Renowned variety group The Lowe Family will be performing at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

The unique group offers a blend of show stopping classical, Broadway, Irish, jazz, bluegrass and gospel music, which they bring to life with an amazing six-part harmony that has pleased audiences around the world for over 25 years.

Versatile on more than 50 instruments, The Lowe Family has distinguished themselves as supreme performers across the globe and has earned the honor of being known as America’s Most Talented Family. Their music is accompanied by spectacular dance routines and a high-energy, fast-paced variety show.

www.GreatMountainMusic.com or 866.273.4615.

Tickets for Little Big Town in Cherokee are now available through Ticketmaster. The renowned country group will be performing at 7:30 p.m. March 2 at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

A Western Carolina University lunch speaker series is drawing to a close for the fall with a talk about community agriculture Wednesday, Nov. 14. Philip E. Coyle, professor of anthropology, will discuss “Community Gardening as Intensive, Sustainable Agriculture: The Sylva Community Garden in Comparative Perspective.”

Coyle will compare the Sylva Community Garden with Robert Netting’s intensive, sustainable agricultural type. Netting was a famous academic who helped established cultural ecology as a respected discipline.

WCU Department of Anthropology and Sociology Brownbag Series is a lunchtime series, which is free and open to the public. It is an opportunity for faculty and students associated with the department to share research and ideas with the community.

All events are held in Room 110 of the McKee Building at WCU from 12:10 to 1:15 p.m.

828.227.3837 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Historic Haywood Farmers market will move indoors starting this weekend, with Saturday’s market held from 8 a.m. until noon at the Shelton Barn House in Waynesville, just in time to get out of the snow. The site is just above the HART theater parking lot where the market is held during summer and fall months.

This year’s indoor lineup will feature a mix of vendors selling fall greens, roots, vegetable jams, jellies, pickles, scones and cracker mixes. Also seafood will be available each Saturday as well and customers can special order cakes and breads. The market will run through Dec. 8 and remain open Nov. 24.

The Jackson County Farmers Market in Sylva will also move indoors starting this weekend, to the Community Table building near the playground. 

For only the second time in its history, Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley will be open for skiing in October, with lifts ready to roll on 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Cataloochee will continue to operate for day skiing only (until 4:30 p.m.), as long as conditions allow.

The ski slope has been making snow around the clock since Oct. 29 to be added to the four inches of natural snowfall from superstorm Sandy. Cataloochee Ski Area’s snowmaking technology allows it to be consistently one the first areas in the country to open for skiing each season.

Cataloochee will be opening with three slopes this season. The current base of snow on these slopes is eight to 12 inches.

Lift tickets will be $25 per person with reduced rates for children and seniors.

As a Halloween promotion, guests purchasing a lift ticket on opening day will have the opportunity to enter a drawing for a season pass.

www.cataloochee.com. 

The U.S. Forest Service is discouraging people from backcountry camping of bringing food into the Panthertown Valley area outside Cashiers in the Nantahala National Forest, following several bear encounters.

Recently, backpackers in Panthertown experienced three separate bear encounters.  A bear damaged tents and stole food even though some of the food was properly hung in trees, according to the backpackers reports to rangers. No injuries were reported. The incidents occurred in the vicinity of the Mac’s Gap, Green Valley and the Little Green Mountain area. 

The alert comes on the tails of a backcountry camping closure in the Pisgah National Forest in Haywood County. Last week forest officials closed overnight camping in the Shining Rock Wilderness, Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam areas because of bear encounters. The bears entered campsites and went after food, and campers had a hard time scaring them away.

Campers are encouraged to not store food in tents and instead hang food high in a tree far from the trunk or put it in a secure bear canister away from the campsite. Also, campers should clean up food scraps and handle food away from the campsite.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park plans to implement changes to its current backcountry reservation and permitting process in early 2013.

As reported last March, the National Park Service approved the park’s proposal to begin collecting fees for use of the park’s backcountry campsites and shelters. The changes include a $4 per person per night fee for backcountry camping. The money collected will fund the salaries of new backcountry rangers to help with backcountry trip planning, reservations, permits and the backcountry experience.

However, any plans could be derailed or delayed pending a potential lawsuit by park advocates. The organization Southern Forest Watch has warned the park that it, and many other outdoor enthusiasts, oppose the fees. The group said in a letter to the park’s superintendant in September that it would go so far as to take them to court over it.

Yet, the park claims the price will allow them to improve service to backpackers and law enforcement in the backcountry areas. The park listed some of its so-called improvements to the backcountry camping experience that would come along with the fee. In addition, park rangers assigned exclusively to the backcountry will attempt to increase enforcement for issues such as wildlife violations and food storage.

An online reservation and permit system will allow backcountry campers to make reservations and obtain permits 24/7. Reservations may be made at any time up to 30 days in advance. 

 “It is anticipated the online reservation and permit system will be available to the public  within the first few months of 2013,” said Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. “We will provide notification of a specific implementation date later this year.”

www.nps.gov/grsm or 865.436.1297.

