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Southwestern Community College exceeded the North Carolina Community College System’s mean in seven of the eight measures used to gauge annual performance — one of only three community colleges statewide to rank that well in the state’s “Performance Measures for Student Success.”
“We’re extremely pleased, but not surprised, by the findings in this report,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC president. “The performance measures are evidence of just how dedicated and diligent our faculty and staff are.”
SCC is currently accepting applications for fall. www.southwesterncc.edu.
Drake Software, a national leader in professional tax preparation software headquartered in Franklin, is expanding their call center in Hayesville and will hire about 50 new customer service representatives to man it.
A new 10,000-square-foot facility will be constructed in the Clay County Industrial/Technology Park and is expected to open in January 2014. The new building will be linked to the already established call centers in Franklin and Sylva and provide access to the same benefits and resources.
Customer service representatives for Drake Software provide technical assistance to users of the software programs Drake develops, including their award-wining tax and accounting software suites. Last year, customer service representatives were able to assist more than 37,000 tax preparers in a matter of seconds during tax season.
Haywood Community College is strengthening ties to the community through industry training with the arrival of a new Industry Training Coordinator Doug Burchfield. After 19 years at Borg Warner, Burchfield understands the industrial workplace and will draw on this knowledge as a liaison to local businesses and industries to determine their employee training needs.
HCC’s customized training services for industries range from job profiling and pre-employment training and assessment to post-hire technical and critical soft skills training.
Customized training is offered to new, expanding and existing businesses and industries providing they meet the following criteria: job growth, technology investment and productivity enhancements. The training is funded by the state and free to qualified industries.
828.564.5128 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Ellen Walker has a passion for giving dolls new life and sending them on to their next home. For the past two and a half years, she’s put her that passion to work raising money for the Harris Regional Hospital Auxiliary through its thrift store.
Walker started buying dolls from the thrift shop when it first opened and was given a doll to refurbish. Since then, she’s fixed up more than 1,000 dolls to be sold in the hospital thrift store. The dolls usually cost between $2 and $5.
“It enriches your life to be doing something for somebody else and knowing what you’re doing makes someone happy and helps people on their way to wellness,” said Walker, a retired MedWest-Harris nurse.
The Harris Regional Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop is located on Skyland Drive and is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 828.631.8893.
All lanes of Interstate 40 West in Haywood County have reopened following a rockslide that occurred Monday evening, Aug. 19.
Initial reports from county emergency workers claimed that all four lanes of Interstate 40 at Exit 7 (Harmon’s Den) in Haywood County were blocked by a rockslide around 7:45 p.m.
However, the picture quickly got brighter. Only one lane — the right lane of I-40 westbound — was covered by rock debris, according to a North Carolina Department of Transportation news release issued Monday night.
N.C. DOT crews worked overnight to clear the debris, and the road was completely reopened by Tuesday morning. In a DOT news release, department officials reminded motorists to watch signs for construction information, stay alert and obey the posted speed limit.
For real-time travel information, call 511 or visit www.ncdot.gov/travel.
A “Stand Up for Education” rally will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, on the front lawn of the Haywood County historic courthouse.
The event will express appreciation for teachers, support for public education and dissatisfaction with recent legislation enacted by N.C. General Assembly that affects teacher pay and public education funding.
Featured speakers include N.C. Senate Minority leader Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe, who chairs the Senate Education Committee; N.C. Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville; and Haywood County Commissioner Bill Upton, a former school superintendent.
The Haywood County Democratic Party, Public Schools First N.C. and the N.C. Association of Educators are organizing the event, but all are welcome. Attendees are encouraged to make signs and wear red.
Plants are most commonly harvested for their food or appreciated for their beauty, however many plants in the Southern Appalachians have important medicinal qualities.
Herbal expert Patricia Kyritsi Howell will give a lecture titled “The Southern Appalachians: Apothecary of North America” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, in the Highlands Nature Center.
Howell has been a student of herbal studies since she was a teenager and attended the California School of Herbal Studies. She has opened two schools of her own for herbal studies and published a book, Medical Plants of the Southern Appalachians, which stands as the foremost resource on regional native plant medicines.
