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January 13-19, 2016 Vol. 17 Iss. 33

Jackson County manager announces retirement Page 5 Macon flood damage exceeds $1 million Page 17

Weight Loss Clinic Now Open Saturdays!

CONTENTS On the Cover: Parents and school board members have had a visceral and emotional reaction to the proposed closure of Central Elementary School in Waynesville. Though the school is the oldest elementary school in the county, its declining enrollment numbers have made it a prime target for closure as Haywood County Schools administration continues to look for budget savings. (Page 6)

News Jackson OKs controversial tower construction ......................................................4 Jackson County manager announces retirement ....................................................5 Motion made to dismiss Cherokee lawsuit ............................................................10 Tribal Council asserts independence ......................................................................12 Animal shelter advocates make their case in Jackson ........................................14 Macon flood damage exceeds $1 million ..............................................................17 Man’s body found near Dry Falls ..............................................................................18 Friday last day to apply for Maggie board ..............................................................18 Waynesville board to discuss manager contract.................................................. 19

Opinion It’s a great plan, just work on the free throws ........................................................22

A&E Lazy Hiker Brewing signs distribution deal ............................................................26

Outdoors One park at a time ........................................................................................................34

Smoky Mountain News

January 13-19, 2016

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January 13-19, 2016

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Cashiers cell tower approved Commissioners unanimously OK controversial tower construction

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER proposal to build a new cell tower outside Cashiers got the OK from Jackson County Commissioners last week, a decision that came after months of public discussion and heated debate.

“I’m just happy not to have to deal with it anymore,” said Mark Zachary, whose family owns the land where the tower will be built.

Crown Castle, a tower building company, will construct the tower and lease antenna space to Verizon. Service emanating from the new tower will replace that on an existing tower at the Cashiers crossroads, which will go dark later this year. The new tower, a 120foot monopole, will go up on a hillside in the Gana Sita neighborhood, a half-mile from the crossroads, and is expected to provide better service than the existing tower.

The proposal faced stiff opposition from the outset by adjacent property owners Rick and Donna Barrs, however. Crown Castle was asking build the tower within 140 feet of the property line, and while no developed structures currently sit on the Barrs’ property, they said they’d had a long-range plan in place to build a neighborhood of cottages there.

If the tower went up where proposed, they’ve been arguing since Crown Castle first approached the county in June, the value of their future development would tank.

Meanwhile, Crown Castle said that the proposed site was really the only spot on the 20acre tract that would do the job and said the alternate places the Barrs pointed out would not work.

January 13-19, 2016

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DEFINING “SUBSTANTIAL”

Smoky Mountain News

Nearly two full days of discussion preceded the commissioners’ final decision, including a public hearing in December and nearly 14 hours of testimony and deliberation spread over two days. The proceeding, called a quasi-judicial hearing, followed the format of a court case with commissioners sitting as judges.

After all that, it took just about an hour of deliberation for them to unanimously approve the application. Commissioners had a specific set of criteria to consider when making the decision, dictated by a recently updated county ordinance. It was the first time they’d used the ordinance to consider a cell tower application.

“I think personally the hardest thing the board had to determine, the one issue we wrangled with, was whether or what amount of injury was there to the value of the Barrs’ property,” said Commission Chairman Brian 4 McMahan.

applications for the potential future development to be considered in the decision to approve the cell tower, Rick Barrs asked?

Though some pieces of the property have been in the family’s possession for 50 years, they’ve been adding to it bit by bit over the decades, with the last piece added about 10 years ago.

“Then we had the recession. Then we had the moratorium on building,” Rick Barrs said. “Now it’s just starting to get time to do it and it’s unfortunate that the cell tower came to fruition right now, just 150 feet away from us and far away from the Zacharys.”

Commissioners did impose a couple changes to Crown Castle’s application as a condition of approval. They will back the tower site another 27 feet further away from the property line than planned. The company must also purchase the most up-to-date, quiet cooling unit available on the market in order to minimize noise emanating from the tower.

Crown Castle is now in the midst of a 30-day waiting period but will start construction sometime after that.

According to the county ordinance, any whether or not the property would ever actualproposed cell tower must not “substantially ly be developed. injure” the value of adjacent properties.

“It’s easy to run out and say, I’m going to “Substantial” is a difficult term to define in build 30 houses,’” McMahan said. “You may dollars and cents, but much of the decision or may not do that. Talk is cheap. It’s easy to came down to testimony offered by a pair of speculate. History is always a good guide Realtors, one called by the Barrs and the sometimes to what is going to happen in the other by Crown Castle. future, and nothing’s happened in the past to According to Richard Robson, a Cashiers this property.”

Realtor with nearly 40 years of experience, The Barrs family has held some portions the Barrs’ investment would take a beating if of the property for as long as 50 years but the tower were built. has never taken any concrete steps toward “We believe the tract will lose four to eight development, except for a conceptual drawpotential homesites due to the location of the proposed cell tower,” Robson wrote in a report admitted as evidence, “because of non-residential views and noise created by the tower.”

Based on a land value of $75,000 per lot, Robson said, that would mean a loss of $300,000 to $600,000.

“We believe the presence of the cell tower will have a negative impact on value,” Robson wrote.

However, the problem with WEAKING THE Robson’s testimony was that it didn’t include an analysis valiORDINANCE dating his numbers and process, McMahan said. The The coming year will likely Realtor testifying for Crown include some further revisions Castle delivered a lengthy to the cell tower ordinance. analysis reaching the opposite The Crown Castle application conclusion. The report, prewas a rough run for the new pared by Asheville Realtor process, which proved to be Douglas Thrash, looks at the more time-consuming than selling prices for properties some anticipated. next to other cell towers in the “I think there’s too much area and compares them with focus on trying to require cosale prices of properties in the location and there’s too much same neighborhood that are focus on trying to ask the not adjacent to the property applicants to find additional housing the cell tower. alternate sites to place the Most of the properties antennas as opposed to buildincluded in the analysis sold at ing a new tower,” said a higher price than neighborA new cell tower will be built in Cashiers on the corner of a McMahan. “I think that’s a ing properties not adjacent to a 20-acre property owned by the Zachary family, about 165 feet from the tremendous amount of time cell tower. that really proves to not be neighbors’ property. Donated image Based on those numbers, fruitful.”

Thrash wrote, “it is my opinion Commissioners spent that the proposed telecommunications facili- ing done five years ago. In fact, they turned hours listening to attorneys argue back ty … will not substantially injure the value of down offers to buy from a couple of differ- and forth about this site versus that one, adjoining or abutting properties.” ent box stores, saying those uses would not with little changing from the opinion the Commissioners considered insight from fit the character of the community, county’s hired consultant handed them at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill McMahan said. the outset.

School of Government, which pointed out If the property were to remain undevel“There’s just so much room for back that in appellate court cases, decisions center oped, injury to its value would be minimal at and forth. I think we need to focus on what on what kind of study and analysis an expert best, even according to testimony from the is critical — the tower itself — and not witness has done to back up his opinion Barrs’ own witness, McMahan said. worry about all the other options,” rather than on whether he is qualified to pro“I asked Mr. Robson under oath. I said, McMahan said. vide an opinion. From that standpoint, ‘Would there be injury to the value of the However, the county’s currently got a full McMahan said, Thrash’s detailed analysis property if they did nothing but hold it?’ and plate where planning is concerned, so it’s made the better argument. he said there would be, but nothing substan- unlikely commissioners will spend much tial,” said McMahan. time discussing potential changes to the ordiThe Barrs disagree with the decision. nance before summertime. In the meantime, AILING DOWN “Some commissioners seemed to believe there’s one other cell tower application that property damage of $250,000 to proposed for the Qualla area right by the THE HYPOTHETICALS $600,000 might not be considered substan- — U.S. 74 exit for Cherokee — in the queue for But much of what the decision came down tial,” Donna Barrs said. a hearing and possibly a few more in the Why should they have to file official pipeline. to, McMahan said, was the question of

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Don’t make yourself sick!

Food Safety begins in the home You may have seen the news about an outbreak of norovirus in Boston that caused over a hundred students in Boston who had eaten at a Chipotle restaurant to become ill. www.wsj.com/articles/norovirus-confirmed-inboston-chipotle-outbreak-1449684009 It’s important to remember that we can also make ourselves sick at home if we don’t handle food properly and observe food safety in the home. Norovirus is a very contagious virus.

Norovirus – a very contagious virus How do you know you have it? Norovirus causes inflammation of the stomach and/or intestines that results in gastroenteritis causing vomiting and diarrhea. It can result in illness, hospitalization or even death.

What causes it?

Norovirus can be found in minute particles of feces or vomit and transmitted by sharing food, drinking from common glasses, or through contact with cooking surfaces or utensils contaminated by someone who has norovirus.

Source: Centers for Disease Control (CDC) - www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/overview.html

Smoky Mountain News

How can you avoid food borne illness caused by norovirus in your own home?

1. If you are sick take a break from cooking. If possible let someone else do the cooking while you are ill.

2. Wash your hands before preparing food and before eating food.

3. Don’t share glasses, utensils or plates with someone who is ill and don’t eat any of the food that they have touched or partially eaten.

January 13-19, 2016

BY HOLLY KAYS manager, “you get tagged depending on STAFF WRITER who brings you in,” Wooten said. or Jackson County Manager Chuck But it appears that Wooten managed to Wooten, the time has come to shift his weather that storm. professional focus from managing a “As I was coming in, I thought the best county to playing with the grandkids. After thing to do might be to get rid of Chuck,” five years at the center of county operations, said Commissioner Boyce Dietz, who took Wooten plans to make June 30 his last day, office after the November 2014 election. “By he announced last week. golly he does a great job. He is first class.

“When the (county commission) board I’ve been so impressed.” changed (in 2014), we started talking about “There absolutely was no pressure,” how this is not long-term for me,” said Wooten said of his decision to retire. “I felt Wooten, who will turn 65 in June. no need to do this involuntarily.”

Wooten first came on as county manager in January 2011, just after retiring from 30 years with Western Carolina University, where he worked as vice chancellor for administration and finance. What was initially an interim appointment became permanent as Wooten discovered that he loved the job and decided there wouldn’t be much harm in putting retirement off for a few years longer.

This fiscal year would be a good time to leave, he decided, as it will mark the end of the revaluJackson County Manager Chuck ation process and adoption of the Wooten speaking in Cashiers. SMN photo first county budget using the lower property values. The last evaluation of property values in Jackson The decision means that searching for a County took effect in 2008, just before the new county manager will rise to the top of recession hit, so property owners have been commissioners’ to do list for the new year. paying taxes based on inflated pre-recession They’re planning to start the conversation values ever since. The new values will subwith a short discussion at their Jan. 19 planstantially lower the county’s tax base, creatning retreat and will likely talk further at a ing a formidable challenge for county leadFebruary work session. Wooten’s hoping ers trying to decide where to spend tax dolthat the six-month lead-time will be long lars, whether a property tax rate hike is in enough for commissioners to get someone order and if so what size. on board before he leaves. And by sticking “It has been my goal to work with the it out through the end of the fiscal year, commissioners to successfully implement which closes June 30, he hopes to increase this revaluation and to prepare a budget for the county’s chances of attracting someone FY 16-17 utilizing the new tax values before who’s already got experience leading a leaving county employment,” Wooten wrote county. in his resignation letter.

“A sitting manger would say, ‘I’ll finish Commissioners were full of praise for the budget process and then be ready to Wooten’s contributions to county governmake that change,” Wooten explained. By ment when he announced the resignation waiting until July 1 to fill the position, publicly at the county commission meeting Jackson can make the job a better sell for last week. qualified candidates.

“The first words you told us was you According to Dietz, finding someone would do your best, and I can honestly say capable of matching Wooten will be hard to you have done a remarkable job,” said do.

Commissioner Charles Elders, reflecting on “There’s always someone to replace you, the moment five years ago when Wooten but you’ll be hard to replace,” he told was first hired.

Wooten.

“I appreciate Chuck and the work that Wooten said he’s grateful for his years in he’s done,” agreed Commission Chairman county government and willing to help with Brian McMahan. the transition in whatever way possible. But Originally hired by a board with a conlooking past June, he’s getting excited to servative majority, Wooten’s job could have start spending more time with his three been in jeopardy when the 2014 elections granddaughters — 8-year-old twins and a 3flipped the board to a Democratic majority. year-old.

County managers can be hired and fired at “They’re still at an age where it’s cool to the will of the commissioners, and often as be around granddad,” he said.

Book online at:

MassageWaynesville.com news

Jackson County manager announces retirement

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Parents shocked over Central Elementary closing

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR arents of Central Elementary School students were shocked Tuesday morning when they heard the Haywood County School Board was considering closing down the longstanding Waynesville institution.

Dawn Melrose, the mother of a thirdgrader at Central, heard the news circulating in the hallway as she walked her daughter to her classroom Tuesday morning. It certainly came as a shock.

“Central has been a wonderful school.

We have had wonderful teachers. The teachers are all so caring. You can tell that the teachers support each other and have a community,” Melrose said.

The school was built in 1954. As the oldest elementary school in the county, some of the students there today are following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents, with three generations to have walked the same halls and played on the same playground.

“My two oldest went through Central and my youngest daughter is currently there. I went to Central and my brothers went to Central — it’s like a family tradition to go there because it’s been there forever,” said Central parent Beth Stinnette.

Smoky Mountain News

January 13-19, 2016

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PERSONAL ATTACHMENT While it is one of three elementary schools serving kids who live in Waynesville, it is the only school that is technically inside Waynesville’s town limits. And even though the building is old and tattered, parents seem pleased with the work being done inside.

“I have been so impressed by that school to an extent I never expected when you look at it on paper and see it from the outside,” Beth Pratt said. “But when you are in it, the amount of focus my son has received from grade to grade is amazing. The teachers have a relationship with each other, so it is like he was passed down each year.”

Central is one of the smallest elementary schools in the county, and Pratt loves the more intimate setting it affords.

However, like Melrose, Pratt finds solace in the fact that Haywood County Schools is among the top ranked in the state academically. Out of more than 120 school districts, Haywood is ranked 15th.

“It’s not like the kids are going to a bad school. They will be going to a great school. We are so lucky in this area. All the schools are great. The kids won’t lose out in general,” Pratt said.

Stinnette has also been impressed with the teachers and the personal attention her children have received at the

S EE PARENTS, PAGE 8

If Central Elementary closes, then what?

The sudden announcement this week that Central Elementary School in Waynesville could be closed in Haywood County has prompted a swirling litany of questions for both parents and the public at large.

The Smoky Mountain News took a stab and getting some of the more pressing questions answered this week, with more to follow in future editions.

Why close Central instead of another elementary school?

Built in 1956, Central is the oldest elementary school in the county and most costly in terms of maintenance, explained Assistant Superintendent Bill Nolte.

Central is also one of the smallest schools in the county. It has only 230 students.

But the biggest reason for targeting Central is its close proximity to two other elementary schools in the Waynesville area: Hazelwood and Junaluska.

Other elementary schools don’t have another elementary school nearby that students could be sent to, and would require long bus routes to get students to the next closest school, Nolte said.

Where would the students from Central go?

The majority of students would be divided between Hazelwood and Junaluska elementary schools. The exact district lines of where students would be assigned would be formulated in February.

Of the 230 students at Central, roughly 30 come from outside the school district. Those students would be reassigned back to their home school district.

Is there room at Hazelwood and Junaluska to accommodate Central’s students?

Superintendent Anne Garrett said the reallocation of students from Central would

not cause overcrowding at either Hazelwood or Junaluska. Both schools are well under capacity, and would still be under capacity even with the addition of Central’s students.

“They will not be bursting at the seams,” Garrett said.

Additional teachers and classes would be added at both schools so that existing class size at those schools would not increase as a result.

Is this a done deal?

Technically, closing down Central is only a proposal at this point. The school board merely voted to study the idea.

But the school system isn’t exactly tossing out the idea as a trial balloon. The school board’s vote Monday night to authorize a study comes months after the school system began assessing the feasibility to closing Central.

School officials have already analyzed budget repercussions, sliced and diced enrollment data, examined how to divvy up Central’s student body among other schools, and projected the potential cost savings.

Why are we just now hearing about it?

The idea to close Central Elementary School has been kept under tight wraps by school officials and school board members.

It’s surprising just how well those aware of the proposal have kept it a secret.

Closing Central Elementary has been seriously studied and analyzed for more than

three months. But the inner circle of school officials and school board members crunching the numbers and debating the pros and cons haven’t breathed a word of it.

Not even teachers, let alone parents, had caught wind of it before the school board voted late Monday night. Reason being, it would be inappropriate for the school system to talk about the potential of closing Central before the board had formally voted on its consideration, according to school officials.

When is a decision expected?

The school system laid out an aggressive timeline to consider the closure of Central Elementary. Following a public input meeting at Central Elementary at 7 p.m. Jan. 26, the school board plans to make a final decision at its meeting on Feb. 8. If approved, Central would close at the end of the school year.

Why so quick?

The school system must move swiftly to solve the sudden budget shortfall it’s been saddled with.

The school system has softened the blow of state funding cuts in recent years by falling back on its fund balance, savings built up and squirreled away over time.

But it has now used up all the savings it had, and has no where else to turn. Budget cuts must be enacted before next school year begins.

What will the school system do with Central Elementary if it’s shut down?

Garrett said that hasn’t been decided, and declined to offer guess of what might be.

“We want to not get ahead of ourselves,” Nolte added. “What we are very painfully doing in a very heart wrenching way is to stabilize our budget. The future use of buildings will be determined by the board.”

— By Staff writer Becky Johnson

Budget cuts and charter opening forced their hand, school officials say

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A timeline for closing Central Elementary School

• Fall 2015: School officials began to seriously analyze the idea of closing Central Elementary in response to a sudden, crippling funding drain caused by a new charter school that opened in the county in August, which exacerbated the ongoing strain of state budget cuts. The proposal remains a well-kept secret among upper level administration and school board members during the quiet study phase.

• Monday, Jan. 11: The Haywood County School Board formally votes to study the idea of closing Central Elementary. It’s the first time anyone outside the inner circle of school administration learns that closing Central Elementary is being seriously contemplated.

• Tuesday, Jan. 12: News that Central Elementary would likely close was shared for the first time with teachers and school staff before school started in the morning. A letter to par-

• • •

•

kindergarten through sixth grade. Of those, between 150 and 175 came out of the Haywood County school system. Another 18 students previously enrolled in Haywood County Schools joined online virtual charter schools that opened this year.

In all, enrollment between last school year and this year fell by 220 students.

State and county funding for the school system is predicated on student enrollment.

Fewer students mean fewer dollars — dollars that the school system was forced to turn over to charter schools — and the school system must adjust accordingly to that reality, school board members said.

“We’ve endured a drastic reduction in enrollment,” School Board Member Jim Francis said.

School board members said state policy favoring charter schools have been punative to the traditional public school system.

“Education has taken a beating,” School Board Member Lynn Milner said. “When you are in critical mode you have to take drastic measures. We don’t want to make cuts. We’d like to go on like we have been,

ents was sent home with students informing them of the possibility their child’s school could be closing this year.

Thursday, Jan. 21: The school system’s self-imposed deadline to wrap up its feasibility study on closing Central Elementary and make it publicly available. It will be distributed to parents directly, posted online and publicized in local media.

Tuesday, Jan. 26: A public input meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Central Elementary cafeteria on the proposal to close the school. Inclement weather date is Jan. 27.

Monday, Feb. 8: The school board will make a final decision on whether to close Central Elementary, which would be effective at the end of the current school year.

February: If closing Central is approved, the school system would map out new school assignments for current Central students. Central students will be divided between Hazelwood and Junaluska elementary schools.

New school district lines will be drawn, neighborhood by neighborhood, to determine which school students are routed to. No other elementary school district lines will be redrawn in the county.

March/April: The school system will be in the throes of the critical spring planning process. Budgets for the coming school year will be finalized during this time, including more than $2 million in additional budget cuts that must be made over and above the savings from closing Central.

Teaching positions are allocated among the schools — how

but we don’t have the fund balance to fall back on like we have in the past.”

Budget cuts are nothing new for the school system. Cuts to education funding by the state and gradual enrollment declines in the Haywood school system — even before the advent of the new charter school — have prompted incremental budget cuts year after year.

The school system has 130 fewer employees now than it did seven years ago and has cut its budget by several million dollars.

The low hanging fruit has long since been cut, however, leaving no cushion to absorb the sudden $1.5 million bite of the budget by charter schools.

Meanwhile, the school system has also burned through its fund balance. Savings built up and squirrelled away over the years have thus far softened the blow of budget shortfalls, School Superintendent Anne Garrett said.

The school system has spent $3.5 million of its fund balance over the past three years — on top of budget cuts — to help make ends meet. Now there is no more left.

“That was our wake up call,” Garrett said.

many teachers per grade for each school — based on projected enrollment estimates for each school.

• May: If closure is approved, this is when teachers from Central Elementary will learn whether they will be able to move into new jobs at other schools or be laid off.

Hazelwood and Junaluska — where most Central students would be sent — will have to add staff to accommodate the enrollment growth, creating new positions staff from Central can move into. In addition, several dozen positions come open every year due to natural turnover and retirements.

Whether there are enough new positions or job openings at other schools to absorb the 39 staff currently at Central — or whether layoffs will be necessary — will be figured out this month.

• June: If the proposal is adopted, the last day of school before summer break will be Central Elementary’s last day of school for the foreseeable future. There are no hard plans for what to do with the building, at least not that are being shared publicly by the school system. If the school system hangs on to the old school building, should public school population in the county increases in the future, it’s always possible the elementary school could be pressed back into service one day.

• Aug. 20, 2016: If the proposal is adopted, former Central Elementary students will start their first day of the school year at a different school.

— By Becky Johnson, Staff writer

Smoky Mountain News

The following charts the major steps leading up to a final decision on whether to close Central Elementary School in Waynesville, and key decisions that would have to be made in the wake of a vote to close the school.

•

Students at recess at Central Elementary School in Waynesville. File photo

January 13-19, 2016

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER aywood County School Board members were grave and sober Monday night as they confronted the ominous prospect of closing down one of the county’s nine public elementary schools.

When school officials unveiled a proposal this week to close Central Elementary School in Waynesville, they universally described the decision as the most difficult one they’ve ever made.

“Some decisions are easy to make and some are not easy to make. This next decision is not easy to make,” said School Board Member Jim Francis, who chairs the finance committee. “It is with a very heavy heart the finance committee brings a recommendation to authorize a study to close Central Elementary School.”

Haywood County Schools are facing a $2.4 million budget shortfall next school year. The lion’s share of the shortfall — $1.5 million of it — is funding siphoned away from Haywood County Schools by charter schools.

School board members squarely laid the blame at the feet of political leadership in Raleigh that has approved systematic cuts to education in recent years and paved the way for charter schools, which have taken a sizeable bite out of funding for the traditional public school system.

“These cuts reflect the fundamentally

flawed decision making process in Raleigh and are removed from the will of this community,” said School Board Member Rhonda Schandevel, who is running for the N.C. House of Representatives.

During the school board meeting Monday night, board members took turns talking about how much they regret having to consider something as drastic as closing a school, but said their hand is being forced by the policy decisions of state legislators.

“The legislators in Raleigh need to realize every decision they make regarding public schools affects children and they are our future,” School Board Member Jimmy Rogers said.

“The citizens of this county need to understand what is going on. I hope the news media captures the essence of what is going on tonight and our citizens begin to engage our representatives,” Rogers continued. “It is my prayer that this community will hear this news and take action and get involved with the decision-makers and stand up for our children.”

School board members specifically blamed Shining Rock Classical Academy, a new charter school that opened in Haywood County in August, as the driving factor behind the proposal to close Central. It is the first charter school to open in Haywood County.

While a couple dozen students from Haywood County had been attending charter schools in neighboring counties already, the opening of Shining Rock led to a sudden and arresting decline in enrollment in one fell swoop — and in turn, a sizeable cut in funding that must now be contended with, school officials explained.

Shining Rock has roughly 230 students in

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Closing Central Elementary emotional for school officials

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PARENTS, CONTINUED FROM 6 school, but she just isn’t convinced she will find the same experience at other schools.

“It’s a really good school with amazing teachers. My son has ADHD and those teachers at Central helped him out a lot and my middle daughter has ADD and a learning disability — again those teachers have been excellent with her,” Stinnette said. “I like the smaller feel of the school because teachers can focus more on the students. Otherwise students fall through the cracks.”

DWINDLING ENROLLMENT

January 13-19, 2016

Some may like the small school atmosphere, but it’s Central’s diminishing population that has made the school system think long and hard about its viability. Now retired from the school system, John Sanderson served as the principal at Central Elementary for 17 years. He said enrollment never fell below 290 and may have gotten upward of 350 at times.

