The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offer a train ride based on the PBS kids series Dinosaur Train, departing from Bryson City July 20 to 22, 27 to 29 and Aug. 4 to 5.

Dinosaur Train is an Emmy-nominated and Parents’ Choice Silver Honor TV series, and it consistently ranks in the top ten shows for kid’s ages 2 to 5. In the TV series, young viewers join Buddy and his adoptive family of Pteranodons on whimsical adventures through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans. For this event, families will ride a train bound for the Nature Trackers Adventure Area where young guests will participate in a series of educational challenges as they unearth basic concepts in natural science, natural history and paleontology. Also included are music, Dinosaur Train merchandise and an opportunity to meet Buddy.

Tickets start at $39 per adult and $30 per child ages 2 to 12. Crown Class tickets are $49 per adult and $36 per child.

800.872.4681 or www.gsmr.com.

The Liars Bench, a live authentic Southern Appalachian storytelling, music, poetry, drama and folk arts presentation will perform at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 12 at the Macon County Library in Franklin. Author Gary Carden started The Liars Bench in the summer of 2010.

Thursdays at the Library is an eclectic mix of programs by authors, musicians and educators on topics designed for enjoyment and education. The programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Library; they are free and open to all.

Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will kick off a $1 million capital fund drive to build a second theater space at its performing arts center at the Shelton House on July 6, in conjunction with the opening night of the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre’s production of “La Cage Aux Folles.”

The public library in Franklin is hosting two days of haunting teen events exploring monsters and the paranormal.

The Haunted North Carolina & Ghost Story Workshop will explore “The Brown Mountain Lights” that have been spotted for hundreds of years in Western North Carolina from 3:30 to 5 p.m. July 11. The group will explore what these lights could be and watch footage of the mysterious lights while they hear other ghost stores from N.C. Participants can also receive tips on how to write a ghost story.

The following evening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. teens will learn how to apply monster makeup. During America’s Next Top Monster, participants will get a makeover from professional make-up artist, Mary Bennett. She will transform faces into the monster of their choosing such as zombies, vampires, ghosts, aliens, or a made-up monster. Once their faces are painted, participants can strut their stuff down a runway in a monstrous fashion show that will be judged.

Actress Barbara Bates Smith will star in a stage adaptation of the short story “Lincolnites” at 7 p.m. July 12 at the Mountain Heritage Center on Western Carolina University’s campus.

“Lincolnites” was included in author Ron Rash’s prize-winning fiction collection Burning Bright. Inspired by the author’s Union-supporting ancestor, the story revolves around a Union soldier’s young wife who is at home when a marauding Confederate whistling “Dixie” confiscates her draft horse.

Smith’s presentation will also include musical accompaniment by Jeff Sebens of Cana, Va., and selected Civil War letters from the special collections section of WCU’s Hunter Library.

Smith is noted for her off-Broadway presentation of “Ivy Rowe,” based on author Lee Smith’s Fair and Tender Ladies.

Old Mater Farm is set to host Junior Sisk and Darrin and Brooke Aldridge for its first summer benefit at 1 p.m. July 7.

As part of a summer series of music, the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City is presenting a special program of words and music, featuring George Ellison, reading from his new book Permanent Camp and Lee Knight, singing tunes from “The Songcatcher’s Notebook.”

This free program will begin at 6:30 p.m. June 28 and people are encouraged to arrive early.

Ellison and his wife Elizabeth are Bryson City fixtures. The Ellisons have found their own secluded valley in these verdant mountains, crafting a permanent camp in which to reflect on their place in the natural world. In Permanent Camp, Ellison’s poems detail the unique environment surrounding his isolated homestead in the woods.

Knight, raised in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, became interested in folk music while in high school. During college, he became familiar with the music and stories of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. He also collected songs and stories from other parts of the world, including England, Scotland, Central Asia, Columbia and the Amazon region of Peru.

828.488.3030 or www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

Morgan James of Macon County will sign copies of her book Quiet Killing at Books Unlimited in Franklin at 10 a.m. July 4 and at the Macon County Public Library from 4:30-6:30 p.m. July 12.