The talk is part of the Zahner Conservation Lectures, a summer tradition in Highlands that brings experts in the field of science and conservation to give free talks. Howell’s presentation is dedicated to Joseph Gatins, the Highlands Biological Foundation Trustee who died last September of a heart attack while on vacation.
www.highlandsbiological.org or 828.526.2221.
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is expanding the park’s high school science internship program with the help of a $25,000 grant.
The grant will fund science programs including internships for high school students from Swain, Graham and Haywood counties. It also will support a local teacher’s work with the interns, allowing the teacher to pick up instructional ideas to take back to the classroom.
The grant was awarded through the Ribbon of Hope program, which provides one-time awards of $25,000 to a variety of causes across the state. The program is administered by the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. Since 2008, the foundation has awarded 84 such grants, in the areas of health, science and education.
“This grant allows students to get hands-on experience with real science projects in the Smokies, including a chance to work directly with scientists from inside and outside the park,” North Carolina Director Holly Demuth said. “This gives them a valuable lesson that can’t be learned in the classroom.”
Moonshine tasting, auctions, hikes, talks, hunts, barbecue, dancing and star gazing are just a few of the activities planned for Great Smoky Mountains Association’s Membership Appreciation Weekend Sept. 13-15 in Townsend, Tenn.
The organization is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a party to honor its 19,000-strong members. GSMA supports the national park through funds raised primarily from sales of publications for the park and from its membership program.
Beginning Friday, Sept. 13, there will be a barbecue dinner, birthday cake, a cakewalk, moonshine samples and music by strings musicians Michael Searcy and Darrell Acuff. Sam Venable, storyteller, humorist and columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel, will close the evening.
Saturday, Sept. 14, features hikes, Civil War and black bear educational talks, mountain crafts activities, geocaching in the Townsend area, and a star gazing party in the evening. Children’s activities will be available throughout the day. Sunday’s activities include a volunteers meeting, a bike ride around Townsend, a hike and a driving tour of Cades Cove.
The deadline to register is Aug. 31. Registration can be done online, by phone or email. New members are also welcome to join.
www.smokiesInformation.org or 888.898.9102 x222 or x254.
Friends of Panthertown is hosting their annual picnic and concert this year Tuesday, Aug. 20, on Lake Fairfield at Camp Merrie-Woode in Sapphire Valley.
Friends of the Smokies will host a telethon to benefit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Residents of Highlands established the Highlands Botanical Garden in 1962, to display the diverse array of Southern Appalachian plants. But the survival of the garden depends largely on a once-a-year fundraising event.
In September, Dillsboro will host the Western North Carolina River Rescue Rodeo, a whitewater rescue competition.
“Drawings for Art” fundraiser is currently going on to benefit the Cullowhee Mountain ARTS. The drawings will take place during a reception and art talk at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Fine & Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.
The Highlands-Cashiers Players present the off-beat romantic comedy “Almost, Maine” Aug. 22-25 and Aug. 29-Sept. 1, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.
The Maggie Valley Summer Rally will be Aug. 16-18 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
Acclaimed bluegrass/gospel group Balsam Range will play a free concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Cowee School Celebration in Franklin.
Built in 1943 on the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, the school served thousands of students until it was closed as a school in 2012. Efforts are now underway to preserve and reuse the historic school as a community and heritage center. The dinner, prepared by chef Lindsey Kent of the Cottage, is sold out, but there is still plenty of space and parking left for the free performance. Food vendors will also be on-site.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.facebook.com/coweeschool.
The Haywood County Fair will run Aug. 20-26, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.
With an array of food and craft vendors, live entertainment, contest, farm animal exhibit and carnival rides, the beloved Western North Carolina pastime returns with gusto.
