By Chris Cooper

Ah ... the joys of moving. Once you’ve got everything boxed up and ready to go, there’s usually about 2 metric tons of junk left over that you just don’t recall collecting over the years.

By Michael Beadle

New York City has long enjoyed a reputation as a melting pot of music — especially when it comes to the jazz scene.

By Michael Beadle

An old German town has a very serious rat problem. Luckily, a stranger arrives with just the right solution. But how much will it cost the town?

Afternoon Naps with the Windows Open

A recent dental surgery has left me at home the past few days in recovery. And in that amount of time it’s been amazing to see the green appear outside my window.

• The ordinance only applies to development on slopes greater than 30 percent.

• Developers must file a hydrology report, geotechnical analysis and a tree survey and reforestation plan. They must also provide an assessment describing the impact of the development on the environment of the mountain.

• Earth moving should be limited to the minimum required for the footprint of the foundation, driveways and roads.

• The roofline of a home cannot must be at least 20 feet below any ridgeline.

• No wholesale clearing of trees in front of a home for views. Natural vegetation must be retained to screen at least 50 percent of a the face of a building when viewed from the nearest public road.

• Homes should use natural, earth-tone color pallettes.

• Outside light should be muted and kept from spilling onto neighboring properties.

• To avoid excessive cut-and-fill slopes for building pads, homes on hillsides should “step-down” the mountain with a split foundation to conform to the natural contour of the slope.

• Cut slopes cannot exceed a 1:1 ratio and fill slopes cannot exceed a 1.5:1 ratio. Cut-and-fill slopes greater than 35 feet in vertical height shall be benched at 35 foot intervals.

• Density follows a sliding scale based on the slope. Lots must be a minimum of two acres on slopes with a 30 to 35 percent grade; 2.5 acres on slopes with a 35 to 39 percent grade; 5 acres on slopes with a 40 to 44 percent grade, and 10 acres on slopes great than 45 percent.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

Paul Bratter, a newlywed young lawyer, sits on the couch of his fifth-floor brownstone apartment after a long day at work.

By Chris Cooper

Sia: Lady Croissant

To a degree, it seems like Zero 7 makes “electronic” music for people that normally wouldn’t really dig the style. Besides the brilliant mix of orchestral, traditional pop and soul elements evident in their work, it’s their skill in casting vocalists that bring exceptionally distinct flavors and interpretive skills to the material that borders on genius.

Among those unique singers is Australian crooner Sia Fuller, who was featured prominently on the group’s 2001 release Simple Things. The tracks that featured her, “Destiny” and “Distractions,” displayed a singer with a similar tonal quality to artists like Nelly Furtado and Dido, but endowed with a bluesy grit and chops that easily eclipse the two.

Sia’s solo album from 2006, Colour The Small One expounded on her neo-soul vibe with a lush collection of songs that possessed a few things many artists in this style tend to skimp on — depth, colorful imagery and imagination.

With Lady Croissant Furler serves up one new studio track and a gorgeous (if rather short) live set from NYC’s Bowery Ballroom. The new tune, “Pictures,” clangs with bouncing mid-tempo power-pop beneath a tale that makes infatuation sound remarkably similar to a severe allergic reaction.

It’s the live set that’s the highlight here, proof that Sia (and a crack band of musicians) can deliver these songs without the aid of studio magic and trickery. The arrangements keep only the parts that really make these songs tick, and nowhere in the set does anything sound empty or lacking — if anything, many of these tunes shine a bit more in this stripped down format. “Numb” readily demonstrates this, reveling in the power and dynamics that only a live band can bring to a song.

Sia does her best Chrissie Hynde on the Ray Davies penned “I Go To Sleep,” which features guitarist Gus Seyffert laying some sly Wes Montgomery styled octaves in the verses. “Breathe,” her recent hit (featured on the wildly popular Grey’s Anatomy) surges with drama and intensity, and hearing her wail on the extended outro forces me to ponder why anyone is willing to settle for glossy, half-hearted attempts at modern soul by artists like Joss Stone when there’s an album like this just waiting to be heard.

Lady Croissant needs no butter or jam at all; it’s quite tasty just as it is.

David Gray: Shine: The Best Of The Early Years

It’s easy to forget that for the most part David Gray is a guitar playing singer/songwriter in the truest sense. This is partially due to the success of 00’s White Ladder and the single “Babylon,” which had his guitar sharing much of its space with prominent drum machine and synth burbles, blips and clicks. It’s not that those are bad things at all; it just makes hearing Gray’s earlier “folk and roll” based work that much more interesting.