“That’s about ideal for an elementary school because as an administrator, you can know every single kid and call them by name,” Sanderson said. “You know the parents and you develop those positive relationships, which is very important to have an effective educational experience.”

Central has now hit a record low enrollment, and the school board says it can’t afford to continue paying the cost to operate that building for only 235 students. At one time, families in other districts opted to send

their children to Central because it was somewhat of a magnet school for the arts.

Central’s status as an A+ School — meaning it integrated arts into the academic curriculum — used to bring in more students, but now only 35 students at Central are “opt-ins” from other districts.

Don Hendershot said he chose to send his daughters out of district to Central because of the special program.

“We’re sad to hear about it — our oldest daughter went all the way through elementary at Central and our younger daughter is in her fourth year at Central,” he said.

“We’ve enjoyed our time there and the teachers have been great.”

After operating with the A+ Program for a few years, Sanderson said he started to see test scores slowly but consistently improve at Central. The program brought in additional money from the state for a few years but quickly fizzled — leaving the school system to pick up the tab to keep it going.

“We were never the top-scoring school, but what we did was we got up above average within four years and maintained that until I retired in 2000,” he said.

The program has slowly faded out as new principals have come and gone at the school, but parents say certain aspects of the integrated classes have remained.

“I really don’t know enough to comment on why the closure might be happening, but I have a lot of respect for the school board and administration. I don’t think they’d make a decision like this lightly,” Sanderson said. “But it does make me very sad it could

happen — that school has been a part of Waynesville as long as I can remember.”

TRANSITIONING If the school board does decide to shut down Central, about 200 students will be divided up and sent to Junaluska Elementary or Hazelwood Elementary. The 35 students who have opted in to Central from other districts will be automatically sent back to their home districts.

While her daughter enjoys Central, Melrose believes that Junaluska and Hazelwood are high quality schools as well.

“I feel like all the elementary schools are excellent in the county,” she said. “It is sad Central is closing because she has her friends there, it is familiar and it is her home, but educationally I feel like all the schools are equal.”

Luckily, the adjustment of entering a new school come August will be lessened thanks to living in a small tight-knit community like Waynesville. Thanks to church, sports and chorus, Melrose’s daughter actually has friends at both Hazelwood and Junaluska already, “which would obviously make the transition a lot easier,” she said.

If she gets a choice, Stinnette said she’d want her daughter to go to Junaluska, but she’d rather see Central stay open because of the relationship she’s already built with the teachers and faculty.

“I like the smaller feel of the school because teachers can focus more on each student,” she said.

The proposed closure won’t affect Blazer’s son, who will be entering middle

school next year. Stinnette said she worried about her third-grade daughter re-adjusting to a new bus route and new students.

“I think it will be hard on her to change schools because she has friends at Central and they’ll end up going to other schools after they’ve been together since kindergarten,” she said. “That family bond is going to get broken up.”

Audra Blazer said she was disappointed that the school could be closing down. Her two oldest sons attended Meadowbrook for a majority of their elementary years but her youngest son has attended Central for three years. The switch from Meadowbrook to Central has been a major transition.

“We had such a tightknit community at Meadowbrook and everyone helped each other but it wasn’t like that at Central,” she said.

While Blazer can understand why Central would be targeted for closure — the school building is in poor condition, the district has a high level of poverty and the enrollment is diminishing. On the other hand, she said it’s unfortunate because the school has been moving in a positive direction since Principal Jeanann Yates — formerly at Meadowbrook — took the helm at Central. Since she came on board, Blazer said she’s put more reward programs in place for students and has worked hard to get parents more involved in school activities.

“I think she can really change some things and bring a following with her as well,” she said. “I’m sad they’re not giving her the opportunity.”

— Becky Johnson contributed to this story

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and has to cut its budget to match the funding its given.

“But I am going to be in protest of this,” Rogers said.

Haywood County Schools are among the top performing schools in the state academically, ranking 15th in academic performance out of more than 120 school districts statewide.

Despite being “underfunded and struggling with budget reductions year after year after year …. amidst all this our school system has thrived,” School Board Member Bobby Rogers said. “It is because of teachers and administrators and staff who have overcome the obstacles that have been put in their way.”

The idea of laying off a sizeable number of staff and teachers weighed heavily on school board members.

“It is a hard decision when you are talking about people’s jobs and livelihoods and careers they have worked so hard for,” Jimmy Rogers added.

Superintendent Anne Garrett said she hopes no one has to be laid off and that the reduction in workforce can be realized through natural tur-over, attrition and retirement. The school system has the equivalent of 952 full-time employees — down from 1,079 in 2008.

Each year, about 60 employees retire, move away or otherwise leave the school system.

With only around 30 positions being cut, theoretically, no one would have to be laid off.

“But that is always a possibility if you don’t have enough money to keep everybody after retirements and resignations,” Nolte said.

The list of cuts totaling $2.4 million does not include savings realized from closing Central Elementary. Although the option is a strong likelihood, it wasn’t prudent to include in the list of cuts until the school board officially voted on to do it.

“If those savings are realized then we would be able to go back to this list of cuts and mitigate or lessen the impact of them,” Nolte said.

In other words, some of the suggested cuts on the list now could be reinstated if Central is closed.

Closing Central would net the school less than half a million dollars. Most of that is the cost of running the building — keeping the lights and heat on, the water running, and so on. The savings would also come from the elimination of so-called “redundant staff,” like custodians, secretaries and librarians that are specific to a school.

As for the teaching staff at Central, many would have to be kept on at the other elementary schools that will be absorbing Central’s population of 230 students. Teachers would need to be added at those schools to serve the increase in student body there.

January 13-19, 2016

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER proposal to close Central Elementary School in Waynesville is only one piece of a sweeping and wide-reaching plan to close a $2.4 million budget shortfall being faced by Haywood County Schools next year, including the elimination of more than 30 staff and teachers.

Closing Central Elementary School would save less than half a million a year.

“It is fair to note that even if the board decides to close Central Elementary School, that is only about 20 percent of the $2.4 million we have to come up with for our budget to be solid and operational into the future. So additional decisions need to be made,” Assistant Superintendent Bill Nolte said.

School officials unveiled a long list of suggested cuts to close the $2.4 million gap, saying they are doing everything they can to protect the quality of education.

“We have worked very, very hard to become the 15th top-ranked school district in the state and we are going to go out of our way to maintain that high academic performance,” Nolte said.

The recommendations unveiled this week include just about everything from cuts to sports, band, chorus and other extracurricular activities to cuts in supplies like postage, copies and computers.

School officials combed through every line of the budget, cutting anything they could get their hands on, from a reduction in cell phone reimbursements to reorganizing the bus system.

But cuts of the $2.4 million magnitude couldn’t be realized without axing positions. The list of proposed cuts includes the elimination of 22 primary teacher positions, two assistant principals, two clerical positions and more than half a dozen support teachers.

The school board voted Monday night to give preliminary approval to the list of cuts, essentially giving school administration permission to use the cuts as a baseline to begin crafting next year’s budget.

School Board Member Rhonda Schandevel cast a symbolic vote against the $2.4 million budget adjustment, however.

Schandevel said she supports the school administration and realizes their hands are tied in making the budget adjustments to reflect the financial reality. Yet she hoped her “no” vote would send a message.

“I cannot sit idly by while our traditional public schools systems are attacked,” Schandevel said. “My vote will be in clear protest of these policies.”

School Board Member Jimmy Rogers joined Schandevel in a symbolic “no” vote.

“We have to stand up to Raleigh. I don’t know how to get there but we have to challenge it,” Rogers said.

Realistically, Rogers said he knows the school system must play the hand its dealt

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Cuts widespread as Haywood faces $2.4 million shortfall

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Motion to dismiss filed in lawsuit contesting Cherokee council raises

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER efendants in a lawsuit stemming from raises and backpay the Cherokee Tribal Council voted itself in October 2014 are hoping to convince a judge to dismiss the case against them.

The motion to dismiss lays out several reasons why the lawsuit should supposedly be thrown out, one of them a claim that many had expected the defendants to make since the beginning — that they’re protected from lawsuit by sovereign immunity. Though the current and former elected leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who are named in the lawsuit are being sued as individuals — not, save one former staffer named in an official capacity, as members of the government — the actions that prompted the lawsuit occurred while they were serving their official duties.

The plaintiffs’ attorney Meghann Burke doesn’t believe that fact should hold off the lawsuit. This summer — before the suit was filed — she said, “We contend that if you act illegally, you cannot possibly be acting under

January 13-19, 2016

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the power of the law.”

The alleged illegal act occurred on Oct. 4, 2014, when Tribal Council voted to pass a budget that included raises of more than $10,000 for each of its 12 members and backpay for the years when they supposedly should have already been earning the higher rate. Backpay checks went out not only to the 12 sitting councilmembers but also to four former councilmembers and to Michell Hicks and Larry Blythe, who at the time were serving as chief and vice chief, respectively.

All but one of the councilmembers in the room at the time voted for the raises, with Councilmember Bo Crowe, of Wolfetown, the sole nay vote. Councilmembers Brandon Jones, of Snowbird, and Teresa McCoy, of Big Cove, were absent at the time and came out strongly against the action.

Many tribal members reacted angrily, pointing out that the tribe’s Charter and Governing Document explicitly states that any raises given to councilmembers must wait until after the next election to go into effect — these had been paid out immediately. Hicks, meanwhile, said that they were “pay

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It’s been more than a year since Cherokee Tribal Council gave itself a controversial raise, but the legal aftermath is just beginning. SMN photo

adjustments,” not raises, given to comply suit would be filed if they didn’t reverse the with a 2004 law that said pay raises given decision, but no reversal came.

• No way to prosecute four of the defencouncilmembers should be comparable to those given tribal employees. Council pay dants. Four of the people named in the lawhadn’t increased since 2007, he said, so the suit — Diamond Brown, Michael Parker, extra money was just accounting for that lag. James Owle and James Taylor — received All councilmembers receive the same backpay checks but were not sitting on counsalary, regardless of the number of years cil at the time the raises and backpay were served, though the chair and vice chair posi- approved. They had no opportunity to vote for or against the raises. Metcalf says that tions do come with a slightly higher salary.

Hicks’ explanation didn’t sit well with there’s no basis for suit against them.

• Civil conspiracy isn’t addressed in some tribal members, who formed a group called the EBCI for Justice and Accountability, secured Burke as The motion to dismiss lays out a lawyer and filed a lawsuit in Tribal Court. several reasons why the lawsuit Carlton Metcalf of the should supposedly be thrown Asheville firm Van Winkle, Buck, Wall, Starnes and Davis, P.A., is out, one of them a claim that representing the defendants. many had expected the Aside from the sovereignty issue, the motion to dismiss claims defendants to make since the that: • The plaintiffs don’t have beginning — sovereign immunity. standing. To bring a lawsuit, the person or organization must have standing, meaning that they’ve been specifi- Cherokee law. The lawsuit includes a claim of cally injured by the action they’re protesting. civil conspiracy against Hicks and Blythe, assertMetcalf contends the EBCI for Justice and ing that the two had agreed to introduce and sign into law a resolution containing the raises Accountability doesn’t meet that criterion.

• The plantiffs did not “exhaust adminis- and backpay, which the suit says “plainly viotrative remedies.” According to Metcalf, the lates” Cherokee law. However, Metcalf ’s motion plaintiffs didn’t try everything they could to dismiss says that civil conspiracy isn’t a valid have to fix the problem before going to court, complaint recognized under Cherokee law.

• Some parties were omitted from the including, according to the motion, “pursuing potentially available relief directly from lawsuit. The motion says that the lawsuit fails to “join one or more necessary parties,” Tribal Council.”

Members of the EBCI for Justice and meaning that some people who should have Accountability did approach Tribal Council been included were not. It’s unclear who during the aftermath of the decision. At one these “necessary parties” are or why they point, group leader Peggy Hill came forward should have been included.

The defendants have not yet asked that a during a council session to ask, “Where do we hearing be scheduled on the motion. go now? What do we do now?”

“If you choose to bring a lawsuit against However, if and when they do a judge will the Tribal Council, you have the right to do have to preside and determine whether the that,” then-Chairwoman Terri Henry had case should continue.

If the case survives the motion to dismiss, responded.

Before filing the lawsuit, the plaintiffs had it will go to trial.

Both Burke and Metcalf declined to comsent demand letters to the councilmembers who voted for the raise, letting them know a ment, as the court case is pending.

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Tribal Council asserts independence Majority votes to create legislative office separate from executive oversight

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“Council is a separate branch of government. It is a very powerful branch of government, but I think discussions like this warrant more than 15 minutes of our time.”

— Teresa McCoy, Big Cove

bers have said that they’d rather have an attorney who reports directly to them, not to the principal chief.

In an October council session, some even went so far as to say if they’d had their own legal advisor, separate from the attorney employed by the executive branch, they might not have voted for the 2014 salary bumps and backpay that prompted wide-

spread anger among tribal members and a lawsuit against councilmembers who voted for the raises. Though her initial memo to then-Principal Chief Michell Hicks had said the raises would violate Cherokee law, Hannah Smith, who works for the chief, later told council the action was legal.

“The information that was presented was what we acted on,” said Councilmember Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird, in October.

“I’m listening to what the attorney general’s office has to say. This body does need its own legal council.”

“We all was in agreeance that we needed to hire that person for ourselves and not come from the attorney general’s office,” Travis Smith said last week.

The new legislative office will also include a legislative director to oversee operations there. That person will report directly to Tribal Council Chairman Bill Taylor, who was the ordinance’s third sponsor.

QUESTIONING THE TIMELINE Nobody in Council chambers last week said outright that the concept of creating a separate legislative office was a bad one. But several people offered strong opinion that the ordinance was not yet ready for passage and deserved more discussion.

Principal Chief Patrick Lambert was among them.

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER hen the Cherokee Tribal Council voted to create the Office of Legislative Support last week, it was doing more than ramping up tribal staffing.

“This is for this body and for this tribe to show that separation from the executive branch,” said Councilmember Travis Smith, of Birdtown, one of the ordinance’s sponsors.

Tribal Council already has staff at its disposal to act as aides, record keepers and providers of information, but the Tribal Operations Program, which fulfills those duties, is under the executive branch. The newly created Office of Legislative Support would absorb the employees at TOP, who would then be responsible to Council.

According to Councilmember Anita Lossiah, of Yellowhill, another sponsor of the ordinance, the change is just a necessary first step in empowering Council to do the job it’s tasked with.

“One of the things that I’ve spoken about multiple times in my community also was to try to focus on the duties of Tribal Council.

Try to focus more on the legislation, more on

the budgetary process, but one thing we realized very quickly once we took office is there’s lack of a developed staff for those duties,” Lossiah said.

It’s a topic that’s come up in council before, specifically relating to legal advice.

Currently, Interim Attorney General Hannah Smith sits in all Council meetings, providing legal insight as required. But councilmem-

“This is a wholesale change that is not budgeted for, and I think that needs to be discussed,” Lambert said. “There’s problems with this I see right out of the gate.”

One of the biggest issues, Lambert said, was a line exempting the Office of Legislative Support from obtaining approval from the Business Committee for contracts worth more than $50,000. Cherokee code says contracts that large, once approved by Tribal Council, must have Business Committee approval before they’re executed. Language in the newly passed ordinance says that requirement doesn’t apply to contracts from the Office of Legislative Support.

Lambert said he’s “not opposed to a concept” of creating a legislative office like that laid out in the ordinance but believes “there are some pieces of this we need to talk about.”

That’s a statement that councilmembers Tommye Saunooke, of Painttown, and Teresa McCoy, of Big Cove, agreed with.

“We have not even discussed this in council,” said Saunooke, later moving to table the ordinance for a work session later.

Travis Smith disagreed, saying plenty of discussion has happened already.

“We’ve had these discussions many times with several councilmembers,” he said. “We talk about these things daily.”

But not in open session, McCoy pointed out.

“We represent the people. They should get to see what we’re talking about,” she said.

Moreover, a lot of the particulars have not yet been discussed, McCoy said.

Most notably, the price tag. How

January 13-19, 2016

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Hannah Smith said. “Once those enabling laws are passed, the budget comes behind and funds it and the executive branch builds it and executes what the law enabled it to do.”

That’s fine, said Wachacha, but why not just let it sit for another month or two so tribal leaders can make sure they’re passing the best ordinance possible?

“We waited this long,” he said. “Why can’t we just make sure it’s right when we move forward with it?”

“I’m not opposed to the tabling it, I guess, but I don’t see why we would need to,” answered Councilmember Alan “B” Ensley, of Yellowhill.

In the end, though, Ensley voted along with the majority to pass the legislation, joined by Chairman Bill Taylor, of Wolfetown; Councilmember Albert Rose, of Birdtown; Vice Chair Brandon Jones, of Snowbird; Councilmember Marie Junaluska, of Painttown; Councilmember Richard French, of Big Cove; Travis Smith and Lossiah.

Saunooke and McCoy both voted against the ordinance, with Wachacha abstaining.

The ordinance still requires Lambert’s signature to become law.

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much will it cost to hire any new positions that are needed, provide any extra office space required or pay for all the hidden costs that come along with establishing a new office?

“I don’t disagree with this concept. I think it needs to happen,” McCoy said. “Council is a separate branch of government. It is a very powerful branch of government, but I think discussions like this warrant more than 15 minutes of our time.”

But from Lossiah’s point of view, the important point is to get the legal framework creating the legislative office in place now.

That paves the way for more discussion of details and fleshing out of the basic structure.

“This would basically be just implementing the authority to start these things. Then after that we can start developing that,” Lossiah said.

That is typically how things work in other government models, agreed Hannah Smith, though the tribe has ordered the process both ways in the past.

“If you go and look at any state book of law, there are lots of enabling statutes that establish things like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice,”

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January 13-19, 2016

ast week wasn’t the first time since the new tribal leadership took office that the issue of separation of powers has cropped up. During the December budget hearings, things got heated in council chambers when Chief Justice Bill Boyum came to discuss the budget for Tribal Court.

“My position, for reasons unknown to me, has been essentially reorganized and sent to report directly to the chief and put under the chief ’s budget,” Boyum told Tribal Council. “I Bill Boyum don’t really have to tell you what that does to the court system. It destroys the court system.”

Lambert’s proposed budget, Boyum said, provided “down to the penny” what he’d asked for but moved the budget for his position, chief justice, under that of the principal chief.

“If I report to the chief, he is essentially my client and then I can’t hear any case because the EBCI (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) is involved in nearly every case,” Boyum said. “It essentially takes me out of the picture. Maybe that’s what someone wants.”

Lambert bristled at the implication.

“I resent those types of comments, because there was no ill intent intended there,” he said. “If he (Boyum) bothers to look at the org chart, he remains in the same place. It is merely a matter of budgeting.”

Legally speaking, Lambert continued, Tribal Court is not currently a third branch of government with power equal to the executive and legislative branches. The change

was mostly just a form of budgetary housecleaning, designed to place officials of equal levels on the same line.

“Until we get that third branch of government, that’s all this is intended to do is be consistent,” he said.

Councilmembers hold differing opinions on Tribal Court’s place in the government.

Some maintain that it is, in fact, a third branch of government, while others hold that it’s not.

“Despite what Patrick (Lambert) says, there is a judicial branch. Just because it’s not in the charter or constitution doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” said Councilmember Travis Smith, of Birdtown, pointing out that the three appointed judges are nominated by the chief, confirmed by Tribal Council and fall outside the personnel policy the executive branch administers.

“The code does clearly state that the judicial power shall be vested in the judicial branch,” agreed Councilmember Anita Lossiah, of Yellowhill, adding that, “it is vital that we keep them (the branches of government) separate.”

Other councilmembers held the opposite view.

“You got a chief and then you got a council, and that’s established by charter. The court should fall below the chief and be out from him,” said Councilmember Teresa McCoy, of Big Cove. “I’m sorry, that’s what I think. You are not a separate branch of government.”

“I’m saying no, they’re not,” said Councilmember Adam Wachacha, of Snowbird, agreeing with McCoy. Despite the differing opinions, council opted to move the budget for Boyum’s position back where it had been, under Tribal Court. But with Lambert’s office moving toward creating a draft constitution for the tribe — none currently exists — and a new tribal leadership with a set of views apart from those of the previous cohort, the issue of separation of powers will likely come up again.

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Council discusses the court system’s place in government

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Animal shelter advocates make their case Jackson leaders agree to move forward with plans for a new shelter

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER ackson County’s animal lovers had a message for county commissioners last week, and it couldn’t have been clearer: We need a new animal shelter, and quickly, speaker after speaker told the board.

“Simply put, we’re out of time,” said Mary Adams, a longtime volunteer with Jackson County’s Human Society chapter, ARF. “We can’t wait for this project to be kicked down the road again.”

“Our shelter is archaic. Our shelter is an embarrassment. Our shelter is one of the most horrible I’ve ever stepped in,” agreed Betsy Ashby, also an ARF volunteer.

“We need to move forward with a new shelter. It’s a no-brainer,” said Pat Thomas, chair of the task force commissioners created last year to examine needs at the county animal shelter.

Commissioners formed the task force following a public hearing in which 40 people turned out to say Jackson County needed to do something about its animal shelter. After months of research and site visits to other animal shelters in the region, last week the task force presented its findings to commissioners. The unequivocal conclusion: there’s no way to adequately renovate the existing shelter — a new building is needed.

“It’s too far gone. Why would you want to put more money into it when you can put money into something better?” Thomas asked commissioners.

The existing shelter, located near Cullowhee up Airport Road, is 35 years old and endowed with a failing septic system, a well and heating system without backup power, spotty Internet service and limited space to house animals. The only entrance is through the front door, setting up potential for conflict between animals coming into contact with each other at what is already a stressful time for them. Office space is small and cramped. The building is hard to secure and has been subject to multiple break-ins.

“I’ve been there once, and I cried when I left,” Commissioner Vicki Greene said when the issue was discussed at a December meeting. “I should have cried the whole time I was there.”

Smoky Mountain News

January 13-19, 2016

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ENVISIONING A NEW SHELTER

The task force based its analysis mainly on comparison to the facilities in Transylvania and Buncombe counties.

Transylvania is the more similar county to Jackson when it comes to demographics — the county’s population sits at about 34,000 compared to Jackson’s 42,000 — and its shelter is relatively new, less than five years old.

A new shelter, Thomas said, should improve upon the existing one in a number of 14 ways aside from basics like reliable Internet

and newer infrastructure. Most obviously, there should be more space to house animals.

Dog kennels should be situated so the animals aren’t facing each other, cutting down on noise and stress. There should be a grooming area to make the animals more attractive to prospective adopters and outdoor areas for dogs and cats. The new shelter should feature in-house spay/neuter, a dedicated space for adopters to meet the animals, a conference room to be used for training, improved office space and a nursery area for baby animals.

The list of ideas goes on from there.

Task force members were adamant that the new shelter wouldn’t need to be the “Taj Mahal” of shelters to do the job. But they were equally clear that they wanted the county to provide something more than just the bare minimum.

The 35-year-old Jackson County Animal Shelter has outlived its usefulness and is in acute “This doesn’t have to be a burden,” said need of replacement, according to advocates for a new shelter. Donated photo Janet James, a Jackson County resident whose two dogs were both rescued from death row.

“This could be something really wonderful member Sally Johannessen. moment when it comes to capital projects for our community.”

It’s been more than a year since the shelter like a new shelter. They’re already considerAnimal shelter supporters tossed out has euthanized a dog due to lack of space, and ing replacing roofs in the schools, increasing ideas ranging from providing doggy day care while the same can’t be said for cats, the limit- space at the courthouse, renovating the at the shelter to holding obedience lessons to ed use of euthanasia is a triumph that is direct- Skyland Services Center, building a new hosting a dog park — all available for a fee, ly attributable to volunteers who work Health Department building and expanding with proceeds supporting shelter operations. through ARF and the cat rescue Catman2. the Green Energy Park.

“There’s a lot of things that could be done Volunteers foster animals in their homes to But despite all that, things are looking if the shelter was planned right where it could keep them out of shelter cages. They help get promising for the animal shelter. Last week, in part be self-sustaining,” said shelter volun- the word out about adoption opportunities. commissioners approved $15,000 for a needs teer Jane Finneran.