Feature events include the opening ceremony community concert (Aug. 21, 6 p.m.), variety show (Aug. 22, 5 p.m.), firefighters competition (Aug. 22, 6 p.m.), New Generation Jamboree (Aug. 23, 5 p.m.), HCC Timber Sports Team show (Aug. 23, 6 p.m.), Haywood County FFA BBQ (Aug. 24, 3 p.m.), Heritage Hoedown (Aug. 24, 5 p.m.), horse pull (Aug. 24, 12:30 p.m.), tractor pull (Aug. 24, 6 p.m.), horseshoe tournament (Aug. 25, 1:30 p.m.) and the Smoky Mountain Jubilee closing ceremonies with bluegrass group Balsam Range (Aug. 25, 2 p.m.)
The fair opens at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20 for acceptance of fair exhibits. The festivities officially open to the public at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21.
Parking is $2.
The Jeff Little Trio will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville.
American Idol singer Lauren Alaina will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug 22, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.
To the Editor:
We won! The vibrant green bear Friends of the Smokies specialty license plate has been rescued from extinction. The North Carolina legislature in the 11th hour voted to preserve the full color specialty license plate program.
A big Smokies bear hug thank you goes out to all the vocal citizens and legislators who spoke up on behalf of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On this issue, our western legislators banded together and stepped up to the tough fight.
Bear plates since their birth have raised $3.3 million for significant projects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, like the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. Those funds come in one license plate at a time with $20 going to the Smokies and $10 to state projects such as handicap accessibility at visitor centers.
To the 20,000-plus owners of Friends of the Smokies license plates — thank you for your continued participation over the years. Congratulations. You get to keep your plate, exactly as it is.
The more the merrier — join celebration and purchase your own bear license plate at a plate office or www.friendsofthesmokies.org.
Yes, we won. All of us: Full color plate owners. North Carolina causes. State coffers. Tourism development. Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our Smokies. And our bears.
Holly Demuth
North Carolina Director
Friends of the Smokies
To the Editor:
Once again Jim Mueller, vice chair of the Jackson County Republican Party enlightens us with his Tea Party perspective on austerity and the path to economic recovery in North Carolina, citing the example of Detroit as a warning to those who borrow too much. Detroit’s crisis has more to do with deindustrialization: from 2000 to 2010, metro Detroit lost 52 percent of its manufacturing jobs. The federal government bailed out the Big Three automakers, but that did not stop the shuttering of factories or the offshoring of production.
Mr. Mueller would rather blame the victims of hard times. He offers us the same old “double down on trickle down:” more corporate tax breaks and a state budget that unfairly taxes the middle class more than the wealthier 5 percent. This is how you create jobs. We are asked to be patient and give Gov. McCrory’s economic plan time to show results.
I’m out of patience with the phony war on austerity. We see that the state needs to spend millions on problems that don’t exist: from drug testing applicants for public assistance to restoring confidence in our elections by passing a new omnibus bill that state legislators passed overhauling how elections are held in North Carolina. That bill, “An Act To Restore Confidence In Government By Establishing The Voter Information Verification Act To Promote The Electoral Process Through Education ...,” mandates the use of new voting machines that will produce a paper ballot.
In the case of Jackson County, the current voting machines already produce a traceable paper audit log. The cost of these new machines to Jackson County will be between a quarter and a half million dollars.
Multiply this by 100 counties.
Detroit does provide some insight into our state’s problems. It’s had a share of flawed leadership. North Carolina is now seeing its share of failed leadership. I’ve seen enough.
Roger Turner
Sylva
To the Editor:
When sponsors can’t give a good reason for proposed legislation, it usually means there are bad ones. It’s not hard to perceive the bad ones behind House Bill 652, which would wreck the way North Carolina polices judicial integrity.
Presently, the Commission on Judicial Standards — comprised of judges, lawyers, and lay citizens — investigates complaints from the public, dismisses as unfounded all but a few of them, and goes thoroughly into the substantial ones. It can reprimand a judge on its own authority, or recommend that the Supreme Court impose suspension or even removal. If formal hearings are ordered, the commission’s proceedings are public.
These are rare events. Among 1,420 cases received over the past five years, there were 54 letters of caution, 13 public reprimands, 10 public hearings, and four recommendations for discipline filed.