The upcoming International American Ginseng Expo in Western North Carolina will be an opportunity for local ginseng retailers to learn how to promote their ginseng overseas, meet wild forest ginseng experts and to network with state officials, harvesters, buyers, sellers and dealers.

The event will be held on Dec. 7 and 8 in Mills River. It is put on by The North Carolina Natural Products Association and will take place at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center.

American ginseng has been a major export crop for nearly 250 years and North Carolina Ginseng is regarded as a state and national treasure. 

The program will include recognized experts in the ginseng field from Southern Appalachia. Program highlights include presentations on the current status of wild and wild-simulated ginseng, industry rules and regulations, parameters of ginseng quality, ginseng production and poaching issues, marketing, a ginseng root auction and opportunities for value-added products.

Cost to register varies from $65 to $140, depending on timeliness. www.ncnaturalproducts.org.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kristin Bail, forest supervisor of the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, warned would-be ginseng poachers last week that law enforcement officers are cracking down on the illegal act.

A special presentation of the fall night sky and the first public display of new space shuttle artifacts will be held at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 9, at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute. 

A new, environmentally friendly ranger office will be opening in Mars Hill in Madison County Nov. 13 to serve the public. The office will host staff from the Appalachian Ranger District in the Pisgah National Forest.

The existing district office located in Burnsville will close Nov. 5. All services will be moved to the new Mars Hill office at that time. The Forest Service plans to sell the office in Burnsville. 

The Forest Service designed the facility to meet standards required by the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. Additional environmentally friendly design elements were included in the building that may allow it to achieve the higher gold-level certification. The Forest Service will apply for LEED certification in the coming months.

The address of the new facility is 632 Manor Road, Mars Hill, located just passed Madison Manor. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc. 

The Benton MacKaye Trail Association has announced this fall the completion of the new Benton MacKaye Trail Guide — Smokies Section. The guide completes the series of three trail guides, including the Georgia section and Tennessee/North Carolina sections. 

The 275-mile trail starts in Spring Mountain, Ga., like the Appalachian Trail. But, it veers more westerly, skirting the Tennessee state line along the edge of Cherokee, Graham and Swain counties, reaching from the southern tip of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and all the way to Georgia.

The Benton MacKaye Trail is named for the visionary behind the Appalachian Trail. It follows MacKaye’s original vision for the AT, which consisted of a more westerly route. It has been in the making for 30 years thanks to a loyal trail association that has diligently pursued its construction.

The new guide was authored by Association Board Members Richard Harris, Ernest Engman and Kim Hainge. Each section’s guide can be purchased at the Association’s online store for $10.

www.bmta.org.

Public submissions are being accepted for a statewide outdoor photography contest. The Friends of the Mountain to Sea Trail are offering cash prizes, gift cards for outdoor gear and the chance to have participants’ photographs published. Photos must be related to the trail and will be judged in three categories: The View from the Trail; People on the Trail; and Youth Photographer (17 or under).

The deadline for submitting photos in this second annual contest is midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 31. To enter the contest, read the rules and submit photographs visit www.ncmst.org/get-involved/photo-contest.

Author’s works come to life

The Touring Theater of North Carolina will present “Look Back the Maytime Days: From the pages of Fred Chappell” at 2 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Haywood Community College Auditorium.

Chappell was born in Canton and is the author of over two dozen books of poetry, fiction and criticism. He was the Poet Laureate of North Carolina from 1997-2002 and a N.C. Literary Hall of Fame inductee in 2006.

Audiences will meet wise, eccentric, playful and profound members of Fred Chappell’s fictional family as they converse, expound, and exaggerate. This production is an Appalachian rhapsody of voices taken from the ridges and hollows of the mountains of North Carolina and woven together with traditional mountain music. At the close of the event, Chappell will be on hand for a book signing.  

www.haywood.edu.

Mississippi writer’s to discuss new works

Two Mississippi authors, Angela Jordan and Molly Walling, will be showcased at 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

The account of maverick governor Kirk Fordice and his family, Jordan’s We End in Joy: Memoirs of a First Daughter offers an perspective on public life in an intimate account from the daughter of a controversial Southern governor and a widely beloved first lady.

Walling, author of Death in the Delta: Uncovering a Mississippi Family Secret, is a non-fiction book about the shooting death of two returning black soldiers on the Mississippi Delta just after World War II. It also beings into light the suspected involvement of her own newspaper editor father, a returning bomber pilot, during a time of roiling change in the deep South.

Jordan now lives in Haywood County and Walling resides in Buncombe County. The event is free and open to the public.

828.456.6000 or www.blueridgebooksnc.com.

To the Editor:

Do you wish that your child got less attention from the teacher because teachers and their aids are getting laid off while enrollment increases? Do you wish that you could subsidize other peoples’ tuition at private schools? Do you wish that your child’s college tuition would continue to go up because of cuts to higher education budgets?  

