Farmers in Western North Carolina can tap $3,000 to $6,000 grants from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to help farmers branch out to new crops.

WNC AgOptions seed money offsets the risk of trying something new and gives farmers the chance to demonstrate new farming techniques and marketing tactics to the agricultural community.

The deadline is Nov. 16. Contact your local Cooperative Extension agents by Oct. 12 to express their intent to apply. There is one remaining informational session on the grant cycle being held from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Swain Extension Center.

www.wncagoptions.org or 828.586.4009 or 828.488.3848

A new national poll released last month shows sportsmen prioritize protecting public lands above energy production. The poll conducted for the National Wildlife Federation shows threats to America’s conservation heritage are priority issues for sportsmen, on par with gun rights.

An organic winter gardening workshop be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Cullowhee home of renouned botanist Dan Pittillo.

Hikers are needed to hike proposed Mountain-to-Sea Trail routes in Jackson and Swain counties in and give feedback about the routes.

Two meetings to give information about the routes, answer questions, and receive input will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, and 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, by the Friends of the Mountains-to-sea Trail.

Trail volunteers are trying to solve a dilemma with a short missing link of the trail through the far western portion of the state, primarily between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Waterrock Knob area on the Haywood-Jackson line of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Originally, the trail was proposed to parallel the Blue Ridge Parkway after leaving the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. However, the Parkway owns almost no land in that area where it crosses the Cherokee Reservation, and a workable route could not be located. Several potential alternative trail routes have been drawn and many interesting routes were proposed.

919.698.9024.

The Highlands Nature Center will host a program on fall colors from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Naturalist Patrick Brannon will lead activities about how leaves change color, deciduous versus coniferous trees, and the winter survival strategies of each. Afterwards, visitors will be led on a walk through the Botanical Garden and will learn to identify many species of trees by leaf type, shape, and color.

The cost for this event is $2 per person, and the program is appropriate for all ages. Advanced registration is requested due to limited space.

828.526.2623.

Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead an easy to moderate 2.5 mile roundtrip hike to the summit of Sam Knob in the Shining Rock Wilderness in Haywood County at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 5.

Enjoy the changing fall foliage and learn about the different ways animals of the mountains are preparing for the coming winter season at this spectacular location in the.

The hike will begin at the Black Balsam parking area at the end of Black Balsam Road, located off the Parkway between Milepost 420 and 421. Remember to bring water, wear good hiking shoes, and be prepared for brisk autumn weather.

828.298.5330 ext. 304.

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee will host a guided hike to Yellow Creek Falls in Graham County on Friday, Oct. 5.

The LTLT purchased the 905-acre Yellow Creek property in 2008 to conserve it. The forested tract includes healthy streams and upland communities, wetlands, and critical habitat for aquatic species. The upper section of Yellow Creek is very slow moving and winding and has unusual features for a mountain stream. The hike will leave from the Yellow Creek Falls trailhead at 10 a.m., which is off N.C. 129 past Robbinsville. The event is free, but registration is required. www.ltlt.org or 828.524.2711. 

The Jackson County Public Library and City Lights Bookstore in Sylva will both host Star Wars Family Nights this week.

“May the Force Read with You,” which aims to promote reading among children, will be host at 6 p.m. Oct. 4 at the library and 2 p.m. Oct. 6 at the bookstore.

Children and parents are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Star Wars character and come to the library to do Star Wars origami and crafts, enjoy Star Wars-themed snacks and enter a free drawing for Star Wars prizes. 

828.586.2016 (library) or 828.586.9499 (bookstore).

Orchestra to play fairy tales and Mozart

Blue Ridge Orchestra begins its 2012-2013 season with a musical visit to Cinderella, Mother Goose and the witch from Hansel and Gretel at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Colonial Theater in Canton.

The lively overture to Rossini’s opera La Cenerentola (Cinderella) opens the concert, followed by four of Maurice Ravel’s tone poems from Mother Goose: Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty, Little Thumb, Conversations of Beauty and the Beast, and The Fairy Garden. The first part of the concert ends with a wild Witch’s Ride from the opera Hansel and Gretel by the German late-Romantic Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921).

Tickets are $15 general admission; $10 for Friends of the Blue Ridge Orchestra and $5 for students. Tickets may be purchased at the door or ordered through the website at www.blueridgeorchestra.org.

Ensemble to present ‘British Travelogue’

 Western Carolina University Wind Ensemble will present its first concert of the 2012-13 season with “A British Travelogue” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The 55-member wind ensemble comprises the best musicians in the WCU School of Music and is conducted by director of bands John T. West. The event is free and open to the public.

The concert will feature music by composers inspired by the British Isles. Its’ centerpiece is Percy Grainger’s masterwork “Lincolnshire Posy,” a suite of six movements, each based on folk songs collected by the composer during visits to the Lincolnshire region of England in the early 1900s. Also on the program are “A Manx Overture” by Haydn Wood; Gustav Holst’s “Moorside March,” conducted by graduate student Emily Talley; “Four Scottish Dances” by Malcom Arnold; and “Thames Journey” by Nigel Hess. 828.227.7242.

Frog Level Brewing hosts Toys For Tots fund-raiser

Frog Level Brewing Company will host the USMC Reserve 2012 Toys For Tots kickoff at 6 p.m. Oct. 13 at the brewery on 56 Commerce Street in Waynesville.

A $20 donation or two new, unwrapped toys will get you one free Frog Level Brewing craft beer and a barbeque plate from Blue Ridge BBQ. The Gone Over the Mountain Boys and The Arrington Baker Band will provide the live music. The event is open to the public. All proceeds benefit Haywood County families.

www.FrogLevelBrewing.com or 828.454.5664

STYX to hit the stage at Harrah’s

Legendary group STYX will be performing at 9 p.m. Jan. 18 at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

With two Super Bowl appearances, chart-topping tours with Def Leppard, Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon and Bad Company (to name only a few) and two more recent studio albums, STYX continues to conquer the planet with hit singles including “Lady,” “Come Sail Away,” and “Mr. Roboto.” Must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Tickets are currently on sale.

www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.