But someone evidently wants these to be even rarer. HB 652 calls for all proceedings to remain secret unless and until a majority of what is now a politically polarized Supreme Court agrees to impose discipline on a judge. Worse, it would allow the justices to sit in judgment on their own colleagues — a duty now properly assigned to an independent panel of senior Court of Appeals judges.
This lends itself to cover-ups and cronyism — exactly what one would want, perhaps, if one is a Supreme Court justice who fears being accused of favoring campaign contributors. It amounts to an engraved invitation to corrupt the courts.
The only explanation sponsors offered for HB 652 is that some of the justices wanted it. Chief Justice Sarah Parker made clear that she did not.
The possibility of campaign-related misconduct is much greater now that the General Assembly, in the massive voter suppression bill, has repealed public financing for judicial campaigns and increased to $5,000 from $1,000 the maximum contribution to a candidate for judge.
The secrecy in which the General Assembly — or should we say the General Assassins? — wants to envelop judicial misconduct reminds me of Florida’s situation in the mid-1970s. Two justices tried to fix cases for campaign supporters in lower courts. One of them was acting on behalf of a man appealing a bribery conviction, who had also bribed him. But Florida’s judicial discipline agency couldn’t agree on what to do about it, and for a long time no one else knew.
Two justices also let a lawyer lobby them out of court on a major case and accepted a secret draft opinion from him. When the chief justice heard of it, he ordered a cover-up. Thanks to courageous whistle-blowers and the press, the mess was eventually exposed and cleaned up. Two justices resigned, and the constitution was amended to open all disciplinary cases once probable cause is found to proceed with them.
Given the awesome powers judges have, their ethics must be impeccable, far more so than what is expected of legislators and other politicians. With House Bill 652, the General Assembly makes plain that it doesn’t much care whether judges are ethical. But the people care, and we will remember
Martin A. Dyckman
Waynesville
St. John the Evanglist Church in Waynesville will host a special seminar from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.
Featured speakers include Rev. John Rausch, the director of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia; Rev. James Cahill, former priest of Our Lady of Lourdes in Bemus Point, N.Y.; and Mary Keenan. Lunch is provided. Register by Aug. 17.
828.456.6629 or 828.586.5881
Haywood County is kicking off its first-ever adult kickball league.
The co-ed league games will be played at 2 and 3 p.m. Saturdays, from Sep. 21 until Oct. 19, at the International Paper Sports Complex in Canton. The county’s recreation and parks department is accepting registrants for the league through Aug. 29.
Each team can consist of 15 people maximum with nine people on the field at one time. Two female players must be on the field at all times. Registration is $200 per team.
828.452.6789 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.haywoodnc.net.
An updated recreation map of the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests is now available online.
The U.S. Forest Service map identifies recreation sites in the two national forests suitable for activities such as target practice, camping, hiking, horseback riding and more. The map also details amenities available at each site.
The recreation map can be printed or downloaded on a mobile device for easy reference. The recently updated recreation map and any other maps and publications for the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests are available online.
The U.S. Forest Service is urging visitors to the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests to avoid swimming in the creeks, rivers and streams until water levels recede. Visitors should also avoid climbing near waterfalls.
Water levels are more than a foot above normal in some waterways, and the combination of high water levels and strong currents pose a safety risk to visitors. Three swimming-related fatalities occurred in the Pisgah National Forest in July, and others have occurred in the region because of high water.
With a wetter-than normal year, and already high streams and rivers, visitors should also be aware of the potential for flash flooding. Forest officials are asking visitors to check the National Weather Service forecast before they leave home, and to be alert for changing weather conditions while in the forest.
Devices like a weather radio, a terrestrial radio, a smart-phone app or a cell phone mobile alert can help visitors stay tuned-in before and during their outdoor activities.
Western Carolina University students, as part of a July 20 volunteer day, hauled loads of trash from the banks of Scotts Creek near the railroad tracks in Sylva.
Fall soccer season is approaching and Swain Youth Soccer Association is offering soccer for all skill types.
The potential effects of climate change on the animals — salamanders in particular — of the Appalachian Mountains will be the topic of discussion at a lecture in Highlands
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is asking the public to help document observations of nine-banded armadillos, as the bony-plated mammals expand their range in this state.