Do you wish that your friends or relatives with asthma would have more and worse attacks because regulations on ozone producing air pollution have been relaxed? Do you wish that emergency responders response time would slow down because so many have been laid off? Do you wish that you and your children would have more salmonella and listeria infections because there are fewer inspectors of the food supply? Do you wish that your children would have more sickness from playing in the river because water treatment plant maintenance and inspections have been reduced?  

Do you wish that your medical insurance premiums would continue to be higher because hospitals must charge you for the uninsured patients that show up in the emergency room?  

Yes, these things cost money, but if these are the things that you wish for, vote for the Tea Party Republicans. They’ve already delivered on some of these and more are promised. If these are not what you wish for your family, friends, community and state, then vote Democratic.

John Gladden

Franklin

To the Editor:

During the 11th District Congressional debate at Brevard College, Hayden Rogers clearly distinguished himself from his Republican opponent Mark Meadows.  In my opinion, Rogers made the best connection with the audience, but I think the most important point in the debate occurred when the candidates were asked (if elected) who they would support as the leader of the U. S. House of Representatives. Without hesitation, Hayden said his choice would be Steny Hoyer – a highly respected  Democratic statesman who nurtures friendly relationships with many top Republicans and is widely recognized for his willingness to reach across the aisle to promote civility and collaboration.   

In contrast, Meadows identified House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Tea Party favorite who is responsible for much of the infighting within the Republican Party and, by his own admission, identifies Newt Gingrich as his leadership model. Cantor has been described as the “classic Republican obstructionist who has become the face of the current do nothing Congress.“ If we have any hope of improving the current gridlock in Washington, you cannot vote for a candidate who chooses “Can’t Do” Cantor as his leader. I urge you to vote for Hayden Rogers.

Nancy Fish

Maggie Valley

To the Editor:

Do our politicians that run for public offices really care about our future, or are they just thinking of theirs? Just over two years ago Swain County had the golden opportunity to land a construction project — the North Shore Road — that would have created almost 1,000 construction jobs and well over $14 million dollars in retail sales alone. Not to mention the associated benefits of trickle down jobs. On the national average, one construction job touches no less than three to five other professions. 

All of this because of our elected officials and candidates in this election are not standing up for Swain County and Western North Carolina. Politicians like John Snow, Joe Sam Queen, Hayden Rogers, and Walter Dalton are only interested in their election and selfish interests. Now, these same individuals that are running for public office in this election are asking us to trust them, when they have turned their backs on us and our region. 

Who are these guys kidding? There would have been a huge economic windfall for the years of the construction and the rest of the future. This project would have given many opportunities for individuals to access our county, our region and our state into the future. We lost these jobs and retail sales because they were and are not supportive of us, the people they say they want to represent. Their records speak for themselves, regardless of the rhetoric they constantly spout. 

Raleigh Grant 

Bryson City

To the Editor,

Recently a friend of mine said to me: “Mormonism sure is a strange religion.” How so, I asked, and was shown Doug Wingeier’s letter in your Oct 24 issue.

Mr. Wingeier makes a fine point that we should not base our vote solely on a candidate’s religion. Yet one’s religious beliefs often determine how one leads his life and what is his or her world view, and these are valid considerations in determining how one votes.

I then read Mr. Wingeier’s synopsis of Mormon tenets and was shocked. I am not a Mormon, but this was far removed from what little I did know about them. What to do? I went to the World Book Encyclopedia and looked it up. There were the tenets I had expected to see in stark contrast with the mishmash presented by Mr. Wingeier.

He strongly objects to “spreading misinformation” when it comes to the president, but, it seems, not so much regarding his opponent. The discrepancies between Wingeier’s Mormonism and that of the World Book is so great that it is either a case of willful ignorance or deliberate malice. It only took a moment to get the truth, but how much damage was done to those who just believe what they read?

William Fisher 

Franklin

To the Editor:

I was born January 1933, and I have been a student of our state and our nation’s political and legislative scenes for some 70 years and counting. During those many years I have been able to evaluate, for myself, many political figures and legislators. And there is a difference, in my view. 

One of the very best is Rep. Ray Rapp. Due to space restrictions, I’ll limit my superlatives here. In my 70 years, I can not recall a harder worker. Even when he had a close family member with a serious and mysterious illness, Ray kept going, night and day, to care for his kin and his elected job. He is very capable, honest, fair and dedicated to helping any and all of his constituents. Now, the N.C. Republicans and his opponent, Michelle Presnell, want to paint him as “being out of touch” with North Carolina. I say no way.

Because Ray supported keeping a 1 cent sales tax for schools, his opposition changed this to a “15 percent increase” that sounds worse. He rightfully says “if we do not adequately fund education, we are eating our seed corn.”

Meanwhile these no-tax people quietly let a state gas tax increase go in to effect. Of course, the gas tax increase did not punish the North Carolina Association of Educators, as the 1 cent sales tax did.

I would encourage anyone concerned about our children and our citizens’ futures to look past these mudslinging ads paid for by billionaires that do not care squat about you and I, the common folk, and reelect a fine upright man that fits the mold of a Democrat as defined by the late Sen. McGovern, “Above all, being a Democrat, means having compassion for others and it means standing up for people that have been kept down.”

