The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership has announced an award of $10,000 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville for a mobile website, enhancements to a backstage green room and new exhibits for visitors.

The center offers a summer music series, “An Appalachian Evening,” along with year-round programming in music, craft and foodways. This project is designed to further promote the center’s music programs through the creation of a new mobile website that will host videos of live performances, interviews with musicians and audience reviews.  

Funded by federal dollars, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership helps support diverse initiatives across the North Carolina mountains and foothills, focusing on craft, music, natural heritage, Cherokee traditions and the region’s legacy in agriculture. These five facets of the region’s heritage earned the 25 counties of Western North Carolina a Congressional designation as the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in 2003. This program is an effort by the North Carolina Arts Council and Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership to enhance many aspects of the traditional music industry in the region, and in so doing strengthen its economic impact on communities region-wide.

The Jackson County commissioners should move forward with their temporary subdivision moratorium, notwithstanding all the concerns that have been raised about this proposal.

By Carl Iobst

Well if this don’t beat all. Over in eastern Germany where lederhosen, apple strudel, and skinheads are tourist attractions, Karl Szmolinsky is fixin’ to feed the world’s hungry. Maybe not the whole world, but you’ve got to start somewhere. And what better place than North Korea, where thousands are starving to death every day!

About two dozen diesel vehicles used by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the North Carolina side of the park will soon be fueling up with B-50 biodiesel.

A cattle farm in Cherokee County known as Ridgefield Farm has been preserved for future generations thanks to a conservation agreement between the Whitmire family and the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee.

By Michael Beadle

Paul Carlson has plenty of maps to show you.

There are maps with stars. Color-coded maps of riverfront properties. Aerial photography maps. Maps of the past and maps of the future.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park conducted a prescribed burn on a 530-acre tract of forest in the Cataloochee Valley area last weekend.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Christine Tyndall’s voice hits a high note as she reads from the Maurice Sendak classic Where the Wild Things Are, pleading on behalf of the monsters for storybook hero Max not to give up being their king.

It’s the tambourine that gives it away. Those insistent eighth notes from the piano during the chorus, the sparkly harmonies — yeah, these guys are fans of “power pop,” all right. The good stuff too, like Joe Jackson (no, not Michael’s dad) and Alex Chilton, George Harrison’s earlier solo work and all that other stuff that manages to sound like a blindingly sunny day while somehow still breaking your heart.

For years, county leaders have been lobbying law makers in Raleigh to stop packing off a portion of Medicaid costs on counties. They hope this year might finally be the year.

As Western North Carolina wrestles with growth issues, a project is under way to track where and how large mountain tracts are being carved up into smaller lots.

Western Carolina University Chancellor John W. Bardo has officially launched the first comprehensive fundraising campaign in the university’s 118-year history, a drive to raise at least $40 million in private support to help meet a renewed emphasis on academic quality.

In 1992 Mary Chapin Carpenter released Come On, Come On, and though it’s a little hazy as to how I wound up with a copy, the album has since remained one of my favorite collections of songs and performances.

Battlestar Galactica

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a Battlestar fanatic. A few weekends ago, my wife and I glued ourselves to the couch and watched about 10 hours of episodes from the first and second seasons. We’re almost caught up to the most recent episodes. The sci-fi series that ran back in the late-‘70s and starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict has been upgraded with new characters, a complex storyline, and unobtrusive special effects. In a galaxy far, far away, 40,000-plus refuges are all that’s left of the human race after a nuclear attack by robotic Cylons. But is the human race worth saving? Fighter pilots, soldiers, civilians and the fleet’s leaders struggle to overcome political and social differences while defending against the constant threat of Cylon attacks and Cylon infiltration (for some of these robots now look like humans). As with Star Wars and Star Trek, there’s a whole vocabulary that goes along with the show — knuckledraggers (deck crew), dradis (radar), cubits (currency) and frak (everybody’s favorite curse word). There are no easily defined good guys and bad guys here, and they are constantly being forced to make difficult decisions. Their hope is to find a faraway planet called Earth. I just love being along for the ride.

Yoga

If you enjoy playing sports and don’t want to succumb to those eventual aches and pains that come with age, I strongly suggest signing up for a yoga class. This winter, I’ve been taking a class in Waynesville, and the stretches and meditation have not only given me more focus and better flexibility. I know now that consistent stretching before and after workouts will keep me healthy and injury-free for years to come. Try to let go of that yoga image of super-limber human pretzels twisting into abnormal positions. Think of yoga as a natural way to reduce stress and maintain balance. Find out for yourself.