Quiet Killing is a new mystery novel set in Western North Carolina. It is the second in the Promise McNeal mystery series and takes the main character, made popular in Quiet the Dead, on a hunt for a murderer roaming territory many area residents may find familiar. North Carolina folk hero and notorious moonshine outlaw, Lewis Redmond, also figures in the tale of a mysterious lost little girl, arson and a restless spirit haunting the mountains.

Voices in the Laurel’s SummerVoice Music Camp will expand this year to become the Voices in the Laurel Summer Music Quest taking place from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. July 30 – Aug. 3 at the First Baptist Church of Waynesville.

The camp received funding from the Young Singers Foundation Grant from Sweet Adelines International that supports worthy projects, which inspire children and youth to sing in harmony with approved, high quality music instructors.

The camp is open to singers who will be entering first to ninth grades in the fall. Campers will be divided into age groups to participate in a variety of musical experiences and learn to sing with proper vocal technique and in two and three part harmony. Groups will rotate through classes in mountain dulcimer, world drumming, and class guitar and piano as well.

Some choral numbers will include choreography. The week will end with a demonstration concert at noon. Cost is $85 per camper and includes all music, snacks, professional instructors, a T shirt, and five days of music-making. Space is limited.

828.335.2849, www.voicesinthelaurel.org or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Registration continues for Dulcimer U, a residential program at Western Carolina University that draws dulcimer enthusiasts from across the country for a week of classes, concerts, jam sessions and fellowship. The program will run July 15-20.

Participants in Dulcimer U will spend mornings developing their playing skills and afternoons taking elective courses that allow them to explore different facets of the mountain dulcimer. For the first time, the event will offer a course in “Playing for Others in Healthcare and Related Settings.”

Larry and Elaine Conger of Paris, Tenn., will run the weeklong school. Named the national champion dulcimer player in 1998, Larry Conger is the author of eight books of dulcimer arrangements. Elaine Conger is a former classroom teacher and backup singer for Faith Hill.

The award-winning instructors at Dulcimer U will present a concert, “Dulcimers in the Round,” at 7 p.m. on July 19, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the general public go on sale July 10 at the Bardo Center box office. Ticket prices are $12 for adults and $7 for students and children.

dulcimeru.wcu.edu or 828.227.7397.

Paul Heckert, professor of astronomy and physics at Western Carolina University, will present a special program about stars and planets at 2 p.m. June 28 in the auditorium at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

The program is for elementary age children in grades 3-5.

828.488.3030.

“Music, Art & Poetry Night,” an open mic arts night, will begin at 7 p.m. June 29 at the Rickman Store in Macon County.

Ann Gill-Johnson, a member of the Sew Easy Girls Extension and Community Association, will offer a sewing class at 1 p.m. July 2, 9, and 16 in the conference room of the Community Services Center in Sylva.

The Art League of the Smokies will meet at 6:15 p.m. July 5 at the Swain County Center for the Arts in Bryson City to show the video “Charles Reid’s Watercolor Solutions.”

During the 120-minute video, Reid shares his artistic insight and teaching methods as he illustrates how to use watercolors in a simple, loose and atmospheric style, which captures the essence of the subject. He reveals how to solve many of the issues beginner and intermediate artists face as he recreates four paintings which were originally completed by amateurs:  “Organic Harvest,” “St. Paul’s Cathedral from the Millennium Bridge,” “Self-Portrait” and “Morning Stroll.” The Swain County Center for the Arts and Swain County Schools are sponsoring the free event.

Reid is a professional artist and teacher who specializes in watercolor. His paintings are fresh and spontaneous, displaying a profound understanding of light and color. His artwork is on display in public, private and corporate collections around the world. Reid has authored 11 books on watercolor and oil painting.

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

The Cullowhee Mountain ARTS Summer Visual ART Series is offering three weeklong ceramics workshops at Western Carolina University’s School of Art and Design throughout July.  

The ceramics workshops are:

• July 9 to 13: Gay Smith will teach “Working to Make the Pots You Want to Make.” The workshop will cover creating functional ware, mugs, cups, etc. Demonstrations will focus on techniques, altering form and surface design. Discussion may include raw glazing and soda firing. All skill are levels welcome. Cost is $535.

• July 16 to 20: Nick Joerling will teach “Pots/Possibilities.” Beginning with wheel-thrown pots, students will be guided to push, cut, coax and stretch forms. Time will be given to exploring ways of making handles, lids and spouts. Some throwing experience is recommended. Cost is $545.