May God continue to bless America.

 John C Scroggs

Clyde

To the Editor:

I am writing to ask for your support for Hayden Rogers for Congress. When I look at the two candidates running for the 11th Congressional District, I see a definite difference that does not relate to their political parties. Mark Meadows states his positions with “I believe” or other “I” statements, while Mr. Rogers uses “you” or “the district.” 

Mr. Rogers wants to do what’s best for the district and says he will work with both political parties to get that done. I have listened to Mr. Meadows. He hasn’t said anything about working with both parties, especially in the presidential election. It takes a strong person who truly cares about the people of his district to say that they will do what is best rather than pushing their own ideas.

 Mr. Rogers has experience in Washington but still embodies the best of our district. He is a family man who believes in education and bettering the people of this area. He supports the Lily Ledbetter Act, which maintains equal pay for women for equal work. As a woman, I do not know how any women could support a candidate like Mr. Meadows who is against this act. Remember, Mr. Rogers is here to support you — Democrat or Republican. Please support Mr. Rogers, whether you are a Democrat or Republican, on Election Day!

Stephanie Edwards DeBruhl

Bryson City

To The Editor: 

Both parties have some valid points that need to be examined.

But very simply, one party has spent the past four years doing all it could to disrupt the people’s business and thereby extend the recession, causing the unnecessary suffering of millions of Americans.

That party has wrongfully and in my mind unlawfully punished the American people solely for voting a “black man” into the presidency.

From top to bottom, that party should not get a single vote from the American people.

Bill Lyons

Cullowhee

To the Editor:

Neither of our presidential candidates has reached the stage of perfection. Neither has all the answers to all the challenges. But when I see a foreign policy of arrogance and unilateralism replaced by a policy of openness and cooperation; when I see a national economy moving from the brink of collapse toward stable recovery (though moving slowly); when I see people who were once without health insurance, now with coverage (although the plan needs perfecting); when I see the American automobile industry rising from near death to a flourishing industry, saving millions of jobs; when I see Wall Street now having to abide by some rules that may save us from another debacle there; when I look at the recovery of much of my pension losses; then I think I would like to give President Obama a chance to build on the remarkable achievements of his first four years.

I do not agree with all his policies and statements, but I like his broad vision and he is consistent about what he believes. He is not as liberal as some would like. He is not as conservative as others would prefer. I believe this country will be better off with him at the helm and I enthusiastically and hopefully cast my vote for President Obama.    

Garland Young

Lake Junaluska

To the Editor:

Some 30 years ago about 33 national broadcast companies existed.  Today approximately five provide an extremely limited and controlled source of information for a population of more than 360 million. These broadcast companies know their audience and “frame” their message to appeal to their particular populations.  While the presentation varies, when we look beyond the framing, the message stays amazingly consistent across networks. As a result, we Americans remain largely in the dark as to the ramifications of many of the laws and policies that directly affect us but have an overblown sense of being well-informed. It might be safe to say that we the American public are high on confirmation bias and on fixation of our preconceived notions, overconfident in our opinions, and rigidly persistent in our beliefs — without much evidence to support most of our conclusions.

We watch with feverish attention, staged and carefully scripted debates. The so-called “non-partisan” Commission on Presidential Debates tightly controls the content but never fails to deliver up a well-orchestrated but low-on-substance theatrical extravaganza.  Though the commission strictly forbids any voice other than the narrow and well-rehearsed perspectives of the GOP and Democratic parties, we believe because we are told to believe, that these spectacles provide us with a broad and informed perspective. 

The statement, “He who owns the news, makes the news” holds true for our current times. To find a developed nation more propagandized than today’s USA, we have to step several decades back in time. Propaganda is made of lies that are framed to look like truths. 

Blinded by our propaganda, we have become a nation that believes these truths to be self-evident, that all humans are created unequal, and that some more than others are endowed by their Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In this great nation, many believe the ludicrous assertion that class warfare is perpetrated by the powerless and disenfranchised poor upon the privileged and influential wealthy. We are provoked to love Jesus but hate our neighbor if he or she is different. We can patriotically wave the flag for God and Country but can- not enjoy the freedom to assemble non-violently in protest. Pseudo-scientists are popularly supported, while valid scientific evidence is deemed ridiculous. It is the moon that shines by day, the sun by night and we believe because our favorite ideology says it is so.   

Somewhere, though, there is truth but it is not to be found in the well-framed propaganda of our selected network or our favorite polarized website. Truth is always elusive and even more so in an environment where it is deliberately and methodically obviated.  Though allusive and challenging to ascertain, truth is always here to be unearthed.

Truth does not support one party or another. Truth informs and educates. It is often inconvenient. We discover truth when we challenge our bias, when we let go of imbedded two party fixations, and when we question the reliability of our propagandized opinions.

Allen Lomax

Sylva

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Women in Business and the Young Professionals of Haywood have launched the “Partners in Leadership” mentoring program. 