Making government services selfsustaining can be a challenge, with institutions in Jackson County ranging from the Parks and Recreation Department to the Green Energy Park to the Permitting and Code Enforcement Office never coming close to paying for Volunteers with animal rescue organizations in Jackson County say a new shelter should hold more animals and be themselves through designed to make life less stressful for its inhabitants. Donated photos fees collected — the only self-sustaining department in Jackson County government is And, perhaps most importantly, they make assessment to determine what kind of space a the register of deeds. However, it’s a discussion regular drives up North, animals in tow, to new shelter should include and how much it that the animal shelter supporters said they states where they’re more likely to get adopted. might cost. want to have. Even if the self-sustaining part of In states with strict spay and neuter laws, there “We’re going to work with you,” it doesn’t come true, maybe the money could are fewer puppies and unclaimed animals in Commissioner Chairman Brian McMahan at least support services that wouldn’t other- general, so the demand for animals is higher. told animal shelter supporters last week. wise be offered.

Even if the shelter wound up as commisThose trips cost $1,000 to $2,000 apiece, and “We have an opportunity here to build a they’re done six to nine times each year. sioners’ number one priority, though, it real nice shelter and set a precedent for would be a while before a new building mateIt’s a lot of responsibility.

Western North Carolina,” Thomas said.

“Without all the work from ARF and rialized. An optimistic timeframe would be Catman2 by a very, very few number of volun- two years, and that’s assuming there are no thing would be so, so bad,” said Caleb hold-ups and the land search process goes OVING FORWARD teers, Lynch, who volunteers at the animal shelter, smoothly. Considering that animals shelters No matter how the particulars wind up works as shelter manager for Catman2 and often attract a not-in-my-backyard attitude working out, the county is guaranteed a stal- serves as spay/neuter coordinator for ARF. from people living near them — and the “It’s very hard for a lot of people to see that desire to locate the shelter where public water wart set of volunteers to work with.

“The only thing preventing our current because what we do is so behind the scenes, and sewer hookups are available — finding a shelter from being a county embarrassment but I want to assure everyone we are all very, location could prove challenging.

However, the will to try seems to be there. is the tireless work of its staff and a fragile very tired. With a new facility the burnout “I really believe it will move forward,” said web of volunteers who carry an enormous rate is going to be a lot less.”

Commissioners have a full plate at the County Manager Chuck Wooten. burden on their shoulders,” said task force

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Bill introduced for Swain to receive school funding

Things we want you to know: Shared Connect Plan and Customer Service Agreement with a 2-yr. initial term (subject to a pro-rated $150 Early Termination Fee for basic phones, modems and hotspot devices and a $350 Early Termination Fee for Smartphones and Tablets) or Retail Installment Contract for installment pricing required. Credit approval also required. Up to $40 Device Activation Fee applies. A Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee (currently $1.82/line/month) applies; this is not a tax or gvmt. required charge. Additional fees, taxes, terms, conditions and coverage areas apply and may vary by plan, service and phone. $300 Switcher Incentive: Requires port-in, purchase of a new Smartphone with Retail Installment Contract and Device Protection+, and trade-in of an active Smartphone on former carrier’s plan. Limit one per line. Traded-in Smartphone must be in fully functional, working condition without any liquid damage or broken components, including, but not limited to, a cracked display or housing. Smartphone must power on and cannot be pin locked. For in-store transactions: $150 Promotional Card given at point of sale. Additional $150 Promotional Card will be mailed to customer within 6–8 weeks. Promotional Cards issued by MetaBank,® Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Valid only for purchases at U.S. Cellular® stores and uscellular.com. For online and telesales transactions, see uscellular.com for redemption details. Device Protection+: Enrollment in Device Protection+ required. The monthly charge for Device Protection+ is $8.99 for Smartphones. A deductible per approved claim applies. You may cancel Device Protection+ anytime. Federal Warranty Service Corporation is the Provider of the Device Protection+ ESC benefits, except in CA and OK. Limitations and exclusions apply. For complete details, see an associate for a Device Protection+ brochure. Kansas Customers: In areas in which U.S. Cellular receives support from the Federal Universal Service Fund, all reasonable requests for service must be met. Unresolved questions concerning services availability can be directed to the Kansas Corporation Commission Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 1-800-662-0027. Offers valid at participating locations only and cannot be combined. See store or uscellular.com for details. Limited-time offer. Trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. ©2016 U.S. Cellular®

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January 13-19, 2016

Since 1940, the Federal Government has provided Impact Aid Funding to assist school districts that have lost a portion of their local tax base because of Federal ownership of property.

Despite easily meeting the 10-percent threshold of Federally owned land, Swain County has been precluded from receiving Impact Aid Funding under section 8002 due to technicalities in the law.

Sen. Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, recently sponsored the corrective language to include Swain County in the Impact Aid Funding section 8002.

Burr was able to include the language changes in the Every Student Achieves Act, which was recently passed by both Senate and House chambers and signed into law by President Obama.

As a member of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions committee, which was responsible for introducing Every Student Achieves Act, Burr was on the conference committee that worked out the differences between Senate and House versions of the bill. As such, Burr and his Deputy Legislative Director Chris Toppings worked to see that the Swain language was included in this bill for passage.

The passing of the Every Student Achieves Act, and language addition to Impact Aid funding in section 8002, is a landmark accomplishment for Swain County. It opens up funding potential for Swain County Schools that has never been available before now. It is important for the people of Swain County to keep in mind that despite being included in this bill, the funding for the bill can vary from year to year and budget to budget.

Initially Swain County will be eligible for around $500,000, but in reality will only actually receive a fraction, if any, of this amount. There are existing provisions to keep the same funding level for counties across the country who already receive Impact Aid from section 8002.

In an age where budgets are routinely cut, it is crucial that funding for Impact Funding and the education of young people not be a causality of budget cuts. Swain County Schools would like to express our heartfelt and sincere appreciation to Senator Richard Burr and his staff for their tireless work on our behalf.

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Macon flood damage exceeds $1 million

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A bridge on McClure Mill Road was completely washed out during heavy rainfall in Macon County. River levels in Swain County were high over the Christmas holiday but didn’t create any flooding issues for emergency management. Donated photo

January 13-19, 2016

ment from the state last week, and the state sent out inspectors to conduct surveys on Jan. 7-8.

“They looked at different areas and will take their figures back to Raleigh and plug them into their formulas to see if there’s any chance for disaster relief funding for those individuals affected,” Cabe said.

Looking at the numbers, Cabe said it’s hard to tell whether the damage will be enough to receive outside funding. He said he should hear something definite from the state by the end of the week.

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Schedule a Free Mortgage Loan Analysis today 828.452.2216 ext. 2207 or mortgages@mountaincu.org Smoky Mountain News

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR eavy rains and high waters in December have resulted in more than $1 million in flood damage in Macon County.

About 30 residential homes and at least 23 private roads and bridges were damaged following heavy rains before and after Christmas. The county experienced a record rainfall in December — almost 19 inches for the month, about 15 inches of that falling after Dec. 21.

Warren Cabe, Macon County emergency management director, said the county’s preliminary damage estimates were still being calculated, but so far residential damage is totaling $345,000 and bridge, road and culvert damage is $486,000.

“We’re just now totaling damage to public properties, which include all the recreation facilities that tend to be located in lower-lying areas or flood-prone areas, but right now it’s over $300,000 worth of damage and we’re still compiling those numbers,” Cabe said.

Cabe said there were about 30 homes that were deemed unsafe to inhabit following the rainfall due either to flooding or landslides.

That number is now down to four families who are unable to occupy their homes because of damage. Only one of those was due to flood damage while the other three were because of a landslide.

“The others weren’t flood-damaged but were involved in heavy debris flow where a slope failure endangered the foundations,” Cabe said. “One of those was one up on Cullasaja and then there were two more at Mill Creek condos.”

Macon County Commission Chairman Kevin Corbin declared a state of emergency during the heavy rainfall, which will allow the county to be eligible for financial assistance from the state and the federal government for cleanup.

The county requested a damage assess-

reaching out to farmers to assess the damage to their crops and fencing to see if assistance is warranted.

Swain County also experienced high waters during the holidays, but Emergency Management Director David Breedlove said the county didn’t get the amount of rainfall Macon County did. He said the Tuckasegee River reached the flood stage on Christmas Eve but not much damage as homes along the river are prepared for that level of flooding.

People on the river have plans in place for flooding and most homes are built up 10 feet to avoid significant damage.

Bear Hunter Campground is another place that is accustomed to flooding since it’s low lying and right on the river.

Breedlove said the campground can easily flood three times a year and the owners know when to alert their RV residents that they need to relocate to higher ground on the other side of the property.

“Along the river close to town it floods about once a year. You get heavy rains in Jackson County and in the national park and it all runs downhill to us,” Breedlove said.

“Then Duke Energy — if the reservoir gets full they have to release water so that adds to the situation.”

Even though the flooding in December was significant, Breedlove said water levels were still a foot lower than they were during the 2004 floods.

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7 Locations Serving you in Western North Carolina “We had a lot of significant damage in the $10,000 to $20,000 range, but we didn’t haven’t any structures classified as over 40 percent damaged, so I’m not 100 percent confident but we’ll try every avenue possible,” he said.

Cabe said a representative from the North Carolina Baptist Men contacted him over the weekend to get a list of affected families to see if the organization can help those people with housing and clothing. Farm Service Agency is

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Man’s body found near Dry Falls

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morning. According to the incident report, Kasey didn’t fall off the main falls walkway but had jumped over the gate and then slipped off the falls.

Friday last day to apply for Maggie board

asked to provide information about prior service on civic boards, how they’ve contributed to improve quality of life in the valley, their goals for the board and any criminal or professional misconduct.

The last time the board of aldermen had a vacancy was in 2012 when Alderman Phil Aldridge resigned. The board took applications and conducted interviews, but the remaining three aldermen and the mayor couldn’t agree on an appointment. The seat sat empty until the 2013 November election when Alderwoman Janet Banks was elected.

Former alderman Mike Matthews was quickly appointed to the board in September 2011 to fill the unexpired term of Scott Pauley, who moved away and resigned in August.

Just a few months before that, Danya Vanhook was appointed to the Maggie board to fill the unexpired term of alderman Colin Edwards after his resignation in February 2011.

These years were also plagued with internal bickering amongst aldermen, mayor, town staff and even the public during board meetings. The frequent vacancies and appointments made it difficult for the town to operate with continuity. Board members often took sides and a majority of important votes were split between factions.

With two new aldermen elected in 2013 and a new town manager hired shortly after that, the town has been on a more productive path and they want to keep it that way.

Applications are available for pick-up at Maggie Valley Town Hall, 3987 Soco Road or through the Town’s website at www.townofmaggivalley.com. Submit completed applications to town hall, fax to 828.926.3576 or email vbest@townofmaggievalley.com.

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BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR escue crews recovered the body of Sean Kasey around 1:30 p.m. Sunday from the Cullasaja River after conducting a search for nearly 24 hours.

Kasey, 45, of Villa Rica, Georgia, apparently fell from a walkway near Dry Falls into the river, which has been higher than normal due to heavy rains. Rescue crews from Macon and Jackson counties as well as the City of Asheville Fire Department conducted the search with as many as 75 rescuers involved.

“Higher than average water conditions, gusty winds and near freezing temperatures made searching difficult,” said Robbie Forrester, Highlands Fire and Rescue assistant chief.

Highlands Fire and Rescue, Macon County EMS, and the U.S. Forest Service were dispatched to the area around noon Saturday, Jan. 9, when a male called and said one of his friends fell off the walkway and they lost sight of him. Rescuers quickly requested help from other Macon and Jackson County emergency service agencies as they attempted to locate the subject.

Due to dangerous water conditions and very rough terrain, the search was suspended at dark and resumed first thing Sunday

BY J ESSI STONE N EWS E DITOR aggie Valley is still accepting applications from potential candidates to fill a two-year unexpired term on the board of aldermen.

The seat was left vacant in December after alderwoman Saralyn Price was elected as mayor. That left her seat vacant. The board hopes to fill the seat sometime in February.

As of Tuesday morning, two candidates — Billy Case and Brad Pendley — had submitted their applications to town hall. Case, a local real estate broker, has sought a seat on the board during the past three elections but hasn’t been able to garner enough votes. He currently serves as chairman of the town’s planning board.

Pendley is part owner of Maggie Mountaineer Crafts and is an active member of the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Anyone interested in applying to serve on the board has until 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, to submit an application. Applicants must be registered voters living within the town limits of Maggie Valley. After the deadline for applications, the board will review them and set up interviews with the candidates.

Maggie Valley has had plenty of experience with filling vacant board seats in the past. The process hasn’t always been successful, which is why applicants will find much more detailed questions on the candidate application this time around. Applicants are

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Rescuers recovered the body of a 45-year-old Georgia man on Sunday after he slipped and fell from the walkway of Dry Falls in Highlands. Donated photo

BY B ECKY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER wo Waynesville town board members wanting to get rid of the town manager were prepared to bring the issue to a head at the town meeting Tuesday night.

The outcome of the meeting was not known as of press time Tuesday afternoon.

“I am hopeful that what we are going to do is talk as a board. We have not done that yet. And so that is what I hope is going to happen,” said Alderman Jon Feichter prior to the meeting Tuesday.

Whether a vote to fire Town Manager Marcy Onieal would transpire following the discussion was unknown. Since it is a personnel matter, it will be discussed confidentially during a closed session. Any vote following the discussion would be held in public, however.

Mayor Gavin Brown was hesitant to guess what the outcome of Tuesday night’s meeting would be.

“I can’t forecast what the result of this discussion might be,” Brown said. To run through the possible scenarios would be like “jousting with windmills,” Brown said.

Brown supports the job Onieal, now in her fourth year as manager, has done for the town. So does Alderwoman Julia Freeman.

However, Aldermen Gary Caldwell and LeRoy Roberson are not supportive of Onieal. That makes Feichter the swing vote

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in the issue. Feichter was just sworn into the board last month following his election victory in November.

A plan to replace the town manager had apparently been in the works for months prior to the election, but neither Caldwell nor Roberson talked about it publicly.

Instead, their campaign centered around Waynesville’s progress and accomplishments. They touted the town’s stellar reputation — not only for its excellent quality of life but also for being professionally run.

They pledged to “stay the course” and “keep the ship afloat.” They even touted the congenial atmosphere that evaporated the day after the election, when attention suddenly turned to getting rid of the town manager.

“This question about Marcy’s future with the town has been hanging over everybody since the election. I suspect every one of us wants to put this question to rest one way or the other,” Feichter said. “It is not good for anybody.”

Caldwell and Roberson were emboldened by hopes that Feichter would be the missing piece of the puzzle they needed to get rid of Onieal.

They didn’t have the votes before, since three of the five aldermen supported Onieal.

That dynamic changed when one of Onieal’s three supporters on the board chose not to run for re-election.

Feichter won the open seat and promptly found himself in the hot seat as the swing vote.

Feichter said Caldwell and Roberson would like to vote to get rid of Onieal as soon as possible. However, he denied that they are pressuring him to weigh in before he is comfortable doing so.

“Ultimately this decision — however it comes down — is mine and mine alone,” Feichter said. “All of my fellow board members have encouraged me to make my own decision and do my due diligence and come up with what I think is the best decision.”

As for how he would come down if Caldwell and Roberson forced a vote on the issue Tuesday, Feichter said Monday night that he didn’t know yet.

“My decision right this minute is unmade,” Feichter said, adding however, “I am rapidly approaching that point.”

Although Feichter has been in office only a month and attended only one town meeting in his new capacity as an alderman, he has devoted significant time talking to more than 40 town employees — including seven department heads — to assess Onieal’s leadership. He has also met extensively with Onieal.

The dissatisfaction some aldermen have with Onieal seems to be less about her actual performance and more about her management style. Some employees have

become disgruntled with Onieal’s leadership approach.

Brown questions the storyline portrayed by those wanting to replace Onieal and questions why Feichter is being expected to weigh in on such a major issue so promptly upon taking office without more time to digest the town’s operations.

“If the scenario that is being described by Gary and LeRoy is true, that morale is so low and the town is absolutely falling apart, there is some immediacy,” Brown said.

But that’s not the case, in Brown’s opinion. Brown borrowed a line from Feichter, one he used often in his campaign.

“Perception is reality,” Brown said. But, “I am beginning to wonder if in fact his perception may be wrong. He is hearing things I disagree with. His perception of the world is different than mine at this point in time.”

If those pushing for a vote call the question at the town meeting Tuesday night, only one thing is certain about the outcome.

“I completely understand that my decision, no matter what way it goes, will upset half the people,” Feichter said.

Feichter said one thing he has learned during his talks with town employees is there are often competing versions of any given story.

“Many of the people who would get angry no matter how I decide don’t know the full story,” Feichter said.

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Waynesville board mulls manager’s future

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Haywood Healthcare Foundation honors Dr. Don Teater

r. Don Teater was honored recently by the Haywood Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees as the Haywood Healthcare Hero 2015 for his volunteer medical service to the community.

Following his residency in family medicine, Teater joined Waynesville Family Practice in 1988. By 1993, Teater recognized the lack of medical care for Haywood County’s migrant worker population. In response to this need, he began caring for patients, fitting them into his practice’s regular schedule.

In 1996 Teater established Blue Ridge Family Practice, where he provided primary medical care and his wife, Martha, practiced as a family therapist. His volunteer medical care was soon enhanced by opening a free clinic in collaboration with Haywood Christian Ministry and the First Baptist Church of Waynesville.

In 1999, this collaboration gave rise to the Good Samaritan clinic, incorporated as a nonprofit medical clinic. Teater served as volunteer medical director from 1993 until 2008. Currently, Teater is medical director of Mountain Area Recovery Center, where he oversees an opioid treatment program and serves low-income and uninsured patients at Meridian Behavioral Health Services.

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Swain Hospital to provide MRI services The imaging department at Swain Community Hospital is now providing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services.

The service will be provided through the hospital’s longstanding partnership with Alliance Radiology, which also provides Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. The MRI service at Swain Community Hospital will be provided through Alliance’s mobile unit on Tuesdays, eliminating the need for patients to travel to Sylva for an MRI.

Grief support meetings offered at Hospice Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care in Clyde is offering monthly grief processing support groups to provide bereavement education and support for any adult who has experienced the loss of a loved one.

Group meetings will be held monthly from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at The Homestead beginning Jan. 21.

The Homestead is located at 127 Sunset Ridge Road in Clyde, off Hospital Drive.

A brief conversation with Robin Minick, bereavement specialist, is encouraged before participating.

828.452.5039.

Harris GI moves to Harris Medical Park Harris GI Associates, the gastroenterology practice of Dr. Randall Savell, moved to the third floor of Harris Medical Park, 98 Doctors Drive, to provide patients with more space, an updated environment and proximity to other services.

Don Teater accepts his award from foundation chair Ginger Lang.

Donated photo

The new space is co-located with other hospital practices and services at Harris Medical Park, including Harris Medical Associates, Harris Surgical Associates, Harris Pediatric Care, Harris Urology, outpatient laboratory and a diagnostic imaging center featuring a widebore MRI and the latest in breast imaging.

Harris GI Associates provides the full range of gastroenterological care including colon health, care for heartburn, colitis, peptic ulcers, biliary tract disease, irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis and nutritional issues.

828.631.8840.

Ladies Night Out to collect donations Dr. Barrier, from Western Carolina Digestive Consultants, will be discussing “Cancer and You” during the next Ladies Night Out event presented by Macon County Public Health.

The program will be held at 4 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26 in the cafeteria at Angel Medical Center in Franklin. The group will also be taking money donations for the Cancer Care Fund.

Ladies Night Out is a partnership between Macon County Public Health and Angel Medical Center to provide free monthly programs on a variety of health topics for women with an emphasis on the importance of regular health screenings. Snacks and door prizes will be available.

All women are invited to attend one of these meetings and are asked to encourage all the women in their life, over the age of 13, to attend with them.

Free healthcare enrollment available A free Healthcare Marketplace Enrollment event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 25 at Haywood Regional Health and Fitness

21

• Angel Medical Center’s diabetes management services will be offering a diabetes management class from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 19. The class includes information on meal planning, medication usage, sick-day care, stress management and other topics related to managing your diabetes. The class is led by AMC-certified diabetes educators. 828.369.4166.

• Eric Reitz, M.D. has joined Harris Surgical Associates, a Duke LifePoint physician practice, in Sylva. Harris Surgical Associates is located on the third floor of Harris Medical Park at 98 Doctors Drive. Appointments are available now by calling 828.586.3976. www.myharrisregional.com.

Center, 75 Leroy George Drive, Clyde.

This free walk-in event will include one-onone assistance in health insurance enrollment and information about services available to the Haywood County community. This event will help those who wish to sign up for affordable health insurance before the final deadline of Jan. 31, re-enroll or make changes to their coverage and avoid the IRS fine for not being covered by insurance.

828.452.8938.

Haywood welcomes first 2016 baby Haywood Regional Medical Center is ringing in 2016 with the year’s first bundle of joy.

Weighing 7 pounds and 7 ounces and measuring 21” inches, Liliana was born to Elan and Ryan, on Saturday, Jan. 2. Delivering the first baby of the year was Michael Hightower, MD. “I am fortunate to work alongside an outstanding team of clinical and support staff to bring new life into this world and our community on New Year’s Day weekend and yearround. We consider it a privilege to serve the labor and delivery needs of Western North Carolina,” said Hightower.

Free clinic opening in Swain County A new free medical clinic, Swain County Caring Corner, will open Jan. 21 in Bryson City.

The clinic is free to any resident of WNC, ages 18-64, who is uninsured and makes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty income.

SCCC will be located at the Bryson City United Methodist Church, 76 Main St. The clinic will be open from 4-9 p.m. each Thursday.

Patients will need to make an appointment either by stopping by the clinic Tuesday, Thursday or Friday mornings or by calling 828.341.1998.

• Highlands-Cashiers Hospital’s laboratory has earned accreditation from the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAP’s Accreditation Programs. The HCH laboratory manager, Frank Leslie, was advised of this national recognition and congratulated for the excellence of the services being provided.

ALSO:

• Visitors to Harris Regional Hospital’s New Generations Family Birthing Center, on the facility’s third floor, are now asked to check in at the nursing station through an Ident-a-Kid kiosk. The kiosk is located immediately off the elevators on Harris Regional Hospital’s third floor.

• Join Angel Medical Center for the American Lung Association’s “Freedom From Smoking” program. The six-week series will he held at 5 p.m. Thursdays beginning Jan. 14 in the AMC Dining Room. Pre-registration is required and the cost of program is $25.

828.369.4181.

• The next Caregiver Education Series topic will be “Depression in the Elderly.”

This class, to be held from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 12 at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center, identifies symptoms of depression, different types, common treatments and risk factors for suicide. Register by calling 828.356.2800.

• Swain Community Hospital will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at the hospital. Donations of all blood types will be accepted. Donors may make an appointment by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or visiting www.redcrossblood.org. An appointment is not necessary to donate.

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Opinion

Smoky Mountain News

It’s a great plan, just work on the free throws I

Let’s stand up to injustice, hatred, fear To the Editor: The Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century brought about real positive change: the end of legalized segregation in education, jobs, housing, public facilities, and private businesses. Further, equal opportunity in voting was enshrined in the Voting Rights Act. These changes did not come easily, as they were won with blood. Good people bled and died. Good people were brutalized, arrested, and imprisoned.

Today, we see the rollback of many of these rights, especially in voting rights and education. The Supreme Court recently nullified a section of the Voting Rights Act, and immediately our state legislature created impediments to voting. In public education, we’ve seen the steady decline of per student spending by the state government, as well as drastic cuts in textbook funds and teacher assistants.

Meanwhile, the state is taking our tax dollars away from accountable public schools and giving them to unaccountable for-profit charter schools, including religious schools. The largest recipient of our state tax dollars is a Christian school, the second largest is a Muslim school.

“He’s unstoppable. We still have about 15 minutes before the game starts. Can we get some Dippin’ Dots?”

As we make our way to the Dippin’ Dots, we move through a swarm of fans wearing Hornets jerseys and tee shirts, as well as several members of the Hornets dance team, the rather conspicuous Honey Bees. Fans are lined up in different lines throughout the concession area to get their pictures made with members of the Honey Bees.

“Dippin’ Dots,” I say, when Jack pauses a moment too long to look.

“Keep on moving toward the Dippin’ Columnist Dots, buster.”

“Dad, can I use my Christmas money to get a Frank “The Tank” jersey?” he wants to know. Last year, he was all about Big Al Jefferson, but this season, Big Al has been out for a spell with an injury, and the 7’0” rookie has stolen his heart.

“Frank can swish it from outside,” he informs me. “So can Nic Batum. So can Jeremy Lin and Jeremy Lamb, both Jeremys.

I will need to be able to shoot threes before I can be a Hornet.”

“Just remember what I told you,” I said, while we are waiting in line for the Dippin’ Dots.