• July 30 to Aug. 3: Melisa Cadel will teach “Dynamic Anatomy.” The emphasis will be on hand-built dynamic clay figures that create tension or mood. Cadel will address surface treatment as it relates to the sculptural form. The goal of the class is to give students the tools they need to create successful work that incorporates proportion, visual movement and color. Cost is $530.

For information about painting and other arts workshops, visit the organization’s website.

www.cullowheemountainarts.org or 828.342.6913

Cullowhee Mountain ARTS is offering weeklong workshops through Aug. 3 as part of its Summer Visual Arts Series at Western Carolina University.

Workshops run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday. The workshops for the week of July 9-13 include:

• In “The Figure in Context,” Susan Lichtman will guide students to arrange settings for figures by adjusting light, point of view and still life elements. The class is for painters who are comfortable working with the figure.

• Artist Randall Stoltzfus will show students how to “Expand their Palettes” with mixed-media techniques and ideas including stenciling and gilding. Recommended for any level.

• Book artist Karen Hanmer’s “Biblio Tech” workshop will instruct students to create a dozen small book models representing different historical and modern binding methods. For students with basic book binding skills.

• Rebecca Crowell’s “Oil and Wax” workshop is for exploring abstract painting using cold wax medium with oil paint, pigment sticks, powdered pigments and other materials and to discover new ways to create textures, lines, and color fields using a wide variety of tools and techniques. For intermediate to advanced painters.

• Lisa Pressman’s “Encaustic and Embellishment” workshop will teach students about the ancient art of painting with melted wax and pigment and how to use this medium in a fresh contemporary way. Open to any level.

The Summer Visual ARTS Series runs through Aug. 3. For a complete calendar, costs and full descriptions visit cullowheemountainarts.org or call 828.342.6913

The 23rd annual Mountain Artisans Summertime Art & Crafts Show will present the top artisans and crafters in the Southeast from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 30 through July 1 in the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University.

The event features 115 exhibitors who carry on the Southern Appalachian tradition of arts and crafts. The items displayed for sale include: fine art, woodworking, pottery, weavings, paintings, jewelry, soaps, candles, blacksmith items and gourd art. Heritage crafts such as shaker brooms, pine needle baskets and folk dolls are available as well, along with quilted wall hangings and heirloom fabric items.

Admission is $4 for adults and free for children under 12.

828.524.3405 or www.mountainartisans.net

The Mad Batter is celebrating their introduction of beer to their menu with live music and a beer tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. June 27.

The event will feature local beer, local food and local musicians, Whimzik and Pat Harren, playing Irish tunes.

Whimzik is comprised of husband and wife duo Kjelsty Hanson and Glenn Kastrinos. The couple moved to Cullowhee from New Zealand. Kastrinos sings and plays a variety of traditional flutes and the guitar, while Hanson plays bodhran, the bones and spoons.

Harren was born in the Bronx to Irish parents but currently lives in Boise, Idaho. He has played the Irish wood flute and pennywhistle for 40 years, and he plays with the Giant Leprechauns in Boise.

Tickets for the event are $5.

828.293.3096 or www.whimzik.com.

Ballad singer and storyteller Joe Penland will kick off the 2012 Songcatchers Music Series at 4 p.m. July 1 at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest.

The series features performances of traditional mountain music every Sunday afternoon in July. Local old-time string band, the Roadapple Ramblers, will open the July 1 performance.

Penland will sing the ballads and songs that the earliest settlers brought from the British Isles into the secluded mountain valleys of Western North Carolina, and his performance will contain old Appalachian stories.

The concerts are held in the covered outdoor amphitheater, which is wheelchair accessible and seating is available. However, attendees are also welcome to bring picnics, as well as chairs and blankets for use on the nearby grass. In the event of stormy weather the concert will move indoors.

Admission for all shows is $6 for ages 16 and older; $3 for youth 15 and under and America the Beautiful and Golden Age pass holders.

The Cradle of Forestry is located on N.C. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest, four miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

828.877.3130 or www.cradleofforestry.org.

Voices of Lee, an a cappella ensemble from Lee University, will perform at 2:30 p.m. July 1 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Voices of Lee has performed worldwide, been featured on Good Morning America, performed at Christmas at the White House and competed on NBC’s Sing-Off competition where they advanced to the final round.