Big & Rich roll into Cherokee

Big & Rich will be hitting the stage at 10 p.m. Oct. 20 at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

The duo just released their new album, entitled “Hillbilly Jedi,” co-written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, on Sept. 18. It’s the duo’s fourth LP and their first since the 2007. Their career hits include “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” “Lost in This Moment” and “That’s Why I Pray,” among others.

www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000. 

Judo club to host ‘brawl’

Waynesville Judo Club will host the 24th annual Fall Brawl at 11 a.m. Oct. 6 at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

There will be a judo tournament inside the center and entertainment outside for everyone. This will include a car show by the Sunset Cruisers, bluegrass and country music, barbecue and a dunking machine. There will also be a 21-foot super ninja slide for children. There is a fee of $3 per person for unlimited slides or dunks on the dunking booth. Also, there will be a $5 per plate for a barbecue sandwich, chips and a drink.

828.506.0327.

The First Thursday Old-Time and Bluegrass Jam Series at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center will get underway with a concert by the Sons of Ralph at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 on the ground floor of WCU’s H.F. Robinson Administration Building.

Upright Citizens Brigade will bring its comedy theater to Western Carolina University with a show at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. 

Celebrating 126 years of history, the fifth annual Fall Craft Festival at The Old Mill 1886 will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 13 on U.S. 441, a mile south of Cherokee.

The daylong free festival will feature gem mining, fresh barbeque, live music (bluegrass, country and gospel), an array of Appalachian crafts, jewelry designers and fresh apple fritters.

Oktoberfest, put on by the Foundation for Angel Medical Center, will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at the National Guard Armory. The event will benefit the renovations for the Outpatient Medicine Department at the hospital. 

There will be a silent auction, a band, contests, food including marinated roast pork, potato pancakes and other authentic German food and drink. The event is open to the public.

Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased from the hospital or any Foundation Board member. The raffle is a $2,000 travel voucher that can include airfare, hotel, bus, however you choose if you win. Tickets are $25 each or five tickets for $100.

828.349.6887.

Hoptoberfest will kick off at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 13 at Fontana Village Resort.

The daylong festival will start with a disc golf tournament and end with The Sharkadelics. Enjoy live music by the Caribbean Cowboys from 1-4 p.m. while sampling more than 30 craft beers from 11 different breweries. Beer, bratwurst and gyros will also be available for purchase at Fontana Bier Garden.

Entry is $25 per person age 21 and over; under 21 are free.  

Tee-time for the disc golf tournament is 10 a.m., with onsite registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. It is a singles tournament in a one round format with prize payout in plastic. Registration fee is $10 per person.

There will also be friendly games of putt-putt, corn hole, ladder ball and other games all afternoon.  

Fontana Village Resort is located at 300 Woods Road in Fontana Dam, just off N.C. 28.

www.fontanavillage.com or 828.498.2211.

Artist and teacher Dominick DePaolo will demonstrate acrylic painting techniques in a street scene for Art League of the Smokies at 6:15 p.m. Oct. 4, at Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City.

DePaolo will demonstrate how to use acrylic paint in the watercolor style on watercolor board with the addition of pen and ink. He has been a freelance artist for over 40 years, was an illustrator in the U.S. Navy and taught art at the college level for almost 15 years.  He owned and operated Long Grove Art School in Chicago for 12 years before moving to Waynesville.  

828.488.7843 or www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta 

The Swain County Center for the Arts will celebrate the paintings of area elementary and middle school art teacher Sheena Kohlmeyer with a meet-and-greet reception featuring the Rye Holler Boys at 3 p.m. Oct. 14.

The exhibit, which is part of her master’s in art education thesis, includes watercolor paintings she did during her graduate painting courses at Western Carolina University and will be on display through Nov. 14. Most of the artwork is for sale. 

This event is sponsored by the NC Arts Council, Swain County Center for the Arts and Swain County Schools and received support from the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

828.488.7843 or www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.

Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86 is hosting an artist’s reception for the Haywood Community College’s professional craft faculty and 2012 graduates from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 5 in conjunction with the Waynesville Gallery Association’s Art After Dark event.

Each faculty member in wood, fiber, clay, metals and design have chosen one signature piece to exhibit. Many members of the 2012 graduating class have also chosen one piece of their recent work to include alongside the work of their instructors. Instructors are Robert Blanton, Caryl Brt, David Burnette, Terry Gess, Steve Lloyd, Sam Nichols, Amy Putansu, Journel Thomas and Brian Wurst.

The work will remain on exhibit through Oct. 20. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

www.haywoodarts.org.

Two local artists who use unconventional materials will be featured from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 5 at Gallery 262 in downtown Waynesville.

“Surreal Appalachia: The Works of Michelle Walker & Bobbie Polizzi” explores the work of Walker, who blends oils with real life butterfly and moth wings to create mystical flying creatures and cold stark landscapes, and Polizzi, who takes the discarded and combines them to create powerful sculptural works. 

Both artists will be on hand at the open event to discuss their work. Wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Blue Ridge Watermedia Society will hold their monthly meeting at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 9 at the First Baptist Church on Main Street in Waynesville. The guest speaker will be Jesse Clay, who was a senior illustrator at Disney World for 22 years (as pictured). The event is free and open to the public.

Regional Artist Project grant of Western North Carolina (RAP go WNC) funding is available to developing art professionals for the 2012-13 year.