“I know, I know,” Jack says, rolling his eyes. “I’ve got to make my free throws. You’ve told me that about 10,000 times.”

“If you want to be a Hornet,” I said.

When we get back to our seats, the teams are about to take the floor. We see Dell Curry, the former Hornet great and current broadcaster, jog across the floor. Dell is one of the best shooters in team history, but he is more famous these days for being the father of Stephen Curry, who just might be the best

Chris Cox

was in my early twenties before I knew what I wanted to do with my life. My son, Jack, is 10 years old and he already knows what he wants to do with his. He wants to play point guard in the National Basketball Association, specifically for the Charlotte Hornets. His favorite thing in the world is going to see the Hornets play basketball at Time Warner Cable Arena, where he can root for his favorite team while imagining himself on the court pulling up for a three-pointer at the top of the key, or “breaking someone’s ankles” with a wicked crossover dribble before finding a wide open Frank Kaminsky all alone under the basket for a thunderous alley-oop dunk.

“Kaminsky with the dunk. Cox with the assist, now flirting with his fourth triple double of the young season!”

Of course, by the time Jack is ready to don the purple and teal, Kaminsky will be a grizzled veteran. Right now, “The Tank” is a 22-year-old rookie out of Wisconsin, and, at this very moment, he is standing about 15 feet away in the tunnel leading back to the locker room, where he is patiently signing autographs for a cluster of fans leaning over the railing. He signs T-shirts, programs, caps, and whatever else fans give him.

I ask Jack if he wants to join the fray, but he declines. I guess there is some kind of “code” or something about getting an autograph from a player you might one day have as a teammate. So we settle back in our seats and watch Hornet guards Kemba Walker and PJ Hairston swish one long-range jumper after another as a couple of assistants pass basketballs to them as fast as they can catch and shoot them.

“They never miss,” Jack says. “Kemba is en fuego.”

Kemba Walker is one of the NBA’s quickest players. He can get from the top of the key to the basket in about half a second, leaving his defender wondering what happened.

“That’s because of his crossover dribble,” Jack explains.

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS The Smoky Mountain News encourages readers to express their opinions through letters to the editor or guest columns. All viewpoints are welcome.

Send to Scott McLeod at info@smokymountainnews.com., fax to 828.452.3585, or mail to PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC, 28786.

As the need has arisen, so has the NAACP. While it was founded to fight for the rights of African Americans, it has since expanded its scope to include all those who face injustice whether they be black, white, and beyond.

It is time, again, to stand up to injustice, hatred, fear, indifference, greed and corruption. We The People need to stand together and demand that our state and our nation be returned to us.

With you we can stand together, sing together, march together, write together, eat together, dance together and win together. We need you, and all people of good heart, to come together and make history. This is our

shooter in the history of the game.

When we play Xbox at home, Curry’s team and reigning NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, are one of the only teams that can give the Hornets a run for their money. In the driveway, when we are playing one-on-one and I am Curry and Jack is Kemba or Frank “The Tank,” it is no contest. He fakes left, drives right, and nails a leaning one-hander. I lose again.

Although the Clippers get off to a quick start in tonight’s game, the Hornets battle back again and again until Los Angeles finally pulls away late in the fourth quarter. Jack is not so much disappointed as he is philosophical and pragmatic.

“Well, J.J. Redick was en fuego tonight,” he says. “When MKG (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) comes back, he’ll put a stop to that. And we didn’t have Big Al or Jeremy Lin. The Clippers were actually pretty lucky.”

On the way out, we stop off and grab one of those Kaminsky jerseys, which Jack promptly pulls on over his Tshirt.

“What do you think?” he says.

“I think they could have used you out there tonight,” I said.

“Redick wouldn’t have had a chance.”

“Dad, if I get drafted by the Hornets, do you think you’ll come down and watch the games?”

“Of course,” I say, as we drift out with the crowd into the cool Charlotte night. “But can we get you through the fifth grade first? Even Kobe Bryant and LeBron James didn’t play in the NBA until they were through with high school.”

“OK, OK,” he sighed. “I’m just excited to have a plan. We’ll tell Mom about it on the way back home.”

(Chris Cox is a writer and teacher who lives in Haywood County. He can be reached jchriscox@live.com.)

time.

Join us at 3 p.m. this Monday, Jan. 18, in Sylva as we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We will meet at Bridge Park on the back street of downtown Sylva, or for bad weather, check our website at jacksonncnaacp.org We will share a meal, sing, and speak. Join us to make this a better community.

Dan Kowal Communications Chair Jackson County NAACP

Beware the politics of the anglerfish To the Editor: The political season has kicked in full bore, and what we are about to witness is politics of the anglerfish. Anglerfish have a lighted lure above their heads to attract smaller fish. But it’s a fake, nothing to do with the true purpose of the anglerfish. The hidden agenda is its large mouth. When the small fish approaches the lure, it’s a gonner. That’s nature’s ultimate bait-and-switch.

Some politicians are good at this trick, too. They say one thing to distract your attention, maybe get you outraged into supporting some issue, then — wham — you vote for them, then they go off to work

their own agendas. Sometimes, that agenda is simply just to improve their electability or power … but it does nothing to move the country forward.

There are tons of examples, old and new.

Remember Richard Nixon? They didn’t call him “Tricky Dick” for nothing. Seems that he N demonized just about everyone who ran against him, as a communist or pinko. (His term.) Decency and reality were tossed out the window. Now, we’ve got Donald Trump, labeling people from Mexico as “… rapists and murderers.” His words.

In both cases, do the accusations of these politicians move the country forward? Not an inch.

There are two words that tell when a politician is pulling his anglerfish stunt: Hate and fear. When a politician spews hate and fear, he’s trying to divert your attention away from his real purpose, which you can bet has nothing to do with building roads or schools or otherwise advancing the nation’s interest.

Demand reality of candidates — including me. Inflammatory words get us nothing, except a disillusioned electorate when they realize that they’ve been fooled again.

Rick Bryson Bryson City Democratic candidate for N.C. 11th Congressional District

Proposed Koch gift to WCU a bad idea T

Smoky Mountain News

Mark Jamison

set of theories for that same person making a political decision. Economists working in the public choice tradition argue that if we’re going to look at market failure, then it makes sense to see if there is government failure, too. With this perspective in mind, it becomes clear why democracies so often generate inefficient policies and why they allow them to persist.”

The implication is that all the world, every facet of human experience, is not a stage — as Shakespeare wrote — but a market where Guest Columnist rational beings make rational choices based solely on profit and loss, maximization of utility.

This is more than merely economics. It encompasses the whole of social sciences as evidenced by a quote Dr. Lopez uses in a book of essays he edited, The Pursuit of Justice. Dr. Lopez quotes James Buchanan, one of the founders of the PCT school, as saying, “Public choice should be understood as a research program rather than a discipline or subdiscipline of economics.” Dr. Lopez makes it clear throughout his writings that PCT is “intertwined with philosophy, history, finance, psychology, development, linguistics, and other fields”; an all encompassing theory of everything — a dogma.

The commentator Matt Yglesias has suggested that PCT fits a syllogism (a logical argument that offers two or more propositions and a conclusion): • Proposition 1: Spread skepticism about government officials and their motives.

• Proposition 2: ?

• Conclusion: Libertarianism!

And in fact that may be a good description of much of Dr. Lopez’s work. The first proposition does the heavy lifting by creating an all encompassing cynicism followed by an empty assertion implying no further argument is needed because the conclusion — Libertarianism — is somehow self-evident.

Consider the question Dr. Lopez poses in his book, Madmen, Intellectuals, and Academic Scribblers: “Why do democracies generate policies that are wasteful and unjust?”

The question doesn’t ask “Do democracies generate policies that are wasteful and unjust?”

It assumes they do, which is true in some instances but the framing isn’t about discovering under what circumstances wasteful policies occur, there are no definitions of wasteful, and despite constant references to just or unjust actions, Dr. Lopez never gives much of a definition beyond a nebulous reference to “rules” and “property rights.”

For example, Dr. Lopez writes approvingly in a couple of different papers of President Grover Cleveland’s 1887 veto of a disaster relief bill for Texas farmers wiped out by drought.

Such aid was not, in Cleveland’s and apparently Lopez’s view, constitutional. Presumably, the implication still holds true.

There isn’t a great deal of intellectual inquiry here. There is an assumption that we

January 13-19, 2016

he proposed $2 million gift from the Charles Koch Foundation to Western Carolina University to establish a Center of Free Enterprise raises several questions.

• Are gifts like these from private donors appropriate at public institutions?

• Do they entail a quid pro quo regardless of protocols to ensure transparency?

• Are gifts within certain academic disciplines different in their impact on the mission and perception of the university?

In an era when we have seen the highest concentrations of wealth in more than a hundred years and when there exists a growing concern about the impact of money on the accountability and accessibility of political institutions, do these sorts of gifts further a trend away from democratic institutions and public goods? Is this trend healthy?

In 1971 Lewis Powell — a corporate lawyer, member of 11 corporate boards, and future Supreme Court Justice — wrote a memo to the director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The memo was essentially a diatribe against American liberalism, a call for action from American corporate and business interests. It recommended a concerted effort to develop an intellectual infrastructure that would support the interests of American corporatism.

The Powell memo has often been credited as the birthing document of the web of think tanks, associations, and groups that advance conservative thought in this country. Another consequence of the memo was a renewed focus on capturing government and making it work directly for the interests of corporate elites.

Over the last generation we have seen the effects of Powell’s advice in action, especially as economic gains have concentrated in the upper .01 percent, creating a class of billionaires able to buy an outsized voice and presence in politics and policy making.

The ubiquity of private think tanks and foundations assures that there is more than sufficient opportunity for the dissemination of political and ideological opinion. Here in North Carolina we suffer no lack of presence with Art Pope’s John Locke Society and Civitas.

Why then is it necessary to extend the reach of these essentially political organizations into the publicly funded university system? Even if one concedes that accepting donations from wealthy benefactors can be beneficial to a publicly funded university, does a difference arise with respect to what the benefactor chooses to fund? Leaving the question of agenda setting aside, it seems a fundamental distinction exists between funding a Center for Bio-research and funding a Center for Free Enterprise. One is largely a pursuit of empirically constrained hard science while the other is a study and promotion of ideology. This becomes particularly evident when looking at the specialty of the proposed CFE director, WCU Professor Edward J. Lopez. Dr. Lopez focuses on a branch of economics that comes under the rubric of “Public Choice Theory.”

In his book, Madman, Intellectuals, and Academic Scribblers, Lopez says, “The basic idea of public choice theory is that economists shouldn’t have one set of theories for a person making a commercial decision and a separate

suggest that each instructor, particularly in a public institution, has an obligation to present material in the spirit of intellectual honesty and inquiry and that would include presenting a fair assessment of ideologies or systems that are all homo econimicus, that institutions are subject to the same incentives and rent seeking conflict with an instructor’s preferred ideologies or systems. In his book, Madmen, behavior that individuals always exhibit, and that the answer must therefore be a laissez faire Intellectuals, and Academic Scribblers, Lopez’s main theme is that ideas should win out in the version of society as encompassed entirely by marketplace. While the marketplace is only a the market. small part of the world and human experience, Throughout his writings, Dr. Lopez is his basic construction is correct — good ideas, adept at telling “just so” stories leading us in ideas subjected to empirical, logical, and philothe direction of his conclusions. For example, sophical testing, ideas that advance, expand, or in his recent letter to The Smoky Mountain illuminate our concepts of justice, ideas that News that began with a rebuttal to a previous have been broadly and fairly debated and conwriter’s assertions about BB&T’s actions durtested ought to win ing the financial colour respect. lapse, Dr. Lopez refThe search for facts and the But the question erences BB&T’s search for truth are two differ- here is more than repeated claims that they were forced to ent endeavors; that distinction what Dr. Lopez teaches or how he take TARP money, a is both critical and germane teaches it. At issue is claim that may have to this specific proposal. not the legitimacy of some truth but one professor’s which also ignores the fact that BB&T was also found to be signifi- views. The issue is whether a publicly funded institution ought to take a gift to establish a cantly undercapitalized and overleveraged. program with the clear mission to teach a parLopez is much taken with Adam Smith’s ticular ideology, an ideology that is broadly metaphor of the invisible hand, one of the contested. This is especially true in a discipline most overused, abused and misunderstood phrases in the annals of economics. Lopez uses like economics and especially when the proposed center and its leader mix economics, the phrase 11 times in his book while Smith political philosophy, and political science. used it three times in his entire body of work; Maybe the discussion ends up being framed once in a treatise on astronomy; once in A differently if we were talking about a hard sciTheory of Moral Sentiments in the context of ence, or medical research, or a purely technical similar needs of both rich and poor for basic necessities ; and once in The Wealth of Nations discipline. Even then there might still be questions about billionaires dictating an agenda, in the context of comparing domestic and forbut in a discipline that is entirely empirical eign manufacturers. From those three examthere are fewer and different problems. The ples and particularly the last, a mythology of a search for facts and the search for truth are two self-generating and correcting marketplace has evolved to the level of religious or iconic status. different endeavors; that distinction is both critical and germane to this specific proposal.

Oddly enough, Lopez doesn’t quote Smith Transparency is not the issue; no matter during his many discussions of the problems of working folks and the disadvantages that labor how unstructured the grant, the undeniable fact is that $2 million buys influence, it gets faces. For example, it’s unlikely that Lopez preferences on the agenda. Ironically, one of would cite Smith’s take on progressive taxathe basic tenets of the ideology Dr. Lopez tion: “The rich should contribute to the public preaches is that money talks, it is the measure expense, not only in proportion to their revof the market. More to the point, the ideology enue, but something more in proportion.” that Dr. Lopez espouses argues that public Dr. Lopez also is adept at portraying his institutions are subject to manipulation and intellectual heroes in a positive light while subperverse incentives. The proposed grant is a tlety poking those he disagrees with. In one demonstration of whatever truth lies in public passage he says about John Maynard Keynes, choice theory.

“He even took both sides in love, not terribly The land grant colleges and public universiunusual among intellectuals of his circles in ty systems were built to serve as great equalizthat day. As a young scholar Keynes had male ers. These public institutions were built to give lovers, including the writer and critic Lytton average folks the opportunity to acquire knowlStrachey. But, like Pareto, he later married a edge and pursue intellectual inquiry. Sadly, as Russian woman, the ballerina Lydia our world has graduated from a market econoLopokova.” my to a market society, much of the mission of I’m not sure what Dr. Lopez hoped to our public institutions has been lost. In a world accomplish with this observation, but for the life of me I can’t understand what Keynes’s sex- where billionaires and corporate sponsors face ual preferences or Russian wife tell us about his few constraints in their ability to dictate public policy and control public discourse, we ought economic thinking. not blithely encourage yet another venue for Perhaps Dr. Lopez was trying to make a indoctrination, no matter how much the point that Keynes often changed and adapted enticement. I would make this argument his positions, a point that would have been regardless of the source of the money, whether served by offering up this well-known quote from Keynes, “When the facts change, I change it comes from the Kochs or George Soros.

Let Dr. Lopez teach what he wants, but let my mind. What do you do sir?”

WCU retain its integrity as a public institution, Dr. Lopez has said that academic inquiry something it cannot do if it accepts this gift. should not be censored even if unpopular. I (Mark Jamison is retired postmaster of heartily agree with him: his teaching should Webster.) 23 not be censored or limited. But I would also

tasteTHEmountains Taste the Mountains is an ever-evolving paid section of places to dine in Western North Carolina. If you would like to be included in the listing please contact our advertising department at 828.452.4251

Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Carry out available. Located in downtown Waynesville, Bogart’s has been long-time noted for great steaks, soups, and salads. Casual family atmosphere in a rustic old-time setting with a menu noted for its practical value. Live Bluegrass/String Band music every Thursday. Walking distance of Waynesville’s unique shops and seasonal festival activities and within one mile of Waynesville Country Club.

APPLE CREEK CAFE 32 Felmet St., Waynesville. 828.456.9888.

Traditional Lunch Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Family Style Lunch Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Family Style Dinner Wednesday-Saturday 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Home to an extensive build your own sandwich menu as well as specialty salads, soups burgers and more. With local ingredients and made-from-scratch recipes using a variety of good-for-you ingredients Apple Creek Cafe is sure to become your favorite spot.

BREAKING BREAD CAFÉ 6147 Hwy 276 S. Bethel (at the Mobil Gas Station) 828.648.3838 Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef owned and operated. Our salads are made in house using local seasonal vegetables. Fresh roasted ham, turkey and roast beef used in our hoagies. We hand make our own eggplant and chicken parmesan, pork meatballs and hamburgers. We use 1st quality fresh not preprepared products to make sure you get the best food for a reasonable price. We make vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free items.

Call or go to Facebook (Breaking Bread Café NC) to find out what our specials are.

BLUE ROOSTER SOUTHERN GRILL 207 Paragon Parkway, Clyde, Lakeside Plaza at the old Wal-Mart. 828.456.1997. Open Monday through Friday. Friendly and fun family atmosphere. Local, handmade Southern cuisine.

Fresh-cut salads; slow-simmered soups; flame grilled burgers and steaks, and homemade signature desserts. Blue-plates and local fresh vegetables daily. Brown bagging is permitted.

BOGART’S 303 S. Main St., Waynesville. 828.452.1313.

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through

REEKSIDE COYSTER HOUSE & GRILL

Smoky Mountain News

January 13-19, 2016

327-27

CREEKSIDE DINING CRAFT BEER & FULL BAR Daily Specials

TUESDAY: Shrimp Tacos WEDNESDAY: Beer Battered Fish & Shrimp

THURSDAY: Lobster Sliders

& Soup or Salad FRIDAY: Stir Fry ( Chicken or Shrimp) SATURDAY: Chef’s Choice SUNDAY: Low Country Boil Serving Food until 10 p.m. Weekdays and until 11 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays Closed Mondays

828.586.1985

438 Skyland Drive • Sylva Exit 85 to Skyland Dr., two blocks from McDonalds

24

CATALOOCHEE RANCH 119 Ranch Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1401. It’s winter, but we still serve three meals a day on Friday, Saturday and long holiday weekends. Join us for Breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; Lunch from 12 to 2 p.m.; and Dinner buffet from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with entrees that include pot roast, Virginia ham and herb-baked chicken, complemented by seasonal vegetables, homemade breads,

jellies and desserts. We also offer a fine selection of wine and beer. And a roaring fire in the fireplace. So come enjoy mile-high mountaintop dining with a spectacular view.

Reservations are required.

CHEF’S TABLE 30 Church St., Waynesville. 828.452.6210.

From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday dinner starting at 5 p.m. “Best of” Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine. Set in a distinguished atmosphere with an exceptional menu. Extensive selection of wine and beer. Reservations honored.

CHURCH STREET DEPOT 34 Church Street, downtown Waynesville.

828.246.6505. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mouthwatering all beef burgers and dogs, hand-dipped, hand-spun real ice cream shakes and floats, fresh handcut fries. Locally sourced beef. Indoor and outdoor dining. facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot, twitter.com/ChurchStDepot.

CITY BAKERY 18 N. Main St. Waynesville 828.452.3881.

Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join us in our historic location for scratch made soups and daily specials.

Breakfast is made to order daily: Gourmet cheddar & scallion biscuits served with bacon, sausage and eggs; smoked trout bagel plate; quiche and fresh fruit parfait. We bake a wide variety of breads daily, specializing in traditional french breads. All of our breads

are hand shaped. Lunch: Fresh salads, panini sandwiches. Enjoy outdoor dinning on the deck. Private room available for meetings.

CITY LIGHTS CAFE Spring Street in downtown Sylva.

828.587.2233. Open Monday-Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tasty, healthy and quick. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, espresso, beer and wine. Come taste the savory and sweet crepes, grilled paninis, fresh, organic salads, soups and more.

Outside patio seating. Free Wi-Fi, pet-friendly.

Live music and lots of events. Check the web calendar at citylightscafe.com.

THE CLASSIC WINESELLER 20 Church Street, Waynesville. 828.452.6000.

Underground retail wine and craft beer shop, restaurant, and intimate live music venue.

Kitchen opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday serving freshly prepared small plates, tapas, charcuterie, desserts. Enjoy live music every Friday and Saturday night at 7pm. www.classicwineseller.com. Also on facebook and twitter.

COUNTRY VITTLES: FAMILY STYLE RESTAURANT 3589 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley.

828.926.1820 Open Wednesday and Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Family Style at Country Vittles is not a buffet. Instead our waitresses will bring your food piping hot from the kitchen right to your table and as many refills as you want. So if you have a big appetite, but sure to ask your waitress about our family style service.

tasteTHEmountains

JUKEBOX JUNCTION U.S. 276 and N.C. 110 intersection, Bethel. 828.648.4193. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Saturday; Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Serving breakfast, lunch, nd dinner. The restaurant has a 1950s & 60s theme decorated with memorabilia from that era.

MAGGIE VALLEY CLUB 1819 Country Club Dr., Maggie Valley.

828.926.1616. maggievalleyclub.com/dine.

Open seasonally for lunch and dinner. Fine and casual fireside dining in welcoming atmosphere. Full bar. Reservations accepted.

MOUNTAIN PERKS ESPRESSO BAR & CAFÉ 9 Depot St., Bryson City. 828.488.9561.

THIRSTY THURSDAYS Beer & Wine $1.00 Off

SUNDAY BRUNCH

PASQUALE’S 1863 South Main Street, Waynesville. Off exit 98, 828.454.5002. Open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Sunday.

Classic Italian dishes, exceptional steaks and seafood (available in full and lighter sizes), thin crust pizza, homemade soups, salads hand tossed at your table. Fine wine and beer selection. Casual atmosphere, dine indoors, outside on the patio or at the bar. Reservations appreciated.

9a.m.-3 p.m.

3 E JACKSON ST. • SYLVA, NC

www.CityLightsCafe.com 327-47

RENDEZVOUS RESTAURANT AND BAR Maggie Valley Inn and Conference Center 828.926.0201 Open Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m and Sunday 7:30 a.m to 9 p.m. Full service restaurant serving steaks, prime rib, seafood and dinner specials.

ROB’S HOT DOG SHACK 42 Montgomery St., Waynesville 828.707.7033. Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rob’s serves gourmet hot dogs and has homemade side items. Outdoor and indoor dining, café style restaurant. Locally owned and operated.

Family oriented business.

MON.-SAT. 11 A.M.-8 P.M.

34 CHURCH ST. WAYNESVILLE 828.246.6505 Mtwitter.com/ChurchStDepot C facebook.com/ChurchStreetDepot

TWIN MAPLES FARMHOUSE 63 North Hill Street, Waynesville.

828.452.7837. Open for Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Located just two blocks from downtown Waynesville, Twin Maples is available for weddings, receptions, family reunions, birthday parties, showers, luncheons, corporate meetings and retreats.

VITO’S PIZZA 607 Highlands Rd., Franklin.

828.369.9890. Established here in in 1998. Come to Franklin and enjoy our laid back place, a place you can sit back, relax and enjoy our 62” HDTV. Our Pizza dough, sauce, meatballs, and sausage are all made from scratch by Vito. The recipes have been in the family for 50 years (don't ask for the recipes cuz’ you won't get it!)

42 Montgomery St. Waynesville 11-3 Monday-Saturday

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Smoky Mountain News

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January 13-19, 2016

MAD BATTER FOOD & FILM 617 W. Main Street Downtown Sylva.

828.586.3555. Open Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Handtossed pizza, steak sandwiches, wraps, salads and desserts. All made from scratch.

Beer and wine. Free movies with showtimes at 6:30 and 9 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Visit madbatterfoodandfilm.com for this week’s shows.

MONDAYS

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JOEY'S PANCAKE HOUSE 4309 Soco Rd Maggie Valley.

828.926.0212. Winter hours: FridayMonday 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Joey’s is a family style restaurant that has been serving breakfast to the locals and visitors of Western North Carolina since 1966.

Featuring a large variety of tempting pancakes, golden waffles, country style cured ham and seasonal specials spiked with flavor, Joey's is sure to please all appetites.

Join us for what has become a tradition in these parts, breakfast at Joey’s.

Open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. With music at the Depot. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Life is too short for bad coffee. We feature wonderful breakfast and lunch selections.

Bagels, wraps, soups, sandwiches, salads and quiche with a variety of specialty coffees, teas and smoothies. Various desserts.

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FROGS LEAP PUBLIC HOUSE 44 Church St. Downtown Waynesville 828.456.1930 Serving lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Frogs Leap is a farm to table restaurant focused on local, sustainable, natural and organic products prepared in modern regional dishes. Seasonal menu focuses on Southern comfort foods with upscale flavors. www.frogsleappublichouse.com.