Lee University is a Christian, liberal arts university in Cleveland, Tenn. Voices of Lee was founded by school president Paul Conn, who was hoping for a group that would represent the values the school outlines in its mission.

Tickets start at $12.

www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

The Bascom, a visual arts center in The Highlands, will hold its first Summer Barn Dance of the season from 7-10 p.m. June 30.

Nearly 300 performers from nine countries will descend on Haywood County July 18 to 29 for the Folkmoot Festival held throughout WNC.

Neil Diamond impersonator and tribute artist Tom Sadge will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. June 29 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Cherokee Recording Artist Shea Keck will be performing from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. June 30 at the Wildwood Grill at Fontana Village Resort.  

Keck began performing at the age of 12 when she was asked to join gospel group Heaven’s Harmony touring the southern U.S.

Keck sings and performs in her church choir and belts out the blues worldwide. She collaborated with Micki Free on a remake and a video of “Seminole Wind,” which was originally made famous by country recording artist John Anderson. Keck was also asked to perform in London in 2008 and 2009 for The Ambassadors of Rock, Hard Rock Calling Tour.

In her free time, Keck is working closely with native youth to help preserve traditional Cherokee dance and language.

www.fontanavillage.com or 828.498.2211.

The Barefoot Movement will play a free concert at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva at 7 p.m. July 3.

The Barefoot Movement plays different styles of bluegrass, folk, acoustic rock and old-time front porch music. They feature original songs and interweaving harmonies. The group is from Johnson City, Tenn., and just finished recording their second album. They are coming to Sylva after opening for Ricky Skaggs.

The quartet features Noah Wall on lead vocals and violin, Tommy Norris on mandolin, Quentin Acres on vocals and guitar, and Hasee Ciaccio on vocals and upright bass.

828.586.2016 or www.fontanalib.org.

The Franklin Chamber of Commerce’s annual Fourth of July horseshoe and cornhole tournaments will begin at 10 a.m. at the Macon County Veterans Memorial Recreation Park, just south of town on U.S. 441.

The horseshoe competition is open to men and women of all ages, and registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. The tournament follows a double elimination format and is played in sets of three games, with the best out of two winning. Losers will move onto the Loser’s Bracket.

The cornhole tournament, sponsored by ServPro, will be held at 3 p.m., with registration at 2:30 p.m. Cornhole is a lawn game in which players take turns throwing bags filled with corn at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point. The tournament will be comprised of two-player teams with double elimination brackets.

Registration for either tournament is $25 per team, and the first place winners of the tournaments will receive $200, second place teams $100 and third place teams $50.

If you are looking to run a personal best, consider the Bryson City Firecracker 5k on July 4th.

The course, which begins downtown and heads toward the Deep Creek community and back, is one of the flattest 5K courses in the region. The male overall course record is 14:50; the overall female course record is 17:50.

It begins at 8 a.m. on July 4 at the Swain County Administration Building downtown.

Walk-up registration will begin at 6:45 a.m. and will close at 7:45 a.m. Registration is $20 before July 1, or $25 with a T-shirt. Day of registration is $30 with or without a T-shirt.

www.runbrysoncity.com/firecracker-5k.

This year’s U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Championships were held in Cherokee last weekend, with venues including the catch-and-release waters in Cherokee, the Upper Nantahala and the Lower Nantahala.

The Bald Rock Horse Exhibition will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 30 in Sapphire to benefit the Friends of Panthertown, a non-profit that works to preserve, protect and promote the unique national forest recreational area of Panthertown.

The horse exhibition will start at noon with more than 12 breeds included. While waiting for the exhibition to begin, attendees can visit with miniature horses and a special Gypsy Vanner horse, listen to bluegrass and gospel by the Rye Holler Boys, watch horses being informally ridden in the arena, bid on silent auction items and visit various exhibitor booths.

Held at the Bald Rock/The Divide communities at the very top of Trays Island Road.

$10 donation per vehicle to help maintain trails in the Panthertown Valley. Lunch available for $5 with bake sale cookies for dessert for $1. 828.269.4453.

From spider behavior to salamander pheromones, researchers with the Highlands Biological Station are seemingly undaunted by the finer, even obscure points of mountain ecology.