Take a tune like “Late Night Radio.” It’s big. It rocks. Gray’s sensitive guy thing is fully apparent on much of this collection (culled from his first three releases) but it’s mixed up in varying degrees of production and delivery, from the aforementioned bombast to the near Americana crunch of “A Century Ends” and “Faster, Sooner, Now” to the undeniably Irish waltz of “Debauchery.” But the element that’s most consistent is Gray’s singular gift as a lyricist — a quality that prompted Joan Baez to describe him as the best since Dylan. Higher praise would be quite hard to muster up, eh?

Shine’s pacing is unusual in that it ebbs and flows in such a way that it’s tough to put your finger on exactly what period of his career some of the songs come from. “The Light” feels like a close cousin of “Babylon,” but it’s from 94’s Flesh. Sparsely arranged and bare, “Holding To Nothing” has the feel of a much earlier composition, yet it appeared on the album just before White Ladder. Despite any unintentional anachronistic trickery, it’s only the very oldest material that reveals a “young” sounding David Gray, and even then it’s more the production that gives it away than his performance, and by the end of Shine it’s hard not to imagine that Gray must’ve sprung from the womb with his talents fully realized.

The joy of both these CD’s is the opportunity to hear two musicians in settings that shed new light on the sounds you may have assumed to know pretty well. The common assumptions might be that a “session” vocalist (Sia) may not be able to hang too convincingly in the live arena, or that we only get introduced to an artist (Gray) once they’ve recorded their “best” album for a major label. But in the case of these two, they had “it” the whole time. We just had to catch up to them.

(Chris Cooper can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

By Michael Beadle

World wars, civil wars, the Crusades, wars of rebellion and independence. Why does humanity continue to go to war when the cost of destruction and loss of human life end up becoming more than we can possibly imagine?

By Carl Iobst

Down in the flatlands of Eastern North Carolina there’s an Apex man that’s got a powerful interest in sheep. Now just wait a minute ‘for you get the wrong idea ‘cause this ain’t one of them kinda stories.

Swain County is drafting a set of road standards that will serve its citizens well on two levels. First, the proposed ordinances would require developers to build roads that emergency vehicles can access, thereby providing protection for property and lives; secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Swain’s relatively new planning board is getting its feet wet by learning what it takes to develop land-use regulations and turn them into law.

Drivers on the Blue Ridge Parkway will be able to catch a few more views from overlooks through the Haywood County stretch of the popular scenic drive.

Warm weather brings with it a greater risk for mosquito-borne illnesses, but health officials say precautions can be taken to reduce breeding grounds.

According to public health officials, bites from infected mosquitoes are the primary cause of at least three serious illnesses common to the state: encephalitis and the West Nile Virus. 

To reduce exposure, county health officials recommend citizens take steps to reduce mosquito breeding grounds. That includes cleaning out rain gutters, birdbaths, old tires and pet dishes regularly. Other measures include filling yard holes, putting screens or other covers over rain barrels and repairing leaking outdoor faucets.

“The greatest way to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne disease is the removal of standing water around the house,” said Seth Early, environmental health specialist with the Haywood County Health Department. “So far, 2013 has been a very wet year, and that could make it easier for mosquito populations to grow this spring and summer.”

828.452-6682. 

A birds of prey program will put participants face to face with live raptors and give them a chance to spot owls in the night.

The annual “Owl Prowl” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13, at the amphitheater behind the Highlands Nature Center. The night will begin with an educational program about birds of prey found in the mountains, featuring live raptors from the Charlotte Raptor Rehab Center. Afterward, attendees will break off into small groups and take a night walk through town in hopes of spotting owls.

The event is sponsored by the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society in conjunction with the Highlands Biological Station. It is open to children and adults and is free to attend. Those who wish to participate are asked to bring a flashlight. Parking is limited, carpooling encouraged.

828.743.9670 or www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org.

They are awfully cute, and often times look abandoned, but the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is reminding the public not to approach, touch, feed or move fawns seen hiding in the grass, brush or other vegetation. 

Deer are “hider species,” which means a female will hide her fawn while she feeds elsewhere. She might not return for several hours. 