Cataloochee Ranch 119 Ranch Drive, Maggie Valley, NC 28751 | CataloocheeRanch.com | (828)926-1401

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Smoky Mountain News

Brewing success, crafting a brand

Lazy Hiker Brewing signs distribution deal

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER Thirty-eight is Noah McIntee’s favorite number these days.

“For a lot of folks, we’re not the sleeper hit anymore,” he said. “We’ve surged fast and have gotten a great hold on the market share.”

Head brewer and general manager of Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin, McIntee is full steam ahead with the recent distribution deal the company signed. In their first seven months of operation, Lazy Hiker has become a mainstay in six Western North Carolina counties (Macon, Swain, Jackson, Clay, Cherokee and Graham). That number will increase to 38 counties as it join forces with Skyland Distributing in Asheville.

It’s a move that will complement the brewery’s already hard-earned self-distribution tactics. In an emerging, red-hot industry, the Lazy Hiker brand can now confidently push beyond its initial footprint, where the boundaries now go far past Murphy and Waynesville, onward to the likes of Charlotte and beyond.

“After Waynesville and Brevard, we really couldn’t have gotten much further geographically on our own steam,” McIntee said. “We’d have to have hired another staff to run the distribution, but, with Skyland we’re now able to pass off our distribution in a deal that will put our product all across the state.”

Though still in their first year, Lazy Hiker points to coming out of the gate with a quality product — and also immersing themselves

The Lazy Hiker Brewing Company in Franklin recently signed a contract with Skyland Distribution in Asheville that will bring their products to upwards of 38 counties across North Carolina.

Opening in May 2015, the brewery will hit around 1,000 barrels at the end of their first calendar year, with that number projected to jump exponentially when the distribution deal rolls out around the state. Above are co-owners (from left) Lenny Jordan, Tommy Jenkins, Noah McIntee (brewmaster) and Ken Murphy. Garret K. Woodward photos

Nantahala purchases new facility, expands production

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD STAFF WRITER n a long-awaited strategic move, Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City will soon be putting the final touches on the purchase of a nearby bottling company.

“We’re going to hopefully be closing on the property in the next three weeks,” said Nantahala co-owner Joe Rowland.

“It will be used as a much-needed distribution and storage site for us.”

Currently the Royal Crown Bottling Company on Deep Creek Road, the 10,000-square-foot building (priced at $250,000) will open avenues of production, cold storage and bottle manufacturing for the brewery. With a year-end craft beer production of around 10,000 barrels (with the end of 2016 projections at 15,000 barrels), Nantahala is the largest

I

within the region — as the keys to success, traits that ultimately led to Skyland knocking on their door.

“We’re one of the fastest growing breweries, if not the fastest, in Western North Carolina,” McIntee said. “And I think a lot of that comes to just being out there in the communities, shaking hands, talking to people, and providing them with great craft beer.” brewery west of Asheville, and is quickly positioning itself as one of the largest regionally and in the state.

“Between our current brewery and this new facility, we could see upwards of 35,000 barrels of production in the next few years,” Rowland said. “We’ve waited very patiently for a long time, making the right moves at the right times, watching others expanding their breweries, and now we’ve put together a strong enough brand and infrastructure to get to this point.”

Coming into 2016, Nantahala will be found in 41 counties around North Carolina. And as the company enters its sixth year of operation, the brewery has stuck to the three traits of a successful craft beer company — “good liquid, great marketing, and a unique story.”

“If you want to expand and thrive, you need those three things to grow,” Rowland said. “People know that craft beer is something they want, and the core of us making beer and establishing companies in these small communities that have never had a brewery before is proof of that.”

Nantahala Brewing Company (Bryson City) head brewer Greg Geiger and co-owner Joe Rowland. Garret K. Woodward photo

At the end of 2015, Lazy Hiker had brewed over 500 barrels of beer (on a robust 15-barrel system), with projections to double that come the one-year anniversary in May. And with an expanding market, McIntee is certain those expectations and products will only soar once orders roll in from around their new jurisdiction.

“These new counties mean we’re cranking up our production schedule, and we’ll buy more equipment during this new brewery roll out,” he said.

Amid a wild and ever-changing craft beer landscape in Western North Carolina, McIntee stands by his brews, where the adage “good beer will prevail” in the hearts and minds of those putting forth the delicious fruits of their labors.

“In a great environment like Western North Carolina where craft beer is received and loved, being in this environment is one thing and being able to sell in this market is another thing,” he said. “I think we went into the market with a fantastic product, and I think we’ve seen success because of that.”

With a mountain of bountiful work ahead of them, McIntee and Lazy Hiker are eager for 2016 to unfold. Their vision is coming to fruition. Their products landing in the hands of locals and visitors that now head to Franklin in search of quality craft beer.

“Where a lot of these folks used to drive past Franklin, they now have a reason to stop, and the residents here know and appreciate that. The town has been really good to us,” McIntee said. “We’re ready to take on any challenges. We’ve made a big footprint already, and we’re really excited to see what the next chapter holds.”

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was fuzzy, her face crystal clear. I don’t remember what we talked about. I do remember, though, how happy I was to see her again. And, from all accounts, the feeling was mutual. Then, I shot out of my slumber, and reached for my phone, only to hear of

BY GARRET K. WOODWARD Bowie’s demise.

That was (or is) the beauty of Bowie. His music always seemed to be the soundtrack for moments worth framing and hanging on the walls of your memory. What came first, the chicken or the egg? What came first, the fun times with Bowie on the stereo or Bowie on the stereo stoking the fire in our souls to roll out the red carpet for all that is irresponsible enlightenment?

Bowie gave us the ticket to the greatest ride one could ever imagine — our own. He showed us you can do and be whatever you want to be, that if you don’t like the existence you reside in — day in and day out — then you can change that, change it all, and finally become the honest truth you see(k) looking back you in the mirror.

Personally? His passing comes at a crossroads in my own life. Over the past year, I’ve been wrestling with my own identity.

Although I’ve tied up all the loose ends in my soul about who I truly am, and what it is I want to achieve, there has been this restless vibration coursing through my veins, physically and emotionally.

Sometimes I feel as if my feet are stuck in concrete as I try to reach and thrust towards the bright lights of my destiny. I don’t want stability. I want endless pursuit, of whatever the hell it is I’m searching for. Heading east on Interstate 40, the sun rose slowly through the frozen sky above Southern Appalachia.

With Knoxville in the rearview mirror, I pushed the pedal down The alarm went off on my phone. and tightened my grip on the Monday morning. 6:45 a.m. steering wheel.

Emerging from the guestroom at my best Bowie echoed from the old friend’s house in South Knoxville, I reached truck speakers, his melodies runfor the damn smart phone to cease the digiThe Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host Bird In ning across the radio dial tal cavalry call to get up and get over the Hand (Americana) and Ol’ Dirty Bathtub Monday in remembrance like Great Smoky Mountains. Another curious (Americana) at 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16. the shooting star that he was. He weekend in The Marble City, another A chocolate and beer pairing will be held from was a rebel. He was an alien. He impending workweek at my feet.

6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21 at was from another planet, and It was in that moment I read a text sent Heinzelmannchen Brewing in Sylva. time, a place we all hope to step to me overnight. “David Bowie passed foot into. And that world of his away,” it simply stated. “Are you f**kin’ kidTipping Point Brewery (Waynesville) will host was the notion that anything is ding me?” I shouted to myself in an empty Scott Low (singer-songwriter) at 9 p.m. Friday, possible, time is infinite, and house.

Jan. 15. each second on that ticking Bowie. Ziggy Stardust. The essence of clock is another moment to set cool. The king of originality. The high prince The production of the Nora Ephron play “Love humanity ablaze with your gloriof avant-garde art. The immortal being of Loss and What I Wore” will take place at 7:30 ous heart and soul. creative pursuit. He had more career phases p.m. Jan. 15-16 and 3 p.m. Jan. 17 at the I feel something awakening than Miles Davis, resurrected Lou Reed, Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. within me. A renewed sense of scared parents, mesmerized youth eternal, Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Heidi purpose set forth by the man and overtook the music industry with a Holton (blues/folk) at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16. who said in an interview once, brand of sound and attitude unseen before “Life, I love life, very much and unmatched ever since — the Pied Piper indeed.” David Bowie may be of all that is wild and free for better part of gone from his mortal body, but his aura resthe jukebox and select some Bowie. the last 50 years. onates in all of us today.

Dancing around the pool table, she’d smile The first thing that popped into my And as his classic hit “Heroes” spilled at me, in such a pure and captivating way, mind when I heard of his jettison from this into my ears this morning, I can’t help but that I knew then to make sure to never forearth was being in a New York bar in the sing along to his words of hope and determiget “this” moment. fall of 2009. I was there with my (now ex) nation, a justified sense that we can make And yet, when I woke to turn my alarm girlfriend. She was the only girl I could safetomorrow surely better than today, where all off Monday morning, I had to shake myself ly say in conversation that I truly loved. is not lost, and all is gained when the direcout of the odd dream I had of her that previAnd she was a Bowie freak, which was one tional arrow is pointed up and into outer ous night. I hadn’t thought of her in awhile, of the many reasons I was crazy about her. space, “We could steal time, just for one day, but there she was, in my subconscious.

She’d light up like a firework bursting into we could be heroes, forever and ever…” the sky when I’d throw a couple dollars into Crossing paths in some bar. The backdrop

Open Mic Night Hosted by the NetWest program of the North Carolina Writers Network and City Lights Bookstore.

3 EAST JACKSON STREET • SYLVA

828/586-9499 • citylightsnc.com

27

Smoky Mountain News

January 13-19, 2016

arts & entertainment

On the beat

28

Deitz Family Band to play Sylva The Deitz Family Band will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

The group lives on Tathams Creek in Jackson County on land their family settled around 1820. Down through the years various members of the family have collected and performed mountain folk music. Brothers and band mates Bill and Joe learned much of their music from their father David Deitz who played the pump organ and harmonica, and from their uncles J.C. and Wayne Cabe who played guitar and mandolin.

In 1974, Bill and Harry Cagle, a distant cousin, formed a band called Harry Cagle and the Country Cousins. For about 18 years the Country Cousins performed at events around the area including the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville, Bascom Lumsford Festival at Mars Hill College, John C. Campbell Folk School, and other festivals and benefit programs. In 1975, the group performed at the first Mountain Heritage Day program at Western Carolina University and have performed at every subsequent program.

Harry Cagle had a stroke in 1990 and the group continued to perform as The Deitz Family. In 1992, The Deitz Family played at the first Picking On The Square program in Franklin and was associated with that program for about 10 years. For some 20 years they made music at the annual Savannah Fire Department Ramp Dinner. They played for many benefit programs in Jackson County organized by Lymon Powell, Jackson County and Webster Historical Society programs organized by Joe Rhinehart, and for the Balsam Bluegrass Jamboree programs organized by Terry Crisp (who sometimes plays the washtub bass with the group). In 2006, The Deitz Family received the Mountain Heritage Award at Western Carolina University, This program is free and open to the public. The event is cosponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. www.fontanalib.org or 828.586.2016.

Pam Tillis to perform at WCU Country music star Pam Tillis be a featured performer at a Galaxy of Stars Series performance at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

Tillis has been a force in country music since her first single recording hit the charts and has racked up 14 top five hits including six songs that hit No. 1, and has sold more than 6 million records. She was one of the first women in Nashville to produce her own album, and was awarded the coveted Female Vocalist of the Year award by the Country Music Association in 1994.

In 1999, Tillis became the first female country entertainer to ever star in a Broadway musical when she appeared in Smokey Joe’s Cafe. She also has performed on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno and “Late Night” with David Letterman and Conan O’Brien. Her acting credits include appearances on television series “Diagnosis: Murder” and “L.A. Law.” Tickets are $21 for adults, $16 for WCU faculty/staff, and $7 for students/children. For tickets, click on bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or 828.227.2479.

Pam Tillis will perform at the Bardo Arts Center on Jan. 24. Donated photo

On the beat

Classic doo-wop group The Sock Hops will kick off the winter show season at 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 22, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

The group will perform hits from all your favorite songs of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

Specializing in four-part harmonies, The Sock Hops will have you singing along as they bring all the great classic hits to the stage, including “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” “At the Hop,” “Sherry,” “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “Come Go With Me.” Tickets are $18 person. www.greatmountainmusic.com or 866.273.4615.

• BearWaters Brewing (Waynesville) will host The Darren Nicholson Band (Americana/bluegrass) at 7 p.m. Jan. 21. www.bwbrewing.com.

• The Canton Armory will host “Pickin’ in the Armory” with The Carolina Band (bluegrass) at 7 p.m. Jan. 22. Clogging will be provided

by Mountain Tradition and Blueridge Heritage. Free.

ALSO:

• The Cut Cocktail Lounge (Sylva) will host Bird In Hand (Americana) and Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana) 9 p.m. Jan. 16.

828.631.4795.

• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will have Chris Minick (singer-songwriter) 7 p.m. Jan. 14 and 21, Jack Snyder 7 p.m. Jan. 19, Mark Keller 7 p.m. Jan. 22 and Bobby G 7 p.m. Jan. 23. 828.454.5664 or www.froglevelbrewing.com.

• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will have an Open Mic night Jan. 13 and 20, and a jazz night with the Kittle/Collings Duo Jan. 14 and 21. All events begin at 8 p.m. www.innovation-brewing.com.

• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Heidi Holton (blues/folk) 7 p.m. Jan. 16. www.lazyhikerbrewing.com.

• Marianna Black Library (Bryson City) will hold a community music jam from 6 to 7:30

• The Oconaluftee Visitor Center (Cherokee) will host a back porch old-time music jam from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 16. All are welcome to come play or simply sit and listen.

• O’Malley’s Sports Bar & Grill (Sylva) will Jesse Stephens & Ben Morgan (Americana) 9 p.m. Jan. 22.

• Salty Dog’s (Maggie Valley) will have Karaoke with Jason Wyatt on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Mile High (rock) on Wednesdays. Andrew Rickman (rock/country) will also perform on Jan. 16. All shows begin at 8 p.m.

• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will have Jimandi (folk/rock) every Wednesday at 7 p.m. and a rotating series of local performers on Fridays at 9 p.m. 828.482.9794 or www.satulahmountainbrewing.com.

• Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters (Waynesville) will host Nashville act Sam Lewis (country/soul) at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21.

All donations will benefit Headstart of Haywood and Jackson County.

• Tipping Point Brewery (Waynesville) will host My Brother The Bear (Americana) 7 p.m. Jan. 14, Scott Low (singer-songwriter) 9 p.m. Jan. 15, Disco Night with DJ Hurley 9 p.m. Jan. 22 and Jesse Stephens & Ben Morgan (Americana) 9 p.m. Jan. 23. All shows are free. 828.246.9230.

• Tuck’s Tap & Grille (Cullowhee) will have College Night with DJ Alex Prince at 10 p.m.

Jan. 14 and 21, Red Leg Husky (Americana) 9 p.m. Jan. 16, Joe Lasher Jr. (country/rock) 7 p.m. Jan. 20, Zuzu Walsh 9 p.m. Jan. 23.

828.293.4688.

• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will have Nitrograss (bluegrass) at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Lyric (funk/rock) 9:30 p.m. Jan. 16, Charles Walker Band (Americana) 7 p.m. Jan. 20 and Red Leg Husky (Americana) 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23.

828.526.8364 or www.theuglydogpub.com.

• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will have Red Honey (Americana) Jan. 15, and a Local Showcase with The Beard, Vic Crown and Electric Phantom Jan. 23. All shows begin at 9 p.m.

The production of the Nora Ephron dine at the Center Stage Café, which will play “Love Loss and What I Wore” will take feature made to order paninis, stews, chowplace at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15-16 and 3 p.m. Jan. ders, all prepared by Chef Christy Bishop, 17 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre along with wines and beers on tap. Bishop will run the Harmon’s Den Bistro in the in Waynesville.

Ephron is best know for her films new Fangmeyer Theatre when it opens this “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in spring, and this winter HART patrons can Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail.” “Love Loss get a preview of things to come with the and What I Wore” was created by Ephron and her daughter, Delia Ephron, in 2008. The play went on to open off Broadway to rave reviews in 2010. Nora passed away in 2012 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Over the course of the next 10 weeks, HART will present five different shows, including a musiConstruction continues on the new Fangmeyer Theatre, cal revue, in the 65 seat slated to open in spring of 2016. File photo back stage theater at the Performing Arts Center at the Shelton studio menu. Food service begins an hour House. This is for people who love drama and a half before show time and continues at its purest, and this year patrons can add for audience and cast for an hour after each dining on the theater’s main stage to the performance.

Tickets for “Love Loss and What I experience.

When you make a reservation for the Wore” are $10 for adults, $6 for students.

828.456.6322 or www.harttheater.org. show, you can also make a reservation to

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Smoky Mountain News

• Heinzelmannchen Brewery (Sylva) will have Henry Wong (singer-songwriter) at 6 p.m. Jan. 21. www.yourgnometownbrewery.com.

• No Name Sports Pub (Sylva) will host Call The Next Witness Jan. 15, The Dirty Soul Revival (rock/blues) Jan. 16, My Brother The Bear (Americana) Jan. 18, The Freeway Revival (rock/jam) Jan. 22 and Porch 40 (rock/funk) Jan. 23. All shows are free and begin at 9 p.m. www.nonamesportspub.com.

HART to present Ephron hit, new café

January 13-19, 2016

• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will have Dulci Ellenberger (Americana/pop) Jan. 22 and Joe Cruz (piano/pop) Jan. 23. All shows are free and begin at 7 p.m. The Bill Bares Trio with Justin Watt will also perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 16, with tickets $10 per person. 828.452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

p.m. Jan. 21. Anyone with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer, anything unplugged, are invited to join. Singers are also welcomed to join in or you can just stop by and listen. Free. 828.488.3030.

arts & entertainment

Sock Hops to bring hits to Franklin

On the stage

29

arts & entertainment

On the street Genealogical program on southern migration Author, historian and teacher Scott Withrow will discuss “The Great Wagon Road from Philadelphia, South” during the Jackson County Genealogical Society meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, at the Jackson County Historic Courthouse in Sylva.

Withrow will describe the events and processes that urged early European settlers to migrate south through the Shenandoah Valley into what would become today’s southern United States. He will also discuss several early American captivity narratives.

Refreshments will be served and JCGS activities will be discussed at the beginning of the program followed by the discussion at 7 p.m. All JCGS events are free of charge and the public is welcome.

828.631.2646.

Altrusa Soup & Cornbread Fundraiser

Celebrate Burns, Scottish heritage The “Robert Burns Dinner” will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, in the Tartan Hall at the Franklin Presbyterian Church.

Burns, the national poet of Scotland, is the only poet or musician that has a worldwide celebration. It is on or near his birthday, Jan. 25. He is also known as the Ploughman’s Poet.

Burns was a farmer, but not a very productive one. His poems and songs were noted for preserving the Gaelic language and the passion he had for the everyday beauty and life of the common folk. He overturned a field mouse’s home one day. He was so affected by this, that he wrote “To a Mouse.”

Burns tolerated all creatures and was

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touched by ordinary events.

From intimate groups gathered in a pub to larger more formal celebrations, toasts are raised to Burns. The dinner has become a tradition in Franklin. This year’s Burns Night will include the calling of the clans, presentation of the haggis, recitation of “Ode to the Haggis,” poetry and songs of Burns, singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” and a five-course dinner.

Entertainment will be provided by The Jacobites, a group with local ties to Franklin.

Piper will be Michael Waters. The Scottish country dancing will be led by Marshall and Anne McLaughlin.

Advance tickets are now on sale at the Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center and the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. This dinner is sponsored by the Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center.

Tickets are $37 for early birds, $35 for museum members and Friends of the Museum, and $40 after Jan. 16.

828.421.7771.

• A chocolate and beer pairing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 21 at Heinzelmannchen Brewing in Sylva. The brewery will team up with Baxley’s Chocolates. Sample six beers and six chocolates. $10 in advance, with $5 from each ticket going to the

ALSO:

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Smoky Mountain News

January 13-19, 2016

The Altrusa Club will be hosting the 19th annual Soup & Cornbread Benefit Scholarship Fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

The lunch or dinner will include home-

made soup (vegetable or potato), fresh cornbread, a beverage and your choice of homemade dessert.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 12 and under. The meals are available for take out or eat in at the church located on 566 South Haywood Street in Waynesville. Individuals or businesses may preorder to-go meals for a scheduled time by faxing in a preorder form to www.waynesvillealtrusa.org.

Community Table. 828.631.4466 or 828.631.3379.

• The High Mountain Squares will host their “Winter Dance” from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Jim Duncan will be the caller. Western style square dancing, main/stream and plus levels. All welcome.

828.371.4946 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

• There will be a Scrabble tournament at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, at The Cut Cocktail Lounge in Sylva. 828.631.4795.

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16 and 23 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 828.452.0120.

• A wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.

Jan. 13 and 20 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free with dinner ($15 minimum). 828.452.6000.

• Drink-N-Think will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at The Sneak-E-Squirrel Brewery in Sylva. Come and join an open dialogue on an array of topics. drinknthink@gmail.com.

• There will be a “Tasty Tuesday: Winter Seasonals” at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 and 26 at Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden.

On the wall

Events honor legacy of MLK

Interested in pine needle craft?

MACON The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Franklin.

The program will feature an address by Selma V. Sparks; special music by vocalist Ericka Washington, piper Michael Waters, organist Mary Pittman, and the CaynonContino Duo C-Square; and a reading by the Rev. Mozart Moliere of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Refreshments will be served in the church’s Memorial Hall following the program.

Sparks, is a native of New York and current resident of Franklin. A former journalist, political analyst, and public speaker, she is a lifelong advocate and activist for human rights causes, including peace, racial and gender equality, and literacy. Her address will focus on how Dr. King’s words and works are relevant to life in America today, almost five decades after his assassination.

This event is produced and sponsored by the Macon County Human Relations Council.

828.524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.

HAYWOOD

Little Rock Nine student to anchor MLK week

The Jackson County NAACP will host a “Day of Service and Gratitude” to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day from 3 to 5 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 18, at Bridge Park in Sylva.

Participants will share a meal, sing, and speak. In case of bad weather, click on www.jacksonncnaacp.org.

will be followed by a unity march around the campus.

• Student Norman Trent Falls will reenact the historic “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech at noon Tuesday, Jan. 19, the Grandroom. The speech was originally delivered by King in Memphis on April 3, 1968 — the day before he was killed by an assassin.

• An exhibition for the works of HaitianAmerican photographer Cendino Teme of Miami will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 in the Grandroom. The exhibit, titled “No More Blues,” is a compilation of Teme’s images from the I-95 peaceful protest that took place in December 2014.

• “Then and Now: Different Times, Same Struggles” is the theme of a dialogue scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, in Illusions at the University Center.

• A second dialogue will focus on “Race Microagression” examples within different cultural groups at 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, in the Multipurpose Room. A cultural mixer will follow at 11 p.m. www.wcu.edu.

ALSO:

• A community art group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at the Hudson Library in Highlands. 828.526.3031.

• The film “The Martian” (Jan. 14-16) will be screened at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. Showings are at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. with a special 2 p.m. matinee on Saturdays. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com.

• A new production of Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” (The Pearl Fishers), will be screened “Live in HD” at 12:55 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. The opera tells the story of a beautiful Hindu priestess pursued by rival pearl divers competing for her hand. www.highlandspac.org or 828.526.9047.

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Smoky Mountain News

Carlotta Walls-LaNier, the youngest of the Little Rock Nine involved in the integration of the city’s Central High School in 1957, will deliver a presentation at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 20, speak in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University.

The presentation is part of WCU’s weeklong celebration of the life, words and activities of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. • The week’s tribute to King begins Monday, Jan. 18, with a day of service projects at various community sites, including the Community Table, Catman2 and the Good Samaritan Clinic. Another day of service will close out the week’s observance on Saturday, Jan. 23.

• Department of Intercultural Affairs will offer a presentation on the purposes and successful techniques of peaceful demonstration marches at 5 p.m. Jan. 18 in the Multipurpose Room of the University Center. The gathering

JACKSON

• The Haywood County Arts Council annual meeting will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 21, at Gallery & Gifts in downtown Waynesville. Wine and cheese reception, followed by a presentation and performance, and community feedback session. RSVP by Jan. 15. info@452.0593 or info@haywoodarts.org.

• The “Winter Textures” fiber and textile exhibit will be displayed through Jan. 30 at the Gallery & Gifts within the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. The showcase will feature a wide array of works from Haywood County fiber artisans. www.haywoodarts.org.

January 13-19, 2016

The Haywood County Martin Luther King Jr. Committee invites all to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King by participating in a weekend of events Jan. 16-18.