ACC Tournament

It’s almost here. The early March Madness squeezed into four days. The legendary match-ups. The game-winning shots. The heartaches and the fist-pumping triumphs. The pride and glory of college basketball’s most celebrated conference will be up for grabs once again March 8-11 in Tampa, Fla. Each year, no matter where I happen to be, I make sure I’m near a TV or radio to savor the games I have come to love more and more since growing up a Carolina fan on Tobacco Road. Back in elementary school, I remember my teacher would stop class after lunch. She’d roll in the TV, and we’d all watch the games until school was over. No child was left behind the non-stop action of rim-rattling dunks and sweet-arching jumpshots. We’d hurry home to catch the rest of the games that evening. My Heels are among the favorites to win this season, and it’s been a few years since Carolina Blue took home the crown (1998). But whoever your favorite team happens to be, enjoy the games with fellow ACC fans.

— By Michael Beadle

By Michael Beadle

The annual foot-stompin’, hand-clappin’, kick-up-your-heels music-and-dance show known as the Summit Country and Western Show at Tuscola High School will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend.

The six libraries in Macon, Jackson and Swain counties are part of the Fontana Regional Library system, headquartered at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. The system has deep roots in the region, dating its beginnings to 1944 when the Tennessee Valley Authority sponsored a regional bookmobile for residents.

Gov. Mike Easley’s proposed budget would decrease the portion of lottery proceeds going to education — before legislators have a chance to fix an already unfair funding formula that shorts the western part of the state — a gamble that citizens throughout the state just shouldn’t support.

By Susan Ervin • Guest Columnist

The recent tax revaluations in Macon County have many people worried — not just about their own tax bill, which is plenty to worry about when your property value suddenly increases three-fold — but also about the impact such evaluation will have on the future of our lands and environment.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

A forest fire burned nearly 40 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Wednesday (Feb. 28), threatening the Purchase Knob research station.

By Kathleen Lamont

There are lots of examples today of what a few determined and focused people can do. They can build low-income housing, rebuild devastated cities, and save disappearing farmland. That last one is shooting to the top of many a list these days and hooray for that.

By Michael Beadle

Running can be a lonely sport. It’s hard finding someone who has a similar pace, someone who runs when you do, someone who can get you through those tough, uphill climbs.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Balsam Range, a newly formed group of all-star pickers, will play a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 16 at Haywood Community College.

By Michael Beadle

Come March 24, sink your teeth into blueberry truffles, fudge cookies, and mocha cheesecake.

By Michael Beadle

Call it a Kiss. A sweet treat. A bonbon. A decadent delight.

What exactly do you say about these guys?

There’s certainly something nostalgic in just how painfully arty what they’re doing is — like the old Sylvian and Gabriel stuff. But then there’s that slick, ultramodern sheen to the music, the lush backdrops of synth against the “water drops in a cavern” digital rhythms.

Lucinda Williams, West

If you don’t already know her, go back to the beginning and catch up, because you’ve missed out on one of the premier singer-songwriters of the past 20 years, that rare artist who sings ‘em as well as she writes ‘em — and vice versa.

If you want to keep bees, the best thing you can do is join a local beekeeping club. Here you’ll find expert advice and support, and perhaps a personal mentor to explain the intricacies of beekeeping.

Chairman Brian McMahan, lone “no” vote

“I’ve thought long and hard about this process. I thought about what will the moratorium accomplish? What would the consequences potentially be? It’s not really going to stop anything. There will be more houses built in the months to come. To say we are going to stop all development, that’s not what’s going to happen. All it is going to do is put a halt for five months. Then I had to weigh ‘What’s the consequences?’ We don’t really know what’s going to happen. If there’s a chance it could put somebody out of work, then I don’t think I could support it. I don’t want to take any chances. Let’s just ride this ship on out and adopt a good ordinance in a couple months.”

Commissioner Tom Massie, “yes” vote

“Despite what some people have said this is not an action this board is undertaking lightly or irresponsibly or anything else. What we do know not only from the public hearings but the hundreds and hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls, is the majority of citizens in Jackson County are agreed on a few things. They want people to continue to work. They want the building to continue to start. But they want responsible development and they also want standards. They want to protect the natural resources. They also want adequate time for the planning board to come up with thoughtful, responsible subdivision standards. I think this is as good a compromise we can come up with in Jackson County.”

Commissioner Mark Jones, “yes” vote

“I have builders and contractors on both sides of this fence. Not only has it been a divisive matter, but it even has in my own district. It has caused quite a lot of pressure on commissioners to come up with a compromise to avoid some of the hardship cases we have heard about.”

Commissioner Joe Cowan, “yes” vote

“Our job is to balance the competing interests as best we can. We did not have our minds made up because we have come up with a significant number of what I call compromises. I would like to thank this board for keeping an open mind. We have something now that nobody is going to lose any jobs from. Development can continue under the agreement yet we can meet our goal of high standards.”

Commissioner William Shelton, “yes” vote

“One word comes to mind and that’s sustainability. How do we balance what is happening in this county? It’s been stated that this area, the Appalachian Region, is the number one area for development over the next how many years. One phrase I hear more than any other is ‘We’ve got to do something. We’ve got to do something.’ The question is what do we do?