They will present a sampling of their research projects at 7 p.m. July 5 at the Highlands Nature Center as part of the Zahner Conservation Lecture Series, a weekly summer program on various ecology, nature and science topics.

One segment of the program will cover the history of Dulany Bog in Cashiers, which is home to carnivorous plant species. Researchers are evaluating the plant communities in and around this prime example of a Southern Appalachian Bog, with rare habitat that is home to many unusual or endangered species, including pitcher plants and swamp pink. 

Other researchers will discuss the behavior and ecology of sub-social spiders, as well as pheromone activities in salamanders. More species of salamanders exist in the Southern Appalachians than anywhere else in the world.

828.526.2221.

 Building the original elevator to the mountain’s summit in 1949 took workers 18 months to blast through solid granite, creating a 258-foot shaft reached through a 198-foot-long tunnel. It was completely revamped.

The Town of Waynesville has partnered with Haywood Waterways Association to strategically place stream-crossing signs around town and help the public become more aware of the water resources around them. There are eight streams that flow through or near Waynesville, contributing to the quality of life, health and economy of the community. The signs are a reminder that everything washes downhill and ends up in local waterways, from a soda poured out in a parking lot to pet waste in your backyard. www.haywoodwaterways.org or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Rangers with the Blue Ridge Parkway will lead a hike to the summit of Black Balsam Knob in the Shining Rock Wilderness of Haywood County at 10 a.m. Friday, June 29.

The hike is an easy to moderate 2-mile roundtrip hike on the Art Loeb Trail to the summit of Black Balsam Knob. Rangers will tell participants about the unique events that have shaped this area.

The hike will begin at the Black Blasam parking area. Turn down the gravel Forest Service Road at milepost 420, about one mile south of Graveyard Fields. Hikers should bring water and a snack, wear good hiking shoes and be prepared for changeable weather conditions.

828.298.5330, ext. 304.

 “Spectacular Southern Appalachians” is the theme of a Nature Photography Exhibit by the mountain chapter of the Carolinas Nature Photographers Association that will be on display until July 31 at the Cradle of Forestry.

A new farmer’s market has opened at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Graham County every Wednesday morning from 8-11 a.m.

The Tailgate Market will feature fresh garden produce, flowers, herbs, plants and value-added food products.  This will be a producer-only market, farmers and growers must be the producers of items being sold. Food products must be made by the vendor and according to N.C. Regulations for proper food safety and packaging.  

There is no charge to be a vendor for the market. To apply as a vendor, contact 828.479.3364 or www.stecoahvalleycenter.com.

The Canary Coalition’s annual membership gathering will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. June 29 at the Jackson County Public Library Community Room in Sylva.

There will be a potluck dinner, live music and a performance by Chad Halliburton, plus two short video-documentaries.

n One is “Appalachia Rising,” which chronicles more than 2,000 who marched on Washington, D.C., in opposition to continued mountaintop removal coal mining. There were 114 people arrested for non-violent civil disobedience at the White House.

n The other video being shown, “Tarsands Action,” is about the effort to stop the construction of the 1,800-mile Keystone XL oil pipeline that led to a two week protest, including the arrest of more than 1,000 people in the largest sustained action of non-violent civil disobedience in the nation’s history.

www.canarycoalition.org.

Artist Rick Hills, a studio owner in Waynesville, is donating 20 percent of the sale of his artwork on display at the Village Green Café in Waynesville to benefiting Haywood Waterways Association. The work will be on display until July 22 and features new mixed media paintings.

The Town of Waynesville is seeking citizens willing to serve on its boards and commissions, including its ABC Board, Firemen’s Relief Fund Board, Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, Public Art Commission, Board of Adjustment, Historic Preservation Commission, Planning Board and Waynesville Housing Authority.

The town is making an effort to increase citizen involvement, and applications are accepted in advance of vacancies. When vacancies occur, those applicants are contacted to verify interest and qualifications. Recommendations are then presented to the Board of Aldermen.

Applications are available at the Municipal Building located at 16 South Main Street in Waynesville or on the Town’s website.

www.townofwaynesville.org or 828.452.2491.

Richard Twiss will preach Sunday, July 1, at Lake Junaluska as part of the Native American Summer Conference.

Twiss will preside at the 8:30 a.m. communion service in Memorial Chapel and will also preach at 10:45 a.m. in Stuart Auditorium.