• The celebration begins with a Pride March at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, starting from the Haywood County Justice Center in Waynesville. The march will end at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center with refreshments and a time of sharing.

• The Commemorative Service will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, at the First United Methodist Church in Waynesville. Rev. Justin Lowe, associate pastor at Long’s Chapel UMC, Waynesville, will speak. The MLK Community Choir will provide music.

• The weekend will culminate with a Prayer Breakfast at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18, in the Lambuth Inn at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. The speaker will be Maceo Keeling, a mentor/motivational speaker/radio talk show host from Asheville.

Music will be performed by LYRIC (www.lyricfans.com). Breakfast tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for students and children, with children 8 years and younger free. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Eggleston-Osborne Scholarship fund in memory of two AfricanAmerican educators of Haywood County, Wilbur Eggleston and Elsie J. Osborne.

828.215.0296.

A pine needle craft workshop with Joyce Lantz will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

Try your hand at this time-honored form of coiled basketry. Using long leaf pine needles, stitching around a wooden center, students can create a pin, a coaster or even a trivet. Good hand strength and eyesight is needed for this close work. All supplies will be provided. Students should bring small sharp cuticle or embroidery scissors.

This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Jackson County Public Library. This class is limited in size. Call 828.586.2016 to register. www.fontanalib.org.

• The High County Quilt Guild will meet at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at the First Methodist Church in Waynesville. The meeting topic will be “Disappearing Blocks.” www.highcountryquilters.wordpress.com.

arts & entertainment

On the street

MyHaywoodRegional.com 31

32

Books

Smoky Mountain News

A look at religion and the ‘misfits for Jesus’ adia Bolz-Weber is the founder of the House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado. She defines herself as “a sarcastic, heavily tortured, angry person who swears.” She is also heavily tattooed. She often hears herself referred to as “that scandalous and dangerous woman.” Nadia is a former alcoholic and drug addict with a fundamentalist background, and she readily acknowledges that there is little in her personal history that qualifies her to me a Writer minister. For whatever reason, she has established her church, The House for All Sinners and Saints, which is currently one of America’s most innovative and unique religions.

Nadia admits that she is better equipped to be a standup comedian than to be a minister. However, her followers will quickly tell you that they are drawn to Nadia’s passion.

Her membership includes large numbers of AIDS victims, gays, lesbians and the mentally ill. Fortunately, there are also an equal number of individuals who are committed to serving the needs of the lonely, ill and impoverished. In Nadia’s words: “We are an imperfect people and we believe that God is using us to serve Him in an imperfect world. Our God ate with the wrong people and kissed lepers.”

Nadia feels that her church should do the same.

On occasion, Nadia has defined her most dedicated church members as “misfits for Jesus.” They do not readily do God’s work, and even when they do so at Nadia’s request, they are filled with reluctance and doubt. It is only when they are compelled to serve that they come to feel that a life of serving others is “what they were meant to do.” One of Nadia’s favorite passages in the Old Testament deals with God’s calling Jonah: “Go at once to Nineveh.” Jonah’s response, since he is a “reluctant servant” is to go in the opposite

Gary Carden

N

tate to invent new ones.

For example, when All Saints Sunday comes on Nov. 1, Nadia encourages her membership to bake gingerbread “Saint Cookies” and place them on a decorated table. Church members become inventive and begin to make cookies that have personal characteristics. In addition, the “reluctant saints” might include former members. John, the Baptist shows up (without his head), Harvey Milk (who was probably not a Christian) has five bullet holes in his chest, and Joan of Arc (with red hair) and Cesar Chavez (dressed in worn denim overalls).

Nadia is reluctant to confer sainthood on Alma White since she was a bigot and a racist; however, she founded a church that fed the poverty-stricken, The Pillar of Fire. As with many reluctant saints, their positive attributes outweigh their shortcomings.

These are troubled times and Nadia finds herself tormented by feelings of inadequacy when she confronts gun-carrying members and finds her beliefs shaken when she learns that her own mother is being a stalked by an unstable church member who follows Nadia’s mother to the House for All Sinners and Saints.

Does she, a passionate advocate of gun control legislation, breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the NRA enthusiastic is there with a concealed weapon to protect her mother?

Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber. Convergent Nadia also struggles with her own Books, 2015. 211 pages. shortcomings. One of her biggest problems is, she dislikes people who bluster and brag. When an unpleasant young Christianity, Nadia seems determined to man who is a member of HSS commits suidemonstrate what can happen when ordinary cide, Nadia is reluctant to perform the burial people share bread and wine together and service since she senses her own hypocrisy. confess the failures of their own lives.

When a national conference for troubled Although the House for All Sinners and Saints seems to have a special affinity with the youth asks her to be their guest speaker, Nadia, who admits that she has “a problem rituals of the Lutheran Church, the membership is remarkably diverse. She uses tradition- with teenagers,” is once more filled with selfdoubts (despite the fact that she has two of al hymns — the ones that are common to her own). She also has an “anger managemost denominations, and she does not hesi-

direction, so he goes to Tarshish. In the end, Jonah does as God demands, but he is filled with self-doubt. “So are we all,” says Nadia; “and so am I.” In a time when an increasing number of people have become disillusioned with

Review of provocative memoir Martha Edens Clark’s book Coming Out Together will be the next review by Doug Wingeier at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, in the Susan Todd Lounge in the Harrell Center in Lake Junaluska.

Clark was the executive director of Andean Rural Health (now Curamerica, Inc.) in this area in the 1980’s. The book’s subtitle is “The Journey of a Gay Minister’s Wife Through Love, Divorce, and Remarriage.” It tells the intimate, moving story of how Martha and her husband, Maurice, much in love and happily married for 32 years, come to terms with the fact the he, a prominent minister in several large churches, was born homosexual, tried to repress it, finally accepted who he really was, and respectfully worked through

a mutually amicable resolution in which both eventually found new “soul mates.”

Persons who personally knew Martha during her time in this area are espe• A “Writer’s Group” cially urged to meets at 1 p.m. on attend. All Thursdays at the interested in Hudson Library in the subject of Highlands. 828.526.3031. same-gender relationships, in light of the recent Supreme Court decision and the upcoming United Methodist General Conference, will also find this an informative and provocative presentation.

ALSO:

ment” problem that can render her incapable of conducting church programs — especially if she has just a meeting of the deacons in which she had been criticized for excessive spending. In addition, she is often filled with anxiety and fear of heights; elevators sometimes reduces her to a trembling wreck, or a ride up a steep mountain to a church retreat.

What doe she do with all of these shortcomings? It took a while, but eventually, she found a solution. She turns to her congregation. She grasps a church ritual and uses it like brace to help her stand erect. When anger renders her speechless, she sometimes calls a young mother from the congregation, and then standing with this young pregnant woman, she finds her voice has returned.

When she begins to tremble on her terrifying ride up the mountain, she simply turns to her neighbor, admits her problem and asks if someone has a Valium. They do. Nadia BolzWeber has learned to turn to her congregation for help. They always respond.

Is it enough? In a world where increasing numbers of young people commit suicide; where we are threatened by a poisoned environment, terrorism and apocalypse, can we save ourselves by joining hands, eating a shared meal and singing? Nadia would say, “It can’t hurt!”

This is a marvelous book. Quite frankly, religion is not my thing ... especially not in a book review column that is normally devoted to murder, mayhem and fantasy. If readers are interested, I would urge you to check out Nadia’s other book, Pastrix, which is a bestselling memoir. Nadia is becoming a popular guest on late-night programs and she is occasionally on NPR. I suspect that we will be hearing from her again. She has found a painful and soul-destroying affliction (a sense of irrelevance ... a belief that many of us are leading empty lives). Nadia may have found a remedy. She sometimes approaches the homeless with a handshake and says, “You look like you could use a good meal.”

(Gary Carden is a writer and storyteller who lives in Sylva. He can be reached at gcarden498@aol.com.)

Kakalak journal reading in Sylva Contributors to the annual journal Kakalak will present their work at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

The journal is a publication featuring North and South Carolina writers and artists. The 2016 journal poetry and art contests open March 1 and close May 15. A separate contest is held for best cover art. Additional information, including contest guidelines and a description of contest fees and awards, may be found online at Main Street Rag Publishing Company’s website: www.mainstreetrag.com.

828.586.9499 or www.citylightsnc.com.

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34

Outdoors

Smoky Mountain News

One park at a time WNC hiker explores the South’s natural and human history through national parks

very valuable, and they also preserve a tremendous amount of land that nobody else would preserve.”

It was a realization that gathered strength as she visited sites as diverse as Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky and the home of freed slave William Johnson in Mississippi’s Natchez National Historical Park. Parks become parks for all sorts of reasons, each explained through that park’s unique history.

“It’s not that easy to become a national park,” Bernstein said. “You have to have a lot of local support. You have to have enough documentation to say something real happened here, and obviously whoever owns the land has to be willing to sell it, so it’s interesting as to what makes it a park.”

MEETING THE STORY-KEEPERS

The southeastern United States is home to 71 National Park Service units, ranging from historic homes to battlefields to parks preserving rare natural beauty. NPS map

BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER or Danny Bernstein and her husband Lenny, trips south to visit Lenny’s family in Miami Beach are a regular feature of life. They always drive rather than fly, and it didn’t take long to realize that the route brushes near an awful lot of national park units. The couple’s travel routine soon began to include two park visits with each trip — one on the way south and one on the return trip north.

“As I really dug into it, this was not in and out,” said Danny Bernstein, who lives in Asheville. “It was, we’re going to spend a day and we’re going to do this.”

The trips were fascinating to Bernstein, an avid hiker who’s done all trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and hiked the Mountains-to-Sea Trail across the state of North Carolina. She’s a fan of nature, but she also found the stories encapsulated in the parks to be enthralling and the rangers there to tell them more than willing to the spend the time necessary to tell the whole story. So what if, she began to think, she expanded the project to visit each and every National Park unit in the South? What if she wrote a book about it?

The result was Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey through the National

F

Parks of the South, a book set to come out March 15.

Writing it required visiting all 71 of the national park units in the region the National Park Service defines as the Southeast. The Danny Bernstein region includes Kentucky to the north, Louisiana to the west, the U.S. Virgin Islands to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. In addition to actual national parks, of which there are seven within those boundaries, the book includes all the battlefields, monuments, historical parks, military parks, seashores, preserves and historical trails the Park Service manages. They range in size from little postage stamps of an acre all the way up to the 816 square miles of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

But they’re all important, Bernstein said.

“They are a public history. They preserve our public history and culture,” she said of the parks as a whole. “That in itself makes it

Fortunately, Bernstein found plenty of help in understanding the history from the rangers she encountered at each place. One of her biggest takeaways from the experience, she said, was just a better appreciation for the people charged with telling the national parks’ stories.

One of her favorites was Dan Luther, a career actor who now plays President Andrew Johnson in various reenactments at Andrew Johnson National Historical Site in Greenville, Tennessee. Most famous as the only president to be successfully impeached, Johnson was a “third-rate” president, Bernstein said, but Luther gave her an appreciation for who he was outside of his failed presidency.

“The Historical Society came here and said, ‘We are being too nice to Johnson,’” Bernstein recalled Luther telling her. “But you know, you live with the guy day in and day out.”

“After eight hours,” Bernstein said, “I liked him myself.”

Barney Schoby, a ranger at Nachez National Historical Park, delivered yet another memorable moment. The park celebrates William Johnson, a black man living during slavery who, after being freed, went on to meet a substantial degree of success as a barbershop owner.

“I start talking to him (Schoby) about William Johnson and he’s testing me,” Bernstein said. “He said he (Williams) had all his children baptized in the New Orleans cathedral as Catholics even though he wasn’t Catholic. Now why do you think that was?”

The answer turned out to be rather revealing of the times in which Johnson lived. One thing the Catholic Church does quite well, Schoby said, is keep records. Baptized as Catholics, it would be easy for Johnson’s children to prove their freedman’s status to anyone who questioned it.

It’s those kinds of anecdotes that animate seemingly stagnant sites like battlefields and historic homes.

“It’s only with a story with people that it all becomes alive,” Bernstein said.

Celebrate the centennial On Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill into law that created the National Park Service. This year marks the passage of 100 years since that date, and the Park Service is taking full advantage of the opportunity for celebration.

Hoping to kick off a second century of stewardship of America’s most precious natural and cultural gems, the Park Service’s centennial year will feature a variety of events and initiatives aimed at carrying engagement in the national parks over to the next generation.

Besides the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Park Service units in Western North Carolina include the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Appalachian Trail and the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic site.

Centennial events in park units across the nation are listed at www.findyourpark.com.

EXPLORING THE OUTDOORS A country whose allure — even before its modern history began — has long been rooted in its wildness, America’s national parks also reflect its natural treasures. Anyone who’s set foot in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the largest national park unit in the eastern U.S., can attest to why that’s important. And while Bernstein is quick to say that the Smokies, as her “home park,” are a rather impossible act to beat — on all the visits she did to other parks while researching the park, she wore a Smokies T-shirt to demonstrate her true allegiance — there’s some pretty dazzling beauty in the South’s other natural wonders as well.

“It’s a completely different beauty than we have here,” she said.

On some of those excursions, Bernstein had her grandchildren in tow, the youngest of whom was about 4 at the time.

On one of these outings, they had visited a zoo before hitting the park.

“In the zoo everything is labeled.

Everything is there,” Bernstein said. “I was really worried. Now we gotta got to a park, we gotta find these things, and we gotta figure out what they are. How can that top a zoo?

Well, the zoo was completely forgotten.”

The kids loved it, running around and asking whether this, that or the other thing was real or fake. It was all real, she assured them.

She had a similar experience when visiting Canaveral National Seashore, also with the kids. The trip piggybacked on a trip to Disney World. The seashore portion turned out to be a huge success, and not just because the $4 entrance fee was much, much lower than tickets to the amusement park.

“When you have egrets and herons that are right there, even kids are wowed,” Bernstein said.

F

Polar plunge coming to Lake Junaluska

We want you t outdoors

including Kids in the Creek, ahands-on A frosty dip into Lake Junaluska suplearning experience that has gotten nearly porting environmental education in 12,000 eighth-graders out in Haywood’s Haywood County is just around the corner, waterways to learn about water quality in with the fourth annual Polar Plunge slated its 18-year history. for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6.

Hosted by Haywood Waterways Association and Lake Junaluska Assembly, the plunge ranges from a meager toe dip to the brave full-body immersion.

Plungers are welcome to wear costumes, which have Plungers take the leap into a included everyfrigid Lake Junaluska. SMN photo thing from ninjas to the $25 for adults; $10 for children under Miss Maggie character — which Maggie 18. All participants receive a free T-shirt Valley’s town planner Andrew Bowen and lunch. donned last year, down to the signature Sign up or donate to one of the plungers poke bonnet. at www.crowdrise.com/4thannualpoPlungers are encouraged to raise money larplunge, or request information from from supporters, with prizes for the biggest 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterfundraisers. All proceeds from the event go ways.org. Event sponsors are sought as well. to environmental education programs

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Compared to Disney World, the seashore was blessedly quiet and unpeopled. Despite all the talk of skyrocketing visitation, of national parks being “loved to death� and crowded roads and trails, Bernstein said, her experience suggested otherwise. “Many of these places, I was there by

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Smoky Mountain News

THE NEXT 100 YEARS

327-56

January 13-19, 2016

A book chronicling Danny Bernstein’s adventures and insights from visiting each of the 71 national park units in the Southeast — Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey through the National Parks of the South — is available for preorder.

Leading up to the book’s March 15 publication, Bernstein is looking for groups such as hiking clubs, nature centers and historical societies who would like her to come present.

An Asheville-based hiker, author and blogger, Bernstein leads monthly hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through Friends of the Smokies and is active in the Carolina Mountain Club. She has hiked the entire Mountains-to-Sea Trail and all designated trails in the national park.

Preorder at www.hikertohiker.net.

myself,� she said. “I felt like they had opened the park for me.� “Even the Smokies,� she added, “if you get off a mile or two off the asphalt you’ll see almost no one.�

That said, with the National Park Service kicking off its celebration of 100 years in existence this month, Bernstein said she’s hopeful for the future of the national parks. From her perspective, people are using them, and they’re by no means maxed out.

And yes, America’s population is becoming increasingly urban, but that’s not necessarily cause for concern either. After all, Bernstein herself is a Brooklyn girl. “You know, Brooklyn, New York, close to that one tree that doesn’t exist,� she joked.

Her childhood didn’t involve a lot in the way out outdoor exploration. “People grow up. People change,� she said. “The fact that your parents didn’t take you to a national park when you were 10 doesn’t mean you won’t go when you’re 40, when you have your own car, your own money.�

But however many years it is before a person discovers the national parks and all they have to offer, Bernstein said, there’s plenty to explore and plenty to learn, maybe without even having to drive too terribly far.

And the best part is, it’s open to everyone. “I didn’t have anything that anybody else didn’t have in terms of access to people, information,� Bernstein said. “There are no secrets. You just have to spend the time reading, talking to people and walking.�

366 RUSS AVE. • WAYNESVILLE (BiLo Shopping Center)

35

outdoors

Dairy farmers to vote on mandatory sales contribution Haywood County dairy farmers may soon be required to give a portion of their proceeds for dairy-related education, research and industry promotion if an upcoming referendum vote gets a two-thirds majority from Grade A producers in the state.

The referendum vote will be the first of its kind for dairy farmers, conducted in all North Carolina counties conaining Grade A dairy operations. If passed it would require a contribution of 2 cents per 100 pounds of milk sold, effective for three years starting March 1.

Voting will take place Jan. 20 at N.C. Cooperative Extension Service offices in 46 counties with Grade A dairy herds. Absentee ballots are available at extension offices now.

919.545.1237.

January 13-19, 2016

Ban on poultry shows and sales lifted A state ban on poultry sales and shows in place since August was lifted a week earlier than anticipated, as 2015 closed without the avian flu spreading to North Carolina.

Outbreak of the disease in the Midwest killed nearly 50 million birds, and state officials had worried that the flu would spread to North Carolina with fall migration. The ban was instated, and small flock owners were required to register their birds with the state in order to help with response in case of a flu outbreak. Both the ban and the registration requirement have now been dropped.

New information will be posted at www.ncagr.gov/avianflu.

Work beginning on access trails along the Chattooga Work has started on new trails and signs along the Chattooga River aimed at improving access for paddlers.

In North Carolina, new trails — all located south of Cashiers in the Nantahala National Forest — include: ■ Greens Creek Trail, a 0.28-mile trail to a put-in only ramp.

■ County Line Trail, a 1.2-mile trail along an old roadbed to a put-in and take-out access just downstream of Norton Mill Creek.

■ Bullpen Bridge, a put-in and take-out about 100 feet upstream of the bridge. A short trail will be built below the bridge.

Access trails will also be built at Burrell Ford Bridge in Georgia and Lick Log Creek on the South Carolina stretch of the Chattooga.

Paddlers have only recently won the right to use the river following a years-long battle between paddlers who wanted to use the river and opponents who feared that paddlers would diminish the wilderness experience and cause lasting environmental damage.

In 2012, the U.S. Forest Service decided to end the ban but limited paddling to periods of high water and only during winter and early spring. The river lacked adequate trail access to facilitate paddling, however, which the new trails will address.

“Boaters, hikers and fisherman alike will now have designated and safe access to this incredible resource,” said Nantahala District

The Chattooga River. SMN photo Ranger, Mike Wilkins. “We are pleased to protect the wild and scenic values of the

river while providing sustainable trails, putins and take-outs.”

Get schooled on using native plants in landscaping Get a jump planning your spring landscaping projects with a program hosted by the Tuscola Garden Club at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Bethea Welcome Center in Lake Junaluska.

Moselle McCall of Country Road Farms in Sylva will speak on how to use native plants in landscapes, drawing from her 26 years of experience in the area. McCall will discuss types of shrubs and perennials that grow naturally, as well as how to plant and care for them.

The talk will be in conjunction with the Tuscola Garden Club’s regular monthly meeting. 828.926.6215.

Diane E. Sherrill, Attorney

Is a Will Enough?

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Smoky Mountain News

FREE LUNCHEON SEMINAR

Feb. 10 & March 9 11:30 AM

Best Western River Escape Inn Dillsboro • Reservation Suggested

828.586.4051

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28 Maple St. • Sylva

@SmokyMtnNews

LTLT name change becomes official

serving size : ab out 50 p ag es Am ount per Serving Calories 0

% Daily Value * Tot al Fat 0g

outdoors

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee started off the new year with a new name, officially launching its new identity as Mainspring Conservation Trust.

The new name reflects the organization’s growing scope of work, which has spread its land conservation work beyond the Little Tennessee River watershed. Mainspring’s footprint includes the watersheds of the Hiawassee and Tuckasegee rivers and even across the state line in Rabun County, Georgia. The organization’s mission has broadened as well, expanding to include water research projects and educational programming in addition to land conservation.It has a new website, too, www.mainspringconserves.org.

Nutrition Facts

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Work day scheduled for Highlands greenway Volunteers willing to brave the cold are wanted to help with maintenance on the Highlands Plateau Greenway, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 16. The group conducts these work days monthly to maintain the network of greenway trails snaking through Highlands.

Tools and safety equipment will be provided. RSVP to Ran Shaffner, highlandsgreenway@nctv.com or 828.482.1451.

Smoky Mountain News

A Smoky Mountain High School teacher bent on getting her wildlife class involved in some hands-on work got a boost from a grant the Balsam Mountain Trust awarded her.

Amanda Clapp received $1,500 to support her class’s effort to restore a wetland system near the school in Sylva. Clapp’s students are working with professors from Western Carolina University, as well as regional experts on restoration and teaching, to restore the wetland and create related environmental education opportunities for students at nearby Fairview Elementary School, also in Jackson County.

The Trust raised the money through its firstever Walk for Wildlife. Participants used pedometers to count their steps, with the Trust donating 15 cents for each mile a member walked.

“The event was a big hit with our members,” said Rose Wall, senior naturalist and education coordinator for the Trust.

They’d had a goal of 25 participants, with the Trust board approving a maximum donation of $1,500. The initiative wound up attracting 45 people who collectively walked more than 21,00 miles — just 3,000 miles shy of the earth’s circumference. In light of that strong response, the Trust may consider increasing the donation cap in future years.

“Walk for Wildlife was successful beyond our expectations,” Wall said, “and we plan to continue and expand on it in the years to come.”

January 13-19, 2016

Grant helps high schoolers with wetland restoration

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outdoors

Learn to use a stand up paddleboard People wanting to get in on the stand up paddleboard craze will have a chance to learn the basics at the indoor pool at the Waynesville Recreation Center, with practice sessions from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. every other Wednesday beginning Jan. 20.

Participants will learn basic paddling skills and safety information to get them started in the sport. Open to ages 8 and up, with children under 15 required to have an adult with them.

Free with admission to the rec center.

Equipment is provided; space is limited.

RSVP to 828.456.2030 or lkinsland@waynesvillenc.gov.

Stand up paddleboarding has seen a surge in popularity in recent years.

Donated photo

Explore frozen mountain waterfalls

January 13-19, 2016

A ramble to take in the area’s most beautiful frozen waterfalls will be offered Wednesday, Jan. 20, as a program for seniors through the Waynesville Recreation Center.

The group will leave the rec center at 9:30 a.m. and return by 5 p.m., stopping for a buy-your-ownmeal lunch along the way. $5 rec center members; $7 nonmembers. RSVP to Tim Petrea at 828.456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

Cataloochee Ski Area photo

Ski programs launch at Cataloochee Cataloochee Ski Area has special skiing deals and discounts this season, including Family Day and homeschooler specials.

■ Family Days will be held Wednesdays throughout the season. Children 17 and under will receive free lift tickets when accompanied by a parent buying a full-price ticket.

■ Homeschool Days will be held Tuesdays while day skiing lasts. Homeschoolers get discounted tickets, lessons and rentals. $20 lift ticket; $35 lift and rental; $45 lift, rental and lesson. www.cataloochee.com/learn-to-slide/special-programs/

Smoky Mountain News

Ski series offered through Jackson Rec

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A learn-to-ski program offered through Jackson County Parks and Recreation will give people ages 8 and up the chance to ski for less at Cataloochee Ski Area.

Held on Sundays, each day features a lesson from 1:30 to 3 p.m., with the lift ticket valid from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Dates are Jan. 24 and 31, and Feb. 7 and 21.

Package prices are $109 for lift ticket only; $135 lift and lesson; $140 lift and rental; $185 lift, lesson and rental.

828.293.3053.

Exercise options for older adults explained Seniors looking for ways to stay active through the winter will have a chance to learn about the fitness opportunities Haywood County has to offer with a program at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Haywood County Senior Resource Center.

