the hospital, and private business to locate a new Urgent Care in Canton.
• Purchased a new fire truck for more than $300,000, which enabled our fire department to maintain top rating so our citizens get the best homeowner insurance at a lower cost.
• Secured grants to fund a new water line in the Beaverdam and North Canton Road area that would have otherwise cost town citizens.
• Secured funding in excess of $1 million to install a new storm drainage system from Radio Hill to Evergreen Packagin which will help mitigate future flooding problems.
• Helped form a N.C. Step Group in Canton that has acquired $125,000 to help promote Canton businesses.
• Worked with DOT to secure funding for new sidewalk on Penland Street.
• Have paved more road footage that any board in the past decade and have in place a sidewalk replacement program that has spent $50,000 plus each of the last four years.
• Fought two major legal battles — one to keep Camp Hope public and one to prevent large billboards all over town.
• Invested more money into recreation to hire a fulltime recreation person, installed a sand volleyball court, enhanced lighting at old tennis courts, began walking in the Armory in the winter, and also picking in the armory in the winter, along with new batting cages and some much needed drainage work at IP Complex.
• Worked to get the question of staggered terms on the ballot for our citizens to decide which way they wanted to elect the board.
• We were able to provide new weapons for our Police Department to replace other outdated ones along with new radar equipment and drug fighting equipment. Funding was acquired through grants and sale of surplus equipment.
All of this and more were accomplished over the last four years with no ad valorem tax increase to our citizens; and we were also able to give a small raise to our employees by combining several positions as people retired. Several candidates have stated they will move Canton forward and recruit new business downtown, but no one has stated how they plan to do it and where the funding will come from.
As for the new town manager, I will not refer to what was discussed in closed session concerning personnel; however, I feel we have capable personnel to run the town government in the interim while the new board decide who they want.
Last of all, I sincerely give my best wishes for the new board, whom ever is elected and hope they can accomplish great things for the Town of Canton, and I encourage them to vote on all issues with the Town of Canton taxpayers and employees’ best interest at heart. There are many other accomplishments over the last four years I would be glad to discuss one on one with any taxpayer. I will always support the Town of Canton in any way I can.
Jimmy Flynn
Canton alderman
To the Editor:
Have you Canton folks taken a good look at the candidates for the four seats on the Canton Board of Aldermen? With the current board, in its entirety, choosing not to run for reelection, Canton is looking at four new faces to help run the town and we need to elect the best!
Zeb Smathers has tossed his proverbial hat into the ring and hopes to earn one of these seats.
Completing his education at Duke and UNC Law, he has chosen to return to his hometown to live, practice law, and promote the advantages of living in Canton. More than that, he would like to use his time and talents to insure that Canton with these unique advantages continues to move forward and meet the challenges of an ever more changing and challenging future.
Zeb has much to offer as an alderman. In addition to his legal expertise, he is an enthusiastic and proactive individual, always exploring new ideas from a logical point of view. He currently serves as a deacon at First Baptist Church, is on both the Haywood County and Canton recreation boards, the Haywood County Schools Foundation, the N.C. Film Commission, and the Folkmoot Board of Directors, all of which have given him firsthand leadership and problem solving experience. I have worked side by side with Zeb and witnessed the sincere dedication, thoughtfulness and determination with which he approaches tasks and decisions. My observations have convinced me that he truly cares about Canton and its future as well as that of Haywood County.
Zeb is aware of some of the challenges presented to the town, especially in the areas of economic development. He sees the importance of Canton’s role in taking a more pro-active approach in attracting new businesses along I-40 but also encouraging Canton’s existing businesses to expand. Accordingly, he is passionate regarding the town’s hardworking employees in making sure they have the training and resources to provide the best services possible.
Zeb’s slogan is “Believe in Canton,” and because I believe that he can help lead and unite our town, I strongly endorse Zeb for election to the Canton Board of Aldermen.
Edie Burnette
Canton
To the Editor:
As a better solution to the proposed “killing” of more black bears being advocated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, I am a strong advocate for providing more educational opportunities to better equip communities and individuals with information regarding “living safely with black bears.”
As an iconic symbol of the wildness we all enjoy in Western North Carolina, black bears are highly valued by most residents and visitors. The controversial regulations to lengthen black bear hunting season and increase the number that can be killed — along with other proposals — are not in the best interest of the bears or the large percentage of residents who deeply appreciate wild lives and wild places.
There are better solutions. Organizations such as the B.E.A.R. Task Force, Mountain Wildlife Outreach, Wild South and other highly qualified black bear educators in the region are well prepared to provide education opportunities for schools, organizations and individuals. Both the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and North Carolina Wildlife Federation and other organizations have the resources to provide sound “living safely with black bears” information for the general public.
The voices and opinions of many of the very large percentage of WNC residents who love and appreciate the wildlife and beauty of our region need to be heard by those who manage wildlife in our state along with members of the North Carolina General Assembly. It is hoped the NCWRC, NCWF, responsible hunters, N.C. legislators and wildlife advocates will find better ways to communicate and to cooperatively work together. After all, wildlife belongs to all of us.
John Edwards
Director, Mountain Wildlife Days
Cashiers
Country superstar Ronnie Milsap will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Milsap is best known for his signature combination of R&B, bluegrass and country music.
$25/$30.
866.273.4615 or www.greatmountainmusic.com.
Artisan in the Mountains will host a woodcarving demonstration featuring the Pigeon River Woodcarvers Club from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at 99 Depot Street in Clyde.
The club has nine active members and meets every Saturday afternoon. The purpose and mission of the club is to promote woodcarving as an art of the mountain region. This is achieved by attending several festivals for demonstration and carving shows for competition. The club welcomes anyone with an interest in the art.
Free.
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