So while the fawn might look abandoned and alone, it is often just waiting for the female to return. The fawn is well-equipped to protect itself. By the time it is 5 days old it can outrun a human and by 3 to 6 weeks of age the fawn can escape most predators.

“Spotted and lacking scent, fawns are well camouflaged and usually remain undetected by predators. The doe will return to the fawn several times a day to nurse and clean it, staying only a few minutes each time before leaving again to seek food,” said Ann May, a wildlife biologist with the Commission. “Touching, moving or feeding the fawn will do more harm than good.”

If the fawn is in the exact location the following day and bleating loudly or lying near a dead doe, residents are asked to call the commission for assistance.

919.707.0050.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be the site of an upcoming birds of prey program, featuring live raptors and interesting facts.

A summer night sky viewing event and open house will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, June 14, at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute campus high in the mountains of the Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania County.

Volunteers are being sought to work in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on its Wilderness Elite Appalachian Trail Crew (S.W.E.A.T.).

An Appalachian Lifestyle Celebration will showcase mountain culture, heritage, music, dance, storytelling, arts and crafts and demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 8, on Main Street in downtown Waynesville.

Headliners for the festival include David Holt and Michael Reno Harrell. Holt will be taking the courthouse stage at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Harrell plays the stage at the south end of the street at noon, and the courthouse stage at 2:30 p.m. Storyteller Bob Plott graces the stage in at 3:15 p.m. 

Other live music and dance will be provided by Barefoot Movement, Fall Creek, Doug Trantham & Family, The Ross Brothers, Radio Hill Jam Group, J. Creek Cloggers, Southern Appalachian Cloggers and the Fines Creek Flatfooters, and pick up jam sessions along the street. Food vendors will also be available.

The event is sponsored by the Downtown Waynesville Association.

The festival coincide with the Civil War Commemorative Weekend on June 7-8 at the Shelton House in Waynesville. A living history war camp with military and civilian reenactors will be onsite. 

828.456.3517 or www.downtownwaynesville.com.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will receive more federal aid than originally promised after January’s rainstorms, flooding and mudslides.

In March, the Eastern Band became the first tribe to garner the Presidential Declaration of Disaster, which made it eligible for disaster relief assistance from the federal government. Previously, the tribe had to go through the state to receive any federal help.

In the declaration, the federal government committed to reimbursing 75 percent of the cost to repair any damages related to the four-day storms. However, the pledge has since been increased to 90 percent.

The estimated total federal contribution is $4.9 million, according to FEMA. Based on that, repair costs will come in close to $5.5 million. As of May 31, the government has paid out just under $3 million toward the tribe’s response and recovery costs. However, under the new reimbursement percentage, that number will increase by nearly $600,000.

Although the landslide on U.S. 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the most prominent damage cause by the January downpours, it was not on tribal lands. The Federal Highway Administration paid for its repair.

— By Caitlin Bowling

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has settled a civil lawsuit claiming overflows from the tribe’s sewage treatment plant were backing up on nearby private property.

Linda Lambert sued the tribe in May 2011, saying sewage overflows on her property where she lived posed a health threat to her family. Lambert claimed that raw sewage gushed out of pipes and manhole covers onto her property and into nearby Adam’s Creek.

The case was voluntarily dismissed after the tribe reached a settlement with Lambert, apparently solving the problem by buying her property. Tribal Council in January voted to purchase her property for $350,000. The council meeting records said the property was purchased for the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant but makes no mention of the lawsuit.

The Eastern Band is upgrading its sewer system and the treatment plant, replacing old equipment and increasing its capacity, presumably allowing it to handle more volume and prevent back-ups. The tribe is still obligated to fix the problem and prevent overflows due to environmental regulations. The plant was last updated in 1997 when capacity of the plant was tripled. 

In Lambert’s suit, she claimed of negligence, trespassing, nuisance, violation of her civil rights and the taking of her property without compensation. Lambert’s attorney Mark Melrose said he was unable to comment on the case because of terms of the agreement.

— By Caitlin Bowling

To the Editor:

My first reaction to the county brand “Play On” was that it must be April 1. Quickly determining it was not, my second thought was, you gotta be kidding, the TDA in Jackson County didn’t really pay $50,000 to an out-of-state company to discern an appropriate trade name for our community in order to attract tourists.

Jackson County is minutes away from the most visited national park in America and on direct routes east, west, north and south. For “imagery,l;” it doesn’t get much better.