RAP go WNC is intended to fund projects that will conclude by June 15, 2013. 

Eligible artists must be at least 18 years of age, cannot be currently enrolled in a degree or certificate program, must be a current resident of one of the participating counties —Cherokee, Graham, Haywood or Jackson — and must have maintained residency there for one year immediately preceding the application. Previous award winners are ineligible. 

Grant awards range from $250-$500 and may be used for purposes including: cost of presenting work, training costs or tuition, travel, promotional materials, work facilities, equipment and the production of new work. Judges and a selection review panel from all four counties review applications. 

Grants are partially funded by the North Carolina Arts Council in partnership with the local agencies.

Information and applications are available from: Cherokee, 828.361.9584, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Graham, 828.479.3364, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Haywood, 828.452.0593, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; and Jackson, 828.587.2787, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Applications are available online at www.haywoodarts.org.

Applications and appropriate documentation material must be mailed to RAP go WNC, PO Box 2212, Cullowhee, N.C. 28723 by Nov. 1.

The Jackson County Public Library in Sylva will host a panel discussion about history of integration at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 in the community room. 

The talk will revolve around “Journeys of Courage: Integrating Education in Jackson County,” a Western Carolina University student-created exhibit that is on view at the library. Artist and scholar Marie T. Cochran, director of the Appalachian Art Project, will facilitate the program, which will feature speakers Victoria Casey McDonald, Reggie Rogers and Ernest Johnson. WCU public history students will be on hand to give informal tours before the discussion.

“Journeys of Courage” is part of the larger “Journey Stories” project, which includes a Smithsonian exhibit on view at the Mountain Heritage Center at WCU from Sept. 29 through Nov. 9 as well as local journey stories displayed at the library.

“Journeys of Courage” is sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library and the Mountain Heritage Center.

828.586.2016 or 828.227.7129 or www.fontanalib.org.  

The 23rd annual Leaf Lookers Gemboree is Oct. 26-28 at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. The Gemboree will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. 

The Gemboree will feature a wide variety of items including fine finished jewelry, rough and cut gems, lapidary equipment, minerals, fossils and collectibles. Dealers will also be available to make custom pieces.

Included with a gem show ticket is free entry into the 20th annual Smoky Mountain Fall Art and Craft Fest next door at the Wayne Proffitt Agricultural Center. This show features 80 artisans as well as 80 handmade door prizes, alpaca and an Animal Rescue Petting Zoo.

Admission for the Gemboree is $2. Those under 12 will be admitted free.  

828.524.3161 or 800.336.7829.

To the Editor:

One of the most important decisions we will have to make on Nov. 6 is who to vote for in the N.C. Senate race. When the sweeping results of voter dissatisfaction took place in the 2010 elections, some very good legislators were sent packing along with the “bathwater,” and, as a result, we ended up with a legislature full of politicians eager to advance their agenda with little regard for the future or the people they were supposed to be representing. In short, they want to force their moral views on all of us, and other issues don’t matter.

Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, our current state senator, seems to be interested in only his narrow partisan interests. He voted to do away with a 1 percent sales tax, all the proceeds of which went to education. His motivation for this remains murky; we have to assume it was for the political purpose of saying that he “lowered taxes.” Truly, was that 1 percent sales tax a hardship on anyone? Yet the lack of that money statewide has caused thousands of teachers to be sent home and increased classroom sizes. He also opposes Pre-K programs, considering them “baby-sitting.” His stated opinion is that the “greatest gift a father can give his kids is their mother at home.” That’s fine, if you make the kind of money Davis does, but not if both parents have to work to make ends meet. Any parent or teacher in later grades will tell you that Pre-K programs are invaluable in teaching social skills and basic education, and make a difference in later grades.

His opponent in this election, former Sen. John Snow, D-Murphy, has different ideas. He believes that putting the time and money into education prevents problems later in life. As a judge, John Snow saw firsthand the result of neglect and abuse on innocent children, and was a champion of taking care of children in the classroom and in life. He is also a good man of high moral character, and will represent us all, not just the interests of his party above all else. 

You know what was the major reason was for his defeat at the last election? Remember the “fishing pier” commercial? Turns out that the vote for the pier was practically unanimous, and bipartisan; the ‘fishing pier’ and aquarium have turned into a huge tourist attraction, generating tax dollars; and the commercial was paid for by  “sugar daddy” super-rich political activist.

The last election proved the old adage, “you can fool all of the people some of the time.” It’s time to correct that mistake. Elect John Snow for state Senate. Prove that we “won’t be fooled again.”

Russell Breedlove

Bryson City

To the Editor:

It is really quite amazing that anybody would believe anything that emanates from the mouth of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Quite frankly, the fact that Barack Obama nominated him for a second term as Fed chairman and the Senate confirmed him is proof that our leaders are either as incompetent as all get out or proof for at least one conspiracy theory — namely that the Anglo-American power elite really does run the world and wanted him to continue being their front man.

Let’s be honest. Bernanke’s statements and predictions since assuming the helm at the Fed in 2006 have been, to be harsh, full of mistruths, to be polite, less than stellar. His absurd statements range from “At this juncture, however, the impact on the broader economy and financial markets of the problems in the subprime market seems likely to be contained,” on March 28, 2007, to “The Federal Reserve will not monetize the debt,” on June 3, 2009.  

His predictions have been even more remarkable. Just two months before their collapse, he predicted that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “… will make it through the storm.” And as the economy was spiraling into recession on Jan. 10, 2008, he indicated incredibly that, “The Federal Reserve is not currently forecasting a recession.”

Well, old habits do die hard. Last week Bernanke gave a press conference to answer questions about the Federal Open Market Committee decision to purchase $40 billion of mortgage backed securities per month into the indefinite future. What was astonishing was not his defense of the purchases, but his addressing of three concerns that have been expressed about Fed policy since the Great Recession started in 2008. 