“Partners in Leadership” is designed to prepare Haywood County Young Professional Women (YPW) to become future business leaders by connecting them with seasoned Women in Business (WIB) professionals (Leadership Coaches) in their field. Through a formal mentor-mentee relationship, Leadership Coaches (WIB) will guide Young Professional Women (YPW) through the process of developing professional/career goals, helping them gain the skills necessary to achieve them.  

828.456.3021 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.yphaywood.com.

A “net zero home” constructed in Haywood County will have an open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 3 and 10.

Located in Beaverdam Valley, the structure strikes an elusive balance between work and play. It produces all the power it needs on site to operate and in the future will produce much of the food — meat, eggs, vegetables and fruits — its occupants will need to thrive. It also sports a brass firepole and a hidden room for a kid’s getaway. The 2,000-square-foot home of Val Lamberti and Mark Bondurant was completed in July 2012 by Rare Earth Builders Inc. 

The metal standing seam roof supports a 4.8-kilowatt solar array and will also be used to gather rain water for irrigation. A ground-based high efficiency heat pump heats and cools the passive solar home. Wall and roof cavities are insulated with sprayed open cell foam. An energy recovery ventilator brings fresh, filtered air into the house.

Bondurant and Lamberti are gradually installing the elements of a permaculture site plan that includes a large vegetable garden, tilled and fertilized by free range chickens, a greenhouse, a fish pond, honey bee hives and fruit and nut trees. The driving principle for the home’s interior was lots of curves, brilliant color and finely crafted trim and built-ins from local hardwoods. All of the trim wood — cherry, birch and poplar — was cut by the Rare Earth Builders crew, three miles away, then kiln dried and milled locally. 

From Beaverdam Road, turn right on Smathers Cove Road. Cross bridge, turn left onto first gravel road (house will be visible on left after crossing bridge on Smathers Cove Road).

Microchip your pet to ensure safety

Haywood Spay/Neuter is holding a pet microchip clinic 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3 in Waynesville. 

Many dogs and cats end up in shelters because they lack proper identification to be returned to their owners. A microchip can help identify a lost pet. For a fee of $15, a pet can be permanently registered. If the owner moves, changes phone number or gives the pet away, registration information can be easily and quickly updated anytime with no additional fee. The microchip is a permanent form of identification, the size of a grain of rice, and is injected into the space between the pet’s shoulder blades.

828.452.1329.

Silent auction to benefit K.A.R.E.

The newly formed Haywood Area Wholistic Integrative Practitioners group (HAWIP) is throwing a silent auction and reception at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10 at Where Angels Gather, a holistic retail store and education center at 124 Miller Street in Waynesville.

HAWIP members are actively gathering donated items and gift certificates from local businesses and service providers/practitioners. Donations will be accepted until Thursday, Nov. 8.

All funds raised will go to Kids Advocacy Resource Effort (K.A.R.E.), a local organization dedicated to relieving the suffering of abused and neglected children through counseling, education and compassion.

828.558.4139 or 828.246.2682 or 828.550.7685.

WCU planning committee to hold community forum 

A steering committee overseeing the creation of a comprehensive master plan to guide development and improvements of Western Carolina University’s Cullowhee campus will hold its first public forum from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5 at the Cullowhee Valley School.

A direct outgrowth of the university’s recently approved strategic plan, titled “2020 Vision: Focusing Our Future,” the campus master planning process will address issues related to new building needs, utilization of existing space, parking and transportation, technology infrastructure, sustainability, safety and security, preservation of campus heritage and integration of the campus with the surrounding community. 

828.227.3082 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

WCU presents ‘Love Your Body Week’ 

 Programs and events centered on nutrition, fitness and developing a positive body image will be hosted at Western Carolina University as part of an annual celebration of “Love Your Body Week” from Monday, Nov. 12 to Thursday, Nov. 15.

Events include nutrition assessments 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 12 and Nov. 15, a clothes swap from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 12, a race across campus at 4 p.m. Nov. 13, an introduction to weights session from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, “Celebrate! A Belly-Dancing Workshop” from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 13, and “The Secrets of Powerful Women” leadership class from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Nov. 15.

To register a team of two to four people for the race across campus (Amazing Catamount Challenge), email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or register in Room 331 of A.K. Hinds University Center by Sunday, Nov. 11. 

828.227.2617.

Western Carolina University will welcome prospective students and their families and friends to campus when the university holds its second open house starting at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10.

Hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Admission, the open house gives visitors a chance to tour the campus, learn about the university’s academic programs and extracurricular opportunities, and find out the important details of topics such as financial aid. The day’s activities will begin with registration and an academic fair located around the concourse of WCU’s Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Following a 10 a.m. welcome session in the main arena of the Ramsey Center, prospective students will have a chance to engage in more in-depth academic sessions led by WCU faculty members. Tours of campus in late morning will be followed by an information fair, where visitors will be able to find out about the many activities, student organizations and services that are available for WCU students.

Lunch will be available at university dining facilities and prospective students can redeem their free lunch voucher at Courtyard Dining Hall or the A.K. Hinds University Center food court.

openhouse.wcu.edu or 828.227.7317 or 877.928.4968.