Twenty-five years ago, I was the executive director of a chamber of commerce in northwestern New Hampshire in the White Mountains. It was a four-season resort area made up of small towns on routes north (into Canada), south (to the rest of New England) and east and west.

An area that enjoys the natural attractions and allure that we do here does not need to post signs so stating. And I take serious issue with the premise put forth by Art Webb (president of BCF) that our “feeling good about it (meaning the brand) more than anything, determines success.”    

Jackson County doesn’t need a catchphrase, or a motto, and certainly not a brand, to attract visitors. What it does need to do is foster and create success stories and, in my opinion, $50,000 could have been far better spent nourishing that effort.

David L. Snell

Dillsboro

To the Editor:

Macon County commissioners can re-sponsibly reduce the property tax.

The county manager’s proposed 2014 general fund budget totals $46.6 million with no change in property tax rates. Commissioners Ron Haven and Paul Higdon have publicly proposed reducing the property tax rate in the 2014 budget by utilizing some of the county’s excess general fund balance to lower the property tax rate.

What is a fund balance? It is a savings account holding unspent taxpayer money from prior years. It’s prudent for Macon County to have a fund balance. Years ago, commissioners established a target level that has carried over to today. As of June 30, 2012, there was a fund balance of $18 million while the target was $10.7 million.

Commissioners appear divided over lowering property taxes to bring the fund balance closer to the target level. Commissioner Ronnie Beale stated in a recent article he would support a tax reduction if it didn’t affect services. The Higdon/Haven proposal does not affect the proposed 2014 budget. There would be no change in county services. It’s unclear where commissioners James Tate and Kevin Corbin stand on reducing the property tax rate.

Bringing the fund balance closer to the target would also lead to better budgeting. The excess fund balance leads to expenditures outside the approved budget, and fund balance is used to pay those costs.

Contact county commissioners if you agree the Haven/Higdon proposal is responsible before the 2014 budget is finalized.

Vic Drummond

Franklin

To the Editor:

We are well into this Legislature’s session. The governor has put forward his budget. The Senate has proposed its version, and the House is still crafting its spending plan. But instead of going forward together, building one North Carolina, we’re losing jobs, denying investment, terminating service, cutting off the very engines of our state’s economy.

In my district of Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties, we will lose approximately 400 jobs in healthcare by the action of this Legislature in denying Medicaid expansion. Also, more than 15,000 of my constituents with the greatest need will not receive health care coverage. MedWest of Haywood, Jackson and Swain — my district’s local rural hospitals — are really struggling to meet our needs. MedWest lost 240 jobs over the last two years due largely to the previous Legislature’s denial of $1 billion to Medicaid by not making North Carolina’s one-third match.

Now this Legislature is denying $2.5 billion of federal tax dollars to expand Medicaid. And in the face of that, MedWest is looking for a “capital partner.” They are in desperate need of resources. Rural North Carolina’s hospitals are in trouble because Raleigh is denying them the assistance and the revenue streams they need. This is typical of damaging effects done to rural citizens and communities.

 The governor and Senate virtually eliminate the Rural Center and Golden Leaf Foundation, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund and Regional Partnerships from the budget. These institutions have been creating jobs and building rural North Carolina. After a generation of good work, for all practical purposes, they are gone. There will be two North Carolinas: one urban one with all the attention, and one rural left waiting. And we are still asking, “Where are the jobs?”

Rep. Joe Sam Queen, Democrat

House District 119

Waynesville

Nine sculptures were installed in The Village Green in Cashiers this past week in preparation for the opening of the 2013 Sculpture On the Green Biennial Invitational Exhibition. 

This special exhibit of visiting sculptures is the third such event sponsored by The Village Green. The exhibition features sculpture by nationally recognized artists. The pieces selected celebrate a variety of expression, style and material. Some are whimsical, while others more traditional. 

Visitors to the Biennial Sculpture Exhibition will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite piece of sculpture. Ballots will be in the information area located near the bathrooms by The Village Play. Votes will be tallied through September when the “People’s Choice Award” will be announced and presented to the winning artist, which will be on display through the end of the year. 

www.villagegreencashiersnc.com or 828.743.3434. 

The Cherokee Voices Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian grounds in Cherokee.

The event will feature continuous performances of dance, storytelling and music, and more than 25 demonstrations of traditional Cherokee arts and crafts. Harvey and David’s Catering will provide food and drink. The festival is sponsored by the N.C. Arts Council and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Also, two free tours of the Cherokee Heritage Trail are available at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., on a first-come, first-served basis.