The first concern he sought to ease was that Fed purchases of long-term securities are comparable to government spending. He claims they are not because the Fed is buying financial assets, not goods and services, and ultimately the Fed will sell them off when unemployment eases. He may be technically correct, but does it matter? The buying and selling of assets is one means the Fed uses to manipulate the money supply. When it wants to inflate the supply of money it exchanges new money for assets and when it seeks to slow the growth of money it sells assets to mop up excess reserves in the economy. In the end, Fed asset purchases are comparable to the Fed monetizing the debts of the federal government, which of course are required because of deficit government spending and both will ultimately cause higher prices generally.

Next, Bernanke addressed the concern of those receiving very low returns on interest bearing accounts. While he acknowledged that the Fed’s “accommodative” monetary policies were responsible, he stated that, “Americans will ultimately benefit most from the healthy and growing economy that low interest rates help promote.”  

Two points need to be made about Bernanke’s comment. First, when are those low interest rates going to produce a healthy and growing economy? The Fed Funds Rate has been at 0.25 percent since December 2008, and unemployment is higher now than it was then. Secondly, is Bernanke suggesting that older Americans on fixed budgets who are getting extremely low returns on their savings just need to be patient until the values of their homes come back so they can sell them to eat? Or is it that he thinks borrowing against equity on one’s house is a sign of prosperity? 

The fact is Bernanke’s policies discourage savings and those that have saved are seeing their wealth eroded and their standard of living diminished.

Which brings us to the last concern addressed by Chairman Bernanke, namely that the Fed’s “accommodative policies” will produce higher price inflation down the road. To quell fears of price inflation he indicated that overall price inflation has been about “2 percent per year for quite a few years now, and a variety of measures show that longer-term inflation expectations are quite stable.”

All one has to do is venture to the supermarket or fill their tank with gas to know that the chairman’s claim about price inflation is hogwash. Gas prices alone are up 7 percent year over year. Higher energy prices mean the cost of other goods has increased as well. Bernanke’s inflation number is absurd.  

John Williams at Shadow Government Statistics produces inflation numbers based on the way they used to be calculated. According to his calculations, if the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) were figuring inflation like it did in 1980, the rate would be 9 percent. If the BLS were using the 1990 method the rate would be 5 percent. The point is that both calculations are much higher than Bernanke’s figure and with the Fed about to embark on infusing $40 billion per month more into the economy for an indefinite period of time, price inflation will go even higher.

Bernanke has a long history of making absurd statements. His attempts to ease concerns about Fed policies were no exception. At the end of the day, his policies have hurt and will continue to hurt the middle and lower classes. What’s startling is that these groups are the very constituencies that Obama and members of the Senate claim to care about, yet both gave Bernanke a second term as Fed chairman. Perhaps the president and those 70 senators that gave Bernanke a second term are incompetent, or perhaps the Anglo-American power elite wanted him to continue as their front man?

Kenn Jacobine

Haywood County

To the Editor:

During this election the main question seems to be economical. We are a debtor nation. We are heading towards bankruptcy.

There is a more important question: is the American society on the rise or decline? Fifty years of social engineering has gone horribly wrong. 

There have been two great lies, “it is all good” and “it takes a village.” We have totally abandoned the Judeo-Christian value system our society was founded on. With the only sin being intolerance, all forms of ways to ruin lives are being exploited. 

It never ever took a village in our society. It takes two dedicated, committed, responsible parents with extended family and community helping. The “it takes a village” way is only filling up our prisons. How can a man and woman be committed to raising children when they are not responsible enough to be committed to each other? We need to get back to the beliefs and social values we succeeded with in the past. 

There are bad things that ruin people and good ways that will keep them from ruination. Each person must be responsible for their own life. The personally responsible are now socially responsible for those that are not. Working, decent-living Americans must shoulder the burden and have less so the government can bail out, even reward bad personal decisions and subsidize bad behavior. They must even support people that are not supposed to be here. They must also support a huge law enforcement system with police, lawyers and overflowing prisons. All because our government has thrown the Bible under the bus.

If anyone does not want to follow a few simple rules of honesty, decency and responsibility, the government will bail them out. They are entitled. This election, I also want a clean sweep, a clean cleansing sweep.

Mike Rodeffer 

Franklin

To the Editor:

Why are the American people so easily deceived? It seems as if they want to be deceived. 

This is true regarding President Barack Obama. He has stealthily deceived himself into the White House when he had zero experience and qualifications to be president. He has proven his incompetence in handling our economy, jobs, military and the current Mideast crisis when he does nothing but apologize to those who killed the ambassador to Libya and three others. We as a civilized, educated society should know that a man with a Muslim name (Barack Hussein Obama) would be a Muslim. 

The American people have been deceived once by this great deceiver, but we need not be deceived again by him. His primary goal is to transform (change) America into a socialist dictatorship, destroying our God given U.S. Constitution along with our economy, our military, our freedom loving American way of life and our Godly values. We are warned by God that “evil men and imposters shall wax (grow) worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2nd Tim.3;13, KJV) 

Please pray for God’s guidance before voting early, absentee or on Nov. 6.

Clark Sheffield

Webster

To the Editor:

The letter about women’s rights by Margery Abel in last week’s Smoky Mountain News says it very well. I’d like to add the following to what she has said.

• Current Republican budget proposals call for cuts in child care, Head Start, job training, Pell Grants, housing, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — all  of which would fall disproportionally on women.

• Recent cutbacks in state funding have led to reductions in the public sector workforce, so that teachers and civil servants — the majority of whom are women — have increasingly been forced into the ranks of the unemployed.