Maggie Valley Area Lodging Association is once again donating turkey dinners to Haywood County residents this year, which will be distributed at the Haywood County Department of Social Services in Clyde starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20.  

“We are very happy to announce that we have 200 dinners to give away this year to those who need them. We also welcome donations from the community to provide even more boxes this year,” said Phillip White, a member of the association.

The dinners are provided to serve those in need who might not have the means to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for themselves or their family. To receive a turkey dinner box, contact your Social Services representative at 828.452.6620. The Social Services worker will then refer the client’s name to a master list, depending on availability.

To donate turkey dinners, call 828.926.3539.  

Second annual benefit auction for the Haywood County Fairgrounds will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at the fairgrounds.

Donated items for the auction will be accepted beginning at 1 p.m., with the auction scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Items of every description may be donated. Ed Johnson, of Hot Springs, will be the auctioneer. Concessions will be available. For pick-up or delivery of donated items at other times, call Richard Messer at 828.400.1528.

828.456.3575 or 828.400.1978.

21st annual Haywood County Motorcycle Parade and Toy Run will take place at noon Saturday, Nov. 10, starting at Canton’s Town Hall.

This year’s route will take riders up N.C. 110 to Bethel and then turns toward Waynesville on U.S. 276. After turning on Main Street in Waynesville, the parade will continue to Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley. The event provides new toys to deserving children in Haywood County. Toy and cash donations are accepted. All proceeds serve children in the county. In the previous 20 years, motorcyclists have distributed more than $128,000 dollars to various helping agencies in Haywood County.

All toys are distributed through a joint effort of Haywood County Department of Social Services, the Salvation Army and Haywood Christian Ministries. Cash awards are made to nonprofit agencies, including K.A.R.E., The Open Door and R.E.A.C.H. Applications for proceeds from the parade are handled through the Haywood County Department of Social Services.

Donations from non-parade participants may be mailed to: Haywood County Toy Run c/o Cecil Yount, 160 Bethel View Heights, Waynesville, N.C. 28786.

Kids Against Hunger will host a 30,000-meal packing event starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at First Christian Church of Franklin on Bellview Park Road.

Volunteers will package food for hungry families. The items include a nutritious mixture of soy, rice, vegetables, vitamins and minerals. Volunteers are needed to help with the packages.

828.524.6840.

North Carolina Department of Transportation will perform work on two tunnels in the Pigeon River Gorge on Interstate 40 in Haywood County starting next week. 

From Monday, Oct. 29 until Friday, Nov. 2, work will be performed on the tunnel located on I-40 West between Exit 7 (Harmon Den) and the Tennessee border. On Monday, Nov. 5, and Tuesday, Nov. 6, work will be performed on the tunnel located on I-40 East between Exit 7 and Exit 15 (Fines Creek). 

The hours of work will be 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Each day, traffic will be reduced to a single lane at the tunnel site. The work will involve completing a clean of the tunnels’ drainage systems.

To make up for school being cancelled on Tuesday, Oct. 30, Haywood County schools will have class from 8 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Nov. 3 if weather is permitting.

According to Bill Nolte, associate superintendent, the school district misses about eight days per year due to weather. A cut in the number of teacher workdays, typically used to make up days of school missed for weather, has forced administration to use other options, such as Saturday school. The start and end dates imposed by the state legislature on North Carolina schools further restricts scheduling flexibility to make up lost days. Saturday school is typically not used when school is missed late in the week because there is less time to adjust schedules and weather conditions are typically still uncertain.

A Texas hold’em tournament will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 1 at The Classic Wineseller in downtown Waynesville.

All proceeds from the event go to support Haywood County Arts Council programming. First-place winner receives a donation tax credit letter. Buy-in is $100 per person.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership is sponsoring a workshop, “The ABC’s of Group Tours,” in two locations to support tourism partners and other businesses that want to develop more group tour business.

On Nov. 6, the workshop will be held at Relia’s Garden Restaurant at the Nantahala Outdoor Center near Bryson City. On Nov. 7, the workshop will be held at the Old Rock School in Valdese. Both workshops will be from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The workshops will be limited to 30 people. The cost is $20, which includes lunch. Reservations are required.

828.298.5330, ext. 303 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

White Knoll High School marching band from Lexington, S.C. was named grand champion at the 12th annual Tournament of Champions, an invitational competition held at Western Carolina University on Oct. 20.

Hickory Ridge High School of Harrisburg won the North Carolina Roll of Honour, which is awarded annually to the band from North Carolina with the highest score in finals competition.

The Tournament of Champions is an annual event hosted by WCU’s award-winning Pride of the Mountains Marching Band. Each year, more than 3,000 high school musicians from across the Southeast come to E.J. Whitmire Stadium on the WCU campus to compete. Twenty-one bands from four states took part in this year’s event.

Bands were evaluated by six expert judges from across the United States who consider how well each band plays, marches and entertains the audience, while additional adjudicators rank drum lines, drum majors and auxiliary units.