The festival is free and open to the public.

828.497.3481 or www.cherokeemuseum.org.

Mega-country star Miranda Lambert hits the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, July 19, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

Lambert is country music’s reigning female vocalist of the year as named by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. She has also won the prized “Album of the Year” award from the Academy of Country Music for her second album, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” and from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music for her third, “Revolution.” She received the top country female vocal performance honor at the most recent Grammy Awards for “The House That Built Me,” and was recognized as one of People magazine’s Most Beautiful People and one of Maxim’s Hottest Women of Country.

Tickets are on sale.

www.harrahscherokee.com or www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.

“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” will be showcased from June 13-30 at the Highlands Playhouse.

Holly’s brief life became the stuff of legend when he died in a plane crash. The production catches that unique mixture of innocence, determination, humor and charm that was Holly and wraps it up into a package that truly deserves the billing: “The World’s Most Successful Rock & Roll Musical.”

Tuesday-Saturday show times are 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $30 per person, $12 for children age 12 and younger.

828.526.2695 or www.highlandsplayhouse.org.

The 5th Trail Magic Ale release party is set for June 7-8 at Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City. 

A showing of the film “Paradise Falls” will coincide with the Jackson County Public Library’s second anniversary, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, in Sylva.

Harpist Betina Morgan will play the artist reception for the exhibition “Appalachia,” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 7, at Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 in Waynesville. The reception is free and open to the public.

Multi-platinum Grammy winning singer-songwriter, actor, director and country music pioneer Dwight Yoakam will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, June 14, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

You don’t have to barter with chickens at the Jackson County Farmers Market, or even pay with cash for that matter. The weekly market in Sylva accepts debit and credit cards to purchase farmers tokens, which in turn can pay for locally grown vegetables, strawberries, meats, fine crafts and more. It also accepts SNAP benefits.

The market is held from 9 a.m. to noon each Saturday at Bridge Park. This Saturday, June 1, will feature musician Mackenzie Grace Puckett playing near the information booth with both old time and contemporary guitar tunes and singing. Also, the program Family Art at the Market will be working with children and their families to make art under the pavilion starting at 10 a.m. City Lights Bookstore will have story time at 11 a.m. also under the pavilion. 

828.631.3033 or jacksoncountyfarmersmarket.org.

Danny Bernstein will discuss her third hiking book, Mountains-To-Sea: Trail Across North Carolina, at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

Her talk about the trail will include slides of her hike. Stretching 1,000 miles from Clingmans Dome in the Smokies to Jockey’s Ridge State Park in the Outer Banks, the trail is half on footpaths and half on back roads, offering experiences not only in nature but also in small towns, at historic monuments, in family cemeteries and in local shops.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgenc.com.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will open approximately 64 miles of trout streams and two lakes known as delayed-harvest trout waters on June 1, with a special head start for youth anglers.

From 6 a.m. until noon that day, only anglers 15 years old and younger will be allowed to fish on those waters. At noon, everyone can fish.

The delayed-harvest waters will stay open through Sept. 30. During this time, anglers can keep up to seven trout per day — with no bait restrictions or minimum size limits. The commission stocks the delayed-harvest waters from fall through spring with high densities of trout. Once summer arrives, waters become too warm for trout to survive so the streams and lakes are opened for fishing. Delayed-harvest trout waters are posted with diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs.  

www.ncwildlife.org or 888.248.6834

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1, with a volunteer workday on the Appalachian Trail.

Clingmans Dome towers over the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains as the highest point in both the national park and the state of Tennessee.

Smokies summer camp near Cherokee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a three-day camp, “Smokies Summer Science Investigations,” for youth entering sixth through ninth grade in the fall. 

Highlands Middle School became home to a new outdoor classroom earlier this month.

Renowned metal sculptor Grace Cathey has been selected to create an art piece by the Waynesville Public Art Commission.

Entitled “Wild Flowers of the Smokies,” the three metal panels (six feet high by four feet wide) will each represent a beautiful native wild flower found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“There’s an incredible diversity in Grace’s work,” said Jan Griffin, chairman of the WPAC. “Her pieces showcase a great mind of talent, one that focuses on bringing out the essence of nature in this region.”