Twiss’ appearance is part of the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center Summer Worship Series. He is a widely traveled and popular speaker, activist and educator. He authored the book, One Church, Many Tribes: Following Jesus the Way God Made You.

www.lakejunaluska.com/summer-worship.

Swain County’s Smoky Mountain Roller Girls will travel to Haywood County to take on the Thunder Road Roller Girls in the upcoming “Debut Taunt Brawl” at 6 p.m. June 30 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.

This event marks Smoky Mountain’s first away bout as well as Thunder Road’s first-ever bout. The doors will open at 5 p.m. All ages are welcome.

The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls is an all-female roller derby league with members from Bryson City, Sylva, Cullowhee, Stecoah and Cherokee. Thunder Road Roller Girls is comprised of women from Haywood County.

Tickets are $10 at the door or can be purchased online. Children age 12 and younger get in free.

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/255390.

To the editor:

The barking ordinance that Jackson county commissioners recently said they’d support sounds at first like a good idea. After all, the idea of dogs barking all night long is upsetting and annoying. Tax-paying property owners deserve the right to enjoy their property without such annoyances.

However, these kinds of ordinances not only mask a more fundamental community problem, but they exacerbate a basic community division. The problem they mask is the problem of homeless animals.

Though commissioner interest in limiting pet overpopulation has been tepid in the past, the fact is that problem households with too many barking animals fall into two broad categories: those who can’t or won’t spay and neuter their pets, and those who rescue and care for the county’s resulting overly abundant animals.

As Reporter Quintin Ellison’s recent Smoky Mountain News coverage of this issue makes clear, Animal Control believes “enforcing a barking dog ordinance is not consistent with its mission.” That’s because their mission is animal control, a mission complicated by the fact that animal neglect and abandonment, and resulting animal euthanasia, have been made worse by poverty and joblessness in this community.

Such an ordinance, they add, would cost “considerable money for staff and an expanded animal shelter.” That’s because most people, when confronted with the prospect of silencing their dogs or getting rid of them, choose the second option because they can’t afford the first.

Such an ordinance would also widen a division that has been growing in recent years, pitting the well-to-do against the poor. In general, those who take the time to complain about an ordinance are prosperous. At least half of the individuals who spoke at the recent meeting are out-of-towners who are well-off enough to purchase vacation homes in the same Cashiers development.

The commissioners, too, enjoy higher-than-average property values; at least two own property in Jackson County with tax values that exceed a million dollars. As the Humane Society of the United States has recently shown, on the other hand, those who are young, poor, and uneducated are much more likely than the rest of the population to have unneutered pets — and unneutered pets lead to more pets.

Rescue groups, generous donors, and some local vets have made a dent in this problem, but pet overpopulation is still a major predicament in our county. The fact that we have no leash law adds to this predicament, since free-roaming pets and hunting dogs that are not altered cause not only a noise problem but a health problem.

The sheriff’s office is equally unwilling to enforce a noise ordinance, as Ellison’s article makes clear, and such ordinances are not enforced in neighboring counties either. I suspect that’s because, besides being overtaxed already, law enforcement personnel don’t relish the prospect of settling squabbles between neighbors who can’t agree about who’s at fault and how to solve the problem. No one likes the idea of taking beloved dogs away from families and turning them in to shelters where they will almost always be euthanized.

A few years ago, Asheville decided to tackle the real problem, pet overpopulation, with limited spay neuter laws and leash laws. It’s time Jackson County revisited this idea. Such laws might be enforced only when other animal infractions, like biting or cruelty, occur. We could make exceptions for responsible breeders who don’t sell wholesale to pet stores or puppy mills with the provision that such breeders meet minimal community standards. Let’s try to find a workable fix for the real problem.

Mary Adams

Cullowhee

To the editor:

Remember when we would say “Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite” as a nod to the mid 20th century quote? Well, bedbugs have literally raised their ugly heads again.

Why? Probably because a single politician didn’t like the smell and now pest control companies cannot spray near your headboard or mattress. This is just how easy it is to get stupid legislation passed that ultimately contains more negative consequences than beneficial.

Here we go again. For a few months now a few local residents have continued to petition our commissioners to “do something” about a barking dog in their neighborhood. What ever happened to neighbors talking to neighbors and resolving their differences between them?