Western Carolina University quarterback Troy Mitchell (#10) rushes in for a successful two-point conversion during the fourth quarter of the Oct. 27 match against Appalachian State University.

Singer/songwriters series continues

The next “Songwriters in the Round” event will take place Nov. 3 at the Balsam Mountain Inn.

Renowned southern songwriters Steve Williams, Wil Nance and Wood Newton will be taking the stage, intimately performing alongside a gourmet dinner served by the inn. The evening is $45 per person, which includes dinner, show, tax and tip. Reservations are now available.

828.456.9498.

Tracing the source of mountain music

Guitarist Henry Queen will perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 at the First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Series in the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University.

Queen’s performance will focus on the journeys of songs across oceans and through time. A member of the award-winning Queen Family Band of the Johns Creek community, he specializes in the claw-hammer banjo and mountain-country guitar. It will be followed by an 8 p.m. jam session, in which local musicians are invited to participate. Pickers and singers of all ages and experience levels are invited to take part in the jam sessions.

The concerts and sessions will continue at the Mountain Heritage Center through the fall and winter, with programs from 7-9 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The events are free and open to the public.

828.227.7129.

Library to host community jam

A community music jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle or dulcimer (anything unplugged) is invited to join. Singers are also welcome. The event is free and open to the public.

The jam is facilitated by Larry Barnett of Grampa’s Music in Bryson City. Normally, he starts by calling out a tune and its key signature, and the group plays it together. Then everyone in the circle gets a chance to choose a song for the group to play together. The community jams offer a chance for musicians of all ages and levels of ability to share music they have learned during the years or learn old-time mountain songs.

The music jams are offered to the public each first and third Thursday of the month, year round. Marianna Black Library, a member of the Fontana Regional Library, is located in downtown Bryson City at the corner of Academy and Rector. 

828.488.3030.

Carvers to hold show on parkway

Western North Carolina Carvers will hold its annual show Nov. 3/4 at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 385) in Asheville.

Registration for competitors will be form 8:30-10:30 a.m. Nov. 3. The show is open to the public 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 3 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 4. Competitors will pick up their entries from 4-5 p.m. Nov. 4.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.252.6877.

Pottery workshop at SCC

Heritage Arts Institute will be holding a pottery workshop from 5:30-9 p.m. Nov. 5 at Southwestern Community College-Swain Center on Almond Road in Bryson City. The event is held in conjunction with the WNC Pottery Festival.

Travis Berning, Alysha Baier and David Long will be demonstrating their pottery making and glazing techniques at the workshop. Anyone may participate in the workshop. There is no cost to attend, but please bring a potluck dish to share (Dinner is at 5:30 p.m.).

WNC Pottery Festival will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 3 on Front Street in Dillsboro. More than 40 artists from 14 states will be selling both functional and decorative pottery. There will also be raku demonstrations and a wood kiln opening at Tree House Pottery. Admission is $3.

828.488.6413.

Tony Award-winning play hits HART

Critically acclaimed “August Osage County” will be performed on select dates in November at the HART Theatre in Waynesville. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9, 10, 16, 17 and 3 p.m. Nov. 11, 18.

“August Osage County” tells the story of a family coming together under extreme conditions when someone has gone missing. As you meet each member, they present one image. As is true with most people, the longer you spend the more you know and, in this case, the darker it gets. It received the 2008 Tony Award for “Best Play”.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $8 for students. There will be special $6 discounted tickets for students during the Sunday matinees.

828.456.6322 or www.harttheatre.com.

In conjunction with the choral music department of Tuscola High School, singer/songwriter Mackenzie Leigh Wilson will hold an album release party for her debut record, “The Start” at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Tuscola High School Auditorium.

‘Beethoven Project’ series continues

The second performance in Western Carolina University’s “Beethoven Project” will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Coulter Building Recital Hall.

The concert will feature Beethoven Sonata Nos. 2 and 7 and “Theme and Variations” for violin and piano by Olivier Messiaen. Bradley Martin, WCU associate professor, will perform on piano along with Justin Bruns, assistant concertmaster from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, on violin. 

“The Beethoven Project” will run through the spring semester at WCU and will feature the performance of all 10 Beethoven violin sonatas.

The event is free and open to the public.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.227.3726.

Choral concert at WCU

Western Carolina University School of Music will present the Fall Choral Concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in the Coulter Building Recital Hall.

Featured student ensembles are the University Chorus, Early Music Ensemble and Concert Choir. The choirs will be conducted by Michael Lancaster, director of choral activities at WCU. The performance is free and open to the public.

828.227.7242.

Fall jazz festival wraps-up

Finishing up a month-long festival of jazz and food, The Classic Wineseller and Satin Steel Jazz will present the Steve Davidowski Duo at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at The Classic Wineseller in downtown Waynesville.

Tickets include dinner from Angelino’s Piattino Ristorante in The Classic Wineseller and a three-hour show. Reservations/tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Dinner and music begins at 7 p.m.