Cathey proposed the idea in March with a smaller piece that was used to show what the ultimate project would look like. With two other finalists, Cathey eventually won the $12,500 art grant, funds that were all privately or publically raised by the WPAC, with no taxpayer monies being involved. This is the fifth art installment for downtown Waynesville. 

“I believe in a body of work that is whimsical, abstract and interpretive,” Cathey said. “Art adds so much to the quality of life here in Waynesville, and everyone in this community, residents and leaders, supports the artists.”

The initial presentation piece, which depicts a Lady Slipper wild flower, was donated back to the WPAC for their upcoming auction. The auction will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. The evening will include a barbeque dinner, live music, with a silent and live auction. Raffles tickets for Cathey’s piece are currently available for purchase at $10 each or six for $50. They can be bought from members of the WPAC, at the town municipal building and during the night of the fundraiser.

828.452.2491 or 828.246.8188.

To the Editor: 

 Sponsors of House Bill 944, the school voucher bill, proposed certain changes during the bill’s first committee hearing this week. Changes include lowering the income required for eligibility, decreasing the total amount of money awarded, and increasing public accountability. 

Let us not forget that the voucher concept itself is flawed. Siphoning funds from public schools will not generate the savings it claims to, but will instead take much needed funding from the numerous fixed costs schools incur each year. Private schools, not parents or students, will be empowered with choice — able to cherry-pick some students and return others, often the most vulnerable, to an underfunded public school system. All the while public dollars are consumed by unaccountable private schools. 

Our public education system is far from perfect, but school boards, teachers, and staff are working hard and making gains, as improving national test scores and graduation rates indicate. We can aid in these gains, pledging ourselves to preserving the system of education our constitution provides; or we can dismantle public education as we know it.

Dr. Ed Dunlap

Executive Director,

North Carolina School Boards Association

To the Editor:

In 2010, the Macon County Board of Commissioners, under the leadership of then Chairman Ronnie Beale, voted to raise property taxes by 1.5 cents per $100 of valuation, or approximately $1.4 million.

In the depths of terrible economic conditions, with many folks losing their jobs, many homes in foreclosure, many filing for bankruptcy, the county commission raised your property taxes.

Each year since, the county has collected approximately an additional $1.4 million as a result of that tax increase.  The increase wasn’t needed; it hasn’t been spent. It sits in the county’s treasury instead of your bank account or paying your bills.

County management says a huge fund balance is a sign of good financial management. To the contrary, it reflects poor financial management. Good financial management would result in a fund balance near the target of 25 percent a previous commission established, not in the mid-40 percent range and rising annually.

In next year’s budget, soon to be decided, the tax rate should be dropped by 4.5 cents per $100 of value, returning the excess money collected by the ill-conceived increase of 2010. Such a decrease would not affect county services one iota and would result in a fund balance of approximately 38 percent.

In an interview on May 8, Commissioner Beale was quoted as saying, “If we could find a way to do it (tax reduction), great, but without penalizing our school systems and other things we have going for us, but if you cut taxes, something has to be cut out.”

This could not be further from the truth. The county could budget an increase in expenditures by $10 million for next year and have enough fund balance left to meet the 25 percent targeted reserve.

The current property tax rate is 27.9 cents. Next year’s should be 23.4 cents.

Don Swanson

Franklin

To the Editor:

North Carolinians are fortunate to now have a legislature that is making historic strides towards fiscal responsibility and maintaining the values of the citizens of this state.

After Republicans gained both houses of the state legislature in 2010 and in 2012 voters seated a Republican governor, I am writing to praise the voters of the state who recognized that such change was sorely needed.

Jackson County played an important role in setting this scene. We voters re-elected Senator Jim Davis, R-Franklin, to the N.C. State Senate, voted for Gov. Pat McCrory, Congressman Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, and helped turn North Carolina to a red state.

Because of these leadership changes, on Thursday, May 23, the North Carolina Senate passed a $20.58 billion budget. Below is a statement from Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham):

“In spite of a massive $1.2 billion shortfall in Medicaid, the Senate has passed a balanced budget that funds our state’s core priorities, demands greater government efficiency and accountability, and strengthens public education — without raising taxes. I’m proud of the Senate’s commitment to delivering budgets that reasonably and responsibly direct available resources toward real needs. This plan sets a solid foundation on which North Carolina will move forward.”

Under state law, having a Republican governor allows the Jackson County Board of Elections to now include two Republican appointed members on the three-member board.