I’ve put more thought into this than anything in my life. I have heard these people afraid for their careers loud and clear. (The compromise) will give developers an opportunity to continue with these properties and developments and address the issue of job loss, which is questionable to me to begin with.”

Ghost Town amusement park in Maggie Valley — slated to re-open on May 25 after five years — began selling tickets for the summer season on-line this week.

A proposed 1-cent increase in Haywood County’s tax on overnight lodging and a completely new make-up of its tourism board will likely be approved during this session of the General Assembly.

By James Costa • Guest Columnist

There has been much discussion in recent weeks regarding the notion of opening the upper Chattooga River to boating. As a biologist and as a longtime resident of the Southern Appalachian region, I have studied the issue for the past several months in order to take an informed position on the potential impact that boating might have on the river and surrounding national forest.

“The highest form of morality is not to feel at home in one’s own home.”

“What has become alien to men is the human component of culture — which upholds them against the world.”

— Theodor Adorno, social critic and philosopher

“What we’re trying to do here is reduce the impact of development. That’s really what conservation is, the wise use of resources.”

— Blair Bishop, Haywood Community College

How come this isn’t done all the time?

By Stephanie Wampler

It was one of those days .... One of those days when an unnecessarily shrill alarm clock tears you from deep slumber, when you swing out of bed and land your foot on a particularly sharp Lego, and while you are hopping and cursing, you crash into the corner of the door.

Being environmentally conscious has become mainstream, but we still have a long way to go before mankind figures out how to live and prosper without negatively impacting the very earth that sustains us. A relatively new front raising awareness in this arena is coming from organized Christian religions, and an upcoming conference at Lake Junaluska is a great example of a progressive movement whose time has come.

By Michael Beadle

Iranian-born author Farnoosh Moshiri writes about people who are enemies of the state, those who have disappeared, and those displaced by war and oppressive governments. And yet she breathes a light of hope into her characters, a chance for redemption despite all their suffering.

By Chris Cooper

If you’ve wandered down Main Street in the early part of a summer evening over the years, you’ve probably paused mid-step to the sound of a lady singing the blues bouncing off the bricks. And there’s a good chance that the voice belonged to Karen Barnes, long the local purveyor of all things classy and vintage in blues and jazz.

By Michael Beadle

Nick Taylor’s career in journalism has spanned four decades and several cities, but it all began in Western North Carolina.

“300”

OK, to be perfectly honest, this is a “qualified recommendation.” “300” is currently in the theatres, but the original work — a graphic novel by Frank Miller (“Sin City”) and Lynn Varley, contains some of the most “vibrant” art work being done in the USA.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

The duck egg is just slightly larger than the chicken egg, its shell a little harder, making it the perfect egg for Rebekah Joy Brown to turn into a Christmas tree ornament.

By Chris Cooper

Two very different artists and albums, but similar in the pursuit of uniqueness and mastery in their respective genres: the enigmatic Andrew Bird and Dobro virtuoso Jerry Douglas.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Culinary connoisseurs will have a chance to sample the skills of a dozen local restaurant chefs at the third annual Mélange of the Mountains to be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at the Balsam Mountain Inn.

Slam Poetry

Poetry need not be lame. Two Tuesdays ago Western Carolina University’s Lectures, Concerts and Exhibitions series and Last Minute Productions brought Saul Williams to the Fine and Performing Arts Center stage for one of the most well student-attended shows I’ve seen held on the WCU campus.

A coordinator has been selected for the visual arts program of the Oconaluftee Institute for Cultural Arts (OICA), a joint venture among Southwestern Community College, the Eastern Band of Cherokee and Western Carolina University.

Blue Ridge Paper Products might have found a buyer — a New Zealand-based paper company called The Rank Group that has recently moved into the United States paper market.

By Bruce Hare • Guest Columnist

I would like to respond to Mr. James Costa’s letter (March 14, The Smoky Mountain News) expressing his concern about kayaking and canoeing on the headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River.

By Jim Joyce

My great- grandparents, on my mother’s side, “Bestafahr” and “Bestamour” (Nelson and Christiana Wurtz) emigrated from Denmark to the United States in 1867. The newlyweds traveled by boat to New York City and by train to Chicago where they scouted around for a place to settle down and begin farming.

By Dick and Sandy Michener

Are you a serious competitor or a weekend athlete? Are you an accomplished artist or a hobbyist? Regardless of your abilities and goals, you have a place in the 2007 Haywood County Senior Games (and the Senior Games in all the counties in Western North Carolina for that matter).

It’s not clear what Swain County commissioners are hoping to accomplish by turning over to the District Attorney’s office the investigation into the way the sheriff’s office handled excess meal money, but there’s evidence that a long list of people could be implicated if this probe is taken seriously.

By Joe Yarkovich

Spring is upon us and with the days beginning to lengthen, signs of the season can be seen within the elk of Cataloochee as well.