Andre Vadenbert, lead exercise physiologist for the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center, and Kellie Walsh, community outreach coordinator for the Fitness Center, will lead the program. The discussion will include membership options at the Fitness Center and the Silver Sneakers Program, a nationwide exercise program for older adults.

828.356.2813

WNC Calendar COMMUNITY EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS • Franklin’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17, in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church. Featured will be an address by Selma V. Sparks as well as music by vocalist Ericka Washington, piper Michael Waters, organist Mary Pittman and the Caynon-Contino Duo CSquare and a reading by the Reverend Mozart Moliere.

Sponsored by Macon County Human Relations Council.

524.ARTS or arts4all@dnet.net.

• Jackson County NAACP will present a Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service and Gratitude event from 3-5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18, at Sylva’s Bridge Park. www.jacksonncnaacp.org.

• The Haywood County Martin Luther King, Jr., Committee will celebrate Dr. King’s legacy with a weekend of events from Jan. 16-18. Events include a Pride March (11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16, starting from the Haywood County Justice Center); Commemorative Service (3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17, at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville); and the 26th annual Prayer Breakfast at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 18 at the Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Breakfast tickets are $15 for adults; $8 for students and children; kids 8 and younger are free. A portion of proceeds will support the Eggleston-Osborne Scholarship Fund. 215.0296.

• The Holly Springs Community Club will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18 at the community building in Franklin Robert Shook of the Macon County Historical Museum is the guest speaker. Bring two non-perishable food items, which will got to a local food pantry.

• Carlotta Walls-LaNier, youngest of the Little Rock Nine involved in integration of the city’s Central High School in 1957, will deliver a presentation at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, during Western Carolina University’s weeklong celebration of the life, words and activities of Martin Luther King, Jr. Presenation will be held in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center in Cullowhee.

• Tickets are being sold for Burns Night, a celebration of Robert Burns – the national poet of Scotland – that will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Jan. 23 in Tartan Hall of First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. Tickets are available at the Scottish Tartans Museum and the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. 421.7771 or merrilee.bordeaux64@hotmail.com.

• A Scrabble tournament at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24 at The Cut Cocktail Lounge in Sylva. 631.4795.

BUSINESS & EDUCATION • Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center will hold a free series entitled “Small Business Bootcamp, Ideation to Business Plan Development” on Mondays from Jan. 25-Feb. 22 in Building 200, Room 204. Class meets from 6-8 p.m. Presenter is Tonya Snider. 627.4512 or SBC.Haywood.edu.

• A free community and team building workshop for potential summer camp counselors will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Waynesville Recreation Center. Program is entitled: “Community Building Through Innovative Game Time.” 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

FUNDRAISERS AND BENEFITS • The 19th annual Altrusa Soup and Cornbread Scholarship Fundraiser is scheduled for 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the First United Methodist Church of Waynesville. Dine-in or take-out. Soups, cornbread, homemade desserts. $8 adults/$4 children.

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals ■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings Altrusa is a volunteer service organization of business and professional leaders dedicated to improving their communities.

VOLUNTEERS • Relay for Life of West Haywood will meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, at Sagebrush Steakhouse in Waynesville. carrie.shuler@cancer.org.

• Volunteers are needed to assist with REACH of Haywood’s Helpline phone services and in other ways through the Friends of REACH committees. Training is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23, at REACH’s office in Waynesville. Lunch and training notebooks will be provided. REACH is the county domestic violence/sexual assault/elder abuse prevention and intervention agency. Pre-register at 456.7898 or bqreach@aol.com. www.reachofhaywood.org.

VENDORS • Vendor applications are being accepted for WinterFest Smoky Style, which is Feb. 26-28 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. Weekend rental fee is $100. seaycharlesl@yahoo.com. Sponsored in part by Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

• Greening Up the Mountains Festival is seeking artists, mountain crafters, environmental and food vendors to apply for booths in the upcoming 19th annual event, which is April 23 in Sylva. www.greeningupthemountains.com, 586.2719 or at Sylva’s Town Hall. Info: 631.4587.

HEALTH MATTERS • A monthly grief processing support group will meet from 4-5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care in Clyde.

452.5039.

• Macon County Cancer Support Group meets at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, in the cafeteria of Angel Medical Center in Franklin. Topic is lung cancer and radon; guest speaker is Sherrie Peeler, agent with Family and Consumer Science at the Jackson County Extension Center. Light refreshments and free gifts.

• Swain Community Hospital will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18, in Bryson City. Reservations: www.redcrossblood.org or 800.733.2767.

• A diabetes management class will be offered from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Jan. 19, by Angel Medical Center’s diabetes management services in Franklin. Fee is covered by most insurance companies. 369.4166.

• A program entitled “New You! – Part II” will presented at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21. Presenters Andre Vandenberg and Kellie Walsh of Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center will discuss exercise and staying active through the winter months. They’ll discuss membership options and the Silver Sneakers program. Free. Register at the center or call 356.2800.

Smoky Mountain News

• A Marketplace Enrollment Event will be offered from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25, at the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center to help anyone wishing to sign up for affordable health insurance ahead of the final deadline of Jan. 31. Free. 452.8938 or getenrollmenthelp.com.

• A new support group called WINGS (Widows in Need of Grief Support) will meet at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at The Meditation Center at 894 E. Main St. in Sylva. www.meditate-wnc.org or 356.1105.

• A free, weekly grief support group will meet from 12:30-2 p.m. on Thursdays at the SECU Hospice House in Franklin. 692.6178 or mlee@fourseasonscfl.org.

• “ECA on the Move!” – a walking program organized

by Jackson County Extension and Community Association – meets from 9-10 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. It’s an effort to meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 10,000 steps per day. 586.4009.

• A Tuesday Meditation Group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin.

RECREATION AND FITNESS • All dancers are invited to the Haywood Dancers’ first Ballroom dance of the New Year, which is at 8 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Angie’s Dance Academy in Clyde. 734.8726.

• High Mountain Squares will host their Winter Dance from 6:30-9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15, at the Macon County Community Building in Franklin. Western style square dancing, mainstream and levels. Jim Duncan of Otto will be the caller. Info: 371.4946, 342.1560, 332.0001 or www.highmountainsquares.com.

• Cardio Lunch class will meet from noon-1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Flexible Fitness class will meet from 4:30-5:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members.

456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• Pump It Up class will meet from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 16 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members. 456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A Ski Lake Junaluska youth event is scheduled for Jan. 15-18, Jan. 29-31, Feb. 5-7, Feb. 12-15 and Feb. 19-21 with skiing at Cataloochee Ski Area and Wolf Ridge Ski Area. Worship, ski and fellowship. One, two and three-night packages available. For info, contact Jennifer Martin at jmartin@lakejunaluska.com or 454.6716. www.lakejunaluska.com/ski.

• Registration is underway for a winter coed volleyball league that will be offered through the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department. An organizational meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the rec center. Fee will be based on number of teams at organizational meeting; payment is due by 9 p.m. on Jan. 27. 456.2030 or dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE • Gwen Lassez, a French flyer who hopes to be a missionary pilot, will be the featured guest at the Aviation Historical Society at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Macon County Airport near Franklin. Free; public welcome. For info, contact Fred Alexander at aeroscribbler@gmail.com or 506.5869.

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All phone numbers area code 828 unless otherwise noted.

POLITICAL • The Swain County Democratic Party meets at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Swain County Chamber of Commerce office on town square in Bryson City.

735.1950 or 736.3043.

• The monthly meeting of the North and South Jackson County Republican Party is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25, at Ryan’s in Sylva. Meet candidates for county commissioner seats and District 119 House.

743.6491 or jacksonctygop@yahoo.com.

AUTHORS AND BOOKS • “Coming Out Together” is the title for this month Junaluskans Book Review, which is at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, in the Susan Todd Lounge in the Harrell Center at Lake Junaluska. Reviewer is Doug Wingeler. Author is Martha Edens Clark.

• Contributors to the annual journal Kakalak will present their work at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The journal is a publication featuring North and South Carolina writers and artists. The 2016 journal poetry and art contests open March 1 and close May 15. A separate contest is held for best cover art. Additional information at Main Street Rag Publishing Company’s website: www.mainstreetrag.com.

586.9499 or www.citylightsnc.com.

SENIOR ACTIVITIES • Registration is underway for the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department’s January Senior Trips, which include Frozen Waterfall Ramble (Jan. 20), and Local Artisan Ramble (Jan. 27). For details or to register, contact Tim Petrea at 456.2030 or tpetrea@waynesvillenc.gov.

• A Silver Sneakers Cardio Fit class will meet from 1011 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Waynesville Recreation Center. For ages 60 and above. Cost is regular admission fee to the rec center or free for members.

456.2030 or tplowman@waynesvillenc.gov.

KIDS & FAMILIES • Crazy 8 Math Adventure Club for grades K-2 meets from 3:30-4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 524.3600.

• Storytimes are held at 10 and 10:40 a.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• Imagine: Watercolor Silhouettes will take place on Tuesday Jan. 19 at 4:30 p.m. at the Jackson County Public Library for ages 8-12. 586.2016.

• Registration is underway for a Smart Start Sports Development program for 4-5 year olds at the Waynesville Recreation Center. $65 registration cost includes equipment, bag and participant manual.

Deadline to register is 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19; program starts Feb. 9. dhummel@waynesvillenc.gov or 456.2030.

ONGOING KIDS ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS • Wednesdays in the Stacks, “WITS”, a new program for children in grades 3-6, on the third Wednesdays of the month from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Macon County Library. WITS will include lots of fun games, prizes, and hands-on activities. This club replaces book club previ-

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Smoky Mountain News January 13-19, 2016

wnc calendar

ous held on the third Thursdays of the month.

526.3600.

• Family Fun Night is at 6 p.m. on Thursdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Just Write is at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Teen Coffeehouse is at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• Youth Outright meets every Sunday from 4 p.m. -6 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville for ages 14-20. Youth Outright is a youth advocacy and leadership program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in 18 counties in Western North Carolina. www.youthoutright.org.

• Youth Outright meets the third Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville for ages 11-13. Youth Outright is a youth advocacy and leadership program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in 18 counties in Western North Carolina. www.youthoutright.org.

• Rock and Read is Tuesdays at 11 a.m. at Jackson County Public Library. 586-2016.• WNC Martial Arts will hold karate classes from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Old Armory in Waynesville. For more info, contact Margaret Williams at 301.0649 or mvwilliams39@gmail.com.

• Full STEAM Ahead (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. ages 5+. 586.2016. 524.3600.

• Children’s Yoga is at 10:30 a.m. (for ages 3-7) and noon (for ages 8-11) on the second Thursday of each month at Canton Public Library. Sign-up required: 648.2924.

• “Baby/Toddler Sensory Play Time” is set for 10:30 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in the Canton Library Meeting Room. For children ages three months to four years. Visit www.haywoodlibrary.org or call 452.5169 or 648.2924.

• Anime Night is held for teens on the second Monday of each month at the Canton Library. For anime titles that will be shown, call 648.2924.

• Book Buddies for ages 0-3 is from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Tuesday at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

• Page Pals for ages 3-5 is from 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Tuesday at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville.

• A Teen Advisory Group meets at 4 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month to discuss YA books and teen program events. http://haywoodlibrary.libguides.com/teen or 648.2924.

• Tennis lessons for ages 5-8 (5:30-6:15 on Tuesdays) and 9-13 (9:30-10:15 a.m. on Saturdays) are offered through the Jackson County Recreation Center. $45.

293.3053.

• Michael’s Kids Club will be held for ages 3-and-up from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays at Michael’s in Waynesville. $2 per child for 30 minutes of creative crafts. 452.7680.

• Free, weekly, after-school enrichment classes are offered by the Bascom and MCAA from 3-5 p.m. on Thursdays at Macon Middle School through a grant from the Jim McRae Endowment for the Visual Arts. To register, contact Bonnie Abbott at 743.0200.

•A Lego club will meet at 4 p.m. every fourth Thursday of the month, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.

Library provides Legos and Duplos for ages 3 and up.

Free. 488.3030.

•A community breastfeeding information and support group meets from 10:30 am.-noon on the first Saturday of each month in the main lobby of the Smoky Mountain OB/GYN Office in Sylva. Free; refreshments provided. For information, contact Brandi Nations (770.519.2903), Stephanie Faulkner (506.1185 or www.birthnaturalwnc), or Teresa Bryant (587-8223).

• Science Club is held at 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month for grades K-6 at the Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Macon County 4-H Needlers club, a group of youth learning the art and expression of knitting and crochet crafts, meets on the second Tuesday of each month.

For information, call 349.2046.

• A Franklin Kids’ Creation Station is held from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays at uptown Gallery in Franklin.

Snacks provided. $20 tuition. 743.0200.

• SafeKids USA Blue Dragon Tae Kwon Do School offers defense training with after-school classes Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings. 627.3949 or www.bluedragontkd.net.

• A Lego Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 3:30-5 p.m. at Waynesville Library.

452.5169.

• A Lego Club meets the second Thursday of the month at 4 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. at the Macon County Public Library. 526.3600.

• A Lego Club meets the second Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. at Jackson County Public Library. 586-2016.

• A Lego Club meet the second Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library.

743.0215.

• Explorer’s Club for kids will be held on the third of each month at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Intended for all ages, with a special emphasis on cultural learning for children. Each Explorer’s Club will feature special guests, snacks and crafts that all are pertinent to the theme for that month. 586.2016.

• Smoky Mountain Model Railroaders holds public viewing session from 2 to 4 p.m. the second Sunday of the month, 130 Frazier St. off Russ Avenue in Waynesville. The group runs Lionel-type 3 rail O gauge trains. smokymountainmodelrailroaders.wordpress.com.

• Teen Time, first, third, and fourth Tuesdays at 4 p.m. for ages 12 and up. Spend time with other teens talking about and sharing with each other. Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• A Teen Writing Group will meet at 6 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at Jackson County Library, ages 12 and up. 586.2016 • Games for kids on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. at the Jackson County Public Library. Play a variety of games including AWE After School Edge Computers, board games and other fun activities. 586.2016.

• Projects and activities after school Fridays, 3:30 p.m. for school age kids at Jackson County Public Library. Get your hands dirty with science experiments, discovering animals and making easy recipes.

586.2016.

• Adventure Club on Tuesdays 3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. for grades K-2 at the Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Culture Club on the second Wednesday of the month, 1 to 2 p.m. for K-6 graders. Guest speakers, books, photos, crafts and food from different countries and cultures. Macon County Public Library. 524.3600.

• Crafty Kids on the second Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. Children from Pre-K to fifth grade will meet after school and hear stories, share about what they are reading, play games and get creative with a craft.

Canton Library. 648.2924.

• Children’s craft time, fourth Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. at Cashiers Community Library. 743.0215 • The Wee Naturalist program, which is for children ages 2-5 (with a parent or guardian), is held from 1011:30 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays at the North Carolina Arboretum. Age-appropriate activities such as nature walks, garden exploration, stories, crafts and visits from classroom animals $7 cost per child; $3 more for each additional child in a family. Register at: www.ncarboretumregistration.org/Wee-Naturalistsfor-Pre-K-2014-15-C264.aspx

KIDS MOVIES • An animal adventure for the whole family will be shown as a family movie at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. Free. For info, including movie title, call 488.3030.

A&E FOOD & DRINK

• Teen time 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursdays at Waynesville Library. A program for teens and tweens held each week. Each week is different, snacks provided. 3562511

• Drink-N-Think will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at The Sneak-E-Squirrel Brewery in Sylva. Come and join an open dialogue on an array of modern day topics. drinknthink@gmail.com.

• Homework Help, 3 to 5 p.m. Mondays for students in grades 2 through 6, Canton Branch Library. Former schoolteacher turned Youth Services Librarian Katy Punch offers homework help on a first-come, firstserved basis. Katy, 648.2924.

• There will be a “Tasty Tuesday: Winter Seasonals” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 19 and 26 at Mad Anthony’s Bottle Shop & Beer Garden in Waynesville.

•Teen Advisory Group, first Wednesday of each month

• A free wine tasting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16 and 23 at Bosu’s Wine Shop in Waynesville. www.waynesvillewine.com or 452.0120.

ON STAGE & IN CONCERT • The Dulcimer Winter Weekend will be held at Lake Junaluska this weekend. More than 75 dulcimer and ukulele players are gathered at the Lambuth Inn for a series of workshops, concerts and jam sessions.

• Tickets are on sale for a performance by rapper Waka Flocka Flame, who will be on stage Thursday, Jan. 14, at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center. Advance tickets are $5 for students and $10 for nonstudents or $15 at the door. 227.7722 or ramsey.wcu.edu.

• A production of Nora Ephron’s “Love Loss and What I Wore” will open HART Winter Studio Theater’s season at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15, in Waynesville. Shows are also scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 and 3 p.m. on Jan. 17. Reserve a seat by calling 456.6322.

Ticket prices are $10 for adults; $6 for students.

• A new production of Bitzet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers)” will be screened live in HD at 12:55 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. Tickets: highlandspac.org, 526.9047 or at the door.

• The Deitz Family Band will perform mountain folk music at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library.

Free. 586.2016. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

• The Sock Hops, an oldies group, will perform at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Tickets: $18.

866.273.4615 or GreatMountainMusic.com.

• Dulci Elenberger (guitar, vocals) will perform at 7 p.m. on Jan. 22 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free. 452.6000.

• Joe Cruz (piano/pop) will perform at 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 at The Classic Wineseller in Waynesville. Free.

452.6000 or www.classicwineseller.com.

• Country music star Pam Tillis will be a featured performer at a Galaxy of Stars Series performance at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. Tickets are $21 for adults, $16 for WCU faculty/staff, and $7 for students/children. bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or 227.2479.

• The Magnetic Theatre in Asheville is seeking one-act plays, actors and directors for “Brief Encounters 2016.” Deadline for submissions is Feb. 7. ldv@themagnetictheatre.org. Open-call audtions are in March. www.themagnetictheatre.org. Directors can write ss@themagnetictheatre.org.

• Tickets are on sale now for WCU radio re-creation group’s presentation of “Blackbeard’s Ghost and the Queen Ann’s Revenge.” Tickets: $10 each. Eighth in a series of academic-based entertainment productions mounted in collaboration with three departments and two colleges at WCU. Show will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. All proceeds from the event go to student scholarship funds in the participating departments. 227.3851.

Smoky Mountain News

• Story time and kids can make their own piece of art from 10 a.m.-noon every Saturday during the Family Art event sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council at the Jackson County Farmers Market located at the Community Table, downtown Sylva. On the first Saturday of each month, there is a scavenger hunt with prizes. 399.0290 or www.jacksoncountyfarmermarket.org.

• Art Adventure classes are taught for ages 5-10 from 3:30-4:45 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Bascom in Highlands. Theme: metal. Instructor: Bonnie Abbott. $20 per month. 787.2865.

• The American Girls Club meets at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The club meets one Saturday a month, call for details. Club is based on a book series about historical women. Club members read and do activities. Free. 586.9499.

• A chocolate and beer pairing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 21 at Heinzelmannchen Brewing in Sylva.

The brewery will team up with Baxley’s Chocolates for the event. Sample six beers and six chocolates. Tickets are $10 in advance, with $5 from each ticket going to the Community Table. 631.4466 or 631.3379.

January 13-19, 2016

• “Plug in and Read,” a digital story time designed to help preschoolers (ages 3-6) learn early literacy skills, is held at 10:30 a.m. on the second Friday or fourth Monday of each month at Haywood County Public Library. Visit www.haywoodlibrary.org or call 452.5169 or 648.2924.

• Art classes are available for kids 10 and older from 4:15-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Bascom in Highlands. $15 per class. 787.2865 or www.thebascom.org.

at 4 p.m. For ages 13-18. Teens can enjoy snacks while discussing popular young adult books, help plan events and displays for children and teens at the library, and participate in community service projects.

Canton Library, 648.2924.

wnc calendar

• Fun Friday, everything science, is held at 4 p.m. on Fridays at Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• A Lowe’s Build and Grow session for ages 3-and-up is scheduled from 10-11 a.m. on Saturdays at the Sylva (586.1170) and Waynesville (456.9999) Lowe’s stores. Free.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS • A Community Art Group meets at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.

• A writer’s group meets at 1 p.m. every Thursday at Hudson Library in Highlands. 526.3031.

• Free one-on-one technology help is offered every Tuesday and Thursday morning at Hudson Library in

41

wnc calendar

Highlands. Call 526.3031 to make an appointment.

• The Carolina Mountain Woodturners and the Southern Highlands Craft Guild will sponsor a woodturning demonstration by Alan Leland from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville. Free. 712.6644 or www.carolinamountainwoodturners.org. Examples of Leland’s work: http://alanleland.com.

• IPad users group meets Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. at the Jackson County Public Library. 586.2016.

• A Creating Community Workshop on Pine Needle Craft with Joyce Lantz will be presented at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23, in the Atrium of the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Free. Register by calling 586.2016. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Jackson County Public Library.

• Grace Cathey, owner of Grace Cathey Sculpture Garden and Gallery, will be guest speaker at a program for all adults at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at Hazelwood Baptist Church. Free.

• Tickets are on sale for “Art and Craft,” the Southern Circuit’s fourth feature, which will be shown at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the Western Carolina University Center theater in Cullowhee. The documentary details how one of the most prolific art forgers in U.S. history was finally exposed. www.artandcraftfilm. Tickets available at www.bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or 227.2479.

ART SHOWINGS AND GALLERIES • The “Winter Textures” fiber and textile exhibit will be displayed through Jan. 30 at the Gallery & Gifts within the Haywood County Arts Council in Waynesville. The showcase will feature a wide array of works from Haywood County fiber artisans. www.haywoodarts.org.

January 13-19, 2016

• Art by Marilyn-Sue Walsh (oils, water colors, acrylics and drawings) will be on display throughout January in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room in Franklin. 524.3600.

• The “Star Wars: The FORCE of Popular Culture” exhibit is on display through Jan. 16 at the Western Office of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in Asheville. Free. 296.7230 or jeff.futch@ncdcr.gov.

• Haywood County Arts Council will host artists from the Haywood Art Studio Tour at the Gallery & Gifts Space in Waynesville. www.HaywoodArts.org.

• The Mountain Heritage Center is hosting the exhibit “Collecting for the Community,” an exploration of the diversity and variety to be found in Western North Carolina. Visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended hours until 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

Smoky Mountain News

• A contemporary exhibit is open at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

The exhibit is intended to challenge the way beliefs

Visit www.smokymountainnews.com and click on Calendar for: ■ Complete listings of local music scene ■ Regional festivals ■ Art gallery events and openings ■ Complete listings of recreational offerings at regional health and fitness centers ■ Civic and social club gatherings about the natural world are formed. Entitled “Connections: Diane Fox & Beauvais Lyons,” the exhibit pairs photographs by Fox with lithography by Lyons.

The exhibit remains at WCU through Friday, Jan. 15.

The museum is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays with extended hours to 7 p.m. on Thursday. Admission and parking are free. 227.3591 or fineartmuseum.wcu.edu.

FILM & SCREEN • A screening of “The Martian” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 and 15 and 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva. www.madbatterfoodandfilm.com • A recently released movie based on Bill Bryson’s “A Walk In The Woods” will be shown at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Hudson Library in Highlands.

• A classic Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical will be shown at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22, in the Meeting Room of the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

2:37. Free. For info, including movie title, call 488.3030.

• Guided tours of WATR Discovery Trails at Monteith Farmstead Park in Dillsboro can be scheduled by calling 488.8418. For youth or adult/civic groups.

FARM AND GARDEN • Tuscola Garden Club will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Bethea Welcome Center in Lake Junaluska. Guest speaker is Moselle McCall with Country Road Farms in Sylva; she’ll offer a program on native plants of the Southern Appalachians. Visitors welcome. 926.6215.

• The Macon County Poultry Club of Franklin meets at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Cooperative Extension Office on Thomas Heights Rd,.

Open to the public. 369.3916.

HIKING CLUBS • Nantahala Hiking club will have a seven-mile hike of Ridge Trail to Dyke Gap in the Coweeta Hydrological laboratory on Saturday, Jan. 23. For more info, contact leader Gail Lehman at 524.5298.

• Nantahala Hiking club will have a two-mile hike of Mud Creek Falls at Sky Valley on Saturday, Jan. 16. For more info, contact leader Kathy Ratcliff at 349-3380.

• Adult movie time, 6:30 p.m. Mondays at Jackson County Public Library. Call for title of movie. 586.2016.

Ongoing Outdoors • The Highlands Plateau Greenway will conduct its monthly work day from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Jan. 16. If interested, email Ran Shaffner highlandsgreenway@nctv.com or call 482.1451.