• Fewer services means more unpaid care work. Employed or not, women are the majority of our nation’s 67 million informal caregivers, who pick up the slack when services disappear. The growing practice of moving the elderly and disabled from publicly-funded residential centers to home-based care, and discharging hospital patients still in need of medical monitoring and nursing services, puts an increasing burden on women. They are either grossly underpaid for these essential services or else perform them at home for free while also holding down another job.

• With the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and the decline of the construction industry, the majority of union members are now women in the service sector. Hence, attacks on unions become thinly-disguised attacks on the rights of women to engage in collective bargaining and seek better pay and working conditions.

• From June 2009 to May 2012, women suffered 61 percent of public-sector job losses, while gaining only 22.5 of the 2.5 million net jobs added to the overall economy. In 2010, the poverty rate among women rose to its highest level (14.5 percent) in 17 years. It is not much better today.

• Denial of government funding to Planned Parenthood and other agencies providing family planning services leads to more unwanted births, more children being raised in poverty, more need for childcare services so women can work to support their families, larger school enrollments — and thus heavier burdens on women for all these reasons.

• Men in legislatures, courtrooms, and the media voicing opinions and making decisions about women’s bodies, without consultation with women, is an insult to human dignity and equal rights.

Would that we had more Margery Abels to stand in the heroic line of the Elizabeth Cady Stantons, Susan B. Anthonys, and Lily Ledbetters she mentions in leading the cause of women’s equality.

P.S. We men can help, too.

Doug Wingeier

Waynesville

To the Editor:

Kurt Vonnegut, a prophetic fiction writer of the 1960s, wrote an amusing, disturbing and satirical short story called “Harrison Bergeron,” describing a future day in 2081 when the ruling government has perfected an equalized society. Any natural talents a person might possess beyond the average must be compensated for by the Handicapper General. If one is better looking than anyone else, he or she must be made ugly with masks or distorted features. Taller than average? You wear weights around you at all times. Naturally graceful or athletic? You wear chains to drag you down. And if you are of greater than average intelligence, you hear disrupting noises to impede any sustained thinking you might do. Success in any area of life is met only with punishment. 

It is a society where equality has come at last, and people have no idea how closely their lives resemble those of laboratory rats living in closely-monitored mazes. This futuristic American society of “Harrison Bergeron” operates on communistic principles supporting the idea that all wealth and power should be distributed equally, and individualism and exceptionalism must be suppressed for the good of the whole. It is a society of mediocrity and stagnation where the media tells you what to think and feel. There are no independent thinkers left. 

Hollywood portrays many of these same themes in current movies, such as the “Hunger Games,” “The Dark Knight,” and “The Bourne Identity” series, questioning how we are to survive and keep our human dignity in worlds where powerful forces, usually governmental, try to suppress our beliefs, rights and basic humanity by making us totally dependent upon it. The independent thinker, who stands up to these evil, shadowy forces becomes the savior of himself and his world. 

Are there any independent thinkers left today? Do you call yourself an independent, and if so, just how independent are you?

There is little argument that our Forefathers, the Founders of this nation, were independently-minded fellows. They understood subjugation to an out-of-control government that was telling them what to buy and trade, how to live and behave, when and where they could meet, and which imposed unjust taxes and regulations on many areas of their lives never taxed before. 

Finally they had enough; the American Revolution became fact; and the happy result was a nation of independently-minded people who produced an exceptional country where hard work and success are celebrated and rewarded, where freedoms of thought, speech and religion are cherished values and where educated people are free to make choices which benefit themselves and society as a whole. Is this the society we still want, America? Or is it more important to have “shared-sacrifice,” a “level playing field,” equal opportunities and benefits for all mankind, “political correctness” and a government which recognizes no needs but its own and gives us the “right” to live by its rules, whims, and definitions? How independent is your thinking? 

Laurie Wright

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

To the Editor:

Much has been said this election year on the Republican “War on Women.” Some believe it exists while others doubt it. 

I have believed for some time that it exists, beginning with Rush Limbaugh’s “slut” comment. There are local examples as well. Just the past week, N.C. Sen. Jim Davis (R-Franklin) was quoted in an article regarding funding cuts for pre-K programs for low income children as saying that the government shouldn’t be in the business of “making up for poor parenting.” Sen. Davis was also quoted as saying “I think the greatest gift a father can give his kids is their mother at home.”

Well Sen. Davis, as a single parent, I find your comments personally insulting and really believe you live in some sort of alternate universe. Just because parents are low-income and in some cases single doesn’t mean they are bad parents. I have seen good and bad parenting among all income levels and marital statuses. The low income children need the Pre-K program because their parents can’t afford an expensive pre-school where their higher income peers have the advantage of getting ready for public school. Our world is much more complex these days and kids need to be ready at an earlier age.

As for the comment about the kid’s mother at home, haven’t you realized that the “Leave it to Beaver” show hasn’t been produced for some time? In most instances, it takes both parents working just to make ends meet, much less pay for pre-school. Even if the mother – or father for that matter – is at home, there’s no guarantee they are educating their child or have the ability to do so. 

As for the Pre-K programs being “free babysitting services” that simply isn’t the case. The workers are well-trained professionals who engage the child in meaningful activities throughout the day. They aren’t just plopped down in the front of a television screen.    

I share your belief that the government can’t solve all of society’s ills, but this is one program that will give future generations a head start and enable them to become productive members of society rather than living off the welfare dole. It’s not hard for me to decide who I’ll vote for in this election.

Betty Dishman     

Sylva

Hardly a week goes by without hearing about another tragic shooting, in a movie theater, a grocery store, a Washington, D.C. family political action office or in the streets of New York City at the Empire State building. Wow! We should do something. Outlaw guns is the first reaction, but is it the right one? Let’s examine the facts. 