The $20.6 billion biennial budget recently approved by the N.C. General Assembly includes more than $1.4 million for expansion of Western Carolina University’s undergraduate engineering program to Biltmore Park.
State appropriations include $698,962 for engineering program start-up costs and laboratory equipment at WCU’s Biltmore Park location, and $719,844 in recurring funds to cover faculty positions and ongoing operations.
The expanded engineering program is expected to begin at Biltmore Park in the fall of 2014.
Western Carolina began offering the Bachelor of Science degree in engineering last fall at its campus in Cullowhee as a new stand-alone program. The university partnered with UNC Charlotte to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from 2004 until 2012.
www.kimmel.wcu.edu or 828.227.7368.
Representatives from the firms assisting Western Carolina University in drafting a comprehensive master plan that will guide campus development and improvements in the years ahead will return from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
The consultants are expected to complete a preliminary report and plan by early September, followed by a series of campus and community presentations for reaction in October and November. After revisions based on that feedback, the final master plan should be ready for consideration by the WCU Board of Trustees at its meeting in December. Refreshments will be served, and community members can arrive at any point during the event to offer feedback.
www.masterplanning.wcu.edu.
To the Editor:
When I was told I had cancer, I wondered what caused it. I had always been very healthy, so the diagnosis was a complete surprise. Now I am urging my friends, family, and neighbors to help with a study to learn more about the causes of cancer.
Folks in Haywood County have a chance to join the American Cancer Society in a nationwide study to investigate the causes of cancer. Cancer Prevention Study 3 is coming to Haywood County on Sept. 17-18 at the Haywood Health and Fitness Center through a collaboration with Medwest-Haywood. Residents of our area have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to participate.
I encourage all eligible men and women in our community to consider taking part in this important study. Individuals between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer and who are willing to make a long-term commitment to the study are able to schedule an appointment. It only takes 30 minutes of your time to enroll. And the follow-up surveys, every two to five years, take about half an hour.
I also call on my fellow cancer survivors to spread the word by asking friends and family to enroll in your honor.
Enrollment is simple. Visit the website to make your appointment at www.cps3haywoodnc.org or call toll free 1.888.604.5888.
This study has the potential to help prevent cancer for our children and grandchildren.
Angie Ford
Clyde
To the Editor:
Referencing the article of two weeks ago about the Jake brakes in Waynesville and in reply to last week’s letter from Gino Deneef of Franklin, I would first like to say that this article was about a local law in Waynesville, not Franklin. Not intentionally being rude, but Mr. Deneef, please mind your own town’s laws. There are several in Franklin that need to be addressed.
More importantly, we know what the Jake brakes are used for. Coming from a family of truckers, one having recently totaled an 18-wheeler in the Pigeon River Gorge, I understand the need for them in these mountains. However, it is the places specifically pointed out in Waynesville that need attention to the ongoing, awful noise from these trucks: Allens Creek and Russ Avenue.
Allens Creek is a flat road from beginning to end and these brakes should not even have to be used. The speed of the dump trucks is what needs to be regulated on this road.
As for Russ Avenue, the new law is speaking specifically to the lower end after passing K-Mart towards Lake Junaluska. I live in an apartment directly bordering Russ Avenue and the noise at all hours of the day and night is ridiculous. I know they are carrying a heavy load, but slow the trucks down a bit before topping that wee hill. Besides, there are two signal lights at the foot of the small incline and these truckers know this; they are the same companies and rigs all day, all week long.
I support the change in the law. Once the signs are placed it will be better. The word is already out about the change and it has been pleasing to the ear as of late.
Brian Harkins
Waynesville
To the Editor:
I’ve had several citiznes ask me why I voted against this or that. It’s time to clear the air and let you folks know all the other stuff that goes on.
First off, I do try to get along with my fellow commissioners so long as I feel it’s good for the taxpayers! I have tried three years in a row to lower our property tax rate. Two years in a row I voted for the budgets. Our budgets are loaded with numbers and details which are sometimes tricky to get a handle on. However, in this year’s budget here’s just a few of the items I had problems with.