Too many people have forgotten how to be neighborly. We have become a self-centered, instant gratification society where communication with another human being has been reduced to an e-mail or a tweet. It is time to return to the philosophy of “love thy neighbor.”

For instance, if there is a barking dog in your neighborhood, maybe the owner has a medical condition that precludes them from being able to exercise their dog on a regular basis. Instead of spending countless hours preparing speeches borrowed from cheap ambulance chaser commercials about ‘emotional distress’ you could have offered your neighbor your dog walking services. Certainly a measure that would benefit both you and the canine.

If you are not inclined towards that as a solution, realize other options that do not perpetuate a negative environment between neighbors. The “super-gadget” Hammacher catalog contains a ultrasonic barking dog deterrent that looks like a birdhouse for only $50 bucks.

Compare that cost to establishing county ordinances. In order to enforce that, the planning department said it would take seven new employees, plus facilities. The county will spend endless dollars a year to deal with a problem they’ll never solve. Macon and Transylvania both have barking dog ordinances, but have stopped enforcing them because they’re unenforceable. But guess what? The PERSONNEL hired to deal with the problem are still on the county payroll!

For our county commissioners to pass an ordinance to address the concerns of a few, they must realize it would contain for the many a greater number of negative consequences. Thanks but no thanks. I have no need for increased property taxes or a further erosion of my personal property rights.

Instead, I suggest they thumb the pages of their favorite super-gadget catalog for that bark deterrent. I bet they can even get it gift-wrapped for an extra $7.

Ginny Jahrmarkt

Sapphire

To the editor:

I am writing in response to recent discussions of “Barking Dogs” in Jackson County and to the possibility of amendments to the current noise ordinances of Jackson County. I am the dog owner whom Norton resident Bill Armgard has repeatedly criticized at county commissioner meetings where this issue was discussed.

For generations my family has taken part in a tradition that began with our ancestors and was brought into Appalachia with the first Scots-Irish settlers: hunting with dogs. I was raised in this county hunting with dogs, and am currently raising my three sons in this same tradition.

I currently own 12 dogs, including six puppies, all of which are hounds used for the legal hunting of black bear and swine pursuant to the wildlife hunting regulations set forth by the N.C. Wildlife Commission. Of the 12 hounds, some are kenneled and some are kept chained to yard stakes.

To date, there have been absolutely no issues of aggression toward the general public and the dogs remain, outside of use in hunting, on private property that has been owned by my family for more than a century. My family owns 20 acres in Norton, 10 of which I own, and have owned this property since the earliest Jackson County property records: January 1, 1900.

I am writing you today to express my dismay with the recent news articles, in which all commissioners expressed their support of a noise ordinance amendment. This topic, this discussion, and the commissioner support associated with such an amendment has all stemmed from ongoing complaints from a handful of citizens.

The complaints regarding my dogs has come primarily from Norton resident Bill Armgard, who amongst other things has stated that there have been shotguns fired at his home as a result of this issue. Not only was this libelous statement made in the public forum of a commissioner meeting, it was publicized further by subsequent articles which ran in the media.

This defamation of character was not only unjustified, but lacked any documentation from complaints, formal charges, or convictions regarding such an incident.

The same is true of Mr. Armgard’s ongoing statements of noise associated with my dogs costing the county “millions of dollars” in potential property sales. I ask that rather than accept unfounded statements from single property owners, that you research these statements in order to verify their validity and furthermore that you keep the majority of Jackson County citizens in mind when considering the potential impact of such amendments.

We live in a rural community, much of which remains undeveloped by incorporation. If this were an amendment geared toward the townships of Sylva and/or Dillsboro then it could be justified on grounds of city limits. Yet to blanket the entire county with such an amendment is a direct attack on the freedoms associated with living in such a largely undeveloped area.

When a property owner with 20 acres of family land is not allowed to own dogs, work dogs used to provide food and recreation for a family, one must begin to question where the line is drawn between governmental regulation meant to serve the rights of citizens and governmental control meant to meet the demands of a select few. I was born in this county and raised on this land. I am your constituency.

From the county’s own estimates, the enforcement of such an ordinance would require the addition of at least seven employees, with benefits, as well as vehicles for enforcement.

The surrounding counties with ordinances have basically dropped regulation after realizing that the ordinance is virtually un-enforceable. All departments you have queried have expressed their dismay, and or inability, to enforce such an ordinance.