828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

Renowned pianist set to play church

Critically acclaimed pianist David Troy Francis will perform at 3 p.m. Nov. 4 at the First Baptist Church in Waynesville. The concert is a “donate-what-you-can-afford” event.

Francis was born in Memphis and is best known for his steadfast championing and performance of contemporary American music. Now living in Asheville, he is an esteemed concert pianist and recording artist as well as a respected composer, arranger and accompanist. Among his many accolades, he has been nominated for “Best Score” by the Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Awards and awarded three consecutive ASCAP Plus Awards for musical excellence.

Franklin parade seeking applicants

The Franklin Chamber of Commerce has entry forms available for the 2012 Christmas Parade. With “A Country Christmas” as this year’s theme, the parade is scheduled for 3 p.m. Nov. 25.

Judging of the floats will begin promptly at 2 p.m., and prize money will be awarded.

Terry Bradley will be this year’s Grand Marshall. Bradley served 30 years on the Franklin Police Department and was chief of police for 18 of those years. Each entry can choose its own location to disband. No Santas are allowed on any float other than the traditional Santa float, which signifies the end of the parade. Candy cannot be thrown but is allowed to be handed out by walkers alongside the float. ATVs or motorcycles are prohibited. Businesses wishing to purchase the use of a commercial float may do so again this year at a cost of $500. Entry fees are $25 for all entries.

www.franklin-chamber.com or 828.524.3161.

Waynesville parade deadline nearing

Titled “Dreaming of a White Christmas,” the annual Waynesville Christmas Parade will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 3. The deadline for parade applicants is noon Nov. 16.

The parade route starts at Walnut/Main Street, proceeds south on Main Street and ends at the intersection of Haywood/Main Street.

No Santas are allowed on any float other than the traditional Santa float, which signifies the end of the parade. Candy cannot be thrown but is allowed to be handed out by walkers alongside the float. Large vehicles are prohibited. Full rules, entry fees and applications can be found online.

828.456.3517 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.downtownwaynesville.com.

Nickelodeon’s favorite characters celebrate autumn and going back to school on the big screen during family movie at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Dora embarks on an expedition to rescue her class’s hamster; Blue joins the soccer team and learns the alphabet; and the loopy “Yo Gabba Gabba” gang celebrate Halloween. The Wonder Pets return to the classroom for a new school year, and Mel throws a “super swell dance party.”

The movies are free to the public and projected onto an 8-by-10-foot screen, with a theater sound system. The library will also be giving away one free movie check out voucher to each patron who attends the event.

828.488.3030.

Denise Drury, interim director of the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum, was recently named to the North Carolina Museums Council board of directors and will serve as arts section chair.

As chair, Drury is charged with taking the pulse of what’s happening at art museums across North Carolina and using that information to create programming for the annual meeting and content for the arts section listserv. Drury moderates the recently revived listserv, which enables NCMC arts section members to post questions, comments and suggestions

NCMC works to enhance public education by improving the administrative, interpretive and collections practices of museums, historic sites, science centers and related facilities in North Carolina.

The Blue Dragon Tae Kwon Do Expo will be held at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 3 at the MedWest Health and Fitness Center in Waynesville.

Kids Advocacy Resource Effort (K.A.R.E.) will host its 3rd annual Festival of Trees fundraiser and live auction at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at Laurel Ridge Country Club.

The event will begin with a cocktail hour and live music by Marc Pruett of Balsam Range and his wife Anita. Voice in the Laurels will also perform several holiday selections. Dinner will be served with a live auction to follow. All proceeds will directly benefit K.A.R.E.’s programs, which provide services to child victims of abuse and their families. Tickets can be purchases by phone or online.

828.456.8995 or www.karehouse.org.

The newly formed Haywood Area Wholistic Integrative Practitioners group (known as HAWIP) is throwing a silent auction and reception at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at Where Angels Gather, a holistic retail store and education center at 124 Miller St. in Waynesville.

HAWIP members are actively gathering donated items and gift certificates from local businesses and service providers/practitioners. Donations will be accepted until Nov. 8.

In addition to the auction, the event will include food, door prizes, and entertainment by local musicians.

All funds raised will go to K.A.R.E., a local organization dedicated to relieving the suffering of abused and neglected children through counseling, education and compassion.

Anyone with questions or donations can call 828.558.4139 or 828.246.2682 or 828.550.7685.

The November meeting of The Sylva Garden Club will be held at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 6 at The Tuckasegee Trading Company in Sylva.

Refreshments will be served, and the meeting will begin at 10 a.m. The program will be “Create a Wreath Workshop.” After the business meeting, members and guests will travel to Larry Haskett Wholesale Christmas Tree Farm in Tuckasegee for a workshop on creating your own personal Christmas wreath. The cost of workshop is $15, which should be paid that day. This will include all materials. Attendees are encouraged to bring embellishments to add to their wreath.

The Sylva Garden Club meets the first Tuesday of every month (September-May) and is open to the public.

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“Once in a Lifetime,” a satiric look back at the Golden Age of Hollywood will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8-10 in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.