Since 2008, three Jackson County Commissioners — Republicans Charles Elders and Doug Cody, along with Independent Commission Chair Jack Debnam — have voted to bring greatly needed reform to our county. After many years of delay, there is a brand new Cashiers/Glenville Recreation Center. The commission led the way for a county-wide vote in favor of alcohol sales and an ABC Board has been appointed. Commissioners consolidated two county Travel and Tourism Boards into one Tourism Development Authority now working hard to bring more tourism business into Jackson County and therefore create jobs. A radio station, WRGC of Sylva, has been reborn thanks to the efforts of the Jackson County Commission.

Many volunteers, contributors, donors, hosts and hostesses, organizers and workers made all of the Republican gains possible. Untold hours were devoted to complete the many election cycle functions that lead to the improvements we now enjoy in Jackson County and North Carolina.

I think as these men and women who are now leading our governments continue, there will be many more good things to come.

Ralph Slaughter

Chairman, Jackson County Republican Party Executive Committee,

Cashiers

To the Editor:

The committee at Western Carolina University charged with evaluating academic programs issued its report on May 22. The report can be found at www.wcu.edu. Several of the committee’s recommendations, if approved, will adversely affect the Fine Arts College. In particular, the committee recommends the elimination of graduate programs within the School of Music.

After speaking with several people, it appears that the decision was based on numbers. I will save my arguments opposing the decision for the committee. However, one of the stated reasons — the program does not serve the region — is without merit, in my opinion.

I urge all who live in the region served by WCU to express the ways the School of Music, its faculty, and students have touched your lives. In particular, if you have had a positive experience with the graduate program, or a student(s) within the program, please make that known.

Music faculty will be meeting with Chancellor David Belcher later in June to present their arguments for maintaining the graduate program. As the faculty prepares their arguments, hearing from you would be a huge help. Please send your comments to Will Peebles (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Dan Cherry (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or contact Chancellor Belcher directly.

Linda Watson

Cullowhee

To the Editor:

At a school bus stop north of Franklin, I pick up trash weekdays from kids apparently tossing stuff out the bus windows: chewed off pencils, pens, wadded up paper, numerous snack foods, gum and candy wrappers, all ugly litter that should have been recycled by the user, not me.

Getting down to basic ABCs, many of us consider recycling not a silly bothersome chore but a deep moral obligation, one  that could, and should,  be subject matter for a few Sunday sermons. Many believe the earth is our home with God the master gardener ... and the earth our schoolhouse with Mother Nature the wisest teacher. And one small lesson addresses the way nature deals with waste. Everything is recycled including animal homes and even the animals themselves. All plants are biodegradable and reused. There is no waste in nature.  

As a child, I learned to appreciate how the earth takes care of itself, not so much from my family, church or school, but at Girl Scout camp. The counselors kept insisting, “Leave the site better than you found it.” That entailed discovering what was there, how it worked, and taught me that we should fit in rather than change nature’s most wonderful design. It also meant trying to do no harm and leave no trace that we had been there. Can we leave no trace in our neighborhoods? 

Recycling should be a part of everyone’s daily agenda, wherever you are. Not too difficult for a teacher to place a box in the classroom and tell kids to use both sides of paper before tossing in the recycle box. Buses can provide recycle baskets for snacky kids. If adults aren’t recycling at home, school, church, picnics, etc., how do we expect our children to be more responsible citizens? What’s so funny and sad at the same time is that to reuse and recycle is so darn easy and still, like lazy slobs, we continue to waste resources.

 When I taught at a middle school on the Navajo reservation, my first lesson plan integrated recycling with language arts. After reading/reviewing the subject of “reusing resources,” teams of two students each, armed with empty grocery boxes, visited younger classrooms to make an oral presentation on why and how to recycle. Our students also interviewed the cafeteria staff on reusing containers, etc., and we even got in some math lessons on measurement from our cooks. Easy lesson right on the premises and the students became part of a solution rather than a problem. They learned a few civic and social skills along the way.  

Thanks to parents, teachers, preachers and friends who care to do the right thing by helping our children to respect the earth as well as each other. A group of volunteers at Macon Pride is working hard in the county to encourage reuse/recycling with short demonstrations on how to set up an easy, no-cost recycling station in your school, club, business, church.  We are also awarding “Proud to Recycle Here” stickers to all organizations who recycle the nearly 98 percent of items that are accepted by Macon Solid Waste Department. Call Shirley Ches at 828.524.9991 or Elena Marsh at 828.369.8915 for more information.