Lastly, to think that the potential cost of seven additional employees, benefits, and vehicles would be placed on the backs of county taxpayers, a potential cost of at least a few hundred thousand dollars realistically, to enforce this is a direct reflection of its infeasibility.

I am a volunteer fireman with the Cashiers-Glenville Volunteer Fire Department. I recently was in charge of moving the Waddell House for the Cashiers Historical Society. I employee 12 residents as well as over 20 subcontractors, all of who are members of this community. In short, I serve this community with dignity and honor and consider myself a community pillar in Southern Jackson County.

I respect your decision to allow a 60-day period for public comment from both sides of this issue before rushing toward a decision. All I ask is that you consider the potential impact of such an ordinance and consider the rights of all citizens in this county before making a decision on such a potentially detrimental ordinance.

Sam Jennings

Glenville

This letter was initially written as an open letter to the Jackson County Board of Commissioners.

By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist

My wife and I moved here from Florida because we wanted to live in a state that valued its people, its environment, and its future as much as North Carolina did. We knew this would mean paying a state income tax, but we considered the value we would be getting in return.

A presentation titled “Winged Hunters – Birds of Prey” will begin at 7 p.m. June 26 at the Village Green in Cashiers.

Michael Skinner of Balsam Mountain Trust will bring live raptors and teach participants about their habits. Participants can expect to see a variety of raptors including a kestrel, great horned, barred and screech owl, Harris and red-tailed hawk and a bald eagle.

Skinner is the executive director of the Balsam Mountain Trust. He is responsible for directing the natural and cultural resource management, environmental education programs and scientific research at Balsam. Before coming to Balsam, Skinner was the Emmy nominated host of “Georgia Outdoors” on Georgia Public Television.

The Village Nature Series is a free community event; everyone is welcome, no reservations are necessary. Upcoming VNS programs will are: July 24 “The Amazing Black Bear!” with Bill Lea; Aug. 28 “Before Bluegrass – Ancient and Old-Time Music of the Southern Appalachians” with Lee Knight; and Sep. 25, “Hummingbirds: Delicate Gems or Kings of the Sky?” with Romney Bathurst. This program is a collaborative effort between Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and The Village Green. www.hicashlt.org, www.villagegreencashiersnc.com, 828.526.1111 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society will host its weekly bird walk on June 23 at Chinquapin in Cashiers.

The group will meet at the Highlands Town Hall near the public restrooms at 7:30 a.m. and carpool to Cashiers. Cashiers residents can meet behind Wendy’s at 8 a.m. Binoculars will be available if needed.

Chinquapin is a private, gated, conservation-oriented development, and the bird walk will be on the 700-acre Carlton Family Conservation Easement.

828.743.9942.

A new series of short internet videos feature North Carolina sections of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The videos were produced by the Great Smoky Mountains Association and were paid for with a Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership grant. The series is available for viewing on Great Smoky Mountains Association’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/GreatSmokyMountains. The videos are categorized into a playlist titled “Discover the North Carolina Smokies.”

The videos take viewers to places like Cataloochee Valley, Deep Creek, the Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum and Clingmans Dome.

Great Smoky Mountains Association is a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, providing support for educational, scientific, and historical programs through revenue generated from park bookstores and memberships.

Rob Gudger brings his Wolf Tales educational program to two local libraries in the coming days.

Known as “Trapper Rob,” the Haywood County-based wildlife biologist will conduct events at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva on Tuesday, June 26, and at the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library in Cashiers on Friday, July 6. The program, designed for children of all ages, features two juvenile wolves.

The program lasts about an hour and participants will have a chance to interact with a wolf and learn about their habits. Topics include the hunting and social behaviors of wolves, the benefits of protecting wild wolves in natural ecosystems, conservation efforts, dispelling myths and misconceptions, and more. The wolves are gentle and Trapper Rob encourages participants to pet them.

The start time of each program was not available at press time. Call the Sylva Library at 828.586.2016 or the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library in Cashiers at 828743.0215. 

Biodiviersity Days in the Smokies June 20-23 will commemorate the diversity of plant and animal life in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Biodiversity Days will include programmed seminars, demonstrations, scientist-led field trips and more. It is estimated that as many as 80,000 different species are found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.