Germany has some of the strictest gun control in the world. That’s what we should do, it will solve the problem. Guess what? Five of the worst mass shootings of school children in the past decade where in Germany. Then there is Norway, with very strong gun control laws, but one man was able to gun down almost 70 people with no fear of anyone standing up to him. Why? Because he was the only one with a gun. 

Of course, here at home in the state of Virginia, with significant gun regulations, we watched as Cho killed 32 fellow students at Virginia Tech.  

Now, a new threat to our 2nd Amendment rights comes from, of all places, outside the United States. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is trying to commit our country to the United Nations Small Arms Treaty to regulate our American right to bear arms. Fortunately, the treaty has been tabled, but it is far from dead. There is global determination to disarm America from without and within. Note the following quotations from Kurt Nimmo and Alex Jones at Infowars.com from July 29, 2012.

“Disarming America is undoubtedly a front and center political calculation for the globalists. A number of establishment intellectuals, with Joe Klein leading the pack at Time Magazine, are now pushing “sensible” and “moderate” approaches to disarming the American people. Klein’s Time article in August featured a photo of a 100-round ammo drum of the sort James Holmes supposedly used in Aurora. Gun-grabbers in Congress have set their sites on extended round clips and other firearm accessories. After the election finale in November and the installation of Mitt Romney or the re-installation of Barack Obama as chief teleprompter reader in January, not only will there be a push for a new round of restrictive gun laws in America, but the stalled United Nations treaty will be dusted off and the bickering between nations will finally end with a gun-grabbing consensus.”

Who we elect this fall will determine many factors, one of which is our right to bear arms and our freedom to protect ourselves from threats within and without. A weak president who is willing to compromise with our missile defense following the election as promised to the Russian president will not stand up for our rights in the face of global criticism. 

Kathie Flett

Burningtown

To the Editor:

This is really not an “either-or” situation. Maggie Valley should definitely support Ghost Town as an investment (yes, I pay Maggie Valley taxes, so I’m entitled to that opinion). The town already invests in other things (the fairgrounds, etc.) with the expectation of a return on the investment (ROI). There’s no guarantee that they will get a good ROI on Ghost Town, but it looks better than it has for years.

This is not the same as “putting all our eggs in one basket.” We should definitely not do that. The key is balance. Support as much as is feasible, though. It astounds me that an alderman candidate who supports Ghost Town would be opposed merely for that support. Such support is good for Maggie Valley, but it’s all part of the bigger package of supporting the local businesses that bring people to our town.

David Lybrand

Maggie Valley

To the Editor:

I have no problem with Ghost Town, and I wish them well in their efforts. But I don’t think Maggie Valley and Haywood County should count on it being some sort of economic engine to drive all business in the area. People go on vacations with various destinations in mind, like entertainment, historical and natural destinations. I think the entertainment portion is covered pretty well, but more can always be done. The historical is represented but can be improved upon. 

And I think the big thing this area has going for it that seems to be completely taken for granted are the natural destinations — two national parks and two national forests in Haywood County. My feeling is that there needs to be more emphasis made to embrace the natural attractions of the area and find ways to create businesses that cater to them. 

The mountains bring the people here, we just need to find a way to create an authentic experience for them. Pigeon Forge has the Hee Haw/hillbilly thing wrapped up pretty well, and WNC should strive to attract people to the mountains themselves and to all you can do in and around the national parks and forests.

Scott Stevens

Maggie Valley

As part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and MedWest Health System’s annual Fall Fight campaign against breast cancer, the women’s imaging centers of MedWest-Harris and MedWest-Haywood are hosting receptions on Oct. 5 to dedicate Trees of Hope to honor and remember breast cancer patients. 

MedWest-Haywood’s tree will be located in the women’s center on the second floor of the new Outpatient Care Center at 581 Leroy George Dr. in Clyde, between the MedWest Health and Fitness Center and the hospital. At 1 p.m., a small dedication reception will take place. Light refreshments will be served. 

MedWest-Harris’ dedication reception will take place at noon at the women’s imaging center, on the first floor of Harris Medical Park at 98 Doctors Dr. in Sylva.

Both trees will remain in place throughout October, and anyone is all welcome to place cards on the trees.

www.medwesthealth.org.

The fourth annual ‘Coats for Folks’ collection is currently underway.

People can drop off gently used or new winter clothing articles for children and adults at any Swain County governmental facility such as the County Administration Building, Health Dept., Social Services, all Swain County Schools, the bus garage and the Swain County Chamber of Commerce. Items may include coats, sweaters, jackets, hats, gloves, toboggans, or sweatshirts.

Last year, more than 400 clothing articles were accumulated and distributed by the Swain County Family Resource Center.

828.736.6222.

The Macon County League of Women Voters will host a forum at noon Oct. 11 at Tartan Hall in Franklin for county commissioner candidates. 

Incumbent Democrat Bobby Kuppers is facing Republican Paul Higdon in District 3. Incumbents Jim Tate and Kevin Corbin are running unopposed.

The event is open to the public, and attendees are welcome to bring their own bag lunch and drink.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation from citizens in government. It is preferred that there be no display of campaign paraphernalia. Signs and banners are prohibited on the premises. 

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Dodie Allen, vice-chair of the Swain County Republican Party, will host a “Conversation with the Candidates” 8:30 p.m. to noon Oct. 6 in the main building at Uncle Bill’s Flea Market, located on U.S. 74 between Cherokee and Dillsboro.

Republican candidates participating include Mark Meadows, candidate for U.S. House; N.C. Sen. Jim Davis, who is running for re-election in District 50; and Mike Clampitt, candidate for N.C. House 119. The event is informal and open to the public

828.226.3921.