1) I saw in our budget one department getting more than a $200,000 raise for their budget over and above what we already gave them throughout the year. That same department then got thousands of dollars in pay raises while most county employees only got a 2 percent raise.
2) The Southwestern Commission is a group who supports land-use regulations. I don’t. They get thousands of your tax dollars in this budget. I simply could not support that.
3) Same goes for a lobbying group in Raleigh that just recently found out where Macon County was. They get thousands of dollars of your tax money in the budget. What does Macon County get out of that?
4) There was $150,000 in the budget to buy the land (1.5 acres) in Highlands for a soccer field. I asked how much it was going to cost total to complete project but never got an answer. I also asked what will it cost to take care of that underground spring? Again, I was ignored and never got the answers so I didn’t vote for it.
5) I was led to believe the Parker Meadows Ballpark would cost the county around $1 million to complete. I was in favor of that and voted for it. On the day we were scheduled for a due diligence vote, all of a sudden the figure ballooned to upwards of a potential $4.9 million. I could not see spending that much taxpayer money in this economy. Not to mention I think we overpaid for the land.
6) Although this school budget problem wasn’t caused by the commissioners, we were the ones thrown under the bus for their past management. It resulted in Macon County taxpayers paying over a million dollars more in the budget. Don’t get me wrong, I have always stood for education and teachers in our county.
7) That budget also had way over $100,000 to fund the old Cowee School.
A couple weeks ago I read another uninformed person’s letter to the editor saying we needed to keep the county pay scale up to minimum pay like other nearby counties. Actually, I would support targeted pay raises that would accomplish just that; but, sorry friend, that was not the problem.
That pay study was not compared to our nearby counties. It was compared to three counties near the coast. One case in point; Watauga County up near Virginia, which has 239 employees and 69,000 citizens, compared to Macon County that has about 418 employees and 35,000 citizens more or less. Do the math. Watauga has twice the population and half the employees. This is no comparison. Another was Transylvania County near Asheville. Asheville is urban, which again, is not a good comparison. None of these comparisons even included the fringe benefits Macon County pays, which were higher than all the others. I also asked for a comparison to Cherokee, Swain, Jackson, Clay, Rabun and Graham counties but never got it probably because that wouldn’t fit the plan either.
We are going to be confronted with a $300,000 or more proposal to widen the Macon County Airport runway. I voted last year for $230,000 as part of a grant to repave it. I was told about all the money this airport makes annually. If it makes all this money, why are we asked every year to fund $200,000 or more?
These are only a few of the reasons I vote the way I do. I am not running down my fellow commissioners for how they vote. However, I didn’t pledge to the citizens to follow a big spending plan. I said I would be conservative and that is how I have voted.
I know some don’t worry about the taxpayer. They just want us commissioners to spend. Sorry, I am not going back on my word. It’s hard sometimes to be a true conservative who looks out for the taxpayers’ money with an economy in the ditch and when everyone else seems to be looking for ways to spend it. I wish more folks would attend meetings and get the facts before speaking. If you can’t make the meetings then at least watch them on video at www.thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/. That way you can at least see and hear most of what happens. I hope this helps you all see just a few of the things that go on that you don’t always read about in the newspapers.
Commissioner Ron Haven
Macon County
To the Editor:
On Monday this first week of August, a group of people showed up in Raleigh complaining about teachers’ pay and the budget for the coming school year. Does anyone believe that Gov. Pat McCrory has a “stash” of money hidden in Raleigh somewhere he can use to increase pay for teachers or any other state employee?
We all know that teachers deserve more money, but how do we solve the problem? We have 1.7 million people in North Carolina on food stamps, up from 1.6 million the year before. Nationally food stamp use has gone up from 17.7 million people in 2006 to 46.6 million now. These numbers came from the Asheville Citizens Sunday Paper.
Our teachers are ranked in the bottom of the barrel nationally as far as pay goes. Our state’s tax rates have been the big reason these numbers are so high. Gov. McCrory and the Republicans have just redone our state tax rates to make us a more business-friendly state. We are now listed as one of the more friendly states to expand an existing business or start a new business. Adding new businesses and helping the unemployed find work is the key to rebuilding our state’s economy. Adding tens of thousands of new taxpayers to our employment rolls is the only way to build up our state’s income. When our state’s income goes up then teacher pay will follow.