• A class for people interested in a long-distance hike on the Appalachian Trail will be offered from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at Mast General Store in Asheville.

Course covers all aspects of planning the long-distance hike, including essential gear to the diversity of the trail experience. Free. www.appalachiantrail.org/events, 357.6542 or cdecamara@appalachiantrail.org.

HEALTH MATTERS • Al-Anon, a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who believe their lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking, meets at 10 a.m. on Saturdays at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 356.2800.

• “Health on Wheels” road ride, a relaxing social ride supporting physical and mental recovery from illness or injury – as well as anyone who hasn’t ridden in awhile – starts at 10:30 a.m. every Thursday at Canton Rec Park. For info, contact Michelle Trantham at mttrantham@hotmail.com or Melissa Rockett at mrockett@mountainwise.com/ • A Tuesday Meditation Group meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Franklin.

• A health-centered lunch and learn will be held on the third Thursday of every other month starting with the noon event on Aug. 20 at Swain Medical Park. Free light lunch will be served. Presented by Swain County Hospital and Swain County Health Department.

586.7734 or info@westcare.org.

• Kidney Smart Classes are held from 4:30-6 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the third-floor video conference room at Angel Medical Center in Franklin. 369.9474.

• Kidney Smart Classes are held from 7:30-9 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month at DaVita Sylva Dialysis Center. Call Sue (631.0430) for more info.

• Kidney Smart Classes are held from 3-4:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at EBCI Health and Medical in Cherokee. For info, call Sue at 361.0430.

• Kidney Smart Classes are held from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at DaVita Waynesville Dialysis Center. For info, call Clark at 627.2907.

• A pro bono clinic will provide physical therapy services to underserved and underinsured populations of Western North Carolina from 6-8:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of every month on the first floor of the Health and Human Sciences Building in Cullowhee. For information, contact the clinic at 227.3527 or MAPPTClinic@wcu.edu.

• Ladies Night Out, 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month in the cafeteria at Angel Medical Center. 349.2426.

• Free dental clinic for low-income patients, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment at Blue Ridge Mountains Health Project Dental Clinic on the upper level of Laurel Terrace in Cashiers. 743.3393.

• The Community Care Clinic of Highlands-Cashiers, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, provides free care to uninsured patients who meet financial need requirements and live or work in Highlands and Cashiers. $10 donation suggested. The clinic is in the Macon County Recreation and Health Building off Buck Creek Road. 526.1991.

• HealthTracks, the wellness and healthy lifestyle program at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, offers a toning class from 3 to 4 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on the lower level of the Jane Woodruff Medical Building at the rear of the hospital campus. $8 per session. 526.1348 or www.hchospital.org.

• Heart Healthy Exercise Group meets at 8:30 a.m.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Highlands Civic Center. $15 per month. 526.3556.

• Outpatient Diabetes Classes are offered from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. bimonthly at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, and from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. monthly at Swain County Hospital in Bryson City.

586.7734.

• Teen Prepared Childbirth Classes are offered at Angel Medical Center. 369.4421.

327-53

Great Smokies Storage 10’x20’ $

92

20’x20’ $

160

ONE MONTH

FREE WITH 12-MONTH CONTRACT

828.506.4112 or 828.507.8828

42

• A class for people interested in a long-distance hike on the Appalachian Trail will be offered from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at Diamond Brand Outfitters (South) in Asheville. Course covers all aspects of planning the long-distance hike, including essential gear to the diversity of the trail experience. Free. www.appalachiantrail.org/events, 357.6542 or cdecamara@appalachiantrail.org.

Conveniently located off 19/23 by Thad Woods Auction

Puzzles can be found on page 46.

These are only the answers.

PRIME REAL ESTATE Advertise in The Smoky Mountain News

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MarketPlace information:

CONSERVATIVE GROUP THINKERS MEET Tues. Jan. 19th, 7p.m. @ Dodies on Main St., Downtown Sylva.

Round Table Conversation, Explores Conservative Solutions to Local, State & National Challenges. Sylva South Reg. Voters Invited. Have Dinner at Home and Enjoy Dessert with Us. For info call Dodie 828.586.3634.

Don’t Forget, Auctions Every Thursday at 7p.m. NCAL#3410

The Smoky Mountain News Marketplace has a distribution of 16,000 every week to over 500 locations across in Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties along with the Qualla Boundary and west Buncombe County. For a link to our MarketPlace Web site, which also contains a link to all of our MarketPlace display advertisers’ Web sites, visit www.smokymountainnews.com.

Rates:

■ Free — Lost or found pet ads.

■ $5 — Residential yard sale ads, ■ $5 — Non-business items that sell for less than $150.

■ $15 — Classified ads that are 50 words or less; each additional line is $2.

If your ad is 10 words or less, it will be displayed with a larger type.

■ $3 — Border around ad and $5 — Picture with ad or colored background.

■ $50 — Non-business items, 25 words or less. 3 month or till sold.

■ $300 — Statewide classifieds run in 117 participating newspapers with 1.6 million circulation. Up to 25 words.

■ All classified ads must be pre-paid.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

ALLISON CREEK Iron Works & Woodworking. Crafting custom metal & woodwork in rustic, country & lodge designs with reclaimed woods! Design & consultation, Barry Downs 828.524.5763, Franklin NC

Classified Advertising: Scott Collier, phone 828.452.4251; fax 828.452.3585 classads@smokymountainnews.com

AUCTION

RUN YOUR CLASSIFIED In 101 North Carolina newspapers for only $375 for a 25-word ad.

Call this newspaper or 919.516.8009 for details.

WAYNESVILLE TIRE, COO

R

Di

sC Ov ER E

ATR

HAYWOOD BUILDERS Garage Doors, New Installations Service & Repairs, 828.456.6051 100 Charles St. Waynesville Employee Owned.

INC.

PE

Serving Haywood, Jackson & Surrounding Counties

BUILDING MATERIALS

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING

Offering:

MAJOR-BRAND TIRES FOR CARS, LIGHT & MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS, AND FARM TIRES.

Service truck available for on-site repairs LEE & PATTY ENSLEY, OWNERS

MON-FRI 7:30-5:00 • WAYNESVILLE PLAZA

828-456-5387

327-69

ACORN STAIRLIFTS. The Affordable Solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1.800.291.2712 for Free DVD and brochure.

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Free Estimates! Call 1.800.698.9217

CONSTRUCTION/ REMODELING DAVE’S CUSTOM HOMES OF WNC, INC Free Estimates & Competitive rates. References avail. upon request. Specializing in: Log Homes, remodeling, decks, new construction, repairs & additions.

Owner/Builder: Dave Donaldson.

Licensed/Insured. 828.631.0747 or 828.508.0316 FIND THE RIGHT CARPET, Flooring & Window Treatments.

Ask about our 50% off specials & our Low Price Guarantee. Offer Expires Soon. Call now 888.546.0135 SAPA SAFE STEP WALK-IN TUB: Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door.

Anti-Slip Floors. American Made.

Installation Included.Call 800.701.9850 for $750 Off. SAPA SULLIVAN HARDWOOD FLOORS Installation- Finish - Refinish 828.399.1847.

CARS -

TOP CASH FOR CARS, Call Now For An Instant Offer. Top Dollar Paid, Any Car/Truck, Any Condition. Running or Not. Free Pick-up/Tow. 1.800.761.9396 SAPA A-1 DONATE YOUR CAR For Breast Cancer! Help United Breast Foundation education, prevention, & support programs.

Fast Free Pickup - 24 Hr Response Tax Deduction 855.306.7348 SAPA

MOTORCYCLES CRAZY BOB’S BIKER STUFF Jackets, Chaps, Vests, Helmets, Rain Gear, Saddlebags, Sissy Bar Bags, Tool Bags, Stickers, Patches. We also got you covered with 50 Sizes of Tarps: Heavy Duty Silver, Brown & Green, Blue & Silver, Blue & Camo.

1880 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville 828.926.1177

FINANCIAL BEWARE OF LOAN FRAUD. Please check with the Better Business Bureau or Consumer Protection Agency before sending any money to any loan company.

SAPA SELL YOUR STRUCTURED Settlement or annuity payments for CASH NOW. You don't have to wait for your future payments any longer! Call 1.800.316.0271.

SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1.800.670.4805 to start your application today! SAPA

FURNITURE

COMPARE QUALITY & PRICE Shop Tupelo’s, 828.926.8778.

HAYWOOD BEDDING, INC. The best bedding at the best price!

533 Hazelwood Ave. Waynesville 828.456.4240

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R

WNC MarketPlace

EMPLOYMENT DRIVER TRAINEES Paid CDL Training! Stevens Transport will cover all costs! No Experience Needed! Earn $800 per week!

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www.smokymountainnews.com

January 13-19, 2016

NEW YEAR, NEW CAREER Aviation Grads Work With American, Boeing, Southwest And Others - Get Hands On Maintenance Training. Financial Aid If Qualified.

Call Aim 1.866.724.5403 SAPA TEACHER RECRUITMENT FAIR For 2016-17 vacancies in 21 Virginia school divisions. Sat, Jan 30 - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. @ Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA. See www.wvpec.org Sponsor: Western Virginia Public Education Consortium.

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

NOW HIRING Class A CDL Drivers! - Free Healthcare! Regional & OTR positions open. Pay starting at 40cpm.

1yr. experience required. Call 864.649.2063 or visit Drive4JGR.com. EOE. IMMEDIATE OPENINGS NOW! Home Every Week. Excellent Pay w/Benefits, 100% No Touch Freight, 75% Drop & Hook. Class A CDL w/1 Yr. Exp. Req. Call Today Call 888.219.8039.

FTCC Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following position: Director of Management Information Services (MIS). For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com /. Human Resources Office. Phone: 910.678.8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

TEAMS/SINGLES Dedicated lanes, Tennessee, North/South Carolina to Northwest and Southwest. Refrigerator and dry vans. CDLA with six months minimum verifiable experience or driver training. Also accepting owner operators. Call 937.417.8380 or 828. 475.1356.

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REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18 This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All dwellings advertised on an equal opportunity basis.

LEASE TO OWN 1/2 Acre Lots with Mobile Homes & Empty 1/2 Acre + Lots!

Located Next to Cherokee Indian Reservation, 2.5 Miles from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.

For More Information Please Call 828.506.0578

CHEMICAL

JOB FAIR

January 14, 2016 10 am - 3 pm

Entry Level Packer/Stacker

Production Buyers

Material Handlers (Utility Operators)

Transportation/ Traffic Specialist

Shift Supervisors

Haywood County NCWorks Career Center 44

1170 N. Main St., | Waynesville | 828-456-6061

HOMES FOR SALE

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT

BRUCE MCGOVERN A Full Service Realtor, Locally Owned and Operated mcgovernpropertymgt@gmail.com McGovern Property Management 828.283.2112.

STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE FOR YOU 1 Month Free with 12 Month Rental. Maggie Valley, Hwy. 19, 1106 Soco Rd. For more information call Torry

828.734.6500, 828.734.6700 maggievalleyselfstorage.com

GREAT SMOKIES STORAGE Conveniently located off 19/23

by Thad Woods Auction. Available for lease now: 10’x10’ units for $55, 20’x20’ units for $160.

Get one month FREE with 12 month contract. Call 828.507.8828 or 828.506.4112 for more info.

VACATION RENTALS NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS Winter Vacations Cabins, Condos, Homes. Pets Welcome! Nightly, Weekly & Monthly Rentals. Best Rates! Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock. Foscoe Rentals 800.723.7341 FoscoeRentals.com

NICOL ARMS APARTMENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Offering 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, Starting at $400 Section 8 Accepted - Handicapped Accessible Units When Available

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. & Wed. 10:00am - 5:00pm & Thurs. 10:00am- 12:00pm 168 E. Nicol Arms Road Sylva, NC 28779

Phone# 1.828.586.3346 TDD# 1.800.725.2962 Equal Housing Opportunity

COMM. PROP. FOR RENT OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Approx. 450 sq. ft., Kitchenette with Microwave, Sink and Undercounter Fridge. 2 Seperate areas for 2 Offices and a Storage Room in Back. All Heat, AC & Util. are Included at $695/mo. High Traffic Area at 850 N. Main St. Waynesville. Contact Sharon 828.421.8812 YOUR AD COULD REACH 1.6 MILLION HOMES ACROSS NC! Your classified ad could be reaching over 1.6 Million Homes across North Carolina! Place your ad with The Smoky Mountain News on the NC Statewide Classified Ad Network- 118 NC newspapers for a low cost of $330 for 25-word ad to appear in each paper! Additional words are $10 each. The whole state at your fingertips! It's a smart advertising buy! Call Scott Collier at 828.452.4251 or for more information visit the N.C. Press Association's website at www.ncpress.com

LAWN AND GARDEN HEMLOCK HEALERS, INC. Dedicated to Saving Our Hemlocks. Owner/Operator Frank Varvoutis, NC Pesticide Applicator’s License #22864. 48 Spruce St. Maggie Valley, NC 828.734.7819 828.926.7883, Email: hemlockhealers@yahoo.com STOP SETTING POSTS The Hard Way! If you set posts, you must see this! If you build Pole Buildings or just lifting things around the farm. Amazing Skid Steer Attachment for setting square posts or round poles.

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SAPA

PETS SPOOKIE AN ADORABLE BLACK AND WHITE MEDIUM-HAIR FEMALE KITTY ABOUT THREE YEARS OLD. SPOOKIE LOVES TO LIVE LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS, SHE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN SHE WILL ACCEPT YOUR ATTENTION AND FOR HOW LONG. IF YOU LIKE SASSY KITTIES WITH SOME ATTITUDE, SPOOKIE IS YOUR GIRL. LENNY AN ADORABLE LITTLE JACK RUSSELL TERRIER MIX BOY, ABOUT THREE MONTHS OLD. HE LOVES TO PLAY WITH TOYS, AND EVEN BETTER IF HE HAS A DOGGY FRIEND TO SHARE THE FUN TIMES WITH. HE HAS DOWN TIME, WHEN HE LIKES TO SNUGGLE DOWN IN A WARM LAP AND HAVE A SNOOZE.

HAYWOOD SPAY/NEUTER 828.452.1329

Prevent Unwanted Litters!

The Heat Is On! Spay/Neuter For Haywood Pets As Low As $10.

Operation Pit is in Effect!

Free Spay/Neuter, Microchip & Vaccines For Haywood Pitbull Types & Mixes!

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday, 12 Noon - 6 pm 182 Richland Street, Waynesville

327-49

Haywood County Real Estate Agents

147 Walnut Street • WayneSville

828.506.7137

aspivey@sunburstrealty.com

EMERSON

327-07

www.sunburstrealty.com/amy-spivey

BROOKE PARROTT BROKER ASSOCIATE

——————————————

Beverly Hanks & Associates • • • • • • •

bparrott@beverly-hanks.com Visit beverly-hanks.com/agents/bparrott

George Escaravage BROKER/REALTOR

to see what others are saying!

PO BOX 54 | 46 SOUTH MAIN STREET WAYNESVILLE | WWW.EMERSONGROUPUS.COM 327-45

828.400.0901 • 828.456.7705 george@emersongroupus.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Lifestyle Properties — vistasofwestfield.com Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices • Margie MacDonald - margie@4smokys.com

828.734.2146

GROUP

WNC MarketPlace

SFR, ECO, GREEN

beverly-hanks.com Michelle McElroy - MichelleMcElroy@beverly-hanks.com Marilynn Obrig - MarilynnObrig@beverly-hanks.com Mike Stamey - MikeStamey@beverly-hanks.com Ellen Sither - EllenSither@beverly-hanks.com Brooke Parrott - BrookeParrott@beverly-hanks.com Randy Flanigan - RandyFlanigan@beverly-hanks.com Pamela Williams - PamelaWilliams@beverly-hanks.com

Emerson Group

I can show and negotiate a sale for you on any property in the MLS. In today’s market, it is best to have a buyer’s agent.

I know the market if you are looking to buy!

Margie MacDonald 327-42

• Amy Spivey — sunburstrealty.com

Haywood Properties — haywoodproperties.com • Steve Cox — info@haywoodproperties.com

Keller Williams Realty

36 S. MAIN ST. WAYNESVILLE

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The Real Team

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Commitment, consistency, results.

McGovern Real Estate & Property Management • Bruce McGovern — shamrock13.com

Real Experience.

Real Service. Real Results.

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www.The-Real-Team.com

mountain realty

Realty World Heritage Realty

Carolyn Lauter Broker/ABR 1986 SOCO ROAD, HWY 19 • MAGGIE VALLEY, NC 28751

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327-36

realtyworldheritage.com • Carolyn Lauter realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7766 • Martha Sawyer realtyworldheritage.com/realestate/viewagent/7769

RE/MAX — Mountain Realty

Michelle McElroy RESIDENTIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE E-PRO, CNHS, RCC, SFR

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74 North Main St. • Waynesville 828.452.5809

• • • • • • •

remax-waynesvillenc.com | remax-maggievalleync.com Brian K. Noland — brianknoland.com Mieko Thomson — ncsmokies.com The Morris Team — maggievalleyproperty.com The Real Team — the-real-team.com Ron Breese — ronbreese.com Dan Womack — womackdan@aol.com Catherine Proben — cp@catherineproben.com

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1904 S. main St. • Waynesville

Lakeshore Realty • Phyllis Robinson - lakeshore@lakejunaluska.com

327-57

JOLENE HOCOTT • LYN DONLEY MARLYN DICKINSON

kellerwilliamswaynesville.com • Sam Hopkins — samhopkins.kwrealty.com

January 13-19, 2016

Accredited Buyers Representative, NAR Green, ECO Certified, E-Certified

margie@4smokys.com

ERA Sunburst Realty — sunburstrealty.com

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• George Escaravage — gke333@gmail.com

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January 13-19, 2016

WNC MarketPlace

Super

46

KID-LIT QUACK

CROSSWORD

68 Category 69 Egypt’s - Stone ACROSS 73 Leech, e.g.

1 “I.Q.” co-star Walter 74 Oft-pierced body 8 Hearing-airing chan- parts nel 79 January, to Jose 13 1990s Oldsmobile 80 Riddle, part 4 model 83 Fragrant neckwear 20 Most sore 84 Earnest attempt 21 Singer Katy 86 Fish that wriggle 22 Two-time 87 Ocean off N.C. 23 Start of a riddle 88 “- wrap!”

25 Sweet Italian wine 90 Soprano Jenny 26 Swizzle 91 Tacoma-to-Spokane 27 Co- - (some apartdir. ments) 93 F sharp’s equivalent 28 Blood classification 95 End of the riddle system 101 - Wee Reese 29 Insects in the wood- 102 Concepts, in work Quebec 30 Filled to the very top 103 The Hunter in the 32 Macchio or Nader sky 34 “Who’s in charge 104 No-show here?” reply 108 151, in old Rome 35 Riddle, part 2 109 Indian flatbread 42 Wary 110 Large Sicilian vol43 Class for U.S. immi- cano grants 114 Pinpoints 44 Tiny building block 115 Riddle’s answer 45 Sinful habit 118 Least tight 46 Family reunion mem. 119 Not satisfied, as 47 Funnyman Foxx needs 50 Andes animals 120 Slippery 52 - large extent 121 Friendly pact 53 Riddle, part 3 122 Wearing a house58 Greenish-blue colors coat 60 Places to secure 123 Spayed, say ships 61 Countless centuries DOWN 62 Be fraught with 1 Greedy mouths meaning 2 Eight, in Germany 64 Student transcript 3 Tongue of Bangkok fig.

4 Measure via a reagant 65 Traveled via canoe 5 Males

6 “Michael Row the Boat -” 7 Ideal place 8 Rank below Sgt. 9 “Me Talk Pretty One Day” author David 10 The major leagues 11 “The Stupids” star Tom 12 TV scientist Bill 13 High point 14 Alluring magnetism 15 Writer Melville 16 1994 sci-fi writer’s memoir 17 Coup d’- (rebellion) 18 Meadow rodent 19 Santa - (desert winds) 24 Branch of the mil.

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57 Listened to 59 Comedian - Smirnoff 63 Buenos -, Argentina 66 Given out as deserved 67 Frankie Avalon’s “Dinah” 69 Saintly article 70 “I’m not - complain ...”

71 Earthquake 72 Attach 75 Hole-making tool 76 Blues street of Memphis 77 “Como -?”

78 Sodium 81 Country singer Milsap 82 - -do-well 85 Most speedy 89 Mollify 91 Baby female sheep 92 “Forget it!”

93 Mop & 94 Diplomacy 96 Pre-Easter 97 Dance music genre 98 Hawaiian coffee 99 Speechified 100 Music ending 104 Everyone, in Germany 105 Great benefit 106 Local near a loch 107 Punta del -, Uruguay 111 Candy bar from Mars 112 Actress Campbell 113 Sacked out 115 Mangy mutt 116 British corp. designation 117 They precede xis

answers on page 42

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WEEKLY SUDOKU Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Answers on Page 42

Ironweed is piquing the interest of WNC residents

T

George Ellison

here seems to be an upsurge of interest in ironwood in Western North Carolina of late. It’s curious how reader interest in certain subjects will pop up all at once, after being non-existent for years or forever. Some sort of synchronicity, I suppose. Within the past month I’ve had four queries about ironwood aka muscle wood. One came from a fairly young fellow who stopped me in the grocery store at the ice cream freezer while I was trying to decide between raspberry Columnist and fudge ripple.

Another was in the line at the post office, where the person ahead of us also joined in the discussion and knew more than I did about ironwood. I didn’t ask, but I’d guess he was a logger or maybe a surveyor. The fourth was via an email from Ann Bennett in Macon County, who wrote: Dear George, Several years ago I wrote and described a “fruit” on a plant here in our area. And you told me it was an “oil nut” or “buffalo nut.”

And I thank you for that answer. Recently our two younger sons were splitting some wood

BACK THEN that had been given them for heating purposes and they came across some very difficult logs. Some one told them the wood was Iron Wood. Is there such a tree? Is that wood from another kind of tree but has grown in such a way that makes it so hard to split?

To which I replied: Hi Ann ... there is a shrub or small tree named ironwood (Carprinus carolinana) that is very hard. Some refer to it as “muscle wood” because it has gray skin-like bark and a muscular appearance. It’s fairly common in my experience along streams and is known for its toughness. So there’s a good chance that’s what your sons were trying to split.

Sycamore, a larger tree I’m sure you are familiar with, has scaly plate-like bark, is cross-grained which makes it hard to split, too. But I’d bet on ironwood.

Given the rising interest in ironwood I figured I’d best conduct some extra-curricula research. So, I went to a web site that I recently discovered. If you’re interested in anything having to do with trees, shrubs and

vines (that is, woody plants), this is one of the places to go, especially in regard to germinating seed and propagation. I must admit that, in part, this column on ironwood is really motivated as a way to let readers know about the web site.

An overview for the Woody Plant Seed Manual (F.T. Bonner and R.P. Karrfalt, eds.) published as Agriculture Handbook 727 by the USDA, reads: This manual brings together information on all phases of seed handling and presents An American the results of more hornbeam branch. than 20 years of studies. Forest Donated photo Service field personnel at several experiment stations and regional offices furnished a backlog of source material for treatments of individual genera. The manual consists of two main parts. Part 1 formulates general principles on the various phases of seed handling from formation of the seed to sowing. Part 2, which forms the larger part of the manual, provides relatively detailed but concise information

for 444 species and varieties of trees and shrubs; this includes data on distribution and use, discussions of seeding habits, methods of seed collection, extraction and storage, seed germination, and nursery and field practice.

You can buy the soft cover edition for $78.92 or the hardcover for $110.80 or you can go online and download the entire book (or just the accounts for individual plant species) for free in various formats, including PDF at www.nsl.fs.fed.us/nsl_wpsm.html.

Here then are some brief excerpts from the Woody Plant Seed Manual regarding ironwood: The northern American hornbeam species is divided into the subsp. caroliniana from along the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains of the southeastern United States and the subsp. virginiana of the Appalachian Mountains and northern interior regions to the West. The wood of hornbeams is extremely hard — hence the common name “ironwood” — and is used for making tool handles and mallet heads. It is also used to produce the high-quality charcoal used in gunpowder manufacture. The bark on older trees is slate gray, smooth, and irregularly fluted; the overall appearance is comparable to the flexed bicep and forearm muscles — hence another common name, “musclewood.”

In case you’re wondering, after due deliberation, I decided on fudge ripple.

(George Ellison is a naturalist and writer.

He can be reached at info@georgeellison.com.)

January 13-19, 2016 Smoky Mountain News 47

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Smoky Mountain News January 13-19, 2016