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The Swain County Democratic Party is celebrating the election season with  “Roaring on the River,” starting at 3 p.m. Oct. 13 at Riverview Park in Bryson City.

The well-known local band the Freight Hoppers will begin playing at 3 p.m., followed by speeches from Hayden Rogers, candidate for U.S. Congress in the 11th District; John Snow, candidate for the 50th District’s N.C. Senate seat; Joe Sam Queen, a candidate for N.C. House in the 119th District and Swain County Democratic candidates for School Board at 4 p.m.

A buffet dinner with barbecue chicken, lemon-pepper chicken and all the fixings will be served from 5- 7 p.m. while Liz and AJ Nance perform.

828.736.3470.

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Joe Sam Queen, the Democratic candidate for the state House in District 119, is attending couple events in the coming days.

• People are invited to the home of John Highsmith, 472 Cansadie Top in Waynesville, for a “Joe Sam Queen House Party” from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 7. 828.627.9005

•  Meet Queen from 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the Alarka Community Center in Bryson City. For more information or directions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Construction Career Day will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4 at the Haywood County Agriculture and Activities Center.

The event aims to promote the construction field to high school juniors and seniors. Students in the WNC area can talk to contractor personnel, vendors, university and community college representatives to ask questions about training and educational opportunities.

919.508.1781 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The Alzheimer’s Association is hosting a Walk to End Alzheimer’s at 1 p.m. Oct. 7 at Lake Junaluska.

Participants can learn about Alzheimer’s disease and how to get involved with the cause, from advocacy opportunities, the latest in Alzheimer’s research and clinical trial enrollment to support programs and services.

Start or join a team today at www.alz.org/walk or 800.272.3900.

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The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville is reviving the popular Spelling Bee fundraising event that was run for many years by the Haywood County Literacy Council.

The event is scheduled for Nov. 2 at the First Methodist Church in Waynesville. The club is already seeking sponsors and individuals willing to participate.

828.926.3678 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.452.3573 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Jackson County’s early college program for high school students is holding several information sessions for its 2013-2014 school year during the next few months.

All sessions will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at Southwestern Community College’s Sylva campus, in the lobby of the JCEC building (next to the Holt Library). The dates are: Oct. 8, Nov. 13, Dec. 5 and Jan. 24.

The high school/college program allows students to earn both a high school diploma and a two-year college degree free of charge. Early application deadline is Feb. 1, 2013.

828.339.4468.

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First Citizens Bank, in partnership with the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, will sponsor its third annual Community Shred Event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 at the branch located at 196 Walnut St. in Waynesville. A Cintas Document Management truck will destroy unwanted sensitive materials free of charge for all area residents.

Residents are invited to bring old documents such as ATM receipts, checks, tax information, credit card statements, copies of bills, mail and other papers containing personal information that could provide thieves an easy way to steal money or an identity. Dry paper only will be accepted (no plastics, media tapes or cardboard).

The event will be held rain or shine. A drawing will be conducted for a home paper shredder.

828.452.6300 or firstcitizens.com.

The Cherokee Indian Police are investigating an apparent robbery and homicide that occurred in the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Cherokee last Saturday.

Witnesses said a person with a black mask and dark clothing grabbed a purse from a woman and fired a gun shortly before 10 p.m. 

MedWest Health System’s Urgent Care Centers in Sylva, Canton and Waynesville are now open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., seven days a week to provide greater access to care for people experiencing non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries.

The urgent care centers are located at 556 Hazelwood Ave. in Waynesville, 55 Buckeye Cove Road in Canton, off Exit 31 on I-40 and 176 Walmart Plaza in the Walmart shopping center in Sylva.

MedWest’s Urgent Care Centers are able to treat patients with any kind of injury or illness that is not life-threatening and not a chronic condition. Healthcare practitioners are also able to help patients learn about local physicians who can then see them for follow-ups and ongoing care.

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The Town of Waynesville Planning Board currently has three vacancies that need to be filled.

The Planning Board serves as an advisory board to make studies of areas, prepares plans, and develops policies, ordinances and administrative procedures. Regular meetings are held on the third Monday evening of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Town of Waynesville Board Room.

People interested in applying to serve must reside within the town limits of Waynesville. The town Board of Alderman will make the appointments.

Applications are available at the municipal building located at 16 South Main St. or at www.townofwaynesville.org.

828.452.2491.

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

“Partners in Leadership” is designed to prepare Haywood County Young Professional Women to become future business leaders by connecting them with seasoned Women in Business professionals in their field, allowing young women to develop professional/career goals and the skills necessary to achieve them. 

Interested Young Professional Women may submit an application to the program. Applications are available at YPHaywood.com.

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

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North Carolina Department of Transportation is preparing to make safety improvements to the intersection of U.S. 19/23 at Jones Cove Road near Haywood Community College in Haywood County starting in October. The project will include installing a raised concrete median to restrict turning movements from side streets to reduce the number of crashes and streamline traffic flow.

When the project is complete, vehicles traveling on Jones Cove Road will not be able to continue straight through U.S. 19/23 intersection. Vehicles traveling north on Jones Cove Road from Haywood Community College will be able to turn right on U.S. 19/23 East toward Clyde or left to U.S. 74 and vehicles traveling south on Jones Cove Road will only be able to turn right to U.S. 74. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2012.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.631.1185.

The third annual Rooted in the Mountains symposium at Western Carolina University will be held from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at A.K. Hinds University Center.

Rooted in the Mountains is designed to raise awareness of the intersection of health, language, environmental and indigenous issues with the stewardship of Appalachia and its resources.

Organizers encourage those interested in the effects of continued destruction of mountain landscapes and learning more about the native ways of understanding these issues to attend.