Debby Boots

Franklin

There will be two upcoming benefits for children with serious medical issues on Saturday, June 1, in Waynesville and Sylva. 

The “Birthday Fiesta for Tye” will be at 11 a.m. at Los Amigos Restaurante in Waynesville. The event will benefit the Tye Blanton Foundation, which is a nonprofit providing help to NICU families. The foundation was formed in honor of Tye Blanton, the infant son of the slain Highway Patrol Trooper Shawn Blanton, who was born premature and died after a prolonged fight in neonatal intensive care. There will be a cornhole tournament, with a $40 entry fee per team of two (bring your own partner). Money prizes and trophies will be awarded. There will also be kid’s activities and refreshments available, with the restaurant open for business as well. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.734.6692 or www.tyeblanton.org. 

The TeaM (Treyson and Megan) Bradley Benefit will be held from 3 to 8 p.m.at Bridge Park in Sylva. Megan has Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and Treyson remains in pediatric intensive care with an undiagnosed medical problem. The TeaM Bradley Benefit will sell hamburgers and hotdog plates, TeaM Bradley T-shirts and bracelets. There will also be an auction, cakewalk, live music and cornhole tournament. Please bring your own chair and come and hang out for a good cause.

850.294.1670.

Gary Carden and Dave Waldrop will lead a discussion on a recent finding in a long-held Appalachian mystery at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 6, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

“Tears in the Rain” is about a chain gang of 19 convicts who drowned in the Tuckasegee River near Dillsboro in 1882. Weighted down by chains and shackles, they sank in the river. Their bodies were not reclaimed for two days and then they were quickly buried in unmarked graves somewhere in the vicinity of the Cowee Tunnel. Two months ago, members of the Liars Bench found the graves that had been a mystery for 132 years. In addition, the group now knows who they were since their names have been found in an obscure file in Raleigh. During the program, Carden and Waldrop will relate the details of how these graves were found and discuss plans for the removal of the remains.

Thursdays at the Library, sponsored by the Macon County Friends of the Library, is an eclectic mix of programs by authors, musicians, and educators on topics designed for enjoyment and learning. 

The event is free and open to the public.

828.524.3600.

Tipping Point Brewing will hold its inaugural charity golf tournament at 12:20 p.m. Sunday, June 2, at the Waynesville Country Club.

Proceeds from the tournament will benefit Disabled Veterans Chapter #89 of Haywood County. The tournament will be a four-man captains choice. Hole sponsorship is still available. A post tournament buffet will be at the Tipping Point, with prizes, raffles and lunch provided. Registration is the day of the tournament at 11:30 a.m. at Tipping Point.

Cost is $100 per player. 

828.246.9230 or www.tippingpointtavern.com.

Appalachia, the newest exhibit from the Haywood County Arts Council, will run from May 30 through June 29, at Gallery 86 in Waynesville. An artist reception will be held at the gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 7.

The display focuses on the numerous genres of intricate local crafts and techniques and will highlight several local artists and how their work ultimately impacts the heritage of the region. 

Artists include Doc Welty, a 30-year potter and proprietor of Leicester Valley Clay; Patti Best, a self-taught painter and drawer; Sandra Brugh Moore, a landscape artist, who explores new painting techniques in her attempt to capture the peace and spirit of nature; James Smythe, a retired art professor who now enjoys painting full-time and maintains a studio in Sylva; Crystal Allen, an artist focusing on calligraphy, painting in watercolors and spinning natural fibers; Mike McKinney, a third generation woodworker who is a carpenter, furniture maker and wood turner; Matt Tommey, a basket weaver using natural materials; Caryl Brt, a furniture maker whose resume includes car mechanic, landscaper, itinerant apple picker, railroad brakeman and carpenter, dabbling in metal-working, polymer clay and handmade paper; Susan Balentine, a potter that focuses on functional individually thrown pottery; and Kaaren Stoner, a potter with an endless fascination with the beauty of leaves, grasses, flowers, rocks and landscapes.

828.452.0593 or www.haywoodarts.org.

The Concerts on the Creek summer music series returns for its fifth season with the Rye Holler Boys from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, at the Bridge Park Pavilion in Sylva.

The annual summer concert series on the Central Plaza at Western Carolina University will begin with Floating Action at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 6.