Like Detroit, Gov. Beverly Perdue kept borrowing money from the U.S. Treasury to balance the budget. The Republicans are now forced to pay that money back along with the interest. Perhaps the people who went to Raleigh think the Republicans should keep borrowing money like Gov. Perdue did. That would be a grave mistake.
Gov. McCrory has put North Carolina on the path to economic recovery. It is always painful to do the right thing. We should be grateful our governor and his legislators have the guts to do the right thing for our state.
Jim Mueller
Glenville
The Carolinas Region, Mountain Area of the Porsche Club of America (PCA) is hosting the 5th annual People’s Choice Concours, In Den Bergen, Aug. 9-11, at The Waynesville Inn Golf Resort and Spa.
More than 70 Porsches are expected at this fun-filled, low-key event. The primary sponsor is Harmony Motors, the local Porsche Audi VW dealership in Asheville. Associate sponsor is Stuttgart Motorwerks, an independent Porsche specialist in Hendersonville and Jan Davis Tire Store, a locally owned and family operated full service tire and underbody store in Asheville.
The People’s Choice Concours will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, with Porsches displayed on the number one fairway of the Carolina course in Waynesville. The event is open to the public but for non-registered participants PCA requests a donation to Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation. There will be a raffle of numerous items following the PCA dinner on Saturday night that will also benefit Sarge’s. Sarge’s volunteers will bring some of their foster dogs available for adoption to the Inn.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.sargeandfriends.org or 828.246.9050.
Tickets for the Western Carolina University Arts and Cultural Events Performance Series will go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 6.
“Wood Day,” an annual celebration of wood crafts, will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, in the Folk Art Center at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway east of Asheville.
Country singer Clint Black will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
Black has long been heralded as one of country music’s brightest stars. Black’s many talents have enabled him to transcend genres to become one of the most successful artists in all the music industry. To date, Black has written, recorded and released more than 100 songs, a benchmark in any artist’s career. His 1989 critical and fan favorite debut, “Killin’ Time,” was awarded triple platinum and named one of the greatest 100 albums by Country Music Television. With more than 20 million albums sold worldwide, Black’s continued success can be attributed in part to his deep sense of country music traditions and his humble gratitude for being an important part of music history.
Tickets are $35, $45 and $55.
www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.
The 5th annual Mountain High BBQ Festival and Car Show will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 9 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 10, at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center in Frankin.
Country singer Trace Adkins performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
By Michael Beadle
Cherokee now has a biodiesel gas pump at its filling station to fuel up Tribal transit and maintenance vehicles as well as buses from the Cherokee Boys Club.
Charles Taylor: My opponent has made numerous allegations about my record on the federal minimum wage, but the fact is that I have supported — and will continue to support — a fair federal minimum wage.
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer
Reviews on the on the Zerve.com Web site all rave about Mountain Glides’ Segway tours of the Macon County Greenway.
By Margene Roper • Guest Columnist
Around 7:30 this evening my telephone rang and I rushed into the house from grilling steaks to answer it. A voice on the other end said “Health Shuler and his “liberal” followers (or cronies, or whatever, I forget ... my steak burned) want you to believe that Charles Taylor is not tough on amnesty (or something like that).” I hung the phone up.
Each time the president and Congress choose a new leader for the National Park Service, those of us in Western North Carolina are left to hope for the best. If the right leader with the right political skills comes along, perhaps they will be able to address the chronic funding shortage facing America’s national treasures, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Most salamanders are born in the water as tadpoles. Later they grow legs and emerge onto land, albeit with a deference for soggy places. Hellbenders on the other hand live completely underwater. In fact, they’re a good candidate for Darwin’s long-sought fish with legs.
As a passel of high school interns tugged and squirmed their way into wetsuits along the edge of the Oconaluftee River last month, Park Ranger Susan Sachs — a seasoned salamander hunter — shared a few tricks of the trade.