Presentations include movies, speakers, discussions and concerts, with topics ranging from the human connection to the land to Cherokee language. Several programs this year have a focus on Cherokee issues.

Early registration is available through Sept. 28 for $75 and then increases to $125. Registration is available online. rootedinthemtns.wcu.edu or 828.227.3926.

When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created in the 1930s and 1940s, hundreds of families were forced to leave their homes and farms to make way for the new park. An extensive research project is now underway to map and characterize the home sites of the people who once lived in the Swain County section of the park.

A presentation by Don Casada and Wendy Trehern Meyers on the project will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

This presentation is an overview of their research and will be of interest to anyone concerned with local history or genealogy. The researchers are also looking for descendents of the original settlers, along with pictures and stories to help contribute to the body of knowledge. 828.488.3030.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Rocky Top Trail Crew is looking for volunteers to help reconstruct a remote section of the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7. Food, gear and equipment will be provided in exchange for labor.

The crew will spend eight days living in the backcountry building steps, turnpike and trail structures to protect and harden one of the most damaged sections of the trail. Paid crew leaders will work alongside volunteers and teach them the latest techniques in trail construction. Partners from the Backcountry Horsemen of America will also provide assistance to the crew by packing up food and tools for a week of hard work.

The Rocky Top Crew is supported by the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, the National Park Service, the ATC, Mountain Khakis and the North Carolina Recreation Trails Program grant. The 70 miles of the A.T. through Great Smoky Mountains National Park crosses the Trail’s highest point and traverses the most diverse ecosystem and the largest roadless area along the Trail.

828.254.3708 or appalachiantrail.org/crews.

The Haywood County Master Gardener Volunteer Association is accepting applications for grants for horticultural projects in Haywood County. The deadline for submissions is Monday, Oct. 1.

The grant money must be used for research or educational purposes in the area of environment, gardening or horticulture. Beautification projects will not qualify. For example, in previous years, several local schools have requested and received grants for greenhouses and gardens to teach students how to propagate and care for plants. Applications for grants more than $200 should be accompanied by a detailed budget and timeline. Each application must have a Master Gardener sponsor, who will review the application and budget, oversee funding and report to the MGVA on the progress of the project. 828.456.3575.

An effort to re-establish the Cullowhee lily on the Western Carolina University campus gets under way this fall with a fundraising drive, a bulb sale and ceremonial planting in the Centennial Garden.

Paddlers hungry to sample the newest whitewater run to hit WNC’s rivers will flock to the upper reaches of the Nantahala River this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29 and 30.

Nantahala Outdoor Center will host its end-of-season Guest Appreciation Festival Sept. 28-30.

A cornerstone of the annual event is the used gear marketplace, a flea market where enthusiasts can buy and sell gear to one another. Kids can experience the outdoor climbing wall, try out NOC’s new Zip Line Adventure Park, catch a live raptor show, enjoy storytelling, bounce houses, games and face-painting.

Adults can watch a range of free outdoor events, including acrobatic bike trials exhibitions, a head-to-head “boater cross” race, a freestyle kayaking competition, and a slalom kayak race. They are also invited to participate in wilderness survival skills clinics and an on-the-water surf school.

Five bands will play live music on Friday and Saturday at NOC’s riverside café and bar. This year’s lineup includes music by the Freight Hoppers, the Vertigo Jazz Project, the Packway Handle Band, the Archrivals and The Secret B-Sides.

The event is anchored by NOC’s used gear sale where the company liquidates gear and equipment used throughout the summer season. Dozens of manufacturer representatives will be on hand to discuss product features and answer guests’ questions.

www.noc.com/GAF or call 866.535.5743.

Grab your axes. The 17th Annual John G. Palmer Woodmen’s Meet at The Cradle of Forestry in the Pisgah National Forest will take place Saturday, Oct. 6. Events will run from 7:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. and feature competitions such as the axe throw, the pole climb and the cross cut saw race. Forestry students from Haywood Community College’s awarding-winning lumberjack team are one of six teams from a several state area that will be competing, along with N.C. State University, Virginia Tech, Montgomery Community College, Warren Wilson College and Penn State Mont Alto.

The lumberjack competition is part of a larger event called Forest Festival Day. Other activities of interest during the day will be exhibitions of Southern Appalachian cultural heritage by more than 30 traditional craftsmen, forestry students, wood carvers, weavers and a blacksmith. The cost is $6 for ages 16 and up and $3 for kids.

828.877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.org .

The U.S. Forest Service reopened Dry Falls in the Nantahala National Forest Saturday, Sept. 22. The site has been closed since April for repairs. Significant improvements were made this year to the historic and scenic Dry Falls Trail.

Grab the kids and the bikes and head to the trails of Deep Creek outside Bryson City to celebrate ‘Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day’ 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Bryson City Bicycles will lead a free group mountain bike ride in the Deep Creek section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, geared for young riders ages 6 to 16. After the ride, there will be bicycling games, prizes and refreshments. Parents can either drop their kids off for the event or are welcome to stick around.

The nationwide “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” is supported by the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

Space is limited so reservations are required. Stop by Bryson City Bicycles in downtown Bryson City or call 828.488.1988.

www.imba.com/resources/kids/index.html

Wild foods expert Alan Muskat of Asheville will lead a foraging workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 28 and 29, at Haywood Community College in Waynesville.

Participants will learn “find dining,” or how to safely identify, harvest, and prepare wild foods. The workshop will also cover wild medicines, dyeing with mushrooms. Experience the life of a modern hunter-gather firsthand with Muskat’s blend of poetry, story and song.

The workshops are being offered in conjunction with The Heritage Life Skills Fair, taking place at the Haywood County Fairgrounds nearby. The cost is $50, and pre-registration is required. www.NoTasteLikeHome.org or 828.779.2121.